THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS - WORSHIP

For To Us A Child Is Born

To Us A Son Is Given

And The Government Will Be On His Shoulders

And He Will Be Called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince Of Peace

Isaiah 9:6

Christmas is a time of joy and giving. Christians all over the world commemorate this occasion because "God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son Jesus Christ ..."

In our celebration, we proclaim the Good News with carols on the streets and we expressed the loved of God 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 at the manger WORSHIPPED ...

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 worshipped 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)

As we celebrate this year's Christmas, let us reserve the best gift for our Lord - WORSHIP.

EMMANUEL - God Is With US

Christmas Blessings
TPWC

THE HALLELUJAH LIVING

"But You are holy,

O You Who dwell in [the holy place where]

the praises of Israel [are offered]"
Psalms 22:3 (Amplified Bible)

We learnt from the last two posts - The Hallelujah Factor - that the word "HALLELUJAH" means PRAISE THE LORD! The Hebrew Word "Hallal" means 'to boast, to brag on, to laud, to make a show even to the point of being clamorously foolish or mad' before the Lord. And "JAH" is simply the shortened name of GOD which means YAWEH. So when we say "HALLELUJAH" we ought to response in extreme excitement, exuberance and exultation.

It seemed foolish for the Istraelites to march around Jericho, and shout their PRAISES to see those walls fall down. But they shouted anyway, and down the walls came (Joshua 6:20). It seems ridiculous for king Jehoshaphat to have the singers and praisers lead the way singing and praising in the face of three great armies. But God was pleased, and brought them great victory and deliverance that day (2 Chronicles 20:22). It was a peculiar thing for Paul and Silas to be praising God at midnight in that filthy old jail, but God responded and sent the earthquake and freedom (Acts 16:25-26). Therefore, I believe God will meet you if you will say "HALLELUJAH" everytime you walk through the "fire or flood"!

There is certainly nothing magical about the word HALLELUJAH or PRAISING THE LORD. But God does respond to faith. Shouting HALLELUJAH or PRAISING HIM especially in difficult circumstances or situations actually show our genuine faith in His loving provision.

"I will bless the Lord at ALL time

His PRAISE shall continually be in my mouth"

Psalm 34:1

PRAISE THE LORD ANYHOW!
1) Do you feel the joy of the Lord in your soul? PRAISE THE LORD! Or do you feel blank in side or even worst, do you feel depressed? PRAISE THE LORD ANYHOW! It is "the sacrifice of praise to God continually" you are commanded to offer (Hebrews 13:15). "The sacrifice of praise" means PRAISE THE LORD ANYHOW, especially when you don't feel like it!

2) Are all your children or family saved? PRAISE THE LORD! Or are some still wandering in sin? PRAISE THE LORD ANYHOW! God promises you that, by believing, ALL your household will be saved (Acts 16:31). PRAISING the Lord for their salvation in advance of seeing them in the fold is evidence that you truly believe!

3) Are all your bills paid up to date? PRAISE THE LORD! Or are you plagued by financial problems? PRAISE THE LORD ANYHOW! PRAISE activates God's promise to supply ALL your needs accordning the Philippians 4:19.

4) Is the weather good, and to your liking? PRAISE THE LORD! Or is it unpleasant weather? PRAISE THE LORD ANYHOW! "This is the day which the Lord hath made: we will REJOICE and be gad in it" (Psalms 118:24).

PRAISE THE LORD ANYHOW! Why? "We know that ALL things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). Don't miss God's plan by PRAISING the Lord only for things you label "blessings." His command: " In EVERYTHING give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
(An extract from: There's Dynamite In Praise by Don Gossett)

Try it ... we can shout HALLELUJAH right in the face of adversity, illness, discouragement and needs. It may seems foolish like the Israelites but there is POWER IN PRAISE!

Last but not least, I would like to share this Youtube Video :CHRISTMAS FOOD COURT FLASH MOB. I am quite sure many of us would have would have seen it (must see if you haven't). When I first saw it, this interesting thought came to my mind - releasing His PRAISE in the market place. Think about it, God will inhabit in the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3)

HALLELUJAH!
TPWC \0/\0/\0/

THE HALLELUJAH FACTOR - PART 2

We observed in the previous post that the premier word for praise, HALLELUJAH, was used twenty-four times in the Old Testament. Now we reach the New Testament to discover that it is used even more sparingly. Yet the usages are worthy of study for we have unveiled in them more of the mysteries of this amazing word. All the HALLELUJAHs in the New Testament are found in Revelation 19.

1) HISTORICAL SETTING
a) In Revelation 17 - The Woman On The Beast
John was shown a woman, a prostitute, sitting on a scarlet beast. Regardless of one's persuasion as to the meaning of the Revelation, there is rather common agreement that this symbolizes a world system in which religious and political powers have joined hands. They have one purpose, to make war against the Lamb. Of course, the Lamb will overcome them because He is none other than the Lord of lords and King of kings.

b) Revelation 18 - The Fall Of Babylon
This chapter recorded the total destruction of the total world system, "Babylon." Her productivity is terminated, and the merchants of the earth weep over fall. God's judgement is total and sudden. This is the background against which are sounded the four HALLELUJAHs of Revelation in chapter 19.

2) THE HALLELUJAH OF REDEMPTION CROWNED (Revelation 19:1-2)
"After this ...," John writes, "I heard what sounded like the roar of great multitude in heaven shouting." It was after the vision of the total destruction of the world system that this sound issued from heaven. Evidently the shouts from heaven are in response to what has taken place on earth. Their shout is, "HALLELUJAH! Salvation, and glory, and power belong to our God, for true and just are His judgements."
God has revealed His glory, and thearm of His power has been mighty. His justice has been displayed upon the earth. He Who initiated the redemption of His people will bring it to consummation. No wonder that heaven should join in one great HALLELUJAH! It matters not what history looks like from the current and visible viewpoint. It is the ultimate state of affairs which matters most. And here we win because He won! HALLELUJAH!

3) HALLELUJAH OF RETRIBUTION COMPLETE (Revlation 19:3)
Any system of justice deals with both retribution and reward. The revenge upon the harlot. The saints have been avenged. The judge of the of the earth will not allow one injustice to go unpunished. His system of retribution is geared to His sovereignty. All will equalized in the end. When the hosts of heaven see the world system gets what is coming to her, they shout with joy, "HALLELUJAH!"

