Devotions during Lent...
Jesus died that I may be truly alive - part 1
Galatians 2: 19 21: For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”
There is a song based on Gal 2: 20 that we love to sing:
It is no longer I that liveth
But Christ that liveth in me.
He lives, He lives,
Jesus is alive in me.
It is no longer I that liveth
But Christ that liveth in me.
The life that I live in the body,
I live by faith in the Son.
He loves, He loves,
Jesus gave Himself to me.
The life that I live in the body,
I live by faith in the Son.
All of us want to be alive. More than that, we want to know that we are really living and enjoying the complete joy of those who truly live.
We need to learn what real living is. We need to be taught what really brings joy, contentment and satisfaction. Many are convinced that to truly live, you need to be wealthy, so they give up time, energy, relationships and worship - and probably a lot more - to acquire wealth. Others think they will be truly alive when their lives are lived for the sake of pleasure, so they live to indulge themselves. Then we find people who believe their lives would be meaningful as a result of successful career, or if they improve their social standing, but this sadly often results in becoming slaves of their jobs, or of greed and arrogance.
One thing that all these philosophies lead to is a relentless, desperate and anxious pursuit of things. Sadly, all the effort, even when much of this is achieved, often leads to disappointment, depression, burn out, anger and the frustration of the unfulfilled.
Christians know what it means to be alive and fulfilled. Being Christians, we have answered the question about the meaning of life, at least intellectually. We know that the meaning of life centres around Jesus, our love for him and our commitment to him. Do we only know how to exist in Christ, or do we know the abundance when we really live as disciples of Jesus and as children of our heavenly Father?
In Galatians 2:20 we find the secret of how to really be alive. We find that only by dying, can we become alive. In order to be truly alive, we have to understand that, as people who belong to Jesus, we are truly dead. This Scripture says, "I have been crucified with Christ." This is one of the greatest paradoxes of Scripture and the mystery of God’s Kingdom: In order to truly live, the old person that we were, need to die.
The Bible says that the old me, with all my limitations and problems, and disastrous goals and desires, has been put to death. This Scripture says, "I have been crucified with Christ."
This is the key to understanding who we really are, now that we are in Christ. It is key to releasing us from the struggle of trying to live the Christian life by our own strength and power. To come to true life by ourselves, our old selves, is more than we can do, and it is more than God asked us to do. When the old “me” has been crucified with Christ, the new “me” will come alive in the risen Lord.
(In part 2 and 3 of this devotion, during the next 2 weeks, we will learn the “How to become alive by being crucified with Christ”).
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
During Lent, learn about love's abundance...
Mark 14:1-9
Those who love Jesus and are overflowing with gratitude to him, sometimes do some extraordinary things. At least outwardly they may appear eccentric.
Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, loved the Lord. Jesus had been a real friend to her. He had filled her life with hope and showed her the God of love.
He had been there during some of the most difficult times of her life. Certainly one was when her brother Lazarus died. But Jesus had come, and her brother Lazarus was miraculously raised from the dead and given back to her.
Mary had tasted of the love of Jesus. He was not like any other man she had ever known. He was a powerful man who had the authority to cause the storms to cease, demons to flee, and the dead to be raised.
Yet, he was gentle, and he had reached out to her. How could she ever thank him?
Now they were having one last meal together. She thought this might be her last chance to do something special for her Lord. So she seized the opportunity and took an alabaster jar of extremely costly perfumed oil, broke it, and anointed him with it. This was true extravagance.
Mary's love moved her. Nothing was too precious for her to give to Jesus. And what she gave was worth more than one year's wages. So, some complained that she was wasting money that could have been used “better”.
Reacting to the complainers, Jesus gives us the answer for the question: "What is a true good work?" He says in verse 6 that Mary, "has done a beautiful thing to me."
Christian service that is not done because of our love for Jesus is not truly Christian. But service offered, even imperfect service, because we love Jesus and want to truly do his will, will always be beautiful to the Lord and bring him joy.
Now notice what else Jesus said, in verse 8, "She has done what she could." Mary did what she could. She did the best she could, because of an abundance of love for Jesus.
Respond to Jesus today by offering yourself as a sacrifice to God. Then offer gifts of as much as you can do in his the service. As you do, you will find that he will not only accept your gifts, but that he will rejoice over them.
And into your life will come the joy that belongs to those who are in his service and in his will, because of love.
Those who love Jesus and are overflowing with gratitude to him, sometimes do some extraordinary things. At least outwardly they may appear eccentric.
Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, loved the Lord. Jesus had been a real friend to her. He had filled her life with hope and showed her the God of love.
He had been there during some of the most difficult times of her life. Certainly one was when her brother Lazarus died. But Jesus had come, and her brother Lazarus was miraculously raised from the dead and given back to her.
Mary had tasted of the love of Jesus. He was not like any other man she had ever known. He was a powerful man who had the authority to cause the storms to cease, demons to flee, and the dead to be raised.
Yet, he was gentle, and he had reached out to her. How could she ever thank him?
Now they were having one last meal together. She thought this might be her last chance to do something special for her Lord. So she seized the opportunity and took an alabaster jar of extremely costly perfumed oil, broke it, and anointed him with it. This was true extravagance.
Mary's love moved her. Nothing was too precious for her to give to Jesus. And what she gave was worth more than one year's wages. So, some complained that she was wasting money that could have been used “better”.
Reacting to the complainers, Jesus gives us the answer for the question: "What is a true good work?" He says in verse 6 that Mary, "has done a beautiful thing to me."
Christian service that is not done because of our love for Jesus is not truly Christian. But service offered, even imperfect service, because we love Jesus and want to truly do his will, will always be beautiful to the Lord and bring him joy.
Now notice what else Jesus said, in verse 8, "She has done what she could." Mary did what she could. She did the best she could, because of an abundance of love for Jesus.
