Posted on Monday, May 6, 2024

Unfettered Worship

Loosen Up in Your Love for the Lord

SYNOPSIS: Wouldn’t it be great to be so in love with Jesus and so overwhelmed by his saving grace and mercy and so grateful for the most dramatic search and rescue that ever took place when he saved you from utter darkness and eternal damnation that you just lost yourself for a season in unfettered worship like King David was when he danced before the Lord? Of course, there are cultural differences that shape our expressions of worship, but wouldn’t you agree that after all God has done for us out of his undeserved loving-kindness, we need to loosen up a bit in how we express our love and gratitude for God in worship from time to time? It might be a stretch for you, so try this when you are in a private place and time, but just lose yourself in the wonder of worship by shouting for joy and dancing a jig for Jesus. I have a suspicion that it would do you some good.

Moments with God // Psalm 98:4-5

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing.

Years ago, when I first began planting churches in Africa, I was in the western region of Ethiopia, and I was called upon to preach in one of the thriving churches that are springing up every year there by the hundreds. It was in what you might call a backward part of the world. It was remote, underserved, and lacked access to almost everything we take for granted in America: education, healthcare, infrastructure, goods and services, etc. Yet despite the deprivation, it was a veritable “ground zero” for a modern-day Holy Spirit revival akin to what we read about in the Book of Acts. One of the things I loved most about being there—an experience that continues to this day wherever I go in East Africa—was the unfettered worship these people lifted to God when they gathered for church services.

On that particular occasion, right before I was to preach, the choir sang—two songs. Back-to-back songs. Songs that were twelve minutes each! I know; I timed them. And not knowing the language, I sat for twenty-four minutes listening to singers I didn’t know lifting love songs I didn’t know to the God who has rescued them from utter darkness and brought them into the kingdom of his Son. And I’ve got to tell you: I was moved.

In the front row sat a man who began to get “blessed” by the choir. He began to shake, then he began to shout, and then he began to dance back and forth across the front of the sanctuary with dance moves that I suspect would be physically impossible for any American to duplicate. Not a practiced routine, mind you, you could tell this was totally spontaneous. After a bit, this fellow finally danced back to his seat, only to get “re-blessed” within a few seconds, whereupon he began his shaking-shouting-dancing routine all over again—for the twenty-four minutes of the two choir songs.

My first thought was, “Wow, this would never happen where I’m from. This man is calling attention to himself, and I’d have to set him straight about propriety in worship.” But then I began to understand that this man was simply and authentically lost in the wonder of worship. He wasn’t calling attention to himself; he was expressing unfettered praise to God in a way that I had never, ever come close to experiencing. So was everyone else in the place that day.

And then I was a bit jealous!

Wouldn’t it be great to be that in love with Jesus and that overwhelmed by his saving grace and that grateful for the most dramatic search and rescue that ever took place when he saved you from utter darkness and eternal damnation that you just lost yourself for a season in unfettered worship? Of course, there are cultural differences that will shape our expressions of worship—I get that—but wouldn’t you agree that after all God has done for us out of his mercy and grace, we need to loosen up a bit in how we express our love and gratitude to God in worship from time to time?

Certainly, the psalmist thinks so.

Take A Moment: It might be a stretch for you, so try this when you are in a private place and time. Just lose yourself in the wonder of God’s mercy and grace. Shout for joy and dance a jig for Jesus. I have a suspicion that it would do you some good.

Posted on Friday, May 3, 2024

Love-Hate Relationships

Ask God to Give You His Eyes for this World

SYNOPSIS: What is there in this present world that is fundamentally holy and thoroughly fair? Not much! For sure, you can find pockets of righteousness and justice here and there, but the prevailing forces of this present world are anything but. Everywhere you look—the media, the courts, the economy, the entertainment industry, the academy—most of what you see is unrighteous and unfair. Now the scary thing is, we are continually and strategically pounded with the systemic evil of this world that we start to become immune to it. It is highly likely that the daily barrage of unrighteousness and unfairness has brought us to the point of not even seeing it anymore—and if we do see it, we’re not even bothered by it. That is scary, sad … and wrong! That has got to change! It is time to embrace a love-hate relationship with our current situation.

