TRUE WORSHIP – ENTERING GOD’S PRESENCE

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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.

Hillsong United
Hillsong United at Petofi Csarnok, Budapest

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.

JESUS – YOUR GREAT NAME (Lyric video by Todd Dulaney)

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After so many posts on end times prophecies, all of which indicate Christians will have their faith tested during the tribulation prophesied by many of the O.T. prophets, particularly Daniel and in Revelation, I thought I should include this video of Todd Dulaney rendering POWER IN YOUR NAME. I was inspired and reminded of the following verse of Scripture which clearly shows that at the soon coming of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of all He created. I should acknowledge Emeka Ofili’s website which is where I saw the YOUR GREAT NAME video.

“God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” 2 Philippians 2:9-11

‘Your Great Name’ Lyrics – Todd Dulaney

We love to, Call Your Name
It’s something, We cannot Explain
That Happens, When We Proclaim
Your Great Name, Your Great Name

King Jesus, No Other Name
King Jesus, None Stronger
We can Call on You
Thing Changes
When we call on Your Name

There’s Power in the Name of Jesus
Power in Your Name
Things Change when we call You Jesus
Things when we call Your Name

I’m Free when I call You Jesus
I’m Free when I call Your Name
I’m Free when I call You Jesus
I’m Free when I call Your Name

Call; When I call Your Name
Resp: When I call Your Name
Call; When I call Your Name
Resp: When I call Your Name
Call: Demons Trembles at that Name
Resp: When I call Your Name
Call: I feel much stronger when I call You
Resp: When I call Your Name
Call; I’m healed When (x2)
Resp: When I call Your Name
Call: I’m set Free (x2)
Resp: When I call Your Name
CAll; I’m alive when I call You
Resp: When I call Your Name
Call: Yes God, Yes God
Resp: When I call Your Name
Call: I Feel much better when I call
Resp: When I call Your Name
Call: I Feel much stronger when I call
Resp: When I call Your Name
Call: I Feel like blessing when I call
Resp: When I call Your Name
Call: I Feel my Victory when I call
Resp: When I call Your Name

Call: I Feel a shifting when I call
Resp: When I Call Your Name
Call: I Feel a blessing when I call
Resp: When I Call Your Name

AWAKEN THE DAWN RALLY WASHINGTON DC, OCT 6th – 9th, 2017

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PRAY FOR THE ORGANISERS OF AND PARTICIPANTS IN THIS SIGNIFICANT EVENT COMING UP THIS WEEKEND ON THE NATIONAL MALL IN WASHINGTON DC. FIFTY TENTS WILL BE ERECTED ON THE MALL. ONE FOR EACH STATE. BE ENCOURAGED, WATCH THE SHORT INSPIRATIONAL VIDEO BELOW.

Tens of thousands of Christians from every state  are expected to attend this weekend’s event, Bradshaw (Awaken The Dawn) told Christian Post, and he believes that the time frame of this event is significant and strategic.

America’s Tent of Meeting happens to coincide with the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles, which began Wednesday, and marks the 20th anniversary weekend of Promise Keepers, where hundreds of thousands of Christian men gathered on the National Mall to rededicate themselves to God and recommit themselves to their families.

“We really just want to gather around the work of Jesus and the presence of God,” said David Bradshaw in a phone interview Tuesday with The Christian Post. Bradshaw is the director of the Fredericksburg, Virginia-based Prayer Furnace, one of ATM’s organisers, who will be speaking on stage. The goal is “to throw a public, audacious, bold, visible celebration of Jesus’ worth,” he said, noting that worship and prayer are at the centre of the event.

Awaken the Dawn, Bradshaw added, is on a “rescue mission” for this generation and he believes we are living in a time when the Church of Jesus Christ must come together to stand in the gap and pray and proclaim the Gospel in order to see a substantive spiritual shift in America and reach the youth of today with “a new Jesus movement.” Patterned after this weekend’s event in the nation’s capital, ATD hopes to visit every state capital and as many university campuses that they can in 2018 for a subsequent prayer initiative called “Tent America.”

