Blissful Tears of Joy

What can separate us from God's love? Nothing!

Today is the 14^th of September, 2010. I woke up this morning to something that was supposed to be good news but began to tend towards thoughts of worry and anxiety on decision-making as though I am in this world alone. Well, the next thought was “let’s fellowship with the Holy Ghost,” and so I got on my knees to start praying. In the beginning parts of my prayer [while speaking in tongues] I was still entertaining those worry thoughts. Now, all these happened within the space of 45 minutes.

All of a sudden, the Spirit of God reminded me of the song you are about to listen to – How He Loves by Kim Walker. I never heard it fully before; in fact, the first time I heard some part of it, I didn’t really like the rhythm, but I was still able to pick out a few words that I thought were interesting: “if grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.” I really liked that being the grace-obsessed person that I am. That’s another day’s topic.

So, I began listening, and within a few minutes, I was in tears, experiencing the awesome billows of God’s tangible love that can only be best described in human words as blissful! In beautiful worship, like the song expresses, I simply forgot about any worries and focused on the fact that “He loves me…oh, how He loves me!” With that, anxiety was turned to joy unspeakable and complete confidence in my future. Glory to God!

My prayer for you right now is that, as you listen [please, listen to all of it even if you heard it before], all your worries and fears will be washed away by His awe-inspiring love. I pray that your heart will be open, even if you never experienced the love of God before. And, I pray that He causes your knees to tremble and that He ultimately sweeps you off your feet as you fall in love with Him like I did 5 years ago and still continue to do every new day [in a new way], in Jesus’ name. Amen!

My Walk With God: A Motive Assessment

“Notwithstanding, in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven” [Luke 10:20]

In walking with God and growing in the things of God, many times it is easy to forget what exactly everything is about and start focusing on the wrong things [actually, the right things but in the wrong manner]. Many believers are acquainted with the verse before the opening scripture where Jesus said to His disciples, “I give unto you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” [Luke 10:19]. As important as Jesus’ words in this verse are, the knowledge of the words after “notwithstanding” in the next verse is equally important. He told us where our joy should be; He was giving us words to direct our motives. Praise God!

As we grow in God, we need to remind ourselves of the initial source of our joy in the early stages of our Christian walk, because it is possible for other motives to creep in unnoticed. Some people find that they only study the Word of God more because they want to manifest more of God’s power. There are also some who are leaders in church who have found that their study of the Word is for the members of their church group; the Word of God has ceased to be personal to them. Now, it’s about what they [the group members] need to hear – mostly about their sins and wrongs. When such people hear a message about punctuality, they immediately think about another brother or sister who is always late that needs to hear the message. They find it hard to take it for their own selves.

This reminds me of something interesting Jesus said right after praising the church of Ephesus in Revelations 2:1-7: “I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love” [verse 4]. Think to yourself, “have I forgotten my first love?” This is very important, because in verse 5, Jesus told them that the consequence of them not repenting and turning to their first works was that He would “remove thy candlestick out of its place”. Now, that’s big! After praising their patience and their laboring for the gospel, the church of Ephesus could have lost it all for forgetting their first love.

When you do what you do, do it out of a love for Jesus. If you forgive someone who did you wrong, let it not just be because you want to be known as a good Christian. If you accept “tough” correction from your leaders [especially in church], don’t think “I’ll accept it, but I know God will punish him/her for speaking to me like that!” Does God have to punish everyone that does you wrong? Must they receive a negative payment or suffering because you chose to do what was right? Can’t you think that they may have spoken that way for your own good and accept it? When Sarah, Abraham’s wife, began unjustly maltreating their servant Hagar and she ran away, the Angel of the Lord appeared to her on the way and told her to return to her mistress and be obedient to her. God told Hagar that, if she did that, she [Hagar] would be blessed. But, interestingly, God did not go after Sarah to punish her as some people may have thought He would since He acknowledged that Sarah was doing something wrong [see Genesis 16]. Understand that God loves those who may seem to be your enemies. Think like God; they [those seeming enemies] don’t have to receive a payment for their wrongs. Didn’t Jesus already receive that payment in death? Let your love for the Master motivate your actions.

