...the kind of worshipers the Father seeks

"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.  God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” -- John 4:23-24

"...the kind of worshipers the Father seeks" As usual, when I study or think about a certain verse in the Bible, it leads to more questions. We often talk about how we "find" the Lord, but who is HE looking for?  How does one become that kind of worshiper? What is God wanting to hear in my worship?

I have been thinking a lot about worship lately. I have been working with the kids at my church during KidsPraise to help them learn why we sing worship songs and helping them feel free to sing and dance and clap their praises to God during those songs. It is a struggle as many of the kids say they don't like to sing. Some of them don't follow along because they don't want to look silly. Some of my kids are very young and can't read the words to the songs on the screen. Some of the kids are 4th and 5th graders and it is just not "cool." 

Maybe I am just going at it from the wrong angle. Jesus is saying in the verse above that we are true worshipers when we worship the Father in spirit and in truth. There are have been many interpretations as to what this phrase means exactly. But for me today, it hit me that you cannot force or coerce someone into worship. It must be coming from inside and be honest and sincere. God is not looking for a "follow the leader" kind of worship, but praise that comes from the heart.

And who says that true worship has to come from songs? Jesus said that God is spirit, meaning that He is everywhere and all the time. We don't have to wait for the praise music and we don't even have to be in church to praise God in worship! The child that learns to thank God for his food before eating is praising God in worship. The little girl who thanks God for her Mommy and Daddy at bedtime is praising God in worship. The little boy who gets excited at the thunder and lightning in a storm and exclaims that God is powerful is praising God in worship!

Knowing that God is SEEKING those who are true worshipers makes me WANT to praise him more and makes me respect those who worship Him in different ways. A friend recently reminded me that he was one of those quiet worshipers who didn't raise his hands and shout and clap and sing loudly. He felt that perhaps I was thinking that those who didn't do those things weren't truly worshiping. You know, he might have been right. Because music moves me and creates an opening in my heart for the Holy Spirit, I just assumed that God works the same in others. That assumption was wrong. God is looking for people who praise Him and honor Him in worship that is real and true and comes from their heart. Only God knows what is true for each person.

Today, I praise and thank God for teaching me and expanding my heart. I want to be the kind of worshiper that He seeks every day. I know that God is real and very much alive everywhere around me! I praise Him in this moment with all that is in my heart.

Hope springs from our suffering...

"Through [Jesus] we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we glory in our sufferings, because we know suffering produces perseverance; perseverance produces character and character produces hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." -- Romans 5:2-5

I don't want to steal any thunder from my pastor's sermon yesterday, the topic of HOPE has been on my mind a lot for the last 24 hours.

There is a man who goes to our church and I have known him all my life. 27 years ago, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Tragic, frustrating, frightening and disheartening as I am sure that news was to Larry and his family, he kept plugging on. Surgery after surgery, disappointment after disappointment, he refused to give up on his life and relied on God to see him through and he is still alive and kicking YEARS after that original devastating diagnosis. Larry has been an inspiration to many people of the years, but yesterday, he became an even bigger inspiration to me.

This past fall and into December, Larry had yet another bad spell that left him very near death. Although we were all praying for him, most of us thought that this was finally the end to this sweet man's life. But, in typical Larry style, he just refused to give up. With his family and friends rallying around him, he has bounced back! Even though his doctors said he would never get out of the wheelchair, with the help of his walker, he walked across the stage yesterday morning to sing with the men's ensemble, the Plainsmen. And they sang TWICE! All that know Larry and his struggles were amazed and filled with hope for their own lives. Larry is the perfect example of the Roman's verses above.

Larry had expectations for his life. This brain tumor messed up those expectations and caused suffering his life. He and his family have prayed, yelled, cried and yet fully relied on God to help them through this suffering. Because of their faith, God sent the Holy Spirit to comfort and strengthen them and they made it through each step of this pain. It was not easy, but Larry, his wife, children and now grandchildren have all developed strong character. This character helps them look back at the struggle and see how faithful God has been to them. From this springs Hope. They can have hope in any situation that comes into their lives because they can remember the path that they have traveled to this point. I'm sure it is still not easy for them, but if you look at this family, you will see a lot of strength, a lot of smiling, a lot of laughter and and a lot of love flowing out of every one of them...all because of Larry's brain tumor and his amazing God-honoring life.

My life has it's own struggles, not near as dire as a brain tumor. When I am feeling low and wondering where God is during my time of pain, I hope I can picture Larry, up on that stage, singing his heart out. That picture in my mind and in my heart will give me the inspiration and hope I need to know that God is with me and will allow me to keep pushing and moving forward, never giving up. For without those struggles, I would not know the beauty of God's grace. I can stand in God's grace through my faith. I know that I am not alone in this thinking. What an amazing and inspiring legacy for Larry's life!

God's Promises...

