"The Honor of True Worship" from Psalm 149

We are not in the Wednesday night service because all four of us (myself, husband, and two adult sons) work with the 3-5-year-olds, so we get CDs of the messages the following Sunday. This past Wednesday our pastor preached on Psalm 149, titling his message "The Honor of True Worship."

He introduced this study by discussing the phrase "praise and worship." Praise and worship are often associated with directional shirts, more contemporary styles, light theology and emotional stirrings, ecumenical connectedness (blurring of the lines between denominations), crossover ministry, and worldly compromise. He mentioned that Christian artists will sing secular songs, and the lost will sing Christian songs, then stated that anyone who doesn't know the Lord cannot worship the Lord. There is often the breaking down of the gospel itself in praise and worship. The responses to that are: this is to be embraced and defended; or, this is compromise and should be resisted and denounced. The results of the responses are that at times we hear or read indefensible arguments (straw men) on both sides. There has also been separation and disunity. Another result is an accommodation of both tastes (two services, one traditional and one contemporary). Our attitude must be carefulness and compassion. There must be discernment and steadfastness in our actions. In our appetites everything should be governed by biblical principles and appropriateness. There must be advancement as well--honesty and balance. We do not wish to be an issue-driven ministry. See Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:17.

Praise and worship rightly defined requires a biblical foundation:

1. We must always start with glory to God. It is not about what we like. When our hearts are right with God, we will enjoy what brings Him glory.

2. Is Christ elevated?

3. Is the Holy Spirit evident in this?

4. The saints are to be edified. Everything must come from the Scriptures out.

Our praise should be fresh (v. 1-4). That is the meaning of the word "new" in v. 1. It should be peculiar in its character. This refers to a renewal of one's spiritual being. It is not new in time but new in character. When we learn something new about God it comes out in our praise. Our praise and worship should reflect God's ownership of us as well as an ever-growing knowledge of God. When we grow in our understanding of the Lord we grow in our appreciation of Him. Our praise and worship should also bring a new awe of God. Fresh truth will bring fresh praise. Talk to God about what He is talking to you about. It is also: particular in its participants--the saints; praiseworthy in its offering; and pleasurable in its object. Our God loves to work in us for His glory.

Our praise should be focused (v. 5-9): expressing joy in every circumstance, and advancing the righteousness of His cause (II Corinthians 10:4; it is a spiritual battle). In times of rest or of sickness, we are to praise our God. Turn those into times to worship. When we fret and fear we should praise aloud. This doesn't come naturally, but is part of our dependence on the Lord.

Our praise should also be fulfilling (v. 9). Our highest privilege is worship, and our greatest occupation is to worship. It is not secondary but primary; not seasonal but continual. We are to be expressions of His praise. All of God's people are called to praise him. They are marked by a new purpose and song. Everything He teaches us should be responded to with praise and worship.

Thanks, Pastor Mike!

A Lesson on Obedience Without Excuses

The song "Excuses, excuses, you hear them every day" started going around in my head as I read Exodus 4. God had seen the oppression of His people in Egypt and heard their cry for deliverance; He had already chosen their human deliverer, and was now calling him out of a foreign land. Chapter 3 is filled with God's declarations of what He is going to do, and v. 9-12 says:

"Now therefore, behold, the cry of
the children of Israel is come unto Me;
and I have also seen the oppression wherewith
the Egyptians oppress them.
Come now therefore, and I will send thee
unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring
forth My people, the children of Israel,
out of Egypt. And Moses said unto God,
Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh,
and that I should bring forth the
children of Israel out of Egypt?
And He said, Certainly I will be with thee;
and this shall be a token unto thee,
that I have sent thee:
When thou hast brought forth
the people out of Egypt,
ye shall serve Me on this mountain.

But Moses apparently had some misgivings about God's call. After asking who is sending Him and getting more assurances from God, Moses says the people will not believe him or listen to him. God gives him two signs to prove that he is God's spokesman--the rod turning into a serpent, and his hand turning leprous and then being healed. Then Moses reminds God that he is not an eloquent speaker, saying he is slow of speech and of a slow tongue (4:10). God asks him who made man's mouth, or who makes the mute, deaf, seeing, or blind, and answers His own question: "Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say."

