Natural Does Not Mean Effortless

 Some may say that worship is natural and easy for us because it is what we were designed for but just because we are designed for something does not mean it does not take effort to do it. Certain people were born with the type of body that would lend itself to the sport of basketball but anyone who has watched a game knows that those athletes are making a great effort and are paying for it with sweat, bruises and sometimes blood. In fact, the effort started long before those athletes hit the court.

Those players have spent years training and disciplining their bodies. They have had to gain certain muscles, which took work. They had to increase their skill level, which took work. They had to have a routine of sleep, eating, exercise and practice. The game may be natural to them but it took and takes great effort.

Worship is not a moment but a lifestyle. It is based on an attitude of thanksgiving and gratitude that develops from an acceptance of Father’s love. When we focus on the benefits of his love it shapes our heart response. We move from entering the gates with thanksgiving to being in his courts with praise. We were created with the capacity to worship but just like the athlete it requires a disciplined effort to remain in that place, and to grow in it.

Everything in this world is a natural enemy to us and our relationship with Father. The world, including humanity, is broken. Father did not create it to be like this but rebellion has twisted it into this ugliness. The enemy of our soul wants the worship we offer Father. The world bent under his false lordship will try to persuade us against it. Even our old nature will try to pull us away, keep us busy, make us feel ungrateful, depress us, make us feel tired, or convince us it’s okay to skip a day. Just as there are a thousand excuses to keep the athlete from his discipline, so too are there a thousand excuses to keep us from fulfilling the purpose of our design.

King David understood this discipline of the heart and the disaster of falling away from it. Listen to the discipline in his words (Psalm 108):

My heart is unwavering, God.

I WILL sing and make music -

yes, with my whole being!

Wake up, harp and lyre!

I WILL wake the dawn itself!

I WILL give thanks to you, LORD, among all the people;

I WILL make music to you among the nations.

because your faithful love is higher than heaven;

your faithfulness reaches the clouds.

Exalt yourself, God, higher than heaven!

Let your glory be over all the earth!

Just because you are designed for it doesn’t mean it’s easy every day. Just because you have done it in the past doesn’t mean it’s natural to do it today. It takes this same disciplined determination to speak to yourself and say “Get up! I will praise my LORD today!” And none of this is possible unless you are absolutely convinced of his love for you, and the benefits of it. Love is our motivation but we must discover the discipline for it every day, no matter the weather, the busyness and the distractions because we are convinced that he is so good all praise is due him.

Ignorance Will Never Be An Excuse

A person would have to choose to be ignorant to say there is no God, and there are reasons why some choose to be ignorant. Evidence of his existence and character are all around us, in creation and in people themselves. The Word says that in order to see him we have to be willing to see him. It says that we need to seek him but that doesn't mean there is no evidence until we do:

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead. (Romans 1:20)

Anyone who cares to reflect on nature itself, even just observable nature, will conclude that there is something far great than us at play. We may have the intelligence to be able to manipulate and use, even tame, some of the elements of creation but much of it is beyond our power. Yahweh loves beauty and diversity. Even in a fallen state we can see grace and compassion in the animal Kingdom. There are elements so powerful that man will never be able to tame them. We can see the nature and character of our Creator all around us if we would take an honest look. But we aren't honest.

We aren't honest because if we were we would be accountable for what we admitted and we certainly do not want to be accountable to something that will not let us do what we want to do. I really think that is part of the problem for those who choose to deny Jesus; they don't want to give up control. Unfortunately for them there is no excuse. Ignorance is no excuse. If we keep reading this same passage but switching in from NKJV to the CEV:

That’s why those people don’t have any excuse. They know about God, but they don’t honor him or even thank him. Their thoughts are useless, and their stupid minds are in the dark. They claim to be wise, but they are fools. (v. 20-22)

No excuses because there is plenty of evidence to get people curious enough to go looking, and he promised that if we seek him we will find him. Those who choose to ignore the evidence often do so because they don't want to lose control so instead they "worship" nature itself. They substitute Yahweh, who keeps us accountable, for creation which cannot keep us accountable. They even give creation a name: Mother Nature. They will not acknowledge Yahweh but they will personify nature:

So God let these people go their own way. They did what they wanted to do, and their filthy thoughts made them do shameful things with their bodies. They gave up the truth about God for a lie, and they worshiped God’s creation instead of God, who will be praised forever. Amen. (v. 24-25)

I share this because we need to understand where we are, who we live with and how difficult our task can be trying to convince people to open their eyes and take a look. In order to see, people must be willing to become vulnerable and to give up control. That is why it is often in moments of crisis, at the point when a person realizes they have no control, that they finally see the beauty and love of Jesus. Helplessness has a wonderful ability to strip away pride and leave us open to the truth.

But as for us, my fellow believer, I pray our eyes are always wide open as we worship him with thankful hearts today. We know him to be good, loving, compassionate, slow to anger, filled with grace, self-sacrificing, wise, powerful, always with us. Remember:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (John 1:1-5)

Don't Forget Who We Worship

I know Jesus is our friend and we are privileged to have such an intimate relationship with him, but at the same time we can't afford to lose our reverence for Yahweh. There are times I think we have gone too far in trying to portray Jesus as "user friendly", bosom pal and life long friend. There is almost an irreverence about his name and our relationship with him. Sure, we worship but sometimes even our attitude toward that is carefree, almost flaky, as if Yahweh will accept whatever we have to offer. We need to remember who it is we worship.

Have you noticed that every time someone encountered an angel in the Old Testament they had the same reaction? Consider Joshua when he encountered the angel before his battle at Jericho:

And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?”

So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.”

And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?”

Then the Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so. (Joshua 5:13-15)

Everyone always ends up on their face. It is a normal, natural, automatic reaction when encountering the glory of Yahweh. And when Joshua did not show enough reverence, forgetting to remove his sandals, he was instructed to do so. In our effort to modernize we seem to be losing this reverence in favour of the "Santa Claus" mentality.

How we approach our God depends on how you see yourself in the relationship and in life. Joshua knew he was appointed to his position by Yahweh. He know that he was the leader of Yahweh's people. He knew he was a man under orders. He knew that none of this was for his pleasure but for the glory of his God and the prosperity of the people. In short, Joshua understood he was a servant under the command of Yahweh. As such, it was natural for him to hold his reason for living in great reverence because of all he represented to Joshua.

