HOW DO THEY SEE YOU WORSHIPING YOUR KING?

 

How does the world see you worshiping? This is a very touchy subject. We have had many different religions move to the United States over the last ten years and each group worships differently.

The one thing we need to know more than how to worship is; who we need to worship. Who is our King?

The only one worthy of our praise is Jesus. He was born of a virgin, died for our sins and rose again triumphantly and will return again. He is preparing an eternal home for you and will one day return to receive you unto himself. He controls the storms and sets the captives free. He's the healer of the sick, broken hearted and defeated souls. He is a friend to the friendless and a father to the fatherless. He gives us hope for tomorrow and joy for our soul.

How do we need to worship him? There are many ways to worship the King. Reading God's word is a form of worship. When we read God's word it is showing our devotion. The words that come out of our mouth, the ways we serve others and the songs we sing can also be worship.

If people do not see you doing any of these things, then chances are you don't really know the King. We are not to do it for show but if we truly love our King it will be displayed in our lives.

He is available at all times and wants to be your constant. Jesus Christ is the only one worthy of your praise.

People are watching everyday how you worship the King.

The bible says we are to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. When we believe his word and begin to sing, we enter into worship. It not only affects our life but it affects the lives of people around us. When others see you worshiping your King they will see the importance of true praise. Not a superficial praise but a realistic praise that will take them to the throne of God.

True praise is the kind of praise you have when you are with people and when you are not, when things are going good and when they are going bad. It is something that will manifest itself in and through you daily. People can't help but see you love your King.

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers hall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.(John 4:23-30)

 

 

LETTING THE LORD FILL IN THE BLANKS

There are so many people in our world with great needs. People have medical, physical and emotional needs. God is the only one that can meet those needs. We can be there to hold their hand, cry with them and give words of wisdom. The one thing we can't do is fill in the blanks of their lives.

Each of you has a blank that needs filled in. You can fill in the blank on this paper with what you need in your life. We need to confess to the Lord what it is and ask him to meet that need. Lord, my need is: __________________________.

You are the only one that can change my______________.

You care about me and what this _________________is doing to my life. I want you to supply everything I am in need of at this time. I trust you, love you and give you the burden of this ___________________.

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.(Isaiah 43:2-4)

FILLING MY LIFE WITH THE RIGHT THINGS

Have you ever watched a helium balloon rising above the power lines and drifting off into the sky?

If you blow air into a regular balloon it will fall, hit the grass or fence and burst. Fill the balloon with water and the instant you let go, it will hit the ground and burst. When you take the very same balloon and fill it with helium it responds in a different way.

There is only one item that will allow the balloon to sore high in the sky. It is the lightest gas called Helium. This gas is lighter than air. Since it is so light, when it is added to a balloon or airship they easily raise higher and higher. Helium will condense hydrogen and oxygen and is also used for making rocket fuel.

It seems to be our human nature to desire to rise above the crowd, climb new heights, and go where no one has ever been. We want to sore with the eagles but how can we when we are hanging with the buzzards.

My life is like this balloon. Filled with all the wrong things, I will not get the results I am looking for. I can fill my life with entertainment and lots of new items but when I lay down at night it's like the balloon hitting the ground. It pops and many times the joy is gone.

The only way to get the joy back is to keep returning and refilling my life with the same things, entertainment and new items.

Real joy and peace comes when I fill my life with the right things. The Lord desires for me to rise to new heights.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.(Matthew 11:28-30)

The scripture says, "if we wait on the Lord and let him be the one that renews our strength, we will mount up with wings as eagles."

You now understand what happens when you are filled with worldliness. You will not desire all the worldly things you once did. Your desires will be to wait until the Holy Spirit passes your way and fills your life abundantly.

Why settle for second best when you can have the very best?

Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (II Corinthians 3:17)

SAND DOLLAR - GOD'S MERCY AND PEACE

There is no creature on the face of the earth that needs more mercy than the sand dollar. The sand dollar is actually slower than a turtle. At least a turtle has a hard shell to protect itself from predators. The sand dollar not only is slow, it's delicate. Just the slightest pressure and it breaks.

Have you ever noticed a sand dollar has a star shape in the middle with five slots on the outside?

It's not a coincident the number five is displayed twice on the sand dollar. One set of five is on its legs and the other set of five is the slots around the edge.

This little creature's only protection is to bury itself under the sand, clone itself or swallow sand. It will swallow sand to make itself appear larger. The reason it clones itself is so it can split itself and appear smaller to the predator. Many times the predator will leave and look for larger meals.

