What you fear is what you worship

What you fear is what you worship.

It's kinda odd having this statement. I saw this post retweeted by Joel Houston on twitter and it makes sense... it really makes sense... then here I am making a blog about it.

What are the things that frightens you? what are the situations that insinuates fear in your life?

The conundrum that you might be having in this statement is... how does fear can be connected to worship?

Most people when they hear the word fear, for them it simply means that there is something to be afraid of or to expect something worst.

Worship on the other hand is simply exalting, glorifying, praising, giving thanks to God.

Its very interesting that what we fear is the same thing on what we worship.

There are different kinds of fear, we have fear of snakes, dogs, insects, darkness, evil, etc...

But there's one thing that we as God's sons and daughters always misses. The bible tells us to remain only fearful to God, it also tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, another verse says may those who fear God, praise the Lord... to sum it all, its all about fearing God.

So does it mean we need to fear God because something worst will be given to us cause by Him...

a big "NO!"

you see, another definition of fear would be 'a reverential awe'

The bible wants us to be in reverence with God when we have this relationship thingy with Him.

God wants us to fear Him because God wants us to worship Him. ONLY to Him. and its simple as that.

God wants us to fear Him. God wants us to worship Him.

When we fear God, we also worship God.

The fear of the Lord doesn't make us weak but rather the fear of the Lord gives us wisdom, security, protection, healing, power, forgiveness,the right to live in His kingdom, the authority to shun evil, and the most important of all, it enables us to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

We are afraid to God because we respect Him, we love Him, we are His servants and He is our master.

I guess there is no need to explain further about this, its either you focus your fear to other things or you focus your fear only to God... If you believe God is the master and the creator of heaven and earth, then there's no way for you to be afraid of all the things in the earth. We just need to remember that we live in this world but not of this world.

We live for God.

So the next time you have this fear, always think, what you fear is what you worship.

It's tough to be a Worshiper

I’m part of the music ministry in our local church for almost 3 years now and I've already had my ups and down on being part of the said ministry. I started as a naive trainee, then passed the assessment stage, started as a back-up singer, slowly doing solos, became a worship leader in the youth service and kids church, I’ve also been asked to step down, and started singing again in the youth prayer meeting, and even form a band.

I just realized on how bless I am considering at first I didn't even know that God gave me the gift in music. But more importantly, I started to realize that I am so ashamed with God by blessing me with much and yet I'm not so serious about having a walk with Him.

Being a worshiper requires much, as others would say, If you're life ain't changing then you are not really walking with Him (God). Being a worshiper and leading worship in front of a congregation is not by having a double standard life but by having a genuine walk with God. It's a huge responsibility and it's a huge calling. ‘Till I came to a point where I asked myself, am I worthy to be on that stage, singing and leading in front of a congregation? Am I doing the things that will please God more rather than satisfy my own wants? Am I eager to learn more and get more training to enhance the gift that God had given me? Moreover, Am I a worshiper or just a plain performer?

It breaks my heart seeing other people not striving to please God in terms of their craft and remain, should I say stagnant on their own capacity, those people who would rather remain in a certain level and not having a will to enhance it and be more excellent, knowing that we are serving an excellent God.

It breaks my heart, when people would rather choose to plainly perform in front of the people and not in front of God.

It breaks my heart seeing other people who would rather please their own selves rather than pleasing God.

And finally it breaks my heart seeing that these things had become a part of me.

I'm always being reminded of these things and I genuinely like it coz it always reminds me to be humble.
Moreover, I really love God, though I am not perfect, and yes I am still weak, but God's grace is so sufficient to make me realized that with Him, with His righteousness I am made perfect in His sight. It's like imperfectly perfect.

As I've said being a worshiper requires a huge responsibility, you are responsible with your own life, you are responsible with your co-team members, you are responsible with the congregation and more importantly you are ought to be responsible in the eyes of God.

Now being a worshiper is by having a personal relationship with God that you are so sensitive enough to hear Him and to feel that He's the one leading and not you.

Let me end this by saying, We worship God because we ought to worship Him, we worship God because life without Him would be meaningless and we worship God because He loved us first that cause us to fall more deeply in love with Him without even asking what is it for me? But rather what do you want me to do for you? And we worship God because after all it’s all about Him.

Worship Devotionals #5: Philippians 4:12-13

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:12-13 (NIV)

What are the things in life that you've always been wanting to have? Are those things considered as necessity or just a fad? In serving, are you more anxious about what the people will receive or on what you can give?
As we all know being contented is difficult in our present situation. Why? well, we are in the world of SOME-SOME (some have more - some have less) and both are not contented with their situations. The some-have-less are the ones who hungers for the right and proper basic things that they need, as for the some-have-more are those who want to have more than of what they are earning or what they already had. Now the question is, “How can we be contented in our life?”

There are many situations that some people find their own contentment. Some people based their contentment with material things, some on emotional attachment, some on serving, and some on the level of their financial security. Basically it all leads according to their own personal preferences.

As for myself, I used to believe that having all the material things that I wanted is all I got to have for me to be contented. Until I finally got to know someone that made me realize that these material things can not satisfy either me or you…

Just a year ago, I was more concern on pleasing my friends and the people around me until I realized that there is only one on whom I should be always pleasing...

