Thursday, May 12, 2005
All Glories To God
God's glory is the goal in all of His plans for mankind. The glory of God is all that we, his creation, are about. In fact, all that God orchestrates, all that God wills, all that God determines and purposes, all that God causes to occur in and through His creation in this life is for God's glory.
God's glory is synonymous with God's magnificence, God's splendor, His beauty, His perfection. Glory speaks to God's dignity, God's honor, God's wisdom, God's majesty, and His unquestionable justice in all His dealings with His creation. All is to the glory of our God. All credit for all things is to be given to our God. To Him alone belongs all glory! At least, you'd think so...
You see, when it comes to man's eternal destiny, when it comes to the issue most near and dear to every man and certainly to God Himself, religion tells us that God supposedly steps aside and gives man the opportunity to share in God's glory. Yep, that's right, God and men sharing in the glory and in the credit for man's redemption. Don't be so shocked. Religion has been handing almost all the glory for each man's redemption, or at least a big chunk of it, over to man himself for centuries. Oh, yes, says religion, Jesus did His part by being crucified on the cross, resurrected, and ascending up to the right hand of the Father but, man has to step up to the plate and be the one who hits the pitch over the fence for a home run. Religion's God couldn't possibly handle both the pitching and the hitting responsibilities all at once.
And, if man does make this smart decision, if he chooses Christ, then according to religion, he is rewarded with what he deserves; redemption, salvation, justification, reconciliation, forgiveness, and new life. What a clever cookie this man is. How agreeable he is with the offer God dangles before him. Glory to this man! After all, what a magnificent, splendid, beautiful, perfect, honorable, wise, and glorious choice this man has made to partner with God in determining his eternal destiny. Bravo and glory to this man...oh, and to God too.
Of course, on the other side of the coin, we have a potential glory problem. First of all, most men do not make this wise, magnificent glorious decision to accept God's limited-time offer. With their eternal destiny in the balance, most men pass on the offer, making a choice that is apparently anything but splendid or wise. These men strike out, even though God throws His pitch right done the heart of the plate. Some swing and miss. Some don't even offer at the pitch. Others scoff in defiance at the Pitcher; kind of like Saul of Tarsus. So, most men don't receive the glory they deserve for making that wise, glorious choice that the clever few do.
And yet, since God was able to redeem Saul of Tarsus, you'd think God would be able to save anyone, wouldn’t you? That would bring God the most glory, wouldn't it? To redeem even those who would have nothing to do with Him in this life, raising them up to new life with a full understanding and the most grateful of hearts for being saved by the One whom they rejected. Would that be a glorious site to see? But, nevertheless, that's where the second problem comes in. If God could save the foremost of all sinners in all of history, and save him, not in the midst of Saul's teary-eyed repentance, but in the midst of the fury of his hatred against the true things of God, how is it that God can't do the same for everyone else. Did He run out of gas? Did He use up all His power redeeming Saul? Is God just a one-hit wonder? Where's the power? Where's the sovereignty? Where's the unconditional love? Where's the grace that super-abounds beyond all sin, even unbelief? Where's the evidence of God working all things according to His will if man's will can overcome it? What happened to the Savior of the World getting the job done that God the Father sent Him to do? Bottom-line, where's the glory of God if He can't pull-off what he purposes to do because man is too formidable an opponent to His will?
Friend, even though religion insists that there is at least one thing more powerful than what God wants and that's what man wants, don't fall for that nonsense for a second. God is worthy of all glory. In fact, He will not share His glory with another, not even mighty man. God is in control of everything, including man. When all is said and done, no man will be taking credit for having any role in his redemption. No man will be boasting like they are now that they chose to believe. All will one day realize fully that salvation is a gift and that even the faith to believe it is from God. No man has received anything unless it was first given to him by God from heaven. God is all-powerful and perfect in love. He alone is splendid, magnificent, beautiful, honorable, wise, just, and majestic. All that He plans, purposes, and intends to accomplish is, in effect, a done-deal right now. Men did not help Him achieve His desires. He chose to include men in His purposes by His grace. There is none worthy of one speck of glory other than our loving Lord. May He, our God and Savior of all men, receive what is due to Him alone…ALL glory!
Grace and peace to you always!
