PRAISE HIM FOR HIS WONDERFUL NAME

Genesis 2: 4 - Praise Him our Lord God
Genesis 14: 18-20 - Praise Him our God Most High
Genesis 15:2 - Praise Him Our Master, Lord
Genesis 16:13 - Praise Him our God who Sees
Genesis 17:1-2 - Praise Him our Almighty, All Sufficient
Genesis 22:13-14 - Praise Him our Provider
Genesis 49:24 - Praise Him our Mighty One
Exodus 3:14 - Praise Him our Self-Existent One
Exodus 15:3 - Praise Him our Warrior
Exodus 15:22-26 - Praise Him our Healer and Restorer
Exodus 17:8-16 - Praise Him our Banner
Exodus 34:14 - Praise Him our Jealous God
Leviticus 20:8 - Praise Him our Sanctifier
Deuteronomy 4:24 - Praise Him our Consuming Fire
Deuteronomy 32:8 - Praise Him our Most High
Judges 6:4 - Praise Him our Peace
Ruth 3:9 to 4:14 - Praise Him our Kinsman - Redeemer
2 Samuel 22:2 - Praise Him our Rock
2 Samuel 22:29 - Praise Him our Keeper
Psalms 2:2 - Praise Him our Anointed One
Psalms 3:3 - Praise Him our Shield
Psalms 7:8 - Prasie Him our Judge
Psalms 7:9 - Praise Him our Righteous One
Psalms 10:16 - Praise Him our King
Psalms 18:2 - Praise Him our Horn of Salvation
Psalms 22:19 - Praise Him our Strength
Psalms 23 - Praise Him our Shepherd
Psalms 27:1 - Praise Him our Light and Salvation
Psalms 29:3 - Praise Him our God of Glory
Psalms 32:7 - Praise Him our Hiding Place
Psalms 94:22 - Praise Him our Defender
Psalms 121:5 - Praise Him our Keeper
Proverbs 8 - Praise Him our Wisdom
Proverbs 18:10 - Praise Him our Strong Tower
Song of Songs - Praise Him our Bridegroom
Song of Songs 2:1 - Praise Him our Rose of Sharon
Song of Songs 2:1 - Praise Him our Lily of the Valley
Isaiah 1:24 - Praise Him our Lord of Hosts
Isaiah 7:14 - Praise Him our Immanuel (Matthew 1:23)
Isaiah 9:6 - Praise Him our Counsellor
Isaiah 9:6 - Praise Him our Everlasting Father
Isaiah 9:6 - Praise Him our Prince of Peace
Isaiah 25:4 - Praise Him our Refuge
Isaiah 43:3 - Praise Him our Saivour
Isaiah 44:6 - Praise Him our First and Last
Isaiah 51:15 - Praise Him our Lord of Hosts
Isaiah 53:3 - Praise Him our Man of Sorrows
Isaiah 59:20 - Praise Him our Redeemer
Isaiah 64:8 - Praise Him our Potter
Jeremiah 23:5-6 - Praise Him our Righteousness
Lamentations 3:22-23 - Praise Him our Faithful One
Ezekiel 48:35 - Praise Him our God Who is There
Hosea 2:16, 19-20 - Praise Him our Husband
Micah 5:2 - Praise Him our Ruler
Haggai 2:7 - Praise Him our Desire of Nations
Zechariah 6:12 - Praise Him our Branch
Malachi 3:3 - Praise Him our Refiner
Malachi 4:2 - Praise Him our Sun of Righteousness
Matthew 8:20 Praise Him our Son of Man
Matthew 9:27 - Praise Him our Son of David
Luke 1:31 - Praise Him our Jesus
Luke 1:78 - Praise Him our Dayspring
Luke 4:23 - Praise Him our Physician
John 1:1 - Praise Him our Word
John 1:29, 36 - Praise Him our Lamb of God
John 1:32 - Praise Him our Dove
John 1:38 - Praise Him our Rabbi
John 1:41 - Praise Him our Messiah
John 6:14 - Praise Him our Prohpet
John 7:37-39 - Praise Him our Water
John 10:7-9 - Praise Him our Door
John 14:17 - Praise Him our Spirit of Truth
John 14:26 - Priase Him our Comforter (2Corinthians 1:3)
Acts 2:1-2 - Praise Him our Wind
Romans 8:15 - Praise Him our Abba
Romans 15:12 - Praise Him oue Root of Jesse
1 Corinthians 15:45 - Praise Him our Last Adam
Ephesians 1:22 - Praise Him our Head
Ephesians 2:20 - Praise Him our Conerstone
1 Timothy 2:5 - Praise Him our Mediator
1 Timothy 6:15 - Praise Him our Potentate
Hebrews 4:14 - Praise Him our Great High Priest
Hebrews 12:2 - Praise Him our Author and Finisher of Faith
Hewbrews 12:29 - Praise Him our Fire
1 Peter 2:25 - Praise Him our Bishop of our Souls
1 Peter 5:10 - Praise Him our God of all Grace
2 Peter 1:19 - Praise Him our Daystar
1 John 2:1 - Praise Him our Advocate
3 John 1:4, 8 - Praise Him our Truth
Revelation 1:8 - Praise Him our Alpha and Omega
Revelation 1:17 - Praise Him our First and Last
Revelation 3:14 - Praise Him our Faithful and True Witness
Revelation 3:14 - Praise Him our Beginning
Revelation 5: 5 - Praise Him our Lion of Judah
Revelation 7:2 - Praise Him our Living God
Revelation 15:3 - Praise Him our King of saints
Revelation 19:3 - Praise Him our Word of God
Revelation 19: 11 - Praise Him our Faithful and True
Revelation 19:13 - Praise Him our word
Revelation 19:16 - Praise Him our King of kings
Revelation 19:16 - Praise Him our Lord of lords
Revelation 22:16 - Praise Him our Morning Star

An extract from Praise Him - by Vivien Hibbert

Blessings - TPWC

WORSHIP INTENSIVE - BY DARLENE ZSCHECH

WHAT IS WORSHIP?