Respond to Jesus today by offering yourself as a sacrifice to God. Then offer gifts of as much as you can do in his the service. As you do, you will find that he will not only accept your gifts, but that he will rejoice over them.
And into your life will come the joy that belongs to those who are in his service and in his will, because of love.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Should Reformed / Presbyterian Christians observe Lent and the rest of the Christian Calendar?
Should Reformed / Presbyterian Christians observe the Christian Calendar?
Although the Christian calendar is deeply rooted in many centuries of Church history, most reformed Christians, including Presbyterians, do not seem to be good enough at explaining and celebrating them. If we do, we often copy other traditions – and not critically enough, I’m afraid.
Looking for a Reformed approach
The purpose of the Christian calendar is to remember the main historic gospel events that the good news is based on. The birth, the ministry, the suffering, death and the resurrection of Christ, his ascension and the outpouring of the Spirit on the first Pentecost Sunday are recalled.
If we do this in remembrance of him, we find a point of reference and a principle on which we can base, explain and defend these celebrations.
Is the basic point of departure of any New Testament worship not the words “Do this in remembrance of me” of Jesus when he had instituted his holy Supper? Proclaiming the gospel “in and out of season” and breaking bread in remembrance of our Saviour certainly forms the foundation of Christian worship and it therefore is the place to start looking for a Reformed / Presbyterian approach when observing these days of commemoration.
I suggest that the benchmark for a Presbyterian celebration of the Christian calendar is: “Is this done in remembrance of Jesus and in fellowship with him?”
Remembering is rooted in Old Testament worship.
“Remembering” was not strange to Old Testament worship. To the contrary, it is clear that devotional life in the Old Testament was based on remembering the great deeds of salvation and liberation by the God of Israel. Each one of the feasts prescribed in the Law, remembered, celebrated and taught what God did in the history of his people, creating and strengthening the belief that he will continue to keep his grace covenant and be their God and the God of their children, encouraging them to seek obedience to the Lord as the people of God.
It was at such a feast of remembrance, the Passover, that Jesus instituted his Supper. It seems to me that in the mind of Jesus, faith would still be sown and grown through “remembering” as part of the New Covenant. We would seek and find Christ’s church, when we remember what Jesus has done to set us free and make us his own.
The Lord’s Supper is a unique celebration.
The Lord’s Supper is irreplaceable and unique. But it does refer us to the principle that remembering God’s gospel events has great value. Proclaiming the Scriptures, faithfully preaching what the Gospel during these Days of Remembrance can, to say the least, not be wrong. The calendar can be a disciplined and structured way of teaching and preaching the full Counsel of God, a task our reformed fathers showed us to do. If this is done according to our confessions of faith, and the means through which we accomplish this, is the preaching of the Word and celebration of the Supper, it does not have to be considered “unreformed”, “unpresbyterian” or “romish”.
The Days of Remembrance are rooted in Church History.
All the commemorative days on the Christian calendar go back far beyond the days of the Reformation, before the ages when the truth within the Western Church became corrupted to the extent that the Reformation was required. To ignore these Days of Remembrance that constitute the Christian calendar, could amount to an arrogance that ignores the wisdom of the ancient church. We should be open to learn about the original intentions and meanings of these days and why and how they came into the life of the church. With the Word of God and our Confessions of Faith as guidelines, it should not be too difficult to discern what would be God honouring and would build up the people of God.
“Remembrance”, the key to understanding reformed worship, should also be the key to unlocking a Presbyterian identity and order of celebration for these commemorative days and seasons.
The Days and Seasons of the Christian Calendar:
The following seasons and days of Remembrance emerged from church history:
Advent Season– four Sundays before Christmas – remembering that Jesus came, is coming and will return to our world.
Christmas - Christmas day and the following eleven days – remembering that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, conceived by the Holy Spirit – our only Mediator between man and God.
Season of Epiphany – remembering, amongst others, the teachings, parables and miracles of Christ.
Lent – the 40 weekdays before Resurrection Sunday, not counting the Sundays, remembering the suffering and death of our Lord.
Palm Sunday – remembering that the followers of Jesus wanted to make him an earthly king, but that according to prophecy, this event confirmed that he indeed is the promised Messiah, the King that sits on the throne of David forever.
Tenebrae / Maundy Thursday – remembering that the Lord, on the night of his arrest, instituted his Holy Supper and serves his disciples, even washing their feet.
Good Friday – remembering that Jesus was crucified, that he died and was buried, as the complete, final and only sacrifice for all our sins.
Still Saturday – that Jesus was laid in the tomb and truly died.
Resurrection Sunday – remembering that Jesus indeed rose from the dead and lives for evermore, conqueror of death, sin and hell.
Season of the Resurrection (or Easter Season) – remembering the power of the risen, conquering Christ in our lives and in the life of the Church.
Ascension Day – remembering that Jesus was enthroned in heaven, ruling at the right hand of the Father, where he intercedes for us and reigns as the conquering Head and King of the Church, from where he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
Pentecost Sunday – remembering that we are not alone, but that Jesus sent his Holy Spirit to guide us in the understanding of the full Counsel of God and to empower us with his gifts so that we can proclaim it.
Trinity Sunday – remembering and celebrating the gracious blessing that we know the one and only true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Holy Days not rooted in gospel events.
I doubt that the many other holy days that are observed by some Christians can pass the test of assisting us in worshipping in the spirit of “remembrance of Jesus”, because they are not rooted in gospel events witnessed to by Scripture. A clear case will have to be made as to how these commemorative days can enhance our understanding of the gospel truth.
Historic Background of the Lenten and Resurrection Seasons.
Resurrection Sunday is the oldest commemorative day. The resurrection was remembered every week since the very beginning and Resurrection Sunday since the first century as a result of the influence of the Jewish Passover. It certainly must have been the result of the fact that Christians remembered the resurrection every week, by celebrating the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of him.
