Grace Is A Greasy Arrow

I am sure this title has messed with you already! How can God’s precious grace be anything but greasy, let alone an arrow? I agree. This title came to me as I was waking up from a good night’s sleep. “Grace is a greasy arrow” is what I heard as I opened my eyes. Immediately I asked God, “What does THAT mean?” Needless to say, my days after this turned out to be a quest in seeking out what God meant by giving me those words as I woke up.

Grace Is A Greasy Arrow

Today, people, especially Christians, are not quick to give grace to people. Far too often we judge and criticize others after making a quick judgement of their actions. We even assume they are a certain way, or did a certain thing, and put them in a “I don’t agree with their lifestyle or choices” category. We label them “sinners” and cast judgement that they are guilty, or even worse, talk behind their back to others what we think about them. The very thing we accuse them of – sin – is the very thing we do when we judge people and don’t offer them mercy and grace. We throw daggers or arrows of judgement so quick, we don’t even think of our actions being wrong. Often it is a life-style of judging others. It is who we are, or who we have become. This should not be.

I believe there is something within us that we don’t want to look bad compared to other people so we are quick to criticize and judge someone who has messed up or has done something wrong. This should not be.

Have you ever been on the receiving end of judgement? I remember being in court over a traffic ticket. Thinking I would be given mercy and grace, but instead I was judged guilty and had to pay the fine. Even after trying to state my case when they asked me to do so, the verdict was guilty. I hated being in the court room. I have only been there a few times in my life and really don’t care to be again. My fate was out of my hands. Being judged is not a fun place to be, in fact it can be very painful.

Maybe you are one who has a hard time receiving God’s grace? You have done wrong and have not forgiven yourself. No one deserves God’s grace. Grace is really God’s love extended to you in spite of what you have done, who you are, or what you will become. There is something about the grace of God that penetrates the heart immediately. Personally, I have experienced God’s grace quicker then any human was willing to offer it to me. It comes right down to receiving the grace of God and walking away from doing what doesn’t please Him.

You will find trying to please people is futile. There will always be someone who doesn’t like you or what you are doing. There will always be a person ready to tell you what you have done wrong in their eyes. The bottom line, we live to please God and not man.

God is the Master archer. He puts grace on the arrow of love to give to people that penetrates the heart immediately. Not greasy grace, but a greasy arrow to quickly hit the heart of those who need it. We all need grace from God.

Psalm 86:6 ESV

“Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace.”

Psalm 9:13 – 15  ESV

“Be gracious to me, O LORD! See my affliction from those who hate me, O you who lift me up from the gates of death, that I may recount all your praises, that in the gates of the daughter of Zion I may rejoice in your salvation. The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught.”

Here we see how King David cried out to God to be gracious because his enemy has set traps of judgement and wanted him dead. God is the ultimate judge, not man. He is the one who is just and righteous, not man. This verse indicates the very net placed to snare David, his enemies were caught in. We have to remember when we judge, we will be judged, and with the same measure we will be judged by God.

Luke 6:37 – 38 NKJV

“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

If you have been a Christian for any length of time, I am sure you have heard those verses before. We have to remind ourselves Who is the ultimate judge and release people from the judgement we place on them.

There is a difference between the grace God gives and the grace the world gives. The world looks at grace as “charm” or “elegance” (Dictionary). But the grace God offers is far different. God’s grace is His unmerited (not deserved) favor He gives to us. To take the word “grace” to the original Hebrew (Strongs Hebrew and Greek Definitions #H2603) it means “to bend or stoop in kindness, merciful, or to have mercy, have pity upon, or make supplication ”

We should be sentenced to Hell and eternal damnation, but instead, God extended His grace to us and showed mercy by sending His Son to die on the cross. When we believe and ask Jesus in our heart as Lord and Savior, we will spend eternity with Him when we die. In other words, we are saved from burning in hell. That is where the expression comes; “Saved by grace.” His grace saves us not only from hell, but from so many stupid things we have done in our lives. He offers forgiveness as far as the East is from the west.

Psalm 103:12 (NKJV)

“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

Have you heard the expression; “There’s an app for that?” This is referring to any application you would like to do on your Smartphone, tablet, or Computor. I would like to extend that saying to what ever you have done, “There is grace for that.” Grace hits the mark every time. If you have robbed a bank; “There is grace for that!” If you have committed adultery; “There is grace for that!” If you have stolen or did a crime; “There is grace for that!” Not to abuse God’s grace and commit all these things and more knowing  “There is grace for that!” But to turn from and stop doing what doesn’t please God. Give yourself freedom from the bondage of the wrong you have done and receive God’s grace even when you don’t think you deserve it. God’s grace hits the mark every time. His grace is a greasy arrow. It penetrates the hardest of hearts.

I would like to sum up the title of this message with a great story from the Bible. There are three different accounts of this story in the New Testament and all had to do with an Alabaster flask of costly spikenard oil.

