I had a conversation about this recently with Ams, about Worship. Mainly it was about how nowadays, worship is synonymous with the music we sing at church.

Why is that? Worship (and I do call the song/music portion worship) is so much more. It's somewhat strange for me to go without singing. (Ask Ams or my room mates) But sometimes, the deepest moments I've had with God are when I've got my hands raised in the quiet. When I'm thanking Him and expressing my love to Him with words and sometimes without. I'm at a place where there are times I just want to kneel down and not say a word...but still seek Him so earnestly that it's still giving Him glory, except this time communicating with my heart what my mind can't articulate.

What really brought this on, is this article that I came across just 20 minutes ago. I don't normally go to the Christianity Today website, I have the Christian Singles Today site as my homepage. Today however I was drawn to it, and I saw this article A Bow and a Kiss, please read it and tell me what you think.  It struck a chord with me, more because as much as I don't have a problem with calling the singing, worship...I think we forget that worship is so much more. Authentic worship is something that we exhibit with our lives, with our hearts, with our time, in our homes, in our relationships, in our offices or schools, in our cars even....(I don't drive but the point remains)...every thing that we do. I came across Colossians 3:15 - 17 yesterday...it took on new meaning for me then...

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.  Colossians 3:15-17

...and it does now too. This is worship...that we in our lives, with our lives glorify God. Prayer closet or out in the world.

What is worship? Worship is giving God glory.

*I was taking a shower and I felt like I had to talk about singleness. Then I asked God...what do I say? He kinda reminded me about this post I made last year on my other blog. So I went back to it and looked it up. I'm copy-pasting it here because I feel like this needs to be said. God bless you ...<sorry if it's kinda long...I tend to go on and on>*

Here's the deal. What does being single really mean? I mean, if you put your life and your dreams in God's hands, that's all there is to it, right? Not so easy I can tell you.
I've been having a lot of conversations about this. How I'm single and how I get lonely and how I want to be married soon-ish. I am pretty good at making jokes about it too. Only, there is an element of seriousness to it all.

I've read books about it. How to wait, what the waiting means and the like. While they may be good reads, the practical parts are the hardest. Recently I think I've been getting away from the negative reaction to the 'lonliness'. It was like a constant prayer, 'God I'm lonely, I really would like someone in my life.' but then I also knew that I don't want someone who would just be there for the sake of it, and I did talk to Him about that. And you know what? It's like you get hit in the head, when things make sense!.

I like my singleness! Yes I would like to be a part of a couple. But my life with God is so fulfilling. I have been able to grow so much in Him. I have love from the best source and THE source of love. I'm not so much afraid of being alone as much as I am of just not having the dreams in my heart come to fruition. And you know what? He put those dreams in my heart. He's not going to give me that and then say 'haha I thought it would be funny to watch'. Also, and this is something He just dropped in my heart, If there is somethign that we love incredibly that can take us away from Him. He's not going to say sure, you don't need me. We were made to be connected to Him. And our future needs to be in Him first. He doesn't want for us to be lonely. But He is training us, for more. And showing us His love, and how we can establish a true, authentic relationship with Him is what He is doing. Once we can really do that, and make Him the head and center of our lives, everything will fall into place.

I am seeing how in claiming that I need love from a human, I am pushing the God who loves me away. No, He's not going to stop loving us. But we are hurting Him, and we are trivializing His love for us! We trivialize everything He has done and is doing for us! You know how it is written if God is for us, who can be against us? Don't let your human needs cloud, your life's need for God. He will provide graciously. But we have to give Him the throne of our hearts. [Thanks Ry for that.] He will give you the desires of your heart when you give your life to Him. And I have faith and believe that when you do get them, they will be so much better than anything you could do on your own steam with God in the back seat. He needs to be the driver. And you don't even have to sit in the back seat, you can be the passenger...He talks to you, teaches you, consults with you even! Use singelness to bring you closer to Him, to let Him show you the path that your life should follow.