During the second century it became customary to baptise converts on Resurrection Sunday. They had to be prepared for the confession of their faith and for their challenging walk with the Lord during those ages of persecution and martyrdom. These preparations lasted 40 days – not counting Sundays. It most probably related to the fact that Jesus was prepared for 40 days in the desert before his ministry started, and even related to the 40 days that Jesus was “prepared” for his enthronement before the ascension.
Whatever the motivation was, the church fathers in the second century required these forty days of preparation for baptism. Apart from teaching the gospel truth, fasting and prayer played an important role during this time. Those who taught the candidates in preparation of baptism, shared in observing this time of spiritual discipline. After some time, other Church members felt the need to “do the course again”, although they would not be baptised on Resurrection Sunday. This season, always during the European Spring, very early on became the Lenten Season of the Church, originally meant as a preparation for celebrating Resurrection Sunday.
It is easy to see how the other gospel truths, such as the institution of the Supper, the suffering and death of Jesus, the Palm Sunday history, Ascension and Pentecost events followed and claimed their place in the Christian calendar.
The Resurrection of Jesus is the culmination, the peak, of the Christian Calendar.
The shortest version of the gospel truth is to say that Jesus has risen - that he has risen indeed. Our Reformed tradition emphasises that all worship, including the Supper, creates fellowship with the living Christ. A celebration of the Lord’s Supper that begins and ends on Golgotha reminds us more of a funeral than of our joyous and intimate fellowship with the risen Saviour, our host at his Table. Is it not Jesus who through the signs and seals of bread and wine ensures us of our salvation and inclusion into the covenant of grace? Is it not our living Lord who nourishes and feeds us with himself through the work of his Holy Spirit?
Christian Calendar, reformed and Presbyterian or romish?
Observing the Christian calendar can be considered reformed and Presbyterian, if we never fall short of continuously worshipping, praising and having fellowship with our risen Lord.
It can be considered Reformed and Presbyterian if we can steer clear of legalistic prescriptions and inflexible observances of culturally based customs, particularly those that encourage ritualistic worship that is neither sincere nor authentic.
It can be considered Reformed if we rely on the Word to reveal the gospel truth, if we preach only Christ, the crucified, risen Saviour and if we are careful to require nothing more from worshippers than to rely on and celebrate God’s sovereign grace revealed in Christ, when we observe these age old commemorative days and seasons.
It can be considered Reformed if it grows the faith of the believers and brings all who participate to a place where they through faith alone receive the gracious salvation through Jesus Christ.
Although rooted in Christian history much older than the reformation, observing the Christian calendar can therefore be considered Reformed and Presbyterian, once we ascertained that our festive days and seasons are celebrated only to the glory of God - the one and only God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit and in remembrance of Jesus Christ, our Saviour.
Although the Christian calendar is deeply rooted in many centuries of Church history, most reformed Christians, including Presbyterians, do not seem to be good enough at explaining and celebrating them. If we do, we often copy other traditions – and not critically enough, I’m afraid.
Looking for a Reformed approach
The purpose of the Christian calendar is to remember the main historic gospel events that the good news is based on. The birth, the ministry, the suffering, death and the resurrection of Christ, his ascension and the outpouring of the Spirit on the first Pentecost Sunday are recalled.
If we do this in remembrance of him, we find a point of reference and a principle on which we can base, explain and defend these celebrations.
Is the basic point of departure of any New Testament worship not the words “Do this in remembrance of me” of Jesus when he had instituted his holy Supper? Proclaiming the gospel “in and out of season” and breaking bread in remembrance of our Saviour certainly forms the foundation of Christian worship and it therefore is the place to start looking for a Reformed / Presbyterian approach when observing these days of commemoration.
I suggest that the benchmark for a Presbyterian celebration of the Christian calendar is: “Is this done in remembrance of Jesus and in fellowship with him?”
Remembering is rooted in Old Testament worship.
“Remembering” was not strange to Old Testament worship. To the contrary, it is clear that devotional life in the Old Testament was based on remembering the great deeds of salvation and liberation by the God of Israel. Each one of the feasts prescribed in the Law, remembered, celebrated and taught what God did in the history of his people, creating and strengthening the belief that he will continue to keep his grace covenant and be their God and the God of their children, encouraging them to seek obedience to the Lord as the people of God.
It was at such a feast of remembrance, the Passover, that Jesus instituted his Supper. It seems to me that in the mind of Jesus, faith would still be sown and grown through “remembering” as part of the New Covenant. We would seek and find Christ’s church, when we remember what Jesus has done to set us free and make us his own.
The Lord’s Supper is a unique celebration.
The Lord’s Supper is irreplaceable and unique. But it does refer us to the principle that remembering God’s gospel events has great value. Proclaiming the Scriptures, faithfully preaching what the Gospel during these Days of Remembrance can, to say the least, not be wrong. The calendar can be a disciplined and structured way of teaching and preaching the full Counsel of God, a task our reformed fathers showed us to do. If this is done according to our confessions of faith, and the means through which we accomplish this, is the preaching of the Word and celebration of the Supper, it does not have to be considered “unreformed”, “unpresbyterian” or “romish”.
The Days of Remembrance are rooted in Church History.
All the commemorative days on the Christian calendar go back far beyond the days of the Reformation, before the ages when the truth within the Western Church became corrupted to the extent that the Reformation was required. To ignore these Days of Remembrance that constitute the Christian calendar, could amount to an arrogance that ignores the wisdom of the ancient church. We should be open to learn about the original intentions and meanings of these days and why and how they came into the life of the church. With the Word of God and our Confessions of Faith as guidelines, it should not be too difficult to discern what would be God honouring and would build up the people of God.
“Remembrance”, the key to understanding reformed worship, should also be the key to unlocking a Presbyterian identity and order of celebration for these commemorative days and seasons.
