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" (Psalm 16:8). 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 privilege 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

PRAISE IS GOD'S RESET BUTTON

Are you trapped in a prison of despair, doubt or anxiety? Learn to release the power of praise.
The apostle Paul's letter to the Philippians is one of the Bible's most unique books. Some scholars call it "the epistle of joy" because the word "joy" or "rejoice" appear in it 16 times. Yet what is amazing is that this letter about Christian joy was written from a prison cell!
While Paul was under the watchful eye of Roman guards, bound in chains, he wrote some of the most uplifting spiritual words ever penned. In the letter's four short chapters the author continually exhorts us to praise God no matter how dark our circumstances are. He writes: "I will rejoice" (1:18, NASB), "I rejoice and share my joy with you all" (2:17), "I urge you, rejoice in the same way" (2:18), "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord" (3:1) and "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" (4:4).

"Paul always looked for the hidden blessing in every trial. Have you been complaining about your situation? Grumbling short-circuits faith, but joy revives it."

Like a broken record, Paul hammers the same theme over and over and over. REJOICE! The word "rejoice" actually means "to re-joy." It's like a reset button on a computer. When any type of electronic equipment goes out of whack, a reset button will get it back online. That is what happens when we rejoice: The joy we've lost is restored and our feeble faith rises again.
Perhaps Paul wrote this message to the Philippians because he remembered his first visit there. It was in Philippi that Paul and Silas were arrested and thrown into jail by the city's magistrates. Yet while the two men sat with their feet fastened in stocks, they began to pray and sing hymns. Long before the invention of subwoofers, this Holy Ghost jam session triggered an earthquake that shook the foundations of the prison and shattered everyone's chains (see Acts 16:25-26).
Do you feel bound by your circumstances? I know I do. Sometimes I feel literally trapped in a tiny prison of limitation and delay. And because of today's weak economy, many people who have enjoyed a carefree life in the past are facing job loss, financial uncertainty, debt and a dismal lack of opportunity. Yet when I pray about my own situation I always am led back to the ancient words of Paul to the Philippians: "Rejoice in the Lord!"
Perhaps right now, in this difficult season, you need to put Paul's message on your iPod and play it over and over. The supernatural joy that is released in praise will do many things:

Praise shatters despair

You think your situation is hopeless? Paul was under house arrest, and he couldn't leave his cell to preach the gospel. Yet he wrote: "Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that [my imprisonment] will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:18b-19). Know that God is working behind the scenes. The clouds over your head may be dark, but praise will lift you above them so you can see the sun again.

Praise shatters negativity

Have you been complaining about your situation? Stop talking trash. Remember that Paul was in chains when he wrote: "Do all things without grumbling or disputing" (Phil. 2:14). He knew the children of Israel were barred from the Promised Land because they grumbled against the Lord (1 Cor. 10:10). Grumbling short-circuits faith, but joy revives it. Paul always looked for the hidden blessing in every trial, to the point that he thanked God even in the midst of shipwrecks, beatings, riots, death threats and starvation.

Praise shatters doubt

When you stop praising, you get stuck in the muck and mire of your own problems. All you can see is the here and now. But something supernatural happens when you rejoice in the Lord. You are lifted out of the prison of impossibility and translated into a realm where you can do "all things through Him who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13). When you praise, you go into a phone booth looking like Clark Kent and you come out looking like Superman!

Praise shatters anxiety

Paul said that when we hit the "rejoice" button and replace worry with joy-filled prayer, "the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:7). Joy will calm your anxious heart and allow you to receive the promises of God.

Way back in 1970 a military chaplain named Merlin Carothers wrote a

small book called Prison to Praise. Today it has sold more than 17 million

copies in 53 languages. It challenges readers to thank and praise God in the midst of difficulties—and it's full of testimonies of everyday people who experienced miraculous breakthroughs when they obeyed this simple principle.
What Carothers wrote 40 years ago is still relevant today: "The very act of praise releases the power of God into a set of circumstances and enables God to change them. Miracles, power and victory will all be a part of what God does in our lives when we learn to rejoice in all things."

Source : Charisma Online - by J. Lee Glady (contributing editor of Charisma)

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 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 wish to truly worship Him in spirit and in truth is the Discipline of Worship, which is touching God where He is.

John 4:24 emphasies 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. Today one of the ways to His holy presence is through praise and worship (Ps 100:4); but the 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

1) WORSHIPERS MUST KEEP THE CHARGE
Ezekiel 44:6-14 reveal that there were three classifications of Levities. Two groups were not allowed to enter into the His sanctuary to worship because they did not KEEP THE CHARGE.

