Psalms

What is Acceptable to God? (Psalm 19:14)

/ The Pastor / 1 Comment

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord , my rock and my redeemer. [Psalm 19:14]

The words of my mouth.
The meditations of my heart.

Have you ever thought about those two things? Have you ever given any consideration about not only what comes out of your mouth but also what you are meditating on in your heart?

You see…

These two things are intimately tied together; for what you are meditating on in your heart is going to eventually come out in your words and/or actions. So it only makes sense that we ask God to let that which is in our heart be acceptable to God. What comes out of our mouth can be judged by others but only God can judge what is in your heart. But then again, if what is in your heart eventually comes out in your words and actions then eventually people are going to judge your heart as well. Right or wrong, they (and you) will judge the heart.

So do a preemptive strike and commit your heart to God.

Ask that your meditations be acceptable to God.
Ask that your words glorify God.
Ask that your actions point to our Rock and Redeemer.

Begin with your heart because that will direct your words and actions. When you don’t know what to say or what to do, what you truly believe in your heart will come out. When you are in moments that demand words then what you are meditating and dwelling on will be the first to emerge.

If you are dwelling on a hurt
If you are dwelling on a sin
If you are dwelling on hate
If you are dwelling on someone else’s mistake(s)

These things will eventually show its ugly head in your words/deeds.

So…

Meditate and dwell on God and His wonderful mercy and grace and compassion and love and forgiveness. If you are meditating on this then that which Satan would rather you meditate on will be pushed to the back burner and squashed.

May your heart be found acceptable to God.

Father God, heal my heart that it may meditate on that which is good and acceptable to You. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

The Pastor -|—

I Call Upon You (Psalm 18:3)

/ The Pastor

I call upon the Lord , who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. [Psalm 18:3]

Oh Lord, I call upon You this morning as I rise from bed to enjoy another day; for this is indeed the day You have made so therefore I will rejoice and be glad in it.

Oh Lord, I call upon You this morning as I rise from bed to face another day; for it will be filled with temptations to run away from You. May You grant me strength and courage and faith to seek Your lovely and beautiful face and run into Your mighty arms.

Oh Lord, I call upon You this morning as I rise from bed to face another day to immediately commit everything to You. There is much to be done in Your kingdom and on my own I would be overwhelmed with the tasks that I would certainly bring all to ruin.

Oh Lord, I call upon You this morning as I rise from bed to face another day; knowing that I am afflicted with the spiritual cancer of sin. In the name of Jesus, please heal me and forgive me and lead me in ways of holiness and righteousness that I may glorify You today.

Oh Lord, I call upon You this morning as I rise from bed to face another day; ready to battle the forces in this world that are hell-bent on leading as many people away from You as possible. Help me to see that I don’t fight alone but rather as David faced Goliath so I face this world with You.

Oh Lord, I call upon you this morning as I rise from bed to face another day; ready to receive those who You will place in my path. May I make the most of every opportunity to share my faith in You through Jesus Christ.

Oh Lord, I call upon you this morning as I rise from bed to face another day because You and You alone are my Lord and Savior and God; and you have saved me from my enemies. All praise to You this day and always. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

May God bless your day as you enjoy and bask in His awesome love.

The Pastor -|—

Don’t be Shaken; be Stirred (Psalm 16:7-8)

/ The Pastor

There are times, like the apostle Paul in Philippians 1:23, that I want to hasten my departure from this world in order to be with the Lord (and not in a suicidal way). There are times I just want to be done with the anti-Christian rhetoric that seems to be growing. There are times I just want to be done with stories of ISIS reigning terror on many people. There are times I just want to be done with politicians who don’t get it; who don’t care or understand the concept of freedom OF religion and instead hold to the concept of freedom FROM religion. There are times that I just want to throw my hands up in the air and say,

“Lord, come and take me home. Come, and establish your kingdom in this world. Come, and begin your eternal reign.”

