Praise and Glory to God

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Psalm 47-48

 

Psalm 47:6-7

Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
⁷ For God is the King of all the earth;
Sing praises with understanding.

(NKJV)

 

I like reading the Psalms because they are a collection of men offering heartfelt praise and crying out to God. In these psalms, the psalmist offers praise to God as King over all the earth and his glory in Zion, the city of God. At the time of the writing of these psalms, God dwelt in the Temple in Jerusalem, but now He lives in the hearts of those who believe in Jesus (1 Corinthians 3:16). However, does the glory of God shine from our temple?

 

The psalmist begins Psalm 47 by telling all the people to clap their hands and shout to God with the voice of triumph because the Lord is Most High and awesome and King over all the earth (Psalm 47:1-2). As the awesome King over all the earth, God will subdue the peoples of the nations and put them under the feet of the people of God, choosing our inheritance (Psalm 47:3-4). God has gone up with a shout and the Lord with the sound of a trumpet (Psalm 47:5).

 

Four times the psalmist urges us to sing praises to God and to our King, because He is King of all the earth, praising with understanding (Psalm 47:6-7). God reigns over the nations from His holy throne (Psalm 47:8). The princes of the people have gathered together, the people of Abraham, because the shields of the earth belong to God, who is greatly exalted (Psalm 47:9).

 

The psalmist begins Psalm 48 by declaring that the Lord is great and to be greatly praised in the city of God on His holy mountain (Psalm 48:1). Mount Zion is beautiful in elevation and the joy of the whole earth, the city of the great King who is in the city’s palaces and a refuge (Psalm 48:2-3). Kings pass by and behold Mount Zion, marveling but also troubled, and hasten away (Psalm 48:4-5). These kings have fear like a woman in labor and like when an east wind breaks the ships of Tarshish (Psalm 48:6-7). The psalmist declares what he has heard, that God will establish the city of God forever (Psalm 48:8).   

 

The psalmist reflects on his thoughts of the lovingkindness of God in the midst of His temple (Psalm 48:9). He reflects on praise going out to the ends of the earth with the right hand of God full of righteousness (Psalm 48:10). He says to let Mount Zion rejoice and the daughters of Judah are to be glad because of the judgments of God (Psalm 48:11). The Psalmist encourages the people to walk about Zion to count her towers and mark her bulwarks (defensive structures), and to consider her palaces so they can tell them to the next generation (Psalm 48:12-13). The psalm ends with a declaration of God, our God forever and ever, our guide even to death (Psalm 48:14).

 

In these psalms, the sons of Korah praise God as the ruler of all the earth and His glory in Zion.

• Psalm 47: Praise to God, the ruler of the earth – The nations and peoples of the earth have kings and leaders over them, but the psalmist in this psalm reminds us that the Lord Most High, the King over all the earth, will subdue the peoples and nations under the feet of his people. A Godly leader leads under submission to the will of God (Romans 13:1), and knows earthly leaders are human with faults, but God is perfect and faultless.
• Psalm 48: The glory of God in Zion – In the old covenant, God dwelt on earth in the Temple on Mount Zion. So beautiful was this temple and city that kings marveled at it but were also troubled and hastened away (Psalm 48:2-5). God’s glory brings fear to those who are not part of His kingdom but comfort to His people (Psalm 48:6-8). The psalmist encourages us to find refuge in the God of Zion and to declare it to the next generation (Psalm 48:12-14)

 

True worshippers worship God in Spirit and truth (John 4:23), a balance of worship that each Church must achieve.

• Truth – This must be the foundation of worship to ensure worship is of God and not a celebrity pastor. Without biblical truth, worship can devolve into an emotional outburst designed to give everyone an experience, making them feel good, but without a foundation of truth. This is like one building his or her spiritual foundation on sand and not the solid foundation of biblical truth (Matthew 7:24-27).
• Spirit – Moving worship from head knowledge to heart relationship. While knowledge of biblical truth is crucial and sets us free (John 8:32), worship in truth without the Spirit can become an academic exercise that lacks power and a relationship with God. Before the coming of Jesus, the world had truth in the written word of God, but Jesus gave flesh to the word so we could have a relationship with it (John 1:14; 14:6). The Samaritan woman met the word of God in the flesh and brought revival to her city by telling others about it (John 4:28-30).

 

To enter into a relationship with God, one must pray for God to forgive his or her sins and profess their belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ to save them from their sins. If you are reading this and have never made this profession of faith, I encourage you to do so now by praying with me.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

If you just prayed, rest assured that God has totally forgiven you and that you are a child of God (2 Corinthians 5:21; John 1:12). Find a Church where the truth of the Bible is taught so you can learn more about the Lord. May God convict, challenge, and bless everyone reading this post. 

