What does it mean to worship God? I mean, is it great music in some concert like gathering that enables me to find that place for myself? In John 4, the woman at the well had a lot of ideas about the place of worship, but an encounter with the person of Jesus in one day forever changed her thinking in reference to the true place of worship. You remember Jesus offered her living water from a well much deeper than her own. His offer involves a well that never runs dry. I would say that’s a deep well. Like all deep wells one must have the means by which to draw up the life giving resources. While her well required physical tools with which to draw, His well is only accessable by the work of the Spirit. Jesus went on to expand her thinking as to the true meaning of worship there around that well by revealing “God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” What she didn’t realize or even his discples for that matter, was that Jesus, by revealing the true place and attitude for worship was preparing them for a witness that could in fact change the thinking of the community around them. True worship would be the enabling power of His Spirit to do his will by seeing the fields (Jn. 4:35) and working to bring in a harvest of souls. What about you? What about your place of worship? Is it only enhanced by the sparkle of man’s abilty, or is it from a well that springs up from within? Does it lead you to the cross of truth? Further, does it lead you to a life of service? On that day, there was true worship at the well, because of the testimony of a life changed by an encounter with the Spirit of Truth. In your place of worship, pursue the truth and His presence will take you to deep water.
Category: Impression
The Kingdom Purpose
Is your life and ministry like fallow ground? Is the soil of your heart laying out, growing cold, getting hard? God says, break it up, tear it down, and sow seeds of righteous behavior–those mustard seeds of faith that can remove the opposition to your life and ministry. Jesus said, faith like a small mustard seed can take away mountains of obstacles that lie before you. Jeremiah 4 says, ‘break up your fallow ground and do not sow among thorns.’ Your fallow ground is the unused portion, the place of great potential; a useful resource if you allow it to be broken up and come under the influence of the plow. I believe the Lord is saying, ‘that part is mine, it’s been redeemed, and I am seeking to place it into my kingdom service. My kindgom is come, it’s here, it’s now! I am calling you, I will empower you, and I want you to serve me not your flesh because my Spirit is upon you for this very purpose, that you might know Me and urge others to my Kingdom. Take an unwaivering approach in which you find your life in the active service of my cause not in the fallow ground.’
Two Steps to Right Thinking
Do you find, like the Apostle Paul, two kinds of thinking within your members–both in complete opposition to one another (Rom 7)? What do you do? You must take a position and do something, else live with the consequence of a double mind. Paul, according to Romans 7, looked for one who could deliver him from such confusion and torment. Often, we try and serve both mindsets, however when we choose that option, we put ourselves in the position of getting nothing we ask from God. Make no mistake, you will be enslaved by what you love and the ideas and images that you allow to occupy your heart. Recoginze your sin will leave you rather deceived as a Christian leaving you caught in a double mindset. Purpose to deal with your sin by not giving it a place to lodge. Recognize you will be sanctified by two things at the behest of the Holy Spirit working to conform you to His thinking. It is the word of God and prayer. These two things alone God will use like no other in order to bring the faith that pleases Him and the communication necessary to bring you to His mind. So get your mind right by coming to the word with a purposeful understanding, and take a stand, make a start to right thinking by calling on His Name today!
The Wealth of His Word
Your life will rise or fall depending upon the word that you hear. Truth is, your life in Christ is dependant upon the word dwelling in you richly to increase your hearing and make you mindful of the resources He offers you to bring you to victorious living. This year, I believe God would say to you, stop living on the faith experiences of others and take a determined approach to devote youself to His word allowing His Holy Spirit to feed you and give you and understanding of ‘the things eye has not seen or ear has not heard what things God has prepared for those who love Him’ (1 Cor. 2). Stop allowing the enemy a place in your thinking to keep you stubbornly opposed to what God says by locking you in a default position resistant to the riches of God’s word. God says, ‘find your focus in prayer’ following the example of Jesus who urges us in Luke 21 to, ‘keep watching and praying’ with a pattern of persistance that gains not just answers but victory over the thief who comes to steal your joy and your peace. He comes to rob you of the vast riches in Christ that are yours because of His Word. This year, will you faint or finish strong? Will you live in defeat by what the enemy says or follow-through pressing to victory because of what God has spoken and already accomplished?
GraceLife 