Praise Party

Praise Party

Revelation 19: After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a large crowd of people in heaven, saying, “Praise God! Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God! ² True and just are his judgments! He has condemned the prostitute who was corrupting the earth with her immorality. God has punished her because she killed his servants.” ³ Again they shouted, “Praise God! The smoke from the flames that consume the great city goes up forever and ever!” ⁴ The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. They said, “Amen! Praise God!”

 

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As we approached the building, I could hear the music getting louder and louder. I had never been to a club, so it was a mystery to me. When I got in, lights were flashing, music was blaring and people were dancing all over the place. Everyone shouted with excitement at certain songs!

 

• I was elated!
• I was enamored!
• I shouted just like everyone else!

 

John, the disciple JESUS loved, heard something he never heard before. He heard praise from every saved person who ever existed, along with the angels, elders and living creatures! This was no ordinary praise, it was a praise that was unrestrained!

 

My Observations:

• One day I will be able to praise GOD for my salvation and for GOD’s power.
• One day I will be able to praise GOD for getting rid of the thing that caused me to fall over and over throughout life.
• One day I will be able to agree with other people who are praising GOD!

 

Praising GOD seems boring to the world. I mean, temporary drunkenness, mixed with flashing lights, mixed with loud music with great beats must be better that praising GOD, right? Wrong! The praise mentioned here goes on forever and ever!

 

No more waking up to problems on Monday and needing to temporarily escape on Friday. No more wondering if things will work out or not. No more guessing if GOD is with me or not. This praise is permanent, unrestrained and full of relief! I look forward to, one day, truly praising GOD!

 

Challenge

• Why do you think the writer could not describe the sound?
• Have you ever been so elated that you just wanted to shout with joy?
• Are you looking forward to one day being able to praise GOD for what HE has done for you, and not holding back from your praise?

Raise A Praise

Raise A Praise

Jude 1: ²⁴ To him who is able to keep you from falling and to bring you faultless and joyful before his glorious presence— ²⁵ to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, might, and authority, from all ages past, and now, and forever and ever! Amen.

 

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Being asked to be the best man in a wedding was an honor that came with expectations. One of which was to develop a toast to the bride and groom. It was a monumental day, so the toast had to have meaning, but mostly it needed to come from the heart.

 

• I said something about overcoming obstacles in the past.
• I also said something about the work it takes in the present.
• I wished them a wonderful future.

 

Jude finishes his letter upbeat. His note came with a lot of warnings about people who were deceivers pretending to be followers of CHRIST. These heave words may have needed some words of hope. Jude concluded his letter with a praise to GOD.

 

My Observations:

• When things look bleak, raise a praise to GOD.
• When difficulties arise, raise a praise to GOD.
• When you cannot see how this situation or that situation will end on a positive note, raise a praise to GOD.

 

Praising GOD is a weapon versus a feeling. I mean, the Enemy wants to take away my praise to GOD by placing temptation, evil plans against me and pain in my path, so I will close my lips from praising GOD. Little does he know that when I praise GOD in the middle of the storm, HE does remarkable things that causes the Devil to flee.

 

GOD sometimes takes the storm away or provides what I need during the storm so I can survive. HE hear my cry but loves when I sing a praise to HIM even before HE performs HIS miracle. I praise YOU LORD for all you have done, doing and will do in my life!

 

Challenge

• Do you feel the writer is thorough in this praise?
• Are you going through a difficult time?
• Will you use the weapon of praising GOD today without expectations so HIS wonderful plan will be made known to you in HIS time?

Steps to Growth

Steps to Growth

1 Peter 2:  Rid yourselves, then, of all evil; no more lying or hypocrisy or jealousy or insulting language. ² Be like newborn babies, always thirsty for the pure spiritual milk, so that by drinking it you may grow up and be saved. ³ As the scripture says, “You have found out for yourselves how kind the Lord is.”

 

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Tired of my scrawny stature, I joined a gym. I didn’t know how to lift weights, but it couldn’t be that hard, right? I watched the brawny people pick up heavy objects and put them back down. I tried it myself and couldn’t. Some people approached me and showed me what I was doing wrong. They had me start over using the correct form and lighter weights.

