Category: Praise

HALLELUJAH CHORUS…(The Bible’s Impact on Music [May 31])

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How are you rejoicing today? How are you celebrating today? What is causing your joy to bubble over today? What is encouraging you today? What are you doing to exult and give God praise? What are you doing to give God glory? How is your life different because of your relationship with Jesus? Is it visible to the people around you? We are saved by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, not by works so that we can’t boast about ourselves! What fruit of the Spirit are you producing? What stewardship are you living out? Without works, even though it isn’t how we are saved, faith is dead!

Today’s reading comes to us from Revelation 19…

Rejoicing in Heaven

1After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
2 for his judgments are true and just;
for he has judged the great prostitute
who corrupted the earth with her immorality,
and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”
3Once more they cried out,
“Hallelujah!
The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.”
4And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” 5And from the throne came a voice saying,
“Praise our God,
all you his servants,
you who fear him,
small and great.”

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

6Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure”—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
9And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 10Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

The Rider on a White Horse

11Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
17Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, 18to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.” 19And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. 20And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.

Let’s be on the winning side together! Let’s all be followers of Jesus! Let’s remember how in the end, at the final battle, Jesus wins! Jesus has already conquered sin and death and has made it available to us today so that we can receive the gift through faith in Him! Ever read the last part of a book to make sure you like the ending before starting to read it and be disappointed? Reading the book of Revelation from the Bible allows you to know that it has a good ending for those who have decided to receive Jesus into their lives as their Lord and Savior. It also provides a warning for others what the alternative is. So today I pray that the love of God with His wisdom and peace and discernment will open up your eyes to see and your ears to hear how much God loves you and desires to have an intimate relationship with you.

Let’s pray…

For those who prayed this for the first time or as a recommitment to God, I celebrate with the angels in heaven that you made the greatest decision of your life. Will you leave a comment so that I know and pray for you? Will you leave a comment or question so we can have a conversation? Look for a local church that is a Bible believing, Bible preaching church that will be able to come along side you and help you in this journey called life.

Today’s devotional from The Global Impact Bible on the topic of the impact of the Bible on music speaks to us about Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus”. We learn about Handel and the famous choral composition “Handel’s Messiah” where all the words come from the Bible. It also speaks to how “Handel’s Messiah” is performed every Easter weekend and ends with “Hallelujah” a rousing chorus composed of texts from Revelation 19:4,6,16 and 11:15.

‘And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. ‘

–from Revelation 19:4,6,16

and

‘Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” ‘

–from Revelation 11:15

Heavenly Father,
I can’t do this on my own and so I give this day up to You. I ask Lord for Your wisdom and discernment around everything that I am supposed to do or not do. Help me Lord to be the person You have created, called, and purposed for me to be so that in all that I think, say, and do, You will receive the praise, the honor, and the glory in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Let’s praise Him!

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We should be able to do it daily! Today is Friday for me and how many times will someone say “Thank God it’s Friday”? Who is up for saying “Thank God it’s today” everyday! This is the day that the Lord has made so let’s rejoice and be glad in it!

So today let’s submit our today to Jesus, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, and the prince of peace! Let’s praise Him in all we do! Let’s give Him the praise, the honor, and the glory! Let’s make our lives living sacrifices that are poured out to Him and for Him that through every thought, word, and deed we give and get Him the praise, the honor, and the glory!

Will you stand up? Will you take a stand? Will you get out of your comfort zone in order to glorify God? Will you get up and make a difference in the lives of those around you so that God will be lifted up and praised? This is the day that the Lord has made, so let’s rejoice and be glad in it!

Will you open the door to invite others into a moment of worshipping God?

Why not opened up the door today! Help others to come into God’s presence and praise Him!

Isn’t He worth more than a sporting event? So why not make sure we can have the same energy, the same exuberance, the same excitement when we come to praise Him? Only God deserves to get worshipped and praised! Everyone else is human and we need to put first things first and align to God’s purpose and plan for our lives! So will He be your focus for today? Will you seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness? Will you lean not on your own understanding but rather put your trust in God? Will today be the day of breakthru? Will today be the day of new beginnings? Will today be the day of transformation?

Need somewhere to start getting some of that Hallelujah feeling? Check out Psalms 146–150!

Don’t know Jesus yet? Why not invite Him into your heart today? Why not ask Him to forgive you and to lead you for the rest of your life? Want to discuss it more? Feel free to reach out to me as I would be happy to talk with you and help you plug into a Christian body by helping you look for a church in your area.

For those of us who receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, for those of us who have invited Him into our heart, one day we will get to be a part of the Hallelujah party! Let’s put on the full armor of God that we can stand firm until that day! Let’s lift Him up so that He receives the glory! Let’s lift Him up for all He is doing, has done, and is about to do! Let’s participate in God’s victory by sharing our testimonies for we know that we overcome by the blood of the lamb and the words of our testimonies!