What is the CHARGE? The word "CHARGE" in the Old Testament comes from the Hebrew word "mishmereth." (H4931 - Strongs). It means "to watch; the act of custody; a guard, service, preservation, command, law."
Deuteronomy 11:1 says, “Therefore you shall love the LORD your God, and keep His CHARGE, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always.

When we talk about the discipline of worship, we must understand that there has to be conscious decision in our mind that our life is wholly yielded to one ministry (like the Levites who were the ones appointed as priests) and that is the ministry unto God.

a) The First Group - The Rebellious Ones (Ezekiel 44:6-9)
The were "the rebellious ones" and God said they would not have a place at all! They have become an abomination to God. They did not KEEP THE CHARGE of His holy things (Ezekiel 44:8-9). They had moved to a place of rebellion, which is a the sin of witchcraft. 1 Samuel 15:23 - " For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,He also has rejected you from being king.” (NKJV)
It is an abomination before God. Galatians 5:19-21 "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are these ... idolatry, witchcraft ... of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." You see, the rebellious refuse to accept God's Word and would rather lean on the arm of flesh (See Ezekiel 44:7).

There are meany today who refuse to hear the Word of the Lord, or the Holy Spirit. They would rather continue on in the traditions of men and rely on the flesh. The end result for them will be the same as it was for the rebellious ones in Ezekiel. It was the same for king Saul: "Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,He also has rejected you from being king.” (1 Samuel 15:23b - NKJV)

b) The Second Group - Followers Of Those Who Went Astray (Ezekiel 44:10-14)
These Levites also went astray but they were not the initiators. However, because they followed after them, even though they knew the truth! For that reason they will only have charge at the gates of the house, ministering to the house and to the people, but they will not go near to the Lord to do the office of a priest. In verse 13, we see that these Levites were not only prohibited from coming near to the Lord:"And they shall not come near Me to minister to Me as priest, nor come near any of My holy things, nor into the Most Holy Place ..." They were not allowed to enter into His presence because they did not KEEP THE CHARGE.

Many today are not only worshiping from the outer court. There are some who are only ministering to the people, the congregation. This is not God's desire, nor is it His best for us. Jesus gave His life so that you and I could enter into the presence of the living God. We must be willing to discipline our lives as worshipers, and be determined to KEEP THE CHARGE.

c) The Third Group - The Priest Who KEEP THE CHARGE (Ezekiel 44:15-16)
“But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer to Me the fat and the blood,” says the Lord GOD “They shall enter My sanctuary, and they shall come near My table to minister to Me, and they shall keep My charge."

This is where we want to be - because we have KEPT THE CHARGE, because we have kept the standard, because we have lived the disciplined life of a worshiper, we can enter into the presence of God unhindered.

Ezekiel 46:9 says, “But when the people of the land come before the LORD on the appointed feast days, whoever enters by way of the north gate to worship shall go out by way of the south gate; and whoever enters by way of the south gate shall go out by way of the north gate. He shall not return by way of the gate through which he came, but shall go out through the opposite gate." When you enter into worship, you should never leave the same way you came. There should be something that has changed in your life. The Scripture say we changed from glory to glory. You cannot enter into the presence of God and leave the same way you came. You will either leave transformed by the power of God or you will leave convicted by the power of God.


2) IT TAKES DISCIPLINE TO KEEP OUR CHARGE TO MINSITER TO GOD.

WORSHIP IS A LIFESTYLE, not a programme. Worship is not something we do, IT IS A LIFESTYLE WE MAINTAIN! (this requires our discipline). Many people think they can live any way they want, we need to understand that we cannot minister tothe desires and the passions of the flesh Monday through Saturday and then turn around and try to minsiter to God on Sunday.
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 worshiping on Sunday!"

Today the Father is still seeking for "true worshippers who MUST worship Him in SPIRIT and in TRUTH". (John 4: 24). If you are willing to subject your life to the Discipline of Worship, it will revolutionize your life as a Worshiper.
(an extract from: The 2nd Flood by John W. Stevenson)

WORSHIP THAT SHAKES THE DOORPOSTS OF HEAVEN

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

At the sound of their voices

the doorposts and threshold shook

and the temple was filled with smoke.

