DELIBERATELY PURSUING GOD
PART 12
CONSIDERING OTHERS

How many times do we as musicians and singers consider the band member that stands on stage with us? Do we admire their talent and respect their sacrifice as being important to God? How much do we pray for their spiritual well-being and development? They are fighting in the same spiritual warfare and against the same enemy as we are. They are struggling through some of the same issues that we are and trying to allow God to stretch them – just like us. Have you ever stopped and thought about a brother or sister that has been given a musical ministry and how they battle stress, worry, anxiety, jealousy, inferiority, fatigue, fear, envy, personality conflicts, strife, frustration, aggravation, pride, burnout and apathy. I realize that it is a lot of work to just deal with ourselves but what about us praying for others that they will be successful in God also? How serious do we see others as fellow ministers of the gospel and how much do we “hope” they accomplish their personal mission? Do you believe that encouraging others might have a positive effect in your own attitude and ministry? I am so glad you answered yes!

It is not about who is the best or who is in front because the gifts and talents are mixed together to produce one spiritual sound. We practice in private throughout the week because the more skilled an individual becomes the better the entire group becomes. Every team member must see the big picture of this unified “sound” and not become jealous or envious of those who have different gifts or might be experiencing a season of rich anointing. Let us rejoice and be happy for one another when God chooses to bless individuals. It is very important for the entire team to concentrate on God with the eyes of their heart and be reminded their labor is a holy personal offering of an alabaster box of love. This attitude and state of consciousness is nothing new because the daily Christian life always involves sacrifice, sensitivity and surrender; it is the nature of Jesus. Being a leader (we are all leaders) is not creating our own visions and concepts of God’s power and glory but simply listening to His voice and confidently following the perfect destiny of HIS purpose. It is inviting Him to come into our midst and allowing Him to be Himself.

Yes, it is true our personality and ability is an important part of the effectiveness but we must remember that even this is a part of the “spiritual” calling. We are anointed to do what God has destined us to accomplish. Worship is a form of communication to God and about God and together we present a unified effort that earnestly seeks the super-natural manifestation of God. Worship is an expression of our love.

God is doing something specific with each of his children all over the world at the same time. Everyone is at a different ministry level in their personal relationship with the Lord and we must be aware of this beautiful, constant “snapshot” of progressive maturity. As leaders we need to not only observe and discern the spirits but also to consistently search within ourselves the motives and attitudes of our own thoughts and actions. May we lay down our agendas and try to help others develop in order that we might see God’s Kingdom flourish. It will be the difference between us just playing music and us becoming a musical “bridge builder” in God’s Kingdom. Our purpose is to honor God – our calling is to edify His people – and our destination is His throne. We sacrifice our time because we offer ourselves as a servant under the Lordship of our master. And in humility we serve each other because we sense and are learning how much compassion God has for everyone. This gift of holiness and righteousness included as part of our total salvation comes with a built-in “burden” and concern for all souls. Who will we see the revelation that our love “awareness” is not just for the lost but also for our fellow laborers?

It is always about motives, attitudes, and the intentions of our heart. It is not about us and all that we can do – it is being completely dependent on the Holy Spirit. Whether leading worship, teaching, praying for the sick, leading a ministry or anything else connected with Kingdom deeds, it is not our “power” that accomplishes the work. When we demonstrate a religious performance it is only a shadow, an imposter, a generic substitute of the genuine but when God flows through us, we sense HIS presence and see HIS glory. When we step on stage we are entering into a realm where nothing is impossible because the words of God are being “launched” into the ears and hearts of those who are thirsty. We take our position as a “sower of seed” and by faith we believe that God can change any situation. We are a team of farmers trying to be used as plows so that God can plant His LIFE. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell in unity!” (Psalm 133:1)

DELIBERATELY PURSUING GOD
PART 11
HOLY GROUND

To worship God in Spirit and truth, one must receive the revelation of divine knowledge and understanding of His holiness. Without it our subconscious produces a lower, earthly way of thinking that say’s he is just another king trying to rule us. There is a danger of trying to lean too much to the earthly Jesus and not enough to the reality that He was always the King of all Kings. When men and their new styles of church try to present God as one of us, it is much easier to manage Him and debate His teachings. The liberal crowd tries to portray Him as a regular guy with regular problems in order to make Him more approachable. The truth is that no one can approach Him unless they are miraculously drawn by His super-natural power. The idea of humans checking Him out and accepting Him is advertising Him like an option or a brand name. This is an attitude that has damaged the understanding and view of God to the church and the world. When seeds of disrespect are planted they grow into a twisted concept of who God really is. When the holiness of God becomes distorted it does not take long for His word to become misinterpreted and mingled with humanism which opens the floodgates of heresy and sin.