4) THE HALLELUJAH OF THE REIGN CONFIRMED (Revelation 19:4-5)
The scene somewhat changes and the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures (Revelation 4) are seen to fall down and worship God, seated on a throne, with the exclamation, "Amen, HALLELUJAH!" With fresh revelation of the Almighty God, there is a new sense of His Rulership. This is familiar territory. We are back where we began. The fact God reigns elicits from earth and heaven a loud shout of praise. And to give agrement withtheir shout a voice issues from the throne saying, "Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear Him, both small and great! (verse 5)

5) THE HALLELUJAH OF RELATIONSHIP CONSUMMATED (Revelation 19:6)
Now, more loudly than ever, they shout from heaven, "like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters, like loud peals of thunders" (Verse 6). We come here to the final "HALLELUJAH" of the Bible. One consummate HALLELUJAH is reserved for the great coming event of history when the bride and groom will be joined in eternal union at the marriage of the Lamb. God reigns! We are to rejoice and be glad and give Him all the glory. Surely HALLELUJAH is in order at prospects such as these
(The Hallelujah Factor by Jack R. Taylor)

6) THE HALLELUJAH CHORUS
Let us join the angels with this chorus:

7) WHY HALLELUJAH?
We have not exhausted, by any means, the deep mysteries of the premier word for praise, but we may now have an idea about why we use it. HALLELUJAH looks in all directions: It looks backward to salvation commenced and forward to salvation crowned. It looks upward to God enthroned and downward to the devil enchained. It looks inward to fear diminshed and faith established. It looks outward to righteousness and readiness.
Let us shout it loud, "HALLELUJAH! - WORTHY IS THE LAMB!"

THE HALLELUJAH FACTOR - PART 1

The word most often used for PRAISE is "HALLELUJAH" which means "PRAISE GOD" and it comes from two Hebrew words, "Hallal" and "JAH". "Hallal" forms the first part meaning 'to boast, to brag on, to laud, to make a show even to the point of being clamorously foolish or mad' before the Lord. And the second word 'JAH' is simply the shortened name of GOD which means YAWEH.

So when we say "HALLELUJAH" we ought to response in extreme excitement, exuberance and exultation. I cannot help making an observation at this point. With the two Hebrew words "Hallal" and "JAH". All that is needed to make it complete is the letter "u". It takes a person like "you" to make the word "HALLELUJAH" a spontaneous response of PRAISE and WORSHIP!

But why HALLELUJAH? Why do we use it? What are we expressing about life, about man, about history, and about God? How does the saying of it affect us? Why is it vital in corporate worship and private worship. None of these questions may be answered in a complete sense this side of heaven, but I believe there are implications in the use of the terms in the Scriptures.

The word HALLELUJAH is used only twenty-four times, all of them in the Psalms and occurring between Psalm 104 and 150. (Psalms 104:35, 105:45, 106:1,48, 111:1,112:1, 113:1,9, 115:18, 116:19, 117:2, 135:1,3,21, 146:1,10, 147:1,20, 148:1,14, 149:1,9 and 150:1,6).

It is further interesting and revealing to note the follow:

- Two Psalms begin with HALLELUJAH (Psalms 111 and 112)

- Five Psalms end with HALLELUJAH (Psalms 104, 105, 115, 116, 117)

- Eight Psalms begin with and end with HALLELUJAH (Psalms 106, 113, 135, 146 to 105)

- Only one Psalm (Psalm 135) contains HALLELUJAH within it (verse 3)

A careful examination of the glorious truths contained within the framework of these twenty-four usages of HALLELUJAH may give us helpful clues toward answering the question, "why HALLELUJAH?

1) IT HAS THE RING OF PURPOSE AND PROVIDENCE

a) God's Purpose In Creation

* Psalm 104 - God controlling the waters, the grass, the beast, the birds, the moon, the sun, the sea creatures, the earth, and the mountains

* Psalm 105 and 106 - Contain references to the manner in which God used His control of elements in the lives of His people.

* Psalm 135 and 147 - God again is witnessed having His way in the heavens, earth, and in the seas.

* Psalm 148 - Is a vital roll call of creation. Everything is commanded to praise the Lord and respons to His beckoning seems to be a reason for HALLEUJAH

b) God's Purpose As It Relates To Israel

* Psalm 105 - The descendants of Abraham and Jacon are called upon to remember the wonders, miracles, judgements (verses 5 - 6) and God's covenant dealings with His people (verses 43 - 45)

* Psalm 106 - Beginning and ending is a HALLELIJAH, is a digest of Israel, their deliverance, their backsliding, their murmurings, their idol worship, their wasting in sin, and God's disciplinary actions. Then the cry at the end of the Psalm, "Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from the nations thatwe may give thanks to Your Name and glory in Your praise. Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from verlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, 'Amen!' HALLELIJAH!" (verse 47 - 48)

* Psalm 112 - The purpose of God is extended to anyone who "fears the Lord and delights in His commands" (verse 1)

* Psalm 113 - HALLELUJAHS flank the good news that God raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, seating them among princes. The barren woman He makes a happy mother.

* Psalm 135 - God's dealing with Israel are extolled, especially the havoc He wrought on Egypt by His signs and wonders (verse 8 - 9). In their behal He had struck down nations and kings and gave their land as an inheritance to His people, Israel (verse 8 - 12).

* Psalm 146 - God remains faithful to His purposes. He upholds the cause of the oppressed ... sets the prisoners free ... gives sight to the blind ... lifts up those who are bowed down, love the righteous ... sustains the fatherless and the widow, but frustrates the ways of the wicked"(verse 7 - 9).

2) IT HAS THE RING OF POWER AND SOVEREIGNTY

Through this series of Psalms there is a constant sounding of God's mighty and limitless abilities (see Psalm 104:1, 106:2, 111:2-3, 115:1,18, 135:15-18). HALLELUJAH seems to be the only response that is reasonable in the light of God's greatnes. The crecendos rises in the later Psalms to climax in Psalm 150 with: "Praise Him for His acts of power, praise Him for His surpassing greatness." (verse 2)

3) IT HAS THE RING OF PERMANENCE

HALLELUJAH is inescapably eternal! When we say, sing it, or shout it we are lining up with eternity. Listen to the ring of etenity in these Psalms:

* Psalm 104:31 - "May the glory of the Lord endure forever."

