To know God in Worship - Canticles 5

You know the scripture text, the call for a solemn assembly, is based off of Joel chapter one, chapter two. I'm not going to take the time to read that. As I said, I hope other speakers will address that. But in this passages of scripture, chapter one of Joel, is that God is declaring by the prophet is that there are circumstances that has happened to the nation. There is the enemy has come in and invaded the land. There is natural calamity upon the land where there is a famine and a drought and they do not have the means to bring the sacrifices and the offerings to the altar of God and nor to sustain their own selves. There's a famine and a drought in the land. Now these are physical droughts. We know in the book of Amos, it talks about a spiritual drought where thirsting and hungering after the word of God and men can't find it and men can't hear it. And so again, they lose the presence of God. And God says when these things happen, in Joel chapter one, in chapter two, he gives the same commandment. When these things happen, calamities, natural disasters, pestilence, disease, like we're seeing, he says the church, God's people, are supposed to call for assembly and for people to gather and come before the Lord to address what's going on and why this is happening and to confess and to weep and to bring mourning for the sins of the nation, sins of the church, and my own personal sins. And so we're going to spend these two days doing exactly that, coming together via live stream, gathering ourselves together for 12 hours today, actually nine hours with three sessions. Tomorrow, it'll be from one o'clock in the afternoon, all these are eastern standard times, from one o'clock in the afternoon till nine o'clock at night. So we'll have six hours tomorrow. And the morning session for tomorrow from nine to 12, we're asking you that you would join your own church family. We'll still be broadcasting for Fox's Hall and Kaiser Church on my, not on this channel, but on my personal channels on Facebook and YouTube, and you're welcome to join us. But that morning session tomorrow is for you and your church family, but we will resume tomorrow at one o'clock in the afternoon, okay? So be mindful of these things, come together, gather ourselves, and let's call upon the name of the Lord, because again, the scripture gives us a promise there in Joel chapter two, where he says, who knows if the Lord will return and repent and leave a blessing behind him. And we are using these days to address the issue of what's going on and why this is happening, and seeking the Lord so that he might hear us, be entreated with us, pleased with us, and that he would answer us. Many are praying for a revival, many are praying for an awakening across the nation, and those are wonderful, and this is our time to get before the Lord and understand these things, what he has taught us and instructed us in the scriptures to do in such calamities and times that a nation faces or a people face, and what we're supposed to do in our response. And so our opportunity is right now, and I always like R.C. Sproul's statement, and it's in the top of my prayer book, right now matters forever. And I love that phrase, right now matters forever. What you and I do today, right now, and these two days that are given to us, is going to matter forever for the future, for the sake of our nation, the sake of our families, the sake of the church. And so we have the opportunity to draw before the throne of grace and to seek him and to call upon him for a great outpouring. And so here's our time right now to begin. Now the other passage of scripture, and some of you should know these passages, and again we are referencing these things about why we're doing this, is found in the book of Ezra and Nehemiah. Now the children of Israel had been destroyed by the Babylonians, carried off into captivity for numbers of 70 years, and now they're coming back to Jerusalem. The temple is destroyed, they need to rebuild it. Nehemiah builds the walls and the gates, and they come before the Lord when, again, they see the plight that they're in. They're in such a desperate plight, and they call for the spiritual leadership, bring the book of the law and read it to us. And so they spent a good portion of the day reading the word of God to the people of God, and the people would spend a quarter of the day hearing the word of God, and then they would spend a quarter of the day confessing before the Lord. And so that is pretty much the pattern of what we're going to do. Some will ask where's the music and those kind of things. You're not going to find it here. There are other channels for that. We're going to be bringing the word of God with instruction, and then we're going to be praying and seeking the Lord in that. And when I say worship, as oftentimes people think is that music in a band is going to begin to play, we're going to speak worship as the psalmist did as he declared in the scripture. And so we're going to worship God and the things that he has given to us. So it's time for us to begin, and I'm grateful for you to be on here and for those that have come alongside to pray and to promote over this last month. This has been a work of progress for about a month. The Lord spoke and said, do this. And so we began to set this into motion, trying to get all the pieces together, the speakers. And so whatever part you played in this to help us, I just want to extend my thanks to you for the time that you invested and put forth. And to those of you that are joining us, and that you have been invited by other ministries and other Christian brothers and sisters, welcome for this opportunity for us to seek the Lord. As that scripture says, it is time to seek the Lord, and that's what we're going to do. And so these two days is for us as the remnant to draw before the Lord for the sake of the nation, the sake of the church, and to hear from God and to obey him in whatever he instructs of us to do, because quite literally, as we see in this nation and the world today, we're out of time. And the calamities that are happening are life and death. And again, even while we're on here for this day, we know that there are thousands of people that through this coronavirus are going to be brought out into eternity. And many of them, the church didn't reach as successfully as they should. And so we want to be spirit-filled and empowered to finish the task that the Lord has given to the church today. So I want to open in prayer, and then I'm going to begin for my session to bring the word to you. And I'm going to be speaking on a Psalm of Solomon chapter five, and then we'll be closing this session up to leading up to Brother Doug Small, who'll have the second part of this morning's session at 1030. And so Psalm of Solomon chapter five, if you have your Bibles, I'd like to turn over to that, following with me as we read the word of God. And I want to open in prayer right now. Let's pray. Holy Father, we draw before you right now at the beginning of this two-day activity, Father, of worship, of confession, and of petition and supplications and intercessions. We know, Father, is that again, is that you have told us in 2 Chronicles 16, that your eyes run to and fro throughout all the earth, and that your ears are listening to see if there are any that would call upon you, that would seek you, that you would be entreated with them. And that again, Lord, for you to hear us and to answer us. Thank you for the mighty promises that you give us in your word. Teach us, bring us into remembrance of what you have declared about yourself in the word of God, and help us with an understanding this day, Lord, to know who you are. Help us, Lord God, that as we know you, that we know, Father, that