I received some study material on the Book of Matthew for my birthday so i thought i would share some of what I am learning with you. Remember God doesn't teach you, without the purpose to teach others. So lets begin this week with a look our Lord in the book of Matthew.
-David
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Matthew 1:1
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:
Matthew begins his Gospel with a genealogy of Jesus linking him back to the first Jew; Abraham. At the same time the writer is showing the link to King David which would put Jesus as an heir to the throne of David. We also note that Matthew wastes no time giving us the purpose of his book, this is one which will tell us of Jesus who is the Messiah of Israel.
After you read the Old Testament Scriptures you are left with many questions and unfulfilled prophecies. There are many stories and ceremonies that go unexplained without the New Testament. Jesus told us that the whole Book is written about Him. This means that the message of His purpose, His mission, and His destiny are what the Bible is all about. We also learn about our own destiny as it is linked to Him. Matthew points back to the Scriptures more than sixty times to give us a picture of Jesus as the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.
As we begin to study the Book of Matthew and take in what we can, we want to ask the Holy Spirit to guide us and reveal Himself to our hearts. We will see many events and hear of many parables in Matthew, found no where else. We will see Jesus as the Messiah, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He is King and He is Lord. What a journey awaits us.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Friday, October 12, 2007
Romans 15:4-6
Pray for Holly as she travels with her work. Pray for me as i make sure to get Avery's hair all up in a pony tail by myself. My little girl has a lot of hair do it helps. She is a cutie pie. Thankfully Holly will be home tomorrow afternoon, i miss her so much. Hope you all have a good day and weekend ahead.
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For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 15:4-6
Paul is here speaking to the Old Testament Scriptures as being useful for our instruction and encouragement. Several times in the New Testament we are advised to have a good background on the Scriptures. In the book of Acts we see that the sermon message material was all based out of the Law, Prophets and Psalms. Jesus Christ is written on every page of the Scripture and it is necessary for us to have a good solid background when approaching the rest of the Bible.
While studying the Word is important, we must realize that it will take perseverance and work in order to take hold of what it says. It is easy for us to being the course, running the marathon and full of energy about studying God’s Word. However we can so easily started to slow down once we have started out if we do not grab hold of strength from the Lord.
God will give us the ability to make it through and study His word when we allow Him to help. He knows that there is life and treasure in the message of the Bible. Both the Old and New Testaments are there for our instruction and encouragement. We cannot take one without the other, but should have a balanced diet, daily on the Word. Read, think, and obey, always with a prayerful attitude.
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For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 15:4-6
Paul is here speaking to the Old Testament Scriptures as being useful for our instruction and encouragement. Several times in the New Testament we are advised to have a good background on the Scriptures. In the book of Acts we see that the sermon message material was all based out of the Law, Prophets and Psalms. Jesus Christ is written on every page of the Scripture and it is necessary for us to have a good solid background when approaching the rest of the Bible.
While studying the Word is important, we must realize that it will take perseverance and work in order to take hold of what it says. It is easy for us to being the course, running the marathon and full of energy about studying God’s Word. However we can so easily started to slow down once we have started out if we do not grab hold of strength from the Lord.
God will give us the ability to make it through and study His word when we allow Him to help. He knows that there is life and treasure in the message of the Bible. Both the Old and New Testaments are there for our instruction and encouragement. We cannot take one without the other, but should have a balanced diet, daily on the Word. Read, think, and obey, always with a prayerful attitude.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Psalm 17:8-15
I drift off to sleep in just a few moments here and before i do my last prayers will be for you. That you grow and continue to learn more of our Lord. He is great and mighty. I will ask for Him to bless you with grace and peace and more knowledge of Him. And i thank Him for you my friends.
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Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings
from the wicked who assail me,
from my mortal enemies who surround me.
They close up their callous hearts,
and their mouths speak with arrogance.
They have tracked me down, they now surround me,
with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
They are like a lion hungry for prey,
like a great lion crouching in cover.
Rise up, O LORD, confront them, bring them down;
rescue me from the wicked by your sword.
O LORD, by your hand save me from such men,
from men of this world whose reward is in this life.
You still the hunger of those you cherish;
their sons have plenty,
and they store up wealth for their children.
And I—in righteousness I will see your face;
when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.
Psalm 17:8-15
Often I wonder what David might have been facing during the days he wrote these Psalms. There are so many events we could imagine relating to this message and others. Certainly he was in desperation for the Lord in this passage and knew there were great enemies. But how much greater is our God!
When all things seem to get lost in the midst of your life, you and I can turn to the Word for help. We can turn to our Lord for wisdom and peace any moment. It is through righteousness that we can be in His presence. Not anything that we have done, but what He has done for us that we can be with Him.
Like the Psalmist our greatest struggles come when we are laying awake staring into the sky wondering what life is all about and where our purpose is. We face lions, and great fears. But our Lord stands guard over our lives with His love and power. He is a God of both strength and power! He is my God.
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Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings
from the wicked who assail me,
from my mortal enemies who surround me.
They close up their callous hearts,
and their mouths speak with arrogance.
They have tracked me down, they now surround me,
with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
They are like a lion hungry for prey,
like a great lion crouching in cover.
