Soaring in Praise and Worship

As soon as Sis. Gallimore asked me to speak about Soaring in Praise and Worship, I started thinking and praying about what I wanted to say.  We arrived in Hawaii on Sunday, August 4th.  That Tuesday morning I went out for a run and came back with inspiration! 

My spot on Saturday morning as I prayed and reviewed my notes.

I decided to use the word SOAR as an acronym and teach from that.  This isn't my complete lesson, but here are my four main points:

S = Sacrifice

This means as a slaughter, the flesh of an animal.  In the Old Testament sacrifice always involved death.  In the New Testament Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice.

Romans 12:1 says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

Albert Barnes commentary said this, “A sacrifice is an offering made to God as an atonement for sin; or any offering made to him and his service as an expression of thanksgiving. It implies that he who offers it presents it entirely, releases all claim or right to it, and leaves it to be disposed of for the honor of God. In the case of an animal, it was slain, and the blood offered; in the case of any other offering, as the first-fruits, etc., it was set apart to the service of God; and he who offered it released all claim on it, and submitted it to God, to be disposed of at his will.  We must devote ourselves to God, as if we no longer had any claim on ourselves; to be disposed of by him; to suffer and bear all that he might appoint; and to promote his honor in any way which he might command.”

O = Oblation

This is not a word we use these days.  It is only found in the Old Testament, but the concept of an oblation is very interesting.  It means something brought near the altar.  It denotes any offering that is not a “bloody” sacrifice - a thank-offering; an offering of incense, flour, grain, etc.

In Numbers chapter 31, the children of Israel went to battle against the Midianites.  Twelve thousand men of Israel went to battle.  All the men of Midian were killed, but not a single Israelite was lost.

Numbers 31:49-50 says, "And they said unto Moses, Thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war which are under our charge, and there lacketh not one man of us.   We have therefore brought an oblation for the LORD, what every man hath gotten, of jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, to make an atonement for our souls before the LORD."

This was a freewill offering, out of the spoil, over and above what was expected.  If we really want to soar in praise and worship we need to go over and above our reasonable service of sacrifice and bring an oblation.

A = Adoration

The words adore and adoration are not found in the Bible, although one of the definitions of worship is adore.

From Webster’s dictionary:

to worship or honor as a deity or as divine

to regard with loving admiration and devotion.

to be very fond of 

Mathew 8:2 says, "And behold, there came to him a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean."  The leper worshipped before the need was met

Mathew 14:33 says, "And they that were in the boat worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God."   Those in the ship worshipped after Jesus calmed the storm

It doesn't matter if you're in a storm or just coming out of a storm, it's always the right time to adore Him!

R = Rejoice

To brighten up, be gleesome, joyful, exceeding gladness, to shout for joy, to spin around

Full of cheer, calmly happy

I thought calmly happy was a very interesting definition.  It's not what we normally think of when we think "rejoice," it seems deeper than an outward demonstration.

1Samuel 2:1-2 says, "And Hannah prayed, and said: My heart exulteth in Jehovah; My horn is exalted in Jehovah; My mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; Because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as Jehovah; For there is none besides thee, Neither is there any rock like our God."

Mathew 2:10 says, "And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy."  The definition of this word rejoice is calmly happy.

Conclusion:

To SOAR in worship and praise we must:

Bring the sacrifice of our lives,

Bring an oblation that is beyond what is expected

Adore Him because He’s worthy

Rejoice for all He’s done!

Rejoicing!

Les and I went to see Bro. Gallimore yesterday afternoon before church.  He is doing GREAT!  He's doing so great that he is going home today!  He had brain surgery on Friday, was up and walking on Saturday and was ready to go home on Sunday!  God is great!

Bro. and Sis. Gallimore are two of the sweetest people of God.  They gave all glory to Him and were so thankful for the prayers of the saints during this time.  The doctor felt that he got the entire mass - it was "floating" around and had not attached to the brain.  We are believing God for a full and complete recovery!

Driving My Testimony

I have written before about our faithful 1992 Saturn. About a year and a half ago the odometer quit working at 292,941 miles. So while we don't know exactly how many miles she has, we know it's over 300,000!!


