If and when you need some counsel, start with the Person who thought up counseling.

Smart idea! Who better do you have to run to? No one. So pour out your heart with candor ..upwards to God. Keep nothing back, hid, away from.. I mean go start with the one who is Counselor, Savior and King ..of all those rulers called king or president etc—the One who is the source of wisdom, insightful knowledge, love and power.

You know the One I have in mind.. the One who can save you ..or any friend, foe, or family member of yours. 

Are you a worshipper first? My friend Dan just asked what my mission statement is, so I jotted this down as he brought this topic up.

What and who you worship is so crucial. Not "if" you will, because I'm convinced that all individuals worship someone or something. Is there something else or some other ministry you seek to do first? Why? Ever deeply thought of why.. regarding this?

Kurt's mission statement:  To better worship n know God, to edify believers so they'll better worship n know God, and to better make God known to unbelievers so they'll start to worship n know God.. and then do all this better.

It's upwards, inwards and outwards (In that order including outwards [biblical evangelism] cuz it's the natural outgrowth of seeking God). If you don't have a mission statement, feel free to borrow mine. 

You were primarily made for God Himself.. yes, for and to the praise of God's glory.. not to your glory.

A video posted by Hillsong Worship (@hillsongworship) on Aug 29, 2014 at 4:49pm PDT

Worship of God through Christ is your first priority ministry. No other ministry or duty or activity is to come before this. Not rejected. You and I are here.. "To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." Eph. 1:6

"It is in the process of being worshipped that God communicates His presence to men." ~ C.S. Lewis

"There is, however, equally great incentive to worship and love God in the thought that, for some unfathomable reason, He wants me as His friend, and desires to be my friend, and has given His Son to die for me in order to realize this purpose. not merely that we know God, but that He knows us." ~ J.I. Packer

"Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to do this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve here, and reward you when he cometh in the clouds of heaven." ~ John Wesley

"That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory." Eph. 1:12-14

"Let them praise the name of the Lord: for His name alone is excellent; His glory is above the earth and heaven." Ps. 148:13

"You can see God from anywhere if your mind is set to love and obey Him." ~ A.W. Tozer

"We need to discover all over again that worship is natural to the Christian, as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the psalms, and that the habit of celebrating the greatness and graciousness of God yields an endless flow of thankfulness, joy, and zeal." ~ J.I. Packer

"Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven." Ps. 148:13

A photo posted by @worshipgifs on Mar 16, 2015 at 5:20pm PDT

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Matt. 6:33

"...who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of His glory." Eph. 1:14

"And He (Jesus) said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned..'" Mark 16:15

“Christ died for our sins... He was buried, and... He rose again the third day” (1 Cor. 15:3-4). 

Shouldn't those people back in the day.. have known that this thing with the cross would happen? Sure, they were told. 

Christ has promised that He is preparing a place for us (Jn. 14:1-4), and He's promised us that He will someday return. One day soon we will be together with our risen Savior. The Rapture of the Church will happen very soon. We must be ready, and help our friends get ready. 

"He is not here; for He is risen, as He said" (Matt. 28:6).

But why should every believer go tell? Why should there be a sense of urgency with this? Cuz look around.. we are living in the last days. Cuz hell-bound lost people need to turn around a.s.a.p. and simply get found.. by God.  

Why preach the Word? Cuz the Word doesn't return void without accomplishing it's purpose. Why share the Gospel; the message that we find in the Bible? Here's why.. we have no other message of power that transforms lives. Cuz more people are alive on this planet now, and the need is greater that it's ever been before. Cuz we were told to do this by our highest Authority, God. 

Sure, Easter is all about dead dreams and dead people being quickened into life. It's about our living hope ..in this hope-lacking world. It's all about our once dead Christ living again so that He can raise people who are dead inside.  

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." ~ Paul, (2 Tim. 4:3-5)

"Come to ME.. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me...

..for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." ~ Jesus, 11/29mat. 

http://kurtwvs.tumblr.com/post/114418127368/if-you-dont-know-just-know-where-to-go-where-to

if you go, go all the way, don't delay. pray, fully obey, live all out 100% ..everyday with no dismay..'til you're all gray and swimmin' out in the bay..okay? refuse to stray.. no matter what others say.

if you go, go all the way, don't delay. live for Jesus everyday..'til ya gray. yep, no matter what others say. http://t.co/lWnkn10ISA

— Kurt von Schleicher (@kurtwvs) December 6, 2013

The world walks in darkness and has troubles..

