Seeking the Face of GodPsalm 27: 8- -“ You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”Song of Solomon 2:14 – “let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and yourface is lovely.”1. What does it mean – The face“The face of God” is a term used to refer to the character of God.- For God to turn his face to his people = grace and help;- For God to turn his face withhold his favour and blessing. Facial Action Coding System - The science of reading faces – (facial muscle)Examples:1. The Priestly blessingNumbers 6:25-26 –“The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The LORDlift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.” 2. Moses talked to God face to face Exodus 33:11 - Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” *Ex 33:12 - Presence = paniym – face of God (Jacob wrestled (penial- face of God)Show me your glory –you cannot see my face and live2. The Face of God2 Cor. 4:6 – “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give thelight of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.John 14:9 – “Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me,Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?Luke 9:35 - “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”3. To seek His face is to seek Him (character – to know Him)2 Peter 1:3 – “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, throughthe knowledge of him who called us to[a] his own glory and excellence,”Psalm 27: 8- -“ You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”Proverbs 16:15 - In the light of a king's face there is life, and his favor is like the clouds that bring thespring rain.

Prayer IntercessionHebrews 7:25 – “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost (completely, perfectly) thosewho draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.Completely saved - No residue of sin – sanctify through and throughIntercession: It isn’t towards God it is towards usIntercession – entygchan - to hit upon a person- to go to or meet a person, esp. for thepurpose of conversation, consultation, or supplication“The spirit falls upon them” a divine appointment with GodRoot word- (tygxán) literally means "hit (the mark)"Sin hamartia means to miss the mark – intercession is to hit the markJesus gives us aimOT word pagaJob- 36:32 – “He covers his hands with the lightning and commands it to strike the mark.”“What He prays passes though us, and what we pray passes through Him.” Andrew MurrayAnalogy: The bouquet of flowers – Chrysostom – a child gathered flowers and weeds- themother put the bouquet together.How it worksRomans 8:26 – “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to prayfor as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedesfor the saints according to the will of God..”Why we need intercession:1) Weakness – “likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses…” Rom. 8:262) Ignorance - We don’t know how to pray as we ought (Rom. 8:26)For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makesintercession for us…”James 1:5 – “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to allgenerously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.”3) We are tempted (Heb 4:15 – “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathizewith our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet withoutsin.”4) We forget (II Pet. 1:9 – “For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness,and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.”5) We walk after the flesh (Ga 5:17 – “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and thedesires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you fromdoing the things you want to do.”6) Helps our lack of faith - Luke 22:32 - But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will notfail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."

Unto Us - Isaiah 9:6Tone – The Zeal of God“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder,and his name shall be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and overhis kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth andforevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”Pele- Yoetz - El Gibor - Avi Ad - Sar Shalom1. Human - a child is born2. Divine a son is given – son of god- given - already was3. Government on his shoulder4. Pele means “a miracle, a marvel, a wonder.” Virgin birth wonder worker5. yoetz, means not only to counsel and advise, but also to plan and execute.Combining God’s purposes with miraculous counsel. He will know God’s perfect will andperfectly bring it to pass.6. El Gibbor - very mighty and particularly powerful - doubling the middle radical.” It is a techniqueto add emphasis to the word7. Abi-ad combines the word ab (father) with the word ad (perpetual, continuing, eternal).The “i” in Abi makes it personal – My father of eternity.8. This child is the official in charge of all shalom. This child is the “well-being authority.” If youreally want shalom, then you must come to him, for he is the one divinely ordained to give it.7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne ofDavid and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and withrighteousness from this time forth and forevermore.The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.“Enthusiastic devotion to a cause, ideal, or goal and tireless diligence in its furtherance.”The Kingdom Come – God is zealous for this God's Spirit causes the virgin to conceive and bear a son. God's Spirit anoints Him with the anointing that makes Himthe Christ, the Messiah. God's Spirit guides Him to the Cross where He lays downHis innocent life for the sins of the race. God's Spirit raises Him from the dead. God's Spirit lifts Him back to the highest heaven - to theright hand of the Father where He is given a name whichis above every name.There is A zeal of God coming – no longer tolerating the opinions of manThen, the zeal of the Lord of Hosts will descend upon you afresh in the power of the Holy Ghost and inways that bring you no glory, no honor, no fame, no recognition. Only to Christ and Christ aloneRomans 12:11 – “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”