In 1999, our church started the "Millennium Fund" to raise funds for a future building. Our Saturn had about 100,000 miles at that time. Les and I committed to give and I prayed that our car would keep running.

A couple weeks ago we had her in for a tune-up. There were a couple other things that needed to be fixed as well. The total cost was about the same as a single car payment. When we got her back, she was just purring! I called to thank our mechanic (who is a neighbor and overall nice guy) and he said, "Maybe it'll last another 100,000 miles!"

It dawned on me last week - every time we drive that car it is a testament to God's faithfulness. Every time she starts up, it's an answer to prayer. People can't believe we are driving a 19 year old car, but I want to keep on driving her! She's like the widow's cruse of oil and barrel of meal that didn't run out (See I Kings chapter 17.) She's a testimony all her own!

Palm Sunday

Matthew 21

1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,
2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.
3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

It's been more then 2000 years since Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. But He is still worthy of praise! Blessed is HE who comes in the name of the Lord! Will you praise Him today?

Revival Continues

We had an awesome weekend at church! Bro. Jackson preached an amazing message last night from 1 Samuel chapter 21. He found that the Hebrew word that is translated as feigned is the same as praise. So in verse 13 when it says David " feigned himself mad in their hands" he actually praised himself crazy!

Psalm 34 has this little tidbit before the verses:
A Psalm of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed.

Here are the first four verses:
1 I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Yeah, we had some crazy praise going on in the house!

We also had a first time van rider who was really touched by God yesterday. Both in the morning and evening services she was praying and seeking after God. She had never been in a Pentecostal church before, but she knew she was feeling something real. It was beautiful watching the tears stream unashamedly down her face as she called out to God.

Our services continue tomorrow night and I'm looking forward to what God has in store!

Above All

We started revival at our church last week with Bro. Wesley Jackson from Little Rock, Arkansas. God has showed up in a big way - doing great things! I have sat in awe as Bro. Jackson has preached exactly what our church needs to hear.

Sunday night after service I said to one of my peeps, "Are you getting everything you need in this revival?" While the question was a good one, I was later convicted about my lack of faith. God is definitely in the business of meeting needs, but He's capable of so much more! He doesn't want us to live a life of "needs being met." He is "able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us."

We start our second week of revival tonight and I'm upping my expectations!

Answered Prayer!

This is the face...

of someone who just ran in the RAIN!!! Yes, that's right! It is raining this morning!! There's been a storm in the forecast for a few days, but you know how that is. It might rain and it might not. When I got up this morning it was cloudy, but dry. 54% chance of rain. That's 46% chance of NO rain in my book, so I headed out.

About a mile from home it started sprinkling, then coming down a little harder! As the water was hitting my face, all I could do was laugh! I've been praying for rain. I posted about it here and here. What was I going to do? Shake my fist to the sky and say, "Lord, I wanted rain, just not now!!" Instead, I said, "Thanks, Lord, we really need this!"

I had to decide if I would continue running or not. I was close enough to home to quit, but decided to enjoy it instead. After about half a mile, it stopped and I continued on my way. Just as I made my final turn towards home, with about 3 miles to go, it started raining again. Oh, but I knew that when I got home, a warm shower awaited. With about a mile to go, I remember I had the ingredients for pumpkin muffins, so those went in the oven before I took my shower!

And that is exactly how life is. It is not a matter of IF a storm will come, but WHEN. 54% chance of trial, means 46% of smooth sailing! But it's what we do when the storm comes that counts. We can cover ourselves with a protective shell, hoping that life won't hurt us, but we'll never grow that way and we'll never know the joy of coming through the storm. And remember, there's a Home prepared and it's more than pumpkin muffins waiting for you!

I'm sitting here now, clean and dry, and have enjoyed 2 muffins! I don't regret running in the rain!!

He's Worthy of Praise!

I had an incredible run this morning. I really enjoy running on the weekends since there is so much less traffic. I headed out at about 5:30 and it was still a little dark, but as I ran westward, a beautiful full moon was shining! It felt like Fall - about 50 degrees, just cool enough for a windbreaker. And Peeps, that's not freezing! It's about as perfect as it gets!!