Just last night when I was leading the Kids in worship, I was so anxious about the songs, more conscious about myself, and worried that I felt I'm not ready that day... and yet I'm being reminded that it's not about me, nor the kids, but it's all about the one on whom we are singing..

...and the one who will satisfy me, the one on whom I should be pleasing, and the one on whom I should be singing.. is JESUS.

‘Coz if all that you wanted in your life is earthly treasures, lasting friendships and relationships, and fame, well you better think first, because in the end, you will feel more anxious about anythings and more concern about yourself.

Only God can satisfy us, only through that we may feel being contented about anythings, that's the secret.. that's the key... Just as what Paul wrote to the Philippians, he said "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

Go on let God fully run your life... Let God's grace fill your life with contentment, Coz after all, we can do everything through him who gives us strength.

And as you read chapter 4 of the book of Philippians further, let's all declare that "and my God will meet all my needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

Worship Devotionals #4: Psalm 100:4

Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
Psalm 100:4 (NIV)

We are called to enter into God's presence. We are all called to give Him thanks and praise. We are made to be His worshipers. But that doesn't stop there because we are also given a call to lead God's people into His presence.

Often times, we always think of ourselves alone, praising God, giving thanks to Him, worshiping Him is the best thing that we could do for Him, we often forgot that it is also our calling to lead His people and take them to the Most Holy place, since Jesus had made me opened that place for everyone. Exclusivity is not even in the picture when He already tore its veils.

Its a sad truth that many of us are satisfied on praising and worshiping God alone.

I've been a music minister for 2 years now, and during my early years in the ministry, singing in front of the congregation is a plain job for me, even though I know that we are leading them still I am more concerned about myself on entering into His presence and often forgot about the people. It's wrong, its definitely a wrong purpose of leading. It's our role to lead them into God's presence, into the most holy place, not just us but the whole congregation. and this also goes to the kids, ushering, and events ministers.

But wait, is leading the people stops in the joining in any ministries? a big "NO", perhaps this is the most common misconceptions in leading. We can also lead people even in the secular environment, as told by Jesus, He gave us this mission to go and make disciples and make God's name known throughout the nations, teaching them to obey God's word and that is also an act of leading the people into God's presence. So whether you are at school, workplace, and home, you can lead the people into God's presence.

Here's another dilemma for some of the ministers, some of them are afraid, and asked themselves,"what if I can't lead the congregation?" "what if i failed to lead them?" "What if I made a mistake?" Well, to start with, God always look at the heart, and these were the times when we need to let go of our own capacities and learn to trust God, and let Him do the rest, it is through His grace and His spirit that gives us the capacity to lead, the anointing comes from Him and not within us.

We are entering His gates with thanksgiving and praise because He is worthy to be praised, He is worthy to be lifted up, He is worthy for us to also lead the people into His presence. The King above kings and the Name above all names.

What are you more concerned about, drawing near yourself to God, drawing others near to God, or both?
In what ways can you lead the people into God's presence aside from the things you have been doing?
Personally, Why is God worthy of your thanksgiving and praise?

Worship Devotionals #3: Romans 12:3-5

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:3-5 (NIV)

Imagine using all your hands and feet doing the same thing, or your eyes can also smell things thus your nose can also see things... or let me put it into a not so "gross" mode, it's like you're in a company where all of you are doing the same thing, all of you are performing the same function... well at some point that would be a good idea and yet in the long run that would become unproductive and useless since no one is doing differently among the others or what if all of you are thinking that you are far-off better than the others and end up on not working with them anymore...

Paul, the author of Romans, clearly states that we shouldn't think ourselves better than the others but rather think of others better than ourselves, by this Paul was giving an instruction about humility. Thus he also describes us as a whole body with each members belong to all the others of different works which is completely about being a team player and using our individual gifting to make the whole body work.

In the same way, we can apply that in any ministry work or even in a secular setting. First things first, we need to remain humble and view others better than ourselves thus we must be competing with our own selves rather than competing with the others. As they say humility comes before honor, and God will give you that honor, and not yourself alone.

Now as we remain humble that would definitely lead us to the next point of Paul, and that is being a team player. Yes we are in one body (team / organization / church) and yet we still need to respect each others ability or gifting, being a team player means someone who functions effectively as part of a body, sharing information and striving towards to a common goal, and that goal would be advancing and elevating the mission and vision of the team.

Moving on with the third point, Paul doesn't only encourages us to be humble and to be a team player, but he also explained to us that although we are in the same body still we do not have all the same function which are the God-given gifts for us. If you would continue reading on the succeeding verses it says,

"We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his[b]faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully." Romans 12:6-8 (NIV)

God gave us different skills and gifting for us to use it on advancing His kingdom. Each of us have its own strengths and weaknesses depending on what is our calling, depending on what did God gave us and planted in our hearts which is also called the 'desires'.