Rise up, O LORD, confront them, bring them down;
rescue me from the wicked by your sword.
O LORD, by your hand save me from such men,
from men of this world whose reward is in this life.
You still the hunger of those you cherish;
their sons have plenty,
and they store up wealth for their children.
And I—in righteousness I will see your face;
when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.
Psalm 17:8-15
Often I wonder what David might have been facing during the days he wrote these Psalms. There are so many events we could imagine relating to this message and others. Certainly he was in desperation for the Lord in this passage and knew there were great enemies. But how much greater is our God!
When all things seem to get lost in the midst of your life, you and I can turn to the Word for help. We can turn to our Lord for wisdom and peace any moment. It is through righteousness that we can be in His presence. Not anything that we have done, but what He has done for us that we can be with Him.
Like the Psalmist our greatest struggles come when we are laying awake staring into the sky wondering what life is all about and where our purpose is. We face lions, and great fears. But our Lord stands guard over our lives with His love and power. He is a God of both strength and power! He is my God.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Psalm 17:18
Yesterday we had a large tree limb fall onto our house. The damage is not to bad, a few small holes in the roof but thankfully nothing more. No one got hurt which is the important thing. We have someone coming out later to do some tree trimming so they will take care of it from there. Too bad i don't have a fireplace! Oh well, on with the day now. I pray the Lord will be with you in every way.
David
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Keep me as the apple of the eye;
Hide me in the shadow of Your wings
Psalm 17:18
The Psalmist knew what it meant to cherish something with absolute devotion and love. Within the midst of this love there is protection and security. This verse speaks to the awesome presence of the Lord and how He sees His children. I understood this very well when I first held my new baby girl and looked into her eyes. From that moment on, she has been the apple of my eye. There would be nothing I would not do to show my love and to protect her. It is the same kind of feeling you have when getting married, and you pledge your life to your partner.
We are kept close to him, so close as to be under the shadow of His wings. Now of course ‘wings’ here is taken to be a symbol of God’s ultimate presence and power, protecting His people. I believe it also might allude to the Ark of the Covenant and Seat of Mercy where the two Cherubim sit with their wings stretched out over the Ark. That is the place where the glory of the Lord rests, and that is where He holds us close.
The Psalms are good to read whenever we need comfort in our despair. God meets us in the pages of this book where we really are and should meet Him. David here is crying out for protection from his enemies. God does indeed keep us as the apple of His eye. He hides us in the shadow of our wings. He loves you.
David
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Keep me as the apple of the eye;
Hide me in the shadow of Your wings
Psalm 17:18
The Psalmist knew what it meant to cherish something with absolute devotion and love. Within the midst of this love there is protection and security. This verse speaks to the awesome presence of the Lord and how He sees His children. I understood this very well when I first held my new baby girl and looked into her eyes. From that moment on, she has been the apple of my eye. There would be nothing I would not do to show my love and to protect her. It is the same kind of feeling you have when getting married, and you pledge your life to your partner.
We are kept close to him, so close as to be under the shadow of His wings. Now of course ‘wings’ here is taken to be a symbol of God’s ultimate presence and power, protecting His people. I believe it also might allude to the Ark of the Covenant and Seat of Mercy where the two Cherubim sit with their wings stretched out over the Ark. That is the place where the glory of the Lord rests, and that is where He holds us close.
The Psalms are good to read whenever we need comfort in our despair. God meets us in the pages of this book where we really are and should meet Him. David here is crying out for protection from his enemies. God does indeed keep us as the apple of His eye. He hides us in the shadow of our wings. He loves you.
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Psalm 17:4-7
I’m not sure how many of you remember when we started going through the Word together. It began almost seven years ago with simply typing out the Scripture, and then changed over time by the Lord's will to a study of each new verse we would learn. I praise God for the freedom we have to share the Word in this country like we do. The whole world is under such persecution and Bibles themselves are forbidden in most areas. Lets hold on to the freedom we have and pray it stays secure.
-David
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As for the deeds of men, by the word of Your lips
I have kept from the paths of the violent.
My steps have held fast to Your paths
My feet have not slipped.
I have called upon You, for You will answer me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech.
Wondrously show Your loving kindness,
O Savior of those who take refuge at Your right hand
From those who rise up against them.
Psalm 17:4-7
God is hearing every work we speak even in the most difficult moments of life. When it seems like everything is crushing down on us, our hope is in the Lord. The path we are on in life will take us down many adventures. But there are many different roads to take in this world, only one will lead toward our Lord.
Darkness is near, this is just the reality of the world we live in. Each day evil gets more abundant and it is clear our God will be returning soon to judge the earth. In the meantime we must remember have a Rock and a light in the darkness. He is there to lead us through and help us walk upon the path of righteousness.
Pray as you go. Pray for the Lord to lead you along the path. But even more so, know the commands of the Lord and the great things He has done in the past. We know better where we are going, if we know where we have been. The Word of God shows us the way and helps us to walk on the path. Our Lord hears our prayers and as we read the Word and seek to live by it, we will through His grace and power.
-David
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As for the deeds of men, by the word of Your lips
I have kept from the paths of the violent.
My steps have held fast to Your paths
My feet have not slipped.
