Category Worship Weds

Midweek meditations

Worship in Spirit and Truth: A Call Back to the Heart of God

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

Worship has always been at the center of God’s relationship with His people. Yet, it is one of the most misunderstood realities in the modern church. We often reduce it to music or structure. Sometimes, it’s even reduced to atmosphere. We forget that Scripture presents worship not as a formula to follow. Instead, it is a life awakened by the presence of God. The clearest definition we have comes from Jesus’ words to the Samaritan woman. “The hour is coming, and is now here. The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. For the Father is seeking such people to worship Him” (John 4:23). In that single sentence, He dismantles every man‑made system and calls us back to the heart of worship. What follows is a return to that simplicity—ten truths that shape what true worship really is.

1. Worship Begins With God’s Revelation, Not Our Initiative

Every genuine act of worship in Scripture begins with God making Himself known. Abraham responds to God’s voice (Genesis 12:1). Moses removes his sandals because God appears in the burning bush (Exodus 3:4–5). Isaiah cries, “Woe is me,” only after seeing the Lord high and lifted up (Isaiah 6:1–5). Worship is always a response to revelation. We do not start worship; God does. He speaks, He reveals, He draws—and we answer. This is why Jesus says the Father is seeking worshipers, not worship. God desires hearts awakened by His presence, not people performing religious duties.

2. Worship Is Spiritual Before It Is Structural

Jesus’ declaration that “God is Spirit” (John 4:24) means worship cannot be confined to buildings, rituals, or formulas. In the Old Covenant, worship was tied to a place—the Temple. In the New Covenant, worship is tied to a Person—the Holy Spirit. Paul reminds us that we “are the temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19). Worship is no longer about sacred architecture but about a Spirit‑filled life. The Spirit animates, breathes, convicts, comforts, and leads. True worship is alive because the Spirit is alive within us.

3. Worship Is Truth Before It Is Technique

Truth is not merely doctrinal accuracy; it is reality as God defines it. Jesus Himself is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). To worship in truth is to align our hearts with who God is and who we are in Him. It means rejecting pretense, performance, and self‑deception. David prayed, “Behold, You delight in truth in the inward being” (Psalm 51:6). Worship in truth is honest, humble, and anchored in the revelation of God’s character. It is not about doing the right things in the right order. It is about standing rightly before the God who sees all.

4. Worship Is Surrender, Not Performance

The first time the word “worship” appears in Scripture is when Abraham prepares to offer Isaac. He states, “I and the boy will go over there and worship” (Genesis 22:5). Worship is sacrifice. It is yielding our will, our pride, our preferences, and our plans. Paul urges believers to present their bodies as a living sacrifice. He indicates this is your spiritual worship (Romans 12:1). Worship is not about how well we sing or how deeply we feel; it is about how fully we surrender. The heart bowed low is the truest instrument of praise.

5. Worship Is Participation, Not Observation

In the Temple, worship was performed by priests on behalf of the people. But in Christ, every believer becomes a priest (1 Peter 2:9). Worship is no longer a spectator event. Paul commands the church to “speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5:19). Worship is congregational, participatory, and mutual. It is the gathered people of God lifting one voice, one heart, one confession. When worship becomes a performance to watch rather than a sacrifice to offer, it ceases to be worship at all.

6. Worship Is a Life Offered, Not a Moment Experienced

Paul’s call is to present our bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). It reframes worship as a lifestyle, not a segment of a service. Worship involves obedience on Monday. It requires purity on Tuesday. On Wednesday, it means showing mercy. Generosity is emphasized on Thursday. Forgiveness follows on Friday. Finally, rest is paramount on Saturday. The songs we sing on Sunday are the overflow of the lives we live throughout the week. Jesus rebuked those who honored Him with their lips while their hearts were far from Him (Matthew 15:8). True worship is not measured in moments but in a life aligned with God.

7. Worship Is Encounter, Not Engineering

Throughout Scripture, worship erupts when God reveals Himself. His glory fills the Temple (2 Chronicles 5:14). His presence shakes the thresholds (Isaiah 6:4). His Spirit falls like fire in the upper room (Acts 2:1–4). These moments cannot be manufactured. They cannot be scheduled, scripted, or controlled. Elijah prepared the altar, but only God could send the fire (1 Kings 18:38). True worship prepares the heart and waits for God to move. It is not about creating an atmosphere; it is about welcoming the King.

8. Worship Is the Recognition of God’s Worth

The English word “worship” comes from “worth‑ship”—the act of declaring God’s worth. The elders in Revelation fall down and cry, “Worthy are You, our Lord and God” (Revelation 4:11). Worship is the soul’s recognition of God’s infinite value. It is the moment when everything else fades and only His glory remains. Whatever we value most, we worship. Jesus warns that we cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). Worship is the reordering of our loves until God is supreme.

