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Favorite Places

Oh, Jerusalem!

PREVIEW: Did you know that God has a favorite city? In a unique and special way, God loves Jerusalem. He has his reasons, and I am not entirely sure what they are, but I can’t disagree with him. Jerusalem is beyond amazing. It is absolutely breathtaking! But as spectacular as it is, one day soon, when Jesus reigns in his full glory, the entire world gaze longingly on the city, and the nations will come to worship there. Even Israel’s mortal enemies will bow the knee in wonder in the city of God. And you will worship there, too. As will I. So, until that day, pray for the city of the great King!

Favorite-Places Ray Noah Blog

MY JOURNEY OF WORSHIP // Psalm 87:2

The LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

There are certain cities that I just love. I’ll bet you have favorite places, too. For me, San Francisco, for all its weirdness, has to be one of the most spectacular cities of all. The Golden Gate Bridge to the north, the Bay Bridge to the East, Alcatraz in between, North Beach, Fisherman’s Warf, the amazing skyline, the outstanding restaurants—what a cool city!

Denver is also a great city in my book. The drama created by the Great Plains abruptly crashing into the snow-capped Rocky Mountains, the majestic front range all the way from Pike’s Peak in the south to Long’s Peak to the north, is nothing short of a never-ending Kodak moment. The spectacular panoramic view Denverites get every single day is second to none.

But Portland—my home city—is at the top of my list! There is nothing like the Great Northwest. The fall colors are every bit as wonderful as New England’s. The summers are indescribable. The fragrant blossoms on a spring day can almost make you forget the rainy winter you’ve just endured. The rivers, bridges, verdant hills, lush canopy, and view of Mt. Hood will take your breath away, guaranteed. I am so blessed to live here.

And then there are cities I don’t like. I won’t mention any names, but, for instance, the initials of one such disliked city is “L.A.” You figure it out. What were they thinking when they put that one together!

God has a favorite city, too. Did you know that? He has his reasons, and I am not entirely sure what they are, but I can’t disagree with him. Jerusalem is pretty amazing. I hope you will get a chance to go there if you haven’t already. One of my favorite views of any city in the world is the one you get coming up over the Mount of Olives, and looking westward over the Kidron Valley, getting a glimpse for the first time of the Temple Mount of the holy city, Jerusalem. Breathtaking! Absolutely breathtaking!

Jerusalem! Jerusalem!
Hark! how the angels sing,
Hosanna in the highest,
Hosanna to your King.
(“The Holy City,” by Frederick Edward Weatherly)

God loves Jerusalem, and one day, when Jesus reigns in his full glory, the entire world will come to worship there. Even Israel’s mortal enemies will bow the knee in wonder in the city of God. And you will worship there, too. As will I.

So here’s the deal: Until Jesus returns, pray for Jerusalem’s safety and prosperity: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May those who love you be secure.” (Psalm 122:6) Nurture a passion for the city of the great king since God is so passionate about it. Start reading up on it. Check out the brochures that describe the city. Plan a trip to Jerusalem before you leave Planet Earth.

Above all, however, remember this: As spectacular as the view of the holy city is from this side of eternity, it ain’t nothing compared to what Jerusalem will be like when King Jesus lives there!

MY OFFERING OF WORSHIP: If you are not already doing this, incorporate prayer for Jerusalem’s peace into your regular intercession times.

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Signs

Asking for a Show of God’s Favor is a Very Spiritual Thing

PREVIEW: We don’t normally encourage people to pray for signs, somehow thinking that true faith doesn’t focus on physical answers. We teach faith over sight; that it is more spiritual to believe in the invisible than to grasp for the visible. But David’s faith led him to believe God for and boldly ask for a literal, physical sign that would prove to the whole world that he was living under Divine favor: “Give me a sign of your goodness!” What is so bad about that?

MY JOURNEY OF WORSHIP // Psalm 86:17

Give me a sign of your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for you, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me.

I have taken to praying this psalm regularly. Not so much the second part about my enemies—I may be naïve, but I don’t think I wrestle with people who are out to get me quite like David did. It’s the first part of that verse that I love: Give me a sign of your goodness.

