Psalms

Praise in 2013

/ The Pastor

Praise the Lord.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with tambourine and dancing,
praise him with the strings and flute,
praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.
[Psalm 150]

Loving and gracious God, we give you thanks and praise as we begin another new year together.  As I look back there have been ups and downs; joys and sorrows; happiness and sadness; but through it all you have been there.  There is much to be thankful for and much to praise you for.  As we begin this new year together may we not stray from your commandments and may we not forget who’s we are.  May we make the most of every moment to glorify your name and take advantage of every opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus. Loving God, all that we have is from you.  May we use what you have given us to bless one another in this new year and beyond.  May you receive all glory, honor, praise and worship.  In Jesus name I pray.  Amen!

Happy New Year everyone!

Praise be to God…always and forever!

The pastor -|—

Give thanks

/ The Pastor

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
[Psalm 136:1-3]

And don’t just give thanks today, but rather every single day of the year.

Why?

for his steadfast love endures forever and ever and ever and ever…

Have a Happy Thanksgiving 🙂

edh -|—

Sandy

/ The Pastor

The pastor’s heart goes out to those being affected by Sandy; that massive storm hitting the east coast.  I have bee watching the Weather Channel this morning and seeing reports of what is going on and then the reporters saying the worst is yet to come.

Scary

High winds
Flooding
Rain and snow
Power outages
Storm surge

So many people are going to be affected; not just on the coast but way into the mainland; as far in as Ohio.  A large mass of area feeling the effects of Mother Nature’s fury.  And in the midst of such chaos it is easy to lose perspective and become despondent.

I believe Satan uses such weather events in an attempt to drive a wedge between people and God as every year Mother Nature proves to be a formidable foe.  But not even Hurricane Sandy can stand up to the sovereignty of God.

So…

Please be in prayer for those being effected.
Please be in prayer for those relief workers.
Consider giving to relief organizations.
Don’t lose faith.
Don’t stop praying once the storm passes.
And remember…

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
[Psalm 46:1-3]
We have an awesome God.  May God be praised even in this massive storm.
edh -|—

ADDITION:
Please remember and pray for those who were affected by this massive storm before it hit the U.S.  The people of Haiti, Cuba, etc.  Lives were lost and property destroyed.  A friend of mine brought this to my attention which shows how biased the media is when it comes to these natural disasters.  I never even considered where this storm came from.  For that I repent.

Seek the Lord

/ The Pastor

I lift up my eyes to the hills
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep your going out
and you coming in from this
time forth and forevermore.
[Psalm 121]

This is my wife’s favorite Psalm.

When I am gone overnight she keeps this close by and reads it over and over.  You see…she doesn’t like staying in our haunted parsonage by herself.  O.K…maybe it’s not haunted but with the bats scratching their way in the walls and all the creaking boards one would be tempted to think the house is alive.  Someone once told my wife that the spirits of Salem’s former pastors were walking around and looking out for her.  For some reason that didn’t help 🙂

My wife hasn’t told me specifically but my guess is that she finds comfort in the fact that God is not sleeping and that God is watching over her and …

 “The Lord will keep you from all evil”

I have to admit…there is something very comforting about that phrase.  There is evil all around us and I do not doubt that Satan is using those strange noises in our house to get my wife to doubt God’s presence and sovereignty.  Satan will do whatever he can to get us to believe that we are alone; that God has left us.

God hasn’t left us and never will.

God is our help.
God is our peace.
God in our life.

Where do you turn for help?
Where do your eyes look when fears ravage you?
Who do you seek for safety?
Who do you run to for shelter?

The Lord will keep your going out
and you coming in from this
time forth and forevermore.

“Lift your eyes” and seek the Lord…and don’t let spooks and goblins (or Satan) drive you to despair, but trust in the Lord’s presence and strength.  He will keep your life and bring you home through Jesus Christ…and there is nothing Satan can do about that.  Wrap your heart around that blessed assurance and sleep well tonight knowing that God is not sleeping and that God has your back.

edh -|—

Whom do you follow?

/ The Pastor

It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
[Psalm 118:8-9]

Sound advice but one that is hard to put in actual practice especially during an active political season where promises are being made left and right by individuals trying to earn your trust and get your vote.

And these promises grab our attention because:
~ We see the economic struggles around us.
~ We see poverty and homeless in our communities.
~ We see people struggling to find work.
~ We see people scraping to get by each month.
~ We see troubles all around us.

Or…you may find yourself smack dab in the middle of the chaos and are looking for a savior.

