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Archive for the ‘* PRAISE PROMPTS – That’s Why We Praise Him!’ Category

Every day, I will praise You

Ps. 145 I will praiseEvery day I will praise You, Lord.

David, the Psalmist, makes this commitment in Psalm 145… daily praise, and even forever praise.  (verse 2)

Even though David was well aware that some days are tougher than steel and colder than ice.  Even though he knew that pain is real and piercing and that loss is inevitable and wrenching, and that there are moments when it’s all you can do just to breathe, David chose to say, “Yes!” to praise.

WHY?
Why choose to praise when there are days that we want to shout, with every fiber of our being, “No!  Oh, please, no… Lord, no.” ???

Read on, and look for David’s reasons (and for your reasons, too) in Psalm 145.  Then, let us think about this together.

Psalm 145

A psalm of praise. Of David.

1 I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
2 Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.

Ps. 145 Great is the Lord3 Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
4 One generation commends your works to another;
they tell of your mighty acts.
5 They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.[b]
6 They tell of the power of your awesome works—
and I will proclaim your great deeds.
7 They celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

Ps. 145 the Lord is gracious8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.

9 The Lord is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.
10 All your works praise you, Lord;
your faithful people extol you.
11 They tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,
12 so that all people may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.

The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises
and faithful in all he does.[c]
Ps. 145 14 Lord upholds and lifts up14 The Lord upholds all who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
16 You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in all he does.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.

21 My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.

So, what are the reasons that David gives for his daily praise?

1.  The Lord is great.
He is great… far beyond our understanding.   (So, when we don’t understand… He is still great.)

“His greatness no one can fathom.” (3b)

Praise the Lord script2.  The Lord is worthy of praise.
A fact is a fact… no matter how we are feeling.  He is worthy.  Period.

“Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise” (3a)

3.  The Lord has done incredible, mighty, awesome, wonderful things.
His creation and His recreation of our hearts and lives give us a glimpse, but we cannot begin to fathom all that the Lord has done.

4 One generation commends Your works to another;
they tell of Your mighty acts.

…and I will meditate on Your wonderful works.[ 5 b ]

6 They tell of the power of Your awesome works
and I will proclaim Your great deeds.

4.  The Lord is majestic in His splendor.
We cannot even imagine the majesty of the Lord.

Take all of the most beautiful, awesome, and wondrous things and places you have ever seen…
take the vastness of space…
take the intricate and amazing work in a creature as tiny as an ant…
take the most majestic, sparkling, costly royal splendor that mankind has ever been able to produce (with the minds that He created)…

All of that, together, is a part of His creative and majestic creation (which is also a revelation of who He is).

But all of it together,
from the microscopic to the humongous beyond belief,
and from the wonder of all living things to the beauty of every kind of ecosystem…

reveals only a fraction of His majesty.

5 They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty
and I will meditate on Your wonderful works.

5.  The Lord is powerful.
If His works are powerful, how much moreso is He!  He made them.  They are just His creation, but He is the source of their power.

6 They tell of the power of Your awesome works—

6.  The Lord is abundantly good.
Everything good comes from His hand.  He made everything and pronouced it “good” because His original Creation, before mankind brought sin, reflected the goodness of its Creator.  He is good in every way that it is possible to be good.  His goodness is cause for celebration!  His is not a false goodness.  It is not pretense.  It is righteous goodness.  He does not show preference.  He is good to ALL.

7 They celebrate Your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of Your righteousness.

9 The Lord is good to all;
 He has compassion on all He has made.

7.  The Lord is righteous.
     He is not merely good… He is holy and righteous.  He will ultimately make everything right.  His goodness goes beyond what we know as goodness, because it is righteous.  It is totally pure… in love… in motivation.  There is no darkness in Him at all.  His righteousness produces joy. 

7b and joyfully sing of Your righteousness.

17 The Lord is righteous in all His ways
and faithful in all he does.

Ps 145  character of God v 8 and 9

8.  The character of the Lord is tender toward us.

    a.  He is gracious
Full of grace, flowing continually out of His abundantly gracious character (who He is), God gives His grace without expecting us to earn or deserve it.  He gives His grace because He is gracious.

     b.  He is compassionate.
His compassion goes far beyond just caring about us.  His compassion motivated Him to give Himself completely in the person of Christ.  Compassion is caring that is deep enough to motivate a profound expression of love.

     c.  He is slow to anger.
The Lord is patient with us… much moreso than we are with one another, and even with our own loved ones.  Although He is deeply grieved by our every hurt and loss (compassionate), He remains patient with mankind, desiring to give us continued opportunity to turn to Him for salvation.

    d.  He is rich in love.
The love of the Lord is vast and immeasureable.  If the earth is His footstool and everything belongs to Him as Creator, He is certainly rich… but it is the limitless stores of his wealth of love that He longs for us to know.

How far would His love go?
From Heaven… to earth… to the cross… to death… and even to hell,
all to gain the victory for us over sin, hell, and death.

His love took our most hideous weakness and ugliness and enveloped it in the strength and everlasting power of His pure holiness, removing the stinking graveclothes of our sin and clothing us with His own righteousness.

8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.

9 The Lord is good to all;
 He has compassion on all He has made.

9.  His Kingdom is glorious and everlasting.
In order to have a Kingdom, one must be a King.  But His is not just any Kingdom, and He is not just any King.  He is the King of Kings, and His Kingdom is everlasting.  He can never be de-throned because He is the Lord of all, even of those who do not acknowledge Him.

10 All your works praise You, Lord;
  Your faithful people extol You.
11 They tell of the glory of Your kingdom
and speak of Your might,
12 so that all people may know of Your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and Your dominion endures through all generations.

10.  The Lord is trustworthy and faithful.
        He is good, so we can trust Him.  He is a keeper of promises.  He does not give up or quit.  He is faithful to keep His word, to remain unchanging, to finish all of the good works that He has begun, and to someday make everything right.

The Lord is trustworthy in all He promises
and faithful in all He does.[ 13 c ] 

17 The Lord is righteous in all His ways
and faithful in all He does.

11. The Lord is our Sustainer and the Giver of all good things.
Without the sustaining presence of the Lord in all of Creation, the needs of every living thing would not be met.

15 The eyes of all look to You,
and You give them their food at the proper time.
16 You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

12.  The Lord is our helper and our Savior.
He helps us get up when we fall and even holds us as we are falling.  He lifts up those who are bowed beneath a heavy load and brings joy to hearts that have been humbled or broken.  He is near.  He is with us.  He hears us when we call on Him in truth.  He fulfills our desires.  He hears our cries.  He saves us.  He watches over us.  He will someday remove us from the very presence of evil.  He is our loving and caring Shepherd.

14 The Lord upholds all who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.

18 The Lord is near to all who call on Him,
to all who call on Him in truth.

19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him;
  He hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord watches over all who love Him,
but all the wicked He will destroy.

  Ps. 145 19 He will hear and saveThe Lord is close by, waiting for us to understand that we need Him and come into agreement with the truth about who He is and who we are. Then, when we see our need for Him and cry out, He knows that knowing Him, having His forgiveness, and living in fellowship with Him have become Him the desires of our heart. He hears our cry, and He saves us (when we have asked Him to come into our lives as Savior and Lord).

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David’s conclustion, in light of who God is,
is that he must commit himself to daily and eternal praise.

David begins the Psalm with this commitment and ends the Psalm with a restatement of his personal commitment to daily and eternal praise.

This is the final verse of Psalm 145:

21 My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.

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The notes on Bible Gateway about Psalm 145 tell us this interesting bit of information.  This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which (including verse 13b) begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.” 

This fact tells me that David was also communicating the fact that the Lord is the Alpha and Omega, worthy of praise from the beginning of time and throughout eternity, meeting all of our needs and sharing His love with all of mankind, keeping His promises and fulfilling His Kingdom with both awesome power and gracious, loving tenderness.


May every day become a day of praise.

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This post was written by Cynthia Boyd, with the inspiration of Psalm 145.
The NIV Scripture text was copied from Bible Gateway

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+145

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Do you know someone who is looking for answers?

Thank you for spending your valuable time reading the contents of this page. We hope that it has been helpful to you. If you or someone that you know is looking for answers about life, we hope that you will visit our page called “Do You Know Jesus?”. The links provided on this page will help to answer life’s deepest questions. Here is the link to “Do You Know Jesus?”: http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

Please feel free to share this URL with anyone who is looking for answers about life and eternity.

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The Victor’s Crown

OliveOlive is a spiritual encourager who sees through ‘Jesus eyes’.  She knows the deep things of the soul and recognizes the work of God in the lives of others.  When she invests the time in you to share a message of encouragement, it means something; because Olive sees and feels and loves beyond the surface… to the deepest longings of the redeemed heart.  She knows that we all want to make a difference, to matter, and to exchange the totality of all that we have been given in this temporal life for something of eternal significance… in the the lives and hearts of others, in the very heart of God, and for His Kingdom.

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“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,
just as in fact you are doing.”

I Thessalonians 5:11

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When Olive is sharing a message of encouragement, she looks into your face and your eyes.  The topic might be something she has seen or the Lord has revealed to her concerning your parenting, ministry, or life.  Even so, the message that I’ve received from her every time is the same.  She is telling you, “I see… and He sees… Jesus in you.  I want you to know… and He wants you to know… that what you do in Him matters… that it makes a difference for the Kingdom… that God is using what you are giving back to Him to do more than you know or could imagine.  I want you to know… and He wants you to know… that there is eternity in these moments… eternity in surrender and obedience… eternity in every little sacrifice… eternity in His Spirit leaking out through you.”

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“When he (Barnabas) arrived and saw what the grace of God had done,
he was glad
and encouraged them (Christians at Antioch) all
to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.”
Acts 11:23

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As Olive is encouraging, she also sees how you receive the message in the very depths of your heart.  Her Jesus eyes have looked beyond my blurry eyed ‘thank yous’ to the vulnerability and doubt inside.  She knows, without my ever saying so, that I never think it is enough or that I am enough.  She knows that I am hard on myself, because my eyes somehow give me away.  She continues encouraging, seeking to get the message across through the fog created by the fear of being less… the fear of insignificance…. to the very core of my being.  Olive pours the oil of encouragement over and into all the fractures of imperfection that I fear will be my legacy, and somehow God’s Spirit anoints the beautiful brokenness… the weakness that can only be perfected in His strength… with the message He is giving through Olive:  “I see… He sees… and it all matters.”

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“You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted;
You encourage them, and You listen to their cry.”

Psalm 10:17

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Last night, the Lord used Olive to encourage me once again, but this time I want to share it…

because this message is for you, too!

“He sees… and it all matters!”

FBCD worship center crossYou see, during last Sunday’s worship service at our church, our worship ministry team shared the message of the song, “Victor’s Crown” (written by Darlene Zschech, Israel Houghton, and Kari Jobe).  This was far more than just singing a song during church.  Our Adult Choir, Orchestra, Praise Team, Rhythm Section, and Tech Team all worked together to share the message that Jesus has overcome the world through the testimony of the song, with His glory as the cry of our hearts.  In addition, there was a visual representation of this message of Christ’s majesty, supremacy, sovereignty, and glory.  Our student dance team, young ladies who are learning to use dance, movement, and sign language in worship and praise for God’s glory, had prepared to share the message through meaningful choreographed movement.  Finally, at the end of the song, an oversized crown representing the majesty and glory of the King of Kings was carried to the front of the Worship Center and placed upon a pedestal as the words, “You wear the Victor’s crown… Jesus, you have overcome the world!” were being sung.  The media on our screens had also been designed to convey the message of the song, and countless hours had been invested by everyone who had been involved in the rehearsal and preparation (not only for this message but for all of the worship service as a whole, that Sunday… and every Sunday).  Our shared motivation was and is to glorify the Lord and to encourage God’s people as He speaks to each heart through the messages that are spoken, sung, danced, projected, and displayed in every manner possible.

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Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory
and the majesty and the splendor,

for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.”
I Chronicles 29:11

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During the preparation for sharing the song, “Victor’s Crown”, I had the privilege of making something special… the oversized crown representing the glory and sovereignty of our  King of Kings, Jesus.  It was a joy for me to take some hours from each day over a couple of weeks and use that time to make His “Victor’s Crown”.  I am not an artist or a seamstress, but I had made a Presentation Crown once before, at our former church.  It’s a major project that also involves a lot of thought and prayer.  Everything about the crown had meaning for me, like the red jewels representing the blood of Christ, visible from every angle and from the top of the crown to the bottom.

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“To the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”
Jude 1:25

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When I made a Presentation Crown several years ago, there was a longer period of time to complete the project, so I was able to put the supplies away after every work session.  No one had seen the crown in progress at that church.  This time, however, there was more time pressure.  It was necessary to keep my project table set up and do some of the work when others were around, once even singing during part of a choir rehearsal as I worked.  Olive was one of the people who had observed the process.

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“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do,
do it all for the glory of God.”

I Corinthians 10:31

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So, what Olive came to tell me before choir rehearsal (on the Wednesday night after “Victor’s Crown” was shared during worship) was that it all mattered.  She shared the fact that she had spoken to others who had been profoundly moved as God’s Spirit spoke to their hearts through the message that they heard and witnessed and deeply felt.  This time, however, Olive was determined to impress upon me that, “all of those hours and days and weeks (spent making the crown)… for a five minute song,” had made a Kingdom difference to her and to others, repeating those words about the time frame more than once.  The fact that she recognized the investment of time in creating as compared to the brevity of the time for that investment to have made an impact seemed to concern Olive; because she wanted me to know again… “I see… He sees… and it all matters.”

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“But we do see Jesus,
who was made lower than the angels for a little while,

now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death,
so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.”
Hebrews 2:9

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I thanked Olive and assured her that the amount of time invested in making the crown for the brief presentation didn’t bother me at all, because I’m used to that.  Although the crown was seen for only a few measures of music near the end of “Victor’s Crown”, and then throughout the hymn that followed {“Crown Him (Lord of All)”), I know how God can use words, music, media, and any other kind of expression to touch hearts, often in just a moment.  So many times, my own heart has been touched, my faith strenghthened, my hope restored, and my soul inspired by what has been shared by others and by our worship ministry team.  I know that God can purify and amplify our imperfect efforts with His own righteousness.  I remember many really incredible spiritual moments from years and even decades ago.  The eternal significance of anything we do is only a result of His sanctifying presence working through us.  He is the One who makes it matter.

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“All this is for your benefit,
so that the grace that is reaching more and more people
may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.”

II Corinthians 4:15

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Even as Olive was speaking to me, I couldn’t help thinking that as choir practice began in a few moments, time would be given by everyone present (including Olive) which would be longer than the time spent eventually sharing the music we would be learning.  In worship ministry, it’s all about preparation and time invested in order to bring glory to God… and how He is transforming our lives from the inside out through that process.  All of the worship team members invest lots of time into every brief worship service, but none of us count that time as lost.  It also occured to me that this is how my husband (and all Worship Ministers) spends his work time… in preparation and helping others to prepare.  Investing countless hours into preparation for one worship service is nothing new when it is your calling, ministry, and life’s work.

And you, in the service you are doing in Christ’s name and in seeking to live your life for His glory… are also investing time in ways that don’t always allow you to see an immediate result.  This kind of investment in lives and in service is so much more than a time clock of minutes served.  It’s all about our relationship with God through Jesus Christ and the foundational love and mercy of our God, which give us the purpose and the motivation for every minute… every hour… every lifetime.

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“If anyone speaks, they should do so as one
who speaks the very words of God.

If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides,
so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.
To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
I Peter 4:11

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So, for worship ministry team members… and for every Christian…

for every parent, every neighbor and friend,

everyone who is striving

to make an eternal difference in this life,

the work of the Kingdom is all about the investment

of minutes and hours,

days, weeks, and months,

years and decades,

and lifetimes…

 in prayer, preparation, relationships, and work,

investing in people, in serving the Lord,

in surrender and in obedience,

and using all that we have been given

through the mercies and love of God in Christ

with the help of His Holy Spirit

to bring Him glory.

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“For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work
and the love which you showed for His sake in serving the saints,
as you still do.”  
~Hebrews 6:10

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What a blessing it is to be part of God’s Kingdom ministry in this life…

for all the moments, big and small, during which God is at work in the lives of His people…

 moments of service and help,

       moments of love demonstrated,

                 moments of grace manifested,

                          moments of holy reverence,

                                  moments of joyful praise,

                                           moments of hope realized,

                                                      moments of profound meaning,

                                                              moments of mercy,

                                                                      moments of sweet fellowship,

                                                                              and of encouragement given…

                                                                                       and received.

And, when blessings are hard to see, in the moments when the answers to prayer have not come as we had wanted, when obedience simply means waiting on the Lord and seeking Him with a broken heart… when God is still at work in ways that we have not yet been able to understand, we are blessed by His sustaining love and presence.  Still, every moment matters.  Not a single moment of grief will be wasted.  He will redeem it all… every teardrop.

So, whether you are spending you time wiping little noses, reading Bible stories, and keeping up with school for your children, working in or outside of your home, helping others through volunteering, or doing all of those things…

  He sees your heart and your work for others. 

No matter how you serve through your church, whether you are teaching, singing, or greeting visitors…

  He sees how you love His bride, the church. 

When you are studying in Seminary to prepare for a life calling or caring for a loved one who is ill,

  He sees your ministry. 

When a large part of your energy goes to the temporal, mundane tasks that never stay done
or you wonder if your efforts, both large and small, are in vain,

  He sees your faithfulness. 

When you struggle with the pain and grief of this life and cry out to Him in the rawness of your need,

He sees your stubborn faith and your hope in Him. 

When you mess up… and you know it.

He sees your brokenness and answers with His mercy. 

Whatever your age or station in life…

when you are living to bring glory to the Lord, working and loving and serving as to the Lord,

He sees you, and it all matters! 

In this life, we are simply giving back what we have been given,  Because Christ sacrificed and gave His all, investing His life in us, we can now invest our lives in His Kingdom.  It’s so amazing that God allows us to particpate in His work and ministry, with the help of His Holy Spirit, in ways that will have meaning even in eternity, always for His glory.

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And, beyond all that…

you and I can look forward to

eternity in the presence of God

at the feet of Jesus.

In the company of the saints, we will be

free from sin and sorrow;

free from pain and death;

and living in a place beyond anything we could ever imagine.

There, we will fully know even as we are known,

and we will experience in full measure

the vast, immeasureable, eternal,

pure, holy, and victorious

love of God

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Know this, child of God:

In every moment of time,

for now, and for eternity…

He does see.

And, yes, it all matters.

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“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory
and the exact representation of His being,

sustaining all things by His powerful word.
After He had provided purification for sins,
He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

Hebrews 1:3

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VICTORS CROWN (official video)
Written by: Darlene Zschech, Israel Houghton, Kari Jobe

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 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble.

But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

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  ❤ Thank you, Olive, for being an encourager, for your love for the Lord, ❤
and for your desire to worship and serve Him.

You’ve helped me to think of God’s work in our lives in new ways.

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DO YOU KNOW JESUS?
The decision to ask Jesus to come into your heart and life as your Lord and Savior is the best decision you could ever make! The one true God is ready to give you forgiveness and eternal life as soon as you understand your need for Him and believe on the name of His only Son, Jesus, for your salvation. Here’s a blog page link to help you find the answers to your questions about Jesus.
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“He is Jesus!” ~ Reader’s Theater Script

This Reader’s Theater script may be presented in a local church without cost or further permission.  See our usage permission information at the end of this post for full details.

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HE  IS  JESUS!

DIRECTOR’S  NOTE:  This Reader’s Theater Script calls for 3 readers.  Two of the readers should be male, and one should be female.  A media presentation could be added for greater impact, with appropriate slides to aid in telling the story.  This script could be used at any time of year, but it would be especially effective on Palm Sunday or Easter Sunday. 

 

Female Reader:  Prophets foretold His birth centuries before it occurred.
An angel appeared to His mother to announce the miracle of his conception.

Male ReaderHis Father chose as His mother an unknown maiden with a heart inclined to God and ready to surrender herself to God’s will.

Female Reader:  He left His heavenly home to come into a world that seemed to have no room for Him.

Male ReaderHe was born in Bethlehem to fulfill prophecy of His royal birth.

Female Reader:  And yet, He was born in the humblest of circumstances in order to identify fully with humankind and because He had no intention of becoming an earthly King.

Male ReaderHis birth was celebrated by angels and accompanied by a phenomenal Heavenly star in order to proclaim His deity.

Female Reader:  Modest working men were the first to hear of His coming, demonstrating that no wealth is necessary to know Him.

Male ReaderWise men of wealth and position travelled from far away to bring gifts to Him and worship the One whose birth could be seen in the Heavens, showing that He was and is the King of Kings.

Female Reader:  He astonished the well-educated scholars in the temple at a young age, demonstrating that He is the Word made flesh.

Male ReaderHe healed sickness, demonstrating His compassion and His power over human frailty.
He raised the dead, demonstrating His power over death and the coming end of sorrow.

Female Reader:  He multiplied the provisions of men, taking care of earthly need and demonstrating that God can take what we offer and do more with it that we could imagine.
He walked on water and calmed the storm, demonstrating His supremacy over all created things and what we call the “laws of nature.”

