Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Leviticus, Chapters 22-23 … To study these chapters, go to this link -
Leviticus 22: 1 - 3 : … [Purity of the Priesthood] … 1 The Lord said to Moses,2 "Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings the Israelites consecrate to me, so they will not profane My holy Name. I am the Lord. >>> … 3 "Say to them: 'For the generations to come, if any of your descendants is ceremonially unclean and yet comes near the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the Lord, that person must be cut off from My presence. I am the Lord.
My Journal for Today: Here I am today, led to read in Leviticus 22 – 23 in my chronological Bible reading plan; and we have more instructions being chronicled in God’s Book of the Law, concerning the Priesthood and the Festivals of worship which the priests and the people were to carry out on an annual basis. And in these instructions, one cannot help but be impressed with how much detail God, through Moses, was giving the people, and especially His Priesthood, about their practices and principles of worship.
And I’ve singled out another of the instructions to Aaron and his descendents, concerning how serious it was that the priesthood be perfected in their worship practices because the royal Priesthood had to represent God to man and man to God. And the God of His chosen people wanted to insure that HIS people were called out to be separate from all the pagan people with whom His chosen ones would have to confront in their future. Worship of the one, true, living God … YAHWEH – JEHOVAH … was to reflect His holiness; and therefore His Priests had to be appointed and anointed to handle this worship with perfected practices. And the people were to come to the festivals of remembrance and celebration, outlined in Leviticus 23 with great reverence and very strict religious regularity and regulations.
Now I shift gears to remember, as I’m reading through the above passages, as well as the rest of the two chapters I was led to re-study today, that I AM PART OF GOD’S ROYAL PRIESTHOOD [documented for Christians in 1st Peter 2: 9-10, to which I’ll link you here for repeated reflection].
And by now, because I’ve brought it up several times during our read in Leviticus, we – who are gloriously under a NEW COVENANT – the perfect covenant from the perfect Lamb of God – our Lord, Jesus. And we must realize that, though we don’t have to live under the ceremonious religious practices of the Old Covenant, we do have to recognize that we are to be living reflections of God’s royal priesthood because God’s tabernacle is in the heart of Christians; and we are to be living sacrifices, worshipping our God by the way we live our lives. I’ve touted it before this month, dear ones; but have you memorized and/or internalized Paul’s instructions concerning New Covenant worship in Romans 12: 1-2, also linked here for those who don’t have it memorized.
We, my brothers or sisters, are PRIESTS – grafted descendents of Aaron’s Royal Priesthood; and everyday and in every moment of our lives, we are to be reflections of ALL of the festivals of worship described in Lev. 23. And as God’s royal priesthood, we are to take – VERY SERIOUSLY – what the Apostle Paul wrote about in Romans 12: 1-2.
SO … self inventory time (as reminded we are to do in 2nd Cor. 13: 5)! And in asking myself, … “Bill, are you being an willing and able priest, representing God to all to whom you witness your faith; and are you leading a life which is a festival of worship to the One, true, and holy God?” … I have to admit that I’m not taking my duties as a PRIEST of God seriously enough. And when I’m honest, I must say that I need to come under the truth of 1st John 1: 9 and cleanse myself for my priestly practices of living worship today.
How about you?
My Prayer Today: … Lord, I come to the Holy of Holies, which You have opened for me as Your priest, wearing the Robes of Righteousness which You, Lord, give freely for me; and I’m an consecrated for worship by Your blood and my confession this day, ready to be Your priest of living worship.
Showing posts with label living worship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label living worship. Show all posts
Monday, February 20, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
February 16, 2012 … God’s Protection of Worship
Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Leviticus, Chapters 11-13 … To study these chapters, go to this link -
Leviticus 11: 24-25 : … [Purity for Worship]… 24 “‘You will make yourselves unclean by these; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening. 25 Whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening.
My Journal for Today: As I read though Chapters 11-13 of Leviticus this morning, one could get the idea that God felt that those who touched unclean things, women who had babies, or people with skin diseases were sinful because of their circumstances and conditions. But that would be a misinterpretation of these very careful regulations God was imposing – through Aaron and the Priesthood – on God’s children and their worship in the Tent of Meeting, i.e. the Tabernacle.
No, what God was doing with all these careful instructions to protect the conditions of worship was to set the worship of their living God, Jehovah, apart from the worship of the pagan gods in the cultures surrounding God’s chosen people, the Israelites.
