"Proper" Worship

    If you grew up in the church of Christ you most likely were taught in Bible class about the "five acts of worship"  (We do love our fives, 😊) :  Singing, praying, giving, communion, preaching.  So, yesterday was Sunday.  How did I do?  I joined in the singing of the congregation 🗹 , I joined in prayer 🗹, I put my money in the plate 🗹, I took communion 🗹, I heard a sermon 🗹.  All five checked.  I must have worshipped "properly."  

    Don't mistake me, all of these items are important parts of worship.  Can we say that we have worshipped just because we physically did all of these things?  Who seems to be the focus of the above checklist?  Is it really all about me??

    Consider the words of Jesus to the Samaritan woman:  But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23-24 (ESV)

    Jesus says that true worship is in spirit and in truth.  Worship is so much more than just going through the correct motions.  Let's go back to our list.  When I joined in the singing yesterday, did I think about what I was saying and to whom I was speaking?  Did I sing with my heart as well as my voice?  Did I worry more about how I sounded than about honoring God?  

    When someone led in prayer, did my mind wander off to Sunday dinner?  Did I consider to whom we were speaking?  Did I sound the amen in my heart?  

    What about giving?  Was it intentional?  Did I just look to see if I had any spare change in my wallet?  Did I consider the joy of coming before God with something to give?  Was I thankful that I was not empty-handed?  Had I happily planned all week long how much I was going to give during the worship?  Did I consider how much I have been given?

    When it came time to take communion, did I stop to think about the One who willingly took all my sins and was killed for my sake?  Did I remember?  Did I recall that Jesus asked us to remember what he did for us until he comes again?  Did I stop to think of Isaiah 53:6 "All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."?  Did I grieve over my sins which killed the Son of God?  Did I rejoice in humility that he saved me?

    Then the sermon.  We usually have more trouble considering how listening to a sermon fits into worship.  I was blessed to hear a sermon which was fully based on scripture.  Did I carefully listen to each scripture as it was read?  Did I take notes so that I could remember what was said and review it later?  Did I take pains to keep my focus?  Did I remember that even though a man prepared and spoke the sermon, he was bringing the very words of God?  Did I find my heart rejoicing in the word of life?  Even the sermon should draw us to praise.

    "Proper" worship is not always easy.  Satan tries to distract us and keep us from truly worshipping.  He knows that we gain so much strength to carry on from worship.  Don't give up.  Remember to worship Him every day!  There is always a blessing in "proper" worship.

 Don't Spread Poison!

And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. James 3:6-8 (ESV)

It was the end of a beautiful Sunday full of worship and praise.  Our Sunday evening worship had just ended.  We were spending a little extra time visiting since some who had been out of town for a long time were back with us.  It was such a joy to be together.

One man mentioned that he was working on a project and was needing a little extra computer expertise.  Another brother suggested that he contact D______.  Then it happened.  Someone asked how D______ was doing.  He heard that he had (committed a public sin) some time back.  The poison was released.  One brother tried to help by saying that D______ had made a public confession and repented and was now active with his home congregation.  But the damage was done.  Not everyone in the group knew about D_______'s sin before that evening.  But now they did.  

Don't get me wrong.  The brother who said that is a good, kind person.  But he spoke without thinking.  He could have simply asked how D_______ was doing and left it at that.  There was no reason to rehash the sin.  

James tells us that no human being can tame the tongue.  The tongue may be small but it is dangerous and full of poison.  

The whole day of worship was tainted by the poison that came from the tongue of this brother.  Personally, I was devastated.  I had to work hard to get out of the discouragement brought on by the poison.  I knew that the brother who said that did not say it with evil intent.  That is the danger of the tongue.

I have heard it said that you can't put toothpaste back in its tube once it has been squeezed out.  In the same way you cannot unsay words.

