ENTER HIS COURTS WITH PRAISE
MAKE a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
SERVE the Lord with gladness: COME before his presence with singing.
KNOW ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we
ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
ENTER into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with PRAISE: be
THANKFUL unto him, and bless his name.
For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to
all generations.
Psalm 100:1-5
As I waited upon
the Lord tonight I began to hear that still small voice whisper within my heart.
The Spirit of the Lord said, "Sound the trumpet and Enter into His courts
with praise. Time is short and preparation is almost complete".
There has been an increased stirring in the spirit calling forth for a renewed
sense of restoration and reconciliation. Deep is calling unto deep as the Lord
prepares His mighty army for battle. The lines have been drawn, the troops
assembled and the Captain of the Host stands ready.
To fully equip us for the coming battles, we are being called to draw closer in
unto the Lord and worship Him in the beauty of holiness. It is through this
unbridled form of worship that we are able to unleash dunamus Power, the
power directly connected to Fathers throne. It is this power that
will bring forth the "greater works" promised us by our Lord
Jesus as He ascended to heaven. We must stand in obedience to every word
yielding ourselves to His command for us to be covered by the protection of HIS
presence in the coming days.
Worship is
our ultimate war-ship of defense from the attacks of the enemy. It is the
conduit directly connected to the Holy of Holies in which satan cannot enter. It
is reserved for only those who are covered by the Blood of Jesus and have
forgiven all. It is a place where we can only enter in through the Spirit
and operate by the Spirit. A place of peace and comfort where we leave behind
the hindrances of the flesh and draw in unto the Lord to worship Him in His
fullness.
In Psalm 100 we are given definite steps of how to draw closer to Him. First we
are to MAKE a joyful noise. Joyful by interpretation means to shout (usually for
joy): --aloud for joy, cry out, be joyful (greatly, make to) rejoice, (cause to)
shout (for joy), (cause to) sing (aloud, for joy, out), triumph.
To show and
manifest outwardly our pleasure in the Lord. This is a necessary and powerful
step of entering into the presence of God and receiving the victory of the Lord.
Even when situations seem difficult and overpower us, if we ask the Lord to
place upon us the garment of praise, the spirit of heaviness will depart. The
enemy knows if he can oppress us with heaviness we will be unable to enter in
fully and become empowered by the Lord. Our natural minds and emotions must be
subdued so that we can worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. Our faith must
not be in what we see with the carnal eye, but in what is unseen and known of
the Father.
In the next step we are told to SERVE Him with gladness. We are so used to
controlling or own lives. Letting go to serve God can at first be a very
uncomfortable feeling. Our natural fleshly minds find it very difficult to let
go and trust the Lord to direct our steps. We are raised to set goals and dwell
upon our future. This is contrary to the word of God we are told to take no
thought for tomorrow. God will direct our steps daily, which in turn will affect
our tomorrows. This brings with it freedom. Our lives must be dedicated not to
our personal desires but to the perfect and complete will of the Lord. We were
created to do the Lords will and if we allow the Spirit to control our steps
they will be ordered of the Lord. There are two commandments which when we live
them fulfill the law of God. They are to Love the Lord with everything we are,
serving Him without hypocrisy in full surrender and obedience. The other is to
love our neighbor as we love ourselves. When we do these two things everything
else falls into line. We inherit the joy of the Lord and desire to serve him
with gladness.
As we serve the Lord we will DESIRE TO COME closer to Him and to KNOW more about
Him. Everything we endure in our life is meant to draw us closer to Him and we
want to enter into His presence. He puts a song in our heart and even in the
most difficult situations we find strength. Our spirit begins to sing unto Him
and the doors of heaven swing open. We then proceed into His presence finding
fullness of joy. That joy in return gives us strength to endure life as we
become purified for His glory. The Spirit puts a new song in our heart and we
sing unto the King, bringing ourselves as a living sacrifice before His throne.
