Praising God

Many people praise God, but most who do so have not thought about praising Him in places other than where they go to worship.  Obviously, the church, synagogue, or temple is a place to praise the Lord.  However, we need to be aware that we can, and we should, praise God anywhere and at any time.  Generally, praise is the expression of warm approval or admiration of someone or for something special they have done.  Christian praise is considered an expression of gratitude and respect towards God because of His goodness and the blessings He has provided for us.

The six verses of Psalm 150 expand on Christian praise. They explain a lot to us about praise and help us understand aspects related to the worship of God.  In this Psalm we learn the following:

1)      Places to Praise the Lord.  We are told that we should praise God “in His sanctuary” and “in His mighty heavens” (verse 1).  Although we may often think of praise as happening in a church building, praise can be expressed to God anywhere in the whole earth where God has displayed His power.

2)      Things for which to Praise God.  The psalm identifies “His acts of power” and “His surpassing greatness” as things for which to praise God (verse 2).  God orders and controls all the forces of nature and His divine power stands behind His greatness.

3)      Instruments with which to Praise God.  Many different instruments can be used for bringing praise to God (verses 3-5).  A few of the nine instruments noted in these verses include “trumpet, harp, strings and cymbals.”  It is important to remember that the praise is not in the instruments themselves, it is in the hearts of the people who use these and other instruments as they worship the Lord.

4)      Persons and Things should be United in Praise to God.  “Everything that has breath” should be involved in praising the Lord (verse 6).  If you have breath, you should use it to express your praise to the wonderful God who created you.

The Psalmist concludes Psalm 150 by saying, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” (verse 6).  Maybe it is time for all of us to evaluate our expressions of praise to God including how, where and with what we offer our gratitude and show our respect to Him.  Are you ready to praise the Lord?

A Resolution

Many people make a resolution at the beginning of the New Year.  Some people do not because they are afraid that they will not be able to keep the resolution they make.  However, I encourage everyone who reads this article to seriously consider making this resolution: “I resolve to revolve around Christ.”  As you make that resolution, I encourage you to consider a similar resolution the Apostle Paul made when he said, “All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurrection” (Philippians 3:10).

Notice three important aspects of this resolution:

1)    The resolution is singular in purpose – “all I want.”  It seems that when making a decision, lots of options could be helpful.  However, when too many options are available, decision-making becomes increasingly difficult.  For example, some fast-food chains purposely limit the items on their menu realizing that too many options often complicate decisions for people.  The Apostle Paul had an earnest desire that excluded everything in his life that was not essential.  At the same time, he was very much aware of those things that were of worth and had value.  How about you?  Are you ready to become singular in purpose in this New Year? 

2)    The resolution has a heavenly focus – “to know Christ.”  There is a Christian chorus about a person’s relationship with Christ entitled “The greatest thing in all my life is knowing You.”  The “You” to know, of course, is Christ and that was Paul’s focus.  Notice how the Amplified Bible paraphrases this same verse.  It says, “For my determined purpose is that I may know Him—that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly” (Philippians 3:10). How about having the goal of getting to know Christ better this New Year?

 3)    The resolution includes a dynamic encounter – “to experience the power.”  When astronauts sit on top of powerful booster rockets which thrust their Space Capsule into orbit, they experience a controlled power that is indescribable.  And yet this man-made power pales in comparison with the fantastic power that is available to the Christian.  Paul calls this resurrection power.  The power of God that brought Christ from the dead is the same kind of power the believer can experience.  In other portions of scripture, it is said that the individual who has a personal relationship with God has “been raised with Christ” (Colossians 3:1).  Are you ready for a dynamic on-going encounter with Christ in this New Year?

May this New Year be a year in which your resolution is to revolve around Christ and may you experience all the wonderful blessings He has in store for you as you get to know Him better and more intimately.

Being Connected

On a spring vacation I wanted to connect to the internet but discovered that I was out of Wi-Fi range and did not have a proper password for a local hotspot.  This quickly made me aware of the importance of being connected.  Not having the connection when I desired it, or thought I needed it, was frustrating.  Without a source of power my effectiveness was hindered.

In technology, as in other sectors of life, it is important to be connected.  I suggest that it also important to be connected spiritually.  The Bible reminds us that it is essential for us to tap into God’s divine power.  If we neglect doing so, we will be hindered in our spiritual development and become ineffective.  Many people think they can get along without God.  However, when God is left out of our lives our strength is diminished, we deceive ourselves, and we lose the effectiveness that we would otherwise have.  The Bible says, “His [God’s] divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (II Peter 1:3). Think about these four aspects of this verse:

1)      Originating Source.  The supply of spiritual energy is God himself.  The text calls this “His [God’s]” power.

2)      Specified Energy.  The energy is far more than human power, it is godly vitality because it is called “divine power”.

