Why do you want me to do that?

What's the last thing that God asked you to do?

I'm not talking about the things that God wants every day (communion with him, spreading the message of salvation, showing love, etc.)

I'm talking a specific thing that He asked you to do.


Was it a really challenging request or was it simple?
Did it seem like it was even that important? 
Was it scary?
What was going on in your life at that time?



I ask these questions to say one thing.   It doesn't matter.



It doesn't matter if...

it was challenging, the Holy Spirit will help.

it was simple, some things need to be broken down into steps and God doesn't show us the whole picture most of the time.

it seemed like it was important, we don't know how important things really are.

it was scary, the biggest and best things in life are the scariest. (ask any new dad)


All this to say. It's not for us to determine if we should do something that God has told us to do.
Only to do it.

We will not know (in this life) what the full consequences of our obedience or disobedience was.
And the outcome of obeying may not even be what we think it should be. 
However, we serve a Great God and He knows why.

So next time you feel led by God to do something, resolve to do it!
Even if you don't see all of the outcome, you will be blessed by your obedience.

Miracle Fruit

I was perusing the inter-webs the other day and I came across a video of a couple of guys trying this fruit known as the miracle berry. 

Now what this berry does, if you eat one, is to change the way your tongue tastes food.

It makes a sour taste, sweet.

Now this makes for a very entertaining YouTube video, however it got me thinking about a spiritual parallel.

2 Corinthians 11:13-14 NIV

For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.

Now this is speaking about people who are claiming to be working for the kingdom, but are in truth just wanting to boast that they can do what the apostles do. 

But it brings to light a bigger truth. 

BAD THINGS CAN DISGUISE THEMSELVES AS GOOD THINGS!

Just like this fruit that makes things that are sour, sweet.

Our desires for pleasure and sin can disguise something that everyone else can look at as bad and make it seem good to us.

Example from my own life.

Video Games.

Now on the surface is there anything inherently bad about them? (in general) 

I would say no. In fact they can be a great way to connect with people. 

But when I had become so obsessed with them that I was playing them 8-14 hours a day, I don't think anyone would consider that a good thing.

Yet through my eyes I was having a great time. (Even though I was failing College because of it).  

I was even telling my friends that they should play these games that I was playing because they were so much fun!

So, what happened here?

My desire to have fun overrode my sensibilities and just like the miracle fruit it took something bad (the wasted hours and disobedience to God) and made it taste sweet to me.

So, is there anything in your life right now that is hiding under the cover of sweetness?

A great measuring stick for this is; Do you feel the need to explain why you do something?

Are you getting angry right now reading this?

"How dare you try to tell me what to do!"

I'm not, but maybe God is trying to reveal something to you.

Have a great week and I hope this challenges you.   

Should we worship when we don't feel like it?

What do you do when you are at a service and you just aren't "feeling it"?

Maybe something is going on in your life that is distracting you. Maybe you're dealing with a sin issue and don't feel like being close to God.  Or maybe you just didn't have a good night's sleep the night before.

We have all been there.  Even as a worship pastor there are mornings where I have to fight through whatever is going on in my life or attitude and lead people in seeking after God (I know you are shocked).

I had to answer this question for myself a long time ago. For me it was because I would feel like a hypocrite on mornings like that.

Then I realized something.
 My feelings don't change who God is.

Just because I'm not in the mood to worship The Creator, does that mean my worship is any less authentic?  I believe it is the exact opposite.  When we don't feel like connecting with God but we do it anyway, we are in so many ways thumbing our noses at the enemy and stating that our feelings will not determine our actions.

Think about it. Do you let you feelings tell you what to do when you don't want to go into work? (not me, other people just in case my head pastor is reading this lol) God is way more interested with our obedience than with our feelings.

But...

Something amazing happens when we sacrifice our feelings in this way.
I have never had a service where this has happened that I didn't end up receiving from God in a very different and special way.

So next time you aren't "feeling it", throw up your hands, hit your knees and seek after Him.
 You are not being fake. You are forcing your will to conquer your flesh.

 

God's Insane Love

Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

I was in prayer on Tuesday and God spoke to me that His love is insane.

As I was meditating on that and asking God to please explain, He brought this quote back to my mind.

He was saying that as the Almighty God Of Creation who created the heavens and the earth, and who loves us without end.  He still expects that love to change us, because He sees what we can be.  He doesn't "hope" or "wish" for us to change. He expects it, even if we stay the same.  Because His love is unchanging.

Haven't we been called to love the same way. 

Maybe we need to start expecting God's Love to change us and others and to get rid of our expectations for failure.

Welcome to the Created To Worship Blog:

This is a place where I can speak encouragement and life into the worshipers of God.

Yesterday I went to the most amazing funeral.

This funeral was more life giving than many church services I have been to.

As people began to share about the amazing life of the deceased and how her life was fully

devoted to Jesus, you could feel the Spirit of God enveloping the place.

She truly lived sold out for God, speaking love and Godly principles into her children and Grandchildren.

There was such a joy as we were singing great hymns of our faith, praising God.

I say thank you Velma DeBoef for modeling what our daily walk should resemble.