"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." -- Romans 12:1 

Worship; is this something that we do on Sunday morning and call it quits? Is it basically a hymn, a prayer with a Scripture reading, all tied together with a proper organ prelude and postlude? Is worship a moment in life or a movement of life?

Worship can happen when we wake with a word of thanksgiving and praise. It can happen when we give the love of Jesus to another throughout the day. It can happen when we stop to pray for the Lord's leading in the next decision. It can happen when we say no to the temptation that would cause us to dishonor the Lord. It can happen when we perform the mundane task that helps our loved one. Worship is never just a moment in life... it's a movement of life for God.

Think about it my friend, and offer your life every moment as a sacrifice of worship. Let your worship of six days grow into the seventh and the worship of the seventh blossom into the next six. Worship is never just moment... it's a movement.

"For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen." -- Romans 11:36

In keeping with our thoughts from yesterday, what is our ultimate goal in serving God? Do we look for that pat on the back and the words "well done"? Are we excited when our name is listed on a program or sign? Whose glory are we seeking anyway?

There is no greater privilege than to be invited by our Lord and Savior to join Him in His kingdom work. But, we will do well to always remember that "from Him and through Him and to Him are all things". It's all about Jesus. We should always keep the words of the seeking Greeks of John 12:21 in mind, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 

As you begin this new week my friend, seek to serve the Lord for His glory alone. Be devoted to His purpose and His praise. Take to heart the words of John the Baptist in John 3:30, "He must increase, but I must decrease."

"I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh." -- Romans 9:1-2

What makes a Paul? Why does God use one believer far more than another? How does one leave a greater impact than anyone else in ministry? These are all very interesting questions, and they are quite difficult to really answer. But, maybe... just maybe, we are looking at the answer in the above passage.

I do believe that the person who gives his or her very heart and soul for others to know Christ is the most effective in ministry. As John Piper put it in a recent book title, "Brothers, We Are Not Professionals". Ours is not a business, but a labor of love. God uses those who are willing to lose everything for the sake of Christ and lost souls.

How about you my friend? Why do you serve the Lord? And how important are those that you are seeking to reach for Him? Never count the cost, just give it your all and the Lord will use you in great and mighty ways.

"The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." -- Romans 8:16-18

Believers are always ready to embrace their inheritance and blessing, but what about the suffering? If we are heirs with Christ, then we share in His suffering for righteousness. Many of our brothers and sisters suffer everyday around the world for their faith, but do we?

When we "suffer" the least little bit, we are quick to complain and ask the Lord why. We tend to question the fairness of it and wonder if our inheritance is worth the trouble. Yet, Paul is quite encouraging when he tells us that "that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."

You can be sure that suffering for righteousness is part of our walk with Jesus my friend. We may not suffer as much as our Christian family in China, Sudan, Kazakhstan and other places of persecution, but there is no suffering that compares to our ultimate glory. We are heirs with Christ and that should encourage us every day to stay the course until He comes. Be true to your Lord, because He will always be true to you! 

"Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness." -- Romans 6:13

When the instrumentalists arrive on stage they are prepared to contribute melody and harmony. Together with others they will hopefully perform a symphony of musical delight. Each musician has a part to play and they present themselves to the conductor to follow his lead. In the same way, believers are expected to offer themselves to the Lord to produce beautiful music.

As the Lord graced us with forgiveness and new life, He desires our contribution to bring harmony, not discord. We are not set apart to play our instruments in any way that our passions may lead. We have been set free to present ourselves to our Divine conductor to follow His lead.

Who are you presenting yourself to this morning my friend? And to what end are you offering yourself? Are you looking for the opportunity to be an instrument of righteousness, making a melody in your heart and harmonizing with the Lord? Be an instrument of delight, not of discord!

"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." -- Romans 5:6

After all is done and we come to the end of ourselves, at just the right time there is hope.  In the dark of night when we are totally honest with ourselves, we might be willing to admit our spiritual and moral weakness before God. We need a Savior and a friend who will stand up for us in courtroom of heaven. The only one who can give us peace with God is Jesus.

Jesus taught us in Matthew 5:4 that “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." When we come to the place of mourning for our sin and embracing the Savior there is finally comfort for the soul. Are you at peace with God my friend? Have you been set free from your guilt and received lasting comfort? At the right time Christ died for you and now is the right time to say yes to Him.

"No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised." -- Romans 4:20-21

Faith for salvation is the very first step into a life of faith. True faith is not so much the strength that saves or sustains; the real issue is in whom do we place that faith? Abraham trusted God implicitly and he believed that God was able to do what He had promised.

Do you believe that God is able to handle your life my friend? Are you convinced that He can and will fulfill His promises for you and yours? True faith is never mingled with distrust that makes you waver. The more glory that you give God for His promises, the stronger your faith will become. But always remember, it's not so much the strength of your faith as it is the strength of your God!