Glorify

Training Day 13 Much More Than

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Revelation 5:8-14
Psalm 100
Romans 12:1-2
John 4:23-24
Colossians 3:23-24

Training, Day 13

I’m ready for another summer vacation. But, y’all, in all honesty, packing hasn’t always been easy. I pack way too much! Several weeks ago, I tried packing “only essentials” for the first time. Talk about anxiety overload!

It’s the same with WORSHIP. Worship is much more than songs and encompasses far more than we could understand. For today, we’ll only discuss a few aspects; however, worship is an ongoing conversation at Gracefully Truthful, and we’d love for you to join us here!

To fully understand worship as more than music, we must first realize what worship is not. It is not entertainment. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good concert! Watching and listening to an artist in-person creates an explosive, exciting atmosphere. The music is, well, WOW; so surreal. Still, this experience does NOT yield the Presence of God! 

Are you ready to unpack worship?

Worship is a relationship-building lifestyle, not just an experience.

Worship should bring us closer to the heart of our Father as our sin and defenses are surrendered to the God who loves us!

“For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’” (Romans 8:14-15)

When we’re closer to Abba Father, we call this “relationship,” and worship becomes a function of our hearts!

Worship glorifies our Creator.

We were created in His image. (Genesis 1:27) Our worship is the very breath of God inside us. In this fellowship, or relationship, we reach the highest point of communion with our Creator. (Revelation 4:11) It is the reason we were created and the most important purpose of our eternal calling.

Worship points us to the heart of the Father. 

We worship God because He is worthy; He is greater than anything or anyone. (Revelation 5:8-14) As we know Him more, understanding His love and power, we are drawn into worship, for our Father’s heart is revealed.

Worship is the sacrifice of our total selves.

The beginning of worship is praise. When we praise Him, we celebrate both what He does and Who He is! (Psalm 100) Our heart-atmosphere begins shifting toward worship. Here, we can fully surrender to Him, sacrificing ourselves as we trust our Father. In surrender, our heart attitude moves toward repentance and reverence for His holiness. (Exodus 34:5-9)

Worship strengthens and rejuvenates our inner being. 

Many of us move through different seasons in life. The one constant is “Jesus Christ [who] is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

In our dry season, He is our Living Water! (John 4:10-14)
In our hungry season, He is our Bread! (John 6:35)
In need, He is our Provider. (Philippians 4:19)
Through uncertainty, He is our Firm Foundation. (1 Corinthians 3:11)
In weakness, He is our Strength. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
In every season, He is our Guide in the darkness, our Light. (John 8:12)

My sweet friends, let’s celebrate Him! Our prayer, praise, and worship should not fluctuate in any season of life, but remain constant, fixed on our Father. He faithfully refreshes us from the inside out.

Worship encompasses obedience.

When King Uzziah of ancient Judah sought and obeyed God, he had success in battling Judah’s enemies. (2 Chronicles 26:1-15) Later, Uzziah became prideful and unfaithful through blatant disobedience to God’s instructions for holy worship, which “led to his own destruction.” (2 Chronicles 26: 16-21) Obedience, we learn, is an important aspect of worship.

How does God instruct us to worship?
“Shout for joy” (Psalm 98:4)
“Bless the Lord at all times” (Psalm 34:1)
“Sing to the Lord, bless His Name” (Psalm 96:2)
Sister, let’s choose to worship with obedience!

Worship encompasses respect for God.

When we worship the Lord, we do so with respect, reverence, and awe.
Moses removed his sandals when standing on “holy ground.” (Exodus 3:5)
King Darius instructed his kingdom to revere the true God of Daniel. (Daniel 6:26-27)

Reverence brings surrender, our response to His love. It acknowledges our trust in the One Who created us, and ultimately glorifies the One Who has given Himself for us! This is true worship.

Finally, worship encompasses celebration.

In Luke 15:11-32, Jesus tells a parable, a word picture painted to represent His fatherly love toward us: a boy left home as a wayward prodigal and returned as a repentant son. With open arms, his father welcomed his son home. This was a time for celebration!

Zephaniah 3:17 gives another glimpse of God’s celebration over His people.
“He will rejoice over you with gladness [. . .]
He will delight in you with singing.”