..that work against em. I feel for them. Been there, done that. 

Believers have trials that work for em... as we each trust in Christ (see 8/28romans)—these challenges are so unavoidable. But instead of being troubled, be encouraged every single day as you sow to the Spirit. 

http://kurtwvs.tumblr.com/post/114275711758/and-you-will-hear-of-wars-and-rumors-of-wars-see

How good Christ is to us! So so good. Man, I know what I deserve ..the Cross.. and what I don't deserve.. any grace or a Family or a home in Heaven. 

Makes me wanna say somethin'!

He is our living hope and alone can calm any fear, any circumstance, any anxiety, any of life's storms. Jesus has the power to bring any of us all the way through, and rescue us from all despair. He was born "to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet in the way of peace" (1/76-79luke).

Did you know that India’s population is expected to increase by 400 million by the year 2050?.. which will be equal to the populations of both the U.S. and China combined. Yup! Wanna be ready to do my part. 

The Great Commission is our mission.. for every believer. I challenge you to pray big (in faith), trust more (for He is 100% trustworthy), expect gobs (from the Lord of the Harvest) who deeply loves each person. He can help us compassionately spread His Gospel ..His way. 

If you are a Muslim or even one working with Isis, may I ask you a few questions?

http://kurtwvs.tumblr.com/post/114195554308/if-you-are-a-muslim-or-even-one-with-isis-may-i

He catches His fish and then He cleans em so to speak.

Please know that you don't need to clean up your life first and come to Christ. You can come to Christ as you are.. willing to cooperate and be changed inside, and He will completely clean up your life! He'll give you life during life, and eternal life after that!

Why would He be called our Savior and Santifier if we were the ones who did all that stuff for ourselves without Him?

A photo posted by Greg Laurie (@greglaurie) on Jan 19, 2015 at 8:53am PST

Choose to be a nice human.

Choose to be a kind and tender-hearted, pleasant, easy goin' human ..minus all unteachable, fearful n faithless hubris. Yes, rather than choosing to be some difficult, self-seeking, contentious, or gripey human. 

Choose to be true to who you were meant to be, an uncompromisingly strong yet soft-hearted human ..balancin' truth and relational grace. But choose to rightly compromise every time you can ..for the sake of edifying the relationship. 

Choose to be a non-selfish human, an un-lazy kinda person. Don't be a human who always takes the path of least resistance through life, but instead choose to walk wisely, to protect, to give, and to be diligent to do what's right for all relationships ..regardless of your changing fickle feelings. 

Choose to be a blessing to be around, rather than a curse so to speak. You know what I mean. They shouldn't have to daily prove their love by putting up with your stinkin' thinkin', attitude and behavior.

http://kurtwvs.tumblr.com/post/114131917488

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” ~ Paul Eph. 4:31-32

Choose not to  play the law if you ain’t the law, and don’t get in their way to block. Covering for and enabling wrong-doers ain’t nice or a good witness to the world! Choose to show love to the one who does right or does wrong ..with no strings.. consistently. Yup, expectin’ zip from em emotionally or provisionally cuz that’s what nice people do. Won’t be disapointed.  kurtwvs.tumblr

Like me, are you easily distracted away from the Lord, from your prayer time with Him, from church fellowship, from listening and from sharing God's word? With all the changes in our society today, we ought to guard against this. Let's stay focused on Christ. I really don't want to get distracted away from Him at all.. by any distractions.

http://kurtwvs.tumblr.com/post/113962280213/as-of-today-4-in-10-people-who-have-an-iphone

Be candid, casual, and yet enthusiastic. I challenge you.. take genuine interest in people with appropriate questions. Share truth with compassion in a fresh way with a sense of humor, with humility and with humanity. When you use Bible terms just define what they mean as you joyously quote the word. If you try to share your story and fumble with it.. it's okay to laugh at you. Don't take yourself too seriously.

A photo posted by Kurt von Schleicher (@kurtwvs) on Jan 8, 2015 at 5:33pm PST

I would exhort you to keep on all-out seeking the God of the Bible because He will never forget you.

