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God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth. John 4:24
I have heard this verse many times before, but often times when this scripture is quoted we forget the "God is spirit" part. I noticed it in a new way, it is telling us that we must worship in spirit and truth, because God is spirit. Almost like another language, or species. Just like we can't communicate with animals, because we aren't their species. We can't communicate with God unless we are speaking his language.
Spirit is such an abstract thing sometimes, so I wanted to see how it is defined. Answers.com's first definition of spirit is: The vital principle or animating force within living beings, also our soul. Spirit is our animating force, what gives us life, and allows us to move. Without it we are simply like any stationary object. From that I would say that verse would mean that we are supposed to worship God with our whole life, with everything that is in us.
I pray that the Holy Spirit would guide you in your times of worship, that you would learn to worship will all that is in you. - in spirit and in truth. That you may realize the wonder of God's glory and that His glory demands praise and worship.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Truly?
John 13: 36Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where are You going?" Jesus answered, "Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later." 37Peter said to Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You." 38Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.
Different times in my Christian walk I have committed my life over to Christ. I told Jesus that He could do whatever he wanted with my life. But did I really allow him to take control of everything? Was I like Peter who said that he would die for Jesus one day but hen denied Jesus the next day?Friday, September 4, 2009
An Intimate Relationship
As a child I had a best friend that I spent all my free time with. We would go to each others house every day of the summer. Some times we might do something interesting like play a board game, but other times we would just sit and talk. When we didn't do much of anything it was good just to be with them. I remember when her family would go on vacations and I wouldn't see her for a week, I got so bored, I wanted her home as soon as possible. I wouldn't know what to do with myself, because I did everything with her. As we got older we saw each other less. I no longer spent everyday with her. I might call her once and a while, but only long enough to see how she was doing - nothing too deep. It got to the point to where years would pass between talking. It was strange that I was no longer friends with a person whom I was so close to. It's not as if the opportunity wasn't there to continue the friendship. We only lived a few miles apart. I could have easily have became friends with her again if I cared to; if I would have called her, visited her, wrote her, anything.
A lot of times that is how our relationship with God can be like.
In the past couple of months the Holy Spirit has been telling me I need to spend more time with God.
It's as if He is like "Why havn't you called its been 3 weeks. We havn't hang out in awhile. Will you ever have enough time for me?"
The Holy Spirit has spoken this same message to me through many ways and people, and given me many helpful analogies. One pastor said If we treated our friends like we treated God we wouldn't have any friends (like my story above). Another pastor of mine said that he would go on adventures with the Holy Trinity, he would hike the woods and when he would rest in a spot he made 4 places to sit one for each: himself for the Holy Spirit, God and Jesus. Physically putting a chair out for them showing explicitly that they are there.
With any relationship you have to talk to the person relatively frequently. But with an intimate relationship you would need to communicate even more - usually daily and sometimes talking hours at a time. I can think back with my boyfriends, talking to them for an hour was a regular amount of time, and I would try to see them everyday and if not, I would see them at least once a week.
Why is it that I struggle to spend time with God for even 15 min a day, or every other day. It simply doesn't make since. God is holy of holy, all powerful, creator of the universe and I don't want to spend time with Him? That would be like having Albert Einstein at your disposal all the time and ignoring him. Most people would want to be around him if they wanted to try and learn all that they could from the world's most renowned genius. But there are many reasons why a person wouldn't care to spend time with Einstein.They might not know that Einstein was a genius - or they knew that people thought he was a genuis but they thought he was dumb and his discoveries were false. Or maybe that person knows Einstein is really famous and smart, but something else is more appealing to them. They might find it more interesting to play a video game or watch a movie than talk to Einstein. Those same reasons could be why we don't spend time with God.
I also find myself feeling that I don't care to spend time with God. I know God is special, and deserves attention, but I don't think I realize it in my heart. This could be because a lack of knowlege of who God is and what He did, why He did it, and how it changed our lives. Just as if someone heard about the many scientific breakthroughs Einstein had but since they only know that Einstein created the equation E=mc^2 but don't know why that equation is important, or how it effects our daily lives; then the equation is just numbers and letters. We have to learn that God created the universe in an exquisite working manner, and also came to Earth as a human, healed many, died and ressureced by which our sins were washed away and enabled us to be made pure so that we would be able to be in the presence of God. Look at the ways in which God has affected your life. Now think of those same thing but instead of God imagine a person doing those things. If you knew a person like that wouldn't you want to spend all of your time with them?
