It's different, this ministry in the southern United States. The very cultural atmosphere is so distinct than that which was our predominant culture for so many years. While we sang wonderful songs and hymns in this morning's worship, for example, NO ONE showed up with a tamborine. The drums were silent. There was no guitar, trumpet, or sax. It was just piano and organ. My senses, once regularly assailed by such beautiful (but too loud) music, have had to adjust to our more subdued worship styles.
Or, do they? Worship is what I make of it. The intensity of worship does not begin in the sensory canals of my ears. It does not begin with my eyes, hands, feet, or any other part of my body. It does not even begin in my soul--that place of the heart, mind, emotions, and the will.
Worship is a choice, yes; but worship begins in my spirit. "They that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." Some say that "spirit" is properly capitalized: Spirit. Still, THE Spirit speaks to MY spirit and there worship begins.
If worship begins in the Spirit speaking to the spirit of man, then something important needs to be understood: you don't need all the external trappings that we often think are necessary to worship.
Matt Redman learned that lesson several years ago. The result was his song, "The Heart of Worship."
Thanks to Mr. Redman for listening to the Holy Spirit and teaching us via that great song.
Tonight, I choose to worship. I choose to let it begin in my spirit, not in the seat of all those senses that God has also given me to enjoy and relate to this world. If my senses are suddenly surprised by something more akin to what I have grown more accustomed to, wonderful. If not, it does not matter.
It is, after all, all about HIM.
Showing posts with label worship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label worship. Show all posts
Sunday, May 02, 2010
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Free to Worship?
This Sunday, when you are in your relative comfort and freedom to worship the Lord Jesus, whether you do it in a house church or traditional setting, remember this story, found here. New Iranian followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, along with their house church leader, were arrested recently. In Iran, you are free to worship, just so long as it is the false god Allah. If an Iranian wants to follow Jesus, he is as good as dead. Yet men and women are turning to Jesus; why? They love the Lord Jesus more than their own lives.
In Pakistan, the Christians face the same kinds of horror. Muslims told one couple that guilt or innocence (of blasphemy against Islam) did not matter; they would kill them anyway. Death is the only thing a follower of Jesus deserves, according to these twisted men.
If you think this is isolated, maybe this story will be a little closer to home, especially if you live in a state like California. San Diego (or nearby) authorities have decide his home Bible study of five years is an unlawful assembly. The pastor and his wife are facing fines of up to a thousand dollars a day for gathering to worship.
Now granted, facing a fine does not even come close to the persecution others face. But wake up! It's a step in that direction. Forces against Christianity in the Western world are feeling bolder each day. Your freedom to worship will soon fade away, if something does not change.
It may well be that is what it will take to bring revival to the Western church. Also, it may well be that this will be the final days before the return of Jesus, something we Christians are exhorted to look for and desire.
Enjoy your freedom while you have it!
In Pakistan, the Christians face the same kinds of horror. Muslims told one couple that guilt or innocence (of blasphemy against Islam) did not matter; they would kill them anyway. Death is the only thing a follower of Jesus deserves, according to these twisted men.
If you think this is isolated, maybe this story will be a little closer to home, especially if you live in a state like California. San Diego (or nearby) authorities have decide his home Bible study of five years is an unlawful assembly. The pastor and his wife are facing fines of up to a thousand dollars a day for gathering to worship.
Now granted, facing a fine does not even come close to the persecution others face. But wake up! It's a step in that direction. Forces against Christianity in the Western world are feeling bolder each day. Your freedom to worship will soon fade away, if something does not change.
It may well be that is what it will take to bring revival to the Western church. Also, it may well be that this will be the final days before the return of Jesus, something we Christians are exhorted to look for and desire.
Enjoy your freedom while you have it!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
A Song of Praise
It's Sunday. The Lord's Day. Resurrection Day.
Think of it: around the world in the past several hours men, women, and children confessed that Jesus Christ is Lord. Some did it for the first time, giving control of their lives over to the one whose name is above all names. How many times today do you suppose the pure joy over repentant sinners caused the halls of heaven to thunder with praise to the Lamb? In that glimpse of heaven, John said the praise to the Lamb was thunderous, like the sound of many waters. And to think, we had the opportunity to unite our voices with theirs, bringing glory to the Lord all over the world.
And the Lord has to be praised. Jesus said that if man did not praise God, the rocks themselves would cry out. All creation praises the Lord. Those pesky birds we hear at daylight praise God. The cricket in the middle of the night praises God. The lion roaring out in the wilds of Africa praises God. Everything that has breath will praise God, because God will be praised.
All mankind will confess Jesus as Lord; some will do it now (May it be billions who do so!); some, sadly enough, will do it as they suffer forever in a hell God never wanted to send them to.
