More From Psalm 149

I have been enjoying Psalm 149 over the past couple of days. Yesterday, I listed the 7 weapons of war that will make way for the glory of the Lord to prevail in the nations. Today, we find:

There are 7 times where the Lord is mentioned in this Psalm by name:

V1 – Lord

V1 – Lord

V2 – Maker

V2 – King

V4 – Lord

V6 – God

V9 – Lord

There are 7 different people or groups of people other than the Lord are mentioned

V1 – Saints (also v9)

V4 – His people

V4 – the humble

V7 – the nations

V7 – the peoples

V8 – their kings

V8 – their nobles

There are 7 outcomes from this praise. These are 7 things that will happen as we obey the Lord and enter into this work of high praise:

V4 – the Lord will beautify the humble with salvation

V5 – the Lord will impart a singing joy to His people

V6 – the Lord will place the sword of His Word into the mouths of His people

V7 – God’s people will minister His vengeance and punishments in the nations

V8 – God’s people will to bind up the powers and rulers of darkness in the nations

V9 – God’s people will administer His judgment on the wicked in the form of a written decree

V9 – the Lord will clothe His people with honor

As you can see, there are a series of things that we have to enter into by faith. For example these 7 things:

• we need to allow our hearts to rejoice - no matter what we are walking through in our lives

• we need to sing - even if we are not great singers. We are called upon to sing aloud on our beds

• we need to dance - even if we are not skilled dancers

• we need to enter this warfare with humility. It is the humble people who have the authority of God

• we need to fill our mouths with the high praises of God. This is different from praise - it is the praise that is filled with the presence and power of God

• we need to put the Word of God in our hands and before our eyes in a way that teaches us how to use this great tool of spiritual warfare

• we need to stand with the Lord as His ministers over the nations. He has given us authority to pull down satan's plans and rule. Jesus has won this victory on the cross, but we have to partner with the Lord as ministers of God's justice and glory in all the earth. We have to become active in prayer, worship and intercession on behalf of all nations.

Seven more secrets of praise from Psalm 149: HERE

Psalm 149 - 7 Things

My heart was in Psalm 149 during worship this morning:

 ¹ Praise the LORD!
         
         Sing to the LORD a new song, 
         And His praise in the assembly of saints. 
         
 ² Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
         Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
 ³ Let them praise His name with the dance;
         Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.
 ⁴ For the LORD takes pleasure in His people;
         He will beautify the humble with salvation. 
         
 ⁵ Let the saints be joyful in glory;
         Let them sing aloud on their beds.
 ⁶ Let the high praises of God be in their mouth,
         And a two-edged sword in their hand,
 ⁷ To execute vengeance on the nations,
         And punishments on the peoples;
 ⁸ To bind their kings with chains,
         And their nobles with fetters of iron;
 ⁹ To execute on them the written judgment—
         This honor have all His saints. 
         
         Praise the LORD!

I am noticing 7 things that will bring destruction on the enemy - even the powers of darkness that keep the nations from the Lord:

• Praise the Lord in the midst of the Church
• Sing a new song to the Lord
• Rejoice in the Lord your Maker
• Praise the Lord in the dance
• Praise the Lord with instruments
• Let high praises to the Lord fill your mouth
• Let the sword of the Lord be in your hand - the Word of God

These are the powerful weapons of war that the Lord has released to us in these days. Expect to see the glory of the Lord in the nations - expect to see victories for the Kingdom in this coming year.

More from Psalm 149 - HERE

Dancers Among Us - Photography Project

Check out this photography project by Jordan Matter. He takes professional dancers and juxtapose them in everyday settings. Here are a few examples, but I encourage you to go to this site:

 Dancers
(there is a slideshow of all the photos and also an interesting behind the scenes video of how some of the photos came about)

I love dancers - especially in worship:

My friend, Yvonne Peters

...and the always fabulous Christian Dance Company - Ballet Magnificat

...and Theo and jolie Williams

It doesn't get much better than this - dance with all your hearts in the house of the Lord tomorrow:

Psalm 149:3 Let them praise His name with the dance; Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.

Praise Him Through 7 Stages of Life

We were formed to praise, we are called to praise Him throughout our lives and for all eternity. Here is a picture of our lives praising God throughout 7 stages:

We can praise Him when we are conceived and formed in the womb

Psalm 139:14-16 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.

My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.

We can praise Him when we are babies

Ps. 8:2 Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger.

We can praise Him when we are young

Ps. 148: 12-13 Both young men and maidens; old men and children.

Let them praise the name of the LORD, for His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven.

We can praise Him when we are old

Ps. 71:18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come.

We can praise Him when we face death

2Sam 22:6-7 The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.

In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry entered His ears.

We can praise Him when we are delivered from death

Ps. 56:13 For You have delivered my soul from death. Have You not kept my feet from falling, that I may walk before God, in the light of the living?

We can praise Him for ever and ever

Ps. 45:17 I will make Your name to be remembered in all generations; therefore the people shall praise You forever and ever.

Psalm 27:4

One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

All the days of my life,

To behold the beauty of the Lord,

And to inquire in His temple.

Life's Problems

Do you sometimes feel all bent out of shape?

Hebrews 12:12-13 (NLT)

So take a new grip with your tired hands

and strengthen your weak knees. 

Mark out a straight path for your feet

so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.

Do you fear the storm clouds amassing on the horizon?

Psalm 107:29 (NKJV)

He calms the storm, so that its waves are still. 

Psalm 4:8 (NKJV)

I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;

For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Do you feel that things are "up in the air"
and filled with uncertainties?

 1Corinthians 2:3-5 (The Message)

I was unsure of how to go about this, and felt totally inadequate—

I was scared to death, if you want the truth of it—

and so nothing I said could have impressed you or anyone else.

