Intelligent Worship -- Thank God -- Part 8

 Intelligent Worship brings us into the presence of God. Part 8.

While I am writing these at the rate of one a day, you who get these in an email will only receive one per week; so as not to overwhelm. Should you choose to read binge them, they're here.

Thanking God is something believers do every day throughout our day. It is not reserved for a set time nor a set day. We do not wait until the calendar rolls around to the third Thursday of November (here in the US of A). 

We are thankful when we wake up, even before our eyes open or we rise up to greet the new day given us. We have thankful hearts for the mercies of God in our everyday lives. But most of all, like many other born again Christians around this globe, we are thankful for God's neverending grace.

We are thankful that God has chosen us to be His, that we accepted His offer of grace through His Son Jesus Christ, and that now He sends us out to spread/share this same gospel of grace with other people who need to hear and receive it just like we needed to hear and receive it.

2 Corinthians 2:14

But thanks be to God, who always leads us triumphantly as captives in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.

Romans 6:16-18

Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness? 

But thanks be to God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were committed.

You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

Being thankful to God is God's will for His people. It is impossible to be angry when we're thanking God. It's like biting one's own face. Impossible.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

The words we speak and the actions we take in any given situation, whether at home, at work, at school; in public, in private, unspoken are to be undertaken in the Name of the Lord Jesus, thanking God for one more opportunity to represent Him and share His grace with those around us.

Colossians 3:17

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. 

Is this easy? No. Can we do it? Yes. If we remember to not allow ourselves to be so easily frustrated with the world around us. Even if others cannot hear us, God can. Even if others do not see us, God can. We are accountable to God for how we think and how we behave. And while we are not accountable to the world, we are held accountable to each other for how we represent Christ to the world. 

Intelligent Worship -- Praise God -- Part 7

 There are 12 parts to this series. Praising God is Part 7.

PRAISE GOD

(NLT) Psalm 68:8

Praise God, all you people of Israel; praise the LORD, the source of Israel’s life. 

PRAISE: The word 'praise' in this verse is from the Hebrew word 'barak' (pronounced baw-rak'), meaning to kneel down or lie prostrate before, whether one is on bended knee or laying flat in honor to the LORD God. Also, means 'bless'. 

The words 'praise, praising, praised' are used 303 times in the Scriptures. There are seven basic words of praise to know.

1. Barak: to kneel or bow down, to lie prostrate on the ground
2. Halal: to shine clearly, radiate
3. TeHillah: song of praise, a hymn
4. Shabach: to shout triumphantly
5. Towdah: choir of worshipers, sacrifice of praise
6. Yadah: hold out or lift up hands
7. Zamar: to make music, either by hand or musical instrument

I'll give you seven basic Scriptures, each one referencing one of these praise words.

1. Barak: Judges 5:2 "Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves."
2. Halal: Psalm 63:5 "My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise Thee with joyful lips."
3. TeHillah: Jeremiah 17:14 "Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, For You are my praise."
4. Shabach: Psalm 63:3 "Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise Thee."
5. Towdah: Jeremiah 33:11 "The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise (yadah) the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for His mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD."
6. Yadah: Genesis 29:35 "And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing."
7. Zamar: Psalm 21:13 "Be exalted, O LORD, in Your strength; we will sing and praise Your power." 

Psalm 150 is one of the smaller psalms but worth remembering. The word 'praise' is used three times in the first verse and twice in each of the next five verses. This word 'praise' is the word 'halal', which means to shine. When we enter the presence of the LORD with our praise and worship, we shine because we are so filled with JOY for our GOD that we cannot help but shine! We love to be in His presence! 

Psalm 145:1 "David's Psalm of praise. I will extol Thee, my God, O King; and I will bless Thy Name for ever and ever." 

Extol: exalt, lift up

Bless: Barak: kneel or bow down

These are words that are easily committed to memory, especially if you've studied the Word time and again like I have. I'm one of those people that has to know what a word means in order to use it properly. Not only is my concordance close by, but my dictionary is a fingertip away. And the Holy Spirit of God is always with me, leading me and guiding me into the deeper truths of God's Word, revealing a little bit more each day. 

Do you love to be in God's presence? If not, what are you going to do to change that attitude? Now is the time to repent of our sins to God, to ask His forgiveness, to allow the Holy Spirit to move in our hearts and bring us into God's saving grace through God's only begotten Son Jesus Christ. 

Yes, this message has been preached by many for a couple thousand years. But our timetable is not God's timetable. When He's ready to bring His church, His people, up from the earth, I hope whoever is reading this is included. 

