When Jesus Christ was born, a group of Wise Men undertook a long, arduous journey to reach the house where He was living as a young child. They did not travel such a distance simply to see a little boy. The Magi asked, “‘Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him’” (Matt. 2:2). These individuals had one purpose for their expedition, and that purpose was to worship the King of kings and Lord of lords. They faithfully followed the star, which led them to their destination. Along the way, they did not become discouraged. They did not lose hope that they would actually be able to find Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Nor did they fail to remember their reason for traveling so far.
God’s Word says, “They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him” (Matt. 2:11). When they arrived, the first thing they did was to bow down and worship Jesus. After their tiresome trek, they did not complain about sore feet or aching muscles. Their minds were not on acquiring a hot meal, finding a place to bathe, or locating a bed on which to lie down. No one proceeded to present the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh the moment they set foot inside the house. They stayed focused on their primary goal, to worship the newborn King.
In the twenty-first century, we could take a lesson from the Magi. They trekked many miles in order to reach the place where Jesus was living. On the contrary, some people nowadays find it a struggle to get in their air-conditioned automobile and drive to church every Sunday morning. They complain about the service being too early or running too late. When they arrive, they get upset if someone is “sitting in their pew.” How would church sanctuaries look different if believers joyfully walked through the doors, headed straight to the altar, and wholeheartedly worshiped our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? What sort of impact would it have on our workplaces, schools, and other locations we visit throughout the week if we worshiped the Lord during our commute as well? Surely, making worship a priority would be a step toward pleasing the Lord in all we do (Col. 3:23). I am certain we would see a significant change in the way people interact with one another. Certainly, our testimony for Christ would have a greater impact on those around us.
Furthermore, giving praise to the Lord would ultimately make a difference in our own lives. Look at the shepherds who came to see Jesus when He was born. In God’s Word, we read about how they told others what they had witnessed. Luke 2:18 says, “All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished.” They could not keep this Good News of great joy to themselves. Having knelt in the presence of the Almighty God was the most marvelous experience of their entire lives. When they shared their testimony of seeing Christ with their own eyes, other people were amazed at what they heard.
Like the shepherds, we should have the same reaction when we stand in the presence of the Lord. When we worship our Heavenly Father, we need to open our hearts, allowing God to change us from the inside out. This heartfelt worship will lead us to follow the will of God in our lives, to love the Lord with all of our heart, our soul, and our mind (Matt. 22:37). By giving ourselves to Him, He can use us for His divine glory. Just as the shepherds were able to give testimonies of their encounter with Christ, we should share what God has done in our own lives. It should not be a burden, or an embarrassment, to tell what the Lord has done for us; instead, it should be a desire we cannot suppress. It should be a joy.
A.W. Tozer once said, “No one can long worship God in spirit and in truth before the obligation to holy service becomes too strong to resist.” Our utmost desire should be worshiping our Heavenly Father and sharing His amazing love with everyone around us. Like an avid angler who restlessly looks forward to the next time they can cast their bait into the water, we should have an even greater longing to fish for souls (Luke 5:10). There should never be a time when we are not fully devoted to the Lord’s service. When we put our trust in the one true living God, we should yearn to serve the Lord in all we do. No matter where God places us, we should take every opportunity to be witnesses for Christ. As Christians, we are commissioned to share the Good News to the entire world (Mark 16:15). We should be eager to share encouraging testimonies of what God has done in our lives. We should be unable to refrain from telling everyone about the marvelous love of Jesus Christ, whether we are speaking to the cashier at the local supermarket, the server at the café downtown, or our neighbor right next-door to us.
Personally, I cannot refrain from sharing the love of Jesus Christ, even with complete strangers. On one of our trips to New York, God gave my dad and me a divine appointment to speak to a Muslim family in Brooklyn. As we were taking a walk one evening, one of my earrings fell off, slipping through a metal grate in the sidewalk. Although the earring was very inexpensive, its retrieval posed an interesting challenge. The next day, my dad fashioned a catch hook out of a couple of paperclips and attached it to a long thin audio cable, which we had with us. After several successful practice runs in our hotel room with the matching earring, he was able to retrieve my earring from a ledge on which it had fallen. As my dad was sitting on the grate, pulling out the earring from below, a woman approached us to see if we needed assistance. She said her family had experienced a flat tire. Almost immediately, I also learned their child had been born prematurely, just like me. This common ground opened the door for a conversation that would soon become a thorough religious dialogue. Our conversations with this family lasted for nearly two hours, with me witnessing to my newfound acquaintance and my dad sharing the Good News with her husband.
