August 18, 2013
FOCUS!!! AND, KEEP HEAVEN ON YOUR MIND!!!
God’s mandate to us is never lackadaisical, effortless or dispassionate. Simply because the picture we should always have of our God should be an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, and power, “For he spoke, and it came to be, commanded, and it stood in place. The LORD foils the plan of nations, frustrates the designs of peoples. But the plan of the LORD stands forever.” For He is the Alpha and the omega. There is no other like Him. This is why his mandate to us is forever Breathtaking and Awe-Inspiring.
Let’s go to 1 Samuel 17 to the story of David and Goliath starting in verse 32 where David tells Saul let no one be afraid “your servant will go and fight him.” Saul tells David, “you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” David then tells Saul a story of faith and courage and what God has done for him in the pass. “Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.
The Lord will rescue from the hand of this Philistine. Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.” Then David took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. Then Goliath looked David over and saw he was only a boy He then said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?”
And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!” David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head.
This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that
it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”…… Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead… and he fell face down on the ground.
So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. killed him, then cut off his head with the sword.Now that is what I call carrying out a Breathtaking and Awe-Inspiring Mandate from the Lord. Now I see why God “testified concerning David and say’s:
“I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.” My friends each of us should have the faith in my God that if we keep walking in God’s footsteps, and doing His will, he will say the same of us as we carry out His Breathtaking and Awe-Inspiring mandate to finish His work here on earth.
A story is told of a young man who approached the Greek philosopher Socrates and casually stated.”Oh great Socrates, I come to you for knowledge” The philosopher took the young man down to the sea, waded in with him, and then dunked him under water for 30 seconds. When he let the young man up for air, Socrates asked him to repeat what he wanted. “Knowledge, O great one,” he sputtered. The philosopher put him under the water again and held him even longer. After repeated gasped, Air. I want air.”
“Good,” answered Socrates. “Now, when you want knowledge as much as you want air, you shall have it. MY FRIENDS, WHEN YOU WANT GOD’S SPIRIT, AS MUCH AS YOU WANT AIR, YOU WILL GET IT. Abraham Lincoln one of our great presidents, had the great misfortune of being at the forefront of our nation, during it’s most troubled times. The once united States had split in two, the North and South. who were waging an unrelenting war that claimed the lives many many soldiers.
Lincoln felt this tragedy more than anyone could imagine. Each day, he mourned the deaths of large numbers of soldiers. And spent long periods visiting the sick and wounded in the Union hospitals. The constant shedding of blood took its tool on Lincoln. Then, in the midst of the war, his own son died, the President was then literally brought to his knees. In midweek, Lincoln did what he often did during those trying times, he found refuge at a church in Washington D.C.
He went with an aide, sat with his stovepipe hat in his lap, trying not to interrupt by sitting off to the side, The minister opened the Scriptures and taught from God’s Word. And when he finished, the president stood quietly, and began to leave. His aide asked him, “What did you think of the sermon, Mr. President?” He said, “I thought the sermon was carefully thought through, and eloquently delivered.” The aide said, “You thought it was a great sermon?” Lincoln replied, “No I thought he failed…
He did not ask of us something Great.” In the midst of his turmoil, even Lincoln understood that when you listen to God you should expect the Lord to call you to something breathtaking and awe-inspiring, simply because Psalm 99:1-3 tells me My “Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. Great is the Lord in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations. Let them praise your great and awesome name he is holy.”
So you should expect our God to challenge each of us each day to something higher than ourselves. But the preacher Lincoln listened to that day failed to challenge him. He failed to ask something great of the President and of His members. When the Israelites left Egypt Exodus 19:4 tells us He said to the Israelites ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.
But then God asks them to do something breathtaking and awe-inspiring God asks them for a COMMITMENT. He asks them to stand up and pledge their loyalty to Him He says: in “Exodus 19:5-6 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” So my friends today God is asking us to do something breathtaking and awe-inspiring He is asking us to FOCUS, AND KEEP HEAVEN ON YOUR MIND!!!
Heaven on my mind
I started with jesus at a very early age
Yes, i’ve known him nearly all of my life
I admit there have been times when i faltered along the way
But i’ll keep trying because somehow i’ve got to make it in
You see, i’ve got a charge on my life and i’ve got a job to
Do, and i can’t stop until it’s through
I’m determined, i’ve got a made up mind
I can’t stand around wasting my time
I’m gonna keep on working for jesus every day of my life
Cause i’ve got heaven on my mind
I don’t have time to waste criticizing someone else
There are some things i’d rather leave behind
And i don’t have time to be bothered with “he said”, “she said”, that, “they said”
‘cause it’s all i can do to keep my own self in line
I must work while it’s day, for the night is surely coming,
I’m going all the way
I’m determined, i’ve got a made up mind
I can’t stand around wasting my time
I’m gonna keep on working for jesus every day of my life
Cause i’ve got heaven on my mind
I can’t understand how some people can move so slow
Maybe they don’t know just what time it is
He’s coming back and i know it won’t be long
I’ve gotta be ready, i gotta be ready, for my starry crown
I wanna hear him say, i wanna him say, well done
You can talk about me, say what you wanna say
You can stand around wasting your time
While your talking, i’m gonna keep on walking
Cause i’ve got a heaven on my mind
You can talk about me, say what you wanna say
You can stand around wasting your time
While your talking, i’m gonna keep on walking
Cause i’ve got a heaven on my mind
On my mind
Brooklyn Tabernacle Heaven on my mind
So my friends today. Stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY
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