All,
When I was at the Worship Institute in Dallas back in July I was touched in
particular by one of the featured speakers, Bob Sorge.
Bob is an anointed worship leader, a gifted teacher........and he has no
voice.
It seems that some years ago while leading worship in his home church that
something happened. It was a particularly intense time of worship. Bob felt
that the Lord was calling His people to SHOUT the victory. So he exhorted
them to do just that. As he joined in, his voice cracked and was gone.
He went to a specialist. Surgery was performed and botched.
Bob Sorge can not speak above a whisper. It is great pain to speak at all.
His microphone is turned up almost to feedback level.
He asked this question? "What do you do when you're a worship leader who
can't sing? When you're a preacher who can't preach?"
He said that you never expect to take a hit in the "Secret Place." He was in
the Secret Place, worshipping His God, in His very Presence.
He said people will ask him, "Was it God? Was it satan?"
YES. (this is not an invitation to a theological discussion)
He's only saying that the one thing that he DOES know is that God is taking
him through a time of refining. The Lord has given him several books that he
has written and had published. Check them out. You will be blessed.
Bob spoke that night of "Worship in the Beauty of Holiness."
If worship is a set of rules, ordinances, do's and don'ts we can never hope
to achieve it. It will always be out there, just beyond our reach. There
will always be something that will show us how far we have yet to go.
But..suppose holiness is a place. If it's a place, I can get there.
It's in His Presence. The four Living Creatures of Revelation aren't holy in
themselves. They're holy because of where they are. He ALONE is HOLY.
In His Presence..........there is safety..... and danger.
On this list I have mentioned many times of how I hunger to be where God is
moving in the "new thing."
To see His hand at work. To hear His voice. To feel His touch. To speak for
Him to men. To speak to Him for men.
Those are dangerous desires. The one who desires to speak for God, to be
entrusted with His words, is one who will be refined. Oswald Chambers said a
grape must be crushed to bring forth wine.
I am in that "refiner's fire" now. I rejoice that God has counted me worthy
but sometimes I despair of ever making it through. It is a Gethsemane.
Gethsemane means winepress. I don't complain, I asked for this (albeit I
didn't realize at the time WHAT I was asking!).
My family is being stretched, tested. My wife, my children, myself.
As a result of this I am having to examine my priorities. Search my heart
and make decisions that I never dreamed of making.
As of tomorrow night I will be stepping down as the Sr. Commander of my
Outpost. Wednesday nights must now be a "feeding" time for me.
Pray for me. This is a sacrifice for me. We just celebrated 6 new GMAs on
Sunday night. I have looked forward to implementing the New Program.
But, it will not be me. Another road beckons. I cannot say that I will ever
be back to THIS road again. I pray so, but God holds this map and compass
and I can only follow..
I will stay on Rangernet as you folks are a true blessing and inspiration to
me. I will need your fellowship.
Please pray for the Rothwells. God has a call on this family. The dad is
going to need a lot of wisdom and grace.
Lord, let me be a dead man walking.
--
Gary Burn'n Heart
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