* Psalm 115: 5-10 - "His righteousness endures forever ... He remembers His covenant forever ...the works of His hands are faithful and just, all His precepts are trustworthy, steadfast ... done in faithfulness and uprightness ..."

* Psalm 113:2) - "Let the name of the Lord be praised both now and forever more."

* Psalm 115:18 - "It is we who extol the Lord both now and forevermore."

* Psalm 117:2 - "For great is His love towards us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever."

* Psalm 135:13 - ""Your name, O Lord, endures forever, your renown, O Lord, through all generations."

* Psalm 146:10 - "The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations."

Have you noticed how many words speak of eternity in the environment of HALLELUJAH? It brings us to breathe the air of heaven, accords the greatness due God's name, and affords us a view of God as He is and things as they are.

Ten times in the last five Psalms HALLELUJAH resounds. Ultimately everything in creation is ordered to praise the Lord. All elements, plant and animal life and kings of the earth, all musical instruments, and "everything thatahs breath" is to praise the Lord! The final, triumphant note is appropriately ... HALLELUJAH!

(An extract from: The Hallelujah Factor by Jack R. Taylor)

THE UNSTOPPABLE WORSHIPERS - PART 2

Unstoppable worshipers will never quit when it comes to adoring God. Faced with opposition, danger or even death they just keep going. We're told of worshipers in the early church who, more than simply enduring, actually rejoiced "because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name" (Acts 5:41).

We continue to share more "UNSTOPPABLE WORSHIPERS" from the Bible:

1) THE THREE HEBREW CHILDREN (Daniel 3)
Shadrach,Meshach and Abednego were sentenced to the fiery furnace when they refused to bow down the the golden image erected by King Nebuchadnezza. In fact they were given a second chance to consider the king's command. They made it absolutely clear that they would not compromise and maintained their covenant relationship with the God of Israel and refused to bow down and worship anyone other than YAWEH. As unquenchable worshipers, their response to the king were consistent even to the point facing death
"Shadrach, Meshach and Abenego replied, 'O Nebuchadnezza, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, your majesty. But even if He doesn't, we want to make it clear to you, your majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.' " (Daniel 3:16-18)

2) DANIEL IN THE LIONS' DEN (Daniel 6)
Daniel was thrown into the lions' den by jealous people who trapped him by making it illegal for him to worship God. They convinced king Darius to make it mandatory for all his subjects to worship him for the next 30 days and anyone caught worshiping anyone else must be thrown into a den of hungry lions (Daniel 6:6-9)
Daniel of course remained true to his God and since he made no attempt to hide this, he was caught praying and worshiping God and was thrown into the lions'den.

We read in Daniel 6:23, "And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him because he had trusted in his God." The word "trusted" was translated that the UNSTOPPABLE WORSHIPER "trust continually". The fact thatthelions immediately devoured Daniel's accusers in the morning proves they had been hungry all night long.

3)JOB (Job 1)
When tripped of everything, the first thing he did was to fall down to the ground and worshiped. In Job case it was more unreasonable than the three Hebrew children and Daniel, he did nothing wrong; in fact God consider him righteous!
"Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and fell to the ground and worshiped."(Job 1:20)


Like to share a youtube posted by one of our reader brother Gregory who bought and read the book: The Unquenchable Worshiper by Matt Redman. What will quench your passion and fire to be an unstoppable worshiper? Check it out:

Be a true worshiper! - TPWC

THE UNSTOPPABLE WORSHIPERS - PART 1

Charles Wesley
The year was 1744, and hymn writer Charles Wesley was in Leeds, holding a prayer meeting in an upstairs room. Suddenly there's a creak in the floorboards, followed by a massive crack, and the whole floor collapses. All 100 people crashed right through the ceiling into the room below. The place was in chaos - some were screaming, some were crying, some just sat in shock. But as the dust settled, Wesley, wounded and lying in a heap, cried out, "Fear not! The Lord is with us; our lives are all safe." And then he broke out into the Doxology, "Praise God, from whom all blessings flow." Perhaps a bizarred choice of song, considering what's just happened. But there's the point - while everyone else was still licking their wounds, the heart of this unstoppable worshiper was responding with unshakeable praise.

Unstoppable worshipers will never quit when it comes to adoring God. Faced with opposition, danger or even death they just keep going. We're told of worshipers in the early church who, more than simply enduring, actually rejoiced "because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name" (Acts 5:41).

King David
True worship often meets with opposition. Take the life of king David. His first triump was a powerful public act of unstoppable worship. The giant Goliath had put fear into all Israel, and the whole nation was afraid to stand up against him for the honour of God's name. Then in came David - too small for a suit of armour, and as Saul told him, still only a boy. Yet this passionate lover of God can't stand to see the armies of the Living God made a fool of, and he walked out onto the battlefield so that "the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel" (1 Samuel 17:46). Goliath despised him (verse 42), but, anointed by God and driven by passion for the Lord, king David overcame. The worship of God wins the day!

Rachel Scott
The story of Rachel Scott, a teenage victim of Columbine High School (USA) tragedy. It's another powerful tale of unstoppable worship. On 20 April 1999, two bitter twisted students entered the gounds of the school with guns and explosives, planning to wreak havoc. One of the grudges they were bearing was against Christians, and when they found Rachel Scott that grude was made very clear. The killers shot her twice in the legs and once in the upper body. As she struggled to crawl away to safety, they pulled her up by the hair, and asked, "Do you believe in God?" They thought they'd won the battle; expecting her to back down from her faith with whimpering "no". But this bleeding, unstoppable bravely affirmed, "You know I do." Furious with that answer they yelled, "Then go be with Him" and shot her right through the head."

Imagine the heart of God in that moment, as one of His precious worshipers threw her life on the line for His glory. In a gruesome moment of decision, she chose His honour over her survival. And if it affects us so much, imagine what effect it must have on the heart of Jesus.

