Happy New Year!

Happy 2017! I took a break from blogging, but I'm back! I promise to be more present this year. Here is a repost from last January. Keep worshiping Christ!

   If you won’t plow in the cold, you won’t eat at the harvest.

Proverbs 20:4 (TLB)

 I recently attended a program where someone I knew was going to minister in praise dance. We both knew that she had a love for dance, and was called to dance for the Lord, but had challenges with taking advantage of available resources that would help her learn more about what she was called to do. Her work and life schedule was extremely busy, so she bought a DVD to work on at home and never got around to it. Every time she was invited to a workshop or class, she was always doing something else...still she had a love and a calling to dance.
     At the program, she was beautifully attired and had prepared her heart with prayer. The music started, and then something went wrong. She froze. Not knowing what to do, she began moving randomly and nervously until the music finished. That had to have been one of the longest 5 minutes of her life!
     Afterwards, she realized what had gone wrong. She hadn't prepared herself  with knowledge beforehand. All of the opportunities she had to learn about her ministry weren't taken seriously. Although she meant well, the message didn't get to the people due to lack of preparation. That day, she learned that it takes more than emotion to bring a message in public ministry. We can all learn a lesson from that experience.
     In the first week of the New Year, let's prepare ourselves for what we plan to do. If a class is needed, please go. If there are no local classes or transportation available, many ministries offer DVD's for sale at reasonable prices. If funds are tight, There are short instructional videos on YouTube that can be watched for free. There's never an excuse for lack of preparation! Even on short notice, if you have been practicing already, you can minister a dance with God's guidance based on what you already know, that will bless people. If you are really serious about ministry, you'll find a way to prepare yourself to be effective, or wait until you can make the time commitment. You don't have to be a professional dancer to minister in dance, but it's necessary to know something about what you are doing, so that your message is clear. Very few people are able to do this without some type of basic knowledge of movement. But, if you want to learn, there is lots of information that is easy to find. (You can type in "dance ministry instruction" in your web browser or on You Tube, and many pages will come up). If you are looking for dance ministry resources, please look at some of the links on the blog page that may be of interest. Be prepared in 2016!

     Here is a wonderful example of what being prepared for ministry looks like: Please enjoy the 13:46 Dance Ensemble from Maryland!

   

Name That Ministry!

Then the Lord answered me,
    “Write the vision.
        Make it clear on tablets
            so that anyone can read it quickly.
 The vision will still happen at the appointed time.
    It hurries toward its goal.
    It won’t be a lie.
    If it’s delayed, wait for it.
    It will certainly happen.
    It won’t be late."

~Hab. 2:2-4 (GWT)

 

Someone asked a question about how to name their ministry and was asking on a public forum for advice on how to choose an appropriate one. First, let's go back and look at what the word ministry actually means:

• The act of serving; ministration.
• One that serves as a means; an instrumentality.
• The profession, duties, and services of a minister
• The Christian clergy.
• The period of service of a minister.

Now that we know what a ministry is and does, we also have to remember that a ministry can serve anywhere, at any time because it's a service inspired by God to serve people. A ministry is not just a good idea, a project, an recreation, or a showcase for talent, although these things can take place under a ministry, but are not the purpose of it. And. . . just because you call something a ministry does not mean that it is one!

When you are searching for a ministry name, think about the original concept that God gave you when you were first inspired to start. Can you find more than one scripture to support what you are doing? What is it that you want people to know, see, or learn through your ministry, in other words, what do you have to offer people with what you have to give? Ministry exists to point others to Christ, and to uplift them, help them to become better, to give them hope, and to be encouraged. Write those things down on paper, and take some time for your answers. If you come up short in any area, wait. . . pray. . .and go back to make sure that you are really hearing from God before you proceed.

Too many people are starting ministries with all kinds of ungodly motivations, to become famous, to become rich, because others are starting them, because they disagree with what others are doing.
But -- ministry involves lives, and life is the most important thing to God. When you present a ministry to people, they are expecting to receive something that they never had before. The name of a ministry represents whatever you are carrying, and that is what people deserve to take with them when they come to your church, hear your music or singing, see your dancing, and read your books blogs or poems.


A name means everything . . . so before you ask others what your ministry's name should be, get wisdom from the One who gave you the ministry!

 With all your heart
you must trust the Lord
    and not your own judgment.
 Always let him lead you,
    and he will clear the road
    for you to follow.

~Prov. 3:5-6 (CEV)

 

Checkpoint!

If you wanted to build a building, you would first sit down and decide how much it would cost. You must see if you have enough money to finish the job. If you don’t do that, you might begin the work, but you would not be able to finish. And if you could not finish it, everyone would laugh at you. They would say, ‘This man began to build, but he was not able to finish'. ~ Luke 14:28-30 (ERV)

     It's July...and we're now at a checkpoint in the year. So, it's time to ask ourselves some questions about the things we are doing, what we have done well, and what we can improve upon. So, get a pen and a piece of paper, and divide it into three sections; then take some time to think about how your worship ministry has changed in the past year:

• what is different, and why?
• what are your personal ministry goals for the next 6 months?
• how will you make this happen?

     Write those things down, and pray over them. Ask God for guidance on how to carry out those goals to fulfill His plan for your life and service to Him. It may mean letting go of some projects, moving in another direction, taking on new responsibilities or even saying no to others. But, whatever answer you receive, it will always point to what is best!

      Carry on...

The Ministry of Ministry

If we are to assume our position in the kingdom as sacred dancers, we must embrace the reality that we are called to bring healing, salvation, prophetic revelation and joy to the world through the sacred use of our bodies.~Author Unknown

 

     I was recently in a popular budget dancewear store, and overheard the following conversation between a young lady and an older woman who were rummaging through the piles of dance clothes:

YL: "...But I don't want to give her my skirt!"

