THE DISCIPLINE OF WORSHIP

To The Degree That You Are Willing To Discipline Your Life, God Will Be Able To Accomplish His Desired Plan For You ... To Bring To Pass Those Desires That He Has Placed In Your Heart, And To Bring About Those Things For Which You Are Believing Him. It Doesn't Happen Merely Because God Said It Was Going To Happen. A Lot Depends On You And Me."

The 2nd Flood by Apostle John W. Stevenson

When God shows us something about our lives, He looks for us to obey Him, and such obedience takes discipline. If it has been sometimes since you received a revelation or a vision and God doesn't seem to have done anything about it yet; it is not because He is slothful concerning His word, but because there are things we need to understand more before He starts accomplishing His word. Discipline concerns many areas of our lives. And one very important area for all who are in the worship ministry is the Discipline of Worship, which is touching God where He is.

TRUE WORSHIP DEMANDS THAT WE KEEP OURSELVES SANCTIFIED!
John 4:24 emphasizes that we must worship the Father in spirit and in truth. There is no "try". Ever since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, God has been continually wanting to draw us to Himself (James 4:8). Today one of the ways to His holy presence is through praise and worship (Psalm 100:4); but there is no place for sin in His presence! Be it deception or disobedience as it is written in 1 John 4:20, we cannot worship God with anger, bitterness or resentment in our hearts.

TRUE WORSHIP ALSO TOUCHES ALL!
The only recipient of worship must be God. Ezekiel 44:6-14 tells the story of a group of Levites who have gone astray from God by having idols in the lives. Because they did not KEEP THE CHARGE to minister to God, He forbade them from entering into His presence. They could only serve from the outer courts, to their shame. Are there "hidden idols" in our lives? It takes discipline to keep our charge to minister to God.

WORSHIP IS A LIFESTYLE WE MAINTAIN!
Worship as a way of life goes beyond formulas and techniques. It is not a programme or something we do. To maintain a Lifestyle of Worship requires our discipline.

WORSHIP IS IN THE HEART AND NOT IN THE ART!
A.W.Tozer in his book "Whatever Happened To Our Worship" said that "if you cannot worship God in the midst of your responsibilities on Monday, then it is very unlikely you were worshipping on Sunday!"

If you are a worship leader, you cannot lead where you have never been. You cannot be doing on Sunday what you have not been doing all week long - Kent Henry

LIFESTYLE WORSHIPERS
- Begins With A Daily Disciplined Attitute Of A Thankful Heart (The Outer Court) - "In Everything Give Thanks For This Is The Will Of God." (1 Thessalonian 5:18).
- Exercise And Practise Personal Private Praise (The Inner Court) - We Must Learn How To "Put On The Garment Of Praise" (Isaiah 61:3) And To Continually Offer Sacrifice Of Praise (Hebrews 13:15).
- Only Then Can We Experience Continual Communion And Anointing Worshipping The Father (In The Holy Of Holies) In Spirit And In Truth (John 4:24) - TPWC

There is a call - no, a cry - coming from the heart of God and with each passing day it's intensity increases: "Why are you satisfied without My presence; why do you remain distant when you could have intimacy with Me?" - John Bevere

Today the Father is still seeking (yearning, longing) for "true worshipers - who are willing to discipline their lives - to worship Him in SPIRIT and in TRUTH". (John 4: 23 -24). If you are willing to subject your life to the Discipline of Worship, it will revolutionize the course of your life!

A blessed and victorious week!
TPWC

PRIVATE PRAISE

"I will bless the LORD at all times;

His praise shall continually be in my mouth"

Psalm 34:1

Thank God for corporate praise when we gather together. It helps us to get among a body of believers as we celebrate and magnify the name of the Lord. There is also a personal private praise which lifestyle worshipers must not neglect. The reason for this is that until we come to the place where we can really enter into that private, personal praise, just between you and the Lord, there are always going to be some hindrances and some holding back when we enter into the corporate praise.

Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17) and God wants us to get so free that when His Spirit starts moving on us at home, in our kitchen, out in your work place, when commuting or driving down the road in your car, we can just let the spirit of praise flow like rivers of living waters in our surrounding.

The Bible says that God inhabits in our praise (Psalms 22:3). The question is, "If He inhabits in our praise, how far does He inhabits it?" The answer is as far as the sound of your voice goes ... "Glory! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Blessed Be the name of Jesus!" As far as our voice sounds, God is living in those words. For example, when we are in our car praising and worshipping Him, our audible praise fills that car. When the devil gets any where near you; do you know what he gets? "Glory!" If he comes through the window of your car, "Hallelujah!" hits him. When he tries to enter by the door, "Jesus!" knocks him off.