The Days and Seasons of the Christian Calendar:
The following seasons and days of Remembrance emerged from church history:
Advent Season– four Sundays before Christmas – remembering that Jesus came, is coming and will return to our world.
Christmas - Christmas day and the following eleven days – remembering that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, conceived by the Holy Spirit – our only Mediator between man and God.
Season of Epiphany – remembering, amongst others, the teachings, parables and miracles of Christ.
Lent – the 40 weekdays before Resurrection Sunday, not counting the Sundays, remembering the suffering and death of our Lord.
Palm Sunday – remembering that the followers of Jesus wanted to make him an earthly king, but that according to prophecy, this event confirmed that he indeed is the promised Messiah, the King that sits on the throne of David forever.
Tenebrae / Maundy Thursday – remembering that the Lord, on the night of his arrest, instituted his Holy Supper and serves his disciples, even washing their feet.
Good Friday – remembering that Jesus was crucified, that he died and was buried, as the complete, final and only sacrifice for all our sins.
Still Saturday – that Jesus was laid in the tomb and truly died.
Resurrection Sunday – remembering that Jesus indeed rose from the dead and lives for evermore, conqueror of death, sin and hell.
Season of the Resurrection (or Easter Season) – remembering the power of the risen, conquering Christ in our lives and in the life of the Church.
Ascension Day – remembering that Jesus was enthroned in heaven, ruling at the right hand of the Father, where he intercedes for us and reigns as the conquering Head and King of the Church, from where he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
Pentecost Sunday – remembering that we are not alone, but that Jesus sent his Holy Spirit to guide us in the understanding of the full Counsel of God and to empower us with his gifts so that we can proclaim it.
Trinity Sunday – remembering and celebrating the gracious blessing that we know the one and only true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Holy Days not rooted in gospel events.
I doubt that the many other holy days that are observed by some Christians can pass the test of assisting us in worshipping in the spirit of “remembrance of Jesus”, because they are not rooted in gospel events witnessed to by Scripture. A clear case will have to be made as to how these commemorative days can enhance our understanding of the gospel truth.
Historic Background of the Lenten and Resurrection Seasons.
Resurrection Sunday is the oldest commemorative day. The resurrection was remembered every week since the very beginning and Resurrection Sunday since the first century as a result of the influence of the Jewish Passover. It certainly must have been the result of the fact that Christians remembered the resurrection every week, by celebrating the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of him.
During the second century it became customary to baptise converts on Resurrection Sunday. They had to be prepared for the confession of their faith and for their challenging walk with the Lord during those ages of persecution and martyrdom. These preparations lasted 40 days – not counting Sundays. It most probably related to the fact that Jesus was prepared for 40 days in the desert before his ministry started, and even related to the 40 days that Jesus was “prepared” for his enthronement before the ascension.
Whatever the motivation was, the church fathers in the second century required these forty days of preparation for baptism. Apart from teaching the gospel truth, fasting and prayer played an important role during this time. Those who taught the candidates in preparation of baptism, shared in observing this time of spiritual discipline. After some time, other Church members felt the need to “do the course again”, although they would not be baptised on Resurrection Sunday. This season, always during the European Spring, very early on became the Lenten Season of the Church, originally meant as a preparation for celebrating Resurrection Sunday.
It is easy to see how the other gospel truths, such as the institution of the Supper, the suffering and death of Jesus, the Palm Sunday history, Ascension and Pentecost events followed and claimed their place in the Christian calendar.
The Resurrection of Jesus is the culmination, the peak, of the Christian Calendar.
The shortest version of the gospel truth is to say that Jesus has risen - that he has risen indeed. Our Reformed tradition emphasises that all worship, including the Supper, creates fellowship with the living Christ. A celebration of the Lord’s Supper that begins and ends on Golgotha reminds us more of a funeral than of our joyous and intimate fellowship with the risen Saviour, our host at his Table. Is it not Jesus who through the signs and seals of bread and wine ensures us of our salvation and inclusion into the covenant of grace? Is it not our living Lord who nourishes and feeds us with himself through the work of his Holy Spirit?
Christian Calendar, reformed and Presbyterian or romish?
Observing the Christian calendar can be considered reformed and Presbyterian, if we never fall short of continuously worshipping, praising and having fellowship with our risen Lord.
It can be considered Reformed and Presbyterian if we can steer clear of legalistic prescriptions and inflexible observances of culturally based customs, particularly those that encourage ritualistic worship that is neither sincere nor authentic.
It can be considered Reformed if we rely on the Word to reveal the gospel truth, if we preach only Christ, the crucified, risen Saviour and if we are careful to require nothing more from worshippers than to rely on and celebrate God’s sovereign grace revealed in Christ, when we observe these age old commemorative days and seasons.
It can be considered Reformed if it grows the faith of the believers and brings all who participate to a place where they through faith alone receive the gracious salvation through Jesus Christ.
Although rooted in Christian history much older than the reformation, observing the Christian calendar can therefore be considered Reformed and Presbyterian, once we ascertained that our festive days and seasons are celebrated only to the glory of God - the one and only God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit and in remembrance of Jesus Christ, our Saviour.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Today is Ash Wednesday. How is Ash Wednesday observed? - part 2
May the Lord bless you today, Ash Wednesday, with love and forgiveness and have mercy on you!
Mark 2: 17 "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Ash Wednesday is about entering a season of focussed spiritual growth and of a time of preparation that will lead to victory, which is essential to everyone who desires to grow in the Lord. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent, and everything we do during Lent prepares us to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday, and for the rest of our lives.
Ash Wednesday is the day when the journey towards Easter begins. Ash Wednesday is, in the words of Mark 2: 17, the realization that we “need a doctor” and coming to Jesus to be healed.
You do not seek healing, without admitting that you are sick. You do not repent humbly, without admitting that sin has a corrupting impact on your life and your relationship with God. And you will hardly understand the full depth of the joy about Jesus who rose and was victorious, without calculating the cost in terms of his suffering, death and burial.
