Thought for the day (4/29/10)

I'm often amused by articles in which people talk about how "new" certain beliefs are in Christianity. It can be hard, sometimes, to remember that when the world uses the term "Christian" or "Christianity," they're not really talking about true Christianity, true Jesus followers, but refer to the organized religions lumped together into one huge mass called, for convenience's sake, Christianity. Over and over again, our beliefs are talked about as if they're relatively new, novel, not something to be taken seriously in a day of "enlightened" thinking. If we're not careful, it can be easy to allow those words, thoughts, or arguments cause us to doubt things we know to be true, shake our faith, draw us away from the things that really matter in life.

I was in Lifeway the other day and caught part of a video on the early life of Billy Graham. In this scene, he was confronted by a life-long friend who'd left the faith because he couldn't reconcile what he thought he believed with the reasoning of the intellectual world. Billy didn't have a response, and it led him to a place where he was crying out to God to show Himself, asking if it was all worth it. The answer came -- faith. He realized faith is what made the difference, and when we stand in our faith, we gain the strength to see through the arguments of the world to the real truth.

Psalm 3:3 states that the Lord is a shield around me, my glory and the lifter of my head. Verse 6 follows up with the declaration that I do not have to be afraid of the thousands of people who have taken their stand against me on every side. If we trust solely in reason, then we are trusting solely in ourselves.

Be honest with yourself for a moment. You know the real you, the one you keep locked up deep inside that never gets to see the light of day for fear that if it ever came out, everyone around you would run away in fear and disgust. Do you really want to bank the happiness and success of your life on you, knowing that you carry that around with you every day? Come on, whether you know it or not, that part of you affects every decision you make, ultimately the course your life takes and the person you become. That's what trusting in reason is. If we all have this ugly part inside, can we really trust human reason? That's why true followers of Jesus can say as David did in verse 5, we lay down and sleep, and wake up every morning resting in the knowledge that our God sustains us. It doesn't matter who stands up against us or what terrible circumstances we face. Our faith is not in ourselves, as those who rely on themselves or human intellect and reason, it's in Someone greater that we can ever be. Our faith is in the One Who, because of our faith, has made us new, wiped out the ugly part inside us forever, and, as verse 3 said, is our shield, our glory, and the One Who lifts us up every day.

The Apostle John speaks of us as being "of God" in chapter 1. We live, we love, we grow, we walk this world different because we are of God. Our faith is in God, we find our purpose and fulfillment in God, we have a hope and a joy no one else has because of God. Never let the reasonings or arguments of the world ever convince you otherwise.

The incredible workings of God

In July, God led me to take a step of faith that was one of the more difficult things I've ever had to do. It's not easy when He tells you to leave a place where you've served for 8 years, to leave people you love and have known for so long to go ... well, I didn't know. All I knew was that I couldn't stay in Pensacola any longer and have any hope of happiness or fulfillment -- because God said it was time to go. Honestly, I didn't like the idea, but He used different circumstances to help guide me to step out and trust Him.

So, I left. No job, no solid prospects, almost no money, to go do ... well, I wasn't sure, but I knew I was doing what He wanted me to do. So, I hit Winston the beginning of August 09, trusting the Lord to lead, guide, and provide. Shortly after getting here, God opened doors for me to meet an awesome church planter named Mickey who became a great friend, and for a time, my pastor. I was able to be a part of their worship services, playing in the band and singing with Jake, the worship leader (who, by the way, is now off planting a church of his own in obedience to God's leading). Was still looking for a church to work in, but didn't hear much of anything from any of them. I realized I needed something to pay bills with, so I went in search of temporary work. In this economy. In a state with one of the highest rates of unemployment in the country. There were times when I wondered if I'd done the right thing.

It would have been easy to get mad at God and just quit. Believe me, I was asking Him a lot of questions. There were many intense moments of crisis in my faith, yet through it all, God remained there, faithful to me, even when I wasn't sure He was doing anything. I realized one day that all of this just proved how great God was and how much I truly believed in Him, and I began to see what He was doing in my life and how He was changing me through this experience. Shortly after that, things began to happen.

December of 09, I walked into a Radio Shack to see if I could get hired for holiday work. I'd applied a couple of months before, but hadn't heard anything so thought I'd stop by. As it happened, it was a very busy time, and the manager asked me to come back. He reviewed my application, then said that they did need help, and if I passed the background check, I could start working. Needless to say, I was rejoicing and praising God. That next day, I went to visit my parents at the church where they work. Their pastor told me of a local church who's worship leader was resigning, and that he'd mentioned me to the pastor as someone who could come in on an interim basis and help them out while they figured out what direction to go. The pastor (Mike) called me the next day and we met. I was a worship leader seeking to lead worship in a church and they were a church looking for someone to lead worship on short notice. I met with people from the church, sat down with the board, and I have to say, was very impressed both with the hearts of the board members and the hearts of the people of the church. After a time of prayerful consideration, the board asked me to come in and lead worship until after Easter, or until they had a set direction to head in regard to the search for a new worship leader. I agreed, and started the first Sunday of January, leading worship.

A lot has happened since then. I got to know the people, and they've gotten to know me. And I have to say, they are an amazing church. They have such an incredible heart for missions, both locally and abroad -- it's at the core of who they are. Former missionaries on staff, staff members getting ready to head to the mission field, just to give a couple of examples. They love to worship, from children to youth to adults, and I have had an incredible time worshiping with them and watching them worship. Oh, and the preaching is great. Pastor Gates never lets a service go by without making application to the lost and begging them to come to Jesus. I'm pretty certain that in the 4 months I've been there, there have only been a couple of services when someone didn't say they prayed to receive Christ. God is at work and doing might things there. And, the more I was there, the more I fell in love with the church -- the people and it's ministries.

Well, Easter came, and boy, it came big. We had a full production, with adult and children's choirs, multiple musicians, actors, video, and even a great challenge by the pastor. I don't know if I've seen a group of people work harder in such a short period of time to make something like this happen -- determined to share the gospel through their ministry with all who were there to hear. Eight people got saved that morning, praise God. Then, it was decision time. My commitment to the church was up, and so was their commitment to me. In my heart, God gave me peace about staying at Faith. The board met and voted to recommend me to the church. Yesterday, the church voted, and officially I am now the worship pastor at Faith Missionary Alliance. I don't know if I would have chosen the path God had me take to bring me to this place and this ministry, but that just proves I don't have a clue when it comes to running my life. God, however, knew exactly what He wanted all along and what it would take to get me there. And I am grateful He did. I am fully comfortable with Him being in charges of the direction my life takes, yes, even when I don't have all the details or know what the plan is.

You know, there are great things ahead for me and for Faith. I truly believe God has been doing great works in this church before I got there, will do great works while I'm there, and will continue to do great works long after I'm gone. He's God, and as long as His people seek Him with all their hearts, He will take them on journeys that bring about incredible glory for His name and incredible blessing for His people. My journey is an example of that. I am incredibly blessed, and I can't take any credit for it. The credit, the glory, is God's, and God's alone.

