WHAT IS WORSHIP?

“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being.”  (Revelation 4:11 NIV)

You will find throughout the Word, and then continued throughout history, that when a human heart truly encounters the love of God -- in essence when the created connects with the Creator -- the response is worship, or worth-ship, as we often say. Worship as a response to revelation is displayed through consecrated lives (Romans 12), through wholehearted songs of love and devotion (the Psalms), and by living lives of love and justice (Micah 6:8). Worship is required not in perfection by man’s standards, but in truth, by God’s standards. He has never been impressed by offerings that look good, but offerings that are good. As the worship of God continues to gather momentum across the earth, so too does the awareness of His power and presence, along with the understanding of the authority that comes with exalting the name of Jesus over all things.

The ultimate goal of all we pursue in worship is God’s honor and glory. So don’t get worship and music confused, for what we are involved with is Holy. Not to be confused with marketable tunes that make you feel good. As Pastor Jack Hayford says, “Where worship is released, God’s presence comes to dwell, and where God’s presence abides, there will be power.” Let’s be committed to seeing the fullness of this word “worship,” so that it may reach its potential on earth as it is in heaven. 

-- Darlene Zschech in “The Worshiper” Magazine, Summer 2008

#6495

WHAT IS WORSHIP?

Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24 NIV)

You will find throughout the Word, and then continued throughout history, that when a human heart truly encounters the love of God -- in essence when the created connects with the Creator -- the response is worship, or worth-ship, as we often say. Worship as a response to revelation is displayed through consecrated lives (Romans 12), through wholehearted songs of love and devotion (the Psalms), and by living lives of love and justice (Micah 6:8). Worship is required not in perfection by man's standards, but in truth, by God's standards. He has never been impressed by offerings that look good, but offerings that are good. As the worship of God continues to gather momentum across the earth, so too does the awareness of His power and presence, along with the understanding of the authority that comes with exalting the name of Jesus over all things.

And whether we follow or lead, the ultimate goal of all we pursue in worship is His honor… As Pastor Jack Hayford has said, "Where worship is released, God's presence comes to dwell, and where God's presence abides, there will be power." Let's be committed to seeing the fullness of this word "worship," so that it may reach its potential on earth as it is in heaven. 

-- Darlene Zschech in “The Worshiper Magazine” Summer 2008 

#6450

THE ALL-POWERFUL GOOD SHEPHERD – Part 1 of 2

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.… Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”  (Psalm 23:1,4 NKJV)

I grew up in a big church in downtown Atlanta. When I was twelve, I remember being in our seventh-grade boy’s Sunday school room. Tan linoleum floor. Cinderblock walls, also tan. Metal folding chairs. Maps of Paul’s missionary journeys on the wall. A window with blinds -- always closed. And on the far wall a big painting of the “meek and mild” Jesus. You know what I’m talking about? His face was pale. He looked like He hadn’t been outside in a long time. His robe was perfect. His hair was perfect. He had a woolly lamb on His shoulders and a crook in His hand -- and Jesus was gazing off into Foreverland with a faraway look in His eyes. But Olan Mills Portrait Studios Jesus is nothing like the real thing.

He’s your hero. Your defender. He’s the mighty Son of God! When you are up against life and death, when your back’s against a wall, when circumstances are poised to take you out, and when the Devil is whispering lies in your ear, you need to know there’s an all-powerful Good Shepherd with a rod in one hand and a staff in the other. That’s the Jesus of Psalm 23. That’s why we find comfort in His presence. With that staff, the Good Shepherd can grab you and pull you to safety. And with that rod, He can crush any prowling lion or raging bear that charges you. 

-- Louie Giglio in “Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table” 

#6424

THE HABIT OF WORSHIP

"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another -- and all the more as you see the Day approaching."  (Hebrews 10:25 NIV)

My wife and I had a dinner conversation with a couple who said that they left their church as a result of a pastoral change, had tried another church with no success, and now were not worshipping anywhere. They acknowledged it was far too easy to get out of the habit.

Worship is not just an event, it’s a habit -- a rhythm of grace that shapes the soul. Let me encourage you to be in the habit of worshipping every Sunday, not just when you feel like it, not just when you're in town, not just when the kids have Sunday school. The habit of worship is not about routine -- it’s about relationship. Each time we come together, we rehearse eternity: the family of God united in praise. Make it your habit to worship, and when you do you'll find that God has made it His habit to show up as well.

