Monday, June 24, 2013

IN PRAISE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

Time with Jesus - Tuesday, 25 June 2013

Hi all,
Is there a difference between “praise” and “worship”? It’s difficult to worship someone you don’t praise. But you can praise someone you don’t worship. We see this in the book of Revelation. 10 I fell at his feet to worship him, but he wouldn't let me. "Don't do that," he said. "I'm a servant just like you, and like your brothers and sisters who hold to the witness of Jesus. The witness of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Rev 19:10 MSG
The angel could accept John’s thanks, but not John’s worship. It’s much the same with us. We are allowed to express our appreciation; our praise to each other for what we have done. Provided it is genuine, it must not to be confused with the “praises” of men. 
For instance we may say to someone that they have done a great job. But never worship that person. He/she is no different from you.
In many church gatherings the difference between the two seems to be associated with tempo and volume. Praise is seen as loud, raucous and very noisy. Worship is seen as slow and quiet. I’m not sure this is always the case, but it seems to be generally accepted and followed this way.
On many occasions, our own preferences infringe on the music. I know of one pastor who can’t abide “slow stuff”. For him, it must be constantly loud and noisy. I’m not sure where worship fits into that style. Fortunately for Phyllida and me, we are not faced with this dilemma.

So, assuming you do go to heaven to be with Jesus, are there any people you would like to talk with? In the introduction I’ve mentioned a couple of names. I’d also like to chat with Isaac Watts and Fanny Crosby. They were prolific hymn writers and I’d love to listen to them explain how some of their hymns came to be composed. 
I’m told that on one occasion, Charles Wesley was talking with a fellow Christian. The man stated that he wished he had a thousand tongues with which to praise and worship God. Inspired by the words, Wesley went away and composed one of Methodism’s best known and best loved hymns, “O for a thousand tongues to sing my great redeemers praise”. Charles Wesley wrote ±6000 hymns; hymns for many occasions. He wrote one for men and women going about their ablutions! He even wrote one for a woman in the process of child-birth! He believed, as Phyllida and I do, that there is no distinction between secular and spiritual. Thus, his hymns covered every aspect of life.

In the 21st century, denominational practices, including those of the charismatic movement, have lent themselves to the separation of secular and spiritual activities. We go to a church building on Sunday. Then we sit in rows in spectator mode, watching the “entertainment”. Then we get up and go home. Many feel that attending such a meeting once per week constitutes their weekly “subscriptions” to the Almighty to get them to heaven. 
They may just as well have gone to the movies! The chairs in the movie house are a lot more comfortable!
Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland




Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give
Time with Jesus – Tuesday, 25 June 2013
Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give
©
These devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and copyright protected. You are welcome to copy and distribute them to anyone provided it is for non-commercial Christian purposes
©
INTRODUCTION
DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES
What is it that you particularly like doing? Let’s keep away from things that may hurt other creatures. e.g. Fishing and hunting. Not that I’m opposed to these activities. What I mean is, what are you looking forward to doing in heaven? There are certain activities we do here and now that we won’t be doing there. Blood sports and violent sports are likely to be excluded. It’s not easy to love your opponent in the boxing ring if you are trying to beat his brains out. I do have an idea for hunters. Give the animal a gun with which to defend itself.
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens - Bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens - Brown paper packages tied up with strings - These are a few of my favourite things
We are likely to have a few problems with some of our favourite things. Even Julie Andrews’s song from the Sound of Music becomes problematic. I suspect there will be kittens in heaven. Confirming it conclusively from Scripture is another matter! I’m also a bit puzzled about the “warm woollen mittens”. This implies it will be cold up there. That really will surprise me.
So, what will we be doing? Some say it will be what we might call a 24/7 praise and worship meeting. In principle, I suspect there’s a lot of truth in this. My problem is that if heaven is such a wonderful place and we are all constantly in a meeting, why has God made it so beautiful? Also, what’s the point of having trees which bear fruit every month and have leaves which heal the nations if no one gets a chance to get to them.
It also strikes me as odd to be a part of the bride of Christ and not get a chance to spend “time” with him on a personal basis of some sort? What about the “honeymoon”? Will there be such a time with Jesus? I’m sure there will be a heavenly counterpart. The “couple” need to spend time together getting to know each other. Of course, he knows us fully already. But at present, we don’t know Him. I can’t speak for you, but I’m looking forward to personally getting to know the Son of God. The One Who said He would “save” me all those years ago.
There are no straight forward answers here. An added complication is that time, as we know it, will not exist. We will be with God, so we will also be living in the ever present now. Thus 24/7 becomes meaningless. It’s difficult to imagine timelessness. We are accustomed to things being sequential. But all sequences are time related. All that we have ever seen of timelessness is a photograph. Photograms do not move. Movies do; but it’s an optical illusion we use to give us the impression of motion.
Probably the best conclusion we can come to from all this, is that praise and worship will be a major feature in heaven. We will also be able to fellowship with each other and with God. I must say there are a number of saints who have gone before us that we will be able to meet. For me, meeting Moses would be special. Likewise, Peter, Paul, Habakkuk and John Wesley. I would like to share a hymn I wrote with his brother Charles. Today’s poem is the hymn in question. It’s called, In Praise of the Lord Jesus Christ. For me it would be extra special if we all sang it to Jesus!
Jim and Phyllida
Strickland
7 "My sword, wake up! Attack my shepherd! Attack the man who is close to me," announces the LORD who rules over all. "Strike the shepherd down. Then the sheep will be scattered. And I will turn my hand against their little ones.
Zechariah 13:7 NIrV

JESUS IS LORD; Let us rejoice!
JESUS IS LORD; Lift up your voice;
To JESUS, let your anthem raise
And worship Him and give Him praise.

JESUS IS LORD; Of sea and sky!
JESUS IS LORD; He's Deity!
The one whom, by His mighty hand,
Created everything for man.

JESUS IS LORD; Yes, He is strong!
JESUS IS LORD; Of everyone;
For, everything the eye can see
Was all created, Lord, by Thee!

JESUS IS LORD; All praises bring.
JESUS IS LORD; My God and King;
I'll praise him while He gives me breath
For He alone has conquered death!

JESUS IS LORD; Toward Him press;
JESUS IS LORD; His Name, all bless!
Let's magnify our risen Lord;
Salute our King, the Living Word.

JESUS IS LORD; All praise His Name!
JESUS IS LORD; To Earth He came
To win from Satan our release
And to become our Prince of Peace.

JESUS IS LORD; Yes, He achieved!
JESUS IS LORD; Our sins relieved
And snatched us from the jaws of Hell.
That's why His praises, we forth tell!

JESUS IS LORD; Let us adore;
JESUS IS LORD; He did restore
To sinful man what Satan stole.
He set us free and made us whole!
Jim Strickland
Written 1985














9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.
Colossians 2:9 NLT
19 Long ago You spoke in a vision to Your faithful people. You said, "I have raised up a warrior. I have selected him from the common people to be king.
Psalms 89:19 NLT
3 "I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with me; I trod them in my anger and trampled them in my wrath; their lifeblood spattered on my garments, and stained all my apparel.
Isaiah 63:3 ESV
16 There is no doubt that godliness is a great mystery. Jesus appeared in a body. The Holy Spirit proved that he was the Son of God. He was seen by angels. He was preached among the nations. People in the world believed in him. He was taken up to heaven in glory.
1 Timothy 3:16 NIrV
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6 ESV
3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Hebrews 1:3 ESV
8 But to the Son He says, "Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. You rule with a sceptre of justice.
Hebrews 1:8 NLT
6 And when He brought His firstborn Son into the world, God said, "Let all of God's angels worship Him."
Hebrews 1:6 NLT
16 On His robe at His thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.
Revelation 19:16 NLT

No comments:

Post a Comment