MORE GOD IN 2024

Yes... I do have a head cold.... lol..., but let's get after it.

This episode is my personal battle cry for us to embrace a year teeming with His presence, as every moment – be it fraught with trials or bursting with triumph – is a call for His divine intervention. I lay bare a personal epiphany that's reshaped my entire perspective, urging us to actively seek God and crown Him the leader of every aspect of our existence. Inspired by biblical giants like John the Baptist, I extend an invitation to join me on a voyage to understand the depth of relying on God's infinite wisdom and might, far surpassing our own.

Chapters

• 0:00 The Need for More of God
• 9:00 Seeking More of God's Importance
• 20:08 Invite God

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

the kubalithas podcast. Welcome to two thousand and twenty four, welcome to episode number 25. This is nick kubalithas, your host, and we have yes, we have done 25 episodes and this is the first of the year, and we had to begin with some epic, epic music, because this is going to be an epic year. That's what I'm believing for an epic year, and many of your days this year have already been epic for some of you on great adventure, doing great things, seeing great miracles, great breakthrough. And I'm just believing that's what I'm believing for this year is that we are going to look back and no matter what happens in the world and government and elections is that we're going to look back, and then we'll be like you know what this was, a this was an epic year for god dude, just like totally awesome man. That's that's my prayer for this year, and because I believe god is still god, god is moving, and and so, anyway, welcome to the kubalithas podcast. I feel like I have a fire in me this year for something fresh, something new, and so I'm glad that you are joining me and if you enjoy this podcast at all, would you share it with somebody you know? Tell them hey, there's this crazy guy and he does about 20, 25 minutes, and my hope for you and whoever listens to this, is that every single podcast there's a quote or there's a phrase, or there's something that you can take with you, something that can cause you to grow a little bit, maybe expand yourself a little bit, maybe step out and try something fresh, try something new, and so that's what I'm hoping. So if you can share this like this, whatever you can do, that would be awesome. But I am excited for this year, and so what we're going to do is, right after this short break, we are going to get after it together. Welcome to 2024. Let's get after it.

Speaker 1: 2:20

I have had this thought coming into the year that I think is slowly transforming my life. It's a profound and obvious thought. It's a thought that you would say, of course, but it's a thought. It's this phrase. I'm gonna give you the phrase in a moment. Give me a second. It's this phrase that my mind knows, but sometimes my actions deny it's. Sometimes it's something that I know, but if I were to look at my track record, I would say that my track record, my track record, doesn't always prove this thought to be true, and this year. I want this thought that I'm about to share with you to be true, not only in my life, but also in your life. And here's the thought. This is profound we always need more of god and we never need less of him. I know, nick, you're observing the obvious. Hear me for a second. We always need more of god, we never need less of him. And let me just expound on that for a second.

Speaker 1: 3:36

Do you realize that there has never been in the course of human history, there's never been a situation, not for a fraction of a moment? There has never been a time, there has never been a place, that that situation called for less of God, even when things are going great, even when things are going, it was like, oh, I don't need really God in this moment. You know everything's going great. No, no, no. There's never, ever been a moment in the course of human history where it called for less of God. There are always moments and it's easy when you're in crisis, right, when you're in crisis, when you're in a place of desperation oh, we need more of God, we need more of God. But I want you to hear this Every situation in the course of human history, every situation from the beginning of time to now, every situation that you're dealing with in your life, your marriage, your kids, your protocols, financial inflation.

Speaker 1: 4:43

Hey, you know even the politics this year. We're in an election year, very important year. It doesn't require less of God, it requires more of God. You say, well, of course it requires more of God. But see, sometimes what we do is we go. We don't want more of God. How do we know that In our actions? I think when I look at my track record, I look at my actions, I know the thought that I need more of God. But it's like do I run to him? Do I seek him first? Do I put him first? Do I do I? Do I seek out what he would want me to do? Do I seek out the pathway of wisdom that he would provide or do I try to figure it out myself?