Darlene gives a truthful and passionate 4 parts message about true worship to our God. This can be purchased if you buy the Mighty to Save CD with bonus DVD from Australia.

PART ONE

PART TWO

PART THREE

PART FOUR

Blessings
TPWC

THE SACRIFICE OF PRAISE

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. Hebrew 13:15

The Principle Of Sacrifice Of Praise Is In The Bible:
- Cain & Abel (Gen 4:3-5)
- Noah (Gen 8:20-21)
- Tabernacle of Moses (God demanded the shedding of innocent blood for the covering of man’s sin)
- Calvary became the final sacrifice but God continues to require a sacrifice from His children

The principle of sacrifice originated in the heart of God. What is important to notice, however, is that God required a sacrifice. When God asked for a sacrifice He asked the people to bring the very best of their substance and to present it in a very specific manner to the Lord as an offering.
The purpose for each sacrifice was the same. God demanded the shedding of innocent blood for the covering of man's sin. Although the need for blood sacrifce was fulfilled at Calvary, the principle of sacrifice has not been abolished in the New Testament. God continues to require a sacrifice from His children (Heb 13:15)
God is not interested only in the praise that we give Him in times when things are going well. He is after that praise that comes in the midst of great trial, great difficulty, grief, sickness, temptation, relational difficulties, and financial problems. He still requires praise. He still demands it. When we give it to Him in time of difficulty it means all the more to Him. We are operating according to the principle of sacrifice, and God is pleased.

Difference Between Praise And Sacrifice Of Praise

Praise – Praise flows easily when we are in a right relationship with God. It is a spontaneous flow when we think of all that He has done for us
Sacrifice of Praise – The sacrifice of praise is offered to God when things do not seem to be going right. It is:- Praise offered in spite of the way things are going- Praise offered in faith and obedience- Praise offered because of who God is
Sacrifice of praise is continual praise & is audible (Psalm 34:1 – I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth)

Examples In The Bible

1) Paul & Silas (Acts 16:22-34)
Physical Situation - Severely flogged (stripped & beaten) and thrown into prison for their faith. No reason to praise God
Spiritual Situation - At midnight (darkest moment) they started to pray and praise God
Result - A violent earthquake shook the place, prison doors were opened, chains broken and jailer & family received salvation

2) King Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20:1-22)
Physical Situation - A vast army invading Israel
Spiritual Condition - Inquired of the Lord and proclaimed a fast. The Spirit of God assured them that the battle belong to the Lord. They obeyed the Lord by sending the choir ahead of the army into the battlefield.
Result - The Lord set an ambush against the enemy and they were defeated.

How To Offer Sacrifice Of Praise?

1) Make A Decision
- Determine beforehand that you are going to praise God at ALL TIMES AND IN EVERY SITUATION.
2) Start Now
- Praise God every day – all day- Cultivate the habit of praise
3) When Troubles Come
- Remember your decision
- Put on the garment of Praise
– An act of your will- Remember that praise in the difficult times allows God to work on your behalf
- Praise in times of trouble brings glory to the Father
4) Begin By Faith
- The way you begin to offer the sacrifice of praise is by faith. Praise Him for Who He is and what He has done. Then offer thanks to God for the situation even if you do understand it- Acknowledge that He is in control of your situation and praise Him for making a way of deliverance, even though you can see no way out of the problem. Then set your mind on Him and on the promises of His Word
- Once you have started to make the sacrifice of praise – CONTINUE. Declare aloud the Word of God that proclaims victory and deliverance
- This offering of praise in obedience (& faith) will set your mind on Him and not the circumstances. As you keep proclaiming His power & glory to your circumstances, you will see how small it actually is.
- Soon you will find yourself joyfully entering into the full dimension of His Presence as you continue to release your spirit in the sacrifice of praise. Then start to sing, to dance, to glorify & magnify Him and He will make a way of salvation & deliverance for you!

Blessings - TPWC

GATES OF PRAISE

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is Good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations" Psalm 100: 4-5

How important it is for each of us to know the way into God's presence? How do we enter His gates? How do we come into His courts? The psalmist points out the way that God has ordained: We enter His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. It is only as we come to God with thanksgiving and with praise that we have access into His presence.

The prophet Isaiah likens the presence of God among His people to a city, concerning which he says: " You will call your walls SALVATION and your gates PRAISE" (Isaiah 60:18). The only way through those walls of SALVATION is by the gates of PRAISE. Unless we learn to approach God with praise, we have no access into His presence.

Confronted with this requirement, we are sometimes tempted to look around us at our situation and ask: " But what do I have to thank God for? What do I have to praise Him for?"There may be nothing in our immediate circumstances that appears to give us cause to thank and or praise God. It is just here that the psalmist comes to our help. He gives us three reasons to thank and praise that are not affected by our circumstances: first, the Lord is good; second, His love endures forever; third, His faithfulness continues through all generations. All three reasons are eternal, unchanging facts. If we truly believe them, then we have no alternative but to praise God for them CONTINUALLY!

