What Does God Want Me To Give To Him?

What can you give to God?  You can't give a fortune, or build a monument or do some heroic deed- so what can you do for God that no one else can do?

"Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done." 1 Chronicles 16:8.

GIVE PRAISE
Some translate this "as" give thanks.  There is some difference between thanks and praise but there is so much in common that they are almost the same; both are expressions of worship.

PROCLAIM
To proclaim is to tell, but not in confidence or in a little way; it means to shout it from the rooftops and to make everybody know.  It is to go out or go ahead with an open public announcement.

AMONG THE NATIONS
The Old Testament teaches that it was God's plan for His people to be a light to all nations.  He wanted them to communicate His truths to the world not just possess those truths.  Jesus brought this teaching into focus when he said, "You are the light of the world," (Matthew 5:14).

WHAT HE HAS DONE
We are to tell what he had done for mankind when He sent His Son to become sin on our stead and pay the price for our salvation and freedom from judgment.  We are to tell what He has done in our lives and how we were once lost and far from God but He has brought us near through his son.  We are to proclaim how we were wretched and broken and rejected but He gave us joy peace and acceptance.  When you receive salvation then you have a unique story to proclaim to the nations.

NAME
A name is primary, it is one of the first things we learn about a person, and one of the first questions we ask someone when we meet them.  A name is an identity.

We are to make His name known.  We proclaim Him not to boast about our lives but to boast about our Christ.  When we proclaim the Name of the Lord we are introducing someone to God.

Only you can give God your praise, thanksgiving, and worship; only you can proclaim what he has done for you.  This is a universal constant no matter what other things God may have in store for you this is one thing that the Bible is clear about.
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To learn more about finding salvation in Christ visit my other post.

(c) Adron 2/25/15

Finding Permanence In Life. Hebrews 12:28

Our world is full of the temporary where things come and go quickly such as culture, friends, fashion, governments, and wealth. Where is something that is permanent? The Bible makes a statement that points in that direction.

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe." Hebrews 12:28.

WE ARE
This is a confident pair of words.  Not "we hope" or "we wish" but it is firmly established as a fact that this is happening.

RECEIVING
Another word of affirmation is in the present tense as if it were happening now. Receiving suggests that it comes from somewhere else, as when something is given by another. We are on the receiving end of God's gift of salvation through faith in Jesus. It is not something we make ourselves, but we must trust in the one who gives it.

NOT BE SHAKEN
A kingdom that cannot be shaken has never been seen in human history but this kingdom is not human- it is God's.  We are put in a place that cannot be torn down or threatened.

BE THANKFUL
God has given us status in His kingdom: it is right and morally imperative that we be thankful.

WORSHIP
Worship is the fruit of thankfulness, and it is the logical extension.  Thanks may come from the mind, but worship comes from deeper within us.  Our hearts and soul begin to respond to what we are saying in our minds, and worship comes out.

ACCEPTABLE
Worship should be done with reverence, awe, and even fear. We have much to be thankful for, but the greatest to be thankful for is the person of the Almighty. We must not only think about the wondrous blessings He has given us in Christ; we must also remember He is the High and Holy One whom angels obey.

The world around us will change, but God's love will not, and the eternal life he gives in Christ will never change, be taken, or lost.  Let us worship in word and deed for our wondrous blessing in Christ.

To read Hebrews 12 in its entirety click here.

To learn how you can come to Jesus and find eternal life and meaning visit my other blog.

(c) Adron 3/2/14

A Reason to Praise And Worship God Psalm 89:15

Is there any reason to sing God's praise?  There are many- but one stands out for most people as above the others.

"I will sing of the Lord's unfailing love forever. With my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations." Psalm 89:1

I WILL SING
The writer of the psalm is compelled to sing the Lord's praises.  This doesn't just happen; he has an understanding and experience of God, and that is the only way that he can say such things.

UNFAILING LOVE
God's love is not like ours.  Our love is fickle and changes with the seasons and circumstances, it is only as strong as our personal character, and it is as weak as our abilities.  God's love is unfailing; he would not be God if his love failed.  He is infinite all-powerful and all-knowing, therefore, His love cannot fail since it must also be infinite and reflect His perfect nature.

FAITHFULNESS
God is love* but faithfulness is what he does; as The Holy God, He has chosen to be faithful.  We may break our oath and fail to keep our word but God is not like us he will never break his promise to be faithful.  As the Almighty One, He has all abilities to keep His word.  He is holy, so He will never break His promise or else He would cease to be holy.