I am. Today, I am at a place where I can say I am truly in love with Him. I've got more joy, more peace and just plain more than I have ever had. And it's just getting better. I pray for that for you too

* You are my hiding place. You always fill my heart with songs of deliverance. Whenever I am afraid I will trust in You. I will trust in You. Let the weak say I am strong, in the strength of the Lord.* - You are My Hiding Place

I was about to move on to doing something else, when I heard this song. I love it...He is my hiding place. I was trying to figure out which fruit I could talk about...and I've known for a few days that I was going to talk about faithfulness. I just didn't know what to say...I've been praying about it. And it clicked when I was singing this song just now.

Faithfulness is more than just faith...it's exercising that faith that you claim to have. It is an act of worship, to God (first and foremost) and then that you show the world. It's what we should be able to live...that we don't need to prove everything...that we trust that God is real, His promises are true and He will guide and provide for us. 

The past couple of weeks have been very metaphorically speaking, bumpy. And I've found in the recent past that there is such a huge difference in saying you believe something, and actually practicing that belief. Faithfulness...it's not something that just happens. Sometimes we need to start out knowing that we want to be used by God, that we want to serve even when the path isn't clear. And when we take that desire to God, His Spirit enables us to live with that faith...to go forth with that desire. To exercise faithfulness.

He leads the humble in what is right, teaching them his way.  The LORD leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all those who keep his covenant and obey his decrees Psalm 25:9-10.

But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Turn to me and have mercy on me; grant your strength to your servant.  Psalm 86:15,16.

The point of these verses is not simply to show that God is faithful. The point is this...Faithfulness is a characteristic of God. When we living with the fruits of the Spirit in us, we are given the blessing of being able to reflect God's faithfulness. The Holy Spirit moves in us, abounds in us and produces a fruit that is of God.

It's not easy, that is why we need the Spirit to work in us. It's easy to say 'My life is terrible, I have a hard time trusting God'. But with faith we can say, 'life is not so peachy, it's difficult, but there is more going on than I can see. I will take this on, because I know there is beauty at the end of this', and continue to live in faith.  

Faithfulness...continuing to live in faith, hope, belief and trust, even when there seems to be no way. The Bible has examples of this....Job, David. They lived with faithfulness.

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I'm going to move from the fruits of the Spirit for today...I want to talk about Life. I feel this need to talk about it...to just bubble up with the news that life is worth living!

Today at church during our Easter play, I found that I was tearing up constantly. I was just completely enveloped in His love and the lyrics to the songs I was hearing. It was all about the amazing love that God had for us that He became man and chose  come and die so we could have life! God died for us to live. 

I was watching Larry King Live on Saturday night...Rick Warren was on, because of the 26-year old single mother who shared Jesus with the guy who held her hostage. To sum it up, she told him about God, read to him from the Purpose Driven Life and I think the Bible...he connected with the message...that his life was valuable and purposeful and chose Jesus. She cooked him breakfast, he fixed her curtains and then he handed himself in to the cops. Talk about impacting lives!

Pastor Warren was asked about whether the guy had a purpose...he said yes. He was asked about Terry Schivao, whether she had a purpose...yes she does. He was asked about this man who's young son had died, whether that little boy had a purpose...the answer was yes. And  does Rick Warren have a purpose...YES! What grabbed me...was the wole thing was about life...our lives. It may not impact us ourselves, but our purpose could be for others...and really it should be.

Life is worth living. That is the message...why? Because it has purpose, it has meaning. Jesus gave up His life ...His purpose was for us to live...to have a relationship with Him, to experience the joy of loving and of fulfilling our purpose. God has an amazing plan for you. Just ask Him, He will show you.

There have been times in my life that things looked so bleak that I didn't even WANT it to continue. I remember a time when I would kneel and pray and ask God to let me die, to take me away. Then my uncle died...and I saw what that did to people in my family. And I stopped praying for death...because I was killing the life that God wanted me to have. Instead of trusting Him to make the clouds clear...I asked Him to bring on the rain. Looking for ways out will not get help us with much. Looking for the Way through will get us everything we need.

I'm not quite sure what my purpose is - I think I'm starting to. I do know for sure, however, that He is revealing to me things all the time. Showing me how I can touch lives...how I can love and LIVE with the life He gave for me...for us. You can have a fuller, richer, joyous and purposeful life...look to the God who gave it to you. We can only look to our maker for the manual on our lives...who better would know? Try and think about how you try to make it all make sense to you...as much as you may try, it won't work. Why not give Jesus a chance? It's a small price to pay ( if you want to call it that) for Someone who gave His life for you. Someone who loves you that much. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. John 15:13. This life was one that took on every sin, shame, pain...everything that would make the Father turn His eyes away...so that you could come to Him.

