WORSHIP A MATTER OF THE HEART pt 1

God bless you beloved of the Lord!

    I would like to start by blessing you and your family in the name of Jesus. I pray our Lord sheds His miraculous love, peace, joy and healing into your life and the lives of your loved ones. As you desire to serve Him with all of your heart, may He make known unto you His eternal love, and the depth of that love. In the marvelous precious name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth!

   I'd like to take some time and talk about our personal worship with the Lord. Let's look at the definition of worship.

Worship - n.  the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity.

Elevation - n. the action of elevating someone in rank, power, or character.

Praise - v. express warm approval or admiration of.

Let's look at a couple of verses regarding our hearts.

"Keep your heart with all diligence, for out it is the wellspring of life." Proverbs 4:23 (WEB) 

"For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans 10:10 (KJV)

 "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth that which is evil: for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." Luke 6:45 (ASV)

   I would like to make a suggestion to you. When we have our time of worship with the Lord, you may want to have a pen and paper handy to take notes. It is not uncommon that during these times the Lord will speak to us and place things in our heart, regarding His plans and purposes for us or His desire for others. By His Holy Spirit, these times may also become a time of refreshing and direction. We will want to not only hear what the Holy Spirit of God desires to say to us, but we will want to remember. These are those wellsprings that we are able to look back upon, and draw from, to find encouragement and direction in the present and the future.

"I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, and how I may reply when I am reproved. Then the lord answered me and said, "Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run with it. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay." Habakkuk 2:1-3 (NAS)

The Ark being brought back to the City of David 2 Samuel 6:1-11

   Now David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose and went with all the people who were with him to Baale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the Name, the very name of the Lord of Hosts Who is enthroned above the cherubim. 
   They placed the ark of God on a new cart that they might bring it from the house of Abinadab which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were leading the new cart. So they brought it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Ahio was walking ahead of the ark. 
   Meanwhile, David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord with all kinds of instruments made of fir wood, and with lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets and cymbals. But when they came to the threshing floor of Nacom, Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen nearly upset it. And the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God.
   David became angry because of the Lord's anger against Uzzah, and that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. So David was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, "How can the ark of the Lord come to me?" And David was unwilling to move the ark of the Lord into the city of David with him; but David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.
   Thus the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household. (NASV)

Definition of Obed-Edom, and Uzzah

Obed - serving; worship

Edom - worker; servant of god

Uzzah - strength; goat

   Who was Uzza? We are able to find that Uzzah was one of Abinadab's sons, in whose house the ark rested for twenty years. He and his brother also accompanied David in the removal of the ark, to bring it to the City of David. Twenty years is a long time to have something (the ark) dwelling with you. Not unlike ourselves, when we have something or someone that we've grown accustomed to, that we seem to take for granted, or just don't seem to respect as we did at the first. We have heard of a saying, "familiarity breeds contempt," I believe it could be applied to this situation. If their hearts grew cold, there would be an irreverent attitude toward the Ark of the Lord.
   We see that Uzza's name means strength. In whom's strength did he operate in when he reached out to stop the ark from falling? There is a way to approach the Living God. For starters, a little reverent fear is always good. Along with humility and gratitude.

   Since our study has brought us to this point, this may be an opportunity for us to take a moment and reflect on how we may have possibly handled the presence of the Lord in our own lives. There is a scripture verse that I love. It continually reminds me that God is God, and I am not! He is the Creator, and I am but dust.

"The fear of the Lord, prolongs life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened." Proverbs 10:27 (NASV)

   Abraham recognized this truth and humbled himself before the Lord. We can read in Genesis 18:27, when Abraham was acting as advocate and interceding for his nephew Lot who had gone down to Sodom and Gomorrah. He had an awesome fear of the Lord, but even so, he spoke with the Lord as a man speaks to his friend. And, the Lord spoke back! This is a relationship.

• Have we grown accustomed to the presence of the Lord, that we've taken Him for granted?
• Have we slowly filled our schedules with things in the world around us, and sacrificed our time with Him?
• Have we lost our fervor and desire to cultivate our relationship with Him?
• Has our heart grown weary from life's storms and disappointments?
• Have our expectations of finding hope again in His presence, been replaced by doubt and cynicism?
• Are you at a place in your life that you just don't believe that God loves or hears you?

 
   Now, with your pen and pad ready to inscribe what the Lord may speak to your heart, take time out on purpose to meet with Him. Start with a good morning Father! Open up dialogue with Him. If you work, you can still greet Him and ask the Holy Spirit to guide your day and give you the Fathers wisdom.

  Think about the time of day that would be best for you to set aside, to have private worship and prayer time with Him. Expect Him to meet you here, in your quiet place. The place you have purposefully set aside to meet with the King!


May all blessings and grace abound to you as you seek Him with all of your heart. He loves you. He has called you by name. He has known you before you were in your mother's womb. He desires to know you more. He wants to guide you by His Truth, that you may no longer be lost and alone with no direction to go. He knows your hurt. He is your Healer. The arms of the Lord are opened wide to you. He knows right where you are. He is gentle and kind. He does not lie or mislead. If you want change in your life, He is able to bring that change. Just ask Him. You will never walk alone.