Male Reader:  He taught with authority because He was the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Female Reader:  He taught profound truth through the simplicity of parables so that all people and even children could understand.

Male ReaderHe wept at the sorrow of death and at the tragic cost of rejecting God’s plan, demonstrating His incarnation.

Female Reader:  He is Emmanuel, God with us,… even in grief, in sorrow, in rejection, and in loss.

Male Reader:  He demonstrated humility in washing the feet of His own disciples.

Female Reader:  He foretold His own death and resurrection and the denial of one of His closest followers.

Male Reader:  He chose God’s will for Himself and submitted to a mockery of a trial so that He could take our guilt.

Female Reader:  He was beaten, despised, humiliated and condemned so that we could be redeemed.

Male Reader:  He carried much more than a heavy wooden cross on His back.
He carried the weight of the sin of all mankind.

Female Reader:  The hands that blessed and healed were nailed to a cross.

Male Reader:  The beautiful feet that had carried the message of God’s love and mercy were pierced so that He could carry our sin to the mercy seat.

Female Reader:  The heart that beat with more love than you or I could fathom was stilled as He gave up His life so that we could have life everlasting.

Male ReaderHe commited His spirit to God and spoke the words of victory that echo through eternity: “It is finished!”

** (Drama  Director’s Note:  Here, a flash of light followed by momentary darkness would be very dramatic and appropriate.  At the very least, there should be a slight pause before the reading resumes.)

Prophetic Voice:  “He was in the beginning with God, and with Him everything that was created was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”

Male and Female ReadersHe is life, and He came to give life. And yet, …He endured death, …and darkness, …and Hell.

Prophetic Voice “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Male Reader:  He did not stay in the tomb. He was no longer there, for He had risen, just as He said.

Female Reader:  He appeared to Mary, to his disciples, and to other followers. He was not bound by death or by the walls of a tomb.

Male and Female Readers:  He is alive!

Male Reader:  After spending some time with them, He told His followers that He must leave so that the Holy Spirit could come and inhabit the hearts of all believers.

Female Reader:  He told them what he would be doing while they were apart.
He is preparing a place in Heaven, reigning as Sovereign Lord at the right hand of God the Father, and praying for believers.

Male Reader:  He gave them their mission:

Prophetic Voice:  “Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the world.”

Male Reader:  He is with us. He is praying for us. He is preparing a place for us.

Female Reader:  He is still changing lives, touching hearts, and healing hurts.

Male and Female Readers:  He is the Savior of the world.

Male Reader:  He is the Redeemer whose love for mankind could not be crucified.

Female Reader:  He is the Lord of All.

Male Reader:  He is the beginning and the end.

Female Reader:  He is the Bridegroom, whose love for His bride, the Church, is the most pure and sacrificial of all loves.

Male ReaderHe is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.

Female Reader:  He is the Living Water, bringing unquenchable life.

Male Reader:  He is the King of Glory and the hope of mankind.

Female Reader:  He is the joy of man’s desiring.

Male and Female Readers:  He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

Prophetic Voice joins Male and Female Readers:  He is Jesus!

 

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This post originated in the heart of God before the foundation of the World.
The words were put together by Cynthia A. Boyd to proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior.

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Do you know someone who is looking for answers?

Thank you for spending your valuable time reading the contents of this page. We hope that it has been helpful to you. If you or someone that you know is looking for answers about life, we hope that you will visit our page called “Do You Know Jesus?”. The links provided on this page will help to answer life’s deepest questions. Here is the link to “Do You Know Jesus?”: http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

Please feel free to share this URL with anyone who is looking for answers about life and eternity.

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“He is Jesus!”, copyright 2012 by Cynthia A. Boyd, all rights reserved.
* Sharing in a publication or on a website: To share this post, only the URL (see below) may be copied or posted unless permission is obtained. Permission may be requested through a comment on this post. The comment will not be seen by anyone but our blog editor, and we will correspond with you by e-mail. http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/2012/01/03/he-is-jesus/
* Reader’s Theater presentation: Permission is granted for printing copies for 3 readers and a drama coach in order to present this as a reader’s theater presentation in a local church. However, permission must be obtained for audio or video recording if this is used as a reading.
We’ve done the preparation work for you! (See link below)
Note: A  non – Reader’s Theater  version of this post, written as prose, can be found at:

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Come and See

For unto us a Child is born...

For unto us a Child is born…

What would it have been like to be there on the holiest of nights, when God came to earth in the form of a precious baby named Jesus?

Have you pondered that question during this Christmas?  Would you or I have felt immediate peace in the presence of the Prince of Peace?  Would we have understood the significance of the gift?  Or, would we have been too caught up in your own lives to even pay attention.

What would it have been like to be there and simply be living life, unaware that the greatest gift in the history of the world had just been given…. to you, and to all of mankind?  We can look to the story for our answer.
It is the shepherds with whom most of us would identify.  Their vocation may have been humble, and God must have chosen them specifically to send a message that His salvation could not be bought or earned.  However, their focus on the everyday (and every night) tasks of life is the common denominator with us.  Some of them were probably asleep, and some were just doing their jobs.  Most importantly, none of them seemed to have had any knowledge that the night when Jesus was born would be different from any other night.
*
In the account of the angels’ proclamation to the shepherds, their response to the events and their state of mind as the night unfolded was revealed four times (as told in Luke, chapter 2).
*
shepherds afraidFirst, the shepherds were afraid.  A quiet night on the hillside with sleeping sheep had suddenly become an event.  The startling light was unlike anything anyone had seen before.  It was more than just light.  It was “the radiance of the Lord’s glory”.  The shepherds must have felt that they had been singled out because they had done something wrong and that they must now answer to the Lord because surely all their wrongs were known.  The angel had to reassure them by saying, “Fear not!”, before proclaiming the good news of the Savior’s birth and stating God’s intention of revealing His good will toward men.

The Shepherds and Angels
(from Luke, chapter 2)

8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them.
Angels tell of good news“Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

shepherdschristmas

14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

shepherds seekingSecondly, the shepherds were obedient (and perhaps more than a little curious).  They said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord has made known unto us.”
*
(If the Lord chose to reveal something this big to you, in such an astonishing way, wouldn’t you want to go?)
*
Remember, though, that in order to be obedient and go to see the Child, the shepherds had to leave behind their livelihood (the sheep) and let go of the concerns that caused them to spend the night on the hillside (the guarding of the sheep).  To leave their posts and their responsibilities behind, they had to either be so caught up in the miraculous that they temporarily forgot the everyday, or they had to be trusting that the God who was big enough to do all that they had just witnessed and to fulfill His promise of a Messiah, a Savior, was big enough to take care of their concerns.)
*

15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.

Thirdly, the shepherds were amazed and excited, to the point that they testified about all that they had heard and seen repeatedly.  They were so thrilled and humbled and joyous that they could not keep this good news (and the miraculous events of that night) to themselves.  They told everyone!

(Note:  The word “humbled” is used here because the focus of the shepherd’s retelling was the events and the Child.  We know about them today only because they were humble enough to be obedient and then were transformed by the revelation of God’s good will toward men, incarnate in the infant Christ, to the extent that they did not care what anyone thought and were determined to personally share the news with as many people as possible.  (Remember that they had left their job caring for the sheep in order to go and find the Christ child.  However, sharing the good news about what had occurred was more important to them than any concerns about their livelihood.)

17 After seeing Him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.

shepherds adore
Shephards return praising*
Finally, the shepherds were worshipping with joy Remember the description of the shepherds’ return to their flocks after seeing the infant Christ?  They were “glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.”  That is worship.
*
20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.
*  Notice that the shepherds were not praising God only for the experience of seeing Jesus but rather for ALL that they had heard and seen.  Even the angels’ pronoucement, which terrified them at first, had become a source of joy and wonder and something else for which to give God praise.  The very fact that God’s holiness and power had been manifested to them on that hillside and in the person of the infant Christ gave them reason to rejoice.
*  Notice also that the shepherds had to obey what they were told to do before they were able to have the full experience of worship, joy, and wonder.shepherds at the manger  God announced His incredible gift to them and invited them to come and see.  Then, they had to respond… just as we must respond individually to God’s good news that He has provided a Savior for us.
*
Again, God has taken the initiative.  He has provided a Savior in response to our need. laying aside His own glory and willingly experiencing pain and loss because of His love for us.  All we have to do is to bring our doubts and sins and fears to the manger and the cross, believing that Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of the world,  and then laying our burdens down in exchange for His gift of salvation in Christ.
*
He has given the gift.  He has issued the invitation.  Have you come?  This is what He says to you, to me, and to everyone:

Matthew 11:28

New International Version (NIV)

(Note:  Jesus Himself is speaking in the verse below.)

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

  • Psalm 34:8
    New King James Version

    “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!”
God with us ImmanuelOur God has sent a Savior, Jesus, to rescue us from our own hardened hearts.
He chose to come to earth in the form of a Man in order to do what we could no do for ourselves.  He lived a perfect life so that He could, once and for all, pay the penalty for the sins of mankind.  To God be the glory!
*
May we praise Him every day for that Holy night and what it means…
Emmanuel, God with us!
Jesus the greatest gift
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Here is a poem that I wrote as this Christmas and the Lord of my life touched my heart again through the message of God’s great gift.
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 Come and See

Come, lowly shepherds! Now, arise!
Heavenly angels fill the starlit skies,
For in Bethlehem, the promised Child is born.
Come, and see God’s only begotten Son.

And He will care for His flock like a shepherd,
He will give His life for the sheep.
His tender mercies will comfort the fallen,
And He will bind the wounds of the weak.

Jesus shepherd stained glass tallCome, wise men searching for a King.
Follow the star; your treasures bring.
For in Bethlehem the King of Kings is born
Come, and see this blessed, Holy One.

And He will rise, triumphant and Holy.
He will reign in the Heavens above.
He will fill the hearts of His people
And conquer hatred with His pure love.

Come, pilgrim seeking Heaven’s joy.
Behold “God with us” in this boy.
For the Prince of Peace has come to grace this Earth.
Come, and see Salvation’s humble birth.

And He will calm the storm of temptation
He will heal the sickness of sin.
He will break the chains of the pris’ner
And give new life to us within.

Come, wand’rer chasing empty lies.
Behold the Truth! Lift up your eyes!
For the Light of the World is here to set you free.
Come, and see the Lamb of Calvary.

And He will shine as Star of the Morning.
He will take your hand in the night.
He will slay the dragon of darkness
And fill the shadows with His light.

Come, seeker looking for the Way.
Let Christ be born in you today.
For the Lord of All has come to take your place.
Come, and see your Redeemer’s face.

And He will guard your heart and your tomorrows.
He will wash away every stain.
He will redeem each one of your sorrows.
And bring you joy even through pain.

For He is Lord, Messiah, and Savior.
He is Emmanuel, King of Kings.
He is the Alpha and the Omega.
He is the one of whom angels sing.

Come, and see.

–  by Cynthia A. Boyd
Copyright December 2013

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A Reader’s Theatre Version of this poem has now been added to our blog.
You can find it at:
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Come, and see!

Come, and see!

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This post was written by Cynthia A. Boyd

Permission for use:

“Come and See” may be read aloud at any worship service or non-ticketed event (concert or program).  However, it may not printed in any publication or on the internet without permission.  Comment on this post to request permission (unseen by the public, because our comments must be approved).  We will reply to your email address privately.

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Looking for answers for yourself or for a friend?

Thank you for spending your valuable time reading the contents of this post.  We hope that it has been helpful to you.   If you or someone that you know is looking for answers about life, we hope that you will visit our page called “Do You Know Jesus?”.   The links provided on this page will help to answer life’s deepest questions.   Here is the link to “Do You Know Jesus?”:  http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

Please feel free to share this URL with anyone who is looking for answers about life and hope.

Christmas is Good News!

Christmas is good news!   

It is the best news, because  we are not alone.

The almighty God of Heaven and Earth  came to us!
He is with us!

He has demonstrated His love for us in the most profound way.

God so loved  that He gave

"We love, because He first loved us."   I John 3:19

“We love, because He first loved us.” I John 3:19

He gave  Himself.

God givesHe gave His best.

He gave His Son, Jesus, …fully man and fully God.

Jesus was born in the most humble of circumstances so that He, the King of Kings, could instead serve as our Savior.

Nativity John 3 16

He has experienced what we experience,

walked where we walk,

and lived in our fallen world.

God has chosen to share His longing for us to know Him and know His great love for us

in the person of

Jesus, …

His beloved, only Son.

God looked down upon this world, filled with hatred, jealousy, pain, bitterness, anger, loneliness, shame, murder, adultery, thievery, and callous disregard for others…

Jesus on cross  silhouettebaby jesus and lamb

 

…and His response was… Jesus.

A sacrificial Savior,

a caring Shepherd,

The Lord is my Shepherd

Jesus on hillsideand a forever Friend,

Jesus is the Truth that God loves us more than we can comprehend.

He is the Way that has been provided for us to escape the power and the penalty of all of the sin and wrong in this world.

He is the Life

… the very life of God

that can be born within us.

Anyone who understands this amazing truth and responds to God’s gift of Jesus by saying,

“Yes. I receive Him. Thank You for THE Gift.”

will never be the same.

The Light of the World, the Prince of Peace, the Redeemer and Savior, Jesus, will be a forever friend as well as the Lord of your life.

Joy to the worldIt is possible to sing, “Joy to the World” in the midst of human suffering (even your own)…

… because our suffering is not the end of the story.

His suffering is.

He suffered death on the cross so that we might live

       abundantly,

               eternally,

                      and even joyfully.

God with us ImmanuelThe message of Christmas is that we need Him, so…

       … He came!

He came because of the darkness and pain of this world

       … and because of the darkness and pain in our own hearts.

Jesus loves you moreHe is with us.

       He loves us.

               He lived for us…

 … and He continues to live for us.

(The Bible says that Jesus is praying for us and preparing a place for us, even right now.)

But before He was resurrected and went to Heaven,  Jesus died for us.

He, who had lived a perfect life because of His great love and Divine power…

He, who was and is God.. in human flesh… the living Word of God…

He gave His all to show us  His great love.

 Jesus bowed under weight of cross

So, now, the good news of Christ’s coming has become all about  WHY He came.

He came because He loves us and we needed Him.

and now

Death and sorrow

and illness and pain

and loneliness and heartache

are  NOT  the

end

of the story.

Joy to the World!

Good-news-great-joy

Luke 2:10-11

English Standard Version (ESV)

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.

God wants us to know

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This post was written by Cynthia A. Boyd and was inpired by an interesting article about the fact that songs which share the message of the Joy of Christmas may seem incomplete, hollow, and even unfeeling to many people because the messages of “joy to the world” and “peace on earth” and holly jolly holidays may seem to neglect the difficulties and sorrows and tragedies of life. It’s so true that many people are suffering hurt and pain at this time of year and all of the time. We must always be sensitive to the hearts of others and acknowledge their sorrow and loneliness, knowing that devastation in the midst of celebration feels isolating and deeper still.

I must state without reservation that I do agree with the premise of the article I read.  This post is sort of an addendum.  Yes, it is true that we need to be careful to be sensitive to the hurting world around us and and to share the whole truth of the gospel and the fact that Christmas is all about the hurt and pain and God’s desire for us to someday dwell with Him in a holy place where none of the bad things exist.  I agree completely.

Stay with me here.  I wrote this article because the pain in our world doesn’t change the fact that Christmas is still good news since the reason for the good news, for the coming of Christ (and the perfect life He lived, and His death, and His resurrection), is because of our pain and our need for understanding the depth of God’s love and our need for being born into new life.  Not “in spite of”, but rather “because of” our pain, Christmas is good news!

Christmas is still (and always will be) good news!

Note:  Here is a link to the article I had read:  http://www.christianpost.com/news/rethinking-our-holly-jolly-christmas-songs-110783/
and on author Russell Moore’s own blog, where it appeared originally, @  http://www.russellmoore.com/2012/12/18/crucify-your-holly-jolly-christmas/

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Do you know Jesus?

The decision to ask Jesus to come into your heart and life as your Lord and Savior is the best decision you could ever make!  The one true God is ready to give you forgiveness and eternal life as soon as you understand your need for Him and believe on the name of His only Son, Jesus, for your salvation.  Here’s a blog page link to help you find the answers to your questions about Jesus.  http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

 

Psalm 100: A Prescription for Praise!

“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord is God; it is He that has made us and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise; be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good: His mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures to all generations.”

~   Psalm 100 (all verses, 1 – 5)

Make a joyful noiseI love Psalm 100!

These 5 short verses are a prescription for a life of thanksgiving and praise!

Within these verses, we find the “why” of praise.

Why do we praise God?

* 1 *  Because He is good  (verse 5)

* 2 *  Because His mercy is everlasting   (verse 5 ~ some translations use “steadfast love”)

* 3 *  Because His truth endures to all generations   (v. 5 ~ some versions say “faithfulness”)

* 4 *  Because we are His people   (v. 3)

* 5 *  Because He is like a Shepherd to us   (v. 3 ~ He cares for our needs since we are the sheep of His pasture.)

* 6 *  Because the pasture is His   (v. 3 ~ We dwell within His creation, another provision.)

* 7 *  Because He is God   (v.3)

* 8 *  Because He made us   (v. 3)

* 9 *  Because anything we have as far as abilities and gifts (anything good within us) came from Him  (v. 3 ~ We didn’t make ourselves.)

* 10 *  Because He allows us to come into His presence   (v. 4 ~ We can enter His gates, His courts.)

* 11 *  Because He wants to be in relationship and fellowship with us, He gives us the keys to His presence.   (v. 4 He tells us that thanksgiving and praise are the outer and inner gateways to communion with Him.)

* 12 *  Because He wants us to be glad and to be joyful, to have hearts that sing.   (v. 1 & 2 ~ He even wants to hear and share in our joy!)

Did you see those 12 reasons for praise in the 5 verses of Psalm 100 before?  I have read this Psalm hundreds of times in the 35 years since I became a Christian, but I don’t think I saw all of the reasons for praise until I started looking for them.

Isn’t it amazing that our God is so good that we can find 12 reasons for praising Him in only 5 short verses of scripture.  He is amazing!  THAT’S WHY WE PRAISE HIM!

The Lord is great, He is Sovereign, He is personal, He is a loving and caring Shepherd, He claims us as His own, He wants us to know Him, He is a God of truth, He is merciful (FULL of mercy), He is a giver, He is generous (desiring our joy!), He has our best interests at heart, and He is powerful.

He is God.

Knowing the 5 verses of Psalm 100 can be a lifelong reminder of the reasons to praise Him. There’s something else in these verses as well. We not only have the “why” of praise in Psalm 100. We also have the “how”.

So, how are we to praise the Lord?

Praise God as the Source of all blessings* with a joyful noise (v. 1)
* with glad hearts as we serve Him (v. 2)
* with singing (v. 2)
* with the reverent recognition of who He is (v. 3)
* with thanksgiving (v. 4)
* with blessing for His name (v. 4)
* with knowledge that praise is the password to His presence (v. 4)
* with the desire to go deeper in seeking and knowing Him (also v. 4, drawing near as we come into his courts)

Finally, we find that remembering the how and why of praise found in Psalm 100 can help us to live in fellowship with the Lord as we continually look for more reasons to give Him praise and seek to live our lives for His glory.  

There are many benefits to living a life of praise, because praise is good medicine!

Unlike prescriptions for medication, praise has no harmful side effects. The benefits of praise are spiritual, emotional, mental, and even physical.

Here are 10 of the benefits of praise:

Praise   Lets just praise the Lord* Praise focuses our attention on the eternal and causes us to let go of our earthly concerns for a while.

* Praise reminds us why we love and trust our great God. It reminds us who He is.

* Praise helps us to remember that God’s salvation goes beyond meeting our greatest need (for Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior) to meeting our everyday needs through all of the ways that God shepherds and cares for us and helps us to grow in grace.

* When we praise the Lord specifically for all that He is and all that He has done, we are confronted with God’s sovereignty, Jesus’ glory as the only begotten of the Father, and the Holy Spirit’s comfort and guidance.

* Praise brings peace to our hearts because it reminds us that He is our peace.

* Praise makes us glad as we remember that He is the joy of every longing heart.

* Praise gives us eternal perspective and helps us hold on to faith in God, even when things don’t seem to make sense.

* Praise allows God to meet us where we are and minister to us at the point of our deepest need.

* Praise takes our eyes off of ourselves and focuses them on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

* Praise allows us to give something of eternal value to the Giver of all things. We can give something of eternal value only because God invested Himself in us when He chose to die for us. He can redeem us through the power of His great love and make us into eternal beings who will see His glory and become worthy of His presence through the shedding of His own blood. He gives value to our weakest effort. His strength is perfected in our human weakness. As we praise Him, we recognize and affirm His infinite worth and supreme glory as the God of all creation. He, in turn, lifts us up with the knowledge that He cares for us and values our lives, our souls, and even our human efforts to live in such a way that our lives bring Him glory.

With results like that, this prescription for praise should be administered daily!

See the information below about our most often read blog post, 31 Days of Praise, to give you a full month of praise scripture devotions.

Below, you will find a memorization helper photo for Psalm 100.  Print it in whatever size works for you, and use it as a memory aide to help you learn the 5 incredible verses of Psalm 100.

Use this scripture memory photo for the 5 verses of Psalm 100 to read it aloud each day and memorize this passage by Day 17.

