Re: [FamilyofGod] Re: The Art of Worship
From: richard_deborah_
To: FamilyofGod@
Sent: Tuesday, October 13, 2009 1:24:36 PM
Subject: [FamilyofGod] Re: The Art of Worship
Amen!!! My beloved and beautiful sister, Wanda!!! AMEN!!!
--- In FamilyofGod@ yahoogroups. com, Wanda Ward <angelina56p47@ ...> wrote:
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> The Lord inhabbits the praises of his people, when the praises go up to the Lord the blessings come down. the more we praise him the more he hears our request. I love to be in a service where they are thinking more about serving God than about what is going on around them. whether we are lifting our voices singing or our hands in praise or dancing in the spirit, God knows our needs and he always makes a way.
> Â wanda
> GOD IS LOVE
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> ____________ _________ _________ __
> From: D. A. Truesdell <truesdell67@ ...>
> To: Prayer Requests <Agapeloveprayerwarr iors@yahoogroups .com>
> Sent: Tue, October 13, 2009 1:09:01 PM
> Subject: [FamilyofGod] The Art of Worship
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> Â
> The Art of Worship
> Jehoshaphat Discovers an Unexpected Path to Victory
> By Adam Colwell
> Have you ever faced a crisis that seemed insurmountableâ€"and had absolutely no idea what to do about it? For such situations, there’s a powerful resource available to us as children of God. But it’s one that is easy to overlook and, unfortunately, often not utilized effectively, if at all, in the bustle of our harried lives.
> “When we worship God,â€� Darlene Zschech wrote in her book Extravagant Worship, “He is exalted, and our problems shrivel in His presence. ‘Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.’ Remember that song? That is the truth. When He is exalted, everything about usâ€"the good, the bad, and the uglyâ€"is decreased as we focus on Him.â€�
> A man in the Bible who did appreciate the power of worship is a person you’ve also perhaps overlooked, as he was one of the many Old Testament rulers. You may recognize his name, though. It’s Jehoshaphatâ€"and his story is nothing short of extraordinary.
> A Near Miss
> Jehoshaphat was one of only six kings of Judah that Scripture distinguished for their godliness. Second Chronicles 17 tells us, “The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father David’s earlier days .. . . He took great pride in the ways of the Lord and again removed the high places and the Asherim from Judah� (vv. 3, 6). Recognizing the importance of divine teachings, Jehoshaphat also set out, in the third year of his reign, to teach the people God’s law. As a result, the “dread of the Lord was on all the kingdoms of the lands� (v. 10) so that even the Philistines brought him tribute.
> Still, Jehoshaphat made a nearly fatal mistake by aligning himself with Ahab, the wicked king of the northern kingdom (18:1). When asked by Ahab to join in a military campaign to recover Ramoth-Gilead, Jehoshaphat agreed (v. 3). While all of Ahab’s chosen prophets predicted success, Micaiahâ€"a man of God allowed to speak only after Jehoshaphat’s insistenceâ€"foresaw a different outcome. He said God had used a lying spirit to delude all the other prophets so that Ahab might meet his doom (v. 21). In the end, Ahab ignored Micaiah and did indeed perish in the battle (vv. 28-33). Jehoshaphat was attacked but escaped unharmed; in the process, he learned a valuable lesson about honoring the Lord above all others, which would ultimately save him and his people from certain destruction.
> A New Tactic
> In 2 Chronicles 20:1-2, the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites from Mount Seir decided to declare war against Judah. Scripture describes this army as a “great multitude . . . from beyond the sea,â€� one so intimidating that Jehoshaphat was convinced his forces were impotent against it. Yet look how this godly king immediately responded: “Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judahâ€� (v. 3). Instead of relying on an alliance with another nation as he had with Ahab, Jehoshaphat this time entrusted his kingdomâ€"and his peopleâ€"to God alone.
> His prayer, which is quoted in full in 2 Chronicles 20:6-12, was particularly impressive. Jehoshaphat first praised the Lord as the supreme ruler, possessor of all power and might. He then recited how God had given them the land and allowed them to build a temple to His name. Next, he presented the impending attack, in very specific terms, to the Lord, closing with these words: “We are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You� (v. 12). Without reservation, Jehoshaphat worshipfully and boldly trusted the Lord for a solution to a battle that, in human terms, was impossible to win.
> “Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel . . . and he said, ‘Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s’â€� (vv. 14-15). The Lord went on to tell the people through Jahaziel that they wouldn’t even have to fight (v. 17). All they needed to do was take up their positionsâ€"and watch as He delivered them.
> At that, Jehoshaphat bowed his face to the ground, and all the people fell down in worship. Some of the Levites stood and added their voices to the chorus of praise to God (vv. 18-9). But that was only the start of the worship. The next day as they left for battle, Jehoshaphat again exhorted the peopleâ€"not once, but twiceâ€"to maintain faith in God. He then “appointed those who sang to the Lord and those who praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for His lovingkindness is everlasting’â€� (v. 21).
> An Enemy Defeated
> As they sang and praised, God honored the people and Jehoshaphat’s faith by setting ambushes so that the vast armies of Moab, Ammon, and Mount Seir actually destroyed themselves. The victory was devastating and complete. “When Judah came to the lookout of the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude, and behold, they were corpses lying on the ground, and no one had escaped.� (v. 24) It took three full days for the people to collect all the plunder (v. 25).
> So how did Jehoshaphat lead them to respond to this great miracle? How else but worship? “Every man of Judah and Jerusalem returned with Jehoshaphat at their head . . . they came to Jerusalem with harps, lyres and trumpets to the house of the Lord� (vv. 27-28). As the people joined the king in celebration and praise of God, the fear of the Lord fell on the surrounding nations, and “the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God gave him rest on all sides� (v. 30).
> In Extravagant Worship, Darlene Zschech said she used to joke with her worship team that the reason Jehoshaphat’s enemies were defeated was because the musicians and singers were so bad. “But,� she wrote, “even if the people were tone deaf and couldn’t carry a musical note, the Lord would’ve eagerly received their praises. It wasn’t the harmony that defeated their enemy; it was the presence of God’s mighty power that warred on their behalf and won their battles.�
> If you find yourself in desperate need of “rest on all sidesâ€� from the battles that confront you today, do what Jehoshaphat and worshippers ever since have learned. Honor God above all others, express your trust in Him, and then, through your praise and adoration, allow Him to provide you with all the strength you need to wage the battle. Or, more correctly, allow the Lord to fight it for you. Because victory is sweet when you worship the Lordâ€"and remember that the battle is His.
> Â In prayer and praise,
> Deborah
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> "Yet, with respect to the promise of God she did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform. Therefore also IT WAS RECKONED TO HER AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. " Romans 4:20-22
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> **PLEASE DO NOT SEND ME ANY EMAIL ATTEMTPING TO CONVERT ME TO ANY RELIGION. I HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH MY GOD THROUGH THE LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST AND NOT A RELIGION-SHIP. IF YOU WOULD LIKE A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST I WILL BE HAPPY TO REPLY TO YOUR EMAIL WITH AN EXPLAINATION ON HOW THIS IS DONE AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT ALONG WITH A LINK TO AN EVANGELICAL SITE DESIGNED TO HELP YOU GROW IN CHRIST. THIS IS THE ONLY RESPONSE YOU WILL RECEIVE FROM ME. GOD BLESS YOU AND HAVE A NICE DAY!
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