That is what we celebrate on Easter. Not a bunny, or candy or easter eggs...we celebrate life. New Life. Sent from the Father, through the Son...so we can live eternally with God. Your sins are washed away with the blood of Jesus. Accept Him...choose Life.   

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 1 John 5:20

Can you imagine enduring (1 : to undergo (as a hardship) especially without giving in : SUFFER 2 : to regard with acceptance or tolerance) someone's offensiveness? When someone is constantly on your case? When someone hurts you? When someone doesn't act the way you think they should? Can you fathom actually loving and forgiving the things they do to you, your friends, your family? Not just that, but enduring, consistently going through it anyway? But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. Hebrews 10:32-36 Jesus in his parable of the seeds says that the [seeds] that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. (Luke 18:15)

And can you even begin to comprehend how much peace your life will have then? Even in suffering? Well you know what? God has that kind of love. The Psalmist says

To live a life of Faith,it's not enough to just call yourself a Christian...you need to live the life. There is so much that God has in store for us individually and collectively as a body. We need to learn to pray into His will and not with our own.

There is a difference. Praying with our will implies that we are going to God saying..God this is how I see it. This is what I want. I think You'll like how it works...so God let it work out please. Now don't get me wrong...God wants us to go to Him with our requests. We see Daniel petition God in Daniel 9:3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. Now I don't think that Daniel quite got the answer he wanted...but he got an answer. And he was good with what he got.

Going to the next chapter we see Daniel three years into Cyrus' (King of Persia) reign, and he is visited by an angel who says to him "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. Daniel 10:12. Do you see the common factor here...what it is that pleases God? Supplication...trusting in Him...HUMILITY. We need to realize that WE ARE NOT GOD. We cannot force our will on Him..we need to remember that As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is proven;  He is a shield to all who trust in Him(2 Samuel 22:31). There are many plans in a man's heart, Nevertheless the LORD's counsel--that will stand.(Proverbs 19:21) ...The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years (James 5:16-17). Praying in God's will has immense power. And God has promised us that if we are righteous, and humble and faithful, we can do amazing things for His glory.

God wants us to love each other…He’s even asked us to love our enemies! How much more must we act in love with our family and friends. Don’t let the problem be the destructor of the relationship. Too many people do that and in the end, the separation only hurts them and more so God. Can you imagine how it must feel for Him to have parts of His body separated? I haven’t ever had a bone broken, or a limb severed…I’ve had bad sprains…and those are bad enough. Think about how many members of the body of Christ have fallen away, or in conflict with one another.  There is no way that God is going to be happy about it, He’s in pain. …speaking the truth in love, [children] grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.  Ephesians 4: 15-16.  We are not effectively working if we break the relationship with each other because of our pride or hurt.

Rick Warren in the Purpose Driven Life makes some points that I really feel are necessary to hear. For us to work as a family we need to learn to forgive. We need to hear what God has to say, we need to love even when we are broken.  This is from Chapter 21:

·          Talk to God before you talk to the person: All your relationships would go a lot smoother if you would just pray about them.  Ask God to show you how to deal with situations, to show you what to say. He will never leave you not forsake you (Hebrews 13: 5)

·          Don’t delay, it only deepens resentment and makes matters worse. In conflict, time heals nothing; it causes hurts to fester. Anger hurts you…You who tear yourself in anger, Shall the earth be forsaken for you? Or shall the rock be removed from its place? (Job 18:4). Acting quickly also reduces the spiritual damage to you.

·          Pay close attention. We need to focus on the feelings not the facts. Begin with sympathy not solutions. If you are not willing to understand the reasons for the choices then you are going to get nowhere. Telling someone how they should have dealt with it after the fact is only going to breed more resentment. You’re not going to get anywhere. It just creates a deeper divide. At the end of the day…it is God who will deal with it.  Patience comes from wisdom, and wisdom comes from hearing the perspective of others. A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense (Proverbs 19:11). It is a sacrifice to patiently absorb the anger of others, especially if it is unfounded. But remember, this is what Jesus did for you.

