The offering of worship

The offering of worship 14 reflections on personal and gathered worship written by Paul Critchley

The offering of Worship by Paul Critchley Contents Click title to jump to article Title

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1: The place of divine exchange

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2: The worship walk

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3: Extravagant worship

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4:Trust me, I know what I’m doing

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5: What’s in a word?

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6: I am blessed

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7: Cisterns, vessels and buckets

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8: Stirring up faith

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9: A worship time or a time to worship

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10: Worship with the masses

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11: Building an altar of worship

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12: Serving and sowing

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13: Worship the one

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14: Day and night, night and day

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INTRODUCTION The following pages have been drawn mostly from writing for the website of Crossrhythms local radio based in the UK (www.crossrhythms.co.uk) with the exception of article number 12 which was written for the Methodist Evangelicals Together magazine in 2014 The subject matter is predominantly worship as this is the calling placed on Paul’s life to live out, demonstrate, lead and foster which He seeks to do through his organisation called ‘presence worship’ Paul lives by faith as a Worship Leader based in Stoke on Trent where He lives with his wife Tracy and their 4 children, Jess, Sam, Lily and Lizzie.

Having travelled widely both in the UK and overseas, much of Paul and Tracy’s time is now spent at Beacon House of Prayer in the city, where they form part of the leadership team and sow into the vision of 24/7 Prayer and Worship For more copies of this resource or to contact Paul: Email: paul@presenceworship.com Address: Presence Worship c/o Beacon House of Prayer 550-552 High St Sandyford Stoke on Trent ST6 5PD Web: www.presenceworship.com (c) presenceworship 3

1: The place of divine exchange In this first article. I am keen to look into the journey of intimacy with God; coming to a place of engaging with Him and what a difference this makes to our ability to walk well and flourish.

Back in 1997, when I started taking steps out of my paid employment and into what was going to be God's unmistakable call on my life, I knew that if I was to fulfil what He was asking of me, I'd need Him more than ever. I wasn't sure at that point in my life that I had faith enough to do what He was asking. The practicalities of living seemed a big deal to me and whilst I somehow knew He was bigger, the stepping out of my comfort zone still demanded an awful lot of letting go. The more I 'let go' the more it seemed that God was willing to take me on, open amazing doors of opportunity and providing for my family in amazing ways I could never have dreamt of.

The deepening of my awareness regarding the critical nature of intimacy with God took a huge step up just prior to making my first recording. I'd known from the moment I became a Christian that He had given me music for a reason and that it was for Him. It wasn't until later years that I knew I was to be an 'usher'.

Someone called to bring others into His presence. Late one night I had a very clear revelation God was physically aching because His created ones, the ones He called 'special' - that's you and me 4

weren't spending quality time with Him and He called me again to do something about it. He called me to make an invitation in music to enter the throne room of God, to come into the place that Jesus had made freely available for us. Here's the truth found in Hebrews 10:19-22: 'Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.'

In the months that followed God gave me all sorts of insights into the significance of 'throne room time' and during a seminar question time I had one of those areas challenged. I had someone in the meeting stand up and declare 'why do we need to come to the throne room of God when He's everywhere?' Slightly stunned at the force of the point, I gladly accepted the fact but also was able to share this belief: Just because God is everywhere, it doesn't mean we spend any time with Him. It's the same challenge we meet in our human relations. We make time, we choose to meet, we have conversation and sometimes we just even take time to 'be' together. It's my belief that He's looking for those will make the journey to be with Him. It still amazes me that in spite of God's welcome through Jesus, some of us still hesitate to come into that place. A place I believe of divine exchange. It's not only the place where we come and pour out our 5

worship. It's also the place where He wants to pour out who He is over us.

In a very clear picture God showed me that there is often resistance to 'coming in' because although the curtain into the meeting place was torn on Jesus' death, the curtain was still hanging and for some was still perceived to be a barrier.

God has since shown me two things specifically which I believe are meant to be an encouragement to us.

The first was a picture of him holding back the curtain with one hand and beckoning us in with the other. The second was the image of a changing room. I was talking with a friend about the whole subject and joking that it was like a changing room scenario with people being afraid to open the curtain for fear of seeing someone get changed. Then it dawned on me.

It is absolutely a changing room, a place of transformation, equipping and readiness to carry out whatever it is God is calling us to. I believe that this is why sometimes we hold back. We know that when we meet in that intimate place we will never be the same.

We will be changed. Sometimes it's not a comfortable thing but this is the place that holds all we need for service, for living and the fantastic place where we connect our worship to Him who is worthy with the personal call on our lives to follow Him. God's promise is this in James 4: 8: 'Draw near to God and He will draw near to you'.

All of this is so much a journey and a development of the understanding of relationship with Jesus. It is a releasing of the purpose of God to be a people who carry His name out of a place of spending time with Him. As we find ourselves engaged in life, let's not deny ourselves the privilege of encounter with our 6

God. Let's live in the assurance of His love and intimacy, which both draws us and equips us.

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2: The worship walk I want to look at our worship lifestyle and its challenges to you and I as we endeavour to walk out what we believe and honour the one we believe in.

There have been many definitions of worship but a couple that I like are these ones. Firstly, that it is my response of all that I am; my mind, emotions, will and my body - to all that God is and to all He says and does. It is my freewill act of giving my love to God. Another more commonly shared definition is this one: That it (worship) is the response of the human spirit to a manifestation/revelation or understanding of the glory of God." The word "worship" comes from an old English word meaning "worthship". In other words, to worship God is to express His worth.

When we worship, it is not to give worship the honour or focus. We can get so caught up in styles, expressions, liturgy, no liturgy, music teams or pipe organs when actually the point is that our worship shouldn't zoom in on any of those factors. Our Christian worship is to honour God! Worship is not music or the songs we sing, no matter how much feeling we put in them. It is not to be flippant or superficial. It is not dependant on the body posture we make or facial expression we pull. Just like the old adage, 'because we have a MacDonald’s sign on the bus doesn't mean we sell them'! - just because 8

we do some bodily action doesn't always mean we are worshipping.

God has created you and I for relationship and for worship. Isaiah 43:21 says that we are 'the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.'

In other words we can't separate our worship from our fellowship and friendship with God. It was His plan and desire that we worship Him and that we would be drawn to Him. So when we are living busy 21st Century lives, why should we make walking out our worship a priority?

Well, God obviously saw it as a priority for His people because He mentions it so many times in the Bible. In the book of Genesis we see how Adam fell from grace and relationship when he failed to worship God and as we get all the way to the back of the book, in Revelation, all of history culminates in the never ending worship service in the presence of our Jesus. I know that sometimes, we've felt like we have been in a never-ending worship service; believe me, you won't be wishing for this one to end!!