God is so holy and mysterious; He can only be fathomed through tiny cracks in the spiritual realm of grace of love and we must leave Him high and lifted up because that is the only way He can be adored. We sing that we long to touch Him but as we try to take Him into our imagination we discover He is too much for us to fully comprehend. Why do the angels in Isaiah chapter 6 cover their eyes and feet and why do the twenty four elders in Revelation chapter 4 fall down before Him and cast their crowns? Because His glory and Majesty is so overwhelming and spectacular, we are reduced to the expression of worship as we bow down with all creation. He holds the galaxies in His hand; He knows every thought in every mind and even sees every sparrow – all at the same time. He is so magnificent and omnipotent that darkness hides and the brilliance of His glory illuminates as far as the East is from the West. Infinity, eternity and perfection are His attributes. As He passes, our eyes ache from the reflection of His person and through the cleft of the rock we remain breathless because that is all we can handle and still live. Even those who have seen and been in the presence of His angels fall on their faces as dead men because it is too overwhelming to the senses. When will we realize there is no difference when we step on stage and experience the power of God’s presence than when Moses was told to remove his shoes because the ground he was standing on was holy ground? Or what is the difference between us moving from the outer courts of praise into the paralyzing peace of His presence and the Tabernacle priest that carried the blood into the Holy of Holies? God has not changed; He demands total reverence – and rightly so.

When we disrespect Him it reveals our lack of understanding and wisdom to know the realities of His person. When we do not take it seriously it is similar to taking the communion without self examination. It is a very serious and dangerous act of mockery to stand before God without a humble and repentant state of mind and spirit. We must have confidence in believing He is who He say’s He is, because without this revelation of His holiness our subconscious produces a lower, earthly way of thinking that say’s he is just another king trying to rule us. Our concept of God effects how we act and this in turn can have an influence on others either good or bad. (People are watching how we respect God and building their own ideas from what they observe in us.) But no matter how the world perceives His omniscience, it does not change the way He is.

We will never truly worship Him unless we know that we can depend on Him completely. To know Christ is to love Him and those who love Him will worship Him. In the realm of worship there must be a sense of awe and reverential fear accompanying our holy knowledge and divine wisdom or it is not true worship. As our relationship grows stronger we learn to trust Him as the perfect authority of all things and that He is worthy of all adoration. A.W. Tozer once said, “Churches do not succeed in trying to “induce” reverence. You cannot do it with statues, beautiful stained glass windows, choir robes and talking through your adenoids. But a man who has passed the veil and looked even briefly upon the face of Isaiah’s God can never be irreverent again.” Humility and brokenness is a spiritual state of mind and an attitude that realizes how truly awesome God is. As this revelation grows and develops, His presence floods our heart and conscience as we are transformed (daily) into a clearer image of His character.

WONDERS OF WORSHIP
PART 10
VISION AND DIVINE ORDER

The true church of Jesus Christ is a mystery not hidden from us but preserved for us. This unified body of believers is birthed from a holy vision of the Almighty and as with every spiritual truth there is always a general lack of understanding and that unfortunately brings consequences. “My people are destroyed for the lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” (Hosea 4:6)

Of course each child of God is a member of the universal church but I want to focus on the corporate institution or visible, local, organized gathering of believers. When it comes to spiritual authority of course we acknowledge Christ as the head of the church and must always, ultimately submit to God in all things. And we will say with our mouth that we respect whom God has placed to lead the flock but our thoughts and actions sometimes prove something else. Most Christians agree that each truly called pastor is given a vision, direction and responsibility directly from the throne of heaven for a particular location and congregation. While there may be some truth in the idea that the desires of the “people” establish the style within the assembly that gives its own unique personality, the government within the church is based on a holy order not made with hands. Others may think the elders, evangelist, teachers, apostles, prophets or even the worship leaders are the actual visionaries and spiritual authority. What does all this have to do with worship? Maybe more than you think.

If you ask each Christian what they would like to see in the area of worship or church ministries you would find there are many different opinions and ideas to make the church better and more efficient. The problems come when the wound of dissatisfaction becomes a painful infection of discouragement. This leads to private discussions that are intended to help but usually just grow into more sadness and misery. People have sincere intentions to see God meet the needs of the people but do not realize the enemy can use negative gossip and critical attitudes to start an avalanche of fear and hopelessness. This is a snare trap that Satan can use to steal our joy and enthusiasm for service, bring lukewarmness to our soul, decrease the anointing in our worship services and hinder the encouragement and edification to those who need ministry. How can we serve on the worship team if we cannot trust the leadership? What can we do when the dark clouds of restlessness and complaining flood into the church? Lots of prayer! We must first know this is where God wants us, and then realize that if the leaders are wrong God will deal with them – but bless our obedience to HIS divine authority. We must also make sure that we stand strong with biblical truth in our conversations and not compromise what God has revealed to us. He is depending on us to share His truth and will anoint the messenger that chooses to deliver His message in love.

