might be

And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.” (John 3:14-21, NRSV)

Every one knows this verse. Even if you have never been to church, you know John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life.” That one point in time that God so loved the world was the cross. He gave Jesus to die for the world.

But to me the verse that means the most in this selection of scripture is not 3:16 it is 3:17!

“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” God did not send His Son here to condemn us, which He could have. He sent Jesus so that we might be saved! He sent Jesus to bring us back.

And that my friends is love. A Father or a God who is relentless in His pursual of His children that He goes to the lengths of sending Jesus to show us to live and to save us from ourselves!

So know that Jesus came so that you might have a relationship with God and live into that relationship!

Come let us worship!

O come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and the dry land, which his hands have formed. O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. (Psalm 95:1-7, NRSV)

Make a joyful noise!

Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving and make a joyful noise to Him with songs!

He has all of the world in His hands, from the depths of the earth to the tops of the mountains. He created it all and He controls it all.

And even you are in His hand! One of His sheep. He holds you like He holds all of creation!

So praise the Lord and worship Him!

spirit and truth

The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”  (John 4:19-24, NRSV)

Is there any one place that is the place to worship God?

Some might say their congregation is a better place to worship than the congregation down the road. But does that mean that God is not at the congregation down the road?

There is no one place to worship God, in fact you can worship God at home, at work, at school, at the park, at the playground, at Wal-Mart, at the grocery store… Any where!

Because worshiping God does not need a place, it needs your praise from your spirit and the truth of the Love of God!

So worship God where ever you are!

foundation laid

In the second year after their arrival at the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak made a beginning, together with the rest of their people, the priests and the Levites and all who had come to Jerusalem from the captivity. They appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to have the oversight of the work on the house of the LORD. And Jeshua with his sons and his kin, and Kadmiel and his sons, Binnui and Hodaviah along with the sons of Henadad, the Levites, their sons and kin, together took charge of the workers in the house of God. When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests in their vestments were stationed to praise the LORD with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, according to the directions of King David of Israel; and they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.”  And all the people responded with a great shout when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. (Ezra 3:8-11, NRSV)

And they all praised the Lord for the foundation of His house was laid!

What a celebration! God had been traveling with them, which He still would, but now they get to give Him the house they have been wanting to give Him for some time!

The priest with their trumpets sang and played praises and responsively sang and praised the Lord, as the foundation of His house was laid!

And we have that same foundation in Christ! Give praise for the sure foundation!