True Worship:

Volume 1

The Essence of Hebrew Worship

Jerry Kuzma

www.HebrewWorship.com

Copyright © 2013 Jerry Kuzma

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True Worship:

Volume 1

The Essence of Hebrew Worship

Jerry Kuzma

Contents

Introduction

The Essence of Hebrew Worship

Hebrew Worship is Bible-based

The Preeminent Scripture on Hebrew Worship

Hebrew Worship is Expressive

Hebrew Worship is Passionate

Hebrew Worship is Cultural

Hebrew Worship is Cross-cultural

Hebrew Worship is Eternal

Conclusion

My Life is Worship

BONUS CONTENT!

How to Share This Book

About the Author

About the Publisher

Endorsements

Introduction

We live in a world of strong opinions.

Everyone seems to have such strong opinions on the right ways to raise children, to build a business, to worship the Lord, and even to grow large red tomatoes. It is difficult to arrive at an absolute conclusion on many subjects. At best, we have to settle for a majority opinion or general consensus on any given topic.

I have my opinions, and so do you.

However, when it comes to the God of Israel, the God of the Bible, He has the final say on every topic. What God says is the absolute truth. As the saying goes, "Your arm's too short to box with God!"

How can I say such an absolute statement about God's words?

It is simple. He alone has the power to grab a handful of mud, breathe His life into it, and produce a living, breathing YOU. He stands in a class all His own. He is all-powerful, so His words are authoritative.

God's Word is absolute truth.

Are you big enough to argue with Him? I'm not.

So, as we look at the whole arena of Hebrew worship, our starting point is the Holy Scriptures, God's written Word.

The words of Adonai (the Hebrew word for "Lord") are to be the foundation of our worship. Our personal opinion on the subject of Hebrew worship is ONLY of any value if it lines up with His written word.

I am aware that you may come from a different religious background from me. That is why we need to agree with these primary statements:

- the God of Israel is the One true God,

- His written Word is true, and

- we can learn how to love and worship Him directly from His written Word.

With that as our basis, I look forward to this journey with you as we explore the heights and depths of Hebrew worship together.

True Worship:

Volume 1

The Essence of Hebrew Worship

Hebrew Worship is Bible-based

Let's look more closely at this primary issue, the fact that God's Word is to be the basis of our worship life.

The book of Psalms is the foundation of and inspiration for so many worship songs and hymns, mainly because the psalms are the lyrics of the worship songs of biblical times.

The Hebrew word for psalm is "mizmor", which literally means instrumental music; by implication, it is a poem set to music; thus, a psalm.

The whole book of Psalms is inspiring for our study of Hebrew worship, but I want to look at four verses in particular. They show the absolute connection between God's words and the heart-felt praise that they inspire.

Psalms 138:4  All the kings of the earth shall PRAISE thee, O Lord, when they hear the WORDS of thy mouth.

Psalms 106:12  Then they believed His WORDS and they sang His PRAISE.

Psalms 119:171  My lips shall utter PRAISE, when thou hast taught me Thy STATUTES [or rules for living].

Psalms 138:2  I will WORSHIP toward thy holy temple, and PRAISE thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy TRUTH; for thou hast magnified thy WORD above all thy name.

Do me a favor and read them again--slowly....

Can you see the connection?

Do you see the CAUSE and EFFECT relationship between the two?

"...shall praise Thee WHEN they hear the words of Your mouth."

"...believed His words AND THEY SANG..."

"...shall utter praise WHEN Thou has taught me...."

"...praise Your name for your lovingkindness and for Your TRUTH..."

Essentially, “THIS” caused “THAT” response. THIS word that God has spoken caused THAT praise and worship to spring forth from the heart of man. It is a direct relationship between one and the other.

In fact, that phrase "spring forth" is rich in meaning, and it occurs in Isaiah 58:8, as a direct result of scriptural fasting:

"Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall SPRING FORTH speedily..."

The Hebrew for "spring forth" in that verse is tsamach, which is a primitive root. It means to sprout, to bring forth, to cause to bring forth a bud. It gives us the picture of a dark brown branch RESPONDING to fresh sap and bursting forth with new life.

We also find that tsamach, in Isaiah 45:8, where the earth and its inhabitants RESPOND to an outpouring of God's righteousness and goodness:

"Drop down, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness SPRING UP together; I the Lord have created it."

