WS: Dynamic Relationship
So here it goes,
You are not an accident of science or a cosmic mistake. Your life is not meaningless and your choices matter. You were created with a purpose. The Bible tells us that God made the universe and breathed life into the human race, and calls you to ‘know that the Lord is God’, and that ‘you are his’. (Psalm 100:3-4) God created you – just as he created all of us – to be caught up in a dynamic relationship with him at every level of your life: heart, soul and mind. That is your purpose: the dynamic relationship between you and your heavenly Father that impacts every level of your life. That’s what worship is.
Worship is central to your existence because the God who created you as an act of pure joy intends you to know his love and to love him in response. The Bible tells us that before the creation of the world God chose us to be in relationship with him, and that your very existence is to be for ‘the praise of his glory’ (Ephesians 1:6). Just as sin is described as not giving glory to God (Rom 1:18-25), our great rescue by Jesus will ultimately lead to the arrival of heaven, which is portrayed in terms of worship (Rev 4:11).
You live, breathe, move and love as expressions of God’s joy. You were made to know him, to connect with him, to follow him, to serve him and to enjoy the mind-blowing, heart-stirring fullness of this world he has created. In other words, you were created to worship. It’s deep in your spiritual DNA, in every encounter with God, is this sense of coming home – worship.
Everybody worships something. Whatever captivates your heart’s affection, your mind’s attention and your soul’s ambition, it effectively has your worship. The English word ‘worship’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon ‘weorthscipe’ which literally means to ascribe worth to something, and today we worship anything from rock stars to endorphin-exploding experiences.
Those things that you value, admire, love and enjoy most, are by definition objects of your affection. C.S. Lewis explains this really well, writing, “I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed.
The Place I find Purpose
Worship is going on all around us in every possible form and style you could imagine, on earth and in heaven, today, right now just as it has been for thousands of years. Throughout the world and throughout history, wherever there is worship, there has always been a conversation going on about worship; from the Church Fathers wrestling with what worship should look like in the decades after Jesus, to the reformers asking what God requires of us in the light of Scripture. Today, this discussion is still as relevant as ever.
For the past couple of months I’ve spent some time thinking of why my life is so full of failures. Failures in relationships, job interviews and life in general. My entire existence is full of failures, but is that my purpose? Should I let that influence the way I worship?
Like me today you might be disillusioned with worship, tired of performance instead of praise, or burnt out by empty religion, or you may be afraid of the change that seems to be sweeping away all around you and uncertain of what you can bring? Or perhaps you are excited about growing in your worship but unsure how to build a firm foundation for a lifetime of authentic worship?
Whoever you are, whatever has led you to this moment, you start here with this simple yet all-important question: why is worship so important?
So as a worship leader I’ve set my self a challenge which is to help some very gifted & talented musicians I know in my church to be more worshippers.
So guess what my next posts will be about?
Summer? Oh wait we are in England
So this summer has been a little bit different. Lots of interesting things happening. A weekend to Hamburg to meet the entire German family, my sister engagement/traditional wedding, a new job role & new shop, riots, alwaysawake recording session & lots of bbq.
I’ve never experienced a summer like this. All i can say is next year will be even better.
This was definitely a season also with plenty of things to think about. My faith in God has been tested but He’s always faithful. I think i will write a bit more in my next posts.
So WATCH OUT!!!
BOOM!!
Stay connected
Wow what a week, am so blessed to be surrounded with such amazing people.
Week started great with an exciting new start and so much to look forward to.
Sun was shining and everyone had pulled out their shorts and shades, gutted I missed a BBQ.
So am more convinced that I can’t really make things happen on my own, and if I did tried then I will fail.
Last week Sunday I went straight from work to lead our evening service worship at church, I was so tired that I couldn’t connect with the band and also with God, I allowed my tiredness to take over and it was hard. I was so frustrated inside that I just was in that position.
So I just led the first two songs which I led awfully, and got to the next song and I just couldn’t connect with God.
The word that was preached a few mins earlier was on how we can plant a seed of faith:
(Matthew 17:20 (NIV) “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, `Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. “)
I just had to put that into action, but still I couldn’t connect. Even though I didn’t connect with God others did, l just had to step down and let him be God.
After that evening where everyone said I led well even though I know I didn’t just proved to me that it’s not what I do or the songs I pick that will make God be God.
I suck, God rocks
Selfishness:- i suck, God Rocks
I think I’m going to start a series on how much I suck and God Rocks. Sometimes we get caught up in our awesomeness, that we forget who the awesome one is. So I’m going to try and mention a few things in which I suck at.
Selfishness:-
At church we being going through some stuff about consumerism and how much we long for stuff that we don’t actually need. Personally am in a position where if I see anything I like, or anything that will make me cool then I’ll go for it and buy it.
There are so many things that I don’t take into consideration at all. I just spend lavishly and feel really cool for a certain amount of time after that I need another stuff.
You know what I am so selfish, well we all are so this makes me feel a little bit better. Still it’s a huge problem.
I am selfish and God is not.
I suck, God Rocks
It’s a lovely day!
Right now I’m overwhelmed with love. Today has been a lovely day, it’s just a lovely day. Ok you get it, it’s a lovely day.
Anyhoo Christ was born today. He was born in a manger, he was born in a unsophisticated era, where there were no such commodities as we have today.
His birth made a way for all of us.
So in this lovely day may we remember our Lord & Saviour, The One who made a way, The One who delivered us, Let us celebrate, rejoice and honour Him.
Merry Christmas to you all..
