A Place to Belong ~ Part 3

"You are members of God's very own family, 

citizens of God's country, and you belong in

 God's household with every other Christian."

                                                       Ephesians 2:19b

Today, we will continue the lesson "A Place to Belong". We are talking about why you need a church family. Yesterday, we learned that the church family identifies us as a genuine believer; moves us out of self - centered isolation; and helps us to develop spiritual muscle.

The body of Christ also needs us. The Bible tells us, "A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church" (1 Corinthians 12:7). This gift is called our ministry. God designed our local church for us to develop and use our gifts. We may also have a wider ministry, such as Bible studies at a local organization, but these are in addition to our service in our church.

We will share in Christ's mission in the world. God works differently now than He did when Jesus walked the earth. At that time, He worked through the physical body of Christ; now, He works through the spiritual body, meaning the church. We have the privilege of carrying the love of God to the rest of the world. The church is Christ's body; and as such, He works through us in the world. (Ephesians 2:10)


A church family will help keep us from backsliding. We all sin, even though we try to be like Christ. A church family will keep us accountable. The Bible says, "Encourage one another daily… so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness" (Hebrews 3:13). We are called to be involved with each other's lives. It is our responsibility to keep each other accountable. James tells us, "If you know people who have wandered off from God's truth, don't write them off. Go after them. Get them back" (James 5:19).It is the job of our godly leaders at church to defend, protect, and guard for the spiritual welfare of his flock. That means us. (Hebrews13:17)  It is easier for Satan to tempt detached believers because he knows they are powerless against his tactics. They have no church family to defend them.

We will talk more about the church and our choices tomorrow. God bless you and have a nice day.

A Place to Belong ~ Day 17 ~ Part 2

"You are members of God's very own family,

citizens of God's country, and you belong in

God's household with every other Christian."

                                                               Ephesians 2:19b

Tuesday, our lesson was on belonging to God's family. The Bible tells us that a Christian without a church is an unnatural state. If you don't have a church, get one. The Bible says, "You belong in God's household with every other Christian" (Ephesians 2:19b). Our church gives us an identity, accountability, and commitment.

Why You Need a Church Family

A church family identifies you as a genuine believer. Jesus said, "Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples" (John 13:35). When we stand together in our church, we show the world the strength of His body, for when we are together we are His body (1 Corinthians 12:27).


A church family moves us out of self – centered isolation. Our church is a place where we can learn to be unselfish and to practice love for each other. "If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it. Or if one part of our body is honored, all the other parts share this honor" (1 Corinthians 12:26). Only when we are in regular contact with imperfect believers, can we learn to depend on one another as the New Testament tells us to do (Ephesians 4:16; Romans 12:4 – 5; Colossians 2:19; 1 Corinthians 12:25). We are expected by God to show a sacrificial love for one another.  This is stated in 1 John 3:16: "Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."

A church family helps you develop spiritual muscle. We need to participate fully in our church. This will help us to grow spiritually. The Bible says, "As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love" (Ephesians 4:16b). The Bible tells us to love one another, to pray for each other, encourage and admonish each other, greet each other, serve and teach each other, except and honor each other, forgive each other, bear one another's burdens, submit to each other, to be devoted to each other. Are you getting the message? We need to think of each other before we think of ourselves; to love one another as we love Jesus. The only way that we learn to do this is by attending and participating in our church. Only then are we accountable to each other.

This is the end of part two of this lesson. The final part will be posted tomorrow. Have a blessed day.

Delay

I am sorry for the delay in posting Part 2 of the lesson from Tuesday, but I am too sick to blog.  I will continue with Part 2 on Monday.
Thanks for understanding.

Yours in Christ,
Your host

Depression and the Cure

I know that I promised the second part of the lesson from "Purpose Driven Life", but today I wanted to do something a little different. We will do the second part of the lesson tomorrow.

This is part of my testimony, and it took place yesterday and this morning. Let me give you a short background. If you have already read the testimony that I posted a couple of days ago, you will know that I have had medical problems almost all of my life, starting with a stroke at the age of 10. Almost 10 years ago, I broke my hip and, after three failed attempts of putting artificial hips in, I have no hip on my right side. As a result, I am left wheelchair-bound for the rest of my life.  As you can imagine, this is taking a toll on me, as I have to get used to a whole new way of life.

Yesterday it hit me: I will never walk again. This realization is a hard pill to swallow. When we go through a life-changing event that is negative, we tend to want to blame someone, anyone. It's only human. In this case, I was blaming the doctor. A seed of bitterness was threatening to grow in my heart.

But in the light of day this morning, things looked a lot different. Yes, the fact is, I cannot walk, but God brought me through the infection that was threatening to take my life in 2011. He obviously has a job for me to do here on earth before He takes me home.

