PASSION FOR GOD'S DWELLING PLACE - PART 2

I Would Rather Be A Doorkeeper
In The House Of My God ...
Psalm 84:10

As we take a page out of King David's intimate journey with God, we wonder why would a king want to be a doorkeeper? As a passionate "God chaser", King David was saying, "No, I've learned something: A doorkeeper at the RIGHT DOOR has more influence in the world than a king on his throne! A doorkeeper in the house of God is a doorkeeper at the gate of Heaven. Now if I can find that opening in Heaven ..."

King David discovered a key that we need to rediscover in our day. He did more than return God's presence to Jerusalem. He did more than display God's glory in an open tent without walls or veil of separation. Somehow he managed to entertain God's presence in his humble tent and keep an open heaven over all Israel for almost 36 years!

When we open the windows of Heaven through our worship, we also need to post a guard - a doorkeeper - inside the dimension of God (worship) to hold open the windows of Heaven. In David's day, the Levitical worshipers surrounded the Ark of the Covenant with continuous worship and praise. They enjoyed the benefits of a continuous open heaven because somebody stood in the gate and held it open.

A gatekeeper can be anyone who has the responsibility of opening the windows of Heaven to a city, a church or a community. They could be leaders, intercessors, worship leaders, worship musicians, worship singers, and every worshipers. An open heaven refers to the free access of God's presence to man and to the free flow of God's glory to man's dimension.

As a gatekeeper, King David understood the importance of his office. When he penned Psalm 84:10, I feel that he was saying, "I would rather be a doorkeeper at the RIGHT DOOR, because that is the place of real influence." Never underestimate the power of God's presence. If you can be a doorkeeper and open the door of the manifest presence of God to your church and your community, understand that you have been placed in the most influential position in the entire world. Like the Levites of old, we are all called to be a gatekeeper people, the people of His presence. You can literally become a walking doorway to God's presence. People can sense the glory light shinning under the door.

We need people who know how to access His presence and open door for the glory of God to come into our homes, churches, cities, and nations. King David again writes the vision so we can run:

"Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in." (Psalm 24:7 NKJV)

Gates don't have heads. It is obvious that we are the gates in this Psalm. If we lift up our heads, what happens? The Hebrew literalization of the phrase is " be opened up you everlasting doors." When we obey this command, the King of glory Himself will come in. What does all this mean? We, as the Church, are literally the gateway for the rest of the world to have an encounter with God. When you stand in the the place of worship, you are literally opening up and swinging wide a spiritual gate, an entrance for the risen Lord. A "modern-day David" named Martin Smith sings a new song based on an ancient theme:

"Fling wide your heavenly gates
Prepare the way of the risen Lord ..."

Did You Feel The Mountains Trembles - by Delirious

If we ever want to move from a visitation of God to a habitation of God, someone has to learn how to open the door to the heavenlies.
(an extract from: God's Favourite House - "If You Build It, He Wil Come" - by Tommy Tenney)

PASSION FOR GOD'S DWELLING PLACE -PART 1

How Lovely Is Your Dwelling Place,

O LORD Almighty!

My soul yearns, even faints for the courts of the Lord;

my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God."

Psalm 84:1-2

Can you hear the passion in the Psalmist's voice? The yearning to be in the courts of the Lord, the place of God's very presence. His whole being longing just to be with God. His heart and flesh crying out, shouting joyfully to the Lord who is alive and living and present there. Have you ever felt so desperate to get to church, to enter into worship that you thought you might just faint dead away? You know, if we’re honest, most of us don’t approach worship that expectantly, with that depth of feeling, that desperately even.

The Psalmist tells us that his entire being longed to be at the house of God! His soul, his body and his heart longed to be in the place of worship! Perhaps he remembered what many saints of God have forgotten that the house of the Lord is an oasis in the desert of this world and it is a safe haven from the storms of life. Whatever thoughts occupied his mind, when he thought of the house of God, his pulse quickened, his eyes brightened and he longed to be there more than anything else in his life.

