Before the Altar part 7

Above all the altar is a place for benedictions in worship. It is the place that God designated for the Levites and that tribe of Israel. (Deuteronomy 10:8; Deuteronomy 21:5) It is where God segregates out those He chooses for whatever job He chooses, such as in Numbers 6:23-26 when Aaron was chosen to bring the message to the children of Israel and to bring them the blessings from the Lord. And it was with His blessing that He came in glory to His people and He dwelt among them as Aaron raised his hands making the sacrifice to God. And God was pleased. (Leviticus 9:22,23) And in His blessings, He gives them land and tells them to possess it. A rich land, splendid. Only if they possess it. So while God's blessings are unconditional it nonetheless does involve obedience to God to reap full benefits from His blessings. Much as if we don't have faith and don't act on that faith, we cannot hope to reap full benefits from God's blessings.

God doesn't really need an altar to bring benedictions to His people. For instance, He blesses His creation in Genesis 1:22 and tells them to fill the earth, blessing them in this. And He blesses man, whom He created in His own image and gives them His blessing to be fruitful and multiply and have dominion over ever creature in the earth. (Genesis 1:28) And then this blessing is extended when He destroyed creation in Noah's time, that Noah would be fruitful, multiple and all creation would then be fearful of him and his people. (Genesis 9:12) And then there is one of the first altars, that of Melchezidek, when He blesses Abraham (through Melchezidek) and also the most High God (again through Melchezidek). (Genesis 14:19,20)

Before the Altar (part VI)

Above all the altar is a place for benedictions in worship. It is the place that God designated for the Levites and that tribe of Isreal. (Deuteronomy 10:8, Deuteronomy 21:5) It is where God segregates out those He chooses for whatever job He chooses, such as Numbers 6:23-26 when Aaron was chosen to bring the message to the children of Isreal and to bring them the blessings from the LORD. And it was with His blessing that He came in glory to His people and He dwelt among them as Aaron raised his hands making the sacrifice to God. And God was pleased. (Leviticus 9:22,23) And in His blessings, He gives them land and tells them to possess it. A rich land, splendid. Only if they possess it. So while God's blessings are unconditional it nonetheless does involve obedience to reap the full benefits from God's blessings. Much as when we do not act out on our faith we may not reap the full benefits that God wants us to have.

Before the Altar part 5

Do I treat the altar where I worship as though a sanctuary? Is it His sanctuary? Am I doing His will in His sanctuary, or am I doing something to elevate me, although at the time it may not seem so. Do I treat it as precious? (Leviticus 19:30) Do I treat Him as though His way is what I wish to follow and that He truly is a great God? (Psalms 77:13) How do I think of His house? (Psalms 84:4) Because if I think of the church as just church and put God as an afterthought, without considering if He is there or praying to Him about His service, then church is just wood and nails with a roof on top, support beam,s on top of walls sitting on a slab or a raised level floor. Nothing holy, nothing happy. It becomes a tool to make me feel good about completing a check list, that I do this or go there or sing here or associate with this group or that group instead of jogging or going to the ball games like some do on Sunday mornings. Unless my sole purpose exists for praying and honoring Him (Isaiah 56:7) and sharing Him with everyone (Hebrews 10:25), church means nothing. Unless I am lifting others up and demonstrating His life and love to everyone I come in contact with, and unless the whole meaning behind going before is altar is so that I can be like Him and that He can teach me how to walk and talk in His light then all I do is meaningless. I am no longer the living sacrifice that Paul tells me to be in Romans 12:1. I am merely going through the motions of what it means to be a Christian. I am not a sacrifice to Him, but a shadow of His created, a display of His handiwork like a block of wood. I do things not Christ's way but my way. If I do not understand that regardless of what I do, if my heart is not to serve Him rather than what I get out of service, then I am totally selfish. I need Job's attitude in Job 10:2,9,15, to tell God not to condemn me but to see me as I am and show me His mercy. Oh, how I long for His steady hand that Job longed for in Job 13:21. How I long to have a relationship with Him that is pure, yet one in which I can kneel at His feet and He lifts me up as His daughter! How I pray for that! How I pray to rely on Him and not care about what my friends and family think. (Job 16:20) It doesn't matter to me what my enemies think, or really what people I don't know think of me. What matters are my friends and family and their opinions. And it is that which I must fight to realize that God is the only one I should fear, the only one I should care about whether I hurt or not, realizing that if I do harm to my fellow man I am indeed hurting God. God will same me from those that hurt me. (Psalms 3:1,2,7) and He will hear my call. (Psalms 4:1) He knows when I am suffering, either from illness or physical hurt, or from pain caused by others or my own selfishness. He will give me wisdom. (Psalms 5:8, Psalms 7:1,2,6,7) He considers me always when I come before the altar with my requests, when I am on my knees desiring His infinite compassion (Psalms 9:13,14) and when I am angry at what appears to be His slowness of response. (Psalms 10:1,12,15). He is listening, and considering His response in a timely fashion and He knows when I come to the altar with a pure heart that trusts and obeys Him (Psalms 16:1, Psalms 17:1, 2, 6-9,13,14). He knows my pleas and what kind of heart they are coming from.

Before the Altar part 4

Adam is my ultimate progenitor, for it is through him I see all the ways I might escape if I use my head. But instead, I lay blame on someone else,as Adam did Eve and then ultimately I lay blame on God. (Genesis 2 and 3) The war ensues between myself and God, though I don't want to admit it, and until I acknowledge this war as foolishness on my part I will never see my sin. I will never understand that sin is never and will never be hid from Him, no matter how small. I must acknowledge this uncleanness before I can heal. (Isaiah 6:5; Isaiah 59:12) Until I realize that I have not changed from my progenitor in that he sinned and that my immediate ancestors were in the same state as I am, because they were and are self-absorbed as I am. I forget that God is the one in control and I cannot tell Him what to do and when to do. I don't understand why He does what He does or why He wants certain things of me. When I humble myself before God and come to the altar, meaning offering myself as the living sacrifice Paul spoke of in Romans 12:1, then and only then am I ready for Him and His forgiveness. (Psalms 119:176; Psalms 130:3) When I am honest with Him (Jeremiah 3:13,25) only then can He mold my heart like a potter with clay. But if I am not honest with Him and I do not come to Him out of the depths of a humble heart, the devestation to my well-being and well-seeking is torrential. (Jeremiah 14:7,20; Lamentations 1:18; Lamentations 3:42) I cannot hope to gain His hope with sin. It will not happen and when I bring that to worship, when I bring my will, my worship is in vain and He cannot and will not bless me. That includes what I believe He will accept as improvements in worship, rather than actually doing His will and bringing myself to the altar as and only me. What I can do does not matter to God. How I do what I do does not matter to God. Who I am internally, that is the key to being pure, and I truly want to praise Him. But is that really what He wants? Doesn't He want my abilities or does He just want me? When Jesus sat at the Last Supper with His apostles it was an intimate meal between friends and some strong conversation between friends. Is that not what God wants, time to be with all of us collectively? Praising Him, yes, but being united with Him in the purpose of corporate communication. What a wonderful blissful day it will be when all of the saints will be singing their hearts out, to and with the Almighty in one accord.