you have declared that the things that we're going to ask for, petition you for, the sins that we're going to confess before you, is that you have promised us that you are faithful to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. You are faithful and you are omnipotent in your power, is that nothing that we ask is beyond you. You are able to do all things. Be glorified as your people draw before you today for this most holy time, this divine time. You have called us to assemble, and Lord, we are coming before you with the burden and the weight of the nations, with the burden and the weight of our loved ones, and the burden and the weight, Father, of your church, to be exactly what you want it to be. Move us, O Holy Spirit, that we hear your voice ever so clearly, and that we in obedience, Father, rise up. And so again, Lord, help us this day. Help us in our feeble attempts, Lord, to worship and to pray and to move ourselves, Father, before you, that again is that you would aid us and help us, Father, our flesh favors, and we need you. We pray, Father, for that divine presence that would speak to those that are viewers, to those that are listening, to those that will hear this word, and move your body, the body of Christ, to the place that you would say, in you I am well pleased. Spirit fill us. Strip us, O God, of self. Strip us of humanism. Strip us of the things, O Lord, that has kept us so far from you. And forgive us, O God, that we ever left you, that we ever diminished, Lord, the presence that we needed in such an hour as this, where the world is perishing, souls are dying, hell is rejoicing. And again, Father, your people are to be weeping and mourning for the sake of your name, your name, which is above all names, the name that we will glorify, the name that we will worship today, and that precious name, that holy name, the name above all names, the name of Jesus. In Jesus' name I pray, amen. Song of Solomon, the book of canticles, as Spurgeon refers to it. I grew up 15 years old, the Lord was beginning to deal with me, and my father, who was a pastor, encouraged just that particular year in the fall, and he said, buy Spurgeon's Morning and Evening, and I think at that time I paid eight dollars for it or something like that, and I had a track where I took that pledge, would you read the Bible through, and it was the first year that I read the Bible through with that little track, and at the same time reading my Spurgeon's Morning and Evening, and for over 25 years I've read other devotions than that, but I stayed with Spurgeon's. It is one of the best devotional books that I've ever come across, and I know that there are numerous others out there like I said, but that one there has fed my soul, and so Spurgeon was so, throughout that year, 365 days, morning and evening, so double that, over 700 devotions, is that how many I noticed is that he would bring and preach out of the book of Canticles, the book of Psalm of Solomon, and it was unique for me, because again, when you read this, you're kind of thinking, as you first, a lot of times people and Christians that read through the Bible, they'll say that just is like a romance account, and not knowing the spiritual context of it, and so Psalm of Solomon, chapter five, is again, for us in our worship, as we begin this two-day activity, I hate to call it a conference, I hate to call it an event, it's an activity of God, a call for solemn assembly, and I want us to worship the Lord here in this opening session, that we just have our minds fixed on the answer. The answer is not me, the answer is not in DC, the answer is not in the CDC, the answer is not in anything else, the answer is in God, and that's where God's people need to come. Anytime, again, back to the scriptures there, anytime that there was an issue of calamity, you were supposed to run, run to God, and listen, and be instructed on what's going on and why it's happening, and God would give the remedy, this is the solution, this is what you're supposed to do, and God's people were supposed to tell the heathens, God's people were supposed to go tell the nations, this is what's going on, this is what you're supposed to do. Now, their choice of whether they obeyed or not was between them and the Lord, but the church is supposed to have a voice, and I don't hear the voice of the church on social media and across the airways today with a clear message. Most, most that I have heard and listened to are scratching their heads saying, I don't know what's going on, we don't know what to do, but again, it seems two plus two is four, very elementary to me, and God's, God's going to speak that to us over these next two days, here's the answer, church, here's the answer, nations, come to me, and so in Song of Solomon, chapter five, this is an account here, and I want to begin in verse two, and read, well, I'll just read the whole chapter here, and again, my time is limited, so I want to speak fast and address to these points, so that again, I've asked each of the speakers to bring the word that the Lord lays upon them, instruct us, and then to take us into corporate prayer time, where again, you're praying with me, and I'm praying with you, because again, of the promise, if two of you agree as touching anything here on earth, it shall be heard and done in heaven, and that's the accomplishment that we want today, so in Song of Solomon, chapter five, beginning in verse one, read with me, I am coming to my garden, my sister, my spouse, I have gathered my myrrh with my spice, I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk, eat, oh friends, drink, yea, drink abundantly, oh beloved, now again, this, that first verse is set aside, and we begin with this scenario between verse two and eight, and then the last section, nine through sixteen, is a description of the beloved, verse two, I sleep, but my heart wakes, it is the voice of my beloved that knocks, saying, open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled, for my head, it is filled with dew, mine locks with the drops of the night, I put off my coat, how shall I put it on, I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them, my beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him, I rose up to open to my beloved, and my hands, they dropped with myrrh, my fingers with sweet-smelling myrrh upon the handles of the lock, I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone, my soul failed when he spake, I sought him, but I could not find him, I called, but he gave me no answer, the watchmen that went about the city, they found me, they smoked me, they wounded me, the keepers of the walls, they took away my veil from me, I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that if you find my beloved, that you tell him that I am sick of love, what is my beloved more than other beloved, O thou fairest among women, what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us, my beloved is white and ruddy, the cheapest among ten thousands, his head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy and black as a raven, his eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk and fitly set, his cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers, his lips like lilies dropping sweet-smelling myrrh, his hands are as gold rings set with the burl, his belly is as a bright ivory overlaid with sapphires, his legs are as pillars of marble set upon the sockets of fine gold, and his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars, his mouth is most sweet, yea he is altogether lovely, this is my beloved, this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. Now I bring that word to you out of Psalm of Solomon because when we begin this idea of solemn assembly, one of this thing of coming before God and asking the question