A. Acknowledge that we are sinners

B. Believe in our hearts that Jesus Christ is God's only begotten Son, that He died on the cross for our sins, and that He rose from the dead and walked out of the grave

C. Confess out loud that Jesus Christ is Lord

Heavenly Father,

I confess my sins to You. I acknowledge that my way of living has violated Your Word and I ask that You forgive me. I believe that Your Son Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins, that He rose from the dead and walked out of the grave. I recognize my need for salvation through the blood of Jesus and that I need Your Holy Spirit to empower me to become the me You see and not the me I am. 

Thank You, Father, for saving me, for forgiving my wicked ways and for giving me Your Holy Spirit. Lead me and guide me in Your Word as I read it daily. Give me understanding as You fill me with Your wisdom. 

In Jesus' Precious and Holy Name, Amen.

Intelligent Worship -- Honor God -- Part 6

 Intelligent Worship Brings Us Into The Presence of God. We Honor God. 

How do we Honor God? 

Proverbs 3:9

Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your harvest. 

In the Berean Study Bible the word 'wealth' is used. In the King James Version, the word 'substance' is used. In the New King James Version it says 'possessions'. They all mean the same thing. 

The word 'harvest' can also mean 'crops, income, revenue.' What do we learn from this? God requires us to willingly and obediently give Him the first portion of our income. We call this tithing. 

Leviticus 27:30, 32 “One-tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain from the fields or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD and must be set apart to him as holy. --- Every tenth animal from the herd or flock that passes under the shepherd’s rod will be holy to the LORD." 

This is where we get that ten percent that we give to our church. A mere fraction of what God has given us. But we don't have to stop at just one tenth of our income. When the Spirit moves over the heart, we become more generous with our wealth, our possessions, our income. This is called a "Love Offering" and can be given to one's church and/or given as a donation into another's ministry: such as Missionary Support, or a nonprofit that also honors God with their works. 

How else do we Honor God? 

Malachi 3:16

At that time those who feared the LORD spoke with one another, and the LORD listened and heard them. So a scroll of remembrance was written before Him regarding those who feared the LORD and honored His name.

We Honor God's Name when we think about Him. Philippians 4:8 tells us how to think about God:

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Psalm 10:4

The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

Psalm 20:7

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

Psalm 94:19

In the multitude of my thoughts (anxieties) within me Thy comforts delight my soul.

First we see the results of not thinking, not honoring, God with our thoughts. Then we see that as a result of thinking about God, we remember His Name in our troubles and He comforts us with Himself. 

The Lord Is, indeed, My Shepherd. 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,  for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

How do we Honor God with our bodies? 

Romans 12:1, 2 is a good place to start.

Therefore I exhort you, brothers, through the compassions of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy to God, well-pleasing, which is your reasonable (logical) service. 

And do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, for you to prove what is the good and well-pleasing and perfect will of God. 

Here we learn that we are to give more than mere possessions and the wealth of our bank accounts; we are to give God our bodies: willingly, obediently to His service. When we do this, and we may have to do it often for we fail Him at times, we give God all of what makes us who we are. 

We Honor God when we give Him our talents and abilities, the very things He has blessed us with and created within us. We Honor God when we give Him our desires, our self-will and our me attitude. These things get converted into His desires, His will and embrace His mercies into our thoughts that our attitudes submit obediently to His Word. 

His Word is Honest, Faithful, True. His Word is Alive. His Word fills our souls and overflows within us. His Word strengthens us in our weaknesses. His Word. We Honor God when we read His Word, study His Word, take His Word into our hearts and minds and souls. We Honor God when we believe His Word, trust His Word, embrace His Word. 

We Honor God with the works of our hands. We Honor God with our feet, choosing wise destinations. We Honor God with our eyes, endeavoring to see what He wants us to see. We Honor God with our ears, hearing and listening to only what glorifies Him. We Honor God with our every being, reaching out to Him and following close behind Him, that we not lose our way. 

We Honor God. And God is glorified with our honor. 

Intelligent Worship -- Follow God -- Part 5

 

FOLLOW: Walk after, go with, accompany

Deuteronomy 13:4

"My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand  upholds me."

FOLLOW: Cleave to, cling, keep close

Psalm 63:8

"My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me."

WALK: Walk after, go with, accompany

Isaiah 30:21

"And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left."

WALK: Conduct my life. walk around, comprehensively

2 John 1:6

"And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it."

Sounds easy, doesn't it? But to walk the walk and talk the talk of being Christian is anything but easy. In point of fact, it's going to be the hardest thing we will ever do. And we can't do this by ourselves. We need God's Holy Spirit to empower us with the ability to not only say "No", but follow through with our actions and not do the things that would separate us from our walk with God. 

We just need to Trust God and Believe that God Is and that God's Word is Faithful and True. Then like the psalmist says, we can follow close behind the LORD God. That phrase "follow close behind" means 'stuck like glue'. Think of our walk with God as being superglued to His Word. Nothing comes between us. 