Why? Well, because I like to tell myself and my closest friends to do this.. to keep seekin' the Lord (the God of the Bible) with all.. not half.. your heart. And listen, if you do this.. you won't have an unmet need and you won’t have any time left over to seek things that are bad for you and others. You'll be more protective and concerned about others. 

Yeah, there ya have it. Prayin' to and seekin' the Lord all out... that's how to see all of our needs met and how to develop a good name that honors our great God (see Matt. 6:33). It's how we can continue to be a good witness to the world as well. That's so important! Just be yourself.   

Therefore, I encourage you to focused on Christ more.. cuz your feeling about yourself and your situation can be fickle. Walk by faith in Jesus, not by feelings. God sees you with the righteousness of Christ cuz of His bloodshed at Calvary on the Cross, so keep on seeking Him in His word, in prayer, in fellowship with ..both small-group or larger group Bible studies, and while sharing your faith in Jesus. He loves you and He is there to help you and me have a good name for his glory.

You know how the Old Testament book of Proverbs frequently encourages us in seeking Him, and how it contrasts the reputations of wise and foolish people saying...

“The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot.. He who walks with integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will become known” (Prov. 10: 7,9).

King Solomon sums it up so well for us by saying, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold” (22: 1).

Yes, it ain't for us so much.. we seek a good name, not to honor ourselves but to glorify Christ our Lord whose name is above all names. Some people at times might try to say untrue things about us to smear our names, but the Lord is our rearguard so to speak and He will help us rep His holy Name both in public and in private.

Lord God, I praise you for guiding, for empowering, for helping and for providing daily. You know exactly what is good for us - what is best, and You desire to lead us in righteous paths that are right and good for the whole Body of Christ. Help us be effective witnesses in this world so that we can lead some of the people to you.. in salvation. Give us the courage to trust and to follow Jesus in the way of right living no matter where we go.. yes, for Your glory and Name’s sake. In Jesus Name. Amen. Blessings to you as you live in the Word of God. 

All parties involved might not always opt to be humble and willing to change, but bottom line.. relationships are always worth restoring.

God says.. "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." Romans 12:18

It might not at this time be possible, but it might become possible one day in the future. I know some individuals who have been around ..yeah, pretty close to a loved one.. with destructive addictions of various types and that makes it all the more challenging for a person to be around. Sometimes it's not even safe. 

And I've talked with other people who have suffered from some real abuse before, and for those who have been it often isn't currently possible..not yet ..though they wish with all their hearts that it were possible. We want to see God change sinners and make them safer to hang with. Please be wise and take steps to not become abused by the same abusers again. 

And there are others where it looked impossible for years, but then all of a sudden the Lord finally made it possible.. without overriding that person's choice. You know that God can give you a wisdom that is superior to any wisdom that this world can give. He understands what you've been through and He is pullin' for ya so that you can make the best of that situation you're in. He's there to comfort, to heal, to minister to, and even to help you make sense of your life.. yes, for you cuz He accepts and cherishes you. 

May I ask.. have you prayed about that relationship yet? Not a bad question. Many people have told me how they try everything they can come up with, and they really have done their very best to help on their own.. but this "praying for the relationship" part somehow didn't enter their minds. I want to remind you that He should be the first friend to turn to rather than the last place to go. And God can do a whole lot with our simple honest reaching out to Him in faith. 

"As far as it depends on you".. have you earnestly prayed combining that with practically doing all that can be done thus far? Have you asked for God's wisdom, tone and tact? Have you, in your heart forgiven that person who deeply hurt you? I'm not saying, go tell them that you forgive them.. if they don't come asking for this.. or if they were really the wrong-doer but somehow strange are convinced that they were not.  

Could there be anything to do that hasn't yet entered your mind? Dear God, please put new ideas about us applying your word ..into our brains so that we can go for it and please you. I know You can make a way where there is no way. Thanks. 

I'm thinking about one kind and very generous father who ..as much as it was possible for him.. he lived at peace with people. But there came a time when all that he could do sure wasn't much to the natural eye. He waited for his younger son to turn, and for his older son as well. Here is a part of this family's story that really get's me the most...   

"And he (the younger son) arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry." Luke 15:11-32

Father's who lived during this era when these verses were written didn't typically run anywhere, but because of love ..this father sure ran ..and it was towards a wrong-doer who had hurt him to the core. Many would have run in the other direction. Amazing love! Nowhere else in the entire Bible do we have a picture of God running.. but here we see. It's a picture of the Father running towards a sinner. 