Like to share with you a song I wrote about entering into His gates and you can listen it at http://www.reverbnation.com/rickysim

BLESSED BE YOUR NAME

Verse 1
I will enter His gates,
With thanksgiving in my heart
Enter His courts with praise
I will sing of His grace,
For all that He has done
I will rejoice and bless His Name

Chorus
Blessed be Your Name,
My strong and mighty Tower
Blessed be Your Name,
The Rock of my Salvation
Blessed be Your Name,
There is no other name
Jesus the Name above all names

Verse 2
I was glad when they said,
Let us go into His house
There I find peace and joy
The Lord He is good
And His mercies endure
I will rejoice and bless His Name

Blessings

TPWC

WORSHIP "UN-BOXED"

We have a tendency to limit our Christian experiences by “boxing” them in a confined space. We label our spiritual boxes, both large and small, and place our boxed experiences neatly on the shelf of our minds ... along with other boxes we’ve collected over the years. It all makes for a tidy intellect, an organized life, manageable encounters with God and man.

There’s only one problem with all this. Spirituality and all of life is organic. When the Spirit of God breathes life on something, it grows. Sometimes, life oozes out of our tidy little boxes, drips down the sides of the boxes in our minds we can no longer contain them. If you’re like me, I foolishly try to control matters by simply placing them in newer, larger boxes! But sometimes, we experience such explosive growth that our boxes literally burst and there we stand — with real spirituality splashed all over our faces and dripping down our arms. It’s a truth that many times God is not tidy with us. He cannot be contained in our mental boxes despite our best efforts. When He breathes life on something, it will grow … and many times in ways we cannot manage. The problem with all our boxes and labels is that we think of a given spiritual experience in terms of the label and the dimensions of its box.

Similarly, our box labelled “worship” hardly resembles the worship of the Old Testament and early church. The modern-day church has reduced the word to mean “praise and worship music”. If you don’t believe me, ask the average Christian about how the “worship” was at his church last Sunday and he will rattle on about the music. While music is a wondrous tool for worship, it is not itself worship per se. Our churches miss so much if music is the only thing in our “worship box”. This must be not only admitted by us as church musicians, but must be taught by us until we really believe it.

Here are a few things I’m certain we’d never hear from early Christians: “The worship this morning was just awesome!”, or “I just can’t worship when we use one of David’s new psalms,” or “The timbrel was so loud in worship this morning! Someone needs to talk to Asaph about it.” No, worship in the Bible is actually unaccompanied by music.

With the exception of the Psalms, which display much music associated with worship, the majority of worship stories in the Bible have no music involved at all. Worship did not require a song, it required a heart. Job laid in the dust and worshipped in affliction. Isaiah trembled and worshipped in awe. Jehoshaphat worshipped in warfare. David danced and worshipped in abandon (other times, he worshipped in laments). Hannah worshipped in perseverance through bareness. John the Revelator got to see the worship of heaven. To be sure, some of these stories had musical components. But worship was the central spiritual experience, not music.

This is a hard pill for me to swallow. I can embrace the concept of worship apart from music in the larger corridors of my intellect. But in the small, inner chamber of my heart I must admit I see my worship as primarily music. I am only beginning to understand what a beautiful gift of expression music is, by putting it in the context of worship among other God-ward expressions.

Maybe through embracing this truth we as church musicians become humble (The Holy Spirit finds humility in God’s children absolutely irresistible!). Maybe if we empty out our box of worship and ask Abba to breathe on us, worship will grow without restraint. Maybe by emptying our hands of instruments and microphones and conductor’s batons and by bowing down, we will begin to encounter a Beautiful Savior, a Loving Father, an Empowering Spirit.

An extract from - John Randall Dennis’ “Living Worship: A Biblical Guide to Making Worship Real in Your Life”

Blessings
TPWC

WORSHIP QUOTABLES - PART 3

Greetings Worshippers,

This will be third and final instalment on Worship Quotables .... the list is inexhaustible because worship is eternal (Revelation 4:10-11). Trust that you are enjoying these power worship quotes from people who are worship pastors, worship songwriters and worship authors.


"When I worship, I would rather my heart be without words than my words be without heart." - Lamar Boschman

"We've made worship self-centred instead of God-centred. We lobby for what we want: 'I don't like the songs', 'I don't like the volume'. It's as if we're worshipping worship instead of worshipping God." - Geoff Bullock


"Worship touches God’s heart, and in turn, he infuses ours with his passion and compassion." - Bob Fitts

"Worship changes the worshiper into the image of the One worshipped - The heart of the issue in worship is this: My life needs God's presence to work God's purpose in my life." - Jack Hayford

"Worship is God's enjoyment of us and our enjoyment of him. Worship is a response to the father/child relationship." - Graham Kendrick

"It is in the process of being worshipped that God communicates His presence to men." - C.S. Lewis

"We must never assume that simply because people are gathered together in one place, they are necessarily ready to worship. They seem to be ready, but they must in fact be brought to a place of readiness. The people do not need whipping—they have been battered by the world all week long! Rather, through loving understanding and prophetic anointing, the leader should bring them to a place of open surrender to the Holy Spirit." - Bob Sorge

"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 the love making expression between the bridge (body of Christ) and the groom (Jesus Christ). Worship is love freely given to God it is the expression of awe and respect to God." - John Wimber

"We can express our worship to God in many ways. But if we love the Lord and are led by His Holy Spirit, our worship will always bring a delighted sense of admiring awe and a sincere humility on our part. " - A.W.Tozer

"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. It is the response of our spirit to the presence of God" - David Swan

"True worship changes people. If you’re not changed after you worship, you haven’t been worshiping. No one can draw nigh into the presence of God without changing - It can’t be done! If worship doesn’t propel you into greater obedience, call it what you will, but it isn’t worship. It isn’t worship unless you come out of it with a greater commitment to obedience. As worship begins in holy expectancy, it ends in holy expectancy or it isn’t worship. The results of worship are that God is glorified, Christians are purified, the church is edified, the Lost are evangelized." - John MacArthur

