Falling for you for Eternity

Falling in love is a popular topic in our culture; love for eternity is not always as popular of a topic. It can be hard for us to imagine love for an eternity when there are fewer examples of long lasting love in front of us. I don’t pretend to know the reason that divorce is more common than it used to be. I also don’t know why long lasting friendships are harder to come by. I do know that as a people we are more selfish in general. Selfishness can make love a difficult thing, for whoever’s involved.
The bible gives us the example of Jesus, who said, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me, yet not as I will, but as You will.”-Matthew 26:42. Jesus surrenders his desire to live on earth, is crucified, and rises from the dead to save us from death. For the first time in history man (with the exception of Moses, Elijah, and Enoch) can live eternally with God, all due to the self-LESS-ness of the savior.

The selfless part of love is difficult for us also, in a world that wants to claim credit for itself. Our celebrities are fixated on themselves, and it runs deep in our culture. It is almost impossible for us to see what others need when we are focused on our selves, with eyes as unidirectional as an owl’s.

What this means for our worship:
Jesus is inviting us to a wedding feast, to an eternal love, a relationship that will not end. As hard as it is to understand eternity, eternal love is insane to us.
Our challenge today is to get past our culture’s inhibitors, to live selflessly, to look to others needs before our own, to love with a fierce strength, to fall in love with God for eternity. Part of this love is surrender, and requires selflessness, look to Jesus for the strength to be selfless.

Recommended listening: “Forever and Ever ect.” By David Crowder Band

Be Lifted High

Be lifted high, high above all, exalted, higher than our hopes, glorified, above the heavens, higher than the earth, atop the mountains, over our greatest achievements, Creator of the universe, arraigned in glory, clothed in light, bright and morning star,
Over all our pride, in our hearts, higher than our desires, greater than our understanding, surpassing in majesty, victor over death, beyond everlasting,
Eternally Gracious king, merciful Lord, gentle Father, Holy God!

What this means for our worship?
This Psalm is to be read with “Be lifted high” before every phrase. Ex. Be lifted high atop the mountains, be lifted high over our greatest achievements, and so on.
Read it out loud; there is power in the spoken word. God spoke the universe into being, speak his praises, and sing unto him this blessing. If feels great in our souls to give him praise, for he alone is worthy.

Recommended listening: “Came to the rescue” by Hillsong united, from the album United we stand.

Yet you have Not returned to me...

“But I gave you also cleanness of teeth in all your cities and lack of bread in all your places, Yet you have not returned to me,” declares the Lord. –Amos 4:6

Some times God is just trying to get our attention. It can be hard for us to understand a God who takes away, or withholds. The key is he does so out of love, one reason can be to get our attention. I am reminded of my wife, who when I am not as attentive as I could be says, “Pay attention to me, lets have some quality time.”

I think that is all God is saying, I want to spend time with you I miss you. It is easy for us to go through out our days without consciously thinking about God. Not all examples are as drastic as that in Amos 4, but they are all God saying, “can’t you tell something is missing.”

What this means for our worship

I love this verse because it is food, something so necessary, and is used as an illustration for the bible. God’s word is the bread of life. The best way I know to keep God with me all day, is start with Him. I’ll read the Word and pray, it doesn’t have to be thirty minuets, just five. Then I feel great, having started my day with God. Then through out the day I think about what he taught me that morning.

There is power in someone who can worship, truly worship God through all their mundane daily tasks. There is something special in corporate worship, when we gather together on Sunday mornings. To hear worship rising to God as a sweet aroma, a fragrance of praise, but the whole picture is for us to worship together and apart. One person who lives this way can do much good, an entire congregation that lives this way could change a community, or state. There is no limit to God’s power, especially when we are willing to let him work.