Isaiah 1:10-13
“Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom listen to the law of our God you people of Gomorah! “The multitude of your sacrifices what are they to me?” says the LORD. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this tramplings of my courts? Stop bringing me meaningless offerings!...”
Context: Isaiah was a prophet God used to speak to his people the Israelites. At this point in history Israel had been divided into the North Kingdom of Israel and the South Kingdom of Judah. Isaiah warned God’s people of Judah to give up their sinful lifestyle. They had turned away from God in so many ways, giving into the pagan culture around them. Little did they know their nation would be taken over by the Babylonians.
Isaiah was addressing the fact that they had turned so far from God that they didn’t know what pleased God anymore. They would prepare burnt offerings out of ritualistic tradition and they would offer sacrifices out of obligation. In the above passage, Isaiah was telling them God thinks that their offerings were meaningless to Him. He even asks them, “who has asked this of you…?” “What do you think you are doing, coming in here on my temple grounds with offerings I haven’t even asked you to bring, who are you trying to please, me or yourself?” [paraphrased]
Many things have changed since the time of Isaiah, however, people’s hearts haven’t changed. I think about the struggles that Gods people went through at that time and what we go through today and it sounds very much the same. There is still a battle between Gods way and the self-serving culture around us. It is so easy to get caught up in the world and what we want and what everyone else wants, that when we try and think of what God wants we draw a blank.
Application:
When it comes to worship there is no fooling God, he can see right through us. Some times we think just because we showed up to church, or just because I served in this area, God is pleased. When really God asks us specifically,
Psalm 51:17, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart O God, you will not despise.”
The word “contrite” means to show sincere remorse or to desire atonement. God wants a pure and broken heart towards him! How can we think our money or our service is enough for him, as if he is dependant on our material things. He doesn’t need that, He wants our heart!
Let us strive to offer worship full of meaning, may our hearts be pure, may our hearts break over our sin. May we worship God with nothing less than our whole heart!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Don't Withhold Your Praise
Many times it is easy to make worship about ourselves.
There are times when things come up that we don’t agree with. There are things that make us angry at God or make us angry at others. These things often times can steal our joy and hinder our worship. To us we may not “feel” like worshipping God and in our head it seems perfectly justified. We think, “God wouldn’t want my worship anyway, my heart isn’t in it” or we think, “God doesn’t need my worship, He is big God he has plenty of other people and all of creation to worship him.” We seem to think that God wouldn’t really miss out if we chose to be quiet just this one time. In this time we allow our anger and our stubbornness to dwell, pushing us further and further from God.
I think we forget how intimate God is with us. I think we often forget that He lives inside us and when we allow things not of him to dwell in us he is directly impacted. He is pushed aside and feels the direct impact and the pain. The child he loves and desires to communicate with gives him the silent treatment. Don’t get me wrong God is not weak physically, emotionally or in any other way. Which is why I think he can handle the billions of people around the world that cause him so much heartbreak and so much joy at the same time.
God desires our worship and is worthy of our worship. There is never a good excuse to keep our worship from him. He has never wronged us. He has never mistreated us. He has never hated us. He has only loved us constantly offering us second chance after second chance after second chance and the least we can do is offer him our worship and our praise no matter how imperfect our worship is. We will always come before him with imperfect praise, but the fact is he loves it when we praise him, when we strive to please him and put our minds on him.
Keep worshipping God no matter how you feel. Keep worshipping God no matter who has wronged you. Keep worshipping God no matter your differences. Keep worshipping God no matter your regrets. He has commanded it, and he desires it!
There are times when things come up that we don’t agree with. There are things that make us angry at God or make us angry at others. These things often times can steal our joy and hinder our worship. To us we may not “feel” like worshipping God and in our head it seems perfectly justified. We think, “God wouldn’t want my worship anyway, my heart isn’t in it” or we think, “God doesn’t need my worship, He is big God he has plenty of other people and all of creation to worship him.” We seem to think that God wouldn’t really miss out if we chose to be quiet just this one time. In this time we allow our anger and our stubbornness to dwell, pushing us further and further from God.
I think we forget how intimate God is with us. I think we often forget that He lives inside us and when we allow things not of him to dwell in us he is directly impacted. He is pushed aside and feels the direct impact and the pain. The child he loves and desires to communicate with gives him the silent treatment. Don’t get me wrong God is not weak physically, emotionally or in any other way. Which is why I think he can handle the billions of people around the world that cause him so much heartbreak and so much joy at the same time.
