The Fear of The Lord Is -Part 6- Clean

    Psalm 19:9

The fear of The LORD is clean, enduring forever.

    The fear of The Lord is clean. It is pure and undefiled. It is uncontaminated. It is innocent and holy. 

    This fear is incorruptible. It is a sanctified fear, a set apart from all others, fear. This fear of The Lord draws us near to God and not far away from God. 

    This fear of The Lord endures forever. Forever is a really long time. A time, in fact, without end: eternally. This enduring fear of The Lord is linked to its being clean, holy, pure, sanctified. For we know that God Is Holy and that He is Eternal. Therefore, the fear of The Lord is eternal.  

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    It is impossible to worship God with an unclean heart, with a heart that lives for self and selfish desires. Our hearts must be filled with the fear of The Lord, with a reverent awe of how much God loves each of us. We should be excited to be in His presence, not scared to death to be in His presence. 

    Fear of retribution for the sins we have committed against Him is an honest fear to have, but it is not the whole fear. Dreading judgment for unrepentant sins brings us to the altar (hopefully) to repent of our wicked actions and evil words. Gladness of redemption brings us to our knees to adore and love on Him with our hands/arms raised, or brought low to prostrate ourselves before Him. This is the fear of The Lord.

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    The fear of The Lord brings us into faithful covenance with our God. It keeps us near His Word through His Spirit, Who nudges and whispers reminders of what is right and holy; a discerning Word given when needed to propel us into the arms of God. We say we have only our hearts to give, when actually God wants our hearts, our minds, our lives. 

    In our hearts, Christ Lives via the power of The Holy Spirit. In our minds Christ dwells, that our thoughts may focus on Him. In our lives, God's power of Grace is constantly transforming, causing us to change and be more like Jesus day by day. 

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    The fear of The Lord in the life of a born-again believer sweeps over our souls, wiping away the last vestiges of sin, the fading shadows of what had once kept us out of His presence are now filled with The Light of His Love and The Holiness of His Word. It wipes away every stain and every blot from the bride's garment of holiness. This fear of The Lord is Grace and Mercy: the purification process by which God is purifying the believer's heart and mind and soul. 

    Is this fear evident in our lives? I hope so. I am keenly aware that this fear of The Lord is active in me. 

      

The Color of Worship - Dark Green, Emerald

 

    Revelation 4:3 The One seated there looked like jasper and carnelian, and a rainbow that gleamed like an emerald encircled the throne. 

    The darker the shade of green in an emerald, the more valuable it is. Shaded or lighter colored emeralds are usually referred to as beryl, not emerald.  

We are used to seeing cut emeralds,

 but imagine, if you will, an emerald rainbow. Many Christian artists have attempted this, some known (Botticelli, Dore, Chagall), most unknown. 

Ezekiel 1:28

The appearance of the brilliant light all around Him was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of The LORD. And when I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking. 

    The closer we get to the living presence of God, the deeper our walk, the stronger our covenanted relationship is with Him. The emerald rainbow surrounding God's throne is reminiscent of the covenant He instituted in Genesis 9:12-16, in which He created a rainbow and set it in the first heaven: the sky and the clouds. 

    The emerald is the fourth stone in the ephod of the priestly garment. While there is much conjecture as to which tribe it represents, the Bible states that the names of the sons of Jacob are engraved on each in the order of their birth, read from right to left. Therefore, emerald represents the tribe of Naphtali, Jacob's fourth son. Also, in Revelation 21:19, the fourth foundation of the new Jerusalem's walls is covered in emeralds. 

    Psalm 52:8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. Here emerald green testifies of trust in God's mercy because I have made God my Refuge, not material wealth and possessions (verse 7). Emerald green here is Abundant Living through Faith in God; a deep, expansive life in The Tree of Life: Jesus Christ. 

    

    

Psalm 33: 1-3

 

Psalm 33:3

Rejoice in The LORD, O righteous ones; it is fitting for the upright to praise Him. 

Philippians 4:4

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Psalm 5:11

But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them ever shout for joy. May You shelter them, that those who love Your name may rejoice in You. 

Psalm 32:11

Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous ones; shout for joy, all you upright in heart. 

Psalm 33:2

Praise The LORD with the harp;

Make music to Him with ten strings.

