Worship Freely Tunes {19}

This song is from Kim & Skyler's newest album called "Home." The first time I heard this song I felt like finally not just a christian love song but a song that really makes me think about Jesus my bridegroom and I His bride. I think this song is really special, at least to me it is. It makes me smile. If you've never heard it have a listen and if you have share your thoughts. 

"My One And Only"- Kim Walker & Skyler Smith

Bringing My Lamp & My Oil

(Matthew 25:1-4)

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins 

who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 

Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones 

took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, 

however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 

The Lord has really been pressing in my spirit the story of the ten virgins toward the end of the Book of Matthew. Even though I continued to read ahead I always seemed to make my way back to that small passage in the 25th chapter. This is one of my favorite parables that Jesus taught just because it mirrors the church as His bride, Jesus as the bridegroom, and He gives us another little glimpse of what bringing His kingdom down to earth looks like. I got some info about the tradition of Jewish weddings online because I really wanted to understand the context of what Jesus was talking about: "In Jewish society, the parents of the betrothed generally drew up the marriage contract. The bride and groom would meet, perhaps for the first time, when this contract was signed. The couple was considered married at this point, but they would separate until the actual time of the ceremony. The bride would remain with her parents, and the groom would leave to prepare their home. This could take quite a while. When the home was all ready, the groom would return for his bride without notice. The marriage ceremony would then take place, and the wedding banquet would follow."

When I started to read, a picture was painted in my head of these ten young ladies, half careless and the other half expectantly waiting for the groom to arrive. I imagined their talks of what he looked like standing at the altar, of where they would live together, and when he was coming. I imagined them pacing back and forth looking out of the windows to be the first ones to run to His side. At this point he could be right around the corner or far off in the distance: It was a total surprise visit waiting to happen. For any girl it's hard to wait, can I get an amen? I can picture joy turning into expectancy, expectancy turning into impatience, and impatience turning into boredom. The young women became so tired of waiting that they fell asleep. When the bridegroom arrived at midnight to take the ladies to the banquet to celebrate, the ones that were prepared followed with their well-oiled lamps while the one's that weren't were left behind and denied entrance into the feast.

The details of this parable are so important. What the Spirit pressed in my heart was that the wise virgins that were prepared with their lamps and oil are a symbol of God's church being ready through the filling of His Word and His Holy Spirit. Psalm 119:105 automatically popped up into my head word by word and I was like yes Lord, I understand. But right after He revealed that the lamp was talking about God's Word He then spoke this strongly into my spirit: The ladies that were left out had their lamps but lacked the oil...that oil is my Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit to breathe a new revelation of God's Word into our lives we the church will not see the glory of Jesus manifested here on earth. This is like supplementing His signs and wonders for a Bible study. We need the combination. We can't have one without the other. It is His desire for all of His children to move in the power of the Holy Spirit. These ten women, symbolizing the church, knew that without the oil eventually the fire was going to burn out and they would not be able to see their bridegroom coming and would either miss Him or get lost trying to go out to meet Him.

(Psalm 119:105)

Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.

The Bible is the instrument that The Lord provides us with so that we can follow the path that He's marked out before us and His Holy Spirit is the source of power that is needed to turn keep the fire burning. His anointing in our lives is his seal of ownership because knowing the word alone won't do it, this just opens the door for religion. We need His Word + His Holy Spirit anointing in order to produce fire (power) in our lives.

(2 Corinthians 1:21-22)

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. 

He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit 

in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

.

We have one of those antique oil lamps at home on top of our fridge that we've conserved for years for those stormy nights when the power goes out. I want to talk a little bit about the maintenance of an oil lamp. Humor me guys I promise it's important. After you've filled the bottom glass end with oil the wick (rectangular thick stringy thingy) has to be trimmed if it's been previously used because it's all burned up. In the the parable of the ten virgins I noticed that the moment the ladies heard that the bridegroom was coming they woke up and the first thing they did was trim their lamps. They had left their lamps burning the whole time that now the time came for them to re-fuel them with some oil and a clean wick. You know that moment when you read through something but then stop, make a curious face, and then read back again? That was my aha moment. I knew that this portion of was important somehow so I said, "Holy Spirit show me, explain why this is important." He likes to flood me and that's exactly what happened and continues to happen. Just like that "wick" our spiritual lives reach points of burn out when we're stuck on old revelations and past experiences when the Holy Spirit wants to give us something fresh and new. I've been there and gosh I'm sure we all have but what He spoke into my spirit was that we need to trim off the old burned up wick. We need to throw away what we think we know about God through what we've learned so far, to make room for Him to show up in our lives a new way. We need to throw out the window what we've heard of God and prepare ourselves for daily encounters. And I'm not talking about shutting out readings or men and women of God, not at all. But I am saying that living off of second hand information is scary and not enough. We need to have a personal relationship with God and then let second hand information serve as a compliment and as confirmation for what the Holy Spirit has already revealed to us first. Let's just let our bridegroom pay us a surprise visit. Let's be ready for that visit. I'm excited!