SING
We can sing Our Heavenly Father's praises forever because He lives forever and when we come to God through Jesus, His promised sin-bearer, we have the promise of eternal life.

The promise of freedom from sin's judgment and eternal life is a great reason to worship but the greater reason to worship God is God himself- because of who He is, therefore, He is most worthy of praise.

*1 John 4:8

If you want to learn more about God's plan of salvation and eternal life see my other blog:

(c) Adron 1/21/14

How To Start Worshiping God

We know we should worship God and praise him; there are so many styles and approaches what is best? Do we need an altar, a temple, or do some ritual? Psalm 103:2-3 is a good place to start

David in his psalm keeps it straightforward.

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity and who heals all your diseases," Psalm 103:2-3.

BLESS
Can we give blessings to God? We can- in our praise and worship with love and adoration. We bless him by honoring his name and obeying his commands. Here it is to proclaim his goodness, it may be by a prayer to The Lord or a public declaration of his goodness.

O MY SOUL
Our worship should be deep, heartfelt, and engage all of who and what we are; as if it went all the way down to our soul.

We should include in that worship praise for his mercy, forgiveness, his son Jesus who paid for our sins by his death, his provision, and care.

FORGET NOT
We should make a practice of remembering the good Our Father in Heaven has given to us and done for us. We should recount his many blessings and include in that worship. We can praise him for his mercy, forgiveness, his provision, and care. We can thank him for his daily blessings and the many ways he has worked in our lives.

BENEFITS
In this usage, the word "benefits" is not how we use it today but is the idea of favors that are enacted. It is how God deals with us, he has dealt with us patiently and with love holding back judgment and granting goodness that is not deserved. We should remember these things in prayers of thanksgiving and adoration.

FORGIVES ALL OUR INIQUITIES
Of all that we should be thankful for the forgiveness of sin is the topmost. We can't buy forgiveness but He gives it by virtue of what he did in his son who died to pay for our sins. The work is done, there is nothing left for us but to receive what has been done in our behalf.

If you want to learn more about how to have your sins forgiven follow this link: Click here.

(c) Adron 8/5/13

Five Surprising Truths About Prayer Isaiah 37:16-20

We want powerful prayers that get dramatic answers. There are some truths about prayer that may surprise us.

"And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth, You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, O lord and hear; open your eyes O Lord, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God. It is true. O Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands, Now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O Lord, are God." Isaiah 37:16-20

Because he was king of Israel he did not have any special privileges than the lowliest believer today does not have in greater abundance.  The same God who heard Hezekiah's prayer rules today.

Here are a few observations.

1. Prayer need not be long to be effective.  Considering the crisis, an invading army, impending destruction, enslavement, and death, the prayer is very short.  Most of us would have gone on and on and on just to make sure God got the message.
2. Prayer should include worship. The first part of this prayer is pure worship and had nothing to do with the request.
3. Prayer should be honest. God wants us to come to him in truth, Hezekiah doesn't pad the truth or play anything up he tells it simply.
4. Prayer request should be clear. The actual request is short and sweet. "Now O, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand..."  Most of us would have spent a long time saying that and filling in all our plans and details.
5. The Motivation is as much for the glory of God as for deliverance, "So that all the kingdoms on the earth may know that you alone, O Lord our God"

The answer to this simple prayer:

1. The Prophet Isaiah brought a special revelation to the king, vs 21 - 35.
2. The angel of the Lord put to death 185,000 men in the enemy camp in one night, vs 36.
3. The enemy leader, Sennacherib, broke camp and returned to Nineveh, and stayed there, vs 37.
4. One day while he was worshiping his pagan god his own sons slew him, vs 38.
5. And Sennacherib's sons became exiles, they did not inherit the throne and did not threaten Israel ever again, vs 38.

This was all because of a short humble prayer. May we learn to pray like Hezekiah.

To learn more about having a relationship with God follow this link to my other blog: Click Here.

(c) Adron Dozat 3/14/13

What are the Best Thoughts To Think? Psalm 111:1-3

It is easy to get caught up in our own lives, our dreams, and problems. We spend a lot of time worrying about things like houses, kids, family, job, future, and so on. We turn these worries over and over again in our mind until we see them from every which way: in short, we ponder these things and find no relief, but these verses from the Bible give us a gentle reminder of what to focus on.

"Praise the Lord. I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the counsel of the upright and the assembly. Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever." Psalm 111:1-3, NIV.*

I WILL
The words of this psalm start with a commitment; he says, "I will." We need to resolve to set our thoughts on things above and consider God, not ourselves. To resolve is to make a firm action of change that is often public and declarative. It would include steps of action to make it happen.

