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Do good because God wants you to be happy," she continued. "When you come to church, when you worship Him, you're not doing it for God really. You're doing it for yourself, because that's what makes God happy. Amen?"

I know this is going to sound strange, but I happen to agree with this. Everything God has commanded us to do is for our benefit and happiness-and that includes the worshiping of Him. When we fail to follow His commands we are actually going against those things that make us happy.

Deu 5:33 You shall walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.

I’m not into Joel Osteen’s preaching or his wife’s commentary. But this is an opening for this paper “Why Commandments?”
http://www.bswett.com/1978-05Commandments.html

It far eclipses what Mrs. Osteen said; it begins:

“Why does God give commandments to human beings? If God is omnipotent, why doesn’t He just make us do what He wants? The quick answer is, “Because He gave us free will.” But why did God give us free will? The flip-side of free will is free won’t—which means that we have the power to disobey God. That’s an awful lot of power. There are times when I think things would go a lot smoother on this pretty little blue-and-white planet if we didn’t have that power, but we do, and it’s obvious that we do.

and concludes: “Conclusion: God gives us commandments because He loves us. As Moses said in his farewell address to the children of Israel, “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live.” (Deut. 30:15, 19) That is the central theme of God’s commandments. They are not for someone else’s benefit. They are not given to us to impose on others. They are given to each of us for our own benefit, but no one can make us obey them, not even God Himself.”

Please read the “red meat” in between these two pieces of bread I’ve posted.

I am a worship leader. I LOVE worshiping my Lord and Savior. Being in the presence of Almighty God is my favorite place to be. It's where I want to live forever.

That being said it is so not about me. It is all about HIM. Worship brings Him glory. Worshiping Him is my job. There is nothing wrong with loving your job. It is a very good gig indeed, an honor and a privilege and a beautiful joy, but HE is the focus. I am blessed, but that is so not my purpose or reason for being there, just a side benefit.

Interesting that Oswald Chamber’s Devotional for Sunday was....

Daily Reflections with Oswald Chambers [August 31, 2014]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3199110/posts

“My Joy . . . Your Joy”

” These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full —John 15:11 “

What was the joy that Jesus had? Joy should not be confused with happiness. In fact, it is an insult to Jesus Christ to use the word happiness in connection with Him. The joy of Jesus was His absolute self-surrender and self-sacrifice to His Father— the joy of doing that which the Father sent Him to do— “. . . who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross . . .” (Hebrews 12:2). “I delight to do Your will, O my God . . .” (Psalm 40:8). Jesus prayed that our joy might continue fulfilling itself until it becomes the same joy as His. Have I allowed Jesus Christ to introduce His joy to me?

Living a full and overflowing life does not rest in bodily health, in circumstances, nor even in seeing God’s work succeed, but in the perfect understanding of God, and in the same fellowship and oneness with Him that Jesus Himself enjoyed. But the first thing that will hinder this joy is the subtle irritability caused by giving too much thought to our circumstances. Jesus said, “. . . the cares of this world, . . . choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” (Mark 4:19). And before we even realize what has happened, we are caught up in our cares. All that God has done for us is merely the threshold— He wants us to come to the place where we will be His witnesses and proclaim who Jesus is.

Have the right relationship with God, finding your joy there, and out of you “will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). Be a fountain through which Jesus can pour His “living water.” Stop being hypocritical and proud, aware only of yourself, and live “your life . . . hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). A person who has the right relationship with God lives a life as natural as breathing wherever he goes. The lives that have been the greatest blessing to you are the lives of those people who themselves were unaware of having been a blessing.