Do you know what God desires more than worship? Worshipers. God desires worshipers. More than the words we say or the songs we sing, God desires us, our hearts, the truth of who we are. Jesus said it this way:

John 4 23-24
"It's who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration."

Jesus is telling us that being authentic before God is when true worship occurs. Today I invite you to let go, to let go of all the roles we play, all the masks we wear, all the things that we hide behind that keep us from being fully aware of our true identity as one Beloved by Christ. Let go of the personality we think God should love and be the person loved by God. It is in these moments of letting go that God says, “Ah, there you are!”

I recently saw a bumper sticker that said “God bless the world. No exceptions.”

No exceptions. This is hard for us to understand because we are always passing judgment on each other’s sin.  Thinking, “Well at least I’m not like so-and-so.”  When things don’t go our way we withhold love and kindness from our brothers and sisters.  I am thankful that God does not treat us the way we  treat each other and it is not for us to decide who is beyond saving or whose sin is greater.

Peter says it clearly in Acts 10 34-36:

Peter fairly exploded with his good news: "It's God's own truth, nothing could be plainer: God plays no favorites! It makes no difference who you are or where you're from—if you want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open. The Message he sent to the children of Israel—that through Jesus Christ everything is being put together again—well, he's doing it everywhere, among everyone.

So I am thankful today for the invitation to come to the cross, knowing that I am fully welcomed by Christ as a beloved child.  Are you living as Christ's Beloved today?  Are you looking at others through the eyes of God?

May 13th, 2007 

Psalm 95 says:

 1-2 Come, let's shout praises to God, raise the roof for the Rock who saved us!
   Let's march into his presence singing praises,
      lifting the rafters with our hymns!
 3-5 And why? Because God is the best,
      High King over all the gods.
   In one hand he holds deep caves and caverns,
      in the other hand grasps the high mountains.
   He made Ocean—he owns it!
      His hands sculpted Earth!
 6-7 So come, let us worship: bow before him,
      on your knees before God, who made us!
   Oh yes, he's our God,
      and we're the people he pastures, the flock he feeds.

I love the way it says “Why? Because God is the best!”   It’s true, God is the best there is.  We are to praise God not because it feels good, or because we can get something out of the deal but because God created everything, “His hands sculpted the Earth,” God created us and even though we are often messy and undeserving creations we are, “the flock he feeds.”  When we begin to think about the magnitude of God’s work, and the sacrifice of His son Jesus our hearts ought to be brimming with praises to lift up.  “Why?  Because God is the BEST!”

April 29th, 2007