When things of this world get us down, God wants us to turn the page. Remember Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

A Place to Belong ~ Day 17

"You are members of God's very own family, 

citizens of God's country, and you belong in 

God's household with every other Christian. 

                                                    (Ephesians 2:19b)

We are called to belong, not just to believe. When God created Adam, he stated, "It is not good for man to be alone" (Genesis 2:8). We were created for fellowship and meant to be in a family. We can only achieve God's purposes through fellowship with others. Once we are in God's family, we are no longer alone (1 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 2:21, 22; 3:6; 4:16; Colossians 2:19; 1 Thessalonians 4:17). We are all connected to every other believer for eternity.

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we except that we are members of his Body. As Paul tells us in Romans 12:4 – 5; 1 Corinthians 6:15 and 12:12 – 27, being a member of the church is like being a vital organ of a living body; as such, we are all in the connected in the Body of Christ. Of course, we all need to have faith in Christ.

Just as the human body is not healthy without each of its organs, so too the church depends on each of its members. The Bible tells us, "Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body and chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped off finger or a cut off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we?" (Romans 12:4 – 5)


If we cut ourselves off from the body of the church, we could do not survive on our own. We need the church to support our spiritual life (Ephesians 4:16). The first sign of this happening is if our attendance at church and other fellowship becomes sporadic. When we notice that this is happening, it won't be long before all our other spiritual life begins to slide.  We need to remember that the church will last for eternity, and so will our part in it.


This is a very long lesson, and as such, we will be breaking it down into parts. Please come back tomorrow for Part Two.

What Matters Most ~ Day 16 ~ Part 2

Last Friday, our lesson was on what matters most to God. The most important commandment that we are under as we live in the Age of Grace is, "Love others as you love yourself" (Galatians 5:14). Today we will finish this lesson.


The Best Expression of Love is Time

Because we are limited on our time, it is our most precious gift. The more time we give to someone, the more importance we give to that person. Therefore, if we give a relationship our time, we are actually investing into it a part of ourselves. We can say that a certain relationship is important to us, but unless we actually invest in it by spending time, we are not showing that this relationship is a priority. Our words are worthless (1 John 3:18). Relationships take time and effort.  The essence of love can be measured by how much we give of ourselves. "Love concentrates so intently on another that you forget yourself at that moment" (Warren).

The Best Time to Love is Now

Love is what matters most and therefore, there is no room for procrastination. As the Bible says, "Whenever you possibly can, do good to those who need it. Never tell your neighbor to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now" (Proverbs 3:27). We don't know how long we will be here to express our love to our neighbors, so the best time is right now. Let's change our schedules to make the people in our lives our top priorities. Loving takes time, and time is precious. We need to give of ourselves to be more like Jesus.


Point to Ponder:

Life is all about love.

Verse to Remember:

Galatians 5:14

Question to Consider:

Honestly, our relationships my first priority? How can I ensure that they are?

What Matters Most ~ Day 16

"Love means living the way God commanded us to live.  

As you have heard from the beginning, 

His command is this: Live a life of love."

                                         2 John 1:6

In Galatians, we learn that the whole law is dependent on one command, which is to "Love others as you love yourself" (Galatians 5:14).  This means to love unselfishly; to put others before yourself.  For most, this is hard to do; in fact, it only comes when we make a conscience effort.  This is because of our survival instinct; to do everything it takes for ourselves to get "on top".  Because of this, God gives us a lifetime to learn selflessness.

While God wants his people to love everyone, he wants us to have a special love for each other. As Jesus said in John, "Your strong love for each other will prove to the world that you are my disciples" (John 13:35). This means that when we show a strong love for our brothers and sisters in Christ, the world will learn how to love by our testimony. In order to learn this, God wants us to be in fellowship, for we cannot learn how to love selflessly in isolation. Through fellowship we learn three important truths.

The Best Use of Life is Love

As we have learned in Galatians, love is the greatest commandment. As such, it should be our top priority. The Bible says, "Let love be your greatest aim" (1 Corinthians 14:1a).

Life without love is really worthless. 

As Paul said to the Corinthians, "No matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love" (1 Corinthians 13:3).

God says that relationships are what life is all about. If this is true, then we should not hesitate to make time for them. Think of all the relationships we have: spouse, children, friends, acquaintances, etc. Do we make enough time for them? If God tells us that relationships are important, shouldn't we take special care to include them in our lives? "Four of the Ten Commandments deal with our relationship to God while the other six deal with our relationships with people" (Warren). Notice that all Commandments have to do with relationships. In the New Testament, Jesus summarized what was most important to God (Matthew 22:37 – 40). After loving God, which is worshiping, learning to love one another is the second most important thing in our lives. In other words, achievements or the acquiring of material things are not important. It is our relationships that concern God.


