THE PRAISE SERIES (PART 1) - PRIVATE PRAISE

"I will bless the LORD at all times;

His praise shall continually be in my mouth"

Psalm 34:1

Thank God for corporate praise when we gather together. It helps us to get among a body of believers as we celebrate and magnify the name of the Lord. There is also a personal private praise which lifestyle worshippers must not neglect. The reason for this is that until we come to the place where we can really enter into that private, personal praise, just between you and the Lord, there are always going to be some hindrances and some holding back when we enter into the corporate praise.
Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17) and God wants us to get so free that when His Spirit starts moving on us at home, in our kitchen, out in your work place, when commuting or driving down the road in your car, we can just let the spirit of praise flow like rivers of living waters in our surrounding.The Bible says that God inhabits in our praise (Psalms 22:3). The question is, "If He inhabits in our praise, how far does He inhabits it?" The answer is as far as the sound of your voice goes ... "Glory! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Blessed be the name of Jesus!" As far as our voice sounds, God is living in those words. For example, when we are in our car praising and worshipping Him, our audible praise fills that car. When the devil gets any where near you; do you know what he gets? "Glory!" If he comes through the window of your car, "Hallelujah!" hits him. When he tries to enter by the door, "Jesus!" knocks him off.
PRAISE HAS TO BE VOCALISED. The Bible says, "My lips shall praise Thee "(Psalms 63:3).If you go around with your mouth shut and not praising God, then God is not in your praise and the devil beats on you. Our praise may be as weak as babes, but it is powerful enough to silence the enemy (Psalms 8:2). There is power in the name of Jesus, that means that that power is released when we speak or sing it. When we begin to speak forth or sing our praises in His name, the spirit inside us begins to rise up and the power of darkness outside of us begins to retreat. Let the Devil hit our praise ten or twenty feet out in front of us. Let them stick their fingers in their ears each time they are near us.

Psalms 34:1 says, " ... His praise shall CONTINUALLY BE IN MY MOUTH." Most people have to stop what they are doing to try to get 

into praising God, but we need to have this reverse. We need to praise God so much that we have to stop praising in order to do something else.

Psalms 113:3 says, " From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised." King David was a man after God's own heart. He praised God in the morning, he praised Him at noontime and he praised him in the night-time.

Psalms 119:164 David said, Seven times a day I praise Thee." The number seven is perfect and complete. God is looking for worshipers who will choose to PRAISE HIM CONTINUALLY AND ALL DAY.

PRIVATE PRAISE is a powerful experience to live in. It is the key to a victorious and abundant life with Jesus. Let us the first fruits of our day to the Lord in private praise.
TPWC (An extract from Private Praise by Elbert Willis)

Until the practice of praise in private is continuous and free, the practice of corporate praise will be inhibited by fear, self-consciousness and discomfort. The practice in the corporate sense is absolutely indispensable to the maximum worship experience."
Jack R. Taylor - The Hallelujah Factor

#Praise #BlessTheLord #PowerOfPraise #PraiseGod #SpiritOfPraise

THE PRAISE SERIES (PART 20) - Praise Him For Those "Black Dots!"

"It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp" Psalm 92:1-3

No matter what the source of the evil, if you are in God and surrounded by Him as by an atmosphere, all evil has to pass through Him before it comes to you. Therefore you can thank and praise God for everything that comes, not for the sin of it, but for what God will bring out of it and through it. May God make our lives thanksgiving and perpetual praise, then He will make everything a blessing. We once saw a man draw some black dots. We looked and could make nothing of them but an irregular assemblage of black dots. Then he drew a few lines, put in a few rests, then a clef at the beginning, and we saw these black dots were musical notes. On sounding them we were singing: 

"Praise God from whom all blessings flow,

Praise Him all creatures here below.

Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost"

There are many black dots and black spots in our lives, and we cannot understand why they are there or why God permitted them to come. But if we let God come into our lives, and adjust the dots in the proper way, and draw the lines He wants, and separate this from that, and put in the rests at the proper places; out of the black dots and spots in our lives He will make a glorious harmony. Let us not hinder Him in this glorious work! - C. H. P. 