This is where confession comes in. When I have God's Spirit and it is working or rather I am allowing it to work within me, my heart is soft as molten lead and God can refine me. Then I have real power and really move mountains. When I deny the Spirit, my heart hearkens and I cannot move a speck of dirt. But when I am accepting of my guilt and I confess it before God (Nehemiah 1:6,7) then I go before the throne, God's Spirit descends upon me even further (Leviticus 5:5) and it extends to an acknowledment that I and my ancestors are unclean and need Him. (Leviticus 6:10) I am consumed with repentance that I so desperately need. (Psalms 31:10) I also come to understand the consequences (Numbers 5:5-7) and my delivery from them, the sin that I hid, and future sinful behaviour. (Judges 10:1-5, I Samuel 12:10) God gives me ample opportunity to repent. He wants my whole heart. (I Kings 8:47) and a humble heart. (Ezra 9:6; Nehemiah 9:2, 33-35; Job 7:20; Job 40:4,5) He knows the depression I go through when I keep inside that I have sinned. (Psalms 28:13). Psalms 31 and 32 show me how much confession is a relief to me and binds me to God because I come to realize who I am and what the power of God is. By confessiong in front of His throne, I am dealng with and remembering that I dealt with the fact that 1) He made me, as He did the rest of the universe, 2) I am not the one in control of nature but He is. I am so blemished I cannot count the times I should have had the stripes that Jesus took for my sins. And then I realize the ultimate nature of sin, the separation from God and my allowing the crack in my relationship with Him. (Psalm 51:3,4)

Before the Altar part IV

Where am I when I accept Christ as my Lord and Savior? What kind of faith do I have? Enough to believe as the centurion did in John 4:50, 51, that my son is already risen from the dead, or that Tabitha is actually sitting up and staring at Peter (Acts 9:40)? What kind of faith do I truly have? Do I have so much faith that I just know whatever physical ailments may try to take me, God is still greater? He is listening to me and only me. And that happens even when I cry out for Him to save me, "Save me, Lord, You are my only Hope!" If I do that then I am finlly and foremost His that very minute. No guarantees for the futher and don't even say that I couldn't have really accepted Christ to begin with if I, years later, abandoned Him. No one knows my heart, no one can read my mind, nor can I read anyone else. How can anyone judge the quality of my worship, except God, which He does through His Word. He uses that as His standard rahter than using man's standards, as should I, for no man is my God, except for the Almighty Himself.

Before the altar Part III

God in His infinite wisdom had another purpose. In being able to be in the temple, the worship was purer, simpler, with few accoutrements to distract men (because remember women were not to enter the temple proper but had their own court) This got people's minds focused on God. Similarly this calls us all to consider our bodies and minds temples of the LORD. What clutters my mind? When I look at the worship service, what is it that distracts me? And what am I going to do about it? The quietness and solitude of worship service is equated in Isaiah 30:29 as, "Ye shall have a song, as in the night when holy solemnity is kept and gladness of the heart as when on goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the LORD to the mighty One of Isreal." Do I hold His service in that same solemnity? Am I glad to be in His presence? Is it like a breath of fresh air to me? Worship was so much of the apostles' lives, every single day, that it was second nature to them. And when it came time for them to suffer in prison, it was not a problem to sing praises to God (Acts 16:25). Just as with Jesus, because worship was so much a part of His life, such that pryaing constantly to Him in any circumstance was not a problem (Luke 6:12), and He could sleep as the boat filled with apostles was slipping through a storm into certain doom. (Matthew 8:23-27) Am I on my knees before God? Is my face bowed to the ground, as Abrahma and Moses did so often in the Father's presence? Do I recognize Jesus and in doing so, recognize His Lordship?

Before the Altar part 2

One could then say that our fellowship is the most important element in our worship. But is this so? Is fellowship the only thing that is important? Should I fellowship for fellowship's sake? If I do that, I will be disappointed, most certainly and I could endanger my soul. (Galatians 6:1-2) I could do what Sir Thomas More warned against A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS, and consider if I fellowship now for fellowship's sake would I be willing to go to hell when that similar fellowship involves something shady, just for the sake of fellowship? I must remember that Christ is the root of my fellowship. That He is the one who will direct my paths. (Proverbs 3:5) and brings others into my life so that I will not be alone. The sole purpose for the church is to learn what our relationship with God. What OUR relationship with God is, collectively, to fellowship, surely, but commemorate why we are here to begin with. The church as it is evolves in several media, first at the temple. Then the Christian got away from the temple and worshipped in houses (Acts 20:7, Romans 16:5, 1 Corinthians 16:19, Colossians 4:15, Philamon 1:2) because homes were safe havens, and smaller groups fit in more locations. The work of Christ could be spread even further.

THE ALTAR OF GOD

What is important about the place of the altar? Does it commemorate that spot that God first spoke to a man (Genesis 12:7) and lauded him for his acceptance of God's power and Kingship? Or is it the place that God chose to speak to my spiritual forefathers and then to me? God is a most wonderful God that is alone worthy of worship and recognition. I am only an iota although by bringing me into relationship with Himself He has made me an important part of His life. He says, "No fear, child, no fear" and He protects me. The altar and the church become a place for me to commemorate Him by my fellowship with others ("do this in memory of me" - Luke 22:19), all He has done for me, all He has blessed me with, particularly the relationships, the kinship with others who have put Christ on and been called God's children. The church is not a museum to look at items and to say, "I wonder what happened back in..." It is not a place in mothballs, but a place to be taken out of mothballs, a living memorial in which I do things because of Jesus and Who He was and is and hence because of God and Who He is. I putt aside all the false gods, all the walls, anything that might distract me from God and come to Him in my purest,most solitary state. I acknowledge that nothing can keep me from Him and that He reigns supreme. (Job 1:5) I have confessed Him as LORD and Lord (Matthew 16:19) He is King and He is also the one that rules over all the universe. I confess before Him my needs more and more. I confess my needs to be with others. (Acts 16:34) For it is not good for a person to be alone. (Genesis 2:!8). I with my brethren are of one accord, one spirit, one faith, one baptism, one life, as a chorus makes one sound, as a chorus of dancers makes a single movement, all parts working together. (Ephesians 4:4). This is why it is important to commemorate Him, so that I don't forget that He has made many different others but they are nonetheless similar to me in goal and they arrive at similar conclusions about God. When my life, and other people's lives, are pure and unadulterated, when my heart connects to others, and we beat together, different yet similar, I have united myself with others even though I have differences of opinions and thoughts, etc. I am united to others in my differences, in education, in opinion, in health, in strength, and in weakness. It is the perfection of the musical term, "harmony". And there is peace in God as we delve in prayerful relationship with Him. (Acts 12:12) Because we are the same in Him.

