Tag Archives: God

The Road To Powerful Prayer

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Our church is hosting Ron Auch this week author of several books dealing with The Christian’s Intimacy With God, including

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Ron taught on the subject , The Road To Powerful Prayer.

Here are some quotes from the conference.

“If you wonder if you have faith for a thing you don’t. Those who have faith know it and walk in it.”

“Worship is the one thing we can do to bless the Lord.”

“The Lord of the work is always more important than the work of the Lord.”

“Revival needs intimacy. Intimacy creates revival. Revival brings new birth. We want the new birth without the intimacy.”

“You can have church growth without prayer but you can’t have spiritual awakening without prayer.”

“Sometimes we think if we don’t give God good instruction, He might mess up.”

“Part of Satan’s plan is to make us fight him and stop pursuing Jesus.”

It was a great conference and we have more teaching today and tonight.

Which quote resonates with you?

The Jesus Code

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In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “I Walk the Line.”

The Daily Prompt today asks Have you got a code you live by? What are the principles or set of values you actively apply in your life?

I suppose it is trite to say but I try to live by the motto “WWJD” (What would Jesus do). I approach everyday with prayer directed to Jesus Christ and a renewed hope in His mercies which are new every morning.

Over time I have learned that trying to be like Jesus in my own strength is a fool’s errand. I can no more attain Christ-likeness by my own striving than a turnip can attain humanity by growing in the garden. Left to itself a turnip will always be a turnip and left to my own machinations I will always remain a sinner. But there is hope, for me at least. While  I am pretty sure nothing can make a turnip turn human there is something that can transform this sinner into a righteous man; That is the power of Christ.

2 Corinthians 3:16-18 says, “whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”

The code is “What would Jesus do”. The ability to live by the code comes through my daily inviting Jesus into my life, by prayer, to do what He would!

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Pastor Wrinkles: Complete Worship Pt. 5

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Today we are concluding our conversation about complete worship. If you have missed any piece of the discussion you can go back to

https://josephelonlillie.com/2015/03/17/pastor-wrinkles-complete-worship-pt-4/

and work your way back through the links.

Today we leave off the public and private expression of worship in order to discuss the worshipper’s heart. In order for worship to be complete…

The act of publicly worshipping and privately worshipping must come out of a singular heart towards God. Lifting our hands, singing, shouting and dancing are indeed all forms of worship but if they are not done out of heart of worship to God they are nothing more than dead religion.

Matt Redman wrote these words about the danger of worship devoid of “the heart”,

When the music fades

 All is stripped away

 And I simply come

 Longin’ just to bring

 Something that’s of worth

 That will bless your heart

 I’ll bring You more than a song

 For a song in itself

 Is not what You have required

 You search much deeper within

 Through the ways things appear

 You’re looking into my heart

 I’m comin’ back to the heart of worship

 And it’s all about You

 It’s all about You, Jesus

 I’m sorry Lord for the thing I’ve made it

 When it’s all about You

 It’s all about You, Jesus

 Matt Redman – Heart Of Worship Lyrics | MetroLyrics

At the beginning of our time together I said “The Bible teaches us that the nature of worship is two-fold but that the heart of worship is singular.”

 I want us all to capture the heart of worship. That is a heart that has eyes only for Jesus. It is a heart that let’s go of every other care for the job, for the family, or for the bank account. It is the heart that knows Jesus will take care of all those things if we just make Him a priority. The heart of worship is the heart that believes Jesus when He says,

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life ? 

28“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Ma. 6:25-34

Maybe you have lost your ability to worship God because you have begun to worry about your life, your family, your provision, your health. Maybe your worry about those things has dampened your ability to worship privately or together with other Christians. Please all me to call you back to the heart of worship this morning. Allow me to ask you, with Jesus, to seek first the kingdom of God, to focus on the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Doing that involves three steps:

 FIRST:  Admit the thing that is taking your focus away from Jesus.

SECOND:  Repent and decide that you are going to focus on Jesus and not that thing.

THIRD:  Practice focusing on and worshipping Jesus with the song below. Make some noise. Let Jesus consume your attention for the entire song!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MEYWmUYD5E&t=10

Pastor Wrinkles: Complete Worship Pt. 4

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Sunset Prayer

We have been discussing the nature of the discipline of worship over the last few days. If you have missed any of the discussion you can find it here and in the other links connected in that piece.

Pastor Wrinkles: Complete Worship Pt. 3

We have already mentioned that…

Those who say they can go and worship God alone in the forest show their ignorance of what true worship is because true worship must at some point involve the community.  Further though, those who come to public worship and who do not sing or shout or speak or raise their hands also show that they do not understand what worship is about. Yet those who come to public worship are still only doing half the act of worship. Praising God in the sanctuary is part of worship but it is not all of worship.

The second half of Psalm 150:1 says “praise Him in His mighty heavens.”

Worship ends up in the sanctuary, but that is not where it starts. The people who go out in the woods to privately worship God but who refuse to join themselves to a church do have it half right .They are just refusing to participate in complete worship.On the other hand people who come to the sanctuary every week and worship with in a church body, but who never spend any private time in praising God also fail to completely worship.In fact, you can have a daily devotional and go to church weekly and still not have a vibrant complete worship life. Let me ask you is praise and worship a part of your private prayer life? Or is private prayer for you just a recitation of a prayer list?

Do you spend time during the week thanking God for His work in your life? Do you spend time singing love songs to God at home like you do in church? Do you put on the Christian station at home and dance before Jesus? Do you lift your hands in praise to Him at home like you do in church? If not try it. Praise will revolutionize and empower your prayer life.

What does your private worship life look like?