Boldness, Unity, and Charity

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Acts 4:23-37

 

Acts 4:31

     And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

(NKJV)                                                

 

The ministry of the apostles now threatens the same religious leaders that Jesus and his ministry threatened, as they see miracles performed by them. In an effort to stop things before they get out of hand, they have told Peter and John to stop preaching in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:18). However, instead of cowering, the Church prays for boldness, with the place where they assembled shaken (Acts 4:31). The question for the Church today is would we have the same boldness.

 

Peter and John are released and go to their companions, giving a report of what the chief priests and elders said to them (Acts 4:23). Upon hearing the news, everyone raised their voices to God in one accord, praising God and quoting Psalm 2:1-2, which tells of the rulers gathering together against the Lord and His Christ (Acts 4:24-26). They continue to tell how Herod, Pilate, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel gathered together against Jesus to do what God had determined (Acts 4:27-28). They then pray for boldness to speak God’s word and that signs and wonders would be done through the name of Jesus (Acts 4:29-30). After praying for boldness, the place where they prayed shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking the word of God with boldness (Acts 4:31).

 

The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul, believing that what they possessed was not his or her own, with them having all things in common (Acts 4:32). Their prayer was answered with the apostles powerfully giving witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ with great grace upon them (Acts 4:33). They were also charitable to each other with anyone in need receiving from the proceeds of those having land selling it and sharing the proceeds (Acts 4:34-35). One of those who sold land he owned was Joses, a Levite of the country of Cyprus (Acts 4:36-37).

 

We are beginning to see the persecution of the Church by the Jews, with the Church praying for boldness, acting in unity, and caring for each other’s needs. This is the foundation of the early Church and why they were able to accomplish great things that impacted their world (Acts 17:6).

• Boldness when threatened with persecution (Acts 4:23-31) – When Peter stood up to address the crowd on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:14-39, he was addressing some of the same people who cried for the crucifixion of Jesus. This man, who was once afraid to admit being a disciple of Jesus (Matthew 26:69-75), now speaks boldly. He also prays that all would have this boldness (Acts 4:29).
• Unity (Acts 4:32-33) – One of the signs that one is a follower of Jesus Christ is their love for one another (John 13:34-35). The disciples in the early church understood that all they owned belonged to the Lord (Psalm 50:10). Minus an obsession for worldly possessions, they had a unity of purpose to focus on being witnesses for the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
• Charity (Acts 4:34-37) – Knowing that being in need could distract someone from a focus on witnessing for the Lord Jesus, they were charitable and shared their possessions with those in need. When one is charitable, giving to the needs of others, it is like doing it to the Lord (Matthew 25:31-46).

 

The evil in the world today differs little from the evil in the Roman world of the time of the apostles. This means that the Church today needs boldness to speak the truth without compromise, unity in Christ to fulfill its God-given mission (Acts 1:8), and love for one another demonstrated by the willingness to care for one another’s needs. This requires,

• No compromise in declaring God’s word empowered by the Spirit of God – Jesus told the Samaritan woman that true worshippers worshipped the Lord in Spirit and Truth (John 4:23). The Truth is the Word of God, which the Church must boldly declare, ignoring what others may say about them, or do to them. Unfortunately, pastors focused on the numbers may become distracted from declaring components of the Word of God that may offend someone, concerned that they may leave and take their contributions with them. This must never be the case.
• Unity of purpose – Jesus gave his bride, the Church, a clear mission to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8). The unity in the church is not a unity where everyone shares the same opinions, but a unity behind declaring Truth from Scripture with a lost and dying world. However, the word of God is a two-edged sword with one end giving hope to those hurting, but the other edge is like a surgical scalpel, convicting one of sin in their lives. It is this part of declaring truth that can be painful and may cause some to leave the Church.
• Caring for one another without bickering – People in need will have difficulty focusing on the things of God, becoming focused on the physical needs of the flesh. The Church should be a hospital for those in need, but if people come to the Church for help and see people bickering with each other, they will have difficulty believing this is a place to go to for help. Imagine if you went to the ER and saw the staff arguing with each other instead of caring for the patients. I know I would go somewhere else.

If you are reading this and have never prayed for the forgiveness of your sins and to make Jesus the Lord of your life, I invite you to pray with me now.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

If you just prayed, let someone know of your profession of faith or comment on this post. I also urge you to find a church of truth, teaching from the Bible that is empowered by the Holy Spirit, so you can grow in your faith. May God convict, challenge, and bless everyone reading this post.