DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WORTH IT ALL

WORTH IT ALL
Matthew 4:21-23
 
"Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebeddee, and John, his brother, in the boat with Zebedee, their father, mending their nets.  He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him." 
 
I wish I could hear the conversation between James and John and their father.  I can imagine Zebedee saying to his son, "What?  You want to give up your livelihood, your inheritance of the family business, and leave your poor father alone to do all this work, just to follow some itinerant preacher?  Don't do it!  You'll never amount to anything if you go.  You'll be back here in a month.  Remember that crazy -- John the Baptist -- who ended up in jail?  Well, I won't bail you out when that happens to you!"  But James and John would not be dissuaded.  Immediately -- without hesitation -- they followed Jesus.  There is  cost to follow Jesus.  It may be loss of job security.  It may be loss of status and reputation in the community.  It may even be family.  But it is worth it.  "It will be worth it all when we see Jesus."
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE:  There is a cost to follow Jesus, but it is worth it.
 
[end]
 
Have a following day.  Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- DIVINE ENCOUNTER

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- DIVINE ENCOUNTER
Matthew 4:18-22 
 
"And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.  Then He said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.'  They immediately left heir nets and followed Him."
 
Taken by itself this account of the calling of Peter and Andrew to be Jesus' disciples seems to be a chance encounter of Jesus randomly picking two men out of a crowd of fishermen.  But nothing happens in a vacuum. John's account sheds more light (John Chapter One).  Andrew had been a disciple of John the Baptist, and heard JB declare that Jesus was "the Lamb of God."  On hearing that, Andrew went and got his brother, Peter, and they spend the day with Jesus.  Then apparently they went back to the day-job of fishing.  So when Jesus was strolling by the seaside and saw them fishing, it was not a chance encounter.  They had been prepared for this Divine Encounter with Jesus, so that when they heard Him call, they immediately left their nets and followed.  It seems to me that most people who follow Christ have been prepared by previous experience to answer the call.  I don't know how many times I heard the Gospel preached before I was truly saved, but I am so grateful for those faithful people who planted the seed and then watered it  (I Corinthians 3:6), so that when I heard Jesus call me, I was ready to say, "Yes." 
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE:  The call to follow Jesus does not happen in a vacuum, but comes to hearts that have been prepared.
 
[end]
 
Have a Divine Encounter day.  Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SMALL BEGINNINGS

SMALL BEGINNINGS
Matthew 4:12-13, 17
 
"Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.  And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali.  ... From that time Jesus began to preach, and say, 'Repent, for the kingdom for heaven is at hand.' " 
 
When Jesus received the news that JB had been put into prison by King Herod (and would eventually be beheaded), He moved north from Nazareth to Capernaum.  Capernaum is on the Northern end of the Sea of Galilee in the region that was given to the tribe of Zebulun after the conquest of Canaan (see Joshua 19:32-39).  Zebulun is the area north of the area given to Naphtali, and is about 20 miles north of Nazareth, about as far from the center of society as one could be in Israel.  This remote area was far removed from Jerusalem, where the religious power structure was located.  Small beginnings are good.  It is better to start small and grow than to begin with a bang and disintegrate to nothing.  Even the Shark Tank on television demonstrates this principle.  Entrepreneurs who want to start with a big splash often end with a bust.  It is better to begin small and then grow it into a larger enterprise.  One would never guess from these humble beginnings in the backwash of Israel that a kingdom would appear that would come a movement impacting the world.  The Kingdom is here!!
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE:  It is better to start small and grow than to make a big splash only to fail.
 
[end]
 
Have a growing day.  Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- JUST SAY NO!

JUST SAY NO!
Matthew 4:10-11
 
"Then Jesus said to him, 'Away with you, Satan!  For it is written, "You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only shall you serve." '  Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him."
 