Here is the way some of the other translations put it:

Send me a sign of your favor. (New Living Translation)

So look me in the eye and show kindness…Make a show of how much you love me. (The Message)

Show that you approve of me. (Contemporary English Version)

Show me proof of your goodness, Lord; those who hate me will be ashamed when they see that you have given me comfort and help. (Good News Translation)

That is a great prayer to pray in any version—and even better if God so happens to answer it. What was the sign David was looking for? For sure, David needed protection (“Guard my life,” Psalm 86:2), but he wouldn’t mind if God threw in a little mercy, too (“Have mercy on me, Lord, for I call to you all day long … Turn to me and have mercy on me; show your strength in behalf of your servant; save me, because I serve you just as my mother did,” Psalm 86:3,16). David wanted God to give him reason to laugh (“Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you,” Psalm 86:4), perhaps from the knowledge that yet again he had been forgiven of his sins (“You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you … But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,” Psalm 86:5,15). In general, since David had fully devoted himself to God (“For I am faithful to you; save your servant who trusts in you,” Psalm 86:2), he wanted his life to be living proof that God loved him.

We don’t normally encourage people to pray for signs, somehow thinking that true faith doesn’t focus on physical answers. We teach faith over sight; that it is more spiritual to believe in the invisible than to grasp for the visible. But David’s faith led him to believe God and boldly ask for a literal, physical sign that would prove to the whole world that he was living under Divine favor. What is so bad about that?

So go ahead, pray for a sign of God’s goodness today. I am! I am asking that God will show me a literal, physical sign of his favor today. I, unapologetically, want the whole world to know that he approves of me. I am requesting that God will look me in the eye and make a show of how fond he is of me—not tomorrow, but today!

Who knows, maybe God will grant our request today!

MY OFFERING OF WORSHIP: If you desire a demonstrable show of God’s favor, I encourage you to pray your way through this psalm and approach the Lord as David did. Remember, David recognized that there were things he needed to do to align himself with God’s blessing.

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Hear … Then Don’t Forget to Do!

What It Takes To Live In God’s Favor

PREVIEW: There is no deep, mysterious secret to the revival of favor that the Biblical writers promise the true believer. There is no complex set of rules and regulations the believer must master in order to live in the blessing of abundance promised in the Bible. It is so simple even a child can get it. In fact, all good parents drill this into their children early and often: Listen and obey!

Hear ... Then Don't Forget to Do!- Ray Noah

MY JOURNEY OF WORSHIP // Psalm 85:6-9

Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your unfailing love, Lord, and grant us your salvation. I will listen to what God the LORD will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints—but let them not return to folly. Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.

I don’t think reducing God and his Word to formulas is a good idea, but if we can distill his Word down to one, here is a simple prescription for Divine favor:

HEAR — THEN DO!

Listen to God, then do what he says. Hear and do! James echoed that command in the New Testament when he said, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” Then, for the one who hears and does, James added, “He will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:22,25)

There is no deep, mysterious secret to the revival of favor that the psalmist is seeking in Psalm 85. There is no complex set of rules and regulations the believer must master in order to live in the blessing of abundance promised in the Bible. It is so simple even a child can get it. In fact, all good parents drill this into their children early and often:

LISTEN AND OBEY!

You have no problem with that—right? Neither do I! So here’s the deal: Why aren’t you doing that?

I am not trying to be judgmental or confrontational; I am just asking a serious question. You have areas of your life where you are either not listening to God or not obeying what you hear—or both! So do I. And that may be the very reason you and I are not living in the full abundance of God, spiritually, financially, physically, professionally, or relationally.

So what are you going to do about it? I think I will do a little evaluating today—some listening first, then obeying. I plan on getting this one right. You can hold me accountable on that one. And when I get to the end of my life, I hope that I will have so lived that on my headstone are inscribed these words:

HE LISTENED—AND OBEYED GOD!

MY OFFERING OF WORSHIP: Honestly, are there selective areas where you know what you should be doing, but you aren’t? I get it…I really do! But perhaps you should let the Lord speak to you through this devotional and, with his help, take action today to bring your behavior into line with obedience to his Word.