Jesus gave us an amazing model of how we should live and walk out our worship. There's no doubt of it's priorit y f or Him. He called it t he great est commandment - Mark 12:30 "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." This wasn't just knowing about God, acknowledging Him; worshipping only with our understanding or just from the soulful emotions. It involves our total being, body, soul and spirit; all that we are and all that He made us to be.

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Jesus also taught us to worship first before we asked for anything when he modelled prayer for us. Here's how it reads in Luke 11:2 "And He said to them, when you pray, say, Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed (worshipped) be Your name..." We can't just come to God when we want something. We must come firstly in relationship, to praise and worship God for who He is, we must get to know Him; get to know His nature, His desires, His plans, His heart for us. The more we know God the more we will want to worship Him and the deeper our worship will take us.

Like any relationship, the way we live it out needs time and communication between both parties. We can't expect to build a deep relationship with God if we are not prepared to find the time to meet with Him. Our meeting has to become an integral part of our living.

The Bible says this in John 4:21-24: "But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for the Father seeks such to worship Him. God is Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth."

Jesus was saying that 'worship must be in line with God's nature', His nature is Spiritual. In other words, God isn't an object, something just to be looked at and admired or polished when visitors come around for tea. We are not worshipping Him like an idol.

Worshipping in spirit is from my person to God's person and it involves my intellect, emotions and my will.

So what should some of the aspects of our lives look like?

Well, to live a life of worship before God needs us to have a thankful heart and a thankful attitude.

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Thanksgiving is like a gateway into the presence of God and as we give Him thanks and praise He amazingly responds, because He wants relationship, by coming to be with (dwelling) with us.

In Ephesians 5:19-20 the Apostle Paul calls us to "make melody in our hearts to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things." When we are thankful, change happens; attitudes change, situations change, we change. An example of this is found in the book of Jonah 2:7-10, Jonah chose to worship God, even in the belly of the whale and God's response was his rescue!

If we want to be authentic worshippers of God, we are called to be a holy people, those who don't go by the worlds standards but are distinctive because of our desire for God. A desire to be pure in the way we speak, think and act. Matthew 5:8 says - "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." God is a holy God and without holiness He says that none of us will see Him. We are to be 'holy for He is holy'. We are to be the ones who surrender to God's Spirit and as we do He promises to change us from glory to glory. But we have to make the choice. In Joshua 24:15 it says this "Choose this day who you will serve".

When we allow Jesus to be revealed in our lives.

When we overflow with a passion for Him, there develops in us a fresh hunger for purity and right living and yet we still have the choice to lay down, daily, those things in our individual lives that overtake our worship of Him. We can deny the lifestyle He has called us to and demonstrated in Jesus when He walked our planet.

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Again, the Apostle Paul said to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 6:12 - "You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections." Let us set our affections on things above. Constantly presenting ourselves as living sacrifices.

You and I know that we are great at messing up and getting it wrong. God of course knows this too and is looking for us to consistently come back to Him with hearts that are looking for His cleansing and forgiveness and when we do this we can be sure in His promise that, by His grace, we come back into His presence.

One of the reasons why God said that David was a man after His heart was because he would always come to God in repentance when he made mistakes.

He knew that He should and that he could. God is so generous that He always makes a way for us. He is the one who wants us back into a great relationship.

Remember.

He created you and longs to be with you!

This leads me to the question, do we have a passion for His presence?

All we ever need is found in God. Our life, our health, our peace, our prosperity, our hope, our joy. He has created us with the knowledge of this deep within us.

So, we must realise that there is a longing within us that cannot be satisfied by anything else, but our intimate relationship with Him. He draws us to a desire for His presence in our lives that nothing else can replace. No-one or nothing else can fulfil the cry of our hearts.

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God is looking for a people who are awake to their affections and passions for Jesus and stirred to respond.. just like Mary in John 12:1-8, the true worshipper is prepared to give extravagantly to God, holding nothing back. God requires our all and when we give it, the rewards are beyond compare.

The question is - "Can I ever pour too much cost, time and effort into achieving greater levels of worshipping God?" When we consider Jesus' sacrifice and love for us we become aware that we could never give too much back to God. Whilst we don't worship God for what we get out of the relationship and our intent should never be to try and 'get on His right side' God generously pours out his benefits as we walk together with Him. Here are just a few closing sentences highlighting God's benefits to us as we worship Him:

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When we live a life of worship, we can be sure we have got God's attention. He promises that when we draw near to Him, He draws near to us.

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We enjoy the benefits of living in His Kingdom right here and now on the earth, knowing His peace and joy.

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As we walk together He releases His power in our lives, increasing our faith as we praise Him for his goodness.

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God opens up the opportunity to overcome our enemy, the devil, who hates the sound of Jesus name and can't stand to be in a place where we are in partnership with the victorious King.

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The more we worship, the more we grow in relationship with God. I love the song 'King of Wonders' from the Compassion Art album, especially the line that says, 'the more we see, the more we love You'. This is my experience and my joy.

How awesome, that the God of heaven would choose to offer relationship to me. How incredible that through Jesus I am free to enter into His family and to live everyday as a son of the everlasting kingdom.

Lord, help me walk worthy.

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3: Extravagant Worship Ever wondered why you got a bit bored and distracted during church? Could it be our fault rather than the preacher or the worship band? Is it possible that we came to the meeting expecting God to bless us, instead of coming with a mentality of, 'I've come to bring Him my love and adoration today'? To be an extravagant worshipper is to be worshipping God to the max, to excess.

In John 12: 1-7, Mary took a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume of the value of a year's wages and anointed Jesus' feet with it. What a sacrifice from Mary in monetary value! She wouldn't have been receiving much money for daily living and here she was willing to give away a year's wages. But more than that, Mary's love for Jesus was such that nothing was too costly for the Lord whom she loved. She was prepared to face ridicule from others and to be foolish in the eyes of those around her for the sake of absolute unbridled adoration to Jesus. The strong smell of that sweet perfume of her worship would have filled the whole room.

Mark 14: 3-9, tells us about a woman who anointed Jesus' head with a beautiful perfume in spite of rebuke from some present. This too was worth more than a year's wages. As we come solely with a heart to worship and glorify our God, in spite of its cost to us, 15

our worship will rise to Heaven just like that sweet perfume.

When you or I come to worship, it's our place to please God, not to analyse how good or bad the message was, or to judge the content or style of the music. It's for us to recognize how amazing it is to have relationship with the King and to be prepared to go all out for Him without fear of what those around might think.

In 2 Samuel 6: 14 (Amplified Bible) it says, 'David danced before the Lord with all his might, clad in a linen ephod [a priest's upper garment]'.

He was so passionate about God and so unashamed to express his love for God that he danced with all his might. More importantly this verse shows us, it was before the Lord that he danced.

Of course it doesn't mean that we won't get a kick back from our actions if it appears to invade some senses of religious reverence or even seem to overstep what's acceptable behaviour. David had Saul's daughter challenge him over the fact that he'd acted in a seemingly 'vulgar' way. This was David's response in verse 22 'I will become even more undignified than this'.

