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 CHRISTIAN HEART to KNOW HIM MORE and to MAKE HIM KNOWN Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Luke 4:8 (KJV)
Our hearts ought to be filled with praise, worship and thankfulness. The greater the thankfulness of a Christian, the greater is the praise and worship of GOD with her heart. All who are thankful to GOD for Christ are Christians. All Christians praise, worship and thank GOD for Christ. Let us all do it more and more, day after day.We thank GOD for what He did for us. We praise GOD for what He can do for us. We worship GOD for who He is - one and only. How about you? We call every heart filled with Christ, a Christian heart. How about you? Every heart that does God's will is a heart after God's own heart. Every woman who does God's will is a woman after God's own heart. Don't you want to be a woman after God's own heart! Yes, we all do.
A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. Matt 12:35 |
CHRISTIAN PRAISE
WHAT IS PRAISE? KEY BIBLE VERSE: I will thank you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. (Psalm 9:1)
PRAISE IS GIVING THANKS TO GOD FOR WHO HE IS. Praise is saying thank you for each aspect of his divine nature. Our inward attitude becomes outward expression. When we praise God, we help ourself by expanding our awareness of who he is. In each psalm you read, look for an attribute or characteristic of God for which you can thank him. KEY BIBLE VERSE: Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, I tell myself. I will praise the LORD as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God even with my dying breath. (Psalm 146:1-2)
PRAISE IS FOCUSING OUR HEART ON GOD. The last five psalms (146-150) are filled with praise. Each begins and ends with “Praise the Lord!” They show us where, why, and how to praise God. What does praise do? (1) Praise takes our minds off our problems and shortcomings and focuses them on God. (2) Praise leads us from individual meditation to corporate worship. (3) Praise causes us to consider and appreciate God’s character. (4) Praise lifts our perspective from the earthly to the heavenly. KEY BIBLE VERSE: Praise the LORD, I tell myself, and never forget the good things he does for me. (Psalm 103:2)
PRAISE IS THANKING GOD FOR HIS MANY GRACIOUS GIFTS. David’s praise focused on God’s glorious deeds. It is easy to complain about life, but David’s list gives us plenty for which to praise God-he forgives our sins, heals our diseases, redeems us from death, crowns us with love and compassion, satisfies our desires, and gives righteousness and justice. We receive all of these without deserving any of them. No matter how difficult your life’s journey, you can always count your blessings-past, present, and future. When you feel as though you have nothing for which to praise God, read David’s list. KEY BIBLE VERSE: God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
PRAISE IS THANKING GOD FOR OUR SALVATION. When someone gives you a gift, do you say, “That’s very nice-now how much do I owe you?” No, the appropriate response to a gift is “Thank you.” Yet how often Christians, even after they have been given the gift of salvation, feel obligated to try to work their way to God. Because our salvation and even our faith are gifts, we should respond with gratitude, praise, and joy. KEY BIBLE VERSE: With Jesus’ help, let us continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by proclaiming the glory of his name. (Hebrews 13:15)
PRAISE IS A SPIRITUAL OFFERING. These Jewish Christians, because of their witness that Jesus was the Messiah, no longer worshiped with other Jews. So praise and acts of service became their sacrifices-ones they could offer anywhere, anytime.
This must have reminded them of the prophet Hosea’s words, “Forgive all our sins and graciously receive us, so that we may offer you the sacrifice of praise” (Hosea 14:2).
A “sacrifice of praise” today would include thanking Christ for his sacrifice on the cross and telling others about it. Acts of kindness and sharing are particularly pleasing to God, even when they go unnoticed by others. - ILUMINA
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CHRISTIAN WORSHIP
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TEACH US ABOUT WORSHIP? KEY BIBLE VERSE: “Do not come any closer,” God told him. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground.” (Exodus 3:5)
WORSHIP IS FIRST AND FOREMOST AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE LIVING AND HOLY GOD. At God’s command, Moses removed his sandals and covered his face. Taking off his shoes was anact of reverence, conveying his own unworthiness before God. God is our friend, but he is also our sovereign Lord. To approach him frivolously shows a lack of respect and sincerity.