3)      Exhaustive Supply.  The resource God provides is comprehensive because it includes “everything we need” – that is, everything that is essential for our connection to God.

4)      Personal Connection.  Our link with God is intimate because He has “called us”.  God personally desires that we live a godly life as we grow spiritually and learn more about Him.

Being connected to God means that we have godly strength.  With this personal connection to God, we receive His divine power which is necessary to live a fruitful life that pleases Him.  Are you connected to God’s spiritual energy source?

What in the World are You Doing?

As a child I occasionally got into trouble (well, that did happen more than I want to admit), but one time I remember my father saying to me, “What in the world are you doing?”  Of course, I had to fess up to the predicament in which I found myself and receive the consequences of my action.  As I think back to that question, I believe it is a good question for all of us to think about – not because we have been in trouble, but because we need to think about our existence.  What in the world am I doing?  Why has God allowed me to live in this Century?  What does God want to accomplish through me?  When the Apostle Paul made a defense before King Agrippa, he rehearsed his experience of getting to know God personally.  Here is what the Lord said to him, “I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (Acts 26:17-18).

 Notice several specifics about these verses:

 1)      Sending Agent.  “I am sending you.”  God, the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, has a task to accomplish and He works through people to get His work done.

2)      Specific Mission.  “To open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light.”  God’s purpose is that people will turn from the darkness of sin to the brightness of eternal life in Christ.

3)      Sustaining Power. “From the power of Satan to God.” It is God’s divine power (not Satan’s power) that is at work through individuals so His purpose can be fulfilled.

4)      Systematic Cleansing.   “They may receive forgiveness of sins.” God wants people to be spiritually clean by having their sins forgiven and that comes only because of Christ’s death on the cross.

5)      Sacred Confidence.  “A place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” Through faith in God, a person has confident assurance that God has done a new work in his or her life.

If you read the rest of the book of Acts and the Epistles that the Apostle Paul wrote you will find him doing the things that this verse suggests.  It seems to me that this is the same activity that all people who call themselves Christians should be doing.  We should share the Gospel with people so their eyes can be opened to the Savior, so they can turn from the darkness of sin to God’s wonderful light, so they can receive forgiveness of sin, and so they can be sanctified through faith in Christ.

So, the question remains for all of us: “What in the world am I doing?”  What are you doing personally?  What are you doing familywise?  What are you doing in your community?  I trust that your answer and action to these questions are the same as that of the Apostle Paul.

God's Help

Our family used to live in the San Joaquin Valley in California, not far from Yosemite National Park, where we periodically visited.  In the park, which is part of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, we were able to view “Half Dome”.  Half Dome is a rock formation that rises nearly 5000 feet above the valley.  The peak is cut by natural erosion, so it appears as if it is half of a dome, and thus the name.  When we visited the park and viewed Half Dome in person, I was reminded of Psalm 121 and two things that must have impressed the writer of this psalm.

1)    First, God’s Help.  As the psalmist viewed the range of hills before him, he made a comment and then posed a question.  He said, “I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? (Psalm 121:1).  With confident assurance he immediately answered his own question by stating, “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:2).  One look at the expanse of the hills that lay before him caused him to think about the faithfulness of His God.  It was God who repeatedly provided divine help for him and the hills impressed him with this thought.  If you have not seen Half Dome but have seen a mountain range, hills, or a huge rock formation, what has come to your mind?  Do you see the beauty of what is before you?  Do you recognize what you see as a creation of God?  That is good.  However, when you stand before a huge hill or mountain expanse I encourage you to think about the help that God has provided for you all because of His faithfulness.

2)    Second, God’s Ability.  To the psalmist the hills before him were huge.  They were mammoth.  However, in his mind’s eye, as big as these hills were, his God was even bigger.  It was God’s creative power that caused him to focus on God’s divine ability that was obviously much greater than his own ability.  God made the mountain.  Therefore, God had both the power and ability to do many wonderful things – not just in physical creation but also in his life.  The rest of Psalm 121 identifies what God did for the psalmist.

    a)    God was His Protection.  In every conceivable situation God was constantly guarding him.  The psalmist was reminded that, “He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber, indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:3-4).  God was there to protect him during the day or even in the deepest part of the night.

    b)   God was His Provision.  God was at hand to give the psalmist everything that he needed.  He said, “The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night” (Psalm 121:5-6).  Every need was provided so the psalmist had just what God wanted him to have.

   c)    God was His Preservation.  God watched over his daily life so closely that he was supported in every possible way.  The psalmist was reminded that, “The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life.  The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore” (Psalm 121:7-8).  He was confident that God was in the business of preserving him – no matter where he was.

What is the biggest problem that you face today?  As you think of that problem remember Half Dome; remember the mountains.  Since God is bigger than the biggest mountain, He is also bigger than the greatest problem you face or could ever imagine.  Are you willing to turn the problem that you have over to God today?  He will provide help for you - more help than what you could ever ask for, think about, or imagine.  “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (Ephesians 3:20).