GREAT
We might have great worries but, "Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them." We need to ponder the things of Our Creator more and ponder ourselves less.

We can ponder His greatness by:

     * Setting aside times to meditate on Him.
     * Reading His Word, reflectively.
     * Memorizing a Scripture verse about Him.
     * Writing in a journal His activity in your life.
     * Talking to other believers about His greatness.

NOT HALF-WAY
"I will extol the Lord with all my heart." We need to follow that example and give our hearts to a deeper and more passionate attitude of praise and worship to the Lord. This pondering is a total thing for it needs a heart and the mind in it too.

FOCUS
The verses progress to a peon of praise, the author so absorbed he seems to burst out with the words, "Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever." You almost get the sense that he can't keep from shouting this. These are positive uplifting words that imply hope and promise.

We need to be like the psalmist and give our thoughts to Our Heavenly Father and reject the doom and gloom of our own minds.  What a cure it would be for so much bitterness, fretting, worry, frustration, and other mental stresses if we would not focus on ourselves and our problems but instead focus our hearts and minds on the greatness and majesty of God our Savior!

© Adron 1/1/13

Is It Enough Just To Give to God? 1 Chronicles 21:24

How do we know what to give to God? Should it be a percentage, a set sum or is it that just the giving that is important?

"But King David replied to Araunah, 'No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that cost me nothing." I Chronicles 21:24 NIV*.

THE DESTROYING ANGEL
David's sin of pride caused the Lord to send a destroying angel to bring a plague through the land. David repented and at that spot David was going to make a sacrifice to the Lord. The spot was the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. David asked Araunah for it and he offered it freely, but David replied, "No, I insist on paying the full price..."

SACRIFICE
Our worship must be truly our own. Not just some words we recite from a prayer book or sing the same old song but to be like David who would not sacrifice another's property or give what cost nothing. David's worship cost him something. A sacrifice that costs nothing is not a sacrifice. Our worship should not be cheap.

JESUS' SACRIFICE
The statement of David reflects Jesus' sacrifice on the cross years later where he would pay the full price for our sins. The sacrifice that brought us into fellowship with the Father was very costly- it cost his Son on the cross; we belittle or even mock it when we respond with stingy and easy service or worship! It is arrogant to complain about church service in light of Jesus' sacrifice as if our puny sacrifices compares!

OUR SACRIFICE
We should ask ourselves, "When was the last time we gave service to the Lord that really cost? When did our wallet hurt for the kingdom or when did we miss a meal for his service, or got just plain worn out for him? How often have we said this church job or that Christian service it too hard?" It is when we got to that point when sacrifice or worship begins.

GOD HONORED DAVID
The passage ends with, "He called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering," verse 26-b. David honored God, and David's sacrifice was honored by the Lord. The plague was stopped, the angel put away his sword, and David got the answer from the Lord, and later the threshing floor became the site for the temple. God honors our sacrifices.

 To read this verse in other translations follow this link: Online Parallel Bible.

If you want to know more about how to become a Christian follow this link: Click Here.

(c)Adron Dozat 12/17/12

How To Have a Perfect Church Service. Psalm 48:9

We go to church and we have expectations. We know we should have a good attitude, but we want to get something out of it too, including dynamic preaching and beautiful music. With all the conflicting needs and wants how can we ever have a perfect church service?

"Within your temple O God, we meditate on your unfailing love." Psalm 48:9 NIV. *

YOUR TEMPLE
We often forget whose temple the church is. It is not our temple or even the temple of a religion. When we come into our church service we need to remind ourselves we are by faith entering the holy place of the Lord. Not holy because of a man made building but holy in the presence of the Lord.  By faith we gather to give worship, the service of the fruit of our hearts.

WE MEDITATE
We don't go to be entertained, or even go to be preached at. We go into the worship service to direct our thoughts to the Most High.  We come to church services to remember Him who gave his life on the cross for our sins. We are reminded of how we were lost without the atoning blood of the sacrifice of Jesus. We are reminded of the wonderful God who provided salvation for us.

UNFAILING LOVE
As we who know God by faith in the blood of his son, Jesus, direct our thoughts this way we find that it does not take long before we focus on God's unfailing love.  Byhis love he saw our lost condition with our slavery to sin and hopeless future; a love that says, "For God so loved the world he gave His only begotten son so that whosoever believes on him shall not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16.  We are brought face to face with a love that acted sacrificially on the behalf of rebels and sinners- a love that did not give up.