Moments with God // Psalm 97:11-12

Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.

If you love the Lord, then you’ve got to hate! Hate evil, that is.

I realize this is a bit complicated, but it is impossible to love God with all your heart and, at the same time, mindlessly embrace the values of this fallen world. Those are not my rules; they are God’s. God actually calls you to hate this fallen world’s values. You see, the very foundation of God’s rule over both the larger universe and the smaller world of your life is righteousness and justice: “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.” (Psalm 97:2). In other words, from the center to the circumference of God’s being, he is holy and fair.

So, tell me, what is there in this present world that is fundamentally holy and thoroughly fair? Not much! Sure, you can find pockets of righteousness and justice here and there, but the prevailing forces are anything but. Everywhere you look—in the media, the courts, the economy, the entertainment industry, the academy, and unfortunately, too often, in the church—most of what you see is unrighteous and unfair.

Now, the scary thing is that we are continually and strategically pounded with the systemic evil of this world to the point we become immune to it. It is highly likely that the daily barrage of unrighteousness and unfairness has brought us to the point of not even seeing it anymore—and if we do see it, we’re no longer bothered by it. That is scary, sad … and sinful!

That has got to change! It is time to embrace a love-hate relationship with our current situation. We belong to a righteous and just God, whom we are called to love wholeheartedly. But our love for God requires us to hate this unrighteous and unfair world in which we live for the time being.

So, it is high time we change how we think about this present world—which is nothing more than our temporary residence. The Apostle Paul’s call for the transformation of our worldview is long overdue. In Romans 12:2, Paul issues this critical challenge:

Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (The Message)

A passionate love-hate relationship is called for. It will be a little risky to hate what is going on in your world. (By the way, and I think this goes without saying, while we are to hate the world, we are to love the lost.)

In fact, you will be hated back by the very world you hate—that is understandable—so get comfortable with it. But here’s the deal: God has promised to guard your life, deliver you to a better place (“You who love the Lord, hate evil! He protects the lives of his godly people and rescues them from the power of the wicked” Psalm 97:10), shine his favor upon you, and fill your heart with joy (“Light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right” Psalm 97:11) if you throw in with him.

Love God—hate evil! That’s what I’m going with!

Take A Moment: Ask God to give you his eyes for this lost world. He perfectly hates the evil and injustice in it, but he perfectly loves the people in this world whom he created to bear his image—even when they have gone their own way.

Posted on Monday, April 29, 2024

Don’t Forget—God Is Holy

Worship Him in the Splendor of His Holiness

SYNOPSIS: The saints in the Bible knew of God’s holiness. When God passed by Moses in the cleft of the rock, Moses tasted the holiness of God. When Elijah called down fire from heaven on the false prophets, the people saw the holiness of God. When Ananias and Saphira were struck dead for lying to the Holy Spirit, the church knew the holiness of God. But other than a relatively few cautionary tales, the New Covenant people were somehow able to partake in the holiness of God without being consumed by it. I wish that for you—and for me, too—that we could partake in God’s holiness without being consumed by it. I am not sure how we can come into that kind of experience—and perhaps I don’t really know what I am asking for—but there is something deep within my spirit that cries out to know God in his holiness. May God grant us a deeper, transformational revelation of Divine holiness so we can truly worship him in the splendor of his holiness.

Moments With God // Psalm 96:7-9

O nations of the world, recognize the Lord; recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong. Give to the Lord the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his courts. Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor. Let all the earth tremble before him. Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!” The world stands firm and cannot be shaken. He will judge all peoples fairly.

I don’t know that we really “get” the holiness of God. And that’s too bad. We throw that term around a lot—holiness—and we have a sense that his holiness is not to be trifled with, but I don’t think we know how to wrap our minds around the concept.

We know God as a loving Father—guiding, providing, and protecting. That one is easier to absorb, at least in theory. We know God as revealed through his Son, Jesus—compassionate, servant-hearted, gentle, and caring. We know God through the infilling of the Holy Spirit—empowering, energizing, and enabling us to do his bidding. But the holiness of God—do we really know him that way?

