Why its meaningless and unfulfilling....

Without seeking the Lord all other things are meaningless and unfulfilling

A Prayer to Pray for Yourself and Others

Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw

2 Kings 6:17 (KJV)

    This is the prayer we need to pray for ourselves and for one another, “Lord, open our eyes that we may see.” ….It all depends, not upon what these events are, but upon how we take them. If we lie down under them, and let them roll over us and crush us, they become Juggernaut cars, but if we climb up into them, as into a car of victory, and make them carry us triumphantly onward and upward, they become the chariots of God. –Smith

When God says to Get Off your Face

But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel. 2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. 3 And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few. 4 So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. 5 And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.

6 And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads. 7 And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan! 8 O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies! 9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?

 

10 And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? 11 Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. 12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. 13 Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you. 14 In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the Lord taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the Lord shall take shall come by households; and the household which the Lord shall take shall come man by man. 15 And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.

 

16 So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: 17 And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken: 18 And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. 19 And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me. 20 And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: 21 When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. 22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. 23 And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the Lord. 24 And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the Lord shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. 26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.

Josh 7:1-26 (KJV)

Begin at My Sanctuary by Nancy DeMoss

 

Begin at My Sanctuary by Nancy DeMoss

What Can Hinder Our Surrender?

Taken from Each New Day by Corrie Ten Boom

 

 

    What can hinder our surrender? Sins, sorrows, possessions, family, our will, rights and duties. Sins such as doubt, fear, inferiority feelings, materialism, envy, self-centeredness and self-consciousness. All are the territory of the enemy.

 

    Search me, O God, and know my heart!

    Try me and know my thoughts!

    And see if there be any wicked way in me,

    And lead me in the way everlasting!

                                                                                                                Psalms 139:23, 24 RSV

 

  Lord Jesus, put Your searchlight on my life, and show me where I need Your cleansing blood.

 

The Four Steps to National Restoration

 

The Four Steps to National Restoration

If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, 

                                    

or if I command the locusts to devour the land,

                                     

or if I send pestilence among my people;

If my people, which are called by my name,

shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face,

and turn from their wicked ways;

then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their

sin, and will heal their land.

—2 Chronicles 7:13-14 KJV

   

  For God to heal our land we must do four things:

1. Humble ourselves

2. Pray

3. Seek the Lord’s face

4. Turn from our wicked ways.

 In return, God in His righteous order of things will do three things:

1. He will hear us

2. He will forgive our sin

3. He will heal our land.

   

    Our duty is to first of all to humble ourselves. After humiliation, we are to pray. Next, we are to seek the face of God (FMM’s Focus: Matthew 6:33). Finally, and perhaps the hardest of all, we must turn from our wicked ways—we must put into practice our faith, not just wish for it.

    In return for following and turning to God instead of to our own intellect, political leaders, false ideas, or the Enemy’s doctrines, God declares that He will hear our prayers. And when He hears, He will forgive our sin and will heal our land!

Principles of Godly Manhood

Principles of Godly Manhood

Get the Free Booklet Here

By Ryan M. Marks

Reputation

   Popularity isn’t important, how God views you is. Don’t place your value and worth in how others view you, place your worth in how God sees you. Who you fear you serve, so don’t fear people and seek their approval; serve and fear God.

Deut. 6:13,10:20 Josh 24:14 Prov. 9:10 Ps 111:10 Ecc. 12:12-14

 

Seek Wisdom

How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver! Prov 16:16 (KJV)

Prov.1:1-9,8:11,9:10,16:16 Ps 111:10 Ecc. 9:16-18

Buy Truth, Wisdom, Instruction (learning), and Understanding

  Today, there is a battle for truth, foolishness abounds, people brush learning to the side, and understanding and even common sense are seldom seen.

Prov. 23:23

 

Don’t Follow your Heart

Ecc. 11:7-10  Jer. 17:9  Prov 4:23

 

A Good Name

   What do people think of when they hear your name? Can you look people in the eye and give a firm handshake?