But the Message came through anyway.
God's Spirit and God's power did it,
which made it clear that your life of faith is a response to God's power,

not to some fancy mental or emotional footwork by me or anyone else.

Do you find that there are obstacles all along your way?

Matthew 21:21 (The Message)

But Jesus was matter-of-fact: "Yes—and if you embrace this kingdom life

and don't doubt God, you'll not only do minor feats like I did to the fig tree,

but also triumph over huge obstacles.

This mountain, for instance, you'll tell, 'Go jump in the lake,' and it will jump.

Absolutely everything, ranging from small to large,

as you make it a part of your believing prayer,

gets included as you lay hold of God."

Do you feel that there are things missing in your life?

Psalm 18:20 (The Message)

God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him.
When I got my act together, he gave me a fresh start.
Now I'm alert to God's ways; I don't take God for granted.
Every day I review the ways he works; I try not to miss a trick.
I feel put back together, and I'm watching my step.
God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes. 

Do you feel like a tiny part of the "rat race" of life?

Psalm 39:6-7 (NLT)

We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.

We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it.

And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?

My only hope is in You.

    

(Thanks to my friend Richard who sent me these photos) 

Please check out these two YouTube clips from my good friend Richard in Australia:

Let me know what you think. Richard has a couple of instrumental albums and they remain on my "favorites" list.

Oh...and just to make it clear - Richard is a New Zealander...

Amazing Dolphins

Just a short video - I never cease to be amazed by God's creation

...And then there is this:

Dolphins Save Surfer From A Shark Attack

Fragrance of Christ

We heard a Scripture at Church yesterday:

1 Cor. 2:14-16

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ,

and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.

For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved

and among those who are perishing.

To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death,

and to the other the aroma of life leading to life...

...and when I saw these photos, I thought this was a perfect illustration. These pictures show a piece of art by 82-year-old Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama. She created this "Obliteration Room" as a completely white canvas - furniture and all. Over the course of 2 weeks at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art, thousands of children pasted stickers all over the room - wherever they wanted to:

Just think - if each dot represents the fragrance of Christ that exudes from our lives - we can cover the earth with the love and glory of Christ in a few weeks...

The Paths of the Lord - Part 4

The Lord says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.

I will advise you and watch over you

Psalm 32:8

What an awesome Scripture!! The bottom line in all this talk on pathways is that the Lord as our lives under control. These have been some difficult years, but even so, I am determined to keep my eyes on Him. We are watching Him for this promise to come to pass:

You crown the year with a bountiful harvest;

even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.

Psalm 65:11 (NLT)

A prayer for this year as we serve the Lord in many nations:

For I am about to do a brand-new thing. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?

I will make a pathway through the wilderness for my people to come home.

I will create rivers for them in the desert!

Isaiah 43:19 (NLT)

Once we have our own lives established on the paths of the Lord; once we are living according to His ways; once our course is established, then we will participate with Him in making pathways for God's people to come into His kingdom. I can't think of the greater privilege - to make pathways in the wilderness and rivers in the desert so that people everywhere can come flooding into God's Kingdom.

I am sure that we need to join our voices with John's:

He is a voice shouting in the wilderness:
'Prepare a pathway for the Lord's coming!

Make a straight road for him!' "

Mark 1:3 (NLT)

I can't think of a better way to prepare the way of the Lord than through worship.

Pathways of the Lord - Part 3 HERE

Pathways of the Lord - Part 1 HERE
For a new post on God's Footsteps - HERE

The Paths of the Lord - Part 3

Hosea 14:9 (NLT)

Let those who are wise understand these things.
Let those who are discerning listen carefully.
The paths of the LORD are true and right,
and righteous people live by walking in them.

But sinners stumble and fall along the way.

In Psalm 139 we see the Lord taking great interest and care with the path of our lives and every direction we might take:

Psalm 139:3

You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways

There is no doubt that some of the paths we run after are dangerous and life-damaging to our faith journey:

Psalm 1:6 For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

Prov. 4:14 Do not do as the wicked do or follow the path of evildoers.

Jer. 18:15 These can be counted on, but not my people! For they have deserted me and turned to worthless idols. They have stumbled off the ancient highways of good, and they walk the muddy paths of sin. (NLT)

Once we set ourselves down one of these paths, a simple wrong move can cause everything in our lives to crash:

...however, a few simple instructions, followed with all our hearts will keep us from destruction:

• Refuse the path of evil - turn from it and keep yourself from its temptations

Ps. 119:101 I have refused to walk on any path of evil, that I may remain obedient to you word (NLT)

• Allow God's Word to become like a light that shows the way for your feet. These are days of uncertainty and trial, yet the Lord's word is faithful and true and will aways provide light for our paths

Ps. 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (NKJV)

• Once the Lord shows you the way, allow yourself to run towards that path. Don't put it off for another day - run in the direction He has made for you. As you do this your heart will be set free

Ps. 119:32 I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free (NIV)

• Give thought to the direction you take. Don't allow yourself to be swept away by the latest trends; or the chances of life that will always carry with it some unintended diversions or hidden perils. It is not an accident that has you in the place you are today - it is the result of conscious thoughts and many decisions along your journey

Prov. 4:26 Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established (NKJV)

• The wicked man in Psalm 1:1 stops walking down his path - he actually stops to look at the sin he has stumbled upon. We find him standing (not walking) in the path of sin. He eventually sits down in the place of the sinner and becomes a scoffer of the righteous. We are called to walk down God's path of life and find ourselves planted like a tree beside refreshing water - our lives end in prosperity and fruitfulness:

Psalm 1

1Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;2But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.3He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.4The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.5Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.6For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Pathways of the Lord - Part 2 HERE
Pathways of the Lord - Part 4 HERE