Anointing of Jesus

Mark 14:3 – 9 talks about Jesus being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper for dinner. A woman with an alabaster flask of costly oil of Spikenard came and broke the  flask and poured it on Jesus’ head and anointed Jesus with the costly perfume. There were some seated there who became indignant and wanted to know why it was wasted because they could have sold it for 300 denarii and given money to the poor. They criticized her sharply. Jesus stood up for her and said to “Leave her alone.” and said, “Why do you trouble her? She has done a good thing for me.” The poor you will always have but me you will not always have. She anointed me for burial.” “Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.” (Mark 14:9)

John 12:1 – 8 is similar to Mark’s account as it took place in Bethany, but this time Lazarus was there and so was Martha and Mary. Mary is the one who took the pound of Spikenard and anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped with her hair. One of the Disciples, Judas, asked why not sell the oil for 300 denarii and give the money to the poor. Judas didn’t care about the poor. He was in charge of the cash box and would take what was put in it for himself. He was critical of such a loving gesture by Mary, and yet he did worse things in secret. Again, Jesus stood up for her and said to leave her alone as she has kept this for my burial. The poor you will always have, but you will not always have me.

Luke 7:36 – 50 in this account of Jesus being anointed before burial, he had dinner at a Pharisee’s house (some scholars indicate Simon the leper was a Pharisee). A “sinful woman” came and broke open the alabaster flask of spikenard and stood behind Jesus weeping and anointed his feet and wiped them with her hair and tears. She kissed his feet often. A Pharisee spoke to himself that if this man was a prophet he would know what kind of woman was touching him. She was a sinner. Jesus, knowing what was in Simon’s heart spoke to him a parable of two debtors. One owed 500 denarii and the other owed 50 denarii. Both were forgiven of their debt and Jesus asked Simon which one loved more? Simon answered the one who was forgiven more and he answered correctly. Jesus shared to Simon that He entered his house and Simon didn’t offer any water to wash his feet, but the woman washed His feet with her tears. Simon didn’t offer any kiss to Jesus, but she has not ceased to kiss my feet since the time they came in. You didn’t anoint my head with oil, but the woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Jesus said, “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little” (Luke 7:47). Then He forgave her sins and those who sat at the table with Him became critical saying, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

Grace hit the target!

All three accounts show the grace of God in action to this woman.

1.  She was granted favor (Bull’s eye)

She gave Jesus her all. Something so extravagant as this costly perfumed oil must have taken many years to save up to buy. Who knows, it might have come by the very sinful deeds she was accused of in the account in Luke 7. But, she gave it willingly to pour out her love on the very one who forgave her of all the wrong she had done. He didn’t judge her, only grace was given. This grace pierced the barriers of bondage and judgement of those in the room with them.

Jesus gave her His favor. His attention was on her. He gave her His love. No one else in the room caught Jesus’ attention like this woman did.

2.  Criticized for extravagance

Being critical of others blocks God’s grace, but humility and love for Jesus gives an open target for grace to hit! ~ Pastor Kris Belfils

Being critical of others pushes you away from God. Give grace to people and see how close to God you become! ~ Pastor Kris Belfils

People criticize extravagance. She was criticized for this extravagant gesture on her part by religious people. In the Prodigal Son he was criticized for all the extravagance given to him when he came back home. The criticism came from his own brother. A member of his own family was extremely harsh in judgement towards him. Often today people are criticized for their love for God and how they express it, and usually the criticism comes from a member of their own church. People are criticized for what they do for God, especially if it goes against the traditions of their denomination.  Why is it that we get criticized the most from fellow Christians?

3.  Jesus was her advocate

Jesus stood up for her in the middle of the criticism she was receiving. He put a stop to their accusations. He said to leave her alone. He asked why they troubled her because what she did was a good thing. What man thinks is bad, often God approves as good!

Jesus is a friend to sinners. He doesn’t cast a judgmental glance at those who need to be forgiven. Quit the opposite. Jesus is drawn to sinners. It is the sick who need a doctor, not the healthy. Jesus came for a sick and dying world. He came for you and me. If we ever think we don’t need Jesus in our lives, we will be like a Pharisee with self-righteousness in our hearts. We will be deceived. We all need a Savior. We all need  an advocate to stand up for us because if we would stand up for ourselves we would fall short and be lacking.

4.  She was forgiven

Luke 7:47 (NKJV)

“Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

I remember when my oldest daughter was around two or three years old. We were driving in the car and she looked at me and asked what it meant to have Jesus in her heart. I explained that we all do bad things and we need to ask Jesus in our hearts to live there and to forgive all the bad things we have done. She proceeded to pray, with her eyes closed and her hands folded, “Jesus please come into my heart to live!” and then at the very end she said, “… and the bad things.” It was a precious moment for me as her mom, and for her because that is when her new life began with Jesus living inside of her.

What bad things have you done in your life? Have you been forgiven much? Then love extravagantly your Savior and live your life to please Him.