We may think we see ourselves this way but take a good look at your life. Why do you do the things you do? Are you living for Jesus, with everything in your life coming from that motivation? Is everything you do directed by the Spirit for the glory of the Father? Is your purpose to bring him glory by serving other people? Or is Jesus more a part-time thing, something you fit in when you have time in your busy day? Are your goals your goals and are they about you?

It may seem like an oversimplified thing but from my experience, when Jesus is your reason for breathing there is a natural reverence in the relationship but when you are your reason for living there is a lack of reverence. I have had many conversations with Jesus during my life and I noticed something about them. Any conversation where I remained standing or sitting I tended to walk away and do what I wanted to do. Any conversation where I ended up on my face I walked away to do my Master's will. The difference was my attitude in approaching the conversation. Is Jesus truly everything to you? You should be able to tell by the reverence you give to him.

What Is The Purpose Of Your Today?

What is your purpose? Why are you alive today? Why have you been given the gift of life for this specific day? Sometimes we wake up and start to move through our day without giving much thought to it. We get up, grab a shower, eat breakfast, get dressed and walk through our front door into the world without giving any thought to purpose. We think about what we need to get done. We think about our complaints. We think about what we want to do for pleasure. We think about friends and family. We think about stuff but we do not ponder the question, why?

You belong to Jesus Christ. He bought you. You didn't have to accept that purchase. You could have remained a slave to sin but you made the decision to accept the price that Jesus paid for you, so now you belong to him. But for what purpose? Are you just someone for him to throw blessings at, like a pet dog? Hardly. You have become his brother, his sister, a child of Father. You and I are now part of this incredible family. But is there purpose in it?

There is purpose for our life and for each moment of our day and I want you to see it through one simple verse found in Malachi. The context of this verse is interesting. Yahweh is chastising Israel for her neglect of their relationship. She took her relationship with Yahweh for granted and abandoned him and her purpose, to live a life she chose. But in the midst of the chastisement we find this gem of a verse which sheds some light on our relationship with Yahweh:

For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down,
My name shall be great among the Gentiles;
In every place incense shall be offered to My name,
And a pure offering;
For My name shall be great among the nations,”
Says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 1:11)

Israel had rejected Yahweh and Yahweh was about to reject the people of Israel. But the Lord will never be without praise and worship. His name will never fail to be lifted up. Israel's purpose was not to become great for her own sake; she was to become great by the hand of Yahweh so that all nations would see the glory of Yahweh through Israel. But he could not bless her as he intended because of her disobedience. Yet, he had a plan that would still allow the nations to discover his glory and enter into relationship with him. That plan was Jesus.

What Yahweh stated through Malachi the prophet has come to pass. Consider the Church, a people who were not a people, the Body of Christ spread around the globe, found in every nation. Wherever you find a Christian you find the Church and you find the Spirit of God. Wherever you find the Church you find praise and worship, the lifting up of the name of Jesus. The sun never sets on the Church. The praise of Yahweh never ends, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, around the entire globe. While we are sleeping, brothers and sisters on the other side of the world are lifting up the name of Jesus. His name is great among the Gentiles.

It is interesting to study and investigate the incense offering but let us simply say here that it represents prayer and worship. The offering of incense was an act of worship in ancient days and was combined with prayer. Often incense was mixed with other types of offerings. What are the fundamentals of our relationship with Yahweh? Prayer and worship. And these are offered up in the name of Jesus all around the globe, in every country, all the time, as the saints seek the face of Yahweh.  His name is glorified among us and it comes from sincere hearts, completely possessed by the love of Jesus. It is our purpose today and every day.

As you open your eyes today I pray you will realize that you have a great purpose and responsibility: To bring glory and honour to Jesus. It is not a secondary thought after your 'To Do' list. It is the purpose of the air in our lungs. We worship him in prayer but also in our actions and words throughout the day. We have the same purpose of Israel, to allow Yahweh to bring glory to himself through us; through our strengths and weaknesses, our victories and defeats, in the sunshine and rain. Yahweh will never be without worship; all praise is due him. If you do not understand anything else about your purpose today understand that you have purpose and it is to worship Jesus in all your living so others will see his glory.





 

How To Change The Attitude Of Your Day

All praise is due him! But do we live that way? All praise is due him? But is it seen in our attitude? All praise is due him! But do we acknowledge it in the rush of our day? We know a lot of stuff in theory but it does not mean we live it out in our days. Indeed, all praise is due him, but sometimes, in our quest for survival, we don't let it play out in our lives. We reserve a time of remembrance and praise but the other moments of our lives is more an "every man for himself" attitude.

Often we slip into an ungrateful attitude without realizing it, with it becoming the "norm" for us, how we feel every day. We read a little less, pray a little less, praise a little less. The colour slowly drains away and we are left with that "overcast" feeling in our life. And it becomes normal for us. But it is not normal. It is not Jesus' normal.

Throughout the Scriptures we are told time and again that thanksgiving is the key to a healthy relationship with the Lord. We are also told that it is the key to keeping the blessings fresh and flowing. Thanksgiving pleases Father because it indicates that we are very grateful for all his loving kindness. Psalm 107 is a great psalm where the psalmist took the time to describe various situations people find themselves in and how the Lord intercedes on their behalf. Most of the situations are caused when people don't turn to the Lord but when they do they are delivered from their situation:

They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way;
They found no city to dwell in.
Hungry and thirsty,
Their soul fainted in them.

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
And He delivered them out of their distresses.

And He led them forth by the right way,
That they might go to a city for a dwelling place. (Psalm 107:4-7)

The psalmist concludes every situation with the same statement:

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
For He satisfies the longing soul,
And fills the hungry soul with goodness. (vv. 8-9)

All praise is due him! When we let go of our pride and seek his face, he floods our soul with great love and kindness. He satisfies the longing of our soul, he sets us free from our imprisonment, his works are to our advantage; he loves us deeply. If we would stop our struggling, trying to find our own solutions and cry out to our Lord, we would remember why all praise is due him.

