Feelings with Action, It's Called Worship

"Worship is an inward feeling and an outward action that reflects the worth of God."
- John Piper

One of the many thoughts I've pondered this past week was, "How much is God worth to you?"
We know that Christ's Son died on the cross for all of mankind, but do we truly live to express that worth each and every day?

In last week's post I wrote about each of us individually walking the way God instructs us to, walking in faith and love. But, if we are to capture the attention and hearts of those around us, we need to radiate God's love and how much God really means to us.

 How much is God really worth to you? Do you express it daily? Are you able to recognize all that God does for you and show your appreciation in all things, even the small mundane things?

For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness. (Psalm 107:9)

The poor shall eat and be satisfied. Those who seek Him will praise the Lord. 
Let your heart live forever! (Psalm 22:6)

Those of us who have chosen to follow Christ must know that we may be the only Bible some people will ever read. Jesus even instructs us to let our light shine before all men so that they may see God's glory.

 I've been around all kinds of Christians for many years and I have mastered the art of being able to tell which ones truly carry with them the joy of the Lord. I feel sad at times watching some miss out on real, honest to goodness joy which only comes from being in an intimate relationship with the Heavenly Father. 
A relationship based on His unconditional love for us.

"Worship is based entirely on His worth."

The next time you open your refrigerator and there's food remember, He is worthy of your praise.

The next time you take a shower and there's running hot water remember, He is worthy of your praise.

When you wake up in the morning and are breathing remember, He is worthy of your praise.

When you are able to leave your house and drive to a job remember, He is worthy of your praise.

So, how much is God worth to you?

If you live in an area with no access to a Bible, click on www.biblegateway.com for more of God's encouraging Word.

 



 

  

Mastering the Art of Wisdom

Just be yourself, everyone else is taken.

 

 

I recently came across this message on a marquee sign on my way to church. What's important to note here is that I was thinking along those same lines of this sign as my mind was speaking to God. Whoa, wait a minute, your mind was speaking to God? Yep, God can read what's on our mind even if we don't verbally speak it out, after all He is God.

Sometimes we let our minds drift off into thoughts about ourselves and our lack thereof. It could be lack of confidence in ourselves, it could be lack of not getting the attention we want from others, or it could be a lack of assurance in God's plan for our lives. But these negative thought patterns we may have are not from God, but strictly from the enemy who wants to cause havoc in our thinking of who we are in Christ.

You see, there is an importance of not just knowing who we are in Christ, but living it out,too.  There is an old Chinese Proverb that says,

 

"Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power." 

 

If we are to master everything who God says we are in Christ, we need to know God's Word and act it out accordingly. We need to remind ourselves each morning when we look at ourselves in the mirror:

 

 Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like. (James 1:22)

 

and confess who we are in Christ:

God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2Timothy 1:7)

 

The entire Book of James teaches us about hearing God's Word and doing it. But just recently while doing lunch with a friend our conversation led me to this wisdom about God's Word in James:

 

Hearing God's Word and doing it isn't just about how we should treat others, minister to others, and how to show God's love to others. It is also about hearing God's Word and what it says about each of us individually and how we are to apply it to our own lives.

 

We are to walk in faith, speak out God's promises upon our lives,  act like we are a son and daughter of the Most High, and realize that we are a new person in Christ and our old mistakes have been forgiven. 

 

We should also imitate God in all that we do:

"Therefore be imitators of God (copy Him and follow His example), as well-beloved children imitate their father." (Ephesians 5:1)

It is so easy for believers to get caught up with their struggles and indecisiveness and forget the power to overcome that has been given to them through Christ Jesus. 

 

A great piece of wisdom from Paul says it all,

"I can do all things through Him who gives me strength."  (Philippians 4:13)

 

If you live in an area with no access to a Bible, click on www.biblegateway.com for more of God's encouraging Word.

 

 

When Strangers Meet

"There are no strangers here; only friends you haven't yet met." - William Butler Yeats, poet

While God was busy kicking the Apostle Paul off a donkey on the road to Damascus to get his attention, God was also speaking to Ananias through a vision. A vision where Ananias was to go and meet a stranger named Paul and pray for him. I've read this story a million times but just recently while preparing to teach I was awestruck at what God had actually done. He had spoken to two men who were miles apart so that their paths would meet. 

How many times have we come across a stranger and something unusual or out of the ordinary happened?