THOUSANDS GATHER IN THE STREETS OF UKRAINE TO PRAISE JESUS

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The streets of Kiev filled with songs of praise and thanks as roughly 200,000 evangelical, Ukrainian Christians gathered to celebrated the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. Once again, it is another “end times” sign as we see prophecy being fulfilled. “And this gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14 This once communist nation where the gospel could not be preached is now exporting missionaries worldwide.

“Many travelled from all four provinces there just to be a part of that celebration, to thank God for the freedom to worship, to thank God for the freedom to preach the Gospel in their country, and to celebrate God’s faithfulness,” Sergey Rakhuba with Mission Eurasia told Mission Network News.

The gathering came after Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko signed an order recognizing the anniversary of the Reformation.

“It was so exciting to see on the screen of my computer where I was watching young people with so much joy. They glorify God in the midst of their capital. This was the same place where they were protesting just a few years ago fighting for their freedom. But, also, this is the place where many years ago, Communists would force people to demonstrate and propagate Socialism, Atheism, Communism, and other ‘isms’ in their country.”

Rakhuba says young people are the key to spreading Protestantism in Ukraine.

“That’s what Mission Eurasia is doing, working with the next generation, those who take the baton, those who get into the generational gap and take the Gospel to their communities,” he says.

Young people aren’t just spreading the gospel in Ukraine, now they’re exporting missionaries throughout the world.

“I just talked to a group of young people, they just came to this celebration from their mission trip to Mongolia in China — young Ukrainians who felt like the Holy Spirit was leading them to take the Gospel to Mongolia where they reached thousands of young people through summer camps!”

Ukraine may still be in the middle of a war with Russia, but it is growing leaps and bounds spiritually.

“Ukraine is still in the midst of war. Eastern Ukraine and territories are still occupied by Russian or pro-Russian separatists. Crimea was annexed by Russia. So yes, Ukraine is struggling politically, economically, but Ukraine is striving today spiritually, pleading to God to bless that nation,” Rakhuba says.

RIO 2016: FIJI TEAM GIVES THE GLORY TO GOD

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fiji-rugby4

“First of all, I thank the Lord, he has been our source of strength… We reminded each other how God had taken us through the last two years and that the same God that we serve is here with us in Rio.”

That’s what the Olympic Rugby Sevens winners told the media when asked the reason for their success.

The island nation of Fiji has won its first ever Olympic medal – a gold – but while fans hailed one of the great Olympic achievements, the players have given the glory to God.

Rugby Sevens became an Olympic event this year for the first time. Though Fiji are ranked number one in the world, the country had never won a medal at any event before so the pressure was on.

The team came through that pressure to win the tournament – defeating Great Britain 43-7 in the final – and dominating far bigger countries such as New Zealand.

The players dropped to their knees and prayed upon the outcome of the match. Many pointed to the sky before joining in wild celebrations.

PROPHETIC WORD FOR 2016 – The year of the rising remnant

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The following prophecy by Rob Winters of The Prepare the Way International Revival Centre in Phoenix Arizona is very similar to what I heard at a recent ICCC Congress in Jakarta. It struck the right chord for me what about you?

Spiritual warfare

The year 2016 is a Jubilee year in which the Lord is liberating His remnant church from reproach, shame, doubt, cynicism and grief. It’s a year to proclaim and experience liberty in every aspect of our lives (Lev. 25:10).

For the past seven years (2009-2015) the Lord addressed His remnant as the Jacob Generation—who with clean hands and a pure heart daily ascended the hill of the Lord to seek His face in the secret place. This remnant received a promise of blessing from the Lord that will now be realized in this next seven-year season (2016-2022).

“Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He will receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face. Selah” (Ps. 24:3-6, MEV).

During this next seven-year season, the Lord is bringing forth His rising remnant as the Joshua Generation, who will accompany the King of Glory, the Lord of Armies, into battle. Indeed, the remnant church is entering a season not only of blessing, but also of glory and of war.