Praise, adoration, worship, thanksgiving are not something that is for a reserved moment in our week. No, these things are part of an attitude within which we exist. A heart of praise produces a heart of cheer. Perhaps you recognize that your attitude is not right these days. You can easily change it by changing your words from complaining to praising as you reflect on the goodness of our Lord. The psalmist concluded:

Whoever is wise will observe these things,
And they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord. (v. 43)

Indeed, a little reflection on the "daily and eternal loving kindness" of our Lord Jesus will work a wonderful work of grace on your heart and will be seen by all in your attitude throughout your day. As you realize "his wonderful works to the children of men" (count your blessings one by one) I pray your heart will explode with gratitude and you will pour out on him all the praise that is due him.

Increasing The Power Of The Spirit In You

We all have this great desire to know Jesus. Our longing is to be close with him, to sense his presence all the time, to be filled by his power and to represent him to those around us. We want to express our love to him over and over again. We want to make him our everything. These are great desires but if they only stay as desires they will have no eternal purpose. Our desires need to take on flesh.

Every person in our Holy Scriptures who was blessed and used by Yahweh were those who had a great relationship with him. This relationship came from time spent in prayer and the Scriptures. There are no short cuts. I have just finished spending time with Daniel and I am once again impressed by this man of faith and loyalty. The angels told him that he was "treasured by Yahweh". He had a great relationship that came by huge amounts of time in prayer and fasting. Out of these times came great visions and understanding. He had what we want yet he did not have the Holy Spirit in him and we do.

David also understood this great fellowship and it caused his heart to yearn for Yahweh. He was a man full of faults but the motivation and desire of his heart pleased Yahweh. He was blessed, favoured, protected, corrected, broken, built up, encouraged as he constantly fellowshipped with Yahweh. David gave us this treasure of understanding in Psalm 1:

Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
    Nor stands in the path of sinners,
    Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; (Psalm 1:1)

That's what he doesn't do, which is also important. He doesn't allow himself to be tempted by the shortcuts of life, listening to Satan's invitation to bow down to him for perceived success. This is not our measure of success. But now consider what the blessed man does do:

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    And in His law he meditates day and night. (v. 2)

He gives priority to Yahweh. He is consumed by him. Daniel was consumed by prayer. Three specific times of the day were set aside exclusively for prayer. He fasted, which is suppose to be an intense period of prayer. Daniel stood loyal to Yahweh no matter the cost. He petitioned for his people, in prayer. Look at the result David speaks of when we become consumed by our relationship with Yahweh:

He shall be like a tree
    Planted by the rivers of water,
    That brings forth its fruit in its season,
    Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper. (v. 3)

This is seen in Daniel, the most favoured man in the captivity of Israel. Every king of his day turned to Daniel for help and everyone of them heaped great blessings and favours on him. This favour did not come because of Daniel's intelligence but because of his relationship with Yahweh.

Those who have rich fellowship with Jesus Christ, who are consumed by prayer, worship and the Word, have a river of life flowing through them. Everyone who accepts Jesus' invitation, is spiritually born a second time, and is baptized by the Holy Spirit, has this river of life flowing through them, but those who make themselves sensitive to Jesus are made aware of it. Because of this fellowship, the desire of their heart, their submission to Father's will, their obedience and loyalty; because they talk with Yahweh all the time, fruit will be produced through them, they will always contain life and whatever they put their hand to will succeed. We are possessed by the power of the Spirit.

Too many of us are in love with the idea of this kind of relationship but most of us are not willing to put in the time. We have lots of excuses but if Jesus was honestly our "everything" we would find a way to spend time with him. I am not talking about the fifteen minutes we set aside for our quick list of requests. I am not taking about a conversation throughout the day - although this is important too. I mean the same attitude that Daniel and so many others of the greats had. The same attitude as Jesus. Time set aside for complete concentration on Jesus will bring us to the place where we want to be in our relationship. There are no short cuts.

Examine your life and make a list of the things that contribute to your walk with Jesus and the things that do not. Then start reducing the "do not" list and you will be amazed how quickly you find time for Worship, prayer and the Word every day. When you do this you will find your relationship with Jesus and the desire of your heart rapidly changing. May you discover the warrior he has called you to be. Pray!

A Worship That Costs

We have raised our children in an age of convenience. They can watch whatever they want on television; we have movies on demand. The Internet brings whatever knowledge you are looking for, along with any form of depravation you seek. Almost everyone has cars and you are pretty poor if you don't (I don't). Credit cards are as easy to get as a glass of water, or should I say bottle? Everything is easy and the things that require work are avoided. Maybe that is why there are so many High School drop outs. If kids can't finish High School then life is not going to be any joy ride for them.

The ease of the depravities of our society and culture are wearing down the substance of our faith. Our children are growing up needing a greater dependence on the LORD than we ever did. The ease of everything is like a poison, softening fortitude and determination. As the times get tougher I have to wonder if any of the children will be strong enough to stick to Jesus?

The Church is not much better than our Western Society. In an effort to make it easier for sinners, to be more attractive to getting people through the front door, we have dummified faith. We have made it convenient for people to worship because if we don't they won't. We need to ask ourselves if we are doing anyone a service with this attitude and approach.

When Israel came into the Promised Land and Yahweh told them the dimensions of their land and which nations they were to drive out. He also told them there would be one place to worship:

But you shall seek the place where the Lord your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place; and there you shall go. There you shall take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, your vowed offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice in all to which you have put your hand, you and your households, in which the Lord your God has blessed you. (Deuteronomy 12:5-7)

These people had to travel great distances, at great effort and expense, to present their worship before Yahweh. Could it be that Yahweh does not accept worship without sacrifice? Could it be that our love and devotion is suppose to cost us something? Many times in the Scriptures we read this warning:

No one is to appear before me empty-handed. (Exodus 34:20)

Now before you get the wrong idea and I go off in an Old Testament mentality, we remind ourselves that Jesus told us that true worshipers worship in spirit and truth. The location no longer matters but the attitude certainly does and that is what concerns me because too many of us are showing up empty handed.

I don't mean on Sundays and I am not talking about our tithes and offerings (although that should be considered in the total package). How many of us enter a day with not a thought about Jesus? How many of us plot our own course? How many of us reserve worship for Sunday and even then our thoughts are elsewhere? If there is one thing we should have learned from Jesus, he is not looking for lukewarm devotion and that is exactly what we are producing by our churches of convenience.