The Beauty of Worship

I think one of the greatest things I get to witness as a worship leader is simply to see people worship. No matter where I am, no matter who is worshiping, from kids to youth to adults, worship is a beautiful thing. It transcends style and preference, because the Object of our worship transcends everyone and everything. He is the most lovely, and so watching His people worship Him will always be a beautiful, wondrous thing. True worship unites us in ways that can't be broken. Styles of music, styles of dress, even styles of speech all get lost and become inconsequential in the presence of true worship. I've watched all ages unite in worship in a church service as well as out in the world doing acts of service, and I've yet to see it when it didn't cause me to pause and lift my own heart in worship. How great a God we serve when even our worship of Him draws us into His presence! Imagine what the world would say if we lived that worship every moment of our lives, no matter who we were with or where we were. If nothing else, they would have to stop and say that what we believed, and perhaps even Who we believed in, was real.

I can remember just a short while ago driving through Pensacola and seeing graffiti on signs and buildings that said, "You're Beautiful." In a world obsessed with it's version of beauty, I ask you this. Which is more beautiful, that skinny model or actress on a magazine cover OR the person who's so consumed in worship that it spills out in everything they do? Give me the worshiper every time. I've observed worship all over the country and even out of the country. It doesn't matter whether I understand the language or not, it doesn't matter whether it's north or south, east or west, worship remains the same because our God remains the same, and true worship is a beautiful thing. My hope and prayer for you today is that you have the chance to witness that beauty today, in your own life and even in the lives of others.

Live worship, Love the One we worship, every moment of every day.

don't know what to title this. any ideas or suggestions?

don't you love those moments when you see something cool, then stop and go, "Wait, what?"It's been more than 2 months since I left Pensacola, and while things haven't worked out as I thought they would, I have to admit, I can't complain about where I am. Don't misunderstand. There've been moments when I questioned my sanity. I mean, who leaves their job with no idea of the future, especially in an economy like this, simply because they feel it's what God wants them to do? True, there were a lot of circumstances at play, but they all served to confirm that I needed to leave Pensacola, that I shouldn't stay there any longer. Now, I can't explain that. I was happy serving at my former church, I loved the people of the church and working with them was a constant blessing in my life. As God moved (sometimes in very odd ways) to show me that I could no longer stay in Pensacola if I were to find happiness in serving Him - since staying when I shouldn't would have caused me to stray from God's path for me -- I never thought that this far out I'd still be unemployed, still looking for a job. But that's where I am right now, and, as I said, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Why? Because I've lost my mind, because things were terrible in Pensacola and I needed to run away, because God just wanted to mess with me for no reason? NO! In leaving, I've found peace and joy and fulfillment I'd been missing in my life while I was struggling with following God's leading in my life. Here are a couple of lessons I've learned so far.

1. I have the desire in my heart for greatness, but greatness doesn't come from having the right job, doing the right programs, being in the right place at the right time, or from any of the things that the world would say we need to have to be successful. Greatness comes from God, from His presence in our lives. 2 Chron. 1 states that Solomon was a great and powerful king. Not because of his wisdom or wealth, but because God was with him and God made him great as he followed God. Greatness, success, or any other similar term have nothing to do with what we do or how well we do them. Greatness is measured by the amount of God's presence we allow to rule and reign in our lives. At the beginning of his reign, Solomon sought God, God's direction, God's wisdom in everything he did, and God made him great for it. It had nothing to do with Solomon, it had everything to do with God receiving glory from Solomon's life. Sometimes we can get our eyes off the main goal while we strive to accomplish other important goals. Growing the church, evangelism, missions, discipleship, these are all great things, but if we seek to do them in our own strength or understanding we don't allow God to do the work. It's not enough to seek to do great things, we must allow God to do them through us. God seeks to glorify His name, and He chooses to use us to accomplish that purpose. When we get in His way, no matter the reason, we rob Him of that glory, and God is very jealous of the glory of His name. If you don't believe me, just read what He said to the Israelites about it in Ezekiel 36.

2. Before the challenge or test arrives, God already knows what He is going to do. Our job is to act in faith, trust His leading, and follow where He tells us to go. John 6 contains the story of the feeding of the 5k. Jesus asks Philip what they should do about feeding the people. Not because he thought Philip would have an answer or could figure it out on his own, rather because He knew the task was too great for him to accomplish and already knew how He was going to answer. It was a chance for God to do something miraculous in a way that would bring glory to His name, and I think He was giving his disciples the chance to show how much they trusted Jesus. Philip answered, although with some apparent speculation and misgiving, but Andrew stepped up to the place. True, he sounds a little doubtful, but the great thing is that he had an answer. Andrew's answer shows that he was aware of the problem, was looking for a solution, and while convinced that there was no possible way he could solve it with the meager resources available, he still approached Jesus with those resources-- and Jesus performed the miraculous with them. 2 things I saw from this. First, when we come to Jesus with even the smallest of resources desiring to do something great in His name, He will act in incalculable ways. Second, Jesus already knew the resources were there and what He would do with them. He was waiting to see if His followers would acknowledge that He was able to use those resources to accomplish great things. He does the same for us today. He knows the challenge or trial we face, and He knows what we have and are capable of doing, knowing full well that often times our resources are not enough to meet the challenge. He gives us the chance to demonstrate our faith and trust in Him and His provision and action in our lives and our circumstances. He gives us the chance to grow in our faith and our relationship with Him. How much does our God love us?!

Before I ever left Pensacola, God knew exactly what it was that He was going to do in my life as I faced circumstances that to me seemed insurmountable. In His love for me, He has given me the ongoing chance to grow closer to Him, to grow stronger in my faith, and for me to see Him do things in me and through me that I would not have had the chance to see otherwise. That's why, in the face of seeming uncertainty, I can say that I have peace in my heart and faith that God will do what it is that He desires. My only aim is to not get in His way as He works, and to move when He allows me to see where He is at work and where He desires me to be.

Where am I now? Still seeking God's direction and provision as far as a job is concerned, but happily and joyfully serving in an incredible work He is doing in a neighboring community while I am here. Should God choose to leave me here or send me elsewhere, I serve at the favor of the King of Kings. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Update on what's been happening and what's going on.

Well, no job yet but i have found a great church to be a part of for however long I'm in Winston. God has allowed me to plug in and get involved already, and I'm grateful for that. Sometimes we never know when we step out in faith what will happen, but I have to say, stepping out is the thing to do. Living in fear, in the what if's, or in the comfort of where we are rather than doing something crazy simply because God wants us to is no way to live at all. Uncertainty of the future isn't really uncertainty when our faith is in God and we surrender to whatever He desires. I have no doubt He will do something soon in my life, I just have to be patient and willing to move whenever He shows up. Until then, I'm going to work to take every opportunity I have to make a difference where I am and with all the people God brings across my path.

This may not have happened how I would have planned it, but if I would have planned it, well, I'd have gotten it wrong. It's too easy to think we can control what happens around us, to us, or even the people we go through it with. the reality is, though, we can't -- well, we can try, but it will only end badly. Much greater to admit our frailty, our fears, our "hang-ups" to God and let Him do whatever He wants to do to us, through us.

so, how am i doing? I'm doing great. would still love a job, but that's God's timing, not mine. He has opened doors for ministry, and I'm great with that. that's what i hope for each of you too.

be blessed.

