I tell you, the world is in a mess! The god of this world’s system is definitely on his job! (According to Ephesians 2:2 satan is called the prince of the power of the air and also in 2 Corinthians 4:4 he is called the god of this world). But we as Christians must continually stand in spite of what is going on around us. We must never forget that we are more than conquerers through Him that loved us, who is Jesus Christ. (This is found in Romans 8:37).
Praise Dance Workshops-Summer 2013PRAISE AND WORSHIP DANCE WORKSHOPS ARE AVAILABLE DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS! CONTACT DENISE COOK-GODFREY IF YOU DESIRE TO LEARN:
THE BIBLICAL ASPECT OF DANCE
BASIC DANCE TECHNIQUE SKILLS
CHOREOGRAPHY TIPS AND IDEAS
EXPRESSIVE SIGNING AND HUMAN VIDEO
Send an email to sherrylcook@att.net, send an inbox message via FACEBOOK at Denise Cook Godfrey, or feel free to leave a comment on this webpage!
Worshipful Ministries look forward to serving you this summer!
I KINGS 19:5-9
5 Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!” 6 He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai,[a] the mountain of God. 9 There he came to a cave, where he spent the night.
In the passage of scripture above, we see Elijah running for his life after a great spiritual victory had been accomplised in his ministry. During his running for shelter, he became very depressed and even asked to die! God allowed an angel to bring him a message. The angel woke him not one, but two times and ordered him to eat. The second time, the angel gave him a profound message. The angel stated that Elijah must eat more because the journey ahead of him was too much for him. People of God we have got to realize that we must “get up and eat” the word of God as often as possibe in order to endure the trials and temptations of our lives. This verse spoke loudly to me because I, like Elijah, had experienced great victory and triumph in my life in two areas. Now I was burdened and overtaken by tests and trials that I sensed coming upon my life. God began to speak to my heart this word: “Did you not think that I would have more words for you? Did you think that I had run out of revelation?” As I began to weep before my God, I began to realize that I indeed needed to refuel by getting up early and seeking God in His Word more than ever before. It did not matter that I had just experienced great victory in two major areas of my life. I needed Him even more. We cannot just sleep through our overwhelming issue but must be determined not to let stress, depression, burdens, mountains, or any evil assault or threat from the spirit of the enemy deter us from our walk with Christ.
Just had to share! Please leave a comment and even become a follower if this message has blessed you. May God bless and keep you.
MANY YEARS AGO, THE LORD PLACED A STRONG DESIRE WITHIN MY HEART TO UTILIZE THE ARTS SUCH AS DANCE, SKITS, PLAYS, AND POETRY AS METHODS AND TOOLS TO USE FOR GOSPEL MINISTRY. AT THAT TIME, I HAD NO TRAINING, NOT MUCH DIRECTION, AND I WAS VERY FEARFUL. THERE WAS NOT MUCH OF THIS SORT OF THING GOING ON WITHIN OUR LOCAL AREA. I LAUGHED AT MYSELF, I TRIED TO SWEEP IT UNDER THE RUG, I TOLD MYSELF THAT I COULD NOT DO SUCH A THING; HOWEVER, THE FIRE AND PASSION FOR THIS TYPE OF MINISTRY, WOULD NOT GO AWAY. THE DESIRE WOULD KEEP COMING BACK STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE.
AS TIME PASSED BY, GOD BEGAN TO OPEN DOORS, GIVE PROPHETIC WORDS, AND ENABLE ME BY HIS GRACE TO STEP OUT ON NOTHING BUT A WORD AND A PROMISE. AS I KEPT THE FAITH, IN TIME I WAS ABLE TO SEE THE MANIFESTATIONS OF WHAT GOD WANTED TO ACCOMPLISH THROUGH THE ARTS.
THE OLD TESTAMANT PROPHETS OFTEN SPOKE PROPHETICALLY BY “ACTING OUT” THE WORD OF THE LORD. AGABUS, A NEW TESTAMENT PROPHET, USED DRAMA TO PORTRAY A PROPHETIC WORD TO PAUL. GOD SPOKE THROUGH THE PROPHET ISAIAH IN A DRAMATIC WAY IN ISAIAH CHAPTER 5 WHEN HE WANTED HIS PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT THERE WAS NOTHIN ELSE THAT H COULD HAVE DONE FOR THEM TO CAUSE THEM TO LOVE AND OBEY HIM BY BEARING FRUIT AS A FRUITFUL VINEYARD (THE STORY OF THE BELOVED VINEYARD).