Lord, teach me to make worship my habit, not my option. Let my heart be drawn to Your presence and my life shaped by Your praise. May I never grow weary of gathering with Your people, for in worship I find You again. Amen.

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry™

#6388

“MY HEART WAS STRANGELY WARMED”

Two weeks ago, while visiting London, my wife and I, along with our longtime friends and traveling companions, had the opportunity to visit John Wesley’s Chapel and House, along with The Museum of Methodism. For me it was a moving experience, to see the beginnings of the Methodist Movement. It is a part of my spiritual genealogy.

On May 24, 1738, John Wesley walked into a meeting on Aldersgate Street carrying a heart full of questions. He was a minister, a missionary, a man of discipline and devotion -- yet still unsure of the God who loved him. And then, as he listened to a simple reading from Luther’s preface to Romans, something unexpected happened. Wesley wrote in his journal, “I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.” In that moment for Wesley grace moved from head to heart, from concept to encounter. Christ became not just the Savior of the world, but his Savior.

Wesley’s experience echoes the promise of Romans 5:5: “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Not trickled. Not rationed. Poured. God’s love does not wait for our certainty; it meets us in our searching.

There are days when faith may feel like a flickering candle -- thin, trembling, almost swallowed by the draft of doubt. But the God who warmed Wesley’s heart is the same God who warms ours. He does not demand perfection. He invites trust. He whispers assurance. He pours love.

Today, pause and let this truth settle in: God is not far off. He is near, ready to kindle warmth where your heart feels cold, ready to assure you that Christ is enough -- fully, freely, forever. May your heart, like Wesley’s, be strangely warmed again. 

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry™

#6377

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

“The king rejoices in Your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories You give!... Surely You have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of Your presence.”  (Psalm 21:1,6 NIV)

“Count your blessings” is a popular phrase I’ve never related well to. The moment I try to list all God has done for me, I realize how woefully short my efforts fall. I can thank Him for my salvation, for the blessings of home, relationships, work, and ministry. But I know His grace extends far beyond that. Even if I spent a week, I could hardly cover everything adequately. And when I came to an end, all I’d have would be a mechanical list -- the exercise itself would take the delight out of my praise.

Yet even joy-filled King David didn’t attempt to cram all God’s wonders in a single hymn. Though he rejoices throughout Psalm 21, he hardly describes everything God has done for him. The king’s adulation rings through much of the psalter -- as if he couldn’t contain it in one place or time. But his masterful adoration is more than a list of thank-yous. David knew a secret of thanks it took me a while to uncover. Real thanks are tied to the nature of God. Here David offers gratitude to his Lord for specific blessings in verses 1-6 and ends describing God’s eternal gifts. All the psalmist’s joy cannot be separated from his Master’s presence. Without God, the king understands, even the richest gain would be empty. To know God deeply is the greatest blessing of all, and intimate knowledge comes with a lifetime of loving Him.

So instead of detailing every benefit God provides, like David I’ll thank Him for a few big ones today and spend time basking in His love. As I look closely into my Lord’s face, I can’t help but delight in His presence. 

-- Pamela McQuade, from “Daily Wisdom to Satisfy the Soul,” published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission.

#6371

GOD NUDGES, SPEAKS AND CORRECTS – Part 2 of 2

God nudges. God speaks. And God also corrects. I’m thankful for that. Sometimes I miss His nudges. Sometimes I misunderstand His words. And so He needs to correct. But God’s correction is not a frightening thing. Rather, it is freeing and invigorating.

Christians who want to reach out to their friends and help them grow sometimes make the mistake of thinking that it’s their job to convict their friends of sin. But this is the Holy Spirit’s job (John 16:7-10). Our job, if we have the gift of exhortation, is to “stimulate the faith of others” (Romans 12:9 PH), to stand on the sidelines and cheer: “Yes, my friends! Be free! Listen to the conviction of the Spirit! Follow the Word of the Lord!”

Most of the time God’s nudging, speaking, and correcting take place in the ordinary moments of our days. Sometimes God seems especially present in a conversation. Occasionally, I sense God leading me to suggest meeting a friend five or six times to discuss a particular issue, book or passage of Scripture. When that happens, I usually tell my friend that I’d like to give her the gift of focusing on her agenda when we get together. This is not chitchat time. It’s not even sharing time. It’s a time to look at her life to see if we can discover what God is saying to her. I love it when people show that kind of interest in me. And you can be sure that others will respond enthusiastically to your interest in them.

