All posts tagged: worship

7 Joy Boosters 

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Too often we run around looking for joy in all the wrong places. We dig up wells that end up being “broken cisterns.” Remember, “we have no good apart from Him.” The sorrows of those who run after idols, pleasure and other gods will multiply. If there’s a lot of drama in your world, it’s going to drain out all your joy. Sometimes you have to stay away from all those divas, drama queens and kings in order to keep your sanity. Joy is a choice. So make that choice today. Don’t let the devil steal it. Don’t let those circumstances take your eyes of Jesus. Choose to react differently. Choose to praise instead of pout. Choose to stay positive. If you keep your mind on the Word, He will keep your heart full of joy. Meditate day and night on His Word. Let the Word of Christ dwell within you richly, and you will experience the fullness of His joy. I love the word “GAZE.” It means to look steadily and intently. No wonder …

Let no flesh glory in His presence

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It was the summer of 2001, over 2000 worshiper had gathered on a beautiful Sunday morning. The musical group was up – ready to start worship. The lead pastors were standing behind the musical group (old school) up on the platform. Everyone of them fired up and ready to serve the congregation. Not to mention, they looked good in their suit and tie. The atmosphere was charged with the supernatural presence of God, you could reach out and literally touch it. All eyes were on the King of kings until the worship leader turned around from facing the congregation toward to drummer who was immediate behind him. It was a horrible sight to see, in an outburst of anger he scolded the drummer for missing a beat and not coming in where he was supposed to. From that point on, everything went downhill. The presence of God lifted and the expression on the pastors’ faces was nothing less than disappointing. The worship pastor, well, that was me. I really don’t know what happened to me …

Monday Night Meditation

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Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created. Praise God for His intrinsic attributes Praise God for His infinite holiness Praise God magnificent power Praise God for His eternal life Praise the Lord God Almighty He who sits on the throne – alone is worthy to receive glory, honor and praise For He created all things and by His will and for His pleasure we exist. Praise God!

I will not offer the Lord anything that costs me nothing

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1 Chronicles 21:24 But King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will buy them for the full price. I will not take for the LORD what is yours, nor offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” I have always heard this passage use in the context of a fundraiser. Where the preacher urges the congregation or his audience to reach deep within their pockets and give an extravagant financial gift. I love the simplicity and the power of this challenge, but too often my desire to give disappear because the challenge is coming from, well, another TV evangelist, who always seem to want my money. My somewhat skeptical feeling is somehow true – because half or none of what I am being asked to give, really goes toward that cause. I think, in many ways, we have lost the act of motivating others to make greater impact with their substance and the act of inspiring them at the same time because of so much abuse from the pulpit. People are longing to be moved, …

More than Conquerors

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I had the privilege of being a part of a missionary work in the West African nation of Ivory Coast, correctly know known as – La Cote D’Ivoire between 1990 and 1994. By the time I signed on, they had planted about 6 or more Churches around Abidjan – capital city. Those days were special: knocking on doors, walking the neighborhoods, holding All Night Prayer meetings and community gathering for fasting and praying. A revival was happening all around us – young and old coming to know Jesus and being filled with the Holy Ghost. These are some of the best days of my life and ministry. The people we ministered to were just like me. They were refugees, displaced, cut off from family, scattered in this foreign land and living among people with a strange tongue. They were often abused, and un-welcomed and mocked in the public square. You would think their pain and sorrow would define them, break them and leave them in despair. You would think their loneliness, loss, and inability to …

One Word Wednesday: Worship

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God is not impressed with a ‘song service.’ God is not pleased with lip service either. Singing lips but far away hearts. God is terribly appalled by worshipers who love worship more than they love the only one who is worthy. God does not want praises from mouths hearts of perversity and mouths of profanity. God hates platitudes and our Pharisaical Posturing  void of reverence and crazy love for Him. God is not interested in how you look when you worship but that praise looks good on you. The English language, in reality falls short to adequately describe what God really intended to teach when it comes to the word. For lack of a better word, the translators of our bible could not really find an accurate word to express the heart of God when John wrote the following in his gospel: But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. John 4:23 …

God owns everything but these

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I have no complaint about your sacrifices or the burnt offerings you constantly offer. But I do not need the bulls from your barns or the goats from your pens. For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it. Do I eat the meat of bulls? Do I drink the blood of goats? Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.” (Psalms50:8-15 NLT) I have always heard it said, “God doesn’t need anything from us.” But today I will shock you by telling you that is a false statement. Even thought God owns everything, in His infinite wisdom, He has given away His ability to control, …