John Pape Online Blog

By Edwin Joseph Sotomango Villagomez

How do you define a ministry? Is it about supporting every church activity and gathering? Or joining the music team? Or is it about being active in church evangelism programs? etc…

As I analyze the term “Ministry”, it seems that there will be 2 types:

1. General Ministry – this is the type of ministry where most people get joined with. Just like what the term implies, this is intended for the general public who is interested. For example, music team, ushering team, pastor support team, evangelism team and many more.
2. Personal Ministry – this is not about any other people, its all about you. We all have our own calling, own destiny to live in, own skill to use and develop, and own life to dedicate for God.

God has a very unique plan for all of us. Hard to imagine and think of but easy to know especially if we will truly seek God.

“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”
Romans 12:3-8

It clearly states that we all have our own spiritual gifts to nurture and use everyday. We may have different capabilities but what matters most is that we all use it to fulfill God’s plan in our lives.

Daily Devotion Conclusion:

God will judge us not based from all those things we did but on those things we obeyed. If you still don’t know yet your spiritual gift, try seeking God because it will be the only solution.

You may start by sharing His marvelous Word. Believe me, we are all called to share the Gospel. It is a fact that you should consider.

Edwin Joseph is a former self help and personal development writer which is now focused on writing christian devotionals which aims to share the Word of God online.

To read daily devotionals, visit http://www.InstantDevotion.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/instantdevotion

By Parker Jaymes

One of the ways we can develop greater health and greater success is to develop some of these habits below. These habits have secular origins, but I believe that they demonstrate the truth in Scripture.

Psalm 77:11-13 (King James Version)

I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.

I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.

Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?

One of the lessons in our e-book discusses the process of recalling all God has done. It comes from Psalm 77:11-13 and I believe exercising in this does several things. Some of these insights come from reading a decidedly secular book called “Learned Optimism.”

Again, because the origin comes from a psychologist shows that the outcome is true with empirical evidence, even if their attribution of the practice is not from a Christian world view.

Recall positive outcomes from the past

“Surely I will remember Your wonders of old” instructs us to try to see the past that shapes us with wonder of God’s hand. This creates resiliency for our current circumstances.

See the negatives as temporary

“You pulled your people out of the worst kind of trouble” puts into perspective that even the worse situations we may be facing are temporary. When we allow that mindset, we become more resilient in the world and trusting in God. In fact, it strengthens the faith we need today to see his faithfulness of yesterday.

Freedom from helplessness

“I cannot stop thinking about your might works” gives us the ability to act and confidence that we are not alone and helpless. Helplessness (often learned helplessness) leads to disempowering states like depression. But when we follow these words and meditate in what God has done, we begin to see everything else in a different optic.

These three aspects come from living a life that recalls all that God has done. They’ve shown that people who take the types of actions which can be derived from this mindset are more successful and live longer.

How often do people meditate on God’s “wonderful deeds of long ago“?

Parker Jaymes
Author: “Hundredfold Now!”
Free 7-Day Course at: http://www.HundredfoldNow.com/7Days

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Parker_Jaymes
http://EzineArticles.com/?Meditating-on-Gods-Works-Creates-Optimism-For-Success-and-Health&id=2813188

By Angela Mwema

Matthew 18:3

And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus Our Lord

When we get born again, we are so careful to do everything perfectly and please God in all that we do. We think before we talk and treat people better. Our love for God is very intense. We want to tell everyone about this wonderful thing we feel and preach to everyone though most of the time we are not even sure of what we are saying. We spend a lot of time with God in prayer and reading his word. This is called the First Love. Sadly with time, this energy fades away and all we have are memories of the pleasant times we used to share with God.

This is what matters to God. This innocent, yet total and undiluted love for him. We are like new born babes who know nothing about the new world they have been ushered into but we trust our mothers entirely. We know that nothing can happen to us when they are around us and we want them to be around us all the time. If you’ve never known, new born babies only have eyes for there moms. Nothing else interests them but with time, they start noticing the world around them. They soon want to spend their time doing other things not just with the mom.

God wants us to be like the newborns, entirely engrossed in his love and care. We should want to know him the more and not care about the world around us. He wants us to cultivate a relationship with him and this can only happen when we spend time with him.

Angela Mwema is a messenger to the world with the true and living word of God. Please visit her site for more spiritual nourishment. This is http://angiepages.com/2009/09/09/the-workers-are-few/.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Angela_Mwema
http://EzineArticles.com/?What-Matters-to-God&id=2908103

1 Kings 5:17-18 And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house. And Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders did hew them, and the stonesquarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house.

