Quick Praise (Prov. 12:28)

There is life in the path of righteousness, but another path leads to death. (Proverbs 12:28)(HCSB)

Are you on the path to life?

Quick Praise (Ps. 33:6)

The heavens were made by the word of the Lord; and all the stars, by the breath of His mouth. (Psalm 34:1)(HCSB)

Sounds like the "Big Bang" was just an exhalation from God!

Jesus is the Door

"I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." (John 10:9)

Enjoy this devotional by Charles Spurgeon about the Door to life eternal: Jesus.

Jesus, the great I AM, is the entrance into the true church, and the way of access to God himself. He gives to the man who comes to God by him four choice privileges.

1. He shall be saved. The fugitive manslayer passed the gate of the city of refuge, and was safe. Noah entered the door of the ark, and was secure. None can be lost who take Jesus as the door of faith to their souls. Entrance through Jesus into peace is the guarantee of entrance by the same door into heaven. Jesus is the only door, an open door, a wide door, a safe door; and blessed is he who rests all his hope of admission to glory upon the crucified Redeemer.

2. He shall go in. He shall be privileged to go in among the divine family, sharing the children's bread, and participating in all their honors and enjoyments. He shall go in to the chambers of communion, to the banquets of love, to the treasures of the covenant, to the storehouses of the promises. He shall go in unto the King of kings in the power of the Holy Spirit, and the secret of the Lord shall be with him.

3. He shall go out. This blessing is much forgotten. We go out into the world to labor and suffer, but what a mercy to go in the name and power of Jesus! We are called to bear witness to the truth, to cheer the disconsolate, to warn the careless, to win souls, and to glorify God; and as the angel said to Gideon, "Go in this thy might," even thus the Lord would have us proceed as his messengers in his name and strength.

4. He shall find pasture. He who knows Jesus shall never want. Going in and out shall be alike helpful to him: in fellowship with God he shall grow, and in watering others he shall be watered. Having made Jesus his all, he shall find all in Jesus. His soul shall be as a watered garden, and as a well of water whose waters fail not.

Quick Praise (Ps. 34:1)

I will praise the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. (Psalm 34:10)(HCSB)

What were you fixin' to say?

Knowing That We Know

"And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments" 1 John 2:3 ASV

How can we know that we are saved? And, Are we saved by our works? Let's see how these questions are answered in this devotional by Dr. Robert M. McMillan:

Knowing That We Know

When we speak of salvation by "works" we seldom stop to define the term. "Works," as applied to salvation, means the submitting to God of words, thoughts and deeds of ethical value which might be expected to outweigh our unrighteousness before Him who is Judge. The whole premise of this argument is that we are condemned before God for our deeds, whereas, in the Bible our condemnation is based upon the nature of Adam which becomes ours at the moment of conception in our mother's womb. (Psalm 51) The deeds of sin are the inevitable results of the disease of sin. Calvary touches and heals the disease by imputation of Christ's righteousness while the discipline of Christian ethics tackles the symptoms which still remain. After we are saved, then, our problem is not with the disease of sin but the symptoms that remain in our lives. We should make it clear, therefore, that because of the foregoing I am not saved by my works, nor yet does my salvation continue in accordance with my works.

John now declares his doctrine of works and, simply stated, it is, "The believer does not work to be saved but he works because he is saved." The genuinely born-again believer needs no impetus toward Christian ethics other than that which is his by the new birth. Thus John says that the impetus to keep the commandments of Christ is certification of the new nature within us. Before we were Christians it was of little moment whether our ethics were Christian or not. Now that we are saved it becomes a constant concern of our lives to be like Jesus. This new motivation is the means by which we know that we know Him. A true believer ought not to be cajoled and coerced into living by the Christian ethic for it should spring up within his heart as a stream of living water.

Quick Praise (Ps. 33:1)

Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones; praise from the upright is beautiful. (Psalm 33:1)(HCSB)

Do you want to make a beautiful sound? Rejoice and praise the Lord!

Mere Christianity Quotes (pg. 24-25)

Below is a passage from Mere Christianity, the classic by C. S. Lewis that speaks about the basics of what all Christians believe.

The position of the question, then, is like this. We want to know whether the universe simply happens to be what it is for no reason or whether there is a power behind it that makes it what it is. Since that power, if it exists, would be not one of the observed facts but a reality which makes them, no more observation of the facts can find it. There is only one case in which we can know whether there is anything more, namely our own case. And in that one case we find there is. Or put it the other way round. If there was a controlling power outside the universe, it could not show itself to us as one of the facts inside the universe--no more than the architect of house could actually be a wall or staircase or fireplace in that house. The only way in which we could expect it to show itself would be inside ourselves as an influence or a command trying to get us to behave in a certain way. And that is just what we do find inside ourselves. Surely this ought to arouse our suspicions? In the only case where you can expect to get an answer, the answer turns our to be Yes; and in the other cases, where you do not get an answer, you see why you do not. Suppose someone asked me, when I see a man in blue uniform going down the street leaving little paper packets at each house, why I suppose that they contain letters? I should reply, 'Because whenever he leaves a similar little packet for me I find it does contain a letter.' And if he then objected--'But you've never seen all these letters which you think the other people are getting,' I should say, 'Of course not, and I shouldn't expect to, because they're not addressed to me. I'm explaining the packets I'm not allowed to open by the ones I am allowed to open.' It is the same about this question. The only packet I am allowed to open is Man. When I do, especially when I open that particular man called Myself, I find that I do not exist on my own, that I am under a law; that somebody or something wants me to behave in a certain way. I do not, of course, think that if I could get inside a stone or a tree I should find exactly the same thing, just as I do not think all the other people in the street get the same letters I do. I should expect, for instance, to find that the stone had to obey the law of gravity--that whereas the sender of the letters merely tells me to obey the law of my human nature, he compels the stone to obey the laws of its stony nature. But I should expect to find that there was, so to speak, a sender of letters in both cases, a Power behind the facts, a Director, a Guide.

Quick Praise (Ps. 108:1)

My heart is confident, God; I will sing; I will sing praises with the whole of my being. (Psalm 108:1)(HCSB)


Lord, may I give You all that I've got in worship and song!

