The 7 Essential Spiritual Offerings!

As a new and growing Christian, I was unaware of how absolutely POWERFUL it was/is to Worship The Lord! In fact, I initially thought there was no essential difference between the "Praise" of Our God and the "Worship" of Our God!

More time spent in the study of Scripture, along with Earnest Praying and the desire for significant change in my life has helped me to gain a more liberating understanding of the Powerful possibilities that avail me through the Worship of Our God!

All I wanted was to ENCOUNTER The Lord (as I continue to want today) and have the CORRECT view of God. I USED TO view and communicate Praise as "thanking God for the THINGS He has done", while Worship as "thanking God for Who He Is"

My view and understanding about the these have changed, and has empowered my view of God altogether!

Today, as a result of my study, I NOW believe in (what I personally call)...

The 7 Essential Spiritual Offerings....

1. The Offering of Thanks! In this, we encounter God when we offer thanks to God for ALL He has done... for us and/or otherwise!

We ACKNOWLEDGE GOD, in The Offering of Thanks, as the Sole Giver of ALL things!

"...GIVE THANKS in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus...."
1st Thessalonians 5:18 NIV

2. The Offering of Praise! In this, we encounter God when we Offer Praise to Our God for WHO HE IS within the experience of a personal relationship where God has Revealed specific aspects of His Nature to us through what He has done!

We Acknowledge God, in The Offering of Praise, as The ONE Whom we know intimately through the Personal Revelation of His Nature!

"...You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may DECLARE THE PRAISES of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light...."
1st Peter 1:9 NIV

3. The Offering of Worship! In this, we encounter God when we OFFER OUR LIVES in complete surrender to The One we have come to know intimately through the Revelation of His Nature!

We Acknowledge God, in The Offering of Worship, with the Sacrifice of Life altogether! We essentially GIVE OURSELVES wholly to God for His Sovereign and Divine use!

"...I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper WORSHIP...."
Romans 12:1 NIV

4. The Offering of Faith! In this, we encounter God when we OFFER OUR INABILITY to navigate our way through the human experience in every way.

We ACKNOWLEDGE God, in the Offering of Faith, as having THE ABILITY to fill and fulfill ALL Things on our behalf.

"...Without FAITH it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him MUST BELIEVE that He exists and that HE Rewards those who earnestly seek HIM...."
Hebrews 11:6 NIV

"...My Righteous one will live BY FAITH, and I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back...."
Hebrews 10:38 NIV

5. The Offering of Prayer/Meditation! In this, we encounter God when we OFFER OUR INTIMACY and efforts which concern our inner-most being.

We ACKNOWLEDGE God, in the Offering of Intimacy, as Father, Lord and The God of ALL Love!

"...On my bed I remember you; I THINK of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings...."
Psalm 63:7-8 NIV

6. The Offering of The Mind (The Spirit)! In this, we encounter God when we OFFER OUR THOUGHT-LIFE and very Control Center of our being.

We ACKNOWLEDGE God, in the Offering of The Mind, as ALL-KNOWING (Omniscient), SOVEREIGN (in Complete Control) and SUPREME RULER of ALL that concerns mankind!

"...Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all YOUR MIND...."
Matthew 22:37 NIV

7. The Offering of Human Nature (The Soul)! In this, we encounter God when we OFFER THE WHOLE OF OUR HUMANITY in all its frailty and beauty!

We ACKNOWLEDGE God, in the Offering of Our Humanity, as CREATOR, SUSTAINER AND SOUL SOURCE of ALL Human desire and need!

"...Unto YOU, O Lord, do I lift up MY SOUL...."
Psalm 25:1 NIV

"...For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it... For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his SOUL?..."
Matthew 8:35-37 NIV
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"...Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see— how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him. Worship God if you want the best; worship opens doors to all his goodness. Young lions on the prowl get hungry, but God -seekers are full of God...."
** Psalm 34:8-10 (MSG Bible)

#KeepWINNING!!!
Roc

The NEW Man (of Ephesians 4)

The NEW Man (of Ephesians 4)!

The following are...
12 Key Characteristics of a NEW MAN of God (as understood from Ephesians 4:17-32)... A brief study/overview as conducted by Rodney "Roc" Foreman.

#1: MEN OF GOD... STAND OUT!
MEN don't live their lives doing the useless, ineffective and unsuccessful things that others are doing around them!

(V.17)
"...This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind...."

#2: MEN OF GOD... ARE INTELLIGENT!
MEN don't allow the people around them to impact upon their lives with ignorance and spiritual compromise!

(V.18-19)
"...having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart... who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness...."

#3: MEN OF GOD... STAND ON THE TRUTH OF JESUS CHRIST!
MEN seek out and adhere to the TRUTH of Jesus Christ, not allowing themselves to pick up learned behaviors of those who DO NOT possess the Truth of Christ!

(V. 20-21)
"...But you have not so learned Christ... if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus...."

#4: MEN OF GOD... HAVE OVERCOME THEIR PERSONAL HISTORY!
MEN are not caught up in the things and habits of past living, and realize the great necessity to change their way of thinking about renewed living!

(V. 22-23)
"...that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts... and be renewed in the spirit of your mind...."

#5: MEN OF GOD... EMBRACE CHANGED LIVES!
MEN are diligent to live transformed, God-pleasing and spiritually healthy lives that are completely different from the lives they used to live!

(V. 24)
"...and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness...."

#6: MEN OF GOD... ARE NOT LIARS!
MEN realize the impact and potential damage of speaking lies to those closest to them, and embrace being truthful at all times to ensure the health of those they love as well as themselves!

(V. 25)
"...Therefore, putting away lying, Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another...."

#7: MEN OF GOD... HAVE CONTROLLED TEMPERS!
MEN recognize that anger is ALWAYS about personal control and will always work to maintain spiritually guarded against all temptations to lose personal control in (and over) ALL situations!

(V. 26-27)
“...Be angry, and do not sin do not let the sun go down on your wrath... nor give place to the devil...."

#8: MEN OF GOD... HAVE A STRONG WORK ETHIC!
MEN embrace honorable living, while standing against dishonorable living - working hard to do what is good, and also using his work to be a blessing to others in need!

(V. 28)
"...Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need...."

#9: MEN OF GOD... SEEK TO BUILD OTHERS UP!
MEN are NOT given to gossip, back-biting, slander nor ridicule of any kind, but recognize the need for people-building, encouragement and spiritual mentoring which he does to please God!

(V. 29)
"...Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers...."

#10: MEN OF GOD... ARE SENSITIVE TO THE MOVEMENTS OF GOD!
MEN do NOT have agendas that seek to override what pleases God, and are sensitive to The Same Spirit that is working in his own life, just as HE (The Spirit) is working in the lives of others!

(V. 30)
"...And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption...."

#11: MEN OF GOD... SEEK PEACE!
MEN know the value of The Peace of God and DO NOT hold on to past offenses, misunderstandings or disagreements that may have tested their ability to maintain personal control at any given time!

(V. 31)
"...Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice...."

#12: MEN OF GOD... POSSESS THE STRENGTH TO LOVE!
MEN are ABLE to withstand difficult, offensive and often hard-hearted individuals who are weak-minded and lacking a right relationship with God, but rather, MEN FORGIVE... and CHOOSE to Love just as Christ has done for them!

(V. 32)
"...And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you...."

With Love & Grave,
Rodney "Roc" Foreman

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