Luke 6:48-49 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

Why the Foundation is so important.

Any building needs solid foundation in order to remain standing. The foundation is the base upon which everything is built. In our study here we need to understand that Jesus is the foundation to everything we do in the worship ministry. In this section we will examine the relationship we have with him and how to maintain that relationship so that the foundation will remain strong and solid.
It starts with a relationship.

Before anyone can worship God they must first have a relationship with Him. Once you have the relationship then and only then can you truly worship in spirit and in truth. In this chapter I will share with you three reasons to worship. Each of these reasons is built on a relationship that is only available through fellowship with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. First you need to know that God loves you very much. Second God gives us grace that allows us to love Him. And third because of our relationship we have a hope for our future.

God Is Love

First you need to know is that God loves you. He always has and always will. I believe one of the greatest experiences is to know that you are loved. That by itself is reason enough to worship God. After all, God is the creator of love. He is the very essence of love. Not only does he love us; He also wants to have a relationship with us. We were created to have fellowship with God. Fellowship is a relationship. Since God loves us we ought to show our appreciation. We do this through our worship of Him. But the reason for loving God goes even deeper. You need to understand that God loves you so much. He desires intimate fellowship with us. That is where the second reason to worship comes.

God Gives Us Grace

The second reason we worship God is that we received His wonderful gift of grace. Let me explain. We are sinful by nature. We are born that way. It is our heritage. The problem with this is that when we are in the state of sin we are unable to truly experience God’s total love toward us. There is a barrier between God and us. This barrier is so large no man can bridge the gap.

We are stubborn, self-willed, and independent wanting to do what we want. It is our desire to feed our flesh with worldly things. While in the state of sin we have a death sentence on our life. Our destiny is eternal damnation totally separated from the best things that God offers. You will never experience the fullness of worship unless you have an intimate relationship.

But, in His mercy towards us He provides a fool proof method of reconciliation. Grace is getting what we don’t deserve. Here is the key to grace. If you learn anything reading this article this is the most important. He sent his son Jesus to reconcile us back to God. Jesus paid the debt we owed because of sin. He took on death and beat it. His pure a sinless life allowed Him to rise from the dead. Through Him we can now have the kind of fellowship God wants. All a person needs to do is believe the gospel is true. We worship Jesus for the great and mighty sacrifice He did to restore our relationship with God.

God Give Us A Hope For The Future

Not only does God love us and have given us a priceless gift of grace, he also gives us a hope for the future. The very moment you receive the free gift of salvation immediately you have a place in heaven. You citizenship is there. Your name is written in the Book of Life. As a matter of fact Jesus is there preparing a place for you. The thing about worship is it is an opportunity to prepare for our time in heaven. You can begin to experience a taste of heaven. The most precious moments I experience when I worship are those times when I am in the very presence of God. What I desire is to think of this as practicing for that day when I am before God in all His glory, bowing down at the throne. Seeing Him face to face for the very first time in person. Worship allows us to get a small glimmer of this. I get excited when I meditate on this awesome time.

Now that we have taken a journey toward the reasons we worship let me recap. First, we know that God loves us very much. He desires to have fellowship with us. But because we are by nature sinful we are separated from God’s love. It is impossible for us as individuals to fix that. Which brings us to the second point. God gives us grace. He devised a plan that allows us to be reconciled back to Him. Jesus came to die on a cross for our sin. But, because He was without any sin he was able to beat the death sentence and raised up from the grave. The grace is that we have salvation by believing in Jesus. That’s it! It is so simple. Just receive it. And third, God did all of this because He desires eternal fellowship. Therefore, He have given us a future hope in that we can now live forever and we have a place in heaven.

One final thought.

You need to be connected to the Savior Jesus. If you have never asked for salvation, now is the perfect time to begin a relationship with God through Jesus.  Ask Him today and believe me you will never be the same.  Here is a prayer you can pray to begin your journey with Jesus.

Lord Jesus, I need you. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forging my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me the person you created me to be.

Amen.

For more information on salvation click here

Building Blocks to nurture your relationship

• Read your Bible everyday to know Christ better.
• Talk to God in prayer every day.
• Tell others about Christ.
• Worship, fellowship, and serve with other Christians in a church where Christ is preached.
• As Christ’s representative in a needy world, demonstrate your new life by your love and concern for others.

In Conclusion

Before you are able to truely mininster to the people you serve, you must have a foundation that is built on Jesus. That foundation is started at the point you begin a relationship with God though His son Jesus. This is the greatest give anyone can receive and the best part it is absolutely free. Take advange of your position in Christ. Know that he loves you and that he has a hope for your future.