“Lift up your heads, O you gates; and be lifted up, you everlasting doors, that the King of glory may enter. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift up, you everlasting doors, that the King of glory may enter. Who is He—this King of glory? The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah” (Ps. 24:7-10, MEV).

In order to better understand the season God is moving the remnant church into, we need to contrast and compare the characteristics of the season we have exited with the season we are now entering.

INTIMACY versus AUTHORITY

Intimacy with God precedes authority in God. Over the past seven years, the Lord has been wooing His Bride into the holy place. Like Jacob, who at Bethel saw the angels of God ascending and descending upon a ladder through the gate of heaven, the Lord has beckoned His remnant to seek His face in the secret place. As the Jacob Generation has come to know the Lord and His purposes in the former season, He can now trust them with His authority and power as the Joshua Generation in this new season (Gen. 28:16-17).

KNOWING versus DOING

As the Jacob Generation, the remnant church has come to know God. Now as the Joshua Generation, the remnant church must do exploits for God. In these last days, it is crucial that the remnant church arise and expand the rule of King Jesus in the earth. Thy Kingdom come!

“By flatteries he will corrupt those who act wickedly toward the covenant. But the people who know their God will be strong and take action” (Daniel 11:32, MEV).

REVELATION versus REVOLUTION

The Jacob Generation, having come to a revelation of God, must now, as the Joshua Generation, lead a righteous revolution for God. Through the spirit of wisdom and understanding, we have come to know God’s ways, words and works. Through the spirit of knowledge, we have come to know God’s purposes, provision and power. However, in this next season, the Spirit of the Lord is entrusting to us His divine authority and power that we might lead a righteous revolution. Moreover, the spirit of council is revealing God’s strategic battle plans while the spirit of might is releasing God’s power that we might do exploits in His name (Eph. 1:17-19).

WAITING versus WARFARE

Intimacy with God requires waiting on God. As we wait upon the Lord, our strength is being renewed, enabling us to soar as eagles, run through a troop and jump over walls into the enemy camp. In other words, waiting on God produces the strength necessary to war with God. No less than five times did the Lord exhort Joshua to “be strong and of good courage” as he prepared Israel to possess their promised land and depose the giants of Canaan (Josh. 1:6-7, 9, 18; Josh. 10:25; Ps. 18:29; Is. 40:31).

ABIDING UNDER versus PRESIDING OVER

The Jacob Generation dwelt in the secret place of the Most High and abided under the shadow of the Almighty. In contrast, the Joshua Generation presided over the enemies of Canaan, trampling lions and serpents underfoot. In other words, the Jacob Generation retreated into the presence of God, whereas the Joshua Generation now advances into enemy territory (Psalms 91:1-2, 13).

CONCESSION versus POSSESSION

Jacob played “Let’s Make a Deal” with his Uncle Laban to obtain his prized possession—Rachel. After labouring for seven years for Rachel, Jacob was deceived into marrying Leah, Rachel’s sister. After making concessions to obtain what man had promised, Jacob became disillusioned. On the contrary, Joshua led Israel out of the wilderness to take possession of what God had promised. Likewise, the remnant church is entering into a season of possession, as it is our time to possess the promises of God (Gen. 29:18, 27).

Joshua 1:3 says, “I have given you every place that the sole of your foot shall tread, as I said to Moses'” (MEV).

INTIMATE WORSHIP versus WARFARE PRAISE

The remnant church is transitioning from ministering to the Lord to ministering for the Lord. As priests, the Jacob Generation worshipped at His holy hill at the feet of Jesus. As kings, the Joshua Generation, through high praise, now executes judgements secured from heavenly courts that bind rulers of darkness over nations (Psalms 149:5-9).

PREPARATION versus PROMOTION

Over the past seven years, the Jacob Generation has been prepared in the crucible of affliction and has found solace in the secret place—hidden away with God. Having passed the wilderness tests of affliction, neglect, abuse and silence, the Joshua Generation in this new season will arise, emerge from the shadows and experience divine promotion.

