From My Heart to Yours - #53 - Bishop Jacqueline McCullough

[Music] grace and peace be unto you from god our father and from the lord jesus christ this is bishop jackie mccullough coming to you again for the 53rd time about christ in the crisis now somebody might say christ in the crisis we're not in the crisis yes we are i'm sadly to say we're still in the pandemic sadly to say that we are you know we are not out of the woods so to speak and so many other things are happening you know that we didn't expect to happen we think by now many of us thought or many of you thought you would be back to normal but i'm glad that we're still together i'm glad that we're still worshiping god and trusting god and even those of you are not believers if you're listening to this exhortation i certainly hope it will bring some kind of comfort and peace to your heart so today i'd like to talk about pouring your heart out or pouring out your heart or emptying your heart we need our hearts to be emptied it has accumulated sadness sorrow disappointment anxiety frustration discouragement so where do you go when all of that piles up in your heart because your heart is like a container just like it physically holds so many things to keep us alive it also affects us emotionally and spiritually so this pandemic is moving towards the two-year mark very quickly it is still time a time of great uncertainty and anxiety children are going back into the schools and it is too soon to know exactly what will happen to them vaccines are being mandated on many fronts and at the same time the numbers of people contracting the disease is spiking the change of weather brings in weather disasters which has affected the lives of so many people across the world when will this end is the cry of our hearts well where is god is god hearing us is god attending to our cries you may say he's doing nothing he's not responding believer please turn to him the more and make your cry stronger and louder it's very clear from this psalm that this occasion is probably about david um that who was running from his son absalom his favorite son his handsome son but his son has turned against him and it's a it's a lot that that's involved in this story which i'm not going to spend time to talk about but you should read about it you know in the scriptures where david and absalom had a conflict and his son was very angry with him and and because he was angry with him he stole the kingdom at least half of the kingdom from him david who was the king who had a great army who had a great worship um um worshipers people who were worshiping the lord before the ark of the covenant he had a palace he was really a great king a great ruler and he brought great influence and attention to the children of god but now he's running like a fugitive not from a stranger from his own son he's being disgraced by his own son so david was running for for his life and feeling totally separated not just from his throne not just from his reign not just from his power but from a particular place mount zion in mount zion was the ark of the covenant where the shekinah it intimates the nearness of god the presence of god and that's where david went to worship and also all of the singers and the and the levites and the musicians they worship it was a place where worship went on where praise went on where god's presence was felt near where people felt the the goodness of god where people felt the healing power of god you know how that is just like many of us have not been in a church building and if we have gone back it's not the same as when we gathered and we sang together and we prayed together and we got ministered to and we felt the nearness of god now somebody says well you know god is not in the building it is true god is not in the building god is in our hearts but when we come together if everybody's heart comes together in one building singing the same song talking about the same lord oh my god you can't minimize that kind of presence you can't you can't undermine the the the presence and the and the and the the strength that is gained when all these hearts come together so here's what um you know here's what i want you to think about because about now we're still very antsy we're very weary you know i just talked to a friend who lost 15 members of her family 15 members not all of them died from covet but some of them did but all at one time people are still dying people are still sick people are still going through so this is not a time of peace and calm is still a time of upheaval is still a time of despair but here's the admonition here's the exhortation for you so that you won't panic the first thing the psalmist said in psalm 68 and 62 and 8 trust in him at all times ye people pour out your heart before him god is a refuge for us so let's just look at that first clause trust in him at all times ye people and he's talking about his people who have had a relationship with him his people who believe in him his people who know that he's able that he's a very present god that he's all-powerful that he's almighty that he is a god that is consistent so here trust in him if you know him like that don't give up your trust everything around you is saying give up everything around you is saying things have not changed and we we we're going through and nothing is happening and and a lot of people are saying a lot of things even your own heart might be saying it but trust in him and what does trust means it means to be confident be secure to hope in him and david was saying i know what it is to be in in in a in a tumultuous time a time of turbulence when his own son turned against him and some of the people that he was he reigned over joined absalom and turned against him it was a very horrible time and he's running away like a fugitive and so he discovered that if you trust in the lord he'll bring you out so this is this is a psalm of encouragement what david is saying because he brought me out because i had confidence in him because i believe in him he brought me out and i'm telling you if you do the same no matter what you're into no matter what we're into god will bring us out you know many of us perhaps struggle with the fact that you know times are not not always good maybe when you got saved they told you that when you get saved everything will be fine maybe somewhere along the way somebody taught you that if something went wrong that either you're sinning or or you're not believing god no no no what that means all the believers in the world right now are sinning and not believing god because we're all encoded something is wrong with that teaching what it's saying is there are times when trouble will come to the point that it challenges your faith