Either you get it or you don't

Yesterday at my home church we were challenged with an awesome message. The passage was in John 11:17-44. This as many of you know is the story of Lazarus. One point that stood out to me was when "Jesus wept" (v. 35). Not only did he weep because of the death of His friend, but he wept because Mary and Martha and the people around did not "get it". The footnote in my bible says "he was troubled by their unbelief". Everything Jesus had been teaching them about healing was not been put to use. As the story goes on and Jesus tells them to roll the stone away and commands Lazarus to come out we were challenged to get rid of whatever stones stand in the way of our walk with Jesus.
Today I overheard two churchgoers talk about their service. The reason I bring this up is I heard them talking from everything about the music being too loud or too much, to what a woman was wearing when she got up and left early. I wonder how many "churchgoers" are like Mary, Martha and the people standing around Lazarus' tomb and we still don't "get it". They also mentioned that the service doesn't do anything for them "it might reach some people but not me". I just wanted to say to them were they preaching something not in the Bible or singing songs not about God. It is crazy to me how many of us feel this way. I think about how many times people in the church say things like this and Jesus still weeps because we don't "get it". It breaks my heart to hear christians talk like this, and it breaks my heart to know I have talked like this before. No where in the Bible does it give the order a service should be. Acts is a book we should model our walk by, the first churchservive, (Acts 2:42-47) shows the impact Jesus made on their hearts. Nothing within these verses mentioned the order of service or what anyone was wearing, or if the music sounded good, or if the coffee bar was fully stocked. They were "devoting themselves to what the apostle's were teaching". I am just as guilty as the next person when something does not go right on a Sunday morning. Many times you could look at me and say "he doesn't get it", the Lord is teaching me to deny myself take up His cross and follow Him. It's not easy, and I pray that you see Christ in me.

Mickey

Sorry if I rambled I was called to change diapers in the middle of typing so my thought pattern may have been interupted. The joys of having a newborn.

Extravagant Worship

Luke 7:37-38
When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

When I look at these verses I'm reminded of how glorious and wonderful a priviledge it is the worship Jesus. The ultimate sacrifice during that time an expensive jar of perfume to wash someone's feet. But this was not just anyone this was our Savior. What an act of worship. This passage reminded me of a song by Vicky Beaching called "Extravagant Worship":

"Doesn’t matter what people sayI forget their watching eyes I just want to bring to You My most costly, my most priceless, my most precious Sacrifice

I'm longing to bring Extravagant worship Total surrender Reckless abandon I pour out my love, pour out myself

Breaking open my thankful heart I release its praise perfume Here I’ll linger lifting to You Songs of wonder, songs of worship Songs of deepest gratitude"

I long for myself as well as people around me to show this kind of worship. I love the words reckless abandon, being a sports minded person it makes me think of football and having a wedge buster on the kickoff to go in with reckless abandon and break the wedge of people the other team has formed to protect the ball carrier. I looked up the extravagant in Webster's to come with the definition of exceeding the limits of reason, spending much more than necessary, or profuse, lavish. I believe we would see a drastic difference in our worship if we exceeded the limits of reason and showed some reckless abandon toward Jesus. I pray as you go through out the day you remember the woman pouring the perfume on Jesus' feet the price she paid to worship Jesus. What price are we paying?

Mickey

P.S. here is the link to the video from the previous blog that does not work

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIji5P7Ti84

A Worship Experience

This is a blog by Casey Darnell about his experience leading worship on Easter Sunday 3/23

WOW

From the blog of Casey Darnell

Worship EXCUSES...whats yours?

While leading worship yesterday at Buckhead Church...one of the most powerful things happened. A moment in worship that has changed me forever.it was the 3rd service and me and the worship team were TIRED.Mainly because at this point we had been there since 6:30am...and it was now 6pm.When you lead worship on days like that, i want to be honest, its definitely a temptation to just do the last service mindlessly or "phone it in" so to speak.As in...let your tiredness get the best of you and maybe miss out on something God might be doing because you are more than ready to go home. But this was NOT THE CASE this past Easter Sunday.As that nights worship set kicked off...i noticed, somewhere into the 2nd song, that directly in front of me was a guy, that i found out after the service was named Jefferson, who it was obvious to see had severe cerebral palsy...but that was not the interesting part.....it was what i saw him doing and what was taking place that has CHANGED ME!!!Jefferson was...STANDING......this was possible for him because behind him was a guy named Matt....HOLDING HIM UP!!!During the entire 20 min or so worship set...one hand in the air at one point and the other holding on to Jefferson. Both of them making joyful noises at the top of their lungs.Their physical posture was expressing the posture of their hearts!and it was BEAUTIFUL!!!This says so much to me...things i am still processing and only able to speak about with tears in my eyes.....however.......What does this say to you? Have you had one of those days like we were having...one of those just exhausting days...maybe a day when things arent going your way...people have let you down...life has happened...or a day full of reasons to ignore the blessings in your life...to maybe forget for a moment of How GOOD GOD HAS BEEN to you...?How does this make you reflect about how you worship?When the excuses are plenty and the uncomfortableness of standing up to worship our Savior is keeping you from....worshiping...without analyzing...without critiquing...I pray when those times happen you will remember these pictures below and remember Jefferson...and remember where you were...that your chains are no more....and you are free....so free in fact you are able to STAND and worship...no fears or failures can stop you and you sing with every breath you are being GIVEN...

Matt & Jefferson are standing up right in front of me on the front row (im the one in the vest)

How can we not be changed by this...how can we stand still like so many were doing standing all around these 2 guys...It was so much easier for them...and it broke my heart to see so many just standing around in a way that seemed to leave them UN-affected by the worship time...And though i don’t want to judge the others, because I don’t know their stories...but man..it sure does make me think......while these 2 guys were having to WORK and PAY A PRICE to WORSHIP, what was the cost for everyone else? For you?For me?How will i respond next time?

"I will not offer anything to the Lord, that cost me nothing" - 2 Samuel 24:24

CASE

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIji5P7Ti84

posted by casey darnell

WOW
So many times I think we take our worship services for granted. I thank God for times like these to bring me as a worship leader back down to earth and realize this is all about Him. God is good.

MC

new blog

Well I've done it. I joined the world of blogging I don't know why because I really don't like reading blogs so why I think anyone will read this who knows. But I've come to realize this is where the world is headed "Blogs". So check back and I'll try to let you inside my head to what I'm think about at the exact time I'm sitting at the computer and writing.

MC