Worship...The Radical Way (Part 5)

Well, by now you should have a slight understanding of worship. But, some might ask, "How do we worship?"
I believe that we worship because we want to glorify and enjoy God. God made us so that we could worship and adore him (among other reasons), and it is so sad that many people chose not to. So, glorify God, but where does the enjoying him part come in? Well, to glorify God we are telling him how great he is. To do this, we are rejoicing in how big and glorious our God is. We are enjoying him. Yes, I realize this is a just another way of saying Give Thanks, but it does make you think a bit more about it.

Another Awesome Quote (Yes, it is from the Two Towers)

"It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could it be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened?...But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something. Even if you were too small to understand why. But, I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. Becuase they were holding on to something...There's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it's worth fighting for.
- Sam Gamgee, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Yes, I do realize I have posted about part of this before. (See An Awesome Quote) But, not all of it. And I think I can pull yet another meaning from this quote. Sam was saying this to Frodo and from their point of view everything was going from bad to worse.
Sam asks how the world can go back to normal after so much bad had happened. That is so true for our country. We are (I believe) in the end times. If you don't believe me, study end times prophecy and then look in the newspaper or turn on the TV. But, he says later that this shadow is something that will pass. I totally believe this! Even if this old world doesn't get any better, we still have a life in heaven to look forward to. (If you are saved) I wrote before how we need to go to war. But, after we go to war, we have to keep going. We can't turn back, we have to keep going. So, we go to war and perservere. Think of all the stories where people were victorious only when they kept going. We have to be like that. We need to keep going even when it is hard. Don't turn back. Don't look down, look up.

Worship...The Radical Way (Part 4)

Where do we worship? Well, traditionally we think church. But, I am here to present a life changing idea! What if we worshipped outside of church? Would the earth be consumed in fire becuase we dared to do such a thing? (pardon the sarcasm) Seriously, though so many people walk out of church and don't think about worshipping for another week. We need to have daily consistent worship.
I wrote before of worshipping in a grocery store. That is a fairly ludicrous example, but in one way it is true. Sometimes the best part of excercise is that you can worship while doing it. Remember, worship is simply living for God in an extreme way. You can live for God anywhere! Think about what this means. Does this mean changing your lifestyle so you can live worship? Well, I know it is a long proccess. But, while we can never be perfect, we can be striving for it.


There is a song (I don't know who wrote it or what it is called.)
The end of it goes like this:
I'm here to meet with you/
So come and meet with me

I really think that that is cool from God's perspective. He wants us to meet with him (worship), whenever and wherever. He is asking you.


PS I really don't stay on subject. Oh well, maybe God can use that in some way too. :P

Worship...The Radical Way (Part 3)

Okay, well we've talked a little about worship. Trust me, there is so much we won't even get into!
You'll notice we aren't talking just about worship. We are talking about radical worship! Radical worship means giving everything up to God. If the Spirit leads you to kneel in the grocery market, and belt out a song, that is great. Just do the Spirit tells you. Now, I am not speaking of speaking in tongues and all that. Speaking in tongues still exists. Some missionarys will share Christ with people who know nothing of their language, and they will still know and understand what they are saying! (Isn't our God great?) But, just blabbering and all that, well, I just don't beleive in it. Sorry if that offends, but I hope you will keep reading anyways.
Radical worship is not thinking of what the person next to you will think if you close your eyes and raise your hands. It is doing what God wants you to do, be it to raise your hands or stand there quietly.
To truly worship radically we must be in complete surrender to God. We need to be right with God. Now, I am not saying we can't worship with that little tiny sin in our lives. (actually no sin is little so...) But, I don't think we are going to experience quite the presence of God we might if we had confessed it. I also don't think we can live up to what God wants us to be if we are living in sin.
By now you're saying, "Okay, but what is the difference? I can't see any differences in what you pointed out so far."
Radical worship means jumping out of the boat of tradition to follow God. (to quote Beth Moore) Like in the Bible story where Peter jumps out of the boat to go to Jesus. We have to jump, trust and don't look down.That is part of some people's problem in worship. I have done it soo many times. We are really experiencing God, and then we look around and no one else seems to be having the same experience. We immediately drop our eyes and don't really worship for the rest of the time. We have to keep our eyes on God. If our focus is God and on him being first, we can truly experience radical worship.

