February 9th, 2014

@ Prophesying Meeting at the Congress hall 

People believe in God for many things. God revealed Himself to these many things; then, people believe. But not until Genesis 15:6 that it says people believed Jehovah and it accounted to him as righteousness. So, when I believe in God to meet all my needs … that does not cause me to be accounted by God as righteous. That’s a big point. Secondly, what if you believed concerning this point, you know, what God opened up this week, it was about God’s inward work in him to bring forth the seed. What that means in our Christian life is to bring forth Christ, because Christ does fulfill God’s purpose. When I believe in God to receive Christ, for Christ to live in me, for Christ to be formed in me, and for me to be built up with the brothers and sisters in Christ, that will fulfill God’s purpose … that’s the faith that makes God happy. When I believe in God to get me a job, to provide me a wife, food on the table … those are good and are all positive, but it’s not the faith that’s going to cause God to account me as righteous. Lord, Christ is in me. Christ is living in me. Christ is being formed in me, and I’m with some brothers and sisters that are experiencing the same thing. I’m even being built up with them in Christ for Your kingdom to come to this earth. That’s what makes God happy. Praise the Lord! What a revelation, brothers and sisters. May we just be continually under this kind of seeing in our Christian life and in our church life. This is the kind of faith that God is wanting from us.

Br. David 

It was Genesis chapter fourteen that Abraham went out, followed the kings and rescued Lot, and that’s where he believed in the God the Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth. It was right after the king of Sodom said to Abraham, “Give me all the people and take all the possession for yourself.” Abraham said, “No.” He says there, “I’ve lifted up my hand to Jehovah, God the Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth,” showing that he believed in God who could provide everything that he needed. It didn’t say at that point Jehovah accounted him as righteous. Then the next chapter starts with, “after these things the word of Jehovah came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid. I’m your shield and exceedingly great reward.” So, there He reveals Himself, and he’s going to take care of Abraham. The ministry points out that probably Abraham was a little bit nervous. Maybe they’re going to come back and try to get retrieval, so he is a little fearful. Then He said, “Fear not.” He takes care of his outward situation, but then he says, “I’m your exceedingly great reward,” showing Abraham a little hint, “I’m what you need,” “I’m your reward.” And then the next word out of Abraham, he didn’t say, “Wow, thank you Jehovah. You are my reward.” Abraham said to Jehovah, “what will you give me, for I’ll go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus? So, right away he goes back to his need. But here is a thing. Abraham’s need could be mingled with God’s need to fulfill God’s purpose, so here you have a marriage of Abraham’s need and God’s need to fulfill His purpose. Here’s what Abraham says, and he kind of goes back. He says, “That’s not going to be the heir. Don’t worry about that.” He revealed His purpose again to Abraham, but the word of Jehovah came to him, saying, “This man shall not be your heir, but he who comes out from your own body shall be your heir” and then talks about them being the stars and number like the stars, like it says. The point is here; it’s not until our believing is joint to God’s purpose that God says, “That’s what I want.” “I count that as righteous.” You are a mass you have all these things. But the fact, that you are going to join your faith with My purpose - That’s what I’m looking for. That’s what I want to get out of this situation and so to our situation. Many times we are going through the situation and we have needs. It’s not bad to say, “Lord, I need this, I need that.” But, it’s not until our heart somehow has a shift and it’s open and willing to believe, Lord in this circumstance gain what you’re after in me. Lord, in this circumstance produce Christ in me so that out of that could be something for the fulfillment of your purpose. It’s not until that point that God says, “righteous” That faith justifies you for My purpose.  

Br. Zick 

In the late afternoon at the Lord's table meeting, there were lots of fellowship going on about gospel trips in Edinburg and Arkansas, College Outing, and baptism. A sharing from a freshman at UT who got into a home for the first time was very touching. She said, "Thank you for being so attractive a group of people." 

Last week, what was sweet to me was a sister's testimony, ended with saying, "The Italy students love hearing that our God is romantic."