God desires our worship and is worthy of our worship. There is never a good excuse to keep our worship from him. He has never wronged us. He has never mistreated us. He has never hated us. He has only loved us constantly offering us second chance after second chance after second chance and the least we can do is offer him our worship and our praise no matter how imperfect our worship is. We will always come before him with imperfect praise, but the fact is he loves it when we praise him, when we strive to please him and put our minds on him.
Keep worshipping God no matter how you feel. Keep worshipping God no matter who has wronged you. Keep worshipping God no matter your differences. Keep worshipping God no matter your regrets. He has commanded it, and he desires it!
Monday, August 23, 2010
WORSHIP MINISTRY, WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL?
God Has Called Us
We have been given gifts by God that we are called to use for the benefit of the church.
1 Corinthians 14:26 “What then shall we say brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church."
Note the word everyone. This means you! Further, we are not there to benefit ourselves but to benefit the church and ultimately bring glory to God.
I Chronicles 15:16-22 – In this passage David tells the Levites to appoint singers and musicians. He appoints those who are “skillful” at it. The Levites were held to high standards in that time.
It’s More Than Just Music
2 Chronicles 5:11-14” The priests then withdrew from the Holy Place. All the priests who were there had consecrated themselves, regardless of their divisions. 12 All the Levites who were musicians—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. 13 The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: "He is good; his love endures forever." Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud, 14 and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the temple of God.”
In this passage God chose to use musicians to usher in the Spirit of God, filling the temple where God was to dwell! What an amazing scene this verse describes. I believe God continues to use his people to usher his presence in our midst today! Because of the new covenant God no longer is confined to the holy of holies, but he dwells in a new temple, our body! What a thought, that the glory of God would fill us with such power, like the priests, causes us to stop what we are doing and give our full attention to Him. This is what I believe God desires for the church, that we would come together and invite the glory of God into our midst. He wishes to usher in with so much power that we forget our "daily tasks" and give Him our full attention!
Worship team is not just about music or a performance, it is a ministry. Though we are standing in front on stage our attitudes and hearts should always be pointing towards God. We should be ready and available to be used in a powerful way!
You Are a Leader
What defines you as a leader? I believe, that if you have influence, you are a leader. Of course everyone’s role as a leader will look different, but this doesn’t discount the fact that we have influence. I view each member of a worship team as a leader.
As a member of the worship ministry we have a unique kind of influence. Of course everyone sees you, therefore we have a responsibility to strive to lead people toward God. How do we do that?
In order to be a leader we must be a good follower. Let me explain, if we are to lead people to God, we need to be following God. Otherwise, we are going to be leading people to something or someone else. It’s like the game, follow the leader you may have played when you were a kid.
Singers
Singers have a unique role on the worship team since they are on the “front lines”. They are in front of the band and they are in a very vulnerable position.
Psalm 68:24 “Your procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary. In front are the singers, after them the musicians; with them are the maidens playing tambourines.”
Judges 5:11-12 “The voice of the singers at the watering places. They recite the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous acts of his warriors in Israel…”
The word “singers” in this passage is translated in the Hebrew as archers, singers were referred to as archers and warriors. These days the significant difference between secular and worship music is the lyrics. The lyrics in worship songs are meant to "declare the righteous acts of the LORD." They declare things like His character, His promises, and His truth!
There is a spiritual battle being fought as we worship God as a community. Worship has a significant role in spiritual warfare, but that topic is for another blog and for another time.
Be blessed and be encouraged as you follow Gods leading and calling on you and your ministry! May we come together as we strive to further the kingdom of God and bring heaven to earth!
We have been given gifts by God that we are called to use for the benefit of the church.
1 Corinthians 14:26 “What then shall we say brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church."
Note the word everyone. This means you! Further, we are not there to benefit ourselves but to benefit the church and ultimately bring glory to God.
I Chronicles 15:16-22 – In this passage David tells the Levites to appoint singers and musicians. He appoints those who are “skillful” at it. The Levites were held to high standards in that time.
It’s More Than Just Music
2 Chronicles 5:11-14” The priests then withdrew from the Holy Place. All the priests who were there had consecrated themselves, regardless of their divisions. 12 All the Levites who were musicians—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. 13 The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: "He is good; his love endures forever." Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud, 14 and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the temple of God.”