What If

Yes, yes, yes, I realize this has nothing to do with worship. But, I'll simply take a break from that and resume it tomorrow...or later this afternoon. Anyways we got this song of the "Wow Hits 2007" I think, and it is really really really good. You might have to read it twice to really get it, but I'll explain it at the end.

What If
by Nichole Nordeman
What if you’re right?
And he was just another nice guy
What if you’re right?What if it’s true?
They say the cross will only make a fool of you
And what if it’s true?
What if he takes his palace in history
With all the prophets and the kings
Who taught us love and came in peaceB
ut then the story ends
What then?

(Chorus)
But what if you’re wrong?
What if there’s more?
What if there’s hope you never dreamed of hoping for?
What if you jump?
And just close your eyes?
What if the arms that catch you, catch you by surprise?
What if He’s more than enough?
What if it’s love?
What if you dig,What if you dig
Way down deeper than your simple-minded friends
What if you dig? What if you find
A thousand more unanswered questions inside
That’s all you find
What if you pick apart the logic
And begin to poke the holes
What if the crown of thorns is no more
Then folklore that must be told and retold

(Chorus)
What if you're wrong?
What if there's more?
What if there's hope never dreamed of hoping for?
What if you jump? And just close your eyes?
What if the arms that catch you, catch you by suprise?
What if He's more than enough? What if it's love?

You’ve been running as fast as you can
You’ve been looking for a place you can land so long
But what if you’re wrong?
What if you jump? And just close your eyes?
What if the arms that catch you, catch you by surprise?
What if He’s more than enough? What if it’s love?

Ok well, that is really cool but hearing the song is even better. Anyways, Nichole Nordeman said that she actually wrote this for a lost friend. I can see how it would be effective. She intentionally asks herself "What if I'm wrong?" and then answers herself with "What if you're wrong?". I thought that this was a very thought provoking song. (hahaha)
But, seriously, I thought that we do need to question our beliefs. Now, please don't misunderstand. We need to ask ourselves why we believe what we do, and is it really right.
Please, please, please, don't think I am not saying that we shouldn't just trust the Bible. We need to trust God, becuase that is faith. But, I think so many times we just do things or say things because that is the way we always thought or did them.
But, we also have the caution of not being suspicious of everything we should hear. James 1:19 says: Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.
Now, in relation to this I think it is saying we need to listen to other's beliefs, think about them and then try to answer them logically with scripture. (Like the person in the song, she is talking to!)
Well, I hope you got something out of this post. You can look tomorrow for something about worship.

Worship...The Radical Way (Part 1)

Okay, well before I see eyebrows going up and people wondering about my sanity. (trust me, people do!)...Here is the basic idea for this series. I am going to show (from scripture) how God has defined worship and how we should do it. Now, this isn't going to be a "just sing songs and close your eyes" series. That part is up to you. Some people don't raise their hands in worship. They just don't. That is okay with me. I am simply going to try to boost your understanding of worship.
Here is the first question I need to answer. "What is worship? You mean when we sing three hymns in church and then sit?"
Well, worship is definitely not just singing. It is a lifestyle. I puzzled over this one for months, before it hit me over the head. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." If you really do everything for God's glory, you don't have to read to the end of this post. If you aren't, you might keep going. Doing everything for God is living worship. It never stops. Now, in heaven I firmly believe that worship will be 24/7. No matter what we are doing. If we are bowing before the throne, and singing praises or if we are cleaning up our mansions. We will be doing it for God. There should be no other desire, but on earth there is. We have the urge to impress this friend, make this person feel good, etc. etc. etc.
We need to worship God. We need to do it constantly and consistently. But how? Well, we need to have our hearts right. We need to not have sins in our lives. We need to be giving God the glory and credit for everything good that happens or is given to us. Will we fail? Yes. We aren't perfect, in fact are very very far from it. But, we cannot have that as an excuse. I believe that God is pleased with me, when I am right with him, don't have any unconfessed sin in my life, and am taking every breath just to worship him.
Now, there are many many more areas of worship I hope to explore, but I can never hope that I will cover every area. There is just too much stuff to cover and things to say.