So, when our schedules get overloaded, most often our relationships suffer. Can we be pleasing God when we allow this? We become preoccupied with unimportant things, and let our second purpose of our lives slide.

Love will last forever. 

Another reason God tells us that love is our top priority is that, along with faith and hope, it is eternal (1 Corinthians 13:13). "It's not what you do, but how much love you put into it that matters" (Mother Theresa). At the end of our lives, we want to be surrounded by the people that we love, not our accomplishments, for these accomplishments are empty. In our final moments, we realize that relationships are what life is all about.

We will be evaluated on our love. One of the ways that God measures spiritual maturity is by how we treat others (Matthew 25:40). As the Bible says in Galatians, faith expresses itself through love, which is the only thing that matters (Galatians 5:6).

Remembering this every morning, should bring us to our knees and thank God for another day of loving Him and our brothers and sisters in Christ. We should not waste our time worrying about unimportant things, such as, our career and acquiring things of no real worth.

Tomorrow, we will cover Part 2 of this lesson

My Testimony

Since this is a Christian site, I feel it would not be complete without a place to share testimonies. I think testimonies are important, as they inspire others and help them to rely on God.
My testimony will be a running post throughout this blog. We'll start when I first felt God in my life. I was 10 years old, when I had my first serious health problem. I had a stroke, which left me paralyzed on my right side and not able to speak. As you can imagine, it was very frightening for me, as well as those around me.
It was on a Saturday afternoon, when I was playing with my friends. Suddenly, I was overcome with the worst headache I had ever felt. I took some aspirin and laid down. When I got up, I felt better and went with my parents to my aunt's house. That night, I went out for hamburgers with my sister and my two cousins. We had just pulled up to my parents house, when suddenly I felt pins and needles on one side of my face, I couldn't move my right side of my body, and I couldn't tell anyone because I had lost my speech.
The doctors had told my parents the first night, it was touch and go, and if I made it through the night, I would probably be a vegetable. When I started to respond to stimuli, they said that I would be bedridden all my life. When I sat in the wheelchair for the first time, they told by parents that I would never walk again. Well, I did walk again. This was a miracle; this was God.  The first Sunday after I got out of the hospital a month later, the whole family went to church to thank God.

God opened my eyes to a world, which without this experience, I would not have been privileged to know. This experience led to a lifetime of trials that would test my endurance, physically. I will share some more of these encounters with you later.
I encourage you to share with us your testimonies and experiences that God has given to you.  They helped you to be strong, and may possibly help others, as well.

Formed for God's Family ~ Day 15

See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for He allows us to be called His children, and we really are!

 (1 John 3:1)

Purpose #2

The second purpose for our lives, which God planned before we were born, is to be part of His family. The Bible says, "His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave Him great pleasure" (Ephesians 1:5). Because God identifies Himself in family terms (Father,Son, and Spirit), He always existed in a loving relationship with Himself. He didn't need a family, but he desired to create us for this purpose (James 1:18).

Every human being was created by God, but not everyone is a child of God. The only way we can become a child of God is to be born again. God "has given us the privilege of being born again, so that we are now members of God's own family" (1 Peter 1: 3b). Of course, the way we become a part of God's family is by having faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:26).


Our second family, or spiritual family, is our eternal family, and therefore, our brothers and sisters in Christ will be with us even after our time on this earth. In this way, these relationships are even stronger and more permanent than our blood relationships. As Paul said, "When I think of the wisdom and scope of His plan I fall down on my knees and pray to the Father of all the great family of God – some of them already in heaven and some down here on earth"(Ephesians 3:14 – 15).

Benefits of Being in God's Family

The Bible says, "Since you are His child, everything He has belongs to you" (Galatians 4:7b). This is our inheritance. First, we will get to be with God forever; second, we will change to be like Christ; third, there will be no more pain, death and suffering; fourth, we will be rewarded and reassigned positions of service; and fifth, we will share in Christ's glory (1 Peter 1:4). This inheritance cannot be taken away from us, it is ours completely in wholly. We now have something to look forward to here on earth; something for which to work (Colossians 3:23 – 24a).

Baptism: Identifying with God's Family

Baptism is important as it is a symbol of our second purpose for our lives. It shows that we are participating in the Fellowship of God's family. It shows our faith, shares Christ's burial and resurrection, and celebrates with others, our inclusion in God's family (1 Corinthians 12:13). This is very important to realize: baptism does not make you a member of God's family. For that you need to have faith in Jesus Christ. Baptism is a public profession of that faith.



