Tag: worship

Advent Day 24, A Journey, A Birth, A Heavenly Chorus

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Today we come to the Christmas Eve story of the birth of Jesus. I marvel each time I read this passage at the protection, the provision and the majesty of God that we see in these words. Luke 2:1-20

The journey for Mary and Joseph at the decreed of the government was used by God to reposition Mary and Joseph to be in Bethlehem for Jesus’ birth as foretold by the prophets hundreds of years before. “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.  God protected them on the road, made it possible for Mary to withstand the journey on a donkey and brought them into Bethlehem for the birth.

The birth of Jesus was timed perfectly as God provided a place for them to stay, when there was nothing available, and provided for the delivery of the child. “6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.“

After the birth, God joyously announced the arrival of His Son to the lowly shepherds watching their flocks just outside Bethlehem. “ And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Having received the glorious news the shepherds wanted to see this child for themselves. “15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.“

Do you seek to see Jesus yourself during this Advent season? Do you identify with the journey and how God provided? God can and will do similar things in our lives if we know Jesus. Knowing Jesus is the key to life and happiness as he brings love and peace into our hearts.

I pray this Christmas Eve story finds a special place in your heart today.

Linda

Advent Day 17, Restoration Assured in Jesus

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Our Advent calendar takes us to Psalm 126 today. This psalm is one of a group known as the Psalms of Ascent which were sung as worship songs. This song is one of praise and pleading to God for mercy.

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
    we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
    and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
    “The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us;
    we are glad.

In this first stanza the psalmist praises God for the great things He has done in their midst. He brought them back from captivity in Babylon after 70 years. He has restored their joy and their place among the nations. Praise is due to God in great abundance for his great mercy towards them.

4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
    like streams in the Negeb!
5 Those who sow in tears
    shall reap with shouts of joy!
6 He who goes out weeping,
    bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
    bringing his sheaves with him.

The second stanza asks for further restoration. They have seen what God has done and exclaim to Him what joys his grace and mercy have brought. God’s restoration has an electrifying effect on the people as it turns sorrowful tears and hard work to shouts of joy with great productivity.

As you reflect this Advent season, what has God done in your life this year that you are most grateful for? Did He turn circumstances around in your life? Did He bring blessings to you in a special way? Did He help you to mend a relationship or have the strength to end an addiction? Did you narrowly escape an accident or calamity? Did timing fall just right when you were waiting for results? God does many things in our lives and we need to take time to reflect and praise Him. Look for the hand or God, His providential care in your life- it is there! God is the great restorer. 1 Peter 5:10 “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” Our hope is placed in Him who can redeem and restore us.

What do you desire God to restore this Advent season? Take a lesson from this psalm- praise Him for what He has done and lay before Him where you need mercy and grace. Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” God is faithful beyond measure and is merciful.

Linda

Christ Did It All for Me

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As I near the end of this Lenten season and my journey through the Psalms, it seems appropriate to conclude with one of my favorite psalms. Psalm 103 had always held a special place in my heart as the messages contained within are so encouraging to my faith.

Psalm 103:1-5 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and all that is within me,
    bless his holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
    who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit,
    who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can claim the benefits of knowing and trusting in God without any reservations.

God promises the benefits of faith: healing, forgiveness, redemption, love, mercy, goodness and renewal! That is why without reservation, I can praise His name and call Him blessed. He has healed my broken heart, forgiven my sins and restored me on more than one occasion. He has treated me with love and tender mercy and renewed my life when I thought all was lost. I think this is why this psalm resonates so with me. It seems a picture of my spiritual journey and shows the hope and redemption I have found in Christ. I pray the words of this psalm speak to you today and remind you of how blessed with are to know and live in Christ.

Linda

Worthy of Worship, Father and Son

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Psalm 96 begs the question, why do you worship God? What about God is worthy of praise? Psalm 96 gives the answer in full Technicolor with lots of exclamation points! The psalmist extols God for who He is and proclaims His greatness.