Our corporate worship with our spiritual family is a holy celebration, an outward proclamation of unity, love and faith and is equally as important but yet separate from our personal “closet” quiet time with God to adore and express our love to Him. In corporate worship and church membership we are identifying with Christ, representing His Kingdom and submitting under His perfect Word of justice and truth. I’m not saying the under-Shepard is perfect because they are far from it but that is not the point – none of us are. What I am saying is that with all of the problems and warfare you can imagine they are called and “selected” to be the receiver, the amplifier and the speaker to the people; that includes following God’s specific instructions. This kind of responsibility is a pressure cooker because of the worries that come from trying to please God plus the overload of advice from every “arm chair quarterback” that wants to help steer the ship. What the Lord is trying to teach His saints is not only the reverential fear of His presence but also to respect the direct line of authority in the office of pastor. I am not talking about a general idea of religious structure I am referring to a personal “revelation” of respect for God’s systematical decree. The Father wants His people to trust and follow His voice but He also wants us to acknowledge and respect the pastor as the one who brings God’s appointed word of healing and ministry – in God’s perfect time – and who is the visionary of the worship and glory of God’s presence.

There are true stories of church members in Kentucky who have brought guns to business meetings. We may laugh but this is an extreme example of an infected attitude of rebellion against a holy established order of spiritual headship. We would agree this is a dangerous state of mind and a blind spiritual condition but when people murmur and complain against the leadership of the pastor is it not the same spirit? We remember that Jesus was anointed to preach the gospel and lead the people in a heavenly direction but was challenged and rejected by those He was trying to save. Many had their own visions of what the Kingdom should look like and sound like while the Alpha and Omega was standing right in front of them. How can we trust the sincerity of a pastor if we do not love him? How can we worship God and cry for His presence if we do not love and obey His divine order? If the church is not going the way we think it should, we have two options; get planted where God wants us to be or pray harder that God will open our eyes. Translation: adjust your attitude or your location? God does not want to “prune” the rebellious ones from the assembly unless they refuse to seek His face and allow the spirit of control to damage what God is trying to build. It is dangerous to continue in this destructive attitude as God will correct it.

Just because many assemblies do not function correctly does not mean that God has not created a perfect blueprint for vision and order within His church. Our commitment and loyalty must first be to Christ, then to our Pastor, and next to our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ. Establishing these priorities are a strong foundation of commitment and a crucial part of a healthy Christian life. When we receive the divine revelation of God’s principals we progress and develop in spiritual maturity. But when we increase in pride from religious information without God’s holy enlightenment we become a hindrance and destined for failure. The refusal to follow this holy pattern could be why many have not advanced in their ministry.

This word is a hard word for all of us and we all have lots of problems and issues that we need to deal with. It must be studied from a spiritual, biblical perspective without any “coaching” from our emotions. Let us rest in the peace in knowing that God is not trying to rule us with an iron fist or torture us with an evil agenda that receives pleasure from our pain. He wants us to realize we are standing on Holy ground in His presence and He wants us to understand; the vision and order of God’s church is perfect and just as strong and pure as it has ever been. Jesus is trying to do a deep work in all of us so we can handle the next level of power and anointing that He is ready to pour out through us. May we examine our hearts, repent, renew our mind and complete our victorious mission!

DELIBERATELY PURSUING GOD
PART NINE
TAKING OUT THE TRASH

How long will it take for us to realize that without repenting before we go stage our praise service will be as powerless as a soap opera? Just as we examine ourselves before we take communion we must also deal with our sin and allow Him to purify us with His blood. It is preparation; like being sharpened, cleansed, purged, grinded, sanded, washed and renewed: this is what yielding our will to Him and willingly laying on His sacrificial alter is all about. Just like the Old Testament Priest that was very careful to enter with a pure heart, we too must keep a check on our thoughts and attitudes. If there is any garbage between us and the Lord – we will not really want to take that step into the Holy of Holies. This is why we ask God to forgive us each time we worship – we are openly professing that we realize our need to constantly “take out the trash.”

When we come before His throne we must “prepare” our heart for the bright, penetrating light of His holiness to shine into our conscience and flood our senses with His Glory. Is there a connection between living in a pure conscience and why we clean house when we know company is coming?

The image of Christ is to be reflected from us to all people but how can His perfect purity come from within or be reflected from dirty vessels? We do not step on the stage with an agenda to manipulate or perform a rock show but we draw near and reach out to Him because we love who He is and are hungry and thirsty for His presence. God cannot and will not be contained or controlled by our religious programs or made to fit into our ministry schedule. As soon as we create a system or a formula and think we have it all figured out; we miss him. We cannot demand or command Him; we cannot manipulate Him or bargain with Him. It is true our personality is an important part of the effectiveness but we must remember even that is a part of the divine spiritual calling that He has pre-destined for us. We are anointed to do what God has destined us to accomplish. Our ability is not as important as our availability and being prepared spiritually is more important than our instrument being in tune or us knowing how the song goes.