Thank God for God

Some leaders are godly men and leaders who want to serve their God and their people. In Joshua 4:1-11, for example, Joshua does as God commands and told the people to set up the 12 stones to ford the river. Why? As a memorial to what God did for His people and to commemorae what He put in place many, many years prior to even the 10 commandments that lead to those same commandments. It was God directing the pathways of his people by setting the 12 tribes, it was God that sent Joseph into Egypt, it was God to direct the movement and paths of the ark of the covenant which held the covenant between God and His people. Such men allowed God in their lives to really carry forth His plan for His people, by following God's direction to make certain clothing or parts of clothing in remembrance of the sacredness of His people, as in Numbers 15:38-39, and also the leading His people out of Egypt in Exodus 13:-11-16.

I thank God for teachers that demonstrate Jesus in their lives and work as God appointed them to work, as it says in Ephesians 4:11 and 1 Corinthians 12:28 and 29. Those teachers are not afraid of the truth, and they are willing to teach as Jesus did, in the temple in Luke 19:47. And they are willing to expound the truth of Jesus, and proclaim His origin and authority, much as Jesus did in Luke 24:27. I thank God for Jesus for explaining without a doubt His authority and His wisdom and those preachers that acknowledge this and feed me with His Word accordingly.

Give God the Thanks part 12

But if I remain thankfully and happily in His rest, truly His, he will give me a place to live. (Isaiah 14:2-6). I cannot in this scheme of things deny Him or His power or His ability to protect me. (Isaiah 33:5-24). I cannot do anything apart from Him. I must acknowledge Him. I must defend Him as His soldier. And the church, I must defend them too for they are my family. (Isaiah 35:1-10)

God gives us leaders. He puts people in our lives that are leaders both secular and spiritual. Whether those are godly leaders depends on the individual heart and soul of that particular leader. Those leaders may or may not lead us in a godly manner. Why then does God permit that for His people? Realize not all people ruled by leaders are God's people. And God's peopelare under the authority of Christ. Although in Romans 13:1-7 we are also to be mindful of leaders that are in secular office, that doesn't mean that those leaders are particularly godly. We follow them because they were put there by God. And our prayer is that they will turn toward God and acknowledge Him in what they do.

Thank God for God part 11

What a wonderful chapter describing who is in control, and why we should respect and be reverent to Him. Because there are rules in this universe not to appease God, but because that is what is most healthy for us to follow. Why doesn't He want single people to engage in premarital sex of any kind? Physically because promiscuity leads to STDs and pregnancies with which unwed parents are quite unprepared to deal. Understand what I mean by premarital, because that differs from generation to generation in human terms. In God terms premarital means sex without commitment. Have two people decided to spend the rest of their lives together? That's all it took for Isaac and Rebekkah. There was no formal bride-in-white gown, groom-in-tux marriage. But he announced that Rebekkah was his, there was an exchange of a dowry and the deed was done. They were together forever. Premarital means to have sex without commitment, to do it wantonly, lustfully, with anyone. That does not please God. That includes phone sex, cyber sex, oral sex, etc. If there is no sense of commitment it is premarital. Or extramarital. Hebrews Chapter 4 is such a wonderful book because it gives a reason that I must treat God and what He wants with respect. Number one I cannot hide from Him. I may cover myself with fig leaves but I cannot hide from Him. He knows me. He knows my innermost thoughts. He knows when I am trying to be good. He knows when I am wanting to sin. he knows when I stray and when I am on the road with Him. Number two, I am from a disobedient crowd. But I am told that I should work out my own salvation, and labor to stay in His rest and put all things in His hands, not trying to take control, because after all I have no control, then He will keep me. That means He will protect me. From storms, from rain? Maybe...but I believe it is from Satan that He will protect me. What was Adam and Eve's big sin? Pride, yes, but it was thinking that they were God and they wanted complete control of their lives. That happens so often with me,that I am surprised God still wants me around. But He does and He speaks the desire through the leadership and fellowship of the church. If I walk in His light, accepting His rest and peace and live in that rest and peace because quite frankly once I accept Him I am already home, if I stay true to Him and listen to His voice like that of the Good Shepherd (John 10:11) calling upon His name (Revelation 3:12; Revelation 1:3-10) God's rest is mine. But, and I have always found this interesting, that takes work. That takes discipline. It takes continually renewing one's mind (Romans 12:2). It takes saying "no". For I am not static but a dynamic creature, and because the universe is heading toward entropy and the loss of energy I must use the talents, the tools and the mind that God gave me to produce enthalpy and gain of energy to remain in His rest. It takes as much energy to stay perfectly still as it does to move around, just redirected. God promises protection, He promises a life in heaven, He promises food and shelter and companionship and that He will always love me...He also promises me sorrows on earth...so that it isn't all rosy in Him and He knows that. Any preacher that says differently is not reading His Scripture carefully. That's why this thing works and that is why it is hard to follow...

Thanks be to God for things that really matter. To me what really matters is my home. Where is my real home? Why should I worry when there are dangers? In 2002 the US was imminently in danger of a war with Iraq. So is my home in danger? Maybe my earthly home. Not my real home. God gives me a home in heaven, not a mystical kingdom where there are Dances of Sugar Plum Fairies and from which I must wake up to once again face troubles on earth. No, God is wonderful in that He has made a place for me in heaven. My heritage and my home are here in Jerusalem. (Galatians 4:26). But the Jerusalem that my heritage and home are set is spiritual, it is actual but it is not here on earth, and God loves me enough to provide for me designs it. Because I am in His church, I alsoe have a counterpart home in the spiritual Jerusalem. Hebrews 4 talks about both the spiritual rest I must enter into as a Christian and at the same time how I must walk in order to be a citizen. "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, "As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For He spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise. And God did rest the seventh day from all His works. And in this place again. If they shall enter in my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief. Again, He limiteth a certain day, saying in David,'Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that has entered into His rest, he has also ceased from his own works, as God did from His. Let us labour to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:1-6)

Thank God for God part 9

In my inner most beings, He hears me. (Psalm 130:1-8). When I am in trouble, He knows it and listens to me while I plead to Him. (Psalm 140:1-13). Even though He hears me and provides all things, I still ask Him. Is this always necessary? Not always. But sometimes it helps keep Him in my mind in the loop although in reality He is always in the loop. I don't know why there are times God wants to hear it from me and there are times He has no problem rushing to my aid. Someday I hope to figure it out, or at least some day I hope to ask Him,, except that I am reminded of the blessing that He gives me without me asking, such as my friendships and my cats. Neither one did I actively seek, but in the Church, God has seen to it that I have many friends and at home God has seen that two cats have come my way to give me enjoyment. Nevertheless, sometimes things don't come my way until I ask. Why? Is it because God wants to see just how important these things are to me? Or is it because by hearing myself ask for things stirs up just how important those things are to me? In any case, God distributes as He sees fit, and saves me from those who would want me hurt in His timing. I can say, "Help me!" as often as I want to. If it is according to God's purpose that I am in chains a little while there shall I be. He doesn't like to see me suffer and so has supplied me with hymns and sweet memories of friendships with brethren. And in the meantime I am dragged and drawn and quartered, either physically, emotionally or mentally or all three. And still I cry out (Psalm 143:1-2). And still He gives me peace, like He did Peter in Acts, when he was in chains and was able to sleep.

