Psalms

Faces

/ The Pastor

Psalm 27:7–8 (ESV) ~ Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”

Whose face do you seek? Is it the face of a political leader in hopes they will acquiesce to your demands to remake this world into your image?

Whose face do you seek? Is it the face of success in hopes you can build a nest egg in order to gain a sense of peace in this life?

Whose face do you seek? Is it the face of a false prophet who refuses to hold scripture to a high standard and thus waters it down to make it easier for you to accept?

Whose face do you seek? Is it the face of laziness so you can blindly ride the shirt-tails of cheap grace in order to enjoy the labors of others.

Whose face do you seek? Is it the face of busyness in an effort to justify yourself before others and God.

Whose face do you seek? Is it the face of a worldly fortress so as to secure rest, peace and comfort for your weary body and soul.

Whose face do you seek? Is it the face of affirmation so you can feel better about your life.

But…

These faces care nothing about you. They only look at you with disdain, apathy and disinterest. They make promises and they look good for a while, but eventually these faces become disfigured; sending you on another search for a new face.

But there is a face out there waiting for you. A face that shines brighter than the sun. A face of love. A face of grace. A face of truth. That face is Jesus. He doesn’t promise you the easy life, but he does promise you Life. Don’t be fooled. The faces of this world falsely promise you an easy life, but can go no farther. Only Jesus cares enough for you to give his life for the forgiveness of your sins that you may see God face to face someday. Don’t settle for anything less. Seek HIS face and truly be at peace.

Praying the Psalms ~ Psalm 8

/ The Pastor

READ: Psalm 8 (and again)
“Oh LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!“
A great Psalm of praise; one to meditate on as you worship God our Father through Christ Jesus our Lord…

Oh LORD, my Lord, how majestic is Your name.
Oh Lord, how great is Your name above all names.
You reign victorious from heaven above,
And to You is the glory and all acclaim.

Your glory is the highest than anyone.
Your strength is greater and unsurpassed oh Lord.
Your victory over this world is certain,
And thus You are forever to be adored.

But who am I that You should even notice.
For I am small and a betrayer of You.
I have turned from Your ways and thus I’m condemned.
I’m a sinner and thus Your wrath has accrued.

But You have redeemed me through Jesus my Lord.
You have raised me up from the power of sin.
Oh LORD, my Lord, how majestic is Your name.
For through Your grace, in Your courts I’ll live therein.

Praying the Psalms ~ Psalm 3

/ The Pastor

READ: Psalm 3. Now read it again. One more time. Alright, we’re ready. Let’s pray…

Father God,
My foes are many; those who would oppose Your ways.
They celebrate and flaunt their success; scoffing at me and saying that I have no hope.
They claim victory; boasting of their strength. They think they are in control; that they hold the upper hand.
My foes arrogantly go on their way; secure in their positions of power; strutting in confidence; smug in their ways.
Oh Lord, my God, my foes are many.
Their numbers overwhelm me.
But You, oh God, are a shield about me.
You are my fortress.
You are my army of myriads that goes before me.
You have lifted me up and secured my life.
You have never ceased to hear and answer my cry for help.
Therefore, I will never fear the hordes that oppose me.
Day and night You are my guard.
I am at peace.
Oh Lord, my God, my foes are many but You overwhelm them.
Your enemies have been defeated and thus I am victorious.
They claim salvation is theirs.
They are wrong.
Salvation is Yours and Yours alone.
Through Jesus Christ You have saved me thus may Your blessings sustain me now and forevermore.
Through Jesus Christ my Lord I pray,
Amen.

Praying the Psalms ~ Psalm 2

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

I see so many people today aligning themselves with politicians in an effort to gain peace through their flawed agendas. I see leaders trying to lead but without God as their moral guide. Governments try to silence the voice of the Church. All of this and I imagine God with a smirk on His face, like I father who is fending off a four-year-old as they wrestle with him. We must remember, God is in control so therefore do not fear.

