2 Corinthians 10:4, 8 “Our weapons are mighty…our authority is entrusted and commissioned”
• Satan's goal is to take away all attention from Jesus. (his 1st goal was to take you to hell…) Since he couldn't do that, he now seeks to pull your love for Jesus away. He does this to us by bringing about all kinds of attacks in various forms that will cause us to turn away our attention from the faithfulness and character of God. This is known as an imagination being made into a high thing, as Paul is describing.
Imagination logismos>consideration, counsel
High thing hupsoma>something made high, elevated. Figuratively used of a proud adversary.
• We are called to bring into subjection these high things, by the weapons of our warfare..
According to 2 Corinthians 10:6-8, we have both weapons and authority (the right, full power) from God in which to do this.
WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH A WORSHIP STUDY??
Answer: Worship is divinely powerful before God. There is no better way to exalt God and cast down the enemy than by worshipping God!
...God always comes to the rescue of his people when they are boldfaced praising His Name.
• We’ve seen the example of agonizing prayer….but worship is also divinely powerful.
• The bible doesn’t say explicitly “Worship is a weapon”..but neither does it of prayer! We had to dig deep to find that.
Check out these gnarly examples of God's people worshipping, and th results that followed:
- 2 Chronicles 20 “When nothing is going right”
- Acts 16 “Trials”
- Joshua 6 “Persistence”
With these biblical examples of worship and the examples of prayer within the spiritual realm [Daniel] we can safely understand that there is battle going on with demonic forces when we worship Jesus! Plus….
Ephesians 6:12,13 “Put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against…
Principalities = heads of demons
Powers = demons
Rulers = Satan
So... Here is a summary of what the Bible teaches us about worship:
Our battle, in which we have been given heavenly authority(2Cor10:8), is in the spiritual realm(Eph6:12), against demonic forces(Eph6:13), and the most powerful way(2Cor10:4) we fight is by praying and worshipping Jesus! (2Chron20, Acts16, Joshua6)
Youth- ARE YOU DOING THIS?
As you worship the King of kings and Lord of lords, don't worry about the battle that is being engaged. Just know that it is happening, but keep your eyes on the Lord (2 Chronicles 19:12). The focus of our worship is Jesus Christ. Spiritual warfare is just a side effect.
God bless you all. Stay alert. Move forward by the filling of the Holy Spirit, and...
Worship the Lord:)
~Chris
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Monday, January 29, 2007
"Solomon's Fall From Intimacy"
UNDIVIDED WORSHIPER [Jesus first, ministry second]
WHAT does it mean to have an undivided heart? It doesn’t mean to "sing" worship.
• 1 Kings 4:29-32 “…he also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005”
~ Several hundred of Solomon’s proverbs are in the book of Proverbs, they make up 2/3 of the book. But these are still several hundred listed out of the 3,000 he wrote.
~ I’ve written probably 50 songs in 10 years. Solomon wrote 1,005, ONE OF WHICH IS THE SONG OF SOLOMON!
Solomon beats us all as far as worship goes. What does the Bible say about his heart, though?
[Turn to 1 Kings 10:26-29] (This is after he got wise, built the temple…) He starts to get kind a big head about it. He makes his palace 11,250 sq ft. The temple was 2700 sq ft. Solomon builds his own house more than 4 times bigger than the house of God.
26. “Now Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen…”
27. “The king made silver as common as stones…”
28. “His import of horses…was from Egypt”
Contrast these with Deuteronomy 17:16 (God is speaking of future kings of Israel)…
16. “Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself…”
17. “…nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself.”
Women…
Deut 17:17 “He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away.”
Contrast this with...
1 Kings 11:1-6 “Tragic”
_________
“Solomon did not abandon Yahweh, but he worshiped other gods as well. His heart was not fully devoted to the Lord.” ~John F. Walvoord
Solomon beats us as far as worship goes…but what’s the Bible say about his heart? It is divided.
• Solomon wrote 3000 proverbs, only several hundred are contained in Scripture.
• Solomon wrote 1,005 songs, one of which is the Song of Solomon.
• In addition to this, he was made the wisest man in the history of the world by God, No one will ever be like him. (1 Kings 3:12)
IF THIS WORSHIPER’S LOVE FOR GOD CAN BE STOLEN, WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOUR HEART IS INVINCIBLE?
---------Back to the original question: what does it mean to have an undivided heart?
It means JESUS FIRST, MINISTRY AND EVERYTHING ELSE SECOND.
• Worship is not generated by singing songs.
• It is generated by a consistent lifestyle of intimacy with Jesus.
• Worship songs are an outflow (result) of that intimacy.
I don’t know any other way to defend this intimacy other than to pray constantly.
And constantly pray we must, for our relationship with Jesus Christ must be one that is viciously defended until we go to be with Him.
WHAT does it mean to have an undivided heart? It doesn’t mean to "sing" worship.
• 1 Kings 4:29-32 “…he also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005”
~ Several hundred of Solomon’s proverbs are in the book of Proverbs, they make up 2/3 of the book. But these are still several hundred listed out of the 3,000 he wrote.