You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.  Matthew 12:34-35 (ESV)

Jesus tells us that what is in our hearts determines what comes out when we speak.  We must get to the root of the problem.  Children are born with completely pure hearts.  As they grow and are in the world some weeds come in.  We do not have completely pure hearts.  It is what we must strive for.  We must do what it takes to fill our hearts with the things we want others to hear when we speak.  Those pesky weeds will cause us problems and we will sin with our tongues.  It happens but we must not be complacent about it.

When I was a young child I was taught a little verse in school.  It was designed to help us learn to cross the street safely.  "Stop, look and listen before you cross the street."  That is valuable advice to protect us from injury.  I would like to adapt that to how we use our tongues.  Stop before you speak and think about it.  Look at what you are about to say.  Listen to the Holy Spirit.  This plan can help us avoiding spilling poison into our conversations.

Spend a lot of time in God's word and fill your heart up with the good things you want to speak.  Spend a lot of time in prayer.  Let God help you tame the tongue.  You can't do it alone.  

 What Are You Thinking?

Floods, fires, riots, earthquakes, wars, bombs falling, planes crashing, immorality exalted, Christians persecuted....  The news is full of bad stuff.  It is so easy to get discouraged and feel like there is no hope for this world.  We can let our minds get so full of all the bad news and all the stress that we think of those things.  Yet, what does scripture tell us?

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  Philippians 4:8 (ESV)  

These words were written by the Apostle Paul.  He gives us a blueprint for our thoughts.  There is nothing in there about all the bad stuff in the world.  Don't think that this had to be easy for Paul.  He lived in a time when the emperor of Rome ruled over the world he knew.  Christians were persecuted.  Paul himself had been beaten and left for dead.  He was arrested for something he did not do and left in prison long after he should have been released.  He was even abandoned by people he trusted.  He lived in the city of Corinth for a year and a half.  Corinth was a horrifically evil city.  Most around him worshipped the emperor and idols.  Yet, in the midst of this evil world, Paul said to think about the things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent and praiseworthy.

We cannot just ignore all the evil around us, all the suffering.  We must pray about these things but we must also look for the good.  I read a post by one of the preachers in Ukraine recently.  He was rejoicing in the midst of the terrible war because of all those who put on Christ in the past year.  He said that more people had come to Christ since the beginning of the war than in the ten years previous.  There is something lovely, excellent and praiseworthy.  God's people are working.  God is opening hearts.

The stories of self-sacrifice, courage and kindness are there.  Look for those things.  Focus on those things while praying for relief.  Of course, we will think about the things that are happening around us but we must not let our thoughts focus and dwell on the negative.  

Be careful what you put into your mind.  If you choose entertainment that is full of violence
and immorality you will certainly have difficulty thinking about the things listed in Philippians 4:8.  Watch how you feed your mind and spirit.  

See what you can find to think about today.  Look for the good news.  Keep your focus where it needs to be.

Water

We have been having a lot of rain here lately.  That is normal since it is the rainy season but it got me thinking about water.

The average human body is made up of about 60% - 70% water.  The human brain is made up of approximately 85% water.  Without a regular intake of water we develop problems.  I found this information online:  "Lack of water to the brain can cause numerous symptoms including problems with focus, memory, brain fatigue and brain fog, as well as headaches, sleep issues, anger, depression, and many more."  Water is vital.

It is also true that many, if not most, people do not drink enough water.  I have heard that the average adult loses about 80 ounces of water a day, but most take in only about 32 ounces.  Not sure how accurate these statistics are but the fact is that we need water.  We cannot live without water.  We will die without water.

Following the disastrous earthquake in Turkey earlier this week rescuers have been searching for survivors.  Doctors warn that the longer those survivors go without receiving water, the less likely they are to survive.  Being cut off from water means certain death if it continues.

Now, this is not a blog about our physical health.  Why would I be talking about water?

As Christians we must take in the water of life, the living water.  We cannot live without it.  The symptoms caused by lack of this precious water are much worse than the above mentioned physical symptoms from lack of physical water.

