Pastor's Desk
May 21, 2006
LOVING GOD WITH all your heart, soul, mind and strength necessarily leads to discovery of what pleases God. You cannot love someone without wanting to know what will bring them joy. As we study the scriptures we get the sense of what pleases God the most. When we as his creatures whom he has given a free will, use that free will to seek his will we bring him pleasure. When we desire to be in his presence and will do everything we can to create in our lives a resting place for the Spirit of God, he will draw near to us. "For this is what the high and lofty One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit." (Isaiah 57:15) God has always wanted to dwell among the people who are called by his name. But because he is a holy God he seeks a people who are holy. We have been made holy by trusting in the finished work of Christ on the cross but we also make every effort to live holy and righteous lives
The apostle Paul says, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.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." (Romans 12:1-2) "So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it." (2 Corinthians 5:9) Let us intentionally reorganize our lives in ways that will increasingly give God pleasure. This will demonstrate that we really do love God with our whole being.
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Be imitators of God, therefore,
as dearly loved children and live a life of love,
just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us
as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God
…and find out what pleases the Lord.
This page was last updated on Friday, May 19, 2006