Worship

IF your gift is…

/ Jodie / 1 Comment

Romans 12:3-9

3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.[b] 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.

A dozen years ago, I was fired from serving— at church. Technically, I was told to take a mandatory sabbatical from my volunteer position in children’s ministry, but it felt like I was fired.

In the weeks and months that followed I became an offended, angry and bitter woman who acted more like a child than a leader of children. I began gossiping about the staff members who dismissed me. I pointed out every weakness in them in order to convince myself (& others) of my superiority and subsequent righteousness over them. And when I prayed (ranted) to God, I believed that the blame rested entirely on their shoulders- and that they should be punished.

But, as the months turned into a year, my heart began to soften and I was finally able to listen to God.

I forgave.

I repented.

And I realized that I needed to be fired.

The truth is, my motivation for serving was completely wrong. Sure, I was doing what church leaders told me to do:

“Don’t be a consumer Christian- SERVE”

“Find a ministry that has a need and fill it!”

“Its not about you, its about doing for others.”

I was using the talents God gave me to lead children’s worship. I was faithful to show up for meetings and practices. I trained other volunteers. I served almost every weekend…. during all 4 services. I enthusiastically sang and danced right up to my 40th week of pregnancy- and I only took a few weeks off after giving birth!

But I wasn’t worshipping God.

I was worshipping service.

IMG_4321I was offering “sacrifices” on the altar of ministry, but I didn’t love the One who sacrificed everything for me.

I read the bible occasionally.

I prayed even less.

I was neglecting areas of my relationships with my husband and our children.

I wasn’t submitted to other parts of the body of Christ.

So God allowed me to be fired to re-order my life:

  • Love God.
  • Love others (as I love myself).
  • Make disciples.

My fellow disciple, let this be a warning to you: don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourself.

Are you loving God?

(If not, take a mandatory sabbatical and begin worshipping Him alone)

Are you really loving others?

Then use the gifts He has graciously given you:

(out of your fear of God– not man)

IF your gift is serving others- do it!

IF it’s prophesying, deliver it!

IF it’s teaching – preach it!

IF it’s encouraging, speak it!

IF it’s finances – give it!

IF it’s leading – do it!

IF it’s kindness – release it!

At the Lord’s Feet

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Luke 10:38-42

38 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

IMG_4461When our schedule is overly busy I often become distracted by all the details of life. As a result, I fail to take time to be with the Lord. A few weekends ago, after traveling home from several days away I returned to my secret place with my bible, journal, pen and devotional. After I sat down and took a deep breath I muttered “hey, God….” in which He replied, “you’ve been worshipping me every day, but its been a while since you sat with Me.” My soul agreed. I deeply missed His presence.

So often, “worship” becomes another thing I do. In my daily effort to serve God, I forget that sitting at the Lord’s feet, listening to what He wants to teach me is the greatest act of worship. Like Mary, once I realize there is only one thing to be concerned about, I can just sit at my Saviors feet, and nothing- nothing else matters than being in His presence. In those moments, I am able to completely submit my soul (mind, will & emotions) to the Father, which is the heart of a true worshipper.

As I sat this morning at the Lords feet, I prepared nothing. I didn’t work. I didn’t worry. I wasn’t upset over all the details of the day. I just sat literally and spiritually in His presence. And as He spoke, my spirit confirmed His truth. My mind knew that He is God. My will obeyed His voice. And my emotions gave release to the longing in my heart- to be greatly loved.

Romans 5:8-11

8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Truly Free

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John 8:31-36

31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

33 “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?”

34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35 A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

When I exchanged death for eternal life by believing in Christ, I assumed that as a daughter of God, I would no longer be a slave to sin- instantaneously.

I was wrong.

As I’ve continued on my journey as a disciple of Jesus, who wants to know and remain faithful to His teachings I’ve discovered that being set free is also a journey. A journey of knowing the truth.

How do I know the truth?

-I must get to know Jesus.

John 14:6

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

How do I get to know Jesus?IMG_2963

-I read His Word.

-I worship Him.

-I talk…and listen to Him. I tell Him my needs and my wants. I ask questions, then listen for His still, small voice:

“Lord, what do I need to repent for?”

“Father, who do I need to forgive?”