"Would we know that the major chords were sweet,

If there were no minor key?

Would the painter's work be fair to our eyes,

Without shade on land or sea?"

"Would we know the meaning of happiness,

Would we feel that the day was bright,

If we'd never known what it was to grieve,

Nor gazed on the dark of night?"

Many men owe the grandeur of their lives to their tremendous difficulties.- C.H. Spurgeon When the musician presses the black keys on the great organ, the music is as sweet as when he touches the white ones, but to get the capacity of the instrument he must touch them all.- Selected
(An extract from - Streams In The Desert by Mrs. Charles E. Cowan)

THE PRAISE SERIES (PART 9) - THE WEAPON OF OUR WARFARE (B)

"Your hand will find all Your enemies;

 Your right hand will find those who hate You.

 Be exalted, O LORD, in Your own strength! 

We will sing and praise Your power".

Psalm 21:8, 13

The Old Testament makes a distinction between taking revenge ourselves and leaving our enemies to God. Strength and power lie in Him, not in us, as Psalm 21 confesses. 

Apart from many good reasons for glorifying and worshiping God, the role of praise in dealing with our enemies is also strange to many people. The Psalmist also praise God in the midst of facing adversity at the hand of an enemy. Do you wonder how such conflict and praise meet?

We continue with the story of King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20. Remember, Jehoshaphat and the kingdom of Judah are teetering on the brink of destruction- they are about to be attacked by horde far outnumbering them. You might compare their plight to a situation of your own in which everything seems to go wrong, or when the force of Satan's opposition threaten to overpower you. King Jehoshaphat's experience offers a way to do battle in such situations. He begins by simply confessing, "We have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us" (2 Chronicles 20:12). 

This confession of weakness doesn't mean that Judah is passive and does nothing - nor should we. A prophet of Judah delivers a word from the Lord. God tells them that the battle is His, not theirs. For their response, the people "(stand) up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high:" (2 Chronicles 20:19). Then instead of hurling spears or boulders, the army marches out boldly hurling phrases of praises, singing, "Praise the LORD, for His mercy endures forever" (2 Chronicles 20:21). The result? The Lord Himself sets ambushes for the enemy, causing confusion and fighting to break out among their ranks.

So what attack should believers mount against Satan and his hordes? We are to take up the weapons we wield best - the weapons of praise. As the apostle Paul teaches us, "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:4).

Faced with the forces of evil, God's people are not to fear. Our greatest resource for resistance doesn't arise from any arsenal known to human wisdom or device. It comes from knowing that the battle is the Lord's. We are never to react from a position of weakness, but from one of strength. That strength is found in faithfully remaining at our post of praise. Our best defense is to do what we should know how to do best: offer praise and glory to the Living God, whose enemies, ultimately, will always flee before His might and power

Quite sure most of you would know this powerful song - Desert Song by Brooke Fraser from Hillsong (see below Youtube). With the knowledge of our weapon of warfare we can now sing and praise Him in the desert, in the fire & in the battle ... PRAISE THE LORD!

THE PRAISE SERIES (PART 20) - 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" (Philippians 1:18, NASB), "I rejoice and share my joy with you all" (Philippians 2:17), "I urge you, rejoice in the same way" (Philippians 2:18), "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord" (Philippians 3:1) and "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" (Philippians 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 sub-woofers, 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 Corinthians 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" (Philippians 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" (Philippians 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 PRAISE SERIES (Part 10) - The Sacrifice of Praise (A)

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name (Hebrews 13;15)

The Principle Of Sacrifice Of Praise Is In The Bible
- Cain & Abel (Gen 4:3-5)
- Noah (Gen 8:20-21)
- Tabernacle of Moses (God demanded the 
    shedding of innocent blood for the covering of 
    man’s sin)
- Calvary became the final sacrifice but God 
   continues to require a sacrifice from His children

The principle of sacrifice originated in the heart of God. What is important to notice, however, is that God required a sacrifice. When God asked for a sacrifice He asked the people to bring the very best of their substance and to present it in a very specific manner to the Lord as an offering.

