So “why Catalyst,” you ask?
Posted by Rod Hamilton
There are plenty of things I could have called this blog, and some would be quite clever. But I have found over the last 7-8 years that if I could categorize “worship” as anything other than worship, I would call it a catalyst for change. Worshiping God is serious stuff, and to do so demands a lot from us in our lives. It demands a life truly set apart. It demands daily walking with our God. It demands a level of forgiveness that the world cannot understand. It demands a sincere level of humility that doesn’t take credit for any of the good things that we do, but bears the burden of accountability for our words and deeds.
One definition of the word “catalyst” is: a person or thing that precipitates an event or change. Speaking from life experience, aside from the initial giving of myself to Christ, nothing else precipitated change in my life like the act of worship has and continues to do. In fact, through the Worship Ministry at Valley View, I have seen many lives changed by the simple act of a person’s giving his/her time and talent back to the One Who gave it in the first place. This is the stuff that precipitates radical change.
I encourage you to check in from time to time at this blog and see what’s going on at Valley View. I also encourage you to visit our church if you aren’t currently plugged in somewhere else. If you are a Valley View person and know that God has gifted you in worship, I encourage you to get involved in the worship ministry and I challenge you to view your involvement not as a new activity, but as a link to God in a way that will change your life.
Posted by Rod Hamilton on Mar 25, 2010
This week’s worship devotional based on our order of worship.
Songs of Deliverance – “I’m singing songs of deliverance freedom is flowing over me!”
Acts 16:25-26 “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. ”
How would you like to have been a part of that night of praise! Paul and Silas, praying and singing, and God freed not only them, but everyone in the jail! The shackles were gone and they were free to escape. Now that’s a powerful time of prayer!
The Lord Reigns – “Why do the nations rage when the King is on His throne? Now and forever You will reign!”
Psalm 2:1-6 “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying,"Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”
Wow! Have you ever wondered what God’s laugh sounds like? Can you imagine being on the receiving end of God’s fury as He laughs? This passage refers to heaven’s perspective of those who rise up against God’s anointed. God is all-powerful and nothing can prevail against Him. Because He is Who He is we can rest in the knowledge that He will always prove victorious over the enemies in our life.
Redeeming Love – “You drank the cup of suffering You took this sinners place, there was no other way.”
1 John 4:10 “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
The word “propitiation,” as it is used in 1 John and elsewhere, literally means something that satisfies or appeases God’s wrath against sinners. Only through true faith in Jesus Christ can God ever forgive us. From the very beginning of time this was the plan. Jesus was always to serve as the only atoning sacrifice for mankind, for once and for all.
Emmanuel – “There is a God so big no one can fathom how he holds this world and this universe together.”
Hebrews 1:3 “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.”
Jesus came and held three offices: Prophet, Priest and King. As Emmanuel, He came first as a Prophet, putting to rest all the prophecies about Him that were foretold throughout the Old Testament and by John the Baptist. Though the incarnation of God (Jesus) was not the first time that the world viewed God as a friend, it was the first time that God was ever “seen,” even as a friend of sinners. (Matt: 11:19) He then served as Priest, making sacrifice through His blood to atone for our sins. He now reigns in heaven, at the right hand of the Father, as King, and the entire universe is upheld by His power.
How Great Thou Art – “Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee”
Psalm 30:12 “That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.”
The song of our hearts has been placed there by God. Our praise to Him will last forever.
Posted by Rod Hamilton on Mar 25, 2010
Majestic – “The heavens declare Your greatness…”
Psalm 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
When you sing these lyrics do you ever visualize what it would sound like – the heavens declaring the greatness of God? This term is anthropomorphism, meaning literally to change (morph) something to give it human (anthropo) qualities (ism). God chose to use this technique in conveying His message in many places in the Bible. Often, as the Word refers to God’s “hand,” “face,” “arm,” etc., we see this technique used to, I believe, give man some idea of God, because God is Spirit and does not have a body as we do, therefore He cannot be imagined. But in the sense of Psalm 19:1 and so many other verses, the technique is shown to help us visualize the majesty of God. All of creation is His - every part of it – and every part submits to Him as the Creator. Hebrews 1:10 tells us “In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.” All of creation is God’s handiwork, including you and me.
