March 24, 2011

2011 Ecc 10
16A country is in for trouble when its ruler is childish, and its leaders party all day long.
17 But a nation will prosper when its ruler is mature, and its leaders don’t party too much.
18 Some people are too lazy to fix a leaky roof—then the house falls in.
19 Eating and drinking make you feel happy, and bribes can buy everything you need. (CEV)
These short verses describe the majority of the governments of this world. The last clause of verse 19 is translated in the NKJV as, “But money answers everything.” Sounds like the current culture of the United States of America. Somehow we think that money and what makes us happy is the answer to everything. It is not. There is only one well from which we can draw that never runs dry. It is the well of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Church people in the USA are no different. People chase after churches which will make them happy. We run from church to church looking for the latest “move of the Spirit”. We are never satisfied because in most cases what is hailed as the “move of the Spirit” is really the dressed up carnality of very talented men. The ministry is in reality based on the ‘persuasive words of human wisdom’ rather than the demonstration of the power of God. When ministry is done in the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus is glorified. When that happens we are digging a well that will never run dry. We can walk away from the well to try a well at somebody else’s party, but one day that party well will run dry. We will then have to find another well. What does it take to truly draw from the well of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ? It takes a long obedience in the same direction. What direction? It is the direction of daily, moment by moment looking for the glory of the Lord in His word, listening to the voice of His Spirit, doing what He says when He says it. The problem is I listen too quickly to my own voice or the voice of others around me. I settle for a Jesus who is less than what the Scripture declares of Him. I mold Him into the image of my choosing. It’s an image that makes me happy. But He is greater than happiness. He is after all, God! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john