All your heart, all your soul, all your mind, all your strength; your entire being is what Jesus demanded. He said the sign of love is obedience. There is suppose to be effort and fortitude in our desire to worship him with our entire life every day of our life. Deny yourself, is not a thing of convenience. Walk in your calling, is not a thing of convenience. Doing what Jesus did, is not a thing of convenience.

Loving Jesus with passion costs. Loving our neighbour as ourself costs. Loving with the love of Jesus costs. Being a follower of Jesus costs and will cost a much greater price in the years to follow. We have to bury the idea and desire of a life of ease and get down to the real work of representing the Good News of Jesus Christ in a world that is becoming hostile toward him. Let us be determined to run this race to the finish and let us raise our children with a backbone of faith that isn't afraid of a little hardwork.

So This Is Christmas

Christmas? Bah-humbug!

I am getting to that point as we strip away any significance of the Christian celebration. Forget trying to convince the world to keep Christ in Christmas. Why should it? They don't believe. For them Christmas is about family traditions, having fun with the kids with the figure of Santa Claus, and having a great party at the beginning of winter. No, the real fight is to get the Christian to keep Christ in Christmas.

Society is a powerful machine shaped and molded by the media. Most people accept as truth whatever they watch on television, especially the news. Christians submit themselves to this same mind-shaping machine every day. Ask the average Christian how much they will spend on gifts this year and it will be no different than the person who does not believe. Ask them what Christmas is about and the two will give similar answers: the family.

As nice as it is to have the family together for Christmas, it is not about the family. Christmas is not about the food. Christmas is not about family traditions. Christmas is not about the magical time for the children. Christmas is about one thing:

In the beginning was the Word

and the Word was with God

and the Word was God.

The Word was with God in the beginning. (John 1:1-2)

The Word became flesh

and made his home among us.

We have seen his glory,

glory like that of a father’s only son,

full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

That's it. That is our celebration that we have allowed to become something it was never intended to be. Now it is more a celebration of the family, which Christians who worship the family are happy for, but it is not the true celebration. Now we don't even open our churches on Christmas day to worship God for this incredible start to his great act of mercy and grace. No, we would not want to disturb family time.

"Keep Christ in Christmas" we say as we stress out over Christmas shopping and running up our credit cards with stuff we can't afford. We are caught up in the machine just like our non-believing neighbour and we don't have the guts to admit it.

The Christmas message is still a message of the Cross. The Christmas message is about the Light that entered this dark world to die for mankind who did not deserve it. The Christmas message is about God's love, mercy, grace and forgiveness. The Christmas message is about God's reconciliation with man. The Christmas message is nothing without Easter. I do not worship a baby in a manger. I worship the risen King; the Alpha and Omega; the first born of us all.

Re-think Christmas this year and don't be a lump of clay for this society to mold.

Shouting Praises To Our God

Come, let’s sing out loud to the Lord! Let’s raise a joyful shout to the rock of our salvation! Let’s come before him with thanks! Let’s shout songs of joy to him! (Psalm 95:1-2)

Many of us miss the opportunity and benefits of worship because we are too busy complaining. We are so caught up in our little lives, with our little problems and our little perspectives that we miss the greater vision of what God is doing. It is impossible for us to give to God what is owed to him when we have allowed negative emotions and attitudes to cloud the benefits of life in Jesus Christ.

Sometimes we don't even realize we are doing it. We intend to be thankful. We intend to show our love and appreciation. We intend to worship with all our heart, mind, soul and body. Yet, it is a hard thing to do when we are double minded. The worship is happening all around us but our mind is on the bills to be paid, the shopping to be done, the work to be arranged, the fight during breakfast. It is hard to be thankful when we are mulling over the hurt we have experienced at the hands of people during the last week. It is hard to worship our God when we are focused on ourselves.

Even at night, laying in bed, when we should be peacefully at rest in the Lord, we are wide awake, trying to find solutions to our problems. Perhaps it is the fear that we are losing someone or that we have things for which we just can't find a solution. If you are willing to hear, God is speaking in those moments, giving instructions, showing us the path, telling us to trust. But we can't hear because we don't know how to see past ourselves to worship the one who holds all the solutions.

Your joy does not depend on your circumstances but on your relationship with Jesus Christ. Your worship is not dependent on a perfect day but on your relationship with Jesus Christ. Your thanksgiving is not a result of a problem free life but on your relationship with Jesus Christ. We do not worship because of us; we worship because of him. We do not worship because of what we receive; we worship because of who he is.

If we know him we will love him. If we love him we will see what he is doing. If we see what he is doing we will be overwhelmed by who he is. If we are overwhelmed by who he is, we will not just sing songs of praise, we will shout them.

A Word To The Discouraged Heart

Discouragement is a very powerful thing that does not always come with roots. By roots I mean legitimate causes. Sometimes we can easily see the reasons we are discouraged; our expectations are not met, things are not where we want them to be, failure even though we tried our best. Sometimes it is because of circumstances beyond our control or even caused by us. Then there are other times when there is not justifiable reason, we simple feel discouraged by things in general.

Discouragement does not belong to the children of God. I know we will face it at times but it doesn't belong to us; it is foreign. Discouragement should never be left to take root in us but should be dealt with right away. Confess your feelings. Admit that it is what you are facing. Then ask the Spirit to deal with this thing that is inside of you. Sing, shout, declare the Lordship of Jesus in all things.

The only effective way of dealing with discouragement is to go deeper with Jesus. It won't seem to be working at first and you will really have to push through to get there. I mean, you are going to have to fight. It is a battle to make your flesh submit to your spirit but you can't afford to lose this battle. Why do you think Jacob wrestled with God?

Jacob was facing a very difficult situation. He was running away from one problem only to face another that he had created a long time ago. He had wronged his brother and now he was about to come face to face with him. I am sure you have felt stuck between a rock and a hard place with no easy solution. Jacob did what most of us do in desperate times, he sought assurance from God. Perhaps for the first time in his life Jacob realized that his fast talking would not get him out of this. Filled with fear, anxiety, uncertainty, perhaps discouragement, he would not let go of God until he received his blessing.

