“The beauty of your voice comes not from your tummy, but from your heart. If you worship from the heart, God’s Presence will come,” said Eric Ebil from River of Grace Fellowship on 29th of April at the First Borneo Revival Convention in Sandakan, Sabah.
It’s only in His Presence that we will experience His full freedom, peace, and strength. That is why Eric always yearn for the Presence of God.
When Adam and Eve partook from the tree of good and evil, it was God who took the first step to seek them. He asked Adam and Eve, “Where are you (Genesis 3:9)?”
But instead of confessing their sin, Adam and Eve hid from Him (Genesis 3:10). Had they seek for forgiveness from God, mankind might not have fallen into eternal damnation of sin.
“God says, ‘I am after your heart.’”
The only man God called as ‘a man after My own heart’ is David (Acts 13:22). David’s heart and God’s heart are one.
God chose David as a king of Israel not because of his might over his enemies, but because He saw his heart when he was only a shepherd boy. David gave his whole heart to God. And that is what God was looking for in a king of His people.
“God sees everything we do, whether big or small. He sees the good things we do, even when nobody sees, He please with it”.
For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him (2 Chronicles 16:9a)
What is God looking for? He is looking for someone whose heart is fully given to Him. In a letter to the church of Ephesus, God was pleased with the church’s righteous acts and deeds (Revelation 2:2). Yet He was against the church because she has left their first love (Revelation 2:4).
Who is this first love? When Adam was made, who did Adam first know? Adam knew God right when God breathed His own breath into him. That is God’s first love for us. When Adam opened his eyes, it was God whom he saw first. At that time, he only knew God.
But having fallen from their first love, God continued saying to the Ephesian church, “Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first” (Revelation 2:5a).
We need to turn away from anything or anyone that takes our heart away from God.
“If you say ‘I love you’ to your partner, do you say it without feelings?
“Likewise, can we say ‘I love you, God’, when you do not actually love Him with your heart?”
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21)
Eric shared how worshiping God is like presenting a flower to Him.
“We say we worship God. But why do we casually toss it to God? Worship is lifting this flower up from our heart to Him. That is worship.”
“It is not just standing there and singing to Him at a church service. Worship is giving everything we have to God. In other words, it is our life style. It is giving our whole heart. That is worship”.
You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water.
I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
I cling to you;
your right hand upholds me.
(Psalm 63:1-8)
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Note: Special thanks to Sarah-Jane for the pictures published above.
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