Joy of Worship

Here's a long, but a worthy BlOg for you!

I woke up at 5:20 this morning to let the girl of a single mom in. I felt a bit exhausted and decided to go back to sleep. But something else happened. I didn't go back into the deep state of sleep. I just simply closed my eyes and rested my body after a 4 wonderful days of worship to our God! The Spirit in me was singing the songs sung last night and the night before, especially hearing the ooooh's and ahhh's of Joyful Noise praise team and pondered the life of Jennie Jackson, her frustrating struggles with marriage, her husbands' molestation on their children, crack with another man who she thought was a "Christian", and finally the grandest victory in Jesus when she fully gave her life to the Lord and was baptized in 1996 then hearing her southern Christian gospel song, "You Are The Potter and I Am The Clay"! It moved me even more last night! I was sitting with a good friend, Art Roehring, a deaf blind man who was brought by one of our regulars, Karen Schettle and along with our sis in Christ, Monica Shimmin and Karen, helped with the interpreting for Art. I cannot go on and explain everything that the Lord had provided us last weekend: Rev5, Children's Ensemble, Movement Ministry, EverPraise, Singing Holy Hands and those who shared their testimonies of how our wonderful and loving God had shown His power and providence leading these people to a never-forgetting "Defining Moments" (life changing experience)!

I believe this is one of the "JOY's OF WORSHIP"! It's not about entertainment. It's hearing/seeing God's story in various forms, whether by preaching, bible teaching, testimonials or even singing! Looking back into the Old Testament when Israel walked with God for 40 years, there's always a time to worship God. We worship God everyday: in our homes, in our business place, on the road, with the congregation and everywhere! God calls people to come and worship Him. 2 million plus Israelites (men, women and children) come and surround the tabernacle of God to worship Him. He fills them with all kinds of blessings. I am sure there will be those in these millions who do not fully understand the true meaning of worship. They continue to grumble. They complain to Moses that it is too hard! The desert experience led most of the Israelites to a state of disorient, bewilderment. They become too attached to negatives of their surrounding and not holding and trusting on the joy of worshipping their true God. They're nearsighted about the great possibilities God can do.

A few hundreds of years later, David came to life. In many places and many times during His life, he longed to worship God. I mean that he was, literally, consumed with longing! Man! Isn't that what we're supposed to have in our hearts today, "literally CONSUMED WITH LONGING TO WORSHIP OUR GOD!" It is my prayer that we're not like those Israelites with what I am going to call, "D.E.S." (Desert Experience Syndrome). We stay home or we have a long "to do" lists that needs to be done. We allow the "D.E.S" of the world to overcome us. It's a syndrome that has given us a terrible delusion. We are unable to grasp the awesome power of God and all of His possibilities! We focus on the well-being of ourselves rather than allowing God to drench us with His blessings when we worship Him. If we're diagnosed with the "D.E.S", we don't understand the joy of worshipping God, regardless of all circumstances. If you're telling me that I don't understand your problems and that you have given not only me but God an excuse, didn't the Israelites say and do the very same thing to Moses. So what do we do? What should we do?

I WANT TO GO TO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD, REGARDLESS!

Psalms 122:1- "I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go into the house of the LORD.""

Those around David desires to come together with David to worship God! They were glad (joyful) to do it!

THE THIRST FOR WORSHIP SHOULD BE OUR ATTITUDE - it's not about time, it's not about what you need to do after Sunday's gathering, it's all about God. Your time is God's time. He desires Your attention.

Psalms 42:1-2- "As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. {2} My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?"

Go to the STREAMS OF LIVING WATER where all the abundance of God's blessings overflow!

Matthew 5:6- "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled."

John 6:33- "For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world."

Amen? Well, I can't hear you! Amen! And amen!!

It's a thirst to come together. We ought to be excited about coming together! If you're not coming together faithfully, you're missing the grandest opportunity!

Hebrews 10:25- "not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

Haven't you read about David? He wishes he was like the birds that "dwelt in the tabernacle" because the birds were there all the time to be with God! What a testimony! That's the attitude we all need to have. I rather spend the whole Sunday with Christians than sitting at home doing nothing!

SO GOD IDENTIFIES THOSE WHO ARE TRUE WORSHIPPERS!
(This is a part where you need to examine your own heart. Are you the person God wants to see? Who are you before the Living God!?)

1 Peter 2:5- "you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."

Romans 12:12- "rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;

Paul wrote to the church in Rome to rejoice in the hope they have, to be patient during the tribulations of individuals and c-o-n-t-i-n-u-e steadfastly in prayer!

Philippians 4:4- "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!"

Hebrews 11:6- "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

Did you see this? "..without faith it is impossible.." Let me help Paul say it again, "..impossible.." "..to please Him." You gotta have faith, people!

1 John 5:4- "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith."

When we reverse this verse, "If the world overcomes you, you're not born of God.." "If the world has overcome you stripping the victory from you, you're a person without faith!." Trust in God and that His Word will lead you to living a faithful life.

When we trust in God, worship is more MEANINGFUL! That's the JOY OF WORSHIP! Brother Tim Stewart emailed me, this morning, telling me how God has really lifted him up with His stories and songs! He is on cloud 9 with God! I pray this is the same for those who came, not only yesterday, but also last night! Worship is a great joy for the true child of God. It is an opportunity to come before God, hear His story and express our gratitude for the greatness of God and the salvation that He has given as a gift to us.

Thank You, God! We love You!

Other LINKS:

Pictures: http://www.fxcc.org/events/definingmoments/2005-01.asp

Bruce Black's comments: "Defining Moments" http://bruce-black.blogspot.com/