God Washes Away Our Sin

Then David confessed to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." (2 Samuel 12:13)(NLT)

By law and by his own verdict, David should have died for committing adultery with Bathsheba and arranging Uriah's death. But David was truly sorry for what he had done and wrote Psalm 51 to express his feelings. That psalm reflects both David's penitent spirit and his hope that the Lord would forgive him. God did forgive David and did not hold this sin against him, although there were consequences to his actions that did take place. God offers forgiveness to people today as well. Let us praise God that he does not hold our sins against us if we repent.

MERCIFUL FATHER, we praise you for your compassion. We thank you for seeing our misery and providing a way our of our sinfulness. Convict us by your Spirit when we sin against you, and cause us to look to you for mercy. We ask this knowing that we will find forgiveness in the sacrifice of your Son, Jesus Chirst. Amen.

(from the Praise and Worship Study Bible from Tyndale House Publishers)

God's Word Inspires Awe

"The Lord spoke these words with a loud voice to all of you from the heart of the fire, surrounded by clouds and deep darkness. This was all he said at that time, and he wrote his words on two stone tablets and gave them to me. But when you heard the voice from the darkness, while the mountain was blazing with fire, all your tribal leaders came to me. They said, 'The Lord our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice from the heart of the fire. Today we have seen God speaking to humans, and yet we live! But now, why should we die? If the Lord our God speaks to us again, we will certainly die and be consumed by this awesome fire. Can any living thing hear the voice of the living God from the heart of the fire and yet survive? You go and listen to what the Lord our God says. Then come and tell us everything he tells you, and we will listen and obey.'" (Deuteronomy 5:22-27)(NLT)

When the Lord gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments, he "spoke these words with a loud voice to all of [them] from the heart of the fire, surrounded by clouds and deep darkness" (Deut. 5:22). In response to this overwhelming display of God's glory, the people declared, "Our God has shown us his glory and greatness...Today we have seen God speaking to humans, and yet we live!" (Deut. 5:24). Like the Israelites, let us stand in awe of God when he speaks to us.

O GOD, we are grateful that you speak to us through your Word and through your Spirit. Grant us a glimpse of your glory and majesty as we listen to you, and help us to be attentive to your message. Enable us to carry out what you ask of us, and fill our mouth with praise to you. Amen.

(from the Praise and Worship Study Bible published by Tyndale House)

The Lord's Name is Sacred

"You must faithfully keep all my commands by obeying them, for I am the Lord. Do not treat my holy name as common and ordinary. I must be treated as holy by the people of Israel. It is I, the Lord, who makes you holy. It was I who rescued you from Egypt, that I might be your very own God. I am the Lord." (Leviticus 22:31-33)(NLT)

Apathy is one of the greatest enemies of worship. When we treat God's works as common and ordinary, we profane his holy name. When we recognize the greatness of God and his deeds, we give him true worship. Such worship enables God to accomplish his work in us, for it is the Lord who frees us from bondage and makes us holy. Let us never take God's love and deeds for granted but instead remember his kindness and praise him for our salvation.

MOST HIGH GOD, you are King over the heavens and the earth. You have saved us from our sin and the the powers of evil. Help us to recall your mighty works on our behalf, and transform us into holy vessels fit for your service. Amen.

(from the Praise and Worship Study Bible by Tyndale House Publishers)

Mary

"For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and now generation after generation will call me blessed, for he, the Mighty One, is holy, and he has done great things for me." (Luke 1:48-49)(NLT)

The following worship profile of Mary is from the Praise and Worship Study Bible published by Tyndale House.

Imagine having an angel appear before you with the message that you have been chosen to perform a special task for the Lord! You would probably react much as Mary did: "Who, me? Surely I am not qualified!" Mary exhibits a humble spirit when the angel tells her that she has been selected to give birth to the Son of God. Yet ultimately she does not allow her sense of humility to keep her from accepting the Lord's will for her, even though saying yes will mean being misunderstood by many people, including her fiance, Joseph. In this way, Mary demonstrates for us the right response to God's call upon our life.

Mary the Worshiper

Mary believed that God's intention was to do good to her. She knew that he is a God that exalts the humble and shows mercy to those who trust in him. In spite of the problems she would undoubtedly face, she recognized that her faithfulness would ultimately bless others: the covenant people and, indeed, the whole world.

Learning from Mary

God determines whom he will choose for a special task, and we must learn to depend on him to accomplish his will. It was the Lord who chose Mary to bear the Messiah, and she had to be willing to simply obey.

Mary held nothing back from the Lord when he called upon her to serve him. By obeying God, Mary risked her reputation and her future, yet she still chose to follow him. May we, like Mary, be willing to surrender all our plans and hopes to the Lord, trusting in his provision for us.

Following the Example

When we are in the middle of trying circumstances, it is difficult to see them as potential blessings. Yet Mary, who faced public embarrassment and even punishment for accepting God's will, was able to praise God for his blessing on her life. Think about problems you have gone through that you thought were too difficult to handle. How has God used you to bless others through these troubles? When you find yourself struggling to accept God's will, stop and remember that the Lord makes no mistakes. Thank him for what he is going to do for you through the circumstances that you face. Like Mary, go forward to meet your task with confidence and joy.

Partnership with Christ (True)

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another.." (1 John 1:7)

We have already noted that the word fellowship means partnership. This partnership of man with God is not a "fifty-fifty" arrangement. We can never, under any circumstances, be equal with the Lord. We enjoy partnership with him only on His conditions and never upon any personal arrangement that we would like to make with the Godhead. Thus John declares that our partnership or fellowship is contingent upon our maintaining the Divine conditions. He is not here speaking in terms of eternal salvation but in terms of our communion. The blessedness of the Christian life is dependent upon our exposure to the Light of the world for only by this perpetual exposure can we be reflective of His holiness.

