The sun reminds me of God’s love that pierces through the darkness and through my thick skin.

When it rains, I imagine each droplet as a piece of God’s love and mercy that constantly quenches my thirst and overflows in my heart.

When there is fog, God brings the clouds to the ground to show us how beautiful they really are as we walk through them.  Oh, how beautiful they are.

Snow reveals to me that I am cleansed through the blood of Jesus Christ, a sacrifice in my place.

Trees are amazing to observe.  They reach to the Heavens much like I reach for God, and they bear wonderful fruit and their roots hold fast to the ground.

God made these things to reveal His power and majesty.  He made you, made me.  We are His sculptures made to His likeness, every angle of our bodies carefully designed with no mistakes.

Great is our Maker, Potter, and Father.

I found a great blog called Catechist’s Journey.com by an 8th grade catechist named Joe who “knows his stuff” and provides resources and discussion about catechesis.  He’s been in ministry for 30+ years and does online seminars called “webinars.”  Check it out … especially if you’re a catechist.

In the above video, I especially like the following (I’ll use it in class next week)

Jesus’ Three Comings:  In …

1. History — when Jesus came Man (incarnation)
2. Mystery –as Jesus comes to us today in many ways, especially in the Eucharist
3. Majesty — as we look forward to His triumphant return at the end of time

Lots more on his site.  Check it out!

A sobering exhortation from a man who likely was not ashamed to appear before Christ.

“Leonard Ravenhill’s legendary sermon “The Judgment Seat of Christ” is not a paltry call to mediocrity but a heart-piercing roar for complete and total abandonment to Jesus. May eternity be stamped upon your eyeballs as you listen.”

“Master, forgive; and inspire us anew.  Banish our worldliness.  Help us to ever live with eternity’s values in view.”

This universe was not made for you.
You are unallocated in list of
Participators and only consume… and we’ve entirely forgotten about you.
You do nothing.
You deserve an even smaller potion of happiness than the
Everything you neglect,
A unit so close to zero, it can only be limited to
The lowest number you can squeeze out of
your tube.

Most of the doors are shut at your approach, and we’re
Glad to see your nose close, but far
From the other side of plexi.

If they destroy you, and when they will –
Nothing will happen; you’ve allowed the science
And majesty of prediction to take the place of
Sweet, unreasoned faith.

Die, fruitless laborer. Crumble into your dry skin and
Rot.
Snap your femur with the flat plate of head-bone
Before you go,
And limp… limp into the dark underworld you hardly deserve,
But where else can they put you?

Here I am humbled by your Majesty
Covered by your grace so free
Here I am, knowing I’m a sinful man
Covered by the blood of the Lamb

Now I’ve found the greatest love of all is mine
Since you laid down your life
The greatest sacrifice

Majesty, Majesty
Your grace has found me just as I am
Empty handed, but alive in your hands
Majesty, Majesty
Forever I am changed by your love
In the presence of your Majesty

Here I am humbled by the love that you give
Forgiven so that I can forgive
Here I stand, knowing that I’m your desire
Sanctified by glory and fire

Now I’ve found the greatest love of all is mine
Since you laid down your life
The greatest sacrifice

I can’t think of any other word greater and more magnificent that can describe my God, other than – Majesty.

Jeremy Camp
“We Remember”

Verse1:
                F                                     B
We worship You Lord, in the splendor of Your holiness
                      Dm
In the beauty of Your righteousness
C
Holy
B
Holy
              F                                             B
We offer You thanks, for the endless love You have displayed
                       Dm
For the sacrifice You freely gave
C
Holy
B
Holy

Chorus:
         C     Dm
You are holy, precious Lamb of God
B          F       C
Forever You will reign
Dm         B      C
Forever You will reign
        C      Dm
King of glory, risen Son of God
B          F        C
Forever You will reign
Am         B         C
Forever You will reign

Verse2:
           F                              B
Father of light, Your radiance and majesty
                                      Dm
Sent Your Son to set the captives free
C
Holy
B
Holy
         F                                          B
Infinite love, on the cross You saved us from our sins
                                  Dm
Conqured death and then returned again
C
Worthy
B
Worthy

(Chorus)

Bridge:
Gm       Am      B            C
We remember, we remember the cross
Gm       Am      B            C
We remember, we remember the cost

(Chorus)

(Bridge)

THIS IS MY FIRST ATTEMPT AT CHORDING ANYTHING

THIS IS A COMPILATION FROM TWO DIFFERENT SOURCES

IF YOU KNOW IT ANY BETTER, PLEASE REPOST!

