Worshipping the Lord

   I hear people say that they “Worship” the Lord.  However, I find that most people do not understand what the word means.  Some  have the impression that merely showing up for church constitutes an act of worship.  In Matthew 4:10b Jesus says that we should worship God.

  "You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve."

  The Greek word translated “worship” is proskuneo.  It comes from pros which means “towards”, and kuneo  which means to kiss.  When taken in context, it means “do reverence to”.  Matthew 2:2 tells us that the wise men come to worship the Christ.  Wise men still do.
 “Worship” in Matthew 15:9 and Mark 7:7 comes from the Greek sebomai  which means to revere, stressing the feeling of awe or devotion.  Sebazomai  is used in Romans 1:25, and means to honor religiously. “For they changed the truth of God into a lie, and they worshiped and served the created thing more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”

  I could go on with more Greek words, but the point is this – no where in the Word of God is the term “worship” really defined.  We do have a hint from  the Greek, but we must look deeper in the Bible to find a better definition of what worship means. 

 To truly worship God, we must completely trust Him.

 Proverbs 30:5 -  Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him.

 Proverbs 3:5 -  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

 PSALM 9:10 -  And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
      
  Worshiping the Lord means totally trusting Him, every day, every second. We must trust Him to lead us and guide us, even when we do not understand where He is directing us to.  Do we absolutely trust Him with every aspect of our life? It has been my experience that most people would answer that question with a profound yes. Yet, most people do not trust the Lord with their money, or where they should live, and a long list of other details of life. 

To trust God, we must know Him.  

1 John 2:3 -  And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his   commandments.

1 John 2:4 -  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

 Those are pretty strong words.  That in practical life means that none of us are as close to the Lord as we think we are.  Fortunately knowing God also means knowing that he is a God of love, mercy, forgiveness, and grace.

  Titus 3:5 -  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; We read and study the Word of God to learn about His nature, His character, and His love for us.  The more we know about the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, the more we can trust God with every detail of our lives.  If we know and trust Him, we can experience Him, as we walk down the road of life.  This is a critical part. It doesn’t do any good to say you know and trust Him if that trust and knowledge is not put into practical application.  People say they trust the Lord, but what happens when the storms of life come?  What happens when a loved one dies, or the money runs out before the end of the month? What happens in our heart when we just don’t understand what is going on in our life, or why?  Do we turn to Jesus and say “praise the Lord, I do not know what is happening, but I am going to trust You anyway?  This is where the rubber meets the road.  Proverbs 12:25 tells us that anxiety in the heart causes depression.  Deuteronomy 8:2 tells us that sometimes God leads us into the wilderness to test us, to know what is in our heart.  Deuteronomy 4:29 tells us that we will find God in every situation if we seek Him with all our heart and soul.

  Worship the Lord  by studying His Word, to learn about Him, to know His ways.  Hear the messages His servants bring to you that you may grow in Christ and prosper in your relationship with Him.  Worship God by totally trusting Him in every situation and obey His commandments. The more you read, the more you hear, the more you will understand your Lord.  He loves us, and He wants to bless us, He wants to protect us and provide for our needs and our desires. We are His children. Experience everything He has for you, and enjoy the peace and joy that will flood your soul.

 Psalm 118:24 -  This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

  Start every day with Psalm 118:24,  and walk through each day with that thought in your heart, and you will be blessed no matter how strong the winds blow.
Thank you Jesus for giving us this day, and every day. May our lives glorify You in each and every day we have on this Earth. AMEN

October 7, 2007
Pastor Dave

Wisdom and Understanding

  Where do we find wisdom and understanding? I can tell you from my experience and that of others that there were times in life - many times in fact, that wisdom and understanding were severly lacking in decisions made. Job, in Job 28:12 was also looking for wisdom.

 Job 28:12 But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of   understanding?

  Job had suffered the attacks of Satan, and lost everything. His children, material possessions, and health, were all gone. His three friends added to Job's misery by accusing him of being guilty of sin, and therefore bringing all this upon himself. Their advice was was to confess to God and plead for mercy. Job's wife's advice was to confess and die. Job was a righteous man and trusted God in the beginning of his woes. But he also wrestled with the question, Why?