I don't think many of us have ever been in this place with God, but we should be. We should all have to face such a time as this, when we are forced to be honest with ourselves and admit our only hope is Jesus Christ. We should all be in that place where we refuse to let go of God, because we have no other hope, until we receive his blessing, his assurance, his promises, his hope, his love.

We are in a time in history when the enemy of our soul is doing everything he can to discourage us. We will have discouragement without root and we will have discouragement with deep roots, like Jacob. Our Father's enemy will accuse us of failure. He will accuse us of what God has forgiven. He will make sure that we see the discouraging things around us and hear the discouraging reports as the Israelites did. And most of it will focus on us. What we did or did not do. Our failures. Our lose. That is how you will recognize him, by his emphasis on you, to provoke your emotions. But knowing this will not be enough to protect your heart. You are going to have to learn to wrestle.

We are warned in Scripture:

My friends, watch out! Don’t let evil thoughts or doubts make any of you turn from the living God. You must encourage one another each day. And you must keep on while there is still a time that can be called “today.” If you don’t, then sin may fool some of you and make you stubborn. We were sure about Christ when we first became his people. So let’s hold tightly to our faith until the end. (Hebrews 3:12-14)

The Scripture encourages us not to be like the Israelites who listened to discouraging reports and refused to enter into what God had promised. My friends, the end is in sight; now is not the time to give up. Now is the time to press on and we need to watch out for each other, to testify to each other, to lift each other up, to pray, encourage, and love each other.

Don't you dare give up: Don't! Jesus is coming!

It's A Daily Walk, Not A Weakly

How quickly does the refreshing of a Sunday wear off for you? How quickly do you feel the dullness invading, causing your keen insights and revelation to slip away? How quickly does discouragement and doubt come knocking? How quickly do you lose your sensitivity to the Spirit? It's not suppose to be like this.

Maybe you didn't realize? Maybe you thought this was just normal; how it worked? It's not.

We don't belong here.

There is a condition in this world that has twisted our basic nature so that the world is in constant rebellion against its creator. We did that. We introduced this rebellion and made everything dull, cold and ugly. But our Creator loved us too much to leave us like that, even though it was our decision.

So he punched a whole in this thing to allow us to escape and enter into vibrant, colourful life again,where he lives in us and we in him. He did this through Jesus who had to sacrifice everything so we could gain everything. But there was more to God's plan.

He couldn't bring us home yet because we are part of his plan to bring the good news of what he has done to the four corners of this planet. So because we had to stay in this dull, dying, rebellious place, he filled us with himself; his power; the Spirit of God, to keep us fresh, alive, colourful, and equipped to do his will. But we have to participate.

The moment we take our focus off of Jesus the dullness of this rebellious place crowds in. We have no power of our own to drive it away but we are filled by the power of Jesus through the Spirit of God. So we must stay focused. We can`t become distracted. We can`t allow the dullness to prevail. We must overcome every day.

Jesus had to as well.

He did not walk this planet as God. Although he is fully God and fully man, he set his divinity aside to fulfill his mission. His power came via the Holy Spirit who took from the Father and gave to the Son. Did you not notice that Jesus started off his day in solitary prayer and he ended the day in the like manner. Jesus, who is God, had to walk this spiritually dull and rebellious planet as us and it must have drained him as it drains us. He needed refreshing every day. Every single day he looked for his spirit to be renewed in the presence of his Father.

What about us?

Do we think we are better than Jesus, that we can go from Sunday to Sunday without refreshing, without renewal, without sweet communion with our God? I pray all day long about everything and everyone, but it isn't the same as coming aside from this dull world and sitting in the presence of my Father. Of course it is my desire to be aware of his presence 24 hours a day, but I am not there yet. I am like Jesus; I long to be renewed each day, to have the dullness of the rebellion washed away and to be re-energized in worship. Every day.

That is the cure to your spiritual dullness; worship. Seek our Father's face. Desire to be in his embrace. Listen to his voice. Listen for instruction. Search the Word. Study. Dig deep. Dance in his presence. Present yourself to him and allow him to do what needs to be done. To repair the brokenness. To remove the hurt. To restore your energy. To be reminded of his grace, his strength and his purpose for you.

Don't wait until Sunday. It is a daily walk that requires daily refreshing. Be renewed today.

You Can Burn Our Churches But You Can't Touch Our Faith

I came across a photo today as I was updating some of my social networking sites. It was of some Egyptians holding up a sign that read "You can burn our churches but you can't touch our faith". I guess some could even write, "You can take my life but you can't touch my faith". That's fairly challenging for us whose faith gets overwhelmed by financial and relationship problems. We need to get over it. We need to get over the inconveniences of our life in this world and understand the priority of the Kingdom to which we belong.

I am telling you today that every force that the enemy of your soul has available to him, he will use against you. He will use circumstances, emotions, sin to provoke doubt, fear and anxiety. He will use the culture of our society that he has manipulated for his own purposes and he will use every temptation that plays upon your old sin nature which is still trying to regain control over you. He hates you and wants to destroy you, because he hates God but can't even come close to touching him; except through you.

The great news is you don't even have to give him a second thought as long as you are centered on Jesus. Christians throughout the world are facing angry mobs, hateful governments, and life-ending situations. Seventy thousand are jailed in North Korea. Let me write out the zeros for you; 70,000. Only God knows how many are jailed in China. I wonder how many pastors were forced to watch theiir homes burn and their families beaten in India. But yet you face even greater danger because at least they can see the persecution they face; you can't.

The enemy is easy to deal with though.There is one thing that will always cause your persecutors to pause and will put the enemy of your soul to flight. David understood it because it is what he had learned to do since being a shepherd with his family's flock:

With praises from children
and from tiny infants,
    you have built a fortress.
It makes your enemies silent,
    and all who turn against you
    are left speechless. (Psalm 8:2)

Worship is our greatest defense because it lifts our eyes from the illusions of our enemy and helps us focus on our reality. Don't think for a moment that the shadows we call life is our reality. Far from it. We belong to something far greater than any of this. A bullet to the head is not reality but something to provoke fear. The nails in the hands and the empty grave, the out pouring of God's Spirit and our oneness with Christ is our reality.