The saints of old did. When God passed by Moses in the cleft of the rock, Moses tasted the holiness of God. When Elijah called down fire from heaven on the false prophets, the people saw the holiness of God. When Ananias and Saphira were struck dead for lying to the Holy Spirit, the church knew the holiness of God. But other than a relatively few cautionary tales, the New Covenant people were somehow able to partake in the holiness of God without being consumed by it.

I wish that for you—and for me, too—that we could partake in God’s holiness without being consumed by it. I am not sure how we can come into that kind of experience—and perhaps I don’t really know what I am asking for—but there is something deep within my spirit that cries out to know God in his holiness.

May God grant us a deeper, transformational revelation of Divine holiness beyond the positional holiness imputed to us at salvation and the empirical holiness of our obedience to Christ so that we can truly worship him in the splendor of his holiness.

Take A Moment: Try offering a prayer to God that he would reveal his holiness to you so that you can partake in it in a deeper, truer way—without being consumed by it—that will enable you to worship him in the splendor of his holiness.

Posted on Friday, April 26, 2024

You Can Trust The Shepherd

God Alone Satisfies

SYNOPSIS: Given the track record of the Shepherd’s goodness, why would we ever harden our hearts to the Good Shepherd’s voice? It doesn’t make sense, does it? And yet that is precisely what we do when we wander off on our own or want things that aren’t good for sheep or worry over stuff that the Shepherd has under his control (which is everything, by the way). I hate to admit it, but sometimes I am just a dumb sheep—and I have a feeling that you are, too.

You Can Trust The Shepherd - Ray Noah Blog

Moments With God // Psalm 95:6-7

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts…

Sheep. Not the brightest animal on the planet. In fact, some would call them downright dumb. They are defenseless, too. They have nothing within themselves to fight off their enemies. And not only are they dumb and defenseless, but precisely because they are dumb and defenseless, they are totally dependent on the goodness of the shepherd.

Sheep. That’s what we are. And from the description above, perhaps that is exactly why the writers of Scripture chose this particular animal from among all the animals on the planet to describe the people of God. Not bright enough, not strong enough, not sufficient enough to survive apart from the goodness of the Shepherd.

Yes, we are the flock under his care. And that is a good thing because the care of our Good Shepherd has always been sufficient. There has never been a time when the Shepherd has not led us to green pastures or kept us on the safe path or stood guard over us through the night watch or preserved us from the attack of the enemy or brought us through the valley of the shadow of death. In fact, the Shepherd is so good that he even laid down his life to provide eternal life for dumb, defenseless, and dependent sheep like us. There has never been a time when the Good Shepherd has not been more than sufficient for us, nor will there ever be.

So then, given the record of the Shepherd’s goodness, why would we ever harden our hearts to the Good Shepherd’s voice? It doesn’t make sense, does it? And yet that is precisely what we do when we wander off on our own or want things that aren’t good for sheep or worry over stuff that the Shepherd has under his control (which is everything, by the way). I hate to admit it, but sometimes I am just a dumb sheep—and I have a feeling that you are, too.

But today is a new day, and you have a fresh reminder of the goodness and sufficiency of the Good Shepherd. So listen to his voice and follow his command, for he will lead you to that place where sheep do best.

Where is that? I don’t know—I am just a sheep, too. But the Shepherd knows, so just listen and follow.

Take A Moment: Tell the Shepherd everything that is worrying you or that you are wanting today. Then leave it with him and exercise trust!

Posted on Monday, April 22, 2024

Nice and Comfy

Got a Distress? Run to Abba!

PREVIEW: Like small children, we sometimes get into a huge upset over things that happen in our grown-up world—a bruised ego, a blocked desire, a broken promise, a shattered dream. And sometimes we get foot-stomping mad, or we get profoundly sad, or we start being bad—or all three. From our view, the world sometimes seems like it is coming to an end. At times, it feels like our feet are slipping, that we are losing our grip, that we don’t have the wherewithal to hold it all together much longer. But how do you think God sees our situation? Of course, his perspective is much like ours as parents with our children—only multiplied by indescribable love, unlimited wisdom, and unmatched power to the nth degree. So, the next time you are upset, take your owie to him and let his comfort give you hope and cheer.

