Distractions

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:33, NKJV)

Recently, my phone rang. My spirit “hit” me and I knew it was not a good report. I said, “I’m not answering that.” The Holy Spirit said, “Answer it now.” The call was from one of my closest friends who is more than a sister to me. She was extremely upset and told me of a completely wrongdoing against her. It was a very evil, personal attack.

Upon hearing of the situation...I felt as if I had spiritually regressed by 20years...

While on the phone, I kept it together. After speaking the word over her and explaining no matter what, we would walk this out together, I hung up the phone. Immediately, this was the conversation as the battled ensued. 

Flesh: I will rip his face off his head! 
Spirit: Vengeance is mine saith the LORD.
Flesh: You are Him on earth performing His works!
Spirit: Pray for him.
Flesh: OH, ho HO-HO-HO you have GOT to be kidding me?!
Spirit: Prayer always works.
Flesh: You know your hands wanna rip his face off!
Spirit: Even though you (flesh) are A LOT of fun, you are going to have to sit down and shut up. 
Flesh: Think on these things...RIPPING!
Spirit: I take every thought captive. 
Flesh: You are boring…
Spirit: I love Him so I keep His commands.

Ok…this is a slight exaggeration for comedic sake; however, I was so upset I was physically dizzy. The sides of my face felt like I had fallen into cactus needles. And I thought, “Oh man, not that physical sensation stuff again.”

Then condemnation tried to hit. Battle number two..."All these years, you had a forgiveness plan. Someone offends. You pray. God gives you a heart of compassion for them. He shows you why they do what they do. You have immediate victory. HA! Now you want to tear someone’s face apart! Your “plan” no longer works!" 

Me: The plan may not. But the Word always does! One sends a thousand to flight...two, ten thousand! Gotta LOVE God's math! I immediately contacted my pastor and his wife. They prayed over me, commanded all condemnation to flee....it immediately lifted. It had to bow to The Name above all names…King Jesus!  Praise God for pastors who can think fast on their feet and who are only a call away! Who are so full of God’s Word and His Spirit and know what to do, say, and pray! Thank you Pastor Micah and Kristy!

This attack was different that what I had experienced because this offense wasn't a direct hit on me. I was indirectly hurt. A collateral damage stat. Be sober, vigilant, alert (1 Peter 5:8)! For a short time, I fell for the attack. If the enemy cannot get to you, or someone you love, he will try someone to get to someone you love. In this case, unfortunately, the enemy had found the weakest link. A person I love dearly was terribly hurt and I was in full on protective mode.

As I began to piece together what had to be done I battled with several things. My primary concern was forgiveness...as in walk in. Yes. I know that; however, I reasoned (my first mistake) once a murderer confesses to killing someone and asks God for forgiveness they are forgiven. However the laws of the land decide the murderer must fulfill their requirements and be locked away for a time so that they can murder no more. I struggled with how forgiveness and accountability is balanced.

Over the next coming weeks, during prayer, Light Was! God showed me how the enemy used this incident to distract me from Him. As long as I was distracted, I was locked into that distraction instead of being locked into Him. I was locked into trying to find a solution instead of being locked into Him. He further revealed to me the next battle that was about to ensue so that I could stand against it. In an instant, He refocused me.

No matter what strikes the enemy makes, when we seek Him first in all things, He adds all things to us. He is everything we need! Don't be distracted!

True Worship

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. (John 4:23)

There was a time when I first started church that during worship service I could not enter in.  I was so broken and hurt, every time I tried, my heart was pierced with His love and I knew if I continued worshipping Him the ushers would have to scrape me off the floor.

If you are in a worship service and you see someone looking around instead of singing and “entering in”, pray for that person.  Understand it may not necessarily mean that individual is refusing to participate or viewing worship service as a spectator sport.  It may just be that person is being healed right where they stand even if their outer appearance doesn’t reflect it.

If you are one who cannot yet fully participate in worship as your hear desires, that’s ok. God meets us where we’re at.  Just know, He loves us too much to leave us there. Refuse to grow weary and give up, and you will reap. (Galatians 6:9)

During those early days, I prayed for freedom to worship Him. He has answered those prayers and now I freely worship Him and chains continue to be broken and I continue to be set free. And so can you. (Matthew 7:7)

Several weeks ago I was in a worship service and the worship team was amazing.  Every instrument was being played with excellence.  Every voice was singing in perfect harmony.  Every sound was phenomenal.

