Cold and Darkness are only absences, and do not exist of themselves.

Copy this link and post it in your browser, to watch a short 1 min video.
The video is about a student telling his atheist professor the truth.

http://www.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=77647fc3ce406950d943
This is a great explanation for the existence of evil. The absence of good...
What do you think?

One Foundation Lasts

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock." Matthew 7:24-25

We all know this verse, and we have heard it many times. When brought up it is usually to talk about building your house on the rock, to endure with God, which is true. A key part that is often passed over is this "and acts on them" which is the point Jesus is trying to make. The foundations is his analogy, but this is really a call to action.
James points this out "Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only." The significance of this passage is Epic. Jesus is wrapping up the sermon on the mount, started in Matthew 5. His final parable is the two foundations, a call to action.

What does this mean for our worship?
It is one thing to have not heard the truth, to not know it in your heart, and be passive or lazy. It is another to know the truth, hear it, and do nothing. Jesus is challenging us to action, we have heard the truth now go and Do. I am not speaking of salvation through works, i am talking about action. You will know if people are Christians by their fruit. If i call myself a Christian i should have the fruits of the spirit. They should be obvious, you cannot hide good fruit, not flaunting, but recognizable. Our love needs to be obvious, visible to the world. Worship is an action, a decision. Someone who worships in spirit and in truth, exudes the fruits of the spirit naturally. That person is gentle.

Can you name the fruits of the spirit? Comment if you know them.

Depth of Dedication

"Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the sons of Israel assembled with fasting, in sackcloth and with dirt on them (E.s.v. says earth on their heads.) The descendants of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers. While they stood in their place, they read from the book of the law of the Lord their God for a fourth of the day; and for another fourth the confessed and worshiped the Lord their God." -Nehemiah 9:1-3

First of all this is amazing that all of Israel gathered fasting, and dirty. Imagine Americans going to church dirty, none the less fasting. Next lets clarify a fourth of the day is six hours. So for six hours they read God's word, when was the last time we read God's word for a half hour? Then for another six hours they confessed their sins and worshiped God. That is depth of dedication.

What does this mean for our worship?

I'm not saying we need to get together dirty on Sunday and spend twelve hours in this fashion. But imagine what would happen to America if all the Christians spent a day like Israel did here. Imagine what would happen if just one church did this, can you visualize God moving? All this aside, we tend to lack in the depth of our dedication. We small times to God, which is good, yes, very good. But our lives and world would be changed if were had this kind of depth, an entire nation fasting and worshiping God, confessing their sins... You know God is listening. I encourage you to take a deep step, into dedication to God, out of his love and sacrifice for us. His step was deeper than any we can take. How great his depth of dedication.

Joyful Noise

"Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
break forth into joyous songs and sing praises!
Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody!
With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!"
-Psalm 98:5-6

So we are to make a joyful noise, i thought we were supposed to sing pretty. Funny isn't it, God wants a joyful noise from us so what do we do? We sing pretty, or try to that is. We have to get away from the idea that only good singers can worship God in a church service. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. You know the best part? God knows your voice, he knows how he made you, he is not worried about intonation or rhythm. He just wants your worship and praise.

This reminds me of the book of exodus, God tells Moses at the burning bush that he is to deliver Israel from Egypt, from pharaoh. Moses essentially tells God, don't you know i cant speak well, i stutter and fumble. God reply's, who do you think makes the blind, blind? Who makes the deaf, and the dumb? After this God tells to take Aaron his brother to speak for him. But Moses acknowledged that God made him this way, and for a reason. God wanted to work through Moses' weakness.

What does this mean f fo foo for our worship?
God knows how he made us, so don't worry about how you were made.
God will work through you just the way he made you. In the gospel Jesus heals a blind man, and the Pharisees ask him, "who sinned this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus said, "neither, he was born blind so that the glory of God may be revealed in him."
Wow, so no matter your vision, or your voice you are this way so that the glory of God may be revealed. Let us make a Joyful Noise!