Zhenzhong 小弟's world of rainbow colours.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

2:07 AM

Worship...

[Extract from Ravi's podcast 'Worship - A Clue to Meaning In Life']

Definition of Worship by Archbishop William Temple:
"WORSHIP is the submission of all of our nature to God.
It's the quickening of conscience by His holiness,
nourishment of mind by His truth,
purifying of imagination by His beauty,
opening of the heart to His love,
submission of will to His purpose.
All these gather up in adoration... is the greatest expression of which we are capable."

^{-> Unity in Diversity: Finding worship to binds the Diversity of the inclination of your heart.}

² "I have loved you," says the LORD.
"But you ask, 'How have you loved us? [Malachi 1:2]

-> We cannot worship without EMOTION.

⁶ "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the LORD Almighty. "It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name.
"But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for your name?' [Malachi 1:6]

-> We cannot worship without REVERENCE.

⁷ "You place defiled food on my altar.
"But you ask, 'How have we defiled you?'
"By saying that the LORD's table is contemptible. ⁸ When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty. [Malachi 1:7]

-> We cannot worship without SACRIFICE.

¹⁰ "Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands. [Malachi 1:10]

-> We cannot worship without PURITY OF MOTIVE.

¹² "But you profane it by saying of the Lord's table, 'It is defiled,' and of its food, 'It is contemptible.' ¹³ And you say, 'What a burden!' and you sniff at it contemptuously," says the LORD Almighty. [Malachi 1:12]

-> "If you do not know how to worship God in spirit and in truth..... even God will disappoint you... because you will end up using Him... you will end up not really coming on His terms..." said Ravi.

Labels: malachi, ravi zacharisa, worship

12:57 AM

Love...

"Without the emotions, love is a treachery..."
"But Without the will (to commit), it is a mockery..." -Ravi-

"What can I do with you, Ephraim?
What can I do with you, Judah?
Your love is like the morning mist,
like the early dew that disappears." [Hosea 6:4]

Thank you God for your love, though I don't deserve it...

Labels: hosea, love

Saturday, April 11, 2009

12:57 PM

Can you spot the difference?

"When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first." [Luke 11:24-26]

"When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation." [Matthew 12:43-45]

That difference marks the key to understand this parable...

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." [John 15:5]

As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”
He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” [Luke 11:27-28]

Labels: luke, matthew

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