Thinking back on my childhood, I’m thankful for those who God has used to nudge me towards the kingdom. I’m delighted that in the years since, God has used me to help others “choose life” (Deuteronomy 30: 19).

God uses ordinary people like you and me, to urge others to follow Him. What a privilege to be a part of His work in the world today!

-- Alice Fryling, from an article entitled “In His Steps” in Discipleship Journal, No. 67

#6368

LIVING IN THE PRESENT

“God replied to Moses, ‘I Am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you.’”  (Exodus 3:14 NLT)

Live life in the present tense. When we spend our time dwelling on mistakes we have made in the past (which we can’t change) or anticipating problems in the future (which can’t be foreseen), we are prone to stress. And we are robbed of the joy of the present moment. It is interesting that in the Old Testament the most holy name for God is translated “I Am.” And throughout the Gospel of John Jesus refers to Himself as “I Am.”

The following piece by Helen Mallicoat reminds us of the significance of that truth in our lives:

I was regretting the past and fearing the future. Suddenly my Lord was speaking to me. “My name is I Am.” He paused. I waited. He continued. “When you live in the past, with its mistakes and regrets, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not I Was. When you live in the future, with its problems and fears, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not I Will Be. When you live in this moment, it is not hard. I am here, My name is I Am.” 

-- Robert Jeffress in “Choose Your Attitude Change Your Life: How to Make Life’s Circumstances Work for You, Not Against You”

#6297

FINDING THE PLACE

"Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and slipped out to a solitary place to pray."  (Mark 1:35 NIV)

Researchers once surveyed people about their favorite room in the house. The top answer was the kitchen. People love that one. Most husbands’ top answer was the bedroom. Want to guess what the top answer was for mothers of young children? The bathroom.

Why? You lock the door. You keep those little rug rats out of there for at least a couple of minutes. You keep your husband out of there for at least a couple of minutes. The idea is that you find some place where you know you are alone. You are free of stress. You find sanctuary -- a holy place.

God wants to give us sanctuary. There is another kind of presence when we are gathered together, but there is a unique way in which we experience the presence of God when we are alone.

I have one friend who finds this special solitude with God at a little Italian restaurant. Another friend experiences it most often while driving country roads. One finds it on airplanes. Another likes to go to a retreat center in the hills of Malibu Canyon. Still another finds it is the early hours of the morning in his office. You will recognize the place where you can be yourself before God. 

-- John Ortberg in “The Me I Want to Be”

#6277

SILENT NIGHT, HOLY NIGHT

“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.’”  (Luke 2:13–14 NIV)

On that first Christmas night, the world was hushed in holy wonder. In the stillness of Bethlehem, heaven broke into earth with the cry of a newborn child -- the Savior of the world. The beloved “Silent Night” captures this paradox: a quiet, ordinary setting transformed by the extraordinary presence of God.

The carol reminds us that peace is not found in noise or grandeur, but in the humble manger where Christ was laid. The silence of that night was filled with divine glory, as angels proclaimed peace and shepherds knelt in awe.

Christmas Eve invites us to pause in the midst of our busyness, to let the silence speak, and to hear again the message of hope: God is with us. In Christ, the holy breaks into the ordinary, and peace enters our restless hearts.

Take time tonight to quiet your heart and reflect on God’s presence. Let the Prince of Peace calm your anxieties and fill you with joy. Just as the shepherds spread the news, carry Christ’s peace into your family and community. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™

#6271

BACK TO CHURCH WITH PREPARED HEARTS

“Then He said, ‘Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.’ And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still, small voice.”  (1 Kings 19:11-12 NKJV)

Until our bodies, minds and spirits let go of the clutter we bring to our places of worship, we automatically tune out the still, small voice of God. Unless we come into stillness before God we do not detect either the fullness of His presence or the winsomeness of His voice.

-- Joyce Huggett in “The Joy of Listening to God”

You may want to make this your prayer as we come together for worship this Sunday:

Lord, I come to worship cluttered -- with noise in my mind, restlessness in my body, and distractions in my spirit. I confess that I often rush into church carrying the weight of my own agenda, forgetting that You are already there waiting for me. Teach me to release what I don’t need. Help me to place on the altar the mental lists, the emotional burdens, and the spiritual striving. Let me breathe deeply in Your presence, not to perform, but to just be.