5.  Honor

She was remembered through out the ages for what she did that day for Jesus.

Mark 14:9 (NKJV)

“Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

I know she didn’t anoint Jesus for honor. She did it out of love, yet the very thing she was criticized for was the very thing which made her famous. She was humble and broken. No pride was in her. She just had a need to pour her love on Jesus.

God honors what we do for Him. He knows our heart and our intent. He also knows where we have been and what we have done. Allow God’s greasy arrow of grace to hit the target of your need. It never misses.

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.krisbelfils.com

www.hopefellowshipspokane.com

How To Handle Disappointments

Disappointments happen to us everyday. We put our expectations into something or someone, and when those expectations are not fulfilled, we become disappointed. Sports teams experience disappointments all the time. One team wins, and the other loses. The one who loses, I am sure, are disappointed at the outcome because they wanted to win.

Disappointment is the feeling of dissatisfaction that follows the failure of expectations or hopes to manifest. (Wikipedia.com)

dis·ap·point  (thefreedictionary.com)

1.To fail to satisfy the hope, desire, or expectation of.

2. To frustrate or thwart

3. To fail to meet the expectations, hopes, desires, or standards of; let down

4. To prevent the fulfillment of (a plan, intention, etc.); frustrate; thwart

Disappointments = Expectations not being met

Disappointments have the same flavor as regrets. The difference is that regrets usually have to do with the choices you make, while disappointments have to do with the outcome of what you put your expectations in. It usually means you didn’t get what you wanted or hoped for.

React in our flesh

The word “flesh” refers to self-nature or human nature or self-effort. To walk after the flesh is to do your own desires, usually it is the easy way out or it pleases you in an ungodly way.  Joyce Meyer states in “Living Beyond Your Feelings,” that “The nature of the flesh is to want what it thinks it cannot have, but once it has what it thought it wanted, the craving starts all over again. The one word that the flesh screams the loudest is more, and no matter how much it has, it is still never satisfied.” This reminds me of an older movie called, “Little Shop Of Horrors.” In it Seymour has a plant that needs to be fed all the time. When Seymour feeds it, the plant gets bigger and bigger and is never satisfied. It eventually takes over his home. This is exactly what happens when we feed our flesh instead of our spirit. The flesh is never satisfied and the more you feed it the bigger and more demanding it becomes.

It is natural to react to disappointments in our flesh. We might hold a grudge against someone who has let us down or has hurt us. Holding a grudge has a downward spiral attached to it. Holding a grudge is un-forgiveness and that is a sin.

Disappointments

a.  We put up walls. 

This happens often. We put up walls and don’t talk to someone or even totally close off all communication. I know because I have done this. It feels “right” at the time and it gives us a sense of control. We felt out of control when the disappointment came. There might not have been any thing we could have done to fix or change the outcome. It is a huge frustration to live with an outcome you didn’t have in your plans. It is very hard to live with circumstances someone else chose for you.

b.  We get mad at God

It is easy to get mad at God thinking He could have prevented what happened. Reality is God had nothing to do with it. People are given free will and they make choices all the time. Their choices might not line up with your choices or what you planned. Often authority figures over our life can make a choice that affects us. Our hands are tied as to the outcome. We can easily blame God, quit our job, or distance ourselves from this person or cituation. All of these choices are not good choices.

 c.  We get mad at ourselves

Handling disappointments is a process. Don’t get mad at your self if you are not over it quickly. It takes time to heal and to regroup after a disappointment. Give yourself permission to relax and allow God to heal you, and learn to worship in the middle of the Disappointment.

d.  We show emotion or get depressed

Often it is natural to be upset or get depressed when something happens that has disappointed or hurt you. There is a grieving process whenever there is a loss of any kind. There are 5 stages of grief when a loved one dies that can be applied to what we experience after a disappointment:

5 Stages of Grief or Loss

1. Denial and Isolation
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

Video: “Stages of Grief”

Disappointment quotes:

We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope. – Martin Luther King Jr

Disappointments are to the soul what a thunderstorm is to the air.  – Friedrich Schiller

Our best successes often come after our greatest disappointments.  – Henry Ward Beecher

Our real blessings often appear to us in the shape of pains, losses and disappointments; but let us have patience and we soon shall see them in their proper figures.  – Joseph Addison

How To Handle disappointments?

Let’s face it everyone will be disappointed from time to time. It is what we do; our actions or reactions, that determine our character. Often disappointments shape our character. It is in these times we need to quickly seek God to help us heal and to learn from them. Know that disappointments can help you grow. They make you stronger for your future. We can try and fight having disappointments but really it is futile because we can never control people or circumstances. This is not what God wants from us; a bunch of controlling, manipulating people.

Here are a few things I have personally learned when it comes to dealing with and handling disappointments, and I pray they help you:

1. Run to God

Running to God, and venting your frustrations about your disappointments, is the very first things you should do after being disappointed. Telling Him how you feel is the best way to get it out. Stuffing your feelings inside of you only brings turmoil. God knows and sees everything. He was there when it happened. He wants us to run to Him with our disappointments.