If God chose for us to imagine the whole of creation shouting His praises it stands to reason that we, who have the intellect to understand His creation to a certain degree, MUST also shout His praises!
You Reign – “Even before Your hands made the heavens, even before the breath of all mankind. Even before we had to be forgiven, You were on Your throne and You reign!”
Colossians 1:15-17 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
I love this passage in Colossians which talks about the “supremacy of Christ.” It makes so clear the statement of the eternality of Jesus Christ and that His hand is all over the creation story. Before time Jesus was, just as the Father and His Spirit were. Before time, the Uncreated One, in a way we can never understand on this side of heaven, had a plan for the entire universe and every person who would ever be formed in the womb. And now that creation has been established, it isn’t on it’s own to fend for itself; “all things” are held together “in Him.” What a mighty God we serve!
From the Inside Out – “A thousand times I’ve failed still Your mercy remains…”
Matthew 18:22 “Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.”
I always find this dialogue between Jesus and Peter humorous. I imagine Peter, a not so educated fisherman, to be childlike in his thought about forgiving someone “seventy seven times.” Peter may literally have not been able to count that high! Seven, that’s easy,: 5 fingers on one hand, 2 fingers on the other. But seventy seven? Who has that many digits?! But we know that Jesus’ point to Peter was that we ought to forgive even as the Lord has forgiven us. (Col. 3:13)
“…and should I stumble again I’m caught in Your grace.”
John 10:28 “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”
We are caught by the grace of God the moment we have faith. Nothing can separate us from the love of God! (Rom. 8:38-39)
The Power of the Cross – “Oh, to see the pain written on Your face, bearing the awesome weight of sin. Ev’ry bitter thought, ev’ry evil deed crowning Your bloodstained brow.”
Isaiah 53: 3,5 “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”
“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
Can you imagine looking into the face of Jesus as He was on the cross? The completely defeated looking Messiah, now crucified and well on His way to death. The anguish on His face; the pain in His limbs, the heavy gasping for breath, the very life in His body fleeting? And the two things you would have known completely as He was hanging there: 1) it was your sin that put Him there and 2) it was His love for you that kept Him there. And as the spotless, blameless Lamb of God fades, He cries out in a loud voice, stronger than you could have ever have imagined a man in His condition could have: “Eloi, Eloi,lama sabachthani?"—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46) And soon thereafter, the Light of the World was snuffed out, seemingly leaving you without hope, without a victory, without a Savior and in utter darkness.
But you and I can read these stories with the blessing of God’s word and the advantage of time and perspective. We know that Christ’s death on the cross was the only acceptable sacrifice that could have appeased the wrath of God against sinners.
Posted by Rod Hamilton on Mar 25, 2010
New Doxology – “Praise God from Whom all blessings flow”
Psalm 103:2 “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits”
We don’t always consider the things that God does for us, the blessings, as “benefits,” and that’s likely because it sounds so commercial, so corporate, like something a company would offer you as an employee. Yet God uses that very word in the above passage in Psalms, and it appears in every reliable translation as such. So what are “His benefits” in your life? We’ll start with salvation. Hopefully you have learned that salvation is the greatest miracle that will ever be done for you by God. But in God’s love, though being redeemed is already more than we deserve, He didn’t leave us at that point. He said that He would never leave nor forsake us. (Heb. 13:5) He’s promised to be an ever present help in times of trouble. (Ps. 46:1) He has given us a great “Comforter, Counselor, Helper” in the form of the Holy Spirit. (Jn 14:16) He has made us so many promises, and these promises are the benefits of God.
Have you counted your blessings lately? If you’ve been feeling a little dry, a little alone or a little let down, reach back and remember the many benefits of God. Thank Him. Rejoice in your blessings. Exalt His holy name. Magnify the Lord.
