Remember Why...

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NIV)

     Resurrection Sunday, also known as Easter is fast approaching and many people are preparing to celebrate by shopping for new outfits, cooking elaborate meals, and planning fun activities for children. There will also be an array of pageantry, plays, musicals, and artistic expressions at worship gatherings around the world.

     As we prepare for Sunday service, whether it is a Passion Play, Stations of the Cross, dance, singing, spoken word, or any other art form, please remember to not get so caught up and consumed by the act of performing service that it becomes more important than the worship of Christ, or the people you are ministering to. Too many times we get excited by lights, staging, cameras, crowds, and sound systems that we forget how to speak to others and how to treat them. If someone forgets where to stand, or misses a cue, do we belittle them, or do we exercise the fruit of patience? Do we become so concerned with garments and costumes, that we disregard the person who is wearing them? This is not a show we are doing, it's the communication of the Good News for an audience of people who may have never heard or seen it. It's not for us to display our talents and skills, although that will happen. God is the director and producer of all that we do!

     Last of all. this is a busy time.  People have a lot going on around them...if something does not go as planned, please remember that what you have to say is never more important than the person you are saying it to.

     Be Blessed...and wise.

The Greatest of These is Love! Pt. 1

   
*This is a repost from February 2011...Enjoy!
 
    You can't give it

    Til you live it

    You can't live it

    Til you give it away -- Israel Houghton*

     Imagine for a moment that one day, you opened your Bible and it read something like this:

Though I worship in the aisle and in the balcony, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of singing and understand all musical styles and all technical skill, and though I have choreography  that moves the congregation, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I produce books and DVD's, and though I wear beautiful praise garments, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

    

     I'm definitely not trying to tamper with God's Word, so please don't be offended. The point is that God is Love, but many times we have forgotten this in the midst of our outward activities. We have excitement and zeal, diligence and excellence, but no Love! Now, if God is Love, yet there is no Love in what we do, that means that God is absent from it. Selah...

Dear friends, let’s love each other, because love is from God, and everyone who loves is born from God and knows God.  The person who doesn’t love does not know God, because God is love. 

I John 4:7-8 (CEB)

     God is very concerned with the way we treat others, so much that He even says that if we don't show love and kindness to towards other people, we can't even identify with Him. He is more interested in love, than He is in how much we do, how we perform our duties, how much we give, or how spiritual we seem to be. We can do nice things for people on the surface, but God knows our intent. Sometimes what appears to be a loving actions towards others is actually an attempt to control them. If you are fortunate enough to have large sums of money at your disposal, what is your true motivation for giving? Do we give just because we want to share, or do we really want to manipulate them into doing our bidding, giving us a position, platform or favor in return? Let's look at I Cor. 1:1-3 again:

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. 
 I Cor. 13:1-3 (NKJV)

     This passage of scripture lists many things that we can do, that amount to nothing if we lack the love of Christ. Israel Houghton's song: Love God, Love People  says that "We can't give it, til we live it, we can't live it, til we give it away". Let's be sure that in all of our serving, that we are truly doing it from heart of God's love.

Stay tuned for Part II...

*Love God, Love People-Israel Houghton