Author: Ascend Music

Don’t Miss This Truth

April 11, 2020 by Ascend Music in Uncategorized with Comments Off on Don’t Miss This Truth
Initially I wasn’t going to publish this article I was asked to write about the feast of unleavened bread. A quick look through social media on Passover had me reeling because of an empathic invitation to commemorate Jesus (Yeshua) being betrayed and a strong ‘New Testament only’ rhetoric. But if you come into “the middle of the movie”, you can often make wrong assumptions about the characters and misunderstand the story.
 
Today is an appointed time. This week each year, God asks us to celebrate a feast, few in Christian circles know of: unleavened bread. In fact most of the people walking the earth today don’t have any idea what this feast is about. Most Christians don’t either. They will celebrate Easter, marking the resurrection of Messiah. The Jews too will celebrate Passover which speaks of deliverance and freedom of our people from Eygpt. Yet only a very small group actually understands the important message that God asks us to apply personally and to carry in our lives as people who follow Him. We, who live for the Lord, who are eager to ‘make disciples of all men’ for the furthering of the kingdom of God on the earth, must walk the crucified life. The message of this feast is for us:
 
Exodus 12:19: “Seven days there shall be no leaven found in your houses; for whoever eats what is leavened that person shall be cut off from the congregation…”. For seven days God asks His people not to eat any food with leaven in it because leaven symbolizes sin. He wanted His people to remember the sacrifice that was needed to make them pure AND to help them to take responsibility for their own daily actions in regards to living a holy life.
 
The thing about living as worshippers of the living God is that we live with a heightened awareness of God and our spiritual life. It is however equally true that we can easily slip down a slow and slippery slope of allowing sin, even hidden, no matter how small, in to our lives. King David, arguably one of the greatest worshippers ever to walk this earth, saw God. He understood so much more about the heart of God than most ever will. But even David, who desired nothing more than to be in the presence of God, allowed leaven to make his heart and love for the Lord become lukewarm. Realizing how far he had gone he cries out: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a willing spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me.” Psalm 51:10-11
 
As I write these words to you from Israel, the place where God’s story of redemption all began, from a people still blind to the significance of what their Passover celebration represents, my heart cries out to each of you. Rejoice that you know Messiah, that you have entered His kingdom through the blood of the Lamb. Take these days, seven days, and ask God as David did, to search your heart. Ask Him to create a new heart within you, one without the snares of sin. Repent and be filled with power from on high. So few today preach repentance anymore. So few delve into all of God’s word and let it wash over their hearts and change them daily. With a simple act of childlike prayer, God will place our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.
 
Don’s miss this truth. Remove the leaven. Go forth with a new, limitless zeal, to execute judgment on the works of the enemy in your community and to bring about the salvation, peace and joy of Messiah to those around you. Be filled with the Holy Spirit of God, His comfort and His wisdom as you serve and love those around you in your family and in your community. For there is nothing more exhilarating in this life than living fully with God, the life He has set out for you. In Him all things are possible.
 
Hebrews 12:1…”let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles us. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us”.
Amen!

Defending Martha

August 14, 2018 by Ascend Music in Discover the Diamond with Comments Off on Defending Martha

Defending Martha

“God established peace for us, for all we have done, He has already accomplished”
Isaiah 26:12

I remember reading the story of Mary and Martha as a young child. There was a day when Yeshua came with His disciples to their home in the village of Bethany. Sitting in the main room of their humble house, he was teaching all who were gathered there. As time wore on everyone sat around Yeshua’s feet, drinking in the wisdom He was sharing with them. Everyone, that is, apart from Martha.

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Who Will You Worship?

March 7, 2018 by Ascend Music in Discover the Diamond with Comments Off on Who Will You Worship?

The Worship Journey
by Sarah

“And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy…And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world.” (Revelation 13:1,8)

It is astounding that of all the possible options, the final question asked of humanity at the end of the age and the earth as we know it now, is this, “Who will you worship”? If you can grasp this, and take hold of it, it will revolutionize your life, because this fact reveals just how profound and crucial the act of worship truly is.

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The Power of Knowing God

March 7, 2018 by Ascend Music in Discover the Diamond with Comments Off on The Power of Knowing God

The Worship Journey
by Sarah

“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but He will heal us; He has injured us but He will bind up our wounds. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will restore us, that we may live in His presence. Let us know the Lord; let us press on to know Him. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.” Hosea 6:1-3

If you’ve walked any distance in this life, you will have gone through times where the circumstances didn’t line up with your personal understanding of the term “blessing”. Prolonged seasons like this can lead to us feeling weary or baffled in our spiritual walk, because we don’t understand what is happening. Pain, frustration, sickness, grief or rejection can cause you to retreat, losing sight of God’s perfect plan and destiny for your life. Pretty soon, you find yourself in a dry and parched place emotionally and/or spiritually. Why does this happen? and how do we come back from that place?

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Turning Every Act Into Worship

February 8, 2018 by Ascend Music in Speaking with Comments Off on Turning Every Act Into Worship

God Full of Mercy / El Maleh Rachamim

February 8, 2018 by Ascend Music in Music with Comments Off on God Full of Mercy / El Maleh Rachamim

Fire of Your Spirit

February 8, 2018 by Ascend Music in Music with Comments Off on Fire of Your Spirit

Stronger / Ata Gadol

January 12, 2018 by Ascend Music in Music with Comments Off on Stronger / Ata Gadol

The Great Exchange

March 28, 2017 by Ascend Music in Music with Comments Off on The Great Exchange
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