THANKS!

“You know all my thoughts.  You see through my ways.  And still You come to me.  So I sing a love song to You.  From heaven above, from earth down beneath.  Your love rains down on me.  You know all my thoughts.  You see through my skin.  And still You come to me.  And so I sing a love song to You.  You walk on waves.  You run with clouds. You paint the sky for me to see.  Your majesty, Your majesty is why I sing.  And this is a love song to You.  My life’s a love song to You.“

*Zandile came to Hope House two weeks ago and she’s absolutely lovely.  Praying that God will do BIG things in her life and that she will choose to let her life be a love song to God as well.

Tonight, the Miami Caliente will look to build on last week’s upset victory over Philadelphia. The Caliente host the Majesty tonight at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida. Kickoff is 9:00 PM but get there early for the pregame party.

Shaking—dark and quiet. Night descends like an eagle, dropping its shadow upon the earth. Majesty at its finest. Child of the evening air, with whispered steps and silky hair, call out to your fellow heirs—just let them know you’re there. Alone but united by the soft suffocation of darkness, of pale syllables that roll off tongues and plume into the ever-colder air, of cotton promises that swell in your mouth like poison. Choking and sputtering on words that should never have been captured in that cage you call a chest—those vows and swearing oaths that crawl off swollen tongues as lies before they’re even told, before their long life has begun—they’re resting as their work is done.

Getting lazy with the descriptions today, so I’ll just add them only if the flyer is lacking…

Monday, 11,9.09

Tuesday, 11.10.09

(Come see me get my cameo-on in the “Cherry Popper” video! At least I think so… Lyriqs 2 Go said my footage MAY or MAY NOT be used. LOL)

(Same block as Bob’s… no excuses!)

Wednesday, 11.11.09

Thursday, 11.12.09

Attention: NEW PARTY! 90’s jams all night…and the DJ lineup is STUPID! I’d follow these DJ’s anywhere…Did I mention it was free?

Sutra was one of the first spots I was introduced to while starting out in photography. Home to many a legendary night, where celebs mingle and party with us normal folk in a spirit of positivity and good times, it is easily one of my favorite places to party in NYC. Ariel and John always show me so much love, and it was the natural choice come time to celebrate my 30th birthday a few months ago. Come out as Sutra celebrates 5 years on the scene!

Friday, 11.13.09

I’ve only been to one Art Battles event, and it was epic… this time, four artists will be battling two on two. It will be Leif McIlwaine & Ben Angotti VS Andre Trenier & Marthalicia Matarrita.

While the painting is happening – there will also be a B-Boy vs. Tap battle on the dance floor.

Goodie Mob (especially my boo, Cee-Lo), Scarface AND Slick Rick? Nuff said…

Saturday, 11.14.09

(Lineup includes Hasan Salaam, Division X, Lady Che, YC the cynic, Marcel Cartier, Maximil of Regime Change, and many more!)

Sunday, 11.15.09

If you’re in Jersey or feel like taking that PATH train into Newark, check out this event on Sunday… Newark might be my new chill spot…

I was out walking this afternoon and I was reflecting on the majesty and beauty of the earth, at least, what I could see of it. Where there was once grass, trees, flowers, and mountains, now we have streets, sidewalks, houses, cars and trash.

No wonder we have so much trouble focusing on God and His creation! All we see when we walk outside is the work of our own hands.

God created the earth to be majestic; to be a reflection of His power and His glory. We’ve taken the beauty of the earth, which should point us to the beauty of God, and reduced it to the level of man.

At first, I experienced sadness at the loss of God’s beauty in creation, but then I was moved to seek out that beauty in the creation that I could still see: the sky, the sun, the clouds, the trees, the flowers and bushes.

But it wasn’t enough! I needed something more!

Scripture! I needed the Word of God to show me the beauty in creation!

Psalm 148

1 Praise the LORD!Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights!

2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts!

3 Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars!

4 Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!

5 Let them praise the name of the LORD! For he commanded and they were created.

6 And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.

7 Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps,

8 fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word!

9 Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!

10 Beasts and all livestock, creeping things and flying birds!

11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!

