Oh if I could teach young people to Praise God Part 2

4) Tehillah (tel-hil-law’)
This type of praise is singing, but not just any type of singing. It’s the singing that bubbles up from our hearts. It’s a spontaneous type of singing. These songs are unrehearsed and unprepared. They are straight to God.
Scriptures to reference: Psalm 22:3 (these are the types of “praises” that God enthrones or inhabits, which is interesting because it’s so specific: God literally lives in the SPONTANEOUS praises of His people!); Psalm 33:1 (this type of praise is “fitting” for God’s people, or it literally makes them “look good”); When Isaiah talks about trading garments of ashes and mourning for garments of joy and praise, the word praise their literally means SPONTANEOUS praises!)
This is also a tough one to get people to just do because of the spontaneous nature of it. But you could have everyone on the count of three to stand up and just blurt out a praise to God! That would illustrate it. It would be coordinated, but each person would be “praising” spontaneously.
5) Zamar (zaw-mar’)
This literally means to pluck the strings, to celebrate in song and music. Basically it’s probably the most common form of “praise” we have across the world in our churches. It’s just singing songs put to music. What’s neat about it though, is that it can also refer to JUST PLAYING, as well. It is usually translated as “sing praises.”
Scriptures to reference: Psalm 150 (this psalm illustrates a picture of instrumental worship).
A fun way to illustrate this is to have everyone clap together (playing their five fingered instruments!). There’s not much needed to illustrate this form of praise though, because it is so prevalent in our churches. Our regular Sunday Setlists are filled with ZAMAR.
6) Halal (haw-lal’)
This might be one of the most “fun” forms of praise because it requires one to step outside of “dignity” for a moment. It means to be clamorously foolish. To boast. To shine. This is the kind of praise that David exhibited when he danced for joy at the return of the Ark of The Covenant to Israel. It’s also the form of praise that prompted his wife to ridicule him for his lack of dignity.
This is also where we get the word Halellujah from. It literally means “Praise the Lord” but even more literally it means to BE CLAMOROUSLY FOOLISH unto the Lord! This includes dancing and laughing and leaping and twirling before the Lord, but it also (and probably more accurately) includes the state of the heart before God. A heart that is turned towards God and not afraid to BOAST in and of God is a “halal” heart. Halal is not only demonstrative praise, but can also be the force behind any of these other forms of praise. You can sing or shout or even play an instrument as a halal.
Scriptures to reference: This word appears over 100 times in the Old Testament. 1Chronicles 16:4 (there were actual appointed musicians to “halal” before the Lord); Nehemiah 12:24 (an example of call and response halal)
7) Shabach (Shaw-bakh’) Are you ready to get loud? Shabach means to address in a loud tone. It’s typically associated with freedom or triumph. But it’s more than just a loud shout, it’s the idea of putting everything you have into it. An attitude of wholehearted praise.
Scriptures to reference: Psalm 63:3-4 (We typically look at this psalm as soft cry of thirst in a dry place, but the words in these verses literally mean to SHOUT praises!)
This is pretty simple to illustrate. Ask people to stand up and shout a phrase (Hallelujah or Praise the Lord works great) together on the count of three! Encourage them to view it as a wholehearted expression of praise. One of the best comparisons for this is the spontaneous, electric cheers and yells that fans at a sporting event utter when something good happens to their team.
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Well, there ya have it! You could distill this into a quick and easy message to help your people visualize different expressions of praise. I’ve had great success teaching this message to students, youth and college, and adult gatherings. If you’re really bold and your leadership sees the value in TEACHING your people expressions of praise, you might even be able to do a 2-3 week series on praise!
Another good idea is to cover this message in small groups, where people can interact with one another and discuss each expression more in detail.
Hope this blesses you!