Stephen of Acts
The story of Stephen's stoning in Acts 7 sheds some more light on this. He puts his life on the line, proclaiming Jesus to cold hearts that don't want to hear, and rebuked them for their religious pride. But just before they stone him to death, God allows Stephen an amazing depth of revelation - perhaps to help this first Christian martyr stay strong to the end. Stephen was allowed a glimpse of heaven's throne room, and saw Jesus 'standing' at the right hand of God. The odd thing here is that Jesus was standing. every other time in the New Testament we read of Jesus at the right hand of God, He's sitting down. So why is He standing now? Smith Wigglesworth's explanation: though usually seated at the right hand of God, this time Jesus gets to His feet to honour and spur Stephen on in his courageous act of worship!

The unstoppable worshiper lets nothing hinder them in their quest to glorify God. Whatever "goliaths" come their way, they walk out onto that worship battlefield and take their chances. They do not shrink back in times of trouble, but instead raise a spirited psalm of trust, obedient and praise!
(an extract from: The Unquencable Worshiper by Matt Redman)

THE UNQUENCHABLE WORSHIPER

Bible is full of Unquenchable Worshipers - people who refused to be dampened, discouraged or distracted in their quest to glorify God.

1) The Prophet Habakkuk (Habakkuk 3)
His heart attitude was to make a choice to respond to God's worth, no matter how bleak a season he found himself in :
"Though the fig-tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop falls and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. (Habakkuk 3:17-18)

2) Paul & Silas (Acts 16)
Sitting in their jail cell you would have forgiven them if they weren't in the mood for singing. They'd been unjustly arrested, beaten, severely flogged, and thrown into the deepest part of prison, with their feet in stocks. Yet, somehow, refusing to let their souls be dampened, Paul & Silas found it in themselves with everything they had left to sing out praise and worship to God. (We all know the result .... the glory of God fell, there was an earthquake, prisoners were set free and salvation came upon the jailer & his family.)
"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken." (Acts 16:24-25)

Most of us don't own a fig trees and haven't been in prison for being a Christian, but the principal is the same for us as it was for Habakkuk and Paul & Silas - we can always find a reason to praise/worship. Situations change for better and for worse, but God's worth never change!

3) Fanny Crosby (www.nyise.org/fanny)
This unquenchable worshiper was borned blind who has written 9,000 hymns of praise. Some of her hymns: To God Be The Glory, Blessed Assurance, Close To Thee and many more ...
When about six weeks old she was taken sick and her eyes grew weaker. The lack of knowledge and skill of the doctor then could not save her eye sight. As she grew older she was told that she would never see the faces of her friends, the flowers of the fields, the blue skies. Soon she learned what other children possessed, but she made up her mind to store away a little jewel in her heart which she called "CONTENT"

Those thousand of songs were simply the result of a fire that burned in her heart for Jesus and could not be put out. Someone once asked her, "Fanny, do you wish you had not been binded?" She replied, in typical style, "Well, the good thing about being blind is that the very face I'll see will be the face of Jesus."

Many might have chosen the path of compliants and bitterness as their response to God, but she chose the path of contentment and praise. The choice between these two paths faces us each day, with every situation that's thrown our way. Complaints and bitterness dampens and eventually destroys love for God. It eats away at the statement "God is love" and tells us He is not faithful. But contentment does the opposite: it fuels the heart with endless reasons to praise God.

An extract from: The Unquenchable Worshiper by Matt redman plus Fanny Crosby's Story.

ARE YOU A WORSHIPER?

Profile Of A Worshiper

If someone ask a teacher what he does for a living, he will reply, "I am a teacher." He says that because he works or spends most of his time teaching. Similarly, you know you are a worshiper when what you do the most is worship.

Worshipers don't just worship on weekends. They don't need a bulletin, or a "call to worship" or a worship leader to encourage them to go vertical. They can worship in any place and at any time because they are worshipers.

Continual worship is central to the life of a worshiper. A worshiper offers the sacrifice of praise to God continually (Hebrews 13:15)."From the rising of the sun to it's going down the Lord's name is to be praised" (Psalm 113:3). Endless eulogy, ceaseless celebration and perpetual praise are the earmarks of a worshiper.

Worshipers don't wait for perfect circumstances to worship, and they don't let current situations keep them from worshiping.

There is a song in the Bible that says, "Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labour of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls - yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation" (Habakkuk 3:17-18).

Though I have no money in the savings account and my cheque book is overdrawn, though the fridge and cupboard are empty and I just got laid off, yet I will worship and rejoice in my Lord.

The first step in becoming a worshiper is worshiping in spite of bad circumstances. Be blessed with this song:

An extract from - Exploring the Mysteries of Worship by Larmar Boschman
TPWC

WORSHIP AND THE SCHOOL OF FAITH

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen."
- Hebrews 11:1 -

Faith has it's anchor in the unseen realm. It lives from the invisible towards the visible. Faith actualizes what it realizes. The Scriptures contrast the life of faith with the limitations of natural sight. Faith provides eyes for the heart.

Faith sees. It brings His Kingdom into focus. All of the Father's resources, all of His benefits, are accessible through faith.

God is very committed to teaching us how to see. To make this possible He gave us the Holy Spirit as a tutor. The curriculum that He uses is quite varied. But the one class we all qualify for is the greatest of all Christian privileges - WORSHIP. Learning how to see is not the purpose for our worship, but it is a wonderful by-product.

Those who worship in spirit and in truth, as mentioned in John 4:23-24, learn to follow the Holy Spirit's lead. His realm is called the Kingdom of God. The throne of God, which becomes established upon the praises of His people, is the center of that Kingdom. It's in the environment of worship that we learn things that go way beyond what our intellect can grasp - and the greatest of these lessons is the value of His presence. David was so affected by this that all his other exploits pale in comparison to his abandoned heart for God. We know that he learned to see into God's realm because of statements like, "I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved" (Psalm 16:8). The presence of God affected his seeing. He would constanly practice recognizing the presence of God. He saw God daily, not with the natural, but with the eyes of faith That priceless revelation was given to a worshiper.

The privilege of worship is a good beginning place for those unaccustomed to addressing some of these kinds of themes found in Scripture. It's in that wonderful ministry that we can learn to pay attention to this God-given gift: the ability to see with the heart. As we learn to worship with purity of heart, our eyes will continue to open. And we can expect to see what He wants us to see.

