The objective of the LOOK UP process is to encourage believers in Christ to go beyond mere Church membership and to grow in their loving relationship with God as a disciple. This requires looking up!
"Look Up" - has to do with loving God by experiencing His presence.
The First Stage in Discipling is to "Look Up"- The Greatest Commandment is to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. It's all about Shema! (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
SHEMA- Is a hebrew word which has to do with acknowledging God as the one and only true God. It has to do with understanding the command to Love God and learning how to apply your love for Him. At CWAM, we also use the letters in the word Shema as an acronym for SEEKING, HIM, EVER, MORE, ANXIOUSLY! David said, "...as the deer panteth for the water, Oh my soul longeth after you Oh Lord!"
Note: We learn to love God by 1st of all learning to keep His commandments.
Spiritual disciplines become the catalyst in positioning us into keeping His commandments and developing a loving relationship with the Father. Scriptural meditation, solitude, confession, all kinds of prayers and personal scriptural devotions are daily activities in both our individual and LTG settings.
S H E M A
(Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
SEEKING- This involves seeking the face of God instead of the hand of God. We all want God to move in some way to deal with our many circumstances but the Shema involves simply loving on God...adoring His Majesty and basking in His awesome presence...praising Him for who He is...Elohim! We seek first the Kingdom of God and HIS righteousness and all these other things will be added.
HIM- Seeking HIM is so Huge! Besides HIM, there is no other. He is God all by HIMself. He is the Great I AM. The everlasting One. Knowing HIM requires more than casual church attendance but a daily dying of self and acknowledging that it is not about you but about HIM!
EVER- At all times, always...God is the same yesterday, today and forEVER. We can always depend on Him for ever and ever; because He is always there. David said, "He is an EVER present help in a time of trouble" (Ps 46:1). He also said, "Whither shall I go from thy Spirit... If I acend up into heaven thou art there, if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there, if I take wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me..." (Ps 139:7-10)
MORE- Jesus said, "I have come that you might have life and have it MORE abundantly." To LOOK UP involves experiencing MORE of God than what you get on a Sunday morning or Wednesday night biblestudy but what you experience while journeying with Him on a daily basis. Your daily devotional life overflows as you walk with Him. You reach a point in your life where you always want MORE spiritual and relational vitality. To LOOK UP involves thirsting for MORE of God.
ANXIOUSLY- David was known as a man after Gods own heart. In Psalms 63:6, it says, "On my bed I remember you: I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings."
Churches With A Mission International Ministries
P.O. Box 14389
Houston, TX 77221
cwamhope@aol.com
Phone: 713 819-2258
Or use our contact form.
"Our vision is to strategically reposition ourselves in order to allow the Holy Spirit to create 'Communitas' within the body of Christ through the renewal of the mind as each of us in turn reflect His transforming glory to one another through the reticulation of one-on-one discipleship. As a result, our Spirit-led goal, as transformational agents is to organically replicate His presence within urban, suburban and remote pockets of communities beginning within and without the city of Houston,Texas...however the Spirit leads" (Rom 12:2, Luke 4:18, 2Cor.3:17-18)
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Church With A Mission is a 501(C)3 Organization