Are You Sitting or Standing?

Are You Sitting or Standing? 

 As we take time to pray daily over our city and our nation, let us not be as the proud man that Jesus spoke about in Luke's gospel chapter 18: 

 "Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, robbers, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner." 

 It is interesting to notice these two men were standing as they prayed. Position in prayer is not important to God, as many fell prostrate on their faces, at the feet of Jesus when they came with a request.

Jesus mentioned standing to pray In Mark 11:25 And when you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against any: that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. Jesus often sat down to teach and preach but when He read God's Word he stood and after reading he would sit down:

 Luke 4: "Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him (a rolled up scroll) the book of the prophet Isaiah.  And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written (Isaiah 61:1-2) ... 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.'  

 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. 

 And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him; as he began to say unto them ... "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears."  

The interesting thing here is that when Jesus sat down, he did not return to his normal seat, because as he proclaimed, 'This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears,' he sat down in the vacant chair that was always reserved for the Messiah. 

No wonder the crowd was shocked because it seemed to them that Jesus was declaring that He was the Messiah.   Yes, that exactly what Jesus was declaring.  

 After his resurrection, Jesus stood on the mountain and proclaimed to about 400 believers the great commission "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel, and these signs will follow you, as you heal the sick, cast out demons bringing deliverance to many and you will speak in other tongues. 

Then in the sight of them all, he began to ascend into heaven where he is now seated at the right hand of God. 

Hebrews 10:12 But when this priest (Jesus) had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 

 Now I am going to change the story line a bit, and speak about sitting . . . I trust that today, not one of you is sitting in the seat of the scornful !! 

 The book of Genesis in the Old Testament, it is recorded that Jacob worked 20 years for his deceptive father-in law, Laban who tricked him into marrying the older daughter Leah and then after working another 7 years, gave Jacob, Rachel for a wife. Laban changed Jacob's wages 10 times as he worked in exchange for flocks and herds. God revealed to Jacob how to increase his flock by requesting the spotted and speckled sheep and goats. As Jacob increased in riches, he became concerned that Laban was jealous and would harm him. 

 While Laban was away, sheering his sheep, God told Jacob to leave now in secret taking everything that was his, and return to his home land. Now Jacob was not aware that his favorite wife Rachel had stolen her father's household idols. 

When Laban returned home from sheering his sheep he was told that Jacob had left - taking everything with him. Laban became very angry and with a band of men took off to catch up with Jacob, his daughters and family. 

Laban declared; "Why have you left without telling me? And especially, why have you stolen my gods?" 

Jacob, answered, "We have done no such thing as steal your gods, and you have always been unfair to me, and rather than have an argument, God told me it would be best to leave unannounced." Furthermore search for your gods and if you find them, the person who took them shall die. 

Laban diligently searched each tent and when he came to Rachael's tent, she excused herself by saying; "It is the time of the month for me, so please forgive me for not getting up." She said this because she was sitting on the gods that were hidden in the camels saddle.  She wanted to keep the gods of her father as this was all she knew and she did not understand that these gods were false and could never help her.

 Neither Jacob or Laban trusted the other, but they made a promise to stay friends and care for each other and built an alter to remember their covenant. 

Now we leave this story, with Rachel still sitting on the hidden gods, her father's idols. These idols that had been in the family possession for many years as household gods. Generation gods handed down from parents to their children. Generation gods of greed, lust, fear, anger, selfishness, self pity, lack of self worth and rebellion.

I tell this story because today many in our city and in our State and nation, are sitting on family gods that have curses from previous generations of immorality, lust, addiction, anger, no self respect, rejection and poverty. 

These are gods that are located in our soul, (our will, mind and emotions) and are secrets covered over and hidden to the naked eye, because they are spirits bringing bondage that must be broken. The invisible is just as real as that which is seen. Powerful Words spoken in the name of Jesus can and will destroy these unseen forces. 

Today, let us declare that curses of the past shall be exposed and no longer hidden, but declare that they are broken over families, over households, over the children, and these spiritual forces must leave in the name of Jesus. 

 Then let us speak prayers of declaration that a spirit of desire for God and hunger for truth and the Gospel shall fill the hearts of men and women and shall replace the darkness with the light of God's true gospel. Let us pray that the hearts of those without Jesus will be tender to come to the cross and receive salvation from our Lord Christ Jesus. 

Friend is it you, who are sitting on some stuff that has been hidden? Secrets from the past? Things you are not proud of? Habits that you think no one knows about - -. Let me ask you; Are you ready to stop sitting, and are you willing to stand up and clean up what has been so private? It is Time to replace those things that are false with truth and with reality. 

 It is Time to forgive those grudges you have been sitting on. There is a certainty of heaven for those who willingly come to Jesus, and decide to declare, allegiance to follow him all the days of your life. It is time to no longer sit, but to stand, to advance, to walk and to follow Jesus.