Lesson from the mountain, part 2

Coming back I decided to backtrack and see everything heading from the opposite direction to see what, if anything I'd missed. Again, the day was gorgeous and I was stopping almost every time there was a scenic overview. I decided to try to take more pictures and so was playing around with the camera a lot more too. A couple of hours in, I began to notice that the sky in the west was getting cloudier -- dark, deep, full of rain clouds. Now, at this point I had to make a decision: continue the drive the way I was, with multiple stops, understanding that at some point I'd be driving the mountains with the top up and in the rain, or forgo the picture taking and try to get down the mountains before the rain got there. Don't know why, but I decided to run for it.

For a good stretch, the road kept me on the west side of the mountains, so I could see what was coming. The clouds were getting darker and uglier by the minute and I expected the downpour to begin at any moment. I thought for sure I was going to get wet. True, at one point it did sprinkle a little, but then the road went to the other side of the mountain. Suddenly, there were no clouds in site, the sky was clear and the sun was shining bright. I began to rethink my decision until I realized that to go to the other side was to face the rain. It occurred to me that I didn't have to outrun the rain any more, that there was even a good chance that the mountain would block the rain completely. That's when things began to hit me.

Where would I rather be, on the side where I can see the rain coming and prepare for it or on the other side, not knowing the rain is coming BUT also where the rain might never come? And, if it is going to rain, is it better to know the rain is coming or to enjoy the beautiful sky that much longer until the rain actually hits? After having the time to think about it, my answer would have to be that I would want to be able to enjoy the sun as long as possible. Knowing that there was rain headed in my direction caused me to change my course, created a certain amount of uncertainty, and caused me to begin to doubt the direction I was going. I didn't even realize the full impact until it occurred to me that the rain might not actually come my way at all -- I was reacting to something that looked bad that might but actually hadn't happened yet. And, as it turned out, it never did.

When we go through life, we travel the path that God sets out for us. We can face that path focused on the One Who created it for us, Who acts as our Guide, or we can spend our time looking on the other side of the mountain, where all the darkness is, and worry about what might be. God has called us to follow Him, regardless of what the weather may hold. And, to worry about what might be is to say that we don't trust God's plan or His path for our lives. When you're on the journey, enjoy the journey. Enjoy the One Who called you to that journey and enjoy all the blessings He has created along the way. Don't let doubt or uncertainty cloud your view. Keep your eyes on Jesus.

Lesson from the mountain top

Last weekend I had the opportunity to drive a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway through the Smokie Mountains. I left on a Friday with no real idea of where I was headed except for the Parkway. I wanted to put the top down on the car and drive, surrounded by the beauty of Creation. I had this idea to get to a certain spot by nightfall, but that wasn't in stone. I truly wanted to get away by myself and have time to worship in the splendor of God's beautiful handiwork while having conversations with Him. I got a lot more than I expected.

First, the weather that afternoon was gorgeous. I hit the road and stopped at Pilot Mountain. For those who don't know, it's this mountain pretty much by itself surrounded by flat stretches of land before you hit the Smokies or the Parkway. I decided to drive to the top and climb to the highest observation point to see the surrounding areas. (I say climb, but really, they have the trail set up pretty well.) It became apparent quickly that you wouldn't be able to see as far as usual due to a haze in the distance, but the view from the top was still incredible. It's amazing how you can feel on top of the world and so small at the same time. I snapped some pics, then decided that if I was going to make it I'd better leave. I stopped for lunch in Mt. Airy, then headed to the Parkway.

As I mentioned before, I was stopping at almost every scenic overview. The views were amazing, some even breath-taking. In spite of the beauty, something was missing, didn't quite feel right. During my conversations with God, asking about what He had next for me in my life and my ministry, things felt out of place. Finally, at one overlook, it hit me. I was so focused on where I thought I was going while I was driving that I was missing much of the beauty that surrounded me. And then it hit me. I was doing the same in my life. I was so focused on where I thought I was supposed to be that I was missing some of the blessings that were happening all around me. I needed to stop focusing on the destination and pay more attention to what was around me at that moment. Praying for forgiveness and determining to focus more on where I was at that moment rather than on where I thought I was supposed to be, I decided to take that same advice in my trip and find someplace closer, someplace that would allow me to spend more time where I was and enjoy the drive more. At that moment, an older couple pulled up next to me and got out to take in the view. They asked me to take their picture and handed me their camera. After the shot, I spoke with the wife while her husband took more pictures. I figured they were there for a reason and decided that I wanted to talk about Jesus with them somehow. Through the course of the conversation, I found out that they too were followers of Jesus and we talked about how majestic His creation was. She asked me about what was going on in my life, we talked a little about church and music, then she called her husband over and they prayed for me. We spoke briefly after that, then they got in their car and drove the opposite direction I was going. It was an incredible blessing, and I realized that they never told me their names. God used them to reiterate to me His love and guidance, and I have no idea who they are. Just two people who love Jesus being used by Jesus to help encourage a fellow follower of Jesus seeking to live like Jesus.

You just never know what you might miss when you don't take the time to enjoy and/or embrace the place God has you right now.

So i'm reading this book...

It's called Secondhand Jesus, trading rumors of God for firsthand faith (by Glenn Packiam). I'll post a full synopsis when I'm done but thought I'd start the topic while I'm sitting here in jury duty. The premise is this -- how much of what we say we believe actually comes from what we know of God from Scripture and from our experience of Him in light of Scripture versus what we believe based on what we've been told by someone else. Have we sat in our chairs (or pews) and simply accepted whatever we heard as total truth and molded our lives after that, or do we get messy and dig deep in our personal relationship with God and know Him, really know Him? If we simply take what other people say, we very easily can begin to believe rumors, falsehoods that sound good and get repeated over and over until we accept them as fact, without even realizing that we don't really know what we've been saying. And here's the scary part. Until we have that moment or event that shakes us to our core and causes us to reexamine why we believe what we believe, we don't know what we don't actually know. We just keep moving forward until that moment when everything gets shaken up and we take a closer look, rather, we allow the Light of God to search out our hearts and expose those things we hold on to.

Now, don't misinterpret the aim of this blog. I'm not saying I've been sitting under false or erroneous teaching. What I'm driving at is the challenge for us to not just believe everything a preacher or evangelist or professor or even our best friend has told us about God but to dig deeper, to get our hands dirty, to do the work to know God for ourselves, not just take somebody else's word for Him. It means getting uncomfortable with ourselves and opening ourselves up to examination, allowing God to reach in and change our way of thinking. But, and here's why I feel it's important, I can't be comfortable in my relationship with God any more. For the fire to remain kindled forward momentum must be maintained, and simply sitting passively by and trying to live vicariously through the words and actions of others just doesn't cut it any more.

Know why you believe what you believe -- and because someone told you so doesn't cut it. Question what you hear based on Scripture, not on what you or some talking head thinks. Know God. Really know Him. It takes hard work. It will get messy. But it's so worth it.

(I apologize for any typos. Using the Blackberry to type this.)