Life's Greatest Privilege

"[Jesus] pointed to His disciples and said,' These are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!'" (Matthew 12:49 – 50). We are included in God's family, and this is the highest honor that we will ever receive.

Point to Ponder:

I was formed for God's family.

Verse two Remember:

"His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 1:5a).

Question to Consider:

How can I start treating other believers like members of my own family?

When God Seems Distant ~ Day 14 ~ Part 2

Today we will finish up Saturday's lesson, which we were unable to do on Saturday due to technical difficulties.

We were talking about when we do not feel God's presence in our lives. When trouble seems to have taken over and it's hard to praise God for those trials. In most cases, God allows trials to grow our faith. We were speaking of Job, who had faith in God, even when he had lost everything. When his friends and family were telling him to give up on God, Job never did. Instead, he worshiped God even more. How are we to worship God when we feel alone?

Tell God exactly how you feel.

We need to feel like we can unload on God. He can handle it. As Job said, "I can't be quiet! I am angry and bitter. I have to speak!" (Job 7:11) In this way, Job opened his heart to God. When we open our hearts to God, we are not only complaining, it can be a statement of faith, We are trusting God, even when we might feel hopeless at the time. First, we show that believe in God; second, we believe that God is listening to our prayers; and third, we believe that God would allow us to say what we feel and still love us.

Focus on who God is the – His unchanging nature.


We need to remember who God is and His unchanging nature. Remind yourself of His characteristics, including the following: God is good; God is always with me; God knows what I'm going through; God loves me; God has a plan for me; God is in control.

Trust God to keep His promises.

Even in times of "spiritual dryness", we must rely on God's word and what we have learned from it. God has made some promises to us, one being that He will never leave us (Job 23:12). As Job did, we must always trust in God and His word.

Remember what God has already done for you.

God sent His only Son to Die for our sins. God allowed this horrid event to save us from an eternity in hell. As the Bible says, "Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made Him share our sin in order that in union with Him we might share the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is the greatest reason to trust in Him and worship Him.

Point to Ponder:

God is real, no matter how I feel.

Verse to Remember:

"For God has said,' I will never leave you; I will never abandon you'" (Hebrews 13:5).

Question to Consider:

How can I stay focused on God's presence, especially when He feels distant?

When God Seems Distant ~ Day 14 ~ Part 1

The Lord has hidden Himself from His people, but I trust Him and placed my hope in Him.

                                                                                                                                                                       Isaiah 8:17

It is easy to worship God during times of plenty. When things are going good for us, we remember that God is on our side. However, when we are in pain and suffering, we often think has left us. It's hard to thank God for the trials that we face. We don't remember that, sometimes, God teaches us through those trials. During these times, we cannot feel God by our sides.

In Philip Yancey's "Reaching for the Invisible God", he states, "Any relationship involves times of closeness and times of distance, and in a relationship with God, no matter how intimate, the pendulum will swing from one side to the other". In other words, just as any other relationship, our relationship with God is growing through the changes of life.

God has repeatedly promised us, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Psalm 37:28). However, He admits that sometimes He hides His face from us (Isaiah 45:15). This feeling comes from testing and maturing of your relationship with God. It is a development of your faith (Job 23:8). 

Sometimes, this feeling can be brought on by sin. Sin does cause a disconnect from God. However, it is much more likely that this distance is a test of our faith. Faith, not feelings pleases God. So what we feel is often unimportant; it is our faith that matters. God wants us to feel His presence; but it is more important that we trust that He is there.

Consider Job: for 37 chapters, God said nothing while he lost everything. What did Job do finally to connect with God? "Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:' Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave in the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised'" (Job 1:20).

Due to technical problems, Part Two of this lesson will be posted at a later time.We are sorry for the inconvenience

Worship That Pleases God ~ Day 13 ~ Part 2

This is the second part of "Worship that Pleases God ~ Day 13". In this lesson we will provide the last two characteristics of worship that pleases God.

God is pleased when our worship is thoughtful.

Just as God wants us to use our hearts and feel our prayers, He wants us to use our minds. God is not pleased when we just go through our prayers without a thought. If worship is mindless, it is meaningless. In Matthew 6:7, Jesus called thoughtless worship "vain repetitions". 

We want to honor God by putting a special effort in our prayers. God wants us to be specific in our prayers. He knows what we need; He knows what we praise Him for; but He wants to hear us pray it back to Him.  Just as we might know how a friend is feeling or what they are going through, we would still like to hear it from them. We want to share in their sorrow and in their good times. So to, God wants to be involved in our lives. He also wants to hear His word prayed back to Worship Him.  He loves to know that we read His word constantly; that we hide His word in our hearts.