RESOURCE BOX

This article is an excerpt for the new book by John Pape, Jr titled “Building a House of Worship” For more information on how you can get your copy of this book go to…

http://www.mediatunes.com/bhow/

Copyright John Pape Jr.

This article is for worship leaders. And as such, I believe it needs to focus on leadership skills. It is my intent to do this from a Biblical perspective. The only prerequisite for leadership is you must have somebody follow you. I can be just one person or thousands. The definition is still the same – A leader must have someone following them.

Understand That You are a Spiritual Leader

But there is more to leadership than having people follow you. In the Body of Christ you are a not just a leader. You are a Spiritual Leader. Your leadership skills must be in alignment with spiritual ideals. (more…)

1. Any and all compliments can be handled by simply saying    “Thank you”
2. Some people are working backstage, some are playing in the  orchestra, some are on stage singing, some are in the audience as critics and some are there to applaud. Know  who and where you are.
3. When baking, follow directions. When cooking, go by your own taste.
4. Never continue dating anyone who is rude to the waiters  and doesn’t like dogs/cats.
5. You need only two tools. WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn’t  move and it should, use WD-40.  If it moves and shouldn’t,  use the tape.
6. The five most essential words for a healthy, vital relationship  “I apologize” and “You are right.”
7. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.
8. When you make a mistake, make amends immediately. It’s easier  to eat crow while it’s still warm.
9. The only really good advice that I remember my mother ever  gave me was, “Go! You might meet somebody!”
10. If he/she says that you are too good for him/her- * believe it.
11. I’ve learned to pick my battles; I ask myself, ‘Will this  matter one year from now? How about one month? One week?   One day?’
12. Never pass up an opportunity to pee.
13. If you woke up breathing, congratulations! You have  another chance!
14. Living well really is the best revenge. Being miserable because of a bad or former relationship just might mean that the other person was right about you.
15. Knowing how to listen to music is as great a talent as knowing how to make it.
16. Work is good but it’s not that important.
17. Never underestimate the kindness of your fellow man.
18. And finally… Be really nice to your friends. You never  know when you are going to need them to empty your bed pan.

Worship Devotionals
Daily Devotionals – These daily devotionals are brought to you by Experiencing Worship Contributor Terri Pettyjohn

Articles on Worship
Worshiplinks.com collection of articles on worship and the arts.

Articles on Worship
A collection of articles by Ron Man on worship

Women in Worship
Articles for Women In Worship with Debbi Barnett on Experiencing Worship website

10 Ways To Worship Without Music
Article by Tobin Perry on Pastors.com shares ten habits that will build worship into your life on a daily basis

Worship and Rebuilding
Article by by William Mikler

Worship Intercession
Worship and intercession preceded Jesus on His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. So too, they will be important ingredients preparing the way for His return. article by Don Potter

Worship Styles
Article by Gregory C. Cochran examines the question: “Which way do you like to worship, spicy or mild?”

The Role of the Band in Worship
Article Daniel Fermaint looks a the role of the band in worship

Worship Leader Articles
A collection of article by Sally Morgenthaler on Sacramentis.com (“Re-imagining Worship for a New Millennium)” Morgenthaler’s vision is to move worship beyond presentation (information, performed music and preaching) to an interactive, sacred experience involving all the arts.

Acappella Worship Leader Articles 3 Song Stories
3 Song Stories by various from songs4worship.com  Here are the stories behind three popular worship songs: Don Moen’s Worthy, You Are Worthy, Darrell Evans’s Trading My Sorrows and Mercy Me’s Word of God Speak

Song Stories
What inspired the songwriter? The stories behind many contemporary worship classics

Songs of David Articles
Collection of article dedicated to the worship ministry

Worship Articles
Colin Owen has been involved in Christian music since 1988. He has an itinerant ministry, leading, and teaching on praise and worship, and preaching God’s Word. Here are some of his articles

A Servant’s Call To Worship
Donna Renay Patrick is a worship leader, musician, praise and worship conference instructor and the founder of WORDshop Ministries, a Christian, Word-based ministry focused on teaching your congregation the true meanings of praise and worship, and their significance to our lives as believers.

Genuine Worship: Articles
A web magazine centered around the topic of worship. Collection of articles on worship

Hebrew Words for Praise
A bible study that looks at 10 different Hebrew words for praise by Paul Vickers at eattheword.com

Love Song
The Song of Songs is a series of love poems, for the most part in the form of songs addressed by a man to a woman, and by the woman to the man. These songs have often been interpreted as a picture of the relationship between Christ and the Church.