"A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold." Prov 22:1 (KJV)

  Do you understand the implications of this verse?! A GOOD NAME is better than silver and gold! It is better to have a godly reputation (like Daniel or Joseph) than to have great riches. Our culture has this backward. They view the supreme object of value to be obtaining the easy life with riches (Luke 12:15-21)

Hate Evil

Prov 8:13 Matt. 21:12 Ex 18:21

 

Work: 

Working Hard    Prov 14:23, 21:5 Ecc 9:10 Col 3:23-24

Created for Work Gen 2:15  Ex 18:20   1 Tim 5:8

Dominion Gen 1:26-30

 

Your Wife—your Helper, your Companion is a Gift from the Lord—so pray for her

Gen 2:18,21-25 Prov 19:14, 31:10-31, Titus 2:3-5, 1 Tim 2:9-15

 

Be Honest, Trustworthy, Faithful, Dependable, Humble & Punctual

Prov 12:27

Be honest: Therefore, each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor (Eph. 4:25).

Do what is just and merciful: And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God (Mic. 6:8).

Accept responsibility for your actions and admit your wrongs: First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your brother’s eye (Matt. 7:5).

Keep your word: Simply let your “yes” be “yes,” and your “no” be “no” (Matt. 5:37).

Be concerned about the interests of others: Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others (Phil. 2:4).

Listen carefully to what others say: He who answers before listening, that is his folly and his shame (Prov. 18:13).

Overlook minor offenses: A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense (Prov. 19:11).

Confront others constructively: Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen (Eph. 4:29).

Be open to forgiveness and reconciliation: Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you (Eph. 4:32).

Change harmful attitudes and behavior: He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy (Prov. 28:13).

Make restitution for any damage you have caused: If a man uncovers a pit or digs one and fails to cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it, the owner of the pit must pay for the loss (Ex. 21:33-34).

 

Appoint the Right Men: Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens (Ex 18:21)

 

Oppose Evil by Standing Firm

Eph 6:10-17, Daniel 1,3,6 Gen 39

 

Oppose Evil with Good

Matt 5:38-48 

 

Conversation.

   When I was young, I was a gossip and frequently shared laughs over dirty jokes with my friends. The Holy Spirit pricked my conscience and reminded me that what I was doing is not Christlike. I know you are under many pressures, guys. Hormones rage (trust me I’ve been your age not so long ago) and the thrill of talking about so and so’s relationship and such and such physical jokes produce such an emotional high that is addictive.

    But, guys, what about our future wives one day? Will you be able to look her in the eye and tell her how you lived as a young man? And what about the Lord’s heart that we break as we talk about the things done in darkness that He tells us not to discuss (Eph 5:12)? It is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. Eph 5:12 (KJV).

       I pray that you will all be raised up by the Lord to be Faithful Men in this country and our perverse generation. I pray that you will love your wives with a Christlike and passionate love that you have for no other; but guys, talking about sex in the locker room simply cheapens the intimacy you have with and the value you will place in the companionship of your wife in the future. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you 2 Cor 6:17 (KJV)

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

Psalms 119:9 (KJV)

   God wants your relationship with Him to be vibrant and full of life. Think of the intimacy with God the prophets had, Jesus Christ had with the Father, the Early Church had with the Holy Spirit, and Adam and Eve had with God. What you watch, listen to, and say affects your heart in tremendous measure. I’m not saying it will be easy. Medical science says that the high men get when looking at porn and discussing sexual content is more addictive than heroine. But guys, there is REAL LIFE. What feels good is actually not always good for you (Heb 11:25). God has given you intense sexual desire because He created you that way. It is right and proper for you to have that passion for your wife. But until marriage, God expects you not only to abstain in your physical body, but your spirit—because if your heart is corrupt, your whole body is in darkness (Matt 6:19-23). God will give you the strength to guard your minds if you depend on Him!

1 Cor 10:12-14   Phil 4:6-7   Phil 4:8-9  Lev 10:3

 

Focusing on the Mark Ministries

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2013 © Ryan M Marks

Precious Promises: The Lord Strengthens those whose heart is perfect toward Him

“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him…”

2 Chronicles 16:9

   I first recall having this verse click when Vincent Newfield came and shared a devotion with my Ranger group one Wednesday evening. One of the verses he shared was this one: that “the eyes of the Lord range (search) throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him… (parenthesis added, NIV1984).” That verse built my faith—as long as I was fully committed to my God, HE would strengthen me. It was a promise that I grabbed to stand on. Are you fully committed to the Lord? The Lord is looking about, yea searching, for those who are.

