Worship

A Memorial. Your Memorial?


The Red Sea
When your children ask you, ‘What are these
stones to you?’ you’ll say, ‘The flow of the
Jordan was stopped in front of the Chest
of the Covenant of God as it crossed the
Jordan—stopped in its tracks. These stones are
a permanent memorial for the People of Israel.’”
(Joshua 4:6-7)

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The following is the thoughts of this author’s mental picture of Israel’s Red Sea deliverance based on the Bible along with comments about our memorial:

The Egyptian army pursued the children of Israel into the massive sea bed! Their purpose was to enslave them again or possibly kill scores of them there in a mass grave. God looked at this scene and overthrew Pharaoh’s great army of 600 elite chariots of soldiers, along with all of his other superior fighters on chariots. The one angel of God stood between the fleeing Israelites and the insane Egyptians. At one point…the Egyptian armies were thrown into confusion as a result of God’s presence. He caused their chariot wheels to bog down in miry surfaces of the sea as they retreated…finally realizing God was fighting for His people! Moses stretched his hand out over the sea and the raging sea collapsed over the escaping Egyptians, killing them all! The Israelites meanwhile, continued journeying the opposite route with a corridor of waters (mounted on their left and right) ushering them to the shore on the other side! After safely coming to the land, the Israelites saw the dead bodies of the Egyptians that were washed ashore!

Oh…the praises that must have erupted at one of the greatest deliverances recorded in history! The children of Israel’s praises were encapsulated in the following words from their song!: Exodus, chapter 15 – click here.

After coming forth from the bowels of the Jordan sea, the children of Israel were commanded to set up 12 massive stones (near Jordan’s banks) as a perpetual memorial and to remind future generations of the power of God’s deliverance. These succeeding generations would see the stones and ask what was their purpose. Thus, the traditions of the elders was verbally passed down as generation after generation came to realized the realness of Israel’s mighty God!

Your Memorial?

You should have a memorial…how our great God has delivered you from what would otherwise have been humanly impossible to be delivered from! This memorial should be a place in one’s heart and mind of the power of God. It is a memorial of the past that gives hope for the future!

Never forget where God has brought you from? How He has placed people in your life to change you for the better? Remember your elders and your instructors, those who made a difference during your seasons of unrest. Don’t forget men and women who have helped you. Be thankful!

God has lovingly held back and made many restrictions in our lives! He has also set us free from all kinds of bondages! Like the children of Israel, let’s stop and give memory to the wisdom of a loving God. Israel saw the death of the Egyptians and yet were delivered from death. Look around you and you too will witness violent and premature deaths, as well. But God has spared our lives another day, and so, every new day should be a memorial of the past day. Give thanks and be thankful for these types of memorials are good things!

 

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The Hosanna Wave!


And they that went before, and they that followed,
cried, saying Hosanna; Blessed is he that
cometh in the name of the lord.
(Mark 11:9)

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We are told about a great crowd near Jerusalem who had come to worship there. The crowd waited their turn for their King to pass by. At one point there became an eruption of praise! Some understood Him as the Son of David, who would deliver the people from Roman rule! Others recognized Him as being the One who worked miracles. How intense this crowd must have been! Many spread their coats on the road and others cut and used branches from the trees. What a significant moment! Prophecy was being fulfilled concerning their true king! They shouted Hosanna! Hosanna means, “Lord, save us!” Their shout reflected hundreds of years of Jewish captivity! The King, the Son of David, had suddenly come to His temple! Even though they did not understand the full significance of the moment, what catches my attention is…EVERYONE SHOUTED!  EVERYONE wanted to be delivered. NO ONE was passive and didn’t feel the need for deliverance. EVERYONE was caught up in the wave of adoration and EVERYONE released their praise! EVERYONE experienced the moment! What do you do when the presence of the king is in your sanctuary…check your phone? Look at others who praise? Think about your problems? Or, do you allow others to hinder your praise? You owe Him praise!

To many…this type of praise is foreign, but to those who are sensitive to the King’s presence, praise becomes a lifestyle. They can’t wait to “catch the Hosanna wave”! True worshippers and praisers understand this. They look for opportunities to rejoice and praise God. We can learn from angels, who consistently give God glory with expressions while in the presence of God. Angels have not been redeemed. If you have been redeemed, you consistently owe Him praise! Start by doing that in the place He has established, which is His sanctuary!

 

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A Little Known Fact About Worship.


ICEA – “Church at Study”

A Biblical Look at
One Aspect of Worship:
The Act of Bowing!

