I like to take a look at Psalm Chapter 81.
This is where our final thought came from last week. You may remember the verse, "open wide your mouth, and I will fill it with good things".
The early part of the chapter, that is the first 10 versus speak to the praise and worship of God. Much like what we discussed over the last several elevates and will continue for the next couple elevates. We are to praise and worship our guide. We are to praise him when our strength, with our music, with our submission, with our obedience, and other things.
What we see in Psalm 81 is that we are to listen to him and worship we are to be released from our burdens during worship. We are to be focused only on God to receive worship from us.
Verse 11 is not a pretty picture.
The people did not listen to God's encouragement. It actually indicates that they did not want God to be around, they did not want God to interrupt their lives.
So God let them go wherever it was they wanted to go. They lived according to their own desires. I have no doubt that that probably felt really good to the people. They probably felt independent, strong, wise, confident, and it like they were headed somewhere that was finally worth going to.
But God says that they were quickly overcome by their enemies.
Such an incredible concept for us to consider. That when we worship our submission carry's with it the opportunity for constant blessing, fulfillment, and strength from the God whom we bow down to.
And yet God is willing to be pushed away. He is willing to let us be overcome by our enemies.
The very enemies that he has prepared a table in front of.A table so we could feast off of all that He provides.(PS 23:5)
The choice is ours ,as crazy as it seems. We have the opportunity to eat food that will last forever. To be satisfied with the best foods the God of universe can make.
What choice will you make.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
The Feast Elevate jan 23
a feast is available in the presence of our enemies.
Psalm 23, the shepherds Psalm. the fifth verse is where God makes it clear that he provides more nutrition, pleasure, and fullness than we could ever need while our enemies are all around us.
How does he do that?
Well I have no doubt there are many threads to that answer. But for me in this particular series I believe one of those main threads is the attitude that takes place during worship.
Worship is the key to the feast that God is providing. True worship takes place when the heart comes into submission to a guy that is desperate for relationship because we need everything he has to exist. When our mind confines warship to a specific area or time in which we are comfortable we lose the opportunity of eating a feast that God has provided.
Being in the presence of our enemies does not mean that we are safe in any walled city sitting in a palace having a banquet. Although I do believe that can apply in our lives, I do not believe it is the aspect touched on during this particular psalm.
Sheep were constantly in the presence of their enemy.
She spent most of their time in the wilderness. There were enemies that wanted to eat them, their enemies that wanted to steal them , and there was plenty of food that looked good but could cause great discomfort and possible death. The good Shepherd is able to provide a feast of nutritional, tasty, and abundant food in the presence of our enemies.
Worship is the path that allows us to ascend to the throne of God and feast at his table.
Isaiah chapter 55
this chapter is filled with opportunities where we see worship providing a connection to God.
We see that we are to come and eat food that is good for us. We are to drink for free good drink that we cannot afford. We are to seek God while he may be found. And after we do all that, we hear the thoughts that are not like our thoughts, we see the ways that are not like our ways, we are higher and lifted up more than we could ever be on our own. Worship brings us to a place where we ascend into God's throne room, hear things we could not have heard before, and see things we could not have seen, and think of things we could not have thought of, unless we were in the presence of God.
Often times when our mind gets in the way.
When we tell God what worship is, when worship can take place, we stand in the way of submission to God. Our minds become a stumbling block to what God is trying to accomplish. though our thoughts may desire to connect to God if we don't come to him in submission our minds will keep us from entering into a place of worship. Our minds limit what we can eat at Gods banqueting table. Worship becomes dry ,old, it doesn't satisfy any more, and we look for something new.
When we lead with our hearts. when we allow our minds to be bent to the thoughts of God.we are able to feast in the presence of our enemies at a table laden with opportunities to become full, energized, and healthy.
Psalm 81:10
"open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things."
Come to the table, open up your mouth, and enjoy an endless supply of good things.
Psalm 23, the shepherds Psalm. the fifth verse is where God makes it clear that he provides more nutrition, pleasure, and fullness than we could ever need while our enemies are all around us.
How does he do that?
Well I have no doubt there are many threads to that answer. But for me in this particular series I believe one of those main threads is the attitude that takes place during worship.
Worship is the key to the feast that God is providing. True worship takes place when the heart comes into submission to a guy that is desperate for relationship because we need everything he has to exist. When our mind confines warship to a specific area or time in which we are comfortable we lose the opportunity of eating a feast that God has provided.
Being in the presence of our enemies does not mean that we are safe in any walled city sitting in a palace having a banquet. Although I do believe that can apply in our lives, I do not believe it is the aspect touched on during this particular psalm.
Sheep were constantly in the presence of their enemy.
She spent most of their time in the wilderness. There were enemies that wanted to eat them, their enemies that wanted to steal them , and there was plenty of food that looked good but could cause great discomfort and possible death. The good Shepherd is able to provide a feast of nutritional, tasty, and abundant food in the presence of our enemies.
Worship is the path that allows us to ascend to the throne of God and feast at his table.
Isaiah chapter 55
this chapter is filled with opportunities where we see worship providing a connection to God.
