1 Peter 2:9  But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

The Bible is full of people praising God. They loved to praise Him then just as we love to praise Him today - probably for many of the same reasons.

Just as in biblical times, we praise God for providing our basic needs, for teaching us rules to live by, for giving us wisdom and power, for healing our brokenness, and most importantly for His holiness and His love which endure forever.

Sing hallelujah and lift up His holy name. Praise and exalt the Lord on high for He has done great things!

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Acts 17:28 "For in him we live and move and have our being."  As some of your own poets have said, "We are his offspring."

When we awake each morning, some of us hop out of bed and greet the day with a smile; some of us hit the snooze button and groan as we pull the covers over our head. Eventually, we face the day - we "live and move and have our being."

No matter how we greet the dawn, we should be thankful for each day we are given. Whether you've jumped out of bed in joyous anticipation or are still hiding under the covers, you can take a few moments to pray - asking God's guidance for every step of your day. In Him you live and move and have your being - so ask Him to make you a good example for Him throughout your day, at work, at school, in the store, on the road. Ask Him to keep you keenly aware of His presence to guide, help, and comfort each step of the way.

Then get  out of bed and, if you can do it, sing unto the Lord! If you can't sing that early, then just tell Him of your love - He is the reason you live. Need some early morning exercise? Dance before Him - He is the reason you move. If your voice leaves something to be desired, then just make a joyful noise - He is the reason you have your being!

--Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,
 

Revelation 19:12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.

Jesus first came to earth as a helpless baby. He was born of the Virgin Mary, grew up learning the family business (carpentry), and didn't begin His ministry until He was thirty years old. As a human being, He suffered at the hands of other human beings. He became like a Lamb, sacrificed for the sins of everyone. He came first to redeem us.

When Jesus comes again, He will come as the ultimate conqueror and King of all Kings. He will wear the crowns of all nations. He will rule with power. He will bring judgment to the people of the earth. He will rule in power and reign in glory.

Because we know and love Him, we will join with the multitude, rejoicing and giving Him the glory. He is returning, He is Lord of heaven and earth.

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Psalm 95:1 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

The Book of Psalms is a collection of songs and prayers to the Lord. The writers chose to sing their praises to God and record their songs so that others, ourselves included, would somebody join them in praise. The words they sang are timeless, applying to our lives even today.

Just as in days long past, we who believe in God demonstrate our joy when we sing, shout, and clap our hands. We can make a joyful noise unto the Lord!

Our reasons for praise are many, and the depth of our gratitude may sometimes leave us speechless. But when we sing songs exalting His holiness, shout for the joy of our salvation, and clap our hands in gratitude for all He has done for us, He responds with unmeasured blessings.

The songs we sing give praise to our Maker. The shout of the righteous has the power to tear down walls. Our hands rejoice that the Lord our God is our Deliverer. So sing, shout, and clap your hands for this is the day to rejoice!
 

Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Revelation 22:4-5 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of the lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

In our daily lives, filled with pressure and frustration, we often don't see God as He really is. We tend to push Him aside, too busy to focus on His holiness.

These verses give us a sense of the greatness of the Lord. When we recognize how great God is, we realize how we could never enter His presence if not for what Jesus did for us. We who were unclean and impure have received forgiveness. We have been given the ability to see the Lord in all of His holiness and power. We have been given the honor of being called heirs of the King, able to be in His presence forever and evermore.

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Psalm 53:6  Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!

Revelation 1:7  Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him.

In the Old Testament, the year of Jubilee was meant to be celebrated every fifty years. This would have been a time of great rejoicing among the Israelites. As dictated in Leviticus 25, qll debts were to be cancelled, all land returned to its original owners, and all slaves set free.

Unfortunately, there is no record of this celebration ever being carried out. But when Jesus came, He gave every one of us a year of Jubilee, not just once every fifty years, but every day! Thanks to His sacrifice, our debts of sin are cancelled whenever we ask, we are promised a place in eternity, and we are made free by the power of His love.

Such good news must be shared! We may feel like voices in the desert, but we need to call out this wonderful message to all who will hear, just as the prophets Elijah, Moses, and Ezekiel did so many years ago.

The fields are ready to be harvested. We join the prophets of old in sharing the message of forgiveness, freedom, and a fantastic future?

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Psalm 145:13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.

The Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God would come. They were looking for a kingdom on earth in which God would vanquish all enemies and become a ruler. Jesus responded to their question by telling them that the kingdom of God "is within you" (Luke 17:20-21). The kingdom of God is the work of the Holy Spirit within the hearts of those who trust in Jesus.

The kingdom of God is here - it is now. His kingdom is within us. The grace of God, His word, and His holiness are displayed for all to see as His will is done in us and as we live to honor Him.

This kingdom will no no end. Its glory will know no bounds. This kingdom is ours because of Christ Jesus.

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,