Psalm 43:4

Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my greatest joy. I will praise You with the harp, O God, my God.

I love the sound of the harp. It flows over me like a waterfall of melody.

Psalm 33:3

Sing to Him a new song: Play skillfully with a shout of joy.

Psalm 40:3

He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in The LORD.

Psalm 98:4

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth--let your cry ring out, and sing praises! 

The word 'praise' is used quite a few hundred times in The Holy Bible and can be translated at least seven different ways. 

Sometimes the word 'praise' means to sing (halal), kneel (barak); yadah (to throw your hands out in front of you or to raise hands/arms), zamar (make music), shabach (shout); towdah (choir of singers); tehillah (hymn or song). 

When we let The Spirit lead us in studying God's Word, we allow Him to teach us how to worship God the way God wants us to worship Him. 

HE PUT A NEW SONG  - Marty Nystrom, Integrity Music

A Crucified Life - - Answers The Call to Worship The Lord

 

    Psalm 96:9

O Worship The LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before Him, all the earth.

    1 Chronicles 16:21

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering and come before Him. Worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness.

    2 Chronicles 20:21

Then Jehoshaphat consulted with the people and appointed those who would sing to the LORD and praise the splendor of His holiness. As they went out before the army, they were singing: "Give thanks to the LORD, for His loving devotion endures forever."

    Psalm 95:6

O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. 

    Matthew 2:2

Saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him.

    Adoration. Loving devotion. Worship. God wants our worship. He tells us His Name is Jealous (Exodus 34:14) and that what He desires is for us to choose to adore Him. He commands His people to worship Him above all other gods, for the gods of this world are nothing (Exodus 20:1-6). 

    Come, let us worship The LORD our God in the beauty of His holiness. Let us clap our hands and shout! to The Lord (Psalm 47:1). Let us kneel down (Psalm 95:6). Let us raise our hands (Psalm 28:2; 1 Timothy 2:8). Let us play our musical instruments for Him (Psalm 98:5,6). 

CALLED TO WORSHIP

Come Let Us Worship & Bow Down - Steffany Gretzinger

Forever I Run - Elevation Worship

Here I Am To Worship - Israel Houghton 

Let It Rise - William Murphy

Worthy of It All - CeCe Winans

Only You Are Holy/Agnus Dei - Donnie McClurkin

LION - Elevation Worship

In The Beauty of Holiness - Robin Mark

Because of Who You Are - Vicki Yohe

Revelation Song - Chris Tomlin & Kari Jobe

Holy Is The Lamb - Oleta Adams

Adoration - Newsboys

Guard Your Heart - - Guard Your Marriage

 

Malachi 2:15

Has not the LORD made them one, having a portion of the Spirit? And why one? Because He seeks godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. 

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 898

Break Faith: to deal treacherously with, betray, deceive

From the Hebrew word 'bagad' (pronounced baw-gad'): to be unfaithful, to depart.

    Before the flood the sons of God, the men who followed God, turned from God's ways and God's Word to go after the daughters of men, men who worshiped gods they had created. They polluted themselves and their worship was unacceptable to God. They brought destruction on themselves and their families by bringing idolatry into their tents, their homes. 

    They were unfaithful to both God and to their wives. For it is God who ordains the marriage covenant having set it up from the beginning. God created Adam. Then from Adam God created Eve. This joined them together: bone of his bone, flesh of his flesh. Created from a rib near Adam's heart was Eve. Her he would love forever. He loved her so much he disobeyed God when he, too, ate from the forbidden tree. He was unfaithful to God and by disobeying God, Adam was unfaithful to Eve, as well. Who knows how God would have reacted had it been only Eve who disobeyed. 

    We, as God's peculiar people, set apart for Himself, set apart in His love by His love, are to be faithful to God, to His Word in His Spirit. We, the born again believers, the church, the saved Gentiles and the saved Jews, are created in Christ to be the bride of the bridegroom. And in this union we are to create godly offspring: by our witness and our testimony other people will hear the Word we speak, see the works which we do, and glorify God by coming into this union as well. What a miracle of Life that is! Life Eternal. 