Isaiah

The Lord was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Hovering around him were mighty seraphim...who sang, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty!" (Isaiah 6:1-3)

When I think of Isaiah, my mind often goes immediately to some of my favorite passages, like Isa. 9:6-7, especially around Christmas time, which heralds the coming of the Christ child---"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." And like Isa. 6, which gives us a glimpse of God's glory and an account of Isaiah's commissioning by the Lord. Also Isa. 53, which describes the suffering that Jesus would go through as the ultimate sacrifice for you and me, as the Lamb of God. But there is much more that we can learn from Isaiah. We can learn about true worship. 


The following is a worship profile of Isaiah taken from the Praise and Worship Study Bible published by Tyndale House Publishers. I highly recommend this study bible to anyone who wants to learn more about biblical praise and worship.

Isaiah

Media polls are often taken to determine the most and least admired occupations. Doctors and scientists usually get high marks, while politicians and lawyers tend to draw dubious ratings. Had such polls been taken in ancient Israel, the occupation of prophet would probably have ranked at the bottom. Prophets had the difficult task of speaking hard words to people with hard hearts. Isaiah was a member of this select, but unpopular group.

Isaiah was a contemporary of prophets Amos, Hosea, and Micah, as well as kings Hezekiah of Judah and Sennacherib of Assyria. Educated and compassionate, Isaiah ministered faithfully for about four decades. But his countrymen mostly tuned him out. People still are reluctant to listen to Isaiah's words--words of judgment and condemnation, yes, but also words of tremendous comfort and hope.

Isaiah the Worshiper

In chapter 6, Isaiah gives us an amazing glimpse of God himself--the object of our worship. The Lord's glorious presence radiated from the throne, and Isaiah responded by cowering in fear. Yet a seraph approached him and announced pardon, enabling him to speak to the Lord. This vision foreshadows the worship we are invited to experience by God's grace.

Isaiah reminds us of the many reasons for our worship: "O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them" (Isaiah 25:1)(NLT). Isaiah also had a great concern for the purity of worship. He constantly cautioned his hearers to give glory to God alone: "I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else. I will not share my praise with carved idols" (Isaiah 42:8)(NLT).

Learning from Isaiah

The message of Isaiah can be boiled down to a fundamental point: Loving and serving God is our highest calling. The sweep of history turns on this truth. Isaiah describes the great empires that rise and crumble at God's hand and anticipates the day of salvation. He sees the fulfillment of Israel's longing in the coming Messiah. Yet if our devotion fades, such wonderful truths become lifeless. We fall into the trap of honoring God with our lips while our hearts remain far away (Isaiah 29:13). The prophet's words, if we listen, will shake us from our lethargy and guide us to true worship.

Following the Example

If we want a complete picture of what it means to worship God, we cannot overlook the message of Isaiah or the other prophets. Theirs was a thankless but critical task. They challenge us to scrutinize our worship, to make sure we are not just going through the motions. As you read the Prophets, look for many references to worship, and ask God to open your eyes to ways in which you can become a more devoted worshiper.

Quick Praise (Ps. 106:12)

Then they believed His promises and sang His praise. (Psalm 106:12)(HCSB)


What does God have to do for you to believe and praise His name?

Quick Praise (Mk. 11:33b)

And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things." (Mark 11:33b)(HCSB)

Jesus doesn't answer to us, but all of us will answer to Him one day.

The Rock that Rolls My Blues Away

Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name. (Psalm 100:4)(NLT)


He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. (Psalm 40:2)(NLT)

As I read Psalm 100 one day, something struck a chord with me about worship. When I read verse 4, it spoke to me of a necessary ingredient for real worship and a possible hindrance to our worship experience. You see, God is looking for a thankful heart and an attitude of thanksgiving as we enter into worship.

As we enter into worship in an effort to bow before His throne, we are to enter His gates. Notice how the verse says to do it---with thanksgiving. So we're trying to arrive at the feet of Jesus and worship before His throne, but we're held back at the gates because we don't have the "key" to gain entrance. Without a thankful heart we cannot really continue to His courts because we are to enter those courts with praise. If we don't have that attitude of thanksgiving we probably will not praise Him. We must travel through those courts in order to come before Him in worship, but without thanksgiving leading us to praise we won't truly arrive. We will not be able to worship in spirit and in truth because we are still stuck outside the gates wondering why we don't feel a worship connection with the Lord.

So I would encourage us all as we come to worship services to do it the way Psalm 100:4 outlines it for us. Let's enter the gates with the key of thanksgiving. Put aside distractions before church. Before or on the way to corporate worship services, listen to some worship music and get your mind into a frame of worship before you step through the church door. Think of all the ways God has blessed you and what Jesus went through for you on the cross.

Let's then continue with a thankful heart into God's courts with praise. I mean truly enter into worship! As a worship leader, it saddens me when I see people not participating in singing the worship songs and hymns. It's like some are there just to warm a pew, and no matter what song is being sung they just refuse to enter in and sing along. Don't be one of those who says, "I'm not singing because I don't like that new praise chorus!" or "I'm so tired of that old hymn, I'm not gonna sing that!" Remember we are commanded to worship with "psalms, hymns and spiritual songs" in the New Testament (Eph. 5:19), and it's not about what you (or we) like. It's not about us at all--it's about Jesus! So lift up your voice in song and praise! God doesn't care if you can carry a tune in a bucket or not--your joyful noise is beautiful to His ears (Ps. 33:1) What matters is that you praise Him with sincerity and with your whole heart behind it!

Then we can proceed to fall at the foot of God's throne in true, sincere worship!

I wrote a song with some of these ideas in my head. I thought about calling it "Thank You Lord" but ultimately ended up with the title "The Rock that Rolls my Blues Away". It is based on Psalm 100:4 and Psalm 40:2. Here's the lyrics:

The Rock that Rolls My Blues Away

vs. 1) I say I want to enter Your courts with praise

but I can't even get past the gates

'Cause Lord You're looking for a thankful heart

and this ol' heart's not making the grade

I've been feeling blue like I'm in the dump

I've got to remember where You've brought me from

'Cause Lord You pulled me out of the miry clay

You set my feet on the Rock I'm standing on today

chorus) Thank You Lord for what You've done inside my heart

I thank You for salvation and Your blood that covers me

Thank You Lord for You are worthy of the praises I lift up

You flood me with forgiveness and a peace I've never known

You are the Rock that rolls my blues away

vs. 2) Now we have got so much to be thankful for

with His love and grace how could we want more

But Lord sometimes we take our eyes off You 

and we lose sight of the One that we adore

We need to realize just who we are

children of the King and heirs with Christ

And then when the devil tries to bring us down

we have a Friend who's the Way the Truth and the Life

chorus) Thank You Lord for what You've done inside my heart

I thank You for salvation and Your blood that covers me

Thank You Lord for You are worthy of the praises I lift up

You flood me with forgiveness and a peace I've never known

You are the Rock that rolls my blues away

(repeat chorus)

copyright 2009 Heart of Praise Music

So remember to bring the "key" to church with you so that you can enter His gates. Bring a thankful heart because of what He's done for you--for your salvation--for His blood that covers your sins--for His forgiveness and peace and grace!