Worship to the KingMatt 2:2 – ““Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when itrose and have come to worship him.”Three keys to Worship1. Gold1. Kingly - submission2. Costly – expensive3. Purely – Refined precious metalMost sacred articles of the Tabernacle were to be made of gold, overlaid with gold,or interwoven with gold (Exodus 25:10-40; 28:6-30; 30:1-10), and also why thestreets of the Holy City, New Jerusalem, are made of "gold as pure as glass"(Revelation 21:18, 21).2. Frankincense1. Sacred – Priestly, Temple worship2. Ascends – Burning hearts to God3. Sweet - fragrance to GodFrankincense was one of the ingredients of sacred incense in Exodus 30:34-38,placed in front of the Ark of the Covenant in the Tabernacle, and offered with thegrain offering. (Leviticus 2)When burned it becomes an aromatic smoke that rises into the air. It is thus seen asa symbol of prayers and offerings that are pleasing to God.Rev 5.8 – “And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and thetwenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and goldenbowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”3. Myrrh1. Prophetic – transcendent spirit & truth2. Anointed – oil, light & healing3. Death - of selfMyrrh was one of the ingredients in the sacred anointing oil described in Exodus30:22-33. This sacred oil was to be used in anointing the Tent of Meeting and thesacred articles in it, as well as to anoint Aaron and his sons for service to the Lord aspriests. Myrrh is also the oil that is used to anoint a dead body before burial.1. The gift of gold = offering our submission to our king2. The gift of frankincense = offering the love in our hearts to Jesus.3. The gift of myrrh = offering the service of our hands to Jesus.Heb 13:15 – “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is,the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.

Christmas Boast1 Cor.1:27-29 – “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose whatis weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world,even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being mightboast in the presence of God.”1. The ruler of the world a babe in a manger verses a king (why birth the Second Adam)2. A virgin – a carpenter to protect against a Roman government (Simeon & Anna,Gabriel & shepherds and star gazers) to protect the Authority of heaven while kingsand armies could not find him)3. Celebrate with Shepherds and angels, cows and barn yard animals – to greet thesavior of the world (celebrated on earth by few – until one day every knee will bow..)4. A small hamlet named Bethlehem and a stable for the birth of the King of Kings(prophecy fulfilled as the grandeur of His purpose outshines His meagersurroundings) the reality of His glory is in the lowest conditions and so we are thatstable He now resides in.And so He calls out to all who are weak and lowly There are none righteous not one We are powerless - dead in our sins and blind to God No man can come to the Father unless the Spirit draws him.The self-sufficient, self-improved, Rock Stars & Idols, the rich and famous all come to nothing.Ecclesiastes - There is nothing new under the sun, it is all vanity (meaningless)My Diary“There is nothing harder to discover than when you realize you are but an average person, Ihope I never have to face that.” (1979) GM good but struggled with the technical, I am reminded of my frailty and my ignorance constantly There are always those who are so much better than I am. Smarter more graceful, able and better at everything I do. I am in fact foolish and weak before GodBut God has chosen me to shine through. I cannot boast in myself1 Cor. 1:30 – “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God,righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one whoboasts, boast in the Lord.” wisdom from God, righteousness sanctification redemption,Jerm 9:23 – “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strengthor the rich boast of their riches, 24 but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they havethe understanding to know me…”So I will boast in my kingDr. S.M Lockridge, a pastor from San Diego, California said these words in a sermon in Detroitin 1976:David said - The Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiworkNo means of measure can define His limitless loveNo far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shoreless supplyNo barriers can hinder Him from pouring out His blessingHe’s enduringly strong, entirely sincere, and eternally steadfastHe’s immortally graceful, imperially powerful, and impartially mercifulHe’s God’s SonHe’s the sinners’ SaviorHe’s the centerpiece of civilizationHe’s unique, unparalleled, and unprecedentedHe’s supreme, and pre-eminentHe’s the loftiest idea in literatureHe’s the highest personality in philosophyHe’s the supreme problem in higher criticismHe’s the fundamental doctrine in true theologyHe’s the cardinal necessity of spiritual religionHe’s the miracle of the ageHe’s the superlative of everything good that you choose to call HimHe’s the only one able to supply all of our needs simultaneouslyHe supplies strength for the weakHe’s available for the tempted and the triedHe sympathises and He saves, guards and guidesHe heals the sick, He cleansed the lepers, He forgives sinnersHe discharges debtorsHe delivers the captives, defends the feebleHe serves the unfortunate and He regards the agedHe rewards the diligent, And He beautifies the meekHe is the key of knowledge, the wellspring of wisdomHe’s the doorway of deliverance, the pathway of peaceHe’s the roadway of righteousness and the highway of holinessHe’s the gateway of glory, and the master of the mightyHe’s the captain of the conquerorsHe’s the head of the heroesHe’s the leader of the legislatorsHe’s the overseer of the overcomersHe’s the governor of governorsHe’s the prince of princesHe’s the King of the JewsHe’s the King of IsraelHe’s the King of RighteousnessHe’s the King of the AgesHe’s the King of Heaven and He’s the King of GloryHe’s the King of Kings and He’s the Lord of LordsHis office is manifoldHis promise is sureHis life is matchlessHis goodness is limitlessHis mercy is everlastingHis love never changesHis word is enoughHis grace is sufficientHis reign is righteousHis yoke is easy and His burden is lightHe’s indescribable, incomprehensible, invincible, and irresistibleThe heaven of heavens cannot contain Him Let alone can man explain HimYou can’t get Him out of your mindYou can’t get Him off of your handsYou can’t outlive Him and you can’t live without HimThe Pharisees couldn’t stand Him but they found they couldn’t stop HimPilate couldn’t find any fault in Him the witnesses couldn’t get their testimonies to agreeHerod couldn’t kill Him, Death couldn’t handle Him, And the grave couldn’t hold HimHe always has been, And He always will beHe had no predecessor and He’ll have no successorThere was nobody before Him and there’ll be nobody after HimYou can’t impeach Him and He’s not going to resignFor His is the Kingdom and the power and the gloryForever, and ever, and ever, and everAnd when you get through with all of the foreversThen – AmenThis isn’t about anyone here except JesusIt’s all about Him

