MentorLink Leaders' Covenant

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Bootstrap
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Re: MentorLink Leaders' Covenant

Post by Bootstrap »

silentreader wrote:Boot, if you would be so kind as to do the link thing.
Certainly! And thanks for keeping this moving along. I really like this section. Just click on the link below to see the list of verses.
6. I WILL SEEK HIS FACE
Our Lord esteems and honors those who walk in humility and dependence on him and who seek his face in fellowship and communion. Jesus gave us a pattern of regularly spending time alone with the Father to seek his heart and commune with him in prayer. He did this even in the midst of many demands, pressures and even harsh circumstances. Following Jesus’ model, I want to seek him regularly in personal communion and prayer. I know this will please him and enable me to more align myself with him, his ways and his will. I also want to live within my human limits by taking regular times of rest (Sabbath) to restore my soul. I know this will mean withdrawing from the pressures of my world for periods of time. My heart is to serve him in faithfulness all my days until he takes me home or returns in his glory. By his grace I want to seek his face.

(Isa. 66:1-2; Matt. 14:23; Matt. 26:36-39; Mark 1:35-39; Luke 4:42-43; Luke 5:16; Phil. 4:5-7; 1 Peter 5:6-8)
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Re: MentorLink Leaders' Covenant

Post by silentreader »

Bootstrap wrote:
silentreader wrote:Boot, if you would be so kind as to do the link thing.
Certainly! And thanks for keeping this moving along. I really like this section. Just click on the link below to see the list of verses.
6. I WILL SEEK HIS FACE
Our Lord esteems and honors those who walk in humility and dependence on him and who seek his face in fellowship and communion. Jesus gave us a pattern of regularly spending time alone with the Father to seek his heart and commune with him in prayer. He did this even in the midst of many demands, pressures and even harsh circumstances. Following Jesus’ model, I want to seek him regularly in personal communion and prayer. I know this will please him and enable me to more align myself with him, his ways and his will. I also want to live within my human limits by taking regular times of rest (Sabbath) to restore my soul. I know this will mean withdrawing from the pressures of my world for periods of time. My heart is to serve him in faithfulness all my days until he takes me home or returns in his glory. By his grace I want to seek his face.

(Isa. 66:1-2; Matt. 14:23; Matt. 26:36-39; Mark 1:35-39; Luke 4:42-43; Luke 5:16; Phil. 4:5-7; 1 Peter 5:6-8)
Thanks, Boot, twice? Your thoughts are appreciated and of value to me.
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Re: MentorLink Leaders' Covenant

Post by Bootstrap »

I really do think that worship is at the heart of it all, seeking God's face. And in prayer, it's all about God.

There's a kind of faith that is all about me. That's not what we need. There's a kind of faith that is all about us. That's not it either. The faith that is absorbed in God is the kind that we need. And to have that, we have to be in prayer.

Not prayer to be seen by others. Not prayer that is mostly to comfort ourselves, or prayer that is mostly tradition. We need prayer that seeks God's face, recognizing that God is all in all.
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Re: MentorLink Leaders' Covenant

Post by silentreader »

Bootstrap wrote:I really do think that worship is at the heart of it all, seeking God's face. And in prayer, it's all about God.

There's a kind of faith that is all about me. That's not what we need. There's a kind of faith that is all about us. That's not it either. The faith that is absorbed in God is the kind that we need. And to have that, we have to be in prayer.

Not prayer to be seen by others. Not prayer that is mostly to comfort ourselves, or prayer that is mostly tradition. We need prayer that seeks God's face, recognizing that God is all in all.
The article seems to focus on prayer and I agree that it is in prayer and prayerful worship where we ultimately need to seek His face. Two good books on the subject, and I'm sure there are others, are A. W. Tozer's 'The Pursuit of God' and John MacArthur's 'Alone With God'.
I may or may not be referencing either or both of them as we explore this subject further.
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Re: MentorLink Leaders' Covenant

Post by silentreader »

silentreader wrote:
6. I WILL SEEK HIS FACE
Our Lord esteems and honors those who walk in humility and dependence on him and who seek his face in fellowship and communion. Jesus gave us a pattern of regularly spending time alone with the Father to seek his heart and commune with him in prayer. He did this even in the midst of many demands, pressures and even harsh circumstances. Following Jesus’ model, I want to seek him regularly in personal communion and prayer. I know this will please him and enable me to more align myself with him, his ways and his will. I also want to live within my human limits by taking regular times of rest (Sabbath) to restore my soul. I know this will mean withdrawing from the pressures of my world for periods of time. My heart is to serve him in faithfulness all my days until he takes me home or returns in his glory. By his grace I want to seek his face.