Next we must learn to KNOW God and understand we are nothing apart from Him. He
alone is the beginning and the end and without Him life would not be. There must
be a respect and holy fear of the awesomeness of God. Knowing that each breath
is a gift from Him so He may shine the Light of Life to the world. To
"know" Him is to learn of who He is and what He stands for with
intimacy. He is our King, our Shepherd, our Master and our Lord. We did not
create ourselves nor did he create us for our own personal motives. We are His
sheep and therefore should be totally reliant on His protection and guidance in
our lives. To know of the goodness of the Lord we must seek His face. Coming
into His presence daily, receiving direction for our lives. The only way we can
intimately know the Lord is to learn of Him in the Word and seek His will. The
more we draw in unto Him the closer he comes and an intimate relationship
develops.
As we begin to have an understanding of the fear of the Lord we desire to draw
closer unto Him. ENTERING his gates with thanksgiving we bless Him for who we
are and what He has done. This is not done in a ritual fashion but with a deep
understanding of what He has done for us. We proclaim the victories in our lives
by the hand of the Lord and thank Him for them. Knowing the victories in our
life would not be there without His intervention. Thanksgiving begins with vocal
confession and is followed by the lifting up of holy hands and singing unto the
Most High God. The Hebrew word for thanksgiving is Towdah which means and
extension of the hand, adoration confession praise, and thanks as an offering.
The Lord loves to bless His children but desires for us to recognize and thank
Him for His goodness given unto us.
We proceed into the courts with PRAISE. The root of praise in this case is the
same as thanksgiving but with more intensity. It is a continuation of the
acknowledgement of the works of God in our lives, singing forth to all creation
the greatness of His power, wisdom and Love. When we enter the courts singing
the praises of the Lord it pleases the Lord and gives glory to Him. It shows God
we appreciate and love Him for all He has done for us. He desires us to praise
Him in the Beauty of His Holiness with every part of our being. Lifting up holy
hands and singing forth the High praises in the Spirit. If we will let go of who
we are at this point we can enter into halal worship and praise of the Lord.
With this form of praise we let go with a reckless abandonment of everything we
are. The original Hebrew root to this word means to make a show, to boast and
thus be clamourously (CLAMOROUS, a. Speaking and repeating loud words; noisy;
vociferous; loud; turbulent. foolish and rave.) Celebrating the Glory of the
Lord with all His splendor.
Halal praise is also very symbolic. It is a facet of the praise we will give at
the marriage supper. Halal praise is the form of praise used in the giving of in
marriage. As the bride of Christ we are to surrender ourselves and allow the
anointing of God to purify us through unfeigned praise and worship of our Lord.
By letting go of everything in the temporal realm we enter into the holiest of
places. This is where we worship the Lord with everything we are made of. As in
psalm 149 we break forth with singing and in dance. Just as David danced before
the Lord we are called to surrender in the same fashion. Tremendous spiritual
warfare is waged through such surrender to the Lord. This is where He can only
be worshiped in Spirit and in Truth. Our natural mind cannot comprehend what
occurs during such deep worship of the Lord but our spiritual man is
strengthened and restored in the process. This is where we go beyond ourselves
and into the presence of the Father.
Praise is a powerful tool and carries with it the ability to destroy yokes of
bondage that cannot be overcome in any other way. When the saints of heaven sing
praises to God all the enemy can do is stand back and watch. When we have truly
entered into the courts with praise there is a conduit to the throne of God that
is impermeable. Satan knows this and continually tries to keep us focused upon
negative thoughts and fleshly feelings so we may not enter in to receive this
power. This is where we must push beyond what we feel or perceive in the
natural. Pressing in by faith to the throne of God.