Sun of my soul, Thou Savior dear

It is not night if Thou be near

O may no earth-born cloud arise

To hide Thee from Thy servant's eyes

It is not that we can lose our salvation but we can spoil our communion. The figure of marriage is used of the believer's relationship to Christ; for the church is His bride. Many a difference has risen between husband and wife but this never ends the marriage relationship, but it does spoil the fellowship. Confession becomes the means of dispelling the clouds.

As long as we are in the light the atoning work of Christ is perpetually effective so that we are presented "faultless before the presence of the Father."

(this devotional by Dr. Robert M. McMillan)

Partnership with Christ (False)

"If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth" 
(1 John 1:6)

John was extremely disturbed over the problem of people who verbally claimed a relationship with Christ yet who, nevertheless, showed no physical evidence of the fruits of the Spirit. Confession of faith has too often been placed in the category of verbal expression as if this were the only means accredited in the Word. It is true that Romans 10:9 speaks of confession with the mouth but the expression relates to the original act of faith by which we are saved. After this confession of the Lordship of Jesus and His resurrection has been made, the emphasis changes considerably to that of daily living. The only certification of our original confession with the mouth being genuine is our consistent manifestation of fruits of the Spirit in our daily living. Words come easily in religious confessions but only actions are effective in true Christian witness.

It is an insult to God that we should identify ourselves with Him and His holiness while our lives are openly contradicting all that Jesus is and teaches. The apostle John feels strongly concerning this matter, to the extent that he calls this type of person a liar. It is high time that this kind of language be utilized in our evangelical churches where too often verbal boasting of the truth is not backed by action. John will have a great deal more to say on this subject in his second chapter.

Is your life consistent with your testimony? In fact, is your testimony only words not deeds?

"What you are speaks so loud that the world can't hear what you say."

(this devotional by Dr. Robert M. McMillan)

A Thankful Heart

I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased. (Psalm 138:1-3)(ESV)

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope that this posting finds you and your family well. As we gather with family and friends for the holidays, we need to realize how precious our time with them is, and we need to be thankful for our families and the other ways that God has blessed our lives.

When I think of God's steadfast love and His never-ending faithfulness, my heart is filled with praise. Just to think of God's goodness, how He answers when we call on Him and how His presence is always with us, His children, is enough to put you in a worshipful frame of mind.

One of the very first praise choruses that I recall singing as a teenager is "Give Thanks" by Henry Smith. Read the lyrics as you think again about what He's done for you and about what He's sacrificed for you:

Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son.
Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son.
And now let the weak say "I am strong", let the poor say, "I am rich
because of what the Lord has done for us."
And now let the weak say "I am strong", let the poor say, "I am rich
because of what the Lord has done for us."
Give thanks, give thanks.

Psalm 107:1(NLT)
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

God is I AM

God replied, "I AM THE ONE WHO ALWAYS IS. Just tell them, 'I AM has sent me to you. '" 
(Exodus 3:14)(NLT)

When Moses asked God whom he should say sent him to the Hebrews, he surely was not prepared for the answer. "I AM" (usually rendered "the LORD") is a simple yet profound name expressing God's character. As he emphasized his unchanging nature, the Lord also recalled his covenant, for he identified himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When Jesus referred to himself as "I am" (John 8:58), he was identifying himself with the Lord as well.

O LORD, we worship you, the great "I AM." We thank you for revealing yourself to your chosen people and for sending your Son to dwell among us. You are the God who was, who is, and who is to come. Praise be to your holy name. Amen.

Mere Christianity Quotes (p. 95-96)

Here is another short excerpt from the classic book by C. S. Lewis about what Christians believe, Mere Christianity. This passage has to deal with sexual morality:

Chastity is the most unpopular of the Christian virtues. There is no getting away from it; the Christian rule is, 'Either marriage, with complete faithfulness to your partner, or else total abstinence.' Now this is so difficult and so contrary to our instincts, that obviously either Christianity is wrong or our sexual  instinct, as it now is, has gone wrong. One or the other. Of course, being a Christian, I think it is the instinct which has gone wrong.

But I have other reasons for thinking so. The biological purpose of sex is children, just as the biological purpose of eating is to repair the body. Now if we eat whenever we feel inclined and just as much as we want, it is quite true most of us will eat too much: but not terrifically too much. One man may eat enough for two, but he does not eat enough for ten. The appetite goes a little beyond its biological purpose, but not enormously. But if a healthy young man indulged his sexual appetite whenever he felt inclined, and if each act produced a baby, then in ten years he might easily populate a small village. This appetite is in ludicrous and preposterous excess of its function.

The Lord is Clothed in Glory

But even as he said it, a bright cloud came over them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with him. Listen to him." The disciples were terrified and fell faced down on the ground. (Matthew 17:5-6)(NLT)

The three disciples who were privileged to travel up the mountain with Jesus witnessed an unforgettable sight that would transform their understanding of Christ. There they were given a glimpse of the future glory of God's Son. When they heard the voice of God, they immediately fell on their faces in terror. Jesus did not want his disciples to be afraid (17:7), but their gesture of reverence was very appropriate. How do we respond to revelations of the Lord's glory? In light of the disciples' example, let us maintain an attitude of humble worship before our Lord.

GLORIOUS LORD, we thank you for giving us small glimpses of your greatness. We worship you in reverence and wonder and ask your forgiveness for the times we have failed to recognize your true glory. May your glory be evident in our life to those around us. Amen.

(from the Praise and Worship Study Bible-Tyndale House Publishers)

A Transforming Hope

"...I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

The Hope of the Lord's return in an eminently practical hope. The sober realization of His coming will transform our lives. "As workmen are moved to be more diligent in service when they hear their master's footfall, so, doubtless, saints are quickened in their devotion when they are conscious that He whom they worship is drawing near" (Spurgeon).