An extract from : When Heaven Invades Earth by Bill Johnson
Blessings - TPWC

PRAISE IS GOD'S RESET BUTTON

Are you trapped in a prison of despair, doubt or anxiety? Learn to release the power of praise.
The apostle Paul's letter to the Philippians is one of the Bible's most unique books. Some scholars call it "the epistle of joy" because the word "joy" or "rejoice" appear in it 16 times. Yet what is amazing is that this letter about Christian joy was written from a prison cell!
While Paul was under the watchful eye of Roman guards, bound in chains, he wrote some of the most uplifting spiritual words ever penned. In the letter's four short chapters the author continually exhorts us to praise God no matter how dark our circumstances are. He writes: "I will rejoice" (1:18, NASB), "I rejoice and share my joy with you all" (2:17), "I urge you, rejoice in the same way" (2:18), "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord" (3:1) and "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" (4:4).

"Paul always looked for the hidden blessing in every trial. Have you been complaining about your situation? Grumbling short-circuits faith, but joy revives it."

Like a broken record, Paul hammers the same theme over and over and over. REJOICE! The word "rejoice" actually means "to re-joy." It's like a reset button on a computer. When any type of electronic equipment goes out of whack, a reset button will get it back online. That is what happens when we rejoice: The joy we've lost is restored and our feeble faith rises again.
Perhaps Paul wrote this message to the Philippians because he remembered his first visit there. It was in Philippi that Paul and Silas were arrested and thrown into jail by the city's magistrates. Yet while the two men sat with their feet fastened in stocks, they began to pray and sing hymns. Long before the invention of subwoofers, this Holy Ghost jam session triggered an earthquake that shook the foundations of the prison and shattered everyone's chains (see Acts 16:25-26).
Do you feel bound by your circumstances? I know I do. Sometimes I feel literally trapped in a tiny prison of limitation and delay. And because of today's weak economy, many people who have enjoyed a carefree life in the past are facing job loss, financial uncertainty, debt and a dismal lack of opportunity. Yet when I pray about my own situation I always am led back to the ancient words of Paul to the Philippians: "Rejoice in the Lord!"
Perhaps right now, in this difficult season, you need to put Paul's message on your iPod and play it over and over. The supernatural joy that is released in praise will do many things:

Praise shatters despair

You think your situation is hopeless? Paul was under house arrest, and he couldn't leave his cell to preach the gospel. Yet he wrote: "Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that [my imprisonment] will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:18b-19). Know that God is working behind the scenes. The clouds over your head may be dark, but praise will lift you above them so you can see the sun again.

Praise shatters negativity

Have you been complaining about your situation? Stop talking trash. Remember that Paul was in chains when he wrote: "Do all things without grumbling or disputing" (Phil. 2:14). He knew the children of Israel were barred from the Promised Land because they grumbled against the Lord (1 Cor. 10:10). Grumbling short-circuits faith, but joy revives it. Paul always looked for the hidden blessing in every trial, to the point that he thanked God even in the midst of shipwrecks, beatings, riots, death threats and starvation.

Praise shatters doubt

When you stop praising, you get stuck in the muck and mire of your own problems. All you can see is the here and now. But something supernatural happens when you rejoice in the Lord. You are lifted out of the prison of impossibility and translated into a realm where you can do "all things through Him who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13). When you praise, you go into a phone booth looking like Clark Kent and you come out looking like Superman!

Praise shatters anxiety

Paul said that when we hit the "rejoice" button and replace worry with joy-filled prayer, "the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:7). Joy will calm your anxious heart and allow you to receive the promises of God.

Way back in 1970 a military chaplain named Merlin Carothers wrote a

small book called Prison to Praise. Today it has sold more than 17 million

copies in 53 languages. It challenges readers to thank and praise God in the midst of difficulties—and it's full of testimonies of everyday people who experienced miraculous breakthroughs when they obeyed this simple principle.
What Carothers wrote 40 years ago is still relevant today: "The very act of praise releases the power of God into a set of circumstances and enables God to change them. Miracles, power and victory will all be a part of what God does in our lives when we learn to rejoice in all things."

Source : Charisma Online - by J. Lee Glady (contributing editor of Charisma)

THE DISCIPLINE OF WORSHIP

To The Degree That You Are Willing To Discipline Your Life, God Will Be Able To Accomplish His Desired Plan For You ... To Bring To Pass Those Desires That He Has Placed In Your Heart, And To Bring About Those Things For Which You Are Believing Him. It Doesn't Happen Merely Because God Said It Was Going To Happen. A Lot Depends On You And Me." - The 2nd Flood by John W. Stevenson

When God shows us something about our lives, He looks for us to obey Him, and such obedience takes discipline. If it has been sometimes since you received a revelation or a vision and God doesn't seem to have done anything about it yet; it is not because He is slothful concerning His word, but because there are things we need to understand more before He starts accomplishing His word. Discipline concerns many areas of our lives. And one very important area for all who wish to truly worship Him in spirit and in truth is the Discipline of Worship, which is touching God where He is.

John 4:24 emphasies that we must worship the Father in spirit and in truth. There is no "try". Ever since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, God has been continually wanting to draw us to Himself. Today one of the ways to His holy presence is through praise and worship (Ps 100:4); but the is no place for sin in His presence! Be it deception or disobedience as it is written in 1 John 4:20, we cannot worship God with anger, bitterness or resentment in our hearts

1) WORSHIPERS MUST KEEP THE CHARGE
Ezekiel 44:6-14 reveal that there were three classifications of Levities. Two groups were not allowed to enter into the His sanctuary to worship because they did not KEEP THE CHARGE.

What is the CHARGE? The word "CHARGE" in the Old Testament comes from the Hebrew word "mishmereth." (H4931 - Strongs). It means "to watch; the act of custody; a guard, service, preservation, command, law."
Deuteronomy 11:1 says, “Therefore you shall love the LORD your God, and keep His CHARGE, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always.

When we talk about the discipline of worship, we must understand that there has to be conscious decision in our mind that our life is wholly yielded to one ministry (like the Levites who were the ones appointed as priests) and that is the ministry unto God.

a) The First Group - The Rebellious Ones (Ezekiel 44:6-9)
The were "the rebellious ones" and God said they would not have a place at all! They have become an abomination to God. They did not KEEP THE CHARGE of His holy things (Ezekiel 44:8-9). They had moved to a place of rebellion, which is a the sin of witchcraft. 1 Samuel 15:23 - " For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,He also has rejected you from being king.” (NKJV)
It is an abomination before God. Galatians 5:19-21 "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are these ... idolatry, witchcraft ... of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." You see, the rebellious refuse to accept God's Word and would rather lean on the arm of flesh (See Ezekiel 44:7).

