CELEBRATE! July 4-5 Today's Perspective

PERSPECTIVES FROM DAVID’S 7 SECRETS

Chapter Seven, “Cry Out and Shout” pp. 88-90

CELEBRATE THE LORD                    

If you are an American, I hope you had a great time this past weekend celebrating our country’s birthday and freedom.  And wherever in the world you are, I hope you had a fabulous time celebrating your special freedom in Christ, and that with enthusiasm and excitement.

“Enthusiasm covers a multitude of sins.”  Is that a verse in the Bible?   Nope!  It’s reality though if you want to convince someone about… well, just about anything!   And, when you are excited, people are drawn to your joy!

So much about worship in the Bible has celebration as part of it. Remember Jesus riding a mule into Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday?   “The whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to Praise God in loud voices.  Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples.’  ‘I tell you,’ He replied, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out!’”  Luke 19:37, 39-40.

Worship can get really exciting!  Psalm 47:1-2 says, “Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.  How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth.”

David celebrated this way so often.  In 1 Chronicles Chapter 15, David appointed 818 Levites to lead worship as he brought the Ark of Moses into Jerusalem.  There were unnumbered instrumentalists accompanying 288 singers with trumpets, flutes, harps, lyres and cymbals, all dancing and praising before the Lord.  Now that was a big worship band!

David wrote about such a celebration in Psalm 68:24-25, “Your procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary. (Can’t you just see them coming down the aisles like the Continentals!) In front are the singers, after them the musicians, with them are the maidens playing tambourines…”

Wow… getting some tingles.  We call it “chicken skin” in Hawaii. Whatever you call it, next Sunday, or any day you like this week, just celebrate with excitement and enthusiasm and let your joy spill over onto everyone as you….

CELEBRATE THE LORD