MY HEART ON WORSHIP IN THE HOUSE Karen Riegel
"Before Jesus arrived in Gadara, this poor victim who lived in the tombs was in the right place when Jesus stepped out of the boat. Suddenly the demon possessed man saw Him, and "when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshiped him" (Mk 5:6) He didn't need any one to explain to him how he should worship. All we need, all the world needs, is to be impacted with His mighty presence, and catch a glimpse of His glory. But in the absence of that mighty presence, we organize worship teams for the house of God, to show the people how to do it-- and then try to attract the sinners into our congregations to hear the beautiful music. Music can add much to the praises of His people, but only if the musicians are instruments in God's hands, and are themselves in tune with God. Otherwise, it becomes mere entertainment."
Quote from George H. Warnock
******************************************************************
Some years ago, when I was Praise/Worship Leader for meetings that were held monthly in our area there was this one particular morning I want to relate to here.
Now, Praise God, we had many wonderful meetings, these Gatherings were the beginning of Dr. Wade Taylor's Gatherings here in the Washington DC area, and on this particular Saturday morning God visited us mightily.
In those days much prayer was given into the songs selected for the Gatherings. And the heart intent for me was to choose songs that The Lord wanted to hear.
Do you know that there are songs that just do not carry the heart and intent of God for that moment, and I wanted to flow with Him, I wanted to flow with what He was speaking, what was upon His heart to His people, and I have since grown to know more important is that He is desiring for His people to sing to Him! Desire Him, long for Him, sing Him a love song.
Well, that morning when I came up to begin our service unto The Lord, I began to sing, Holy, Holy, Holy, written by Reginald Heber and John B. Dykes.
The first verse is this:
Holy, Holy, Holy
Lord God Almighty
Early in the morning our song shall raise to Thee
Holy, Holy, Holy
Merciful and Mighty
God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity
Chorus again -
All the saints adore Thee
Casting down their golden crows
around the glassy sea
Cherubim and seraphim
falling down before Thee
Which were and art and ever more shall be.
All Thy works shall praise thy name
in earth and sky and sea
Holy, Holy, Holy
When we began to sing this song, the heavens opened, and the Presence and Power of God, for no better word or expression just seemed to fall upon the people. He came down, we went up! The Glory was there.
It was like an electric bolt, a current that just hit the people. The crying, the weeping, the deliverance. So many wonderful things were happening, and thank God, Bro. Wade understood all of this, so there was no one trying to take control of what may have looked like out of control.
We were all wrecked in His presence. Then silence, yes silence. He came closer and we waited, corporately in His Presence. Then the prophecies began to come forth from different ones, resulting in a SHOUT that went up from the bellies of the people, a shout of praise, thanksgiving. Needless to say, He took over and I gladly got out of the way. You have to know when to sit down, get out of His way and GIVE THE LORD LIBERTY TO MOVE. Did I try to sing another song? NO! What more?
Now there was no praise singing beforehand, we just were immediately lifted into the awesome Presence of The Lord, heaven and earth met in that room.
Every person came with great expectation, hunger, and thirst for God.
And He met that cry in our hearts for Him.
Children, there is an attitude of heart we must desire to cultivate. And that is to meet God individually and corporately. But meet God.
When we gather in various places, go with your intent to meet God and be open, release that desire for Him, as you open your mouth know that you are singing to Him, and Him alone.
Did it have anything to do with my ability to sing, (or lack of) no absolutely not. My only part was getting before The Lord, seeking Him for His Gathering, wanting to know what He desired. Yielding myself to be sensitive to the moving of His Holy Spirit so I could move with Him and not in my own soul. I came as hungry, and thirsty with as great of an expectation of meeting the Lord as everyone else.
So many are taught that you have to sing so many praise, really they mean fast songs, then some songs that sorta slow it down, then slow songs. And there is some foundational truth there. BUT the higher way is to allow the Holy Spirit to move as He desires. Song leader you may have some songs all set out, your program. But if you will release yourself to walk in your spirit man (cultivate a life in the spirit, prayer, much prayer and waiting), you will be sensitive to the moving to the Holy Spirit, and He will show you what will please the Father. And the Father will come. We have sung one song for what seemed hours, and I cannot describe the rapture we entered into corporately, we entered into His presence, His courts.
One word of wisdom I learned that in most meetings there are the children of the spirit, and the children of the flesh. Children of Esau and children of Issac. These two war against each other. And if there are more Esau in the house, you will have to plow through, it seems.
You see so many think they are battling the devil if the praise/worship service does not lift the people. But this is just one of the principles for that cause. Prayer is so vital.
