Living ♥ Love*

Living by God's extravagant love. Romans 8:37,38
spiritualinspiration:

Ten Reasons to Worship God
10. It’s our response to His love.Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.  Psalm 107:1 Worship is a giving, not a getting. We come to worship not to receive a  blessing, get more peace, joy, etc. We worship to respond to God.9. Worship is commanded.Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.   Hebrews 13:15Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.  Exodus 34:14 God alone is worthy of all our praise and adoration.8. Worship dethrones the enemy. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.  Psalm 8:2  Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.  Psalm 22:3   Why does praise defeat Satan? Satan’s sin was jealousy of God. He is  still driven by jealousy today (Isaiah 14:13-14). Even if he can’t get  people to worship him, his goal is to keep people from worshipping God.  He seeks to draw attention away from God. When we worship God, we thwart  Satan’s plan.7. Worship puts our relationship with God into action and gives it expression.  Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory  of his name; make his praise glorious! Say to God, “How awesome are your  deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. All  the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to  your name.”   Pslam 66:1-4    Through singing, shouting, clapping, dancing, bowing down, kneeling,  lifting hands, or by serving others, we our worship into an action that  blesses God.6. Worship touches our emotions.But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers  will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking  such people to worship him.  John 4:23   Our spirit and emotions are the spirit in this passage…when our spirit  joins with God’s Spirit in agreement about how great God is (1  Corinthians 2:10-12).  Music touches our emotions like few other things.5. Worship pleases God.For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give  it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of  God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will  not despise.  Psalm 51:16-17   Our prayers and worship rise before His throne like sweet-smelling incense.4. Worship keeps our relationship with God in perspective.When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and  the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are  mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?  Psalm 8:3-4   As Steven Curtis Chapman puts it “God is God and I am not.” In worship  we are reminded that we are created beings worshiping our Creator.3. God deserves to be worshipped.  For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all  gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks  belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the  dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord  our Maker…  Psalm 95:3-6   This is pretty self-explanatory. God is a great God & is worthy of all our worship. The first commandment admonishes us to worship no other God.2. We worship to prepare for what we’ll do for eternity.And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and,  standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast  and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given  them by God and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song  of the Lamb: “Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty.  Just and true are your ways, King of the ages.” Revelation 15:2-3   What we do here on earth is a rehearsal for when we worship before God’s throne in heaven.1. Worship is for what we are created. The purpose of ALL of creation is to bring glory to the Creator. Consider these verses:…the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.  Isaiah 55:12  When he (Jesus) came near the place… the whole crowd of disciples began  joyfully to praise God in loud voices…Some of the Pharisees in the crowd  said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” “I tell you,” he  replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” Luke 19:37-ff  Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them…  Psalm 69:34   Humankind is created to worship God, to be in intimate relationship with  the Creator. We are created in God’s image. Though this perfect design  was corrupted by the introduction of sin, the purpose of our existence  has not changed. God’s deep desire is that mankind, created in His  image, now exercising free will, chooses to worship Him. The primary  reason for our salvation is not to get to heaven. The primary reason is  to have God’s original design of intimate relationship with His created  beings restored, that we might worship Him. Consider this statement; “The point of worship is relationship, and the point of relationship is worship.” 1 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a  people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who  called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  1 Peter 2:9   The wonderful result of the redemptive act of Christ is not primarily so  that man can benefit, although he does. The primary reason for  salvation is so that all of humankind might worship God, our Father and  Creator, and magnify His Son, just as God originally intended.
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spiritualinspiration:

Ten Reasons to Worship God

10. It’s our response to His love.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.  Psalm 107:1

Worship is a giving, not a getting. We come to worship not to receive a blessing, get more peace, joy, etc. We worship to respond to God.

9. Worship is commanded.
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.   Hebrews 13:15

Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.  Exodus 34:14

God alone is worthy of all our praise and adoration.

8. Worship dethrones the enemy. 
From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.  Psalm 8:2
 
Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.  Psalm 22:3
 
Why does praise defeat Satan? Satan’s sin was jealousy of God. He is still driven by jealousy today (Isaiah 14:13-14). Even if he can’t get people to worship him, his goal is to keep people from worshipping God. He seeks to draw attention away from God. When we worship God, we thwart Satan’s plan.

7. Worship puts our relationship with God into action and gives it expression.
 Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious! Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name.”   Pslam 66:1-4 
 
Through singing, shouting, clapping, dancing, bowing down, kneeling, lifting hands, or by serving others, we our worship into an action that blesses God.

6. Worship touches our emotions.
But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.  John 4:23
 
Our spirit and emotions are the spirit in this passage…when our spirit joins with God’s Spirit in agreement about how great God is (1 Corinthians 2:10-12).  Music touches our emotions like few other things.

5. Worship pleases God.
For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.  Psalm 51:16-17
 
Our prayers and worship rise before His throne like sweet-smelling incense.

4. Worship keeps our relationship with God in perspective.
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?  Psalm 8:3-4
 
As Steven Curtis Chapman puts it “God is God and I am not.” In worship we are reminded that we are created beings worshiping our Creator.

3. God deserves to be worshipped.
 For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker…  Psalm 95:3-6
 
This is pretty self-explanatory. God is a great God & is worthy of all our worship.
The first commandment admonishes us to worship no other God.

2. We worship to prepare for what we’ll do for eternity.
And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by God and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb: “Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages.” Revelation 15:2-3
 
What we do here on earth is a rehearsal for when we worship before God’s throne in heaven.