PS If you have any questions, comment them and I will address them soon.

**Note**: ATTENTION ALL READERS!

Peoples,
I am going to try to do a mini-series on worship soon. I think that this would be beneficial for all, and I think that it would be an interesting subject. Please ask any questions and I will attempt to answer any and all quesitons. Any verses about it would also be appreciated. Thanks!


Today is Friday!/Saturday just stay away!- A song by the Ws (Don't know the name. I am not sure of the band name either)

A Little Bit More on My Testimony (So Long Self)

Yeah I know you are probably frustrated but I think that this is an important lesson, that I have had to learn. Hopefully by reading this you won't have to learn it the hard way.
I wrote in my testimony this: "On Thursday night, Bro. Shannon Caudle was preaching. When he asked us to come forward if we wanted to be saved, I wanted to so bad. But, come on! I was a pastor's daughter! Besides, everyone already thought I was saved!"

Well, I think that the words in bold are really sad. You see, everyone at our church thought I was saved. Even my parents. Not even my best friend knew I wasn't. I wasn't (am not to this day) the kind of person who just spills everything. I hold (almost all) all of my little secrets close. My problem was though, that I was proud. I was a PK (pastor's kid)! What would people think of me?! What could I be thinking?! That was basically what the Devil tried so hard to tell me. My pride rebelled at the thought of people thinking that I wasn't saved before. Yet, I went. Really it was pride that told me that I should fake getting saved in the first place. I was proud because one of my older brothers got saved when he was five, so why shouldn't I?

"Well, the only problem there was I didn't understand what I needed to understand and I really hadn't gotten saved." I am not banging on early life conversions. My oldest brother got saved when he was five. My older brother's was real. It simply was, mine wasn't. But, back to the pride thing. I am (to this day) still very self conscious about me. That isn't as much pride as embarassment, but I still need to get out of it. Self-consciousness that night almost prevented me from getting saved. Never let embarassment shape your life. But, pride is a battle everyone has to face daily. So many things have happened in history simply becuase of pride. It has destroyed many people's lives. Everyone has to battle it. I have to face it daily. (Because, gues what? I'm certaintly not perfect) Being humble (the opposite of being prideful) means giving up rights to me, myself and I. Think about what that would mean for you. It is a long and uphill battle. But the rewards in heaven will be worth it all. I just want to hear God say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." That's it. Sure I'd like a mansion, and harp lessons wouldn't be bad. (just kidding) But, that isn't what I should be living for. I need to live humbly before my God. (Micah 6:8)

So long self/well it's been fun/but I've found somebody else/so long self/there's just no room for two/so you are going to have to move- MercyMe "So Long Self"

PS This really wasn't just "A Little Bit More on My Testimony" was it? :P Oh well.
PSS I don't stay on task real well, do I? :)

Prayer (part 3)

This is kinda cool. Before I put down my thoughts, here is an idea. I don't think it is wise to ever simply accept something someone says as true. We should always always hold it up to scripture and see if it measures up. Anyways, I think (maybe) that this is the last installment on my short series on prayer.

The Power of Prayer
Prayer works. Throughout history we have seen the power of prayer. The colony of Plymouth survived soley becuase of God answering their fervent petitions. During the Reveloutionary War the power of prayer was shown time and time again. The fight for Civil Rights in Alabama was another time when prayer was shown to work wonders.

