Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn.
00:00:01.06\00:00:02.09
Please join us today on
Pressing Into His Presence,
00:00:02.12\00:00:04.85
as we're going to learn how
to leap over that wall that we
00:00:04.88\00:00:08.83
erect between us and God.
00:00:08.86\00:00:11.37
Welcome to
Pressing Into His Presence.
00:00:32.47\00:00:34.78
On this series we
are walking through the
00:00:34.81\00:00:37.74
praise prayer pattern.
00:00:37.77\00:00:39.70
We've already studied
the P which is for praise,
00:00:39.73\00:00:43.10
R for repentance,
A for affirmations,
00:00:43.13\00:00:46.32
I for intercession, and
today we are going to start
00:00:46.35\00:00:51.19
talking about the S,
which stands for supplication.
00:00:51.22\00:00:55.18
When we come before our
Lord expressing heartfelt needs
00:00:55.21\00:01:01.10
of our own, that's
what supplication is about.
00:01:01.13\00:01:04.10
Now if you're following along
in our program companion book,
00:01:04.13\00:01:08.67
Pressing Into His
Presence, today we are going to
00:01:08.70\00:01:11.76
begin with Chapter 9.
00:01:11.79\00:01:13.69
When praying for special needs
for yourself, rather than for
00:01:13.72\00:01:19.16
others, the word supplication
is often put into service.
00:01:19.19\00:01:23.67
It means to make an entreaty;
to cry from a heart filled
00:01:23.70\00:01:29.00
with a sense of need.
00:01:29.03\00:01:31.89
David frequently used the
word supplication as he pleaded
00:01:31.92\00:01:35.50
for his own benefit.
00:01:35.53\00:01:36.64
And we see that in
Psalms 143:1 where he says:
00:01:36.67\00:01:41.47
And in the garden of Gethsemane
Christ made supplication
00:01:49.17\00:01:53.16
for Himself in the
midst of His prayers.
00:01:53.19\00:01:56.01
Hebrews 5:7 says:
00:01:56.04\00:01:58.56
You know, Paul tells us
also in Philippians 4:6,
00:02:14.27\00:02:18.56
Be anxious for nothing, but
in everything, by prayer and
00:02:18.59\00:02:24.31
supplication, with
thanksgiving, let your request
00:02:24.34\00:02:29.05
be made known to God.
00:02:29.08\00:02:31.39
So for the purpose of the
praise prayer, the PRAISE,
00:02:31.42\00:02:37.90
this pattern, supplication
is used to define prayers
00:02:37.93\00:02:42.10
on behalf of ourself.
00:02:42.13\00:02:44.22
With clean hands, and a
pure heart, and Godly reverence,
00:02:44.25\00:02:48.21
we will, as Hebrews 4:16
invites us to come boldly before
00:02:48.24\00:02:55.66
His throne of grace, to make
appeals to our heavenly Father
00:02:55.69\00:03:00.66
for help in our time of need.
00:03:00.69\00:03:03.19
In this series we have also been
noting how the praise prayer
00:03:03.22\00:03:07.85
pattern relates to the ancient
earthly Sanctuary pattern.
00:03:07.88\00:03:12.42
And on the basis of this
symbolism, we will consider
00:03:12.45\00:03:16.11
the last piece of the
furniture within the holy place,
00:03:16.14\00:03:19.88
the golden candlestick, and my
perceived connection with this
00:03:19.91\00:03:24.38
prayer segment on supplication.
00:03:24.41\00:03:26.64
You know the
Sanctuary was a covered tent.
00:03:26.67\00:03:29.32
It had no windows, so there
was no natural light within.
00:03:29.35\00:03:32.80
And the seven branched golden
candlestick was the light bearer
00:03:32.83\00:03:38.68
in the holy place.
00:03:38.71\00:03:39.97
It was exquisitely decorated.