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Try Singing On Your Way to Church

Why? When God’s People Gather, God’s Presence Is There

PREVIEW: The New Testament teaches us that we no longer need to go to the temple in Jerusalem to worship—a good thing, since it no longer exists. Under the new covenant, God, himself, continually dwells in you, personally—you are now the temple of the Holy Spirit. Yet while God dwells in you individually, your salvation is not to be divorced from God’s people collectively—the church. You and I, together, make up the new covenant temple of God. As we come together corporately, the very place where we gather—church building, school auditorium, family room, under a tree—along with those who gather, are the temple of God, his holy dwelling place on earth. Something powerful happens when we, the body of Christ, come together to exalt the head of the body, Jesus Christ. As Christ is worshiped, God’s presence fills the temple. And that is something to sing about!

Try Singing On Your Way to Church - Ray Noah

MY JOURNEY OF WORSHIP // Psalm 84:10

Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked..

Do you sing on your way to church? The Israelites did. There was a whole series of songs written just for people on their way to the Tabernacle and, later, the temple in Jerusalem. While this is not officially one of them, they were called psalms of assent. These songs usually extolled the blessings of belonging to God and the anticipation of coming to the earthy dwelling that housed God’s uncontainable presence.

Perhaps we ought to revive that tradition. I’m sure it would heighten our anticipation of entering the Lord’s presence with the community of believers and deepen our experience of his mighty presence in the house of worship.

Of course, the New Testament teaches us that we no longer need to go to the temple in Jerusalem to worship—a good thing since it no longer exists. Under the new covenant, God, himself, continually dwells in you, personally—you are now the temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor 6:19) Yet while God dwells in you individually, your salvation is not to be divorced from God’s people collectively—the church. You and I, together, make up the new covenant temple of God. (1 Cor 3:16-17; 2 Cor 6:15-17; Eph 2:20-22)

As we come together corporately, the very place where we gather—church building, school auditorium, family room, under a tree—along with those who gather, is the temple of God, his holy dwelling place on earth. Something powerful happens when we, the body of Christ, come together to exalt the head of the body, Jesus Christ. As Christ is worshiped, God’s presence fills the temple.

Now, that is something to sing about!

If you have lost the kind of anticipation for going to church that makes you sing, I would suggest you have misplaced your understanding of what the community of believers is all about. I would challenge you to go back and find it—it is crucial to your spiritual health. When you come to church, you are coming into the very place and to the very people who are now the dwelling place of God! And where God dwells, there is both earthly joy and eternal pleasure. (Psalm 16:11)

One day of the kind of earthly joy and eternal pleasure we experience as God dwells among his people is better than a thousand days on the best beaches of Maui or on the rides at Disneyland or on the greens at Pebble Beach or in between the sheets of your bed. If you don’t get that, your vision is clouded.

So start singing about it on the way to church, and pretty soon, it will get into your spirit and you will begin to see what the psalmist saw—and then you can write your own psalm of assent.

MY OFFERING OF WORSHIP: Do you sing on the way to church—whether you are alone or with your family? Start this weekend, and over time and with consistent singing, you will experience a renewed sense of excitement over going to the house of your God.

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Naming Names

There is a Time to Get Good and Angry

PREVIEW: There is a time when it is appropriate for you to get good and angry—not just good, and not just angry, but good and angry! Now the question is, when is that appropriate time? I don’t think I can give you a sure-fire answer for every situation, but there is a clue here within this psalm that seems to echo other times in Scripture where good anger was called for. It is when the people who are upsetting you are upsetting you because they are hindering, hurting, or plotting the destruction of God’s people and God’s plan. It’s not when someone cut you off in traffic, or took your seat in church, or pulled out fifteen coupons in the “15 Items or Less” check-out line when you were in a hurry. It’s when their motive, known or unknown to them, is to destroy the work of God. That’s when it is appropriate to pray like the psalmist: God, make them pay.

Naming Names - Ray Noah

MY JOURNEY OF WORSHIP // Psalm 83:1-5,16

O God, do not remain silent; do not turn a deaf ear, do not stand aloof, O God. See how your enemies growl, how your foes rear their heads. With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish. “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.” With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you. …Cover their faces with shame so that men will seek your name, O LORD.

