By Matthew Robert Payne Matthew 4:10 (NKJ V) 10Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you,] Satan! For it is written, “You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.” The Lord Jesus was not easily fooled by Satan in the wilderness. When he was tempted he overcame Satan by quoting scriptures to him and telling him to go eventually. Do we as people who know God only serve God? Do we in the way we live, live to worship God? Is the way we live our lives honouring to God in heaven? Are we people who serve God and worship God rather than people who worship the created things of this world? 1 John 2:15-17 (NKJV) 15Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–is not of the Father but is of the world. 17And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. When we really consider our lives are we more concerned with what we have in this life in possessions and what people think of us and what we look like to others than the things of God? It is so hard to live in this world and not be taken over by the lusts of this world. It is hard to live in Christ and watch Television. So much of what Television promotes is the opposite of what Jesus would have us have and do. We as people like to have a modern house and a modern car and all the modern things like computers and the internet and DVDs and the like and yes the Lord would allow us to have them, but consider this. What if $2000 could be spent producing 50,000 Gospels of John for another country? Would spending $30,000 on a car be hard for you when the same amount could but 750,000 Gospels? You may look at me and say, Oh Matthew that isnt fair! Isnt it? Why do you want an expensive car? Why do you want the best of houses? In what way is getting the very best of what this world has to offer serving God? And how about worshipping God? Is this something you do on Sunday? Is it okay to go to church on Sunday and hold your arms up to the Lord in worship when the same arms deny a homeless person on the street as you walk home each day? Serving the Lord is more than going to church on Sunday and to a home group on a week night. Surely serving the Lord is more than lip service. When the Lord God speaks about a fast that is honourable to Him in Isaiah it includes more than a few prayers and regular attendance at church. Isaiah 58 (New King James Version) 1 “Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins. 2Yet they seek Me daily, And delight to know My ways, As a nation that did righteousness, And did not forsake the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; They take delight in approaching God. 3″Why have we fasted,’ they say, “and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’ “In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers. 4Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, To make your voice heard on high. 5Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the LORD? 6″Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? 7Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? 8Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. 9Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, “Here I am.’ “If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday. 11The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. 12Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In. 13″If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy day of the LORD honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words, 14Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the LORD has spoken.” The Lord God does not hold back when He talks about what will please Him. Jesus also did not hold back when He taught. In the parable of the sheep and the goats Jesus says something similar to what His Father has said here. Can you feed the hungry and take in the person who has nowhere to stay? Would a person who is living on the streets enjoy a meal at your place and to watch a DVD in your machine and a fresh change of clothes? Do we really serve the Lord how he wants us to serve him? Do we really love Him with all out heart? Do we love our neighbour with all out heart or do we conveniently excuse ourselves when it comes to those less fortunate than ourselves? Is worship something we do in church or is it the way we live our lives? Is obedience a way of worshiping God? I think so. I would rather obey my Lord and be happy that He sees my obedience than be the best singer in church. To serve the Lord is an honor. How would the world look if every hungry person was fed and every person without a house was given a place to stay and every thirsty person was given a drink and every drug-affected person was given hope for a life without drugs? What if people so served God that they were like the Good Samaritan? Luke 10:25-37 (NKJV) 25And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” 27So he answered and said, “”You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’[a] and “your neighbor as yourself.”‘[b] 28And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” 29But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. 34So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35On the next day, when he departed,[c] he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, “Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ 36So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” 37And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” Are we really doing likewise? Do we see people who have been robbed of their dignity and self-esteem by the side of the road with stinky and dirty clothes and not give them a shower and a feed and a hand up like the Good Samaritan? Are we really doing likewise? Do we really love our neighbours and in doing so serving God? James has this to say about loving the poor: James 2:1-17 (NKJ V) 1 My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. 2For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, 3and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” 4have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? 5Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 6But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? 7Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called? 8If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; 9but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. 11For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,”also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. 13For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. 14What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. We need to serve God in honesty and without partiality. We need to treat all people as equals and love each person as though they are worthy to be loved as out own family. When we walk with God in this way and we are kind to those in need then the Lord Jesus will be happy with us. Cars, houses and other possessions are not what profits in the eternal Kingdom. It is lives saved and people who are lost finding God that is important. Carrying with you a Gospel of John would be profitable for the next person that comes and asks you for money. Perhaps you can give them a gold coin and the Gospel. Are you willing to serve God? Can you make someones life a better life? Do you have something that you could share with another that hasnt got all they need? Have you time to share with someone who might need to share some things on their mind? Do you have abilities that you could share with the building of Gods Kingdom on earth? Have you a story where God has touched you and done something amazing that you could share with others maybe on an internet site? Are there people you know that need to know Jesus that you can pray for? Are there needs in your community that you could perhaps get involved with? Are you gifted in some way but dont know how to use that gift? Are you frustrated that God isnt using you? Do you want to serve God more and dont know how to go about it? Perhaps you could write and I may have ideas. Closing prayer: Lord teach me thy ways. Show me what is acceptable to you and lead me into the way of obedience to you. Lord lead me away from the lusts of this world and to know how to serve you better. Teach me not to be a judge of those less fortunate than me and show me how to show mercy to others. Lord help me to be a friend in need and help me to see the needs of others that I may so easily be overlooking in my life. God I ask that you may bring people into my life that I can help with what little I have and that you may give me the opportunity to show your love and concern for them. Lead me into the way everlasting and refresh me each day with your Word. Instil in me the love you have for people so that I may love you in action and deed and so my faith might not be dead or in vain but so people will honor you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. Matthew shares his heart in these articles and can be found at http://www.online-prayer.net You can read more of his articles at his link below. If you want a copy of his upcoming book of articles which will have the first sixty of the articles on this web-site called “The Musings of a Mad Prophet” please contact Matthew via email so he can contact you around February 2007 to tell you of the progress of the book. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Robert_Payne http://EzineArticles.com/?Praise-and-Worship,-So-What-is-True-Worship-that-God-Wants,-Read-this-from-Matthew-4:10&id=292909
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