Come Back to the Heart of Worship and Give ME Your Heart

During Worship we sang "Coming back to the Heart of Worship" and I had this vision:

I saw a stage and a huge auditorium. there a a woman who had finished performing. The auditorium was now empty and dark and the spotlight was turned off. She started to walk off the stage to her right, but then turned back and walked to center stage. She stood there and began to sing and worship in that empty auditorium, with all of her heart, for just the pure joy of it- no accolades or applause because no one was there to see or hear it (so she thought.)

Then suddenly the spotlight came back on and she began to worship in song and dance freely. As she worshiped and danced things began to fly off of her and the stage became littered with the things that had fallen off; a mask, a net- like fisherman's netting that entangles, and heavy and cumbersome clothing- appendages that had attached to her heart and life. She was now dancing and worshiping for an audience of ONE.

The woman is me. I tell you that unashamedly and freely. But she is also you- as the Bride of Christ. See, God is a very personal God, and when He speaks it is always to the vessel first, then to the wider intended receivership. He is calling for us! He is asking us to come back to the heart of worship and to give Him our hearts.

In my email today was a message from my adopted Dad. He won't mind if I share the gist of it with you, for it goes along with this. He started a Sat. prayer group some years back. Just he and another pastor. They've remained faithful at it, although for some years it was only the two of them that came out. Now several churches, the pastors and parts of their congregations are involved. Beautiful to behold people hungry for God and His heart with no agenda's of their own. Back to my point though- yesterday in the group God led them to scriptures in Isaiah and Haggai and called for them (and us also) to examine ourselves and ask Him what to fast. God spoke about fasting the things that distract us. They may not be inherently bad, but if it is currently pulling us away from a place of intimacy and hearing Him, then we need to examine this. Whatever He speaks to, we must be willing to obey to draw closer.

This goes in line with the vision this morning. As each of us comes back to "center" and focuses on the Lord and divests ourselves of what hinders and interrupts us, we will find ourselves becoming freer. The less encumbered, the more easily we can respond to Him. The more we respond, the more He can show us and give to us. the more He gives, the more we are able to receive and respond.

ENCUMBERED from the Greek G4049 περισπάω perispaō (per-ee-spah'-o) [Gee this sounds like perspire to me!]
From G4012 and G4685; to drag all around, that is, (figuratively) to distract (with care): - cumber. DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF... TO GOD IT'S ALL SMALL STUFF! Don't let situations and/or people "drag you all around!"

I long for the day when I will be able to say like Jesus did- "...for the
prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me." Spiritually, this is already so. But each of us (me included) still have our soul realm to deal with and it is there that too often the enemy will find a toe hold to make our lives miserable. He does this by lobbing thoughts and feelings at us. That is why we must take captive every thought to the obedience of Christ. (2Cor. 10: 3-6)

Thus, our fasting- whether it be food, TV, computer, cell phone, news, shopping, or whatever we are fasting, the fast becomes an act of worship. Indeed, when we become so God Conscious, everything we do then is an act of worship!

As we step onto the darkened stage and we begin to worship God with all of ourselves being given, the Holy Spirit will come and turn on the spotlight. It will illuminate and show off our love to God, but it will also expose those things that are holding tyrannical sway over us.

As we worship we enter into the deep waters of the Spirit and those things begin to lose their hold on us. Like barnacles on the hull of a sea going vessel when it enters the locks or a fresh water channel, the barnacles on our lives cannot stay in the Presence of God! But in order for that to happen, we must not be so busy that we forget how to be intimate with the ONE we are serving.

(AMP) Luk 10:40-42 But Martha [overly occupied and too busy] was distracted with much serving; and she came up to Him and said, Lord, is it nothing to You that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me [to lend a hand and do her part along with me]! But the Lord replied to her by saying, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; There is need of only one or but a few things. Mary has chosen the good portion [that which is to her advantage], which shall not be taken away from her.

(AMP) Heb 12:1-3 Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. [Psalms 110:1] Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds.

Come then, enter into the fresh waters of God and be swept away in Him!

When the music fades
And all is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that's of worth
That will bless your heart

I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the ways things appear
You're looking into my heart

I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You
All about You, Jesus
I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You
It's all about You Jesus

King of endless worth
No one could express
How much You deserve
Though I'm weak and poor
All I have is Yours
Every single breath

I'll bring You more than just a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart

I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You
All about You, Jesus
I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You
It's all about You Jesus

Its all about you
Jesus

By Matt Redman