Yes, that would be nice, to be with the Lord; away from sin and death and persecution. But then there is the other side of me (like Paul in Philippians 1:24) that says I need to remain here for the benefit of others. And when I think about that I am overwhelmed.

Who am I to think that I can be a benefit to anyone?
Who am I to think that I have anything to offer?
Who am I to think that I can make a difference?

I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. [Psalm 16:7-8]

It is NOT you who can do anything but the Lord who gives counsel.

Last night I posted some verses from Proverbs 16 about committing everything to the Lord. This came after a church council meeting as we are discussing and exploring who we are, what we believe and where God is calling us to go. It’s a daunting task to consider this, and therefore one that needs to be committed to the Lord because it is the Lord who will give us counsel.

And as I consider my role in this messed up world, once again, it is the Lord who gives counsel and therefore I shall not be shaken. This doesn’t change my desire to be with the Lord, but these verses do give me hope that God is still doing something through me, and the Lord is doing something through you.

I believe the day will come when I will be with the Lord; praising and worshiping him forever, but it is just not now. Apparently God believes it is to someone’s benefit that I remain. And therefore, unlike James Bond, I DON’T want to be shaken but rather stirred (to action). And with the Lord, giving counsel, this will indeed be the case.

Lord God, may my faith not shaken by what goes on around me but rather stirred to glorify Your holy name. Give me counsel, oh Lord, and lead me in paths of righteousness. Give me counsel, oh Lord, and strengthen me. Give me counsel, oh Lord, and grant me wisdom. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

The Pastor -|—

Dwelling and Gazing

/ The Pastor

image

This here is the Easter hope:

Dwelling in the house of the Lord
Gazing upon the beauty of Lord
Inquiring in his temple

I mean, really, this is the Good News and our hope. Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave that we might dwell with him. He didn’t die and rise that we might have a good life now. It really bugs me and worries me when preachers try to sell this message of hope in this life. Scripture says that if in this life we have hope in Christ only then we are most to be pitied. Jesus didn’t die that we may have a temporary hope; a limited hope; a shortsighted hope. Jesus died that we may have eternal life; dwelling in his temple and worshiping him forever.

But something else to think about. Not only will you, through faith in Jesus, dwell in his temple, but you will gaze upon a beauty that is absolutely mind blowing. There is nothing in this universe that can compare. If someone tries to sell you a worldly hope you need to respond:

That’s not good enough. I want more.

And Jesus gives you more.

Praise be to God that our hope is more and better and wonderful and beautiful.

Holy Father, I praise you that death has been defeated and that I can live this life with hope of something more. And I look forward to that day when I am dwelling and gazing on your beauty and inquiring in your temple. All praise and worship be to you, oh God. In Jesus name, Amen.

The Pastor -|—

Give Thanks

/ The Pastor

As you prepare to retire at the end of a long day and entrust yourself to the grace of God, let’s take a moment to give thanks:

[1] Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, 
for His steadfast love endures forever.
[2] Give thanks to the God of gods,
for His steadfast love endures forever.
[3] Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for His steadfast love endures forever;
(Psalm 136:1-3 ESV)

to Him who created this day,
for His steadfast love endures forever;
to Him who blessed you with breath,
for His steadfast love endures forever;
to Him who sustained your life,
for His steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, 
for His steadfast love endures forever;

to Him to gave you his one and only son,
for His steadfast love endures forever;
that Jesus may die for the forgiveness of your sins,
for His steadfast love endures forever;
so that you may spend eternity with Him,
for His steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, 
for His steadfast love endures forever;

to Him who gave His Holy Spirit,
for His steadfast love endures forever;
to lead you into all wisdom,
for His steadfast love endures forever;
and that you may know the truth of the Gospel,
for His steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, 
for His steadfast love endures forever;

and to Him who keeps you safe and secure in His hands,
for His steadfast love endures forever;
who has defeated sin, death and the power of Satan,
for His steadfast love endures forever;
that you may not fear this world,
for His steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, 
for His steadfast love endures forever;

