Worship The Secret of Success - The Glory Cloud Part 2

Some of you may not have the faintest idea of what I'm talking about.  You may even be wondering, what is a glory cloud?  Is that biblical?  The glory cloud  is a visible manifestation of the Glory of God.  it is a visible cloud that appears in the ceiling of an anointed worship service, whenever God is pleased enough with the worship to sit in the presence of His people.  The glory cloud represents His presence.  His presence causes miracles to happen.  This same cloud was mentioned in 2 Chronicles 5:11-14.

And it came to pass when the priests came out of the Most Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without keeping to their divisions), and the Levites who were the singers, all those of Asaph and Human and Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, stood at the east end of the alter, clothed in white linen, having cymbals, stringed instruments and harps, and with them one hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets--indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying:

"For He is good, 

For His mercy endures forever,"

that the house, the house of theLord, was fulled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

How many of you have ever experienced such a service?  I would be willing to guess the number is very small, why?  Because of the requirements of the experience.  The scripture says the trumpeters and the singers were as one "to make one sound."  What are the odds of that happening these days?  How likely is it that that many people--musicians, priests, singers, trumpeters --can lay aside their own ego, likes, dislikes, preferences, differences to "make one sound" in praising and thanking the Lord.  Not necessarily "as one" musically, but "as one" spiritually?  How do you get people to change their focus from themselves to pleasing and praising God?  It requires our being able to die to ourselves.  It requires our being able to see that the reward of dying to self and totally submitting to Christ has far greater rewards than consequences.

Worship: The Secret of Success

If you don't know the purpose of  a thing; abuse is inevitable.
Myles Munroe

Myles Munroe was one of my favorite Educators.  I remember picking up one of his books when I was half my current age and it changed my life, because it resonated so deep within me.  That book was called, "Understanding the Power of Purpose."  I don't even think you can get it anymore, but it started the slew of books on Purpose that followed.  I just want to give God praise for the gift of Pastor, Profit, Teacher, Apostle, and Evangelist He gave us in Myles Munroe.

Over the next few weeks I am going to go back to the original purpose of this Blog, and start taking about Worship, as I see and know it.  Enjoy.

Living beneath your privilege is disobedience to God and false worship.  Jesus Christ suffered greatly and died a horrible death to restore us to our place of dominion in this earth.  To live or walk in anything less than dominion on earth is to say what Jesus Christ did was in vain.

Are you tired of going to church every Sunday and listening to praise and worship services where the music is easy too loud?  Do you sit there and pray that the worship leader will eventually lead us into true worship instead of entertaining us with song and dance?  Does your praise and worship leader run around the stage yelling just to get you to join in a song that has nothing to do with worshipping God? Well, maybe you can join me in my mantra that says, "WILL THE TRUE WORSHIPPERS PLEASE COME FORTH!!!"

Have you ever experienced a worship service where the glory cloud would come in and sit among us?  Have you ever experienced a worship service where the glory was so heavy that the Pastor could not even preach his prepared sermon?  I am not talking about emotional praise and worship, where people's emotions take over and the preacher can't preach because of the lack of discipline of emotional outbursts.  I'm talking about a true worship service where God is present and his glory rests among us, evidenced by people getting healed and set free with no man laying hands on them, but solely by the glory of the Almighty God.  These are services where no flesh could glory in His presence, and what a presence it was.  Needless to say, I've experienced such a service.  The glory cloud was so apparent and visible that you could actually see it.  If you've never encountered such a worship service, then you've missed an incredible experience.  But it also means, you have something to look forward to.

That's all for now.  Next week we will talk more about the glory.

Sharan

Hello Fellow Worshippers . . . I'm Back!!!

I know it has been some time since I have posted on this blog and I truly apologize.  I just got busy . . . and busy . . . and busier . . . and busier, and you get the gist.  However, I have been convicted for not completing this assignment.  Sometimes we can get so busy doing what we THINK is the right thing and, it could be the right thing, but for the wrong reasons.  Or every right thing is not necessarily a God thing.

I have been on a journey to know God's truth concerning so many things about religion and Christianity.  There are as many theories, religions and opinions as there are people.  So I decided to go back to the basics.  To go back to the things I know to be true, as I have experienced personally.  So here goes . . .