We see that we are to come and eat food that is good for us. We are to drink for free good drink that we cannot afford. We are to seek God while he may be found. And after we do all that, we hear the thoughts that are not like our thoughts, we see the ways that are not like our ways, we are higher and lifted up more than we could ever be on our own. Worship brings us to a place where we ascend into God's throne room, hear things we could not have heard before, and see things we could not have seen, and think of things we could not have thought of, unless we were in the presence of God.
Often times when our mind gets in the way.
When we tell God what worship is, when worship can take place, we stand in the way of submission to God. Our minds become a stumbling block to what God is trying to accomplish. though our thoughts may desire to connect to God if we don't come to him in submission our minds will keep us from entering into a place of worship. Our minds limit what we can eat at Gods banqueting table. Worship becomes dry ,old, it doesn't satisfy any more, and we look for something new.
When we lead with our hearts. when we allow our minds to be bent to the thoughts of God.we are able to feast in the presence of our enemies at a table laden with opportunities to become full, energized, and healthy.
Psalm 81:10
"open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things."
Come to the table, open up your mouth, and enjoy an endless supply of good things.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Worship part 1 elevate Jan 16
Elevate will be focusing on worship or the next few weeks.
The concept of worship unfortunately has been shrunk by many people. When someone thinks of worship in general they tend to think of it as the "music time" in Church.
But
the concept of worship draws from its definition the act of submission. Worship is the submission to a higher presence. A presence that is believed to be greater than yourself. A presence that you place in a higher priority than yourself.
We believe that presence is our God.
In the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve spent their entire waking and sleeping moments in worship to God. They were able to do this because they recognized 24 hours a day in their conscious and unconscious thoughts that God was greater than they were and they needed him to supply all that they were. They understood their activities and lives flowed from the relationship that they had with God. This understanding put them in an attitude of worship regardless of their activity.
This perfect environment was interrupted when Adam and Eve chose to disobey God. In that disobedience they use their personal reason i/e self to decide what they should do rather than submit to God. They placed themselves and their reason above God and decided more knowledge was available through the tree.
Just like in the garden many of us use our reason to determine what the best course of worship is for us. We use our reason to determine where and when a worship experience can take place. And we decide what the voice of God can say and through what means He can say it.
Jesus came to redeem his creation, one of the aspects of that redemption plan was to restore us/give us the opportunity to once again live in worship to him.To live in a place that allows Him to hold control over us. Worship puts us in a place( that is His Throne Room)where we can hear His voice and follow His promptings.
In the story of Cain and Abel we see again the opportunity to evaluate worship. The brothers came to bring offering of worship to God.this is something they had done many times before.
And yet this time Cain had a different attitude. His heart had some form of selfishness or arrogance, something that was unacceptable in the act of worship. This resulted with God not accepting his offering.
Cains countenance shifted, and God went to Cain to restore proper relationship. Cain evidently was not interested, and ultimately killed his brother/competition in some twisted way of proving his point or to selfishly try to stay in control of his circumstances.
whatever the ultimate list of twisted reasoning might be, I believe one of the lessons in the story is ,the act of worship interrupted the flow of relationship between him and God. And without a proper relationship between him and God, ultimately all human relationships between Cain and others became destroyed, or in some way significantly altered to the negative.
Worship holds an amazing importance to our ability to stay in rhythm with God's heart. To worship only in song, at certain times of the day or week is giving into the same sort of self reasoning that destroyed relationships in the garden and outside the Garden of Eden.
Seeking a better relationship with God is another thread of worship that can help us maintain a constant connection to our Creator. To seek a relationship implies that we are seeking to discover, request and desire to know something more or someone better.Seeking God we are acknowledging the importance and greatness of His relationship with us. That acknowledgment is an act of submission and it keeps us in an attitude of worship.
Worship songs often allow us to declare, announce, and pray for what should be going on in our lives. Worship songs often allow us to acknowledge, and recognize the greatness of the God that we submit to. Worship songs give us music that allows us to ride, and ascend into the throne of God a little easier than doing it on our own.
But worship songs are not, nor should they be the only way that we worship.
The concept of worship unfortunately has been shrunk by many people. When someone thinks of worship in general they tend to think of it as the "music time" in Church.
But
the concept of worship draws from its definition the act of submission. Worship is the submission to a higher presence. A presence that is believed to be greater than yourself. A presence that you place in a higher priority than yourself.
We believe that presence is our God.
In the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve spent their entire waking and sleeping moments in worship to God. They were able to do this because they recognized 24 hours a day in their conscious and unconscious thoughts that God was greater than they were and they needed him to supply all that they were. They understood their activities and lives flowed from the relationship that they had with God. This understanding put them in an attitude of worship regardless of their activity.
This perfect environment was interrupted when Adam and Eve chose to disobey God. In that disobedience they use their personal reason i/e self to decide what they should do rather than submit to God. They placed themselves and their reason above God and decided more knowledge was available through the tree.
