Thoughts about Worship. http://brianlogue.com/aboutworship.cfm Thu, 05 Jan 2012 03:10:00 GMT http://bandzoogle.com Prayer Doesn't Work. http://brianlogue.com/aboutworship.cfm?feature=290952&postid=1682510 <!--StartFragment--> <!--StartFragment--> Prayer doesn&rsquo;t work. God works.&nbsp;&nbsp; I often hear people say things like &ldquo;I prayed, but it didn&rsquo;t work.&rdquo; The implications of that statement are, 1: I know better than God, 2: God should do what I ask, when I ask it, or 3: Prayer apart from God has the power to change things. Prayer is not about requests. Prayer is about obedience. Prayer draws us into alignment with God and His will. When instructed how to pray to God in Matt. 6:10, Jesus says &ldquo;Your Kingdom come, Your will be done.&rdquo;&nbsp; So when we practice &ldquo;prayer requests&rdquo; in prayer meetings and church services, the request aspect of our interaction with God should be modeled after the heart of Christ. Even Jesus, who was in His very nature one with God the Father, did not act with a sense of entitlement. Christ desired to do the will of the Father, and Jesus&rsquo; motives were levied with a sense of compassion for those in need. There is difference between praying with a sense of compassion and entitlement. Entitlement implies that I should receive what I ask for in prayer because I am a Christian, Jesus loves me, and I prayed in Jesus&rsquo; Name so he needs to keep His promise and give me what I asked for (misapplying John 14:13-14). However, praying in the Name of Christ Jesus is not a formula. Praying in Jesus&rsquo; Name is praying in His identity. Name equals identity. Praying in Jesus&rsquo; Name means praying in the compassionate heart of Christ. It means that I am willing to forego my will for the will of God, even if it&rsquo;s uncomfortable. It means that the foundation of my request is the glorification of the Father God (accurately applying John 14:13-14). Prayer doesn&rsquo;t work. God works. Prayer allies us with God&rsquo;s work. God calls us to pray in a way that we see the Kingdom of heaven overcome the kingdom of the world. Let&rsquo;s partner with God in His ministry with a heart of compassion and loving-kindness for His glory and His Namesake, and see Him work in amazing and miraculous ways through our prayers.&nbsp; <!--EndFragment--> <!--StartFragment--> <!--EndFragment--><!--EndFragment-->

Prayer doesn’t work. God works.  

I often hear people say things like “I prayed, but it didn’t work.” The implications of that statement are, 1: I know better than God, 2: God should do what I ask, when I ask it, or 3: Prayer apart from God has the power to change things.

Prayer is not about requests. Prayer is about obedience. Prayer draws us into alignment with God and His will. When instructed how to pray to God in Matt. 6:10, Jesus says “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done.” 

So when we practice “prayer requests” in prayer meetings and church services, the request aspect of our interaction with God should be modeled after the heart of Christ. Even Jesus, who was in His very nature one with God the Father, did not act with a sense of entitlement. Christ desired to do the will of the Father, and Jesus’ motives were levied with a sense of compassion for those in need.

There is difference between praying with a sense of compassion and entitlement. Entitlement implies that I should receive what I ask for in prayer because I am a Christian, Jesus loves me, and I prayed in Jesus’ Name so he needs to keep His promise and give me what I asked for (misapplying John 14:13-14).

However, praying in the Name of Christ Jesus is not a formula. Praying in Jesus’ Name is praying in His identity. Name equals identity. Praying in Jesus’ Name means praying in the compassionate heart of Christ. It means that I am willing to forego my will for the will of God, even if it’s uncomfortable. It means that the foundation of my request is the glorification of the Father God (accurately applying John 14:13-14).

Prayer doesn’t work. God works. Prayer allies us with God’s work. God calls us to pray in a way that we see the Kingdom of heaven overcome the kingdom of the world. Let’s partner with God in His ministry with a heart of compassion and loving-kindness for His glory and His Namesake, and see Him work in amazing and miraculous ways through our prayers. 

]]> Thu, 05 Jan 2012 03:10:00 GMT 55946CFED5AE80A56FB77F2B7ECFC4F1 Poured Out http://brianlogue.com/aboutworship.cfm?feature=290952&postid=1649882 <!--StartFragment--> God will fill you with His Holy Spirit in equal measure to how much of yourself you are willing to pour out.&nbsp;&nbsp; In other words, there&rsquo;s not enough room in your heart for both you and God.&nbsp; In Philippians chapter 2 we&rsquo;re called to &ldquo;do nothing from selfish ambition,&rdquo; and &ldquo;not look to our own interests.&rdquo; &nbsp;The passage then gives us a vivid description of an example from the life of Christ Jesus when it literally says that Christ &ldquo;emptied himself.&rdquo; &nbsp;Then Paul goes on to describe his own experience of being &ldquo;poured out like a drink offering,&rdquo; over the sacrifice and service of the faith of the Philippians.&nbsp; The imagery Paul is using is intentionally building a word-picture of the transaction that takes place when we pour ourselves out.&nbsp; Paul is leaning on his Jewish heritage and pointing to the daily sacrifices that are called for in Exodus 29:38-46.&nbsp; With the daily sacrifices of the lambs (Christ is our Lamb of sacrifice), a wine drink-offering was also offered.&nbsp; God promises in return: &ldquo;I will meet you and speak to you&hellip; and I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God.&rdquo; People who live in right relationship with God pour themselves out to make room for the Holy Spirit and live for His glory.&nbsp; But the Holy Spirit is not filled into us for us to cap off and keep &ndash; it&rsquo;s filled into us for us to pour out onto others to live in right relationship with them, thusly making room for more filling. If you are seeking more of the Holy Spirit, how are you pouring yourself out &ndash; your ambitions, will, entitlement, and desires &ndash; to make room for Him?&nbsp; And how are you going to pour His Spirit out on others for God's glory? <!--EndFragment-->

God will fill you with His Holy Spirit in equal measure to how much of yourself you are willing to pour out.   In other words, there’s not enough room in your heart for both you and God. 

In Philippians chapter 2 we’re called to “do nothing from selfish ambition,” and “not look to our own interests.”  The passage then gives us a vivid description of an example from the life of Christ Jesus when it literally says that Christ “emptied himself.”  Then Paul goes on to describe his own experience of being “poured out like a drink offering,” over the sacrifice and service of the faith of the Philippians. 

The imagery Paul is using is intentionally building a word-picture of the transaction that takes place when we pour ourselves out.  Paul is leaning on his Jewish heritage and pointing to the daily sacrifices that are called for in Exodus 29:38-46.  With the daily sacrifices of the lambs (Christ is our Lamb of sacrifice), a wine drink-offering was also offered.  God promises in return: “I will meet you and speak to you… and I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God.”

