Obsession

Today the Lord spoke to me. I was reading the book: Face to Face with God by Bill Johnson. I began to feel His warm presence descend upon me, like butter melting on a stack of hotcakes. 

I closed my eyes and put the book down. I focused on God and pushed all other mental and emotional distractions away. I felt such a peace that soft releasing tears were gently falling from my face. I stayed there for a while but didn't want to scare my dad in the other room if I gave in and went too deep. So I allowed myself to marinate there in His presence and take in what I could.  I thought about all of the books I have read over the summer.... Oddly. Then I heard God whisper to me: 

There is much to obsess in, but obsess in Me. 

So if you know me, you might see me as a person who is caught up with many things. We all get caught up in things: video games, book series, events, volunteering, drugs, Facebook, people, organizations to name a few. 

He has been moving my own personal distractions away. I've been trying to figure out why there are still two stacks of schoolbooks on my dresser that are untouched. School begins in two weeks. I've been troubled by my lack of desire to plan, plan, plan. It's not that I haven't thought about it. It's not that I won't do a good job as a teacher next year, but I won't be obsessed  with my career; I am determined to be a Christ follower and be up obsessed  with following Jesus first and foremost! 

I've been feeling weird about the untouched stack on my dresser for a while now. I've been trying to understand what was happening to me. Did I lose my passion for teaching? No!  Did it a higher place or priority in my life? Yes! I now understand what has happened since I have been bathing and soaking in God presence, reading His word and other resources  since January. 

He has given me such a strong desire for more of Him. I've considered that my passion for Christ has trumped all other desires and passions I have had. 

My son often lovingly teases me about my increased "Jesus time" at church and home. Since he got home from the Army, I think he sees how different I am. Sometimes people tease me about my "Jesus friends" aka super friends! Well , I love that term super friends! My super friends are supernatural in Christ. They are obsessed with being Christ followers. They're crazy, they seem to have received the same download from God: There is much to obsess in; but obsess in me. 

Is God speaking to you through this entry? Read Psalm 23 for more insight. The Lord should be the main focus of the Christ follower. 

Food for thought! 

http://mobile.biblegateway.com/passage/?d=O&utm_expid=13466113-7.gxSc2r6FTcGKXIx6trdFNQ.1&search=Psalm%2023&version=MSG&utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fmobile.biblegateway.com%2F

Ileana (Illy) Reich sent from my iPhone 

The Lord Gave Me this Song After Worship Today

I see The Lord, I'm stepping out

Walking forward, there is no doubt

I lift my hands, extend them out

To a dead world, that needs your Love

Give me faith that moves mountains

I'm an extension of your fountain  

Actions speak louder than words! 

Father, let your fire fall

Fill us and pour us on this world

Let us take the inside out

Dispelling darkness with love of The Lord

As your fire falls

 

I see The Lord, my mouth is yours

I'll open it, and speak your word

I'll walk in love and take your hope 

To the lonely, and share your love

Give me faith that moves mountains

I'm an extension of your fountain  

Actions speak louder than words! 

Father, let your fire fall

Fill us and pour us on this world

Let us take the inside out

Dispelling darkness with love of The Lord

As your fire falls

 

A Worship Team Special Edition: The Overflow

 

