Psalm 139, I think this is one Psalm that a lot of us maybe needed to hear today. It’s a scripture that reminds us that to God there are no surprises on any situation that we may be facing “in your book were written, every one of them the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them”…
One way we can apply this scripture to the worship ministry is in trying our best to believe and know that God is aware what list of songs we will have planed out: “Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether”. I say this because I understand how frustrating this assignment can get, especially when you are planting a church and you do not yet have an entire band filling every instrument that we find necessary and building library of songs. But then again God’s Spirit reminds us here that no matter what we are lacking musically, if we seek Him (as the psalmist is doing through this scripture) His Spirit (“presence”) will always be w/us: “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?…If I say “surely the darkness shall cover me and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you”. And having His Spirit every time we minister is what is VITALLY IMPORTANT….W/out God’s Spirit we have no direction and our worship becomes no longer sincere (not Christ centered). Remember God’s Spirit reveals Jesus to the hearts and reminds us that we need Him not He needing us (Jn. 15:26).
As an ending note, meditate on last verses and cry out to God in desperation as David did through this Psalm: “search me, O God and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts, And see if there be any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting….And remember: you cannot run away from God.
In reviewing this Psalm I’ve come to understand even more the effects of sin in our singing to Jesus (worship). The Psalm states: “O Lord open my lips and my mouth will declare your praise”, David comes to understand that sin is effecting his singing (worship) to God and causing him a great level of “bloodguiltiness” to the point that he is having a difficult time singing straight from his heart the greatness of God (Jesus). And so he is asking for forgiveness, which in this setting is equivalent to the verb “open”, because by being forgiven David can now “open his lips” and really worship God. David knows he does not deserve to be forgiven but yet pleads to God because he knows that He is “abundant in mercy”….
This Psalm continues teach us that living a religious Christianity life style will not give us access to God’s own heart in our worship. Instead, what will make our worship real is the assurance that His Spirit is operating in us in that we are recognize our need of Jesus. That in our worship we enter God’s presence “broken”, meaning that we acknowledge that we do not by any means deserve to enter his presence, that it is not the style of music or the fact that we attend church meeting that will make our worship genuine but that it is Christ’s blood, which signifies forgiveness, that will allow our “tongues to sing ALOUD” of His “righteousness in declaring His praise”. And so it is through this redemption, which has made us “whiter than snow” that now causes us to enter “His gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise” (Psalm 100:1) because Jesus has become not just a character in our lives but as David states in this Psalm “God of my salvation”.
Today I got to do what I haven’t done in a month, lead God’s people to worship Jesus…it was cool seeing all these new faces, I mean church has more then doubled since I left and I guess I should just do what Derek suggested: go out of town more often (lol). It was first time leading w/out the band so Yea I’m missing my drummer and keyboardist, but they’ll be back soon..and later on we had Echo @ Miranda’s and yes the house was JAMMED PACKED with people wanting to study about Jesus (maybe around 20)…
Sunday’s program looked as follows:
Everything glorious by David Crowder………………Bbmj
Our God reigns by Brandon Heath ……………………Fmj
Our God reigns by Delirious…………………………..Bbmj
Saviour King by Hillsong……………………………….Emj
Beautiful the blood by Steve Fee…………………………Amj
Derek, Brad and I get to attend luncheon @ Vintage 21 in Raleigh which is like a mini church planting conference…So I guess the driving continues for Pablo.
Was good guys….I’m back in greenville and day by day adjusting to a new routine w/out school. Here are a list of events that took place during my break:
1. Got to spend time w/my girlfriend for 2 weeks (”chido” = awesome).
2. Went to nephews birthday party (Daniel) and got to hang out with some family.
3. Went to girlfriend’s brother’s graduation @ UNCG.
4. Stayed in Charleston for a week/ for Southern conference baseball tournament w/my “novia” (girlfriend) and her fam.
5. Had a graduation family party (like 25 people, house was packed) and gifts were great.
6. Got to visit my home church (which I hadn’t in like a yr) and played keyboard for their worship service.
So, yea overall my break was awesome and the best part of it was certainly spending time w/my novia. But, now its time to get back to focus.