When our focus is on God and our thoughts are filled with him it does not matter if the music is off key or the preacher's socks don't match, what matters is what is happening in our hearts.  We go to offer worship in faith not in sight. If our thoughts, private meditations or prayers seem small and trivial we continue to offer them by faith knowing they are accepted by a loving God and our worship is perfected by the Holy Spirit.

To Learn more about how you can find salvation follow this link: Click Here.

*To read this verse in other translations follow this link: Psalms48:9.

(c)Adron Dozat

Will Jesus Be Worshiped in Heaven? Revelation 5:8

What does the Bible say about Heaven? There will be worship in heaven, but who will be worshiped and who will be doing the worshiping.

"And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the lamb..." Revelation 5:8, NIV*.

WORSHIP IS HUMBLE
When Jesus, who is represented as the sacrificial lamb, takes the scroll (which some think is representing the title deed to the universe), the angelic creatures and elders fall down before him. You might say they lay down to lower themselves before Jesus. This speaks of an attitude of total commitment to worship. This reminds us of our need to be humble and even submissive in my worship.

There is a lot of singing in Revelation 5.

• The elders sing a new song, verse 9.
• The angels sing in loud voice, verse 11, 12.
• The creatures sing, verse 12.
• Every creature in heaven and earth sing, verse 13.

EXAMPLE
This example encourages us to participate in a worshiping community, there are no soloist in this chapter, it is congregational worship. Lets be thankful to be in a community that worships, and we must always participate in worship services.

SONGS
The songs they sing contains a declaration or proclamation, "You are worthy..." verses 9 12; To him...be praise honor and glory and power..." verse 13. I must remember that in my prayers to declare the worth or value that Jesus is to me.

REASON
The songs contain a because. The reason Jesus is worthy is, "Because you were slain and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation," verse 9b. Because Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross to pay for our sins and deliver us from the wrath of eternal judgment He is so worthy of our praise and worship and service.

THE CENTER OF WORSHIP
This worship is centered on, "Him who sits on the throne and the lamb..." We may be blessed by the acts of worship, but the purpose and point of it all it to bless Jesus.

We need to make a renewed effort to daily worship the Savior.To learn more about how to find Jesus as your Savior follow this link; Click Here.

*To read this verse in other versions follow this link: Online Parallel Bible.

(c)Adron Dozat

____________________________

Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.
For more like this see the most popular post in the left sidebar, or use the search box above.

Adron

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What is The Christian Political View?

A Christian Political View

What does the Bible say is the best political view? Can I look to my government to fix society by law, political party, or popular vote?

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe." Hebrews 12:28. NIV*.

CITIZENSHIP
When we come to Jesus we come to more than any religion can offer. We receive eternal salvation in heaven, a status as an adopted sons and daughters of God, forgiveness for all guilt and wrong. There is something more we receive- it is kingdom. Not just membership in church, or a faith community, we become citizens of God's kingdom rule. We have an identity that supersedes any allegiance forged by man or government; we are citizens of God's kingdom above all and foremost.

SHAKY GOVERNMENT
Our governments may change, topple, be conquered or collapse but the Government of the Lord God in Heaven will never fade. We have a place in an immovable kingdom. Though we watch the values and morals of society rot and crumble, and we grieve for those lost souls who have nothing else, still we put our hope in that eternal kingdom built on the foundation of Jesus' blood.

CHRISTIAN CITIZENSHIP
We should not sit around dreaming of blessed tomorrows, we should be busy doing the work of the kingdom. We should oppose unrighteous laws and institutions that hurt, and as good citizens we work toward a better society, because as Christians we are called to be the salt of the earth. There are many scriptures about citizenship we need to follow, such as obeying our civil authorities, praying for those in authority over us, being productive and working with our hands and many more. Christians should work for a better tomorrow and leave our posterity a healthier planet and more righteous country. We are exemplary citizens of our nations and communities because we are members of a superior kingdom which expects nothing less and of a king who deserves our all.

ALLEGIANCE
Our lives should be lives of worship and every task we do in our communities as citizens should take God into consideration with an attitude of awe and reverence. In this way we will accomplish more good than any election, politician, or national head of state ever will.

Our greater primary duty is to our King seated in Heaven, we are to give him worship and thanksgiving for the eternal kingdom we are in the process of receiving. We hope in the kingdom we are receiving by faith because God is giving away a kingdom far better than any we could make here.
To learn more about finding Jesus follow this link to my other blog: click here

*To read Hebrews 12:28 in other translations follow this link: Online Parallel Bible.

