What do You boast in? What honestly excites You?

What do You boast in? What excites You?

My soul shall make its boast in the LORD. PSALM 34:2 

When I feel afraid, I’m prone to pull the blanket over my head and hope it goes away. Or I nurse my fears. The adversary of our souls loves to get our attention focused on ourselves and not on the resources of our God. What will happen when you praise and worship God? Your praise makes God big in your heart and mind. Soon, your problem falls into perspective. When I worship God, sometimes even with the tears coming down my face, my spirit is renewed as I praise God. My problem doesn’t go away, but all of a sudden I see it in relation to the One who is in charge of everything. It’s interesting what we boast about, isn’t it? At the last party you went to, what did you boast about? Put the spotlight on the Lord, and focus on Him. When we get together with friends, let’s just brag on Jesus. So many good things are happening in our lives as individuals, in our families, and in our churches that we ought to boast on the Lord all the time. Dr. David Jeremiah Morning and Evening 

It's interesting what people DO talk about when they get together.  You start off on the less dangerous topics then eventually work towards what interests you and those with you. 

But the question is how often do you talk about what great things God is doing with you and through you?

How much of your life has been spent on worldly ambitions and pleasures?

In the service we attended today a passage that's been on my mind has been Luke 9:23-26 "And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, this is the one who will save it. For what good does it do a person if he gains the whole world, but loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and the holy angels."

I have mentioned a TobyMac song that comes from this passage before, the lyrics are long but to the point of this passage entirely. 

Man I wanna tell y'all something man
Man I'm not gonna let these material things get in my way y'all
I'm trying to get somewhere
I'm trying to get somewhere that's real and pure and true and eternal
Toby can you do it yo boy
Let's go!

Father God, I am clay in your hands
Help me to stay that way through all life's demands
'Cause they chip and they nag and they pull at me
And every little thing I make up my mind to be
Like I'm gonna be a daddy who's in the mix
And I'm gonna be a husband who stays legit
And I pray that I'm an artist who rises above
The road that is wide and filled with self-love
Everything that I see draws me
Though it's only in You that I can truly see
That its a feast for the eyes - a low blow to purpose
And I'm a little kid at a three ring circus

I don't want to gain the whole world and lose my soul
Don't wanna walk away let me hear the people say
(I like that there)
I don't want to gain the whole world and lose my soul
Don't wanna walk away let me hear the people say
"Mr. Franklin, step up to the mic sir."
"Check it out."

The paparazzi flashes and that they think that it's you
But they don't know that who you are is not what you do
True, we get it twisted when we peak at the charts
Yo before we part from the start where's your heart?
You a pimp, hustler?
Tell me what's your title
America has no more stars now we call them idols
You sit idle
While we teach prosperity
The first thing to prosper should be inside of me
We're free!
Not because of 22's on the range
But Christ came in range we said yes now we changed
Not the same even though I made a fall
Since I got that call no more Saul, now I'm Paul
"Yup"

I don't want to gain the whole world and lose my soul
Don't wanna walk away (I like this!) let me hear the people say
I don't want to gain the whole world and lose my soul
Don't wanna walk away let me hear the people say
Don't wanna walk away, walk away, walk away
"Mandisa, come on!"

How do I sense the tide that's rising?
Desensitizing me from living in light of eternity, eternity
(Watch me now)
How do I sense the tide that's rising?
(The tide is rising y'all)
It's hypnotizing me from living in light of eternity, tell me
How do I sense the tide that's rising?
Desensitizing me (It's makin' me drown) from living in light
Livin' in light of eternity

Lord what we gonna do?
We're relyin' on you
All eyes are on you Lord
All eyes are on you
All eyes are on you Jesus

I don't wanna gain the whole world and lose my soul
Light a candle y'all!
Lift it high y'all, come on!
I don't wanna gain the whole world and lose my soul
"No profit in gainin' the whole word and lose your soul, Yes sir"
I don't wanna gain the whole world and lose my soul
"Every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess"
This is my honesty, father won't you cover me.
"Come on!"
I don't wanna gain the whole world and lose my soul
"Lift 'em up y'all, lift 'em up!"
Don't wanna walk away, and all His people say
I don't wanna gain the whole world, and lose my soul
No I, don't wanna lose, I don't wanna lose my soul.
"Come on!"
Lord forgive us when we get consumed
By the things of this world that fight for our love
(Yes Lord) and our passion (Yes Lord)
As our eyes are open wide and on you (Talk to 'em)
Grant us the privilege of your world view (Yes)
And may your kingdom be
What wakes us up, and lays us down
Hallelujah, hallelujah
(No, don't let me lose my soul)

We are oh so eager to brag on a sports team, sports figures, family and friends. But when was the last time you were excited to just talk about what Jesus did for you?

This part of deny myself has a deeper meaning, at least to me, on life. 

I am having to be denying myself in regards to food. To get this body where my Doctor would like to see it, it's a necessity.  I have to deny what I want to be of use to Jesus in the present and the future.  

The message from Jesus was for all who believe. Not just Pastors, Elders Deacon and Deaconess. It not just for particular believers but all.

We cannot handle life on our terms. We will eventually, either slowly or quickly, do the exact same as the children of Israel in the book of Joshua 24.

 “Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and do away with the gods which your fathers served beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served, which were beyond the Euphrates River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

The people answered and said, “Far be it from us that we would abandon the Lord to serve other gods; for the Lord our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slaves, and did these great signs in our sight and watched over us through all the way in which we went and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed. The Lord drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites who lived in the land. We also will serve the Lord, for He is our God.”

Then Joshua said to the people, “You will not be able to serve the Lord, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your wrongdoing or your sins. If you abandon the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and destroy you after He has done good to you.” And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the Lord.” So Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves the Lord, to serve Him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” “Now then, do away with the foreign gods which are in your midst, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey His voice.” So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. 

History shows clearly they were not able to live out this oath.  Indeed they had claimed to already be living it but did you see it? They, after saying what they did, had to go and remove the symbols of the false gods from their midst. 

We are no better!  They needed to deny themselves to follow the Lord. We need to deny ourselves to be following Christ.  It's not a suggestion given or something that's optional. 

If we are going to follow Christ, we must obey in it. When we do, He opens the door to reasons to worship Him in Spirit and in truth. He opens the doors for opportunities to serve and share Christ with others. That's why we are still here after being saved ourselves by Jesus. It's not to live by our impulses. 

A long second post today but it certainly is food for thought.