Use this scripture memory photo for the 5 verses of Psalm 100 to read it aloud each day and memorize this passage

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31  DAYS OF PRAISE  

This blog post originally was (and still is) the praise devotion for day 17 in our “31 Days of Praise” blog post (see link below).

Most of the devotions consist of a praise verse, a truth about praise drawn from that verse, and a short, devotional paragraph with thoughts about praise inspired by that verse.  However, this particular devotion is longer…quite a bit longer.  It is the only long-ish devotion in “31 Days of Praise” because there’s just so much in Psalm 100.  The more I looked, the more I found, and the more there was to share about this passage of scripture and our great God.  With this much to share, I decided after I published the 31 devotions that this particular devotion needed to become a separate post as well.  Psalm 100 is even more special to me now that the Lord has revealed so much about it and about Himself through it.  We hope that this post will be a blessing.  Don’t forget to check out “31 Days of Praise” for 30 short devotions about praise + one that is a little long-ish.

Here’s the link to   31 Days of Praise

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This post was written by Cynthia A. Boyd.
This post can be reprinted in an unpaid church publication as long as the author’s name and blog URL are included.  It does need to be printed in its entirety.  We stand by each post on our blog, so we require that no edits be made.  Even the tiniest edit might alter the meaning or original intent of a post.  For a paid publication, obtaining permission is required.

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Do you know someone who is looking for answers?

Thank you for spending your valuable time reading the contents of this page.  We hope that it has been helpful to you.   If you or someone that you know is looking for answers about life, we hope that you will visit our page called “Do You Know Jesus?”.   The links provided on this page will help to answer life’s deepest questions.   Here is the link to “Do You Know Jesus?”:  http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

Please feel free to share this URL with anyone who is looking for answers about life and eternity.

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31 Days of Praise (Scripture Devotions)

In this blog post, you will find 31 short devotions, one for every day of any month.  Each one is based upon a scripture about praise and a truth about praise drawn from that scripture, with some thoughts about praise for each day.

We hope that this post will be a blessing to you in your times of private worship as well as in your daily life.

FOREWORD to the daily devotions:  Thoughts about praise

Praise in General 

praise  good job  excellentPraise is an expression of something good.  When we praise another person, we tell them something good that we have observed about them or something good that we have experienced as a result of our relationship to them.  Sometimes people we’ve never personally met inspire us with stories of strength and courage; and we could choose to respond to that with praise, sharing our good thoughts in some way (telling others, writing a letter to the person, etc.)  Sometimes, our praise takes the form of saying something good about someone to others, even though the person we are praising is not present to hear our words.  I can praise my husband or children even when they are not around by sharing something good about them verbally or in writing.

Praise has an object.  There is something or someone that we are praising.

Praise also has an audience.  We either speak or write our praise directly to the person or group or family or organization we are praising, or we speak or write to others about them.

When we praise someone directly, that person is the object of our praise and also is the audience (if no one else is present) or a part of the audience (if others also hear our praise for them).  Praise for others is at its best when the motivation for it comes out of the overflow of our love and/or respect, resulting from the impact a person has made upon our lives.  Sometimes people have other motives, and praise can be meaningless or empty or even a part of a personal betrayal or an attempt to influence the actions of another person.  However, even though, as with every other human behavior, there is the potential for harm when praise is done for the wrong reasons, praise is still generally a beneficial expression that can be very meaningful and can even change someone’s life.

Praising God

Praise God   colorful lettersWhen we praise God, He is both the object and the audience (or part of the audience) for our praises.  He hears our praise, even though we don’t see Him visually.  We are speaking or singing directly to God as well as about Him.  Because of this fact, words of praise to God are some of the most important words that will ever come out of our mouths.  Praise is not something to ever take lightly.  When our praise for God is genuine, we are expressing the overflow of our hearts and sharing good things about our God.  We are telling or writing or in some other way (music, dance, art) expressing a clear message about who God is and/or what He has done.  Our praise can be part of a testimony of what God has done and is doing in our lives.  Praise can be one brief statement, or it can be a more lengthy expression.  We are sharing with others the news that God is good and at the same time telling Him that we know He is good We do need to be careful about expressing praise only when something happens that we are happy about.  God is good all the time.  He is worthy of our praise. 

All of us have to be intentional about praise.  We have to choose to become people who make a commitment to express praise to God and to others about God.  We have to choose to be both vulnerable and strong in expressing praise to God within the congregation.  We lay aside any concerns about what other people are thinking or doing, and we simply focus on praising God with all of our hearts.  Praise opens our hearts to God as we focus on Him alone.  He inhabits (dwells within or manifests His presence within) the praise of His people.  It’s so amazing that God chooses to meet us and transform us with His presence when we make the choice to praise Him!

Praise is also necessary for the heart of every Christian even when we are feeling down, disappointed, or crushed by grief.  In the midst of our deepest valleys, we still recognize that God’s goodness and faithfulness are praiseworthy.  Because our praise opens the courts of the Lord, He will meet us there.  When we are willing to give to God the sacrifice of praise, knowing that He is good and merciful even in the midst of our trials or suffering, we give Him an opportunity to minister peace and comfort to our hurting hearts.  No matter what is happening in our lives, our God is worthy of praise.

Have a beautiful month as you praise Him each day!

Memory Challenge: 

As part of this month of praise, I hope that you will commit to memorize 2 short Psalms.

*  If you read through and speak out loud the 5 verses of Psalm 100 each day as part of your devotion time, you should have it memorized very well by day 17.

*  On day 18, begin to do the same thing with the 6 (shorter) verses of Psalm 150.

You’ll be surprised how many of the verses you already know.  You will always be glad that you memorized these 2 Psalms of praise, and they will be a blessing to you throughout your life.

Memorization helps:  In order to make the memorization easier for you, we have included printable versions of Psalm 100 and Psalm 150 in this post.

*  Just right click on the photo to choose the print option and then the size that will work best for you.

*  Place your memory photo page in a place where you will see it and work on learning it each day, or place it with your Bible for your devotional time.

*  Below, you will find the Psalm 100 printable.

*  The one for Psalm 150 is located between the devotions for Day 17 and Day 18.

*  You could also choose to simply stop at the photo verse each time to work on memorizing the verse (either before or after scrolling down to read the day’s praise devotional).

May God bless you as you praise Him and memorize His word.

Use this scripture memory photo for the 5 verses of Psalm 100 to read it aloud each day and memorize this passage by Day 17.

Use this scripture memory photo for the 5 verses of Psalm 100, to read it aloud each day and memorize this passage by Day 17.  You can also print it to use as a memory helper.  (Photograph of beach by Carol Roberts)

THIRTY ONE DAYS OF PRAISE

1*  Day One  *

Praise truth #1:  Praise takes determination and commitment.

“I will give to the Lord the thanks due to His righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.”   — Psalm 7:17

Notice that the Psalmist makes a statement of his intention and his commitment to thank and praise the Lord.  He says “will give thanks” and “will sing praise.”  He also shares the reason for his thanksgiving, the Lord’s righteousness.  Our God loves goodness and justice, righteousness and truth.  We can trust that He will ultimately make everything right.  (Romans 8:28)  Praise Him today for His righteousness, and determine that you will make every day be a day of thanksgiving and praise to the Lord.

Memory Challenge:  Remember your memory challenge with the reading of Psalm 100 (just above this devotional).

2*  Day Two  *

Praise truth #2:  Praise is job #1 for the Saints!

“Sing praises to the Lord, O you His saints, and give thanks to His holy name.”   — Psalm 30:4

As those who have believed in Jesus and experienced salvation, His saints, it is our duty as well as our joy and privelege to sing praises to the Lord and give thanks to Him.  Praise God today for His salvation and for giving you so many reasons to be thankful.  Bless His name today.  Speak aloud of the goodness of our God.  Sing praises to His holy name.

Memory Challenge:  Don’t forget to speak the verses of Psalm 100 aloud each day!

3*  Day Three  *

Praise truth #3:  There is no doubt that God wants us to sing His praises and delights in the praises of His people.

“Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a Psalm.”   — Psalm 47:6 & 7

How many times are we told to sing praises to the Lord in these two verses?  Five times!   He is the King of all the earth!  Sometimes we praise people more than we praise God.  Would we be more excited to meet an earthly King than to be in the presence of the King of all the earth?  Would we spend more time getting ready to appear before someone who is an earthly leader for a few years than we do in praising the King of all eternity?  When we begin to truly understand who God is and the incredible truth that He loves us and knows us and wants us to know Him, how can we keep from singing His praise?  Praise God today for His sovereignty over all of Creation.  Praise him specifically for all that He is and all He has done.

Memory Challenge:  How many verses of Psalm 100 can you say without looking?

4*  Day Four  *

Praise truth #4:  Praise is far-reaching.

“We have thought of Thy steadfast love, O God, in the midst of Thy temple. As Thy name, O God, so Thy praise reaches to the ends of the earth.”   — Psalm 48:9 & 10

When we spend some time thinking of the steadfast love of God, right in the middle of our lives of busy-ness and inconstancy, our natural response to His faithfulness and unchanging love is praise!  Praise reaches to the ends of the earth.  It reaches the heart of God.  It reaches inside our own hearts and changes our perspective.  As important and as supreme as the name of God is, praise reaches just as far!  Praise accompanies God’s name.  We will never run out of reasons to praise Him, and He will never tire of hearing our praises, dwelling within them, and using the praises of His people to speak to the hearts of men. Praise God today for His steadfast love, and spend some time remembering His faithfulness in your life.

Memory Challenge:  Praise him with the Psaltery as you speak Psalm 100 aloud.

5*  Day Five  *

Praise truth #5:  Praise is expressed verbally.

“O Lord, open Thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Thy praise.”   — Psalm 51:15

The Psalmist prays to God and asks that his mouth be made a vessel of praise.  He surrenders himself and his lips to the Lord and asks that God will allow them to be open for the purpose of praise.  What do I need to surrender in order that I may show forth His praise?  Clearly, I need to be willing to praise God verbally and openly.  I need to be committed to bringing God glory through my life.  I need to be passionate about sharing His praise verbally and through singing, and I need to be asking God to help me praise Him all the more. Pray the prayer of abundant praise today, asking God to take control of your heart and mind and lips and cause you to praise Him all day long.

Memory Challenge:  Psalm 100 time!

6*  Day Six  *

Praise truth #6:  Praise can be joyful and glorious.

“Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of His name; give to Him glorious praise!”   — Psalm 66:1

What constitutes a joyful noise to God?  Singing of His glory!  When we sing of the majesty and splendor and glory of God and praise Him with our whole heart, we are bringing Joy to the very heart of God.  Knowing that we can give something in return to the One who has given us everything we have ever had and ever will have is a joy for us as well.

Make a joyful noiseJoy in Heaven and Joy on earth,

Songs of His glory and His infinite worth.

This is the way we should spend all our days,

Making joyful noise in glorious praise.

–  Cynthia A. Boyd

Memory Challenge:  The words of Psalm 100 make a joyful noise, too!  Speak them as to the Lord.

7*  Day Seven  *

Praise truth #7:  Praising God is for all nations and all peoples.

“Let the peoples praise Thee, O God; let all the peoples praise Thee! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for Thou dost judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon the earth. Let the peoples praise Thee, O God; let all the peoples praise Thee!”   — Psalm 67:3 – 5

Although God has chosen the people of Israel to be the ones that would proclaim His salvation through their history and through the coming of Jesus, He is at work within all peoples and nations.  He deals fairly and judges equitably.  He guides the nations in ways that we can’t fully understand.  This verse is a call to praise for people from all nations, tribes, and tongues.  We have reason to be glad and to sing for joy.  Our God is the righteous judge who loves the world and sent His Son to serve the sentence of death for all of mankind.  (John 3:16-17)  Praise God today for His work among the nations and for the fact that there are people in every country in the world who know Him, as well as those who will come to know Him.

Memory Challenge:  Can you say all 5 verses of Psalm 100 from memory yet?  Speak them out loud.  Saying them at the same time you are hearing yourself say them helps you to memorize them.

8*  Day Eight  *

Praise truth #8:  It is important that we set aside the concerns of the day when we choose to joyfully praise the Lord.

“Let the righteous be joyful; let them exult before God; let them be jubilant with joy! Sing to God, sing praises to His name; lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds; His name is the Lord, exult before Him.”    — Psalm 68:3 & 4

Remember who God is.  He is the Lord who rides upon the clouds.  We have read that we must enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.  If we desire to commune with God, we must begin with thanksgiving and praise.  We must set aside the burdens and worries of the day as we give thanks and joyfully sing praise to Him.  Yes, He cares about every part of your life and about your heart and every concern that you have.  Since the Bible makes it clear that He cares for us and about us, we can lay our burdens down.  Think of your time with God as though you are visiting a friend (What a friend!).  You would not rush into your friend’s home and immediately begin listing all of your troubles and your requests for help.  Instead, you would greet your friend joyfully and let them know you are glad to be in their presence.  Later in your conversation, there will be time for deeper sharing.  When you choose to express thanksgiving and joyful praise first, you demonstrate that you trust the heart of God and know that He is already aware of everything in your life.  You are deliberately coming into God’s presence as someone who loves and cares for Him and is mindful of His infinite love and care for you.

[Be sure to notice all of the “joy words” in these 2 verses for day 8:  joyful, exult (definition:  show or feel elation or jubilation), be jubilant with joy, exult (again).  Place a joy reminder in a place where you will see it each day.]

NOTE:  Sometimes an immediate crisis in our lives allows for only a one word plea for “Help!” or a short phrase or sentence spoken as a prayer,  God hears all of our prayers and knows the cries of our hearts.  He knows each situation.  He desires that His children seek Him with all of our needs, and He places His love for us above any formula for prayer.  Just as a small child would do when afraid, sometimes all we need to do is run to the Lord (in prayer) and call out His name (just as the frightened child would call out, “Daddy!”).  The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit helps us in our prayers, giving voice to the deepest “groanings” of our soul that are so profound we cannot even put them into words.  (Romans 8:26)  We also read that Jesus is right beside the throne of God, interceding (making requests on our behalf, praying for us).  (Hebrews 7:25)  So, when we are too exhausted with grief or pain to seek God with clarity, He knows, He helps, and He prays for us.

However, any time that it is possible for you to seek God in prayer and come to Him first with thanksgiving and praise, do so.  When you thank Him (knowing that He is good and that He cares for you) and praise Him (knowing that He is the Source and Sustainer of everything good and the Redeemer of your soul), your heart becomes open to His presence and aware of our loving Father God who is always there.  God can then manifest His love for you, His comfort, and His presence (His very “being there” for and with you) in heart to heart communication that is pure peace.

Memory Challenge:  Share Psalm 100 with your family today.

9*  Day Nine  *

Praise truth #9:  The heart attitude is most important in praising God.

“I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify Him with thanksgiving.”   — Psalm 69:30

Singing a song of praise doen’t necessarily  mean that you are praising God as you sing.  The attitude of your heart determines whether the words you are singing match your audible expression of a praise song.  If the intention and commitment of your heart is to give God praise and thank Him wholeheartedly, then you are truly praising God when you sing.  Here, the Psalmist states his intention to praise the Lord and magnify His name through thanksgiving.  To magnify means to make something appear bigger.  God’s name is already supreme, so  how does our thanksgiving make His name appear larger?  In our own hearts, thanksgiving reveals God’s true nature and His goodness.  His name is always big, but we are more aware of who He is when we are thanking and praising Him.  Our sincere praise and thanksgiving can also impact the hearts of others and allow them to have a bigger picture of who God is as well.  So, intentionally express your praise to God with words and with song, and cause His name to be revealed as BIG with your thanksgiving.

Memory Challenge:  Repeat the words of Psalm 100 as you do something good today.  Whether you are are exercising or wrapping a gift for a friend, do a pleasant task with praise.

10*  Day Ten  *

Praise truth # 10:  Praise is our heartfelt and intentional response to the revelation of who God is.

“I will praise Thee with the psaltery, even Thy truth, O my God. Unto Thee will I sing with the harp, O Thou Holy One of Israel. My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which Thou has redeemed.”   — Psalm 71:22 & 23

The Psalmist reveals his thoughts about who God is as he declares his intention to praise God in response.  He mentions God’s truth, God’s commitment to personal relationship with us (“O, my God”), God’s holiness, God’s commitment to the nation of Israel (as keeper of promises and covenant, redeemer, refuge, sustainer); and, most importantly, he mentions God’s salvation (“my soul, which thou has redeemed”).  In response to the revelation of who God is in character and who God is to him personally, the Psalmist declares his intention to respond by using the Psalms (psaltery) to praise God verbally.  He also states that he will sing praise with the harp and that he will do so while greatly rejoicing.  The Psalmist realized that he had been greatly blessed and given grace, mercy, and salvation by a personal, holy, true God who is a keeper of promises and who has become his Redeemer.  His response is declaring God’s praise with his whole heart.

Memory Challenge:  Declare the praise of the Lord with Psalm 100!  You are doing exactly what the Psalmist did.

11*  Day Eleven  *

Praise truth # 11:  Praise comes with blessings!

“Blessed are those who dwell in Thy house, ever singing Thy praise!  Selah.”   — Psalm 84:4

Notice that the Psalmist speaks of dwelling in God’s house and singing God’s praise continually.  For us today, I believe that this would refer to those who seek to stay in fellowship with God and who guard their thoughts and try to focus on thanksgiving and praise.  Blessings are many for us when we choose to allow God to work in our lives as we surrender our fears along with our hopes and our failures along with our strengths.   Singing God’s praise reveals the truth of His goodness and our need for Him.  When we allow Him to become our sufficiency, we do not lack any good thing.  We are living under the sheltering roof of God’s provision for our emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical needs.  As we continue to praise Him, our eyes are opened to more and more of what He has done and is doing in our lives.  The Amplified Bible translates the word ‘selah’ as “pause…and think of that”.   So, abide in His presence, rest in His provision, praise His faithfulness, and see that the Lord is good.  Now, pause and think of that.

Memory Challenge:  Psalm 100!

12* Day Twelve * 

Praise truth #12:  When we praise God wholeheartedly, we bring glory to His name.

“I will praise Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart; and I will glorify Thy name forevermore.”   — Psalm 86:12

Once again, the Psalmist declares his intention to praise the Lord.  He addresses God personally (O Lord my God) and commits himself to hold back nothing and praise God with his whole heart.  The promise of forever is as real as the present moment to him as the Psalmist makes his own promise to God.  He promises to glorify God’s name forevermore.  His life has become a testament to God’s glory as he pours himself fully into an offering of praise.  This well of praise will not run dry thoughout all eternity because the Psalmist knows that he could never out-give God.  There will always be a reason to thank and praise God, because God will continue to give and bless and love as only He can.  It will be so exciting that we will know the blessings and love of God fully, with complete understanding.  We will no longer need to walk by faith and trust God even in what seems to be a time of darkness.  Faith and trust will be replaced by complete knowledge when we know Him even as we are known.  Glory to God forever!

Memory Challenge:  Praise Him with Psalm 100.

13* Day Thirteen *

Praise truth #13:   When we praise God for His faithfulness and His wonders, we are joining the heavens in congregational praise.

“The heavens shall praise Thy wonders, O Lord; Thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.”   — Psalm 89:5

As we meet together for the purpose of worship, we enter into a praise party that is already happening.  The heavens are already praising God.  In ways that we can’t fully fathom, His wonders and His faithfulness are being praised in our midst by the hosts of Heaven and even by His creation.  What a tragedy it is when we fail to join this chorus of praise.  Like the Psalmist, we must choose to joyfully commit ourselves to praise, knowing that God is so good that the Heavenly realms are spilling their praise all over, even as we are meeting together.  Praise the Lord, Saints!

Memory Challenge:  Psalm 100!

14* Day Fourteen * 

Praise truth # 14:  Praise is a good thing… all day long!

“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O Most High; To show forth Thy lovingkindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness every night.”   — Psalm 92:1 & 2

Oh, yes!  We trust God to get us through the day with His strength and His lovingkindness as we thank and praise Him in the morning and throughout the day.

Then, we thank and praise Him every night because He was faithful to do just that (get us through the day)!  Once again, His lovingkindness guided and comforted us all day long.  What better equation could describe our day?

_      God’s  lovingkindness______     —-    the foundation for praise!

undergirded by His faithfulness

Memory Challenge:  You ought to really know Psalm 100 by now!  As you have continued to speak these words in praise to God, you are taking the time to commit them to your life-long memory.  You’ve learned these 5 verses to the extent that they have become part of you.  Praise the Lord!

15* Day Fifteen *

Praise truth #15:  Because God is great, He should be praised greatly.

“O sing unto the Lord a new song; sing unto the Lord all the earth. Sing unto the Lord, bless His name; show forth His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the heathen, His wonders among all people. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised.”   — Psalm 96:1 – 4a

God is great.  He is greater than we can imagine.  He is worthy of our songs.  He is so great that His name should be blessed.  He is so great that His glory should be declared to those who do not know Him.  He is so great that those who have experienced His salvation should live in such a way that their lives “show forth” from day to day.  (Some days may be easier than others, but the clear implication is a daily testimony of a transformed life!)

God…is…GREAT.  And, in every way that we can, His people should declare His greatness:  verbally, through songs, through our lives, and through praising Him for who He is and for all that He has done.  Praise the Lord greatly today!