00:03:40.00\00:03:43.59
It was a beautiful work of
art made according to the divine
00:03:43.62\00:03:47.28
pattern given by God on Mount
Sinai, and approximately five
00:03:47.31\00:03:51.85
feet tall, and
constructed of pure gold.
00:03:51.88\00:03:54.51
It was formed by hand.
00:03:54.54\00:03:57.30
From its base
rose a single pillar.
00:03:57.33\00:04:02.01
It was a pillar like branch.
00:04:02.04\00:04:04.08
That was the lamp stand.
00:04:04.11\00:04:05.43
And then it had six arms, three
on each side, that came out and
00:04:05.46\00:04:11.83
three...Well three on one
side, and three on the other.
00:04:11.86\00:04:14.94
So multiple almond shaped
bowls were on this main branch,
00:04:14.97\00:04:21.05
and on each of
the branch like arms.
00:04:21.08\00:04:23.76
And those bowls held the
purest hand pressed olive oil
00:04:23.79\00:04:29.60
as the fuel source for the
seven, richly adorned lamps.
00:04:29.63\00:04:35.90
The lamps provided necessary
light in the holy place
00:04:35.93\00:04:38.95
for the priests to
perform their duties,
00:04:38.98\00:04:41.30
and they burned continually.
00:04:41.33\00:04:43.24
In fact in Exodus 27:20, and in
Leviticus 24:2, God commands the
00:04:43.27\00:04:52.34
continual burning of the lamp,
which would necessitate cleaning
00:04:52.37\00:04:56.15
one lamp at a time, because
the hanging door entrance,
00:04:56.18\00:04:59.82
to the entrance of the holy
place shut out all the natural
00:04:59.85\00:05:04.20
light in that 30 x 15 foot room.
00:05:04.23\00:05:06.66
So how does the Sanctuary
symbolism of the golden
00:05:06.69\00:05:11.22
candlestick relate to us
in our time of supplication?
00:05:11.25\00:05:15.78
In the interest of brevity,
I'm going to offer a quick
00:05:15.81\00:05:20.04
parallel point summary.
00:05:21.15\00:05:22.35
In the first chapter of
Revelation the apostle John
00:05:22.38\00:05:26.55
describes Christ walking
through seven golden lamp stands
00:05:26.58\00:05:31.72
identified as seven
churches of apostolic times.
00:05:31.75\00:05:35.90
Now we are the church.
00:05:35.93\00:05:38.40
Our bodies are
the temple of God.
00:05:38.43\00:05:41.30
But there's no
natural light within us.
00:05:41.33\00:05:43.90
Jesus is the great lamp
stand, the light of the world,
00:05:43.93\00:05:48.43
and in Him we
have branch like life.
00:05:48.46\00:05:52.47
He is actually called
the Branch in Scripture.
00:05:52.50\00:05:55.41
And God refers to His people
as the branch of My planting,
00:05:55.44\00:06:01.65
the work of My hands.
00:06:01.68\00:06:03.43
We are God's workmanship,
recreated in the image of Jesus,
00:06:03.46\00:06:07.36
according to the divine pattern
shown on the hill of Calvary.
00:06:07.39\00:06:11.04
God is purifying and
refining us by His hand into
00:06:11.07\00:06:16.48
vessels of pure gold.
00:06:16.51\00:06:18.29
In Bible symbolism oil
represents the Holy Spirit.
00:06:18.32\00:06:23.52
Kings and priests
were anointed with oil.
00:06:23.55\00:06:26.36
And now that the Holy Spirit
has been poured out on us,
00:06:26.39\00:06:29.62
we have His anointing.
00:06:29.65\00:06:31.59
And in the book of Revelation
the sevenfold Spirit of God
00:06:31.62\00:06:37.70
is before His throne.
00:06:37.73\00:06:39.19
Now that number
seven is symbolic.
00:06:39.22\00:06:42.50
It's the symbolic expression
of completion or perfection.
