"Beholding the Glory"
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Ministry Update – April ’12
Ministry Update – April ’12
The last two weeks have provided great opportunities to minister in prophetic praise and worship here in South East Queensland.
We had a wonderful week over at International Christian Fellowship in Algester, Brisbane, working with Ps. Emmanuel Tettey for his church’s Prayer Summit. Passionate worship and spontaneous song was the order of each day and we were blessed to host the presence of the Lord each morning.
Saturday night we were at The Rock church in Capalaba for their first night of an Encounter God event. It had been placed in the hearts of their drummer Patrick, and lay pastor John Oleson to host a night where the focus was on praise and worship, and to allow the Lord to minister prophetically in the church during an extended time of worship.
There was a great turnout and from the moment the night commenced, the spontaneous flow of the song of Lord was easy to release and the people were able to share what the Lord was revealing of Himself, His nature and glory through the group. It was a night of intimacy and rejoicing in the Lord.
I’ve just completed three days of ministry at Springwood Christian Family Fellowship leading the morning worship for their Mission Summit – Call to Action. What a great honour to set the tone and culture of each day by praising and honouring the Lord. Thursday was a powerful meeting with everyone in attendance receiving a personal encounter with the fire of the Lord. Spontaneous and prophetic worship married perfectly with the preaching of the word that was reinforced with signs and wonders. Praise the Lord!
Whenever our affection and attention is focussed on the Lord, we enter into a realm of transformation. We will never be the same again and as a result, our families, communities, churches, and even our geographic regions experience radical transformation and renewal.
Be blessed!
Marty
A Busy Month!
Hi everyone. Just letting you know of quite few things we’ve got planned for the month of April. Come and say, ‘Hi’ if you’re planning to be at any of these events.
9-13 April – Leading morning worship sessions @ International Christian Fellowship Algester QLD, for their upcoming Prayer Summit.
12 April – Holy Fire Ministry Training School Logan Term 4 of our Maturity Unit begins. Our two subjects this term are Revival in the South Pacific and Growing in Holiness. Thursday nights, 630pm @ KLC.
14 April – Prophetic Worship training afternoon
17-19 April – Leading morning worship sessions @ Christian Family Fellowship, Springwood QLD for their upcoming Missions Conference.
25 April - Anzac Day Prayer Furnace – a Generation Fire event being held at New Hope Church Brisbane – 2PM start.
We value your prayer support as we prepare to minister in these places. If you’d like to partner with us financially, you can do so by using the PayPal button over there on the right hand side of the page to make a donation to Beholding the Glory Ministries.
Thanks guys!
Update – Generation Fire NSW
Hi everyone. Just a quick update on what’s been happening down here in NSW.
After leading worship at Canberra and then going back to Newtown for a service Sunday night, we visited the Hills House of Prayer in Blacktown Tuesday night. It was a small group but there was a real sense of the Lord and again it was extremely easy to worship and teach there.
Tonight I’m at Fairfield Salvation Army Church to help their worship team begin to flow in prophetic worship.
Starting tomorrow night we’ll be at Meroo Campsite Kurrajong for the annual Heartfelt conference gathering of Generation Fire leaders from all over Australia. A praise point is for the first time since they’ve started doing this event, the finances for the camp site booking and related expenses are already covered! Woo hoo!
Thanks for your continued prayer and support.
The Object of Our Worship
Worship is all about the attachment of value onto a person, object or activity. Whatever we have given the highest honour to has become our object of worship. The easiest way to measure what that might be is to consider the things that are consuming our thoughts, resources, time, activity or energy. Whatever we have attached or directed our attention and affections toward will do one of two things. It will either propel us toward our Divinely-intended, created purpose or diminish the intrinsic value and worth the Lord instilled in us when He created us (See Gen. 1:26-27).