WONDERS OF WORSHIP
PART EIGHT
LEARNING TO LET GO

“Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha; you are careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42) God intended for us to have joy in the journey –

How awesome to be able to see into the life of Jesus with stories about real people that he interacted with. Here are two sisters that were friends of Jesus and they had such different personalities. Martha (the choleric) was the busy organizer, the “worker bee” that was always thinking, going, doing and unfortunately complaining because everyone else is not. Mary seemed to be more of a melancholy type that was less stressful, serious, and sensitive who took the time to enjoy the beauty of a meaningful personal relationship. It is easy for any of us to drift into being a Martha because our flesh feels “at home” living in the “pressure cooker” of a demanding emotional world. All you have to do is let your spiritual priorities go and you will find that you have drifted far away from the peaceful shore. But no one ever drifts into being a Mary. This is a thoughtful, conscientious life that has lived in both worlds and knows the difference. These individuals have developed the discipline to stay focused on what is really important to them by spending time alone with God. In their calmness they have learned to listen to the Holy Spirit and are constantly aware of how both heaven and earth beckon us to come and spend our energy, attention and concentration. Every day each of us make life altering decisions to either allow ourselves to become entangled with the cares of this life or to break free by choosing Christ above all things. We do have a certain amount of responsibility that we need to take care of but we also must make time to sit at the feet of Jesus and bask in the wonders and majesty of God. Notice the last part of the verse, “Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away.” What does all this have to do with worship? I’m glad you asked!

True worship is work! It is more than just reading about it or thinking about it – it is doing it! Just like prayer; it is not as easy as it seems – it is “full battle gear” war. We spend time through the week listening to songs, praying and trying to feel a spiritual connection with God about the song, practicing at home, typing, chording, transposing etc…Then we make an extra effort to practice on Saturday evenings and also come to church early to practice before each service. This “busy work” can push our buttons and poke our emotions if we allow it. Do we always feel like doing all this – of course not, but we push through it and realize there is a “sacrifice” of praise that comes with the true realities of spiritual warfare that we all experience. It is not only the worship team that battles the flesh and the devil but the congregation is also fighting as they try to stay focused on God. Worship is reaching for God while letting go of this world.

I came upon an interesting story the other day from Joseph Carroll that touched my heart and I wanted to share it with you.

“I have lived in literally scores of homes in the forty years of my ministry. On one occasion, I lived in the home of a woman who had seven children and though she had a large home to care for and attended to her husband’s family business in her spare time, I never saw her disturbed once. There was always the fragrance of Christ about her life, and I marveled at it. While staying in their home during a conference, one morning around five o’clock I noticed light filtering in past the door; so I opened it very quietly and saw this woman kneeling by her piano. I quietly closed the door. The next morning the same thing and every morning after that. So, I asked her. “What time do you rise to seek the Lord?” She replied, “Oh that is not my decision. I made a choice long ago that when He wanted to have fellowship with me I was available. There are times when He calls me at five; there are times when He calls me at six. And on occasion, He will call about two o’clock, I think, just to test me.” Always she would get up, go to her piano stool, and worship her Lord. I asked, “How long do you stay?” “Oh that is up to Him. When He tells me to go back to bed, I go back. If He doesn’t want me to sleep, I simply stay up.” She made a choice to go beyond frustration, beyond the inconvenience, the schedules and demands of routine. You can be busy and not be troubled, or you can not be busy and be very troubled. It all depends if you have decided to allow Christ to be the Lord of your life and are now following Him. If you have made this your highest priority, the only thing you have to worry about is laying down your will. When this is settled there is complete freedom in everything we do because of the joy in knowing that all is well with our soul because we are walking in obedience.

DELIBERATELY PURSUING GOD
PART SEVEN
THE LEADER OF SONGS

Most people do not understand the daily balancing act that church leaders go through trying to manage people without causing a religious mutiny. Managers in the secular world can relate to the headaches and pressures of trying to organize people with diverse personalities but the ministry is even more complex with the addition of spiritual considerations. People always want to share their ideas, opinions and expectations and the Christian realm is no exception as each individual has their own interpretation of how church should be. What most people fail to realize is that all the other parts of the body also have their own unique revelation about what to change and with the same intensity and fervent passion as they do. In simple terms; everybody wants control.

