I have some dear friends who work very closely with refugees who I feel called to stand with in prayer at this time. Many refugees have already fled places where the political climate turned against them, from countries ravaged by war, famine or persecution. I don't pretend to be an expert on this subject. One friend works as a resettlement specialist with World Relief, and the other with students from other nations. Both are seeing and feeling first hand the distress of people they care about as a result of changes being made by our Government. While I don't want this blog to be a place of arguing politics I do want it to be a place of prayer. I have to trust that God hears the sincere cries of all of the people he created no matter their color or language or nation of origin. I hope you will pray that we might all receive deeper revelation of His heart for for the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked and the sick among us.
Note: You will see dividers between sections that look like ******סֶ֫לָה*******
From Strongs: Original Hebrew Word: סֶ֫לָה Short Definition:selah: to lift up, exalt
This is a quote from got answers "Selah is also thought to be rendered from two Hebrew words: s_lah, “to praise”; and s_lal, “to lift up.” Another commentator believes it comes from salah, “to pause.” For me it is placed between things to remind you to pause, lift up, exalt the Lord and calmly consider what the Lord would speak to you. Perhaps, pause and pray.
“Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?
Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.
Today I wanted to find Worship songs from people of other tribes, tongues and nations. I want to pray for the refugees and the underground church all over the world and those who have not yet come to know the great love of Jesus. There are some documentaries about the underground church at the bottom of this post.
Please pray and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you as you enjoy these Praise and Worship videos that I have collected today.
1 John 4:20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat. ~ Mother Teresa
"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Isaiah 55:1
This prayer called A Franciscan Blessing
has really stretched me in recent weeks.
"May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers,
half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that we may live deep within our hearts.
May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
so that we may work for justice, freedom, and peace.
May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, hunger, and war, so that we may reach out our hands to comfort them and turn their pain into joy.
And may God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference
in this world, so that we can do what others claim cannot be done,
to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor."
Not to forget Israel: Psalm 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
"May those who love you be secure.
Here is the translation to the song that follows.
"Kadosh Atai (You Are Holy) by Joshua Aaron. I worship before You Lord, I'm down on my knees Giving You all my days, my God and my King I will praise You forever Lord, for You are Adonai You alone Yeshua are the joy of my life Kadosh, kadosh, kadosh Ata Kadosh, kadosh, kadosh Ata"
"The world changes. The Church's calling doesn’t. Still we stand.
On Friday, January 27, the new presidential administration announced significant changes to U.S. Immigration policy, including a substantial reduction of refugees allowed to enter the U.S., as well as funding cuts to the Refugee Admissions Program—and to resettlement agencies like World Relief—that compromise our ability to adequately care for refugees and immigrants.
While governmental policy may change, our commitment to standing alongside the persecuted, displaced, and vulnerable remains firm—but we need your help."
These services are bits of my own journey. As I awoke and sat in my bed this morning and I began the process of collecting my roaming thoughts. Where does a creative person begin? So many possibilities of where this day might take me. I prayed for a tiny moment in the Spirit in my prayer language and I realize that for me the center the ground zero of my life is worship and prayer. In my large house full of sleeping people that worship must of necessity be a quiet activity. So I get my laptop and my head phones and I track down the bit of words from the song that is running like a little red thread through my thoughts. "Oh How I love you, How I love you, with You is where I want to be"
" Good Shepherd of my soul take my hand and lead me on." This song that directs my thoughts to think about my Lord as Good Shepherd who loves me, who protects and cares for me. I say often that it is His kindness that leads us to repentance. Yes, You Lord, is where I want to be. Which leads my heart to Audrey Assad's song Good to Me.
The next song is a wild card from along the side of my youtube screen where there are several songs I've not heard before. Which one Lord is the the path for today. I choose this one called Hymn of Love by someone called Yakuro. In it I find all this beautiful photographic imagery and instrumental music. I am reminded that my soul is stirred to worship and to be thankful as I engage more of my senses. I am struck by the wonder of God's creation and the artistry of this particular photographer.
I have been happily discovering the music of Hildigard of Bingin I am captivated by the the beautiful vocal sounds of this group of men. What are they singing? She was a 12th century German Mystic who wrote her visions, music and thoughts in Latin. "O frondens virga, in tua nobilitate stans, sicut aurora procedit. Nunc gaude et laetare et nos debiles dignare a mala consuetudine liberare, atque manum tuam porrige ad erigendum nos." Someone was kind enough to translate it in the video comments. "O blooming branch, you stand upright in your nobility, as breaks the dawn on high: Rejoice now and be glad, and deign to free us, frail and weakened, from the wicked habits of our age; stretch forth your hand to lift us up aright."