In Exo. 20:3 the Lord specified in the Sinai covenant that Israel was not to worship any other gods before Him. The term for this practice is idolatry. Idolatry is the exchange of God’s glory for a lesser glory. While this could be interpreted that God is somehow insecure and needs to be worshiped to be satisified, I want to suggest that this instruction was given to protect and preserve Israel’s identity and self-worth. Out of all the nations on the earth at that time, Israel was chosen to live in covenant relationship with Yahweh. This unique relationship was intended to entice all the other nations to worship Yahweh – the one true God – because of the benefits such a relationship afforded. As a good father who desired the very best for his children, Yahweh was acutely aware of the danger idolatry posed in eroding their sense of personal value and worth.
When our worship is directed towards something or someone lower than the Lord we are in danger of diminishing and reducing our intrinsic value and self worth. Consider these words of the psalmist from Psalm 115:
“Their idols are made of silver and gold – they are man-made. They have mouths but cannot speak, eyes but cannot see, ears but cannot hear, noses but cannot smell, hands but cannot touch, feet but cannot walk. They cannot even clear their throats. Those who make them will end up like them, as will everyone who trusts in them.”
The implication of these verses is huge - whatever we worship is what we will become. Worshiping something less than the Lord actually pulls us away from our original created image and creates that nagging sense of unfulfillment and lack of inner peace. C.S. Lewis defined this sense of personal incompleteness as, “the God-shaped hole” that exists in every person. Nothing we can produce will ever provide the satisfaction we crave, the attention we desire or the sense of fulfillment all of us seek unless the Lord is first and foremost in everything we do. As the psalmist understood, worshiping anything less than the Lord pulls us away from the high place the Lord wants us to live in.
We are the only creatures in all creation made in the image of God. Let’s ensure the Lord is the only object of our worship. Worshiping anything less than Him will only undermine the intrinsic value in which we have been created. In light of Psalm 115, the converse must also be true. If we worship the Lord alone, we’ll begin to speak like He does, see like He sees, feel what He feels and walk how He walks. The prophet Ezekiel promised of a coming time where our hearts of stone would be replaced with a heart of flesh, a heart that beats in tune with God Himself. Establishing the Lord as the sole object of our attention and affection is what will cultivate and nurture this exchange of life.
Ministry Update: Generation Fire NSW trip
Hi everyone. I’m currently in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney NSW, ministering and partnering with Generation Fire. Generation Fire is a prayer movement committed to seeing revival fire spark all over the world. Combined with their passion for prayer, they place a high value on worship and hence, that is where I fit in – to teach, train and equip worship teams to flow in the Spirit as prayer, worship and intercession combine together in ministry unto the Lord. It is the vision of Generation Fire’s founder Donny McGregor to see ‘Prayer Furnaces’ established all over this nation and the nations. A prayer furnace is a place of prayer, worship and intercession similar in function to the IHOP House of Prayer movement.
Last Sunday (19 Feb) I had the great opportunity and privilege to lead a segment of worship in the Great Hall of Parliament House in our nation’s capital, Canberra for the National Day of Prayer. Hundreds had gathered from all over the nation to pray, worship and intercede for Australia, her people, her government and leaders. It was truly an honour to declare the goodness and faithfulness of God from the highest office in our land. Our team was responsible for leading the Restoration theme of the day’s program.
From there we traveled four hours back to inner west Sydney to minister at Newtown Mission Church. Newtown is one of the oldest suburbs in Sydney. This was the church where the great healing revivalist Alexander Dowie started his ministry! Again, an amazing priviledge to be in a place of such significance in revival history. The people had gathered there for their first ‘Revival Service’ to seek and encounter the Lord in a fresh way. It was so easy to minister here as the people were hungry and expectant. Worship flowed freely and the intimate sense of His presence as the congregation engaged with the Lord was wonderful. Thanks to Ps. Bryan and Ps. Andy for hosting us there.
Tonight (21 Feb ) I’ll be in Seven Hills, NSW teaching and training on Prophetic Worship with a group of hungry revivalists and worship musicians and leaders. On Thursday (23 Feb) I’ll be with the team from a Salvation Army church who are eager to learn how to flow in prophetic worship. This trip culminates on the weekend at the Heartfelt conference. Heartfelt is a national gathering of Generation Fire leaders coming together for fellowship, to strategise and worship the Lord together. Please be in prayer for us as we seek the face of the Lord.