what is going on, and the church struggling for an answer is to say we don't know. Well it backs up to this original question, do we know God? And the church again who has had every means of those which have come before us and studies and theology and doctrines and books, the scriptures itself for us to glean, the petitions that are found in the word of God are given to us for that same petition of God's Jesus prayed for us, the church, and again I'm addressing I believe is that for most that will be on this call, it is the remnant, it is those of you that are as burdened as I am for what you see happening in the nation, what you see happening in your homes, what you see going on in the churches today, and you understand the scriptures, you are not alone in this, there is a remnant out there with the same heart cry. Every one of these speakers who I spoke to by phone and by FaceTiming with them, they're all expressed, they're not knowing the conversation that was held by the other ones, but all of them expressed the urgency of this hour for the church to get back to where it needs to be. I just believe is that it all comes back to this one first principle of worshiping is that we do not know who God is. And I have based this off of one of the statements as again I love to listen to Leonard Ravenhill sermons and in those so often and in his books that he wrote is that he made this declaration and others have made it, I've heard Richard Owen Roberts make it, I've heard and read in A.W. Tozer write it is that he said one of the issues in the church today, Henry Black will be made in early 2000 while Revival Terry's and they make this statement is that we don't know who God is. We don't know the word of God and we don't know the God of the word. And so again it is for us to come back to this, this searching for our beloved. Now again isn't it amazing that Jesus praying in John 17 for the church where he says to us that they may know you father. Christ praying for us that we may know the father and because of Christ there is a way made for us that we may come boldly into that throne room of grace and see him and worship him and learn of him. Paul writes over in the book of Philippians where he says that same petition, that same statement. He says that I may know you and throughout scriptures that is repeated over and over to know God. Now somewhere along the line that again is that we're Christians and again it is not something that just happens overnight. It is a progression that we lose the intimacy with Christ, with God in the secret closet, in the prayer closet. We lose it in the worship services and over time we get away from the things that brought us and taught us of the things that we might know about him, learn about him. Peter writes that he said that you may grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now you see that same reference here in the song of Solomon. My beloved has come. Now again she's referencing as this story account and again isn't it amazing that in two books in the Bible that have no mention of God, there is no mention of God the father, there is no mention of God the son Jesus Christ, there is no mention of God the Holy Spirit. Two books in the Bible and this is one of them and so you would think well to know God what are you using this book then this text for such a message as that. God led me to this again to show us that again for us to get to God is that there is this searching, seeking that must take place again that we must invest time to be alone with God in his word because in the word of God, God reveals who he is. God teaches us what he has done, what he's going to do, what he's doing now. God teaches us and tells us his attributes, his descriptions of his power and his omnipotence and omnipresent and omniscience. He teaches us his names and so most Christians that again the sin in the church today is when you ask people who is God is that they don't know. They again you said well how is that possible and the answer is just as clear as again of what we're facing and what we need to do today that they have not been alone with God. Now you read here in verse two is that the beloved comes and and speaks. I hear the voice of my beloved so she knows her beloved's voice as he's speaking calling it's me. Opens the door and she knows the voice. She knows the knock. She knows it's him. He reaches his hand in. She recognizes his hand and a child of God the more that they are alone with God they know his voice. Now you remember the account of Samuel when Samuel was a young boy and God first spoke to him as a young teenager and he called him Samuel Samuel. Samuel jumps up and he runs to Eli and you know that that happened several times and finally Eli picked up on what was going on and he gave him instruction and he said next time you hear your name called he said you answer speak Lord for your servant is listening and he did that and after that he didn't have to go to Eli anymore. He knew the voice of God. Do you know the voice of God? Do you know that voice which speaks truth? Which speaks promises? Which speaks power? The voice that speaks to you in the Holy Spirit that is in agreement with that that gives us the confidence which again is consistent with the word of God. Now there are people today and again we have to be so careful of this because people who know the word of God who studied the Bible and that they hear God they see what God has said in the scriptures and out of that then they add to that their experience. The things that they have gone through and again you have the word of God on one hand and they have their experiences on the other hand. Those two things should never contradict. Never. The only reason that there have been so many cults of the Mormons and the Jehovah Witness that have come out to the United States in our in the last 150 years in the United States all these cults have formed is because they took the word of God and their experiences and the more and more that they had an experience the less and less is that it agreed with the word of God. These two never separate. If you have a vision, if you have a dream, if you have something that you hear from God in your prayers or in your quiet time it is always in agreement with the word of God that you may know me. It's always about God and anytime that it becomes such now you're going down that path away from God of heresy, going down that path of blasphemy, going down that way of false doctrine. How is there so many denominations? How is there so many other religions? How is there so many cults in this day is because they lost the intimacy with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. You cannot show me a dear brother or a dear sister that has got the word of God in this hand in their quiet time and they put the two together. They know God but when those things begin to diminish that you're not in the book as you used to be or you're not in the book as often as you should be and you're not in that prayer closet as you should be, other things have occupied your time. You will hear, you will be much like this beloved here. I heard his voice. I saw his hand. I was moved. I know that I should have got up but I'm already in bed. I've already put my pajamas on. I've already washed my feet. Do I have to get back up? This is the state of the church today. We've become so slothful, so lazy, so busy with our own schedules and again the thing of this time in our history is that God has stopped everything that was robbing us of time with him to give us this time that again that we might seek him, fall in love with him again and come back to him and you said well this is Old Testament. This is Song of Solomon. This is this is this account of romance. Well then let's go to Revelation chapter 3. Again Old