How did the Psalmist knows loveliness of the dwelling places of the Lord unless he had been there? Furthermore besides enjoying the glorious shekinah presence of God, the following reasons reveal why he was so desperate to be in God's dwelling place:
Psalm 84:2 : there are many courts - different dimensions of His presence
Psalm 84:4 : blessings for those who dwell in His house
Psalm 84:7 : spiritual renewal growing from strength to strength
No wonder the Psalmist declares in Psalm 84:10 that a single day in His presence is far superior than all of the thousand best days the world can provide combined! Most of us know Psalm 84, if for no other reason, than because of the modern worship song “Better Is One Day,” based on portions of this Psalm. It touches the passion within us in verses 1-2, and 10, used in that song, and evokes our own sense of longing for God. Listen to this cool renditon by Worship Jamz:

We also know that all through King David's life, he exhibited this same passionate desire to be in the house of the Lord. Psalm 27:4, "One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple." 1 Chronicles 29:3, "Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God," The whole idea from David's experience is that he was a man who loved the house of the Lord and longed for it when he couldn't be there!

As worshipers, what are our motive for going to the house of the Lord? There is a difference between going there for Him to please our hearts and going there for us to please His heart. We touch a higher dimension in God's presence when we are desperate for more of Him.

Blessings - TPWC

PURE JOY - PART 2

The JOY of The Lord

Is Your Strength

Nehemiah 8:10

As worshipers, how can we consider the trials of life PURE JOY? This challenging concept is easiest to grasp when we remind ourselves that the singlemost important desire God has for us is that we each become, over time, a truly LOVING PERSON. So can we WORSHIP (which is giving God all that we can with all we are) in hard times, because we can be confident that God wants the best for us, and we understand that all which comes our way in this life can help shape us into more loving people. In time, we can understand this axiom so deeply that we can strive to do what James urges us "Consider it PURE JOY, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverence. Perseverence must finish it's work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-4).

First, hardship and suffering are part of life this side of Eden, and it does not surprise God when pain strikes us. We live in a fallen world. Jesus knew this. He told us how to prepare for tough times, such as when thieves break in and steal our stuff (Matthew 6:19). Not "if" but "when." Jesus knew the nature of human existence would mean that the things we hold most dear would be subject to all manner of bandits.

Secondly, God is near us in times of trouble (Isaiah 57:15), maybe even nearer then than during good times. This is not because God moves away from us during the good times, but because we often move away from Him. It's a truism that when things are going well for us we often become less dedicated and less passionate about staying close to God through prayer, reading His Word, and living a contemplative life. But when life brings us grief or pain or discouragement, we learn how God uses the "bread of adversity" and the "water of affliction" (Isaiah 30:20) to grow our faith, increase our wisdom, and expand our capacity to love.

Finally, we often want answers and explanations during seasons of turmoil, which is understandable, but God gives us something far mre evident than in the Old Testament account of the story of Job. After Job had lost nearly everything dear to him, he came to realize that God was there all the time, listening to Job's loudest prayers and to his quietest sobs. Everyone around him, including his wife, had told Job to curse God for what had happened. Job asked God time and again why he had to endure so much pain and anguish. He wanted answers. And what Job learned is that God, the Creator of the universe, understood his pain and ached for him. In the end, Job was changed because the nature of God: God loved him deeply and was there with him.

Today, God so much wants to be close to each one of us. What happened between God and Job is a beautiful example of what we most have to offer others who are going through life's hard times - our presence, compassion and empathy. when we truly understand the dimensions of what's happening when we face life's challenges, when we realize how much God cares and how high his hopes for us are, we can worship wholeheartedly even in times of hurting.
(an extract from: The Worship Answer Book by Ricky Muchow)

Rejoice In The Lord Always!
TPWC

PURE JOY - PART 1

Consider It Pure Joy, My Brother,
Whenever You Face Trials Of Many Kinds
James 1:2

We have been talking about being "Anxious For Nothing" in our last three posts. We also challenged you that we can indeed overcome the spirit of anxieties, worries and stresses by choosing to release the spirit of joy, rejoicing and thanksgiving. But what if we are in the midst of trials and testings? For most of us to consider these situations a matter of joy is another issue altogether.

As worshipers, how can we consider the trials of life pure joy? Only those who see the surprising benefit in them. Through the lens of Scripture, we can see that benefit. We are told that our trials develop our character in ways that would produce eternal profit for us; and we are told that the God who allows them always has our welfare in mind. These are things that unbelieving world cannot see, but they have been revealed to those who will believe.