Sing a new song to the Lord!
    Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!
2 Sing to the Lord; praise his name.
    Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. He is worthy of praise as He alone SAVES.
3 Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.
    Tell everyone about the amazing things he does. His deeds are wonderous.
4 Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!
    He is to be feared above all gods.
5 The gods of other nations are mere idols,
    but the Lord made the heavens! He is no mere idol or wood. He is greater than any other god.
6 Honor and majesty surround him;
    strength and beauty fill his sanctuary. He is surrounded by glory in heaven.

7 O nations of the world, recognize the Lord;
    recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong. He is glorious and strong.
8 Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!
    Bring your offering and come into his courts.
9 Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor.
    Let all the earth tremble before him. Worship Him as all earth quakes before Him.
10 Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!”
    The world stands firm and cannot be shaken.
    He will judge all peoples fairly. He is the just judge.

11 Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!
    Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
12 Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!
    Let the trees of the forest sing for joy All creation praises and rejoice in Him.
13 before the Lord, for he is coming!
    He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice,
    and the nations with his truth. Unlike earthly kings, He will just with absolute justice and truth.

The psalmist in Psalm 86:8 describes God. “Among the gods there is none like you, Lord; no deeds can compare with yours.” In Isaiah 46:9 God describes himself. “Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.”

Why would we go looking anyplace else for one to follow and worship?

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, we can worship the one true God in Jesus the Son. Philippians 2:9-11 “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place  and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.”

Linda

Third Sunday of Advent, Shepherd’s Candle

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Today is the lighting of the third candle in the Advent wreath. It is called the Shepherd’s candle and represents joy. During the lighting the story is told of the angels appearing to the shepherds announcing the birth of the Christ child and where He could be found. Joy is contagious and once the arrival of the Messiah was proclaimed the shepherds wanted to find the child and worship Him. May you feel that same joy today and may it draw you closer to the Savior.

This next week we will be riding to Bethlehem on a donkey, be looking for room at an inn, seeing shepherds in their fields and rejoicing with angels. Here are some words of JOY for today as we worship.

Psalm 5:11 “But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
    let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,
    that those who love your name may exult in you.”

Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life;
    in your presence there is fullness of joy;
    at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Luke 2:10 “And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

Romans 10:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

May we be filled with the joy of the Lord today as we continue to anticipate the coming of the Christ child who brought freedom from bondage to sin through His life, death and resurrection.

Linda

A Song of Praise from Zachariah

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After 9 long months of not being able to speak, Zachariah’s silence ends with the naming of his son John, just as the angel had said. The Lord graciously gave Zachariah words of prophecy that burst forth along with his praises. What a wonderful confirmation to Zachariah and Elizbeth that their son John was to have a part in God’s plan for mankind along with the coming savior. They knew Mary, who was staying in their home, was carrying God’s child. I am dividing Zachariah’s prophecy into two days. Here is part 1 of   Zechariah’s Prophecy, Luke 1:67-75:

67 Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy                          68 “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
    because he has visited and redeemed his people.          Praise God, He is accessible.
                                69 He has sent us a mighty Savior
    from the royal line of his servant David,  Praise God, Savior Jesus is coming.
70 just as he promised            Praises, God keeps His promises   
    through his holy prophets long ago.       from generation to generation.
71 Now we will be saved from our enemies
    and from all who hate us.         Praise God, The Savior will bring salvation.
72 He has been merciful to our ancestors
    by remembering his sacred covenant—   Praise God, He is merciful and faithful.
73 the covenant he swore with an oath
    to our ancestor Abraham.        Praise God He kept His covenant with Abraham..
74 We have been rescued from our enemies
    so we can serve God without fear,     Praise God, He removes our fears.
75 in holiness and righteousness       Praise God, He provides holiness and righteousness.
    for as long as we live.

Zachariah knew the Lord and his prophecy is filled with the character of God. He tells what God has done and will do in the future.

How long is your memory? Do you recall things God has done in your life and continue to give Him praise? What about your salvation, His precious promises to you that He makes in His Word, His mercy and faithfulness? Do you thank Him for providing Jesus and a way to be reconciled to Him in spite of your sin? Do you thank Him for answered prayer and the fact that you can go to Him 24/7? Do you thank Him that He is willing to hear about you and your struggles and that He cares for you and about you? What would your own song of prayer be like? What would you include? Both Zachariah and Mary were overcome with who God was and what He was doing that they burst into song. Think about your life. What excites you to praise and thank God? May this season of giving and loving others stimulate you to thoughts of praise to Almighty God! May you sing your own song of Praise to God.