Testament always complements New Testament. New Testament always complements Old Testament. They are one and the same. It is the word of God and Christ speaks in Revelation 3 and he says behold I stand at the door and knock and he that opens this is to the church. This isn't to we use it so often with invitations and evangelism which again is the same thing of Christ inviting but this is Revelation 3 is to the church. I stand at the door and knock and he that opens to me open the door. This is your beloved. You hear his voice. You know he's knocking. You're left with a choice. Do I get up and meet him or do I stay in bed? You realize how much time has been wasted where we just stayed in bed and we didn't get up and meet the master. Do you realize how much has been lost of our knowledge of God because we fell out of love with him because we weren't with him anymore. We let something else in idle something of this world occupy our minds occupy our hearts occupy our times and we lost the intimacy with God and we lost who he was and when that has happened for a couple days it's one thing but when it becomes weeks and months and years and the church has lost the ability to get before the Lord and hear the word of God for a quarter of the day to pray and confess a quarter of the day in prayer meetings which used to be as we sing in the old hymn books sweet hour of prayer you can't hardly find an hour prayer meeting anymore. Most of it's filled with music and entertainment. Most of it is filled with someone sharing the concerns and those things which is all necessary but the actual time spent in prayer of beseeching the Lord and speaking to him and letting him speak to us is a rare thing to find. We sing sweet hour of prayer but we can't remember the last time that we were 60 minutes in our prayer closet and stayed there and said Lord I'm not leaving to you to you bless me. You see we are content to go without God and that is part of the problem for us to get back. I stand at the door and knock and he that opens with me look at this great invitation. I will come in and supper with him and he with me. A divine visitation and intimacy of a meal together a time of fellowship together. Now this woman in Song of Solomon chapter 5 she finally stirs herself up and says it's my beloved. He's got the dew upon his hair. He's been out. He's come seeking me you know I ought to get up and the time that she gets herself up and convinces herself to get up and go to the door he has withdrawn himself and is gone and as she opens the door she says my beloved is gone. She throws a shawl on she throws her nightcoat on and she runs out into the streets and she starts seeking for him and how much is that found through scripture if you seek me you shall find me when you search for me with all your heart. Ask and it shall be given. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be open. How many times is destruction given to us to seek the Lord? It is time to seek the Lord. Find back our love. Find back this this need of our hour is to fill our minds and our hearts with who God is. Oh that I might know you. Oh that they would know you father to speak of you to speak of deeds that you have done to speak your names with reverence and holiness to speak it with praise and honor and glory and to worship him because of who he is and what he has done and what he has declared about himself in our lives in the scripture in the lives of his church blessed be the name of the Lord. Why would we ever not rise to meet him is because our mind attention and affections have been turned to something else and it is time for us to set aside the Netflix. It's time for us to set aside the video games. It's time for us to set aside sports and entertainment and family and everything else that has robbed us of the intimacy of Christ. She rose up and she sought him but she never found him in that. So you go back to chapter three of psalm of Solomon this same issue has happened. She rose up and she went through the door but he wasn't there and she says but I I went out and I sought him whom my soul so long has loved. I sought him and I found him and she makes the vow I will never let him go. Now a few chapters later she's let him go. This is the state of the American church. Time and time again God has been calling us and we come back to him for a very short brief time and say Lord I'm telling you I'm going to serve you from this day forward. I'm not going to miss a day. I'm going to tell other people about Jesus. I'm going to be in that book. I'm going to pray. I'm going to no matter what you ask of me God I'm going to do it and I believe in the sincerity of their heart the integrity of their heart. They mean what they're saying but something Satan self leads them away and over time erodes from their intimacy with Christ and they have forgotten who their beloved is. Tell him if you find him that I am sick of love. I am moved with such passion for you and the church must fall in love again with the one who saved them and redeemed them. Oh father you talk about a prayer. You talk about a petition because we're going to pray these next two days. This is one of them. Now we go to the revelation chapter two. I gave you the seventh church later to see in revelation three about behold I stand at the door knock but in the opening of that where Christ speaks in revelation two to the Ephesus church and he says I have this against you. You left your first love. You left me for the works for the deeds and you become legalistic and you become routine and isn't this what has happened? We are so used to doing church so successful at church with numerics and stats and and all those things is that we forgot that the one most important thing about the church is to know God. It is to know God that you can't run church without God. If you run church without God you're just a religion. You're just a church. You're just a cult but those who are embracing of their love their beloved those who are intimate with the Lord who have heard from him and he has heard us speak. Speak oh Lord and I'm listening your servant is listening and Lord here's the desires of my heart. Here's what's on my mind and that again our hearts and our minds are linked. This is one of the things that we're talking about in prayer times is that you're not just praying your mind your heart your thoughts your petitions you're praying God's. What does God see? What's on God's heart? What's on God's mind in his kingdom? It's his kingdom. It's his will that needs to be done and this is what we're going to be seeking for. The beloved she rose up and she couldn't find him and she went about searching and it is is that again for some is that again it's time to get back. It's time to get back to where you find God. Go back and remember what it was that made you fall in love with him to begin with. Remember that bible verse that someone gave you that brought you to your salvation that brought convictions to you. Some people you say what was the bible verse that you were saved with and they'll say oh it was John 3 16. Some will say well no it was Romans 10 9 and 10. Others it'll be another passage of scripture. Do you remember the word of God that spoke to you and taught you and instructed you that you was a sinner and that you was in need of Christ and you heard his voice come. Come to me all you that labor heavy laden and I will give you rest. Come to me you that are thirsty and you'll never thirst again. But you hear that beckoning call of the voice of the son of God the savior of the world. Come. He rose up and he came and you're like you're like Mary and Martha that you just love him and you worship him and you adore him and you said no matter what it takes and but again the busyness of life the hectic schedules the routines