OW: "You can't fit it anymore, and I already cut it so what are you going to do with it?"

YL: (no response, rolls her eyes, arms folded)

OW: "Well, if you aren't going to help me look, you need to go get back into the car. This is for you"

YL: "I don't want to!"

    You can probably see where this was going. Not wanting to get in the middle of their conflict, I waited to see if the Lord would lead me to say anything or to simply be quiet and keep looking for what I wanted. After a long period of silence and an increasingly growing pile of dance clothes, I asked the older woman if I could switch places with her and continue to look for my items. Then the Lord led me to speak to the young lady, and ask her where she danced, etc. and the older woman said that she was the choreographer at her church. I felt so sad for her, because she was so angry and wouldn't even look me in the eye or talk to me when I was speaking to her. The young lady was still standing there with her arms folded, and rolling her eyes at the older woman when I left.

A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. ~ 2 Tim. 2:24-25 (NLT)

    Without knowing the back story of what was going on, it's not fair for me to make a judgement about the situation, but I came away from there with the understanding  that there is so much more to the dance ministry than just the dance. Everything that we do is connected to it, even those things that we feel are a waste of our time. From sorting through clothing, finding music, and to the ways in which we respond to other people around us, is all part of ministry. The truth is, we could find anyone from the street, teach them a dance, dress them up to present a piece somewhere and they would probably do a wonderful job, but unless God was in it, it wouldn't matter. We often spend so much time on externals, and our hearts are not right. We're so busy looking for just the right garments, the right song, and the right steps to move the crowd that we have forgotten about The One in whom we live, move, and have our existence. Some of us are rude, bitter, competitive, abusive, and jealous of anyone we think wants our position. Some of us operate in fear of man, and will think nothing of sacrificing those around us to keep or gain their approval. Many others are so determined to get recognition in the dance ministry circuit that we form all kinds of pseudo-alliances and run behind whomever is the most popular, saying "Amen" to their every social network post, just to say that we are friends with them, when they don't even know our names...really?

No one from the east or the west
or from the desert can exalt themselves.
 It is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another. ~ Psalms 75:6-7 (NIV)

     Worshipers, no matter how young or how old we are, there is no ministry if we only see what we do as an activity, a hobby, or a job. Just because we call something a ministry, doesn't mean that God says the same thing. Doing an activity in a church building does not qualify what we do as ministry. Anyone can dance, or even teach others to dance, but once we bring it into the sanctuary as an offering to God, everything changes. Let's start examining our lifestyles, our habits, and our attitudes. Do they agree with God's Word? Are we concerned about the children and teenagers enough to encourage them in the right ways, or do we just want to keep them busy in church? Are we showing them good examples of Godly behavior at all times, or do we act one way at the church, and another way when we leave? Children know, see, recall and imitate whatever is shown to them. And remember, that once we answer the call of the Lord, everything that we do is connected with our ministry, which is our service to Him and to humanity.

These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. ~ Rev. 3: 7-8 (NIV)

     I don't know whatever happened with that young lady, but I often think of her and wonder how she is doing,  and pray that she and others will one day understand the true meaning of ministry.

Selah...

     *If anyone knows of author of that profound quotation, please comment so that they can be given the proper credit here.

Don't Give Up!

"...Yet I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!”

~ 1 Kings 19:18 (NLT)

Have you ever felt like giving up, or walking away and never looking back from the worship arts ministry due to all of the competition, compromise, and other ungodly behavior that you have witnessed?  Do you feel that participating in dance, drama or music ministries is just not worth it anymore because of being mistreated, taken for granted, disrespected, or intimidated?  What about being:

• persecuted
• ostracized
• criticized
• exploited
• lied on
• talked about
• excluded
• humiliated
• threatened
• etc...

Guess what...you're in good company! Elijah the prophet was on a mission from God. He challenged the prophets of Baal to see who the true and Living God was, and destroyed them and their altars. When Ahab's wife, Queen Jezebel learned of this, she threatened him with death...and Elijah went on the run. Queen Jezebel's goal was to overthrow the worship of God, and would destroy anyone who got in her way:

When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal.  So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.”

 Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there.  Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.” 1 Kings 19: 1-4 (NLT)

Imagine for a moment, what Elisha must have been feeling. He had done everything that God commanded, and was now running from Jezebel's threats. He knew that she was very capable of making good on them, and went to find shelter in a cave. But look at God's response:

[...And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

 He replied again, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”

 Then the Lord told him, “Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram.  Then anoint Jehu grandson of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet.  Anyone who escapes from Hazael will be killed by Jehu, and those who escape Jehu will be killed by Elisha!  Yet I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!"~ 1 Kings 19: 13-18 (NLT)

"Enough"

     There are times in this fast-paced world when many of us have felt that the more we do, the more we will be accepted by God. If we aren't careful, we will feel the pressure to compete with others or compare our progress with that of someone else, because whatever we are doing at the moment never seems to be enough...  "Enough" is a spiritual thing, it doesn't mean that we don't need to live with purpose or we don't need friends, that we don't need a companion, that we don't need money or any of the things that are part of living. But when God becomes our "enough" we won't spend our time obsessing about what we don't have or can't get done. We can be at peace within ourselves, so that we don't spend our lives constantly trying to please others to the point where we lose our own way. The way that God becomes our "enough" is through our communications with Him, praying to Him, not just because we need something from Him, but because He is God. Read His Word. you cannot separate God from His Word because He is the living Word (John 1:1). The more you learn of God, the more you will want to know of Him. You can see Him in nature, in his creation, in all the things that He does. God is great! and He is enough.

Be blessed...