The purpose for each sacrifice was the same. God demanded the shedding of innocent blood for the covering of man's sin. Although the need for blood sacrifice was fulfilled at Calvary, the principle of sacrifice has not been abolished in the New Testament. God continues to require a sacrifice from His children (Heb 13:15)

God is not interested only in the praise that we give Him in times when things are going well. He is after that praise that comes in the midst of great trial, great difficulty, grief, sickness, temptation, relational difficulties, and financial problems. He still requires praise. He still demands it. When we give it to Him in time of difficulty it means all the more to Him. We are operating according to the principle of sacrifice, and God is pleased.

Difference Between Praise And Sacrifice Of Praise
Praise – Praise flows easily when we are in a right relationship with God. It is a spontaneous flow when we think of all that He has done for us
Sacrifice of Praise – The sacrifice of praise is offered to God when things do not seem to be going right. It is:
- Praise offered in spite of the way things are going
- Praise offered in faith and obedience
- Praise offered because of who God is

Sacrifice of praise is continual praise & is audible (Psalm 34:1 – I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth) 

Examples In The Bible

1) Paul & Silas (Acts 16:22-34)

Physical Situation - Severely flogged (stripped & beaten) and thrown into prison for their faith. No reason to praise God

hatSpiritual Situation - At midnight (darkest moment) they started to pray and praise God

Result - A violent earthquake shook the place, prison doors were opened, chains broken and jailer & family received salvation

2) King Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20:1-22)

Physical Situation - A vast army invading Israel

Spiritual Condition - Inquired of the Lord and proclaimed a fast. The Spirit of God assured them that the battle belong to the Lord. They obeyed the Lord by sending the choir ahead of the army into the battlefield.

Result - The Lord set an ambush against the enemy and they were defeated.

How To Offer Sacrifice Of Praise?1) Make A Decision
- Determine beforehand that you are going to praise God at ALL TIMES AND IN EVERY SITUATION.2) Start Now- Praise God every day – all day
- Cultivate the habit of praise3) When Troubles Come
- Remember your decision
- Put on the garment of Praise – An act of your will
- Remember that praise in the difficult times allows God to work on your behalf
- Praise in times of trouble brings glory to the Father4) Begin By Faith
- The way you begin to offer the sacrifice of praise is by faith. Praise Him for Who He is and what He has done. Then offer thanks to God for the situation even if you do understand it
- Acknowledge that He is in control of your situation and praise Him for making a way of deliverance, even though you can see no way out of the problem. Then set your mind on Him and on the promises of His Word
- Once you have started to make the sacrifice of praise – CONTINUE. Declare aloud the Word of God that proclaims victory and deliverance
- This offering of praise in obedience (& faith) will set your mind on Him and not the circumstances. As you keep proclaiming His power & glory to your circumstances, you will see how small it actually is.
- Soon you will find yourself joyfully entering into the full dimension of His Presence as you continue to release your spirit in the sacrifice of praise. Then start to sing, to dance, to glorify & magnify Him and He will make a way of salvation & deliverance for you! To be continued ...

Be blessed!

THE PRAISE SERIES (Part 8) - Ceaseless Praise

"Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s." (Psalms 103:1-5 NKJV)

Psalm 103 has no request. It is nothing but praises; David is blessing The Lord.

What are some of the benefits David sings about? David's praise focussed on the good things God was doing for him. it is easy to complain about life, but David's list gives us plenty for which to praise God - He forgives our sins, heals our diseases, redeems us from death, crowns us with love and compassion, satisfies our desires, and gives righteousness and justice. We receive all of these without deserving any of them. No matter how difficult our lives' journey, we can always count our blessings - past, present, and future. 
These are blessings we may have often forgotten or that we may be taking for granted:

1) The Lord Saves! 

"Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases"(verse 3) 

The last part of that statement is an illustration of the first part. He forgives all our iniquities in the same way He heals the human body. Often in the Bible, sin is compared to sickness, and salvation is compared to health. God bring health to our souls.

2) He Keeps. 

"Who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies"(verse 4)

He keeps us and protects us from the destruction around us. In His pleasure He puts a crown on our heads and make us princes and princesses. He surrounds us with His lovingkindness and tender mercies.

3) He Satisfies.

"Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like eagle's." (verse 5)

As in Isaiah 40:31, the eagle is used as a symbol of youth and strength. The eagle moults, loses its old feathers, gets a new coat, and soars again.

Do we pray to God for the sole purpose of praising Him? We have much for which to praise Him, for His love and care never cease. He saves, keeps, and satisfies us. Never take God for granted; always take time to praise Him.

Be blessed!

THE PRAISE SERIES (Part 6) - Gates of Praise

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving 

and His courts with praise; 

give thanks to Him and praise His name" 

Psalm 100:4

How important it is for each of us to know the way into God's presence! How do we come into His courts? The psalmist points out the way that God has ordained: We enter His gates with thanksgiving, His courts with praise. It is only as we come to God with thanksgiving and with praise that we have access into His presence. 

The prophet Isaiah likens the presence of God among His people to a city, concerning which he says, "You will call your walls Salvation and Your gates Praise" (Isaiah 60:18). The only way through those walls of Salvation is by the Gates of Praise. Unless we learn to approach God with praise, we have no access into His presence.

Confronted with this requirement, we are sometimes tempted to look around us at our situation and ask: "But what do I have to thank God for? What do I have to praise Him for?" There may be nothing in our immediate circumstances that appears to give us cause to thank or praise God. It is just here that the psalmist comes to our help. He gives us three reasons to thank and praise that are not affected by our circumstances (see verse 5):

1) The Lord is good

2) His love endures forever

3) His faithfulness continues through all generation.

All three are eternal, unchanging facts. If we truly believe them, then we have no alternative but to praise God for them 

CONTINUALLY!

"I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth" (Psalm 34:1)

To be continued ... Why we should Praise The Lord.
Have a blessed & victorious week.
TPWC

PRAISE REVOLUTION: PRIVATE

I Will Bless The Lord At All Times;

His Praise Shall Continually Be In My Mouth

Psalm 34:1 (NKJV)

Thank God for corporate praise when we gather together. It helps us to get among a body of believers as we celebrate and magnify the name of the Lord. There is also a personal private praise which we (lifestyle worshipers) must not neglect. The reason for this is that until we come to the place where we can really enter into that private, personal praise, just between you and the Lord, there are always going to be some hindrances and some holding back when we enter into the corporate praise.

Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17) and God wants us to get so free that when His Spirit starts moving on us at home, in our kitchen, out in your work place, when commuting or driving down the road in your car, we can just let the spirit of praise flow like rivers of living waters in our surrounding.

The Bible says that God inhabits in our praise (Psalms 22:3). The question is, "If He inhabits in our praise, how far does He inhabits it?" The answer is as far as the sound of your voice goes ... "Glory! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Blessed Be the name of Jesus!" As far as our voice sounds, God is living in those words. For example, when we are in our car praising and worshipping Him, our audible praise fills that car. When the devil gets any where near you; do you know what he gets? "Glory!" If he comes through the window of your car, "Hallelujah!" hits him. When he tries to enter by the door, "Jesus!" knocks him off.

PRAISE HAS TO BE VOCALISED. The Bible says, "My lips shall praise Thee "(Psalms 63:3). If you go around with your mouth shut and not praising God, then God is not in your praise and the devil beats on you. Our praise may be as weak as babes, but it is powerful enough to silence the enemy (Psalms 8:2). There is power in the name of Jesus, that means that that power is released when we speak or sing it. When we begin to speak forth or sing our praises in His name, the spirit inside us begins to rise up and the power of darkness outside of us begins to retreat. Let the Devil hit our praise ten or twenty feet out infront of us. Let them stick their fingers in their ears each time they are near us.

Psalms 34:1 says, " ... His praise shall CONTINUALLY BE IN MY MOUTH." Most people have to stop what they are doing to try to get into praising God, but we need to have this reverse. We need to praise God so much that we have to stop praising in order to do something else.

Psalms 113:3 says, " From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised." King David was a man after God's own heart. He praised God in the morning, he praised Him at noontime and he praised him in the night-time.

Psalms 119:164 David said, "Seven times a day I praise Thee." The number seven is perfect and complete. God is looking for worshipers who will choose to PRAISE HIM CONTINUALLY AND ALL DAY.