Often times, Instead of spending time with God I tend to want to do other things. When I have free time I have the defalt desire to spend it browsing the internet. I need to realize the magnificence of God, so that everything else would be pale in comparison. I have to change what I value. I need to value spending time with God more than anything else. I want to be going through the day thirsting, thinking, "when will I be able to talk to you God, when will this day finally be over so we can have some alone time," instead of "the next free minute I have I'm checking facebook". I don't want it to be a chore to spend time with God, but right now it kinda feels that way. It makes it a struggle. Just like chores I do - it's just because I was told to, if I ever manage to fit it in my day to spend time with God I'm not delighting in it, it is dry and empty. It's discouraging to think that I will never get to that point of intimacy. Where I feel like I am one with God and I can feel his presence and I can hear his voice. I don't know maybe I have to go through quiet times where I don't get anything out of it before I can be at one with God.
My prayer is that I (and anyone who struggles with this) would seek God with all their heart, because as scripture says when we do we will find God. That we would value time spent with God above time doing anything else. That we would have a greater realization of His glory, his power, his majesty so that we may worship Him in truth and realize how worthy He is and that we would develop a reverence that drives us to take advantage of God's invitation to spend time together. That we would not get discouraged when we don't feel like we are getting anything out of our time with God, but that we would persevere and have faith that we are growing and strengenthening through this time and that there will be better times in the future.
A lot of times that is how our relationship with God can be like.
In the past couple of months the Holy Spirit has been telling me I need to spend more time with God.
It's as if He is like "Why havn't you called its been 3 weeks. We havn't hang out in awhile. Will you ever have enough time for me?"
The Holy Spirit has spoken this same message to me through many ways and people, and given me many helpful analogies. One pastor said If we treated our friends like we treated God we wouldn't have any friends (like my story above). Another pastor of mine said that he would go on adventures with the Holy Trinity, he would hike the woods and when he would rest in a spot he made 4 places to sit one for each: himself for the Holy Spirit, God and Jesus. Physically putting a chair out for them showing explicitly that they are there.
With any relationship you have to talk to the person relatively frequently. But with an intimate relationship you would need to communicate even more - usually daily and sometimes talking hours at a time. I can think back with my boyfriends, talking to them for an hour was a regular amount of time, and I would try to see them everyday and if not, I would see them at least once a week.
Why is it that I struggle to spend time with God for even 15 min a day, or every other day. It simply doesn't make since. God is holy of holy, all powerful, creator of the universe and I don't want to spend time with Him? That would be like having Albert Einstein at your disposal all the time and ignoring him. Most people would want to be around him if they wanted to try and learn all that they could from the world's most renowned genius. But there are many reasons why a person wouldn't care to spend time with Einstein.They might not know that Einstein was a genius - or they knew that people thought he was a genuis but they thought he was dumb and his discoveries were false. Or maybe that person knows Einstein is really famous and smart, but something else is more appealing to them. They might find it more interesting to play a video game or watch a movie than talk to Einstein. Those same reasons could be why we don't spend time with God.
I also find myself feeling that I don't care to spend time with God. I know God is special, and deserves attention, but I don't think I realize it in my heart. This could be because a lack of knowlege of who God is and what He did, why He did it, and how it changed our lives. Just as if someone heard about the many scientific breakthroughs Einstein had but since they only know that Einstein created the equation E=mc^2 but don't know why that equation is important, or how it effects our daily lives; then the equation is just numbers and letters. We have to learn that God created the universe in an exquisite working manner, and also came to Earth as a human, healed many, died and ressureced by which our sins were washed away and enabled us to be made pure so that we would be able to be in the presence of God. Look at the ways in which God has affected your life. Now think of those same thing but instead of God imagine a person doing those things. If you knew a person like that wouldn't you want to spend all of your time with them?
Often times, Instead of spending time with God I tend to want to do other things. When I have free time I have the defalt desire to spend it browsing the internet. I need to realize the magnificence of God, so that everything else would be pale in comparison. I have to change what I value. I need to value spending time with God more than anything else. I want to be going through the day thirsting, thinking, "when will I be able to talk to you God, when will this day finally be over so we can have some alone time," instead of "the next free minute I have I'm checking facebook". I don't want it to be a chore to spend time with God, but right now it kinda feels that way. It makes it a struggle. Just like chores I do - it's just because I was told to, if I ever manage to fit it in my day to spend time with God I'm not delighting in it, it is dry and empty. It's discouraging to think that I will never get to that point of intimacy. Where I feel like I am one with God and I can feel his presence and I can hear his voice. I don't know maybe I have to go through quiet times where I don't get anything out of it before I can be at one with God.
My prayer is that I (and anyone who struggles with this) would seek God with all their heart, because as scripture says when we do we will find God. That we would value time spent with God above time doing anything else. That we would have a greater realization of His glory, his power, his majesty so that we may worship Him in truth and realize how worthy He is and that we would develop a reverence that drives us to take advantage of God's invitation to spend time together. That we would not get discouraged when we don't feel like we are getting anything out of our time with God, but that we would persevere and have faith that we are growing and strengenthening through this time and that there will be better times in the future.
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