In that verse, we see Adonai--the God of all creation--speaking His word and commanding the heavens to rain righteousness down upon the people....and the people respond...and new life springs up.

It also reminds me of a powerful verse...one that inspired a gifted songwriter about 25 years ago to set it to music:

Isaiah 61:11: "For as the earth brings forth her bud, and as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to SPRING FORTH [tsamach]; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to SPRING FORTH [tsamach] before all the nations."

What a potent picture of what the Lord wants to do with our worship! He longs to have us, His creation, to listen to His Word, to receive what He has spoken and written, and to RESPOND to it.

So, our only response is to allow righteousness (clean living before God) and praise (whole-hearted adoration of God) to SPRING FORTH, to shoot forth like a fresh bud out of a dry stem, to burst out like a geyser in a desert and declare the glory of God and how wonderful He is.

That is what the Lord wants, and that is the picture of the response that He is looking for.

Is your personal praise and worship bursting out, or does God have to squeeze you like a lemon to get anything out of you?

If your praise and worship isn't springing forth like a geyser or bursting forth like a new sap-laden bud in spring, then it is time to go back and meditate on some of these verses. They are to be the foundation of our worship.

Scriptures like these are the foundation of Hebrew worship.

The Preeminent Scripture on Hebrew Worship

Of all the verses that the Lord has written, there is one portion of scripture that is central to the Jewish heart. This section is preeminent--the highest, the greatest, the most important portion of scripture--particularly on the subject of Hebrew worship.

The selection that I am talking about is found in Deuteronomy 6:4-7. It starts with the 'Shema':

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one LORD:

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.

And these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart:

And you shall teach them diligently unto your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up."

When I read and re-read these verses, I see that Adonai, the God of Israel, not only DESIRES my worship, but also that He REQUIRES me to worship Him--with all that I am and all that I have.

Here are a few things that I see in these verses:

1.  As He often does in the Bible, the Lord begins by declaring His authority ("Listen to Me: I am the Lord...")

2.  His first command is not to simply OBEY Him, but to LOVE Him. Of course, we can express our love to Him through our obedience. However, love comes from the heart--not just the head. Therefore, my obedience to Adonai should be born out of a heart of thanksgiving and passion for Him.

3.  I also realize that love requires a closeness to Him, rather than offering Him obedience from a distance. In these verses, the Lord is calling me to stay close to Him, on a daily basis.

4.  This is definitely NOT a once-a-week attendance at a religious service, whether in a synagogue, a church or a fellowship. My love and worship to Him are to be a part of my daily life.

5.  The WORDS of Adonai, the written Scriptures, are to be the foundation of our worship. Our personal opinion on the subject of Hebrew worship is only of any value if it lines up with His written word.

6. The Lord has purposely designed family life is such a way that our children are WAITING to see and hear us express our love and worship to God. We are to DILIGENTLY talk about His Word during our day, to instruct our children in how to love and worship Him.

7.  We are created by a Jewish God, so it should be natural to learn about Hebraic praise and worship, as well as Hebrew words used in praise and worship. Also, I know that adding a bit of Middle Eastern spice to our worship music will liven it up as well.

Hebrew Worship is Expressive

In essence, worship from a biblical, Hebrew perspective is expressive. In God's Word, we are commanded to express our love and worship to Him....not simply hold it silently inside.

Here again, we need go back to God's word for clues to how He wants to be worshipped.

Wait—

I can hear some of you saying…

"You mean to tell me that I am not allowed to worship God the way I want to?"

"Um, ah, I am not an expressive person!"

"Hey, do I have to ASK God how to worship Him?"

Yes, Betty, your arm is STILL too short to box with God.

You have to leave your opinion and self-centered religion at the door and you must DECIDE to worship God as He wants to be worshipped.

"Hey, I have an idea...I like cows. Let's make a golden calf."

God says NO.

"What about all these pagan gods around us and the people worshipping them. Let's mix our worship and add some pagan rituals into our service, to make our service more seeker-friendly."

God says NO.

"Can I not just stand here (or sit here) and worship God without expressing it?"

God says NO.

The God of Israel, the God of the Bible, tells us exactly how He wants us to worship Him.

