WHAT IS YOUR WORSHIP LIKE?

God is spirit, and His worshipers must

worship in spirit and in truth.
John 4:24

What is your worship like? Is it a Sunday ritual or frenzied emotion that you can put on and take off? Is it limited to one style of music or a particular church? Most important, is it more than skin-deep?

God seeks those whose worship emanates from deep within. He desires legitimate praise and integrity between HEART and MOUTH. He wants to be the ONE we treasure most. Most of all, He wants ALL OF YOU! Paul in Romans 12:1 urged us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is our spiritual (reasonable) act of worship.

What does it means to present ourself as "a living sacrifice"? Is there a set time and place for it, or does it encompass all our lives? Considering the priority the Bible places on true worship - and Jesus' declaration that real worship is what God is after - these are enormously important questions. If we want to fulfill the purpose God has for us, and in fact to be fulfilled, we need to know how to love and adore Him.

In my earlier (February 2009) post "Are you a worshiper?" I shared that the first time you find worship in the Bible is in Genesis 22. It reads: "And Abraham said to his servants, Settle down and stay here with the donkey, and I and the young man will go yonder and worship and come again to you." - Genesis 22:5 (Amplified Bible). Abraham was not going up yonder to sing a slow song with Isaac. He was going up there to put the most treasured possession in his life to death, simply because God asked him to do it! So can you see, to Abraham WORSHIP means a life of OBEDIENCE!

Like to share with you one of my favourite song entitled "Living Sacrifice" by Chris Christan. Take 3 minutues to be inspired about offering your life as "a living sacrifice" to Him. What is God speaking to you about your worship to Him?

Have A Blessed Week! - TPWC - Ricky

THE POWER OF PRAISE - PART 3

For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10:4 (Amplified Bible)

We shall continue on our final instalment on The Power of Praise :-

4) GOD INHABITS OUR PRAISE

Psalm 22:3 declares, " But You are holy, O You Who dwell in [the holy place where] the praises of Israel [are offered]" (Amplified Bible).


The word "dwell or inhabit" in the Hebrew means to actually sit or reside in a place. God is always King whether we praise Him or not. He is always worthy of praise whether we praise Him or not. But when we praise Him we offer Him a throne to sit upon in our presence. That is why our praise is so necessary in order to bring the power of the presence of God into our church services.


In other words, our praise become a throne for our King. All the authority and majesty of the King is present in our humble offerings. When you stop to think about that, it is awesome! He could choose to to sit on some glorious planet somewhere that He created just for Himself. Instead, He is seated with us as we minister praises before Him.


As we worship, we can sing praises over nations, cities and governments. We have royal authority to proclaim God's dominion and kingdom in places far and near simply by lifting our voice and glory and honour to our King. He who is enthroned in our praise will make Himself known through us. His glory will fill the earth as His glory fills and flows through the proclaiming praisers.


5) PRAISE PREPARES US FOR MIRACLES


Psalm 50:23 "He who brings an offering of praise and thanksgiving honors and glorifies Me; and he who orders his way aright [who prepares the way that I may show him], to him I will demonstrate the salvation of God" (Amplified Bible).


When the devil comes against us, praise will always point a way out. This verse indicates that when we sacrifice praise and glorify God, He will show us His salvation. The word salvation refers to more than just the salvation of soul. It refers to divine healing, deliverance and divine ways in which God helps us.


Two classic examples :


1) Paul and Silas in the Philippian Jail (Acts 16:25)


After great persecution by the inhabitants of Philipi and after being beaten, they were cast into prison. Acts 16:25 declares what they did, "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to God." Imagine what they could have been saying to God that night. They could have complained and listed all the problems that had come about because of their missionary journeys. But the prayed and sang praises to God!


They didn't do it quietly. The Bible records, "and prisoners heard them." They were singing out loud. The Greek in that phrase implies that the prisoners were listening keenly. Acts 16:26 states, "And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed." This illustrates the fact that God responds to praise.
- Praise is a way to bring God into your situation.
- Praise is a way to bring the miracle working power of God into your life.

- Praise opens prison doors (Acts 16:25-26)
- Praise set the captives free (Psalm 149:6-9)


But notice again that it has to be a sacrifice. It is the abnormal thing to do. If things are going well, it is never a sacrifice to praise the Lord. But God delights when you offer a sacrifice of praise to Him. It is a tremendous step of faith and God honours that faith with miracles.


2) King Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20)


We are all familiar with the story of King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20. Remember, Jehoshaphat and the kingdom of Judah are teetering on the brink of destruction - they are about to be attacked by horde far outnumbering them. You might compare their plight to a situation of your own in which everything seems to go wrong, or when the force of Satan's opposition threaten to overpower you. King Jehoshaphat's experience offers a way to do battle in such situations. He begins by simply confessing, "We have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us" (2 Chronicles 20:12).

This confession of weakness doesn't mean that Judah is passive and does nothing - nor should we. A prophet of Judah delivers a word from the Lord. God tells them that the battle is His, not theirs. For their response, the people " (stand) up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high:" (2 Chronicles 20:19). Then instead of hurling spears or boulders, the army marches out boldly hurling phrases of praises, singing, "Praise the LORD, for His mercy endures forever" (2 Chronicles 20:21). The result? The Lord Himself sets ambushes for the enemy, causing confusion and fighting to break out among their ranks.