Praise and Worship
Bible study outline at hisloveministries.org examines the Biblical basis of worship.  Include Hebrew word study.

Worshiping God in Spirit and in Truth
Bible study outline on the topic of worship

The Practice of the Presence of God
Classic transcript written by Father Lawrence.  In communion with Rome, a lay brother among the Carmelites, for several years a soldier, in an irreligious age, amid a sceptical people, yet in him the practice of the presence of GOD was as much a reality as the “watch” of the early Friends, and the “holy seed” in him and others was the “stock” (Isa. vi. 16) from which grew the household and evangelistic piety of the eighteenth century, of Epworth and of Moorfields.

Heart of Worship
By Rick Warren – Surrendering to God is not passive resignation, fatalism, or an excuse for laziness. It is not accepting the status quo. It may mean the exact opposite: sacrificing your life in resistance to evil and injustice, or suffering in order to change what needs to be changed.

Worship is More Than a List
Article by Jack D. Kinneer.  The author, an OP minister, is the founder and scholar in residence at Echo Hills Christian Study Center.

Worship God’s Glory
True worship is God-centered worship. People tend to get caught up in where they should worship, what music they should sing in worship, and how the worship looks to other people. Focusing on these things completely misses the point. Jesus tells us that true worshipers will worship God in spirit and in
truth (John 4:24). This means we worship from a pure heart!

Worship God in Dance
Article by Lucinda Coleman, a high school teacher, has been a dance co-ordinator at Gateway Baptist Church in Brisbane and now lives in Port Hedland, Western Australia. This article is adapted from her research on ‘Dance in the Church’, written as part of her studies at the Queensland University of
Technology. It briefly traces the history of dance in worship.

Beyond Self-Centered Worship
Written by Geoff Bullock who served as music pastor at Hills Christian Life Centre, Sydney.

Healing Through Worship
By Pastor Robert Colman the worship director at Blackburn Baptist Church, Melbourne. The work of Christ in redemption has one great end – it is to save humanity and restore us to the joy of knowing true worship.

A Heart for Worship
Author: Dr. Wayne Poplin of Carmel Baptist Church.  Worship involves seeing what God is worth and then giving Him what’s He’s worth.

Worship: Intimacy with God
by John and Carol Wimber Pastor John Wimber and his wife Carol are founding leaders of the Vineyard Christian Fellowships around the world.  We learned that what happens when we are alone with the Lord determines how intimate and deep the worship will be when we come together

The Spiritual Song
by Bob Johnson. Biblical Foundation and Practical Application.  One of the signs of renewal evidenced in congregational worship is the occurrence of some type of extemporaneous congregational song.

Prophetic Worship
This article is a sample chapter from Pastor Loren Sandford’s book, Prophetic Worship.

First Love-Prophetic Worship
We are prepared and called to minister the Word with regard to Davidical worship as well as the Christian walk. We have and are continuing to study the Word extensively in the area of Davidical worship and can impart to your worship team in this area as well as help to give vision and understanding to your congregation of the role they can play in prophetic worship and the song of the Lord.

Prophetic Worship
by John Paul Jackson.  Worship, by its very nature, is prophetic. Worship engages an omnipresent God who spans the dimension of time. Inherent in worship is a prophetic declaration of what has happened, what is happening now, and what is to come.

Developing the Prophetic in Worship
These are notes taken from a worship leaders conference meeting where Matt Redman was teaching.

Worship in the Spirit
by Andrew Murray

The Secret Place
by Smith Wigglesworth

The Moving Breath of the Spirit
by Smith Wigglesworth

The Secret Place
Find that cozy refuge for yourself, His comfort and healing presence. A commentary by Constance Vanides

The Secret Place of Prayer
Sermon Outline based on Matthew 6:1-8

Dwelling
in the Secret Place
Sermon by Pastor Donald Sheley

Into the Holy of Holies
Are you looking for a place to rest? Longing for peace in the midst of a hectic life? You can find both in the same place — the Holy of Holies.

The Holy Place and the Holy of Holies
The World Wide Ramifications Of The Tabernacle

Weeping Between the Porch and the Altar
Taken from a message of Leonard Ravenhill

The Worshiping Bride
Author: David Orton of Life Messenger.  Worship is how we are intimate with God. And to the degree our worship, whether in song, on instruments, or even in silence, issues from a pure heart of passion for God to that degree it will ascend as a sweet smelling aroma to him