Jan  Bagwell
God Bless

Oh if I could teach young to Praise God

I suggest just going down the list and hitting each expression for just a few minutes. There’s SEVEN of them so be mindful of your time frame! With a little creativity and good illustrations this could be a great one Sunday message in between series or at a camp or retreat or even for your worship team!
1) Yadah (yaw-daw’)
This means to show reverence or praise with extended hands. The word pictures associated with the root words for this type of praise is shooting an arrow or throwing a rock. It literally means to extend the hands, or to shoot and arrow.
Scriptures to reference: Psalm 42:5 , The Dedication of The Temple in 2 Chronicles 7 uses this expression of praise (visualize Levites blowing the trumpets and calling everyone to worship and the “praise” that everyone is expressing is through standing and lifted hands).
So when we share this with our people we get them to visualize a small child who wants to be picked up. They extend their hands high above their heads in a sign of surrender and desire to be held. You could also use the image of throwing or shooting your praise outwardly to God instead of holding it in. Have your people lift or extend their hands.
2) Towdah (to-daw’)
This word is very similar to yadah, but has a slightly different flavor. It means to show agreement with by extending the right hand. In today’s society the closest thing we have is a handshake to seal a deal or pact. The idea is that it is usually associated with sacrifice (specifically things given up to show thankfulness to God).
Scriptures to reference:Psalm 50:23 (the thank offering NIV, KJV uses the phrase praiseth)
When we share this, we get them to visualize offering our thanks to God (and our agreement with His promises) by visualizing the extended hand. You could use a handshake, if so have people imagine they are shaking hands with God. Or you could have people lift their hands (similar to the yadah, but instead of surrender the underlying notion is thankfulness and agreement).
3) Barak (baw-rak’)
This flavor of praise is one that we commonly see around altars. It means to kneel down. It means to bow low as a sign of adoration and reverence. It carries with it the idea of humbling yourself to a place that is lower than the recipient of your worship (God).
 
Scriptures to reference: Psalm 95: 6 (expresses this idea literally); Psalm 103 (uses the phrase “bless the Lord” to convey this expression)
This one might be the most physically “uncomfortable” expression to have people do, but you can have people stand up and bow or kneel right where they are. I also like to have people think about a royal court of years gone by. Have them answer what would be the first thing you’d do before approaching the throne to have an audience with a king or queen. You would bow low as a sign of reverence and deference to their power. The same applies here: we bow and kneel to outwardly express our awareness of God’s greatness.
Jan Bagwell  
God Bless 
I will give  the  other 4  later , I just want this to sink in !!

The Love Of God

The love of God is awesome
I can't quite work it out
If only we believed it's truth
There'd be no room for doubt
Instead of feeling worthless
Imprisoned by the past
The love of God would overthrow
The devils stronghold fast.

Strongholds build a barrier
It's us who tend their fate
Spirit wants to tear them down
Before it is too late
Father loves us as we are
There's nothing we can do
To make Him love us any more
He's stuck to us like glue.
Jan Bagwell
God Bless !

Chosen

Chosen by God,
hand-picked for the Vine
once broken vessels
now flow with New Wine.

Royalty are we now,
heirs of God's loving grace
receivers of His mercy
our own cross we embrace.

Messengers of peace,
deliverers of Good News
now that we have found
our hope and refuge.

With praise for our Savior,
to the world we seem odd
as we worship and thank
the One and Only True God.

Out of the dark we came,
into God's wondrous light
no longer powerless . . .
now filled with His Holy might!
1 Peter 2:9

“But ye are a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood, an holy nation,
a peculiar people; that ye should
shew forth the praises of him
who hath called you out of
darkness into his marvellous light;”
Jan Bagwell
God Bless

The Old and Lonely

On edge of arid desert set
a trailer aged in rust
with tires flattened long ago
and covered thick with dust.
A friend I'd known for many years
had lived alone inside -
and if his lamp was burning, then
I knew he hadn't died.

The lamp seemed always to be lit
but never did complain.
Then sure enough, I saw him there
through dirty window pane.
The Great Depression hurt him so.
I saw it in that place.
I saw it in his lonely words.
I saw it in his face.

The mental stress that he went through
was far too much to bear -
and would have been for anyone
if they were sitting there.
But they were not. Just he alone
survived his great ordeal.
And his reward? An empty can,
a cold and meager meal.

The old man couldn't hear too good.
The years had quickly passed -
so catching his attention, I
tapped loudly on the glass.
It seemed to take forever, but
he made it to the door.
Black cobwebs hung from corners and -
newspapers hid the floor.