Linda

Worship from the Heart, 3rd Sunday of Lent

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We are seriously into the Lenten Season and I pray that you are being touched by Jesus and His sacrifice for you in a new and profound way. Here is a favorite psalm to encourage you, point you to Him and lead you to worship God from your heart.

Psalm 16

Keep me safe, my God,
    for in you I take refuge. 2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
    apart from you I have no good thing.”

5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
    you make my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
    even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
    With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
    my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
    nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
    you will fill me with joy in your presence,
    with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Blessings today as you Worship our God and Savior.

Linda

Let this NOT be you! Have a clean heart before God!

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Isaiah begins in the first chapter listing Judah’s sins against God. What were they doing that was so offensive to Holy God? Here are a few specifics the Lord gives to Isaiah:

Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth!
    This is what the Lord says:
“The children I raised and cared for
    have rebelled against me. REBELLION against God who has lovingly cared for them.

4 Oh, what a sinful nation they are—
    loaded down with a burden of guilt.
They are evil people,
    corrupt children who have rejected the Lord.
They have despised the Holy One of Israel
    and turned their backs on him. They have regarded God with contempt, scorn and turned away from Him.

12 When you come to worship me,
    who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony?
13 Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts;
    the incense of your offerings disgusts me!
As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath
    and your special days for fasting—
they are all sinful and false. Their worship was filled with ceremony but not sincerity.
    I want no more of your pious meetings. Their offerings and special celebrations were meaningless.

In what ways do your sins mirror those of the people of Judah? Are you rebelling against God and denying your faith? Are you treating God with contempt or scorning His ways? Are you just going about the motions of worship? Are you seeking to bargain with God and offer meaningless actions to Him? Let your heart be clean before Him and confess your sins. He desires to create a clean heart within you.

Isaiah adds that if it was not for the mercy of God there would have been devastation like Sodom and Gomorrah. God tires of their sinfulness and admonishes them to ‘straighten up and fly right’ so to speak in verses 16-17.

16 Wash yourselves and be clean!
    Get your sins out of my sight.
    Give up your evil ways.
17 Learn to do good.
    Seek justice.
Help the oppressed.
    Defend the cause of orphans.
    Fight for the rights of widows

These straight forward verses lay out how God desires that we are to relate to Him and act towards others. Just like Isaiah in Chapter 6 had to be clean and have his sins forgiven to come before Holy God, so it is with us. To be in a relationship with God, to do God’s work and show His love to others we need to be clean! The only way to do that is through Jesus. Just as Jesus cleansed the leper in Matthew 8:3 “Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.” Jesus’ touch will clean your willing heart and erase your sins. Christ is the Holy one, the Only one, who can Save us. Seek his touch and repent of your sins. Remember this from Lamentations 3:22 and be encouraged. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning;  great is your faithfulness.”

Each day is a new day with the Lord. He will forgive you and help you start anew with Him. Enjoy this wonderful song by Michael W Smith about the heart of worship. May you worship be sincere and uplift you into the very presence of God.

Linda https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPC22XHc8tQ

The Magi’s View of Jesus, Is it yours too?

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Many Christians celebrate ‘Epiphany’ on January 6. It is a celebration of the arrival of the 3 Kings, the Magi, the Wise Men in the Christmas Story. This is a celebration of Christ’s birth, his childhood experiences and marks the end of the Christmas season for many by removing their Christmas decorations. Here is the scripture of this event from Matthew.

Matthew 2:9-12 “After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.”