1 Peter 5:7 (NKJV)

“Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

1 Peter 5:7 (Amplified Bible)

“Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.” 

God hears our cry. Crying out to God is a form of running to Him. Here are just a few verses in the Bible about crying out to God:

2 Sam. 22:7 (NKJV)

“In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry entered His ears.”

Psalm 18:6 (NKJV)

“In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.”

Psalm 30:2 (NKJV)

“O Lord my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me.”

Psalm 57:2 (NKJV)

“I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me.”

Psalm 61:1 (NKJV)

“Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer.”

Psalm 77:1 (NKJV)

“I cried out to God with my voice – To God with my voice; and He gave ear to me.”

God hears our cry and our humble plea moves His heart to action. Just the act of crying out to God brings healing, but to know God will move on our behalf brings security.

2.  Worship

Worship in the middle of the disappointment. Worshipping God takes our attention off of our circumstances and ourselves, and places our gaze, our focus on our Creator. Worship frees our spirit of the cares of this world. It puts life in perspective. Worship also helps us to place our trust in God in the middle of the disappointments.

Worshipping God reminds us of how good He really is. It helps build our faith to arise in us to overcome the disappointment.

Isaiah 52:17 – 19 

“His name shall endure forever; His name shall continue as long as the sun. And men shall be blessed in Him; All nations shall call Him blessed. Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who only does wondrous things! And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen!”

God only does wondrous things! He will do wondrous things in your life as you place your cares upon Him. Don’t try to figure it out on your own. There are many things we can’t fix or change, but God has a plan. Even if it is teaching us to endure in the middle of the process of handling disappointments, we will come out the other side better for it and with much reward.

Psalm 28:6 – 7 (NKJV)

“Blessed be the Lord, Because He has heard the voice of my supplications! The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him.”

Remind yourself of God’s faithfulness.

Psalm 42:5 (Message)

“Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God – soon I’ll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He’s my God.”

3.  Forgive

Release the person in your heart. Forgiveness takes away the power the other person continues to wield in your life, and it gives it back to you. Realize no body is perfect. If you are having trouble letting go of a grudge or to give forgiveness, talk to someone you trust, who will give you wise, Godly, and compassionate advice.

Forgiving is a process, at least it has been in my life. I would go through the stages of grief and then come to a place in my heart I was willing to forgive. Then I would even pray and might say it out loud; “I forgive _______ !” Then, something else would come up that would re-open the wound, and all the forgiveness I gave that person went out the window! I would have to come to the place in my heart to be willing to forgive again and then release them. Sometimes this happened over and over again. I knew the verses in the bible about forgiving seventy times seven (Matthew 18:22). I knew if I didn’t forgive my sins would not be forgiven (Matthew 6:12). These are things that motivated me to forgive, but the actual act of forgiving always seemed to take time. I finally gave myself permission that it was okay if I wasn’t at the place of forgiveness with them, knowing that was my ultimate goal.

Wounds take time to heal. Allow yourself the time it takes to be made whole again.

Jesus is my hero. He went to the cross knowing what was in the hearts of people, and even forgave them in the middle of the act of being crucified. My spirit wants to be able to do that, but my flesh wins out more than not.

Some people don’t struggle with forgiving others. They look like they just shrug it off and have no issue, but deep down inside a wound was created and only God and time will bring true healing.

I came across a post on Facebook the other day that I think will help us all in the process of forgiving others who have disappointed or mistreated us. The post was from the “Called Magazine” and they stated:“TODAY’S CHALLENGE: Give someone who mistreated you a kind word (genuine compliment/encouragement) or a thoughtful gift. — CAN YOU DO IT?” This challenged me to reach out in the direction of someone who hurt me and say a kind word to them. It was a step in the right direction. Baby steps are better then not stepping forward at all, and even better then stepping backward deeper into un-forgiveness to becoming bitter and resentful.

I could go into a sermon all its own on this subject. This message is to bring us to the awareness that forgiveness may be needed if your disappointment has to do with someone letting you down.

4.  Break walls down

It is natural to harden our hearts to life; let alone to people. You might have tried and tried to do something and was disappointed every time. Putting up walls and isolating yourself is not the answer. It only makes your turmoil worse.

Life has been given to us to enjoy, not resent. God has blessed us with many blessings if we would just look for them. We have to break down any walls we have built up, or possibly want to build up, or we will dry up and never have a healthy life.

