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Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.
September 20, 2020
Last week the series focused on Who God Is, because I’ve come to realize more and more that people don’t really know God is, and they don’t have a relationship with God. Some of God’s attributes that were covered included God being Wonderful, The Counsellor, The God of Peace, The God of Another, The Comforter, The Everlasting Father. There are many other attributes, far too many to list, even in one week.
I’ve also come to realize more and more that social media can be a great tool to help disseminate accurate information, bring awareness to a topic, and/or reach more people for a worthy cause. But, it can also be a destructive tool when used in the wrong way, such as to disseminate inaccurate information. With these current times, this realization has become more apparent than ever, with inaccurate information being disseminated about who God is and just what it means to be a Christian.
This point brings me to a time when I was growing up, the youngest of nine children. My mother was widowed at 41 years old, as my father had of cancer at 36 years old. My mother carried on only with the help of God, as even the church that she had served in for so many years was not there to offer support during that most difficult time.
My mother was so resilient though, all by the grace of God. She was a woman of immense strength and where there was a will, she was definitely going to find the way. My mother was determined that we wouldn’t miss a beat from not having a father, especially when it came to Christmas, which was my mother’s favorite holiday.
I remember back in the day when shopping catalogs, such as Sears catalog and JC Penny’s catalog, were the thing. My brother and I used to spend hours thumbing through those catalogs as we were making our Christmas list. And then there were the commercials, with the slinkies, Chatty Cathy, Baby Tender Love, GI Joe, and the train sets. Those were the days.
A show used to come on TV called Santa’s workshop. My brother and I really believed that the workshop was real, it was at the North Pole, and that Santa flew through the sky with reindeer delivering toys to all the boys and girls who were on his good list. We even thought that we saw Santa late one Christmas Eve night.
I remember waking up Christmas mornings and being awestruck at all the presents under the tree. I thought Santa must be real, because how else would, could all of these presents get here. Everything that I had put on my list and everything that I didn’t was under the Christmas tree.
But, it was the look in my Mother’s eyes and the smile on her face that really stood out to me. She was a happy person all the time, but on Christmas day when we were opening our presents, my mother’s smile seemed even wider, and the twinkle in her eyes even brighter. Her face lit up in a different kind of way.
When I was 10 years old, I got a new tape recorder for Christmas- that was when tape recorders were the newest craze. There was a note to push play and when I did, I heard my favorite songs- from Rock and Roll and Soft Rock, to R&B, Country, and Gospel. I could also hear the radio announcements in the background.
I looked at my mother in wide-eyed amazement. She confirmed that she had recorded all of those songs, for me, from the radio. In that moment, I realized, even at 10 years old, the time that it took for my mother to go to different radio stations, wait until my favorite song came on, and then push the play button, at just the right time. I realized the time and timing that it took to sit there until the end of the songs.
I realized the dedication and commitment that it took for my mother to do such an amazing, loving gesture. I was so very touched by her tremendous act of love that I cried in humble gratitude. But then, I began to wonder, could it be that my mother is really Santa? I asked her and she revealed the truth-she was really Santa Claus.
Although only 10 years old, I had a deep appreciation for the incredible sacrifices that my mother had made just to see a smile on my face, especially all that she had done as a single mother. I no longer saw just presents. I saw unselfishness, I saw compassion, I saw beauty, I saw love.
I had matured in my understanding of Santa Claus and I had started to mature in my understanding of my mother. I knew that my mother was truly my provider. My heart was overwhelmed with her sacrifice of love.
Well many adults today are still stuck in a child’s mind, and they don’t know the sacrifices their Heavenly Father has made for them. They just see God as the toy deliverer for whatever is on their 365 days of the year Christmas list. Except, their list is mostly, if not all, grown up toys. They no longer want barbie dolls, but real-life Ken and Barbies, real dream mansions, and real Mercedes and Lamborghinis.
I was recently listening to a message that Steve Harvey did on being on Faith Street. The gist of the story is that a man was in Heaven and saw all of the packages/blessings that he never received from God, because the man didn’t ask for them, he didn’t believe, he doubted that he would get them, and he felt he wasn’t worthy. The point of Steve's message was that anyone can have whatever they want, they just have to ask God for it.
How utterly sad that people today, have in their minds, seemingly reduced God down to nothing more that Santa Claus and Heaven as the North Pole. It’s all about what God can give them rather than what they can give to God. It’s all about what God can do for them, rather than what they can do for God.
People nowadays don’t want a relationship with God, they want a relationship with the things that they want God to provide. They don’t want a relationship with the King, they just want the King to give them the kingdom. They don’t want to worship God, they want God to worship them by answering their empty prayers for things only of this world.
The Bible says in Colossians 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
God created man with the sole purpose to worship Him Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created. And Colossians 1:16 For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him:
In worshipping God, a believer has certain membership benefits and that is when the real blessings, things not of this world, start to flow. God does allow His good to fall on the just and the unjust. But, God’s promises are only for those who have followed the required steps to enter into a committed relationship with Him.
The things that God has promised to those who love Him, and walk in the Spirit, according to His will, goes far beyond what this world has to offer. God has promised peace that surpasses all understanding. Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. God has promised protection against the enemy Psalms 138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me: Thou shalt stretch forth Thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand shall save me. God has promised divine strength to conquer every spiritual battle that comes your way. God has promised His divine power. God has promised faith to move mountains, and so much more. But, the greatest promise is spending eternity in Heaven serving God Almighty, the King of glory. 1 John 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You Lord God for being my Provider. Lord, You provide me with the things that money can’t buy, that I know can only come from You. These are the things that I desire more of Lord God. I pray to experience more of Your love, more of Your peace, more of Your grace, more of Your mercy, more of Your compassion, more of Your protection, more of Your strength, more of Your power, more of Your knowledge, more of Your wisdom, more of Your Word. I pray to experience more of You Lord. I want to experience more of Your Holy Spirit, I pray for more of Your discernment. I pray for more strength to walk in the Holy Spirit, to be guided by the Holy Spirit, to live in the Holy Spirit. I pray to walk and live more in Your will Lord God. I pray for a spirit of thankfulness, and humility. I pray for a spirit of contentment. I pray to walk more in Your purpose that You have created for me. Lord, I pray that my will aligns with Your will. I pray for more of You, Lord God.
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen
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