Is it surprising to you the number five stands for mercy? Looking at the sand dollar we see it is a creature in great need of God's mercy. The five slots on the outside represent mercy.

When we break the sand dollar apart, we will find five skeletons that look like doves. There is one inside of each leg. These dove represents peace.

If we look into the scripture we will notice mercy and peace are like two best friends. We see them together many times. Mercy means the kindness and love of God that washes our sins away. Peace means the harmony between two parts, or free from any external or internal strife. Nothing slipped past God when he created the world, not even the sand dollar and its delicate make up.

When we come to know Christ as our savior we must do as the sand dollar, put off the old man. Once the sand dollar splits it is able to produce new parts. We will never be able to put on the new man unless we are willing to put off the old man.

Mercy and peace are the two things we need to have in order to receive grace. First of all, we need the mercy of God to wash our sins away.

Secondly, we will come into harmony with the Lord Jesus Christ. When we are willing to do this then grace is able to walk in and supply us with God's unmerited favor.

That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. (Ephesians: 4:22-27)

LIFE AFTER FAILURE

Have you experienced  failure in your life?   If you are alive and old enough to read this blog, then your answer is probably yes.  Failure is a part of each of our lives.  It’s the part of our lives that we don’t enjoy but it’s also a part of our lives that makes us stronger. 

Thomas Edison could tell you many stories about failure.  The only way to succeed is by falling down and then getting back up.  There were people in Thomas Edison’s life that believed he would never succeed.  His school teacher said there was something wrong with him and so his parents took him out of school.  The only schooling he had other than the first three months had been given to him by his parents.

Edison became well known after he perfected the light bulb that Humphrey Davy invented.  Later he flipped a switch that sent light into 85 homes in New York.  He also invented the phonograph, electric mixers, motion picture camera, and numerous other things.  At the age of 84 Thomas Edison passed away known as the greatest inventor of all times, with 1,093 inventions.

Edwin Howard Armstrong was much like Thomas Edison.  He had been removed from the public school and became withdrawn, at which time his interest in electrical and mechanic devices increased. 

Edwin built a tower in his back yard at a very young age.  At the age of 21 he entered the U.S. Army Signal Corps.  He set up wireless communications for the army during that time.  Edwin allowed the Army to use many of his patents. 

Edwin went on to invent numerous things that we use every day now.   In 1934 RCA hired Edwin to conduct the first large scale field test for FM radio.  This test was conducted by putting an antenna on the 85th floor of the Empire State Building.  There was people 85 miles away that could pick up the signal. In 1935 Edwin financed construction of the first FM radio station, W2XMN.  The signal could be heard for 100 miles.  The tower was located in Alpine New Jersey. 

RCA began to lobby against FM radio.  RCA chose to move forward with broadcasting television instead, and didn't want to be dominated by FM radio.  When this took place Edwin charged RCA and NBC with infringement.

The event with RCA and NBC began a legal battle for Edwin that lasted for twelve years.  Edwin was also involved in many other legal battles.  These battles took about ninety percent of his time, leaving him with little money, exhausted and frustrated.  On January 31, 1954 Edwin took his own life by jumping out the window of his thirteen story apartment.  

His wife began to fight the legal battles after the death of Edwin and was able to get patents on his inventions.

On September 11, 2001 when the planes struck the twin towers, all communications was lost.  America was under attack and looking for somewhere to turn.  Someone remembered about the tower that Edwin Armstrong built in 1935 and contacted authorities and told them about it, at which time the tower was turned on.

The one man that gave up on his life in defeat was the very man that set America back on it's feet on September 11, when all hope was just about gone.  

Never give up.  Even when you feel your life is worthless, you never know what God has in store for you.

JAMES 1:2-6

My brethren, count it all joy when

ye fall into divers temptations;
Knowing this, that the trying

of your faith worketh patience.
But let patience have her perfect work,

that ye may be perfect and entire,

wanting nothing.
If any of you lack wisdom,

let him ask of God,

that giveth to all men liberally,

and upbraideth not;

and it shall be given him.
But let him ask in faith,

nothing wavering.

For he that wavereth

 is like a wave of the sea driven

with the wind and tossed.

HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE?

It's been days since I posted. We were attending funeral services and staying with family in Lubbock and Tahoka, Texas. I had no internet connection therefore my blog was rather quite for a couple days. This event was extremely sad and also joyious at the same time.