A Worship Team Special Edition: The Overflow

Friends, the worship that comes from us on Sunday or whatever service or event we are leading or participating in should come from a “prepared heart”. It should be founded in core values that we acknowledge. It should be full of non-negotiables, living our lives worshiping the Lord in everything we do. This is not reserved for the singers, but also the musicians too.  It should be a stream that is used to running and is familiar with communing with God.  Yes, I prepare for service by reading over the lyrics, seeking the Lord, praying over them, searching the Bible for scriptures, which I often use Biblegateway.com; but, it is a second level of dedication and devotion.  Don’t get me wrong, a worship leader and praise team member should know the lyrics and be able to sing most of the time without looking at them; this way they can focus on God and listen to Him for wisdom, while he or she is leading.  Know the parts for your instrument that are tricky, sing and play in the spirit at home and allow God to take you places in his anointing. However, their minds and hearts must be clear of everything else and ready to worship. This state of prepared readiness comes from a heart that seeks the Lord and has their own precious time with God.  The foundation is laid, kept, not forgotten, and seasoned daily. And out of this secret place, comes a surrendered heart that overflows. This overflow comes out like incense before God both at home etc. and in church.  If you ever worry you won’t know what to say during worship, if your heart is full with worship and the word, there will be an overflowing of new wine for the people. You will have experienced this new wine before the people. In short, you will be a refreshing spring for others to come and drink God’s living water from.  God will fill your lips. This is a surrendered life. If you bring your supplication before the Lord, you will over flow with praise” (Psalm 119:170-172). So bring your heart, your lips, your instrument, and whatever else you have before Him at home, in the car, etc. and you are sure to have a supernatural overflow wherever you go to minister.

 

God bless!

Psalm 119:170-172 (NIV)

¹⁷⁰ May my supplication come before you;
deliver me according to your promise.
¹⁷¹ May my lips overflow with praise,
for you teach me your decrees.
¹⁷² May my tongue sing of your word,
for all your commands are righteous.

Lovesick

I am a worshipper and lover of God. I love who He is, and my devotion is entwined with passion of falling deeper in relationship with Him. As I walk through trials and see how suffering produces character and hope; I become more aware of His commitment to me to the end of time. We live in a spiritual kingdom that has no end. His love never ends; the word tells us that His love is unfailing.

His love transcends every circumstance we face, as well as the failures we experience. He is clothed in love and gentle and patient.  Romans 5 tell us that “Hope does not disappoint”.  Jesus in my friend; the evidence is a life of relationship.  The fruit of this is trust. If one never opens up this “bottle” and tries it, they will never know or experience the love of God.

I fancy Jesus and am crazy about Him. I look forward to growing old and on into eternity with Him. His love has touched me life. Each time I come into His presence, I feel more and want more of His love. Isn’t it true that when you walk with someone, you get to know them and they know you? You can’t wait to be in their presence: it’s a safe and beautiful place to dwell and visit.

When we have such a deep love for Christ, there is an overflow and freedom to express it. One cannot not hold back their response of love, gratefulness, and admiration towards God when He is near. This deluge of emotions is so great there is a physical and emotional outpouring towards God.  Hearts and minds are connected singing a love song to each other. This song has a variety of genres, though these are just a few: thinking on, singing to, and or talking to God.

When I come into God’s presence, like I did at Beef O’ Brady’s today, sitting outside reading the book: Momentum, by Eric and Bill Johnson, I felt an avalanche hit me.   I finished the book, but there was so much more than that going back and forth between him and me. It was like the sun was shining on me, but it was His love just soaking me out there; I was smiling and celebrating His “love shower”.  I was just thanking Him for the opportunity to be in a class that was assisting my spiritual development and was drawing me closer to Him.

As I draw nearer to God daily, whether though declarations, prayer, singing, meditating on God, I see that He is drawing closer to me. The cry of my heart is that this love will begin to shine and touch others wherever I am.  Call me “lovesick”, and I’ll tell you it’s true. Call me “love-struck”, and I‘ll tell you it’s true.

Worship is more than what happens on a Sunday morning or at any given service, though He can and does move. Worship is a lifestyle; it’s a tangible life-giving gift that anyone can enjoy. To be with the Master and Savior, to revel in His love, to rejoice in who He is are just a few of the things I think about when I focus on the Lord. It’s like a window opens between Earth and Heaven. My spirit skips the clouds and goes straight to His bosom. Can you tell I am in love? When we have this secure intimacy and connection to the secret place, nothing can touch us because we soar above the clouds and troubles.

