We Have Overcome

I was really happy how the choir did this past Sunday...good stuff happening. A new song has been on my heart to share with the church this coming Sunday..."We Have Overcome," the preaching this past week has been about being resurrected (for there to be a resurrection there needs to be a death) in others words if you feel your dreams have died..”Watch Out” you are getting ready for a resurrection. Enjoy this song!

Singing The Word

I have been praying about the importance of really believing what we sing "To Come To Pass" just as we do in prayer.

Most Christians pray a specific prayer because they want to see God move in a specific way, but so many times in my experience of watching people during a worship service, is that often singing a song that may have a very specific and powerful request, for example songs like "Open the Eyes of My Heart," "Draw Me Close To You" or "Change My Heart O God," can be sung with more like wishful thinking (or singing in this case). And if we are not careful we can even sound like a young man sweet talking a young lady and saying anything to win her heart, even saying things that aren't true. And let me add there is no way to over exaggerate God's greatness and beauty, but I am speaking of singing with great fantasy and not really believing everything we sing, so because our unbelief or maybe even immaturity we are not seeing God answer what we are singing.

I have seen so many people sing great and some of the most powerful "Prayers" that you know God would answer if they would actually truly believe.

Psalm 119:171-172171 "My lips will pour forth praise, for you ,teach me your statutes. 172 My tongue will sing of your word, for all your commandments are right." These are the words of David.

David is our prime example of one worship leader that God called "A Man After My Own Heart," he sung his way through the good and bad times and saw God answer many of his songs.

Our time in the worship service is another form of a prayer meeting, where we can seek God and cry out to the Lord and have him answer our singing. I pray that we all can approach the worship service with great faith and carefulness and that we make sure that what we sing is related to the word of God, and then we can see God move in our worship services on another level. I can look back upon my life and tell you about worship services where I belive I grew in the Lord.

New logo for United Worshippers Music Dept at Cornerstone Church.

Unity

I was in service today and I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of thanksgiving for the people of God, standing there on the platform seeing and hearing the people of God with their voices lifted in worship was just so comforting and such a relief from the pressures of this wacky world we live in. Its seems like during worship we are most unified, for we have only one goal in mind and that is to glorify the Lord, all our differences are put aside, whether you are rich or poor, black, brown or white, short or tall, but all those things do not matter, for we have come to bless the King and to worship in unity.

".... Holy Father, keep them through your name which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are. .... Not for these only do I pray, but for those also who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me. The glory which you have given me, I have given to them; that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them, and you in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may know that you sent me, and loved them, even as you loved me." (John 17:11, 20-23)

We as Christians have to continually pray for our brothers and sisters, we must see how we can encourage each other and be there for each other, for our love for one another is a witness of God's love to the unbelievers.

Daily Worship

I was thinking about the importance of daily prayer and worship. We are daily faced with different situations and through these situations whether good or bad, we have the chance to mature and grow in Christ, but also we have a chance to stall or even fall back all depending on our reaction to these situations. For some odd reason God does not give us a memo for tomorrow.

But I know that everyday can be struggle and filled with frustration. And we can say "Well...I am just not in a good mood," or "My boss is to demanding" and "Its just life." I am firmly believe that everyday is ordered by the Lord and we can walk victories everyday! And just because we don't feel victories doesn't mean we are not, for our victory is in Christ.

If we are to live in daily victory, we are going to have to die out to sin daily. For everyday there is a struggle between our will and the Lord's will. And even though God does not generally let us know what tomorrow holds, he does equip us for tomorrow. He as thought us his prayer.

The Lord's Prayer:

"OUR FATHER WHICH ART IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE THY NAME. THY KINGDOM COME. THY WILL BE DONE IN EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD. AND FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS, AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS. AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL. FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM, AND THE POWER, AND THE GLORY. FOR EVER. AMEN."

Brothers and Sisters, if we could pray this prayer every day and maybe sing song or two to the Lord, I would venture to say, that we could revolutionize our walk with the Lord. And when we pray and sing, every morning, we are just simply saying Lord we confess you are "Lord of All," and we need you today!