In the New England colony of Plymouth prayer was not just a privelege, it was a necessary to survive.When the Pilgrims had first arrived the indians had come to spy on them. The Pilgrims could not leave the fort to gather food, fish, or even hunt without getting shot. They prayed for deliverance and finally the indians left them alone. The colony was in dire need time and time again, yet God showed himself after they prayed. They were in the middle of winter and near starving. The thin preacher kept teaching, and they prayed fervently for God’s will to be done. Their prayer was answered when Squanto came to teach them to plant, gather, and hunt.

Prayer was instrumental in the fight for independence. During the Reveloutionary War it was not an unusual occurrence to find George Washington on his kness. While at Valley Forge, Isaac Potts, his hots, found him on his knees in the woods with tears streaming down his face. Many believe that fervent prayer was the only reason we succeeded in winning the war.

During the fight for civil rights in Alabama, the first thing Martin Luther King Jr. did after declaring the boycott was hold a church service. King held firmly to his beliefs and supported the boycott with prayer. The church services were overflowing during the boycott as people asked
God to help them to be free from prejudice.

Prayer has been instrumental in the shaping of our nation’s history. Historically proven, prayer has shown it’s power. The colony of Plymouth, the Reveloutionary War, and the civil right movement in Alambama are wonderful examples of the power of prayer and what it can do.


I actually wrote this for an anylitical essay for school, but thought that it would go with this. God is still showing himself today through prayer. We can change the world. But to win, we have to surrender and get on our knees.

So you want to change the world?/What are you waiting for?/Say you gonna start right now?/ What are you waiting for?/It only takes one voice/So come on now/And shout it out/Give a little more/What are you waiting for?- Natalie Grant song "What are You Waiting For?"

So we can change the world now, we just need to pray. What are you waiting for?

My Testimony

Well, I thought that it would be interesting to share my testimony with you all.
I have been in church my whole life. I think I've attended steadily since I was two weeks old. :) Church is kind of like a second home to me. Anyways, we had a service on July 4 one year. I was four or five and I thought "Hey! It would make Daddy happy if I told him I got saved!" So I did. I told my parents and brothers I had gotten saved. I even got baptized! Well, the only problem there was I didn't understand what I needed to understand and I really hadn't gotten saved. Three or four years later we were at Kid's Camp. I wasn't old enough to be there but, Daddy is a pastor so we all went. (he was a counselor and we got a cabin) On Thursday night, Bro. Shannon Caudle was preaching. When he asked us to come forward if we wanted to be saved, I wanted to so bad. But, come on! I was a pastor's daughter! Besides, everyone already thought I was saved! But, I went. I knew God wanted me, so I went. I went with another counselor, but he didn't understand what I was trying to say, so I went and talked with my Mom. She talked to me, and prayed with me. I remember afterwards going to meet up with the rest of our group and being so exicted. I didn't even know some of these people, but I told them I got saved anyways!
I think that one of the most memorable things about getting saved is the joy. I wish I still had that, and to some extent I do. But, we can't expect our joy to just remain forever. You have to ask God and seek him and you will find joy as you do.

Here's the Homemaking Part!

Well, I haven't succeeded very well in this area yet, but I will try! Here is a recipe for the most delicious brownies. Can you say chocolate? I love it!~
Chocolate Brownie Delights
2 cups sugar
1 cup margarine or butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cocoa
1 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix sugar, butter, vanilla, and eggs. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spread in a greased 9" x 13" pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes; be careful not to overcook. Immediately cover with aluminum foil to keep cookies moist. Cool completely.

Note: This recipe is not original. It was taken from the amie's Greatest Cookies.

Taste and see that the Lord is good! (Psalm 34:8a)

Prayer (part 2)

Okay well, I didn't get to say everything I wanted to say last time, so here is more. (I felt that all of this in one post would be overwhelming)

Pray with confidence (1 John 5:14). God hears us! Don't beat around the bush, just ask. God wants to talk with us, we just simply push him away so many times.