00:06:42.53\00:06:46.98
It is the power of the
sevenfold Holy Spirit that keeps
00:06:47.01\00:06:52.55
the flame of God,
just the zeal, godly zeal,
00:06:52.58\00:06:57.01
burning in our hearts
continually, as represented
00:06:57.04\00:07:00.62
by the oil that fueled
the seven branched lamps.
00:07:00.65\00:07:04.79
The priests of old were required
to dress this candlestick
00:07:04.82\00:07:09.35
each morning; throwing out the
ashes, and refilling the oil.
00:07:09.38\00:07:12.90
And as we go before our
Lord with our supplication,
00:07:12.93\00:07:15.96
I consider that we are
symbolically dressing the seven
00:07:15.99\00:07:19.26
branched
candlestick in the morning,
00:07:19.29\00:07:21.83
seeking a fresh
supply of His Spirit.
00:07:21.86\00:07:25.21
Consider what
Zachariah 4:6 says.
00:07:25.24\00:07:29.07
I'll read from
the Amplified Version.
00:07:29.10\00:07:31.22
Oh, we need for God to
pour out His Spirit of grace
00:07:54.29\00:07:59.78
and supplication on us.
00:07:59.81\00:08:01.45
Grace for power to go
through the day victoriously,
00:08:01.48\00:08:04.66
and supplication as
guided by the Spirit,
00:08:04.69\00:08:07.77
for we know not how
to pray for ourselves.
00:08:07.80\00:08:10.95
Romans 8:26 says this:
00:08:10.98\00:08:14.16
You know, Psalms 37:4 says,
Delight yourself in the Lord,
00:08:37.11\00:08:41.64
and He shall give you
the desires of your heart.
00:08:41.67\00:08:45.40
What a beautiful promise.
00:08:45.43\00:08:47.69
And what a tragedy that
this verse has been hijacked
00:08:47.72\00:08:50.95
by prosperity teachers
who twist the Scriptures
00:08:50.98\00:08:54.24
to their own destruction.
00:08:54.27\00:08:55.45
Those false prophets foster
the idea of naming most anything
00:08:55.48\00:09:01.05
that you want, and claiming
it from God, implying ye have
00:09:01.08\00:09:05.11
not because you claim not.
00:09:05.14\00:09:06.81
They do not consider the
context of their reference,
00:09:06.84\00:09:11.16
or what the rest of
this Scripture says.
00:09:11.19\00:09:14.37
It seems that they have
forgotten what James 4:2-4 says.
00:09:14.40\00:09:20.38
Here's what James wrote:
00:09:20.41\00:09:22.55
And then in 1 John
2:15, 16 John warns us:
00:09:34.87\00:09:42.43
You see, when we find our
delight in God, His desires
00:09:59.68\00:10:05.23
become our desires.
00:10:05.26\00:10:06.97
Our all consuming passion is not
for a new Mercedes Benz vehicle,
00:10:07.00\00:10:13.08
rather we hunger and
thirst for righteousness.
00:10:13.11\00:10:17.49
And like Jacob in his mysterious
wrestling session that he had
00:10:17.52\00:10:23.61
we cry out, Oh, I will not
let You go unless You bless me.
00:10:23.64\00:10:29.84
You know, this is the only Bible
example that I can think of
00:10:29.87\00:10:34.42
off the top of my head where
prayer was presented as a demand
00:10:34.45\00:10:39.60
rather than as a request.
00:10:39.63\00:10:41.48
And it was indeed a prayer,
because the man with whom
00:10:41.51\00:10:44.48
Jacob wrestled was God.
00:10:44.51\00:10:46.89
The Lord rewarded him
with a change of character,
00:10:46.92\00:10:51.02
which was symbolized by changing
his name, Jacob, which meant
00:10:51.05\00:10:56.28
deceiver, or supplanter,
to Israel, a name that means
00:10:56.31\00:11:01.83
a victor with God.