PRAISE HAS TO BE VOCALISED. The Bible says, "My lips shall praise Thee "(Psalms 63:3). If you go around with your mouth shut and not praising God, then God is not in your praise and the devil beats on you. Our praise may be as weak as babes, but it is powerful enough to silence the enemy (Psalms 8:2). There is power in the name of Jesus, that means that that power is released when we speak or sing it. When we begin to speak forth or sing our praises in His name, the spirit inside us begins to rise up and the power of darkness outside of us begins to retreat. Let the Devil hit our praise ten or twenty feet out infront of us. Let them stick their fingers in their ears each time they are near us.

Psalms 34:1 says, " ... His praise shall CONTINUALLY BE IN MY MOUTH." Most people have to stop what they are doing to try to get into praising God, but we need to have this reverse. We need to praise God so much that we have to stop praising in order to do something else.

Psalms 113:3 says, " From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised." King David was a man after God's own heart. He praised God in the morning, he praised Him at noontime and he praised him in the night-time.

Psalms 119:164 David said, Seven times a day I praise Thee." The number seven is perfect and complete. God is looking for worshipers who will choose to PRAISE HIM CONTINUALLY AND ALL DAY.

PRIVATE PRAISE is a powerful experience to live in. It is the key to a victorious and abundant life with Jesus. Let us the first fruits of our day to the Lord in private praise.

TPWC (An extract from Private Praise by Elbert Willis)

Until the practice of praise in private is continuous and free, the practice of corporate praise will be inhibited by fear, self-consciousness and discomfort. The practice in the corporate sense is absolutely indispensable to the maximum worship experience."
Jack R. Taylor - The Hallelujah Factor

WORSHIP BELONGS TO GOD

What are God's demands in His Word regarding Worship?

Do you know that there is a spiritual war going on? It is a war between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of hell. It is a war as to which kingdom gets WORSHIP ... God or Satan? We can see it from Genesis to Revelation ... every event throughout The Ages of the Patriachs, The Bondage in Egypt, The Conquest of Canaan, The Period of the Judges, The History of Israel, The Gospel, The Acts of the Church and The Revelation ... leads to one question: "WHO GETS WORSHIP?"

Exodus 20:3-6
v3 - You shall have no other gods before me
v4 - You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on earth beneath or in the water below.
v5 - You shall not bow down to them; for I, the Lord your God am a jealous God
Exodus 34:14- Do not worship any other god. for the Lord, Whose name is jealous, is a jealous God.

It is from these verses in the scriptures that we learn that WORSHIP BELONGS TO GOD AND GOD DEMANDS IT!

What is worship? In Hebrew, the word SHACHAH means to kneel and worship. In Greek, the word PROSKUNEO means to go forward to kiss His Hand. In other words, to give EVERYTHING to Him. It is confessing Him as God.

What is the work of the devil? From the account in Genesis of the Garden of Eden, we really cannot discern the devil's purpose. But in Isaiah 14:12-14 we see tthat the devil wants to be like God. Isn't that's what the devil said to Adam and Eve, that they too could be "as gods" when they partook of the forbidden fruit?

As we look into the New Testament, we read in the Gospel of Matthew:-
Matthew 4:8-10
v8 - Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.
v9 - "All this I will give you," he said, "If you will bow down and worship me."
v10 - Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'

It is in the third temptation of Jesus that the ultimate goal of the devil was exposed when the enemy finally came out with the confrontation,

"WORSHIP ME!"

When we come to the book of Revelation, we see that God's purpose is worship and Satan's purpose is also worship. From chapter 4 to 19, we learn that the twenty-four elders and four living creatures worship in heaven. But in chapter 13, we see worship of the image of the beast on earth - worship of the beast is the worship of Satan. In chapter 14:7, we see that the eternal Gospel is preached. "Fear God, and give glory to Him, because the hour of his judgement has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water."

WORSHIP GOD - this is the eternal Gospel! In chapter 21 and 22 we have the new heaven and the new earth. Again we are commanded to worship God (Revelation 22:9)

(An excerpt from the book "Worship God" by Watchman Nee)

Today as we stand in anticipation of His soon return, that same question is being asked: "Who will you worship?" What is our duty as Christians? It is not enough just knowing salvation or serving Him. What is it that will satisfy God? Who will satisfy Him?
We must put worship into everything we do. Do you have difficulites? First worship God, Are you weak and weary? Worship God. we learn in Psalm 8:2 that the praise of a weak child has the power to silence the enemy. Satan fears the worship of God. Worship by the few today is giving God what He will one day have from all. What the world will one day give God, we first give Him. We do not need to wait till the new heaven and new earth to worship.

