Showing posts with label fellowship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fellowship. Show all posts

Saved to serve

Isiah 6:1-8

Another Glimpse of Heaven

As we would see in the prophet Isiah's vision which again gives us a glimpse of Heaven and the worship given by the heavenly beings to the Lord who is seated on the throne.

God revealed Himself to the prophet in a vision that prompted him of his personal sinfulness, and revealed to him the truth that by ourselves we are totally unworthy of God and His fellowship if not for Christ.

In the same manner as that of the seraphs that cleansed Isiah's mouth with coal, Christ too in His act of love on the Cross has also cleansed us from our unrighteousness, a cleansing which we receive by God's grace in Jesus, whom we can receive in our hearts by faith in Him.

Isiah's response

As worshipers it is equally important that we look at Isiah's vision in light of what God has done to us when He confronted us with His holiness through the Scripture but also at the same time also called us into His fellowship through the Gospel.

Looking back at God's work of saving us and cleansing us of our sins in we should respond in the same manner to that of Isiah when the Lord said: “whom shall I send?” (Isiah 6:8a)

Isiah said: “Here am I send me...” (Isiah 6:8b).

Everything in our Christian life and service flows from our relationship with God. If we are not in vital fellowship with Him, everything else will be out of focus.1

Reflections:

  1. Have I ever responded to God's love by making myself available to His service?

  2. If ever you are already in service of God in the church do we ever take time to look at our service as a privilege that God has given us or do we tend to look at it more as job that needs to be done because that's what's expected of us?

  3. Have you ever experienced how it is to beset free from sin, that you might serve Jesus Christ?


Our response


Save me from bloodguilt, O God,

the God who saves me,

and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.”


Psalm 51:14

1J. Oswald Sanders, Enjoying Intimacy With God, p.12

Worship: An attitude of the heart

Revelations 4:11

A view from Heaven

The passage gives us a view from Heaven which gives us an idea of what awaits us there: it is eternal worship to God who is truly worthy of worship because He is God. Every glimpse of Heaven that we have in the Bible is always a glimpse of worship and rejoicing because God is who He is.1

God demands, seeks and requests our worship because He deserves it, because it is the nature and destiny of a Christian to worship Him.2

What is worship?

Literally, to worship is “to fall down before” or “bow down before” God. Worship is a an attitude of our spirit. It’s an internal, individual action, it should be done all the time in our lives, regardless of place or situation. Therefore, Christians ought to worship all the time, seven days a week. Because worship is more than just singing praise and worship hymns, or going to church on Sundays, attending Bible studies, or reading our Bible daily.

Furthermore, John 4:23-24, tells us that we must worship “in spirit and in truth”. This has to do with our innermost being and requires several things. First, we must be born again. Without the Holy Spirit residing within us, we cannot respond to God in worship because we do not know Him. “No one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:11b). The Holy Spirit within us is the one who energizes worship because He is in essence glorifying Himself, and all true worship glorifies God.

Second, worshiping in spirit and in truth requires a mind centered on God and renewed by Truth. Paul exhorts us to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:1b, 2b). Only when our minds are changed from being centered on the many things that are around us to being centered on God can we worship in spirit and in truth.

Something to think about...

One very important thing that this study shows us is the fact that one must know God (as opposed to knowing about God), in order to become true worshipers, because genuine worship is a product of an intimate desire to for God's fellowship. In fact, the late A.W. Tozer once defined 'true worship' as being: “personally and hopelessly in love with God.3

Now the question would be is that have we ever stopped to consider that being 'personally and hopelessly in love with God' should come forth as a response to the Lord's ultimate public display of affection for us in the Cross of Calvary, where He showed the seriousness of His love and desire for fellowship with us by dying for our sins just so that we could enter into a personal relationship with Him who loves us?

Genuine worship is a product of an intimate desire for God's fellowship.

Reflections:

  1. Do we always examine ourselves with how we live our lives whether it is pleasing to the Lord in light of knowing that worship involves our daily walk with God here on earth?

  2. For those of us who are serving in our respective ministries have we ever stopped to consider that whatever ministries we have right now will come to past but our worship belongs to eternity with God? Do we often stop and think if our ministries are the result of us being personally and hopelessly in love with God?

  3. Knowing now that destiny in Heaven is to worship God have we ever stopped to think that our personal acts of worship here on earth is but a rehearsal to our ultimate destiny of worshiping God in eternity?

Our response

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there Is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24 .

1A.W. Tozer (1985) Whatever Happened to Worship p.14

2http://www.gotquestions.org/God-demand-worship.html

3Ibid

Worthy of Service

Isiah 6:1-8

It (service to God) calls on us to put to death the sin and the indifference we have in our hearts toward God and our fellow persons. And it beckons us to enter once again into the joy of the Lord—the joy of a new life born out of a death to the old life1

The prophet Isiah's vision again gives us a glimpse of Heaven and the worship rendered by the heavenly beings to the Lord who is seated on the throne.

John 14:12 tells us that the One whom the prophet saw was our Lord Jesus Christ, which is full proof that our Savior is God. In Christ Jesus, God is seated on a throne of grace; and through Him the way into the holiest is laid open.2

A close look at Isiah's vision gives us an account as to what happens when man is exposed to God's holiness: All vain-glory, ambition, ignorance, and pride, would be done away by one view of Christ in his glory. (Isiah 6:5)

A glimpse of such Heavenly glory would not only remind us of our personal sinfulness, it would also reveal to us the truth that by ourselves we are totally unworthy of God and His fellowship if not for Christ who acts as our Mediator before God.