Hey, I never know how or if God will move during a worship service as I am leading, I just travel to the space above; my heart searches for Him. It’s just another time to meet Him. Yes, I set my expectations high and pray before service and ask Him to move, but my focus is still on me meeting God in an encounter that takes me higher and gets me closer to Him. Yes, I want to see Him move and do miracles, but I don't worship God to attempt to manipulate Him to move. I come into his presence and worship the "Great I Am".

Take a moment and think about the concepts in this blog. What can you do to draw closer to God? If you have not experienced this kind of love, the God kind-of-love, it’s time to open the bottle and experience Him by reading His word, talking to Him, and thanking Him. If you sense a block, ask God how to get the wall down. Nothing can separate us from His love; however, we need to be aware of His love and accept it, despite any failures we may have had. So, what is God speaking to you?

Puddles and Swellings: Out of the Box Worship

God blew in like the wind and fell on us with His mighty presence at our last worship practice. We have been hungry for more of God, seeking Him, praying, and asking Him to meet and change us. Now I know it sounds silly, but when we come to practice, that’s what we come to do. That sounds right. Doesn’t it? Well, I have been gently corrected by the Holy Spirit. Every time I come to the Lord to worship and praise Him, wherever I am, I should expect to connect with Him.

God wants to be invited into our box, our world, and whatever we put our hands too that we dedicate to Him. As we invite Him in to our world, He becomes part of our world. The more I get to know and love Christ; the more I feel closer to Him. The more we pray for Heaven to invade Earth; the more Heaven we can connect too. The more we connect to Heaven; the more He can invade out world.  And the two become one.

So I am so excited about what God is doing at Gulf Coast Church and in the Praise and Worship Ministry. We are finding deep swellings of God’s anointing every time we meet. We are also getting to know each other by the spirit. We are learning to move and flow in God. I think Jesus is happy we took Him out of the box! He is so much more than what we confine our thinking to, and it’s time to start jumping in the puddles He has prepared for us!

A Re-Revealing Purposeful Worship Movement

Today in church, God moved and smeared His anointing all over us. God began to show and remind me of some of the worship principles that are in His Word as I was leading. He told me it was reciprocal: fellowship and communion with God; the more praises that go up, the more His glory comes down!

As we, the worship team and church, began to abandon ourselves to God, letting the praises go up, He began to fill our sanctuary. It was like a swelling in the air that kept growing. The more we pressed in and praised, the greater His presence poured out.

He worked something sweet and special during worship inside my spirit too. There was a softer, more intimate exchange. I was believing for a great and mighty wind. I had been seeking the Lord to ask Him for us to hear the sound of heaven today, to worship in the heavenlies, and to ask God to release more of His power and glory on the earth. Yet, He came as a gentlemen, courting and wooing us.

I believe that He is doing something new and it's about to break out! This is not just a church thing. It is a movement that has begun all over the world. God is awakening the church and reminding them of His word and re-revealing (is that word?) His secret mysteries. These mysteries are opened to us and are not meant to be a mystery. He wants us awake and alive! He has a purpose for us in this global worship movement sweeping across America. It's not just the privy of one denomination or just non-denominational churches. God is breaking out past these man-made barriers and boundaries. He is using many famous worship leaders and bands, like Jesus Culture, Bethel, Kare Jobe etc. He is working this movement in the local church too.

This can only be to take the word out, refresh and empower His church, and to bring about a massive move of God. I believe this outpouring will happen not just in the church, but also in the homes and cars of people who understand that it is normal to worship God, but that it is also our reasonable service to present our bodies. God wants us to get past ourselves and pride, as was spoken in today's message: To do things God's ways and not our own. If we follow the Biblical pattern of worship; there are so many things we can do (sing, pray, clap, shout, kneel, bow, dance, and lay prostrate). We no longer need an animal sacrifice because Jesus was slain for us. So,  go ahead and press and go boldly before His throne. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. I go all-in for Christ in everything I put my hand to; so can you.