" You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised" -- Hebrews 10:36

In the last few days, I have been thinking and studying about God's promises. There is so MUCH to think and study about; I don't even know where to begin writing today. I think I will write over several days on this topic.

What ARE God's promises? There are MANY listed in the Bible. Here is a sample:

* He will ever leave or forsake us. (Deuteronomy 31:6)
* He wants to prosper you and give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)
* He will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)
* He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.(Isaiah 40:29)
* He will give us peace of mind so we are not troubled or afraid. (John 14:27)
* All who listen to God will live in peace, untroubled by fear and harm. (Proverbs 1:33)
* God will supply all your needs. (Philippians 4:19)
* Nothing can separate us from God's love. (Romans 8:38-39)

These promises sound pretty good, especially in the aftermath of the Boston bombings and explosions in Texas, not to mention the violence and discord in all other areas of our world. They sound pretty good, but can we believe them? Can we hold on to them? Can we REALLY stand on those promises?

In studying the verses above and many others, I am coming to realize that God has some unconditional promises, and ones that are conditional as well.

I believe that God loves ALL his children. That means those that follow him and those who want nothing to do with him. He wants ALL his children with him forever, but he knows that because of the free will he gave us, some will choose not to come to him. He promises to save anyone who asks.

Romans 10:9 states: "If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." -- I believe that is unconditional, all you have to do is ask and you will be saved. Once you ask, God says that NOTHING can separate you from his love. THAT is a promise!

However, if you want the promised peace, joy, strength and power in the verses above, I believe God wants a little more from you. He wants you to abide in him. He wants you to follow him, he wants you to believe in him. He wants you to talk and walk with him every day. IF you do those things, then you will receive his promises. If God is just an afterthought, or someone you call out to only when you are in trouble, then you can't expect to feel the peace and rest he promises.

How can I say these things? How can I know?  I have experienced it! I HAVE used God as an afterthought. I HAVE ignored his teachings and warnings. I HAVE run away from his loving arms. During those times, I felt alone, lost, troubled and afraid. Those times lasted a LONG time! Did God love me then? Yes, I believe he did. But, I wasn't able to experience the joy of God's promises because I wasn't living up to his conditions. They are only conditions because he knows that when you do rely on him every day, his peace settles over you BECAUSE you are relying on him instead of yourself.

When I discovered the peace that comes when I talk, walk and live WITH God, I knew that he DOES keep his promises. Bad things still happen to me and I still have troubles, but with God in the picture every step of the way, the fear, worry and depression doesn't last as long or go as deep as it did before. I CAN show love to those who have hurt me. I CAN find the strength to do the things that scare me. I CAN give more than I receive. I persevere and try to follow God's will for my life instead of my own, knowing that God will keep his promises to me. I am standing on those promises today. I am not special. You can receive God's promised peace, strength and protection too. Just start talking to him and walking with him every day and you will begin to feel the benefit of standing on his promises as well!

A morning prayer

"Follow God's example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and have himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." == Ephesians 5:1-2

All I have is a prayer today:

Loving Father God, help me to practice what I preach as I write. My writings are full of high and lofty ideals, all based on Your word and your love and Spirit that lives inside of me. I long to tell your story and touch the hearts of the people who read what I write, and I totally believe that You guide my mind and my fingers as I type. I don't want them just to be words. I want them to be actions steps in the way I live my life.

Lord, help me today to be a good friend, to speak in love and not anger, to see people as You see them, to be obedient to your Word and Your calling for me. When I am frustrated, worried and afraid, let me first run to you and lay it all at your feet and surrender those hurtful things to you. Then, help me to trust You enough to let them go and move on. When there is someone in front of me who needs to hear about you, give me the courage and boldness to speak of my faith and how you have blessed me.

May these not be just words on a screen, but living, breathing examples of how you have made me new. You bless me in so many ways. Help me to remember that and be the woman you are calling me to be.

In Jesus' name,
Amen

You've got a friend in me...

“A friend loves at all times. He is there to help when trouble comes.” Proverbs 17:17

"Encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." -- 1 Thessalonians 5:11

"Let us therefor make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification." -- Romans 14:19

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." -- Hebrews 10:24

Let's talk about friendship. I say this because I am getting the feeling God really wants to talk to me about friendship. It is the virtue of the month in our KidsPraise program. We talked about being a good friend and an encourager at a recent small group meeting. I am contemplating the hard task of saying goodbye to very dear friends in the near future. I have new friends at work. And this morning, my Bible study lesson was all about friendship. I also feel part of the reason the world seems like such a harsh place is that many people don't really know how to be an encouraging friend.

Facebook is a wonderful tool to stay connected to our friends. I rely on it every day to communicate and share with many people I have met or am acquainted with in my life. However, being friends on Facebook is not where we should stop when it comes to friendship. I have hundreds of friends on Facebook, and it is impossible to be real, true, life-long, encouraging friends with all of them! A true friend does more than give you a :-) on your birthday and a nice comment on the picture you posted of your latest Pinterest post.

