Being Footloose for Jesus, But Who Do We Worship? Someone shared that at a New Year’s Eve concert at the Murat Temple, the group, Here Come the Mummies sang a few songs referencing that they were back from 5000 years ago and "nothing new is under the sun"....plus a song called Ra Ra Ra.....Ra is one name for the sun god. Madonna’s costume reflected an Egyptian goddess at the Superbowl half-time show. I am very careful when I am singing a song, what I am saying. Paul said that “all things are lawful, but all things are not expedient.” It was actually the words that convicted me listening to music as a non-believer, because I listened to groups like Alice Cooper, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. It all comes back to that scripture where Jesus talked about who are we serving and who are we worshipping in life in “everything we do.” Worship is a lifestyle…a way of living our life. Jesus replied, "The Scriptures say, 'You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.'" Luke 4:8.
Satan…Jesus referred to him as the evil one is very subtle or sneaky and that is why he decided to take on the physical form as a serpent in the garden:
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" Genesis 3:1
But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 2 Cor. 11:3
If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it." Genesis 4:7
I used to go to the Rathskellar Restaurant and hear Polkaboy, but I noticed one song, the lyrics were too offensive…No I won’t go to church, no I won’t get married, so let’s drink another beer. It’s one thing to “Pledge alliance to the flag,” but am I pledging an allegiance to the god of beer? It sort of reminds me of John Lennon of the Beatles telling everyone they were more popular than Jesus. It was a flippant remark, but he already put it out there and then there were a lot of teenagers saying, “Yes, the Beatles are more popular than Jesus.” Back then in my teen years, I may have even chimed in like PolkaBoy, “Yes I love the Beatles more than Jesus, and I won’t go to church, and I won’t get married and yes, let’s go drink another beer.” John Lennon had this great fan who shot him. With fans like that who needs enemies in life? What’s more funny than John saying they were more popular than Jesus is the Bible says that we will “give account for every idle word that we speak on this planet.” Judgment day will take a trillion years!
But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. Matthew 12:36
I look at my relationship with the Lord as far as what are my loves in life? I spoke to one woman recently who told me she got up and walked out (called someone to pick her up) on a date, because someone was texting on his phone when they were at dinner. I’ve known some other women that were aggravated at a guy because they practically worshipped sports. Another person who is divorced because she said her husband was infatuated with fishing every weekend. There are many distractions in life, and I look at what does God want? He wants my whole heart and I know my husband would not have appreciated it if I had other lovers along with him. When you get married to a spouse you honor him above all others. Same way with God, when you get married to Jesus, you honor Jesus above everything!
He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Luke 10:27
I’ve always loved dancing since I remember at the age of four doing the bunny hop and twist with my sister and danced to some of her 50’s/60’s music. My sister was 12 years old than me. I may have been bee-boppin in my crib. “I’ve got rhythm.” In high school, I went to a swimming club dance in the summer when I was 15-16 years old with bands and football high school dances every weekend here in Indiana. My brother liked to beat on his bongos all the time and later was in a rock n’ roll band. My brother’s band won a battle of the bands when he was a teenager, when he played electric guitar. His base guitar player went on to play for John Mellencamp. I quit dancing for a long time, but then picked it back up when I went through a divorce. The problem I found with secular music that you dance to its rather raunchy style of music that I wonder “who” I am dancing to? Is it the god of lust? i.e. “Humpty Dumpty, Push It, Clarence Carter’s Strokein, Love Shack, It Wasn’t Me.”
So here is my comment when I go out to the secular single’s dance, “You’re never going to get it…my lovin” LOL
My husband and I took Arthur Murray dance lessons and learned the Swing, Cha-Cha-Cha, Waltz and the Fox Trot and were in two competitions. I’m a footloose person, it’s just a shame we don’t have more good praise in the church. Although, I attend the Blended Church at times mainly for the praise service since they don’t have a single’s group, and they have a Hip-Hop service on Saturday nights.
I spent many years going with my husband Mike to secular music concerts like Jimmy Buffet, James Taylor, John Mayer, Dave Mathews and then some older type groups like Chicago, The Turtles, and the Moody Blues since his work company had seats five rows back in the VIP section at Verizon. I also went to many Irish concerts. Irish music is a lot of fun to dance to. My husband loved all music genres, except Country and Hip Hop unless it was D.C. Talk. Of all those concerts I’ve gone to I would say my top concerts is going to an outdoor rock festival was Skillet or Tobey Mac, Jars of Clay, D.C. Talk, Chris Tomlin, in the past Phil Keagy, Andre Crouch, If you can possibly camp out and go to a 2-3 day Christian rock concert, it will revitalize your life. This is what I call a time of “refreshing” before the presence of the Lord. I’ve only seen a couple of single groups which was MOSIAC who had a good praise team for their retreat and then Indian Creek had a good concert once that have had what I would call a good song service. E91 has had some great Christian concerts. When my husband and I were dating, Chapel Rock used to have a lot of Christian concerts and Lamb was one of the groups that came.
On my honeymoon, we changed the date of our wedding and I had already bought these Michael W. Smith, “Change The World Tour” tickets, I did not want to give them away so the next day after our wedding, I felt like an old lady at 36 years old with a bunch of teens jumping around on the floor of Market Square! Some of these Christian groups are more like entertainment, but I like them, because I wanted my teenagers to see that serving God can be fun! It seems a lot of Christian are killjoys to everything fun in life.
Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs Psalm 100:2
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, Acts 3:19
I know most of God’s people will never experience the true victory in Jesus (there is victory in Jesus) with 2-3 song service. When I go to church it takes me more than 2-3 songs just to get out of the “Oh I like her outfit,” “I wonder where the singles are going out to eat after church,” “I got to remember to pay that bill on Monday.” My mind is busy like Martha and it takes more than 2 or 3 songs to enter into God’s presence and get my mind still. I asked a charismastic pastor about his short 2-3 song service at a church and he said that they expect people to worship God at home.
Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, And a two-edged sword in their hand, Psalm 149:6
I would like to take a poll on how regularly do you worship God in your house? Every day? Once a week do you put on CD’s and praise and worship God for one hour? I worship God to and from work and I pick up my guitar and worship God periodicially. That is probably more than a lot of Christians. This is outside of praying and reading my Bible. It took me six months to pick up my guitar and worship God after my husband died because music and love died in my heart at that time. At that time in my life it became a “sacrifice of praise” to worship God and sing at church. It definitely was not something I felt like doing.
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name. Hebrews 13:15
creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel. Peace, peace, to those far and near," says the LORD. "And I will heal them." Isaiah 57:19
you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ 1 Peter 2:5
The enemy hates praise and music leaders because they usher in the presence of God. It says that God lives (dwells) in the praises of his people (Psalm 22:3). Satan was the anointed cherub who was the choir director in heaven so his attacks are especially hard on those with music gifts to shut them up. He wants glory and does not want any praise and glory going to God. One thing I’ve noticed in being a psalmist is how few Christians are thankful and praise the Lord very much.
David was called on by Saul when he was tormented to play and it drove the evil spirits from him. Notice David said, “bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me, bless is holy name.” I’ve not been called on to play my guitar to break the oppression over people, but I do get called on to pray for people!
I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1
From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised. Psalm 113:3
My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the Lord Almighty Malachi 1:1
Loving God with all your heart, soul and mind (the greatest commandment), is entering into his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise (Psalm 100:4)
In my early Christianity, I was in Florida where we had all night worship services. It was a thick anointing of the presence of God that came down during these times of refreshing in the presence of the Lord and I’ve yet to experience that time of refreshing in the presence of the Lord at any worship service at church. I typically like a church with a longer worship service than two or three songs so I gravitate to black churches that really know how to “praise the Lord.”
I had a dream that I was choking and evil man and he was choking me back and then he did Chinese torture in the middle of my head with his fingers. I know the choking back and forth was choking Satan with the word of God and praise, but the enemy gets advantage of me with associative grief when I see couples my age in public especially at church.
I went forward for prayer to get the stronghold of grief broken over my life. They were talking about continual strongholds (problems) over one’s life and it was a continual attack of depression every holiday with associative grief. When I went forward this lady said she saw a musical note over me. She had no idea I lead worship with my guitar and sing. As soon as I walked out of the church I thought of that scripture how David put off his sackcloth. I found putting off my sackcloth was the sacrifice of praise and worship before God. Not only in private, but finding a church service that had more than a 2-3 song service.
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, Psalm 30:11
An interesting thing about Jehoshaphat is when you have an impossible victory do you usually send your praise and worship team in front of the army? Usually not, just like you don’t sent a small shepherd boy to defeat an over 9’ feet tall giant with just a slingshot. It just goes you if you face an impossible victory in your life, than start praising the Lord. It could be a health, financial (lost your job or money problems), relationship problem with your kids or a mate, etc.
After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: "Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever." 2 Chronicles 20:21
I praise God for the bitter herbs that I eat in losing my husband. Sort of like the Children of Israel ate bitter herbs in Egypt before they came out. Some people eat bitter herbs in a bad relationship (marriage) where others with loss eat the bitter herbs in losing a person. Praise is a key to victory in those impossible battles in life. Because he lives I can face tomorrow? Because he lives I can face today! Sufficient is the evil of today!
The extra oil that the virgins had, I believe is praise and worship before God.
Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' Matthew 25:7-8
Here is a prophetic dream I saw recently by Marilyn Vasser on Facebook: (I had a dream and saw the saints at war against the enemy. Many were able to defend themselves and others were not fully enabled to defend themselves. They were running out of ammunition. I watched as one took the weapon of another and it was empty. I watched one that tried to get ammunition from another, but it could not be given to them. The enemy was overwhelming them in the battle. The interpretation of the dream and scriptures are the same. The weapons are of spirit and are only available to you if you seek out a relationship with Yahweh your Elohim. The ammunition is the oil of WORSHIP. The foolish virgins did not cloth themselves in a spirit of worship. The oil from their lamps came only from Worship in the Spirit of the Most High Yah.)
Mat 25:1-13 ...THEN the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to greet the bridegroom. Five of them were wise, and five were foolish. And the foolish ones took their lamps, but took no oil with them. But the wise ones took oil in the vessels with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. Mat And at midnight there was a cry, Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to greet him. Then all the virgins got up and fixed their lamps. And the foolish ones said to the wise ones, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. Then the wise ones answered and said, Why, there would not be enough for us and for you; go to those who sell and buy for yourselves. Mat And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and those who were ready entered with him into the wedding house, and the door was locked. Afterward the other virgins also came and said, Our lord, our lord, open to us. But he answered and said to them, Truly I say to you, I do not know you. Be alert, therefore, for you do not know, that day nor the hour.
Footloose/Kenny Loggins:
Acts 13:2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
1 Samuel 3:1 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD before Eli. And word from the LORD was rare in those days, visions were infrequent.
Those that wait unto the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as eagles they shall walk and not faint.”
That word wait is not a passive word of sitting around doing nothing but the same word as when you wait on tables. So those that minister unto the Lord – shall renew their strength! How do we minister unto the Lord –how do we wait on him? Praising and worshipping him.
Psalm 62:1, “I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him.”
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