  The question Job was really asking was - Why do the righteous people of God suffer? God is loving and powerful. So why does He allow His children to suffer? Chapter three finds Job beginning to complain and proclaim his self-righteousness. Job complained, that God was punishing him (6:4; 7:20; 9:17), that God did not hear him (13:3,24; 19:7; 23:3-5), and that God allowed the wicked to prosper (21:7). We hear the same complaints today. 

  Job became quilty of self-righteousness in his own defense. Job learned in the mist of his troubles that God is soverign over all His creation and that he must trust in God even in adversity by enlarging his view of Who God is. 

  So why the suffering? Psalm 119:67 tells us that before the Psalmist was afflicted, he went astray. Psalm 119:71 says that that it was good for him to be afflicted so that he might know God's precepts (mandates from God).

  In Psalm 119:104 the Psalmist received understanding through God's precepts. In Deuteronomy 8:2-3 we see that God allowed the Hebrews who had just left Egypt to suffer in the desert for forty years to humble them, to prove them, to know what was in their hearts, to see if they would keep His commandments. God also wanted to teach them that they didn't live by bread alone, but that they needed to live by the Word of God. We know from Jeremiah 17:9 that the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked - who can know it?

  Jeremiah 17:10 "I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds." We have a problem - our heart. 
  The answer is in Jeremiah 17:7 and Psa 51:10.

  Jeremiah 17:7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust   is the LORD.

  Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit   within me.

  God answers Job question about where to find wisdom and understanding.

  Job 28:28 And He said to man, 'Behold, the fear (respect) of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.'"

  Job still doesn't get it. He continues until God interrogates and teaches him starting in Job 38. Finally in chapter 42, Job humbles himself and acknowledges God's sovereignty. Then God restored Job's losses and the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than the beginning.

  We need to learn from what Job experienced. Job was a righteous man who worshiped and trusted the Lord, until the trials came. What happened to wisdom and understanding when the trials began? Mans wisdom and understanding will fail when the testing comes. Psalm 5:2 tells us that the Lord tests the righteous. In Psalm 14:2 we see that God looks down from heaven to see if there are any who understand and seek Him. Can we say as David did in Psalm 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight.”? David declared in Psalm 28:7 “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices. And with my song I will praise Him.”

  Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on   your own understanding.

  Proverbs 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make    straight your paths.

  Proverbs 3:7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear (respect) the LORD,   and turn away from evil.

  We have all gone astray at one time or another. We have failed in the past and probably will again in the future. It is ok to fail as long as we keep seeking the Lord with all our heart and strength. He sees us, and whatever we are going through. He will in His time pick us up. He knows our needs before we even ask. We learn by our trials to praise and worship Him no matter what we are facing. Then we can truly say that we love Him with all our heart.

  Psalms 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?   The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

The Lord's wisdom and understanding will never fail, neither will His love.

August 30,2007
Pastor Dave

 A Most Important Relationship

  I could not keep my mind from wandering as I listened to a friend tell me his “problems”. I heard his words, but I am thinking, “How did he get to the place where he was so out of control and grasping at straws?” He was born again, he knew the Lord Jesus Christ,... didn't he? 
I reflected back on a long past part of my life where I was in the “same boat”. It was then that I recognized the pain on his face and the panic in his voice.
  Oh yes, I knew!

  One of the lessons I learned the hard way was that true peace and joy comes from Jesus Christ, not the world. Therefore the world can not take it away from you, but it will try. 

  Jesus in Matthew 4:19 asked His first two disciples, Simon Peter and his brother Andrew to “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Jesus didn't ask them to be the best they could, or to go out and prove themselves and do mighty things. No, He said “Follow Me, and I will make you.......” The two rough and tough fishermen left their nets and followed Jesus. 
It is not about us - it is about Him, and our relationship to Him. 
First Corinthians 6:19-20 tells us that we are God's tabernacle.

  1Corinthians 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit in you, whom you have of God? And you are not your own, for you are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. 

He lives in us, to manifest Himself through us, and out of us to others. Somehow we always try to use reason to control our lives. We get burdened down with problems, the cares of the world, the details of life. My friend yells “But you don't understand the things I have to deal with.” 
I might not, but our Heavenly Father does.

  Matthew 11:28-30   Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke on you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest to your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light. 