Memory Challenge:  You are declaring His greatness by hiding His word in your heart.  You have treasured it enough to learn it.  Speak Psalm 100.

16* Day Sixteen *

Praise truth # 16:  Praise for the Lord is celebrated joyfully with music.

(Note:  He also sings joyfully over us.  See Zephaniah 3:17)

“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth; make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Sing unto the Lord with a harp, with a harp and the voice of a psalm.”   — Psalm 98:4 & 5

How important is it that we should use music in praising the Lord?  Notice that these 2 verses mention musical praise in several different ways:  a joyful noise, a loud noise, rejoicing, singing praise, singing with a harp, and singing with the voice of a Psalm.  God made us, and He knows that there is something about music that speaks to our hearts like nothing else.   He also knows that music can express deep emotion and help us to remember and to celebrate.  Music can unite our hearts in an expression of team loyalty or holiday wishes or patriotism.  Music can have special meaning within relationships of friends or loved ones.  The combination of poetry and melody can be very powerful as a means of expression.  The highest use of this powerful expressive tool that we call music is to use it in praise to the Lord (genuine, heart-felt praise).  The style of music you prefer does not matter to God.  It’s your heart and the expression of your true praise that He values.  So, make a joyful noise in praise to the Lord.  It’s music to His ears.

Memory Challenge:  Really look at Psalm 100.  What do you see?  Tomorrow, you may see more in these verses than ever before.

17* Day Seventeen * 

Praise truth # 17:  Praise opens the “courts” of intimacy in our relationship with God.

“Make a joyful moise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord is God; it is He that has made us and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise; be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good: His mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures to all generations.”   — Psalm 100 (all verses, 1 – 5)

I love Psalm 100!  These 5 short verses are a prescription for a life of thanksgiving and praise!  Here we have the “why” of praise.  Why do we praise God?  Because He is good…   Because His mercy is everlasting…   Because His truth endures to all generations…   Because we are His people…   Because He is like a Shepherd to us…   Because the pasture is His (we dwell within His creation)…   Because He is God…   Because He made us…   Because anything we have as far as abilities and gifts came from Him (we didn’t make ourselves)…   Because He allows us to come into His presence…   Because He wants to be in relationship and fellowship with us, so He tells us that thanksgiving and praise are the outer and inner gateways to communion with Him…   Because He wants us to be glad and to be joyful.

Did you see those 12 reasons for praise in the 5 verses of Psalm 100 before?  I have read this Psalm hundreds of times in the 35 years since I became a Christian, but I don’t think I saw all of the reasons for praise until I started looking for them.  Do you see them now?  THAT’S WHY WE PRAISE HIM!   He is great, He is Sovereign, He is personal, He is a loving and caring Shepherd, He claims us as His own, He wants us to know Him, He is a God of truth, He is merciful (FULL of mercy), He is a giver, He is generous (desiring our joy!), He has our best interests at heart, and He is powerful.  He is God

Knowing the 5 verses of Psalm 100 can be a lifelong reminder of the reasons to praise Him.  There’s something else in these verses as well.  We not only have the “why” of praise in Psalm 100.  We also have the “how”.  So, how are we to praise the Lord?

Praise God as the Source of all blessingsWith a joyful noise,

*  with glad hearts as we serve Him,

*  with singing,

*  with the reverent recognition of who He is

*  with thanksgiving,

*  with blessing for His name

*  with knowledge that praise is the password to His presence

*  with the desire to go deeper in seeking and knowing Him

Good medicine!

One other thing to consider about the prescription for praise found in Psalm 100 is the benefits of praise.  Unlike prescriptions for medication, praise has no harmful side effects.  The benefits of praise are spiritual, emotional, mental, and even physical.  Here are 10 of the benefits of praise.

*  Praise focuses our attention on the eternal and causes us to let go of our earthly concerns for a while.

Praise reminds us why we love and trust our great God.  It reminds us who He is.

*  Praise helps us to remember that God’s salvation goes beyond meeting our greatest need (for Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior) to meeting our everyday needs through all of the ways that God shepherds and cares for us and helps us to grow in grace.

*  When we praise the Lord specifically for all that He is and all that He has done, we are confronted  with God’s sovereignty, Jesus’ glory as the only begotten of the Father, and the Holy Spirit’s comfort and guidance.

*  Praise brings peace to our hearts because it reminds us that He is our peace.

*  Praise makes us glad as we remember that He is the joy of every longing heart.

*  Praise gives us eternal perspective and helps us hold on to faith in God, even when things don’t seem to make sense.

Praise allows God to meet us where we are and minister to us at the point of our deepest need.  

*  Praise takes our eyes off of ourselves and focuses them on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

Praise allows us to give something of eternal value to the Giver of all things.  We can give something of eternal value only because God invested Himself in us when He chose to die for us.  He can redeem us through the power of His great love and make us into eternal beings who will see His glory and become worthy of His presence through the shedding of His own blood.  He gives value to our weakest effort.  His strength is perfected in our human weakness.  As we praise Him, we recognize and affirm His infinite worth and supreme glory as the God of all creation.  He, in turn, lifts us up with the knowledge that He cares for us and values our lives, our souls, and even our human efforts to live in such a way that our lives bring Him glory.

With results like that, this prescription for praise should be administered daily!

Memory Challenge:  If you have memorized Psalm 100, continue to say it out loud every day during your private time of worship and praise.  Then, begin learning the 6 short verses of Psalm 150.  Here is a memory verse photo for Psalm 150 to help you learn the passage.  This can be printed or used as a reference when you are learning the verses before or after each day of praise devotion.

NOW,  IT’S  TIME  TO  BEGIN  MEMORIZING  PSALM 150.   HERE  IS  YOUR  MEMORY  HELPER  PHOTO.

Use this Psalm 150 memory photo to help you the 6 verses of Psalm 150 by saying it aloud each day, days 18 through 31. The photo can also be printed in the size that works best for you.  (Photograph of an Oklahoma sunset by Belinda Graham)

Use this Psalm 150 memory photo to help you memorize the 6 verses of Psalm 150 by saying it aloud each day, days 18 through 31. The photo can also be printed in the size that works best for you. (Photograph of an Oklahoma sunset by Belinda Graham)

18* Day Eighteen *

Praise truth # 18:  God was thinking of us long before our generation, longing for us to know His compassion and mercy for us so that we might be set free and be given new hearts of praise.

“Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet unborn* may praise the Lord:
That He looked down from His Holy height, from heaven the Lord looked at the earth, To hear the groans of the prisoners, To set free those who were doomed to die: That men may declare in Zion the name of the Lord, and in Jerusalem, His praise; when peoples and kingdoms gather together to worship the Lord.“   — Psalm 102:18 – 22

* (or, “yet to be created” in some translations;  in other words, these truths were recorded for us!)

It is important for every generation to take responsibility for sharing the truth of God’s love and mercy with future generations.  Knowing what God has done and that he is a God who looks upon us with compassion and mercy allows future generations to choose to accept God’s mercy and His invitation to be free from the condemnation and the prison of sin.  People need to know that God has the power and mercy and love and grace needed to transform our lives from the inside out.  He will create within us hearts that long to praise and worship Him… because His goodness to us is so great and His life within us is a beautiful promise of the eternal life to come.  People need to know.

Memory Challenge:  Praise God today with the words of Psalm 150.

19* Day Nineteen *

Praise truth # 19:  It is impossible to reach the limit for praise.  There is no limit.

“Praise ye the Lord; O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endures forever. Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? Who can show forth all His praise?”   — Psalm 106:1 & 2

Who, indeed, can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?  He is constantly acting on our behalf in ways that we don’t even know.  There is no way for us to speak praises for all that God has done because He is constantly doing more.  There is no end to His goodness and mercy, and there is no end to praise.  Though our praises may be incomplete, they are sweet gifts to our Lord.  So, praise ye the Lord!  Keep giving him thanks and showing forth His praise.  He’ll be showing us His love and mercy for all of eternity, and we will respond with praise.  Why wait?  Praise Him right now!

Memory Challenge:  Today, read Psalm 150 aloud twice as you praise the Lord.

20* Day Twenty *

Praise truth # 20:  We fail to praise God as often as we should and as publically as we should.

“Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!  Let them exalt Him also in the congregation of the people, and praise Him in the assembly of the elders.”   — Psalm 107:31 & 32

These verses are a lament and a plea for praise.  Here’s a paraphrase:  “Oh, wouldn’t it be wonderful if we would praise the Lord for His goodness and for His care (wonderful works!) in our lives!”  How would our perspective change?  How would the hearts of others be affected?  How would God use our praises to draw others to Himself.  Jesus said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”  (John 12:32)  How much would our praises free the Lord to act in our lives and in the lives of others?  Let’s find out, people!  Let’s exalt (hold in high regard, elevate, raise, glorify, praise, honor) Him in the congregation!  Let’s praise Him anytime that we assemble to worship, to fellowship, or to serve Him in any way.

Memory Challenge:  Have some fun with praise!  As you speak the words of Psalm 150, beat a rhythm on a makeshift cymbal.  A pot lid and wooden spoon will do just fine.  Hold the pot lid by it’s handle and have some sounding cymbals to accompany the words of the Psalm.  If you have children, get them involved, too.  Give them each a line to say and something to make noise with as they speak their line (to the rhythm of the words, though…not with such wild abandon that they can’t even hear the words).  Everytime you do this, you add to your memory (and theirs).

21* Day Twenty One * 

Praise truth #21:  Living an intentional life of praise takes a steadfast heart.

“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody!  Awake, my soul! Awake, O harp and lyre!  I will awaken the dawn!  I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples, I will sing praises to You among the nations.  For Your steadfast love is great above the heavens,  Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.  Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!  Let Your glory be over all the earth.”   — Psalm 108:1 – 5

Notice that the word “steadfast is used three times in these 5 verses.  The first two times, the Psalmist is referring to his own heart commitment to God.  The second time, the Psalmist refers to the steadfast love of God himself.  Notice also that even though the Psalmist has stated his clear intentions to live a life characterized by steadfastness and praise, the actions that follow his commitment are not always easy.  He tells his soul to wake up!  He wants to awaken his instruments of praise.  Then, the Psalmist reminds himself why it is so important to continue singing praises among the peoples and among the nations:  He is secure in the steadfast love of God.  His own resolve may waver, but he knows that God’s love for him is unwavering.  When he remembers God’s love and faithfulness, the Psalmist is ready to exalt and praise the Lord.  He is ready to see God’s glory spread over all the earth.  He wants other people to be secure in the love of God, too.  Praise God today for his steadfast love and far reaching faithfulness, which are greater than all of the incredible expanse of space and time and heavenly realms of which we are now aware and greater still than that which we will only know in eternity.

Memory Challenge:  Speak the words of Psalm 150 without looking, and see how much you have already learned.  Read the part that you haven’t learned yet at least twice.  Praise the Lord!

22* Day Twenty Two *

Praise truth # 22:  Thanks and praise always seem to go hand in hand.

“With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord; I will praise Him in the midst of the throng.”   — Psalm 109:30

Praise  Stand every morning to thank and praiseThe Psalmists repeatedly talk about thankfulness and praise together.  Usually, thankfulness is mentioned first.  When we begin to count our blessings and say thank you to the Giver of them all, the next step is naturally going to be praise to God as the Source of all blessings.  Because God is good and because, as Jesus said, God loves to give good gifts (Matthew 7:11), we have much to be thankful for and plenty of reasons to praise God (in the midst of the throng and anywhere else we may happen to be).  Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise today, as you worship the Giver and Source of all blessings.

Memory Challenge:  Praise God with the words of both Psalm 100 and Psalm 150 today.

23* Day Twenty Three *

Praise truth # 23:  As we grow in our Christian life, we begin to discover that we no longer think of praise in terms of an obligation.  It is pure privelege.

“Praise the Lord. I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.”   — Psalm 111:1

The Psalmist knows that praising God is not just something that we do.  Praise flows out of who we are becoming.  Notice that the congregation is referred to as “the company of the upright”.  Because God is at work in the hearts and lives of His people, transforming us from the inside out into a reflection of God’s own righteousness and making us more like Jesus, the Psalmist expresses his praise as an outflow of what is in his own heart.  The Psalmist’s gratitude for God’s salvation and his knowledge that God is good and that He is at work for our good produces a whole-hearted response of praise.  What does that mean for today?  Because we have been deeply and infinitely loved by God, because He has provided a way of salvation, and because our hearts are becoming more and more aware of God’s mercy and His transforming power, we have the privelege of expressing our love and gratitude to Him through praise.  Praise the Lord!

Memory Challenge:  Praise God with the words of Psalm 100 and Psalm 150, and then praise Him for everything else that comes to mind.

24* Day Twenty Four *

Praise truth # 24:  Genuine praise flows from a heart that knows and fears the Lord and takes delight in knowing and obeying God’s word.

“Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments!”   — Psalm 112:1

Do you remember the hymn, “Trust and Obey”?  Here are some lyrics (by James H. Sammis) from that great testimony of faith:

“When we walk with the Lord, in the light of His word,

What a glory He sheds on our way.

While we do His good will, He abides with us still;

And with all who will trust and obey.

(Refrain)

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus…

but to trust and obey.”

We do not have to be perfect in order to genuinely praise the Lord, but we need to be in the process of becoming more like Christ through walking in fellowship with the Lord.  Blessing comes from walking with Him, and then thanksgiving and praise naturally follow.

Memory Challenge:  Praise the Lord with the words of Psalm 100.  What gives us the confidence to trust Him and obey?  “For the Lord is good: His mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures to all generations.”

Praise the Lord with the words of Psalm 150.  What reflects His glory?  His mighty deeds, His excellent greatness.

* Day Twenty Five *

25Praise truth # 25:  Intentional and heartfelt praise should characterize our daily lives from sunrise to sunset.

“Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forever more! From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised! The Lord is high above all nations, and His glory is above the heavens.”   — Psalm 113:1 – 4

The servants of the Lord should live in an attitude of worship (intentionally giving glory to God in all of life) that creates a constant awareness of all that God has done and who He is.  In these 4 verses, the Psalmist mentions several characteristics of God.  His name is blessed, he is high above all nations, and His glory is above the heavens.  God is held in supreme regard because He is supreme over all.  Because of who He is (His character, His person) and because of who He is to us (Father, Creator, Savior, Redeemer, Shepherd,…), we praise Him at the beginning of each day and all the way through until the end.

Memory Challenge:  Try to say the words of Psalm 150 without looking.  If the Psalm is not yet memorized, take some time to work on that, visualizing the instruments and forms of praise that are mentioned (as an aid to memory).  If you can already quote Psalm 150, praise God with the words of Psalm 100 as well.

26* Day Twenty Six *

Praise truth # 26:  The best time to praise the Lord is:  every moment that you can!

“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have being.”   – Psalm 146:1 & 2

Again we see that the Psalmist speaks of praise in terms of the depth of his being (O my soul).  His praise is whole-hearted and soul deep.  The Psalmist intentionally expresses his praise to the Lord every day, and he is determined to continue to do so for the rest of his life.  He commits himself to praise.  He sings the praises of the Lord with the very breath that God has given.  He has decided to live a life of praise as long as God allows him to live on the earth, and he makes no mention of circumstance.  He does not say that he will praise the Lord only on the good days or when things go his way.  He does not say that he will praise God while he is feeling good.  He says that he will choose to praise God as long as he is alive.  Sometimes, we don’t feel well; and sometimes life is tough.  Still, we can choose, as the Psalmist did, to be alive in Christ and alive in praise….as long as we have being.

Memory Challenge:  Look once again at both Psalm 100 and Psalm 150 in print.  Notice all of the truths about God and his deeds that are praiseworthy.  Praise Him for all of these things.

27Praise   Lets just praise the Lord* Day Twenty Seven *

Praise truth # 27:  A song of praise is pleasing to God.

“Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for He is gracious, and a song of praise is comely.”   — Psalm 147:1

The Psalmist uses the word “comely” in describing a song of praise.  The definitions that I found for this word were:  pleasing, attractive, appropriate, and suitable.  Certainly it is appropriate and suitable to praise our God.  He is worthy of praise.  But singing praise goes beyond appropriate.  I believe that it is pleasing to God.  The phrase “sing praise” is found 129 times in the Bible, and “sing praises” is found 104 times.  I will say it again.  I believe that it is pleasing to God when we sing praises to Him.  Singing praises would be good (pleasing), as this scripture says, for that reason alone.  However, there are other benefits as well.  Singing praises to God can encourage and strengthen us.  Singing praises to God causes us to focus on Him rather than on problems.  Singing praises to God brings us into His presence.  Singing praises unites the hearts of a congregation in one common focus (the Lord) and intention (bringing Him glory).  So, why should we sing praises to our God?   Because He is gracious, as the verse says; because it is pleasing to God, and because singing praises strengthens, encourages, and unites us as a congregation. with Christ in our midst as we gather in His name.  It is good to sing praises to our God!

Note:  “The adjective “gracious” is applied in the Old Testament to Yahweh, as indicative of His favor and mercy, His long-suffering and ageneral inclination of favor, compassion, and kindness.”  (Bible dictionary definition by Walter G. Clippinger at this link:  http://classic.net.bible.org/dictionary.php?word=Gracious )

Memory Challenge:  Try something new with the verses of Psalm 100 and Psalm 150.  Reading from the text, alternate saying one verse of each Psalm in the manner shown below.  You may want to have a family member or friend read the verses of one Psalm while you read the other, alternating like this:

(Psalm 150, verse one)  – “Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him for His mighty deeds; praise Him in His mighty firmament!”

(Psalm 100, verse one)  – “Make a joyful moise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

(Psalm 150, verse two)  – “Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!”

(Psalm 100, verse two)  – “Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing.”

(Psalm 150 verse three)  – “Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with lute and harp!”

(Psalm 100, verse three)  – “Know that the Lord is God; it is He that has made us and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

(Psalm 150, verse four)  –  “Praise Him with timbrel and dance;  Praise Him with strings and pipe!”

(Psalm 100, verse four)  –  “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise; be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.”

(Psalm 150, verse five)  – “Praise Him with sounding cymbals; praise Him with loud clashing cymbals!”

(Psalm 100, verse five)  – “For the Lord is good: His mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures to all generations.”

(Psalm 150, verse six)  – “Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!”

Note:  Now that you have read the Psalms in the intermingled form, recite them both separately so that they don’t get mixed up in your memory.

28* Day Twenty Eight *

Praise truth # 28:  A new song of praise can give us a fresh revelation of who God is and how much He loves us.

“Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of the faithful!”   — Psalm 149:1

As the wife of a songwriter and someone who has occasionally been given a melody and some words of praise, I am very aware of one way that writng a Christian song of praise differs from writing any other kind of song.  It is very apparent to me that the writing of a song of praise to God flows out of our relationship to God and what we are learning in fellowship with him,   In other words, a song often comes when there has been a new revelation of truth or a new perspective that we have seen concerning a truth that we already knew.  As long as God is active within the hearts and lives of His people, new songs of praise will continue to be written.  Any time that you hear a new song, remember that it is a result of God seeking fellowship with man and His desire to reveal Himself to us.  Now that is another reason to praise Him!  Sing a new song in the assembly of the faithful, and declare His praise with the breath of a fresh revelation of His love for you!

Memory Challenge:  If you haven’t yet shared Psalm 100 and Psalm 150 with a friend or family member, do that through recitation, e-mail, or a note to encourage someone with God’s faithfulness (Especially with the message of Psalm 100).

29* Day Twenty Nine *

Praise truth # 29:  “Praise the Lord!”  is not a suggestion.  It is a command.

The message of Psalm 150:  Praise the Lord!

“Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty firmament; praise Him for His mighty deeds!  Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!  Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with lute and harp!  Praise Him with timbrel and dance; praise Him with strings and pipe!  Praise Him with sounding cymbals; praise Him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!”   — Psalm 150:1 – 6  (all verses)

Ten times in the six verses that make up Psalm 150, we are told to “praise God”, “praise Him”, or “praise the Lord”.

The “why” of praise that is mentioned here (for His mighty deeds) is certainly reason enough to praise God with all that we are.

We are told how to praise Him:  “according to His excellent greatness” and with all of the instruments and the implied exuberance that are mentioned in the Psalm.

We are told where to praise Him:  “in His sanctuary” and “in His mighty firmament”.

The two locations that are mentioned for praise to God are interesing because I believe that these locations represent the dwelling place of God.  When it comes to our own praise, the physical location for our praise could certainly be inside a house or center of worship  (church), which would correspond to one interpretation of  the word “sanctuary”.  The playing of all of the instruments mentioned here may also indicate that the Psalmist is talking about praising God in a corporate worship time, which we certainly need to do as well.  However, since God is everywhere and is, at the same time, on His throne, the location of His presence is a rather mysterious concept.   Most importantly, our praises should be genuine and thereby reach the heart of God no matter where we are.

Whether you are in a workplace, your home, in a public gathering place, or in a place of worship, your genuine praise glorifies the Lord.  His presence is with you in that place, and His presence also fills the mighty firmament.  God can remain on His throne while also fulfilling His promise to be in our midst any time that we gather in His name.  The heart of our praise is always most important and matters much more than our physical location or our understanding of where God is.  Like a parent who is pleased when His child expresses appreciation for parental love and care, God is pleased when we praise Him more for what our genuine praise says about who we are becoming than for any other reason.  When our understanding of God’s loving heart allows us to genuinely praise Him, we become more like Christ, whose most important task was to bring glory to God through fulfilling the divine purpose for His earthly life.

