In The Battle
CONTENDING FOR HIS GLORY
As Minister of Music, I led from the piano with a worship team, choir, orchestra, and rhythm band. On Sunday mornings after a warm-up rehearsal, twelve worship team singers and I remained together during Sunday school for me to teach on praise and worship, to pray, and remain warmed up for the service. I was teaching out of a book by Bob Sorge entitled, EXPLORING WORSHIP. We were focused on a chapter about the “sounds of heaven” and how to prepare through faith.
One Sunday morning a singer during our study time asked me, “Do you really believe that we could join the GREAT MULTITUDE and be included in the sounds of heaven?” Feeling challenged, yet not wanting to discourage her faith, I answered, “Well….yes.” Then she said, “If not here, where? If not now, when?” I was IN THE BATTLE!
After more discussion, I said, "I'm feeling we need to ask specifically; let's ask God to help us hear Heaven's music within a six week period." I was really feeling out of the box now! Enthusiastically, the entire team enlisted themselves to fast and pray. In the next four weeks, they talked excitedly, anticipating they would hear heaven's sounds. We spent most of our time together in prayer. They interceded for our congregation. I cautioned them to not look for an experience, but for something that would change us forever. We were not disappointed.
The praise and worship level in the midst of the congregation had been growing for months. As usual, the choir and orchestra joined the worship team in prayer before the service. The worship team singers were already praying intensely as the choir assembled, and it began to spill over onto them.
On one occasion in the sanctuary, the spirit of worship was very evident, yet things seemed to be subdued. Then it happened. We were singing the worship song, "I Will Come and Bow Down." We as the team went back to the beginning of the song, but the congregation was not with us; a separation had occurred between us on the platform and the congregation. They were on their own corporate journey. So I stopped the singers and instrumentalists – a new song was being formed in the midst of the congregation.
We had stepped over into the Supernatural realm. For one glorious half-hour, we worshiped with Heaven. My attempt to describe it adequately; I will try. It sounded like Rev. 19:6. Like a GREAT MULTITUDE, a sound like rushing waters. I played along with the sounds of Heaven and felt so very free, playing music patterns