Still my soul, Lord. Quiet my thoughts. Slow my heartbeat. Tune my ears so I can hear Your whisper -- the winsome voice that speaks peace, the gentle truth that heals, the holy presence that fills. I don’t want to miss You. So I choose stillness. I choose surrender. I choose You, Lord. Amen.

#6204

CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY

“God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.”  (Colossians 1:27-28 NIV)

Christ in you means you don’t have to face anything alone. Anything! When you walk into a doctor’s office with more questions than answers, Christ in you is the hope of glory. When you’re sitting at the kitchen table staring at bills that you can’t pay, Christ in you is the hope of glory. When you’re parenting a child who’s breaking your heart, Christ in you is the hope of glory. When you are unseen in your workplace, unappreciated in your home, or feeling unqualified for the next thing that God asked you to do, Christ in you is the hope of glory. When you’ve prayed the same prayer a hundred times and the mountain hasn’t moved, yet, even in that place, Christ in you is the hope of glory. It’s not just a verse. It’s not just a doctrine. It’s not just a hope for someday. It’s a promise for right now and if the fire still is burning, meaning if there is still breath in your lungs, then God is not finished with you yet. 

-- Pastor Larry Frank, Grace Church, Cape Coral, Florida

#6191

RECONCILIATION IS OUR MINISTRY

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”  (2 Corinthians 5:17–21 NKJV)

In Christ, God has done something for the world. God has reconciled people to Himself. In other words, God has made a way for a broken relationship to be made whole, through the death of Jesus on the cross (Colossians 1:20). In this great act of reconciliation, God has made a way for anyone -- literally, anyone -- to come into union with Him.

Coming into union with God in Christ is reconciliation in its most essential form. Any reconciliation we may do on earth that does not find its source and strength in God’s greater, reconciling work of the heart to Himself is destined to struggle and fall short.

God knows that if He can get a heart relating to Him again, experiencing His presence, love, forgiveness, acceptance, and truth, the possibilities of reconciliation between that person and others are endless. We who have been reconciled to God begin to want others to be reconciled to God. We want others to experience the freedom that we have experienced. It is the natural flow of the story.

And that is why sharing the good news of reconciliation is our ministry. Just as one who is forgiven much loves much (Luke 7:47), so, too, we who have experienced God closing the gap between us and Him want to help close that gap for others. 

-- Dan Wilt in “Wake-Up Call”

#6190

FACING LIFE’S STORMS

"We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living." (Romans 14:7-9 NRSV)

The question came from a fellow soldier after our combat unit had moved into a field in the hedgerow section of Normandy, France, during World War II. "How come you are a Christian?" he asked me.  I answered him the best way I knew at the time.  I said, "A person would have to be really dumb not to be a Christian, for you live better and you die better."

I don't remember if my answer satisfied him or not.  But now, after having lived about 85 years, I can reaffirm that same simple answer.  I am convinced that people of faith do live and die better, for they are able to face life's storms with greater peace than those who walk without faith that God is walking beside them.  As we live and as we die, people of faith have assurance of God's presence with them.

-- Jack G. Ammon in the “The Upper Room Daily Devotional” -- E-mail Edition, April 25, 2007, (c) 2007 by The Upper Room.

#6177

A LOVING FATHER

“I heard a voice thunder from the Throne: ‘Look! Look! God has moved into the neighborhood, making His home with men and women! They’re His people, He’s their God.’” (Revelation 21:3 MSG) The narrator makes the same point four times in four consecutive phrases:

          “God has moved into the neighborhood”
          “making His home with men and women!”
          “They’re His people,”
          “He’s their God.”

The announcement comes with the energy of a six-year-old declaring the arrival of his father from a long trip. “Daddy’s home! He’s here! Mom, he’s back!” One statement won’t suffice. This is big news worthy of repetition. We shall finally see God face-to-face. “They will see His face” (Revelation 22:4).

Let this sink in. You will see the face of God. You will look into the eyes of the One who has always seen; you will behold the mouth that commands history. And if there is anything more amazing than the moment you see His face, it’s the moment He touches yours. “He will wipe every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 21:4).

God will touch your tears. Not flex His muscles or show off His power. Lesser kings would strut their stallions or give a victory speech. Not God. He prefers to rub a thumb across your cheek as if to say, “There, there, my child, no more tears.”

Isn’t that what a loving father does? 