Have you ever been dehydrated? I have. Your body will tell you it is drying up by how you are feeling and the symptoms you are experiencing. Signs of dehydration are:

2% body fluid loss:

• Thirst
• Loss of Appetite
• Dry Skin
• Skin Flushing
• Dark Colored Urine
• Dry Mouth
• fatigue or Weakness
• Chills
• Head Rushes

5% body fluid loss:

• Increased heart rate
• Increased respiration
• Decreased sweating
• Decreased urination
• Increased body temperature
• Extreme fatigue
• Muscle cramps
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Tingling of the limbs

10% body fluid loss: (Emergency help is needed immediately)

• Muscle spasms
• Vomiting
• Racing pulse
• Shriveled skin
• Dim vision
• Painful urination
• Confusion
• Difficulty breathing
• Seizures
• Chest and Abdominal pain
• unconsciousness

This is what happens to us spiritually when we put up walls and isolate ourselves from the real issue that God wants us to deal with. We become unhealthy and the signs will be seen. I think you get the point. What happens in the natural is similar to the spiritual. We have to keep ourselves spiritually hydrated, which includes breaking down the walls of isolation and anger.

5.  Be positive

Refuse to allow negativity to become a part of you after you have been disappointed. It is so easy to speak negative words about the situation, people, or life in general after being disappointed. Being negative about your circumstance never brings healing or help. Ask God to help you look at the situation through His eyes and from His perspective. Look to see what you can learn from it. Have a positive attitude that life will change in time. Know what you are going through is just a little bump in the road compared to the bigger picture of eternity.

I am sure you have heard the saying, “ You can either get better or bitter.” This is so true. Be determined to get better and to focus on the positives in your life. These are God’s blessings in disguise. We forget the good when we are faced with some bad. Learn to encourage yourself in the Lord like David did.

Psalm 30:10 – 12 (NKJV)

“Hear, O LORD, and have mercy on me; LORD, be my helper!” You have turned for me my mo9urning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, to the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.”

6.  Don’t try to get even  

Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t speak evil against them.

1 Thess 5:15 (Amplified Bible)

“See that none of you repays another with evil for evil, but always aim to show kindness and seek to do good to one another and to everybody.”

This is very hard to do I know. If you have spoken evil about someone you have been disappointed and hurt by, ask God to forgive you and to wipe away the words you have said. Be determined to stop yourself when you start to speak evil against someone.

7.  Walk on

Get to a place you love people but you are not devastated when they let you down. Know life will have challenges but be determined to keep going, especially in the middle of a challenge.

Move on and keep going in your life. Disappointments do not determine your future if you have the right perspective and determination.

Walking on doesn’t mean you trust the person who disappointed you. It does mean you are willing to move past it and keep going. If you decide you are giving up, the enemy wins and what is life if you choose to give up? Nothing!

Know there is life after disappointments. Even if the disappointment is a life change, God can make beauty from ashes!

Isaiah 61:3 (NKJV)

“To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

Your sister in Christ,

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.krisbelfils.com

www.hopefellowshipspokane.com

5 Stages of Intimacy in Worship

Christianity is a relationship with God. It is not religion or tradition. It is all about a growing, loving, intimate relationship with our Creator.

I want to give you tools to worship the Lord in a loving relationship that is so intimate and rewarding it will change your life.

Why is it that some Worship services, when we sing the songs during worship, it seems dry and meaningless, while other times the level of God’s presence is so high you never want to leave?

There are, I’m sure, many factors why that happens, but the bottom line is, I believe, the depth of our worship only goes as far as the depth of our love for God.

Why do we worship God? What has God done that makes you want to worship Him? Who is God that we should worship Him?

What happens when we are alone with the Lord determines how intimate and deep the worship will be when we come together as the body of Christ.

Worship blesses God; it is not just a preparation for the sermon. Worship is the act of freely giving our love to God. Worship is action! What if God approached you the way you approached Him in worship? Would you like it?

Some people sit down the entire time of worship when the Worship Leader has asked them to stand. They think they are too tired or it doesn’t matter if they sit or stand. It is true it doesn’t matter if you sit or stand to be able to worship God, but what does matter is our engagement in worship. Sitting often disconnects you from worship and allows you to zone out. I am not referring to those who may have a disability or an illness that prevents them to stand too long for a given amount of time. What I am talking about are those who decide to just sit and “check out” of the service until the sermon is preached. Singing or music might not be your “thing,” BUT, worshipping your Creator SHOULD be “your thing.”Our body language tells a lot about our relationship with Christ. If we decide to not participate in worship it screams that we are not interested in God. Remember the worship part of a service is our action, our part to give back to God. It is the way we should approach a Holy God, who has given us so much? How would you feel if God approached you and your needs the same way. What if He decided to “sit down” on the job of being God and was disinterested in communing with you? What if He decided to ignore listening to you and your prayer needs? Yet, this is what we do to Almighty God if we constantly zone out of worshipping Him during the worship part of any service.

