Halloween

On the eve of celebrating or partaking in this day I pose this question, as a Christian and given what is known about Halloween and its origin, do you participate and if so, to what extent? Each person has to supply his or her answer. (see attached history on Halloween).

Today's discussion isn't designed to be critical, just reflecting on our participation in certain holidays as Christians. According to the news spending for this day is second only to Christmas. What does this say for our society today?

When my children was young, I took them trick-or-treating within my block on my street and when they grew beyond this activity I was relieved. With the passing of time and as society grew progressively wicked and I learned the history of Halloween my participation went from giving candy, money to prayer for the safety of those who participate and asking God to change the hearts of those who seek to do evil to others.

What puzzled me was why would anyone want to deliberately harm a child who is innocently participating in an activity they consider fun. I am very delighted that many churches are holding in house activities for their young parishioners.

Join me in praying for the safety of our children who will be participating and this nation as a whole. This nation needs a healing (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Prayer changes things.

Comments are welcome

Author's contacts

white3285@sbcglobal.net

http://willie-writing.blogspot.con

The Word Sanctifies

John 17:17

Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.

Our scripture text makes a powerful but profound statement regarding the sanctifying truth of God's Word. It make plain God's standards and truth by which all men will be judged and how we are to live according to God, His holiness and be in fellowship with Him. There is no truth except the truth of God.

The question now becomes, What is truth? Truth is defined as genuine, something that can be trusted. This is what God's Word is. He is the one source of truth. God is the same yesterday, today and forever more. He cannot lie. John 14:6 calls Jesus "the truth" as He is God in the second person; therefore, whatever He says is truth. That being said, the Word is both the living and written Word of God.

The term sanctify means to make holy through separation from the evilness of this world, or be separated or set apart from this world and its morals and values. Sanctification is made possible through the atoning work of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. 

Sanctification is necessary because believers are a called out nation of royal priest, a peculiar people who see things from God's point of view. If Jesus sanctified Himself to do the will of God the Father, then why shouldn't you and I (v. 17)?

Jesus the living Word our sanctifier.

Comments are welcome

Author's contacts

white3285@sbcglobal.net

http://willie-writing.blogspot.con

Worship God

John 4:24

God is a Spirit; and they that worship him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Over the past several weekly discussions we have focused on worship, but today's focus is worshiping God as He is the only One worthy of our worship. That being said, let us continue worshiping God through our prayers, singing hymns, praises and assembling ourselves together in designated worship places.

As believers utilizes the several  methods of worship all must be done in truth and with sincerity from the heart. This because the heart is the epicenter of our emotions, actions and expressed desires. Jesus Christ being truth and for all believers to be in union and fellowship with Christ our Lord we must live and speak the truth which shines the light the Christ for the world to see.

Whenever and however you worship do so in spirit and in truth as He is truth and  is worthy of our sincere worship.

Comments are welcome

Author's contacts

white3285@sbcglobal.net

http://willie-writing.blogspot.com

All Nations Worshiped God

Revelation 7:9-11

…I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues stood before the throne with white robes, and psalms in their hands. And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which siteth upon the throne, and unto the Lord.

John continues his description of the heavenly scene which is comprised of an innumerable of people from every nation, tongues, and kindreds worshipping the God of our salvation dressed in white robes because their robes have been washed in the blood of the Lamb Jesus Christ. What a glorious scene this will be when all God's children get to heaven?

Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross makes it possible for every believer to be included in the "all nations" who will be worshipping God in the scene John describes. Included in this number are the saints who have come through the tribulation and maintained their faith in Jesus Christ.

Scripture clearly states that one day all will bow before the Lord and confess that Yes Jesus is the Son of God and He is Lord. What this means is that all who do not accept Jesus as Lord will one day do so.

During the "great tribulation" saints will suffer great persecution at the hands of Satan. The battle will be between righteousness and wickedness. Satan knows his time is limited before he is cast into the pit for ever and he trying one last time to destroy as many of God's people as he can. Take heart he is a defeated foe.

Stand firm in our faith and one day we will be in that innumerable number.

Comments are welcome.

Author's contacts

white3285@sbcglobal.net

http://willie-writing.blogspot.com

Tithes And Offering As Worship

Psalm 96:8; Malachi 3:10

Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts…Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Many fail to see tithing as a form of worship, but it is  we honor God for what He has already blessed us with. In tithing we are only giving back to God what is rightfully His because He created and sustains all. This includes the fruits of our harvest, income and etc. Giving back to God is a sacred form of worship and can be traced back to Abraham who won his battle and gave Melchizedek the king of Salem a portion of his spoil from the battle. Melchizedek is seen as a type of royalty and eternal priesthood of Jesus Christ (Psalm 110:4; Hebrew 7:13).

Why did Abram do this? It was an expression of gratitude for the help he received and this principle applies to all believers and non-believers if we want God's blessings. Tithing is also commanded in the Mosaic Law (Genesis 14:20).

