A S P E C T S - a monthly devotional journal For subscription information on receiving Aspects every month via e-mail, or the laser-printed edition by mail, see NOTES, COPYRIGHT & SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION near the end of this file. Aspects is written by David S. Lampel. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Issue #10, September 1991 (Internet Edition) A T I M E O F P R A I S E ----------------------------------------------------------------- In this issue: Perspective 1 - Holy Perspective 2 - Faithful Perspective 3 - Fair Perspective 4 - Majestic ----------------------------------------------------------------- How easy it is, when adversity throws us off track, to fall back upon human logic instead of relying upon the cooling hand of our God. This month, just as I was beginning work on this issue of Aspects, I was hit with a spell of blinding pain which prevented me from pursuing this important task on schedule. The pain--falling, on the Richter scale, somewhere between a migraine and childbirth--was finally, after two weeks, traced to a rotten tooth. Excavations were commenced and relief was immediate. My first thought was to stick with my planned topic for this issue, but to cram the work into the few remaining days; I quickly realized that this effort would produce an inferior work--little more than six text-filled pages--and would result in short-changing my readers. The next idea was to skip this month all together, claiming the excuse of debilitating pain that prevented me from publishing. This was as unacceptable to me as the first. What to do? What to do? I should have remembered Nehemiah. What did he do first? He prayed. Not second or third, not after he had struggled with the problem for awhile. He prayed first. Too late for me to do it first, but I prayed. Shortly thereafter it came to me to make this month's Aspects a joyous time of praise; this I could accomplish in the abbreviated time allotment, and have it still be profitable. Admittedly, there will be very little original material in this issue (maybe some of you have been praying for that!), but I will be sharing some thoughts and quotations from some excellent resources as we consider and meditate upon four of God's attributes. Before we begin, let's agree on our terms; just what is praise? From A Celebration of Praise by Dick Eastman, a book I will be using extensively throughout this issue: "Praise is the act of verbalized worship or adoration that declares or acknowledges God for Who He is. Thanksgiving, on the other hand, is the act of offering specific thanks to God for things He has done for us or others."(1) So relax, put away your dictionaries and commentaries; pop a praise tape into the tape deck and let's have a time of loving our God. _________________________ A Praise of David. I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, And I will declare Your greatness. They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, And shall sing of Your righteousness. The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works. All Your works shall praise You, O LORD, And Your saints shall bless You. They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, And talk of Your power, To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, And the glorious majesty of His kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations. The LORD upholds all who fall, And raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look expectantly to You, And You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works. The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. The LORD preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD, And all flesh shall bless His holy name Forever and ever. -PSA 145:1-21 (NKJV) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Perspective 1: H O L Y ------------- Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory. -ISA 6:3 _________________________ SCRIPTURES Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth. -PSA 96:9 Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the LORD our God is holy. -PSA 99:9 Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. -1CH 16:9-10 Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you. -ISA 12:6 There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. -1SA 2:2 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. -1CH 16:25 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength, ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. -1CH 16:28-29 Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? -PSA 77:13 Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you--majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? -EXO 15:11 Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed. -REV 15:4 _________________________ SONGS Holy Lord, most holy Lord, You alone are worthy of my praise; Oh holy Lord, most holy Lord, With all of my heart I sing: Great are You Lord, worthy of praise; Holy and true, great are You Lord, Most holy Lord.(2) _________________________ Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee; Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty! God in three Persons, blessed Trinity! Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea; Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty! God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!(3) _________________________ O Lord God Almighty, O Lord most holy, You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords, The Father of us all. You alone are holy, You alone oh Lord, You alone are worthy, Lamb of God. And we bow down before You, Every creature shall adore You; You are Mighty God, the Messiah, The Savior of the world. We behold Your splendor, Seated on the throne, Robed and crowned with glory, Evermore-- Evermore, Mighty Lord.(4) _________________________ QUOTATIONS "Worship must not be rendered to God in a slovenly, sinful, superficial manner; we must be reverent, sincere, earnest, and pure in heart both in our prayers and praises." (Spurgeon) _________________________ "With God, holiness is not a growth process but an unqualified, ongoing reality. His holiness simply flows out of the absolute purity of His essence. Holy is simply how He is!" (Eastman) _________________________ "Since God's first concern for His universe is its moral health, that is, its holiness, whatever is contrary to this is necessarily under His eternal displeasure. To preserve His creation God must destroy whatever would destroy it. When He arises to put down iniquity and save the world from irreparable moral collapse, He is said to be angry. Every wrathful judgement in the history of the world has been a holy act of preservation. The holiness of God, the wrath of God, and the health of the creation are inseparably united. God's wrath is utter intolerance of whatever