    Unfaithfulness begins in the eye. Genesis 6:2 "That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose." Men of God, men who were serving the Lord, took their eyes off of the God who chose them to be His people and turned their eyes to women who served created gods, gods created by their fathers; they married them and had children with them. They broke faith with the God of their people and whored themselves out to the gods of other people. 

    As God's people, faithfulness is required of us. In our hearts, in our homes/families, in our churches/sanctuaries we are to honor God. We are meant to be different from the world, separated from the way in which the world works (1 Peter 2:9). We are created to worship God and Him only (Exodus 20:1-6). We worship with our hearts, with our spirit, with our bodies (Romans 12:1, 2). 

    Our eyes are to be focused on His Word. Our ears are to be open to His voice. Our hands are to do His work. Our feet are to walk in His way. Our hearts are to be filled with His love, to operate in the Love of God: forgiving even when forgiveness is not asked for or seems to be beyond the scope of forgiveness: for we who know we have been forgiven much by our God must genuinely forgive those who have sinned against us. 

    We worship God with everything we have within us for HE IS OUR GOD and there is no room for any other in our hearts. The LORD joys over His people with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). The LORD delights in the people who fear (revere) Him. We take refuge in The LORD GOD (Psalm 91:1, 2). 

    Psalm 128 tells us that a man who fears the Lord will be blessed in honoring and loving his wife. Their children will be many and the LORD will bless them from Zion, from the hill of His sanctuary, from the mountain of blessings God will bless the man who fears Him and remains faithful in his heart and his life to his God and his wife. 

    Let our eyes not wander, nor our hearts, that we may be found of the LORD in His Word, walking in the Way of Holiness and living a righteous life in His Spirit. 

LET THIS HEART NOT WANDER by Young Oceans

MADE FOR JESUS by John Mark Pantana

I AM YOUR BELOVED by Jonathan David Helser, Melissa Helser

MY REFUGE by Rivers & Robots

IN YOUR MIDST by Allie Paige

ABIDE IN ME by Andrew Marcus

    

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.

Good Morning Praise God with the Harp

 

PRAISE GOD WITH THE HARP

Psalm 43:4

Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my greatest joy. I will praise You with the harp, O God, my God. 

In this verse the psalmist recognizes several things:

1. God Is

2. God has an altar (a place of worship)

3. Going to God's altar is a joyful thing 

4. God likes music

5. God is the personal God (my God)

6. The psalmist emphasizes to God that God is his God

Are we recognizing God and declaring that He is our God? Are we worshiping God at His altar? the way He wants to be worshiped? 

Come, Worship the Lord

 In The Beauty of Holiness 

Psalm 29:2
Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

 

As the wise men did who came to see the Baby King, who first actions on entering His home were to kneel before Him and worship Him. And, yes, being fully God and fully man, I believe Jesus knew why they were kneeling. 

The English word worship comes from the Hebraic word shachah (shaw-khaw') which means to bow down, to kneel, to prostrate one's self to. It is used 172 times in the Old Testament. One of these verses mirrors the verse given today: Psalm 96:9 "O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth."

So, I asked the Lord for a Word for this new year and I got more than I asked for.

Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

Stand. See. Ask. It is this word ASK that is important. For when we ask a question, we expect to be given an answer. Many times it is not the answer we want so we ignore the answer given. But God says to LISTEN.

LISTEN as defined by dictionary.com

We are to Ask God, Hear  God's answer(s), and follow God's directions. That's LISTENING.

Waiting to hear from God also requires Listening for that still small voice. It is not enough to Listen for God's voice if we don't know what God's voice sounds like. And how do we know God's voice? Open our Bibles and spend time with Him in the Word He has written. Seek His face in prayer time with Him. After all it takes at least two people to have a genuine conversation. When it comes to prayer, the other person must be GOD; otherwise we're just talking to ourselves. 

The universe does not answer prayer. Sending your requests out into 'the universe' isn't going to do you any good. Neither Allah nor Buddha nor any other created god can hear you, answer you, love you nor die to save you. Only GOD. 

Therefore, we should turn to God in prayer. Not just seeking what He has for us in the day we are given, but seeking His face in all its glory and drawing near to Him just to be with Him. 

When we are in a romantic relationship with another person, do we separate ourselves from each other? Do we speak to others but not each other? That's not a relationship, that's not even a friendship. God desires our nearness, which is why He draws near to us. He is ever reaching out for close companionship with His people. 

