I had the amazing privelige of having my son Caleb with me as I taught at a Korean American Youth Conference in the mountains near Big Bear, California a couple of Sundays ago. I was asked to come and speak on worship. To me, that is like being asked to speak about the ocean. It's all there, but what would you like for me to specify? Also, do you have a week? Or two? Maybe even a month? I absolutely LOVE speaking about why we are made to worship.
For this crew though, I sensed immediately that we needed to start right the concept of identity. There is an intense battle in this life over this very topic, and I could sense in the room that this very battleground was well tread upon by the time I arrived at this conference. They were tired, and many were weary. As I speak, I often times "hear" impressions from the Lord about where to go. He told me, in the face of the battle over identity, to take this fine group of men and women right to Psalm 104:3. It says, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and enter His courts with praise." When you go to a concert, you are not going to get inside unless you give the person at the gate your ticket. They are usually accompanied by large security personnel. You are not getting in without that ticket. Well, in Psalm 100:4, the ticket is a thankful heart. This is not about a person at the gate saying to you, "NO! You are not thankful enough! Get on the ground and show me some THANKS! Nobody is refusing us entry. It is US! To enter the gates that will lead you into the inner courts of relationship and intimacy with the One who loves you more than you know, you just have to posture your heart in a position of thanks. SO! What are you thankful for? Try it as you are reading this. Declare to Jesus as if He is standing before you, because He just might be ;), what you are thankful for.
This is what we did together. I released freedom from fear of man and of rejection in the room, and released everyone to declare what they were grateful for. That is when we started having fun. See the minute you begin to use your most valuable weapon (your choice) to go after Him, the battle rages within you. The tempest begins to erupt inside. See, you cannot thank God for something if you don't believe He did it. You cannot thank God for someone when you hate them. You have to choose at the "fork in the road". You cannot thank God for setting you free from something, yet want to stay right there in the very prison he freed you from. The warfare surrounding thanksgiving is HUGE! We remained here for quite a long time until we began to believe what we were saying. Then, we ran out of the obvious things to give thanks for, but we were hungry for more to give thanks for. We waited on Holy Spirit for more. He gave each of us more. We then began to thank God for things as He laid them on our hearts. That is when we went to new depths, dark covered and protected places, and even places in our hearts that we vowed never to return to. There was intense warfare, deliverance, awesome repentance, and breakthrough. Just from positioning our hearts to give thanks. All without music.
The thing about positioning our hearts for thanksgiving is that it prepares our hearts to see. When we purpose to thank the Trinity for all that has been done for us, we begin to see with new eyes His wonderful character. What I mean is that He does out of who He is. His actions merely reflect His good heart. He is the perfect Father, and as Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to us, we see the Father (John 14, 17). And as we see Him, His goodness, His holiness, His forgiving, patient, loving heart, it leads, through revelation from Holy Spirit, to praise.
As we began to praise God, glorify the Son, and experience Holy Spirit in our midst, things began to shift to action in the room. Starting with our voices. We evolved in this time from tiny little Korean whispers, to ROARS FROM THE MOUNTAIN TOPS! We were experiencing some true revival in our hearts of things dead for long periods of time. We were erupting with life! OUR LIFE. Many of these young people had many many reasons for being there, none of which had to do with their choices. As we were living Psalm 100:4, people began to take ownership of their walks with God. It was becoming theirs. They were experiencing God, encountering His love, and using their choices to go after Him because THEY wanted to. That is REAL, and that is all we all are after. What is real. Or should I say, WHO is real.
Last, I sensed that the Lord wanted them to leave all things not of Him that they have been carrying up here in the mountain, not taking it back down with them. They were making a stand, and only accepting the Truth from His lips that was setting them free. So, I made an imaginary grave pit surrounding me, and I invited everyone to come and dump everything that was defeated that day on the cross back into the grave. That time was precious. Everyone, young and old, staff, students, and even camp staffers in the back, laid stuff down. My son and I were able to witness some massive transformation in about 3 hours.
Better than any sunset or sunrise is the dawning of a brand new little soul breathing his/her first breaths of fresh air in this world. Even better than that is seeing someone born again. Free, with testimony, and ready to spread His Fire by Word and deed. What would happen in our hearts if we purposely positioned our hearts to give Him thanks? Try it. Then let Him lead you to the very places, people, circumstances He wants you to be thankful for. Dare to let the battle begin, because He has already set a table for you in the presence of your enemies. He is with you. He will never leave you. He just wants to free you, and give you all the reasons to worship Him.