When we follow His example, celebration acknowledges the goodness and mercy of God through worship.

See, I told y’all about my packing. Worship is “packed full,” and while we’ve only skimmed its surface today, I pray God uses these principles to guide and empower each of us to worship in Spirit and in truth!

[Oh, before you go, I haven’t quite finished unpacking. Shuffle through this Spotify playlist; it’s chock-full of worship music. Where will worship lead you? Remember it’s His breath in our lungs!]

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Worship IX Day 10 Family Worship

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Leviticus 3:1-17
Leviticus 5:14-19
1 Chronicles 16
Hebrews 10:1-18
Hebrews 13:7-16

Worship IX, Day 10

When I first read the book of Leviticus and how Israel was to worship God I thought, “Good grief, the Israelites didn’t have time to do anything but make sacrifices.”

But then I realized . . . we were created for God’s glory (Isaiah 43:7) and are called to glorify Him through lives of worship. My heart is pricked when I think about how lightly I take worship. Has it become something we do out of habit? Or only on Sundays? Shouldn’t it be a lifestyle?

In her book, 7 Feasts – Finding Christ in the Sacred Celebrations of the Old Testament, Erin Davis speaks of spiritual amnesia. Oh! How easily we forget our sinfulness and God’s redemptive plan. But God had a plan from the instant He flung the stars into place to redeem His people and cure their spiritual amnesia. “By following God’s commands to stop, reflect, worship, and sacrifice, these memories become the very fabric of their faith. His invitation was for them to interrupt regular activities to rest and remember how He has met every desperate need they had.” (Whitney Capps, First 5)

In studying Leviticus and Hebrews together, I learned how the sacrificial system of worship laid out in Leviticus pointed to God’s wonderful plan of redemption through Jesus Christ.

Two frequent offerings made as part of the sacrificial system were the fellowship/peace offering and a burnt offering. The burnt offering, such as a lamb without blemish, would be offered up in completeness, as a fragrance to God for the forgiveness of sins. (Leviticus 1:10-13) The fellowship offering indicated communion with God, offered willingly from a heart of gratefulness and devotion. (Jay F. Guin, The Tabernacle, Worship, and the Christian)

Today, we know these sacrifices pointed to Jesus, the ultimate sacrifice for our sins! Hebrews 10:11-18 (The Message) explains, “It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. By that single offering, He did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process.”

King David offered these sacrifices when they brought the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. (1 Chronicles 16) The Ark, which represented the presence of God, had been captured by the Philistines years earlier. (biblestudytools.com) The Ark’s return must have been a glorious celebration!

After the sacrifices, David used familiar psalms to praise God and encourage the people to worship the Lord. David’s song gives us a great template for worship today! Maybe it would sound like this:

Mandy’s Song
Awake, my soul, to sing the glories of God and King!
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Worship His majesty, for He is worthy!
Testify to love and how I got saved, because His grace still amazes me.
We will remember the works of His hands!
Alleluia, alleluia, for the Almighty reigns.
Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear!
How one day, He’s coming, O glorious day!

After this joyful celebration, the people went home to bless their own households. Whitney Capps explains, the people weren’t “just to reflect on God’s faithfulness; they were to rehearse it and live it again and again by telling their children and grandchildren about these stories of real-life faith.” Worship was to be carried to their homes and families.

Theologian and pastor R.C. Sproul stated, “Specifically, God requires heads of households, like good shepherds, to lead their families into green pastures. God expected Abraham to ‘command his children and his house after him to keep the way of the LORD.’ (Genesis 18:19) Consider also the example of Cornelius, who was ‘a devout man and feared God along with his whole household.’ (Acts 10:2) It is no surprise that when [the apostle] Peter came to Caesarea to preach the gospel, Cornelius rallied his household to attendance. ‘We are all in the presence of God to hear everything you have been commanded by the Lord.’” (Acts 10:33) (Family Worship 101) 

This still applies to us today.
According to A Simple Guide to Family Worship, worship of God begins with family.
Our homes are a training ground for future generations. (Proverbs 22:6)
Scripture implores us to teach our children about God. (Psalm 78:4-7)
The Lord rebukes those who haven’t offered worship in their homes. (Jeremiah 10:25)
Israel’s great leader, Joshua, took responsibility for his whole family, declaring, “As for me and my family, we will worship the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)

In the New Testament, fathers are instructed to nurture their children spiritually. (Ephesians 6:4)
Timothy, a leader in the early Church, was living proof that our training leads to salvation. (2 Timothy 3:14-15)

The challenge before us is to engage our families in a lifestyle of worship. Whether we are raising children within our homes or are part of the larger family of Christ-followers, we can live out King David’s example of family worship!