Let us draw near to God at the foot of the cross and the empty grave. For it is here that we begin to hear His voice more clearly.

  

Gifts of The Wise Men

 

GIFTS OF THE WISE MEN

Matthew 2:11

On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Most of the time only the material gifts are mentioned when people speak of the gifts the wise men brought. But gold, frankincense and myrrh are not the only gifts. 

The first gift given the newborn King is worship. It is the same type of worship Satan demanded for himself when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness. It is the same type of worship that Jesus refuted Satan with by quoting Scripture at him. (see Matthew 4:9-10)

Worship - to prostrate one's self in homage, to bend one's knees to; the willingness to do so. 

To worship is to willingly kneel or fully prostrate one's self in adoration to a superior, usually a king or deity. 

Where is our gift to the King? Where is our worship? Why aren't we willingly falling onto our knees in adoration? Have you seen Him? Do you know Jesus? 

Not everyone who falls to their knees will do so willingly. Isaiah 45:22-24  "Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By Myself I have sworn; truth has gone out from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow before Me, every tongue will swear allegiance. Surely they will say of Me, ‘In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength.’ ” All who rage against Him will come to Him and be put to shame." 

A Scripture which Paul repeated when he wrote to the church in Rome: Romans 14:11 "It is written: “As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess to God.” Why will every knee bow? Philippians 2:9-11 "Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." 

Why? Two reasons. We will acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord and God will receive glory. Some will kneel willingly and remain with God and Christ in heaven. Some will not. 

Will you kneel willingly? Will you kneel now?

Unacceptable Worship

Some studies are harder to teach than others, but I believe those are the ones that need to be reinforced the most. Such is this. 
Hosea 8:13-14

Tho they offer sacrifices given to Me, and eat the meat, the LORD does not accept them. Now, He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins: they will return to Egypt.

Israel has forgotten his Maker, and built palaces; 

Judah has multiplied its fortified cities.

But I will send fire upon their cities,

and consume their citadels.

     Hosea is the story of God wooing Israel back to Him, but they refused time and again to return and be faithful. And the consequences of not choosing God over their idols and idol worship. Though the telling of this seems to be in the past, the Word of God is alive and speaks to us even now, if we will only listen. 

     We must turn from the wickedness of following after things that are not of God and turn back to God and follow Him. He leads us through His precious Holy Word when we faithfully seek Him out and ask Him to reveal Himself in His Word: Daily. 

     Choosing to follow God the Way He wants us to follow Him is an act of Love for Him and Service to Him. It is a choice each of us must make on an individual basis, though the promise is for all who turn away from idolatry and wickedness, it is also for the individual who makes a life-changing choice to be obedient to God, regardless of the cost to himself or herself. 

     Verse 13 reinforces this when God says, I will not accept your worship. You only think you are worshiping Me, but I see your heart, I know the intent thereof, and you worship what you see and hear, but you do not worship Me. Therefore, the worship you think you are giving Me is unacceptable to Me. 

      Verse 14 reminds us that when we build to strengthen ourselves militarily, we are not putting our trust in God to defend us. Everything we do to protect, defend, resist our enemies will come to nothing. It is God who is Defender. It is God who is Protector. It is God who will fight our battles when we place our trust in Him. 

    But when our trust is in our own strength, we will fail. When we refuse to place our trust in Him time after time, it is God who will judge us with fire and nothing shall remain. 

    Now is not the time to be self-centered and pigheaded. Now is the time to surrender our hearts to God and submit to His will on our lives. Now is the time to repent of our sins, and seek His face and His forgiveness for the things we have done against His Word. 

    Now is the time. Not later. Later is not promised. To morrow is not promised. Now is not promised. 

NOTHING ELSE (song)

Count Your Blessings, Name Them One By One

God blesses us with so many blessings on a daily basis that we can only try to number them when we give thanks. What we lack in memory we make up for in praise and worship and thanksgiving. But if we could 'count our blessings and name them one by one', where would we start? With number one, of course.

