praise

Clap Your Hands

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Psalm 47:1
“Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!
Shout to God with the voice of triumph!”

Sometimes knowing the setting in which a psalm was written is beneficial to understanding its content. Other times, like in this psalm, the setting is not given because the truth is universal. Whatever our condition, whether we would classify it as good or bad, blessing or trial, God remains the same and is always worthy of the highest praise. The truths tucked away in this psalm transcend every experience the child of God endures. Whatever state you are currently facing, it is a good idea to clap your hands and shout out the loudest praise.

The Psalmist declares that God is awesome because He is the great King who subdues all things under His feet. Our praise is often lost when we become frightened or overwhelmed by circumstances beyond our control. We wonder how anything good could come from the difficulties we are facing. It is during those times that we must realize God is King of all the earth, and capable of moving mountains in order to accomplish His purposes. We can then learn to celebrate Him, even when are circumstances seem bleak.

The Psalmist declares that God will select our inheritance for us because He loves us dearly. For Israel, the inheritance speaks of the land allotted to each tribe. For the Christian, our inheritance is the blessed life God desires us to experience. Israel needed to trust God beyond fear and circumstance if they were to walk in the land. We must do the same if we are going to walk out the life God intends for us. We must be willing to set emotion and selfish desire aside, take up our cross, and walk after the things of Christ if we want to find the inheritance He has laid aside for each of us.

Finally, the Psalmist speaks of the shields of the earth belonging to God. What a blessing it is when we realize, the safest place to be is in the center of God’s will. Sometimes, walking with the Lord will make us vulnerable and that can lead to worry and fear, unless we realize the center of His will is the safest place for us. Israel’s fear kept them from entering Canaan, which in turn put them outside of the protective care of God. What frightened them was the very thing keeping them from experiencing the protective care of God.

“Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!
Shout to God with the voice of triumph!”

Pastor Jim

 

His Habitat

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Psalms 26:8
“Lord, I have loved the habitation of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells.”

Life is filled with important things and with essential things. Often, what is important will overshadow what is essential. David was an important man with many responsibilities; he was a husband, father, musician, soldier and a king. Each role he played added new responsibilities and threatened his time with God. To guard against this, David learned to fall in love with the house of the Lord, because there he could experience the glory of God.
To be fair, we must recognize that the glory of God can be revealed anywhere. In a previous psalm, David explained that the heavens declare the glory of God and the earth shows forth His handiwork (Psalm 19). We recognize it is possible to experience God anywhere and at any time. That being said, we must also recognize that there are places where we have a much higher likelihood of experiencing the presence, touch, voice and glory of God.

God loves to reveal Himself to the contrite and humble, so if we come seeking to receive from Him, we are likely to experience His presence. Israel was instructed to offer morning and evening sacrifices, so if we begin our day reading the Bible and praying about the things we read, we are likely to experience His glory. God set up the church as the gathering place for the saints, and promised to be in our midst when we meet. So when we gather to worship and learn with God’s people, we are likely to experience His glory.

Perhaps one of the most practical ways to grow in Christ and to ensure that we remain walking with Him, is to learn to love the places where God’s glory dwells.

Pastor Jim

Questions for Psalm 26

  1. What does the word “vindicate” mean?
  2. According to verse 3, how did David live?
  3. What things did David avoid in life according to verses 4-5?
  4. Take a look at verse 12, what can you do to ensure that you are standing on an even place?

 

Objection 

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Luke 13:12
“Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.”

I imagine what the scene must have been like in the Synagogue that day. The crowd had gathered like they did every Sabbath. For some it was no more than a religious duty, for others, it was how they expressed their devotion to God. The scene suddenly shifts from the normal activities of prayer and Bible reading to a woman with a serious medical condition. She had been suffering for eighteen years and nothing could be done for her. Without hesitation, Jesus called her to Himself, and when she responded to the call, He healed her. Imagine being there! Imagine the joy that would fill her, perhaps like the lame man in Acts 3, she leaped with joy, celebrating what Jesus had done for her. I would expect to read that the service changed that morning, as the people broke out in unrestrained praise. Sadly however, rather than hearing praise, we hear the sound of objection.

“There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”

Sometimes the only response I can muster is WOW! I am amazed. Jesus changed the life of a woman in agony, but instead of people flocking to Him with praise, they objected to what He had done. Why were they so angry? I think it was because He violated the culture of the day. The religious leaders had developed a whole system of what was allowed on the Sabbath. Healing of the sick was not included. They might have been happy with Jesus making people’s lives better, but when He began to mess with the culture, they were infuriated. We read later, it was his changing of the cultural norm that motivated the religious leaders to make a deal with Rome and have Him crucified.

Things are not so different today.