And immediately in reading these three chapters, I was drawn back – by the enlightenment of God’s Spirit, I believe - to instructions which the Apostle Paul gave to New Covenant worshippers, those who’ve come to the Living Tabernacle, Jesus Christ, in faith and desire to worship Him forever, having been purified by His blood on the cross. Jesus was/is the reason why we don’t have to have the same protections which are written of in these three chapters of God’s Book of the Law in Leviticus. And Paul exhorted us – Christians – how to prepare ourselves for worship, when God had him write in Romans 12: 1-2, ... 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
My memory also reflected back to the instructions to believers by the Apostle John’s vision, about preparing for the coming BrideGoom, our Savior, Who will be coming for His Bride, the Church, for the wedding feast of The Lamb. The instructions for the preparation of the Bride for the Groom (i.e., our preparations for the worship of the Lamb of God at the wedding feast) are found in Revelation 19: 7-10, where it says, ... 7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.) … 9 Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” … 10 At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”
And by combining the exhortation of Romans 12 with the instruction of Revelation 19, we can glean God’s desire that we – His chosen Bride - be purified for worship … that we be prepared to bow before God with our lives, … purified by keeping our linens clean (i.e., living righteous lives and avoiding the impurities of this world). We are to live lives of “living sacrifice,” pure and undefiled, which was symbolized by the detailed instructions for purity given to God’s people as they prepared themselves – by their living the way God instructed – to avoid those parts of the world and their own flesh which would render them defiled for worship.
God simply wants His Bride – His chosen church (i.e., that’s you and me, fellow Christian!) – to be in a ready and purified state of “living worship” (as Paul wrote in Rom. 12: 1), having our lines clean and purified for the BrideGroom, Who will come to get His Bride for the wedding feast of the Lamb of God.
Are you ready for Him coming for you, my friend? Are we living lives, purified and prepared for worship on a 24/7 basis in life? I don’t know about you; but I could use some more cleansing of my linens as I prepare for my Groom to come for me.
My Prayer Today: … Lord, help me prepare for You today by cleansing my linens in the purifying blood of Calvary. Amen
Leviticus 11: 24-25 : … [Purity for Worship]… 24 “‘You will make yourselves unclean by these; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening. 25 Whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening.
My Journal for Today: As I read though Chapters 11-13 of Leviticus this morning, one could get the idea that God felt that those who touched unclean things, women who had babies, or people with skin diseases were sinful because of their circumstances and conditions. But that would be a misinterpretation of these very careful regulations God was imposing – through Aaron and the Priesthood – on God’s children and their worship in the Tent of Meeting, i.e. the Tabernacle.
No, what God was doing with all these careful instructions to protect the conditions of worship was to set the worship of their living God, Jehovah, apart from the worship of the pagan gods in the cultures surrounding God’s chosen people, the Israelites.
And immediately in reading these three chapters, I was drawn back – by the enlightenment of God’s Spirit, I believe - to instructions which the Apostle Paul gave to New Covenant worshippers, those who’ve come to the Living Tabernacle, Jesus Christ, in faith and desire to worship Him forever, having been purified by His blood on the cross. Jesus was/is the reason why we don’t have to have the same protections which are written of in these three chapters of God’s Book of the Law in Leviticus. And Paul exhorted us – Christians – how to prepare ourselves for worship, when God had him write in Romans 12: 1-2, ... 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
My memory also reflected back to the instructions to believers by the Apostle John’s vision, about preparing for the coming BrideGoom, our Savior, Who will be coming for His Bride, the Church, for the wedding feast of The Lamb. The instructions for the preparation of the Bride for the Groom (i.e., our preparations for the worship of the Lamb of God at the wedding feast) are found in Revelation 19: 7-10, where it says, ... 7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.) … 9 Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” … 10 At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”
And by combining the exhortation of Romans 12 with the instruction of Revelation 19, we can glean God’s desire that we – His chosen Bride - be purified for worship … that we be prepared to bow before God with our lives, … purified by keeping our linens clean (i.e., living righteous lives and avoiding the impurities of this world). We are to live lives of “living sacrifice,” pure and undefiled, which was symbolized by the detailed instructions for purity given to God’s people as they prepared themselves – by their living the way God instructed – to avoid those parts of the world and their own flesh which would render them defiled for worship.
God simply wants His Bride – His chosen church (i.e., that’s you and me, fellow Christian!) – to be in a ready and purified state of “living worship” (as Paul wrote in Rom. 12: 1), having our lines clean and purified for the BrideGroom, Who will come to get His Bride for the wedding feast of the Lamb of God.