I have called upon You, for You will answer me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech.
Wondrously show Your loving kindness,
O Savior of those who take refuge at Your right hand
From those who rise up against them.
Psalm 17:4-7
God is hearing every work we speak even in the most difficult moments of life. When it seems like everything is crushing down on us, our hope is in the Lord. The path we are on in life will take us down many adventures. But there are many different roads to take in this world, only one will lead toward our Lord.
Darkness is near, this is just the reality of the world we live in. Each day evil gets more abundant and it is clear our God will be returning soon to judge the earth. In the meantime we must remember have a Rock and a light in the darkness. He is there to lead us through and help us walk upon the path of righteousness.
Pray as you go. Pray for the Lord to lead you along the path. But even more so, know the commands of the Lord and the great things He has done in the past. We know better where we are going, if we know where we have been. The Word of God shows us the way and helps us to walk on the path. Our Lord hears our prayers and as we read the Word and seek to live by it, we will through His grace and power.
Friday, October 05, 2007
The days go by so fast, and of course Avery is getting closer to her birthday. It is hard to believe it is already October now, though the weather still feels like summer outside. I am sure soon enough we will have a chill. I remember how it changed over night when we went to the hospital last year. Avery has been walking everywhere now and is still crawling sometimes, but mostly walking. Her teeth are coming in too. Three on top, three on bottom. We are so proud. We will be getting her off her bottle and onto table food pretty quick here too. That should be fun.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Psalm 17:1-3
It is almost getting cooler around here but still not yet. Seems to be taking its time which is okay. We would like to have it be warm during Avery's birthday party anyway. I still cant believe how fast the time goes. She is just going to fast. She looks so cute in little piggy tails too.
-David
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Psalm 17:1-3
Hear a just cause, O LORD, give heed to my cry;
Give ear to my prayer, which is not from deceitful lips.
Let my judgment come forth from Your presence;
Let Your eyes look with equity.
You have tried my heart;
You have visited me by night;
You have tested me and You find nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
One of my greatest faults in life has always been my inability to keep my mouth shut. It seems that I get so used to talking and wanting to voice my own ideas, I do not always know when to be still. Proverbs is full of wisdom that should be followed in most cases; the wise men are those who keep their mouths shut.
The heart is full of all the emotions and desires we store up throughout a lifetime. It is in the heart that we develop our ideas about life. Remember I said it is the heart that decides not to believe in God or to believe in Him. In the same way our heart gets us in trouble when our mouths forget to give everything to God and not allow sin to be released.
Bitterness, anger, gossip, and so many other sins can be expressed through our tongues. This is why its important that the Lord works on our hearts, for that is where everything will begin. Once He is mastering our hearts, and our thoughts we are on the right path. So make it your purpose to speak only as though the Lord is speaking through you. Think about that even when you are alone.
-David
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Psalm 17:1-3
Hear a just cause, O LORD, give heed to my cry;
Give ear to my prayer, which is not from deceitful lips.
Let my judgment come forth from Your presence;
Let Your eyes look with equity.
You have tried my heart;
You have visited me by night;
You have tested me and You find nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
One of my greatest faults in life has always been my inability to keep my mouth shut. It seems that I get so used to talking and wanting to voice my own ideas, I do not always know when to be still. Proverbs is full of wisdom that should be followed in most cases; the wise men are those who keep their mouths shut.
The heart is full of all the emotions and desires we store up throughout a lifetime. It is in the heart that we develop our ideas about life. Remember I said it is the heart that decides not to believe in God or to believe in Him. In the same way our heart gets us in trouble when our mouths forget to give everything to God and not allow sin to be released.
Bitterness, anger, gossip, and so many other sins can be expressed through our tongues. This is why its important that the Lord works on our hearts, for that is where everything will begin. Once He is mastering our hearts, and our thoughts we are on the right path. So make it your purpose to speak only as though the Lord is speaking through you. Think about that even when you are alone.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Psalm 16:1-11
I hope all is well with you my friend. It is so much fun to see our little girl walking around the house now, giggling as she goes. Of course she still crawls a little, but she is getting used to being on her legs more. God's so amazing. Thank you for your prayers.
David
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Psalm 16:1-11
Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.
I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
I have no good besides You.”
As for the saints who are in the earth,
They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.
The sorrows of those who have bartered for another god will be multiplied;
I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
Nor will I take their names upon my lips.
The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You support my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.
I will bless the LORD who has counseled me;
Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.
I have set the LORD continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely.
For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.
You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
Our Lord Jesus Christ could easily have prayed this prayer in the garden of Gethsemane before going to the cross. He speaks of His trust in the Lord above all things. He knows that the sacrifice of men is not enough to save them. We also see that there is a future hope with an inheritance and resurrection. Jesus is all throughout this message to us. We also see much that can be said true for us.
There is no good besides Him. He is our cup and sweet blessing. He will not let us see decay; speaking of a future resurrection that began with Jesus. In His presence we will receive full joy and pleasure.
Life takes us down plenty of different roads and many of them are not very easy, some are downright difficult. But there is something to capture here of importance, and I don’t want to miss it. In the Lord we will find everything we ever need. Ever given thought to that? I know it seems like an OT idea back in the day when people did not have all that we have now. But I realize none of the things we have now really matter either compared to the lasting riches that come from Him for eternity.