The temptation was real.  Satan makes things seem so appealing.  Satan tempts us to abandon what we know is true to enjoy "the good life."  But Jesus knew that you cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).  In order to receive Satan's "gift," He would have to abandon His integrity -- Who He was and what He knew was true.  He would not compromise His relationship with the God of the universe to serve the god of this world.  Instead of flirting with the temptation, He outright rejected it.  There is only one way to respond to Satan's temptations.  Just say "No!"  "Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7b).  When He did, Satan left (for awhile, according to Luke's account), and "ministering spirits" (Hebrews 1:14) came to encourage Him.  When I make the decision to spurn the temptation to sin, God sends angels to support me. 
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE:  The only way to handle Satan's temptations is to  "Just say no!"
 
[end]
 
Have a victorious day.  Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A POOR EXCHANGE

 A POOR EXCHANGE
Matthew 4:8-9
 
"Again, the devil took Him upon an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, 'All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.' "
 
Satan promised Jesus everything He could see in exchange for worship. This corresponds to "the lust of the eyes" – all that is in the world (John 2:16). Jesus knew that His kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36). Satan is still using the same tactic to lure people away from serving God. He promises them everything they can see in this world – material things and political power – if they will serve him. But is the price worth it? "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26). It is better to be a pauper and serve God than a rich man and be in bondage to Satan. As the old song says, "Take this whole world, but give me Jesus." I live in a different kingdom.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: There is a high price to pay for worshiping the things of this world and the god of this world.
 
[end]
 
Have a God-serving day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- TEMPTING GOD

 TEMPTING GOD
Matthew 4:6b-7
 
" 'For it is written: "He shall give His angels charge over you," and "In your hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone." ' Jesus said to him, 'It is written again, "You shall not tempt the LORD your God." ' "
 
Satan used Scripture, and Jesus answered Scripture with Scripture. All Scripture must be interpreted in the light of the total Biblical revelation. What does it mean to tempt or test the Lord God? Jesus quoted a Scripture that referred to the incident in Israel's history when they were in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt, and they came to a place where there was no water. So they complained to Moses, saying, "Is God among us?" (See Deuteronomy 6:16 and Exodus 17:1-7). God had already proven that He was with them and would take care of their needs, but still they did not believe and demanded more proof. So they tested God by demanding water. When Satan tested Jesus, there was already ample evidence that Jesus was indeed God in the flesh -- Emmanuel, God with us --  and Satan did not need more proof.  In essence he was testing God because Jesus is God.  If Jesus has succumbed to Satan's taunt and jumped off the pinnacle, it would have been an unnecessary and foolish thing.  For my part, I think a part of testing God is doing something stupid just to prove something, and then expecting God to cover my own folly.  Trusting God does not mean I can play games with Him, treating Him like some kind of Genie in a bottle that will jump at my command. He is not a puppet on a string that I can manipulate for my own pleasure. I need to be careful not to presume on God's grace.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: We tempt God when we presume on His grace.
 
[end]
 
Have an "unpresuming" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WHO AM I?

 WHO AM I?
Matthew 4:5-6a
 
"Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, 'If you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down.' "
 
In this temptation, Satan tempted Jesus to prove by a miracle that He really was (is) the Son of God. Satan was attacking His personhood.  Jesus was secure in His self-identity and did not need to prove Himself to the devil.  Jesus was tempted in all points just as we are (Hebrews 4:15), and this is a biggie in my life – the pride of life (I John 2:16).   I hate it when people attack my personhood -- who I really am --  and put me down by questioning my intelligence or demeaning my character.  My pride makes me feel the need to defend myself and bolster my own ego, to prove that I am better than they think I am. In reality, the only thing that matters is what God thinks about me, and He knows who I am. I am His child, and I don't need to prove myself to anyone else.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: The Child of God does not need to prove who he or his value to anyone because God knows who he is.
 