    Lord, thank You for sending this verse into my life through the hand of Your servant Vincent Newfield. Lord, I pray that all who read this will have the Holy Spirit illuminate the true condition of their heart and that they will walk away with a heart that is fully committed to You. Father, I know that I have forgotten this great moment and verse that You gave me the privilege of experiencing in the past and I pray that You will help me to remember it and share it so that others may see Your greatness and be en-couraged by Your great Word as well. Amen.

　

Get the Free E-book Precious Promises Here

 

Seeking

Seeking

 

       Far too few really seek the Lord anymore. Seeking the face of the Lord should be every Christian’s greatest pleasure and it is a necessity for one to minister properly. Prepare your heart to seek the Lord. There are many ways to do so. Stay in the Word; take time to be quiet and still, alone with your master; sing unto the Lord or even just sit and make a melody in your heart along with worship music playing softly in the background. O minister, seek the Lord! Many have sinned and fallen because of one root problem—they did not prepare their hearts to seek the Lord.

A Seeking Heart

A Seeking Heart

 

And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord.

2 Chron 12:14 (KJV)

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

 

The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Psalms 1:1-6 (KJV)

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Matt 6:31-33 (KJV), emphasis added

 

    David was a man after God’s own heart. Enoch walked with God. Samuel served the Lord all His days. Noah was the only righteous man in His generation. Jude wrote a different epistle than he intended to because of the Lord’s guidance. These are but a few of the many examples that we have in the Scriptures of individuals and nations whose lives and course where undeniably transformed as a result of seeking the Lord.

     Study Daniel, Nehemiah, and Joseph (of the Old Testament). Then study Paul and Timothy (in Acts). Minister, will you seek the Lord? It is of utmost importance that you do. Unless you seek the Lord first, you are sinning for you are trusting in your flesh or some other idol.

seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness . . . .

Matt 6:33 (KJV)

Precious Promises: David's Prayer for Solomon

“And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee. . . .”

1 Chronicles 28:9

  

      David left Solomon with some wise advice: serve God wholeheartedly! In this one verse is a lot of meat.

      God judges every motive of mine and searches my heart. O Lord, may I have a devoted heart and a willing mind, may I not turn to my own comprehension or my own way. But most of all, Lord, may I seek You . . . for then, I will be found by You.

　

Get the Free E-book Precious Promises Here

Idolizing the Experiences of God

Idolizing the experiences of God

By Ryan Marks

  At times, we experience God’s presence in a unique way or we distinctly hear His voice of direction in our life, but over time the experiences of God’s presence, the feelings of His awesomeness, the strong convictions, and the distinctly heard directions seem to abruptly stop coming. We hold on for a while and then begin to wonder, “Am I sinning? I haven’t felt God the way that I used to, something must be wrong with me.” Friends, the fact is that God does not always reveal Himself in dramatic ways every day. Can HE? Yes. But does HE absolutely always? NO.  And, yes, sin is sometimes the reason why you haven’t heard from Him.

Not every day is a mountaintop

   When we look at those sweet encounters with God on the mountaintop as our indication of righteousness or spiritual achievement we can easily become guilty of idolatry. We can love God’s presence, guidance, and blessings so much that we make those select qualities into the god we want – one that gives us everything that our selfish hearts want: mankind has battled with this all of his 6,000+ years on earth.

Using God’s benefits as a tool for ourselves is just another form of pride, and I’d dare say that we’ve all done it at one time or another.

   Our God is a God of blessing, direction, and personal revelation, but He is also a convicting, molding, loving, and holy God. True love does not just give us blessings, guidance, and personal experience; but true love gives us the hard things as well (1 Cor. 13).

Often, the heat of a trail grows us; not having hardship almost always means no growth, spiritually or physically.

  We are not alone in our desert, but we must persevere. We are to love the joy that we find in the experiences with God, but we are not to raise them on a pillar as a mark of true spirituality. If we truly love the Lord, we should be obedient when it’s hard, not just when doing the right thing is easy (John 14:15). Let’s have the faith to be joyful when those amazing times with the Holy Spirit come, but let us also serve in the desert: when it is tough. We do have seemingly meaningless tasks on this earth that our Lord wants us to do; let’s do them with patience, perseverance, and hope, for we haven’t been taken home yet. We do have a Purpose. We still are called to be servants like Christ.

 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: 12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?

