Worship - The key to His presence.

I believe worship is an extremely important part of serving God. Worship is very personal and is something that I have to WANT to do. I have to cultivate a desire to worship God.  It comes from a deep love and reverence for God. 

Worship cannot be extorted from people and a common mistake is for a worship leader to berate Christians for not worshipping.  Worship leaders need to lead by example.  Leadership produce after their own kind.  We create an atmosphere of the presence of God that draws people into

it by and stirs a desire to worship.Worship is expressing my love for God and acknowledging His love and provision for me. Worship makes me aware of the Presence of God. Worship brings me closer to God.

God's word comands, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’" Luke 10:27    Worship is not distracted but intimate and requires me to put my will and strength into it.   Worship is not "wishy washy" but a definite act of adoration for God.  

For the past 44 years, I have led worship in every one of my meetings, the first 26 years using a guitar and the past 18 years I have used a keyboard.   I was taught originally that a good minister always makes eye contact with the audience.  But as I was leading worship and watching people, many looked disconnected and disinterested.  It troubled me and was a great source of distraction and always made me feel like I should stop.  I felt I was not doing a good enough job and people were disinterested. 

I asked the Lord how I should deal with this issue and He said very simply, close your eyes and worship Me as if you are the only one in the auditorium. Those who want to, will join you and get caught up in the moment.  It has worked ever since, because it took my attention off of trying to please man and onto God and His awesome presence. 

My philosophy now is, if they want to join me, we are going worship in the throne room of His presence.  If not, there was little I could do to make them worship.   Even if I am not ministering, but part of the audience, I love to worship and get involved with God.

But it saddens me to see so many believers, who have never had a revelation of how awesome it is to worship God with all their heart, mind and strength.  It troubles me to see pastors or guest speakers who only come into the sanctuary when the worship is almost over.   They reason that it keeps them focused on what God has planned for their time of ministry. 

But I contend, that the whole part of the meeting should be orchestrated by God and directed by the Holy Spirit, and we should be involved from the beginning.   When I am ministering at a church, I love to join in from the beginning.  Of course, whatever works for them is ok and I don't stand in condemnation of them, but wish they could see what I have seen.  

There is a great benefit from intense worship, because it brings you right into the presence of God and in the presence of God is fullness of Joy.  There is also love and peace and when you invest in worship, the result is quite amazing and you will feel refreshed, revived, strengthened and encouraged.

Gods richest blessings

Gil Howard-Browne

PS: Listen to our free "Worship Podcast"  CLICK HERE 

Our main ministry web site is www.revivaltimes.com

Be Of Good Cheer - Jesus has Overcome The World.

John 16:33 (Amplified Bible)

"I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]"

We are told in the Word of God to "guard our hearts"  and "cast down imaginations".   Watching world events, listening to people's opinions and interpretations about what is about to happen, can lead to fear and anxiety in Christians hearts.  The truth is no one really knows.  If I had lived my life by all the predictions people have made over the past 44 years of being a Spirit filled Christian, I would have been in a mess emotionally and spiritually.  In fact, I don't know of one that has come to pass, of the many I have heard. 

The truth is, in life, we will experience, tribulation, trials, distress and frustration, because this is an imperfect world and things go wrong.  But God has already done something about it through His Son.  Jesus often said to those who were fearful or discouraged,  "Be of good cheer".  The amplified expounds on the word "cheer" [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted] 

Those four words, courage, confident, certain, undaunted, speak of learning to trust God implicitlly, that He will "make a way for us in the wilderness and rivers in the desert" Isa 44:19.  We must not let our negative thoughts rule our behaviour, but trust Him to bring us through.  Jesus then proceeds to state "I have over come the world", and the amplified adds,  [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]"   

Jesus is saying in fact "no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper", (Isa. 54:17) I have taken away it's power over you.    We are to get our eyes off of the weapon and onto the magnificent triumph that Jesus wrought on our behalf.   He has "depirved" it of it's ability to harm us and conquered it for us.  He is saying, "I've done the work, now you rest in it"

In Romans 12:2 (Amplified Bible) we read  "Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].