REPROACH versus RECOMMENDATION

The reproach of men experienced by the Jacob Generation will be overshadowed by the commendation of God.  In this season, the Lord will demonstrate that He has not changed His mind about the Joshua Generation by recommending and honouring them before men. Those that have stood in the remnant’s way in the past season will be of no consequence (Is. 61:7, Josh. 1:5).

OBSCURITY versus OPPORTUNITY

Years of obscurity will be swallowed up by divine opportunity. While God hid the Jacob Generation to protect and prepare them in the former season, He is now bringing the Joshua Generation to the forefront to fulfil divine destiny. Those who have been faithful over little for years will now be ruler over much. For many in the remnant church, 2016 will be a make-or-break year. God is opening doors for the remnant that no man can shut. Indeed, the remnant church is entering into a season of divine grace and opportunity that we must embrace by faith. It’s now or never! No more delay!

“The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder. Then he shall open, and no one shall shut. And he shall shut, and no one shall open” (Is. 22:22, MEV).

HARDSHIP & PAIN versus HARVEST & GAIN

Jacob laboured in the wilderness for seven years to receive and enjoy his prized possession—Rachel. During this painful season of preparation, God produced perseverance, character and hope in Jacob. In this new season, Jacob’s hope will be realized, as the Lord moves the remnant from a season of deference into a season of preference. The sufferings of the wilderness will not be worthy to be compared with the glory revealed through us in our promised land flowing with milk and honey (Deut. 26:9; Prov. 13:12; Rom. 5:3-5; Rom. 8:18).

INCARCERATION versus LIBERATION

Jacob suffered a form of incarceration for 14 years under his Uncle Laban, whereas Joshua was liberated from 40 years in the wilderness. The year 2016 is a Jubilee year in which the Lord is liberating His remnant church from reproach, shame, doubt, cynicism and grief. It’s a year to proclaim and experience liberty in every aspect of our lives (Lev. 25:10).

SANCTIFICATION versus SUPERNATURAL

The degree to which the Jacob Generation sanctified themselves over the past seven years will be the measure in which signs, wonders and miracles will be wrought through the Joshua Generation in this new season. Tomorrow is here! The time is now for the remnant to arise and the Lord to do wonders among us.

“Joshua said to the people, ‘ Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will perform wondrous deeds among you” Joshua 3:5, MEV

Rob Winters is senior pastor of the Prepare the Way International Revival Centre, an apostolic and prophetic expression of the ekklesia in Phoenix, Arizona. He is author of numerous books, including Prepare America! – Hope for a Nation in Crisis, Turning America Back to God and Prophets and Prophetic Ministry. For more information, visit his website at preparethewayint.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIFE IS ALL ABOUT US, OR IS IT?

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‘I bound you to me,’ declares the LORD, ‘and made you my people’ – Why? – ‘for My renown and praise and honour.’ (Jeremiah 13.11)

‘Help us, O God our Saviour’ – Why? – ‘for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins’ – Why? – ‘for your name’s sake.’ (Psalm 79.9)

‘I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven’ – Why? – ‘on account of his name.’ (1 John 2.12)

Revival is waking up to the reality about God. The reality is, to put it simply, that we are not at the centre of the universe, God is. Ultimately, God is not here for our benefit, we are here for his. God created us for his benefit and glory. It is for his glory’s sake that he loves you enough to save you. That is why you may have such great assurance that God who began a good work in you will complete it – not because he is a merciful God and wouldn’t hurt a fly; not because he is love and love is never harsh, but because saving you will glorify him. Our salvation is not so much for our own benefit, but for his glory. His forgiveness of our sins is not so much for our relief, but for his honour. He loves us not so much for our pleasure, but for his praise.

How do we glorify God

If we love his glory above all else, He will love to glorify himself in flowing forth, – healing, saving, forgiving, refreshing, and multiplying those who flock to worship him in our churches, to see his glory in the sanctuary.