Welcome to the SMM Worship & Arts Blog!!

Each month I will highlight worship truths from the Word of God including the views of various worship authors/ministers and highlight basic principles of worship which hopefully will enrich your own worship experiences and serve to empower your own personal devotion to the Lord. This fall, I will be high-lighting the names of God. The reason I have chosen this topic is because "worship begins with God"! Worship is a response of all that we are to all that God is and has done in our lives and throughout the history of man. In corporate worship, we gather to rejoice, remember, and respond to the Father's free gift of grace, pardon, and redemption through his Son Jesus Christ. This is at the heart of Christian worship, and as such, worship becomes a response to the revelation of who God is. In order to better understand the "how and why" of worship, we need to understand "Who" we worship so we can adequately respond to His revelation with both our hearts and with the full understanding of our minds. Worship is not meant to be strictly an emotional experience, but also a cognitive and spiritual experience. 

The prophet Hosea declares that it is for lack of knowledge that God's people often perish. In order to worship in spirit and in truth, we need to more fully "understand" the truth about God so we can truthfully respond to the revelation of himself. This presents one of the greatest challenges to the church today. Often times, we worship ignorantly or without knowledge of why, how, or who we worship. As a result, our worship takes on a mundane, boring, ritualistic, or religious feel of just going through the motions because no one really understands the significance or importance of the worship event which is tied to history. So, who is this God we worship anyway? The Apostle Paul said, "Oh, that I may 'know' Him!", but how can we really know someone personally if we don't even know their name. The God we worship goes by many names because no one name can fully disclose the fullness and majesty of who God really is. So, each week we will take a look at a different name for God which helps to reveal more clearly who He is to us so that we may worship Him more perfectly and so that we may come to know Him better.

SMM WORSHIP MINISTRY VALUES STATEMENT

1. We value the presence and glory of God among us in corporate worship.
2. We value honest worship of God in Spirit and in truth.
3. We value lifting up the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, acknowledging that there is no other name by which men may be saved.
4. We value serving with excellence in everything we do for the glory of God.
5. We value the commitment of our time, talent, and treasure so that we may bring glory to God.
6. We value freedom in worship and the joy that comes from being in His presence.
7. We value times of refreshing where the Holy Spirit is poured out upon His people in worship and the church is revived. 
8. We value the edifying ministry of worship and music that builds up the Body of Christ.
9. We value anointed prophetic ministry of music and song that establishes an atmosphere of faith and praise where God can meet with his people.

10. We value responding to God in thanksgiving and praise for who He is and what He has done.
11. We value expressing our heart-felt love and adoration to God through times of intimate worship.  
12. We value teaching and instruction of the Word of God in song, drama, and visual arts. 
13. We value the expressed spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit for the edification of the Body of Christ. 
14. We value relationships as well as ongoing fellowship and service to one another evidenced by a spirit of unity, brotherly love, and mutual respect.

   15.  We value both community outreach and global evangelism.

   16.  We value worship as a lifestyle lived out in ongoing fellowship with a continual awareness of the presence of God in all of life.  

         These above values were rehearsed this past weekend at our fall choir retreat 

        and represent the foundation upon which our ministry vision and purpose will be built upon as we move forward together.

Chadwick A. Stafford

Worship Arts Pastor

South Metro Ministries

pastorchad@smmcog.com 

cstafford71@hotmail.com 

http://www.smm-wa.blogspot

770-251-3777 x6 (w) 

919-906-5702 (m) 

--
Posted By Blogger to South Metro Worship Arts Ministries at 9/20/2011 12:54:00 PM

Cast Your Care Upon Him

Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me. Psalm 50:15

A Time to Think

Prayer may not change things for you, but it for sure changes you for things.—Samuel Shoemaker

A Time to Act

Pray and release your worries.

A Time to Pray

Lord, never let my worries break my connection to You.

DISCOVERING YOUR PATHWAY TO GOD

A Christian's Greatest Gift: A Fully Yielded Heart

John 15:5 – "I am the vine – you are the branches; If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit."

His promise reminds that if we stay connected to Him – if we remain close – he will fill our lives with the fullness of his Spirit and power for Christian living and service.

Why can't we seem to connect with God like others? Is there something wrong with me?  Do I have a deep character flaw or spiritual defect?

SEVEN PATHWAYS:

The Relational Pathway

Doing the Christian life alone for these types is a major downer.  These types thrive on relationship. 

Small groups, bible study groups, accountability partnerships.

The Intellectual Pathway

These types thrive and are able to make significant spiritual progress when their minds are fully engaged. 

These folks can't have devotions without two or three commentaries, bibles, and devotional books.

They gravitate toward classes, conferences, seminars, and special events that challenge and engage their minds.

These types know their hearts will never fully engage until their minds are filled with truth.  When this happens, nothing can stop them. 