So what attack should believers mount against Satan and his hordes? We are to take up the weapons we wield best - the weapons of praise. As the apostle Paul teaches us, "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:4).

Faced with the forces of evil, God's people are not to fear. Our greatest resource for resistance doesn't arise from any arsenal known to human wisdom or device. It comes from knowing that the battle is the Lord's. We are never to react from a position of weakness, but from one of strength. That strength is found in faithfully remaining at our post of praise. Our best defense is to do what we should know how to do best: offer praise and glory to the Living God, whose enemies, ultimately, will always flee before His might and power

PRAISE THE LORD !
TPWC

THE POWER OF PRAISE - PART 2

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised.

In the city of our God, in His holy mountain

Psalm 48:1

Our PRAISE, in other words, should be in proportion to God's greatness - which means it has to be measureless. We can never exhaust the POWER and the possibility of PRAISE. The more we PRAISE God, the more we acknowledge His greatness.


Let's continue to expand on the POWER OF PRAISE - What happen when we choose to PRAISE our great God?


1) PRAISE SILENCES THE ENEMY


O LORD, our Lord, how excellent (majestic and glorious) is Your Name in all the earth! You have set Your glory on [or above] the heavens.
Out of the mouths of babes and unweaned infants You have established strength because of Your foes, that You might silence the enemy and the avenger.Psalm 8:1-2 (Amplified Bible)


- Notice the weapon that king David is using here is the NAME of the Lord. PRAISE is the way to silence the enemy. A practical translation of that would be, "that you might make the devil shut up!"
- PRAISE is also the ordained strength of God. Our PRAISE may be weak as a child but it is powerful to shut up the enemies
- Notice also the use of the word "mouth" in this verse. All spiritual weapons have only one launching pad, and that is our mouth


2) PRAISE IS A GARMENT OF THE SPIRIT


Isaiah 61:3, speaks of "the garment of PRAISE for the spirit of heaviness."


- Isaiah 61 was quoted by Jesus in His home synagogue in Nazareth immediately after His temptation in the wilderness to launch the preaching of the Good News (beauty for their sadness/ashes, oil of joy for a mourning spirit and a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness)
- In contemporary language we would call it a spirit of depression which is a stronghold of the enemy. In other words when we choose to PRAISE GOD there is deliverence from the spirit of depression.
- PRAISE is a spiritual garment and every believer must wear this garment at all times. We have to make a choice to "PUT ON" the garment of PRAISE daily.


3) PRAISE LEADS THE BELIEVER INTO THE TRIUMP OF CHRIST


Psalm 106:47, "Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the Gentiles, to give thanks to Your holy name, to triumph in Your praise.


- We are to triump in the PRAISE of God. This verse applies not only to Israel as a nation, but also to every believers.
- There is a great difference between victory and triump. Victory is the accomplishment of the defeat of the enemy, whereas a triump is a celebration of the victory already won!
- See also Colossians 2:15 & 2 Corinthians 2:14



Have a blessed & victorious week as you continuingly let PRAISE be in your mouth!
Psalm 34:1 - I WILL bless the Lord at all times; His PRAISE shall continually be in my mouth.

TPWC

THE POWER OF PRAISE

Like to share with you a classic 80's praise song entitled "PRAISE THE LORD"
Whatever circumstances or situations you may be in right now, just take 3 to 5 mins to listen this power song and make a choice to Praise The Lord

PRAISE THE LORD (Lyric)

When you’re up against struggle, that shatters all your dreams
And you hopes have been cruelly crushed by Satan’s manifested schemes
And you feel the urge within you to submit to earthly fear
Don’t let the faith you’re standing in seems to disappear

Praise the Lord, He will work through those who praise Him
Praise the Lord, for our God inhabits praise
Praise the Lord, for the chains that seems to bind you
Serve only to remind you, that they drop powerless behind you when you praise Him

Now, Satan is a liar and he wants to make us thinks
That we are paupers, when he knows himself that we are children of the King
So lift up the mighty shield of faith, for the battle must be won
We know that Jesus Christ is risen and the works already done

Words & Music by Brown Bannister & Mike Hudson

Artistes - Russ Taff, The Imperials (Original artiste by Chris Christian)

Copyright - WORD Music LLC

WHEN YOU PRAISE THE LORD

- the enemies cringed! (Psalm 66:1-3)

- you silence the enemies even though your praise may be weak as a child (Psalm 8:2)

- you open prison doors (Acts 16:25-26)

- the enemies will be ambushed & defeated (2 Chronicles 20:22)

- you set the captives free (Psalm 149:6-9)

2 Corinthians 10:4 (Amplified Bible)
For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds

Blessings

TPWC

YOU CAN BE HIS TEMPLE !

"And in His temple everything says, 'GLORY!' "
Psalm 29:9

"Within your temple, O God, we meditate on YOUR UNFAILING LOVE."
Psalm 48:9 (NIV)

What sets God's temple apart from every other place in the universe? It is a place where there is only one theme: God and His GLORY. Everything in the temple says, "GLORY!" Not just the living worshipers - the angelic beings, the cherubim and seraphim - but even the furniture and the structure itself join in the cry: "GLORY TO GOD!" Together they make up a single unit of worship.

