One week before Jesus’s death, a crowd had gathered outside Jerusalem for the Jewish Passover feast. Because it was feast time, there were tremendous numbers of people. The crowds gathered weren’t awaiting THE SAVIOR. They were looking for a political savior to free them from the Roman government. They were looking for temporary freedom, not permanent freedom from their sins. As Jesus entered the city, people worshipped Jesus for the wrong reason, waving palm leaves and shouting “Hosanna” (which means ‘save us now’), hailing him as their political King.
Isn’t it interesting that even today, more than 2000 years after Jesus’s death, we are still worshipping the Savior for the wrong reasons? We must each ask ourselves if we are willing to worship Him as THE SAVIOR, THE KING, even when the crowd isn’t doing it. As we near Palm Sunday, let’s search our hearts and hail Him as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Allow Him to reign in our lives. Most of all, He deserves proper worship for all to see. We are called to worship our Lord in the crowd of people on Sundays in our local congregations and in our individual times of praise.
He deserves our praise for no other reason than HE IS GOD. Let us each cry out “Hosanna”.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Trust...and OBEY
Worship. How can such a simple word cause so much contention in the body of Christ? It amazes me every week that we call the song portion of service “praise and worship”. Isn’t the entire service praise and worship? Is there a right way to worship, or a wrong way to worship? Someone is always unhappy at how “worship” went, while others walk away refreshed. I was touched this Sunday when a "worship" team member said God is teaching him that worship isn't about the music. Isn't that truth?
So this morning I looked up the definition of worship on dictionary.com and what struck me the most is that it lists worship as both a noun and a verb. As most of us know, a noun is a person, place or thing. I am a person (I am fearfully and wonderfully made) and I worship a Person (for the Lord is great and greatly to be praised!). As a verb, worship expresses action (shout to the Lord, sing to the Lord, lift up holy hands).
After reading the Word today, and several articles on worship, I have come to the final conclusion (as many others have before me) that worship is obedience. If I am obedient to His Word, I will pray, read the Scripture daily, give tithes and offerings, be kind, love others, and many other simple Christian principles. I may dance, I may twirl, I may lay face down on the floor, I may lift my hands, I may SHOUT, I may sing, or I may do nothing at all but sit in His presence. Why? Because the Bible tells me so and gives many examples of how others have worshipped Him before us.
However, If I listen to His voice and obey it, I may awaken in the wee hours of the morning with a burden to pray for someone. Sometimes I don’t even know the person He told me to pray for. When I get to heaven, I’m sure He will let me know how my prayers affected a person or situation. I have gotten in my car but taken an out-of-the-way route to my destination because God told me to. As a result of my obedience, I’ve avoided accidents which may have caused harm or death to me, my loved ones or others. I have passed someone on the streets of downtown Omaha and simply smiled at them because I felt Holy Spirit saying that person needed encouragement. As a result of being obedient, it’s opened doors to share the gospel. These are just a few simple examples of my personal tests of obedience.
Am I always obedient? No. And I have reaped the rewards of my disobedience many times. But I strive to be obedient in all things. (Thank God He’s not finished with me yet!) It takes an extreme faith to be obedient to Him. As a parent, I expect obedience; as my Father, God commands it.
'Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice. ' 1 Sam 15:22.
Obedience to Him is the highest form of worship.
So this morning I looked up the definition of worship on dictionary.com and what struck me the most is that it lists worship as both a noun and a verb. As most of us know, a noun is a person, place or thing. I am a person (I am fearfully and wonderfully made) and I worship a Person (for the Lord is great and greatly to be praised!). As a verb, worship expresses action (shout to the Lord, sing to the Lord, lift up holy hands).
After reading the Word today, and several articles on worship, I have come to the final conclusion (as many others have before me) that worship is obedience. If I am obedient to His Word, I will pray, read the Scripture daily, give tithes and offerings, be kind, love others, and many other simple Christian principles. I may dance, I may twirl, I may lay face down on the floor, I may lift my hands, I may SHOUT, I may sing, or I may do nothing at all but sit in His presence. Why? Because the Bible tells me so and gives many examples of how others have worshipped Him before us.
However, If I listen to His voice and obey it, I may awaken in the wee hours of the morning with a burden to pray for someone. Sometimes I don’t even know the person He told me to pray for. When I get to heaven, I’m sure He will let me know how my prayers affected a person or situation. I have gotten in my car but taken an out-of-the-way route to my destination because God told me to. As a result of my obedience, I’ve avoided accidents which may have caused harm or death to me, my loved ones or others. I have passed someone on the streets of downtown Omaha and simply smiled at them because I felt Holy Spirit saying that person needed encouragement. As a result of being obedient, it’s opened doors to share the gospel. These are just a few simple examples of my personal tests of obedience.