We are commanded not to be fashioned after the external and supercicial customs of the world, but from the inside of our minds and souls to be transformed with new ideals (moral beliefs) and new attitudes (mental outlook).  Those new moral or core beliefs and mental outlook's, come from God and are fashioned by the Holy Spirit in us, so that we change from being fearful, negative, depressed.  We begin to line up and agree with the purpose and plan of God for our lives.  His plan cannot fail as long as I am not sidetracked by all that the world offers to me daily. 

BE OF GOOD CHEER, Jesus has made it possible for you to succeed. 

Be blessed

Gil Howard-Browne

PS: Listen to our free "Worship Podcast"  CLICK HERE 

Our main ministry web site is www.revivaltimes.com

Receiving from God should not be complicated but easy.

Receiving from God should not be complicated but easy, because Jesus already PAID THE PRICE.  His death on the cross made it possible for us to receive forgiveness, healing, joy, peace and His love.  Jesus said "Matthew 11:30  "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (New International Version, ©2010)

There are too many "formula's" being used to teach people how to receive something that God already has given through His son's death on the cross.  Granted there are principles in the Word that need to be followed, but God did not complicate them.  We have complicated them by interpreting the word from our own understanding and background. 

I remember when I was a baby Christian and hungry for more of God.  There were so many conflicting statements made during the many sermons that I heard that took me up a rabit trail instead towards God.  Of course I now know, they were sermon fillers.  There may even be some truth in them, but it was something someone did which had a positive outcome, and then became the formula used on everyone.  We must ALL be led by the Spirit and obey what God is telling us to do.   

I recently heard a preacher say three conflicting things in the space of five minutes.  He said, "you have to lay down your ministry or vision in order to go to the next level", but he did not explain what that meant.   Did he mean, the pastor who is pressing in to build the Church, needs to quit so as to go the the next level???

Then he said " If your ministry is not working, you need to go back to the point it was working and do what you were doing then."   But what if you had a ministry like Philip.  Having had successfull meetings in Jerusalem with signs and wonders etc, then being instructed to go into the desert to minister to ONE person.   If he had not obeyed, the Eunuch would not have received salvation and been baptised, and returned to Ethiopia to make an impact on many lives.  No sometimes God has us doing things that make it look like we are going backward.  But He is in charge and must have the final say.

Not two minutes later, he said, " ... if the finances are not coming in to support your ministry then you have sin in your life"   I was stunned.  I know a lot of Godly men who are in very economically depressed areas and are feeling financial pressure.  Then I know of men who have large ministries and have millions of dollars coming into their ministries, but later we find they have been living in sin.   There are millions of stinking rich sinners all over the world.   

The above three statements are clichés and not divine truth.   I know a dear pastor and his wife who have poured out their lives and savings into their church, which is in an economically challenged area, who heard these three statements, and were very confused.  

There are a lot of what I call "manipulation phrases" designed to put a guilt trip on people, as a form of control, and sometimes to solicit a bigger offering.   It is wrong for anyone to to taint the good news with a thought that contains a half truth in order to twist someone's arm to do something.  We must make sure our preaching is the pure Word of God and not some nice sounding phrasiology in an attempt to make our sermons sound great.     

I once repeated a phrase I had heard a preacher say often.  But when I said it, I blushed and felt greatly convicted by the Holy Spirit.  I guess no one saw the blush, but I felt it like a rebuke and immediately apologized to the Lord and made a promise never to use it again. 

The reason was that whilst it sounded plausible, it was not biblical.   We have to guard our tongue and make sure we are speaking truth and not a fable.  Of course none of us is perfect and there is no one who has not uttered some unbiblical statement.  But we have to allow the teacher on the inside, the Holy Spirit to correct us.   