Singing His Praises,

Joey Culpepper

Quick Praise (Mk. 10:45)

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life---a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)(HCSB)

Jesus came to serve. Do you?

Walking Worthy

We exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you...that ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory" (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12)(ASV)

This devotional, about how a Christian should "walk", is by Dr. James B. Chrichton.

Walking Worthy

The word walk is very often used in the Scriptures for the life of the Christian. It is a very appropriate symbol. Life, as we know it, is not usually spent in running or flying, but more in walking. The word suggests the steady, patient, daily living for Christ. The Christian walk is one step at a time.

A right Christian walk, however, is the result of a full appreciation and appropriation of our blessing and position in Christ. We do not walk in order to become worthy, but because we have been made worthy by Him (Col. 1:12). A prince does not live like a prince in order to become one, but because he is one. Even so a Christian walks like a Christian, not to become one, but because he is a Christian. His conduct is influenced by his appreciation of his position on Christ.

Thrice in this Epistle to the Thessalonians Paul speaks of the Christian walk--2:12, 4:1, 4:12. What, therefore, is the worthy walk to which Paul exhorted the believers?

• The Walk is in Faith--Its Principle--Rom. 4:12
• The Walk is in the Spirit--Its Power--Gal. 5:16
• The Walk is in Good Works--Its Practice--Eph. 2:10

A visitor was once watching a group of slaves, slouching and shuffling off to their work. One tall, broad-shouldered fellow strode on, head erect and with the gait of a man. "How's that?" the visitor asked. "Oh, he's the son of an African king," was the reply. "He never forgets that." Alas! we forget, amid the drudgeries of earth, that we are sons and daughters of the King of kings.

"It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps" (Jer. 10:23)
"Order my steps in thy word" (Ps. 119:133)

Forsaken Roots

Today, as so many people teach that our nation was not founded on Christian beliefs and principles. As our society continues to try to remove any mention of God, the Cross, the Ten Commandments, Scripture, etc., from public view, it's good to look back at the facts of how our nation began and became the greatest nation on earth. There is no doubt that God and Christianity has played a major role in the success of our country. In fact, they are the very roots of our nation.

The following is an excerpt from Floyd McElveen's book, "Faith of an Atheist".

In the Mayflower Compact, it was clearly stated that spreading the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, as well as freedom to worship without being under a mandated State church, was their purpose.


Patrick Henry endorsed and emphasized this, when he wrote in 1776, "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians, not on religion, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For that reason alone, people of other faiths have been afforded freedom of worship here."


This information and some following truths were taken from a booklet on the internet, "Forsaken Roots," but I also have many more historical facts about the founding of our country in books David Barton wrote.


Page 1 of "Forsaken Roots" asks, "Did you know that 52 of the 55 signers of the Declaration of Independence were orthodox, deeply committed Christians?"


Page 2 informs us, "It is the same congress that formed the American Bible Society. Immediately after creating the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress voted to purchase and import, 20,000 copies of Scripture for the people of this nation."


George Washington said in part, on September 19, 1796 (pg. 7), "It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible."


John Adams, our second President, was chairman of the American Bible Society. On pg. 10 of "Forsaken Roots," he observantly and astutely comments, "Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." How true that has proven to be. The further we get away from God and the Bible, the more corrupt our government, society and schools become, so that now we have virtually no standard of right and wrong, and tremendous moral deterioration is taking place.


On pg. 14 of "Forsaken Roots," we find that in 1782, the United States Congress voted this resolution: "The Congress of the United States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in all schools."


The McGuffey Reader, a powerful Christian book, was used in our schools for over 100 years. Over 125 million copies of this book were sold.


Hospitals worldwide were largely a result of Christians and the Christian message.


Page 16 informs us that, "Of the first 108 universities founded in America, 106 were distinctly Christian, including the first." On. pg. 19, "For over 100 years, more than 50% of all Harvard graduates were pastors." We owe our Constitution, our wonderful and free American Nation, and our educational and judicial system to the Bible, Christians and the Christian faith.


Yet a godless nation, Russia, inundated by Atheistic Communists, provides a stark contrast between atheism and Christianity. With the collapse of Communism and the chaos, corruption and criminal activity, which were unleashed, many Russians became Christians. When the rigid dictatorial regime glued together by fear, disintegrated, they turned to Christ.


While our schools are pandering to the Atheists and Agnostics, lest we offend some, and doing everything possible to get God out of the schools, according to Olga of the Kindness Foundation, Russian schools are now asking that Christianity be taught in their schools. (end of excerpt)

Lord help us to turn back to You as a nation. Help us to put You back in our schools and back in our public square. Instead of focusing our attention on shutting up our faith for fear of offending the non-believers, let us turn our eyes to Jesus so that our land can be healed.

Quick Praise (Ps. 55:22)

Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will support you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. (Psalm 55:22)(HCSB)

Bring whatever's weighing you down to God; He'll lift you up.

I Love You, Lord

This is an excerpt from Beth Moore's book, A Heart Like His.

The Book of 2 Samuel is not the only place David's words of victory are found. Psalm 18 contains an almost identical  set of verses to those God placed in 2 Samuel 22. One of the exceptions is too precious to miss. Verse 1 of Psalm 18 simply declares, "I love you, O LORD, my strength."

"I love you, Lord." No demands. No despair. Just "I love you." The words might seem more fitting as the grand finale rather than the opening line. Their sudden appearance suggests they were words that could not wait. The psalmist considered his delivered state and his Father's stubborn love, and he burst forth with the words: "I love you, LORD."

The One who delivered David from his enemies was no distant deity. He was the object of the psalmist's deepest emotions, the One with whom he shared authentic relationship. David deeply loved God. David was a man after God's own heart because his desire was also the sheer pleasure of the Father. The Father's deepest desire is to be loved--genuinely loved--by His child.