There are five distinct references to the Lord's return in 1 Thessalonians, and in each instance the confident assurance of this Hope acts as an antidote, a remedy, for failure and faintness in the life of the expectant believer. The Christian who is expecting the Lord has no room in his life for:

Idols in his heart--"ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for his Son from heaven,...even Jesus" (1 Thess. 1:9-10)

Slackness in his service--"For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God...For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?" (1 Thess. 2:9,19)

Division in his fellowship--"The Lord make you increase and abound in love one toward another...To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming or our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints" (1 Thess. 3:12-13)

Depression in his mind--"Wherefore comfort one another with these words" (1 Thess. 4:18)

Sin in his life--"...I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess. 5:23)

"Occupy till I come" (Luke 19:13)

--this devotional by Dr. James B. Crichton

God is Worthy of Worship

Satan replied to the Lord, "Yes, Job fears God, but not without good reason! You have always protected him and his home and his property from harm. You have made him prosperous in everything he does. Look how rich he is! But take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!" (Job 1:9-11)(NLT)

Satan argued that Job followed God simply because he received blessings for doing so. Take away the rewards and Job would cease to worship God. No doubt Satan intended to direct this accusation toward all people who follow God. A modern pragmatist might state the accusation this way: To the extent that it is in a person's self-interest, that person will honor God. But God knew that Job would maintain his allegiance despite his suffering, for Job considered God worthy of worship simply because he is God. Like Job, let us worship God for who he is rather than for what he gives us.

WORTHY LORD, we praise you for who you are. Purify our motives for following you, and teach us to draw closer to you in the midst of our pain. You alone are worthy of everlasting honor. Amen.

(from the Praise and Worship Study Bible, Tyndale House Publishers)

Mr. Great-Heart

"Now I am really living, since you are standing firm in the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 3:8)(Williams)

This is the utterance of profound and overpowering emotion. Paul's whole spiritual joy is linked with the experience of victory in this Thessalonian Church. Paul was not exaggerating. He meant that his life took on new color, new strength, and new vibrancy when he knew that his converts were established. This is Bunyan's "Mr. Great-Heart".

"Consider for a moment the background of this statement. How interested and how concerned would we be if we had been in Paul's position? Paul had been there just a few weeks and had led these few souls to Christ, but now it seems that his very life depended upon the success and the prosperity of this church. His whole heart was wrapped up in the spiritual prosperity of these, his children in the faith.

What a challenge this should be to us that we may have that same sensitivity of the soul, that we may have that passion, that love which was in the heart of Christ Himself for the sheep, for the people of God. In the Bible, the men of God, men who really served God, had a heart for the needs of souls. Too often in our modern life our theology is in one compartment and our heart is in another. We believe that souls are lost without Christ and recognize human suffering and human need, but it is never translated into prayer, or into helpfulness, or into doing what we can to meet the needs of others. What a contrast to Paul!" (Walvoord).

Lord, help me to live from day to day
In such a self-forgetful way
That even when I kneel to pray
My prayers will be for others.
--C. C. Meigs

(this devotional by Dr. James B. Crichton)

Mere Christianity Quotes (p. 93)

Here is another excerpt from Mere Christianity, in which C. S. Lewis speaks of morality and our understanding of good and bad:

When a man is getting better he understands more and more clearly the evil that is still left in him. When a man is getting worse he understands his own badness less and less. A moderately bad man knows he is not very good: a thoroughly bad man thinks he is all right. This is common sense, really. You understand sleep when you are awake, not while you are sleeping. You can see mistakes in arithmetic when your mind is working properly: while you are making them you cannot see them. You can understand the nature of drunkenness when you are sober, not when you are drunk. Good people know about both good and evil: bad people do not know about either.

Christ in You

To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27)

What assurance does the believer have that his salvation will not be lost? that he will reach the ultimate goal of heaven?

On the night before He was crucified our Lord made the remarkable statement of John 14:20, "At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me and I in you." Of the twenty words in our English translation nineteen words are of one syllable, and the twentieth is a two-syllable word that is usually one of the first words learned by any child. Our Lord wanted everyone to understand clearly. Three reasons are given for the security of the believer: the fact that Christ is in the Father, that the believer is in Christ, and that Christ is in the believer. Any one reason would be sufficient. The last, however, was the Lord's assurance to the disciples that His indwelling presence would be with them after His death and resurrection. Jesus Christ would not only be for them and with them, but He would also spiritually indwell them.

"Ours is not a dead Savior. He is a living Savior. He arose from the grave, and ascended to the Father's right hand. There He is our Intercessor and Advocate. But He also dwells within the believer--He lives in our hearts by His Holy Spirit, whose temples we are (1 Cor. 6:19). This is the Christian life--the life of Christ Himself in the heart. The great revelation of which Paul was minister to make known to all who believe, is this: 'Christianity is Christ--Christ in you, the hope of glory' " 
(E. Schuyler English).

This is not only doctrine to be known but also a life to be lived. He not only wants to indwell us but also to be Lord of our lives, to be enthroned in our hearts.

(this devotional by Dr. Elliot R. Cole)

The Lord Fills Us With Awe

In fact, except for the grace of God--the God of my grandfather Abraham, the awe-inspiring God of my father, Isaac--you would have sent me off without a penny to my name. But God has seen your cruelty and my hard work. That is why he appeared to you last night and vindicated me. (Genesis 31:42)(NLT)

Jacob learned that God's power far exceeded his own ability to manipulate or control his circumstances. If the Lord, "the awe-inspiring God" of his father, Isaac, had not intervened for Jacob, he would surely have been overwhelmed by his enemies. Jacob had recognized this as he denounced Laban's unjust practices against him. Jacob knew that the Lord had protected him. This "awe-inspiring God" of Isaac protects us as well. We can call upon him to right the injustices we see around us, and we can trust in his ability to overcome them.

O GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB, the one who inspires awe in all who witness your majesty and power, cultivate in us a profound reverence and love for you. Forgive our prideful self-sufficiency and our reluctance to call upon your name. Teach us to appeal to you when others treat us unjustly. Release us from our desire to vindicate ourselves. We praise you, Father. Amen.

