PULSE #7 revisited
Thanks for your prayers for me and my family. I stand corrected. The girls actually had strep. Much better than the flu, but nasty nonetheless. The room is also coming along nicely. I'm working on the floors right now & might actually get the door put on tonight. So, onto last week's neglected pulse post.
I'm actually going to defer to others for this one. I've been reading some great stuff lately that fits right in there with last week's lesson. Let's start with a great quote that kicked us off last Wednesday.
I'm actually going to defer to others for this one. I've been reading some great stuff lately that fits right in there with last week's lesson. Let's start with a great quote that kicked us off last Wednesday.
"Worship is an exercise of the Holy Spirit directed primarily to God."
-Ralph Martin
-Ralph Martin
When we, as believers, are born again, we are now and forever directed from within by the Holy Spirit. Consider it you're gift from God as you enter into a new life. This impartation is the greatest gift that mankind could ever be given. Not only do we have eternal life as we pass from this world to the next, but we have a guide given to us while our journey remains here on earth. The question is, will we follow His leading, or continually seek our own way?
As we seek to worship him, both privately & corporately, the Holy Spirit resides within us to help us every exciting step of the way. Just recently I read a great article on this very subject. Rather than continue my ramblings (of which I have many), I thought I would give you the privilage of reading it as well. It came from the website myrrhworship.com, a once defunct record label that has recently been revived with a new vision. Anyway, here's what David M. Edwards has to say:
"The Holy Spirit works within each believer to do whatever He has to in order to awaken and deepen our awareness of and need for Jesus’ Presence in our lives. He does this by drawing our hearts closer to the Lord in: our faith in God, our love for God, our obedience to God, our communion with God, our hunger for God’s Word, and our praise and worship of God! It is “deep calling unto deep” (Ps. 42:7). The Holy Spirit—the deep in us—calling unto God—the deep in heaven. And the precious Holy Spirit draws us into the deep waters of worship where we can experience the Presence of God within the veil.
I cannot emphasize enough the role of the Holy Spirit in our worship. His is the still small voice that encourages us to lift our hands in surrender, to praise Jesus with everything in us, to fall at His nail-scarred feet in worship. The Holy Spirit is constantly and consistently working within believers to deepen our experience and walk with the Lord. He is the Leader and Guide to all truth and righteousness. He is the Light within that illuminates God’s Word and our understanding of it. If we will cooperate with His promptings, we will be taken to new places in our relationship with the Lord and in our times of worship.
True worship is mouth-to-mouth resuscitation…deep calling unto deep. Worship is coming into His Presence and allowing the life and power of God’s Holy Spirit to fill our lungs (Ezek. 37:1-14). The promise of His Presence will work every time. And when Jesus is present, everything is possible and available. Can you imagine Jesus showing up without wanting to touch us, heal us, assure us, comfort us, release us, deliver us, save us, fill us? You see, in the atmosphere of God’s Presence, our faith is emboldened and it reaches up to receive what we need. Jesus said, “With God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26).
True worship will always break down pride and fear. In true worship, pride must go because we must admit that we cannot do anything on our own to make it and we desperately need God’s help, grace, mercy, and love. True worship confronts our fears because we are going to either have faith in God or give in to what we are afraid of. We realize that we cannot serve two masters.
Praise and worship build our faith as does reading and memorizing God’s Word and quoting it aloud. This sends fear scurrying for cover. Fear is the enemy of faith! God’s assurance to meet our needs and deliver us comes on the wings of worship. As we worship, He speaks back and we leave that encounter encouraged and built up in our faith. Don’t be afraid, God knows what He’s doing—put your trust in Him as you lift your praise and words of worship!"
I leave you with this question from PULSE. Are you occupied? If so, with what?
That should be enough to chew on for a while.
BLESSINGS!
As we seek to worship him, both privately & corporately, the Holy Spirit resides within us to help us every exciting step of the way. Just recently I read a great article on this very subject. Rather than continue my ramblings (of which I have many), I thought I would give you the privilage of reading it as well. It came from the website myrrhworship.com, a once defunct record label that has recently been revived with a new vision. Anyway, here's what David M. Edwards has to say:
"The Holy Spirit works within each believer to do whatever He has to in order to awaken and deepen our awareness of and need for Jesus’ Presence in our lives. He does this by drawing our hearts closer to the Lord in: our faith in God, our love for God, our obedience to God, our communion with God, our hunger for God’s Word, and our praise and worship of God! It is “deep calling unto deep” (Ps. 42:7). The Holy Spirit—the deep in us—calling unto God—the deep in heaven. And the precious Holy Spirit draws us into the deep waters of worship where we can experience the Presence of God within the veil.
I cannot emphasize enough the role of the Holy Spirit in our worship. His is the still small voice that encourages us to lift our hands in surrender, to praise Jesus with everything in us, to fall at His nail-scarred feet in worship. The Holy Spirit is constantly and consistently working within believers to deepen our experience and walk with the Lord. He is the Leader and Guide to all truth and righteousness. He is the Light within that illuminates God’s Word and our understanding of it. If we will cooperate with His promptings, we will be taken to new places in our relationship with the Lord and in our times of worship.
True worship is mouth-to-mouth resuscitation…deep calling unto deep. Worship is coming into His Presence and allowing the life and power of God’s Holy Spirit to fill our lungs (Ezek. 37:1-14). The promise of His Presence will work every time. And when Jesus is present, everything is possible and available. Can you imagine Jesus showing up without wanting to touch us, heal us, assure us, comfort us, release us, deliver us, save us, fill us? You see, in the atmosphere of God’s Presence, our faith is emboldened and it reaches up to receive what we need. Jesus said, “With God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26).
True worship will always break down pride and fear. In true worship, pride must go because we must admit that we cannot do anything on our own to make it and we desperately need God’s help, grace, mercy, and love. True worship confronts our fears because we are going to either have faith in God or give in to what we are afraid of. We realize that we cannot serve two masters.
Praise and worship build our faith as does reading and memorizing God’s Word and quoting it aloud. This sends fear scurrying for cover. Fear is the enemy of faith! God’s assurance to meet our needs and deliver us comes on the wings of worship. As we worship, He speaks back and we leave that encounter encouraged and built up in our faith. Don’t be afraid, God knows what He’s doing—put your trust in Him as you lift your praise and words of worship!"
I leave you with this question from PULSE. Are you occupied? If so, with what?
That should be enough to chew on for a while.
BLESSINGS!
Labels: guidance, Holy Spirit, Occupied, submission
posted by Me at 8:52 AM
3 Comments:
Occupied? yes. With What? well, lots of good stuff. When we are occupied with things that aren't of the Spirit, that's when we overload our "wagon" (proverbially speaking). God has given us a certain amount of stuff that he wants us to do. I mean, look at the life of Jesus. BUT, if we are only doing what the Spirit calls us to do, then we aren't overloaded AND that's when we can truly live our worship wholeheartedly, passionately, prostrate before Him. We all see needs around us...it's inherent to our sinful world. However, we have to remember that by taking stuff in our wagons we aren't supposed to we rob others of being able to serve, we rob ourselves of true worship. Occupation by design isn't a bad thing. Even Adam had a job. The key is to really be in tune with WHAT that job is that God has for you. If we are occupied with the Holy Spirit, life and worship occur simultaneously.
A lot to chew on indeed, Pastor Mark! That's good stuff. Thanks!
I like the deep calls unto deep stuff - (IHOP sings this verse alot!!!) This article gave more clarification of what that verse means - Yes, Thanks!
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