Pray God's will. (Luke 22:42) Jesus prayed in the garden "Thy will not my will" and he truly meant it! He did what wasn't his preference so God could have his. He prayed that the cup would pass from him, but he knew it was the only way so he did it anyway.

Pray in humility. (2 Chronicles 7:14) This is a very common scripture (we quote it a ton) yet, very few people actually heed it and do it. I think all of us could improve there.

Pray and believe! (Matthew 21:22) You will recieve. Now, this is not talking about a 2007 Convertible or something like that. It is talking about an honest desire that is God's desire as well as your's. (Psalm 37:4) And just a note on the last verse. If we truly delight ourselves with God, that will be the desire of your heart! Cool, huh?

Anyways, the whole of this boils down to salvation. If you aren't saved all these ways to pray aren't going to help you a bit! Jesus loves you and died for you. But, God is not a sissie. He is just, and if you don't accept him you are in danger of hell! No, it isn't cruel. God really does love you, He wants you, but we push him away so often. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. But, don't think for a minute that God's gift of eternal life comes without a price. You just don't have to pay that price. Jesus died for you. He payed that price. He knows everything about you and is longing to see you as his child. Accept him into your life. Today is the day of salvation! We aren't guranteed another day. Don't think you will accept him tomorrow. Do it today! Just pray a simple prayer. (Now, please understand, the prayer isn't what saves you, believing that Jesus died and rose again does)
Jesus,
I know you died for me even though I don't deserve it. Please forgive me of my sins. I know you rose from the dead and are offering eternal life to me as a free gift. I accept your gift. Come into my life and make me your child. Forgive me for pushing you away before. Thank you for giving me eternal life with you in Heaven. Amen.

Did you pray that prayer? Did you mean it? If you did comment me (I won't publish it if you don't want me to) and tell me. If you really meant it then you need to grown in Christ. You need to get in church and talk to the pastor about your decision to follow Christ. You also need to confess your new faith by being baptized.

Prayer (part1)

I have to say first of that I haven't been posting near as often as I need to! Well here is my latest contribution:
Prayer is a conversation with the one person who loves you like no one else can. God! There are
some ways we do need to pray though.

First, we need to pray in the Holy Spirit. (Jude 1:20)(note: please don't take me at my word. ]

Look up the scriptures!)
We need to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). And hold on one second. The immediate thought you get is: WHAT? How can I pray all the time?! Well, before you have a nervous breakdown, think of it this way. You don't have to close your eyes to pray or even bow your head. If you are driving I definitely hope you don't! But, prayer is spontaneous, it isn't a planned time. You don't say "Okay, God. I am going to pray at 3:00 pm to 3:09 pm. Not one second more, not one second less." Well, prayer is (at least should be) spontaneous. Its fine to pray before bedtime, but don't limit yourself on time. Just pour out your heart, and take no regard of time.

Anyways next is Pray in faith (Hebrews 10:22). We have to have faith. First off that we aren't praying to air. Come on! That does take faith, believe it or not. :) And second of all that God will hear and answer our prayers. The next three are in the same scripture reference. We pray in the Holy of Holies. We have to be "clean" (confessed up to other people) before we can feel like God has forgiven us. Let me clarify, God forgave us, but that person didn't. To be truly forgiven we need to ask that person's forgiveness too. Next, we have one mediator. If we aren't saved, Jesus isn't in our heart, and is not interceding for us. Jesus is necessary for prayer.

Forgiveness is the key; we have to be forgiven and we must also forgive. (Matthew 6:12) We must forgive others, and consider "the slate wiped clean".

Seek God face when you pray. If you look for God you will find him. (Jeremiah 29:13)

The next is just a saying: Chase after Jesus. To truly do this you must do it with all your effort. It isn't a task, do it with joy! Use all your talents, and chase him completely. Hold nothing back. Don't walk, RUN!