Jimmy, you have to read the Book and do what it says.

What does the Bible say about how God wants us to express our worship?

Singing

Psalm 100:2 Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing.

Psalm 105:43  And He brought forth His people with joy, His chosen ones with singing.

Psalm 107:22  And let them offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with singing.

Psalm 126:2  Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing; then said they among the nations: 'The Lord hath done great things with these.'

Joyful shouting

Psalm 27:6  And now, my head is lifted up, above my enemies who surround me, and I sacrifice in His tent sacrifices of joyful shouting, I sing, yea, I sing praise to the Lord.

Psalm 33:3  Sing ye to Him a new song, Play skilfully joyful shouting.

Psalm 150:5  Praise Him with cymbals of sounding, Praise Him with cymbals of joyful shouting.

Dancing (in a respectful and holy manner, of course):

Psalm 30:11  Thou hast turned my mourning to dancing for me, Thou hast loosed my sackcloth, and girds me with joy.

Psalm 149:3  They praise His name in a dance, with timbrel and harp sing praise to Him.

Psalm 150:4  Praise Him with timbrel and dance, praise Him with stringed instruments and organ.

Lift up your hands

Psalm 28:2  Hear the voice of my prayers, when I cry to You, when I lift up my hands toward Your Holy Place.

Psalm 63:4  So I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.

Psalm 119:48  And I will lift up my hands to Your Commandments which I have loved; and I will think on Your precepts.

Psalm 134:2  Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.

Bowing down

Dan 10:15  And when he had spoken such words to me, I bowed my face toward the ground, and I became dumb.

Psalm 95:6  Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our maker.

Lev 26:1  You shall make no idols to yourselves; and you shall not set up for yourselves graven images, or a memorial pillar. And you shall not set up any image of stone in your land in order to bow down to it. For I am the Lord your God. [In other words, save your bowing for the Lord Himself!]

Kneeling

Psalm 95:6  Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our maker.

1Kings 8:54  And it happened as Solomon finished praying all this prayer and petition to The Lord, he rose from before the altar of The Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.

Giving offerings

1Chron 16:29  Give to the Lord the glory of His name; bring an offering and come before Him. Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

2Chron 31:2  And Hezekiah appointed the courses of the priests and the Levites after their courses, every man according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, and to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the tents of the Lord.

Jer 17:26  And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountains, and from the south, bringing burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and meat offerings, and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise, unto the house of the Lord.

“What? Do you mean that I can worship God with my money?”

ABSOLUTELY—the Bible says that your heart and mind are genetically linked to your wallet (Matthew 6:21)!

It is so clear, to anyone who reads these verses, that God TELLS US to express our worship through visible means. Our worship is to be EXPRESSIVE:

- in the exact ways that He wants us to express it

- with a heart that is full of thanksgiving, praise and respect for Him

- even if we do not consider ourselves an "expressive person"

If we want to follow the biblical examples of Hebrew worship, then we have to worship Him in an expressive manner.

This is because Hebrew worship is expressive in its nature.

Hebrew Worship is Passionate

How do you define the word "PASSION"?

Setting aside any references to sexual desire, here is how the dictionary defines it:

- any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, ie love or hate

- strong feelings of love

- a strong or extravagant enthusiasm, desire or fondness for something

Passion directly involves the STRENGTH of the heart, our very real human EMOTIONS.

It is often said of people who come from the Mediterranean region that they are passionate people. This means that they quickly and easily express their loves and hates...often in a very loud manner. Their expressiveness can come as a surprise to those of us from a conservative background or of a more reserved nature.

However, the essence of Hebrew worship as found in the Bible is about passion, emotion and heart-felt expression for the God we serve.

Let's look at what the Word says about passion in our worship.

Deut 6:5  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

2Sam 6:14  And David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.

2Kings 23:25  And like unto him [David] was there no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.

1Chron 13:8  And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.

1Chron 29:2  Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for things to be made of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and the brass for things of brass, the iron for things of iron, and wood for things of wood; onyx stones, and stones to be set, glistering stones, and of divers colours, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance.

2Sam 22:7  In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God: and He did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into His ears.

Psalm 17:1  Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.