4  “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. 5  “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”  – John 17:4-5

The Psalmist also speaks of playing instruments and even dancing for joy as well.  If there are instruments that you can play in genuine praise, do so.  My husband often plays guitar and sings praise songs in our home.  Others may want to sit at the piano and play a hymn or sing along with Christian radio in their car or with a CD at home.  Whether an individual is praising the Lord in any location or whether we are meeting together for the purpose of corporate worship and praise, we obviously are supposed to praise God with enthusiasm.  We should not be more excited about a win by our favorite team than we are by thinking about God’s power and mercy and grace and patience (long-suffering) and His infinite love, so freely given.  So, praise Him with joy and abandon (even dancing with joy!… you know, your happy dance!).  Praise him with your whole heart and being.  Make some noise!  Praise Him because He is great and because He does great things.  Praise Him in congregational worship and family worship and private worship.  As long as you are breathing, praise the Lord!

Memory Challenge:  How are you doing on memorizing Psalm 150?  Are you still saying both Psalm 100 and Psalm 150 every day?  Put in a little extra time, and make sure that you have both Psalms (all 11 verses) memorized by the end of the month.  You can do it!  When you have them memorized, begin working on Psalm 100 in your family worship times so that your children can learn it, too!

30* Day Thirty *

Praise truth # 30:  Praise is happening all around the world at all times!

“They lift up their voices, they sing for joy; over the majesty of the Lord they shout from the west. Therefore in the east give glory to the Lord: in the coastlands of the sea, to the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise, of glory to the Righteous One.”   — Isaiah 24:14 – 16a\

Do you hear it?  The praises of the saints are being sung and shouted and expressed by people all over the world who love the Lord and have experienced His salvation.  They are lifting up their voices, singing for joy, and shouting over God’s majesty,  Our awareness of this worldwide symphony of praise in countless languages comes with a condition.  “Therefore”… our response should be…to “give glory to the Lord, to the name of the Lord”.  Join in the song of Heaven’s choirs.  Join with the voices of people all over the world, from the ends of the earth.  Sing songs of praise and of glory to the Righteous One.  Praise Him for His majesty today.  Praise Him for the people He has redeemed.  Praise Him for his goodness.  Praise the Righteous One.  Praise the Lord!

Memory Challenge:  Recite Psalm 100 and Psalm 150 as you praise the Lord today.  Think about what your praise Psalm would say if you were to write a personal prescription for praise for yourself or for your family.

My family’s praise Psalm might go something like this:

“Praise the Lord!  Praise Him wherever you are.

Praise God when you get up in the morning to get ready for the day.

Praise Him when you go to school or when you run to play.

Praise God when you are with your brothers and when you are alone.

Praise God at church; Praise God at home.

Think of God and praise him all day long.

Praise Him with a thank you song.

Praise God when it is time for slumber;

Count your blessings…what a number!

Praise the Lord!  Praise Him everywhere you go,

Praise Him for all of the love that you know.

For our God is so good.

His promises are true.

His love lasts forever.  His mercies are new.

Praise Him with your family.

Praise Him with your friends.

His love lasts forever.  His grace never ends.

Praise the Lord!”

(Your Praise Psalm doesn’t have to be poetic.  Mine just came out that way.  Just make sure that it reflects your personal opportunities to Praise the Lord, some reasons to praise Him, and your intention to do just that.)

31* Day Thirty One *

Praise truth # 31:  When we praise the Lord for what He has done, we are also praising Him for His promises and plans that are yet to be fulfilled on earth, knowing that they are already settled in Heaven.

“O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will praise Your name; for You have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and true.”   — Isaiah 2

It is such an incredible privelege to know the God of all creation.  He is our God.  He has given Himself to us in the person of Jesus and in His Word and His promises, which will all be fulfilled.  He has given Himself for us as Christ emptied Himself of His majesty to come to earth as a baby and live a sinless life, finally laying down His life as a sacrifice for the sins of all.  He continues to give all that He is through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit in our hearts and through the fulfillment of every promise of and plan of old, faithful and true.  Unchanging in His love for us, He has continued to do wonderful things in the world and in our hearts and lives.  The scope of His care for us and for all of creation will be fully revealed when we see all of those plans and promises fulfilled.  In Christ, all of the promises of God are already “yes”and “amen” (2nd Corinthians 1:20).   The resurrection of Christ is the guarantee of fulfillment for every promise of God.  Only when we see all of God’s promises fulsilled will we fully know all of the “wonderful things” for which we praise God even now.  We praise Him for the past, for the present moment, and for the certain promise of an eternal life that is beyond human imagination.  He holds all of time in His hands, just as He holds you and me.  Exalt Him, and praise His name!

“For as many as are the promises of God, they all find their Yes in Him [Christ]. For this reason we also utter the Amen (so be it) to God through Him [in His Person and by His agency] to the glory of God.”  – 2nd Corinthians 1:20, Amplified Bible

Memory Challenge:  Praise the Lord with the words of Psalm 100 and Psalm 150.  Praise the Lord!

Note from the author of the 31 devotions:  Bless you for your commitment to praise!  I hope you have a clearer picture of how much you are loved and of how much our love and praise, returned to God, means to Him.  Continue in praise from day to day.  The Lord will bless your commitment to Him and meet you there.

Praise   sing praises bird header

PRAISE  AND  AMEN… let it be so!

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting; and let all the people say, “Amen.”  Praise the Lord!”   — Psalm 106:48

Thank you for your faithfulness in choosing to worship the Lord and seek Him through these 31 days of praise.  Let praise continue!

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.”   – Hebrews 13:15

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The devotions for “31 Days of Praise” were written by Cynthia A. Boyd

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Note:  You can use these praise scriptures and devotions as part of your personal worship at any time.  The devotions were completed in time for use in October of 2013, but they can be used in any month.  Just double up a couple of devotions in the shorter months.  Make every month a month of praise!

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You can also use any of our other resources for praise, thanksgiving, and worship.  God bless you!  Praise the Lord!

*  Our “30 Thankful Verses” post has 30 days of brief devotions based upon 30 scriptures about giving thanks.

30 Thankful Verses

*  Our “Lift Your Voice” page has an extensive collection of worship scriptures from both the Old and New Testaments, in chronological order.

https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/lift-your-voice/

*  Our “Old Testament Worship Scriptures” post contains the same worship scriptures for the Old Testament found in “Lift Your Voice”.  (We added them as a post also so that we could tag the post and make it easier for people to locate these resources.

Old Testament Worship Scriptures

*  Our “New Testament Worship Scriptures” post contains the same worship scriptures for the New Testament found in “Lift Your Voice”.

New Testament Worship Scriptures

One benefit to having the New Testament scriptures posted by themselves is that there is no need to scroll through all of the Old Testament worship scriptures to get to them.  In addition, we posted these scriptures as separate pages so that we could tag them and make it easier for people to find these separate resources in their search results.

*  Our “WORSHIP…with wonder!”  category of posts

https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/category/worship-with-wonder/

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This post, including the devotions for each day of praise, was written by Cynthia A. Boyd

The daily devotions can be reprinted (one at a time) in your weekly worship e-mail to team members if the author’s name and blog URL are included.  The entire post may not be published or reprinted without permission.

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Do you know someone who is looking for answers?

Thank you for spending your valuable time reading the contents of this page.  We hope that it has been helpful to you.   If you or someone that you know is looking for answers about life, we hope that you will visit our page called “Do You Know Jesus?”.   The links provided on this page will help to answer life’s deepest questions.   Here is the link to “Do You Know Jesus?”:  http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

Please feel free to share this URL with anyone who is looking for answers about life and eternity.

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“God is Faithful” in Australia!

“GOD IS FAITHFUL” IN AUSTRALIA!
OUR GOD IS FAITHFUL EVERY DAY AND EVERYWHERE!

Here is a testimony of a specific circumstance in which God used the message of His faithfulness through “God is Faithful” (a choral anthem written by my husband, Travis L. Boyd, and publshed by Lorenz) to bless and encourage the hearts of His people. In 2003, over 300 people from Oklahoma went to Australia for an incredible mission trip. The main performing group was The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma. The group gave concerts in serveral large and well-known venues, such as the Sydney Opera House, and then split into smaller groups to minister in local churches. Over 90 of the people on this trip were the wives of the Churchmen; and for the first time ever on a Churchmen mission trip, there were enough of us to form 2 women’s choirs, which ministered in Churches and even in a pineapple canning factory during our time in Sydney, Newcastle, and Brisbane and surrounding communities.

Annerley Baptist Church near BrisbaneThe women’s choir that I was in, directed by Singing Churchmen member Tyrone Smith, sang at Annerley Baptist Church, near Brisbane, on Sunday morning, May 11th, 2003, which was Australia’s Mother’s Day. Although the Singing Churchmen were no longer singing “God is Faithful”, the two womens’ choirs were singing an SSAA arrangement of the song. I had been asked to sing the solo on “God is Faithful,” and I had done so during the Worship Service that day.

Our womens' choir rehearses with director Tyrone Smith prior to the service (minus a few members who were taking pictures of the group)

Our womens’ choir rehearses at Annerley with director Tyrone Smith prior to the service (minus a few members who were taking pictures of the group)

Later on, during the fellowship meal after the service, a woman approached me. She told me that her name was Noela (pronounced Nola), and that she was not a member of Annerley Baptist Church and did not live in Brisbane. She said that she was only at the church that morning because it was Mother’s Day. She and her husband had driven from their home 2 and a half hours away to be there with his Mother. Noela confessed that she almost did not make the trip to visit her Mother-In-Law. She explained that she had been fighting cancer and that she was feeling discouraged.

A lovely lady with a beautiful smile, Noela spoke with a radiant faith as she said, "I believe that I am here today by Divine appointment."

A lovely lady with a beautiful smile, Noela spoke with a radiant faith as she said, “I believe that I am here today by Divine appointment.”

However, she did feel an urging from the Spirit of God to come to Brisbane; and, with her husband’s encouragement, she made the trip. She told me that she now felt it was a divine appointment for her to be there. Noela said that the message of God’s faithfulness had come across to her so clearly as she listened to “God is Faithful” that she knew why we were there on that day and why God had prompted her to come. Several of us talked with Noela as long as we could, and it was an amazing conversation. God had so touched her and encouraged her heart through the message of His faithfulness that she seemed radiant with faith in His goodness and faithfulness to her, and Noela in turn became an encouragement to all of us. It was a very brief encounter, but I will never forget it.

I can think of many times when God has also touched my heart with His love and encouragement, just as he touched Noela’s heart. Comfort or encouragement can come through a kind word, a prayer, a song, a note, a sermon, a scripture passage or verse, and certainly through God’s presence within us and as revealed to us through the kindness and compassion of others. God is faithful to Noela, He is faithful to me, and He is faithful to you! Be encouraged today as you thank Him for His faithfulness! Encourage others as well. Remember that just as God is eternal, His faithfulness is eternal; and it continues as He continues. God is a keeper of promises, and He is faithful!

So, in light of the eternal faithfulness of our God,…

“When you find it hard to understand
And you’re just not sure you have the strength
To do all God commands…
When the task seems overwhelming,
You can rest within His hands.
For the One who called you is faithful!

God is faithful.
He will not forget His own.
God is faithful.
He’ll never leave you all alone.
He’s right beside you,
Waiting to guide you,
For the one who called you is faithful.
God is faithful!

He is always there when human eyes can’t see…
So aware of all your hurts and all your deepest needs!

God is faithful! He will not forget His own.
My God is faithful!
He’ll never leave you all alone.
He’s right beside you,
Waiting to guide you,
For the One who called you is faithful.
God is faithful!”

Lyrics to “God is Faithful” by Travis L. Boyd, SATB Choral anthem and Orchestration, Copyright 2003, Lorenz Publishing Company, a division of the Lorenz Corporation

Self-published copies of the SSAA, TTBB, and SATB octavos and the Orchestration that pre-date the Lorenz publications, Copyright Travis L. Boyd

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FROM LORENZ MUSIC: “God is Faithful”…SATB Choral Anthem with solo throughout

* A full orchestration is available for this piece, as heard in the studio demo.

* A performance/accompaniment CD is also available, and it features the orchestration as heard in the publisher’s studio demo.

Here is my Sound Cloud audio of the Lorenz Studio Demo Recording for “God is Faithful”.

* Lorenz product page for “God is Faithful” : http://www.lorenz.com/product.aspx?id=10_2978M

Here, you will be able to click the listening link (music notes) and then immediately click the sample pages link (Adobe icon) to allow you to listen to the professional studio demo recording of the anthem while you view the music.

(To returen to this blog, please use the ‘back’ arrow.)

Note: See our blog post entitled “Blessings Through God’s Faithfulness” for more information about the story of this song  (&  info about recordings by both The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma and The Sons of Jubal). https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/2011/11/09/blessings-through-gods-faithfulness/

* Vimeo Performance Video link: (TTBB arrangement, recorded at a Sons of Jubal concert in September, 2010) http://vimeo.com/15390308

SoundCloud of the TTBB version of “God is Faithful,”  sung by The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma, under the direction of Dr. Bill Green, from the Churchmen CD entitled, “God is Faithful.”  (Note:  “God is Faithful” is also the title song on a CD which was recorded by the Georgia Baptist Convention’s Sons of Jubal, under the direction of Dr. Jon Duncan.)

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– C. Boyd

Note: For more information on the story of this Australia mission trip testimony, check these links:
Annerley Baptist Church website: http://www.annerleybaptist.org.au/
Annerley Baptist Church facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Annerley-Baptist-Church/189082151110455#!/pages/Annerley-Baptist-Church/189082151110455
Information about the city of Annerley (near Brisbane, Australia: http://queenslandplaces.com.au/annerley

Pray for the people of Australia and of Annerley Baptist Church. Their Pastor, Brother Jim Johnston, retired at the end of 2012 after 16 and a half years of service there. The people there were so kind, providing corsages for each of the women in our choir, plus a single red rose (mindful of the fact that mothers were being honored and that we had left our families to come). They had prepared a meal for us and were so friendly as we shared time together that day. What a blessing it was to be in the midst of Christian brothers and sisters who live on the other side of the world and to feel so welcome and at home. 🙂

Annerley Baptist Church Pastor, Brother Jim Johnston, and our womens' choir Director, Tyrone Smith

Annerley Baptist Church Pastor, Brother Jim Johnston, and our womens’ choir Director, Tyrone Smith

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Do you know someone who is looking for answers?

Thank you for spending your valuable time reading the contents of this page. We hope that it has been helpful to you. If you or someone that you know is looking for answers about life, we hope that you will visit our page called “Do You Know Jesus?”. The links provided on this page will help to answer life’s deepest questions. Here is the link to “Do You Know Jesus?”: http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

Please feel free to share this URL with anyone who is looking for answers about life and eternity.

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Here is a Youtube video of singer Debra Eden’s solo version of “God is Faithful,” recorded on Debra’s CD entitled, “It Was Love.” The video was put together with the recording by Debra’s sister. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIdfLJOo3q8

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WOULD YOU LIKE TO READ MORE POSTS LIKE THIS ONE?

Link to our “Song Stories” category to see all of the song story posts: https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/category/song-stories/

Note: This post, it it’s entirety, can also be found at the end of our song story poat on “God is Faithful”. This is not the story of how the song came to be written, which forms the main body of “Song Story for God is Faithful”. Rather, it is an additional testimony about the power of the message of God’s faithfulness to encourage and bless.

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The Reality of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

He is Risen tombRESURRECTION  SCRIPTURES

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.    Romans 8:11

Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised— who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.    Romans 8:34

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.    Romans 10:9

He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces.    Isaiah 25:8

But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; on him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and by his stripes we are healed.   Isaiah 53:5

“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth.”    Job 19:25

God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.    1 Corinthians 6:14

…who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.    1 Peter 1:21

“If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”   1 Corinthians 15:17

Easter  He is not here for He is risen

Resurrection Quotes

The tomb of Christ is famous because of what it DOES NOT CONTAIN.  —  Sam Morris

We live and die; Christ died and lived!  —  John Stott

The resurrection of Jesus changes the face of death for all His people. Death is no longer a prison, but a passage into God’s presence.  Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won’t stay there.  —  Clarence W. Hall

Jesus - In front of tomb 1The primary source of the appeal of Christianity is Jesus – His incarnation, His life, His crucifixion, and His resurrection.  —  K. Latourette

…Luke associates John with Peter in Acts, when, after the Resurrection, that strange boldness had come upon the disciples.  —  Alfred Noyes

“The cross is a one time visual representation of God’s grief over sin.”  —  Dean L. Harvey

“Live in the awareness that Christ lives and that He lives in His people.”  —  Julien B. Weil

“The cross is the victory, the resurrection is the triumph…The resurrection is the public display of the victory, the triumph of the crucified one.”  —  Leon Morris

“The best proof that Christ has risen is that He is still alive. And for the immense majority of our contemporaries, the only way of seeing Him alive is for us Christians to love one another.”   —  Louis Evely

♪ ♫  “Christ the Lord is risen today, sons of men and angels say. Raise your joys and triumphs high; Sing ye heavens, and earth reply.”   —  Charles Wesley (from the Hymn “Christ the Lord is Risen Today”)

All of heaven is interested in the cross of Christ, hell afraid of it, while men are the only ones to ignore its meaning.   —  Oswald Chambers

According to the laws of legal evidence used in courts of law, there is more evidence for the historical fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ than for just about any other event in history.  —  Harvard Law Professor Dr. Simon Greenleaf

Easter greeting card with bells♪ ♫ “Hear the bells ringing!
They’re singing that we can be born again!
Hear the bells ringing!
They’re singing, ‘Christ is risen from the dead!’

The angel up on the tombstone said, He is risen just as he said!
Quickly now, go tell His disciples that Jesus Christ is no longer dead

Joy to the world!  He is risen!  Alleluia!”

—  Keith Green, The Easter Song

There is no historic incident better or more variously supported than the resurrection of Christ.  —  Brooke Foss Wescott

The Gospels do not explain the Resurrection; the Resurrection explains the Gospels. Belief in the Resurrection is not an appendage to the Christian faith; it is the Christian faith.   —  John S. Whale

♪ ♫  “Up from the grave he arose; with a mighty triumph o’er his foes!
He arose a victor from the dark domain,
and He lives forever with His saints to reign!
He arose!  He arose!  Hallelujah!  Christ arose!

—  from ‘Up from the Grave He Arose’

Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime.   —  Martin Luther

The resurrection power of Jesus broke Satan’s captive power. When He led the Old Testament saints from paradise to heaven, He led captivity captive!   — Leon Morris

Our justification hinges on a risen life, present in us now because Christ is present with us now.   —  Paul F.M. Zaul

Our old history ends with the cross; our new history begins with the resurrection.   —  Watchman Nee

The entire plan for the future has its key in the resurrection.   – – Billy Graham

Easter morning discovery at tomb

There is more evidence that Jesus rose from the dead than there is that Julius Caesar ever lived or that Alexander the Great died at the age of thirty-three.  – – Billy Graham

Note:  The quotations and scriptures above were found at  http://www.unlockingthebible.org/resurrection-easter-quotes-bible-verses/

Francine Rivers

“It was no accident, no coincidence, that the seasons came round and round year after year. It was the Lord speaking to us all and showing us over and over again the birth, life, death, and resurrection of his only begotten Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, our Lord. It was like a best-loved story being told day after day with each sunrise and sunset, year after year with the seasons, down through the ages since time began.”  ―   Francine Rivers  The Last Sin Eater

N.T. Wright

“…left to ourselves we lapse into a kind of collusion with entrophy, acquiescing in the general belief that things may be getting worse but that there’s nothing much we can do about them. And we are wrong. Our task in the present…is to live as resurrection people in between Easter and the final day, with our Christian life, corporate and individual, in both worship and mission, as a sign of the first and a foretaste of the second.”  ―   N. T. Wright   Surprised by Hope:  Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church

Eugene H. Peterson

“It is not easy to convey a sense of wonder, let alone resurrection wonder, to another.  It’s the very nature of wonder to catch us off guard, to circumvent expectations and assumptions.  Wonder can’t be packaged, and it can’t be worked up.  It requires some sense of being there and some sense of engagement.”  ―   Eugene H. Peterson

Charles Colson

“I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me. How? Because 12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Every one was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren’t true. Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world-and they couldn’t keep a lie for three weeks. You’re telling me 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible.”
―   Charles Colson

Charles R. Swindoll

“The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and boast, the pangs of life will sting for a while longer, but don’t worry; the forces of evil are breathing their last. Not to worry…He’s risen!”  ―   Charles R. Swindoll

St. Athanasius of Alexandria

“He, the Life of all, our Lord and Saviour, did not arrange the manner of his own death lest He should seem to be afraid of some other kind. No. He accepted and bore upon the cross a death inflicted by others, and those other His special enemies, a death which to them was supremely terrible and by no means to be faced; and He did this in order that, by destroying even this death, He might Himself be believed to be the Life, and the power of death be recognised as finally annulled. A marvellous and mighty paradox has thus occurred, for the death which they thought to inflict on Him as dishonour and disgrace has become the glorious monument to death’s defeat.”  ―   Saint Athanasius of Alexandria   On the Incarnation

Fulton J. Sheen

“Christianity, unlike any other religion in the world, begins with catastrophe and defeat. Sunshine religions and psychological inspirations collapse in calamity and wither in adversity. But the Life of the Founder of Christianity, having begun with the Cross, ends with the empty tomb and victory.”  ―   Fulton J. Sheen   Life of Christ
“No tabloid will ever print the startling news that the mummified body of Jesus of Nazareth has been discovered in old Jerusalem. Christians have no carefully embalmed body enclosed in a glass case to worship. Thank God, we have an empty tomb. The glorious fact that the empty tomb proclaims to us is that life for us does not stop when death comes. Death is not a wall, but a door.”
―    Peter Marshall  (Congressional Chaplain)

John Piper

“The Bible says He was raised not just after the blood-shedding, but by it. This means that what the death of Christ accomplished was so full and so prefect that the resurrection was the reward and vindication of Christ’s achievement in death.”  ―   John Piper   Passion of Jesus Christ
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Note:  The quotations above were found at  http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/resurrection?page=1
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MORE  RESURRECTION  SCRIPTURES

jesus welcomesJohn 11:25-26 Jesus  said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though  he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall  never die. Do you believe this?”

