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Touching lives with the truth of God's Word.

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Location: Birmingham, Alabama, United States

Sunday, October 30, 2005

PSALM 100:1-5

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
The Lord should be praised and worshiped joyfully. Notice! He is Sovereign, He is the Creator, and those who trust Him are His possession. They follow Him, for they are the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.
God's people need to praise the Lord for His goodness, love, and faithfulness. These blessings endure from generation to generation. Every generation of believers are called to express their feelings of gratitude and praise to God.
Worship is central in the Christian life; Christ is central to worship; joy is the right attitude to bring to worship, and a fuller knowledge of Christ is the expected result of worship. May I say acceptable worship is based on God's Sovereignty and centers on the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 4:24 that we are to "worship in spirit and truth." To worship in spirit means to worship from a consecrated heart, a heart that is committed to Christ. To worship in truth means to worship honestly and biblically, with our worship focused on Christ who is The Truth. May we be encouraged to worship the Lord with gladness; to enter His presence with thanksgiving; for He alone is worthy of our worship.

Saturday, October 15, 2005

Measure Your Obedience

Do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may be well with you. (Deuteronomy 6:18)
It's easy to talk about obedience in general terms; but when it really comes down to it, where do we stand? Are we obedient children or disobedient children? Do we take God at His Word or just play the game? 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22, contains as many as twenty five separate commands, each given for our good. Why not turn that chapter into a test to measure your obedience.
Ask yourself: Am I honoring the leaders at my church (v. 12)? Contributing to the unity of my church (v. 13)? Warning the unruly (v. 14)? Being patient with everyone (v. 14)? Refusing to get even with those who hurt me (v. 15)? Rejoicing always (v. 16)? Praying without ceasing (v. 17)? Giving thanks in all circumstances (v. 18)? Abstaining from every form of evil (v. 22)?
Vance Havner once said, "If we are professors of His Name without being partners of His nature, we are hypocrites." You think about that.