Are you ready for Him coming for you, my friend? Are we living lives, purified and prepared for worship on a 24/7 basis in life? I don’t know about you; but I could use some more cleansing of my linens as I prepare for my Groom to come for me.
My Prayer Today: … Lord, help me prepare for You today by cleansing my linens in the purifying blood of Calvary. Amen
Thursday, December 29, 2011
December 29, 2011 … Christ Is The Creator
Passage of the Day: Colossians 1: 16 [see highlight verse in bold/underlined in the context of the entire passage] … 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, …
My Journal for Today: I think we’ve all, on a clear night, have looked into the night sky, being awe struck by all the stars we see. And then to think that there are billions of galaxies, each of which have millions or billions of stars that we can’t see with the naked eye. … Wow!
And the Apostle Paul, through the message of today’s passage to believers at Colosse, wanted to make it clear to Christians who had been exposed to heretical teachings about Jesus that it was Christ who had created all we see in the heavens. However, MacArthur writes something we all need to keep in mind, “Even more amazing is, not that man [sees the stars] or has gone into space, but that God came to earth. In Christ, the invisible God who created everything and everyone became visible to man. How sad that while man looks into space, he refuses to look at the One Who came to earth.” … To any Christian who reads this, do I sense an “AMEN?”
Certainly the lost – i.e., those who refuse to worship the God-Man - reject the One Who became our Savior. But I’m afraid that even Christians all too often do not worship God with the awe Christ, our Creator, deserves. For those who reject or humanize Christ’s deity, such ignorance of worship is understandable; but we who call Him “Lord” should come to our Savior, before His throne of grace, absolutely and utterly in awe. Think of it! We are able, because of God’s grace, to come to the very Creator of the universe with our any/all of our needs and to petition the exalted Lord Himself, anytime, anyplace. Is that not the most awesome deal there ever was?!!
And yes, in these waning December days there will be a little more opportunity to learn and to meditate more about Him; so, as I’ve said each day this month, “Stay tuned!”
My Prayer Today: O, Lord, please forgive my pitiful worship. You are the Great I AM; and I bow before You this day. May I live for You as well. Amen
My Journal for Today: I think we’ve all, on a clear night, have looked into the night sky, being awe struck by all the stars we see. And then to think that there are billions of galaxies, each of which have millions or billions of stars that we can’t see with the naked eye. … Wow!
And the Apostle Paul, through the message of today’s passage to believers at Colosse, wanted to make it clear to Christians who had been exposed to heretical teachings about Jesus that it was Christ who had created all we see in the heavens. However, MacArthur writes something we all need to keep in mind, “Even more amazing is, not that man [sees the stars] or has gone into space, but that God came to earth. In Christ, the invisible God who created everything and everyone became visible to man. How sad that while man looks into space, he refuses to look at the One Who came to earth.” … To any Christian who reads this, do I sense an “AMEN?”
Certainly the lost – i.e., those who refuse to worship the God-Man - reject the One Who became our Savior. But I’m afraid that even Christians all too often do not worship God with the awe Christ, our Creator, deserves. For those who reject or humanize Christ’s deity, such ignorance of worship is understandable; but we who call Him “Lord” should come to our Savior, before His throne of grace, absolutely and utterly in awe. Think of it! We are able, because of God’s grace, to come to the very Creator of the universe with our any/all of our needs and to petition the exalted Lord Himself, anytime, anyplace. Is that not the most awesome deal there ever was?!!
And yes, in these waning December days there will be a little more opportunity to learn and to meditate more about Him; so, as I’ve said each day this month, “Stay tuned!”
My Prayer Today: O, Lord, please forgive my pitiful worship. You are the Great I AM; and I bow before You this day. May I live for You as well. Amen
Saturday, December 24, 2011
December 24, 2011 … A Call to Worship
Passage of the Day: Philippians 2: 10 - 11 [see highlight passage in bold/underlined] … 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the Name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
My Journal for Today: Yes, … same passage as yesterday; and any time a Bible teacher, like John MacArthur or yours truly, surveys a passage repeatedly, it will be for emphasis; and that is most certainly the case here. Studying Christology this month, MacArthur wants his Strength for Today readers [like me] to see the wondrous future which lies ahead for the unfallen Angels, for all redeemed believers whose spirits await glorified bodies in Heaven, and for all the living, who, like myself, worship Christ as Savior AND LORD.