12 Young men and maidens together, old men and children!

13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven.

14 He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his saints, for the people of Israel who are near to him. Praise the LORD!

Take time to reflect on the beauty of creation and on the infinite goodness of the Creator!

Even as the prayer the Lord taught His disciples to pray ends with these words, “for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever”, this is what we experience as we move into the holy of holies. No longer can we be concerned with our own needs; neither are we able to enter into spiritual warfare. For in the holy place of prayer we see only the majesty of our God. Everything else pales into absolute insignificance. We do not wish to war against the devil in here because we see how small he really is in comparison to the glory of our God. We have no need to ask for our personal needs, for we know, it would be impossible for the God that we are beholding to forget our needs. He is the essence of love and goodness. He is pure and holy, glorious and lovely.

We are so made aware of His holiness that, like Isaiah, we cannot boast or list our accomplishments of think of comparing ourselves with anyone else. Pride cannot enter the holy of holies. We only want to cry out for his purity to cover us.

Isa 6:1-8

6 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

Here am I Lord

KJV

As we abide in the holy of holies, we come to the place that only His will is important. Our wants and desires that conflict with our wonderful Lord’s purposes melt away into nothingness. It is impossible for us to think of our selfish interests when we are confronted with His majesty and goodness. Like Isaiah we can hear the perfect desire of our God and we have no other goal but to please Him and we therefore cry out with Isaiah, “Here I am, send me”.

It matters not where He desires to send us nor the cost that we might be asked to pay. It only matters that this glorious one be honored by our loving obedience. When men and women have spent time in the holy of holies of prayer, they are changed. The burning coal of purity is not something that we fear, but rather, we cry for it as one would cry for water in a burning desert. We must have His purity for nothing else matters. This is why the cry for holiness is always what proceeds worldwide revival.

One of the reasons we have not seen the move of God we are crying out for is because few have gone into the holy of holies and been touched with the burning coal of His purity. We will know when someone has been in the holy of holies, for his or her heart will be one with God’s. Because we have been touched by His glory and majesty as we return through the tabernacle to our everyday living, we come with a new anointing and perspective.

We now return to minister to a lost world with God’s heart and have little interest in the success or praise of men. We now know true wealth, and the things of this world seem paltry and poor in comparison to what we have seen. As we retrace the steps that brought us into the holy of holies, we must go back through the holy place. We once again are confronted with the three articles of furniture, yet this time we have a greater perspective of their significance. The altar of incense smells so much sweeter, and we wonder why we have not spent more time praising and loving our wonderful Lord. The table of shewbread smells of the sweet aroma of obedience. We no longer think, “It is a hard thing the Lord asks of me”.

Our desire to obey is instant and complete, for we cannot imagine any other response. Loving and full obedience is the only option. We no longer weigh the cost, for we have been lost in His richness. Cost means nothing to us that we might only bring glory and honor to His Kingdom.

To be curtsied by man touches us not one whit, for it is only for His glory that we live. The Apostle Paul’s words now live in us:

1 Cor 4:3-6

3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.

Fools for Christ’s Sake

NKJV

Do you know anyone who has spent very much time in the holy of holies? If so, you would not have to wonder if they had, for their countenance and heart would transform things everywhere they went. Their perspective would so enlighten us that we would desire to go there above all else. Our next writing will look at the change of perspective we have experienced because we have been in the holy of holies.

MORE TO COME

Blessings, 
Apostle Bob Rogers

Revelation 1:9-18

I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. Psalm 9:1

What’s the greatest activity we can spend time doing? Worshiping God! Worship is not repeating hasty, routine petitions or listening to mood-inducing music. Worship is the experience of being “lost in wonder, love, and praise,” as Charles Wesley wrote. It’s awe that inspires adoration.

My first sight of the Grand Canyon left me speechless. The friend who had driven me there appreciated my reaction and stood silent beside me. I gazed in awe at this magnificent spectacle and thought, This is a glimpse of God’s majesty. But my awe, by itself, was not worship.

My reaction is different when I come face to face with Jesus in the Scriptures. Awe changes into adoration as I behold Him in all His beauty. What grips my soul? His unsullied purity: “Which of you convicts Me of sin?” (John 8:46). His unrivaled wisdom: “No man ever spoke like this Man!” (John 7:46). His unbounded pity: “When He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion” (Matthew 9:36). And His overwhelming majesty: “He was transfigured before them” (Matthew 17:2).