People who live in right relationship with God pour themselves out to make room for the Holy Spirit and live for His glory.  But the Holy Spirit is not filled into us for us to cap off and keep – it’s filled into us for us to pour out onto others to live in right relationship with them, thusly making room for more filling.

If you are seeking more of the Holy Spirit, how are you pouring yourself out – your ambitions, will, entitlement, and desires – to make room for Him?  And how are you going to pour His Spirit out on others for God's glory?

]]> Fri, 23 Dec 2011 02:39:40 GMT ADDB4515D3C5DA15A1DFC44F9123EACB Favor and Humility http://brianlogue.com/aboutworship.cfm?feature=290952&postid=1407620 <!--StartFragment--> This scripture passage has been ringing in my ears for the last week: Isaiah 66:2, &ldquo;These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.&rdquo;&nbsp; To be favored by God is to be blessed out of the abundance of His strength and glory. But those who God favors are not those who seek favor.&nbsp; As Isaiah says in chapter 66, it&rsquo;s not those who practice the routine rituals of religion that find favor with the Lord.&nbsp; Instead, those who tremble at the word of the Lord with humility are favored.&nbsp; So, do I come to church and worship God to stay on God&rsquo;s good side &ndash; repeating the rituals of singing, praying, hearing His Word, and taking the Eucharist to maintain good-standing in God&rsquo;s eyes? Or do I genuinely worship God to affirm Him in the correct position of Lordship and put myself in the correct position of subordinate? The Lord finds favor in me when I take the position of subordinate. I can&rsquo;t skip this step to achieve favor, nor can I concoct a worship-formula to create favor. I can only be humble and repentant, and tremble at His word.&nbsp; <!--EndFragment-->

This scripture passage has been ringing in my ears for the last week: Isaiah 66:2, “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.” 

To be favored by God is to be blessed out of the abundance of His strength and glory. But those who God favors are not those who seek favor.  As Isaiah says in chapter 66, it’s not those who practice the routine rituals of religion that find favor with the Lord.  Instead, those who tremble at the word of the Lord with humility are favored. 

So, do I come to church and worship God to stay on God’s good side – repeating the rituals of singing, praying, hearing His Word, and taking the Eucharist to maintain good-standing in God’s eyes? Or do I genuinely worship God to affirm Him in the correct position of Lordship and put myself in the correct position of subordinate?

The Lord finds favor in me when I take the position of subordinate. I can’t skip this step to achieve favor, nor can I concoct a worship-formula to create favor. I can only be humble and repentant, and tremble at His word. 

]]> Wed, 19 Oct 2011 03:05:28 GMT 3B4EF8E127AAA92FD0C1D6D276C7F4E2 Beyond the Veil http://brianlogue.com/aboutworship.cfm?feature=290952&postid=803041 Jesus didn&rsquo;t tear the Veil expecting that we would still wait outside the Holy of Holies. Instead, we are ushered into the Holy of Holies. But what does that mean for Christian worship today? The Old Testament form of Tabernacle worship lays the foundation for our New Testament interaction with God. Let&rsquo;s journey through the Tabernacle, it&rsquo;s worship iconography, and assimilate ourselves into the flow of approaching the Throne of God the way He intended. This does not imply how a worship service must be ordered, but it does outline how we as worshippers should approach God in a three-fold progression: We are cleansed by Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and enter into community with the Father. The Inner Court had two implements of worship: 1. The Altar. Old Testament: Located in the inner court, offerings were brought by Hebrew families to atone for their sin. The offerings were wholly consumed by fire, illustrating the destructive nature of sin and the need for total consecration. New Testament: Jesus&rsquo; death on the cross is the atonement sacrifice for Christians. We remember this through the sharing of Communion. 2. The Laver. Old Testament: Also located in the inner court, the washing basin speaks of our need for cleansing before entering into the presence of the most holy God. New Testament: Baptism represents spiritual cleansing through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Implication: As we enter into worship in the &quot;Inner Court,&quot; we begin by recognizing that we are imperfect beings entering the presence of our perfect God, and that Christ has cleansed us of the sin that holds us back from being with Him. The Holy Place had three implements of worship: 3. The Table of Showbread. Old Testament: Located on the north side of the Holy Place, the loaves represented the twelve tribes of Israel; and symbolized the consecration of Israel to the Lord, their acceptance of God as their God, and their gift of first-fruits before the Lord. New Testament: Sacrificial offering of our money and goods is an act of worship to God. 4. The Candelabrum. Old Testament: Located on the south side of the Holy Place, each burning flame symbolizes the Holy Spirit, who illuminates the Word of God and enables us to perceive spiritual things. New Testament: The gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost illuminates our souls and helps us comprehend the ways of God. 5. The Altar of Incense. Old Testament: Located in front of the Holy of Holies, the priest offered prayers on behalf of the people, and the rising smoke of the incense symbolized the prayers rising to the Lord. New Testament: Christ offers prayers on our behalf, and our prayers unite with His and rise as sweet perfume to the Father. Implication: As we continue worshipping God in the &quot;Holy Place,&quot; we are empowered to move closer into community with Him by the flowing of His Holy Spirit. And let us also remember that our prayers rise before God, not of our own power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit through Christ. The Holy of Holies had two implements of worship: 6. The Veil. Old Testament: A curtain separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies &ndash; the holiest place where God dwelt amongst His people. Only the spiritually consecrated priest could enter. New Testament: The Veil was torn away at the death of Jesus, allowing all people who accept Christ to venture into the presence of God. 7. The Ark of the Covenant, also called the Mercy Seat. Old Testament: Located in the center of the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant. It held the law and other memorabilia of God&rsquo;s deliverance, and was also the Mercy Seat &ndash; the throne of God&rsquo;s presence. New Testament: All people who accept the sacrifice of Jesus are allowed to have fellowship with the Living God. Implication: As we continue worshipping God into the &quot;Holy of Holies,&quot; we enter into focused community with the Father. He beckons us into His presence for both His delight and ours, and it is the fulfillment of why we were created in the first place.
The Old Testament form of Tabernacle worship lays the foundation for our New Testament interaction with God. Let’s journey through the Tabernacle, it’s worship iconography, and assimilate ourselves into the flow of approaching the Throne of God the way He intended. This does not imply how a worship service must be ordered, but it does outline how we as worshippers should approach God in a three-fold progression: We are cleansed by Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and enter into community with the Father.

The Inner Court had two implements of worship:
1. The Altar.
Old Testament: Located in the inner court, offerings were brought by Hebrew families to atone for their sin. The offerings were wholly consumed by fire, illustrating the destructive nature of sin and the need for total consecration.
New Testament: Jesus’ death on the cross is the atonement sacrifice for Christians. We remember this through the sharing of Communion.