God is pleased when our worship is practical.

In eternity, we will receive a new and improved body. However, while we're here on earth, our bodies in which we reside are very limited. In spite of this, the Bible says, "Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship" (Romans 12:1). God knows that we are limited, but He wants all that we have. He is being practical; he knows that we are restricted by our bodies.  To offer ourselves as living sacrifices, is to live for Him (2 Samuel 24:24).

If we live for him, we no longer live for self. So correct worship costs us are self-centeredness. Our focus is now on God instead of self. This is what it means to die to yourself daily. We are to praise God always; when we first wake up in the morning, when we see the day, when we are sick, when we are well, always.

Point To Ponder:

God wants all of me.

Verse To Remember:

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30).

Question To Consider:

Which is more pleasing to God right now – my public worship or my private worship? What will I do about this?

Worship That Pleases God ~ Day 13 ~ Part 1

Love the Lord your God with all your heart 

and with all your soul and with all your mind 

and with all your strength 

                                                                                                                     (Mark 12:30)

As we can see in Mark, God does not want just a part of our life He wants all of our life. We need to commit all of our time to God.  We need to obey Him at all times. Our hearts must always be in a state of worship. There is a right way and a wrong way to worship. The Bible says, "Let us be grateful and worship God in a way that will please Him" (Hebrews 12:28). There are four characteristics of worship that please God:

God is pleased when our worship is accurate. 

Worship must be based on the truth of Scripture. We do not only worship the part of God with which we are comfortable; the part of God that we feel is "politically correct". As Jesus told Samaritan woman, "True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks" (John 4:23). We need to worship in truth; to worship God as he is revealed in the Bible.

God is pleased when our worship is authentic.

God wants our worship to be authentic and heartfelt (Mark 12:30). We can't just say the words, we must feel the words. If our heart isn't in it, it is not praise; it is not worship; and it is an insult to God. God not only hears our words, but He looks at our hearts (1 Samuel 16:7b). God gave us emotions so that we would feel our worship; so that our hearts would be moved when we worshiped Him.

We not only use our hearts when we worship, we use our heads. We use our heads in that our worship must be authentic; it must show what we know about God. We must connect with God with, not only our hearts, but with our minds, as well. Then we can say that worship touches every part of our lives: praying, singing, dancing, reading, etc., in solitude or in fellowship. One thing is for sure, God wants us to be ourselves in our worship (John 4:23).

The last two characteristics of worship that please God will be covered tomorrow.

Developing Your Friendship with God ~ Day 12

Proverbs 3:32

"Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you" (James 4:8).

We are as close to God as we choose to be. Our friendship with God takes desire, time, and energy. If we want to be close to God, we must first learn to be honest with Him to include Him; to include Him in our lives. Like any other friendship, our friendship with God has to be honest and trusting.

We must choose to be honest with God. This is the first building block of an intimate relationship with God. God doesn't expect us to be perfect, but he needs honesty from us. In the Old Testament, God's friends often were honest to the point of complaining. This didn't seem to bother God, just as long as they were honest.

God even negotiated with Abraham over what it would take to spare the city of Sodom that He had chosen to destroy. In the end, God save 40 righteous people, taking Abraham's challenge to the heart.  God also listened to several challenges from David, Jeremiah, and Job. In fact, God defended Job to his friends, saying that Job was honest with Him (Job 42:7-8).

 In Exodus 33:12 - 17, God and Moses have a heart to heart about Moses leading the Israelites to the Promised Land. In this passage, we can see that Moses and God are speaking with equal candor. In the end, God acquiesces to Moses, telling him that he is special. God wants that kind of honesty from us.

Genuine friendship is built on honesty and trust. Just as we are honest with our brothers and sisters, we need to be respectfully honest with God. Sometimes we feel disappointed, even that maybe God isn't listening to us. This could not be further from the truth. The longer we have a friendship with God, the more we realize that God uses everything for the good (Romans 8:28). God always acts in our best interests. Sometimes the actions are painful, but we always must remember Romans 8:28. Then we can turn to God, and have a nice heart-to-heart with our Father. (Consider Job 7:17-21).

The book of Psalms is included in the Bible to help us in knowing how to express our emotions to God. Rick Warren calls it a worship manual. It is full of every emotion known to man. It teaches us how God wants us to worship Him. We can pray like David, "I pour out my complaints before Him and tell Him all my troubles. For I am overwhelmed" (Psalm 142:2–3a). As we see, David, as well as others, did not have any problem with communicating their emotions with God. In fact, expressing these emotions is the first step toward the next level of intimacy with God.