David was radical in his expression of praise. He had an extravagant heart and praised with reckless abandon. David was a worshipper who knew how to seek God's face.

Let's take one more example: Moses, because of his love for God, was prepared to lay aside the treasures of Egypt and be mistreated along with God's people.

Hebrews 11: 24-27 says, 'By faith Moses, when he 16

had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be ill-treated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time'. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.

Moses had forsaken the luxurious courts of pharaoh in Egypt. He had put himself in the way of an encounter with God. He deliberately chose spiritual treasures above anything this world could offer. Do we choose spiritual treasures over any worldly treasures available? God is looking for people like Moses who will forsake the treasures of Egypt.

Likewise, our worship often involves offering to God something costly or something dear to us. It involves an extravagant gesture on our part because of the extravagant love and grace on His part.

To love God extravagantly is to come before Him with the thought that whether I experience God's presence or not, my sole purpose is to bring my love and adoration to Him, wholeheartedly. Unfortunately, too many times we base our decision to worship God or not on whether we feel His presence.

A great friend of mine recently shared this example of the sometimes fickle nature of our love. If you ever fell into young love you may have done the classic daisy routine. You pulled out the petals one by one quoting these words, 'He loves me, he loves me not'. We view our relationship like this - when the good stuff happens to us it's a definite, 'He loves me,' but when 17

troubles or disappointment come, we question and can be drawn to say, 'He loves me not'. The truth for those who have come into God's family is that, 'He loves us...He loves us' and that 'all things work together for those who love God and are called according to His purpose'. (Romans 8: 28) Our worship is not based on our feelings but our attitude to wholeheartedly pour out a sacrifice to Him who sacrificed everything for us.

Go on. Be undignified!!

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4: Trust me. I know what I’m doing Trust is not something that is easily done. Sometimes it means letting go of what you believe and what you feel is rational and putting it in someone else's control. It means letting things leave your control and having hope that the person (or thing) you are trusting in comes through.

Of course, there are easier times to have trust. It seems a lot easier to trust God after receiving a financial inheritance or pay rise, or getting a new job, or having something good happen to you. It seems so much harder to trust Him when things aren't going right.

In my own personal walk with God I have faced many challenges. I particularly remember leaving the security of my 'day job' to pursue a call to lead worship. I remember driving to an appointment just after I had handed in my notice and shouting out loud in my car, "This is scary, but it's exciting!" There was something about the reality of letting go of what had been my physical security (my pay cheque, my every day routine), to trust and follow God, not knowing where He might ultimately take me.

What an amazing beginning it was, experiencing God's favour and opportunity to serve. Life seemed so good and I was utterly convinced in His purpose for me and His ability to more than sustain me. Funny 19

then how a few years in, crisis shook my foundation. I thought I was absolutely solid in my walk with Jesus. I had held on to my favourite Bible verse, 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart and never rely on what you think you know, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path' (Proverbs 3:5-6), but the truth was I was in financial difficulty. I had told my family that I wasn't sure how we were going to pay our bills or provide food for the next month.

The reality hit me and I began to question my decision to pack in my job. I searched my heart to see if I had offended God. I even wondered if He was listening to me!

Right in the middle of this I had a call from a friend inviting me to lunch and to chat. He didn't know my situation, but I was looking forward to sharing my difficulty with Him. This event unfolded and it's something I've spoken about but never recorded until now.

My friend and I met at a local restaurant for coffee and sandwiches. As we sat down, we had just begun our conversation when I noticed a lady enter the room and walk up to the bar. She caught my attention because I noticed that she walked to the end of the bar and turned back around without placing an order. Now she was heading for me! She sat down on the sofa next to me and said hello to my friend who she said she knew was a Christian leader in the city. Her next words were directed to me and they went like this, "Are you a Christian? Do you need some money?" Well, apart from being shocked at her knowledge of my situation, if not my name, what could I do? I had to say, "Yes, I do". Then the most amazing thing happened. She reached into her bag, pulled out her chequebook and 20

pen and said, "What's your name?" As I told her, she wrote out a cheque for a ÂŁ100 and placed it into my hand, got up and left the bar. I remember vividly the picture on my friends face! He said, "Did that really happen?" It was an amazing moment and very timely for me.

So, why did she come in? How did she know I was in need? I guess I'll never know. Was the amount of cash going to cover my needs? No, but what I strongly felt God impress on me was this, 'Trust Me. I know what I'm doing!'

He had, out of His kindness caused me to get close to Him. To cry out to Him, even to question Him and with a token offering had caused me to reconnect my trust to and in Him. No matter how difficult things appear to be or how much we are struggling, the ultimate truth is that God is right there with us. While we may not always be able to depend on our jobs, our banks, or even our Government, we can always depend on God. Nothing can stop God from keeping His word.

The reality of this verse settled into me, 'I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted' (Job 42:2).

So, today, what struggles do you face? What challenges are in your life? And most importantly, where are you putting your hope? Who are you putting your trust in?

Maybe this assurance will encourage you today. Allow God to speak it into your situation and to feed your faith.

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'We have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.' (Romans 5:2-5)

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5: What’s in a word As part of my own journey with Jesus and my working with worship teams and congregations, I've looked at all sorts of definitions of the word worship. There are as many descriptions as there are expressions, so, I thought I'd explore a bit deeper with you some that I've found helpful in not only un de r st an d in g t he word but living it out.

It Starts With A 'D' Worship can't just be something we do, but it needs to be something we desire to do.

The Bible says that, 'Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver'. 2 Corinthians 9:7 Our worship is a gift we give to God. The truth is he often gives back to us in worship so much more than we give him, but it begins as a gift from us to God. One of the greatest songwriters of the Old Testament, King David, wrote this, 'One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.'

Psalm 27:4

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David's deep heart reaction to God was that he wanted to and chose to worship.

If you spend some time delving into the book of Psalms you can see the consistent intent of David, even in troubled times, of which he experienced many.

He turned his attention to God, the one he'd found to be faithful and the one he declared to be worthy of praise. In fact, throughout the book of Psalms the words 'praise and worship' appear 165 times. It was David's deep desire and something that he declared out loud!

Now Give Me An 'A' It's one thing to have a heart to worship, but what could it look like for us right here and now? How can I turn my desire into action....

One expression of our worship is remembering to thank Him. 'In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you'. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 I know only too well that the reality of life, is that 'stuff happens'. However, it's good to recall God's goodness and to remember his faithfulness. It's only with the gift of hindsight that we can see what God has been doing, even in difficulty; building character, causing us to lean harder into him, learning to trust him more. It's all good.

Often, our worship is most significant when we offer it to God through pure obedience. Jesus himself gave us an amazing example of this as he prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. He was worried and upset.

