Praise: Sometimes It’s A Sacrifice

Praise: Sometimes It’s A Sacrifice

by | Apr 25, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

I’ll praise when outnumbered
Praise when surrounded
‘Cause praise is the water
My enemies drown in”

Praise, Elevation Worship

“15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

Hebrews 13:15-16: NIV

It used to be, in the Old Testament, that a sacrifice would inevitably cost something its life.

The first thing that comes to mind is the two Shofars sitting in my living room. I have one made from a Sabel horn, and another, made by a dear friend who has since passed on to be with the Lord, made from the horn of a seemingly large Kudu.

These are instruments of praise and warfare.

In Ancient times these horns would serve to sound a warning or signal an attack.

As a ritual instrument the Hebrew peoples used it to announce the New Moon, sound the Sabbath and celebrate the anointing of a king, It was a call to worship and rejoicing.

At Rosh Hashana every year the Shofar is sounded to call the Jewish people to spiritual reawakening and revival.

It is a powerful instrument with some very powerful connotations attached to it.

At the Sinai Revelation in Exodus 19 we read that the coming of the Lord was accompanied by thunder, lightning, fire and smoke – but also the loud blast of a trumpet that made the people tremble.

The Psalmist writes that God is enthroned, triumphantly, amidst the loud shouts of His people and the blasting of the trumpets. (Psalm 47).

And the trumpet – made from the horn of a ram – is the product of sacrifice.

A life was given for the worship to sound.

The Sacrifice of Jesus upon the Cross, much like the blowing of the shofar, is a call to worship.

We are called to worship Christ, not just by paying lip service, but by living a life worthy of the one He gave.

We are called to follow in kind by laying our lives down upon the altar of His love.

One of the definitions of sacrifice is to give up something valued for other considerations. We are called to give up the things we value and value Him above all else – give what He considers valuable priority in our lives.

This is what true worship is – it’s not a song or a reading on a Sunday morning – it goes far beyond. It is a lifestyle.

We have often made very arbitrary distinctions between praise and worship – but in a lot of cases they are the exact same thing. Praise is an expression of admiration, reverence, respect and gratitude towards another.

When the Shofar sounds it often sounds like crying or wailing.

Even in our darkest days we are called to worship. God is worthy of our praise and our adoration no matter what it is we are going through. And often this is where praise is a sacrifice.

When we worship God in our crying and our wailing – when in sorrow we turn to song instead of despondency.

We are often surrounded by situations and circumstances. We often feel outnumbered – overwhelmed – but in all these things, if we can adopt a posture of praise, we will see Jesus come in our situation.

I have suffered from clinical depression for a very long time, and on my bad days – when I don’t even feel like getting out of bed – the best thing I can do is grab my guitar and sing my love to the Lord. The best thing I can do is get up and go and love my neighbour – as the author of Hebrews says – to do good and share with others.

And when we do this, when we carry the light of our salvation out to others, we see the light of Christ shine all the brighter in our own lives.

The depression lifts. The darkness dissipates.

And this often feels like a sacrifice. What the carnal mind and body wants in that moment is a pity party. I want to wallow in it. I want to hide in my cave. I want to bewail my situation.

The last thing on my mind when something horrible happens is to praise God, much less to go do good to others.

But when we adopt the posture of praise even in our darkest days and make this sacrifice of praise we will see God enthroned amidst the loud shouts of our hearts and the sounding of the trumpets.

When we adopt this posture of perpetual praise we will see God enthroned amidst the loud shouts of our hearts and the sounding of the trumpets – and your bad days will seem less and less – as your focus shifts from staring into the abyss towards looking up towards and beholding the beauty of His grace.

God is worthy of our adoration and worship no matter how we are feeling – and when we make the sacrifice of praise, even in the midst of our misery, we will see God turning graves into gardens as He revives, reawakens and restores us.