If 2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18 compel us to see one thing, it is that God is a personal God we each can call our own.

• He is my strength when I am weak.
• He is my rock when I am slipping.
• He is my deliverer when I am trapped.
• He is my fortress when I am crumbling.
• He is my refuge when I am pursued.
• He is my shield when I am exposed.
• He is my Lord when life spins out of control.

A heart that makes Him its own--one that can state, "He is mine"--is a heart that cannot help but love. I love you, Lord.

Quick Praise (Ps. 4:3)

Know that the Lord has set apart the faithful for Himself; the Lord will hear when I call to Him. (Psalm 4:3)(HCSB)

God hears the prayers of the faithful.

Solomon

 He prayed, "O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven and earth. You keep your promises and show unfailing love to all who obey you and are eager to do your will." (2 Chronicles 6:14) (NLT)

This is a worship profile of Solomon taken from the Praise and Worship Study Bible published by Tyndale House. It is a wonderful study bible, and I highly recommend it to all who want to learn more about biblical worship.

Solomon

Solomon, the third king of Israel and son of David, ruled Israel during its golden age. He united the kingdom economically, politically, and religiously (1 Kings 4-9). Solomon was known for collecting proverbs, composing songs, and cataloging plants and animals. But his greatest achievement was building the Temple in Jerusalem, the place of true worship. It became the symbol of God's presence in Israel--the place where God could be encountered. At its dedication, the Temple was filled with the could of God's presence, just as the Tabernacle had been generations before. God's presence in the Temple indicated that Israel had a future and that their covenant relationship with God remained intact.

Solomon the Worshiper

Solomon orchestrated a Temple dedication ceremony that celebrated the theme of God's covenant with Israel. He began his prayer of dedication by proclaiming God's work among his people, from the Exodus to his own reign, and by thanking God for fulfilling his covenant promises to Israel. Solomon humbly acknowledged God's decision to dwell among his people. He believed fervently that God, from his heavenly throne, would answer the prayers offered at this holy place of meeting. Solomon also challenged his people to remain faithful. If they should stumble, they were to return to the Temple to confess their sins. Solomon's prayer of dedication should give us direction as we seek to worship at our places of meeting.

Learning from Solomon

Worshipers today come before the throne of God much as Solomon did, although in more diverse and universal settings. The places we worship today are locations for an encounter between God and his people. God's community and Kingdom are not limited to these places, but sanctuaries are a helpful, visible sign of God's rule in our life. As we worship, we are reminded that God has granted us his covenant and that he upholds it with the same faithfulness that he once displayed to Solomon.

Following the Example

As God's people gather to hear him and worship him at special places, they share a rich tradition with God's people of the Old Testament and the historic church. That tradition is embodied in the psalms. Particular psalms provide an orderly response for worship, especially the so-called psalms of Zion (Psalms 46, 48, 76, 84, 87, and 122). These beautiful songs focus on the glory of Jerusalem and the holy mountain, Zion, which God chose as his dwelling place. Reading and meditating on these psalms over the course of a week will give you a greater understanding of how we should approach God in his dwelling place.

The Five E's Part 5

In the book I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist (or 12 Points That Show Christianity is True) by authors   Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek, evidence is given which supports the accuracy and reliability of the New Testament. This evidence is given in different types of testimony, what the authors refer to as the Five E's--Evidence that the New Testament is true. Here are the five E's:

1. Expected Testimony
Hundreds of prophecies from the Old Testament foretell in detail the birth, life, death and resurrection of the coming Messiah. These marks of identification point to and are precisely fulfilled in no one else but Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
2. Early Testimony
While most ancient documents are supported by a few surviving copies which date 500-1400 yrs. after the originals were written, the documents of the New Testament are supported by nearly 5,700 Greek manuscripts dated as early as 130 A.D. And we have good reason to believe that most or all of the books of the N.T. were written prior to 70 A.D.
3. Eyewitness Testimony
There is so much detailed eyewitness accounts in the N.T. passages that it's hard to believe they could be "made-up" stories. In fact, secular historical records and archaeology have confirmed over 30 people which are named in the N.T.
4. Embarrassing Testimony
When making up a story which includes them in the narrative, authors tend to paint themselves in a better light.  They tend to bend the truth in order to make themselves look better than they actually are. But that's not what we find in the N.T. documents. The writers of the N.T. are dim-witted, uncaring, rebuked, selfish and cowardly.
5. Excruciating Testimony
Jesus repeatedly made blasphemous statements about who he was.

We have covered the first four points in previous posts. Today we will look at #5:

Excruciating Testimony

Jesus claimed to be God! In the Jewish culture, to make any kind of statement like this was blasphemous and punishable by death. And yet, incredibly, Jesus constantly made claims that He was or was equal to Father God.

1. Jesus claimed to be the Great I AM.
Exodus 3:14
John 8:58-59

2. Jesus claimed to be Yahweh (Lord).
O.T.                 Attribute                 N.T.
Psalm 23:1       Shepherd               John 10:11
Isaiah 44:6      First and Last         Revelation 1:17
Joel 3:12            Judge                  Matthew 25:31

3. Jesus claimed to be equal with God.
Mark 2:5-7

4. Jesus claimed to be one with God the Father.
John 10:30-33

5. Jesus claimed to be Messiah-God.
O.T.                         N.T.
Isaiah 9:6             John 4:25; Mark 14:61-62

6. Jesus claimed to be worthy of honor due only to God.
John 5:22-23

7. Jesus claimed to be worthy of worship and accepted it from:
 a. The mother of James and John (Matthew 20:20)
 b. The Gerasene demoniac (Mark 5:6)
 c. A blind man (Mattew 28:17)
 d. Doubting Thomas (John 20:28)
 e. The women at the tomb (Matthew 28:9)
 f. A Canaanite woman  (Matthew 15:25)
 g. His disciples (Matthew 14:33)
 h. A healed leper (Matthew 8:2)
 i. A rich young ruler (Matthew 9:18)

8. Jesus claimed to be equal in authority with God.
Matthew 24:35
Matthew 28:18

9. Jesus claimed to be the object of prayer like God.
John 14:13-14

So what do you think? Which one of these best describes Jesus:
                 Legend, Lord, Liar or Lunatic?