However, the worship in God's temple is not limited to outward verbal expression. It is carried on simultaneously in the inner, unvoiced meditation of the soul. The theme of this inner meditation is GOD'S UNFAILING LOVE. The beautiful Hebrew word thus translated has been rendered in many ways: mercy, lovingkindness, goodness .... Each of these conveys part of the meaning, but taken together they do not fully express the whole. It constitutes an inexhaustible theme for the meditation of the true worshiper.

These are the two distinctive marks of God's temple: verbal worship proclaiming His GLORY and inner meditation focused on HIS UNFAILING LOVE. Whenever we meet these conditions and whenever our whole being cries, "GLORY TO GOD!" and all our thoughts are focussed on HIS UNFAILING LOVE, then we become God's temple. It may be in an automobile, or an office, or a kitchen, the physical location is not important.

Right where you are just now, you can become a temple of God! Focus your heart and mind on HIS UNFAILING LOVE. Then open your lips and praise Him. Let your whole being unite in a single cry: "GLORY!"

Blessings
TPWC

ARE YOU A WORSHIPER - PART 2

WHAT IS TRUE WORSHIP?

"A time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the true (genuine) worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (reality); for the Father is seeking just such people as these as His worshipers.
God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (reality)." - John 4:23-24 (Amplified Bible)

There is so much within these verses. First, notice the Father is seeking (yearning, longing) such to worship. Secondly, He is looking for those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Let's consider a typical corporate worship service. We come into a service and the worship leader leads us some fast praise songs followed by some slow worship songs, then we begin to flow into the "river of worship" with some chord progressions. So when you say worship, to most believers the first thing that comes to mind is slow songs sung in a service.

WHAT THEN IS TRUE WORSHIP?

The first time you find worship in the Bible is in Genesis 22. It reads:

And Abraham said to his servants, Settle down and stay here with the donkey, and I and the young man will go yonder and worship and come again to you. - Genesis 22:5 (Amplified Bible)

Abraham was not going up yonder to sing a slow song with Isaac. He was going up there to put the most treasured possession in his life to death, simply because God asked him to do it! So you can see worship is a life of obedience. This explains why God passionately says to His own people who were singing songs to Him:

Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living. Amos 5:23-24 (New Living Translation)

WORSHIP IS A LIFESTYLE WE MAINTAIN!

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual (reasonable) act of worship. Romans 12:1 (New Internation Version)

"Worship is an act of obedience of the heart. It is a response that requires the very core of who you are, to love the Lord for who He is, not just for what He does." - Darlene Zschech

Worship is not a matter of skill and technique. It is not confined to just singing some songs during a weekend church service. It is a LIFESTYLE and daily experience. True worship flows from the life of one who has an intimate relationship with God.

Blessings
TPWC

ARE YOU A WORSHIPER?

Profile Of A Worshiper

If someone ask a teacher what he does for a living, he will reply, "I am a teacher." He says that because he works or spends most of his time teaching. Similarly, you know you are a worshipper when what you do the most is worship.

Worshipers don't just worship on weekends. They don't need a bulletin, or a "call to worship" or a worship leader to encourage them to go vertical. They can worship in any place and at any time because they are worshipers.

Continual worship is central to the life of a worshipper. A worshiper offers the sacrifice of praise to God continually (Hebrews 13:15). "From the rising of the sun to it's going down the Lord's name is to be praised" (Psalm 113:3). Endless eulogy, ceaseless celebration and perpetual praise are the earmarks of a worshipper.

Worshippers don't wait for perfect circumstances to worship, and they don't let current situations keep them from worshipping.

There is a song in the Bible that says, "Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labour of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls - yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation" (Habakkuk 3:17-18).

Though I have no money in the savings account and my cheque book is overdrawn, though the fridge and cupboard are empty and I just got laid off, yet I will worship and rejoice in my Lord.

The first step in becoming a worshipper is worshipping in spite of bad circumstances.

An extract from - Exploring the Mysteries of Worship by Larmar Boschman
TPWC

PRAISE HIM IN THE FEAR OF THE LORD

Then a voice came from the throne, saying, "Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!" - Revelation 19:5

It is important to know that the fear of God is entirely different from being afraid of God. The fear of God has three basic components:

* To Know Him
* To Worship Him (in honour & reverence)
* To Obey Him

The fear of man will keep you from the fear of God - the fear of God will keep you from the fear of man (Proverbs 29:25)

"Holy fear is the key to God's sure foundation, unlocking the treasuries of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge ...
We cannot expect to be admitted into His presence with an attitude of disrespect ...
A person who fears God trembles at His Word and in His presence ...
To fear God is to believe God. To believe God is to obey Him ...
Holy fear gives God the place of glory, honour, reverence, thanksgiving, praise, and preeminence He deserves ..."