Personally, I was asking myself these things that Paul was teaching to the Romans, and this was my answer, Since the start of this year, God humbled me down by taking away all the desires that I have in my heart and all the things that I needed, God made me feel on how really important each and everyone as part of a team, and because of this God revealed to me about my calling into the ministry and with my personal career path. The old me used to trust myself alone and not the other people. the old me is not a good team player and the old me is not sensitive or not listening enough with what God has called me to do.

I kept on asking God and blaming others with the mistakes that I even created or participated with. I'm so much consumed then with other things that I cannot clearly see how important it is to trust and to be a team player and to be sensitive with God's divine purpose in my life.

Truly these things are stated in a few verses and yet it comes with a big meaning for all of us

Humility enables us to have a harmonious relationship with the team using our God-given gifts.

As you reflect, you might want to ask yourself, What are the things that hinders me on hearing and accepting the true calling that God had given me? Why is humility so important that it even goes hand in hand on working in a team? What are the thing I've done in the past that is fitting with the verses stated? How was I working in a body? especially in the body of Christ. and finally, what does it takes for me to remain humble, for me to work as part of a body, for me to be sensitive on hearing God's calling?

Worship Devotionals #2: Psalm 57:9-11

"I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth."
Psalm 57:9-1 (NIV)

Truly God is to be exalted over all the earth and the heavens. As David was implying to this psalm, He have the heart and the urge to proclaim and praise the name of God among the nations and his people. A truly leader indeed, just like us in any ministry, leading the congregation is when you set your heart onto God, leading them into His presence, singing, playing, ushering, etc... that focuses on Him and not on us, and just like David, though he was the king, he first humbled himself down and submitted himself onto God, which is the true King of kings and Lord of lords.

Second, if you would take a look at verse 10, David said "For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies", it means that the love and faithfulness of our God, was personally felt and experienced by David himself, which made him praise God and led his people on proclaiming the name above all names over the nations. In the same way, we need to experience God's love and faithfulness first for us to be a truthful witness to the congregation, we can't lead if we don't know who's the One we are leading the congregation with.

I've been in the ministry since 2006, I finally got involved in a ministry a month after I started attending a christian service. I was enjoying then, meeting new friends, new environment, etc... but the idea of serving the ministry because of God weren't still in the big picture... I was basically enjoying it like a normal volunteer job that I've done in the past and as far as I can remember it was only until the late 1st quarter of 2007 when I finally realized that I was serving God and not my own desires. It was the true God who is to be glorified and proclaimed among the congregation. That was also the time when I'm beginning to realized how our glorious God had finally began his own extreme makeover in my life, that I fully began to accept the fact that i personally felt and experienced His love for me. and thank God that I'm still experiencing it until now. Those personal encounters with God are also the testimonies that I am sharing with the team and the people.

Experiencing God's love enables us to proclaim and praise His name all the days of our lives.

Now, what are the situations that made you experienced God's love? How can you use those situations in your personal life in the ministry, in your workplace or school? And as a witness to His great love and faithfulness, in what ways can you proclaim His name to others?

Worship Devotionals #1: John 4:23-25

I'm not a fan of devotional materials, but I find them interesting thus it truly helped me on my daily walk with God, with this, I'd like to make and share some devotionals that hopefully might help everyone by posting it here on my notes. I can't promise to post a new one everyday but hopefully you'll find my postings handy in some ways. Thank you!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:23-25 (NIV)

Jesus said that true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for that is the kind of worshipers that He seeks... Now in our daily walk with God through leading, playing instrument, ministering to the people, quiet time.. etc... we always need to be reminded of this verse... at some point we just think that we truly worship God in spirit and in truth and yet there's nothing..

I for example, had been reflecting on this matter, honestly there's a time that I do not know if I'm worshiping God in spirit and in truth, asking myself, what does worshiping God means? I wonder if I'm genuinely worshiping God. I wonder if I'm leading with the right heart and motive, I wonder if I'm really a true worshiper. These are the things that kept on bothering me at some point.

Its humbling to know that when we speak of worshiping God in spirit and in truth, it always reminds me of a full submission to Him and not just having a relationship with him, but to let go of the things that I am in bondage with, and let God takes hold and control of the wheel. Thus, it also requires us on trusting him alone and take full notice of His love and faithfulness to us.

Here's an article about what worshiping in spirit and in truth means:

(Spirit actually means "rushing wind". The word for spirit, "pneuma" means "wind" or "spirit" and is derived from the root word "pneo", which means "to blow" and is a root word which is translated Spirit. Worshiping God in the spirit denotes worshiping under His influence or under His control. Basically the first criteria Jesus speaks of here is that a person must have a relationship with God. That they have trusted in God's work through Christ for salvation and that they are under His control.

Second, Jesus said that God is looking for people who will worship Him in Truth. The word truth here is "aletheia" which means true, and is derived from the word "alethes" which literally means "to take notice". Jesus was saying that God is looking for His children to literally "take notice of the truth" about Himself.)

Worshiping God in Spirit and in truth takes a lot of submission, humility, and complete trust to God.

Now with all these,
How would you assess yourself?
Am I really worshiping God in spirit and in truth?
Am I taking notice of what the real truth is about?
Does worshiping in spirit ends up only on knowing and having that I have a relationship with God?
Hows your relationship with God these days?