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic--on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg--or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."
---C.S. Lewis

Quick Praise (Ps. 147:3)

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. (Psalm 147:3)(HCSB)

Give Christ your heart; He can fix all that's broken.

The Five E's Part 4

In the book I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist or (12 Points that Show Christianity is True) by authors Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek, evidence is given to support the accuracy and reliability of the New Testament. This evidence can be found in different kinds of testimony, what the authors call the Five E's-Evidence that the New Testament is true. Here are the five E's:

1. Expected testimony
    Hundreds of prophecies from the Old Testament foretell in detail the birth, life, death and resurrection of the coming Messiah. These marks of identification point to and are precisely fulfilled by no one else but Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
2. Early testimony
    While most ancient documents are supported by a few surviving copies which date 500-1400 yrs. after the originals were written, the documents of the New Testament are supported by nearly 5,700 Greek manuscripts dated as early as 130 A.D. And we have good reason to believe that most or all of the books of the N.T. were written prior to 70 A.D.
3. Eyewitness testimony
    There is so much detailed eyewitness accounts in the N.T. passages that it's hard to believe they could be "made-up" stories. In fact, secular historical records and archaeology have confirmed over 30 people which are named in the N.T.
4. Embarrassing testimony
5. Excruciating testimony

We have covered #1-3 in earlier posts, today we will look at #4--embarrassing testimony.

Embarrassing Testimony

When making up a story which includes themselves in the narrative, authors tend to paint themselves in a better light. They tend to bend the truth in order to make themselves look better than they actually are. But that's not what we find in the N.T. documents. The writers of the N.T. are dim-witted, uncaring, rebuked, selfish, doubtful and cowardly.

Let's take a look at some examples.

Uncaring
Mark 14:37, 39,41  They fell asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane
Luke 23:50-51  They didn't give Jesus a proper burial--Joseph of Arimathea gave Jesus his tomb

Rebuked
Mark 8:33  Jesus rebukes Peter
Galatians 2:11-14  Paul rebukes Peter

Selfish
Matt. 20:20-21  The mother of James and John asks Jesus if the two brothers could sit at His right and left in His kingdom

Cowards
John 18:17,25,27  Peter denies Christ
Matt. 26:56  The other disciples deserted Him and fled
Mark 16:1-2  Women are the brave ones--in a society where women were second class citizens, what men would write that the women went to see Jesus while they were in hiding?

Doubtful
Matt. 28:16-17  They were doubtful about the resurrection even though Jesus told and taught them that it would happen
John 20:25  Thomas said he would not believe Jesus was resurrected until he saw Jesus' wounds


There is even places in the N.T. that are embarrassing for Jesus himself.
Mark 3:21, 23 His family thinks He is crazy
Matt. 13:54-58  Not honored in his hometown
Jn. 6:66  Many of Jesus' disciples desert Him
Jn. 7:5  Jesus' brothers did not believe Him
Jn. 7:12  People whispered that He was a deceiver
Jn. 8:48-49  He was called a Samaritan and demon-possessed by the Jews
Jn. 54-58   Jesus claimed to know God--His Father--and to be the great I AM from O.T.
Jn. 8:59 Jews were going to stone him because he claimed to be God
Jn. 10:29  Jesus claimed to be one with God
Mt. 11:19  He acknowledged that He was called a drunkard and a friend of tax-collectors and sinners
Mark 3:22  The teachers of the law claimed that He was possessed by Beelzebub

So there is many embarrassing events and details that just don't seem to fit in with the idea of being in a fictional account. If I were making up a story about myself or that I was a part of, I would try to paint myself in a better light. I wouldn't include all of these things that would make me look bad. Would you? This clearly shows that the N.T. accounts weren't stories just made-up. And if they weren't, then they must be the truth!

Quick Praise (Ps. 119:105)

Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path. (Psalm 119:105)(HCSB)

Let God's Word lead you through the darkness.

The Five E's Part 3

In the book I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist (or 12 Points that Show Christianity is True) by Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek, evidence is given for the accuracy and reliability of the New Testament. This evidence is apparent through different kinds of testimony, what the authors call the Five E's--Evidence that the N.T. is true. Here are the five E's:

1. Expected testimony
2. Early testimony
3. Eyewitness testimony
4. Embarrassing testimony
5. Excruciating testimony

We've already taken a look at #1 & #2. Today we will look at #3, eyewitness testimony.

Eyewitness Testimony

As we saw in part two, we have a lot of evidence by which we can argue that the New Testament was written within the age of the eyewitnesses. For instance, Jerusalem was destroyed by Rome in 70 A.D. But this destruction is never even mentioned in the N.T. except for Jesus' prediction of it. So it's a safe bet to say that most or all of the N.T. was written prior to 70 A.D.

There is so much detail given in the books of the N.T. that you just can't believe that the writers are making things up. The details are many times backed up by historical and archaeological evidence. For instance, Luke 3:1-2 (HCSB)

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Phillip tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, God's word came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.

Does it sound like he's making up a story to you?
1. An exact date is given--A.D. 29.
2. All eight people are known from history.
3. All were known to live at this exact time.
4. This is not a "once upon a time" story (myth).

And the entire N.T. has details that are confirmed like this. There are numerous confirmed eyewitness details.

1. Acts--84 historically-confirmed eyewitness details
2. Luke includes several others in his gospel
3. John--59 historically-confirmed or historically probable eyewitness details
4. New Testament documents cite more than 30 people confirmed by secular sources or archaeology.

So let's take a look at these historical persons cited in the N.T. Remember all of these people have been confirmed by either archaeology, secular sources or both.

