Praise

There is a book a dear blogger friend (you know who you are) sent me that has just been spot on with what I need. It is called, "One Minute of Praise" by Darlene McCarty.

I felt I needed to share some of what I read this morning:

A story is told about the executiion of Polycarp, one of the Apostle John's disciples. When Polycarp was being burned at the stake for refusing to deny Christ, he said: "Wherefore also I praise Thee for all things, I bless Thee, I glorify Thee, along with the everlasting and heavenly Jesus Christ, Thy beloved Son, with Whom, to Thee and the Holy Ghost be glory both now and to all coming ages."

When the fire was kindled around his body and began to blaze up and overtake him, eyewitnesses said, "He appeared as gold or silver, glowing in a furnace. We began to smell a sweet odor coming from the pile, as if frankincense or such precious spices were being burned," just like in the Tabernacle when the high priest would pour incense over the coals in the incense burner and a sweet-smelling smoke would fill the room of the inner court. The burning incense would press against the veil being drawn up by the Precense of God that was behind it. As Polycarp was placed upon his incense burner, praise began to pour from within him-inhaled as a sweet-smelling odor in the nostrils of God. I can hear the Lord saying, "Well done, good and faithful servant; thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord" (Matthew 25:23)

The men who watched could not believe that this "strange man" would not burn. They finally commanded an executioner to pierce a dagger through his heart. When he did this, to their surprise, a dove flew out of his chest with such a great quanitity of blood that the fire was extinguished.

What will it take to revive, rejuvenate, restore, reawaken, regenerate, and rekindle your love for Him? When will you become as passionate as that for the pleasure of His Presence?

"If you can't praise the Lord extravagantly when life is going 'as usual,' how can you expect to go through your 'day of reckoning' in a blaze of praise? Start practicing right now living ablaze so you'll be prepared to leave in a blaze - for one minute."

Wow, right? I would love to be able to add my own thoughts here, but ya know - its one of those times where I feel God teaching me - leading me and I am but a young, new learner...not prepared to pass on any thing yet. I hope that this has touched you and that the lack of my "deep thoughts" (BAH hahaha) hasn't hindered the message.

When will I become as passionate

as that for the pleasure of His Precense?

When will you become as passionate

as that for the pleasure of His Precense?