(Isa. 66:1-2; Matt. 14:23; Matt. 26:36-39; Mark 1:35-39; Luke 4:42-43; Luke 5:16; Phil. 4:5-7; 1 Peter 5:6-8)
A couple of further thoughts on hindrances before focusing more on the positive side.
One scripture passage I didn't include last time:
Micah 6:6-8English Standard Version (ESV)
What Does the Lord Require?

“With what shall I come before the Lord,
    and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
    with calves a year old?

Will the Lord be pleased with[a] thousands of rams,
    with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”

He has told you, O man, what is good;
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
    and to walk humbly with your God?
Footnotes:
Micah 6:7 Or Will the Lord accept
Micah 6:8 Or steadfast love


Again showing that God is not pleased with us following His instructions if it is done without living out the spirit of His will. He will turn His face from us.

I couldn't help making a NT comparison:
James 1:26-27English Standard Version (ESV)
26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.


There is one more hindrance to seeking His face that I'd like to mention.

1 Peter 3:1-7Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Wives and Husbands
3 In the same way, wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, even if some disobey the Christian message, they may be won over[a] without a message by the way their wives live 2 when they observe your pure, reverent lives. 3 Your beauty should not consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold ornaments or fine clothes. 4 Instead, it should consist of what is inside[c] the heart with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very valuable in God’s eyes. 5 For in the past, the holy women who put their hope in God also beautified themselves in this way, submitting to their own husbands, 6 just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You have become her children when you do what is good and are not frightened by anything alarming.
7 Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives with an understanding of their weaker nature[d] yet showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
Footnotes:
1 Peter 3:1 Lit may be gained
1 Peter 3:3 Lit and of putting around of gold items
1 Peter 3:4 Lit Instead, the hidden man of
1 Peter 3:7 Lit understanding as the weaker vessel


The first 6 verses are often expounded on and analyzed at great length, unfortunately forgetting the context established in the 1st verse. What is also unfortunately often forgotten by us men, is the warning given to us at the end of v7. I would suggest (somewhat from experience, unfortunately) that we will have difficulty finding close communion with God if we do not treat our wife in a way that pleases God.
And I'd like to drag another quote in here completely out of context, and say, "Men, that is why many are (spiritually) weak and sickly among us, and many are (spiritually) asleep."
Our prayers are hindered because of how we are in our homes.
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Re: MentorLink Leaders' Covenant

Post by Bootstrap »

Excellent!

A few more relevant passages on prayer that is a dud:
Luke 18:9-14 wrote:9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Matthew 6:5-14 wrote:5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.a
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,b
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,c
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
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Re: MentorLink Leaders' Covenant

Post by silentreader »

6. I WILL SEEK HIS FACE
Our Lord esteems and honors those who walk in humility and dependence on him and who seek his face in fellowship and communion. Jesus gave us a pattern of regularly spending time alone with the Father to seek his heart and commune with him in prayer. He did this even in the midst of many demands, pressures and even harsh circumstances. Following Jesus’ model, I want to seek him regularly in personal communion and prayer. I know this will please him and enable me to more align myself with him, his ways and his will. I also want to live within my human limits by taking regular times of rest (Sabbath) to restore my soul. I know this will mean withdrawing from the pressures of my world for periods of time. My heart is to serve him in faithfulness all my days until he takes me home or returns in his glory. By his grace I want to seek his face.

(Isa. 66:1-2; Matt. 14:23; Matt. 26:36-39; Mark 1:35-39; Luke 4:42-43; Luke 5:16; Phil. 4:5-7; 1 Peter 5:6-8)
A few 'bridge' thoughts about 'seeking His face' before possibly next time studying some of the Scripture references included with the article and relating to prayer.

