A Renewed Commitment To Christ

Ephesians 4:23; Proverbs 16:3

..Be renewed in the spirit of your mind; (v. 23). Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.

As we begin another year it is by God's grace that we do so; therefore, I felt the need to talk about A Renewed Commitment to Christ as He is worthy of all praises, honor and glory.

That being said let us talk about our commitment to Christ from the perspective of why believers renew their vow to Him. Christ is the head of our lives and it is in Christ that we have our being. It is Christ who saved us from sin so that so that we as believers wear God's garment of salvation and spend eternity with Him. It is God's grace, love and mercy that we are here to see another year with the opportunity to continue witnessing Christ and doing good works unto Him. It is Christ's light of righteousness that we as believers shine in a sin darkened world lighting the way for the unbeliever to see and come to Christ. It is Christ's Spirit that is with us every step of the way even in times of trouble-He is there.

Let me encourage the unbeliever to join the Faith Community and taste the sweetness of God's salvation and the blessings that comes with being a member of God's family of royal priests.

Let me close by saying with a renewed commitment to Christ and working for Him will bring a spiritual revival like never before.

A renewed commitment begins in the heart and good works will follow.

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Christ Is Christmas

Christ Is Christmas

Luke 2:7-11

And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there were no room for them in the inn.

How do you spell Christmas? Is it with Xmas or Christmas? That being said, let us spell Christmas. C is for Christ God's Son who was born to be the Savior of the world. H is for the heavenly host who sang praises to our Savior. R is for Him being our Redeemer/resurrection as all believers rose with Him to a life of righteousness. I is for Immanuel, which means God with us. S is for Savior because He paid our sin debt. T is for His body the temple that would be destroyed and raised again in three days, M is for the Messiah because He is the promised Messiah promised 42 generations earlier. A is for His atoning work on the cross at Calvary, and S is for salvation. Without Christ's atoning work there would be no salvation or hope of spending eternity with God our heavenly Father.

Therefore, when we place an X in Christmas we  X out Christ. Christ and His work in the lives of humanity are far too important to leave Him out in our celebration of this holy day.

Christ is the Messiah who came to shine the brightness of God's glory.

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Hail To The King

Matthew 2:2

Saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him.

The story of the birth of Jesus is one where all of prophecy was fulfilled, which includes today's scripture text where the shepherds abiding in the field followed the star to where the newborn King was and after finding Him they worshipped Him (v. 11).

If I could paraphrase just for a moment of the worship service performed by the shepherds it would go something like this, "hail to the King of glory, praises and honor to the newborn King. Then I would begin to shout glory hallelujah to His name as this is the only name both in heaven and on earth whereby men can be saved. Then I would say like Simeon mine eyes have seen the consolation of the Lord (Luke 2:25), glory to His name in the highest. Lastly, I would offer gifts of as a token of my gratitude for God's wonderful work in the life of humanity in sending His only begotten Son to be the Savior of the world."

That being said, let us all join the heavenly choir in singing praises to the King of glory because without His birth, death and resurrection there would be no plan of salvation, no hope of spending eternity with our heavenly Father, creator and sustainer.

What gifts are we giving to the King Jesus? On the day of His birth, Are we shouting Peace on earth and good will toward all men?

Jesus is King.

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Follow The Star

Matthew 2:9

When they had heard the King, they departed, and lo, the star, which they saw in the East, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

The setting for today's topical discussion is that the wise men had heard of the birth of Jesus as did King Herod and wanted to know where He was. King Herod had ill intentions for the baby Jesus as much had been prophesied about the coming Messiah and the King feared Jesus. After the wise men heard what the King had to say they were led by a star to where the baby Jesus was and after worshipping the new born King they departed in a different direction without telling King Herod where Jesus was.

What life applications can be applied to our lives from this lesson? Just as God the Father used a star to guide the wise men to where Jesus was. God knew their  hearts and He is stilling guiding willing hearts to Jesus today. We must be willing to follow the star. This is because invitation to salvation remain open to all who will follow the star that leads to Jesus Christ and His saving powers. The other life application is that once we accept Jesus as our personal Savior, then we must worship Him in sincerity while giving our lives as a gift of sacrificial living which pleases God. 

In following the star we must let the glory of God shine brightly in our lives illuminating this sin-darkened world.

Are you following the star of Jesus Christ?

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Reflections

 Colossians 3:13

Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against  any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

As we celebrate the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela; his life reflects forgiveness as well as his rise to world prominence after enduring such harsh treatment he forgave his enemies. Nelson Mandela's life depicts our scripture text as it encourages all to forgive one another as Christ forgave us all.

That being said, love is at the heart of forgiveness and if the question was raised, What does love have to do with it? Everything! Love caused God the Father to give His only begotten Son who forgave sin by giving His life for the remission of sin and all who believe have eternal life.  It is love that saved us and it is love that sustains us.

