OzThoughts Friday 11th December 2009

OzThoughts Friday 11th December 2009

“Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness,
Worship the Lord in the spirit of praise.
Bow down before Him,
Love and adore Him,
Come let us worship in spirit and truth.”
Author: James Curnow

“Worship the Lord in the spirit of praise.”

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving. Enter into his courts with praise” Psalm 100.4. This text is on the wall of the Gold Coast Temple above the band as they sit to one side of the platform.

I have often thought as I read this text (and I have seen it in many places of worship) that I agree we should enter with praise and thanksgiving but what then? I am sure the intention and the only answer is to continue as we have begun. Whatever we do in our time in God’s house do it with praise and thanksgiving. Paul gives us some clues in Philippians Chapter 3 where he tells us what is essential in our worship and ministry for God.

Philippians 3 (The Message).

3 The real believers are the ones the Spirit of God leads to work away at this ministry, filling the air with Christ's praise as we do it. We couldn't carry this off by our own efforts, and we know it—
4 even though we can list what many might think are impressive credentials. You know my pedigree:
5 a legitimate birth, circumcised on the eighth day; an Israelite from the elite tribe of Benjamin; a strict and devout adherent to God's law;
6 a fiery defender of the purity of my religion, even to the point of persecuting Christians; a meticulous observer of everything set down in God's law Book.
7 The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I'm tearing up and throwing out with the trash--along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ.
8 Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant--dog dung. I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ
9 and be embraced by him. I didn't want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ--God's righteousness.
10 I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself.

PRAYER:
Father God. I pray that I might do everything with an attitude of gratitude and praise to you. Fill me with the spirit of Jesus which is a spirit of praise and thanksgiving. Amen.

[Listen: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/songs/songs_075.mp3 ]

Do you know the song that the angels sang
On that night in the long ago,
When the heavens above with their music rang
Till it echoed in the earth below?

Chorus
All glory in the highest,
Peace on earth, goodwill to men,
Glory in the highest,
Peace, goodwill to men;
Glory in the highest;
Glory in the highest;
Peace on earth, goodwill to men.
Do you know the song that the shepherds heard
As they watched o'er their flocks by night,
When the skies bent down, and their hearts were stirred
By the voices of the angels bright?

Do you know the story that the wise men learned
As they journeyed from the East afar,
O'er a pathway plain, for there nightly burned
In their sight a glorious guiding star?
Author: Abner P Cobb
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 80

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