Isaiah 6:3-4

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)

"SOUNDS OF GOD'S GLORY"
When I was a young girl, I went directly from school to the church on Wednesday afternoons. The faithful of the church were gathered in prayer from one to four. I attended most of those prayer meetings.
During the first two hours they had been making their petitions and interceding before God. During the last hour they would just bask in His presence. Those were the best times. Every petition they could think of had been made. Now the Holy Ghost took over. Sounds of glory, dropped into my spirit from those years, have kept me as I traveled all over the world in ministry.
I have been in thousands of meetings and heard thousands of sermons, but the greatest influence in my life has been those glory sounds that came forth in the latter hours of those prayer meetings where God's people touched the eternal realm.
As air is the atmosphere of the earth, GLORY is the atmosphere of Heaven. It lifts us up above the earthly, into the very presence of God. (extract from - GLORY! Experiencing The Atmosphere of Heaven - by Ruth Heflin)

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 that 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 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 - worshiping 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 Revelation chapter 21 and 22 we read about 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 worshipers. What is our duty as Christians? Worship God!
TPWC

JESUS - THE PERFECT WORSHIPER

Jesus Was Intimately Acquainted With

And Have A Daily Relationship With His Father

Exhibited Through Obedience

We have sought to establish for the past weeks that there is a distinction between the state of being a worshiper and the acts of expression of worship. A worshiper is one who is intimately aquainted with and has a daily relationship with God exhibited through OBEDIENCE. We have concluded that worship is not about doing, rather it is about BEING. It is from the state of being that all acts of worship must flow.

We can look at many who worshiped God, but there is only ONE PERFECT WORSHIPER: JESUS! He is the model we must follow! It was out of His life of intimacy and daily relationship with the Father that Jesus destroyed the works of the devil. It was His OBEDIENCE unto death - the ultimate sacrifice - that allows us to be His family of worshipers.

1) Jesus Sought To Do The Will Of The Father
There is very little said in the Scripture about Jesus' childhood. But it does tell us, "Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and man." (Luke 2:52) Even as a child, Jesus was focused on pleasing His Father, doing His will, and walking out the purpose for which He had been born. As a young boy He sought to do the will of the Father. He declared to His earthly parents, "I must be about My Father's business," or more accurately translated, "I must be about the things of My Father." (See Luke 2:40-52)

This is important because while it is His death on the cross that paid the price for our sins, it is the way He lived His entire life that qualified Him to be the PERFECT WORSHIPER and the PERFECT SACRIFICE! We see Jesus focussed always on the purposes of God, totally consumed by the will of the Father. He said:
- "My food is to is to do the will of Him Who sent me and to finish it." (John 4:34)
- " ... I do not seek my own will but the will of the Father Who sent Me." (John 5:30)
- " I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him Who sent Me." (John 6:38)
Jesus maintained a place of discipline as He walked the earth and remained focused on His ultimate goal: Jesus listened for and listened to one voice only - the voice of the Father. He did not seek to do anything outside the will of God.

2) The Father's Delight In His Son When Jesus was being baptised, the Father spoke from heaven declaring His delight in His Son (Luke 3:21-23). This is the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. The Scripture does not tell us that Jesus had done anything necessarily spectacular up to this point. We have no record of a miracle ... He hasn't done anything, yet the Father declared that He was well-pleased with His Son. The New Living Translation says, "You are my dearly loved Son, and You bring Me great joy!" GOD'S PLEASURE DID NOT STEM FROM WHAT JESUS DID BUT WHO HE WAS! It stemmed from the relationship Jesus had with His Father which was an ACT OF WORSHIP!

3) Jesus Was Intimately Acquainted With The Father
Jesus showed us that the life of a worshiper is a life of CONTINUAL COMMUNION AND COMMUNICATION with the Father. It was this type of daily communion with God that Adam (he was created as a worshiper) had once experienced in the Garden until he fell. Jesus exemplified this aspect of a worshiper's life through a life of prayer!
- " But He Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray ..." (Luke 5:16)
- " And it came about that while He was praying alone ..." (Luke 9:18)
- " Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place ..." (Luke 11:1)
Every decision Jesus made was in direct alignment with His Father. Jesus regularly stole away to be alone with God, to spend time in His presence, to hear His heart and to know His mind. He emerged from those times of prayer empowered to carry out, by faith, the will of God. (John 5:19)

4) Jesus' Victory Over Satan
Following His baptism, Jesus was "led" into the wilderness and there He was tested by the devil (Luke 4:1-13). IT WAS SATAN's ATTEMPT TO STOP JESUS as He stopped Adam. It was the enemy's attempt to sever the relation between God and His Worshiper. Jesus was tempted in the same areas in which every person is tempted. He was tempted in the same way that Adam had been: through the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life as found in 1 John 2:15-17

The enemy knew if he could get Jesus to do one thing outside of the will of the Father, it would be over! All would be forfeited! Thank God, Jesus knew what satan was trying to do. Jesus gained victory over satan by speaking the Word of God and by keeping His focus on the Father!

By defeating the enemy at every turn, Jesus demostrated the life of a worshiper. We don't often think of it that way. Each time Jesus used the authority given Him, each time He took dominion was an Act Of Worship. Each time he came up against sickness and disease, each time He came up against false religion, lies and deception, He demostrated the power and authority man was to have from the very beginning. Even calming the sea and the wind by simply speaking to them was an act of worship. He came to destroy that which hindered us from being the worshipers God had designed us to be; He came to return authority and dominion to man. Jesus modeled for us that as a worshiper we can withstand the attacks of the enemy and victorious! He eventually gave His life so that His victory would become ours!