He did not want to die. He didn't want to go through all 24

the suffering he knew lay in the near future but still, he prayed, 'Not my will but thine be done'. Luke 22:42.

It begs the question...What am I willing to sacrifice?

Jesus has made the ultimate one for us of course, but what am I prepared to offer? Talents, time, money?

What could it be that God is asking of you and me today?

Through just these few things we've looked at, it's pretty clear that our worship is not a one-hour thing we do to God or even for God, (we can so easily get caught up in duty instead of building a relationship).

It's not about showing up at a building at a set time every week. Worship is about living out our everyday lives in connection with an amazing God, who, although he deserves and commands our worship, chooses to call us his friends. Mind blowing!!

Worship is a way of life and I'm still learning how to walk it. I'm encouraged to get up when I stumble. I'm amazed by God's outrageous grace to restore me when I blow it! I'm living in a place like no other and challenged daily to be real, giving it all to him.

'It's who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before Him in their worship. God is sheer being itself-Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.' John 4:24 Let's End With An 'R' 25

So, be real, remember you're made for worship and ask him to help you live it out every day, giving him glory.

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6: I am blessed Particularly in the times of our own struggles and difficulties, which are without doubt part of life's journey, we can be tempted to be drawn into a place of believing that good things always seem to happen to everyone else. We can be taken to a place of focus on our troubles rather than the greater perspective of our blessed position in Christ. We can quickly come to a place where we are soon unable to see the amazing grace, goodness and provision of God. I've definitely been in that place where other people seem to be doing really well, their lives seem fruitful, their situation is great...and the truth is that in those times my attention can turn selfishly into a place of focus on my apparent lack.

It's one of our enemy, the devil's, tactics to distract us from looking on and declaring the goodness of God over our own lives and to be overwhelmed by thoughts of short term 'fixes' that only hold empty promise of temporary happiness.

Instead of grateful hearts and worship, we think on what could be 'if' we were someone else, had something else, a different job or lived somewhere better. We could make a list of 'what if's'.

I read recently this quote, 'Comparison is an ugly game that no-one wins'. It steers us away from the 27

reality of God's heart for us as His children; those special ones that He dotes on. Remember He chose us, adopted us, drew us and He looked out for us even when we far off. He ran to meet us and flung His arms wide to greet and embrace us. He celebrates us!

Wow, it seems to me that God demonstrates how much He values us whilst we can so quickly devalue all that He is and has given to us!

Philippians 4:8-13 speaks about the power of fixing our thoughts on things good, true and praiseworthy; finding our joy in the Lord, not in self or circumstances. As Paul writes this letter He's living in a place of perfect contentment even though it's thought that he is writing from his prison cell! He's living in a place of amazing faith in Jesus who's able to give him strength in every situation, no matter what the outward appearance. Paul's focus is on how blessed he is, not how terrible his position is. What a testimony!

I began to dig deeper into this with my own worship team recently. We all began to list what gifts we had been given, what we were grateful to God for; those things tangible, those relationships He'd given to us and those abilities He'd given to us. We began to focus in on what we have rather than what we don't have. There were different things for each one of us. A living example of God's personal connection with each of our lives and how He interacts with us and knows us intimately, blessing us personally! We then began to look at how we were or could bring those blessings back as an offering, being prepared to be generous with all He has given, not holding anything too tightly.

It became even clearer to me, the importance of taking time to worship Him not only with our mouths 28

but also with the practicalities of serving Him out of His great provision for us.

Our lack of gratitude and focus on the negative rather than the positive can become a dangerous downward spiral. Again, Paul shares this observation in Romans 1:21, 'For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened'. It's an important warning to us about the importance of having a thankful heart. It also, to me, speaks not just about giving God thanks for His blessings because we should, but also of the benefit to us in doing this, keeping our hearts and attitude in a positive place.

There's no doubt that daily living comes with it's difficulties, but we don't live it alone. Even our challenges bring strength and character if we allow God to shape us and mould us in the process. I'm not sharing that everything in our world must always appear to be perfect but I am encouraging us to take heart out of the rich blessings He has given to us. To stir up our faith and our level of thanksgiving.

There is an old song called 'Count Your Blessings'.

I've found it really helpful on a practical level recently to speak out my blessings. Could you speak out yours down today? Could you write them down and name them one by one?

Allow your grateful heart to rise up in worship, let your heart, mind and spirit rise above your daily challenges and be put into perspective in the light of God's love and favour for you.

Why not declare the truth to yourself.... I AM blessed.

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7: Cisterns, vessels and buckets (Preparing for the Glory of God) In my own journey and in my opportunities to share in all sorts of gatherings, particularly those focused on prayer for revival or transformation, I've heard much talk of 're-digging the wells', 'coming to the river', 'springs of living water' and the like. In this context of a cry to God for the outpouring if His Spirit I was captivated by these words of Charles Spurgeon which he penned in the context of Colossians 2:6: 'So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him'.

'The life of faith is represented as receiving - an act which implies the very opposite of anything like merit.

It is simply the acceptance of a gift. As the earth drinks in the rain, as the sea receives the streams, as night accepts light from the stars, so we, giving nothing, partake freely of the grace of God. The saints are not, by nature, wells, or streams, they are but cisterns into which the living water flows; they are empty vessels into which God pours His salvation.

The idea of receiving implies a sense of realization, making the matter a reality. By an act of faith Jesus becomes a real person in the consciousness of our heart. But receiving also means grasping or getting 30

possession of. The thing which I receive becomes my own: I appropriate to myself that which is given. The Son of God has been poured into us, and we have received Him, and appropriated Him. What a heartful Jesus must be, for heaven itself cannot contain Him! If heaven can't contain Him, It's unlikely we can, but I think there's something in the act of digging, something about an active expectation of Him coming that will attract God's attention. I sense it's like a signal to Him that we want to be prepared and positioned for more of His kingdom.'

So I got to thinking how, in Spurgeon's terms, we could dig a cistern, if you like - a container for His glory.

Two of the keys for me would be Prayer and Worship.

The kind that comes before God with an expectant heart but also just cries out because of the value we place on spending time talking and singing to Him but also allowing Him to talk and sing back to us.

There is also, I believe, a dynamic of practical service.

Ways of outworking what we see in the servant hood of Jesus, displayed in our giving out, our waiting on others. Our willingness to sacrifice our time and our resources for a greater cause.

I'm sure there are many other things that could become part of our preparation but I'm adding faith to my Cistern construction. For me, it's faith that has been built on the remembrance of how He has stepped into my life to bring change in desperate circumstances. How He has been rock solid for me and my family as we have chosen to put our trust in Him. All this increases a capacity to accept that He 31

wants to find a place for His glory, for His kindness and His presence.

We can see throughout history, events that have highlighted occasions for God to increase faith and expectation for us. There is a particularly amazing biblical example in John 11: 38-42 where Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odour, for he has been there four days." Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."

