Phase 1 Week 13 The Corporate Discipline of Guidance & Celebration

[New York Youth Leaders Association]

Last week we look at The Corporate Discipline of Worship, watch this
video and describe what you see and feel in this setting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv24ZtdhnFQ

This is the last chapter in this book I hope you have already made
arrangement to purchases your next book. You are all doing well.
However please try to keep up with the weekly post, when you don’t you
lessen the experience for everyone because your post is not available
for comment.

There is much reward for faithfulness. I hope you have been challenge
in your spiritual disciplines, and in your journey with the Lord Jesus
Christ. I pray that you will grow from strength to
strength, from victory to victory from glory to glory.

REFLECTION:
1.Comment on the quote from AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO “The Christian should
be an alleluia from head to foot”
2. It is important to avoid the kind of celebration that really
celebrates nothing.
3. Because of the goodness of God, the heart breaks forth into psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs. Worship, praise adoration flow from
the
inner chambers
4. What was your experience in phase one of this course
THE SECRET TO THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS TO CULTIVATE A LIFE OF PRAYER AND
FELLOWSHIP WITH THE FATHER THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. I HOPE YOU
WILL MAKE A COMMITMENT TO HAVING A DAILY PRAYER LIFE

[lol]

    I sat watching the video and my heart was aching, tears flowing,
AWESOME WORSHIP EXPERIENCE. What came to mind was that the guitarist’s
fingers were ‘magic’, he definitely handed over those digits to God
wow!!Even before the singing started there was a holy expectancy,
something good was about to happen. I could feel the electricity in
the atmosphere, I was sitting on the edge of my chair it’s as if I was
in the room with them. When the camera focused on the crowd each
person was moving as if he/she was alone with God, such reverence.
Their mode of worship- facial expression, body language…priceless; no
bystanders all participants whose sense of community and oneness no
Hollywood actor could capture. Reminds me of synchronized swimming at
the Olympics except it was not forced just free-flowing, couldn’t  be
rehearsed for God. Musicians were all brilliant, stellar performance
for the King of Kings. The Spirit of the Lord was definitely in that
place. GLORY TO THE LAMB OF GOD.
    Alleluia is simply “God be praised” and is an expression of
rejoicing. There is no way we can in worship and not use our entire
body. Jeremiah felt like “fire shut up in his bones.” That feeling
cannot be confined to only some body parts, but your entire being
should feel the ‘burning sensation’ so much that we cannot sit or
stand still. We should give thanks with our whole heart and rejoice
with our entire being because we have a beautiful inheritance. It pays
to call on Him with our lips and from our heart, incline our ears to
Him and we will see His salvation with our eyes. When as  Christians
we live a life of praise we find that the “ evil in us will weaken and
the good lifted up.” We will be more receptive to the guidance of the
Holy Spirit in whichever form of worship we choose whether it be
singing, speaking or remaining silent. He is a jealous God who wants
it all, He is Spirit and wants only Spirit and truth in worship, only
then will we be lifted to see Him high and lifted up in all in His
glory. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty that allow us
to enjoy His presence and that’s a benefit of mind, body and soul
worship.
    To celebrate is to publicly acknowledge (significant or happy
event) with a social gathering or enjoyable activity. Whatever/
whomever we are celebrating must have imparted some joy to someone as
celebration is all about joy. At the death of a person, it is the norm
for people to ‘celebrate’ the person’s life even when he/she was one
of the most horrible humans alive. God was not acknowledged as the
Creator and no one was positively touched by that life. I can only
assume that the breath God lent the individual is what was being
celebrated. I tend to ‘wear my heart on my sleeves’(not very good)so I
find it hard to be involved in any form of celebration that I do not
 ‘feel.’ There should be a “carefree spirit of joyous festivity and a
sense of thanksgiving” and joy cannot be faked or stifled as it comes
from within.
    “When I think of the goodness of Jesus and what He has done for
me, my soul cries out Alleluia”, there’s hardly anything to add to the
author’s statement. If there’s a time I find myself getting in “the
slough of despond”, I immediately snap out of it because my God is
bigger than any problem I have. David cried out “soul, why art thou
disquieted in me?” Come on, look what the Lord has done, He saved me
and is keeping me in a sinful world; my loved ones and I are all safe
and sane so He deserves the praise continually. Praises should erupt
from within us like lava from a volcano, they should drip from every
fibre of our being. Rejoice in the Lord always” not only when things
are good but also through the rough times. I got home from church on
Sunday and my apartment was a few minutes away from a fire starting. I
got there right in time, the place was totally engulfed in smoke so
thick I could almost touch it. Whilst opening windows I was singing
praises and thanking God because the devil lost again. I think about
how many people were home, lives could have been lost but thanks be to
God, DISASTER AVERTED. As I write this piece I’m smelling of smoke, (I
have no time to wash each piece of clothing in the apartment) but the
stench reminds me to “sing praises unto God sing praises Alleluia…For
He’s to be praised.” He has literally turned my mourning into
dancing.
    This phase of the course has taught me that I should not take God
for granted, not to put Him on a shelf for future use. I have gotten
stronger and deeper in Him because I talk to Him more and share His
message more than I did before. My prayer life has strengthened and I
am now practicing “flash prayers.” I go to sleep with either a prayer
or a song and each time I drift out of sleep I’m still doing it. God
is truly amazing in granting me the opportunity to be on this course.
I am more tolerant of people, I get peeved less often and most
importantly, I am practicing the Disciplined I have learnt. As I
mentioned before, God has averted what could have been a major
disaster in my life, not only the material aspect but because of the
hassles I would have undergone. Each morning before we leave home my
sons and I hold hands and pray by the front door (why that spot I have
no idea.) I strongly believe that our faith in God through our prayers
gave us the victory through Jesus Christ. Learning the Disciplines has
caused me to be more aware of my prayer life, family life and
everything I do. I have learned how to yield, worship, forgive and be
liberated in God. I now know how helpless I am without Him, I used to
be easily flustered now I have His sweet peace. I no longer worry or
fret because I am persuaded God will see me through. Thank you all at
NYYLA and thanks to my fellow group members whose testimonies and
prayers have helped me tremendously. Blessings and peace multiplied.
On Apr 2, 12:02 pm, New York Youth Leaders Association