·           Since we all have blind spots, you may need to ask a third party to help you evaluate your own actions before meeting with the person with whom you have the conflict.

·          Ask God to show you how much of the problem is your fault. Ask ‘Am I the problem? Am I being unrealistic, insensitive or too sensitive? The Bible says, ‘If we claim that we are free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves (1 John 1:8).   This is a big one, just because we may be in the right (or not) there is always some way that somehow your actions can have contributed. The other party may not be completely right, but that doesn’t mean that you have no wrong. Go to God, He is the guide you need. He can show you the truth, and He can lead you. If you are with God, who can be against you? Don’t make excuses or shift blame; just honestly own up to any part you have played in the conflict. Accept responsibility for your mistakes and ask for forgiveness.

·          A soft answer is better than a sarcastic one. You will never get your point across by being cross, so choose your words wisely. Again ask God to guide you.

·          Sometimes it costs our pride; it often costs our self-centeredness. Peace always has a price tag.

·          Reconciliation focuses on the relationship, resolution focuses on the problem.  We can re-establish a relationship even when we are unable to resolve our differences. God expects unity, not uniformity, and we can walk arm-in-arm without seeing eye-to-eye on every issue.

·          You may need to continue discussing and even debating- but you can do it in a spirit of harmony.

You know what I was thinking of when this song was dropped in my heart? Relationships. We are made to be in a constant relationship with our Maker, and in turn, each other. There are a lot of issues that may cause a rift or conflict among people – family or friends. There are times when there is more hurt than we know what to do with. We get so frustrated with the situation and people that we tend to forget that the relationship is worth so much more than the conflict. Conflict will come, it’s one of those givens. And you can overcome it.

  Ephesians 5:21 says Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another. This says something important…courteous and reverent…towards each other. Let’s break it down…courteous is defined as marked by respect for and consideration of others. Reverence is defined ‘to show devoted deferential honor to: regard as worthy of great honor’. I could go into the whole history and synonyms etc. but I won’t. There is something about these two words that really makes me pause. In any relationship we have…we are to respect and give honor to the people we engage in the relationship with. It doesn’t say…only if they are good to you, only if you’re really good friends or the closest family. It says…out of respect for Christ, treat each other with courtesy and reverence.

 Now of course there are the times when we feel like we have been wronged by another party. When we feel like we are justified in our stance, when we can be stubborn, when we can be so filled with anger and/or hurt that we let our relationships hang. By hang I mean literally…like the bridges that are made of cord and wood that link two precipices. If one snaps, do we just leave it be, or find a way to fix it?  Another analogy is building. When we build a house, do we let it have all it’s walls intact, or just give it three walls or do we see that for it to function as accurate shelter it needs it’s fourth wall. Relationships are like that. We may have made a hole in the wall…but we have got to get the brick and cement / drywall and fix it. We are the only ones being harmed by the hole really.

 God calls us to forgive, to love, develop relationships, not to breed animosity and anger. We are fallible. People make mistakes, but if God can forgive us our mistakes, our sins…why can’t we forgive someone else theirs? When someone has wronged us, we get defensive, we get angry. But relationships, should be about overcoming the conflict and building the relationship in spite of the conflict. You don’t always have to agree with the other person(s). But you can still love them. You can still save the relationship and agree to disagree. Maybe the issues aren’t as clear cut…everyone has a perspective and it’s not easy but we need to open our eyes to seeing theirs.  If a relationship is built on hurt, it’s only going to crumble. If it’s built on pride it’s going to crumble. If it’s built on self-justification and no leeway, it’s going to crumble. And it all comes out in anger, and in a build up of hate. Angry people without God pile grievance upon grievance, always blaming others for their troubles. … But those who learn from their suffering,  God delivers from their suffering (Job 36: 13,15). God sees it all, He knows it all so much better than even you could. O LORD, You have seen how I am wronged; Judge my case (Lamentations 3:59). Why not take it to Him? He can judge better than you ever could. Leave it to Him.

