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WORSHIP THAT PLEASES GOD

Dear Church, Again this is magnification month here at Demo. I want to share with you a great article written by Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback church entitled "Worship That Pleases God" Anthropologists have noted that people in every culture instinctively worship something. It's a universal urge, hard-wired by God into the very fiber of our being - an inbuilt need to connect with God. Worship is as natural as eating or breathing. If we fail to worship God, we always find a substitute; even if ends up being ourselves. "Let us be grateful and worship God in a way that will please him, with reverence and awe." Heb. 12:28 (TEV) The reason God made us with this desire is because he desires worshipers! Jesus said, "the Father seeks worshipers." "I want to emphasize again that worship is more than music. Actually, worship predates music." So far we've seen that worship is bringing pleasure to God, and there are many way to do this: by trusting, loving, obeying, praising, surrendering, using our talents for his glory, and developing a close friendship with him. Worship is the first purpose of your life: You are created and we're commanded to worship. It is our greatest responsibility, our highest privilege, and it should have take priority over everything else. When asked, "What's the most important commandment in the Bible?" Jesus answered, "Worship!" He said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Anytime you express love to God, you are worshiping. It doesn't matter whether you are by yourself, with family, or gathered with other believers. A Samaritan woman once tried to debate Jesus on the best time, place, and style for worship. Jesus replied that these external issues are irrelevant; what matters is your heart. Where you worship is not as important as how and why. Jesus said, "True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks." These two statements by Jesus (Mark 12:30 and John 4:23) explain the kind of worship that gives God pleasure. God-pleasing worship is based on Scripture: "Worship in ...truth." We must worship God as he is truly revealed in the Bible; anything else is idolatry. You can't just create your own image of God ("I like to think of God as...") and worship that. Real worship is rooted the Word; it's based on truth, not our imagination. The more you know the Bible, the better you'll understand the truth about God, especially his grace. That will compel you to passionate worship. Whenever you feel indifferent, apathetic, or bored with worship, it means you've forgotten how amazing God's grace really is. God-pleasing worship is from the heart: "Worship in spirit" This is not referring to the Holy Spirit, but to your spirit. Made in God's image, you are a spirit that resides in a body, and God designed your spirit to communicate with him. Worship is our spirit responding to God's Spirit. Jesus said it another way when he commanded, "Love God with all your heart and soul." Worship must be genuine and heart-felt. It's not just a matter of saying the right words; you must mean what you say. Heartless praise is not praise at all! It is worthless, and an insult to God. When we worship, God looks past our words to see the attitude of our hearts. The Bible says, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." Since worship is delighting in and enjoying God, it engages your emotions. God gave you emotions so you could worship him with deep feeling - but those emotions must be genuine, not faked. God hates hypocrisy. He doesn't want a show, or pretense, or phoniness in worship. He wants your honest, real love. We can worship God imperfectly, but we cannot worship him insincerely. Of course, sincerity alone is not enough; you can be sincerely wrong. That's why both spirit and truth are required. Worship must be both authentic and accurate. God-pleasing worship is deeply emotional and deeply doctrinal. We use both our hearts and our heads. I want to emphasize again that worship is more than music. Actually, worship predates music. Adam worshiped in the Garden of Eden but music isn't mentioned until Genesis 4:21 with the birth of Jubal. If worship was just music then all who are non-musical could never worship. Real worship happens when your spirit responds to God, not to some musical tone. Unfortunately, many equate being emotionally moved by music as being moved by the Spirit, but these are not the same. In fact, some sentimental, introspective songs hinder worship because they take the spotlight off God and focus on our feelings. Your biggest distraction in worship is yourself- your interests and your worries over what others think about you. The best style of praise: Christians often differ on the most appropriate way to express praise to God. But these arguments are usually just personality and background differences. Many different forms of praise are mentioned in the Bible: confessing, singing, shouting, standing in honor, kneeling, dancing, making a joyful noise, testifying, playing musical instruments, and raising hands are just a few of them. What is the best style of praise? The answer is: the style that most authentically represents your love for God, based on the background and personality God chose for you. My friend Gary Thomas noticed that many Christians seem stuck in a worship rut, an unsatisfying routine, instead of having a vibrant friendship with God. Part of the problem, he discovered, was that many people force themselves to use devotional methods or worship styles that don't fit the way God uniquely shaped them. This leaves them frustrated and confused: Why, when I really love God, am I bored with worship? Gary wondered, "If God intentionally made us all different, why should everyone be expected to love God in the same way?" That began a search to identify different ways people develop a friendship with God. As