I Samuel 16:14-23 - The Power of Music

I Samuel 16:14-23

14 Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord terrorized him. 15 Saul’s servants then said to him, “Behold now, an evil spirit from God is terrorizing you. 16 Let our lord now command your servants who are before you. Let them seek a man who is a skillful player on the harp; and it shall come about when the evil spirit from God is on you, that he shall play the harp with his hand, and you will be well.” 17 So Saul said to his servants, “Provide for me now a man who can play well and bring him to me.” 18 Then one of the young men said, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is a skillful musician, a mighty man of valor, a warrior, one prudent in speech, and a handsome man; and the Lord is with him.” 19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David who is with the flock.” 20 Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread and a jug of wine and a young goat, and sent them to Saul by David his son. 21 Then David came to Saul and attended him; and Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor bearer. 22 Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David now stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.” 23 So it came about whenever the evil spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the harp and play it with his hand; and Saul would be refreshed and be well, and the evil spirit would depart from him.

Message: The Power of Music

Time: The events that happen in 1 Samuel took place over a period of about 110 years, stretching from the closing days of the judges, when Samuel was born (ca. 1120 BC) through the death of Saul (1011 BC). We see the birth of Samuel, his call from God and subsequent prophetic ministry, the rise and fall of King Saul, and the anointing and maturity of young David.

What the Lord is Saying:

Music is powerful in our lives and in worship. Music has been a big part of my life. I can remember getting hooked on buying 45s when I was a kid, probably around the age of 7 is when I started this (Mr. Jaws). And then buying my first album a year later at 8. And it simply continued. I rarely get focused on one song though and rather like artists and many songs that an artist performs. But music has been a constant in my life.

In church, I have seen music be a little controversial. It seems around the late 90s and early 2000s when praise and worship music began to be more of a centerpiece in the Christian music industry, churches also began to introduce these tunes in worship resulting in different styles of music in a service and some churches choosing to have a contemporary service and others a traditional worship service (this is captured so well in this movie - Jesus Music). I never was interested in attending something that was different because I liked the mix of the two - some traditional and some contemporary. Some churches believe there should only be acapella music and no instruments because instruments are not mentioned in the New Testament. I don't agree with this interpretation, but am fine with people that make this choice. 

Songs are played regularly at college sporting events as we celebrate with "our song." And even some couples think of "their song" when describing their relationship. Music is background noise most often at doctor's offices and everywhere we shop. 

Today's passage is an interesting one in that the evil spirit that torments Saul would flee whenever David took up his lyre and played for the king. 

So it came about whenever the evil spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the harp and play it with his hand; and Saul would be refreshed and be well, and the evil spirit would depart from him.

Wow! Music was significant 3000 years ago as well. Listening to music was refreshing and calmed Saul but also had power and moved the evil spirit away. This is a great reminder to me and also instruction that music can simply refresh and relax us but it can also have spiritual power in listening to it. Music in our churches in all of its controversy does impact us. I heard Russ Taff say once in an interview, though I'm guessing he was not the first to say this, that "Music has a way of speaking to us like nothing else in our world." That quote and line which I heard listening to an interview in the early 90s has always stuck with me. It has a way of speaking to us, like nothing else. 

Summary: Music was created by God. And as his creation, he uses it to testify of Him and to minister to us. There is a great power of music. 

Promise: Scripture prescribes no particular kind of music, so the choices of music we use in worship and even for leisure must be guided by Christian wisdom. 

Prayer: O God, my God, thank you for music. Thank you for creating music and the power that it is in our lives. Like so many things in life it speaks to a cacophony of gifts and expressions that speak of your great love for us. Often, it takes us to another place as we listen that is full of joy and happiness and praise to You. I see it in church and hear it in a concert or even a quiet song or instrumental. Lord, I am struck in amazement by your great love for us. It has impacted my life and my devotion. Thank you for prompting me at the moment in my life, at age 15, to center myself on the music that is to praise You. I am not to ever regret tossing those records in the trash for that was trading altars - the one I created for the one You created. I know some people have determined that this Christian music is not of You. I stand in question often how two well meaning Christ followers can have two opposite interpretations of Your Word and yet each of them glorify You. It reminds me at times that maybe there isn't a right way for some of these things, but in those convictions the result still is you are glorified and what matters is the heart and motive of the person - of me. You get my praise for music even from those that may not acknowledge You as Savior and yet for me in their music I can still praise you. 