"To worship God . . . is to "glory in his holy name" (Ps. 105:3), that is , to revel adoringly in who he is in his revealed character. But before we can glory in God's name, we must know it. Hence the propriety of the reading and preaching of the Word of God in public worship, and of biblical meditation in private devotion. These things are not an intrusion into worship; they form the necessary foundation of it. God must speak to us before we have any liberty to speak to him. He must disclose to us who he is before we can offer him what we are in acceptable worship. The worship of God is always a response to the Word of God. Scripture wonderfully directs and enriches our worship." - John Stott

"A worship leader's purpose is to direct a congregation's worship toward the Father. If you know you are appointed by God to lead His people into wholehearted worship - whether you're a trained worship leader or not - God's anointing will be there. Don't allow your own sense of inadequacy to keep you from stepping out in obedience and dependence upon the Lord. " - Don Moen

"Worship is the act and attitude of wholeheartedly giving ourselves to God, spirit, soul and body. Evangelism is the activity of proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ and calling mankind to wholehearted devotion to him.
Worship Evangelism, then could be defined as: wholehearted worshippers calling the whole world to wholehearted worship. " - Gerrit Gustafson

Blessings
TPWC

WORSHIP QUOTABLES (FOR WORSHIP LEADERS) - PART 2

Just the other day, I was asked a point-blank question what I thought was the single most important quality that a worship leader should possess? "Be a LIFESTYLE WORSHIPPER," I answered.



"Worship Is Not Something We Do, It Is A Lifestyle We MAINTAIN! Worship As A Way Of Life Goes Beyond Formulas And Techniques." - John Stevenson


"If You Cannot Worship God In The Midst Of Your Responsibilities On Monday, Then It Is Very Unlikely You Were Worshipping God On Sunday!" - A.W. Tozer



" You Cannot Be Doing On Sunday What You Have Not Been Doing All Week Long." - Kent Henry



"A Worshipping Church Is Not A Church That Incorporates Certain Worship Expressions, But It Is A Group Of Worshipping Hearts. To Have A Worshipping Church, You Have To Have Worshippers. Unless There Are Worshippers In A Worship Service, There's Isn't Going To Be True Worship, Only Worship Mechanics! - Greg Mira



To Be A Lifestyle Worshipper It 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). Secondly, We Must Exercise And Practise Personal Private Praise (The Inner Court) - We Must Learn How To "Put On The Garment Of Praise" (Isaiah 61:3) And Also 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



As A Worship Leader, You Cannot Lead Where You Have Never Been. Today, The Lord Is Seeking For The Heart Of Worship Rather Than The Art Of Worship.



Blessings

TPWC

WORSHIP QUOTABLES - PART 1

Have You Ever Wondered What Does God Think Of Our Worship?

"The revelation of God is the fuel for the fire of our worship." - Matt Redman

"Worship has a purpose. We don't worship for worship's sake. We don't sing, clap, pray and rejoice for our enjoyment or fulfillment but for the Lord. The Holy Father, the Holy Son and the Holy Spirit are objects of our worship." - LaMar Boschman

"Worship is our reason for being." - Tom Kraeuter

"Worship is the believer's utmost priority and highest occupation." - LaMar Boschman

"Worship is a verb." - Robert Webber

"Worship is an attitude expressed." - Judson Cornwall

"Worship is always a now activity." - Judson Cornwall

"Worship is an exercise of the Holy Spirit directed primarily to God." - Ralph Martin

"Where feelings for God are dead worship is dead." - John Piper

"Regardless of how magnificent the musical moment are, unless your heart is fully engaged in the worship being expressed ... it is still only music." - Darlene Zschech

"Those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth." - Jesus

TPWC

PRAISE QUOTABLES

"Praise is the greatest work God's children can ever do. It is the loftiest expression the Saints can ever show. The highest manifestation of spiritual life is seen in men praising God." Watchman Nee - Assembling Together


"Praise is not something we experience occasionally, but is a garment which will be worn constantly by the last-day church (Isaiah 61:1-3). The garment of praise is the perfect answer for the depressions which are common to this generation." E. Charlotte Baker - On Eagles Wings


"The sacrifice of praise is the choice of every believer. You cannot be a successful worshipper without recognising the importance of your will in offering a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving." Terry Law - The Power of Praise and Worship


"Praise is a door to God's presence." Warren and Ruth Myers - Praise is a Door


"To praise the Lord for something He has done for us is easy, to praise God after we have been emotionally stirred toward Him is not difficult, but to praise the Lord as a sacrifice is a different matter. The way we feel from day to day fluctuates and changes, but God's Word is unchanging. We do not rely upon feelings to be in an attitude of praise but rather we recognise that His unchanging Word and His constant characteristics demand a people with a constant and unchanging attitude to His Word and commandment. We are therefore enjoined to offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips (not our feelings), giving thanks to His name." B. Maureen Gaglardi - The Key of David


"Praise releases the power of God into our lives and circumstances, because praise is faith in action. Praise is a permanent acceptance of what God has brought into our lives. We enter this attitude of praise by an act of our will, by a decision to praise God regardless of how we feel." Merlin R. Carothers - Power in Praise


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


"Praise is not a mass function, it is the response of an individual to His God. When a group of individual choose to unite in praising, their individual praises may blend into a group response, but every expression of the praise comes from a separate individual." Judson Cornwall - Let Us Praise