Given all that God has done and continues to do in the lives of mankind, this question comes to mind, Will a man rob God? (Malachi 3:8).

Tithing is a form of worship; let honor God in our giving.

Comments are welcome

Author's contacts

white3285@sbcglobal.net

http://willie-writing.blogspot.com

What Are Some Expressions Of Worship?

John 4:24

God is a Spirit ad they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and n truth.

There are several expressions of worship and they are (a) in Spirit and in truth, and (b) worship God according to His revelation of Himself through His Son Jesus Christ (John 14:6). Man's spirit and God's Spirit must connect. God established guidelines for worship which honors Him and this pattern must be followed as outlined in the New Testament church. A worshipper must desire and seek the presence of the Lord.

(c) Offering sacrifices to God is a form of worship as believers are to present their bodies as living sacrifices to God (Romans 12:1).

(d) Prayers are a form of worship as they are considered our verbal communication with God.

(e) Singing hymns are a form of worship as they express our love for God.

(f) Scripture reading is another form of worship as scripture is God's Word that is given for our benefit and when adhered to it will direct our paths. God speaks to us through scripture.

(g) Giving of our tithes and offering is a form of worship as it is giving God the first fruit of our labor according to His blessing.

(h) Participating in the Lord's Supper and Baptism are forms of worship as they reenact Christ's death, burial and resurrection. Baptism tells the world what has taken place between you and God upon accepting His Son as Savior.

Worship the one true God.

Comments are welcome

Author's contacts

http://willie-writing.blogspot.com

white3285@sbcglobal.net

How Often Do We Worship?

Exodus 23:14-17; Acts 2:46-47

And they continued daily; with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did each their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such should be saved.

Our scripture text provides the answer to today's topical discussion by saying daily worship was being held in the homes of the people as well as in regularly scheduled temples. It is noteworthy to say that regular worship of God has taken place throughout man's history whether in altar format, in the temple, private homes and one-on-one. Worship takes on many forms such as prayer, singing of hymns, the reading of scripture, lifting up hands to the Lord and or bowing before His holiness.

The Bible records several feast days that were to be kept at regular times of the year as they held significance in worship to the Lord. Keeping of these feast days is in addition to regular worship because God is worthy to be worshipped at all times. His presence and blessings are a constant in our lives; therefore, worshipping God should be a constant in the lives of believers. It is noteworthy to say, worshipping God is an expression of gratitude while expressing thankfulness for His saving grace.

Worshiping God must be expressed daily as well as on the Sabbath as God set this day aside for rest and worship.

Comments are welcomed

Author's contacts

Http://willie-writing.blogspot.com

white3285@sbcglobal.net

Who Do You Worship?

Exodus 4:31

And the people believed and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel; and that He had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

Today's topical discussion poses an interesting question that every person should answer honestly because throughout the history of man he has always worshipped a god, but the only one worthy of our worship is the one true living God who created both heaven and earth and all things upon the earth.

Before Adam and Eve sinned against God they regularly worshipped God, Cain and Abel brought their offering to God as a tribute or form of worship (Genesis 4:3-4), Noah built an altar to the Lord as a form of worship after the flood (Genesis 8:20). When the young nation of Israel crossed the Red Sea they worshipped God for His deliverance.

Throughout Biblical history and today worshipping God has been a core of man's faith as worship is practiced in churches, homes and one-on-one between the worshipper and God.

All believers worship the one God who is our creator, sustainer and deliverer. The one God who has no beginning or ending. We worship the God who breathed the breath of life into mankind and we became a living soul. We worship the one God who can destroy both body and soul, the One who will harvest all souls in the end times. Whether we spend eternity with Him or apart from Him depend on our acceptance of His Son Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Worship the one true God.

Comments welcome

Author's contact

white3285@sbcglobal.net

http://willie-writing.blogspot.com

What is Worship?

Nehemiah 8:5-6

And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people) and when he opened it, all the people stood up; And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

The Student Bible Dictionary (P. 250) defines worship as adore, obey, reverence, focus positive attention on (Exodus 34:14; John 4:23). Enjoy the presence of God, any action or attitude that expresses praise, love, and appreciation for God. That being said, from our scripture text we see the nation of Israel worshiping God by offering praise and displaying expressions of gratitude to God for His love, grace, mercy and goodness.

Our lesson text also speak of the lifting of hands and bowing faces to the ground in expressions of worship as the people reverenced God as He is to be feared in reverence for His holiness.

Today's study also depicts true worship of God as this worship is one of the highest forms of praise that can be expressed to God as the nation of Israel displayed as must believers today. This is because the entire nation sincerely worshipped God.

When we worship God honestly He is pleased. He must be worshipped in spirit and in truth (John 4:23) because God looks at the heart.

Sincere worship of God by a nation can heal the nation.

Comments are welcome.

white3285@sbcglobal.net

http://willie-writing.blogspot.com