MY JOURNEY OF WORSHIP // Psalm 94:17-19

Unless the Lord had helped me, I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave. I cried out, “I am slipping!” but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.

When our children were small, they would sometimes come to my wife and me in a huge upset—tears, wailing, the whole nine yards. It might have been the result of a skinned knee, a snatched toy, a bad dream, or any number of earth-shattering events. From the child’s view, the world was coming to an end, but from our perspective as parents, their cause for concern was no big deal, and the solution was never beyond our resources to rectify.

Of course, all parents experience that with their children—it is just a universal role moms and dads are called to play. But it is also universal that as adults, we forget what we know to be true for our children, and we will often get in a huge upset over things that happen in our grown-up world—a bruised ego, a blocked desire, a broken promise, a shattered dream. And sometimes we get foot-stomping mad, or we get profoundly sad, or we start being bad—or all three.

When our children were losing it like that (in Psalm 94:18, the writer said, “when my foot was slipping”), we would pick them up and say something like, “There, there, little one, it’s going to be okay.” We would comfort their pain, dry their tears, kiss their owie, and send them on their way with the knowledge that things were going to be okay. And each time, our consolation worked wonders to restore peace and confidence in their little world.

I suspect you know where I am going with this by now. From our view, the world sometimes seems like it is coming to an end. At times, it feels like our feet are slipping, that we are losing our grip, that we don’t have the wherewithal to hold it all together much longer. But how do you think God sees our situation? Of course, his perspective is much like ours as parents with our children—only multiplied by indescribable love, unlimited wisdom, and unmatched power to the nth degree.

Along the way, I had a couple of disappointing things happen in my world—people who let me down, a partner who didn’t appreciate the sacrifice I had made to advance a shared ministry, a situation that made me foot-stomping mad. And like the psalmist, I found anxiety rising within me. Often—far too often—I didn’t handle it too well.

Yet, as you would expect, in time, I felt better. Not because the situation was any different than before or that it had magically resolved itself. What had changed was my perspective. And my perspective changed because I finally did the right thing and ran to my perfect, loving, powerful Heavenly Father.

So, like you, I don’t know what disappointment today may bring, but at least on this day, and hopefully, every day going forward, I will take my owies immediately to Abba Father and get nice and comfy in his arms. I am going to let him hold me and soothe my aching heart until I absorb his perspective and see my world from his vantage point. And I know exactly what is going to happen: His comfort will give me renewed hope and cheer.

It works every time!

MY OFFERING OF WORSHIP: Memorize 1 Peter 5:7, “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” Then, throughout the day, practice casting!

Posted on Friday, April 19, 2024

High and Mighty

God is Above the Storm

PREVIEW: What are you facing today? A demanding boss at work? An impenetrable clique at school? A depleting ailment in your body? An unsolvable problem in your finances? A looming disaster in your family? What is the gathering storm in your life right now? It is pretty intimidating, I would imagine. Storms are like that. But here’s the deal: God was there before your storm got started. He will be there long after your it blows itself back into oblivion. It follows, therefore, that he will be with you as you ride out the storm. So look for him through the winds and the waves. Listen for his voice above the chaos. He is “mightier than the violent raging of the seas, mightier than the breakers on the shore—the Lord above is mightier than these!” (Psalm 93:4) Your storm, after all, compared to God, is nothing more than a tempest in a teapot.

MY JOURNEY OF WORSHIP // Psalm 93:1-2

The Lord is king! He is robed in majesty. Indeed, the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength. The world stands firm and cannot be shaken. Your throne, O Lord, has stood from time immemorial. You yourself are from the everlasting past.

What are you facing today? A demanding boss at work? An impenetrable clique at school? A depleting ailment in your body? An unsolvable problem in your finances? A looming disaster in your family?