We can share meals together,
those with plenty freely offering to share with those who have need. (1 Chronicles 16:2-3)

In thankfulness, we can recount and praise His faithfulness,
the testimony of one building the faith of another. (1 Chronicles 16:7-36)

Together, we can “minister regularly” (1 Chronicles 16:37) to the Lord in worship,
through lives built around and upon “[giving] thanks to the Lord
for His faithful love endures forever.” (1 Chronicles 16:41)

In doing so, we make our very own fellowship offerings.
Let’s follow Joshua’s lead, declaring, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

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Worship IX Day 3 Trust & Obedience

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Daniel 1:1-8
Daniel 6:1-28
Romans 12:1-2
1 Peter 2:11-12

Worship IX, Day 3

When you think of worship, what comes to mind?

For many, including myself, the first thing is probably music or singing. It’s a common way to express our worship, and it is certainly something often featured in the Bible, but it’s not the full picture.

Scripture speaks of worship as a response to God that goes far beyond the words we sing. We are called to worship not only with our voices, but with our lives.

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.” (Romans 12:1)

One great example of living worship is Daniel.

Exiled to Babylon, far from Israel’s home, in a place where everything was different from food to language, to culture, to his new name, and the false gods they worshipped, “Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or with the wine he drank.” (Daniel 1:8)

From the beginning of his time as a captive in a foreign land, Daniel is intentional about honouring God. As his story unfolds, his commitment is demonstrated both in his small everyday choices and in his response to major, even life-threatening, situations.

In Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar has a puzzling dream and insists his astrologers tell him not only the meaning of the dream, but also its content. It’s an impossible task, which leads him to order the execution of all his wise men until Daniel steps in.

Responding “with tact and discretion” (Daniel 2:14), Daniel asks for more time and immediately turns to God. On receiving the answer he needs, he is careful to honour God as he stands before the king.

“No wise man, medium, magician, or diviner is able to make known to the king the mystery he asked about. But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has let King Nebuchadnezzar know what will happen in the last days.” (Daniel 2:27-28)

As Daniel’s story continues, we see his first allegiance is always to God. He is respectful to each of the kings of Babylon, but he is unwilling to compromise on matters of faith, and he is bold in speaking truth even when it isn’t what the king wants to hear.

Perhaps Daniel’s biggest challenge comes many years into his time in Babylon. By this time, his life of worship to God has won him a great deal of respect. He is viewed as trustworthy and highly capable, and when King Darius takes the throne, Daniel is promoted. However, his success has also stirred up jealousy and resentment among others who serve the king.

Recognizing his faith is the only way to accuse Daniel, they persuade the king to make a law stating that for 30 days, all who pray to any god or person other than the king must be thrown into the lions’ den. It is a huge test of Daniel’s faith and obedience, but it doesn’t appear to take Daniel long to work out how to respond.

“When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upstairs room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” (Daniel 6:10)

Daniel’s obedience worships God by expressing trust in His sovereignty. He knows the consequences of his actions could be severe, but he chooses to honour God by continuing to pray as he has always done, leaving the outcome in God’s hands.

In this case, God miraculously rescues Daniel, but his faith does not depend on a miracle; it is firmly rooted in God’s character. His attitude is the same as that expressed by three of his fellow-Jews on facing a similar threat:

“If the God we serve exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king. But even if He does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.” (Daniel 3:17)

Their determination, and Daniel’s, is to worship God and honour Him no matter what, and we see this expressed in their faithful obedience.

While we may not face a lions’ den or a blazing furnace, we are, in a sense, “strangers and exiles” (1 Peter 2:11) here on earth, and we will face challenges as we live out our faith among unbelievers. Daniel’s example shows the importance of faithful, everyday worship in preparing us for those moments when we may have to take a stand, and it also illustrates the impact our actions can have in glorifying God and drawing others to worship Him!