The Beginning Of True Worship: A Circumsized Heart

My Bible reading time is getting so good. I'm so close to The New Testament that I can taste it but the journey has been astonishing, slow paced but full of meditation. As I read through the books of Jeremiah and Ezekiel there was one similar focal point that I tuned into: God was telling these anointed men that what He most desired was the heart. The Lord went on to pour out prophecies about how He planned to recapture Israel's hearts, how He desired for His people to circumcise their hearts. God gave them so many literal examples and symbols for what true worship really was but they (with an exception of a few) never got it. The prophet Samuel understood this when he reprimanded King Saul for choosing sacrifices over obedience. David got it when he sang in one of his Psalms about how he finally realized that The Lord takes no pleasure in sacrifices and offerings, but instead, delights in a broken and contrite heart. For a while God used these literal expressions as a shadow of the true meaning of the beginnings of worship. Before anything else, God desires to have our hearts in His hand, because to give someone your heart is to give them all of you. Change came and God was behind this transformation, ready to reveal to all that what He was trying to do this whole time was win over their hearts. The few men that understood this did life with God: walked with Him daily, invited The Lord to be where they were, and followed The Lord wherever He wanted them to go. It's so easy to recognize a move of God when you spend intimate and public time with God. In your secret place as well as the grocery store, church, between classes, at work, and during lunch conversations. This is a picture of what doing life with God is and it all begins with a rendered, devoted, circumcised heart. You see, a circumcision removes the natural protective covering and what God was saying was this: for a while guys I asked you to circumcise your children because I was giving you a picture of what I really wanted and that was for that wall in your heart that you use to keep me out to be removed so that I could come in. God wants to come in to our hearts and dwell there. Worship first involves us giving our hearts over so that His Spirit may dwell there. When Jesus came He later gave the next revelation and that was this: guys, the temple was a symbol for a long time but now I've been sent by my Father to tell you that when I leave His Spirit will now not just be with you and in you...now He's gonna be upon you because your bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. The Lord tells us in The Book of Daniel that God is the revealer of mysteries and that He is.

*~*~*

(Ezekiel 11:19-20) I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

*~*~*

My favorite example so far in The Old Testament of what a circumcised heart looks like would have to be in the life story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego when they're put on the spot and about to be thrown into a burning furnace because they refused to worship anybody/anything else but their God. I mean, I felt empowered as I was reading this.

*~*~*

(Daniel 3:17-18) "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” 

*~*~*

God loves and honors that heart that has let Him completely come in to the point of living a life that screams: My God is the living God and He can do anything for me but even if things don't work out the way I envision I will still love Him and keep my heart open to Him. God just can't resist this genuine heart because we were all created the same fierce and bold potential to love. This is the beginning of true worship that is born from doing life with God.

His Rain Falls When We Prepare Our Hearts

 I want to talk about those times when we lead or participate in a praise and worship service in which we feel that God's presence just didn't move. We compare one service to another or one season to another and find ourselves playing the blame game: Yup it was that out of tune guitar, those loud drums, the tired vocalists, and definitely those new songs. It's easy sometimes for us to concoct some crazy-wild explanation for something so simple. I've even found myself saying, "Lord, why? These people needed You to show up...I was dying for You to show up." I don't know if any of you can relate but this is a horrible feeling. You come home and think that you just wasted your time and even worse that you just wasted God's time and probably made Him tear up a bit from how awful that whole service turned out. I've been there and it's because I've been there that I've sought out my Lord's council. I love how he speaks into my heart so clearly. There are specific moments when I've just felt God laugh and I'm pretty sure when I've talked to Him about these things He's been just balling out, shaking His head, ready to just cradle me because the answer is so simple.

*~*~*

(Song of Solomon 1:6) 

Do not stare at me because I am dark,

    because I am darkened by the sun.