Just like in the garden many of us use our reason to determine what the best course of worship is for us. We use our reason to determine where and when a worship experience can take place. And we decide what the voice of God can say and through what means He can say it.
Jesus came to redeem his creation, one of the aspects of that redemption plan was to restore us/give us the opportunity to once again live in worship to him.To live in a place that allows Him to hold control over us. Worship puts us in a place( that is His Throne Room)where we can hear His voice and follow His promptings.
In the story of Cain and Abel we see again the opportunity to evaluate worship. The brothers came to bring offering of worship to God.this is something they had done many times before.
And yet this time Cain had a different attitude. His heart had some form of selfishness or arrogance, something that was unacceptable in the act of worship. This resulted with God not accepting his offering.
Cains countenance shifted, and God went to Cain to restore proper relationship. Cain evidently was not interested, and ultimately killed his brother/competition in some twisted way of proving his point or to selfishly try to stay in control of his circumstances.
whatever the ultimate list of twisted reasoning might be, I believe one of the lessons in the story is ,the act of worship interrupted the flow of relationship between him and God. And without a proper relationship between him and God, ultimately all human relationships between Cain and others became destroyed, or in some way significantly altered to the negative.
Worship holds an amazing importance to our ability to stay in rhythm with God's heart. To worship only in song, at certain times of the day or week is giving into the same sort of self reasoning that destroyed relationships in the garden and outside the Garden of Eden.
Seeking a better relationship with God is another thread of worship that can help us maintain a constant connection to our Creator. To seek a relationship implies that we are seeking to discover, request and desire to know something more or someone better.Seeking God we are acknowledging the importance and greatness of His relationship with us. That acknowledgment is an act of submission and it keeps us in an attitude of worship.
Worship songs often allow us to declare, announce, and pray for what should be going on in our lives. Worship songs often allow us to acknowledge, and recognize the greatness of the God that we submit to. Worship songs give us music that allows us to ride, and ascend into the throne of God a little easier than doing it on our own.
But worship songs are not, nor should they be the only way that we worship.
Monday, January 11, 2010
on fire
A people on fire, flamers :-)
As we enter a new year of Elevate, we are looking to create an atmosphere that ignites and perpetuates the flam of God's love in every individual that comes.
It is the love of God that makes a difference in the world.
It is the love of God that changes the atmosphere of the world we live in.
It is the love of God that can change the life of individuals.
It is the love of God that changed our lives.
As we look to the opportunities that meeting every week brings us, we are excited about the rhythm that our community can begin to develop. We look forward to a rhythm that will encourage, and ignite the love of God in everyone who attends. As people interact with God's love during one of our services we see at least two or three main desires being fanned into flame.
One is a desire to know the source of that love in a deeper way.
Second is the desire to share that love with the world/community that we have personal contact with.
And third is the desire to come back and encourage others again with what the love of God has been doing in our lives and in our community the past week.
We also are looking forward to seeing God presents at work in each one of our services.
We expect to see people healed (physically and spiritually and emotionally). We expect to see people challenged. We expect to see people broken and wrecked for God.we expect people to hear from God. We expect people to share and interact with each other about God and his love.
And we expect this every week.
we also know relationships are complicated, and people can get messy. We believe that expectation is part of the beauty in which the love of God is seen. We know creating the perfect environment for God does not mean creating the perfect environment. We believe it is a calling God to come to this place and change our environment and to shift our atmosphere. That expectation is something we can look forward to every week.
The relationship we have with God is also complicated. The atmosphere into which He comes may not always look or feel the same, but it is something we can expect to participate in.
I look forward to see you there.
I look forward to sharing with you the Love of God
As we enter a new year of Elevate, we are looking to create an atmosphere that ignites and perpetuates the flam of God's love in every individual that comes.
It is the love of God that makes a difference in the world.
It is the love of God that changes the atmosphere of the world we live in.
It is the love of God that can change the life of individuals.
It is the love of God that changed our lives.
As we look to the opportunities that meeting every week brings us, we are excited about the rhythm that our community can begin to develop. We look forward to a rhythm that will encourage, and ignite the love of God in everyone who attends. As people interact with God's love during one of our services we see at least two or three main desires being fanned into flame.
One is a desire to know the source of that love in a deeper way.
Second is the desire to share that love with the world/community that we have personal contact with.
And third is the desire to come back and encourage others again with what the love of God has been doing in our lives and in our community the past week.
We also are looking forward to seeing God presents at work in each one of our services.
We expect to see people healed (physically and spiritually and emotionally). We expect to see people challenged. We expect to see people broken and wrecked for God.we expect people to hear from God. We expect people to share and interact with each other about God and his love.
And we expect this every week.
we also know relationships are complicated, and people can get messy. We believe that expectation is part of the beauty in which the love of God is seen. We know creating the perfect environment for God does not mean creating the perfect environment. We believe it is a calling God to come to this place and change our environment and to shift our atmosphere. That expectation is something we can look forward to every week.
The relationship we have with God is also complicated. The atmosphere into which He comes may not always look or feel the same, but it is something we can expect to participate in.
I look forward to see you there.
I look forward to sharing with you the Love of God
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