he read Christian classics and interviewed others, he discovered many different paths that Christians have used for 2,000 years to enjoy intimacy with God: being outdoors, studying, singing, reading, dancing, creating art, serving others, solitude, fellowship, and dozens of other activities. In his book, Sacred Pathways, Gary identified nine of the ways people draw near to God: Naturalists are most inspired to love God out-of-doors, in natural settings; Sensates love God with their senses, and appreciate beautiful worship services that involve their sight, taste, smell, and touch, not just their ears. Traditionalists draw closer to God through rituals, liturgies, symbols, and unchanging structure; Ascetics prefers to love God in solitude and simplicity; Activists love God through confronting evil, battling injustice and working to make the world a better place; Caregivers love God by loving others and meeting needs; Enthusiasts love God through celebration; Contemplatives love God through adoration; Intellectuals love God by studying with their minds. There is no "one-size-fits-all" approach to worship and friendship with God. One thing is certain: you don't bring glory to God by trying to be someone he never intended you to be. "Cultivate your own relationship with God, but don't impose it on others." "...That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship." God-pleasing worship is thoughtful: Four times Jesus commanded, "Love God with all your mind." God is not pleased with unconscious worship -- thoughtless singing of hymns, perfunctory praying of clichés, or careless exclamations of "Praise the Lord" because we can't think of anything else to say at that moment. Unless your mind is engaged, worship becomes meaningless motion or empty emotion. This is the problem Jesus called "vain repetitions." Even biblical terms can become tired clichés from overuse; we stop thinking about the meaning. It's so much easier to offer clichés in worship instead of making the effort to honor God with fresh words and ways. That's why I encourage you to read Scripture in different translations and paraphrases. It will expand your expressions of worship. Here's a challenge: try praising God without using the words praise, hallelujah, thanks, or amen. Instead of saying "We just want to praise you," make a list of synonyms and use fresh words like admire, respect, value, revere, honor, and appreciate. Also be specific. If someone approached you and repeated "I praise you!" ten times, you'd probably think "For what?" You'd rather receive 2 specific compliments than 20 vague generalities. So would God. Another idea is to make a list of the different names of God and focus on them. God's names are not arbitrary; they tell us about different aspects of his character. In the Old Testament, God gradually revealed himself to Israel by introducing new names for himself, and God commands us to praise his name. God wants our corporate worship gatherings to be thoughtful, too. Paul devotes an entire chapter to this in 1 Corinthians 14 and concludes "Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way." Related to this, God insists that our worship services be understandable to unbelievers, when they are present in our worship gatherings. For a full explanation of this, see the chapter on "Worship Can Be A Witness" in The Purpose Driven Church. "Suppose some strangers are in your worship service, when you are praising God with your spirit. If they don't understand you, how will they know to say, "Amen"? You may be worshiping God in a wonderful way, but no one else will be helped." Being sensitive to unbelievers who visit your worship gatherings is a biblical command, not a passing fad. To ignore this command would be disobedient and unloving. God-pleasing worship is sacrificial: In the Old Testament God took pleasure in the many sacrifices of worship because they foretold of Jesus' sacrifice for us on the cross. But since Jesus completely paid for our sin, atoning sacrifices are no longer needed. Now God is pleased with different sacrifices of worship: our lives, our love, thanksgiving, praise, humility, repentance, offerings of money, prayer, and even serving other and sharing with them in need. Real worship costs. David realized this, "I will not offer to the Lord my God sacrifices that have cost me nothing." Praise alone is incomplete worship. We must surrender, submit, offer, and yield ourselves to him. That is the heart of worship. One thing worship cost us is our self-centeredness. You cannot exalt God and yourself at the same time. You don't worship to be seen by others or to please yourself. You deliberately shift the focus off yourself. When Jesus said, "Love God with all your strength" he pointed out that worship takes effort and energy. It is not always convenient or comfortable, and sometimes worship is a sheer act of the will -- a willing sacrifice. Praise takes effort. When you praise God even though you don't feel like it, when you get out of bed to go worship when you're tired, or when you help others when you are worn out, you offer a sacrifice of worship to God. Paul said, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship." God-pleasing worship is continual: Worship is not just for church services; we're told to "Worship him continually." and to "Praise him from sunrise to sunset." In the Bible people praised God at work, at home, in battle, in jail, and even in bed! Praise should be the first activity when you open your eyes in the morning and when you close them at night. David said, "I will thank the Lord at all times. My mouth will always praise him." Worship is not a part of your life; it is your life, and every activity can be transformed into an act of worship when you do it for the praise, glory, and pleasure of God. The Bible says, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." Martin Luther said, "A dairymaid can milk cows to the glory of