Why I Worship

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

This Made My Week…

by Leave a Comment

This morning, I had a meeting that had a profound impact on my week… maybe even on my life!

I met a man who told me of a painful life. He told me of things that happened in his childhood. He told me how his father passed away when he was 12 years old and the dramatic impact that had on his life.

He told me of things that happened to him as an adult which had made him want to take his own life.

He shared with me that he had grown up in a very traditional, non-charismatic, denominational church , but that God had begun several years ago to lead him on a journey that would take him into the deeper things of The Spirit. He said that he had become frustrated and disheartened because he felt that, for some reason or another, he was not worthy or that he did not deserve what God was offering him.

His next statement to me was the one that caused my eyes to well with tears of amazement at where he is in his life and almost shame at where I find myself most days. This is what he said:                                                                                               

“I’m afraid of missing the purpose and destiny God has for me.”

Wait! I forgot to tell you… This man is sixty four years old! Yes! You read it correctly! 64! I was completely amazed and humbled in the same moment. Here sat a man who, because of the events of his personal journey in life, no one would argue with or blame for saying “I just want to live out the rest of my life with my family and enjoy myself” but, with tears in his eyes, he was sitting in front of me crying out to God to not let his life be wasted.

I thought to myself as he was sharing, “This man came here for help today, but I’m the one getting the help.”

I wonder how many of us look at our lives and think “I can’t wait until the time when I can retire and do what I want to do.” I know that, at times, I have had those thoughts.

God’s destiny and purpose for our lives do not come with a “best if used by” date. They are for a lifetime.

Maybe you’ve thought, at some time, “I’m too old for that to happen for me” or “I guess my time has passed” or maybe you’ve given up on that dream that God placed in your heart many years ago. Perhaps the fear of failure or the pain of disappointment has caused you to stop short of fulfilling the purpose for which God created you.

Can I encourage you today?

God has not been surprised by anything that has happened in your life. If He knows the end from the beginning, then His plan cannot be so fragile that it could be made null by some event that comes along to distract us.

No mater what age you find yourself at, God has a plan for your life and your best days are still ahead!

So…. Let’s get busy!!!

Eyes Have Not Seen…

by Leave a Comment

Remember when you were a kid and it was getting close to Christmas? Your wish list had been written, revised, revised again, and again, and finally turned in.

At some point, your mom and dad left the house long enough for you to snoop around in all of those “secret hiding places” they thought they had, and you found one or two of the things that were close to the top of your list.

Then as Christmas morning drew closer, the anticipation grew, and grew because you knew those presents would be waiting under the tree.

Then came the big day. You woke early and ran to the tree and, to your amazement, found those presents and many others waiting for you. Some you had asked for and some that you had never even thought of.

This is how I believe worship is for us as Christians. We read God’s word and discover all His promises to us. He says that we are blessed in our coming and in our going. We are above and not beneath. We find that he is our provider, our peace, our healer, our comfort, and more. He promises to never leave us nor forsake us.

We come to Him in worship knowing all these things are already there waiting for us.
Then when we get in His presence, our spiritual eyes are wide open with amazement (much like we were as kids at Christmas) to find that “Our eyes have not seen. Our ears have not heard. And neither has it entered into our hearts the vastness of what He has prepared for us!”

I encourage you today to come into God’s presence with the confidence of the knowledge of all His promises, but with your eyes wide open in amazement at the fact that the things you know have not even begun to scratch the surface of who He is and all He has done.

Father, keep me amazed as I walk with you today!!!

What are You Waiting For???

by Leave a Comment

Ok, let’s imagine for a moment; you’re eighty five years old. You’re sitting on your back porch in the rocker. You begin to reminisce about your life and all of a sudden the thought crosses your mind; “I really regret that I never got to …”

Take a minute and let that sink in.

Now, what is it? What is that one thing that you will regret not accomplishing or achieving as you approach the end of your life? Getting that degree? Learning to play an instrument? Taking that trip to Europe or Hawaii? Or maybe it’s as simple as learning a second language?

As a young man I dreamed of singing and being involved in music professionally for the rest of my life. I would stand in front of the mirror with Tom Jones playing on my record player (I know! Now you know I’m not as young as I look!); my white, collared shirt unbuttoned way lower than it should have been, singing into my mom’s hairbrush until someone would eventually come and make me turn the music down!!! I always knew; without any doubt, that this would be the way I would spend my life!

But then, this thing called L-I-F-E happened. I got married, had three children, bought a home and fell into the same trap that; no doubt, many of us fall into. I allowed “obligations” and “responsibility” to steal my hopes of ever being able to live my dream. I mean, after all, I was an adult now and those were just childish dreams, right???

WRONG!!! I’m so thankful that God allows us second, third, and sometimes fourth chances!!! Psalm 37:3-4 says “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”

I had always been a person who loved God and sought to find His will for my life. Eventually, as many of you know, I was presented with the opportunity to live my dream again. Now, I get to get up every day and do something that I absolutely love to do. What could be more fulfilling than that?

Now let me ask you a very serious question… What are you waiting for? What is keeping you from going after your dreams? God wants you to be happy! He gave you those dreams and he loves you enough to give you another chance! Don’t let years of life pass you by without becoming all He created you to be.

It’s your life…. So live it!!!