I Corinthians 14:40 - Forms and Their Communication

I Corinthians 14:40 - But let all things be done properly and in an orderly manner. 

Message: Forms and Their Communication

Time: Not the first, but 2nd letter to Corinthians, but the first to survive and to be considered authoritative. Written in AD 55, it was penned after Paul had reports of quarreling in this church he had previously visited. Paul covers a number of subjects, but all focus on the Christian's life in the church. 

What the Lord is Saying: 

This verse in 1 Corinthians that is today's focus is the last verse of the chapter and is the last verse after 5 paragraphs have been given in chapter 14 on the proper way we are to exercise our gifts in the church. And so it ends with the statement, "But let all things be done properly and in an orderly manner." 

In the devotional today from Tabletalk, they are emphasizing the heart devotion we are to have in worship, stating that what we do or are practices or what we keep are not as important as our devotion to the Lord, or the heart behind what we do. Therefore, some churches have moved away from the rituals of liturgies in favor of less elaborate church services. Yet, we should recognize that even in these forms there is still ritual. For instance, the Quakers (and I recall a Quaker church I attended in 1995 in Houston with Bruce) assemble in a circle and then agree to a system wherein everyone is quiet until "moved by the Spirit." So in any worship service there is a potential for going through the motions and our hearts not knowing what we are really doing. 

I like this verse -- I Corinthians 14:26 -- that begins a paragraph:

What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. 

These verses remind me first that church is not optional, but it is an assumed practice that we have. But then as we come together, the goal is edification (the instruction or improvement of a person morally or intellectually). The goal is moral improvement of man and so our services can include ritual practices in many different forms, but we need to remember that our hearts and minds are to be focused on the truth of God. We/I need to always stop and take a moment to get my heart right. Even as I study the Word of God, it is important to stop and take a moment to pray that the time in the Word studying is beneficial. If anything, we need to be extra sensitive always in making sure that our time in the Word is done with a correct heart focus. 

Summary: It is not the form of our worship that matters as much as the purpose for why we gather and assemble in our churches - to edify one another and be devoted to Him. 

Promise: All of our forms of worship communicate something. We need to be intentional always and as leaders think carefully about what we do in worship and how it is done. 

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for these lessons on worship and this one particularly which reminds me of the reason we come together in a church and that is to edify one another. Solo bible study is great, but assembling together is also needed. Lord, I pray that you would restore your church and you would make it a priority among Your people everywhere to continue to assemble together. Lord, help me to not ever be at a place where I think church attendance is optional. Keep me grounded always in your truth and the study of Your words. Thank you for the many different flavors of churches in our world today even those that are lead by leaders in our local congregations. Lord, again, may your name be praised and lifted up always. Help us all to congregate and assemble in a way that honors You and helps one another. We need each other. I need one another. 

Jeremiah 7:1-4 - Ritual vs. Ritualism

Jeremiah 7:1-4 - The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, “Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house and proclaim there this word and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah, who enter by these gates to worship the Lord!’” Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words, saying, ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’

Message: Ritual vs. Ritualism 

Time: The son of a priest from the small town of Anathoth in Judah, the prophet Jeremiah dictated prophecies from the Lord to his secretary, Baruch. He spoke to a people, though, that would not listen and his words have much emotion to them. Jeremiah’s ministry began when he was 20 years old, in 627 BC and ended sometime around 582 BC. Jeremiah prophesied in the final years of Judah before God’s people were exiled to Babylon.

What the Lord is Saying: 

Ritualism by definition is the regular observance or practice of ritual, especially when excessive or without regard to its function and spiritually it is going through the motions without an inner disposition to worship the Lord. I was looking at this word and realizing that in our jobs we can be ritualistic, going through the motions, not thinking so much about why we are here and what our purpose here is in our work. We get caught up in personal feelings and expectations and needs, which we all have. 