For the past 2000 years the earth has been filled with people like this woman, who have responded to Jesus and have been transformed by Him. He has taken those who society has neglected, even rejected, and has made them heroes of faith. Yet, many still object to Him. Jesus is not rejected because He has not changed lives, but because He changes culture, because He dares to declare what man tolerates is often abominable to God. Much of what Jesus said and did is contrary to our culture. Rather than falling down before Him in worship for who He is and what He does, many raise up their fists in objection. “How can He say He is the only way?” “How can He say that my lifestyle is wrong, I was born this way, it’s hereditary, we are in love…”

Let us not object to His ways, but praise Him for the lives He has changed, and will change.

Pastor Jim

 

Praise Him

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Revelation 15:3-4
“Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested.”

IMG_4241.jpgWhile the tribulation continues on earth, John’s attention is drawn once again to the scene in heaven. The contrast alone should be enough to persuade us to surrender to Christ. Earth is experiencing the wrath of God, while heaven is being filled with sweet and continuous praise. Those who have been rescued from the tyrannical reign of the Antichrist stand before the throne and worship.

One of the evidences that a person has met Christ and been set free from sin is a desire for worship. While it is not required to fall on our knees, lift our hands, or even sing loudly, it is hard to imagine a person who has been impacted by the love and mercy of God who will not offer the loudest praise. Just the other night in our worship service, I noticed one young lady who humbly turned, faced her chair and knelt in worship. She has been growing so much in her relationship with Jesus of late that she could not resist the desire to bow in worship. I think we can learn a lot from the praise song of the redeemed found here in a Revelation 15.

““Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty!”

Their praise stemmed from focusing upon the works of God. As they stood before the Lord, they recalled the way in which they had been redeemed. Since these are tribulation saints, we know they had neglected the things of God for most of their lives and ignored the gospel. Still, the persistent love of God hunted them down and won them over. They, like we, could look back to the cross, where the love of God was poured out to redeem them from sin and give eternal life. Reflecting upon the work God has done is vital to a life of praise.

“Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy.”

As important as it is to look back upon the works of God, it is also vital that we look up to the person of God. He is worthy of the highest praise for what He has done, and also for who He is. Their praise stems from remembering three things about the nature of God. First, He is just; second, He is the king; and third, He is holy. All of the judgments of God are just. We often accuse Him of being unfair, however when His judgment is finally meted out upon a Christ-rejecting world, we will see how mercy and truth have met one another, and how righteousness and peace have kissed.

“For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested.”

Finally, their worship includes an understanding of the promises of God. The judgments that the Word of God has warned about are finally coming to pass. Peter speaks of those who mock God because He waits so long  to execute judgment; failing to recognize it is His mercy which holds back His judgment. One of the best ways to increase a heart of praise is to focus upon the promises of God. Too often, in dire circumstances, we look only to our surroundings, instead of looking into the promises of God. The saint who trusts the promise over the circumstances he faces, or the emotions they stir up, is the saint whose life will be filled with the loudest praise.

Pastor Jim

 

Heaven’s Door 

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Revelation 4:1
“After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, ‘Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.’”

John looked into the future of mankind and saw the day when the heavens will open, not to speak, but to call home all who have trusted in Christ for salvation. Paul explained that the dead in Christ would rise first, and we who are alive and remain will be caught up together in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). What a day that will be, when we are no longer looking through a glass dimly, but we are face to face with Christ (I Corinthians 13:12) steeped in His glory.

John gives us a glimpse of what we have to look forward to. He writes of a radiant throne, encircled by a rainbow, and surrounded by elders. In front of the throne, a sea like glass, and flying around the throne angel beings, ever declaring the Holiness and mighty power of God. The beauty of the throne is only overshadowed by the glory of the One sits upon it. Whenever the angels begin to sing, the elders cast down their golden crowns in homage and worship.

One day, not too far in our future, we will hear the sound of the trumpet blast, watch as the door opens in heaven, and the believers are called home to meet the Lord in the air. Live expectantly, who knows how soon, before that day appears.

Pastor Jim

 

Praise God 

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Hebrews 13:15-16
“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share; for with such sacrifices, God is well pleased.”

Worship is a very important part in the growth of every Christian. Many times, we measure God in light of the difficulties we are facing. We think there is little, or no hope for us, because our problem seems massive. It is in worship that we are able to see our life in light of the nature of God. We need to magnify God (which does not mean to make Him bigger, but to bring Him into focus) so we see life in light of His great love, mercy and power. As we magnify Him, we will see how little our problem is, compared to His ability. That becomes the source of great peace during trying times.

