Praise and Worship
I Give Him Praise
God gave me life,
So I give him praise,
God gives me strife,
Still I give him praise,
Satan tries to destroy me,
I give God the praise,
Satan hates me and frightens me,
And still I give God the praise.
Copyright © 2001; All Rights Reserved; L. Hays
“Hi, I just Love to praise Jesus. You know JESUS ROCKS.
I treasure the passion I have for Jesus and thank the Lord for it. For I was
once caged and now I am free. Jesus did so much for us, I just gotta
CELEBRATE.”
“You know it is biblical, God said David had a heart after the Lord. David
even danced before the Lord in celebration. I like to think that I
have David's psalmist heart. For I thrive on worshipping my Lord lifting him up
in song. For it is our eternal destiny, I sing about every time I worship
the Lord. When Solomon dedicated the temple to the Lord the Bible records:”
It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were
as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and
when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments
of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy
endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house
of the LORD; So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the
cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.
2 Chr 5:13-14 (KJV)
“When the trumpeters and singers were as one praising and thanking the Lord . .
. and the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord. The
Bible says that the presence of the Lord was such that the priests could not
stand to minister. Awesome!!”
“I love to praise and worship the Lord simply out of love for Jesus. I
demonstrate my love for God by singing his praises. You know being a bird it is
easy. I just raise my head and sing sweet praises to him. But you know God
even appreciates it when Simon crows (pardon the pun) to the Lord. God does not
care, he simply sees the heart of the worshipper and appreciates the Love.”
“What is cool to think about is that the Lord himself came into Solomon's
presence when they worshipped him in the temple.”
“You know what else happened when people in the Bible worshipped the Lord? Paul
and Silas found chains can not bind!!”
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing
hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the
prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's
chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open,
he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the
prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all
here!" The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul
and Silas.
He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They
replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved-- you and your
household." Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others
in his house.
At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then
immediately he and all his family were baptized.
The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was
filled with joy because he had come to believe in God-- he and his whole
family.
Acts 16:25-34 (NIV)
“You know God's ways are beyond understanding. Paul and Silas prayed and sang
songs of praise and as a result, something not only happened in the heaven but
also on earth. An earthquake occurred that not only freed Paul and Silas of
there bonds but sprung them free. I understand being caged up. It's great to be
free. What's even more amazing is that God used Paul and Silas song to touch the
jailer and bring his family to the Lord.”
* * * *
* * *
Some say we should praise God with traditional
songs, others with country music, others with contemporary music, and others
with RAP. At The Salvage Yard we don't believe God cares, he appreciates
the heart of a worshipper celebrating whether it's traditional, country,
contemporary or RAP. You see God looks at the heart of the worshipper.
Clearly some of the greatest traditional song writers from the past believed
this also. You see Charles Wesley, who was the brother of John Wesley
(founder of the Methodist denomination) had a significant part in his brothers
ministry. Charles Wesley wrote over 6,000 hymns. He was as prolific
at writing hymns for the people to sing as his brother was in writing and giving
sermons. In fact Charles Wesley, like Martin Luther, believed hymns were a
means of teaching theology. Many of the songs we sing today began as
familiar songs of the day and even bar tunes, that Charles Wesley wrote
spiritual words for. He used these familiar songs and even bar tunes,
because the people that Charles and John Wesley wanted to reach for Jesus knew
these songs well, and would pick them up quickly. Charles Wesley took this
familiar music and used it very effectively to bring many to Christ. The
hymnals of many denominations contain many of the songs Charles Wesley took from
the familiar and the bars and put Christian words to. Many of these songs
are revered today as traditional worship songs that the "Traditional" Church
uses in services today.
It is difficult to imagine a hymnbook without hymns such as Charles Wesley's "O
for a Thousand Tongues to Sing," "Rejoice, the Lord Is King," "Jesus, Lover of
My Soul," and "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing."
The message from The Salvage Yard is look at
the heart and the passion of the worshipper not at their cloths, or their music
style. Give God a chance to use what is familiar to this generation to
reach this generation for Christ. For you see God's harvesters are trying to
bring in today's harvest using songs to tell spiritual truths, just as in
David's day, and just as in Charles Wesley's day.
What might I find if I chose to worship the Lord with all my heart, strength and
mind? What might you find if you chose to worship the Lord with all your
heart, strength and mind? What might we find if we chose to worship the
Lord in one accord with all our heart, strength and mind? Would God once
again come and fill the house with his presence 'So that the priests could not
stand to minister by reason of the cloud'. How might God use our praises
to demonstrate his Love for us and win others to Christ.
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true
worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father
seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must
worship him in spirit and in truth.
John 4:23-24 (KJV)
* * * *
* * *
Lord where we have been intolerant of
other musical tastes, please forgive us. Help us to be see
worship as you see worship. Lord we are a people who seek you out. Lord
we are a people who desire to come into your presence. Holy Spirit teach
us to worship you in Spirit and in Truth. Help us to develop a heart of
worship so that we can once again experience what they experienced at the
dedication of the temple of Solomon where your presence showed up. In Jesus
name we pray. Amen.
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11/08/03
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