Are we following closely after God? When we make time with God a priority in our lives on a daily basis and do so out of a loving heart, a desire to please God, then following God becomes a habit. Once a habit is formed solidly that habit becomes harder to break. I want that habit. Don't you?

Intelligent Worship -- Worship God -- Part 4

 

Here we are on Part 4 of our Intelligent Worship Series. You get them in the order I was given them by the Spirit: all of are equal value in our study Intelligent Worship. 

DON'T WORSHIP OTHER (manmade) GODS

Exodus 23:24-25

You shall not bow down to worship their gods, nor serve them, nor do [anything] in accordance with their practices. You shall completely overthrow them and break down their [sacred] pillars and images [of pagan worship]. You shall serve [only] the LORD your God, and He shall bless your bread and water. I will also remove sickness from among you. 

WORSHIP GOD and none other. We have already read that God's name is Jealous. He desires our worship. When we worship God, we are acknowledging that only He Is God and that all that we have comes from Him, even the air we breathe and how we breathe it. 
We can cross reference this passage with Exodus 20:1-6 where God gives the Ten Commandments to Moses. While verses one and two are God reminding us Who He Is, verses 3-6 are the First Commandment: Worship God and none other.

1. And God spoke all these words:
2. “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
3. You shall have no other gods before Me.
4. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath.
5. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
6. but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Psalm 29:2 tells us to "Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." Psalm 113:3 reminds us "From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD'S name is to be praised." Worship of God should be ever in our hearts (gratitude attitude) and on our lips. 

You and I like to be praised for what we do. Why are you surprised that God likes to be praised? "The LORD inhabits (dwells, lives in) the praises of His people." (Psalm 22:3 "But You are holy, O You that inhabits the praises of Israel." Other versions use the word "sit" or "enthroned upon". Knowing God is not limited by time or space we know He is not limited to just dwelling on our praises. We can consider our praises to be one of His thrones, for He has a few. 

WORSHIP GOD ONLY

Matthew 4:10

Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.’”

 Deuteronomy 6:13

Fear the LORD your God, serve Him only, and take your oaths in His name.

1 Samuel 7:3

Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, "If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and Ashtoreths among you, prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only. And He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines."

Isaiah 30:22

So you will desecrate your silver-plated idols and your gold-plated images. You will throw them away like menstrual cloths, saying to them, "Be gone!"

Joshua 24:14

Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve the LORD.

Pretty plain and vivid speaking here, wouldn't you say? If we put anything or anyone else first in our lives instead of God, His wrath and His judgments will fall on us, too. Other gods are not always idols, sometimes it's ideologies (doctrine, myth, belief that guides a person or the society in which they live) or cultures (civilization, education) or traditions (that's the way we've always done it mentality). 

When we put what we want ahead of what God wants for us, then we are making ourselves gods and serving our needs and desires instead of His. That's not right. We can justify our argument all we want but we're still wrong in our decision process. 

1 Samuel 12:14-15

If you will fear the LORD and serve Him and obey His voice and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, and if both you and the king (governmental authority) who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God, it will be well. 

But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you and your king.

Nobody speaks plainer than God. As Joshua wrote, "And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)

As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Intelligent Worship -- Know God -- Part 3

 Our first reference for knowing God comes from King David who is giving his son Solomon wise advice.

1 Chronicles 28:9

“And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever."

The first sage piece of advice the incumbent king gives to the incoming king is to Know God. It is not enough to know God Is, we must also seek Who He Is and Know how God wants to be known. 

The second reference is in Psalms and could very well have been written by David, as well. The author lies in obscurity as not all psalms are written by David. But the wisdom proffered remains just as true today as it did thousands of years ago.

Psalm 100:3

Know you that the LORD He is God: it is He that has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

As the LORD God told Moses when He first called him into service, His name Is IAMTHATIAM. God created all people everywhere for Himself. Unfortunately not all people everywhere choose God as their God. God creates because He loves, especially people. We don't create ourselves: all life comes from God. Whether we have been created in the womb or the lab. 

We are His sheep and He Is Our Shepherd. David penned in Psalm 23:1 "The LORD Is My Shepherd." And Jesus stated in John 10:11 "“I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep." 

Our last reference is in John 17:3, Jesus says, "And this is life eternal, that they might know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent."

While many people, even Biblical scholars, consider Matthew 6:9-13 to be The Lord's Prayer, this passage is an example of how to pray that Jesus gave to His disciples and other followers during His sermon on the mount. However, the prayer Jesus Himself prays in the presence of His disciples just before He is arrested is what I consider to be the Lord's prayer, for He prayed for a people not yet born whom God would give Him and that would become born again through the ministry of His disciples. He prayed for me. And He prayed for you.  

