The King Loves Me

The King said that He loves me.
He told me so.
The King. God.
Who is He?
And who am I?

The first day of all eternity has come.
My life will never end
Because of the King.
We are together.
And it will always be.

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.
It is what He said.
And how He said it.
It was said. It was told.
He told me.
He did.

The King loves me.
I am His.
How profound of an assumption,
To be considered anything 
Less than His.

It went away: the shame, the guilt, the fear.
Because He came in
And said He loved me.
He loves me.
He will love me.
Forever and ever.

by inspiration, 5/7/2022


Who is the King?

close up portrait of lion

And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

Exodus 3:14 (NKJV)


Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. 

Psalm 45:6 (NKJV)

I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever. 

Psalm 145:1 (NKJV)


Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”

Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” 

John 18:37 (NKJV)


John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.

To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 

Revelation 1:4-6 (NKJV)



God Loves Me


He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” 

John 14:21 (NKJV)


In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. 

John 16:26-27 (NKJV)

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written:

“For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:35-39 (NKJV)


I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 

Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)


Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. 

Revelation 3:9 (NKJV)



I Belong to God

portrait of young woman reaching up

Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him? Everything under heaven is Mine. 

Job 41:11 (NKJV)


“If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness. 

Psalm 50:12 (NKJV)


“Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die. 

Ezekiel 18:4 (NKJV)



And you shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine. 

Leviticus 20:26 (NKJV)

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 

Hebrews 8:10 (NKJV)



I am Made Holy Through Christ


But you shall be named the priests of the Lord, They shall call you the servants of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, And in their glory you shall boast. Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs.

Isaiah 61:6-7 (NKJV)


For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

Colossians 1:19-23 (NKJV)

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

We love Him because He first loved us. 

1 John 4:18-19 (NKJV)



I Live for Eternity with God

white clouds

For You meet him with the blessings of goodness; You set a crown of pure gold upon his head. He asked life from You, and You gave it to him— Length of days forever and ever. His glory is great in Your salvation; Honor and majesty You have placed upon him. For You have made him most blessed forever; You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence.

Psalm 21:3-6 (NKJV)


For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 

John 3:16 (NKJV)


But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 

Ephesians 2:4-7 (NKJV)


Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

I heard this in prayer today

For every person who sees what is happening in the world and who is fearful:
STOP! Says the Lord God.
Stop the fear.
Stop the anxiety.
Stop the worry.
Do not take fear. Do not take bitterness.
Do not take anger, or doubt.
I have you, and I will not drop you.
As I have cared for you before, as I always have, I will care for you now.
No man is more powerful than God.
And no one can stop God’s plan.
Says the Lord God.

Welcome to Fitness for Worship

Welcome!

Fitness for Worship was established to inspire people to live healthy and affliction free through fitness and a firm foundation in truth.
I believe that every person has a God-ordained right to be healthy, pain-free and fully satisfied.

Be Inspired. Get Fit. Worship!


Be Inspired

My mission is to inspire believers to live their lives according to God’s vision for them.

God has promised us health, prosperity, salvation and satisfaction with the life he has given to us (3 John 2, Psalm 68:19-20, Psalm 91:14-16).

However, instead of receiving God’s promises, many people are sick, in pain and disappointed with their lives.

The Bible says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6). You cannot believe in a truth that you have not heard.

Fitness for Worship seeks to present God’s vision, the Truth, and to inspire you to claim it for yourself.

Fitness for Worship is not for “Christians.”

John 3:16-17 states:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

The Bible does not promise perks to “Christians.” The promises of God are available to anyone who hears them, believes them, and claims them for themselves. Faith, believing and trusting God, is a minimum requirement to receive God’s promises. There is a distinct difference between “Christian” and “believer,” and I believe that believers are the ones who grab ahold of God’s truths.


Get Fit.

Our health is our most important asset.

Fitness for Worship believes that the first step to living in health is to believe that you can achieve and maintain it. Your physical health is influenced by your lifestyle choices such as nutrition and physical activity, as well as genetics, mindset and other factors.

As a fitness trainer, I believe that most people can benefit from:

  • Building and maintaining the endurance to participate in activities you enjoy
  • Building strength and cardiovascular fitness
  • Correcting muscle imbalances and movement restrictions that can hinder mobility
  • Preventing injuries or repeated injuries (through proper movement)

Fitness centers tend to focus on the body but they neglect the spirit.

Churches tend to focus on the spirit but they can neglect the body.

Fitness for Worship offers a blend of physical fitness, mental health and faith services to serve the whole person.


Worship!

I seek to inspire believers to worship.

Worship is a lifestyle that comes through a relationship with God. Just like any other relationship in our lives, we will get to know God better the more time we spend with him. As we read the word, pray, and meditate on scripture, we will develop our faith in who God is and who we are. Your spiritual health is dependent upon your relationship with God.

In John 4:23-24, Jesus said:

“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.

God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Why do we worship God?

What does it mean to worship?


Here are three principles to live by:

1. Know the Truth

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

John 8:31-32

2. Be Healthy

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

3 john 2-4

3. Be Satisfied

“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”

Psalm 91:14-16

About Michelle

Michelle Barnes is the founder of Fitness for Worship.

I am a creative writer and fitness coach with a passion for health and development of the whole person: spirit, soul and body.

I am certified as a Personal Trainer and Corrective Exercise Specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and I am a graduate of the National Personal Training Institute (NPTI).

I am a member of Agape Embassy Ministries in Virginia, USA. I completed the Christian Foundation Institute in 2018, which examines Biblical foundation principles in accordance with Hebrews 6:1-3.

I am a worshipper.

My purpose is to inspire you to live according to God’s vision.

You have a God-ordained right to be healthy, pain-free and fully satisfied. Seize your wellbeing through fitness and bold confidence in the Truth.

My favorite scripture is 3 John 2: “Beloved, I wish above all things that you be prosperous, and in health, as your soul prospers.”


Scripture References

3 John 2-4 (NKJV): 2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Psalm 68:19-20 (NKJV): 19 Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits,The God of our salvation! Selah 20 Our God is the God of salvation; And to God the Lord belong escapes from death.

Psalm 91:14-16 (NKJV): 14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”

Hosea 4:6 (NKJV): My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

John 3:16-17 (NKJV): 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

John 4:23-24 (NKJV): 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Hebrews 6:1-3 (NKJV): Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.