 

• I was too embarrassed to ask for help, so I watched and tried to do things on my own.
• I knew I needed to do something different, but I did not know what to change.
• I needed to start off with what I could handle, then progress to something heavier.

 

Pater identified steps to spiritual growth. First he gave a list of symptoms that would keep a person from growing spiritually. He listed a small list of blockers that included, lying, hypocrisy, jealousy and insulting language. These were probably problems with those who wore masks and pretended to be holy. He then gave the true remedy, namely becoming thirsty for spiritual milk.

 

My Observations:

• Embarrassment leads me to seek the wisdom of the world, BUT GOD wants me to seek HIS wisdom as the beginning of knowledge.
• Insecurity leads me to want to cover up my flaws, BUT GOD wants me to be secure in my faith with HIM so I can address issues versus covering them up.
• Starting over makes me think I will never arrive, BUT GOD wants me to tear down patterns of thinking that may have existed for decades.

 

Seeking GOD as a little baby means I can’t think about what I ingest, I should just eat it up. Unfortunately, there have been those who have presented the Gospel in a manipulative way, causing me to have pause. BUT GOD has a remedy.

 

HE wants me to listen to other people and read the Bible for myself. HE wants me to understand the scriptures for myself and continue to seek HIS face with an insatiable thirst. Life can bring hard lessons. That is why GOD wants me to know HE is there with me at all times. I am grateful GOD has given the scriptures for all to be comforted.

 

Challenge

• Why does the writer start the list with what to get rid of?
• Have you ever tried to hide your flaws behind a goody, goody mask?
• Will you start over with a better foundation and seek GOD as a little child versus seeing HIM through the world’s hurts today?

Offerings and Sacrifices

 

Offerings and Sacrifices

Hebrews 13: ¹⁰ The priests who serve in the Jewish place of worship have no right to eat any of the sacrifice on our altar. ¹¹ The Jewish high priest brings the blood of the animals into the Most Holy Place to offer it as a sacrifice for sins; but the bodies of the animals are burned outside the camp. ¹² For this reason Jesus also died outside the city, in order to purify the people from sin with his own blood. ¹³ Let us, then, go to him outside the camp and share his shame. ¹⁴ For there is no permanent city for us here on earth; we are looking for the city which is to come. ¹⁵ Let us, then, always offer praise to God as our sacrifice through Jesus, which is the offering presented by lips that confess him as Lord. ¹⁶ Do not forget to do good and to help one another, because these are the sacrifices that please God.

 

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“Can’t you get someone else to do it?” was my reply to the request. “No, we need your skills” was the reply to my pushback. I thought of ways to get out of doing the work being thrust upon me. “Perhaps we can outsource this” was my solution. “We need you” was the reply.

 

• I wanted someone else to do what I was supposed to do.
• I felt overloaded and wanted someone else to join in.
• I came up with a solution to pay someone to do what I was supposed to do.

 

Paul, the assumed writer, went into detail about offerings and sacrifices. He mentioned the reason for these was to atone for Jewish people. BUT JESUS, who died outside the city, offered HIS blood as a sacrifice for all.

 

My Observations:

• I can try to pay someone else to tell people about CHRIST, BUT GOD wants me to do it.
• I can try to outsource a singing group to praise GOD for me, BUT GOD wants my praise.
• I can try to give to a group who will serve others for me, BUT GOD wants me to serve.

 

Giving is good, BUT GOD wants more from me than cash. I mean, HE wants me to use my gifts and talents to tell people about JESUS and HE loves when I praise HIM daily! HE wants a direct and active relationship with me that helps me serve those who are hard to serve.

 

HE gives me strength to keep going when I feel like giving up. HE provides for those I cannot provide for. HE opens doors wide, just like HE opens eyes from being blind. I am glad GOD wants my offering of praise and my sacrifice of helping others.

 

Challenge

• What suggestions does the writer give that “pleases GOD?”
• Have you ever thought it was someone else’s responsibility to serve or tell people about CHRIST?
• Will you stop trying to outsource what GOD wants you to do today?