We must choose to obey God in faith. Every time we trust what God tells us to do by obeying it, we deepen our relationship with Him. As Jesus then the Bible, "You are my friends if you do what I command" (John 15:14). We obey God because we love Him and trust that He knows what is best for us. We need to follow Chris;, and the closer we follow Him, the deeper our friendship is with Him. (John 15:9 – 11)

God may ask us to do things, both great and small. He delights when we obey all things. When we obey, it is an act of worship (1 Samuel 15:22).

We must choose to value what God values. Just as with our brothers and sisters, we must learn to care about what God cares about; learn what is important to God, and only then can we begin to be real friends with God. When we do this, we will find ourselves grieving when God grieves, and rejoicing when He rejoices. An example of this is David, in Psalms 69:9.

The thing that God cares about the most is the redemption of His people. With this in mind, what should we care about the most? How should we respond?

We must desire friendship with God more than anything else. If we want to find examples of desiring friendship with God in the Bible, we need only to go to Psalm. In Psalm 27:4, David prayed, "The thing I seek most of all is the privilege of meditating in His Temple, living in His presence every day of my life, delighting in His incomparable perfections and glory." In another Psalm he said, "Your love means more than life to me" (Psalm 63:3).

An intimate relationship with God is something that we must intentionally seek constantly. Rick Warren asks us if it's worth giving up other things, as Paul did. It was Paul's passion to know Him (Philippians 3:10). We need to pray to God to allow us to know Him intimately. (Jeremiah 29:13)

Point to Ponder:

I'm as close to God as I choose to be

Verse to Remember:

James 4:8 a

Question to Consider:

What practical choices will I make today in order to grow closer to God?

Sunday's Post

Sunday's post will be delayed one day.  We will be back on Monday.  Have a great Sunday!

Becoming Best Friends With God ~ Day 11

"Since we were restored to friendship with God by the death of His Son while we were still His enemies, we will certainly be delivered from eternal punishment by His life" (Romans 5:10).

Our relationship to God has many different aspects: he is our Creator, our Father, our Savior, our Redeemer, and so much more. We are just about to learn that He is our Friend, as well.

Adam and Eve, before the Fall, enjoyed a friendship with God that was more than just close. Can you imagine being the first two people of the creation and being able to communicate with God, to walk with God, to be best friends with? This is what God created us for. To walk with Him, and share with Him every facet of our lives. And then came sin. The ideal relationship was lost. 

In the Old Testament times, there were only a few people that were privileged enough to have a special relationship with God. Moses and Abraham were called "friends of God", David was called "a man after God's own heart", and a few more had intimate relationships with God. Then Jesus came to pay the price for our sins. God was once again available. "Now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God – all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends of God" (Romans 5:11).

The beautiful Friendship we have with God is possible only because of His grace and the sacrifice of Jesus (2 Cor 5:18 a). In John 15:15, Jesus tells us that He no longer calls as servants but friends, "Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you". In this context, friend means a "trusted relationship". In Exodus 34:14, the Bible says that our God is passionate about His relationship with us.

God planned the universe for us; that is how much he desires to make us happy and to have a loving relationship with us (Acts 17:26 – 27). It is our privilege to know and love God.

There are six secrets of friendship with God we will look at two of them today and finish up tomorrow.

Becoming a Best Friend of God

Through constant conversation. We will never grow a close relationship with God by just attending church. A close relationship with God requires you to share our life, all our life. We need to have a daily devotion with Him, as well as to speak to Him through our thoughts and prayers. He wants to be included in every activity, every facet of our lives. The Bible tells us to "[Pray] without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). In this way, we include God in everything.

Brother Lawrence, the author of "Practicing the Presence of God", said "The key to Friendship with God is not changing what you do, but changing your attitude toward what you do". We need to start worshiping God through the common tasks of life. We need to stop thinking that we have to have our time with the Lord only at a certain time in a certain place. Our time with the Lord needs to be at all times. As Adam and Eve were in constant communion with God, so must we be. This takes practice; to practice the presence of God is a skill, a habit that we must develop to have a deep, intimate Friendship with our Lord. As Rick Warren says, "[Y]ou must train your mind to remember God".

Through continual meditation. We establish a friendship with God by hiding His word in our hearts; in other words, by meditating on His word. This is actually thinking of what the Bible tells us. We cannot love God unless we know God; and we cannot know God and less we know His word (1 Samuel 3:21). So, if we meditate, which is just to think, on His word, we can learn to know God.

In instead of thinking of a problem, think of God's word. In this way, we not only get to know God, but we turn our problems over to Him. This is letting go, and letting God. We need to just switch our attention from our problems to God.

The more we trust God, include God in our lives, the more He will share His word with us, He wants to share His secrets with us. The Bible says, "[F]riendship with God is reserved for those who reverence Him. With them alone He shares the secrets of his promises" (Psalm 25:14).