For this crew though, I sensed immediately that we needed to start right the concept of identity. There is an intense battle in this life over this very topic, and I could sense in the room that this very battleground was well tread upon by the time I arrived at this conference. They were tired, and many were weary. As I speak, I often times "hear" impressions from the Lord about where to go. He told me, in the face of the battle over identity, to take this fine group of men and women right to Psalm 104:3. It says, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and enter His courts with praise." When you go to a concert, you are not going to get inside unless you give the person at the gate your ticket. They are usually accompanied by large security personnel. You are not getting in without that ticket. Well, in Psalm 100:4, the ticket is a thankful heart. This is not about a person at the gate saying to you, "NO! You are not thankful enough! Get on the ground and show me some THANKS! Nobody is refusing us entry. It is US! To enter the gates that will lead you into the inner courts of relationship and intimacy with the One who loves you more than you know, you just have to posture your heart in a position of thanks. SO! What are you thankful for? Try it as you are reading this. Declare to Jesus as if He is standing before you, because He just might be ;), what you are thankful for.
This is what we did together. I released freedom from fear of man and of rejection in the room, and released everyone to declare what they were grateful for. That is when we started having fun. See the minute you begin to use your most valuable weapon (your choice) to go after Him, the battle rages within you. The tempest begins to erupt inside. See, you cannot thank God for something if you don't believe He did it. You cannot thank God for someone when you hate them. You have to choose at the "fork in the road". You cannot thank God for setting you free from something, yet want to stay right there in the very prison he freed you from. The warfare surrounding thanksgiving is HUGE! We remained here for quite a long time until we began to believe what we were saying. Then, we ran out of the obvious things to give thanks for, but we were hungry for more to give thanks for. We waited on Holy Spirit for more. He gave each of us more. We then began to thank God for things as He laid them on our hearts. That is when we went to new depths, dark covered and protected places, and even places in our hearts that we vowed never to return to. There was intense warfare, deliverance, awesome repentance, and breakthrough. Just from positioning our hearts to give thanks. All without music.
The thing about positioning our hearts for thanksgiving is that it prepares our hearts to see. When we purpose to thank the Trinity for all that has been done for us, we begin to see with new eyes His wonderful character. What I mean is that He does out of who He is. His actions merely reflect His good heart. He is the perfect Father, and as Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to us, we see the Father (John 14, 17). And as we see Him, His goodness, His holiness, His forgiving, patient, loving heart, it leads, through revelation from Holy Spirit, to praise.
As we began to praise God, glorify the Son, and experience Holy Spirit in our midst, things began to shift to action in the room. Starting with our voices. We evolved in this time from tiny little Korean whispers, to ROARS FROM THE MOUNTAIN TOPS! We were experiencing some true revival in our hearts of things dead for long periods of time. We were erupting with life! OUR LIFE. Many of these young people had many many reasons for being there, none of which had to do with their choices. As we were living Psalm 100:4, people began to take ownership of their walks with God. It was becoming theirs. They were experiencing God, encountering His love, and using their choices to go after Him because THEY wanted to. That is REAL, and that is all we all are after. What is real. Or should I say, WHO is real.
Last, I sensed that the Lord wanted them to leave all things not of Him that they have been carrying up here in the mountain, not taking it back down with them. They were making a stand, and only accepting the Truth from His lips that was setting them free. So, I made an imaginary grave pit surrounding me, and I invited everyone to come and dump everything that was defeated that day on the cross back into the grave. That time was precious. Everyone, young and old, staff, students, and even camp staffers in the back, laid stuff down. My son and I were able to witness some massive transformation in about 3 hours.
Better than any sunset or sunrise is the dawning of a brand new little soul breathing his/her first breaths of fresh air in this world. Even better than that is seeing someone born again. Free, with testimony, and ready to spread His Fire by Word and deed. What would happen in our hearts if we purposely positioned our hearts to give Him thanks? Try it. Then let Him lead you to the very places, people, circumstances He wants you to be thankful for. Dare to let the battle begin, because He has already set a table for you in the presence of your enemies. He is with you. He will never leave you. He just wants to free you, and give you all the reasons to worship Him.
I love it that "worship" or how to worship or why we are made to worship, is being explored and taught. I remember, when our "worship" was no more than three hymns and a Special! This was supposed to get us ready for the "real" reason we were in church... to hear the message.
ReplyDeleteI now know worship is the place of intimacy, where I can really let my guard down and just lose myself in His presence. The place where healing, emotional, physical, and spiritual will begin, if we will let Him touch us so.A place where barriers will weaken, crack, crumble, because you can't truly worship with junk in your heart, mind and spirit. And what is so incredible to me.. I can worship in my car, in my home anywhere I choose.
I am so glad these young people were able to hear the truth the Lord is teaching you Kenny...I pray this word will grow and grow and be life changing!