An experienced worship leader will take all suggestions and advice to the place of prayer and meditation because they know how important it is to have an open mind and a clear conscience. Much wisdom is needed in the leader’s life to not categorize people with prejudice and opinions because this hinders their ability to perceive and comprehend a possible confirmation of what God is saying or may really want to do. Church leaders are constantly dealing with everyone’s suggestions about how worship services can be made more effective and they can become overwhelmed with distractions. As a subconscious escape the leader may shut off the openness to listen and lock the gates to his tolerance and openness to learn. This fear will hinder and cause a dysfunction in the life and ministry. Over a period of time the leader may develop a habit of being friendly and seemingly interested in advice but inwardly can be completely ignoring everyone. Retreating into a place of isolation by closing everyone out and only listening to their own ideas is not mentally or spiritually healthy. We must never forget the Lord can use the most unlikely person to speak into our life which is why the leader must have his receiver on the Holy Spirit “frequency” and his “antennas” up at all times.

Every Christian is called to be “A” leader but not everyone is called to be THE leader. Leaders are like connectors, (reminds me of the plastic caps that twist electrical wires together) that can generate confidence and encouragement in others by getting them to see God’s vision, (without getting trapped in the middle.) The stronger the leader the more humble and willing to SERVE one must be. They must live with a constant discernment and awareness that everything is being done in the power of God – not their ability or talent. We study David and know that he walked with God and if we look closer we will see how HUMILITY and REPENTANCE were keys to his intimate relationship and his success. As we have said earlier, “when we decrease – God will increase.” Leaders must spend time alone with God in prayer, personal worship and obedience to His voice only. They must never compromise the truth while committing to do whatever it takes – not for the “curtain call” but simply because they genuinely LOVE Him and His people.

Everyone agrees that a worship pastor needs to have the gift and anointing to lead others into the presence of God but this is not the only qualification. There must also be a personality that is able to counsel, mediate, teach, lead by example and be a person of integrity, fairness, patience and spiritual perception. There may be several people in the worship team that can sing solos and can lead songs but the worship pastor is the one who can FACILITATE and “manage” everyone into a working unit that can flow in not only unity but a balanced harmony within the collection of temperaments and diversity. Everyone wants RESPECT and deserves to be treated with dignity because that is the product of really knowing the person and giving God the glory for who they are and what God is doing in them now.

The worship pastor is always trying to challenge and “stretch” the ones who are gifted and becomes excited to step back so others can lead. They are always interested in encouraging young people for the sake of seeing them grow and advance into their gifts and callings. The youth need to SEE the Holy Spirit move through the music and a true leader will demonstrate how the gifts function so the church of tomorrow can continue to release the power of God. Leaders are always willing to allow others to minister in their gifts as a resource for an encouragement and edification to the body. The calling of worship pastor is not a vehicle or platform to advertise their personal ministry or push a selfish career agenda. They are like a chef that can take many wonderful ingredients and with the careful measuring, mixing and concentration they help prepare and serve the sweet smelling fragrance of God’s love.

WONDERS OF WORSHIP
PART 6
CONSTANT AWARENESS

“He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds. He tells the number of the stars; he calls them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and of great power; his understanding is infinite.” (Psalm 147:3-5)

We have talked about worship in the corporate setting of church and in times of quiet solitude. But there is another view of worship that is the highest form of expression in love, obedience and devotion and that is the constant worship “state of mind” as an ambassador of God.

If going to church does not necessarily prove that someone is an obedient disciple of Christ then can we agree that singing a praise song is not necessarily worshipping God? It is true that singing unto the Lord can be a part of expressing love and gratitude but the scripture in John 4:24 say’s, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” It does not say they shall just “sing songs” in spirit and truth. Whether in deed or thought, one must be flowing with the intentions of pure love or the labor will be tainted with the smell of ulterior motives. Many of our religious traditions have caused confusion and unfortunately many Christians have been lulled to sleep by the subtle deceptions of what a Christian should be. The masses feel pretty good about their church attendance and how they participate in a “worship” service an hour every week but is this the complete, “big picture” of holy devotion, adoration and obedience? Of course not! Our traditions try to deceive us into thinking that going to church is the Christian life (I wish it was that easy). Actually the tiny amount of time we are in church together is like a time-out in a game where the players go to the sidelines to join together in the safety of unity, catch their breath, get a drink, wipe off the sweat and blood, listen to instructions from their coach and be reminded of their purpose and destiny – then they go back into battle. Like the team of players, the battle is not with each other (which is why we love the peace and anointing when we are together) – the real combat is against the devil which lives in the children of darkness (outside the walls) and controls the worlds system where we walk everyday.

I once thought that church was THE place of worship and that we should try to spend as much time in service as possible to magnify God. I was often frustrated because there were many other parts of the service that took up the time. What I have come to realize is that a church service is not the entire worship experience for the week but rather a time where we learn how to worship the rest of the week. Likewise a sermon is not the only word we should receive all week but rather to teach us how to study and instruct us about how to learn and grow. Church is a practice session that equips and instructs us how to be a disciple when we leave the building. So we can confidently say that worshipping in spirit and truth is not just going through the motions of ceremony – it’s how we live.