Worship, Lying, Gain and Sacrifice

I read a quote this morning I wanted to pass on to you. Ergun Caner, head of the dept. of Theology at Liberty University twittered a rough quote from Tozer: Christians do not tell lies, they go to church and sing them. I’m afraid that’s true more than it’s not. I’d read another statement that said that often Christians worship for what they will get in return more than for what they can give in worship. Living a life of worship is synonymous to living a life that cultivates influence – they require sacrifice. If we sacrifice for the purpose of gain, then where’s the real sacrifice? Sacrifice motivated by gain isn’t truly sacrifice, it’s self-serving. If God never spoke into our lives, if He never sent blessings, wisdom or guidance He’d still be worthy of our sacrificing ourselves on the altar as living sacrifices. Yes, we desire to come into His presence, to experience all that He has to offer us as we lift up praise and worship to Him, but if we aren’t willingly sacrificing ourselves for Him simply because He is worthy, we’re missing the point. We worship, not for what we get, but because of what we give – ourselves, every part of us, fully and completely to the King Who redeemed us. We worship because He is worthy, because of His greatness, because of what He has done, because of Who He is. So, let’s not be liars in church when we sing. Let’s give God every part of us now, simply because He is worthy. Leave getting anything in return up to Him.

When we come to worship, be wholly involved in all that goes on when we come to God. Embrace everything that He is and all that He offers, and don’t just go looking for what you think you need. Don’t just dip in your toe into the ocean of worship, dive in. Become an active participant, not just a spectator. Ask yourself the question: Is my worship self-centered or God-centered? If we worship for us, then God gets nothing out of it. If he gets nothing, what can you expect to get out of it besides a temporary emotional high? If you’re looking for worship that lasts, then give everything to it, hold nothing back, make it all about God. Remove yourself as the focus and train your focus fully on God. We get from God in proportion to what we give in our worship. David Jeremiah puts it this way: we can only “take away the sum equivalent of what we bring.” In other words, only offer up partial worship, expect to only receive partial blessing. We should seek to give it all, every part, to worship in both spirit and truth.

If you’re like me, giving every part can be a struggle. It’s easy to hold on to things in life and not want to let go. But, if we’re going to be able to truly worship in spirit and in truth, we must. We must release every part or be willing to ask God to take control of that area from us. Yes, it can mean pain. But pain is temporary. True worship is eternal. Won’t I feel like I’m not in control? Yes, and that’s what you want. We shouldn’t be in control of anything. God should be in control of everything. The challenge is to live your life so that even the small things fall under God’s control, not yours. Are we up for it?

The Events of a Thursday night, recent and far.

Tonight we did something a little different. Usually in the middle of rehearsal we stop for a short time of devotion/study. Recently, while researching something else, I came across information about the Passion Week, which got me thinking. What was it like for Jesus during His last week prior to His crucifixion? I looked at the triumphant entry into Jerusalem celebrated on Palm Sunday up to the crucifixion, which led us to celebrate the cross during church last Sunday. Then, I focused on Thursday. What got me thinking was that we were having our final Easter rehearsal on the day traditionally viewed as the night of the last supper. Rather than the usual time of teaching, something needed to be different.

After we finished the rehearsal, rather simply teaching, we sat everyone in two rows of chairs, facing each other. Starting with the first person on each row, we symbolically washed each other’s feet, telling them we loved them with the love of the Lord. Now, some people might think this silly or not take it seriously, but the imagery was incredible. Acknowledging our love for each other in Christ, our willingness to serve each other and put each other ahead of ourselves, it drove home in my heart the way Christ did that for us, not only in washing His disciples’ feet, but in the ultimate act of placing others ahead of Himself when He died on the cross. It was a gesture not just of servanthood and humility, but of the sacrifice Christ was about to make for all of us.

When we were done, we took a loaf of bread, and, in following Scripture, broke it, blessed it, and passed it to each other, each person tearing off a piece of the loaf to eat in remembrance of Jesus’ body being broken for us. I wish I could paint you a picture of what that looked like. First, breaking the loaf apart – Jesus’ body was broken for us. Then, the tearing off of pieces – I could see the whips tearing into Jesus’ back and body, shredding the skin, the agony He suffered for us. As people ate the piece of bread they tore off it struck me how Christ’s body was consumed in the payment for my sin. (As we celebrate Easter we must always remember that Resurrection Sunday always follows Crucifixion Day.)

Next in the story Jesus passed the cup, after He blessed it, stating that it was His blood poured out in a new covenant. While we didn’t want to pass one cup around for all to drink out of, we gave everyone a small cup. I held in my hands a bottle of grape juice, red liquid, and as we prayed I couldn’t help but think of the fact that we were about to pour out the juice just as Christ’s blood was poured out for us. It was hard to speak for a moment as that thought overwhelmed me. Then, to see each person pouring out the juice into their cups, realizing that Jesus had poured out His blood for each one of them, it was almost as it I could see His blood being applied to each life.

It was a reminder of how costly our salvation really is. God came to earth and died for us. It isn’t something that we can ever take lightly, but a very serious charge given to us to live up to. And, just as we passed the bread and the juice, so to must we take this incredible gift of grace and share it with all around us. We can’t keep it to ourselves. We must all be lights shining the truth of the hope of the gospel to everyone we meet, sharing with them the love and grace that God has so freely given to us. Amazing what washing feet and passing around bread and juice can show a person.

Carry with you the image of Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. Ponder it as you think of the crucifixion. Allow your heart to overflow with rejoicing when realizing that Jesus didn’t stay in the tomb but rose again and is alive today, sitting at God’s right hand, speaking for us. Allow God to reveal more of what He’s done for you to your heart as you live out a life worthy of the sacrifice made to set you free. Then, when we get together on Sunday morning to celebrate, we truly do celebrate the greatness of our God with hearts overflowing in worship and adoration of Him.

Malachi 1:14

God calls someone "Hypocrite!" You know you have to done something bad to be called hypocrite by God. In a message dealing with what we offer in worship, God brings this pronouncement. "There will be harsh condemnation for the hypocrite who has a valuable male animal in his flock but vows and sacrifices something inferior to the Lord." (NET) In other words, God calls someone a hypocrite (and promises condemnation) when they come to Him with an offering of worship that is blemished and imperfect when they hold back something much more valuable. God demands our best in worship, and when we come to Him acting like we're something greater than we really are, when what we bring isn't the best we have to offer, rather is something we almost throw together at the last minute, we offend Him greatly. It's a scary thing to offend God, the Creator of the universe and the only All-Powerful Being. Tick Him off and look out.

Just look at what He's said to Israel and her worship leaders (priests) so far in the message He gave through Malachi. "You've strayed so far you can't even see how much I love you and how evident My love for you really is." (v. 2-5) "You have dishonored Me and made light of My name, and you can't even see what you've done. You think you're still all right with Me and don't realize how displeased I am with you." (v. 6-9) "You've profaned My Temple by considering My table as common, something you just do every week because it's required. You even turn your nose up at it and consider it tiresome." (v. 12-13) Pretty harsh words to the people who considered themselves the children of God. In verse 10 God wishes someone would close and bar the door to the Temple rather than have to put up with the false and fake worship the people were offering. Wow. The God of the universe Who desires that all men worship Him would rather close the place of worship than face another day of dishonest worship. No wonder He pronounces judgment on those who don't offer their best to Him.

