It was good to be at home today at Life Church. Jon Shipman led worship, and did a great job. Jon played acoustic guitar and had a full team, including five singers, plus Jeff on drums, Lary on electric guitar, D'Markus on bass, Bob on sax, Bethany on keys, Kathy on flute.
We had the apostolic team and friends in Kirksville this week, meeting with us and our leaders. Dave Richards from UK, Buck Hudson from Sweden, Frank and Betina Anker-Wiik from Copenhagen - with a group from the house they all live in there - and a pastor from southern Denmark were with us this week. Doug and Denise Kreighbaum from Pittsburg, KS, joined them late in the week. We had a great time with these guys in a worship and prayer meeting Wednesday night with the whole church, and in a home group leaders meeting Saturday evening.
There was a real prophetic sense in worship today, and Jon and the team led us in the following songs:
1. For Who You Are – in E (Marty Sampson, HIllsongs, CCLI #4591799).
2. Liberated – in G (from our own Matt Shipman). This is a great upbeat tune Matt wrote a couple of years ago that lets us declare the freedom we have by the blood of Jesus.
3. Sing to the King – in E (Billy Foote, EMI Christian Music, CCLI #4010902).
4. I Worship You – in Bb (Esther Filip, Maranatha! Music, CCLI #5087594). This was a new one to me, and it was really powerful, coming after we'd spent some time in free worship, and had a couple of prophetic words.
Before singing I Worship You, Abigail, a 7-yr-old girl, brought us a prophetic picture that the Lord was reaching down from heaven and picking us up, lifting us up into heaven. Buck Hudson then brought a prophetic word he's had for us this week that brought application to Abigail's picture. It was from Jer. 38, where Jeremiah was put down in a pit because he was prophesying the word of the Lord that people didn't want to hear. Then he was lifted out, brought before the king, who wanted to hear what he had to say. Buck felt the Lord saying that's what's happening to our church, as God's bringing us out of obscurity in our region and in the nations. To fulfill the call of God, we must be lifted up by the Lord's hands, and not our own. We were invited to the altar to respond to the Lord.
Dave Richards preached this morning, about open doors, from Rev. 3:7-8, where God opens doors no one can shut. He said we have the key of David - worship, government, warriors. David knew different anointings for different seasons. Doors open when we're keepers of His word, and we're patient endurers, like the
Doors speak of opportunities in life, work, business, ministry. When God opens a door, 1) it's always in the proper season, 2) He connects you to 'destiny carriers' who can help you open the door, to help you on your journey. Paul had Ananias and Barnabas, Ruth had Naomi, Jesus had John the Baptist, 3) I Cor. 16:8-9, open doors can be walked through even in the face of adversaries.
The altar call centered around these questions - can you see your open door, as a church, as individuals? How many are waiting for us to see and walk thru the doors God's opening for us?
I noticed that Jon's list had 3 other songs they didn't get to. It's always good to be prepared, right? Hope you had a great day at your place today. Take a look at what happened in worship today all over the place at Fred McKinnon's worship blog carnival on theworshipcommunity.com.
Comments