Speaker 1: 5:26

Again, this is why I love the Bible. This is why I love the scriptures. It's because it's it's the Bible is a group of of messed up individuals who God uses for his glory. I mean that that's really. We're imperfect. Without Jesus, we are hopeless, we are separated from him. We have, we have no way of redeeming ourselves. And what's the Bible tell us With God, all things are possible. That's, that's what it's about. And so here's, here's this profound and dynamic thought We've never needed less of God. We've always needed more of God. We've always needed more of God. I love this moment. Okay, this might be a little preaching one. Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry and not sorry. How's that? I'm sorry, not sorry. I love this moment when John the Baptist comes on the scene. He trains 30 years for six month ministry.

Speaker 1: 6:23

John the Baptist, you know this wild-eyed prophet preparing the way. You know, I picture him with a big old fro. You know, and, and you know his camel skin clothes, leather belt eating locusts, little legs. In his beard, honey dripping down. You know, he's just this wild-eyed. You know, repent, repent, prepare ye the way of the Lord. Well, I don't think it sounded like that, but he was a legit prophet. Actually, jesus calls him the greatest of the Old Testament prophets because he was the one that prepared the way for Jesus, the Messiah, the Christ, the one would come.

Speaker 1: 7:01

And as Jesus is coming on the scene and his presence and his ministry is being revealed, john does something so amazing. Let's say he trained 30 years for six months. 30 years and without hesitation what is John the Baptist or John the baptizer? What does he say? He says this. He says he must increase and I must decrease. He must grow more prominent and I must grow less. So he sees the presence coming, he goes. He must increase. Hey, we need more of God.

Speaker 1: 7:46

I don't know, maybe John the Baptist could have been like yeah, my ministry's going, great, I'm baptizing. You know, the whole country's coming to me. We don't need Jesus here, I'm doing it at all, I'm getting it all done. It's like no, no, no, no, no, no. Like in that moment, john's like you know what, increase you're here, increase and let us decrease. He's like more of God, not less of him. More of him, not less of him. That's what's burning in my soul right now.

Speaker 1: 8:16

To be a person says God, I need more of you and I want to see here Hear me for a second I want to see God in my soul as the primary answer to every situation I want. It Doesn't mean that I don't invite other people in, doesn't mean that I don't look for advice from counselors, doesn't mean I don't go to the doctor. It doesn't mean that I don't talk to individuals that I know will pour wisdom into a situation. It just means I go, god, I know that you have an answer for every situation and when you're involved, I know that the situation will turn out for your glory. Come on.

Speaker 1: 9:00

I mean, do you really think on the inside of you this year, going into this year, getting ready for 2024? Do you really think that your track record says that you always go to God first? I'm just saying don't have condemnation, don't have condemnation. But just take a moment. And I would say about myself, I don't think that's always maybe the first person I run to and it needs to be Right. I sometimes I get angry before I come. Sometimes I get and, yeah, god can handle it off.

Speaker 1: 9:29

But I'm just saying what if we had this mentality? God, we need more of you. We need more of you. Some of you, you're believing for big things this year. You're believing for big things about the world, about your church, about your own life, your own marriage, your own family.

Speaker 1: 9:48

And what if the first thought that we had this year was God, I need more of you. I need more of you in this situation. I need more of you. I need more of you, not less of you. There's never a moment where you need less of God. I don't want the less of God attitude reflected in my actions, in my thoughts. I want it reflected in. I want the more of God reflected in my thoughts and my actions. This is possible and I'm sharing this with you because, as you're going into 2020, there's a whole heap of things that you're going to be facing. There's a whole heap of things that are going to be before you. There's things that you know about, things that you, and there's probably more things that you don't know about. There's probably great things and there's probably huge challenges. And I'm just saying if we in this moment, in this season, if we can get the mentality right like, okay, god, I need more of you, I need more of you in this. I can't do this in my own strength. I need more of you, I need more of you. And this is why I think and I think part of this podcast has been like this just because this is where I've been at, it's taking a hard look at me and what I'm believing and how I'm following God, because, from more of Him to increased Lord, from more of you to increase, I need to know, I need to have self-awareness about me, where I'm at, what I'm doing, what are my thoughts. You know what are the areas of pride, what are the areas that are in my life that are hindering God from moving? God, I want more of you in my life. I want more of you. God, you must increase.

