To praise God is to esteem and regard Him as the almighty omnipotent being that He is, bringing glory to the throne in the presence of angels and in the presence of men. From early accounts in the Bible, men and women of God praised and worshiped in a variety of ways and with all their hearts, souls, and minds. When mankind reflects upon the blessings, gifts, and judgements of God, one can not help but be ushered into a state of gratitude that evokes praising the Lord. Many denominations approach worship in different and very distinct ways, and when we take a close look at scripture and the commandments about worshiping God Almighty, we find that there is a broad range of activities that are associated with exalting our Maker. From the first time worshiping is associated with sacrifice to the grand songs sung by choirs of angels at the victory of Christ, the Bible has much to teach us about living a life that expresses the gratitude that God so richly deserves.
In the book of Genesis, one of the most well-known stories of the Old Testament is recorded. In chapter twenty-two we find that Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac. After Abraham had journeyed three days, the Lord showed Abraham the place to build an altar and offer Isaac as a burnt offering. At this point Abraham tells the servant men with him to stay put and that he and Isaac were going over yonder to worship the Lord. As this familiar story goes, God provided a ram as a substitute sacrifice and Isaac's life was spared. Christians understand that this story is a foretelling of the sacrifice of Christ, but it is also a wonderful demonstration of how sacrifice equates to worshiping. Our Lord considers it worshipful when we offer up our most prized possessions. To discover more about what the Bible has to say about praising and worshiping God, visit these Bible resources.
Throughout much of the Old Testament we find that sacrifice was a intricate part of worshiping. But, we also find that singing and dancing before the Lord were used as means of praising. The Psalms are full of examples and urgent pleas for the people of God to lift up holy hands and to sing to the Lord. We see that worshiping God is not only giving up the things that have first place in our hearts, but worshiping God is also having and demonstrating a joyous heart and attitude. "Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the trimbrel and the harp. For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation." (Psalm 149:3-4). Scripture compels us to praise God among the people and to also sing praises to him when we are alone in our beds. "Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds." (Psalm 149:5)
Moving into the New Testament, we find that exalting the name of the Lord takes on a new tone. Jesus Christ himself addressed worshiping with an adulteress woman at a well. The woman, confused by many traditions and segregation, asked Jesus about proper worship protocol, believing that he was a prophet. Jesus answers the woman with a profound truth. "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him." (John 4:23) And, in the book of Hebrews, the writer teaches that praising God is now an ongoing activity, not one reserved for Sunday mornings before an altar. "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." (Hebrews 13:15) Because the Spirit of God lives in believers, each is to live in a constant state of praising the Lord for all that is given, for all that is taught, and for every circumstance because we know that all things work to the good of those who are called.
Because the Spirit of God lives within us, we may partake in praising and worshiping in quiet, reflective devotions or in grand corporate praise services. "What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Corinthians 6:19) The first step to discovering the type of joyful activity that suits the unique soul is to discover an attitude of gratitude. Just as Abraham built an altar as a grateful expression after receiving the promise of God, so we should have a way of expressing our thankfulness to the Lord for the many promises that He has made to each and every one of us.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Life Application Study Bible
The Life Application Study Bible has notes that help to provide the reader with insight into the meaning of scripture, contains maps, charts, and diagrams, as well as a dictionary-concordance. Historical facts at the beginning of each book help the reader to understand more about the author and time period in which the book was written. Newer versions contain a yearly reading plan so that Christians can easily read the chosen scriptures for each day of the year. Family Bible studies will become more meaningful when using materials that provide more insight into each verse. When a family chooses to put God first and study His word everyday then God will bless and enrich their lives. "The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it" (Proverbs 10:22).
People who have difficulty understanding the scriptures will find that a Life Application Study Bible will make scripture come alive. With the dictionary-concordance a reader can easily find answers to questions. A better understanding will help the reader to grow spiritually closer to the Lord. Challenges in life can be referenced to the word of God more easily as topics can be looked up quickly. Applying God's word to real life circumstances can make a tremendous difference on a person's outlook. Having a new perspective on daily problems will bring peace to the storms in life.
Prayer and worship are two subjects that are important to approach with Family Bible studies. God's word relays the importance of prayer and worship in a Christian's life. Without these two important components spiritual growth will be stymied. The scriptures instruct Christians to pray continually or pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17). Worship is important and is greatly blessed when there are two or more participants. The family that prays and worships God together will stay together. The family unit is a God ordained assembly that can provide support needed for each person to stay strong and immoveable.
Acquiring knowledge in scriptures is essential but learning how to apply the scriptures to real life is much more essential. A Life Application Study Bible provides illustrations that make each verse relevant for today. Sometimes when reading the Bible a person may see the context of the time period and not realize that the verse is as relevant today as it was back then. God's word is living and active, it can be applied as well today as it was in the past. This is possible when there are many study helps along the way. A reader should take the time to read all of the notes and use the other resources to gain as much knowledge and relevancy as possible. Scripture is full of timeless truths that withstand the test of time.