"Warfare through praise does not dictate to God what He should do ... it praises Him for His wisdom and might, recognising that He is capable of setting the problem in the best possible manner. We do not focus on the battle or the enemy; we look only to the solution - God!" - "But the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits." (Daniel 11:32) Bob Sorge - Exploring Worship


"Praise is born in faith, is an instrument of war and a method of creating an atmosphere for the presence of the Lord. Praise requires effort, will power and boldness." - TPWC



Blessings

TPWC

THE CALL TO WORSHIP

O Come, Let Us Worship And Bow Down; Let Us Kneel Before The Lord Our Maker. For He Is Our God, And We Are The People Of His Pasture, And The Sheep Of His Hand.
Psalm 95:6-7

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

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

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

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

As we begin the New Year, we are wise to expect to be shaped in understanding and practice as we answer God's call to worship. We'll find it not only a priviledge but also a challenge. Be aware and be prepared: To grow in praise and worship is to discover new dimensions of saying to God, Not My Will But Thine Be Done.

An extract from - The Heart Of Praise by Jack Hayford

Blessed New Year 2008!
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, do you know that the spirit of Christmas is also 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<

WORSHIP

Worship is "lovemaking" with God. The most common New Testament word for worship - proskuneo - literally means to "step towards to kiss." We can bow and prostrate our selves before God from a distance, but we must be close, intimate, trusting, and vulnerable if we are to step forward into God's loving embrace and receive His kiss of life, His Holy Spirit. Worship, properly speaking, is our response of love to the God Who has reached out in love to us. "It is quite impossible to worship God without loving Him. " writes A.W.Tozer, " and the inward operations of the Holy Spirit will enable us ... to offer Him such a poured-out fullness of love."

In worship we come face-to-face with the living God, beholding Him as He really is, letting our hearts assume their rightful place in response to Him. God desires to reveal Himself to us. When we come before Him believing the "He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6), we can expect that He will impress upon our thoughts, feelings, and understanding, by His Spirit, true knowledge of Himself. In this "seeing" or "beholding" of Him. all our self-righteousness, all our pretense, even all our "goodness" is seen for what it really is. We know that He is God, and we are not. Our only response, when we behold Him face-to-face, is to worship Him - giving ourselves over to Him in trust and in surrender to His love.

Worship is our deepest act of surrender. It is meant to be intimate, personal, and all-consuming. In worship, when Spirit touches spirit, God's life is imparted to us, His imprint is left upon us us, and we carry ever more clearly the Spirit-imparted pattern of adopted sons and daughters. Glorifying and praising God, giving Him His worth, is the very best thing for us as human beings. We are made to worship the Almighty God; meant to be transformed through worship into His likeness.

Do you want to be more like Jesus, Who is "the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being?" (Hebrews 1:3). Then "fix your thoughts, on Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest Whom we confess" (Hebrews 3:1). We become like that upon which we focus. We begin to be transformed into the likeness of that which gains our attention. "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). As we worship God in the freedom the SPirit gives, we reflect the Lord's glory and are being "transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, Who is the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).

An extract from - Discipline of the Holy Spirit by Dr. Tan Siang-Yang & Douglas H. Gregg

Blessings - TPWC

THE HEART OF WORSHIP

A few years back in our church, we realised some of the things we thought were helping us in our worship were actually hindering us. They were throwing us off the scent of what it really means to worship.

We had always set aside lots of time in our meetings for worshipping God through music. But it began to dawn on us that we'd lost something. The fire that used to characterise our worship had somehow grown cold. In some ways, everything looked great. We had some wonderful musicians, and good quality sound system. There were lots of new songs coming through, too. But somehow we'd started to rely on these things a little too much, and they'd become distractions. Where once people would enter in no matter what, we'd now wait to see what the band were like first, how good the sound was, or whether we were "into" the songs chosen.

Mike, the pastor, decided on a pretty drastic course of action: we'd strip everything away for a season, just to see where our hearts were. So the very next Sunday when we turned up at church, there was no sound system to be seen, and no band to lead us. The new approach was simple - we weren't going to lean so hard on those outward things any more. Mike would say, "When you come through the doors of the church on Sunday, what are you bringing as your offering to God? What are you going to sacifice today?"

If I'm honest, at first I was pretty offended by the whole thing. The worship was my job! But as God softened my heart, I started to see His wisdom all over these actions. At first the meetings were a bit awkward: there were long periods of silence, and there wasn't too much singing going on. But we soon began to learn how to bring heart offerings to God without any of the external trappings we'd grown used to. Stripping everything away, we slowly started to rediscover the heart of worship.

After a while, the worship band and the soundsystem re-appeared, but now it was different. The songs of our hearts had caught up with the songs of our lips

Out of this season, I reflected on where we had come to as a church, and wrote this song:

When the music fades,

All is stripped away,

And I simply come;

Longing just to bring something that's of worth

That will bless your heart.

I'll bring You more than a song,

For a song in itself

Is not what You have required

You search much deeper within

Through the way things appear;

You're looking into my heart

In the chorus I tried to sum up where we were at with worship:

I'm coming back to the heart of worship,

And it's all about ou,

All aout You, Jesus

I'm sorry, Lord for the thing I've made it,

When it's all about You,

All about You, Jesus

(written by Matt Redman)

WORSHIP IS IN THE HEART

AND NOT IN THE ART

An extract from : The Unquenchable Worshipper by Matt Redman
Blessing - TPWC

Replace The Spirit of Grumbling With The Spirit of Thanksgiving

Greetings worshippers!

Trust that the subject about "Thanksgiving" has been challenging you to establish this very important habit as part of your lifestyle as a worshipper. I feel led to repeat this post about Grumbling versus Thanksgiving ....