Ash Wednesday is helpful in preparing for Easter, because it encourages mourning our weakness of the past, accepting the challenge of living for God today, and finding hope in Christ for tomorrow.
Mourning our weakness
To mark his sadness, Job covered himself in ashes. Jesus reminds us that true regret includes sackcloth and ashes. Psalm 51 reminds us that all our sins are committed against God! We need to get right with God, to live contently in a relationship with him. We need to come before God in sackcloth and ashes!
Accepting the challenge to live for God today.
When Jesus challenged his listeners to consider the truth that those who are healthy do not need a doctor, he was asking each one of them to examine themselves and stop denying that they suffer from the “sin-illness”. Only when we acknowledge our sin can we receive forgiveness. And only through forgiveness do we make our peace with the Lord.
Ash Wednesday is an opportunity to examine our need for Jesus anew and to start living as people who are always dependent on their Redeemer.
Finding hope for a new future
Ash Wednesday begins a journey called Lent and our destination is Easter Sunday. And Easter Sunday is all about hope for the future. The message of Easter is that Jesus is risen! And it means that we can live a new life after rising from the grave of sin. And it means that even when we die, we will live in Christ forever. I Corinthians 15: 20 says, "Christ has indeed risen from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep." This is an assurance that we too will be resurrected. His eternal life promises ours and that we may live of the fruit of his life, even now. We find hope to overcome the burden, spiritual death, which is the result of sin.
Come and celebrate “forgiveness” with God’s people today! Stop denying that you have the “sin-illness” and come to the Doctor for help and healing!
Mark 2: 17 "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Ash Wednesday is about entering a season of focussed spiritual growth and of a time of preparation that will lead to victory, which is essential to everyone who desires to grow in the Lord. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent, and everything we do during Lent prepares us to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday, and for the rest of our lives.
Ash Wednesday is the day when the journey towards Easter begins. Ash Wednesday is, in the words of Mark 2: 17, the realization that we “need a doctor” and coming to Jesus to be healed.
You do not seek healing, without admitting that you are sick. You do not repent humbly, without admitting that sin has a corrupting impact on your life and your relationship with God. And you will hardly understand the full depth of the joy about Jesus who rose and was victorious, without calculating the cost in terms of his suffering, death and burial.
Ash Wednesday is helpful in preparing for Easter, because it encourages mourning our weakness of the past, accepting the challenge of living for God today, and finding hope in Christ for tomorrow.
Mourning our weakness
To mark his sadness, Job covered himself in ashes. Jesus reminds us that true regret includes sackcloth and ashes. Psalm 51 reminds us that all our sins are committed against God! We need to get right with God, to live contently in a relationship with him. We need to come before God in sackcloth and ashes!
Accepting the challenge to live for God today.
When Jesus challenged his listeners to consider the truth that those who are healthy do not need a doctor, he was asking each one of them to examine themselves and stop denying that they suffer from the “sin-illness”. Only when we acknowledge our sin can we receive forgiveness. And only through forgiveness do we make our peace with the Lord.
Ash Wednesday is an opportunity to examine our need for Jesus anew and to start living as people who are always dependent on their Redeemer.
Finding hope for a new future
Ash Wednesday begins a journey called Lent and our destination is Easter Sunday. And Easter Sunday is all about hope for the future. The message of Easter is that Jesus is risen! And it means that we can live a new life after rising from the grave of sin. And it means that even when we die, we will live in Christ forever. I Corinthians 15: 20 says, "Christ has indeed risen from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep." This is an assurance that we too will be resurrected. His eternal life promises ours and that we may live of the fruit of his life, even now. We find hope to overcome the burden, spiritual death, which is the result of sin.
Come and celebrate “forgiveness” with God’s people today! Stop denying that you have the “sin-illness” and come to the Doctor for help and healing!
Friday, February 17, 2012
How is Ash Wednesday and Lent observed? This year on 22 February.
Ash Wednesday, Lent and Easter!
Celebrated in 2012 on Wednesday 22 February.
Ash Wednesday is a day of humbling penitence.
Biblical perspective on the practices around Ash Wednesday.
Ash Wednesday is a day of humbling penitence and it is the first day of the Season of Lent. Ashes were used in ancient times, according to the Bible, to express mourning. Dusting oneself with ashes was the penitent's way of expressing sorrow for loss, sins and short comings. An ancient example of one expressing one's penitence in this way is found in Job 42: 6. Job says to God: "Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”
The prophet Jeremiah, for example, calls for regret this way: "O daughter of my people, gird on sackcloth, roll in the ashes" (Jer 6:26).The prophet Daniel also pleaded with God: "I turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes." (Daniel 9:3
Other examples are found in Matt. 11: 21 and Luke 10:13, “…if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes”. Hebrews 9:13 and 14 reads: “The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death so that we may serve the living God!”
Moses repented and fasted for 40 days after the Israelites made and worshipped the golden calf.
Ash Wednesday marks the start of a similar 40-day period (Sundays are not counted) which relates to Jesus praying and fasting in the dessert before starting his ministry.
How is Ash Wednesday and Lent observed?
Preaching, hymns and prayers in Church help us to remember how Jesus suffered, died and rose from the grave. Many Christians also use their private devotions during these seasons to reflect on what the gospel events teach them and what message the Lord personally has for them.
Some Christians, also in our Church, decide to “give up something for Lent”.
The original thinking behind this custom was the deepening of our faith and spirituality, not just making people uncomfortable for six weeks. The basis of observing Lent in this manner was and always should be that we through spiritual discipline grow in our faith and our relationship with God and other people.
While the giving up of coffee, sugar, chocolate, golf, TV, games and other conveniences became the principal focus to some people, physical disciplines are not an end in themselves. If it does not help us to focus on growing our relationship with God, it is a useless practice and can even be a superstitious tradition.