1. Thank You, God, for Who You Are.
2. Thank You, God, for creating me.
3. Thank You, God, for loving me.
4. Thank You, God, for saving me.
5. Thank You, God, for calling me to serve You.
6. Thank You, God, for air to breathe, eyes to see, ears to hear.
7. Thank You, God, for how my body works to serve Your purpose.
8. Thank You, God, for blessing me with a godly husband.
9. Thank You, God, for blessing me with a good family, but even more that my family chooses to honor You. 
10. Thank You, God, for the blessing of children in our home.
11. Thank You, God, for blessing me with a faithful, faith-filled church family, who show by their example what it means to be the Bride of Christ according to Your Word.
12. Thank You, God, for giving me Your Holy Spirit to lead me and guide me through Your Word all the days of my life.
13. Thank You, God, for both answered and unanswered prayer. For choosing what is best for me in the long run, the enduring run. 
14. Thank You, God, for saving our children, giving them a desire to know You better, love You more, serve You faithfully and with an overwhelming joy.
15. Thank You, God, for strong friendships that withstand the test of time.
16. Thank You, God, for beautiful sunsets, sunrises and cloudy days.
17. Thank You, God, for the rain that falls gently, nourishing the earth You created, that the earth might nourish us, as well.. 
18. Thank You, God, for the food on our table, the clothes on our bodies and the shelter over our heads.
19. Thank You, God, for saving a wretch like me, who could have died in her sins, but who was prayed for and then prayed herself to have a lasting relationship in Jesus Christ and You.
20. Thank You, God, for sending Your Son to die in my place, becoming my sin, that I might receive salvation through Him.
21. Thank You, God, for rolling away the stone after He rose from the dead, conquering the grave and death, that He might walk out of the grave and into the garden, giving me everlasting life.
22. Thank You, God, for the ability to read and comprehend, to enjoy study time and apply it to my life.
23. Thank You, God, for the mercy You show me everyday, when I have let You down.
24. Thank You, God, for the lovingkindness You give me everyday, that I do not deserve, but am thoroughly pleased to receive. 
25. Thank You, God, for meeting my needs, giving me the desires of my heart and filling my cup to overflowing that I might bless others with the abundance of what You have given me. 

This is only 25 blessings. Surely there are many that have not come to mind, but nonetheless are present in my life. For this I give Him praise and thanksgiving, too. 

We sing that song, Ten Thousand Reasons, in church sometimes. How long do you suppose it would take us to count 10,000 different reasons to praise God? What if we tried?

Color of Worship-Sardine/Sardinius/Sardius

In Revelation 4:3 John writes:  "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."

The sardine/sardinius/sardius stone is often translated 'carnelian', but this first photo is sardius. 
While this one is orange in color, the stone can also be red. 
But carnelian

is  a lighter color, more flesh-toned, not as orange, not as red. 

Exodus 28:17 tells us that this is the first stone in the breastplate of the high priest. First stone, first son, first tribe: Reuben. (V21)
And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes. 

We cannot see God and live because He is holy (Exodus 33:17-23, v20). Therefore, when men of old, prophets and disciples, would see God on His throne or passing by, He is many times described according to the gemstones with which they were familiar. 

So, the bold brightness of God is seen in these red/orange/beige colors, like jasper: 

What will we see, when we see God? Only God knows. Only God reveals Himself when He wants to. 

Moses got to be in God's presence for so long that when He came back down off the mountain, the reflection of God's presence was upon him. The people of Israel could not even look at him and he had to hide his face. That is one powerful light! 

Exodus 24:17 "And the sight of the glory of The LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel."

Exodus 34:29-35, (V29)"And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of Testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him."

You may want to read Ezekiel 10, but I will only quote 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."

It is the glory of God, the glory of The LORD, that shines brighter than any sun or star ever seen by men. And we worship Him in "the beauty of holiness", His holiness, His glory, His light. 

2 Chronicles 20:20-21 "And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, 'Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in The LORD your God, so shall you be established; believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper. And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto The LORD, and that should praise the beauty of  His holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise The LORD; for His mercy endureth for ever." 

1 Chronicles 16:29 "Give unto The LORD the glory due His Name: Bring an offering, and come before Him: Worship The LORD in the beauty of holiness."

Psalm 29:2 "Give unto The LORD the glory due unto His Name; Worship The LORD in the beauty of holiness."