Ex. Martin Luther, John Calvin, Lee Strobel, and Chuck Colson

Once their minds are fully convinced, their hearts and will quickly follow and their convictions are rock solid.

Romans 12:2 – be transformed by the renewing of your minds

The Serving Pathway

These types feel closest to God when they are serving God.  Some are thinkers and some are doers – those on the serving pathway are doers.

They feel the closest to God when they are helping to accomplish the work of God.

 

The Contemplative Pathway

These types guard their calendars closely for over-activity and are drained by relationships and activities. 

They can spend almost unlimited time in solitude.  Give them a Bible and a good piece of literature and they can disappear for days.

They can spend hours reflecting on God's goodness and the deep things of God.  They have enormous capacity for prayer and private worship. 

They are sensitive types who are sensitive to the working and activity of God.

Can tend to take things more seriously than others and seem out of step with the group.

They often serve as the conscious of the faith community calling us to ministries of compassion and inclusiveness. 

Tend to be idealistic and have rich inner worlds.  Can seem scattered at times but are really incubating creative ideas.

These types need to protect their thought life. 

The Activist Pathway

These types are best at a speed of Mach 2.  They are happiest when they are white knuckled and gasping for breath. 

These types need a highly challenging environment that pushes them to the edge of their potential.  This is when they feel closest to God.

                  They choose a fast pace – they love riding rockets. 

                  Ex. George Whitefield, John Wesley, and D.L. Moody

                  These types get a tremendous amount of work done.

The Creation Pathway

These people feel closest and relate to God best when they are surrounded by nature.  They are the naturalists, the tree-huggers, and green believers.

                  They come alive when they are outdoors next to nature. 

Ask them where they would prefer to be for their devotions?  It's a no brainer!

  

The Worship Pathway

These types feel closest to God when worshipping God through music.  They love to play CD's in their cars and their homes all the time because they feel the closeness of God this way. 

                  Their favorite book of the Bible is the Psalms!

                  Ex. – David felt closer to God and most fully alive when he was worshiping. 

These types should be intentional about cultivating a spirit of worship in their week.

Now What?

1.    Identify your pathway(s)

It is possible to have more than one but most a primary pathway.

Resist the temptation to compare your pathway with other pathways.

 

2.    Lean into your pathway

Try it on for size.  Fill your life with friendships and activities that help you grow.

Whether serving, worship, or intellectual stimulation feeds your soul practice it regularly!

As you do, you will establish and maintain a deeper walk with God than you've ever known before.

3.    Appreciate all the pathways

Experiment with other pathways once in a while to stretch yourself in different ways toward God.

People who like to serve should occasionally read intellectually stimulating material.

Contemplatives should occasionally come out of their corners and serve with the relational types.

To maximize your growth, lean into your best way of connecting with God, but then begin experimenting with each of the others.

4.    Design a Spiritual Formation Plan

Finally, Design a spiritual formation plan that focuses on developing and growing along your unique pathway to God. 

 

Chadwick A. Stafford

Worship Arts Pastor

South Metro Ministries

pastorchad@smmcog.com 

cstafford71@hotmail.com 

http://www.smm-wa.blogspot

770-251-3777 x6 (w) 

919-906-5702 (m) 

Worship Insights: The Names of God - Jehovah

Last time we looked at the word for Elohim which spoke to God's creative power and covenant redemptive love as the Creator.  This time we dare look at the holiest of all names for God which the Jews to this day consider to holy to even speak because the name connotes the perfect holiness and flawless righteousness of God.

The Jewish name Jehovah translates LORD in all caps to distinguish it from the other name for Lord, called Adonai.  This is the name for God that is most frequently used in the Old Testament for God occurring some 6,823 times.  The name Jehovah does not appear until Genesis 2:4 as it is used in relation to the creation of man for God relates to humanity on a higher level than the rest of lower creation.  Prior to this he is simply God or Elohim, after man's creation, he is referred to as Jehovah-Elohim.  Prior to this Adam and all creation primarily knew and related to God only as Elohim.  Whereas the name Elohim assumes a love toward all of creation, Jehovah reveals the moral and spiritual attributes of God which would have been known to Adam and Eve as we see demonstrated in Gen 2-3.  Thus, when Adam and Eve rebelled they were not only rebelling against their Elohim but against their Jehovah-Elohim of whom they knew to be perfectly holy and righteous in all His ways.  When Jehovah-Elohim comes looking for Adam and Eve after their treachery he comes not as Elohim but as Jehovah-Elohim -- their Creator and LORD who is both perfectly righteous and holy; so holy and sacred that the Israelites fear to speak HIS name...in large part because of the revelation of God's holy and righteous nature in this passage.  In fact, to this day this name is never uttered in a synagogue or among the Jewish people.  Adonai, closely associated which means Lord or Master, is used instead.

