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9/24/2014 0 Comments Blessed Assurance, He is Mine When I was young I would sing this song in church with the youth choir and I would hear my father belt this with confidence as he led us from the pulpit. I also have fond memories of hearing my grandfather telling the congregation to turn to a certain page in their hymnals and leading us off with that same confidence that my father had. I never understood why they sung this song with such confidence and meaning until I became a grown woman, and had fostered my own relationship with God. The words to this song have a whole new meaning. When I think of having trust and feeling safe in a relationship it really is to have a Blessed Assurance, meaning to feel confidently assured that this person is who they say they are, will have my back and they have my best interest at heart. When you're assured in anything, you are confident about that thing. Your position is not to worry that it will work out, if it is what it says it is, or is who they say they are; you trust it! The Scriptures teach that we can know with absolute certainty that we have the life of God within us (1 John 4:13). This confidence is not based on inner feelings or outward signs. Rather, this “blessed assurance” is founded upon the promises of a faithful God and His inspired Word and it depends not on the amount of our faith but on the object of our faith–Christ Himself! Hebrews 10:22-23 says, "Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith. . . .Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” This means being confident in my leader, God, and the gifts, talents, and knowledge He has placed in me. I know that without Him I am nothing. What does your confidence rest on? What were you put on this earth to be or to do? What is your story, what is your song? Believe me your story and song is what God uses to give you beauty for your ashes. (Isaiah 61:3) God and His Spirit that dwells in us gives us the power to overcome worry, stress, anxiety, low self esteem, and all the 'isms that I don't have time to name. So as we look worship today, let's worship with a Blessed Assurancee that says I am not ashamed of my story, and I will sing it with confidence. Not with confidence in me, but in who I worship for being a Blessed Assurance!
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9/18/2014 0 Comments Worship Into Your Season"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven." ~Ecclesiastes 3:1  Seasons come and go; they have a beginning and an end. We are finishing up summer, which is the time that what we planted is blossoming and we're going into fall, which is the time we harvest the fruit from our hard work. The farmer coordinates his activities by seasons because he knows it will produce the most fruit in it's season. Just like the seasons of the year, our faith has seasons. Do you know the seasons or your faith or what season you are in? Jesus used the parable of the fig tree (Matt 24:29-31) to illustrate that we need to be aware of our spiritual surroundings and seasons. One of the greatest tragedies for Christians is they do not recognize the season they are in. Spiritual seasons are not spiritual conditions of the you nor a way of measuring Godliness. God ordains spiritual seasons to provide the greatest spiritual fruit bearing and the greatest spiritual growth. God's seasonal plan includes periods of growth and periods of rest. Recognizing the season you're in and responding appropriately to that season, is the best way to insure continued spiritual growth and a life that bears Godly fruit. It's beneficial to learn to be comfortable with the season that God has ordained for you and allow God to move you from season to season. There are times of reflection, there are periods of vision, there are times when the when we will grieve and mourn and a time of revival. Allow Him to minister to you according to the current season not according to the last or next season. And as we're in the different seasons it is essential for us to be in touch with God . Doing this maximizes the spiritual growth and the production of spiritual fruit. We must be sensitive to the season we're in and develop our worship accordingly and remember that God's grace, favor, anointing, revelation Word are in each of our spiritual seasons. Enter Into Worship9/11/2014 0 Comments The Miracle of Grace I am not a stranger to God's grace. I've seen it over and over again in my life. But never has His grace been more miraculous and extraordinary than it has been in my life recently. His grace has been unending and on time, unfailing and never unkind. It is unmerited, undeserved at times, but we receive it. It just takes my breath away. I am sure it is because I have been audacious in my faith and in expectection of extraordinary because I know for sure, in this season of my life that God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly more than what we ask (Ephesians 3:20). Not only have I gotten to the point in my life when I know and understand the capacity and what an exceptional gift God's grace is, but I also have accepted my position as a princess, His chosen, the apple of His eye and the object of His affection. And I have postured myself to ask I have, late in those midnight hours, beseeched God, not to remove my current circumstances or conditions, but to lead the way in navigating me through those conditions. Not only did I rely on God to be the GPs, sometimes just asking Him to get me out of the 'parking lot', but I relied on Him to finance the journey. No longer did I scratch my head and wonder how He was going to do it. I just knew that He would. I began to just exist in the understanding that if He did it last year, last week or last night, He would do it again. Even though many sleepless, tear filled nights I had heart-to-heart conversations with God and asked Him when He was going to do it, I never doubted that He would. I filled my world with scripture confessions. I rejoiced and sang His praises through my tears. (1 Thessalonians 5:18) I thanked him in the midst of the storm because I knew, though my current condition had me sitting in the middle of a tornado, God would not allow a hair on my head to be touched (James 1:2). He would not allow my name to be defamed (Isaiah 54:4). He would continue to cover and keep me. He would have my best interest at heart. He would give me double for my trouble (Isaiah 61:7-11). Well, I am happy to share my testimony that after nine months of walking through what most times felt like quiksand in my job and career search, my God has stabilized my footing and carried me to terrain that should be a cinch to navigate since He will be by my side (Isaiah 43:2). You, see, He's in on EVERYthing I do. The worse is behind me and the best is yet to come. Thank you, God for Jesus (2 Corinthians 8:9). Since He will give us double for our trouble, I thought it only fair to worship Him to the second power. ~Contributed by: Veronica Franklin "Covered & Kept" Ministries" Enter Into Worship