Thanks be to God part 9

And so are the words, "Deliver us" over and over. David used them, Daniel, Nehemiah, Moses, even Jesus and now I use them. Deliver me, deliver us, save us from our enemies, save us from those who would want us harmed. Save me God because there are those who don't care about You and they mock me and give me gall to drink. (Sound familiar?) (Psalm 59:6-17; Psalm 69:1-30). And then Jesus in Matthew spoke those wonderful words, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for my sake, for their reward is in heaven." Heaven is the only place that matters. Heaven is where God is, heaven is my one true home. Anything down here will turn to rubble, not heaven. It was the reason for writing "How Firm a Foundation", because in heaven there is an immovable foundation. So no matter if I am sinking in the mire, as in Psalm 69, God still knows what the matter is and that it's going to be OK, I will be alright. Thanks be to God for being such a wonderful protector and shield. And for giving me this day and the next and however many He chooses to give me for His sake.

Thanks be to God part 8

As David said, "Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear. So shall I have wherewith to answer Him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word. And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth; for I have hope in thy judgments. Remember the word unto thy servant upon which thought hast caused me to hope. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me. Give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments. I am thine, sav me, for I have sought thy precepts; uphold me according to thy word, unto thy mercy and teach me thy statutes. I cried with my whole heart, hear me, O LORD; I will keep thy statutes. I cried unto Thee, save me." (Psalm 119:38, 42,43,49,73,94,116,124,145,146,153,173-176) When Jesus prays for God to give us our daily bread in the Our Father He is praying not just to be fed although that is fundamental to be sure, but He s asking as well for wisdom. God's wisdom. And this God freely gives. He gives me wisdom because of His great mercy and love for me. He could let me fend for myself, but He knows that I would sink rapidly and so thourgh His great powers He gives me His wisdom and His knowledge of His will. And by using these I can never stray far, not without being able to run back to Him. In another psalm, Psalm 143:11,12, "Quicken me, O LORD, for Thy Name's sake, for thy righteousness' sake, bring my soul out of trouble, and of thy mercy, cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that affect my soul, for I am Thy servant."

Thank God for God part 6

But I not only need bread. I need physical and spiritual strength (Psalm 79:10-12) coming from Him. I need others to see Him working in my life, so that what I say about Him bears witness in my walk. People are more likely to look for actions rather than for words. For my enemies (Psalm 83:1,2,18) as well as my friends, I need to be a witness of Him in my life. All of my life. I nmeed to demonstrate Him privately and publicly. And I need to show my love for Him always. When it seems He has gone, oh, how my enemies reproach Him and me for His sake. (Psalm 106:67) But this is life, that all is for Him and only Him. He gives me my bread that His name be glorified and His life magnified through the instrument that He has created within me. (Psalm 115:1,2)

Thanks Be to God (part 5)

Here's a scary thought. How often in the simplest things do I forget Him (God)? Joshua 9:14, for instance, describes the desire of the LORD to remember Him in the eating of a meal and the consequences of forgetting Him in that. If I need further example, what of Jesus giving thanks before feeding the multitude with the loaves and fishes. (Matthew 14:19, Matthew 15:36, Mark 6:41, Luke 9:16) and the Last Supper He had with His apostles. (Matthew 26:26,27; Mark 8:6,7; Luke 22:29; John 6:11,27; I Corinthians 11:24). Paul in Acts 27:35 gave thanks for the meal. Paul in Romans 14:6 likened praying and thanking God for a meal to thanking God for all things. While Romans 14 is specifically about that fact that not all people are spiritually equal, even though God looks at us that way, whether I am fasting or eating or whether I think of one day as more important than another or not, if in my heart I am thanking God for many blessings He grants me and not lording it over people (I Timothy 4:3-5), putting restrictions on them that don't exist according to God, then God will bless me in all things. Christ prayed. Why should I not pray the same prayer of thanksgiving for what God blesses me with? Why should I not take to heart that He give me these things not because I deserve them, but because He love me? It really makes the blessing more special. Then I am not just living on bread of this earth. And every meal is like the Lord's Supper, for it is sanctified in Him.

Thank God for God part4

Psalms 109:21-27 describes me when I am crying out for sustenance. Feed me, O my Lord, because I cannot feed myself. Give me physical sustenance, give my spiritual life a boost as well. Give me the peace that Peter had to sleep in prison knowing he was going to be killed. And then I pray for everyone else as I ask that God's peace lay on them, too. (Acts 12:5-17) God can get me out of my prison in this world, as He can liberate anyone from their prison, or at least allow us contentment in those prisons wherever I or my brethren may be. Only if I believe and walk in His will. Only if I accept His will as being final. So when I ask Him to feed me, and pray for His peace to engulf me, I am more or less saying I believe or rather I'd better mean I believe that what He says is true.

In that light, let's consider "The Our Father". That prayer known as the "Lord's Prayer". What a marvelous, worshipful prayer remembering and reminding me of Who God is and His purpose for my recognition of Him. Like Exodus 33:12,16, the "Our Father" is a prayer to God to go with me and my people, to shed His grace upon us, to lead us to Canaan and not leave me ever. What a prayer of persistence the Lord's Prayer is, like the widow in Luke 18:1-7 who kept coming back again and again to plead her case, proving her wish was more important than the possible impending judgment against her. She wanted justice above all things. Or in Luke 11:5-8, when the friend gives another friend whatever he needs. No mater what he asks or how much it costs. The "Our Father" acknowledges He can do this as well. No matter what or how much the cost. He can make wet rocks burn (I Kings 18:22-35). He can solve whatever little twitches and glitches of faith I may be living in. He can take the impossible and make it possible. But it only comes from Him. I am just an instrument, a channel, not a true creator, although He can use those talents He has endowed me with to demonstrate His creative ability and make me look talented and creative and original. And as His friend and daughter, God delivers me from evil in so many ways. And evil can come in so many forms. Either from enemies (2 Kings 19:15-20) or from my own family whether or not spiritual. (Genesis 32:9-72) And through all of this, I must acknowledge that it is only He that can deliver me from evil, redeeming me. God delivers me, makes me whole in His own time, allowing me to cry out when I so desperately want deliverance. When I like Moses pray in the wilderness for His forgiveness He so richly gives me and asks one thing: Follow Him. But I am rebellious. I am part of a rebellious people. The reason the sentence, "Forgive us this day our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us" is in the "Our Father" is so that I know the strength of what I am asking of the Heavenly Father. If I am going to ask for forgiveness for my transgressions, I must be willing to grant others my forgiveness, over and over again, no matter how many time whoever transgresses against me. It is the ultimate wearing of Christ.