Extracts from : The Fear Of The Lord - John Bevere

THE FEAR OF GOD

*Psalm 22:23 - Praise Him when you fear God
*Revelation 14:7 - Praise Him and fear Him for He is a just God
*Revelation 15:4 - Praise Him and fear Him all nations and all people
*Malachi 3:16 - Praise Him for He hears those who fear Him and writes their names in His book
*Psalm 145:19 - Praise Him for He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him
*Psalm 147:11 - Praise Him for He delights in those who fear Him
*Psalm 85:9 - Praise Him for His salvation is near those who fear Him
*Psalm 115:13 - Praise Him for He blesses those who fear Him
*Luke 1:50 - Praise Him for His mercy is for those who fear Him
*Psalm 33:18 - Praise Him for His eyes are on all those who fear Him
*Ecclesiastes 8:12 - Praise Him for all goes well for those who fear Him (Deuteronomy 5:29)
*Proverbs 22:4 - Praise Him for He grants riches, honour and life to those who fear Him
*Deuteronomy 6:2 - Praise Him for He gives longer life to those who fear Him (Prov 10:27)
*Acts 13:26 - Praise Him when you fear Him and you hear of His salvation
*Psalm 128:1 - Praise Him when you fear Him and you are able to walk in His ways
*2 Corinthians 7:1 - Praise Him when you fear Him and you are able to perfect holiness
*Proverbs 14:26 - Praise Him when you fear Him and you gain confidence
*Proverbs 14:27 - Praise Him when you fear Him and you find a fountain of life
*Psalm 31:19 - Praise Him when you fear Him and you find His great goodness
*Psalm 25:14 - Praise Him when you fear Him and you discover His secrets
*Isaiah 33:6 - Praise Him you fear Him and you learn the key to His treasure
*Psalm 103:11, 17 - Praise Him when you fear Him and you receive His mercy (Luke 1:50)
*Psalm 103:13 - Praise Him when you fear Him and you receive His compassion
*Psalm 111:10 - Praise Him when you fear Him and you come into His wisdom (Prov 9:10)
*Psalm 34:7 - Praise Him when you fear Him and you know angels are stationed all around you
*Psalm 34:9 - Praise Him when you fear Him and you have no need
*2 Kings 17:39 - Praise Him when you fear Him and He delivers you from all your enemies
*Revelation 11:18 - Praise Him when you fear Him and He rewards you
*Acts 10:35 - Praise Him and fear Him all nations, then He will accept you
*Revelation 15:4 - Praise Him and fear Him all nations, for He alone is holy
*Ecclesiastes 12:13 - Praise Him and fear Him for this is the whole duty of every man
*Psalm 25:14 - Praise Him for His secrets are given to those who fear Him
*Proverbs 3:32 - Praise Him for His secrets are given to those who fear Him

An extract from - Praise Him by Viven Hibbert
Blessings - TPWC
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom - Proverbs 1:7

WORSHIP THAT SHAKES THE DOORPOSTS OF HEAVEN'S ARCHITECTURE!

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!

Isaiah 6:3

Isaiah had a vision of the unsearchable glory of God. He saw the Lord in His throne room, high and lifted up, and His glory filled the room. Around Him stood massive angels called seraphim, who, because of God's great glory, cover their faces with their wings and cry out:

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!

We have sung these exact words in our churches in hymn form. Yet often our praises ring void of the passion found in these angels. You can see people yawning or glancing about as they sing the words. Oh, how different is the atmosphere in God's throne room!

The Emerald Throne Scene In Heaven (Revelation 4:2-11)

http://www.revelationillustrated.com/

These mighty, awesome angels are not bored or restless; they are not merely singing nice songs. They do not say, "God, I have been singing this song before Your throne for millions of years; do You think a replacement could be brought in? I would like to go explore the other parts of heaven." No way! They would not desire to be anywhere else but crying out and singing praises before the throne of God.

These spectacular angels are not merely singing a song. They are responding to what they see. Every moment, through veiled eyes they glimpse another facet and greater dimension of God's glory being revealed. Overwhelmed, they shout, "Holy, holy holy!" In fact, their voices and the entire room is filled with smoke. Wow, it's one thing for sound waves to shake a natural building here on the earth, but it is quite another matter to shake the doorposts of heaven's architecture! These angels have been around God's throne for untold ages, for time ummeasurable. Yet they experience a perpetual revelation of God's power and wisdom. His greatness is truly unsearchable.


An extract from - The Fear Of The Lord by John Bevere
Bleesings
TPWC

UNLIMITED PRAISE

Let Everything That Has Breath Praise The Lord. Praise The Lord - Psalm 150:6

Psalm 150 ends in a great hallelujah climax that calls on everything that has breath to praise the Lord, not because it feels like it, but because GOD IS WORTHY of all praise at all times and in all places.

The psalmist calls us to praise Him in His sanctuary, the place set apart for the manifestation of His glory. This was the tabernacle in the wilderness, the temple in the time of king Solomon. But the psalmist does not mean to limit it to a building. All heaven is filled with His glory and power and resounds with the praise of saints and angels. When Isaiah saw a vision of the heavenly temple, he not only saw the glory of God and His throne, he heard the shinning seraphim chanting , "The whole earth is full of His glory." (Isaiah 6:3). GOD IS WORTHY to have the whole universe re-echo the songs and shouts of praise to Him.

In this dispensation however, God has set apart temples for His dwelling by His Spirit, and He looks for them to be filled with His praise. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. So is the body of believers a temple or sanctuary whenever even two or three gather together in Christ's name and for His glory. Praise should be the most outstanding characteristic of a Spirit-filled Christian or a Spirit-filled church.

We do not praise for the sake of praising however, and certainly not for the sake of making noise. Neither do we praise merely because we feel like praising God. The true Christian praises God because because GOD IS WORTHY of praise, and puts the incense of praise on the altar of his heart whether he feels like it or not.

It is not hypocrisy to praise God when we do not feel like praising Him. IT IS OBEDIENCE! It is giving to God of His due. It is putting Him first when we would like to put ourselves first.