How about being distracted constantly during the worship part of the service? Looking at your phone, or rummaging through your purse or pockets while people are focusing on God and singing His praises is a slap in God’s face. Again, what if God approached you that way? You see it is not about the songs, the Worship Leader or team, the volume, or even our desires, it is about God and giving Him what He deserves. He deserves our undivided attention. He deserves our entire focus and praise. Far too often people treat worship as a hassle or an obligation. This is not true, and so far from what it really is. Worship is our engagement, our heart and mind focused on the King of kings. We have lost the fear of the Lord if we treat worship with disrespect. It would be like the priests in the Bible to come with “profane” or “strange fire.” Fire that was not birthed from the Holy Fire, fire that was not commanded by God to give.

When I took on the role of “Worship Leader” many years ago, I read some verses in Leviticus that impacted me and changed my life forever.

Leviticus 10:1 – 3 (NKJV)

“Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. [] So fire went out from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; and before all the people I must be glorified.”

This shook me to my very core and sobered me to see the importance of offering my praise and worship with a pure heart and to always remember corporate worship is a holy event and to never treat it in any other way.

Worshipping God really shows you are hungering and thirsting after Him. True worshippers hunger for God. When a corporate worship service is open to them, they run at the opportunity to get their hunger satisfied. No need to “wind them up” to worship God, they enter in immediately. This shows good spiritual health.

Concerning worship C.S. Lewis states: “Inner health made audible.” 

You need to know that…

When you are feeling week…. You worship

When you are feeling vulnerable… You worship

When your time of solitude, or your creativity hits a dark moment… You worship

When you’re feeling tempted… start to worship

When you’re feeling angry… start to worship

When you’re feeling disappointed… start to worship

When you want to express your love to God… you automatically worship

There are some key stages to obtain intimacy in our worship. These are just a few I have realized.

5 stages of Intimacy in worship

1. Remembering what God has done (He is faithful).

What has God done that makes you want to worship Him? Let’s take a look:

a. Because  God has redeemed us! Redemption/Freedom!

Psalm 111:9

“He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever: Holy and awesome is His name.”

Nehemiah 1:9 & 10

“But you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name. Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand.”

In this verse in Nehemiah the word “redeemed” is translated:

Redeemed, padah: “To release, preserve, rescue, deliver, liberate, cut loose, sever; to free; to ransom. This verb describes God’s desire to free us!

Another meaning for the word “redeemed” is:

Redeemed, ga’al: “Ransom, redeem, repurchase; to set free by avenging or repaying. Ga’al refers to the custom of buying back something a person has lost through helplessness, poverty, or violence.

You can find the Hebrew meaning of ga’al in these verses:

Isaiah 52:9

“Break forth into joy, sing together, You waste places of Jerusalem! For the LORD has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem.”

Jesus saved us from what we deserve… Hell! He has rescued us from sin and from ourselves.

Psalm 72:14

“He will redeem their life from oppression and violence; and precious shall be their blood in His sight.”

Jesus saved us from what we deserve… HELL. He has rescued us from sin and from ourselves.

I self-destruct without pursuing God in my life. When I choose my own way, I often make bad choices in the flesh. When I lean on, and trust in the Lord, I will never be disappointed because God is faithful to help me through anything.

Redemption alone is a wonderful reason to worship God. I am free from Hell. He has set me free from sin and death!

b. Because God has loving kindness and mercy that endures forever.

1Ch 16:34

“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever.”

Psa 106:1

“Hallelujah! Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever.”

How long is FOREVER? Forever: Without ever ending, an endless period of time, for everlasting time, without interruption

Psa 117:2

“For great is His faithful love to us; the LORD’s faithfulness endures forever. Hallelujah!”

Psa 118:1

“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever.”

Psa 118:2

“Let Israel say, “His faithful love endures forever.”

Psa 118:3

“Let the house of Aaron say, “His faithful love endures forever.”

Psa 118:4

“Let those who fear the LORD say, “His faithful love endures forever.”

I think you get the point. There are many more scriptures that talk about God’s love, or righteousness, or mercy enduring forever.

God shows His loving kindness to us when He forgives us of what we have done. He allows us to go through hardships to make us stronger. This is His loving-kindness. He spares us from death and hell. This is His loving-kindness. He makes us to lye down in green pastures. This is His loving-kindness.

Psalm 23:2

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.”

This gives us reason to worship Him for always showing us His loving-kindness and mercy.

c. Because God is always with me!

Heb 13:5

“Your life should be free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you.”

God promises to never, ever leave us. He is always there wherever we go. He is your Best Friend. You can talk to Him anytime. There is never a moment that God is not with you.

Joshua 1:5

“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.”

Forsake: To quite or leave entirely, abandon, desert, to give up or renounce, to give up (formally held dear), to leave someone who counts on you, to leave in a lurch.

Joshua 1:9

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

We never have to worry if God is with us. He is always there. That is a promise. That is a reason to worship Him passionately!

d. Because God longs to have communion with me.

He longs — not just desires or wants, but longs — to be intimate with us. God desires to be personally known by us, just as a young man desires to know and be known by the woman he loves.

