Worship His majesty

 

Present day hymn-writers are few and far between, but several years ago Jack Hayford penned a new hymn titled, Majesty.  I'm not sure of all Dr, Hayford had in mind when he wrote the words of that hymn, but he captured a few truths we cannot overlook.

The first is that of worship.  From the very beginning we were fashioned to be worshipers - worshipers of the Eternal God, our Creator and Redeemer.  The truth is we all have a need to worship something or someone.  Our worship will be expressed in some fashion or another.  I believe it is within our inner-being to worship God, but some have displaced that desire and directed their worship to a secondary longing.

The second concept within Dr. Hayford's hymn is the concept of majesty.  When we are captured by something so grand, so majestic, it takes our breath away.  Who, what, can be any more majestic than God Himself?  There are some amazing breathtaking sights in this world, but nothing compares to the majesty and splendor of Almighty God.

Third, it is His Majesty that is to capture our hearts.  This speaks to the person of Jesus, not His attributes, but His person.  The Scriptures declare that as Jesus came to earth His majesty caught everybody off guard.  So much so wise men came from afar, angels announced the good news to shepherds watching their flocks in fields.  Even King Herod was overly concerned with this One born with such majesty.  It's not simply the concept of something majestic that we worship.  It is His Majesty - the fullness of His Majesty - so tremendously beyond comprehension as it may be!  That Jesus would step outside His majestic heavenly splendor and come down to us is beyond belief.  But He did.  He became flesh, so that we might draw near to Him, and be reconciled to God, and worship Him.  We are privileged to worship whatever we desire.  I will worship His Majesty.  Turn full face with me and worship Him this Christmas

I Stand Appalled

 New Survey Raises Concerns

(Taken from The Pastor's Weekly Briefing; A publication of Focus on the Family Ministries)

 

If ever there was a need to return to the ministry of discipleship, this report shows it is now.  We cannot allow another week to go by without educating believers in what the Bible teaches.

 

"According to a study released last month by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life, atheists, agnostics, Jews and Mormons are among the highest-scoring groups on a new survey of general religious knowledge, outperforming evangelical Protestants, mainline Protestants and Catholics on questions about the core teachings, history and leading figures of major world religions.

Of the 32 religious knowledge questions, the average number of correct answers was 16. Atheists and agnostics averaged 20.9 correct answers, Jews averaged 20.5 correct answers and Mormons averaged 20.3 correct answers. Catholics answered an average of 14.7 questions correctly and Protestants, as a whole, gave an average of 16 correct answers. Of the 12 questions dealing with Christianity, Mormons answered an average of 7.9 correctly and evangelical Christians answered an average of 7.3 correctly.

The survey also dealt with perceptions relating to the separation of church and state, and found some confusion over the line between teaching and preaching in public schools. Among the questions most often answered incorrectly is whether public school teachers are permitted to read from the Bible as an example of literature. Two-thirds of those surveyed (67%) said "no" to this question, even though the Supreme Court has stated that the Bible may be taught for its "literary and historic" qualities, as long as it is part of a secular curriculum. The single question that respondents most frequently got right is whether U.S. Supreme Court rulings allow teachers to lead public school classes in prayer. Nine-in-ten (89%) correctly said this is not allowed. (The results of the U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey were based on interviews with 3,412 randomly sampled adults from May 19 through June 6, 2010. For the complete report go to The Pew Forum.)"

 

Could it be that as more and more churches have done away with the Sunday morning Discipleship hour (i.e. Sunday School), they have set the stage for the "dumbing-down" of Christians?  Let us return - NOW -  to teaching the Bible, and away from many of the fads that have prevailed in many churches these past several decades that have set this stage.  If you are in a church that does not offer a Discipleship Training hour or small group, ask you Pastor to begin one.  If you are a Pastor who has opted out of Discipleship hours for the conveneince of compacted service times, or some other reason, reconsider what you are doing.  We cannot do in 30-45 minutes in the pulpit what needs to be done in training and making disciples.  I call you to return to the making of disciples through diligent systematic studies of the Bible, that is Sunday School or its equivalent..