Jesus knew the potential for life and glory in the Lazarus situation but He also knew that we needed to hear and see it in order for our faith perspective to be enlarged.

As well as what we are able to do ourselves in terms of preparation for the 'MORE' of His kingdom we should remember that when we said yes to Jesus He poured (and is still willing to pour) His spirit into our fragile vessels.

2 Corinthians 4:7 says: But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

I'd like to interpret the words 'all surpassing' as 'Extraordinary'. The reality is that Christians have God's 'extraordinary' life in them and it's a priceless treasure that's worth holding and taking care of.

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As I write, I am reminded how our lives are easily damaged and how we need to take care of our lifestyle before him. How easy it is to lose what we have by not maintaining our daily walk. We have a saying where I live, in Stoke on Trent, or 'The Potteries' - Jars of Clay can become Cracked Pots.

There may even be some damage here and now which the Master Potter might deal with if we'll allow Him. I think it's also significant that when Mary poured out her perfumed oil onto the feet of Jesus. It came from a jar, an alabaster jar. She poured out onto Jesus what was so sacrificial to her. What an example of worship to follow. David put it like this: 2 Samuel 24:24: 'I will not offer to God my sacrifices that have cost me nothing.'

God has invested so much into us and whilst He loves to use this as blessing for us because of His love for us, there should also be an outworking. A potential to share something of the glory He has freely poured into us.

In recent years I've had the awesome privilege of being involved in two amazing city wide missions where night after night, week after week, God visited our towns and His people with an increased measure of His presence and His glory. During these times we were regularly invited to 'come into the river, go deeper, drink more'. Amazing times of encounter with Jesus. The danger for us in this is pursuit of blessing or, if you like, chasing the gift rather than the giver.

Whilst we absolutely need His Spirit and His embrace, the purpose is to be a blessing.

As we prepare and dig a container for His presence, as we recognise His spirit in these vessels let's also 33

remember that the overflow is for community and social transformation. It was in the middle of all this that I had a strong picture of God's people coming to that river with buckets. That we were to be carriers of His glory and that we were to take it to the streets that the water would splash from the containers (us) and everywhere it landed bring transformation.

These are times for us to prepare, times for us to enlarge our capacity, to make ready our vessels that we might experience and share the reality of the Jesus who comes to expand our vision of His Kingdom at work.

Keep digging!

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8: Stirring up faith I've been really encouraged recently by the evidence of faith that is growing in those who are around me.

I've been especially spurred on by seeing faith expand in my worship team.

I don't apologise for writing about worship. It's my calling from God and I am definitely speaking this to myself as I write to you. I'm on a journey of increasing faith but am so glad that God has given me freedom to stir up faith in me and in those I lead.

During worship we often sing songs that declare God owns everything; that He's in control; that we love Him regardless of joy or pain, whatever the circumstance. We express thanks no matter the situation; say that we surrender to His ways; sing out the authority of His name and ask for forgiveness. The list can and does go on.

There really is so much to worship and thank Him for; so many subjects and themes, but our worship must also be on display in our behaviour and attitude as well as our singing.

Worship itself is an act that needs our faith and trust; it's a belief that we can, without fear, give our lives totally over to Him, allowing Him to lead us where He wants us to go, even if it's an uncomfortable place. It's 35

a mind-set that faithfully allows Him to have control of our money, our jobs, our relationships and the future we cannot yet see.

When we recognised the truth of our friendship with Jesus we were each given a measure, or an amount of faith and that faith needs encouraging, exercising, and stirring up on the inside. If we never feed it or give it any attention, it's not going to grow bigger or stronger. Giving our own daily worship, meeting with others to worship, speaking and singing out God's word will all cause our faith to grow.

I am in no way making light of this and saying that a formula will do it. It can be hard; it can be an act of will. It might be out of a place where I'm saying, 'This is the last thing I feel like doing' ...but... when we make a choice to come to Him, He will meet us in that place.

I remember leading a worship seminar a couple of years ago. I was taking the group through the amazing truth of our right in Jesus to come to the most intimate place, the holy of holies, once reserved for the High Priest, but now wide open to us because of Jesus' ultimate and worthy sacrifice. It's the truth found in Hebrews 10:19-22, 'Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings.' I was a bit shocked when someone stood up and said, 'That's old stuff, Jesus is everywhere. He's all around us!' Hmm...

After a swift prayer for wisdom I had to of course agree, but was able to share this, 'It is true, His presence is everywhere, but He still wants us to come 36

and meet with Him. We have friends and family 'around' us, yet without coming together we don't have relationship'.

It's that place of closeness that God loves. We were made to worship; we were designed to live in His presence. He has made every opportunity, offered every invitation for us to have that level of intimacy with Him. It's a place where He holds us, hears us, advises us, cheers us on and yet we often miss out on the reality of His nearness. James 4:8 says this, 'Draw near to God and He will draw near to you'.

I did say that sometimes we worship Him out of obedience, out of choice. This is sacrificial worship.

It's given along with our practical tithes and offerings and it's a response to God's commandment. Though this might sometimes seem a bit false or weak on our part, the exciting truth is that He sees the intention. He values our decision to come towards Him, especially when the road is not smooth or we don't 'feel' anything. It's these times that build our faith. They work on our spiritual muscle and strengthen us in times of weakness. They give God the opportunity to train us and equip us.

God loves our worship. He is jealous for our love. If anyone ever deserved this response, it is Him. Naturally, we love it when we are encouraged by others, when we receive praise for that we've done well. Though God values this from us, He doesn't need it to grow or function or stay encouraged. It's us who need it. He's pleased in watching us as we engage with Him, as we dig into the reality of our relationship with Him. But the exercise builds us up; it benefits us; it grows our faith.

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So, whatever is happening today, the good, bad or ugly, make a choice to get close. Make a choice to worship. Stir it up and sense His pleasure and passion over you as you do.

9: A worship time or a time to worship ?

Towards the end of 2012 I began to sense more and more that God was encouraging me, as part of my leadership role at Beacon House of Prayer, to draw together worship leaders and musicians for 24 hours of unbroken worship; to gather together those who had a heart to bring an offering to God, regardless of who else might listen and join in. I didn't want to greatly advertise it, but just to connect those together who had a passion to lift Him up and bring an offering, just for Him. The result was a wonderful, rich, diverse palate of worship and praise that was vocal and musical, but most importantly heart connected and vertical.

For me, there's been a tension often between being up front and leading others in worship whilst making sure that the focus is God and not the music, the style, or the content. I'm blessed to be in a place where there is much flexibility and opportunity to sense where the Holy Spirit is leading and aiming to follow.

There's something powerful about the joining of our hearts and voices together in corporate worship; about bringing a united expression and declaration of our 38

praises. The potential issue can be that the focus turns to the song, to the music or even sometimes to the team, the presentation, or whether we like the style or not. All this can be a distraction.