Have you ever stepped outside your door on a beautiful clear sunny day, taken a deep breath of fresh air, and thanked God for His wonderful creation? But what if the next morning is grey and rainy? Does it automatically make you feel a little depressed as you look out of the window? Maybe you don't say it loud, but how do you feel? Are you in the habit of thanking God only for what you want? Or are you in the habit of grumbling just a little when things does not go the way you like?

So what is wrong with a little complaining? What difference does it make? It does make all the difference in the world. Everything depends on how we respond to the little things in life. A marriage counselor will tell you that a marriage usually breaks up over little things. A small misunderstanding can start a war. Little things mean a lot, because this is the level where we live, down at the nitty-gritty of our atttude at breakfast table, or in the long checkout line at the supermarket.

GRUMBLING IS THE VERY OPPOSITE OF THANKSGIVING

A complaint is the opposite of trust; a murmur against your wife when she burns your toast is the opposite of a loving acceptance. The dictionary defines a complaint as an accusation. By complaining and grumbling you are actually accusing God of mismanaging the details of your life. The attitute of thanksgiving and praise releases the power of God into our lives, but the attitude of murmuring and complaining blocks that power.

For forty years the Israelites wandered in the wilderness and every time something went wrong, they complained bitterly and wanted to go back to the land of Eygpt. Why did it take them forty years to cover less than two hundred miles? Even with women and children and cattles, they could have covered the distance in a few weeks. They were delayed because they murmured and refuse to trust that God would keep His promise to take care of their every need. In 1 Corinthians 10:10-11, the apostle Paul was speaking about the behaviour of the Israelite in their wanderings from Eygpt to the Promised Land ... "And do not grumble, some of them did and were killed by the destroying angel. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us ..."

(Extract from Power In Praise by Merlin R. Carothers)

To be a WORSHIPPER, we need to begin DISCIPLINING our lives daily with the spirit of thanksgiving. This is easier said than done because most of us would agree that we are habitual grumblers. We grumble when we miss the bus to work and when we have to work late. We complain when the car would not start or when we hit a red light or are caught in a traffic jam. Even at meal time, we unconsciously complain about the food and the poor service provided by the restaurant. The list is endless ... but let us take heed that unless we overcome this deadly habit of grumbling, complaining and murmuring, it will rob us of the blessings and joy of the Lord. "IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD" (1 Thessalonian 5:18). The simple application of this biblical truth covers EVERY situations and circumstances in our lives.The benefits of a thankful heart are many ... by giving thanks:

1) We are in His divine will and itself will lead us out of the wilderness experience and into a victorious walk with the Lord

2) We have immediate access to enter into His gates (His presence) and in His presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 100:4, 16:11)

3) The joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

No wonder the apostle Paul in Philippians 4:4 commanded us to "Rejoice in the Lord always!" and in Colossians 3:17 that "Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks ..."

GRUMBLING VS THANKSGIVING

Unbelief - Faith / Trust

Defeat - Victory

Distress - Joy

In The Wilderness - In His Will

Spiritual Degradation - Spiritual Transformation

Make a point today to "DISCIPLINE" your life to give thanks and count it all joy even in diverse circumstances (James 1:2) ... for ALL THINGS work together for good (Romans 8:28)

TPWC @ copyright

THE IMPORTANCE OF MINISTERING TO GOD

In my previous post, I explained that thanksgiving should naturally leading to rejoicing when we follow James' instruction to "count it all joy." As we count up all that God has done, we shouldn't stop at merely thanking God. In every one of the acts of God is a revelation of His nature. And we see God's nature - His extravagance, joy, love, faithfulness, goodness, and power - the only sensible response is to PRAISE HIM. Praise and rejoicing are two sides of the same coin, as we see in Psalm 9:2 : "I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High." It's hard to praise effectively without rejoicing, without bringing our body, soul, and spirit into an expression of celebration. We can't rejoice without having a reason, and that reason is God's nature, revealed in His relationship with us, that we declare in our praises. When God says to "rejoice always," the implication is that we are to establish PRAISE AS A LIFESTYLE.

The praise that flows from thanksgiving is described in Hebrews 13:15 as a "sacrifice." This verse gives us a guideline for what kind of activities genuinely qualify as praise. First of all, PRAISE SHOULD CAUSE US SOMETHING. Only then is it a proper response to the God who has given us costly gift of His own Son. When I forced myself to rejoice in those nights alone in the sanctuary, I was offering God my time, my focus, and my comfort. I was stepping beyond what was convenient and beyond all the pressures of my circumstances. That is what made the act of praise a costly expression. Secondly, a sacrifice of praise should always require FAITH because it's impossible to please Him apart from faith. Hebrews 11:4 explains that it was "By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain ...."

It certainly requires faith to rejoice when that's the last thing you feel like doing or seems to make sense in the face of your present circumstances. It doesn't take much faith to hang your head and sing "Thou Art Worthy" when you're really just thinking, "I am worthless!" Truely rejoicing in Him requires that you stand on the truth that you are already accepted by Him where you are. Rejoicing requires you to acknowledge that His goodness and faithfulness are more real than your present difficulty. It especially requires you to agree that your life is not really about you!

Only the rejoicing that requires you to agree with God's perspective on your situation is the sacrifice of praise that pleases Him and has the power to transform you. It is the expression of faith. Sometimes that rejoicing is what David describes in Psalm 2:11 : "rejoice with trembling." In other words, you don't have to feel full of faith to rejoice - you just have to do it.

