Fresh Fire Ministries

“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifices of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” Hebrews 13:15-16 (NKJV) When we consider what praise is all about, a simple definition would be to thank God for all the things that He has done for us. For most, this would not seem to be a struggle at all, but for some it is still met with some degree of difficulty. Take a deep breath. If you are still here at the point of your exhale, you have a great deal to be thankful for. That one expression of God's grace affords all of us every reason and opportunity to praise the Lord. The psalmist David expressed his sentiments in a way that is so meaningful to our devotional text today. "I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth." Psalm 34:1 (NKJV) The Living Bible translation of the aforementioned text says, "I will praise the Lord no matter what happens. I will constantly speak of His glories and His grace." Praise is not opportunistic, systematic, orchestrated, or rehearsed. The Hebrew author of our devotional text has concluded that it should be continual. Mountains high, valleys low, prosperity and poverty, in season and out, God deserves our continual praise. It is the least that we can do for all that He has done for us. Whenever there is a lack of praise on the behalf of anyone whom the Lord has done great things for; it is a simple indication that that person obviously has an inadequate view of God. He is worthy of all of our praise. "For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods." Psalm 96:4 (NKJV) Praise is not always easy. There are times when "our" circumstances don't always prompt us to give God the praise that He is rightfully due. It is at that precise moment that we must make a "sacrifice" of praise. The word sacrifice must be noted. What this literally means in this context is to be "a victim" or to be "sacrificed", which is to say that when we have endured much more than what we may have rightfully deserved, experienced the attack of the enemy with reckless abandon, slandered, mistreated and considered everything but a child of God. We still have every obligation to give praise and adoration to the Lord our God. It is with those praises that God is well pleased.

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“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” II Timothy 3:16 (NKJV) In order for life to be lived with reward, benefit, and to the glory and honor of God it must be lived within the context of the scriptures. The Word of God must be our primary and most fundamental frame of reference from which we derive the power to endure in an often-troubled world. Problems ensue when these same scriptures are read, taught, preached, or shared out of context or with the improper interpretation. When applied properly, the scriptures are profitable or beneficial for doctrine. Doctrine is the precepts and divine instructions from God for every believer. This is so critical now when there are so many prevailing winds of false doctrine, error, and other heresies that have invaded the landscape of our society. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables.” II Timothy 4:3-4 (NKJV) The time that this passage refers to has now come. When our instruction from the scriptures is based on “unhealthy” doctrine, it changes the context of said doctrine, and we begin to live life out of context with the scriptures. The Word of God also provides for us a context of reproof and correction. Reproof is the manifestation of truth that brings conviction. Conviction will ultimately change our heart, which will in turn change our behavior, which will subsequently change our context for living. This reproof of the scriptures will be reinforced by the correction that the scriptures afford us. Here the idea of correction is “the straightening up again.” When we stray from the path of obedience, establishing our own standards, and falling and stumbling along the way the word of God can lift us up, reestablish our steps, and make straight the paths from which we have strayed. Where there is no reproof or correction there is compromise. Finally the Word of God provides us the context to live life based on the instruction of righteousness. This is simply to say right living. The word is our guide, our light, our barometer, our focus for living right in a world that is hopelessly going wrong. Even when we are wrong, the word of God always reminds us of what is right; how to think right, how to behave right, and how to live right even when our flesh motivates us to do what is wrong.

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“The earth is the Lord’s and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.” Psalm 24:1 (NKJV) Our nation, as well as all creation, is duly owned and operated by its creator; the one and only True and Living God. “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.” Isaiah 40:28 (NKJV) David knew as much. The earth and all that it contains is not subject to ownership or claim by anyone in the realm of fallen humanity. The Lord of the universe and the God of all creation is the only one who can make the claim of ownership. David knew and was intimately acquainted with the King of Glory and His kingdom. A kingdom and domain not made with human hands. We have all witnessed in real time, live and in living color, the irresponsible stewardship that man has demonstrated over the world. You can name the place, time, circumstances, the uprising, the revolt, the rebellion of mankind made up of all hues and colors and find dysfunction and schism. The world has slowly but surely turned inwardly. Yet God, the creator of the earth has a true plan of redemption to deliver the world from itself. “For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all thing to himself by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.” Colossians 1:19-20 (NKJV) The King of Glory shall reign forever until every enemy is defeated, the last one being death itself. “For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” I Corinthians 15:24-25 (NKJV) It is unmistakable evidence that everything in creation belongs to the Lord. He has given the ultimate sacrifice for His creation. He grants us grace and mercy even when we don’t deserve it; loves us in spite of what He knows about us. He manifested himself in the person of His only begotten son Jesus Christ our Lord so we would have the opportunity to know Him, feel Him, and draw closer to Him even the more. He can open doors to grant us access and close doors that He would prefer that we not enter. We are His creation, the sheep of His pasture, the clay in the hands of the potter who keeps us on the wheel of His perfection until He gets out of us everything that He has invested. He is responsible for us because He has made us. He alone is our Creator, Owner, Savior, and Lord.

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