Even after all of that, Moses still politely declines the mission, making God angry with him. So God gives Moses Aaron, his brother, to be the spokesman since he speaks well. Finally Moses accepts his commission from the Lord.

It is easy to look at Moses and think, how could he make excuses like that and not accept God's call? Until, that is, I remember how many times I have made excuses for not obeying God. Ouch! God has promised to be with us and help us obey Him, so we have no more reason to make excuses than Moses had, and probably even less, since we have His completed revelation and the Holy Spirit living within to aid us with comfort, encouragement, courage, strength, etc. As it says in Hebrews, the things written in the Old Testament were written for our learning. This is one lesson I hope to learn well.

Noah - A Promise of Rest

Pastor's afternoon message was from Genesis 6, about Noah. He noted that Noah's culture was reflective of our own. There was a rapid advancement of self-government, an indiscriminate participation in sensual pleasures, and an alarming absorption of the spiritual influence. As humanity multiplied, so did wickedness. Every thought was captivated by evil all the time. Pastor believes that v. 2 is referring to the godly line of Seth (sons of God) and the ungodly line of Cain (daughters of men), rather than fallen angels and human women, for these reasons: 1. Context--the genealogies of chapters 4 and 5. 2. Angels are spirit beings who do not marry or procreate. 3. Sons of God would seem to be an inappropriate phrase to be used of fallen angels/demons. In v. 4 we see that there is greater oppression as evil advanced. Violence and aggressive evil ruled the day. The godly line of Seth intermarried with the ungodly line of Cain, and was absorbed into ungodliness. The godly are always absorbed by the ungodly.

Secondly, Noah's character is a model for our own (v. 8-9). He was a recipient of divine favor amidst unprecedented human corruption, and had a responsive faith despite rampant unbelief.

Third, Noah's charge was not unlike our own. He was invited to participate in God's provision by building an ark, which would save him and all who were in it with him. He also promoted God's salvation, as in II Peter 2:5 we are told that he was a preacher of righteousness. God gave mankind 120 years to repent before He sent judgment on the whole earth, and Noah preached during that time as he built the ark.

Fourth, Noah's comfort foreshadows our own. He could anticipate the removal of sin's pollution, and the refreshment of beginning afresh.

Thank you to Pastor Mike for allowing me to put his sermon material in my blog. It is helping me remember and meditate on God's Word.

Fast or Feast

This morning Pastor spoke on Matthew 9:14-17. I was curious as to what he would say about this passage. His first point was that religion's assumptions about fasting created an unhealthy expectation. God had ordained one fast per year (Leviticus 16:24--the Day of Atonement); the Pharisees demanded two per week. They thought their fasting was gaining them favor with God, but it wasn't. They thought they were displaying their holiness before others, because the way they fasted (not washing, unkempt hair, yucky clothes, etc.) made it obvious that they were fasting; they wanted people to notice them. God says that is all the praise they will get from their fasting; none will come from Him.

His second point was that fervent arguments for fasting reflected conflicting perspectives. On the one hand, sobering disciplines are beneficial. On the other hand, self-justifying duties are blinding. They could not see their need of Christ.

Third, fasting serves specific circumstances and challenges. It may be a physical restriction for spiritual sensitivity, a physical response to emotional/physical trauma, or a physical restraint for mental focus. The goal is to focus on God and enhance your relationship with Him. Fasting can prepare your heart to hear from God. It doesn't, however, win His favor or force Him to pay attention to you. It is a discipline of dependency associated with Scripture intake and prayer. It is a season of spiritual consideration and reflection, of realigning our hearts with God. The trauma may be something like the death of a loved one, a crisis, impending doom, uncertainty over circumstances, making an important decision, or associating with others' hardships. Fasting is a removal of the normal distractions of the day to focus our minds on God. It is never meritorious or man-centered, and never counters our need for God's mercy.

