After God's Own Heart: Praise & Worship Music#links

After God's Own Heart: Praise & Worship Music#links

Praise & Worship Music

How should we praise God?

- We should praise Him with instruments. (Psalms 150:3, 4)
- We should praise Him with a dance. (Psalms 149:3)
- We should praise Him with loud shouting and singing. (2 Chronicles 20:19, Judges 5:3 and Psalms 98:4)
- We should praise Him with our whole heart and soul. (Psalms 111:1 and Psalms 146:1)
- We should praise Him unshamefully. (Psalms 108:3)
- We should praise Him with a new song (Psalms 149:1)
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God's Secret Place (darkness)

As we each face many difficulties throughout our life, our mind is overloaded with a sense of doubt and fear. Whether it is the fear of a person, the fear of darkness, the fear of the unknown or the fear of death, it is important to remember that we are not powerless, and we are not alone. God (the source of strength) has promised to always be with us. It says in the book of Hebrews 13:5, "…I (God) will never leave thee, nor forsake thee". Verse 6 continues to say; "So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me".

Fear is like a cloud of darkness hovering over our head. It often leaves us feeling empty. It is the absences of love, and the product of worldly pressures and uncertain circumstances. Fear is not an attribute that comes from God. It is written in 2 Timothy 1:7: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind". This is why we must not allow our thoughts to be shaped and molded by the influences of this world, instead, this world should be influenced by us (believers), as Jesus Christ (the Light" of the world), fully reigns in our life. As we remain close to Him, His bright light reflects through us into this dark world, and by it He directs the lost unto Himself.

Throughout scripture we see that God is in darkness, but darkness is not in God. For this reason, we as Christian should not be afraid to draw near to where He is. For example, the Bible says in Exodus 20:21 "And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was". Also Psalms 18:11 says, "He made darkness His secret place; His pavilion (cover) round about Him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies". David understood this truth. That is why he was able to boldly say in Psalms 23:4 "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me". It is only through Christ that we are victorious. He is the secret key that enables us to prevail through every challenge that we face during these perilous times.

Psalms 91:1 tells us how it’s done, it says; "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty".

The word "dwells" in Hebrew is yâshab (yaw-shab), which means, "sit down, remain" as in continuing to wait in quietness. It is God’s guidance and deliverance that we are trusting (not just hoping) will manifest.

The "secret place", refers to a protective covering. It is a place that most of us would rather avoid, because of it's dark and frightening description. Evil doers think that they can hide their wicket deeds in the dark, but, nothing can be hidden from God. He knows everything that goes on in the light and in the dark, and is able to reveal it all.

The bible describes two types of individuals that are in darkness. Those who walk in the ways of darkness and those who sit (or sat) in darkness.

The ones, who walk in the ways darkness, are those who are corrupt. They attempt to create their own way, to peace with God, but they only are leading themselves misery; Psalms 82:5 says; "They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness…"

The ones, who sit in darkness, are those who understand their need for a deliverer. Note: This is not just sitting down doing nothing, but it is an active effort to reside in God and seek His guidance. Luke 1:79 says, "To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace".

The phrase "shall abide" means to "permanently stop or stay ". This is what happens once Christ has become our place of residency; we abide in Him.

"Under the shadow" literally means, "under the protection and defense of". If God could cast a shadow, then we know (since He is evenly present everywhere) that His shadow would most likely be directly under His feet. Therefore, in order to abide under the shadow of the Almighty, we must remain at His feet at all times. Let us make our lives a genuine picture of trust, as we remember that we are not alone, for we have made ourselves at home, under the refuge of God’s protective wings.

The next time that you feel down and out, think about this: Where was Jesus when His disciples (in a small boat) where caught in the middle of a large storm? The answer is this: He was in the boat, in the storm with His disciples. If you are a Christian, then the same is true in your life. JESUS, is with you, right now, in your trial.

Kenneth Gregory

Only Through Christ

(Our best vs Christ holiness)

After all these years, mankind still does not understand that our BEST effort to bring contentment to God's justice, is futile. In the old days, under the old covenant, temporary redemption was achieved through the sacrifice given in the temple once a year, every year, by a sinful priest. 

Jesus has (under the new covenant) made a permanent payment, on our behalf, that has now completely satisfied the Father's justice, one time for all. Some of use are still trying to match His righteousness, with our own dirty useless acts of goodness. It is true, what they say; all roads do lead to God; One road (Jesus) lead to His eternal peace, all other roads lead to His judgement. 

Kenny Gregory

Have You Spent Time With God Lately?

(A look at knowing God)

The idea for this message, somewhat stems from an old hit song by Janet Jackson, called "What Have You Done For Me, Lately?" Don’t get me wrong, I am not knocking this song, however, it works as a perfect example of how we often approach God. In man’s mind life only revolves around himself. Too often we come to God with this "what can you do for me lately" attitude. It is so sad that we sometimes are guilty of treating God as if He is just some genie in a bottle, who must only emerge to do our bidding, then return to "his bottle" until further notice.

