Get Your Hands Up- OMF Debrief

JH: Many of the members on our team actually sacrificed quite a bit to come and serve here in Taiwan. Because they are on missions this summer, they aren’t able to go to our church’s college and young adult retreat.
It’s up at a place in CA called JH Ranch. It’s a place where we can do outdoor activities like white water rafting, hikes, explore lakes, participate in rodeos, rope courses. And all this to learn more about God.
Well, even though they are here in Taiwan, I believe we can still learn a lot from JH Ranch about God.

Tango
The whole time we were being instructed to get our hands up, and when I had no strength to give, it was what lifted the weight off our shoulders.
I’m reminded of Ex 17. The Amalekites are fighting against the Israelites, and Moses sends Joshua to the front lines to fight, while he goes up to the hill and he just raises his hands to Lord. And it says that as long as his hands were raised the Israelites would be winning, but whenever he got tired, they would be losing.
So Aaron and Hur would sit him down and take his hands on each side and hold them up!
What was it about his hands being raised up that caused them to be successful in battle. Is there something magical about hands being raised?
V. 16 Says that hands were lifted to the throne of the LORD. The throne represents authority and power and sovereignty. It wasn’t so much hands being lifted up, but physical posture was an intentional act to acknowledge the power and authority of Yahweh the King.
And it was even a team effort here. When Moses had not much strength left to give, and found it hard to keep his attention fixed on God, the men would come alongside him and intentionally raise his hands back up to the throne of the Lord.

Here in Taiwan, God was shouting out to us from Scripture to “Raise up your hands”, and Hallelujah anyway.

IN all situations, when abundance flows or in dry times, in spiritual battle or times of peace, we were reminded to just praise God anyway.
God Ceremony: One night, when we were just hanging out in our apt after a day of ministry, we see this huge bonfire out in the field right outside our balcony. People were in a large circle, 4 people parading around a god, people chanting. Our there was just silence as we all stood and watched in the darkness of our apt. We started praying over the god ceremony that was taking place.
And even in that situation, we as a team stopped to praise. We said to ourselves, it’s a good time to just praise God. And so we sang praises.
IN all situations, hallelujah.
When you’re tired from ministry, and you have no strength left to give, just hallelujah anyway.
Intentionally fix your attention on the character of God, and acknowledge who he is, specifically as it relates to your situation, and praise him. Get your hands up.
FOSTER: many of you guys asked about Foster, and if we got to see him. Thank you for asking. IT was actually probably the thing I looked forward to the most, even more than seeing the Kids. I had visited him in the winter, and he was walking so strong with the Lord, that I couldn’t wait to meet up with him again.
It was hard for me though, and I’m sure the team, when we learned that he hadn’t been going to the church for that past couple months.
We were supposed to see him, but he never contacted us. When we tried to call him, he wouldn’t pick up.
One of the church members called him, and talked to him, and Foster said that he didn’t want to go to church anymore. That something happened, and he was so effected that he decided he would stop attending.
And there was so much room for me to be discouraged by the news, but I decided in my heart, “Hallelujah anyways!”
But it wasn’t just random praise in my heart. I intentionally directed my praise to a God who is Sovereign and started praising him for the fact that he is Sovereign over Fosters life. I can rest in the fact that Foster’s salvation isn’t up to me. Salvation belongs to our God.
And I found a lot of peace and strength when my hands are lifted to God and I praise him anyway.
I have found a lot of freedom in worshipping with hands lifted to the throne of God. IN fact, there’s times I feel uncomfortable if I’m not able to use the body God gave me to reflect what’s going on in the heart of worship that he gave me.
People, will think things of you, but hallelujah anyway.
And whether you physically raise your hands or not, let’s help each other and intentionally turn our praise, our mind and our hearts, to the throne of God, and praise him anyway.