“May my enemies know the fiery terror (Psalm 83:14) of your judgment; make them to know the tempest of your storm (Psalm 83:15). Make Edom, the Ishmaelites, the Hagrites, Gebal, Ammon, Amalek, Philistia, Tyre and Assyria (Psalm 83:6-8) like refuse on the ground (Psalm 83:10), nothing more than a tumbleweed tumbling along (Psalm 83:13). Make them pay, Lord!”

Have you ever prayed like that? Have you ever gone before the Lord and named names, calling down the fire and the fury of heaven upon the heads of your enemies? Have you ever been brutally honest with God?

I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it unless it’s called for. If you are doing that a lot, it may reveal more about the condition of your heart than the people with whom you are upset. Perhaps you need to do a little soul work, asking God to do a deep work of healing in your heart, teaching you how to truly forgive your enemies, and learning how to patiently put judgment in his just hand.

Yet there is a time when it is appropriate for you to get good and angry—not just good, and not just angry, but good and angry! Now the question is, when is that appropriate time? I don’t think I can give you the definitive answer for every situation, but there is a clue here within this psalm that seems to echo other times in Scripture where good anger was called for. It is when the people who are upsetting you are upsetting you because they are hindering, hurting, or plotting the destruction of God’s people and God’s plan. Psalm 83:3 says,

With cunning, they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish.

So that’s it—that is how you get good and angry. It’s not that someone cut you off in traffic, or took your seat in church, or pulled out fifteen coupons in the “15 Items or Less” check-out line when you were in a hurry. It’s when their motive, known or unknown to them, is to destroy the work of God. That’s when it is appropriate to pray like the psalmist.

But here’s another clue that will keep you good when you are angry: Don’t just pray for their ruination; pray for their redemption. At the very least, pray that the Divine punishment brought down upon their heads will serve as a witness to others of the glory of God’s great name (Psalm 83:16).

So, if you can manage to include those two aspects authentically in your prayers, go ahead, name names!

MY OFFERING OF WORSHIP: When was the last time you came to God in prayer and poured out your heart in an unfiltered way? If it has been a while, maybe it is time. And don’t worry: God is big enough to handle your unvarnished upset.

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Hassled By “The Man”

There Will Be Liberty and Justice for All

PREVIEW: Human longing for God’s justice has been a common theme in every age—including ours. Too often, the powerless have been hassled by “the man,” with impunity. Throughout history, the rich have built their wealth on the backs of the poor, men have treated women as chattel, adults have neglected children, ruling parties have disenfranchised minorities, captains of industry have enslaved “lesser” human beings, and those who have the means to prevent and eradicate poverty, hunger, and disease have stood by while the lives of untold millions have been needlessly imprisoned in misery and whose lives have been ruined. Perhaps at some level, even you have felt hassled by “the man.” There is something in us cries out for God to intervene, isn’t there? And sometimes, we feel as though the God of justice who rules from heaven above has turned a blind eye to the plight of the unfortunate. But there is a day coming when God will rise to bring both the living and the dead to full account. And on that day, justice and fairness will finally and fully reign throughout all of creation. It may not seem like it today, but that day is coming.

Hassled By “The Man” - Ray Noah

A JOURNEY OF WORSHIP // Psalm 82:1-4,8

God presides in the great assembly; he renders judgment among the “gods”: How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance.

The opening line is a little confusing. Who are the “gods” that Almighty God is addressing? According to the Expositor’s Bible Commentary, God is speaking to one of three possible audiences: (1) human judges who are condemned by the Great Judge for being unjust; (2) the principalities and the powers of other nations that oppress Israel; (3) pagan deities judged by God, who rule the darkness of the world.

Whatever the case may be, his entire psalm is a plea for God to rise up against the powerful who use their positions of power—either through aggression or neglect—to harass and abuse the powerless: the poor, the orphan, the destitute, the oppressed. In fact, this psalm is more than a plea; it’s a challenge, really, to the Almighty to do what a righteous God ought to do: Ensure liberty and justice for one and all.

That has been a common theme in every age—including ours. Too often, the powerless have been hassled by “the man” with impunity. Throughout history, the rich have built their wealth on the backs of the poor, men have treated women as chattel, adults have neglected children, ruling parties have disenfranchised minorities, captains of industry have enslaved “lesser” human beings, and those who have the means to prevent and eradicate poverty, hunger, and disease have stood by while the lives of untold millions have been needlessly imprisoned in misery and whose lives have been ruined. Perhaps at some level, even you have felt hassled by “the man.”

