"Whoever Offers Praise Glorifies Me"--- If

"Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God."  (Psalm 50:23)

This is a verse which tells me there are no "one-note sambas" in life.  We can be one who, "offers praise," all we like, but if there is no, "order his conduct aright," it means nothing.  Likewise, if I work at and fulfill, "order his conduct aright," yet have no relationship in the Godhead, "offers praise," I am a religious machine.  Our text says to me that you and I cannot simply choose which "form" of life (over another) which we want to live.  It is, in reality, nothing but schizophrenia.

Loving Father, Son Jesus, and Holy Spirit, and loving humanity is the call of humanity.  Our Lord Jesus summed up all Biblical commandments, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength ('whoever offers praise glorifies Me'?).  This is the first commandment.  And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself ('orders his conduct aright'?).  There is no other commandment greater than these."

I was once in a service seated behind a young mother who was raising her hands and had the most sincere look of worship you can imagine.  Her young child, seated beside her, was really doing nothing but what three-year olds do.  At one point, she lowered only one hand, mind you, and back-handed the little child, I mean really hard.  I wondered what kind of "worship" she was "offering." 

Father, in Jesus' Name, deliver me from dualism.  Amen.

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* January 17: Washington, DC

* January 21: Preach in the CCE meeting

* January 27: FHMP Briefing (If you will attend, please let me know soon)

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"O Lord, Hear! O Lord, Forgive...Listen And Act!"

"O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations....O Lord, hear!  O Lord, forgive!  O Lord, listen and act!  Do not delay for Your own sake..."  (Daniel 9)

For years I have been praying the Scriptures, the very, "God-Breathed," Words.  Today's Minor Prophet reading contains a most powerful prayer for any nation. My devotional today is a request, a request that you pray, as I already have, Daniel 9:4-19. 

America is in a battle for its very life, as are the nations of the world, though few realize this.  This coming year will see the first mid-term elections since President Trump was elected.  If the Republicans lose the House and Senate, I foresee an evil unleashed in America which we have never seen before.  The world witnessed just a little prelude of this in the speech of Oprah Winfrey at the Golden Globes.  And do not think for a moment this is just a political over-reaction.  You may think, "Well, how could it be worse for America than, for instance, the War Between the States?"  Guns and physical manifestations of evil, danger, and destruction are not as catastrophic as is spiritual evil, danger, and destruction.  Just consider Sodom and Gomorrah.

Our Lord Jesus taught us, "how to pray," and gave us a "pattern" of prayer in what The Church calls, "The Lord's Prayer," viz., worship, intercession, and confession.  What a most wonderful "call" has the Church of Jesus.  Church: Fulfill that call.  Paul's warning to Timothy is being fulfilled before our very eyes, "Evil men (and women) [are going] from bad to worse."  But I can say with absolute confidence that the Church of Jesus Christ, in this most dark period of human history, is going from, "glory to glory!" 

Father, in Jesus' Name, "Thy Kingdom come.  Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven."  Amen.

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* I will be preaching in the CCE meeting on January 21.

* We still have room for the FHMP Briefing on January 27 at 11:00

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"Wherever You Go"

"Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, 'Teacher, I will follow You where You go.'  And Jesus said to him, 'Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head....Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.'" (Matthew 8)

Notice with me first the many headings in Matthew 8:

    "Jesus Cleanses a Leper

    Jesus Heals a Centurion's Servant

    Peter's Mother-in-Law Healed

    Many Healed in the Evening

    Two Demon-Possessed Men Healed"

This is the Blessed Trinity "in action."  Here we see God, of Whom the Bible says, "....is love."  Jesus, time for everyone and anyone, any who would/do come to Him is surrender.

The Charismatic Renewal, however, was/is full of the "two-gods" people, not so much the ridiculous Old and New Testaments harangue, but in  "cherry-picking" deception.  What so many of these people (along with the "seeker friendly" folk) wanted/want is the healings, deliverances, worship, prayer, but not the subject of our text.  I repeat, Jesus heals, delivers, fellowships us in worship, prayer and other "means of grace."  But too many want the "goodies" without the, "Follow Me."  Jesus is the Lord, not I nor you.  We cannot say, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever you go", as long as it is not.......

We used to sing so many years ago, "He is Lord, He is risen from the dead and He is Lord."  But how many realized/realize what we were singing?  "I will follow You wherever You go"------------ with no exceptions.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray that my life is the life of, "I will follow You wherever You go."  Amen. 

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"....A Light Has Shined"

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined....For unto us a Child is born....And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace...." (From today's "Major Prophets" reading, Isaiah 9)

The first part of our text is a little-emphasized passage, probably because of the more "popularly" read following verses.  But I saw today afresh that the only reason humanity, "who walk[s] in darkness," can come out of that, "darkness," that when those who live, "in the land of the shadow of death," can be delivered from that, "valley of the shadow of death," is the Great Appearing of, "....a Child...born."

I saw on the KDKA TV internet news that a few days before Christmas a Russian tourist was shot and killed in Pittsburgh.  He was riding in the car of a friend when this occurred; they say he was not the target, possibly a random tragedy.  This could happen to anyone anywhere.  It happens to "good" people and to "bad" people, Believer and unbeliever alike.  Why?  You're asking the wrong person.  What I can say is that all, "....who walk[] in darkness," who, "....dwel[l] in the land of the shadow of death," (and the fear of that, "land") can be gloriously liberated, delivered because of, "....a great light..," Jesus Christ.

Let me share something I read from Sankey's, My Life and the Story of the Gospel Hymns.  "In 1720 a remarkable revival began in a town in Moravia.  Jesuits opposed it, and the meetings were prohibited.  Those who still assembled were seized and imprisoned in stables and cellars.  At David Nitschmann's house, where a hundred and fifty persons gathered, the police broke in and seized the books.  Not dismayed, the congregation struck up the stanzas of Luther's hymn,

        'And though this world, with devils filled,

        Should threaten to undo us;

        We will not fear, for God hath willed

        His truth to triumph through us.'

Twenty heads of families were for this sent to jail, including Nitschmann, who was treated with special severity."  This is still going on in most of the Church today. 

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined."  In the, "darkness," of life, "in the land of the shadow of death," the Church through the centuries has triumphed because, "....to us a Child is born...." As you and I walk in Jesus, Father's, "Great Light," we too can say, "the body they may kill."  We too can live in the power of David's, "....I will fear no evil..," because we, "....have seen a Great Light." 

Father, in Jesus' Name, I would still be in such miserable, "darkness," had You not opened my eyes to see Jesus, Your, "Great Light."  Thank You.  Amen.

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* I will be preaching in the CCE meeting on January 21.  I am considering preaching on "Praying Bible Prayers."

* FHMP Briefing at the Lamplighter in Delmont, January 27 at 11:00.  Let us know if you will attend.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2