Holy God, awesome and mighty, abounding in steadfast love and mercy; I praise Your awesome name; for there is much to give You thanks for. You have guided me through this day, even in those moments when I did not acknowledge You. You showed faithfulness even when I was not faithful. And now I entrust my vulnerable life to You as I prepare to close my eyes and drift off to sleep. May I awake in the morning to a new day of grace, ready to glorify Your awesome name. In Jesus name I pray, Amen

Good night world 🙂

The Pastor -|—

Opening prayer ~ O Majestic and Awesome Lord

/ The Pastor

The opening prayer this morning for worship is basically Psalm 8. This a wonderful Psalm that reflects the fact that God is awesome and we are not, but yet God  cares for and love us. It’s amazing, really,to think about that; that the Creator God would have any regard for us puny humans, but He does.

And therefore ~ Praise be to God!

And so I echo, this morning, the words of the psalmist:

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which YOU, Creator God, have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
[Psalm 8]

And therefore, O Lord, you are worthy of our praise here this morning. So receive our worship and send us Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Prepare your hearts for worship this morning by meditating on the awesomeness of God and the amazing love He shows you through Jesus Christ. God IS worthy so let’s praise and worship His holy name.

May your day be filled with love and grace.

The Pastor -|—

Evening prayer ~ You Are My…

/ The Pastor

I love you, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God,
my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield,
and the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold.
I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
[Psalm 18:1-3]

I praise You, oh Lord.
I worship You, oh Lord.
I place my life in Your hands, oh Lord.

And since You are my:
Lord
Rock
Strength
Fortress
Deliverer
God
Shield
Salvation
Stronghold

I can rest easy tonight knowing that whether I live or whether I die that I belong to You. What a comfort that is, Father God.

So I ask that You would protect my dreams, my family, my soul and my life but all according to Your gracious and holy will and for Your glory.

And if it be Your will that I awaken to another day in Your beautiful creation, may I have the faith to continue to live for You.

All praise, glory and worship be to You, holy God, through Jesus Christ my Lord.
Amen.

The Pastor -|—

Be the Town Crier (Psalm 130:5-6)

/ The Pastor

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.”
[Psalm 130:5-6]

Is your soul more confident of the Lord’s return than some night watchmen standing on the city wall, protecting the city, and waiting for the morning sun to come up?

Is your soul more excited about the Lord’s return than some night watchmen standing on the city wall, protecting the city, and longing to return home at day’s first light?

Is you soul more hopeful of the Lord’s return than some night watchmen standing on the city wall, protecting the city; knowing that the sun will rise in the morning?

Does your soul wait for the Lord?
Is your hope in the Word of God; promising salvation through faith in Jesus?
Do you long for the Lord’s return, so much so, that your soul aches to be away from the Lord?

I don’t know about you, but there are times that I find myself sitting in my quiet living room; listening very carefully. What am I listening for? I am listening for a trumpet. Nope, not the local high school marching band, but THE heavenly band announcing the arrival of our Lord and King. I am waiting for the trumpet blast that will signal me to run outside to watch our Lord returning on the clouds.

And what a scene that will be.

I can hardly wait for that day. I can hardly wait for Jesus to establish God’s Kingdom here on this earth. I can hardly wait for Satan, sin, evil and death to be done away with. I can hardly wait for God to wipe my tears away.
[Revelation 20 & 21]

I can hardly wait to reside in God’s holy kingdom where the gate never needs to be shut because there is no night; where there is no sun because the glory of God is the light and where there is no temple because God Almighty and the Lamb is it’s temple.
[Revelation 21:22-25]

I can hardly wait for all things to be made new.

In the mean time, our souls wait because that’s all we can do. But don’t be idle; just sitting around waiting. Don’t just be a night watchman waiting for the sun to rise so you can go home. Be the town crier; announcing the arrival of the King. Wake people up so they too can run outside and watch their Lord and King arrive on the clouds.

Praise be to God!

