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The word worship can mean so many different things. It can be used as a noun, an adjective, a verb it is an all encompassing word that has so many meanings. I just love the word worship for that reason.
When we give ourselves to God we are called to worship him, you and I were Made to Worship . God wants us to worship, but he doesn't force us to. It is a choice that we make. As we come to know the Lord in a personal way, it is impossible not to worship his splendor and give him the glory that is his due.
It is so great that the Lord allows us to come to that place of surrender on our own without pushing us. It would be so much easier for him if he had just compelled us all to worship him. But if he had done that we wouldn't be able to see the freedom in the forgiveness that he offers. It is only through our own human fallibility that we can see his omnipotence. It is so much more meaningful to us this way.
It is also through our relationship with him that our worship leads us to the reason that we are here. For each of us that reason is different. He has a plan for each of us. It is only through personal one on one time that we spend worshipping him that we are able to pick up on the subtle clues that lead us in the direction that he would have us to go.
What an amazing, awesome God we have. He made us to worship him but he also gave us free will in order that we could come to him on our own and bow at his feet and freely give ourselves over to his direction. I am eternally grateful to him for his gift. I intend to do as he has called me; to worship him forever.
Passage 1 Chronicles 16:29:
29 ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
Passage Psalm 95:6:
6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
Passage Matthew 2:2:2and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
Passage John 4:24:24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
Passage Romans 12:1:
Romans 12
Living Sacrifices
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
How should we live our lives?
When we come to the end of our lives, or just the end of the day, for that matter, it really doesn't matter what chores we accomplished. It also doesn't matter if we are famous or just a regular Jane. What does matter is the relationships that we have and how we nourished those relationships. How we treat others is a testament to our relationship with God. When we accept the free gift of salvation we aren't required to do anything beyond that. The bible tells us that in John 3:16. It is not our works that get us into heaven. But if we are believers, it behoves us to also become followers. That is what leads others to Christ. Our example is what sets us apart from the rest of the world. It's not who you knew. It's not what you did. It's how you lived (and treated others) that matters in the end.
How You Live - Point of Grace (watch the video)
Passage Hebrews 6:10:
10God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.
Passage Romans 13:8-10:
8Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. 9The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 10Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Passage Matthew 5:13-16:
13"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
How You Live - Point of Grace (watch the video)
Passage Hebrews 6:10:
10God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.
Passage Romans 13:8-10:
8Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. 9The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 10Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Passage Matthew 5:13-16:
13"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Grace and Mercy
Grace and mercy have really been on my mind these last couple of days. When I stop and look back on my life I can see so many times when grace was extended to me. There were so many instances when God showed me his mercy. Why? Why me? I can see in the lives of others that they have suffered much more for their bad decisions that I have. Why? Why not me?
These are unanswerable, rhetorical questions of course. Who can know the mind of God? I just know that it is what it is. For some reason God said "I have other plans for your life, I am not going to let you screw it up irreparably". That is what grace and mercy are, after all, giving me something I don't deserve. A free gift.
What good does it do to go through hard times and to be given grace if we don't use our life for his purpose? I can see that I can use my life as a testimony to him. This is my desire - to be used by him. In whatever way he chooses to use me. Be it great or small I am ready for God to challenge me to move forward into the ministry he has chosen for me.
To do this I must lay it all down and empty myself so that he can fill me with his power. This song (click on it, it's great) really speaks the words that I am offering to the Lord. He extended the grace and showed me mercy, now it is time for me to use my life for his glory.
My Desire by Jeremy Camp
Psalm 51:1-2:
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
2 Corinthians 6:1-2:
1As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. 2For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.
Romans 3:21-24:
21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
These are unanswerable, rhetorical questions of course. Who can know the mind of God? I just know that it is what it is. For some reason God said "I have other plans for your life, I am not going to let you screw it up irreparably". That is what grace and mercy are, after all, giving me something I don't deserve. A free gift.
What good does it do to go through hard times and to be given grace if we don't use our life for his purpose? I can see that I can use my life as a testimony to him. This is my desire - to be used by him. In whatever way he chooses to use me. Be it great or small I am ready for God to challenge me to move forward into the ministry he has chosen for me.
To do this I must lay it all down and empty myself so that he can fill me with his power. This song (click on it, it's great) really speaks the words that I am offering to the Lord. He extended the grace and showed me mercy, now it is time for me to use my life for his glory.
My Desire by Jeremy Camp
Psalm 51:1-2:
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
2 Corinthians 6:1-2:
1As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. 2For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.