God's glory is synonymous with God's magnificence, God's splendor, His beauty, His perfection. Glory speaks to God's dignity, God's honor, God's wisdom, God's majesty, and His unquestionable justice in all His dealings with His creation. All is to the glory of our God. All credit for all things is to be given to our God. To Him alone belongs all glory! At least, you'd think so...
You see, when it comes to man's eternal destiny, when it comes to the issue most near and dear to every man and certainly to God Himself, religion tells us that God supposedly steps aside and gives man the opportunity to share in God's glory. Yep, that's right, God and men sharing in the glory and in the credit for man's redemption. Don't be so shocked. Religion has been handing almost all the glory for each man's redemption, or at least a big chunk of it, over to man himself for centuries. Oh, yes, says religion, Jesus did His part by being crucified on the cross, resurrected, and ascending up to the right hand of the Father but, man has to step up to the plate and be the one who hits the pitch over the fence for a home run. Religion's God couldn't possibly handle both the pitching and the hitting responsibilities all at once.
And, if man does make this smart decision, if he chooses Christ, then according to religion, he is rewarded with what he deserves; redemption, salvation, justification, reconciliation, forgiveness, and new life. What a clever cookie this man is. How agreeable he is with the offer God dangles before him. Glory to this man! After all, what a magnificent, splendid, beautiful, perfect, honorable, wise, and glorious choice this man has made to partner with God in determining his eternal destiny. Bravo and glory to this man...oh, and to God too.
Of course, on the other side of the coin, we have a potential glory problem. First of all, most men do not make this wise, magnificent glorious decision to accept God's limited-time offer. With their eternal destiny in the balance, most men pass on the offer, making a choice that is apparently anything but splendid or wise. These men strike out, even though God throws His pitch right done the heart of the plate. Some swing and miss. Some don't even offer at the pitch. Others scoff in defiance at the Pitcher; kind of like Saul of Tarsus. So, most men don't receive the glory they deserve for making that wise, glorious choice that the clever few do.
And yet, since God was able to redeem Saul of Tarsus, you'd think God would be able to save anyone, wouldn’t you? That would bring God the most glory, wouldn't it? To redeem even those who would have nothing to do with Him in this life, raising them up to new life with a full understanding and the most grateful of hearts for being saved by the One whom they rejected. Would that be a glorious site to see? But, nevertheless, that's where the second problem comes in. If God could save the foremost of all sinners in all of history, and save him, not in the midst of Saul's teary-eyed repentance, but in the midst of the fury of his hatred against the true things of God, how is it that God can't do the same for everyone else. Did He run out of gas? Did He use up all His power redeeming Saul? Is God just a one-hit wonder? Where's the power? Where's the sovereignty? Where's the unconditional love? Where's the grace that super-abounds beyond all sin, even unbelief? Where's the evidence of God working all things according to His will if man's will can overcome it? What happened to the Savior of the World getting the job done that God the Father sent Him to do? Bottom-line, where's the glory of God if He can't pull-off what he purposes to do because man is too formidable an opponent to His will?
Friend, even though religion insists that there is at least one thing more powerful than what God wants and that's what man wants, don't fall for that nonsense for a second. God is worthy of all glory. In fact, He will not share His glory with another, not even mighty man. God is in control of everything, including man. When all is said and done, no man will be taking credit for having any role in his redemption. No man will be boasting like they are now that they chose to believe. All will one day realize fully that salvation is a gift and that even the faith to believe it is from God. No man has received anything unless it was first given to him by God from heaven. God is all-powerful and perfect in love. He alone is splendid, magnificent, beautiful, honorable, wise, just, and majestic. All that He plans, purposes, and intends to accomplish is, in effect, a done-deal right now. Men did not help Him achieve His desires. He chose to include men in His purposes by His grace. There is none worthy of one speck of glory other than our loving Lord. May He, our God and Savior of all men, receive what is due to Him alone…ALL glory!
Grace and peace to you always!