Think on it, … meditate on it, … and celebrate it in this Advent season! For all rational humans who “confess” (i.e., affirm and/or acknowledge) the exalted Christ as Lord AND Savior will be able to worship our Lord in perfect and glorified closeness for all eternity (see that clearly stated in Romans 10: 9 – 13). However, for all rational beings who do not confess Jesus as Lord, there awaits the horror of bowing to worship The Christ as Lord in the eternal pit of separation, darkness, and the fires of hell.
Yes, ALL rational created beings will bow the knee of worship to the risen and exalted Christ, … the King of kings and Lord of lords. And I pray that whomever reads this has completely surrendered to the Living Lord, declaring in faith that HE is your Savior AND Lord. And I pray, on this Christmas Eve, that your life joins mine in celebrating the Advent birth of our risen Lord with our lives of sacrifice and service, … lives of living worship (see Romans 12: 1-2 which can be our only gift to Him for His gift to us, … the greatest gift of all.
No more words really need be written here about Christ; but there is more … so, yes, … stay tuned; we still have one more week in this current devotional study about Christ – and then a whole lifetime, actually an eternity, to get to know Him more closely!
My Prayer Today: May we all worship Your Holy and exalted Name, dear LORD. Amen
My Journal for Today: Yes, … same passage as yesterday; and any time a Bible teacher, like John MacArthur or yours truly, surveys a passage repeatedly, it will be for emphasis; and that is most certainly the case here. Studying Christology this month, MacArthur wants his Strength for Today readers [like me] to see the wondrous future which lies ahead for the unfallen Angels, for all redeemed believers whose spirits await glorified bodies in Heaven, and for all the living, who, like myself, worship Christ as Savior AND LORD.
Think on it, … meditate on it, … and celebrate it in this Advent season! For all rational humans who “confess” (i.e., affirm and/or acknowledge) the exalted Christ as Lord AND Savior will be able to worship our Lord in perfect and glorified closeness for all eternity (see that clearly stated in Romans 10: 9 – 13). However, for all rational beings who do not confess Jesus as Lord, there awaits the horror of bowing to worship The Christ as Lord in the eternal pit of separation, darkness, and the fires of hell.
Yes, ALL rational created beings will bow the knee of worship to the risen and exalted Christ, … the King of kings and Lord of lords. And I pray that whomever reads this has completely surrendered to the Living Lord, declaring in faith that HE is your Savior AND Lord. And I pray, on this Christmas Eve, that your life joins mine in celebrating the Advent birth of our risen Lord with our lives of sacrifice and service, … lives of living worship (see Romans 12: 1-2 which can be our only gift to Him for His gift to us, … the greatest gift of all.
No more words really need be written here about Christ; but there is more … so, yes, … stay tuned; we still have one more week in this current devotional study about Christ – and then a whole lifetime, actually an eternity, to get to know Him more closely!
My Prayer Today: May we all worship Your Holy and exalted Name, dear LORD. Amen
Sunday, September 18, 2011
September 18, 2011 … Spirit-filled Gratitude
Passage of the Day: Ephesians 5: 20 [see in bold below] … 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
My Journal for Today: John MacArthur begins his devotional entry for this date in Strength for Today with a rather stark declaration: “I’m convinced that gratitude is the single greatest act of worship we can render to God.” And, of course, he is using the Apostle Paul’s exhortation in Eph. 5: 20 as support for this contention, pointing us toward this attitude of gratitude as a foundational element in our relationship with Christ.
When we have a life sustaining attitude of thankfulness (see also 1st Thes. 5: 18), it is probably one of the most “visible” evidences for the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives; and it is released by our surrender to God’s Spirit working in our heart. It is the visible evidence of God’s love working in and through the Christian (see John 13: 34, 35) which shines the Light of our Lord into a dark world and glorifies our Father in heaven (see Matt. 5: 16).
Certainly being thankful or grateful “… for everything,” as today’s verse exhorts, is not something my human, ever deceitful, heart can sustain (see Jer. 17: 9), especially in times of dire challenge, privation, or physical tribulation (see also James 1: 2 – 5 or 1st Peter 2: 20 – 21). A believer who can carry the attitude of thankfulness, which only God can provide, into and through the trials of life certainly is one who never forgets God’s goodness and mercy (see Ps. 106: 1), the gift of Christ Himself (see 2nd Cor. 9: 15), the triumph of the Gospel (see 2nd Cor. 2: 14), and Christ’s victory over death (see 1st Cor. 15: 56 – 57).
MacArthur closes his devotional for this date by pointing his readers, as I will here, to Hebrews 13: 15, which presents a perfectly apt summary of this lesson of the heart …
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SCRIPTURE: Heb. 13: 15 [NASB] Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His Name.
