Psalm 47:1 says, “Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy.” Psalm 134:2 says, “Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord!” Psalm 61:1,8 says, “Hear my cry O God, listen to my prayer… so I will ever sing praises to your name…” Psalm 100:1 says, “Shout with a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth”.
Good morning my precious family, friends and siblings in Christ. Is your church more conservative or actively jumping and shouting a ‘joyful noise’? I’ve been raised in many different denominations. Most were quiet, reserved, and private. People didn’t shout and praise the Lord. They bowed their heads and prayed silently, and many never raised their hands to the heavens to worship.
When I was nine years of ages I remember hearing that God created Adam and Eve from Adam’s rib, but before Eve, He created the first woman and her name was Jezebel. I asked my mom what was wrong with Jezebel, did God just forget to add Adam’s rib? So my mom called the pastor and asked him to explain this to me. He couldn’t. He told me that he was sorry, but he didn’t have the answer. As I became older and going to church with mom, every time she went, I began to learn more about how to get my answers—study scripture. I found that God only created one Eve, and Jezebel was the Phoenician wife of King Ahab of Israel, bringing her worship to the god of Baal to Israel. Her story was in books of 1 Kings and 2 Kings.
I began searching for church denominations that worshipped with ‘all their hearts, minds, and souls’, found in the Great Commandment in Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, and Deuteronomy 6:5, where Jesus and Moses instructed people to love the Lord God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind’. The verses often also include ‘and with all your strength’.
I’ve been in plenty of quiet reserved churches, and found that I ‘needed’ a rambunctious church family. Don’t get me wrong, I’m more quiet and reserved than I want to be. I’m learning that when my spirit wants to scream and shout, He’s urging me to jump up and do just that, but I’m not quite there yet, for I too still hold back. But, I have come a long way in my worshipping since I’ve been to the King’s Corner Assembly of God Church. I have never met a church family so loving, and so caring for others. When I first walked in, I knew that I was home! Everyone should be able to find a congregation like that, never judging, never sitting and staring you down as if something was wrong with your clothes or something else. These people love like Jesus first loved us.
Are you afraid to raise your hands to the holy places? Are you afraid to clap your hands and shout to your Father God with loud songs of joy and praise? Are you afraid to cry out to God to hear your prayer? Are you afraid someone is going to think you’re crazy? Then close your eyes so no one can see you! Close your ears so no one can hear your joyful noises! Open your heart, mind, and soul, and with all your strength, concentrate strictly on praising you loving almighty Lord! If you do this no one will see or hear anything. It’s alright. I’m still doing these things myself. I’ve never been one to get in front of the class to read a report, it’s called, ‘Stage Fright’, and I’m an old woman, still fighting the devil against this age-old ‘disease’.
Do you remember the movie: Prancer? The little girl in that movie was in the Christmas choir and was going to be in the school Christmas play. The music teacher kept telling her to sing softer, but she never would. In church, her voice was louder than all the congregation’s, and everyone turned to look at her, but she didn’t care. She loved to sing, and continued to sing loudly.
When you have a church family that is loving and appreciative, and a music director and pastor who can inspire the Holy Spirit within you, you will never be ready for the end of service. Time will become irrelevant, and clocks and watches will lose all significance. In fact, you will become so engrossed that you will forget they are even present. If your pastor goes overtime, and the sermon has been great since the first word, then you’re going to feel a range of emotions and internal reactions, such as a sense of God’s presence, or peace, a sense of conviction or inspiration. It can feel as though it’s personally directed at you, which connects God’s word to your daily life, which leads to feelings of gratitude, reflection, and a desire for action or change!
In fact, you will become so thoroughly immersed that you will lose sight of their presence. If your pastor exceeds the allotted time and the sermon has been exceptional from the outset, you will experience a range of emotions and internal responses, such as a profound sense of God's presence, peace, conviction, or inspiration. It may feel as though the message is personally addressed to you, thereby connecting God's word to your daily life, which, in turn, fosters feelings of gratitude, introspection, and a desire for action or transformation.
With this exceptional sermon, you will not be ready for closing just yet. The Spirit has a way of imparting profound joy and peace, rendering us oblivious to the time. In our church, we have a significant number of elderly members, but we are endeavoring to attract more young families with small children. This may be candid, but as one of the elderly members myself, along with my sister, I firmly believe that longer services are preferable. It takes longer for elderly individuals to rise and commence exiting the premises. Notably, we refrain from checking our watches, especially during the winter months.
Our church is a Spirit filled church and is one that emphasizes on prayer, the Word of God, and the active guidance of the Holy Spirit. If you are not interested in ours, then remember that when looking for one, consider churches that are characterized by passionate worship, fervent prayer, passionate preaching, genuine community, and a deep commitment to the next generation. They are also often involved in generous service and witnessing to the community!
Our Father and our God, we praise You for the power of Your Word. Indeed, a joyful expression of praise or triumphant shouting can facilitate the miracle we all deeply desire; please grant us the awareness to offer a jubilant shout of celebration, honoring You for the miracles You are about to bring our way in Jesus' name. Amen!
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