2. The Laver.
Old Testament: Also located in the inner court, the washing basin speaks of our need for cleansing before entering into the presence of the most holy God.
New Testament: Baptism represents spiritual cleansing through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

Implication: As we enter into worship in the "Inner Court," we begin by recognizing that we are imperfect beings entering the presence of our perfect God, and that Christ has cleansed us of the sin that holds us back from being with Him.

The Holy Place had three implements of worship:
3. The Table of Showbread.
Old Testament: Located on the north side of the Holy Place, the loaves represented the twelve tribes of Israel; and symbolized the consecration of Israel to the Lord, their acceptance of God as their God, and their gift of first-fruits before the Lord.
New Testament: Sacrificial offering of our money and goods is an act of worship to God.

4. The Candelabrum.
Old Testament: Located on the south side of the Holy Place, each burning flame symbolizes the Holy Spirit, who illuminates the Word of God and enables us to perceive spiritual things.
New Testament: The gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost illuminates our souls and helps us comprehend the ways of God.

5. The Altar of Incense.
Old Testament: Located in front of the Holy of Holies, the priest offered prayers on behalf of the people, and the rising smoke of the incense symbolized the prayers rising to the Lord.
New Testament: Christ offers prayers on our behalf, and our prayers unite with His and rise as sweet perfume to the Father.

Implication: As we continue worshipping God in the "Holy Place," we are empowered to move closer into community with Him by the flowing of His Holy Spirit. And let us also remember that our prayers rise before God, not of our own power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit through Christ.

The Holy of Holies had two implements of worship:
6. The Veil.
Old Testament: A curtain separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies – the holiest place where God dwelt amongst His people. Only the spiritually consecrated priest could enter.
New Testament: The Veil was torn away at the death of Jesus, allowing all people who accept Christ to venture into the presence of God.

7. The Ark of the Covenant, also called the Mercy Seat.
Old Testament: Located in the center of the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant. It held the law and other memorabilia of God’s deliverance, and was also the Mercy Seat – the throne of God’s presence.
New Testament: All people who accept the sacrifice of Jesus are allowed to have fellowship with the Living God.

Implication: As we continue worshipping God into the "Holy of Holies," we enter into focused community with the Father. He beckons us into His presence for both His delight and ours, and it is the fulfillment of why we were created in the first place.
]]> Wed, 02 Mar 2011 05:09:44 GMT 73D5ABC52B0890B4E31456CB1F71B70C Phrases That Miss The Point http://brianlogue.com/aboutworship.cfm?feature=290952&postid=752917 Allow me to address a few erroneous phrases about worship that I&rsquo;ve heard over the years from well-intentioned, Bible-believing Christians. My responses to the following statements are based on the presupposition that the word worship implies the communal singing time in church; and that worship is simply attributing worth, glory, honor, and praise to God without any strings attached because He is worthy of it. I am not cynical, nor am I trying to judge others, and I absolutely love the organized Church in all its forms. I simply want to unpack some often used phrases that are, in my opinion, inaccurate. So let&rsquo;s begin, shall we&hellip; &ldquo;Worship is for tilling the soil and getting my heart ready for the sermon.&rdquo; This understanding of worship really implies that singing praises to God is for YOUR benefit, and that YOU desire to get something out of it, and that YOU expect to be refocused and centered. This is really missing the point of giving a gift to God. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t need to go to church to worship, I can worship God on my own.&rdquo; We can worship God on our own, but we&rsquo;re also instructed to worship God in community. Scripture commands us time and again to love one another. So, how can we love one another if we&rsquo;re never around one another and never get to know one another? Church gatherings and /or small groups are important. &ldquo;I was late to church and missed the opening worship, but I made it in time for the sermon.&rdquo; What you&rsquo;re really saying is, &ldquo;I am happy to receive from You God, but I have no desire to give anything to You.&rdquo; Oopsie. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t like traditional worship or rock and roll worship, I prefer acoustic worship.&rdquo; I understand that we all have opinions about musical style, but did you stop to ask if God has an opinion about you? You may be bringing Him praise in a style that you like, but maybe He&rsquo;s saying, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t like the worship of snobby or opinionated people, I prefer a sacrifice of praise.&rdquo; So, don&rsquo;t let musical style dictate your worship of the Almighty God. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t like to sing, but I worship by serving.&rdquo; True to a point. But there&rsquo;s actually a Greek word for worship through service (latreuo), and a word for worship through expressions of praise and reverence (proskuneo). We&rsquo;re called to do both &ndash; it&rsquo;s not an either / or. Furthermore, spoken and sung words have tremendous weight in the Kingdom of God; so don&rsquo;t withhold your words. &ldquo;I like it better when (insert name) leads worship.&rdquo; Worship leaders provide music and lyrics for the church to worship God with. Then it&rsquo;s the churches responsibility to take these elements and make a masterpiece of praise for God regardless of who&rsquo;s leading. We should focus on God, and not man. &ldquo;So-And-So Church has great worship.&rdquo; Worship is a verb. This is like saying that the gym has great run. It makes no sense. Worship is what you do to bring God praise &ndash; what YOU do. Any church you visit should have great worship because you&rsquo;re bringing God great worship in the midst of that gathering. &ldquo;I just couldn&rsquo;t get into worship this morning.&rdquo; Whether you felt it or not, God was pleased by your effort to praise Him. He knows your heart, and knows your life situation. Maybe with this phrase we&rsquo;re better off taking the extra time to articulate what we actually meant: &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t feel like worshipping, but I did it anyways because I know God appreciates the effort.&rdquo; I could keep going, but let me wrap this up by offering you this reminder: When you talk about worship, your talking about your offering given freely to God &ndash; not a church or style. So, represent your worship with enthusiasm, and as a gift worthy of being presented to a King.
My responses to the following statements are based on the presupposition that the word worship implies the communal singing time in church; and that worship is simply attributing worth, glory, honor, and praise to God without any strings attached because He is worthy of it. I am not cynical, nor am I trying to judge others, and I absolutely love the organized Church in all its forms. I simply want to unpack some often used phrases that are, in my opinion, inaccurate. So let’s begin, shall we…

“Worship is for tilling the soil and getting my heart ready for the sermon.” This understanding of worship really implies that singing praises to God is for YOUR benefit, and that YOU desire to get something out of it, and that YOU expect to be refocused and centered. This is really missing the point of giving a gift to God.

“I don’t need to go to church to worship, I can worship God on my own.” We can worship God on our own, but we’re also instructed to worship God in community. Scripture commands us time and again to love one another. So, how can we love one another if we’re never around one another and never get to know one another? Church gatherings and /or small groups are important.