Pastor Wrinkles: Complete Worship Pt. 3

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We have been discussing the discipline of worship as a method of deeper connection to God. If you missed either of the previous conversation you can find them at

Pastor Wrinkles: Complete Worship Pt. 1

Pastor Wrinkles: Complete Worship Pt. 2

Here are our thoughts for the day:

The Bible teaches us that the nature of worship is two-fold but that the heart of worship is singular.

Worship can be expressed through music but it is not just music. It is about the heart changed in private and expressed publicly.

Some people say worship is everything we do, and I suppose in one sense that is true.

Romans 12:1, 2 does say, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship or service rendered unto God.”

The word used for worship in verse two  is the word “latreia” and it is usually translated as “sacred service.”

The worship we are speaking of here is the discipline of worship. It is the word “proskuneo”- and it means to  kneel or prostrate to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication

Worship is a very specific discipline and for it to be complete in our lives it must express itself in two ways out of one particular attitude. Psalm 150 talks to us about the ways we need to express worship.

First, worship must be public. Psalm 150 1 calls us tp ” Praise God in the sanctuary.”

In other words, half of worship is something you do with other people. It is a community activity. You can no more completely worship alone than you can play basketball alone. Further, worship is like a sport in that It is not enough to show up at the game. You aren’t worshipping if you come to church and watch any more than you can say you have played basketball by going to a game and watching from the bleachers. You must participate in the worship.

To participate you must:

Halal (from which we get the word hallelujah. It means to boast loudly about something.

Now, there is a place for quiet introspective worship, but at some point if you are going to praise God you are going to have to make some noise. Some of us have trouble getting into the presence of God simply because we won’t make any noise. We are so dignified in our manner of worship we’ve starched the presence of God right out of our lives. If you want access you are going to have to

“sound  the trumpet,”

“play the harp and lyre,”

“shake the tambourine and dance”

You’ve got to pluck a string or toot a flute or crash a cymbal or at least sing the songs!! Or thank Him audibly for something!

Psalm 150 says, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” Are you breathing? Then you ought to be making some noise for Jesus.

You say, “I’m too shy Pastor J.”

Then you need a healing.

You say, ” It’s not dignified.”

You are right. It’s not. Praise is not dignified. It’s humbling. Worship involves putting aside your pride and it is admitting you are desperate for God, and frankly sometimes the act of doing that is downright indecorous.

Those who say they can go and worship God alone in the forest show their ignorance of what true worship is because true worship involves public community worship. Those who come to public worship and who do not sing, or shout, or speak, or raise their hands also show that they do not understand what worship is about.

So what does worship look like to you?

Pastor Wrinkles: Complete Worship Pt. 2

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We are currently in a series considering ways to connect with and deepen our relationship with God. Last week you will remember Pastor Risto spoke to us about how we have access to God through the blood of Jesus. This week we are talking about connecting to God through the act of worship.

 C.S. Lewis said, “It is in the process of being worshipped that God communicates His presence to men.”

King David wrote in Psalm 100, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”

Christian this morning I am here to tell you if you want to come into the presence of God you will do it through the avenue of praise and worship.

 I think many have come to understand worship and praise in a very limited sense. I think many of us have a wrong or at least a limited definition of praise and worship.

Temi Peters, Author of Instruments of Praise & Acts of Worship said- “Worship is not about having a fantastic voice.”

 AND

 “God is not looking for incredibly high notes, intricate riffs or award-winning ad-libbing. God is looking at the heart.”

 AND

 “Vocals do not make a worshipper.”

 IF WORSHIP GETS US THROUGH THE GATES INTO THE COURTS… INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD THEN AS CHRISTIANS WE NEED TO HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IT IS SO THAT WE CAN DO IT!

SO LET ME ASK YOU WHAT DO YOU THINK WORSHIP IS?

Pastor Wrinkles: Complete Worship Pt. 1

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Here is our text for tomorrow’s sermon.

Psalm 150

1 Praise the Lord

Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens.
2 Praise him for his acts of power;
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.
3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
    praise him with the harp and lyre,
4 praise him with timbrel and dancing,
    praise him with the strings and pipe,
5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
    praise him with resounding cymbals.

6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

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What does worship look like to you?

Passage or Portion?

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“This world is our passage not our portion.” Matthew Henry

I hear a lot of talk these days about the end of the world. Conversations about Armageddon (the meaning of that word is different from person to person) are becoming normal chatter not just from the church pulpit but in the grocery line, at the gas pump, even at the doctor’s office. The level of fear attached to such conversations is always dependent on whether or not the end of the world is seen as a loss or as a gain.

Now you might ask, “How can the end of the world be seen as a gain?”

Well for Christians the “end of the world” is a misnomer. When we talk about the end-times we are not talking about the end of everything just the end of this age and this world order. We are talking about the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise  that “The meek will inherit the Earth.” We are talking about the destruction of sin and death and the reinstatement of Jesus as King of the World.

In that time big changes are coming. The establishment of that new order comes through the judgment and destruction of the old order. Things valued by the old order will be lost. Frankly, there are things in the old order that we humans, even we Christian humans, really like. Things like war and poverty and famine will be absent in Jesus’ kingdom (and everyone shouts Hallelujah!) but also missing from Christ’s reign will be things like the vote, freedom of religion and R-rated movies ( many of us would be Okay with one and two but try to take away James Bond and Jesus just might have a mutinee on His hands!)

What Matthew Henry said is true; This world is just a place we are passing through. It is  not our reward. We aren’t supposed to get too comfortable here because this world with its “comforts” is passing away. So Christian don’t be afraid when you see your current way of life fading away in the collapse of the world around you. Jesus said,

Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Ma. 24:4-14

In light of this truth, hold on to Christ. He was at the beginning. He will usher in the end. He will take those who trust in Him beyond the end into the inheritance that truly is our portion!