Singing songs or working in Christian service in general is very elementary and shallow without the consecrated, committed life of being Christ-like. Unfortunately playing church is quite common which is why services are cold and lifeless. Worship is walking in the constant awareness of God’s presence or as commonly referred to as “walking in the Holy Spirit.” True praise and worship is living and walking out the words of the very songs we are singing about. If a person only goes to church and sings songs as a time of worship (that is good) but they may not understand the revelation of daily and hourly worship all through the week. This is an example of how a holy act of spiritual reverence can evolve into a religious ritual (and sadly the enemy has influenced this deception into Christendom as the masses continue as if nothing is wrong).

Many years ago the Lord spoke to us through a prophetic word that God would give me a gift to write songs but I would have to “walk them out” (some hard walking) which is the reason we named our ministry “Walking Thru”. The Lord was saying that just because someone can write about truth (preach, teach, sing, play or whatever), it is all forms of communication to teach us how to LIVE for Him. Working for His Kingdom and singing His songs are just busy labor without the consecrated, committed life of being Christ-like! Worshipping in spirit and truth does not mean our vocals are in perfect harmony or the music is in the right key. Our hair standing up on the back of neck or goose bumps does not mean anything to God if our walk does not match our talk. It is all about allowing Jesus to transform us into His image and willingly being reduced so He can execute His ministry through our actions. How many will love Him so much they will surrender their will and lay down their plans because they know their life without Him is meaningless? His life in them is the truth part of “spirit and truth”. We can listen to sermons and sing songs while not even thinking about God or what is being said and I’m sure all of us have done it. Many believe that filling a quota of deeds somehow (in the cosmic filing cabinet of records) earns them a more pleasing position with God and a higher place of spiritual achievement but that is just an illusion.

The first part of Proverbs 23:7 say’s, “For as he thinks in his heart so is he”. Church “service” is never just acting or putting on a show. But when the desire to express our love for God is constantly on our “mind” only then are we true worshippers.

GOD MADE MY CATHEDRAL
UNDER THE STARS;
HE GAVE MY CATHEDRAL
TREES FOR ITS SPIRES;
HE HEWED ME AN ALTER
IN THE DEPTH OF A HILL
HE GAVE FOR A HYMNAL
A ROCK BEDDED RILL;
HE VOICED ME A SERMON
OF HEAVENLY LIGHT
IN THE BEAUTY AROUND ME
THE CALMNESS OF NIGHT;
AND I FELT AS I KNELT
ON THE VELVET-LIKE SOD
I HAD SUPPED OF THE SPIRIT
IN THE TEMPLE OF GOD.

RUTH FURBEE

DELIBERATELY PURSUING GOD
PART FIVE
PRIDE DECREASES THE ANOINTING

You would think having experience in leading worship and playing in church bands would allow us to understand the way God operates, but just because someone can tell time does not mean they know how a watch works. Trying to figure Him out is like trying to imagine His face or trying to see heaven in your mind. But, one thing we can learn is how pride and humility have a direct effect on the “anointing dial” with leading corporate worship, teaching and the direction of the church service. Since James 4:6 says, that God does in fact “resist” the proud, it only makes sense that pride lowers the spiritual effectiveness in our ministry. We can agree that leaning on the flesh and depending on our ability to perform, automatically decreases the desires and plans of God to be manifested (actually this can relate to anything we are involved with). James goes on to say that God gives grace to the humble which would include the increase and blessing of His presence.

Many of us have experienced in our ministry that when there is a high level of confidence and excitement – it usually ends in disappointment. And the times when we are at the “end of ourselves” and desperately cry out for Him to help us, His presence and glory is awesome. Why? Because there is a difference between having faith in our own abilities to accomplish what WE want to see – and being filled with an understanding that it must be all of HIM and none of us (there is definitely a song in that). It is healthy to have an expectation that He is going to be there and do all the things He desires, but somewhere in the mix we must remove our twisted thinking that it depends on how “talented” we are. We know that pride is an obvious sinful attitude that has a secret agenda of arrogant and selfish motives but this sneaky breed of pride that relies completely on human ability is not as noticeable to the person who is infected with it. As in all deceptions, the person cannot see what is happening and considers what they are doing as sincere and with good intentions. God wants to flow through us but the vessel must have a shiny, clean attitude! It is true that anointed music is HOLY medicine that can bring healing to the body, mind and spirit of all who hear the Word and reach out in faith – but we must always remember that we are just the syringe…not the doctor.
What would be the most awesome spiritual experience a human could have? Many would say, “Literally seeing God or talking with God” and I must admit that would be beyond my imagination. But as I stumbled upon an example of this phenomena happening, I realize once again that everything is not as it would seem. Just to have a conversation with God does not mean that you are “close” to Him, being swept up into the glorious joys of obedience and blessings or even love Him. Allow me to present the story found in Genesis chapter four, where God “literally” spoke to Cain – yes, Cain clearly heard God speak and then he boldly responded back to the Lord with a hateful attitude! You see just because we have a conversation between the creator and the creation does not necessarily mean it is something to be desired. There are other examples of conversations that were not filled with lovey-dovey spiritual bliss. We see Jonah was told to go preach a revival to a city of people and he ran the other direction because he had prejudice in his heart and rebelled in anger. We also notice the exchange that Job and God had between each other and are amazed at the accusations and emotional frustration.