Here, in Hebrews 13, we see a couple of key elements that should be part of the worship life of the believer. First, we are told to offer the sacrifice of praise. Music is an amazing medium. Things that are often difficult to remember, seem to become fixed in our minds when put to song. How many times have you had a song “stuck in your head”, and no matter how hard you try, you cannot seem to get it out? I do not consider myself to be poetic in the least. In fact, I find it difficult to express to God the way I truly feel, but there are so many worship tunes that seem to say what I am feeling. When we gather for corporate worship, and I am able to follow the musicians as they play, I feel like my heart is finally able to express the things I wanted to say to God, but could not find the words.

Second, we are told worship must include thanksgiving. Just prior to these verses, we are warned against covetousness. To “covet” is to want what we do not have. It is often driven by failing to be content with what the Lord is currently doing in our lives. The children of Israel were known for grumbling and complaining during their wilderness travels. Instead of looking at what God was doing: providing water from rocks, miraculous food from heaven, a cloud covering from the sun, and a heavenly night-light to lead them, they chose to focus on the things they felt He was neglecting to do. They constantly complained about His provision, and threatened to turn from the Lord every time things got tough. Instead of focusing on the things that do not seem to be going your way, get your eyes on the Lord, and begin to thank Him for all He has done and is doing.

Finally, a life of worship, is a life that not only looks up, but also looks out. When we see God as He truly is, we cannot help but develop His heart for others. We are exhorted to include doing good to others, and sharing the things God has given us to benefit them. Worship is not something that is exclusively singing. While song is a great way to express how we feel about Him, it cannot be the only way we express praise. We must express it in actions toward one another. The Levitical Priesthood was composed of singers and musicians, but also included people who set up the tent, made the incense, baked the show bread, and a long list of other requirements, to make corporate worship possible. In God’s economy, those things are as much worship as playing guitar or leading in song. At our church, there are many who worship in the kitchen making coffee, or bring refreshments to make fellowship better. Others worship in the parking lot, assisting people to find a spot, and still others worship by inviting friends and neighbors to hear about Christ.

Don’t forget, doing good and sharing is as important to your worship life as singing, playing musical instruments, or expressing thanks

Pastor Jim

 

Peace

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Isaiah 60:18
“Violence shall no longer be heard in your land,
Neither wasting nor destruction within your borders;
But you shall call your walls Salvation,
And your gates Praise.”

Isaiah promises a time when violence and destruction will be replaced with salvation and praise. Clearly, we have not yet entered that time. Violence is one of the major themes of our day. While this is true everywhere, it is especially true in the Middle East. It seems as though, not a day goes by where we are not faced with reports of violence, war, and terrorism.
Isaiah promises a day when this violence will be a thing of the past; a time when the Messiah will come to reign and rule, and peace will govern the earth. While we await that day, we must remember, it is possible to have the peace of Christ reign over us even in these dark days.
I recently met a man who had been a terrorist. His view of non-Muslim people was they were infidels and he would be rewarded by Allah for killing them. One day, this angry man, filled with hatred, was invited to church by a young woman. He accepted her offer, if for no other reason than to further persecute Christians. What he did not know is, he was about to encounter the true and living God, and have his life forever changed. Through a series of events, over a number of weeks, this man fell to his knees, invited Christ into his life, and found that the anger which governed his life, was immediately replaced with peace, joy, and love.
No matter who you are or what you are facing, Jesus wants you to drink from the waters of salvation, and experience His perfect peace.

Pastor Jim

 

Throne Of Grace 

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Isaiah 30:19
“He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you”.

At the time of Isaiah’s prophecy, Israel was resisting the Lord. They decided following God restricted them from really moving forward, so they began a quest pursuing the gods of other nations. Sadly, their pursuit not only left them empty, but at odds with God. Part of the Prophet’s ministry was to remind the people of the blessings that would become theirs once they returned to the Lord. One of the greatest of these benefits was experiencing grace.

It seems the focal point of heaven is a throne. Whenever we are given a glimpse into eternity, we see God, His throne and the multitudes engaged in worship. While the cry of the angels is “Holy, holy, holy is The Lord.” The throne itself is called “the throne of Grace.” Heaven wants us to know that grace begins the moment we cry out to God.

Grace might best be defined as the giving nature of God. His grace drives Him to give only that which is best for us. James wrote,

James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

Instead of thinking that following God will restrict life, we must realize God has a ‘best’ for our lives, and that best is found when we choose to follow Him. It must sadden the heart of God when we constantly rebel against His word, do things our own way, and endure unnecessary pain and suffering in our lives.

Whatever challenges you might be facing, whether they are self-inflicted or not, turn to the One who sits on a throne of grace. Cry out for Him to do a great and marvelous work in your life

Pastor Jim

 

A New Song 

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Psalms 149:1
“Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise in the assembly of saints.”