00:11:01.86\00:11:03.70
In my own prayer experience,
as God increased the intimacy
00:11:03.73\00:11:08.94
and the intensity of my prayers,
through pressing into His
00:11:08.97\00:11:12.79
presence, I
learned to be like Jacob.
00:11:12.82\00:11:15.77
I learned to make supplication
for that which was most
00:11:15.80\00:11:20.95
important, a changed character.
00:11:20.98\00:11:24.03
When we delight ourselves in the
Lord, we pray for those things
00:11:24.06\00:11:28.52
which are most important to
Him, and He graciously adds our
00:11:28.55\00:11:33.35
required
necessities to our life.
00:11:33.38\00:11:35.41
As Jesus said in Matthew 6:32,
He said, Seek first the kingdom
00:11:35.44\00:11:40.99
of His God, and His
righteousness, and all these
00:11:41.02\00:11:45.22
things shall be added unto you.
00:11:45.25\00:11:47.86
As we seek His righteousness
first, our Father, who longs to
00:11:47.89\00:11:54.60
bless us; He longs to give
us gifts, and many pleasant
00:11:54.63\00:11:59.13
surprises, He hears.
00:11:59.16\00:12:01.40
And perhaps the greatest example
of this principle in action
00:12:01.43\00:12:06.66
is the account of Solomon's
prayer after God instructed
00:12:06.69\00:12:13.10
Solomon, Ask.
What shall I give you?
00:12:13.13\00:12:16.50
And acknowledging the Lord's
goodness, the young king asked
00:12:16.53\00:12:21.25
for nothing more than
wisdom to rule over His people.
00:12:21.28\00:12:25.70
The request found favor with
God, and in 1 Kings 3:11-13,
00:12:25.73\00:12:36.58
this is what
God said to Solomon:
00:12:36.62\00:12:38.98
See, Jesus teaches us to
pray for our daily needs,
00:13:03.20\00:13:08.13
so it is Scriptural to
pray for life's necessities.
00:13:08.16\00:13:11.13
Still, let me ask you something.
00:13:11.16\00:13:13.50
And this is a
penetrating question.
00:13:13.53\00:13:15.44
Above and beyond all of
your critical requirements,
00:13:15.47\00:13:19.27
if God spoke to you like
He spoke to Solomon saying,
00:13:19.30\00:13:23.14
Ask, ask of Me anything.
00:13:23.17\00:13:25.47
What would you have Me give you?
00:13:25.50\00:13:27.00
What is your greatest desire?
00:13:27.03\00:13:28.61
Let me ask, What
treasures would be on your list?
00:13:28.64\00:13:32.01
Are they essential for eternity?
00:13:32.04\00:13:34.54
God taught me that there is one
supreme prayer request that I
00:13:34.57\00:13:39.26
should present first when I come
before Him with supplication.
00:13:39.29\00:13:43.19
The matter of foremost
importance, to be desired above
00:13:43.22\00:13:47.74
all else, is to pray
for a continuous filling
00:13:47.77\00:13:52.31
of the Holy Spirit.
00:13:52.34\00:13:53.65
It's the very thing He commands
in Ephesians 5:18 saying:
00:13:53.68\00:13:59.42
And not only does God
command this continuous filling,
00:14:04.89\00:14:09.98
but it is the very
thing He is most eager to do.
00:14:10.01\00:14:13.86
In Luke 11:13 Jesus tells us:
00:14:13.89\00:14:18.12
One of the greatest desires of
our Father's heart is for us to
00:14:29.65\00:14:35.23
recognize our need to be filled
with the Spirit, and to walk in
00:14:35.27\00:14:40.81
surrender to His will.
00:14:40.85\00:14:42.35
We should ask Him daily
for this great gift of grace.
00:14:42.38\00:14:47.41
We'll prove this from
Scripture in just a moment,
00:14:47.44\00:14:49.93
but for now we need
only to consider why.
