Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving

 Philippians 4:4-6 (NASB95) 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Psalm 7:17 (NASB95)

I will give thanks to the LORD according to His righteousness And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

Colossians 3:17 (NASB95)

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Revelation 11:17 (NASB95)

saying, “We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.

In Everything Give Thanks

 In Everything Give Thanks

November 27, 2024

Yesterday we were looking at the passage in 1 Thessalonians where it talks about out encouraging one another. If you read further in chapter 5, you find these verses:

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

16Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Now brace yourself. I’m going to reveal a deep theology truth here. Are you ready? The word translated “everything” here has the Greek meaning…. Everything! … I  know that shocking, right? I know you were hoping there was some hidden meaning that says to be thankful for the good things and to bless God when things are going your way. But nooooo… everything means every-thing, all-things, whatever and whenever. That hardly seems fair does it. Well I’ll let you in on another deep secret… God is not fair. It was not fair for Jesus to have to die for you sins and it’s not fair for you to have to forgive someone 70 times 7 when they haven’t even apologized. God is not fair,  but He is just. It is justice that demands a blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins and required us to forgive one another as the Lord has forgiven us. And yes, it is just for us to rejoice even when we don’t feel like it. When we rejoice always and give hanks in everything  we acknowledge that God is good and that His goodness is in everything around us. We may not always see it at first, but if you look hard, and especially look back you will see God’s goodness in everything.

How many times has something happened to you that appeared to be bad but turned out for the best. Did you ever suffer through a broken relationship that helped you to minister to someone else in their time of need and brokenness? There were even stories from 9/11 of people who got caught in traffic or missed a train connection which caused them to be late for work at the twin towers, and that mishap saved their lives when the towers came down. So it may not be fair, and it certainly is not logical, but we are to give thanks in everything. It even says here that it is God’s will that you do so! So tomorrow when you gather with friends and family to celebrate Thanksgiving , consider what you can be thankful for and rejoice. And I haven’t even started on “pray without ceasing”…. Till next time…

Are You Discouraged?

 Are You Discouraged?

November 26, 2024

Things don’t always go our way and we can get discouraged. An extreme example of this is found in the life of David.

1 Samuel 30:6 

David’s Victory over the Amalekites

6Moreover David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all the people were embittered, each one because of his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

In this story, the Amalekites had attacked David’s camp, burned everything and carried off all of their women and children. The people were so upset by this that they threatened to stone David. However, he was able to strengthen and encourage himself and and lead his men on a counter attack which recovered their families and possessions. How did he encourage himself? It doesn’t say here, but there is a clue in Psalms 42 and 43.

Psalms 42:11

11 Why are you in despair, O my soul?

Andwhy have you become disturbed within me?

Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,

The help of my countenance and my God.

Psalms 43:4-5

4 Then I will go to the altar of God,

To God my exceeding joy;

And upon the lyre I shall praise You, O God, my God.

5 Why are you in despair, O my soul?

And why are you disturbed within me?

Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him,

The help of my countenance and my God.

In these Psalms, the psalmist, presumably King David, speaks to his own soul, which is in despair.He tells himself to hope in God and praise HIm. He also used a lyre to praise the Lord and this encouraged himself. Through this praise, the Lord helped his raise his countenance. 

I can relate to this even though I don’t have a lyre, but I do have a guitar and a piano. Playing praise and worship music can help me encourage myself when I am down. If your don’t play an instrument yourself, you can always play Christian radio or a YouTube video to help get into an attitude of praise.

In the New Testament, we find that fellowship is a key part of encouragement.

1 Thessalonians 5:14

14 We urgeyou, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

11 Thereforeencourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.

Hebrews 3:13a

13 But encourage oneanother day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,”…

In the fellowship of believers, it is our responsibility to encourage one another. When one of us is faint hearted, those who are stronger in the Lord are instructed to encourage them. In Hebrews we are admonished to encourage one another daily, “as long as it is still called ‘today’”. The last time I checked, today was still called “today”, so we need to encourage one another today! 

I’m not sure the church is always very good at this. In our church service, we always offer the chance for someone to pray for you, but what if you are so discouraged that you don’t want to come to church? Does anyone call them to see what is the matter? Sometimes this happens, but too often, we just say, “So and so didn’t come to church, but oh well, they must have had something better to do.” I’m talking to myself here, as I’m not always aware of the need to call someone who stops coming to church. As they say, “To have a friend, you must be a friend.” Likewise, I think it is also true, “To be encouraged, you need to be an encourager.” Encouraging someone else will take your mind off of your own troubles and you will end up also encouraging yourself.

