Sounds and Music

Here at MSU Worship Leader class we have been assigned the task of writing a song that is unique in sound and lyric. We are encouraged to experiment with new innovative chords and chord progressions, its pretty cool and quite brain rattling. 

One thing that LEO said for this class is that we cannot listen to any worship music because he wants us to be more creative than the normal "worshippy" kind of tune. At first I was a bit uneasy about this as I've basically only listened to worship music the past few years just because I love singing with purpose and Jesus is my reason for living...

BUT I would like to say that I have had a profound break through/revelation... God made EVERY sound and EVERY person and although the artist may not create their music for the glory of God it can still be redeemed!!! I'm listening to all sorts of awesome sounds and lyrics... the library of sound in my brain is beyond happy and exited about this. Why not worship God with all sorts of sounds and interesting lyrics? Whynot have worship come absolutely ALIVE with the creativity God gave us to use?  The more I get to know God the more I want to expound on who He is... go beyond simple words and paint a worship picture of His awesome love, humility, grace, compassion, kindness, gentleness, mercy, faithfulness... etc...

 

I'm finding that I'm FREE and it's wonderful... I love being able to enjoy things in the world with out being of the world. I'm not sucked into the abyss of negative thoughts and emotions anymore... when you know who Jesus Christ is and what He did for you and His love soooo many things in this life have a totally new view!! Praise God!! 

All things are made beautiful in His time !!

~Rachel  

The Kingdom of God

Mark 4
30 And He said, With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use to illustrate and explain it?
31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all seeds upon the earth;
32 Yet after it is sown, it grows up and becomes the greatest of all garden herbs and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air are able to make nests and dwell in its shade.

I'm really hungry to learn more about who God is and what He's doing on the planet, right now!! I think it's really cool to see that the kingdom of God is ever increasing and WE get to be apart of it. It is good to know that God uses things that externally look small and changes them into something greater than it was originally. The things in us may look small but God has big plans for the kingdom of God to be released in and through each one of us. 

Today is the Day!

It has now been about 4 weeks since I've been here at Morning Star University. Once thing I have learned to do is to recognize that God moves and is moving all the time. It is usually me who does not recognize that He is moving. 

My first week here I had such a hard time pressing into worship and just connecting with God. I was waiting for something BIG to happen, something extraordinary. My quiet times with God has been minimal and really really dry. I soon began to beat myself over the head for not spending enough time with God and not being "holy" enough to get that supernatural awesome touch. I was starting to doubt why I came to MSU and got really discouraged. Then one night after I gave up my struggle with God and gave up my fighting, I realized something; I had witnessed many many supernatural healings time and again. I found that the movements of God are indeed amazing, but very real... happening to very normal people. 

I am learning to recognize the day of my visitation. The Pharisees couldn't see that Jesus was the messiah because were caught up in they what the externals should look like. I had been waiting on this over the top surreal experience with God, when all around me people were getting supernaturally healed. 

God IS in our midst and is doing things all the time. I'm finding the more I learn to recognize different things are the blessing of God and not just life happening, the more I am encouraged to live this life by faith and not by sight. Now instead of waiting for something to happen I am thanking the Lord for what is already happening and dialoging with Him as to what He wants to do from this point.

I believe that today is the day! Today is the day for new revelation, breakthrough, favor, miracles, healing, provision, etc... from the Lord. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen." (Heb 11:1). 

I'm going to sign off with this passage that has been very encouraging and inspirational to me:

Eph. 1:17-21

17[For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him,

18By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones),

19And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength,

20Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places],

21Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come.

The Fullness of Christ Manifested NOW!

I am so stirred up right now. God has placed a burning fire inside of me to see the lame walk, blind see, diseases gone, sickness taken away, demons flea, and a generation brought into a FULLNESS of LIFE by the shed blood of Jesus Christ!

Think about it... in God's Word it says, "by Christ's stripes we ARE healed." It doesn't say maybe we are healed... it says we ARE (present tense). God sent Jesus so that we would have a fullness of life; to be restored to our original place of dominion over the earth. By the shed blood of Jesus we are MORE than conquers (Rom. 8). Do we really believe what God says in His Word is true? Do we take Him literally at His promises? He isn't a man who should lie and His promises do NOT return to us void. I believe it's time to take God at His Word and STAND on what He says... no matter what it looks like in the natural. 

So many times Jesus said after healing someone, "Your faith has made you well." I want to have that faith that heals and casts out demons... that sets the captives free. I believe it's time to agree with God and what He says about us rather than what the enemy or even other people say. Agreement has so much power because what we agree with is what we will open ourselves up to what we will become; "as a man thinks so IS he."

God told me that this generation is to be one this is no longer on defense... always fighting sin, but rather a generation on the offense; a generation of warriors. Through love and intimacy with God (identity: knowing who we are in Christ) we will have the confidence, boldness, strength, wisdom, determination, and power to take back the ground that the enemy has stolen. 

Think about it: all power, dominion, and authority in heaven and earth has been given to Jesus Christ by God... Christ dwells with in us... the same Jesus who cast out demons and healed the sick LIVE IN YOU AND ME... RIGHT NOW!! Right now we have the power and authority!! Each and everyone of us is a demon slayer, has the power of healing, and freedom. Jesus makes ALL things possible. Why do we settle for less than who we were made to be? 

Jesus died that we would have life abundantly... His death was enough to pay for all our sin, guilt, and shame... pain, sickness, disease, and FREEDOM!! Lets receive it, ALL of it! Worthy is the Lamb who was slain!! 

So come on church!! 

Lets dare to believe, dare to receive

dare to hope, dare to pray

To stand in FAITH, stand on TRUTH

and let God have His way

No holding back, not anymore

it's time to jump, cry out, to shout

to run and to soar

God's people taking back the land

This generation's gonna make a stand

Jesus Christ gave us the victory

To kick the butt of the enemy 

Amen!