Positioning yourself before the Lord in His presence could be something as simple as stopping in the middle of our busy work load and for even a minute, or 5 minutes, just remember who He is and how He loved you to the point of death on a cross to take away your sins. I know a lot of us get so many things to do throughout our days that it gets rather crazy. This Psalm is a good chance to just take in God and let other stuff fade away in the distance. We must remember that He is here to help us through all things. That is important and we cannot forget it. He is our portion, He is the one we need!
David
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Psalm 16:1-11
Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.
I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
I have no good besides You.”
As for the saints who are in the earth,
They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.
The sorrows of those who have bartered for another god will be multiplied;
I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
Nor will I take their names upon my lips.
The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You support my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.
I will bless the LORD who has counseled me;
Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.
I have set the LORD continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely.
For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.
You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
Our Lord Jesus Christ could easily have prayed this prayer in the garden of Gethsemane before going to the cross. He speaks of His trust in the Lord above all things. He knows that the sacrifice of men is not enough to save them. We also see that there is a future hope with an inheritance and resurrection. Jesus is all throughout this message to us. We also see much that can be said true for us.
There is no good besides Him. He is our cup and sweet blessing. He will not let us see decay; speaking of a future resurrection that began with Jesus. In His presence we will receive full joy and pleasure.
Life takes us down plenty of different roads and many of them are not very easy, some are downright difficult. But there is something to capture here of importance, and I don’t want to miss it. In the Lord we will find everything we ever need. Ever given thought to that? I know it seems like an OT idea back in the day when people did not have all that we have now. But I realize none of the things we have now really matter either compared to the lasting riches that come from Him for eternity.
Positioning yourself before the Lord in His presence could be something as simple as stopping in the middle of our busy work load and for even a minute, or 5 minutes, just remember who He is and how He loved you to the point of death on a cross to take away your sins. I know a lot of us get so many things to do throughout our days that it gets rather crazy. This Psalm is a good chance to just take in God and let other stuff fade away in the distance. We must remember that He is here to help us through all things. That is important and we cannot forget it. He is our portion, He is the one we need!
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Psalm 15:1-5
The Lord is so amazing. Just look at the seasons change and see how creative and designed everything really is. The whole earth changes over from one season to another, just like our lives. He is always there with every sunrise and sunset to show us He is in control. That is our peace.
David
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Psalm 15:1-5
O Lord, who may abide in Your tent?
Who may dwell on Your holy hill?
He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness,
And speaks truth in his heart.
He does not slander with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
In whose eyes a reprobate is despised,
But who honors those who fear the LORD;
He swears to his own hurt and does not change;
He does not put out his money at interest,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things will never be shaken.
Three aspects of Godly living are outlined for us in this Psalm. They are written poetically and often I wish I knew the Hebrew so I could capture how beautiful it truly sounds.
The first aspect is the walk; a person who walks with integrity and honestly is what matters to God. He wants our lives to be authentic and as real as possible. We cannot fake this kind of living. The best we can do is try to live the best walk we can so that others will see and praise God.
The next aspect is works. Though they are not necessary for salvation they are still important and a way to show we have faith. By doing good works we show others we are Christians and that there is something different about us. Often it is hard to do this part because life tends to push us down but we must keep at it.
The last key in this Psalm is the words we speak. God continually through the Bible puts a lot of meaning and power in words. They mean something, and you can tell. With the same tongue you can sing worship songs in church, and then turn around and speak hatred and evil toward your family and friends. This is not of God. Our mouths should be only going in one direction all the time. What we say needs to be our final word, and our word must be our bond.
So we must remember our walk, works, and words throughout the day and whenever we read this Psalm. It reminds us of how to live godly lives. And that is something to keep with us throughout our days.
David
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Psalm 15:1-5
O Lord, who may abide in Your tent?
Who may dwell on Your holy hill?
He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness,
And speaks truth in his heart.
He does not slander with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
In whose eyes a reprobate is despised,
But who honors those who fear the LORD;
He swears to his own hurt and does not change;
He does not put out his money at interest,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things will never be shaken.
Three aspects of Godly living are outlined for us in this Psalm. They are written poetically and often I wish I knew the Hebrew so I could capture how beautiful it truly sounds.
The first aspect is the walk; a person who walks with integrity and honestly is what matters to God. He wants our lives to be authentic and as real as possible. We cannot fake this kind of living. The best we can do is try to live the best walk we can so that others will see and praise God.
The next aspect is works. Though they are not necessary for salvation they are still important and a way to show we have faith. By doing good works we show others we are Christians and that there is something different about us. Often it is hard to do this part because life tends to push us down but we must keep at it.
The last key in this Psalm is the words we speak. God continually through the Bible puts a lot of meaning and power in words. They mean something, and you can tell. With the same tongue you can sing worship songs in church, and then turn around and speak hatred and evil toward your family and friends. This is not of God. Our mouths should be only going in one direction all the time. What we say needs to be our final word, and our word must be our bond.
So we must remember our walk, works, and words throughout the day and whenever we read this Psalm. It reminds us of how to live godly lives. And that is something to keep with us throughout our days.