00:14:49.96\00:14:53.27
If we call ourselves Christians,
but we do not possess
00:14:53.30\00:14:56.65
the Spirit of God, we are
nothing more than pretenders,
00:14:56.68\00:14:59.44
people who profess to belong
to God's family, when in fact we
00:14:59.47\00:15:03.87
have not been born again.
00:15:03.90\00:15:06.06
We may be convinced,
but we're not converted.
00:15:06.09\00:15:09.28
And then there's the sentimental
Christian who professes love for
00:15:09.31\00:15:13.81
Christ, but refuses
to walk in obedience.
00:15:13.84\00:15:17.30
They lack the Spirit of God.
00:15:17.33\00:15:19.04
On the other side is the
Pharisaical Christian who's
00:15:19.07\00:15:23.16
devoted to doctrine
rather than to Christ.
00:15:23.19\00:15:26.89
They lack the Spirit of God.
00:15:26.92\00:15:28.53
Both are walking in the flesh,
and flesh defined is the nature
00:15:28.56\00:15:34.13
of man without the Holy Spirit.
00:15:34.16\00:15:36.54
We must put off the old, and
put on the new nature recreated
00:15:36.57\00:15:43.60
in the image of Jesus.
00:15:43.63\00:15:45.94
Daily we should ask to
be filled with the Spirit.
00:15:45.97\00:15:50.36
Let's look at Ephesians
3:14 and onward. Paul writes:
00:15:50.39\00:15:56.46
What is this power?
00:16:24.55\00:16:25.94
He just got through saying.
00:16:25.97\00:16:27.28
In the Greek is
actually says strengthened
00:16:27.31\00:16:29.47
with power, with dunamus.
00:16:29.50\00:16:31.21
So according to that
dunamus power that works in us,
00:16:34.12\00:16:37.27
There is only one
way to walk with God.
00:16:43.23\00:16:46.76
We must be filled with
the Holy Spirit day by day.
00:16:46.79\00:16:49.69
This is how we
possess the life of Christ.
00:16:49.72\00:16:52.99
His Spirit makes a profound
difference in our lives,
00:16:53.02\00:16:56.86
as He works His power to create
God's purity and purposes in us.
00:16:56.89\00:17:02.92
Oh may the recognition of
our great need bring us to our
00:17:02.95\00:17:08.21
knees, and may our heart cry
of supplication be, Oh fill me
00:17:08.24\00:17:14.88
with Your Spirit Father.
00:17:14.91\00:17:16.98
He is eagerly
waiting to respond.
00:17:17.01\00:17:20.26
And as He does, our hearts
will be ablaze with the power,
00:17:20.29\00:17:25.67
and the presence of God.
00:17:25.70\00:17:27.71
You know, sometime late in the
year 2000, I experienced a short
00:17:27.74\00:17:33.61
spelled spiritual
falter when I quit practicing
00:17:33.64\00:17:37.72
life affirmations from
Scripture for a few weeks.
00:17:37.75\00:17:40.80
And praying God's promises had
been a vital practice, which God
00:17:40.83\00:17:45.41
had taught me to do,
but I just wasn't doing it.
00:17:45.44\00:17:48.57
The strong desire I previously
had to do this seemed to be
00:17:48.60\00:17:52.35
overridden by a type of
spiritually numbing resistance.
00:17:52.38\00:17:57.55
So one morning, as I pressed
into His presence, I reached a
00:17:57.58\00:18:01.79
pivotal point, and I forced
myself to include affirmations
00:18:01.82\00:18:06.45
in my prayer. So paraphrasing
1 Corinthians 6:17, I prayed
00:18:06.48\00:18:12.94
and said, Ah, thank You
Father that because I am joined
00:18:12.97\00:18:17.13
to Christ, I am
one in Spirit with You.
00:18:17.16\00:18:20.25
And my words of affirmation
just had a crushing impact.