SO LET THE DRAMA IN THE CHURCH CONTINUE! GOD CAN GET SO MUCH GLORY OUT OF THEM!
I will begin an online course to teach, inform, and inspire you to write and direct your very own gospel stage plays! The courses will begin during the first week in October and will be recorded live, so if you cannot attend the live session, you will be able to listen at your convenience. Please go to the right hand side of the page and register with your email address. I will send you further details via email as to how to register and all other details! I look forward to blessing you with this course.
WHAT HAPPENS IN BETWEEN THE TIME A PROMISE IS SPOKEN AND THE ACTUAL FULFILMENT OF THAT PROMISE? SOMETIMES WHEN GOD HAS SPOKEN SPECIFICALLY TO US ON A CERTAIN MATTER, WE WILL RECEIVE THE PROCEEDING WORD INTO OUR HEARTS WITH GLADNESS AND GREAT EXPECTATION. A WORD FROM THE LORD BRINGS ENCOURAGEMENT AND COMFORT IN OUR TIMES OF DISTRESS. HOWEVER, OFTENTIMES THERE IS A DELAY IN THE MANIFESTATION OF THE PROMISE. IT IS AT THESE TIMES WHEN WE EXPERIENCE TEMPTATION TO BECOME WEARY AND TO GIVE UP. DON’T FEEL TOO BAD, FOR YOU ARE NOT ALONE AND THIS IS NOT SURPRISING TO GOD. THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL COULD NOT WAIT FOR MOSES TO COME DOWN FROM THE MOUTAIN BEFORE THEY GAVE UP AND BEGAN TO MAKE FOR THEMSELVES OTHER gods, ABRAHAM AND SARAH GREW VERY WEARY AND EVEN DISCOURAGED AND BIRTHED FOR THEMSELVES AN ISHMAEL WHO WAS NOT THE PROMISED CHILD, AND HAGAR FORGOT HER PROMISED WORD WHEN SHE WANDERED IN THE DESERT AFTER BEING THROWN OUT OF WHAT SHE KNEW AS HOME FOR AT LEAST 13 OR 14 YEARS.
THE IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER WHEN WE ARE IN A DESERT OF WEARINESS IS THAT WE ARE NOT TO GIVE UP ON GOD, GOD NEVER GIVES UP ON US AND HE IS VERY MUCH ABLE TO DO JUST WHAT HE SAID THAT HE WOULD DO. HE WATCHES OVER HIS WORD TO PERFORM IT. SO THE NEXT TIME YOU ARE TEMPTED TO GIVE UP BECAUSE IT APPEARS THAT THE YOU HAVE BEEN FORGOTTEN OR THAT YOUR PROMISE IS NEVER COMING TO PASS, JUST PRAY THIS PRAYER: LORD, REMEMBER THE WORD THAT YOU SPOKE TO YOUR SERVANT WHEN I WAS IN DISTRESS, THAT WORD WAS MY COMFORT THEN AND NOW I TAKE COMFORT IN IT AS WELL. STRENGTHEN ME IN MY INNER MAN SO THAT I CAN RUN THIS RACE WITH PATIENCE. BLESS ME WITH MORE GRACE AND DIVINE ENABLEMENT TO BE KEPT IN PERFECT PEACE. IN JESUS NAME……AMEN!
When God is silent, its not time to give in. When the world is spinning out of control- only God knows how to show the way for each day, but the quietness is almost too burdensome to bear…..for it seems as if He is unaware of the pain and loneliness, the uncertainty, the fearful thinking that is taking place right here and now!
When God is silent- we must be content with what we heard in our spirit. Yes, that word we received in the past that caused great joy. That same word will cover every bit of despair, knowing that He really is there!
When God is silent what can we do? How can we go on? We must know of His unfailing love for us, on this we must trust. For in the test, though there may be silence, He is as close as our next breath. He has not abandoned us. He will manifest His presence…..and we will not only hear, but we will yet see the salvation of our Lord who is oh so near!
Click on the video link above to hear about “A Change is Gonna Come”, the Gospel Stage Play!