God is holy, and we should come before Him in reverence. If we were to ask Him this question; "Lord, what is Your will for me today?" He would reply, "Empty yourself, draw near, lay aside all your worries and concerns and fellowship with Me, for it is My desire for you to know Me". This can not be accomplished any other way, but by making prayer a priority, and by mediating on His word daily. The scripture says; "Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word." (Psalms 119:148) It is not just enough to show up at church, give our tithes and offerings, or even to serve in the ministry. These things are very important and we ought to be doing all of them. However, more importantly, God wants to spend time with us.

A husband and a wife can never really know one another, unless they spend time together. The same is true with knowing God, for He has revealed Himself through His word, and unless we are spending time reading, studying and hearing His word, we can never really know Him, nor can we build a faith that can stand up against the storms of life. In fact, according to the Bible, the growth of our faith is directly related to hearing God’s word; Romans 10:17 says; So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

If you feel like you’ve been inconsistent with meeting with God daily, then you can start a fresh, meet with Him right now in prayer. Ask Him to help you to commit to a daily routine of prayer, a consistent habit of studying His word and a constant practice of sharing it with others, for it is His will to do so.

May the Lord bless you daily

Kenny Gregory

A Man After God's Own Heart

A Look at the Heart of David †





Psalm 23, was written by David, not just as some nice thing to read at funerals, but as a love song, a letter of confidence and encouragement, a word picture of his very heart. Even though, David sinned just like all of us, Acts 13:22 records God saying of David: "I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will". How could God say this about a man who committed adultery with Bathsheba and then murdered her husband? While, the answer is evident in David's response to Nathan (God's Prophet), when he confronted David about his sin. Instead of having Nathan killed, David quickly confessed, repented and willingly expected his punishment, in this we see evidence that David's true treasure, was His God. In Luke 12:34, Jesus said: "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also". Unfortunately, the unsaved can not put their trust or their confidence in God, because they do not really believe that He exists. Psalm 53:1 says; "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God". In contrast, David said to the giant Philistine, Goliath, before slaying him: "This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand;….. that all the earth may know that there is a God…..". Now let us take a look at this heart of David, as described in Psalm 23. In Psalm 23 verse 1) we see that David had a heart that Believed in God (who is our guide and provider): "The LORD is my Shepherd" and he also had a heart that Trusted in God: "I shall not want". In Psalm 23:2) we see David had a heart that is Trainable: "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters". In Psalm 23:3) we see David had a heart of Holiness: "He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake". In Psalm 23:4) we see David had a heart of Confidence: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me". In addition, he had a heart that Agreed with God: "thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." In Psalm 23:5) we see David had a heart of Gratitude (telling of His goodness): "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over". In Psalm 23:6 we see David had a heart that was Fixed on God: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever". Can we truly confess that our heart is set on the things above, and not just on the things below? It is my prayer day that God will give us all a heart that is firmly fixed on JESUS.

GOD BLESS U

Kenny Gregory

God and the descendents of the Egyptians

Due to my recent discovery of individuals who are either misunderstanding scripture or just plain twisting it, I felt the need to briefly address this matter of God and race. 

It has justly been stated by many, that God is only interested in one race, the human race. Yet, I have found that there are a few who wrongfully argue that “God is against certain ethnic groups”. These ethnic groups in many cases are the descendents of the Egyptians, which are descendents of Noah’s son Ham. 

Many of these individuals are sincere in their belief that God holds a grudge against a certain race of people. However, there is no truth in that belief. 

I have learned that some of the bases of this false belief are rooted in the information found in the book of Exodus. This is where we are told about a wicket Pharaoh, who (out of fear) enslaved God’s people. Another root to this deceptive doctrine comes from the book of Genesis, were Noah predicted a curse would come upon the descendents of Ham. According to the bible, the curse was only directed toward one group of his descendents, the Canaanite nation. This prophecy was completed when Israel entered the Promise Land, and drove out the Canaanites, as recorded in the book of Joshua.

We learn of a different Pharaoh, in the book of Genesis 41:25, who was given a dream by God. This Pharaoh was used by God as a tool to preserve the lives of His people. 

As we move forward, in Isaiah 19:22, we are told that God afflicted the Egyptians. He did this to draw them unto Himself and bless them. This lead to the Egyptians becoming devoted worshippers. 

Many are aware that God referred to the Israelites as His people and because of the bloodline leading to Jesus Christ, they are also called His inheritance. What is unknown is the fact that in the book of Isaiah 19:25, God also referred to the Egyptians as His people.

Thus, we learn that God did not hate the Egyptians, nor does He hate the people on earth today. He loves all of us and hates all of our sin. The bible says that He loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and through His innocent blood, we can all be redeemed. 

We must remember that once we become a Christian, we become a member of one family, one race, and one people. Therefore, let us not be lead to believe anything else. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus, not each other.

Kenny Gregory