“. . .As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.” — Isaiah 62:5

The word marriage implies intimacy, and intimacy implies vulnerability. If a marriage does not involve these two profoundly personal and often frightening sentiments, it is only an indifferent contract between two people who know each other’s name and can recognize the other’s face — nothing more. It produces nothing of worth; it is just barely beyond the acquaintance level.

A true marriage is a union of one spirit with another. It is a deeply intimate binding of two souls, where more than just thoughts and secrets are shared. God wants to have relationship with His creation. He yearns to have a true marriage with us. God invites us beyond anything we could hope for or imagine: He invites us to truly know Him.

e. Because God hears, listens, and answers my cry.

Psalm 72:12 – 13

“For He will deliver the needy when he cries, The poor also, and him who has no helper. He will spare the poor and needy, and will save the souls of the needy.”

2.  Draw close and place your trust in Him.

As we draw close to Him, He never rejects us!

When a couple is strongly married, they can draw close to each other knowing the other will not pull away or reject them. This brings security.

The closer we get to Jesus, the more we realize we can trust Him. Intimacy brings security. We are safe and secure from all harm.

We can trust God that He has the best intentions for us.

We can trust Him because His word never lies.

3.  Reveal your heart’s cry and desire.

When I am up close next to Jesus, I can share the most precious things in my heart. He wants to hear our desires (He already knows). He wants to share in our joys and our sorrows. He comes to our cry.

It is hard to share an intimate moment with someone when they keep their distance. ~ Pastor Kris

2Sa 22:7

“I called to the LORD in my distress; I called to my God. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for help reached His ears.”

Psa 3:4

“I cry aloud to the LORD, and He answers me from His holy mountain. Selah”

Psa 18:6

“I called to the LORD in my distress, and I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry to Him reached His ears.”

Psa 34:15

“The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry for help.”

       4.  Listen to His heart’s desire, which is always towards you.

It would be very selfish if we just cried out to the Lord our needs and never took the time to listen to His heart. When we are up close and personal with God, we can’t help but hear His heartbeat. It becomes our desire to hear His heartbeat the more we spend time with Him. He will share intimate things about our life. He will bring healing and restoration.

      5.  Express your love to Him.

Those  have been forgiven much, loves much!

Luke 7:47

“Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

Do you realize you have been forgiven MUCH? You have not been forgiven little. We all have sinned a lot and fall short of the glory of God. For one to be forgiven much, we have to show our worship to Him in a passionate way. One cannot help but extravagantly worship God because of what He has forgiven in our lives.

Spend time alone with God. Realize how much He loves you. Express your love to Him.

Remember He is Your Portion! He is everything you need and more. It is easy to come to a loving God Who knows our ever need, thought, and desire. But it makes it even clearer to come to God knowing who He is and what He has already done for us.

Take some time and look up in the Bible some verses about praise or worship and apply them to your life.

Your Sister In Christ,

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.krisbelfils.com

www.hopefellowshipspokane.com

He Is Your Portion

When you think of the word, “portion,” what comes to mind right away? Portion in the dictionary means: “piece, share, or allot.” You can say, “His portion or share was larger than hers.” Or, “The mother gave each child a portion of the meal.” This would indicate that it is a part of a whole, but not the whole in itself.

Portion can be described as an amount of food for one person. Portion can also be described as a part or section of a whole. Portion can be described as an unavoidable event of, or part of someone’s life. You can say, “A portion of my life I spent going to school.” You can describe portion as part of an inheritance.

Luke 15:12

“And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood.” 

Here are a few synonyms to describe what earthly portion means: piece, part, bit, segment, section, fraction, scrap, slice, serving,   percentage, quantity, measure, or ration.

Elisha received a double portion of Elijah’s anointing (2 Kings 2). Elijah’s anointing or mantle was powerful and Elisha received double. This would indicate an allotment. When it comes to God being our portion, what does that mean for us?

Scriptures of God being our portion

 1.  Psalm 16:5 (KJV) “The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.”

Here are a few translations of this same verse to help us get a better understanding of the meaning:

CEV “You, LORD, are all I want! You are my choice, and you keep me safe.”

GW “The LORD is my inheritance and my cup. You are the one who determines my destiny.

BBE  [Bible in Basic English] The Lord is my heritage and the wine of my cup; you are the supporter of my right.

GNB  You, LORD, are all I have, and you give me all I need; my future is in your hands.

MSG  My choice is you, GOD, first and only. And now I find I’m your choice! 

This verse shows us that portion refers to: “All we want, An Inheritance, A Heritage, or My choice [first and only].

Also looking at the later part of the verse in those translations opens up so much more meaning of how God takes care of our future: “You keep me safe, The One Who determines my destiny, My future is in Your hands, You are the supporter of my right, I find I’m your choice.”

God is all we need for our every need, want, and desire. He holds our future in His hands. All we are and everything we will be is in His hands. This brings peace because we are trusting in Him and walking with Him daily, obeying His word. Our obedience brings favor from God.

