Praise the Lord

I’ve been to some of the poorest parts of the world. Places where I make more in one day than they make in one year. I’ve been to churches that consist of four walls, a roof, and dusty floors with no electricity or water. It is in these places where I have found the richest and most powerful praise and worship. They praise the Lord with all of their heart.

‭‭PSALMS‬ ‭135:3‬

“Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; Sing praises to His name, for it is lovely.”

When you come into the House of the Lord you need to be ready to praise Him. Even before you leave your house you need to prepare your mind and heart to give Jesus all the glory. This is the model that David get forth in the Psalms and it should continue today. Worshipping the Lord is more than singing, but if you can’t sing praises to Him in a church surrounded by people doing the same thing, then you probably aren’t worshipping Him anywhere else.

Looking for a Humble Heart

I met a pastor once who was motivated and charismatic. He had grand plans for his life and how God was going to use him on an international stage. There was only one problem, while he looked the part and had a great personality, he wasn’t very humble. He also wasn’t willing to put the work in where God had him and eventually left the ministry frustrated that no one recognized his potential. Confidence is important, but God is looking for a humble heart.

‭‭JAMES‬ ‭4:10

“Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.”

There is no more important character trait for Christians than being humble. In a world that screams “promote yourself!” the Bible counters with “humble yourselves and let God exalt you.” This is a struggle for many because they want to be noticed and appreciated, to feel like they matter. For a Christian, humility shows the world “He who is greater in me in greater than he who is in the world.”

Established and Encouraged Together

The Holy Spirit did some incredible things in the early church. From the day of Pentecost, the church was spread over the known world. They didn’t have seminary-trained pastors but men and women who loved Jesus. They grew numerically and spiritually because they were established and encouraged together. God wants to see the same thing happen in the church today.

‭‭ROMANS‬ ‭1:11-12‬

“For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.”

When Paul wrote the book of Romans, he hadn’t visited the city or church yet. Most scholars believe that he wrote it while he was in Corinth. While he had visited, he longed to so that they could be established and encouraged together. He knew the power in the church wasn’t the preacher alone; it was the combined effort of every person working in their gifts. When a church seeks to see its members established and encouraged together, God is pleased.

A Place to Get Alone with Jesus

There are a few places where I meet with God. The first is on my couch early in the morning before anyone wakes up. The second place is in my car driving to work. The third place is out on my bike in the hills near where I live. Each of these places allow me some alone time with the Lord. Here I can pray and most importantly listen. Do you have a place to get alone with Jesus?

‭‭EXODUS‬ ‭33:8-9

“And it came about, whenever Moses went out to the tent, that all the people would arise and stand, each at the entrance of his tent, and gaze after Moses until he entered the tent. Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the LORD would speak with Moses.”

Moses had some unique encounters with the Lord. He went up on Mount Sinai and conversed with Him and came down with his face glowing from the glory of the Lord. He saw the back side God as He passed by Moses. When Moses went into the tent of meeting God would descend and meet him there. Moses dwelled in the presence of God. The Israelites knew this so when he headed to the tent of meeting they would stand at the entrance of their and gaze at him until he entered. He was their representative before the Lord.

Dwell Together in Unity

I often laugh when someone says, “Can’t we all just get along?” They don’t mean it. They usually want the conflict to go away. We either want people to see things our way, or we don’t want to deal with them at all. God wants unity in His church, and that means taking people from all different backgrounds and molding them into one cohesive unit. For that to happen, you have to be willing to dwell together in unity.

‭‭PSALMS‬ ‭133:1

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity!”

The Psalmist is imploring people to dwell together in unity. He’s talking to the nation of Israel, but he as well could be talking to the church (I do not believe the church has replaced Israel but instead has been grafted in like Romans 11 states). Unity is hard to find in the church today. So many people have taken sides with political issues that hate is starting to rise in the pews. Unity is brought on by the Spirit and spreads as people surrender to God’s will when they drop their agendas and make it about what God wants to do in the hearts and minds of the people.

Are You for the Lord?

There is rarely a week that goes by where I don’t hear how some Christian leader has compromised their faith by falling into sin or agreeing with the world. It saddens me, but it also discredits the Gospel. Are you for the Lord? Will you take a stand for truth? God is looking for such people.

‭‭EXODUS‬ ‭32:25-26

“Now when Moses saw that the people were out of control for Aaron had let them get out of control to be a derision among their enemies then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him.”

No sooner had Moses been given the Ten Commandments than the Israelites were breaking them. He went up to Mount Sinai to meet with God and had been gone thirty days, and the people started to demand that Aaron give them a god to worship. Being the weak leader he was, Aaron gave in and fashioned an ugly-looking cow out of the gold they brought. It was a sad day and one that God’s anger burned against the people of Israel. When Moses came down, he drew a line in the and asked who would stand with him. The Levites joined him, and they began to purge the camp.

Rich in Faith

If you have ever been to the poor part of town, the differences are noticeable. Buildings are run down, and there seem to be more people in less space, but you will often find a close-knit community. People care for one another more and are there for each other when times are tough. You will…

God’s Forever Home

My wife and I are big fans of home improvement shows. We love seeing houses that are complete wrecks transformed into beautiful places. We watch them because we are looking for a home that we can do the same, our forever home. God’s forever home is Jerusalem. He has chosen it as His resting place…

How to Control Your Anger

Everyone could use a little anger management these days. It seems people get triggered over anything. That tells you that people are too full of their own opinions and not willing to listen. This leads to people exploding when someone expresses an opinion they disagree with. Today, James gives a lesson on how to control your anger.

‭‭JAMES‬ ‭1:19-20

“This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.”

James starts this section of his letter by reminding the believers that they know what he is about to say, but he needs to say it, control your anger. All of us know that it is not beneficial to let our anger get out of control. You can’t completely eradicate anger from your life, but you can make sure that you don’t sin. James gives some very practical tips on how to your anger.

Every Good Thing is from Above

Counting your blessings is something that will keep you grounded. Taking time to reflect on all that God has given you can change your heart. It helps you ward off pride and reminds you that every good thing is from above. James, Jesus’ brother, warns us not to deceive ourselves.

‭‭JAMES‬ ‭1:17

“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

Every good thing you have was given to you from your Heavenly Father above. You may not look at it that way, but you will see that it was a blessing from the Lord if you connect the dots. Don’t be deceived into thinking that you are solely responsible for what you have in life. If that were the case, you would also have a lot of headache and heartache from your decisions, but God decided to spare you in His Grace.