Call to worship out of Ps 95: Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
I was definitely not going to church morning out of joy and readiness to worship - but right when the singing started I realized how much I had missed it. Congregational singing - its very cool. Try it sometime.
Some of the lines out of the very theological/meaningful hymns stuck with me. Those ones you linger on and forget to come in at the next verse because you are still thinking about the one you just sang...
Come Ye Sinners Poor and Needy: "In the arms of my dear Savior, oh, there are 10k charms." I think ten thousand charms lay in so many other things - only here do all those charms exist.
Take My Life and Let it Be: "Take my love my God, I pour at thy feet its treasure store, take myself and I will be ever only all for thee." I think this goes right along with Prov 4.23 and Ps 119. We let so many earthly loves get in the way of our love and devotion to Jesus. Lord - please guard my heart against all other love that might seek to take your place as first in my heart and life.
Distractions: During one of the prayer times this morning I was so distracted. It was a longer prayer and all I could hear was the sneezes, coughs, cell phones ringing, babies crying, lollipop wrappers crinkling. What in the world does that say about my prayer life? Its says that it is very shallow. Lord - enable me to block out all the distractions when coming to you in prayer. Even when it is someone else praying - let me join with them in that concert of prayer as it reaches your willing, listening ears.
Repentance - Jonah 3. 4 Points...3 Questions
1. We must acknowledge God's claim on our lives. The Ninevites did so as they repented after the preaching of Jonah's message from the God of the Israelites. He wasn't even their God. But - they repented
2. It demands that we have a contrite, submissive attitude toward God.
3. We must turn from specific sins.
4. We have a sure hope of mercy. The Ninevite king wasn't even 100% that they would be given mercy if they did repent. We know that for sure - the cross, Rom 2.4 (how I love that verse. Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
1?. Is there any ongoing sin in my life that needs to be repented of?
2?. Am I avoiding or inviting temptation?
3?. What am I doing - why am I doing it?
Often times, I am aware of my sin - but is there is a sorrow (deep distress, sadness, or regret ) that leads to repentance that leads to change? If I say I love Rom 2.4 - mustn't I also live it in my life? If I say Jesus is Savior and Lord in my life - shouldn't my life prove that to be the case.
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