Prepared - Planted - Productive - Prosperous

As we begin the new year, let's look at the beginning of the great hymn book, The Psalms.  Psalm 1 begins with, "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.  But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night."   If we are to be effective worshippers in 2012, we must first prepare.  There is a negative and a positive here.  First, if we are to be effective in our worship, we must be careful who we "run with".  We need to be careful of our environment and surround ourselves with worshippers.  That is not to say that we aren't to reach out and be used of the Lord to create worshippers, but those relationships we hold closest should be fellow worshippers.  The positive preparation involves "delighting in God's Word and meditating on it day and night".  We can not be effective worshippers apart from saturating our lives with His Word.

Verse 3 goes on to say, "He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers".  Prepared, planted, productive, and prosperous in worship.  A water pipe doesn't really change as water flows through it, however a tree does.  It receives nourishment as a living organism.  This wonderful, growing tree is a picture of a righteous worshipper.  This tree is planted, productive, and prosperous.  God's Word constantly enlightens our worship.  If we are planted, we are firmly rooted in our worship.  If we are productive, we are effective in glorifying God, edifying the body, and evangelizing the lost, creating worshippers.  If we are prosperous, we are showing the world God's blessing and glory.  May we enter 2012, prepared, planted, productive, and prosperous for the glory of the Lord!   mjm

Impromptu Worship and Praise

Mary was completely overwhelmed by God's goodness when she broke into spontaneous praise and worship of the Lord . . . "My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior."(Luke 1: 46-47)  A person who knows God and is experiencing Him intimately will sing to the Lord in deepest praise even as Mary did.  Mary gave one of the most beautiful songs of praise found in scripture.  Our Lord created us for praise and it will be our occupation as we gather around the throne in heaven.  

We should never have any problem having reason to praise.  When we remember all that God has given us beginning with our redemption thru Jesus Christ, our response will be praise.  Our praise according to Scripture should be both private and public in our worship.  When we consider the boundless love and mercy of our Lord, you will want to sing His praises as Mary did.  Impromptu praise is real and authentic.    This kind of praise doesn't have to be manipulated or orchestrated.  This kind of praise is our own expression of a thankful heart and an awe-filled life that has encountered the living, holy God.  How we need to learn unprompted praise.  If we praise on a consistent basis, our whole attitude and altitude will change.  Let us praise Him now and forever - God with us!  mjm

Believe and Receive

I often ask the question - Do we approach our private devotional worship and our public worship as we gather as God's family, believing God?  In God's way of doing things in the kingdom, believing is a definite  prerequisite to receiving.  In Luke 1:45 we see that principle at work . . . "Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord." God spoke to Mary assuring her that He would be with her in what seemed to be an impossible situation.  He had everything in place to act.  But, first she had to believe Him.  It takes a pure and undivided heart to believe God under the kind of circumstances in which Mary found herself.  

It has always been this way as God works with His people.  Mary could not see how God's plan was unfolding in the courts of heaven.  She could not see the hosts of angels preparing to protect her and the baby.  She had no idea of the future planned.  She only knew that God had spoken to her and that was enough.  Her response: "Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be according to your Word"  (Luke 1:38). 

When God speaks through His Word and Spirit about His plan, He does it with everything already in place to fulfill His Word.  All He asks of us is to believe and act on that belief in what He has spoken.  It is possible for us to experience great blessings and His glory when we simply trust Him wholly.  Mary could not have imagined the results of her faithful obedience.  Likewise we have no idea what He has in store for us when we believe.  He knows when and where He will bring salvation to those we pray for.  He knows how He will heal the friend that we dare to "stand in the gap" for.  He knows how He will provide our every need and the needs of those we pray for.  He knows how He will show his glory when we faithfully believe.  He has everything in place.  All we have to do - - is  - - believe.  He came among us - so we could believe and receive.  Hallelujah!  What a Savior.  mjm

The Day of the Lord

In the Word there are many references  to the day of the Lord.  Many times it refers to either the first coming or the second coming of Jesus.  But it can refer to any time God comes to His people either in salvation or judgement.  The day of the Lord also refers to the day of worship.  And, we see both salvation and judgement sometimes involved even in our day of worship.

Amos predicted that the day of the Lord would be different than what people might expect.  Some of the people of his day thought there would be joy and singing, and even though that could be at times, we see Amos saying that there would also be grieving and judgement. When Jesus came the first time, it caught many by surprise.  Because they were expecting Him to come in a different way, many didn't recognize Him.

The final day of the Lord will be at the second coming of Christ.  In the mean time, there will be times when God will come to you, your family and your friends.  As we see God at work in both ourselves and others, we realize again that the day of the Lord is at hand.  As God does His special work in ours and others lives, we need to be sensitive and intercede as God does His work among us.  May we be always preparing and praying for the day of the Lord in our lives and in our worship, and therefore experience His presence and power mightily at work glorifying His name.  mjm

Preparing for God's Presence

If we want to see the powerful presence of God, then we have to prepare for it.  The prophet Isaiah is quoted in Luke 3:4,6 "Prepare the way of the Lord;  Make His paths straight . . . And all flesh shall see the salvation of God."  We see John the Baptist in (Matt. 3:2) telling people to prepare the way . . . "for the kingdom is at hand."  Those who heard his message and prepared their lives recognized Jesus when He came.  Preparation always precedes God's presence!  I have said this many times to the worship leading choir in our church.  We must prepare spiritually and musically if we want to experience and see others experience the presence of the Lord.