(from the Praise and Worship Study Bible--Tyndale House Publishers)

Mere Christianity Quotes (p. 92)

Here is another excerpt from Mere Christianity in which C. S. Lewis speaks of Christian morality.

People often think of Christian morality as a kind of bargain in which God says, "If you keep a lot of rules I'll reward you, and if you don't I'll do the other thing." I do not think that is the best way of looking at it. I would much rather say that every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing either into a heavenly creature or into a hellish creature: either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with its fellow creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow creatures, and with itself. To be the one kind of creature is heaven: that is, it is joy and peace and knowledge and power. To be the other means madness, horror, idiocy, rage, impotence, and eternal loneliness. Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state or the other.

The Lord is the God of Heaven

And Jonah answered, "I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land." (Jonah 1:9)(NLT)

When Jonah's ship ran into a violent storm, the crew asked Jonah, "Who are you?" His answer was simple: "I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land." Jonah's answer revealed that his very identity was rooted in worship of the Lord. At the same time, his answer revealed the Lord's relevance to the crew's situation--God created the sea and the land, both of which were of great importance at the moment. So when the crew threw Jonah overboard and the seas became calm, they worshiped the Lord and vowed to serve him. Like Jonah, our life should constantly testify to the one we worship so that others might come to worship him as well.

God of Heaven, you have created all that exists, and you are constantly at work in our life. Teach us to draw our identity from you, whom we worship. Help us to testify to your greatness so that others may come to know you. Amen.

(from the Praise and Worship Study Bible--Tyndale House Publishers)

Mere Christianity Quotes (p. 82)

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

The first thing to get clear about Christian morality between man and man is that in this department Christ did not come to preach any brand new morality. The Golden Rule of the New Testament (Do as you would be done by) is a summing up of what every one, at bottom, had always known to be right. Really great moral teachers never do introduce new moralities: it is quacks and cranks who do that. As Dr. Johnson said, 'People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed.' The real job of every moral teacher is to keep on bringing us back, time after time, to the old simple principles which we are all so anxious not to see; like bringing a horse back and back to the fence it has refused to jump or bringing a child back and back to the bit in its lesson that it wants to shirk.

How do we worship in spirit and in truth?

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23-24)(NLT)

When we read these words of Jesus which were spoken to the Samaritan woman at the well and recorded for us, the question naturally arises..."So, how do we worship in spirit and in truth?" Take a look at how this question is answered in the Quest Study Bible published by Zondervan.

[Genuine worship involves both fact and faith. Truth means we are to worship the right God---the God revealed in the Bible through Jesus Christ. Spirit means that true worship demands more than just outward motions. It is an inner submission of oneself to God (Romans 12:1).]

So to worship in spirit and in truth, we need to worship from the heart, with all that we are. Jesus called this the first and greatest commandment: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (Deut. 6:5)(NLT)

And we need to know and acknowledge Who we are worshiping. We can't know God without a relationship with Jesus Christ, who is the Truth. Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)(NLT)

Christian Love

"And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ" (Phillipians 1:9,10)

This devotional about Christian love is by Dr. Stuart R. Schimpf:

The best gift we can ask God to grant another is the gift of love. Oswald Smith says that love is supreme in our discipleship. Jesus asks, "Lovest thou me?" This is His first concern. Love is also supreme in our conduct. "If ye love me, keep my commandments"! Again, love is supreme in our service. "Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing."

What is Christian love? It is more than natural affection. Such "love is of God," and hence Paul prays that others may possess it. Christian love is not "blind"! The more of it you possess, the greater your understanding of spiritual truths and the better you can discern God's will. This means the ability, not merely to recognize what is good and what is bad, but "to approve things that are excellent," to be able to distinguish between what is good and what s better! Love lends sharpness and clarity to our spiritual vision.

Augustine, the famous church father, is reported once to have said, "Love God, and do as you please, for what you then please to do will accord with the law of God!" Let us pray that the Lord will help us to love Him as we ought to love, and thus be "sincere and without offense till the day of Christ."

More love to Thee, O Christ

More love to Thee

Hear Thou the prayer I make

On bended knee

This is my earnest plea:

More love O Christ, to Thee

More love to Thee, more love to Thee!

Why Are Songs Included in the Bible?

Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: "I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name. Pharoah's chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharoah's officers are drowned in the Red Sea. The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone. Your right hand, O Lord, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy." (Exodus 15:1-6)(NLT)

The passage above is the first part of the Song of Moses and Miriam sung in celebration after Israel's victory over Pharoah. Throughout Scripture, songs have a central role in the worship of God. Songs will always be a fundamental ingredient of worship, for Colossians 3:16 says we are to sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in [our] hearts to God.

Some view songs such as the song of Moses and Miriam as spontaneous outbursts of worship. Others see them as models for worship that were inspired by the Holy Spirit, carefully composed, and preserved for future generations of believers. Perhaps they are a mixture of both. The point is, songs provide an important way to worship God. They offer glimpses of God's character and celebrate what he has done in the world.

The song of Moses and Miriam celebrates how God saved the Israelites from Pharoah and his army and looks with confidence at how God will conquer other enemies en route to the promised land. Likewise, the song of Deborah and Barak (Judges 5) praises God for saving Israel from the Canaanites. Biblical songs are our models to praise God for his salvation, love, faithfulness, power and grace. He is to be the central focus.