Do you know the only True God? Have you believed yet that there is only One True God and that He loves you? These questions can only be answered by your heart. 

Intelligent Worship -- Seek God -- Part 2

 Now that we recognize the Authority of the One True God, we earnestly desire to know Him better, so we Seek Him out, craving with all our hearts to hear His voice more clearly, that we may understand His Word more readily.

Isaiah 55:6

Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.

Matthew 6:33

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Luke 11:9-10

So I tell you: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 

In Isaiah 55 it is the Lord God Who is speaking. From verse one all the way through, we read and hear the Lord God speaking to us: from the promise to the warning to the reward. 

The Lord God will not always be found for one day He will not only pull His church from the face of the earth, but His Holy Spirit will leave, too. He will be sought by many who waited to long to surrender their hearts and their decision to believe in Him will be at the cost of their lives. 

Revelation 14:14-20

They who do not take the mark of the beast will be made to suffer and be killed for their decision. Many will refuse to take it and not still not believe the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. But those people who do believe will be added to the growing list of martyrs whose names are written in the Book of Life (Revelation 17:6). 

You know, once you start reading Revelation it's really hard to stop. Seeking the Lord is fulfilling to the heart and the spirit of me, as it surely and hopefully is to you, too. 

David wrote in Psalm 34:8 "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!" To 'taste' here means 'to perceive, to know, to examine by tasting' in small quantities at a time to the goodness of the Lord. 

Synonyms for 'taste': Perceive, Discern, Savor (upon the {spiritual} tongue); Understanding, Desire, Heart; Appreciate, Have Knowledge Of. 

When I seek God, I want to know more than I already know. I started studying deeply before I became a minister of the Word. Just reading my Bible every day wasn't enough: I had to know, I craved the meat of the Word because I was growing up in Him exponentially. I still am. Some days I run, some days I walk, but every day I am in the Word. It is as much a part of me as breathing is. 

Philippians 1:20-21

I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have complete boldness so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. or to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Intelligent Worship -- One God -- Part 1

      Before we can worship God we have to recognize that there is but One God and that God is the God of the Holy Bible. He is the God of all creation: the heavens: the stars, the moons, the planets, the suns, the galaxies, the black holes, the comets, the milky way, the asteroids and every other thing up in the universes. God is the God of the earth and everything in it, on it, under it, above it; including people. 

Genesis 1 and 2 tell us in some detail exactly how our planet came about and where we, as people, originate. And why. 

Recognizing that God Is, we also come to the logical and reasonable conclusion that there is only One God, as His Word says.

Exodus 34:14

For you must not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

Deuteronomy 4:39

Know therefore this day and take to heart that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other.

1 Corinthians 8:6

But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him.

Ephesians 4:4-6

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

In addition to these listed there are so many more Bible passages declaring not only that there is One God but WHO GOD IS. One must merely set aside some time each day to read The Word of God. And when merely reading is no longer enough, we will find ourselves seeking God's Wisdom for understanding what we're reading, digging deeper into His Word to find nuggets of wisdom to apply to our lives. 

Plus, thoughtful prayer times must be initiated. It is impossible to know God deeper without knowing what His voice sounds like in your heart. 

Intelligent Worship Series -- Intro

 Intelligent Worship brings us into the presence of God. There are 12 parts to this series, plus this introduction. 

What do we see when we enter the presence of God? John, in the Spirit, saw an emerald rainbow around the throne of God. Emeralds come in just about every color known, so while many envision a green bow around the throne, I see so much more. 

 

--John heard a voice like a trumpet speak to him. 

Revelation 4:1

After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. 

--John saw a throne and someone sitting on it.

Revelation 4:2

And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

--John saw the radiance and could only describe what he saw in colors he knew.

Revelation 4:3

And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. 

Ezekiel saw so much when he entered the eternal presence of God that I can only list a couple of them here.

--Ezekiel was always in the presence of God, for the Word came to him. 

Ezekiel 1:3

The Word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him.

--Ezekiel saw a sapphire throne.

Ezekiel 10:1

Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.

--Isaiah saw the Lord on His throne.

Isaiah 6:1

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 

Isaiah saw and heard the worshiping seraphim and instantly repented.

Isaiah 6:2-6

--Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord.

Isaiah 6:8

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

--Daniel saw the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man together.

Daniel 7:9-14

Many are the wondrous things to see in the presence of God, not the least of which is the Lord God Himself! Intelligent worship brings us into the presence of God, but it won't keep us there. For there is much work to be done before our day arrives to be there permanently with Him. 

Until then we will read and re-read all the gloriousness of being in God's presence. 

Adam had it, then he lost it. That can happen to us, too, if we're not careful. Let us watch and pray, therefore, that our testimony may be perfect when we see God.