Teaching on praise and worship is needful in our ministries. BUT I EXPRESS CAUTION HERE. We need to know only how to lay an understanding of it, that it is not for us. But unto The Lord. It is part of the Service. Let them know that anyone can praise, but in order to worship, YOU MUST BEHOLD HIM, SEE HIM. This is where many fall off in this part of the service.
But we need not fear this either, because Jesus says that "wherever 2 or 3 are gathered in my name I am in the midst" (Matt. 18:20) And if those 2 or 3 will press on, He will come, and His glory will affect those who have never experienced Him before.
Many people present praise/worship as the "opening act" before the main thing, the speaker. Now, where is there room for the Lord in a mindset as that?
And it is surely more than setting the environment for the speaker, so the Word can come forth.
But consider this: What more do you want man/woman of God than to be lifted into the glory along with your congregation and allow the Lord, Himself to either minister through the people, or He minister through you from the place of the Glory, WHAT MORE COULD ANY ONE DESIRE IN MINISTRY?!
But, The Lord is so merciful, so patient. For this season He is still working with His people.
Christians need to know and take it seriously, not just laughing, talking, partying, waving flags, that for some is just as another way of keeping busy, and a distraction for others.
Keep it simple, but focused entirely upon The Lord.
He will come.
*****************************************************************
YES, God is doing a "New Thing" but there are principles that will not change. Read 2 Samuel 6:2-10, and then 1 Chronicles 15:13. You will see there is a due order that the Lord has set forth. Now, read 1 Peter 2:5 and 2:9. We are the called to offer up Holy Sacrifices unto The Lord. When you read in the old testament of the extravagance of the animal sacrifices, when you realize the flow of blood the ordained priest of The Lord had to minister through, then does that help give you an idea of your cost to enter in with Christ to that place of His Presence? What I am saying is that it was a very high cost to bring us back into fellowship with our Heavenly Father.
We know that the Blood of Jesus was the once and for all sacrifice, His Blood is alive and it speaks, it is full of power, and it is with that Blood of Christ upon us, as we are "covered" (so much here) we enter into the very presence of God. Cleansed. It is a very Holy, sober time. A Holy time. We don't make it Holy by what we do or don't do (religion), but in the Presence of a Holy God, He sets the tone and ALL FALL DOWN. HE MAKES IT HOLY!
Reading 2 Chronicles 5:11-14 - when God shows up, I mean when the Glory Cloud really comes and comes manifestly, no flesh will be able to stand before Him. I mean, the banging of the drums will cease, the scream of the guitar will stop, the deep soul stirring of the bass guitar will come to a halt and the only sound heard will be those whose spirits will ascend to sing in chorus with the song of Heaven, and we will HEAR BY THE SPIRIT THAT SONG AND OUR VOICES WILL BECOME THE INSTRUMENTS. WE ARE THE SINGERS, WE ARE THE INSTRUMENTS ON WHICH THE SONG OF THE LORD WILL BE PLAYED UPON.
I know what it is to be lifted, opened up and the Holy Spirit blow through your being and the sound coming forth from you is of the Spirit, and it is just being poured out of you unto our Father! Now, that was not necessarily because I may have been singing in tongues! I have experienced that heavenly realm of worship singing with the understanding and in tongues - and once you taste of that realm of worship you are ruined, forever. You just want everybody to come up and enter in to that place.
Do you realize we, the Church, have taken the place of Lucifer in the offering of worship to God. God our Father has given that to us, now. And just as it says in Ezekiel 28:13(c)- "... the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou was created." Lucifer's body was an instrument.
SO NOW IS THE BODY OF CHRIST TO OFFER HOLY PURE ACCEPTABLE WORSHIP UNTO OUR HEAVENLY FATHER. WE ARE THE SINGERS, WE ARE THE INSTRUMENTS! LET THE WIND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT BLOW THROUGH US!
Worship is to be a corporate flow, everybody lifting their voice and expression to The Lord - but I fear that many now sit back and soak in the service and let the people up front do all the singing, even let them sing the song of the Lord. I believe God is being robbed by this 'concert' style praise/worship service.
"Where is your song? Why don't I hear your voice, I want to hear your voice? Where is the voice of my Beloved? Where is your song of love to me?" says the Spirit of the Lord.
One Sunday, we just sang without any music. I called it worship in the raw - I felt the Holy Spirit wanted us to not hide behind anything such as instruments, and CD's. I must say we met God. Now I am not laying this down as a way, but I am saying that for that time or two we were lead to sing without music. It did not sound like a chorus of angels - but I know the Holy Spirit is 'tuning' us to sing the song of the Lord as our desire for Him is being dug deeper, just like a well. He is digging deep within us, and when He strikes that place, that place of 'the springs' worship will begin to flow as the springs are being opened up within each one.
