Category Archives: Praise / Worship / Glorify God

Lessons From Bartimaeus

Let us read carefully and pay attention to what we should already know, but can easily learn from the record of Bartimaeus in Luke 18. Do not simply read it and quickly move on, thinking … I know Jesus can heal people. There is more for us to reflect on.

Luke 18:35-43

Bartimaeus Receives Sight

     35As Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. 36Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire what this was. 37They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. 38And he called out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39Those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40And Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him; and when he came near, He questioned him, 41“What do you want Me to do for you?” And he said, “Lord, I want to regain my sight!” 42And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” 43Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.

  • Bartimaeus called out after Yeshua. Yeshua did not force Himself on Bartimaeus.
  • Others tried to quiet Bartimaeus, but he persisted. These may have been people who rejected Yeshua, but then why were they there, leading the way? Would seem perhaps that these were people who followed Yeshua and still they discouraged Bartimaeus. Perhaps they thought him undignified, or a distraction, or unimportant. Perhaps they thought he was being too rowdy or not “fitting the mold” they expected. He did not care. He cried out to Yeshua all the more… and Yeshua answered.
  • Bartimaeus asked for mercy. He demanded nothing. He called out for help knowing that he had nothing to offer Yeshua in return.
  • When Yeshua called for him, Bartimaeus was direct and honest, with no deception and holding nothing back. He was genuine. There was no bargaining. He did not ask for a laundry list of desires, but only His one greatest desire to be healed.
  • Once healed, Bartimaeus did not go about his business like nothing happened, focused on his selfish desires. He followed Yeshua and glorified the Father. He shared God’s act of mercy as testimony with others.

We have not all been blind physically, but we have all been blind spiritually. All of us have at one time or another been lost in sin and self and failed to embrace Christ. Some of us may still be there. For others, the Spirit stirred something in us to call out to the Lord and He has answered by coming into our lives and transforming us. We once were blind, but now can see. He saved us from eternal damnation in hell and an empty life on this earth without Him. Are we following Him, our lives transformed, giving glory to God, even when people try to quiet us down? Or are we comfortably getting along in our own lives going about our business without giving glory to God… without “rocking the boat”? We should ask the Lord’s help to lead us to praise and glorify God publically and continuously.

For those of us still sitting in spiritual blindness, or physical blindness for that matter, call out to the Lord. Call out for mercy. Believe Yeshua is the way to the Father and the Spirit can set you free and help you see. Accept the Father as Lord over your life. Expect Him to come into your life and transform you. Don’t let others convince you not to call out desperately to Him.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Shout Joyfully to the Lord, All The Earth

Psalm 100

All Men Exhorted to Praise God.

A Psalm for Thanksgiving.

      1Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.

      2Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.

      3Know that the LORD Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

      4Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.

      5For the LORD is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?

When we have needs we cry out to the Lord for help. When He helps and our needs are met, do we maintain the same enthusiasm calling out to Him in thanks and praise? We should.

Luke 17:11-19

Ten Lepers Cleansed

     11While He was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing between Samaria and Galilee. 12As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; 13and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were going, they were cleansed. 15Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, 16and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. 17Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they? 18“Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?” 19And He said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.”

Remember to thank YHWH with as much enthusiasm as you ask Him for help. He is worthy of praise and worship. He is certainly worthy of our thanks!

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Praise To The Lord For His Faithfulness

The Lord is in control. He is King of Kings. He is both holy and just. He answers our prayers and yet also disciplines us for disobedience and rebellion. He is a loving Father to His people. He is worthy of praise and worship.

Psalm 99

Praise to the LORD for His Fidelity to Israel.

      1The LORD reigns, let the peoples tremble;
He is enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake!

      2The LORD is great in Zion,
And He is exalted above all the peoples.

      3Let them praise Your great and awesome name;
Holy is He.

      4The strength of the King loves justice;
You have established equity;
You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.

      5Exalt the LORD our God
And worship at His footstool;
Holy is He.

      6Moses and Aaron were among His priests,
And Samuel was among those who called on His name;
They called upon the LORD and He answered them.

      7He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud;
They kept His testimonies
And the statute that He gave them.

      8O LORD our God, You answered them;
You were a forgiving God to them,
And yet an avenger of their evil deeds.

      9Exalt the LORD our God
And worship at His holy hill,
For holy is the LORD our God.

When you reflect on your life, not your intentions, is their clear evidence you are exalting the Lord? or yourself and your desires? Ask the Spirit to show you and then take time to listen, without getting defensive. Be like a child, seeking to hear the instruction from his Father as to what he should do to please Him.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

A Call To Praise The Lord For His Righteousness

Psalms help us to focus on praise and worship in our relationship with YHWH. I find it uplifting to focus on Him and His righteousness and glory. It is an important part of our relationship with Him. Take care not to neglect it. Too often I focus on the wickedness and disobedience of the world, even many who claim to be Christian. What a great reminder of our righteous Creator who rules over all.

Psalm 98

    1O sing to the LORD a new song,
For He has done wonderful things,
His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.

      2The LORD has made known His salvation;
He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations.

      3He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

      4Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth;
Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.

      5Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,
With the lyre and the sound of melody.

      6With trumpets and the sound of the horn
Shout joyfully before the King, the LORD.

      7Let the sea roar and all it contains,
The world and those who dwell in it.

