Marshall Mabry - Undignified Worshiper of Jesus Christ

Some worship thoughts for followers of Jesus Christ!

Month: October 2015

Great Faith

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On October 19, 2015

In Praise and Worship

faith2Do you only believe what you see? What you hear? Touch? Smell? God gave us our senses to enjoy our physical world, but do we trust in them so exclusively that we lose our faith?

In Hebrews 11:1 Paul writes “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” If you can see it, control it, shape it, manipulate it, where is faith? Is that not working in your own strength? Great faith just believes! The woman with the bleeding disorder knew that Jesus could heal her – “only if she could just touch the hem of His robe.” (Matt 9:20) Her faith was so strong it drew power from Christ upon her touch. (Mark 5:30) Moreover, Jesus praises a Roman centurion’s faith for “just believing.” He didn’t need Jesus’ touch, or Jesus’ physical presence to know that Christ could heal. He just needed Jesus’ word. (Matt 8:8) Is His word enough for you?

I believe faith is best exercised and tested through the “Waiting Room.” There, we lift up our praises and petitions and wait for God to respond. It may be through a time of suffering or a time of rejoicing, but it is in the Waiting Room where we have no strength of our own, no control over our circumstances, no way of knowing the outcome good or bad. We just believe God is in control and He will handle it. The woman needed healing for herself, the centurion desired it for someone else, both were immediately healed by the measure of their faith in Christ.

Praise God for answered prayer! His way, timing and will are perfect. We are selfish by nature. We want to control the outcome of our prayers, based on what we know of good, not Who is “good.” Nothing this side of God’s glory is perfect. Down here the grass dies on both sides of the fence. (Warren Barfield) If you want to have great faith, pray for it and enjoy the wait.

“Well done! Good and faithful servant.”

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On October 5, 2015

In Praise and Worship

good and faithfulStay below people! Do not give pride a foothold in your life. Where is “self” mentioned in “well done good, and faithful servant.” “Good, faithful and servant” are key words of action, character and integrity, perseverance and fortitude in order for you to attain citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven.

“GOOD”
Are your motives pure? Do you struggle with self-control? Are there things you want out of life more important than praying for your hurting neighbor, visiting a lost, sinner in prison, helping your enemy find love at the cost of your life? What personal sacrifices are you giving up so that the widows and orphans are cared for? It is “natural” and necessary to care for your family and yourself, but it is “good” to care for needs of your neighbor and the stranger God brings along your path.

“FAITHFUL”
God gives every person talents. He entrusts His faithful with investing, multiplying and returning these talents. You can give these talents a number of different descriptive titles such as; Life, family and friends, professional skill, and personal property; Time, Talent, and Treasure; or Affluence and Influence. Whatever title helps you understand that all that you had, have, or will have comes from God. How are you using your God-given talents? For selfish gain or the glory of God? For self-sustenance or defining yourself as a “cheerful giver”? For self-preservation or supporting the “Great Commission”? The talents you sacrifice in life for the Kingdom of God will define your “faithfulness.”

“SERVANT”
Humility and humbleness are required to walk with God in life. We are called to serve, not be served! Pride is the seed of all sin. It is the focus of God’s warning in His first commandment to man. Selfish pride can not be at the heart of anything we do – in the things we do for ourselves or what we think we are doing for Jesus. Always remember, though you are precious to God, you are not more important than your neighbor.

Pride makes you feel above your station. It is especially difficult in a world that measures success through personal achievement, self-confidence, self-worth, and applauded self-esteem. Like it or not, you are not as smart, or as pretty as Satan. He will use your intelligence to deceive you. He knows you because he has studied you since the birth of Adam. But take heart! Jesus said, “greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world.” Your knowledge and obedience to God’s word will give you all that you need to have victory over the Evil one. Stay in the Word and live it out in your life! Remember always, we that follow Christ are the ONLY light in the world. Your righteous perseverance will win the crown Christ has waiting for you. And joyfully on that Great Day, you will hear these words from the our King and God, “Well done! Good and faithful servant.”

Integrity or Hypocrisy

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On October 2, 2015

In Praise and Worship

integrityYou can not know one without understanding the other. Deep inside us there is a battle for dominance over our will. Satan’s temptations, the pressure of the world, and the weakness of our flesh are constant enemies to our soul. They urge us to assert ourselves and fight against our self control. Self indulgence? Instant gratification! Are they wrong? We need to eat, drink, sleep and other functions necessary to survive. Some might perceive that as selfishness, but they are necessary to live. However, it is when any of these obscure God’s glory in our lives that they become sin.

There is a time to be assertive and stand for righteousness. There is a time through the power of the Holy Spirit to be impatient and urgently respond. Most importantly, there is Jesus. He is the eternal object of our worship, our praise, the author of our love, the finisher of our faith. His holiness and grace calls us to be totally committed to Him and to His Kingdom. Through His grace and by the power of the Holy Spirit, let Christ’s identity be wholly yours! Be Christ-indulgent! Be Christ-esteemed! Be Christ-confident!

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV)

Our spiritual life is not something that you clock in at 9 and punch out at 5. You are either all in or you are a hypocrite. You can not righteously council a brother or sister struggling with alcohol addiction in the morning and get drunk in the evening. You can not say pornography is evil and intentionally watch offensive, obscene and vulgar movies. You can not be angry with a person living in a homosexual lifestyle and have lust and promiscuity in your heart. Your integrity is nothing without the Truth evidenced in and through your life. People will trust you, if they know who you really are! It’s a lot easier to swallow advice from someone who says “I’m a struggling, sinner too!”

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