**Note**: If you have any questions or items you think I have either stated incorrectly or are not right, please comment me, and I will get back with you privately.

The Rebelution's Modesty Survey

Hi! Anyways, the Rebelution's Modesty Survey is launched. For all the guys, please take it! For all the girls, go look at it!
The Rebelution is the blog of Alex and Brett Harris (little brothers of Joshua Harris). They launched this survey so girls can know what causes their brothers in Christ to stumble.
:)

Happy Birthday!

Tomorrow is my dear older brother's birthday (not the oldest one, next one)! Happy 16th Birthday D!!!!!!!!!!

PS For all you drivers out there, you need to look out tomorrow.

Math makes its way into Bible study

How come math follows me everywhere I go?!?!?!? Okay well anyways we were in church Wednesday night and Dusty (our youth pastor) was talking about a scripture. Anyways the gist of it is this:
With Christ= Life
Without Christ= Death
Well, I am sitting here and thinking "Hey! That's kinda like a formula in math!" (Give me a break, I was tired :P). So, basically if you don't have Christ you don't have life. It's really that simple. If you don't have Christ, you aren't alive. But, understand this, I am NOT contesting the fact that you are living and breathing. I am saying that you aren't alive spiritually. In one of her songs Rebecca St. James says "You make me come alive/you make me come alive..." and it is so true. Without God we can't live! So, are living today or are you just pretending?
If you aren't living and want to, click on the "Ready?" button on the sidebar.

School and Stuff Like That...

Well, we went back to school this week. I guess I never realized how much I really really really disliked getting up in the morning till this week. :( But as Calvin and Hobbes's Dad would say: It builds character. :) I guess if nothing else, school teaches us diligence and perserverance...But that doesn't mean we don't kick and scream the whole way. I was talking to an elderly lady yesterday and she said that she always viewed tests as a challenge. So I am thinking okay, yeah, challenge I got it. But then I had four tests today! One of them was a unit test, so that counts for a lot of my grade. But I had to keep going though I cried most of the day ;(. I guess we should view life the same way, as a challenge and a adventure. If life is an adventure it is exciting. Of course, there are the boring times too. But generally life is exciting, but we take it as busy and stressed. I know I do! A lot of times, we simply view life as a chore that has to be done. If we could only view everything that we do as a challenge and an adventure. Even the stuff we get dragged kicking and screaming into. Our life is an adventure, even the school part of it, we just have to see it that way.
PS Did I mention I am homeschooled? :)

Am I Insignificant?

Do you ever feel insignificant? In Genesis it talks about how God created the world, correct? Did reading about how he made every tree, every plant, every blade of grass make you feel like God is so big and you are so small? Well, to be honest God is so big, and you are so small. No, I am not trying to make you feel insignificant and not loved. That's the really wonderful thing about it. We are so small, but God still knows what we think before we think it, and on top of that, he still loves us! He sees you on your smallest worst day and he loved you anyway! God is so big that he can know everything about everybody. So, the next time you are feeling down and very discouraged, know that you are loved by the God who is all powerful and knowing. We have an awesome God!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I hope everyone will have a wonderful 2007.
Have you ever done New Year's Resolutions? I have, but I have found (along with the majority of America) they don't work at all. At least, they don't work for me. I decided this year to skip the resolutions. Instead, I decided to set goals for myself. Some of them are things I want to do, like read through my Bible in a year. Others are character qualities I want to achieve. Others are simply things I would like to learn about, or projects I want to complete. Some people would say: "So, goals and resolutions. What's the difference?" Well, to me a resolution is something you want desperately to do, and just decided to try to do it. A goal is something that you look up to and try to achieve but not necessarily in a time frame. For instance one of my long term goals is to graduate from High School. :) I would also like to attend college. (even more school!) I believe that my goals are not necessarily going to be achieved in one year. Some might take two or three or even five! Still though I can attempt to achieve them as soon as possible. I can always try, though I might not succeed.