<youthleaderstr...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Last week we look at The Corporate Discipline of Worship, watch this

> video and describe what you see and feel in this setting.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv24ZtdhnFQ

[New York Youth Leaders Association]

great work i enjoyed your reflection

[michca...@yahoo.com]

Awesome, glorious and wonderful; I enjoyed every moment of that clip
as I watched the presence of God enveloped His people. It was clear
that they all were in unity and worshipped with expectations. There
were no spectators but everyone was an active participant. I watched
the musicians played skillfully as they worshipped with their entire
being, even their eye lids. I could actually see the words of the song
coming from the deep guts of the praise leader as he moved his body in
accordance with words of the song. Everyone was conscious that the
presence of the Lord was in that place and worshipped Him as the God
of all gods and King of all Kings. It was so captivating I could not
help but join them. It is truly a blessing and joy to worship God.
Alleluia in this term means to praise Yahweh or Praise Jesus.
Therefore, as Christians we should be like David in Psalm 34, he
declares. I will bless the Lord at all times. We should live praise
if we want to walk in the presence of God. Our days and our moments
must be filled with praise.
Why celebrate nothing when we are given the freedom to celebrate
Christ? Christians are called to celebrate Christ continually. We
celebrate Him for who he is and what he has done for us. He opened
the eyes of the blind, provide healing through His atonement, protect
us, our provider and most of all gave His life so we may live. We
trust him for we are confident that he is able to take us through all
circumstances and situations. So, why not boast about Him? He is the
God of the impossible. I will celebrate and sing unto him songs of
praise, for He has been good to me. I will praise Him widely, share
His love publicly to all and make known his goodness and grace towards
mankind.

The song writer penned, “When I think of the goodness of Jesus and
what He has done for me, my soul cries out alleluia! Thank God for
saving me.” Just the thought of Christ taking my place at Calvary
gives my desire to praise Him. Knowing that no one else would have
given up their lives to save me allows me to show my appreciation by
worshipping Him.

Phase one of this course has been a tremendous blessing to me. I
brought me into a closer and more intimate relationship with God and
others. This course gave me a new vocabulary and a new methodology. I
am now able to truly discern what God wants and what his wills are for
my life. It inspired me to pray bold prayers every hour, every
minute. “To pray is to change” has not left my mind since its
introduction. As I pray each day I anticipate and observe the
transforming power of God in my entire life. My family life, church
life, work life and community life has change significantly and I pray
that this will be the beginning of a new beginning as I continue to be
submissive to my heavenly father. I pray that each participant life
has been enriched and that we all are strengthened for the journey
ahead. God bless you all.

On Apr 2, 12:02 pm, New York Youth Leaders Association
<youthleaderstr...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Last week we look at The Corporate Discipline of Worship, watch this

> video and describe what you see and feel in this setting.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv24ZtdhnFQ

[Jbl...@yahoo.com]

Wow! It is evident that the people in this arena, saw the Lord.
Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three gather together as my followers,
I am there among them." This was the case on this video. The presence
of the Lord was in that place, and all the people present were on one
accord. The spirit of expectancy filled the air and everyone came to
worship and have an encounter with Jesus.

1.This quote translates to me that we are to be an accurate
representation of worship and praises unto God. Every fiber of our
inner beings as well as what is seen outwardly (from head to foot),
should please God. This includes our minds, hands,
lips( conversations), feet , every body part.

2. According to Foster, "If we pretend an air of celebration, our
inner spirit is put into contradiction". It doesn't make any sense
celebrate nothing or "the presence of evil". The scripture commands us
to live in a spirit of thanksgiving in the midst of all situations,
not celebrate if there's nothing to celebrate.

3. This is what is done when people celebrate. One is so happy that
they will do anything physical to exhibit it. This can be in the form
of singing, dancing, playing instruments, etc. All is to give God the
glory. Psalms 150 states that we are to praise God in various ways,
similar to a child. By doing this, we are worshipping and thanking God
for what He has done.