Love conquerors all even forgiveness.

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Sing Praises Unto His Holy Name

Sing Praises Unto His Holy Name

Psalm 135:1-21

Praise ye the Lord; Praise ye the name of the Lord; praise Him, O ye servants of the Lord...Praise the Lord; for the Lord is good; sing praises unto His name; for it is pleasant.

T

his psalm is a call for praises to be made unto God because of (a) God delivered Israel into a covenant relationship with Him where they pledged to obey and live holy lives before Him (vv. 1-4). (b) God is the one true living God who is active in all the affairs of man and the world (vv. 5-13) as this speak to His provisional care. (c) God is always near His people through the indwelling Holy Spirit as He share in our feelings and have compassion on His people (v. 14).

This psalm is applicable today for all and especially believers as they recognize the sovereignty of God Almighty. That being said, there is joy and a gladness of heart in singing praises to God.

These questions come to mind, Do you offer songs of praises to God for His goodness? If so how often do you sing praises unto God? Can you say like the Psalmist in verse 21, "Blessed be the Lord out of Zion, which dwelleth at Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord." God is the God who has no beginning nor ending who is worthy of all praises. He saves all who believes.

Simply praise Him. Let all nations praise ye the Lord.

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True Meaning Of Christmas

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Make Joyful Noise

Below is today's discussion taken from my monthly devotional Heavenly Bread  published on Amazon's Createspaces and Kindle. True Meaning of Christmas will be there Friday's December 6, 2013. Support your local author.

Thanks for allowing me to share inspiring thoughts with you.

Psalm 100:1

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

In our expressions of gratitude unto the Lord for what He has done and continues to do in the lives of humanity the Psalmist is encouraging all to worship Him by making a joyful noise unto Him.

If the question was raised, What did the Lord do for mankind? When the whole world was pronounced guilty God provided His Son Jesus Christ to become the Savior of the human race through Christ's atoning work on Calvary's cross. Christ was borne on the most celebrated day of the year with a mission of laying down His life for humanity so that all who accept Him as Savior will have eternal live. Even though Christ was present with God the Father during creation it was necessary for Christ to become human by way of a Virgin birth to shed His precious blood as the perfect sacrifice paying man's sin-debt.

What God done in the lives of humanity is the ultimate expression of love for His prize creation and for this He is worthy of all praise and honor. That being said, all believers are encourage to sing praises unto His holy name and make a joyful noise unto Him. This let the world know that yes I am a child of God and He gives me peace, joy, love and happiness and I will praises to Him  for ever.

Let everything that have breath praise the Lord.

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O Ye Give thanks Unto The Lord

Happy Thanksgiving

Psalm 100:1-5

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord He is God; it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep are His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; less be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations.

Today's scripture texts is normally quoted or recited at Thanksgiving because it speaks to the goodness of the Lord while reflecting on His goodness throughout the year. Our text also speaks to offering praise and worship to God as it encourages believers to make a joyful noise unto the Lord and this should be performed by all nations. He is the God of the universe as He sustains all creations. He is worthy of all praises, honor and glory.

Recognizing that yes He is the God of the universe is worthy of coming before His presence with singing praises to His holy name and a glad heart. To further note that God's goodness and His truth lasts for ever. That being said, God is an unchanging God who is steadfast in what ever He promises will come to pass. When He promised to supply all our needs and He does.

 Praise Him! Praise Him in the loudest voice possible.

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Be Thankful Mercy Replaced Justice

1 Thessalonians 5:18

In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Why must believers always give thanks to God? We always give thanks to God because of His love, grace and mercy. Being that man was found guilty before a holy God and if justice had been executed mankind would be condemned to death, but thank God for His mercy which spared all believers from eternal death. God's mercy was demonstrated to man through the atoning works of His Son Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving should always be expressed given the magnitude of God's grace, love and mercy as He continues to shower His people with His love and mercy. He wakes us each morning without the aid of an alarm clock. He blesses us with a long and joyous life. Some men/women are blessed to live an earthly life beyond the promised three score and ten years. He provides for all our needs as promised in His Word. God's merciful blessings are  far too many to number.

It is God perfect will is for all men to be saved and spend eternity with Him, but because of His mercy He allows man to choose eternal life or eternal death. Which do you choose?

God's grace and mercy made it so that all who believe in His Son Jesus will be saved and spared God's judgment-mercy at work.

Lord thank You for Your grace and mercy.

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Expressions Of Thanks To God

Psalm 116:1-19

What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits towards me?