[end]
 
Have a self-awareness day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- DAILY BREAD

 DAILY BREAD
Matthew 4:4
 
"But [Jesus] answered and said, 'It is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." ' "
 
There is a famine of the word of God (Amos 8:11). One of the reasons that people succumb to temptation is that they are weak because the do not feed on God's Word. Job said, "I have treasured the words of [God's] mouth more than my necessary food" (Job 23:12b). Just as daily food is necessary for physical strength, so daily feeding on God's word is vital for spiritual life. I must feed on it or starve. As Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (John 6:68). So I pray Jesus' prayer, "Give us this day our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11).
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Feeding on God's word daily is vital for strength to withstand temptation.
 
[end]
 
Have a feeding day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE FLESH UNDER CONTROL

THE FLESH UNDER CONTROL
Matthew 4:2-3
 
"And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, 'If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.' "
 
In His humanity, Jesus experienced all the same cravings as I do. He got hungry, He got thirsty, He got tired. So it was only natural that he would be hungry after not eating for this extended period. John names the "lust of the flesh" first in his list of temptations (I John 2:16).   It is during times of physical depravation that I am most vulnerable to the tempter, and the voice of my flesh drowns out the voice of my spirit. Since the cravings of my flesh are so powerful – whether food, or sexual gratification, or any other addiction, I need to keep my body under subjection (I Corinthians 9:27), so that I can glorify God with it (I Corinthians 6:20). God, I need your help and strength to keep my body under control so that my spirit can be strong.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: The wise Christian is aware of the power of fleshly desires, and keeps his body in subjection.
 
[end]
 
Have a spirit-controlled day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- TEMPTATION

 TEMPTATION
Matthew 4:1
 
"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil."
 
Satan tested Jesus to see what He was really made of, and Jesus came through the test with flying colors.   The Greek word for "tempted" used here is peirazo which means "to try; to make a trial of, test for the purpose of ascertaining a person's quality, or what he thinks, or how he will behave himself; to try or test one's faith, virtue, character, by enticement to sin."  God does not tempt anyone to sin (James 1:13), but He does put us into situations where our character is tested.   Often it is my own lusts and desires that lure me to violate God's righteous way (James 1:14). Satan no doubt uses my weaknesses. But the temptation  only  identifies my own weakness and shows where I need to give special attention.   "Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved [as gold that has been assayed], he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him" (James 1:12).
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Temptation to sin is a testing ground to prove character and identify areas of weakness.
 
 
[end]
 
Have a "tested" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE FATHER'S BLESSING

 THE FATHER'S BLESSING
Matthew 3:16-17
 
"When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold the heavens were opened to Him and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' "
 
Even Jesus in His humanity needed to hear His Father say, "Son, I am pleased with You." Those simple words confirmed His identity as the Messiah. Children need affirmation for their identity. I know praise is important to me. I don't remember getting much praise from my father, and I know I don't tell my kids enough how proud I am of them. But even more, I want to live pleasing to my Heavenly Father, "....that [I] may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Colossians 1:10). Some day, I want to hear Him say, "Well, done."
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Verbal affirmation is an important part of a person's identity.
 
[end]
 
Have a "blessed" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- COOPERATIVE MINISTRY

 COOPERATIVE MINISTRY
Matthew 3:13-15
 
"Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by You, and You are coming to me?' But Jesus answered and said to him, 'Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.' Then he allowed Him."
 
J.B. had a rather limited view of his ministry and calling – to prepare the way for Jesus. He did not see how his ministry and Jesus' ministry fit together. When Jesus said, "It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness," He was including John in His great plan.  It was a cooperative effort.   Sometimes I have thought about my ministry rather than our ministry. We are "workers together with Him" (II Corinthians 6:1). We do not do it alone.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Ministry for Jesus is a "me and Him" cooperative effort.
 
[end]
 
Have a joint-ministry day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- FIRE!