I know we all get somewhat hungry in-between our delicious meals but have you ever been really hungry? I have heard it said that general hunger pains come from the messages that are wired from the stomach and blood system to the brain. This built-in mechanism sends communication warnings from all over our body to the central headquarters that, “sugar and energy levels are dropping and food is needed.” We have the choice to respond or ignore these signals and I can say with confidence that we usually do not ignore our fleshly cravings and desires. This causes me to wonder, does the spiritual world work in a similar way? We know that when our spirit becomes transformed through the new birth experience of salvation, we become as little newborn babies. And just like fleshly babies that cry for milk because they need to be satisfied, I believe our new spirit also cries out for spiritual nourishment. Of course the only true spiritual satisfaction is God’s word and His presence. When we choose to commune with him and feast at His table, we become strengthened and filled with his joy and power just like when we go to Golden Coral. But if we ignore the calls and “signals” from our spirit man, do they also after a period of time go away? Sliding away from God’s word and neglecting prayer will cause weakness and malnutrition. Are you really hungry and thirsty to be closer to Him? The Lord say’s, “turn off the entertainment this evening and come have a quiet “dinner” with me.

DELIBERATELY PURSUING GOD
PART FOUR
THE KEY THAT WILL “UNLOCK” THE CHURCH

As most Christians will agree, a person receiving Christ as their Lord and Savior is the most important miracle that can happen. Everything we are called to do for God should be a “link” in the chain of proclaiming the gospel resulting in salvation. Included in this supernatural package of life changing gifts from heaven are – being filled with the Holy Ghost, being healed physically and emotionally and delivered from the bondages of sin. We know that faith plays an important part of our invitation to experience the abundant life that was provided at the cross and this all begins with the hearing and understanding of God’s word. What does all this have to do with worship? Everything! If we believe that worship invites God to come into our midst as we reach out to Him, and this exchange prepares our heart to receive His Holy Word – then we are now ready to discover the revelation of what can increase the anointing and power in this expression of intimate love. (Yes there are levels of God’s presence; the tabernacle of Moses was an example of a progression of maturity that becomes more intense the more near one comes to the Holy Of Holies). So what is this big mystery? It is fervent PRAYER! Oh Billy, everyone knows that! Oh really? Maybe sometimes we forget the connection of our basic foundations about how prayer fuels the “engine”. It is beautiful the way God has designed the Church with Divine order (not legalism). Let’s start with how the worship team receives these prayers (along with their own) to help increase their anointing and turn “songs” into a musical, spiritual, surgical procedure – this anointing rolls out the red carpet for the seed and gives more control to God to inspire the “spontaneous” and generates a stronger presence of God so the messenger can bring the “due season” word with more authority and power – As this “living” word becomes a quickened revelation to the heart and spirit, it generates faith that releases God’s super-natural miracles – YES! Praise God!

So if a lost person is in the sanctuary or someone is in need of a miracle and we have not prayed, we are not focused, we are bogged down with apathy, burned out and tired, do not have a direction or discernment, even entangled in sin and are distracted and satisfied with having a “safe” service of singing some songs and giving a dry lecture then going out to eat – then we have failed our mission. If we are not led by God’s Holy Spirit, and if we are not worshipping in spirit and truth and if the word is just a boring history lesson then we are going to be held responsible for being lukewarm. God has not called us to organize Him out of His own Church which is why He does not give us the control to do all the planning. He hates a religious ceremony (where He is not invited) – it offends Him when we try to control it all on our own because He knows it can become our own “idol” where we worship our own accomplishments and abilities and of course this does not glorify His Kingdom or bring true spiritual change to anyone. How can souls be saved without the convicting power of the Holy Spirit? How can there be changed minds without the anointing that “flips the switch” in the brain and causes the heart to see truth? How can there be miracles if God (who has all the power in infinity) is not welcome to come into our services and walk among us? This is the disease that plagues the church world and has lulled many to sleep who claim to be followers of Christ, as it is true that lukewarm people are satisfied with lukewarm church.