I've personally been so aware of the power of music on the emotions; how songs can draw us into a place that may not be where God might be leading, but purely an atmosphere. This is not to say that God isn't in our emotions, but a 'check' on whether it's connected to Him or the music is needed.

The goal for me is bringing something that takes us on a journey of worship and takes us to a deeper place of connection with God. If you're a worship leader or musician reading this, then let me just say that I believe our aim is to draw hearts and welcome God's presence and then to get out of the way and let the Holy Spirit move.

When we gather together as a body to worship, it should really be an overflow of our daily walk and relationship and not the start and end! If our private worship place is right, then it's likely our public worship place is too. It's very hard to have it the other way around.

We often use this phrase, 'we are going to now enter into a time of worship'. Early followers of Jesus would have no idea what we were talking about! To them everything was worship. The way they lived and for some even the way they died. Every day, hour, minute was an opportunity to worship God. I'm sure this is what God is looking for and what He loves to see when He gazes upon us.

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For a long time I've held Psalm 63 as a real target. It's not a place I'm at yet, but is a real desire. David was talking here about every moment being offered to Him. I'm including the text here, because it's really worth praying out as an act of submission and desire to encounter Him more. I'm asking this again today too as I type in the words.

'You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live and in your name I will lift up my hands. I will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me. Psalm 63:1-8.

Elsewhere in John 4:23, the scripture speaks about the sort of worship Father God is looking for; truthful and authentic. It really isn't about a worship time, but about our lives laid out before him in every moment.

In my city of Stoke on Trent, we are learning the reality that full time ministry to God is for every person, in every place. Yes it is about the ordained minister, pastor, leader, but it is also in equal measure about you, today, wherever you work, study, raise up family and do life.

Let these places be where we bring our offering of worship and praise and we will know His presence there because our attention to Him draws His attention 40

to us. It becomes a place of Heaven to earth connection.

Don't save your worship for the next meeting, or even your next quiet time. Bring it now in your everyday living.

10: Worship with the masses In a previous article 'A Worship Time Or A Time To Worship' I wrote about the importance of walking out our daily worship, bringing all we are as an offering to God. So, I thought I'd share the flip side of this today. I've chosen to write about coming together as a body of people, 'the church', whatever diverse format this might take.

There's no doubt our faith is a personal thing, but it's definitely not just to be kept private. When God drew you to Himself; when He revealed the truth of Himself to you through Jesus, He meant it to transform you, absolutely, but also to benefit others.

All through the Bible we have examples of God's people joining together to worship. Psalm 95:1-2 give us an example out of the Old Testament of gatherings to praise God:

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'Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.'

This suggests to me that it wasn't just one person being called to worship, but a group; a gathering.

What do we find in the New Testament? Around Pentecost, the physical presence of Jesus had gone, but just as He promised, the Holy Spirit came. We read this in Acts 2:42-47: 'They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.'

Of course, there are Bible passages that speak of living out our personal walk with God, but there are examples too like this that teach us not only a spiritual importance and benefit of meeting together, but also practical applications. It's not for me to define what 'church' looks like, but it is definitely bigger than just you or I. Revelation 5:9-12 gives us a picture of an amazing gathering with many voices singing out and declaring to God 'honour and glory and praise!' When we come together we get a little taster of the eternal gathering 42

where we're told every nation and tongue will come together. When we choose to meet with other we also strengthen, affirm and connect to His desire for His people to gather before Him. I know we don't always find the style we agree with, the format that suits us, or sometimes even the people we feel we 'gel' with, but I think that this might even be part of the deal. It's a sacrifice to self sometimes to serve others in supporting and standing alongside them. It's a way of saying to God, 'I understand that worship is bigger than just what I bring'. It's about diversity and creativity. It's about what I have to offer, but also experiencing a broader spectrum of what you've put into and are releasing from others.

I love to worship, whether in the car, in my office, with my team, or in Church. I love to worship in all sorts of places, in many different ways really, but I'm reminded of the blessing of being with others even when I might not feel like it! Here's a personal example: A number of months ago I was planned in to lead worship at a retreat for local pastors, leaders and intercessors. They were a fantastic group, great to be with and always with plenty of space to share life together. I had a message from a friend that Bethel Worship team from California were due to be having a small conference about an hours drive from where I live. What was my reaction? As much as I love to worship, I'd have had two full days with others doing just that; did I want to go straight from the last day of that into a weekend with hundreds of other people?

My answer was...not really. What I wanted was to go home and rest and be with my family. Tracy, my wise wife, suggested that I should go. She reckoned it could be an opportunity to receive rather than give.

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So, reluctantly, I agreed and set off with a few friends.

There I was, stood outside the venue in a queue, a bit tired, but hopefully not too grumpy! I got into the hall with my friends (and over a thousand other people) and took my place at the end of a row, so that I could slip out if I wanted to. Then God took me by surprise.

He caught me off guard and chose to use my obedience. What happened next wasn't what I'd planned for my Friday night. Every time I opened my mouth to join in with the songs I broke down in tears! I have honestly never had such a personal, intimate encounter with Jesus and all this in a huge gathering!

I guess what I'm saying is that God loves us to meet with Him however and whenever we choose to, but there can be real blessings from doing that with others, whether it's in a church, home group, school, or business. He's made us community and there's something special that can take place when that community comes together with the purpose of honouring Him. It's a place of heavenly exchange, which sometimes flows straight to and from Him, but often through others who love Him, just like you and I! If you've not tried it recently, why not give it a go!

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11: Building an altar of worship I'm writing this soon after organising and hosting 24 hours of worship at Beacon House of Prayer in Stoke on Trent. It's long been on my heart to release worship to God on behalf of my own city and moments like these really affirm the heart of many to bring thanksgiving to Him and declare His goodness and power over a locality. Our praise and worship definitely attracted His attention and has done throughout the ages.

There are lots of significant places of spiritual experience in the Bible that happened at an altar of worship. Noah marked his new covenant with God by sacrificing at an altar (Genesis 8.20). Abraham's spiritual journey was signified by his altar experiences.

Throughout the seasons of His life, Abraham built an altar and lived out an altar experience that carried him through life's changes and challenges (Genesis 12.8; 13.1-4; 22.9). Abraham's example went on into the next generations in the altar experiences of his son and grandson. The same God who had appeared to Abraham also appeared to his son, Isaac, at Beersheba and also gave him amazing promises. The result was, "Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord" (Genesis 26.25). The fullness of radical worship sustained life in these families who were centred around their encounters with God at the altar.

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Throughout the Bible we see community altars, particular places where the people of God would gather to worship and offer sacrifices. I believe that there is a place for rebuilding those altars in our own context, in our generation. I'm not saying that our traditional places of worship can't be counted in. It's my understanding that these are the days when we are to refocus on the reality of our place of Divine Exchange. The opportunity we make to come before the Lord with all we are. For me, with other believers, it's in the House of Prayer where the altar of praise and worship is being built and offerings made to God on behalf of the city, but there is room for us to build these places in our homes and in our places of work.