Romans 6:4 We were buried  therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was  raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of  life.

Romans 6:5 For if we have  been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him  in a resurrection like his.

Romans 6:9 We know that  Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has  dominion over him.

1 Corinthians 15:3-5 For I  delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died  for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,  that he was buried, that  he was raised on the third day pin accordance with the Scriptures,  and  that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

Read more: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/quotes-about-the-resurrection-23-good-sayings/#ixzz2PBXHkv6X

Our old history ends with the cross; our new history begins with the resurrection.     Author: Watchman Nee
The Word of truth teaches in the clearest and most positive terms that all of the
dead will be raised.  No doctrine of the faith rests upon a more literal and emphatic
body of Scripture authority than this, nor is any more vital to Christianity.
Author: C.I. Scofield
The first thing that stuck in the minds of the disciples was not the empty tomb, but
rather the empty grave clothes – undisturbed in form and position.
Author: Josh McDowellOn what does the Christian argument for Immortality really rest?  It stands upon
the pedestal on which the theologian rests the whole of historical Christianity — the
Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Author: Henry Drummond
He is risen CrossI went to a psychologist friend and said if 500
people claimed to see Jesus after he died, it was
just a hallucination. He said hallucinations are an
individual event. If 500 people have the same
hallucination, that’s a bigger miracle than the
resurrection.
Author: Lee StrobelThe truth of the resurrection gives life to every
other area of gospel truth. The resurrection is the
pivot on which all of Christianity turns and without
which none of the other truths would much matter.
Without the resurrection, Christianity would be so
much wishful thinking, taking its place alongside
all other human philosophy and religious speculation.
Author: John MacArthurNote:  The quotations above were found at
http://christian-quotes.ochristian.com/Resurrection-Quotes/page-3.shtml

Here (below) is an article about proof for the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from  http://christianity.about.com/od/easter/a/7-Proofs-Of-The-Resurrection.htm

Is the resurrection of Jesus Christ an historical event that really happened, or is it
only a myth, as many atheists claim? While no one witnessed the actual resurrection,
many people swore they saw the risen Christ after his death, and their lives were never
the same.

Archaeological discoveries continue to support the Bible’s historical accuracy. We tend
to forget that the Gospels and book of Acts are eyewitness accounts of the life and death
of Jesus.  Further nonbiblical evidence for Jesus’ existence comes from the writings of
Flavius Josephus, Cornelius Tacitus, Lucian of Samosata, and the Jewish Sanhedrin.
The following seven proofs of the resurrection show that Christ did, indeed, rise from the
dead.

The Resurrection Proof #1: The Empty Tomb of Jesus

The empty tomb may be the strongest proof Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Two major
theories have been advanced by unbelievers: someone stole Jesus’ body or the women
and disciples went to the wrong tomb. The Jews and Romans had no motive to steal the
body. Christ’s apostles were too cowardly and would have had to overcome the Roman
guards. The women who found the tomb empty had earlier watched Jesus being laid away;
they knew where the correct tomb was. Even if they had gone to the wrong tomb, the
Sanhedrin could have produced the body from the right tomb to stop the resurrection
stories. Jesus’ burial cloths were left neatly folded inside, hardly the act of hurrying grave
robbers. Angels said Jesus had risen from the dead.

The Resurrection Proof #2: The Women who were
Eyewitnesses

The women who were eyewitnesses are further proof that the Gospels are accurate
historical records. If the accounts had been made up, no ancient author would have used
women for witnesses to Christ’s resurrection. Women were second class citizens in Bible
times; their testimony was not even allowed in court. Yet the Bible says the risen Christ
first appeared to Mary Magdalene and other women. Even the apostles did not believe
Mary when she told them the tomb was empty. Jesus, who always had special respect
for these women, honored them as the first eyewitnesses to his resurrection. The male
Gospel writers had no choice but to report this embarrassing act of God’s favor, because
that was how it happened.

The Resurrection Proof #3: Jesus’ Apostles’ New-Found
Courage

After the crucifixion, Jesus’ apostles hid behind locked doors, terrified they would be
executed next. But something changed them from cowards to bold preachers. Anyone
who understands human character knows people do not change that much without
some major influence. That influence was seeing their Master, bodily risen from the
dead. Christ appeared to them in the locked room, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee,
and on the Mount of Olives.  After seeing Jesus alive, Peter and the others left the
locked room and preached the risen Christ, unafraid of what would happen to them.
They quit hiding because they knew the truth. They finally understood that Jesus is
God incarnate
, who saves people from sin.

The Resurrection Proof #4: Changed Lives of James and
Others

Changed lives are yet another proof of the resurrection. James, the brother of Jesus,
was openly skeptical that Jesus was the Messiah.  After the death and resurrection
of Jesus, James became a courageous leader of the church at Jerusalem, even being
stoned to death for his faith. Why? The Bible says the risen Christ appeared to him.
What a shock to see your own brother, alive again, after you knew he was dead.
James and the apostles became effective missionaries because people could tell these
men had touched and seen the risen Christ. With such zealous eyewitnesses, the early
church exploded in growth, spreading west from Jerusalem to Rome and beyond.
For 2,000 years, encounters with the resurrected Jesus have changed lives.

The Resurrection Proof #5: Large Crowd of Eyewitnesses

A large crowd of more than 500 eyewitnesses saw the risen Jesus Christ at the same
time. The Apostle Paul records this event in 1 Corinthians 15:6. He states that most
of these men and women were still alive when he wrote this letter, about 55 A.D.
Undoubtedly they told others about this miracle. Today, psychologists say it would
be impossible for a large crowd of people to have had the same hallucination at once.
Smaller groups also saw the risen Christ, such as the apostles, and Cleopas and his
companion. They all saw the same thing, and in the case of the apostles, they touched
Jesus and watched him eat food. The hallucination theory is further debunked because
after the ascension of Jesus into heaven, sightings of him stopped.

The Resurrection Proof #6: Conversion of Paul

The account of the conversion of Paul records the most drastically changed life in the
Bible.  As Saul of Tarsus, he was an aggressive persecutor of the early church. When
the risen Christ appeared to Paul on the Damascus Road, Paul became Christianity’s
most determined missionary. He endured 5 floggings, 3 beatings, 3 shipwrecks, a
stoning, poverty, and years of ridicule. Finally the Roman emperor Nero had Paul
beheaded because the apostle refused to deny his faith in Jesus.  What could make a
person willingly accept—even welcome—such hardships? Christians believe that the
conversion of Paul came about because he encountered Jesus Christ who had risen
from the dead.

The Resurrection Proof #7: They Died for Jesus

Countless people have died as martyrs for their faith in Jesus, absolutely certain that
the resurrection of Christ is an historical fact. Tradition says 10 of the original apostles
died as martyrs
for Christ, as did the Apostle Paul. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of
early Christians died in the Roman arena and in prisons for their faith. Down through
the centuries, thousands more have died for Jesus because they believed that the
resurrection is true. Even today, people suffer persecution because they have faith that
Christ rose from the dead. An isolated group may give up their lives for a cult leader,
but Christian martyrs have died in many lands, for nearly 2,000 years, believing Jesus
conquered death to give them eternal life.

(Information in this article was compiled and summarized from the following sources:
gotquestions.org, xenos.org, faithfacts.org, newadvent.org, tektonics.org,
biblicalstudies.info, garyhabermas.com, and ntwrightpage.com)

READ MORE!

Here are links to two excellent articles
about proof of the resurrection of
Christ:

http://www.peterkreeft.com/topics-more/resurrection-evidence.htm

http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/articles/historical-evidence-for-the-resurrection

Here are links to some wonderful articles
about the resurrection of Christ and what it means:

http://www.jesus.org/death-and-resurrection/resurrection/what-does-the-resurrection-mean-
for-us.html

http://www.cru.org/how-to-know-god/did-jesus-christ-really-rise-from-the-dead/

http://www.beliefnet.com/Inspiration/Articles/What-the-Resurrection-Means-for-You.aspx

http://www.gotquestions.org/resurrection-and-life.html

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The information in this post was compiled from the sources noted by Cynthia A. Boyd

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Looking for answers for yourself or for a friend?

Thank you for spending your valuable time reading the contents of this page.  We hope
that it has been helpful to you.   If you or someone that you know is looking for answers
about life, we hope that you will visit our page called “Do You Know Jesus?”.   The links
provided on this page will help to answer life’s deepest questions.   Here is the link to
“Do You Know Jesus?”:  http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

Please feel free to share this URL with anyone who is looking for answers about life and
eternity and salvation found in Jesus Christ.

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Songs of the Cross

Cross at sunrise

“God proved His love on the Cross.  When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it  was God saying to the world, ‘I love you.'”

— Billy Graham

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/b/billygraha150661.html#rQXbTKzmRxUdLX4C.99

Below you will find 5 songs with messages about the cross.  The music players take a moment to load.  If you wait a moment to click “play” until  the music players are completely loaded, they will work.

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”

Ephesians 1:7

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“This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His only Son into the world so that we might live through Him.  This is love: not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

I John 4:9 – 10

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“He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.”

I Peter 2:24

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“For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.”

I Peter 3:18

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“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”

John 3:16 – 17

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* INFORMATION  ABOUT  THE  MUSIC *

Song 1:  “Jesus, My Redeemer” was written by Travis L. Boyd and published as an SATB Choral Anthem by Shawnee Press / Hal Leonard.
(more complete information, including purchasing links, can be found at this link:  https://soundcloud.com/#travis-l-boyd/jesus-my-redeemer )

Song 2:  “More Than a Cross” was written by Travis L. Boyd and published by Lifeway.
(more complete information, including purchasing info, can be found at this link:  https://soundcloud.com/#travis-l-boyd/more-than-a-cross )

Song 3:  “He Took Up A Cross”  was written by Travis L. Boyd and recorded by The Singing Churchwomen of Oklahoma, then under the direction of Dr. Bill Green, on their CD entitled, “The Lord is My Light”.  (The SATB Choral Anthem for “He Took Up a Cross” is available on the Adult Choir page of our Worship Sounds Music website at http://www.worshipsounds.com )

Song 4:  “For the Sins of All” was written by Travis L. Boyd and is available as a Vocal Solo and as an SATB Choral Anthem on our Worship Sounds Music website at http://www.worshipsounds.com  )

Song 5:  “Amazing Grace!  Eternal Life!”  was written by Travis L. Boyd and published as an SATB Choral  Anthem with Full Orchestration available by the Lorenz Corporation.
(More information, including purchasing links, is available at this link:  https://soundcloud.com/#travis-l-boyd/amazing-grace-eternal-life )

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Do you know Jesus?

The decision to ask Jesus to come into your heart and life as your Lord and Savior is the best decision you could ever make!  The one true God is ready to give you forgiveness and eternal life as soon as you understand your need for Him and believe on the name of His only Son, Jesus, for your salvation.  Here’s a blog page link to help you find the answers to your questions about Jesus.  http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

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Singing a New Song

Sing to the LordWhat does the Bible have to say about new songs or new music, and what can new songs mean for us?

Here are some scripture verses about a having a new song and some thoughts about how new songs can bring new life.

A new song, wherever you are!

Sing a new song to the LORD.  Sing His praise from the ends of the earth, you people who sail on the seas and all the creatures that live in them, you coastlands and all who live on them.

–  Isaiah 42:10

God has given us the gift of music so that we might creatively express thoughts and feelings with a depth of emotional and spiritual meaning that goes beyond what mere words can convey.  He has given music as a tool whereby we might respond and communicate with each other and with Him.  He has given us the ability to appreciate and enjoy music.  And, He has given us the ability to create music.

When we return a new song to God in praise, we have completed a circle of giving.  He gives the capabilities to hear various pitches, to internalize rhythms, and to understand the meaning of lyrics.  He has created, and He gives us the ability to create.  God has given to us a revelation of truth or a new way to express truth that becomes the message and style, melody and rhythm, harmony and expression of the new song.  Together, these elements form the whole of a gift that we can then give back to our Father God as we worship Him.

No matter where we are, we can live in relationship with God in a way that allows Him to give us a song.  Whether your song is one you recently discovered, written by someone else, which expresses exactly where you are on your spiritual journey or whether God used your gifts to write the song 6 minutes ago, He knows when our hearts are pouring out a new message of love and thankfulness to HIm.

Sing to the Lord a new song all the earthA new song as a personal expression of worship

I will sing a new song to You, O God; Upon a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You.

–  Psalm 144:9

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At its highest and noblest purpose, music can be a vehicle whereby we communicate the truths of God’s word or His character and lift that message up to God in worship, with the purpose of bringing glory to Him, encouraging the body of Christ, and sharing a message of testimony and truth that God’s Spirit can use to draw hearts to the Lord.

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A new song as congregational praise

Praise the LORD!  Sing to the LORD a new song.  Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful.  

–  Psalm 149:1

sing a new song to the LordThere are times when we need a new song.  Perhaps the songs we already know don’t say exactly what we want to say.  Perhaps God has given inspiration for both melody and words to say something new or to share a well-loved truth in a new way.  Every song begins with an idea, whether that idea is a musical idea or a lyrical one.  However, songs that are written to bring glory to God begin with something more profound:  a revelation.  God speaks to the heart of the songwriter or lyric writer through His Spirit, through the Word, through something that someone says, or a book or article, or even through His creation.  A revelation of spiritual truth can also come through the lessons in a time of trial or even in a time of victory as we learn to trust God in all of life.  All of these kinds of experiences can be used by God to inspire someone that He has gifted with songwriting abilities in the creation of a new song.  This song in turn can become a vehicle for the writer and sometimes for the praise of the congregation or for multititudes of congregations.

A new song as a hymn of praise and a powerful testimony that draws others to the Lord

He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God.  Many will see what he has done and be amazed.  They will put their trust in the LORD. 

–  Psalm 40:3

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In our experience, the music that Travis has been inspired to write has been a chronicle of our spiritual journey and what the Lord has been doing in our hearts along the way.  Many of these songs were born out of a moment of recognition or revelation when a spiritual lesson was beginning to become a clear guiding light of recognizable truth that God would use to move us further along down the road to becoming more like Jesus.   Many of these spiritual life lessons are truths that we thought we already knew.  However, God has allowed us to experience them in a deeper or more profound way that has changed our perspective, focused our efforts, and refined our character.   For example, we had always heard and read and known intellectually that God is faithful.  However, through some rocky experiences over a long period of time and the simple fact that we were able to hang in there and keep hoping until we saw the faithfulness of God manifested in various situations, God taught us again to trust His faithfulness.  We learned once more that we could choose to trust Him even when we had no understanding of why things happened as they did and even when every fiber of our being was desperately crying out for resolution to pain and crisis NOW!  We learned that we have the easy part (if you could call waiting in desperation easy) of just holding on, while God is not only working throughout the situation but also working in the hearts of we who are struggling to believe while knowing that we must believe even when belief seems contrary to every indicator of reality.  How patient He is with us as we learn the same lessons over and over again, hopefully at a deeper level of spiritual understanding and growth.  Out of such experiences came songs like Travis’ “God is Faithful,” “I Am Here,” (the assurance of God’s presence) and “Much More Than a Song” (the recognition of the fact that God is worthy of praise in any circumstance).

Sing a new songA new song as a Psalm of thanks for what God has done.

Sing a new song to the LORD, for he has done wonderful deeds.  His right hand has won a mighty victory; His holy arm has shown his saving power!

–  Psalm 98:1

The fact that God continues to give “a new song” is an encouragement for individual Christians and for the people of God.  It means that God is still at work in the hearts of His people.  It means that God is still “with us” and is striving to complete His work in our lives, as He has promised.  It means that God’s patience (long-suffering) is still delaying His judgement of this world because of His mercy and grace and His great love.  Like a sermon or a book that someone has been inspired to write and to proclaim, a new song means that there are still lessons to learn and souls that need to be saved.  As long as God continues to inspire new songs as messages of His love, His faithfulness, His mercy and grace, His plan for our lives and for all of creation, God’s people are reminded through another means that God is still working to accomplish His purposes.  His Spirit is working in our hearts, His Word is instructing us in righteousness, and the messages that God inspires men to write or speak or act or paint or sing or sculpt (and, especially, to live!) for His glory are testimonies of God’s faithfulness in all of these things.

A new song for everyone!

Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth! 

–  Psalm 96:1

sing of the mercies of the LordSome of the songs that individuals feel inspired to write may never be heard by many people.  The purpose of a song may be as an individual expression of praise to God.  This kind of new song is very personal to the writer as a part of their spiritual journey and may exist only to serve as a vehicle of praise for that person.  Someone who has never thought of themselves as a song writer may even find themselves singing to the Lord in worship with lyrics that are uniquely their own.  A song does not have to be sung by millions in order to be a valid expression of praise to God.  He knows when your “new song” expresses the praises of your heart or speaks of a lesson learned or a truth that has been understood in a new way.  In essence, every time we sing any song of praise to God, it can be a “new song” of praise to Him when it becomes the very real and sincere praise of the present moment, when our hearts cry out anew in thankfulness and awe.

A new song in Heaven

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain; and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. 

–  Revelation 5:9

Our God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.  But His creation continues to change even as He creates newness in hearts and lives.  The heartbreak of pain and loss will not always be with us.  All of the trials of this world are temporary.  Someday, He will make all things new, just as He is now making our hearts new.  The process of His work on our spiritual creation gives us some new songs to sing along the way.  Is is a joy to know that someday we will sing of His victory in a place where there is no more to overcome.  We will have overcome all things through the blood of the Lamb, through the giving of our lives to Him, through the Word of truth, and through the word of our testimony.  Our songs of trusting God when we don’t understand will become obsolete.  Finally, we will know Him even as we are known, and God will give us a new song of thanksgiving and praise for all of eternity.

Sing HallelujahA new song of joy

Sing a new song of praise to Him; play skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy. 

–  Psalm 33:3

For now, we will continue our songs, both old and new.  We will sing of God’s salvation and power.  We will sing of His faithfulness and love.  We will sing of God’s mercy and His amazing grace.  We will sing with joy, for we know that we are not the only ones who are singing.  Our God rejoices over us as his dearly beloved children, and He sings over us as well.  He is with us.  He is mighty in power and yet tender and gentle in His patience, renewing us with His love until that day when we will dwell with Him and the former things will all pass away.

His song for you and me

The LORD your God is with you. He is a hero who saves you. He happily rejoices over you, renews you with his love, and celebrates over you with shouts of joy. 

–  Zephaniah 3:17

My husband, singing his song, “Much More Than a Song” (available as a Vocal Solo or Choral Anthem on http//:www.worshipsounds.com )

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Looking for answers for yourself or for a friend?

Thank you for spending your valuable time reading the contents of this page.  We hope that it has been helpful to you.   If you or someone that you know is looking for answers about life, we hope that you will visit our page called “Do You Know Jesus?”.   The links provided on this page will help to answer life’s deepest questions.   Here is the link to “Do You Know Jesus?”:  http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

Please feel free to share this URL with anyone who is looking for answers about life and eternity.

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New Testament Worship Scriptures

From the rising of the sun until it’s setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

NEW  TESTAMENT  SCRIPTURE  RESOURCE

This page contains scripture verses that tell us to lift our voices in song to the Lord as well as verses that speak of praising, exalting, blessing, worshipping, magnifying, thanking, honoring, and glorifying the Lord.
Verses are placed in Biblical order so that this page can be a useful resource for those who want to use worship scriptures in their personal worship, as well as for those who lead God’s people in worshipping Him. More verses will be added as time permits.

For your convenience, we also have a Page on this blog called “Lift Your Voice (Worship Scriptures)”, which has worship scriptures from both the Old and New Testaments. The title of the page is always visible in our blog header and is a clickable link.  This blog post contains the New Testament worship scriptures from that page, allowing you to view the NT verses without scrolling through those from the Old Testament.  In addition, we also have a post that is Old Testament worship scriptures only. Having the worship scriptures in 3 separate locations on our blog also increases the likelihood that searchers will be able to find these helpful resources.

