This is one of those blogs, you will need to read till the end because the answer is not in the first paragraph.

How can you worship &/ or serve more than one god?

This is the question I keep asking myself because so many Christians are trying to do it. The answer is simple. Yes you can worship &/or serve a multitude of gods, especially if you think the God of the Bible is a little “g” god. The problem is you want be serving Him, the TRIUNE GOD.

It is clear throughout the Bible that God says to worship & serve Him and Him alone.

Exodus 20: 3-5 God said, which is written in His Ten Commandments:

“You shall have no other gods before Me.” “You shall not make for yourself any idol, or any likeness (form, manifestation) of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth [as an object to worship].  You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous (impassioned) God [[a]demanding what is rightfully and uniquely mine], visiting (avenging) the iniquity (sin, guilt) of the fathers on the children [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers], to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, (AMP)

And Jesus said in Matthew 22: 37-40 (NKJV)

 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

So that brings me back to my original question. How can you worship or serve more than one god? You can’t because there is only One God. His name is I AM, Adonai, Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Saints, be careful. The devil is moving around trying to sift out the truth about the Bible. Implant small similarities to throw you off. Here are a few things to be aware of:

• We do not serve the same god as the Muslims. They believe that our Savior is a prophet. They denounces His deity.
• Praying as a group of people from different faiths to different gods. How can you agree when you don’t agree on who has the True God? Come from among them.
• Being politically correct even if it violates what God says is wrong.
• Marrying outside your faith. It’s not about having your child choose their faith path but raising up a child in a house that honors God and Him alone. We made the choice, lead them into making the right choice living in a house of varying beliefs is contrary to what God commands of you as a believer.

It’s vital more than ever to study God’s word. Know it like you know the back of your hand. Apply it like you apply your moisturer to your face in the morning. Also read and study the Bible for yourself with the Holy Spirit instead of reading and hearing what everyone has to say, first.

Here’s what is needed to let go in order to grow:

• Thoughts – those whispers that tell us we “gotta’- have it”, “you desire it”, and trying to keep up with the Rich and Famous.
• Friends – that try to pull you away from God by setting you up to do things that are “works of the flesh” (Galatians 5:19-21) and offensive to God, as well as, twisting God’s word to get you to do what they want
• Sin – the one that easily entraps you. If you have problems with drinking then don’t tempt yourself by going to places where you can’t handle the temptation. If profanity is a problem then stop hanging around those who constantly use God’s name in vain.

How do you let go:

• Meditate on God’s Word and pray.
• Read God’s Word and pray.
• Study God’s Word and pray.
• Memorize God’s Word and pray.
• Listen to God’s Word and pray.
• Put God’s Word into action – as you pray.
• Fast and Pray

The Bible and Prayer, go hand in hand. It is through learning God’s word that your prayer life develops and it’s through constant prayer that you desire to know more about the God you serve.

Here’s how you can get started or continue if you need extra support:

MONTHLY OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH - May

*Thursday, May 6, 2021 is National Day of Prayer. Let’s participate by praying for our nation/government, families/marriages, media, educational system, military, churches, and businesses. Go to nationaldayofprayer.org for more information. Here’s a guide that will help with prayer specifically for the 7 topics mentioned: NDP- 2021 Theme Prayer Guide from Nationaldayofprayer.org.

*Spiritual Disciplines discussed on Hanging Out With Jesus Podcast: Intercessory Prayer and Bible Study

*Bible Study on Intercession: The Ministry of Intercessory Prayer by Andrew Murray or The Ministry of Intercession: A Plea for More Prayer

Remember, you are the light in this world, we need to be different, peculiar. That’s what makes us so appealing to the world and so greatly feared by them.

Shalom!

As always, your thoughts are appreciated, so write them in the comment section by clicking on the button below. I’d like to read your response to this post. Comments will be reviewed and responded to as needed.

Book Review: Hey God, Can We Talk? Real-life God Encounters for Real-Life Circumstances by Sarah Bowling

Summary: This book opens your eyes to confront fears about talking, praying to God. It provides ample examples from biblical encounters with the author’s experiences to help you understand the simplicity of conversing with God? Each chapter contains questions for reflection and conversation starters which help you focus on a particular prayer concern. I like how the author uses the word “talk” instead of “prayer” because it frees our traditional understanding of “praying” allowing us to understand that God talks to us when we pray.

It would be of a Reader’s best interest to read through the Table of Content and identify the chapter that presently resonates with them. Begin practicing that conversation starter, as suggested by the author, for 5 to 7 months (or as the Lord leads) before moving on to another chapter.

For Readers who read this book in its entirety. You find it is heavy with experiences from the author’s life and examples from the Bible which prolongs each chapter. I don’t recommend doing this if you have a specific concern. Take care of your concern about talking to God first, practice it until you feel lead to move on. 