As odd as this may sound, it was a little distracting.  I had to fight against the distraction.  Everything was so beautiful I just wanted to stare at the musicians playing their instruments.  I wanted to take it all in and be blessed by it.

I fought against the distraction and pressed in to worship Him.  I was there to worship Him, not to be entertained.  God spoke to my heart, “Every part of every worship service is critical.  Worship service is worship, not entertainment.  Enter further in.  Minister to Me.  You are not in worship service in order for the worship team to minister to you.”  I pressed into worship further and He said, “Every word is critical.  Every note is critical.  Listen to every note.  Be carried on each note.”  I listened intently to every note I could distinguish.  I don’t mean every chord as I couldn’t tell you a c from a d sharp (if a d sharp even exists).  I’m talking about every sound bringing me to a place of Heaven on earth and changing my life!

I didn’t want to leave that place, but God said, “Open your eyes.”  I opened my eyes and looked at the keyboard player’s fingers.  I meditated on, “Every note is critical.”  God showed me if the keyboard player had missing fingers he wouldn’t be able to play every note.  Missing fingers would result in missing notes.  Missing notes would result in missing ministry.  Missing ministry would result in missing healings, revelation and people being set free.

About two weeks later, I was in a healing service. People were being healed where they stood while worshipping God.  Not one person was being prayed for and over 100 people left that service healed. Growths dissolved.  People were able to physically do what they weren’t able to do when they arrived.  One woman even removed her oxygen and testified she was healed!

This made me further understand how every word and every note is critical.  As these people entered in and were carried upward to a place of Heaven on earth, their physical bodies were being healed!  Every note and every word was obviously playing a critical part in each person’s life and the experience was life changing!

A quick search of the effects of music on the brain will result in findings so enormous one cannot read it all.  It is obvious now and has been for centuries that music profoundly affects people emotionally, physically and spiritually.  I’ve observed my children and the effects of music on them since they were small infants.  Children move to the flow of the music.  Music moves people, no pun intended. Numerous articles of research I found during this study suggested, “Music is the pathway to the soul.”  Wow, it behooves us to be watchful of what we listen to.

God knew exactly what He was doing when He created music.  He created the Hebrew Aleph Bet and attached over 70 layers to each letter.  One of those layers is a musical note attached to each letter.  The Word of God can literally be played on a musical instrument.  This is why David could play his harp for King Saul and the evil spirit that was tormenting him would flee.  More teachings on the Hebrew language can be found at www.faithman.org.   I’ve learned every minute I spend researching the Hebrew language is valuable time spent.

Over the past several weeks I’ve thought about sentences and how taking one word out changes the whole message.  For example, the sentence, “I love you.”  Remove “you” and we are left with, “I love.”   I love what?  Pizza?  My car?  My dog?  One word missing out of that sentence makes the sentence incomplete.  Every word is critical.  Every word we speak, meditate on or sing is critical.

We carry the power of life and death in our mouth.  One of my pastors, Dr. Larry Ollison, says it like this, “Your life and your death are in the power of your tongue.”  Since every word is critical, I believe we are to make every word count towards life, healing and wholeness for ourselves and everyone who comes into contact with us.  Blessings and curses are set before us, we must choose life!

On another note, (grin) clapping for the worship team during worship service after every song may be a nice gesture toward the worship team; however, worship service is not a show.  Worship is worship.

If you are on a worship team, please consider this.  Leading worship takes practice and preparation not only experience and/or education.  Since every note and every word is critical, is it critical for you to fully practice and prepare yourself to bring forth everything God has called you to bring forth in every worship service.  Not one note is insignificant.  Every note you play and every word you say in each and every service has the ability to set people free and change lives forever, through Christ Jesus!

Worship is a powerful tool!  Live a life of worship in everything you think, say and do!  Always have His praise on your lips!  “Worship the LORD your God, and His blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span. (Exodus 23:25)  This is a powerful promise!  Believe it and walk in it!  Be a true worshiper worshiping Him in spirit and in truth!  He is seeking you!