Point to ponder:

God wants to be my best friend.

Verse to Remember:

Psalm 25:14a

Question to Consider:

What can I do to remind myself to think about God and talk to Him more often throughout the day?

The Heart of Worship ~Day 10

Rom 6:13 tells us to give ourselves to God; to surrender ourselves for His purposes. The heart of worship is surrender.  Surrender almost always is used in a negative context; almost always implies that we have lost. We are conditioned that winning is everything. To surrender means that we have given in, which is unthinkable.

But to worship God, we must surrender; and we do this, not out of fear or duty, but in love (1 John 4:9 – 10, 19). Paul tells us in Rom 12:1, we should offer ourselves as a living sacrifice to God; to dedicate our lives to pleasing Him, because after all, God showed great mercy to us.

When you offer yourself completely to God it's called true worship. God wants all of our lives. Not 99%, but 100% of our thoughts and our deeds. Often we hold out, because we want to control our own lives.  The saying, "Let go, and let God" is easier said than done. We often give a situation or problem over to God in our prayers, and then take it right back to stew over it ourselves. We need to trust that God will handle it.

Trust is essential when we surrender to God. We need to know God to trust Him. The best way to know Him is through His word. God says He loves us (Ps 14:9); we are never out of His sight (Ps 139:3); He cares about every detail of our lives (Matt 10:30); He gave us the capacity to enjoy all kinds of pleasure (1 Tim 6:17b); He has good plans for our lives (Jer 29:11); He forgives us all our sins (Ps 86:5); and He is lovingly patient with us (Ps 145:8).

If we read Rom 5:8, we understand just how much God loves us. How can we say that we do not know God after reading His word? What more proof do we need that He truly loves us?

God is a liberator, not a slave driver. He cuts us free from worldly bondage. He is our Savior, our Father, our Friend. Maybe even after we have started to know our God, we fall victim to that old villain pride. This comes from us wanting to control everything. We do not realize that we are in a struggle. We are still trying to retain the reins of our lives. It comes back to "Let go, and let God". Our pride just won't let us "let God" all the way.

A. W. Tozer said, "The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making little forward progress is because they haven't yet come to the end of themselves. We are still trying to give orders, and interfering with God's work within us." We need to realize that God is better equipped to handle our lives, so submit to Him.

Rick Warren said, "Surrendering to God is not passive resignation, fatalism, or an excuse for laziness." It is exactly the opposite. Sometimes, when we surrender, we may be called to a spiritual battle. However, God will give us the grace we need to win for Him. He wants us to use our gifts for Him on the "battleground".

Surrendering is the best demonstration of love and obedience. Then just sit back and watch Him work! (Ps 37:7 a) Trust that He will take care of you. The supreme example of self – surrender is Jesus (Mark 14:36). Jesus prayed, if it was in His will, for God to take the suffering away; but that He wanted God's will to be done, not his own (Mark 14:36). Jesus knew that God was able to take away the suffering, so He instead asked for God's will to be done. He was willing to pay the ultimate price; to surrender to the Father's will.  We need to understand that true surrender is to be able to pray for His will to be done at whatever cost.

We need to die to ourselves. When we do, we experience a blessed peace in our hearts (Job 22: 21). Next, we experience freedom (Rom 6:17). Last, but certainly not least, we experience God's power in our lives. Victory in the battles of life comes through our surrendering to God. As William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, said "The greatness of a man's power is in the measure of his surrender." Surrendered people are the ones that God uses. For instance, God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus because she totally surrendered her life to Him (Luke 1:38). To be a person that God can use, we must first surrender our lives to Him (James 4: 7a).

We were designed to surrender to God. If we choose not to do this, we will surrender to other things. These other things will become our idols. We will eventually have to pay the consequences for submitting to these idols.  Surrendering our lives is a rational, intelligent act and the most sensible thing we can do with our lives. It is the greatest blessing in our life when we allow ourselves to surrender to God's will. Putting Him in the "drivers seat" of our lives gives us blessings in abundance. There is one moment of complete surrender, but we die daily (1 Cor 15: 31). When we die daily, we practice complete love.


Point to Ponder:

The heart of worship is surrender.

Verse to Remember:

"Surrender your whole being to Him to be used for righteous purposes." (Rom 6:13 b)

Question to Consider:

What area of my life am I holding back from God?

What Makes God Smile ~ Day 9

Smile on me, your servant;

teach me the right way 

to live

                                    Ps 119:135

We need to find out what will please God to make Him smile. (Eph 5:10) The Bible tells us about Noah, who is an example of a life that is pleasing to God. (Gen 6:8) In his time, everyone else in the world was living for themselves, not God. As much as it grieved God, He wiped out all of mankind, except Noah and his family, because Noah brought pleasure to God.
There are five acts of worship that make God smile. Noah knew this and did these things to make God happy.

