Why I Worship

What Is Worship, Why Do We Worship, How to Worship

“What are you gonna do… with freedom?”

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I’m a sucker for a good war movie. The 2000 blockbuster “The Patriot” starring Mel Gibson is one of my favorites.

There is a scene in the movie that shows an exchange between a white militia soldier and a slave who has been serving in the militia after being signed up by his master. The slave is looking at a poster on a sign post in the town where they are gathering supplies which states that “any slave who serves the Confederate Army for a period of one year will be granted freedom at the end of his service.” He stares out into the sky with a look of wonder and says “Only six more months…” The white soldier looks at him and says, condescendingly “Boy, what are you gonna do… with freedom?”

Our Pastor, Bishop Tony Miller, has been sharing a series on Freedom for the past few weeks. In this series, he is teaching the differences between deliverance and freedom. This series is radically changing lives in our church.

One of the major downfalls of many “deliverance” ministries is that people do not understand what to do after they experience or receive deliverance. They do not understand that there are two different aspects to this concept of being free from the things that come to bind and distract from Gods purposes in their lives. Because of this misunderstanding, many people receive deliverance and enjoy it for a short time, but then end up back in the same place of bondage because they did not know how to walk into freedom.

Deliverance is an event which places a person in a position to move forward in their life. Freedom is the process by which we walk out what was done for us in the deliverance.

In Galations chapter 5, verse 1, Paul encourages us to “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”

Bishop Tony points out that deliverance is done for me by removing me from the “environment of the oppressor” but Freedom is an experience which requires my willingness to be responsible for my own life and becomes a reality through the knowledge of God invading my life. Paul tells us in Philipians chapter 2, verse 12 to “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling…”

I encourage you, today, to consider the areas of your life where you need to exercise the freedom that Jesus has provided for you and begin to “walk out” that freedom!

God has provided everything you need to be free from anything that binds you or hinders you from being everything He created you to be. You can begin today, right now, to experience the freedom of God in every area of your life!!!

Really? You lost Jesus???

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This week, I’ve been privileged to be a part of an event called The Gathering of Eagles, here in Oklahoma City. This is a time where my Pastors, Bishop Tony and Pastor Kathy Miller bring christian leaders from all over the world in to their home for a time of fellowship, prayer, worship, and spiritual rejuvenation.

In one of our times together, Bishop Tony shared from Luke chapter two. This is the story of when Jesus was a child and his parents took him back to Jerusalem for the celebration of the Passover.

Verse 44 of this chapter says “and assuming he was with them, they traveled a days journey…” This statement should bring us all to a point of serious  self evaluation.

How many times have we as worship leaders stood on stage… “assuming that He was with us?”

How many “set lists” have we put together… “assuming that He was with us?”

I’ll be even so bold as to ask this one: How many songs have we written… “assuming that He was with us?”

Father, please help me today to stay so close you that I never have to make an assumption about whether or not you are with me. Don’t let me waste time having to “go back” to the place where I lost sight of your presence. Don’t let me mistake “relatives and acquaintances”(things that resemble former glory or past experiences) for the real power of your presence on my life. I want to be like Moses, in Exodus 33 verse 15, when he said “if your presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.”

“I don’t want to talk about you like you’re not in the room. I want to look right at you. I want to sing right to you!”

What Do You See?

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2 Kings 6 verses 15 thru 17 tells us the account of the time when Elisha and his servant found themselves in a rather sticky situation.
The servant asks the question that I feel many of us have asked or may be asking right now: “What do we do now?”
Elisha answers by saying “Don’t worry. The ones who are with us are greater that the ones who are against us.”
The servant replies saying “But sir, its only you and me! There no one here with us!”
Elisha prays that the Father would open his eyes and he then sees the HEAVENLY army that is gathered there to do battle for them.
What do YOU see today?
Do you see your enemies? Do you see circumstances that are too great for you to walk through?
Or can you see the army of God that is encamped around you just waiting to hear your voice commanding them to move into battle?
I encourage you today to allow God to open your eyes to His mighty power and abundant provision for your life!