There are meany today who refuse to hear the Word of the Lord, or the Holy Spirit. They would rather continue on in the traditions of men and rely on the flesh. The end result for them will be the same as it was for the rebellious ones in Ezekiel. It was the same for king Saul: "Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,He also has rejected you from being king.” (1 Samuel 15:23b - NKJV)

b) The Second Group - Followers Of Those Who Went Astray (Ezekiel 44:10-14)
These Levites also went astray but they were not the initiators. However, because they followed after them, even though they knew the truth! For that reason they will only have charge at the gates of the house, ministering to the house and to the people, but they will not go near to the Lord to do the office of a priest. In verse 13, we see that these Levites were not only prohibited from coming near to the Lord:"And they shall not come near Me to minister to Me as priest, nor come near any of My holy things, nor into the Most Holy Place ..." They were not allowed to enter into His presence because they did not KEEP THE CHARGE.

Many today are not only worshiping from the outer court. There are some who are only ministering to the people, the congregation. This is not God's desire, nor is it His best for us. Jesus gave His life so that you and I could enter into the presence of the living God. We must be willing to discipline our lives as worshipers, and be determined to KEEP THE CHARGE.

c) The Third Group - The Priest Who KEEP THE CHARGE (Ezekiel 44:15-16)
“But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer to Me the fat and the blood,” says the Lord GOD “They shall enter My sanctuary, and they shall come near My table to minister to Me, and they shall keep My charge."

This is where we want to be - because we have KEPT THE CHARGE, because we have kept the standard, because we have lived the disciplined life of a worshiper, we can enter into the presence of God unhindered.

Ezekiel 46:9 says, “But when the people of the land come before the LORD on the appointed feast days, whoever enters by way of the north gate to worship shall go out by way of the south gate; and whoever enters by way of the south gate shall go out by way of the north gate. He shall not return by way of the gate through which he came, but shall go out through the opposite gate." When you enter into worship, you should never leave the same way you came. There should be something that has changed in your life. The Scripture say we changed from glory to glory. You cannot enter into the presence of God and leave the same way you came. You will either leave transformed by the power of God or you will leave convicted by the power of God.


2) IT TAKES DISCIPLINE TO KEEP OUR CHARGE TO MINSITER TO GOD.

WORSHIP IS A LIFESTYLE, not a programme. Worship is not something we do, IT IS A LIFESTYLE WE MAINTAIN! (this requires our discipline). Many people think they can live any way they want, we need to understand that we cannot minister tothe desires and the passions of the flesh Monday through Saturday and then turn around and try to minsiter to God on Sunday.
A.W.Tozer in his book "Whatever Happened To Our Worship" said that "if you cannot worship God in the midst of your responsibilities on Monday, then it is very unlikely you were worshiping on Sunday!"

Today the Father is still seeking for "true worshippers who MUST worship Him in SPIRIT and in TRUTH". (John 4: 24). If you are willing to subject your life to the Discipline of Worship, it will revolutionize your life as a Worshiper.
(an extract from: The 2nd Flood by John W. Stevenson)

WORSHIP THAT SHAKES THE DOORPOSTS OF HEAVEN

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of His glory!

At the sound of their voices

the doorposts and threshold shook

and the temple was filled with smoke.

Isaiah 6:3-4

Isaiah had a vision of the unsearchable glory of God. He saw the Lord in His throne room, high and lifted up, and His glory filled the room. Around Him stood massive angels called seraphim, who, because of God's great glory, cover their faces with their wings and cry out: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!"

We have sung these exact words in our churches in hymn form. Yet often our praises ring void of the passion found in these angels. You can see people yawning or glancing about as they sing the words. Oh, how different is the atmosphere in God's throne room!

The Emerald Throne Scene In Heaven (Revelation 4:2-11)http://www.revelationillustrated.com/

These mighty, awesome angels are not bored or restless; they are not merely singing nice songs. They do not say, "God, I have been singing this song before Your throne for millions of years; do You think a replacement could be brought in? I would like to go explore the other parts of heaven." NO WAY! They would not desire to be anywhere else but crying out and singing praises before the throne of God.These spectacular angels are not merely singing a song. They are responding to what they see. Every moment, through veiled eyes they glimpse another facet and greater dimension of God's glory being revealed. Overwhelmed, they shout, "Holy, holy holy!" In fact, their voices and the entire room is filled with smoke. Wow, it's one thing for sound waves to shake a natural building here on the earth, but it is quite another matter to shake the doorposts of heaven's architecture! These angels have been around God's throne for untold ages, for time ummeasurable. Yet they experience a perpetual revelation of God's power and wisdom. His greatness is truly unsearchable.
(An extract from - The Fear Of The Lord by John Bevere)

"SOUNDS OF GOD'S GLORY"
When I was a young girl, I went directly from school to the church on Wednesday afternoons. The faithful of the church were gathered in prayer from one to four. I attended most of those prayer meetings.
During the first two hours they had been making their petitions and interceding before God. During the last hour they would just bask in His presence. Those were the best times. Every petition they could think of had been made. Now the Holy Ghost took over. Sounds of glory, dropped into my spirit from those years, have kept me as I traveled all over the world in ministry.
I have been in thousands of meetings and heard thousands of sermons, but the greatest influence in my life has been those glory sounds that came forth in the latter hours of those prayer meetings where God's people touched the eternal realm.
As air is the atmosphere of the earth, GLORY is the atmosphere of Heaven. It lifts us up above the earthly, into the very presence of God. (extract from - GLORY! Experiencing The Atmosphere of Heaven - by Ruth Heflin)

WORSHIP BELONGS TO GOD

What are God's demands in His Word

regarding Worship?

Do you know that there is a spiritual war going on? It is a war between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of hell. It is a war as to which kingdom gets WORSHIP... God or Satan? We can see it from Genesis to Revelation ... every event throughout The Ages of the Patriachs, The Bondage in Egypt, The Conquest of Canaan, The Period of the Judges, The History of Israel, The Gospel, The Acts of the Church and The Revelation ... leads to one question: "WHO GETS WORSHIP?"

