Ye Dragons And All Deeps!

(Praise)


Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights.

Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.

Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.

Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.

Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created.

He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.

Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:

Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word:

Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:

Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl:

Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth:

Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children:

Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent;



his glory is above the earth and heaven.

He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints;



even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD.



Psalm 148


Was David in a good mood? I really don't think so. It wouldn't have mattered. David knew suffering. David knew His God. David knew how to address His God. It was with praise and thanks, first. David drives home the point that, in the midst of life in the crushing gloom, David saw the essence of his and our purpose here; The essence of the purpose of all life created by God through Jesus Christ. To give praise and glory to the God and Father of all.


How do "beasts and cattle", sun, moon and stars praise God? Simple, really, ...by living as they were created to live. The trees and grasses and flowers reach upward don't they? It is a physical manifestation of lifting up praise to the Creator. Just like some of us lift up our hands. A sign of worship and praise. Spiritually, we lift up our hearts. When we deviate from the Way of righteousness, we "rend" (tear) our hearts before God. We do not tear our garments, as was a sign of repentance, subservience and grief of old (2Sam:3:31). God requires our worship to come from our hearts, not our mouths (Joel:2:13 - M't:15:8).


Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth,

and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me,

and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Isa:29:13


Is our praise of God "taught to us by the precept of men"? Is our "fear" of God choreographed by our "teachers"? Good question. Does our praise well up from deep within us without orchestration, prompting from the choir or by reason of feeling "good"? We do not "learn" to give our God praise but it comes naturally, as given, because of the infilling of His Spirit.


So after all the yelling and screaming, you'd think this preacher is only fixated on the ruin upon us. Well, think again. Even under fire, there should be praise given to our God. He's never told us otherwise. It separates the fair-weather "Christians" from the real ones. This ruin we are witnessing is God's reason to test our hearts again and again. If we can give God praise, pure and from the heart of Christ in us, when the roof blows off or when we're stuck on the unemployment line or when the wolves are slobbering at our shoes, then it is a truly pleasing offering to our God. If we be branches and God does the spiritual horticulture, then His fruit is indeed pure, righteous and well deserved by Him. That is why God planted His Vineyard. Uh huh.


Who are we going to blame for putting us here and putting us in these terrible days? The Dragon? I don't think so. Oh poor us eh? It better not be in our thoughts. Sad but true, we are the only branch of creation that has this sometimes "burdensome" gift of free will. When it is our will, by the mind of Christ in us, to praise God despite the circumstances, then this praise is a sweet smell to His "nostrils"; A sweet sound to His "ears". It puts the sun and stars to shame, Saints.


"I will have mercy, and not sacrifice..."


Sing and holler all you want. Fire up the praise band and dance in the aisles. Rock for Jesus. "Joyful noise" or not, is it coming from a pure heart toward God? The Heart of Christ? Or is it a ritual? I believe our God requires hearts for Him, not 12 bar progressions in the key of A Major. Actually, most don't sing well in A Major. Better, ...E Flat. Anyway, I'm not putting down the music of "churchland", just the motive for it.


Will the singing stop when the checks stop rolling in? When the church fails to make it's fiscal budget? When the "praise-pastor" has to find another job? Will the praise words from our lips cease when the foreclosure sign is hung on our property? When the boss tells us we're no longer needed at the job? This is the "test" Saints. The test of David, if you will. David was a man after God's own heart because of his desire for God and God's gift of His Spirit. Is that our hearts today? For God?


The sacrifice of Jesus Christ ushered in the age of the Spirit, within those called out by God. Not righteousness by works. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ made the temple rites obsolete. No more blood. Hearts! "This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith"? (Gal:3:2) No more blood Saints. Hearts, spirits. "no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident..." (Gal:3:11) We give God more substantial praise through our hearts, if they be right, than we do in any other form. Why? Jesus Christ, that's why. God's will and plan. Or have we too, stopped short like the "bewitched" Galatians? Our "works" should be of Jesus Christ not our design. Our works manifest our hearts, don't they?


And whether the "natural man" cares to admit it, he too, as all God's creation, gives praise by being just what he or she was created for. Even them that sin were planned by God. And even this gives God praise. Swallow hard but think about this.