“I was late to church and missed the opening worship, but I made it in time for the sermon.” What you’re really saying is, “I am happy to receive from You God, but I have no desire to give anything to You.” Oopsie.

“I don’t like traditional worship or rock and roll worship, I prefer acoustic worship.” I understand that we all have opinions about musical style, but did you stop to ask if God has an opinion about you? You may be bringing Him praise in a style that you like, but maybe He’s saying, “I don’t like the worship of snobby or opinionated people, I prefer a sacrifice of praise.” So, don’t let musical style dictate your worship of the Almighty God.

“I don’t like to sing, but I worship by serving.” True to a point. But there’s actually a Greek word for worship through service (latreuo), and a word for worship through expressions of praise and reverence (proskuneo). We’re called to do both – it’s not an either / or. Furthermore, spoken and sung words have tremendous weight in the Kingdom of God; so don’t withhold your words.

“I like it better when (insert name) leads worship.” Worship leaders provide music and lyrics for the church to worship God with. Then it’s the churches responsibility to take these elements and make a masterpiece of praise for God regardless of who’s leading. We should focus on God, and not man.

“So-And-So Church has great worship.” Worship is a verb. This is like saying that the gym has great run. It makes no sense. Worship is what you do to bring God praise – what YOU do. Any church you visit should have great worship because you’re bringing God great worship in the midst of that gathering.

“I just couldn’t get into worship this morning.” Whether you felt it or not, God was pleased by your effort to praise Him. He knows your heart, and knows your life situation. Maybe with this phrase we’re better off taking the extra time to articulate what we actually meant: “I didn’t feel like worshipping, but I did it anyways because I know God appreciates the effort.”

I could keep going, but let me wrap this up by offering you this reminder: When you talk about worship, your talking about your offering given freely to God – not a church or style. So, represent your worship with enthusiasm, and as a gift worthy of being presented to a King.
]]> Wed, 09 Feb 2011 04:40:00 GMT 470FA0CC1751309B1E5D065179EA1A1B When God is Silent http://brianlogue.com/aboutworship.cfm?feature=290952&postid=645627 It&rsquo;s easy to think that God is constantly talking to us like a radio station, and it&rsquo;s up to us to tune in and listen when we want to hear from Him, and tune out when we&rsquo;re finished. Unfortunately, this understanding of hearing God speak is inaccurate and causes frustration when we don&rsquo;t sense that we hear anything at all. Furthermore, the problem with this understanding is two-fold: First, it assumes that God is constantly talking, and second, it puts the power on us to listen or tune out according to our will. A better way to think about hearing from God is this: Our &ldquo;radio&rdquo; is always tuned to God&rsquo;s station, and we are prepared to receive when God is ready to broadcast. This is why we are commanded to &ldquo;pray continually&rdquo; (1 Thes. 5:17). Now, this is not to say that God isn&rsquo;t with us. God is always with us by the indwelling of His Holy Spirit, and is guiding us as our Councilor. However, sometimes God chooses to be strategically silent. When God is silent, it causes us to lean in and listen more intently, and to pay close attention when He speaks. Throughout the history of God&rsquo;s interaction with man, God practiced times of silence &ndash; the Prophets experienced it, the nation of Israel experienced it, and we Christians experience it. Don&rsquo;t become discouraged if you don&rsquo;t hear God speak. Instead, stay tuned in and listen intently for God&rsquo;s next broadcast.
A better way to think about hearing from God is this: Our “radio” is always tuned to God’s station, and we are prepared to receive when God is ready to broadcast. This is why we are commanded to “pray continually” (1 Thes. 5:17).

Now, this is not to say that God isn’t with us. God is always with us by the indwelling of His Holy Spirit, and is guiding us as our Councilor. However, sometimes God chooses to be strategically silent. When God is silent, it causes us to lean in and listen more intently, and to pay close attention when He speaks. Throughout the history of God’s interaction with man, God practiced times of silence – the Prophets experienced it, the nation of Israel experienced it, and we Christians experience it.

Don’t become discouraged if you don’t hear God speak. Instead, stay tuned in and listen intently for God’s next broadcast.
]]> Sat, 18 Dec 2010 01:52:56 GMT 20D1906908635AB5F6A4BD2E8923A893 Hearing the Voice of God http://brianlogue.com/aboutworship.cfm?feature=290952&postid=585557 One of the main questions I&rsquo;m asked as a pastor is, &ldquo;How does God speak to you&hellip; is it in an audible voice?&rdquo; The short answer is no, and there&rsquo;s good reason for it. To put it simply, when God speaks in an audible voice, things go boom. Speaking and words have profound power when wielded by God. For example, when God spoke, creation was formed. When God spoke, the Law was given. When God spoke, He blessed His son Jesus. When God speaks, what He says happens. This can present a problem if God&rsquo;s intention is not to dictate to us, but instead to lead us. If we are to have any participation in the outcome of God&rsquo;s will, God won&rsquo;t speak it because then we don&rsquo;t have room to opt in or out. Instead, God communicates with us by His Holy Spirit through visions, dreams, and prophets; or by angelic messengers. Since most of us have not been visited by an angel, that leaves visions, dreams, and prophets as the main transmission of God&rsquo;s will. Visions are soul-shaking ideas that pop into your head and result in a holy desire to accomplish the mission God has tasked you with. Dreams are the anticipation of a better future when God&rsquo;s will is applied. Prophetic words are when God gives a vision or dream to another person regarding your life, and that person speaks it to you on God&rsquo;s behalf &ndash; either introducing God&rsquo;s will to you, or confirming it for you. For more on this subject, check out my blog post from September 19, 2008 titled &ldquo;Hearing God Speak.&rdquo;
When God speaks, what He says happens. This can present a problem if God’s intention is not to dictate to us, but instead to lead us. If we are to have any participation in the outcome of God’s will, God won’t speak it because then we don’t have room to opt in or out. Instead, God communicates with us by His Holy Spirit through visions, dreams, and prophets; or by angelic messengers.

Since most of us have not been visited by an angel, that leaves visions, dreams, and prophets as the main transmission of God’s will. Visions are soul-shaking ideas that pop into your head and result in a holy desire to accomplish the mission God has tasked you with. Dreams are the anticipation of a better future when God’s will is applied. Prophetic words are when God gives a vision or dream to another person regarding your life, and that person speaks it to you on God’s behalf – either introducing God’s will to you, or confirming it for you.