Thank God for God, part 2

It may seem to me sometimes that those that lead me in church do things that I don't understand and pray for things that I really wouldn't. As I read David, I see things there that I cannot reconcile with what my Savior taught. David prayed for strength against his enemies (Psalms 5:10; Psalms 6:10; Psalms 9:20) and to destroy those of evilness, so that purity could prevail amongst those he would lead. (Psalms 10:2; Psalms 25:3; Psalms 31:17,18) When I first read this, the question popped into my mind, "What about turning the other cheek?" He also prayed his enemies be dealt with justly (Psalms 28:4; Psalms 40:14,15; Psalms 54:5; Psalms 58:7) There are prayers that his enemies be smite down, that God thwart and confound his enemies, that those who were haughty and proud be leveled and ashamed of themselves. And as I read this more and more, the question continued to pop into my head that if David as a leader is beloved of God, then what of Christ, who is my spiritual leader and who I also know is beloved of God? Does that make what Christ said about turning the other cheek (Matthew 5) any less relevant than what David said about praying for the destruction of his enemies? I read Psalms again and this time came to another conclusion, that Christ's teaching is no different than what David prayed.David was praying to God to maintain the purity of his people, to excise that which was evil. In the same breath that Jesus said to pray for our enemies did he not specify that I must hate my father, mother, etc and love God? I believe that I am expected to treat my enemy thus. Those that do me wrong, while I love them I must hate what they are doing if what they are doing displeases God. I must pray like David prayed in Psalms 83 that what they do be like stubble in the wind, a fire that consumes them, and pray that evil and double-minded ones become confounded. I must pray that they do not like the situation they are in, the lifestyle they lead of intrigue and treachery become desolate and dead-end, so that they may see God's life is the only life of happiness. (Psalms 69:23-38) I must be in mourning over them, because my life is affected by those that would hurt me and only God can help me. (Job 3:1-11). I must above all things love God, obey God, and because He loves all, even my enemies. I must as Christ says love them too. But I must hate what control and power satan has over them. Therefore, I must pray that the evilness be removed from them and that purity to me and my people be returned and respected. So when my leaders pray for the defeat of enemies, it ins not for the personal defeat but the defeat of that which controls them, that which guides them to their paths of destruction. This is clearly prayed for in Psalms 140:9, 10. Let the mischief of their own lips cover them, he asks God. The inference is that let his people be pure in thought and deed and those that would cause trouble be destroyed. Destruction of that which causes His people pain is not foreign at all. Jeremiah prayed this prayer in chapter 11 verse 20 and chapter 12 verse3 so that God would destroy that which treats His people unrighteous. Jeremiah repeatedly asks for the LORD to remember him (Jeremiah 15:15), to avenge him (Jeremiah 17:18), to save His children from utter destruction at evil's hands. (Jeremiah 18:21-23) Most scary of all, but most necessary to maintain purity in spirit is the prayer of the leadership of the congregation to pray for those who are spiritually absent, that God may work with them to bring them back. Jeremiah takes this a step further. He asks that the evilness be brought and exposed in front of His people (Lamentations 1:22) so that they may repent. And then to punish them according to what they have done. Paul in Galatians 1:8,9 pleads this case as well. He pledges that if he or any angel brings a gospel other than the one Christ taught then they are to be condemned. Those are powerful words and not what I expect from followers of the Lamb. But even the Lamb was angry at the misuse of God's House for private financial gains. (Matthew 21:21; Mark 11:15) That is not what worship is all about, and it is the godly leaders that keep me on track so that I don't desecrate the temple, either external to me that is the corporate body of Christ or the internal temple that God has built in me since my rebirth through Christ.It is by realizing that it is God who deals with my enemies and not me that I can truly respect what my leaders do, so that I can trust them. It is the attitude that Paul had in Acts 20:36 after speaking to the elders and wishing them well before continuing on his missionary trip. He prayed with them all, going before the throne of God in humility and being Christ-like. (Philippians 2:1) Again we see this attitude of humility in Acts 21:5 when after much has been accomplished during the day all gathered around and prayed. And again in Acts 24:25. God must be in everything, must be in all things for us to be successful. Nothing, not our worship, not our taking of the Lord's Supper, or listening to sermons, or in prayer, nothing is worth anything without the presence of God.No step we take will be More important than our allowing God to make it for us.

Thanks be to God!!!!

America was built on a simple principle, "In God We Trust". That motto is on the money I use. It was in the hearts of those gentlemen now referred to as the founding fathers. And while those men were property and slave owners, in reality they were no different than me. Temptations loomed in front of them as much as they loom in front of ne, and they gave in just as I do. The resepct for the founding fathers lies not in their humanness, but in their love of God, enough to acknowledge His presence on money and in the legal document of the day as well as on the buildings erected for courts and legislation. This country was intentioned never to deny the presence of God, and to maintain the respect the founding fathers had for the Heavenly Father. Many early places in scripture have this same respect for God. The leaders, because of their respect for God were entitled to respect themselves by praying for them. (Deuteronomy 11:29,30; Deuteronomy 27:11,13; Deuteronomy 33:11) When articles of God were present, the eladers respected those items, and so did the people they were leading. (Joshua 8:33,34) And when the leaders of Israel who followed God with all their heart praye for protection, they were not doing this to protect just themselves but also their peopel. (Judges 16:28; II Samuel 16:10-12) Godly leaders often prayed for strength, both for themselves and those they were leading. (Nehemiah 4:4-5) Those who listened to the wise counsel of their leaders were counted as righteous. (Job 27:7) I thank God for wise and protective leaders.