Sometimes, worship can have a tired feel to it because we are singing the same songs over and over again. It is so refreshing when the worship team brings a new song; partly because new songs come out of new experiences with the Lord. I spent many weeks of my early years of ministry serving at a Christian camp. Those days were filled with lessons I still benefit from today. One afternoon, while sitting by the pool, I struck up a conversation with the worship leaders wife. While her children were in the pool, she was relaxing in the sun, but her husband was noticeably absent. I will never forget her response when I asked where he was, she said, “He is taking some time alone with Jesus because that is where the songs come from.” He realized, in order to have a new song to sing, he needed a fresh experience with the Lord. Anything done over and over again can become tedious or stale, even our relationship with the Lord. We might wake up each day, read a chapter or two, get the kids up, make breakfast, clean up, make lunch, clean up, make dinner, clean up, run out of energy, go to bed, and start it all over again the next day. Our days become routine, and soon our relationship with the Lord has grown stale. How can we have new experiences with Jesus that result in new songs of praise?

I am reminded of the story of Caleb. We are first introduced to him when Moses selects him as one of the twelve spies sent to check out the Promised Land. When the people refused to enter, we read in Numbers 13:30, Caleb quieted the people and said “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”

Sadly, the people rejected his encouragement and suffered thirty-eight years in the wilderness. When the generation who refused to enter the land died off and a new generation stood within the its borders, it was Caleb who set the example of how to press into what God had for His people. Scripture tells us, at eighty-five years old, he came to Joshua with a fascinating request. In Joshua 14:9, he reminded his leader and old friend of the promise he had received from Moses,

‘Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.’

Then he pointed to the most difficult terrain within the land and asked that it be given to him. His words are one of the most striking statements ever uttered. He declared,

“Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.” Joshua 14:12

Anakim were men of great stature, bred for battle. They were the most feared of all the inhabitants of Canaan. To make matters worse, they lived in fortified cities and inhabited the hill country which was easily defendable and almost impossible to overthrow. Caleb, a man described as one who had a different spirit in him, and who wholly followed the Lord, looked at the greatest obstacle facing the people of God and said, “Give me the mountain because it might be the Lord.” IT MIGHT BE THE LORD! I think I would want to know for certain that it was the Lord before I ventured out like that. However, Caleb was a man who trusted the Lord to be true to His promises, and was willing to venture into new ground in his walk with God.

Has your relationship grown so tired that you have no new song to sing. Perhaps it is time to look back into the promises of God and step forward into a new area of service. You will find God is true to His promises and your relationship with Him will be ignited with a fresh fire. What are you waiting for? The church is need of a new generation of Calebs who are willing to see just what might be the Lord.

Pastor Jim

 

Great Is The Lord 

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Psalm 147:5
“Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.”

Bible writers use a variety of adjectives to help us better understand God. The Psalmist chooses the word great. Great is a word with vast meaning. It can indicate size; one dictionary defines it as “very large and imposing.” It can also mean important, distinguished, superior and preeminent. It is clear, the Psalmist is declaring God is above all His creation. One way he chooses to express the greatness of God, is to refer to His infinite understanding. There is nothing God does not know. The Psalmist declares,

“He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name.” Psalm 147:4

Scientists have been fascinated with the heavens for as long as man has been on the Earth. In the third century B.C., Aristarchus accurately measured the distance of the moon from the Earth by looking at the shadow of the Earth on the moon, during a lunar eclipse. Technological advances have enabled scientists to look with greater detail into the vastness of the universe. The closest star to planet Earth is the sun, which sits 93 million miles away. The sun is just one star in a city of stars we call the Milky Way Galaxy. Our galaxy is so big, even at the speed of light, it would take 100,000 years to transverse. Beyond our own galaxy lies a vast expanse of galaxies. Astronomers estimate there are actually billions of galaxies, each one containing billions of stars. If we multiply the number of galaxies by the number of stars, we get over 10 sextillion stars in the universe; a number too large to fathom. Let’s take a number we are more familiar with, one billion. Counting non-stop, at one number a second, it would take almost 32 years to count to 1 billion. That does not even cover the stars of one galaxy. If we were to raise the number to one trillion (which is a thousand billion), counting at the same rate, it would take approximately 32,000 years. That is a lot of stars, and yet does not scratch the surface of the number of stars in the universe. The Psalmist tells us, God has not only numbered them, but He knows them by name.

It seems, naming stars would be a job big enough to occupy anyone for all of time, yet the Psalmist declares, in the midst of counting the stars our great God also,

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3

How amazing is our God? He is so great He can span the universe, yet so loving He knows the things that break our hearts, and is ready to come to the aid of His saints who cry out to Him. The One who counts the stars, is the one who gazes upon you.

“Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.”

Pastor Jim