Monday, October 01, 2007
Psalm 14:1-7
October is here. Though you would have thought so already since the stores have been decorated for a while now. This time of year always makes me think of all the signs the Lord told us to watch out for that would point toward His return. You know when you see Christmas decor, thanksgiving is ahead! Now we press on into a new month. Please keep us in your prayers. Thank you for each one of them.
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Psalm 14:1-7
FOR THE CHOIR DIRECTOR. A PSALM OF DAVID.
The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds;
There is no one who does good.
The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men
To see if there are any who understand,
Who seek after God.
They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt;
There is no one who does good, not even one.
Do all the workers of wickedness not know,
Who eat up my people as they eat bread,
And do not call upon the Lord?
There they are in great dread,
For God is with the righteous generation.
You would put to shame the counsel of the afflicted,
But the LORD is his refuge.
Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When the LORD restores His captive people,
Jacob will rejoice, Israel will be glad.
Your decisions about God are not something you can make in your mind, while listening to hear what man has to say. What you believe about creation, about heaven, and about your soul is made up in your heart. For it is in the heart that a man will either choose to seek Him or deny Him. It is the heart that must be searching for the Lord always.
Mankind will never be able to achieve righteousness on its own. The Bible speaks clearly to the truth that all of us out wicked without Him. It is only through the power of the Spirit that we can have life and abundance living. Perfection is something we will never be able to master, no matter how often we try, no matter how hard we try. It can only come through one means; Jesus.
David’s prayer for salvation to come out of Israel does get answered when Jesus comes into the world to die for mankind. Salvation does indeed come out of Israel. Remembering that we worship the God of Israel is important. There is great persecution against the Jewish people. We need to pray for them and help them all we can. For we serve a Jewish Messiah who will one day reign on a Jewish throne.
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Psalm 14:1-7
FOR THE CHOIR DIRECTOR. A PSALM OF DAVID.
The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds;
There is no one who does good.
The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men
To see if there are any who understand,
Who seek after God.
They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt;
There is no one who does good, not even one.
Do all the workers of wickedness not know,
Who eat up my people as they eat bread,
And do not call upon the Lord?
There they are in great dread,
For God is with the righteous generation.
You would put to shame the counsel of the afflicted,
But the LORD is his refuge.
Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When the LORD restores His captive people,
Jacob will rejoice, Israel will be glad.
Your decisions about God are not something you can make in your mind, while listening to hear what man has to say. What you believe about creation, about heaven, and about your soul is made up in your heart. For it is in the heart that a man will either choose to seek Him or deny Him. It is the heart that must be searching for the Lord always.
Mankind will never be able to achieve righteousness on its own. The Bible speaks clearly to the truth that all of us out wicked without Him. It is only through the power of the Spirit that we can have life and abundance living. Perfection is something we will never be able to master, no matter how often we try, no matter how hard we try. It can only come through one means; Jesus.
David’s prayer for salvation to come out of Israel does get answered when Jesus comes into the world to die for mankind. Salvation does indeed come out of Israel. Remembering that we worship the God of Israel is important. There is great persecution against the Jewish people. We need to pray for them and help them all we can. For we serve a Jewish Messiah who will one day reign on a Jewish throne.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Psalm 13:1-6
I am always glad to see the weekend here at last. And this is the week of our State Fair which makes it even more fun. We always enjoy such events, though mostly just for the different craft stores and fair corn dogs. Anyway, it is fall now and almost October so its good to get out before it gets to cold to enjoy being out. I hope you have a good weekend my friend.
David
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Psalm 13:1-6
O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever?
How long will you look the other way?
How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul,
with sorrow in my heart every day?
How long will my enemy have the upper hand?
Turn and answer me, O LORD my God!
Restore the light to my eyes, or I will die.
Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!”
Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.
But I trust in your unfailing love.
I will rejoice because you have rescued me.
I will sing to the LORD
because he has been so good to me.
I read Psalms like this one and something just clicks inside of me. I have felt like that before. There is this great battle inside raging for my life and my heart. Like the Apostle Paul said, we often do the things we do not want to do while forgetting to do the things we know we should. Mankind has its greatest battle within itself. We all face this same issue and growing rather weary from it. All we feel as the torment of our tired souls and like the enemies are mocking us over and over again.
We should think of life as if we are running an important race. You keep running but you are growing more and more tired as you go. You feel as though your heart is going to jump out of your chest and if you fail everyone will just laugh at your failed attempts. You try so hard at something and it begins to feel as though God is not even really there with you. But as you grow throughout life you will find looking back that the Lord is the one who helped you past each hurdle when you always felt like giving up and quitting.
This Psalmist felt defeated, as many of us do. But the striking thing is the last part of the Psalm. He reminds us of God’s unfailing love. He tells us to rejoice in the Lord because He has been good. In other words it is telling us to remember that fact. It is no theory. God has indeed been good to us. Even when it feels like our times are struggling hard. We cannot even imagine anything we can do. It is in our times when we feel defeated that we can trust in His unfailing love to be good to us. He always has and always will be there for us.
David
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Psalm 13:1-6
O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever?
How long will you look the other way?
How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul,
with sorrow in my heart every day?