work family duties responsibilities chores all those things need for necessary in a person's life but never never when you get out of your priorities out out of scheme never when you devote more things to the things of this earth or the things of your kingdom rather than the things of God's kingdom. We've got to learn once again that again to die to self to take up our cross and to go follow the Lord no turn you know that old invitation song I have decided to follow Jesus no turning back no turning back I'll follow him and a renewed vow these two days to have a renewed vow at the close of tomorrow's sessions on Sunday evening to close with that renewed vow Lord we are yours we are your people we are your workers we are your servants we are your children and we have entreated you father for the sins and the abominations of the nation and of my family and of my own heart and of your church and you father are faithful to hear us and to cleanse us and to forgive us and to renew this vow before you is that from this day forward till the day that you remove us from this earth I will serve the Lord with all my heart with all my mind and with all my soul and I will never ever ever keep you on the outside of the door when you come and speak and knock I will open that door I will be often something with you and you with me we will have intimacy day in and day out as Psalm 55 evening morning and at noon while I lift up my cry Daniel who bowed his knees and prayed three times a day and all the labors of this is that there is an intimacy in that secret closet and it cannot be forfeited for the television it cannot be forfeited for a golf course it cannot be forfeited for your object of affection of a car or possessions or this or that it must be it must be the things of God oh that I might know him and so again it is to understand the studying of the scripture study to show yourself approved unto God and so you begin in Genesis chapter 1 in the beginning God and you conclude in Revelation 22 the alpha and omega and what he is saying saying what he has said and what he's done and his activity that is found throughout scripture and the descriptions that are given to us that we might know him and the power of his resurrection that we might see him look upon his face Hebrews 12 to that instruction looking unto Jesus do you ever see the church today they're looking unto those of the government they're looking to those of the latest fad and the latest trend they're looking to this personality to that ministry and our eyes are not supposed to be on the things of this world set your affections on things above looking unto Jesus and that's the reason is that when we get ready to go to our prayer time here in a moment we are not going to be looking to men we're not going to be looking to means we're not going to be looking to methods we're going to be looking at the master and we're going to bring our our worship our affection to him here's my eyes here's my mind here's my tongue here's my ears here's my heart here's my soul it's all about you God and so again Lord is that you would move me and work within me by the power of the Holy Spirit that I may know you now again it is is that going through scriptures and again one of the beauty of this is is that again you pick up on so many things that God has done things that God has said one of the greatest things that I read in scripture is found over in the book of Malachi it is one of his attributes where it says that God is immutable meaning he I am the God who changes not and so it is the same God in Genesis 1-1 is the same God in April of 2020 he has not changed all of his ways they are still the same when you read of anything in the Bible is that if you simply try to segment it is that well that was Old Testament or that was the first church or you say well that was for that people or this people if God did it for them God could do it today and for us to understand that he has said that about himself he has repeated himself in this Jesus declared that and again Jesus gave us the promise not only can you do the things that I have done but you shall do greater things because I go to the father and the restriction of the church today because they don't know God they don't know the word of God and they don't know the God of the word because they have not been intimate with him they've not been in the word they've not gleaned the truths or studied it they don't know who they're praying to when the church doesn't have an understanding about why plagues happen or why judgments fall on nations and areas it's because they have not read the book to understand is that God says I do these things I create heaven I create earth I make these things happen I speak and it's done I say stop and it stops he is the God who does these things and that's the reason is that you and I have to understand is that there is a reason why this is happening upon the world today that has stopped us that has brought life and death to us across the nations that has brought the church to a standstill where they throw up their hands and their shoulders saying we don't know what's going on yes we do know what's going on God is judging the nations he is setting up the end times he is moving us because he's getting ready to do something and it is necessary and needful for us to be still and know God it is be still and hear his voice see his hand reach in to his beloved the bride of Christ and to be able to say to him speak Lord for your servant is listening here am I oh God clear my mind of false false conceptions false doctrines things of self things of my own making and just let me just let me know you God you know Moses and we'll start with worship in this in this moment here with this Moses who had been up on the mount who had seen his glory is that he said Lord show me your glory isn't the most marvelous thing that God heard him and God answered him in the midst of that he said I'm going to put you in a cliff to the rock and I'm going to put my hand over it because no man can look upon my face and I'm going to let my glory pass by you and I'll remove my hand and you can see my hinder parts but Moses prayed the prayer Lord show us your glory now those divine moments that we have had in your in your walk with God where God has showed you his glory saints that have testified as we spoke last night about Duncan Campbell when God came down upon that island in Hebrides and God revealed himself and God accomplished his purpose there in the other experiences of revival and movements of God that God occupies the attention and the focus of his people once again and he even draws the heathens that they come and say there is no God like this God so again it is for us is that we strip away the humanism we strip away the pragmatism and that we believe in a God where the impossible is possible all things are possible God said and so it is you and I to know who he is what he is able to do what he is wanting to do what he's willing to do and to draw before him with our worship with our praise with our honor to just love him I am sick of love not sick of being in love just emanate with such an affection emanating with such a passion gazing long oh I can't wait so I'm with my beloved again we are separated because of the spiritual and the flesh at this particular time but one of the joys and the glory of the Christian is that when we die we can see our beloved we can touch our beloved we will be with our beloved forever and there will be no separation there will be no restrictions and we shall ever be with the Lord to be absent from the body to be present with the Lord when we get divine moments and I believe that this this weekend can prevent present to us a divine moment where God is calling us is to say I want to show you my glory one more