Most mornings I pray while I run and this morning was no exception. I prayed for needs of friends and family. I specifically prayed for our weather. We're in our fire season and I asked God to spare us this year and send rain instead.

But this morning, I mostly just praised! I've been working on new choir material and although I don't run with an iPod, it seemed like I had one today. Words and phrases kept running through my mind. Words like:

Where would I be, if not for Your grace?
Grace that restores
Grace that redeems
Grace that releases me to worship

And

He's been good
Sho'nuff good!
He's been good to me!

And

Jesus, most beautiful name that I know

And

You're the Lion of Judah, You are the Great I AM
You're holy... mighty... worthy of the glory

And one of the songs we're planning on singing tomorrow:

O Lord, You have turned my mourning into dancing
Over and over and over again

I thought of Solomon when he said, "the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee." I know we often sing about ourselves or the church, and even sometimes the devil. But today all the songs were about HIM! It was wonderful praising God in the midst of His creation!

My legs are feeling the affects of 14 miles, but my spirit is completely refreshed! Can't wait to see what God has in store for tomorrow!!

No Greater Joy - Part 2!

Post #3 for today is by far the greatest!!

We just received word that Lance's youngest daughter, Hannah, received the Holy Ghost last Saturday night during their church's children's revival! She waited to be baptized this Sunday because Lance was out of town last weekend.

I'm sure Lance and Monica are over the moon with joy - both of their daughters have received the Holy Ghost this year!

Love this girl!!

No Greater Joy

3 John 1:4 "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."

Lance was telling us about a conversation he had with Claire a few weeks ago. Claire has had quite a summer - trips, camp, Music is for Kids, etc.

Lance said, "Out of all the things you've done this summer, what was the best part?"

Claire replied, "The Tuesday night at Youth Camp when I got the Holy Ghost."

Aww... that just made my heart sing!


I know the summer is winding down for most - to all Youth Camp workers everywhere THANK YOU for your love and care for the children and young people you ministered to this year! 35 years later I'm proof that it's not in vain.

Filling the Hungry

Last night, Bro. Carroll preached from Psalm 107:9 "For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness." I'm happy to report that two more hungry souls were filled with the Holy Ghost last night!!

Jason is 9 years old. His older brother, Eric, is also seeking for the Holy Ghost and we're praying that he will receive it this week.

Delores is one of the moms from our triple baby shower in March. I had a great view of her (again, from the piano) and it just never gets old seeing someone filled with God's great gift.

One other cool thing I noticed during the altar service - several of those who received the Holy Ghost last week were in the altar praying for others!

14 and counting...

Drum Roll, Please...

We had FOUR more receive the gift of the Holy Ghost last night! God is doing great things!!

Let me tell you about our 4 newest babies:

Mariah is 5 (her mom is Rebekah who received the Holy Ghost yesterday morning) and Angelica is 7. "it's for your children..."

Hector is married to Debbie who received the Holy Ghost yesterday morning. They came in to service a little late last night and ended up sitting behind Les and me. During the preaching, I heard Hector say, "I just don't get it. Why does it take the Holy Ghost to be saved?" I quietly started praying for him during the remainder of the sermon. As soon as the altar call was given, Hector went forward. I slipped back to give Debbie a few words of encouragement and we prayed together for him. It wasn't long before I saw Bro. Carroll praying with Hector and Hector received the Holy Ghost!! Then Debbie and I made it to the front in time to see her son, Juan, receive the Holy Ghost!

Hector and Debbie were also baptized last night. I was talking to them afterward and Hector said, "I think I was just mad or jealous that she got the Holy Ghost this morning and I didn't!" I'm sure we've got the devil stirred up and he's trying to put roadblocks in the way of hungry hearts, but it didn't work this time!

Mary was also baptized last night and her parents and siblings were in service for the first time to see it. It was great meeting them and we pray it isn't the last time they come.

Our schedule this week will be service on Wednesday night only. We have tonight off and prayer meeting Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Since we had 2 receive the Holy Ghost last week when it was "just" a prayer meeting, I can't wait to see what happens next!

In case you've lost track - we've had 12 receive the Holy Ghost so far!

Three More!