Time to Turn to God

Because of the pandemic situation in which we find ourselves, people often wonder, “What is most significant for me and my family?”  In what or in whom should I trust?  Should I trust in the national health authorities?  Governmental officials?  Human knowledge?  Should I wait until a vaccine is developed to take care of the pandemic?  What about trusting in a mask to keep me safe?  What about maintaining a social distance of 6-feet from other people? We could turn to all of these things but even so, there is still a certain amount of risk in each of these.

People would probably feel more comfortable if the amount of risk they face was reduced substantially or eradicated all together.  So, here is a good question for us to ask.  Is there anything or anyone that I can turn to in which I can have complete certainty?  What will give me the assurance for which I am searching?

I suggest that we take a look at the Old Testament in the Bible which tells about a king in the land of Israel whose name was Jehoshaphat.  The Israelites discovered that enemy forces were coming together against them.  In fact, these enemy forces turned out to be a huge army.  We are told that Jehoshaphat's first response to the imminent invasion was that of being alarmed.  He was afraid for himself and his people.  However, what he chose to do was to pray to God and then ask the people of Israel to fast and join him in prayer.  In Jehoshaphat’s prayer he said, “We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (II Chronicles 20:12).

In this prayer Jehoshaphat identified three things that were extremely important for the Israelites and and for him.  He suggested that (1) Human power was inadequate.  As a result it would be useless for anyone to turn to this kind of power.  (2) Knowledge would be insufficient.  As much as knowledge helps in other situations, by itself it would not be enough to defeat a huge army.  (3) The correct person to turn to was God.  To turn to God - the One who has divine authority and is omnipotent (all-powerful) - was the right choice.  Jehoshaphat turned to God because God had helped Israel with His great power in the past and He surely would do so again.

One of the priests of Israel encouraged Jehoshaphat not to be afraid or discouraged because of the great difficulty the nation was facing.  The reason, he reminded him, was simply because the battle was not theirs but it was God’s.  This did not mean that the Israelites were to stay in their tents, cover their heads and avoid the battle altogether.  He told Israel that they were to take up their positions and stand.  In other words, they were to get ready for battle.  Even with battle-readiness the Lord would be the one to deliver them – and He did.

Keeping our eyes on God and placing our trust in Him is the only action that will give you and me complete assurance and confidence during troubled times. Maybe it is about time for us as individuals, and as a country, to turn to God.

Heart Failure

During these days of the Covid-19 virus pandemic people are discouraged.  You have probably heard the words that are used to try to reassure people such as, “We’ll get through this”, “You’ll get through this” or “We’re all in this together.”  These words have been uttered in texts, in telephone conversations, on the internet, and on television.  The intent of these statements is that although everyone is going through things such as isolation, personal distancing, handwashing and staying in place – this will end – hopefully in the near future.

Since the pandemic is discouraging to so many people, let’s take time to look more closely at the word “discourage” and see what we can learn by dividing the word into two parts.  “Dis” is the first part of the word which has to do with failure.  The second part of the word – “courage” – points to the heart.  So, to be discouraged literally means to have heart failure.  When we get discouraged our motivation is either taken away from us or set aside because we lose our source of power.  To handle discouragement people need to get back to their source of power.  Of course, the Scripture points out that our real source of power is God, Himself.  II Peter 1:3 says, “His [God’s] divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”

Examining this verse more closely, you will notice several aspects of power.  (1) First, the power mentioned is God’s divine power.  He is the source of the power we need and of course, His power is much greater than any other power available to us.  (2) Second, God’s divine power has been given to us.  The "us" refers to people who are committed to God through a personal relationship – a life-sharing union with Him.  They are the recipients of His divine power.  (3) Third, God's divine power is complete and adequate.   His power does not simply provide a few things for us to enjoy, but gives us God's abundance - everything we need.  (4) Fourth, the divine power that God gives to us is to be utilized in daily living.  As we learn more about God – who He is, what He has done, and how He continues to work in our lives – we can rely on His strength each day.

Everyone needs God’s divine power.  You need it and I need it.  Ephesians 3:16 reminds us that God, “out of his glorious riches … strengthen(s) us with power through his Spirit.”  When we take time to accept God’s invitation to have a personal relationship with Him, we will possess His power which is at work in us.  Ephesians 3:20 explains it this way, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” God's power is an active power that can be displayed in our lives every day.  How will we get through this Covid-19 pandemic?  The answer is by relying on God’s divine power.  What a great encouragement this is to help us get us out of the doldrums of discouragement and make a difference in our world for the cause of Christ.  However, remember that we need God’s help to get our hearts on the right track so we can get through the Covid-19 difficulty.  Having God’s power reign in our lives is crucial for us to live the way He wants us to live. Why not turn from your "heart failure" – your discouragement – to God and let Him give you joyful encouragement?