So, how does that apply to us today, to those of us who call ourselves the children of God? Was this just a warning message to the Israelites over 2,400 years ago, or does this message carry warnings for us today? Well, let's ask the question. If God Who never changes can't stand dishonest worship from the Israelites, do you think He would appreciate or accept less than honest worship from us today? If the blemished offerings gives back then upset Him so greatly, how do you think He feels about our less-than-our-best offerings we may offer today? Somehow, I rather suspect that He probably doesn't care for them too much either (said tongue-in-cheek). Of course, He would feel the same strong emotions about what we do today as He did toward what the Israelites offered then.

What, then, do we need to take away from this message of warning? God sees our hearts. He knows if what we bring to Him, both in church and in our personal worship times on our own, is really our best, from our hearts, completely honest before Him or if we're simply going through the motions, just bringing whatever we feel like at the moment, even trying to fake what we do so others around us think better of us. God desires honest worship, worship from our hearts offered both in spirit and in truth, that comes from deep within us, from the core of who we are. And we're not just talking about worship as we think of it happening in church on Sunday. God's looking at our motivation behind everything we do. You see, the Israelites had to go to the Temple for their official acts of worship, since the Temple was seen as the dwelling place of God. We, on the other hand, who have been indwelled by the Holy Spirit, live every moment of our lives in the presence of God since we have been called His temples. If God focused on the offerings being brought to the Temple in Jerusalem, how much more does He look at everything we do as an act of offering, since everything we do is in His presence?

If we are His temple, then what kind of offerings are we bringing on a daily basis? Are we giving God our best, or are we doing the bare minimums, if that? Do we put on airs when around others so they think us better or closer to God than we are then revert to our "normal" selves when we think no one is around? And, what is our motivation for what we do? Is it God-centered or self-centered? I know we'll not live perfect lives while on earth, but we can live God-centered lives. Do we live saying the right things and being in the right places at the right times and have lost the real meaning of why we do those things, or do we live each day seeking to have a fresh encounter with the God Who redeemed us? Do we live doing whatever we want, or do we live to do what God desires us to do -- to live lives of worship, giving praise and glory to Him, sharing Him with the world around us, seeking to not only draw closer to Him ourselves, but to seek out and help others to become fully devoted followers of Jesus as well? That's the life God desires us to live, and to do anything less is to become guilty of the same sins the Israelites were guilty of 2,400 years ago, sins that offended the God of heaven and brought promises of condemnation and the title of hypocrite placed on them.

I don't know about you, but I have no desire to have the God of the Universe call me a hypocrite. Wait until you read the next few verses in chapter 2. If you thought this was harsh, the next few verses should have you quaking in your boots.

Offer true, authentic acts of worship to God today, tomorrow, and every day of your life. If condemnation is given to hypocrites, just imagine how much more the blessing and grace given for authentic worship.

Be blessed, and remember: Pray for the people in your wallet today.

Malachi talks about worship? I thought it was all about tithes and offerings.

Malachi was given a burdensome revelation from God. His message is heavy, not light, and carries many warnings of impending punishment or, even worse, the message that God not only isn’t pleased with the people, He’s not going to meet with or reside with them anymore. The statement that He would just as soon have the Temple doors closed so they can’t enter implies that when they do enter, He won’t be there to answer or respond. The people have offended God greatly, and He’s not going to take it anymore.

Malachi begins with the ominous statement that this revelation is a heavy burden (in the Hebrew the word for revelation means "burden"). Malachi, whose name means “My messenger,” was going to carry a message of warning and a direct accusation against the people and the priests of Israel. The people of Israel have been struggling under oppression, and while they’ve been allowed back into their homeland, many still feel as if God doesn’t care about them. If He doesn’t care about them, why should they care about Him? Malachi begins his message by answering the question, “Does God really love us?” God’s response is that He chose them and rejected Esau (Edom). Even though Edom thinks she will rebuild and become great again, God reminds the people that He’s pronounced judgment on Edom and won’t allow them to rebuild, but will ultimately overthrow them. God will do this so Israel and the world) will be able to look on it and know that He is God, He is in control, and that His name will be praised, even beyond the borders of Israel. In other words, God desires for all men to know His fame, and He wants His people to know His love and care for them.

Having given proof that God still loves them, Malachi drops right into the indictment against the people. It’s natural for a son to respect his father, yet the people of Israel have no respect or honor for God. The people don’t understand this, since they still are going through all the motions of the sacrifices they are to offer to God for His good pleasure. However, God hates their offerings. Why? Because they aren’t bringing Him their best. They’re bringing Him whatever they feel like bringing – usually the sick and the damaged – feeling that since they at least are offering something that God must be pleased. God responds in anger that they have no respect for Him anymore, that they are bringing to Him offerings that they wouldn’t even dare to give to a ruler or someone in authority. Why would they give God something worse than they would give each other and still expect God to accept what they offered and be happy with it? God had reached the point where He says that they may as well close the doors of the temple and stop the sacrifices they’re offering because He won’t be there to accept them – since they’re an offense to Him as it is. God desires the worship and praise of all people, and he wants it to be authentic, from the heart worship, not a going through the motions so I’ll bring whatever I feel like bringing worship (which isn’t God-worship at all but self-worship).

It gets worse from there. Not only do they not offer their best for sacrifices, they disrespect even the very act of the sacrifice, turning up their noses at it, considering it common or profane. God calls their attitude and actions “tiresome.” Why should He accept blemished and worthless sacrifices offered by people who don’t even care what they bring to Him? How authentic is that kind of offering of worship? God calls the people hypocrites for going through the motions without having the right heart for what they are doing. Should they continue, God promises great punishment and condemnation for their actions. Why? Because He is the greatest King, and He will have His name be awesome among the nations.

What are the implications for us today? This heavy burden was saved for us to read and learn from for a reason, so how would this apply to us today? It starts with this question: “What kind of offering of worship to we bring to our God on a daily or weekly basis?” When we gather together on a Sunday morning, are we really bringing our best for our God, or do we come out of obligation? Do we see times of corporate worship as incredible opportunities to worship together the God Who loves us, or is it so common to us that we go through the motions with ease, focus more on our conversations with friends than our conversations with God, or even have no problem skipping out or leaving for any reason? God is basically telling us in this message that if we aren’t going to bring Him the best of what we have, if we don’t come to worship having Him as the sole object of our worship and our reason for being there, we might as well stay home. God looks for and will meet and bless the people who seek Him first and offer Him proper offerings of worship and praise, but will refuse to meet with people who are there out of obligation, who don’t bring their best but choose to turn up their noses, as it were, to the true, authentic offerings being offered. What does the way we live our lives the rest of the week say about whether our offerings of worship are authentic or not? God is looking at the total package, not just at what happens during an hour and a half on a Sunday morning. And remember, He is looking at our hearts and our motivations, not just at our outward actions. He knows whether we’re being real or not, whether it’s authentic or merely going through the motions.