1.  Agrippa I---Acts 12
2.  Agrippa II---Acts 25
3.  Ananias---Acts 23, 24
4.  Annas---Luke 3; Jn. 18; Acts 4
5.  Aretas---2 Cor. 11
6.  Bernice---Acts 23
7.  Augustus---Lk. 2
8.  Caiaphas---Mt. 26; Lk. 3; Jn. 11, 18; Acts 4
9.  Claudius---Acts 11, 18
10. Drusilla---Acts 24
11. Egyptian (false prophet)---Acts 21
12. Erastus---Acts 19
13. Felix---Acts 23
14. Gallio---Acts 18
15. Gamaliel---Acts 5
16. Herod Antipas---Mt. 14; Mk.6; Lk. 3, 23
17. Herod Archelaus---Mt. 2
18. Herod the Great---Mt. 2; Lk. 1
19. Herod Philip I---Mt. 14; Mk. 6
20. Herod Philip II--Lk. 3
21. Herodias---Mt. 14; Mk. 6
22. James---Acts 15; Gal. 1
23. John the Baptist---Mt. 3; Mk. 1; Lk. 3; Jn. 1
24. Judas of Galilea--Acts 5
25. Lysanias---Lk. 3
26. Pilate---Mt. 27; Mk. 15; Lk. 23; Jn. 18
27. Quirinius---Lk. 2
28. Porcius Festus---Acts 24, 26
29. Salome---Mt. 14; Mk. 6
30. Sergius Paulus---Acts 13
31. Tiberius Caesar---Lk. 3

The amount of evidence from all of these confirmed people from history is too much to just push aside and say that the "stories" of the N.T. are just imagined or made-up tales. And archaeology is continually finding new evidence that supports the N.T. historical references. In 1961 an engraved stone was found that named Pontius Pilate as the Prefect of Judea 26-37 A.D. A more recent find, discovered in 1990, was the Ossuary, or bone box, of Joseph Caiaphas High Priest 18-36 A.D. Any way you look at it, the overwhelming eyewitness testimony points to the credibility of the N.T. documents and the message that it proclaims.


"And I will also make every effort that you may be able to recall these things at any time after my departure. For we did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; instead, we were eyewitnesses of His majesty." (2 Peter 1:15-16)(HCSB)

Quick Praise (Ps. 147:1)

Hallelujah! how good it is to sing to our God, for praise is pleasant and lovely. (Psalm 147:1)(HCSB)

The sound of our praises is pleasant to God's ears!

Knowing Christ

I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. (Phillipians 3:8)

Enjoy this devotional about knowing Jesus written by Charles Spurgeon:

Spiritual knowledge of Christ will be a personal knowledge. I cannot know Jesus through another person's acquaintance with him. No, I must know him myself; I must know him on my own account. It will be an intelligent knowledge--I must know him, not as the visionary dreams of him, but as the Word reveals him. I must know his natures, divine and human. I must know his offices--his attributes--his works--his shame--his glory. I must meditate upon him until I "comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge."


It will be an affectionate knowledge of him; indeed, if I know him at all, I must love him. An ounce of heart knowledge is worth a ton of head learning. Our knowledge of him will be a satisfying knowledge. When I know my Savior, my mind will be full to the brim--I shall feel that I have that which my spirit panted after. "This is that bread whereof if a man eat he shall never hunger." At the same time it will be an exciting knowledge; the more I know of my Beloved, the more I shall want to know. The higher I climb the loftier will be the summits which invite my eager footsteps. I shall want the more as I get the more. Like the miser's treasure, my gold will make me covet more. 


To conclude; this knowledge of Christ Jesus will be a most happy one; in fact, so elevating, that sometimes it will completely bear me up above all trials, and doubts, and sorrows; and it will, while I enjoy it, make me something more than "Man that is born of woman, who is of few days, and full of trouble"; for it will fling about me the immortality of the ever living Savior, and gird me with the golden girdle of his eternal joy. Come, my soul, sit at Jesus's feet and learn of him all this day.

The Five E's Part 2

In the book I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist (or 12 Points that Show Christianity is True) by Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek, evidence is given for the accuracy and reliability of the New Testament. This evidence is apparent through different kinds of testimony, what the authors call the Five E's--Evidence that the N.T. is true. Here are the five E's:

1. Expected testimony
2. Early testimony
3. Eyewitness testimony
4. Embarrassing testimony
5. Excruciating testimony

We looked at #1-expected testimony in an earlier post. That had to do with the Old Testament prophecies, the "marks of identification", about the coming Messiah, which were perfectly fulfilled through the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Today we will be covering #2 of the five E's.

Early testimony

The N.T. manuscripts give us very early testimony when compared with other ancient documents. For example, in all other ancient literature there is a gap of 500-1400 years from the earliest known copy to the actual event or time of the writing. Not so with the N.T. manuscripts. The earliest surviving copies to date are much closer to the events that they record.

Let's take a look at some examples for comparison. This is a portion of a chart of ancient literature compiled by Matt Slick on the Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry website.

Author          Date Written        Earliest Copy       Approximate Time Span     Number of Copies
                                                                                from orig. to earliest copy
Pliny                61-113 A.D.          850  A.D.               750 yrs.                                       7
Plato               427-347 B.C.         900 A.D.                1200 yrs.                                     7
Demosthenes   4th cent. B.C.         1100 A.D.              800 yrs.                                       8
Herodutus        480-425 B.C.        900 A.D.                1300 yrs.                                     8
Aristophanes    450-385 B.C.        900 A.D.                1200 yrs.                                    10
Caesar             100-44 B.C.          900 A.D.                1000 yrs.                                    10
Tacitus             circa. 100 A.D.      1100 A.D.              1000 yrs.                                    20
Aristotle           384-322 B.C.        1100 A.D.              1400 yrs.                                    49
Sophocles        496-406 B.C.        1000 A.D.              1400 yrs.                                   193
Homer (Illiad)   900 B.C.               400 B.C.                 500 yrs.                                     643
New Test.        50-100 A.D.          cc. 130 A.D.           less than 100 yrs.                      5,686
                                                     
The exact date of the various N.T. books is debated by New Testament scholars, but from historical evidence, archaeological finds, and the events recorded or not recorded in the N.T., we have room to argue that most or all of the N.T. was written prior to the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. The 1st century Jewish historian, Josephus, records that James, the half-brother of Jesus, was killed in 62 A.D. The book of Acts records the death of James as if it had just occurred, which would place the date of the book of Acts at or very close to 62 A.D. But Acts doesn't record the deaths of Peter or Paul. The book of Acts, written by Luke, refers to his earlier work, his gospel account, so we know that the gospel of Luke was written before Acts. Luke is writing his gospel in an effort to also give his account, meaning that other gospels have already been written, such as the gospel of Mark.

The Apostle Paul died under the reign of Nero. History records that Nero died in 67 A.D., so Paul would have died before that. That means that all of Paul's writings, over half of the N.T.,  were written prior to 67 A.D. Nowhere in the N.T. is the destruction of Jerusalem even mentioned except in Jesus' predictions. It seems impossible that such a catastrophic occurrence would not have been mentioned. So, it is possible that most or all of the N.T. was written prior to the destruction of Jerusalem by Rome in 70 A.D.