Finally, here is one that really got me today. When you choose to love the Lord and serve Him with all of you, never think of it in terms of reward first. Of course, there is reward involved, but is that all there is? I thought to myself today; what if after I have finished living my life on earth for the Lord and in His purpose, I don’t seem [in men’s eyes] to be as successful as my contemporaries, should that mean anything to me? And, then, another thought came, “well, you’ll receive your reward in heaven and who knows, maybe those other guys will not receive as much of a reward”. And, I thought again to myself, “there is no sorrow in heaven and regrets will be wiped away”, so it is not as though anybody will wish in heaven that they had made the choices I made on earth. Yes, for a moment they may feel that way, but it’ll be replaced with the joy of heaven for all eternity. So, if you have lived your life making God’s choices for the sake of that one moment of regret for others, it’ll have all not been worth it and the Master may not even accept your works.

Your walk with God is your walk with God. Nobody else needs to regret anything, because they did not do what you did, just as you never have to regret anything because you did not do what another person did. Your love for Jesus is your choice; let it be founded on the realization of the Truth that He paid a heavy ransom for your life. He paid with His own life for you. Learn to love Him for Him. Thank Him for the opportunity to know and love Him the way you do, because it is a grace that not too many can boast of. That is why I have decided that my walk with God is my walk with God and no one else’s! 


Enjoy glorious worship moments with the following video even as you share your thoughts on the subject. God bless you!

One Vision, No Division!!!

“the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such” [John 4:23]

After weeks of prayerful preparation, the students of Morgan State University converged at an approximate midpoint of their school’s campus for the sole purpose of giving the Father just what He deserves and requires. Several minutes before the time “True Worship: One Voice, No Division” was slated to start, students could already be seen braving the downpour as they made their ways to the University Chapel. By 6:38PM, tens of students were gathered together to prepare their hearts for the presence and power of God they were expecting from their 7:30PM meeting, through heartfelt prayers and worship. “True Worship”, a program organized by several different fellowships on Morgan State’s campus, was designed to unify the body of Christ on the campus and cause God’s glory to fill the campus [2 Chronicles 5:11-14].

Amidst much excitement and claps of joy, Bisola Karim, an industrial engineering student of Morgan State University, started off the much expected program of events. Through her introductory words, students were stirred up and even more readied for God’s power, glory, and grace as prophesied about the program a night before. In the course of the beginning stages of what would be more than “a night to remember” for many, Rev. Bernard Keels, the Director of the Chapel admonished attendees concerning unity. In explaining to the excited young minds the truth of Jesus’ intention for His people, Rev. Keels mentioned that all Christians should “rise above a senseless sense of just being comfortable with those [you’re] comfortable with”. Those words and many others not only challenged the motive behind the associations that many Christians form with one another, but they also showed all those in attendance how to be the change that Jesus is waiting for in His body.

Towards the middle of the “True Worship” experience, Nonso Amuchie, a Biology Master’s student from Towson University, mounted the podium to, very much like Rev. Keels positively challenge the core of modern believers’ motives. Speaking on the subject “the heart of worship”, Mr. Amuchie explained that worship is beyond the music, dance, and instrumentals that many believers have come to adore above their God. In his very words, “we were created to reflect the glory of God” through a lifestyle of worship. Nonso went on to encourage all those present to worship God every moment of the day by studying His word [learning of Him] and praying [communing with Him]. Ending with words on the importance of having the strength to “produce” for God, Nonso Amuchie said to the hearing and delight of the diversity of students present, “if you seek God with all your heart, you will find Him”.

Of course, not much can be said about a program called “True Worship” without mentioning the intensity of worship that took place there. As though sinking into an ever-increasing depth of the ocean, Christians and unbelievers alike began to experience God personally as the group called “Heart of Worship” ministered in the fullness of God. Heart of Worship [the group] definitely did not bring in members from as far as Pennsylvania to perform a show. No, they came for sincere worship! And, as worship arose from the mouths of God’s people, the tangible presence of God was manifested for all to know [experience intimately]. Some people sang and danced in the spirit while others could not help pouring tears before their Savior and One True Love – Jesus Christ. Indeed, it was a marvelous sight to behold.

Many at the event also had the opportunity to worship through rap and spoken word led by Bdo and Aisha Woods respectively. Certainly, no life was left the same after the program. Let it be written in the chronicles of life that the children of God at Morgan State University came together with one voice and no division to offer a worthy sacrifice of “True Worship” to their Heavenly Father.