Yet, rituals are not bad. It is important to practice things in a regular manner, even in my work, but here we are talking about our spiritual lives and church lives. I have rituals of brushing my teeth each time after a meal; i have a ritual of going to church each Sunday, singing songs, hearing a message, and being in Christian fellowship. In the Bible we are told to practice the Lord's Supper regularly, to tithe regularly. We do this out of obedience, helping ourselves, and also being good stewards. 

And yet, in these recurring activities there can be a temptation I think to simply go through the motions and very easily getting caught up in an idea that it is the performance of these which is important. I was speaking to a person the other day that remarked leaving church partly over the feeling that her not attending church was met with scrutiny by those attending, that somehow their was guilt because church attendance didn't seem mandatory in a person's life. Even in our churches we get too focused on works and obedience and not enough on grace. 

Regarding the arts, I admit that artistic drawings or paintings have not been present in most of the churches I've attended. The one exception was attendance at Hope Church and partly it was I think an artist, Fernando Ortega, who was there leading worship and he brought the importance of art into worship. The art was there I think to paint a picture of what it might have looked like and thereby that picture could assist us. 

But it is interesting to read about the history. At the time of the Reformation in which Luther helped people see that God has saved us by His grace and not by our works, there was this feeling at times to cleanse ourselves from everything that was near and dear to the church before and one of the things this included was art. Why? Idolatry. The 2nd commandments warns us against practicing any sort of idolatry, replacing God for an image. It is a temptation that has been present throughout history. We focus on what we can see, not what we can't and God can't be seen. By the late middle ages (AD 1300 - 1500) religious people had a tendency to worship sculptures and praying specifically to saints. And the line between the person and the God we worship blurred. So for some, like John Calvin and Ulrich Zwingli, they wanted to purge all forms of sculptures, saints, and artwork, while Martin Luther believed it was fine to retain the art as long as it helped us focus more on God and what He had done. In some places these artistic pieces were removed and in others they were destroyed. The word that is used to describe this is Iconoclasm -- the religiously motivated destruction of works of art, especially figurative images.

This history fascinates me because its practice continues today. And I am not sure we realize that we are the way we are today because of something that happened over 500 years ago. 

And this same thing has occurred with liturgies. Liturgy is a pattern used in worship. Liturgy to me, growing up in church, referred to repeated sayings or repeating prayers like can be found in the Book of Common Prayer. Again, at Hope we jointly would do this, respond together with a prayer written so that we are unified in agreeing to this prayer. Yet, the Puritans worked reform some of these practices to distance themselves possibly from practices of another religion. The Anglican church split from the Catholic church in 1534 and the Episcopal Church is affiliated with this. And then later the Puritans of the 1600s sought to distance themselves from practices that still were Catholic and this to them included the Anglican church. So in our effort to be different, there is a tendency to remove all practices. 

I think this lives on today. Jesus did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it and yet even the Christian church at times struggles to retain the history and practices found in the Old Testament. I think people get scared and they don't know how to combine the two, so they simply get rid of the one and uphold the other. 

For today's passage I took a moment to read all of Jeremiah 7 a couple of times. Verse 1 tells us that this is a word that come to Jeremiah from the Lord and the entire passage then is the Word of the Lord. My summary of this words from the Lord is crying out to a people that needs to amend their ways and deeds and instead simply obeying God's voice. This is a cry out to people that have been listening to deceptive words. They have not been kind to neighbors or aliens (people outside their fold). They are living dual lives - looking like a follower of God and probably practicing temple worship but not living like they are a follower of God. Therefore, God's anger and wrath will follow. 

So what is highlighted today is a statement of ritual. Every Jew was required to visit the temple thrice (three times) a year and therefore some have thought this was the reason for the three fold utterance in verse 4: Do not trust in deceptive words, saying, ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord. In Isaiah 6:3 we read, "And one called out to another and said, 'Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.;" And in Jeremiah 22:9 says, "O land, land, land, Hear the word of the Lord." Thus, this three times repeated words or phrases possibly mirrored the 3 time expectation of visiting the temple. But this is a side note. What is possibly being meant here is the danger of the Jews feeling like it was only the temple that embodied the Lord and their practice therefore of visiting the temple is all that was needed. Thus, ritualism. 

