Well, the wait is over. After a long break from my brief blogging...I'm back. I'm sure all 17 of my faithful followers are encouraged. Why has it taken so long? Well, to be honest, I needed inspiration. That inspiration finally came today in a seemingly normal trip to the hospital. Somehow the Holy Spirit of the Living God jumped all over my Honda Accord. It was amazing. So I thought I would share.
I was listening to a recently released CD of one of my favorite worship leaders, Travis Cottrell. It was a night of worship and celebration recorded live at First Baptist Woodstock, GA. On the CD a lady testifies about the Lord. She shares the story of Paul and Silas...
"The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. After they had been severly flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose."
When the Bible says they had been severly flogged, they had been beaten half to death. Their skin had been torn apart. I dare say, they didn't feel like worshiping. They had to make a choice. And in that moment they overcame every power of darkness. There is so much purification in persecution. When we don't have a negative force coming against us to unspoil us and to unify us, then we can just decide we are not going to worship because we don't like that song the worship leader picked out, or we're distracted by somebody's outfit, or maybe we couldn't find a parking place at church so we're just mad. We're just not going to sing because we're not in the mood to sing. Then we're reminded of a couple of guys torn to shreds who lifted up their voices in the midst of so much pain...sometimes, you praise first and you feel it later. Let me repeat that...Sometimes you Praise first and Feel later.
What happened next was a great earthquake that shook the jail but didn't shake Paul and Silas's foundation. Sometimes it takes an "earthquake" to bring change to our status quo. You see, it's in the middle of those "earthquakes" in our lives that we can experience the greatest victory and enjoy the freedom that Christ brings. It's in those "earthquakes" that those bonds that have held us all our lives begin to drop loose.
God has been speaking clearly in our times of worship at HBC. It's been refreshing to be reminded of the basics and to focus on the foundations of our faith. A foundation that never shakes no matter how big the earthquake. You see, "Who shall seperate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to seperate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
In closing, remember, what happens in worship should not stay in worship. That's why I'm sharing. As I was driving down I-12 worshiping, I'm sure the people around me were wandering what in the world is that crazy man doing. But, I didnt' care. The Holy Spirit met me where I was and I couldn't get away from Him. He had a captive audience. He reminded me of my Father's love for me. He reminded me that my Father was going to take care of me. He reminded me that my Father hears my prayers. And, He reminded me that I will have VICTORY! And suddenly, my chains were gone. Hallelujah!!!
So what about you? Have you had a God moment lately? Have you been refreshed and renewed as we've focused on the foundations of our faith? Maybe you're struggling with this. Maybe worship isn't relevant for you right now. Let me know.
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Glad to finally hear from ya on here. I get the feeling I turn a lot of heads on the road as well. Lately I've been worshipping to 13 different versions of the song "How He Loves"
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ReplyDeleteOne of my very favorite Christian singers is Travis. One of my God moments lately was listening to him sing Jesus Saves and watching a video of a women's event that was put to that song. For a split second I thought, "Man I could use a time of refreshing like that at an event", and immediately the Holy Spirit came on me and reminded me that I can have a time of refreshing and renewal right here in my own kitchen. So, with no one else around, I worshiped... freely... with tears streaming... and hands lifted. How good our God is, more than our minds can comprehend. And you are so right, sometimes we praise first and feel later.
Thanks for the encouraging post.
Love,
Dee
Like you first thought, Dee, too often we all feel it takes an event to worship when in fact all it takes is turning off the world and turning on God. We can do that alone in the kitchen, on I12, in a prison cell, a hospital room, or lost in the woods.
ReplyDeleteThe real advantage of a worship service (or event) is that we can be contagious... or maybe catch something.
I wrote this the other night,but it didn't take for some reason.
ReplyDeleteThat story Reminds me of one of CS Lewis' quotes (I know I beat this one to death) : paraphrase - God whispers to us through creation, talks to us through our simple pleasures, but he screams to us through our pain. (I probably totally messed that up but I think that was the jist of it.)
I love to hear stories like "Honda" and Deanna's kitchen. That is exactly what I think God wants of us. He wants us to just listen and look for HIM.
We can find encouragement through flat times/times in the valley. Most of us have something like that - maybe a thorn in the flesh - that never leaves us though we wish it would. Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice. If that doesn't work - again I say rejoice. And if that still doesn't work - again I say rejoice.
His creation is all around us and we can't get away from it.
I think it is reasonable, its my prayer at least, to ask that He is Glorified through abundance and health "if that is His will". Abundance and health and getting it all the time (Mountain top experiences) may not be His will. We should thank him for this recession, our headache, and the problems we face too. They are opportunities. These problems are really a means to THE END. These problems should humble us. They should draw us to HIM.
We've heard it said we should "use it or lose it". Well we are losing it whether we use it or not. Why not go ahead and use it. "Let us not waste our pain." (Another recent quote I've heard)
If you're like me, you probably often ask God, " why couldn't you give me a little more to work with here. (Bald, ugly, and an English teacher's nightmare :P)We all have this need to leave a legacy. I think God has instilled that need in us - but he wants that legacy to be HIS.
Lets live in THE Spirit.....some will catch it. He promised it.
Watch out for Destry and Josh on the highway.
I just hope you aren't raising your hands in praise while you're behind the wheel on that interstate!
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