Please, share your experience at "True Worship" with the whole world so that the blessing can reach others as well. But, if you were not at the program, you can also share comments on the subject of worship. God bless you as you enjoy the following video.

True Worship

“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the father seeketh such to worship him.” [John 4:23]

Worship is more than an experience; it’s a lifestyle. Jesus expressly showed us where our worship ought to come from – not from our minds (the seat of emotions, thoughts, and decisions) or from our bodies (though we offer our bodies as well according to Romans 12:1), but from our spirits – the real US. As interesting as the topic of a lifestyle of worship is, it is my desire to focus (for the purpose of this blog post) on the art and experience of worship.

When we consider worship as an art, it speaks of something we make for God – something from the depth of our hearts uniquely given to Him by us. Paul said “by him let us therefore offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” [Hebrews 13:15] in attempt to explain the New Testament approach to worship whereby we offer sacrifices of a different kind. Instead of looking for a lamb that is spotless of the best of our cattle, we are made to understand that we can offer the calves of our lips unto God [Hosea 14:2] or the fruits like Paul said. WOW! Isn’t that exciting? He refers to our praises as the calves (or bulls, goats, lambs, etc) that we offer in the New Testament. But, that’s not just it. King David, the man after God’s heart, spoke the heart of God also when he said “I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock” [Psalms 69:30-31]. Though David lived in times when animal sacrifice was instructed by God, he had a deeper revelation of the actual desire of God. Little wonder then that God called him the man after His heart.

On a certain day, I thought to myself “if God’s desire was not bulls and goats, why then did He ask for it?” And the Spirit of God shared a thought with me. He let me know as softly as He mostly speaks, that the idea was not in the animals. Rather, the worship was in their obedience to His word. It was the actual obedience (which should have been carried out in love) that was supposed to bring the Father joy. The few people that knew what God wanted and celebrated the law as life (like Moses and David) are the only ones who enjoyed a better relationship with God in the old covenant. So, your understanding is very vital to God in worship.

In considering worship as an art, we look at our action viewpoint of this all-important spiritual activity. However, another more beautiful aspect that in turn makes the art of worship easier and more exciting is God’s response to us as we worship – worship as an experience. As we worship God, He does something to our spirits. Have you ever noticed that when you sincerely worship the Father, there is no doubt in your heart about the existence and reality of God and the spiritual realm? At that point, your faith is refined by the Master to an optimal level. A dear sister shared a secret with me a couple of weeks ago; she said that every time you say “I love you Jesus; I appreciate you Jesus”, He responds by increasing your faith in Him. If you did not believe as you ought to initially, He would supply your spirit with more ability to believe. Ever since, I have not stopped practicing uttering those words. In the place of worship, you are filled with joy indescribable and bliss immeasurable. Frankly, there are no words in any living language good enough to express how you feel. It’s a spiritual high of some sense that only edifies you every time.

The experience of worship changes throughout our lifetime – it gets richer and more beautiful every day, because the Bible speaks of the manifold (many-sided) wisdom of God that is unveiled to us from glory to glory. In the experience aspect of worship, we see Jesus as He is and we are transformed into the same image. Someone rightly said that those who look at the Sun do not see the shadows. As we worship, we see God and everything else immediately becomes small – the challenges, worries, sorrows, and impossibilities are transformed into laughter. Oh GLORY!!! The Amplified Version of Hebrews 12:2 reads “looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith”. For God to break all the walls in your life and remove all impossibilities, He seriously needs you to turn away from those obstacles and focus entirely on Him.

With all that has been mentioned, it is my desire that we will all make our worship a place of art and experience. The Spirit of God said something to me today that will be beneficial to you. He said “give me your own worship; know that your worship experience is different from anyone else’s. So, enjoy and cherish it.” Don’t try to worship like anybody else in using their words or songs. You can learn from their attitude towards worship, but be inspired by God to give your own worship. God wants to hear what you have to say about Him. And, He wants to speak back to you as well. So, always worship with an expectant ear, ready to hear from God. You’ll notice your words and God’s responses improve over time; that’s why it’s an art and an experience!

Kindly let us know what you feel about the subject through your comment. You may not know who you’re blessing through the thought that you share.