He Calls It Worship

“The lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”  Genesis 22:5 

Abraham is about to sacrifice his only son—and what word does he use to describe the act? “Worship.” He’s headed up the mountain to place the biggest part of his life on an altar and he calls it “Worship.”

When we think of worship we typically think of offering a song, or a prayer, or a gift. But when Abraham worshiped, he offered his son. He offered the biggest part of his life to God.

Show Up

After Albert Einstein’s wife died, his sister moved in to help with the household. For fourteen years she cared for him, allowing his valuable research to continue. When she suffered a stroke and lapsed into a coma, Einstein spent two hours every afternoon reading aloud to her. She gave no sign of understanding but he read anyway. If she understood anything, she understood he believed that she was worth his time!  He did what love does…he showed up.

Do you believe in your kids? Then show up! At their games. Their plays. Their recitals. It may not be possible to make each one, but it’s sure worth the effort.  Show up! Whenever I speak at an area congregation, an elder in our church shows up. He does nothing. He says nothing. He just smiles when we make eye contact. It means a lot to me.

You want to bring out the best in someone? Then just show up!

Thoughts 

- The world may discount you, but in God’s eyes you are priceless.

- God gives enough grace for whatever we face.

- You need not fear where you’re going when you know God is going with you.

- Keep your eyes on God; He never takes His eyes off you.

- People know true faith stories when they hear them.

Sunday Worship Services

These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

Their worship of me made up only of rules taught by men.

Isaiah 29:13

Morning Prayer

O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress. 

Isaiah 33:2

Facts about Neighbors

 

Forsake not:

Proverbs 27:10

Do not forsake your friend and your father's friend, and do not go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity.

Christ and neighbor:

Matthew 5:43

“You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

Matthew 19:19

Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Luke 10:29-36

But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”  Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.  Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.  So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  

But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.  He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.  And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’  

Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”  He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Paul and neighbors

Romans 13:10

So that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company.

Romans 15:2

Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

Ephesians 4:25

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

Wisdom’s Benefit Package

When someone is interviewing for a new job, it’s common to ask, “What does the benefits package include?” we’d do well to consider a similar question about the value of living according to God’s wisdom – since the world’s advice about having a good life contrasts sharply with spiritual teachings, we might ask, “What are the benefits?” in other words, why should we seek to live in obedience to the instructions given in the Bible?

In seeking God’s wisdom, we will acquire a deeper understanding and knowledge of the Lord (Prov. 2:4-6) God promises to guide and protect us if we walk wisely (Prov. 2:7-10)

Godly understanding and protection don’t become ours simply because we want them. Such benefits come to people who diligently seek divine wisdom. If you receive the words of Scripture and let them fill your heart and mind, the Lord will reveal Himself to you and give you His discernment.

Make the Right Choice

 “Everyone must die once and be judged.”  Hebrews 9:27

Eternity is to be taken seriously. A judgment is coming.

Our task on earth is singular—to choose our eternal home. You can afford many wrong choices in life. You can choose the wrong career and survive, the wrong city and survive, the wrong house and survive. You can even choose the wrong mate and survive. But there is one choice that must be made correctly and that is your eternal destiny.

Friends, Wise, Living

Sanctification is that inward spiritual work which the Lord Jesus Christ works in a man by the Holy Spirit when He calls him to be a true believer. He not only washes him from his sins in His own blood, but He also separates him from his natural love of sin and the world, puts a new principle in his heart and makes him practically godly in life.

Thoughts 

-The spirit’s keen paring knife enhances a Christian’s fruit-bearing life.

- No one who is abandoned to God will feel abandoned by God.

- Even the best people have nothing to boast about.

- Let’s give our loving thanks for our Lord’s lavish gifts.

Relationships

Relationships should be like two zeroes, when you try to add, they are the same, when you subtract, they are again the same, BUT when you try to divide, it’s just IMOISSIBLE.

Honest relationships are just like “Water”. No color, No shape, No place, But still very important for life.

Restoring Broken Fellowship

Matthew 5:23-24

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

1 Peter 3:7

Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

Proverbs 28:9

If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, even their prayers are detestable.

Job 5:2

Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple.

Philippians 2:4

Not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Proverbs 19:11

A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.

Romans 15:2-3

Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”

Matthew 7:5

You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Proverbs 15:1

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 16:21

The wise in heart are called discerning, and gracious words promote instruction.

Ephesians 4:29

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Time to Celebrate

“He will destroy death forever.” Isaiah 25:8

Jesus explained that the river of death was nothing to fear. The people wouldn’t believe him. He touched a boy and called him back to life . . . He let a dead man spend four days in a grave and then called him out. Is that enough? Apparently not. For it was necessary for him to . . . submerge himself in the water of death before people would believe that death had been conquered.

After he . . . came out on the other side of death’s river . . . it was time to celebrate.