Man was created in the image of God which was one of "righteousness and true holiness" and is even confirmed to us in the New Testament in the words of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:24.  Because Jehovah is righteous, just, and holy - Jehovah demands righteousness, justice, and holiness from the creatures who have been created in his image.  To the unjust and disobedient Jehovah pronounces judgments and metes out punishment.  It is a righteous and truly holy Jehovah-Elohim who banishes man from the garden.  It is Jehovah who continually says of the wicked and the corrupt, "I will destroy".  It is Jehovah who said to Moses: "Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book."  (Exod. 32:33)  Why?  Because, "Jehovah is righteous, and He loves righteousness." (Psalm 11:7)  "Jehovah, our Elohim is righteous in all His works." (Daniel 9:14) "You shall be holy for I, Jehovah, your Elohim, am holy." (Lev. 19:2)

But Jehovah is also Love.  His love makes him grieve for the sins and sorrows of his creation.  He said in Jeremiah 31:3, "I have loved thee with an everlasting love."  Although God had to punish Israel for their disobedience many times, the writer of Judges said, "His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel." Whenever we see the name Jehovah after the time of man's fall, Jehovah is reaching down to man to restore him to right relationship.  At the close of the fourth chapter of Genesis Adam and Eve have their first-born son and named him Enos which means "weak and fallen state".  The bible says it was after this time that men began to call upon the name of Jehovah.  Why?  Because man knew it needed more than an omnipotent, almighty, and transcendent God to restore and redeem them.  They needed a God of love, divine unmerited favor, and fellowship that would be willing to reach down to them in their weakened and helpless state and restore them after having sinned against the LORD of holiness and righteousness.  So what did Jehovah do?  He responded in covenants and acts of deliverance.  He even said to Israel when in cruel Egyptian bondage and to all of those who are in slavery to sin, "I am Jehovah, I will bring you out." (Exod. 6:6) Following the exodus, God descended upon Mt. Sinai and revealed himself as Jehovah proclaiming, "I am Jehovah, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth; keeping loving-kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin."  (Exod. 34:5-7)

May this understanding deepen our respect and produce within us a greater reverence for the holiness and righteousness of our LORD God.  Not only should the redeemed demonstrate greater respect and reverence toward Jehovah-God in our corporate gatherings - we too should continually remind ourselves that we are the temple of the Holy Ghost, created in righteousness and holiness after the image of our maker.  Therefore, we should walk humbly and be quick to repent of known (and even unknown) sins, for we are called to be holy as HE is holy.  As those who have been grafted in by His unmerited favor in Christ through faith, we too ought to live as a modern-day Israelite nation before a corrupt world.  We are a chosen generation called to be a holy priesthood and a peculiar set-apart people to the LORD who has called us out from darkness into His glorious light that we might show forth His praises and shine brightly HIS glory before all men.

Dear Heavenly Father, our Jehovah-Elohim, help us to hunger and thirst after righteousness, to pursue holiness without which no man shall see God, and to apprehend our restored status in Christ that your name may truly be glorified in us. Amen.

Worship Insights: The Names of God - Elohim

God is Elohim by Pastor Chad

The Bible begins in Genesis with the words, "In the beginning, God..." The word used here is Elohim. This name designation is used of God 32 times in Genesis alone. Later in the book he is also referred to as Jehovah. In other passages he is referred to by the combined Jehovah-Elohim. Elohim is derived from the root El which means "mighty, strong, and prominent". El is referred to over 250 times throughout the Old Testament as a reference to God himself. Generally, it is said that Elohim expresses the idea of "greatness and glory". Elohim carries the idea of creative and governing power as well as omnipotence and sovereignty. It is by his great and glorious power that this Elohim created the vastness of the universe including the earth with all its beauty and the inhabitants thereof.

Interestingly, Elohim carries the beautiful idea of covenant as well which should inform and inspire our worship. We see in Jeremiah 31 and 32 where the name Elohim is used to describe a new covenant whereby the laws and fear of God will one day be written upon the hearts of men through faith in Christ. So, God is not only creator of heaven and earth, but the creator of all things new including the new covenant and us as new creations in Christ. The church or body of Christ therefore gathers to offer adoration and praise to the One Creator God and Lord who has the supernatural "power and might" to make all things new through Christ of which we are the recipients of every good and perfect gift. 


Therefore, in worship, we gather to rejoice and celebrate in the God of our salvation because we have been set free from the old and have been made new created in Christ Jesus for good works which he predestined for us to do.  We are "new creations or creatures" in Christ Jesus -- the old and former things have passed away; behold all things are new (or behold, He makes all things new!) 