Only a God Like You – “Only a God like You, could be worthy of my praise and all my hope and faith. To only the King of all Kings do I bow my knee and sing, give my everything”
Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before me.”
Hopefully, you recognize the above passage as the first of the 10 Commandments! Our God has exclusive rights to our worship. He bought the rights to us through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. All the petty gods that stand in the way of our relationship with God have only the power to attract our attention, our affection, our loyalty and our emotions, but in the end, they lead to destruction. Our God saves, and He has saved us. No other god can create anything as Elohim has. No other god can redeem the lost sinner. No other god has ever drawn close to His people as Immanuel has. No other god holds the power of eternal life or judgment over the world as Jesus Christ has.
Do not overlook the metaphors of the husband/bride in the Bible. As a husband, our God is a jealous God. (Ex 34:14) He will not tolerate sharing His bride. We are His and He is ours. He is worthy of our praise!
The Power of the Cross – “Oh, to see my name written in the wounds, for through Your suffering I am free.
1 Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”
We have been made alive through Christ Jesus through His many sufferings. The “healing” that was done by His wounds is our very salvation. This verse is often taken out of context and applied to many other things, but make no mistake, Christ suffered and died, not so that we would have good lives, kick bad habits or be physically healed, He died to set us free from the bondage of sin and the curse of the law. (Gal 3:13)
“Death is crushed to death; Life is mine to live, won through Your selfless love.”
1 Cor. 15:57-58 “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
If the story of Christ had ended on the cross, in the tomb or even after the resurrection, our eternal hope in glory would have been left undone. Christ’s death on the cross was the penalty for our sin. His burial was the death all men must die once. His resurrection was the revealing of power over death, but it was His ascension into Heaven, now being seated at the right hand of the Father, that gives us hope beyond the grave.
We Will Remember – “I still remember the day You saved me, the day I heard You call out my name. You said You loved me, would never leave me and I’ve never been the same.”
Ephesians 1:13-14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, Who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”
How could we possibly remain unchanged if Christ has changed us? How could we ever be the same as we were before? I think that a problem for many of us might be that we forgot what it was like to be lost, to be an alien and followers of satan. (Eph. 2) If we’ll take the time to consider how we were, what Christ has done for us and the Holy Spirit is doing in us, we will hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matt 5:6) and strive to excel in building up the Church. (! Cor. 14:12)
Desert Song – “All of my life in every season You are still God, I have a reason to sing, I have a reason to worship.”
James 1:2-4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
Romans 8:18 “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
No trial comes into our life without God having a plan for it and His hand in it. You can rest assured knowing that somebody is being worked, like the polishing of a diamond, to be made even more beautiful in righteousness. When we can’t see God’s hand in our trials we have to trust that He is still there, and not only there, but is doing what’s best for us, even if it doesn’t feel like what’s best for us. In every season and I through every trial, as we become mature and our faith is developing, we will learn to worship God for Who He is – His immutable (unchangeable) qualities that are steadfast even when we falter….and we falter! We worship God as an offering in advance for what He is bringing us through and for what we know will be for our benefit, even unto death. Praise God!
Posted by Rod Hamilton on Mar 15, 2010
New Doxology – “Praise God from Whom all blessings flow”
Psalm 103:2 “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits”
We don’t always consider the things that God does for us, the blessings, as “benefits,” and that’s likely because it sounds so commercial, so corporate, like something a company would offer you as an employee. Yet God uses that very word in the above passage in Psalms, and it appears in every reliable translation as such. So what are “His benefits” in your life? We’ll start with salvation. Hopefully you have learned that salvation is the greatest miracle that will ever be done for you by God. But in God’s love, though being redeemed is already more than we deserve, He didn’t leave us at that point. He said that He would never leave nor forsake us. (Heb. 13:5) He’s promised to be an ever present help in times of trouble. (Ps. 46:1) He has given us a great “Comforter, Counselor, Helper” in the form of the Holy Spirit. (Jn 14:16) He has made us so many promises, and these promises are the benefits of God.