Prayer: Lord, help me praise You in the storm today. Give me the wisdom to set my eyes upon You. Let me not look to the left, nor to the right. Do not let my feelings come between us, oh Lord, for You are worth more than my feelings – You deserve my praise and my love on my good days and my worst days. You deserve all of me – whether on the mountain or in the valley. Let me rejoice in hope even when I feel hopeless. Open the eyes of my heart Lord and help me see that there is no shadow of turning with You – you are unchanging and eternal – and though my feelings might be fickle, Your promises are trusted and true. You have promised to never leave me nor forsake me. Let me dwell in the house of the Lord forever, postured to praise, no matter what my situation might be – be enthroned in my life. In the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.

Trust in God

Trust in God

by | Apr 25, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine
He’s been my fourth man in the fire, time after time
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood
And what He did for me on Calvary is more than enough”

Trust in God, Elevation Worship

“Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust,
And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.”

Psalm 40:4: (NKJV)

Trust and faith seem to be inextricably intertwined, so much so that they can be used interchangeably in most cases. In my experience the only real difference is the context in which they are most often employed. Faith implies some sort of mysticism or spirituality where trust just feels more tangible and material in a lot of ways.

In Psalm 40 David explores this concept of trust, contemplating on what it means to trust in God.

Trust is most often used to describe a relational situation where we have confidence in the reliability, truth and ability of someone or something.

David had a relationship with God. He was a friend of God. He loved God, and God loved him – flaws and all.

I like David. I feel strongly linked to him and relate to him on a level that I cannot explain. For a long time I thought it was because of a shared love of poetic and musical expression – but the truth is it is because we are both extremely broken people who go through valleys, fight giants, hide in caves and make huge mistakes – and yet… God, with His infinite love, mercy and grace picks us up every time, dusts us off and puts us back on solid ground.

David starts Psalm 40 with “I waited patiently on the Lord…”

It is easy for us to get discouraged in our waiting. The journey sometimes gets too long, the road winds too much – in the valley we look up at the mountain and wonder how we are going to get there.

I am no stranger to discouragement.

At a recent outreach I was talking to a young man who was struggling to get up in the morning – he just didn’t see the point in living any more.

I am no stranger to that kind of depression and existential anxiety – the kind that makes you want to crawl into a cave and hide there.

In all of this though, I have never lost trust in God.

I came to faith in a time and in a church where the Gospel was preached. Not prosperity, not promises of wealth and good health – but the Gospel. And yes, God promises all kinds of good things in His Word, but the moment these things become the centre of our faith we have lost sight of Jesus.

The Gospel is this: God so loved the world that He took on flesh and hung on the cross for us – so that we may be free of our burden of sin and the sting of death.

The Gospel is this: God loved us while we were still His enemies. He saved us from an eternity of fire and brimstone and restored us to proper relationship and right standing with Him.

In this life we will have trouble. There will be times when we are in the fire – He will be the Fourth Man in the inferno. There will be times when we feel we are sinking, but He will extend His Hand and help us take the waves in our stride.

Jesus is not a get rich quick scheme. Jesus is not some kind of quick fix or a band aid for what ails you.

You will still mourn. You will still grieve. There will still be situations and circumstances in your life – no matter how much ‘dominion’ you take over it.

But in all of this – in the sorrow and in the despair, in the pain and the anguish, in the trials and tribulations – we still rejoice. In the fire and in the flood we stand strong in the knowledge that we are not alone. He is with us.

I particularly like the way the NIV phrases Psalm 40:4: “Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.”

If there is one thing I have learnt from looking at the life of David it is that we all go through ups and downs – but God never fails.

His love will always be a balm to the broken heart, a comfort in sorrow and a firm foundation for us to stand upon. His love will always be more than enough for me.

Let us look towards the exalted Christ today. Let us look upon His beautiful face. Let us leave our idols in the fire where they belong. Let us leave our pride in the flood.

Let us look towards Jesus and trust Him, fully confident in His truth, reliability and ability to carry us through.

In perfect submission to His will and His purpose we find rest, peace and contentment. In perfect submission to Him – whether rich or poor, sick or healthy – we will know the God that David knew. This God in whom we can charge an army. The God in which we can jump over even the highest wall.