My mother’s sons were angry with me

    and made me take care of the vineyards;

    my own vineyard I had to neglect.

(Song of Solomon 2:10)

My beloved spoke and said to me,
    “Arise, my darling,
    my beautiful one, come with me.

*~*~*

What The Lord revealed to me was that we, His children, are the ones who carry His presence and He confirmed this with His Word that says that we are the Temple of The Holy Spirit, His church. We're suppose to be putting the "C', "H", "U", "R", "C", "H" in "church". The only way to do this is through our relationship with God. He is always able to move but we also have the calling to release what He has freely given us. His Spirit is waiting to be releases but if we don't feed our spirit's how can we accomplish this? It's about talking to our Father because His Holy Spirit is with us and longs to be upon all of us, it's about getting into His Word for a fresh and new revelation, and it's about intimate prayer and worship behind closed doors when no one is looking. God is tired of His unfaithful bride who is ravished by many lovers. In Jeremiah 3 The Lord tells His people that "the showers have been withheld, and no spring rains have fallen" because of their unfaithfulness. God uses the words prostitution and unfaithfulness to describe our desire to seek another's council and even our own;He refers to anything that occupies the first place in our hearts. 

*~*~*

(Jeremiah 2:13)

“My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
    the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
    broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

*~*~*

Do we not do this today? We lean on our own past understanding and at some point stop overflowing because we've traded fountains. We think we can survive with what we know but those moments are when we need The Lord the most. Only He can see a heart naked as it is. When He says He wants a worshiper in spirit and in truth, this is what He's referring to. He longs for His worshiper to lay beside Him and hear His heartbeat and the only way for us to do this is to cultivate that relationship. Sometimes we reach moments where we hide our faces from The Lord and sink back. He's calling out. Talk to Him. He just wants to talk to us. He just wants to love us. Our wells can't hold water but His can. He doesn't want us to struggle or get frustrated anymore. When you prepare your heart's garden He will walk in and spend time with you. Because you know Him He will listen and because He knows You His Spirit will be upon you ready to be released.

*~*~*

(Psalm 132:7-8)

“Let us go to his dwelling place,
    let us worship at his footstool, saying,
 ‘Arise, Lord, and come to your resting place,
    you and the ark of your might.

//We are that resting place that 

The Holy Spirit longs to dwell in.//

*~*~*

 "Learn to steward God's presence in stillness, not just in corporate worship." 

                                                                                           

                                                                                            —Steffany Gretzinger

When we do this through intimate time with The Lord our services and corporate gatherings will be in continuous overflow. His signs and wonders will be there. The fullness of His Spirit is the key and that key can only be given to us through spirit taught knowledge that comes from the secret place. My secret place sometimes looks like a locked room with soft Bethel or Ihop music playing in the background, or a locked bathroom with me kneeling at the foot of the tub, a car ride, or gardening time outside. The one thing that all these locations have in common is that I am alone with God in order to seek Him. You don't need anything fancy just a place where you can cultivate that relationship with God behind closed doors so that when you do life in the open you will be walking in the fullness of His Spirit and that rain will fall no matter where you find yourself.

A Season Of Seeking Out The Hidden Things

When we find ourselves secluded theses are the seasons where one on one with The Holy Spirit we grow and mature. There is always a lesson to be taught and learned. I find myself in this season right now and The Lord is who He says He is. Faithful and true, holding my hand and walking me through. After some adjustments in my life The Lord revealed to my heart and placed this scenario before me: "There is a bus that is taking you and others to the next season and you got on early. Better to be the first one on than the last because the last ones to get on I had to push and force so they come hurt, scared, and confused. This is a season of seeking out the hidden things." I've been hearing this in my Spirit and then came God's word to confirm His spirit taught words to me:

*~*~*

(Isaiah 26:20) 

Go, my people, enter your rooms 

and shut the doors behind you; 

hide yourselves for a little while 

until his wrath has passed by.

(Isaiah 45:3) 

I will give you hidden treasures, 

riches stored in secret places, 

so that you may know that 

I am the Lord, the God of Israel, 

who summons you by name.

(Isaiah 48:6-7) 

You have heard these things; 

look at them all. Will you not admit them? 

“From now on I will tell you of new things, 

of hidden things unknown to you. 

They are created now, and not long ago; 

you have not heard of them 

before today. So you cannot say, 

‘Yes, I knew of them.’ 