We had 3 more receive the Holy Ghost this morning! Sorry I don't have any pictures, but I was at the piano again. I'll see if I can "steal" some!

Debbie is the mother of twin boys who started coming through our van ministry. Rebekah is the mother of three girls. And Bobby has been seeking the Holy Ghost for many months.

It's for everyone!!

We have two more services today - one that is going on right now, entirely in Spanish, and our evening service at 6:30. But for now it's time for a nap so I'll have energy for tonight.

Exciting News!

We have had 2 more receive the Holy Ghost this week!! One last night at prayer and another tonight at prayer! Our church has been needing a Holy Ghost break through and I'm so excited to see it come to pass! Our total is now FIVE this week!!

Praying for more tomorrow and that you all have great church, too!

Holy Ghost Report!

We started revival with Bro. Carroll from Louisiana last night and three people got the Holy Ghost!!! How's that for a Wednesday night? We received a paper with pictures of people in our church (children and adults) who are seeking the Holy Ghost so we can remember to pray for them everyday. I guess we can put 3 stars on the chart!

Pictured below are Mary and Rachel. Mary started coming to church in March and has been receiving a Bible study from Rachel. Mary has been seeking the Holy Ghost since she started coming and has been so hungry. I was on the keyboard last night during the altar service and had a "front row seat" as Mary was crying and praying, then began speaking in a heavenly language! It was so beautiful to watch. That just never gets old! Her face was a delight! When she finished speaking in tongues, she stopped and the look of wonder made me laugh and cry at the same time! We spoke about the Holy Ghost a couple weeks ago, and I told her that when she received the Holy Ghost it would be the best feeling in the world. The look on her face told me she had that feeling! Mary will be getting baptized in Jesus' name on Sunday and we're looking forward to more receiving the Holy Ghost this weekend as well!


If you're in the Los Angeles area and looking for a great church, you are welcome at Victory Tabernacle anytime! 1614 W. Victory Blvd., Burbank, CA.

He is Risen!

Luke 24

1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.

3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:

5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?

6 He is not here, but is risen...

Cell Phones, Balloons, Stolen Basses and Other Unrelated Stories

While we were waiting for our flight to Nashville to take off last Friday morning, we were seated next to a woman on her cell phone. She was the typical LOUD cell phone user, gabbing away, sharing information with those seated close to her whether they wanted to hear it or not...

As this was continuing, the flight attendant started talking to the man directly in front of Cell Phone Lady. Several people had chimed in on the conversation when CPL said, "I'm going to have to hang up, it's getting noisy in here." Les and I about fell out of our seats with laughter!


During the reception, I got in lots of hugs from my niece Hannah. Their family was headed to Charleston, SC, during the girls' Spring Break. With each hug, Hannah would say, "I wish you were going with us."

Awwww.... yeah, that was me in the puddle on the floor.


After the reception, Les and I went to Red Robin with his cousin Jonathan and his family. Of course their little girl, Morgan, wanted a pink balloon and their son, Mason, wanted a blue one. As we headed to our table, we spotted some other folks we knew. During the chitchat, Mason asked me to tie his balloon on his wrist. It was all good until we sat down, and his balloon became untied, quickly escaping to the ceiling.

In a typical child's response, Morgan began to cry. Then he told his dad, "I NEED it, quick!" His dad stood as tall as possible, and still couldn't reach. What is an almost 3 year old to do? He quickly came up with this solution, "We can go to Walmart, and buy a ladder to get it down!"


As we were boarding our flight home, we were behind a young lady. She was reading "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer. Yes, reading on the jetway. She'd take 2 or 3 steps, then open her book and continue reading. A few times a gap would open up between her and the rest of the passengers boarding. I thought she seemed quite interested in her book, but with a 4+ hour flight, didn't think it was necessary to get such a head start on her reading.

I was wrong. She was seated across the aisle from me and as soon as she was buckled in, she fell asleep! Guess she knew the only reading she was going to do was while she was standing up!


And finally, Bro. Mike Rickenbaker told us an amazing story while we were in Nashville. Over the course of several years, he had three electric bass guitars stolen from the church.