Mere Christianity Quotes (p.64-65)

Which side have you chosen to be on?... Here is another powerful passage from the book Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis:

Another possible objection is this. Why is God landing in this enemy-occupied world in disguise and starting a sort of secret society to undermine the devil? Why is He not landing in force, invading it? Is it that He is not strong enough? Well, Christians think He is going to land in force; we do not know when. But we can guess why He is delaying. He wants to give us the chance of joining His side freely. I do not suppose you and I would have thought much of a Frenchman who waited till the Allies were marching into Germany and then announced he was on our side. God will invade. But I wonder whether people who ask God to interfere openly and directly in our world quite realize what it will be like when He does. When it happens, it is the end of the world. When the author walks on to the stage the play is over. God is going to invade, all right: but what is the good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else--something it never entered your head to conceive--comes crashing in; something so beautiful to some of us and so terrible to others that none of us will have any choice left? For this time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side. There is no use saying you choose to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up. That will not be the time for choosing: it will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not. Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It will not last for ever. We must take it or leave it.

Walk Wisely

"See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:15,16)

Here is another meditation from Dr. R. H. Belton from the book of Ephesians about how we should walk with God.

The word translated circumspectly is an adverb which also means strictly, diligently, accurately. It suggests the idea of looking around carefully, not being unwise, that is, being careless and carefree, but being wise and recognizing values.

The Christian life is a life with a purpose. Whatever is done in word or deed is to be done in the name of the Lord Jesus (Col. 3:17), and whether one eats or drinks or whatsoever he does it is to be done to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31). The reason for this is that time is to be redeemed because the days are evil (Eph. 5:16). The word redeeming means buying up all opportunities for doing good as diligently as a woman hunts for a bargain.

We are living in evil days and in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, so every opportunity for doing good is to be seized. This is God's will for us stated in language we can understand. Many are wondering what God's will is for their life, referring of course to the specific thing God would have them do for their life's work. For this one must wait on God. But here is revealed God's will for everyone. There need be no searching for this; the statement is clear. We are to seize every opportunity for doing good understanding that this always is the will of God.

O Master, let me walk with Thee

In lowly paths of service free;

Tell me Thy secret; help me bear

The strain of toil, the fret of care.

---Washington Gladden

Walk in Light

"For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth" (Ephesians 5:8,9)

When Christ came, light came. He said, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12), and again, "Ye are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14).

The matter of walking in the light and being good lights is very practical. It involves goodness, righteousness and truth for Paul wrote that these are the fruit of the Spirit.

Goodness is a kindly consideration of others. In Acts 10:38 it is stated that Jesus went about doing good. The Christian life is not merely a question of being good, but of doing good. Righteousness is the doing of right things. A friend said to me, "I spend hours each day just keeping my business honest." There should be nothing deceptive nor under-handed in the Christian's daily life. All his activities should glorify God. Truth implies the acquiring and practicing of truth. "Thou desirest truth in the inward parts," said the Psalmist (Psalm 51:6).

The outcome will be the approving of that which is acceptable to the Lord, and the reproving of the unfruitful works of darkness (Eph. 5:10,11).

"Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life" (Phil. 2:14-16)

(Dr. R. H. Belton)

Walk in Love

"Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love" (Eph. 5:1,2)

Here is another devotional by Dr. R. H. Belton teaching us about how to walk in love.

"Be ye followers of God" can be read, "Be ye mimics of God," or "Be ye imitators of God." How can one mimic God, or be an imitator of Him? By walking in love.

The context explains how the Christian is to walk in love. The last verse of the preceding chapter reads "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Here is the divine standard--we are to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven us. What condition were we in when we were forgiven and God in His mercy showed kindness to us? Chapter two tells us. Since God forgave us so much when we  were in that wretched condition, can we not be kind and forgiving?

Jesus spoke this same truth, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matt. 5:48). The context explains that verse also and refers to our loving and forgiving others.

The Holy Spirit of God is willing and waiting to put out of our lives all bitterness and wrath. He desires to shed abroad God's love in our hearts. He will enable us to walk in love, and to the extent that we do this are we imitators of God.

Never forget the example we have. Our standard for forgiving others is not as they forgave us, but we are to forgive as God in Christ has forgiven us. This is the heavenly life. Are we forgiving others? Are we walking in love?

Walk Worthily

"I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthily of the calling wherewithal ye were called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love" (Ephesians 4:1-2 RV)

The following devotional, or meditation as he calls it, is by Dr. R. H. Belton.

Paul now begins the practical portion of this epistle. In the light of the wonderful truths he has been giving to the Christians he now tells his readers how they should live. Paul proceeds from doctrine to duty. But he never tells the Christians to live a better life without first giving them solid doctrine to build upon.  In this epistle it is the great doctrines of the believer's position in Christ and the formation of the church.

In his gracious way he beseeched his readers to walk so as to reveal three attitudes.

The first attitude is a lowly estimation of self. Walk worthily of the calling with all lowliness. Paul stresses this truth in his Epistle to the Philippians, "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves" (Phil. 2:3). There is no place for arrogance or pride since the Christian's position, his high calling, is solely the result of God's grace. The believer has nothing in which he can boast.

The second attitude is meekness, that is, toward God. The word translated meekness means tamed. The Christian is a tamed person. In one of the Greek plays this word is used of a wild horse which has been brought under the control of the rider. It learned to obey and do the will of its master. Just so is the Christian to do the will of Christ.

The third attitude of the Christian is longsuffering toward others. This is a patient enduring of evil with unruffled temper. It means to put up with those who rub us the wrong way and to do it in love. One of the great faults among Christian people is that they cannot get along with other people.

To maintain this much needed attitude requires the power of the Holy Spirit. We must be "strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness" (Col. 1:11). One of the marks of a commendable minister of Christ is longsuffering and patience (2 Cor. 6:3-6).

There are two Greek words in the New Testament translated patience. One, found twelve times, has reference to patience with people. This is the word Paul uses in the text for the day. The other word refers to patience with things. Both are needed by the Christian.

The reason for walking worthily of our calling by manifesting these three attitudes is found in Paul's words, "giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (4:3). The Holy Spirit is never divisive, never cantankerous, and the person in whom the Spirit has control will be very easy to get along with.