READ: Psalm 2 and then let us pray…

There is no question, oh God, that You are sovereign over all creation.
You are the Creator.
You are in control.
You are Lord of all
Yet, the nations rage, plot and scheme. They think that they are in control.
How silly that is.
They try to break free from Your rule; to cast the Church away; to be a moral lighthouse and the truth makers and keepers. Oh God, I roll my eyes with You and laugh. No one and no entity can set themselves up over You.
Why can’t they see that?
Oh Lord, my God, may Your glory be revealed among the nations.
As for me, oh Lord, sustain me as the nations rage, plot and scheme.
Place me firm upon the Rock of Jesus.
May I not be broken with those who turn away from You.
It’s You, oh God that I serve.
Help me
Keep me
Preserve me
That I may not fall away and throw my lot in with the wicked.
In Your divine grace, protect me and hold me close for Your wrath is poured out onto sinners.
Don’t pour Your wrath out on me but in the name of Jesus have mercy on me.
Oh God, my Lord, You are my refuge.
In Jesus name I pray.
Amen.

Praying the Psalms ~ Psalm 1

/ The Pastor

READ: Psalm 1

Holy God,
To walk in Your ways is to be sustained by an ever-flowing stream;
A tree that grows and blossoms and produces fruit with no end;
One, upon whom people look, and see Your glory.
To walk in Your ways is to
Wither no more.
Pant for water no more.
Die no more.
For You are the River of Life.
And so I fall to my knees to ask, plead and beg:
May I not be lured by the counsel of the wicked.
May I not take my stance with those who oppose You.
May I not find security with those who would spit and despise You or Your Church.
May I find my joy in Your Word; meditating on it and learning it.
May I be watered by You.
May I blossom and produce fruit for You.
May I live in and with You.
Oh Lord, my God, through Jesus Christ may I be blessed.
Amen.

Not Shaken but Stirred

/ The Pastor

“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.” [Psalms 16:7‭-‬8 ESV]

Oh Lord my God,
You are holy and mighty,
Gracious and merciful,
Omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent.
Counsel me.
Instruct me in the way I should go.
Be my defender when opposition arises.
Hold me firm when forces try to topple me.
Be my guard,
Day and night.
May my heart be at peace.
May I not be shaken.
Oh Lord my God, I believe, help my unbelief.
You have shown your faithfulness.
You have defeated Your foes.
You have secured my Life.
You hold me close.
Counsel me.
Guide me.
Help me.
As Solomon asked for wisdom to lead Your people rightly, so I pray.
May the words of the psalmist be mine.
May I not be shaken but stirred to action.
To You be the glory as I live each and everyday.
Through Jesus Christ my Lord I pray,
Amen.

Beautiful Jesus

/ The Pastor

We worship God because he sent Jesus to reveal His love and grace to sinful people through his death and resurrection. As you prepare to worship on this Lord’s Day, reflect on the beauty of Jesus; the glory that shines forth revealing the Father. Don’t enter your places of worship out of a sense of duty to one another, but because of what God has done through Jesus Christ. As the psalmist says, in Psalm 27:4, “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.“

The following poem is dedicated to the beauty of Jesus…

Lord Jesus you are beautiful,
And your heart is full of mercy.
Your love is all encompassing,
Your compassion has no boundary.

Your presence gives me holy peace,
Your comfort soothes my broken heart.
I was weak, blind and oh so lost,
From you I’ll never be apart.

You shine forth the Father’s glory,
Your face glows brighter than the sun.
Your beauty takes my breath away,
And with you I am so undone.

I long to gaze upon your face,
And to bask in your loving glow.
Lord Jesus you are beautiful,
And its you that I want to know.

