Re: [Worship] Expressive Praise & Worship

[Dean Thomas <deanthom@mindspring.com>]

Fred Rich wrote:

> How about Option 4: I.e. that it depends upon the individual's personality 
type. Not all people are particular expressive in an outward sense. 

I agree on the latter but not on the former, or at least not totally. Someone else mentioned that each person gives his or her own. And Steve mentioned that the Word gives the standard answers and that we can then make them our own.

No one much is "particularly expressive" until they learn how. God is pretty specific in that He is looking for those who will worship Him and specific in how it is that He desires to be worshipped. For us to choose to ignore those divine suggestions is a bit odd, don't you think? This is, after all is said and done, the sovereign of the universe, the creator of it all and the Lord of it all. When the King says "it would be nice if you were to jump", the subject does not really have the option of not jumping and still being able to please the King. The options are, "One leg or two, sir?"

Because most of us really do not have the least concept of what kingship is or our responsibilities to that office, we begin to make up our own list of what WE think those responses should be and what is acceptable or pleasing to US, and we do not consider the King. By doing that we exercise ignorance, arrogance, pride, stupidity, or some combination thereof. I can say this because I've been there and done that, putting God in MY image and deciding how I would or would not worship Him. I've had my wings clipped by the Spirit and shown the arrogance of my ways. I had to repent and to get over my unwillingness to lift my hands and to move a bit and to bow and to prostrate myself before the majestic Sovereign of the universe. When one gets past the discomfort caused by pride at being different or unusual or merely obedient to the Word and takes up those scriptural postures that Father suggests through the Word, one gets surprisingly comfortable in His presence.

What more can one ask? When we encourage believers in those scriptural postures and tell them the truth of the Word, subtle barriers of pride and ignorance are broken down and obedience can be birthed in a whole new way. THEN we find liberty in worship instead of captivity in pride or ignorance.

Of course, IMO.
--
Blessings!

Dean Thomas
http://www.ZionFire.com

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