When we meet in the prayer room before service it is an important time to focus. When I lead I ask forgiveness not just for me but for all those who might not have “released” their sin. Leading the entire congregation in a simple proclamation to repent can change the atmosphere of the room and tear down the walls of sin that can bring freedom to all of us. Many times the spirit of heaviness “comes in” and hindering spirits need to be addressed as a type of confrontation takes place. Again to be “prayed up” is being able to sense what is happening and is a covering of armor for the battle. It is time we take the act of praying “specifically” more seriously (souls saved, growth, raising up leaders, revival, more outreach, more enthusiasm, etc…). A strong, healthy spirit filled church does not just fall off a tree but is birthed and matures through “white hot” prayer! The level of spiritual power and purity in a church depends on the people’s personal relationship with God that is developed in the prayer closet of spiritual intimacy with Him. Let us who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness remember; the stronger God comes into our lives the more fire He brings and that means more responsibilities that requires our flesh to spend more time on His Holy alter (is there any wonder why most churches choose to stay in ankle deep water?). When we sing all the songs that cry out for His fire and discipline – do we really mean it? For us to have more of Him there must become less of us. We all hold a key but how many of us will use it…?

DELIBERATELY PURSUING GOD
PART 3
PLOWING THE FIELDS

“O give thanks unto the Lord, for His mercy endureth forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy; and gathered them out of the lands from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.” (Psalm 107:1-3)

There should be no difference between corporate worship and private worship because our intentions should be the same and that is to tell Him how we feel and what we think about Him. However, there is a good indication that if we do not worship God in the intimacy of our heart all the time, we are less likely to express our feelings to Him in public. We know why God wants us to worship Him in our personal day to day activities but what is God trying to do by having us come together and worship Him corporately? Well, it is amazing and sad that many people have never really quite understood the super-natural phenomena that God desires to manifest every time we come together. I realize that our modern idea of church is not perfect and in fact there are many things that we could say that are negative, but we must admit that God speaks highly of His church as a special representation of His Kingdom. Now, whether or not His concept of the church is the same as ours is the same is debatable, but the point is that He does mention is quite a bit so we must also try to learn what it is and how to follow His instructions. First we must remember that nothing in the church world means anything to anyone (from teaching the children to praying at the altar) if it is not Holy Spirit inspired and anointed with the breath of God. The foundation of our spiritual growth is learning because as we know God’s word – we know God more personally and that in turn is what changes us into His image. God’s Word is the heavenly seed and is the crown jewel of our life (and corporate services) as it is the catalyst of God’s power to minister to each spirit, mind and body, individually – yet all at the same time.

What does all this have to do with worship? Everything! What do you do “before” you plant a seed? As natural fields are PLOWED before the crops are sown, likewise our hearts must also be broken, arranged and plotted so the seed of God’s Word can be received. YES – Worship softens our “natural” resistance and PREPARES the heart to receive God’s personal instructions. When we begin to focus on His face and His great deeds of love and grace, we forget about our problems and the fears that come from our spiritual conflicts. When we stop relying on our own strength and futile ideas that we can deliver ourselves or that we can fix our own problems, we automatically let go of our worries and stress of trying to struggle in this world of darkness. This “release” of our will gives God the opportunity to intervene into our conscience and remind us that we can “trust” Him to help us. As we continue to bow down to our Lord in sincerity and humility, He brings His presence into our midst as the “miracle exchange” of love takes place between us. We pour out our heart to Him in adoration and He responds to us with His holy mercy, grace and power. He “awakens” and generates sensitivity and the expectation of His supernatural power to communicate and transform – (this gives confidence to our faith to believe that what we are doing is really making a difference in our situation and other people’s lives.) There is a divine order and spiritual principal (not legalism) that when obeyed can open doors for the Lord to walk among us. After we have allowed God to spend time with us in this holy communion, our heart is now broken, sifted, cleansed and made ready to receive God’s Word which is the power unto salvation. I am not talking about getting saved – I am referring to the spiritual evolution of the process of salvation. We are being saved daily, growing into an understanding of His knowledge and continually learning how to discern His wisdom. The more we mature in Him, the more we can begin to see our responsibility of being a “garden tool” for God as an instrument that He can use to do help with His miracle ministry of plowing. Only then will we realize how important it is to be “in His Spirit” when serving Him and ministering to the people. This is why the enemy has placed a target on us – he does not want us to lead the people into the “wonders” of God’s presence or do anything in God’s Kingdom where the power of God can be manifested. The devil would rather see a talented but lukewarm “musical” and a intelligent but lifeless lecture in church instead of a Holy Ghost inspired demonstration of God’s presence because he knows God’s holy, perfect SEED is what brings healing, deliverance, victory and true spiritual CHANGE.