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THE POWER OF PRAISE
HALLELUYAH. Alelu-Yah.
Praise Yah. Yahweh &
Yahshua. Praise is the expression of worship of a soul that loves God in spirit and
truth, our King, our Lord Yahshua, with all our heart, with all our soul, with
all our mind and with all our strength. Praise and worship Him. As the Lord
answered the Samaritan "any soul that embraces her traditions": ...neither on
this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, you will worship the Father... The hour is
coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit
and truth... John 4:21. We can praise the Lord in our hearts in solitude or in
congregation with songs and spiritual hymns, but there are still Christians who
have not received this gift from God.
To sing praise, whether in our intimacy, even
in our heart without making a sound, or in the midst of the congregation of His
people, we must bring out the joy in our hearts. The Word of God teaches us that
to sing praises we must, in principle, feel joyful.
Individual praise must be,
as well as in the Church one of our spiritual pillars. Also in individual praise
there is a tool of spiritual growth that if we develop it, we'll form a
congregation of a superior level in the Spirit, because we will not bring our
suffering to the Church, so I will explain this as follows. Over the time, the Lord
has shown me that when one has no joy but wants to praise God, because we are
experimenting His love and blessings, but at the same time we are suffering
because of the spiritual persecution, whether personal or of the Church in
general, or because we have failed to the Lord, to the brothers or to our
neighbour but we still see that the Lord is beside us, forgiving us that we may
forgive too, we can follow the recommendation in the Scripture which I will
later explain where it takes us in our aim and will towards God: ...Is anyone
among you suffering? Let him pray, Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing Psalms.
James 5:13. But even when one is not cheerful, but wants to praise God, although the option
given in the Bible as well as the natural feeling of the soul is that we pray, I
would like to share that I have experienced the great blessing achieved through
prayer in praise, giving glory to God for His mercy, because through this comes
the joy of the Lord for praising in songs and hymns, with music and
dance, because although we are
not joyful in many phases of our life, we know how to recognize the love of God
and His mercy, and our heart wants to praise God. Praise in suffering takes it
away from us and leaves place for joy in the Holy Spirit. This is a matter of
personal experience, not for the congregation nor to take to a suffering
brother, therefore it is a spiritual virtue that can be experienced through
personal prayer in intimacy with the Lord and in which we must exercise our
spirit, by the hand of the Holy Spirit who intercedes for us, as the Scripture
says: ...with groanings which cannot be uttered... because we must not forget
that Who suffers all our anguishes and Who rejoices in our joys is God in His
Holy Spirit, our Counsellor.
When a brother is
suffering in a heavy heart, Proverb 25 says that we must not sing songs to him
as it is like taking off his garment in cold weather. What we must do in this
case, is help him and comfort him by his side, listening and advising him with
mercy, because this way he will be able to return to joy and praise in his
interior prayer of praise, that will be shared later on in the congregation.
Praise in the Church. Although in individual
prayer we may praise the Lord in different emotional states, in the Church
instead it is necessary that there is unity in joy and enthusiasm for our God.
With suffering brothers and in low spiritual form you can imagine that there is
no way you will build a praise group with choir and music. Now, as you will
deduce, when it is about a choir and music they follow a written or a previously learned
composition
which serves as a guide of worship in the Church, so that the brothers who
compose it, not only have to do it in an excellent way as being for God, but
have to give their hearts and their minds to it, that as well as reaching the
Lord, they lift all the congregation in the spirit of praise and joy of our
Lord. Every church needs praise groups, as well as of worship, organization,
spiritual leadership, but disgracefully and not by chance, the common
denominator of sad and dead churches that have lost their first love, are those
who do not care for praise to the Lord who loves us. Praise expresses our
feelings for the Lord, it shares them, opens and encourages brotherly love
amongst brothers, achieves to unite efforts and makes all be of one heart and
one mind like it says in 1Corinthians 1:10 and this helps the rest of the parts
of the ministry, and God receives from us, as if we were one, at least a part of
the work of a particular church.
...The
Lord Enthrones in the praises of Israel! Psalm 22:3. But although we know this verse,
you don't imagine how much blessing God does inside a congregation as He is
enthroned in praise, but not where there is a false praise, but where there is
true praise, from the heart and with passion for Him. God moves building spiritual
joints between the brothers, bringing down barriers of unbelief, giving faith,
healing and doing miracles, breaking and eliminating distrust, envies, resentment and
therefore purifying the hearts so that we are not double-aimed, which makes
people constant and firm in His Way. With these souls of virtue you can live in
strong and blessed churches.
If you have noticed that your church is not joyful, it does not
prosper, that there is no unity for projects of the Lord, etc, question yourself
about praise inside your congregation, if it exists at all, and whether it is worthy and of
spiritual excellence to the Lord our God, as Psalm 33 reminds us. So my beloved
brethren, pastors, leaders or responsible of the churches or congregations, this
is a fundamental part of your ministry and a proof of love to God, unity of the
people of the Lord.
