All Creation

The redwood reaches to the heavens

Its arms lifted high praise the King

The ocean waves crash against the rocks.

Their sound is a symphony of worship

The swallow sings psalms to God

The peacock's beauty reflects the glory of the Lord

The mighty mountain feeds water to the valley

Our Father is a reservoir

He meets our every need

All creation displays the majesty of God

Let all men fear the mighty One of Israel

Let us worship the Lord on His throne

Each element of creation speaks

Of the wisdom and splendor of God

May our lives ever glorify God as well

The Benefits of Praise and Worship

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Psalm 150:6

Praise is the language of faith. We are to praise God even when our situation looks bleak. We can praise God in the desert when no fruit can be seen on the vine. When we pray for God to move in our lives, praise carries us through the valley to the heights of the manifested blessing of the Lord.

Praise magnifies our Lord. As we sing praises to Him, we begin to see Him as bigger than our circumstances. Praise is how we express our faith.

Praise is also a weapon against the enemy. The Scripture says that praise stills the avenger (Psalm 8:2, Matthew 21:16). Praise stops the enemy. Praising God also gives us strength. Praise brings joy and the joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

Worship is an expression of adoration and love for our precious Lord. Praise lifts up Jesus and exalts Him for what He has done and what He is doing on our behalf, but we worship the Lord for who He is – for His attributes and incomparable character. We are to worship our Savior in Spirit and in truth. This means we are to be Spirit-led and Bible-based in our worship. We are also to speak the truth to the Lord – the truth of who we are and how we feel.

As we behold the Lord through worship, we are changed in His presence. 2 Corinthians 3:18 KJV says, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Let's make it our goal to magnify the Lord through praise and worship regularly. With the Holy Spirit's help we can make praising and worshiping God a way of life. There is power in His presence to bring us joy, strength, and answers to prayer. As we praise and worship God, we draw closer to the One who made us and delivered us from oppression. As we worship and praise our Lord, we behold Him and we are changed from glory to glory. We slowly take on more of His nature. When we draw near to Him, He promises to draw near to us (James 4:8). Let's speak the language of faith. Let's praise and worship our Master – He in turn will bless us in many ways and will give us a satisfying taste of His presence.

A Letter that Jesus Might Write

At times, you have seen hardship and suffering. Painful days that sap your strength. I bore your pain. You may be experiencing disease and physical limitations. I bled for your healing. You may feel the weight of guilt and sin. You were not made to carry this burden. I laid down My life so you could experience new life.

Come to Me all who are weary. Come to Me all who long for a loving relationship that is everlasting. Call upon My name and be saved. Surrender your dreams and disappointments, surrender your life to Me. I will not abandon you. I will be the source of your strength, the fulfillment of your soul. Come and invite Me into your heart and into your life. You will never be the same. Come to Me and I will give you rest.

Yours Truly,

Jesus Christ

Like a Flag

We were chained

Bound up in our souls

We were lost

Heading out of control

You redeemed us

Through Your precious blood

Bought our freedom

Because of your great love

Like a flag held high

In the middle of my heart

I am free, I am free

Like a flag held high

In the middle of my soul

I am free, I am free

You plunged my sin

Into the depths of the sea

You've forgiven me

You've forgiven me

And to all who choose

Redemption as their song

They are forgiven

All life long

Like a flag held high

In the middle of our hearts

We are free, we are free

Like a flag held high

In the middle of our souls

We are free, we are free

Have Fun!

As a young believer, I took seriously the calling to follow after Christ. I attended church regularly, prayed, read my Bible, and tried to reach others for Jesus. But there was one ingredient missing in the recipe of my life – joy. My shortage of joy was directly related to a lack of understanding of the grace of God. It took time for God to get through to me. Gradually, the Lord began to reveal His great love for me. One day I wrote a song called “Have Fun”. Here is a sampling of it:

“Have Fun in the presence of the, have fun in the presence of the, have fun in the presence of the Lord.”

“He wants to be your Buddy and your Friend. His love for you will never, never end. His peace is sweet. His joy it overflows. Holy laughter from the Holy Ghost.”

I believe we can have fun in our relationship with Jesus, and we can carry that joy into the various ways we serve Him. The Bible says that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Joy is also contagious. Without joy our witness for Christ proves empty and dry like land experiencing severe drought.

We can take this journey of Christianity with joy as our companion. We can have fun as we follow the King. Lets ask God to reveal to us His love. Let's take hold of the freedom that is ours through His sacrifice.

Come my friend draw near to the Lord. Have fun and experience His joy.

Asking the Right Questions

Here is the link to a devotion of mine that was recently published in christiandevotions.us.  I hope it ministers to you.  http://christiandevotions.us/?wpmlmethod=newsletter&id=857&mailinglist_id=0&subscriber_id=1063&authkey=71a3cb155f8dc89bf3d0365288219936


Blessings,


Tom Toya

Whatever God Touches Flourishes

And God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning – the sixth day. Genesis 1:31

God created the world in six days. Each of these six days, he accomplished some act or acts of creation. On the sixth day, he created man. Each day he reflected upon what he had done and saw that what he had created was good. But after he formed man, his response was that this creation was very good. This shows me that whatever God touches flourishes. It also reveals the heart of God towards man. Although Adam and Eve fell, God sent his Son to restore what we lost through the fall.

If we look at the creation story closely, we will discover that God spoke the world into existence. He said let there be light and light was. He said let the waters teem with life and they did. And so it was with all his creation. But when he made man, he formed him from the earth then he breathed life into him. So when it came to man, God physically created him with his hands. After this, God saw that what he had made was very good.

Those of us who have embraced Christ as our Savior, have been made new by God on the inside. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” God has touched us. We are children of the King. In 1994, a band called The Halo Benders named their first album, God Don't Make No Junk. There is great truth to that. When God touches you, you are transformed into a new person. And he is bringing us from glory to glory, as we behold him and invite him to change us.

When our Lord places his hands on something or someone, he cause that thing or person to thrive. When we invite Jesus into our situation through prayer and obedience to his word, the Lord causes that area of our lives to prosper. We may not see the fruition of it right away, but like a seed that is faithfully tended to, we will witness our negative circumstance bow to the power of Almighty God. We will see God's promises over our lives come to pass, because whatever God touches flourishes.

My friend, if you are in need of a touch from God whether in your heart, your mind, your body, your family, or your finances; please pray this prayer with me....

Dear Father God,

I am in need of a touch from your hand. I invite to come and have your way in me and through me. Dear Lord, please forgive me for the ways in which I have failed you. Be Lord of every area of my life and come and show me what steps I must take to see you bring your blessing into every area of my life. Thank you Father for hearing my prayer. I believe your miracle for me is mine to enjoy. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.