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Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Worship IX Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Worship IX Day 1 The Great Experience

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 12:1-2
Isaiah 6:1-8
Amos 5:18-27
Hebrews 13:15-16
Psalm 51

Worship IX, Day 1

“Let us praise the Lord when we feel like it.”

“True worshipers will worship the Father with great emotion.”

Neither of these statements are Biblically accurate. As I review them, they sound ridiculous. Yet, they reflect how we often approach worship. To gain a better understanding of worship pleasing to God, let’s consider what Scripture says.

“Therefore, through Him let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess His name.” (Hebrews 13:15)
Continually means we don’t stop when times are dark or our hearts are broken. In fact, 1 Thessalonians 5:16 says, “Rejoice always.”

“But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24)
The only requirement for worship I see here is “in spirit and in truth.” How many of us know sometimes truth is hard, so worship born out of truth may not feel like “the great experience?”

According to the Westminster Shorter Catechism, the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Two simple things, right? But Scripture tells us praise is sacrificial. Echoing Hebrews 13:15, Romans 12:1 instructs, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.” In other words, we should use our bodies to serve and honor God in an act of complete surrender. We should be set apart for Him, dedicated to Him. After all, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised.” (Psalm 145:3, ESV)

In the Bible, we learn of Samson, a man dedicated to the Lord as a Nazarite from birth. Samson was one of God’s appointed judges for the Israelites. He could have demonstrated true worship. But Samson was self-absorbed, more into pleasing himself than committed to pleasing God.

He married a Philistine woman against his father’s better judgment because it “seemed right to Samson.” (Judges 14:1-7)
He didn’t tell his parents the honey he gave them came from the carcass of a lion he killed with his bare hands because, again, it seemed right to him to hide his broken vow. (Judges 14:5-9)
He killed thirty Philistines to fulfill a bet with the Philistine men, which was dishonest. (Judges 14:10-20)
He burned up the Philistine crops, vineyards, and olive groves because he thought revenge was the way to go. (Judges 15:1-5)

When Samson fell in love with Delilah, another Philistine woman, he revealed the secret to his great strength (his long uncut hair) because in the moment, stopping her nagging was more important than honoring his vow to God. (Judges 16:1-17)

She then shared that knowledge with her people and they shaved his hair, removing the last remnant of his Nazarite vow. And the Spirit of the Lord left him without him even realizing it. (Judges 16:18-20) Samson was so caught up in what felt right to him that he failed to remain set apart for the Lord. He failed to worship by using his body to serve and honor God, because his focus was not on God.

In the same way, if we get caught up in whether we like a song or not, whether the prayer or sermon “moves” us or not, we’re missing the point and aren’t offering true worship. Instead, we’re chasing our delights versus delighting ourselves in the Lord. Samson was called to devote his life to God. Would that he was more like the prophet Isaiah, who saw a vision of the Lord on His throne with the Seraphim singing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Armies; his glory fills the whole earth,” recognized his sinfulness, confessed before the Lord, and then spent the rest of his life in holy service to God.

Samson’s focus on his experience and desires over honoring his Nazarite vow to God reminds me of a passage in Amos chapter 5. Speaking through Amos, God rightfully accuses the Israelites of going through the motions. Yes, they assemble and offer the mandated sacrifices, but what of their hearts’ true intent and desire?
It was toward themselves, not God.

But God is faithful. God gave Samson another chance. While in captivity, “his hair began to grow back.” In chains, Philistines mocking him during their pagan worship service, he prayed for God to give him the strength to avenge his eyes, which they had gouged out. While Samson remained focused on self to the end, God still showed His faithfulness by giving Samson the strength to topple the building. (Judges 16:25-30)

Similarly, we are called to be sacrificial in our worship of the Lord. While Samson struggled to worship God above self for most of his life, in that one moment, he was willing to lay down his life. We might not be asked to die for the Lord, but we are asked to daily die to ourselves, our comfort.

“The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit.
You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God.” (Psalm 51:17)

Sisters, let us offer our Great God true worship,
a heart humbled before Him
and a life surrendered to Him.