As I see Jesus in the Gospels, my awe changes to adoration. I bow in worship and exclaim with Thomas: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). —vernon grounds

Behold Him there! The risen Lamb! My perfect, spotless righteousness; the great, unchangeable I AM, the King of glory and of grace. —bancroft

True worship of Christ changes admiration into adoration.

Ps 40:1-5
Jos 2:1-24
Ps 27:1-5
Text Jos 2:1 “Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there.”

Rahab : known as the harlot

Muscles are strengthened by testing. Treat trials as pure joy James tells us –  ”heavenly gym” Faith is only tested and strengthened in  and through trials.

God had given his promise to Joshua – go in inherit the land.

Why does Joshua send in spies? Why not just attack, surly he cannot fail?

The spies where getting a feel for the country. Joshua is planning – he is not presuming on God’s promise. We are still called upon to use our God given “common sense” etc.

A) Plan in following the Lord

Faith is not a leap on the dark i.e. trusts blindly (True faith is based on trusts God because of the known nature of God)

Spies did not question Joshua’s command. Their duty put them at risk, but they in obedience to the call ventured out in faith. Fulfill their mission – takes planning but outside comfort zone as part of their role. Trusts God would protect.

NT calls Rahab a harlot – not simply an inn keeper as some commentators would try and sanitize the truth.

Abraham sends servant to find a wife for Issac. Give specific sign please – it was given.

Lord lend them to Rahab house.

In my situation how can I trust the providence of God?

Trust in God’s word. Do not try and fit providence of God into Bible.

Providence is only seen looking back. Looking forward we look to God’s word and plan accordingly. Making plans humbly says “God willing”

Ps 65 by terrible works of righteous thou wilt answer us.

B) Why did God lead the spies to Rahab?

Heb 11 James works of faith – faith already present. New heart new life already – lead to a believe’s house.

Heb 11:31 “By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.“

No hopeless cases. No one so deep in sin that God cannot rescue.

In her faithful action she risked her life for God’s people.

Faith without works is dead. Rahab is example to all of works by faith – James.

James 2:25 “In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?“

Spiritual gift of “help”

Contending with spiritual matters.
Fight good fight of faith – not considering the consequences.
Follow no matter what.

We compromise when we take the consequences into consideration. We become weaker as Christians.

The Bible says if we are faithful in little then we will be faithful in much. Matt19:11f
If we compromise in little then you not stand a chance in more.

C) Confident faith

3 levels of faith

1. Knowledge of truth – ( we are sinners, salvation in Jesus etc) MIND
2. Persuaded of truth (assent to the truth but even devils do this) EMOTION
3. Trust, committing of ourselves to God alone WILL

Rahab’s saving faith:
Mind: heard history of Israel
Emotion : feared
Will: pleaded for her life

Noah – warned of God (mind) feared (emotion) and built the ark (will)

D) Depth of Faith

As the spies go to rest she speaks with them and shared her testimony with them.

Mind of God v9 “and said to the men: “I know that the LORD has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you.”

Might of God – v10-11a “For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. 11 And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you“

Majesty of God – v11b “or the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.”

The mind, the might & majesty of God show God’s gloriousness. Now Rahab trusts in God’s grace.

Mercy of God  - v12 “Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the LORD, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s house, and give me a true token, 13 and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.”

Ps 65:1-5
Xxx

Next week we will see about Rahab’s concern for family.

Question of her lying to protect the spies.

The Lion.

Royalty.  King.  Powerful.  Authority.  Noble.  Majestic.  Brave.

This King of Beasts has long been regarded as a religious symbol or mythical representative for many centuries in almost every culture on earth. Its appeal throughout time covers all the things we presently think of when we think of a lion.  It is Jesus Christ to Christians, used as judgment of God to Jews, strength to Indians signified on their flag, historical Architecture etched in the middle east, a rite of Passage to conquering in some African countries, and an oral story-telling tradition passed down to others.