What is the gathering storm in your life right now? It is pretty intimidating, I would imagine. Storms are like that. They rise up as if to consume you: “The floods have risen up, O Lord.” They dominate your world and color your entire view of life: “The floods have roared like thunder.” They batter every fiber of your existence: “The floods have lifted up their pounding waves.” (Psalm 93:3)

But here’s the deal: God was there before your storm got started. He will be there long after that storm blows itself back into oblivion. It follows, therefore, that he will be with you as you ride out the storm. So look for him through the winds and the waves. Listen for his voice above the chaos. He is “mightier than the violent raging of the seas, mightier than the breakers on the shore—the Lord above is mightier than these!” (Psalm 93:4)

No matter what the storm, small or big—and they are all big, from the perspective of them in the midst of them—you are not alone. There is One with you who is higher and mightier than your storm—so high and mighty that he makes your worst hurricane nothing more than a tempest in a teapot!

Got a storm? Make yourself a cup of tea just to remind the storm of Who’s in charge!

MY OFFERING OF WORSHIP: If you are going through a storm, do what the disciples did when they were in a fierce storm and thought they would drown. They cried out to Jesus, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” (Matthew 8:25). Try it—Jesus has been known to calm the storms.

Posted on Monday, April 15, 2024

They Just Don’t Get It!

Inconvenient Truths Must Be Spoken

PREVIEW: Though the number of those who flout God’s laws is growing in strength and numbers today, like flourishing grass, one day they will stand before a Righteous God who has established an unchangeable moral code for the universe. Here is how the psalmist, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said it in Psalm 92:7,9: “Though the wicked sprout like weeds and evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever… Your enemies, Lord, will surely perish; all evildoers will be scattered.” It is a harsh truth—but it is still the truth: Those who have flaunted their freedoms and lived in disregard to God’s law will be forever destroyed. And from that perspective, as the psalmist said, they are senseless fools. They just don’t get it. But you do! So, stick by what you get, and in the end, you will really get it—the eternal favor of the Lord.

MY JOURNEY OF WORSHIP // Psalm 92:6-8

Only a simpleton would not know, and only a fool would not understand this: Though the wicked sprout like weeds and evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever. But you, O Lord, will be exalted forever.

I usually don’t watch beauty pageants—I’m not a big fan and I have a philosophic aversion to them—so I pay them no mind. However, one from a few years back got a lot of press, which caught my attention. It wasn’t so much that I was intrigued, I was dismayed with the way the first runner up to the crown was viciously treated by so-called cultural elites. What was her crime? It was for what I thought was a sane and sensitive answer to the question she was asked on gay marriage.

This beautiful young woman, who many felt should have won the title if she had given the politically correct answer, was vilified and marginalized, and called everything from homophobic, ignorant, intolerant … and even worse.

She gave the same answer that a vast majority of Americans would have given, and that I hope all born-again Christians would have given: That while we live in a country where you have the freedom to do certain things, including being gay, her moral beliefs and value system led her to believe that marriage should be preserved for a man and a woman. She said it respectfully, she said it calmly, she said it gracefully. She shared her opinion, which, the last time I looked, was still an American value. And then, for her, all hell broke loose.

So, what’s the deal with an increasingly vocal, radical, and hateful bunch in our country who preach tolerance the loudest but themselves are the most intolerant, and viciously so, when anyone doesn’t kowtow to their elitist dogma? How about this:

They just don’t get it!

They don’t get the fact that though they are growing in strength and numbers today, like flourishing grass, one day they will stand before a Righteous God who has established an unchangeable moral code for the universe. Here is how the psalmist, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said it in Psalm 92:7,9:

Though the wicked sprout like weeds and evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever… Your enemies, Lord, will surely perish; all evildoers will be scattered.

It is a harsh truth—but it is still the truth: Those who have flaunted their freedoms and lived in disregard to God’s law will be forever destroyed. And from that perspective, as the psalmist said, they are senseless fools. They just don’t get it.

But you do! You get that God will be exalted and unrepentant sinners will be destroyed. You get that those who have put their trust in God, who have submitted to the rules he has established for his creation, who love, honor, and respect him, will, as Psalm 92:12-14 says,

Flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age; they will stay fresh and green.

Don’t be surprised that there will be people who don’t get that! But you do; you get it. So, stick by what you get, and in the end, you will really get it—the eternal favor of Lord.

MY OFFERING OF WORSHIP: It is important to remember that when we talk about the surety of God’s judgment against sin, that “there for the grace of God go I.”