More Than Words ...

Been thinking a lot about worship these last few weeks. A few interesting things happened at our Week of Refreshing that really challenged me and has really got me thinking.

We were all together in the Chapel at the beginning of the week and we were singing that beautiful Hillsongs song - "To the Ends of The Earth"

And I would give the world to tell Your story
Cause I know that You've called me
I know that You've called me
I've lost myself for good within Your promise
I won't hide it
I won't hide it

Jesus, I believe in You
And I would go to the ends of the earth
To the ends of the earth
For You alone are the Son of God
And all the world will see
That You are God
You are God

As we were singing this song, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and said, "They are singing the song but not living the words." I was shocked! But I felt as if the Holy Spirit was saying that they were singing about going to the ends of the earth for the Lord but had absolutely no idea of the cost or consequences of what they were singing about.

So next day I challenged them. You see, when a Filipino thinks of the 'ends of the earth' they almost always think of a place better than the Philippines. I would think that around 99.99% of Filipinos who leave these Islands go to a far better and nicer place - Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore, Canada, UK, USA etc. But I challenged our students and Alumni - who among you would take a step down to serve the Lord?

Keith did some teaching on 'What is Happening to the Church in Asia" that morning and I know it really rocked them as they heard about the suffering that followers of Jesus go through just for being a follower of Jesus.

Vietnam

Officially religious freedom.

Two minority group (Montagnard, Hmong) Christians have been detained and tortured in Vietnam's Central Highlands after security forces discovered they had been collecting names of the most impoverished people apparently to better target aid.

Security police "tortured" one of them "by hanging him upside down" and used "martial arts [such as] boxing, karate chopping and kicking...until he was unconscious," in prison.

They then poured water over him "until he awoke" only to "repeated the torture again and again." His family "is extremely concerned for his welfare as he is still in prison," following his arrest April 25.

Indonesia

Mainly Buddhist, but many Muslims.

On the night of 1st September, a Muslim mob burned down the Indonesia Evangelical Mission Church building in Siompi, Aceh. News reached local Muslims that the church was planning revival meetings. This angered those who are intent on making their province strictly Islamic. The church is now meeting for worship in a local home.

Cambodia

Cambodians who have turned to Jesus Christ from Buddhism or animism have been accused of betraying their country.

Church in Cambodia is growing, but lacks many of the resources that Christians in the West take for granted, such as trained pastors, Bibles, Christian literature and well equipped church buildings. Many church workers need a paid job outside the church in order to support their families.

Myanmar (Burma)

Posted on March 5th, 2007
PASTOR BARNABUS: ‘If you are a Christian then you have the “C-virus”… which means you are automatically considered a second-class citizen’
PAUL, EVANGELIST: ‘They handcuffed me and hoisted me above the ground by my handcuffs until my feet no longer touched the ground and there they told me to preach’
PASTOR JOSHUA: ‘If nothing happens to us we are surprised. We are waiting for persecution; we are waiting for problems from the authorities. And God has been so good to us and we are not afraid of persecution and difficulties.’
PASTOR ABRAHAM: ‘Because of persecution we get more unity, moreover the house churches are increasing more and more.’

Government would like to eliminate Christianity.

North Korea

Kim Jong Il worshipped as a god. So worshipping God makes you his enemy.

Worst country in the world to live in. Christians tortured & killed. Many flee to China. If caught returned & face even worse conditions than before. Entire families sent away to concentration camps where they work twenty hours a day, seven days a week for months and even years upon end. They are sentenced to sickening and dangerous jobs in cesspools and iron foundries and beaten, tortured, and killed in the most horrifying ways;

Many public executions of Christians. They called them "insane believers in God." They would call them out to the field and hang them.

One former prisoner had seen a guard pour molten iron over living Christians in an effort to force the other Christians to renounce their faith.

Christians in political prisoner camps are also subject to a decree that their faces must permanently face the ground, so their heads are continually held at a ninety degree angle to the rest of their body. Because they believe in a God in Heaven they must not look up. As they work, sleep, and eat, they must always face down. A former prisoner reports that after years of keeping this position many of the Christians' necks were permanently deformed. Even in death, their necks were broken by the guards and they were buried face down to prevent them from "seeing Heaven".

In Wachon Prison, a prisoner witnessed the treatment of the children of Christians. Upon arrival families were separated according to age and sex. The children were put into cages where they spent the rest of their childhood. Each morning their mothers would be forced to walk past these cages where they could see their children, starving and cold. The former prisoner recounted her experience: The noise was awful as the children screamed and cried out for their mothers. Sometimes the women, at great risk to themselves, would knit socks or gloves with scraps and would throw them to their children to keep them warm. Sometimes they would even hide some food inside, even though they themselves were starving. If the mother was caught doing this she would be dragged outside, alone, and beaten until she could not hear or see anymore. Then the other prisoners would drag her back in. Even then I would hear her call out to her children, to make sure they were all right. Only a mother could understand this feeling.

To the ends of the earth? Still want to go? I remember listening to Pastor Yang preaching at Cornerstone and he said that when they were singing those words he would stay silent because he knew he was not at that place where he could tell the Lord ... "I will go." How refreshingly honest.

For the truth is that we sing far too much about what we will do, who we are, how we feel and how totally and absolutely surrendered we are. We sing so easily "You are all I want" or "I live for you alone" or "Take it All" - but do we actually believe it and is our walk consistent with our talk. Many of us cannot go to the end of the street to tell people about the Lord, let alone going to the ends of the earth! Maybe you feel like an old lady I once heard shouting out at a black church in the USA, "Ouch that hurt ... but preach it anyhow!"

Later on in the week I was leading the worship and the keyboard player was an ex-student who I knew loved 'the old stuff' in terms of music. Anyway, he started playing 'He is Lord' and as he played my heart began to cry out to God. We began to sing and soon we were weeping with joy before the Lord. The meeting lasted for ages .. just in His presence. The Holy Spirit began to minister and prophetic words were spoken and people's lives were broken.

But what I am talking about is nothing to do with old songs v new songs. There are beautiful old songs and beautiful new songs. I am talking about our heart. Our desire to touch Him. Our passion to meet with him. Not just singing songs, but meeting with the King.

I began to ask the Lord, "How do you feel Lord when 200 people sing 'I will go to the ends of the earth' ... but only 2 people are singing these words from their heart?" What do you really think Lord? How do you feel? How do you react? ... Do you think, "Nice song? Nice tune? But it doesn't really matter... they don't really mean it."

The Lord pressed upon my heart the story of the lady with the issue of blood who just wanted to touch the hem of his garment. Even though there were probably hundreds of people there, she was desperate to touch Him. And Jesus knew it. The disciples did not realise that one person was reaching out with sheer faith; but Jesus did. He always knows when someone cries from the heart. Always. No matter how many people are there.

Same with our worship. There may be hundreds in our church singing songs and enjoying the music. But we can easily hide behind words. And the Lord knows who is singing with sincere and broken hearts; He knows those who are desperate for Him; He draws near to them who draw near to Him. Always.

I don't want to be negative today. But I want to be real. This Sunday, don't just sing for the sake of singing. Look at what you are singing. Listen to the promises you are making. It's not about music, bands, lyrics and catchy tunes. It's about Jesus. Reach out and touch Him. More than words ...

When the music fades
And all is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that's of worth
That will bless your heart

I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the ways things appear
You're looking into my heart

I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You
All about You, Jesus
I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You
It's all about You Jesus

Selah ...