2. Psa 73:26  (KJV) My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. 

CEV  My body and mind may fail, but you are my strength and my choice forever.

GNB  My mind and my body may grow weak, but God is my strength; he is all I ever need.

BBE [Bible in Basic English]My flesh and my heart are wasting away: but God is the Rock of my heart and my eternal heritage.

MSG  When my skin sags and my bones get brittle, GOD is rock-firm and faithful.

Portion is translated in the Hebrew as “inheritance, or allotment.” If you think of God as our inheritance, or allotment, it changes to a deeper meaning still. He is what we receive as His heirs. All of Him. Everything about Him. All His character attributes. All His power! All His love! All His peace! He is our best friend when we are lonely. He is…

3. Psa 119:57  (NKJV) The LORD is my portion; I have promised to keep Your words. 

CEV You, LORD, are my choice, and I will obey you.

GNB You are all I want, O LORD; I promise to obey your laws.

MSG Because You have satisfied me, God, I promised to do everything you say.”

He satisfies our every need. He is all we want. The question is; “Will you receive all He has for you?” Another meaning in the Hebrew for portion is, “partake.”

4. Psa 142:5 (HCSB)  I cry to You, LORD; I say, “You are my shelter, my portion in the land of the living.”

Let’s place the word “partake” in this scripture. “I cry to You, LORD; I say, “You are my shelter, I partake of you in the land of the living.”

We partake of God. We taste and see that the Lord is good. We devour His Word. It is bread for our daily consumption.  We need to look away from our selves and focus on Him, the True Bread of Heaven, the hidden manna that is our portion everyday.  The Bible is meant to be bread for daily use, not cake for special occasions.

BBE [Bible in Basic English] I have made my cry to you, O Lord; I have said, You are my safe place, and my heritage in the land of the living.

GNB  LORD, I cry to you for help; you, LORD, are my protector; you are all I want in this life.

You are all I want in this life!

When Christ is our portion, any desire and want, other than Christ, seems to fall away. He becomes our desire and our heart cries out, “You are all I want in this life!”

We crave a lot of things:  Food, cars, jobs, friendships, certain drinks (Coffee), but do we crave, do we hunger for the Living God Who will fulfill all our longings? He is the Living Water. You can drink from the well that never runs dry. You will never be thirsty again. Just one moment in His presences changes you forever. You begin to see what you desired before was just rubbish compared to the fellowship you receive from Christ.

I remember a time in my life when I was praying one day. Many years ago I was striped of so many things after a bad choice I had made. I was feeling the pain of their lack in my life. I longed to have fellowship again with my previous friends. I longed to have my bad mistakes erased and go back to what I had. I ached in my heart and I cried out to God in the middle of that ache. Yet, it was my fault and I made the mess I was in. (Read more about this in my book, “The Garbage Man Always Comes On Fridays,” ) But I desperately cried out to God to have mercy.

As I poured out my pain to Christ, He came! Christ came and comforted me right there on the spot. He didn’t change my circumstances, but started healing me from the inside out. This changed my perspective. This began to lift the burden of regret and I saw Christ for who He really was in my life. Jesus is STRONG! He is ALL LOVING!, and ALL CARING! He is PEACEFUL, and ALL SURROUNDING! HE BECAME MY PORTION and I partook of Him. How did I do that? I worshipped. I took my eyes off of me and gazed at my beautiful Savior! I allowed Him to fill all the voids in me.

Soon, the pain of regret was not so painful because I inherited His presence and His love and forgiveness. Stillness and quietness came over me that settled deep within my spirit as I saw all my striving cease. I partook of all He had for me at that moment. Since then, He has given more of Himself, and more revelation of Who He is to me.

Why does God only give us a portion? If we partake of all He has for us, we would be so overwhelmed and our human minds could not comprehend what and who He really is. He gives us more than enough at the very moment we need it.

God is good and He only gives of Himself the portion we can contain at a given time. He has a never ending reserve just waiting for us to partake. It is our inheritance. This makes us want to go back for more and more of Him. This makes us say in Psa 73:26  My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

He is what we need at a given moment. He is what we desire. He is always available. He is always willing to come and comfort us. He is always there.

When I desire something now, I measure it up with Christ and what I have in Him. The truth is, whatever it is, never measures up! Nothing, NO ONE can fulfill all my desires like Christ can.

What desire, needs, or wants do you have right now? Have you spent time in God’s presence? Do you have a hunger for God and the things of God? Ask God for the hunger, He will give Himself to you.

He is your portion!

If you need peace…

If you want guidance…

If you are lonely and desire friendship…

If you long for fellowship…

If you desire ministry…

If you long for healing…

If you need comfort…… He is your portion

Desire God more than all of these things and He will touch those areas you have lack in.

Let us partake of Him today! Let us lay down our desires and only desire what God wants. This will make us what God wants us to be and what we were created for!

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.krisbelfils.com

www.hopefellowshipspokane.com

www.krisbelfils.wordpress.com