What an amazing sight! Listen to the worship in the centre of London. Who would have thought this could happen, I certainly did not. Thank you Lord that you are moving in the UK. May these people realise that they need to be disciples in their neighbourhoods. Please pray for our brothers and sisters that turned out for this great occasion. Pray for the Muslims in London that saw this worship session and that this video gets wide circulation.
Category Archives: Worship
BE ENCOURAGED AND PRAY FOR OUR PERSECUTED BROTHERS & SISTERS
Deep in the capital of Lebanon, thousands of Christians recently gathered to praise Jesus in a one-night worship experience that organizers say became “a beacon of hope and joy” for the Middle East. “Beirut 2024” was an ecumenical musical event that brought together believers from different Christian faith traditions to worship God and instill hope in its attendees. The event was held as part of celebrations for the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and the 50th anniversary of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC).
The MECC organized the gathering and estimated that about 10,000 people were in attendance. According to the “Beirut 2024″ website, the celebration was an event that sought to “showcase the Holy Spirit’s presence in the Church’s worship across ages.” With escalating tensions in the Middle East, leaders also decided to hold a “unique prayer meeting” to unite “diverse Churches in praise, fostering unity as outlined in Ephesians 1. Additionally, it symbolized a beacon of hope and joy for Lebanon and the wider Middle East.” “It is an opportunity to pray for peace in Lebanon and repentance for its people,” the website shares.
A choir of 300 singers and musicians from different churches led the congregation of church leaders and worshippers through the night of prayer and praise. “No one is surprised that this blessed choir speaks with multiple languages, for it is filled with the Holy Spirit who gave it to speak in this way, as happened on the day of Pentecost. Our chant tonight will be ascending to heaven, with the power of the Spirit that unites us, and it will be stronger than the screams of haters and murderers of man, and louder than the blast of their bombs,” said Professor Dr. Michel Abs, Secretary General of the MECC. “Our ecumenical spiritual evening is the product of the Holy Spirit, through believers, who worked with persistence and determination to make it happen and bring together the one Church of Christ with its cultural diversity and richness, in which the Middle East abounds,” he added. Those who attended reflected on the importance of praying for unity and peace in the Middle East. The event was broadcast live on the Lebanese MTV channel and other Christian stations.
Source: CBNNews
WHOM DO YOU WORSHIP?
Everyone worships something . . . that is just how God made us. But in a world that is corrupted by sin and in constant rebellion to its Creator, that worship gets distorted and twisted in ways that dishonor God. We can understand how that would happen in a jungle tribe where there is no direct access to what God has revealed about the right way to offer worship, but what about in America today? There is access to the Bible on everyone’s phone or laptop, and the instructions are clear.
But That’s the Problem
Many people claim that the problem is just that—the God of the Bible is much too demanding. He expects people to only worship him, follow a list of rules, act a certain way, hang out with certain people, and avoid certain people. So many expectations and such harsh judgment! They would prefer a loving god who accepts them for who they are and validates their choices. If they could find that god, they would probably worship him . . . or her.
A recent commercial from Apple has a ‘Mother Nature’ Figure and the Divine Feminine. It presents several illogical aspects, as we would expect from any worldview that doesn’t begin with God’s Word as its foundation. The key point comes in replacing God with a goddess and attributing his attributes to her. This goddess claims the weather was “however I wanted it to be”, then why doesn’t she just fix climate change? People accuse God of being a capricious, malevolent bully who could exercise his omnipotence to end suffering if he wanted (an oversimplified view that divides God’s character rather than acknowledging his whole being), but this seems to be overlooked in this Mother Earth character. She is claiming to have all-powerful control over the weather, the same ability as the true God. If she can make the weather however she wants it, then why doesn’t she do something about famines and wildlife population devastation through habitat loss (from wildfires, flooding, etc.)? It sounds like she really doesn’t care about these things. And it sounds like she is capricious and malevolent. Yet these technocratic overlords are willing to worship this goddess and demand everyone do the same while telling Christians that our God is evil for not preventing hurricanes, droughts, and melting ice caps. It seems there is a double standard at play.
Dr. Owen Strachan addresses many of these aspects in his Grace & Truth podcast episode “Apple’s ‘Mother Nature’ Figure and the Divine Feminine.” As Dr. Strachan notes, it is not a rejection of any divine being, but the embrace of a divine image that condemns people for their actions and requires sacrifices for those sins. She doesn’t offer up herself, but her gospel is a message of work harder and do more to prove you are worthy of my affection—that is a capricious and malevolent god. The gospel of our technocrat overlords, as Dr. Strachan calls them, is not a gospel of grace, but a gospel of works, which demands acts of sacrifice before love is extended.
WORSHIP IN THE MILLENNIUM
Join us in Jerusalem, Israel, in the worship of the Prince of Peace – Yeshua/Jesus the Messiah – in Hebrew, Arabic, and English. Produced by ONE FOR ISRAEL Ministry.
Imagine what worship in Jerusalem will be like when Jesus is here on this earth ruling and reigning the nations from Jerusalem. Look up because your redemption is nigh.
TO FEAR GOD IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM
Approaching worship with the idea that our hearts are in good enough shape to do so worthily would seem more than a bit audacious, but that is what much of both mainline Protestant and evangelical worship does. Contrast that attitude with one of the historic prayers of the Book of Common Prayer, commonly called the Prayer of Humble Access.
