Drinking From the Fountain of God

This is going to be long so read it when you can finish it. Please do not read it in part only.

This morning I went to Men’s Fraternity at 1^st Baptist Church. Randy Fuller was the speaker/preacher. I did not want to go and even got up and was going back to bed but I had told Randy Tuesday that I would be there so I went. Had Randy not came and talked with me when I was on the elliptical and trying my best to breath I probably would have stayed home this morning and slept to the sound of the rain and thunder. Well, I guess it goes even further than that. Had God not had me and Randy at the gym at the same time, he would not have come to talk with me on the elliptical because I or he would not have been there. So, I believe God had me and Randy at the gym on Tuesday at the same time and had Randy come and speak to me about Men’s Fraternity and I said I would be there because that was what I was suppose to say.

Before I drove out of my driveway this morning I tweeted this at about 5:20am, " Headed to Men's fraternity at First Baptist. I pray I drink from the fountain of God today and not the flesh or world. Let us drink together."

God opened the fountain and I thought I was going to drown.

Read Psalm 91 before preceding. I have included it for your convenience.

Psalm 91

He who dwells in a the shelter (secret place) of the Most High
will abide in b the shadow of the Almighty.2 I will say [1] to the Lord, “My c refuge and my d fortress,
my God, in whom I e trust.”3 For he will deliver you from f the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.4 He will g cover you with his pinions,
and under his h wings you will i find refuge;
his j faithfulness is k a shield and buckler.5 l You will not fear m the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.8 You will only look with your eyes
and n see the recompense of the wicked.9 Because you have made the Lord your o dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my c refuge [2]10 p no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
q no plague come near your tent. 11 r For he will command his s angels concerning you
to t guard you in all your ways. 12 On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you u strike your foot against a stone.13 You will tread on v the lion and the w adder;
the young lion and x the serpent you will y trample underfoot.14 “Because he z holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he a knows my name.15 When he b calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and c honor him. 16 With d long life I will satisfy him
and e show him my salvation.” ESV

This was the text Randy used today. Randy, the Holy Spirit and the Word of God ripped my clothes off and beat the crap, dung or whatever word you would like to use, out of me. I was exposed and beat up in a good kind of way. I am going to share my notes then I am going to share my heart.

My Notes: (I assign each point of emphasis with an omega symbol). Some of these are from Randy and some are thoughts I had or the Holy Spirit prompted me with.)

Ω Devotion is an attitude of the heart.

Ω Ps. 91:1 – Secret Place

Ω Matthew 6:5-6 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love x to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. y Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, z go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. a And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Ω Jesus even had a secret place.

Ω God is always in the secret place.

Ω Religious activity should not be confused with intimacy with God.

Ω We serve a God who is knowable and desires to be known.

Ω “The most important thing a man will ever know is what he knows about God” A.W. Tozer

Ω No man’s spiritual life will rise above his prayer life.

Ω Nothing of eternal significance is accomplished without prayer.

Ω No church’s spiritual life will rise about its prayer life.

Ω Church Growth Strategy

o Pray until you get along with each other.

o Pray until you want everyone to know Jesus.

o We are a living body not an organization.

Ω We don’t let Jesus come into our life we are called to come into His life.

Ω The church is carnal and the world is corrupt because of prayerlessness.

Ω Prayerlessness is not a time problem it’s a love problem because every man does what he loves.

Ω God becomes powerful in our life through prayer. All things are possible with God. Unlimited potential.

Ω Heb 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God m must believe that he exists and m that he rewards those who seek him.

Ω All the promises of God are yes in Him.

o 2 Cor 1:20 For l all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our m Amen to God for his glory.

Ω When is the last time you thought of yourself as a weapon of God? A might man of God?

Ω Man becomes privileged Ps 91:14-16 “Because he z holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he a knows my name.15 When he b calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and c honor him. 16 With d long life I will satisfy him
and e show him my salvation.” ESV

Ω “A man partnered with God can do anything God can do.” Henry Blackaby

Ω If this does not change your prayer life (going to your secret place), it was useless.

This study had me do some deep reflection into my own life. My secret place has been neglected. If God were inside my secret place waiting on me to bring Him a meal, He would have starved to death by now. My secret place is where it seems I go when I feel I have nowhere else to go or no one else to talk to. My mind can take me only so far which is not far at all. My neglect of my secret place has affected my life and yours. I say, “I’m sorry!”. God is doing a work in me that I pray takes me, my family, my friends and our church to a place that is closer to God. Often, people tell me how God spoke to them and is working in their life and it does not really impact me and you might have the same experience with what I have shared with you. But I pray you will seek God in your secret place and find Him and He find you. When that happens, we will all be closer to where we should be going.