Thoughts On Worship

Photo By Maessive (Flickr)

I’ve been thinking lately about the thought that worship is ALL about Jesus and that it’s not to do with us.

I’ve been thinking that in this day and age we’ve actually lost something of worship in this thought and understanding that we need to bring to light.

When we’re in relationship with someone, we bring part of who we are to the relationship, part of ourselves that we offer.

In worship when we come to God he says, “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind & strength”….so why is it that we take ourselves out of the picture and say it’s all about Jesus, it’s not about our emotions and it’s not about how we are feeling, we just need to focus on God.

However as I’ve been thinking about this - our emotions, our free will, our passion and our freedom is what sets us apart from the rest of creation. It’s what God has given us as a gift. Therefore when we worship it is about us to a point. We need to bring ourselves into the picture….we need to bring our HEARTS, our MINDS, our THOUGHTS, our EMOTION, our PASSION …..all of who we are….the good the bad and the ugly and bring it before him in worship.

God wants us, not our songs, not our money, not our works HE JUST WANTS US –(don’t get me wrong those things come with it) – but it’s all about God getting us – who we are! So next time you worship God – don’t pay him lip service cause you think you should – bring you into the picture….he wants you.

No I don’t think that our worship should be based around how we’re feeling or based on the situation that we’re facing – however I do think we need to bring the genuine reality of who you are into this relationship and let HIM change us and transform us!

Just a thought….i’ve been thinking...

Naomi

Are You 'Changed'?

I have been having a grand old time revisiting the book of 1 Samuel. I love reading the Word of God. It continually amazes me the fresh revelation to be had even when I have read the passages 100's of times.
Just yesterday I came upon this incredible piece of Scripture:

1Sa 10:5-7
(5) Next, go to Gibeah, where the Philistines have an army camp. As you're going into the town, you'll meet a group of prophets coming down from the place of worship. They'll be going along prophesying while others are walking in front of them, playing small harps, small drums, and flutes.
(6) The Spirit of the LORD will suddenly take control of you. You'll become a different person and start prophesying right along with them.
(7) After these things happen, do whatever you think is right! God will help you.

Just for some background... the prophesying mentioned here is not foretelling of the future or speaking words from God over a persons life. Instead it refers to a passionate and enthusiastic praising of God inspired by the Holy Spirit... or put slightly differently an ecstatic expression to an intense religious experience.

This wasn't just the run of the mill Sunday sing-song. These were powerful moments when people connected with God's presence.
Interesting how it says that from this sort of encounter Saul would become a changed man.
Which leads me to question... what happens when we are not regularly having these encounters? Do we simply slide back into our 'old selves' and 'old ways'?

Another interesting thought was that once Saul had these encounters, once he had met with God and was walking in the anointing... he was simply charged to 'do whatever you think is right.'
When we are walking from a fresh encounter with God we know that we are keeping in step with the Holy Spirit.
What happens when we aren't having these encounters?


I'd love to hear your thoughts about my thoughts : ) Go on... leave a comment!
Godspeed & Kaizan
Clive

What Does God Really Want?

The reality of worship – What does God really want? This has caught me off guard many times in my lifetime. Yeah it’s true people say it’s a lifestyle; it’s all that you do, and I agree, yet when we come down to actually do that it’s so easy to interpret the bible in the way that we want to.

For instance, one morning I was on worship leading and we were in the middle of rehearsal just before the service. God reminded me of the scripture I had been reading the day before…“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. FIRST go and be reconciled to your brother; THEN come and offer your gift.”
…Ouch! Now that was a hard pill to swallow. So to God my worship was not the songs that I was about to sing to him– but instead it was about me FIRST going before the service and humbling myself before my friend and apologizing and seeking forgiveness. Then he would receive my offering of praise and worship.

You see, we often come to God, at his altar and ask HIM to work out all our problems and issues with others - when he actually commands US to FIRST go and be reconciled with the other person BEFORE coming to him with adoration and praise.

I think we can over spiritualize our offerings to God, by bringing to Him all the issues we have with other people, yet never working it out with the person. Or the ‘spiritual’ act of asking God for direction in what we should do in the situation, when God’s Word is plan and simple.
So therefore is it an act of worship at all - or is it disobedience!

Until next time
Naomi

Its Time To Get Your Praise On!

I'm so pleased to have seen the sun out the last couple of days. Its so good to see spring before us. We've had some fantastic things happening around Hamilton this winter:

We've had a great O' Week outreach with our Uni ministry called Reverb. We've just bridged our first seeker life group from the outreach to a normal life group with a goal of starting 5 more before the end of the year.

We had a phenomenal Inspire conference... which just leaves you wondering how is it possible for us to top it next year?
With that we had exciting news about Ps Nick & Karen stepping into their apostolic calling and new senior pastors Sheridyn & Jan Rodgers joining us at the end of this year.

Then we had our first city wide youth event called ONE. About 500 youth from 20 odd churches ranging from the presberterian to baptist to us pentecostals. We had over 60 people responding to recommit their lives to Jesus with 13 first time decisions!
We also launched from this event an initiative to see a prayer meeting for the city / schools in every school / Uni / Polytech by July 09.

Then Fuel had there big outreach called MXC (Most Extreme Elimination Challenge) and Reverb had their Boost night.

The church held Thriving On A Shoe String which is a really neat community project and Vision College is holding their New Testament Survey on week nights.

What a great season! But for some it can leave us a little tired. So I thought I'd serve you up this beauty of a quote. Its easy when you're tired to notice whats wrong. But this can be an unhealthy downward spiral if all we can see are the negatives. So friends lets apply this quote, lets come out of winter praising God and ready to run into spring.

"The circumstances that you complain about become the chains that imprison you. And worship is the way out." Mark Batterson

1 Thes 5: 17 - 18
7pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Until next time...

Godspeed & Kaizan
Clive

Definitions of Worship & Evangelism

"Worship is bragging about God to God.
Evangelism is bragging about God to others."
Ps Mark Batterson