He greeted me with friendly eyes,
skin wrinkled deep from sun.
He made me feel welcome, though
his work was never done.
I visited for quite awhile
as he kept at his rhymes.
He changed his thoughts, his lines, his words
at least a thousand times.

I said, "It must be good enough."
Replied he, "Not at all.
It doesn't capture God's great love.
This needs an overhaul.
For God is love and God is grace
in absolute perfection -
so how can I write something less
to add to this collection?

"This poetry I write for God
must always be perfected -
or basket, full of waste, is filled
with poems I've rejected."
I fell asleep while sitting there.
I woke at 3 AM
and heard him mumble something like,
"...to change the hearts of them."

Observed, I did, his wise old ways.
I'd learned all that I could -
but never measured up to him -
my writing, not as good.
I saw his great intensity.
I stayed with him for days.
I watched his sacrificial work
I saw his humble ways.

He strove to write in perfect words,
expressing his rare love
for all of those who'd done him harm
from politics above.
Forgiving them of evil deeds
had given him such peace -
that each and ev'ry word he wrote
became a masterpiece.

Though sometimes folks still speak of him,
he never set his goals -
to elevate his unknown name -
but rather save the souls -
through writings that should touch the hearts
of other eager men -
who draw attention to themselves
through selfish, prideful sin.

I once decided to return -
to visit one last time.
The old and lonely poet, though,
had written his last rhyme.
The years have passed. Such great respect
I had for that old man.
Could I improve my poetry
for God? He proved I can!

Jan Bagwell
God Bless
If you are lonely and feel  the world has left you that way , this is for you .

Fellowship

Each of us together show all of God's graces to the world. No one is perfect. We all sin, but each of us has a purpose here on Earth to show aspects of God to those around us. Each of us has been given specific spiritual gifts.

When we come together in fellowship, it's like us as a whole demonstrating God. Think of it like a cake. You need the flour, sugar, eggs, oil, and more to make a cake. The eggs will never be the flour. None of them make up the cake alone. Yet together, all those ingredients make a delicious cake. It is like that will fellowship.

All of us together show the glory of God.

Romans 12:4-6 - "For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.  We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith." Fellowship Makes Us Stronger
." Fellowship Makes Us Stronger
No matter where we are in our faith, fellowship provides us with strength. Being around other believers gives us the chance to learn and grow in our faith. It demonstrates to us why we believe and sometimes is the excellent food to our souls. It's great to be out in the world evangelizing to others, but it can easily make us hard and eat away at our strength.

When we deal with a hard-hearted world, it can become easy to fall into that hard-heartedness and question our beliefs. It's always good to spend some time in fellowship so that we remember that God makes us strong.

Matthew 18:19-20 - “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.  For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Fellowship Provides Encouragement

We all have bad moments. Whether it's the loss of a loved one, a failed exam, money problems, or even a crisis of faith, we can find ourselves down. If we go too low, it can lead to anger and a feeling of disillusionment with God. Yet these low times are why fellowship is important. Spending tie with other believers can often lift us up a little bit. They help us to keep our eyes on God. God also works through them to provide us what we need in darker times. Coming together with others can aid in our healing process and give us the encouragement to move forward.
Hebrews 10:24-25 - "Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near."

Fellowship Reminds Us We're Not Alone

Coming together with other believers in worship and conversation helps to remind us that we are not alone in this world. There are believers everywhere. It's amazing that, no matter where you are in the world, when you meet another believer it's like you suddenly feel at home. That's why God made fellowship so important. He wanted us to come together so that we always know we're not alone. Fellowship allows us to build those lasting relationships so we're never by ourselves in the world.
1 Corinthians 12:21 - "The eye can never say to the hand, 'I don’t need you.' The head can’t say to the feet, 'I don’t need you.'"

Fellowship Helps Us Grow

Coming together is a great way for each of us to grow in our faith. Reading our bibles and praying are great ways to get closer to God, but each of us has important lessons to impart to one another. When we come together in fellowship, we teach each other things . God gives us a gift of learning and growing when we come together in fellowship  We show each other how to live as god wants us to live, and how to walk in His footsteps.
Jan Bagwell
God Bless !