Journal for Christ

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Humble yourself (part two)

I apologize that several days have past since I visited my blog-site. I have tried to study a little on this psalm as well as get some much needed rest before I go to work. The graveyard shift is unmerciful in disturbing the normal pattern of sleep in a human. I have been working this shift for over 3 years now, but my body has not adapted well to the change still. This is my final diversion from psalms. I returned to psalm 23 two days later. Seems I skipped a day again. Probably time and tiredness again. Pray that I sleep better. Thanks!

September 2, 2015

Worship:

Lord, You are my praise, You are my song

And the path that leads me from all wrong

You are the light that shows me the way

You are my strength from day to day

Lord, You are my joy, You are my life

And the way that leads me from all strife

You are the truth that shows me the way

You are my peace from day to day

Witness:

Every day I chide myself on the lack of time I have. The sense of rush. Perhaps if I were faster on the keyboard, it might be a little different. But the Lord has seemed to say: “Slow down, there is no rush. We will get through this. You have all time in the world, till I call you home. So relax, I’ve got your life under my control”. Thank you Lord.

Tonight after I prayed, which is how I start each night before I sit down to worship and study, I began to sing some songs that just seemed to come to my mind one after the other. The first was the chorus to It is Well With My Soul and the second was The Joy of the Lord is My Strength. I then proceeded to the freezer to get some ice cream, because ice cream really enhances your worship experience don’t you know J. As I was heading there a song seemed to form in my mind and I began to sing. I immediately headed to my computer (after I got my ice cream!) and started to type the words down. I had the first three lines sung when I began to type. The rest came after some thought and trial and error. The words to this short song are above. Perhaps I’ll add some later.

Word:

1 Peter 5:5-7

5 Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

"God opposes the proud

but gives grace to the humble."

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

NIV

1The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

2He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

3he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths

for his name’s sake.

4Even though I walk

through the darkest valley,^a

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

5You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

6Surely your goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

forever.

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
A Psalm of David.
KJV

The antidote to suffering shepherds and scattering flocks is humility. Humility towards each other because, in spite of a difference in rank (younger, submit to older), in the end we are all equal in Christ (Gal. 3:28). However, there is one greater than all and to Him you humble yourself under. When we do this several things take place. We put ourselves in a place to be lifted up and a place to cast off. Instead of self exaltation above those who watch over you, or exaltation by those under your care; you will receive it from God Himself. Instead of carrying your burdens out of pride, you with humility cast them off on the One who truly cares for you.

Hebrews 13:17 says:

17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

NIV

So how does submission look in God’s flock? The shepherds humble themselves before their Chief Shepherd and follow His example. They humble themselves before God’s sheep and serve them, not lording over them, but setting an example for them. The sheep humble themselves before God by submitting to the leading and guidance of His under-shepherd so that they work with joy and it does not become burdensome.

Now we move on.

Friday, February 12, 2016

Humble yourself (part one)

As you can see, I like music. I like to sing. I am blessed by songs, new and old, that witness to the truths found in scripture. No, I don't think they are "inspired" like scripture is, and therefore inerrant. However, I do believe they can be "inspiring". Perhaps you don't feel the same as I do. You want to skip to the WORD (you may be the person behind me talking when I am singing ;) ). Feel free to do so, yet you may miss something along the way that may prepare you to receive the WORD. I do not, however, want you to ignore my blog just because I put a lot of songs and personal thoughts on it, before I finish my blog with a word on the WORD. I do ask your continued prayer, for reconciliation. That is, that my wife would be reconciled to God, me and our family. I also ask you to share your prayer requests with me. Thanks! May God's blessings be on you today and every day.

September 1, 2015:

Worship: Psalm 23 as sung by Keith Green; Psalm 23 as sung by Don Moen; Drops in the Ocean by Hawk Nelson

https://youtu.be/IMUQEI0CLQM

The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want
He makes me lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside the still waters
He restoreth my soul
And guides my path in righteousness
For His name's sake

Surely goodness and loving kindness
Shall follow me all the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever and ever and ever

Though I walk through the valley
Of the shadow of death
I will not fear, Thou art with me
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me
Thou preparest a table
Before me in the presence of my enemies

Thou anointest my head with oil
My cup's overflowing

Surely goodness and loving kindness
Shall follow me all the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever and ever and ever

https://youtu.be/Cf9HfTUANxs

Jesus my shepherd and only provider
He makes me lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside the still water
He restores my soul

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me
All the days of my life
And I will dwell in His house forever
Until the end of time