Fourthly, Jesus' aversion to fasting revealed His missional mindset. Eternity's hope was present. Salvation's crisis was looming. Transforming life was being offered. It was not time for His disciples to fast because the bridegroom was with them; therefore, it was not a time for mourning but for joy. Jesus' mission was not attached to what the Pharisees were teaching and embracing. The new life He brings is pictured as expanding. It would not go into their old system, just as new wine was not put into old wineskins, or a new patch on an old garment. It was not a new addition to old forms. The living truth of the gospel and their traditions do not go together. Christ was soon to be violently snatched away from His disciples, but right now was a joyous occasion, and not the time for fasting. With Christ in our hearts, we have a perpetual feast because of the new life within!

Rejoice in the Lord always,
and again I say, rejoice!
(Philippians 4:4)

The Problem of the Prosperity of the Wicked

Today the Lord convicted me as I was reading through Proverbs 23 and 24.

"Let not thine heart envy sinners,
but be thou in the fear of the LORD
all the day long."
(Proverbs 23:17)

"Be not thou envious of evil men,
neither desire to be with them.
For their heart studieth destruction,
and their lips talk of mischief."
(Proverbs 24:1-2)

"Fret not thyself because of evil men,
neither be thou envious of the wicked;
For there shall be no reward to the evil man;
the lamp of the wicked shall be put out."
(Proverbs 24:19-20)

Living in the world today, especially in the prosperous United States, this is definitely a temptation. It is easy to envy the wicked when we hear about all the good things they have--money, nice homes, swimming pools, new expensive cars, good-looking spouses or boyfriends/girlfriends, many friends, public adulation, etc.--but these verses tell us that is not what God wants us to do. Rather, we are to fear the Lord all day long, not desire to be with evil people, not be fretting because of evil people, nor be envious of them. We must find our contentment and satisfaction in our God.

Asaph addresses the problem of the prosperity of the wicked in Psalm 73. Often it does seem that the ungodly have few problems or trials (or at least not as many as Christians), and that their prosperity only seems to increase, no matter how bad they are! He was envious of them, and thought he had "cleansed [his] heart in vain." But then he said,

"Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
then understood I their end.
Surely, Thou didst set them in slippery places;
Thou castedst them down into destruction.
How are they brought into desolation,
as in a moment!
They are utterly consumed with terrors."
(Psalm 73:17-19)

Even though their lot in this life seems easy, when they die without God they will go to an awful end in hell. This life is all the heaven they will ever know. Contrast that with the end for the believer:

"Fret not thyself because of evildoers,
neither be thou envious
against the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
and wither like the green herb...
For evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait upon the LORD
shall inherit the earth.
For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be;
yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place,
and it shall not be.
But the meek shall inherit the earth,
and shall delight themselves in
the abundance of peace...
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD,
and He delighteth in his way.
Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
for the LORD upholdeth him with His hand."
(Psalm 37:1-2, 9-10, 23-24)

Enoch Walked with God

Our afternoon message last Sunday was about Enoch, and the title was taken from "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah"--"Pilgrim Through This Barren Land." Pastor had us look at Genesis 4 and 5 for genealogical information. He pointed out the two lists--one the ungodly line of Cain (which also had an Enoch in it), and the other the godly line of Seth. Lamech, a murderous polygamist, was part of the evil line of Cain. The Enoch descended from Seth lived 308 years while Adam was still alive. Pastor reminded us that Adam was the only man who ever knew what it was like to be perfect and have perfect fellowship and open communion with God, so it must have grieved his heart terribly to see how corrupt men had become--the consequence of his disobedience. Throughout the genealogical list in chapter 5 we are told that so-and-so lived, then "and he died." Then we come to 5:24, "And Enoch walked with God, and he was not; for God took him." He and Elijah are the only two humans to have never died but were taken alive to heaven.

Genesis 5:18-24 talks about Enoch. He was part of a godly heritage--the line of Seth. In the midst of ever-increasing sin, he was a heavenly citizen with a holy character despite the evil influences around him. Hebrews 11:5 reveals that Enoch was spiritually alive while living among the spiritually dead, with a future hope, while those around him were living in unrest, making advances in an attempt to find purpose and meaning in their lives. Jude 14-15 tell us that Enoch prophesied God's judgment on the evil world.