Jesus told the woman at the well to ask him for living water. "Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” John 4:10 (ESV)

What is this "living water?"  Wells in ancient Israel were of two types.  Some were more like what we might call a cistern.  They contained water but it was not being constantly renewed.  Other times when a well was dug it tapped into an underground spring or other source of water and was constantly renewed.  The water was always fresh and never stagnant.  The woman at the well was told to ask for continually renewed water.  

Later in the same passage we read these words: "Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14 (ESV)  

Jesus is the source of the living water.  The Old Testament also talks about the source of living water.  "for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water." Jeremiah 2:13 (ESV)  "O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be put to shame; those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living water." Jeremiah 17:13 (ESV)

God himself says he is the fountain of living waters.  God's people had forsaken that fountain.  There is no hope for spiritual survival when we cut ourselves off from the source of water.  

Keep in touch with Jesus.  He provides that water that is constantly being renewed.  When Christ is in us that water leads us to eternal life.  Without that water we are doomed.

Amazing Grace 

It is a well-known story.  John Newton was the captain of a slave trading vessel.  He was
involved in a horrendous business.  He became a Christian and God changed him completely.  John Newton wrote a hymn that is sung all over the world--Amazing Grace.  

In that hymn we find the words, "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me."  John Newton had no doubt that before he came in contact with the wonderful grace of God, he was a wretch.  Dictionary.com defines wretch this way, 1. a deplorably unfortunate or unhappy person.  2. a person of despicable or base character.   I sure am glad I was never a wretch.  Oh, wait a minute.  I was!  

We don't like to think about ourselves as ever being a wretch.  Isaac Watts wrote the hymn, "Alas, and Did My Savior Bleed"  in which he has the line "would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I."  Some modern hymnals have changed the line to say, "such a ONE as I."  Why? 

We don't like to say anything too negative about ourselves.  We tend to excuse our failings and sins and look around to see that we are not as bad as other people around us.  We need to admit that without Jesus we are wretched, poor and blind (see Rev. 3:17).  

A few years ago I came across this little saying, "You will never be amazed by grace until you are stunned by your own sinfulness."  I have not been able to discover the source of this quote but it is so true.  Many of us go through life thinking that God bestowed his grace on us because we are so good, so faithful, so much better than other people.  Grace doesn't really mean so much to us when we feel that way.  We need to realize that we absolutely do not deserve the grace of God.  

Consider what God has done for you and then consider how far short you fall, how often you deny him, how many times you fail to do what you know you should do or you do what you know you should not do.  Think about this and be stunned that you, in spite of the love of God, are a terrible sinner-- a wretch, a worm.

Then, consider that by the grace God gives, you are forgiven.  You have a new life.  You are covered by the blood of Jesus.  God looks at you and sees the righteousness of Jesus.  Now that is amazing!

A New Year's Goal 

I am not really a fan of making New Year's resolutions.  It seems that most people don't really take them seriously.  Anymore most people consider them made to be broken.  However, now

that the new year is approaching I would like to suggest a New Year's Goal.

I really can't remember how many years ago it was, maybe 25 or so.  I decided to start reading through the Bible in a year.  I began with the "Narrated Bible" which was later published under the title "The Daily Bible."  This Bible was put in as close to chronological order as the editor could make it and then divided up into daily readings.  I really enjoyed that and used that method for a few years.

After some time I began to long for more time in the New Testament.  I had been spending the majority of the year in the Old Testament and was ready for a change.  At that time I was still homeschooling several of my children and I received a planner which included a Bible reading plan that would get through the entire Bible in one year.  This plan included four readings a day.  There were historical, poetic, and two different New Testament readings.  I loved this plan and used it for years.   I tore those pages out of my planner and kept them in my Bible case.  I still have those pages and they are pretty worn.  