When I was a teenager, I remember how rebellious I was in my heart. The hurt inside ran deep. Thought I had good reason to be how I was. It wasn't good and this attitude wasn't easy for my parents or siblings to live with I'm sure. So glad that they were patient with me, especially my parents. They were indeed. 

So happy that God's mercy and love could run farther with me ..and much deeper than the pain inside. His love can go deeper than any dark pit that you or I or another can dig us into. And He reached me. What a relief to find Jesus.  

It's really cool that our Lord will never force us, push us, coerces us, pressure us, manipulate us, or for gain drive us against our will. However, He will as a good Shepherd gently lead us according to His Word ..doin' what's best for us. God has never pushed or made demands upon me ..or upon you. He is meek, kind, tender, strong, and the Gospel is so reasonable. God says, "Come now, let us reason together, saith the Lord.." Isaiah 1:18

You know it's so easy for any of us to become stubborn like some bullheaded know-it-alls (it's just part of our old nature inside), but God has a better way. He can soften our hard hearts and bring hope where it used to be. 

His Son was humble in all relationships, so why can't I be that way with all relationships? Didn't show me how to live? Sure He did. Humility would sure help relationships that have been painfully rent apart or brused. Listen, the Father's heart was also rend in half so to speak.. by His wayward kids. Yet He thoroughly understands each one, and He is only a prayer of faith away from you at this time. I challenge you to call out to Him for His relational grace and mending. facebook.com/shareJesus 

I'll often set down the paperback, or turn the TV channel when I hear how somebody 'bout died, went to heaven, and then returned here. Just sayin'...

In person with someone, I try to listen up for a while... but I really don't know about all that stuff up there, or how to verify what they are saying about their personal experience. Perhaps it might have happened to them. I just don't know for sure ..even if they insist that "it really did happen!" I'm not going to call em a lair if I doubt it - that'd be dumb of me. I don't want to tear down a bridge of friendship by offending any. I want to tactfully build a bridge for the Gospel's sake. 

No matter how exotic, how off-the-chain excitin' or wild or interesting their story goes, I don't automatically, immediately believe those people who say they've been to heaven. Too many so called Christians etc claim that they've visited Heaven ..and yet sometimes with contradictory or unbiblical stories. Know this: There is no deciding for Christ's forgiveness and His salvation after a sinner dies, and no Christian experience, impression, dream, "word of Knowledge "feeling, "prophecy", liver-quiver etc will go against what they Bible says about Heaven or how a person gets in there ..through Jesus Christ.   

I often chuck the paperback or turn the channel when I hear how someone ‘bout died, went there and then returned here pic.twitter.com/meRMO9GiF0
— Kurt von Schleicher (@kurtwvs) March 13, 2015

But it sounds to me like Paul visited this place, "such a man was caught up to the third heaven.. to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell."

And I do believe another Person who has commuted from and to there, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me." #Opt2goThereWithMe

"To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it."

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess."

"When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men." This was the post death and physical resurrection "ascension of Christ."

Jesus did two things: 1.) He led those of the Old Testament with Him up into the presence of God in Heaven.. those who were while living on earth "redeemed" through repentance and faith in the coming Savior, and who had been waiting there in "Paradise" for Christ and the time of Christ's Cross to simply pass. Yes, the price for us sinning had to first be paid in full by our Lord. 2.) Jesus also gave unto believers here on earth spiritual gifts so that they could better worship, serve, evangelize, and function in the Body of Christ—His Church. 

see12/2-4Cor,6/38jn,10/14deut,4/14heb,68/18ps,4/8eph,commentaries

Real friendship buildin' for friendship's sake ..and for a higher selfless purpose ..always seems to make the commute and journey more fun.

Don't you just love the humor and truth found in Leadership Journal! I'm really not sure where they find all their sketch artists.  

Do you commute to work or some other place daily? Idea. Why not whisper a silent prayer, sit next to a stranger, build a bridge, ask permission, wait for their response.. and open your mouth to tactfully (not pushy) share Christ's #Gospel. Cuz this always makes that commute a lot of fun and the trip go by quicker. : )  

"Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us...

'Awake, O sleeper,

rise up from the dead,

and Christ will give you light.'