 FIRE!!!
Matthew 3:10-12
 
"And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will throughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
 
Fire can destroy – as with a forest fire or a home. Fire can be a blessing – as a source of heat or for cooking. Fire can cleanse – as a sterilizer to get rid of germs, or in the case of field burning on a farm, to destroy weeds and insects so the next crop will be good. J.B. used fire in three different illustrations. First is the fire of God's judgment where He destroys the tree that is barren or that bears bad fruit (vs. 10). Second is the fire of God's blessing – the Holy Spirit (vs. 11). Third is the fire of God's cleansing where He gets rid of the chaff (vs. 12). And old gospel song says, "O Christ, of burning cleansing flame, Thy blood-bought gift today we claim, .... To burn up every trace of sin, to bring the light and glory in, the revolution now begin, Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire!"
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: God's fire will judge, bless, or cleanse, depending on the His purposes.
 
[end]
 
Have a "fire" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WORTHY FRUITS

WORTHY FRUITS
Matthew 3:7-9
 
"But when He saw many of the Pharisees and Saducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, 'Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bring fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, "We have Abraham as our father." For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.' "
 
Why don't you tell us, J.B., what you really think about people who think they are righteous because of their lineage and heritage? These religious people thought that they were good with God because they were children of Abraham. I heard it on a radio talk show again, just yesterday – a person who based their standing on that fact that her grandfather was a preacher and on the board of governors of Oral Robert's University. Salvation is a personal thing and is only a work of God making us His children, but it is demonstrated by fruit worthy of repentance. The way I live should be befitting of God's work in my life.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: No one is saved by his works, but fruit should follow salvation.
 
[end]
 
Have a fruitful day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE MESSAGE AND THE MESSENGER

 THE MESSAGE AND THE MESSENGER
Matthew 3:4-6
 
"Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locust and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him, and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins."
 
What drew people to the wilderness to hear this preacher? He certainly wasn't the best dressed person in the world, nor did he go to the finest restaurants. In outward appearance, he was rather scruffy. It had to be his message that attracted people. It is easy for me to get my eyes on the outward criteria – how the preacher looks, how he speaks or writes, his use of the English language, how he organizes his sermon, how he relates with people – and miss the message. Lord, help me to not dismiss the message just because the messenger doesn't look dress well or speak well.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: The message is more important than the messenger.
 
[end]
 
Have a listening day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A SIMPLE MESSAGE

 A SIMPLE MESSAGE
Matthew 3:1-3
 
"In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.' For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness, "Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight." ' "
 
J.B. had a simple message: "Repent and get ready because the Lord is coming." Even today, it is a voice in the wilderness that cries out that simple message, "Repent because Jesus is coming again."
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Repentance is the simple message that prepares the way for the Lord.
 
[end]
 
Have a simple day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- JESUS OF NAZARETH

JESUS, THE NAZARENE
Matthew 2:22-23
 
"But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, 'He shall be called a Nazarene.' "
 
Jesus did not start the Nazarene Church, but He was a Nazarene. Jesus was not raised in the capital city, Jerusalem, the center of the Jewish, as one might think. Instead, He was raise Nazareth, a town that it is sometimes supposed had a poor reputation. The saying was, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (John 1:46). In spite of that, Jesus was often called "Jesus of Nazareth." Even as He hung on the cross, there was a placard above His head that read, "Jesus of Nazareth, king of the Jews" (John 19:19). Our lives are not determined by where we were raised, but who we become as a person. Even people raised in Podunkville can be successful and fulfill God's purpose.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: The value and productivity of a person's life is not measured by where he was born and raised, but by what he becomes.
 
[end]
 
Have a "becoming" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GOD LEADS

GOD LEADS
Matthew 2:19-21
 
"Now when Herod was dead, behold an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, 'Arise, take the young child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young child's life are dead.' Then he arose, took the young child and His mother, and came to the land of Israel."
 
God spoke to Joseph through dreams to lead his family (see also vss. 13 and 22). Even though God has not given me supernatural direction as He did Joseph, I still believe by faith that He has led me throughout my life because the Bible says, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD" (Psalm 37:25), and "A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps" (Proverbs 16:9). My heart can rest in the fact that the Good Shepherd leads His sheep (Psalm 23:2).
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: God leads His dear children along in their walk through life.
 
