A Level Place

This past Sunday I read a verse that reminded me of a unique way to look at Jesus and our on relationships. At the time I was at a discipleship seminar, but I couldn't stop thinking about it and what other implications it has.

.....Luke 6: 17 "He went down with them and stood on a level place".

At this time Jesus spent the night praying on a mountain top to God and in the morning he called the twelve disciples to Him and then walked down the mountain to where a large crowd of disciples had congregated. The specific words used once Jesus reaches the large crowd is that he stood on a level place. I realize that he was walking down from a mountain, so it's obvious he would stand on a level spot from walking at an angle, but this can also testify to his humility.

Jesus was known to the twelve and known to the large crowd of disciples. He was known for performing miracles, preaching, and teaching to thousands of people. However in this example he shows us that he didn't see himself as this. Instead of standing on the mountainside above everyone to address them he made his way to a level place.

Not only did he stand on a level place and address them but in verse 20 it states that "He looked at his disciples". Jesus stood on a level place and looked at them rather than just preached.

When I think about my own relationships I need to make sure I walk in this same humility. That when I talk to people I stand on a level place and look at them. That i'm intentional in showing them that I am the on the same level rather than stay somewhere I know i'm not.

Let's be like Jesus. Let's stand on a level place.

Exposed Through Light

" This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because  their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed". (John 3:19-20)

Okay, let's be honest here i'm one of those people who haven't spent much time digging into John Chapter 3 because, let's face it, I already know John 3:16, right? I've read through the chapter, but not much sticks besides that token verse. Upon reading through the chapter again focusing on what comes after John 3:16 my eyes opened up. 

Easter Sunday is a day of celebrating Jesus and the fact that He is risen, but often times I still ponder on when He became real to me and that original decision to follow Him. The verse above states that everyone who does evil hates the light.....their deeds will be exposed and this is something I struggled with for a while. Even when I didn't think about it I was blinded by darkness and feared stepping into the light, because of what I might look like.  Interesting and convicting. Thank-you Jesus for saving me! 

" But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God". (John 3:21)

Then there is the other side to this string of verses, verse 21. I came into this light out of darkness by truth of God and wanting to know more about Him. I went from hiding my heart to opening it up, exposing it, and letting God see it no matter how dirty it is. From then on I desired truth and to seek God's will and His sight, not my own.

.... I pray I can continue to seek His truth and to be in plain sight for the Lord. Never hiding things, but opening myself up to Him daily. We should all remind ourselves of where God has brought us and what He's saved us from. 

" Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures forever!". (Psalm 118:1)

Worship as Devotion

 Monks as we know them are those who chose to live a life of solitude through prayer and contemplation. The monastic movement originally began as a protest against the growing worldliness of the church, but gradually it became a formative and influential movement within the church. The showed the church what it meant to not just do the acts of worship, but be devoted to them and to spend purposeful time with God. The movement helped level out the church and create a deeper sense of personal devotional meaning in prayer.

I wonder how many churches have a deep devotion to prayer and not just corporately, but personally as well. What would it look like if the church pushed for not just deeper personal prayer, but radical prayer. I'm not saying we should all quit our jobs and join a monastery in order to be more devoted, but using their example can help.

Using the monks example of living a devoted prayer life can help in any Christians walk. I will be the first to say I don't have the most devoted prayer life, but when I picture the monks I can't help but be challenged.

Recently I have been challenged by resting more in the presence of God and what better way to do that then have a more devoted prayer life. A time where I rest in His presence, but spend quality time with Him in prayer.

Let's become monks, but not become monks as the same time. I hope that makes sense.

In Christ,
Corey

Worship is a Group Activity

"Worship is a group activity and the meaning of worship must be learned"
                                                      - Robert Webber, Worship New and Old 

We gather together for Church on Sundays.
We gather together for Bible classes on Sundays.
We may gather together for a service during the week.
We may also gather for a small group during the week.

Within the Church body there are many gatherings and everyone looks different. When the body meets together for these gatherings they perform some type of group activity and since worship is in every breath we breathe, Worship is considered a Group activity.

There is so much emphasis put on the idea of meeting together and coming together to worship. However, as the body performing the group activity there are things that must be done when we come together to worship. Every person shouldn't just come, but come expectant. They must come in anticipation of meeting God and blessing Him.

"The senses must also be engaged in worship. In drama we see, hear, smell, and even taste. So it is in worship"- Robert Webber. As we come expectant to meet with God every part of our senses should be in tune with what is going on. If we gear our senses to something that may seem unpleasant to us, Webber states, then worship will be disturbing and unfulfilling.