How long will my enemy have the upper hand?
Turn and answer me, O LORD my God!
Restore the light to my eyes, or I will die.
Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!”
Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.
But I trust in your unfailing love.
I will rejoice because you have rescued me.
I will sing to the LORD
because he has been so good to me.
I read Psalms like this one and something just clicks inside of me. I have felt like that before. There is this great battle inside raging for my life and my heart. Like the Apostle Paul said, we often do the things we do not want to do while forgetting to do the things we know we should. Mankind has its greatest battle within itself. We all face this same issue and growing rather weary from it. All we feel as the torment of our tired souls and like the enemies are mocking us over and over again.
We should think of life as if we are running an important race. You keep running but you are growing more and more tired as you go. You feel as though your heart is going to jump out of your chest and if you fail everyone will just laugh at your failed attempts. You try so hard at something and it begins to feel as though God is not even really there with you. But as you grow throughout life you will find looking back that the Lord is the one who helped you past each hurdle when you always felt like giving up and quitting.
This Psalmist felt defeated, as many of us do. But the striking thing is the last part of the Psalm. He reminds us of God’s unfailing love. He tells us to rejoice in the Lord because He has been good. In other words it is telling us to remember that fact. It is no theory. God has indeed been good to us. Even when it feels like our times are struggling hard. We cannot even imagine anything we can do. It is in our times when we feel defeated that we can trust in His unfailing love to be good to us. He always has and always will be there for us.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Psalm 12:1-8
God is teaching me a lot these days on prayer and just spending time talking to Him. All He wants is for our hearts to be with Him in conversation so that we not only speak but listen to what he wants to do in our day. I trust He will guard over you and lead you through your week friend.
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Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases to be,
For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.
They speak falsehood to one another;
With flattering lips and with a double heart they speak.
May the LORD cut off all flattering lips,
The tongue that speaks great things;
Who have said, "With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?"
“Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy,
Now I will arise," says the LORD; "I will set him in the safety for which he longs."
The words of the LORD are pure words;
As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.
You, O LORD, will keep them;
You will preserve him from this generation forever.
The wicked strut about on every side
When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.
Psalm 12:1-8
Think to yourself for a moment; what is the most painful of all sins? Immediately you start quite a list in your head of some of the worst things imaginable, but there is one that really tops them all. Gossip or a tongue that is quick to spread lies is the most devastating sin that comes to my mind. Not one of us has gone without being hurt by this sin, and if we are honest we have not gone without committing it either.
Double hearted people are spoken against throughout the Word of God, because they cause so much destruction in their ways. We use our mouths as weapons of gossip rather than of peace we hurt ourselves and everyone else around us. We can begin to understand why the Psalmist wonders if there is anyone who is faithful anymore. This heart cry is in the midst of such trial among deceivers.
Even when we think we mean well, we can be using gossip and foolish talk. Some things are usually best left unsaid and unspoken, except to the Lord in prayer or with concern with a spouse. Its so easy to lose the reality that words can really damage reputations and lives to the point where repair is almost impossible. Guarding the tongue is crucial to walking a good and upright life with the Lord. If you must speak, speak first to Him and even more so that the truth will be the only remaining thing that comes from your lips.
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Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases to be,
For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.
They speak falsehood to one another;
With flattering lips and with a double heart they speak.
May the LORD cut off all flattering lips,
The tongue that speaks great things;
Who have said, "With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?"
“Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy,
Now I will arise," says the LORD; "I will set him in the safety for which he longs."
The words of the LORD are pure words;
As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.
You, O LORD, will keep them;
You will preserve him from this generation forever.
The wicked strut about on every side
When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.
Psalm 12:1-8
Think to yourself for a moment; what is the most painful of all sins? Immediately you start quite a list in your head of some of the worst things imaginable, but there is one that really tops them all. Gossip or a tongue that is quick to spread lies is the most devastating sin that comes to my mind. Not one of us has gone without being hurt by this sin, and if we are honest we have not gone without committing it either.
Double hearted people are spoken against throughout the Word of God, because they cause so much destruction in their ways. We use our mouths as weapons of gossip rather than of peace we hurt ourselves and everyone else around us. We can begin to understand why the Psalmist wonders if there is anyone who is faithful anymore. This heart cry is in the midst of such trial among deceivers.
Even when we think we mean well, we can be using gossip and foolish talk. Some things are usually best left unsaid and unspoken, except to the Lord in prayer or with concern with a spouse. Its so easy to lose the reality that words can really damage reputations and lives to the point where repair is almost impossible. Guarding the tongue is crucial to walking a good and upright life with the Lord. If you must speak, speak first to Him and even more so that the truth will be the only remaining thing that comes from your lips.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
My birthday went well, i enjoyed spending the time with family and eating my cookie cake. Avery got me a little book called "Cookie Monster and the cookie tree." Its a classic. Holly got me a hammock which is a great way to pass the time. There were other presents as well, but the most important thing was having my beautiful wife and daugther to celebrate with. So now i am 26! Not that much different really.
Avery is working at walking a lot more these days, though crawling is still so much easier. She dances a little to music, especially Hannah Montana. She is her biggest fan, or smallest. Its so cute. Her teeth are still coming in slow, she has three on top and three on bottom. Her left bottom and her top right are in along with her middle ones.
