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Posts Tagged ‘heart’

Lifting Up Praise

April 21, 2017 Leave a comment
“Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!   Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” – Psalm 103:1,2
          This Psalm is unique with its intimate sweetness and sentiments of gratitude to God for His mercies.  The writer uses the word “bless” which, as applied to God, means to praise Him with a strong affection of gratitude.  While another word, “soul” is repeated to emphasize that our praise to the LORD should come from our inner most being.  All that is within us, our heart, our will, affection, motives, emotions and reason are to be used as expressions of praise to our LORD and Savior – our Great God!  The idea is, that God is worthy of all the praise and adoration that the entire man can render.  What is so often missed is that praising the LORD starts from our soul-being, and not from an artificial atmosphere within a church service.  We all could agree that the early church that we read of in the book of Acts was spirit filled lifting up praise and blessings to God.  The first century Christians is our example, and we see that they praised the LORD without laser-light shows, drama performances, or any other such worldly methods.  The writer of this psalm had a heart for blessing and praising the LORD and he saw that none of his faculties or powers within him should be exempt from the privilege of declaring his admiration and honor toward God’s holy name.
          We have the great privilege to bless the holy name of the LORD because all that we have and all that we are comes from the LORD.  “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” James 1:17.  Therefore we are to bless our LORD with all of our being and not forget all the glorious things He does for us, which works for our benefit.  I challenge you to read this psalm and notice how it is recorded that the LORD forgives all of our sins and has removed them as far as the east is from the west.  It is also recorded that He heals us.  He ransomed our lives from hell.  He surrounds us with loving-kindness and tender mercies.  He fills our life with good things whereby we are renewed and strengthened.  Therefore, is He not worthy to be praised?
          I encourage you to join me in asking God to search our hearts so that we would let all things go that we have unintentionally adopted in our praise that are not biblical.  As we lift up our voices in praise may it first originate from our heart-soul-being whereby we see the greatness of our LORD God who is worthy to be praised!
David C. Hale, pastor
Email:  reasons4believing@gmail.com
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YES – I’m not an Optimist!

July 29, 2014 1 comment
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38,39
      The apostle Paul who penned these words was fully “persuaded” about the love of God in Christ Jesus, and so am I.  There are times that people ask why I’m always smiling.  “You must be a positive person – an optimist.”  In which I reply, “No – I am a Christian.  A Christian goes far beyond an optimist.”
      It is obvious that our world is falling apart.  Murders, wars, health-care cost and gas prices are out of sight while politicians fight.  Advances in technology that make life easier have made life more hectic.  As far as “free speech,” the New Age Gestapo and the P.C. Police are around every corner squashing it.  This is definitely not Jimmy Stewart’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” that we are living in.
      We are flooded with opinions about how to deal with societal depression and how to fix our problems.  There are self-help books and seminars about how to reach for a “higher life,” a “deeper life,” or a “meaningful life.”  They can’t decide which life to sell, but they sell them anyway.   Terms like optimist, realist, or idealist are used to convey positive thinking in a pessimistic world.  Obviously there is no power in negative thinking, but the power of positive thinking relating to this world is an uncertain hope – a “hope so” hope.  Where as the Christian has a “know so” hope grounded on the sure foundation of God’s promises.  That is a bright eternal hope, which will never fade away because it looks forward with certainty.  It will make you smile knowing that you have the “…hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began.” (Titus 1:2).  The Christian hope is in the Sovereign God who created us, saved us, and who is working out “all things” for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
      Christian stay informed and pray, but while the “talking-heads” talk, the politician’s fight, and the P.C. Police hand out their “tolerance tickets,” just be “persuaded” that no power shall be able to separate you from the love of God.  Even though we still have to deal with the mess of life, deal with it by talking with Christ in your heart and a smile of grace upon your face.  A Christian is far beyond an optimist, simply because a Christian trusts in God’s promises.  “Yes, I’m not an optimist – I’m a Christian!”  An optimist is too pessimistic and short sighted.  Lift up your eyes child of God and rejoice – YOU are a Christian!  –  (Published in the Marshall County Tribune)
David C. Hale, pastor
New Life Community Church
1001 Easy Street
Lewisburg, TN 37091
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