There many examples in the Bible of believers practicing this "irrational act of joy" in the midst of trials:

1) Acts 5:41 - the apostles who were arrested for preaching Jesus left the court of the Sanhedrin "rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name".

2) Acts 16:25 - Paul and Silas sang praises to God from the depths of a filthy Philippian prison

3) 2 Corinthians 8:2 - Paul praised the Macedonian churches for their generosity in giving while in the midst of "severe trials, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty ..."

4) 2 Corinthians 12:10 - Paul delights in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.

5) James 1:2 - James points to the benefit our trials have for our own character.

6) Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:11 that we are blessed "when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me". In fact Jesus also tells us to "rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven ..." (Matthew 5:12)

Are you going through difficult times? Don't despair. Discouragement and depression are not the Biblical responses, only the natural ones. But we live above the natural. We know the end result of our pain. Perseverence results in maturity, and problems give Jesus a stage to show His resurrection power (Philippians 3:10). There is no greater blessing than that. Make a choice: Consider It Pure Joy!
(an extract from: Walk With God Devotional by Chris Tiegreen)
May this old song from the musical - The Apostle (1975) be an encouragement to you:

The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength!
TPWC

ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING - PART 3

Worrying Is Like A Rocking Chair
It Will Give You Something To Do
But It Will Not Get You Anywhere
- anonymous -

In my previous post we learnt that anxieties and worries are our greatest joy-stealers. What is the secret of overcoming anxiety? - REJOICE, REJOICE & REJOICE!!! Are you a worrier? Join the club. It's membership includes the entire human race. The dictionary describe anxiety as a noun (psychiatry) - is a relative permanent state of worry and nervousness occuring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic.

We all know from experience that worry is a fruitless activitiy of the mind until it results in positive action. Worry cannot change the past, but it can certainly ruin both the present and the future.

If there were one person who had every reason to be worried, it would have been the Apostle Paul. Consider the many dire situations he found himself in when he wrote Philippians 4:4-7:
- Imprisoned, chained to a Roman guard
- Awaiting trial and possible execution
- Attacked with all sorts of false accusations and criticism
- Faced with disunity and heresy in his church

(an extract from: Managing Your Emotions by Benny Ho)

Paul had all these burdens and more, yet he refused to worry. Instead, in Philippians 4:1-9, he gave us the secret to gaining victory over worry. He wrote: "Do not be ANXIOUS ..." (verse 6)

What is Paul's secret?
1) REJOICE
When Paul tells the Philippians not to worry but to instead "REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS (verse 4), he is issuing a command. Rejoicing is not just an emotion of the heart. IT IS AN ACT OF THE WILL! Why does Paul command the believers to rejoice? What is the basis of our JOY? Paul continues in verse 5: "The Lord is near." God is with us - He is our ever present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1)

2) PRAYER WITH THANKSGIVING
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus". (verse 6-7)

We can go through the motions of prayer, but how can this kind of peace sink into our hearts in the midst of a difficult problem? By praying with THANKSGIVING and full trust that the problem is God's. In this kind of prayer, we transfer ownership of our situation to God. There is no way to come to this place of rest unless we are able to relinquish our agenda in the situation. We must become willing for God to work it out any way He chooses, whatever the result to us. It seems scary to relinquish control, but we were never really in control anyway. And what outcome might God work out that would not be entirely good? He is completely trustworthy with our problem.
(an extract from: Walk With God Devotional by Chris Tiegreen)

3) THINK CORRECTLY
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you".

True peaces involves not just the heart but the mind as well.

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you". (Isaiah 26:3)

Wrong thinking results in wrong feelings, which in turn fuel wrong thinking. What, then should our minds be preoccupied with? Paul tells us in Philippians 4:8 that we should think about whatever that is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. If you are not convinced that Paul gives good advice, see what happens when we do the opposite? Now think about whatever that is false, depressing, despicable, wrong, unclean, vulgar, ugly or bad. How would you feel? Certainly not joyful; or peaceful but anxious and worried, right?

(an extract from: Managing Your Emotions by Benny Ho)

As worshipers, let us overcome the spirit of anxiety and worry with the spirit of REJOICING and THANKSGIVING! Then "the PEACE of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus".

Blessings
TPWC