Deepening our worship...

Hello friends, I am enjoying a cup of coffee... Not "the best cup of coffee I've ever had" but this will do until my coffee order gets here.

These past weeks I've had a cold and then a lingering cough... I am the translator of the sermon during the second service and I have been needing help with the translation because of my never-ceasing cough. Yesterday, even when I was still coughing I was embarrassed to ask for help from anybody with the translation, it's been too long and people have been so gracious to continue to help week after week... so I just tackled it...

This is my little translating space. #behindthescenes

         Our Pastor based his sermon on the last words of Paul to the church of Ephesus... it wasn't just a "final salutation" or a "nice way to end the letter to the Ephesians" it was a message from God to this specific church:

Ephesians 6:23-24 Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

Translating the sermon made me have to PAY ATTENTION to each and every single word... The focus of the sermon was on the gifts that we, as believers, receive from God... "peace, love and faith" from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.... These gifts are already ours, indeed, but the increasing amount of those gifts is received as we abide in Him and as we LOVE Jesus, loving Him with UNDYING love.

So, we receive peace by loving Him, we receive love by loving Him and our faith is also increased by loving Him... our pursuit and passion is (or should be) for Jesus... and the final Bible verses Pastor shared were from the book of Revelation chapter 2 and how it speaks precisely about how that same church, the church of Ephesus received a letter  from the Lord where the biggest issue is addressed.... How regardless of how good they were and their good works and perseverance, they abandoned their first love....

Besides this, I'm part of a Ladies Bible Study, right now we are finishing the 3rd. week of Deepening Your Worship  by Lorraine Hill. It has been a great study and I love it that God always tells ME something, specific, clear and unavoidable when I join a group like this.... He tells me over and over the same message and verses of whatever it is that He wants me to discover in my life that should be changed....

Well... guess what the issue is.... The importance of loving HIM first... and how much I fail at it!

Last night as I opened my book ... the message was the same from the morning... And even when I thought I had "messed up MY studying schedule" by getting "behind" with the homework... I now realize I did the exact lesson on the exact day that God wanted me to do it...

The assigned title for the day of the week I was studying was: "Surrendering Our Hearts" ... and besides going again to "Revelation chapter 2" the author made such a great point, something I guess we all "kind of know" but then fail to remember:

"Sometimes, one of the greatest competitors for our affection for the Lord can be our service to Him"

.....

My question is... am I just busy with work for Him? what are my real motivations indeed? I do want to please HIM but I think that sometimes I want to actually please everybody else... and I end up "exhausted for HIM" and neglecting my relationship with Him.

Are you like me? Praise God He is good, forgiving, faithful and compassionate!


Psalm 52:1-2 (emphasis added)
Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
    blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
    and cleanse me from my sin.

© Paloma K.

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