*~*~*

I've been what feels like the last one on the bus and it is not pretty...it hurts. I thought my wounds were going to kill me but my Lord healed me and only the scars remain. I never understood the scripture that reads that God wounded us but now He would heal us until I encountered these seasons. God raises a banner and calls out to us but sometimes we hesitate for too long and enter a zone of false comfortability. And then He is forced to drag us because He loves us and can not sit there and watch us miss the prepared table that He has set before us. The confusion and pain won't last forever because our God is faithful and will bind our wounds and wipe our tears. There is rest in knowing who we are in Christ and what God wants us to really do. We will never be able to fit a man-made mold. That yoke is too heavy and only brings us neverending burdens. They are burdens disguised as servanthood obedience and kingdom obligations but God will not permit His loved ones to be fooled. 

*~*~*

(Psalm 127:1-2) 

Unless the Lord builds the house,

    the builders labor in vain.

Unless the Lord watches over the city,

    the guards stand watch in vain.

2 

In vain you rise early and stay up late,

toiling for food to eat—

    for he grants sleep to those he loves.

*~*~*

Just two Sundays ago I had this vision during the service while the team and I were worshiping in song and what I saw was a beautiful treasure box. I felt my Lord's excitement. He wanted His people to open it. He desired for us to open it. I say "us" because He longs for all of His children to want more of Him. To be curious and child-like in our Daddy's spiritual matters. This makes Him happy. The treasures of our Father's heart are found through communion and relationship with prayer, worship, and reading scripture in spirit and in truth. 

There are things that I've had to step away from because God is dealing in His way with those things and desires to keep me on His track. Those "things" in the natural seem good and should have God's stamp of approval because they are ministry related and done in His name but God's ways are higher and so much sweeter. Can anybody say amen?! Some people won't agree but that's OK, the murmurs just have to roll off your back. In the secret place with The Lord and with the support of those around you who can truly perceive the move of God this period of time will bring a new revelation of who God says you are. In this season, unlike other past seasons, it was easy for me to let go and move with the Spirit of God because I know He's going to teach me something good. I've tasted this very fruit in the past and I've seen God's goodness and the joy that overflows from His dwelling place.

On another note, My Summer II Mexican American Lit class officially starts tomorrow and I couldn't be any more excited. My best friend is also teaching me to play piano, something a few seasons past I thought would be impossible. My excuse was that I'm not a good multi-tasker but God just laughs at my excuses and hugs me before sending me on my way. I've been reading through The Bible so much to the point where it's been a day long thing sometimes. I know I won't always have that kind of time so this season is so important to and for me. It's a step back in order to step in. A hungry heart The Lord cannot resist and that's my purpose in this time...to love on my God and to rest in the fact that my Beloved's desire is for me.

Divine Romance

*~*~*~*~*

Finally...home sweet home. My last class ended tonight at 6:00 and I am officially ready to be wrapped in my lover's arms. The Holy Spirit is my sweet valentine here with me. He's done so many interesting and romantic things lately to catch my attention that have all lead up to this one question: Will you be mine? You see, He knows that I don't just want a nice-and-easy or casual relationship. On Tuesday I asked God, "How deep can I go...take me there, as deep as possible and don't let go of me." I want to be there. Living in that moment of pure over-bubbling ooie-gooie love that at the same time is so fierce and powerful that no human force can contain it. The Holy Spirit gave me the most beautiful present that my heart was longing for. There, in a humble gathering of young adults with two acoustic guitars, a bongo, expectant hearts, and God's presence I received the gift of speaking in tongues. My heart had been aching for that Acts 2 moment until finally by surprise it came. The Holy Spirit met me right where I was: hungry, worshiping in spirit and in truth with nothing to hide and all to give.I'm God's. I'm Jesus'. I'm The Holy Spirit's. I'm their's. I'm His. Those encounters shape us, I mean to encounter the living God is life-changing. My belly was warm and I was balling out tears. My God is my valentine not just for a day but for an eternity because He chose me long before I chose Him, but it took me way too long to understand those love letters He kept passing along my way through the years. He's been with me through every step. My secret admirer. Now I pursue Him willingly, boldly, and wholeheartedly. So because all the time my lover has invested in me has accumulated I want to give some of it back. With a sweet raspberry tea in one hand and with my Bible and journal in another I will be having a date night with my King. Just me and Him. I feel all too happy to just be. To dwell. To be filled. Those quiet times are irreplaceable and oh so crucial because just like we want to know what's in our lover's heart, He longs to hear our heart as well. It's time!

