You Become What You Worship

Whenever we admire people or revere thing to the point that you give it the same reverence reserved for GOD it keeps us from receiving God's love and compassion.  Ask yourself, is GOD my first priority or have I allowed something other than God to be your first priority?

An idol can be anything we place ahead of GOD in our lives, anything that tugs at our heart more than GOD does, such as:  possessions, careers, relationships, hobbies, sports, entertainment, goals, greed, addictions to alcohol/drugs/gambling/pornography, etc   Many people are devoted to their idols.  They spend huge amounts of their time, money, and efforts on serving an idol.  But worshiping idols leads to hurt and destruction.

Focus on the spiritual  not the material.  That's hard to do in our culture.  Many people pt things first and GOD second.  Bu the key to spiritual and material prosperity is to put the spiritual ahead of the material.  You won't make it to heaven worshiping things.     

If you desire God’s love and forgiveness you must turn away from idols, and surrender to Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. Then you will truly experience the compassion and love of God.

Remember, if your first priority is God, the rest of your life will fall into place.

Unhinging Your Heart

When we gather together as those who have been brought out of death to life by Jesus Christ, there is a reason to shout and praise God!  God uses worship to transform lives, heal wounded souls, renew hope, shape decisions, provoke change, inspire compassion, and bind people to one another.

Worship is more than music…worship is a lifestyle that honors our God who has saved us from death and released us to give back to Him a sacrifice of praise!

Let us gather in worship celebration as a way of loving God back. Be sure to bring eagerness, expectancy and commitment to GOD.  Examine your life and ask God to reveal anything that might be hindering your passion or intimacy with Him. GOD deserves nothing less than the overflow of our hearts!

No Music Required

A week or so ago a female commentator was sitting in for Sean Hannity and told the story of the acts of remarkable bravery witnessed on The SS Dorchester in 1943.  The story was so incredible I had written myself a note to research it but I just hadn't had a chance to do so.  Obviously the message is so powerful GOD wanted to make sure I heard it because I needed to hear this story of love in action. 

I’d love to share this story with you today:

Four Chaplains made the supreme sacrifice February 3, 1943 in the sinking of the troopship SS Dorchester in the North Atlantic by a German Submarine. The torpedo knocked out the Dorchester's electrical system, leaving the ship dark. Panic set in among the men on board, many of them trapped below decks. The chaplains sought to calm the men and organize an orderly evacuation of the ship, and helped guide wounded men to safety. As life jackets were passed out to the men, the supply ran out before each man had one. The chaplains removed their own life jackets and gave them to others. They helped as many men as they could into lifeboats, and then linked arms and, saying prayers and singing hymns, went down with the ship

One of the survivors, Grady Clark testified “As I swam away from the ship, I looked back. The flares had lighted everything. The bow came up high and she slid under. The last thing I saw, the Four Chaplains were up there praying for the safety of the men. They had done everything they could. I did not see them again. They themselves did not have a chance without their life jackets.”

GOD expressed his love in the giving of his only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die in our place to pay the judgment on our sin so that he can give us a total pardon and complete forgiveness.  Once we accept God's forgiveness, God removes our sins and sets free. We no longer have to pay the judgment price for our sins.

Christians have been tortured and martyred throughout history. Even today Christians in other countries are being persecuted and killed. What are we willing to do for the cause of Christ?

If we are really willing to sacrifice ourselves for GOD, we will see spiritual renewal in our own life, our family, our church, and our nation.  Renewal MUST begin with us. 

Be the one to lead the way – through prayer, through Bible study, through spiritual renewal. Set your love in action Let your life and your worship be more than just words.

Words Are Cheap

Wouldn't you know it?  The second day of my Love Expressed 21 Day Fast I received an offer to get a free tall drink at Starbucks.  For a split second I was excited until my inner conscience reminded me that I am supposed to stay Starbucks free until the 27th of this month.   That doesn't mean I can’t pass this offer off to you. 