-- Max Lucado in “God’s Story, Your Story: When His Becomes Yours” 

#6169

A PRAYER FOR THOSE ADRIFT

“If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.”  (Psalm 139:9-10 NIV)

God, You are at the center of this. Or You are all about me. Or even though I cannot name how You are here at all, still You are.

I cannot rush matters now. Where would I rush to? I cannot deny that I am completely at sea. The sea and the drifting are all I look upon, day to day.

Yet somehow, by the thinnest of membranes, You keep me from sinking into the abyss. With Your barely perceptible touch, You convey me, though I have no idea where. Through all of this uncertain movement, let my heart be toward You. Let me trust . . . and wait.

Amen.

-- Stephen V. Doughty from "Adrift" in “Weavings Journal,” March/April 2001, published by The Upper Room, Nashville, TN.   Used with permission.

#6139

AN “EVEN THOUGH” KIND OF FAITH

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”  (Psalm 23:4 ESV)

God Almighty is with us.

No matter the troubles you’re walking through right now, the good news is not simply that God will help you. That’s not the whole message. The message is that God is with you. He’s with you in the sickness. He’s with you at the grave. He’s with you when the job opportunity doesn’t come through. He’s with you when you receive hard news. He’s with you in the chemo ward. He’s with you in the storm, and in the wind, and in the trial, and in the valley. God Almighty -- your Good Shepherd -- is right there in the midst of the difficulty with you. This is a game-changing revelation, and it shifts your prayer life. Because you don’t need to pray anymore, “God, I’m in a storm -- help me.” Instead, you pray, “God, I’m in a storm. Thank You for being in this storm with me. You’ve got my back. How are we going to get through this together?”

Peace and victory and freedom don’t come from sitting around wishing we didn’t have any problems or pain. No, the reality is that we all will be led through the valley of the shadow of death in some way, shape, or form. God promises in Psalm 23 that peace, victory, and freedom will come in the midst of problems, pain, and loss. That’s how we develop an “even though” kind of faith. We live by knowing that, in the midst of a broken world, God Almighty is with us. 

-- Louie Giglio in “Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table”

#6127

THE COMMUNITY GOD LONGS TO BUILD

Christian community, like beauty, often presents itself in the intimate, the common, the close at hand. It comes to bud and flower in the simplest of places. Race by, and we miss it. Wait to see it in some idealized state, and we pass without knowing it is there.

…On the matter of Christian community, Jesus was direct and pointed: “Where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20). These words clearly contain a counsel of simplicity. As Jesus’ followers, if we are to find true community with one another and with Him, then we should look not just to the massive throng or the dramatic moment. We should look as well to the simplest instance of one life brushing up against another. We should open ourselves to the small and intimate moments when persons draw together in their joys and in their needs.

If love flows among us, even briefly, God is there -- in [the frustrations of daily living], in places of staggering beauty, in the realms of darkest communal pain. If we find ourselves bound together even momentarily, God is present. We taste with our spirits the community God longs to build. 

-- Stephen V. Doughty in an article called “Simple Place” in Weavings Journal, May/June 2003

#6119

EMBEDDING PRAYER INTO OUR DAILY LIVES – Part 3 of 3

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV)

Prayer, more than any other single activity, is what places us in the flow of the Spirit. When we pray, hearts get convicted, sin gets confessed, believers get united, intentions get encouraged, people receive guidance, the church is strengthened, stubbornness gets melted, wills get surrendered, evil gets defeated, grace gets released, illness gets healed, sorrows are comforted, faith is born, hope is grown, and love triumphs.

In prayer -- in the presence of God -- we come closest to being fully ourselves.

-- John Ortberg in “The Me I Want to Be”

#6112

EMBEDDING PRAYER INTO OUR DAILY LIVES – Part 1 of 3

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV)

We can look for cues that embed prayer into our daily lives. In the Bible we are commanded to practice hospitality. In ancient times this usually involved hosting overnight visitors; now it might start with welcoming a telephone call that feels like an interruption. Out of habit I may find myself answering with a grudging spirit. What do you want? Make it fast. You’re bothering me.

But there is another way. Wil Derske, a Benedictine monk, writes about the monastic value of hospitality and says that to accept a phone call is an opportunity to receive a guest. We can pause a moment before answering, in order to change our inner attitude from irritation to welcome. Derske says he will say a prayer of blessing just before taking the call: Benedicamus Domino -- it might be the Lord! 

-- John Ortberg in “The Me I Want to Be”

#6110