So, “Why so downcast, O my soul…”? There is hope in God and you can tap into that by praising the Lord and encouraging a brother. This week is Thanksgiving, so giving thanks is also a way to encourage yourself.

Psalms 42:11

11 Why are you in despair, O my soul?

And why have you become disturbed within me?

Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,

The help of my countenance and my God.

If My People

 If My People

Nov 22, 2024

Yesterday, we were talking about the manifest presence of God at the dedication of Solomon’s temple. The story continues in chapter 7 with more amazing signs.

2 Chronicles 7:1-3 (NASB95) 

1 Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory ofthe LORD filled the house. 2 The priests could not enter into the house of the LORD because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD’S house. 3 All the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the LORD upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the LORD, saying, “Truly He is good, truly His lovingkindness is everlasting.”

Now, after this powerful event, the Lord appeared to Solomon’s and made him a promise:

2 Chronicles 7:12-14 (NASB95) 

12 Then the LORD appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a houseof sacrifice. 13 “If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, 14 and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Verse 14 is often quoted without the surrounding context. We see when we look at the whole story that this promise was made in the midst of an powerful appearance by the Lord with fire and in a cloud. This harkens back to the journey through the wilderness where the Lord’s presence was with them daily for forty years in the cloud and in the fire. For all those forty years, the Lord fed them mana and protected them. Thus, Solomon and the people would have had this in mind when they experienced this magnificent worship service in the new temple. And after that, the Lord reminded them how he would protect and heal them if they humble themselves and pray.

Our nation has also been blessed and protected by the Lord over the years. In this troubled time, we need to remember how the Lord has been with us, humble ourselves, and pray, and ask him to heal our land one more time. We can see signed around us that He is moving , but there are also troubling signers around us of wars and rumors of wars. The Bible says to expect that in the last days, so we should not be surprised, but seek the Lord all the more. Just as He was able to fill the temple with a cloud and ignite the offering on fire, He is able to hear us today and forgive our sins and heal our land. 

“Truly He is good, truly His loving kindness is everlasting.”

Cloud of HIs Presence

 Cloud of His Presence

November 21, 2024

2 Chronicles 5:11-14 (NASB95) 

11When the priests came forth from the holy place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without regard to divisions), 12 and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and kinsmen, clothed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps and lyres, standing east of the altar, and with them one hundred and twenty priests blowing trumpets 13 in unison when the trumpeters and the singers were to make themselves heard with one voice to praise and to glorify the LORD, and when they lifted up their voice accompanied by trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and when they praised the LORD saying,  “He indeed is good for His lovingkindness is everlasting,” then the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, 14 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.

The dedication of Solomon’s temple is one of the best examples of pure worship in the Bible. You have 120 priests blowing trumpets along with uncounted other musicians with trumpets, symbols and lyres and many singers making themselves heard with one voice praising the Lord. Now that was a worship service to remember! The chorus that they sang was “He indeed is good for His lovingkindness is everlasting,” Now this was spectacular enough, but the Lord’s response was even more wonderful. The presence of the Lord filled the temple with a visible cloud and HIs manifold presence was so heavy that the priests could not stand.

There have only been a few times in my life when the Lord’s manifold presence was so heavy that no one could stand. One time was at a revival meeting in Florida where there were hundreds of people. When the Lord’s presence came into the congregation no one could stand or make a sound, but we could still hear the sound of angels singing! In fact, there were even people prostrate on the lawn in such numbers that the neighbors called 911 thinking there was a gas leak or other disaster at the church. A manifestation like that is not one that you ever forget. In fact, the declaration of the evangelist at that meeting was “Never the same!”.

Such physical manifestations of the presence of God are rare. It’s only recorded one time for Solomon, but seeking His presence is something that we need to do every day. Most of the time the Lord speaks like he did to Elijah in a “still small voice.” But He does speak, and He is present, even if we don’t see the cloud and hear the angels sing. So find a quiet spot and seek the Lord. Meditate on His Word and listen for His voice. The chorus from Solomon’s temple is always appropriate to sing, “He indeed is good for His lovingkindness is everlasting,” and His presence is with us, even when we don’t see the cloud.

 

Tabernacle of David

 Tabernacle of David

November 19, 2024

Acts 15:13-18

13 After they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first concernedHimself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. 15 With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, 

16 ‘AFTER THESE THINGS I will return,

AND I WILL REBUILD THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID WHICH HAS FALLEN,

AND I WILL REBUILD ITS RUINS,

AND I WILL RESTORE IT,

17 SO THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD,

AND ALL THE GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,’

18 SAYS THE LORD, WHO MAKES THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM LONG AGO.

Yesterday we were talking about the musicians that King David assigned to minister before the Lord. In the book of Acts, James quotes the prophet Amos who said that restoring the tabernacle (tent) of David was a sign of extending the Kingdom of God to the gentiles. That would mean that the tabernacle of David is active in this age since the church has been extended to all peoples (gentiles). So what is special about the tabernacle of David? First Chronicles tells us of the founding of this tent when he had the ark returned to Jerusalem.