time I want to show my glory to the nations one more time I can do whatever I want to do because this is my creation and I am God and there is none other you and I are allowed the intimacy to enter in to adore him and to worship him and to love him and so that's our opportunity these next two days is to go back and to recapture who is God to know him to love him and if we've left our first love as as the church of Ephesus did and the church of North America has we better get back to that we better make the wrongs right and that's what a solemn assembly is all about it is making the wrongs right somewhere along the line we've left God not God left us we left him we we've been like this woman staying in our bed hearing his voice knowing his hand but we didn't get up we've had those calls on this nation in our lifetime in our lifetime in the last 21 years we have seen this divine time where God spoke and God moved his hand but the church didn't know God well enough to say well I don't know if that's a judgment or not you know I don't know if God's in this or not and he is and he has been but we didn't know. Columbine 1999 shook the nation with the evil of two men that went into a school and killed dozens. 9-11 where thousands died. Hurricane Katrina destruction natural disasters again that that devastated and that and other hurricanes that have been even more destructive record historic settings and natural disasters of wildfires and drought in the last 20 years on our nation we just read in the book of Joel when these things happen call for a solemn assembly those moments have happened and we didn't recognize we didn't see it and those that did is that leadership said no we don't understand that we don't agree with that we're not going to do this and we're out of time now because we missed our moments before and I'm telling you that God is speaking today and he's drawing us today that we get where we need to be and so again proactive time your protracted time of 12 hours today and eight hours tomorrow to be before the Lord to worship him to confess before him and to petition him and so again you are invited for these next two days to hear these men of God come and bring the word of God for the people of God and for us to enter into prayer times to do these three things of worship confession and petition so that at the close of this is that God says you've opened the door and I've been allowed to come in and supplicate now I'm going to supplicate we're going to have intimacy and I'm going to speak to you and I'm going to ask of you you're going to rise up in obedience and go do you're going to finish my kingdom's business take the nation take the word of God word of salvation take my Jesus to the nations build the church edified disciples bring it back to where its first love was and be the people that is pure and holy and righteous and faithful the people that I can say in you I am well pleased I cannot say in good honesty with what we know in scripture that God could look upon his church today and said in you I am well pleased there is much that must be answered for in the church today there's disunity there is neglect there is sin carnal fleshly sins as well as spiritual sins and the intent of our heart it's more about us than it is about him building our kingdoms we just need to build his kingdom so these new next two days is that we're going to be addressing these things and bringing them before the Lord that again at the close of this will be one body unified that we would know him and that we'd be ready to go rise up in the remnant in the army that we are and go forward and finish the task so our time now comes in these next few moments about the next 30 minutes half hour before I bring my time to a conclusion is that again I want you to pray with me our time of corporate prayer comes to this is that again I brought the word to you the word that the Lord put on my heart to bring to share is that to love him and to adore him I shared in that in exodus 34 where God revealed would you walk with me through this time of prayer now to worship that we behold him look upon him Hebrews 12 to looking unto Jesus behold the son of man to hold the son of God gaze upon him if you read in that conclusion of Song of Solomon chapter 5 where he she is describing her beloved and she gives the physical characteristics there in that and you see that from verse 10 down through verse 16 look at how she gives description she's she's adoring him she's gazing at him and she sees his head his locks his eyes his cheeks his lips his hands his belly his legs his countenance his mouth very personal descriptions because her eyes gazing upon the one who she loves my beloved would you gaze upon the throne of God right now and let's enter into this time of worship not looking at other things on social media not looking at other people not looking at other circumstances and situations and definitely not looking at the news I just want you to get your eyes fixed fixed on Christ turn your eyes upon Jesus look full in his wonderful face we did this the other night in prayer but over in Revelation chapter 1 Jesus Christ comes in glorified sense to John on the island of Patmos on the Lord's day and he reveals himself as glory and John gives a description of Christ there would you see would you see your beloved his hair is white glowing glistening white as the driven snow his eyes are flames of fire out of his mouth his tongue becomes the sword the sword which is the word of God the promises the directives the hope the means of salvation his his he has a garment on him from the top of his neck to to the soles of his feet he is clothed in a garment his his loins are girt about with a golden girdle on his feet is this shining brass the eminence the glorious Chicana is emanating from him and oh I behold you I see you my Jesus I'm looking for in your wonderful face the glory of your name the glory that you have revealed to us about our beloved causing us to know you causing us to know what you've said about yourself and when Moses was there and he got to see the hinder parts of God the glory of God was emanating there where he said the name God pronounced his name as he passed by you and I are allowed to worship that name right now oh Lord Father God you are the Lord God who is merciful you are gracious long-suffering abundance and goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving the iniquity transgression and sins of your people and will by no means clear the guilty the name that's the name of God as it passed by before him and Moses heard it and Moses saw the glory of Chicana passing before him and you and I to draw ever so close to him to see his hand outstretched to us my child my beloved to hear his voice speak to us come come to me when we come before his throne today to worship him it may be and I find Christians that do this so often maybe maybe it is as we begin today is that it's been such a long time since you just said the three words to your beloved Lord I love you I love you I love you because you first loved me no man has any greater love than this than any lays down his life oh thank you part of worship is thanksgiving thank you father thank you for Jesus for dying for me for saving me thank you that back in Genesis before the foundation of the world the spirit the Holy Spirit was brooding upon the face of the deep and he was thinking of you and thinking of me thinking of his kingdom thinking of his bride thinking of his beloved isn't it wonderful that the thoughts of God are for his children and that again look at what he's done in your life look at all the answer prayers Moses declared these words when he said Lord in the beginning of Deuteronomy right before he dies and gets his last words throughout the book of Deuteronomy in