To be continued...

*~*~*~*~*

*~*~*~*~*

Valentine's Day Playlist

   

Valentine's Day Playlist from deyassong on 8tracks Radio.

With A New Year Comes New Wisdom

(Kings 3:28) When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.

(1 Kings 8:61) And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”

(Proverbs 1:23) Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,  I will make known to you my teachings.

*~*~*~*~*

With 2012 coming to an end and a new year only a few days away, thinking about what's to come brings much enthusiasm and excitement to my soul. I'm so hungry for the Lord's presence and craving all things God. In this year I've learned how to really listen to God's voice and began reading the Word of God from beginning to end. By His grace alone so far I've read all the way to the first book of Kings. If it were about simply finishing a reading plan I could have sped up my reading but I really wanted to meditate as I journeyed through each book, chapter, and verse. And so I find myself here today, realizing how much God has changed me through His perfect love. I'm not who I used to be: I don't sing like I used to because my voice has matured and overcome its "greenness", I don't see Worship the same as I once did (Worship Blossoms In The Garden), my eating habits are different, and I've learned to serve others and give my life for others. I can't even fathom the wondrous things that the Lord has in store for me next year, for us all! Dear God, what are you doing?...

The Lord has been showing me what He wants to pour out on His children for the next year and He's been saying, "Wisdom." God wants to give us His wisdom so that we can represent Him here on earth. All of last week I've had this word on my heart, meditating on Proverbs 1:23 and it's various versions but one thing is constant in all three and that is the fact that God wants to give us all of who He is so that we can act like Him. He wants to share His heart with us and pour out His Spirit over us so that we can know His vary words and be wise. But first, says the Lord, you must listen to me. God doesn't want us to just hear Him, He wants us to listen to Him. It's the difference between recognizing His voice and obeying it. Wisdom. God wants to give us wisdom. There's a cry out from God's heart to ours calling out for those who are willing and ready to be fully committed to God. The whole Sunday, Wednesday, and Retreat Days Christian lifestyle is long dead and gone. Who is ready to be fully committed to God? It's not dropping everything your doing, but rather handing everything your doing over to God so that He can reveal to you the desires of His heart which will become your desires. Wisdom to speak to those who appear deaf, wisdom to handle any challenge, and wisdom in every branch of life. Because God loves us, He wants to pour out His Spirit over us so that we can be wise. The earth is crying out to see God's glory and we have to be the living proof, we are not yesterday's but today's testimony of the living God. With all that God wants to pour out over us comes great responsibility. Yes, responsibility. God gives the wisdom, wisdom itself is not our God. What do I mean by this? I mean that, God is always first. No matter what gift I have been given I cannot and will not put it before my God because that would be the end of me. How can I worship what God has given me? This means that I have given my life over to what has been given to me. I worship God for who He is, so though God wants to give me wisdom I can't take it and then do my will with it. The most important question is, God now that I know that you want to give me wisdom, how do you want me to us it for your glory? As of now I am learning this, and so far God has been confirming the word He has given me. On Sunday afternoon, after leading and ministering during the first half of praise and worship, Pastor Eddie did a preaching on wisdom. He spoke about how God wanted to give us wisdom for the upcoming new year so that we would enter it not falling into the same old patterns. Right then and there as I sat in my chair up on the altar I looked up and just new it, "Bang! Confirmation!" After Pastor talked about wisdom for a good while and prayed over the entire congregation, he began to talk about something that I deeply fell in love with: It's important for us to go up to our mountain because there we will see things differently from being on the ground, surrounded by the situations we face. He talked about how Marry, after receiving news from the Angel about her bearing a child, quickly went up to the mountain to spend time with God. I really love that sermon and I know that together with the Worship and the Holy Spirit being poured out the service was set into the course that God had in His heart. Wisdom. God is giving us wisdom. I hope that you all have an amazing time with your family and friends, reflecting on what God has in store for us all in 2013 and after. Thank you God, for this new found wisdom!

Dialogue {Worshiping God In Spirit And In Truth}

(John 4:13-24) 

//Jesus:  Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 
//Samaritan Woman:  The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” 
//Jesus:  He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” 
//Samaritan Woman:  “I have no husband,” she replied. 
//Jesus:  Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” 
//Samaritan Woman:  “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 
//Jesus:  “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

*~*~*

Is Jesus not the best teacher? Even tired and in His moment of rest Jesus gave the most profound, deep, words. Many have interpreted His words in various ways but the Lord revealed to me, as He reveals to all His children, something new (new to me anyways). The beautiful dialogue that took place between Jesus and the Samaritan woman radically changed the way we should see worship. One conversation handed us the key that we would all need to enter into a real relationship with our Father.