They can all be expressions of our willingness to come before God with our offerings, today's sacrifices, whatever we need to lay down and surrender to Him. These are places of the reality of our everyday lives being brought before God. Coming as we are and choosing to worship God even, especially, in times of difficulty. Humbling ourselves before him and allowing the truth of who He is to connect with our lives.

When I was reading through the experience of others and asking God what my altar might be like, what elements it could contain, I discovered some of the following keys that can be used in your personal or corporate offerings. These could form part of the way we focus our worship of Him. They would be our altar.

Bowing down, kneeling or lying down before God: Psalm 95:6: "O come let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker."

This is a sign of submitting ourselves before Him, acknowledging our awareness of his Kingship and majesty, humbling ourselves and declaring that He is 46

the one we want to rule over our personal lives and our community.

Singing or speaking out our praise: Psalm 95:1 "Oh Come let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation."

You may not think you have a voice or are tuneful. Do you know what? He loves to hear your song. No matter what it sounds like to you, choosing to praise in any circumstance helps us to keep our spiritual connection to God. It brings refreshing and can be amazingly renewing and strengthening. As we make our choice to offer him the words, the song on our lips, His response is to meet with us in that place and bring His 'God perspective' over our lives.

Prayer: This is not just a list of our requests, though He will hear them. It's voicing our understanding of who He is and the truth of His reality for us. Over the past few years, I've been taking portions of scripture, sitting with them, writing them down and interpreting them for my journey and then releasing them back to God as my prayer and worship to Him. His word is a strong foundation for my prayer and is a way of agreeing with His truth over my life and over my city.

As you and I make time to sit with God in these places, these altars set apart to Him, we will understand more His purposes for us privately and corporately. For me, personally, in the context of my city, I want Him to hear the praise of those who love Him, those who believe that He is good. I want Him to know that we are grateful for all his goodness in ages past and believing that He has a good plan for our futures. I want Him to receive our worship and the glory that He's due.

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So, What will be the place of offering for you even this week? Be sure that when you make a choice to set apart a place and a time, He will be waiting to meet with you there.

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12: Serving and Sowing Having been a keen cornet player and coming to faith through the Salvation Army, when the digital age started to develop in the 80s and 90s I entered the world of Christian contemporary music with my wife Tracy. Even in those formative years I'd felt it really important to sing about the reality of God. Not to hide the meaning of faith somewhere in the words but to be very blatant about the good news that I'd experienced.

I joined Swan Bank Mission in the late 80s where I'd met Tracy. It was there that I began to be a part of worship teams and then lead teams for about 20 years. From this foundation, I began to lead worship for the growing number of united city gatherings, interdenominational, with a heart to see the kingdom of God grow and flourish.

It was 1997 when I felt God ask me to take the role of worship leading seriously. He'd given me clarity and vision around His heart for people to draw close to Him. He had revealed to me how much He was hurting because His people had chosen to remain distant even though the way had been made open through Jesus. I shared my vision with Tracy who immediately said, "why don't you give up your job 49

then?". Wow, that was way over my faith level! I had my own trust issues. The mortgage, the children, the bills. What I knew for sure was that the call was serious, so I arranged with my employer to work my job into 4 days giving space for God to move. That week I received a phone call from William Porter who I'd met fleetingly at a Headway conference. He asked if I would be part of a national tour called Approaching Revival. "The issue" he said "is that we're going nationwide, travelling on Fridays. I know you work full time". Well, God had made a way for me to be involved. This was to be my first real experience of leading worship in many different locations, twelve churches from Plymouth in the South to Peterhead in the North. I was learning to allow God to guide and teach me the art of welcoming Him. A few years later with gradual trimming down of my 'day job' hours, Tracy and I sat in Denby coffee shop enjoying free time, again leading at a Headway conference. We looked each other in the eye and said in unison "it's time!" There had been significant words and confirmations that year but it really was time to "cut the cord". So began the full time expression of "presence worship" which God was obviously waiting for. Within the first few years I'd be invited to lead worship and teach in the USA, Canada and Asia.

Incredible for a boy who'd only ever caught the ferry to Calais for a day trip! It had to be Him. He had made the way and this has been the case over the last decade, building relationships which have led to invitations, friendships and partnerships which have been amazing. I’ve been able to write songs, release some CDs and been published by Kingsway and Kevin Mayhew. These have just been an out working and an expression but not the focus. The number one 50

motivator for me was a very strict message from The Lord right at the beginning of 'Presence'. I felt strongly that He said to me, "If you build a ministry, it's over!' I knew that I was to serve and minister to Him, and He would do the rest. I'd also felt that He'd allowed me to travel across the world but that I belonged to my city.

This realisation was really important as I entered into a time of leading worship for large, regular united worship and prayer gatherings in Stoke on Trent.

Zooming in: Seven years ago, having been reconnected with William and Karen Porter we began together the new work of building a house of prayer that would be for the city on its journey of unity for sake of His Kingdom. A key we’d learned along the way was the powerful combination of worship and prayer. The strength that comes to our cry when we offer what we’ve come to know as ‘worship intercession’. We’re not bringing songs and prayers we’re building an altar of worship, declaring the greatness of God, welcoming His presence and asking what is on His heart for the City, The Nation and beyond.

At Beacon House of Prayer, we welcome friends from inside and outside the city but our core vision is to become a place where prayer and worship will rise up 24/7. It's been a natural extension of the work of 'presence worship' to lead, co-ordinate and build space for worship in the house.

With opportunities to lead worship across the denominations I've been able to build strong relationships and throughout 2013 seen more musicians began to join in the work of welcoming His 51

presence in to the House of Prayer. Times of 24 hour worship have now grown to 6 weekends during 2014.

During these 24 Hour periods I’ve found myself moving in to The Beacon, setting up for teams, typing in songs, praying for leaders and found myself asking God the question ‘why?’ Why do I feel the need to be around for every team?’ I felt that His response to me was that I was to take on the role of a Worship Father.

This resonated deeply with me. It’s always been my desire to encourage and whilst I’ve been able to teach and deliver seminars over the past decade, my focus really has been to build relationship, help others release creativity their creativity. During 2013 I’d already begun ‘Presence Worship Interchange’ small groups of invited musicians and worship leaders sharing the heart and the practicality of worship leading. It is wonderfully diverse by the nature of those who come together. It is also so life giving and something that continues to bless me personally.

Once again, I’ve experienced the reality that you can’t out give God. Whilst I continue to write songs and do some travelling, for now Tracy and I are committed to the understanding that we are to pray for the welfare of the City. (Jeremiah 29:7) In our case, that means Stoke on Trent. Worship continues to be an important part of this commitment and the development of gifts that strengthen the body. This year I'm supporting and equipping more musicians and, for the first time, bringing some much younger musicians into established teams, I think the youngest person I'm working with now is age ten and each young person is having the opportunity to learn alongside competent musicians but, more importantly to grasp, like I did at 52

a young age, that God has purpose in the gift and creativity He places in us.