Dream a little Dream part8

As Jews and later Christians, God's people were to be so totally dependant and submissive to God. This is David's sentiment in Psalms 45:2-16. There is beauty in obeying His laws and seeking His will and none of His word or obedience to His word was meant for outer attractiveness but fot he inner soul to be molded to God. We must be prepared and know where we are going and to be ready for anything, being alert and ready to shine as one of His children. (Matthew 25:1-4)

What happens when the dream turns sour? What happens when I take it upon myself to worship God according to my dream and not His dream? What happens when I don't follow the law as dictated in Leviticus 16:13, Leviticus 19:30 and Leviticus 21:12? These are specific situations for consecrating and anointing God's Holy Tabernacle, the pace where the presence of God is most preeminent. When I don't make His alter and tabernacle holy, or treat it as such, or I don't call for it's anointing, or if somehow I have defiled it by wanton error and sin (Leviticus 4:13,15) what will happen to my dream? There have been times when I have chosen to divide rather than to make peace, to add my desires onto what God truly says, rather than to be loving and accepting as God and His precious son are. (1 Corinthians 11:18; 1 Corinthians 15:9; Galatians 1:13). What happens to God's dream? God is above all things, whether good or evil. God is wonderful and our praises should continuously and constantly be centered upon Him and only for Him. (Psalms 89:7; Psalms 111:1) God's dream will not shatter, there are always more who will come to His weeding banquet and that His son will invite. My participation if I chose as in Ezekiel 23:39 to profane the worship with innocent blood and coldness will be interrupted, perhaps permanently as God will destroy at least that portion this is defiling Him. (I Corinthians 3:17). He will take me down for destroying the image of His church. By the same token, when I acknowledge His true dream, the dream of His people under Christ, as in Matthew 16:18, then He shall acknowledge that I am part of Him and that His Son is the head of the church. (Ephesians 1:22,23). My dream will become to rejoice with the LORD in that which will come regardless of suffering because I know the prize that comes at the last days. (Collosians 1:24)

Dream a little dream part 7

God's dream for me is not fantasy. It is a very real goal and has existed since before Adam and Eve and before He formed the earth into what He wanted in order to support life. He wants me to come to Him. The grandeur of His desires and dreams for me is shown through His desires and dreams for Israel in 1 Chronicles 22:19m; 1 Chronicles 24:15; and 1 Chronicles 28:10. God warns His people, including me centuries later to heed what He says about keeping His temple undefiled. (2 Chronicles 20:8; 2 Chronicles 29:18-21; 2 Chronicles 32:8-19) I share His dream. I have a dream to be in His heavenly sanctuary, and that is why I Am in the representation of it on earth. I have a dream to build as He wants me to build a part and parcel of it and to sit and sing with Hm in it, to bring Him myself as an offering, just to serve Him. (Nehemiah 10:30) He tells me in John 1 I am His child. I want to be with Him in His sanctuary (Isaiah 16:12; Psalms 150) I want to walk in those high places where He lives. (Psalms 74:3,7; Psalms 77:13; and Psalms 78:19) I have a dream that all who believe in Him believe in Him totally and in His way. I have a dream there are no divisions in His church. I want to be a part of Zion, as described by David. I want to be in that spiritual home that is represented here on earth by the church. Therefore I want to make sure that the church has nothing that could be confused with what is in the world. I want to build it to be like His temple of worship with internal glue and bonds. (Psalms 65:29, Psalms 48:9; Psalms29:9) It is where God sits on His throne, as in Isaiah 6:1, and it is from where He delegates all those who will demonstrate His great power. (Malachi 3:1) Only His power, only His power, not man's power. It is not where we should come but where we do come to see Him in all His reverence, in all His Magnificent Presence. It is where we come to realize that our power is not really our power after all. It in fact only comes from Him. (Jeremiah 50:5) But also I want to realize that I am His temple. Within me is built that when I put Him on in obedience. Because of this, I need to acknowledge Him daily, in this, not just when I am in His presence because after all I am never not in His presence. In that regard, daily praising Him becomes a part and parcel of my relationship with Him. (Luke 24:53; Psalms 9:11; Psalms 48:11; Psalms 74:2) and realize I am in His holy city when I join with my brethren in church. And when we are together, His Zion is completed. His temple has all the stones He requires of it, and not one of those needs to be renamed with our name or some preacher we admire but with His and His Son's holy name.

Dream a little dream (part 5)

How much do I believe God is who He says He is? Just how holy am I ready to believe He is? And how holy is He? What does separation mean? God told His people to be holy. (Exodus 25:8; Leviticus 19:30; Leviticus 21:12). And He expects that of me as well. God delegated a specific group to maintain the purity of the temple and to be the priests, the holy men of His people. (Numbers 3:28; Numbers 4:12; Numbers 7:9; Numbers 8:19; Numbers 10:21) God made this delegation of His people responsible for good leadership. And they were accountable for leading the people down the right paths. Now, because of Christ, I am part of that royal priesthood, as Peter says in 1 Peter 2:5. I and I alone am accountable for my choice of whether to be led by God or my own idols. If I am unclean, I cannot call myself part of His congregation, at least not without hypocrisy. (Numbers 19:20) I am to look after His physical house in the Church and His spiritual house in me. (I Chronicles 9:29)

The House of the LORD is a sacred entity, a sovereign place where we gather together. All of us must be careful not to destroy that image of all the nations flowing to it because of that holiness. (Isaiah 2:2; Jeremiah 17:26). It is the difference, the holiness, the highness that makes God so attractive, not whether He is able to perform miracles and pull things out of His hat or that He can be portrayed as Bozo or a bafoon. Men like Jeremiah gave up much for Him. That appears foolish but nonetheless all will be saved if they follow God's teachings. Hezekiah in Isaiah 37.14 knew the seriousness and solemnity of worship to God and his attitude was that same way. He brought his concerns to God, to His altar. And there will not always be those that agree. Some have accepted the style of life that led to bringing an "anything goes" attitude with the church and those tend to proclaim their right of expression. (Jeremiah 20:1,2; Jeremiah 26:2, 7) and it soon becomes apparent that we cannot tell who is of God and who is not. (Jeremiah 28:1,5). The House of the LORD is always something to be cherished, and many times men make it into a den of theives with their greed and polity. The only way to really come back is a humble succession. (Jeremiah 41:5)

I read in the Old Testamenta about David setting people over the House of the LORD (1 Chronicles 6:31, 1 Chronicles 23:14; 1 Chronicles 26:12) and how important the upkeep of the House of the LORD is. The House of the LORD represents physically the image of the Heavenly Realm that God sets before us, and if I am not careful, the image in the Temple or House of the LORD the message I give to other people may be confusing about God. Am I confused about my God? Are those I worship with also confused about the depth of God? Worship is a serious, reverent participation in which my brethren and I must purify ourselves spiritually, just as those approaching the Temple had to do physically. (2 Chronicles 33:15) Jesus even cautioned the Pharisees to clean the inside of the cups they bore, because while they looked shiny and fine, their insides were dirty and rotten and empty (Matthew 23:25). What I must guard against is that which would pollute the House of the LORD that is within me (1 Corinthians 3:16) and that which is physically on this earth will be taken care of by my God, who apportions me as I have faith and talent. (2Chronicles 33:15) What all and myself must guard against is, in trying to be all things to all people, not to forget the sanctification with which I am told by God to maintain in the statement, "Be ye holy as I am holy."

