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Posts Tagged ‘Worship’

Exodus – Preview of the Tabernacle

Posted in Exodus, tagged , , on February 16, 2018|

The next several lessons in Exodus take us through a detail description of the Tabernacle. Before we begin, we’ll review some of the basics of worship as discussed in the Bible.

The Bible has lots to say about worship since it is very important to God. As a matter of fact, our purpose in life is to bring glory to God (to worship Him). What do you learn about worship from the following scriptures?
□ 2 Chronicles 7:3

□ Psalm 30:4

□ Psalm 100:1-5

□ Psalm 134:1-2

□ Psalm 150

□ Luke 7:36-50

□ Revelations 4:8-11

This week observe yourself and note the different ways you worship the Lord. Be sure to consider the following:
 Where do you worship?
 What is your posture during worship?
 What words do you use?
 Are you alone or with others?
 What are your thoughts during worship? Your movements?
 What effect does worship have on you?

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Heart touble? (Worship – Part 1)

Posted in Bible, worship, tagged , , , , , , on August 20, 2011|

“Worship” may be a word you don’t quite understand.  Dictionary.com defines worship as “reverent honor and homage paid to God.”  The way we show this reverent honor or homage to God may be very different from another believer.

The Bible recites many different postures and activities for worship:

  • Standing
  • Kneeling
  • Prostrate (laying on the ground with face down)
  • Arms raised
As to the “how of worship”, in the Bible we are encouraged to:
  • sing to the LORD
  • Shout to the LORD
  • Sacrifice (burnt offering) to the LORD
  • Thank the LORD
  • Praise the LORD
  • Bless the LORD
  • Play instruments to the LORD
The one criteria on which God evaluates worship, regardless of the posture or the position or the activity, is the intent of the worshiper’s heart.
  • To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?” Says the LORD. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, Or of lambs or goats.  When you come to appear before Me, Who has required this from your hand, To trample My courts?   Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies-I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.  Isaiah 1:11-15
When approaching Him in worship, consider that God is not impressed so much with the outward expression of your adoration as He is with the motivation of your heart.  To God, our hearts are exposed, transparent.

Jesus said this, “the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”  John 4:23-24

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Knowing God (His love is amazing Part 3)

Posted in Attributes, Bible, Bible Study, Deliverer, Genesis, God, Love, Relationship with God, Walking with God, worship, tagged , , , , , on November 26, 2010|

In Part 1 and Part 2 of this series on knowing God through looking at the attribute of His great love for us, we discussed how the scriptures of the Old and New Testament describe the love of God.  In this post and those following, we will consider some of the pictures that God has used to illustrate His love.

Abraham and Isaac

One of the pictures of God’s love, actually a foreshadowing of the coming of Messiah, was the story of Abraham and Isaac.  You may recall the story recounted in Genesis 22 where God tests Abraham asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac on Mount Moriah.  Abraham takes his son, goes up with him to the mountain, binds his son to the altar that he built and proceeds to prepare to sacrifice his only son as God asked.  As he is lowering the knife to slay his son, God stops him.  God provides a substitute sacrifice (a ram caught in the thicket) instead of Isaac.  This picture of God’s love is the picture of the substitutionary sacrifice.  God had every right to require the first born child of his marriage to Sarah from Abraham.  Nevertheless, because of His great mercy and His promises to Abraham, God provided a sacrifice to satisfy the blood requirement.  This substitutionary sacrifice is seen again on Calvary, years later when Jesus died, once for all.  He who knew no sin, died for those who were under sin’s curse.

Deliverance of Isarael

Another great picture of the love of God and His heart for Israel (and us for whom the wall of separation was removed by the blood of Jesus) is the deliverance of Israel from Egypt.  You may recall this story from Exodus.  The people of God are in captivity in Egypt.  They have been reduced to slavery.  Their oppressors fear them and make their life difficult.  They are even forced to kill their children.  God hears their cries from their bondage, and from within the their own ranks, God raises up a deliverer, Moses.  By the hand of God on Moses, the people of God are delivered from their oppressors and allowed to follow their God and worship Him.  This picture of God the deliverer is emphasized again and again by God in the Old Testament.

By these pictures, we begin to see God’s love.  You may want to go back and read the stories in their entirety and ask God to speak to you of His great love.

In our next post, we will look at some more pictures that God provides to illustrate His gr eat and amazing love.

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Knowing God (His loving is amazing Part 2)

Posted in Bible, God, Knowing God, Love, Old Testament, Relationship with God, worship, tagged , , , , , , on November 23, 2010| 2 Comments »

In part 1 of this series, we looked at the amazing love of God as we see it in the New Testament.  In this post, we will consider how God speaks of His love for us in the Old Testament.

  • God’s love for us is individual and designed to help me – – I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. Psalm 32:8  Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
  • God’s love for us is protective –  For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. Psalm 27:5   The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2
  • God’s love for us is comforting – Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4
  • God’s love for us is sympathetic and compassionate – You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book? Psalm 56:8
  • God’s love for us is one of abundant provision – They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.  For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. Psalm 36:8-9
  • God’s love for us gives us hope – For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11
  • God’s love for us is everlasting (eternal) – The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.  Jeremiah 31:3

So much remains to be said about God’s love.  It is truly amazing.  It is His love for us that draws us to Him.  Read of Him in the pages of your Bible, the One who loved you, loves you and will love you!

In our next post, we will consider some of the word pictures and stories that the Bible provides of God’s love.

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One Thing – Knowing God

Posted in God, Knowing God, Relationship with God, Walking with God, worship, tagged , , , on October 23, 2010|

Thanks for all the comments you posted regarding the “One Thing”.   In thinking over the one thing I would want to convey to others to help them in their growth as a believer or simply to hang on in tough times, I have concluded that I would want them to understand who God is and how He works.  The knowledge that I have gained about God, both informational and experiential (through my experience with Him), has changed my life.  Knowing that God will never leave, has made me more able to stay when relationships get difficult.  Knowing He promises to deal with my enemies has allowed me to let go of worrying about them.  Knowing that God created everything and is sovereign over everything has helped me to trust Him with the really big issues in my life.

Within the idea of understanding God is knowing His nature and character, His past conduct, His promises for the believer and for others, His fulfilled promises,  His likes and dislike, what He has done, and what He thinks and feels about each of us, individually.

The upcoming posts will address the issue of knowing God.  I welcome your comments and input as we look at God, who He is and what He is all about.

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Stop and Smell the Roses

Posted in God, Relationship with God, worship, tagged , , , on July 30, 2010| 2 Comments »

It may seem a little odd for me to wax poetic given my usual steady fare of Bible studies and such, but I have found myself of late just thinking about my God and how sweet He is to me.

My God has delivered me from the battle and set me in a quiet meadow with sweet-smelling flowers (actually it is a 1/2 vegetable/ 1/2 flower garden in Southern California, but stay with me here).

He has led me beside clear waters that allow me to reflect on who I was, who I have become through my recent trials and who He would have me be and how He would shape me into that person (This, of course, means more trials).

He has given me to a godly husband and a child that desires to do well with the LORD.

He has set me in the company of quality women of faith to encourage and sharpen me.

He has given me the desires of my heart as best I have been able to figure them.

He has never left me or forsook me (not that I didn’t give Him plenty of reason), and His mercies are new every morning.  I get to wake up a daughter of the King and go to sleep in the shadow of the wings of the Most High God.

This is living!

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