Lion – in a few other languages:

You can translate “Lion” into other languages by clicking here:

http://www.freetranslation.com/-/desktop-translator/?K8JPT19CLVF1HITR

TODAY’S VERSE
“When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, ‘Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m too much of a sinner to be around you.’ For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him.”
Luke 5:8-9 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Shocked, amazed, astonished, terrified, stunned, awestruck. When is the last time we reacted to God like that? Certainly He is worthy. It was fishing that brought Peter to this place. He was tired and frustrated because they tried all day and did not catch any fish. Yet Jesus asked Peter to go cast his nets out one more time. Peter was obedient and to his utter surprise God performed a miracle. The nets were completely full and Peter was completely undone. He could do nothing but drop to his knees and cry out before God, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m too much of a sinner to be around you.” It’s that way we see the majesty of God, when we see a glimpse of His power, His love, His creativity and His holiness. But we need to be present to see it. Peter had to be in the boat. Had he not gone, he would have missed it. We need to be with Jesus if we are going to be awestruck. He invites us to come and fellowship with Him. We need to spend time talking to Him and listening for His instruction. When we focus on His constant presence throughout the day, He will guide us, He will direct our path. Today, be with Jesus. Worship Him. Listen to Him. And don’t be surprised if He asks you to obey Him by faith. When He does, you just need to obey like Peter and you, too, will end up awestruck at what He does.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, thank You for Your love for me. Thank you for Your power and majesty. Thank You for Your guidance. Help me live for You today and obey all that You ask me to. I want to be awestruck by You.
AMEN

______________________________________________________________

CLICK HERE to send this to a friend

 CLICK HERE to go to our BLOG Walking the Talk, and find out ways to help others.  

 Do You Know What Your Spiritual Gifts Are?
Now You Can. CLICK HERE to Get your FREE Spiritual GIfts Test and Workbook  

Do you want to know how to be a Child of God? CLICK HERE to find out how

Grace Brethren Church of Lexington

Sometimes the truths that I believe that God wants me to contemplate concerning our worship of him in the various churches and denominations are not revealed through the services at the churches I attend on the road to worship, but are discovered at some stage during my traveling to and from. Such is the case this week as I journeyed to Lexington, Ohio to worship with the congregation at Grace Brethren Church of Lexington. Worship this morning was similar to that which I am finding in contemporary evangelical churches; praise songs with maybe a sprinkle of an older hymn, announcements of church happenings and a brief time to greet each other, prayer in some manner and the twenty-minute sermon; this week was part two of a six part series on marriage. It was a good morning of worship, but . . .

—

Break

—

Are we worshipping our traditions more than a Holy God?

Before I got onto the interstate for my drive back home, I took a coffee break at a local eatery. As I sat lost in thought about this morning’s time of worship a question that I found continuously coming back to mind was; are we worshipping our religious traditions more than we worship a Holy God?

We attend Bible studies. Why? Because it is what we are taught that good Christians do.

We attend prayer meetings. Why? Because we are taught that prayer is important.

We attend church on Sunday. Why? Once again we are taught that good Christians do so and besides it is also important.

I agree that all these are good and important, but . . . have they led the church of Christ into a deeper worship of the Father? Or, have they become no more than the traditions that Christians do?

Have you ever asked the question; “What do I really know about God, the Father?

Or about Jesus Christ His Son? Or of the Holy Spirit?” No. I am not talking about historical facts of the Bible that we learn in a Sunday school class or the list of God’s attributes we may have heard someone speak about on the radio. I am talking about having a lofty concept of who God is by rediscovering His majesty. Remember the words of the song, “Majesty?”

Majesty, worship His majesty,
Unto Jesus be glory, honor and praise.
Majesty, kingdom, authority
Flow from His throne,
Unto His own, His anthem raise!

So exalt, lift upon high
The name of Jesus.
Magnify, come glorify
Christ Jesus the King.
Majesty, worship His Majesty,
Jesus who died, now glorified,
King of all kings.

A.W. Tozer wrote these words, “The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man’s spiritual history will probably demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God.”  I am all to afraid that the spiritual history that we are writing is not one that will show us having a lofty concept of our Heavenly Father because we have lost the longing for “wonder.” And in doing so, the church has lost its lofty view of God that it once held and has substituted for it one so low, so dishonorable, as to be utterly unworthy of thinking worshipping men.