Summary: The problem is not with rituals themselves but with ritualism, which happens when we go through the motions without an inner disposition to worship the Lord. 

Promise: Ritualism is a danger for all of us, so we should ask God to keep us devoted to Him, and we should seek to engage our entire being in worship every time we gather with God's people to praise our Creator. 

Prayer: Lord, I thank you so much for this lesson today and the opportunity to revisit history and see how we are today in our church practices is based upon circumstances that happened 500 years ago. Lord, help me to guard myself against rituals that move into a habit that I start to not really see the heart of the reason for the ritual. Lord, we are in danger of this all of the time. I am in danger of this. Thank you for the truth of your word and I am sorry for being a part of misinterpreting it and making people feel they are aliens. Help me Lord to be a person that truly is about You and praising You. Thank you for art and people who want to capture you in order to help us get closer to understanding You and who You are. Help us to keep doing these things for your glory. 

Psalm 27:4 - The Beauty of Worship

Psalm 27:4 - One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. To behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple. 

Message: The Beauty of Worship

Time: Psalms, a collection of lyrical poems, with multiple authors. David wrote 73 Psalms, though for 50 or so the author is unknown. Psalms means songs of praise. The writings span 1,000 years. They encourage us to praise God, illuminate the greatness of God, affirm His faithfulness in times of trouble, and remind us of the absolute centrality of His word. 

What the Lord is Saying: 

Wow, that is a great verse. That could be a life verse for me, to dwell with the Lord, in His house, to behold His beauty and meditate in His temple, on His words. And this is my plea to God, make me this my priority in life. Psalm 27. What a great Psalm. Verse 11 says "Teach me Thy Way, O Lord." 

As I continue to study and look at worship, according to Tabletalk this lesson is based upon sermons given by RC Sproul about "Recovering the Beauty of the Arts." Today's passage mentions "To behold the beauty of the Lord." But how do we see the beauty of the Lord when the Bible tells us that God is invisible (Hebrews 11:27 - 'Him who is unseen;' John 1:18 - 'No one has seen God at any time;' Colossians 1:15 - 'Jesus is the image of the invisible God;' I Timothy 6:16 - 'No man has seen or can see;' Note: I could not find verses from the Old Testament about God being invisible, but there are verses that say we can't see God like Exodus 33:20 - "No one can see God and live.")? 

The Old Testament speaks much about God's temple or his tabernacle. It seems to give the idea that our churches can be places that we build and craft with ornaments and decorations in order to see beauty and see the beauty of the Lord. Exodus 28 speaks of the priests attire. Exodus 31 talks of the tabernacle and its furnishings. One of my favorite verses in Romans 1 says in verse 20, "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes...have been clearly seen through what has been made." The creation that we can see allows us to see God that we cannot see. 

I love to go walking in creation. The streets of my neighborhood are nice because I can see plants and trees planted and look up at the sky but when I go hiking everything that I see is his creation. And in this there is such beauty. And in the process I am often moved to worship. Right now, I look out my window and see the clouds rolling by with the sun coming over the mountain and it creates a beautiful picture of creation giving me wonderful colors in the sky. I see this and in way I am seeing the beauty of the Lord. 

Not all churches I think are beautiful. Some are ordinary or in a shopping mall. And simply being there together with others helps us experience God's presence. But many of our churches are beautiful places with high ceilings and stained glass radiating the light from outside and furniture that is distinct. In all of these places there is the beauty of the Lord. In all that is pleasing to our eye, there is beauty of the Lord. And therefore, there is beauty of worship. 

Summary: The beauty of the Lord is seeing what God has made in His creation but also in His temple and specified in people's attire. All of these colors help us to worship God. 

Promise: Pursue beauty and excellence in worship. Use our talents and spiritual gifts to create beauty. 

Prayer: Thank you for beauty God, for the beauty of creation which includes what you have planted and have provided with mountains, streams, rivers, water, trees, plants, flowers and what we can put in place in our churches through paintings and paint and furniture and then also in each other. I thank you for the wonder of my wife and her smile and her features. In all of these things I praise you God and I worship You. 

 

Romans 12:1 - Living Sacrifices in Worship

Romans 12:1 

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, [which is] your spiritual service of worship.