While the nature of praise and thanksgiving is different, they should always go together, because they sequential steps toward strenthening ourselves in His manifest presence. Psalm 100:4 says we "enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise." This verse is a road map into the presence of God. Thus, our goal should be to sustain thanks and praise until our whole being is alive to His presence.But we also have to remember in that moment that the focus doesn't change from ministering to God to our getting what we need.

Thanksgiving and praise are tools to strengthen ourselves not because they help us get something from the Lord, but because they reconnect us to our primary purpose - TO MINISTER TO HIM IN WORSHIP. They bring us into His presence; and TRUE WORSHIP is something that only happens in that place of communion with His presence. In worship, the sacrifice is no longer physical expression or verbal declarations. We are the sacrifice. Fire always falls on a sacrifice. And when we are the sacrifice, we cannot help but be changed.

An extract from - Strengthen Yourself In The Lord by Bill Johnson

Blessings
TPWC

DISARMING HELL THROUGH THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving agrees with Heaven by acknowledging the truth that our lives are a gift from God, and that He is sovereign over all. God is extravagantly generous, and the life He has given us to experience on this planet is NOT a life of survival BUT of abundance and blessing. BUT unless we properly recognize what we've been given, we won't be able to experience it's benefit.

Imagine Christmas morning. You've spent the last few months shopping and picking out unique gifts for each of your family members that show your intimate knowledge of their interests and desires. You have spared no expense to get gifts of the highest quality that will be both enjoyable and beneficial to each person. BUT when your family comes to the Christmas tree, one person completely ignores the presents. Another person opens your gift, but starts using it for something other than what it was made for. Still another just holds the gift, and refuses to unwrap it. And to make the matters worse, none of them even acknowledge that their gifts are from you.

Sadly, this is how many Christians respond to God's gifts, particularly the gifts of the Spirit. So many people fail to receive what the Lord has offered them because they don't understand what the gifts are or how to use them. They say ridiculous things like, "Well, tongues is the least of the gifts, so I don't need to pursue it." If my children said this about one of the presents I had put under the tree for them, I'd be very upset. I'd say, "This is yours! I don't care how small you think it is. I bought it with you in mind, and I don't give cheap gifts. If you'll just open it, I'll show you what it is and how to use it." Such a rejection of gifts is absolute arrogance.

Thankfulness carries an attitude of humility. Thanksgiving is the ONLY proper way to receive what God has given us because it honours our relationship with Him by expressing trust in His goodness, even if we don't understand what we've received. God gives us "every good and perfect gift" for TWO primary reasons. He gives to make us prosper so we can succeed in life, and He gives to demostrate His love as an invitation to relationship. When we practice thanksgiving as a LIFESTYLE, we recognize that the gifts we have received from the Lord came with these purposes. Thanksgiving sets us on course to know God in relationship and discover the reasons for which He made us.

THE GREAT PRICE OF LITTLE THANKS
When God tells us to give Him thanks, He's not insinuating that He gives in order to get something from us. He doesn't manipulate us with His gifts. He wants us to thank Him because thankfulness acknowledges the truth about our lives. And when we agree with the truth, then truth sets us free to see and manifest the greatness that He has put in us as the ones He has made in His image.When we withhold thanks from God, we actually cut ourselves off from who we are. This is what Paul explains in Romans 1:18-21.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who supress the truth in unrighteousness ... so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God they did not glorify Him as God,nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Futiles means purposeless. When we fail to sustain the response of thanksgiving for EVERYTHING in our lives, our thinking is cut off from our purpose in God. When we lose sight of our purpose, we will inevitably make choices that are outside of God's intentions for our lives, and this can only be destructive because it works against His design for us. A dark heart is a heart that is unable to perceive spiritual reality. It is unmoved by the desires and affections of the Lord, and therefore cannot respond to His invitation to relationship, which is the source of life.

THE PURIFYING NATURE OF THANKSGIVING

Since thanksgiving keeps us sane and alive by connecting us to the source of our life and purpose, it makes sense that Paul instructs us to give thanks "in everything."

Thanksgiving Keeps Us Sane And Alive

But there is a specific dimension of thanksgiving that s particularly powerful in times of difficulty and adversity. We find this principle in Paul's first letter to Timothy.

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons...commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the words of God and prayer (1 Timothy 4:1-5)

When Paul says that thanksgiving sanctifies unclean food, he is saying that it sets it apart for God and His purposes. Thanksgiving actually changes the very nature of the food into something holy. This truth extends beyond unclean food. It extends to EVERY SITUATION in your life in which you find other powers at work besides the power of God. It is vital to remember that NOT EVERYTHING happens in life is His will. He didn't cause the crisis a nation or individual may be facing. He actually can't give things that are not good because He doesn't have them. God only give good good gifts, because He is good, and has only good gifts to give. So giving thanks IN EVERYTHING does not mean saying that the adversity came from God. But giving thanks in the midst of an adverse situation, a difficulty intended to undermine your faith and destroy you, enables you to take hold of that situation and set it apart to God and His purposes. When you give thanks, the weapon the enemy meant to use to dislodge you from your divine purpose is put into your hands and becomes the very thing that brings you more fully into that purpose. Jesus declared that He sends us out with the same assigment the Father gave to Him - to destroy the works of the devil (see 1 John 3:8). Thanksgiving accomplishes the divine of the Kingdom, where the enemy is destroyed by the very thing he intended to use for our destruction. Just knowing that we can participate in destroying the enemy's purposes should alone move us to give thanks!