Lynn Carl Long my brother-in-law had cancer for the last ten years. There were certain things that the cancer stopped him from doing. On the other hand there were some things he did even better. One of the things I have seen in his life is the deep love for his wife, Denise. A month before Lynn passed away he had some bleeding in the cranium. We were in his hospital room and he never complained one time about how much pain he was in. When he would doze in and out, he would say things about how much he loved his bride, Denise. His love for her grew deeper everyday.

One of the other things he learned to do better was to love the Lord Jesus Christ. One time Steve was there and Lynn asked him to come up and finish the message for him. Lynn set down and was out cold. They ended up rushing him to the hospital. He was in and out of the hospital a few times during his last month. Each time he returned home he also returned to the pulpit. There were many times that as Lynn stood and preached his nose would start bleeding and drip onto the sheets of his bible before he realized what was happening. This didn't stop him from preaching the Word of God.

Why would someone keep preaching so deligently, knowing that he didn't have to? Lynn had a love that was deeper for the Lord than it was for himself. If he could have, he would have liked to be preaching when the Lord took him home. The one thing he wanted to leave for his kids, grand kids, neices and nephews was his deep desire to see each of them walk with the Lord. He wanted the world to know that he was willing to give every ounce of energy left in his body to see them come to Jesus Christ.

JOHN 15:7

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you,

ye shall ask what ye will,

and it shall be done unto you.
Herein is my Father glorified,

that ye bear much fruit;

so shall ye be my disciples.
As the Father hath loved me,

so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
If ye keep my commandments,

ye shall abide in my love;
even as I have kept my Father’s commandments,

and abide in his love.
These things have I spoken unto you,

that my joy might remain in you,

and that your joy might be full.
This is my commandment,

That ye love one another,

as I have loved you.
Greater love hath no man than this,

that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Ye are my friends,

if ye do whatsoever I command you.
Henceforth I call you not servants;

for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth:
but I have called you friends; f

or all things that I have heard of my Father

I have made known unto you.
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,

and ordained you,

that ye should go and bring forth fruit,

and that your fruit should remain:

that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name,

he may give it you.
These things I command you, that ye love one another.

EARTHLY VESSELS USED FOR GOD'S SERVICE

When Steve and I moved to Kermit, Texas there was a young couple in our church named Andy and Lana Williamson, who had three young children, Amreigh, Avery and Austin. Austin was in sixth grade. He was a very quite young man who stayed close to his mother's side.

About Austin's sophomore year in high school we began to see some changes take place in his life. As these changes took place in Austin's life, our lives began to also be reshaped. On Wednesday nights he began to bring a buddy or two to church with him. He would talk to them about how they should live their lives.

He began to search the Internet for copies of the "Purpose Driven Life." He ordered copies and passed them out to other students at school. The current flow of the lives of many Kermit ISD was soon going to change forever.

Each week on Wednesday there were more and more youth showing up at Northside to hear about the Gospel of Christ. These youth were not showing up and being rowdy or disruptive. These students were there to truly learn about the Lord.

We have had youth groups with ten teenagers and had far more problems than we do with the now presently 65 teenagers that are attending. God has used Austin Williamson to lead many of these young people to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. They all attend one class together on Wednesday and are the most polite respectful group of teenagers I've ever had the opportunity knowing.

This quite young man has blossomed into a true man of God. God is using him in a mighty way and will continue to do so as he graduates and attends college, if Austin will keep his eyes on the Lord. When you talk to Austin and many of his friends you can hear in their every day speech that they have a love for Christ.

You might ask, "What was the one thing that Austin did to be used of the Lord?" He didn't go to great seminars or mission trips across sea's. The one thing that I saw take place in Austin's life was that the Lord saw a vessel that was willing to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. When Austin became filled with the Lord people couldn't help but see the difference. There were other high school students that saw what Austin had in his life, and started desiring to be like him.

You can go to You Tube and type in CBS 7 Austin Williamson Player of the Week and see and hear the testimonies of Austin and Daniel as they are unashamed to speak of Christ publicly.

The Lord is watching and waiting to find more of these vessels that are willing to be filled. He can't fill your life with himself if you are filled with everything else. You must ask the Lord to clean your vessel and then ask him to fill it. Are you willing to be a vessel used for the Lord?

II Corinthians 4:6-10

For God, who commanded the light

to shine out of darkness,

hath shined in our hearts,

to give the light of the knowledge

of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,

that the excellency of the power may be of God,

and not of us.
We are troubled on every side,

yet not distressed;

we are perplexed, but not in despair;
Persecuted, but not forsaken;

cast down, but not destroyed;
Always bearing about in the body

the dying of the Lord Jesus,

that the life also of Jesus might be

made manifest in our body.