(c)Adron Dozat

____________________________

Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.
For more like this see the most popular post in the left sidebar, or use the search box above.

Adron

Use the share buttons below to save and share this post to your social networks. 

Why Give Thank Offerings To God? Psalm 50:23

A short post looking at the relevance of thank offerings in the modern age.

What good are thank offerings in this modern age? Do thank offerings have any relevance to modern religion?

"He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God." Psalm 50:23, NIV.

Nothing adds more grace and charm to a person's character than the attitude of thankfulness. Few things equal thankfulness in strengthening relationships between people; we should at least treat God with no less civility than our friends.

If we gave a gift to someone and they didn't say, "Thank you," we wonder if they liked the gift, and we may not give such a good gift next time. Likewise, if we don't thank God, should we expect such rich blessings to continue in our lives?

"HE WHO SACRIFICES THANK OFFERINGS..."

Since God is the Author and Owner of all creation, any physical offering is already His. We are like children asking our parents for money to buy them a gift. On the other hand, our words are truly ours, ours by creation and ownership; when we give thanks to God, we are giving God something that in all of earth and heaven only we can give.

Our thankfulness "honors" God, and here God makes a point of it.

Thankfulness:

• Acknowledges that God is the source of our blessings.
• Makes us humble before God.
• Is right.
• Expresses our dependence on God.
• Pleases God.

THANKFULNESS WORKS ON OUR HEARTS.

Thankfulness "prepares the way, and it prepares us. Thanking God causes us to grow in our relationship with him. Thankfulness makes us ready for more blessings.

GOD RESPONDS:

God responds, the verse says, "...that I may show him the salvation of God."There is a future tense of this verse; God has a purpose and plan, and thankfulness gets us in tune with that plan. It seems as if some blessings are contingent on a partnership of thanksgiving, for the verse says, "I may," not "I will." Offerings of thanks remove barriers to our faith and in our thinking that oppose God's blessings: so he "may show" us the salvation of God.

GIVE THANKS:

We need to make thankfulness a bigger part of our relationship with God. We need to think hard about our blessings and take time and thank Him. When we pray, we should thank the Lord for that answer even though it has not yet happened; let's thank him for the answers before we end that prayer, even though the answer seems so far off. It takes faith, but this truly honors Him and prepares us to see the salvation of the Lord.

Here is a link to another helpful post on thankfulness, Psalm 107:1.

(c) Adron Dozat 7/20/12

Why Should We Praise God? Psalm 107:8

God has been good to men, many see it and many do not.  It makes the heart of the poet cry out saying...

"Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men." Psalm 107:8, KJV.

THE POET'S LONGING
The first three words, "Oh that men..." expresses a longing for mankind to do what they ought.  It is the voice of one who longs for it to be so and wonders why that it is not happening.  To read these words you hear the psalmist saying, "If only men..."   He is aware of something that is being missed by the multitudes of men.  If we would do this thing one wonders what would happen.

TO PRAISE GOD
To praise God is the right thing to do and is the best response to our blessings.  Here we are faced first with God himself being the blessing; it says, "praise the Lord for his goodness." In other words praise God for God.  Of all the right things there is to do there is none more right than this, to praise God for his goodness.

GOD IS GOOD
That God is good is something we should be thankful for because what if God were not good?  If God were anything else he would be wicked.  As the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present God who has all authority to command the entire universe to be anything but good would be too horrible to imagine. We should thank God that he is good.

GOD DOES WONDERS
God is good and is doing good, he is not idle as if being good alone was enough; indeed, if God was idle he would not be good.  God lavishes His goodness on us; He gives us the air we breathe, food we eat, the world we live in, the abilities and talents we possess.  God not only spares us from immediate punishment for our sins but sent his One And Only Son to pay for our sins by dying in our stead on the cross.

GOD'S WORKS
Work is effort, costly, and involves risk; this is true of God's works for us.  He is active on our behalf: he is planning, watching, and seeing to it that the goal is met.  We might think that our lives are a chance but God is working in every detail.  This alone is a marvel, but more amazing is that he is doing wonderful works on our behalf and for our good.

To praise God is not to manipulate or ingratiate ourselves to God, but to do what is right. When someone does something nice to you then you express gratitude, why do we treat our Creator less well than strangers?

(c) Adron 7/18/12

What Sacrifice Is Acceptable To God In The 21st Century, Hebrews 13:15

Throughout time people sought to please God with a sacrifice; maybe with fruit, livestock, or money. What is acceptable to God in our enlightened 21st century?