~ I’ve written probably 50 songs in 10 years. Solomon wrote 1,005, ONE OF WHICH IS THE SONG OF SOLOMON!
Solomon beats us all as far as worship goes. What does the Bible say about his heart, though?
[Turn to 1 Kings 10:26-29] (This is after he got wise, built the temple…) He starts to get kind a big head about it. He makes his palace 11,250 sq ft. The temple was 2700 sq ft. Solomon builds his own house more than 4 times bigger than the house of God.
26. “Now Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen…”
27. “The king made silver as common as stones…”
28. “His import of horses…was from Egypt”
Contrast these with Deuteronomy 17:16 (God is speaking of future kings of Israel)…
16. “Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself…”
17. “…nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself.”
Women…
Deut 17:17 “He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away.”
Contrast this with...
1 Kings 11:1-6 “Tragic”
_________
“Solomon did not abandon Yahweh, but he worshiped other gods as well. His heart was not fully devoted to the Lord.” ~John F. Walvoord
Solomon beats us as far as worship goes…but what’s the Bible say about his heart? It is divided.
• Solomon wrote 3000 proverbs, only several hundred are contained in Scripture.
• Solomon wrote 1,005 songs, one of which is the Song of Solomon.
• In addition to this, he was made the wisest man in the history of the world by God, No one will ever be like him. (1 Kings 3:12)
IF THIS WORSHIPER’S LOVE FOR GOD CAN BE STOLEN, WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOUR HEART IS INVINCIBLE?
---------Back to the original question: what does it mean to have an undivided heart?
It means JESUS FIRST, MINISTRY AND EVERYTHING ELSE SECOND.
• Worship is not generated by singing songs.
• It is generated by a consistent lifestyle of intimacy with Jesus.
• Worship songs are an outflow (result) of that intimacy.
I don’t know any other way to defend this intimacy other than to pray constantly.
And constantly pray we must, for our relationship with Jesus Christ must be one that is viciously defended until we go to be with Him.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
“Unveiled" January 14, 2007
Why did Moses need a veil as told in Exodus 34?
Vs.30 “…they were afraid to come near him.”
Why were they afraid to come near him?
Was it because he looked like a freak and they were afraid of him? No...
Looking at the Hebrew word for "afraid," we find these meanings:
1) to fear, revere, be afraid
2) to stand in awe of, be awed
3) to fear, reverence, honour, respect
1) to be fearful, be dreadful, be feared
2) to cause astonishment and awe, be held in awe
3) to inspire reverence or godly fear or awe
c) (Piel) to make afraid, terrify
2) (TWOT) to shoot, pour
In Corinthians (3:7) we are told that the reason for the veil over his face is so that they would not see the shining go away, fading. But the fact that the shine was fading away from his face, was indicating the fact that the law that God was given was to fade away when God established the new covenant with man through Jesus Christ. So that they would not see the fading away of the old covenant, his face was veiled. -Chuck Smith
We have a veil over our faces as well, do we not? Read 2 Corinthians 3:3-18 and what it says about the veil that comes over our eyes. This should dramatically alter the way you come to the throne of God and worship. It did for me...
2 CORINTHIANS 3:16-18
“But whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, as being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”
Vs.30 “…they were afraid to come near him.”
Why were they afraid to come near him?
Was it because he looked like a freak and they were afraid of him? No...
Looking at the Hebrew word for "afraid," we find these meanings:
1) to fear, revere, be afraid
2) to stand in awe of, be awed
3) to fear, reverence, honour, respect
1) to be fearful, be dreadful, be feared
2) to cause astonishment and awe, be held in awe
3) to inspire reverence or godly fear or awe
c) (Piel) to make afraid, terrify
2) (TWOT) to shoot, pour
In Corinthians (3:7) we are told that the reason for the veil over his face is so that they would not see the shining go away, fading. But the fact that the shine was fading away from his face, was indicating the fact that the law that God was given was to fade away when God established the new covenant with man through Jesus Christ. So that they would not see the fading away of the old covenant, his face was veiled. -Chuck Smith
We have a veil over our faces as well, do we not? Read 2 Corinthians 3:3-18 and what it says about the veil that comes over our eyes. This should dramatically alter the way you come to the throne of God and worship. It did for me...
2 CORINTHIANS 3:16-18
“But whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, as being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”
Thursday, December 21, 2006
What up Reality Youth;-)
This is a reminder that we will NOT be meeting at the usual time because it falls on Christmas day. We will resume the following Monday which is January 1st, New Years day.
Until then, soak your hearts in the Lord Jesus Christ, and drench your minds in the 1st chapter of Ezekiel. Remember when we talked about the gnarly angels in Revelation 4 & 5, and in Isaiah 6? Well, the angels in Ezekiel 1 are even gnarlier, and will blow your mind. Soak it up and then worship their Creator.