For more on this subject, check out my blog post from September 19, 2008 titled “Hearing God Speak.”
]]> Fri, 19 Nov 2010 01:59:21 GMT AA6BB39457EC87C0FB341E638CE6A10D Boring, Inspiring, Distracting http://brianlogue.com/aboutworship.cfm?feature=290952&postid=460338 Our church&rsquo;s mission statement is &ldquo;to help unchurched people become whole-hearted followers of Jesus Christ,&rdquo; which means our target audience is pretty broad &ndash; both unchurched people and whole-hearted followers. Added to this dichotomy are the main reasons why unchurched people won&rsquo;t attend a church: &ldquo;Church is boring and they just want my money.&rdquo; Meanwhile, a lot of Christians actually like contemplative (read: boring) worship services, and actually like tithing! So, how do we plan a worship service that is meaningful for such a broad base of people? Addressing the money issue is easy &ndash; we don&rsquo;t pass an offering plate, but instead we encourage our regular attenders to tithe as an act of worship by using offering boxes in the back of the auditorium. However, planning un-boring yet worshipful services is much more difficult. Our worship leadership team plans worship services with this statement in mind: &ldquo;WHAT we do is whole-hearted worship. HOW we do it is in the language of the people.&rdquo; So stylistically, our worship looks and feels like something one would experience at a concert or show, including flashing lights and big guitar solos. This style is based on our demographic&rsquo;s preferred musical styles and genres: Pop-Rock and New-Country. However, we do not aim to put on a show; we aim to lead worship. To make sure we accomplish our goal and find the balance between performance and worship, we plan worship elements using this continuum: BORING&nbsp;--&gt; INSPIRING&nbsp;--&gt; DISTRACTING. If our worship style is too contemplative, it may be perfect for worshippers, but boring for the unchurched guest. If our worship is too performancey, it may be exciting for unchurched guests, but distracting for the whole-hearted worshipper. So, we try to plan an un-boring and inspiring worship service without overshooting our goal and ending up in the distracting category. Sure, sometimes we undershoot and sometimes we overshoot; but we never give up trying to inspire everyone to whole-heartedly worship God.
Addressing the money issue is easy – we don’t pass an offering plate, but instead we encourage our regular attenders to tithe as an act of worship by using offering boxes in the back of the auditorium. However, planning un-boring yet worshipful services is much more difficult.

Our worship leadership team plans worship services with this statement in mind: “WHAT we do is whole-hearted worship. HOW we do it is in the language of the people.” So stylistically, our worship looks and feels like something one would experience at a concert or show, including flashing lights and big guitar solos. This style is based on our demographic’s preferred musical styles and genres: Pop-Rock and New-Country. However, we do not aim to put on a show; we aim to lead worship.

To make sure we accomplish our goal and find the balance between performance and worship, we plan worship elements using this continuum: BORING --> INSPIRING --> DISTRACTING. If our worship style is too contemplative, it may be perfect for worshippers, but boring for the unchurched guest. If our worship is too performancey, it may be exciting for unchurched guests, but distracting for the whole-hearted worshipper. So, we try to plan an un-boring and inspiring worship service without overshooting our goal and ending up in the distracting category.

Sure, sometimes we undershoot and sometimes we overshoot; but we never give up trying to inspire everyone to whole-heartedly worship God.
]]> Fri, 24 Sep 2010 02:25:00 GMT B12A6569F7BC7D3CF7DD50125CB6725C Big Problems, Small God http://brianlogue.com/aboutworship.cfm?feature=290952&postid=182629 Frustration with God arises when we expect God to be bigger than our problems, but treat Him like He&rsquo;s smaller. Our faith in God is measured by our actions and attitude in response to negative stimuli, and how we expect God to act on our behalf in a situation. If we have little faith, little problems will seem bigger than we can handle; but if we have big faith, little problems won&rsquo;t destroy us &ndash; and every problem is truly little in light of eternity. The Scriptures are filled with awesome stories of God&rsquo;s greatness &ndash; from the creation of the universe and the world on which we live, to setting apart a people for Himself and caring for them from generation to generation, to the resurrection of Christ from the dead &ndash; proving that there is nothing that God is unable to deliver us from. So, as Hebrews 12:1 says, &ldquo;Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.&rdquo; Let God be big.
The Scriptures are filled with awesome stories of God’s greatness – from the creation of the universe and the world on which we live, to setting apart a people for Himself and caring for them from generation to generation, to the resurrection of Christ from the dead – proving that there is nothing that God is unable to deliver us from. So, as Hebrews 12:1 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Let God be big.
]]> Sat, 13 Feb 2010 00:28:46 GMT 26CDC344FD22E0FD74728169A34ACAA6 Gift Giving http://brianlogue.com/aboutworship.cfm?feature=290952&postid=140822 &lsquo;Tis the season to buy lots and lots of stuff. It all starts on Thanksgiving Day, when we stop and give thanks for everything we have. Then, beginning at 4 a.m. on Black Friday, we go out and buy everything else we don&rsquo;t have. Not that there&rsquo;s anything wrong with the holiday spending frenzy or giving gifts, but I realized this year that we don&rsquo;t really know how to give gifts. After all, we love our family members enough to go buy them gifts, but we don&rsquo;t love them enough to pay full price. We seek out the best deals &ndash; 40% off sales, 2 for 1 deals, Price-buster coupons &ndash; and give our loved ones the bare minimum by spending as little as we possibly can. This is contrary to how God gives gifts. The first Christmas gift &ndash; Jesus Christ &ndash; cost the Father everything. He held nothing back by sharing His only Son with us, and letting Jesus die on the cross for our sins. A costly gift. Priceless. So, in light of the Father&rsquo;s gift-giving, how fully do we bring our gifts of worship to Him? Do we worship Him sacrificially, giving up everything to Him? Or do we worship God with a coupon mentality, bringing Him the bare minimum percentage of our hearts? This season let the birth of Jesus Christ remind us what it truly means to give sacrificially, and in the same way, share every part of ourselves with the Father in worship.
Not that there’s anything wrong with the holiday spending frenzy or giving gifts, but I realized this year that we don’t really know how to give gifts. After all, we love our family members enough to go buy them gifts, but we don’t love them enough to pay full price. We seek out the best deals – 40% off sales, 2 for 1 deals, Price-buster coupons – and give our loved ones the bare minimum by spending as little as we possibly can.

This is contrary to how God gives gifts. The first Christmas gift – Jesus Christ – cost the Father everything. He held nothing back by sharing His only Son with us, and letting Jesus die on the cross for our sins. A costly gift. Priceless.

So, in light of the Father’s gift-giving, how fully do we bring our gifts of worship to Him? Do we worship Him sacrificially, giving up everything to Him? Or do we worship God with a coupon mentality, bringing Him the bare minimum percentage of our hearts?

