God Seeks More Credit!

[et_pb_section bb_built="1"][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.11"]Worship and every day fellowship is really just establishing, maintaining and developing positive relationships.  The word "fellowship" simply denotes being with and spending quality time with someone.  We discuss this in more detail in the Relationship vs. Fellowship chapter of my book "Good Faith and Biblical Contracts."  When God and I fellowship, we just talk, because Father God is my Daddy and Jesus is my big brother. But Father God is also my God and Jesus is additionally my King and High Priest, therefore I honor and respect their offices as well.The word "worship" refers primarily to this showing of respect and giving honor and credit to whom honor and credit is due.  When I say credit, I'm using it in a broad sense.  But the fact is that Jesus wants you to give Him more credit.In a dream, I got to witness what happened out on the Sea of Gallilee during that storm referred to in Mark 4:37-41.What I saw in that dream, was a sleep depribed  Jesus in deep rem sleep being awakened by a kick to the ribs, trying to stand up, half awake, in a tossing ship and straining to hear Peter over the howling wind with water spray stinging his face, finally hearing, "Don't you even CARE?" Jesus sure didn't look very happy about this at all and responded by jabbing his pointing finger into the air and yelling "SHUT-UP!" There was a huge boom and like a big rock thrown into the water, what i assume was a high pressure wave rolled back every cloud in the sky in every direction in less than three seconds. The wind and the rain instantly ceased, but the waves still caused jesus to stumble to the side of the ship. In response, Jesus jabbed his pointing finger at the water and yelled, as if yelling at a dog, "Be STILL!" And with a loud wooshing  sound, the surface of the lake instantaneously froze, outward, away from the ship, in every direction!  With Jesus' end of the ship, frozen in position, higher than the rest, Jesus now jabbed  that same pointing finger right at Peter.  The rest of His staff moved to protect themselves by covered their cowering heads with their arms and legs but Peter just stood there, like a deer in the head-lights wide-eyed and mouth hanging open, and giving out a little groan as Jesus yelled at all of them, "WHY ARE YOU SO INCREDULOUS?!"Let's break this word "Incredulous" down.  "In" means no or not; "ous" denotes the act of something; and "cred" refers to, yes you guessed it, credit.  Jesus, yelled, "HEY! How about a little CREDIT here?"  "How about giving Me at least enough CREDIT to keep you from drowning?" Jesus wanted them to give Him some credit.Jesus wants you to start giving Him more credit too.  How would you feel if you wanted to purchase a home and the lender told you, "We normally ask for the borrower to pay 20% up front.  But since we don't trust you to keep your word, we are going to require you to pay 80% before we give you credit for the other 20%.  Not only would that make it difficult to purchase the home, but its also insulting!  The lender just questioned your integrity.  Not only that, but he is also casting doubt on your ability to keep your word or actually do anything you say.Well, this is exactly what most of mankind does to God (Father God, Jesus and or the Holy Spirit).  We refuse to give Him any credit.  We require Him to pay up front - not 20%, not 30%, not 50, 75 or even 80%, but most of mankind requires Him to put up 100% in advance before we will give Him any credit.  But then that's not giving Him any credit at all!For example, The Bible plainly says, "By HIS (Jesus') stripes (bruises, welts and torn flesh), YOU are healed.  This is a promise and a legally binding, good faith offer made by God to you.  One that becomes a legally binding, good faith contract, covenant or agreement upon you becoming party to it by signing the contract.  One which forms a new good faith relationship between God and you, which needs to be developed and maintained.Now, if you simply take God, (Father God, Jesus and or the Holy Spirit), at His word, that based upon this contract healing already belongs to you, then you have given Him and His Word full credit.  But if you have disbelief or even doubts concerning this offer, and require Jesus to completely heal you, up front, before you will trust His Word, then you are not giving Him or His Word any credit.The relationship that God seeks with man is one  in which both parties can freely give each other and each other's word full credit.TGM[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]