As the Creator-Redeemer, Elohim has been at work in our lives from 'the beginning' by the power of the Holy Spirit brooding over the hearts of man waiting for the opportune moment to shed his light abroad in our hearts.  Elohim, through the Holy Spirit, (remember, the name Elohim has a plural meaning which speaks to the Triune nature of God) spoke into our darkness declaring to us the truth and light in Christ the Son.  He emphatically pierce our darkness declaring, "Let there be light and there was light!" -- and the creative power of God through the Holy Spirit was released into our hearts as we were drawn to the Son as a flower is to the sun by a responsive faith and the creative and regenerating process of redemption began in our lives and continues to this day until its culmination when we are changed again to be like Him and we see Him face to face! 


So, let us come to know and understand our God as Elohim and offer up songs and shouts of praise to Elohim who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light so that we might show forth his praises! Let us do so every time we gather together -- and every day we live for HE is our Creator and Redeemer God...our Jehovah-Elohim! He is almighty God who created and has fashioned us as new creations in Christ Jesus and no one can pluck us out of his hand or separate us from his love in Christ Jesus our Lord! (Romans 8) Give Him glory and honor!!! Amen.

Be Strong And Courageous!

One of the goals of the Spirit of Tobiah is to bring discouragement.  Discouragement is one of the enemy's greatest tools and most commonly employed tactics to knock you off your game, keep you feeling defeated, and wanting to give up.  Let's review some of the major points of Brother Moxley's word to us (last Wednesday night) which I believe was a prophetic warning to us as a church because the enemy knows what God wants to do here at SMM and he is intent on stopping the revival God began in us last week:

The Spirit of Tobiah...

Point #1 - Can't stand the people of God being blessed. (Neh. 2:19, 4:3) (i.e., revival)

Point #2 - Laughs and scoffs at us (Neh. 6:1-3) (i.e., when we fail, struggle, are faithfully doing the work of God)

Point #3 - Tries to stop the work of God (Neh. 6:11) (i.e., intimidation, threats

Point #4 - Will try to scare us with a false word or report (Neh. 13) (i.e., fear or discouragement)

Point #5 - Will try to stop the anointing, God's word, regular fellowship, respect for the Sabbath, unity, worship, giving, and sacrifice. (i.e., through sin, carnality, laziness, pride, strife, and unloving spirit)

How do we handle the Spirit of Tobi:  SHUT THE GATE ON THE ENEMY!  Resist the Devil and He will flee!  The word "resist" in the greek does not mean "passive resistance" but an "active resistance" or a forceful push-back against the enemy!  As someone once said, we need to stop praying up and start 'praying down' from our position of privilege and authority in Jesus Christ as the people of God for we have been seated together in heavenly realms with Christ far above principalities and powers! The enemy is under your feet through Jesus Christ, so keep him there!  Stand in your resistance to the enemy and begin praying from a higher place of authority in Jesus Christ!  

We need to be strong and courageous in our resistance of the enemy.  He does indeed want to stop the anointing, minimize the effect of God's Word, hinder our Christian fellowship, compromise our commitment to the Sabbath, sow discord among us, stop the flow of our worship, and harden our hearts so that we will be unwilling to make necessary sacrifices for the advancement of God's kingdom work.  

As an encouragement I want to share a passage that gives me strength every time I read it..."Be strong and courageous; be not afraid, neither be  dismayed: for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

(Joshua 1:9)

Courage comes from trusting God. It can't be mentally drummed up. It comes from believing what God says regardless of what the circumstances look like. Courage comes from faith!
Where does discouragement come from? From fear and unbelief. It comes when you listen to the devil's lies about what God is not going to do for you.
As the people of God, you and I must shake off discouragement and rise up with courage! We must quit looking at our own abilities and failures and limitations and start looking to God. We must rise up in the Name of Jesus and the power of His Spirit and establish the kingdom of heaven upon earth.

If you've been discouraged lately, stop listening to Satan's lies. Stop receiving evil false reports. Whenever your adversary tells you God is not going to deliver you, just tell them, "He's already delivered me in the Name of Jesus!"
Once we begin to realize who we are and what we've been given by the power of God, we'll stop allowing the devil to take advantage of us. God didn't suggest that we be strong and courageous...it is His command to us!  God commanded Joshua three times to be strong and courageous.  Why?  Because Joshua was clearly battling with fear of the enemy.  What is courage though?  Courage is not the absence of fear...it is fear that has said its prayers and is trusting in its God regardless of the circumstance, situation, or threats of the enemy.  So, be strong in the Lord and the power of His might!  Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil!  

One more point Moxley shared to encourage you...

Remember that goodness and mercy follow you, angels surround you, and Jesus is in front of you...all the days of your life! (Ps. 23 & 34)  So, we have a reason to sing...to rejoice...to rest in Him...to be strong and courageous for the battle is not ours -- it is the Lord's!

In His Name,

Pastor Chad