I have often wondered what it was like in the Garden of Eden before the fall. Was the LORD regularly present with Adam and Eve, did they have close communion with Him, did they not have to actively 'seek His face'?
Genesis 3:8English Standard Version (ESV)
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden
.
Immediately after their disobedience, they certainly tried to hide from His face.
And that is somewhat where we have been at ever since.
We need to take care of unconfessed sin, and we need to 'seek His face' it seems to me.
Throughout the OT, successfully seeking His face seems to have been difficult, although not impossible.
Certainly there were success stories, Enoch being one of them,
Genesis 5:24English Standard Version (ESV)
24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not,[a] for God took him.
Footnotes:
[a]Genesis 5:24 Septuagint was not found
Abraham, I think was another, who successfully sought His face.
Abraham's life shows faith and obedience, important requisites for 'seeking His face'.
Job and Daniel were also successful I believe, Moses, Elijah and others as well.
And then, one day,
Galatians 4:4-7English Standard Version (ESV)
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

...And so it became possible to 'seek His face' in a new way.
And then the veil in the temple was torn...
....And then the Holy Spirit came and yet another dimension was added to our ability to 'seek His face'.
Do we really take advantage of the all the opportunity we have?
Hmmm.
Problem is perhaps, sometimes I find myself in the Garden, trying to hide something, maybe not realizing what I'm doing, satisfying my first instincts....
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Re: MentorLink Leaders' Covenant

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6. I WILL SEEK HIS FACE
Our Lord esteems and honors those who walk in humility and dependence on him and who seek his face in fellowship and communion. Jesus gave us a pattern of regularly spending time alone with the Father to seek his heart and commune with him in prayer. He did this even in the midst of many demands, pressures and even harsh circumstances. Following Jesus’ model, I want to seek him regularly in personal communion and prayer. I know this will please him and enable me to more align myself with him, his ways and his will. I also want to live within my human limits by taking regular times of rest (Sabbath) to restore my soul. I know this will mean withdrawing from the pressures of my world for periods of time. My heart is to serve him in faithfulness all my days until he takes me home or returns in his glory. By his grace I want to seek his face.

(Isa. 66:1-2; Matt. 14:23; Matt. 26:36-39; Mark 1:35-39; Luke 4:42-43; Luke 5:16; Phil. 4:5-7; 1 Peter 5:6-8)
I was pondering on Isaiah 66:1-2,
Thus says the Lord:
“Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool;
what is the house that you would build for me,
    and what is the place of my rest?

All these things my hand has made,
    and so all these things came to be,
declares the Lord.
But this is the one to whom I will look:
    he who is humble and contrite in spirit
    and trembles at my word.
and the perspective or attitude in which we seek His face. We can really bring nothing of value of our own to the meeting. We come as 'contrite' ones. Contrite, I understand, literally means smitten, or maimed, and figuratively, dejected. We come to Him, spiritually crippled by sin. Since He provided the way of salvation, of course, we can seek His face with confidence in the Lamb and Mediator that He has supplied, but not forgetting that it is by His provision. There is still no room for self-confidence or self-righteousness as we seek His face. It is only in a spirit of trust and humility that we can seek His face.

Stephen in Acts, quotes the Isaiah passage in Acts 7:49-50, but, in a slightly broader context;
Acts 7:44-50English Standard Version (ESV)
44 “Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen. 45 Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David, 46 who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.[a] 47 But it was Solomon who built a house for him. 48 Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says,
49 
“‘Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,
    or what is the place of my rest?
50 
Did not my hand make all these things?’
God had instructed them to build a place of meeting, but like so many other parts of their religious service, they perverted its usefulness by their malpractice.
In my mind this is a warning to me that if I only seek His face at a 'place' and not in spirit and in truth, I will not find Him.
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Re: MentorLink Leaders' Covenant

Post by MaxPC »

Some wonderful thinking here: keywords that stand above the rest for me:
Contrition
Humility
Trust
Obedience (as opposed to the abuse and malpractice of God's directives.
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Re: MentorLink Leaders' Covenant

Post by silentreader »

A close friend of mine died early this morning.

I find myself seeking His face.
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