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Exalting God before Others

7/30/2016

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THE PURPOSE OF WORSHIP
Terry R. Baughman

“Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation and before the leaders of the nation” (Psalm 107:31). 
    One outcome of worshiping God is a visual witness that others may see to bring glory to our God. The purpose of our worship is that we may declare a testimony of God’s creative works, His active involvement in human affairs, and His absolute reality in our lives. As we exalt the Lord of Glory others come to understand His greatness and are drawn to acknowledge Him in their lives. 
    All of Creation demonstrates the existence of an intelligent design and illustrates the outcome of His personal initiative. When we “consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,” we respond in worship (Psalm 8:3). “He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him” (Psalm 33:7–8). The beauty of nature invokes an exaltation of praise to the everlasting God who created it. In the face of such evidence David declared that, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 53:1). Our worship of the Creator continues to remind an unbelieving world of an evident truth. 
    Throughout history God has been involved with His creation. The deist professes to believe in God but denies that He is involved or intervenes in the affairs of humanity. However, the biblical record reveals the story of His involvement and intervention with His created beings from the walks in the cool of the day with Adam and Eve to the destruction of the flood when He preserved life through the obedience of one family in the construction of an ark; from the call of Abraham to make a great nation to judgment of captivity and exile; from the restoration of the Temple to the Lord Jesus coming to that Temple to prophesy His own resurrection (John 2:19), and finally, from the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ to the movement that proclaims His saving gospel to all the world. God is definitely involved in the history, the present, and the future of His creation.  
    God sought relationship with those He created. He desired communication and received their praise. He is a good God that does good things. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17). Whenever praise ascends to the throne of God there will be a response. God will pour out a blessing on those who worship Him. “You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You” (Psalm 118:28).
    Let us fulfill His purpose and demonstrate our passion as we exalt the name of the Lord in this generation. Let every nation come to know Him because of our worship. “I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations” (Psalm 57:9).


Scripture:
“Let them praise the name of the Lord, For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven” (Psalm 148:13).


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LifeChurch Bulletin 7/31/16

7/29/2016

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Exalting God in Our Hearts

7/24/2016

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THE PURPOSE OF WORSHIP

Terry R. Baughman
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him” (Psalm 28:7). 
    We worship God because He is worthy of exaltation. His righteous acts are recorded in Scripture and revealed in all of creation. “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him” (Psalm 8:3–4). We magnify Him because He is the one singular Deity above heaven and earth that justifies our adoration. He is truth. He is eternal. He is involved in our lives. 
    The worship of God has the added benefit of bringing blessing to the worshipper. As we exalt the name of God and magnify Him for His wonderful attributes we find that we ourselves are blessed in return. The psalmist said, “My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped.” David found a source of strength in his songs of praise. As he exalted the Lord God he found that God’s presence came in bringing hope and it greatly encouraged him.
    There is an internal effect of worship. Acknowledging God and reflecting on His awesome power brings an assurance that we can trust Him with any of our problems and know that He will help us in our time of need. Solomon wrote, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5–6). It begins in the heart. A worshipful attitude of the heart will bring confidence that God is present to lead us in His path. 
    There is power in the spoken word. We often hear the importance of speaking words of faith when it comes to receiving healing or some other miracle of God’s power, but those words may also be confessions of praise and expressions of exaltation. David said, “The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of justice. The law of his God is in his heart; None of his steps shall slide” (Psalm 37:30–31). When we speak the wisdom of God and confess the words of God our hearts are established and the Spirit will give direction to our footsteps. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).
    Worship is far more than recitation and repetition. Worship involves the head and the heart. True worship is both spiritual and physical. Jesus told the woman of Samaria, “The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth” (John 4:23). Intellectually we speak words of truth concerning God, His word, and His attributes. Emotionally, we may become moved with the acknowledgment of a great God who is intimately involved in our lives. We act according to knowledge as we move into worship and our hearts responds to our confession with affirmation. God responds to our sincere worship and touches us in the center of our emotion and as a result we acknowledge this reality intellectually. Intrinsically, we are united with God as we give ourselves to worship Him. 