00:18:20.28\00:18:25.23
To be one with God is to
be united in thought, purpose,
00:18:25.26\00:18:29.47
and action. And I was far from
being one in Spirit with God.
00:18:29.50\00:18:33.88
But I wanted to be.
00:18:33.91\00:18:36.07
And by faith I accepted
that this was God's will for me,
00:18:36.10\00:18:39.73
and that He would work
this oneness into my heart
00:18:39.76\00:18:42.56
if I would only cooperate.
00:18:42.59\00:18:45.25
And so I began to weep.
00:18:45.28\00:18:47.13
And I said, Please, Father,
I know I'm not one with You.
00:18:47.16\00:18:49.79
I'm simply calling
things that are not
00:18:49.82\00:18:51.85
as though they already were.
00:18:51.88\00:18:53.33
I know it's faith, but
Lord I don't know how to become
00:18:53.37\00:18:56.27
how to become one with You.
00:18:56.30\00:18:57.92
Why is it that I run in a
teaching that you have given me,
00:18:57.95\00:19:01.97
and then awake one
day to find out that I'm
00:19:02.00\00:19:05.33
no longer following it?
00:19:05.36\00:19:06.57
Please help me to understand.
00:19:06.60\00:19:09.09
And God impressed this
thought upon my heart saying,
00:19:09.12\00:19:13.38
I will soon explain to
you the wall of resistance
00:19:13.41\00:19:19.70
that you are hitting.
00:19:19.73\00:19:21.03
Wow! His thought impressed
upon my mind was stunning!
00:19:21.06\00:19:27.19
Exactly! That was it!
00:19:27.22\00:19:29.48
I felt like I had hit the wall.
00:19:29.51\00:19:32.16
And although I did not
know the solution to my problem,
00:19:32.19\00:19:35.83
I was somehow comforted.
00:19:35.86\00:19:37.86
God understood, and He
would soon share the solution.
00:19:37.89\00:19:42.12
For two weeks I prayed and
said, Lord, explain this wall of
00:19:42.15\00:19:47.10
resistance that
You talked about.
00:19:47.13\00:19:49.50
What is it? And each day my
prayers became more earnest.
00:19:49.53\00:19:54.95
One day I was praying 2
Corinthians 3:18, paraphrasing
00:19:54.98\00:20:00.56
God's promise as an affirmation.
00:20:00.59\00:20:02.99
And I was saying, Thank
You Father that I am beholding
00:20:03.02\00:20:07.79
in Your Word, as in a mirror,
Your glory, Your character,
00:20:07.82\00:20:12.27
and that I am being
transformed into your image,
00:20:12.30\00:20:15.72
from glory to glory, transformed
from one level of Your character
00:20:15.75\00:20:21.66
to the next by the
power of Your Holy Spirit.
00:20:21.69\00:20:24.75
And suddenly my eyes
stung hot again, and sorrow
00:20:24.78\00:20:30.24
poured forth in tears.
00:20:30.28\00:20:31.75
You know what,
I'm not a weepy woman.
00:20:31.78\00:20:33.75
But I felt that I was in a
spiritual stupor, and powerless,
00:20:34.10\00:20:38.04
absolutely powerless to
advance in my Christian walk.
00:20:38.07\00:20:41.79
I needed help to get
beyond this mysterious
00:20:41.82\00:20:45.65
wall of resistance
that was blocking my way.
00:20:45.68\00:20:49.45
And as I was seeking God
with heart-rending humility,
00:20:49.48\00:20:55.36
a scene appeared in my eyes.
00:20:55.39\00:20:58.61
Has this ever happened to you?
00:20:58.64\00:21:00.63
Now I've spoken with many Saints
who have experienced this;
00:21:00.66\00:21:03.66
when you're praying and
you suddenly see a picture.
00:21:03.69\00:21:07.05
What I saw was
this huge staircase,
00:21:07.08\00:21:10.73
and it was
illuminated by a bright light.