When we take it to God, He will deal with it. But remember, the people we are closest to, our family and friends…they may hurt you too. And that cuts deeper than anything or anyone else can, especially family. If we are able to hurt the God who created us, and loves us and is so completely for us, what keeps the people who love us from hurting us and vice versa? Don’t forget, there are two sides to every coin, to very story. Even if we may be in the right, someone else may not see it the way we do. And we have to understand it, accept it, and deal with it. In Romans 14:1 we are told, Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don't see things the way you do. And don't jump all over them every time they do or say something you don't agree with--even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently.  When we love we can overcome anything. Even conflict. Sure the issues may be there, but you can deal with them lovingly, without the anger, and the pointing fingers and judgements on their character. 

Remember, Jesus suffered. We are not told that everything is going to be all hunky dory. In everything we’ve got to take the sourest lemons and we can make the sweetest lemonade! Conflict brings us closer to God.  Praying for the person(s) you are in conflict with blesses you and the person(s). Loving them is so much more beautiful, because you will feel God’s peace. I’m talking about this as one having experienced this. Forgiveness is not easy…I won’t lie. But it is so freeing.  And now, isn't it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You're more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you've come out of this with purity of heart. And that is what I was hoping for in the first place when I wrote the letter. My primary concern was not for the one who did the wrong or even the one wronged, but for you--that you would realize and act upon the deep, deep ties between us before God. That's what happened--and we felt just great. 2 Corinthians 7: 11-13 

I am soooo tired right now. But I really wanted to write this up. I read the book the Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson last year, after it came highly recommended by some people I trust in faith matters. Sometime after, in conversation with a friend, he said that he found it selfish I think it was (I'm not so sure, but I didn't agree with his assessment. It's all good though) . Anyway I totally didn't get that out of the book, to me it was a testament to the amazing blessings that God wants to give us. 

Last Sunday while waiting for my mom and brother to get dressed for church, I was watching the Hour of Power and sortof talking to God at the same time. BUt Dr. Schuller said something (I don't remember at all) and all of a sudden I remembered Jabez. (the message was not about Jabez..no mention of him at all) However, I felt God speak to me then. I jumped up and grabbed my Spirit Journal and started writing. I wanted to share this...because I think that is is necessary for us to know.

1 Chronicles 4:9-10 is the only place that I know of that mentions Jabez. But, it says this about him,  Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez,saying, "Because I bore him in pain." And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" So God granted him what he requested.

For someone only mentioned once in the middle of a geneology there is something to it. Jabez found favor with God, he was honorable the Bible says. Honoring God has time and again produced AMAZING results. Jeremiah 29:19 says "Did King Hezekiah or anyone else in Judah kill Micah of Moresheth because of that sermon? Didn't Hezekiah honor him and pray for mercy from GOD? And then didn't GOD call off the disaster he had threatened? . Jabez we are told honored God. And God when he asked God to 'enlarge his territory'.. God gave it to him.

This is where the contention was...asking God to enlarge his territory. THis is what God dropped on my heart. Dr. Schuller talked about fencing out and fencing in. Fencing out is to get more acreage/land to cultivate. Fencing in is to do more with the land you already have, or to fix or renovate whatever is on your land. In the case of Jabez, it's not about selfishness. It is fencing out, to enlarge his acreage --> to grow more crop --> to plant more seed --> to harvest more crop.

God WANTS us to ask for more...because He has so much to give us. In Jeremiah 29:11 God gives us this promise For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD , "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. God has it ALL planned out...He has so much he wants for us...we however need to ASK...Matthew 7:7-8 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 

We need to keep this in mind however, It's what God has to give us that we get. The plans He has made for us..when we ask Him for something, we get a response...sometimes a 'yes' and sometimes a 'no'. However when God finds the things we seek out to bless Him..then He will give freely. It is what He wants us to use, for His glory.  We need to understand that bigger territory is not going to be easy, it is more responsibility, more risk.

It is all about God. Why are there so many Christians who are successful? It's because they ASKED for more - they make a difference in the world. They are serving God in the best way they can. Enlarging territory is about planting seeds, it's about reaping a bigger harvest --for God. It all ties into Matthew 9:37-38 Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."  Enlarging our territory is about going out into the field...success comes at a price. It is not easy, but it is for God. Let your life be about seeking God, about Him giving you the more that He wants you to have. Let it be about stepping out and doing more...sure it's a risk, it may be more challenging...but with God on your side, who can stop you?  I'll leave you with this...Romans 8:30-32 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

This is the last sermon that the Pastor at my church did last Sunday. He was called to go into missions and so it was a hard goodbye. But when God has called someone...there is no better place for them to be than where He wants.