This Is A Critical Hour

I don't often use my role as a pastor to address political issues, but I sense our nation is facing a critical hour politically.  The direction our nation has been going the last fifty years or so has set us on a course where "we are no longer a Christian nation".  Our nation may have been founded on Christian principles, but we have strayed far from them.  I remember so vividly reading my "Weekly Reader" as I left school as a child.  I remember when prayer was offered in our schools, and then how it turned to a moment of silence, and now is completely absent from our schools.  I remember when we offered the Pledge of Allegiance with passion, and when someone chose not to stand to pledge allegiance to our flag it was frowned upon.  Not anymore.  Within me there is a certain sadness and disbelief that we have come so far.  Also within me is a raging plea to return to our roots, back to a Christian nation, back where God is lifted up, and a banner of righteousness is proclaimed and promoted.

I offer two ways for this to happen.  One, is for every believer to exercise his or her right to vote.  The elections are just around the corner, and probably before you receive our next newsletter you will have had the opportunity to vote.  Do it.  Vote.  Secondly, pray for our nation, it's leaders, and for godly men and women to get into office.  Our battle will never be won on the picket lines.  It will be won on our knees, crying out to God to raise up a standard of holiness and righteousness.  The Bible says, "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man (individual) avails much."

Enough of criticizing our government and those in governmental leadership positions.  Now is not the time for criticism - it is time to pray and vote.  Let's do it.  Let's take our petitions before God, on our knees, and let's let our convictions be heard as we go to the voting polls.

"Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven…"

Are You Ready?

Jesus taught candidly about His return to gather the saints to Him.  He taught it so emphatically that all the early disciples believed the coming of the Lord would occur during their ministry lifetime.  Among the disciples, Paul had an especially keen knowledge of the return of Christ.  He describes the day to be like the coming of a "thief in the night."  If we knew that a thief was coming to rob us we'd prepare carefully for that moment.  But, since we don't know when a thief may come, we must always be ready as if one would come at any moment.  Jesus said we don't know the time or hour of His coming, but we must be ready.  Are you ready should Jesus come back today, maybe tonight?

What would be different about your life if you knew today was your last day on this earth?  What would your priorities be?  What last minute details would drive you? What would you most communicate to others?  You see, the limits of time cause us to see what is really important.  When the critical hour is upon us the really important stuff gets done.  We like to roll the dice when it comes to that critical hour.  We go through life thinking, "Well Jesus isn't coming today.  I'll have time to get my things in order."  Oh really, "Jesus said nobody knows the day or hour when He will return, except the Father."

Given this fact we're left with only one option – live as if today was our last.  Live so there is no doubt concerning our future.  Paul writes, "So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.  For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.  But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet."  He says, "Encourage one another and build each other up; test everything, hold on to what is good, and avoid every kind of evil."

The good news is while there remains time we can do something about who we are if we need to.  God accepts us at our point of beginning.  We can start a new walk with Him today.  We can renew our relationship with Him.  We can invite the Holy Spirit into our life.  We can begin to live like we are supposed to.  We can make the first thing – the first thing.  His priority can be our priority.  We can choose to live our lives so there is no doubt concerning our future.  Are you ready?

New Beginnings

The number eight has always been associated with new beginnings. With this in mind August, the eighth month of the year, would be a great time to think about establishing some new beginnings. Throughout the course of life we need moments where we reassess where we have been and where we want to go.

Don't like what you've been getting out of life? Feel like your in a rut and you can't get out? Want more bang for your buck? Maybe it is time to reassess where you are and what you've been doing. Maybe it's time for a new start - a fresh beginning.

There is no better place to start than with your spiritual life. Where are you in your relationship with Jesus? If you are not right spiritually everything else follows suit. Not always, but many times the disappointments and dissatisfaction in life can be traced back to a faltering relationship with Christ. Somewhere your relationship fell by the wayside. And your struggle is not so much with life as it is with the fact that you are out of fellowship with the One who speaks life into your being. The One who sparks vision, and creates dreams, and renews aspirations in you has not been invited into the inner recesses of your heart where life takes on real meaning and purpose. Oh, how desperately Jesus wants to be included in the inner parts of your very being. That is if we will allow Him entry.

As you enter into the final third of the year, could it be time to consider a new beginning in your walk with the Lord? How about starting new with inviting Jesus to come walk with you, to launch you on a new beginning with Him, to start you down a path that will grant you a fabulous new future. One that will grant your heart's desire and make life a journey full of excitement and reward. One worth living and above your wildest expectations. Go ahead - soar into a new beginning! And take Jesus along with you. As Helen Keller said, "One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar." So soar!