Worship

Revival

A few weeks back, in a study tip, I encouraged you to make it a practice to share the things you learn as you study. Let me follow my own tip and pass on some insights from Genesis 35:1-3 on revival.

When I hear the word "revival" I immediately think of a week of church services with an evangelist. There's much more to it, of course. The dictionary defines revive as "to become active or flourishing again; to restore from a depressed, inactive or unused state; to renew in mind or memory." I need that more often than the standard, scheduled spring and fall services. So how does Jacob accomplish that in Genesis?

First, consider his situation. Genesis 34 tells the sordid and shameful story of the date rape of Jacob's only daughter, Dinah. Then after he fails to provide any moral leadership, her brothers take vengeance, perverting the covenant sign of circumcision as part of their plot to murder the men of an entire town and take all their wives and children as slaves. An extreme situation, unlike any I've ever faced, but taking it down several degrees, and there are things we can relate to: Personal failure. Not living up to our calling. Having our influence destroyed. Responding to hurt with revenge.

Jacob was ruined. Any chance he had of drawing the Canaanites to Jehovah through his living witness was gone. Sure, he had Abraham and Isaac ahead of him, but instead of being a great example of faith, he'd be lucky if another tribe didn't hunt them down and kill them all. This is when God speaks. "Arise, go up to Bethel, and live there, and make an altar there to God."

Jacob needed revival. And God told him how it could happen.

Step 1 – Arise - Change your surroundings, your routine. You cannot continue to live and function the way you are now and expect to flourish. Arise. Take action.

Step 2 – Go up to Bethel – Bethel means "house of God". We immediately interpret that as church. And yes, you should be part of your local church and the worship services there, but I also think of it as God's presence. (Next week, we'll talk about the things Jacob did to get ready to enter God's presence.)

Step 3 – Live there – Don't just flee there when times are hard. Treat God's presence less like a life preserver that you remove once you get out of the water and more like life support that you cannot be removed from.

Step 4 – Make an altar - Sacrifice and worship. Those could be a lifetime of posts in themselves, but very simply this means that I give up being the center of my universe to the Lord who created and governs it, and from whom I usurped my position.

Could you use revival? What do you do to revive your relationship with God?

Filed Under: Living Tagged With: Book of Genesis, Jacob, revival, worship

Worship and Sacrifice

By Paula

Fire Genesis 22 is one of my favorite chapters. It tells the wrenching story of God's test of Abraham. "Take your son, your only son, whom you love … and offer him …" Just a few quick thoughts from my most recent reading of that chapter-

In verse 5, Abraham tells the young men accompanying them to wait. "I and the lad will go over there, and we will worship and return to you."

The first time the word worship appears in Scripture, it is here. Worship and sacrifice. What about sacrifice?

The sacrifice was loved. God didn't ask for lambs or gold or grain. He asked for what Abraham held most dear.

The sacrifice was offered, not taken.

Without the sacrifice, the offering, worship is a burden. It's carrying wood up the mountain, just to burn it. It's empty.

Knowing this, have I ever truly worshipped God?

Filed Under: Monday Meditations Tagged With: Abraham, Genesis, worship

How to Win the Battle

By Paula

At a loss One of my favorite quotes is from Plato – "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." Jesus promised us as much. (John 16:33) In Psalm 76:2-3 there is an important principle for fighting those battles.

"In Salem [Jerusalem] also is His tabernacle
And His dwelling place in Zion.
There He broke the arrows of the bow,
The shield and sword of battle." (NKJV)

Did you see it?

It was in the tabernacle, the temple, His dwelling place in Zion, that the victory was actually won. The prayer, the worship, the offerings and consecration the soldiers underwent before they ever took the battlefield was what sealed their ultimate triumph.

The battle is won in worship.

Filed Under: Devotional Tagged With: battle, John 16:33, Psalms, worship

By Paula

Alan taught me an important lesson about worship, and I wrote about it here. However, he got me again in a most unexpected way. One of his favorite, and I mean favorite toys is his whoopee cushion. He laughs every single time, falling over on the floor, cracking up kind of laughing. Every time. “This never gets old!” he says once he catches his breath again.

That’s what I’m missing. My worship does get old. If it gets old to me, I’m afraid to think how God views it. Thinking about Alan playing, I found 4 things he had while playing, that I’m missing.

Spontaneity – He doesn’t schedule when he plays. It just happens. Real worship can’t scheduled. It naturally flows out of a full heart. (Now- this is NOT to say that real worship can’t happen during our weekly scheduled services. It absolutely should. My point is that is can’t be switched on and off with the clock.)

Focus – When Alan plays, he only has one toy. He’s not thinking ahead to what’s next. He is totally in the moment. I admit, I get in church and my brain wanders off like a toddler in a theme park. (Another story for another day perhaps.)

Energy – Alan goes after that whoopee cushion with gusto. In fact he’s burst a couple of them in his exuberance. Too many times, my worship becomes a passive spectator activity.

Delight – Alan LOVES that whoopee cushion. I need to develop that excitement, that thrill of just being in God’s presence.

Part of my problem is my relationship with God is too formal. I mean, He’s GOD, after all. I can’t just… you know… In the last year or so, God has gently been guiding me toward real intimacy with Him, not just ‘knowing about” Him, but having that sense of belonging. Letting go of shame was one step on that road. Genuine worship is another.

42-16482893 Alan taught me an important lesson about worship, and I wrote about it here. However, he got me again in a most unexpected way. One of his favorite, and I mean favorite toys is his whoopee cushion. He laughs every single time, falling over on the floor, cracking up kind of laughing. Every time. “This never gets old!” he says once he catches his breath again.

That’s what I’m missing. My worship does get old. If it gets old to me, I’m afraid to think how God views it. Thinking about Alan, I found 4 things he had while playing, that I need to infuse into my worship.

Spontaneity - He doesn’t schedule when he plays. It just happens. Real worship can’t scheduled. It naturally flows out of a full heart. (Now- this is NOT to say that real worship can’t happen during our weekly scheduled services. It absolutely should. My point is that is can’t be switched on and off with the clock.)

Focus - When Alan plays, he only has one toy. He’s not thinking ahead to what’s next. He is totally in the moment. I admit, I get in church and my brain wanders off like a toddler in a theme park. (Another story for another day perhaps.)

Energy - Alan goes after that whoopee cushion with gusto. In fact he’s burst a couple of them in his exuberance. Too many times, my worship becomes a passive spectator activity.

Delight - Alan LOVES that whoopee cushion. I need to develop that excitement, that thrill of just being in God’s presence.

Part of my problem is my relationship with God is too formal. I mean, He’s GOD, after all. I can’t just… you know… And I realize this is an issue. In the last year or so, God has gently been guiding me toward real intimacy with Him, not just ‘knowing about” Him, but having that sense of belonging. Letting go of shame was one step on that road. Genuine worship is another.

Filed Under: Alan, Authenticity Challenge Tagged With: Alan, authenticity, delight, energy, focus, spontaneity, whoopee cushion, worship

Revival

Worship and Sacrifice

How to Win the Battle

Worship

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