A few years ago some Bible publishers came out with Bibles that were printed without chapter and verse markings.  The idea was to be able to just read without the distractions of those markings, footnotes and etc.  We purchased a copy of the English Standard Version in this edition.  That became my new Bible reading plan.  I really enjoyed that method.  Over the years we have purchased this edition in several versions.  We bought a multi-volume ESV, a multi-volume ASV and the Holman Christian Standard.  I highly recommend these editions.

I have enjoyed continuing to use various versions through the years.  Not all versions are available in these editions but I believe more are being published.  This past year I decided to read the New American Standard from the copy we purchased when we were in college even before we were married.  It, of course, has the chapter and verse markings.  After having read the Bible without such markings I find it easier to ignore them, at least to an extent.  

All this to get back around to saying that now is a great time to set a goal of reading through the Bible in 2023.  I guarantee it will be a blessing to you.  I cannot tell you what a great blessing it has been to me to develop this practice.  

With the world all around us telling us all kinds of things and distracting us from listening to God's voice, it is vital that we spend time reading and meditating on God's word.  The lies of Satan can sound pretty convincing and if we are not listening to the right voice we will be led astray.  

Let's welcome the new year with a new goal.  Choose a method.  You can use one of my

methods or look online and find a method that suits you.  I recently discovered YouVersion and hope to make use of it in the new year.  I think they have Bible reading plans.  Whatever method you choose, be sure to stick with it and you will find yourself reaping the benefits.

Do you have a favorite Bible reading plan?  If so, please share it in the comments.  We would all like to hear about it.

 I Want to Be Like My Dad

We have all heard it.  Most children go through a time when they think their Dad is the greatest.  He can do no wrong.  We all enjoy watching cute little children imitating their dad's mannerisms and even saying they want to grow up to be just like their dad.  

As Christians we are called to be just like our Father!  Some time ago one of my Bible memory passages was Ephesians 5:1-2. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (ESV) 

I have thought of it often.  We are called to be like children who are loved by their dad and who want to imitate him.  Wow!  How can I possibly imitate God?  My husband and I were talking about this just the other day and I said something like this to him.  He responded with some thoughts sparked by something one of his professors used to say.

 “People complain that ‘be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect’ is an unreachable, unreasonable goal. Well, what does one expect? A religion that has goals that are all reachable would be a human religion. The whole idea of Christianity is that we cannot measure up to God’s standards, that we must have help – his grace and mercy to reach his standards.

“A god that can be fully grasped by the human mind is a god not worth having. A god whose standards are reachable by unaided and sinful humans is not much of a god. Of course, the God of the Bible is beyond our understanding and beyond our unaided imitation. It is the very essence of God to be well beyond what we humans can reach.”

Becoming like God is a theme in the New Testament.  In Matthew 5:48.  You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect (ESV) Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount with these words.  He has just finished giving his disciples instructions for how they are to live and this is how he sums it up.

Consider 1 Peter 1:15-16 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." (ESV)  This passage quotes from the Old Testament (Lev. 11:44).  The idea of imitating and striving to become like God is not exclusive to the New Testament.

Notice 1 John 3:1-3 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.  The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.  And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. (ESV)  We are God's children and some day will truly be like Him.  This hope motivates us to imitate Him.

This striving to be like Him will never be completely fulfilled during this earthly life.  It is a continuing task.  It is a daily attempt. We must keep this goal before our minds.  We cannot do it alone.  It is God Himself who will help us.

What can we do?  We must get to know God if we want to imitate Him.  Read His book daily.  Meditate on the words you read.  Learn about God's actions toward humanity.  Read about the incarnate God, Jesus Christ.

Some years ago it became popular to ask, "What Would Jesus Do?"  Many people took to wearing bracelets with that question printed on them to remind themselves to ask when they faced a decision or a difficult situation.  The question is a good one and can be helpful, but only if we know what Jesus did.  How can we expect to know how Jesus would respond in a given situation if we have never learned or studied how He did respond to the situations he faced on this earth?  Read the word, study the word, join others in studying the word, read books by those who have studied the word.  Get to know God.  Then begin the lifelong task of imitating Him.