• A thanksgiving proclamati...
  Forum: General Worship Discussions
  Last Post: Skyon Archer
  11-28-2024, 07:54 PM
  » Replies: 1
  » Views: 10,571
• Southern Importers 713....
  Forum: Market Place
  Last Post: HelenaZF
  11-25-2021, 12:10 AM
  » Replies: 1
  » Views: 11,637
• Restored To Glory Dance M...
  Forum: Market Place
  Last Post: HelenaZF
  11-25-2021, 12:03 AM
  » Replies: 3
  » Views: 14,130
• Wholesale Fabric Direct
  Forum: Market Place
  Last Post: HelenaZF
  11-22-2021, 06:17 PM
  » Replies: 0
  » Views: 5,264
• Welcome to the new ZionFi...
  Forum: Forum Info Center
  Last Post: HelenaZF
  11-19-2021, 06:33 PM
  » Replies: 0
  » Views: 8,398

• Forum posts:5,589
• Forum threads:1,345
• Members:325
• Latest member:MarisalileLp3686

I think the Nicolaitan spirit is one of the main princes sent to attack the western church. What is the Nicolaitan spirit? It's the thinking pattern that separates the acts of the body from the acts of the soul and spirit. It is also known as "dualism". Meaning the theology that what happens in the body has nothing to do with the state of one's soul or spirit. The body is evil, the spirit is good. Worship has nothing to do with the body....it's all in the "heart", and so forth.

Quote:Revelation 2:6    But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

This is embodied in the complete opposite ways of Greek and Hebrew thinking. Greek thinking is all about logic, reasoning, natural laws, transcendency of the intellect. It in essence, separates man into two beings--the physical and the cerebral. It is the thinking that things you do in your body have nothing to do with the real "you." Hebrew thinking is the model we see in the Bible. It's the way God thinks....man is a three-part, fully integrated being, modeled after the Trinity. The flesh is not evil, the soul is not exalted, and the spirit affects all. I like to refer to it as "Kingdom thinking". Thinking like God thinks....seeing and accepting the whole person.



We don't talk about this much. When was the last time you heard a sermon exposing the strongholds of Greek thinking? Not lately, I'll wager.



As worship artists, we constantly encounter this ancient spirit. I think that the Nicolaitan stronghold comes powerfully against those in arts ministries precisely because we use our bodies as part of our expression of worship and proclamation. We don't try to hide the flesh with esoteric words or ideas....we demonstrate in our bodies the commands and truths of the Kingdom. And so we are in the face of that Nicolaitan spirit, who stirs up all kinds of controversies, criticisms and objections to physical expression in worship.

Quote:Romans 12:1  Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

Our critics and detractors don't understand that they are being used by the enemy, so we must always remember that our battle is not against them. They have been soaked in the culture for their whole lives and cannot recognize that there thinking is based on the Nicolaitan delusion. It seems normal and logical to think that way. many in the church operate with dualistic thinking patterns and are not aware of it.



But the Lord enlightens some, and because of the guiding of the Spirit, we recognize the deception. It is our charge to see the battle as it is in the heavenlies, and to respond rightly. To continue to be a fully integrated person and unashamedly pursue excellence in our gifts and full expression of our ministry to the Lord. The Nicolaitan spirit is strong. It is rampant. But it is a defeated enemy, we must always remember. It can do nothing to overcome those who walk in Truth and follow the ways of the Lord. But it certainly can kick up some dust in our lives! So we must be careful to discern the real enemy and correctly assess the battle.

YOU'RE TOO SENSITIVE.





How many of us have heard that indictment from leadership and others? It seems to be a wide-spread perception that worship arts people are just "hard to handle, unpredictable, moody, touchy" and otherwise just generally spacey and off in their own little world. We encounter it everywhere we go.



There are those in leadership that don't know quite what to do with their arts ministers, so they don't do much of anything except try to rein them in when they seem to get "out of control". So you end up with highly skilled. creative and yes, SENSITIVE people (that God MADE that way for a reason that we'll talk about in a minute...) that go virtually unpastored, misunderstood and are generally marginallized.



Now understand here that of course, there are situations that are marvelous and some of us do minister under the authority and care of perceptive and skillful leadership....but I have to say that from our observations, that is not the norm.



