Why I Worship

What Is Worship, Why Do We Worship, How to Worship

Sometimes You’ve Just Gotta Sing!

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Imagine with me, if you will, the strangest or most exciting  news you could possibly receive… “You’ve won the lottery!” “You got the job!” “You’re getting a raise.” “We’re going to be parents!”

How about this…”Do not be afraid. You have found favor with God. The Holy Spirit will come upon you and His power will overshadow you. You will conceive a son and he will be called the Son of God.”

Ummm… Ok?

You’re not married. You have not been intimate with a man. You are engaged but… this is NOT going to look good to the locals. There will be questions. There will be curious looks. There will be gossip. There will be doubts.

What do you do? Well, in Mary’s case, you sing!

In Luke 1:46-48, Mary sings “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed.”

Mary must have known how this was going to be perceived. She must have known that this was going to be a hard story for most people to swallow. She must have even known that for the man she had promised herself to for life, Joseph, this was going to really be a test. Still she sings… a song of faith… a song of gratitude… a song of trust that there is a plan that is much greater than the temporary hardships she faces.

What is God asking of you? What has He spoken to you that, in your mind, you cannot comprehend? What is your reaction? Do you fear the possible hardships and testing that it will take to attain the promise He has set before you? Do you complain that this will cause too much trouble? Or do you say as Mary did in verse 38 of Luke 1: “Let it be unto me according to your word.”

“Father, You are most faithful. I trust you with my life. Let it be unto me (TODAY) according to your word. Have your way in me today. I will sing of your faithfulness and goodness and I will tell of your favor toward me, you servant. Thank you for choosing this broken vessel to be used in the service of your kingdom.”

Where ever you find yourself today, know that God is looking on you with favor. He sees and he knows every trial, every hardship, every time you’ve cried and every time you’ve wondered if you could really make it. Sing your song to Him. Sing of His faithfulness to you.

Open your mouth and lift your voice… because sometimes you’ve just gotta sing!!!

Be blessed today.

WHAT DO YOU WANT?

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I can remember riding in the car with my mom and dad when I was a child and hearing my younger brother saying “mama…. mama….. mama…. mama….. mama…..” After this went on for several minutes, my mom would turn around with “that look” on her face and say “WHAT DO YOU WANT?”  My brother would reply “Um….. um….. um….” and she would say with even more aggravation in her voice “Why did you call me if you didn’t have anything to say?”

I think, many times, we approach God in this same manner. We come to Him and say things like “Father, please bless my family.” or “Lord, please do your will in my life.” and we really don’t come boldly to our Father (Heb 4:16).

Luke 18:35-43 tells us the story of a special day in the life of a blind beggar named Bartimaeus.

35 He came to the outskirts of Jericho. A blind man was sitting beside the road asking for handouts.36 When he heard the rustle of the crowd, he asked what was going on.37 They told him, “Jesus the Nazarene is going by.”38 He yelled, “Jesus! Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!”39 Those ahead of Jesus told the man to shut up, but he only yelled all the louder, “Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!”40 Jesus stopped and ordered him to be brought over. When he had come near, Jesus asked,41 “What do you want from me?” He said, “Master, I want to see again.”42 Jesus said, “Go ahead—see again! Your faith has saved and healed you!”43 The healing was instant: He looked up, seeing—and then followed Jesus, glorifying God. Everyone in the street joined in, shouting praise to God.

Notice that Bartimaeus did not timidly ask for the Lord to “bless him” or “meet his need.” When Jesus asked him “What do you want from me?” he boldly said “Master, I want to see again!” I wonder if Jesus already knew he was blind. OF COURSE HE DID!!! So, why then did He ask? I believe there is a twofold reason. 1- God wants us to look at ourselves and judge ourselves (1 Cor 11:31) and then come to him for forgiveness and cleansing. He will not fix what we do not acknowledge. And 2- God will not release to us what we will not pursue. When Bartimaeus began to cry out, everyone told him to be quiet, but the scripture says the he “Cried out all the more.” Notice in this passage that there was a crowd gathered to see and hear Jesus that day, but there is no mention of anyone else receiving anything from Him. Could it be that it’s because he was the only one who cried out?

What are you asking God for today? Is it worth you loosing respect from the people around you? Is it worth you going against the grain of what everyone else thinks you should be doing? Is it worth you “Crying out all the more?”

I encourage you today to passionately pursue those things that you desire from your Father. Judge yourself and then allow Him to reveal His purpose in your life.

Comments welcome!!!

Be Blessed!!

Gettin’ Ready for New Wine

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Know what happens when God gets ready to take you to a new season of your life?

YOU GET STRETCHED!!!

Ask any woman who has carried and birthed a child what it feels like to “get ready” for the new season that is about to take place in her life.

Mark 2:22 says: “ And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”

We all rejoice when we hear a Word that confirms or awakens something in us that God has placed there, but we do not often realize that, in order for us to reach the destiny God has for us, our capacity to walk in the things of God must be enlarged. We must be “stretched.” Most of the time, this stretching is NOT comfortable. It hurts and, in some cases, it even leaves scars. It is, however, necessary because the way we have been operating in the current season of our life will not be able to sustain us in the next season God has for us.

The funny thing about the “stretching” is that it is completely our choice. We have the ability, as creatures of choice, to call a halt to whatever journey God has laid before us and stay where we are. This is where frustration begins to take over our minds.

Let me put it this way. Have you ever seen someone complaining about being cold while only wearing shorts and a tank-top shirt in the dead of winter? Funny, huh?  The season changed, but they chose to continue wearing what they wore in the previous season. Maybe they would say “But, I really like these shorts! They look good on me!” all the while, not realizing how ridiculous they look and sound. Frustration (in the form of shivering) comes when our season is changing, but we refuse to change our wardrobe to go along with it.

We must realize that there are many things that will not look right on us in or make the trip with us to our next season in God, whether they be thought patterns, habits, things we say to ourselves, or even some relationships. Parting with some of these things will come with a price, a price that will sometimes leave marks… scars, even.

This is what I believe Paul was talking about when he wrote in Hebrews 12:

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Paul Had experienced the maturing process of God in his life. He knew what it meant to have to let things and even people go in order to move forward with God. This why he could say, when he knew his life was about to come to an end:

2Timothy 4:7-8,

“7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

Are you allowing God to stretch you in order to move you to the next place in your life? Or are you frantically jumping around trying to get warm because you still have on summer clothes when it’s snowing outside?

“Father, help me today to know what to hold on to and what to let go of in my life. Help me to keep my focus on you as you lead me through this journey each day. Help me to be quick to repent and even quicker to realize that your plan is perfect for me. I trust you. I give myself to you. Make me the person you want me to be.”