God is looking for people who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. Those whose worship isn’t in spirit or in truth He labels hypocrites and promises condemnation if they don’t repent and return to authentically worshiping Him. Those whose worship is real, however, He showers down His love and blessing. God wants more than anything for His name to be the greatest and the most worshiped in all the world. He takes it very seriously, and we have been created to give Him that praise and honor. Not doing so robs Him of that honor and that glory, and in the coming chapters Malachi delivers even weightier messages concerning robbing God and its consequences.

thoughts from Malachi

Whenever I think of Malachi, I think of the last book of the Old Testament, the 400+ year silence before the birth of Christ, and tithes and offerings (test Me and see). This time, I'm reading Malachi from a worship perspective, seeking to relate Malachi's message to our worship today. God has some very strong words for our offerings of worship, and I'm looking forward to getting deeper into the message God sent to us through His messenger (in Hebrew, Malachi means "my messenger").

Did you ever just stop...

Have you ever stopped to wonder what it must have been like when God created the heavens and the earth? Did you ever wish you could have been there when God spoke everything into existence? I can just see the angels watching in awe as God speaks and things begin to happen. God said, “Let there be animals on the earth” and BOOM! Animals of every kind suddenly appear. I’ll bet the angels went wild with cheering and rejoicing. God looks over at them and says, “You liked that? Wait until you see what’s coming next! I’m going to create humans. They’ll be made different from all other creation, because I’ll make them in My image. When all of creation looks at them, they’ll be able to see a picture of Me.” Imagine the buzz of excitement the angels must have felt as they watched God form man from the dust. Already they know something is different. God had simply spoken everything else into existence, these humans were different. Then, God breathes life into the shape He’d made and Man was born. I imagine the angels must have gone wild in celebration. That’s how the Bible begins, with the wonder of creation. Jump to the end of the book and you find a new Heaven and new earth with a new Jerusalem. Imagine the wonder of that sight, the perfection, the beauty, the grandeur. Of course, chances are your gaze will be riveted on the Lamb, on the brightness of God shining so brightly that there’s no need for a sun to shine. The Bible, bookended with wonder.

How about the middle? All you have to do is head to Psalms and you’ll find the psalmists over and over speaking in awe and wonder of God or telling of how they see His glory in His creation. You find that God has encompassed His creation with His glory and grandeur, but we humans are the ones He created to truly see and feel that sense of wonder that comes from seeing Him and all His glory at work. Think about the last time you watched in wonder at a beautiful sunset or sunrise, or maybe marveled at the awesome power on display during a thunderstorm. Maybe it was from watching a row of ants moving an impossible load across the yard or gazing at the majesty of a lion on the hunt. Do you realize that humans are the only creation that would ever truly pause to stop in wonder of a site like that? Why? Because of all creation, we alone are capable of realizing the beauty and design behind what we’ve seen. I know some of you are thinking, “Animals must have the ability to sense wonder, beauty and awe. I’ve watched my dog Jethro sit and gaze at the sunset. Surely he is able to appreciate the beauty in that.” Now I realize that Disney, cartoons, and even animal rights activists have worked hard over the past several decades to convince us that animals are as human as they can be, but, really? Do animals really stop to smell the roses, gaze at sunsets, or stare in wonder at a night sky, or do they go about their way, living the life they were created to live? Now, this is not an argument against PETA or other activists, simply a statement that we alone of all creation have the capacity to be in true awe and wonder, having the ability to see beyond the surface into the deeper reasons and thoughts. We were made that way.

Because we are made that way, there is within us the desire to be lost in wonder, the desire to know that there is something much bigger than us out there. We long for those moments when we are knocked into silent wonder, almost unable to even breathe as we are enveloped in the amazement of that which is greater than us. It’s in those moments of worship we find ourselves simultaneously humbled and lifted up, and that’s what worship is really about. David Jeremiah, in his book My Heart’s Desire, calls those moments true worship (p.16) and encourages us to realize that for us to truly worship we need to remember what it is like to get lost in wonder and amazement, to nurture and develop it and not let the circumstances or culture of the world we live in to take that away from us. Think of it this way. A small child looks at everything in the world in wonder. Everything is fresh and new, experiences happen for the first time. They are constantly in wonder of everything around them (maybe that explains why a purple dinosaur can sing a silly song and be such a huge celebrity among kids). But, as they grow older, they begin to see the same things over and over and what happens? They lose the sense of wonder and as they get older, a cynicism can set in causing them to think there’s nothing new anymore. Why do you think Hollywood spends so much on the newest technology, the latest CGI? Why are the top grossing movies today full of fancier and more spectacular special effects? Just watch a top grossing movie from 10 years ago and you’ll see. You’ll probably say, ”This is a classic, but, man, I wish they’d redo that scene so it could pop off the screen the way movies today do it.” (There’s something to be said about loving the classics, although could you see kids today sitting through The Court Jester with Danny Kaye or even Dante’s Inferno with Spencer Tracy?)

Things move forward at spectacular rates these days because people are seeking that sense of wonder, and they think it will only come when something bigger and better comes along. But, every so often, something happens that causes us to stop, all movement ceases, and we sit in silent wonder or joyful amazement like a mountain view or a baby’s first steps. God desires us to seek Him with that same sense of wonder, that child-like faith and wonder. That’s one of the reasons why children had such an important place in Jesus’s heart. The disciples had lost that wonder and saw the children as a nuisance. Jesus knew, however, that children looked for Him with that pure sense of wonder and held them up as an example for us to follow, not to be childish in how we act or seek Him, but to have that child-like faith and wonder, that comes to Him with open hearts and minds ready to be amazed by what He has done. David Jeremiah puts it this way: “We don’t need a convenient, compact god. We need the One who causes us to fall upon our knees, who leaves us speechless, who makes our eyes shine with His fire and causes us to depart as changed persons. And we need that God every moment of every day.” (p.18)

How do we keep that wonder in our lives, then? Psalm 66 lays out the response of a passionate worshipper lost in wonder of God. The psalmist begins with the exhortation for everything on earth to shout with joy to God, to proclaim His glory, not just to the world, but to God Himself as well. He’s seen what God can do, how great He is and is overwhelmed in wonder. He’s very passionate about his worship, that’s evident, not just from his language but his desire that the whole earth join him in his exuberant expressions of worship. And that’s the first step for us, too. Seeing the wonder of God must be a passion of the heart, something that compels us, that drives us, causes us to want everyone around us to join in. (If you’re like me, you probably need to stop here and do a self-examination.) You see, the psalmist wasn’t just shouting out words about some great God, no, he was crying out about a God he knew personally, a God Whom he’d seen at work in his life and all around him. That knowledge consumed him and lit a fire inside him that burned brightly for all to see. How well do we know God, not just about Him. What experiences have we had personally with the Almighty that drives us to cry out to everyone of the wonder and glory God contains?

He exhorts the listener to join him, to see what God has done, how He provided and took care of him and his people. He knew that God had brought them to where they were now because of their faithfulness to Him. How does where you are now speak of your faithfulness to God? If we are to live lives of wonder, we must be faithful to God, whether in good times or bad. Even if our enemies “walk on our hands” (v. 12), we still need to be faithful to God. We must trust Him at all times to be our Provider, our Protector, our God.

Living this life will require sacrifice. In verses 13-15 the psalmist tells God that he will go to the Temple and offer his sacrifices, the things he’s promised God he would do. So too for us, living lives of wonder will require that we give up something of ourselves – our time, our passions, our resources, our will. We must humbly submit ourselves to God and seek to live the life He’s laid out for us to live.

