Showing posts with label Excellence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Excellence. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

God is the Consummate Artist

Look at all the arts that God engages in - surely these are just a few of His many talents:

He is a sculptor and potter who made his own clay (Genesis 1-2; Jeremiah 18:1-6).




He is a painter who made all the colors (Genesis 1-2).







He is a musician who formed every sound and gave ears to hear with, and a singer (Zephaniah 3:17; Revelation 1:10). Everything He created sings back to Him.



He is a dancer (Ps. 68:24). The procession of God in the sanctuary with the singers and dancers; (Zeph. 3:17) means: He rejoices over you with songs and dances.



He is a poet – look at the beautiful poetry that He recites to Job (Job 38-41)...and even His creation is an expression worthy of a poem.





He is a writer who has written the greatest best seller of all time—the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16).



He is a story-teller and an actor: Jesus used parables in the Gospels to convey mysteries, and His prophets used dramatic arts to convey God’s words (Matthew 13:34; Hosea 12:10).



He is an architect of mountains and sky (Psalm 90:2; Isaiah 44:24).




He is a Tailor - a worker of needle and thread. He has woven a garment of light for himself (Psalm 104:2) and has provided a golden wedding garment for his bride (Psalm 45:9, 13-14). He has clothed the lilies with beauty (Matt. 6:25-34).



He is a creator of culinary delights - the earth overflows with His bountiful provisions (Exodus 16:31; Numbers 11:7-8; Psalm 34:8; 119:103; Song of Solomon 2:3).  




He is a perfumer, and even His name is a healing ointment that smells Divine (Psalm 45:8; Song of Solomon 1:3; 3:6; 5:1; 5:13).



He is a Carpenter - Matt. 13:55; Mk. 6:3 (Heb. Teckton).



He is a jeweler – Mal. 3:16-17.



He is an engraver – on His hand – Is. 49:16.



He is a flower arranger/landscaper – Lu. 12:27  Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 





In all of these, he is without equal. There is none who can match his artistry, excellence, and genius.






Monday, January 30, 2017

Character

Good character is...

• the throne of greatness
• the foundation for true success
• the strength to overcome every adversity
• the credentials for building nobility into others
• the abode for all virtue
• the light that guides our way through darkness
• the fuel that propels us towards our destiny...and...

• the true beauty of our soul
Vivien Hibbert

Romans 5:3-5 
3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.
4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.
5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Monday, May 12, 2014

7 Things - Appetites Of The Heart



Here are 7 appetites that need to grow in the heart of worshipers - for some reason, I was captivated by these beautiful pictures of flowers today, and just placed them with each of these heart attitudes:


—Wonder (Is. 6:1-5)
Don't ever lose the sense of wonder and expectancy in the presence of the Lord. Be amazed at His beauty and overwhelmed by His grace


—Passion (2Sam. 6:21-22)
Don't allow the fires of passion to grow dim in your heart. Do whatever it takes to root out apathy and stoke the fires of devotion for the Lord




—Endurance (Job 1:20-21; Hab. 3:17-18)
Don't be one that gives up all the time. Set yourself for the presence of God and for His glory - no matter what it takes. Don't allow yourself to wallow in discouragement. Praise will bring you to His presence, His presence will bring you to joy, joy will bring you to the finish line


—Brokenness (Ps. 51 – a repentant heart 2Chron. 17:6; 19:3)
Don't allow yourself to have a hard heart. Be like David who was always quick to repent. Remain tender-hearted before the Lord.



—Appetite to hear—prophetic (Song 2:14)
Don't become dull of hearing - as worshipers, we must be in tune to the voice of the Lord - we are gatekeepers of His presence


—Righteousness (2Chron. 17:6; 19:3; Ps. 24:4-6; 29:2; 2Tim. 2:22)
Don't allow sin to rule your heart. Those with clean hands and pure hearts will have entrance into His presence


—Excellence (Ex. 35:35; 1 Chron. 15:22; 25:7; 2 Chron. 2:7; 34:12)
Don't ever settle for 2nd best - always give your best to the Lord and to His people. Excellence is different from perfection - it is an attitude of the heart...a desire to one's very best in all that we do