Revealed to Little Children

04/30/2008 - On an occasion when Jesus expressed praise to the Father, it wasn’t because He had revealed truths, but because He had revealed them to the childlike hearts and had hidden them from those who were too smart for anyone’s own good:

At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." ~ Luke 10:21-22

We should give God glory for preserving the integrity of His truth through people of simplicity, thank Him for the privilege of being among them, and ask Him to always make us wise as serpents, yet innocent as doves.

Like Little Children

04/29/2008 - It's as much a gentle instruction as it is a chilling warning:

"And he said: 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.' " ~ Matthew 18:3

The same Jesus who dandled children upon His knee, who would not let His followers turn them away, who refused to silence them when they shouted "Hosanna!" to Him in the temple courts … wants us to become just like them:

Innocent by His blood. Drawn to Him by His love. Exuberant in our praise to Him.

If that's a key to entering His kingdom, then it must be important.

Worship and Gratitude

04/28/2008 - "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

"Let the redeemed of the LORD say this—those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.

"Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men,
Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders.

"The upright see and rejoice, but all the wicked shut their mouths.

"Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the LORD."

~ Psalm 106:1-2; 31-32; 42-43

Unity in Christ

04/27/08 - Psalm 133 compares the unity of brethren to the oil that anointed Aaron, setting him and his sons apart to lead Israel's worship of God. It also compares unity to the dew of Hermon, a mountain under whose shadow Joshua had led Israel to great victories; a mountain in the region of Mizpah where Jacob and Laban had put aside their differences for the sake of family and agreed: "May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other."

"How good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity!

"It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron's beard,
down upon the collar of his robes.

"It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore."

He watches between us when we worship together, too. It's no wonder He wants us to resolve conflicts between us before we worship Him (Matthew 5:23-24).

Unity in Worship

04/26/08 - At the heart of worship that is acceptable to God is the unity of His saints. Nothing could be more clear than Romans 15:5-7:

"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God."

There are no prerequisites for accepting one another mentioned – just the example of Christ accepting each of us as we are, enabling worship in spirit and in truth.

The Blessing of Being Empty

04/25/08 - Philippians 2:5-11 describes the kenosis of Christ; how He emptied Himself to serve us ultimately.

In serving others, we empty ourselves, too. In becoming poor in spirit, we find a wealth of blessing. For in shrugging off the weight of things that tie down our lives and bind up our time, we find great freedom to worship the One who provides what is most needed for this life and for the life that follows it - the Spirit He pours out to fill our emptiness:

" … he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life." ~ Titus 3:5-7

The Elders Lead Worship in Heaven

04/24/08 - Several times in the Revelation to John, the twenty-four elders in heaven are pictured falling down and worshiping God (4:10-11, 5:8-10, 5:14, 7:11-12, 11:16-19, 19:4-5) and when they do, extraordinary things happen.

"You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being." ~ Revelation 4:10-11

Should our elders lead worship from their knees?

Should we expect extraordinary things to happen when we praise God?

The God Who Runs to Us

04/23/08 - I squandered youth in distant lands
And spent my fortune with poor friends
Now I feed pigs in filthy pens
They run to me
They run to me

At home, the slaves eat better food
My Father never treats them rude
Were I His slave, he'd treat me good
I've come to me
I've come to me

"See! My Father, waiting, stands;
See! He reaches out His hands;"*
And then He does what love demands
He runs to me
He runs to me

I'll never see Him quite the same
While I sought wealth and power and fame
He watched at home, and called my name
Then ran to me
Then ran to me

_{*This couplet is borrowed from the hymn "Love for All" by Samuel Longfellow
(with a tune by Xavier Schnyder). Remainder ©2005, W. Keith Brenton}

Kindness Deserves Praise

04/22/08 - God's kindness knows no bounds. He withholds nothing to draw those who would be His children into His embrace. Passages of scripture like John 3:16 and Philippians 2:5-11 tell us with poetic simplicity and divine force that He was even willing to give His Son – and that Jesus was willing to go. Isaiah knew that such kindness cannot go unpraised by the sincere heart:

"I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us - yes, the many good things he has done for the house of Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses."
~ Isaiah 63:7

Serving the World, Praising God

04/21/08 - What we do in this world matters not only to others in it, but to God – and very much. What we do for good in this world we should do as if it were worship to God … because it does praise God:

"If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it 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."
~ 1 Peter 4:11

Like Little Children

It's as much a gentle instruction as it is a chilling warning:

"And he said: 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.' " ~ Matthew 18:3

The same Jesus who dandled children upon His knee, who would not let His followers turn them away, who refused to silence them when they shouted "Hosanna!" to Him in the temple courts … wants us to become just like them:

Innocent by His blood. Drawn to Him by His love. Exuberant in our praise to Him.

If that’s a key to entering His kingdom, then it must be important.

Sin and Worship

Sin makes a mess of our lives. It separates us from God, and interferes with our worship. David, remorseful over his sin with Bathsheba, realized this:

"Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. … Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. … O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise." ~ Psalm 51:2-3, 11, 15

Our penitence and desire for His Spirit within us are prerequisites for praise.

Worship and Silence

Can there be worship in moments of silence? A Psalmist among the sons of Korah describes the shattering silence in the aftermath of God disarming warriors and putting wars to an end:

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."~ Psalm 46:10

Sometimes it is in silence that God can be best heard and adored for the peace He brings among men.

To the Praise of His Glorious Grace

The heart which recognizes the burden of sin and the relief that grace provides cannot help but be inspired to worship the One who provides that grace:

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." ~ Ephesians 1:3-6

Does it inspire praise within you to realize that you have been chosen, loved, predestined, adopted as a child of God? That all of this is in accordance with His pleasure and will?

Mission: The Cure for Doubt in Worship

Matthew's gospel records that a lie circulated about the empty tomb, told by the bribed soldiers who could not keep it sealed from angels, adding:

"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.' " ~ Matthew 28:16-20

Jesus seemed to know that putting His followers to work – sharing the gospel of His resurrection; empowered by His Spirit – would help eliminate the doubt that some felt even as they were worshiping Him.

A Pure Heart for Praise

King David's conscience was still aching over his sin with Bathsheba and against Uriah when he begged God's mercy. Still, he seemed to realize that a clean heart had to come before he could express worship to God:

"Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. … O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise." – Psalm 51:10, 11, 15

Worshiping At His Feet

Just as Mary of Magdala and her friend Mary found themselves falling at the feet of the risen Lord, so we find ourselves each Sunday morning in worship:

"So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. 'Greetings,' he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, 'Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.' " – Matthew 28:8-10

Our Eyes on Jesus

The "race marked out before us" in the passage below and our worship together each week have the same goal in sight: the "author and perfecter of our faith." May our praise to God always be focused through Christ.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." – Hebrews 12:1-2

Reconciliation With Others Before God

Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount makes it clear that our relationships with each other must be made right before our relationship with the Father in worship can be right; anger must subside, and forgiveness must be extended and accepted between reconciled brothers and sisters.

"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift." ~ Matthew 5:23-24

Blurring the Line Between Worship and Service

For many well-intentioned Christians, the only day that "counts" in their walk with God is Sunday. It's clear, though, that the earliest followers counted every day as a chance to worship and serve God together:

"They devoted themselves to the apostles" teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." ~ Acts 2:42-47