Knowing that HE IS WORTHY then, we should want to use every means and everything to give God praise. Let us dedicate our talents to Him. King David and his friends dedicated their musical instruments to Him and used their hands, hearts, and voices to produce a mighty symphony of praise.

As we step into the year 2009, whatever we have, whatever we are, we can all hear the call and join in with all nature to give God praise. Let us hold nothing back

LET EVRYTHING THAT HAS BREATH PRAISE THE LORD!

Blessed New Year
TPWC

THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS - WORSHIP

Christmas is a time of joy and giving. Christians all over the world commemorate this occasion because "God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son Jesus Christ ..."
In our celebration, we proclaim the Good News with carols on the streets and we expressed the loved of God to the world with our gifts to the needy and the orphans. In the midst of all these activities, let us not forget that the spirit of Christmas is WORSHIP? All those who came to meet Jesus at the manger WORSHIPPED ...

The Wisemen"Where is the one who has been born king of Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." (Matthew 2:2)"On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh " (Matthew 2:11 - note: worship before gifts)

The Angels"Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appreared with angel praising God saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men ..." (Luke 2:13)

The Shepherds"The shepherds returned, glorifying God for all the things they had heard and seen ..." (Luke 2:20)

Simeon The Godly Man"... Simeon, who was a righteous and devout ...took Him in his arms and praised God ..." (Luke 2:25-33)

The Prophetess Anna" ... she gave thanks to God ..." (Luke 2:36-38)

As we celebrate this year's Christmas, let us reserve the best gift for our Lord - WORSHIP!
Blessed Christmas!
TPWC

ONE THING - After God's Heart

"One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek; 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 inquire in His temple" (Psalm 27:4).

David's primary occupation was to seek God and His beauty. God declared David to be a man after His own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). Imagine that? Wouldn't you love for God to say that about you? I know I would. David sought God when he was young and when he was old. He sought after Him when he was a young shepherd boy, praying and worshipping him in the fields where there was no human audience. He sought after God when he was a king and military leader when he was busy with responsibility and pressure. David sought after God's heart during times of victory and times of testing. It was the goal and focus of his life. Perhaps we could say that David was on a lifelong treasure hunt to discover the beauty of God - to find out the commands of God's heart and to fully obey them - to study God's emotions and encounter Him in intimacy - to discover the purposes of God's heart and contend in prayer for a breakthrough. David was one who loved to be in God's house. He even raised up 4,000 musicians and 288 singers to worship God in His house (1 Chronicles 23:5, 25:7).

David knew how to tap into the most important thing in life. Let us look at the examples of David through the Book of Psalm :

"O God You are my God. Early will I seek You. My soul thirsts for you. My flesh longs for You ..." Psalm 63:1 (NKJV)

"My soul follows close behind you ..." Psalm 63:8 (NKJV)

"Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You." Psalm 73:25 (NKJV)

"As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God." Psalm 42:1 (NKJV)


"Lord, I have loved the habitation of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells." Psalm 26:8 (NKJV)

"How lovely is Your tabernacle, O Lord of hosts! My Soul longs, yes even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God." Psalm 84:1-2 (NKJV)

"For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand ..." Psalm 84:10 (NKJV)

What is the primary ambition in your Christian walk & ministry? Your answer can make the difference between success or failure, strength or powerlessness, hope or defeat. David chose only ONE THING - to behold the beauty of the Lord. David was a Lifestyle Worshipper. What about you?

"I believe strongly that one thing the devil seeks to do is to sneak in and subtly distract our attention from the purity and simplicity of loving God. He doesn't mind if we exalt revival, healing, or anything else, as long as we lose our focus on the simplicity of heart-level lavish devotion to the Son of God." Mike Bickle - Director of International House of Prayer

Be a God chaser
TPWC

A CALL TO WORSHIP & INTERCESSION (The Harp & The Bowl - Revelation 5:8)

WORSHIP is an act and attitude of whole-heartedly offering ourselves to God (Romans 12:1). The Greek word for worship is PROSKUNEO, meaning to kiss like a dog licking his master's hand, to prostrate oneself in reverence and adoration.

INTERCESSION is prayer as a means of asking God day and night (Luke 11:13; 18:8) to release His blessing to touch others for salvation, healing, anointing or other personal needs.
When we incorporate the elements of WORSHIP and INTERCESSSION, we actually create cosmic spiritual effects that are mighty to the pulling down of spiritual strongholds. We have this clear evidence in Acts 16:25 where the prison doors were open and salvation was wrought through the combined effects of prayer and praise of Paul and Silas

Throughout the Bible, expressions of prayer and worship continually appear together. In the New Testament, those who made requests of God often came worshipping (Matthew 8:2; 9:18; 15:25, Phiippians 4:6). We are familiar with the passage in 2 Peter 2:9 that we are called to be a royal priesthood and as priests, we have two primary responsibilities as may be seen in Hebrews 5:1 "For every high priest chosen as he is among men is appointed to represent people in matters pertaining to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins."

1) To represent men in matters relating to God - speaks of intercession

2) To offer gifts and sacrifices - speaks of worship

Today, God is searching for both Worshipping Intercessors and interceding Worshippers. But sad to say, we are witnessing a great imbalance with many celebrations in praise and worship, pageantry and dance without significant time given to prayer and intercession. True worship comes from a relationship of love with the Father and prayer expresses that relationship because it is communion and devotion.