As we lift our hearts, minds, eyes, and voices to what is "above" we are reminded of who our Father is and what Jesus has done for us, and what we have become. As we lift up the name of Jesus the enemy of our soul is reminded as well. "You can burn our churches but you can't touch our faith". You can confuse my finances, manipulate my circumstances, provoke the world into hatred against me but you can't touch my faith. You can try to provoke my emotions, accuse me of past sins, have the world call me names but you can't touch my faith.

Praise will make your enemies silent today. Anyone who has turned against you will be left speechless in the face of your trust in Jesus. Your heart will be emboldened and your spirit lifedt as you wave the banner of Jesus' love for the world to see. Remember who our God is so you can be reminded of what you have become and where you belong.

Good Morning Monday

Do you know what always greets me Monday morning, besides the cat? Emptiness. Doubt. Fear. Worry. Anxiety. Discouragement. Maybe you are surprised by that. Maybe you know exactly what I mean.

It's not that those things belong to me or even are generated in me. They belong to and originate from the enemy of my soul. You see, he hates me. He hates the fact that I received such great sustenance from the Lover of my soul on Sunday. He hates that I was encouraged in the Spirit and received new strength. He hates that, whatever plans he had for me last week, were washed away as I stood in the presence of my God. He hates that a feast for my soul was laid out for me right in front of him and that I ate and drank until I was overflowing with the blessings of the Lord.

So he was here to greet me this morning with his tired old tools that still work if we are not alert to his schemes. But I am alert and will have nothing to do with it. I know what he is up to and more importantly, I know that yesterday's experience with God is my same experience today.

Jesus does not occupy a temple. I do not have to go to a special place to meet with him. I do not have to have a priest mediate on my behalf. I don't need the trappings of a religious system to be in his presence. He is with me now, here, and I am with him now, seated on the right hand of the Father. All I have to do is turn to him, take his hand and begin my day.

The enemy used to trip me up on Monday mornings, when I was young and not yet wise in the Lord, when I did not know the Word. But now the Spirit has equipped me to walk all over the enemy's schemes because I know the Word:

But a time is coming, and it is already here! Even now the true worshipers are being led by the Spirit to worship the Father according to the truth. These are the ones the Father is seeking to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship God must be led by the Spirit to worship him according to the truth. (John 4:22-24) 

I am nothing without the Spirit. My job today is to remain sensitive to him. These are the Words of Jesus, who taught a great deal on the Spirit; teachings much of the Church overlooks. He also told us plainly:

I am one with them, and you are one with me, so that they may become completely one. Then this world’s people will know that you sent me. They will know that you love my followers as much as you love me. (John 17:23)

Jesus is in us and we are in him, and we are one. No wonder the enemy is so scared. No wonder he hates us so much. No wonder he will do whatever he can to convince us of his lies which are designed to trick us into leaving the oneness with Jesus.

Did you wake up to his greeting as well? Was the first thing you faced this morning a thing that washed you in discouragement? Don't let it turn into despair and then depression. Those are all tricks of the enemy of your soul. Instead, crank up the worship. Dance before the Lord and take your delight in him. Confess your trust in him and do it out loud. Put voice to your faith and put the enemy to flight. Drink deeply from the Word before you start your day. Renew what took place yesterday. Renew the teaching you received. Renew your love for the Lord.

Don't let the enemy have his way with you this morning. Put him in his place, which is under your feet. Have a glorious day in the Lord. Sing. Dance. Shout the name of Jesus so nothing else can possess your soul.

The Barrier Of A Religious Heart

We will come across a lot of barriers in our life but the greatest barrier we will encounter is that of a religious heart. This barrier is even greater than the barrier of unbelief because it is a barrier made as hard as granite. Jesus came to tear down such barriers but as fast as they come down we start rebuilding them. Jesus has something to say to us today.

In examining Jesus' encounter with the woman at the well we have seen Jesus bring down the social, exclusive, and sin barriers. Now he is faced with the barrier of the religious heart:

The woman said, “Sir, I can see that you are a prophet. My ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say Jerusalem is the only place to worship.” (John 4:19-20)

Obviously our God is very patient with us when faced with such a mindset. Fixed in our traditions, our denominational teaching, our opinions, we have built the trappings of religion, even to this day. But God will have none of that. His desire is for us to learn to live by his Spirit, letting go of everything in which we find security and seeking his face. There is no need for special buildings we call churches, or special liturgies, specific prayers, man made ceremonies, traditions and anything that has not been provoked by the Spirit. We really should pay attention to the response of our King and Saviour to this woman presenting her traditions:

Jesus said to her:

Believe me, the time is coming when you won’t worship the Father either on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans don’t really know the one you worship. But we Jews do know the God we worship, and by using us, God will save the world. (vv. 21-22)

Jesus first addresses the problem that the Samaritans have no real relationship with God. They don't know the Father, they only know of him. This describes many people today who have a form of godliness but no power. They attend church but have no relationship. They follow the traditions but are not possessed by the Spirit. How can they see or understand the Kingdom without the Spirit? How can they leave according to its principles? Instead they live a mix of worldly wisdom and Christian traditions. Jesus continued:

But a time is coming, and it is already here! Even now the true worshipers are being led by the Spirit to worship the Father according to the truth. These are the ones the Father is seeking to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship God must be led by the Spirit to worship him according to the truth. (vv. 23-24)

The truth of the gospels, by the power of the Spirit, tears down the barriers of the religious heart. It is not with pandering that we can help the religious heart see the Light again but it is the truth directed by the Spirit that pierces the darkness.

Yet, so many churches are leaving the Spirit to one side. So many churches do not teach of the need of the baptism of the Spirit. So many do not experience the power of God. So many have no understanding of the gifts of the Spirit. So many are lost in a religious heart; saying the words, singing the songs, going through the motions, knowing of the Father without knowing the Father. It's crazy. No wonder we are so quick to follow the decisions of the world, to twist the Word, to desire to attract the masses with entertainment instead of the truth.

"God is Spirit, and those who worship God must be led by the Spirit to worship him according to the truth." These are the words of Jesus Christ, our Saviour, our Lord, our King. And what is our response?

I don't know about you but my desire is to be less so Jesus can be more. I want to lose control to the Spirit. I want to give up my opinion, to be possessed by God's truth. I want to be led by the Spirit to live for the glory of our Father according to the truth. Not what I want but what he wants. Not by my wisdom but by God's. Not according to my will but by my Father's will. A complete letting go of this world and its ways to walk by the Spirit in the Kingdom of God, which is here in our hearts now. There is a day that the Kingdom will be physically manifested in this world but until that time I am still governed by it because it possesses my heart. Strike down any religious ways that remain in me.