The holiday season is back in swing and we are looking forward to getting out the decorations once more. I love this time of year. Avery is going to be something cute for Halloween, which will be revealed later. Then we have Thanksgiving and of course Christmas. Before any of that though is her birthday which is coming up pretty fast! Hard to believe we just about have a One year old crawling around making noise. She is so cute!
Avery is working at walking a lot more these days, though crawling is still so much easier. She dances a little to music, especially Hannah Montana. She is her biggest fan, or smallest. Its so cute. Her teeth are still coming in slow, she has three on top and three on bottom. Her left bottom and her top right are in along with her middle ones.
The holiday season is back in swing and we are looking forward to getting out the decorations once more. I love this time of year. Avery is going to be something cute for Halloween, which will be revealed later. Then we have Thanksgiving and of course Christmas. Before any of that though is her birthday which is coming up pretty fast! Hard to believe we just about have a One year old crawling around making noise. She is so cute!
Monday, September 24, 2007
Psalm 11:1-7
Talk to the Lord throughout your day. Spend time in conversation with Him just as you would any close friend. That is what prayer is after all, its simply spending time with Him. How amazing it is we have such an open door to Him at all times. It seems like the darker this world gets, the more we need Him.
David
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Psalm 11:1-7
In the LORD I take refuge;
How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain;
For, behold, the wicked bend the bow,
They make ready their arrow upon the string
To shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.
If the foundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?”
The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD’S throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.
The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked,
And the one who loves violence His soul hates.
Upon the wicked He will rain snares;
Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup.
For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness;
The upright will behold His face.
When all of the world’s wickedness seems to be crowding around us, we can take refuge in the Lord our God. He is our refuge in times of trouble, and in times when we doubt. We will always find ourselves in need of Him, and it is good to know He is always there for us, even before we call.
Psalm 11 speaks of the righteous and the wicked. Our righteousness comes through Christ alone, and the Lord looks at us through the blood of our Savior. The wicked do not know such mercy though, for they shed innocent blood and do things all in the name of their own pleasure. We however are no longer in the darkness and have changed out of wickedness into holiness. When Jesus rose He gave us a new life, a new heart. We are righteous by His blood and by His work alone.
Righteousness through faith alone is one of the most important points we will ever hear, one which the Apostle Paul hammers away at plenty of time in His letters. God loves righteousness and when He looks at Christians, that is what He sees. God does not waste time with our sin, but does bring our heart to light so we know where He wants to work. He is always at work to make us like Himself. The Lord is your refuge in times of trouble, from the world and from ourselves.
David
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 11:1-7
In the LORD I take refuge;
How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain;
For, behold, the wicked bend the bow,
They make ready their arrow upon the string
To shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.
If the foundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?”
The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD’S throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.
The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked,
And the one who loves violence His soul hates.
Upon the wicked He will rain snares;
Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup.
For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness;
The upright will behold His face.
When all of the world’s wickedness seems to be crowding around us, we can take refuge in the Lord our God. He is our refuge in times of trouble, and in times when we doubt. We will always find ourselves in need of Him, and it is good to know He is always there for us, even before we call.
Psalm 11 speaks of the righteous and the wicked. Our righteousness comes through Christ alone, and the Lord looks at us through the blood of our Savior. The wicked do not know such mercy though, for they shed innocent blood and do things all in the name of their own pleasure. We however are no longer in the darkness and have changed out of wickedness into holiness. When Jesus rose He gave us a new life, a new heart. We are righteous by His blood and by His work alone.
Righteousness through faith alone is one of the most important points we will ever hear, one which the Apostle Paul hammers away at plenty of time in His letters. God loves righteousness and when He looks at Christians, that is what He sees. God does not waste time with our sin, but does bring our heart to light so we know where He wants to work. He is always at work to make us like Himself. The Lord is your refuge in times of trouble, from the world and from ourselves.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Psalm 10:1-18
Psalm 10:1-18 (NLT)
O LORD, why do you stand so far away?
Why do you hide when I need you the most?
Proud and wicked people viciously oppress the poor.
Let them be caught in the evil they plan for others.
For they brag about their evil desires;
they praise the greedy and curse the LORD.
These wicked people are too proud to seek God.
They seem to think that God is dead.
Yet they succeed in everything they do.
They do not see your punishment awaiting them.
They pour scorn on all their enemies.
They say to themselves, “Nothing bad will ever happen to us!
We will be free of trouble forever!”
Their mouths are full of cursing, lies, and threats.
Trouble and evil are on the tips of their tongues.
They lurk in dark alleys,
murdering the innocent who pass by.
They are always searching
for some helpless victim.
Like lions they crouch silently,
waiting to pounce on the helpless.
Like hunters they capture their victims
and drag them away in nets.
The helpless are overwhelmed and collapse;
they fall beneath the strength of the wicked.
The wicked say to themselves, “God isn’t watching!
He will never notice!”
Arise, O LORD!
Punish the wicked, O God!
Do not forget the helpless!
Why do the wicked get away with cursing God?
How can they think, “God will never call us to account”?