Let us ask our hearts, "Am I walking worthily of the great calling which is mine? What is my attitude toward self, do I have a lowly estimation of myself? What is my attitude toward God, is it one of meekness, a willingness to do His will? What is my attitude toward others, is it one of longsuffering and forbearance?" May God search our hearts.

Mere Christianity Quotes (p.64)

Here is another excerpt from the classic book by C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity:

"Here is another thing that used to puzzle me. Is it not frightfully unfair that this new life should be confined to people who have heard of Christ and been able to believe in Him? But the truth is God has not told us what His arrangements about the other people are. We do know that no man can be saved except through Christ; we do not know that only those who know Him can be saved through Him. 

But in the meantime, if you are worried about the people outside, the most unreasonable thing you can do is to remain outside yourself. Christians are Christ's body, the organism through which He works. Every addition to that body enables Him to do more. If you want to help those outside you must add your own little cell to the body of Christ who alone can help them. Cutting off a man's fingers would be an odd way of getting him to do more work."

God Speaks Through His Glory

All around him was a glowing halo, like a rainbow shining through the clouds. This was the way the glory of the Lord appeared to me. When I saw it, I fell face down in the dust, and I heard someone's voice speaking to me. (Ezekiel 1:28)(NLT)

When Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord, he fell face down in the dust. Then he heard the voice of God speaking to him. The order of these two events should be the model for all God's people as they seek his voice. First, we are exposed to God's glory as we come before him in humility. Then we hear his voice. In other words, as we come to know who God is and recognize our own limited understanding, we will learn to depend on his guidance for our life. Then we will be ready to hear God speak to us. Let us thank God for showing us himself and guiding us.

O GOD WHO SPEAKS TO US, reveal yourself to us. Humble us before you, and calm our heart so that we will listen expectantly for your voice. Speak to us, and show us your will for us so that we might please you. Amen.

The Lord's Name is Majestic

O LORD, our Lord, the majesty of your name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens.
(Psalm 8:1)(NLT)

There  is a name I love to hear
I love to sing its worth
It sounds as music in my ear
The sweetest name on earth...

A person's name is more than just a label. It represents who they are. Hearing someone's name often brings to mind that person's character, abilities, and appearance. So, too, with our God, whose name is above all names. When we hear the name of the Lord, we should reflect and marvel, as David did, that the God whose glory fills the earth has lavished such affection upon us human beings. In a small way, he has allowed us to share in his majesty, granting us dominion over his creation. Our wonder at the majesty of his name will then give way to heartfelt worship.

MAJESTIC GOD, as we hear your name, we are reminded of your presence and power. Forgive us when we misuse your name or fail to appreciate the greatness of the One it represents. We are grateful that you have called us by your name, and so we ask you to glorify your name by our life. Amen.

(This worship note is taken from the Praise and Worship Study Bible from Tyndale House)

The Lord Inspires Praise

And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, "We've never seen anything like this before!" (Mark 2:12)(NLT)

The following worship note is from the Praise and Worship Study Bible:

The crowd's response to Jesus' miracle was immediate and spontaneous praise to God. "We've never seen anything like this before!" the people exclaimed as they recognized Jesus' unique power. We, too, should be moved to praise God, like these people, when we witness his great works. He alone wields absolute sovereignty over all things and deserves our worship.

MIGHTY GOD, we praise you for your greatness. We thank you for the wonderful deeds you have performed on our behalf. Move us to worship you in response to your magnificent deeds. Amen.

When does worship become insincere ritual?

Zechariah 7:4-6 (NIV)

Then the word of the Lord Almighty came to me: "Ask all the people of the land and the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted? And when you were eating and drinking, we're you not just feasting for yourselves?

The following is an article from the Quest Study Bible published by Zondervan:

Traditions have great value because they preserve the values and teachings of the past. They remind us of things we might otherwise forget. While living in a foreign land, surrounded by foreign culture and language, the Jews could have easily forgotten the important events of their history. Future generations could have missed out on how significantly God had dealt with their ancestors. But they used rituals and traditions to avoid historical ignorance. They commemorated the past so they would not forget the lessons learned.

Unfortunately, the rituals "fossilized" over time. Eventually, people were celebrating only the form and forgetting the reality behind it. Their fasting appeared meaningful but had no inner substance. When this, or something similar happens, a worship activity becomes an empty ritual, or worse, a ritual with the wrong meaning attached to it. Often this can occur as a slow erosion of values---a process that eventually destroys the good others have endeavored to do.

What is to fear in Death?

"That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death." Hebrews 2:14

Here is another devotional from Charles Spurgeon:

O child of God, death hath lost its sting, because the devil's power over it is destroyed. Then cease to fear dying. Ask grace from God the Holy Ghost, that by an intimate knowledge and a firm belief of thy Redeemer's death, thou mayst be strengthened for that dread hour. Living near the cross of Calvary thou mayst think of death with pleasure, and welcome it when it comes with intense delight. It is sweet to die in the Lord: it is a covenant-blessing to sleep in Jesus. Death is no longer banishment, it is a return from exile, a going home to the many mansions where the loved ones already dwell. The distance between glorified spirits in heaven and militant saints on earth seems great; but it is not so. We are not far from home--a moment will bring us there.

The sail is spread; the soul is launched upon the deep. How long will be its voyage? How many wearying winds must beat upon the sail ere it shall be reefed in the port of peace? How long shall that soul be tossed upon the waves before it comes to that sea which knows no storm? Listen to the answer, "Absent from the body, present with the Lord." Yon ship has just departed, but it is already at its haven. It did but spread its sail and it was there. Like that ship of old, upon the Lake of Galilee, a storm had tossed it, but Jesus said, "Peace, be still," and immediately it came to land. Think not that a long period intervenes between the instant of death and the eternity of glory. When the eyes close on earth they open in heaven. The horses of fire are not an instant on the road. Then, O child of God, what is there for thee to fear in death, seeing that through the death of thy Lord its curse and sting are destroyed? and now it is but a Jacob's ladder whose foot is in the dark grave, but its top reaches to glory everlasting.