Nothing to do with music or singing or playing an instrument, worship has all to do with a direct connection between us and the Father—a relationship reconciled by Jesus Christ. Jesus compared the Holy Spirit to a never-ending, eternal spring here to quench our thirst. What a sweet, sweet exchange. As the Samaritan Woman willingly shared an embarrassing truth with a man that to her was a perfect stranger, Jesus was pleased with her honesty. When I read this, I felt the Holy Spirit just confirming something that I've known for a while but that I've never fully understood because it's been taken out of context: God is looking for genuine worshipers who want to hide nothing, yet give everything. These Worshipers are more than willing to lose the shame of a "what will people think" mindset. This calling is not just for guitar players or singers. Though we might express it in various ways, we are all called to worship.

When looking at a tree, each and every tree branch stems off of one giant tree trunk. A love and adoration relationship forms its trunk and the singing, playing, acting, painting, and dancing are its branches. Nonetheless, worship is worship. Jesus left us the Holy Spirit so that we wouldn't have to live a life of emptiness and constant refueling, but rather a life of constant "pouring in and pouring out." It's not a two-day thing...it's a life-long dream. Jesus made it clear that worship is not defined by location nor contained between four walls because our hearts are the secret place where true worship begins to blossom. It's time to worship God for what we do know instead of what we don't, and those truths can only be found in His word. The only way that the word will become flesh in us is if we spend time reading and meditating on it. How can we worship what we do not know? We must always remember why we thank God, why we love Him, and why we need Him. The Father wants those who will worship Him in the spirit and in truth. To do this we must be filled with His Holy Spirit and walk a genuine walk, wearing the truth on our sleeves. This is what we've been called to wholeheartedly do.

Personality Quiz: How's Your Relationship With God doing?

Just wanted to share with yall a little quiz I made. This one's more for the ladies but fear not my guy readers soon you will get a quiz just for you made by a very good friend of mine. Be sure to check it out and find out what kind of relationship you have with God. Where are you spiritually? Guess no more! Hope yall enjoy and let me know whatcha' think! God bless.

*~*~*

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

In The Stillness We Come To Know God

God does amazing things when we give Him the right of way. When we stop in the natural and our hearts slow, and our mind quiets down, God can speak and be heard. I've recently been reading the Book of Samuel and let me just say that it is definitely one of my favorites. These true events in particular I just had to share because I know that as worshipers there are times when quiet is not an option. I've already talked about resting in the Lord all the days of our lives, in every moment, but this post is more about responding to those moments of stillness that we do have in our lives. These moments are the times when God is really trying to communicate with us. Sometimes we might not even know that it's Him because we haven't gotten accustomed to perceiving His presence and discerning His heart's words. Painting the picture of the scene: Samuel, merely a young boy, has gotten used to His spiritual guide, Eli, teaching him how to minister before the Lord. At this point, Samuel had never really had a personal encounter with God even though He served the Lord; However, Samuel was in the right place at the right time. Meeting God isn't like a blind date because God takes His time, patiently loving on us until the day comes when we turn around and finally see Him...finally fall in love with Him who first loved us. This precious moment was just about to take place in Samuel's life because he was finally still and all was quiet. In the natural and in the spiritual...all was still.

*~*~*

(1 Samuel 3:2-11) One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel! ” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle.

*~*~*

My advice to you, my fellow worshipers, is to start fighting for those quiet moments. For a while silence your phone, turn off the T.V, sneak away from the hustle and bustle, and literally be still. Even when we express our worship to God through music make it personal time where you just stay quiet for a bit. Let your fingers rest. Gently set the mic down. Let God's presence take you away into that secret place where it's just you and Him. There, He will say the words that you've been waiting to hear: "Yes, it is me." In that stillness, in that silence we come to really know God.

When We Go On Our Own

Beginning to read the Book of Joshua one portion stuck out at me and caused me to re-read a few times. When this happens I know God wants to show me something, I know He's speaking into my heart.