"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise- the fruit of our lips that confess his name." Hebrews 13:15, NIV.

THE VANITY OF SACRIFICE:
Sacrificing something created to the Creator who made it is redundant at best, since the Creator is the maker of that which you sacrifice, so it is already His. If you give gold from the ground it was thereby His doing. If you give a sheep or chicken that creature lives by God's enabling. If you give money you have it only because He gave you life to earn and invest.

Service, too, is only giving back to God what is already His, your life, since he gives every breath we breathe and every beat of our heart.

UNIQUE SACRIFICE:
Only one thing that is unique and originates within us- that is our praise. When rational intelligent people consider God and the work of his Christ we are driven to praise God. In giving praise to God we are giving what only we possess.

FRUIT OF OUR LIPS:
What the Bible calls the "Fruit of our lips" is the result of a process; as fruit is the result of growth through seasons and nurturing husbandry so the fruit of our lips is the end of time spent knowing God and experiencing his blessings. Sometimes we lack this fruit because we have not encouraged our relationship with God. We must spend time with God...

• In daily prayer, 
• Bible reading, 
• Time spent in His service, 
• And participating in a community with those who live a life of faith in him. 

When we nurture a personal life with God we will have the offering of the fruit of our lips; for to know and experience God leads to worship and praise God.

THE GOOD CONFESSION:
The foundation of worship is to confess His name, the name of Jesus.  God has ordained one way to experience fellowship and expressed it through Jesus who said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life no one comes to the father but by me." John 14:6.

We must confess to God and man that Jesus is our Savior, that we acknowledge that he is the acceptable sacrifice when he died to pay for our sins, and we are trusting in him alone for our salvation from God's right anger for our sins, and the resurrection from the grave gives proof and guarantee of salvation.

May we all continually offer to God the sacrifice of praise.

© Adron 7/3/12

What Happens When a Christian Has a Vision. Revelation 1:17

What happens when a Christian has a mystical experience, a vision, or a private revelation?

"When I saw him I fell at his feet as though dead,. Then he placed his right hand on me and said, Do not be afraid, I am the first and the last." Revelation 1:17, NIV*.

DREADFUL
The Apostle John's revelation is recorded in the Bible in the Book of Revelation.  It is a vision of Jesus.  We all long for a "Spiritual Mountain-top" experience and would love to see a vision of Jesus.  The Apostle John did, and the vision caused him to fall "at his feet as though dead." Seeing the Lord can be a dreadful thing and still a wonderfully beautiful experience.

John's vision was from the Lord because it brought glory to the Lord, not to John, an institution, or any other entity.

We should all have a deep desire to see the Lord. To do this, we should:

     * Read the Bible to hear his words.
     * Pray to commune with Him.
     * Meet with and fellowship with others who love Jesus.
     * Serve to share in His work.
     * Confess and repent of those things that offend Him.

COMPASSION
Jesus' first words were compassionate, "Do not be afraid..." The Bible is full of instructions to "Fear the Lord," and when we see an example of someone who really does, the Lord gently touches him and comforts him.  It is as if we can fear the Lord without any fear.  This kind of Jesus we all need.

I AM
"I am the first and the Last..." How deep and powerful those seven words are! He is the "First and Last" in the Bible, in history, the plan of mankind's salvation, in the purposes of heaven, in the activities of angles, and in the heart of God.

THE BIG QUESTION
We should ask ourselves, "What is Jesus to me?  Is he my first and last?"  Making Jesus our First and last means many things.  It may mean to make his agenda ours, or to see people like he does, or to consider him in our decisions.  We should ask, "Would it please Jesus if I did this or that."  We must consider, would Jesus be happy with how we are spending our time, or money.  "Would Jesus approve of this activity," and, "How would Jesus treat this person."

RESPONSE
The vision requires a response. We must decide to make Jesus our 'First and last." It is a good and wise decision. He is the "First and Last" with or without me. If we don't make Jesus our "First," We will look back at life someday and see ourselves winding up last.

To read this verse in other translations, follow this link: Revelation 1:17

© Adron 11/19/11

How to Please God. Psalm 69:30

What does it take to please God?  We know we should, but how? Thankfully this Bible verse gives us the answer.

"I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.  This will please the Lord more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs." Psalm 69:30,31 NIV.

We think God would be pleased if we did great things like building a hospital or funding an orphanage. There is nothing wrong with great charitable acts, except most of us can't do them. At best, we feel we can only do a little something and say to ourselves, "Oh well, it is a little something for God, and I hope it is OK."

