We don’t worship God to appease him. We don’t give to God to impress him. We don’t love God to flatter him. We don’t obey God to make him like us. We don’t pray to God to show our piety. We don’t praise God because he needs us to. We worship, give, love, obey, pray, and praise God simply because he is who he is! Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?” For from him and through him […]
Worship
159 posts
As you prepare to go to church each week, do you consider this to be an act of courage? Well, if you go to a church that believes that God is holy, that salvation comes only through Jesus Christ, that the Bible is the inspired word of God and must be obeyed, then going to church is a an act of courage! When you go to church and you affirm your belief with other Christians in these core doctrines of historic Christianity, you put yourself at odds with those who view such beliefs as a threat to personal freedom and choice. Serving and following the Lord of Scripture used to be fashionable. No longer. Our communities are being pulled apart […]
Our world is changing. The gospel is our only hope! From Peter Jones: From its founding until the 1960’s American culture was defined by patriarchal, heterosexual and Judeo-Christian presuppositions. In one generation, this worldview has been largely replaced by a radically egalitarian, omnigendered, pansexual, multi-religious and One-ist, (i.e. eastern thought) belief system that has turned our contemporary world upside down. “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.” Colossians 2:8
Biblical worship is transformational. An encounter with the Living God, whether corporately or individually, is transformational. Conformity to the world’s idea of worship carries the idea of personal enrichment and fulfillment: I am better because I worshipped. Biblical worship is nothing of the sort. If you see God for who He is you cannot help but worship. When you see God for who he is, you cannot remain the same. You are undone, yet you have hope. You are truly afraid and you truly are encouraged. You must be transformed. Our minds must be renewed so we can embrace the perfect, written will of God for our lives. You, too, must become a living sacrifice! You see, I don’t worship to […]
My Father, my God, my Savior, This night brings no certainty about the next day. I know what I would like to see, but then I think of all that could happen and all the good that might be left undone. I want to be healed, but then there are so many that need healing. There are so many that hurt. I want my family to be known and cared for by you. But there is so much more than my family that needs to be cared for. I think about tomorrow and I feel so inadequate, so incapable of knowing how to pray to you, the one who knows me better than any other. I am at a loss […]
On the day of the resurrection on the road to Emmaus, two men who had been with Jesus, encountered him as they walked. He kept them from recognizing him. He asked them what they were talking about. The men were incredulous! What else was there to talk about except what had happened since the crucifixion. They spoke of Christ and his power in the past tense. They spoke of their lost hope. They were puzzled at the reports that maybe Jesus was alive. They were evaluating these events from an earthly perspective. They did not believe, they speculated, they wondered. Listen to strong rebuke from Christ: “He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all […]
On Palm Sunday Jesus entered Jerusalem to cheering crowds. Five days later the crowds screamed for his crucifixion. When Christ met the expectations of the crowd, he was their king. When he did not, they shouted for his death! The lesson is clear if you have the courage to see. You cannot understand the purposes of God by listening to the praises of men, no matter how impressive or lavish that praise may be. Man’s praise is fickle and it affections can change in a heartbeat. Learn the lesson of Palm Sunday. Do not be overcome by the praise of people. Matthew 21:6-9 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and […]
The Lord is good. You and I know that the Lord is good. The challenge is to act consistently with this great truth. There are many obstacles which seek to blind us from this reality. But if we are people of faith, then we must let the Holy Spirit determine how we to view God. He is worthy of your praise and your thanksgiving. Nothing can ever change that. Our life and struggles will pass, but the unfailing love of God continues forever! Give this vision of reality as a precious gift to your children! Psalm 100 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the […]
Don’t look for help in the wrong place. When you worship God, get rid of all the pretenders to his throne! The world, your flesh and the devil are constantly offering counterfeits to the only true authentic Savior, Jesus Christ. Powerful people are just that, people who have no power that God does not give them. They have no help to give you. They get sick and die just like you will. They will return to the dirt and all of their great schemes and promises crash and burn with them. Do not look for help where it cannot be found! Unlike people who appear to have power, who appear to offer you help in your distress, only Jesus Christ […]
The commanding greatness of Christ! The Apostle John saw reality as it truly is. He saw Jesus Christ honored for who he is. The person and presence of Christ is so commanding the creatures of heaven are blown away by him! They cannot help but respond to him in worship. May God so increase our awareness of Christ that every moment of our lives is impacted by his greatness, glory and power. May our lives show his greatness with every action we take. Will you join me as I seek forgiveness for thinking of life in terms of what I want and what makes me happy? Every moment of my life is an opportunity to respond to his greatness. I […]