God." How is it possible to do everything to the glory of God? By doing everything as if you were doing it for Jesus and by carrying on a continual conversation with him while you do it! The Bible says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." This is the secret to a lifestyle of worship; doing everything as unto the Lord. Work becomes worship when you dedicate it to God, and perform it with an awareness of his presence. The Message paraphrase of Romans 12:1 says "Take your everyday, ordinary life -- your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life -- and place it before God as an offering." When I first fell in love with my wife, I thought of her constantly: while eating breakfast, driving to school, attending class, waiting in line at the market, pumping gas -- I could not stop thinking about this woman! I often talked to myself about her, and thought about all the things I loved about her. This helped me feel close to Kay even though we lived several hundred apart from each other and attended different colleges. By constantly thinking of her, I was abiding in her love. The lifestyle of worship is just falling in love with Jesus. Two classic books can teach you how. The first, from the 17th century, is The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence, a humble cook in a French monastery. Brother Lawrence was able to turn even the most commonplace and menial tasks, like preparing meals and washing dishes into acts of praise and communion with God. The key to friendship with God, he said, was not changing what you do, but in changing your attitude toward what you do. What you normally do for yourself, you begin doing for God, whether it is eating, bathing, working, relaxing, or taking out the trash! Today we often feel we must "get away" from our daily routine in order to worship God, but that is only because we haven't learned to practice his presence all the time. Brother Lawrence found it so easy to worship God through the common tasks of life, he didn't have to go away for special spiritual retreats. This is God's ideal. In Eden, worship was not an event to attend, but a perpetual attitude; Adam and Eve were in constant communion with God. Since God is with you all the time, no place is any closer to God than the place where you are right now. The Bible says, "He rules everything and is everywhere and is in everything." Another of Brother Lawrence's helpful ideas was to pray shorter conversational prayers continually throughout the day, rather than trying to pray long sessions of complex prayers. To maintain focus, and counteract wandering thoughts, he said "I do not advise you to use a great multiplicity of words in prayer, since long discourses are often the occasions for wandering." In an age of attention deficit, this 450-year-old suggestion to keep it simple seems to be particularly relevant. Many Christians use "Breath Prayers" throughout their day. You choose a brief sentence, or a simple phrase that can be repeated to Jesus in one breath: "You are with me." "I receive your grace." "I'm depending on you." "I want to know you." "I belong to you." "Help me trust you." You can also use a short phrase of Scripture: "For me to live is Christ." "You will never leave me." "You are my God." Pray it as often as possible so it is rooted deeply into your heart. Just be sure that your motive is to honor God, not control him. "O God, we give glory to you all day long and constantly praise your name." "Pray all the time." The fastest way to reconnect with God throughout your day is to pause and be silent for a few second. Stop what you are doing, look around you with new awareness, and listen in silence for the voice of God. Silence honors God and allows us to hear him speak to our hearts. If you love God, you'll listen to him. Practicing the presence of God is a skill, a habit you can develop. Just as musicians practice scales everyday in order to play beautiful music with ease, you must force yourself to think about God at different times in your day. You must train your mind to remember God. At first, you'll need to create reminders to regularly bring your thoughts back to the awareness that God is with you in that moment. Over time, it will be more natural to think about God more often, talk with God about everything, and sense his presence everywhere. Another classic is Frank Laubach's booklet, The Game With Minutes. Laubach, founder of the World Literacy Movement, began to play a game with himself to see how often in a day he could remember that God was with him. He set a goal of thinking about God's presence at least once every half hour and developed reminders to help him do so. He then progressed to thinking about God once every 15 minutes. Eventually, his awareness of God became so ingrained that he talked with God constantly about every person he saw and every circumstance he experienced. If this seems impossible, remember it's a habit you develop with practice. Like all relationships, a friendship with God takes time. You don't build it overnight. Begin by placing visual reminders around you. You might post little notes that say "God is with me and for me right now!" Benedictine monks use the hourly chimes of a clock to remind them to pause and pray "the hour prayer." If you have a watch or cell phone with an alarm you could do the same. If Muslims pause to kneel and pray 5 times a day, why can't we? Sometimes you'll sense his presence, other times you won't. Your goal is not a feeling, but a continual awareness of the reality that God is always present. If you are seeking an experience of his presence through all of this, you've missed the point. God cannot be controlled or manipulated for your pleasure. You exist for his pleasure. We don't praise God to feel good but to do good. "After all this, there is only one thing to say: Have reverence for God, and obey his commands, because this is all that we were created for."