Dream A little Dream

Is the LORD pleased with me? Do I please Him in what I do? Do the people I am associated with please Him? Look at 2 Samuel 12:22, and there is my answer. God wants me. He want me for His sake because He wants to make me part of His people. Not for what i can do, or have done, or will do. Not whether I cna preach, teach, or play an instrument or sing. But because of me. And He loves me.Knowing that should make me want to worship Him His way (2 Samuel 15:31) and make me more likely to come to Him,c alling upon Him so that others may come to believe Him as well. (I King 19:16,19) I should know that because He loves me, He will do all He can at His most perfect time so that I am protected and kept sheltered. (1Chronicles 5:20). Know that is pleases God to call me one of His, I am grateful that He is so powerfula and that He has chosen me, and I acknowledge His power and supremacy, because in Him nothing else will prevail. (2 Chronicles 4:11) I also attain humilit, because I know that God hears me and knows my affliction. And He cares. (2 Chronicles 33:12,13) And it strengthens me against those who would afflict and chide and punish and beat me in an attempt to keep me from doing the will of God. (Nehemiah 4:4,5,9; Nehemiah 6:9,14) In Nehemiah's time there were those who would undermine the work of the Isrealites in rebuilding their temple. There were those who denied and chastised the builders, even charging at the with swords to keep them from building the building to God. And Nehemiah encouraged His own not to give but to remember the task ahead of them and complete the task (The race as Paul would call it in Philippians). And Nehemiah called upon God for protection, reminding Himof His covenant and His mercy. (Nehemiah 9:32)

Dream a little Dream (part 3)

And how do I come to understand exactly what Zion means? I can read all the abstracts, all the commentaries, go to all the seminars and classes offered by various churches and still be unclear as to what Zion is. I believe that is the way God wants it. Not that He deliberately wants to muddy the waters, but that He wants us to realize that for all the uses I have for knowledge, that unless I use it according to His way and for the testimony of Him, knowledge is worthless. Knowledge is only to be used as a combative tool to protect us against untruths of satan, not to build our character. Living our lives in the Spirit does that. So that in Jesus' terms knowledge = truth and truth = understanding God's greatness = life and finally life + Spirit = character. This is what I see over and over, and most explicitly in Paul's letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 8:1) when he says, "Knowledge puffs up but love builds up". It is not what I know that is of major concern to God, although He doews what me to come to know Him, becasue He knows that knowledge comes by reading what He says in His Word. The more I read, the more I know. And the more I realize the less I know. And if I use God's knowledge right, I am humbled in its granduer. The main item God wants of me is love, and the resultant obedience. He wants me to have Moses' attitude in Exodus 24:7, "He took the book of the covenant and read in the audience of the peole: and they said, "All that he LORD hath said will we do and be obedient." God wants me to be obedient in all things both big and small.

Dream a little dream (part 2)

Is Zion where the LORD lives, as the Psalmist in Psalms 132:15 says? Does He chose to be in a place that I know nothing about, can't even conceive or perceive of, and is it something that I am in danger of losing if I am not careful? (Psalms 137:1) Does my sin lead me further and further from His habitation? And my repentance brings me closer to Him, because I come to realize how solemn a time it is to be with Him. (Joel 2:1,15). Zion is the spiritual representation of His physical temple in Jerusalem, according to the scripture. (Psalms 65:29; Psalms 48:9; Psalms29:9) It is where God sits on His throne as in Isaiah 6:1 and it is where He delegates to those who He has chosen to demonstrate His power. (Mal 3:1) It is a place we all join n order to derive our power, the source of which is God. And it is where I must realize that I need to acknowledge Him daily, give Him praise daily (Luke 24:53) and acknowledge Him as my Father (Psalms 9:11, Psalms 48:11, Psalms 74:2) and realize that I am in His holy city, when I join with my brethren (Matt 23:16). Where the notion came from that Israel would be rebuilt and Jesus would sit there I don't have a clue. Israel as it is now is not accepting of Jesus as the Messiah, although He truly is. And Israel as it is not is not the seat of His body. It is a place of great turmoil and warring between descendants of David and descendants of Ismail. If we take everything in scripture as being literal, then Jezebel will come back to life as will Babylon so that the Book of Revelation can be taken as written. No, because the bible is a book filled with parables allegories and actual events the reader m st be well aware of which is which. And therefore when the author speaks of the New Israel or the New Jerusalem, he is speaking of the Church, the congregation of God's family in Zion, heaven.

Do You have a Dream

Where is Zion? Is it actually a place that I can visit? Is it some place I can go to know where Jesus spent His boyhood? In the bible there are many listings for Zion, but unlike any other place no real definitive location is given. And so, depending who you talk to, Zion has very different meanings. To a Jew, Zion represents the Promised Land and their hope of returning to their beloved Palestine. To a Christian, Zion represents heaven: the land of milk and honey, where there will be no more tears and where our heavenly Father has a mansion made up with rooms for each of us. If we take Zion to mean heaven, or even the Promised Land, it seems there should be better terminology to describe such a place as Zion, which, according to some, translates in Hebrew as "parched place". Then again this makes sense considering that God's thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8) and that His sole purpose for picking His people was not because they were the best or the brightest but because they were. These people, not unlike my brethren and myself were just ordinary, everyday, run-of-the-mill people. And God created in them an extraordinary existence, an ability to do powerful things, if they let God do the doing. Not unlike my brethren and I. So Zion, while meaning a dry land also means that deep down this land was made of you and me because God will do extraordinary things in us and through us, that all may know He is God. He makes gold out of the desert sand, flowers out of the dung heap, and a saved soul out of something with no hope at all.

Sing a Song part 17

So there are two reasons: 1) There is no clear cut use in the New Testament of instruments during the early church and 2) it may indicate mourning for a time until we are all together in heaven. There is of course the third and most obvious, and that is the performance using an instrument. God doesn't want my performance. He wants my person. God doesn't need my performance to promote His Word. If the bible itself, if the presence of Christ and His apostles aren't good enough to enter into the spiritual temple courts, then what will I add by using instruments? Nothing I can do will add to what is already God's, in fact I am warned not to do that in Revelations (Rev 22:18). In fact, the use of instrumentation seems to come back in Revelations 5:8,9 and in Revelations 18:22. In Revelations 18:22, it say, "Babylon will have no more joy, no music". And who is Babylon? Babylon is me. It is you. It is anyone and any country that denies God, either intentionally or unintentionally. While people may mean well, and they have the choice, they must understand that God had a purpose in everything and that they must be strong in the faith, not strong in their own gods. God understands that things made of our own hands leads us to pride and worshipping those things which will nto and cannot bring us closer to God. Only by realizing that God did not choose for us what we can do or our power or stature or beauty but because of ourselves can we possibly realize what it is to be God's children. Then and only then can we sing, "Just as I am".

