Amos has a knack for simplicity; he is clear and to the point. "Seek good, and not evil" (Amos 5:14), Amos counsels Israel. "Hate evil, and love good" (Amos 5:15). It is a two-pronged approach, with gusto. The bad must be obliterated, and the body must be strengthened. Good health is not merely the absence of illness, but the presence of wellness. Israel needed a radical remedy. "Take away from me the noise of your songs;
to the melody of your harps I will not listen.
But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream" (Amos 5:23-24).
It was when Mike Pilavachi, pastor of Soul Survivor Church in London, England, realized his church had lost focus, that he fired the band and the band leader, Matt Redman. "We seemed to be going through the motions. Our hearts were far from Him. We were giving the worship team grades on a scale from one to ten. We had made the band the performers of worship and ourselves the audience. We had forgotten that we are ALL the performers of worship and that God is the audience. We needed to take drastic action."
When the music fades,
All is stripped away, and I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that's of worth
That will bless your heart
I'll bring you more than a song
For a song in itself is not what you have required.
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear;
You're looking into my heart.
I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about you
All about you Jesus.
~Matt Redman, fired (then rehired) band leader, Soul Survivor Church, London, England
Daily Prayer
My Lord and My God, What amazes me is, You are the Creator of the Universe, the Name above all names, King of kings and Lord of lords, Almighty God, the Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End, and I neglect You.
...and You remember me. Even if it hurts, God, take my heart and make it Yours.
Amen
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