All For The Glory Of God
Praising God - The First Thing!Do you know that praising God is the best thing to do first before anything else? Have you ever been in a situation that you feel all alone? Or have you encountered a difficult situation in your life and you don't know what to do, like losing your job or suffering the loss of someone very close to your heart? Consider the good times such as when you receive a raise from your boss or earn high marks at school? What do you usually do during these moments? Praising God makes every circumstance of our lives complete, essential, and eminently worthwhile. Webster defines the word praise as to say good things about and it is synonymous to words such as admire, commend, extol, honor, and worship. A definition of Christian praise is the joyful thanking and adoring of God, the celebration of His goodness and grace.1 This simply implies that the act of praising is rightfully due to God alone.
Praising God - Why?Why is praising God important? The reasons are countless. First, God deserves to be praised and He is worthy to receive our praise:
"For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods" (Psalm 96:4).
"Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom" (Psalm 145:3).
"I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies" (2 Samuel 22:4).
"You are worthy, our LORD and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being" (Revelation 4:11). Second, praising God is useful and favorable for us. By praising God, we are reminded of the greatness of God! His power and presence in our lives is reinforced in our understanding. "Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant" (Psalm 135:3). Third, praise discharges strength in faith, which causes God to move on our behalf. "From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger" (Psalm 8:2). Praising God also transforms the spiritual environment that we have. 2 Chronicles 5:13-14 clearly illustrates the alteration that happened when the Levites gave praise and thanks to the Lord and the temple was filled with a cloud signifying the glory of God. "The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: 'He is good; his love endures forever.' Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the temple of God." Fourth, God inhabits the atmosphere of praise. Psalm 22:3 says, "But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel (KJV). If we want to see a clear manifestation of God's blessings and grace, all we need to do is to praise Him with all our heart, our mind, and our soul.
Praising God - Who and When?Who is to praise God? "Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD," states Psalm 150:6.
"I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips (Psalm 34:1)."
"Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands" (Psalm 63:3-4).
"Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who minister by night in the house of the LORD. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD" (Psalm 134:1-2). We cannot embark on the true joy and benefits of praising God unless we have received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. As children of God, He dwells in our bodies through the Holy Spirit. This means that wherever we go, God is to be praised. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 states that "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."
Praising God - How to Praise and Worship GodHow is praising God possible? Singing songs and hymns, clapping our hands, even jumping for joy・he list is endless. We can give glory and praise to our God with the use of our physical bodies, with our hearts and minds, and with our deeds. There are many ways to praise God! No matter how you praise and worship God, it should result in an awe of God's power, love, and grace for all of us!
Praising God - Why?Why is praising God important? The reasons are countless. First, God deserves to be praised and He is worthy to receive our praise:
"For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods" (Psalm 96:4).
"Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom" (Psalm 145:3).
"I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies" (2 Samuel 22:4).
"You are worthy, our LORD and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being" (Revelation 4:11). Second, praising God is useful and favorable for us. By praising God, we are reminded of the greatness of God! His power and presence in our lives is reinforced in our understanding. "Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant" (Psalm 135:3). Third, praise discharges strength in faith, which causes God to move on our behalf. "From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger" (Psalm 8:2). Praising God also transforms the spiritual environment that we have. 2 Chronicles 5:13-14 clearly illustrates the alteration that happened when the Levites gave praise and thanks to the Lord and the temple was filled with a cloud signifying the glory of God. "The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: 'He is good; his love endures forever.' Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the temple of God." Fourth, God inhabits the atmosphere of praise. Psalm 22:3 says, "But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel (KJV). If we want to see a clear manifestation of God's blessings and grace, all we need to do is to praise Him with all our heart, our mind, and our soul.
Praising God - Who and When?Who is to praise God? "Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD," states Psalm 150:6.
"I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips (Psalm 34:1)."
"Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands" (Psalm 63:3-4).
"Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who minister by night in the house of the LORD. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD" (Psalm 134:1-2). We cannot embark on the true joy and benefits of praising God unless we have received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. As children of God, He dwells in our bodies through the Holy Spirit. This means that wherever we go, God is to be praised. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 states that "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."
Praising God - How to Praise and Worship GodHow is praising God possible? Singing songs and hymns, clapping our hands, even jumping for joy・he list is endless. We can give glory and praise to our God with the use of our physical bodies, with our hearts and minds, and with our deeds. There are many ways to praise God! No matter how you praise and worship God, it should result in an awe of God's power, love, and grace for all of us!
