30daysofpraise, Bible, bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, christian men, christian parenting, Christian women, Faith, god, Jesus, Jesus Follower, prayer, religion, Uncategorized

30 Days of Worship

Hello Friends! What is your heart set upon right now?  What does your mind have on a continuous loop?  You are yearning and hoping for something right now, what is it?  For most of us we’d probably answer something related to finances, our health, our family, a job, a relationship, or even a material item like a house or new car.  But if I had to summarize the words of Jesus throughout His time here on Earth, I’d have to take one line out of His Sermon on The Mount.

When we hunger and thirst to know God, know His promises, His ways, and His infinitesimal love for us sinners I truly believe it brings the members of the Holy Trinity great joy!  The most beautiful part about God, so different than other religions, is that He doesn’t need us one single bit but He wants a relationship with us built on a two-way love.  He wants to provide for us and protect us.  He wants to bring our hearts and souls into eternity with Him.

He wants our hearts to reside in Him – a point clearly emphasized by Jesus throughout the Sermon on the Mount.  My BSGs have been steeped in this message for the last few months and it has inspired me for my next blog series–“30 Days of Worship.”  Worshipping this amazing, all powerful, all knowing, all sufficient God and seeking Him in all things.

Each morning when I walk my dog Tucker, I typically enjoy listening to my Spotify Christian playlist.  Our faith is so blessed to have an incredibly long tradition of utilizing music to express our praise, thankfulness, and even cries of help to God.  So, I decided to use my playlist to inspire each day’s Worship post and wouldn’t you know… there were 30 songs on it!  God is so good!

So, over the next few weeks I’ll be listening and re-listening to some of my current favorite songs getting the right words to worship the Lord, Our God, with all my heart, mind, body and soul.  Each day starting July 1, I’ll post a scripture from the Old and New Testaments, a few thoughts, and the song that inspired me. I hope you will join me in on this 30 day journey!   I’m sure you have favorite Christian worship songs from various genres that I will have missed so be sure to share yours as the days go by!

If you missed any of the other 30 Days series be sure to check out my website at emboldened.net.  And please share the website with a friend so they can follow along too!

30daysofpraise, Bible, bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, christian men, christian parenting, Christian women, Faith, Jesus, Jesus Follower, prayer, religion, Transformation Prayer, Uncategorized

Known Hearts

Have you ever been singing a song and someone points out to you that you’ve been singing the wrong lyrics all along? In the rom-com, 27 Dresses, there’s a scene where the two main actors battle it out over the actual lyrics to the Elton John song, “Bennie & the Jets.” It’s a hilarious take on something we’ve all probably done while singing our hearts out in the shower.

Well, while out on my walk this morning enjoying the gloriously crisp and clear Southern California day I was listening to my Christian playlist. The song “All My Praise” by Ryan Ellis came on and as I sung along I misheard the beginning lyrics which go, “Hallelujah, Christ is risen. Now every heart has a way.” Instead, I sang “now every heart has a name.” For the next half hour that oops of a line sat on my mind as I composed my Soli Deo Gloria post for today. How it’s so true that because of Jesus coming to tell the Good News, to not just Jews but every gentile, every heart could know God and be known by God.

That scripture is just a part of Jesus’ prayer to His Father telling of His love for us. Asking God to continue in His care for us when he departs. Do you realize there is no other God, no other religion that has this beautifully unique relationship with its believers?

When the Trinity created the world and universe — with God speaking the plan, Jesus enacting it and the Holy Spirit providing His hovering supervision — God didn’t suddenly leave us to our own devices. That’s what deists believe. That God is not working daily, loving us moment by moment while we reside on His earthly creation. It’s not a new idea, in fact U.S. Founding Father Thomas Jefferson was a famous deist. But that’s not the Bible. And to be honest, it’s not lived out reality.

I’ve mentioned before that the Christian faith is based on real people and real, historically proven events. Jesus was a real person. Fully man and fully God. Although people may wonder how that could be possible it doesn’t take away the fact that Jesus, Himself, made that fact clear over and over. If a God can create a universe then I figure He can do anything.

Not only does God, throughout scripture show His continually loving care for us, He expresses His desire for us to know him inside and out. In fact, the Bible itself is not about a “people” or even about us. It’s an autobiography about God. It’s His way of telling us His character, His eternal plan, and most of all how much He loves us. He wants us to know Him as much as He knows us. A truly staggering idea when it comes to the concept of God and gods.

God delights when His people truly know Him, love Him, and enjoy the blessings of His faithful love, justice, and righteousness.

Thomas A. Tarrants, President Emeritus, CS Lewis Institute

God is a relational being. He exists in a relational setting amongst the Trinity. He loves the Son and the Son loves Him. They love the Holy Spirit and He loves them back in perfect unity and harmony. How could God not be the same with us? How glorious is it to know that the Creator of all things seen and unseen wants to love and be loved by us!

My friends, we should delight and give thanks each and every day that we are known by a God who loves. A God who sent the Son to live and breathe, touch, feel, cry and laugh, suffer and celebrate just like us. A God who wanted us to have a tangible relationship to reach for when in need. A God who we can call our King, Savior and our friend.

May all Glory and Honor be our God and Creator. Amen