9. Worship Requires the Right Garment

Scripture often connects worship with garments. Priests wore holy garments (Exodus 28:2). Isaiah saw filthy garments replaced with clean ones (Isaiah 61:10). Jesus spoke of wedding garments in His parable (Matthew 22:11–12). Paul tells believers to “put on Christ” (Romans 13:14). The garment of worship is not fabric but heart posture—humility, repentance, purity, and gratitude. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Worship begins when we dress the heart in the righteousness Christ provides.

10. Worship Is God’s Presence Resting on God’s People

The essence of worship is simple: God is here, and we respond. Moses refused to move without God’s presence, saying, “If Your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here” (Exodus 33:15). David longed for the courts of the Lord because God dwelled there (Psalm 84:1–2). The early church gathered because the Spirit was among them (Acts 4:31). Worship is not about the right order, the right elements, or the right structure. It is about the right God meeting the right heart. When His presence rests on His people, worship becomes inevitable.

A Final Word for Worship Wednesday

True worship is the living, Spirit‑led, truth‑aligned response of a surrendered heart to the revealed presence of God. It is not a formula to master but a relationship to embrace. It is not a structure to defend but a Person to adore. It is not a moment to engineer but a life to offer. May we be the worshipers the Father seeks. We should worship in spirit and in truth. Our hearts should be awakened, our lives surrendered, and our eyes fixed on the One who is worthy.

Gratitude As a Transforming Posture

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

Gratitude is more than a polite response to good news. It is a posture that reshapes the heart long before circumstances shift. Scripture consistently shows that gratitude is meant to be practiced in the in-between. It should be practiced in the sowing. It should be practiced in the waiting. It should be practiced in the quiet seasons where nothing seems to be moving.


1 Thessalonians 5:18 “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”


This command doesn’t wait for outcomes. It calls for gratitude in everything, not after everything.
There is a reactive gratitude that thanks God for what He has just done. But there is also a forward‑leaning gratitude. It honors God for who He is, even when the field still looks barren. This kind of gratitude is not denial; it is alignment. It anchors the heart in God’s character rather than in visible results.


Psalm 136:1 “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endures forever.”


Notice the reason for gratitude: His goodness and His mercy—not our circumstances.
When gratitude becomes a rhythm instead of a reaction, it changes the way people walk through uncertainty. It steadies the emotions. It guards the mind from cynicism. It keeps the spirit open instead of closed. Gratitude prepares a person to receive without pride and to endure without bitterness.


Colossians 3:15 “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts… and be thankful.”


Peace and gratitude are linked. Gratitude creates the inner environment where peace can rule.
And here’s the quiet truth: gratitude often becomes the bridge between seasons. It doesn’t force outcomes, but it creates the inner space where faith can breathe. It turns waiting into worship. It turns delay into formation. It turns ordinary days into sacred ground.


Hebrews 12:28 “Let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”


The phrase “let us have grace” can also be rendered “let us be thankful”—showing that gratitude empowers acceptable worship.


Gratitude is not a finish line. It is a way of moving through the world. It involves trusting God more than the calendar. You trust more than the numbers. You trust more than the silence. It is the steady heartbeat of a life rooted in faith.

Why Judah? Why Praise?

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

1. Judah’s name was prophetic from birth

When Leah gave birth to her fourth son, she said:

“This time I will praise the LORD.”
— Genesis 29:35

The Hebrew word she used was “yadah” — to lift hands, to confess, to declare praise.

So the child was named Judah (Yehudah) — literally “Praise.”

Judah wasn’t named after a tribe.
The tribe was named after praise.

This matters because in Scripture, names reveal assignment.

Judah’s assignment was praise.

2. Judah was chosen to go first in battle

God commanded:

“Judah shall go up first.”
— Judges 1:2

Not because they were the strongest.
Not because they were the largest.
Not because they were the most skilled.

But because praise is the spiritual breaker.

Praise:

  • disarms fear
  • shifts atmosphere
  • invites divine strategy
  • confuses the enemy
  • opens the way for God to move

Judah went first because praise breaks open what human strength cannot.

3. Judah carried the scepter — the authority

Jacob prophesied:

“The scepter shall not depart from Judah…”
— Genesis 49:10

Meaning:

  • authority flows through praise
  • kingship flows through praise
  • Messiah Himself would come through praise

Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah — the Lion of Praise.

This is why worship is not warm‑up.
It is governmental.
It is warfare.
It is kingdom alignment.

4. Judah camped on the EAST side of the tabernacle

East = the place of rising, the place of first light, the place of new beginnings.