And finally, read this section in Isaiah 12. It paints such a vivid picture of lifting up your voice in passionate praise and joy. Simply reading these verses makes me want to shout out in praise!

Isa 12:2  “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord God is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation.

Therefore with joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation.

And in that day shall you say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.

Sing to the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.

Cry out and shout for joy, you inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of you.”

Dead, stoic, intellectual, unemotional worship is unscriptural.

So is over-inflated, frivolous, irreverent, empty-headed worship.

God is looking for worshippers who have a healthy mix of true HEARTH-FELT PASSION for Him as well as solid, BIBLE-BASED FAITH. What an absolutely powerful combination...one that God loves...and the devil hates!

Why don't you stop reading for a few moments, so that you can thrill the heart of the Lord with some passionate, scriptural praise?

He LOVES it—passionate Hebrew worship from a pure heart!

Hebrew Worship is Cultural

One of the most interesting things about the God of Israel—something that really stands out to me—is that He used locally-sourced ingredients in establishing true worship on the earth. He worked through the CULTURE of the day when He laid down patterns and principles for worship.

The fact is—Adonai did not choose to introduce Himself through the North American peoples, nor through the Asian or African peoples, nor the Nordic or Aboriginal people groups. In His sovereignty, He chose the Middle Eastern culture to introduce Himself to the world.

In the midst of this culture, He chose to pick out elements from it to flavor the style of worship that He was establishing.

One of the foremost examples of this is the practice of cutting a blood covenant. While actual blood covenants are rare in the modern day, they were common in the ancient world. Two parties with a common interest would slay and split animals, and they would walk in the midst of the two halves of the carcass to demonstrate their unity and commitment to the covenant between them.

Yes, it was common in Abraham's day...though most of us would not want to dirty our shoes with a walk through blood!

We can also see how the Lord used the customs, instruments, materials, and craftsmanship of the day in the establishment of biblical worship. One of the people who stands out on this subject is a man called Bezalel, along with his assistant Aholiab, found in Exodus 31:1-11.

“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:

And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge,and in all manner of workmanship,

To devise clever workmanship, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,

And in cutting of stones to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.

And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the hearts of all that are wise-hearted I have put wisdom; that they may make all that I have commanded thee:

The tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy-seat that is upon it, and all the furniture of the tabernacle,

And the table and its furniture, and the pure candlestick with all its furniture, and the altar of incense,

And the altar of burnt-offering, with all its furniture, and the laver and its foot,

And the clothes of service, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office,

And the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy place: according to all that I have commanded thee, shall they do.”

Amazing! Did you notice the diverse skillset of these two men? They were skilled craftsmen, working with a whole list of materials, designing such a variety of items for service to the Lord.

Adonai used all of these earthly skills to set the stage for heavenly worship.

Not only did the Lord point out Bezalel's name and address (in the form of his geneology), but the Lord also listed Bezalel's specific craft skills that He wanted to use in the establishment of biblical worship at that time in history. God used the skills at hand, in the culture of the day, to bring worship to His Name.

Hebrew worship is cultural. There is an element of Hebrew culture that cannot be separated from the worship that was birthed in it.

Now, I certainly am not suggesting that all our worship should sound Hebrew or middle eastern—far from it. However, we would be losing the richness of our Hebrew roots if we totally divorce our worship from its original flavor.

“Flavor” is a great word. It brings to mind the MULTITUDE of herbs and spices that the Lord Himself has created to bring interesting tastes to boring dishes. It is a good thing there is a multitude of flavors available to us, or all of our meals would taste the same.

In the same way, God gives us different flavors of praise and worship so that we can experience—and learn to appreciate—the diversity of cultures among us, and how they flavor our worship. The richness of the Jewish culture is a gift from God, one that adds to our study of biblical, hebraic worship.

Hebrew Worship is Cross-cultural

Just as we experience this warmth and spice from the roots of the Jewish culture, we have to realise that God has made room for global diversity in Hebrew worship. We can see this in the christian celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, hosted annually by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ).

During the most recent ICEJ Tabernacles event, the host introduced representatives from dozens and dozens of nations, all of which had travelled to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast. What a sight to see a multitude of nations—many in ethnic apparel—coming up to worship the God of Israel, in Israel, while representing the nations of the world.