"Father help us to be faithful to your Word and to be led by the Holy Spirit in all that we say and do.  Amen"  

Gil Howard-Browne

PS: Listen to our free "Worship Podcast"  CLICK HERE 

Our main ministry web site is www.revivaltimes.com

Did Jesus die in vain?

By His death on the cross, Jesus accomplished far more than simply providing us with a way to get to Heaven. The cross opened the way for humanity to be reconciled to God and restored into a personal relationship with Him. “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them...” (2 Corinthians 5:19 KJV). Jesus died to save us, but He also died to make us whole ,  body, soul, and spirit. What happened at Calvary opened the door for everything God intended for His people.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 KJV). Sin had brought separation between God and man. Isaiah 59:2 says, “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God...” But through the cross, the way back into relationship with God was opened.

Jesus did not only come to give us eternal life someday; He came to bring His life into us now. Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10 KJV). He also made it possible for the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. Jesus said, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.” (John 14:16 KJV).

The Upper Room forever changed the nature of the Church. No longer was God simply on the outside of the believer; through the Holy Spirit, He was now personally present within them, leading and guiding them from within. John explains this in 1 John 2:27: “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you...” The anointing is not merely something we talk about. It is the power and ability of God working in and through yielded vessels.

Jesus told His disciples, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me...” (Acts 1:8 KJV). The power had a purpose. The anointing had a purpose. Pentecost had a purpose. God was preparing ordinary people to become anointed vessels through whom He could touch their generation. Healing was also provided through what Jesus accomplished. Isaiah 53:5 declares, “...and with his stripes we are healed.”

When Jesus died, the veil in the Temple was torn from top to bottom. The separation was over. Through God's grace and mercy, we now have access into His presence. Hebrews 4:16 tells us, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” His door is open to those who hunger and thirst after Him.

But this brings us to a serious question: Have we really understood what Jesus accomplished, or have we reduced the Gospel to what God can do for us? Have we made Christianity about our blessing, our healing, our prosperity, our needs, our problems and our desires, while forgetting why He saved us and filled us with His Spirit?

Jesus did not save us so that we could remain unchanged. The purpose of God's presence and power in our lives is to bring us into a deeper relationship with Him. When we truly encounter God, our desires change. Our focus begins to move away from ourselves and toward Him. His presence becomes our passion, His Word becomes our direction, and His purpose becomes our desire.

That is what revival is about. Revival is not simply an emotional experience or an outward manifestation. Revival is God manifesting His glory, presence, and power, and we, the Body of Christ, yielding to whatever He wants to do in and through our lives. Revival is God's direction for man's reception.

The disciples experienced this in the Upper Room. Acts 2:4 says, “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost...” But they did not remain in the Upper Room talking about how wonderful the experience had been. They went out! The same Peter who had denied Jesus stood boldly and preached Christ. Ordinary people became anointed vessels through whom God could touch the world. Jesus had already told them, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15 KJV).

The power had a purpose. The anointing had a purpose. The touch of God had a purpose. And God's touch upon our lives today still has a purpose. The question therefore should not simply be, “What can God do for me?” The greater question should be, “Lord, what do You want to do in me and through me?”

There are Christians who become discouraged and even angry with God when He does not do what they expect Him to do. Somewhere along the way our relationship with God can become centered around ourselves instead of Him. Jesus said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength...” (Luke 10:27 KJV). That is relationship. That is surrender. That is worship.

God's purpose in touching us is to bring a new level of obedience into our lives and a desire to do His will. A genuine encounter with the presence of God should produce change. Acts 3:19 says, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” Revival brings refreshing, but that refreshing should produce change.

When God touches us, we must be willing to GO where He wants us to go, DO what He wants us to do, SAY what He wants us to say, and BE what He wants us to be. This is where revival moves beyond an experience and begins to fulfill the purpose of God in our lives.

The cross was never intended to produce a selfish Church continually asking, “What is in this for me?” Jesus gave everything. The Father gave His Son. The Holy Spirit was given to live within us. The anointing was given to empower us. The Great Commission was given to direct us. The question we must answer is: What are we doing with what He has given us?