degrades and destroys. He hates iniquity as a mother hates the polio that would take the life of her child." (Tozer)(5) _________________________ How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. -1JO 3:1-3 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Perspective 2: F A I T H F U L ------------- ...for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. -LAM 3:22-23 _________________________ SCRIPTURES I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. -PSA 57:9-10 He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he. -DEU 32:4 For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. -PSA 33:4 O LORD God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O LORD, and your faithfulness surrounds you. -PSA 89:8 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. -PSA 100:5 Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. -PSA 115:1 O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago. -ISA 25:1 _________________________ SONGS Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father, There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not; As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be. Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided-- Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided-- Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!(6) _________________________ You are eternal, unchanging; Your love forever will be unfailing. I can see: You have a covenant with me; You are eternal, Forever You will be my God. You will ever be the same, You are a God Who cannot change. And You have promised You'll never forsake us, You have called us by Your name.(7) _________________________ QUOTATIONS "Because God is holy as well as faithful, it stands to reason that His faithfulness will always be a holy faithfulness. Thus, there will be times that God's faithfulness will necessitate His faithfulness in areas that we might wish He would overlook." (Eastman) _________________________ "All the changes in man and his circumstances do not alter or affect the unchangeableness of God. His character and plans remain the same from the beginning of time and creation. And His actions are always consistent with His own nature and purposes: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. -JAM 1:17" (Hocking) _________________________ "Whatever He doth, He is mindful of His faithfulness and covenant, before and behind, and on each side; He can look no way, but that is in His eye." (Goodwin, on PSA 89:8) _________________________ "God is not the great 'I WAS'; He is the great 'I AM'." (Alexander) _________________________ "When thou passeth through the waters Deep the waves may be and cold, But Jehovah is our refuge And His promise is our hold; For the Lord Himself hath said it, He, the faithful God and true-- When thou comest through the waters Thou shalt not go down but through." (Flint)(8) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Perspective 3: F A I R ------------- He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice. -PSA 9:8 _________________________ SCRIPTURES I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O LORD, I will sing praise. -PSA 101:1 For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face. -PSA 11:7 For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. -PSA 33:4-5 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O LORD, you preserve both man and beast. -PSA 36:6 Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. -PSA 45:6-7 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you. -PSA 89:14 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. -ISA 9:7 The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness. -ISA 33:5 Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. -REV 15:3 _________________________ SONGS Ascribe greatness To our God the Rock, His work is perfect, And all His ways are just. Ascribe greatness To our God the Rock, His work is perfect, And all His ways are just. A God of faithfulness, Without injustice, Good and upright is He; A God of faithfulness, Without injustice, Good and upright is He.(9) _________________________ There's a wideness in God's mercy Like the wideness of the sea; There's a kindness in His justice Which is more than liberty. There is welcome for the sinner And more graces for the good; There is mercy with the Savior; There is healing in His blood. For the love of God is broader Than the measure of man's mind; And the heart of the Eternal Is most wonderfully kind.(10) _________________________ Lord have mercy on us, Come and heal our land; Cleanse with Your fire, Heal with Your touch, Humbly we bow and call upon You now; O Lord, have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us.(11) _________________________ QUOTATIONS "It is not only His office to defend it, but His nature to love it. He would deny Himself if He did not defend the just. It is essential to the very being of God that He should be just; fear not, then, the end of all your trials, but 'be just, and fear not.' God approves, and, if men oppose, what matters it?" (Spurgeon, on PSA 11:7) _________________________ "When we speak of God as just, it is also another way of saying that God is fair. In His love, He is compassionate. In His holiness, He is set apart from mankind. In His sovereignty He is absolute ruler. But as just or righteous, God is also our example of justice and fairness." (Bisagno) _________________________ "Finally, there are times that, in order for God to be fair, He must act in ways that appear to be unfair, even severe. But, as the surgeon cuts out portions of the body infected by cancer in order to save the whole, God's justice may necessitate apparently painful action." (Eastman) _________________________ "Men's sins are a great deep, and Satan's ways are called a depth; but God's judgements, his ways in the wheels, are the greatest deep of all, they are unsearchable." (Greenhill, on PSA 36:6)(12) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Perspective 4: M A J E S T I C ------------- O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! -PSA 8:9 _________________________ SCRIPTURES Your right hand, O LORD, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O LORD, shattered the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you threw down those who opposed you. -EXO 15:6-7a Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you--majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? -EXO 15:11 I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! -DEU 32:3 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic. -PSA 29:4 How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. -PSA 66:3 The LORD reigns, he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed in majesty and is armed with strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity. The seas have lifted up, O LORD, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea--the LORD on high is mighty. -PSA 93:1-4 To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy--to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forever- more! Amen. -JUD 1:24-25 _________________________ SONGS Majesty, worship His Majesty. Unto Jesus be all glory, honor, and praise. Majesty, kingdom authority Flows from His throne unto His own; His anthem raise. So exalt, lift up on high the name of Jesus. Magnify, come glorify Christ Jesus, the King. Majesty, worship His Majesty; Jesus who died, now glorified, King of all kings.