We find that in heaven, which is the true tabernacle, is one great worship service where there is offering of unceasing worship (Revelation 4:8; 7:15) and intercession (Revelation 8:3-5). In Revelation 5:8, we read: "When He took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fall down before the Lamb, each of them having a HARP and holding golden BOWLS full of incense which are the prayers of the saints."

The HARP represents Worship and the BOWL represents Intercession.

In the Holy of Holies, there is one piece of tabernacle furniture that is nearest to His presence - the Golden Altar of Incense where continual Worship and Intercession is offered up to God. The time of incense has come: God is raising prophetic worshippers who are willing to let Him ambush and invade their worship service with intercession. In response we will see God's judgement and power released on earth as we stand to minister to Him with the HARP and the BOWL (TPWC's logo).

Blessings
TPWC

Healing During Worship Intercession

This is the testimony by sister Pauline ... during CS Music's team (Singapore Christian Songwriters & Music team) pre-showcase prayer, praise and worship intercession (1 week ago)

My hand is 90% healed today!!! Never had it been healed in such a short span of time especially when the pain paralyzed 80% my right arm yesterday. The slightest movement brings a painful cringe on my body, with a totally distorted face. History of it... it's repetitive stress injury (RSI).

Today I woke up able to move my fingers without pain and I know God is in the process of healing. Tonight when CSMusic met for prayer, I felt that I should take off my hand splint and trust God for healing. As worship was going on, I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to start flexing my wrist and rotate my arm gently. As I was doing it, the pain gradually decreased to a point whereby I could do most movements without much pain. At the end of it, they laid hands on my right wrist and prayed. I was able to play the guitar after that! By that time I knew it was 80% healed! I am trusting for 100% healing now. *

Just some background... there was a period when the pain lasted for almost a year, at times worse than yesterday, on better days I could move it but not without much struggle. Stopped playing the piano/keys during that time, tinkle a little on good days, but couldn't really play... the rate at which it healed is a miracle! Praise the LORD!! And all the saints who prayed for me...

Blessings
TPWC

* Note : sister Pauline's hand has been completely healed! \0/\0/\0/
TPWC invite you to share your experience & comments

PRACTICING THE PRESENCE OF GOD

"Enoch walked with God" (Genesis 5:24)

The true test of a person's spiritual life and character is not what he does in the extraordinary moments of life, but what he does during the daily grind of everyday life when there is nothing tremendous or exciting happening. In the 1600's, there was a monk named Brother Lawrence who was a dishwasher in his monastery.

He made a profound discovery that is true for every believer in the workplace today. "For me the time of activity does not differ from the time of prayer, and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are calling together calling for as many different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as when upon my knees at the blessed Sacrament."

You see, he found no urgency for retreats, because in the common task he met the same God to love and worship as he did in the stillness of the desert. It is this kind of life that Jesus desires for each of His children. Enoch was also a man that practiced the presence of God. The Bible does not give detailed account of his life. All we know about him is that "He walked with God." In fact, it says in Gensis 5:22 that Enoch walked with God 300 years! Wow! That is faithfulness!

What does it mean to practice the presence of God daily? It means we are constantly talking to our Heavenly Father about the issues in our day. It means praying about things as they come up. It means singing a song in your car while you are sitting in traffic. That is practicing the presence of God.

Today, when God gives you times alone or there are needs that arise, stop and consult your Heavenly Father about the situation. Then you will be practicing the presence of God.

An extract from TGIF (Today God Is First Vol 2 - May 28) by Os Hillman
Blessings - TPWC

THE UNQUENCHABLE WORSHIPPERS

Bible is full of Unquenchable Worshippers - people who refused to be dampened, discouraged or distracted in their quest to glorify God.

1) The Prophet Habakkuk
His heart attitude was to make a choice to respond to God's worth, no matter how bleak a season he found himself in :
"Though the fig-tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop falls and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. (Habakkuk 3:17-18)

2) Paul & Silas (Acts 16)
Sitting in their jail cell you would have forgiven them if they weren't in the mood for singing. They'd been unjustly arrested, beaten, severely flogged, and thrown into the deepest part of prison, with their feet in stocks. Yet, somehow, refusing to let their souls be dampened, Paul & Silas found it in themselves with everything they had left to sing out praise & worship to God. (We all know the result .... the glory of God fell, there was an earthquake, prisoners were set free and salvation came upon the jailer & his family.)

Most of us don't own a fig trees and haven't been in prison for being a Christian, but the principal is the same for us as it was for Habakkuk, Paul & Silas - we can always find a reason to praise. Situations change for better and for worse, but God's worth never change!

3) Fanny Crosby (www.nyise.org/fanny)
This contented worshipper was borned blind has written 9,000 hymns of praise has this say : (Some of her hymns ... To God Be The Glory ... Blessed Assurance ... Close To Thee)
When about six weeks old she was taken sick and her eyes grew weaker ... the lack of knowledge and skill of the doctor then could not save her eye sight. As she grew older she was told that she would never see the faces of her friends, the flowers of the fields, the blue skies ... soon she learned what other children possessed, but she made up her mind to store away a little jewel in her heart which she called "CONTENT"

Those thousand of songs were simply the result of a fire that burned in her heart for Jesus and could not be put out. Someone once asked her, "Fanny, do you wish you had not been binded?" She replied, in typical style, "Well, the good thing about being blind is that the very face I'll see will be the face of Jesus."

