Sing the Song that God gave You!!

A Song of Birthing.

When we think of the idea of birth several pictures may instantly come to mind.  A little baby taking its first breath, likely in the form of a loud cry.  An expectant mother in the final stages of labor, both exhausted and in full anticipation of the expected joy at the end of what has been an arduous nine-month journey.  A nervous father, wondering what lies on the other side of this life changing event.  Regardless of what images the word birth may evoke, they are all the signs leading up to a tremendous change.  Cries will cease, pains will diminish, and nerves will settle.  And the family will have expanded by one.

In our Made to Worship series we’ve been looking at different ways we worship and how that can deeply impact our spiritual and personal lives.  One simple, yet profound way to receive more of what God has for us is by singing.  In Isaiah 54, the Lord likens the exiled Israelites to a barren woman.  They probably felt hopeless, in pain, not knowing what the future had for them and their once thriving nation.  That’s the opposite of a birth story.  There was no anticipation of the future.  No joyous moment awaiting.  God’s command to them in the midst of this?  Sing.  Even more, ‘…burst into song, shout for joy…’  When we sing the praises of God we are declaring among other things His promises for us, His hopes for us, and His righteous view of us.  And in so doing we will ‘Enlarge the place of [our] tent..’  God wants immeasurably more for us than we could imagine and singing is a powerful way to enter into that.  One pastor I used to know would say that, ‘When faith is in the heart, praise in on the lips.’  When we’re declaring the praises of God with our voices, that’s taking a step of faith, no matter how big or small.  And just like with the exiled Israelites and their eventual return to the promise land, God will honor our worship.  He will enlarge our tents.  His kingdom will expand here and now by the choral proclamations that burst forth from our mouths.  He will be made known more deeply in our hearts and serve as a witness to others who have yet to hear of His promises.  The next time we worship the Lord, together or individually, let’s remember the power of singing.  And let’s sing just a little more confidently, in anticipation of what new thing God would birth in our lives.

--Chris Canfield

When Worship feels like a Junior High Dance

Most people can remember attending a dance in Junior High School.  For some they are great memories, but for others the memories consist of standing along the wall, watching others have all the fun.  I can remember all of the extroverts trying to get us introverts out on the dance floor.  The pressure was unbearable.  They simply couldn’t understand that we were introverts, we were completely satisfied with our place on the wall.  We didn’t care if they danced and had a good time, why did they care so much if we chose not to? 

When I was 19, and well out of Junior High, I found myself attending a church.  I may not have been in Junior High any longer, but the pressures felt very familiar.  Instead of the “you can only have fun if you dance” pressures, it was the “you can only have true worship if you dance” pressure.  Once again, there was a group of people that simply couldn’t understand that being an introvert was not a problem that needed to be fixed.  I don’t care if you raise your hands and dance during worship, why do you care if I don’t? Not too long after I was baptized, I found myself wishing that I could experience the same freedom in worship that others had.  I realized that although I was an introvert, it wasn’t the reason I couldn’t enjoy a dance back in Junior High and it also wasn’t the reason I couldn’t fully experience worship.   The truth is, I was incredibly fearful of what others might think.  I was terrified of being judged.  Fighting for my freedom to be an introvert was keeping me from pushing through that fear experiencing the true freedom that comes from worshipping my Savior. 

Today, when I find myself starting to worry about what others may think as I worship, I remind myself of that Junior High girl that never truly experienced a school dance, and I begin to worship with freedom.  I raise my hands, move my feet and sing out words of praise and worship to my Savior.

--Julie Tamez

Building a House of Worship where you Live!!

The rich legacy of the Book of Psalms applies to our worship today, just as it did to that of the early Church. David’s exhortation to his people to praise and worship the Lord and to rejoice before Him is also punctuated by his heartfelt testimony of human trial and passion. David’s anger, sorrow, broken-heartedness, grief, confession and repentance before the Lord are the milestones he left behind, and by which, we can trace our own walk of faith. As the psalmist so vividly testifies from his own life, worship brings not only our praise and adoration to the altar of the Lord, but also our problems and limitations. The humbling of our will, joined to our worship of God at the altar, will produce a power encounter with Him of majestic proportions.

Anyone can incorporate the practical suggestions listed below to offer the sacrifice of praise and make your home a worship center. Whatever your domestic status—whether you have a believing spouse or family, if you live alone, or are a single parent—the key element is in your own personal response to God’s call.  

Kneel. “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker” (Psalm 95:6).

Kneeling is an acknowledged point of submission, a way to bring anything under Christ’s dominion. I have cultivated a habit of kneeling in worship to the Lord as I get out of bed each morning; affirming that He is the ruler of my household, my life, and my family. Making a “Sonrise” declaration of Jesus Christ invites and welcomes His presence into my day.

