In the last decade there has been an increase
in the place worship has in the life of the believer. On every continent, I have
observed vibrant and passionate worship flowing from the church toward our loving
Father. At the same time, fear and terror -- two of the main tactics of the enemy
-- have been rising in the world. It is clear that above all the physical wars
and negotiations that take place, there is an ever intensifying battle in the
heavenlies.
And the war is being won by the worshiping church! When we worship,
we walk in the perfect love of God and fear has no place in our lives. Jesus
is the Supreme Ruler over all! Secondly, and just as important, is that the cry
of our heart that says "I want to see you, I want to touch you" can
become a reality!
As worshipers, we can find the joy of looking into Jesus' eyes,
of holding him close and being held close when we touch the poor and needy (Matt
25: 39-41).
Alabaster Ministries was started in 1996 as an act of worship to touch the life
of Ruth Ruibal. Her evangelist husband had been assassinated just four months
before in Cali, Colombia. Since then, this ministry has grown to touch widows
and fatherless children in North Korea, India, Bosnia, Canada, Hawaii, Denmark,
Scotland, and most recently in Kosovo. A video clip of our time there can be
seen on the Alabaster page of this website.
I am convinced that when we worship Jesus, we drive back the hand of the enemy,
and love overtakes the fear and terror he would want to instill in our lives.
I also know that worship finds a pure expression in touching the poor and needy.
We cannot be in God's presence in worship without hearing His heart. And His
heart has ever and will be for the broken, the oppressed, the fatherless and
the widow.
I have a new teaching entitled "Walking in Rest While Maintaining a Vibrant Ministry" that we will be offering in the coming weeks. Check back often for a release date as we finalize this audio teaching.
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