Modern Day Praise and Worship

After the children of Israel came back from Babylonian captivity, they began to re-build the temple. When the builders had finished laying the foundation, everybody came together for a ceremony to praise the Lord. The young people that were born in captivity, who did not remember Solomon's exquisite temple shouted loudly with joy. At the same time, the old men that did remember what Solomon's temple looked like, wept with a loud voice, so that it couldn't be determined which was which, but the sound could be heard far away.

This story is a good depiction of how I feel about the modern day Praise and Worship in the church. I am the old men remembering the good old days when we used to have anointed Testimony Services. The whole entire congregation would participate in the praise and worship, not just a few standing in the front entertaining the congregation in song and dance.

I weep for our church services today that are so full of actors and entertainers that we have edged out the real presence of the Lord.

When I was a little girl, I remember how the congregation lifted up our collective voices in praises and sang and danced before the Lord. That's when I learned how to play my tambourine. You could feel the presence of the Lord so strongly that everyone in the room was touched by His presence not just the entertainers up front.

Recently, I have been watching videos of some the good old days and it has caused me to miss it even more.  I am not putting down churches that use praise teams and praise dancers, especially if the anointing is evident. I am simply lamenting of how much I miss true praise and worship... and the foot-stomping, toe-tapping, Hallelujah-good-times we used to have before we got dignified in our worship.

The psalmist David said, "Zeal for Your house has eaten me up, and the reproaches of those who reproach You has fallen on me."

Back in the day, on Saturday nights, several churches would come together for what was called Joint Meetings. Any musicians that played instruments would all bring them and we would go to work. Anyone that could remain in a seated position was dead, because the Spirit was so high that no one could be still. And no one coming to church tired, left feeling the same way, because the anointing destroys the yoke. The Shekinah Glory of God (His visible manifestation) was there. We wept in His presence. We worshiped Him and danced before the Lord like David did.

There is a glimpse in Revelation chapter 4 of our heavenly worship of the King. The 24 elders tossed their crowns at the feet of Jesus and said, "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created." He is worthy of my praise. My prayer is that we will always keep the Main Thing the main thing, for we have an audience of One. What ever your mode of worship is, be real about it, giving glory and honor to the Lord Jesus Christ.

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. John 4:23

Go in peace... and let everything that has breath praise the Lord.