Confess the Lord Jesus now. Praise him now. Honor him now. Sing to the Lord a song of praise.
Think of it: around the world in the past several hours men, women, and children confessed that Jesus Christ is Lord. Some did it for the first time, giving control of their lives over to the one whose name is above all names. How many times today do you suppose the pure joy over repentant sinners caused the halls of heaven to thunder with praise to the Lamb? In that glimpse of heaven, John said the praise to the Lamb was thunderous, like the sound of many waters. And to think, we had the opportunity to unite our voices with theirs, bringing glory to the Lord all over the world.
And the Lord has to be praised. Jesus said that if man did not praise God, the rocks themselves would cry out. All creation praises the Lord. Those pesky birds we hear at daylight praise God. The cricket in the middle of the night praises God. The lion roaring out in the wilds of Africa praises God. Everything that has breath will praise God, because God will be praised.
All mankind will confess Jesus as Lord; some will do it now (May it be billions who do so!); some, sadly enough, will do it as they suffer forever in a hell God never wanted to send them to.
Confess the Lord Jesus now. Praise him now. Honor him now. Sing to the Lord a song of praise.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Blended Worship
This morning, after my prayer time, I turned on the local news broadcast. I learned some interesting things. First, today (June 24th) is Saint John's Day. Now, you would think that this meant that folks would be excited over the life of John, the Beloved Disciple. He was the one who sat next to Jesus, leaning against him during the Lord's last Passover celebration with the disciples. He was the one who, led by the Holy Spirit, penned simply and powerfully those words that have changed perhaps billions of lives.
The celebration in this part of South America, however, is different. The celebration I saw on TV was the clearest evidence of a successful blend of a form of Christianity and folk religions from both the jungle and the mountains of Peru. Scantily-clad young ladies representing jungle worship gyrated to music, while pythons slithered and slid over their arms and shoulders. To their right, and just behind them, sat six witchdoctors with their potions laid out, calling on their gods. Beyond them were others, vigourously shaking their bottles of beer, spraying one another, and dancing to different kinds of music blaring in the background. It was a cacophony of sounds, none of which had anything to do with John or Jesus, or the true God.
But that is life in this particular form of Christianity. One of their religious leaders once told me that they discovered that, so long as they allowed the locals to incorporate the former gods into the worship, all would be well. So he allowed men and women to worship the sun, the mountain gods, the wind, the moon, and other animistic things. It is not uncommon for a statue of some saint being paraded through the streets to have inside of it the figurine of some local deity. Often, once the local religious leader leaves a mountain church, a witchdoctor will enter the same building to hold his religious services.
"Horrible!," you cry. You turn your head in disgust. And so you should. But before you lift another stone, consider your own ways. What have you added to Jesus that does not belong? I went to a local church in the southern United States not long ago who had to cancel services so that the members could spend the entire day in the cemetary. It's called Decoration Day. I know of churches whose age-old traditions carry more value than the written, clear word of God; is that god any different than those of the mountain religions? If something stands taller than God, it's too big. If something moves you more than God, it's in the way.
It's this kind of blended worship that makes God sick. And you thought I was going to speak of hymns and praise songs...! Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength!
The celebration in this part of South America, however, is different. The celebration I saw on TV was the clearest evidence of a successful blend of a form of Christianity and folk religions from both the jungle and the mountains of Peru. Scantily-clad young ladies representing jungle worship gyrated to music, while pythons slithered and slid over their arms and shoulders. To their right, and just behind them, sat six witchdoctors with their potions laid out, calling on their gods. Beyond them were others, vigourously shaking their bottles of beer, spraying one another, and dancing to different kinds of music blaring in the background. It was a cacophony of sounds, none of which had anything to do with John or Jesus, or the true God.
But that is life in this particular form of Christianity. One of their religious leaders once told me that they discovered that, so long as they allowed the locals to incorporate the former gods into the worship, all would be well. So he allowed men and women to worship the sun, the mountain gods, the wind, the moon, and other animistic things. It is not uncommon for a statue of some saint being paraded through the streets to have inside of it the figurine of some local deity. Often, once the local religious leader leaves a mountain church, a witchdoctor will enter the same building to hold his religious services.
"Horrible!," you cry. You turn your head in disgust. And so you should. But before you lift another stone, consider your own ways. What have you added to Jesus that does not belong? I went to a local church in the southern United States not long ago who had to cancel services so that the members could spend the entire day in the cemetary. It's called Decoration Day. I know of churches whose age-old traditions carry more value than the written, clear word of God; is that god any different than those of the mountain religions? If something stands taller than God, it's too big. If something moves you more than God, it's in the way.
It's this kind of blended worship that makes God sick. And you thought I was going to speak of hymns and praise songs...! Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength!
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