If we focus on God during these times then it can only point us to Him.

It will remind us of the reason we have group activities in the Church.

"Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts" Colossians 3:16 (NIV)

I Didn't Even Know It

"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." (Mark 3:16)

"He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, ad on the sabbath day he went into the synagogue, a was His custom.." (Luke 4:16)

"And when they had sang a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives." (Matthew 26:30)

I like to put together verses that show kind of a path you can follow. These verses pertain to any Christians life and as I put them together, they pertain directly to worship. I like simplifying worship so that I can fill in the spaces after it. My rough definition is to attribute value to something, or give worth to something. After this I ask myself the question what do I give value to most, or give worth to the most?

A few weeks ago I realized I wasn't praying as much, or seeking God as much in my quiet time. A few weeks ago I realized I wasn't going to the same church every week, or really getting fed spiritually by a church at all. A few weeks ago I realized I haven't sang a song to the Lord in a long time.

I wasn't giving worth to praying, going to church, or singing. So by definition, I wasn't worshipping in these areas. This seems harsh, but it makes sense to me. Fast forward to the present and I have begun to pray more, attend a church regularly, and sing to the Lord more. This time was different though, because these verses only popped up in my head tonight. Usually I would have been slapped in the face by them a few weeks ago, but the lesson came later.

" He appointed the twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons." (Mark 3:14-15)

The first thing Jesus said to all of them was "that they might be with him". While they were with him they learned from him and became like him. As I was searching for God those few weeks ago I was also with him and in doing so, became like him. As I became like him I began doing what he had done and in this case it included praying, going to church, and singing. Very simple things, but powerful. I also realized how valuable they were to me and it formed into worship, without knowing it.

We must constantly look at Jesus' life and model ours after it. We must constantly be with him and be intentional about applying what he shows us.

God Wants The Worship Of The Inner Person

"God wants more than ritual. God wants the worship of the inner person," Robert Webber, Worship New and Old.

From the beginning of creation and to the end, God has been pursuing His people. In the Old testament God made a covenant with Israel, "That they would be His people, and He would be their God," (Jeremiah 32:38). We know that Israel failed many times and it wasn't until the New covenant was made through Jesus Christ that the old one had been fulfilled. In the new covenant we are able to worship God in our inner most being, because we became the temple.

When I think about that first statement from Robert Webber and the idea of God pursuing me at all times, I can't help but be thankful and want to do so from my inner most being. I have to make sure that i'm not only expressing this from the outside, but that when I do so from my heart it is real and genuine. My God has done more than I could ever imagine for me and He continues to do so even now.

God wants the worship of the inner person and as you begin to do this it can only make its way to the outside. Let God continue to work in you until it comes from the inside out. This is a simple statement, prayer, thought, or whatever it may be, but the Lord works through the simple in order to do the complicated.

As I enter into this new season in my life I want to be purposeful with my time in the Lord's presence. My hope is that others would be encouraged to do the same.

Freedom in Worship

I haven't posted in quite some time, but I got the urge to do so as it gets close to 1am. I'm not sure why I told you what time it is, but I often get inspired late at night.

Anyway....

One of the things I'm passionate about as a Worship Leader is seeing the people of God experience freedom in worship. I want them to feel safe and secure in God's presence while they worship, so they can express themselves freely. It doesn't matter if they are lifting their hands, dancing, screaming or kneeling before the Lord. It only matters that we do so with the right heart and that above all, God is glorified.

Why are we able to experience this freedom:

  - Christ has set us free. (Galatians 5:1)

 - There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1-2)
       
 - Where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:17)
           " We worship God through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit."

I long to see the day when the body of Christ in all areas of the world can feel freedom while they worship. I want the body to be able to express whatever they have been feeling about God on any given Sunday, or Monday, or Tuesday, or whatever day there is a Worship Service at Church. One of the things that can help is if we come with confident expectation before the Lord when we meet together (Hebrews 4:16).

What would it look like if the body came before the Lord every Sunday excited and ready to worship Him? Excited and ready to share what the Lord has been showing them. Excited and ready to lay themselves down before the Maker of Heaven and Earth.

"God I pray that we can experience this kind of Freedom in the Church. That the body would not hold back because of the way things are, but that Your presence would allow people to sense that freedom as they worship You. Lord I know this will come and I thank You now for the amazing work of Your hands!" Amen.