WHY ARE WE SO SENSITIVE? I often wonder why that isn't obvious to people. God made us that way so that we could see beyond the normal, feel past the ordinary, and create things with a fresh perspective. That takes sensitivity, and openness to think differently. Because of the overflowing fullness of what God has built into us, we risk moving out in areas that others are inhibited in--expressions of dance, art, prophecy, presentational offerings that affect and move others just because they are visual, experiential and well.....out there for everyone to see.



So why is sensitivity seen as a negative, rather than the gift and model it is meant to be? I think one reason might be that it demands engagement, often in ways uncomfortable to others. People don't like having your guts all exposed in front of them. And yet, isn't that what being a worship artists is all about? It's about bringing the inner things to full physical and public expression.



We see the outpourings of King David's heart....a sensitive artist expressing himself fully to his God--not always just overflowing in joy. Sometimes fully enraged, frustrated and wailing and yes, even complaining. And yet some might see it as someone throwing a royal tantrum. Being around someone who feels and expresses deeply and completely can be challenging when you have been taught all your life to keep your feelings to yourself. And those that are more successful at that, can tend to look at those without such "self-control" as somehow damaged or problematic.



It would be such a joyous thing to see sensitivity in worship artists celebrated instead of being seen as something they must "get over" or "mature past". Thank God for the true pastors who understand and tenderly care for the dancing, painting, singing, song-writing flock. That particular pasture of sheepies need a special kind of shepherd. One that will help others understand the uniquely transparent life that they live as worship artists.

OK, here's one to hash out. Are you in the camp that says worship is a lifestyle? That because I am a believer, therefore everything I do is an act of worship to the Lord?



Or are you of the position that without a conscious decision to purpose to worship God with some action of worship, that no worship can go on?



Or perhaps you have a different idea about the whole issue.



Let's talk about it!

Found this conversation in the ShoutBox:



WELCOME, SleeAnn!





Mon, May 15th 2006, 10:45 PM

SleeAnn: Hi, I new here and looking at the pictures Wow! I tend to worship with 10-14 ft poles and the organza is 2 1/2-4 yards long



SleeAnn: Jo over iin the UK gae me the info for this group. Blessings to all



DeanZF: Tell us where you're from and such



SleeAnn: I live in Kent Washington and have been flagging for about 15 years I use the half-rounds and the tall pole flags. I'm interested in learning how to do banners. I teach about using the flags in worshp

This is a companion set of trumpet banners (made by Judy Matter) and kings' crowns (made by Elizabeth Hill). Separate artists, but similar vision. They were constructed during a time when many banner makers were getting together at Kay Williams' home (Acts of Praise) for her Bezaleel workshops. Groups of us would gather at her large home in the Washington DC area and for weekends (or sometimes weeks!) work on the latest project the Lord had given. It was while working on the amazing Tribes of Israel banners that we were also priveleged to help Elizabeth finish these continent crowns. A while later, Judy designed the trumpet banners to compliment the messages of the crowns.



THE CONCEPT:



The pillows represent the Seven Continents. They symbolically speak of the spiritual history of the people of those lands, and their particular sins and needs. The crowns represent the virtues of the Lord, and who He wants to be those peoples of that continent.



The trumpet is a symbol of the voice of the Lord. The trumpet banners proclaim a single word prophecy to each of the Seven Continents.



Somewhere, I have a scripture exposition of each one, but haven't been able to locate it currently, so I'll jot down the things I remember, and perhaps Judy or Elizabeth will help me out with the rest!

I was the pageantry leader at a dance conference that was held at Founder's Inn, Virginia Beach (Pat Robertson's complex) in the early 90's. It was a several day conference with a nightly evening service.



Well, at Founders Inn, you know there were other things bound to be going on besides our dance conference. Richard Wurmbrandt, a holocaust surviver and probably known to many through <URL url="http://www.persecution.com/about/index.cfm?action=vom">Voice of the Martyrs was there as well. If you know anything of his story, he was held for years in solitary confinement and tortured everyday, often with the beating of his feet. When he gives his testimony, he tells of how the only thing that kept him sane and alive was that he would dance praises to the Lord all day long in his cell, obviously through great pain at times. The experience left him crippled.



He was invited to speak to the dancers at one of the evening services. After he gave testimony of how dancing was his preservation through the torture, he expressed a deep longing that he would still be able to dance before the Lord, because in his physical condition he was no longer able. Two of the male dancers on the platform came over to him. Standing to either side of him, the two men lifted the frail old man up by the elbows. He began to "dance" in the air with his crippled feet. He began to weep with joy, and the entire room of people wept right along with him. It was a holy moment I will never forget.