Book Highlight: One highlight of the book is its conversation starters. Insightful examples of how to get started in a way that you can personalize it and then pray openly and honestly, because Sarah, the author, has given you the tools to get the conversation started. Another thing you will learn is that God is always there and ready, regardless of where you are, to be a part of the conversation. 

Final Thoughts: This is not a book you need to complete, but a book you need to apply in different seasons of your life. So take your time.

Next Step: Although, we have practiced some of the conversation starters on Hanging Out With Jesus Podcast, chapter 10 provided an experiment that we can participate in April. See Monthly Opportunities below.

You can share your comments below about the book. Check out Episode 27, where Sarah goes into more detail about this book on Hanging Out With Jesus Podcast. Thank you, Saints, for joining me in our February Opportunities for Growth activity of reading this book before broadcasting it on the podcast.  

Monthly OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH - April

April Challenge: Join me in practicing one of the Conversation Starters for the next two weeks from Hey God Can We Talk. Here’s the simple version: “Give God 3 minutes of undivided attention 3 times a day for 2 weeks. Then, document daily your feelings, benefits, frustrations, or effect.” Let’s summarize our experiences in the comment section below on April 24th. I’ll send you a reminder link, so you’ll need to subscribe (see #4 below). Also get the book because it gives examples of what to do during those times and ways God might converse with you. 

Remember, you are practicing how to converse with God, so begin the process today:

• Select 3 times, spread out throughout your day, now. Just for 3 minutes.
• Then set your timer with a reminder to set the times for the next day. 
• During those 3 minutes you can give your full attention to God by listening, reciting a scripture or memorizing one. More examples are given in the book in chapter 10 of Hey God, Can We Talk?
• Click on this link to join and subscribe to this blog: Link here
• Once you subscribe, you will receive a link to share your last comments on 4-24-21 on Facebook, Instagram or the comment section below. Together we will help each other to grow.

Spiritual Disciplines discussed on Hanging Out With Jesus Podcast: Prayer, Bible Study, and Worship

Shalom!

It’s our podcast and blog’s one year anniversary! Time to celebrate. I feel like “leaping and praising God,” like the Lame Beggar who was healed in Acts 3:1-10.

God loves to celebrate with us, to join in celebrating all that He has done for us. God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3-5) meaning that’s where you can find Him and if you trust Him, well, expect deliverance.

It’s shouting time! God brought this website and podcast, and now YouTube channel, from never being an idea, to an idea, then into existence as I cried out to Him, the impossibilities, the struggles, and the fears of “going where I’ve never been before” (sounds like Star Trek), a new career in the internet world. When God impressed on my heart Jeremiah 33:3, last year, He has done nothing but amazed me with “great and might things” I hadn’t a clue about.

Have you ever felt this way? So overwhelmed with God’s goodness until you’d want to do what David did in 2 Samuel 6:14-15?

“Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets”

Oh how great it is to dance before the Lord, unhindered, unafraid, and even looking foolish. When you praise, celebrate and glorify the Lord, it has nothing to do with what you are wearing, the neatness of your hair, your fancy dance moves, your dance shoes or the jewelry you’re wearing. It’s all about Praising The Holy One, God Almighty.

Celebrate the Lord from the richness of your heart. It will make you feel glad, validated, fulfilled, uplifted, loved and whole. It puts rejoicing in your heart, almost like a drunkenness.

Celebration is a joy that sustains you and keeps you moving forward in Christ Jesus. Rejoice with me in giving Him praise by underlining all the verses you find in Psalm 145 to 148 that give words to how you can praise the Lord. Praise God for what He has brought you through, and where you are going. Give Him praise for bringing you through the unknown and being there even when you didn’t acknowledge His presence. Praise God for Hanging Out With Jesus Podcast and this website, with us. Praise God for His presence and faithfulness. 

Praise His Holy and Righteous Name. Shout! Dance from your heart to Him. Sing of His goodness. Laugh until your heart overflows. Cry with tears of joy and appreciation.

But whatever you do… let His praises continually, always, forever more, be in and coming out of your mouth. Hallelujah, all praises to God Almighty!

When praises go up, blessings rush down, the Triune God shows up, and the enemy scatters.

I’d love to hear how you stepped out to do what God’s called you to do. Either comment below or privately contact me. Check out our celebration on Hanging Out With Jesus Podcast. It’s so cool to hear how a person succeeded against their fears and triumphed in doing what God called them to do.

MONTHLY OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH - March

30 Day Bible Reading & Prayer Calendar Downloadable: March Bible Reading & Prayer Calendar.  Opportunities to share comments and ask questions on Instagram and private Facebook group. Click on guide to participate.

Spiritual Disciplines discussed on Hanging Out With Jesus Podcast: Prayer, Bible Study and Worship

FREE Downloadable: Personal Prayer Retreat Guide

Shalom!