What I know to be true about worship is:

1. God desires a personal intimate relationship with us.
2. God is the only one worthy of worship.  Man is not only NOT worthy, but man was not even created to handle worship.  I've seen so many great men of God who started out on the right path and allow people worship to throw them terribly off course.  It is really not a pretty thing to see a man groveling for attention and worship.  Ugh . . .
3. Obedience is the highest form of worship.
4. Worship is not just a slow song.  It is so much more.
5. Worship is a lifestyle 
6. You must have the Holy Spirit to truly worship God.  God is seeking the true worshippers to worship Him in Spirit and in truth.
7. In worshipping God, the attention should NEVER be on you.
8. Love of God leads to worship.
9. Just because you are labeled a worship leader and you stand before a congregation leading a slow song doesn't make it a worship song or make you a worship leader.  
10. Faith leads to Obedience which leads to pleasing God which leads to worship.

This is my initial take on things.  I would love to hear what you think.  Please feel free to share what you know to be true about worship or even add to my list.  I am not purporting to know it all.  

We are living in a completely different world now than we were in even when I started this blog in 2013.  People are attacking true worshippers from all sides.  And let me be clear, the true worshippers are not just being attacked by "other religions."  The biggest attack on the true worshippers is those who call themselves Christians, but condone and/or do anything but obey God's Word.  The Charismatic Christian leadership is pushing away many people from the Body of Christ because of their flip flop stance on sin and certain people who are committing them.  They are demonstrating to the Body of Christ that if your title is right, you have enough money and you are the right race creed or religion, you can do and say whatever you want and they will find a way to justify it.  This ideology is pushing people right out the doors of the church.  Many "mega" churches are no longer "mega."  Getting in the pulpit telling lies or manipulating the scriptures to justify your stance or the stance of others you like, is not only wrong, but it is a form of lying and the bible says God hates liars.  Lying or bearing false witness is outlined in the bible as one of the things God hates.  Therefore it is a disservice to God.  Thank God for their sake that we are in the Grace dispensation period.  God's grace is allowing them to do what they do every Sunday, but grace will run out, and we all have to stand before God for ourselves and give account of our lives here on earth.  Thus, the reason for returning to my blog.  God is not through with me yet.  And if I belong to Him, I don't get to say when I am done, or what I say or do.

So . . . I'm back!  And I am glad to be back.  God is not through with me yet, and I am not through with you.  See you next week.

Awesome Quotes: Married or not you should read this

Awesome Quotes: Married or not you should read this

The Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd-Psalm 23 by Pure Glory by David In grassy meadows he lets me lie. By tranquil streams he leads me to restore my spirit. He guides me in paths of saving justice as befits his name. Even were I to walk in a ravine as dark as death I should fear no danger, for you are at my side. Your staff and your crook are there to soothe me. You prepare a table for me under the eyes of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil my cup brims over. Kindness and faithful love pursue me every day of my life. I make my home in the house of Yahweh for all time to come. (NJB)

Don't Be First to Marry the Bad Boy

Too often women want to marry the cute guy with bad boy tendencies, or just bad boys. We think they are cute and edgy. However, bad boys don't make good first husbands. Because of their good looks and popularity, they want to take advantage of their options as often and as long as they can. So, you give him the, "Marry me or I will leave" ultimatum. And, because they don't want to lose you, they marry you. Yet they keep their single lifestyle. So you marry him, thinking you can mold or change him into your ideal guy. But it's too soon. He is not finished sowing his wild oats. He's not ready to settle down, which is what he keeps telling you, but you are not ready to hear. You want what you want, when you want it. You have it all planned out in your head. You have created your own reality, which is not real.

So when you find out he is cheating on you, you get mad, concede under pressure and divorce him. You become bitter and divorced. The next guy you meet will be nothing like your pretty boy ex husband. You look for just the opposite and marry him. He's a good guy and he's safe. And you end up settling for about 65% of what you wanted.

