light

"For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. 

So live as people of light!" 

Ephesians 5:8

eat, pray, love God

"Do not look at the world through your head; look at it through your heart." Ketut

Recently, Mom and I went to see the movie, “Eat, Pray, Love” with Julia Roberts. After a messy divorce (and an even messier rebound relationship), the main character (Liz) decides to travel the world for a year so she can reconnect with her heart, find out who she was created to be, and what she's to do with her life. She went to Italy, India, and Bali. And each place she traveled to she had to learn the language, the customs, and the culture of the people. It was hard for her to adjust, and she didn't know anyone when she arrived at each of her destinations. But she was desperate for change. Desperate for something to make her feel alive again.

Many of us came to the Lord desperate for change. At the end of our ropes, or broken, or confused, angry and hurt – we come. And just like Liz, we find ourselves in a whole new world. We don't know the language, we don't know the customs, and we're not quite sure where we fit into this new life we've discovered, or even what we've been called to do.

In the movie, there was a scene where Liz was trying to order coffee at an Italian Bistro. Her Italian came out of a book, and she was hesitantly trying to order without much success. The store was slammed with people, and she couldn't be heard over the shouts of the other patrons. Another young woman saw her predicament and immediately offered to help. Asking Liz what she'd like, Delia shouted out their orders in commanding, perfect, Italian. Their friendship was deliciously sealed while noshing on Napoleons and drinking coffee.

When we become believers, God gives us tools to live in our new “country”. He's given us His Holy Spirit as our guide, and He's given us His Word as our map. He's given us the Body of Christ to equip and encourage and build ourselves up until we reach maturity together (Ephesians 4:11-15). He has not left us without resources!

Sometimes we fall back into the same patterns we were in before we came to Christ. And we think because we've changed “cities” - an earthly city for a heavenly one – that things will automatically be different. Liz found that even though she was in a completely different country, her old demons still followed her. She still carried brokenness within her. But certain people came across her path at just the right time to help her look within herself for the healing and peace she so desperately needed. We fail to realize that change comes from the inside out. If you are a child of God, your heart has been completely renewed (1 Corinthians 5:17-19)! It's our minds that need revelation and understanding (Romans 12:2). And like Liz, sometimes to find the beat of our own hearts we have to acquire a completely new perspective.

"I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance." Ephesians 1:16-18

a little more

This song has been with me all day...thought I'd pass it on to you. <3

irresistible worship

Yesterday I had a friend ask me what I thought a corporate worship experience should look like. I made a comment that God believed that worship should be all about Him. We discussed it further, but I still came home pondering that question later.  

What exactly does bless God's heart? What does He find so irresistible that He can't help but show up?

This morning I ran across this section of scripture that describes an amazing encounter with the Presence of God:

"It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the Lord, saying, 'For He is good, and His mercy endureth for ever': that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God." 2 Chronicles 5:13 KJV

Now this is an excellent picture of a rockin' worship service that occurred when Solomon was dedicating the new temple. Here are the things that really got my attention:

1. The singers and musicians were worshiping the Lord "as one". They were in UNITY.
2. They were doing two things: PRAISING and THANKING the Lord.
3. What were they proclaiming? God's GOODNESS and His MERCY.
4. As a result, the house was filled with His glory, and...
5. The religious establishment (the priests) fell down!

Even though this is an Old Testament picture of a worshipful experience, I still believe it has merit on this side of the Cross. God has called us to worship Him in unity (let them be one as we are One...John 17:22-23). We're called to praise and thank Him for what He's done and is now doing in our lives. We know it is the GOODNESS of God that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4), and that His mercy endures forever (Psalm 107:1 NKJV). YES!!!

So, a worship experience that blesses God's heart has these elements: unity, praise, thanksgiving, and acknowledgement of His goodness and mercy. We need to get a revelation of the goodness and mercy of our God before the glory of the Lord call fill our "house" - our heart wherein He dwells. And when the glory of the Lord shows up, the religious spirit falls down! Woo-Hoo!