I know some will say, “That is only your belief of what has happened.”  Let’s say that you are correct, it is only my belief of what is happening.  If so, in this lies the problem—the belief that singing four praise songs with maybe a sprinkle of an older hymn, announcements of church happenings and a brief time to greet each other, prayer in some manner and the twenty-minute sermon—ending with an Amen, then going about our busyness during the week, only to come back once more on the next Sunday to do it over and over and over and over again, is the manner of worship that brings meaning to the lyrics we have sung that speak of His “majesty” and tells us to “exalt and lift upon high the name of Jesus”—is this the manner of worship that is honoring our Lord, God Almighty? We show more honor to an expecting mother-to-be, or in our honoring a standout athlete, or a retiring co-worker, or . . . in our planning and our time that we give to these events of honoring, than we do in seeking out the mystery or in the worshipping of our Father, that we call God Almighty.

However, I believe that I am not alone in the belief that we have lost our longing for “wonder.” I see it on the faces and hear it in the words of worshippers. But, the difference between them and myself is that I am willing to admit it; we have lost our longing for the “wonder” of God. But even through the admitting that in such lies the truth of our churches today, it does little in bringing about change. For words without action are only words; however, our admitting that this is truth is necessary to bring one into action. Now the work begins . . .

Still not convinced? Over the past several months on my journey on the road to worship, I found that in the evangelical Christian church the same pattern of worship; song, prayer, greetings, and the sermon. Each church adds their own flavor to this, but they are all very similar. I can only image that each time that they gather for worship it is similar, but with the taking of communion added to the traditions on a set Sunday of the month. Likewise, I have found that in the mainliners and Pentecostal Christian churches, they also have their established liturgy and traditions that they follow from church to church and from week to week.

Is this manner of worshipping wrong?

I believe that it falls well short of the understanding we must have when Jesus spoke these words to the Samaritan woman at the well saying, “God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”  In fact, it might be falling so short of worshipping in spirit and in truth that the church is in danger of worshipping its traditions more so than worshipping the Holy God.

When we come to the place that our traditions of worship can be predicted, when they become “lord” in the life of the church, then these traditions become a treacherous enemy. Why? When our traditions of worship are organized and the prevailing conditions that we accept as normal, and anyone can predict the next Sunday’s service and what will happen; we are then worshipping these traditions more than we are worshipping in spirit and in truth. This seems to be a deadly threat in which the church is facing today. When we come to the place where everything can be predicted and nobody expects anything unusual from God, we are in a rut. The routine dictates, and we can tell not only what will happen next Sunday, but also what will occur next month and, if things do not improve, what will take place next year. Then we have reached the place where what has been determines what is, and what is determines what will be.

This is what I am all to often finding on my travels on the road to worship. From church to church and week to week worship is becoming more and more predictable. We are worshipping our traditions more so than we are worshipping Jehovah-Eloheenu, the Lord our God.

So what is wrong with these traditions?

In the book, What Ever Happen to Worship? Tozer writes these disturbing words concerning worship in the Christian church, “Christian churches have come to the dangerous time predicted long ago. It is a time where we can pat one another on the back, congratulate ourselves and join in the glad refrain, ‘We are rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing,’

It certainly is true that hardly anything is missing from our churches these days—except the most important thing. We are missing the genuine and sacred offering of ourselves and our worship to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We only have to look into God’s Word to find the prediction of this dangerous time that Tozer is referring us to. In the book of Revelations, John records the message delivered by the angel to the Laodicean church, “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.” (3:17-19, NIV)

In deed, we have everything that we need in our churches today to make us comfortable and to present a seeker sensitive and culturally relative message as we offer the world a god who is able and willing to accommodate this image of our being lukewarm, wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked; stripped from the power and truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and missing in “the genuine and sacred offering of ourselves and our worship to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We are in dangerous times.

None of us are as concerned as we should be about the image we really project to the community around us. As least not in the sense that we profess to belonging to Jesus Christ and still fail to show a clear and certain message about the nature of God and His purposes in creation and redemption. The message that we are telling the dying world is that Christ died so that we would not drink and not smoke and not go to “R” rated movies; that we would become good people and even that message is becoming more and more fuzzy and uncertain in these perilous days.

No wonder people are confused. No wonder they fall into the habit of backsliding when such things are held up as the reason for salvation.

Jesus was born of a virgin, suffered under Pontius Pilate, died on the cross and rose from the grave to make worshippers out of rebels. He did it all out of grace. We are the recipients. It may not sound dramatic. But it is God’s revelation and God’s way.

