Jesus was tested by a Pharisee who was a lawyer. He was asked which is the greatest commandment? Jesus answered with two commandments that the whole law and Prophets depend on. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind”. And … “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

This is my favorite passage in the Bible, from Matt 22:37-40. With everything going on in the world today, these two commandments from Jesus are something EVERYONE needs to follow. Imagine a world where everyone believed and lived these two commandments. As Christians, we need to live the example of these two commands from Jesus’ reply to the lawyer.

I know that may seem like a strange heading for a post. This morning I was out of town for work and went to a Church of Christ I had never attended before. This congregation is thousands of miles from my home church.

It was like home though. Fellow Christians gathered together for songs, communion, prayer, and a sermon. People greeted me. The message was from the Old Testament.

The building was different. The order of the songs and prayer were different. They had chairs instead of pews.

But it was Worship! The true hearted desire and feeling to worship God, the way He intended. It may not have been at home, but I gathered with fellow Christians today for the same purpose.

So Worship is Worship. Wherever Christians gather as we did today, God knows we were there to be with Him.

Watch this little video for a little pick me up. It will take a bit to load. Wait for it, it is worth the wait. I put it together years ago and it really applies for what is going on around us. The life lessons are not all mine, Life’s Little Instruction Book helped. Music is from Acappella.

I tried to think of something to write or say with all of the Coronavirus impacts going on around us.  Instead, thinking more about it … God can say it so much better.

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is ^[e]lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.  Phil 4:4-8 NASB

As this new year starts, many are thinking about the year ahead and worry about what 2020 may bring.  Here are a few words from Jesus:

² And He said to His disciples, “For this reason I say to you, ^[j]do not worry about your ^[k]life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. ²⁴ Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! ²⁵ And which of you by worrying can add a single ^[l]hour to his ^[m]life’s span? ²⁶ If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters? ²⁷ Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. ²⁸ But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith! ²⁹ And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. ³⁰ For ^[n]all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. ³¹ But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. 

Luke 12:22-31, New American Standard Bible