Scripture:
“From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” (Psalm 61:2).

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LifeChurch Bulletin 7/24/16

7/24/2016

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The Testimony

7/17/2016

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IN THE PRESENCE OF WITNESSES

Terry R. Baughman
“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (1 Timothy 6:12).
    A most vital aspect of our legal system requires the sworn statement of witnesses. The testimonies of these witnesses have the power to condemn or exonerate the accused. Prosecutors produce eyewitnesses, if possible, to establish the guilt of the defendant. If none can be found who saw the crime being committed they might produce other evidence of implication. Another tactic is to seek out individuals who might be able to discredit the testimony of those who speak for the defendant. On the other hand the defense seeks witnesses who can provide an alibi for the defendant or character witnesses who will speak for the trustworthiness of the accused. Much of the time the outcome of the hearing is dependent on the testimony of the witnesses. 
    The precedent for verification by witnesses comes from the Torah, our Old Testament in the Bible, “By the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established” (Deuteronomy 19:15). Guilt for crimes committed was predicated on the statement of witnesses. A death sentence could only be delivered if there were “two or three witnesses” (Deuteronomy 17:6). A single witness might be biased or have other motivations for producing inaccurate testimony. The New Testament references this principle on more than one occasion and it has been adopted by many legal systems of societies through the centuries. 
    It is interesting to note that even the two primary sections of our Bible are identified as testaments. Jesus declared a new covenant before His disciples in the Last Supper, “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28 KJV). The New Testament stands as a witness to the character and righteous acts of His divine purpose and promises. The Old and New Testaments are the two witnesses of God’s Word throughout recorded history.
    In past times church gatherings featured a segment of time for congregational testimonies. Volunteers could share their stories of faith, recent challenges they had overcome, or answers to specific prayers they had experienced. Some of these shared accounts were encouraging to others who found themselves in similar circumstances. Whether spoken before the congregation, written as a witness statement, or lived out in an exemplary life, the testimony is a powerful affirmation of faith. 
    In The Book of Revelation John identified the source of victory over the enemy when confronted by the false statements of the accuser, “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Revelation 12:11). There is power in our witness and our relationship with Jesus Christ. 
    When we are persuaded of the validity of a cause we find greater resolve to stand firm. Paul spoke of the testimony of Timothy and his, “good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (1 Timothy 6:12). The Message interprets the passage, “the life you so fervently embraced in the presence of so many witnesses.” Let us likewise live out our testimony effectively in the presence of many witnesses.


Scripture:
“You shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

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LifeChurch Bulletin 7/17/16

7/16/2016

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Living in the Overflow 

7/10/2016

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IN THE PRESENCE OF MY ENEMIES
Terry R. Baughman