9/3/2014 0 Comments Worship While I Wait "I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope. My soul waits for the Lord, More than the watchmen for the morning; Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning." Psalm 130:5-6. One of the important urgings of the Bible is the call to “wait on the Lord.” Even though God promises special blessing for waiting, waiting is one of the most difficult urgings of Scripture. Why is it so hard? Because, as a part of fallen humanity, we are so prone to take matters into our own hands, to follow our own plans. Yet, over and over again we are told in Scripture “wait on the Lord.” Even in our modern age of conveniences, waiting is still a big part of life. When we think of waiting, what comes to mind? We might conjure up visions of an airport terminal, a doctor’s waiting room, the line at the supermarket, or being stuck in rush hour traffic. The facts are, most of us are waiting for something most of the time:
The simple fact is, in spite of our modern age and our dislike for waiting, life is full of waiting. We have had a new ministry birthed through our covenant partner, Veronica Franklin, Covered and Kept for just the purpose of encourage those waiting on God to manifest visions, dreams and petition. She has made it her life mission to minister to those in the "wait of life". As she knows that one of the most challenging exhortations of Scripture is “Wait.” But waiting, despite our impatience and our dislike for it, is a vital element in life. Indeed, waiting has a number of benefits. The Lord tells us to wait, as it has some wonderful benefits. When the psalmist wrote in Psalm 130:5-6: “I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope. My soul waits for the Lord More than the watchmen for the morning; Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning,” he was comparing waiting expectantly on the Lord to the night guards of the city who watched the passage of time in anticipation of the coming dawn when they would be released from duty. The coming of the dawn was certain, but not without the passage of time. In our “I want it now generation” we must understand and accept the fact that waiting on the Lord always involves the passage of time just as it does when we are waiting for the news, a special program, for a plane to arrive, or for retirement. Waiting on the Lord inevitably means enduring the passage of time, but it means more, much more. Waiting means a confident expectation that God is going to do what He said and this is based on knowledge and trust. This means just not simply waiting—filled with and taking matters into our own hands. This means waiting seeking The Lord and taking action at the right time. This means waiting strengthens and enables and builds character. This also means resting in God's timing and trusting in His goodness that He will work this wait for His good in our life. You see waiting should lift us out of despair and cause us to praise God. When people patiently and expectantly wait on God, and worship in the midst of horrible circumstances, suddenly God breaks through. I don’t know what you are waiting to manifest in your life, but whatever it is the challenge of Scripture is to wait on the Lord because, unlike temporal man and the fleeting world in which we live, the sovereign Lord of the universe loves us with a steadfast love and personally cares for us like a father. So don't give up! Don’t stop believing! Stay full of hope and expectation and worship in the wait! Enter into Worship |
What is Worship?
The Apostle Paul described true worship perfectly in Romans 12:1:
“I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God which is your spiritual service of worship." Worship is first of all an experience. It may express itself through certain forms, but it is not primarily a form. It is an experience. It is a consciousness of the presence of God and a response to that consciousness. Worship expresses itself as an outreach of the deepest emotions of the soul in adoration, reverence, homage, exaltation, and praise to the Almighty. We hope that our Worship Wednesday creates a deeper more meaningful worship experience for you. Visit our other inspirational blog
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August 2015
CategoriesAll Are For Your Good! Are You Living In The Spiritual? Are You Operating In Your Gift? Ascribe To His Beauty Atmosphere Of Faith Blessed Assurance Come Clean And Break Free! Flow Giving Is Worship Greater Is Here Great Is Thy Faithfulness Hallelujah! Praise Him In The Hallway! Have Thine Way He Is Faithful! He Is Mine He Takes Our Ashes And Gives Us With Beauty! His Name Makes Things Happen I Need Thee! I Need You…Please Don't Pass Me By It Is Well With My Soul… Just Listen Living For His Glory Look Where He Brought You From Minister To Him Like Anna My Everything Overwhelmed? Cling To The Rock. Pouring Out Praise Quench Your Thirst Saturate Me Singing And Dancing In The Rain And Walking On Water Something Happen Something Out Of Nothing Speak Life Thank You Is The Heart Of Worship Thank You Lord For Everything! The Miracle Of Grace The Name Above All Names The Smile Of God Is The Goal Of Life This Is My Song This Is My Story True Bread ThatLasts! Want To Put A Smile On His Face? When Others Say Where He Is Wholly Surrendered Who Needs A Super Here When He Is There! Will You Worship In The Midst Of The Storm? Withholding Nothing Withhold Nothing Worship Brings A Word In Your Season Worship In Barrenness Worship Into Your Season Worship While I Wait Your Gift Will Look Good On You. Unwrap It. |
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