NOW IS THE TIME TO WORSHIP!

Today the Father is still seeking (searching, yearning) for true worshippers. What is our duty as Christians? Worship God!

Have a victorious week!
TPWC

PRAISE & WORSHIP - A HIGHER PERSPECTIVE

Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.

Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory!

Revelation 19:6-7

Are you beaten down by circumstances? The best antidote to our depression and anxiety is surprising to many. But those who have put into practice the prescription of Scripture have found an amazing truth: Praising God lifts us above our trials and reminds us how He overcomes them.

Why does that works? It's a matter of perspective. When we focus on the turmoil of life and the weakness of our flesh, we get discouraged. When we focus on the problems of the day and the people who seems to oppress us, we get intimidated. Our praise reminds us of who God is. As we worship Him, the threats and burdens that weigh us down grow smaller and He grows bigger - at least in our own eyes. The thought of an exalted God who is entirely on our side is an awesome inspiration

We don't find that perspective very often. We have subtly but persistently trained our minds to think negatively. We don't feel like praising God when the bills are overdue or our loved one is lying sick in the hospital. we don't even feel like praising Him when our lives have gotten mundane and we've become restless. Pehaps we mistakenly think our praise is based on how much power and love we've seen today. It isn't - or shouldn't be, at least. IT IS BASED ON WHO HE IS. AND HE IS WHO HE IS ALL THE TIME. For that we can praise Him. ALL THE TIME!

The more we worship, the more we see WHO HE IS and the more sincere our worship becomes. And our perspective jumps from one lowly, impossible place to the side of the God who reigns, both now and forever. Our praise opens our eyes to the truth of the situation: GOD RULES!

An extract from : Worship The King by Chris Tiegreen
Have a blessed & victorious week!
TPWC

WORSHIP AND THE SCHOOL OF FAITH

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,

the evidence of things not seen."

- Hebrews 11:1 -

Faith has it's anchor in the unseen realm. It lives from the invisible towards the visible. Faith actualizes what it realizes. The Scriptures contrast the life of faith with the limitations of natural sight. Faith provides eyes for the heart.

Faith sees. It brings His Kingdom into focus. All of the Father's resources, all of His benefits, are accessible through faith.

God is very committed to teaching us how to see. To make this possible He gave us the Holy Spirit as a tutor. The curriculum that He uses is quite varied. But the one class we all qualify for is the greatest of all Christian privileges - WORSHIP. Learning how to see is not the purpose for our worship, but it is a wonderful by-product.

Those who worship in spirit and in truth, as mentioned in John 4:23-24, learn to follow the Holy Spirit's lead. His realm is called the Kingdom of God. The throne of God, which becomes established upon the praises of His people, is the center of that Kingdom. It's in the environment of worship that we learn things that go way beyond what our intellect can grasp - and the greatest of these lessons is the value of His presence. David was so affected by this that all his other exploits pale in comparison to his abandoned heart for God. We know that he learned to see into God's realm because of statements like, "I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved." The presence of God affected his seeing. He would constanly practice recognizing the presence of God. He saw God daily, not with the natural, but with the eyes of faith That priceless revelation was given to a worshiper.

The privlege of worship is a good beginning place for those unaccustomed to addressing some of these kinds of themes found in Scripture. It's in that wonderful ministry that we can learn to pay attention to this God-given gift: the ability to see with the heart. As we learn to worship with purity of heart, our eyes will continue to open. And we can expect to see what He wants us to see.

An extract from : When Heaven Invades Earth by Bill Johnson
Blessings - TPWC

Holy Spirit - Present In Worship

While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,"Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." - Acts 13:2

A lot can happen when people worship God. Many disciples were gathered together in Acts 2, presumably for worship, when the Holy Spirit came upon them in wind and fire. The church was born, the first sermon was preached, and amazing things began to happen in Jerusalem and beyond. In Acts 13, the Holy Spirit spoke with instructions: Send out Barnabas and Saul.

There seems to be a connection. When people worship God - really worship Him with love in their hearts and truth in their minds - the Holy Spirit is there. That's no coincidence. He inspires our worship, and the more we worship, the more deeply He dwells with us. The God who is enthroned on the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3) is mightily and manifestly present when we worship Him. If we want Jesus to be in our midst, all we need to do is to follow His instructions: Gather two or more in His name. Worship brings the throne room of heaven into the company of our fellowship.

