Oh to be found in the favor of God,
Living the life He desires;
Surrendering daily into His grace,
Enjoying the sweetest of times.
While searching for photos or pic to align with this post, I stumbled across a NASA Science page on the colors of the ocean, with the help of the Holy Spirit. He is, after all, my Guide. See, I always thought that the deeper the ocean, the darker the green. I knew that some oceans were blue near the top, but I had believed that all oceans are eventually green after that. But the deeper you get into the ocean, not only is there less color, there is less light.
Turquoise Plankton in the water reflect the light of the sun.
Azure How many plankton living in the water decides what color the water is.
Green Black Light Absorbed and light reflected.
Blue-Green Spiral Type of plankton reveals color of water. In this photo, two types caused the blue-green effect. The spiral is because they are alive and in motion. Pretty cool, huh? This is my favorite.
There is an emerald rainbow around the base of the throne of God.
Revelation 4:5 "And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone; and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald." Ezekiel 1:28 "As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake." John 4:24 "God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him, must worship Him in spirit and in truth."
In the previous verse, John 4:23, Jesus stated not only that the true worshippers worship the Father in spirit and in truth, but that this is the worshipper God is seeking, or looking for. Am I that true worshipper yet? Are you that true worshipper God is seeking? What does it take to be a true worshipper of God?
The true worshipper walks in the Spirit, not in the world. In other words, he walks the walk.
Romans 8:4 "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.".
The true worshipper not only walks in the Spirit, but lives in the Spirit.
Galatians 5:25 "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."
The true worshipper rejoices in Jesus, and trusts Him.
Philippians 3:3 "For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh."
The true worshipper has a circumcised heart and lifestyle. Colossians 2:6-23 and Colossians 3, but just let me whet your appetite with the first few verses in it. You can continue in your own Bible, okay?
Colossians 2:6-11 "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him. (7)Rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. (8)Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. (9)For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. (10)And you are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power: (11) In Whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
These scriptures are speaking to the Christian, the person who repents of their sins and accepts the forgiveness of God for such. So, we see here that the true worshipper to whom Christ is referring to in John 4:23, 23 is a Christian not just in name, but in heart and mind and spirit, which make up the soul of a person. In John 3:3 Jesus tells Nicodemus he must be born again. What follows in John 3:4-21 is Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus.
As we have already covered what it means to be Christian, we will continue from here to verse 7 in Colossians 2. This verse tells us that the Christian is also not a newbie, or newly born again Christian, but one whose faith is visible to others, a Christian who is always thankful for everything in their lives. But it is hard to be thankful for every little thing, isn't it? Unless you determine to be thankful; having that "Gratitude Attitude". Verse 8 warns us to be careful, and not believe those who would turn us away from the truth of God's Word according to their logic and flattery. Verse 9 reveals to us without reservation that Jesus Christ is the fullness of the Godhead: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Verse 10 reminds us that we are complete in Him. Which is what He prayed for in the garden of Gethsemane, later on in this book: John 17:21 "That they all may be one, as Thou, Father, are in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me." Finish reading this chapter through verse 26, it's really awesome how every Word of God comes together when the Holy Spirit is active in your Bible studies.
Verse 11 tells the Christian that God circumcises the heart, not the body.
Ezekiel 11:19, 20 "And I will give them a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh. That they may walk in My statutes, and keep My ordinances, and do them: and they shall be My people, and I will be their God." Ezekiel 36:26 "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep my judgments, and do them."
The true worshipper is strong in the Lord, strong in the Spirit, strong in the Word. Their heart is focused on the things of God, not on the things of this world. The true worshipper reads their Bible for to profit the soul, not to seek monetary gain. The true worshipper surrenders not only their heart to God, but their whole life. And having surrendered one's heart and given one's life to worship and thankfulness, the next goal is to see the glory of God face to face. It is not just this side of heaven we are to worship God in, but the other side of heaven, also.
Where are the true worshippers?