The enemy will use anything he can to keep us from becoming free to worship the
Almighty God. Doubt and unbelief appear and hold us back from proclaiming
thanksgiving for what the Lord promises He will do in our lives. Shame,
condemnation, and the torment of sin can overcome us as we try to enter in
unless there is an understanding of the Grace of God. Fear of rejection,
hopelessness and embarrassment can manifest making it difficult to worship Him
in the Spirit. It is important to remember we hold the keys and possess the
power and authority to thwart all attacks. He who is within us is greater than
any deception the enemy can create. Using the power of God we will overcome
satan in every way.
All these attacks can be overcome by surrendering to the Lord and putting our
full trust in His promises. There is freedom available but satan wants to keep
us bound so we can not receive the fullness of the Lord. Sometimes we have
opened sin doorways in our lives and we need other precious believers to help
free us. The torment that accompanies spiritual bondage can be overwhelming and
confusing to the believer bound by such forces. We must be available and
sensitive to help those who may need assistance in overcoming so they may also
enter in.
Deliverance is
available for all who seek freedom from the Lord but the enemy wants to keep us
in the bondage of our minds. Thereby making it difficult to enter into the rest
of the Lord. We need not feel condemnation for inability to enter in fully. Many
different attacks and situation can hinder us until the Lord breaks through with
freedom. Even with the most perfect and willing heart our flesh besets us in our
attempts to enter into the presence of the Lord. Our trust must remain in the
Lords promise to finish the good work He has begun in us. Surrender and growing
in the knowledge and wisdom of God is the key to victory. In Gods perfect time
the hand of the Lord will perfect us all so we may worship in unity for His
glory.
As we realize our acceptance from the Lord is not based upon works but by
surrender it becomes easier to draw in unto Him. For most, surrendering fully is
the hardest step. It requires letting go of who and what we are, allowing the
Lord to mold us into His perfect will. Not caring anymore what anyone else
thinks as we obey the commandments of the Lord. It is amazing how the more we
draw unto the Lord the easier it becomes. And the more time we spend with Him
the more we desire to be with Him. There are so many times where we have
perverted the simplicity of Christ, this is one such time. Surrendering to the
promise of the Lord is the only way the Holy Spirit can grow us beyond the
temporal.
When it is our desire to obey, the throne room of God can be a glorious place to
enter. Sometimes it can be uncomfortable as we enter in because inside the inner
courts a light shines upon our most inward parts and the Spirit highlights areas
we need to change. If there is hidden sin or chosen disobediance, this can be a
painful place. Since our hearts are made manifest before the Lord nothing can
remain in darkness. No one is exempt from this time of purging and purification.
As the Spirit of the Lord brings conviction it is essential we deal with
whatever sin the Lord is highlighting.
The forgiveness of others is one of the most important keys to opening the
throne of God and entering in with peace. We cannot hold our brother in
unforgiveness or hatred and enter into the presence of God. For our sins to be
forgiven we must first forgive. When we come before the throne with a
transparent spirit in full surrender the Lord draws us unto His side and a
relationship develops. This is the relationship that our inner spirit yearns
for. It brings with it a peace that surpasses understanding and human reason.
The peace that comes when we release our burdens to the throne and rest in the
promises of the Lord is indescribable. Father God wants us to be able to come to
Him so we may be reconciled to a relationship with Him. He desires a perfected
Bride for His son Jesus and a Holy priesthood who will worship Him for all time.
We were created as spiritual beings to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. We
approach the Father through His precious Son. Since Jesus is Truth the deeper
our relationship with Jesus, the closer we come to the Father. And by the Spirit
of God our spirit becomes one. When we know Jesus, we also know the Father thus
fulfilling the Word. Bringing us into reconciliation to the Father eternally
bonded in Love.
For the Lord is good: His mercy is everlasting and His truth endureth to all
generations.
In HIS Service,
Teresa Daly-Crews
Golden Lava Seedtime~Harvestime Speak to the Rock Surrender The Remnant The Kingdom of God Trying of Our Patience Tribulation Unity We Must Not The Wilderness The Breath of God The Wind of the Spirit Praise Him in the Dance