God's Word Speaks

Jesus said, "Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’” (Mark 11:2-3)

This is a fascinating passage. Jesus told his followers what to do, in fact, He told them what they would see and encounter while completing the task.  And, guess what. It all came to pass. It is stories like this which encourage me to keep reading God's word every day, just looking for something like this. 

When I bring a problem, or question to God, I am confident He will respond, in some fashion. He will direct me in the correct direction, or He will put someone in my path to speak into my life with a kind word, or a comment or question. It always amazes me how He works in my life.

Just as the people lined the path to Jerusalem to praise and honor a King, we can also line the road and expect the same Jesus to pass by. When we expect Him to show up, He does. When we turn to Him for praise or worship or conversation, He shows up.

I am faced with an important decision right now and I am looking forward to my quiet time with Him tomorrow morning. I will be praising and worshiping and scouring His Word for guidance. I know that He will answer me. He always leaves me excited and feeling so blessed because I know He hears me and cares about the big and the small things of my life. He is like no other. 

Mark 11:1-11 

With a Song in My Heart

Isaiah 29:13 The Lord says:

“These people come near to me with their mouth
    and honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.

Some Sundays when I come to church, I must admit, my heart isn't in the right place. I am troubled, or irritable, and just plain unpleasant. Certainly not fit to be in the frame of mind to give God everything He is owed. My heart is far from focused on anything Spiritual. I'm a mess.

It is a good thing I am here though, because God has a plan to change me, to turn me around and get my feet headed in the right direction. And how does He do this? For me, all it takes is a song. A song that rattles my memory, that squeezes my heart and takes my focus off me and puts it right up there on the Cross.

There are times when I am in worship and singing and praising, I feel close to God. Things that happened in my life through the weeks and months before, come to the surface. I am filled up with joy and gratitude and as I am filled during these times, it is as if I am near over-flowing.

In fact, the feelings in my soul often pour out in the form of tears. It is like I need to release the pressure and tears are the result. Another release for me can be applause. When a song has ended and the music keeps playing in my head I need to thank God and put my hands together in appreciation and praise.

Revelation 19:6-10

There was a time I did not like going to church.  I was young for one thing, didn't understand what church was all about and thought there were better things to do on a Sunday morning.  All that has changed and for a number of reasons.  You are among those reasons, for I look forward to seeing friends, talking with you and ultimately worshiping with you. When standing next to you while praising God, I feel like I am in close communion with Jesus.  Scripture says, "Where two or three come together..."

When I go to church now, having lived more of life and having studied God's Word and applied it to my life and situation and circumstances, I am learning to understand the concept of Worship.  Worship fills my heart with peace and joy and love.  Sometimes my heart gets so full that it overflows and I find tears streaming down my face.  Have you ever experienced this?  This is one of the things I see in my mind's eye when reading this section of Revelation; the multitude praising God.

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

“Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready. (Revelation 19:6-7)

There are many reasons why I love to go to church.  To be in the company of the Fellowship of Believers, singing God's praise together is sweet.  Raising holy hands to God in unison is a vision I believe we will see in Heaven and one that we practice here on earth.

Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” (Revelation 19:9)
Read the Revelation 19:6-10 text here.  Listen to an audio reading here.

Isaiah 1:11; Luke 3:23,32

How do we worship God?  What is the proper way to approach worship; does someone who has been a Christian for years worship differently than a new believer?  Does it matter?  During Isaiah's time, before Jesus came to earth, true worship involved sacrifice.  God called Isaiah to tell the people to change their ways.  One of the changes they needed to make was their worship practices and their devotion.

This holds true for us today as well.  Isaiah wrestled with the peoples' attitudes and priorities.  He was charged with leading the people to know God and obey God. The Scripture today is:

The multitude of your sacrifices— what are they to me?” says the LORD. 

“I have more than enough of burnt offerings, 

of rams and the fat of fattened animals; 

I have no pleasure 

in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.

God wants our love and our worship, not messy animal sacrifice.  In Isaiah's day animal blood sacrifice was the accepted and expected vehicle to worship.  Because Jesus became the blood sacrifice, we can approach worship with just ourselves.  We come before the throne offering ourselves by submitting and surrendering our will.  We can lift up our hands and Praise our God in a worshipful pose.

Read the text here.

Paul's Story - Acts 22:3b-11

It has been a busy week, but a productive one.  I have learned how to assemble some furniture and follow directions in the process.  See the proof...just one of the many new endeavors.  Two more are waiting for me to tackle.

So, Sunday is again a day of rest for this writer.  Read the text for today below.  See you Monday as we being a new series.  Can't wait to dig in.

Have a wonderful day of Praise and Worship.  The church I am attending offers a Saturday evening service as well as the Sunday morning.  I do love Saturday night worship, and I look forward all day to participating.

Blessings to each of you this day.

Read the Acts 22:3b-11 text here.