In perfect submission to His heart, will and mind for us we can rest easy knowing that He never fails. We can endure all things, do all things, make it through in Him – when we stand firm in the knowledge that He loves us.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your love today. Thank You for never giving up on me, even though sometimes I feel like giving up. Thank You Jesus for seeing past all my flaws and failures, all my mistakes and for loving me regardless. Thank You Lord that in You I am made strong. Even when my bank account is empty, even when my pantry has run dry – when the fig tree does not blossom, and the vines carry no fruit – I will trust in You. Even when the flock is cut off from the fold – even when my heart faints and my body fails, I will trust in You! Give me the strength to endure, Lord. Give me the strength to wait patiently on You. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Hosanna: Come Save!

Hosanna: Come Save!

by | Apr 25, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“I see a generation
Rising up to take their place
With selfless faith, with selfless faith
I see a near revival
Stirring as we pray and seek
We’re on our knees, we’re on our knees”

Hosanna, Hillsong

“14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.“

2 Chronicles 7:14: NKJV

When Jesus entered Jerusalem the crowds went ahead of Him shouting: “Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest!”

Hosanna is used for the first time in Matthew 21:9: and is derived from a Hebrew phrase: Hoshiya Na – which is a desperate and heartfelt cry for help – “please, save!”

In the Triumphal Entry of Jesus, coming into Jerusalem, the crowds cry out: “Hosanna, come save!”

A few days later they are condemning Him to the Cross.

In our modern Christianity we have very often forgotten the meaning and significance of not just specific phrases and passages of scripture, but even the meaning and significance of certain individual words in their original context.

Hosanna is a prayer, in the tradition of many of the Psalms, a plea for salvation.

Our modern interpretation of the word is more a shout of joy and excitement – instead of being a call for salvation it is a rejoicing in the coming of salvation. Instead of “come, salvation”, we cry “salvation has come!”

But are we perhaps losing something in the process?

In this fastfood, instant gratification culture that we live in, faced with the ills and evils of a society calling for the ‘death of God’ it seems that we can learn a thing or two from the original context.

Yes, we who have Christ have much to rejoice about – certainly it is right for us to cry out “hosanna, salvation has come’ – but I turn again to the great revivalist Jonathan Edwards and his sermon “On the Preciousness of Time”:

“Christians should not only study to improve the opportunities they enjoy, for their own advantage, as those who would make a good bargain; but also labor to reclaim others from their evil courses…”

How then shall our labour look?

In the second book of Chronicles we see a heartfelt prayer – a plea for the salvation and habitation of God – as Solomon dedicated the Temple to God.

God answers in the next chapter:

”13 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. 16 I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.” (2 Chronicles 7:13-16: NIV)

We as the church find ourselves in a place of dryness. There is a very real drought.

Yes, in some pockets of the world we have seen what looks like revival, but in many of these cases it is not an outpouring of restoration, but rather a cistern of emotion breaking open and we find that it is short lived and evanescent in nature.

Real revival can only be birthed from the womb of prayer.

Our music – filled with jubilant shouts of salvation has come – will not turn the world around. We have been singing this happy hosanna for decades now and yet we see only the most shallow change.

Eloquent preaching, although moving, can only move us to a point – but what do we do when we find it is not enough? Many fall away from the faith because of pretty promises based on bad theology, or even worse, when the preacher falls the parish falls with him…

We rejoice in our salvation – but it is as Edwards implies – a little flock focused on improving the opportunities they enjoy. We sing the happy hosanna but forget the other side of the coin.

There is a dying world. And if their burden is not our burden we are doing something wrong.

It is not enough for me to seek my healing and forget the world. I need to get up and seek my Father’s Heart and Will – I need to get up and seek the restoration of His people.

And what does that look like? Big churches built with silver and gold? Seeker-friendly worship? Program upon program to attract and entertain? No!

The restoration of our communities is found on our knees. It is found in the taking up of arms – the weapons of our warfare, prayer and intercession – as we take hands and pray, giving God no rest as we take no rest in seeking Him!

As we cry, restore us oh Lord! As our heart breaks for what breaks His heart! As we cry out, Hosanna, come and save!

If we do this, if we will humble ourselves and pray, we will see God move in our midst again.