Jesus, my Shepherd and only provider
You make me lie down in green pastures
You lead me beside the still water
You restore my soul

Though I walk through the valley of shadows
I will not be afraid
Your rod and staff are my only comfort
And You'll be with me always

You prepare a table before me
In the presence of my enemies
And You anoint my head with oil
And my cup overflows
My cup overflows with Your love
With Your love

Jesus my shepherd and only provider
You make me lie down in green pastures
You lead me beside the still water
You restore my soul

A-Z Lyrics DON MOEN Lyrics

Drops in The Ocean

Lyrics:
I want you as you are, not as you ought to be
Won't you lay down your guard and come to me
The shame that grips you now is crippling
It breaks my heart to see you suffering

Cause I am for you
I'm not against you

If you wanna know
How far my love can go
Just how deep, just how wide
If you wanna see
How much you mean to me
Look at my hands, look at my side
If you could count the times I'd say you are forgiven
It's more than the drops in the ocean

Don't think you need to settle for a substitute
When I'm the only love that changes you

And I am for you
I'm not against you
I am for you
I'm not against you

If you wanna know
How far my love can go
Just how deep, just how wide
If you wanna see
How much you mean to me
Look at my hands, look at my side
If you could count the times I'd say you are forgiven
It's more than the drops in the ocean

Open your heart
It's time that we start again
Open your heart
It's time that we start again

If you wanna know
How far my love can go
Just how deep, just how wide
If you wanna see
How much you mean to me
Look at my hands, look at my side
If you could count the times I'd say you are forgiven
It's more than the drops in the ocean
The drops in the ocean

I am for you
I'm not against you
I am for you
I'm not against you

Witness: Today I did not get the sleep I needed again. Went out and bought my sleep supplement again today so I hope it will improve again. It’s a natural sleep Supplement as opposed to the OTC sleep & and prescription meds. Going more natural in my supplements as I get older and moving away from drug related meds. As I look back and read my daily personal notations I see a common theme. Frustration over time and today is no different with a sluggish computer and struggling to find worship songs and trying to keep it fresh. The first song that came to mind was Drops in the Ocean by Hawk Nelson, but this a song of witness and not so much worship. However, I decided to include it anyway. Perhaps someone reading these words needs to hear the Good News and commit their life to Christ today! It struck me the providential timing of this. I follow a pattern each day in my Journal: Worship, Personal, and Word. Always looking for the alliterative (sorry all you alliteration hatersJ) I had struggled when I came up with my simple pattern. Today for some reason the word witness came to mind. I felt that this was appropriate because I often witness to a work that God has done in my life or about something He taught me. It is providential that I include a song of witness on the day I change this section from Personal to Witness.

I will speak of two more things, then onto the word with time fleeting away. I have a prayer list I created as a spread sheet. It’s a simple one. The first side has the requests and the second a space for answers. Yesterday I was praying before going to sleep, which is when I pray this list. I have a section on it for my mom and my brothers and sister. I never had prayed for divine protection over them before, but it came to mind that day. The very next day one of my nieces was shot at while a passenger in a car. The bullet struck the metal frame that holds the windshield deflecting the bullet and protecting my niece. Thank You Lord for this answer to my prayer or should I say Your divinely led prayer. Secondly, as I was writing this, a song by Jason Upton was playing on YouTube. I had put it on because he had a version of Psalm of Psalm 23. After this rather long version, more songs came on. The words of one song, captured my attention:

I want to know Your voice, O Father

I want to hear it coming

I want to be the first around the corner

Take Your hand and walk with You

That is what I want more than anything as I study His Word and as I live daily for Him—to hear His voice and run to Him and walk with Him. Here are the full lyrics to the song.

I want to know Your heart as a child knows his Father's

I want to know Your voice as a little boy knows his Father's

Hear You at a distance

When the world can't make it out

I can hear You calling in Your voice, O Father

Your voice, O Father, a still small voice

I want to hear Your voice, O Father

Even when it seems at a distance

When people think I'm crazy for thinking I can hear

I want to know Your voice, O Father

I want to hear it coming

I want to be the first around the corner

Take Your hand and walk with You

To the chair that You have

Sit down on Your lap and hold on"

WORD:

1The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

2He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

3he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths

for his name’s sake.

4Even though I walk

through the darkest valley,^a

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

5You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

6Surely your goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

forever.