T

oday's scripture text asks a profound questions that at some point all believers have asked and answered. In an attempt to answer the question that was raised by the writer of this Psalm, we must first look as God's expression of His love for mankind in providing salvation and this free gift is available to all who believe. This alone is worthy of never ending expressions of our thanks to God. God's salvation has spared all believers from eternal death; therefore, He is worthy of our surrendered love (v.1), devotions, praises, loyalty (v.2), righteous living by walking in His ways (v. 9), and total obedience to Him and all His commandments (v.14).

That being said, believers offers sacrifices of praises to God regardless of location and even if we have to stand alone praising God-just praise Him.

Believers express thanks to God in giving of our tithes, time and talent as these are gifts of blessing that He so graciously bestowed upon every believers. Believers are to use his or her gifts in God's kingdom building. Believers express thanks to God by being a good steward over what God has blessed us with. Believers express thanks to God with shouts of hallelujah to His holy name. Believers express thanks to God by making Him first in our lives. Believers express thanks to God by blessing others with what God has blessed us with. Thank You God.

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Mustard Seed Size Faith

Matthew 17:20

...Because of your unbelief; for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

As I was preparing today's message and during my daily meditation time I was reading a devotional by Dr. Charles Stanley and his underline message was faith, which  parallels today's encouragement to have a steadfast faith in God.

Our scripture text states that faith the size of a mustard seed we can do great things. This is true because Christ said it that settles it. I am reminded of my mother's teaching me to stand firm on God's Word when she would say to me "God is no shorter than His Word", which meant for me to trust God in every situation. While navigating the high sees of life I have learned to trust God as He is the captain and everything is under His control. When God says He will never leave nor forsake His children, take Him at His word.

That being said, faith is a powerful force that we as believers have in God (Mark 11:22). It is a work of God that involves our awareness of His presence and the confidence our prayers will be answered (Mark 9:24; 11:23; Philippians 2:13). Being that Christ is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) our obedience to His Word is the secret to our faith (John 15:7).

A mustard seed size faith can and will move mountains. Believers, we still have mountains in our lives. Have faith.

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What Does Grace Mean To You?

Romans 5:20b

But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound;

L

et's answer today's discussion question with some personal reflections on God's all sufficient grace. Let me remind you that God's grace is His righteousness at Christ's Expense as stated earlier for the sake of establishing an intimate fellowship with man. It was God's grace that I and other believers are saved through faith in Jesus Christ which means to me that I now have eternal life and will spend eternity with God. It was God's grace that allowed mercy to take the place of justice and now all believers are free from sin. God's grace!

The statement God's grace is sufficient, is true and all encompassing because whatever is needed God's will supply according to His grace and righteousness. God's provisional care is on display in Him making provisions for man's every need. When I needed a comforter His grace was there. It is through His grace all my needs as well as others are met. When overwhelmed with anxiety and or worry I take my problem to the Lord in prayer and the Lord's answers every time. When I needed a friend, God graciously supplied.

The grace of God abound more than sin even in sin's most powerful state it is still no match for God's grace. Therefore, believers fear not because of sin stand strong in God because His grace is sufficient. Remember Christ conquered sin on the cross.

Thank You God for your all encompassing grace.

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Reciprocating God's Love

Psalm 18:1

I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.

O

ur scripture text answers the implied question, How do you respond to God for His love?  All mankind should respond to God's love by loving Him in return for His love, grace and mercy that was imparted to us. Because of God's love He sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for the sins of the world so that all who believe will have eternal life. It was God's grace and mercy that spared all who believe from spending eternity separated from Him.

We respond by recognizing that without God we can do nothing neither accomplish anything on our own. Also, we respond to God's love by telling others of His goodness and the blessed benefits from being members of God's holy family of royal priests and a holy nation of people (1 Peter 2:9). It is noteworthy to say that all believers are chosen by God and believers' selection as God's children was predestine from the foundation of the world. That being said, man's failure to return God's love is the ultimate expression of ungratefulness for what God has done and continues to do in our lives.

We reciprocate God's love by saying, I love You, I adore You, I praise You, honor You and is committed to pleasing You.

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God's Love

Today's discussion is taken from my monthly devotional which is published on Amazon Kindle

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Our scripture text make a powerful statement regarding God's love for humanity to the point that He gave His best for mankind so that all who believe on His Son Jesus will spend eternity with Him. This verse reveals the heart of God and His purpose for all humanity in that His love embraces all humanity.

To experience the love of God and have an intimate relationship with God one must believe on His Son. To have the gift of eternal life is to accept His Son Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The sacrificial death of God's only Son Jesus is the ultimate expression of God's love toward humanity.

Regardless of one's location God's love is there. Reflect on the Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace and Daniel in the lion's den, God was there and expressed His protective love. This principal applies today. All mankind is the recipient of God's inescapable love whether a believer or non-believer. The non-believer is the beneficiary of God's love in that He wakes every person each morning of his or her life. All humanity moves, live and breathe because of God's love. This is because God is the essence of man's being from the beginning of one's life to the end.

