Yesterday I had the chance to have spiritual conversation with several people. With my friend Eric, we looked at John 10 and studied how Jesus Christ is 1) the Gate, 2) the Good Shepherd, and 3) the Son of God (God and Man).
When I caught the bus to head to the coffee shop to meet my Brother Joel, I sat next to my Brother David, and we talked about our pastor being called by the Lord to another church and how the leaders of our church are seeking the Lord's will for our congregation. When I got to the coffee shop, I ran into my Brothers Ryan and Kyle, and I had a brief conversation with them about the same thing.
With my Brother Joel (who had a cup of decaf), I thanked him for giving me a distilation of truth in our previous discussion, which has had a strong impact on me. He had basically sumarized that the Christian experience is fundamentally LOVE - agape love with God and agape love with people. He also shared about how the Lord is leading him in music - creatively and technically.
My cousin and Brother Neill is a pastor at a church not too far away, and he was coming through town, so he spent the night with us. We had a chance to visit, and he shared that he is leading his congregation through this process: 1) experience the presence of God, 2) by which we are necessarily and consequently changed - in heart and action, 3) so that we can and will bless others.
What does all of this boil down to? WORSHIP! King David explains in the final psalm attributed to him in the Book of Psalm:
17 May the king's name endure forever;
may it continue as long as the sun shines.
May all nations be blessed through him
and bring him praise.
may it continue as long as the sun shines.
May all nations be blessed through him
and bring him praise.
And who might he be refering to? Just in case there was any question:
18 Praise the Lord God, the God of Israel,
who alone does such wonderful things.
19 Praise his glorious name forever!
Let the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and amen!
who alone does such wonderful things.
19 Praise his glorious name forever!
Let the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and amen!
Heavenly Father, I praise you because you alone are good and you alone do wonderful things. Lord, I will praise your name today and tomorrow and the next day and the day after that for the rest of my life and forever because you are good! May the whole earth be filled with your Glory! May the Light of Jesus Christ shine through your Body the Church as we share the Good News of the Gospel with every nation so that every nation can praise you for who you are! Lord, according to your mercy, may I stand in your presence and be changed - transformed in spirit, soul, and body so that I can love you with all of me. May I love other people as you have loved us - sacrificially. I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ - the King of Glory. Amen.
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