But He does more than just show up. He also fills us and give us direction. God may hesitate to instruct people who aren't serious about following Him. But a group of worshipers who have made it clear that He is their desire will hear Him. The volume of His voice grows louder when we worship. At this point of genuine worship in the early church, a mission to a lost world was launched.

The gathering of the Antioch leaders to worship and fast is too infrequently repeated in our age. But if we will spend our lives in worship, He will direct us in how to spend our lives.

An extract from: Worship The King - by Chris Tiegreen
Blessed week!
TPWC

WORSHIP - A REDEFINING PERSPECTIVE ...

WORSHIP

I think of worship as a love affair between the spirit of man and the spirit of His God.
Worship is intimate relationship beyond human comprehension; only lovers worship!
Worship is intercourse of the highest proportions; the absolute and ultimate fusion of man and God; of the creature with his creator.

Worship is the transfiguration of body, soul and spirit to the place where nothing else matters and time ceases to exist.It is the point where the spirit prevails over the flesh and all moulds are broken!
Worship is the complete negligence of self as man connects in total submission to God.

Worship is the very essence of creation; it is the highest expectation of the creator.
Worship is the only thing God cannot do for Himself; hence it is our highest obligation to Him!

Worship is the peak of no return; the point where man in his totality presses through to the immediate presence of the King of kings!

Worship is the recognition of the awesomeness of God; it is the celebration of his beauty and the appreciation of His might.
Worship is the expression of His love and the stimulation of His power at work within us!

Worship is a lifestyle, a mind-set, a mentality, a radical paradigm shift from the realms of the natural into the realms of the divine.

Worship is giving your best to God, holding nothing back, disregarding all protocol and nullifying all man-made doctrines.

Worship is the spot at which God is vulnerable and His sceptre of favour is stretched out to fix all that pertains to the worshiper
Worship is the most potent form of warfare; the point where the might of God is provoked to step in on behalf of the worshiper, thwarting the enemy and putting him to flight!

Worship is the safest place to be; it is the sweetest thing to do. It is the most gratifying of feelings both carnal and divine.

Worship is man caught up in God’s presence all by himself!

Worship- the highest calling, the only eternal ministry- the essence of creation- the heart of the creator!

Note : this post is contributed by Alexander Victor - http://www.myspace.com/officialaltarsound (TPWC Facebook Group's member).

TPWC welcome all readers' contribution if you have an article on Lifestyle Worship.

Have a blessed week

TPWC - Ricky

WHAT IS YOUR WORSHIP LIKE? - PART 3

WORSHIP IS NOT ABOUT US BUT HIM

WORSHIP IS ALL ABOUT GIVING OUR LIVES (AGAIN) TO HIM

Take 3 minutes to view this video and be inspired .... TPWC also invites you to share or comment on your what you think

Have a blessed and victorious Easter Sunday
TPWC - Ricky

WHAT IS YOUR WORSHIP LIKE? - PART 2

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 act of worship. (Romans 12:1 NIV)

Let us continue Paul's message about being "A Living Sacrifice". What does it mean to lay our lives on God's altar?

Since the days of the Exodus, wherever a tabernacle or temple stood, faithful Jews would bring the best of their flocks and herds to a priest standing at the altar of God. It was an act of devotion , a command: The offering would, at times, serve as
- a symbol of sin and it's ugly consequences;
- as a sacrifice of gratitude, acknowledging that every good gift comes from God; or
- as an act of devotion and worship, a gift from a loving heart.
Regardless of the reason, the origin of the sacrifice was always God - human beings clearly never created a ram or a bull - and sacrifice was always a reminder of the horrible gap between the Creator and the created.

As believers saved by grace, there is, however, an appropriate response. It has nothing to do with merit or guilt, but only with the thankfulness that should naturally flow from a redeemed heart. IT IS OUR SPIRITUAL ACT OF WORSHIP!

The response is for us to walk to that tabernacle or temple as the Israelites did in days of old, approach the Priest, and hand Him the sacrifice that we brought out of our gratitute: OURSELVES. We are to envision our High Priest (Jesus) doing His duty by taking the sacrifice, placing it on the altar of God, and accepting it in His Name. But unlike the old sacrifices, this sacrifice LIVES. It lives a dedicated life, an altar life. It now belongs to the Priest. We are in His hands.

Being a living sacrifice is more than a holy obligation; it is a holy passion. Living sacrifices don't live for themselves. They live for ANOTHER. That's their service of WORSHIP!

What is your take? Like to inspire you with this song "WE ARE AN OFFERING" by Chris Christian ... the chorus : All that we have, All that we are, All that we hope to be, We give to you.

Blessings - TPWC

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