In the same manner as that of the seraphs that cleansed Isiah's mouth with coal, Christ too in His act of love on the cross has also cleansed us from our unrighteousness, a cleansing which we receive by God's grace in Jesus, whom we can receive in our hearts by faith in Him. (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:22)

As worshipers it is equally important that we look at Isiah's vision in light of what God has done to us when He confronted us with His holiness through the Scripture but also at the same time also called us into His fellowship through the Gospel.

And in looking back at God's work of saving us and cleansing us of our sins in we should respond in the same manner to that of Isiah when the Lord said: “whom shall I send?” (Isiah 6:8a)

Isiah said: “Here am I send me...” (Isiah 6:8b).

God is totally worthy of our service because of what He has done for us in Christ.


Everything in our Christian life and service flows from our relationship with God. If we are not in vital fellowship with Him, everything else will be out of focus.3

Reflection:

  1. Do I ever take the time to look back at who I was before I met the Lord?

  2. Do I ever stop to consider the depth of God's grace in the person and work of Christ?

  3. Have I ever responded to His love by making myself available to His service?

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1

Notes:

1A.W. Tozer, http://www.worldofquotes.com/author/A.-W.-Tozer/1/index.html

2Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume 4

3J. Oswald Sanders, Enjoying Intimacy With God, p.12

Recharged

Its really an amazing thing to have the assurance that at the end of the week there's always this day called Saturday and Sunday where you could get away from the tantric frustration and weeklong pressure of the daily routine that have entagled us during the previous weekday.
Such a time was Saturday, one the is simply because of the fact that at the very least I could wake up later than my usual since I don't have to go to work, as well as the very fact that I could get to spend a little extra time with my family and friends.
Last Saturday was sort of the usual I woke up very late since I was really tired the night before because I got home sort of late due to the long pizza conversation-cum-dinner I had with Aga, Jeanie and her disciples. I believe it was almost eleven in the morning when I finally decided to get up, partly because of the call that I got from Kuya Benjie informing me that I am the one who's supposed to be playing bass guitar at church on Sunday, but nevertheless I decidied to get up.
As I was sipping my coffee I was informed by my Kuya Louie that we'll be going out for lunch later and so we did along with my parents, Kuya Louie, his wife and my Ate Susie and Kuya Alber her husband where they decided to have our meal at this restaurant along Kalayaan Avenue, called Tree House, whereupon entering the door I happened to see an aquaintance from back in the days of where I still sing for Life Is Trying, the dude's name is Jay and he was one of the bass players that I have met in years he used to play for this Slayer cover band called Bhakti, that was before he got too deeply engrossed in student activism as a member of this peasant organizing youth collective, but based on my knowledge he's now a member of the ANAKPAWIS National Secretariat.
Anyways we were able to partake of a meal that comprises of I believe 5 dishes. And I must say that I truly did enjoy the Sisig and the Crisppy Pata, and later on we had deserts our at McDonalds.
When we arrived home I got the chance to watch the first half of Anaconda with my nephews Arno, Ciro and Gabriel. And later on I met up with Laix at National Bookstore Cubao to go to our weekly youth worship service, and while we were at the bus we got to talk about the stuff that he's presently reading about in the Bible particularly at this story in the Book of Genesis, which at that time talked about Deutoronomy 34.
Later on that afternoon we got to have coffee and got the chance to eat for free at this art exhibit that was serving food for those who arev viewing the launching of this new gallery.
Later that night while I was on my way to leave for my practive at church and Laix also decided that he'd stick around for the practive and so he did and while we were on our way we got into a conversation that I got really encourage by the stuff he's telling me about concerning how God is presently working in his life which was something that really made an impact in me and as well as made me realize how really cool it is that one of my best friends since high school has found a newfound purpose for his life abiding in God's Will. Come to think of it that was really cool since I before when we just met one of the things that really brought us together is simply the fact that we both like to listen to punk rock and we were both jaded by our friends that live in the 'normal' teenage world, but now this is something different because the foundation of our friendship is based on the eternal fact that we are now brethren in the faith.
A strong downpout of rain drenched outside while I was still practicing at church.
So as it turned out we Laix decided that he'd spend the night at our house. Later that night as I would engage in my regular phone conversation with Jeanie I learneed that one of his burdens at school this particular atheist student of hers has finally decided to give Christianity a chance in his life, which was then again another encouragement and another demostration of God's power at work in our lives.
The following morning I got to church just in time for the praise and worship portion where we'll be playing. And later at that selfsame service I was so blessed with the message that our pastor delivered concerning an exposition at the verse Romans 8:28.
Come the afternoon I also spent a good portion of in having quality time with Jeanie and her sister at their house and later on Greenhills and on SM Centerpoint where to my surprise I got myself infected with a bad cold that has left my nose running up to now, and as I arrived home later I got to see my Kuya Peddie and his family who's visited us and I was also able to have a long nap which I really looked forward to during the morning, and as I woke up I got to finish my laundry and take a leisurly bath as well as catch this cool episode of Justice League in Cartoon Network wherein Arkis Chamuk and Galius Sed of the Green Lantern Corps died at the hands of Despero and again got myself into bed where I woke up just this 8 in the morning and led me into writing this piece that you are reading right now.