The Beauty Of Christian Worship

I was thinking about what sets "Christian Worship" apart from "Secular Worship," other then the obvious fact that Jesus Christ alone is only to be praised (Is 44:6). But I believe as Christians we have a revelation (or should pray to) of what "Worship" is truly about, and that revelation helps us in our everyday life, specially when its comes to relationships ( With our Wives, Husbands, Mothers, Fathers, Fiance(grin) and you feel in the blanks) although we as Christians can tend to forget what "True Worship" is all about, and we can become frustrated with our worship, and we will act like babies that have not learned that there is more to life then pampering and feeding "Self," so in our immature understanding, we cant have a good worship service unless we are being "Blessed."


But what sets us apart from "Secular Worship," is that our worship is selfless and is produced and prepared from the depths of our hearts a "Sacrifice of Praise," (Heb 13:5) what is our sacrifice? We are and we bring the sacrifice of praise, we deny ourselves and say its all about him (God). So we Christians are giving to the Lord asking for nothing in return, not asking for a spiritual high, not asking for a raise or promotion.


But we are going into service with attitude of how can our worship bless the Lord!

While the world will worship to receive a blessing, a feeling, they will worship romance, riches, fame and success and that's why wordily artists have to work so hard to keep producing hit songs, so that they can keep the mass happy, where Christian music seems to be timeless, and we can sing songs like "Amazing Grace" and "How Great Thou Art" for years and it still has the same effect, for we are not singing it for the feelings it gives us, but we are singing to please the Lord, we are singing of Gods love, Gods riches and Gods fame and Gods glory! What a privilege.

So the beauty of "Christian Worship," is we never have to be frustrated with our worship, because its not about us, its all about Jesus Christ for "It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35)

O by the way, I have noticed the Lord seems to always return blessings!

True Worship (part 2)

Why is knowing "The Truth" so important? For the Lord not only wants us to love him but to also "love the Truth" about him (2 Thessalonians 2:10). We worship the one who says he is the truth and who tells us, "The Truth Will Set You Free", brothers and sisters do you want to worship with liberty, with freedom, then you need to know "The Truth"(John 14:6, John 8:32). God wants everyone "To Come To The knowledge of The Truth" (1 Timothy 2:4). And he reveals his wrath to those who "Suppress The Truth" (Romans 1:18) lets seek "The Truth" and save ourselves from a lot of hurt. Jesus said he would send "The Spirit of Truth," and he asked God to sanctify his disciples through "The Truth," which he identifies as God's word (John 16:13, 17:17). The more we know God's word the more genuine our worship will be. No matter how we feel or think, we cannot truly worship God apart from a right knowledge of God.

Lets talk about three area's that will bring us closer to the "Truth" (what we will cover most Christians already know, but I want to show how we must implement it in our worship).

(1.) Who is God - The bible tells us in John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God," verse 3 says's "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made," and verse 14 says "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." The "Truth" is God always existed, there was nothing that mas made before him or without him. God is Jesus Christ manifested in flesh.

(2.) Where is God - God is on the throne right now, for Jesus said "34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all: neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: 35 Nor by the Earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the City of the great King." Matthew 5:34-35. And also Revelation 4:2 Say's "And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne." Brothers and Sisters God is on the throne right now.

(3.) What God is Doing - God is ruling and reigning over the Earth from his holy throne. Paul spoke of how Christ was raised from the dead and seated at the right of God, Ephesians's 1:20-23 tel us "20 He raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all." And the prophet Zacharia prophesied about the reign of Christ and said "Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne;"He is at this very moment the Kings of Kings and Lord of Lords (Rev. 17:14) And he rules as sovereign Kings in his Kingdom right now!

When, you realize Who he is, Where he is and What he is doing, then you as a Christian (follower of Christ) can walk in victory everyday and every where you place your foot is the Lord's, so you can lift up "Holy hands without wrath and doubting," not according to your own works, but according to your revelation of Jesus Christ! I am talking about "True Worship."