Worshiping in Everyday Occasions.

"We presume that we would be ready for battle if confronted with a great crisis, but it is not the crisis that builds something within us—it simply reveals what we are made of already. Do you find yourself saying, “If God calls me to battle, of course I will rise to the occasion”? Yet you won’t rise to the occasion unless you have done so on God’s training ground. If you are not doing the task that is closest to you now, which God has engineered into your life, when the crisis comes, instead of being fit for battle, you will be revealed as being unfit. Crises always reveal a person’s true character. A private relationship of worshiping God is the greatest essential element of spiritual fitness. The time will come, as Nathanael experienced in this passage, that a private “fig-tree” life will no longer be possible. Everything will be out in the open, and you will find yourself to be of no value there if you have not been worshiping in everyday occasions in your own home. If your worship is right in your private relationship with God, then when He sets you free, you will be ready. It is in the unseen life, which only God saw, that you have become perfectly fit. And when the strain of the crisis comes, you can be relied upon by God. Are you saying, “But I can’t be expected to live a sanctified life in my present circumstances; I have no time for prayer or Bible study right now; besides, my opportunity for battle hasn’t come yet, but when it does, of course I will be ready”? No, you will not. If you have not been worshiping in everyday occasions, when you get involved in God’s work, you will not only be useless yourself but also a hindrance to those around you. God’s training ground, where the missionary weapons are found, is the hidden, personal, worshiping life of the saint."

As per me... This is the major disconnect amongst most of those who "proclaim" they are Christians...however are not spending time with our Savior - in prayer, and in His Holy Word...each and every day! And guess what - their life and choices and actions don't lie...as to where they really are on their walks of faith in Jesus Christ...! Many do not know that there are other steps they can take to be drawn into a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. While so many others are hypocrites and yes...they even know so! God knows their heart and will not be fooled...!

Isn't it remarkable to you how many people will spend hours per day...every day - in order to train up their bodies and stay as fit as they can from a physical standpoint... While they won't give and spend 15-30 minutes of time, much less, 1-2 hours with our Savior in prayer for those around them...and training up in His Word to be "Spiritually fit" for Christ and His kingdom? Which of these two strivings will have eternal benefits???

From "Which Way Is Up?" my first book -

"We are depraved, we are sinners, we are unworthy, and in fact our best efforts toward righteousness are as filthy rags in God’s accounting of what is true righteousness, as noted earlier. That is why we must be trained up as believers. It’s a little like boot camp: no training, no results. You see, our walk of faith is not something that happens automatically, it’s not as though we can say, “I believe in Jesus.” and just go on with our lives carrying that statement with us as some sort of Lotto ticket that gets us into heaven. The God of the universe wants us to grow closer to Him (James 4:8). He wants us to mature in Him and His grace. This is the “process” of “sanctification,” of growing and maturing in our faith."

As per me again... isn’t it a shame that many of us don’t value the fact that Jesus went to the cross, bled and died to atone for our sins, and we can’t find the time to spend 20-30 minutes with Him in the morning - to avail ourselves to His guidance and direction! No wonder we each get ourselves in such huge messes...!!!

I had lunch one day with a nice gentleman who had started reading my books recently. He said he has had a wake-up call on his walk of faith since we had our visit in the hallway of our building - that was when I gave him the books. Funny how the Lord works...a simple 5 minute conversation can change our whole perception of why we are here! Are you and I having those conversations with those around us each day? - we should be!!!

It actually happened again yesterday, when through a friend in Conroe, who had given his brother in Colorado the first book about 7 years ago, called me to say his brother finally read the book, and loaned it to another man from his church who read it! So here I am on the phone with a guy in Colorado Springs who says that first book just gave his walk of faith a “wake up call” that he needed! He even said he’s read many books on the Christian Faith over the last 30 years...and that he found that Which Way Is Up? book - to be one of the most impactful books he’s read! Go figure...! It is all Christ my friend - in spite of my sinful self!

Think about it...

Side note: Please pray for my big brother Frank as he is going in for an angiogram today and that all goes well with findings giving clarity on whether angioplasty on his legs will be able to be done later this week to help improve his circulation.

Thank you for praying for him!

Read utmost.org for Nov. 2nd... “Obedience or Independence?”… and for Jan. 12th... “Have You Ever Been Alone with God? (1)”… and for Aug. 2nd... "The Teaching of Adversity"...

“But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.”

James 4:6-10 NASB

“Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, "AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST," although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: "AND GOD RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY FROM ALL HIS WORKS " and again in this passage, "THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST." Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, He again fixes a certain day, "Today," saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS." For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”

Hebrews 4:1-13 NASB

“"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

Matthew 5:6 NASB

As per me again... Are you and I truly "hungering" and "thirsting" for His righteousness???

Think about it!!!

Amen and Amen…!!!