GOD'S STANDARDS
God's values are different from ours. Our world is a shadow of the true reality; there is much more to understand about God. We are confused by worldly standards; He is more pleased with songs of praise and prayers of thanks than millions of dollars given in his name.

It is right to do good works to honor God (not confused with earning salvation since salvation is a gift and can't be bought or earned, see Ephesians 2:8, 9, and Titus 3:5). We think God wants grand monuments, but he wants our hearts and expressions of love and gratitude. This is possible for anyone who knows God, not only the rich and well-off.

WORSHIP
God treasures the expressions of worship and gratitude and esteems them above donations, gifts, and wealth. God's Word is a revelation that clarifies that He desires our worship and obedience over gifts and sacrifices; we are commanded many times to give our gifts and sacrifices, but we must remember that heartfelt worship is more pleasing to God than cash.

CONTEMPLATIVE PRAISE
A gift may be done coldly and absently, especially in the age of tax deductions where a gift may actually favor us with tax returns. Praise and worship differ from all other giving; it's natural causes a different level of personal involvement; we actually have to think about God, draw conclusions of what God has done for us, and respond. In worship, we grow spiritually and closer with our Creator. Worship goes beyond the actions of sacrifice and brings us closer to God's purpose with mankind- a relationship.

Let us continue to give gifts and sacrifices to the Lord more than ever, but better than that, let us do more and more songs to the Lord and give him thanksgiving, for this will please the Lord most.

(c) Adron 10/29/11 

What Is The Main Purpose Of Prayer? Psalm 141:2

Millions of people pray every day in many different ways, but what is the essential purpose of prayer?

"May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice." Psalm 141:2 NIV

OUR REASONS
We pray for different reasons.
     * We get in a crisis.
     * We are in need and call to the Lord.
     * We want something and God has it so we ask him.

THE PSALMIST'S REASONS
Such concepts are foreign to the spirit of this verse. The psalmist desires for his prayer to be a blessing to God not a source for a blessing to himself.

MAY...
The humble psalmist saw no guarantee that his prayers were heard because without demand he says, "May my prayer be set before you..." We in the church should be deeply grateful to live in this age where through the blood of Jesus we have access to God the Father. In ancient times the faithful had little assurance as we have. We understand that God in his infinite knowledge knows all things and is aware of every prayer prayed, but only Christians have the assurance of being heard because Jesus bought us access by his atoning death.

INCENSE...
To the psalmist his prayer is an offering before God, it is "Set before you…” Too unworthy to hold his prayer up instead his prayer of praise was placed, or lay down at the Almighty Father’s feet, as the ultimate act of worship.

WORSHIP
In our materialistic age, we have turned prayer into a wish list that we bring to God like a heavenly Santa Clause asking for healing, possessions, comfort, and deliverance. There is nothing wrong in praying for our needs and giving to God our wants, Jesus taught us to pray and to ask the Father to give us our daily bread; but the example of the verse is worship, the reference to incense and sacrifice are both pictures of worship, devotion, and thanksgiving. Incense was used in the temple to symbolize the worship prayers and the evening sacrifice was the thanks at the end of a day of work where you were safely brought home.

THE ESSENTIAL
There are many purposes for prayer and many types of prayer but worship is the foundational essential. How often do we truly worship our God and what caliber of worship is it? Let’s follow the example of this verse and use our prayers to give passionate worship and thanksgiving to our heavenly Father.

(c)Adron Dozat

The End Result of Knowledge. Proverbs 22:19

We go to school or study and get our heads full of facts, formulas, dates, and data. What is it all good for? What is the real purpose of education?

“Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach, for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart and have all of them ready on your lips. So that your trust may be in the Lord, I teach you today, even you.” Proverbs 22:17-19. NIV.

We are made to learn and grow intellectually. A normal, healthy mind is curious and learns, even if it is the small and mundane things of the day today. The mind that does not learn is ill and experiences entropy.

In its wise sayings, the book of proverbs answers the end purpose of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. The modern man says it to get ahead, or get a better job, or to fulfill the “American Dream,” but proverbs teach that knowledge is “So that your Trust may be in the Lord.”

God had a purpose when he gave us the ability to reason and learn. Learning about the natural universe around us reveals more of God, and thoughtful consideration of what we learn ought to point us to Him. Since God created all things, any subject, whether science, math, history, sociology or literature, or any other discipline, draws us closer to The Lord. Even to study the structure of a leaf, or the composition of an element or the progress of human history causes the thoughtful to see the Creator's hand. His universe demonstrates His greatness, power, immeasurable creativity, and awesome wisdom. To consider any discipline of study should cause us to declare, “Yes, there must be a God!”