Exodus 20:3-6
v3 - You shall have no other gods before me
v4 - You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on earth beneath or in the water below.
v5 - You shall not bow down to them; for I, the Lord your God am a jealous God
Exodus 34:14- Do not worship any other god. for the Lord, Whose name is jealous, is a jealous God.

It is from these verses in the scriptures that we learn that WORSHIP BELONGS TO GOD AND GOD DEMANDS IT!

What is worship? In Hebrew, the word SHACHAH means to kneel and worship. In Greek, the word PROSKUNEO means to go forward to kiss His Hand. In other words, to give EVERYTHING to Him. It is confessing Him as God.

What is the work of the devil? From the account in Genesis of the Garden of Eden, we really cannot discern the devil's purpose. But in Isaiah 14:12-14 we see that the devil wants to be like God. Isn't that's what the devil said to Adam and Eve, that they too could be "as gods" when they partook of the forbidden fruit?

As we look into the New Testament, we read in the Gospel of Matthew 4:8-10:
v8 - Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.
v9 - "All this I will give you," he said, "If you will bow down and worship me."
v10 - Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'
It is in the third temptation of Jesus that the ultimate goal of the devil was exposed when the enemy finally came out with the confrontation:

"WORSHIP ME!"

When we come to the book of Revelation, we see that God's purpose is worship and Satan's purpose is also worship. From chapter 4 to 19, we learn that the twenty-four elders and four living creatures worship in heaven. But in chapter 13, we see worship of the image of the beast on earth - worshiping the beast is the worship of Satan. In chapter 14:7, we see that the eternal Gospel is preached: "Fear God, and give glory to Him, because the hour of his judgement has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water."

WORSHIP GOD - this is the eternal Gospel! In Revelation chapter 21 and 22 we read about the new heaven and the new earth. Again we are commanded to worship God (Revelation 22:9)
(An excerpt from the book "Worship God" by Watchman Nee)

Today as we stand in anticipation of His soon return, that same question is being asked: "Who will you worship?" What is our duty as Christians? It is not enough just knowing salvation or serving Him. What is it that will satisfy God? Who will satisfy Him?
We must put worship into everything we do. Do you have difficulites? First worship God, Are you weak and weary? Worship God. We learn in Psalm 8:2 that the praise of a weak child has the power to silence the enemy. Satan fears the worship of God. Worship by the few today is giving God what He will one day have from all. What the world will one day give God, we first give Him. We do not need to wait till the new heaven and new earth to worship.

NOW IS THE TIME TO WORSHIP!

Today the Father is still seeking (searching, yearning) for true worshipers. What is our duty as Christians? Worship God!
TPWC

JESUS - THE PERFECT WORSHIPER

Jesus Was Intimately Acquainted With

And Have A Daily Relationship With His Father

Exhibited Through Obedience

We have sought to establish for the past weeks that there is a distinction between the state of being a worshiper and the acts of expression of worship. A worshiper is one who is intimately aquainted with and has a daily relationship with God exhibited through OBEDIENCE. We have concluded that worship is not about doing, rather it is about BEING. It is from the state of being that all acts of worship must flow.

We can look at many who worshiped God, but there is only ONE PERFECT WORSHIPER: JESUS! He is the model we must follow! It was out of His life of intimacy and daily relationship with the Father that Jesus destroyed the works of the devil. It was His OBEDIENCE unto death - the ultimate sacrifice - that allows us to be His family of worshipers.

1) Jesus Sought To Do The Will Of The Father
There is very little said in the Scripture about Jesus' childhood. But it does tell us, "Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and man." (Luke 2:52) Even as a child, Jesus was focused on pleasing His Father, doing His will, and walking out the purpose for which He had been born. As a young boy He sought to do the will of the Father. He declared to His earthly parents, "I must be about My Father's business," or more accurately translated, "I must be about the things of My Father." (See Luke 2:40-52)

This is important because while it is His death on the cross that paid the price for our sins, it is the way He lived His entire life that qualified Him to be the PERFECT WORSHIPER and the PERFECT SACRIFICE! We see Jesus focussed always on the purposes of God, totally consumed by the will of the Father. He said:
- "My food is to is to do the will of Him Who sent me and to finish it." (John 4:34)
- " ... I do not seek my own will but the will of the Father Who sent Me." (John 5:30)
- " I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him Who sent Me." (John 6:38)
Jesus maintained a place of discipline as He walked the earth and remained focused on His ultimate goal: Jesus listened for and listened to one voice only - the voice of the Father. He did not seek to do anything outside the will of God.

2) The Father's Delight In His Son When Jesus was being baptised, the Father spoke from heaven declaring His delight in His Son (Luke 3:21-23). This is the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. The Scripture does not tell us that Jesus had done anything necessarily spectacular up to this point. We have no record of a miracle ... He hasn't done anything, yet the Father declared that He was well-pleased with His Son. The New Living Translation says, "You are my dearly loved Son, and You bring Me great joy!" GOD'S PLEASURE DID NOT STEM FROM WHAT JESUS DID BUT WHO HE WAS! It stemmed from the relationship Jesus had with His Father which was an ACT OF WORSHIP!

3) Jesus Was Intimately Acquainted With The Father
Jesus showed us that the life of a worshiper is a life of CONTINUAL COMMUNION AND COMMUNICATION with the Father. It was this type of daily communion with God that Adam (he was created as a worshiper) had once experienced in the Garden until he fell. Jesus exemplified this aspect of a worshiper's life through a life of prayer!
- " But He Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray ..." (Luke 5:16)
- " And it came about that while He was praying alone ..." (Luke 9:18)
- " Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place ..." (Luke 11:1)
Every decision Jesus made was in direct alignment with His Father. Jesus regularly stole away to be alone with God, to spend time in His presence, to hear His heart and to know His mind. He emerged from those times of prayer empowered to carry out, by faith, the will of God. (John 5:19)

4) Jesus' Victory Over Satan
Following His baptism, Jesus was "led" into the wilderness and there He was tested by the devil (Luke 4:1-13). IT WAS SATAN's ATTEMPT TO STOP JESUS as He stopped Adam. It was the enemy's attempt to sever the relation between God and His Worshiper. Jesus was tempted in the same areas in which every person is tempted. He was tempted in the same way that Adam had been: through the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life as found in 1 John 2:15-17

The enemy knew if he could get Jesus to do one thing outside of the will of the Father, it would be over! All would be forfeited! Thank God, Jesus knew what satan was trying to do. Jesus gained victory over satan by speaking the Word of God and by keeping His focus on the Father!

