5 Main Reasons...

There are five (5) main reasons it's important that Christians attend church:

(1) The church is a place to belong

             -The moment a person becomes a follower of Jesus, God's spirit makes him or her a member of God's family, and also a member of the worldwide fellowship, the "universal church."

               Some passages that illustrate why the church is a place to belong:

                          Romans 12:5- true unity of the church is spiritually based

                          I Corinthians 12:12- spiritual gifts are diverse and meant to build up the church

                          2 Corinthians 5:17- Through Christ, they are redeemed and restored, and made into a new creation

(2) The church is a place to serve

              -When someone becomes part of this spiritual body called the church, they are given special  gifts and important tasks

               -Christians need to be involved in local churches so they can discover their functions and practice their gifts

              -In a world of selfcenteredness, Christ's example and command to serve others still applies

                           Some passages on service within the church:

                                               Romans 12:6

                                                I Corinthians 14:26

(3) The church is a place to be served

                  -As Christians serve within the church, they will find God meeting many of their needs through others

                             Passages that illustrate the importance of serving others within the church:

                                               I Corinthians 12:14, James 5:13-15

(4) The church is a place to grow

                     -The spiritual food includes worship, instruction, and counsel. We can only receive these when we are actively involved in a local church. Also growth will occur.

                                 passages illustrating why growth is relevant to local churches:

                                              Acts 20:7

                                               Colossians 3:16

                                               Hebrews 10:25

And finally,

(5) The church is a place to obey

               -The Christian faith is personal, but not private. For a Christian, the local church is a place to practice both a new and growing faith and a mature and wise faith.

               An illustration of how people in a local church should fit together is seen in Ephesians 2:19-22.

               The church family is also referenced to as an extended family.

A final thought: the church is where the Spirit dwells.

All My Eyes Want to See...

And this is my prayer that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight so that you may be able to discern what is best, and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God

 -Philippians 1:9-11

As expressed in this passage, real love is rooted in knowledge and understanding not merely an emotion. As a follower of Jesus I am to approve and practice what I know to be morally and ethically best. Also, my goal in this life is to be without any mixture of evil and not be open to any defilement because of moral and/or spiritual failure. The ultimate goal and purpose of my life is to bring glory and praise to God.

When I glorify and praise God, everything is as it should be. That's my main mission in life. For I know in the core of who I am, my life is given to me to bring glory to God and to live to honor Him. That's it.

That's all.

When I live for Him alone, I will see glimpses of heaven in my life, radiating through me.

All my eyes want to see is His glory magnified. All I want is Him.

I Lift My Eyes to God Alone

I lift up my eyes to the hills-
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD
the Maker of heaven and earth. -Psalm 121:1-2

When I face troubled times, I need not to look inward at my own strength which will fail me. I know God is greater than any struggle, temptation, trial, hardship, I might face in this life.

Troubles can't be avoided in this life. When I am in the midst of any sort of testing in my faith, I know God is right there: by my side.

I lift my eyes to God alone.
He is the only one who will see me through. He watches over my life. And that is comforting to know I serve the one true God whose name is powerful.

Our help is in the name of the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth. -Psalm 124:8

The help God provides to me is in His name for He holds power and authority in my life. When I am grounded in Him, I can never be moved.
I lift my eyes to God alone.

Happy 2013 :-)

My verse for 2013 is Matthew 6:33: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.

As I begin a new year, seeking God, His righteousness, and His will for me is my prayer. I want intimacy with God.; therefore persistently pursuing Him needs to become my one passion in life. I want His righteousness to consume my life: all of me for all of Him. I'm crying out for God to bring me back to a place where I'm hardcore for Him. I recognize time is the only thing that will allow God to work in me the way He sees. Patience, Gratitude, and submission are crucial for the journey set before me.

In an attempt for God to work in me, I'm finished living for my own selfish desires. I've done that for too long. I want to live seeking His kingdom and His righteousness. That comes from the power of God, not my own. And when I live pursuing His kingdom, I will find Him and good things will follow.

It's only through Jesus that I become the righteousness of God (see 2 Corinthians 5:21)

I invite you to seek His kingdom and His righteousness also. Let a glimpse of heaven be seen in our midst.