Your ex husband goes on living his single life, until he grows up more. He's older, his friends are married with children and he has a different perspective on life. So, now he meets and marries someone else. New wife has the good looking edgy former bad boy who has sold his wild oats, and is ready to settle down. He's not looking to cheat. He's been there, done that, has a divorce to prove it. He now remembers all of the things you tried to instill in him and is applying them with his new wife. She gets the faithful husband. She gets to have his very cute children. She gets the date nights and sensitivity and everything else that you told him YOU needed.

Why? Because patience is a virtue you ignored. Say what you want about the women who has the cutie bad boyfriend who cheats on them. They that wait on him to get it out of his system get to eat the good of the marriage. Look at Ice T, or Charlie Wilson, or LL Cool J. I'm not saying they cheated on their wives or that their marriages are perfect. I don't personally know any of them. I just know they had the "ladies man persona," and that's all it could have very well been. But they have been married a very long time, by today's standards, and they all appear to be happy. Whenever I see them they dote on their wives at every opportunity.

Trust me, I am not advocating for anyone to stay with a man that cheats on you. God forbid. Even the bible gives you adultery as a way out. And I can assure you, that I would NOT do it. I am just saying, we shouldn't be quick to judge other women. It's our judgment of each other that has created the pressure to do what might not be the right thing to do, or the right time to do it. I am saying, what I have said for 38 years, seek God's counsel. Don't listen to any voice but His voice. Leave your girlfriends out of the decision making process. As a matter of fact, don't even tell them, if you can help it. Pray to God only. Wait to receive His instructions. He is the only one who is all knowing. He is the only one who knows the future, contrary to psychic beliefs. He is the only one who knows who is perfect for you. Don't put God in a box. I've known God to do some pretty unorthodox things, things that the church would have frowned upon. Don't second guess God. Don't anticipate what you think He will say. Don't make any decisions without Him.

In a nutshell, if you want to marry a cutie pie bad boy, don't be the first in line. Wait. Wait I say on The Lord. His timing is perfect.

The Spirit of Christ Dwells in Believers

There is a new, well certainly not new, but certainly one increasing in popularity, religion that ultimately contradicts Christianity. What's new, right? I am not sure what to call it. Perhaps it's in the "new age" family. However, there are a lot of truths in it, and it certainly uses a lot of scripture. But it boils down to one fundamental difference. They believe that the Spirit of Christ is in everybody, when in fact, the bible clearly states that He is not. The Spirit of Christ is not in all men. It is in those who choose Christ. Those who confess with their mouth, the Lord Jesus, and believe in their heart that God has raised Him from the dead. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. (Romans 10:9, 10 NLT) Only after salvation will the Spirit of Christ dwell in you.

If we believe that Christ's Spirit is in every Christian, we could be in danger of believing that our own thoughts are the thoughts of Christ. We could believe that our own conscience is the voice of God. We could think we are saved, when we have yet to confess Christ. Let's be clear. Without confessing Christ as Lord, and inviting Him into your Life, the Spirit of Christ does not dwell in you. He does not lead you. he does not guide you. He does not tell you what to do. The Spirit of Christ is a gentleman. He will only go where invited.

The Word of God says the road to hell is wide and there are many therein. (Mt 7:13-14). He didn't want it to be that way. God wishes above all that none would perish. But he gave us a choice, (Deuteronomy 30:19) and many made and will make, the wrong choice, influenced by the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. God told us to choose who we wanted to serve. Many chose to serve the evil one, the devil, the deceiver of the brethren, the one who walks around looking for who he may devour, trading their life and soul for material gain, trying to keep up with the Jones, and/or wealth and power. A near sighted choice indeed, but nevertheless their choice. John puts it like this, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." (I John 2:15-17 NKJV)

Sorry, you can't have it both ways. Either you choose Christ and live. Or choose the devil and die. In Deuteronomy 30:19, God gives us a hint, He says, "choose life!"

John 3:16, 18, says it like this, "Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM would not be lost but have eternal life. People who believe in God’s Son are not judged guilty. But people who do not believe are already judged, because they have not believed in God’s only Son." (John 3:16, 18 ERV)

So, rest assure, you do not have the Spirit of Christ in you, without making the affirmative choice of choosing Him to come into your life. Without Him you have nothing. Is there really a choice?