But living the life of wonder isn’t all about sacrifices or trials. No, the psalmist concludes the psalm with the exhortation for all who are listening to come and hear of what God had done for him as he has lived a life of passionate wonder. God was there whenever he was in trouble, listening and ready to respond. He knew that because he’d come to God on God’s terms, followed God’s plan, he was blameless before God. He knew that because he knew God heard his cries, both for help and of worship and praise, and knew that were he not blameless, God wouldn’t have listened. Instead, the psalmist knew and rejoiced in the fact that God had heard every cry, every shout, and hadn’t withheld anything from him, whether grace, mercy or love.

When we live a life passionately seeking the wonder of God, a life lived seeking to know Him personally and experientially, a life dedicated to being faithful to Him no matter the cost, willingly submitted to God’s control, we will find great reward. Life abundant and free. Blameless before God. Help when we need it. Love unending. And, perhaps the most important, constant wonder at the presence of God reaching into our lives in personal ways every day we live the life of wonder.

Excerpts from My Heart’s Desire by Dr. David Jeremiah. Copyright 2002, published by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, New Century Version, copyright 2005, Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Entering the throne room boldly

Hebrews 4 has this wonderful section of verses at the end of the chapter. Verse 12 tells us that God's Word is alive, powerful, able to cut us to the quick, to get directly to the heart of every issue in our lives, holding us all accountable for every thought and imagination. Verse 13 carries the theme over to God, stating that nothing can be hidden from Him, not even the deepest, darkest secret we have. It all is open before Him. Then, we get to the last three verses.

You might think that, after reading that both God and His Word are able to see and examine every little thing we do that there is no hope of ever living a life that would be good or pleasing before God. I mean, think about it. Every thought, every secret action. The “real” you that stays locked away deep inside where no one is able to ever see it. It’s so used to being in locked in the dark it’s probably gone permanently blind since it never has light to see by. That part of you. If we’re all honest we all would say that there’s a part of us we see as “ugly,” the part we think if people knew about us they’d run far and fast away from us, never to return. God sees that, and His Word cuts deeply enough into our hearts to reach that area and open it up before Him. Knowing that, some might think that there’s no way we would ever be able to live a life that would be pleasing to God. And, you know what? They’d be right – IF we were living our lives on our own, under our own strength and power. But, we don’t have to.

Verses 14-16 carry wonderful hope and the promise of living fulfilled lives. You see, we don’t have to approach God on our own. Sinful, messed up us attempting to stand before a perfect, holy God. On our own we wouldn’t last a second in the presence of His awesome glory. But we don’t walk into the throne room alone. We have a High Priest that goes before us, Who makes us worthy through the sacrifice of Himself that He offered on our behalf. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is our Priest, and we are exhorted to hold fast to our faith in Him and what He’s done for us. Not just in respect to redemption, although that alone is enough, but Jesus did more than just pay our debt. He came to earth as one of us, lived a life like we live, faced the same issues, fought the same battles against temptation and sin, so He understands where we come from. He knows how hard it is to fight temptation – He fought it Himself. He knows what it’s like to put God’s will first and foremost in His life, even when He personally would have loved to have a different way to get it done – He did God’s will anyway. And, it’s because He faced those same struggles we have this hope: our Priest, Who faced the same trials and temptations as we do, is able to freely enter in to the throne room of God and because He can, we can too. Not only can we enter, we are told to enter with boldness and assuredness, knowing that we are there because we belong there, not as outsiders or outcasts, but as followers of the High Priest and ourselves the children of God. We find mercy freely poured out over our lives and we find the grace we need to make it through the situations in life we find ourselves in. You and I, as children of the King, are able to freely approach God because our High Priest came to this earth, lived our life, understands our struggles, opened Himself up to the unrelenting gaze and powerful examination of the Word of God and passed through the fire unscathed, perfect, to become the sacrifice He as the High Priest offered to God for our reconciliation and redemption.

Approach the throne with boldness. Find the mercy and grace you need to live the life God has called you to live. Worship in wonder and awe in the awesome presence of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The Journey of 1,000 miles begins with ...

I don’t know about you, but I have a problem with traveling. If there’s not much for me to do on the trip, I find myself wishing someone would have developed a transporter already so I could just beam from spot to spot instantly. I know my target destination, and I want to be there already. That’s why I travel with a laptop, iPod, books, anything to help me get my mind off the travel so I don’t focus on being “stuck,” especially in an airplane. (At least with driving there’s more to see, radio to play, and you can stop whenever you want to get out and stretch – especially important since I’m 6’4”.) On long trips on planes you find things to do to keep your mind off the lack of space to really stretch out the legs. On long trips by car I usually plan to have the time to stop whenever I feel like it, see sights, that sort of thing. Whatever it takes to break the monotony of travel. I would much rather instantly be there and skip the whole travel thing, but since we can’t do that yet, I manage.

What about living the Christian life? We know what our final destination is, and we know where we should be each day. Often we stop and ask ourselves how we’re doing. If you’re like me, it’s easy sometimes to be so focused on the destination that I forget that the trip isn’t as much about the destination as it is the journey to get there. Let me illustrate. A couple of years ago I drove with several folks from my church to New York on a mission trip. Pensacola, FL, to Matla, NY, is about 1400 miles, one way. 10 people in a church van pulling a trailer. Loads of fun. No, really. Well, loads of time sitting in a van with not much to do. Enough to make you go crazy if you’re not careful. Be fair. Think about the last time you drove on a trip that took 2 days hard driving. Remember? How do you make it that far without going crazy? I mean, on the road things begin to look the same mile after mile. One mile of pavement looks pretty much the same an any other mile. How do you acknowledge your progress? You establish goal points. It might be mile markers where some event happened to you on a previous trip or a city or exit that you like to take that has your favorite gas station or restaurant. It might be those all important rest areas for, you know, resting. Anyway, you approach the trip as a whole, but you break it down into smaller pieces so you can gauge how far you’ve gone and how far you have to go. That’s how you make it through a long trip.

The same is true with the Christian life. If you are so focused on the destination that you don’t have those intermediate win points to celebrate, you can find yourself feeling defeated or discouraged. And that’s the exact opposite of how our God of wonder desires us to live. The old saying goes that the journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step, and that’s true. Sometimes, though, I wish it continued to say that it begins with a single step … after step … after step … until you get there. We live in an age when everything is instant: microwaves to cook food faster, drive-thrus at restaurants, faster and faster internet, instant messaging – face it, our whole world in America is about getting it faster, bigger, better. If we apply that thinking to our Christian lives, though, we’ll find ourselves frustrated that we aren’t where we know we should be. And frustration can lead to discouragement, which can lead to defeat and surrender, an acceptance of where we are and a lack of desire to move forward. God never wants that life for us. He desires us to live in wonder and awe of Him, in victory and peace, full of hope. That’s why we’re encouraged to remember the things God has done for us and share them with others – so we see the victories we’ve had that fuel our passion and desire to keep moving forward, those victories that remind us of the greatness of God and drive our worship of Him.