This season let the birth of Jesus Christ remind us what it truly means to give sacrificially, and in the same way, share every part of ourselves with the Father in worship.
]]> Thu, 17 Dec 2009 05:26:20 GMT 9C22FF4500475D02BBB46A488DCE41D8 Reading Aloud http://brianlogue.com/aboutworship.cfm?feature=290952&postid=128143 My wife has read the all of the books in the Twilight series &ndash; you know the ones about the emo girl who&rsquo;s in love with a vampire &ndash; and she insists that I NEED to read them. Mostly she wants me to read them because she&rsquo;s sick of explaining the story, the characters, and the intricacies of the plotline to me. The other night she actually said, &ldquo;You just need to read the books. It&rsquo;s hard to try to explain all of this to you if you don&rsquo;t read them for yourself.&rdquo; To which I replied, &ldquo;Well, now you know what it&rsquo;s like to be a Pastor.&rdquo; She laughed because she knew exactly what I meant. When I was in college I used to tell people I was majoring in a really old book that no one reads: the Bible. And it&rsquo;s sad how true that statement is. How many of us are content to skip reading God&rsquo;s Word, and just wait for the Pastor to give us the bullet points during a half-hour Sunday sermon? How many of us avoid spending time reading Scripture in context, but seek the Cliffsnotes version of quotable one-verse passages? Not that this is inadequate, but it is incomplete without reading the Bible for ourselves. It&rsquo;s vital that we become confident in reading the Bible to truly grasp the vastness of God&rsquo;s story of interaction with us. This might sound intimidating, so here&rsquo;s a great book to read along with the Bible to help build confidence: How To Read the Bible For All It&rsquo;s Worth by Fee &amp; Stuart. Now, dust off that ol&rsquo; coffee table ornament, and start reading you Bible.
The other night she actually said, “You just need to read the books. It’s hard to try to explain all of this to you if you don’t read them for yourself.” To which I replied, “Well, now you know what it’s like to be a Pastor.” She laughed because she knew exactly what I meant.

When I was in college I used to tell people I was majoring in a really old book that no one reads: the Bible. And it’s sad how true that statement is.

How many of us are content to skip reading God’s Word, and just wait for the Pastor to give us the bullet points during a half-hour Sunday sermon? How many of us avoid spending time reading Scripture in context, but seek the Cliffsnotes version of quotable one-verse passages? Not that this is inadequate, but it is incomplete without reading the Bible for ourselves. It’s vital that we become confident in reading the Bible to truly grasp the vastness of God’s story of interaction with us.

This might sound intimidating, so here’s a great book to read along with the Bible to help build confidence: How To Read the Bible For All It’s Worth by Fee & Stuart.

Now, dust off that ol’ coffee table ornament, and start reading you Bible.
]]> Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:43:10 GMT 3EA5500B7F027CA68B6906734612FF09 Good Marriage / Bad Marriage http://brianlogue.com/aboutworship.cfm?feature=290952&postid=125941 I am happily married. My wife and I share a good marriage full of love, trust, laughter, and friendship. Sure we have our squabbles and disagreements, but I am fully devoted and faithful to her, and her to me. Our God, on some level, is in a bad marriage. As the Bride of Christ, the Church is made up of each of us. And each of us has been the unfaithful one. At some time or another we&rsquo;ve let our attentions waive, and our devotion falter. But our God is tenacious. He doesn&rsquo;t give up. He won&rsquo;t let one petty disagreement ruin our relationship. He won&rsquo;t let our unfaithfulness tarnish His love for us, and view of us. He won&rsquo;t allow lies, lethargy, infidelity, procrastination, deception, and all of the other selfish acts we commit to break His vow to us. Our God is willing to stick with us for the long haul. He&rsquo;s there to take us back and hold us as we cry out and bury our tears deep into His chest. And He&rsquo;s there to continually demonstrate to us an example of what true love is. My God is in a bad marriage to me, but I am in a good marriage to Him. And because of this I express my gratitude to Him in worship. My Prayer: Thank you, loving God, for being patient with me, and sharing a loving relationship with me in unequal measure.
Our God, on some level, is in a bad marriage. As the Bride of Christ, the Church is made up of each of us. And each of us has been the unfaithful one. At some time or another we’ve let our attentions waive, and our devotion falter.

But our God is tenacious. He doesn’t give up. He won’t let one petty disagreement ruin our relationship. He won’t let our unfaithfulness tarnish His love for us, and view of us. He won’t allow lies, lethargy, infidelity, procrastination, deception, and all of the other selfish acts we commit to break His vow to us.

Our God is willing to stick with us for the long haul. He’s there to take us back and hold us as we cry out and bury our tears deep into His chest. And He’s there to continually demonstrate to us an example of what true love is.

My God is in a bad marriage to me, but I am in a good marriage to Him. And because of this I express my gratitude to Him in worship.

My Prayer: Thank you, loving God, for being patient with me, and sharing a loving relationship with me in unequal measure.
]]> Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:57:05 GMT A259382895618EE16617879584DECC25 Recycling http://brianlogue.com/aboutworship.cfm?feature=290952&postid=36570 I have to admit, for me recycling is a chore. I know I need to do it. It&rsquo;s good for the environment. It&rsquo;s really not that hard, but I have a really difficult time following through. Being a Christian can be the same way. We know we need follow Christ. We know we need to make the extra effort to do the right thing, but it&rsquo;s difficult to follow through. I need to turn my righteous indignation into status quo.
Being a Christian can be the same way. We know we need follow Christ. We know we need to make the extra effort to do the right thing, but it’s difficult to follow through.

I need to turn my righteous indignation into status quo.
]]> Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:04:36 GMT 42AEE2B733A539D18BF9EAF6E4248D72 China http://brianlogue.com/aboutworship.cfm?feature=290952&postid=35776 At the end of February my wife and I had the extraordinary opportunity to vacation in China. We climbed the Great Wall, saw the Tara Cotta Warriors in Xian, saw the Beijing Opera in Beijing, ate Peking Duck in Peking, cruised the canals of Suzhou, and saw the sights of Shanghai. Getting to China was not easy. Being a Communist country, they have stringent visa application process. On the application form I was presented with four occupation options: Business Man, Teacher / Student, Clergy, and Other. Clergy?!! I knew that if I marked Clergy as my occupation, I would be asking for trouble. The easiest thing to do is to mark &ldquo;Other,&rdquo; pencil in &ldquo;Musician,&rdquo; and coast my way into China. But, Christ has not called us to do the easiest thing. This was an opportunity to test my faith. As a matter of fact, a week earlier I had written a song with the lyric, &ldquo;Now I stand before the nations / and I&rsquo;m not ashamed to say / Hallelujah, Jesus is alive!&rdquo; I was now literally standing before a nation with the opportunity to declare my faith in Jesus. Was I too ashamed, lazy, or afraid to profess my faith, or would I boldly declare my role as Clergy? I marked Clergy. I was not allowed to get a three-month visa like Alison; I was only allowed a one-month visa (which meant 3 more trips to the embassy). I had to sign a form saying, &ldquo;I will not engage in any unlawful missionary activity while in the country.&rdquo; Our luggage was searched at the airport. And after all of that, I was able to enter China. How often is it easier to downplay our relationship with Jesus Christ for convenience sake? How easy is it to omit that we are Christians &ldquo;if it doesn&rsquo;t come up&rdquo; with our friends and family? Are we called to more than that? I challenge you to stand before the nations and not be ashamed to say, &ldquo;Hallelujah, Jesus is alive!&rdquo;
Getting to China was not easy. Being a Communist country, they have stringent visa application process. On the application form I was presented with four occupation options: Business Man, Teacher / Student, Clergy, and Other. Clergy?!!