Psalm 96:9 "O worship The LORD in the beauty of holiness: Fear before Him, all the earth." 

Come, Now Is The Time To Worship

Only A Holy God

TeHillah

I wrote this three years past. Though it is called “The Healing Song”, it has a subtitle, too; I call it “Kaley’s Song”. The Lord laid her on my mind one morning and this is what I was given.


Everyone goes through something, sometime. Some of us hike hills and cross valleys; some mountain climb, some cliff dive. Some paddle rapids, while others doggie-paddle, just barely keeping their heads above water. Some paths are narrower in places, some paths are foot-beaten, where others have walked before.

As the man at Solomon’s Porch said, in John 5:1-18, “Every time the angel troubles the water, someone gets there before I do.” But The Healer was speaking with this man. And The Healer healed him. His path intersected with Jesus’ path; his life was changed for ever. God is God and though He Himself does not change, He is One Who changes everything.

The word TeHillah means “laud, hymn”. Jeremiah 17:14, the word praise is rendered from the Hebrew word TeHillah: Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for Thou art my praise. Deuteronomy 10:21 He Is Thy Praise, and He Is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things which thine eyes have seen. Again, Praise here is TeHillah.

 We who fear The LORD sing to The LORD. We sing praises, thanksgiving, love, hope, faith. We glorify our God with the songs of our hearts. Because we are one in Christ, we sing in harmony and not discord. Christ is our Song.

I am healed in Jesus’ Name

I am healed from my pain

From the top of my head

to the soles of my feet

I am healed, I am healed

in Jesus’ Name.

From the top of my head

to the soles of my feet

I am healed, I am healed

in Jesus’ Name.

I am healed in Jesus’ Name

I am healed from my pain

No more needles, no more pricks

No more diabetes, I’m not sick!

From the top of my head

to the soles of my feet

I am healed, I am healed

in Jesus’ Name!

In my mind, in my heart

God is working every part

From the top of my head

to the soles of my feet

I am healed, I am healed

in Jesus’ Name!

All my praise for His glory

Sings my heart a brand new song

I can fly I can dance

So fast I spin with open hands

In my heart there lives a Man

His Name is Jesus, Jesus Christ.

I am healed, I am healed

In Jesus’ Name --

In Jesus’ Name is all power!

In Jesus’’ Name is all time

A thousand years is but a day

And from the grave I’ve been raised

I am healed in Jesus’ Name

I am healed from my pain

No more sorrow no more tears

No more pleading nights no fears

All my loved ones, my enemies, too

Have been healed, Through and through

Inside out, no more upside down

A new heart, a new life

They see Jesus in a New Light.

I am healed in Jesus’ Name!

I am healed from my pain

From the top of my head

to the soles of my feet

I am healed! I am healed!

in Jesus’ Name!

All my praise for His glory

Sings my heart a brand new song

I can fly I can dance

So fast I twirl with open hands

In my heart there lives a Man

His Name is Jesus, Jesus Christ.

Lord and Savior of my life!

He called my name like none before

And I saw myself laid on the floor

A tinkling bell began to ring

And with surprise I heard me sign:

All Hail The King

Th e King of Kings

Hail King Jesus

Of You I sing

Though You slay me

I am Yours

You choose to heal me

O My Lord

For this I sing:

You are my Praise!

I am healed, I am healed

In Jesus’ Name!

From the top of my head

to the soles of my feet

I am healed I am healed

In Jesus’ Name.

IAM HAS HEALED ME IN HIS NAME!

So, this song is for everyone who is hurting, whether in body or mind, your Healer is ready to heal you. All you have to do is cry out to Jesus and reach for His hand. 

Holy Is The Lord

They cry, “Holy Holy Holy

Is The Lord Of Hosts”.

They look at each other

With their faces covered,

Crying, “Holy Is The Lord”.

Holy, O O O O O O O,

Holy, O O O O O O

Holy.

Worthy, Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah,

Worthy, Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah

Worthy.

Praise in the temple where The Lord resides;

Shaking the posts, with their voices they cry,

“Holy Is The Lord Of Hosts,

The earth is filled with His glory.”

And His house fills with smoke.

Holy Is The Lord.

Presence Not Presents

                Have you ever wanted to be so close to God, you could feel His breath on you? That's where we are when we worship God Almighty from the very core of our hearts.