Judah was positioned:

  • at the entrance
  • at the front
  • at the place where the glory would rise

Praise always stands at the gate of what God is about to do.

5. Judah led the procession when the ark moved

Whenever the presence moved, praise moved first.

This is why worship is not optional.
It is protocol.
It is order.
It is alignment with heaven’s pattern.

Why Judah Still Goes First?

There’s a truth I’ve learned over 30 years of worship ministry:
what happens before a single note is played determines everything that happens after.

Worship cannot be improvised.
Worship must be carried.

Why Judah — Not Levi — Goes First

Most believers assume Levi (the priestly tribe) should lead the way. After all, Levi handled the sacrifices, the tabernacle, the holy things. But God didn’t say, “Let Levi go first.” He said:

“Judah shall go up first.”
Judges 1:2

Why?

Because Levi represents ministry to God.
Judah represents movement with God.

Levi tended the altar.
Judah opened the way.

Levi maintained the sanctuary.
Judah broke the ground.

Levi handled the rituals.
Judah carried the roar.

Levi served inside the camp.
Judah led outside the camp.

Levi ministered in order.
Judah ministered in authority.

This is why the Messiah did not come as:

  • the Lamb of Levi
  • the Priest of Levi
  • the Teacher of Levi

He came as:

“The Lion of the tribe of Judah.”
Revelation 5:5

Because the Lion leads.
The Lion breaks.
The Lion goes first.

Why This Matters for Worship Today

Most churches have reversed the order.

They treat worship like:

  • warm‑up
  • emotional prep
  • filler
  • a musical appetizer before the sermon

But in Scripture, worship is warfare.

Judah wasn’t chosen because they could sing.
Judah was chosen because they could shift the battle.

When Judah went first:

  • enemies were confused
  • atmospheres changed
  • fear broke
  • God’s presence manifested
  • victory was secured before the fight began

A church service is not a call of duty — it is a battleground.

People walk in carrying:

  • bondage
  • depression
  • spiritual heaviness
  • confusion
  • generational patterns
  • demonic oppression
  • fear
  • unbelief

And the first line of spiritual engagement is not the sermon —
it is Judah.

If Judah is weak, unprepared, distracted, or spiritually empty, the entire service suffers.

If Judah is strong, aligned, prayed up, and surrendered, the entire service shifts.

Those called to lead worship must prepare for battle, not just fulfill an obligation.

A worship leader who doesn’t prepare spiritually is like a soldier showing up without armor.

This year start off by making room for the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Let praise be forever on your lips.

SELAH

“I Surrender All… or Did I?”

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

Allen Frederick
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, 
and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, 
and with all thy strength." (Mark 12:30, KJV)

A Prophetic Op-Ed on Half-Hearted Worship

1. Opening Summary: The Worship Gap We Refuse to Name

We sing “I Surrender All” while clutching our idols. We declare “All to Jesus I freely give” while negotiating terms in secret. Worship has become so polished, so routine, that few pause to ask: “Do I mean this?”

We critique the theology of songs from Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation, yet ignore the theology of our own hearts. We dissect lyrics for doctrinal purity but never examine the disconnect between our lips and our lives.

It’s the same pattern Scripture exposes again and again:

  • Israel sang and danced at Sinai, then built a golden calf.
  • They praised God for deliverance, then longed for Egypt’s leeks and melons.
  • They shouted “Hosanna!”, then cried “Crucify Him!” days later.
  • We sing “I Surrender All”, then live “I Surrender What’s Convenient.”

And still, the Spirit asks:

“Do you love Me?”
“Do you really love Me?”

This op-ed isn’t about worship styles—it’s about worship substance. It’s not a critique of music—it’s a confrontation of motive. It’s time to stop pretending and start repenting.

2. All to Jesus I surrender…

We sing it with trembling lips and lifted hands. But heaven hears the truth beneath the melody: “I surrender some.”

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30)
“If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23)

All. Daily. No turning back. These are not poetic suggestions—they are the terms of discipleship.

3. All to Him I freely give…

Freely? Or conditionally?

“When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it… It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.” (Ecclesiastes 5:4–5)

Singing this hymn without intent to obey is not just emotional exaggeration—it’s spiritual dishonesty. It’s laying a gift at the altar with strings still tied to it.

4. Worldly pleasures all forsaken…

We say we’ve forsaken the world, but our appetites betray us.

“Do not love the world or the things in the world.” (1 John 2:15)
“We remember the fish we ate in Egypt… the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.” (Numbers 11:5)

Israel was free, but their cravings were still enslaved. Lot’s wife looked back and was frozen in judgment (Genesis 19:26). The Laodiceans were lukewarm, and Jesus said He would spit them out (Revelation 3:16).