“God, what do You want me to do/not do?”

After I’ve heard Him speak, I have the opportunity to obey Him- or try harder not to sin. Trying harder by reasoning, avoiding temptations, reading self-help books or depending on others to fix the problem never brings freedom. All my efforts, all my discipline, and all my sacrifice may cut the top off the weed temporarily, but it won’t eliminate the root system of sin.

If I want to experience freedom in Jesus I must rely on the power of the Holy Spirit in order to believe Him in every area of my soul (mind, will & emotions). Only then can I be released from captivity and be truly free to bring Good News to others.

Luke 4:18

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
 for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
 He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
 that the blind will see,
 that the oppressed will be set free…

The Blazing Furnace

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Daniel 3:16-30

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. 18 But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

19 Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. 20 Then he ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So they tied them up and threw them into the furnace, fully dressed in their pants, turbans, robes, and other garments. 22 And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in. 23 So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames.

24 But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?”

“Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did,” they replied.

25 “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god[a]!”

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”

So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. 27 Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke!

28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore, I make this decree: If any people, whatever their race or nation or language, speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb, and their houses will be turned into heaps of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue like this!”

30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon.

IMG_4466I’ve been thrown into life’s blazing furnace multiple times. On several occasions I’ve asked God to pleeeeeeeease untie my hands so I could escape the sweltering heat, but He refused.

Honestly, that infuriates me. My rational mind thinks, “why would You allow your daughter to suffer?!” But when I finally get over my temper tantrum and humble myself before the King of kings my spirit re-engages with His and I no longer feel the need to defend myself. Then, ever so gently, He reminds me that His Son experienced unimaginable suffering on my behalf. Never once did He declare His position or power to defend Himself. Instead, He trusted the Father, knowing He was sovereign and that His plans, no matter how painful, were for good.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s story is absolutely remarkable to me. Their faith in the One true God was put to the ultimate test by king Nebuchadnezzar. When faced with certain death, they believed God could save them from the blazing furnace. They also knew that if He didn’t, He had a good reason. These 3 men felt no need to defend themselves from being punished unfairly, instead they made it quite clear that they would never serve his gods or worship any idols.

As the enemy of my soul increases the heat, making the furnace seven times hotter during this season of my life, my faith will once again be put to the ultimate test.

Will I believe God can rescue me?

Will I believe if He allows me to be thrown into the furnace that He has a good reason?

Will I believe that He will be with me in the fire?

Will I believe that He will give me the strength to stand?

Will I believe that He will deliver me without a singed hair, scorched clothing or the smell of smoke lingering in my soul?

My mind knows He’s done so over and over and over again, but my flesh sometimes still doubts Him.

So what do I do?

The truth is, I can do nothing…..without Christ.

Philippians 4:13

13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Every single day I must continue to crucify my flesh by submitting my will to the Father. I must ask Him to pour out His Spirit on me in greater measure so that I will have the strength to stand. I must worship Him, regardless of how I feel. And I must fix my eyes upon Jesus, instead of the flames, so that I can continue walking with Him, wherever He leads.

New

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Luke 5:33-37

33 One day some people said to Jesus, “John the Baptist’s disciples fast and pray regularly, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why are your disciples always eating and drinking?”

34 Jesus responded, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. 35 But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

36 Then Jesus gave them this illustration: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and uses it to patch an old garment. For then the new garment would be ruined, and the new patch wouldn’t even match the old garment.

37 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins.

IMG_4831The deliverymen from Lowe’s were not very happy campers when they arrived 2 hours late last week to install our new refrigerator. To make matters worse, they quickly realized that our new appliance was not going to fit through our old doorways. An hour or so later, once they removed our back door from its hinges and disassembled the fridge and freezer doors, we stood and admired our new, shiny, energy efficient food storage container….that no longer fits into the 30 year old cabinetry in our home.

Time to renovate!!!

Romans 12:1-2

And so, dear brothers and sisters,[a] I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.[b] 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

The more I worship God, the more I realize that my mind continually needs to be renovated. As the Holy Spirit reveals areas of sin in my life (some, I have discovered, have been hiding for 30 + years!) I have the choice to:

-try to fix the “issues” by myself by using a new patch on an old garment

or

-submit my body as a living and holy sacrifice to God, so that He can burst the lies of the enemy, create a new wineskin and fill it with His Truth

The process of renovating my heart is often a messy and sometimes painful experience. But, I know that copying the behavior and customs of the world won’t provide me with the freedom my soul is yearning for.

