Yearly Archives: 2013
Irony of the Cross #2
‘Along the way, they came across a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross’ Matt.27:32
The second irony of the cross is the man who is utterly powerless is actually the most powerful. [Read Matt.27:32-40]. Jesus was slapped, spat on, beaten, flogged on the head and he was stack naked. And he was too weak to carry his cross. They had to call Simon to carry his cross. And in all of this they still mocked him. They said to Jesus ‘for us to know you are the savior come down’. Yet Jesus was saying ‘for me to actually save you I need to stay on the cross’. The irony here is that it was only by staying on the cross that Jesus Read the rest of this entry
Irony of the Cross #1
‘They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!”’ Matt.27:29.
Halal means to display foolishness with affront. And one of the ways society responds to people they consider foolish is to mock them, ridicule them, or scorn them. When culture views you as foolish one of the ways they respond is to make fun of you. The cross is a classic example of hallelujah. Jesus hanging Read the rest of this entry
God’s Way
But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!’ Luke 19:39
A lot of us have our own mindsets on how we want things done but God also has His own plans on how things will be done. ‘We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer’ Prov.16:1. That is why as humans it is always a constant struggle between doing your will and following God’s will, constantly questioning if it is your way or God’s way. The purpose of Easter is to show us that Read the rest of this entry
Hosanna!
‘… all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen. Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!’ Luke 19:37-38
Some of these people had issues, some of them had testimonies, some of them had challenges but they still took off their cloths and shouted ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’. The demand on us is to worship regardless of what we are going through because God’s ways are not our ways. You will notice a pattern here; the first group of people to take off their cloths and put it down were the disciples. This is a pattern with God, He will start with leadership, and ommitment always starts with leadership. The disciples by themselves took off Read the rest of this entry
Just Do It!
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him’ Ps.24:1
Jesus walking on earth is a classic example of hallelujah. God wants us to praise Him in an exorbitant way. God does not want us to hold back our praise of Him. God wants us to praise Him in a way that everybody around us will know we are praising Him. ‘He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!’ Luke 19:40. You have to be determined that no stone is going to take your place. The story starts by Jesus saying to his disciples go to village over there; you will see a colt, untie it and bring it Read the rest of this entry
Before the Lord
‘Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes…’ 2 Sam.6:22.
‘When David returned home to bless his own family, Michal, the daughter of Saul, came out to meet him. She said in disgust, “How distinguished the king of Israel looked today, shamelessly exposing himself to the servant girls like any vulgar person might do!” David retorted to Michal, “I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord. Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than Read the rest of this entry
Mantle of Praise
‘And when they began to sing and to praise [tehillah], the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten’ 2 Chr.20:22 [KJV].
‘To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified’ Isa.61:3. The garment of praise literarily means the mantle of praise and that mantle of praise is Tehillah. ‘The mantle of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified’. If only we will praise Read the rest of this entry
Tehillah
‘But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises [tehillah] of Israel’ Ps.22:3 [KJV].
Tehillah is derived from the word halal. Tehillah means the singing of halal. It is putting all the halal into songs. It is to sing, to laud, and to make music in a way that is clamorously foolish, in a way that is boastful of God, in a way that is clear, in a way that is raving. It is also the hymns of the Spirit. Tehillah is the song of the Spirit. With the songs of the Spirit, the flesh looses its consciousness, you are praising and worshiping God and you are totally dead to yourself. Totally dead to what you look like, the make up you have on, the Read the rest of this entry
Zamar & Halal
‘Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. I will praise [zamar] thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing [zamar] unto thee among the nations’ Ps.57:8-9 [KJV]
Zamar means to pluck the strings of an instrument like a harp or guitar, to sing, to praise. A musical word which is largely involved with joyful expressions of music with musical instruments [Ps.57:8-9 KJV]. If you can play any musical instrument, my advice is that you get that musical instrument in your house and when you wake up play it to God. It does not have to be an expensive musical instrument. Everybody can play the tambourine, get it, and play it before God. I have a rattle that is just by my bedside. When I wake up, Read the rest of this entry
Barak
‘O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel [barak] before the Lord our maker.’ Ps.95:6 [KJV].
To Barak means to kneel down and to bless God as an act of adoration. Many people have an issue with kneeling down and blessing God in worship. Some people say ‘God sees my heart; He sees that I am kneeling down in my heart’. I don’t disagree with that, I know it can start from the heart. However, let your life flow from the abundance of your heart. If it is so easy for you to kneel in your heart then let it flow into your actions as part of your worship to God. ‘O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel [barak] before the Lord Read the rest of this entry
