EXUBERANT PRAISE, EXORBITANT WORSHIP - Part 1.
Hear the cry of the Psalmist, "Shout joyfully to the Lord , all the earth; break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises. Sing to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of a psalm, with trumpets and the sound of a horn; shout joyfully before the Lord , the King.' (Psalm 98:4-6 NKJV). '
It was the periodical Morning of Praise in our church and a young, dynamic worship minister had been invited from outside to lead in praise/worship. The lively minister and his team soon infested the congregation with their spirited performance such that the excitement went contagious. The atmosphere of praise became so permissive that people yelled, left their seats causing a near commotion. The youth carried their plastic chairs aloft and danced around in formation around the auditorium, while we adults and fairly aged ones, hardly able to participate, gaped in amazement and disbelief. It was incredulous. Praise of God had gone exuberant, almost out of control!
This scenario was what I expected this last resurrection Sunday, or at least something close to it. I had gone to church in my dancing shoes and with my tambourine in my hand, but it turned out that the worship team did not portray the same level of excitement as mine. Christ had risen again, and it was time to celebrate and jubilate to the high heavens! Power has been released afresh to us to enliven our dead situations; the veil that had hitherto hindered the answer to our prayers as well as access to God's throne had been torn apart! It was only proper to praise the Lord copiously in return.
In psalm 98 given ab9ve, King David shows us how to give God praise in exuberance. Then later in the last psalm he commands us to give it, "Praise the Lord!...Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; praise Him with clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord...Praise the Lord!" (Ps.150)
Our Lord loves praise rendered in exuberance. Blind Bartimeus shouted the praise of Jesus from among the crowd on Jericho road when Jesus was passing by. His disciples tried to shut him up but he continued yelling the more almost becoming a nuisance. It was then Jesus noticed him, sent for him and opened his eyes. Bartimeus didn't stop there; in exhilaration he continued glorifying God so much that all the others joined him in the high praise of the Master. (Luke 18:43).
During one of our church conventions, I was standing at the office block located some distance overlooking our camp ground, watching the praise/worship session that was going on in the giant auditorium below. The music was blasting away from huge speakers, the singing was loud and lively but the people appeared to be standing still from where I was. I felt the quiet voice speaking to me right there and then, "Do you think their Creator in far away heaven can see or hear these people giving Him praise the way they are now doing it?" It marvelled me to hear the Spirit say that. Soon after that revelation, I bought a tambourine and started dancing and hopping around more whenever praise and worship of God was going on, wishing everyone would do the same! Surely we can, by the help of the Holy Spirit if we sincerely put in more zeal!
olusegunisaac2018@gmail.com
It was the periodical Morning of Praise in our church and a young, dynamic worship minister had been invited from outside to lead in praise/worship. The lively minister and his team soon infested the congregation with their spirited performance such that the excitement went contagious. The atmosphere of praise became so permissive that people yelled, left their seats causing a near commotion. The youth carried their plastic chairs aloft and danced around in formation around the auditorium, while we adults and fairly aged ones, hardly able to participate, gaped in amazement and disbelief. It was incredulous. Praise of God had gone exuberant, almost out of control!
This scenario was what I expected this last resurrection Sunday, or at least something close to it. I had gone to church in my dancing shoes and with my tambourine in my hand, but it turned out that the worship team did not portray the same level of excitement as mine. Christ had risen again, and it was time to celebrate and jubilate to the high heavens! Power has been released afresh to us to enliven our dead situations; the veil that had hitherto hindered the answer to our prayers as well as access to God's throne had been torn apart! It was only proper to praise the Lord copiously in return.
In psalm 98 given ab9ve, King David shows us how to give God praise in exuberance. Then later in the last psalm he commands us to give it, "Praise the Lord!...Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; praise Him with clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord...Praise the Lord!" (Ps.150)
Our Lord loves praise rendered in exuberance. Blind Bartimeus shouted the praise of Jesus from among the crowd on Jericho road when Jesus was passing by. His disciples tried to shut him up but he continued yelling the more almost becoming a nuisance. It was then Jesus noticed him, sent for him and opened his eyes. Bartimeus didn't stop there; in exhilaration he continued glorifying God so much that all the others joined him in the high praise of the Master. (Luke 18:43).
During one of our church conventions, I was standing at the office block located some distance overlooking our camp ground, watching the praise/worship session that was going on in the giant auditorium below. The music was blasting away from huge speakers, the singing was loud and lively but the people appeared to be standing still from where I was. I felt the quiet voice speaking to me right there and then, "Do you think their Creator in far away heaven can see or hear these people giving Him praise the way they are now doing it?" It marvelled me to hear the Spirit say that. Soon after that revelation, I bought a tambourine and started dancing and hopping around more whenever praise and worship of God was going on, wishing everyone would do the same! Surely we can, by the help of the Holy Spirit if we sincerely put in more zeal!
olusegunisaac2018@gmail.com
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