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John 20:17b - "Go to my brothers
and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my
God and your God.’"
Jesus is talking to the women who discovered Him alive in the
garden. His instruction, sending them to the disciples, was
revealing: "He's not just My Father now. He's your Father too! He's
not just my God now. He's Your God too!"
How? Because Jesus conquered on the cross sin and death and hell and
everything that keeps us from knowing God! We can now know Him! And
that's not just a fact. It's an invitation.
Here at Faith Church, we have been focusing through the lent season
on Psalm 91, the secret place. The secret place is where we go to
meet with God. It's not a place to worship God with the crowds like
on Sunday morning (that's real important too!). But the secret place
is a place you go all alone. It's a place where we respond to the
invitation!
When you first start praying on your own in the secret place, it
might feel strange. You might wonder, "Am I crazy talking to
nothing?!" You might feel like your prayers are bouncing off the
ceiling and that nobody is listening. But stick with it. Keep coming
to the Lord. Keep talking with Him. Keep singing to Him. Keep
worshiping. Keep reading the Word before Him. Keep making time and
keep making room for God to work!
In time, you will sense God's presence. In time, you will know you
are not alone. In time, you will learn to hear His voice speaking
with you. In time, His fellowship with you will become sweet and
strong!
This invitation is not just for pastors and church leaders. This
invitation is for anyone who will respond!
The secret place promises from Psalm 91 are abundant: rest,
protection, peace, healing, victory over the enemy - the list goes
on. These promises from God are amazing!
In the sermon on the mount, Jesus talked further about the secret
place. He said in Matthew 6:6, "But you, when you pray, go into your
room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is
in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward
you openly."
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Did you hear that Scripture? God will
"reward you openly!" That's pretty powerful!
Now some of the promises of God are unconditional. "I will never
leave you nor forsake you." These promises are wonderful! Thank God!
They are our promises no matter what!
But some of the promises of God are conditional. What does that
mean? It means that if we fulfill the condition, God then fulfills
His promise.
These secret place promises are conditional. These promises are not
granted to everyone. They are only fulfilled to those that fulfill
the requirement. If we never go to the secret place, we cannot
expect God to do His part.
So you've got to actually go to the secret place! You've got to do
it! You've got to pray to your Father. You've got to do it all
alone. Nobody else will know. Nobody else will see.
But your Father will see. Your Father will know. And your Father has
never failed. He is faithful to His Word. He will always keep up His
end of the deal! He will fulfill His secret place promise!
So respond to the invitation. Meditate on Psalm 91. Meditate on
Matthew 6:6. And then go to the secret place! [Darren
and Kami Palmer,
Faith Church]
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