Proverbs 3:18 (NCV) tells us that the way of the good (righteous) person is like the light of dawn, growing brighter and brighter until full daylight. If we see the full daylight at our destination (heaven with God), then our walk should constantly be moving towards full light. What our walk can’t do is go backward, towards more darkness, but move ever forward, little by little, until we reach the fullness of day. Think about the last time you watched the sun come up. It wasn’t like a cartoon, dark one second and full daylight the next, rather, it gradually got brighter, almost so slowly that you missed it unless you happened to close your eyes for a second to remember the previous moment, then open them again to see how much brighter the world was. It’s the gradual, continual movement forward that gets us to our final destination, and we must see the journey as a series of steps, not an instantaneous leap.

How do we keep going forward, then, when faced with a journey that seems to take so long? Proverbs 3 gives some more advice. Verse 25 encourages us to keep our focus on the things that are right, to look straight ahead at what is good, to stay on that path, always moving forward, and not to follow the rabbit trails and evil paths along the way that try to distract us (v.27). In other words, we keep our focus squarely on the One who is the embodiment of good, and we remember all the good that He has done. We remember that while there are times when we can’t seem to see the sky getting brighter, as long as we stay on the path that leads to Him we can’t help but experience brighter skies the farther we go. We have to help those around us, encouraging them as well in their journey, for the reality is that as God followers we are all headed in the same direction towards the same destination. We never travel alone. God is always with us, and so are all those who follow Him as we do. We have a responsibility to each other to encourage and support and even celebrate with each other as we move forward, step by step, towards that final destination, the fullness of daylight, the throne room of God. We have to keep taking steps forward.

So, don’t give up, don’t get discouraged if while you’re moving forward you aren’t where you think you should be in your Christian walk. Remember that you are on a long trip, and set up markers for yourself so you can gauge constant forward movement. Take the time to remember what God has done, reflect in wonder of Him, so you can see that the sky is indeed getting brighter, the mile markers are actually getting higher and higher in number, the destination closer and closer. Celebrate each and every victory along the way, being careful to always give thanks and praise to the One Who gives you the victories. And keep stepping forward, from step 1 to step 1,000,001, knowing that each step brings you closer home.

Shock and Awe

Remember the campaign the military used during the beginning of the last war in Iraq? It's purpose was to be so terrible and complete that the enemy would be in shock and awe and be more inclined to surrender peacefully when faced with the potential desctructive force of the US military. Seemed to do a pretty good job at the time, too. We took Baghdad in record time and overthrew a tyrant. What happened after the "shock and awe" burned off, though? Those inclined to cause trouble got over the wonder and awe of the display of force and returned to their normal way of life, which in turn sent chaos and panic and pain across that nation as well as its affect on our own. What, you ask, does this have to do with worship? Glad you asked.

Let’s start the discussion by remembering. Do you remember the last time you came face to face with God, not in a casual, “Hey, it’s nice to see you” kind of way, but more of a “knock you on the seat of your pants, blow your mind” kind of way? Did you find yourself marveling in wonder and awe at the God Who had moved in such a powerful way? Out of that sense of wonder, something in you changed. At least for that moment, you existed in pure worship, giving God glory. Your thoughts changed, your actions changed, your mind changed. You had to go tell someone, you couldn’t keep it bottled up inside. And, if you’re honest, if you look back you can see how what you did during that time was different. You acted with joy and peace in your heart because God had become very real and very personal with you. What happened when that moment wore off, when things “got back to normal?” When what happened became more memory than existence? Does God seem as real now? Do you think of Him and His desire for your life as much as you did before?

We live in an age when we are bombarded by the “wonderful” and “incredible” every day. Technological advancements promise us bright, healthy futures and easier lives. Movies have developed to the point of being able to make fantasy look real. Commercials entice us at every turn with offers that, should we take them, promise the world. Reality, however, gives a different picture. Poverty and sickness run rampant around the globe. Personal debt runs at an all-time high. More people are on medication for stress and psychological issues now than ever before. Enough to make the best of us doubt the truth of the promises from media, government and technology we see around us. It becomes easy to be focused on ourselves and what will happen to us – we’re constantly blasted by information coming in from every angle, most either declaring that the world we’re comfortable with (as we know it) is all about to come crashing down around us or carrying the reports of the actions of evil people in our neighborhoods and around the world. Cynicism and sarcasm run rampant, shaping how we view the world and everything around us. Not much really causes us to stop all activity and sit in true awe any more, does it?

How often do we treat our Christian lives that way, living day to day trying to figure out how we’re going to make it, often never giving God another thought? At the same time, in the middle of all the hustle, isn’t there a voice in our heads crying out that life with God should be different than this, a longing to see God work in miraculous ways and to experience Him in deeper and more fulfilling ways?

Question. How often do you find yourself in awe of God? When was the last time you stopped in simple wonder of Who He is? Do you find yourself desperately seeking to spend as much time with Him as you possibly can, desiring to know Him more fully, more deeply than you did the day before? Or, are you satisfied with where you are and have no desire to move forward in your relationship with God? This is where we have to start, with an honest and truthful examination of our motives for living, of where we find our direction and purpose, of whether or not we spend the time necessary to see and be exposed to the wonder of God. Controlled by a passion to know Him – personally, experientially, powerfully – not just content to know about Him. Driven by personal experience of what it means to be in His presence, to hear His voice, to feel His leading and to see Him working. Do we serve Him with every part of our being or do we follow the popular slogans of the day and say the pithy statements about Him that make everyone around us think we are in better shape than we are spiritually? In other words, we actually DO what Jesus would do, not just wear the bracelet. Do we have daily times of private, personal worship, where we find ourselves alone with God, willing to give up whatever it takes to ensure we have those times of worship?

Dr. David Jeremiah wrote a book called My Heart’s Desire: Living every moment in the wonder of worship. In it he speaks of the rewards we gain by living, as he calls it, in the “wonder of worship.” Things like joy, deep, fulfilling joy. The kind that lasts because it’s based on Someone Who lasts, not on our circumstances or our own personal merits. How about being more devoted to God, more deeply connected to Him, your family and friends, and your purpose for living. How about finding yourself more driven to be accomplishing what you’ve been called to do, whether at work, at home, or in ministry? Or, how about finding your faith not just becoming alive and powerful, but staying that way, day after day, as you experience God and all His fullness?

Where do we start? Honestly, with confession and repentance. With an acknowledgement that we are not there, perhaps have not been there for a long time, but that we want to be there and are willing to surrender anything and everything necessary to get there. Until we are able to approach God with complete humility, to be able to say as David did, “Who am I that you would even care the littlest bit for me? I’m nothing. You are everything, and You are everything I need. I want to know You, to live in wonder and awe of Who You are, and am willing to do whatever it takes, to make whatever sacrifices it requires, for me to live this life.” In acknowledging our failure to live every moment in wonder we elevate God to the position He desires to have in our lives, that of being Primary and first. It’s then that He is able to reveal more of Himself, leaving us in wonder and awe, our capacity to worship Him having been expanded.

This is the journey I find myself on. I invite you to join me. The destination? Living every moment in the wonder of worship. Living a life that experiences God the way He desires me to experience Him, being changed by Him, and then changing the world around me because of Him. A life in which the shock and awe never wear off, because we live each day in the wonder of our Creator, our Savior, our King.