It feels to me that we are entering into another phase, a new season of creativity where styles and structures are moving. This will be a challenge for the Church, as it has been over the years whenever change has taken place. I'm determined to fulfil my call in welcoming His presence wherever I find myself, but finding great joy working in and with the diversity.

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13: Worship the One On my journey of worship it's a real privilege to connect with other musicians and worship leaders who have their focus on one thing, bringing their worship to Jesus. At Beacon house of prayer we're making room for those who have such a heart that whether anyone else is around or watching or listening they will choose to bring an offering up to Him. In fact, one of the things I love is the knowledge that each week there are musicians tucked away in rooms where no one sees them whilst they pour out their songs, their melodies to Him So, exploring this a little we begin with this scripture which is pretty clear in its message: Jesus said in Matthew 4:10, "You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve."

I ask myself and you as you read this today. Is there anything in the way! any distraction to our worship of God? Where do we start... So many things vie for our attention and they're not all bad of course but can take the wrong priority. Of course we spend time with the ones we love, of course we need some leisure time away from our work. Of course we make time for our family but God is looking on to see when we will make time for Him. This is the message He sends us in Exodus 20:4-5, "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, any likeness of anything that is in 54

heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God." Wow, we can often take that word 'jealous' and focus on the negative, a bit like when we want something that someone else has but can't have it! Well, you know, on consideration, this must be How God feels about it. He has created us to worship Him and in fact, in the verse prior to the last portion I gave you He has given the commandment “ You shall serve no other God's but me� This is true, of course. but He won't coerce us. We choose to obey the command or not. He doesn't want to force His attention on us but really wants to connect with us. For me, even though I know it's an instruction, I don't treat it that way. It's a heart response to His goodness, His wisdom, His love, His guidance, his instruction and so much more! How could I not praise Him? I'm reminded again of my very real experience of Him in 1997 when I first knew for sure that He was not only calling me into Worship leading but into a deeper intimacy with Him. To cut a long story short, after a really strong picture of How He saw me writing and leading I experienced physical pain in my belly.

Thinking it was a physical issue I asked Him to take away the discomfort. The response was not what I expected, but sealed the deal on my calling and on my relationship with Him. I felt Him say, "this is just a little of the pain that I feel because my children won't come and be with me, I ache for there presence. It's Your job to draw them in" in that moment 'Presence Worship' was born with a strong warning that it wasn't to become a ministry but a place of ministering to Him where others could be drawn in.

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So, when I meet with those musicians and friends of mine who have this heart, worshipping the "one" I sense more of God's pleasure as we pull back the curtain that has been torn and welcome others to come with us into that place where He is waiting so eagerly to meet with us. The line of the famous Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus' is a great reminder that, 'the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in light of His glory and grace'.

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14: Day and night, night and day For a number of years now I've had a desire t o see continuous, night and day worship happening in my own city of Stoke on Trent. Before I'd heard about places like IHOP in Kansas City and more recently weekends like 'David’s Tent' there had been something planted deep on the inside of me that has been longing for such a time. It's no surprise then that God has drawn me to be part of a House of Prayer over the last seven years where worship, combined with prayer is growing.

So, why all the fuss, what's the point of prolonged times of worship, non stop praise? Well, I don't think its about a marathon, or even proving that its possible.

There's something special about the opportunity, about the freedom to worship, about God's worth to receive it and our pleasure to bring it.

I don't know about you, but apart from not being a great book reader, I like to get to the back to find the punch line! When I get to this place in my bible, here's an interesting verse I find: Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."(Rev. 4:8) 57

This is of course referring to the angels that are in awe of God as they fly around His throne. They see His beauty and cry out in wonder and praise. Maybe we do this when we choose to get close to Him and recognise how utterly amazing He is?

There's an indication early on in His book too about not just what happens in heavenly worship, but His desire for worship here on the earth. In Leviticus chapter 6 verses 9,12 and 13 it says: The burnt offering is to remain on the altar hearth throughout the night, till morning...and the fire must be kept burning on the altar....The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. I think God might be stressing the importance of the value He places on keeping the flame of worship and prayer alight!

But why? Is it to fulfil a need that God has for us to worship Him? It's like most things that He asks and requires of us. It not only pleases Him. It benefits us.

When Jesus taught the disciples how to pray, He included the line 'Your Kingdom come, here on the earth as it is in heaven' part of the deal in that prayer is that we worship here on the earth like in heaven as well as expect the blessings of heaven here on the earth.

Yes, I am believing for His kingdom here in my city, in my nation. Yes I do believe that He is able to turn around even the most difficult situation, mend the most broken life but I also believe that I, and the greater 'US' have a responsibility to worship Him in advance, in preparation for the reality of more of His Kingdom in our lives and through our streets and 58

towns.

I'm writing this at the end of the visit from Korean Christians who have come to our nation. They have prayed and worshipped non-stop here in the house of prayer in my town along with many other locations in the UK. They have joined in with the heart to praise and welcome God back into the deep fabric of our communities. It's reminded me again that we have been privileged to access the Father's heart as we worship. We have the chance to open the door to His presence as we come before Him. I believe that as we do this His heart softens again towards us, like the earthly father who melts when his child spends time with him, chooses to come up close to him. It's the reality of the God connection we have as we make that choice to draw near, seek Him, praise Him, welcome Him. The truth is that we need Him more than ever in this nation. Again we are humbled that nations would come to us to strengthen our hearts, strengthen our body. We are so aware of many good things that we have because of Him but so very aware that He has been marginalised so much from our lives, our culture, our critical national decisions. It's in the context of all of this that we have a responsibility to worship Him, bow down before Him. For my part, the beauty yet challenge of offering night and day worship is what it means to bring a 'sacrifice of praise' It's the decision to come before Him with my praise whether others choose to join in or not. The belief that tending the fire of His presence has an impact wider than my own space, my own street, my 59

own town. The bottom line reality that He's worth it, that He's designed me me to praise and to understand the deep realms of possibility as I meet with Him. It's the knowledge that He hears my faintest cry, that He sees the reality of my life with all it's flaws, yet loves me and draws me in. Actually.. the more I write, the more I'm stirred!

I'm choosing to set my intentions towards Him. I pray that whatever your day is like today, you would find room to praise Him and in that praise you will find Him to be fully fixed on you as you bring your offering, fully intent on coming to meet with you. Maybe the following lines could be a launching point for you right now. I pray you meet Him in the divine exchange of your worship and His passion for you.

'No place I'd rather be than here in Your love, here in Your love‌.Set a fire down in my soul that I can't contain and I can't control. I want more of You God' Š 2010 United Pursuit Music

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