So many struggle with generational behavior patterns, habits, emotional pain from a broken past, rejection, and the like….. you may be feeling like you will never experience real change in your life. Maybe you know someone who suffers fr…om low self esteem because choices of their past have left them in a “hot mess”, but I tell you the Hand of God can bring change in an instant! In a moments time. What it took me 20 years to mess up, God can clean up miraculously! Come to our next Gospel stage play, “A change is gonna come” and experience an evening of poetry, drama, song and dance and at the same time, TRANSFORMATION! CHANGE!!!! At New Beginning Ministries on April 14th at 3 pm. We have a great cast from our church and surrounding churches. ALL ARE WELCOME!
NOW….CAN GOD USE GOSPEL STAGE PLAYS FOR HIS GLORY
Gospel Stage Plays are an excellent ministry tool for the Spirit of God to use in order to bring comfort, edification, exhortation and deliverance. A visual demonstration is very effective in pulling on the strings of the heart. Jesus Himself often used parables (Stories) to teach His disciples spiritual truths. The prophets often were used in dramatic ways to speak the Word of God.
So to answer the question in the heading, Can God use Gospel Stage Plays? The answer is “yes”. He can and does use not only plays but also other dramatic forms of artistic creativity to speak to His people.
And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being
covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep .(Matthew 8:24)
Ok, have you ever been in a situation where you felt overwhelmed with fear or with so much un certainty until you literally became “unglued”? Becoming “unglued” in frightening and troublesome situations is a common thing for the human race. So I wonder, how did He do it? How could Jesus continue to sleep during a fierce storm that was about to take His disciples and Him out? Well, you may be thinking…..”well He was Jesus, He was God in the flesh”. True that, but let us not forget that He was also Son of Man. Fully God, yet fully man. Jesus had emotions and humanity. He was made like unto man for the suffering of death! So, I ask again….what was His secret? What about the Apostle Paul in Acts 20:24? Paul had been given revelation by the Holy Spirit that chains and afflictions awaited him as he was about to go from city to city to preach the gospel. But he said in Acts 20:24 that “none of these things move me”. Paul kniew that he had an assignment from God.
The secret to enduring great trials and even fears and uncertainties of life is to rest in what the Lord has already SAID! We must spend time alone with God during evey season of our life so that we can receive a proceeding word out of His own mouth. This type of word is what sustains our hearts during the most difficult times. The spoken or proceeding word always lines up with the written word and is trust worthy. It is impossible to please God without faith. We must practice walking a walk of faith not only when times are good or fair, but even in despair, fear, danger, persecution, and any other situation or wilderness experience of life. I can remember times in my own life when I would be so overwhelmed but others would be coasting along as if they did not have a care in the world! It was not that they did not have trials, they had learned to respond in faith. They were bearing the fruit of the Spirit.
So the next time you have an opportunity to become “unglued”, remember Jesus, sleeping on a pillow in the lower part of a boat that was about to sink. Yes, in His humanity, He was probably tired from His ministry work, but the main point is that He rested! Let us rest in Christ during our fierce storms of life and pray for one another. Our lesson from Matthew 8:24 teaches us to rest. To be at peace. Read the remainder of the story of the situation and see what Jesus told the disciples when they woke Him up from His little nap. There is lots to gain from this passage.
But what if this is a time of extreme warfare, pressure, and lack? What season is this? What dance will He birth out of this? My, my, my! Let Holy Spirit birth a dance of warfare mixed with extreme praise and worship. If you are believing God for a breakthrough then He will give you a dance of great travail where you are pushing, contracting, spinning under a violent emotion, kicking, and in the end rejoicing!
Whatever your season, just dance! Dance your way into the Holy of Holies. Dance in travail until you birth something or someone into the Kingdom. Dance with such strength and might until you actually see yourself leaping over that high wall, running through that troop of enemies, and pulling down every stronghold in your mind! Stomp, punch, kick, leap, and twirl until you or your loved ones receive breakthrough! But most of all, no matter what season you are in or what type of dance He births in you while you are in that season, always end with a dance of worship. Ah yeaaa, the worship dance is the dance to dance no matter what your season. Do it in your private prayer closet or do it publicly, just do it This is a dance for HIM and about Him! Bow, lay prostrate, twirl beautifully, extend your arms and hand upward to Him, blow Him a kiss, or use signs with your hands and face to express your love to Him.
If you were helped by this Holy Spirit inspired message, please follow me on this blog and also leave a comment. I look forward to sharing with you and hearing from you. May God continue to bless you as you minister to Him