Have you counted your blessings lately? If you’ve been feeling a little dry, a little alone or a little let down, reach back and remember the many benefits of God. Thank Him. Rejoice in your blessings. Exalt His holy name. Magnify the Lord.
Only a God Like You – “Only a God like You, could be worthy of my praise and all my hope and faith. To only the King of all Kings do I bow my knee and sing, give my everything”
Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
Hopefully, you recognize the above passage as the first of the 10 Commandments! Our God has exclusive rights to our worship. He bought the rights to us through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. All the petty gods that stand in the way of our relationship with God have only the power to attract our attention, our affection, our loyalty and our emotions, but in the end, they lead to destruction. Our God saves, and He has saved us. No other god can create anything as Elohim has. No other god can redeem the lost sinner. No other god has ever drawn close to His people as Immanuel has. No other god holds the power of eternal life or judgment over the world as Jesus Christ has.
Do not overlook the metaphors of the husband/bride in the Bible. As a husband, our God is a jealous God. (Ex 34:14) He will not tolerate sharing His bride. We are His and He is ours. He is worthy of our praise!
The Power of the Cross – “Oh, to see my name written in the wounds, for through Your suffering I am free”.
1 Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”
We have been made alive through Christ Jesus through His many sufferings. The “healing” that was done by His wounds is our very salvation. This verse is often taken out of context and applied to many other things, but make no mistake, Christ suffered and died, not so that we would have good lives, kick bad habits or be physically healed, He died to set us free from the bondage of sin and the curse of the law. (Gal 3:13)
“Death is crushed to death; Life is mine to live, won through Your selfless love.”
1 Cor. 15:57-58 “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
If the story of Christ had ended on the cross, in the tomb or even after the resurrection, our eternal hope in glory would have been left undone. Christ’s death on the cross was the penalty for our sin. His burial was the death all men must die once. His resurrection was the revealing of power over death, but it was His ascension into Heaven, now being seated at the right hand of the Father, that gives us hope beyond the grave.
We Will Remember – “I still remember the day You saved me, the day I heard You call out my name. You said You loved me, would never leave me and I’ve never been the same.”
Ephesians 1:13-14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, Who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”
How could we possibly remain unchanged if Christ has changed us? How could we ever be the same as we were before? I think that a problem for many of us might be that we forgot what it was like to be lost, to be an alien and followers of satan. (Eph. 2) If we’ll take the time to consider how we were, what Christ has done for us and the Holy Spirit is doing in us, we will hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matt 5:6) and strive to excel in building up the Church. (! Cor. 14:12)
Desert Song – “All of my life in every season You are still God, I have a reason to sing, I have a reason to worship.”
James 1:2-4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
Romans 8:18 “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
No trial comes into our life without God having a plan for it and His hand in it. You can rest assured knowing that somebody is being worked, like the polishing of a diamond, to be made even more beautiful in righteousness. When we can’t see God’s hand in our trials we have to trust that He is still there, and not only there, but is doing what’s best for us, even if it doesn’t feel like what’s best for us. In every season and I through every trial, as we become mature and our faith is developing, we will learn to worship God for Who He is – His immutable (unchangeable) qualities that are steadfast even when we falter….and we falter! We worship God as an offering in advance for what He is bringing us through and for what we know will be for our benefit, even unto death.
Praise God!
Posted by Rod Hamilton on Mar 04, 2010
The Lord Reigns – “The Lord reigns, let the people shout”
Psalm 35:27 “May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, “The LORD be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant.”
Psalm 71:23 “My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you - whom you have redeemed.”
A recurring theme in these devotionals is the joy that believers should have, and that joy because of our great salvation through Jesus Christ. When you consider the multitudes of souls that have perished to a very literal and eternal hell, to know that God refers to us as His “children” should bring us an overwhelming sense of joy. “In love, He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” (Eph 1:5)
I think, in light of our position in Christ, we ought to be so undone because of what He has done for us that a shout might often be the only way to keep from exploding!