*~*~*

(Joshua 9:3-8)

But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to deception to save themselves. They sent ambassadors to Joshua, loading their donkeys with weathered saddlebags and old, patched wineskins. They put on worn-out, patched sandals and ragged clothes. And the bread they took with them was dry and moldy. When they arrived at the camp of Israel at Gilgal, they told Joshua and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land to ask you to make a peace treaty with us.” The Israelites replied to these Hivites, “How do we know you don’t live nearby? For if you do, we cannot make a treaty with you.” They replied, “We are your servants.”

(Joshua 9:12-18)

“This bread was hot from the ovens when we left our homes. But now, as you can see, it is dry and moldy. These wineskins were new when we filled them, but now they are old and split open. And our clothing and sandals are worn out from our very long journey.” So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the Lord. Then Joshua made a peace treaty with them and guaranteed their safety, and the leaders of the community ratified their agreement with a binding oath. Three days after making the treaty, they learned that these people actually lived nearby! The Israelites set out at once to investigate and reached their towns in three days. The names of these towns were Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. But the Israelites did not attack the towns, for the Israelite leaders had made a vow to them in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

*~*~*

There are times in our lives that are harder to swallow than others, yet there are also situations that we face that seem fine. We think we can handle the little things in life. The truth is...we need God for everything. We need to consult God before our decisions, whether we think we can handle them or not because His ways are not our ways. Why put ourselves in the situation to be surrounded by wolves. Just because Jesus promised to rescue us doesn't mean that we should step out on the limb. I would rather just cling to Him always. I cling by reading His word, through prayer, conversation, and Worship. It's because he loved me first that I want to hold tight to Him. I encourage you my bloggers to do the same. At that moment you will tast and see that the Lord is good and you will experience the tremendous joy of taking refuge in His loving arms. It might feel like we're about to drown beneath the raging currents but they will not drown us. Because he is our refuge the situations in our lives will not overcome us. Because of Christ. It's all because of my sweet, sweet Jesus. When we decide to go on our own we run the risk of hitting a wall or being deceived  But I love this and truly live for it:

(John 10:27-29) My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.

It's So Much More Than a Song

Scenario: Your pastor walks into your church Sunday morning and slowly approaches the pulpit. All eyes, including your own, are on him or her. At the moment the only sound audible to your ears is the sound of the pastor's footsteps. In silence, you and the rest of the congregation watch with much anticipation. Suddenly your pastor begins to write something on a cardboard poster with a black sharpie, only looking up once to let out a chuckle before he or she lifts up the poster. In confusion, all of you read the seven letter word: Worship. Now, the pastor asks one simple question," What does this word mean to you?" For a moment no one spoke except for one little boy who shouted, "It's what we do every Sunday! Right?" And the silence continued.

*~*~*

When this one word is thrown out at us, what do we make of it? Is it singing? Is it dancing? Is it ministering? Is it a quiet moment? Could it be a loud fast-paced period in which we encounter the Lord? It's so much more than all of this. During the weekend I heard a preaching by Kim Walker that completely impacted my life. I loved it! I've always been taught the type of Congregational Worship that is done in a church setting but as the years have progressed the Lord has shown me the complexity and intricacy of the word, like a tree divided into its roots and branches. It's all about His love. Worship is a wholehearted "response to THAT love." It's a continuous outpour that comes from the Father to us that we return back to Him. It's a call back to a relationship where as two we now become one with Him. Painting, prophetic dance, singing, playing an instrument—these are all "expressions" of Worship. The dictionary defines "expression" as the process of making known one's thoughts or feelings. Just like love is a word in itself and buying a date flowers or caring for one's husband are expressions of that love, Worship and the expressions we make known are two different things. We sing because we're grateful and dance because we're free. Free to express our love through worship.

*~*~*

(Psalm 5:7)Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house;
I will worship at your Temple with deepest awe.

The word of God tells us that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. By maintaining our relationship with God we worship Him because Worship was never meant to be kept between four walls of a building: it was meant to be living and breathing within us. Just as Christ lives, our Worship lives because of His love. It's saying, "Thank you Father ...I adore you...I praise you!" And it's having conversations with Him and kneeling before Him in prayer. These are things that keep the fire burning. Our lamps must never burn out. Just as love is constantly given to us, we must constanly love on Him. It's like the song says, "You provide the fire, I'll provide the sacrifice." Our sacrifice is our life, our time, and our love. The more we seek God the more we depend on God...it'll just be like the constant flowing of a stream. It's so much more than a song.

(Psalms 95:6) Oh come, let us worship and bow down;

let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!

*~*~*