Speaker 1: 11:29

There's a great quote from AW Tozer, and this is what he said the reason why many are still troubled, still seeking and still making little forward progress is because they haven't yet come to the end of themselves. We're still trying to give orders and interfering with God's work within us. We're still trying to give orders and interfering with God's work within us, and I think that's the thing right, like we need more of God. But what gets in the way we do right. And not only do we get in the way, but one of the things that many individuals do many times is that we create Jesus in our own image.

Speaker 1: 12:14

It's easier to project ourselves onto Jesus than let Jesus be who he is. It doesn't change him like literally, but we create him in our own image. So then we stay the same and we wonder why many times we're powerless. We wonder why there's many times where there's not a supernatural element to it, where maybe there's only doctrine or doctrine's important, but there's only words on a page. There's only knowledge in the head, but there's no power. And why? Because many times we create Jesus into our image, our feelings, our likeness, our version of justice, our version of the gospel, our version of forgiveness, our version of what we're allowed to carry and not to carry. And when we try to make a version of Jesus that's our own guess what? There's no power in it. And when we continue to do that, you know what we're doing.

Speaker 1: 13:16

We're perpetuating the idea that we don't need more of God. What we're saying is we need more of ourselves, which is really less of God. We have to come to that end of ourselves. And do you know what's at the end of ourselves, the greatest victory that you could ever have? Do you know what that's at the end of yourself? Life and life abundantly. And I'm talking to believers right. And if you don't know Jesus, give your life to the Lord this year. Jesus loves you. He died on the cross for you. The only way that you can be forgiven of sin, the only way that you can heal your broken soul, the only way that you can be right with God is to have faith in Jesus Christ, believing that he was raised from the dead.

Speaker 1: 14:10

You say God, I believe, I confess you as my Lord. That's how simple it is. But here's the thing it's like in this moment. Do you know what's at the end of self? Because a lot of times you get saved and your spirit gets regenerated. You're gonna be in heaven forever. But your mind is immature, your heart is immature, your actions are immature, your habits are immature, all these different things. And it's like I have to get to the end of myself. Say God, I completely surrender to you, I surrender everything I am to you. I am available for you. Do you know what's there? More of God? God's like I can work with somebody who's available. Listen, every disciple he called. None of them, they were all, they were all. Chuckle heads they were. They were all inside out, upside down, arguing with each other. They weren't perfect, but God could work with them and they turned the world upside down. Why? Because they, when Jesus said follow me what they do, okay, yeah, I'm in, we're available, we're following. Sometimes it's just okay, god, I'm available. Actually, and maybe that's that way all the time.

Speaker 1: 15:15

A W Tozer said this. He said an infinite. God can give all of himself to each of his children. He does not distribute himself, that each may have a part, but to each one he gives all of himself, as fully as if there were no others. What an invitation right at the end of yourself. What is the life that God wants to give you? All of himself. You don't get the leftovers, you don't get the scraps. You don't get 10 percent. Somebody else gets 90 percent. This is God, is not stingy. He's so generous with himself that he gives himself to those that desire more of him. And so what is at the end of of yourself? Life, and life abundantly. What's at the end of yourself? Supernatural power? What's at the end of herself? The greatest thing of all, the knowledge and the relationship and the intimacy with God that your heart so desires.

Speaker 1: 16:15

You say well, nick, how do I get to this spot? Well, let me just tell you the way that I'm thinking about it, and I'm sure maybe the way that you're thinking about it is a lot more complex. But there's a principle, and I think if we can start with this principle, it actually will set us up for success. So, not just theological, theologically think about it. Not just theoretically think about it or philosophically think about it, but go. Okay, what's the practical for this? And here's the principle. The principle is this Physical obedience brings spiritual blessing.

Speaker 1: 16:55

Okay, this is not salvation, this is not a works mentality. We are saved by grace, through faith. It's not us, it's not a works thing, it's a gift from God. But as we have faith filled or trust filled obedience, god brings spiritual blessing. Let me just so I'm gonna bring this to you on the how, how do we put God first? So if I understand this principle, now I think about Moses.