[end]
 
Have a directed life today. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SATAN'S IGNORANCE

 SATAN'S IGNORANCE
Matthew 2:16
 
"Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men."
 
Sometimes we have the false notion that Satan is omniscient – that he knows everything. But in truth, his knowledge is limited. If Satan was omniscient, he would have known exactly Who the Messiah was and that He was in Egypt. In his attempt to destroy the Messiah through Herod, all Satan knew was what the Scriptures had revealed to Herod and the testimony of the Magi. So he had to destroy all the children in the area of Bethlehem who fit into a two-year time span. Satan is ignorant but he is no dummy. He knows that he has only a limited time (Revelation 12:12), so he has tried through the millenia to delay his defeat by trying to destroy Christ and the Church, from the slaying of Abel to the attempted destruction of the Jewish race in Ruth's day, to the killing of Jesus, to the martyrdom of Christians through the centuries. But Satan will not succeed because Jesus said that He would build His Church and the gates of Hades would not prevail (Matthew 16:18). Satan is neither omniscient nor omnipotent, and he will be vanquished by the Lord Jesus. God will win.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Satan does not know everything, but he does know that his time of rebellion is limited, and he is trying to delay his defeat.
 
[end]
 
Have a victorious day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GO AND STAY

 GO AND STAY
Matthew 2:13b-15
 
The angel said to Joseph, " 'Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.' When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son.' "
 
God led Joseph and Mary to move to Egypt for the safety and protection of the Baby Jesus. When God says "go" or "stay," it is wise to listen and obey because it may be for my protection from harm. I remember being on my way to a meeting about 45 minutes away from home. In my spirit, I felt very strongly that I should not go, so I turned around and went home. I didn't know why, but I suspect it was to keep me from having an accident on the highway. God does lead His people if they are sensitive to His promptings in their spirits.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: It is wise to obey the prompting in our spirits because it may be God's leading for our protection.
 
[end]
 
Have a listening day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- DREAMS

 DREAMS
Matthew 2:12-13a
 
"Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way. Now when they had departed, behold an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream ....."
 
God chose to communicate with Joseph and the Magi via dreams (see also Matthew 1:20). Even though the Bible says that "old men shall dream dreams" (Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17), I have never attached much significance to my own dreams, nor tried to interpret them because I have so many stupid dreams. However, last Summer I had a dream that I think was from the Lord. In my dream, I was in a house at the coast. I could see the ocean through the windows. As the dream progressed, a storm engulfed the sea, and I could see the frothy, storm-tossed waves as they became more and more turbulent, until it seemed that they were higher than the house. And even though I could sense the hurricane-force winds that blew outside, inside the house it was calm, peaceful, and quiet, and I was not afraid of the storm. I believe this dream was from God, encouraging my heart and showing me that as long as I was in the house, I was safe and secure. As I look at the world around me getting more and more turbulent, my spirit becomes troubled, but I can rest my soul in Jesus. As the old gospel songs says, "I've anchored in Jesus, the storms of life I'll brave .... I'll fear no wind nor wave." He is my peace.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: God can speak to us through dreams.
 
[end]
 
Have a dreamy day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE GIFTS OF WORSHIP

 THE GIFTS OF WORSHIP
Matthew 2:11
 
"When they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasure, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh."
 
Joseph and his young family had moved from the barn into a house by the time the magi came. When they finally found Jesus, they worshiped Him and gave out of their treasures costly gifts as an expression of their worship. Worship is an action noun and is proven by what I give. Worship is more than just attending a Worship Service. If I only "worship" on Sunday morning and give Him nothing else, it is not true worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24). Worship is more than just giving words, money, or time – which the wise men did. I am called to present the treasure of my body – the totality of who I am – as a living sacrifice. That may be a costly gift, but it is my reasonable service (Romans 12:1). "Lord, I give you my heart, I give you my soul, I live for You alone."
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Worship is measured by what is given.
 
[end]
 
Have a worshiping day. Love you.