How much does it cost to worship?

This 2 minute video from Open Doors USA reminds us of what it can cost to follow Christ, to worship the living God of the universe and Him alone.  Would we still choose to worship Him if we faced the scenarios of these saints in the video?  Would we still call Him Lord if it meant losing our comfort, our freedom, our lives?  If we aren't being persecuted right now, what are we doing with the freedom we have to worship, with the freedom we have to share the Gospel?  Lord help us not to squander the opportunities you've given us to live our lives for You.  

Facedown Part 2

Thanks to all who left some good commentary on the first Facedown post.  I want to address a specific point that was brought up.  The overall idea expressed was that yes body language is important, but the condition of the heart is what really matters to God.  Absolutely, especially since so many people today and throughout history have gone through religious motions without truly giving their hearts and lives to God.  A great passage that teaches us about worship and the heart is found in Psalm 51:16-17, "You do not delight in sacrifice or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart. O God, you will not despise." 

So no matter how great your acts of worship and good deeds appear, God doesn't receive them as a right response to Him if your heart is not humbled and set apart before Him.  Verse 19 continues saying, "Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you..."  David goes back to saying that once the heart is in the right place, then the outward expressions of our faith will delight God, so you should still bring those to Him.

To revisit Facedown, note what Matt says later in chapter one.  "Facedown worship always begins as a posture of the heart... When a soul is so captivated by the Almighty, to bend low in true and total surrender seems the only appropriate response."  Not facedown because man causes them to be, but because their hearts are open to the Father and His revelation of Himself in their lives brings them to that place.  So you commentators out there are just so sharp that you made this point before I got to share it from the book. 

For those of you that still aren't sure that facedown worship is as significant or relevant as its being made out to be, take a look at Revelation 7:11, Ezekiel 1:28 , and Matthew 17:5-6. These are a few examples of people who who hear from God, see Him in some way, or are literally before his throne.  Now if through Christ we are able to worship in spirit and truth and approach the throne of grace, wouldn't it make sense that at least sometimes our response to Him would be similar?  If not, what keeps us from responding to Him in this way?  Why would we sing songs about kneeling and bowing in worship if weren't actually going to worship like that in reality?     

Cyclone in Burma

I found out about this disaster in Burma (Myanmar) through an organization called Gospel for Asia.  I think it is amazing how God is providing His people an opportunity to love their enemies through this disaster.  The background story is that the Junta government has been persecuting Christians and other minorities intensely for a long time, and they have done their best in the past to keep foreign aid workers from helping their suffering country prior to this disaster.  Want some examples, click here to read how Sylvester Stallone received death threats while shooting the latest Rambo movie.  Take a look at this article and see how these enemies of Christ are now turning to His people for help in this terrible time.  I would encourage you to pray for this situation and even consider donating to GFA's disaster relief program.  Help them share the love of the Savior with these suffering people and with this oppressive government who is realizing they are not as strong as they think they are.  The Lord sure does work in mysterious ways sometimes.