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I have to ask myself, “Is my life being lived out as an offering of gratitude in worship?” I’m afraid not as much as it should; but I’m bolstered by 2nd Cor. 12: 9 as always, telling me that God’s grace is sufficient, even in my weaknesses, to allow His strength to give me the attitude of gratitude which the Holy Spirit offers me continually.
My Prayer Today: Thank you, Lord! Amen
Journal Author’s Note: As with today’s journal entry above, I often cite quite a few Scripture references to support what I’m writing with the authority of God’s word. I hope that anyone who reads my writings will have the Berean attitude and motivation to check me out, looking up the passages cited if the reader doesn’t already have any of these references committed to memory. I don’t pretend to be a biblical scholar or anything but a pursuer of God’s truth; and I pray that you are equally seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we study His personhood this month. … <’BB><
My Journal for Today: John MacArthur begins his devotional entry for this date in Strength for Today with a rather stark declaration: “I’m convinced that gratitude is the single greatest act of worship we can render to God.” And, of course, he is using the Apostle Paul’s exhortation in Eph. 5: 20 as support for this contention, pointing us toward this attitude of gratitude as a foundational element in our relationship with Christ.
When we have a life sustaining attitude of thankfulness (see also 1st Thes. 5: 18), it is probably one of the most “visible” evidences for the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives; and it is released by our surrender to God’s Spirit working in our heart. It is the visible evidence of God’s love working in and through the Christian (see John 13: 34, 35) which shines the Light of our Lord into a dark world and glorifies our Father in heaven (see Matt. 5: 16).
Certainly being thankful or grateful “… for everything,” as today’s verse exhorts, is not something my human, ever deceitful, heart can sustain (see Jer. 17: 9), especially in times of dire challenge, privation, or physical tribulation (see also James 1: 2 – 5 or 1st Peter 2: 20 – 21). A believer who can carry the attitude of thankfulness, which only God can provide, into and through the trials of life certainly is one who never forgets God’s goodness and mercy (see Ps. 106: 1), the gift of Christ Himself (see 2nd Cor. 9: 15), the triumph of the Gospel (see 2nd Cor. 2: 14), and Christ’s victory over death (see 1st Cor. 15: 56 – 57).
MacArthur closes his devotional for this date by pointing his readers, as I will here, to Hebrews 13: 15, which presents a perfectly apt summary of this lesson of the heart …
-------------------
SCRIPTURE: Heb. 13: 15 [NASB] Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His Name.
-------------------
I have to ask myself, “Is my life being lived out as an offering of gratitude in worship?” I’m afraid not as much as it should; but I’m bolstered by 2nd Cor. 12: 9 as always, telling me that God’s grace is sufficient, even in my weaknesses, to allow His strength to give me the attitude of gratitude which the Holy Spirit offers me continually.
My Prayer Today: Thank you, Lord! Amen
Journal Author’s Note: As with today’s journal entry above, I often cite quite a few Scripture references to support what I’m writing with the authority of God’s word. I hope that anyone who reads my writings will have the Berean attitude and motivation to check me out, looking up the passages cited if the reader doesn’t already have any of these references committed to memory. I don’t pretend to be a biblical scholar or anything but a pursuer of God’s truth; and I pray that you are equally seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we study His personhood this month. … <’BB><
Saturday, September 17, 2011
September 17, 2011 … Spirit-filled Song
Passage of the Day: Ephesians 5: 19 [see in bold below] … 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, …
My Journal for Today: What’s your song? If you are a Christian and reading this, you have the Holy Spirit dwelling eternally in your heart. So, do you find yourself, as Paul declares in today’s verse, “making music in your heart,” or [speaking] “to one another with … spiritual songs?”
If not, and you are truly a Christian, what does Paul mean by this verse? Is he saying that Spirit-filled Christians will always be walking around singing “songs” as we normally think of “singing.” Well, I suppose there are believers and followers of Christ who might do that some that, some of the time. However, I think Paul, here, is reflecting on the attitude of the Christian’s heart, as he was in 1st Thes. 5: 17 when he exhorted believers to be “praying continually [NIV].”
In our church culture, we often equate “worship” in a church service with the singing of hymns or praise songs. And today’s passage may be one reason why that equation has developed. As I’ve said earlier this month, when it comes to Spirit-filled living, “worship” is the 24/7 expression of our lives in surrender to our Lord. It is the life of “living sacrifice” expressed by Paul in Rom. 12: 1. Yes, it can be an expression of our love and/or praise for God in song; but it more often is the way our heart sings for God in the way we think, say, and do things. And that is what I think Paul was expressing in today’s verse.
