Monthly Archives: November 2020

ThankFul FOR You

This was posted on by .

Brothers, I am truly thankful to God for each one of you. Thank you for giving your thoughtful attention each week. My prayer is that your relationship with the Lord and your love for, and investment in, your family will intensify. 

Here are worship thoughts from several of you:

The worship of God is our eternal destiny. God is looking for true worshippers. “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him” (John 4:23).  DC 

Obedience seems to be one of the highest forms of worship. “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Worship is impossible to avoid. We either worship God or something else. I see worship as a consecration to God of our entire being which manifests itself in every moment and part of our lives. We need to repent and understand God seeks all of our attention and devotion, that we would worship Him always in our hearts and minds – and that would always directly transpire into acts of love, mercy, compassion, self denial, and self sacrifice in following our Lord, that our motivation in all things would be to His glory and honor. A person can be worshipping as they are doing the most mundane or dirtiest, lowest of jobs if they are doing it with a thankful heart of love to God and love to neighbor. In fact those acts of love may mean more in the sight of God in consecrated adoration and reverence to Him than showing up to church multiple times per week for worship.  WH

“Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” (Psalm 29:2b). I have seen this verse best lived out in the life of my Grandpa. Everything he does and says is rooted out of a desire, and I would say sense of duty, to show the “worth-ship” of God in practical and humble ways. He does not do so for men to see but because he knows God sees. I have heard it said that there is “a time for worship.” From this verse, I would say that time is someone’s whole life, not so much a weekly event.” ZP

Worship is abiding in the presence of the shadow of the Most High. MR

A Tire Performance

This was posted on by .

He looked to be about 25 years old—tall, thin and muscular. He stood at the back-end of a large, open, box-truck waiting to begin. It looked like it would be a boring, unglamorous, menial job of loading dirty tires to be hauled-away from the Costco tire shop. I was very wrong. Then, it began. The only thing missing from this incredible performance was an orchestra.

Tires started being launched at him in rapid succession as if from a “giant, rhythmic, tire, machine gun” inside the shop.  Not missing a beat, and with the appearance of no effort, he bent enough to grab the inside edge of each rolling tire. He skillfully used the incoming tires’ momentum, altered its trajectory, and slung it five to ten feet up into the back of the truck. Right arm, twist, sling, rotate, repeat. Over and over he did this with an occasional left arm movement thrown in. What an incredible show of strength, timing, and coordination. This man knew how to make something boring a work of art.  

Brothers are you turning every activity of your day into a pleasing offering of sacrifice to our God for His glory? “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Colossians 3:17). 

Your Turn

This was posted on by .

God put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden to test Adam’s obedience. Adam disobeyed, and mankind still experiences the consequences. Actions of one flow down to others.

Jesus’ obedience to the Father brought Him to the cross to atone for man’s sin. “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8). Jesus obeyed, and those who are Christ’s, experience the blessings of eternal life. Actions of One flow down to others. 

Now, our turn. Have you meditated on Romans 12:1? “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Daily we have manifold opportunities to bring God glory by loving obedience to Him. And the actions of one (you) flow down to others. Presenting yourself to God as a living sacrifice for His glory is impressed on the hearts of your family because what you love, obey, and give yourself to affirms your words of praise and adoration for your God and Savior. 

Steve

Do You Feel The Pull?

This was posted on by .

Prior to Jesus’ ministry beginning, He needed to put Satan “behind” Him (so do we). First, Satan unsuccessfully tempted Jesus to satisfy His flesh. Next would Jesus question/test God’s love? Finally, Satan tempted Jesus with, “… All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me” (Matthew 4:9a). Yes, Satan wants your worship, and he offers you treasures if you don’t worship the Father. Satan’s lures are of this world. The question is: How much of our hearts have we given over to the treasures of this world?

Then Jesus said, “Get thee hence, Satan (Matthew 4:10a).” We must get rid of our love/worship of the world and the things of the world. God wants all of our hearts. Now in fairness: Have any of us given Him 100% of our hearts? We wish we would. With that goal, It is a daily process of shedding our love for the world and abiding in Him. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15)

Seemingly, so many men are blind to the “death-grip” embrace they have on the world, which equates to love for and worship of these worldly things – leisure passions, success, status, money, pleasure (to name a few). “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Matthew 4:9b).

“But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men” (Mark 8:33). What do we love and worship, Brothers?