(13) _________________________ Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth. Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth. Oh Lord, we praise Your name. Oh Lord, we magnify Your name. Prince of Peace, Mighty God; Oh Lord God Almighty.(14) _________________________ Great is the Lord, He is holy and just; By His power we trust in His love. Great is the Lord, He is faithful and true; By His mercy He proves He is love. Great is the Lord and worthy of glory! Great is the Lord and worthy of praise. Great is the Lord; now lift up your voice, Now lift up your voice: Great is the Lord! Great is the Lord! Great are You, Lord! Great are You, Lord! Great are You, Lord!(15) _________________________ QUOTATIONS "...and let there be praise to His Majesty, Jesus. With the awareness that we are being schooled for an eternity of praise, let us live in the understanding that the priority of the living Church is to worship God in the Spirit and to exalt His Son, Jesus Christ. And, in the context of our life as a worshiping people, let us see that the mightiness of God is invited into our midst because we praise Him. Let everything of fear and pride be broken; let us worship boldly and openly, as a people available to the glory of His Majesty always being manifest among us...in the midst of His church. Hallelujah!" (Hayford) _________________________ "Were all human beings suddenly to become blind, still the sun would shine by day and the stars by night, for these owe nothing to the millions who benefit from their light. So, were every man on earth to become an atheist, it could not affect God in any way. He is what He is in Himself without regard to any other. To believe in Him adds nothing to His perfections; to doubt Him takes nothing away." (Tozer) _________________________ "Not with emblems of majesty, but with majesty itself: everything which surrounds Him is majestic. His is not the semblance but the reality of sovereignty. In nature, providence, and salvation the Lord is infinite in majesty." (Spurgeon, on PSA 93:1)16 ======================================================================== NOTES, COPYRIGHT & SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Notes ----- 1. A Celebration of Praise: Exciting Prospects for Extraordinary Praise, by Dick Eastman (Baker, 1984). This excellent book will be cited several times in this issue of Aspects; when it is, I will use just the author's last name: Eastman. 2. Great Are You Lord, from the recording Personal Praise 1: Quiet Me Now; written by Steve and Vikki Cook (John W. Peterson Music Company, 1988). 3. Holy, Holy, Holy, by Reginald Heber, Hymn #262 in The Hymnal for Worship & Celebration (WORD, 1986). 4. You Alone Are Holy, from the recording The Maranatha! Singers: Praise 11; written by Jim Cowan (Maranatha! Music 1989). 5. Charles Haddon Spurgeon on Psalm 96:9, The Treasury of David; Dick Eastman, Eastman, p. 53-54; A.W. Tozer, Eastman, p. 55-56. 6. Great is Thy Faithfulness, by Thomas O. Chisholm, Hymn #43 in The Hymnal for Worship & Celebration (WORD, 1986). 7. You Are Eternal, from the recording Praise & Worship: Eternal God; written by Don Moen (Hosanna! Music, 1990). 8. Dick Eastman, Eastman, p. 111; David L. Hocking, The Nature of God in Plain Language (WORD, 1984), p.155; Thomas Goodwin, The Treasury of David; Eric Alexander, More Gathered Gold (Evangelical Press, 1988), p.110; Annie Johnson Flint, Eastman, p.112. 9. Ascribe Greatness, from the recording Praise & Worship: Eternal God; written by Mary Kirkbride & Mary Lou Locke (Hosanna! Music, 1979). 10. There's a Wideness in God's Mercy, by Frederick W. Faber, Hymn #68 in The Hymnal for Worship & Celebration (WORD, 1986). 11. Lord Have Mercy On Us, from the recording The Maranatha! Singers: Praise 9; written by Graham Kendrick (Maranatha! Music, 1989). 12. C.H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David; John Bisagno, Eastman, p.92; Dick Eastman, Eastman, p.95; William Greenhill, The Treasury of David. 13. Majesty, by Jack W. Hayford, from his book, Worship His Majesty (WORD, 1987). 14. How Majestic Is Your Name, from the recording Sandi Patti: The Finest Moments; written by Michael W. Smith (Meadowgreen Music, 1982. 15. Great is The Lord, by Michael W. Smith and Deborah D. Smith, Hymn #31 in The Hymnal for Worship & Celebration (WORD, 1986). 16. Jack W. Hayford (from his musicale, Majesty), from his book Worship His Majesty (WORD, 1987), p.224; A.W. Tozer, Eastman, p.76; C.H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David. Copyright Information --------------------- All original material in Aspects is Copyright (C) 1995 David S. Lampel. This data file is the sole property of David S. Lampel. It may not be altered or edited in any way. It may be reproduced only in its entirety for circulation as "freeware," without charge. All reproductions of this data file must contain the copyright notice (i.e., "Copyright (C) 1995 David S. Lampel."). This data file may not be used without the permission of David S. Lampel for resale or the enhancement of any other product sold. This includes all of its content. Brief quotations not to exceed more than 500 words may be used, with the appropriate copyright notice, to enhance or supplement personal or church devotions, newsletters, journals, or spoken messages. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture is from the New International Version. NIV quotations are from the Holy Bible: New International Version, Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission. NASB quotations are from the New American Standard Bible (C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. 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Endnote reference numbers are enclosed in parentheses (); quotations are enclosed by quotation marks " ", and are further set apart from original text by indentation and the presence of a following endnote reference; Scripture references are indented, and either cite the reference or are accompanied by a following endnote reference. If you would prefer reading Aspects in its more native, printed form, we would encourage you to subscribe to the edition that is mailed out every month. ---------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/aspects: asp-010.txt