Intimate
Worship for me is something essential, it’s something I do naturally. I don’t have to be holding a guitar or playing the drums to get that intimate place with the father. I would hate myself if I was to be considered just a worship leader and not a worshipper.
Now I have noticed that when we gather to worship at an event we expect big lights, good quality sound and most important a good band. I’m not saying that all this are not good, they are because they easily create the type of atmosphere that we want, and that’s a good thing.I’m also one the first person that would spend a lot on musical equipments without thinking twice. I just love it.
The only thing I’ve noticed is we depend too much on that kind of stuff when we are in the process of planning and on the actual event. Now think about it, in the days when all this technology was not available they had such powerful times of prayer and worship, when all they did was singing and maybe harmonised by a single instrument.
I wonder if we experienced that kind of intimacy what would it feel and sound like to us.
Love the World!
It’s not our words, our words will not change the world, it might attract them but won’t change it.
It’s not normally even our music, our music edifies us, our music glorifies the father. Once in a while one crosses over, but it’s not our music that will change the world or attract people more than likely.
It’s not our buildings, it’s grand and beautiful as some of our churches are, it’s not the architecture that will change the world.
But one thing for sure will change the world is when we begin to love each other, and begin to love the world and when we begin to reach out to those in need, those who don’t have what we have,those with lower income in our community, so when the world see this kind of love, an undeniable love, this will attract them, they’ll want whatever we have.
So when a house is full of love, open the back door to let it out into the street.
Need a Friend?
Friends are people you trust, simple as that! They are people you relate too, you do almost everything together, they are the people that makes life enjoyable, i could go on and on with what friends are for.
What happens when you are being judged by your friends? Are they doing it because they think you are getting it wrong, or cause they think that wasn’t the right thing to do.
What happens when your friends are being false towards you? When they act like they are still your friend but clearly they are not.
I don’t think it’s right. A friend is one who knows us, but loves us anyway. This bothers me quite a lot to have friends especially “Christians” friends and end up being put aside to like a fallen one who is in need of redemption. Sunday Night teaching at CCM:City ticked all the right boxes.
There is one Friend who you can always rely on: Jesus. I am deeply in love with him.
Satisfy Me
Just finished watching a movie which made me think of how much we take things for granted. We often forget how important life is, how in a moment, in a final last breath we go back to our creator.
After my incident last week my view has changed a lot. I am grateful for the little things that happen to me, but am sure I’ll soon be back in my comfort zone and all this will be normal things for me, but I don’t want that. I want to be able to enjoy and be satisfied with all I have.
I still have flashback of the moment of the crash, it was like in the “Inception” moment where every second was vital, and am amazed on how I managed to get out with only few bruises.
I don’t know what I’ll have to do to enjoy and appreciate the simple things that I often take for granted.
My prayer is that I can simply get to enjoy & appreciate all the little things that comes my way.
SAVING ONE
I now understand why when they advertise accidents they are so dramatic. Well first of all because it’s the real thing that happens. I’ve always thought they were a bit exaggerating and that a careful driver like me was smart enough to not do does things they suggested.
Anyhoo, my accident didn’t involved me texting, being distracted, drunk, drugged, or speeding. I simply lost control of Max (my car) and crashed.
This is why I suggest to fairly new drivers to go for more secure cars and always wear your seatbelt.
Apparently I was lucky enough to have survived the crash ( police report). They said I have now used my luck, but something they don’t know is, that the SAVING ONE has saved again.
Autumn
So as seasons come and go, so does life presents itself with surprises. This year has been so far exciting, transformation took place, lets not even mention Redemption and Grace. I’ve been inspired not by amazing speakers or worldwide famous people, but simply by people around me: friends and family. Just like autumn I feel like I’ve or I have to drop plenty leaves from my branches so that I can focus.
Now this does not mean that all the leaves that are falling are just the stuff that have passed away, but rather they are the things that helped me grow strong to be who I am today. Hope this made sense!!
I love my Church CCM: East & City, our vision is focused and led by humble servants. Through out the year we have been blessed immensely, God has showed up amongst us in different ways; he has healed, restored and he hasn’t stopped yet! This is what you should expect from a growing church. So yes I am truly blessed to be a member and part of CCM. I want to be more part of it, I want to serve.
I’ve returned to be regular on drum and last night yesterday my wrist started to hurt which is good, as it means I am coming back in form cause I hit the snare really hard, so watch out, don’t stand near me if you have any hearing problems. This is because I love my new snare drum, I bought it a few months ago but only starting to appreciate it properly now. It’s a Tama Rockstar 14 x 6’5 so yes it is really loud, the snare has a really crisp and punchy attack, so yes it’s pretty sweet.
Anyhoo, autumn is here!
Update!!
Hallo, well it’s been a really interesting summer (if you can call this summer) with lots of new things and surprises. Also working full time was a new thing for me which really helped me a lot during this summer.
Anyhoo am excited and awaiting what’s God’s next plan, I cannot count his blessings and how I keep meeting amazing people. God is shaping me in his own way, you know its like am getting to know what am really about, and having people supporting me is great. God has always provided in his own ways.
Couldn’t attend the summer festival I was planning too but then had a good family time at home and had an awesome day trip away. Fell in love with Franky & Bennys, dislike Mc-Donald’s but for some reason we still always end up there for a quick snack and for the loo :). We have even made friends with the cleaner now, but we haven;t seen her in ages..
Now CCM City is something you should come and check out if you live in/around Manchester, it’s our new evening service and it’s right in the heart of Fallowfield. We are very excited about what God wants to do in that side of Manchester. So if you are passionate about God and Manchester then come check us out!!
It’s good to be back online.
KelaniDrums 