What of 1 Corinthians 13:1? This says, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." The purpose here is to show how out of place it would be to not have love in one's heart. Both those who say there should be no instruments and those that say there should must keep this in mind, to love one another with the grace of God. Should there be instruments? God seems to become displeased with the use of instruments if it interferes with the focus on Him? As in Amos or Jeremiah. It was not always the case that He was displeased with instruments. For instance, in 2 Chronicles 30:21, the priests praised God and the use of instruments is well recorded. Also this is seen in Joshua 6:8. But this changes to mourning and sadness in 2 Chronicles 35:25 and Daniel in Daniel 3:5-15 refused to bow down to idols or listen to the music that was presented to the king. Instruments have many uses, particularly in Luke 15:25 to celebrate the return of the prodigal son. The lack of instruments was to denote sadness, as the people don't want to play (Psalms 137:2-4) and not even the king wants to hear instruments (Dan 6:5). Could it be an expression that these are the last days and being in mourning that although someday I will be in heaven that when I now come before God I need to be in mourning and so there should be no instrumentation?

What did Jesus say on this? Didn't He say He came to fulfill? This is true, and in Matthew 9:23 is a good example of this. He didn't come to destroy the temple. God's people already were going to unwittingly do that by their legalism and lack of true faith in God and His power. Jesus didn't come to destroy the status quo, part of which contained instruments. What He wanted to change was the party atmosphere and the laws that bound people to performance rather than being heartfelt. At the Last Supper, in Mark 14:26, Jesus and the apostles sang a hymn. It didn't mention instruments were there, as are mentioned in passages where there are actual instrument used. There are those who would say it didn't mention the lack of instrumentation. Did they or didn't they have instruments? In Ephesians 5:19, "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the LORD" and in Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in your heart richly to all wisdom: teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the LORD". And in Hebrews, "Saying, I will declare Thy Name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto Thee." The operative word is sing. Does "psalms" refer to the use of instruments? It could be both. In this instance, I would think that it just meant the use of then voice rather than the use of the stringed instrument. As mentioned above, isn't it interesting that none of the music has come down through the generations, but the words have, and the significance of that is that the words are more important than the music, although in my heart I can still sing using my own melody to the same words toward God. The whole focus of this not to see if I can use instruments, actually a moot point, but to see how much I want to be concerned about being in His presence in His throne room. After all,I think Paul worshipped God singing from prison with more focus that I can in my freedom to use or not use an instrument because His focus was on the Almighty and mine would be on practicing and getting the notes right. If I have to practice before worship that becomes performance during worship and is not totally me.

Sing a Song part 17

Both Isaiah (Is 30:29,32) and Jeremiah (Jer 31:4) speak of using songs and instruments once again to praise God. When? Are we to decide this? No, God is. It appears in Revelation 14:23 and in Revelation 18:2 that this will happen in heaven, when there is no competition, no jealousy, no jockeying for position as the highest in God's Kingdom. There are references by Paul to the psalms (which could either be songs sung with or without an instrument). Paul also says, "Speak" (Ephesians 5:17) and his point is not about making music at a,,, but to know what one is singing so that worship is in the mind and the heart. Daniel in Dan 3:5 also warned against the use of instruments in false worship to a King that was denying God. When do I deny God by the use of instruments? One instance was given above, when I say to God that my voice is not as good as the instrument that I have fashioned, that what God has allowed on this earth is nowhere as good as what I can do with my hands or feet. I am denying that God is above all and can create something so beautiful our of something that may sound horrible to the normal ear. Does that mean that He changes my voice? No, but He allows me to rejoice in my weakness and humility, to know that He is the focus, not my voice. And not my instrumentation. What are the instances when I deny God? By saying that my instrument can portray Him better than His Word. Think about this, why don't we have a copy of David's music to the Psalms? Or better said, why are only the words presented in God's Word. Why are the words all that is left of the Psalms? Perhaps because God wants us to meditate and think about Him. Can music aid? Certainly but it does not instruct nor increase our knowledge of Him. To put it another way is the prophet Amos. Amos is the prophet that gives methe word of warning. Amos is like a cold rag that slaps me across the face when the heat of a passion that is inconsistent with God takes place. I thank God for Amos. In Amost 6:15, the prophet warns the people of Isreal for being complacent in their Judaism, for lounging and feasting and taking the music as entertainment for their benefit. He chastises them for making God an errand boy, playing their instruments with a crude imitation of religion. Amos in Amos 8:10 then warnsof the mourning that is to come because of this. "And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentations; and i will bring up sackcloth upon all loins and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son and the end thereof of a bitter day." When I become complacent in my Christianity, when I am to the point that I say, "I am fine and oding well" and don't add the words, "because of God, not me" I am truly forgetting what it is God has done for me. He got me through three major surgeries. He showed me my sin when I thought, I rationalized, that He wouldn't mind. He showed me that I needed more compassion, more love toward my brethren, and above all He gave me salvation through His Son. How much more can He give me? Only He knows and I love Him so. And I will sing to Him always. This is what He wants. From me. Singing is personal to Himand it is to be so to me as well. What of instruments? Instruments demonstrate what a human cna do, a voice is what God has done. While I love instruments, my best worship is done using my voice to His glory.

Sing a song part 17

Instruments were not always used by God's people in the Old Testament. There were times that music was sung acapella, for instance in mourning or in times of trouble. (Daniel 9:18; Psalms 137:2; Ezekiel 26:13) More often then not is the distinction between the Old and the New Testament, the use of instruments to praise God. For example, Elisha himself used a harpist to prophecy or perhaps put him in the right frame of mind. (2 Kings 3:15) King Solomon knew singing was good and a great expressor of the soul. But he also saw vanity in trying to surround oneself with instruments for the sake of gathering together the finest of instruments and musicians to get the best sound. (Ecclesiastes 2:8) Solomon also knew that the sole purpose behind gathering was just for his pleasure. (Ecc 2:10, 8:11) Isaiah saw how men can get carried away with instruments and not really use them to praise God but to praise the work of man in display of a tangible image of God. (Ezekiel 26:13, 33:32; Isaiah 5:12, 14:11, 16:10, 24:8,9) And Isaiah warns God's people that they need to focus back as in King David's day. (Isaiah 23:16, 30:29,32) And really in truth, God's people in the New Testament don't use instruments mostly because they are on the run or having to worship in secret or in prison. Jesus Himself set the example of the Lord's Supper in remembrance of Him. Could it be that I should be in mourning because this world is not my home and I am to be striving toward heaven?