Your friend and co-laborer,
~Christopher Lazo
This is a reminder that we will NOT be meeting at the usual time because it falls on Christmas day. We will resume the following Monday which is January 1st, New Years day.
Until then, soak your hearts in the Lord Jesus Christ, and drench your minds in the 1st chapter of Ezekiel. Remember when we talked about the gnarly angels in Revelation 4 & 5, and in Isaiah 6? Well, the angels in Ezekiel 1 are even gnarlier, and will blow your mind. Soak it up and then worship their Creator.
Your friend and co-laborer,
~Christopher Lazo
Monday, December 11, 2006
Undone Worshipper (Chapter 2)
Read Isaiah 6.
In the presence of a holy God, Isaiah sees how sinful he is, and falls to his face in worship to God. This was right after Isaiah spoke judgment to Israel in chapter 5. He realized because of his sin that he was in their boat, so to speak.
There have been many times that while I was worshipping God, I became undone because the Holy Spirit revealed the Holiness of God, thus revealing my sinful nature in comparison. When this happens, I must be quick to embrace the work of the Holy Spirit by bowing down low, and worshipping the King of kings on a deeper level. Often this involves me checking my own heart, and repenting from gross sin. God doesn't need our talents or gifts. He asks us for those things because for some mysterious reason, He loves to include us in his plans. What is of ultimate importance to God is our adoration and intimacy with Him.
In the presence of a holy God, Isaiah sees how sinful he is, and falls to his face in worship to God. This was right after Isaiah spoke judgment to Israel in chapter 5. He realized because of his sin that he was in their boat, so to speak.
There have been many times that while I was worshipping God, I became undone because the Holy Spirit revealed the Holiness of God, thus revealing my sinful nature in comparison. When this happens, I must be quick to embrace the work of the Holy Spirit by bowing down low, and worshipping the King of kings on a deeper level. Often this involves me checking my own heart, and repenting from gross sin. God doesn't need our talents or gifts. He asks us for those things because for some mysterious reason, He loves to include us in his plans. What is of ultimate importance to God is our adoration and intimacy with Him.
The Unquenchable Worshipper (chapter 1)
We are checking our lives next to what the Bible says a worshipper is, and seeing where they line up and where they don’t.
Unquenchable characteristics:
• “We can always find a reason to praise” pg. 20 of the UW
• “Bitterness dampens and eventually destroys love for God…by telling us He is not faithful” pg. 21
• Matt Redman gives us an illustration of fuel for our worship:
Fuel runs out! (Fuel is revelation of God: through His Word, praying, going to church)
These things keep your love for God more “overwhelming” than life and grief pg. 24
The Word feeds us revelation of God’s attributes(who He is), and fuels our desire to worship
When my worship becomes quenched, dry, or stagnant, it's because I have no fuel, but since God’s fuel is inexhaustible…what went wrong?) This is what went wrong = It is a painful indication that your fuel is dependant on something other than the revelation of God.
•Since you were designed as a worshipper, if you are not fueling that desire with things of God, you WILL fuel it with other things, like grief, anger, money, relationships, other worldly things, etc... this will cause your worship to become stangant.
We MUST stay in the Word and in prayer. It is vital to our spiritual condition.
Unquenchable characteristics:
• “We can always find a reason to praise” pg. 20 of the UW
-“For since the creation of the world His invisible ATTRIBUTES, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” Rom 1:20 (The fool has said in his heart…Ps. 14:1)Sooo... in Romans 1:20 Paul tells us that there are an infinite number of reasons to praise God, then in Philippians 4:8, he tells us that we need to constantly be dwelling on those things
ATTRIBUTES of GOD =
1. Holiness, justice, jealousy, perfection, truthfulness, and love.
-“Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there be any excellence, if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Phi. 4:8 When you’re not doing this…
• “Bitterness dampens and eventually destroys love for God…by telling us He is not faithful” pg. 21
• Matt Redman gives us an illustration of fuel for our worship:
Fuel runs out! (Fuel is revelation of God: through His Word, praying, going to church)
These things keep your love for God more “overwhelming” than life and grief pg. 24
The Word feeds us revelation of God’s attributes(who He is), and fuels our desire to worship
When my worship becomes quenched, dry, or stagnant, it's because I have no fuel, but since God’s fuel is inexhaustible…what went wrong?) This is what went wrong = It is a painful indication that your fuel is dependant on something other than the revelation of God.
Here's a crazy thought = We were designed (purposed) to be worshippers!
Ex: Ryan Hillner is a pastor that shepherds our youth group. But this is NOT his DESIGN or PURPOSE! It is his CALLING. God calls us to be ministers in one way or another and empowers us through His Holy Spirit, but this is still not our ultimate purpose in life. Our ultimate purpose is to worship Jesus Christ. It's that simple.
•Since you were designed as a worshipper, if you are not fueling that desire with things of God, you WILL fuel it with other things, like grief, anger, money, relationships, other worldly things, etc... this will cause your worship to become stangant.
We MUST stay in the Word and in prayer. It is vital to our spiritual condition.
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