God's love is on constant display providing for all our needs, both spiritual and physical.

There is no escaping God's love.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Reverence God

Hebrews 12:28

Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

What does it mean to reverence God? We reverence God by honoring Him in our worship services, serving Him and others, presenting our bodies as living sacrifices unto Him, loving Him with our total being and giving Him first place in our lives as He is the essence of our being. This is our reverential fear of God our heavenly Father who is worthy of all honor, praises and glory.

Additionally, we reverence God by holy living according to His Word and commandments, because each is given for our benefit which is designed to draw us closer to Him and establish an intimate relationship with Him.

It is noteworthy to say, when we look at the term grace as it relates to God's righteousness then we fully understand why we must worship and serve God in holy adoration. Our churches are holy temples of God and must remain a sacred place for worship; just as believers' bodies are temples of God. That being said, God set aside the Sabbath for  worship and a place to worship Him; therefore, both should remain sacred. Please note, we cannot say we reverence God and defile His temples (church and our bodies).

Allow me to pose these questions, Do the world see God's holiness in your daily walk? Are we really reverencing God for His holiness, sovereignty, love, grace and mercy?

God's goodness surrounds us; therefore, reverence Him.

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http://willie-writing.blogspot.com

"Honor Thy Father And Thy Mother"

Exodus 20:12, Ephesians 6:1-3, Colossians 3:20

Honor thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord the God giveth thee. Children obey your parents in the Lord; for this is right.

In God giving of the law did not leave out parenting skills as noted in our study texts in that children are under their parents guidance, teaching and remain until they become part of another family through marriage. I was taught that a man and wife becomes one family unit as they are joined together by the Lord in holy matrimony and are no longer under the directions of their parents. This is because at some point they too will become parents.

Small children must be taught to honor  their parents just as they must be taught to honor the Lord God our creator and sustainer. This relates to the issue of Biblical Training for all believers and especially our children because must be trained up in the ways of the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:7).

It is noteworthy to say, older children still must honor their parents in respect, godly wisdom, care, love and support if needed. In many instances older children are pressed into providing medical care for their parents. This is not out of the realm of God's provisional care as He made provisions for all. Older children should look at this as God's blessing them to be able to provide for their parents. God promises to bless our children with a long life if they honor their parents. God always keeps His promise.

Parents honor God, children honor your  parents; all is blessed and God gets the glory.

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http://willie-writing.blogspot.com

Be A Living Testimony

Acts 14:3

Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of His grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

What does it mean to be a living testimony? To be a living testimony is to testify or give an account of some truth as you know it to be. In regards to salvation every believer has a personal testimony to give because the believer knows what God has done in his or her life. In addition to being saved every believer can testify of God's goodness, His grace, love and mercy as He touches us each morning giving another opportunity to testify of His grace. Justice was demanded but mercy took its place and in doing so God sent His only begotten Son to pay man's sin-debt.

Every believer can testify to God's indwelling Spirit-the Holy Spirit who leads, teaches and directs our paths in the way God will have us to go. Every believer can testify to God's deliverance in the time of trouble and His presence when we call on Him in prayer.

Every believer can testify to the truth of God's Word and the power therein. There is saving power in the Word of God as it contains God's commandments that lead to holy living as these commandments are obeyed by His people (Psalm 119:6). Every believer can testify of the many blessings from God for being members of His royal family of priests.

Believers are living testimonies of God's grace.

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http://willie-writing.blogspot.com

"Hunger And Thirst After Righteousness"

Matthew 5:6

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled.

Today's topical discussion is taken from Christ's Sermon on the Mount and carries a profound message for all believers in that believers hunger and thirst for the true Word of God. Believers' hunger and thirst after the righteousness of God is fundamental to his or her happiness in the Lord as there is an unquenchable desire to be in His presence, to worship and praise Him, to live in total obedience to Him while pleasing Him as well as being in fellowship with Him. Believers enjoy communing with God through prayer, scripture reading and meditating on the Word. Believers hunger and thirst for the return of the Lord to establish His earthly kingdom where God's perfect peace will have been restored to its original state (2 Timothy 4:8). Upon the return of Christ and His established earthly kingdom all the wickedness of this world that now exist will have been destroyed. Believers currently enjoy and are blessed to be living in the righteousness of God while being a lit candle in a sin darkened world.

Believers are encouraged to constantly feed upon the Word of God while yielding to the conviction of the Holy Spirit as He works in our lives (John 16:8-13; Romans 8:5-16). This is to prevent Satan from derailing our spiritual growth and continued desire for God's Word.

There is no food like spiritual food; therefore, stay hungry and thirsty my friends.

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http://willie-writing.blogspot.com