Letting Jesus Color Your Life!

This week I want to share the personal side of the journey with Christ. It involves a young man named Raul. His story is deeply moving. There comes a time in every young man’s life where he must choose. The process of choosing is where a man decides his fate and destiny.

Raul is a 15-year-old who is reaching out to God. His father is in jail for drugs. He lives in a small three bedroom home with his grandparents, mom, and three sisters. He is on a road to nowhere. His grades were suffering and he was getting caught up with some pretty rough friends. He came with a friend to youth group in Yuma. That's when I hooked up with him.

The youth group travelled up to Pinetop, AZ for a High School retreat in July a year ago. He encountered God in a real and powerful way. When he returned he realized that home was still the same, but something within him had changed. I suppose that’s when he stayed awake one night and penned the following poem. It’s called “The Old Me.”

The strong times of the old me
never leave my memory;

They have made of me a bitter friend;
They have grown to be my worst enemy.

But however, spiritually,
I have commanded and conquered!
Well? Maybe not really…
But I know enough to say that the strong times
Of the old me are:
Fading away…
Growing weak…
Like an old man on life support!

So…by that I know that the Lord
Will clear the path full of darkened snow and
enlighten my environment;

Leaving my surroundings enriched with colors…
colors so strong and outstanding it’ll leave
the old me to suffer and perish.

Read the poem again. Did you capture what Raul was saying? His surroundings point to real and personal relationship with Jesus Christ! Even though his physical surrounding hadn't changed, he was seeing things differently. He was seeing things through Jesus' eyes.

In my journaling several months ago, I stumbled upon Jeremiah 17:14. It says, “Heal me Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise!” God is salvation. God brings healing. Connect Jeremiah’s proclamation and Raul’s poem and you get a good picture of what life in Christ is all about.

Jesus Christ is about salvation and healing. He’s about creating “surroundings enriched with colors…colors so strong and outstanding it’ll leave the old me to suffer and perish!” Peace comes when my will fades for His will. Jesus will bring praises to His father for what he is doing to bring peace in the lives of his brothers and sisters!

May God paint beautiful colors around your life this week as you POUR your life into others!

Jim Phillips

BIBLE BYTES

BIBLE BYTES:
"It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone." - Eph. 1:11 (Msg)



David the Worshipper

David The Worshipper

In 2 Samuel 6, King David supervised the return of the Ark of the Covenant from the house of Obed-edom to the city of Jerusalem. It was a wonderful celebration! There was loud music and the passionate shouting of the people. But, the most interesting, sort of embarrassing thing going on was the behavior of the king. David (a man after God’s own heart, 1 Samuel 13:14), led the procession, taking off his royal robes, leaping and dancing before God with all his might (2 Samuel 6:14). This was a powerful man who had an image (reputation) to keep up and the behavior he was displaying was “hardly that of a king”.
David did not care about his “reputation”. His behavior revealed a passionate heart of a man who loved God.

2 Samuel 6:14
And David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly tunic. So David and all Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with much shouting and blowing of trumpets.

We can all learn from David…
Read the psalms to appreciate the huge range of circumstances David went through in which he chose to praise God. The hymns he wrote celebrating God’s love and mercy in the midst of victory, sadness, confusion, oppression, contentment, and wonder. The common theme is that God is in control, and therefore we can trust him.
Let’s remember to dance with and before God in all our circumstances, giving him praise and honor for He alone is worthy! Try it and see how God comes, bringing peace, comfort, joy, security, and much, much more even in the middle of troubled circumstance.

Remember that worship is going on all the time in heaven, and when we worship, we are joining together with saints and angels that which is already happening. It is a powerful thing to come together in our worship! God moves, and lives are changed!

Practice your worship each day and come prepared to worship together this Sunday with great expectations of what God will do in your life and in your heart!