I believe he’s saying that the born-again, transformed heart of a sold-out follower of Christ will openly share an attitude of “song,” praising God with an enthusiastic praise-born life, where God is worshipped and praised by what the Christian thinks, says, and does.
Yes, sometimes that life of worship might involve actual melodic singing; but I’m sure you’ve encountered brothers and/or sisters in Christ whose very presence sings a song of joy and praise and is evidence of God’s Spirit in that one’s heart. Our Pastor is that way. His life is an open song of praise wherever he goes; but thankfully, with his singing ability (or lack thereof as is the reality), though he might like to sing his praises, he doesn’t do his “singing” with traditional song [though he does love to sing the refrain to the old hymn, God Is So Good, anytime he is leads the men of our church in any type of teaching]. And when Pastor Ernie sings in public, I hope that he’s in tune with God’s chorus of angels; because he certainly can’t carry a tune in a bucket here on this earth. But my point is that my dear Pastor and brother in Christ exhibits the “singing” referred to by the Apostle in Eph. 5: 19 by the way he lives his life, which is a soulful witness to His love of Jesus in all he says and does. Ernie Frey’s life is a song of joy for Jesus; and his life song certainly has to be a praise chorus of delight in the mind of God.
I pray that we all could be so filled with God’s Spirit that our witness is a song-filled life of worship. I certainly aspire to be a “soul-singer” of Christ’s song in the way I live, hopefully not being off-tune with selfishness in my life song; and prayerfully I can let my life be tuned to the Christlikeness God’s Spirit wants to sing through me.
My Prayer Today: Lord, may my life be Your song. Amen
My Journal for Today: What’s your song? If you are a Christian and reading this, you have the Holy Spirit dwelling eternally in your heart. So, do you find yourself, as Paul declares in today’s verse, “making music in your heart,” or [speaking] “to one another with … spiritual songs?”
If not, and you are truly a Christian, what does Paul mean by this verse? Is he saying that Spirit-filled Christians will always be walking around singing “songs” as we normally think of “singing.” Well, I suppose there are believers and followers of Christ who might do that some that, some of the time. However, I think Paul, here, is reflecting on the attitude of the Christian’s heart, as he was in 1st Thes. 5: 17 when he exhorted believers to be “praying continually [NIV].”
In our church culture, we often equate “worship” in a church service with the singing of hymns or praise songs. And today’s passage may be one reason why that equation has developed. As I’ve said earlier this month, when it comes to Spirit-filled living, “worship” is the 24/7 expression of our lives in surrender to our Lord. It is the life of “living sacrifice” expressed by Paul in Rom. 12: 1. Yes, it can be an expression of our love and/or praise for God in song; but it more often is the way our heart sings for God in the way we think, say, and do things. And that is what I think Paul was expressing in today’s verse.
I believe he’s saying that the born-again, transformed heart of a sold-out follower of Christ will openly share an attitude of “song,” praising God with an enthusiastic praise-born life, where God is worshipped and praised by what the Christian thinks, says, and does.
Yes, sometimes that life of worship might involve actual melodic singing; but I’m sure you’ve encountered brothers and/or sisters in Christ whose very presence sings a song of joy and praise and is evidence of God’s Spirit in that one’s heart. Our Pastor is that way. His life is an open song of praise wherever he goes; but thankfully, with his singing ability (or lack thereof as is the reality), though he might like to sing his praises, he doesn’t do his “singing” with traditional song [though he does love to sing the refrain to the old hymn, God Is So Good, anytime he is leads the men of our church in any type of teaching]. And when Pastor Ernie sings in public, I hope that he’s in tune with God’s chorus of angels; because he certainly can’t carry a tune in a bucket here on this earth. But my point is that my dear Pastor and brother in Christ exhibits the “singing” referred to by the Apostle in Eph. 5: 19 by the way he lives his life, which is a soulful witness to His love of Jesus in all he says and does. Ernie Frey’s life is a song of joy for Jesus; and his life song certainly has to be a praise chorus of delight in the mind of God.
I pray that we all could be so filled with God’s Spirit that our witness is a song-filled life of worship. I certainly aspire to be a “soul-singer” of Christ’s song in the way I live, hopefully not being off-tune with selfishness in my life song; and prayerfully I can let my life be tuned to the Christlikeness God’s Spirit wants to sing through me.