Sing. “Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.” (Psalm 95:1).

Singing worship to the Lord releases joy! It refreshes and renews us even in times of pain, and it helps us maintain a fresh flow of the Spirit of the Lord in and through our lives. Whatever the quality of your voice, you will be blessed when you sing the praises of God during both abundant and wilderness seasons.

Invite God to dinner. “My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord.” (Psalm 145:21). 

Our table talk can be a point of teaching and ministry to our children, if we don’t make it an exercise of pompous piety. Keep spiritual reality “natural” to the family circle and invite conversation that allows each member to talk about what the Lord is doing in their life.

Teach your children to develop their own devotional life. “We will show forth Your praise to all generations.” (Psalm 79:13). 

As Anna and I raised our four children, we chose to use our parental influence to lead them in cultivating their own private devotional lives on a daily basis. Our family times of prayer and reading the Word together were occasional rather than daily.

Pray…while feeding on the Word. “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20). 

Along with private devotions, pray together with your spouse, family or others in your household, inviting everyone to share their prayer requests. Make it a time of openness and liberty. Occasionally speak the creative Word of God aloud in your home.

Worship in your spiritual language. “I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding” (I Corinthians 14:14). 

Our praise abounds beyond all human limitation when we worship the Lord with our spiritual language.

Have communion. “Do this in remembrance of Me…” (I Corinthians 11:24-26). 

When we celebrate communion, we are celebrating the grandest altar of all—the Cross of Calvary. Upon the Cross, the Son of God was laid forth as the sacrifice to reconcile all humankind to God. Let your home be a place where the testimony of what Jesus accomplished in His death and resurrection is lifted up.

--Jack Hayford

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How to do Christmas "right"

The key to doing Christmas “right”

As a kid, Christmas in our home was always a special time.  My family didn’t have a lot of money, but my parents always made sure that our Christmas was done “just right”.  They were excellent at building our anticipation for Santa’s arrival.  We sent letters to the North Pole, stayed up late on Christmas Eve watching classic Christmas movies and then woke up early Christmas morning to find that Santa had enjoyed his cookies and milk and left gifts for each of us under the tree.  

Years later, when I had kids of my own, I was determined to replicate the same experience for my kids.  I went above and beyond to give my kids the full “Santa Experience”.  My kids loved it!  However, having received the Lord as my Savior, I felt a bit convicted when making Christmas all about Santa.  I decided to include Jesus in our traditions through the reading of the Christmas Story on Christmas Eve.  I even added a nativity scene to our decorations.  I wanted to make sure that my kids enjoyed a Christmas filled with Santa and yet also knew all about the miracle of Jesus’ birth.  The changes seemed to satisfy the conviction I had been feeling.  However, as my relationship with the Lord grew, I realized there was so much more.  I learned that Christmas isn’t only about celebrating Jesus’ birth, it’s celebrating what Jesus is doing right now.  My husband and I began to look for ways in which our family could serve others during the holidays.  We want our kids to experience and celebrate what Jesus is doing RIGHT NOW.

Although I will always cherish the Christmas memories I have from my childhood, I now believe that doing Christmas “right” is really all about celebrating what Jesus is doing “right now”.  

-- Julie Tamez 

Are you shining your Light this Christmas?

Jesus said “You (and I) are the light of the world…”

(Matthew 5:14-16 ESV)

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Many years ago, I took my family camping to a place called “Twin Lakes” just outside Bridgeport, Ca. As many of you know, camping without the proper equipment can be uncomfortable, dirty, gritty, and chaotic. But most of us also know that all those encumbrances and how we respond to them (good or bad) creates a bonding with our family members that becomes deeply engrained in our family memories. One such memory includes the glow of the camp fire. I can remember my beautiful daughters and their mother (she’s beautiful too) all wrapped in blankets fending off the coolness of the night air. We talked in whispers, gazed at the black night pierced with bright shining specs of chrome-like light, and talked about how big and wonderful our creator is. All the while, I was consciously aware of the darkness just outside the glow of the subsiding campfire. Being a rookie at camping “lions, tigers and bears’ lurked just outside the perimeter of the glow. I was so grateful for the light.

Today, I am grateful for a different kind of light. It’s the light that Jesus brings into His world. A light that He shares with me that burns within me like the comforting glow of a campfire. Jesus declared in John 8:12, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." This verse reminds me that in my professing to having seen His Light and embracing it, He has imparted to me that same light to shine for others who are experiencing the darkness and chaos of camping in this world. After all it’s only for approximately 70 years and then, or not, (depending on your belief) “in the world to come, He will be the lamp in the midst of New Jerusalem, a light to all nations, and "the nations will walk by its light" (Revelations 21:24).

--Pastor Mike Valdez