Heavenly God and King, we anxiously await the day when Your son returns to establish Your kingdom. In the mean time stir our hearts to be criers; announcing and preparing people to receive Your son. May we not be idle but active in our anxious waiting. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

The Pastor -|—

Ending your day

/ The Pastor

Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens!
Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his excellent greatness!
Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp!
Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!
Praise him with sounding cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
[Psalm 150]

Why this Psalm?
Why not?
Why not end the day praising the Lord?

God is indeed worthy.
God is gracious and merciful.
God is compassionate.
God is love.

God is holy and yet forgives sins.
We are faithless but God is faithful.
We are unworthy but God shows grace.

And then there is this whole thing about talking to God and God listening. Me, a puny sinner. God gives me His full attention. That’s pretty amazing, so why not tell him that, after all, God is listening.

And this awesomeness comes through faith in Jesus, God’s son, who suffered a horrible death on a cross FOR YOU and FOR ME so we could be forgiven. That’s pretty amazing as well. Why not praise God for that?

And if that awesomeness was not enough then consider this: That forgiveness I just mentioned, means we get to live with God forever in heaven someday. Yup, I like that.

So there you have it. There is so much to praise God for. So let’s hear it; loud and clear. Let’s hear your voice. Go ahead, shout it out. Don’t be bashful. God is worth it.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Sweet dreams 🙂

The Pastor -|—

Now what? (Psalm 119:14-16)

/ The Pastor

In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. [Psalm 119:14-16]

Last night I made my appeal to God for forgiveness; something we all need to do on a daily basis and then some. I appealed to God’s mercy through faith in Jesus Christ and then threw myself at his feet. And then in the words of Romans 5:10-11 I heard that I am reconciled to God through faith in Jesus.

Praise be to God, but now what?

After we have made our confession; after we have appealed to God’s mercy through faith in Jesus; after we have thrown ourselves at God’s feet, what next? Of course we will hear a word of forgiveness, but after THAT; after the absolution of our sins? We certainly shouldn’t go away unchanged or unfazed. There must be something next.

And there is…

In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches.
Take delight in learning God’s ways.
Take delight in knowing what God desires.
Take delight in following God in all things.

Take delight in God’s law, for in God’s law we see a holy wisdom that is far above anything of human understanding. God’s ways and thoughts are indeed above our ways and thoughts, so desire God more than all the riches ever known in the world and will ever be known.

I will meditate on your precepts
Don’t just read and study God’s law, but meditate on them. Think about them. Ponder them. Reflect on them. May they not be a passing thought. May reading God’s law never be cursory. May God’s law sink in and take up residence in your heart.

and fix my eyes on your ways.
And as you are walking with God; as you are meditating on God’s ways; fix your eyes on the object of your desire. When I take my wife out to eat, I am not staring and gawking at other women. That would be rude and unfaithful. My desire is for my wife and so I fix my eyes and attention on her. In the same way and much more, fix your eyes on God and His ways. Don’t be unfaithful.

I will delight in your statutes;
Delighting in God’s statues will only come through diligent study and appreciation of who God is through faith Jesus Christ. If your faith and trust is not in God through Jesus, then you are never going to truly delight in God’s ways. It’s only through understanding what God has done for you that you can appreciate what God is up to and wants for you and desires for you and commands you to do.

I will not forget your word.
Make your meditation of God and His ways a daily habit that you will not forget. Even one day off can cause our simple and weak minds to go astray. You may think you are smart and have a good memory, but when it comes to God we have the attention span of a flea. Mediate often and seek God continually.

But what if I fail?

You will fail.
You will fall short.
You will turn away from God.

Just don’t accept this sin condition of yours but rather keep running to God, for God’s mercy is great. His faithfulness is endless. His love is all encompassing. His grace is amazing.

Keep running to God and appealing to his mercy through faith in Jesus Christ, and start all over again; desiring to truly learn and desire God’s ways more than anything. Don’t take advantage of God’s faithfulness but desire God’s faithfulness with all your heart and being.

May God be praised in your learning and meditation of His holy Law.

The Pastor -|—