Romans 3:21-24:
21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
The first will be last...
The concept of Christ's humility is a hard one to grasp. Why would he make himself nothing and take on the nature of a servant? He is God after all, he didn't have to do it. But he chose to be a servant so that I would see that it is in the humility of servitude that I find my joy.
When I serve others I am not only ministering to others, I am also worshiping. It is the act itself that is my sacrifice and my offering to the Lord. God doesn't require that I do these things in repayment for Jesus' sacrifice for me. That was a free gift, a selfless act of grace and mercy. But knowing that he did give his life for me spurs me on. I can't just rest on my laurels. I must serve, and it must be a free gift with no strings attached to the person I am serving. In order to do that I have to surrender to Him, otherwise my human nature takes over and I start to feel unappreciated. I have to remember it's not about the acknowledgements, it is a bout the sacrifice and offering to God.
I Surrender to You - Jeremy Camp
Philippians 2:6-7:
6Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
Matthew 20:25-28:
25Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Ephesians 6:7:
7Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men,
When I serve others I am not only ministering to others, I am also worshiping. It is the act itself that is my sacrifice and my offering to the Lord. God doesn't require that I do these things in repayment for Jesus' sacrifice for me. That was a free gift, a selfless act of grace and mercy. But knowing that he did give his life for me spurs me on. I can't just rest on my laurels. I must serve, and it must be a free gift with no strings attached to the person I am serving. In order to do that I have to surrender to Him, otherwise my human nature takes over and I start to feel unappreciated. I have to remember it's not about the acknowledgements, it is a bout the sacrifice and offering to God.
I Surrender to You - Jeremy Camp
Philippians 2:6-7:
6Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
Matthew 20:25-28:
25Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Ephesians 6:7:
7Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men,
Friday, January 18, 2008
I want to be like you, Jesus
One of my favorite songs right now is My Jesus by Todd Agnew. It is such a powerful song about who Jesus really was and how I am supposed to act in the world as I imitate him.
There are so many falsely pious people in the world who would tell me that in order to inherit the kingdom I should go to church every Sunday and act like I am better than everyone else. They would lead me to believe that I should judge everyone and condemn the sin of my fellow Christian. According to them there are sins in the world that are worse than others. There are degrees placed on sin by some. I believe that people do this in order to make themselves feel better about their own sin nature. It is too easy to say "Well, I may have ____ today, but at least I didn't do ____, boy, I feel sorry for her because she has to deal with that in her life!" These are all man made ideas of what sin is. Jesus placed no degrees on sin, he loved everyone. He made a point of spending time with those who were in sin because he knew that down through the ages there would be those who would feel superior to others for whatever reason. He wanted to show right off the bat that judgment was wrong.
If I am to live as Christ I am to follow his example. I am to walk in this world as an ambassador of his love. Jesus came into this world not to condemn, but to save.
It is my fervent prayer that as I go about my daily activities that I would draw others to me, not because I myself am something special, but because Christ lives in me. I hope that his light will shine through me, that others would see that there is something different about me. Maybe this can spark a conversation about Jesus and the person he was, is and always will be.
Colossians 2:6-10:
Freedom From Human Regulations Through Life With Christ
6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
9For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority
There are so many falsely pious people in the world who would tell me that in order to inherit the kingdom I should go to church every Sunday and act like I am better than everyone else. They would lead me to believe that I should judge everyone and condemn the sin of my fellow Christian. According to them there are sins in the world that are worse than others. There are degrees placed on sin by some. I believe that people do this in order to make themselves feel better about their own sin nature. It is too easy to say "Well, I may have ____ today, but at least I didn't do ____, boy, I feel sorry for her because she has to deal with that in her life!" These are all man made ideas of what sin is. Jesus placed no degrees on sin, he loved everyone. He made a point of spending time with those who were in sin because he knew that down through the ages there would be those who would feel superior to others for whatever reason. He wanted to show right off the bat that judgment was wrong.
If I am to live as Christ I am to follow his example. I am to walk in this world as an ambassador of his love. Jesus came into this world not to condemn, but to save.
It is my fervent prayer that as I go about my daily activities that I would draw others to me, not because I myself am something special, but because Christ lives in me. I hope that his light will shine through me, that others would see that there is something different about me. Maybe this can spark a conversation about Jesus and the person he was, is and always will be.
Colossians 2:6-10:
Freedom From Human Regulations Through Life With Christ
6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
9For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority
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