5) Jesus' Obedience That Leads To Sacrifice
Jesus showed us that the life of a worshiper is life of OBEDIENCE to the Father. OBEDIENCE even unto death! Paul writes in the book of Philippians, reminding us that if we are to truly follow in the footsteps of our Lord, we must be obedient even as He is obedient!
" ... being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross ..." (Philippians 2:5-11)
Jesus' obedience led to sacrifice, the sacrifice of His very life so that we might live as worshipers. The writer of Hebrews tells us that even though He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things that He suffered. He set before us the example of one totally surrendered to the will of the Father, able to endure even the cross so thatwould be glorified. The end result was that He also was glorified. As we learn to walk in obedience, we shall be glorified together with Him. Our worship will reflect His glory for all to see.

Jesus Christ became the first of many sons, the first of many worshipers, and He set before us the perfect model of worship - beyond the song, beyond a dance, beyond the words of love and adoration that we offer up to the Father. Our worship is a life that perfectly reflects the love, light and life of the Father. It is a life lived by walking in the authority and dominion God has given us. It is a life of kingdom influence, kingdom purposes, establishing God's kingdom on earth as it is in heaven; it is a life of kingdom influence, kingdom impact with kingdom results. It is a life lived from the "secret place." It is a life of FAITH, OBEDIENCE and SACRIFICE. It is a deep, intimate relationship with the Father that allows us to know His heart and mind. It is a life that allows others to see God every time they look at us. It is a life lived in the confidence of knowing who we are called to be - WORSHIPERS!
(an extract from Worshipers by Design by Apostle John W. Stevenson)

BEING A WORSHIPER - PART 3

In our last two posts we learnt that the life of a WORSHIPER is a life of FAITH, OBEDIENCE AND SACRIFICE. This week let us look at the life of Abraham who is one great model to learn from:

1) The Promised Of A Son

So After Waiting Patiently,
Abraham Received What Was Promised
Hebrews 6:15

As a childless couple, they had been told by an invisible God that they would be the parents of countless descendants. They had no Scripture or fellowship of believers to encourage their FAITH on a discouraging day. All they had was a promise and a lot of time to think about it. Too much time, in fact. They passed childbearing age, not just barely, but hopelessly.

This is the same Abraham who suggested that his servant Eliezer might be his best chance at an heir (Gen 15:2-3); the same Abraham who listened to Sarah's advice to try for a miracle son the natural way through her servant Hagar (Genesis 16); and the same Abraham who laughed when God repeated the promise well after childbearing years (Genesis 17:17).

When God changed both their names from Abram to Abraham (father of many nations) and Sarai to Sarah (mother of many nations) (Genesis 17:5-6 & 15-16), it was the ACT OF FAITH to be calling each other daily by their new names without seeing the promise. Yes, we are told, this is the Abraham who "did not waver through unbelief" (Romans 4:20) and waited patiently.

But against all odds, God fulfilled His promise. The child was born, the invisible God was vindicated, and the couple rejoiced.

2) The Sacrifice Of Isaac

God said to him, "Abraham!"
"Here I am," he replied

Genesis 22:1

God called upon Abraham with a test. It was perhaps the most difficult test any of us could think of. Did the thought of sacrificing his own son horrify Abraham? Did he weep all night before he got up and went to Moriah? The text doesn't say. All it says is that Abraham OBEYED. And that OBEDIENT began with a simple statement of readiness: "Here I am." In fact we were told that "EARY NEXT MORNING Abraham got up .... he took with him two of his servants and his Isaac ... and on the third day ... said to his servants, 'Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go ove there. WE WILL WORSHIP and then WE WILL COME BACK to you.' " (Genesis 22:3-5)

We know that Abraham feared God and that he was obligated to God. But somewhere wrapped up his reverence and duty was the simply desire to please the Lord who has graciously provided the son. His response was more than that of a slave or a subordinate. It came from the HEART; it had to, considering the command. It mean that Abraham had cast his affections on a very trustworthy God.

As worshiper, when God calls do you say, "Here I am"? Probably so. But here's a deeper question" How do you say it? Let your response flow from a loving, reverential FAITH in your PROVIDER.

Abraham's OBEDIENCE is commended as the cornerstone of righteous, biblical FAITH. The FAITH that led Abraham up that mountain is unimaginable. Any illusion that the life of FAITH is a life of comfort and ease is undone by this story. FAITH is excuriating, sometimes illogical, and always right.