The history of biblical worship can be found in the Old Testament. The first account of the word “worship” seems to be used in Genesis 22:5. This is where God tested Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. At the base of the mountain, Abraham stated to his servants to wait while he and his son would go over to “worship”. It is interesting to note that the word worship here (as defined by Strong’s – 7812) has the meaning “to bow down”. While the word “praise” (Strong’s – 1984) in many of David’s accounts and in a number of psalms…meant to “halal” or “shine” or “boast” of the Lord’s doings. David’s influence of praise (sometimes mixed with music), along with Israel’s worship, are an example for us today! An excellent account of this is found in II Chronicles 29:29-30. Worship seems to cover many aspects — with or without music, as well as standing, sitting, or kneeling. The one aspect the author chooses to focus on is BOWING, which is found in the scriptures below. (You may also click on the following text to print this handout:)

(Click Here to Print Handout on Worship and Bowing)

Genesis 24:26-27 26 And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the Lord. 27 And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren.
Genesis 24:48 48 And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter unto his son.
Genesis 24:52-53 52 And it came to pass, that, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he worshipped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth. 53 And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.
Exodus 4:31 And the people believed: and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.
Exodus 12:27 That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.
Exodus 34:8 And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.
Joshua 5:14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant?
II Kings 5:18 In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing.
I Chronicles 29:20 And all the congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the Lord, and the king.
II Chronicles 7:3 And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord
II Chronicles 20:18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord.
II Chronicles 29:29 The king and all that were present with him bowed themselves, and worshipped.
II Chronicles 29:30 And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.
Nehemiah 8:6 And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
Job 1:20-21 20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, 21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.
Palsm 22:29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.
Psalms 95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.
Psalms 99:5 Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.
Psalms 132:7 We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool.
Isaiah 44:15 Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.
Isaiah 44:17 And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.
Isaiah 46:6 They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship.
Daniel 2:46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.
Daniel 3:5 That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:
Daniel 3:6 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
Daniel 3:7 Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Daniel 3:10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:
Daniel 3:11 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
Daniel 3:15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well:…
Matthew 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
Matthew 4:9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Matthew 18:26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
Matthew 28:9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.
Mark 15:19 And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him.
Acts 10:25 And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.
I Corinthians 14:25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.
Revelation 5:14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
Revelation 19:4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
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‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus!


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’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”

Refrain:
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me
’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.

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John: Forsaking All to Follow Him!


Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.
Mark 10:28

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There’s more than one John in the Bible. When we hear the name John, we often think about “the Baptist”, who was the blazing forerunner of the Lord Jesus. The other John was initially somewhat lesser known during the gospel times. The author of the Bible would associated him with either his brother or father. He was called the brother of James and appeared to be the lesser son of Zebedee. This John was also the John who had an ambitious mother. She wanted Jesus to grant that both her sons would have a secured and exalted place in His kingdom. We are not sure if this John had the same fleshly ambition, but time and circumstances caused him to take on the role of a loving servant rather than seek glory for himself (Luke 22:24)!

Both of these men were, in a sense, servants. One prepared the way for the Messiah to come, and testified that he (as a servant) was not worthy to untie His Lord’s sandal straps. The other John also served. These men, along with the other disciples and Peter, were led in ways that proved them all to be servants. Jesus told Peter that when he had fully matured, he would be a servant of the Master until his tragic death (John 21:18-19). This John, the son of Zebedee, was (no doubt) witness to this conversation Jesus had with Peter (vs. 20-21). He himself was also left in doubt as to his fate. At that point, he could have forsaken Jesus and chose to no longer serve him, as some did. (John 6:66).

These are examples of how people mature and become servants. They have no agenda other than to serve the One who initiates every call to being a disciple. Nothing else matters and all things pale in comparison to being a servant of Jesus Christ. They have been captured and arrested as slaves to those words of our Lord: “follow me”. Initially — those words bring the joyous light of the gospel to every believer, as it did with John and the other followers (Mt. 4:21-22). His call brings excitement and the ultimate salvation of our souls (Song Sol. 3:2-4)! But, His words, “follow me…”, take on new meanings as we mature in the Lord. Following Him has certainly taken us above mountain peaks, but following Him will also lead us through dark and uncertain places. His perpetual voice leads us to many valleys, and yet, we still follow!

We see the example of John as he proceeded to follow Jesus directly to His death. Jesus was led to Calvary and crucified, and yet John continued to follow. John endangered his own life, as many of the other disciples had already fled. We see John, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, and a few others. They were now positioned directly under the cross of the suffering Christ. As our Lord suffered on the cross, His last words to John were, “Behold thy mother!” His words seemed to suggest that Jesus had all confidence in this selfless servant to move into the position of not only providing for His mother but treating her as Jesus would Himself. There was no questioning on John’s part, but he did what any slave would do and that was to obey his Master. As far as we can tell, he always followed the leading of our Lord!

Years later, we see John in scripture as he was banished on the isle of Patmos. He was there for being a servant of Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:1, 9). No one knows how he must have suffered as a result of his determination to serve the Lord. One thing we do know is it appeared that no other disciple had the favor that John had. He was called the disciple that Jesus loved! Also, John was that disciple that had such a relationship with Christ that he was comfortable leaning on His bussom. No man that ever lived probably received more revelation than John. He was allowed to write the things he saw from the book of Revelation and experience the One who sat on the throne! He beheld things that we can barely comprehend. Oh…the fellowship that John, as a servant, had with our Lord!

Servants, like John, are often led in ways that can be lonely, but Christ’s promise has always been that He would not leave those who follow Him! He will continue to lead them through changing seasons in their lives and they will experience great fellowship as they walk with the Master (II Tim. 4:16-17)!

 

 

 

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