I knew that if I marked Clergy as my occupation, I would be asking for trouble. The easiest thing to do is to mark “Other,” pencil in “Musician,” and coast my way into China. But, Christ has not called us to do the easiest thing. This was an opportunity to test my faith.

As a matter of fact, a week earlier I had written a song with the lyric, “Now I stand before the nations / and I’m not ashamed to say / Hallelujah, Jesus is alive!” I was now literally standing before a nation with the opportunity to declare my faith in Jesus. Was I too ashamed, lazy, or afraid to profess my faith, or would I boldly declare my role as Clergy?

I marked Clergy. I was not allowed to get a three-month visa like Alison; I was only allowed a one-month visa (which meant 3 more trips to the embassy). I had to sign a form saying, “I will not engage in any unlawful missionary activity while in the country.” Our luggage was searched at the airport. And after all of that, I was able to enter China.

How often is it easier to downplay our relationship with Jesus Christ for convenience sake? How easy is it to omit that we are Christians “if it doesn’t come up” with our friends and family? Are we called to more than that? I challenge you to stand before the nations and not be ashamed to say, “Hallelujah, Jesus is alive!”
]]> Wed, 04 Mar 2009 23:49:18 GMT C0B1E0532ABD96203576BEF0EE440DEF Dishes in the Sink http://brianlogue.com/aboutworship.cfm?feature=290952&postid=32116 If you&rsquo;re married or live with roommates, you no doubt have played the &ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to wait and see how long the dishes sit in the sink before someone washes them&rdquo; game. You deliberately leave the dishes sitting there, getting crusty and rank, in the hopes that your roommate or cohabiter will recognize the need and fulfill their civic duty and wash them. Eventually though, the one who cares most ends up doing the dishes. At Northgate we&rsquo;re at one of those pivotal moments. Next Saturday, December 20th at 12 noon a group of us are going door to door to invite our communities to Christmas Eve services. We&rsquo;ve all been waiting for someone else to do it. Now it&rsquo;s time for those of us who really care about the souls of our neighbors to rally and invite them into a relationship with Jesus Christ. Northgate. December 20th. 12 noon. Be there if you care.
Eventually though, the one who cares most ends up doing the dishes.

At Northgate we’re at one of those pivotal moments. Next Saturday, December 20th at 12 noon a group of us are going door to door to invite our communities to Christmas Eve services.

We’ve all been waiting for someone else to do it. Now it’s time for those of us who really care about the souls of our neighbors to rally and invite them into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Northgate. December 20th. 12 noon. Be there if you care.
]]> Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:15:46 GMT B48F655411DED9F9313B439A167FA4E7 Fear and Forgiveness http://brianlogue.com/aboutworship.cfm?feature=290952&postid=30970 I had a good relationship with my parents growing up. They were both loving and kind people. I can&rsquo;t say that I lived in fear of my parents; but I did, however, fear my dad when I did something wrong. If I misbehaved as a kid, I knew that my mom would wait until my dad got home from work, tell my dad what I did, and then I would be in for a spanking. I would sputter out the words &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sorry&rdquo; through tears and sniffles, and every once in a while my dad would forgive me without punishment. I would run to my room feeling like I had just gotten really lucky. Psalm 130 says, &ldquo;If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.&rdquo; Often times I think about forgiveness as a relief from fear. But the Psalmist is pointing out an interesting undertone in our relationship with God. We fear Him because He forgives, not because He punishes. This is an amazing perspective that reminds us to never take God&rsquo;s forgiveness lightly. Punishment is what we deserved, but God chose to forgive us through the sacrifice of Jesus. And for that, we fear and respect Him.
Psalm 130 says, “If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.”

Often times I think about forgiveness as a relief from fear. But the Psalmist is pointing out an interesting undertone in our relationship with God. We fear Him because He forgives, not because He punishes.

This is an amazing perspective that reminds us to never take God’s forgiveness lightly. Punishment is what we deserved, but God chose to forgive us through the sacrifice of Jesus. And for that, we fear and respect Him.]]> Sat, 22 Nov 2008 06:59:08 GMT 61DF454AE3736AE4973C420A7D37CEF6 Dirty Soap http://brianlogue.com/aboutworship.cfm?feature=290952&postid=30580 Jesus was sinless, but became a sin offering for us. Not that He sinned, but He took on sin for us while remaining intrinsically sinless. How is it that Jesus could take on sin, yet remain sinless? Think about it like this: Dirty Soap. Soap is intrinsically clean. If a bar of soap gets dirty, you simply run it under water until it is clean. You don&rsquo;t need to use another bar of soap to clean the dirty bar of soap. The dirty bar of soap is just outwardly dirty,&nbsp;and the dirt does not stick. It is the same way with Jesus. He took on our sin, but the sin could not stick. Here&rsquo;s the cool part &ndash; when you put your faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sin, you too become soap. Sin no longer sticks to you because Jesus has replaced your sinful nature with His Spirit (Romans ch 8), and washed you with his pure water (Hebrews 10:22). But here&rsquo;s the catch, soap does not truly fulfill its purpose if it is not cleaning things. We are called to be earth cleaners. Just as Jesus came to earth to cleanse us, we must help cleanse those around us by living a Christ-like life and pointing to Him as the only hope for salvation (Matt. 28:19-20).
Think about it like this: Dirty Soap. Soap is intrinsically clean. If a bar of soap gets dirty, you simply run it under water until it is clean. You don’t need to use another bar of soap to clean the dirty bar of soap. The dirty bar of soap is just outwardly dirty, and the dirt does not stick.

It is the same way with Jesus. He took on our sin, but the sin could not stick.

Here’s the cool part – when you put your faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sin, you too become soap. Sin no longer sticks to you because Jesus has replaced your sinful nature with His Spirit (Romans ch 8), and washed you with his pure water (Hebrews 10:22).