Does your FAITH sometimes defy logic? If not, it hasn't been stretched as far as God wants to stretch it. Has God ever called you to give up His promise as an act of OBEDIENCE AND SACRIFICE? If not, your FAITH has deeper depths to reach.

3) The Faith Of Abraham

What did Abraham see in that day? He saw nothing. Year after year until he died, he only begot Isaac. Of the numerous descendants promised to him, who would be as man as the stars in heaven, the sands by the sea, and the dust on the earth, he only saw Isaac! When his wife died, he did not have one plot of land in which to bury her. He had to buy a burial ground. Is this what God had promised? Yet as the WORSHIPER and father of our father, he did not doubt. He knew what FAITH was and what it was not to live by sight

What a lesson of on FAITH, OBEDIENCE and SACRIFICE!

TPWC

BEING A WORSHIPER - PART 2

"Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego replied, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, your majesty. But even if he doesn't, we want to make it clear to you, your majesty that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up." (Daniel 3:16-18 NIV) The life of a worshiper (one who is intimately acquainted with and has a daily relationship with God exhibited through OBEDIENCE) is not without tests, nor is without the pressure that comes with living in a sinful world. We continue the story of the three Hebrew worshipers who lived a life of Faith, Obedience and Sacrifice. The three men were given one more chance by the king to bow to the golden image but they stood firm even if it caused their lives. Here are eight excuses they could have used to bow to the image and save their lives:
1) We will fall down but not actually worship the idol
2) We won’t become idol worshipers, but will worship if this one time, and then ask God for forgiveness.
3) The king has absolute power, and we must obey him. God will understand.
4) The king appointed us – we owe this to him.
5) This is a foreign land, so God will excuse us for following the customs of the land.
6) Our ancestors set up idols in God’s temple! This isn’t half as bad!
7) We’re not hurting anybody
8) If we get ourselves killed and some pagans take our high positions, they won’t help our people in exile.
(Please feel free to add on if you have more thoughts …)

Although all these excuses sound sensible at first, they are dangerous rationalizations. To fall down and worship this image would violate God’s command in Exodus 20:3, “You shall have no other gods before me.” It would also erase their testimony for God forever. Never again could they talk about the power of their God above all other gods.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were pressured to deny God, but what made them choose to stay faithful to God no matter what happened? I believe it was because they were CONSISTENT in living a life that were intimately acquainted with and have a daily relationship with their GOD exhibited through OBEDIENCE. That was why they were able to trust God to deliver them and were determined to be faithful regardless of the consequences. This same exhibition of Faith, Obedience and Sacrifice could be seen throughout the Scriptures on the lives of many other “worshiper-saints” like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, King David, Queen Esther, Prophet Daniels and many more heroes of FAITH.

Hebrews 11 has been called faith’s hall of fame. But do bear in mind that while we do read of many being rescued by our faithful God for their faith; there were also many who were tortured, flogged, stoned, sawed in two, put to death by the sword for their faith (Hebrews 11: 35-40). True worshipers are those who are able to say like the three Hebrew children : “But even if he doesn't, we want to make it clear to you, your majesty that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up."

Be A Worshiper! - TPWC

BEING A WORSHIPER - PART 1

A Worshiper Is One Who is Intimately Acquainted With And Has A Daily Relationship With God Exhibited Through Obedience - John W. Stevenson

We were created NOT to DO but to BE a worshiper. In order for us to gain greater insight into what it takes to be a worshiper of God, we must use the "Law of First Mentioned," a principle that states the first time a word or idea is mentioned in Scripture is significant, for it sets a foundation and framework for any other time the word is used throughout the Scripture. The first time the word "worship" was used in connection with Abraham offering Isaac (Genesis 22) and it involves Faith, Sacrifice and Obedience.

The life of a worshiper is not without tests, nor without the pressure that comes with living in sinful world. It is God's grace that strengthens us and helps us to walk in victory even in our most challenging times! Let us see other worshipers in the Bible who walk in Faith, Sacrifice and Obedience in order to learn from them:

1) The Three Hebrew Children In The Fiery Furnace
"Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego replied, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn't, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up." (Daniel 3:16-18 NIV)

This was a faith-defining moment for these three worshipers. They made it absolutely clear that they would not compromise and maintained their covenant relationship with the God of Israel and refused to bow down and worship anyone other than Him. As worshipers they were confident in their God and His ability to keep them!

At this point it looked like these men would surely die for their beliefs. They were tied up and thrown into the fiery furnace and that's when the miracle happened! These young worshipers were now joined in the fire by the One they worship! That's worshiping God with their lives in Faith, Sacrifice and Obedience ... no instrument and no songs but they encountered the manifest presence of God - "The 4th Man!"