PRIVATE PRAISE is a powerful experience to live in. It is the key to a victorious and abundant life with Jesus. Let us the first fruits of our day to the Lord in private praise.
TPWC (An extract from Private Praise by Elbert Willis)

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.

OFFERING SACRIFICE OF PRAISE CONTINUALLY - PART 2

Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name

Psalm 29:2

Let us praise God CONTINUALLY because it is His due. Should J-H-V-H be left unpraised? Praise is the rent that He asks of us for the enjoyment of all things. Will we be slow to pay? Will a man rob God? When it is such a happy work to give Him His due, will we deny it? It blesses us to bless the Lord. Will we stint God in the measure of His glory when He does not stint us His goodness? Come, if you have become sorrowful lately, shake off your gloom, and awake all your instruments of music to praise the Lord! Do not let murmuring and complaining be so as mentioned among His saints. Will not the Lord be CONTINUALLY praised? Surely the very stones and rocks must break their everlasting silence in indignation if the children of God do not praise His name.

Praise Him CONTINUALLY, for it will help you in everything. A man full of praise is ready for all other holy exercises. Even in times of pain and weakness he could still exalt the Lord (Psalm 34:1). Whenever you go to do any kind of service, even though it is nothing better than opening the shop or waiting behind the counter, you will do it all the better when you are in the spirit of praise and gratitude. If you are a domestic servant and can praise God CONTINUALLY, you will be a comfort in the house. If you are a master and are surrounded with the troubles of life, if your heart is always blessing the Lord, you will keep up your spirits and will not be sharp and ill-tempered with those around you

Praise will preserve us from many evils. When the heart is full of the praise of God, it does not have time to find fault and grow proudly angry with people around us. Somebody has said a very nasty thing about us. Well, we will answer him when we have finished the work we have in hand, namely, praising God CONTINUALLY. At present we have a great work to do and cannot come down to wrangle. Self love and its natural irritations die in the blaze of praise. If you praise God CONTINUALLY, the vexations and troubles of life will be cheerfully borne. Praise makes the happy man a strong man. “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). Praising God makes us drink of the brook by the way and lift up our heads. We cannot fear while we can praise. Neither can we be bribed by the world’s favour, nor cowed by its frown. Praise makes angels of us. Let us abound to it.

Praise God because this is what God loves. Notice from Hebrews 13:15 how the next verse puts it: “With such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Hebrew 13:16). Would we not do anything and everything to please God? It seems too good to be true that we can impart any pleasure to the ever-blessed One. Yet it is so, for He has declared that He is well-pleased with the praises and gifts of His children. Therefore let us withhold nothing from our dear Father, our blessed God. It will always be an honour to praise Him.

The final point -The verse Hebrews 13:15 reads, “Let us offer the sacrifice of praise CONTINUALLY.” The apostle Paul did not say, “Eventually get to work, when you are able to give up business and have retired to the country, or perhaps when you are near death.” Rather, he said, “NOW ‘let us offer the sacrifice of praise.’” When Paul wrote this, he was probably in a low place, in shackles and chains, shut up in a dungeon in Rome. Sure we who are not in prison and none of us are galled with shackles on our wrists can certain join Paul in praising God CONITNUALLY.

As His church and people, we have received great favors from the Lord's hand. Come, let us join together with heart and hand of the Lord and worship joyfully before Him. With words and gifts, let us offer the sacrifice of praise CONTINUALLY.
(an extract from : Spurgeon on Praise – The joy and rewards of praising God!)

OFFERING SACRIFICE OF PRAISE CONTINUALLY - PART 1

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name
Hebrews 13:15

As believers, we are called upon to offer to God a CONTINUAL sacrifice. Aren’t we glad that instead of presenting in the morning and evening a sacrifice of lambs and on certain holy days bringing bullocks and sheep to be slain, we are to present to God the sacrifice of praise?

Firstly, how do we offer this sacrifice CONITUALLY? “By him therefore…” at the very threshold of all offering of sacrifice to God, we begin with Christ. We cannot go a step without Jesus. The High Priest of our profession meets us at the sanctuary door. We place our sacrifices into His hands, so that He may present them for us. Without a Mediator we can make no advance to God. We are to offer CONTINUAL sacrifice looking to Jesus.