Enoch lived in close, intimate, open fellowship and communion with God. So close were they that one commentator put it this way: One day when Enoch and God were walking together, God said, "Why don't you just come on home with Me tonight?" (I don't know where Pastor found that). How about me? Do I walk with God like Enoch did?

A Lesson from the Patriarchs

Our church provides a Bible reading calendar each year. Right now we are reading through Genesis, specifically the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Today it got me to thinking about how each of them (and their wives) took matters into his own hands instead of waiting for God's plan to come to pass. Abraham listened to Sarah and took Hagar as his wife to bear seed, rather than wait for God's promised offspring through Sarah. We still see the consequences of their action today in the Israeli-Arab conflict. Later Abraham took another wife (after Sarah's death) and had more sons, including the father of the Midianites, one of Israel's enemies in the book of Judges. The Bible merely states the facts about this, without mentioning whether this was OK with God or not, but it did cause more trouble for Isaac's descendants. Isaac and Rebekah each had a favorite son. God had told Rebekah before their twins were born that the older would serve the younger. Rather than trust God, Rebekah convinced Jacob to resort to deceit in order to gain his father's blessing and thus secure the higher place. This resulted in Esau's anger, Jacob being forced to leave to save his life, and Rebekah never seeing Jacob again. Jacob spent many years away from the land of promise, serving his uncle who deceived him by giving him Leah first, and changed his wages ten times. Jacob married four wives, causing a lot of trouble in his household. Rachel envied her sister's fruitfulness, and went so far as to ask for mandrakes found by Leah's son in an attempt to conceive a child (part of a superstitious belief) rather than pray and trust God to open her womb. Later she stole her father's household idols. Rather than trust God for protection, Jacob took all he had and sneaked away from Laban's house while Laban was busy elsewhere.

These events were very convicting as I had to ask myself how many times I have run ahead of God, thinking I knew better than Him and taking matters into my own hands rather than waiting for Him to work. Too many!

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are My ways higher than your ways,
and My thoughts than your thoughts."
(Isaiah 55:8-9)

"Show me Thy ways, O LORD; teach me Thy paths.
Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me;
for Thou art the God of my salvation;
on Thee do I wait all the day."
(Psalm 25:4-5)

Down Through the Roof

We often hear the "pitter-patter of little feet" above our heads as squirrels scamper across the roof. Then there are the times when my husband is pounding on something on the first floor and debris is falling into the basement. Both came to mind today as our pastor was preaching on the healing of the paralytic man in Matthew 9 and the companion passage in Mark 2. First, he said that there was standing room only at the house where Jesus was. The houses in Israel at that time often had a flat roof, where people would sleep at night during hot weather. Often the roof was accessed by an outside stairway. We don't know whether this house had an outside stairway, or whether the men carrying the man's bed stepped over from a neighboring roof, but they were determined to remove any obstacles that stood between them and Jesus' presence. They knew Jesus could heal their friend if they could just get him to Him. Pastor said the roofs were made by placing beams 2-3' apart, putting branches across to fill in, then putting a lot of clay over the top, which would harden.

Pastor mentioned who was there that day--a lot of people, and some scribes and doctors of the law from many different areas who, though it was standing room only, were sitting down, trying to find fault with what Jesus was doing--preaching the gospel. Then he read from a commentary that was imaginatively picturing the scene. Here were these religious leaders sitting there, plus the other people, listening to the commotion overhead, then having pieces of the roof falling down on them, seeing a shaft of light, then more light as the hole got bigger till it was big enough for the bed. You can almost see the religious leaders brushing/shaking the dust and debris from their robes in righteous indignation. Finally the man is beside Jesus; his friends probably watched anxiously from their perch on the roof. Then Jesus has the audacity to say the man's sins are forgiven! The religious leaders are almost beside themselves as they think, "Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?" PRECISELY! Jesus was unequivocally claiming to be God. Then we see His divine omniscience as He speaks aloud what they were only thinking, for the entire crowd to hear. Certainly it was easier to say someone's sins are forgiven; how could anyone disprove that? But to tell someone who was paralyzed to get up and walk, that would be easy to see. The religious leaders may have watched in consternation as the man did just as Jesus told him--got up, picked up his bed, and went home. Can you picture the friends on the roof dancing for joy? Can you imagine the looks the people gave the religious leaders as they sat there embarrassed and angry? It is harder to imagine the man's joy as he walked (and perhaps danced, leapt, ran, etc.) home that day, and the joy of his family as they saw him made well.