As a result, the king gave praise to the God of Israel and decreed that from that time on anyone who said anything against Him would be executed “for no other god can save in this way” (Daniel 3:28-29).


2) Daniel In The Lions' Den
As a worshiper, Daniel had enjoyed God’s favor all his life, and when king Darius appointed Daniel as one of 3 administrators to oversee the kingdom he so distinguished himself that king Darius thought to give him sole administrative authority over all the kingdom. This of course made the others jealous and they sought to discredit him, but Daniel was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent (Dan 6:4). Finally they devised a scheme to trap Daniel by making it illegal for him to worship God. They convinced king Darius to make it mandatory for all his subjects to worship him for the next 30 days and anyone caught worshiping anyone else must be thrown into a den of hungry lions (Dan 6:6-9).
Daniel of course remained true to his God and since he made no attempt to hide this, he was caught praying and worshiping God and was thrown into the lions' den. From the original language of Dan 6:16-20 it appears that king Darius believed God was obligated to save Daniel because he was intimately acquainted with and has a daily relationship with God exhibited through obedience.

In Dan 6:23 the word translated trusted means to trust continually. The fact that the lions immediately devoured Daniel’s accusers in the morning proves they had been hungry all night long. This faith became one of the great examples in “The Hall of Faith” (Hebrews 11:33).
“Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:11 (NIV). Faith is trusting what the eye can’t see. The natural eyes see the prowling lion but faith sees Daniel’s angel.


In conclusion, I would like to quote from Ps John W. Stevenson's book - Worshiper By Design: "God does not test us to destroy us, but rather to make us! As worshipers, we must come to expect times when we will be tested. But "those who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits" (Daniel 11:32). In every case, God honours and protects those who are intimately acquainted with and have a daily relationship with Him as exhibited through their obedience to His word. He honours His worshipers!"


Blessings
TPWC

WORSHIP IS NOT ABOUT DOING

It was blessed week to have the privilege to host pastor John W. Stevenson the author of "Worshiper By Design - A Unique Look At Why We Were Created" who was ministering in Singapore. I met pastor John twenty years ago and it was certainly no coincidence to cross path again to be inspired with a message concerning worship and the worship life of the church which the Lord has placed in his heart a mandate to be shared to the Body of Christ.

Pastor John in his book defines a worshiper as:

one who is INTIMATELY ACQUAINTED with, and has a DAILY RELATIONSHIP with GOD exhibited through OBEDIENCE.

He said, “You were NOT created to DO, you were created to BE”.

The first time you find ‘worship’ in Scripture is in Genesis 22. It reads:

" And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the lad will go yonder; we will worship and return to you ." (verse 5 emphasis added)

It is important to note that Abraham was not going up yonder with a musical instrument to sing a song with Isaac. He was going up there to put the most treasured possession in his life to death, simply because God ask him to do it! So as you can see worship involves faith, sacrifice and obedience. These three elements set the foundation for all Christian worshipers.

God never intended for worship to be ‘synonymous’ with music and the arts. Christians tend to ‘compartmentalise’ worship. For example worship seminar tends to focus on the "doing" rather than Christian living. Why do worship workshops attract only musicians, singers and worship leaders? The reason is that Christians have drawn a line of demarcation between worship and the Christian life. True worship is a life of obedience and out of that life will flow songs of worship, which will delight the heart of God, rather than repulse Him as in the following Scriptures:

"Away with your hymns of praise! They are only noise to my ears. I will not listen to your music, no matter how lovely it is. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, a river of righteous living that will never run dry"(Amos 5:23-24 NLT).

You see, there really is no difference in singing a song out of a hymnbook or singing a song that is projected on a screen. The real difference is in the heart of the person singing. Singing "worship" songs does not make you a worshiper! Having a worship team does not make you a worshiping church! All of that can become religious exercise if we are not intentional to keep our hearts engaged in the exchange and remain in passionate pursuit of the ONE we are worshiping - JESUS! It is our daily relationship with Jesus that makes our worship of God genuine and authentic.

I believe the church has entered a season in which the Holy Spirit is confronting us about the things we have taught in many ways have moved us away from a worship relationship and a worship life to a place more focused on worship activity. If we are going to help bring about change in the Body of Christ, it must start with changing our own models, our vocabulary, and our teaching on worship.

Worship is not about doing! It is a lifestyle that flows from dwelling in the very presence of the Lord. The worship life of the believer is living with the awareness that we are daily in that Presence. It is living in the reality that we are in Him and He is in us. When we worship Him, we are not trying to work our way into His presence. we are acknowledging that we are already in His Presence and our worship of Him is what gives us access to relate to Him.