“Let us offer sacrifice of praise to God continually …” that is to say, without ceasing. Let us make an analogy to that which says, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and say, “Praise without ceasing.”We are to praise the Lord our God, not only in this place or that place, but in every place; not only when we are in a happy frame of mind, but even when we are downcast and troubled. The perfumed smoke from the altar of incense is rise toward heaven both day and night, from beginning of the year to the year’s end. Not only when we are in the assembly of the saints are we to praise God, but when we are called to pass through “valley of the shadow of death”. Psalm 34:1 – “Bless the Lord at all times.” Offer the sacrifice of praise to God not just alone in your secret chamber, which is fragrant with the perfume of your communion with God, but in the field, there in the street, and in the hurry and noise of the exchange.

This CONTINUAL sacrifice of praise is to be natural. It is called “the fruit of our lips”. These lips of ours must produce fruit. Our words are leaves – how soon they wither! However, the praise of God is the fruit that can be stored up and presented to the Lord. Fruit is a natural product. It grows without force, the free outcome of the plant (on condition that we stay abide in the VINE – John 15:1-8). So let praise grow out of your lips as it’s own sweet will. Let it be as natural to you, as regenerated men and women, to praise God as it seems to be natural to profane men to blaspheme His sacred name.

Last but not least, I want to recommend this blessed exercise of praise – “to offer the sacrifice of praise to God CONTINUALLY,” because in so doing, you will discover your reason for being. Every creature is happiest when it is doing what it is made for. An eagle would die in the water, even as a fish that is made to swim perishes on the river’s bank. Christians are made to glorify God. We are never in our element until we are praising Him. The happiest moments you have ever spent were those in which you lost sight of everything inferior and bowed before J-H-V-H’s throne with reverent joy and blissful praise. I can say it is so with me, and I do not doubt it is so with you. When your whole soul is full of praise, you have at last reached the goal at which your heart is aiming. Your ship is now in full sail. Your life moves on smoothly and safely. This is the groove along which it was made to slide. Your new nature was fashioned for the praise of God, and it finds rest in doing so. Keep to this work. Do not degrade yourself by less divine employment.
(an extract from – Spurgeon on Praise – the joy and rewards of praising God)

May this song Living Sacrifice by Chris Christian inspires you to offer your life as a living sacrifice of praise CONTINUALLY to Him!

Blessings
TPWC

WE NEED MINOR KEYS TOO!

"Giving thanks always for all things unto God"
Ephesians 5:20

No matter what the source of the evil, if you are in God and surrounded by Him as by an atmosphere, all evil has to pass through Him before it comes to you. Therefore you can thank God for everything that comes, not for the sin of it, but for what God will bring out of it and through it. May God make our lives thanksgiving and perpetual praise, then He will make everything a blessing.

We once saw a man draw some black dots. We looked and could make nothing of them but an irregular assemblage of black dots. Then he drew a few lines, put in a few rests, then a clef at the beginning, and we saw these black dots were musical notes. On sounding them we were singing,

"Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him all creatures here below."

There are many black dots and black spots in our lives, and we cannot understand why they are there or why God permitted them to come. But if we let God come into our lives, and adjust the dots in the proper way, and draw the lines He wants, and separate this from that, and put in the rests at the proper places; out of the black dots and spots in our lives He will make a glorious harmony. Let us not hinder Him in this glorious work! - C. H. P.

"Would we know that the major chords were sweet,
If there were no minor key?
Would the painter's work be fair to our eyes,
Without shade on land or sea?"

"Would we know the meaning of happiness,
Would we feel that the day was bright,
If we'd never known what it was to grieve,
Nor gazed on the dark of night?"

Many men owe the grandeur of their lives to their tremendous difficulties.- C.H.Spurgeon

When the musician presses the black keys on the great organ, the music is as sweet as when he touches the white ones, but to get the capacity of the instrument he must touch them all.- Selected
(An extract from - Streams In The Desert by Mrs. Charles E. Cowan)

Blessed Week
TPWC