But then ~ someone comes along who promises they can fix things; turn the economy around; create jobs and put more money in our pockets. When that person (or political party) makes these promises we are tempted to give them our “worship”.  After all, if they can fix what is wrong in our lives, why shouldn’t we follow them.

But here’s the problem…

…when we follow man we will be lead astray for they can only take us so far; for they are mortal and will not last forever.  If we put our trust in man/princes alone we may be happy for a season but it won’t last.

But…

…when we put our trust in the Lord we will have a joy that WILL last forever despite any hardships we may face now.  For only God can give us what we truly need: forgiveness and everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So put your faith in the Lord.
Find your refuge in God our Creator.
Place your trust in Jesus Christ.

And know true JOY ~ all the while praying for those who are in elected office and running for office; praying that God may use them.

But place your trust in the Lord, not in man.

edh -|—

Majestic!

/ The Pastor

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
[Psalm 8:1]

What a great refrain.

It is a phrase of submission to God.
It is a phrase of humility (on our part).
It is a phrase of worship.
It is a phrase of Truth.

Our God is majestic…and wonderful…and great…and loving…and forgiving…and merciful…and sovereign (and the list could go on).  So that phrase from Psalm 8 just seems appropriate.  God is our Creator so no one or no thing is above God for what created thing can be above that which created them.

Our Lord is majestic and worthy of all praise.

So the question is: How are you praising God today?
Or maybe the question is: Are you praising God today…and everyday?

For me ~ there is no one who can do what God has done or will do.  No one can save me like God through Jesus Christ.  No one is as patient with me as God is.  No one loves me as God does. No one is as mindful of me as God.

No one!

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

May God bless your day as you bask in the glow of His radiant love.  Praise be to God…Amen!

edh -|—

Encouragement in the Psalms

/ The Pastor

Hear my prayer, O Lord;
let my cry come to you!
Do not hide your face from me
in the day of my distress!
Incline your ear to me;
answer me speedily in the day when I call!
[Psalm 102:1-2]

I like the Psalms. The range of emotion helps me put things into perspective.

There are Psalms of praise.
There are Psalms of lament and complaining.
There are Psalm of whining.

And then these Psalms usually end with some statement of God’s faithfulness.
Often times these Psalms follow this pattern:
“Where are you God”
“How long O God?”
“Why aren’t you listening to me?”

And then…

“God, you are awesome!”
“God, you are great!”
“God, you are worthy of praise!”

I read these Psalms and I am encouraged in my faith journey.  I am encouraged because I often feel the same way these psalmists feel…but I sometimes forget about God’s love and faithfulness.  You see…the God that the psalm’s is talking about is the God I want to get to know.  That is the God who I want to be close to.  That is the God I want to worship.  Scripture doesn’t promise an easy road, but Scripture does promise a faithful and loving God.

So lift your complaints, laments and whining to God but also know that God will not abandon you.  God will be faithful for you are his beloved child;  redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ.

That’s the God I want to know better.

edh -|—

Worship God…not yourself

/ The Pastor

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
[Psalm 95:1-5]

If you ever needed a reason to go to worship, Psalm 95 lays it out for you. The problem is that many people would prefer to write a Psalm about themselves and talk about what their exploits and what they believe God should do for them.  For many…worship is all about them.

We have a messed up view of worship…hence the many “worship wars” that congregations experience.  The wars come from an attitude of “entertain me“.  If something doesn’t entertain them then it should not be done.  And in the midst of the worship wars, the true reason for worship gets lost.

For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.

When was the last time you went to worship with no other reason than to sing praise to God, thank God for His awesome love in Jesus Christ and to lift up His holy name for His awesome deeds?

When was the last time to went to worship FOR GOD and not FOR YOU?

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
 Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
[Psalm 100]
God is holy.
God is worthy.
God is…well…God…so worship God and God alone for God has been and always will be faithful.
Praise be to GOD, always and forever.
Amen!
edh -|—

The things of God

/ The Pastor

The “assigned” Gospel text for Sunday is from Mark 8 where Jesus foretells his death; Peter rebukes Jesus; and then Jesus in turn rebukes Peter: “Get behind me Satan, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God but on the things of man.”

This “things of God” verses the “things of man” has got me thinking this week.

I started the week reflecting on Psalm 119:1-16 where it says:

Blessed are they whose ways are blameless,
who walk according to the law of the Lord.
2 Blessed are they who keep his statutes
and seek him with all their heart.
3 They do nothing wrong;
they walk in his ways.
4 You have laid down precepts
that are to be fully obeyed.
5 Oh, that my ways were steadfast
in obeying your decrees!
6 Then I would not be put to shame
when I consider all your commands.
7 I will praise you with an upright heart
as I learn your righteous laws.
8 I will obey your decrees;
do not utterly forsake me. 