      8Let the rivers clap their hands,
Let the mountains sing together for joy

      9Before the LORD, for He is coming to judge the earth;
He will judge the world with righteousness
And the peoples with equity.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

He Seeks That Which Is Lost

Rejoice that we serve a loving and kind Lord and master than loves each of us enough to pursue us. We are each important to Him. No matter how many or how few are the people who follow Him, He loves us and pursues us… even when we are not (or were not) pursuing Him.

Luke 15:1-10

The Lost Sheep

     1Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. 2Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

      3So He told them this parable, saying, 4“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5“When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6“And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7“I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

The Lost Coin

     8“Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9“When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’ 10“In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

He loved us when we were yet sinners. Let us be thankful. Let our praises ring out as we worship YHWH.

Romans 5:6-11

     6For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Worship The Lord, The Righteous Judge

Psalm 96

A Call to Worship the LORD the Righteous Judge.

1Sing to the LORD a new song;
Sing to the LORD, all the earth.

      2Sing to the LORD, bless His name;
Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.

      3Tell of His glory among the nations,
His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.

      4For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised;
He is to be feared above all gods.

      5For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the LORD made the heavens.

      6Splendor and majesty are before Him,
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

      7Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

      8Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name;
Bring an offering and come into His courts.

      9Worship the LORD in holy attire;
Tremble before Him, all the earth.

      10Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved;
He will judge the peoples with equity.”

      11Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
Let the sea roar, and all it contains;

      12Let the field exult, and all that is in it.
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy

      13Before the LORD, for He is coming,
For He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
And the peoples in His faithfulness.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

The Majesty of the Lord

Pause from your busy life and reflect prayerfully on the majesty of the Lord.

Psalm 93

The Majesty of the LORD.

1The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The LORD has clothed and girded Himself with strength;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.

      2Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting.

      3The floods have lifted up, O LORD,
The floods have lifted up their voice,
The floods lift up their pounding waves.

      4More than the sounds of many waters,
Than the mighty breakers of the sea,
The LORD on high is mighty.

      5Your testimonies are fully confirmed;
Holiness befits Your house,
O LORD, forevermore.

As we remember that the Lord reigns now and forevermore, let us lift up our praises to Him and find true peace in our relationship with Him.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Praise for the Lord’s Goodness

I, for one, do not praise the Lord enough. I praise Him, yes. But how can one ever praise Him enough. It is so easy to get distracted and busy and even when we talk to Him to focus on what we are asking or even thanking Him for. But just to dwell on His glory as our Father is something I do not do enough.

Psalm 92

Praise for the LORD’S Goodness.

A Psalm, a Song for the Sabbath day.

1It is good to give thanks to the LORD
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;

      2To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning
And Your faithfulness by night,

      3With the ten-stringed lute and with the harp,
With resounding music upon the lyre.

      4For You, O LORD, have made me glad by what You have done,
I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.

      5How great are Your works, O LORD!
Your thoughts are very deep.

      6A senseless man has no knowledge,
Nor does a stupid man understand this:

      7That when the wicked sprouted up like grass
And all who did iniquity flourished,
It was only that they might be destroyed forevermore.

      8But You, O LORD, are on high forever.

      9For, behold, Your enemies, O LORD,
For, behold, Your enemies will perish;
All who do iniquity will be scattered.

      10But You have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;
I have been anointed with fresh oil.

      11And my eye has looked exultantly upon my foes,
My ears hear of the evildoers who rise up against me.

      12The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree,
He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

      13Planted in the house of the LORD,
They will flourish in the courts of our God.

      14They will still yield fruit in old age;
They shall be full of sap and very green,

      15To declare that the LORD is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

Praise the Lord, indeed! Let us praise Him daily and enjoy the character of our loving and holy Father. Let us take time to focus on who He is and on His mighty works rather than our own perspective.  Let us find joy in our relationship with the Father as we bask in the glow of His goodness.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

Don’t Miss The Miracles Around You As God Reveals Himself To You

Sometimes it is those who are most entrenched in man’s practice of religion that miss God Himself as He comes before them. He reveals Himself in a way that is different than they expect and they can not accept it. Such an example is captured in Luke 5, where Jesus heals a paralytic. Those who just observe the miracle with no preconception for how God should work are amazed and immediately recognize the work of the Lord. Others, however, who are “learned” men such as teachers and Pharisees, can not accept it. They completely overlook the obvious miracle in front of them as they get tangled up in the words Jesus spoke. They dismiss that a paralytic was healed as they focus on their preconceived bias that Jesus could not possibly be the Son of God. They get indignant about Jesus’ choice of words. They clearly understood that He was claiming that He was the Son of God.

Were they not waiting for a Messiah? Of course they were, or at least according to the scriptures they studied they should be looking for one. They just could not accept that He was right in front of them.

Luke 5:17-26

   17One day He was teaching; and there were some Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing. 18And some men were carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in and to set him down in front of Him. 19But not finding any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus. 20Seeing their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” 21The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” 22But Jesus, aware of their reasonings, answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? 23“Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins have been forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24“But, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,”—He said to the paralytic—“I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.” 25Immediately he got up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. 26They were all struck with astonishment and began glorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

Let us challenge ourselves and pray for the Spirit to help us not miss the miracles God does around us because of preconceived biases we hold about how, when, and to whom He should reveal Himself. Let us be open to recognize when He is revealing Himself to us. It may well be in a way or at a time or place we do not expect.

Praise the Lord that He chooses to reveal Himself to us at all and that with the Spirit we may receive Him fully!

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.