Psalm 111:1:
1 PRAISE THE LORD! (Hallelujah!) I will praise and give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart in the council of the upright and in the congregation.
The two different Hebrew words used for "praise" here are "halal", which means: to boast, to flash forth light, to be clamorously foolish, to rave, to celebrate, to stultify (to cause to appear foolish); and "yadah", which means: to give thanks, to laud, to praise, to use the hand, to revere or worship. The "council of the upright" is a small, close-knit group of like-minded believers (the SWC Intercessors, for example). Then there is the full congregation. We should be giving praise, thanksgiving and worship privately, and then in each of these groups of believers! That is a lot of praise and worship going on, but it does not even compare to the amount of unending praise and worship that is going on in Heaven! This is just practice for the future! Hallelujah! If you have been lacking in this area, it is high time to get with God's program! Your life will never be the same - guaranteed! After all, verse 10 does say this:
10 The reverent fear and worship of the LORD is the beginning of Wisdom and skill [the preceding and the first essential, the prerequisite and the alphabet]; a good understanding, wisdom, and meaning have all those who do [the will of the LORD]. Their praise of Him endures forever.
1 Peter 3 speaks to the wife and then the husband in the marriage relationship. Why did he say more to the wife than to the husband? Up to this time the women were treated as lesser citizens, even in the Temple situation. This is NOT as God intended for it to be! Remember that it was God Himself Who appointed Deborah as a Judge! But mankind has very seldom stayed with God's way of doing anything! Galatians 3:28 says this:
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Women were not used to having this kind of freedom and so Paul stressed that God's plan in the home was for order. The husband has God-given responsibilities to take care of the wife and children in the same way that Jesus cares for the Church! The wife is to be a help in caring out God's plan for the family! Outside of marriage, there are NO rules of gender before God! We are each to find God's plan for our lives and get ourselves right in the middle of His will and plan and purpose for us! Verse 15:
15 But in your hearts set Christ apart as holy [and acknowledge Him] as Lord. Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully.
There it is! God's plan for mankind is to show forth HIS glory! Preach the Gospel, the Good News, so that others may desire to know HIM! Amen!
Here is Hillsong with "Tell The World":
In Daniel 1-2 we see that the Hebrew children of royalty and nobility were taken to Babylon to be in the court of the king for his use. Vegetables and water anyone? Sometimes walking in Divine health is hindered by our choice of the foods we eat! If your health is not what you would like it to be, don't be always praying for healing without asking the Holy Spirit what, if any, changes YOU should make in what you are putting into your body! It won't affect whether or not you have Heaven as your home when you leave this earth, but it may have everything to do with how soon you arrive there! Your choice! Choose wisely!
I also like the reason king Nebuchadnezzar gave for why he wanted the wise men to tell him the dream first, and then the interpretation! They could say anything they wanted as a "wise" man, and the king would have no way of knowing if it was true or not. If a wise man could supernaturally know his dream without being told by him, then he could trust that they would give a right interpretation to it! Keep a high standard like that when you judge the "supernatural" manifestations that you will be seeing more and more of in these last days before the appearing of Jesus for the Church. The Bible says that there WILL BE lying signs and wonders, but those who do know their God will not be easily fooled! Remember that the devil never created anything. He simply counterfeits what God has made as genuine! So, if there are lying signs and wonders, MUCH more will there be GODLY signs, wonders, and miracles! Amen! The difference will be that the REAL ones will point, ALWAYS, to the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible! Watch and pray!
Shalom in Him!