We Will Praise the Lord

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

“Praise the Lord ! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.” [Psalm 111:1 ESV]

I pastor a congregation who can be described as a “church in a box”. What I mean by that is each and every Sunday a trailer is backed up to the building we rent at a county park. The trailer is then unloaded so we can set up for worship. Following our 9:00 AM worship, the take-down crew gets to work as we need to vacate the building by 11:30 AM. As long as this pastor doesn’t get too long winded, we still have plenty of time for Sunday school/Coffee fellowship time. For 10 years this congregation has had that routine. I’ve been part of that routine for the past 3 years.

Now, we are investigating a former church building that is up for sale. The location is a little farther away, but the size is great, the lot is big enough for expansion and the price is in our ballpark. There are still many questions that need to be answered, but the excitement is high. What is God up too? That is the question we are trying to discern. Is this God gift-wrapping a property for us that He may be glorified or is Satan presenting a stumbling block to trip and derail this congregation? Questions, questions and more questions. God help us.

Whatever the outcome I echo the psalmist in the verse above. Praise the Lord ! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. Yes, Sundays are a challenge, especially considering this is an aging congregation. We don’t have the freedom to do certain things when we want to do them because the building is not ours (i.e. When funerals happen, we have to make phone calls to find a venue). But where ever God places us, we will worship and praise the Lord. We will praise the Lord in the company of the upright. The upright made that way through our common faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We will worship corporately as a congregation because we love the Lord and we love to be together:

– whether it is at a building in the park or in a school or in someone’s pole barn, we will praise the Lord.
– whether we have to meet in living rooms, basements or garages, we will praise the Lord.
– whether we have to share space in someone else’s fellowship hall, wander from place to place, or meet in a tent outside, we will praise the Lord.

With that said, my prayer is that we keep our eye on the ball and remember who we are and whose we are. We are not here to build our kingdom but we are here to advance THE Kingdom. I can not say that enough. If this place is being gift-wrapped by God for us, I will gladly unwrap it and give glory to God. If this is Satan putting a stumbling block in our way, then I say to him, “Go back to hell. We will worship the Lord where ever God places us.”

Praise the Lord where ever you are, for it is right to give God thanks and praise in all places and at all times. Praise the Lord, all you people – the upright, the congregation – praise the Lord.

Help Me, Oh Lord My God!

/ The Pastor

“Help me, Oh Lord my God!
Save me according to your steadfast love.” (Psalm 109:26)
Help me Oh Lord my God!
Guide me with Your Holy Spirit.
Help me, Oh Lord my God!
Teach me to know Your ways.
Help me, Oh Lord my God!
Show me the path to follow.
Help me, Oh Lord my God!
I want to glorify You with my life.
As the psalmist cried out to You for help;
knowing his shortcomings;
knowing his failings;
knowing his sin;
I cry out to You.
I cry out to You for help that I may not be crushed by my sin.
Save me according to Your steadfast love,
For my faith is in Jesus.
I am weak.
I fall short.
I often turn from You.
If salvation were up to me, I would certainly be damned.
Please do not turn from me.
Please do not give to me as I deserve.
May Your grace shower me and drench me.
May I be caught up in Your river of Life;
sweeping me away in a torrent of Love.
“Help me, Oh Lord my God!
Save me according to your steadfast love.”

Help

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

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.
[Psalms 121:1‭-‬2 ESV]

We have family staying with us this weekend and because of that, my 4-year-old son has been displaced from his room and is sleeping in our room. He usually ends up with us in our bed each night but is not accustomed to starting in our room.

Anyway, an hour or so after he went down, my wife hears something upstairs – it’s our son, whimpering at the top of the stairs. She scopes him up and brings him back to our room. After a little while she returns downstairs saying that he wants daddy. I rush up there and he’s crying. I ask him if he’s scared and with a crying whimper he says, “Ye-e-s”. I laid down next to him and held him close. Within minutes he was out. All he needed was to know daddy was near.

“From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord , who made heaven and earth.” Isn’t it nice to know that your heavenly Father is always there for you? You are never alone in the darkness. You are never alone in your fears. You are never alone in trials. You are never alone in tribulation. Cry out to Him and know your heavenly Father is there.

From where does your help come?