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Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Worship IX Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Worship VIII Day 1 The Why

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 20:2-6
Psalm 73
John 1:1-18
Psalm 91
John 17:20-24

Worship VIII, Day 1

I get up in the wee hours of the morning, or stay up well into the night, to spend time with them. I connect with them every chance I’m given. More of my money has been invested in them than I even realized. Sometimes I plan my schedule around activities related to them.

Who is “them”?

I wish I could say these statements were about God or my church. But they aren’t. They are about my three favorite Korean Pop (K-Pop) groups. Clearly, there is a reason their music industry and culture call their pop stars idols. There is a plethora of access to them, a lot of content, and merchandise galore. Before fans know what’s happening, our time and money are more invested there than in important things, like God.

I don’t think people intend to have idols, but if we don’t pay attention, it happens. Like when we center our lives around working out. Or our jobs are all we think and talk about. Partying and hanging out with friends can become the single driving force in our lives. Or playing video games takes up most of our time and money.  What about needing to be “in control” of everything, all the time? These are just a few examples.

So the question is, how and why does this happen?
Simple. We were made for worship.

The Westminster Catechism states the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We were made to worship God. To verify this, we only need to read Exodus 20:3-5, where God says, “Do not have other gods besides Me” and “Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.”
Clearly, God made us for worship. But worship should only belong to Him.

And we should want to worship Him. Did you notice God mentioned He is jealous? He is jealous for several reasons. Let’s start with this fact: He created us. (John 1:3, Genesis 1:26-27)
I remember when my daughters were frequently hanging out with two friends, sisters their same age. Their friends’ mom was more lenient than I, and my girls frequently raved about how great this other mom was. Needless to say, I became jealous.
What about our relationships, ones I’d been cultivating since before they were born?
What about my concern for their safety, development, care, and keeping?
I think this is similar to God’s jealousy. He made us; that alone should be enough to warrant our worship.

But let’s go farther and deeper, shall we?

God initiated a relationship with us by revealing Himself to us in many different ways. He is the One who perfectly loves and protects us. I love how Psalm 73 gives us a glimpse of all God offers us:

  •     He holds our hand
  •     He guides us with His wisdom
  •     He will take us to heaven with Him
  •     He is our strength
  •     His presence is our good in this life
  •     He is our refuge

Then, John 1:5 tells us He is the light shining in the darkness, and He cannot be overcome. Additionally, John 1:17 reveals Jesus brought us grace and truth.

Oh and let’s not forget, He loves us. In fact, God’s love for us is a central message of the Bible. That familiar verse, John 3:16, explains, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”

Still not convinced? Listen to Jesus’ own words in prayer to God the Father: “I am in them and You are in Me, so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know You have sent Me and have loved them as you have loved Me.” (John 17:23)

The time I invest in video games, cooking shows, or even K-pop might bring temporary happiness and a bit of fleeting satisfaction. The same is true for anything we worship besides God. But this God, this Jesus, who loves us, is the only source of true and lasting satisfaction. We are at our best, and receive the best, when our worship is directed to the One for whom we were created.

I’d like to close by sharing two passages I think can settle this in our hearts better than my words ever could. Let’s pray over them, and then worship the only One who’s worthy of our praise.

“The Lord will always lead you, satisfy you in a parched land, and strengthen your bones. You will be like a watered garden and like a spring whose water never runs dry.” (Isaiah 58:11)

“Because he has his heart set on Me, I will deliver him; I will protect him because he knows My name. When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will rescue him and give him honor. I will satisfy him with a long life and show him My salvation.” (Psalm 91:14-16)

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Worship VIII Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Worship VIII!

The GT Weekend! ~ Questions 2 Week 1

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) One of the most prevalent questions in our shared human experience is, “What is the meaning of life?”. We have found many different ways to answer this question on our own terms, but Monday’s Journey Study brought us face-to-face with one of the most common false answers and also with the truth. Many people think that getting the most pleasure out of life is what “it’s all about”, but God tells us glorifying Him and remaining in close relationship with Him is the only path to true fulfillment. How have you regarded fun and pleasure in your own life? Have you placed the false promise of pleasure above your need for relationship with God? If I’m honest, I frequently choose pleasure over relationship with God. While it is not wrong to find pleasure in our lives, when pleasure becomes a stumbling block to following Christ, we must make a choice. Will we follow God’s will or the siren call of “fun?”  Write down two ways you can choose to forego a pleasure that is tripping you up and choose to glorify God instead. This may look like fasting from social media for a time or giving up a certain TV show that is fun, but not glorifying to God. Ask God to show you where you can bring Him the most glory.