I would like to close with a summation by Floyd McElveen from his book God's Word, Final, Infallible and Forever.

"To sum up; unless we want to throw a blanket over all of history and say that there is nothing knowable about the past, no history that can be trusted, no Grecian or Roman history, no Aristotle or Plato or Socrates, we had better not  make any claims against the historicity and accuracy of the New Testament! The New Testament documents are far more numerous, older, demonstrably more accurate historically, and have been examined by a far greater battery of scholars, both friend and foe, than all the other ancient manuscripts put together. They have met the test impeccably!"

Quick Praise (Ps. 27:4)

I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking Him in His temple. (Psalm 27:4)(HCSB)

What should we desire, and what should we seek? ...The presence of the Lord

Mere Christianity Quotes (p.17)

Here is another passage from the classic by C. S. Lewis about what all Christians believe, Mere Christianity:

"It follows that what we usually call the laws of nature--the way weather works on a tree for example--may not really be laws in the strict sense, but only in a manner of speaking. When you say that falling stones always obey the law of gravitation, is not this much the same as saying that the law only means 'what stones always do'? You do not really think that when a stone is let go, it suddenly remembers that it is under orders to fall to the ground. You only mean that, in fact, it does fall. In other words, you cannot be sure that there is anything over and above the facts themselves, any law about what ought to happen, as distinct from what does happen. The laws of nature, as applied to stones or trees, may only mean 'what Nature, in fact, does'. But if you turn to the Law of Human Nature, the Law of Decent Behavior, it is a different matter. That law certainly does not mean 'what human beings, in fact, do'; for as I said before, many of them do not obey this law at all, and none of them obey it completely. The law of gravity tells you what stones do if you drop them; but the Law of Human Nature tells you what human beings ought to do and do not. In other words, when you are dealing with humans, something else comes in above and beyond the actual facts."

The Five E's Part 1

In the book I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist (or 12 Points that Show Christianity is True) by Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek, evidence is given for the accuracy and reliability of the New Testament of the Bible. Some of the evidence mentioned is different types of testimony, what the authors call The Five E's--Evidence that the N. T. is true. Here are the five E's:

1. expected testimony
2. early testimony
3. eyewitness testimony
4. embarrassing testimony
5. excruciating testimony

Before we start looking at the five E's though let's address a question that is popping up more and more often these days thanks to books like Bart Erhman's Misquoting Jesus. The question is this: Do we have an accurate copy of the original N. T. documents? The answer is YES.

We have earlier manuscripts.
--25 year gap vs. 1000 year gap
Most ancient historical and non-historical documents have a much larger gap between when they were written and the earliest found copies. The New Testament manuscripts are much closer to the events they record.

We have more manuscripts.
--5700 copies vs. 10-20 copies
We simply have way more complete and partial manuscripts from the New Testament than from any other ancient writing.

We have more accurately copied manuscripts.
--99.9% accuracy vs. 90-95% accuracy

We have more abundantly supported manuscripts.
--18,000 non-Greek manuscripts and 36,000 quotations
It has been noted that almost the entire new testament can be reconstructed from the quotes of the early church leaders.

There is also an uncanny harmony between the books of the entire Bible, Old and New Testament. Consider this passage from Floyd McElveen's book, God's Word--Final, Infallible and Forever:

"Imagine 40 men, separated by centuries, coming from many different cultures, towns and backgrounds, some having limited access to a part of the work done by the others, some having no such access, working on a statue of Jesus. Each has his particular part of the statue to carve; one a toe; one an ear; another the neck; another the chin; a leg; a shoulder blade; and so on. After thousands of years, all these carvings are brought to one place and put together. Incredibly, they all fit perfectly, and a beautiful statue of Jesus is formed. Impossible, by chance! Possible only by a superintending act of a supervising God. This is exactly what we have in the Bible. Some 40 to 50 authors, working over a period of from 1500 to 1600 years, men educated and uneducated; ignorant to intellectual; from shepherds to statesmen; writing 66 books, come up with a perfectly unified book portraying one perfect person, the Lord Jesus Christ. There is absolutely no dissonance, no contradictions, but perfect harmony."

Now back to the Five E's. I'm going to break this down into five parts, so let's take a look at #1 in this post:

Expected Testimony

This has to do with prophecies from the Old Testament. The prophecies of the coming Messiah are fulfilled in only one person, Jesus. The Bible gives over 300 prophecies about Jesus. Most of these are written many centuries before He was born. Isaiah chapter 53, for example, gives detailed prophecies about Jesus written about 700 years before He came.

Here are some of the many prophecies fulfilled in Jesus:

Gen. 3:15--human race
Jer. 23:5; 33:15--line of David
Micah 5:2--in Bethlehem
Isa. 9:6--God and man
Mal. 3:1--visits Temple
Isa. 53:5-6--suffers for us
Zech. 12:10--hands and feet pierced (Jn. 19:18, 37)
Ps. 22:18--garments to be divided and lots cast for his clothing (Matt. 27:35)
Ps. 69:21--offered gall and vinegar to drink (Matt. 27:34)
Isa. 53:12--would die with criminals
Dan. 9:24--dies in 33 A.D.
Isa. 53:9--buried in a rich man's tomb (Matt. 27:57-60)
Isa. 53:11--rises from the dead

For a very detailed and complete list of prophecies and their fulfillment in Christ, go to the website--godandscience.org and click on prophecies of Christ.

I will close this post with this. Floyd McElveen gives us another good illustration of what he calls "marks of identification" in his book God's Word--Final, Infallible and Forever. See if this makes good sense to you.

"Suppose I agree to meet my blind date at the Greyhound Bus Station, 464 Liberty Street, at 8:00 p.m. She will wear a green hat and a lavender dress and will carry a purple purse. She has yellow hair and blue eyes, but has a black patch over her right eye because of a recent injury. She is one-legged, having lost her left leg, and is missing the little finger of her right hand. She wears a peg-leg. She has painted it a florescent yellow, with a blinking red light built in to keep folks from stumbling over her leg. She will wear a pink stocking on her one good leg and a maroon and white saddle-oxford on her one good foot. Do you honestly think I would have any trouble identifying the right girl at the Greyhound Bus Station at 8:00 p.m.?