It is the heart, the individual heart, that God listens to and judges. And everyone's got one. God's "ears" are discerning and He knows the heart (Heb:4:12). God also knows who resides in our hearts. Christ or anti-Christ.


I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just;


because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.



Joh:5:30

What is in your hearts today, Saints? Are we the only created thing which metes out praise contingent upon our well being? God's creation WILL give Him praise despite the "human" contingent. Jesus Christ sought not his own will. And us? Well, IF the Spirit of Jesus Christ lives in His Saints, then the answer is obvious. It's still a choice, too.


When you're down to your last can of beans, praise and thank your Father first. Then ask Him to mercifully supply you with more. Consider what you have as sufficient. God will not deny His children.


When you're out in the parking lot with a pink slip in your hand, Praise God first. Thank Him for sustaining you all these years with a paycheck and feeding you and/or your family. Then ask Him, if it is His will, to give you another job. Remember that your job is also a gift of God and it is not to be thought that it is you by your own means, hooks or crooks, that you "survive". Big mistake Saints.


We mustn't be afraid if we are not given something when we think we must have it either! God's people in the wilderness had that same problem and what did it get them? What I'm aiming at is this..., Some of us have the middle of the fence dug so deep between our legs that we cannot even discern when we are in rebellion, unsatisfied and grumbling; When we're reaching over to the steering wheel! Have we come to do the will of the Father like the Master we profess to follow and emulate? Have we trust in God our Father? Or do we still do our own will when the wind's not blowing quite right?

Our praises will be shallow, hollow and cold. Our praises will become a judgment upon us if we are not sincere and grounded in our roles as servant and priests of ONE master! Need I say, "think about it"?


Let's take a look at the sun, moon and stars. At the mountains, beasts and creeping things. The dragons and deeps. They are right where God the Creator placed them and they give Him glory because they do not fight His will, nor 'think' of themselves as anything more than what they'd been made to be. Mankind is included here also. We were made of the same "stuff". But we were given His Spirit! We live, not only on the earth but also in the heavenlies, through Jesus Christ. That should make them dragons jealous, if you ask me. Why doesn't it? Because Creation is doing exactly what God had ordained it to do.

And are we fearful ingrates, given the gift of the Holy Spirit, acting as we were ordained to act? THAT is a mighty deep question in relation to God's Sovereignty. But simply put, either we serve one master and fear, or we serve the other Master and live in peace and praise of the Father who called a few to live the life of His Son and find real Life at the end of their journeys.


Give God praise that you are given to see His mighty works! That He keeps His promises. Give Him praise that He loves His own so much that He spares not the rod of chastisement. God is why we praise Him! We were made for this. And by the blood of Jesus Christ, we can enter in to His Holy Place. We can exercise our freedom in Christ! No blood, incense, libation, song or "laws" can ever match what comes forth from the depths of the heart of Christ within us. A direct line to the "ear" of the Father. It's faster than priority mail folks. It is not a "formula" for prosperity! It is part of our "reasonable" service!


Don't be "upstaged" by dragons and deeps Saints. Walk as Christ walked. Be a pleasing sacrifice to our God. There should be no room in your hearts for you. Just Jesus. We are not only being conformed into His image but we have HIS heart and mind (1Cor:2:16). Think about that. What is Christ's mind? Obedient, surrendered and loving toward His Father. Wanting nothing for Himself, only that the Father be pleased. The simplicity which is Christ. It that us?


I do pray that we might see, that the underlying theme of this little message is still and always, humility. And humility goes a long way in "narrowing" the way for us. Can't stress that enough. And don't think that I am a pinnacle of righteousness, Saints. I fall too. And that is precisely why I wanted to share this with you.


Hey, lots of question marks in this article, I agree. But let's examine ourselves here, shall we? Oops, there's another one. Be strong and take comfort in your Refuge, Saints. If your hearts are upon His Kingdom and His Righteousness, then He will supply. What you "have" doesn't matter. WHO you have, does. We are in tribulation. We are told to watch. We are told to pray. What do we pray for...? And why...?

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverb:3:6



Shields up. Keep to the Road.


http://www.theremnantcafe.org/articles/yedragons.htm