What up Reality Youth;-)

This is a reminder that we will NOT be meeting at the usual time because it falls on Christmas day. We will resume the following Monday which is January 1st, New Years day.

Until then, soak your hearts in the Lord Jesus Christ, and drench your minds in the 1st chapter of Ezekiel. Remember when we talked about the gnarly angels in Revelation 4 & 5, and in Isaiah 6? Well, the angels in Ezekiel 1 are even gnarlier, and will blow your mind. Soak it up and then worship their Creator.

Your friend and co-laborer,
~Christopher Lazo

Undone Worshipper (Chapter 2)

Read Isaiah 6.

In the presence of a holy God, Isaiah sees how sinful he is, and falls to his face in worship to God. This was right after Isaiah spoke judgment to Israel in chapter 5. He realized because of his sin that he was in their boat, so to speak.

There have been many times that while I was worshipping God, I became undone because the Holy Spirit revealed the Holiness of God, thus revealing my sinful nature in comparison. When this happens, I must be quick to embrace the work of the Holy Spirit by bowing down low, and worshipping the King of kings on a deeper level. Often this involves me checking my own heart, and repenting from gross sin. God doesn't need our talents or gifts. He asks us for those things because for some mysterious reason, He loves to include us in his plans. What is of ultimate importance to God is our adoration and intimacy with Him.

The Unquenchable Worshipper (chapter 1)

We are checking our lives next to what the Bible says a worshipper is, and seeing where they line up and where they don’t.

Unquenchable characteristics:

• “We can always find a reason to praise” pg. 20 of the UW

-“For since the creation of the world His invisible ATTRIBUTES, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” Rom 1:20 (The fool has said in his heart…Ps. 14:1)

ATTRIBUTES of GOD =
1. Holiness, justice, jealousy, perfection, truthfulness, and love.


-“Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there be any excellence, if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Phi. 4:8 When you’re not doing this…

Sooo... in Romans 1:20 Paul tells us that there are an infinite number of reasons to praise God, then in Philippians 4:8, he tells us that we need to constantly be dwelling on those things

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• “Bitterness dampens and eventually destroys love for God…by telling us He is not faithful” pg. 21
• Matt Redman gives us an illustration of fuel for our worship:

Fuel runs out! (Fuel is revelation of God: through His Word, praying, going to church)

These things keep your love for God more “overwhelming” than life and grief pg. 24
The Word feeds us revelation of God’s attributes(who He is), and fuels our desire to worship

When my worship becomes quenched, dry, or stagnant, it's because I have no fuel, but since God’s fuel is inexhaustible…what went wrong?) This is what went wrong = It is a painful indication that your fuel is dependant on something other than the revelation of God.

Here's a crazy thought = We were designed (purposed) to be worshippers!
Ex: Ryan Hillner is a pastor that shepherds our youth group. But this is NOT his DESIGN or PURPOSE! It is his CALLING. God calls us to be ministers in one way or another and empowers us through His Holy Spirit, but this is still not our ultimate purpose in life. Our ultimate purpose is to worship Jesus Christ. It's that simple.

•Since you were designed as a worshipper, if you are not fueling that desire with things of God, you WILL fuel it with other things, like grief, anger, money, relationships, other worldly things, etc... this will cause your worship to become stangant.

We MUST stay in the Word and in prayer. It is vital to our spiritual condition.

Winter Camp (a brief glimpse)