The challenge is this: "What, if anything, is going to move me closer to God as I prepare for Easter – remembering Christ’s resurrection, this year?"
Adding prayer and study time, time with my family and with my Church? Giving up conveniences to encourage spiritual discipline that will help me to focus on God and his calling on my life?
The “fast” or giving up something for Lent, is broken on Resurrection Sunday and adds joy to our remembering that Jesus rose from the dead, conquering our sin, our death and evil.
On what do protestant Christians focus during Lent?
There are two important aspects:
* Penitence: We realise our own brokenness and our need for Christ.
* Preparation: We strive to open our hearts wider for remembering Christ’s suffering and death and the celebration of his resurrection on Easter Sunday.
During this time people add to or subtract from their daily routines with the goal of drawing closer to God.
Keeping Perspective...
If you decide to observe these “fasts”, there must be no legalism about it. We are not trying to impress God. We're trying to prepare our hearts.
Observing Lent in these ways is no obligation! It is not a Biblical requirement! It is a good custom that helped many Christians over the centuries to, in fellowship with their fellow Christians, seek a closer walk with the Lord, that really should last all the time and during all seasons!
Lent is an opportunity to grow spiritually rather than being a burden and we pray that yours will be meaningful!
Celebrated in 2012 on Wednesday 22 February.
Ash Wednesday is a day of humbling penitence.
Biblical perspective on the practices around Ash Wednesday.
Ash Wednesday is a day of humbling penitence and it is the first day of the Season of Lent. Ashes were used in ancient times, according to the Bible, to express mourning. Dusting oneself with ashes was the penitent's way of expressing sorrow for loss, sins and short comings. An ancient example of one expressing one's penitence in this way is found in Job 42: 6. Job says to God: "Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”
The prophet Jeremiah, for example, calls for regret this way: "O daughter of my people, gird on sackcloth, roll in the ashes" (Jer 6:26).The prophet Daniel also pleaded with God: "I turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes." (Daniel 9:3
Other examples are found in Matt. 11: 21 and Luke 10:13, “…if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes”. Hebrews 9:13 and 14 reads: “The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death so that we may serve the living God!”
Moses repented and fasted for 40 days after the Israelites made and worshipped the golden calf.
Ash Wednesday marks the start of a similar 40-day period (Sundays are not counted) which relates to Jesus praying and fasting in the dessert before starting his ministry.
How is Ash Wednesday and Lent observed?
Preaching, hymns and prayers in Church help us to remember how Jesus suffered, died and rose from the grave. Many Christians also use their private devotions during these seasons to reflect on what the gospel events teach them and what message the Lord personally has for them.
Some Christians, also in our Church, decide to “give up something for Lent”.
The original thinking behind this custom was the deepening of our faith and spirituality, not just making people uncomfortable for six weeks. The basis of observing Lent in this manner was and always should be that we through spiritual discipline grow in our faith and our relationship with God and other people.
While the giving up of coffee, sugar, chocolate, golf, TV, games and other conveniences became the principal focus to some people, physical disciplines are not an end in themselves. If it does not help us to focus on growing our relationship with God, it is a useless practice and can even be a superstitious tradition.
The challenge is this: "What, if anything, is going to move me closer to God as I prepare for Easter – remembering Christ’s resurrection, this year?"
Adding prayer and study time, time with my family and with my Church? Giving up conveniences to encourage spiritual discipline that will help me to focus on God and his calling on my life?
The “fast” or giving up something for Lent, is broken on Resurrection Sunday and adds joy to our remembering that Jesus rose from the dead, conquering our sin, our death and evil.
On what do protestant Christians focus during Lent?
There are two important aspects:
* Penitence: We realise our own brokenness and our need for Christ.
* Preparation: We strive to open our hearts wider for remembering Christ’s suffering and death and the celebration of his resurrection on Easter Sunday.
During this time people add to or subtract from their daily routines with the goal of drawing closer to God.
Keeping Perspective...
If you decide to observe these “fasts”, there must be no legalism about it. We are not trying to impress God. We're trying to prepare our hearts.
Observing Lent in these ways is no obligation! It is not a Biblical requirement! It is a good custom that helped many Christians over the centuries to, in fellowship with their fellow Christians, seek a closer walk with the Lord, that really should last all the time and during all seasons!
Lent is an opportunity to grow spiritually rather than being a burden and we pray that yours will be meaningful!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
The Biblical Imperative to Praise & Worship - Part 3 (Final)
God moves amongst his people to restore both us and his church. God’s way to do this is amongst others through warm and sincere celebration of God through praise and worship. We need to worship God. And God deserves our worship, praise and thanksgiving. What does praise and worship do for us?
Firstly, God commanded it. God desires people who will praise and worship him. Praise and worship make us obedient followers of Christ.
Secondly, God is worthy of our worship. He deserves our praise and thanksgiving. Revelation 4:11 says, "Worthy are you, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for you created all things” and Revelation 5:11-12, "And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.”
Again in Revelation 7:11-12 we read, "And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, 'Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.'"
Thirdly, as we praise and worship God, our focus is not on ourselves, but on the Lord. As we are aware of his presence, we become conscious of his glory and greatness, his majesty and his power. Praise and worship bring us into the very presence of a holy God where we hear his message and receive the work we are to do for him.
Fourthly, praise and worship give insight into ourselves, our sin and short comings and our challenges. Looking at our lives in the light of the ability and the glory of God makes our issues solvable and bring us to a place where we know that our sins are forgiven and that nothing comes between God and us anymore. And that nothing is impossible with God.
Fifthly, worship and praise change us. It changes our attitudes and our mind. It takes away our cynical thoughts and gives us hope. It makes us people of faith. It makes us people who through faith celebrate the grace, the power and the love of God.
We are priests in the kingdom of Christ and we bring the sacrifice of praise to God. We are people of praise, because our God is worthy of our praise, and because we receive a new life and new hope and meaning through praise.
