Self sufficient or fully dependent

One of our many faults is that we believe we are self sufficient, that we don’t need to rely on others or God.

I have heard the quote a thousand times,” God helps those who help themselves “ this is not spoken in scripture anywhere.

God word says this: “In fact, when we were with you, this is what we commanded you: “If anyone isn’t willing to work, he should not eat.”

2 Thessalonians 3:10 CSB

So if God has given you the ability to work then you should be working,  and providing for your family. 

This is not the point though, God helps those who come to the end of themselves and realize their dependence on Him, not just for small things or the big things in life, but in ALL things.

We must tear down the idol of self sufficiency, of isolation and come to the altar and offer all of ourselves as living sacrifices to God the Father, surrender our stubborn pride and realize our total dependence on God.

If we take the time to listen too what God says instead of rushing through our day we would hear Him and see His mighty works of grace and supplication in our lives.

Look at how Jesus taught us to pray, the entire prayer shows us our total dependence on God, not one word in this prayer shows us or tells us we can do anything without God’s help. 

“Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

Matthew 6:9-13 CSB

Let’s not just say the words and go through the motions, let’s live as God has instructed us, as our creator and Father, He has our lives in His hands.

The 5. W's of Worship

The 5's of worship?

Who do you worship?
What do you worship
When do you worship
Where do you worship
Why do you worship
And how do you worship.

Worship is not reserved for Sunday mornings, worship is not exclusive to music, worship is meant to be intimate, personal, private, public, exclusive, and everlasting.

So why do you worship? To honor God, and praise Him for all He has done already?

What do you worship? The idea of God as Creator, Father, Savior and friend? Or the great big genie you come to when problems arise?

When do you worship? On Sundays with everyone else? Or in all things are you worshipping God?

Where do you worship? Only in the sanctuary, or wherever you are?

Why do worship? Because everyone else is, or are you drawing close to God?

How do you worship? By singing only or do you put your mind, body and soul into all of who Jesus really is and has done?

Worship for a child of God should be a lifestyle, the things we say, the things we do, the places we go, the way we work, the way we live, should all be acts of worship to Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, we should do this with all our hearts, minds, body and souls, exclusively reserved for Him.

“Jesus told her, “Believe Me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ ). “When He comes, He will explain everything to us.” “I am He,” Jesus told her, “the One speaking to you.””
‭‭John‬ ‭4:21-26‬ ‭HCSB‬

“Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said: These people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. They worship Me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commands of men.” Summoning the crowd, He told them, “Listen and understand: It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭15:7-11‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

“Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:1-2‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

“Let the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

“He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22:37-39‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

57 million voices cry out for justice

Our God is a God of justice and is angered every time justice is not done. We must stand up and work for justice. We need to be doing all we can to make sure justice is done, God has given us many ways to do so in our communities by voting for honest judges and politicians and supporting ministries that work to extend justice to the unborn, 57 million voices cry out for justice, not many stand up for them.

God will not turn a blind eye to those who have blood on their hands.

Isaiah 59.1-19 Behold, the Lord ’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;   but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.   For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies; your tongue mutters wickedness.   No one enters suit justly; no one goes to law honestly; they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies, they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.  They hatch adders’ eggs; they weave the spider’s web; he who eats their eggs dies, and from one that is crushed a viper is hatched.   Their webs will not serve as clothing; men will not cover themselves with what they make. Their works are works of iniquity, and deeds of violence are in their hands.   Their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their highways.  The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths; they have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace.  Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us; we hope for light, and behold, darkness, and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.   We grope for the wall like the blind; we grope like those who have no eyes; we stumble at noon as in the twilight, among those in full vigor we are like dead men.  We all growl like bears; we moan and moan like doves; we hope for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us.  For our transgressions are multiplied before you, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities:  transgressing, and denying the Lord , and turning back from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words.   Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter.  Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice.   He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him.   He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.   According to their deeds, so will he repay, wrath to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies; to the coastlands he will render repayment.   So they shall fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come like a rushing stream, which the wind of the Lord drives.

Micah 6.8. He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?