Deuteronomy chapter three he says Lord you've just begun 120 years saw the 10 plagues saw the 40 years of provisions in the wilderness and he said Lord you've just begun to show me your mightiness your greatness you and I have not been given 120 years but look at how much we've seen God do isn't he been gracious thank him for that has he been merciful all your provisions all the blessedness that we had oh I tell you I can't I keep going back to that in the book of Ezekiel where it says and that he he saw me he saw me in my despondency he saw me in my in my uncleanness in my defilement and he spoke those words and he said you know heard the voice of Christ that day live to I who was dead and trespasses and sins blessed be the name of the Lord no other name like that name there is no other name given among them whereby they must be saved but that name which is above all names the name Jesus the name Jesus where every knee will bow every tongue will confess worship the name of Christ of Jesus the alpha the omega the beginning the end the word worship the rose of Sharon the lily of the valley worship the master worship the Christ worship the anointed one worship the son of God and son of man behold the man see the nail scars see what love he has for you for me what love he has for his creation that's out there that is rejecting him and all alone and beckoning come hear the voice of the Lord as he speaks hear it as he gives us his promises call and I will answer you hear the promise if you come to me I will I will come to you if you draw not to me I'll draw not to you if you abide in me I'll abide with you if you return to me I'll return to you hear the word of the know God know what he has said and that he cannot lie he speaks truth absolute truth and the word of God is absolute truth for you and I today to know him so again it is a petition but it is part of our worship oh God and again I pray this for the church I pray for you and I pray for myself may we grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ how we need him today and time and time again has he not been sufficient it is is that again you can go through scriptures and you can see the works and the deeds of God is that he was always faithful that when they cried to him he heard them he saw them he knew and he responded will he not do the same for us when Jonah went and preached to the city of Nineveh when Nineveh repented God saw God heard and God repented of that who knows during these two days that during our worship our confession and petition if God will not hear and see and return and repent and leave a blessing behind him here we are oh God fill us with an absolute love and passion for you keep our eyes fixed on Jesus oh God and again we'll be confessing of times that our eyes are straight away times that our heart has minimized times that our mind has not had the mind of Christ but again it is to behold him who is the Lord God Almighty the God which stretched forth the heavens which laid the foundation of the earth which formed the spirit of man within him the God who holds us in the palm of his hand holds our souls holds our breath right there in the palm of his hands so it is that that same hand is extended to you today and for you just to say Lord thank you Lord praise you Lord just to adore you in your glory you and Isaiah 57 you who are high and lifted up whose name is holy to speak that with reverend with worship holy holy holy Lord God Almighty worthy is the lamb that was slain for me adoring the names of God adoring the attributes of God adoring the works and the deeds of God here is our beloved who comes speaking to us today here is our beloved that comes leading us today and he wants our attention you and I are hearing that invitation and we're coming to be the people of God for what he wants to do I've walked with me through some of these passages of scripture again just again for the worship of our time right now to go back and to remember what God is teaching us about himself what has he done read through the scriptures there maybe it's a verse that's on your mind right now and just pray that before the Lord maybe it's a song where again is that he's instructing as David did so often is that he just said praise the Lord praise the Lord God is great and greatly to be praised worship him maybe it's a song that he's bringing to your mind to sing to him my Jesus I love you Lord again I just want to express my love to you I want to express my thanksgiving to you I want to express praise to you all things of this earth father from sun moon stars from the trees the creation from the men from the opportunity of the word from the gift of the cross the empty tomb the glorified one walking through the passages and the scriptures that reveals once again that I may know him to go back and to see time and time again I was in need and I needed I needed this I needed food there are a lot of people today struggling around the world that starvation and shortages of food shortages of water drought is upon them and they lift their eyes up to Jehovah Jireh who's God who provides and he is able to provide for them right now there are those who are in the intensive care unit and those who family members are crying out for the Lord who is able to heal them where he has spoken the words I am able we come back to it time and time again where God said there is nothing too hard for me in Numbers chapter 11 where the children of Israel were complaining about the food and they said we want meat to eat we're sick of this manna and we all and again they murmured and complained and God said feed them Moses said shall I kill all the flock do I have to catch all the fishes of the sea and God answers him is anything too hard for the Lord in Genesis where God comes to Abraham 100 years old Sarah 90 years old it says in nine months you're going to have a child Sarah laughs Moses or Abraham is not understanding and he says is anything too hard for the Lord Jeremiah chapter 32 verse 17 ah Lord God behold thou has made the heavens and the earth and all that is there by thy mighty hand thy outstretched arm and there is nothing nothing too hard for thee you and I come to a God this morning to worship he who is almighty he who is able Paul teaches us that prayer in Ephesians chapter 3 now unto him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think now isn't that a great promise and a directive for us but no matter how much you're thinking about no matter how much you're asking him for he's able to do above that I gave you that verse in the sermon Jesus said and not only shall you do the works that I have done but greater works it's all about him worship it's all about God to know him to know his names to know his attributes to know his deeds to love him to behold him to gaze upon him to be intimate with him this is my beloved this is my sister my spouse and again the courtship of being the bride of Christ is that we are able to be in love with him and he in love with us and again confession of anything that we have done that blemishes that love but right now just to appreciate him is that if you're a part of the bride of Christ is that you can thank him a thousand times over for bringing you into the kingdom of God and making you at one with him thank you father for all that you have done thank you for what you're going to do again uncertain times unclearness in the voice but again we're going to be still in these next two days and we're going to know God we're going to be instructed in his word we're going to be led in prayer times to intercede for the church to intercede for the nations to intercede for our families to intercede for one another Galatians chapter 6 pray one for another for the things that are upon us and with us so here we go with these again descriptions