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over” (Psalms 23:5).
    In the presence of an enemy one does not expect to find anything constructive. We keep our guard up. With a watchful and wary eye we are alert to any sudden move or offensive action. Our senses are tuned to be alert for verbal attacks or underlying innuendos against our character. Instead of seeking occasions to interact with an adversary we are more prone to avoid these associations and distance ourselves from those with whom we have had conflict. 
    Sometimes it is impossible to avoid association with those who have opposed us, criticized us, or even attacked us. This is the situation David found himself in during his flight from King Saul of Israel. In order to escape the angry king he found himself knocking on the door of Gath, seeking refuge in the hometown of Goliath, the giant he had slain in battle. To prevent being killed as an enemy of the Philistines he feigned insanity, drooling at the mouth and rambling nonsense. As a result he was admitted to the enemy camp, protected from the pursuers of King Saul, and his life was spared. From the king’s residence to a Philistine city, from a palace with royalty to a deserted cave with a band of outlaws, David knew what it was like to be in the presence of an enemy. He found that God could bring a positive outcome and blessing even when surrounded by adversity. 
    In the twenty-third Psalm David sang praises to the Shepherd who directed his life and accompanied him along the way. On perilous paths or by the peaceful waters David found that God was with him. He acknowledged that even “in the presence of my enemies” God had taken care of him. He said, “You prepare a table before me… You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over” (Psalms 23:5). David found provision, blessing, and an overflow of God’s presence during the most difficult times of his life. 
    These three things can also be experienced as we are led of the Lord in the presence of adversity:
    1) Provision - The table of provision is not limited to safe environs amongst harmonious associates. Sometimes His grace is seen in greater measure when our need is the most significant. God will provide even “in the presence of my enemies.” Paul said, “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). 
    2) Blessing - It is God “who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). His blessing is not dependent on the endorsement of friends or contingent on the actions of foes. David saw the blessing of the Lord like the anointing of oil that came with his call to serve as the King of Israel. 
    3) Abundance - Adversity does not hinder God’s ability.  He is a God of abundance. He is not limited in anyway; neither does He ration out answers to prayers nor set a quota on how much of His Spirit may be experienced. Jesus is the One “who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20). 
    In reflection on God’s provision and blessing David remarked, “My cup runs over.” As we experience God’s grace in the presence of adversity we will find there is an abundant overflow of God’s provision and His blessings. We are living in the overflow!


Scripture:
“You visit the earth and water it, You greatly enrich it; The river of God is full of water; You provide their grain, For so You have prepared it.” (Psalm 65:9).

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LifeChurch Bulletin 7/10/16

7/9/2016

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Nothing to Fear

7/2/2016

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IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD
Terry R. Baughman
​

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust. … You shall not be afraid….” (Psalm 91:1-2; 5).
    In the presence of God we find shelter, defense, salvation, and confidence in His unfailing attributes of strength. To be in His presence is to seek His involvement in our lives and to acknowledge His intervention in our time of need. We can create a space to live in His presence as we “abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” This indicates His oversight and nearness. This is “the secret place of at the Most High” of which the Psalmist wrote.
    In His presence we find a defense against all opposition. Because of His enduring quality of strength, as the “Almighty” and the one “Most High,” we have tremendous trust in Him. We can say, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.” A refuge is a safe place, a hideaway, a shelter of security. A fortress provides protection from the attacks of the enemy. It is a secure compound to protect those who flee to its boundaries and they are defended by its forces. 
    God is the ultimate protection from the onslaught of natural or demonic forces. The prophet recorded the word of the Lord, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper” (Isaiah 54:17); and again, “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him” (Isaiah 59:19). Trust in the Lord and allow Him to direct your steps! (See Proverbs 3:5-6.)
    We have the promise of God’s deliverance from the traps that have been set to ensnare us. The fowler sets a trap or a net to catch birds. This imagery was used by the psalmist to illustrate the craftiness of the enemy and the subtle snares he may set to bring us into captivity. Living in the presence of God provides assurance that we may be kept safe from his snares and delivered from the traps of evil. Our prayer should be, “And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13). He is our deliverance and our salvation.
    Jesus prayed over Jerusalem and wept over their destiny, “How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Matthew 23:37). Jesus used the same imagery expressed in the Psalm, “He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge” (Psalm 91:4). There is a covering promised to those who will run to Him and seek shelter. He will be a covering. Not only has He clothed us with righteousness He will shield us from evil. His truth protects us and secures our salvation. 
    Because of the security promised and provided by our closeness to the One who is the Almighty we have great confidence in Him. There is no need to be afraid. Day or night, in bright sun or the shadows of evening, there will be attempts against us. In the presence of the Lord there is no need to fear the terrors, the weapons, the pestilence, or destruction. Though thousands may fall, “it shall not come near you” (Psalm 91:7). Why? “Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place” (Psalm 91:9).


Scripture:
“For He shall give His angels charge over you, 
to keep you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:11).

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LifeChurch Bulletin 7/3/16

7/2/2016

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    Author

    Terry R Baughman is Lead Pastor for LifeChurch in Gilbert, AZ.  See his complete bio at trbaughman.com 

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