“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62)

5. A Personal Warning

I recall a homeowner once asking me to dedicate their house to the Lord. Before I could speak the prayer, the Spirit prompted me to caution them: “Once something is dedicated to the Lord, it is no longer yours to do with as you please.”

I declined the dedication. I blessed the home and its occupants, but I would not consecrate what they were not prepared to surrender. That wasn’t fear—it was reverence.

It was the same Spirit who exposed Achan’s buried treasure (Joshua 7), Ananias and Sapphira’s partial offering (Acts 5), and Peter’s vow that crumbled under pressure (Matthew 26).

6. Make me, Savior, wholly Thine…

Wholly? Or just on Sundays?

“Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1)
“You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20)

An hour on Sunday is not surrender—it’s an Ananias-offering, a portion dressed up as the whole.

7. The Prophetic Punch

We dissect the lyrics of others while ignoring the lies in our own lungs. We sing “I surrender all” while clutching our idols. We dedicate homes, ministries, and relationships with ceremony but not consecration.

But the Spirit isn’t fooled by our chorus—He’s waiting for our cross.

“Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” (John 21:15)
“Do you really love Me?”

8. The Call to Return

This is not a call to sing louder. It’s a call to live surrendered.

  • Lay down the divided allegiances.
  • Stop negotiating with God.
  • Love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
  • Take up your cross daily.
  • Stop pretending. Start repenting.

9. Closing Refrain

Lot’s wife looked back. Israel longed back. Peter fell back. Laodicea leaned back. But Christ calls us to press forward—cross in hand, eyes fixed on Him. Do you love Me? Do you really love Me?”

Sitting on the Premises: Hymns, Hypocrisy, and an Unholy Sanctuary

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

By Allen Frederick

Before we dive into the satire, let’s address the elephant in the sanctuary: the modern worship wars. You know the drill—“Don’t sing Bethel,” “Avoid Elevation,” “Hillsong is off-limits.” We’ve built entire liturgical purity tests around who wrote the song, not whether we mean it. We strain out the gnat of affiliation while swallowing the camel of lifeless worship.

And what do we sing instead? Approved hymns and vetted choruses—performed with all the passion of a DMV clerk. We sing “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” while checking our watches. We belt “How Great Thou Art” with hearts that haven’t trembled in years. The problem isn’t the playlist—it’s the posture. We’ve traded consecration for critique, presence for performance, and Spirit-led worship for sanitized approval.

So let’s talk about it. Let’s laugh, weep, and repent. Because the real scandal isn’t the song—it’s the sanctuary that sings without surrender.

We love to sing. We love to sway. We love to raise our hands—so long as the air conditioning is working and the service ends before kickoff. Our hymnals are full of promises, but our pews are full of abiding on the premises.

“Blessed Assurance”—but the only assurance we seem to have is that we’ll be out of the parking lot in time for lunch.

“Standing on the Promises”—while firmly sitting on the premises, scrolling our phones and checking the clock.

“Just As I Am”—we come just as we are, and we leave just as we were. The only thing that changes is the bulletin in our hand.

“Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”—our mouths move, but our faces look like mugshots. Joy is in the lyrics, not in the room.

“Just a Closer Walk With Thee”—but only on Sunday between 10 and 12. After that, it’s “We’ll meet again next Sunday”

We call our gathering place a sanctuary. But let’s be honest: the word now conjures images of “sanctuary cities”—places where law is suspended, compromise is protected, and accountability is optional. Have our houses of worship become sanctuaries for sin‑steeped Pharisees, or a place to actually commune with the living God? Judging by the evidence, the former seems more fitting.

Isaiah saw it in his day: “These people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me” (Isaiah 29:13). Jesus saw it in His: Pharisees straining gnats while swallowing camels. And we see it in ours: churches that sing about fire but never feel the heat.

Here’s the tragedy: we’ve mistaken noise for anointing, ritual for revival, and performance for presence. We’ve built sanctuaries that shelter our apathy instead of altars that demand our repentance.

But here’s the hope: Christ still knocks. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock” (Revelation 3:20). He’s not asking for another verse of “Just As I Am.” He’s asking for hearts that will actually change.

So let’s stop sprinkling ourselves with hymns and start drowning in holiness. Let’s stop sitting on the premises and start standing on the promises. Because the world doesn’t need another choir—it needs a consecrated people whose lives are the hymn.

It’s time to wake the sleeping saints. Half-hearted devotions won’t survive the fire that’s coming. God isn’t calling for Sunday singers—He’s calling for living sacrifices. The altar is open. The knock is loud. And the time for total consecration is now.

This has been “A View From the Nest.” And that’s the way I see it! What say you?