Browns Daily Word 3/27/09

Good Morning,
Praise the Lord for the last Friday of March. We are just a week away from Palm Sunday. Praise the Lord for the way He offers us holy occasions for corporate worship. Something awesome and wonderful occurs when we come together to worship the Living Lord. He loves to dwell in the praise of His people. When the Lord wants to have great time, He shows up where His redeemed are gathered in worship, adoration, and praise.
In July 1993 I had dinner with Jack Hayford, the one who composed the worship chorus, "Majesty". He shared during dinner that he and his were driving in the country side of Ireland some years ago when, surrounded by beauty and splendor, the Holy Spirit inspired Hayford to pen down the words for "Majesty". When we read the words we discover that when we worship His majesty and ascribe to Him all the glory, honor and praise due His name something wonderful happens to those who worship Him in truth and spirit. As the song goes, "Majesty, kingdom authority, flow from His Throne un to His own". In our worship the Lord pours upon His own His kingdom authority so that we can live with authority and under His authority.
I am corrected by Jeffery Meyers’ writing, “We have been told by well-meaning teachers, even otherwise orthodox Reformed theologians, that it is downright wrong to come to church on order to get something…. First, and above all, we are called together in order to get, to receive. This is crucial. The Lord gives; we receive. Faith will never reach that degree of maturity where it could live without receiving. A grateful reception of God’s gracious gifts will always remain the task of Christian worship…. Then, second, only in reciprocal exchange do we give back what is appropriate as grateful praise and adoration…. Everything we are and have we received from him (1Corinthians 4.7). He stands in no need of our service or praise. He has not created us primarily to get glory for himself, but to distribute and share the fullness of his glory with his creatures…. If the church’s worship is the place where God glorifies his saints by distributing his life-giving Word and Sacraments, if it is the occasion for God to serve the congregation, then we can, to some degree, transcend the rigid dichotomy regarding the purpose of the Sunday service—is it for evangelism or worship? Why do we have to choose between one or the other? If unbelievers are present they may be served as well.” Every religion teaches that people must serve their god. The very definition of “religion” is “people’s beliefs about how they must worship and serve their god.” Jesus alone among gods serves his people. He declared that He came "not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many". The story is told of an orphan boy who was living with his grandmother when their house caught fire. The grandmother try to climb upstairs to rescue the boy, but perished in the flames. Fortunately, his cries for help were answered by a man who climbed an iron drainpipe and came back down with the boy hanging tightly to his neck. Several weeks later there was a public hearing to determine who would receive custody of the child. A farmer, a teacher, and the town’s wealthiest citizen all gave the reasons they felt they should be chosen to give the boy a home. But as they talked, the lad’s eyes remained focused on the floor. Then a stranger walked to the front and slowly took his hands from his pockets, revealing severe scars on them. As the crowd gasped, the boy cried out in recognition. This was the man who had saved his life. His hands had been burned when he climbed the hot pipe. With a leap the boy threw his arms around the man’s neck and held on for dear life. The other men walked away, leaving the boy and his rescuer alone. The marred hands settled the issue. Our Redeemer kneels to wash our sinful , dirty feet, with marred hands. Do not turn away with pride, offended by your inability to cleanse yourself and by your dependence on God’s mercy. Look at His love and allow “self” to be broken by this Savior.
In Him,
Brown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF9ibH6EPz4