There is something in us that cries out for God to intervene, isn’t there? And sometimes, we feel as though the God of justice who rules from heaven above has turned a blind eye to the plight of the unfortunate. But there is a day coming when God will rise to bring both the living and the dead to full account. And on that day, justice and fairness will finally and fully reign throughout all of creation. It may not seem like it today, but that day is coming.

The Christian must never forget that we are people of the resurrection. What does that mean in this context? Simply this: We follow a Risen Savior who rose from the tomb victorious over death, hell, and the grave. And that is a permanent reminded that Jesus broke the chains of sin, sickness, and suffering on the days he rose from the tomb, and in so doing, sent notice throughout time and eternity that he will not rest until the rulers and principalities and world systems and spiritual dominions that have caused the ruination of God’s plan for the human race are brought under his fair and just dominion.

It may not seem like it today, but the empty tomb and the Risen Savior we celebrate are to remind us, not just on Easter Sunday, but every day, that God has not turned a blind eye to this planet, nor to you. So, on this day, be reminded that “the man’s” days are numbered.

And when “the man’s” number is up, then the innumerable and unending days of the rule and reign of the Son of Man will begin—and then there will truly be liberty and justice for all!

MY OFFERING OF WORSHIP: As an act of faith, offer up praise to Almighty God for his just and true judgments, and give him thanks that you will live forever in Eden restored.

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The Big “If”

Unconditional … with Conditions

PREVIEW: God’s unconditional grace, unlimited love, and undeserved mercy—for which we are all unspeakably grateful—come with some conditions for us. There is a sense in which his unlimited grace is limited, his unlimited love is limited, his unlimited mercy is limited, and we must do some things to unlock the door for them to operate in our lives in a transformational way. There are some big “ifs” to this relationship we enjoy with God. But “if” you are fulfilling the big “ifs” in your relationship with God, then you can expect an unimaginable supply of unconditional grace, unlimited love, and undeserved mercy.

The Big “If” - Ray Noah

A JOURNEY OF WORSHIP // Psalm 81:8,13-14

Hear me, my people, and I will warn you— if you would only listen to me, Israel! …If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes! Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever. But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.

We often speak of God’s unconditional grace, unlimited love, and undeserved mercy—for which we are all unspeakably grateful. But let’s not forget that God does have some conditions for us; there is a sense in which his unlimited love is limited; there are some things we must do to deserve his mercy. There are steps we must take to access the blessings of his grace fully. There are some big “ifs” to this relationship we enjoy with God.

God is a conditional God. Did you notice how the psalmist put it? “If” God’s people listen to him, “if” God’s people obey him, then, and only then, will he fight on their behalf and give them victory. The psalmist is only echoing what is taught in a hundred other places throughout Scripture: The blessings of the covenant that God has made with us are conditional—God’s unconditional, unlimited, and undeserved favor flows to us only as we walk in loving surrender to his rulership over our lives. God has covenanted to bless us as we covenant to obey him.

In our Christian culture, there has been a tendency to emphasize grace in a way that is not balanced by truth, love that is not balanced by obedience, and mercy that is not balanced by authentic repentance. That has led to what has been called “easy believism”—an unhealthy and risky view of salvation. It is time for us to reexamine what Scripture tells us rather than mindlessly allow current preaching trends to adjust what the Bible teaches to what our culture finds acceptable. We must adjust our beliefs and behaviors, as painful and costly as that might be, to what God’s Word says, not vice versa.

So, on this particular day, as you examine your heart, honestly and openly ask yourself if you are living up to your end of the bargain. Check to see if you are meeting the conditions of the covenant. The painful part of doing that may be that you are required to do some costly realigning of your life.

The upside is that if you are fulfilling the big “ifs” in your relationship with God, then you can expect an unimaginable supply of unconditional grace, unlimited love, and undeserved mercy.

MY OFFERING OF WORSHIP: Are you expecting God’s unconditional grace, unlimited love, and undeserved mercy today? Then, ask yourself if you are living up to your end of the covenant. If you are carefully listening to his instruction and lovingly obeying his voice, then you have nothing to fear. If you are not, then offer up a sincere prayer of repentance.