It at once echoes and foreshadows the monumental passage in Zechariah 14:16-17, speaking of a future day when the Lord will stand in Jerusalem to be worshipped during the Feast of Tabernacles, with all the nations of the world in the audience.

“And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

And it shall be, that whoever will not come up of all the families of the earth to Jerusalem worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.“

What a picture! Clearly, there is room for every nation of the world before the throne of the King.

Remember how we defined “Hebrew worship” earlier in this book. I defined Hebrew worship as true worship of the One true God—the God of Israel—based on the holy scriptures that He Himself has ordained. Therefore, by that definition, Hebrew worship is our goal, no matter what ethnic flavor it takes on. THAT is what makes Hebrew worship cross-cultural in its nature.

By way of example, let me take you to Northern Ireland, where I met my wonderful wife Isobel (Bella) back in 1991. Having never been out of the USA, I was in for a culture shock. I had a lot to learn in a short amount of time, just to understand people who supposedly spoke my native English language.

The milkman was totally incomprehensible, except for amount of money I had to pay him (“mumba-mumba-mumba-mumble, £4.50”).

Yet, I was exposed to Irish worship music, with some of the most amazing melodies, instrumental leads and gut-level lyrics that I had ever heard.

Years later in the late 1990's, we were invited by Integrity Music to sit in on a live recording of Robin Mark's “Revival in Belfast” CD. I had been doing promotional work for Integrity Music at the time, so I knew a few ‘big wigs’—and that was just the men!

When they quieted down the other instruments to allow the uilleann pipe to take pre-eminence, it was absolutely amazing. The instrument, which is related to bagpipes, has a quality of sound that can bring tears to your eyes. So much more so in a worship environment, when the Spirit of the Lord is moving—at the same time INSPIRING and AMPLIFYING the worship coming through the mass of voices and instruments.

It was Celtic, it was scriptural, but it was also Hebrew worship at its best.

That is because Hebrew worship is cross-cultural...God can bring out the best from the nations and use it for His glory.

Hebrew Worship is Eternal

What can God use for His glory?

Can He use the sounds and formats of pop music, classical, rock, jazz or blues?

Can He use the flavor of country music? Probably not—WHAT? (Sorry, I am not a fan of country music) Yes, I am sure that He can use country music as well.

When you look at all those styles and genres, we are talking about a few hundred years of music history. A few hundred years is a drop in the bucket—a very small drop in the immense HUGENESS of God's bucket of time. Eternity is a very, very big place.

In exploring Hebrew worship, we have to look at it from an eternal perspective.

I believe that Hebrew worship is eternal, on the basis of its foundation.

Again, if we use my definition of Hebrew worship, we have a form of worship which is based on the eternal, unchanging Word of the God of Israel. When God inspired King David to pluck and strum the harp and sing praises to the Lord, David was either reciting or dictating the Word of the Lord in song. His songs were based on scripture, so the ones who sang them later were being inspired to live closer to God and His Word.

David was an example of a Hebrew worship leader—not because he was Jewish, but because his songs were scriptural.

God liked those songs so much, that He signed David to a very long-term recording contract! In radio station terms (I used to work at a radio station in Pittsburgh), David's songs were placed in “eternal” rotation—guaranteed to get airplay forever and ever.

David was inspired by the Spirit of God, and he based his songs on the Word of God. THAT is a vital aspect of Hebrew worship.

If you are inspired by King David and you do what David did, then you will produce Hebrew worship, no matter what style or flavor it takes on. Of course, Yeshua (Jesus) was Jewish, so He is a bit partial to a Middle Eastern beat...and pitta bread...with falafel and houmous on it....

God's Word is eternal, so the praise and worship that is closely based on it takes on an eternal quality. You can see this when we are in middle of a worship session, and we begin to sing one the old hymns or songs from a few decades ago.

“I exalt Thee,

I exalt Thee,

I exalt Thee,

O Lord!

“I exalt Thee,

I exalt Thee,

I exalt Thee,

O Lord!”

Even though it is now an “old” song, it is just as soft and tender, just as rousing and powerful, just as individual yet communal, just as all-out FULL of praise and worship as it ever was. I have no doubt that that song will go on into eternity, simply because it is at once totally scriptural, uniting and communal, and deeply personal in its lyrics and form.