00:21:10.76\00:21:13.40
And it ascended way
up into the heavens.
00:21:13.43\00:21:16.57
It had exceedingly high steps.
00:21:16.60\00:21:20.61
Each of the steps were
drawn out for a great distance
00:21:20.64\00:21:24.70
of length as well.
00:21:24.73\00:21:26.04
And there I was running
along one of the lower steps,
00:21:26.07\00:21:30.37
glancing back over my shoulder.
00:21:30.40\00:21:33.15
And without warning, as
I'm looking back, whack!
00:21:33.18\00:21:37.81
I hit the wall, and I cried
and I said, What is it Lord?
00:21:37.84\00:21:43.67
What is this
wall that I'm hitting?
00:21:43.70\00:21:46.72
And immediately this thought
was impressed upon my mind.
00:21:46.75\00:21:51.14
Listen carefully
because this was amazing.
00:21:51.17\00:21:55.37
What God spoke to my heart
was this: Every time you hit the
00:21:55.40\00:22:02.26
wall it is a wall of
self-preservation that you hit.
00:22:02.29\00:22:09.83
Did you hear that?
00:22:09.86\00:22:10.89
It's a wall of
self-preservation.
00:22:10.92\00:22:14.57
You're headed in
the right direction,
00:22:14.60\00:22:17.11
but looking back to self.
00:22:17.14\00:22:19.65
He said, Turn
full face to Me child.
00:22:19.68\00:22:23.45
Keep your eyes on Me.
00:22:23.48\00:22:26.30
Mercy! Wow! A wall of
self-preservation was keeping me
00:22:26.33\00:22:35.90
from getting closer to God.
00:22:35.93\00:22:37.71
The Lord caused me to understand
that each step in this staircase
00:22:37.74\00:22:41.55
scenario represented
another level of His glory,
00:22:41.58\00:22:44.87
which He proclaimed to
Moses to be His character.
00:22:44.90\00:22:48.09
Each advancing step symbolized
achieving another level
00:22:48.12\00:22:52.52
of the Lord's character.
00:22:52.55\00:22:53.73
And in my mind I moved backward,
and I was trying to look at the
00:22:53.76\00:22:58.70
wall to get a better view.
00:22:58.73\00:23:00.55
And all of a sudden I realized
that the wall that I hit
00:23:00.58\00:23:04.55
was actually the
front of the next step.
00:23:04.58\00:23:07.34
I gasped at the size of
it, which was at least ten
00:23:07.37\00:23:10.70
times taller than me.
00:23:10.73\00:23:12.42
I could see no way to
climb it, and I cried,
00:23:12.46\00:23:15.71
How do I get over the wall Lord?
00:23:15.75\00:23:17.55
How do I reach the next step?
00:23:17.58\00:23:20.39
His response to me was to scale
the wall of self-preservation.
00:23:20.43\00:23:26.13
To become more like Me, you
must be willing to give up more
00:23:26.17\00:23:31.83
of your self interest.
00:23:31.86\00:23:33.43
You must be
willing to surrender to Me.
00:23:33.47\00:23:35.98
Take My hand and
I will lift you up.
00:23:36.01\00:23:40.21
He directed me to a
Scripture that has become
00:23:40.24\00:23:43.20
one of my favorites.
00:23:43.23\00:23:44.29
Let's look at it. It is 2 Samuel
22:29, 30. David said here:
00:23:44.32\00:24:09.70
You know I was
prompted to study on the topic
00:24:09.73\00:24:12.93
of becoming more Christlike.
00:24:12.96\00:24:14.91
It is God's word
that brings light.
00:24:14.95\00:24:17.94
I had already
tasted the transforming
00:24:17.97\00:24:20.93
power of His promises.
00:24:20.96\00:24:23.58
I already understood
that God works in us to will
00:24:23.61\00:24:27.34
and to act according
to His good pleasure.
