HALLELUJAH - PRAISE YE THE LORD

Let Everything That Has Breath

Praise The Lord.
Psalm 150 : 6

As we conclude the year 2009 and step into 2010, let us offer our thanksgiving, praise and worship by declaring Psalm 150 - PRAISE THE LORD! The word "PRAISE" is used thirteen times in this psalm, and ten of those times, we are commanded to "PRAISE HIM"

The word "HALLELU YAH" - Hallelujah - means "Praise The Lord!" Jehovah (or Yah, for Yahweh) is the covenant name of the Lord. It reminds us that He loves us and has convenanted to save us, keep us, care for us, and eventually glorify us, because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, His Son, on the cross. The new covenant was not sealed by the blood of animal sacrifices but by the precious blood of Christ.

Jehovah God is the "power name" of God - El Elohim, and this reminds us that whatever He promises, He is able to perform. Worship is not about the worshiper and his or her needs; it is about God and His glory, honor and power. Certainly we bring our burdens and needs with us into the sanctuary (1 Peter 5:7), but we focus our attention on the Lord.

"You Are Worthy, O Lord,
To receive Glory And Honor And Power;
For You Created All Things,
And By Your Will They Exist And Were Created."
Revelation 4:11

All true praise and worship must begin and remain centered on God and His absolute worthiness to receive all glory, honor and power. There are no techniques for worship, here; no instructions for the praise band - just a number of doorways for you to open to the vast realms of praise await us all.

"Great Is The Lord And Most Worthy Of Praise."

1 Chronicles 16:25.

God is not just worthy of praise, He is MOST WORTHY of praise. In other words, whatever praise we can give Him, He deserves it. We cannot overestimate His worth because He is worth more than anything.

Right now would you join me with your voices, or songs, or instruments, or dances to PRAISE THE LORD by declaring Psalm 150?

Praise God in his sanctuary;
Praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power;
Praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
Praise him with the harp and lyre,
Ppraise him with tambourine and dancing,
Praise him with the strings and flute,
Praise him with the clash of cymbals,
Praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath Praise the Lord.
PRAISE THE LORD.

Blessed New Year!
TPWC

THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS - WORSHIP

Christmas is a time of joy and giving. Christians all over the world commemorate this occasion because "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son Jesus Christ that whosoever believes shall not perish but have everlasting life" - John 3:16

In our celebration, we proclaim the Good News with carols on the streets and we expressed the God's love to the world with our gifts to the needy and the orphans. In the midst of all these activities, do you know that the spirit of Christmas is WORSHIP? All those who came to meet Jesus WORSHIPED ...

The Wisemen
"Where is the one who has been born king of Jews? we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." (Matthew 2:2)
"On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh " (Matthew 2:11 - note: worship before gifts)

The Angels
"Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appreared with angel praising God saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men ..." (Luke 2:13)

The Shepherds
"The shepherds returned, glorifying God for all the things they had heard and seen ..." (Luke 2:20)

Simeon The Godly Man
"... Simeon, who was a righteous and devout ...took Him in his arms and praised God ..." (Luke 2:25-33)

The Prophetess Anna
" ... she gave thanks to God ..." (Luke 2:36-38)

We must remember Jesus not as a baby but as our One and only LORD and SAVIOR - the greatest gift God has given to men. He gave His life for us. He suffered and died ... His LOVE, His GRACE, His GLORY ... the most precious gift men have ever received - SALVATION!
As we celebrate this year's Christmas, let us reserve the best gift for our Lord - WORSHIP. Right now join me in simple praise and worship from your heart & spirit ... JESUS IS THE REASON for the season.

CHRISTmas is all about CHRIST our Saviour Who came to this world to save us (John 3:16) but the world has crossed & deleted the word CHRIST and replaced it with an "X" and called it Xmas

Blessed Christmas!
TPWC

BOWING DOWN IN WORSHIP - PART 2

Shachah

The Hebrew word for worship, which means

"to bow down, to worship"

Several Bible Characters personally met God

bowing down in worship.

We can learn from their experiences

what is involved in true spiritual worship that pleases God.

1) ABRAHAM
"Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground (Gen 18:2)".