2) You may have heard it said that all religions are basically the same. They all boil down to the idea that if you are a good person and do good things, you will go to heaven when you die. Contrary to this common belief, the astonishing truth is following Christ means acknowledging you cannot be a good person or do enough good things to get to Heaven. Jesus is the only way to Heaven. On Wednesday, we saw how believing in Jesus and receiving His grace is the only way for us to be saved. Have we taken the time to really reflect on the wonder of this truth? God’s grace doesn’t depend on our ability to “be good.” God lavishes His grace on us even when we least deserve it. Sister, do you believe that? Or have you been burning the candle at both ends working to try to earn God’s favor? If you believe in the work Jesus did for you on the cross, you can take time today to rest in Him. Thank Him that His work is enough and find comfort in knowing you are secure in His grace.

3) Have your conversations with God ever felt one-sided? You sit down to pray, asking God for your deepest heart-felt desires and then… nothing. All is quiet. You wonder why you even bothered to try. Then as time goes by, you keep bringing your requests before Him, asking Him to do as He promised. And one day, your prayers are answered. Maybe not the way you had thought they would be, but God proved Himself faithful in the end. I have many stories of times I had all but given up on God answering my prayers, and yet, He has never failed me. If you don’t have any stories of answered prayers, I would challenge you to go back and look at past prayers. Look for the ways God has been working in your life. If you don’t have any prayers to look back on, start today. Write down your requests and your prayers to God. Then eagerly look to see how He answers them. When you see how God works in your life through your prayers, write down what you observe and thank Him for His faithfulness. Remember the truth that God gives good gifts to His children, and glorify Him when He shows up for you!

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Ephesians 1:3-8 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight.

Prayer Journal
Praise the Lord! Praise His holy name forever! You, oh Lord, give meaning to our lives. You make a way for us to behold Your goodness. You hear our prayers. Forgive me Lord for the ways I have neglected to glorify You in my life. Forgive me for the ways I have chosen pleasure and comfort over Your good plan for my life. Help me to identify the idols in my heart that draw me away from You. Thank You that I do not need to earn Your grace, but that while I was yet a sinner, You gave your life for me. Help me to treasure the gift You have given me and to share it eagerly with others. Most of all, I thank You for hearing my prayers and giving me just what I need, even when I do not know how to ask.  Forgive me for my neglect of prayer and my disregard for Your faithful answers. Help my heart to be attuned to the wonder of Your glorious answers to my prayers. .Help me to say, “the Lord has helped me to this point!”

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Worship VII Day 7 Sweet By And By: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Sweet By And By!

The Questions

1) What is the new heaven and new earth; how did John see it? (verses 1 and 4)

2) How is the location of the holy city related to heaven? (verse 2)

3) How can we be certain of this painless future without grief? (verse 5)

Revelation 21:1-5

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. 3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away. 5 Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.”

Original Intent

1) What is the new heaven and new earth? (verses 1 and 4)
We should dig deeper into what John saw in his God-given vision because believers are supposed to think about the invisible realm related to our salvation. We are not physical beings only, but spiritual ones as well. (Ephesians 1:17-18) “Then I saw …” The Greek word used in verse 1 for “then” is the conjunction καί (kai). Although there are several English words that could be used here, the CSB (Christian Standard Version) uses “then” to indicate the implied progression of the passage. This is critical in understanding what John, the author, is communicating. What he has previously seen and heard in his vision from God connects to what he is now describing. Man’s days on earth have come and gone. (Revelation 20:14-15) Then, the writer describes what he sees as a new heaven and earth appearing. From creation, God’s plan was to defeat and destroy Satan and bring His redeemed people to a place of glorious and eternal existence with Him. (Romans 8:28-31) Verse 1 notes the “sea was no more”. Whether there will literally be no large sea to cause them fear, as many Jews thought it contained terrifying creatures and evil forces, what is certain is that the new earth is magnificently different after the old earth is destroyed. (2 Peter 3:10-13) Though it’s not clear what all will be there, John conveys to the reader what won’t be there, “tears, grief, crying, pain or death.”