4. Thus far, I honestly must say that reading this book has awakened
and petitioned my spirit to do more. Luke 12:48 states " To whom much
is given, much is required" has new meaning. I feel a deeply aware of
God presence in my everyday life. Reading this book in conjunction
with this course has reminded me that spiritual disciplines are vital.
When we Christians are disciplined spiritually, we are more convicted
and inclined to hear and obey God. I have deeper hunger and passion
for God and that is something I hold near and dear to my heart. I can
see God's mighty hand at work, and I am truly grateful for that.

[Darell]

In watching the video a feeling to worship just came over me, I
started to sing with the video and praise God for the wonderful God
that He is and for sending His son to die for me when I was yet a
sinner. I thank God for Jesus Christ for redeeming me from the path of
hell and for making me a son of the Most High God. What a privilege
and an honor to now belong to Him. Now to Him I owe. All the words of
the song ring true to me for I have seen Him also. Glory be to God
who reigns forever.

AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO "The Christian should be an alleluia from head to

foot" is that when the Christian comes to the understanding of who he/
she is in Christ, should rejoice and praise God with his/her whole
being for what He has done. The Christian should live a life that is
dedicated to serve and honor God in everything that He/she does and
should live a life of worship.
Because of the goodness of God the heart break forth into hymns and
spiritual songs, worship, praise and adoration from the inner
chambers. The God that we serve is so good, awesome, and wonderful, we
should worship Him with our whole beings in spirit and in truth for
there is none like our God. He is MAGNIFICENT!
This course with Celebration of Discipline by Foster has really given
me a foundation to do ministry, and all the disciplines has challenged
me to excel in the way I do God's work in serving others to bring Him
honor. God who loved us so much has given His best to purchase us to
Himself so that we can share of his kingdom and his glory, for we are
heirs by Christ death on the cross. Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and
glory and praise.(Rev.5:12. May God's blessing be with us all,
Amen!

On Apr 2, 12:02 pm, New York Youth Leaders Association
<youthleaderstr...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Last week we look at The Corporate Discipline of Worship, watch this

> video and describe what you see and feel in this setting.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv24ZtdhnFQ

[kourtney baines romero]

Video Response- The video was moving. It was so clear that the Spirit
was moving through the place allowing them all to draw nearer to the
Lord. The strength of corporate worship was extremely evident whether
there was singing or an instrument being played the praise ushered
every one into a deeper worship.

1. The Quote from Augustine of Hippo “The Christian should be an
alleluia from head to foot” As Christians we should be praising him
from head to toe everyday all day. As Christians we are to cast our
cares on him turning our mourning into dancing. We have so much to be
thankful and joyful about, that we should celebrate with all of our
being the way we think, speak, act, and react, the way we walk.

2. Absolutely it is important to avoid the kind of celebration that
celebrates nothing. As it states in the reading, in the spiritual life
only one thing will produce genuine joy, and that is obedience. To
achieve genuine celebration we must walk in obedience in our daily
lives, without obedience our celebration becomes shallow. It is not
beneficial to live throughout the week in a state of depression then
coming to church on Sunday seeking a transfusion of Joy from the Lord,
he doesn’t operate like that. God wants to transform us, and walking
in obedience will allow us to achieve genuine joy. Joy is found in
obedience. The kind of celebration that celebrates nothing when the
spirit of celebration is not in us, puts our inner spirit in
contradiction.

3. Because of the goodness of God, the heart breaks forth into psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs. Worship, praise adoration flow from the

inner chambers. Totally agree, this was also seen in the video watched
as well the praise and adoration throughout the place was so evident.
The reading also suggests that singing and dancing are not required
but only examples of celebration. “Let us relish in creativity of
others” encouraging others as well as yourself to use the gifts that
God has so graciously bestowed upon us to celebrate, praise, and share
the word of God with the community.


4. My experience with Phase I of this course. There has definitely
been a transformation from the inside out. There has been an immense
amount of self-reflection and adopting of new practices within my
life. There is this new yearning to learn more and more and God makes
it clearer and clearer for me on this journey. Although this phase I
is just the beginning I am excited about sharing what I have learned
in this course with others, in fact this is course has been the topic
of discussion for me lately. Sharing some of the remarkable and
enlightening things I have learned in this course thus far has been a
blessing to me and in turn has been a blessing to others. I have
planned to after the course is over re-read the material again just
because I enjoyed it so much and also continue to make transformations
within my life as well as have an impact on others in which I
encounter. The book covers so much from mediation, prayer, fasting,
study, simplicity, solitude, submission, service, confession,
guidance, and celebration it has also been extremely beneficial to
learn and share with each of you. I love what God has done for me
throughout this phase I and I look forward to what he has planned for
me throughout the remainder of the course and really for what’s .

On Apr 2, 12:02 pm, New York Youth Leaders Association
<youthleaderstr...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Last week we look at The Corporate Discipline of Worship, watch this

> video and describe what you see and feel in this setting.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv24ZtdhnFQ