People groups from every nation can sing that song (and many of them do, in their own native language). It goes beyond boundaries and unites peoples and nations to worship God around His throne.

“I Exalt Thee” is a work of art, and it is eternal...

...and, it is an excellent example of Hebrew worship.

Conclusion

I don't know about you, but after thinking and writing about worship for hours, I find myself feeling desperate to lift my hands, lift my voice and sing praise to the Lord, the God of Israel!

It is like working all morning in a bakery, just waiting for your tea break so that you can open your mouth and get your fill of some tasty pastries—only better.

As I write these last few lines, the bus we are riding on is pulling up to the venue in Belfast where a certain ministry are holding a Feast of Tabernacles event. That means that there will be plenty of Jewish and Christian speakers, video presentations, specialty instrumentalists, and—yes—Hebrew worship. Heart-felt, vibrant, biblical, creative worship is on the menu for tonight, and I am starving!

I hope that you are as hungry as I am, or even more so. If your answer is yes, then find a suitable place and lift your hands, lift your voice, and sing praise to the Lord, the God of Israel.

There is no better place to be than in His presence, worshipping Him with all that is in you.

I want to leave you with the lyrics of one of my songs, which puts into words some of the deepest feelings that I have on the subject. I wrote it as my own personal response to the ‘Shema’ (which I crafted into the verse and the bridge).

I hope that reading it will inspire you to look up the Scriptures, read them through a number of times, and then begin to praise and worship the Lord, Adonai, HaShem, the God of Israel.

He is the One who formed and crafted you, like a musical instrument.

He created you to worship Him and to thrill Him with your song and your entire life.

Whether you can sing well or not, whether you play an instrument or not, whether you are part of a ‘worship team’ or not—this is the ONE, VITAL TRUTH of this book:

YOUR WHOLE LIFE is worship!

It is the reason that God created you, to worship Him. That, my friend, is the real essence of Hebrew worship.

My Life is Worship

Music and lyrics by Jerry Kuzma (Deut 6:4-7)

©2012, PerissosMedia.com

Verse

You shall love the Lord your God

With all of your heart

With all of your mind

And all of your strength

You shall love the Lord your God

When you rise up at dawn

When you walk on your way

And at the end of the day

What can I say to this

What can I say to this

The reason that I live

The reason that I live

Chorus

My life is worship

My work is worship

Everything within me

Is made to worship You, Adonai

My eyes (hands) are made to worship

My mind is (feet are) made to worship

Everything within me

Is made to worship You

Bridge

Shema Yisrael              [Hear O Israel]

Adonai Elokenu              [The Lord our God]

Adonai echad              [The Lord is one]

Ending

Everything within me

Everything within me

Everything within me

Is made to worship You

BONUS CONTENT!

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About the Author

Jerry Kuzma is a strong Bible-based teacher, trainer and songwriter with over 25 years’ experience in leading praise and worship, serving in various venues from house groups to regional conferences.

He and his wife Isobel (Bella) also manage HebrewWorship.com, a website that showcases their music, teaching and artwork from a Hebrew perspective.

Jerry is also the director of Perissos Media, a book and audio publishing and marketing consultancy, specializing in helping others to achieve Expert Status in their field.  He and his team work with speakers, coaches, business owners and religious leaders to build their brand, expand their reach and develop passive income, along with all the financial and lifestyle benefits of the experts industry.

A polished writer and editor, Jerry is also the creator of various high-calibre multimedia products, including the "Write Your Own Book" series and the “True Worship” series.

For a FREE GIFT and further resources on worship, please visit:

www.HebrewWorship.com/free

About the Publisher

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Perissos Media helps business owners, speakers, consultants, professionals, sales teams, ministry leaders and inspired individuals to PUBLISH books, audio and video training products and other marketing materials, in order to BUILD your platform and ELEVATE you to Expert Status in your field—with all the financial and lifestyle benefits that come with it.

We have had the great pleasure and honour of working with a number of talented business owners, public speakers and authors on a variety of projects from start to finish. We start with dialogue and planning, and then we organize recorded interviews, transcription, editing, formatting, cover design, branding and numerous marketing strategies.

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Endorsements

This is a well-presented & clear book, written for the average believer rather than the specialist. The content is excellent and progressive.