Desert Song – “This is my prayer in the desert, when all that is in me feels dry. This is my prayer in my hunger and need, my God is the God who provides.”
Psalm 54:4 “Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.”
You know we all have deserts. As we are in constant battle against our flesh, warring against a strong enemy who literally seeks to devour us, living life becomes a grueling task from time to time. It is at precisely these times that we recognize that only by God’s power can we stand. The interesting thought is that it is always only by the grace of God that we can stand, but trials have a way of pointing us to the sole source of our strength, God. And rest assured, these struggles are not for nothing. They are used by God to shape us, to mold us and to make us what He wants us to be. “…We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” (Romans 5:3-5)
Jesus Saves – “It is done will shout the cross”
John 19:30 “When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”
One of the most captivating and compelling lines in the entire Bible; “it is finished.” Have you thought about that lately? Have you ever given much thought to exactly what the “it” was that Jesus was referring to? It would seem very simple to think He meant that “life” for Him was finished here, or that His “work” here was finished, or the “battle” was finished. However, to take limit our view to those views is to only understand part of the point. Yes, it meant those things, but so much more.
When Jesus said “it is finished,” it can be easily taken to mean that you and I are no longer under the curse of the law (Gal 3:13), “it is finished.” It means that you and I are no longer slaves to our sinful nature anymore, “it is finished.” It meant that, most importantly to the believer, a sacrifice had been made for once and for all (Hebrews 10:10) and He secured our eternal redemption. (Hebrews 9:12)
The Power of the Cross – “This the power of the cross, Christ became sin for us, took the blame, bore the wrath, we stand forgiven at the cross.”
Deuteronomy 21:23 “…anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse.”
As Christ died on the cross to break us free from the curse of the law, He Himself became a curse for us (Galatians 3:13). This is the power of the cross. It did not have the power to kill Jesus, nor did any of the soldiers, leaders or citizens of the time. This was a willful act on the part of a merciful God to redeem mankind.
The cross, once the ugliest and cruelest of devices used for torture and death by the Roman Empire and others, now stands as the most profound reminder of God’s mercy to us. And how fitting that is: God made the disgusting cross to be a beautiful icon for a beautiful faith which is freely given to the most vile and repugnant sinners imaginable.
This is the power of the cross!
Posted by Rod Hamilton on Feb 24, 2010
In the Sanctuary – “We lift our hands in the sanctuary…”
Psalm 63:4 “I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.”
The lifting up or raising of hands is an international sign of surrender. When we worship God, we do so not only as a means to extol His virtues but also to declare that we have surrendered our lives into His hands, for His work, and this work is for a lifetime.
“We clap our hands in the sanctuary…”
Psalm 47:1 “Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.”
Clapping hands is Biblical, that’s the best reason to support why we do it in the sanctuary. However, if you read and understand Psalm 47 in context, this song was written of the Sons of Korah. (see Korah’s rebellion in Numbers 16) Because of Korah’s rebellion against Moses and Aaron, God caused the ground to open up and swallow “all of the people who belonged to Korah and all their goods.” (v32) Though God, in His sovereignty, could have also taken out the entire lineage of Korah too, He didn’t. Korah’s heirs (the Sons of Korah) went on to be worship leaders in the Tabernacle, placed in charge by King David.(1 Chr. 6:22, 31-32) Don’t miss the picture here; Korah’s Sons (heirs) were saved from the wrath of God – literally from being swallowed up by “Sheoul” (Numbers 16:33) – just as you and I were. It is by the sovereign grace of God that we have been saved, and that is a reason to clap your hands in the Sanctuary!
He’s Worthy– “I bless the God of my salvation, He’s worthy, worthy. The God I serve is great and mighty; He is for me who can be against me?”