My Prayer Today: Lord, may my life be Your song. Amen
Monday, September 12, 2011
September 12, 2011 … Focusing on Scripture and the Lord
Passage of the Day: Galatians 5: 16 … So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
My Journal for Today: All Christians know or learn that we will have to deal with the wiles of Satan and his system, the world, in our day-by-day walk with the Lord. However, probably our most dangerous spiritual enemy is found in today’s verse – “the desires of the sinful nature.” [In other translations, that phrase is translated, “… the desires of the flesh.”]
To counteract our personal anti-Christ desires, or even to deal with Satan and the world, Paul exhorts believers to “…live [or ‘walk’] by the Spirit.” That is strong rhetoric; but what does that command entail?
Well, John MacArthur in his Strength for Today devotional on this date posits that such a walk (or life) must first/foremost involve the daily intake, meditation, and yes, even the memorization of God’s word. Psalm 1: 2 says that the Godly man or woman delights in God’s word, “…meditating in it day and night.” And that was the same formula for spiritual prosperity and success given by God to Joshua as he was about to undertake the monumental task of taking God’s people across the Jordan and into the promised land (see Joshua 1: 8, which I really hope you have memorized). So, to follow MacArthur’s first premise, assuming all Christians desire to have spiritual success [i.e., to follow Christ’s mandate of Luke 9: 23], we must ask ourselves, “ Are we into God’s word with the consistency and with the intensity directed by God’s word itself?”
And the second point made by MacArthur in this regard concerns the seriousness or intensity of our commitment to live for God in God’s way; and MacArthur contends that we’ll never experience the full effect of the life-transforming ministry of God’s Spirit if we don’t CHOOSE to focus on God by becoming the “LIVING SACRIFICE” written about by Paul in Romans 12: 1 – 2 [and that is a memory verse which I really implore you have in your heart]. Our lives as Christians – which is our worship of our Lord - must become a 24/7 lifestyle of discipleship and worship in the Spirit (see also John 14: 23 – 24).
What God, the Holy Spirit, wants to do is to take our surrender and turn it into Christlikeness [see Phil. 1: 6]. So, what we have to decide is how much we want Him to do that!
My Prayer Today: I walk with You, precious Spirit. Transform me! Amen
My Journal for Today: All Christians know or learn that we will have to deal with the wiles of Satan and his system, the world, in our day-by-day walk with the Lord. However, probably our most dangerous spiritual enemy is found in today’s verse – “the desires of the sinful nature.” [In other translations, that phrase is translated, “… the desires of the flesh.”]
To counteract our personal anti-Christ desires, or even to deal with Satan and the world, Paul exhorts believers to “…live [or ‘walk’] by the Spirit.” That is strong rhetoric; but what does that command entail?
Well, John MacArthur in his Strength for Today devotional on this date posits that such a walk (or life) must first/foremost involve the daily intake, meditation, and yes, even the memorization of God’s word. Psalm 1: 2 says that the Godly man or woman delights in God’s word, “…meditating in it day and night.” And that was the same formula for spiritual prosperity and success given by God to Joshua as he was about to undertake the monumental task of taking God’s people across the Jordan and into the promised land (see Joshua 1: 8, which I really hope you have memorized). So, to follow MacArthur’s first premise, assuming all Christians desire to have spiritual success [i.e., to follow Christ’s mandate of Luke 9: 23], we must ask ourselves, “ Are we into God’s word with the consistency and with the intensity directed by God’s word itself?”
And the second point made by MacArthur in this regard concerns the seriousness or intensity of our commitment to live for God in God’s way; and MacArthur contends that we’ll never experience the full effect of the life-transforming ministry of God’s Spirit if we don’t CHOOSE to focus on God by becoming the “LIVING SACRIFICE” written about by Paul in Romans 12: 1 – 2 [and that is a memory verse which I really implore you have in your heart]. Our lives as Christians – which is our worship of our Lord - must become a 24/7 lifestyle of discipleship and worship in the Spirit (see also John 14: 23 – 24).
What God, the Holy Spirit, wants to do is to take our surrender and turn it into Christlikeness [see Phil. 1: 6]. So, what we have to decide is how much we want Him to do that!