Many of us have confused religious busyness in the church with what it means to be a follower and disciple of Christ. We see God now as a charity case. He is kind of a frustrated foreman who cannot find enough workers to do all the work in the kingdom so he stands at the wayside begging for us to come rescue Him and begin doing His work. It would do us a lot of good if we would remember He does not need us—no not one. But we pretend that He does and we make it a big deal when someone agrees, “to work for the Lord.” After all “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead,” James declared (James 2:17b NIV).

I believe that we all should be willing to work for the Lord, but it is a matter of grace on God’s part that we do so. But I am becoming more of the mindset that we should not be so concerned about doing the work until we have learned the meaning and delight in worshiping Him.

Why?

Because a worshipper can work with eternal quality in his work for the reason that he has learned to delight in the Lord. But a worker who seeks to work and not to worship is only piling up wood, hay and stubble for the time when God sets the world on fire in the time of judgment.

If you are uncertain of my understanding on the matter, I beseech you to look at the burnout rate of workers within the church. I do not believe that those who are laboring because they are doing so because of the grace of God reach the point of ‘burning out.’ Although when we labor without understanding what it means to have a delight in the Lord, we are susceptible to do so because we are working having never really heard from God in the first place. We are just piling wood, hay and stubble.

Go with me even a little further on this matter. Have you ever heard the willing worker who is also the grumbler; that there are not enough people who work to accomplish the projects of the church through their service? They too, are just piling wood, hay and stubble.

But we love to be busy. It is almost as though we believe that busyness is a required factor in the equation for godliness. If is not our busyness in doing the work of the church, it is our busyness in our time at work in the marketplace or our times of socializing and recreation. And when we realize that we must reevaluate our busyness, we will quickly find it more appealing to make the sacrifice where it comes to our genuine and sacred offering of ourselves and in our worshipping of God, than in reducing our activities in our social and times of recreation.

Furthermore, I am afraid that when one speaks about our busyness, many professing Christians do not want to hear such statements about being to busy, but it is the truth. Because of the schedules we try to keep between doing the work of the church and our marketplace jobs and our social and recreational schedules, we are finding less and less time to worship as individuals or to gather together as the church of Jesus Christ to worship in spirit and in truth. And the church is becoming more and more accommodating to these demands. But I, without a smidgeon of doubt or hesitation to say so, believe that God is trying to call us back into that, for which he created us—to worship Him and to enjoy Him forever.

In my saying this, let me make it clear, that I believe that God wants our worship of him to be our greatest priority and utmost demand of our time. Let me also say, that I am not suggesting that we see worship as becoming busy in doing the programs and projects of the church, because if we are truly among the worshippers that God desires, we will not be spending our time with carnal or worldly religious projects.

All of the examples that we have in the Bible illustrate that glad and devoted and reverent worship is the normal employment of moral beings. God has wired us this way; to worship Him and enjoy Him forever.  Every glimpse that is given us of heaven and of God’s created beings brings us always to a glimpse of worship and praising God because of who He is.

The apostle John in the book of Revelation gives us a portrayal of created beings around the throne of God. He speaks of the occupation of the elders in this way; “the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and worship Him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say,

‘You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by Your will they were created
and have their being.’” (4:10-11 NIV)

I honesty believe, on the authority of all that is revealed in God’s Word, that any man or woman on this earth who is bored and turned off by worshipping in spirit and in truth is not ready for heaven.

However, in my saying this, I truly believe that there are many within our churches that are bored with the worshipping of our religious traditions. I am trusting that we might learn from the history of the Laodicean church and not remain lukewarm in our worship of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, but become true worshippers who worship in spirit and in truth.

—

More about the: Grace Brethren Church

Changer le variateur d’origine apporte souplesse et une accélération hors pair, rien a voir, pas de regret a avoir. Garder cependant une courroie d’origine. Utiliser les ressorts de couleur blancs pour remplacer ceux d’origine au niveau de l’embrayage. Changer les galets si Malossi tous les 6000km. Vous pouvez me faire confiance je roule bcp, 100km/jours. Le scoot a 47000 km.

Now I’ve found,
The greatest love of is mine.

Daniel 4:28-37

Those who walk in pride He is able to put down. Daniel 4:37

After being warned by Daniel about his pride, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar was struck with insanity. The Lord restored his mind, but only after he spent 7 years in a field thinking he was a wild animal.

