[grazbo]

Worship is not music and singing, having an orchestra or the latest songs.
We don’t sing to worship, we sing because we worship. Music and instruments etc are just ‘Tools’ to aid us. True worship is for God and Him alone. Not for our benefit! So many people say “the worship did nothing for me today” We say, “Well so what”? It was not for you any way! The trouble comes when God says “The worship did nothing for me today” then we have something to worry about. It’s time to stop keeping God outside the building whilst we have a ‘great worship time’ inside.
Worship has to be a lifestyle:
1: We need to be supernaturally normal people!
2 We need to practice forgiveness. Jesus died for our sins and bought forgiveness for us! We in turn should make sure that we can forgive others just as the Father has forgiven us. Matthew 6 v 14-15 states that if we don't forgive then God won't forgive us. As with the warning about coming to the Lords table with something against a brother, this too will create a barrier between us and God if we have unforgiveness in our hearts.
3: We need to live as servants. Just as Jesus did! We need again to see the ‘Volunteer culture’ restored in the church. None of us are too good to do any job in the church. Rather count it a blessing to be able to serve.
4: We need to cultivate character. To many people fail as christians because their ‘gifting’ far outweighs their character! If you ‘Talk the Talk’ then make sure you ‘Walk the Walk’
5: We need to find that intimate place with God. Only as we spend time with God in that secret place, on our own, will our lives truly change and our worship become real and intimate with God. So many worship times are a washout because the people are not walking in that intimate place with God. And when Sunday comes instead of our corporate worship taking off we have to badger and cajole it and continually stoke the fires until things get warmed up.
6: We need to develop intimacy with God. Develop friendship with the Holy Spirit. Only as we truly know God can we know what He wants for us, know his thoughts for our lives. Hear His voice each day leading us and helping us.
7: We need to be totally honest. With ourselves and most of all with God. Let’s face it He knows all about us anyway so why try and lie about it or cover it up.
8: We need to be persistent in our passion for God’s touch, revelation,
His glorious presence.
9: We need to make time to be intimate with God. No doubt you have heard many people say “but I don’t have time, I can’t fit it in, there are not enough hours in the day e.t.c. Well if we go back to point 7 and are totally honest then each one of us knows without exception, that if we want to do something we will make time for it. Meals out, Football, Climbing, Films & T.V So if you really want to make time for God then………….?? DO YOU REALLY WANT TO?
10: Strive to be what God has called you to be. If you know without a doubt what it is then go for it! At the same time be content with where God has you right now. So much time is wasted by dreaming of and trying to be somewhere or something that we are not. Don’t force it. If God has said it then let Him do it, don’t go running off in front. Remember, A good idea is as good as a bad idea, if it is not God’s idea!

So my friends, instead of spending so much time on who has the best band, who writes the best songs, who’s got the best congregation, Who should do what and where etc let us get our focus back where it belongs. On the ‘Author and the finisher of our faith’ Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jesus, the lover of our souls. He loves us so much, He wants to be intimate with us, He longs for two way communication with us, He desires our honest and heartfelt worship. He has many things still to reveal to us so let us persevere and not grow weary. Let us not give up, let’s strive to do all we can so that God will be proud of us and can say to the father, this is my servant, he walked the walk and he talked the talk, and he did all that I asked him to do. GLORY!

http://www.grahamoleary.co.uk

[onlyHis4ever]

Amen!