Have your way Jesus. I worship you.

You are my God.

The Door Is Blown Off Its Hinges

I think we started Christmas off with the best of intentions but it kind of morphed on us. We hi-jacked a pagan celebration to replace it with a greater celebration but we have lost control and it has slowly slipped back into a worthless celebration of ... stuff. Honestly, when you wake up Christmas morning are you worshiping and celebrating the significant moment of God changing everything with the tiny breath of a baby?

Of course this was only the beginning of the big change but it was significant. God changed himself, never to be the same again, to become part of his own creation, to set the example, to make a path and blow wide open the door to a new way, his way, the only way if we decide to choose life.

Not in a billion years would we have been able to achieve what Jesus did for us. It goes way past salvation. The forgiveness of sins was one thing but Jesus made it possible for us to enter into eternity. That tree of life that was guarded by a flaming sword was suddenly made available for anyone to eat from; and the tree is Jesus.

First there was the manger, then the baptism of the Holy Spirit, then the cross and finally the great victory of the empty grave. All significant. All vital steps of God's plan. But consider the impact of the last step for us. Consider eternity for a moment because I think we sometimes forget. I think we live our lives too much like this is all there is. When you wake up tomorrow, or day after, or on Christmas day, consider this:

He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. (Colossians 1:18)

Did you hear the door being blown off its hinges? Jesus is the first in all things. He was the seed for everything in creation, including the new creation. He was the instrument that brought light to the Universe, that cause land to form, that breathed life into the first man. He was the instrument, the seed, the firstborn so that the rest of us could follow. Jesus is the promise of eternal life. Yes, through his blood we are saved but our salvation goes beyond this place and it is the empty grave that is the promise that Jesus is that Tree Of Life.

We don`t have to live this life with any regrets. We are not missing out on anything here. Live your life to the fullest for Jesus in this place. Don`t worry about whatever presents you don`t get because it has no impact on the more important eternal matters. Love large and allow forgiveness to cover everything. Don`t take offence here because the only significance here has is as a training ground for the greater thing to come. So, live, laugh, represent Jesus, tell everyone the good news, relax, don`t worry, trust God, remain faithful, work hard in Kingdom matters, and realize this place is less than a blink compared to what Jesus has opened up for us.

We don`t have time to let this world steal away our joy because our joy is an eternal thing. So, this Christmas determine to make worship of the Firstborn the foundation of your Christmas celebration, in word and deed.

My Heart's Desire In This Brand New Year

Sometimes great things come out of New Year resolutions, especially when they are provoked by the Holy Spirit. A year ago I was challenged by the Spirit to write my blog every single day of the year. This was a challenge for me, especially on Sundays because often the blog was a separate subject from what I was preaching that day. I stuck to it and ended up writing my 369th blog of the year yesterday and I was blessed in doing it. Now, what about this year?

I woke up this morning with one thought in my heart and one prayer on my lips. I was speaking to the Lord even before I realized I was awake and what I heard my spirit say is, "Lord, I give to you all 365 days of this new year. My desire is to seek nothing for myself in these days but to only seek you and your will; to serve, love, and seek you with all my heart, mind, body and strength."

Almost from day 1 of 2010 I faced overwhelming challenges that threatened to destroy me and my faith. I identified with the psalmist as he wrote:

Do not cast me away when I am old; 
   do not forsake me when my strength is gone. 
For my enemies speak against me; 
   those who wait to kill me conspire together. 
They say, “God has forsaken him; 
   pursue him and seize him,    for no one will rescue him.” (Psalm 71:9-11)

I had a choice, I could hold on to my faith and trust my Lord or I could allow myself to be pulled down into despair and be lost to my God and those who love me. I chose the Lord because he is all I have known since my youth and he has never failed me, not even during those times I failed him. He always stayed close and covered me by his grace which sprang from his love. So as I look at what he has done for me over this past year my heart yearns with a desire to bless him will all my love and life. Again I find my words on the psalmist's tongue:

But as for me, I will always have hope; 
   I will praise you more and more. 
My mouth will tell of your righteousness, 
   of your salvation all day long, 
   though I know not its measure. 
I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign LORD;    I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone. (Psalm 71:14-16) 

As I look at this past year I have no doubt that I accomplished nothing of any worthy yet God accomplished great things through me. I want to see more of that. Less of me everyday in this new year and more of Jesus. He has provoked such a song in my heart by his great acts of mercy and grace. He has revealed a greater portion of his heart and given me understanding to comprehend it. The more I understand the more I realize I want all of him and nothing of myself. My greatest worth is found in what he has done for me and what he has called me too. Nothing I have pursued for myself has stood the test of the fires and been of any benefit. All I know is I want to be faithful to him from my youth to my last breath, when I no longer have any strength in this feeble body to carry on:

Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, 
   and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. 
Even when I am old and gray, 
   do not forsake me, O God, 
till I declare your power to the next generation,    your might to all who are to come. (Psalm 71:17-18)

After all he has done for me in this past year, how could I have any other response than to give him my all in this new year. Every day, each moment of each day, in all that I pursue and desire, I pray his glory will shine as I follow his will. May this year bring you and yours even greater revelation of the depth of God's love and may the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ shine through you for all the world to see. May you be faithful to him in all that he desires for you and your family. May his praise be forever found on your lips in this brand new year.

Finding God In The Dark

I would like to think that every day is going to be a perfect day of balanced emotions and dedicated service to God. A day when I will trust him in every moment, good and bad, while I keep a sweet song in my heart. I would like to think that I will love with perfection, always forgiving and never seeking my own interest ahead of someone else's. I would like to think this of every day but truth be told, some days suck.