But here’s the catch, soap does not truly fulfill its purpose if it is not cleaning things. We are called to be earth cleaners. Just as Jesus came to earth to cleanse us, we must help cleanse those around us by living a Christ-like life and pointing to Him as the only hope for salvation (Matt. 28:19-20).
]]> Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:59:41 GMT 2ECF875D02876C9592190EF251204766 I See Dead People http://brianlogue.com/aboutworship.cfm?feature=290952&postid=30340 Last week we observed that the world is full of the &ldquo;Walking Dead,&rdquo; people who don&rsquo;t yet know Jesus, and are living a Spiritually dead life. This week I can&rsquo;t help but wonder how many of us believers are &ldquo;Walking Dead&rdquo; too. We are saved by grace and faith in Jesus Christ, but we too are Spiritually dead. James 2:26 says, &ldquo;As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.&rdquo; How many of us have faith in Christ, but our works and deeds do not reflect it? How many of us claim Christ as our Savior, but do nothing to make a difference in the world in His Name? We must let our deeds reflect the vitality of our worship. If we claim Christ as our Savior, we need to act on His behalf, just as He acted on ours. Our deeds are our heart monitor. We can measure the beating of our heart for Christ by our actions.
This week I can’t help but wonder how many of us believers are “Walking Dead” too. We are saved by grace and faith in Jesus Christ, but we too are Spiritually dead. James 2:26 says, “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”

How many of us have faith in Christ, but our works and deeds do not reflect it? How many of us claim Christ as our Savior, but do nothing to make a difference in the world in His Name?

We must let our deeds reflect the vitality of our worship. If we claim Christ as our Savior, we need to act on His behalf, just as He acted on ours.

Our deeds are our heart monitor. We can measure the beating of our heart for Christ by our actions.
]]> Sat, 08 Nov 2008 10:28:30 GMT 76E59921E3C24406EFE10A5C93269EBA Walking Dead http://brianlogue.com/aboutworship.cfm?feature=290952&postid=29963 Today is Halloween. Tonight, many children will parade around neighborhoods dressed as ghouls, goblins, and zombies. Some of us may go to a party; or some of us may stay in doors and watch a scary zombie movie where the walking dead try to eat people&rsquo;s brains. The truth is that the &ldquo;Walking Dead&rdquo; are among us every day. We see them at the grocery store, little league games, restaurants, and everywhere. As a matter of fact, we Christians were once also &ldquo;Walking Dead.&rdquo; Ephesians 2:1-5 says, &ldquo;As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions&mdash;it is by grace you have been saved.&rdquo; That&rsquo;s great news for us! But let us not forget about those who are not yet saved. They are still &ldquo;Walking Dead,&rdquo; and we have a cure for zombie-ness. Now imagine if there was a Zombie movie where someone had a cure for zombie-ness. Do you think he&rsquo;d use the cure?
The truth is that the “Walking Dead” are among us every day. We see them at the grocery store, little league games, restaurants, and everywhere. As a matter of fact, we Christians were once also “Walking Dead.”

Ephesians 2:1-5 says, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”

That’s great news for us! But let us not forget about those who are not yet saved. They are still “Walking Dead,” and we have a cure for zombie-ness.

Now imagine if there was a Zombie movie where someone had a cure for zombie-ness. Do you think he’d use the cure?
]]> Sat, 01 Nov 2008 01:40:47 GMT 12254CF2DFB7618C13A2C233DFAF5BF1 Whole-hearted http://brianlogue.com/aboutworship.cfm?feature=290952&postid=29465 What is whole-hearted worship? Some might say it&rsquo;s demonstrated by dancing and singing. Others might say it is demonstrated by signs and wonders, or speaking in tongues. Still, others might say that it&rsquo;s demonstrated by alms-giving and helping the widows and orphans. I think that whole-hearted worship is a willingness to do whatever the Holy Spirit moves you to do within the boundaries of scripturally based expression. (Col. 3:16, Matt. 6:1-18, 1 Cor. 14:26-40 et al.) Unfortunately, some of us never achieve whole-hearted worship because we haven&rsquo;t based our worship on Scripture, but on our own comfort level. Sometime in our life we embraced the notion that we have a right to be comfortable during worship. That, as believers, we don&rsquo;t have to sing if we don&rsquo;t feel comfortable. We don&rsquo;t have to pray out loud if we don&rsquo;t feel comfortable. We don&rsquo;t have to dance or clap our hands if we don&rsquo;t feel comfortable. The heart of feeling uncomfortable during worship is not a fear of God, but a&nbsp;fear of feeling exposed to those standing around us. We don&rsquo;t want others to think we&rsquo;re weird. (As worship leaders we should always remember that there&rsquo;s a difference between helping guests and seekers feel comfortable, and helping believers feel comfortable.) So, for believers, worship should not be about being comfortable.&nbsp;We should move past ourselves and our comfort zone to a place of pure abandon before God.&nbsp;We should try to express to God the full breadth of our gratitude, awe, and wonder that He deserves. And we should do it with no thought about what others might think.&nbsp; Letting ourselves try something uncomfortable is the first step to whole-hearted worship.&nbsp; And, as I recall, Jesus did a few things that He didn&rsquo;t want to do. He was mocked for us. He was beaten for us. He was hung on a cross and died for us. Wow. Talk about uncomfortable&hellip;
Some might say it’s demonstrated by dancing and singing. Others might say it is demonstrated by signs and wonders, or speaking in tongues. Still, others might say that it’s demonstrated by alms-giving and helping the widows and orphans.

I think that whole-hearted worship is a willingness to do whatever the Holy Spirit moves you to do within the boundaries of scripturally based expression. (Col. 3:16, Matt. 6:1-18, 1 Cor. 14:26-40 et al.)

Unfortunately, some of us never achieve whole-hearted worship because we haven’t based our worship on Scripture, but on our own comfort level.

Sometime in our life we embraced the notion that we have a right to be comfortable during worship. That, as believers, we don’t have to sing if we don’t feel comfortable. We don’t have to pray out loud if we don’t feel comfortable. We don’t have to dance or clap our hands if we don’t feel comfortable.

The heart of feeling uncomfortable during worship is not a fear of God, but a fear of feeling exposed to those standing around us. We don’t want others to think we’re weird. (As worship leaders we should always remember that there’s a difference between helping guests and seekers feel comfortable, and helping believers feel comfortable.)

So, for believers, worship should not be about being comfortable. We should move past ourselves and our comfort zone to a place of pure abandon before God. We should try to express to God the full breadth of our gratitude, awe, and wonder that He deserves. And we should do it with no thought about what others might think.  Letting ourselves try something uncomfortable is the first step to whole-hearted worship. 

And, as I recall, Jesus did a few things that He didn’t want to do. He was mocked for us. He was beaten for us. He was hung on a cross and died for us. Wow. Talk about uncomfortable…
]]> Thu, 23 Oct 2008 05:26:57 GMT BDF1A1181CB576496573264D26C1C19E