Oct.11.04: Light for the Day - "True Worshiper"

-- John 4:23,24
23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
24 God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

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Our days are identical suitcases - all the same size -
But some people can pack more into them than others.

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M.S. went to church one Sunday morning and winced when she heard the organist miss a note during the processional. She noted a teenager talking while everybody was supposed to be in prayer. She also couldn't help but notice that several blooms in the altar bouquets were wilted. She felt the usher was scrutinizing what every person was putting into the offering plate, which made her angry. She counted at least five grammatical errors made by the preacher in his sermon. As she left the church through the side door after the closing hymn, she thought, “What a careless group of people!”

A.J. went to church one Sunday morning and was thrilled at the arrangement she heard of "A Mighty Fortress." Her heart was touched at hearing a teenager read the morning Scripture lesson. She was encouraged to see the church take up an offering to help hungry children in Africa. The preacher's sermon answered a question that had bothered her for some time. She felt radiant joy from the choir members during the recessional. She left the church thinking, “What a wonderful place to worship God!”

M.S. and A.J. went to the same church, on the same Sunday morning.

-- G's LDB

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-- 2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; 
old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

-- Romans 15:5,6
5 May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other—each with the attitude of Christ Jesus toward the other.
6 Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

-- Psalms 51:10 
Create in me a pure heart, O God, 
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

-- Ezekiel 36:26 
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

-- Ephesians 4:24
22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds;
24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

-- Romans 12:2 
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is -- His good, pleasing and perfect will.

-- Luke 6:37 
"Judge not, and you shall not be judged. 
Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. 
Forgive, and you will be forgiven."

-- Proverbs 14:30 
A relaxed attitude lengthens life; 
jealousy rots it away.

-- Romans 8:5-8
5 For those who are living in the way of the flesh give their minds to the things of the flesh, but those who go in the way of the Spirit, to the things of the Spirit.
6 For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace:
7 Because the mind of the flesh is opposite to God; it is not under the law of God, and is not able to be:
8 So that those who are in the flesh are not able to give pleasure to God.

-- Titus 3:3-7
4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,
5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.