Monday Morning Memo: Worship

What do you think of when you hear the word “worship”?  If we look the word up for a definition…we will find:  to honor or show reverence for a divine being or supernatural power or to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion.  

 

To be honest, when I hear this word…that’s not the first thing I think of.  I immediately think of a set time on Sunday mornings when I attend a worship service.  So, I think of more of a set routine…instead of the action of worship.  Of course, I do worship God while I’m there…it’s just not the first thing that comes to my mind.  

 

I got to thinking about this recently when I was working in my kitchen.  I happened to be home alone and I had several things that needed done.  Oftentimes, I listen to a local Christian radio station while I work…but on this particular day I decided to tell “Alexa” to play the Gaither Vocal Band Radio station.  Song after song started playing:

 

Come, Jesus Come

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Because He Lives

In The Garden

Glorify Thy Name

Lord, I’m Coming Home

I Love You, Lord

Standing on Holy Ground…and the list went on and on…

 

As I listened to these songs…I began to feel God’s presence in such a powerful way in my kitchen.  It was as if He was right beside me and I was standing on holy ground. As I listened, I felt overwhelmed with emotion.  There were moments when I stopped what I was doing and raised my hands in worship…with tears in my eyes…giving praise to God through the songs.  

 

As I reflected on this later that day…I was reminded that I don’t need to wait until Sunday morning to worship.  I have the privilege of worshipping my Savior at any time and in any place.  I don’t need to be in a certain building…sitting in a pew…being led by a worship leader.  Now, I thoroughly enjoy worshipping with my brothers and sisters in Christ in our church…but I’m missing out on so much if that’s the only time during my week when I spend time praising Him.

 

You see, it’s not the location that makes the difference…it’s the condition of my heart.  If I will open my heart to be in tune with God’s promptings…I can feel His presence no matter where I am.

 

What about you?  When was the last time you truly worshipped?  If you aren’t involved in a local congregation…I want to urge you to make it a priority to find one.  Hebrews 10:25 reminds us, “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage oneanother, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near”.  Worshipping with my church family helps set the tone for my entire week and I really miss it if I’m not there.

 

But remember that you don’t have to wait to be in a building to lift praise to God.  Read His Word…listen to Christian radio…spend time in prayer.  He IS right there beside you…no matter where you are…and you can have a sweet time of worship regardless of your surroundings!

Monday Morning Memo: "Healthcare"

This post probably won’t make me friends.  In fact, some of you who follow my blog may choose to stop following…and that is your choice.  I don’t answer for anyone but myself, and when God lays something on my heart and tells me to start writing…I’ve learned I better obey.

 

To say I am disturbed by the recent action of the Massachusetts governor who signed a bill to allow abortions up to birth in her state…is an understatement.  Many stood around her…smiling and applauding this as healthcare for women.  This is not healthcare…this is murder.  

 

There have been times in my life when I was so upset at the actions of people and when I have voiced my frustration to my husband…he has wisely said that I was expecting the person to act like a Christian when they do not profess the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.  But in this situation in Massachusetts…there are Christians who agree with this bill which was signed into law.  Christians…who profess a personal relationship with Christ.  Christians who will in one breath say it is wrong for someone to kill another person…but will say that abortion is different and acceptable.  Christians who say it is a woman’s choice to do with her body what she pleases and who are they to judge.  Christians who stand in a pulpit and take on the responsibility of preaching from God’s Word…saying the commandment in the Bible “Thou shall not murder” does not apply to abortion.   

 

I cannot wrap my head around how any person…who has been blessed with children…can look at their child and believe it would have been ok to kill them the day before they were born.  Many argue that they aren’t actually a person until they are born.  So, if that is true, then I would love to ask those parents these questions:  If you are holding your baby in your arms on the day they entered this world…how in the world can you say that it would have been ok to murder that baby 24 hours earlier?  Wasn’t that baby alive the day before?  Wasn’t he or she kicking inside the womb and getting into position to make his or her appearance?  What is different about that child the day before to make it an ok decision to end this precious child’s life as a part of your “healthcare”?  

 

When you realize that every abortion 

stops a beating heart…

it’s hard to say that abortion is not murder.

 

I’m not writing this to debate anyone, and I am doubtful that my thoughts will change anyone’s opinion concerning abortion.  But I cannot just stand by and not stand up for the unborn.  They deserve life just like you and I do…and I believe that God is deeply grieved by how far in the pit our country has gone concerning the careless disposal of so many unwanted babies.  Unwanted babies whose delicate, inner parts of their body were knit together in their mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13).  Unwanted babies who deserve healthcare…not health destruction.

 

Mother Teresa wrote a poem entitled “Life Is” and the last two lines say, “Life is too precious, do not destroy it.  Life is life, fight for it.”  I can’t imagine what she would think if she was alive today to see the casual murder of babies become part of our accepted “healthcare”.

 

I am a child of the King…but I am far from perfect and I will someday stand before Him and account for how I lived my life and the decisions that I made.  And I believe I will also be held accountable for whether I spoke up, when given a platform, to warn those who are living on a very slippery slope.  I read Titus 1:16 this past week and I hope and pray it will never be said about me, “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him.  They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.”  Lord, help me to never deny you by my actions.

 

Isaiah 5:20 says, “What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter”. What a dark day we are living in when Christians smile and applaud when evil is made to look good.  Remember, all will stand before God someday…and I am doubtful that the smiles and applause will be seen then.  

 

Time is of the essence, and I believe Satan is working overtime to destroy our families and what better way to do that, than to get us to believe that murdering babies is healthcare.  Oh Lord…we don’t deserve it…but please have mercy on us.