Stories in the Bible can help to bring clarity especially in the stories that Jesus told in the New Testament. Family Bible Studies should include some of these illustrations so that everyone can understand the message behind the story. The Parables of Jesus include stories about the prodigal son, the rich man, the lost sheep, sowing seed, the weeds and the tares, wicked tenants, and include illustrations about Heaven. When a person is taught these stories they can be reminders throughout one's life that serve to make better choices. One example would be with the rich man who loved his possessions so much that he could not sell them in order to serve Jesus. This story reminds us that being rich and having too many possessions can take over one's life. Jesus warns us to be careful about becoming greedy. Having a relationship with Christ is the most important thing and the most important decision that a person can make.
Another parable story that gives a really good illustration of what Heaven is like is the story about the man who owned a vineyard. This story teaches that Heaven is not about competing for a better place. A Life Application Study Bible helps a person when trying to understand parables because the illustrations and the concordance all add to the stories in a truthful and positive way. The story illustrates that no matter what time the workers were hired they all received the same wages at the end of the day. This teaches that everyone will be treated the same in Heaven.
Taking turns planning a Bible study can be fun for each member of a family. Choose a theme for the week and look up scriptures that pertain to the theme. Family Bible studies can so much fun when every single person gets a chance to plan the lessons. The Internet has some great ideas and they can be found by doing a search through one of the major search engines. In addition, there are many sites that provide some very good ideas for home Bible studies and even for extracurricular activities.
Sites on the Web offer many choices when it comes to shopping for a good study Bible. A Life Application Study Bible can be purchased in different translations. The more expensive ones have leather binding and covers. These make great gifts and can be purchased for every family member to make study time much more productive. In addition to family lessons, parents should encourage their children to have personal lessons or devotions at least once a day. A child can write down questions when doing personal lessons and the entire family can participate in finding the answers to their questions.
For more information: http://www.christianet.com/biblestudy
People who have difficulty understanding the scriptures will find that a Life Application Study Bible will make scripture come alive. With the dictionary-concordance a reader can easily find answers to questions. A better understanding will help the reader to grow spiritually closer to the Lord. Challenges in life can be referenced to the word of God more easily as topics can be looked up quickly. Applying God's word to real life circumstances can make a tremendous difference on a person's outlook. Having a new perspective on daily problems will bring peace to the storms in life.
Prayer and worship are two subjects that are important to approach with Family Bible studies. God's word relays the importance of prayer and worship in a Christian's life. Without these two important components spiritual growth will be stymied. The scriptures instruct Christians to pray continually or pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17). Worship is important and is greatly blessed when there are two or more participants. The family that prays and worships God together will stay together. The family unit is a God ordained assembly that can provide support needed for each person to stay strong and immoveable.
Acquiring knowledge in scriptures is essential but learning how to apply the scriptures to real life is much more essential. A Life Application Study Bible provides illustrations that make each verse relevant for today. Sometimes when reading the Bible a person may see the context of the time period and not realize that the verse is as relevant today as it was back then. God's word is living and active, it can be applied as well today as it was in the past. This is possible when there are many study helps along the way. A reader should take the time to read all of the notes and use the other resources to gain as much knowledge and relevancy as possible. Scripture is full of timeless truths that withstand the test of time.
Stories in the Bible can help to bring clarity especially in the stories that Jesus told in the New Testament. Family Bible Studies should include some of these illustrations so that everyone can understand the message behind the story. The Parables of Jesus include stories about the prodigal son, the rich man, the lost sheep, sowing seed, the weeds and the tares, wicked tenants, and include illustrations about Heaven. When a person is taught these stories they can be reminders throughout one's life that serve to make better choices. One example would be with the rich man who loved his possessions so much that he could not sell them in order to serve Jesus. This story reminds us that being rich and having too many possessions can take over one's life. Jesus warns us to be careful about becoming greedy. Having a relationship with Christ is the most important thing and the most important decision that a person can make.
Another parable story that gives a really good illustration of what Heaven is like is the story about the man who owned a vineyard. This story teaches that Heaven is not about competing for a better place. A Life Application Study Bible helps a person when trying to understand parables because the illustrations and the concordance all add to the stories in a truthful and positive way. The story illustrates that no matter what time the workers were hired they all received the same wages at the end of the day. This teaches that everyone will be treated the same in Heaven.
Taking turns planning a Bible study can be fun for each member of a family. Choose a theme for the week and look up scriptures that pertain to the theme. Family Bible studies can so much fun when every single person gets a chance to plan the lessons. The Internet has some great ideas and they can be found by doing a search through one of the major search engines. In addition, there are many sites that provide some very good ideas for home Bible studies and even for extracurricular activities.
Sites on the Web offer many choices when it comes to shopping for a good study Bible. A Life Application Study Bible can be purchased in different translations. The more expensive ones have leather binding and covers. These make great gifts and can be purchased for every family member to make study time much more productive. In addition to family lessons, parents should encourage their children to have personal lessons or devotions at least once a day. A child can write down questions when doing personal lessons and the entire family can participate in finding the answers to their questions.
For more information: http://www.christianet.com/biblestudy
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