By reading the verses above, you can see that being a real friend takes a lot of commitment and is a HUGE responsibility.
* loving at all times
* there in times of trouble
* encouraging
* building up
* bring peace
* work toward mutual edification
* spur on towards peace and good deeds

If you have a friend who does those things for you, than you have a TRUE friend! A friend like that gets you through life. A friend like that leads you to be a better person. A friend like that can save your life!

A friend like that thinks of others before themselves. In our society, that is not the norm. We are led to believe we have to look out for ourselves because no one else will. The "dog-eat-dog" world we live in leads us to superficial friendships that we use to get us to the next place we are going. We want influential friends. We want friends who are just like us. We don't want to WORK at our friendships. Our friends are for the fun times. And we certainly don't want to get into THEIR business. When our friends are in trouble, we are too busy in our own lives to help them.

In my opinion, this is one of the main reasons the world is such a harsh and ugly place sometimes. People really don't know how to BE a friend and don't know the blessings of HAVING a friend. Hebrews 3:13 warns us that we do not encourage others and get encouragement ourselves, we can become hardened by sin's deceitfulness. WOW! Doesn't that describe a lot of people in this world? They are hardened by life. Without a friend to encourage and soften those hard edges, our hearts become hard and we are even further away from being able to encourage others. The cycle just continues, and we end up in a cold, hard, and closed off world.

So, let's work at being better friends. What can you do today to encourage someone you are close to? It may mean using that Facebook tool to send an encouraging message to a friend who is having a hard time. Send a card. Send a text. Give someone a call. Go visit someone who you haven't seen for a while. What you will find is that when you ARE a friend to someone, you will RECEIVE the blessings of friendship as well. If each of us would be a better friend to just a few of the people closest to us, and really get invested in their lives, it will cause a ripple effect. The benefits of true friendship will make this world a better place!

Listening...He calls...

"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." -- 2 Peter 1:3

He has given us everything we need for a godly life...

He called us...

It's all about listening, isn't it? I mean what is the difference between the girl struggling with troubles and problems of this world on her own and the girl who relies on God to get her through those troubles and problems of the world?

God created each of us...he breathed life into us, no matter where on earth we were born, what religion we were brought up in or not brought up in, what we believe or don't believe...God created us. He gave each of us everything we need to live a godly life. He calls to each of us...

So many questions come to my mind from that statement, but all I want to do right now is focus on listening. I hear Him calling and I answer. Some days I need to listen harder than others. Some days I don't hear. Some days I ignore what I hear. Some days, like today, God seems to be everywhere, whispering through everything I come in contact with. I can't ignore it, even if I wanted to. God's plan for my salvation in Christ and the lessons that Jesus teaches us are EVERYWHERE today! I CHOOSE to listen and am reminded that he gives me everything I need to live the life he wants me to live. I don't need anything else...I don't need to look for fulfillment anywhere else or in anything else. My knowledge of Him who gives me strength and wisdom, clarity and passion, love and protection, hope and peace...THAT knowledge moves me forward to give back to him with glory and praise in everything that I do!

What is the difference between me and a girl who struggles with troubles and problems of this world on her own? I listened. I believe. I have everything I need.

Dear Father God,
I am so incredibly grateful to you today for calling me! I thank you so much that I am able to let go of the "stuff" of this world in order to listen and give you back the glory and praise that you so greatly deserve! Thank you for giving me everything I need to live the life you want me to live. Help me to give you glory in everything I do today so it is yet another whisper of your grace in the ear of someone else's ear today! Amen.

One in heart and mind...

 

"After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had." Acts 4:31-32

All the believers were one in heart and mind...what a wonderful and blessed thought! Today, I need to think about that possibility. Today I need speak of my faith boldly and pray boldly for things that seem impossible to me at this moment.

The verse above speaks of the beginning of Christianity...where our faith began. Look at all the things that are happening in that verse...the people PRAYED...they and the place they were meeting was SHAKEN...they were FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT and SPOKE BOLDLY. Many action words. They believed together and worked together and shared together. This was MAJOR CHANGE in the lives of these people! Can you imagine how they handled it? Do you think it was all easy? Probably not. But they had faith that God was in control. They trusted God and relied on his strength and on each other.

My dear friends, when where you have been standing has been shaken...when you know something major is happening and you don't know how to handle it...TRUST in God, rely on his strength and rely on each other. That is all we can do! Do not let fear, doubt and grief keep you from breathing. Remember what you know...God is in control! 

"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10

 I love my church! I love my pastor who has gotten us to this place. I love my church family who will be one in heart and mind while we love and support each other and continue the good works God has prepared for us to do.  We will pray together, be filled with the Holy Spirit, move and change together and speak the word of God boldly together. Amen.