When the Bible instructs us to “Fear God,” it means to honor, worship, and reverence him. That’s a holy fear, not a terrifying one. We need to fear God in that way, but we need not cower in fear if we encounter him. Matthew’s biography of Jesus tells how the Jewish leaders arrest Jesus and […]
Spiritual disciplines are things we do to draw us closer to God or to honor him. But if we do it out of obligation or in response to guilt, we miss the point. To be of real value a spiritual discipline is something we enter into willingly, with joy and anticipation. Unlike spiritual gifts, which […]
In the Old Testament, the people perceive the temple as God’s dwelling place here on earth. Therefore, to approach God they need to go to the temple. They worship God there and no place else. The God in the Old Testament commands it. In the temple hangs a thick, heavy veil (curtain) that separates the […]
Be Intentional with Your Sunday Activities Part of how I follow Jesus is to treat Sunday as different from other days. I spend time with other followers of him, both at church and apart from church. I worship him, hopefully in spirit and in truth. I don’t work or do very little work, not with […]
Don’t Dismiss the Holy Spirit Most Christians believe that God is three persons in one; we call this concept the Trinity. Though it never uses the word Trinity, the Bible does portray the godhead as three beings who function as one interconnected entity. Though I believe this and revere this, at times it makes my […]
Give God Our Adoration The Bible says God is holy, holy, holy, repeating it three times for emphasis to make sure we get the point. God is not merely holy—that is, virtuous—nor is he holy times two, but he is holy times three. He is holy, holy, holy. When referring to God as holy, holy, […]
Be Careful What We Sing at Church The tempo was upbeat and the song was inviting. Though new to me, I picked it up quickly. On the third time through the chorus, I started really contemplating the words—and I stopped singing. Really, I did—right in midsentence. The words were wrong. Though it’s technically illegal for […]
Most people whose faith is more than in name only, have certain religious rituals as part of their spiritual practices. A common one is church attendance. Another may be giving money or tithing to the church. Participation in a Bible study, small group, or midweek meeting is a third practice many people pursue. Introspective spiritual […]
Celebrate the Savior Many churches call their Sunday morning services a worship service. Does that mean going to church is worshipping God? I suppose it could be, but I don’t think many people believe that. Instead, they focus on a particular aspect of the service as worship: the singing part. So singing can be worship. […]
Worshiping God in the Afterlife One of the key reasons there are so many churches is that people have different musical tastes and prefer different forms of worship. They pick a church with music they like. Even though I know I shouldn’t, I do too. Worship shouldn’t be about what we prefer; it should be […]