RELEASING JUSTICE

One of the clearest examples of divine justice in Scripture is found in the Book of Esther: the story of Haman, who was hung on the very gallows he built to destroy Mordecai. Later, this justice was made even more complete when Modecai assumed Haman's position in the king's court. The wonderful thing about this story is that Mordecai didn't have to bring justice himself. He simply kept his focus on his duty to the heathen king and to his people. This is the nature of warfare in the Kingdom. We don't battle by focusing on the devil. We keep our focus on the King and His Kingdom, and the devil cannot help but be unseated by God's ever-increasing government released through our lives, which illustrates another reason why thanksgiving is powerful in times of adversity. Psalm 100:4 says that we"enter His gates with thankgiving." Thanksgiving brings us into the manifest presence of God and connects us with what He is doing and saying in the midst of our circumstances. Thanksgiving helps to establish our focus on Him so that our awareness SHIFTS from earthly reality to heavenly reality - which we must do in order to release the strength of Heaven into our circumstances.

KEEPING MY AWARENESS OF GOD

When I stay close to the presence of God through thanksgiving, I not only become aware of His absolute ability to invade the impossible, I sense His radical love and delight in me! As I give thanks for the good gifts He's put in my life, I present convincing evidence that He is my Father, He is for me, and His opinion pretty much cancels out all the others. The wonderful thing is that we simply begin to give thanks, even when it seems difficult to remember one answered prayer, it isn't too long before our focus on the good in our lives creates an opening for the Lord's joy. And It 's the joy of the Lord that is our strength. I believe that James was talking about giving thanks when he said to COUNT IT ALL JOY in trial, because giving thanks usually includes taking an inventory of God's gifts in your life. Do the math! If you want to discover the ability of thanksfulness to bring you strength in difficulty, you need to keep COUNTING these things UNTIL you come to the conclusion - IT's TIME TO REJOICE! It becomes really hard to stay depressed about your circumstances when you're filled with the awareness of the love and goodness of God that surrounds and infuse your life.

There is a level of life we can reach where we practice THANKSGIVING AS A LIFESTYLE - a place where we remember our answered prayers. When difficulty comes along, we have a huge inventory of blessings instantly accessible to bring us into His presence as well as the joy and delight He has over us. That is far greater than any accusation, crisis, or conflict that could come our way. When we learn to live in THIS REALM, NOTHING can deflect us from our purpose. We even make the enemy help us get it done. From Heaven's perspective, it is reasonable to give thanks "IN EVERYTHING"!

An extract from the book - Strengthen Yourself In The Lord by Bill Johnson

Blessing

TPWC

THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving lays the foundation for praise and worship.

1) The Source Of Thanksgiving Is Grace

Thanks is our reaction when we realize that all we have, receive, and are is a gift of God's grace. Thanksgiving is rejoicing at what God gave when we were undeserving. True gratitiude registers surprise that God could be so good to us when we deserve nothing. (See Acts 27:35; 28:15; Romans 6:17; 1 Corinthians 1:4; Colossians 1:12 & Revelation 11:17)

2) The Condition Of Thanksgiving Is Agreement

Thanksgiving means that you agree with God. Thus, the Bible encourages you to give thanks in ALL circumstances (see 1 Thessalonians 5:18) and to pray about things that concern you most by making your petitions with thanksgiving (see Philippians 4:6)

3) The Response Of Thanksgiving Is Worship

Thanksgiving responds to God's specific acts. Praise and thanks are thus natural partners in worship (see Psalms 100:4; Hebrews 13:15). Your prayers and your actions worship your Creator. When you thank God, you enter His presence, worship Him, and present an offering to Him.

4) The Occasion For Thanksgiving is Everything

Nothing should escape your thanksgiving. God is active in every area of your life and can show you His direction even in the darkest hour. Thanking God frees Him to work in your life through those circumstances.

5) The Reward Of Thanksgiving

Is God's blessings, peace, joy, growth, worship, and life in Christ. If you have trouble giving thanks under any circumstances, ask the Spirit to fill you (see Ephesians 5:18-20)

An extract from MasterLife - The Disciple's Victory by Avery T. Willis, Jr.
Blessings - TPWC

QUIT COMPLAINING !

Continuing from my last post about getting back to the basic of a worshipper. Here is an interesting article in The Straits Times, Singapore that caught my attention:

The article said -

Church Ps Will Bowen tries not to complain. He wants everyone else to stop carping, too - all six billion of us on the planet.

Last July, the 47-year old American challenged worshippers at Christ Church Unity in Kansas City to quit complaining as a way to bring more prosperity into their lives.

"Complaining draws all of its essence from negativity," he says.

"You're sending out this vibrational energy into the universe that you're a victim, and the universe responds with more negativity."

In a new spin on positive thinking, he handed out about 250 purple bracelets to members of his congregation after the sermon, challenging them to use the bracelets to remind themselves to stop complaining for 21 days. That is how long it takes to break habits, he said.

If they failed, they were to switch the bracelet to the other wrist and start over.

But even Mr. Bowen - a so-called "positive minister guy" - found it a tough challenge. It took him nearly three months to succeed.

The champaign has since been taken up by US schools, prisons and homeless shelters and has even attracted worldwide attention, said Mr. Bowen.

Volunteers have also received orders from more than four million bracelets since Mr. Bowen's March appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Check it out at Ps Will Bowen's church (Christ Church Unity in Kansas City) website at http://ccunitykc.org and http://acomplaintfreeworld.org

What a wonderful way to quit this negative habit? I have personally requested for the the Complaint Free Bracelet but have yet to receive them. To date they have already sent more than 5.9 millions bracelets!

The very opposite of THANKSGIVING IS COMPLAINING ... please read my previous post about Replacing Spirit Of Grumbling With The Spirit OF Thanksgiving in 9 June 2006.

Blessings / TPWC