Jesus NameMatt.1:21 – “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”Save – sozo – to deliver, heal, redeem, save, make wholeSin – hamartia – missing the markThe Sin natureRom.3:23 – “ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”Rom. 3:11-12 – “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.good, not even one.”Removing Sin NatureRom. 6:5-6 – “ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.”1 Cor. 6:9 – “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”Rom. 5:17 – “For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.”New Position- New Identity2 Cor. 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”2 Cor. 5:21 – “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”1 John 1:7-9 – “and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin... 9our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”The ProblemRomans 7:21 – “So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.me from this body of death?Romans 12:1-2 – “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” NIV12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does 6 We know that our old self (man) was 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor 11 And such were some of you. If we confess 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,23 but I see in my 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the The Ongoing work of being Saved from SinGod identifies sin in order to eradicate it.Romans 8:27 – “And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.Heb 10:14 – “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.1 Thess. 5:23 – “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.Identifying the sins you need deliverance from Patterns Choices DesiresWord – James 1:23 – “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.forgets what he was like.perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”(2 Tim 3;16-17)Spirit – 1 Thes. 5:16-18 – “Rejoice always,circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.Key: Be careful you do not become sin conscious but Jesus conscious24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and 17 pray without ceasing,18 give thanks in all

God's delight at the birth of creation looked forward to Christs's birth and it was declared by God to be "very good."

The Word became fleshJohn 1:14 – “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…”TEXT- John 1:1-3 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God…”1. “WORD” – LogosA. Mind, thought & wisdomCol. 2:3 - in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.B. HeartJohn 1:18 – “No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, whichis in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” kjv,C. The expression of the fatherJohn 12:49 – “For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father whosent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what tospeak.John 5:19 – “So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can donothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. Forwhatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.2. “With” God –pros- face to face - distinct & eternal3. Word was God.John 1:2 – “ He was in the beginning with God.” Son of God4. CreatorJohn 1:3 - All things were made through him, and without him was notanything made that was made.Heb. 11:3 – “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the wordof God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”Psalm 33:6 – “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by thebreath of his mouth all their host.”Col. 1:16 – “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visibleand invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all thingswere created through him and for him.”The Word became flesh

Take off your shoesMake sure you are standing on holy ground1. Joshua 5:13-15Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”14 “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?”15 The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. Removing the shoe is a sign of yielding your rights- transfer of power God isn’t for one side or another- are you on His side? Civil War was God for the North or the South? Democrats or Republicans – He’s not on either side – but His will2. Jonah and NinevehNinevah (Assyrians) most evil empire of that time God wants them savedJonah – God’s prophet hates Ninevah (rebellious to God’s command)JONAH - :2 - for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.:10 - You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”2 Peter 3:9 – “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”3. Pharisee & the prostitute- Luke 7:36Simon & ProstituteWhose side is God on? The religious or the sinner? Neither who will come to HimDid Jesus hate the Pharisees? No He loved them1 Timothy 2:4 – “who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.Was God for Saul of Tarsus or against Him?4. Prodigal Sons (Prodigal Father Extravagant love)Did the Father love one son more than the other? Returned / never left5. Take off your shoes – God is holy Look for the beam in your own eye(Matt.7:5) “Search me, O God, and know my heart; . . . and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps. 139:23-24) Check where you are standing - Either we are on God’s side or not

Walking Among LionsHarrison Kamanga – Malawi – tribes that Walk among Lions1 Peter 5:8-9 – “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith,”Like a Lion – anti-Christ is not a lion1. Humble yourself - :6 – “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,”To walk with pride is to walk with the false lion - Minister in the opposite spirit2. Fear not – :7 “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”Lions smell fear – lions roar to instill fearRoars – to instill fear to run – stand“Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world,” (I John 4:4)Resist (oppose) & Stand Firm –James 4:7-8 -“Submit therefore to God. Resist (oppose) the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”Ephesians 6:13-14 – “Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14Stand firm therefore,Samson, David slew lions3. Be sober & watchful – clear and alertHe is prowling – hunting you – be on the watch for any open doorsWhom he MAY devour2 Cor 2:11 – “so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.”Conclusion: 5:10And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.God Himself will:1. Restore - to mend and repair, perfect or completeJoel 2:25 - I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you.2. confirm, validate and approve your identity3. strengthen,4. establish you- lay a foundation, to settle you