So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do." Ephesians 5:2-17a

Listen up. Pray earnestly. Show people God's kinda love. Be patient. Be alert. Be strong. Be awake and aware of what's going on around you, believer, and instead of dwelling on Dysfunction Junctionville.. instead of focusing on your difficulties or trials, just focus more on the fact that God hasn't blown ya off for one sec. He hasn't ditched n left you there in the dust, or even snickered at your situation. He still loves you, will keep all His promises, and is for you. His power is at work in you, and can be daily at work through you. "Act like men".. men.

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13

Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight. 2 Samuel 10:12

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24

Therefore keep watch.. Matthew 24:42  facebook.com/shareJesus  G+

What wants, goals, longings or needs do you have today? Prioritizing your relationship with the Lord ahead of all the other relationships, activities and plans will only see your life benefited in every area. You’ll be both blessed and be a blessing! Remember what Jesus said, "But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:33

http://kurtwvs.tumblr.com/post/113164890538

The best commitment of em all is with God through Christ; it's all about enjoying a daily relationship-calling of love that challenges upwards.

Come snow, come rain, come high waters or whatever, I find that the Christian experience is simply about responding to the ultimate Initiator. We love Him because He first initiated things ..in loving us. It's about cultivating and maintaining right priorities with Him in this most important of all friendships.

Need some chains. Can't believe I drove 27 miles on this white stuff. Five to seven inches fell in a couple hours. It broke all records here for 7 decades with over 500 DFW accidents in two days. #Dal

A video posted by Kurt von Schleicher (@kurtwvs) on Mar 6, 2015 at 4:33pm PST

You know I'm not talkin' about dead religion here, no, no. Boring! I'm talkin' about livin close with our true Companion and Friend. I'm talkin' about regular vertical communication and obedience that really resonates inside right where you live, and that helps you make the best of every situation.

Yes, I'm talking about putting your vertical first-love-relationship with great warmth of feeling about it first (though feelings should never lead us). Talking about prioritizing following Jesus.. right to the top, that relationship with red hot fervor in it, with full-on passion from it, with an ongoing pure devotion that has a natural outworking of benefit and ministry for the people around us. Do you have such a relationship of J O Y that's marked by this ardor from the Holy Spirit, this enthusiasm in worship, this evangelistic eagerness, this holiness and zeal ..balancing out your walk so to speak? You can enjoy this as you die to your old ways.. I mean say "No" to your old fleshly nature and to this world that commands ya what to do!

The Apostle Paul in Romans 6 says that, "We (believers) were buried with Him (Jesus) through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4). Ya say no to the old man if ya will, and yes to a brand new life! 

And the pursuit of this newness of life and holiness in the Lord occurs daily (and it really should daily, even moment by moment..) as we yield ourselves in obedience to God ..instead of yielding to and following our old ways of self-gratification. "Now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life" (v.22).

Question: Do you currently have this 24/7/365 experience of holy newness and abundant life ..where the natural Christian overflow impacts and resurrects lives for time and eternity? Have you been born from above? You can have this!

I like how Pho Fang Chia describes this vital connection... "If you're like me, you've struggled with having to say no to taking on a new responsibility—especially if it's for a good cause and directly related to helping others. We may have sound reasons for carefully selecting our priorities. Yet sometimes, by not agreeing to do more, we may feel guilty or we may think that somehow we have failed in our walk of faith. 

Wisdom recognizes that everything in life has its own season—in human activities as in the realm of nature. Yes, "there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven" (3:1).

 
Perhaps you are starting a new school, or are about to finish your formal education. Maybe you're gettin' married or becoming a parent for the first time. Maybe you're out applying for a new job, or are entering the workforce after obtaining a new position. Perhaps you are moving from full-time work on into retirement now. Listen, as we each transit moving from season to season, our priorities can slowly or quickly change.. but we can still allow Jesus to be Lord. We can still embrace the Essentials and keep the main thing the main thing. We may need to put aside some of what we did in the past ..some periphery hobbies or now uninteresting interests we used to enjoy.. and then funnel our energy into something new that involves Christian service.
 
Whatever the case, when life's circumstances bring in changes and new obligations, we each must responsibly and wisely discern what kind of commitments God wants us to make, seeking in whatever we do to "do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31). Proverbs 3:6 promises that as we acknowledge Him in all our ways, He will guide us in the way we should go. Do you need some practical guidance, and a purpose that's bigger than yourself? 