As I said, time is fleeting. Just one more thought or two before I move on to the next phrase in verse one. Yesterday I spoke about the undershepherds; today I want to address the sheep under their care. The problems that the shepherd or pastor faces today may have different faces to them but the root attitudes and causes are still the same. A pastor today may have to deal with men addicted to internet porn, but the problem of lust itself was something the pastor of the first century had to deal with as well. Roast pastor has been served at the dinner meal in every century. Certainly there are pastors that need to held accountable for a public sin, they have committed, but usually it is the nitpicky and unimportant that causes splits and fights in churches and the dismissal and depression of many of God’s shepherds. In the verse that follows the verses I wrote about yesterday in 1 Peter it says this:

1 Peter 5:5-7

5 Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

"God opposes the proud

but gives grace to the humble."

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

NIV

There is more I want to say, but time has run out and I have to head to work. I will begin here tomorrow. Be thinking about these verses for tomorrow!

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Surrender and the servants of God

Some days it seems like you are struggling to hear from God. You are wondering what He has been trying to teach you. The day I entered this in my journal was one of those days. I finally heard Him say "surrender" in a song I came upon online. I used the word "stumbled", but we know that no one ever stumbles onto something when God is leading. This illustrates the truth of this psalm - "He leads me...". Again God emphasized the point today as I write this. The song "Rooftops" was playing and the song "All I need is You" has followed bearing testimony to the truth of surrender, as well as to the words of Scripture - "The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing"

So I shout out Your name, from the rooftops I proclaim
That I am Yours, I am Yours
All that I am, I place into Your loving hands
And I am Yours, I am Yours

-from the song Rooftops by Jesus Culture

One more day and it's not the same
Your spirit calls my heart to sing
Drawn to the voice of my Savior once again
Where would my soul be without your Son
Gave His life to save the Earth
Rest in the thought that You're watching over me
CHORUS:
///All I need is You
All I need is You Lord, is You Lord///
All I need is You
All I need is You Lord, is You

- from the song All I Need is You by Jesus Culture

August 31, 2015

Worship: Set a Fire Down in My Soul by Jesus Culture; I Surrender All as sung by Brian Lutrell

"Set A Fire"

Set a fire down in my soul
That I can't contain
That I can't control
I want more of you God
I want more of you God

https://youtu.be/5pwbDo1ef9M

. "I Surrender All"

All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence daily live

I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee, my blessed Savior
I surrender all

All to Jesus I surrender
Humbly at His feet I bow
Worldly pleasures all forsaken
Take me, Jesus, take me now

I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee, my blessed Savior
I surrender all

Lord, I give to You all I ever have
And everything I was and everything I am
Now I lay it down, I lay it at Your feet
To Your grace, to Your power I surrender all

Lord, I give myself to thee
Fill me with Thy love and power
Let Thy blessings fall on me

I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee, my blessed Savior
I surrender all

Copied from: A-Z Lyrics

https://youtu.be/3VM-wNHsJMc

Personal: Worship came hard today with much distraction from outside. From Dog to phone messages. However, it was not only from outside but from inside also. I could not discern what I was supposed to sing. Several songs came to my mind, but as I researched I found I had sung them recently and of course I couldn’t sing them again, after all that just “wouldn’t be right”. But God has a way of emphasizing a need in my life. So I stumbled on the song Set a Fire, by Jesus Culture. It is a simple almost annoyingly redundant song. However, as I kept singing I realized God was trying to tell me something. As I have had time to think about it I believe He was showing me that as I surrender to Him, empty myself as it were, the more He fills me with Himself. The second song listed is the song I have sung before. It is a difficult song to sing without feeling slightly disingenuous. It is written as if surrender is only to be seen in an aorist tense and not an imperfect tense action. I am not speaking of English grammar here, but Greek grammar. Those who know Greek will know what I am referring to. The aorist tense may refer to an action that only occurs one time, as if one surrenders once with no reference to progress. One could almost throw in the perfect as well. An action that was completed in the past with completed results that continues in the present. However, we all know that if we looked at it this way it would cause us to feel guilty, and for many that’s just what it does, so their progress is stunted by false guilt because they misunderstand that, like the imperfect in Greek, it is progressive. Furthermore, progress always comes with regress. It never moves in a straight line though as we mature in the Lord the line gets straighter and straighter. Perhaps we should also see surrender as in the Greek present tense as well, that of continuous action, daily, habitual action. Daily we surrender, sometimes, many times, more than once in a day. It should be seen not only as a daily habit, but a daily head set and heart set. That is, an attitude set on surrendering to God every day.

I have taken some time to gather my thoughts on this and left little time to actually get into the word. May I take to heart what I have said and not just put words down on virtual paper, that like virtual paper, are devoid of substance in my life.

