Built on the Rock

How do you digest the biblical instruction that says to Worship in Spirit and Truth?

The Message version says it this way: John 4:23-24

But the time is coming–it has, in fact, come–when what you’re called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter.  “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. 24God is sheer being itself–Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.”

New King James version says it like this:

23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.�
**

I hear “Worship me from the core of your very being…from the part of you that doesn’t care who sees you or what people think of you.  Worship me with reckless abandon.  Worship me with the truth of God’s Word.  I long to hear my words spoken back to me.  I’ve told you that My Word will not return void ( Isaiah 55:11).  Speak words of life.”

Those “words of life” are already recorded for me in the Bible - I don’t have to think up any deep theological prayers…God has already given me all I will need. 

Today I started a new pattern of praying God’s Word. 

Let’s hear your thoughts….

I attended a women’s retreat this weekend, where we dissected Romans 12.  Read this paraphrase (of a paraphrase!):

She takes her ordinary life and places it before God as an offering.  She has a renewed mind and her full attention is on God. 

She is more concerned with her inner image than her outer life and consequently changes are emerging.  She doesn’t allow the culture around her to drag her down to it’s level of immaturity.  She cooperates with God so He can bring out the best in her. 

There is a deep gratitude about her life.  She is aware of the grace of God, His unmerited favor. 

She wants to be what she was made to be in order to complete and not compete in her sphere of influence.  She is learning who she is in Christ and loving from the center of who she is.  She won’t fake it. 

Deep friendships are very important to her.  She takes the back seat so her friends can have the front seat. 

She realizes it’s her responsibility to keep herself fueled and aflame avoiding burnout, being alert and expectant. 

Prayer and tenacity allow her to keep reaching out.  Through the power of God she blesses her enemies.  She treasures her friendships and shares deeply in their laughter and their tears.  She allows God to establish level ground relationships.  She sees beauty in everyone.  He gives her the ability to get along in each situation. 

She understands the power of her union with Him.  She doesn’t let evil get the best of her, but gets the best of evil by doing good.

If you love this quote as much as I do; here is my blog-link to pass along (just copy/paste):  www.bricksmom.voxtropolis.com

 

Sorry for the long silence, and I SOOOOO appreciate those of you who have emailed me just to see “what’s up..”.  You are awesome friends!!

Some of my blog friends know my story, and some of you don’t.  All you need to know is God has taken me through a pretty intense journey over the past few years. 

There has been a process of stripping away; there has been a process of adding to.  All in all, it’s taken me to a place, where my life is no longer my own.  That is such a bizarre statement and so counter-culture. 

Most days I feel like I’m not much use in the ‘world’ anymore…I see things differently now.  I’m not trapped in some of the things I had been trapped in before.  I see things clearly that I didn’t even know existed before.

All that being said, I actually feel MORE effective in the lives of those around me.  I am finding myself engaged in deeper conversations (the world talks so much surface talk, and it drives me crazy now), I am finding myself caring about people I hardly know, and touching lives in a way that I didn’t even know was possible, just by being a friend.

Does anyone else feel like their life has changed so much?  Things of the world have no pull and MY JESUS can do anything, so what do I have to be afraid of kind of thinking?  I totally get the BARBARIAN WAY now….

I respect the journey it takes each of us to get to that point…but let me encourage you…if you are stuck in a rut and don’t know how to get out of it…ask GOD.  Take a step and then another one.  Chances are He’s just waiting for your faith to kick in so that he can take you to a new reality.

I always say…each one of us KNOW the ONE THING that God is waiting for us to do, to give up, to trust him with.  There is ONE THING for each of us that is really the key to moving to that next level of effectiveness.  We all know what it is for us.  It just takes longer for some of us to completely trust Him with it.

What’s your ONE THING?

Why aren’t you getting to it / through it / over it?

See y’all in heaven…!