Romans 8:28-31 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
If God has indeed predestined you, called you, justified you and is glorifying you, can there be any reason for fearing any enemy which might come against you? He is mighty: mighty enough to save you, mighty enough to defend you and mighty enough to keep you exactly as He wants you and where He wants you. Yes, there might be physical pain in the offering from time to time, but it is all working together for the good as we persevere, to make us “mature and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:4) God is worthy whether times seem great or whether times seem terrible; He’s at work in us all the time. He’s worthy!
Made Me Glad – “I will bless the Lord forever…”
Psalm 103:2 “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
Why wouldn’t we want to bless a God like that forever?! He displayed that kind of blessing for His people by receiving us into His Kingdom and adopting us as His own.
Our Great God – “Let every creature in the sea and every flying bird, let every mountain, every field and valley of the earth, let all the moons and all the stars in all the universe sing praises to the living God Who rules them by His word.”
Psalm 148:1-13
“Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD from the heavens, praise him in the heights above.
Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies.
Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and they were created.
He set them in place for ever and ever; he gave a decree that will never pass away.
Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding,
you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars,
wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds,
kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth,
young men and maidens, old men and children.
Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.”
Colossians tells us, of Jesus, “by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through Him and for Him.” (Col. 1:16) It’s all His, not by proclamation, but by design! God made everything and it all points right back to Him - to a mighty God, a sovereign Creator.
And this weekend, we get to join along with all of creation, worshipping the One Who made us.
How awesome is that?
Posted by Rod Hamilton on Feb 18, 2010
A couple of years ago I had it in mind to write devotionals for the songs we sing on Sunday mornings at Valley View. Finally, after much procrastination, I have begun writing each week for the songs that are on our playlist for that week. I’ll post them here as well. My hope is that some of this writing will enhance our thoughts and understanding about the songs we sing, and by doing so, enhance our desire to participate in corporate worship as we sing these songs. So, without further delay, here is the devotional for Sunday, February 21, 2010.
No Other Name – “No other name that’s higher…”
Acts 4:12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
When we sing about the name of Jesus, we are uttering the name above all names (Phil 2:9), the only name that can bring salvation, and in the eternal scheme of things, the only name that offers hope. This name, Jesus, is the hope of the nations (Matt. 12:21), the name to which every knee will bow and tongue confess (Phil. 2:10-11) and the name of the One Who will judge the living and the dead. (1 Tim. 4:1)
Counting on God – “I’m in a fight not physical, I’m in a war but not with this world…”
Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
We, of our own strength, are completely incapable to stand against the enemy. We must count on God! He is a refuge, a strong tower that we can run to and be safe. (Ps. 18:10)
“And the miracle of Christ in me is the mystery that sets me free”
This should be the testimony of everyone all the time. The transforming power of the Holy Spirit in our lives is not only something to sing about, it is the very mark of a believer and the greatest evidence of God’s power to the witnessing unbeliever. This transformation is truly a miracle and a mystery.
Jesus Messiah – “He became sin Who knew no sin that we might be called His righteousness.”
This song is its own devotional. What could possibly be added for emphasis here? Read about the “ministry of reconciliation” in 2 Corinthians 5:11-21
From John MacArthur: “He (God) treated Him (Jesus) as though He had committed every sin ever committed by every person who would ever believe, though, in fact, He committed none of them. Hanging on the cross He was holy, harmless, undefiled. Hanging on the cross He was a spotless Lamb. He was never for a split second a sinner. He is Holy God on the cross. But God is treating Him – I’ll put it more practically – as if He lived my life. God punished Jesus for my sin, turns right around and treats me as if I lived His life. That’s the great doctrine of substitution, and on that doctrine turned the whole reformation of the church. That is the heart of the Gospel. And what you get is complete forgiveness, covered by the righteousness of Jesus Christ. When He looks at the cross He sees you, when He looks at you He sees Christ.”
Fountain of Life – “There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins, and sinners caught beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.”
John 4:14 (CEV) “But no one who drinks the water I give will ever be thirsty again. The water I give is like a flowing fountain that gives eternal life.”
