Thanks Be To God - - Sing His Praise For His Salvation & Deliverance

 

Psalm 106:47

Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto Your holy name, and to triumph in Your praise.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 3467

Save: yasha (pronounced yaw-shah') means (in this context): deliver (this word occurs 206 times in the Old Testament Scriptures); is sometimes rendered: help, defend, liberate

*Strong's Ex. Conc. 3034

Thanks: yadah (pronounced yaw-daw') means:  to confess, to glorify, to give praise while throwing one's hands or arms up. (occurs 114 times in Scripture)

*Strong's Ex. Conc. 7623

Triumph:  shabach (pronounced shaw-bakh') means: laud, praise God (occurs 11 times in, 8 of which refer to God or God's power Scripture)

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 8416

Praise: tehillah (pronounced teh-hil-law') means: 'song of praise', adoration, thanksgiving, laud, hymn (occurs 57 times in Scripture)

Only The LORD God can save/liberate/help a person stuck in sin. 

We can be relatively good people our whole lives and not be saved. We can go to church/temple and not be saved. Whether we sing contemporary worship songs or traditional hymns, just singing these songs of praise will not save us. We can grow up in loving homes surrounded by the Word of God being shared in our homes and our churches, yet, still not be saved from the consequences and punishment of our sins. 

We will never be 'good enough' to get to heaven on our own merits. God says our self-righteousness is comparable to filthy rags:

Isaiah 64:5, 6 "You welcome those who gladly do right, who remember Your ways. Surely You were angry, for we sinned. How can we be saved if we remain in our sins? Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind."

When we do our own thing and not the LORD's thing, that's sin. 

Isaiah 53:6

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Not just some of us, either, but ALL of US.

Romans 3:23

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

How can we Triumph in His praise when we have nothing to be triumphant about when we continue to live a life that is displeasing to God? We can't. All those praise and worship songs coming out of our mouths are just noise. God can't hear your worship because you're not His people. 

God's people are saved by God's grace. Did you hear me? GOD's People are SAVED by GOD's GRACE. This salvation is our Inner Garment, a Righteous Robe that covers our soul (Romans 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh); a Crown of Life (James 1:12); a Crown of Righteousness  (2 Timothy 4:8); a Crown of Glory (1 Peter 5:4);   a Crown of Glory & Honor (Psalm 8:5 and  Hebrews 2:7). We are, according to 1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvellous light."

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 703

Praises: arete (pronounced ar-et'-ay), which means: moral excellences, goodness, uprightness, virtue which is displayed to enrich life

Dear God,

You are God and there is no other god before You. You are holy. You are faithful. You keep Your promises. You are the God who saves and delivers. You have saved me out of all my transgressions, my iniquities and my sins. Sin still tries to drag me down, but, You, O God, have saved me from the miryness of sin's clutches. 

Your grace is my covering. Your love is my adornment. Your salvation is my armor. Your wisdom resides in my heart. Your Word is my Light, my Song, my Hope, my Everything. 

Thank You, Father, for saving a wretch like me. For sending Your Son to die in my place and for raising Him from the grave, the First of us to do that. Thank You, Father, for all Your many mercies and blessings on me, Your child, Your servant, Your friend. You call me friend. And I am content. 

And, now, I thank You, God, for what You are doing in the hearts and lives of my families and friends. For though we are born into one family, we gain many more along the way on this journey. Thank You for saving and delivering my many families, my friends, the strangers whom I encounter, they who declare themselves my enemies. 

Thank You for pouring out Your Holy Spirit into our hearts and lives that we may live empowered lives which draw people to You and cause us to be bold, loving witnesses of Your grace.

To You be all glory, honor and praise.

In Jesus' Priceless Name, I pray,
Amen

 

 

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.