Trying Too Hard

 

Trying Too Hard

Hebrews 8: ⁷ If there had been nothing wrong with the first covenant, there would have been no need for a second one. ⁸ But God finds fault with his people when he says,

“The days are coming, says the Lord,
    when I will draw up a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.
⁹ It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors
    on the day I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt.
They were not faithful to the covenant I made with them,
    and so I paid no attention to them.
¹⁰ Now, this is the covenant that I will make with the people of Israel
    in the days to come, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their minds
    and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.
¹¹ None of them will have to teach their friends
    or tell their neighbors,
    ‘Know the Lord.’
For they will all know me,
    from the least to the greatest.
¹² I will forgive their sins
    and will no longer remember their wrongs.”

¹³ By speaking of a new covenant, God has made the first one old; and anything that becomes old and worn out will soon disappear.

 

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“Don’t set your alarm, but ask GOD to wake you up” were the instructions of someone who was well meaning. I tried it and overslept. After this exercise I questioned GOD. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

 

• I wanted to see if this GOD thing would work.
• I wanted to test whether or not GOD would do “as I say?”
• I wanted to have special powers that I didn’t possess.

 

Paul, the assumed writer, says some remarkable things about what GOD did for humanity. He mentions that GOD took care of the relationship that was broken and lost by a permanent repair through a second covenant.

 

My Observations:

• GOD did not leave anything up to chance when it came to having a relationship with me.
• GOD placed HIS laws in my mind and wrote them on my heart.
• GOD made me “know the LORD” and has forgiven me of my sins and does not remember any wrong I did.

 

It was all GOD! I mean, HE knew that I would not choose HIM, yet HE chose me. HE took it one step further. HE wrote HIS laws in my mind and in my heart. I do not have the responsibility to try to convince someone to “know the LORD.” But this seems confusing. What about the great commission?

 

You and I are part of the “I will.” HE never says how HE will put the laws in the minds of people or how HE will be their GOD. I am glad HE uses people to tell the Good News!

 

Challenge

• What words from the writer are shocking to you?
• Do you feel relieved that you do not have the responsibility of forcing people to accept JESUS?
• Will you simply “be” a follower of JESUS and be ready to explain your relationship with HIM to anyone HE places in front of you today?

 

Amazing Praise

Amazing Praise

Acts 16: ²² The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. ²³ After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. ²⁴ When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

²⁵ About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. ²⁷ The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸ But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

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Worried about the situation, I missed many hours of sleep. What would the future bring? Would the problem come up again? Would the people who caused the problem get away with their hatred? All of these questions popped in my mind and I could not answer one of them.

• There were times when I got worried.
• There were times when people caused problems for me.
• There were times when the situation seemed like there was no way out.

Paul and Silas received a horrible beating for speaking about JESUS. After being jailed, they began to sing praises to GOD. This comforted the prisoners around them. Paul and Silas had no idea what would come next. GOD shook the jail with an earthquake and opened all the doors and their chains. Their praise enabled them to desire no harm to come to the jailer.

• GOD loves when I use praise instead of worry.
• GOD loves when I use praise as a weapon against fear, doubt and worry.
• GOD loves when I use praise in situations that seem hopeless to me.

Praise has some amazing effects that I do not understand. I mean it seems like “I” should have all the solutions or should rely on other humans to provide answers. GOD loves when I simply praise HIM without expectations. This shows HIM that I know HE has the situation under control.

When I am scared, worried, angry, frustrated, blamed or persecuted, the HOLY SPIRIT enables me to praise GOD. I am grateful GOD provides relief through praise.

• Are you going through something?
• Is someone harming you because of your relationship with JESUS?
• Will you sing praises to GOD without expectations, knowing HE went though persecution just like you?

Admiration

Luke 18: ¹⁵ People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. ¹⁶ But Jesus called the children to him and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ¹⁷ Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’

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When I finally found a good leader, I believed almost every word they said. I would schedule as much time as I could just to sit and listen to their words. Whatever they told me, I would do. I trusted that person implicitly.

• Many people have earned my trust.
• Many people have lowered my skepticism.
• Many people have said things that I instantly believe in.