A chance meeting? Fate?  Or an on purpose meeting orchestrated by God? 

They say God works in mysterious ways, and the story of Paul and Ananias is just one of many stories that brings out the supernatural of God.

On August 14, 1945 a chance encounter in Time Square happened that would live on for years and decades to come. A photographer snapped a picture of a nurse welcoming home a sailor from war. A kiss between two strangers that would soon become iconic, first appearing on the cover of Life Magazine, and years later sculptured into a 25 foot statue which stands off the harbor in San Diego.

 The sailor's story of that chance encounter:

 "I was so happy. I ran out in the street," said McDuffie, then 18 and on his way to visit his girlfriend in Brooklyn.

"And then I saw that nurse," he said. "She saw me hollering and with a big smile on my face. ... I just went right to her and kissed her."

"We never spoke a word," he added. "Afterward, I just went on the subway across the street and went to Brooklyn."

(Source: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Kiss-Statue-V-Day)

This statue depicting a chance encounter is aptly named Unconditional Surrender.

When you stay in the presence of the Lord, God can make any chance encounter with a stranger more memorable than you could ever imagine. That is why it is important to use unconditional love within your fellowship with others, yep, even on strangers. You'll never know what may become of it.

More Than Just a Dog

"You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us."

- Robert Louis Stevenson

A dog is seen exuberantly hugging, barking, and licking the face of his master, the soldier, returning home from war.

A very sad dog is seen lying at the foot of the casket of his master, a soldier, who unfortunately didn't make it home safe.

You leave home with suitcase in hand, the dog looks at you with those sad puppy dog eyes as if to say,
"Don't leave me!"

You arrive home from  vacation and your dog jumps excitedly upon you, barking and wagging his tail at 50 mph as he licks every ounce of your face. He's happy your home.

Let's be real, all you have to do is come home from work and your dog is all over you.

A couple of years ago we stumbled upon a dog beach in Southern California. I counted over 15 different species of dogs running, frolicking in the ocean, and playing together. They even had a water fountain specially made for dogs.

Just like us humans, dogs are happy when their thirst is quenched at the taste of water.

After a couple days of dog sitting for my sister recently,  plus having owned my own dog, I've come to the realization that: dogs have emotions just like humans. They may not have a soul, but they were created to touch your soul, therefore I believe they will be in heaven. Sure, you may want to argue with me on this one, but neither of us will know until we reach that destination.

I look forward to seeing my dog again one day. It will be a most joyous occasion for us both, I'm sure.

A Blast from the Past: Amazing and True

"The only thing better than singing is more singing." 
- Ella Fitzgerald

During a recent lunch break at work, a friend and I had a conversation about singing. I decided to share with them the following story, which in itself is amazing and speaks volumes about God's grace and our enjoyment of praising Him no matter what we sound like:

I can't remember the woman's name but she reminded me a lot like Aunt Bea of the old Andy Griffith Show. The lady came into my music store faithfully every two weeks to pick out accompaniment tracks to sing at church. I think it was about the second time she visited where she had the boldness to ask if I'd mind her singing while listening to certain songs she had picked out. Of course I didn't mind, since there was no one in the store at the time.Boy, I am sure glad the store was empty when she sang, if you get my drift. She had a hard time carrying a note, I don't know if it was the style of music she chose or whether she just wasn't giving it her all, but I appreciated her enthusiasm of singing praises to the Most High.

After a few month's of visiting and purchasing new songs to sing, the woman disappeared. I knew the church she attended, so I would ask some of my regular customers, but to no avail I didn't receive any answers. Then one day a couple of months later, a newly appointed music director came into the store. As I began to chat with her I found out she was from the same church as the old lady who couldn't sing. The music director shared the following story:

"It was a Good Friday service and the old lady was singing a duet with the music director, the old hymn
It is Finished was their selection. After the very first verse was sung, the music director passed out and was dead in a few short minutes. Although the music director went to heaven doing what he loved to do, this tragic experience made her stop singing."

After the woman shared this story my heart just sank. I felt bad for the old lady because I knew how much she enjoyed singing. I began to pray for her daily for the next few days and weeks. About a month later she finally came back into the store. This time around I didn't care how she sounded and who was in the store, she could sing as much as she wanted to. I didn't mention to her what I had known, but as the tears flowed through my eyes all I could say was, "Welcome back".