#533 The Fellowship of the Stained Door

They brought the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before God. 2 After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. 3 Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each Israelite man and woman.

4 He appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, to extol,[a] thank, and praise the Lord, the God of Israel: 5 Asaph was the chief, and next to him in rank were Zechariah, then Jaaziel,[b]Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. They were to play the lyres and harps, Asaph was to sound the cymbals,6 and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God.

7 That day David first appointed Asaph and his associates to give praiseto the Lord in this manner:

8 Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;

make known among the nations what he has done.

9 Sing to him, sing praise to him;

tell of all his wonderful acts.

10 Glory in his holy name;

let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

11 Look to the Lord and his strength;

seek his face always.

12 Remember the wonders he has done,

his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,

13 you his servants, the descendants of Israel,

his chosen ones, the children of Jacob.

14 He is the Lord our God;

his judgments are in all the earth.

15 He remembers[c] his covenant forever,

the promise he made, for a thousand generations,

16 the covenant he made with Abraham,

the oath he swore to Isaac.

17 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,

to Israel as an everlasting covenant:

18 “To you I will give the land of Canaan

as the portion you will inherit.”

19 When they were but few in number,

few indeed, and strangers in it,

20 they[d] wandered from nation to nation,

from one kingdom to another.

21 He allowed no one to oppress them;

for their sake he rebuked kings:

22 “Do not touch my anointed ones;

do my prophets no harm.”

23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth;

proclaim his salvation day after day.

24 Declare his glory among the nations,

his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

25 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;

he is to be feared above all gods.

26 For all the gods of the nations are idols,

but the Lord made the heavens.

27 Splendor and majesty are before him;

strength and joy are in his dwelling place.

28 Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,

ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;

bring an offering and come before him.

Worship the Lord in the splendor of his[e] holiness.

30 Tremble before him, all the earth!

The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.

31 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;

let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”

32 Let the sea resound, and all that is in it;

let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them!

33 Let the trees of the forest sing,

let them sing for joy before the Lord,

for he comes to judge the earth.

34 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

his love endures forever.

35 Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior;

gather us and deliver us from the nations,

that we may give thanks to your holy name,

and glory in your praise.”

36 Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,

from everlasting to everlasting.

Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the Lord.”

37 David left Asaph and his associates before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister there regularly, according to each day’s requirements. 38 He also left Obed-Edom and his sixty-eight associates to minister with them. Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun, and also Hosah, were gatekeepers.

39 David left Zadok the priest and his fellow priests before the tabernacle of the Lord at the high place in Gibeon 40 to present burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of burnt offering regularly, morning and evening, in accordance with everything written in the Law of the Lord, which he had given Israel. 41 With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the Lord, “for his love endures forever.” 42 Heman and Jeduthun were responsible for the sounding of the trumpets and cymbals and for the playing of the other instruments for sacred song. The sons of Jeduthun were stationed at the gate.

43 Then all the people left, each for their own home, and David returned home to bless his family. 1 Chronicles 16 NIV 

That we are invited because Someone has put our name on the list, that is our offering, Christ is our invitation. I may speak of peace, but this is His body and His blood that we remember, for everything outside of that is temporary, talk. 

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our[a] joy may be complete. 1 John 1: 1-4

This fellowship, peace and reconciliation is celebrated by those who have been exiles, it is a happy communion that invokes praise. We, who have come to know, that we were afar off, born outside of the land, brought to this place by the shepherd. We are no longer looking to climb over some other way, for we are being bid enter at the gate. For this we proclaim His name, tell of His wonders, glory in His presence. Did you know that whenever 2 or more are gathered in such a way, He is there? I am naked in this, the covering of all my self assurance, my smug nature, my stoic gaze, is now a pile of warn out rags and a tear kissed face. It's too expensive of a gift, too great to think that I may call upon His name, that He, Who sits upon the heavens and breathes man from the dust, will bend His ear to me. Should I not sing or dare I laugh at those who will? You came from Babylon, worshiped things you made when you yourself were made, and now for one conversation, one second of God's time, I would count all else to be thrown away. I came from the land of pride and needles, the land of self so vane, the oldest in the house I lived, behind a door that was stained. 

I cannot help but praise God, that He has invited me here. He has provided both the will and the way. I was lost and He found me, it was not the other way. These men use their gifts to sing, use your gifts to work, let those deeds be a constant burning incense before the Lord, may my life be to Your Honor and Your praise. Thank you, dear Lord, Praise the name of Jesus.

Great is the LORD in Zion; He is exalted above all the peoples. 3Let them praise Your great and awesome name— He is holy!4The mighty King loves justice. You have established equity; You have exercised justice and righteousness in Jacob.…Psalm 99:2-4

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.

27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,

30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. Acts 16: 25-34 KJV