(Key West photo by Herschel Avra, 2010)

Note: To view a different translation of any verse, begin typing the verse into your search engine, and the Online Parallel Bible, http://www.biblecc.com , will come up as one of the choices. You will immediately go to the page for the verse you have typed and be able to see several translations at once. You can then close the window and come right back to this resource page if desired. (Bible CC is also a great resource when you know a verse or portion of a verse but not the reference.)

New feature: With our most recent update to this worship scripture resource, we added a new feature. The Bible book and chapter are still listed before each verse, and we have now added key words in front of each scripture to help you find worship scriptures with the kind of message you are seeking more easily.

SCRIPTURE VERSES THAT REFER TO PRAISING, EXALTING, WORSHIPPING, BLESSING, MAGNIFYING, AND GLORIFYING THE LORD, AS WELL AS VERSES THAT REFER TO LIFTING OUR VOICES OR SINGING TO THE LORD:

NEW TESTAMENT WORSHIP SCRIPTURES

Matthew 2 worship “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1 & 2

Matthew 5 glorify Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify (give glory to) your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

Luke 4 worship And Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, you shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.”‘ Luke 4:7

John 4 worship in Spirit and in truth (Jesus speaking) “The hour is coming, and now is, when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such people to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23 & 24

John 8 the Father glorifies the Son (Jesus speaking) “Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing; it is my Father who glorifies me, the One whom you say is your God.”” John 8:54

John 12 glorify (Jesus speaking) “Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing by heard it and said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for Mine.”” John 12:28 – 30

John 13 glorify, glorified (Jesus speaking) “When He had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of man glorified and in Him God is glorified; if God is glorified in Him , God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him at once.”” John 13:31 & 32

John 17 glorify (Jesus speaking) “When Jesus had spoken these words, He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son that the Son may glorify You, since You have given Him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I glorified Thee on earth, having accomplished the work which You gave me to do ; and now, Father, glorify me in Your own presence with the glory which I had with You before the world was made.”” John 17:1 – 5

Acts 16 praying, singing hymns But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and every one’s fetters were unfastened.” Acts 16:25 & 26

Romans 12 living sacrifice, spiritual worship “I appeal to you therfore, brethren, by the mercies of God , to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Romans 12:1

Romans 15 live in harmony, glorify “May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 15:5

Ephesians 5 singing and making melody to the Lord, always giving thanks “…but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another with Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, always and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.” Galatians 5:18b – 20

Colossians 3 sing Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, thankfulness, giving thanks “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as you teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

Colossians 3:16 & 17

I Timothy honor, glory “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” I Timothy 1:17 (NKJV)

Hebrews 12 offer acceptable worship, with reverence and awe “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship,with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:28

James 5 pray, sing praise “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praise.” James 5:13

Revelation 7 fell on their faces, worshipped God, blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, might “After this I looked, and behold, a great multititude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels stood round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, saying, ” Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God for ever and ever! Amen.”

Revelation 7:9 – 12

Revelation 14 give Him glory, worship Him Then I saw another angel flying in midheaven, with an eternal gosepel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the fountains of water.” Revelation 14:6 &7

Revelation 15 sing, glorify, worship “And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and wonderful are Thy deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are Thy ways, O King of the ages! Who shall not fear and glorify Thy name, O Lord? For Thou alone art Holy. All nations shall come and worship Thee, for Thy judgements have been revealed.” Revelation 15:3 & 4

Revelation 19 rejoice, exult, give Him the glory Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of many thunderpeals, crying, ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure’ — for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.” Revelation 19:6 – 8

Revelation 22 Worship God! “I, John, am he who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me; but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brethren, the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!”

Revelation 22:8 & 9

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The scriptures in this post were compiled by Cynthia A. Boyd for our page entitled “Lift Your Voice (Worship Scriptures)”, which contains worship scriptures for both the New and Old Testaments.  We decided to publish the scriptures in separate Old and New Testament posts to make it easier to view the New Testament worship scriptures without having to scroll through the Old Testament scriptures first and to make it easier to find this resource on search engines.  It is our hope that having 3 separate entries (2 posts and one page) appearing in web searches will result in allowing more people to find and utilize this resource.

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For additional inspiration for your private worship and your public witness, see our page called “Lifestyle Worship” http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/lifestyle-worship/

Note: You may feel free to print off a copy of this resource page as a reference for your personal worship and for worship planning. It would be helpful to note dates when specific scriptures were used in worship on your copy of this page.

If you wish to share this blog page with a friend or with your worship team members, please do not print off additional copies. Permission is to make one copy for personal use only, or to update a previous personal copy. Instead of a page copy, please provide your friends with the URL for this page: http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/lift-your-voice/

Since additional worship scriptures will be posted as time permits, we will place the date of the most recent update here so that you can compare your copy. Most recent update: October 18th, 2012

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Do you know someone who is looking for answers?

Thank you for spending your valuable time reading the contents of this page. We hope that it has been helpful to you. If you or someone that you know is looking for answers about life, we hope that you will visit our page called “Do You Know Jesus?”. The links provided on this page will help to answer life’s deepest questions. Here is the link to “Do You Know Jesus?”: http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

Please feel free to share this URL with anyone who is looking for answers about life and eternity.

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Old Testament Worship Scriptures

From the rising of the sun until it’s setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

OLD  TESTAMENT  SCRIPTURE  RESOURCE

This post contains scripture verses that tell us to lift our voices in song to the Lord as well as verses that speak of praising, exalting, blessing, worshipping, magnifying, thanking, and glorifying the Lord. Verses are placed in Biblical order so that this post can be a useful resource for those who want to use the Psalms and other worship scriptures in their personal worship, as well as for those who lead God’s people in worshipping Him. More verses will be added as time permits.
(Key West photo by Herschel Avra, 2010)

Note: To view a different translation of any verse, begin typing the verse into your search engine, and the Online Parallel Bible, http://www.biblecc.com , will come up as one of the choices. You will immediately go to the page for the verse you have typed and be able to see several translations at once. You can then close the window and come right back to this resource page if desired. (Bible CC is also a great resource when you know a verse or portion of a verse but not the reference.)

New feature: With our most recent update to this worship scripture resource, we added a new feature. The Bible book and chapter are still listed before each verse, and we have now added key words in bold in front of each scripture to help you find worship scriptures with the kind of message you are seeking more easily.

SCRIPTURE VERSES THAT REFER TO PRAISING, EXALTING, WORSHIPPING, BLESSING, MAGNIFYING, AND GLORIFYING THE LORD, AS WELL AS VERSES THAT REFER TO LIFTING OUR VOICES OR SINGING TO THE LORD:

OLD TESTAMENT WORSHIP SCRIPTURES

Exodus 15 sing, praise, exalt Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, ‘I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider He has thrown in to the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.”
Exodus 15:1 & 2

Judges 5 sing, make melody “Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes; to the Lord I will sing, I will make melody to the Lord, the God of Israel.” Judges 5:3

I Chronicles 16 thanksgiving, sung Then on that day, David first appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the Lord by Asaph and his brethren.” I Chronicles 16:7*
* Note: Immediately following this verse, the passage in I Chronicles 16:8 – 36 contains words from 3 Psalms. Verses 8 – 22 contain the words of Psalm 105:1 – 15. Verses 23 – 33 contain the words of Psalm 96:1 – 13. Verses 34 – 36 contain the words of Psalm 106, verses 1, and 47 – 48.

I Chronicles 29 blessed, bowed, worshipped Then David said to all the assembly, “Bless the Lord your God.” And all the assembly blessed the Lord, the God of their fathers, and bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord, and did obedience to the king.” I Chronicles 29:20

II Chronicles 20 bowed, fell, worshipped, stood to praise, sing, praise, give thanks Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshipping the Lord. And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord, the God Of Israel, with a very loud voice. And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe His prophets, and you will succeed.” And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise Him in holy array, as they went before the army, and say, “Give thanks to the Lord, for His steadfast love endures forever.” And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord sent an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed.” II Chronicles 20:18 – 22

II Chronicles 29 song to the Lord, worshipped, singers sang, trumpeters sounded, sang praises, bowed down “The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. Then Hezekiah commanded that the burnt offering be offered on the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song to the Lord began also, and the trumpets, accompanied by the instruments of David king of Israel. The whole assembly worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. When the burnt offering was finished, the king and all who were present with him bowed themselves and worshipped. And Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praises to the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed down and worshipped.” II Chronicles 29:26 – 30

Nehemiah 12 celebrated with gladness, thanksgiving, singing, instruments “And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres.” Nehemiah 12:27

Nehemiah 12 chief (director) of singers, songs of praise and thanksgiving “For in the days of David and Asaph of old there was a chief of the singers, and there were songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.” Nehemiah 12:46

Psalm 5 woship in reverence and awe But I, through the abundance of Your steadfast love, will enter Your house, I will worship toward Your holy temple in reverence, and awe of You.” Psalm 5:7

Psalm 5 rejoice, sing, exult “But let all who take refuge in Thee rejoice, let them ever sing for joy; and defend them, that those who love Thy name may exult in Thee.” Psalm 5:11

Psalm 7 give thanks, sing praises “I will give to the Lord the thanks due to His righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.” Psalm 7:17

Psalm 9 give thanks, exult, sing praise testify (tell) “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart: I will tell of all Thy wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in Thee, I will sing praise to Thy name, O Most High.” Psalm 9:1 & 2

Psalm 16 bless the Lord “I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I keep the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” Psalm 16:7 & 8

Psalm 18 I love You, O Lord, worthy to be praised “I love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shild, and the horn of my salvation, my stronglhold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and so shall I be saved from my enemies.” Psalm 18:1 – 3

Psalm 28 hearts trusts and exults, song of thanks “Blessed be the Lord! for He has heard the voice of my supplications. The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts; so I am helped and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him.” Psalm 28:6 & 7

Psalm 30 sing praises, give thanks Sing praises to the Lord, O you His saints, and give thanks to His holy name.” Psalm 30:4

Psalm 32 be glad, rejoice, shout for joy Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” Psalm 32:11

Psalm 33 rejoice, praise the Lord, make melody, sing a new song Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. Praise the Lord with the lyre; make melody to Him with the harp of ten strings! Sing to Him a new song, play skillfully on the strings with loud shouts.” Psalm 33:1 – 3

Psalm 47 sing praises, with a Psalm “Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a Psalm.” Psalm 47:6 & 7

Psalm 48 praise, meditation (thought) “We have thought of Thy steadfast love, O God, in the midst of Thy temple. As Thy name, O God, so Thy praise reaches to the ends of the earth.” Psalm 48:9 & 10

Psalm 50   thanks, honor (in some translations, “glorifies“)    “He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.”   Psalm 50:23

Psalm 51 praise “O Lord, open Thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Thy praise.” Psalm 51:15

Psalm 59 sing aloud “I will sing of Thy power; yes, I will sing aloud of Thy mercy in the morning; for Thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto Thee, O my Strength, will I sing; for God is my defense , and the God of my mercy.” Psalm 59:16 & 17

Psalm 63 sing for joy “You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.” Psalm 63:7

Psalm 66 make a joyful noise, sing, give glorious praise “Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of His name; give to Him glorious praise!” Psalm 66:1

Psalm 67 praise, be glad, sing for joy “Let the peoples praise Thee, O God; let all the peoples praise Thee! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for Thou dost judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon the earth. Let the peoples praise Thee, O God; let all the peoples praise Thee!” Psalm 67:3 – 5

Psalm 68 be joyful, exult, be jubilant, sing praises, lift up a song “Let the righteous be joyful; let them exult before God; let them be jubilant with joy! Sing to God, sing praises to His name; lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds; His name is the Lord, exult before Him.” Psalm 68:3 & 4

Psalm 68 sing praises “Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth; sing praises to the Lord.” Psalm 68:32

Psalm 69 praise with a song, magnify with thanksgiving I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify Him with thanksgiving.” Psalm 69:30

Psalm 71 praise, sing, rejoice “I will praise Thee with the psaltery, even Thy truth, O my God. Unto Thee will I sing with the harp, O Thou Holy One of Israel. My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which Thou has redeemed.” Psalm 71:22 & 23

Psalm 72 bless the Lord, bless His name, glorify “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be His glorious name forever; may His glory fill tehe whole earth! Amen and Amen!” Psalm 72:18 & 19

Psalm 75 give thanks, call on His name, recount His deeds “We give thanks to Thee, O God: we give thanks; we call on Thy name and recount Thy wondrous deeds.”
Psalm 75:1

Psalm 81 sing aloud, make a joyful noise “Sing aloud unto God our strength; make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.” Psalm 81:1

Psalm 84 sing for joy “How lovely is Thy dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yea, faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.” Psalm 84:1 & 2

Psalm 84 singing His praise “Blessed are those who dwell in Thy house, ever singing Thy praise! Selah Psalm 84:4

Psalm 86 bow down, glorify Your name, give thanks All the nations You have made shall come and bow down before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name. For You are great, and You do wondrous things; You alone are God. Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name. I give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with my whole heart; and I will glorify Your name forever.” Psalm 86:9 – 12

Psalm 86 praise, glorify “I will praise Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart; and I will glorify Thy name forevermore.” Psalm 86:12

Psalm 89 sing, make known “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; with my mouth will I make know Thy faithfulness in all generations.” Psalm 89:1

Psalm 89 praise “The heavens shall praise Thy wonders, O Lord; Thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.” Psalm 89:5

Psalm 92 give thanks, sing praises, demonstrate His kindness and faithfulness “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O Most High; To show forth Thy lovingkindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness every night.” Psalm 92:1 & 2

Psalm 95 sing, make a joyful noise, come before Him with thanksgiving and Psalms “O come, let us sing unto the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth; the strength of the hills is His also. The sea is His, and He made it; and His hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.” Psalm 95:1 – 7a

Psalm 96 sing, bless His name, show His salvation, declare His glory and wonders, greatly to be praised “O sing unto the Lord a new song; sing unto the Lord all the earth. Sing unto the Lord, bless His name; show forth His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the heathen, His wonders among all people. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised.” Psalm 96:1 – 4a

Psalm 96 give glory and strength, give glory due His name, bring an offering, come, worship in the beauty of holiness “Honor and majesty are before Him, strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts. O worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness; fear before Him, all the earth.”‘ Psalm 96:6 – 9

Psalm 97 rejoice, give thanks, remember “Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.” Psalm 97:12

Psalm 98 sing a new song “O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he has done marvelous things; His right hand and His Holy arm have gotten the victory.” Psalm 98:1

Psalm 98 make a joyful noise, loud noise, rejoice, sing praise, with instruments and psalm “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth; make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Sing unto the Lord with a harp, with a harp and the voice of a psalm.” Psalm 98:4 & 5

Psalm 99 exalt, woship “Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool; for He is Holy.” Psalm 99:5

Psalm 99 exalt, worship “Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His Holy hill; for the Lord our God is Holy.” Psalm 99:9

Psalm 100 make a joyful noise, serve with gladness, come with singing, enter with thanksgiving and praise, be thankful, bless His name “Make a joyful moise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness; come fefore His presence with singing. Know that the Lord is God; it is He that has made us and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise; be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good: His mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures to all generations.” Psalm 100 (all verses, 1 – 5)

Psalm 101 sing of mercy and judgment, sing to Thee “I will sing of mercy and judgement; unto Thee, O Lord, will I sing.” Psalm 101:1

Psalm 102 that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord, declare His name, worship Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet unborn* may praise the Lord:
That He looked down from His Holy height, from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,
To hear the groans of the prisoners,
To set free those who were doomed to die:
That men may declare in Zion the name of the Lord,
And in Jerusalem, His praise,
When peoples and kingdoms gather together
To worship the Lord. ”
Psalm 102:18 – 22

*(or, yet to be created)

Psalm 104 sing as long as I live, sing praise, meditation on Him, be glad in the Lord “I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of Him shall be sweet; I will be glad in the Lord.” Psalm 104:33 & 34

Psalm 105 give thanks, call upon His name, make Him known, sing unto Him, sing Psalms, glory in His name, rejoice, speak of Him “O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the people. Sing unto Him, sing psalms unto Him; talk of all His wondrous works. Glory in His holy name; let the heart of those who seek the Lord rejoice.” Psalm 105:1 – 3

Psalm 106 praise, give thanks “Praise ye the Lord; O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endures forever. Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? Who can show forth all His praise?” Psalm 106:1 & 2

Psalm 106 blessed, Amen, praise “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting; and let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise the Lord!” Psalm 106:48

Psalm 107 thanksgiving, songs of joy “Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love, for His wonderful works to the sons of men! And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of His deeds in songs of joy!” Psalm 107:21 & 22

Psalm 107 praise, exalt “Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! Let them exalt Him also in the congregation of the people, and praise Him in the assembly of the elders.” Psalm 107:31 & 32

Psalm 108 sing, make melody, give thanks, sing praises, be exalted, glory My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody! Awake, my soul! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn! I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples, I will sing praises to You among the nations. For Your steadfast love is great above the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let Your glory be over all the earth.” Psalm 108:1 – 5

Psalm 109 give great thanks, praise Him With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord; I will praise Him in the midst of the throng.” Psalm 109:30

Psalm 111 praise, give thanks Praise the Lord. I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.” Psalm 111:1

Psalm 111 reverential awe (fear of the Lord), praise The reverential awe of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and all who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!” Psalm 111:10

Psalm 112 praise, delight Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments!” Psalm 112:1

Psalm 113 praise, bless Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forever more! From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised! The Lord is high above all nations, and His glory is above the heavens.” Psalm 113:1 – 4

Psalm 115 give glory to His name “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Thy name give glory, for the sake of Thy steadfast love and Thy faithfulness!” Psalm 115:1

Psalm 115 bless, praise The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any that go down into silence. But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the Lord!”
Psalm 115: 15 & 16

Psalm 117 praise, extol Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol Him, all peoples! For great is His steadfast love toward us; and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!”
Psalm 117:1 & 2 (all verses)

Psalm 118 songs of victory, exalt His strength “The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. Hark, glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly, the right hand of the Lord is exalted, the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.” Psalm 118:14 – 16

Psalm 135 praise, sing “Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good: sing to His name, for He is gracious!” Psalm 135:3

Psalm 145 praise His greatness, greatly to be praised “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable.” Psalm 145:3

Psalm 146 praise as long as I have being “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have being.” Psalm 146:1 & 2

Psalm 147 praise, sing praises “Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our god; for He is gracious, and a song of praise is comely.” Psalm 147:1

Psalm 147 sing with thanksgiving, make melody with instruments “Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make melody to our God upon the lyre.” Psalm 147:7

Psalm 147 praise, sing a new song “Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of the faithful!” Psalm 149:1

Psalm 150 praise, praise His greatness, praise with instruments and dance, let everything that has breath praise the Lord Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him for His mighty deeds; praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with lute and harp! Praise Him with timbrel and dance; praise Him with strings and pipe! Praise Him with sounding cymbals; praise Him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Psalm 150:1 – 6 (all verses)

Isaiah 12give thanks, proclaim, sing “Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.” Isaiah 12:4-5

Isaiah 24 lift up voices, sing for joy, glory, praise They lift up their voices, they sing for joy; over the majesty of the Lord they shout from the west. Therefore in the east give glory to the Lord: in the coastlands of the sea, to the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise, of glory to the Righteous One. Isaiah 24:14 – 16a

Isaiah 25 exalt, praise O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will praise Your name; for You have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and true.” Isaiah 25:1

Isaiah 27 sing In that day: ‘A pleasant vineyard, sing of it! I, the Lord, am its keeper; every moment I water it. Lest any one harm it, I guard it night and day.'”
Isaiah 27:2 & 3

Isaiah 27 worshipAnd in that day a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were lost in the land of Assyria and those who were driven out to the land of Egypt will come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain at Jerusalem.” Isaiah 27:13

Isaiah 35 singing, joy, gladness “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness; and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” Isaiah 35:10

Isaiah 42 sing a new song, praise, lift up, sing for joy, shout, give glory, declare praise “Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise from the end of the earth! Let the sea roar and all that fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants. Let the desert and it’s cities lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits; let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory to the Lord, and declare His praise in the coastlands. Isaiah 42:10 – 12

Jeremiah 31 sing aloud, raise shouts, proclaim, give praise, be radiant For thus says the Lord: ‘Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, “The Lord has saved His people, the remnant of Israel.”…They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord…'” Isaiah 31:7, 12a

Daniel 4 praise, extol Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven; for all His works are right and His ways are just; and those who walk in pride He is able to abase.” Daniel 4:37

Zephaniah 3 sing aloud, rejoice, exult, HE will rejoice, renew, & sing over you “Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away the judgements against you, He has cast out your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear evil no more. On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
‘Do not fear, O Zion; let not your hands go weak. The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will renew you in His love: He will exult over you with loud singing, as on a day of festival.'” Zephaniah 3:14 -18a

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The scriptures in this post were compiled by Cynthia A. Boyd for our page entitled “Lift Your Voice (Worship Scriptures)”, which contains worship scriptures for both the New and Old Testaments.  We decided to publish the scriptures in separate Old and New Testament posts to make it easier to view the New Testament worship scriptures without having to scroll through the Old Testament scriptures first and to make it easier to find this resource on search engines.  It is our hope that having 3 separate entries (2 posts and one page) appearing in web searches will result in allowing more people to find and utilize this resource.