By defeating the enemy at every turn, Jesus demostrated the life of a worshiper. We don't often think of it that way. Each time Jesus used the authority given Him, each time He took dominion was an Act Of Worship. Each time he came up against sickness and disease, each time He came up against false religion, lies and deception, He demostrated the power and authority man was to have from the very beginning. Even calming the sea and the wind by simply speaking to them was an act of worship. He came to destroy that which hindered us from being the worshipers God had designed us to be; He came to return authority and dominion to man. Jesus modeled for us that as a worshiper we can withstand the attacks of the enemy and victorious! He eventually gave His life so that His victory would become ours!

5) Jesus' Obedience That Leads To Sacrifice
Jesus showed us that the life of a worshiper is life of OBEDIENCE to the Father. OBEDIENCE even unto death! Paul writes in the book of Philippians, reminding us that if we are to truly follow in the footsteps of our Lord, we must be obedient even as He is obedient!
" ... being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross ..." (Philippians 2:5-11)
Jesus' obedience led to sacrifice, the sacrifice of His very life so that we might live as worshipers. The writer of Hebrews tells us that even though He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things that He suffered. He set before us the example of one totally surrendered to the will of the Father, able to endure even the cross so thatwould be glorified. The end result was that He also was glorified. As we learn to walk in obedience, we shall be glorified together with Him. Our worship will reflect His glory for all to see.

Jesus Christ became the first of many sons, the first of many worshipers, and He set before us the perfect model of worship - beyond the song, beyond a dance, beyond the words of love and adoration that we offer up to the Father. Our worship is a life that perfectly reflects the love, light and life of the Father. It is a life lived by walking in the authority and dominion God has given us. It is a life of kingdom influence, kingdom purposes, establishing God's kingdom on earth as it is in heaven; it is a life of kingdom influence, kingdom impact with kingdom results. It is a life lived from the "secret place." It is a life of FAITH, OBEDIENCE and SACRIFICE. It is a deep, intimate relationship with the Father that allows us to know His heart and mind. It is a life that allows others to see God every time they look at us. It is a life lived in the confidence of knowing who we are called to be - WORSHIPERS!
(an extract from Worshipers by Design by Apostle John W. Stevenson)

BEING A WORSHIPER - PART 3

In our last two posts we learnt that the life of a WORSHIPER is a life of FAITH, OBEDIENCE AND SACRIFICE. This week let us look at the life of Abraham who is one great model to learn from:

1) The Promised Of A Son

So After Waiting Patiently,
Abraham Received What Was Promised
Hebrews 6:15

As a childless couple, they had been told by an invisible God that they would be the parents of countless descendants. They had no Scripture or fellowship of believers to encourage their FAITH on a discouraging day. All they had was a promise and a lot of time to think about it. Too much time, in fact. They passed childbearing age, not just barely, but hopelessly.

This is the same Abraham who suggested that his servant Eliezer might be his best chance at an heir (Gen 15:2-3); the same Abraham who listened to Sarah's advice to try for a miracle son the natural way through her servant Hagar (Genesis 16); and the same Abraham who laughed when God repeated the promise well after childbearing years (Genesis 17:17).

When God changed both their names from Abram to Abraham (father of many nations) and Sarai to Sarah (mother of many nations) (Genesis 17:5-6 & 15-16), it was the ACT OF FAITH to be calling each other daily by their new names without seeing the promise. Yes, we are told, this is the Abraham who "did not waver through unbelief" (Romans 4:20) and waited patiently.

But against all odds, God fulfilled His promise. The child was born, the invisible God was vindicated, and the couple rejoiced.

2) The Sacrifice Of Isaac

God said to him, "Abraham!"
"Here I am," he replied

Genesis 22:1

God called upon Abraham with a test. It was perhaps the most difficult test any of us could think of. Did the thought of sacrificing his own son horrify Abraham? Did he weep all night before he got up and went to Moriah? The text doesn't say. All it says is that Abraham OBEYED. And that OBEDIENT began with a simple statement of readiness: "Here I am." In fact we were told that "EARY NEXT MORNING Abraham got up .... he took with him two of his servants and his Isaac ... and on the third day ... said to his servants, 'Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go ove there. WE WILL WORSHIP and then WE WILL COME BACK to you.' " (Genesis 22:3-5)

We know that Abraham feared God and that he was obligated to God. But somewhere wrapped up his reverence and duty was the simply desire to please the Lord who has graciously provided the son. His response was more than that of a slave or a subordinate. It came from the HEART; it had to, considering the command. It mean that Abraham had cast his affections on a very trustworthy God.

As worshiper, when God calls do you say, "Here I am"? Probably so. But here's a deeper question" How do you say it? Let your response flow from a loving, reverential FAITH in your PROVIDER.

Abraham's OBEDIENCE is commended as the cornerstone of righteous, biblical FAITH. The FAITH that led Abraham up that mountain is unimaginable. Any illusion that the life of FAITH is a life of comfort and ease is undone by this story. FAITH is excuriating, sometimes illogical, and always right.

Does your FAITH sometimes defy logic? If not, it hasn't been stretched as far as God wants to stretch it. Has God ever called you to give up His promise as an act of OBEDIENCE AND SACRIFICE? If not, your FAITH has deeper depths to reach.

3) The Faith Of Abraham

What did Abraham see in that day? He saw nothing. Year after year until he died, he only begot Isaac. Of the numerous descendants promised to him, who would be as man as the stars in heaven, the sands by the sea, and the dust on the earth, he only saw Isaac! When his wife died, he did not have one plot of land in which to bury her. He had to buy a burial ground. Is this what God had promised? Yet as the WORSHIPER and father of our father, he did not doubt. He knew what FAITH was and what it was not to live by sight

What a lesson of on FAITH, OBEDIENCE and SACRIFICE!

TPWC