But you do see the trouble and grief they cause.
You take note of it and punish them.
The helpless put their trust in you.
You are the defender of orphans.
Break the arms of these wicked, evil people!
Go after them until the last one is destroyed!
The LORD is king forever and ever!
Let those who worship other gods be swept from the land.
LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless.
Surely you will listen to their cries and comfort them.
You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed,
so people can no longer terrify them.
In our own hearts we have echoed the words, “Lord where are you?” That feeling of being so far away from hope when everything else is pounding us down, is very real. When the wicked seem to be doing so well and gaining so much, we ask ourselves why. Where is God in times of trouble? Why does it feel like the wicked are ruling? What is the answer? This Psalm speaks to those questions with heart and emotion, not religious phrases. It comes to us and meets us where are at, in open humility before God.
The downfall of the wicked, is being blind to the Lord’s presence. Closing your eyes does not make everything alright. We cannot lose sight of this even in our own weak moments, for without the Holy Spirit, we are the wicked. Only by God’s grace we have been saved from ourselves. But have you ever thought you could hide something from God. Maybe He wont notice, or maybe He will think it wasn’t us. I suppose trying to hide from God is like a fish trying to hide from a cat in a glass bowl. There really is no way to get away from this God who is everywhere always. Sadly it does not always feel as though God is really paying attention.
There are many scholars would could probably lay down reason after reason for why God is the way He is and why it feels like He does not always care. But I have to throw my simple answer in there. God is God because He is and if he was not God then we have no reason to serve and love Him. Afterall, a God defined by human reason is a god created by human thought rather then a God who creates human brains!
In the end of this Psalm we receive our hope. It does not say “maybe you will come to our aid!” It does not say “God might do it” Rather it is a sure feeling that He will listen to us and bring justice. He is King forever and ever. I suppose there is no easy answer to the hard times. The hardest answer in the world is to say just trust Him! Even if we do not like the answer He gives us here, it is still what we are to do. We do it because He loves us. Because He knows us intensely more intimate than anyone ever could. Remember that God is there with you.
O LORD, why do you stand so far away?
Why do you hide when I need you the most?
Proud and wicked people viciously oppress the poor.
Let them be caught in the evil they plan for others.
For they brag about their evil desires;
they praise the greedy and curse the LORD.
These wicked people are too proud to seek God.
They seem to think that God is dead.
Yet they succeed in everything they do.
They do not see your punishment awaiting them.
They pour scorn on all their enemies.
They say to themselves, “Nothing bad will ever happen to us!
We will be free of trouble forever!”
Their mouths are full of cursing, lies, and threats.
Trouble and evil are on the tips of their tongues.
They lurk in dark alleys,
murdering the innocent who pass by.
They are always searching
for some helpless victim.
Like lions they crouch silently,
waiting to pounce on the helpless.
Like hunters they capture their victims
and drag them away in nets.
The helpless are overwhelmed and collapse;
they fall beneath the strength of the wicked.
The wicked say to themselves, “God isn’t watching!
He will never notice!”
Arise, O LORD!
Punish the wicked, O God!
Do not forget the helpless!
Why do the wicked get away with cursing God?
How can they think, “God will never call us to account”?
But you do see the trouble and grief they cause.
You take note of it and punish them.
The helpless put their trust in you.
You are the defender of orphans.
Break the arms of these wicked, evil people!
Go after them until the last one is destroyed!
The LORD is king forever and ever!
Let those who worship other gods be swept from the land.
LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless.
Surely you will listen to their cries and comfort them.
You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed,
so people can no longer terrify them.
In our own hearts we have echoed the words, “Lord where are you?” That feeling of being so far away from hope when everything else is pounding us down, is very real. When the wicked seem to be doing so well and gaining so much, we ask ourselves why. Where is God in times of trouble? Why does it feel like the wicked are ruling? What is the answer? This Psalm speaks to those questions with heart and emotion, not religious phrases. It comes to us and meets us where are at, in open humility before God.
The downfall of the wicked, is being blind to the Lord’s presence. Closing your eyes does not make everything alright. We cannot lose sight of this even in our own weak moments, for without the Holy Spirit, we are the wicked. Only by God’s grace we have been saved from ourselves. But have you ever thought you could hide something from God. Maybe He wont notice, or maybe He will think it wasn’t us. I suppose trying to hide from God is like a fish trying to hide from a cat in a glass bowl. There really is no way to get away from this God who is everywhere always. Sadly it does not always feel as though God is really paying attention.
There are many scholars would could probably lay down reason after reason for why God is the way He is and why it feels like He does not always care. But I have to throw my simple answer in there. God is God because He is and if he was not God then we have no reason to serve and love Him. Afterall, a God defined by human reason is a god created by human thought rather then a God who creates human brains!
In the end of this Psalm we receive our hope. It does not say “maybe you will come to our aid!” It does not say “God might do it” Rather it is a sure feeling that He will listen to us and bring justice. He is King forever and ever. I suppose there is no easy answer to the hard times. The hardest answer in the world is to say just trust Him! Even if we do not like the answer He gives us here, it is still what we are to do. We do it because He loves us. Because He knows us intensely more intimate than anyone ever could. Remember that God is there with you.
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