Today’s devotional is about demonstrating your love for GOD.  GOD created us to be in a love relationship with Him – to love and to be loved.  GOD demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  We can demonstrate our love for Him by presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to GOD.  

One of the ways we demonstrate our love to GOD is when we pray to Him.  Prayer is a privilege and a blessing from GOD.  Our prayers may be of praise, thanksgiving, intercession, healing, seeking comfort, petitions, repentance, and every aspect of our life.

We demonstrate the love of GOD by our steadfastness and faithfulness to GOD even in the time of persecution and suffering. This means that we should never be ashamed of our faith and our relationship with the Lord while at work, at home, or in our community.

Just as Jesus was sent to this world as a message of His love, so you are to be that type person to those around you. GOD is looking for people whose hearts are fully committed to Him that He can bless and is able to use for His glory. GOD needs our time, talents, spiritual gifts, and a full heart when we serve Him.   

Make demonstrating your love for GOD a lifestyle.  Take some time today to consider all the ways GOD has expressed His love for you then respond by expressing you love back to Him.  

Love Expressed

Today began the Love Expressed 21 Day Fast.  Pastor Roberts said that we should fast in the way GOD tells us.  I really put some thought into this but after I saw that my sister-in-law was going to take a break from social media I got the idea that I should take a break from Starbucks. 

Sounds dumb I know but it’s a big thrill for me to go to Starbucks every weekend and watch them make my Green Tea  frappucchino.  It’s not just about stopping for some frilly drink rather it’s the culture of Starbucks. 

When I walk into a Starbucks I listen to the trendy, soothing music, friendly baristas wait to make my tasty drink and the pastry case offers me many tempting options.  It’s definitely my selfish pleasure and in the spirit of love expressed I chose to give it up until January 27^th.

Today’s “Love Expressed” devotional reminds us that people are designed to worship. The question is whom or what are you worshiping?  When we refuse to worship God we don’t stop worshiping. Instead, we put other “gods” in His place.  These other “gods” can include anything from money and power to love.  Be assured that worshiping anything other than the true God Himself will destroy you.

What does it mean to worship? 

The English word "worship" is derived from Old English worthscipe, meaning "worthiness" or "worth-ship." So in its simplest concept, worship is to give worth to something.  Perhaps we can summarize it by saying that worship is giving worthiness to the One who alone is all worthy, as an attitude of the heart, led by the Spirit and grounded in the Truth.

How should we worship GOD? 

When we worship GOD we need to give ourselves to him completely.   This means we need to give him our hearts, minds, hands, thoughts, and attitudes.  We truly worship him when  we  give up control of these things and turn them over to Him.

If we love God, we do what He says. Doing what He says is all about His word, His command, and better stated, His truth.  So express your love today and worship.  

It's A Life & It's Wonderful

Today I attended my first Christmas Musical at Gateway Church.  It definitely it won't be my last. 

According to Gateway 39,000 attended "It's a Life & It's Wonderful"! Even better, 545 made first-time salvation decisions and 149 recommitted their lives to Jesus!

I hope that you get the opportunity to watch this show and are blessed by its message.

Heroes - The Gospel According To Rahab

Rahab was one of those unexpected characters in the Bible. Even though she made her living as a prostitute, she was selected for high honor.

She heard about the God of Israel and recognized him as the true God, the One worth risking your life for. And she did risk her life for him.

Rahab ran an inn built on the Jericho city wall where she hid the spies on her roof top. When the king of Jericho learned the men had been to Rahab's house, he sent orders for her to turn them over. She lied to the king's soldiers concerning the whereabouts of the spies, and sent them off in the opposite direction.

Then Rahab went up to the spies and pleaded for her life and for the lives of her family members. She made an oath with them. Rahab would keep silent about their mission and the Israelites would spare everyone in her household when they invaded the city. She was to hang a scarlet cord from her window as a sign, so the Jews could find and protect her.

Rahab learned that following GOD will change your life forever.  God judges us differently than people judge us.