Worship. An Action

Mike Pilavachi has some profound words in a book that he wrote on worship. He says that worship, the act of corporate worship is an action that reflects what we do the rest of the week. It is simply the radiance of how we are in relationship with God for the rest of the week.

Scripturally, we see that worship is often accompanied by a physical action that takes place. Dancing, singing, jumping, raising hands, shouting, yelling. All kinds of actions that can and maybe should be taken. Throughout the Psalms we find this action being taken by various writers. Even if it is awkward to do these things, Pilavachi suggests that we step out of where we are at in our worship mindset and be engaged physically in corporate worship. This goes against culture, church culture, but it doesn't go against the culture of the majority. At rock concerts, there is an expression of "worship" towards a band or a song or an idea by the entire crowd raising hands or jumping or shouting. This is a meaningless act because the object of worship is the opposite of what I am talking about, but we as humans naturally express ourselves in a physical manner. Our heart condition is put on the outside of ourselves for people to see and for a creator to enjoy. Proskuneo or "worship" in the old Testament is defined as a "dog licking its' master's hand." Kind of gross, but when you think about why a dog does what it does, it is loving, it is caring, it is submissive, it is expressive. Are we licking our master's hand everytime we come before him in worship, or are we simply trying to wade through the masks that are thick on our faces because we fail to worship God the rest of the week? Am I one of these masked people?

God, let me be a worshipper. Let me lick your hands in submission, in love, in humility. Thank you for that privilege. Grant me the wisdom, patience, and power to worship you in my life when I am not worshipping corporately so that when I come before your throne with my brothers and sisters, I am not bringing dishonorable gifts to you!

I need...Jesus Christ.

In "The Signature of Jesus, I came across a section of the book that hit home with me and challenged me to live differently. The part in italics below is from the book. God is working in my heart, breaking it for the people that surround me that don't know him. Jesus, continue to work, help me to feel pain that people feel, hurt when people hurt, laugh when people laugh, and give me a huge heart for the people that don't know you.

The paragraph in bold print is Hebrews 12 paraphrased...

Since I am surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, I have to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles me and I must run the race that is marked out for me with perseverance. Fixing my eyes on Jesus, the author and the perfecter of my faith because he had joy as he endured his cross, he scorned its’ shame, and he sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

I don’t need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean in his presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer, and I labor with the power of Jesus Christ.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is in heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away from, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the enemy, pander in the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go until he comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till he stops me. And, when he comes for his own, my banner will be clear.




My mission:
To intentionally Build those that know Christ
And
To passionately Pursue those without Christ.

Thus reaching Sedgwick County, Kansas,
the United States, and the World for Jesus Christ!



I have been reading through the above section daily, remembering what I am called to do in my own life and in the life of ministry.

Why do I not pray for PEACE?

I listened to an interview that Bill Hybels did with Jimmy Carter this morning. I know, I know, Jimmy Carter doesn't vote the same way that I might vote, and he doesn't have some of the same political agenda's that I might be willing to adhere to and he doesn't necessarily line up perfectly with conservative "republican" Christianity...But I learned from him. He was interesting. He talked about how after he had gone from being the president, the most powerful man in the world, to someone who was working on Habitat for Humanity houses for 25 years. He mentioned that this was fulfilling and a pssion for him. How? He had power, prestige, rule and yet he found his significance in helping those in physical need. Where do I find my signifance? Do I find it in people? Do I find it in pleasing others? Or do I find my significance resting solely in who Christ is and what he has done for the sin of the world? I am taken back by the things that happen worldwide and yet God has put me in Northwest Iowa and broken my heart for people there and now has moved me to Wichita, Kansas where he is breaking my heart for the people that are here. He has given me a mission, a vision, and a purpose. Am I willing to die for it? Am i willing to take a bullet and count the cost of the vision and mission that God has given me?

Why do I not pray for peace? If God is transcendent and All powerful, then why would I not pray for peace.

God grant this world peace. War begets war, and you say that the peacemaker is blessed. Bring about change in the hearts of those that would want to destroy and blind those that so acutely see war as the only way of dealing with things...

In your transcendent and most powerful name...

Belief and Faith

I am reading through a book called "The Signature of Jesus." It has me incredibly fascinated by the its' very premise. The first chapter talks about true authentic faith and the difference that is between that and belief. You see, we have an issue in America and possibly around the globe where there is a strikingly high number of people that say that they "know and believe" in Jesus Christ and yet they feel "dead", their actions don't back up their words, or they have no idea what it means to follow Jesus Christ.

I believe that we must engage in radical discipleship for true authentic faith begin to grow. Giving people the opportunity and the challenge to step out of the place that they are, the comfortable place, into a place where they will experience God working is such an opportunity to engage in Authentic faith. So often, it is easy for me to sit back in my cacoon of ease and watch as the world goes by. I make excuses so that I will not have to experience uncomfortableness. God, make me someone who seeks to know where you are working. Make me a man that follows you into danger, into comfortlessness, into passionate faith and radical discipleship and let me not fall into the drones of the dead faith that people so often mention as the reason that they don't believe in Christ anymore.

As a church, can we make disciples out of people if they are not being challenged outside the walls of the "safe" church? Can we truly reach our destination of "developing fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ" if we cannot and will not allow our people to grow in ways that are dangerous, in ways that are uncomfortable. My prayer after Thailand was that my heart would be broken for my neighbors. My heart can be broken for my neighbors over and over again but if I don't do anything with that, my heart is simply a dropped glass. It doesn't bring about any life change. If I decide to do something about my heart condition, it will be uncomfortable. It will be outside of myself. It will be something that I must see God work in because I am incapable of bringing anyone to Christ in my own strength and in my own power.

Almighty God, maker of heaven and earth, direct me to be outside of myself. Make me someone who is outside of my comfort zone in all ways. Help me to respond to the heart condition that you have given me with passion, grace, and confidence.

Amen.