Message: Living Sacrifices in Worship

Time: Paul route to Rome, the city has never visited, from the Greek city of Corinth in AD 57. The rights to a church that he believes needed to hear basic Gospel doctrine. The city was a hotbed of sexual immorality and idolatry. 

What the Lord is Saying:

One of the interesting subjects of the Bible is tying together the idea of sacrifices in the Old Testament to Jesus our eternal and permanent sacrifice in the New Testament. The idea has been mentioned before that the Old Testament in looking to Christ and now we are looking back. Yet, sacrifices were present and a part of worship, going to the temple, and atoning for sins. My brother recently in his Bible Study Fellowship lesson summarized the covenants for me. He said:

• The Abrahamic Covenant was unilateral and unconditional meaning God is going to bless no matter what. 
• Genesis 12:2-3 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” 
• The Moses covenant is bilateral and conditional says, You do this and God will do that.
• Deuteronomy 4:1 - "Now, Israel, hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you." 
• The Davidic Covenant is unilateral and unconditional which means God is going to bless no matter what. 
• 2 Samuel 7:12,16 -- "When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever."
• The New Covenant is unilateral and unconditional which means God is going to bless no matter what. 
• Jeremiah 31:31-34 -- “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
• What these covenants show: 
• God desires to bring blessing. 
• People can't perfectly keep covenants. 
• God always keeps covenants. 
• Messiah Jesus fulfills covenants.

Though we do know sacrifices ceased under the New Covenant, there still is a little bit of mystery as to why the story was set up like it was - starting with Old Covenant sacrifices leading up to New Testament Jesus as the permanent sacrifice, once for all. It is a little hard for me to put together, the raising of animals, the killing of animals. It is probably harder to recognize today given the way we have been trained to treat animals and many of us still eat meat today and so sacrificing animals for our pallet continues today. 

But that idea also makes today's passage even more meaningful. In an animal sacrifice, the life of the animal is taken and removed and given completely to God. In the verse today it is mentioned - "to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice." This seems to take on the same idea as Galatians 5:24 -- "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." We remain living but we put to death our flesh, our bodies. The principle seems clear. The application seems a little difficult. Maybe I get caught up in how to do this completely. It is a surrender of myself and a surrender of to God to trust in what He provides. "All to Jesus I surrender" is the hymn. 

Leviticus 1:3 reminds me that the offering offered was without defect -- "If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer it, a male without defect; he shall offer it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord."

Here is a great quote from St. Chrysostom (347-407) -- 

“How is the body to become a sacrifice? Let thine eye look upon no evil thing, and it hath become a sacrifice; let thy tongue speak nothing filthy, and it hath become an offering; let thy hand do no lawless deed, and it hath become a whole burnt offering. But this is not enough, we must do good works also; let the hand do alms, the mouth bless them that despitefully use us, and the ear find leisure evermore for the hearing of Scripture. For sacrifice can be made only of that which is clean; sacrifice is a first fruit of other actions. Let us, then, from our hands, and feet, and mouth, and all our other members, yield a first fruit unto God”

I love that quote because it puts the sacrifice to action. It changes our course and means that I make sure at all times my words and deeds glorify God.  

Summary: A living sacrifice in worship is to give God all of me, to give him my best and this means I turn from doing those things that don't honor him in any way. 

Promise: We must seek Him half-heartedly. Instead we are to give Him the very best of ourselves, not to atone for our sin or to merit our forgiveness but to thank Him for saving us, for giving us a purpose, and for calling us into service. 

Prayer: O God, I want to surrender to you today and give you all of me. Lord, make me clean to start so that as I go forward the slate is clean and I can be brand new in glorifying You and doing Your will. 

Esther 9:20-22 - Thanksgiving in Worship

Esther 9:20-22 

20 Then Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 obliging them to celebrate the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same month, annually, 22 because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and sending portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

Message: Thanksgiving in Worship

Time: Unknown author and book named after the start of the story, a young Jewish girl named Hadassah taken from her guardian, Mordecai, and forced to compete for the affection of the king. As an unlikely contestant for a beauty pageant she became queen of Persia and was renamed Esther, meaning "star." The events in the book of Esther occurred from 483 BC to 473 BC, during the first half of the reign of King Xerxes, who chose Esther as his queen. It is the only book in the Bible not to mention the name of God, however it is one of the most skillfully written books of the Bible, but God's sovereignty permeates the book. Its focus is the feast of Purim. This book reminds us of how God weaves out our lives and all of its events for His glory. 