If you would like to support me during this trip you can do so by using the Paypal donation button over there on the right hand side of the page.
Thanks for your continued interest and prayer support of me, my family and Beholding the Glory ministries.
Marty
The Sound Beyond the Sound
Sound is a powerful medium that affects our lives in myriad ways, ways that go beyond our understanding at times. Certain sounds can communicate joy or happiness, comfort or peace, while others can evoke fear and uncertainty. Evidence of this power in the sound is discovered through movie soundtracks where the composer can enhance a scene or more clearly communicate the storyline with their choice of melody and instrumentation, building tension and climax and providing relief all through their particular use of sound.
Right at the very start of the Bible, we read of God speaking things into existence, the “sound of rushing waters” bringing form to formlessness, light from darkness, structure out of chaos (see. Rev. 1:14; Gen. 1:3, 6, 9). Here we are presented with sound being connected to the act of creation.
In the book of 1 Samuel, we read of the skilled musician David playing his harp in order bring comfort to King Saul’s tormented soul. When the sound from David’s harp was being transmitted through into the airwaves, somehow it penetrated Saul’s physical body where he began to experience peace in his inner man. Whenever Saul’s turmoil and emotional conflict surfaced and he suffered at the hands of this distress of soul, he would call for David to bring his healing sound to the table (see 1 Sam. 16:23).
The prophet Elisha would summon a skilled musician, a minstrel, in order to open up the prophetic and revelatory realm as he sought to clear his mind, settle his emotions and hear clearly from the Lord. Upon hearing the Lord, Elisha could then declare with confidence the word of the Lord into his circumstances (see 2 Kings 3:15).
Given these instances in scripture I want to suggest the following three features of the power of sound. Firstly, sound is a creative force. God created something out of nothing with His sound. “Calling that which is not as though it were” is a powerful creative act that requires releasing a sound in faith (see Rom. 4:17). Getting connected to the right sound builds a picture in our imagination that can begin to manifest itself in the form of hope, joy, faith and optimism.
Secondly, sound can bring healing to a tormented mind or body. Just as Saul’s body reacted positively to the anointed sound of David’s harp, so too our bodies and minds react to the particular sounds we are subjected to. Music can evoke emotions that lie deep within us and can either soothe the soul, bring healing to bruised heart or in the negative sense, antagonise an already irritated mind.
Thirdly, Elisha’s example is that an anointed musician can open a realm of the prophetic in order to clearly hear from God. There is a sound beyond the sound that ushers in and attracts the manifest presence of God. This is a realm of where His voice is transferred and recognised as the still small voice, penetrating through the noise of this age and imparting hope and faith in the heart of the hearer.
I believe there is healing, comfort, vision and hope imparted through sound. Sound can take us to new places of encounter, breakthrough and release in our spiritual journey. What are you listening to?
Renovare CD release
Hi everyone. I have just recorded and released my debut CD, “Renovare: Music to Renew and Restore the Soul.” Renovare is a latin word meaning to renew or restore and that’s the concept behind the songs on this album. It is an instrumental finger style acoustic guitar album consisting of eight tracks.
Sound is a powerful medium that affects our lives in myriad ways, ways that go beyond our understanding at times. I believe there is healing, comfort, vision and hope imparted through the sounds on this album. Let your imagination run wild as the sound takes you to new places of encounter, breakthrough and release in your spiritual journey.
The track listings are:
1. Unveiled
2. Renovare
3. Springtime
4. Skydance
5. Freedom
6. Maiden Flight
7. Ascent
8. Homecoming
Be blessed
Marty
Purchase “Renovare: Music to Renew & Restore the Soul”
Renovare is my debut music release. It is an instrumental meditation CD featuring solo acoustic guitar. It is now available on iTunes. Click on the button to purchase.