Although they were practicing Muslims, the mother seemed open to hearing the Gospel. She said one of her coworkers attended The Brooklyn Tabernacle. I gave her a copy of my book, When You’re in the Sunset, There’s Sunshine Awaiting You. She told me she would read it. I pray she has since read my testimony, so she can learn more about the truth of the Gospel, for it is my hope that I will see this family in Heaven one glorious day. If it had not been for my losing an earring and the family having car trouble, our paths would likely not have crossed. God is the One who orchestrated the opportunity to share the love of Jesus with them. I pray God has sent others to water the seeds He chose us to plant, so this family will discover the truth of the only living God.
Although I often feel inadequate in confrontational situations like this one, where our conversations resembled an Islam versus Christianity debate, I know God is more than enough. No matter the circumstances, God will give us the confidence we need to deliver the message, and He will even give us the words to speak. We only have to be willing to answer His still, small voice, by saying, “Yes, Lord, I will follow wherever you lead.” Reflect back on the Wise Men and the shepherds. They did not know exactly what they would find when they followed the star. Nevertheless, they were compelled to follow the star and see what God had in store. They had a desire within their hearts to worship the Lord Jesus Christ. We need to have that kind of devotion and that level of trust. We need to step out on faith, knowing God will guide us. While we may not be renowned theologians, the promise of Acts 1:8 says the Holy Spirit will empower us to be witnesses of the love of Jesus Christ.
In case you wonder if your life will change when you share your testimony, I can tell you that your life will never be the same again. For when “the shepherds went back to their flocks,” they were “glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen” (Luke 2:20). Yes, they still had the same profession, but a change had taken place within their hearts. They were now fully in tune with the One who had created them. They were worshiping the Lord, even in the midst of the field among their sheep. Instead of bitterly enduring long hours tending sheep, they realized their purpose in life beyond the grassy fields. They knew God was the One who had miraculously sent His Son to earth, and they knew their calling was to tell others about the moment they saw our Lord and Savior face-to-face. The joy from their encounter with Jesus was too wondrous to contain. Much like the shepherds, may we all find ourselves in the position where we cannot resist sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others, for there is no greater message we could ever convey.
Unfortunately, many people do not want to share the Good News or even worship God. It is saddening to see the number of people who are adamantly against worshiping a higher authority. Instead, they want to worship entities created by man. Whether it is an electronic gadget, a celebrity figure, or an athletic team, people find an infinite number of idols in which to put their hope. Yet nothing made by any human being on earth can ever provide eternal hope. Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, who gave His life for us, is the only source of everlasting hope. Why should we desire to worship anyone or anything else? Our complete adoration should go to the only One who can truly help us in our time of need. He is the only One who can save our souls.
We must surrender our all to Him. He is the only One we are to worship and adore. This is the heart of worship: surrendering ourselves to the only living God, trusting Him as a child would trust their loving father. We cannot worship the Lord sincerely until we take ourselves out of the picture. According to Tozer, “The essence of surrender is getting out of the way so that God can do what He wants to do.” Worship should never be about us, but it should always be about Him. Jesus Christ should always be the center of our worship. Let us worship Him for all eternity!
Showing posts with label gold. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gold. Show all posts
Did you know that a domestic cat has between 60,000 to 120,000 hairs per square inch? Have you ever seen an elephant up close? The hairs on these giants are thought to keep them cool, unlike nearly every other hairy mammal whose hairs keep them warm. A camel can survive six months without water and bald eagles can fly up to 200 miles per hour. If that isn’t amazing enough, starfish can regenerate new limbs to replace those that are lost. By examining the many wonders found in God’s unique creation, we can be certain that one thing is true. He cares about every aspect of this world, including you and me. To Him, we are worth more than all of the gold found within the four corners of the earth.