I think of these words about "O blooming branch" and I am reminded of the story in the Bible in Genesis 30:25-40 about Jacob who took care of sheep. He used branches in the water of the sheep to influence their breeding so as to get all spotted or all streaked or all solid babies. God prospered him even though his father in law changed his wage agreement many times. I look back on my notes from a recent Bible study on that passage. In the notes I had written about Jacobs use of herbs and selective breading. "What the mother eats affects the offspring." That day I had gotten off on a big rabbit trail into what the benefits were of the Poplar branches that Jacob used. It turns out they are purifying and pain reducing. I think how calm and un stressed his sheep must have been and how that must have played into their health and wellness and their breeding ability. I am reminded that to walk in total wellness we must take care of body, soul and spirit. I think about Jacob and how God gave him wisdom to as he tended sheep and how I can trust Him to lead me through my day. I can trust that God will lead me. So I was back to the idea of shepherds and searched that particular word and found this lovely David Ruis song.
Then I found this spontaneous worship led by Misty Edwards around Psalm 23rd. In you, Lord, is everything I need. I shall not want. I don't know what the Lord will do with these posts but part of my journey is to create and post them. I know that soon I will need to leave this quiet place and move on with this day. As I leave here my prayer is that we will be aware of the Good Shepherd as we each walk through this day knowing that we have a Good Shepherd who leads and restores us.
Im re-digging some wells that I have abandoned. InGenesis 26:18it talks about Isaac re-digging the wells his father had dug. They had been abandoned after the death of Abraham and the Philistines had filled them with dirt. I want to re-claim things that have been abandoned to my own busy life, other projects and perhaps even some things that have been forgotten by others. One of those wells is this idea of creating online worship services.
Wells are sources of water. It is the need for water that determined where cities were built and where people gathered. It is a daily necessity. In John 4 Jesus talked to the woman at the well and told her he could give her living water. He talked about a day coming when the true worshipers would worship in Spirit and Truth. It would no longer be about the place of worship because each believer would be a temple or a house of God. John 7:38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
The beauty of these Online worship services is that you can partake in them at any time. If you don't like a song simply move on to the next one. The videos do not play automatically so you will need to click on them to start each one. I like this because worship is a fluid Spirit led thing and you may be deep in it with the Lord and need time before moving on. These are videos that I have found posted on youtube in most cases I am not the copyright holder. Occasionally I do post some of the songs I have written or covers of songs I have recorded. I try to make these services some what thematic so you can choose by topic what will best minister to you on a particular day.
This next song is one I recorded a while ago. In all humility, I don't see myself as a great recording artist. It is a simple recording of just me, my guitar in my living room. It has its own kind of simple raw beauty. It is a reminder to me that God uses what we will surrender to him - He uses us right where we are, in spite of our flaws, failures and imperfections. We are each a work in progress.
Rend Collective's Desert Soul reminds us that we are a desert of dry bones with out the Lord. Thank you that you are the living water and even in the desert we can find those places of Oasis in you. I am reminded of Hagar who had run away with her young child. When she came to the end of herself. With fears of seeing her child die of thirst she looked up and there was a well. Had it been there all along - probably. Genesis 21:19 says Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. I pray God will open your eyes so you can see what he has waiting already for you if you would open your eyes.
Some of the beautiful music from the 12th Century by a Christian Mystic named Hildegard of Bingen. I have been very inspired not only by her enchanting music but also her life.
She was the daughter of a noble knight and as the tenth child she was given as a tithe to the church at age 8. She was having prophetic visions at age 3 and folks today think she may have suffered from migraines. She served a nun who became and anchoress who was walled off from the world except for a little window. She spent from age 18 to 43 in that woman's service. When the anchoress died the other nuns voted Hildegard to be the new mother abbess. She was allowed by the church to write down her visions and share them. She created beautiful art work or supervised its creation of her visions from God. She wrote many book about her visions and was also well versed as a healer in the use of herbs and natural remedies. She kept very good notes of those things she discovered and left a great body of work that still speaks now some 800 plus years in the future.
Bridge Over Troubled Water is that old Simon and Garfunkel song this time preformed by Audrey Assad. God is on your side - when times get rough. Like a bridge over troubled waters. Jesus provided that bridge to span the gap between fallen humanity and Holy God.
This is from Julie True Quietness and Trust
We have much to be thankful for. It is well with my soul. Let go my soul and trust in Him.
More of the beautiful etherial music of Hildegard of Bingen. This one is an hour in length and makes a wonderful background for quiet reflection and prayer. It is all in Latin but her native language was German. Her life was certainly a deep well of reflection into the deeper things of God.
Picking things back up a bit with The Well by JJ Heller
Hi Friends,
I had this idea a while ago to put together thematic worship experiences. A friend challenged me to get back to daily writing recently. So I have decided to spread that writing around to my various blogs. This is a blog I had forgotten about. I found myself listening to music today and was thinking how I might combine my writing for today with music and I was reminded of this blog.
Sometime we just need a little bit of help with our quiet time before the Lord to focus our minds and hearts so that we can hear what He is saying to you. With this post I want to remind you that you are His treasure and Jesus is crazy in love with you.