1 Kings 19:11-13 (KJV)

 

Related Quote:

  “If we prefer to loll on the mount and live in the memory of the vision, we will be of no use actually in the ordinary stuff which human life is made up. We have to learn to live in reliance on what we saw in the vision, not in the ecstasies and conscious contemplation of God, but to live in actualities in the light of the vision until we get to the veritable reality. Every bit of our training is in that direction.” ~ My Utmost for His Highest, October 4^th (emphasis added)

With God all things are Possible

With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Matt 19:26 (KJV)

     You can do anything that God wants you to. It is important that we believe this in our hearts and let the peace of Christ rule in our minds (Phil 4), because our thought life can build walls that hinder us from following God. One’s thought life is very, very important.

     I remember a car ride home with my Father and Brother where my Dad was teaching my little brother the importance of how powerful our thoughts are. He started off telling how the son of our Self-Defense Teacher was going to break a board that night and said before he hit it that he wasn’t good at this and didn’t break it. Then my Dad said something that stuck to my mind and heart, “You can do a lot more than you think you can….but Satan wants you defeated because then you’re [useless].” Does the vision God has given you seem too large? Too hard? Too out of your skill set? Not your personality? None of that matters. God can do the impossible; yea, He can do anything through us!

      Think of Noah, Joseph, Daniel, Samson, John the Baptist, Nehemiah, David, Ruth, and the many others we find in Scripture—they did extraordinary things because of God! If they would have just given up because it was hard or too big, they would have disobeyed God and the people of God may have been destroyed. Pause for a moment or two and contemplate how important your thought life is.

The Four Steps to National Restoration

        If I shut up heaven that there be no rain,   

  

     or if I command the locusts to devour the land,   

 

or if I send pestilence among my people;

If my people, which are called by my name,

shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face,

and turn from their wicked ways;

then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their

sin, and will heal their land.

—2 Chronicles 7:13-14 KJV

   

  For God to heal our land we must do four things:

1. Humble ourselves

2. Pray

3. Seek the Lord’s face

4. Turn from our wicked ways.

 In return, God in His righteous order of things will do three things:

1. He will hear us

2. He will forgive our sin

3. He will heal our land.

Our duty is to first of all to humble ourselves. After humiliation, we are to pray. Next, we are to seek the face of God (FMM’s Focus: Matthew 6:33). Finally, and perhaps the hardest of all, we must turn from our wicked ways—we must put into practice our faith, not just wish for it.

    In return for following for turning to God instead of to our own intellect, political leaders, false ideas, or the Enemy’s doctrines, God declares that He will hear our prayers. And when He hears, He will forgive our sin and will heal our land!

 

Thought 299: Salvation! from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

Thought 299

Salvation!

“When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.”

Isaiah 41:17-18 KJV

     Are you poor and needy? I know that I need to be, because spiritual hunger, thirst, and need (desperation for the Lord) opens the door for the Lord to answer me, make the rivers flow, and restore my soul!  David had this type of attitude throughout his Psalms. He cried out to the Lord and was desperate for the Lord’s direction—he wouldn’t act without it.

     Where are you? Pause and examine yourself, are we desperate for the Lord? If so, you may want to record how He starts answering you and providing small bits off refreshment in the desert and on the barren heights. Close this devotional time by reading Matthew 6:33.

 

Thought 283: Living a Quiet and Disciplined Life from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

Thought 283

Living a Quiet and Disciplined Life

Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.

Zephaniah 2:3 KJV

 

    Many of the great Christians of the past that God has used have lived a quiet and disciplined life. They spent hours upon hours of their spare time studying and learning, pushing themselves to learn new languages and acquire knowledge to achieve their dream of knowing God more intimately and touch people with the Truth of the Gospel. They didn’t run around partying or pursuing entertainment, instead, they sweated, they worked, they pressed on toward a goal! Their lives where worth something and they didn’t waste them away on excessive pleasures. Today, many Christians struggle with befriending the world. They watch the same stuff, play the same stuff, and live the same way that the unbelieving pagan does. History and the Bible show us a different picture in the lifestyle of the great heroes of the Faith, though. They were cupbearers, servants, archeologists, and young men that had a God-given passion and dream and while the world was racing by, wasting its time on the newest music, art, or other currently fashionable entertainment, they lived a quiet and seemingly obscure life. They honored God, respected others, and worked to achieve the things that God had put a passion and desire in them to achieve. Dear Reader, where are you today? Are you seeking that quiet and peaceable life? Or are you chasing the fast world of change and shifting pleasures?