The Lord Inspires Awe

The disciples just sat there in awe. "Who is this?" they asked themselves. "Even the wind and waves obey him!" (Matthew 8:27)(NLT)

The following worship note is from the Praise and Worship Study Bible by Tyndale House:

"Who is this?" the disciples said to each other when they saw the winds and waves subside. They were awestruck by Jesus' power over nature, for he commanded forces beyond their control. At the time, Jesus rebuked the disciples for their lack of faith, but it is obvious that this event strengthened Matthew's faith because he remembered to record it in his Gospel. God still performs great works in our life, and these events can strengthen our faith in him. Let us worship and honor him for his great deeds.

O LORD OF ALL CREATION, you command the winds and the waves, and we who witness your power give you praise. Forgive us for our faithlessness, and strengthen us so that we will trust you through the storms of life. Amen.

How can we know if God is pleased with our worship?

Isaiah 1:13-17 (NIV)                                                                                                                           Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations--I cannot bear your evil assemblies. Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.


The temple of Isaiah's day had ample space around the altar of burnt offering for one to observe another's spirituality. Even the presiding priests might be impressed by the sacrifice of a large, costly animal.

Prophets such as Isaiah were aghast at such showy displays of worship. At times, God swiftly punished prideful, self-centered worship. For example, when King Uzziah tried to offer incense in the temple and lost his temper when priests tried to stop him (Israel was not to have priest-kings like its idolatrous neighbors), God afflicted him with leprosy.

True worship isn't showy. It does not call attention to or glorify the worshiper; it honors only God. It is not a mindless formality either. It is an affair of the heart, characterized by the conviction of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16), fervent prayer (James 5:16) and open-hearted reading of God's Word (2 Tim. 3:16-17). God shows he is pleased with such worship by being present with us.

(This is an article from the Quest Study Bible published by Zondervan)

Simeon

Simeon took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, "Lord, now I can die in peace! As you promised me, I have seen the Savior you have given to all people." (Luke 2:28-31)(NLT)

The following is a worship profile of Simeon from the Praise and Worship Study Bible published by Tyndale House Publishers. I highly recommend this study bible for all students of biblical worship. Let's see what we can learn about worship from the life of Simeon:

Simeon

Scripture tells us very little about Simeon. But it does tell us that he was righteous, devout, and filled with the Holy Spirit. He was also an old man who had been waiting for something special. The Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. When Simeon encountered the infant Jesus in the Temple, he witnessed a truly monumental even in salvation history: God had come in the flesh. Salvation had been revealed to him--salvation for all people.

Simeon the Worshiper

Simeon's life of devotion prepared him for the moment he had longed for. By listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit and following his leading to visit the Temple, he found the long-awaited Messiah. Simeon praised God for fulfilling his promises and allowing him to see the Lord's salvation. Simeon then blessed Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, returning to them what God had given him.

Learning from Simeon

Simeon was devout, that is, he was deeply devoted to the Lord. This devotion was blessed by a revelation from the Holy Spirit.

Simeon waited patiently. The Holy Spirit had revealed what Simeon would see but not when he would see it. He had to wait for the Lord to reveal the Messiah at the appropriate time.

Simeon shows us the proper response to God's mighty acts: praise. The core of our worship consists of praise and gratitude to God for all he has done.

Following the Example

Just as Simeon gave praise to the Lord, so should we. Like Simeon, we have seen the Lord's salvation, and so we can praise God for Christ's death and resurrection and the work of the Holy Spirit in our life. Read 2 Corinthians 3:7-18, and give praise to God for his new covenant of grace and spiritual transformation.

Anna

She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. (Luke 2:37)(NLT)

This worship profile of Anna is from the Praise and Worship Study Bible published by Tyndale House Publishers. It is a great study Bible for all who want to learn more about biblical praise and worship. Let's see what we can learn from Anna's worship:

Anna

Waiting seemed to be a life calling for Anna, an eighty-four-year-old woman in the Temple who greeted Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus. Everything we know about her can be summarized in a few words: She was a widow and lived as a prophet in the Temple. As Luke tells us, the Temple became her home, and she stayed there day and night, worshiping God continually in anticipation of the Messiah. In today's society, where everything is instant and time is considered money, many lessons can be learned from Anna's patience in worship.

Anna the Worshiper

Anna recognized that waiting meant preparing for God's leading. She disciplined herself to put all else aside to listen to his voice.

For Anna, waiting was not simply marking time. It was a period of joyful expectation as she watched for the fulfillment of God's promise.

Learning from Anna

Waiting should not be confused with laziness, inactivity, or purposelessness. It involves trusting God and surrendering our life to him. When we learn to wait, we learn to rely on God's faithfulness instead of our own ability.

We should pray for patience and learn to recognize and respect this quiet gift in others. Anna waited faithfully for her people's Redeemer, and God rewarded her patience by allowing her to see the Messiah with her own eyes.

Following the Example

The Bible admonishes us in more than fifty places to wait on the Lord. One way to do this is to regularly seek out a quiet, solitary place, removed from the hectic concerns of daily life, where we can read God's Word and pray. This time of meditation can helf us focus our thoughts on God and find our security in him. Practice setting aside a time each day to be alone in God's presence. This simple exercise will help you learn to wait on the Lord, as Anna did long ago.

Praying for Others

"Pray one for another." James 5:16

Here is another devotional by Charles Spurgeon that encourages us to lift up others with our prayer time. Let us not be so self-centered that we forget to lift up the burdens of our brothers and sisters with our petitions.

As an encouragement cheerfully to offer intercessory prayer, remember that such prayer is the sweetest God ever hears, for the prayer of Christ is of this character. In all the incense which our Great High Priest now puts into the golden censer, there is not a single grain for himself. His intercession must be the most acceptable of all supplications--and the more like our prayer is to Christ's, the sweeter it will be; thus while petitions for ourselves will be accepted, our pleading for others, having in them more of the fruits of the Spirit,more love, more faith, more brotherly kindness, will be, through the precious merits of Jesus, the sweetest oblation that we can offer to God, the very fat of our sacrifice.