In this passage God chose to use musicians to usher in the Spirit of God, filling the temple where God was to dwell! What an amazing scene this verse describes. I believe God continues to use his people to usher his presence in our midst today! Because of the new covenant God no longer is confined to the holy of holies, but he dwells in a new temple, our body! What a thought, that the glory of God would fill us with such power, like the priests, causes us to stop what we are doing and give our full attention to Him. This is what I believe God desires for the church, that we would come together and invite the glory of God into our midst. He wishes to usher in with so much power that we forget our "daily tasks" and give Him our full attention!
Worship team is not just about music or a performance, it is a ministry. Though we are standing in front on stage our attitudes and hearts should always be pointing towards God. We should be ready and available to be used in a powerful way!
You Are a Leader
What defines you as a leader? I believe, that if you have influence, you are a leader. Of course everyone’s role as a leader will look different, but this doesn’t discount the fact that we have influence. I view each member of a worship team as a leader.
As a member of the worship ministry we have a unique kind of influence. Of course everyone sees you, therefore we have a responsibility to strive to lead people toward God. How do we do that?
In order to be a leader we must be a good follower. Let me explain, if we are to lead people to God, we need to be following God. Otherwise, we are going to be leading people to something or someone else. It’s like the game, follow the leader you may have played when you were a kid.
Singers
Singers have a unique role on the worship team since they are on the “front lines”. They are in front of the band and they are in a very vulnerable position.
Psalm 68:24 “Your procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary. In front are the singers, after them the musicians; with them are the maidens playing tambourines.”
Judges 5:11-12 “The voice of the singers at the watering places. They recite the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous acts of his warriors in Israel…”
The word “singers” in this passage is translated in the Hebrew as archers, singers were referred to as archers and warriors. These days the significant difference between secular and worship music is the lyrics. The lyrics in worship songs are meant to "declare the righteous acts of the LORD." They declare things like His character, His promises, and His truth!
There is a spiritual battle being fought as we worship God as a community. Worship has a significant role in spiritual warfare, but that topic is for another blog and for another time.
Be blessed and be encouraged as you follow Gods leading and calling on you and your ministry! May we come together as we strive to further the kingdom of God and bring heaven to earth!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
A Work In ProGreSs...
"Often I am of two minds when I think about worshipping God. On the one hand, I think, "Why in the world would/should God be the least bit interested in my offering of worship? Seriousy!" On the other hand, His word tells me plainly and simply that He desires my worship. It is an act of obedience and an expression of what is in my heart. When Saul disobeyed Samuel, Samuel chided him by saying, "Obedience is better than sacrifice." I think I can handle that. I can let God be God and never mind the "Why?" and "How come?". What is in my heart, however, is still a work in progress."
-Roger Anderson
Lead Worshiper, Piano/Keys/Vocals
-Roger Anderson
Lead Worshiper, Piano/Keys/Vocals
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
A Powerful Declaration!!!!!!!
The song "Our God" by Chris Tomlin is a very powerful song. It celebrates God as awesome, healer, the strongest and the highest! It is a declaration saying if God is for us then NOTHING can stand against us! Wow!!! This is such a powerful statement. My prayer for all of us is that this statement would ring true in our lives. That we would live victoriously in lifes situations and know that if God is for us nothing can stop us! Just think of what God could do!!!! Lets surrender everything to HIm!!
Worshipers even if you are not on stage, we need you to be singing and leading from the pews as well. Your leadership and influence is not limited to being on stage. Let us strive to give God all of our heart wherever we are! Love you guys!!!
Youtube link for "Our God": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_t_87NyHx0
Be blessed!!!!
Striving to live a life of worship,
Esther
Worshipers even if you are not on stage, we need you to be singing and leading from the pews as well. Your leadership and influence is not limited to being on stage. Let us strive to give God all of our heart wherever we are! Love you guys!!!
Youtube link for "Our God": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_t_87NyHx0
Be blessed!!!!
Striving to live a life of worship,
Esther
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
What do you think of this video?
What do you think of this video?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4QFKS4LzS4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4QFKS4LzS4
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
"How to Worship"
This video was sent from a friend...it is absolutely hilarious. It goes to show how its possible to "look" like you're worshiping when the heart really isn't there. May we be sincere in everything we do and grow in our heart of worship!
Be blessed,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K4fveLQZZQ
Be blessed,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K4fveLQZZQ
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