As another year draws to an end- again,

and we begin the process of renovating our kitchen- again,

I am reminded that I continually need to apply this age-old phrase to my life: out with the old, in with the new –again!

Knowing Christ

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Philippians 3:1-10

Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters,[a] rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.

2 Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. 3 For we who worship by the Spirit of God[b] are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, 4 though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!

5 I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6 I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.

7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ.[c] For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death.

I was a member of the Pharisees who demanded the strictest obedience to the law- of myself. Although my actions seemed honorable, I tried to obey His commandments…. my hearts motivation was completely wrong. Essentially, what I was really doing was attempting to manipulate God into believing that I loved Him, so He would bless me. I was a Christian in name only, for my will had absolutely no intention of being crucified with Christ.

I, like Paul, once thought obeying the law was valuable. But when I began to encounter God in a supernatural way, I realized that everything- everything I had attempted to do, in my own strength, was absolute garbage. Love. God’s love is the key to knowing Christ.

IMG_4382My love for Christ began to blossom when I started to regularly read God’s Word, worship Him in Spirit and in Truth, and communicate with Him any time, any place, about any thing. One aspect of my prayer life that has absolutely revolutionized my relationship with Jesus is simply this: I ask Him, “Lord…I need you…please show me where you are….” (Remember, God is omnipresent, so He is always with us- whether we realize it or not). When I can see him (by the Spirit), my heart is overwhelmed with love for the One who gave His life for me. If I’m angry, frustrated, burdened, worried, scared, hurt, feeling lonely, betrayed, inadequate, unloved….I can run to Him, and He will gather me up in His arms each and every time. As I stay with Him, He’ll whisper words of love, identity and purpose to me. Sometimes He’ll even rebuke me- but it is always, always for my good. In His arms I am free to forgive and be forgiven. In His embrace I find shelter from the storms of life and promises for tomorrow. In the shadow of His wings, I fear Him alone.

Then, a miraculous exchange occurs: He tells me how to love Him

John 14:15

15 “If you love me, obey[a] my commandments.

and my heart melts, wanting nothing else than to surrender my will to His. And in that moment, I become righteous through faith in the One who loved me so much, that He surrendered His will to the Father to give His life for me.

In Secret

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Matthew 6:5-6

5 “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

I began praying in the synagogue (sanctuary) long before I ever started praying in my inner room. Back then, I was plagued with the fear of being exposed or criticized when praying with a small group of people, so I remained silent, content to be a voyeur. Prayer is an intensely intimate conversation with the Creator of the Universe and honestly, I wanted to control how deeply I related to Him- and His children.

After years of being encouraged by church leaders, I finally forced myself to devote some time in my very busy schedule to talk to God and read His Word on my own. I’ll admit, that even though I was submitted to these daily disciplines, I didn’t particularly enjoy them. The desire to want to go away in secret not only to talk to God, but also hear Him speak through His spoken and written Word took years to emerge.

“Jesus did not say- dream about thy Father in secret, but pray to thy Father in secret. Prayer is an effort of will….the great battle in private prayers is the overcoming of mental wool-gathering. We have to discipline our minds and concentrate on willful prayer”

-Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

IMG_4389Almost a decade later, I finally created a space in our master bedroom where I could go away, shut the door, lock it (remember, we have 4 children!!!) and pray to my Father in secret. Since then, that inner room has become a refuge, a safe place for me to pour out my anger, grief, joy, fear, gratitude, frustration, and worship to my Savior. Now, when I get up and get started on my very busy schedule without going there, my soul knows it…. and yearns to retreat back.

Prayer is a lifeline to the heart of the Father. Just as Jake Sully, in the movie Avatar had to learn to “connect” to Eywa (their god), we must learn to be still and connect to the one true God in order to know Him. Otherwise, we’ll never be able to love Him, love others, or go make disciples.

Do you have an inner room? When’s the last time you went there, closed the door and prayed to your Father in secret?