1) To love him supremely

Noah loved God more than anything else in the world. As a result, he had a close relationship with Him. (Gen 6:9b) God wants us to know Him and love Him, and He desires to love us back. (Hosea 6:6)

Jesus called it the greatest commandment when He said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment." (Matt 22:37 – 38)

2) To trust him completely

Noah also trusted God. God came to Noah and told him His plan was to flood the world and start over with his family. Can you imagine the amount of trust that Noah must have had in God? Then God wanted Noah to build the ark and round up the animals. If it wasn't God speaking, I think that Noah would have ignored it; he probably would have thought it was crazy talk. But, it was God speaking, and Noah wanted to please Him. And so he did! He trusted God completely, and that made God smile.

Trusting God means having faith that He knows what is best for us. (Ps 147:11) Trusting is an act of worship. "Without faith, it is impossible to please God". (Hebs 11:6)

3) To obey him wholeheartedly

God gave Noah very detailed instructions and Noah obeyed. (Gen 6:22) To obey wholeheartedly means to do what God asks without question or hesitation. Delayed obedience is really disobedience. We do not need to understand, we just need to obey. Obedience unlocks understanding. We need to fully obey God, not partially. His rules are spelled out in the Bible for this reason: to obey. (Ps 119:33)

We do not earn our salvation by the things that we do. However, after we are in the family of God, we want to please God. Obeying him is one way to make God smile.

4) To praise and thank Him

Noah lived a life full of praise and thanksgiving. This pleased God. The very first act that Noah did after surviving the Flood was to offer a sacrifice to God. (Gen 8:20)   After Jesus' sacrifice, animal sacrifice was not necessary. Instead, we are to praise God. (Hebs 13:15) To praise God, not only brings pleasure to Him, but it fills our hearts with joy.

5) To use our abilities

God told Noah to get on with his life; to be "fruitful and increase in number." (Gen 9:1, 3) God loves to watch every detail of our lives. (Ps 37:23) So live your life for God.

God gave to us different gifts. When we use these gifts, we bring joy to God. So, we need to use our gifts to please God.

God also wants us to enjoy His creation. He made us especially for this purpose. We are worshiping God when we do this. (1 Tim 6:17) When we want to please Him, then God smiles, much like a parent would. (2 Cor 5:9) We need to make pleasing God a top priority of our lives.

Point to ponder:

God smiles when I trust him.

Verse to remember:

Ps 147:11

Question to consider:

Since God knows what is best, in what areas of my life do I need to trust him most?

Planned for God's Pleasure ~ Day 8

Purpose # 1

For God has planted them

like strong and graceful

oaks for His own glory.

                       Is 61:3

You created everything, and it 

is for Your pleasure that they

exist and were created.

                                   Rev 4:11

God chose to create us for His own enjoyment.  We exist for His benefit and purpose.  So, living for God is our first purpose.  With this in mind, how can we feel insignificant; how can we feel that life has no meaning?  Our importance to God is shown by His desire to keep us with Him throughout eternity.  (Eph 1:5)

Since God made us in His image, He is able to enjoy pleasure, just as we are able to take pleasure in Him.  In this way, we have a unique relationship with Him; a love that is reciprocated through all time.  That is an exciting thought!

Just as God feels love and pleasure, the Bible tells us that He feels jealousy and anger, sorrow and compassion.  Are you getting it yet?  God feels all of the emotions that we feel because we were made in His image.

Bringing Pleasure to God is Called "Worship"

Ps. 147:1

When we bring pleasure to God, we are worshiping Him.  God desires worshipers, so He made us with the desire to worship Him.

Worship is far more than the music we sing in church.  Every part of a church service is worship.  Some people divide music into praise and worship.  However, if it offered to God in truth and spirit, it is an act of worship.

Worship is not for Our Benefit

We worship for God's benefit; to bring pleasure to God.  Of course, parts of worship edify and include things for us, such as fellowship, but the real purpose of worship is to bring glory to God.  

Worship is not a part of our life; it is our life.  Worship should not begin and end in church, but should be carried throughout our daily lives. (Ps 105:4)  We should thank Him and give Him praise for everything, from the air that we breathe to the food that we eat to our salvation that His Son made possible. (1 Cor 10:31)

Do everything as if you were doing it for Jesus, and then you will be glorifying God.

Point to Ponder

I was planned for God's pleasure.

Verse to Remember

Ps 149:4a

Question to Consider

What common task could I start doing as if I were doing it directly for Jesus?