Day 10 "The Heart of Worship"

Why should we worship God? Let me share an excerpt from yet more reading as part of my resolution(s) this year:

...He gave himself away in a ministry of healing, helping, teaching and preaching.
He was misunderstood and misrepresented, and become a victim of men's prejudices and vested interested. He was despised and rejected by his own people, and deserted by his own friends. He gave his back to be flogged, his face to spat upon, his head to be crowned with thorns, his hands and feets to be nailed to a common Roman gallows. And as the cruel spikes were driven home, he kept praying for his tormentors, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they do."
Such a man is altogether beyond our reach. He succeeded just where we invariably fail. He had complete self-mastery. He never retaliated. He never grew resentful or irritable. He had such control of himself, whatever men might think or say or do, he would deny himself and abandon himself to the will of God and the welfare of mankind. "I seek not my own will," he said and "I do not seek my own glory." As Paul wrote, "For Christ did not please himself."
This utter disregard of self in the service of God and man is what the Bible calls love. There is no self-interest in love. The essence of love is self-sacrifice. The worst of men is adorned by an occassional flash of such nobility, but the life of Jesus irradicated it with a never-fading incandescent glow.
Jesus was sinless because he was selfless. Such selflessness is love. And God is love.

[Excerpted from Basic Christianity by John Stott pages 55-56, First Edition, March 1958; Second Edition, May 1971]

The Heart Of Worship Lyrics
Artist(Band): Michael W. Smith

Verse 1:
When the music fades
All is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that's of worth
That will bless Your heart

Bridge:
I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart

Chorus:
I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus

Verse 2:
King of endless worth
No one could express
How much You deserve
Though I'm weak and poor
All I have is Yours
Every single breath

Bridge:
I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart

Chorus:
I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus

Chorus:
I'm coming back to the heart of worship,
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus

[http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/The-Heart-Of-Worship-lyrics-Michael-W-Smith/A4C59BF2F01BB33348256C69000D92F4]

Day 7 - The Reason for Everything

As part of my commitment to try to change a lot this year, I've been quoting Purpose Driven Life which I recently got back from V... Let me also quote a song that doesn't really need any conversion to a Christian friendly set of lyrics:

I'm not a perfect person,
As many things I wish I didn't do,
But I continue learning,
I never meant to do those things to You,
And so I have to say before I go,
That I just want you to know.

I've found a reason for me,
To change who I used to be,
A reason to start over new,
and the reason is You.

I'm sorry that I hurt You,
It's something I must live with everyday,
And all the pain I put you through,
I wish that I could take it all away,
And be the one who catches all your tears,
Thats why I need you to hear.

I've found a reason for me,
To change who I used to be,
A reason to start over new,

and the reason is You [x4].

I'm not a perfect person,
I never meant to do those things to you,
And so I have to say before I go,
That I just want you to know.

I've found a reason for me,
To change who I used to be,
A reason to start over new,
and the reason is You.

I've found a reason to show,
A side of me you didn't know,
A reason for all that I do,
And the reason is You.