Only in His presence, only as He lifts us and is given permission to come and as the Holy Spirit works in and through us, each one is learning how to minister unto the Lord so that corporate worship in all it's power, as a people unto the Lord can only explode and please God. Each one, each heart, abandoned before Him, yet one body of believers.
THIS IS A GOOD DAY TO BE ALIVE AND MOVING IN THE PURPOSES OF GOD WITH UNDERSTANDING - BEING EFFECTIVE FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD. WE ARE HERE FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS.
Quote from George H. Warnock
******************************************************************
Some years ago, when I was Praise/Worship Leader for meetings that were held monthly in our area there was this one particular morning I want to relate to here.
Now, Praise God, we had many wonderful meetings, these Gatherings were the beginning of Dr. Wade Taylor's Gatherings here in the Washington DC area, and on this particular Saturday morning God visited us mightily.
In those days much prayer was given into the songs selected for the Gatherings. And the heart intent for me was to choose songs that The Lord wanted to hear.
Do you know that there are songs that just do not carry the heart and intent of God for that moment, and I wanted to flow with Him, I wanted to flow with what He was speaking, what was upon His heart to His people, and I have since grown to know more important is that He is desiring for His people to sing to Him! Desire Him, long for Him, sing Him a love song.
Well, that morning when I came up to begin our service unto The Lord, I began to sing, Holy, Holy, Holy, written by Reginald Heber and John B. Dykes.
The first verse is this:
Holy, Holy, Holy
Lord God Almighty
Early in the morning our song shall raise to Thee
Holy, Holy, Holy
Merciful and Mighty
God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity
Chorus again -
All the saints adore Thee
Casting down their golden crows
around the glassy sea
Cherubim and seraphim
falling down before Thee
Which were and art and ever more shall be.
All Thy works shall praise thy name
in earth and sky and sea
Holy, Holy, Holy
When we began to sing this song, the heavens opened, and the Presence and Power of God, for no better word or expression just seemed to fall upon the people. He came down, we went up! The Glory was there.
It was like an electric bolt, a current that just hit the people. The crying, the weeping, the deliverance. So many wonderful things were happening, and thank God, Bro. Wade understood all of this, so there was no one trying to take control of what may have looked like out of control.
We were all wrecked in His presence. Then silence, yes silence. He came closer and we waited, corporately in His Presence. Then the prophecies began to come forth from different ones, resulting in a SHOUT that went up from the bellies of the people, a shout of praise, thanksgiving. Needless to say, He took over and I gladly got out of the way. You have to know when to sit down, get out of His way and GIVE THE LORD LIBERTY TO MOVE. Did I try to sing another song? NO! What more?
Now there was no praise singing beforehand, we just were immediately lifted into the awesome Presence of The Lord, heaven and earth met in that room.
Every person came with great expectation, hunger, and thirst for God.
And He met that cry in our hearts for Him.
Children, there is an attitude of heart we must desire to cultivate. And that is to meet God individually and corporately. But meet God.
When we gather in various places, go with your intent to meet God and be open, release that desire for Him, as you open your mouth know that you are singing to Him, and Him alone.
Did it have anything to do with my ability to sing, (or lack of) no absolutely not. My only part was getting before The Lord, seeking Him for His Gathering, wanting to know what He desired. Yielding myself to be sensitive to the moving of His Holy Spirit so I could move with Him and not in my own soul. I came as hungry, and thirsty with as great of an expectation of meeting the Lord as everyone else.
So many are taught that you have to sing so many praise, really they mean fast songs, then some songs that sorta slow it down, then slow songs. And there is some foundational truth there. BUT the higher way is to allow the Holy Spirit to move as He desires. Song leader you may have some songs all set out, your program. But if you will release yourself to walk in your spirit man (cultivate a life in the spirit, prayer, much prayer and waiting), you will be sensitive to the moving to the Holy Spirit, and He will show you what will please the Father. And the Father will come. We have sung one song for what seemed hours, and I cannot describe the rapture we entered into corporately, we entered into His presence, His courts.
One word of wisdom I learned that in most meetings there are the children of the spirit, and the children of the flesh. Children of Esau and children of Issac. These two war against each other. And if there are more Esau in the house, you will have to plow through, it seems.
You see so many think they are battling the devil if the praise/worship service does not lift the people. But this is just one of the principles for that cause. Prayer is so vital.
Teaching on praise and worship is needful in our ministries. BUT I EXPRESS CAUTION HERE. We need to know only how to lay an understanding of it, that it is not for us. But unto The Lord. It is part of the Service. Let them know that anyone can praise, but in order to worship, YOU MUST BEHOLD HIM, SEE HIM. This is where many fall off in this part of the service.
But we need not fear this either, because Jesus says that "wherever 2 or 3 are gathered in my name I am in the midst" (Matt. 18:20) And if those 2 or 3 will press on, He will come, and His glory will affect those who have never experienced Him before.