and this is a time when our faith is being challenged greatly and david is saying i know i've been there and you also know that the lord is trustworthy so trust in the lord not just sometimes not just when we we're having a good time or when things are going well but at what at all times in every situation and in every season isaiah 26 and 4 says trust in the lord forever for the lord the lord is the rock eternal job 13 and 15 says though he slay me yet will i trust in him but i will maintain my own ways before him first samuel 30 and 6 says david was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him each one was bitter in his spirit because of his sons and daughters but david found strength in the lord his god so you're going to gain strength so trust is confidence trust is confident with expectancy i'm believing you because i know you're going to work it out to your glory and for my benefit that's not a cliche ladies and gentlemen that's the word of god that's god talking to us no matter where we are or what we're going through so trust in the lord that's the first thing david is saying trust in the lord all ye people the second thing is pour out your heart before him now when when you trust someone you will you will tell them your secret you will tell them your heart unfortunately we have poured out our hearts to many people that who were irresponsible we told them our deepest secrets we told them our failures and our faults we told them something that we didn't want everybody to know and they revealed it or they took it another way or they judged you or they they they betrayed you so so we know what it is to pour out our hearts because somebody's pouring out their heart right now and maybe to the wrong person but here you only pour out your heart to the person that you trust because you know they can handle it now you pour out your heart to someone and they may be may be able to handle it but they can't change it they can't fix it so we pour out our hearts because we need to get it out we need to vent we want we want counsel but nobody can fix this with god so even if you're pouring out your heart to somebody else bring your heart back bring it on back and take it to the right place pouring here means to what empty it means to spill it's like pouring out water out of a glass it means to give your complaint to make your complaint known it means to gush out it it literally means my heart is so heavy and i'm so i'm so burdened down that i can't even talk about this quietly i i just want to pour it out and gush it out it's about to choke me it's about to suffocate me i can't handle it where do you take it to take it to somebody who is having the same problem to take it to somebody who doesn't know anything about god is to cause frustration and disappointment because they can't fix it they can't change it psalm 42 and 4 says i pour out my soul in me the idea is that the soul is grieved the soul is weak the soul is overpowered the soul is being tender before god pouring out means that you're being vulnerable pouring out is vulnerability and you don't want to be vulnerable to everybody but pour out your your your heart's desire to the lord it suggests that there's danger around there's trouble around there's a situation that's out of control there's a threat of death and the threat of destruction so you take it to god who can help you who can protect you who can deliver you who can fix the problem empty your heart today even if you you know when when when when when people are going through grief most of us most of us we cry you know i was talking to somebody the other day and they were talking about losing a loved one and they just kept on sobbing and sobbing and crying and i just sat there and listened to them you know what they were pouring out their grief you can't keep that inside of you that will suffocate you that will kill you that will affect you physically it will affect your blood pressure will affect your sugar level it will affect your mind and your attitude it will cause you to either be depressed withdrawn or cause you to really express anger that stuff was never meant for you to keep it in it was meant for you to pour it out and come to him come to him as a as a father as a good father as a good parent and don't hold back anything and you don't have to talk fancy you don't have to say oh thou god of heaven that sits on the circle of the earth whatever you can talk to him out of your heart and your heart might be angry you may have an angry heart you may have a disappointed heart you you may have a frustrated heart you may have a confused heart but pour it out pour out your confusion he's not afraid pour out your your disillusionment pour out your hurt and your pain talk to him freely this is what i'm feeling this is what i'm thinking this is what's driving me crazy this is where the pain is if you're in touch with that if you're in touch with your heart empty it go to god and empty your heart to him first samuel 1 and 15. here's a perfect example we know hannah lived a very miserable life she wanted to have a child couldn't have a child and she was provoked and in those days in the bible days when you didn't have children you were look you were looked at as as as a barren person you looked as a person which looked at with scorn and she had somebody benina who kept on harassing her and laughing at her and teasing her so she was a woman that was going through but you know what she did she didn't even pour out her heart to her husband her husband couldn't help her and he said to her i really want to help you i i'll i'll give you i'll give you extra portion i'll treat you extra special if you will just not if you'll just not have this kind of heavy heart i want to take away your heavy heart and she told him you know in in her own way you can't help me but where did she go let's follow hannah and see how she handled her heavy heart her heart of sorrow and shame and disappointment and frustration and fear where did she go she went and prayed and here it is in first samuel 1-15 and hannah answered and said no my lord i am a woman of sorrowful spirit because she was praying and she was so heavy she wasn't even making any noise her heart was so heavy she couldn't even make a sound and the priest thought that she was drunk she says no i'm sorrowful i have drunk neither wine nor strong drink but have poured out my soul before the lord and when she got through emptying herself the lord told her through the priest eli go home next year this time you will have a son and we know that samuel was born listen this is the only way to get through this learning to pour out our heart don't hold it in don't withdraw from god go to him and spend time emptying your