  I, in my painful past was out of the will of God. I had big plans of what I was going to do for God. I failed miserably. I searched for God's will for me. It alluded my efforts. We do not find God's will. It is revealed to us as we “seek Him with all our heart, mind and strength”, as we surrender our will to His. Our faith must rest on God's power, not our wisdom. It seemed that the harder I tried to please The Lord my way, the more difficult life became. I became caught up in my own problems and very stressed out. I was focusing on myself and my pain instead of going after Jesus and His way. I cried out for help as I was drowning. I was so busy trying to figure things out that I was not reading the Word of God, praising Him, or praying about anything or anyone else. One day I felt lead to pick up the Bible and read. My eyes fell on the passage where Jesus said “Follow Me.” I did, and never looked back. I spent time in His Word learning about His nature and character. I spent time just praising Him, thanking Him. I found that my relationship to My Lord was of the utmost importance. I learned to love Him more dearly, to trust Him more than I ever thought possible, to be more faithful in my praying for others. As I seeked Him and waited for Him, He begain to reveal His will to me. I know no greater feeling than to know that My Lord has chosen me to be a servant and to be blessed and loved by Him. 

  Where are you in your walk? Have you experienced God through obedience and fellowship with Him?  He will bring purpose and fulfillment to your life.
 Jesus loves you and cares about you.
  Open your heart and let Him in.
  He wants to bless you beyond anything you can imagine.
  He is at your front door knocking...
  Open the door.

  June 20, 2007
  Pastor Dave





Consider This

 Matthew 6:26a, 28b
    Look at the birds of the air……Consider the lilies of the field.

  It was a nice quiet Saturday afternoon. I was busy thinking about all the things I needed to get done before I leave on Monday. My over worked mind was already trying to tell me that I was behind schedule and that I needed to get with the program. Then I looked out the back door toward the water. I quickly realized that sometimes, there are more important things to dwell on than my “to do list”.
  I stepped outside, sat in the chair and gazed on my view of God’s world. What an awesome God we have. I watched the puffy clouds race each other across the blue sky. I saw the small trees bending slightly in the breeze and watched orange and black butterflies dance on yellow flowers. I looked across the water and saw “Henry” the egret standing on the opposite shore in his usual place. I thanked and praised the Lord for allowing me to have this moment of tranquility and joy observing His creation. This time passed quickly and I had different thoughts land on my consciousness.

  What is life really about? Often we get so into the details of life that we forget that the main thing has to be the main thing. Let the dust settle where it may. We need to focus on the most important thing first – OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. We were not saved just so we go to heaven when we die. We were saved so that God could manifest Himself in us and through us to the world around us. It must grieve God when He looks down here and sees us running around saying “what do I have to do, what do I have to do ?”. 
  What we have to do is acknowledge that everything that had to be done was already done at the cross by Jesus Christ. Our primary job is to seek first the kingdom of God. Some Christians are as the Israelites were, seeking to establish their own righteousness.

  Romans 10:2-3 
    “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but without knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.” 

  We can not work for nor do we deserve righteousness. God imparts His righteousness to us the second we believed in His Son Jesus Christ. 

  Matthew 6:33
    “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

  Jesus was, in the preceding verses, talking to His disciples and telling them not to worry about their life, or what they would wear or eat. “Look at the birds, consider the lilies.” Your heavenly Father knows what your needs are. 
  In Matthew 7:7 we are told to “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.” 
  James 1:6 tells us “But let him ask in faith with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.”

  Sometimes we get caught up in the daily grind of life. Sometimes we are held back because we cling to the past. It was once written in a song- “Yesterday is dead and gone, and tomorrow is out of sight.” It is impossible to seek the Lord and His will when we are looking in the rear view mirror. We can not afford to allow the past, or the habits of the past to influence our life today. 

  Lamentations 3:22-25 
    “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion says my soul. Therefore I hope in Him! The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him."

  Lamentations 3:40-41 
    “Let us search and examine our ways, And turn back to the Lord; Let us lift our hearts and hands To God in heaven.”

  Our Lord loves us more than we can ever imagine. He is always there and waiting for us to love Him and seek Him and His will for us, and in doing so He blesses us. His love is so absolute that He sometimes has to discipline us His children, but even that He does in love. Praise the Lord with all your heart and receive the peace and joy of the Lord. 
Amen

May 20, 2007
Pastor Dave