Many people present praise/worship as the "opening act" before the main thing, the speaker. Now, where is there room for the Lord in a mindset as that?
And it is surely more than setting the environment for the speaker, so the Word can come forth.
But consider this: What more do you want man/woman of God than to be lifted into the glory along with your congregation and allow the Lord, Himself to either minister through the people, or He minister through you from the place of the Glory, WHAT MORE COULD ANY ONE DESIRE IN MINISTRY?!
But, The Lord is so merciful, so patient. For this season He is still working with His people.
Christians need to know and take it seriously, not just laughing, talking, partying, waving flags, that for some is just as another way of keeping busy, and a distraction for others.
Keep it simple, but focused entirely upon The Lord.
He will come.
*****************************************************************
YES, God is doing a "New Thing" but there are principles that will not change. Read 2 Samuel 6:2-10, and then 1 Chronicles 15:13. You will see there is a due order that the Lord has set forth. Now, read 1 Peter 2:5 and 2:9. We are the called to offer up Holy Sacrifices unto The Lord. When you read in the old testament of the extravagance of the animal sacrifices, when you realize the flow of blood the ordained priest of The Lord had to minister through, then does that help give you an idea of your cost to enter in with Christ to that place of His Presence? What I am saying is that it was a very high cost to bring us back into fellowship with our Heavenly Father.
We know that the Blood of Jesus was the once and for all sacrifice, His Blood is alive and it speaks, it is full of power, and it is with that Blood of Christ upon us, as we are "covered" (so much here) we enter into the very presence of God. Cleansed. It is a very Holy, sober time. A Holy time. We don't make it Holy by what we do or don't do (religion), but in the Presence of a Holy God, He sets the tone and ALL FALL DOWN. HE MAKES IT HOLY!
Reading 2 Chronicles 5:11-14 - when God shows up, I mean when the Glory Cloud really comes and comes manifestly, no flesh will be able to stand before Him. I mean, the banging of the drums will cease, the scream of the guitar will stop, the deep soul stirring of the bass guitar will come to a halt and the only sound heard will be those whose spirits will ascend to sing in chorus with the song of Heaven, and we will HEAR BY THE SPIRIT THAT SONG AND OUR VOICES WILL BECOME THE INSTRUMENTS. WE ARE THE SINGERS, WE ARE THE INSTRUMENTS ON WHICH THE SONG OF THE LORD WILL BE PLAYED UPON.
I know what it is to be lifted, opened up and the Holy Spirit blow through your being and the sound coming forth from you is of the Spirit, and it is just being poured out of you unto our Father! Now, that was not necessarily because I may have been singing in tongues! I have experienced that heavenly realm of worship singing with the understanding and in tongues - and once you taste of that realm of worship you are ruined, forever. You just want everybody to come up and enter in to that place.
Do you realize we, the Church, have taken the place of Lucifer in the offering of worship to God. God our Father has given that to us, now. And just as it says in Ezekiel 28:13(c)- "... the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou was created." Lucifer's body was an instrument.
SO NOW IS THE BODY OF CHRIST TO OFFER HOLY PURE ACCEPTABLE WORSHIP UNTO OUR HEAVENLY FATHER. WE ARE THE SINGERS, WE ARE THE INSTRUMENTS! LET THE WIND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT BLOW THROUGH US!
Worship is to be a corporate flow, everybody lifting their voice and expression to The Lord - but I fear that many now sit back and soak in the service and let the people up front do all the singing, even let them sing the song of the Lord. I believe God is being robbed by this 'concert' style praise/worship service.
"Where is your song? Why don't I hear your voice, I want to hear your voice? Where is the voice of my Beloved? Where is your song of love to me?" says the Spirit of the Lord.
One Sunday, we just sang without any music. I called it worship in the raw - I felt the Holy Spirit wanted us to not hide behind anything such as instruments, and CD's. I must say we met God. Now I am not laying this down as a way, but I am saying that for that time or two we were lead to sing without music. It did not sound like a chorus of angels - but I know the Holy Spirit is 'tuning' us to sing the song of the Lord as our desire for Him is being dug deeper, just like a well. He is digging deep within us, and when He strikes that place, that place of 'the springs' worship will begin to flow as the springs are being opened up within each one.
Only in His presence, only as He lifts us and is given permission to come and as the Holy Spirit works in and through us, each one is learning how to minister unto the Lord so that corporate worship in all it's power, as a people unto the Lord can only explode and please God. Each one, each heart, abandoned before Him, yet one body of believers.
THIS IS A GOOD DAY TO BE ALIVE AND MOVING IN THE PURPOSES OF GOD WITH UNDERSTANDING - BEING EFFECTIVE FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD. WE ARE HERE FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS.