This great promise from Jesus is something that we, the redeemed, can trust forever. Christ provides us with life-giving water (Rev. 21:6), and in a spiritual sense, once we have tasted of it, we will never thirst again.
“Guilty I fall, forgiven I rise…”
Acts 3:18 “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord…”
As we fall to our knees in earnest repentance the God of all mercy showers us with grace and forgiveness. When we rise from that position of humility we can know that we have been forgiven of all our sin (1 John 1:9) and have been purified.
Our Great God – “Eternal God, unchanging mysterious and unknown”
1 Timothy 1:17 “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Romans 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!”
Isn’t it good to know that God never changes? We should each find comfort and stability in that thought. Because He never changes we know that our adoption by Him is permanent and that the gift of salvation He has given us is irrevocable. (Rom. 11:29) Though His ways and His thoughts are higher than ours (Is. 55:9) and we can never know what God knows, He has given us the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16) through the Holy Spirit so that we are able to understand spiritual things, and thereby understand what God has freely given us. (Eph. 2:8)
“Lord, we are weak and frail, helpless in the storm”
Mark 4:39-41 “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
The disciples were absolutely terrified in the midst of the storm that was wreaking havoc on their boat on the Sea of Galilee. Their terror came from a lack of faith, but their shouts to the Savior came as prayer. Jesus answered their cries and calmed the storm.
“Our cold and ruthless enemy his pleasure is our harm. Rise up, oh Lord, and he will flee before our Sovereign God.”
Psalm 68:1 “May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him.”
Before Christ we were literally enemies of God. (James 4:4) Since we have been reconciled to God through faith in Christ, we are now friends of God. (James 2:23) What better friend to have with you in battle than the One Who is already victorious over our enemy? When we do battle we do not do battle as the world does, we actually have divine power to demolish strongholds. (2 Cor. 10:4) This does not mean that we go looking for a fight with the devil, but the Lord will rebuke our enemy when the battle rages. (Jude 1:9)
We know that when we fight, we fight from victory and not for victory. The battle is the Lord’s and there’s no defeat!
Posted by Rod Hamilton on Feb 04, 2010
It seems that many people who have “come to Christ” have done so by taking on Jesus as the fix-all for life’s problems. Alcoholism, addictions of every kind, marital strife, financial struggles and other things were catalysts for a walk down the aisle to the altar, but what’s often accepted in this type of decision is a hope for a promising future in Christ yet no true repentance or “taking up the cross.” What I see happening so often is that, having taken such an easy theology about our Great Savior, many fall away at the first sign of trouble. Jesus was pretty clear in His parable of the sower in Matthew 13 that this would be the case. These types of decisions for Christ, as Jesus explained in Luke 8, would invariably fall away, as seed that had been planted on the rock. “Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.” (Luke 8:13)
I think that when left with a theology of “easy-believism,” a person will almost always negate the grace of God by building up a religion in order to stay in God’s good grace. Obviously, anyone who takes just a cursory reading of the New Testament should understand that faith is a gift from God and is not based in any way on what we have done or will do nor is it given to us based on anything that the Father knows we’ll do in the future. However, having a deficiency in understanding, the rocky ground guy will strive, as man always has, to please God by works and not by faith. The Bible is clear that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6) but the rocky ground guy continues trying. But why does he continue trying even if it’s obvious that the efforts are in vain? Because man has, by his own power, always done religion that way. And the end result of such practices? Eventually, by clinging to bad theology and never surrendering to the rewarding work of becoming disciplined in study, meditation and prayer, the rocky ground guy, realizing he can never live up to the expectations, throws his hands up in futility and “gives up” on God.
Our religion is based solely upon our faith in Jesus Christ. We are justified the moment we believe. But grace, by design, baffles the unregenerate man. In the flesh, grace does not and cannot make sense. It is only by the Spirit of God that we can truly believe and develop an understanding of the things of God. Martin Luther said that “justification is the doctrine by which the church stands or falls.” At no time in history has this proven to be more true than today.