What the Lord is Saying: Purim is a Jewish holiday which commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from Haman. Haman was king Ahasuerus evil second-in-command. He cast the lot, called "pur" in order to determine the days the Jews would be executed (Esther 3:7-9).  Esther and Mordecai though would foil the plan. Esther, the wife of Ahasuerus and thus, the queen of Persia. 

Mordecai discovers a plot to kill Ahasuerus. Haman is appointed as second in command but refuses to bow to Mordecai, then discovers he is a Jew and casts lot to then determine a time to execute all Jews. In response Mordecai and other Jews enter a time of intense mourning and lamenting and fasting. Esther discovers what has happened and begins an exchange of conversation with Mordecai. Her husband does not yet know she is a young Jewish girl. After back and forth deciding and delays she finally reveals to her husband she is Jewish and the plan to exterminate all Jewish people. Ahasuerus instead has Haman hanged on the gallows he had set up for Mordecai. A decree is then given that allows enemies of the Jews to be killed and this results in 75,000 killed. Mordecai becomes second in command and institutes the annual commemoration of this saving of the Jewish people - known as the Purim and is celebrated today as a joyous time, with maybe a carnival, exchanging of gifts and donations to the poor.

It is interesting that at the time there was another example of fasting after the people heard of the difficulty that would be coming their way. Again mourning and lamenting and fasting here are also going hand in hand.  And even in the church today there can be special times of thanksgiving to commemorate different events or special milestones including Thanksgiving holiday, paying off mortgage, or staff anniversaries. 

And yet thanksgiving is also a part of normal worship. I was taught the acronym ACTS to pray which stands for Adoration-Confession-Thanksgiving-Supplication. It reminds me that there are many things to do when we pray before asking. And giving thanks is part of this. I see churches do this in thanking God for his forgiveness of their sins and also there is a thankful spirit of all that God has done. Yesterday, we sang the hymn "When we All get to heaven" and that song gives an attitude of the joy and thankfulness we will have when we enter a new life in Christ. 

I miss this at times. But, I am very thankful for the wife God has given me and the children he has given me and the parents. Even though my dad doesn't have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ he has always supported me in my faith. I am thankful for all of the little things my mom did to encourage me in my faith. I pray I can be a fraction of this towards my wife and children and now grandchildren. And a thankful heart needs to continue to be a part of me. My favorite chapter of Romans 1 marks that the first thing I see that goes in unregenerate man is not having a thankful heart. Romans 1:21 says, "For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened."

Summary: Giving thanks is a part of our prayers that we make thanking God for all that He has done. It can be part of special occasions and it can also be a part of our weekly coming together time on Sunday morning. 

Promise: Cultivating thankful hearts will help us remember who God is and why He is worthy of our praise.

Prayer: God, how quickly at times I forget to give things and get out of this practice and instead get in the practice of wanting more and more and dissatisfied with the way things are going and want a better way. This is all consuming me at times and takes over my body. Lord, there is so much you have provided to me that I can be thankful for and I am indeed grateful to You. Thank you for giving me salvation and sending Your Son to live a better life for me to emulate but also to be my sacrifice and the perfect sacrifice for all. Thank you Jesus for rising again and perfectly redeeming me so that I would live forever in heaven with you. Keep that thankful attitude in my life continually and forgive me when I get off center from this. 

Joel 2:12 - Fasting in Worship

Joel 2:12

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
“Return to Me with all your heart,
And with fasting, weeping and mourning;

Message: Fasting in Worship

Time: Little is known of the prophet Joel. He identified himself as the son of Pethuel, preached to the people of Judah, and expressed a great deal of interest in Jerusalem. A date of approximately 835 BC or soon after is what can be pieced together. Joel gives no indication of the time period.