Sacrifice. Praise and preaching are both a way to confess and give
thanks to the name of
God, that we must understand and experience this as a spiritual sacrifice of
love to God, as the Scripture says: ...Therefore by
Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of
praise to God, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His
Name. Hebrews 13:15. Therefore be
hopeful, organize your worship and praise the Lord, because the Lord
enthrones in the praises of His people.
I would like
to share with the Church that I write to and to the one I gather with, the
recent experience of pouring of the Spirit of Praise that fell on me while I was
praying seeking for answer about praise in the presence of the Lord. While
praying and praising in the midnight of the 20 to the 21 of July, the presence
of the Spirit of the Lord flooded me and I could not stop worshiping, dancing
and glorifying the Lord, YHWH the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit during an
hour or so. This personal spiritual awakening filled me with joy and has
strengthened me greatly, but at the same time I have felt a great feeling of
humbleness, as if I was closer to the Lord without deserving it. This has been
God's reply to my prayer to write about praise, how and whether this was the
time to write about this. Now more than ever in this time when I pray for
the awakening, the reform and the spiritual building of the church, especially
for my country of birth, Spain, where the evangelical church is in so much need
of faith and confidence in God, and of project of awakening and strengthening of
the souls in growth and knowledge of the Lord, and where the catholic church is dry and
dead. For that I recommend the Spiritual Dictionary, which has been of much
blessing in South American countries and in the United Estates.
As examples of praise and worship, Israel has always been a
nation of praise to the Lord, of songs, dance and music to worship the Lord. The
king that united the kingdoms of Israel and Judah in one kingdom was precisely
the same one who wrote more praise in the Bible, indeed, king David. He
conquered the land, Jerusalem, the unity and strengthening of the people of God.
David danced
in thanksgiving of his heart and his wife laughed at him, but this is a symbol
of his mind that does not understand praise, and laughs, but the Word teaches us to
sing with intelligence, but obviously this one must be spiritual, not of the
flesh. 7For God is the King of all the earth;
sing praises with understanding. 8God
reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne. Psalm 47 and in
another part Paul says: Pray efficiently. Praise comes from the heart in spirit,
from the centre of the soul, and to this we add the so mentioned
"understanding".
Jericho collapsed
surrounded by songs and trumpets.
Gideon bit
the madianites with trumpets.
The seven
trumpets of Revelation bring the fulfilling of the prophecies.
To bless and
glorify the Lord we have songs, hymns, psalms, music and dance. The first
musician in the Bible was Jubal, before Noah, and the first instruments
mentioned, the harp and the flute. Genesis 4:21. In the N.T. they play
instruments in the house of Jairus, Matthew 9:23 and in the house of the prodigal
son, Luke 15:25.
If you can,
obtain some of these praise songs, hymns and psalms, play them in your
congregations and sing and dance, read the lyrics, I guarantee that your
spiritual life will be transformed.
I recommend
Jewish music for Passover, Pentecost and Yom Kippur, but in the Messianic field
listen to: http://worshipmusic.stores.yahoo.net /0829733825.html
From the list of composers,
amongst many others we have Bach, The Passion according Saint Matthew or The Messiah of Händel, where in the last part of "Hallelu-Yah" they all stand up, because the
king stood up when the work was presented in public and he was so touched inside
that he did that, since then is a tradition.
The original sound track of the famous film "The Ten
Commandments" of Cecil B. DeMilles, starring Charlton Heston as Moses.
The Gospel choirs are of great spiritual
awakening for the Church, and they also rejoice and please God and those who
participate in the choir as well as in the music or in the congregation in
general. If you haven't had the chance to attend an evangelical Baptist
church to listen to a Gospel choir, do it; you will never see praise the same
way. Although the cradle of Gospel is the United Estates, which originated in the
south east zone, being the song of the black slaves brought from Africa who
worshipped God in their lives, even being slaves, this was a testimony where
these beloved brothers sang to the Lord and would be strengthened to endure such
hardship - like the Jews suffered in Egypt - it comes from the deepest part of the
heart, and this is where I want to get to: to a heart that in the greatest of
disgraces, undergoing great suffering, hate and abuse by others, brings out from the
inside, from the deepest inner self, praise to the living God, who has
created him, Who has died on the Cross, and Who makes us part of His body, for
this they sang together and they became stronger, because in their intimacy and in
anguish, they prayed and praised God Lord of hosts, the just Judge who sees it
all. As Gospel
music I recommend:
"When the Saints go marching in", from Louis Armstrong with
more than 140
versions from other authors and today sung around the world in praise, or "Nobody knows The Trouble I've
Seen"
"Amen",
from Accor Singers
"Oh Happy Day", from The Edwin Hawdins Singers
"Let my people go", or "Down the river side", from Soul Gospel
"Glory, Glory HalleluYah", from Jo Ann Pickens
"We Shall Overcome", from Bishop Paul S. Morton, SR & The Greater St.
