? ? ? ? ? ? ?

The greatest test of culture in the final days is going to be:  Will you have the courage and strength to love the God you say you serve?

Will you have the resolve to stand for what you believe -- or will you worship YOU?  Will you worship success and fame?  Will you seek to be worshipped because you're so powerful?  Will you be run by your feelings?

What will you worship?

Jesus tells us to 'Love God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind and all your strength.'  (Mark 12:30)

All.

Heart & Soul = Affections & Emotions

What do you love most with your emotions?  Because one of the things the spirit of Antichrist has managed to do over the years is to water down real worship.

One of our primary purposes at Journey Church (www.jrnychurch.com) is Passionate Worship, emphasis on Passionate.  That isn't music alone, of course, but music is a big part of it.  As a former worship leader (for 20+ years), music is important to me.  Even more vital, it's important to God.  Check out the longest book in the Bible, the book of Psalms - for all intents and purposes, a songbook.

But if you ask the average person about what worship in church is supposed to be, many will say: 'It should be quiet;  somber, even.'

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

The Bible says to worship God with some volume - with out-and-out strength.  Don't water that down.  Worship exuberantly - passionately.

It's a way-too-easy go-to on this, but when the football team scores the last second Hail Mary, what percentage of the fans are standing, waving, hands lifted, screaming, filled with joy, including the fans in your living room?

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

100% - if it's your team.

That's worship right there, friends.  That's the book of Psalms all over, except that the object of their worship is off.  That's a worship check-up for us all.

And really, if the Creator of the Universe could get some of us to show 1/10th of the heart-and-soul emotion and affection for Him that we have for our favorite football team . . . because we'll scream bloody murder for the green-and-gold (in our case) and then come Sunday morning and sit with our hands clasped in our lap with lemon-lips.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Think about that from God's perspective.

You say you love Me - so give Me some heart - give Me some soul - give Me some affection - give Me some emotion.

Mind & Strength = Attention & Abilities

What do you think about most?  Because what you think about most becomes what you worship.  Where does God place on your list?  Is He number one?  Because that's the only place He'll take.

And be blessed.