1. Worship is for what we are created.
The purpose of ALL of creation is to bring glory to the Creator. Consider these verses:
…the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.  Isaiah 55:12
 
When he (Jesus) came near the place… the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices…Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
Luke 19:37-ff
 
Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them…  Psalm 69:34
 
Humankind is created to worship God, to be in intimate relationship with the Creator. We are created in God’s image. Though this perfect design was corrupted by the introduction of sin, the purpose of our existence has not changed. God’s deep desire is that mankind, created in His image, now exercising free will, chooses to worship Him. The primary reason for our salvation is not to get to heaven. The primary reason is to have God’s original design of intimate relationship with His created beings restored, that we might worship Him. Consider this statement;
“The point of worship is relationship, and the point of relationship is worship.” 1
 
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  1 Peter 2:9
 
The wonderful result of the redemptive act of Christ is not primarily so that man can benefit, although he does. The primary reason for salvation is so that all of humankind might worship God, our Father and Creator, and magnify His Son, just as God originally intended.

fan me @ http://www.facebook.com/pages/Naeem-Callaway/181835561870510?sk

And this is my large pile of stuff i’m taking to college! Tomorrow I move into my dorm room :) Classes start on Monday. Keep me in your prayers! I know it’s going to be absolutely awesome!!! 

And this is my large pile of stuff i’m taking to college! Tomorrow I move into my dorm room :) Classes start on Monday. Keep me in your prayers! I know it’s going to be absolutely awesome!!! 

HEY GUYS!
Sorry I haven’t updated here in awhile but I start college in 5 DAYS!!! It’s so crazy and i’m so excited! Last week I got an amazing opportunity to go see Hillsong United (pretty much the most amazing worship band ever) we were like 10 rows back from the stage and it was incredible! But what was even more incredible and impacting was not that this famous band was on stage, colorful lights, booming music, or even the words on the screen. The incredible thing was when I looked all around me —every hand lifted high every person praising God with everything in them— that was astounding. The Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh can probably hold thousands of people and to see that place packed out with Christians was amazing. God so moved in peoples lives that night and to know that He met every single individual right where they were with whatever they were dealing with and gave them what they needed was so crazy amazing to think about!! Worship is such a sacred part of this life. We need to live it every day, and in the opportunities we do have to sing out praises to God, we need to not take them lightly. Giving back to God is the least we can do for all He gave for us. 
Stay classy.

HEY GUYS!

Sorry I haven’t updated here in awhile but I start college in 5 DAYS!!! It’s so crazy and i’m so excited! Last week I got an amazing opportunity to go see Hillsong United (pretty much the most amazing worship band ever) we were like 10 rows back from the stage and it was incredible! But what was even more incredible and impacting was not that this famous band was on stage, colorful lights, booming music, or even the words on the screen. The incredible thing was when I looked all around me —every hand lifted high every person praising God with everything in them— that was astounding. The Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh can probably hold thousands of people and to see that place packed out with Christians was amazing. God so moved in peoples lives that night and to know that He met every single individual right where they were with whatever they were dealing with and gave them what they needed was so crazy amazing to think about!! Worship is such a sacred part of this life. We need to live it every day, and in the opportunities we do have to sing out praises to God, we need to not take them lightly. Giving back to God is the least we can do for all He gave for us. 

Stay classy.

(Source: lovejesusinfinitely, via faithlikemustard)

ahhh so amazed at the way God creates opportunities for us when we least expect it!!! He always wants to take you farther! :) Get ready!

Keynotes from James 1 & 2

Key scriptures from the first half of James: 1:18, 2:14, 2:17, 2:20, 2:26

Back in October I studied out the book of James and got some amazing revelation! I just wanted to share what I found incredible when I dug deeper into this wise book.

In Scripture, the more something is repeated, the more importance it has. In James 2, James stresses four times, the importance of faith and good works going hand in hand. He says in 2:14: what good is it if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? And almost the same exact phrases come up after that three more times. These are questions James was asking the Jewish believers. And these are questions He is asking us as believers too! It is right to have faith, but it MUST be paired with good works in order to honor God. We are created in the image of Christ, who didn’t care what the situation was but always did what was right in the sight of God. Are your/my actions salvation-worthy? Eternity altering? It’s time to stop throwing the term “Christian” around lightly and having faith with the wrong kinds of works attached to it. 

We must train ourselves to automatically do the right thing. Even in uncomfortable situations. Remember the actions Jesus took with His faith when He hung on the cross for our sins, even though it was a terribly uncomfortable situation? We must almost focus more on our actions because our faith is solid but our actions are always being watched. People remember what you do for them and how you make them feel more than what you say. In 2:26 it says: “just as the body is dead without breath, also faith is dead without good works.” Breathing is pretty necessary to live, don’t you think? The Scripture is giving an example of just how necessary it is to pair your faith and actions together. As Christians we should be fine-tuning our lives and making sure our daily actions, choices, and lifestyle are reflecting our faith and devotion to God. 

There is a huge difference between “acting” like a Christian and actually being one. Automatically choose the right thing to do, God will bless you for it!! :) 

~stay classy.

Love is greater than the pressure to be perfect.

7/25/2011 - I hung out with this amazing girl tonight! Ella Ward :) She’s an awesome friend and a great Godly woman. Our night consisted of eating Panera and going to see Captain America. Then we went on an adventure, a secret adventure that nobody can ever know about ;) haha. She’s crazy but so am i so it was quite an entertaining night. It’s definitely a blessing to know Ella, well that’s all for tonight. Goodnight!

stay classy :)