Let’s be God’s people! Let’s not allow darkness to get footholds but rather let’s be salt and light into this dark world! Let’s be the people who will praise and worship God!

Hallelujah — Day 361: Bible In One Year 2018

  • The Hallelujah psalms … Psalms 148:1-6
  • The Hallelujah party … Revelation 18:17-19:10
  • The Hallelujah people … Nehemiah 7:4-8:18

How much do you believe? What would it take to make you a believer?

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Are you a nonbeliever? Are you a disbeliever? Are you a skeptic? Are you a doubter? Are you a believer?

What if your life was turned upside and you were stuck with people from across that spectrum? Would anything through a near death experience change you? Would your faith as a believer shine even brighter in that darkness? Would that light of Jesus turn people to you and potentially to God? Would your non belief or disbelief or skepticism change if you saw a believer living out the situation with hope, joy, peace, truth, love impact you or would you become even deeper rooted in your non/disbelief? What if they helped you read through the Bible about God’s great love for you? What they provided an opportunity for people to receive the gift of God of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord? Do you think it would change things?

What if it were something that impacted a loved one, would that make a difference?

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy

14 When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some teachers of religious law were arguing with them. 15 When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they ran to greet him.

16 “What is all this arguing about?” Jesus asked.

17 One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. 18 And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”

19 Jesus said to them, “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

20 So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth.

21 “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father.

He replied, “Since he was a little boy. 22 The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.”

23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”

24 The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

25 When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. “Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” he said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!”

26 Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.

28 Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, “Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?”

29 Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer.”

–from Mark 9

What if it were a life or death situation, would that make a difference? Would you want to be one of the ones cast away before of your unbelief?

Jesus Heals in Response to Faith

40 On the other side of the lake the crowds welcomed Jesus, because they had been waiting for him. 41 Then a man named Jairus, a leader of the local synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come home with him. 42 His only daughter,[a] who was about twelve years old, was dying.

As Jesus went with him, he was surrounded by the crowds. 43 A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding,and she could find no cure. 44 Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped.

45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.

Everyone denied it, and Peter said, “Master, this whole crowd is pressing up against you.”

46 But Jesus said, “Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.” 47 When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees in front of him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed. 48 “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

49 While he was still speaking to her, a messenger arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. He told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.”

50 But when Jesus heard what had happened, he said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith, and she will be healed.”

51 When they arrived at the house, Jesus wouldn’t let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, James, and the little girl’s father and mother. 52 The house was filled with people weeping and wailing, but he said, “Stop the weeping! She isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.”

53 But the crowd laughed at him because they all knew she had died.54 Then Jesus took her by the hand and said in a loud voice, “My child, get up!” 55 And at that moment her life returned, and she immediately stood up! Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were overwhelmed, but Jesus insisted that they not tell anyone what had happened.

–from Luke 8

Would you care enough for someone else that you would seek the truth and not just ignore it? What would it take for you to get to the end of your rope before you turned back or turn to God? Would you really have to hit rock bottom before you would consider looking up to God? Do you really think you can do it on your own or in your own power? Do you really think that it is your way or the highway? Do you realize that there is a way? Do you realize there is a way that will allow you to power through the troubles and trials so that you can take heart and even consider it pure joy through them?

Are you a believer? Are you preparing daily so that if and when God needs you that you are able to stand firm on the truth and speak the truth in love, speak life, speak hope into the world around you?

Are you a non/disbeliever/seeker who when they run into trouble have someone to turn to or reach out to?

Do you know your surroundings? Do you know your situation? Are you prepared?

Do you realize you aren’t alone? Do you realize that Jesus isn’t out there somewhere? Do you realize He is God with us? Do you realize that He is wanting to start and develop and grow an intimate relationship with you so that you can walk through life together? So don’t try to go through it alone! Lean not on your own understanding! Put your trust in God!

Do you realize when 2 or more come together in His name, He is there like the cord of 3 strands that isn’t easily broken?

cord-of-three-strands

Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to be in the situation! Let’s seek the truth! Let’s seek wisdom! Let’s seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness!

So let’s make sure to give Jesus the praise, the honor, and the glory! It is by His strength and His power that we are saved! It is by His strength and His power that lives can be transformed! It is by His strength and His power that there will be a way even when there doesn’t seem to be a way! He is the way, the truth, and the life! He is our way to get to the Father in heaven!

