ushered in

This week the study our worship team is going through is looking at the attributes of God. Today we looked at his faithfulness, holiness, and mercy. In regards to faithfulness, Dwayne Moore writes, “It’s always a healthy practice to recall how God has come through for us in the past.”

This reminds me of the word Ebenezer that we find in the hymn Come Thou Fount. An Ebenezer basically means “a stone of help.” In 1 Samuel, Samuel sets up an Ebenezer where the Israelites finally defeated the Philistines and took back the Ark of the Covenant (the Israelites had been defeated by the Philistines twice before and the Ark was stolen).

This stone was a visual reminder to the people of Israel of God’s faithfulness.

As Christ-followers it’s important to remember those times when God was faithful to us. Living life requires us to make decisions based on faith, which can sometimes be unsettling. However, if we can look back into our mind’s eye and view those ebenezers – those moments when God was faithful – it makes stepping forward easier.

What are some of the ebenezers in your life?

Recently, God has been revealing to me that my view of worship is very narrow. In Pure Praise, Dwayne Moore points out that the living beings in Revelation 4 keep on saying “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God, the Almighty…” It’s present tense. There is worship going on in heaven 24/7.

The Bible also tells us that creation cries out to God.

Then, if you consider the idea that there’s 6 billion people on this planet, it’s very possible that ceaseless praise is occurring around the globe from some mixture of Christ-followers.

All this to say that worship does not just happen when I lead it! Sometimes I catch myself asking God to show up in our worship time – wait, He’s already here! We just join in with the ceaseless praise that’s already occurring in heaven and on earth! Now, I’m not saying it’s a negative to ask the Holy Spirit to anoint a worship service or a person to deliver a message, but it’s just interesting how feeble my idea of worship can be at times.

This week, our Pure Praise study is on the attributes of God. Again, it’s revealing to me that sometimes I think of God smaller than He really is. As a limited human, it is easy for this to happen – however, God is not limited, He is infinite. I hope and pray He will continue to widen my view of worship and Himself so that I might have a greater understanding of true biblical worship and of who God is.

This week is the first of nine weeks our worship team is doing a study together called Pure Praise, a heart-focused study on worship written by Dwayne Moore.

This first week has really just been laying a basic understanding of what biblical worship looks like. Dwayne talks about how there are three directions of worship: inward (how we inwardly love God with our heart), outward (how we love the people Jesus died for), and upward (offering praise and thanksgiving to God – what many think of when they think of worship).

This week the inward direction really stuck out to me. Dwayne had us read Proverbs 4:23 – “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”

In response, he says, “A wellspring is the source from which water flows. Likewise our hearts are the source of all our thoughts, motives, and actions. The importance of this inward direction of worship cannot be overemphasized…God is searching the earth not to support those who sing the best or shout the loudest. Rather, he seeks for those whose hearts are fully committed to him. As worshippers and worship leaders, that must be our foremost goal. Without that commitment, all other expressions of worship are actually sickening to God.”

That is a pretty strong statement. But it’s true.

I had a brief moment in my office this week listening to music and my heart was overwhelmed with my love for God and His love for me. I long for a heart that longs for Him more – and I desire to see this in the body of Christ as well (even more than I already see it). Genuine outward worship will only result from a wellspring that is full of love for our God and King.

The book of Hebrews has always been a source of encouragement to me. I remember finally grasping the concept of the “old” vs. the “new” covenant at a younger age as taught in this book; understanding this revealed new depth for what Jesus really did for me. Even now, I continue to learn more and more about Christianity as I read this book.

Recently, the Lord has shown me a pleathora of things in Hebrews I have not seen in the past. In chapter 9 we see that offering sacrifices were merely external regulations – they did not (or do not) clear the conscience of the worshiper. But, Jesus changed all that through sacrificing Himself. Verse 12 says,

“He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.”

The results? Not only forgiveness, but a cleansed conscience so that we can serve the living God…

“How much more then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God.”

Now, there are several lessons in this passage and in Hebrews in general. But the big thing God has revealed to me recently from this passage is this: I can serve Him with a clear conscience without fear or a feeling of inadequacy – sure, I am inadequate on my own – but through His sacrifice (which He paid once for all) He has “made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (10:14).

Sometimes I  approach or serve Him with a feeling of anxiety or fear because I know I’m not good enough – but Jesus, through His sacrifice, has changed that forever. Hebrews portrays a type of life for the believer in which we can come to Him boldly and serve Him with a clear conscience as a result of the ultimate sacrifice – the unblemished gift of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

Hello everyone. Welcome to the new site. Feel free to browse around; it’s pretty self-explanatory and I’ll be adding and updating as life goes on. That used to be a TV show. Enjoy.