The Wise Men heard directions from local king Herod, saw the star begin to move again and followed it. It was important that Mary and Joseph were still in Bethlehem so that prophecy would be confirmed that Jesus was indeed born there. However, they could have been anywhere and the star would have led them to Jesus. When they saw this ‘king’ they sought, their first reaction was one of worship and praise. They must have realized that Jesus was god incarnate. There must have been something about him that showed his Sonship even then as a babe. They knew that this was the child they had been seeking. Their gifts were lavish and worthy of a king. Gold was fitting a king, frankincense was used in worship and myrrh in burial. These costly gifts were undoubtedly used by God to save His Son in the days ahead. God intervened in the Wise Men’s journey as He warned them not to return to Herod. God knew the evil intent in Herod’s heart and mind and thwarted him so that he would not find out where Jesus was. God providentially brought the Magi at just the right time to just the right place for His Son and his earthly family.

What are you looking for this New Year? Are you seeking to find God more fully? We are promised in Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” That is a promise every seeker can claim with assurance. Open His Word, join a Bible Study, fellowship with other believers and God will show Himself to you just as He promises.

What would be your reaction to Jesus? If you were with the Magi, would your be overwhelmed with a desire to worship and praise Him? Would you know Jesus? In John 10 Jesus assures us that we would know Him. John 10:14 ““I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” John 10:27 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” No matter where we are we will know Jesus as He lives within us and His Spirit testifies with our spirt. Romans 8:16 “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.’ Being a believer in Jesus, we can be assured and claim these promise. No worries- He knows us and we know Him!

What gifts would you bring that would be fitting for our king? Romans 5:17 speaks of the gift given to us through Christ, “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!” Do you seek to bring your faith as a gift to God? It is His gift to us by His grace and is worthy to be brought back to Him and presented with all thankfulness.

Do you want to be in the right place at the right time like the Magi? If so, begin anew in 2023 to seek Jesus, listen for His voice and make worship a matter of priority. You will be blessed with increased faith and a peace that comes only from knowing Him.

Linda

Are You a Curious Seeker too?

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While you are pondering and praying over what your word will be from God’s Word for this year, let us continue the Christmas Story. Matthew 2:1-8 recounts the story of the Wise Men who came in search of Jesus.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

Herod was an evil king who was appointed ‘king of the Jews’ by Rome. He was remembered for his cruelty, greed for power and his great building projects. He was a Jew but as we can see by the text, he did not know scriptures well. He greeted these foreign Wise Men and found the answer for them as to where the child might be. However, in requesting them to return and tell him where the child was so he could go and worship him, we know this to be a power motivated request so he could eliminate his competition. Herod wanted no one to be more powerful, have his title or live to tell about it.

Since the Wise Men would have seen the Star of Bethlehem in the sky when Jesus was born and it would have taken months for them to travel to Jerusalem, most scholars put their arrival about 1-2 years after Jesus’ birth. Mary and Joseph had decided to stay in Bethlehem after the census. We do not know if it was required that they stay or that they were reluctant to travel again with a young child. The providential hand of God was at work in their staying as they were right where they needed to be when the Magi appeared. It was a fulfillment of scripture and confirmed for history that Jesus was indeed born in Bethlehem. The gifts provided by the Wise Men allowed Mary, Joseph and Jesus to escape the evil king Herod’s grasp, as we will see.

What can we learn about the Wise Men and God from this portion of the story? The Wise Men were seekers from the east. They had to have been men of means as they had the funds to undertake this lengthy journey in search of the child. They wanted to find this child of God to worship him. That speaks to me of their profound curiosity and conviction that the child they sought was ‘special’ and to be used of God. They must have had faith in Almighty God and have known His power in their lives. God is an integral part of this story as He caused the Wise Men to see the star in their studies. He put curiosity into their minds to discover who the child was and a desire to go and worship Him. The Wise Men acted upon their curiosity and traveled months to find Jesus. God allowed them to come before Herod and protected them from harm. God’s guiding hand can be seen in the coming and going of the traveling Wise Men.

Where is God leading you? Are you interested in pursuing things of God? Are you willing to ‘put things on the line’ to pursue what God has presented to you? What motivates you to go in search of Jesus? Each of us are seekers like the Wise Men. We need to be sure we are going to the right place for our directions and listen to God daily as we seek to live in this world filled with Herods who would seek to destroy us and our faith. Be sure to check God’s manual for living, the Word of God, the Bible for the best directions for living and then pray and listen to God. Just as He guided the Wise Men, He will provide and guide you as you focus upon Him.

Linda