Bro. Rickenbaker has been involved in prison ministry for many, many years. A prisoner started attending their services. After some time, the prisoner came to Bro. Rickenbaker and said, "I need to ask your forgiveness." This man was responsible for stealing two of the three basses, and God was dealing with him to repent of this sin. Of course the basses had been sold long ago, but Bro. Rickenbaker forgave the man. This man has now been baptized in Jesus' name and filled with the Holy Ghost!! You just never know what will happen when someone steals from the church!

Revival Report

I can't believe I haven't written about the revival services we've been having! Our church is revived!! It has been an incredible two weeks and we start week three tonight. God is moving in the lives of young people, children, old people, saints, and visitors!

Our Evangelist is Bro. Scott Kerr, Jr., from Canton, Ohio and his preaching has been right on! His wife is a sweetheart and she has been playing the piano every night during altar call, so all of our musicians have gotten a break! It's been so awesome just being able to linger in the altar, not paying any attention to the music, because Sis. Kerr just makes it happen! They both have been a great blessing.

From Merriam Webster.com:

\ri-ˈvī-vəl\

Function:

noun

Date:

1651

1: an act or instance of reviving : the state of being revived: as a: renewed attention to or interest in something b: a new presentation or publication of something old c (1): a period of renewed religious interest (2): an often highly emotional evangelistic meeting or series of meetings 2: restoration of force, validity, or effect (as to a contract)

All the definitions above fit what is going on in our church, but especially "renewed attention to or interest in something" - there is a renewed attention to VICTORY and interest in Living for God!!

Can't wait to see what God has in store this week.

Running in the Cold!

To truly enjoy these pictures, click on them to enlarge them!

I know I blog a lot about running, but today ranks among one of my favorites! Not because I was super fast, because I wasn't, but it was a beautiful morning! After a very cold storm yesterday, the world was clean and fresh! Yes, I wanted to stay in my warm flannel sheets but I was definitely rewarded for my efforts!

This was the temperature AFTER I got home. Peeps, that's definitely cold! (But not freezing!!)



This tree is in our next door neighbor's yard.
I took this from my front yard.


This was taken about two miles from our house. I had a feeling running with my camera would be a good idea today!


Here are the hills that were burned a couple months ago. New life already!



As I headed home, I felt like singing "How Great Thou Art." So I did!

Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

Give Thanks

Gratitude is a seasoning for all seasons.
- Mom's Bible

I realize today is not actually Thanksgiving, but I'm posting this a week early because it's on my mind! In Second Timothy chapter 3, Paul takes four verses to list attributes of men in the last days. In the middle of that list, after disobedient to parents, and before unholy, is the word "unthankful".

If I started listing all that I am thankful for this year, I would take up pages and pages. My life is FULL of blessings! God has been so good to me. He has been by my side through some tough times, but He's also been with me on the good days, the normal days, the boring days! He just keeps blessing, saving, and healing!

So on the top of my list - God! I'm so thankful for His hand in my life. I'm thankful for the Word of God, for salvation, for the hope of heaven.

Les - what a rock he is in my life. Always steady. Faithful to me. My best friend. The one person on the planet that I'd rather be with than anyone else! Whether it be a hospital room or a cruise ship, we're in this together to the end! I'm so thankful that he has been able to eat a few more normal foods this week - mashed potatoes, baked beans, tortellini, bread, and donuts to name a few!

Family - I'm so glad for family! They're part of my life whether they like it or not! I'm thankful for Dad's improving health. Kim, I'm thankful for the relationship I have with you. Krysten and Lauren - you are two of the sweetest young ladies in the world and I love you to the moon and back! I'm thankful for all my nieces, nephews, extended family - in-laws and out-laws!

Friends - I won't even list a single name, that way no one gets their feelings hurt! Friends of old from Fresno, scattered hither and yon, newer friends in Burbank, friends across the country. Friends from camps, conferences, and Bible quizzing. Friends that read my blog that I haven't met yet! I'm thankful for you all!

I also want to add that I'm so thankful for my health. I ran 13 miles this morning and I don't take those steps for granted. I know there are many who are too sick to walk across the street.

I've been blessed with many material things - but "things" don't know if you appreciate them or not - only God and people do!

I hope wherever you spend Thanksgiving, you'll take time to Give Thanks!