"Bowing down in worship" is first used in the Bible in Genesis 18. As you read this chapter, you see Abraham illustrating two aspects of worship - In the first half of the chapter he's busy as a servant of God; in the second half, he's standing still and conversing as the friend of God. As believers, we are both servants and friends (John 15:15), and both roles are essential for a balance worship experience.
Worship and service go together - "You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve" (Matt 4:10). Service is worship if we 're serving the Lord and giving Him our BEST (Rom 12:1). Abraham had often worshiped the Lord at the altar and offered up his choicest sacrifices, but now he was personally worshiping Him by serving Him a meal.

The last half of the chapter records a contrasting scene. Abraham isn't running here and there giving orders; he's standing quitetly before the Lord, talking with Him about the situation in the cities plain. And as a friend of God, the Lord shared His plan and asked him: "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing?" The Lord approached Abraham to discuss the situation about Sodom and Gomorrah. Noticed friends of the Master know what He is doing (John 15:15). Worshipers know His ways!

2) JOB
"At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship"(Job 1:20).

Job's initial response to the first wave of trials was to humble himself and worship. His livelihood (i.e his oxen and donkeys) had been. His transportation (i.e his camels) had been stolen. And His children (i.e his legacy) had been killed. All of this in one day! And Job's first reaction, after his inital shock and grief, was not anger, not questions, and not apostasy. IT WAS WORSHIP. He violated every psychologist's formula for the stages of grief.
How could Job do such a thing? He knew, deep down in his heart, two essential facts that most of us question from time to time:
(a) God is sovereign
(b) God is good
Job could worship because whatever was happening, it was under the sovereign hand of a really good God. He didn't know why bad things were happening, but he knew who watched over him.And despite circumstances, he knew that the One who watched over him was WORTHY!
When lives fall apart, we're inclined to accuse God of not living up to His end of the bargain. Job remembered that he was not in a bargaining position - never had been. All he had received from God was from His mercy. He knew that it was now gone had nothing to do with God's character. That 's why Job could said in verse 21 "Naked I came from my mother's womb,and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised."

When our trials weigh heavily upon us - even when crisis strikes - we must remember the unchanging, merciful God.

"COME LET US BOW DOWN IN WORSHIP, LET US KNEEL BEFORE THE LORD OUR MAKER." Psalm 95:6
Blessed Week!
TPWC

BOWING DOWN IN WORSHIP

Come let us sing for joy to the LORD;

let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before Him with thanksgiving

and extol Him with music and song

For the LORD our God is the great God,

the great King above all gods ...

Come, let bow down in worship,

let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;

for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture,

the flockunder His care.

Psalm 95:1-7

There is a beautiful progression here that brings us into the immediate presence of God. The Psalmist in Psalm 95:1-2 tells us how we should praise Him - it starts with loud and jubilant praise and thanksgiving: "Let us sing for joy ... let us shout aloud ... " God encourages us to express freely our praises and our thanksgiving. Then Psalm 95:3-5 tells us why we should praise Him - for the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods!

Then, as we go further, the mood changes: "Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker (Ps 95:6-7)." Praise and thanksgiving lead us on to worship. Worship is not so much an utterance as an attitude. It is bowing down, kneeling - even at times prostrating ourselves before God. Every part of our being and every area of our personality is involved. All unite in total, unreserved submission to God.

Praise means looking up, but worship means bowing down. Alas, some people who enjoy lifting their hands and shouting do not enjoy bowing their knees and submitting. True worship is much deeper than communal praise, for worship involves realizing the awesomeness of God and experiencing THE FEAR OF THE LORD and A DEEPER LOVE FOR HIM. Too often, Christian "praise" is nothing but religious entertainment and it never moves into spiritual enrichment in the presence of the Lord. Our singing must give way to silence as we bow before the Lord. He alone is JEHOVAH, the LORD, the covenant-making and covenant-keeping God. He is our MAKER (Ps 95:6b) and our SHEPHERD (Ps 95:7a). He made us, He saved us and He cares for us! Why should we hesitate to fall before Him in worship?

The pathway that the psalmist here describes takes us through praise and thanksgiving into worship and stillness before God. When we come into this attitude of worship, we are able to hear God speaking directly to us. That is why the psalmist continues, "Today, if you hear His voice ..." (Ps 95:7b)

Bow down and worship God! - HE IS WORTHY! \0/\0/\0/
TPWC