Let’s take a moment to read the Lord’s Prayer and capture the pattern for prayer…

9Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
10May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
11Give us today the food we need,
12and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
–from Matthew 6
I remember going through the Lord’s prayer in a men’s group being led by @JKJenkins and even purchasing a CD with the message on it and it spoke and broke down each piece of the prayer and how we can implement it into our daily prayers. The links above the Bible verse speak to this breakdown (and linking here too).
So believers, let’s lift up the flag of Jesus by being living sacrifices through the way we live in the very places God has brought us to work and live. Let’s be prepared for when that person comes to you with questions or problems or issues and needs you to be God’s arms and hands extended! Let’s be light that shines through the darkness! Let’s be salt that spices up the situation! Let’s be salt and light that helps bring purity into the situation! Let’s go out today prepared to do the good works that God is preparing in advance to do!
You a non-believer? You a disbeliever? You questioning the existence of God?
I am happy to chat! I can tell you stories of what God has done in and through me when I was being obedient and disobedient, when I went with His plan and when I resisted it, and many of those stories can be found on this site! Leave me a comment! You connected to me on social networking? Reach out there? You someone who is near me – at work? at home? other places? Stop me! Ask me! I am happy to share and happy to pray with you and share all that God has done in my life since 2000 and then even in 2005 when He called me to start this blog. Happy to even tell you the story of how this all got started all those years ago!
Will today be your day? Let me know…

How to Honour the Lord

Day 352: Bible In One Year 2018

One of my stories that I shared with people from work…

What type of attitude are you walking around with?

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How is it impacting your behavior? How is it impacting your frame of mind? How is it impacting your health? How is it impacting your words? How is it impacting your responses?

What is your posture saying about your attitude? Body language tells people a lot more than words and tone. (55% body language, 38% tone, 7% words) – Do words matter? Yes. Does how you say it matter? Yes. Does your attitude about it expressed your body language matter? Yes. Are you smiling? Even when you write an email? Even when you are on the phone? How about when you are in person?

It matters!

So what type of an attitude are you living with? It will impact you and the people around you either way. Is it positive or negative? Is it filled with gratitude or is it filled with criticism, disapproval, admonition, or condemnation? Is it filled with gratitude or is it filled with disregard or neglect?

Do you realize what Jesus already did for you? Do you realize what He is able to do for you now if or when you walk out this life in relationship with Him? Are you grateful? Is your attitude walking thru life reflecting your gratitude? Are you able to let His light shine through your life? Are you inviting Him into every area of  your life? Are you allowing Him to be Lord of all your life or is He not Lord at all in your life?

Don’t walk around with worry or regret! Let’s do what God’s Word through the apostle Paul recommends…

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

–from Philippians 4:6

Not just some situation, not just the easier ones, not just the harder ones, it says EVERY SITUATION! So let’s take hold of this truth and in every situation, let’s invite God into it so that you can celebrate with Him the good ones and be encouraged and receive wisdom and discernment when they are hard ones. Let’s talk to God about it! Let’s intercede about the situation! When we don’t know what to say or what to pray, let’s lean on the Holy Spirit as we are moaning, groaning about the situation to be our intercessor to the Father! He knows what we have need of even before we ask, so it become more a matter of humility and being able to turn to Him and invite Him into the situation! Let’s be willing to appeal to God about the situation! Let’s be willing to call on God in our situations because we know He loves and cares for us! Ask Jesus to help! Help you and be grateful! Help others and be grateful!

So will you live out today with an attitude of gratitude? Will you live out today with thanksgiving and praise? Will you walk out today with God, talking with Him and not running away from Him? Including Him in every conversation, decision, and get direction from Him?

This is the day that the Lord has made, so let’s rejoice and be glad in it!

Let’s take time to get filled up with God’s Word for today…

Attitude of Gratitude

Day 277: Bible In One Year 2017

  1. Publicly offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving … Psalm 116:12-19
  2. Continually give thanks to God … Colossians 1:1-23
  3. Beware of neglecting thanksgiving … Jeremiah 7:30-9:16

What do you like to do?

Posted in Enjoy, Hope, Humility, Joy, Morning Bible Reading..., Praise, Praise ReportLeave a comment

How do you express it? How do describe it? Have ever realized how important it is to express how much you like something? Have you noticed how it completes it?Remember that one movie where in the scene they say “you complete me“? What does it take to express such emotion and love? How about when you have a great meal, how many compliments do you hear about the food, the chef, the restaurant, etc?How about a walk through nature in the fall with all the colors? How about a wedding of a young couple?Do you realize that praise is something that helps us complete the experience? It is something that comes naturally from liking what you are doing.In this same way there is no good reason why we can’t or shouldn’t be praising and worshipping God is the author and perfected and from whom every good and perfect gift comes.When the joy of the Lord is our strength, that joy will overflow into praise of God!It’s natural! It’s expected! It’s required to complete us! So let’s enjoy this life God has given us and praise Him in and through it all! Let’s allow everything in our lives to complete their work and purpose so that may be complete and lacking nothing! Let’s persevere and praise God in all we do!

How to Enjoy God

Day 229: Bible in One Year 2017

  1. Singing and music … Psalm 98:1-9

  2. Awe and thanksgiving … 1 Corinthians 11:2-34

  3. Integrity and passion … 2 Chronicles 7:11-9:31

Today’s reading from God’s Word comes from…