What is the first step in preparation according to John?  Repentance.  That is the beginning of our spiritual preparation.  When Jesus came, the religious leaders of the day were not prepared and preferred their religious rituals over coming to join Him.

If we are not prepared, we will miss experiencing Jesus in worship, both private and public worship.  We can practice "religion" and still miss God.  While others encounter the living God personally, our hearts can remain unmoved if we don't prepare.  If we don't prepare, others will receive a fresh word from God while we experience a painful silence.  Religious activity can never be a substitute for a heart that is pure before Him in worship.  

Preparation had to be made for His first coming.  Preparation has to be made for His presence in our worship.  And, preparation has to be made for the next time He comes in splender and glory?  Are you prepared for God's presence now and then?  mjm

Family Christmas/Family Worship

"Let love be genuine.  Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection.  Outdo one another in showing honor.  Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord." (Rom. 12:8-10)  Verse 10 in other translations - "Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other."  - "Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle." - "Love one another with brotherly affection [as members of one family], giving precedence and showing honor to one another." - "Be devoted to one another in love.  Honor one another above yourselves."

I ask, "Could we have seen 'worship wars', which were actually music style wars, in any church where this verse was being put to practice?"  Mature Christianity displays honoring others more than ourselves and even putting their preferences above our own desires."  Any so-called "worship wars" could be totally avoided by one verse.  

Christmas and Worship are both family time.  Family is very important to both celebrations.  We all have experienced the give and take and sometimes honoring others' traditions and desires when we celebrate Christmas as a family.  And you know, it is good...well, usually. The Christ-like way is not necessarily always conceding, but it is an attitude of Godly submission and humility.  A family is made up of many different ages and generations and we give to one another not only gifts, but the gift of honoring one another's wishes and desires as we celebrate together.

Worship should be so informed.  It is the gathered family of God with an attitude of honoring others over our own selfish desires or preferences.  How we need to remember that there is worship music that may not speak to us, but yet at the same time touches someone else very deeply.  Ultimately worship is not about a style of worship or music.  It is about Him.  And, if we are tuned to Him when we enter, we will worship.  Worship for the body of Christ is about a very important family gathering.  Let's not lose sight of that.  mjm

Exultation!!!

The word exultation has the meaning of giving forth lively and triumphant joy.  The word is certainly an appropriate word for Christmas and worship year round.  Psalm 47 says, "Clap your hands, all peoples!  Shout to God with loud songs of joy!  God has gone up with shouts of joy and the sounding of trumpets. Sing praise to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises." (vv. 1, 5-6)  This psalm gives a very graphic picture of great drama in worship.  The ancient believers allowed themselves to get completely caught up in worship.  They praised with every part of their being - intellectually, emotionally, and physically.  They worshipped God with all of the five senses - sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.  We see this psalm literally pulsating and resonating with passion and a sense of victory.

Take note of the verbs, "clap, shout, sing" and notice they are imperatives.  Worship half-done or with a lack-luster attitude is not acceptable.  Why such joy? . . . because the King has subdued nations, chosen our inheritance and has gone up amid shouts of joy.  

We need to attend church worship as passionately involved worshippers, rather than spectators.  Don Wyrtzen once said, "Church services are not sit-coms which 'couch potatoes' view for entertainment."  They should be dynamic, engaging encounters with God which are challenging and even sometimes a bit uncomfortable.  We need to learn to praise Him with vigor and unrestrained passion.  We need to be able to let go of our personality, have our sensitivity to the Spirit enhanced and grow in our creativity so that we can lift the Lord high in worship and glory!  The real question - do you truly come in joy and exultation to worship and expect an engagement and encounter with a living, loving Lord?  May we grow in our experiencing Him in worship together.  mjm

No Worship - No Mission - No Power

Worship is our way of inviting God's power and presence to be free to move among those who have gathered to worship Him.  The authentic worship of believers will draw non-Christians to Christ as they see believers engage with the living God.  In a very real sense true worship is evangelistic and will be used of God to accomplish His mission of redeeming man back to Himself.  The world is dying because of a lack of the knowledge of God, and churches are starving to experience the presence of God.  We need to gather, expecting the presence of God among us to change believers and draw the hearts of non-believers every time we gather for worship.

But, also we are promised the power of His presence in our lives continually if and . . . when we are involved in going into all the world in His authority making disciples, baptizing them in His name, and teaching them to observe all that He has commanded (Matt. 28:10-20).  Our involvement can be through praying, going, and giving so that others can go fulfilling His command.  As we do these things we are promised His presence, always.  Without our participation in worship of Him and participation in His mission there will be no power.  We have a Church today who needs to experience His manifest power and we certainly have a world who needs to see His unexplained power of redemption and mission being carried out by His church.  May He use our own local body of believers coming together this week-end to give more than a half million dollars . . . every dollar leaving our church and going to the world to carry His redeeming grace.  Actually, in the midst of a bad economy and pouring rain all morning, we gave over $515,000.  And may that be a testimony and demonstration of real worship and involvement in the mission of our Lord that impacts our world for Christ. mjm