Let’s make it our priority.
Firstly, God commanded it. God desires people who will praise and worship him. Praise and worship make us obedient followers of Christ.
Secondly, God is worthy of our worship. He deserves our praise and thanksgiving. Revelation 4:11 says, "Worthy are you, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for you created all things” and Revelation 5:11-12, "And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.”
Again in Revelation 7:11-12 we read, "And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, 'Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.'"
Thirdly, as we praise and worship God, our focus is not on ourselves, but on the Lord. As we are aware of his presence, we become conscious of his glory and greatness, his majesty and his power. Praise and worship bring us into the very presence of a holy God where we hear his message and receive the work we are to do for him.
Fourthly, praise and worship give insight into ourselves, our sin and short comings and our challenges. Looking at our lives in the light of the ability and the glory of God makes our issues solvable and bring us to a place where we know that our sins are forgiven and that nothing comes between God and us anymore. And that nothing is impossible with God.
Fifthly, worship and praise change us. It changes our attitudes and our mind. It takes away our cynical thoughts and gives us hope. It makes us people of faith. It makes us people who through faith celebrate the grace, the power and the love of God.
We are priests in the kingdom of Christ and we bring the sacrifice of praise to God. We are people of praise, because our God is worthy of our praise, and because we receive a new life and new hope and meaning through praise.
Let’s make it our priority.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Jesus touched an untouchable man
Mark 1: 40 – 41 - A man with leprosy came to Jesus and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man.“I am willing,” he said.“Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.
In the case of this leper, Jesus reached out and touched him. This was unheard of when Jesus was on earth. A leper was considered horribly unclean, both religiously and physically. They suffered from a terrible, contagious decease. And they were required to walk around and cry "Unclean! Unclean! In terms of that culture it would be more than irresponsible to touch a leper. You might get leprosy. And you would be ritually unclean as well.
Well, Jesus did. He made a point of touching the sick, lonely cast out man.
Jesus could have just spoken to him and healed him but he decided to touch him.
We need to touch the untouchable too. If we do touch those who are in need, we begin to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. And God will bless us if we do.
He will bless us with the joy to make a difference in his Name. He will bless us with meaningful and Spirit filled living. God will reveal his power through our loving touch and grant us the gifts to make a God inspired difference in the world.
Jesus used his power to help others. And we should use the gifts he gives us to help others in need, too.
In the case of this leper, Jesus reached out and touched him. This was unheard of when Jesus was on earth. A leper was considered horribly unclean, both religiously and physically. They suffered from a terrible, contagious decease. And they were required to walk around and cry "Unclean! Unclean! In terms of that culture it would be more than irresponsible to touch a leper. You might get leprosy. And you would be ritually unclean as well.
Well, Jesus did. He made a point of touching the sick, lonely cast out man.
Jesus could have just spoken to him and healed him but he decided to touch him.
We need to touch the untouchable too. If we do touch those who are in need, we begin to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. And God will bless us if we do.
He will bless us with the joy to make a difference in his Name. He will bless us with meaningful and Spirit filled living. God will reveal his power through our loving touch and grant us the gifts to make a God inspired difference in the world.
Jesus used his power to help others. And we should use the gifts he gives us to help others in need, too.
Friday, February 10, 2012
When Christ saves us he reconciles us with our Father in heaven
Jesus came to reconcile us with God.
There's an Irish story of a father and son who had become estranged. The son ran away, and the father set off to find him. He searched for months, yet could not find his beloved son. Eventually , in a last effort to find him, the father put an ad in a newspaper, which read: “Dear Patrick, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father.” On that Saturday 800 Patricks showed up, looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers.
Forgiveness is a critical part of reconciliation. It means that our sin is not allowed to come between God and us anymore.
Painful relationships amongst ourselves are also healed when we imitate God’s forgiveness, not allowing the wrongs people did against us, to come between us and those who are significant to us.
Reconciliation is about being redeemed. The ransom has been paid and we have been set free. There is no outstanding debt. Jesus paid the fine fully and completely. Thus we can be forgiven, and be reconciled with our Father in heaven.
Reconciliation can be described as acceptance. When Jesus saves, redeems and forgives, he makes us acceptable to God. We are reconciled with God, because God accepts us.
With divine love.
There's an Irish story of a father and son who had become estranged. The son ran away, and the father set off to find him. He searched for months, yet could not find his beloved son. Eventually , in a last effort to find him, the father put an ad in a newspaper, which read: “Dear Patrick, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father.” On that Saturday 800 Patricks showed up, looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers.
Forgiveness is a critical part of reconciliation. It means that our sin is not allowed to come between God and us anymore.
Painful relationships amongst ourselves are also healed when we imitate God’s forgiveness, not allowing the wrongs people did against us, to come between us and those who are significant to us.
Reconciliation is about being redeemed. The ransom has been paid and we have been set free. There is no outstanding debt. Jesus paid the fine fully and completely. Thus we can be forgiven, and be reconciled with our Father in heaven.
Reconciliation can be described as acceptance. When Jesus saves, redeems and forgives, he makes us acceptable to God. We are reconciled with God, because God accepts us.
With divine love.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
The Biblical Imperative to Praise & Worship - part 2
John 4:23-24 says: "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be his worshipers. God is spirit; and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."
God moves in a fresh way in his church and amongst his people and an important part of this restoration comes from warm and sincere celebration of God through praise and worship. We need to worship God. And God deserves our worship, praise and thanksgiving.
Praise and worship is essential for every Christian. It is important, because God created us to praise him. Wherever you find people, they worship something. It may look and be different from what we are used to, but even so, all peoples on earth worship a higher being. Human beings will have a god, even if it is not the true God. This is because God created us to worship.
But God desires for us to become true worshipers who worship the one and only true God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. John 4:23-24 says: "…the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be his worshipers. God is spirit; and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."