What does it take to be a worshiper of God? Considering our definition of a worshiper, we realize that to focus on the elements of music and the arts is to reduce worship to something less than God intended and something far less than He deserves. If a worshiper is one who is INTIMATELY ACQUAINTED with and has a DAILY RELATIONSHIP with GOD exhibited through a life of OBEDIENCE, we must move beyond songs, instruments, banners and art to something deeper and graner; we must move to something encompasses all of life and it involves faith, sacrifice and obedience!

WORSHIP IN NOT ABOUT DOING - IT'S ABOUT BEING!

(an extract from Worshiper By Design: A Unique Look At Why We Were Created by John W. Stevenson - for more information: www.jwstevenson.com )

Be A Worshiper \0/\0/\0/
TPWC

OFFERING SACRIFICE OF PRAISE CONTINUALLY - PART 2

Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name

Psalm 29:2

Let us praise God CONTINUALLY because it is His due. Should J-H-V-H be left unpraised? Praise is the rent that He asks of us for the enjoyment of all things. Will we be slow to pay? Will a man rob God? When it is such a happy work to give Him His due, will we deny it? It blesses us to bless the Lord. Will we stint God in the measure of His glory when He does not stint us His goodness? Come, if you have become sorrowful lately, shake off your gloom, and awake all your instruments of music to praise the Lord! Do not let murmuring and complaining be so as mentioned among His saints. Will not the Lord be CONTINUALLY praised? Surely the very stones and rocks must break their everlasting silence in indignation if the children of God do not praise His name.

Praise Him CONTINUALLY, for it will help you in everything. A man full of praise is ready for all other holy exercises. Even in times of pain and weakness he could still exalt the Lord (Psalm 34:1). Whenever you go to do any kind of service, even though it is nothing better than opening the shop or waiting behind the counter, you will do it all the better when you are in the spirit of praise and gratitude. If you are a domestic servant and can praise God CONTINUALLY, you will be a comfort in the house. If you are a master and are surrounded with the troubles of life, if your heart is always blessing the Lord, you will keep up your spirits and will not be sharp and ill-tempered with those around you

Praise will preserve us from many evils. When the heart is full of the praise of God, it does not have time to find fault and grow proudly angry with people around us. Somebody has said a very nasty thing about us. Well, we will answer him when we have finished the work we have in hand, namely, praising God CONTINUALLY. At present we have a great work to do and cannot come down to wrangle. Self love and its natural irritations die in the blaze of praise. If you praise God CONTINUALLY, the vexations and troubles of life will be cheerfully borne. Praise makes the happy man a strong man. “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). Praising God makes us drink of the brook by the way and lift up our heads. We cannot fear while we can praise. Neither can we be bribed by the world’s favour, nor cowed by its frown. Praise makes angels of us. Let us abound to it.

Praise God because this is what God loves. Notice from Hebrews 13:15 how the next verse puts it: “With such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Hebrew 13:16). Would we not do anything and everything to please God? It seems too good to be true that we can impart any pleasure to the ever-blessed One. Yet it is so, for He has declared that He is well-pleased with the praises and gifts of His children. Therefore let us withhold nothing from our dear Father, our blessed God. It will always be an honour to praise Him.

The final point -The verse Hebrews 13:15 reads, “Let us offer the sacrifice of praise CONTINUALLY.” The apostle Paul did not say, “Eventually get to work, when you are able to give up business and have retired to the country, or perhaps when you are near death.” Rather, he said, “NOW ‘let us offer the sacrifice of praise.’” When Paul wrote this, he was probably in a low place, in shackles and chains, shut up in a dungeon in Rome. Sure we who are not in prison and none of us are galled with shackles on our wrists can certain join Paul in praising God CONITNUALLY.

As His church and people, we have received great favors from the Lord's hand. Come, let us join together with heart and hand of the Lord and worship joyfully before Him. With words and gifts, let us offer the sacrifice of praise CONTINUALLY.
(an extract from : Spurgeon on Praise – The joy and rewards of praising God!)

OFFERING SACRIFICE OF PRAISE CONTINUALLY - PART 1

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name
Hebrews 13:15

As believers, we are called upon to offer to God a CONTINUAL sacrifice. Aren’t we glad that instead of presenting in the morning and evening a sacrifice of lambs and on certain holy days bringing bullocks and sheep to be slain, we are to present to God the sacrifice of praise?

Firstly, how do we offer this sacrifice CONITUALLY? “By him therefore…” at the very threshold of all offering of sacrifice to God, we begin with Christ. We cannot go a step without Jesus. The High Priest of our profession meets us at the sanctuary door. We place our sacrifices into His hands, so that He may present them for us. Without a Mediator we can make no advance to God. We are to offer CONTINUAL sacrifice looking to Jesus.