1 Chronicles 16:1-7

A Tent for the Ark

1 And they brought in the ark of God and placed it inside the tent which David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings andpeace offerings before God. 2 When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. 3 He distributed to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread and a portion of meat and a raisin cake.

4 He appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the LORD, even to celebrate and to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel: 5 Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom and Jeiel, with musical instruments, harps, lyres; also Asaph played loud-sounding cymbals, 6 and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests blew trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.

7 Then on that day David first assigned Asaph and his relatives to give thanks to the LORD.

There were animal sacrifices in this tent, as there were in the tabernacle of Moses, but the distinguishing characteristic of David’s tabernacle was the continual praise and worship. He appointed hundreds of musicians and singers the celebrate with thanksgiving and praise 24 hours a day. The Levites appointed to this ministry had assigned shifts so there was a continual offering of praise and worship in the presence of the Lord before the Ark of the Covenant. And it was not a quiet kind of worship either. He specified that there be loud symbols, stringed instruments and the continual blowing of trumpets. Psalm 150 describes this as well.

Psalms 150

A Psalm of Praise.

1 Praise the LORD!

Praise God in His sanctuary;

Praise Him in His mighty expanse.

2 Praise Him for His mighty deeds;

Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.

3 Praise Him with trumpet sound;

Praise Him with harp and lyre.

4 Praise Him with timbrel and dancing;

Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.

5 Praise Him with loud cymbals;

Praise Him with resounding cymbals.

6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.

Praise the LORD!

This is the kind of praise and worship that we should have in the restored tabernacle of David. So don’t be shy, but raise your voice and blow the trumpet. Sound the symbols and play the stringed instruments for now is the time to praise the Lord. Hallelujah!  Note that every mention of “praise the Lord” in Psalm 150 is “Hallelujah” in Hebrew. So raise a hallelujah for now is the time for all peoples to come into the tabernacle of David and praise the Lord together.

.

Musicians in the House

 Musicians in the House

November 18; 2024

1 Chronicles 25:1 (NASB95) 

Moreover, David and the commanders of the army set apart for the service some of the sons of Asaph and of Heman and of Jeduthun, whowere to prophesy with lyres, harps and cymbals; and the number of those who performed their service was: …

1 Chronicles 25:6-7 

6 All these were under the direction of their father to sing in the house of the LORD, with cymbals, harps and lyres, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the direction of the king. 7 Their number who were trained in singing to the LORD, with their relatives, all who were skillful, was 288.

Today’s scripture reading is out of Chronicles. It’s easy to get bogged down in this section of the Bible with all the genealogies and minute details of the history of the kings of Israel. However, this passage struck me as important to me because it lists the musicians that King David appointed to serve in the tabernacle. The fact that struck me as important, is that of all the officials appointed to serve the kings, the musicians were listed first. When you have been a church musician for a long time, such as I have been, you can get a bit jaded. There is a danger that the worship service can become simply a performance, but it is much more important than that. The king listed the musicians first because they were not just entertainment, but were a vital part of the worship which was an essential part of the business of running a kingdom. Note that it not does say that they played instrument, but that the prophesied with their instrument. Worship proclaims the glory and majesty of the Lord and invites the power of the Holy Spirit into the congregation which brings wisdom and power and healing. Worshipping first, before anything else, was essential for the king to rule in a godly way and not just out of his own wisdom and strength. King David knew that. It is said that David was a man after God’s own heart. He knew about seeking the Lord first before he made any significant moves as a king.

Also, there were not just one of two musicians. It says here that the choir had 288 members. Now that is a pretty impressive ensemble! Do we have that same dedication to prophesy with our instruments and to sing skillfully before we make any important decisions?  Looking back to the battle of Jericho we remember that it was the musicians that went first ahead of the army and that the Lord’s victory was announced by the trumpets before the wall fell! The army only went in to clean up after the sounding of the trumpets and shouts of the people brought down the wall.

So, if you are called to be a musician in the church, be encouraged. Our part is very important. Praise and worship opens the gates for the people to enter into the presence of the Lord and ushers in the Holy Spirit to bring power, wisdom and healing to the people. It is not a small thing and being skillful is also important. The King deserves the best that we have to offer. So take heart and worship the Lord with all your heart and all your mind. It will bless the Lord and His people.