Jesus certainly did not die in vain. But it is possible for us to live far beneath what His death, resurrection, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit made available to us. Paul prayed that believers would “be filled with all the fulness of God.” (Ephesians 3:19 KJV). God's desire is not merely that we know about Him, but that His presence fills and changes every part of our lives.

God wants more than occasional visits from us when we need something. He wants our hearts. He wants relationship. He wants obedience. He wants yielded vessels through whom His presence, power, love, and compassion can touch a hurting world.

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5 KJV). Our focus must remain on Him ,  worshiping Him, loving Him, trusting Him, obeying Him, and yielding ourselves to His will and purpose.

The cross opened the way. The Holy Spirit came to dwell within us. The power has been given. The Great Commission still stands.  Now it is our responsibility to receive, yield, obey and GO. 

 By Evangelist Gil Howard-Browne 

[www.revivaltimes.com](http://www.revivaltimes.com)

A road to "nowhere"

Have you ever felt like you were on a road to nowhere.  If you are human and are living on this earth, smile, then you have had such moments, from time to time in your life.  It is usually because you are between the vision God gave you and the next door that you are waiting for Him to open for you.  Or you have simply lost hope, because life has become entangled with problems that seem unsolvable. 

It's a frustrating feeling indeed and can be a cause for concern, unless you are firmly rooted and grounded in trusting God and His word.  The truth is God always has direction for our lives and nothing that we do in this life is so bad that Jesus did not already pay for on the cross.   "God ALWAYS causes us to triumph in Christ" 2 Corinthians 2:14

It's almost like this photo I took back in the early 90's in Michigan at the start of fall.  This winding road going downhill looks like it goes to nowhere, and I have always wondered what was at the end of it and my curiosity has often sparked my imagination.  I have mentally tried to visualize what is around the bend.  Is it a lake full of fish, or a cabin in the woods. Maybe a field of vegetables or an orchard of fruit or a cow pasture.  Needless to say, I may never know.    The gate was locked or I might have been tempted to take a look.  LOL

It was way back in about 1995, when my wife Loraine and I and our two children, Jeremy and Jilleen, were living in a 34 ft motor home and were traveling all over the USA and Canada holding revival meetings. We usually arrived for our next meetings on a Friday or Saturday and if we were not too tired, would visit the local mall or shopping center.   On one such occasion, we were in Traverse City, Michigan, we parked our motor home at the side of the Circuit City electronics store, my favorite back then.  

When I got out of the RV, I noticed the locked gate at the end of the parking lot which was at the top of a low hill.  The scene below the gate was very pretty with it Fall trees and farm road, and prompted me immediately to grab my camera and take this shot.   Whilst it always intrigued me, my wife said, it was beautiful but the road that grew smaller and smaller made her think of uncertainty and vulnerability.

I guess that sums it up quite nicely.  There are two ways to look at any situation.  Even if we don't know the outcome or the next step, God does and His plan and purpose for our lives has never changed.  So when the road seems to go nowhere, we must still trust Him and allow His peace and joy to fill our hearts.  That way if we got sidetracked from His purpose, He can lead us back onto the right path.   

Psalm 23 says "yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil"  It's a valley and the shadow means it appears like death, but at the end of the valley there is a mountain and we are surely going to climb it's heights to the next challenge God has for us. 

My friends,  God loves us and has a never ending plan for our lives.  He will make it come to pass and will bless us and keep us in the midst of whatever life deals up.  He is faithful to the end and will make a way of escape for us. 

His word declares "I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." Isa. 43:19   God does not get fazed by our situations and our feelings of helplessness.  His plan is constantly unfolding in our lives.  It is our job to "forget the things that are behind and to press towards the mark of His calling on our lives." Phi 3:13 

God bless you richly.

Gil Howard-Browne

PS: Listen to our free "Worship Podcast"  CLICK HERE 

Our main ministry web site is www.revivaltimes.com