Speaker 1: 17:26

God says to Moses keep your hands up in the air. If your hands are up in the air, physically obedient, right, god gives a command. The physical obedience is the response. Then what happened? Israel won the battle. When Moses hands physically fell, they began to lose. And as they walked out physical obedience or as Moses walked out, physical obedience according to the command of God he was blessed spiritually in Israel was blessed. And you see this all through the Old Testament, but you also see this very clearly in the gospels and in the teachings of the New Testament.

Speaker 1: 18:05

And Jesus says in Matthew six when you fast and if you find that place, it says when you fast, when you pray, when you give and every single place. When you do this physical act, when you give generously, when you go into a room, shut the door and you seek your father in heaven, when you fast and you don't proclaim, it Guess what? There's spiritual blessing. There was spiritual blessing for those who follow Jesus. Jesus said anybody who comes after me, hey, they're going to be blessed in this life. They're also going to have persecutions. So when Jesus said to somebody follow me, and they physically began to follow them, follow him, they got spiritually blessed.

Speaker 1: 18:51

When we follow the commands of the Lord, let's even say practically, there's a spiritual blessing. So how do I practically follow them? Well, first, a very easy way, is I make God my priority. I make God my priority, not in theory, in practice, right. So God's my priority, he's the first thing that I, he's the first person that I spend time with in the morning. Usually wake up in the morning and I go and I have a Bible time. It doesn't mean I don't say hi to somebody else on the way or what have you, but I spend time with God every morning, first part of my day.

Speaker 1: 19:30

It's a very practical thing to do something that I've been doing this year and I had to kind of push past my religious notions very practically was the Lord's prayer, which is really the disciples prayer. But every morning, reciting the Lord's prayer, our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Lord, lead us not into temptation. Deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Speaker 1: 20:08

And even just every day, just saying that with faith filled expectancy, because you can especially that prayer, you can repeat it and think if I were, if I repeat this a bunch of times, god's gonna hear me. The Bible doesn't say that. Jesus very clearly said in Matthew 6 God doesn't hear you because you you Repeat it over and over and over, but when I have faith in that. So my priorities this I'm gonna pray that prayer first. And by praying that prayer first, I'm declaring over my day that no matter what happens, he's in control. And that's really what that Scripture is about that prayer is about. It's about father God being first in your life, in everything, in your needs, in your struggles, in your inner life, and the God is first in everything, and so that's just a really practical way, and maybe it's so simple, maybe. Maybe the simplicity that is needed is that he's such your priority that, no matter where you are, your prayer this year is more of God. God, it's more of you.

Speaker 1: 21:15

You're sitting in the conference room, you're in the board meeting and, and Whatever is being talked about, it's an intense atmosphere under your breath. More of you, god here, more of you, more of you. And just see what happens. See what I invite God. Let that, that, that prayer, be the physical obedience. Invite God into every situation and watch spiritual blessing overtake you. And I Am not a prophet, but let me just say this I'm gonna prophesy that, as you invite more of God, there's going to be Sudden direction shifts, like there's going to be a whether it's a conversation, whether it's a situation, and as God comes in, he's gonna do something that is so profound. You thought it was going east and now it's going west. You thought it was going south and now it's going north. It's like, okay, God, wow, you're gonna watch God move so powerfully. You know why? Because there's never been a situation in your life where you needed less of God. Every situation always required it needs more of him.

Speaker 1: 22:24

And I think the last thing is for those that have grown weary in your prayers, weary in your requests, weary in your pursuits. In that place you know what the prayer is. That's right more of you, god. More of you. You're tired, weary. Remember what Jesus said come to me, you who are weary and heavy-laden. What would she say? Hey, in your state of weariness, come to me, have more of me. That's the one who refreshes and brings spiritual blessing. So that's the way that I'm thinking about it this year that there is a physical obedience which in my head, means a response to the king's command to Jesus, what he's saying. That's very practical, that brings spiritual blessing. So let's get after it. More of God.