The Prude and Praise

Celebration and the Self-Righteous

“Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” 1 Peter 1:8

If you don’t like celebration – the right kind, as God defines it – you will not fit in in Heaven.

DO YOU LIKE TO CELEBRATE???? I SURE DO!!!!! Like it or not, the LORD invented and is all about celebration!!!! Read Revelation to begin to discover the eternal celebration that awaits those who die in the LORD. God is going to eternally and indescribably reward all of His children who remain/abide to the end with Him, for continuing to search out, believe, and obey His truth sister. This is our only safeguard (Prov. 30:5-6; Acts 20:20, 27-32, etc.). Jesus says “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” (Revelation 1:3)

Is Jesus Christ praise-worthy to you?

John Wesley wrote a book titled Man with the Dancing Heart. Don’t you love that title?! Does your heart leap, rejoice, and dance with joy in the magnificent LORD and Savior?

The Great Gap

HAVE YOU ever noticed how modern pharisees hate joy, real praise, worship, and dancing before the LORD? Why? Could it be due to the fact that GOD is getting the glory and not them? Did you realize that the Son of God was crucified due to the ENVY of the pharisees of His day? (Matthew 27:18) The depraved religionists of Christ’s day were fed up with Jesus stealing away the attention of those they preyed upon, so they handed Him over to be crucified.

Has anything changed? No. As the Word says, nothing has changed (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

Oh, and by the way, we’re not talking about all the false worship going on in the so-called “prophetic” and charismatic movements. Much of that is man-centered and delusional.

“And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.” 1 Samuel 18:6

Anybody got a problem with singing, dancing, joy, and music?

What was going on when the prodigal (previously apostate) son returned home to his father?

“Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.” Luke 15:25

I love spurning religious devils so bear with me for a moment please.

Dancing is not always seen in Scripture as holy (Mark 6:22). There are unholy uses of dance just as there are unholy or perverted uses of most good things. YET, that does NOTHING to negate or diminish the holy use of dance. But that’s exactly what religious swine do – they capitalize on a small error by wiping out the whole of a good thing from God (Matthew 23:23-25).

Dancing and rejoicing are not always appropriate. Sometimes it’s time to mourn and weep for sin. – “The joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned into mourning.” (Jeremiah 5:15) And “Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” (James 4:9-10)

As seen throughout Scripture, there is certainly a time to dance, sing, shout, clap, and rejoice in the goodness of God.

“And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.” 2 Samuel 6:14

“And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul’s daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart. … And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his house.” 2 Samuel 6:16, 19

The Divine Curse Upon the Religious who Mock those who Celebrate the LORD

“Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself! 21 And David said unto Michal, It was before the Lord, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel: therefore will I play before the Lord. 22 And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour. 23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.” 2 Samuel 6:20-23

King David, a man after the LORD’s own heart, with righteous indignation, steam rolled the evil hearted Michal who mocked his praising God. He made it clear that he did not praise to be seen of men but rather declared that he danced “before the LORD.” (V21) David declared “I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight.” (v22) In other words, King David said “You ain’t seen nothing yet, devil!”

Like so many today, Michal, David’s wife (who was Saul’s daughter), had a bitter, self-righteous, pride-filled, and hell bound heart. She despised the joy of the LORD that was in David. As a result, Michael was cursed with barrenness just like all religionists are cursed and spiritual barren and will be unless they choose to repent and turn to the LORD and get right with Him before it’s too late.

Remember that Saul had been chosen as king of Israel and was humble in the beginning. Then, he became filled with pride and despised the fact that the women rejoiced and danced and celebrated King David. Saul was deeply envious because he did not daily die to self and therefore was full of self. Saul is a type of the self-righteous religious Pharisees and David is a type of Christ and His true, humble followers.

“Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands?” 1 Samuel 29:5

1 Samuel 15:17 records the reason Saul was dethroned and why so many others in history and in our day have been unseated and cast down from a relationship with the LORD.

“And Samuel (prophet of the LORD) said, When thou wast little (humble) in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel?” 1 Samuel 15:17  

Today, many who were once broken and humble, are now lifted up in unwarranted religious pride, having their hearts darkened through sin and have completely forgotten from whence every good and every perfect gift came and comes (1 Corinthians 4:7; James 1:17). They are now stiff-armed or kept at a distance from and away from the LORD (James 4:6-10).

To follow Christ to the end, one must first repent, believe, and be born again and remain “little in thine own sight.” (1 Samuel 15:17; Matthew 18:3-4)

Rejoicing is never seen in the self-righteous. Religionists are never happy, glad, or full of joy. Joy and celebration are mutually exclusive from modern, prudish Pharisees.

Why?

Religious devils hate competition. They want to own the attention, accolades, and revenues of the people. They are the most vile power-hungry, controlling, evil-hearty, and greedy dogs on the planet and a sure shot for hell – “Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.” (Matthew 21:31) Did you just catch what Jesus said to all religionists of every generation? Read His words again. He said they have no possibility to be in Heaven unless they repent and get saved.

The religionists want to control and therefore don’t want the LORD to be in control. It’s a control struggle to see who’s going to lead – Christ or the evil workers posing as His servants while being His sworn enemies. Paul says they completely self-serving and are the very enemies of Christ and His cross:

“(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)” Philippians 3:18-19  

Nothing has changed. In Isaiah’s day, the religious leaders were the same:

“His watchmen (apostate men in leadership) are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. 11 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. 12 Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.” Isaiah 56:10-12  

Dancing before the LORD

Dance, danced, and dancing appear 27 times in Holy Scripture. Anybody have a problem with that? If so, you have a problem with God Himself.  There is great and perpetual celebration in His holy Heaven. Here’s a taste – “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” (Luke 15:10)  Does God dance? He just might – read the verse above again and notice that it doesn’t say that the angels danced but rather that “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God.” WHO is in the presence of His angels?  The LORD Himself!

The Son of God made it clear that no religionist would be in Heaven (Matthew 21:31).  Why? Because they refuse to truly abandon the love of self and celebrate Christ the Messiah.

While the wicked fry, the righteous will be celebrating with loud praise the King of all that is:

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:11  

“And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. 11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. 14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.” Revelation 5:10-14

Preparation

The LORD says for us to “Be sober” in this life and to “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. ⁵ Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. “ (Philippians 4:4-5 ; 1 Peter 5:8)    For now, it’s best to mourn than to be overmuch involved in celebration (Ecclesiastes 7:1-5).  Yet, great, unending celebration awaits the righteous! Nothing could be more evident a truth in God’s Holy Word to us!

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