heart before him psalm 102 and 1 says hear my prayer o lord let my cry for help come to you verse 2 says do not hide your face from me when i'm in distress turn your ear to me when i call answer me quickly that's that's that's again the psalm is talking to the lord look how he's talking to the lord god hear me don't don't don't ignore me don't don't withhold from me come close to me and give me an answer because i'm in trouble i'm in distress he's talking real talk psalm 142 and 1 says i cry aloud to the lord i lift up my voice of the lord for mercy i pour out my complaint i want you to see the imagery of pouring out oh my god thank you jesus what would happen to us if we didn't have a place to go and pour out and many of us had poured out but we poured out to the wrong person at the wrong time we had bursts of anger burst of you you you know of having a fit that wasn't pouring out pouring out is emptying all that you feel in the presence of the lord philippians 4 and 6 do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your request to god and the peace of god which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in christ jesus here it is how do you how do you keep your mind how do you keep your mind from snapping how do you keep your mind from becoming clogged or breaking apart by coming to the lord making your request that's another way of pouring out your petition telling him your complaint and giving it to the lord in prayer in the privacy of your home in your prayer closet at your bedside in the bathroom in the car taking a walk but pour it out don't hold it in and why do you pour it out it says right there but god is a refuge for us how many times we have given information to someone and it was secret it was sacred it was intimate it was personal and we heard it again it wasn't a safe place it wasn't a safe person but when you pour out your deepest deepest sorrow it could be a failure it could be sin it could be faults it could be an act of indiscretion it could be a wrong a bad decision it could just be distress or despair when you pour it out to god the scripture says he is a refuge for us and the word refuge means shelter it means he's we can trust him it's safe he that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the almighty i will say of the lord he is my refuge and my fortress my god in him will i trust he's safe ladies and gentlemen hear me he is safe he will not put your business on facebook twitter instagram he will not put you out there i don't care what it is if he gets out this because you put it out there but you can pour it out to the lord in the privacy of your home somewhere private where you can pour out and tell him things that you can't tell anybody else this covet will pressure you and squeeze you and cause you to think and feel so many ways pour it out to the lord because he is safe he is our rock he is our strength he is our tower he is our buckler he is our protection he is our citadel he is our security it literally means that in times of danger we know where to run and when my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the rock that is higher than i for thou has been what a shelter for me and a strong tower from my enemy so listen find him as your refuge you know and you don't have to be in a certain place you don't have to be in a certain place for you to feel safe in the midst of all that's going on you mean you can feel safe yes there can be a rest a comfort a sense of security and protection why because you poured out your heart to the lord psalm 18 and 2 the lord is my rock my fortress and my deliverer my god is my rock in whom i take refuge he's my shield and the horn of my salvation my stronghold i will call to the lord i will pour out to the lord i will empty my heart to the lord who is worthy to be praised so shall i be saved from my enemies it's a promise it's a promise proverbs 14 and 26 in the fear of the lord is strong confidence and his children shall have a place of refuge where do you feel safe in the midst of all of this where is the where do you run to when you want to feel safe when you want to feel as if you can make it when you want to feel protected where do you come on believe it where do you run if you stop praying where are you running if you stop reading your bible where's the protection where is the safety nothing around us is safe anymore nothing is secure one day you can have a house and the next day it can be in underwater everything around us suggests temporary everything around us suggests it is fleeting it is here today and gone today so where do you go and find permanence where do you go and find security in the lord the name of the lord is a strong tower and the righteous run it there in and is safe meaning we find refuge in him in his name in his word in his leading in his guidance we can lean on him what have i to fear what have i to dread leaning on the ever lasting arm so trust in the lord of ye people pour out your heart to him stop carrying it it will destroy you it will cause you to break down or it'll cause you to withdraw or cause you to pull away from god and he is the only one that can help us in this season in this time in the midst of all of this so i'm encouraging you stop what you're doing right now and start boring i don't know what time frame this exhortation will hit you it may hit you in the morning it may hit you at night it may hit you in the daytime but stop what you're doing right now and start pouring pour out your complaint pour out your discouragement pour out the pain and not just the pain of today but the old pain the pain that you've never given him the anger that you've never released the frustration that you have nursed pour it out because he is our refuge that means it's safe not only is it safe he can do something about it so let's pray father we thank you for your goodness your mercy we thank you because you have the same yesterday today and forever remember my brothers and sisters all over the world wherever they can whoever hears this exhortation god let this word become real to them let this word inspire them let this word guide them let this word rescue them let this word open them up to you the more let this word bring them closer to you let this word help them to empty themselves you said that when we come and hunger and thirst after you we shall be filled lord when they empty themselves fill them with your presence fill them with your comfort fill them with your word fill them with your promise and let them know that it's a safe place in jesus name amen [Music] you

Channel: Beth Rapha

Views: 168

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords:

Id: 3S2xuBEqXXc

Length: 27min 8sec (1628 seconds)

Published: Sun Sep 26 2021