Perhaps you want to come clean and get right with the Lord today. Maybe you need to come back to the Lord and would pray something like... 

Heavenly Father, please forgive me and change me. I turn putting You first.. wanting to live close, holy, and clean inside with Jesus as my Lord. Yes Christ, wash me thoroughly and come take the throne of my heart so to speak. Give me Your wisdom to know what priorities I need to have during this season of my life. Take away the "boring" and give newness of life. Let Your joy overflow to others. Use me so that one day others can also join me in heaven with You. Fill and refill me up with Your Spirit so I can be empowered to obey You everyday. Guide me in all that I do, employin' Your gifts to bless and build up others. I only want to bring You the honor and glory that You deserve ..with the way that I live. Yes, in Jesus' Name. Amen. facebook.com/shareJesus

You were born to worship, but you were not born for the worship of just any.

The Lord Himself personally forgave you, and brought you out of that darkness into His Light, believer—it was so that you'd be blessed, righteous, holy, and might proclaim His praises. If we feel like it or not, biblcial worship of the Lord is ministry number one for each of us. You were made for the praise of God's glory! 

Yes you, you were actually created by God for a great purpose. You were made for the praise of His glory. Not for yourself. And His responding to us, man, that just makes me wanna go say something and brag on Jesus! 

"...we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the Gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.." Eph. 1:12* 

I respectfully challenge you today.. to check out all that happened worship-wise.. in the book of Acts. Check out how the Lord blessed those believers for simply obeying Him. Let's major on doing the basics, and not doing what hinders the work of the Spirit. Let's sow to the Spirit wholeheartedly.. daily, and not sow to our old fleshly nature. I pray that we can see what happened in the Book of Acts ..happen all over again ..in our Land as God answers our prayers of faith and pours out of His Holy Spirit here. Please do it again Jesus. With right motives, right attitudes, and Your right Message ..please use us Lord kinda like You did with the early church. Send real revival and awakening. God, let us be in the middle of what You are doing on earth in a good Way, but not even one minute hindering other believers. We trust You to do Your thing in and through us for Christ. Amen. The Word says...

"So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:46-47

How can you, me, or anyone become an effective soul-winner without first bein' a sincere worshipper of Christ? Worship is to be an ongoing lifestyle. Think about it. I personally don't know how anyone in God's Kingdom.. could make an impact anywhere without such a habit of worship. Yes, our love for sinners actually springs from our earnest and expressed love of the Lord. Something really great happens when God's people get together in His Spirit and study His Word. Something really wonderful happens when God's people get together and sing His praises! Real Christians love to worship Him ..either when alone or with the Body of Christ. Jesus said, "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."

The early church, man!.. they loved to gather. They loved to thank, praise and worship Jesus! As a result they loved to witness of Christ and His Gospel ..with anointing from the Spirit! Acts 2:46–47 tells us, "They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people." The phrase "gladness and simplicity of heart" literally means "with unaffected joy." There was huge JOY in the early church that gave vibrancy and passion. We too need to have such obedience, J O Y, and reverence inside for the Lord ,,and guess what... this all has a positive outgrowth. We wanna go tell people about Christ and His Gospel! And sinners will turn and trust Him..they'll get added to our (the Church's) number by the Lord. 

The Bible says, "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!" (1 Chron. 16:34). Sometimes worship can feel like a sacrifice.. like when Christians are hurting after being lied about or being ripped off. But we should still worship even when we don't feel like it. Here's some fun homework for ya ..for when you get some moments free: Go do a study on all the people in the Bible who worshipped the Lord ...while not feeling like it and see how God responded and even used them. Need a good place to start? Look at Job 1:20. 

*Please make it your habit to check what I say contextually. Yes, even meditate upon the context of Ephesians 1:12 this week. 

It might look bad, but heads up! There's a good plan. Trust the Lord—He LOVES you so much He just cant take His eyes off of you! Won't ditch ya.

http://kurtwvs.tumblr.com/post/112418761283/god-is-diligently-watchin-over-you-believer-and

"Sure, just try harder this time. Get up again.. and stay up! Use more determination and self-will. You can do it, Sport!" NOT!

http://kurtwvs.tumblr.com/post/112412161768/christ-didnt-come-to-this-earth-so-that-he-could