How do you worship God with other believers? I'm not asking for your “order of worship”, but how YOU worship. How do we connect together as believers, encouraging and strengthening one another, as the end draws near? If the corporate church were taken out of the picture, what would you do? Many dedicated Christians I have spoken to have said they are craving something else that the church, as we in Western nations define it, is not offering. What is it? Most can't put their finger on it, but many sense it.
What do you think? Is everything going along as it should, or is there something we still need? Perhaps it is as simple as saying we are just longing for our heavenly home, but I truly feel there is more to it than that. Churches across “Christian” nations are declining in attendance at an alarming rate. Are the churches faltering because of commitment? Structuring? Lack of love? Or have you even noticed anything amiss?
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
Pure Love
Mom i love you.lauren
I found this on my computer after taking a break to do some laundry. There is nothing more precious than unsolicited love. I believe God feels the same way. Make is a practice to just stop what you are doing every once and a while and tell Him you love Him and nothing else. Don't ask for anything. Just love Him.
God i love you.tiffany
I found this on my computer after taking a break to do some laundry. There is nothing more precious than unsolicited love. I believe God feels the same way. Make is a practice to just stop what you are doing every once and a while and tell Him you love Him and nothing else. Don't ask for anything. Just love Him.
God i love you.tiffany
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Spiritual Muscles
We are all born with muscles. They all have their own function and purpose, but work together in our body for the greater good. Most of them you don't even realize are there until they get hurt. Then that is all we can seem to focus on.
When we become Christians and are “born again” then we are given a Spiritual set of muscles – The fruits of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Galatians 5:22. Once again, we all have them. If we practice only faith, our new body is off balance and won't work right. It's the same for any of the fruits. We need to work evenly on them all. That is not to say that they must all be equally strong. Our love may be more developed than our self-control or patience, just as our legs are stronger than our arms. What we use more will be stronger. We just need to make sure that we don't let any deteriorate to the point of uselessness.
As you meditate on the different fruits, pray to the Lord to show you which areas have become weak. Ask Him, along with me, if He sees us as being a Spiritual weakling, or Spiritually buff.
When we become Christians and are “born again” then we are given a Spiritual set of muscles – The fruits of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Galatians 5:22. Once again, we all have them. If we practice only faith, our new body is off balance and won't work right. It's the same for any of the fruits. We need to work evenly on them all. That is not to say that they must all be equally strong. Our love may be more developed than our self-control or patience, just as our legs are stronger than our arms. What we use more will be stronger. We just need to make sure that we don't let any deteriorate to the point of uselessness.
As you meditate on the different fruits, pray to the Lord to show you which areas have become weak. Ask Him, along with me, if He sees us as being a Spiritual weakling, or Spiritually buff.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Addicted
Sometimes you don't realize how much you miss or rely something until it's not there.
The last time I picked up my Bible to read on my own – Sunday School not counted – was a week ago. In the last few days I noticed that I've been cranky and irritable. I chalked it up at first to pain because it has been worse lately, but then I realized that my attitude was more than that. I'm reading the Bible straight through in my spare time, so this morning I started back up in 1 Kings since that is where I had left off. Chapter 7 is about the details King Solomon put into the building of the Temple. You know, the part about how many pomegranates of bronze were made and such. Typically I read through these descriptions without getting much personal application or excitement.
Today, however, I felt as though a balm were being placed over a tender wound. I took a deep breath and actually felt soothed. Though I was impressed with a bowl that held 11,000 gallons (v. 26), I was impressed even more with how much God's Word holds. Even when the Words don't have a deep meaning or speak directly to me, the power of the Word is evident.
I'm happy to find I've become so dependent and addicted to God's Word that I go through withdrawal when I stay away too long. Please Lord God, don't let me stay away from Your Word that long again!
Have you found the same to be true for you too?
The last time I picked up my Bible to read on my own – Sunday School not counted – was a week ago. In the last few days I noticed that I've been cranky and irritable. I chalked it up at first to pain because it has been worse lately, but then I realized that my attitude was more than that. I'm reading the Bible straight through in my spare time, so this morning I started back up in 1 Kings since that is where I had left off. Chapter 7 is about the details King Solomon put into the building of the Temple. You know, the part about how many pomegranates of bronze were made and such. Typically I read through these descriptions without getting much personal application or excitement.
Today, however, I felt as though a balm were being placed over a tender wound. I took a deep breath and actually felt soothed. Though I was impressed with a bowl that held 11,000 gallons (v. 26), I was impressed even more with how much God's Word holds. Even when the Words don't have a deep meaning or speak directly to me, the power of the Word is evident.
I'm happy to find I've become so dependent and addicted to God's Word that I go through withdrawal when I stay away too long. Please Lord God, don't let me stay away from Your Word that long again!
Have you found the same to be true for you too?
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