9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By living according to your word.
10 I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
12 Praise be to you, O Lord;
teach me your decrees.
13 With my lips I recount
all the laws that come from your mouth.
14 I rejoice in following your statutes
as one rejoices in great riches.
15 I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.
16 I delight in your decrees;
I will not neglect your word.

I have been soaking these verses in every chance I get this week.  When some down time presents itself to me I open my Bible to read and reflect.  I listen and then read again.  I ponder and wonder if I am indeed setting my mind on the “things of God” rather than on the “things of man”.  Do I mediate on God’s precepts? Do I take joy in learning God’s righteousness decrees?

You see ~ The “things of man” doesn’t encourage you to open your Bible during some down time.  The “things of man” doesn’t encourage you to just sit and listen, as a friend of mine so aptly wrote on his blog recently.  The “things of man” doesn’t tell you that God’s way is best.  And so I am encouraged:

I feel good about myself.
I feel justified that I am doing what I should be doing.
I feel like I am on the right path.

But then I also realize that I have my moments (actually…many moments) when I am setting my mind on the “things of man”.  In a lot of ways Peter and I are kindred spirits.

I want what I think is best without consulting God.
I want to find peace and contentment in the things of this world.
I want to rush in with MY agenda.

So then I feel discouraged that maybe I truly don’t have in mind the “things of God” 😦

But then in Romans Paul reminds us that this battle is never ending.  We are always going to be frustrated by the battle between the desire to set our mind on the “things of God” verses the “things of man”.  We are always go to be tempted to take the easy/pleasurable way over the productive/God-honoring way.  The battle is going to rage on and never calm down until that day when Jesus returns to take us home and redeem the pitiful state we find ourselves in.

So in the mean time, take every moment you can to immerse yourself in the Word.  Find quiet moments to listen to God. Remember to shut up and listen once in a while.  And don’t lose hope.  When you falter; when you revert to your “default” setting of the “things of man” remember the Good News ~ forgiveness through faith in Christ ~ and then update your settings to the “things of God”.

Praise be to you, O Lord; 
teach me your decrees. 
13 With my lips I recount 
all the laws that come from your mouth. 
14 I rejoice in following your statutes 
as one rejoices in great riches. 
15 I meditate on your precepts 
and consider your ways. 
16 I delight in your decrees; 
I will not neglect your word.

“Things of God”…CHECK 🙂
[At least for now]

Praise be to you O God!  Even though I falter and take you for granted, you don’t leave me orphaned.  Even though I often revert to the “things on man” you don’t cast me aside to fend for myself.  O God – I want to strive after your righteousness decrees.  Help me to keep my internal settings on the “things of God” that I may grow closer and closer to you.  Through Jesus Christ I pray…Amen.

edh -|—

Guard your way

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

If you haven’t spent time with Psalm 119 let me urge you to do so.  I know it is a long one (176 verses).  I know there is much to take in, but it is well worth the time.  Take it in sections (there are 22 stanzas of 8 verses each).  Meditate on a stanza at a time and then move on as the Spirit leads you.

I never cease to be amazed at how the Holy Spirit leads me to various places in Scripture.  I know it is not a random thing; that God has a plan.  All I can say is: Wow!
and
Praise be to God!

Verse 1 sets the tone:
“Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!”

Now — before anyone thinks I am saying MY way is blameless, let me say this:
I AM FAR FROM BLAMELESS…
…but I am trying to walk in the law of the Lord.  I am trying to seek the Lord with all my heart.  I am trying to learn His precepts.  I am trying to store up His Word in my heart.

MY way is not blameless, but GOD’S way is blameless.  And that is the way I am seeking.

But I also know that in all my efforts to walk in the way of the Lord I will fall down.  I will fail.  I will let God down.  I don’t want to, but I know it will happen.  After all I am sinful (but that’s still no excuse).

What a wretched person I am…

…but through Jesus Christ, God is merciful.  Praise be to God!

So I continue my journey.  I continue my walk with God.  I continue my exploration of God’s Word. I continue to seek GOD’S way and ask God to keep me from the temptation of following MY way.

Why?

Verse 9 says, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your (God’s) word.”

YOUR way will never be pure through your efforts.  Your way is only pure by guarding it through God’s Word.  So…

Seek the Lord.
Mediate on his precepts.
Guard your way that you may be pure and that God may be glorified in your life.

With your whole heart seek God; wander not from his commandments. [paraphrase of verse 10]

May God bless your day as you walk with Him 🙂

edh -|—