Monday Morning Memo: Being an Influencer

I’m guessing that most of you know who an “influencer” is in the world of social media.  In case you aren’t familiar with this type of person, they have the ability to shape the opinions, behaviors or decisions of others, most often through social media.  They typically build a dedicated audience and can significantly impact consumer choices.

 

I’ll be honest…I have a really hard time believing most of what they say.  Why?  Because if you watch them closely, their absolute favorite product seems to change…sometimes weekly.  Let me give you an example.  A woman will say that a certain product for your face is one that she just loves and what a life-changing effect it has had on her skin…only to say the next week that there is a totally different product that she loves and of course has also had a positive impact on her skin.  Then, of course, they always have a discount code that they’ve exclusively been given to share with you if you make the purchase right away.  I’ve come to realize that if some of these influencers actually used all the products which they so urgently push on consumers…it would take them most of the morning just to get their face routine done!

 

I realize that this is how the influencers make their money…by making you believe that your life will be SO much better if you just click on that link and use this amazing product.  For them to make money, you need to want what they are pushing…so they want to do all they can to get you to make that decision to “click”.   I hate to be the one to break the news to you…but many of those influencers really don’t care about you and how glowing your skin could be…they just want you to desire to be and look like them…hoping you will “click”.  We used to deal with high-pressure salespeople in stores…now they enter our homes through social media.  

 

I was thinking about this last week, when I read Galatians 1:24 and it seemed to jump off the page at me, “And they praised God because of me”.  Paul was reminding the people of his past…how he had persecuted Christians and tried to destroy the church of God.  But then God met him where he was and cleansed him of his sins and as a result, Paul made a 180 degree change in his life.  As a result, the people praised God because of the miraculous work He had done in and through Paul.

 

Talk about being an influencer!  Paul was a walking sign board for His heavenly Father.  He was living proof that he served an all-powerful…all-knowing God who could forgive and save the worst of the worst.  He was a testimony to the fact that no one is beyond God’s reach.  Paul wasn’t interested in having the people praise him…He wanted them to put their eyes on the One who had changed his life.

 

So, I then had to ask myself what kind of an influencer am I?  Do I go through life just doing and saying things which will only benefit me?  Do I really care about those who I encounter…or do I have an ulterior motive to bring attention to myself?  I have wrestled with these questions ever since reading the verse in Galatians. 

 

As I contemplated this, a friend of mine sent me an excerpt from a sermon on YouTube where the minister said our purpose for each day should be to make Jesus look good.  What a wonderful goal to have as we go through our day.  As a result of this, I’ve been much more intentional as I’ve interacted with people to keep this thought at the forefront of my mind…doing all I can to make Jesus look good.  I know I haven’t always been successful…but I think it is a good goal to have every day.

 

What about you?  What kind of an influencer are you as you go throughout your day?  You may not realize it…but I’m confident that people are watching you and will either be influenced for good…or for bad.  So, I urge you to join me as we keep our focus on Jesus…making sure we do all we can to make Him look good.  Oh, how wonderful it would be if we could say, “And they praised God because of me”!

Monday Morning Memo: Not Today, Satan

I was thinking this past weekend about the different kinds of pain we can experience.  Some pain leads to a blessing, which makes the pain seem worthwhile.  I was blessed to carry three children in my womb, and there were moments during those pregnancies where pain reared its ugly head.  But I can remember that whenever I would complain during my pregnancies, my mom would always say that this was only for a season and when the precious bundle would be placed in my arms, all the pain and discomfort would be worth it.  As was the case many times…my mom was right. 

The problem is that not everything in life is that way.  Not every discomfort, not every pain, and not every time of suffering ends with a joyous moment.  The trials we face aren’t always contained in a nine-month period where we can see the light at the end of the tunnel from the beginning.  In fact, I have witnessed people who have had to face times of testing which have lasted for years.  How unfair is that?  Why do some people seem to skate through life without pain and suffering, while others seem to face misery at every turn? 

If I had the answers to these questions…I would be a very wealthy woman.  God never promised that we would always know the “whys” of life; He only promised that we could know the “Who” of life.  Without exception, those whom I have met who have faced adversities with grace, have demonstrated that their “Who”…Jesus Christ…has remained their constant focus and has overshadowed their need to always know “why”.  

Let’s face it.  It would be much easier to keep our focus on Christ if we didn’t have someone else who is working overtime to keep us distracted.  Satan’s full-time job is to make sure we don’t keep our eyes on Christ, so we will easily become discouraged, frustrated and want to give up.  He wants nothing more than for us to dwell on our adversities, so others won’t see Christ’s image in us.  

I have shared this phrase with you before, but I think it is a good reminder of what our thoughts should be as we begin each day.  It says, “Be the kind of person who, when your feet hit the floor in the morning, the devil says, ‘Oh no, they’re up!’”  To be successful in combating Satan’s forces, we must be intentional in putting our complete faith and trust, even during adversities, in our Lord Jesus Christ.  We must stand firm in making sure that Satan knows we have no intention of giving him any of our allegiance today, tomorrow or in any day to come.  He is a liar…and we need to turn a deaf ear to him and ground ourselves in the truth of God’s Word.

I have no idea what you are going through today.  You may be experiencing physical, mental or emotional pain which has lasted far longer than you ever dreamed it would.  I want to encourage you to not give in to Satan’s taunts that this life is futile.  Today is the Lord’s day… not Satan’s… and in Him you can find the strength, wisdom and courage it will take to handle this time with grace.  Remember, no matter how long this “season” of life is for you, there will be a great reward someday when we see Jesus face to face.  Oh, what a day that will be!

 

“Put on the whole armor of God, 

that you may be able to stand 

against the schemes of the devil”. 

Ephesians 6:11

 

“Submit yourselves therefore to God.  

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”  

James 4:7