[blessing_a_day] Fwd: Worshipping in the Spirit

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From: simchah@... (Karen)
Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 11:39:36 -0400 (EDT)
If you were to die right now, do you have the confidence that you have
done what you were created to do with your life? When my life comes to
an end, I want to know that I did with my life what God created me to
do. That's truly a victorious Christian life. The key to doing that is
in understanding your purpose in life.

Purpose isn't derived from our great achievements or in how much wealth
or influence we've acquired. God's not going to ask us about our
financial holdings when we get to heaven. He's not going to want to know
how much influence, power, or possessions we accrued. All of those
things will be meaningless when our lives draw to a conclusion. So, what
is the real purpose of life? God created us to know, love and worship
Him. I believe that deep in the heart of every man, woman, boy and girl
on this planet is a deep innate desire to worship the God who created
them. That's why there are so many religions in the world. That's why
religion immediately began to flourish in former communist countries as
soon as freedom came to those countries. Even though the people had been
taught all of their lives that there is no God, something deep within
them cried out to know and worship the true and living God. Man was
created with a profound longing to worship God. 

But that brings us to a second question - What is true worship? If there
are so many religions and beliefs, then which one is right? It's
impossible for all of them to be right because they often contradict one
another. Hindus worship a multiplicity of gods while Muslims worship
only one God. Jews worship one God also, but Judaism and Islam stand in
total opposition to each other. Who's right? Where do the true
worshippers worship? That same question was asked of Jesus nearly 2000
years ago. 

A Samaritan woman asked Jesus about the location of the true
worshippers. Jesus said something that should cause every person on this
planet to do a lot of introspection. He said that "a time is coming and
has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit
and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks (John
4:23 NIV). The truth is that Jesus is the Son of the living God - the
most unique human being to ever grace this planet. He was all God and
yet all man. He was given the name "Emmanuel" which means "God with us."
Worshipping in truth is the worship of Jesus, the Christ. 
But what does it mean to worship in spirit? In the chapter preceding the
story of the Samaritan woman, Jesus told one of the most religious men
in all of Israel that he or anyone else must be born of the Spirit if he
is to enter the kingdom of heaven. Before we can worship in spirit, we
must then be born of the Spirit of God. Religion is the expression of
man attempting to appease God with external rituals. But true worship is
the deep worship that is a result of one's faith in Christ which
produces a spiritual birth in our lives. 

When Christ came into my heart, I no longer just went through the
outward form of religion. I began to worship from the deepest part of my
being. I began to worship in Spirit. The greatest joy in my life has
resulted from those times of deep intimate worship of Jesus Christ.
Victorious and joyful Christian living comes from worshipping the Savior
from the deepest parts of our hearts. 

If you want to experience victory in your life, then begin to do what
you were created to do. Find a time and a place and worship Jesus.
You'll be amazed at how much your perspective in life will change when
you have been doing what God created you to do. 
-------------------------------------------- 
God has brought together a team to reach the world for Christ. Meet the
STM team via our website. Go to www.sammytippit.org 
---------------------------------------------- 
Sammy Tippit Ministries is a support based non-profit organization whose
goal is to reach the world with the good news of Jesus Christ.