Jesus was the only one who could meet this man's need for physical and spiritual healing. While his physical need was great, the spiritual need was even greater, and no one but God could forgive his sins. Our pastor put it this way in his outline: The Son of Man effects man's full healing. We are helpless before Him. We are hopeful in coming to Him. We are made holy as we submit to Him.

One thing that really stood out was that the man immediately obeyed Jesus' command. He didn't make excuses as to why he couldn't. The gospel writers don't record him as saying anything, only as hearing the Lord's command and obeying. What a lesson for us!

Trusting God in Difficult Circumstances

In a previous post I mentioned that I'm learning to trust my heavenly Father more. Events and circumstances continue to challenge me to do just that. On our way home after spending Thanksgiving in Indiana with my parents, in a used Ford Taurus we'd bought back in September, the car started to surge at certain rpms. We took it to our mechanic later, he drove it all day, and could find nothing wrong with it. Christmas evening I came down with a cold, which made me very dizzy for a few days and is still affecting my hearing. The Wednesday before New Year's, we started for my sister's house in Argos, IN, in the Taurus and got as far as US 30 when the car started surging again. My husband immediately turned around and headed home, and it was a good thing he did as it kept getting worse. On a road near our house, it was surging at only 35 mph, and at the crest of the last hill the engine died. He was able to coast to the stop sign at the bottom, turn off the ignition, restart the car, and get it around the corner into our driveway. He called the mechanic right away, and was able to drive the car the couple of miles to his shop. Meanwhile, our sons transferred all of our luggage, presents, etc., to our younger son's car (also a Taurus) while I heated leftover pizza for lunch. Three hours after our original departure, we were on the road again, and this time we made it, thanking the Lord that it didn't start snowing until we were within an hour of their house and the roads weren't bad. While we were there, for some reason I had increased pain in my back, hips, and left foot. A lake effect snow storm was predicted for Thursday night, but thankfully the weatherman was wrong. Friday we drove to my parents' house (to break up our drive home), and it was getting pretty snowy by the time we got there. Another forecast storm missed us or something, because we had nice weather all the way home. It was sad to see my mom feeling the effects of her second round of chemo, and my dad as he tries to cope with nearly total deafness. Both are slowing down and looking a lot older. Before we left their house, my husband rechecked the car's tires, which had a tendency to leak, and one was very low. So, he and our son went to the local Wal-Mart and got all new tires, which will be very helpful to him this winter and will save him from having to constantly check them and pump them up. While we were driving to Indiana, our mechanic called us; the bill was over $500. I had had X-rays of my knees and found I have some arthritis; they are still hurting. An MRI of my back showed some degeneration and mild disc bulging. A consultation with an orthopedic surgeon this week led to the conclusion that the foot pain was being caused by continuing plantar fasciitis, not my back as the physical therapists thought. Beyond suggesting a couple of stretches, there wasn't much he could do for me. It sounds like I'll just be living with the pain in back, leg, and feet, though it could come and go. Wednesday night my husband was driving home from work and the back window of his car exploded. It was quite a mess. Then I drove to church (20 miles) and back in freezing drizzle; thankfully the roads weren't too bad. Today I called the insurance company and found I'd have to take the car to their facility to have the window repaired. The appointment was for noon, and it was supposed to start snowing around 1:00. Also, I had only driven this car once before, and never in snow. The Lord graciously held off the snow until I was finished at the shop and even had a little time to grocery shop. I stopped briefly at a local grocery store, and by the time I came out the roads were getting bad. I made it home. Tonight we found out we are under a winter storm warning, with possibly up to 10-12 inches of snow by Saturday morning. I am supposed to go to the dentist tomorrow. Why am I posting all of this? Simply to say that all of these things could have caused me a good deal of anxiety/worry had I not made a conscious effort to put my focus on my heavenly Father and trust Him to get me through all of them. He was faithful and has brought me through many of them already. Psalm 91:2 - I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God; in Him will I trust.