Interspersed here with my thoughts are some songs I found that went along with this topic in one way or another. If you are short on time allow the Holy Spirit to guide you to which ones to listen to, the rest will be here waiting till you need them.
The other day I heard someone share how we are each like treasure chests. It spoke to me in a deep way. The Lord has put his treasures in jars of clay. We are his treasure chests. We are His alabaster jar. He is the one who opens us up and pours us out. He opens up His treasure chests not when we think he should but when He decides to reveal those treasures. We can sometimes work so hard at trying to serve Him that we for get we just need to walk with Him every day and love people like He would love them. Not because they think or believe like us, not because they are less flawed than others, not because they are good or clean or remarkable in some way. Simply because they too are His treasures, weather or not they even know they are.
Sometimes it is our job to see the treasures in others and to encourage them to take a step of faith and share what God has put in them with others. It is so easy to convince ourselves that we are not good enough. We compare ourselves with others and we see all of our own faults. Often we get our focus on the dirt and not the diamonds.
2 Corinthians 4:7-15 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”[b] Since we have that same spirit of[c] faith, we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl - Matthew 13: 44-45
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21NIV
Isaiah 45:3 (NIV)
I will give you hidden treasures,
riches stored in secret places,
so that you may know that I am the Lord,
the God of Israel, who summons you by name.
Are you looking for His hidden treasures?
They could be in His Word or found in nature or perhaps in the people who grace your life.
Today along with about 600 people, I attended a memorial service for an incredible man of God. He was a friend and a spiritual father to me and so many other people. Dick Main was truly a kingdom treasure. He and his wife constantly prayed for and encouraged so many people. The out pouring of love for this man today was huge. It wasn't that he did stuff that was amazing or grand or difficult. He simply walked daily with Jesus and loved people. He always had a smile and a twinkle in his eyes. He would see you and give you a big hug and tell you "Your Wonderful" I have to say that he was one of those people that you could not help but to see Jesus. A few weeks ago he took a train to glory. It was on his way home from a Christmas party at the Spokane Healing Rooms when he had an accident and hit a train. The miracle was that he arrived coherent to the hospital and his family was able to join him there. He was able to talk with each of them and finally asked his wife to please let him go. They had been married for 61 years and they had five children.
His family did such a beautiful job of allowing all of the many people who gathered be part of celebrating his life. As we arrived they had a table set up with green stamp pads. People would get ink on their finger and press it onto the image of a tree. Because they too were one of the leaves on the tree of lives he had touched.
I end this post with one of my own songs. It is here today in honor and in memory of my dear friend Dick Main. He and his wife Shirley were always blessed by my songs. Proverbs 10:7 says the memory of the righteous is a blessing. Dick Main truly blessed my life and I will be ever thankful to have known him.
I have been playing with the idea of creating on-line worship services that move you through a series of videos and thoughts to experience the Lord in your private quite time or in a small group. I've tried to make sure the songs contain the words so you can sing along or simply reflect on the words as you listen. I have a wide love for many musical and worship styles try to be led by the Spirit as a choose songs. I pray you will be blessed and refreshed that in the quiet spaces of instrumental music you will listen and allow the Lord to speak to you. The focus of this service is the Holiness of God ~ Margot
Isaiah 48:16-18 (NIV1984)
“Come near me and listen to this:
“From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret; at the time it happens, I am there.”
And now the Sovereign Lord has sent me, with his Spirit.
This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you,
who directs you in the way you should go.
If only you had paid attention to my commands,
your peace would have been like a river,
your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
Holy After All - David Crowder Band
Brother Sun, Sister Moon
Beautiful Exchange
Holy - Kim Walker Jesus Culture
Deep In the River - Spontaneous Worship
Piano and Violin Duet - Rain by Brian Crain
Lord, You are Holy,
You have taken us as broken as we are and loved us before we even knew you. You made a beautiful exchange, giving the life of your beloved son Jesus. We honor you, we bow our hearts, our minds filled with so many thoughts, we bow our knees before you in worship. You are worth of all blessing, honor and glory and praise.
Amen
Have you been filled up and refreshed in the Lord's presence? Go and poor it out today in kindness, compassion and acts of mercy. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you down from the mountain top and out among the broken and the desperate. You are his hands and feet - touch the world around you with His Love.
See His Love is a video worship service for For Good Friday
A few of these videos have graphic scenes of the crucifixion from The Passion. If you are wanting to use this as a private worship service, simply click on each video in order. As the final notes sound start the next video.
Oh Sacred Head Now Wounded
Alas and Did My Savior Bleed:
Lead Me to The Cross
See His Love - is the theme song
All Because of Jesus
I Think of You - Communion
Holy And Anointed One - Communion
How Great Is Our God
Through The Cross
Instrumental Worship Music - For a time of soaking in the Lord's presence with
anointing with oil and prayer available.