The feel of the book is that it is more of a manual accompanying a course. I think we should have you teach this, constructing the course using this manual of praise as the reference book.

We will certainly be promoting the book at our conferences.

Love & Blessings to you and Bella,

Rev David Elms

UK Director, Int'l Christian Embassy Jerusalem

Senior Pastor, Kingsway Christian Centre

Liverpool, UK

I have finally found the time to sit quietly and read your book – well done!

I found it to be a very passionate and urgent call to praise and worship, delivered in a very personal, almost excitable style!  No middle ground--all or nothing!

Really praying for God's blessing on it for you and Bella!

Much love and blessings,

Shirley Fryer

Worship Leader

Father's House Congregation

North Wales, UK

I just read your book—fantastic—a real pleasure to read! You are so blessed.

Steve H

I more than enjoyed your book. I feasted on it.

I appreciate that there must be a whole lot more that you could cover, and in that vein I look forward to subsequent books! But this introduction is truly inspired.

Your teaching is clear and concise, making it easy to understand. You quote Psalms 138:4 - “All the kings of the earth shall PRAISE thee, O Lord, when they hear the WORDS of thy mouth.” This has become one of my foundation scriptures, as it witnesses to me that the only possible response to the Word of God is praise.

I attended my first ICEJ Conference and I experienced Hebrew worship for the first time, thanks to you and Bella. Being able to actually sing Hebrew words in praise and worship lifted me out of time and into eternity, encountered the God of Israel in a way that I had been yearning for, for so long.

I am really enjoying praise and worship all the more with my church family. I can’t even begin to express how it has developed my private time with the Lord. Thank you for that.

As you wrote in your book, He created me to worship Him and to thrill Him with my song and my entire life. I pray now that every day of my life will be my song to Abba, and that it will thrill Him.

Thank you for being obedient to God’s call to write this book. I look forward to the others as they come, and am also very interested in your in-depth teaching materials on the subject.

Blessings to you in His Name,

Nicky F

Thank you for the opportunity of reviewing your new book. I have read it a couple of times in my travels, and it made an interesting read. I was left at the end with the good desire to want the next chapter or the next book.

The style is easy to follow and the importance of Hebrew worship has been made convincingly clear and well supported by Scriptural references. I liked the approach of inviting the reader to pause and meditate and seek the Lord's prompting while reading.

Gordon Beckitt

Professor

Univ of Central Lancashire

Wow!  Jerry & Bella, thank you so much for bringing this into my life.

I'm truly amazed and happy.  I just cannot believe I never knew that Hebrew worship existed.  You've enlightened me to the degree that I now know that it is the bedrock of praise!   I've been a Christian for a couple of years and I'm truly lost for words, at how this has transformed my connection to God.  I've been listening to Hebrew Worship songs for the past few days (because I can't stop!), and my love and joy in the Lord has exponentially scaled new heights.

There's such passion, dynamics, style, scriptural truth, love and sheer praise of God in worshipping this way.   It's just so alive!  You are completely correct when you point out that this is the way in which God desires our praise. He designed it for our joy, no matter what culture we live in.  The only way I can describe this true style of worship is like God is a huge powerful centrifugal force and I'm completely drawn in!  I believe from the bottom of my heart we are born to worship, both here and into eternity.

I love your book.  There's nothing I would add in or take away.  It's a true blessing, as are the both of you.   It's so obvious you love God.  At the recent “Hope for Israel” conference, I can truly admit that I was moved to tears during the worship; it's a long time since that has happened.

Thank you so much.  Be blessed,

Leonie R

Upcoming Titles in this Series

- 30 Days to Ignite Your Praise and Deepen Your Worship

- What Happens When Jesus Shows Up

- How to Praise Your Way Through a Crisis

- How to Ignite Your Prayers With Praise and Worship

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Essence of Hebrew Worship

Hebrew Worship is Bible-based

The Preeminent Scripture on Hebrew Worship

Hebrew Worship is Expressive

Hebrew Worship is Passionate

Hebrew Worship is Cultural

Hebrew Worship is Cross-cultural

Hebrew Worship is Eternal

Conclusion

My Life is Worship

BONUS CONTENT!

How to Share This Book

About the Author

About the Publisher

Endorsements