Knowledge should cause us to trust in the Lord. How can you not trust in The One who is so All-knowing and All-powerful? How can you not trust The One who made mother birds, created sunshine, gravity, stars, atoms, the heart, the eye, sound, or any other thing you can consider?

Learning alone is not enough; we need help in our understanding. The proverb encourages us to “Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise.” God is not only revealed in creation, but He speaks in the Holy Scriptures to make clear to us His love and purpose. Let’s become devoted to studying His Written Word and His creation.

(c) Adron 7/25/10

A Reason To Sing. Psalm 135:3.

No matter what happens some truths will always be the same. We all have problems and struggles but to languish self-pity and sorrow will accomplish little.

“Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to his name for that is pleasant.” Psalm 135:3 NIV.

It is good to praise the Lord, and it is right even though we don’t feel like it. We praise Him for who He is- He is God, and He is Good.

GOD IS GOOD
This goodness of God requires faith on our part. God is good, no matter what our suffering and sorrows suggest. We can't answer all the questions of suffering but God has a purpose, and it is a good purpose because He is good. When we say that God is good we mean God is without sin, He acts without evil purposes, and His actions are based on love and holiness. So, we should rejoice and sing His praise.

God made us for Himself and His purposes. We benefit when we fulfill those purposes, one of which is that we are blessed by worshiping Him. We are psychologically made to praise our Creator, and I suspect we even have a need to praise God.

PRAISE HIS NAME
We still have many reasons to praise God, no matter what trials we face. He gives us life, food, sunlight, air to breathe, friendships, and an intelligent mind; we should praise Him for these and our many other blessings. Above all, we should praise Him for His Love which compelled Him to send His Son to die on the cross to pay for our sins, so that by faith we may have eternal life through Him. And not only eternal life but many spiritual blessings such as His Word, the Bible, the Holy Spirit, the fellowship of His church, the blessing of prayer, the fruit of the spirit, the list goes on, and on.

THAT IS PLEASANT
To praise His name is “pleasant,” some even it is enjoyable, satisfying, and enriching. My own experience si that to praise God is pleasant. Sometimes it starts out dull, but that is my fault, not God’s. It is my fault because I lack faith, or am impatient for blessing, or I have some sin to confess that has hindered God’s blessing. When I confess and repent I am freed to receive His blessing and experience worship to be pleasant even joyous.

Let us regularly take the time to express praise to our Lord, if we don’t we are settling for much less in our lives.

(c) Adron 4/15/10

Do Not Come Empty Handed, But You Must Come. Exodus 23: 14.

People think that church worship is boring, dull, and irrelevant to modern religious experience, the question maybe is it the worship service or the worshiper?

“Celebrate the Feast of unleavened Bread; for seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in that month you came out of Egypt. No one is to appear before me empty-handed.” Exodus 23:14. NIV.

TODAY'S PROBLEMATIC CELEBRATION
We live in an entertainment culture where we go to “get;” to be amused or edified.  We want our church to offer a sermon (hopefully one that is not too troubling to our conscience) with a few laughs and memorable stories.  We want the child care to be clean and happy and the fellowship hour to be well-stocked with fresh cookies.  It is tragic that today’s Christianity has turned away from the example of our Lord who “came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.”(Matthew 20:28).

THE ANCIENT COMMAND

Do Not Come Before Me Empty Handed, Exodus 23:4

Do not come before God “empty-handed.” This requires personal consecration, a setting aside of self-interest and needs in order to prepare to serve.  Prepare for worship on The Lord’s Day by spending time the day before in God’s word, prayer, meditation, and personal worship.  Daily personal devotions make us ready to bring an offering of service on Sunday.  Daily personal worship makes us ready to say “Amen” to the benediction, the offertory, or the sermon.  When you spend time during the week reading the Bible, in prayer and worship then Sunday worship meeting becomes a celebration of our personal worship experienced throughout the week, because we are bringing something we took the time to prepare.

GIVING BLESSES
When you come to community worship you will be able to sing from your heart to the Lord since He has been close to your heart all week long.  You will be able to pray silently and say amen to the prayers offered by others.  When you bring an offering of a full heart to the community worship service and give it to God you will take away a heart full of blessing far exceeding what you brought.

(c) Adron 2/18/10