We do it to ourselves. God plans great things for us every day, whether the sun is shining or not. But we seem to have a trust issue, where yesterday he took care of us but today we think he won't. Sometimes it is just emotions that get away on us and suddenly God doesn't seem so big or so important any more. What that guy or girl did to us is more important than spending time with God. We fill the day moping about, feeling sorry for ourselves or being angry about something that at the end of time will seem ridiculous. When we realize what we have done we try to repair things with God, we try to come into his presence, we try to get intimate again but there seems to be a barrier; a barrier of our making:

Why are you downcast, O my soul? 
   Why so disturbed within me? 
Put your hope in God, 
   for I will yet praise him,    my Savior and my God. (Psalm 43:5)

We know we need God, we know we need that intimacy, we know we need to be assured by his presence but we just don't know how to get there. We read his Word - nothing. We listen to worship songs - our mind wonders. We try to pray - but our words sound hollow. Perhaps we feel that these words of the psalmist were written by our heart:

You are God my stronghold. 
   Why have you rejected me? 
Why must I go about mourning,    oppressed by the enemy? (Psalm 43:2)

That's how it begins to feel, like you have been rejected by God and turned over to the enemy. That's because we forget one very important part: We cannot rescue ourselves.

We have to remember that Jesus Christ did not come because we asked him to come. He came because the Father sent him. It is impossible for us to respond to God unless he is calling to us. We can`t have revival by our own design, it must be as a response to God`s call back to him. We cannot turn our heart around or force our way into the presence of God; we have to be invited:

Send forth your light and your truth, 
   let them guide me; 
let them bring me to your holy mountain,    to the place where you dwell. (Psalm 43:3)

Instead of telling God how to fix us or our situation or even how to change someone else, we should simply ask him to call to us so we can respond. We can sit there in that dark place and try to dictate to God and get nowhere or we can simply say "send me your light so I can go to your holy mountain". In other words, "Lord call to me, let me hear my name so I can turn to you and see you. I want to respond to your voice, to your presence. I can't see you right now, send your light so I can see how to return to you." It is when we are able to respond to his call, his voice that we enter his presence by his invitation and we are able to worship:

Then will I go to the altar of God, 
   to God, my joy and my delight. 
I will praise you with the harp,    O God, my God. (Psalm 43:4)

We have to stop dictating the terms and understand that it is always by God's grace, his will, his invitation. We don't invite him into our lives, he invites us into his presence. He is not our servant, our genie in the bottle; we are his and that is the most comforting thought we could possess. We belong to him and if we mess up he will always be calling us to him but we have to realize that. We have to stop talking, begging, pleading and simply say "Call to me so I can respond".

Stop trying to rescue yourself today. Ask him to call to you, to send his light so that you can see his way, and then stop talking and instead listen. Don't be like the prodigal son with a plan in mind of how you will manipulate your way back into God's great grace. Simply tell him you are lost, you messed up, you are sorry and you need a rescue. Then listen for his response and see that great light he sends to bring you home. He loves you. You belong to him. You are his child. He is calling to you. Just listen. Ask him to call again and just listen. When you hear his voice, get up and RUN to him!

Run to him, leaving the darkness behind and burst into his presence as only his invited child has the honour of doing. Ask right now, "Call to me daddy so I can come to you!"

Ascribe To The Lord The Glory Due His Name

So how was your day yesterday? And the day before that? How about the one before that? Sometimes we don't think about it as much as we should and other times we think about it too much. But here we are on another Sunday, a day of reflection, of thanksgiving, of celebration as we worship Jesus our Lord. We have arrived on this day with all the baggage we picked up over the last week and probably with some we have been carrying with us for a long time. We need to do something with all this baggage because it is weighing us down.

It is a perfect day to deal with it because it is a day we are focusing on the greatness of our God. It is important that we deal with it because it is getting in our way. We are not here for ourselves. Our stuff was taken care of on the cross; the day we accepted Jesus as Lord all our "things" were swept away. We were told not to pick up any more "things", that we no longer belong here but we have been left here to serve God's purpose. So we are servants and servants don't take care of their own needs, their master does that for them so they are free to serve. That is exactly what Jesus promised us. He told us not to worry about our needs, that our Father will take care of us, but we are to  seek the things of the Kingdom. That means serve.

If we have all this baggage we keep picking up and carrying around with us we get to the point where we are too busy managing it to be able to serve. Serving is when we are occupied with other people, being part of their life. If we don't love people we need to question our love for God. Worshiping, learning and growing are important parts of our lives which keep us focused and healthy but if that is all there is then we are in the wrong. We are here to be an influence for Jesus in people's lives. Plain and simple. So let's take care of this baggage.

We do that by remembering who we serve and giving all the baggage over to him. We probably can't find solutions to them anyway and it is the reason we are carrying them around in the first place. Jesus can find solutions and restore our peace. So, let's remember who he is. The psalmist wrote:

Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, 
   ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; 
   worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. (Psalm 29:1-2)

Ascribe means to say that it belongs to the Lord, it is his character, to credit him with this thing. The psalmist is saying realize this is who our God is. So, as you stand there with all that baggage confess with your mouth the glory and strength of our Lord. Allow him to be as big, as large, as mighty, as powerful as he is. As you allow him to be that powerful in your life your baggage begins to look pretty small. Compare it to his largeness instead of to your smallness.

We glorify God for everything he has done in the past, for everything we read in the Word, for what he has done in other people's lives but we often fail to glorify him in ours. What has he done in our lives? What has he done for me? How has he helped me in the past? How many times has he rescued me? How faithful to his promises has he been in my life? I need to credit him with these things. I need to credit him the glory due his name because of the many things he has done for me. As I do this I begin to know I can trust him with this baggage I have refused to let go of because he has been faithful with so many things in my life. I now feel overwhelmed with the need and desire to glorify him by trusting him with everything. That's what happens when we truly worship our Lord.

I really like how the psalmist refers to us as "mighty ones". That is very insightful into what we become when Jesus is truly Lord over us, when we trust him with everything and glorify his name in our living a life of trust. We become mighty ones because nothing can shake us or cause fear to reduce us. We are like mighty warriors who are not afraid of the battle because we are confident of the strength of our King. We serve in his army, glad to lay down our lives because it no longer belongs to us. We realize that our lives are for the glory of our King, that we are here to serve and our service is to others. Jesus said that no soldier gets involved in the affairs of civilians. In other words, the normal affairs of this life are no longer the baggage we carry around. We are warriors and we only carry what is necessary for the fight. Let's enter into worship today recognizing all that God has done for us, ascribing to him the glory due his name, and allow him to take the baggage from us so we can be refreshed for the battle.