00:24:27.37\00:24:29.93
And I also knew that Paul said
in Colossians 1:27 that this is
00:24:29.96\00:24:35.88
the mystery, Christ in
you, the hope of glory.
00:24:35.91\00:24:41.11
The life of Christ being
lived out in us is our only hope
00:24:41.15\00:24:46.95
of achieving His
glory, His character.
00:24:46.99\00:24:51.05
And further study convinced
me that in order to have more
00:24:51.08\00:24:56.11
of Christ's life in us,
we needed more of His Spirit.
00:24:56.14\00:25:00.88
You see, we can only be
filled with the Holy Spirit
00:25:00.92\00:25:05.62
to the degree we
are emptied of self.
00:25:05.66\00:25:08.32
To make it over this wall
of self-preservation we must
00:25:08.35\00:25:14.18
come to Him. We must
be willing to surrender,
00:25:14.21\00:25:18.44
willing to deny self, willing
to be filled with His Spirit.
00:25:18.47\00:25:23.68
And further, if we'll just reach
up and take hold of His hand,
00:25:23.71\00:25:29.43
He will lift us up.
00:25:29.46\00:25:32.18
It is by His Spirit that we
are transformed, just as Paul
00:25:32.21\00:25:39.77
explained it in
2 Corinthians 3:18.
00:25:39.81\00:25:43.96
And lets look at that.
00:25:44.00\00:25:45.85
2 Corinthians
3:18 reads like this:
00:25:45.88\00:25:50.97
In other words not with a face
like Moses, who had to veil his
00:25:55.11\00:25:59.91
face after
seeing the Lord's glory.
00:25:59.94\00:26:02.23
It is all about the work
of the Holy Spirit in us.
00:26:20.56\00:26:26.19
All we have to do is surrender.
00:26:26.23\00:26:30.10
But you know something?
00:26:30.13\00:26:31.16
When we use the word
surrender, a lot of us are like,
00:26:31.19\00:26:33.95
Yeah, I know I'm supposed
to, but how do I surrender?
00:26:33.98\00:26:37.69
I don't understand
what to do to surrender.
00:26:37.72\00:26:41.13
And I am so excited
because that was my question.
00:26:41.17\00:26:46.30
I went before the Lord,
and I prayed and I said, Lord,
00:26:46.33\00:26:49.99
I know what you're
calling me to do now.
00:26:50.02\00:26:52.74
I realize that the only
way to get over this wall of
00:26:52.78\00:26:56.21
self-preservation, this wall,
this selfishness in my heart
00:26:56.24\00:27:02.08
that I don't want to
give up more of self.
00:27:02.11\00:27:05.16
The only way is if I
take hold of Your hand.
00:27:05.19\00:27:08.65
And You want me to surrender,
but how do I surrender?
00:27:08.69\00:27:12.43
And you know something?
00:27:12.46\00:27:14.24
God is so good! Anytime we
go to Him, anytime we ask Him
00:27:14.28\00:27:20.14
a question, He
is going to respond.
00:27:20.18\00:27:24.05
Sometimes He gives it to me
in just little pieces at a time,
00:27:24.09\00:27:28.58
and then sometimes
He just pours it out.
00:27:28.61\00:27:31.69
But He will take us through
His word, and He will show us
00:27:31.73\00:27:35.91
how to do what we're asking.
00:27:35.94\00:27:38.69
And that's what we're
going to do on our next program.
00:27:38.73\00:27:42.82
We're so thankful that
you were with us today,
00:27:42.86\00:27:47.48
but I pray you will join us next
week especially, because we are
00:27:47.52\00:27:53.59
going to be talking about
how God taught me to surrender
00:27:53.62\00:27:57.80
straight from the Scriptures.
00:27:57.84\00:27:59.88
Our prayer for you is the
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
00:27:59.92\00:28:02.95
the love of the Father, and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit
00:28:02.98\00:28:05.98
will be with you always.
00:28:06.02\00:28:08.48