Many might have chosen the path of bitterness and complaint as their response to God, but she chose the path of contentment and praise. The choice between these two paths faces us each day, with every situation that's thrown our way. Bitterness dampens and eventually destroys love for God. It eats away at the statement "God is love" and tells us He is not faithful. But contentment does the opposite: it fuels the heart with endless reasons to praise God.

Shalom - TPWC

PRAISE - THE WEAPON OF OUR WARFARE (PART 2)

"Your hand will find all Your enemies; Your right hand will find those who hate You. Be exalted, O LORD, in Your own strength! We will sing and praise Your power".

Psalm 21:8, 13

The Old Testament makes a distinction between taking revenge ourselves and leaving our enemies to God. Strength and power lie in Him, not in us, as Psalm 21 confesses.



Apart from many good reasons for glorifying and worshipping God, the role of praise in dealing with our enemies is also strange to many people. The Psalmist also praise God in the midst of facing adversity at the hand of an enemy. Do you wonder how such conflict and praise meet?



We continue with the story of King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20. Remember, Jehoshaphat and the kingdom of Judah are teetering on the brink of destruction - they are about to be attacked by horde far outnumbering them. You might compare their plight to a situation of your own in which everything seems to go wrong, or when the force of Satan's opposition threaten to overpower you. King Jehoshaphat's experience offers a way to do battle in such situations. He begins by simply confessing, "We have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us" (2 Chronicles 20:12).



This confession of weakness doesn't mean that Judah is passive and does nothing - nor should we. A prophet of Judah delivers a word from the Lord. God tells them that the battle is His, not theirs. For their response, the people " (stand) up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high:" (2 Chronicles 20:19). Then instead of hurling spears or boulders, the army marches out boldly hurling phrases of praises, singing, "Praise the LORD, for His mercy endures forever" (2 Chronicles 20:21). The result? The Lord Himself sets ambushes for the enemy, causing confusion and fighting to break out among their ranks.



So what attack should believers mount against Satan and his hordes? We are to take up the weapons we wield best - the weapons of praise. As the apostle Paul teaches us, "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:4).



Faced with the forces of evil, God's people are not to fear. Our greatest resource for resistance doesn't arise from any arsenal known to human wisdom or device. It comes from knowing that the battle is the Lord's. We are never to react from a position of weakness, but from one of strength. That strength is found in faithfully remaining at our post of praise. Our best defense is to do what we should know how to do best: offer praise and glory to the Living God, whose enemies, ultimately, will always flee before His might and power



Quite sure most of you would know this powerful song - Desert Song by Brooke Fraser from Hillsong (see below youtube). With the knowledge of our weapon of warfare we can now sing and praise Him in the desert, in the fire & in the battle ... PRAISE THE LORD!

Blessings

TPWC

PRAISE - THE WEAPON OF OUR WARFARE (PART 1)

Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud on their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand.

Psalm 149:5 -6

Psalm 149 speaks of "the high praises of God" in the same breath as "a two-edged sword." Of course , we are dealing here not with weapons of carnal warfare, but with putting our words into action by boldly going on the offensive of faith - by acting on the promises of the God we praise.

Let us turn to the dramatic scene in 2 Chronicles 20. King Jehoshaphat, undermanned and relatively powerless, has been brought word that "a great multitude is coming aganst you" (20:2). This text gives direction on what can be done in such moments; something besides reigning to a passive prayer for strength. There are four action steps - four ways to take up the sword of praise.

1) The king proclaimed a FAST (2 Chronicles 20:3). Is fasting foreign to your experience? Don't let it be. Fasting is an aggressive way to affirmed the promised power of the spirit over the flesh. It is an explicit way to reinforce the priority of prayer and to seek God throughout each day. When facing crucial battles such as the one that confrnted Jehoshaphat, be ready to deny the flesh as a sign that your trust is not in human energy but in the power of the Spirit.

2) The king and the people PRAYED (2 Chronicles 20:6). And while their prayer confessed that "we have no power" (2 Chronicles 20:12), it wasn't a "poor me" prayer! In stead of whinning, their prayer roared, ascribing to God power and authority over the enemy. Such a prayer of petition is admittedly prayed out of deep need, but it nonetheless boldly affirms God's power within His will.

3) There was also a REMEMBRANCE OF GOD'S WORK in history (2 Chronicles 20:7). With praise they remembered the story of God's people - the Exodus from Egypt, God's care in the wilderness, the conquest of Canaan. Remembering is a mighty source of confidence that God is able and will again deliver and save. Reviewing testimonies at the Lord's Table is a great way for us to remember His tender mercies and enduring love.

4) There was a PROPHETIC UTTERANCE (2 Chronicles 20:14-17). We must be open to the Holy Spirit's prophetic word among us as a people. He's still assuring us, "The battle is not yours, but God's! (2 Chronicles 20:15) and He will faithfully unfold God's will for us to our own immediate situations.

Ultimately threatening situations call for an uncommonly strong response: taking up a two-edged sword in a spiritual sense - aggressively trusting God, forcefully throwing ourselves at His feet in worship, and boldly brandishing the spiritual weapons Jehoshaphat used. They still work to put doubt and fear and anxiety to flight.

PRAISE is not passive. It can be our boldest stand against the threats of the enemy.

Blessings - TPWC

THE CALL TO WORSHIP - PART 2

Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.

I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forvermore.