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Looking for answers for yourself or for a friend?

Thank you for spending your valuable time reading the contents of this page.  We hope that it has been helpful to you.   If you or someone that you know is looking for answers about life, we hope that you will visit our page called “Do You Know Jesus?”.   The links provided on this page will help to answer life’s deepest questions.   Here is the link to “Do You Know Jesus?”:  http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

Please feel free to share this URL with anyone who is looking for answers about life and eternity.

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Tidings of Great Joy!

Nativity silhouetteThis post contains the story of the birth of Christ with the scriptural accounts from Luke’s Gospel and Matthew’s Gospel, illustrated throughout with the most appropriate art or photos of dramatic portrayals that we could find.  Following the scriptural story, you will find some information about some of the prophecies that were fulfilled with the birth of Christ.  This information about the prophecies and their fulfillment comes from two different sources, which are noted.

 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  BIRTH  OF  CHRIST
IN  SCRIPTURES  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS

Luke 1

New International Version (NIV)
(Scripture passages are copied from http://www.biblegateway.com )

Introduction

1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled[a] among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

Dramatic portrayal of Zechariah and Elizabeth

Dramatic portrayal of Zechariah and Elizabeth

5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. 7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

Artistic deptiction of the angel appearing to Zechariah

Artistic deptiction of the angel Gabriel appearing to Zechariah

11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”

19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22 When he came out, he could

Artistic depiction of Zechariah with Elizabeth

Artistic depiction of Zechariah with Elizabeth

not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.

23 When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.25 “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Artistic depiction of the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary

Artistic depiction of the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

Artistic deptiction of Mary as she expressed her desire to serve the Lord

Artistic deptiction of Mary as she expressed her desire to serve the Lord

34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[b] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

Artistic depiction of Elizabeth greeting Mary

Artistic depiction of Elizabeth greeting Mary

39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!

43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Artistic depiction of Mary and Elizabeth rejoicing together

Artistic depiction of Mary and Elizabeth rejoicing together

Mary’s Song

46 And Mary said:

Artistic depiction of Mary glorifying the Lord

Artistic depiction of Mary glorifying the Lord

“My soul glorifies the Lord47     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has been mindful     of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, 49     for the Mighty One has done great things for me—     holy is his name. 50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,     from generation to generation. 51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;     he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. 52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones     but has lifted up the humble. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things     but has sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel,     remembering to be merciful 55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,     just as he promised our ancestors.”

56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

The Birth of John the Baptist

Dramatic portrayal of Zechariah and Elizabeth with their miracle baby

Dramatic portrayal of Zechariah and Elizabeth with their miracle baby

57 When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60 but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”

61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”

Artistic depiction of Zechariah writing on a tablet, "His name is John."

Artistic depiction of Zechariah writing on a tablet, “His name is John.”

62 Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. 66 Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child

going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.

Zechariah’s Song

67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:

68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,     because he has come to his people and redeemed them. 69 He has raised up a horn[c] of salvation for us     in the house of his servant David 70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), 71 salvation from our enemies     and from the hand of all who hate us— 72 to show mercy to our ancestors     and to remember his holy covenant, 73     the oath he swore to our father Abraham: 74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,     and to enable us to serve him without fear 75     in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

Artistic portrayal of the prophecy of Zechariah

Artistic portrayal of the prophecy of Zechariah

76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;     for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, 77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation     through the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God,     by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven 79 to shine on those living in darkness     and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit[d]; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.

Luke 2

The Birth of Jesus

2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

Sculptural portrayal of Caesar Augustus

Sculptural portrayal of Caesar Augustus

Artistic portrayal of Mary and Joseph travelling to Bethlehem

Artistic portrayal of Mary and Joseph travelling to Bethlehem

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

Artistic depiction of Mary caring for Baby Jesus

Artistic depiction of Mary caring for Baby Jesus

shepherds afraid8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,     and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”1

The Heavely Host appear to the shepherds and share the good news of the birth of Jesus

The Heavely Host appear to the shepherds and share the good news of the birth of

5 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

Shepherds on the way to find baby Jesus

Shepherds on the way to find baby Jesus

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

The shepherds adore the baby Jesus

The shepherds adore the baby Jesus

17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.Mary holding baby Jesus19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

20 The shepherds returned [to their flocks}, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Artistic depiction of the shepherds returning to their flocks, glorifying and praising God

Artistic depiction of the shepherds returning to their flocks, glorifying and praising God

21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

Jesus Presented in the Temple

Artistic depiction of Mary and Joseph taking baby Jesus to the temple

Dramatic portrayal of Mary and Joseph taking baby Jesus to the temple

22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”[b]), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”[c]

Artistic depiction of Simeon thanking God for baby Jesus

Artistic depiction of Simeon thanking God for baby Jesus

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,     you may now dismiss[d] your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31     which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,     and the glory of your people Israel.”

33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

Anna rejoicing36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.[e] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

Matthew 1

New International Version (NIV)

The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah

1 This is the genealogy[a] of Jesus the Messiah[b] the son of David, the son of Abraham:

Artistic depiction of Abraham and Isaac

Artistic depiction of Abraham and Isaac

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac,

Isaac the father of Jacob,

Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,

3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,

Perez the father of Hezron,

Hezron the father of Ram,

4 Ram the father of Amminadab,

Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

Nahshon the father of Salmon,

5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,

Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,

Obed the father of Jesse,

6 and Jesse the father of King David.

Artistic depiction of David and Solomon

Artistic depiction of David and Solomon

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,

7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam,

Rehoboam the father of Abijah,

Abijah the father of Asa,

8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,

Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,

Jehoram the father of Uzziah,

9 Uzziah the father of Jotham,

Jotham the father of Ahaz,

Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,

10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,

Manasseh the father of Amon,

Amon the father of Josiah,

11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah[c] and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

12 After the exile to Babylon:

Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,

Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

13 Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,

Abihud the father of Eliakim,

Eliakim the father of Azor,

14 Azor the father of Zadok,

Zadok the father of Akim,

Akim the father of Elihud,

15 Elihud the father of Eleazar,

Eleazar the father of Matthan,

Matthan the father of Jacob,

16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.

Dramatic portrayal of the betrothed couple, Joseph and Mary

Dramatic portrayal of the betrothed couple, Joseph and Mary

17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.

Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[d]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet[e] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

Artistic depiction of Joseph as he slept and the angel appeared to him in a dream

Artistic depiction of Joseph as he slept and the angel appeared to him in a dream

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[f] because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[g] (which means “God with us”).

Dramatic portrayal of Joseph as he considers the dream and decides to obey and trust God

Dramatic portrayal of Joseph as he considers the dream and decides to obey and trust God

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Matthew 2

New International Version (NIV)

The Magi Visit the Messiah

Artistic depiction of baby Jesus with Mary and Joseph

Artistic depiction of baby Jesus with Mary and Joseph

Wise men from the east come seeking the baby Jesus

Wise men from the east come seeking the baby Jesus

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] 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.”

The wise men consult with Herod about where the new King might be found

The wise men consult with Herod about where the new King might be found

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.’[b]

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.”

Artistic depiction of the wise men (or Magi) continuing their journey to find Jesus

Artistic depiction of the wise men (or Magi) continuing their journey to find Jesus

9 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.

Artistic deptiction of the wise men worshiping the young child Jesus

Artistic deptiction of the wise men worshiping the young child Jesus

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 Escape to Egypt

Artistic depiction of the angel warning Joseph in a dream

Artistic depiction of the angel warning Joseph in a dream

13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”[c]

Artistic depiction of Mary and Joseph fleeing to Egypt with Jesus following the angel's warning

Artistic depiction of Mary and Joseph fleeing to Egypt with Jesus following the angel’s warning

16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

18 “A voice is heard in Ramah,     weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children     and refusing to be comforted,     because they are no more.”[d]

Artistic depiction of the killing of the innocent children due to Herod's evil decree.

Artistic depiction of the killing of the innocent children due to Herod’s evil decree.

The Return to Nazareth

19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”

21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.

Nazareth today

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ONE OF THE MOST WELL-KNOWN SCRIPTURE PASSAGES
OF PROPHECY ABOUT THE BIRTH OF CHRIST

baby JesusFor to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.

Isaiah 9:6 & 7

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INFORMATION  ABOUT  PROPHECIES  FULFILLED  WITH  THE  BIRTH  OF  CHRIST

(NOTE:  This information has been gathered from two sources, which are referenced with the URL for each site following the information gleaned from that site.)

Mattthew 1:20-23 [20] But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.   [21] She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”  [22] All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: [23] “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” –which means, “God with us.”

1. Promised Through the Seed of Abraham:

  • Old Testament Prophecy: Genesis 22:18
  • New Testament Fulfillment: Matthew 1:1

2. Promised Through Isaac:

  • Old Testament Prophecy: Genesis 21:12
  • New Testament Fulfillment: Luke 3:34

3. Out of the Tribe of Judah:

  • Old Testament Prophecy: Micah 5:2
  • New Testament Fulfillment: Luke 3:33

4. Born in the Family of Jesse:

  • Old Testament Prophecy: Isaiah 11:1
  • New Testament Fulfillment: Luke 3:32

5. Born in the House of David (King):

  • Old Testament Prophecy: Jeremiah 23:5-6
  • New Testament Fulfillment: Luke 3:31

6. Born in Bethlehem:

  • Old Testament Prophecy: Micah 5:2
  • New Testament Fulfillment: Luke 2:4-7

7. Born of a virgin:

  • Old Testament Prophecy: Isaiah 7:14
  • New Testament Fulfillment: Matthew 1:18

8. Worshipped and Presented gifts by Kings:

  • Old Testament Prophecy: Psalm 72:10
  • New Testament Fulfillment: Matthew 2:11

9. Worshipped by Shepherds:

  • Old Testament Prophecy: Psalm 72:9
  • New Testament Fulfillment: Luke 2:9

10. Weeping for the Children

  • Old Testament Prophecy: Jeremiah 31:15
  • New Testament Fulfillment: Matthew 2:16

11. Flight to Egypt

  • Old Testament Prophecy: Hosea 11:1
  • New Testament Fulfillment: Matthew 2:13-14

12. He will be called Lord:

  • Old Testament Prophecy: Psalm 110:1
  • New Testament Fulfillment: Luke 2:11

13. He is the Son of God:

  • Old Testament Prophecy: Psalm 2:7
  • New Testament Fulfillment: Luke 3:22
    (Matthew 3:17, Mark 1:11)

(The information above came from:  http://englewoodcog.org/Word/Birth_of_Christ.php )

Concerning his nature

Prophesied

Fulfilled

11. He pre-existed creation Mic 5:2 1 Pet 1:20
12. He shall be called Lord Ps 110:1 Acts 2:36
13. Called Immanuel (God with us) Isa 7:14 Mt 1:22-23
14. Prophet Deut 18:18-19 Acts 3:18-25
15. Priest Ps 110:4 Heb 5:5-6
16. Judge Isa 33:22 Jn 5:22-23
17. King Ps 2:6 Jn 18:33-37
18. Anointed by the Spirit Isa 11:2 Mt 3:16-17
19. His zeal for God Ps 69:9 Jn 2:15-17

(The chart above was found at http://www.bible.ca/b-prophecy-60.htm )

Isaiah 9:6-7 [6] For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [7] Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. …  700 B.C.

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Walking in Worship

What does it mean to walk in worship, and how does that differ from having an attitude of praise?  What should be our motivation for seeking to walk in worship?  This article seeks to answer those questions through a brief study of related scriptures and what they mean to us in our daily lives as worshippers of God.  These are exciting truths from God’s word!  What an awesome thought to realize that our eternally loving and supremely powerful God wants to walk through life with me!

(Note:  This article was first published in the online magazine ChurchMag (see link at the end of this post.) +

"As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him."  Col. 2:6

(++  See photo credit and location information at the end of this article.)

“As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.”
~  Colossians 2:6

GOD IS WORTHY OF OUR PRAISE AND WORSHIP

There are many verses in the Bible which speak of praising the Lord and also give some of the reasons why we praise Him.

“Praise the Lord!  Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord!  Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forever more!  From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!  The Lord is high above all nations, and His glory is above the heavens.”    Psalm 113:1 – 4

From the rising of the sun until its setting…from the beginning of your day until the end…in every waking moment, the name of the Lord is to be praised.  The Lord is always worthy of praise.  In the verse above, the servants of the Lord are reminded of His supremacy over all nations and His unsurpassed and eternal gloryHe is worthy!

“I will sing of Thy power; yes, I will sing aloud of Thy mercy in the morning; for Thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble.  Unto Thee, O my Strength, will I sing; for God is my defense , and the God of my mercy.”   Psalm 59:16 & 17

He is all powerful!  He is our defense and our refuge.  He is our strength and the God of our mercy.  God is worthy of our praise!   The Psalmist’s expression of praise through singing to Him at the beginning of the day is in response to the ultimate and supreme worth of our God.

“I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.  I keep the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.”   Psalm 16:7 & 8

He is our counsellor and the guide and guardian of our hearts.  He is near to those who call upon Him, at our right hand, even during the night.  He gives us the strength to stand firm.  He is worthy!

“O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the people.  Sing unto Him, sing psalms unto Him; talk of all His wondrous works.  Glory in His holy name; let the heart of those who seek the Lord rejoice.”   Psalm 105:1 – 3

His works are wondrous; He is available when we call upon His name; His deeds are praiseworthy; He is Holy.  What an awesome God we serve!  He is worthy of praise!

“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O Most High; To show forth Thy lovingkindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness every night.”   Psalm 92:1 & 2

He is full of lovingkindness.  He is faithful.  It is a good thing to praise and thank Him!  He is worthy of our praise!

“But I, through the abundance of Your steadfast love, will enter Your house, I will worship toward Your holy temple in reverence, and awe of You.”  Psalm 5:7

Because of His steadfast love for us, God allows us to enter His presence.  Our response is worship…reverence…and awe.   He is worthy of our awe and reverence!  He is worthy of our praise!  He is worthy of worship…in every waking moment!

The eternal God of Creation, the God who saves us with His might and His mercy, the Holy and Righteous Judge, the Lamb of God who gave Himself for us, the Holy Spirit of comfort and conviction, the Lord of all and above all, our awesome God who is three in One, our loving Father God who embraces us in our sorrows and keeps every tear, our tender Shepherd…

He is all of this and more!  He is worthy of our reverence and awe.  He is worthy of our expressions of praise.  He is worthy of a continual attitude of worship. 

THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN PRAISE AND WORSHIP

Praise, by its very nature, must be expressed.  It is an expression of appreciation at a moment in time.  If I think of a compliment but have not expressed it, I have not praised the person who motivated the positive thought.  In the above verses, the Psalmists write of expressing praise through singing to God, blessing His holy name, thanking Him, entering His house, talking of His wondrous works, and making His deeds known.  Expressions of praise listed in other verses include magnifying the name of the Lord and exalting Him, giving Him glory and honor, playing instruments for His praise, dancing and shouting in praise, clapping and raising our hands in praise, and giving tithes and offerings as an act of worship.  Many of these expressions of praise are outward expressions and are done in public or within the congregation and family.  However, since God knows our hearts, He also knows when our hearts are praising Him.  Within the congregation, those expressions of praise become outward as we join our hearts and our voices with those of other Christians.  When it is appropriate and wise to do so, at the prompting of God’s Spirit, we also express our praise of God to others we encounter in our daily lives.  When our hearts and minds become so focused on the Lord that we are continually bringing to mind all that He is and all that He has done and then praising Him in response, we are living in an attitude of praise before the Lord.  He receives our praise whether is is spoken or demonstrated in the presence of others or whether it is spoken directly from our hearts to Him.

Worship can include all of the inward and outward expressions of praise already mentioned, but worship goes much farther in permeating our lives and being expressed through the way that we live our lives.  The very idea of worship is that God is worthy of all that we have to give.  True worship involves the commitment of all that we are and every part of our lives, focused on living in such a way that our lives will ultimately bring glory to God (as He empowers us to live for His glory… even in the giving of all that we are, we cannot out-give God!).  When we have recognized all that He is and all that He has done, to the extent that our finite human minds can do so, our intentions change.  We commit ourselves fully to God and begin to seek to glorify Him in response to all that He has done for us.  As we grow in Christ, God’s spirit reveals to our hearts that we must intentionally express His worth and His supremacy by seeking to bring Him glory in all that we are and all that we do (with His help).*

A LIFESTYLE OF WORSHIP

“If we live, we live to honor the Lord; and if we die, we die to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”  Rom 14:8

“He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.”  IICor. 5:15

As God has been willing to personally come to Earth and give Himself in the person of Christ to live a life that demonstrated the grace and glory of God, ultimately choosing to die as a sacrifice for our sins and then be raised to eternal life as a seal and a promise of God’s saving work in human hearts, we must also be willing to give ourselves sacrificially.  This is our spiritual gift of worship to the One who has given His all for us.

““I appeal to you therfore, brethren, by the mercies of God , to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”  Romans 12:1

This intentional giving over of all of life to God for the purpose of bringing Him glory is true worship.  It is an attitude of the heart and mind and a commitment of the life that is acceptable to God.  Paul says that our commitment to live as a sacrifice to honor the Lord is holy.  His presence and His help in following through with our commitment (to bring Him glory in all that we do, say, and think) allows us to grow in our expression of His worth, becoming more like Christ.  Whatever we are doing or thinking or saying, we are learning to live in an attitude of worship, seeking to express the infinite worth of God through our lives.*  Several times in scripture, a person is referred to as someone who “walked with God”.  Enoch, for example is described as a man who walked with God in Genesis 5:22 & 24.  Noah is also spoken of as a man who walked with God in Genesis 6:9.  In I Kings 8:25, the prayer of Solomon is that God would keep His promise to David, “Now therefore, O LORD, the God of Israel, keep with Your servant David my father that which You have promised him, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons take heed to their way to walk before Me as you have walked.'”  In some translations, the words ‘habitual’ or ‘faithful’ are used in these verses to further clarify the meaning of “walking with God”.  Such a testimony of faithfulness in walking with God requires that the intentions and desires of our hearts and the focus of our lives must be in seeking to bring glory to God.

HELP FOR THE JOURNEY

God knows that we cannot be faithful in walking with Him in an intentional and habitual attitude of worship on our own.  He knows that we need His help, His guidance, His strength, and His mercy and forgiveness.  That is why we have a Savior, and that is why we need His Spirit to indwell our hearts and lives.  God knows that we need reminders of who He is and that we must be intentional in seeking to bring glory to Him through our lives.  Consider this instruction from Deuteronomy 6:4 – 9

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.   Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

God knows that we need the reminder of seeing His word before us, even to the extent that we should have verses about who God is on our walls and above our doors.  Although this is an Old Testament scripture and refers in some instances to the significant items of clothing worn by the children of Israel, God’s admonition to His people was that they would intentionally place reminders of God’s love and faithfulness wherever they would be seen, as reminders to live an intentional life of loving and serving God with all of their heart, soul, and strength. These reminders would focus their attention on the Lord so that they would talk about Him as they got up in the morning, continue to talk and think about Him (and seek Him) when they would lie down at night and when they walked throughout their day.  In another passage, Deuteronomy 11:18 – 21, which is almost identical**, this admonition is made:  “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds…”  Or, as we read in Colossians 3:16 & 17, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as you teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

WALKING IN WORSHIP

When we become intentional in choosing to seek to live a life that honors God in every moment, we are living a lifestyle of worship and walking with God.  This kind of choice to walk in worship goes far beyond the expressions of praise that we often refer to as worship.  Praise is good thing.  We must always seek to praise God because He is good, and He is worthy of our praise.  However, expressions of praise can be tied to our feelings and our desires.  We often say or express in our thoughts a “Praise the Lord” when something happens that we are happy about.  Such expressions can become habit without thought.  However, walking in worship requires thought.  It requires our intention to do far more than just train ourselves to say and do the right things.  Walking in worship requires staying in close relationship with God through Christ, trusting Him to guide and help us, and seeking to intentionally live in such a way that our lives bring glory to Him.  Where we fail, God’s mercy upholds us.  And, as we learn to increasingly rely on Him, walking with Him, we are walking in worship.

“Make a joyful moise unto the Lord, all ye lands.  Serve the Lord with gladness; come fefore His presence with singing.  Know that the Lord is God; it is He that has made us and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.  Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise; be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.  For the Lord is good:  His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.”   Psalm 100 (all verses, 1 – 5)

+  Link to this article, published in the online magazine ChurchMag :  http://churchm.ag/walking-in-worship/#more-79882

++ PHOTO  CREDIT  AND  LOCATION:  The photograph used in this blog post was also used in the ChurchMag article.  Taken by Cynthia Boyd in the Spring of 2012, the photo is of the tranquil path leading to a garden pond behind the Jimmy Carter Presidential Museum in Atlanta, Georgia.

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* These paragraphs contain words and thoughts based upon both Col. 3:16 & 17 and on John Piper’s definition of worship.  This definition is found in the devotion titled  ”Bodies, Breakfast, and the Marriage Bed”  and subtitled  “A Meditation on Daily Worship”.
You can read the complete devotion at this link:  http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/taste-see-articles/bodies-breakfast-and-the-marriage-bed

** The companion passage, Deuteronomy 11:18 – 21, in it’s entirety:  Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.   Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the Lord swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.”

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