Worship Him

Luke 7:36-50 speaks greatly on what worship is and how simple it can be. First question to ask is, “What is it that provokes us to worship?” Naturally, when we are hungry our body goes to find food. Well, when we know and understand how much the Father loves us and how much we have been forgiven, we are naturally move to worship. Revelation 4:11 reveals that we were created to worship Him, which means it is in our DNA and really natural for us to worship the Father.

            The woman with the alabaster box was known in her town as a sinner. Yet she came to Jesus and poured out her love on Him. And Jesus received it as worship. She did not come with a three-piece band or the newest worship CD, she came by herself, only to offer up herself. The Bible says in the alabaster box was expensive perfume, probably worth up to one year’s wages! This woman could have chosen a cheap perfume, but she was so grateful and thankful to God for forgiven her, she gave Him the best.

            Many of us give God the leftovers. The leftovers of our day, the leftovers of our finances, the leftovers of our love, but He wants to best, He wants the first. Just because we can’t see God, doesn’t mean He is not grieved when we do these things. He cares.

            In regards to worship in a public setting, this woman did not say “I will catch Him when He is alone and thanked Him”. Jesus was at a dinner when she decided to worship God. She was not ashamed, she openly poured out her love on Jesus in front of everyone. He tears were her worship.

            Her worship did not have a set plan either. It was not pretty in the sense of how we worship nowadays (Standing up straight, not moving at all, aware of every eye being on us). She couldn’t stop crying and wiping His feet with her hair and kissing His feet. There was spontaneity in her worshipping God. Many of us because we are so used to religion, we think worship is the first part of Sunday morning Service. We think its music or songs, or even worse we think that if we don’t sing a song we have not yet worship God. There isn’t a set plan or formula to worship God. The woman probably came to Jesus to offer up her perfume, but in His Presence she began to weep and kiss His feet (which is significant, because the woman anointed the place where He will later be pierced on the Cross).

            And lastly Worship requires faith. After she worshiped, Jesus response was “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (v.50) She was released from bondage in worship. Worship is a powerful tool the Father has given us to be free. He so longs for us to worship Him so that we too can be free in His Presence. I purposely did not write out the full story found in Luke because I believe it is good for you to read it yourself and allow God’s Spirit to speak truth to you about worshiping Him. 

Hurricane Sandy

As a resident of Long Island New York, I experienced the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Fortunately, family and friends weren't gravely affected by this storm but most to all I knew were out of power for a few days.
Here is what God showed me during these times.
1) No one and absolutely no one I knew wanted to sit in darkness, day in and day out.
2) When the power went out, many other things went with it. The use of your fridge and/or stove (food supply), the inability to see (light) and most importantly for New Yorkers entering the Winter season the use of their Heat.
Here is the spiritual side of this, when you are in darkness you lack many things. You function at a very minimal level.
In the Word of God, it likens God as Light because God is Light and there is absolutely no darkness in Him.
There are many people, without knowledge of this, who are walking, sitting or living in darkness. They have no clue that they are missing Life, Food (Spiritual food), the ability to properly see and Heat (Passionate Love from the Father).
Like I said, in the aftermath of Sandy nobody I knew enjoyed being in the dark and I think that as we actively pursued and hoped for LIPA (Long Island Power Administration) to turn back on the power. We should also actively pursue, call on, and wait and hope for God to turn back on the power in us, through us and for others. :)

An Awaken Church: More Than A Seat Warmer

In this age of religion where one can confidently say “I’m a Christian!” simply because they grew up in a Christian household, many fail to understand what Christianity really is. In simplest form, Christianity is not a religion but a vibrant, ongoing, alive relationship with the person of Jesus Christ.

                Sunday Morning is rapidly becoming a religious routine for some families. You know, wake up Sunday morning, go to church (because that is what good people do), tip the church with a two maybe a twenty dollar bill, nod and smile at the Pastor, let the words he is saying go in one ear and out the other but never in your heart and then leave the same way you came until next Sunday. That my friend, is not Christianity.

                God is not interested in your outward appearance of being a Christian. He is interested in you. He is interested in your heart and He is interested in you coming to Him, not just warming up a church seat. 

                Have you ever actually read the Bible? The prophet Elijah prayed for the rain to stop, it didn’t rain for 3 years then he prayed for it to rain again and it rained! Not only that  but before the rain started, he picked up his robe and outran the King’s Chariot to town! Can you say Supernatural? I mean Red Sea’s were being parted, leprosy’s were being healed, sin’s were being forgiven, lames were walking, prophecies were being fulfilled, poor’s were being made rich, fatherless children were being fathered again. God was restoring all these things back unto Him. And these things are still happening right now.

                Why aren’t we seeing them? Why are we not we experience this? Is it only for those people back in Bible times? Have you heard of Azusa Street or ever go to any place where God’s Presence and Power is reverence and honored?

A portrait of Jesus painted by Akiane Kramarik called the Prince of Peace

                It is more than just 2 or 3 songs on Sunday morning and a 30 minute short message. God says, if you seek Him with your whole heart you will find Him. He is not hiding; He is waiting for you to come to Him. As I’m studying Jesus’ ministry, I’m learning that there were very large crowds that constantly follow him. I would think in these crowds, you would find people who were just following along. They don’t really understand what’s going on, they probably stumble upon the crowd asking “What’s going here? Why is everybody gathering around this guy? Who is he? Whatever, I guess I will follow along too.” Those people were just there, absolutely no connection to the person of Jesus in the midst of the crowd. Then there were people who have been hanging around the crowd so much that they felt they were actually gaining something just by being part of the crowd, they probably thought something along these lines when they get to Heaven, “I’ve been traveling with this crowd for awhile, I don’t really know Jesus but I know someone who know Him. Can I come in too?” 

Finally in the middle of the crowd, you will find the disciples of Jesus; the Twelve. They not only saw Jesus being praised, but they experienced Jesus being booed, they experience the shame of walking with Jesus, the ridicule, the persecution. These Twelve, after the crowd went home, stayed up late asking Jesus questions that boggled their mind. These disciples spent intimate quality time with Jesus.  And that is the same thing God wants his disciples even in the 21^st century to do. Jeremiah 33:3 says “Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come”. God wants to speak worlds of mysteries to you. He wants you to ask Him, “Lord, I don’t know which fruit juice to buy can you help me?” or “Lord should I go shopping now or on Wednesday. I want a good sale.” He knows when the sale will be. He wants to be part of your everyday life, not just Sunday Morning. The only question is will you allow Him?