JESUS stopped HIS disciples from forbidding children to approach HIM. I wonder if they thought JESUS was to politically important to deal with childish matters. HE summoned the children over and told the disciples to believe as a child believes.

• GOD wants me to mature to the point where I implicitly believe in HIM.
• GOD wants me to grow to the point where I have instant faith in HIM.
• GOD wants me to increase my value of HIS words in my heart versus constantly proving HIM to be wrong by thinking HE is not meeting “my” expectations.

Admiring GOD in all that HE does is a lifelong journey. It means I have to drop my skepticism, doubt and know it all thinking. I should believe in the promises HE says instead of wavering. But sometimes I stammer. I am glad GOD said “MY grace is sufficient” for I truly need HIS grace. I do believe in HIM today, implicitly.

• Are you skeptical of GOD because HE has not answered your prayer at the exact moment and the exact way?
• Are you losing your trust in GOD?
• Can you return to your childlike belief and admire GOD again?

Illogical Thankfulness

Luke 10: ²¹ In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. ²² All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”

²³ Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; ²⁴ for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.”

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Driving down the road, I hit a huge patch of water. The car spun all the way around then wound up sideways to oncoming traffic. I corrected the car and was able to continue without any harm to me or my family. I thanked GOD for HIS protection.

• Sometimes I am tempted to give myself credit.
• Sometimes I think “I” performed all of “my” accomplishments.
• Sometimes I think “I” am in control.

JESUS did something extremely strange. HE thanks the FATHER for hiding things from the “wise and prudent.” HE then thanks the FATHER for revelation to “babes.” Afterwards HE turns to the disciples and says HE reveals who, HE and the FATHER is, to whom HE chooses.

• GOD says to me “I accept your thankfulness.”
• GOD says to me “I enjoy your thanksgiving.”
• GOD says to me “I know it is difficult sometimes but I AM there for you and I appreciate your praise and thanks.”

Sometimes it is all about GOD. HE deserves praise whenever I can. Sin makes me want to run and hide from GOD, but HE appreciates illogical thankfulness, even after sin. HE enjoys my confession that I need and want HIM to cleanse me of unrighteousness.

HE is pleased when I credit HIM for “everything”, large and small. GOD is my protection, HE is my strength, HE is my savior. I owe everything to HIM.

• Is your logic larger than GOD?
• Do you believe in “some” parts of the Bible and not others?
• Do you think GOD made you incorrectly and that humans have a better answer than HE does?
• Will you yield your life to HIM today and know HE made you, only HE can cure you?

Childish Praise

Matthew 21: ¹² Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. ¹³ “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

¹⁴ The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. ¹⁵ But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.

¹⁶ “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.

“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,

“‘From the lips of children and infants
    you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?”

¹⁷ And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

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Looking under cars for coins, I missed the beginning of the church service. I wanted to buy a doughnut and did not have any money. I didn’t want to ask anyone for money and those tasty morsels were calling my name!

“Ministry costs money” is what I have heard over the years as justification for selling books, CD’s, DVD’s, fashion shows and fancy dinners in the church. For years this has puzzled me because at the end of the “fund raising” thing, I rarely heard if people accepted CHRIST or were healed or turned their life around.

• GOD said to me “Your ministry does not have to cost a dime.”
• GOD said to me “You can pray for people for free.”
• GOD said to me “You can go to people, tell them about ME and have them return to ME for free.”

Ministry does not cost money, buildings do. Please don’t get me wrong, I think it is wise to have a building for people to meet. Sometimes the building’s expenses get in the way of ministry.

The Pharisees enjoyed their buildings. They enjoyed their titles and in order to keep the building and human programs going, they needed money, lots of money. Even though JESUS healed people for free, the Pharisees groused. Meanwhile the children praised JESUS in their innocence. They had no motive, no manipulation.

JESUS wants me to praise HIM like these children. HE desires me to do “ministry” for free each and every day. HE wants me to assemble with others regularly, sometimes in a building. My praise should be as childish as these children.

• Are you stuck thinking your lack of money is why you cannot do ministry?
• Are you praying for money more than praising GOD?
• Can you praise GOD with childish innocence today?