“Let us offer sacrifice of praise to God continually …” that is to say, without ceasing. Let us make an analogy to that which says, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and say, “Praise without ceasing.”We are to praise the Lord our God, not only in this place or that place, but in every place; not only when we are in a happy frame of mind, but even when we are downcast and troubled. The perfumed smoke from the altar of incense is rise toward heaven both day and night, from beginning of the year to the year’s end. Not only when we are in the assembly of the saints are we to praise God, but when we are called to pass through “valley of the shadow of death”. Psalm 34:1 – “Bless the Lord at all times.” Offer the sacrifice of praise to God not just alone in your secret chamber, which is fragrant with the perfume of your communion with God, but in the field, there in the street, and in the hurry and noise of the exchange.

This CONTINUAL sacrifice of praise is to be natural. It is called “the fruit of our lips”. These lips of ours must produce fruit. Our words are leaves – how soon they wither! However, the praise of God is the fruit that can be stored up and presented to the Lord. Fruit is a natural product. It grows without force, the free outcome of the plant (on condition that we stay abide in the VINE – John 15:1-8). So let praise grow out of your lips as it’s own sweet will. Let it be as natural to you, as regenerated men and women, to praise God as it seems to be natural to profane men to blaspheme His sacred name.

Last but not least, I want to recommend this blessed exercise of praise – “to offer the sacrifice of praise to God CONTINUALLY,” because in so doing, you will discover your reason for being. Every creature is happiest when it is doing what it is made for. An eagle would die in the water, even as a fish that is made to swim perishes on the river’s bank. Christians are made to glorify God. We are never in our element until we are praising Him. The happiest moments you have ever spent were those in which you lost sight of everything inferior and bowed before J-H-V-H’s throne with reverent joy and blissful praise. I can say it is so with me, and I do not doubt it is so with you. When your whole soul is full of praise, you have at last reached the goal at which your heart is aiming. Your ship is now in full sail. Your life moves on smoothly and safely. This is the groove along which it was made to slide. Your new nature was fashioned for the praise of God, and it finds rest in doing so. Keep to this work. Do not degrade yourself by less divine employment.
(an extract from – Spurgeon on Praise – the joy and rewards of praising God)

May this song Living Sacrifice by Chris Christian inspires you to offer your life as a living sacrifice of praise CONTINUALLY to Him!

Blessings
TPWC

PASSION FOR GOD'S DWELLING PLACE -PART 3

Let's continue to look at king David's passion for God's dwelling place. Psalm 27 was probably written when he was exiled from home and being hunted by king Saul and his men. The Psalm does reveal that David was in great danger from violent evildoers (v2) who were lying about him (v12) and wanting to kill him (v2 & v12), and Saul and his men qualified. David was confident (v3), courageous (v14) and unafraid (v1).

The secret of David's public confidence was his private obedience: he took time to fellowship with the Lord and get directions from Him. David knew that the most important part of his life was the part that only God could see, and this was one priority he would not negotiate. ONE THING (v5)- David was living in the wilderness of Judea, away from the sanctuary of the Lord, but he was still able to enter into fellowship with his God. God's house was but a tent (v5-v6), for the temple had not yet been built, but it was still referred to as "God's temple" (see 1 Samuel 1:9; 33).

King David's passion for God's presence:
a) kept him safe in the days of trouble (v5)
b) God's dwelling was his shelter (v5)
c) set him high upon a Rock - of his salvation (v5)
(an extract from Be Worshipful by Warren W. Wiersbe)

Our dwelling (or abiding) with God can be expressed in many ways: communicating through prayers, finding Him in His Word, experiencing Him through praise and worship, in fact anywhere if we learn how to "Practice The Presence of God" (See previous posts). The Psalms which are literally "songs" and singing them are one of the key into His presence (dwelling, secret place).

Let's look at some of King David's passion for God's dwelling place in the Psalms:
* Psalm 26:8 - I love the house where you live, O LORD, the place where your glory dwells.
* Psalm 42:1 to 4 - As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.
* Psalm 43:3 to 4 - Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.
* Psalm 52:8 - But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever.
* Psalm 55:14 - But it is you, a man like myself,my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship a we walked with the throng at the house of God.
* Psalm 61:3 & 4 - For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
* Psalm 84:1 & 2 - How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
* Psalm 84:10 - Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
* Psalm 91: 1 & 2 - He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say [b] of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
* Psalm 92:13 & 14 - The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God.
* Psalm 135:1 & 2 - Praise the LORD. Praise the name of the LORD; praise him, you servants of the LORD, you who minister in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God.

May this song inspire you to renew that passion for

His Dwelling Place:

Stay Blessed!
TPWC

PASSION FOR GOD'S DWELLING PLACE - PART 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Did You Feel The Mountains Trembles - by Delirious

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