When you come to God in worship, do you approach him casually, or do you come as though you were an invited guest before a king? If necessary, adjust your attitude so it is suitable for approaching a holy God.
KEY BIBLE VERSE: These are the instructions for the whole burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering, and the peace offering.
The LORD gave these instructions to Moses on Mount Sinai when he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai. (Leviticus 7:37-38)
WORSHIP IS ONLY AS REAL AS THE INVOLVEMENT OF THOSE PARTICIPATING. God gave his people many rituals and instructions to follow. All the rituals in Leviticus were meant to teach the people valuable lessons. But over time, the people became indifferent to the meanings of these rituals, and they began to lose touch with God.
When your church appears to be conducting dry, meaningless rituals, try rediscovering the original meaning and purpose behind them. Your worship will be revitalized. KEY BIBLE VERSE: The LORD said to Moses, “Give these instructions to the people of Israel: The offerings you present to me by fire on the altar are my food, and they are very pleasing to me. See to it that they are brought at the appointed times and offered according to my instructions.” (Numbers 28:1-2)
A TRUE WORSHIP EXPERIENCE IS OFTEN A DIRECT RESULT OF PREPARATION FOR WORSHIP. Offerings had to be brought regularly and presented according to prescribed rituals under the priests’ supervision. Following these rituals took time, and this gave the people the opportunity to prepare their heart for worship.
Unless our heart is ready, worship is meaningless. In contrast, God is delighted, and we get more from it, when our heart is prepared to come before him in a spirit of thankfulness. KEY BIBLE VERSE: Sing praises to God, our strength. Sing to the God of Israel. Sing! Beat the tambourine. Play the sweet lyre and the harp. Sound the trumpet for a sacred feast when the moon is new, when the moon is full. (Psalm 81:1-3)
WORSHIP AND MUSIC GO HAND IN HAND. David instituted music for the temple worship services (1 Chronicles 25). Worship should involve the whole person, and music helps lift a person’s thoughts and emotions to God.
Through music we can reflect upon our needs and shortcomings as well as celebrate God’s greatness.
EVERYTHING DONE IN CORPORATE WORSHIP MUST BE BENEFICIAL TO THE WORSHIPERS. This principle touches every aspect-singing, preaching, and the exercise of spiritual gifts. Those contributing to a worship service must have love as their chief motivation, speaking useful words or participating in a way that will strengthen the faith of other believers. - ILUMINA
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A Heart That Loves God For I desire loyalty and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
No amount of activity for God will ever take the place of a heart that is right with Him. Through the ages God's people have been persuaded that they could please Him through their service and their offerings, regardless of their heart condition. King Saul offered generous sacrifices, hoping God would overlook his disobedience ( 1 Sam. 15:22–23). David may have assumed that after all he had done on God's behalf, God would overlook his sin ( 2 Sam. 12:7–15). Ananias and Sapphira thought that their generous gift to the church would compensate for their deceitfulness ( Acts 5:1–11). Paul was certainly one who had thought his zealousness would please God. After his conversion, however, he concluded that even if he had faith to remove mountains, gave all he had to feed the poor, and offered his body to be burned for the sake of God, and yet had a heart that was not right, it would all be for nothing ( 1 Cor. 13:1–3).
We are susceptible to the same misunderstanding as all of these people were. We can be deceived into assuming God is more interested in our activity for Him than He is in the condition of our heart. God has consistently made it clear that He will not be pacified by even the most generous offerings and zealous service if our hearts are not right with Him ( Mic. 6:6–8). No matter how much we do in God's service, regardless of how active we are in our church, no matter how honorable our reputation in the Christian community, He will not overlook a sinful heart. His desire is that we devote ourselves to knowing Himand loving Him with all of our hearts.—Experiencing God Day by Day
Worship the Lord with gladness... He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalms 100:2-4 (NLT)
REMARKABLE PURPOSE® We love to thank Him, praise Him, and worship Him with all our heart
OUR HEARTS LOVE HIM AND LOVE TO MAKE HIM KNOWN |
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