We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy: Grant us, therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body, and our souls washed through his most precious blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Psalms 51:17
So if worship is formative, guess what actually does matter. The form is inextricable from the substance of the liturgy.
The church cannot look like an entertainment show and retain any integrity whatsoever.
When we tailor our forms in accordance with what we think will resonate with people instead of what frames the liturgy with beauty and dignity, we are crowning people, lords of their own hearts.
That’s why the rule of prayer, not the rule of pop culture, should govern our worship.
None of us have hearts that are right with God, save the intermediation of Jesus Christ. We cannot worship, on our own, at our own initiative, with thoroughly pure motives and hearts that are in the right position. That’s why liturgy is a big deal in the first place. By praying right and true things steeped in Holy Scripture, by receiving the Word rightly preached, and by consuming the gifts of bread and wine, we are formed more into Christ’s likeness.
What is required seems to be approaching worship as we do the gospel. We must be ready to admit that we are helpless and that our hearts are in desperate need of redemption and renewal. We bring nothing to Christ. We have nothing of value to offer. Our works are utterly useless. This little bit of Romans 4 should both haunt us and overwhelm us with joy:
“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” Romans 4:7-8
CELEBRATING GOD’S GOODNESS AND NEARNESS
JESUS IS LORD
While elections and leaders come and go, what matters most in America and other Western nations is that we repent for turning away from God and rededicate our lives to the way of Jesus, to love God and love our neighbour as ourselves.
Wednesday, November 11th, 2020 is the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the Pilgrims to America and the signing of the Mayflower Compact. Fleeing religious persecution in Europe, this group of Puritans was in search of a new world where they could practice their faith without fear or opposition. Prayer Networks in Australia are encouraging Christians to set aside Wednesday to pray and fast for America—that the nation would return to God, and that God would direct the outcome of the election towards justice.
God is doing a “new” work in the USA and Terry and Barbi Franklin are privileged to be involved. In my next post, I will upload their video where they explain how God through repentance is bringing Christians to prayer and fasting as never before and of course, the results are amazing.
Hope you enjoy Terry and Barbi’s rendition of As One We Stand as much as I did.
TRUE WORSHIP – ENTERING GOD’S PRESENCE
Worship is one of the main themes of the Bible yet most Christians do not have an understanding of the true nature of worship. The psalmist shows us that we can gain access to God with thanksgiving and praise.
Know that the LORD, He is God! It is He who made us, and we are His;
we are His people and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise!
Give thanks to Him; bless His name! Psalm 100:3-4
We have entered His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise but how do we enter His presence? His Word and the tabernacle illustrate that we only enter God’s presence through worship.
“Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! For he is our God.” Psalm 95:6
When we come into contact with, become aware of, or have a revelation of the holiness of God, there is only one appropriate response worship.
The worship industry has replaced liturgy all over the place with pop music to which Jesus has been added. It has turned corporate worship into something it was never supposed to be, and the marketability of their product has been the driving force. What constituted worship for nearly two millennia is gone, and in its place, we are given concerts of rock music, albeit with at least vaguely “Christian” words. Hillsong fans have been convinced that this experience, especially the way the music makes them feel, is what constitutes worship. Neither the group nor their fans likely even understand the lie they’re perpetuating, but it’s a lie, nonetheless. No amount of sincerity they can muster makes it any less of a lie.
That’s the insidious nature of the worship industry. It is destructive to a healthy liturgical and sacramental theology because it sets itself up as the actual word and sacrament. The feelings of enjoyment, however deep, are substituted for the actual presence of Christ. And that’s a huge, ugly, grievous mistake.
It needs to be rejected because it tears down the church by infiltrating its way into its liturgical life.
If you are not aware of Derek Prince’s book Entering the Presence of God – Moving beyond praise and thanksgiving to true worship then let me recommend it to you. It is excellent.
2000 CHRISTIANS GATHERED IN STREETS OF SEATTLE TO WORSHIP GOD
More than 2,000 Christians gathered in the streets of Seattle in a “worship protest” Monday in defiance of public officials, who shuttered a local park to prevent them from participating in a prayer rally organized by missionary and political activist Sean Feucht.
The rally was supposed to take place in Gas Works Park by Seattle Parks and Recreation but officials abruptly announced the park would be closed all day Monday “due to anticipated crowding that could impact the public health of residents.”
Despite efforts to keep the rally from happening, Feucht announced on Facebook Tuesday that their worship session led to miracles and baptisms in a session that lasted about two hours.
“They shut the park, so we took the WORSHIP PROTEST to the streets!! The church of Seattle WILL NOT be silenced! Over 2000 took to the streets and GOD LIT THE PLACE UP with miracles, baptisms, salvations, racial reconciliation (with the police!) and HOPE!!” Feucht wrote.
Feucht, who has helped local pastors host 19 prayer rallies in defiance of coronavirus guidelines in 19 cities over the last eight weeks, told KIRO 7 that he believes the shuttering of the park to his gathering was “blatant discrimination.”
“If this was about COVID that would be one thing,” he said. “But this is about a blatant discrimination against Christians because the same questions were not asked and are still not asked about protesters.”
You can click on link and watch it on Facebook.
Pastor Michael Lee, who leads All Nations Community Church in Bellevue, said regardless of the actions of protesters, Christians needed to do the responsible thing and not gather in large numbers.
“I feel like it’s a responsible thing to do for a Christians to minimize the spread and risk of COVID,” said Lee. “You can do all of those things in smaller group contexts.”
LIVING ETERNAL NOW 