Repent, 1st command of Christ

Matthew 28:18-19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen

I am called to teach others to obey the commands of Christ. 2 weeks ago I couldn't have told you what they were. I am going to go through them this year and I cordially invite you to participate in my adventure. If you do know me you realize that my life is an adventure. :D
Thanks for the prayers too.
Matthew 4:17
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Well if I am going to follow God I need to repent of the things that turn me aside from Him. When I went on a Journey I was so sure that my music was ok. It was Christian music! I loved listening to it. True it had a rock beat but I still don't agree with Dr. Gothard's teachings on why rock music is bad. But I felt God telling me that I needed to get rid of some of it. I came back and I listened to my music and I was soo shocked that so much of my "Christian" music didn't even mention God. THese singers could have been talking about their bfs, or even lovers. It was something I have to give up.

Revelations 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Because God loves me, when I sin, He will bring me back to Him by chastising me, but I have to repent! It's why I struggled with certian areas, I wouldn't be obeying God and letting go of my bitterness or etc. Then I live a life of freedom.

Acts 3:8 Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord

Proverbs 1:23 Turn you at my reproof: behold I will pour my spirit out to you, I will make known my words unto you.

There are rewards for repenting. Our sins that we hold on to will be taken away and blotted out! We will be refreshed and renewed in the Lord!! He will pour his Spirit upon us! And His word will take on new meaning! God is an awesome and Holy God but we can only draw near when we have a clean heart. Seek out the areas in your life that you may be holding on to and with humbleness.. give them away.

Isaiah 55: 6Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon
Why do we not see God? Why is he far away? It's because we have either run from Him or started to drift away. We as a church have put not God first but the law of Grace, we live immoral, worldly lives and we dare to say that we are headed for Heaven and are the children of God. We are wicked and we say we are good because we said a prayer once. Oh, may we repent and see that we are not even close to God's ways or his thoughts. God's word doesn't return void, let us cast aside what slows us down and run like we have nothing else to live for. Let His word prosper in our lives as we repent and follow Him.

Psalms 51:6,17 6Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Part of repenting is the humility, we have to be broken. In the OT, they would offer up incense to God as part of the sacrifice. Incense was formed by grinding up some herb. It is mentioned in the NT that the prayers of the saints are as incense to God. When we commune out of a broken and contrite heart to our Father it is pleasing to Him.
Proverbs 11:2 2When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.
Something I have been noticing in my own life is the tendancy to have an Holier than thou attitude. Yet Pride is what I have to fight against.
Isaiah 55:11 11Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.
I see this so much in the church, we have Men, shepherds and they love mammon more than God, it makes those who do serve God and love us and see us as their Holy charge much more precious, let us not waste what we have and keep them in prayer.
Matthew 6: 22The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! 24No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 25Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
When others look at me, do they see me? Do they see the world? What do they see? I hope they see Jesus. I am headed to college soon. The tendency of this world is to worry about tomorrow, next year, my retirement. God says the birds don't prepare yet God feeds them, now that doesn't mean God heaps up piles of worms for the robins. He put worms in the ground and he gave the robin the sense to know where the worms are. We need to work, yet thank God for what He is providing, and not worry about the future, let us bless others and seek Him Fully.
Lets go worm hunting.