Am I always obedient? No. And I have reaped the rewards of my disobedience many times. But I strive to be obedient in all things. (Thank God He’s not finished with me yet!) It takes an extreme faith to be obedient to Him. As a parent, I expect obedience; as my Father, God commands it.
'Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice. ' 1 Sam 15:22.
Obedience to Him is the highest form of worship.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
I surrender...
(This story is from the late Henri Nowen.)
Once upon a time there was a little river that said “I can become a big river.” It worked hard to become big, but in the process, encountered a huge rock. “I won’t let this rock stop me,” the river said. And the little river pushed and pushed until it finally made its way around the rock.
Next the river encountered a mountain. “I won’t let this mountain stop me,” the river said. And the little river pushed and pushed until it finally carved a canyon through the mountain.
Next the river came to an enormous forest. “I won’t let all these trees stop me,” the river said. And the river pushed and pushed until it finally made its way through the forest.
The river, now large and powerful, finally arrived at the edge of a vast desert. “I won’t let this desert stop me,” the river said.
But as the river pushed and pushed its way across the desert, the hot sand began to soak up its water until only a few puddles remained. Now the river was quiet.
Then the river heard a voice from above. “My child, stop pushing. It’s time to surrender. Let me lift you up. Let me take you over.”
The river said “Here I am.”
The sun then lifted the river up and turned it into a huge cloud. And the wind carried the river across the desert and let it rain down on the hills and valleys of the faraway fields, making them fruitful and rich.
What a powerful story this is. In our devotions today at the church, I shared with my Pastors that I felt God was telling me to get prepared and to stop doing things in my own strength. Then I read this story. It says to me that ambition and determination are wonderful attributes, but apart from God, they won’t get me very far. I learned this the hard way. When I was young, I felt invincible. Don’t we all? Culture taught me that I could do anything. If that’s true, who needs God, right? So there came a time when I tried it on my own. I walked away from God. Then when I came to a desert, I didn’t know what to do.
There’s always a desert up ahead. There’s always a time when the heat will become so intense I won’t know what to do. I don’t have the strength or the resources to make it through the desert on my own. My desert contains failures, rejections, disappointments, loss, and doubts among many other things. They leave my emotions in a puddle and I stop pushing and become stagnant. What do I do in the desert?
When I come to a desert, I may not have the time to hear God’s voice say “It’s time to surrender.” But I hear Him now. He wants me to stop pushing and let Him show me the way. He wants to lift me up and take me to the place He wants me to be. He will let what He has taught me rain down and pour into the lives of others. In that place where He will take me to, I will be fruitful in ways I can never imagine.
Listen! He’s saying “It’s time to surrender.” Lord, I surrender all.
Once upon a time there was a little river that said “I can become a big river.” It worked hard to become big, but in the process, encountered a huge rock. “I won’t let this rock stop me,” the river said. And the little river pushed and pushed until it finally made its way around the rock.
Next the river encountered a mountain. “I won’t let this mountain stop me,” the river said. And the little river pushed and pushed until it finally carved a canyon through the mountain.
Next the river came to an enormous forest. “I won’t let all these trees stop me,” the river said. And the river pushed and pushed until it finally made its way through the forest.
The river, now large and powerful, finally arrived at the edge of a vast desert. “I won’t let this desert stop me,” the river said.
But as the river pushed and pushed its way across the desert, the hot sand began to soak up its water until only a few puddles remained. Now the river was quiet.
Then the river heard a voice from above. “My child, stop pushing. It’s time to surrender. Let me lift you up. Let me take you over.”
The river said “Here I am.”
The sun then lifted the river up and turned it into a huge cloud. And the wind carried the river across the desert and let it rain down on the hills and valleys of the faraway fields, making them fruitful and rich.
What a powerful story this is. In our devotions today at the church, I shared with my Pastors that I felt God was telling me to get prepared and to stop doing things in my own strength. Then I read this story. It says to me that ambition and determination are wonderful attributes, but apart from God, they won’t get me very far. I learned this the hard way. When I was young, I felt invincible. Don’t we all? Culture taught me that I could do anything. If that’s true, who needs God, right? So there came a time when I tried it on my own. I walked away from God. Then when I came to a desert, I didn’t know what to do.
There’s always a desert up ahead. There’s always a time when the heat will become so intense I won’t know what to do. I don’t have the strength or the resources to make it through the desert on my own. My desert contains failures, rejections, disappointments, loss, and doubts among many other things. They leave my emotions in a puddle and I stop pushing and become stagnant. What do I do in the desert?
When I come to a desert, I may not have the time to hear God’s voice say “It’s time to surrender.” But I hear Him now. He wants me to stop pushing and let Him show me the way. He wants to lift me up and take me to the place He wants me to be. He will let what He has taught me rain down and pour into the lives of others. In that place where He will take me to, I will be fruitful in ways I can never imagine.
Listen! He’s saying “It’s time to surrender.” Lord, I surrender all.
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