2) How is the location of the holy city related to heaven? (verse 2)
After the re-creation of earth, heaven will no longer be in a different realm or world. When God comes down to dwell with man for good, a new kingdom will be born which can never be penetrated with evil nor can it be destroyed. As heaven meets new earth, God will reveal the kingdom of which Jesus spoke. (John 18:36) This kingdom, the New Jerusalem, is the holy city that Abraham looked toward even though he only saw it by faith and not his physical eyes. (Hebrews 11:8-10) It is not less than a real place, but it is so much more than a mere location. The New Jerusalem will be a world of magnificent and unimagined splendor. (verses 10-11) It will be the ultimate fulfillment of everything the believer has been promised by God. (2 Peter 3:8-9) It is a very real place … of another world!

3) How can we be certain of this painless future without grief? (verse 5)
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1) “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) As God, the Son spoke the world into existence. As God, Jesus holds all things in His authoritative hands. (Matthew 28:18) As God, it is He who sits on the throne. (Revelation 4) As God, it is He who speaks now. This word to John is an authoritative declaration coming straight from the Lord of the universe. Here we see the rare occasion of God speaking directly from His throne. When God says “Look!” we should certainly look! This is the One who Himself is Faithful and True and the One who speaks only what is faithful and true. He is full of truth. (John 1:14, 1 Thessalonians 5:22-23, Revelation 3:14, Revelation 19:11-13) Everything He says is reliable. God’s promise for our future is the same as it has always been! (Isaiah 65:17-19) We know our future is certain to be exactly like He promises because He says it is true, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.”

Everyday Application

1) What is the new heaven and new earth? (verses 1 and 4)
The Bible tells us there is a sense in which heaven came down to earth and God resided with man when Jesus physically lived on earth. (Matthew 1:22-23, Philippians 2:7-8, John 1:14) Here in Revelation we see a new, and better, joining of heaven and earth. This “place” will be the eternal dwelling of all believers. Not only will there be no more divisions of cities, states, or nations, there will also be no separation of earth from heaven! In this new place, one that will last forever, God’s original and unchanging plan will be brought to completion. In that day (Zechariah 14:9), what God has promised for eternity will be visible to us. The chief end of man will be realized, “to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” (Westminster Shorter Catechism) Author Randy Alcorn states that the climax of history will be the creation of the New Heaven and a New Earth, a “resurrected universe inhabited by resurrected people living with the resurrected Jesus.” The old hymn says “heaven came down and glory filled my soul.” One day, Heaven will come down permanently and the glory of God will fill the universe!

2) How is the location of the holy city related to heaven? (verse 2)
There is coming a holy city, an undefiled one, that will counter the evil kingdom of Satan and his demons. The wicked have had their city (noted as Babylon in Revelation 18, but implied as encompassing the whole earth), and now God will have His city that will never again be touched by the darkness, sorrow and evil of the unrighteous kingdom. All those who have previously been transferred from spiritual darkness to God’s saving light (Colossians 1:13) will one day take their place in the new and glorious reality of the eternal kingdom of God. Those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, have this hope. The One who died and rose again will victoriously reign over all. As citizens of the New Jerusalem, we will all joyfully bow down and worship Him, singing with the angels, “Holy, holy, holy is the One who is worthy of all our praise forever and ever!” (Revelation 4:8-11)

3) How can we be certain of this painless future without grief? (verse 5)
In three words, Jesus says so! We have it on good authority, the only final authority, that what has been promised to us as believers will surely come to pass. (Isaiah 51:11) When Jesus was charged with being a false Messiah, the high priest demanded He tell the truth before and under God. Jesus replied to him, “You will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (Matthew 26:64) Jesus will return and will set up a kingdom that will be exactly as we’ve heard it will be as declared in the Scriptures He has preserved through the centuries. Vertical Worship sings this truth vibrantly in their song, “This We Know”.
You are who say You are
You’ll do what You say You’ll do
You’ll be who You’ve always been to us, Jesus

Our hope is in You alone
Our strength in Your mighty name
Our peace in the darkest day remains, Jesus

This we know: We will see the enemy run
This we know: We will see the victory come
We hold on to every promise You ever made
Jesus, You are unfailing!!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Sweet By And By!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

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