Prayer: Oh Lord, let me answer this call to arms, this call to take up the station of intercession, with a yielded and unrelenting ‘yes’. Move me Lord, through the unction of Your Spirit, to pray for revival. To pray for my community. To pray for my friends, my colleagues, my loved ones – and even those who I don’t get along with. Give me eyes to see what You see. Give me eyes to see deeper so that I might grow in my discernment and know what to pray. Lead me deeper Lord in Your Word. Teach me how to wage war like You taught David. Put Your Word in my mouth as I pray for real revival to come again. Not a flame that flickers faintly before dying out, but a raging forest fire – uncontained, unrestrained and burning up our enemies of doubt, fear and unbelief. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Great Are You Lord: Breath In Our Lungs

Great Are You Lord: Breath In Our Lungs

by | Apr 25, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“It’s Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise to You only”

Great Are You Lord, All Sons And Daughters

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.”

Psalm 150:6: NKJV

I have often heard it said that time is money. Time is precious – and while it doesn’t really always equate to ‘cash money’ – it is very much a type of currency. A type of Kingdom Currency with which we can buy eternal treasures.

In writing these devotional pieces I have come to realise that even though it seems like each has its own theme there is a central line. Worship is not about music – it is not simply the songs we sing – it is very much how we live our lives.

Worship is a lifestyle.

An idea I have used often in sermons is that the first act of worship was Adam exhaling.

God blew breath into Adam and he RESPONDED.

Worship is our response to the goodness, the glory and the beauty of God.

Worship is not just our response to what He does (in this case, giving life) but also a response to who He is (the Lifegiver).

One of my favorite Psalms is Psalm 139, the fact that God knew me even before I was woven in the secret place of my mother’s womb. David puts it beautifully:

“Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.”

(Psalm 139:16, NKJV)

All the days fashioned for me. God had a plan from the get go. A plan for me.

As I ponder the passing on of some of the dear people in my life over the last few years I come to realize that the time we have here really is not ours at all.

We are all living on borrowed time.

The breath in my lungs belongs to God. It is His and will return to Him when my time here is said and done.

This breath in my lungs is borrowed. It is borrowed time in which I get to make up my mind – do I return with this breath to the One who gave it, or do I return to dust?

The choice for many of us is clear – for others not so.

So how should we then look at the time we have here on Earth?

Jonathan Edwards said the following: “Christians should not only study to improve the opportunities they enjoy, for their own advantage, as those who would make a good bargain; but also labour to reclaim others from their evil courses; that so God might defer his anger, and time might be redeemed from that terrible destruction, which, when it should come, would put an end to the time of divine patience.”

We are to labour – to invest this Kingdom Currency – and see the returns and fruit thereof.

The time we have here on Earth, the breath in our lungs is borrowed. It is very much like a talent given to a worker (Matthew 25), property entrusted to us so that we might properly steward it towards an increase.

One Talent was equal to about twenty years worth of wages.

And so it is that one might be given 80 years, another 60 – and yet another 20 years – but it is not what you are given but what you do with it that matters.

Let us not waste the time we have been given. Let us do as Edwards recommends and redeem the time. Let us use it wisely. Let every breath be used in the worship – the reverence, adoration, pursuit and proper service – of our God and King.

Let us not waste time in seeking Him today – let us not procrastinate, let us not wait – but let us be wholly in pursuit of Him.

Let us not waste time in seeking our neighbour. Let us use our time wisely so that we may reclaim others from their evil courses of self-destruction and damnation.

Let us redeem our time and worship Him with every step and every breath we take.

Prayer: Oh Lord, help me redeem my time. Let me spend every waking moment in pursuit of Your Will and Purpose, Your Heart and Mind for my life. Lord, help me use my time wisely and labour to save others from their evil courses. Give me discernment, give me wisdom Lord, so that I might see revival here in my lifetime. Give me strength Lord, lead me in discipline and righteousness for Your Name’s sake. Let my life glorify You. In the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.

This is our God

This is our God

by | Apr 25, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“Freely you gave it all for us
Surrendered your life upon that cross
Great is the love poured out for all
This is our God”

This Is Our God, Rueben Morgan

“7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.”