Blessings to you and yours! In the love of Christ!


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LISTEN FOR THE LEADING

Blessings the Lords beloved!

   I am believing this message finds you blessed and filled with the peace of Christ!

   In a recent conversation with a Brother of ours in the Lord, he had asked: "How do I hear the voice of the Lord more clearer? I would like to hear His voice even more fine tuned, specific."  As we spoke I reminded him of the boldness that he already exhibits in the Lord. By praying for others as the Holy Spirit prompts him. With this He said: "Yes, but I want more... I want to go deeper in Him."

   He then reminded me of a situation I had shared in my book "Be Moved." Where I had been in the grocery store and while shopping, a woman had passed by me. I immediately felt the prompting or leading of the Lord to give her a specific amount of money.  No questions asked. I wasn't supposed to stick around and give this young woman a dissertation as of why I was giving the money to her (I felt the Lords lesson was "no pride.") It was not I who was giving the woman a blessing and meeting a need. It was the Lord. Therefore, she needed to know nothing about who I was.

   With this, he asked: "How did you know?" I explained that it isn't any different than how he ministers healing to others. He had shared with me, how at times, when he and his wife are out in public, that people are drawn to them. Shortly after he and his wife are approached, they start a conversation, and then it happens! The Holy Spirit impresses upon his heart to pray for these strangers and the certain ailment or need they may have, that the Lord desires to heal. By the way, as a side note, this Brother and Sister of ours have a sweet anointing in the Holy Spirit, and are accurate in hearing from the Lord. At the conclusion of our conversation, our Brother had determined that the "Key was Listening" to hear the voice of our Heavenly Father and His desires, via the Holy Spirit.

   I must say at this point, I need to share, that "WE" as the Body of Christ, need each other. We need to encourage one another to grow in the gifts the Lord has given us. Along with the call the Lord has placed upon our lives, and to fulfill that call. Not for glory of own, but to the Glory of our Lord and Savior! This is the only reason He has chosen us. So that the world through us may believe that He is with us, and has sent us to them!

"I am not asking on behalf of them alone, but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, as you, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me." John 17:20-21 (BSB)

  We must encourage one another to step out in faith and do the works of the ministry, and share the glorious message of the Gospel, as our Lord intended. The Lord our God did not give us the Holy Spirit in earthen vessels, to just keep in a jar like a lightning bug to gaze at!

   The Holy Spirit, our Teacher, Mentor, Friend, Comforter, Eyes and voice of our Heavenly Father. He is the Breath of God! Hallelujah! that runs through our spirit and blood! He "IS" the life of Almighty God, living in and through us to bless others and bring them to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ!

   After all is said and done, I am still in awe and amazed at His wondrous love for us. It's humbling...

   There is a scripture verse I'd like to share that may be helpful in encouraging you also to step out in faith.

"And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left." Isaiah 30:21 (ESV)

   We have been given the instruction manual, the Bible, Gods Word and our Teacher the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ "IS" the Word of God made manifest. The more we read, study and delve into the Bible, the more we will learn of the Lords will and ways. What pleases and displeases Him. We will learn and understand His nature and character. We will become personally and intimately acquainted with Him.

   Just as Jesus Himself placed His focus upon what the Father says and does. Even so we also, place our focus upon what Jesus has said and done. Jesus led by example to show the Disciples, the how, what and will of the Father, through His actions and words.

   Now we show the world Jesus. Through the leading of the Holy Spirit. By His, (Jesus') words, actions and Word, being manifested through us, by the power and person of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the God Head. He "Is" the Spirit of God the Father and Jesus the Son. He is one in them and works through us, bringing about the will of the Father, glorifying the Son.

"So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of His own accord, but only what He sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise."     John 5:19 (ESV)

"I have not spoken on My own, but the Father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and how to say it."  John 12:49 (BSB)

The Jews were amazed and asked, "How did this man attain such learning without having studied?" "My teaching is not My own, Jesus replied. "It comes from Him Who sent Me."           John 7:15-16 (BSB)

"I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him." Deuteronomy 18:18 (NASB)

Let's read how our Brother Paul said it. It can not get any more simple then this.

"Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ." 1 Corinthians 11:1 (NKJV)

   I would like to encourage you to go in the peace, presence and power of our Lord. Bringing His redemption and healing to all nations. One person at a time or many. Where ever our Lord may lead. Step out in faith using the gifts He has equipped you with. You have been equipped and called with purpose. So, live as such. Today if you hear His voice harden not your heart. Hebrews 3:7-8.


   I pray the Lords presence goes with you where ever He may lead. The power of His Holy Spirit rests upon you, bringing you into the Fathers perfect will. I pray the Fathers voice you will hear as you set your heart to listen. 
   Go, in the peace, presence and love of the Lord above and in the power of His Holy Spirit. In the magnificent name of Jesus of Nazareth!



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