     Just singing a worship song is not enough: it may have a catchy rhythm or melody, the words may be easy to remember. But if you don't believe that God is real to His Word, or that His Word does not apply to you, even in this day, then not only are you a fool, but the song you sing is meaningless to God. He cannot even hear you; your voice, without a repentant heart, is just noise.

     Proverbs tells us that "The Lord loves a cheerful giver." Cheerful giving requires a cheerful heart. A cheerful heart is a heart that believes God is faithful in His Word. That when we repent of our sins, God is faithful and just to forgives us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Our worship to and for our God is our declaration of love and unswerving commitment to always be near Him and to do whatever He asks of us. Why do we strive to obey God? Because we love Him; not because we have to.

     We go to church because we want to, not cause we have to. We don't drink liquor because we don't want to. If we ever had that desire to get drunk or 'buzzed' by alcohol, because we repented and turned away from that sin, God has forgiven us, washed us whiter than snow, and created in us a new person, a new creature.

     That's what repentance is: a turning away from sin and not going back to it. It ls like a dog returning to its vomit and partaking of it. Pretty gross, huh? True repentance allows God to change a vile wicked sinner into a holy righteous saint. But to keep on changing we need to allow The Holy Ghost/The Holy Spirit to live in us and guide us in the ways of God's Word.

     Even now, when we are on the verge of Christ's return for His bride, we need The Holy Spirit to convict us of all unrighteousness that we may repent of any lingering desires that would take us away from The Truth of God's Word. Once Christ returns to bring His bride to her new home, The Holy Spirit will leave with us. And it will be harder, much harder, to repent and belong to God.

     Today is your day of salvation. Be in God's presence now and forever.

Day 2 of 35- Uprightness of Heart

Psalm 119:7

I will praise Thee with uprightness

of heart, when I have respect

unto all Thy commandments.

When my heart is right with God, I can praise Him. When the heart is not right with God, it is more difficult and truly impossible to praise God. To direct your worship to God you must first know God, not just know ABOUT Him or know OF Him, but KNOW GOD.

Do you have a special love in your life? Would you love this person if you did not know them personally? I know that there are many people who disassociate themselves with our current president. This is because they only know ABOUT him or know OF him. They do not know him personally. And so judgment towards this man is based on his actions and his words. The same is true in the opposite: those who support his ideas base their support on his words/actions. None of us know him personally.

But what about your mate? How did you feel about him/her when you first heard their name or knew something about that person? Did you love them then? No. Probably not. Because your attitude towards them was based on secondhand knowledge. It is in this same way that many people sing God's praises but do not know Him personally.

When the heart is not right within, then the words of our mouths and the actions we perform are just that: a performance for an audience, not a love song to a lover. Uprightness of heart requires a commitment of heart, also. See where I am going with this? The Word of God directs us to Jesus Christ, for He is The Word of God. We must know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our souls in order for our hearts to be considered Upright. We must believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and accept His death and resurrection as truth. That Jesus, as The Lamb of God That Takes Away The Sins of The World, died on the cross in our place; for the weight of the sins of the world from the beginning of time until the end of time, were laid upon Him, causing Him to be removed from God's presence: for our GOD is holy and sin cannot exist where GOD IS.

When a heart that is filled with sin stands before God, it will be only briefly; for God will judge each person by the blood of His Son. If a person does not have that blood applied to their sins, then the soul of that person will go to hell, eventually being condemned to the lake of fire as so stated in The Book of Revelation in The Bible.

But, when a heart that is filled with The Word of God stands before God, its works will be judged but the blood of Christ will have been applied to that heart, and God will see His Son Jesus. That soul, having been given to Jesus Christ in life, will also be with Him in death, never actually dying, but living for ever more in the presence of God.

It is only on this side of eternity, while you breathe and have life in your body, that you can make a decision for Christ. Today is the day of salvation; tomorrow is not promised.

If you want God to hear your worship and your praises, you need to get right with Him. Without an upright heart, not only will God NOT HEAR YOU praise Him, He cannot hear you at all. All of our praise, our thanksgiving, our prayers must be made with an Upright Heart; a heart that KNOWS JESUS CHRIST IS LORD.