Psalm 86:11-12

People who truely worship God must become teachable people. Here, the psalmist looks up to God with complete openness, ready both to learn and to walk in the truth. To unfold this theme, we return to the account of Abraham's offering of Isaac. No passage in Scripture provides more fundamental teaching on the true meaning of worship. By being open to God's call, Abraham discovered a new place of worship. "Go to the land of Moriah," God told him, "and offer [Isaac] there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you" (Genesis 22:2). Abraham left the security of his caravan and his servants to go discover this new place - this new mountain of acceptable worship to God.

Sometimes we must go to a "new place" too, in order to discover the true meaning of worship. It will probably be to a new place our hearts or attitudes rather than to a new physical site, but we sometimes need to be guided away from the worn valleys of our familiar ways to a mountain of God's assignment. We can become so accustomed to tradition, to the same trappings of worship and the same forms, that the spirit of worship dies of familiarity. But let's open as the psalmist does: "Teach me Your way." Let's not fear discovering a new place of worship, where in finding new and fresh capacities for worship, we find new dimension of God's goodness and Person.

Abraham first discovered that surrendering to God's claim is at the core of worship ... Abraham thought Isaac was his, momentarily forgetting that Isaac was God's gift and thereby rightfully His to claim. And so it is with all of our own gifts. Everything we have has been "bought at a price" (1 Corinthians 6:20), and you and I need to retain a readiness to return our "beloved Isaacs" at the center of our hearts - those things we cherish most dearly. Ever and always they must be kept before the Lord, to be sacrificed for His purpose. In the text for this reading, the psalmist promises to praise God with his whole heart, clearly meaning that nothing can be withheld. Can we begin to sense here the radical nature of true worship? It transforms our values from the beginning.

But further, Abraham discovered the true nature of God. He learned that God does not demand those things dearest to us because He needs them, but because He knows we need to be released from their controlling us. God never demands a sacrifice for the divine pleasure of smelling it's aroma or because He needs us to tickle His pride. The objective is our release - our growth. God asked Abraham to offer Isaac neither to exploit Abraham's emotions nor to destroy Isaac's body. But what He did do was to forever take away Abraham's fear that God might not have his best interests at heart. It is only in living worship that we will draw close enough to discern God's true nature and loving heart toward us.

Abraham also discovered the rewards of worship. Of course, God gave Abraham no immediate monetary reward for worshipping Him, but the reward was immensely grander - God Himself! "I am your ... exceedingly great reward" (Genesis 15:1). Until every corner of Abraham's heart was possessed by a trust in the greater love of God, God would be restricted from fully giving of Himself to Abraham. If he had been withholding anything from God, there wouldn't have been room in Abraham's heart to contain the wealth awaiting him in God. It's another way of saying, "No one can serve two masters" (Matthew 6:24). The sacrifice of worship establishes our servanthood to the true God.

We see then that worship has a "cutting edge" - one that cuts the flesh and prunes our preferences. Bowing before the Sovereign Lord introducs real demands but also opens new dmensions of promise. We begin to catch a glimpse of what we can discover about God and about ourselves when we are willing to be taught in worship by Him whom we worship.

An extract from - The Heart of Worship by Jack Hayford

Blessings
TPWC

THE CALL TO WORSHIP

O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.

Psam 95 : 6-7

Biblical worship is on God's terms, not ours. Psalm 95, in calling us to worship, says nothing about our rights. Instead, it summarily calls us to bow down, to kneel before this one whose creatures we are - the sheep of His pasture. And make no mistake, the call to bowing and kneeling refers to more than mere bodily posture. It focuses the surrender of our will and way to Him. It means that we are granting supreme authority to God; that in worship and in life we are giving up our will in favour of His. It notes a foundational fact about true worship: Once I choose the living God as my God, I give up the right to worship in my own way. In the very act of naming God "GOD," you and I are granting to Him alone the right to prescribe how He wishes to be worshipped.

For example, in Genesis 22, when God told Abraham to go to the land of Moriah to worship, we're introduced to God's ways in appointing the "worship program" for those He plans to grow up in faith's ways. Abraham had no occasion to say, "Sure, God! I will worship You - but how about my own way, OK?" Rather, when Abraham heard God tell him that he was to worship by offering his son Isaac on an altar of sacrifice, he knew that he had to choose between his way and God's way.

What a shock to have heard God's appointed worship plan! Offer Isaac?! Not only did this act apparently go against God's revealed displeasure with pagan practices of human sacrifice, but God had actually given Isaac as a special gift to Abraham and Sarah after they were past the normal age of childbearing. And now, to demand Isaac's life? Outlandish though it seems, Abraham was ready to obey, and he told his servants something very significant: "I and the lad will go yonder and worship" (Gen 22:5, KJV, emphasis added).

Of course, today we know the story's end: God provided another sacrifice - a ram caught in the thicket - and spared Isaac's life. Yet the New Testament says that Abraham really "offered" Isaac, because faith's living worship was found in his obedience and willingness (see Heb 11:17). He demostrated the basic meaning of worship: totally giving over our human will to the will of God.

As lifestyle worshipper, we are wise to expect to be shaped in understanding and practice as we answer God's call to worship. We'll find it not only a privilege but also a challenge. Be aware and be prepared: To grow in praise and worship is to discover new dimensions of saying to God, Not my will but Thine be done.

An extract from - The Heart of Praise by Jack Hayford

Blessings - TPWC