My Prayer Today: I walk with You, precious Spirit. Transform me! Amen
Monday, May 23, 2011
May 23, 2011 … Stephen: Grace & Serenity in Suffering
Passage of the Day: Acts 6: 5a and Acts 6: 8a … 5a … Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; … 8a … Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, …
My Journal for Today: In these past days [see my devotional blogs], I’ve (we’ve) been looking at what it takes to live as a Christian in this caldron of world opposition and/or personal tribulation. And when it comes to having what it takes, the biblical model of Stephen, the first recorded Christian martyr, is a good one to put before Christians. As we see in our two text passages for today, Stephen was described by Luke, the Author of Acts, as “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit [Acts 6: 5a]” and one “full of God’s grace and power. [Acts 6: 8a].” And Stephen certainly demonstrated all of these character traits when he witnessed strongly for Christ to the Sanhedrin and then became the first biblically recorded Christian martyr (see Acts 7). Toward the end of that chapter we see Stephen’s resolve when he, while being stoned to death, was willing and able to mimic his Savior and forgive his fellow Jews who were stoning him to death [see Acts 7: 60].
SCRIPTURE: Acts 7: 60 … Then he [Stephen] fell on his knees [while being stoned] and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.
In Stephen we see what it takes for Christians to be able to handle even the most extreme trials with the character of Christ being lived out in the believer. Stephen’s belief became Stephen’s life. Stephen’s worship of his Lord became his life; and that is what it takes for any of us who are challenged by this world or our own flesh … yes, even to the point of opposition or death.
I may never be called upon to witness to my faith in the way of Stephen or the way Cassie Bernall did at Columbine High School, where a disturbed young man held a gun to her head and asked if she was a Christian. Without hesitating, she quietly proclaimed, “Yes;” and with that witness of faith, she was assassinated by that deranged teenager. When any Christian is challenged in the pubic arena, we need to call upon the same strength of character which martyrs like Stephen and Cassie Bernall exhibited. And we can, because we, being born-again Christians, have the same Holy Spirit in our hearts as did these strong witnesses for Christ. The truth of the promises of 2nd Cor. 12: 9 and 1st Cor. 10: 13, which carried the day for Cassie and Stephen, carry the day for me [and you]. Yes, I am weak; but my God is strong; and He is faithful to never allow me into any situation where, with His help/strength, I cannot be triumphant in His Name.
Are we ready to be Christ’s light in a dark world today? Are we ready to call up the grace and strength of a Stephen should we face the fiery trials of a hostile world and a weak flesh today? To that end … I pray …
My Prayer Today: O Lord, give me Your grace to witness in the world as did Stephen. Amen
My Journal for Today: In these past days [see my devotional blogs], I’ve (we’ve) been looking at what it takes to live as a Christian in this caldron of world opposition and/or personal tribulation. And when it comes to having what it takes, the biblical model of Stephen, the first recorded Christian martyr, is a good one to put before Christians. As we see in our two text passages for today, Stephen was described by Luke, the Author of Acts, as “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit [Acts 6: 5a]” and one “full of God’s grace and power. [Acts 6: 8a].” And Stephen certainly demonstrated all of these character traits when he witnessed strongly for Christ to the Sanhedrin and then became the first biblically recorded Christian martyr (see Acts 7). Toward the end of that chapter we see Stephen’s resolve when he, while being stoned to death, was willing and able to mimic his Savior and forgive his fellow Jews who were stoning him to death [see Acts 7: 60].
SCRIPTURE: Acts 7: 60 … Then he [Stephen] fell on his knees [while being stoned] and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.
In Stephen we see what it takes for Christians to be able to handle even the most extreme trials with the character of Christ being lived out in the believer. Stephen’s belief became Stephen’s life. Stephen’s worship of his Lord became his life; and that is what it takes for any of us who are challenged by this world or our own flesh … yes, even to the point of opposition or death.
I may never be called upon to witness to my faith in the way of Stephen or the way Cassie Bernall did at Columbine High School, where a disturbed young man held a gun to her head and asked if she was a Christian. Without hesitating, she quietly proclaimed, “Yes;” and with that witness of faith, she was assassinated by that deranged teenager. When any Christian is challenged in the pubic arena, we need to call upon the same strength of character which martyrs like Stephen and Cassie Bernall exhibited. And we can, because we, being born-again Christians, have the same Holy Spirit in our hearts as did these strong witnesses for Christ. The truth of the promises of 2nd Cor. 12: 9 and 1st Cor. 10: 13, which carried the day for Cassie and Stephen, carry the day for me [and you]. Yes, I am weak; but my God is strong; and He is faithful to never allow me into any situation where, with His help/strength, I cannot be triumphant in His Name.
Are we ready to be Christ’s light in a dark world today? Are we ready to call up the grace and strength of a Stephen should we face the fiery trials of a hostile world and a weak flesh today? To that end … I pray …
My Prayer Today: O Lord, give me Your grace to witness in the world as did Stephen. Amen
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