God has called us, his sons and daughters, to be these worshipers. “God seeks worshippers”, the Bible says in this verse. To worship God in “spirit and truth” means to worship the true God whole heartedly, honestly, earnestly and truthfully. It teaches us that our worship should come from our heart, be devoted to our God and will be experienced under inspiration of God personally, through his Spirit.
In the Old Testament, priests offered sacrifices to God. According to the New Testament, Christians are all priests who offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and love to God. 1 Peter 2:4-5 says, "And coming to him as to a living stone… you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
What are these spiritual sacrifices? Hebrews 13:15 tells us: "Through him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to his Name." We offer sacrifices of praise, the fruit of our lips.
To praise and worship the one and only true God, is a high and inspiring calling. It is a privilege, and everyone saved by the grace of God through Jesus wants to do nothing else than bring the fruit of our lips, our songs and our prayers and our witness, as sacrifices to the holy God who deserves our love, our devotion and our passion!
Monday, February 6, 2012
The Fruit of Discipleship
John 15: 8 - This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
Our relationship with Jesus bears fruit that reveals the Father’s glory. Through living as his disciple, a lost and seeking world can see God’s magnificence and find comfort and salvation.
A disciple of Jesus is someone who became a learner or apprentice of Christ, the teacher. Jesus shows us how to live for God’s glory by imitating Christ and submitting to his teaching.
The fruit of our relationship with Christ is Christ like living and the fruit of Christ like living is that we reveal God’s glory. The fruit of revealing the glory of God is that the light of God again shines in a dark world and the lost can find their way back to the Father.
May we bear much fruit as we show ourselves to be the disciples of Jesus this week.
Our relationship with Jesus bears fruit that reveals the Father’s glory. Through living as his disciple, a lost and seeking world can see God’s magnificence and find comfort and salvation.
A disciple of Jesus is someone who became a learner or apprentice of Christ, the teacher. Jesus shows us how to live for God’s glory by imitating Christ and submitting to his teaching.
The fruit of our relationship with Christ is Christ like living and the fruit of Christ like living is that we reveal God’s glory. The fruit of revealing the glory of God is that the light of God again shines in a dark world and the lost can find their way back to the Father.
May we bear much fruit as we show ourselves to be the disciples of Jesus this week.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
The Biblical Imperative to Praise & Worship - part 1
John 4:24: God is spirit; and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.
Many Christians today believe that God moves in a fresh way in his church and amongst his people and that an important part of this restoration comes from warm and sincere celebration of God through praise and worship.
We want to ask and answer some questions about this during the next three weeks. Is it a Biblical imperative (or commandment) to praise and worship? Is it really important for the believer? Should we emphasise this part of our Sunday Service?
I believe the answer to all the questions above, is a stern “YES!” And the most important reason for this, is that celebratory Sunday Worship where we heartily praise the Lord, is not the invention of man, or of the gospel music industry or any church renewal movement, but it is God’s idea. From the beginning, since the days of the Old Testament, it was God’s idea that his people should meet regularly and continuously, to worship him and to celebrate our relationship with him.
If we study the Scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments, we will find without any shadow of a doubt that God commanded us to thank, acclaim, praise and worship him with hearts, and minds and voices. Just listen to Psalm 150, and see how we are taught to "praise the Lord!"
Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary;
Praise him in his mighty expanse.
Praise him for his mighty deeds;
Praise him according to his excellent greatness.
Praise him with trumpet sound;
Praise him with harp and lyre.
Praise him with timbrel and dancing.
Praise him with stringed instruments and pipe.
Praise him with loud cymbals;
Praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
God is still saying to his church, as he commanded so often during all the ages: "Praise Me!"
Why is this so important to the Lord? Does he need our praise? The answer to this question is “NO!” People need praise to feel better about themselves and to develop a good self image.
God has no such need.
The reason for the biblical imperative to worship and praise lies not with God, but with me. The reason is that WE need what praise and worship can do in our lives. God doesn't need our praise, but we have a deeply rooted need to celebrate him.
Praise and worship change and inspire us! The living of a purposeful and content life, begins with celebrating God.
Many Christians today believe that God moves in a fresh way in his church and amongst his people and that an important part of this restoration comes from warm and sincere celebration of God through praise and worship.
We want to ask and answer some questions about this during the next three weeks. Is it a Biblical imperative (or commandment) to praise and worship? Is it really important for the believer? Should we emphasise this part of our Sunday Service?
I believe the answer to all the questions above, is a stern “YES!” And the most important reason for this, is that celebratory Sunday Worship where we heartily praise the Lord, is not the invention of man, or of the gospel music industry or any church renewal movement, but it is God’s idea. From the beginning, since the days of the Old Testament, it was God’s idea that his people should meet regularly and continuously, to worship him and to celebrate our relationship with him.
If we study the Scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments, we will find without any shadow of a doubt that God commanded us to thank, acclaim, praise and worship him with hearts, and minds and voices. Just listen to Psalm 150, and see how we are taught to "praise the Lord!"
Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary;
Praise him in his mighty expanse.
Praise him for his mighty deeds;
Praise him according to his excellent greatness.
Praise him with trumpet sound;
Praise him with harp and lyre.
Praise him with timbrel and dancing.
Praise him with stringed instruments and pipe.
Praise him with loud cymbals;
Praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
God is still saying to his church, as he commanded so often during all the ages: "Praise Me!"
Why is this so important to the Lord? Does he need our praise? The answer to this question is “NO!” People need praise to feel better about themselves and to develop a good self image.
God has no such need.
The reason for the biblical imperative to worship and praise lies not with God, but with me. The reason is that WE need what praise and worship can do in our lives. God doesn't need our praise, but we have a deeply rooted need to celebrate him.
Praise and worship change and inspire us! The living of a purposeful and content life, begins with celebrating God.
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