My love and prayers to you all!
<>< <><
Cindy Elliott

Temptation

Now Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wild. For forty wilderness days and nights he was tested by the Devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when the time was up he was hungry.  The Devil, playing on his hunger, gave the first test: "Since you're God's Son, command this stone to turn into a loaf of bread."  Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: "It takes more than bread to really live."  For the second test he led him up and spread out all the kingdoms of the earth on display at once. Then the Devil said, "They're yours in all their splendor to serve your pleasure. I'm in charge of them all and can turn them over to whomever I wish.  Worship me and they're yours, the whole works."  Jesus refused, again backing his refusal with Deuteronomy: "Worship the Lord your God and only the Lord your God. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness."  For the third test the Devil took him to Jerusalem and put him on top of the Temple. He said, "If you are God's Son, jump.  It's written, isn't it, that 'he has placed you in the care of angels to protect you;  they will catch you; you won't so much as stub your toe on a stone'?"  "Yes," said Jesus, "and it's also written, 'Don't you dare tempt the Lord your God.' "

 

That completed the testing. The Devil retreated temporarily, lying in wait for another opportunity.

 

 Luke 4:1-13 (Msg)

 

 

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;   but each one is tempted when, by  his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. James 1:12-14 (NIV)

 

 

What temptations to teens have to face today?

 

 

What did Jesus do to resist temptation?

 

 

What is the hardest temptation you face?

 

 

What temptations to you struggle with that are not bad, but for you it is wrong and you have a hard timing controlling yourself.? (food, tv, talking on he phone, being on the computer to long, talking back to your parents, etc)

 

 

How can God help you?

 

What temptations have you over come that are not  a problem? 

 


HOT LINK

Hot Link: The Official Harry Potter Website -
http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com/
Okay, okay - don't write us! We're not endorsing Harry Potter. We simply want you to be aware of what is capturing the attention of many youth today.


The Bible teaches that we are to come together regularly. We offer many opportunities to do at Trinity church. Our Sunday Worship Celebration begins at 10:30 a.m. We provide nursery care (birth-2 1/2 yrs.); Lil' Carpenters (Preschool-K); Kid's Church (1-5 grades)and Jr. Hi. Class during adult Worship. Our celebration includes Worship band, prayer, announcements, receiving of tithes and offerings, teaching from God's Word and Care Ministry. The first Sunday of each month communion is served and a benevolent fund offering is given by those who wish to participate. On Wednesday PFC comes together for a time of prayer and fellowship beginning at 11:15 a.m. Family Night Activities begin at 7:15 p.m. with adult Bible study, Uturn Youth and Pioneer Club. Once a month, Holy Groundz, a music, fellowship, Java, ministry time begins at 6 p.m. on selected Saturdays (watch bulletins for dates).

Please plan to join us as we come together in celebration at Trinity Church. We are located at 3440 W. Alameda Ave., Burbank, CA. Phone is (555) 555-5555.




This Week's News--11-14 thru 11-20

Don't forget our annual Thanksgiving Banquet! We’ll be getting together in the school cafeteria after 2nd service (around 12:15) this Sunday, November 17. Invite your family and friends to enjoy the fun and fellowship as we give thanks to our Lord! Bring a side dish (mashed potatoes, yams, rolls, green beans, or pie), and don't forget to brush up on your turkey call!



December 15--Get set for a game of mushball!! It's the youth against the adults, so get your swing ready!!


“SMALL GROUPS”
Tuesdays @ 7:00 pm. Call Tom at 745-5882 or Tony at 572-1940 for more info and directions.

Wednesdays @ 7:00 pm. Call Michael at 744-2540 for info and directions.

Are you looking for a place to serve?
The video team is in need of volunteers to help run video on Sunday mornings. No experience needed. Training provided. For more information, contact Tony Harrison
572-1940 or e-mail:
[email protected].

YOUTH!!! "The Journey" continues Wednesday, November 13! Be at the Phillips' home by 6:33 PM sharp! Jim will be teaching from the Bible, so make sure to bring it. If you don't have one, e-mail Pastor Jim at [email protected] and he will make sure you get one. Be ready for some fun and fellowship!

Demo STATS


STATS:
The majority of children in America have less than ten minutes of significant and meaningful conversation with their parents each week. If you remove the mother, you can measure this statistic in seconds. -Southern Baptist Council on Family Life




The Wages of Sin - London mayor Ken Livingstone and Toby Harris, the chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority ( MPA), have decided to take a real bite out of crime. If they have their way, London's Premiership football clubs will be forced to pay a "Hooligan Tax." The city faces a cash crisis, and the cost of providing police protection outside each club during ball games sucked nearly £11 million from the city budget. - London Evening
Standard, October, 2002