what is it that God wants to do in this day I would that all would be saved I would all come to a saving knowledge I would that none would perish none go away from me that's going to be our petition isn't it nice to know and worship the God who has done everything he can to reach the nations to save the nations he's made a way I am the way the truth and the love no man comes unto the father but by me so again he's made a way and again we can thank him for that way some of that time that way as we see other brothers and sisters in Christ and other nations their way is a hard one persecution jail you know again stripped of jobs thrown out of their homes loss of income death here it is it's hard that way is hard Jesus warned us of that he said if they've done this to me what will they do to you pray one for another Lord to build your body to build your your bride again that we not have anything within us just to be pure and undefiled to be holy to be at one with you to be righteous to be spirit-filled let this mind be in you Lord give us the mind of Christ that we may know you so our prayer time again for this is just to bring these things before God and to be still and to speak to him and to hear from him in this time I want to give you a couple instructions as I bring my time to a conclusion now for what's getting ready to take place again here in a few moments I'm going to get ready to close off for my time and I'm going to pass it over to Doug Small who will lead us up to the noon hour I want to thank brother Doug for being a part of this I want to have a prayer over him before I do that but I want you to understand is that for the time periods that we have we conclude at noon we'll take a break between noon and one today and we'll come back at one o'clock from one o'clock to four o'clock and we'll have brother Doug Stringer and we'll have brother Tom Phillips to be leading those two sessions from four to six o'clock today will be another break and then at six o'clock we'll begin again tonight with the word of God and to close out our evening session will be Carter Connell and so again if you pray for throughout this day praying for these speakers as they come praying for the viewers and then praying and lifting them up before the Lord for what God is saying to each of us what he's saying to his church today and the witness that we need to be and the voice that we need to be about these things that we've thought about and knowing who God is and what he's revealing to us and again we have the crisis upon our nations right now but there are many who do not know Christ there are many who have heard the gospel but rejected it and there are many who know in their mind but they've not received it in their hearts and so we want to pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that again draws men unto him for the bride of Christ to be what it's supposed to be and the kingdom of God to be what it's supposed to be and the will of God that it would be accomplished we pray that prayer so often thy kingdom come thy will be done and I pray that we're just not saying the word but we're meaning them and so the aspects of the church today missionaries translators pastors laborers intercessors musicians teachers across the board lifting them up before the Lord that again we be one body one message one Lord one faith one baptism and moving forward with the with the power and the glory of the Lord upon us and that when the world sees it they will know that the Lord he is God and again our conclusion now is that I just want to pray and then I'm going to be inviting Doug to come in and join me here in a moment the blessing this father again that we have today is to just be still to hear your word and to know father is that you have done everything within your means father to bring us unto you thank you for all the ways that you have done that you have put people in our life that have spoken truth into us those who have given us counsel those who have given us wisdom those who have instructed us in the word of God those who have taught us who you are we thank you for those experiences we thank you for those moments father we thank you for your word how powerful it is that reminds us once again of what who it is that has given us life and what this life is all about but you have told us that this life is not about us this life is all about you you've given us life to get ready for eternity oh God how we tremble in fear that there are so many fathers that have missed the moment Lord again they're so indulged with sin they're so indulged with self they don't hear the your voice speaking they don't know that again is that that way is leading them into eternal damnation and hellfire father we stand pleading with you today thy kingdom come thy will be done that the gospel would go to the four corners of the earth that again your church would be what it's supposed to be in these days father again you've placed within us the promise of the comfort of the holy spirit and i will send the comfort who shall teach you and bring all things to your remembrance for my name's sake thank you for the holy spirit thank you for bringing things to mind about who you are thank you for this power of prayer that you've given us a means for time a place that we can cut out the world and get alone with our beloved thank you father for the corporate prayers where the body of christ comes together with that full assurance that where two or three are gathered together in my name there i am and again the promise that if two of us have asked an agreement here on earth it shall be done for us in heaven oh father may we be one voice over these next two days that you would be pleased with that you would be entreated with and that we may look full in your wonderful face and behold the glory glory of the father glory of the son the glory of the holy spirit that again is that we would be drawn after you with such a passion such a love such a divine love and nothing else would replace it and if we have allowed for these things oh lord to cause of us to to leave our first love oh god hear the confessions of your children move us oh god this day i pray with minds hearts souls and affections stayed on you i know there are other distractions out there father and i pray against those just keep us focused on you and again father we ask of you that you bless these days these are not our days this is the day that the lord has made and we will be glad and rejoice in it because you have given us a divine calling from above lord to be alone with you and so god again is that you do your best work upon your bride today because again these are desperate times and we need you so much blessed be the name of the lord for our time today in jesus name i ask and i pray amen again i want to thank you for an opportunity for this these next two days to be to be with you for this time and i want to thank you for the opportunities to just be able to with these other speakers as they've been responding back and forth and their busy schedules that they've been with their churches and their ministries and those kind of things and again for what what's upon us right now for what we're facing and they've taken their times to get on here live stream many of us again we have others that take care of the tech side of it and we're not as tech savvy as maybe what we should be or could be but we're making this work to the best of our ability because again of the emphasis of joel chapter 1 and chapter 2 that where we're at right now that again god has revealed his hand he's showing the nations is that he can do such things and again the church's response to call for a solemn assembly where again national leaders and religious leaders that they would come and be where their space to be before the lord worship