Mishandling God's Word

Today's reading in John Piper's book Taste and See talked about Psalm 91 and how God's Word can be mishandled. That is one of Satan's favorite devices. Speaking of verses 7, 10, and 16, he asked whether it is true that a person of faith never dies in a battle, or gets a disease, or dies young. Are these promises absolutely true all of the time, meaning that if anything bad happens to you you are unbelieving, or is there another answer to this problem? He states that there are qualifications in these verses--whether it is God's will and for your good and His glory. Satan quoted parts of Psalm 91 when tempting Jesus. Jesus did not take the bait, and later terrible things did happen to Him--He was beaten, mocked, and died a painful death on the cross at a young age. Yet it was all part of God's plan and will for Him, and Jesus was victorious in the end. Mr. Piper points out that sometimes we will not get relief from our trials here, but rather in heaven.
Right now I am having some physical problems, and I thank the Lord for this reminder that even in the midst of difficulties, He loves and cares for me and will always do what is best, for my good and His glory. Someone (I think it may have been C.S. Lewis) has said that God shouts in our pain, and He certainly used it to get my attention. It hasn't been fun being in pain, but it has been refreshing to focus on the Lord and His purposes and trust in Him.

God's Sovereignty in Abraham's life

Today as I read in Genesis about the life of Abraham, I was again reminded of God's sovereign control and direction over all things. That was especially heartening as so many bad things are happening in the world today (just listen to any newscast), and it would be very easy for a Christian to become discouraged. Then I read #11 in John Piper's book, Taste and See, and found more food for thought:
"God's loving us is a means to our joyfully glorifying [H]im. God's love is penultimate; God's glory is ultimate...God has been merciful to us so that we would delight in glorifying [H]im for [H]is mercy...The goal of loving us through predestination is that we might have the everlasting joy of praising [H]is grace...God's love is the ground. His glory is the goal." Mr. Piper used these Scriptures to illustrate each point: Romans 15:8-9; Ephesians 1:4-6; and Psalm 86:12-13.
He then went on to say: "Why is this important? It's important because unless we understand this, we will not know what love really is. The love of God is not God's making much of us, but God's saving us from self-centered sin so that we can enjoy making much of [H]im forever. And our love to others is not our making much of them, but our helping them to find eternal satisfaction in making much of God. The only ultimate love is a love that aims at satisfying people in the glory of God. Any love that terminates on man is eventually destructive. It does not lead a person to the only lasting joy, namely, God. Love must be God-centered or it is not the greatest love; it leaves people without their deepest need and only hope.
After discussing the cross, forgiveness, and the justice of God, Piper states:
"So to vindicate [H]is justice [H]e does the unthinkable--[H]e puts [H]is Son to death as the penalty for our sins...But notice that this ultimately loving act has at the center of it and at the bottom of it the demonstration and vindication of the glorious righteousness of God. Calvary love is a God-glorifying love. God exalts God at the cross...man was rescued from sin in order that he might enjoy God's acts of glorifying God...If God values the glory of God so much in the rescuing of man, then the aim of that rescue would be to give man the ability and inclination to value God the way God does (see John 17:26). This is the ultimately loving aim of the cross. Christ did not die to make much of us, but to free us to enjoy, and participate in, God's making much of God forever."
In light of this, Piper points out that it is "wrong to turn the cross into a warrant for self-esteem as the root of mental health...That is not the presence of health but bondage to self. The only ultimate love is the sacrificial act of God saving me to share God's passion for the supremacy of God. Nothing glorifies [H]im, or satisfies us, more."
Everything God does is for His glory and our good. Praise His name!