I'm going to write the notes I took at church. I think there is such a wealth of wisdom in this, and all who follow Jesus need to know this. We are called by God, and we are His people. We need to remember this...WE ARE CALLED, called to be :

i) People of the Word

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart

The most important part of a house, is the foundation. If it did not have one it would crumble. As Christians we are supposed to build our houses on the Rock, the Word of God. Without it, without the Bible, without the Word of God we have nothing to hold us up.

1 Peter 1:24-25 "All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.
       The grass withers, And its flower falls away, 
       But the word of the LORD endures forever"

Our words change nothing, God's word changes EVERYTHING.

ii) A People of Prayer

Luke 18:1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose hear.

If we're not praying, it's all wishful thinking. Without prayer we are just talking to ourselves. Nothing can happen without going to God and we do that with prayer.  We need to have a Spiritual Mentor. This is because we need to have someone who is going to be praying for us consistently. Someone who we can go to for advice, support and accountability in our lives.  Do we pray? As in do we really seek God, are we genuine with our prayers, are we ernest? Do our prayers really reflect the truth of what is in our hearts, are we seekers of His truth? Are we humble? Real prayer is genuine, authentic, humble..REAL. Luke 18: 9-14 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men–robbers, evildoers, adulterers–or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

iii) A People of Faith

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Faith it spelt, R-I-S-K.  We need to believe God is who He says He is. He hears when we believe. Reach out in faith, attempt great things for God in faith.

iv) A People of Worship

John 4:24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

We must worship in spirit and in truth. We have to worship with all that we our, our spirit needs to seek to connect with His. It is true when our worship is real, when it comes from the depths of who we are and is centered in love and awe of who He is.  When we worship Jesus, we link our lives here on earth and our lives in heaven.

Revelation 4:9-11 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: 
      "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power;
       For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created."

When we worship in our live, with our lives - we get to walk in Heaven's glow.

v) A People of the Spirit

Acts 1:8a But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;

Embrace the moving of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is here as your Helper. It is the awesomeness of God that He is still here with us guiding us. We need to seek Him in a deeper way, where we can be usedby Him. Where we can let Him fall on us so completely that we are transformed.

Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Tongues are not about a Spiritual high, it's about power for purpose, for witness.

vi) A People of Committment

Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

A much as people may like to say otherwise, it doesn't take a wimp to follow Jesus - it takes a band of warriors.  Don't be duped by the culture of the uncommitted. A very sad statistic in the church today is that 80% of the work of the church is done by 20% of the people in it. You have to get involved, you have to do your part. It's not about timing...think of it this way...there's no good time to have a baby, you just have 'em.

vii) A People of Compassion

Matthew 9:36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.

We should not be unwise, we need to have the compassion of Jesus. Compassion is a beautiful gift. It is what God had for us so much so that He sent His Son to die for us. That He came down to the earth, took on a human body and bore OUR sin on Himself, was ridiculed, scorned, humiliated, beaten, bruised, scourged and the lowest and most degrading of all forms of execution in that time, was crucified...so we could have a life free from the death that results from sin. He calls us to have compassion, to love and to fight for the lost. We need to care, we need to feel. We can't create bubbles around us to protect us...as much as we would like to.

1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous

Our compassion must run deep - it is with it that we honor Christ.

viii) A People of Impact

Acts 17:6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.

The same tools the early church had, we have. They had faith, they had scripture, they had the Holy Spirit. We have the same. We need to make a difference, Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead (James 2:17). If we cannot make a differnece in with the Lives we are living we are not doing the work that we have been put on this earth to do.  

ix) A People of Devotion

Mark 12:30 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'This is the first commandment.

Without an intense love for the Lord, everything unravels. I can't say much more. I lives have to be consecrated to God, we need to be living sacrifices. Devotion is defines as the fact or state of being ardently dedicated and loyal (as to an idea or person). We have to be totally, completely devoted to God. He is totally and completely devoted to us.