I only gave about 11 marks of identification concerning this girl. Yet the chances are over a million to one against there being another girl with these identification characteristics being in that particular bus station at 8:00 p.m. God gave at least 333 marks of identification about Jesus, concerning the time and place of his birth, and details about His life, death and resurrection. These "marks of identification" were given centuries before He came so that there could be no doubt about identifying Him when He came! All these 333 marks of identification were perfectly fulfilled in Jesus!"

So we have expected testimony, prophetic scripture that tells us of the coming Messiah. Only Jesus fulfilled these prophecies, and in so doing He has given us very substantial proof that the N.T. is true.

Quick Praise (Ps. 75:9)

As for me, I will tell about Him forever; I will sing praise to the God of Jacob. (Psalm 75:9)(HCSB)

Witness and Worship------Share and Sing!

Mere Christianity Quotes (p.13)

Here is another passage from Mere Christianity, the classic by C. S. Lewis that spells out what all Christians believe.

"If no set of moral ideas were truer or better than any other, there would be no sense in preferring civilized morality to savage morality, or Christian morality to Nazi morality. In fact, of course, we all do believe that some moralities are better than others. We do believe that some of the people who tried to change the moral ideas of their own age were what we would call Reformers or Pioneers--people who understood morality better than their neighbors did. Very well then. The moment you say that one set of moral ideas can be better than another, you are, in fact, measuring them both by a standard, saying that one of them conforms to that standard more nearly than the other. But the standard that measures two things is something different from either. You are, in fact, comparing them both with some Real Morality, admitting there is such a thing as real Right, independent of what people think, and that some people's ideas get nearer to that real Right than others. Or put it this way. If your moral ideas can be truer, and those of the Nazis less true, there must be something--some Real Morality--for them to be true about."

David

And David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly tunic. So David and all Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with much shouting and blowing trumpets. (2 Samuel 6:14-15)(NLT)

The following worship profile is taken from the Praise and Worship Study Bible published by Tyndale House. I highly recommend this study Bible for all who would like to learn more about worship. Let's take a look at the worship example of David:

Thomas Jefferson penned the text of the American Declaration of Independence, served two terms as president of the United States, invented useful devices, and wrote articles and treatises on a great range of subjects. But if his grave marker is any indication, he wanted most to be remembered as the founder of the University of Virginia. How would David son of Jesse want to be remembered? As the brave teenager who killed the Philistine giant, Goliath? As the greatest king in Israel's history? As the father of Solomon, the wisest of men? A compelling argument can be made that David would want to be remembered, first and foremost, as a passionate worshiper of God.

David the Worshiper

In 2 Samuel 6, King David supervised the return of the Ark of the Covenant from the house of Obed-edom to the city of Jerusalem. It was a joyous occasion, punctuated by loud music and the exuberant shouting of the Israelite people. But certainly the most striking sight was the behavior of the king. Taking off his royal robes, David led the procession, leaping and dancing "before the Lord with all his might" (2 Samuel 6:14). Such an unashamed display is hardly the behavior of someone who is trying to "establish and image" or "guard a reputation." It reveals the passionate heart of a man who loved God.

Learning from David

Read the Psalms to appreciate the great range of circumstances in which David praised God. These hymns celebrate God's love and mercy in the midst of victory, sadness, confusion, oppression, contentment, and wonder. The Psalms share a common theme: God is in control, and therefore we can trust him. How did David become such a passionate worshiper? What qualified him to be called "a man after [God's] own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14)? Perhaps the secret may be found in prayers like this one: "Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, that I may honor you. With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God. I will give glory to your name forever" (Psalm 86:11-12).

Following the Example

If your life ended today, how do you think you would be remembered? How would you like to be remembered? Why not make David's prayer your own? Commit yourself to live and worship with an undivided heart and to live a life filled with undiminished and unending praise for your Lord.

Intercession

"Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak" (Colossians 4:3,4)(ASV)

This devotional about intercessory prayer is by Dr. Elliot R. Cole.

Paul, one of the greatest of preachers and teachers, never reached the place where he considered himself above the need of prayer nor did he hesitate to request other believers to pray in his behalf.

The request of the Apostle was not limited to himself but included all of his associates in Rome. The request was not for simple petition to "bless the missionaries in Rome," but that individual interest be undertaken in behalf of each with definite, specific intercession for each.

His prison chains were not uppermost in the mind of Paul, but the chains of sin that held men in bondage. He prayed for doors of utterance to open and not the door of the prison. When most would be on the defensive, Paul was on the offensive. He wanted to be used right where he was.

Were the prayers of intercession of the Colossians and others answered? The next letter written by the Apostle Paul, of which we have record, is the letter to the church at Phillipi. To them he could say, "I want you to understand, brothers, that my experiences have turned out for rather than against the advance of the gospel, so that throughout the imperial guard and everywhere else my shackles have become known in union with Christ" (Phil. 1:12,13, Berkeley). Intercessory prayer turned Satan's supposed victory into Satan's defeat. No more needed ministry exists today in the church of Jesus Christ than the ministry of intercession from which no Christian is exempt.

O Thou by whom we come to God,
The Life, the Truth, the Way!
The path of prayer Thyself hast trod:
Lord, teach us how to pray!
--James Montgomery

Mere Christianity Quotes (p.12)

Here's another passage from the Christian classic by C. S. Lewis about what all Christians believe, Mere Christianity.

"Other people wrote to me saying, 'Isn't what you call the Moral Law just a social convention, something that is put into us by education? I think there is a misunderstanding here. The people who ask that question are usually taking it for granted that if we have learned a thing from parents and teachers, then that thing must be merely a human invention. But, of course, that is not so. We all learned the multiplication table at school. A child who grew up alone on a desert island would not know it. But surely it does not follow that the multiplication table is simply a human convention, something human beings have made up for themselves and might have made different if they liked? I fully agree that we learn the Rule of Decent Behavior from parents and teachers, and friends and books, as we learn everything else. But some of the things we learn are mere conventions which might have been different--we learn to keep to the left of the road, but it might just as well have been the rule to keep to the right--and others of them, like mathematics, are real truths. The question is to which class the Law of Human Nature belongs."

Quick Praise (Ps. 111:1)

Hallelujah! I will praise the Lord with all my heart in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. (Psalm 111:1)(HCSB)

Is there a part of your heart that you're holding back from God? Give it to Him so that He can have your whole heart in worship!