What to Do With The Cross

 “I identified myself completely with him . . . I have been crucified with Christ.”  Galatians 2:19, The Message

For every cunning Caiaphas there was a daring Nicodemus. For every cynical Herod there was a questioning Pilate . . . For every turncoat Judas there was a faithful John. There was something about the crucifixion that made every witness either step toward it or away from it . . .

Two thousand years later, the same is true . . . We can do what we want with the cross. We can examine its history. We can study its theology . . . Yet the one thing we can’t do is walk away neutral.

Thoughts 

Broken things become useful in God’s hands.

Sooner or later you’ll have to face God.

Have faith in God - not faith in faith.

Christ is the reason for the season.

Obedience to God is the key to freedom.

Blessed:

Count your blessings—name them one by one;

Count your blessings—see what God hath done;

Count your blessings—name them one by one;

Count your many blessings—see what God hath done. —Oatman

God’s Refining Fire:

God deliberately uses some situations as a mirror, so we can recognize the problem in ourselves and learn to deal with it.

The Silent Treatment

A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment.   Suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 AM for an early morning business flight. Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper, 'Please wake me at 5:00 AM.' He left it where he knew she would find it.
The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM and he had missed his flight Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't wakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed. The paper said, 'It is 5:00 AM. Wake up.’

Men are not equipped for these kinds of contests.

Eternity

Oh! how amazing it is that people can talk so much about men's power and goodness, when if God did not hold us back every moment, we should be devils incarnate!

Faith

I love to live on the brink of eternity.

Eternity

Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.

God

You know they boasted about the Titanic, that it was the one ship that could not be sunk. Somebody said ‘God Almighty can’t sink this ship’ You can be pretty sure when somebody says something like that it’s going to sink on its first voyage. But there is one ship that isn’t going to sink.. and that’s the church

The Church

If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one GO there UNWARNED and UNPRAYED for.

Humility    

Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life.

Proverbs 14:21

It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor, but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.

Thoughts on This Verse....

God has been so gracious to us! Think of all the different ways he has blessed us — some financially, others with great opportunities for service, others with deep personal relationships that are eternal, and for all of us, the promise of life with him. But what will we do with these blessings? Will we hoard them, hide them, and keep them to ourselves? If we do, our blessings will wither, crack, and dry in our parched hearts. But, one of the greatest ways we can thank God for his kindness, mercy, and goodness is by sharing these blessings with those around us, especially those in need who can never repay us for our kindness.

Fool

As people say April First is a April fool’s day.

Let’s see what the Bible say about it!

Fool

Fool is said in heart: Ps. 14:1 & 53:1

Hundred stripes into a fool: Pr. 17:10

A fool when hold peace is: Pr. 17:28

Every fool will be meddling: Pr. 20:3

Wisdom too high for fool: Pr. 24:7

Answer not a fool: Pr. 26:4-5

A fool uttereth all his mind: Pr. 29:11

A fool is full of words: Eccl. 10:14

Say, Thou fool shall be in danger: Mt. 5:22

Thou fool this night thy soul: Lk. 12:20

Thou fool that which sowest: 1 Cor. 15:36

Fool will be servant: Pr. 11:29

Fool is right in his own: Pr. 12:15

Fool lays open his folly: Pr. 13:16

Is too lofty for a fool: Pr. 24:7

I speak as a fool: 2 Cor. 11:23

I have become a fool: 2 Cor. 12:11

I Am Who I Am

I Am Who I Am

 “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”  Matthew 14:27 

Waves slapping his waist and rain stinging his face, Jesus speaks to [the disciples] at once. “Courage! I am! Don’t be afraid!”

Speaking from a burning bush to a knee-knocking Moses, God announced, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14).

God gets into things! Red Seas, Judean wildernesses, weddings, funerals, and Galilean tempests. Look and you’ll find what everyone from Moses to Martha discovered. God is in the middle of our storms.

 

To Be With Me

 “After I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me.”  John 14:3

Note the promise of Jesus. “I will come back and take you to be with me.” Jesus pledges to take us home. He does not delegate this task. He may send missionaries to teach you, angels to protect you, teachers to guide you, singers to inspire you, and physicians to heal you, but He sends no one to take you. He reserves this job for Himself.

Quotes

Attitude

 “What is the difference between an obstacle and an opportunity? Our attitude toward it. Every opportunity has a difficulty, and every difficulty has an opportunity.” 

Your Grace

 ‘O the joy Your grace gives me! I can never thank You or praise You enough for rerouting my life so that it will end, and begin again, in You. Through Jesus I pray. Amen. 

Mercy

 “I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.” 

JESUS

. Our God is huge!  He is mighty! He is everywhere and knows everything! 

. He is worthy of all our praises, honor and worship.

Thoughts

Looking for Christ’s return makes a difference in your life.

To feel good about yourself, do what pleases God.

A bite of sin leaves a bitter aftertaste.

The highest motive for serving God is the desire to please Him.

A friend of God will be a stranger to the world.

To love God is to obey God.