Stephen Mass Choir
And finally, "Silent Night" from Carle Frederiks
This is just a very brief selection, amongst many other songs. All in a CD called Planet Gospel,
but there are other compilations that you may look for, not easy to find, but
well worth it.
PRAISE IN BIBLE TEXTS FOR WORSHIPING
AND SELECTED SONGS
Exodus 15:20,21 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel
in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to Yahweh,
for he hath triumphed gloriously.
When Israel had left Egypt and had experimented how the Lord had taken them
across the red sea of the impossibility of their minds, and had set them free
from the persecution of Pharaoh.
Deuteronomy 31:19 Now therefore write ye this song
for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in
their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the
children of Israel.
When they entered the promised land.
1Chronicles 16:7 to 43 read it, its part of several Psalms like 105 etc.
Nehemiah 9:6 ...and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.
Psalm 29:2 ...worship Yahweh in the beauty of holiness.
Psalm 33:3 ...Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully
with a loud noise.
Psalm 34:1 ...I will bless Yahweh at all times: his
praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Psalm 42:8 ...and in the night his song shall be with me.
Psalm 47:6 ...Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King,
sing praises.
Psalm 66:4 ...All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee;
they shall sing to thy name. Selah.
Psalm 81:1 ...Sing aloud unto God our strength:
make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.
Psalm 95 ...O come, let us sing unto Yahweh: let us make a joyful noise to the
rock of our salvation. 2Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and
make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
Psalm 98: 4&5 ...Make a joyful noise unto Yahweh, all the earth: make a loud
noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. 5Sing unto Yahweh with the harp; with the
harp, and the voice of a psalm.
Psalm 149:1 ...Praise Yahweh. Sing unto Yahweh a new song, and his praise in the
congregation of saints. & 5 ...Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing
aloud upon their beds.
Psalm 150 ...Let every thing that hath breath praise Yahweh.
Isaiah 5:1 ...Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song
of my beloved touching his vineyard.
Isaiah 12:2 ...Behold, God is my salvation ("Yahshua"); I will trust, and
not be afraid: for Yahweh is my strength and my song;
he also is become my salvation.
Isaiah 12:6 ...Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of
Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.
Isaiah 26:19 ...Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust...
Matthew 2:2 ...Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his
star in the east, and are come to worship him.
Matthew 28:17 ...And when they saw him, they worshipped him:...
Mark 14:26 ...And when they had sung an hymn,
they went out into the mount of Olives.
John 4:24 ...God is Spirit: and they that worship him
must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Acts 16:25 ...And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed,
and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26And
suddenly there was a great earthquake...
1Corinthians 14:15 ...I will sing with the spirit,
and I will sing with the understanding also.
Ephesians 5:19 ...Speaking to yourselves in psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to
the Lord.
Colossians 3:16 ...in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with grace in your hearts to the
Lord.
Hebrews 1:6 ...And let all the angels of God worship him.
James 5:13 ...Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
Revelation 5:9 ...And they sung a new song, saying,
Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast
slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and
tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests:
and we shall reign on the earth.
Revelation 15:3 ...And they sing the song of Moses the
servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and
marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou
King of saints. 4Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou
only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy
judgments are made manifest.
If you have musicians in your church, they may well compose music for these
magnificent words.
As part of our music links of praise we have the following:
CHRISTIAN MUSIC & PRAISE
http://opera.stanford.edu/iu/libretti/ messiah.htm
Lyrics from The
Messiah by Händel
www.emusic.com/album
/10819/10819865.html
Listen to The Messiah by Händel
www.christianguitar.org
www.worshipmusic.com
www.klove.com
www.todayschristianmusic.com
www.christianmusicweb.com/ song_archives.html
www.christianmusic.com
Conclusion
Therefore, having done this journey through the
great marvels that our God has done and does every day in the praises of His
people, let us sing and worship the Lord our God, with all our heart, with all our
soul, with all our mind and with all our
strength, because Yahweh is good,
He is always with us in His Holy Spirit, His mercy is everlasting and His
salvation, Yahshua, Jesus Christ.
Psalm 113 Praise the Name of YHWH
Hallelu-Yah, Shema Yisrael, Adonai, Eloheinu, Adonai Ejad, El-Hai,
Ruah Ha-Kodesh, El-Shaddai, El-Elión, Elohim, Adonai Wmelej Yahshua. Maranatha,
Emanuel Jesus Christ, Amen HALLELUYAH.
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