What the Lord is Saying: Fasting is the lesson today. Corporate and individual. Lately, whenever I think of fasting, I think of my brothers and sisters in Africa and how fasting is a normal part of their lives - a common occurrence. My friend Daniel and new convert Akeem in Nigeria have been fasting for 30 days now. A friend in Tororo, Uganda mentions that he and his church fast frequently, dedicating their time together to pray for all of the various needs of their community and beyond. In contrast, fasting is something in the United States that is not mentioned much or I don't hear of people fasting very much or at all. 

And in this lesson today, the writers of Tabletalk mention that fasting is not necessarily only an individual practice by people but something groups of people will do or the church even corporately. 

Today's passage from Joel 2 is an interesting call by the priests of that day to warn people of the consequence of sin. In this passage is a description of the impending judgments - the Day of the Lord is coming (Joel 2:1) - and then its description follows. There is meant to be an alarm going off before the people of the intensity and wide effects of this judgment (darkness, never been like it nor again, nothing escapes it, people are trying to flee with all of their power because of what is coming, people in anguish, faces pale, who can endure it?). It affects everyone and this description seems to take up the first 11 verses of the chapter. 

And so then the response from the people is a response now to return to God with all of our hearts. "All" to me points to everything. It is consecrating everything to Him. It is complete surrender. It is to align ourselves only with the way of Jesus Christ. It is to stare at everything in our life that is potentially an idol and turn from it. The word "return" is used. "Return to Me." It is the realization that we have gone astray, that I do go astray, that I get myself off track often and aligned in other realms and other dimensions of my life and so I need to return to God. And so in this recognition, this turning from our sin - is it just to be different? Yes. But the response begins first with a time of "fasting, weeping and mourning." 

To start new is to wipe out everything that was there before. And for us as believers in Christ, it starts with fasting. Everything is silenced for a moment (food, TV, screens, worldly ways), for a time to get things right with God and this includes weeping and mourning over getting off track in my life -- so that when I start anew I start right with him, then introducing things into my life that are correct. It is pulling back and seeing that the going through of the motions of life is moving me away from Him. It is complete surrender and complete turning away from sin to embrace completely Christ and His righteousness. 

In some ways this is what happens anytime I come before God. It is right now as I read and discover this passage and spend time alone with God as I start my day. It is when I gather together with other Christians and re-root myself as we discuss our lives and how they have gotten off-centered and Christ needs to be at the center. It happens when I go to church and sing songs and lift up the name of Jesus in song and praise. I return to Him, to center myself, to align myself with him, setting aside all that has happened maybe in the week prior of getting my focus off of Him. And in that there is worship through fasting, through weeping over my sin and what I did, mourning over my sin and the consequences that resulted from that. 

And then what follows is verse 18 and beyond is God's deliverance. See the problem - turn - God will save. This the extent of the gospel -- 1) see your sin; 2) turn from your sin and 3) God saves us. 

In this seeing sin is seeing that judgment is real and is coming. This is a reminder I need, because in my selfish interests continually of getting things I want I forget about this future judgment actually taking place. It is true I made a point decision in life in 1982 to turn from sin to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ, but this turning needs to be daily because the temptation to follow idols is present each day. And so because of this, shouldn't my actions be fasting, weeping and mourning - over the fact that I trade truth for a lie continually. 

Summary: I need to realize that judgment is a reality. I have wandered from him and still do. Judgement is coming. So stop. Return to God. With All of My Heart. Start with fasting, weeping, and mourning. 

Promise: When we fast, we are driven to more urgent prayer and to remember our creaturely dependence. If you have not fasted before, consider whether you should fast and pray this week.

  

Prayer: O God, wow. Your word is so alive. Even in this moment, you remind me that judgment is coming and from that I can see more clearly now that I still get side tracked and away from you and aligned with other priorities of my days and get off track. I refuge in entertainment, selfish ways. Yes, I work hard, but I don't actively and intentionally bring you up and show others that what I am doing is for your glory. God, I return to You. With all of my heart. I consecrate all of me to You. You are Holy Forever. I can then start afresh with Fasting, while in those moments I weep and mourn for my past sin of replacing You. O God, thank you that you are there waiting to deliver me and set me right always. You are the God who saves. You are Holy Forever.