Christian Reflection and Prayer

Discovering the Heart, Mind, and Soul
of Worship
by James MacDonald

Scripture:

"You shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind."
Mark 12:30

Reflection:

On every page of the Bible is the idea
of worshiping God - that we are created
and saved to the praise of His glory.
But so much of what passes for worship
today misses that mark. WORSHIP IS NOT
ABOUT ME AND WHAT GOD DOES FOR
ME. WORSHIP IS ALL ABOUT HIM-
recognizing that I am for Him. I breathe
for Him. I live for Him. I spend my life
for Him. The essence of worship is
proclaiming God's rightful worth and
position. It's one of the reasons why
we come to church: to sweep the stuff
off the table of our hearts and minds
that have crowded out the central place
where He belongs.

In Mark 12:28, Jesus was asked,
"Which commandment is the most
important of all?" He answered:

"Love the Lord your God . . .
with all your mind." God wants us to
think great thoughts about Him. You'll
expand your capacity to worship God by
studying His Word. An element of testimony
is fine, but worship is singing to God about
God, and the place to begin learning about
God is in His Word.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul." When feelings are
dead, so is our worship. How would it fly if
I said to my wife, "Well, honey, this is
always the time to tell you I love you. So,
I love you. See you next week." Would you
agree that's not going to work with her?

IT'S NOT WORKING WITH GOD EITHER!

IS IT WORKING WITH YOU?

Prayer:

Oh Lord, I come to sing to You and make
a joyful noise to the rock of my salvation!
I come into Your presence with thanksgiving
and make a joyful noise to You with songs
of praise! For You are my great God. . . .
I kneel before You, my Maker! You are my
God, and i am the person of Your pasture
and the lamb of Your hand. (based on Psalm 95).

Scripture:

The Parable of the Lost Sheep
1 Then all the tax collectors and
the sinners drew near to Him to
hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and
scribes complained, saying, “This
Man receives sinners and eats with
them.” 3 So He spoke this parable
to them, saying:
4 “What man of you, having a hundred
sheep, if he loses one of them, does
not leave the ninety-nine in the
wilderness, and go after the one which
is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he
has found it, he lays it on his shoulders,
rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home,
he calls together his friends and neighbors,
saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I
have found my sheep which was lost!’
7 I say to you that likewise there will
be more joy in heaven over one sinner
who repents than over ninety-nine just
persons who need no repentance.
Luke 15:1-7 (New King James Version)

Reflection:

One of my favorite stories is about the
boy walking on a beach. Encountering
hundreds of starfish dying under the
heat of the burning sun, he started
throwing them back into the sea. A
passerby asked, “What are you doing?”
“Saving their lives,” the boy replied.
“Forget it,” the man said. “You can’t
possibly save all these starfish.”
“Right,” replied the boy, “but it makes
a big difference to each one I do save.”

I really love what that boy was saying.
I can't help but think about when the
wave of sin overcomes us and throws
us onto the shore leaving us there to
die.  God sent His Son, He gave us
His Son, to walk on the beach to
rescue all who repent, all who are
there to be rescued.  And Jesus told
His listeners in Luke 15, each time
someone is rescued, heaven throws
a party. "I say to you that likewise
there will be MORE JOY IN HEAVEN
OVER ONE SINNER WHO REPENTS
THAN OVER NINETY-NINE JUST
PERSONS WHO NEED NO
REPENTANCE" (Luke 15:7)

HEY LET'S PARTY TOGETHER!

Scripture:

John 14: 6-7

6Jesus answered, "I am the way
and the truth and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through
me. 7If you really knew me, you would
know[b] my Father as well. From now
on, you do know him and have seen him."

Reflection:

Today attempt to take this path in your
life remembering that Jesus is your path,
He is the way and the truth and your very
life.  If you know this you will know God
and will experience Him.
This is not a simple statement given to
us by Christ but a truth in your life that
you will experience.

This is what makes us different than
the rest.  We are unique, we are followers
of the truth and life itself.  Become that
follower today and experience that uniqueness.

God Bless You