Matthew 10:7-8:

The Sending of the Twelve in Matthew 10 has always been one of my favourite ministry passages.

It puts things into perspective.

Over decades, centuries and millennia the church has grown – so much that it has become a multi-million dollar industry world wide. It has become very much a kind of kingdom on its own.

I remember reading a story about a cardinal and a monk walking through the Vatican. The Cardinal points out the lavish surrounds and says: “No longer does the church, like Simon Peter, have to say ‘silver and gold I do not have…’”

The monk took all of this in and replied, “nor can you say ‘rise and walk.’”

The truth of the matter is that we have lost sight of certain principles – we have started building our church instead of letting God build His church. Our desires and measures of success have become more important than seeking God and having Him seen by others.

In an effort to become a more effective Christian I’ve attended courses and workshops, listened to sermons and teachings, and read books and articles about church growth and revival for the last 10 years – and although there is a lot of valuable information in there it can also become a distraction as we overcomplicate the ministry of reconciliation – which in the end is the ministry of ‘servanthood’ and compassionate community.

The power of the Early Church was this: they lived the simple and unadulterated Gospel of Jesus Christ.

They talked the talk – preaching what Jesus preached – “repent for the Kingdom is at hand”.

They walked the walk – demonstrating the power of the Kingdom, not only through signs, miracles and wonders performed through the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, but also through corporal acts of mercy – practical acts of love and compassion like breaking bread with the hungry, clothing the naked, giving drink to the thirsty.

They believed and taught a simple and unadulterated Gospel.

They lived a life that demonstrated – cut through the noise and with a clear and defiant voice declared: “This is our God!”

There were no concerts, no conferences and no retreats…

Just a family of believers who broke bread together, worked together, laughed together and cried together.

There were no dvd’s or bestseller lists.

Just the truth freely proclaimed in word and deed.

“Freely you have received, freely give…”

We have turned the Gospel into a commodity. We need to get back to community.

We need to get back to the basics of the Gospel.

One of the most frequent complaints I get about church leaders – powerful teachers and preachers with big churches – as I help their congregants get over their ‘church hurt’ is that the leaders, as powerful as they are, do not reflect Christ in their personal lives. And this is not a sin issue – it is an attitude issue. The heart of Christ is not reflected.

Yes, we can read all the books we want about ‘deliverance’ and ‘prophecy’ and ‘growing in your gifts and calling’ – but if we have no vision of Jesus, and if we can’t even apply the basics of His Kingdom – loving God and loving neighbour – to our lives then it is all for nought.

You can buy as many tickets to as many seminars about church building and church growth as you want – but today I will give you the ‘secret’ for free. How will we see revival in our lives and awakening in our communities:

Love Jesus with all your heart – seek Him, see Him – let the vision of His glory permeate Your soul.

And then…

Go and show the world.

Not shill and sell – but show and tell.

And it is the duty of every Christian – we have ALL been given the ministry of reconciliation.

Jesus, the Servant and King who saved the world, gave His life – freely – upon the Cross. He paid for our salvation with sweat, tears and blood.

The secret to revival is this: LIVE A LIFE WORTHY OF THE LIFE HE GAVE.

A life that testifies of His love and grace and mercy. A renewed life that shouts out in the midst of the crowd: THIS IS OUR GOD!

Let us get back to basics. Let us get back to the Bible. Let us see Jesus rightly and in doing so let our lives help others see Him living and active in our lives!

Prayer: Lord, Your grace is enough for me. Be the center of my life. Where I have over complicated things help me go back to basics. As I seek You Lord, come alive in the Scriptures. Come alive in my prayers. Come alive in my life – in the midst of my family, friends and colleagues. Lord, help me realise that I also carry the call to build Your Kingdom in my personal mission field. Help me realize that my actions – the life I live and the way I treat those around me – speak louder than any sermon I could preach. Help me Lord to live a life worthy of the life You gave. Help me live a life that shows You to the world. Help me live a life that shouts: THIS IS MY GOD! In the Name of Jesus. Amen.