Remember, again, that intercessory prayer is exceedingly prevalent. What wonders it has wrought! The Word of God teems with its marvelous deeds. Believer, thou hast a mighty engine in thy hand, use it well, use it constantly, use it with faith, and thou shalt surely be a benefactor to thy brethren. When thou hast the King's ear, speak to him for the suffering members of his body. When thou art favoured to draw very near to his throne, and the King saith to thee, "Ask, and I will give thee what thou wilt," let thy petitions be, not for thyself alone, but for the many who need his aid. If thou hast grace at all, and art not an intercessor, that grace must be small as a grain of mustard seed. Thou hast just enough grace to float thy soul clear from the quicksand, but thou hast no deep floods of grace, or else thou wouldst carry in thy joyous bark a weighty cargo of the wants of others, and thou wouldest bring back from thy Lord, for them, rich blessings which but for thee they might no have obtained.

"Oh, let my hands forget their skill,

My toungue be silent, cold, and still,

This bounding heart forget to beat,

If I forget the mercy-seat!"

Running After Him

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from my enemies. (Psalm 18:2-3)

This worship devotional is by David Good from his book Captivated by the Heart of God.

My son, Christ, will turn 18 in a few short weeks. He has his own car, a steady job, and spends most of his time now not including his parents. He expressed his angst recently upon discovering that I am now on Twitter because that will make it harder for him to keep me out of his teenage world. But with all of the adjustments his growing up brings, I am learning a lot about worship from him.

It seems just like yesterday that I was bringing him a drink in the middle of the night or fixing him a snack when he got hungry. Those days are gone and that is a good thing, though I do miss that oddly enough. He is now old enough that his parents don't have to cater to his every need (though there are days when his attitude communicates the complete opposite of that). When he's hungry, which is every waking moment, he comes barging out of his room and grabs as much stuff he can carry back to his room to eat. When he's thirsty, he gets himself a glass of milk. He drinks at least 5 gallons of liquid a day. I know this because every glass ends up in his room leaving his mother and I having to drink directly from the faucet. Were it not for his foraging for nourishment we would never see him, so for this we are thankful. Anyway, back to the subject at hand. What does this have to do with Psalm 18 you ask? Everything.

David states the fact that the Lord is the provision for everything he needs--my rock, fortress, deliverer, God, strength, buckler, horn of salvation and high tower. Then he states, "I will call upon the Lord...". I looked up the Hebrew phrase call upon, and I was amazed at what I discovered. That phrase literally means to accost, to approach often in an aggressive manner. So here's my point. Though God provides everything David needs, he doesn't wait for the Lord to bring it to him, but rather runs after everything the Lord has already made available to him. Are you beginning to see the analogy? Chris has matured to the point now that he doesn't wait for his dad to bring him what he needs. He knows that any time he hungers and thirsts for something, all he has to do is go after it. That's worship in a nutshell! Worship is the act of running after God and grabbing hold of all that He has made available to us as our Father.

Are you hungry and thirsty for something? Are you desperate? Everything you need is just a few steps away. Go after it. Accost God in your worship. That is when we are saved from our enemies!

John the Apostle

He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon!" Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20) NLT

This worship profile of John is from the Praise and Worship Study Bible published by Tyndale House. It is a wonderful study tool for all who want to learn more about Biblical worship.

Tradition holds that William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, did not become passionate about evangelism until the day he had a gripping vision of hell. If that is true, is it possible that we may never become serious about worship until we first catch a glimpse of heaven? Consider the life of John, son of Zebedee. An uneducated fisherman, John was one of Christ's hand-picked disciples. For three years John saw Jesus perform mracles, heard his powerful sermons, and received brilliant (though brief) peeks at Christ's divinity. John had seen things that most of us cannot even begin to imagine. Even so, it was his vision of heaven that moved him to write of the importance of worship.

John the Worshiper

Our first glimpses of John in the Bible show us an impetious, brash, and sometimes self-centered man. Jesus had named John and his brother, James, "Sons of Thunder," and it was they who urged Jesus to call down fire from heaven to unish a Samaritan village. However, the experience of being in the presence of Jesus for three years transformed John into a humble, loving shepherd of God's people.

Learning from John

John was a master of conveying inexpressible truths and heavenly realities in symbolic language. John told us that God is light, truth, the way, the gate, the shepherd, the beginning and the end--finite concepts that give us a glimpse of the infinite God. Such symbols can spark our thoughts about the God we worship, and the church has made rich use of such symbolism to this day.

More than any other writer, John showed us that worship is the language of heaven. In the book of Revelation (see chapters 4, 5, 7, 11, 19), John struggled to find words to describe the scene around the throne of God: heavenly beings and redeemed people chanting and singing. The praise of this countless multitude is described as thunderous, not to mention continuous. The worship is neither mandated nor coerced; it is spontaneous and freely given. It is marked by wild exuberance and unabashed devotion.

John has been called the "apostle of love," not only for his teaching about the love of God, but also for his own deep compassion for other Christians. John told one congregation, "I write this [letter] to you who believe in the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13). Love should motivate everything we do for God.

Following the Example

As you read through the book of Revelation, take careful note of the characteristics of the heavenly throng that proclaims God's praise. They pray vigilantly (5:8), they have suffered tribulation (7:14); they fear God's name (11:18); they are spiritually undefiled (14:4) and blameless (14:5); their good deeds follow them (14:13); they are victorious over the enemy (15:2); they do not practice idolatry or dishonesty (21:27). John reminds us that worship that is pleasing to God comes from a pure heart. We must live a blameless life, always reads, as John was, to welcome the return of the Lord: "Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!"