Nebuchadnezzar went from boasting, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for . . . the honor of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30) to a humble prayer: “I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of  heaven” (Daniel 4:37). He had repented of prideful empire building.

Bible teacher J. Vernon McGee expressed concern about empire building in the church today. He advised Christian leaders, “Don’t try to build a little empire of your church. I started out with that viewpoint, and I had never been more unhappy.” He encouraged them to “build into the lives of people” and leave the results to God.

When a church devotes undue energy to statistics, buildings, and programs, pride can enter in and the needs of God’s people can be forgotten.

Jesus never forgot the importance of individuals. He invested His time in 12 men (Mark 3:14). Paul discipled Timothy who in turn discipled others (2 Timothy 2:2). God’s kingdom grows when we invest in people. —dennis fisher

Churches grow when people pray and pastors preach the Word, when love for Christ seeks out the lost to win them to the Lord. —d de haan

Poor is the church that values programs above people.

Wer auch immer sich den christlichen Glauben ausgedacht hat, hatte wirkliche Ahnung von Liebe.

Denn bei Gott kann man kommen, so wie man ist. Man muss sich nicht verbiegen, muss nicht vor ihn bringen, nichts tun, was man nicht kann.

Vor Gott kann man stehen, so wie man ist.

Man kann sagen: HIER BIN ICH.

Und er liebt einen.

Mit leeren Händen, dafür aber lebend in seinen Händen.

MIT LEEREN HÄNDEN.

Das sagt alles.

Ein Mensch kann so nicht lieben. Das geht nicht.

Ein Mensch kann viel einstecken. Sehr viel.

Aber irgendwann stellt auch er Forderungen. Und das überfordert dann, oder engt ein.

Der Tod für jede Beziehung.

Der christliche Gott hingegen, der nimmt einen mit leeren Händen. Und lässt leben.

Gott fordert auch. Doch nur in dem Maße, wie der gläubige auch geben kann. Man kann weglaufen und alles leugnen.

Aber irgendwann, wenn man den christlichen Glauben einmal gekannt und gelebt hat, kommt man doch wieder zurück.

Und wieder mit leeren Händen. Und wieder lebend in seinen Händen.

Das tolle ist, man kann so lange weglaufen, wie man will. So oft man will.

Er nimmt einen immer wieder auf.

Immer und immer und immer wieder.

Er scheint nie überfordert zu sein. Nie. Ein Mensch ist es schnell. Und dann geht alles kaputt.

“majesty, majesty… your grace has found me just as i am. empty handed but alive in your hands. we sing majesty… forever i am changed by your love, in the beauty of your majesty… singing majesty, majesty…”

Es ist diese Version, die mich immer und immer wieder erschaudern lässt… Die mich immer wieder darauf besinnen lässt, dass ich etwas wert bin, auch wenn ich nichts geben kann.

Und wieder einmal bin ich ganz ruhig, und stehe mit leeren Händen vor dir. Nicht das letzte Mal.

There are 4 major themes in chapter 4 and choosing Jesus’ temptation seemed fitting because it is something I personally battle with; what about you? What first got me was the realization that the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tempted. I constantly pray that God would protect me from the fowler’s snare and here God himself is being led into it. To add to the challenge, Jesus fasts forty days and nights which means he did not eat a morsel. Fasting one meal for me is a challenge because I’m a foodie and often that sacrifice of meal consumes me so much that I chicken out of fasting. Then Jesus was tempted with things no man could refuse. Satan throws food, comfort, power and majesty in Jesus’ feeble hands as these are things most of us would clutch on to when we are tempted but Jesus refuses every one of them and counters each one scripturally, finally to be rid of the devil.

In our context, what does this mean? We live lives filled with challenges. To some it’s basic necessities, to some money, to some power, to some relationships, to some respect and honor and so on. These challenges all revolve around us and we are constantly seeking ways to resolve them. The poor want to be rich, the weak want to become strong, the sick want good health, the old want youth and the young want age! When we realize that it is not I that matters and we cross the I, we are led to the cross. In Christ, there is surety of being recognized as precious because he died for us which none can match, there is eternity which is unthinkable, there is peace which is unaffordable and there is joy that comes from his love in our lives. Which path would you choose?

In His Loving Service,
Vineet