God didn’t just make us like He made the animals who roam the earth. Instead, He made us in own His image. God’s Word says, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God; he created them; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27 NIV). We are set apart from our four-legged, sea-faring, and winged friends. We are special in God’s sight. Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We were created to serve the Lord and share the Good News with a lost and dying world. Men and women were created to be a reflection of God’s love. That is our greatest purpose here on earth.
Man was not created to fight, to hate, or to destroy others. Man was created to love his neighbor as himself. Humans were also created to love God because He first loved us. Ephesians 1:4 (NLT) states, “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.” You and I are on this planet for one reason and one reason alone: to share the love of Jesus Christ to everyone we meet. We are here to make a difference, to tell those who are broken in the depths of despair that there is hope through Jesus Christ.
In Christ’s Love,
Jennifer
When you were a small child, did you ever dream of being a treasure hunter? Of being that lucky individual who would find the elusive treasure map, follow the trail, and claim a chest full of gold coins, jewelry, or other valuables. I’m sure many of us would like to strike it rich, whether it is through the good fortune of finding a lost treasure, winning a cash prize, or receiving a large sum from a lucrative donor. But for the vast majority, the odds of our finances skyrocketing to new heights are quite slim. Nevertheless, there are treasures awaiting us if we just take the time to look for them. God’s Creation is full of awesome wonders that reveal His love for us in the most unlikely ways.
Think about the sand dollar. Have you ever swum down to the bottom of the ocean and pulled one of these unique sea urchins up to the surface? Or maybe you found the dried skeleton of one of these creatures on the shore. Have you ever looked inside one of these magnificent works of art? God, in His infinite wisdom, designed this creature so that it could breathe through pores that are arranged in a petal-like pattern. He also gave it spines, so it could move about the seabed. Perhaps the greatest feature of an sand dollar is the Aristotle’s lantern inside that functions as the sand dollar’s teeth. For these amazing objects are shaped like tiny little doves. Imagine...inside one of God’s intricate sea creatures, He placed miniature replicas of one of His beautiful birds of the air. Surely this was not an accident, but instead, it was part of His divine plan.
Did you know that doves mate for life? A female or male dove will not search for a second mate until the first one is no longer living. They also cooperate and work together to build the nest for their young. They are the true epitome of loyalty and devotion to one another. Jesus told His disciples to emulate their behavior when he told them to be “innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16 NIV). Even God trusted a dove to bring the olive branch back to Noah to let him and his family know that the waters had receded and that it was safe to return to the land. Without doubt, this special species is a symbol of peace and is a treasure in the sky. God trusted a dove with an important task, but I have a question for you and me. Can He trust us? Do we follow His guidance as the dove did after the flood? Or do we whine and complain when He tells us what we should do? Sometimes, it is easier to follow a treasure map than to blaze an uncharted trail as we follow the Holy Spirit’s leading. Inevitably, though, it is through devotion to God that we will find genuine and enduring treasure.Some people spend their whole entire lives looking for treasure, or searching for fame and fortune. In the end, what truly matters is what we have done for the cause of Christ. The things we accumulate in this world will not last. Although many people have tried through the centuries, you cannot take anything with you when you leave this world and enter into Heaven or Hell. Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV) says, “‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’” You see, friends, you and I need to focus on the important things in life that will have eternal value. These are the things that will last. Instead of worrying about the kind of car we drive, the clothes we wear, or the food we eat, we need to focus on what we can do to share the love of Jesus Christ with everyone we meet. The Bible says that our Heavenly Father knows our basic needs and that He will supply them (Matthew 6:32). He knows our needs before we even ask.
What about you? Are you tired of searching for a treasure that you cannot seem to find? I don’t know what you may be going through in your life at this very moment, but I can tell you that I am 100% certain that Jesus Christ knows exactly what struggles you face. He knows if you are dealing with financial burdens, physical or emotional battles, or something so difficult that you cannot even put it into words. Just like He will provide for the sand dollars of the sea and the doves of the air, He will provide for you. He knows your heart. He knows if you are hurting. Jesus Christ loves you so much that He gave His life for you (see John 3:16). Call on the name of Jesus Christ today. For the greatest treasure that any man can ever hold on this earth is not a chest full of gold, but the priceless knowledge that they have a personal relationship with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
In Christ’s Love,
Jennifer