WORD:

1The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

2He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

3he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths

for his name’s sake.

4Even though I walk

through the darkest valley,^a

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

5You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

6Surely your goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

forever.

Yesterday we spoke of David’s confident confession. We ended speaking of Jesus as our Good Shepherd who lays down His life for us; He knows us, and that as sheep of His pasture we follow Him.

However, He is not only the Shepherd of sheep (i.e. His followers in general), but also the Shepherd of shepherds (specifically the pastors, elders or bishops), those designated to feed & lead God’s flock. In 1 Peter, Christ is called the “Chief Shepherd”. As God’s undershepherds, they are exhorted and instructed in 1 Peter 5:1-4:

1To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2 Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers — not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

NIV

Here the shepherds of God’s flock must remember three things:

First, that God still considers them as sheep of His pasture, so they need to pay attention to their needs as God’s sheep. Never too busy feeding the Sheep as Christ’s undershepherd and neglecting to be led, fed, and make their bed in God’s green pastures. If they neglect to do this, they will certainly go “through the valley of the shadow of death”, but never come out. Moreover, how many will follow him to their own demise?

Second, he must remember that members of his congregation are not really his congregation. They are “shepherds of God’s flock”. This is a fact that no pastor would ever disagree with, but being human, they may find it easy to give this lip service, but hard to give it heart service. Therefore, Peter exhorts his fellow shepherds to serve God’s flock:

“not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you”.

Therefore, the shepherd who has been given the privilege of pasturing God’s flock must never do it out of obligation, nor out of obsession for earthly goods, nor by being overbearing.

Finally, the shepherd of God’s flock must lead by example, not “lording it over those entrusted” to them, “but being examples to the flock”. The best way to be a leader is to be a follower of their Great Shepherd, whose provision and actions are seen in this psalm. Most pastors have pored over the pastoral epistles in order to learn how to serve as leaders of God’s flock, but how many have added psalm 23 to their study of what it means to be a shepherd of His flock?

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

David's confident confessions

Nowadays when one uses the word "confession'", he or she is talking about something negative as the confessing to a crime or sin or a passion for eating something not good for the body. In this study that is not how I am using the word. I am using it in the secondary sense of making a formal declaration of one's beliefs or doctrine. At bottom the word means to acknowledge something. In today's world to make such a confession as David did or a Christian's confession that Jesus Christ is Lord, may make one guilty in some areas of the world. The question we must always ask ourselves is this: if it became against the law to make such confessions, would we still boldly and confidently make them?
And in a society where such statements are frowned upon and vehemently denied, do we compromise our beliefs to conform to society or do we boldly proclaim by deed and word our trust in the Lord?

When did it become breaking a rule
To say Your name out loud in school
When Your name is the only one that sets us free
When did it become incorrect
To speak the truth about life and death
When Your life gave us all eternity

Even if it gets me convicted
I’ll be on my knees with my hands lifted

If serving You is against the law of man
If living out my faith in You was banned
Then I’ll stand right before the jury
If saying ‘I believe’ is out of line
If I’m judged ‘cause I’m gonna give my life
To show the world the love that fills me
Then I want to be guilty

I’ll rise up and honor You
I’ll testify to the good You do
‘Cause your grace and Your mercy have overtaken me

Guilty by association
Guilty of being a voice proclaiming
Your ways
Your truth
Your life
I’ll pay the price to be Your light

I want to be guilty

Lyrics to a song by the Newsboys

August 30,2015

Worship: Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me) by Casting Crowns—an adaption of the hymn written by John Wilbur Chapman (1859-1918)Music:Charles Howard Marsh (1886-1956); Perfect Day by Josh Bates

One day when Heaven was filled with His praises
One day when sin was as black as could be
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin
Dwelt among men, my example is He
Word became flesh and the light shined among us
His glory revealed

Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He's coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day

One day they led Him up Calvary's mountain
One day they nailed Him to die on a tree
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He
Hands that healed nations, stretched out on a tree
And took the nails for me

'Cause Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He's coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer
One day the stone rolled away from the door
Then He arose, over death He had conquered
Now He's ascended, my Lord evermore
Death could not hold Him, the grave could not keep Him
From rising again
Rising again

Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He's coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day

One day the trumpet will sound for His coming (For Your coming)
One day the skies with His glories will shine (Glories will shine)
Wonderful day, my Beloved One, bringing
My Savior, Jesus, is mine

Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He's coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day
Oh, glorious day

Oh, glorious day

https://youtu.be/VXp6xcY5IqU

Personal: Below is the note I wrote quickly the other day just before I left for work on Friday night:

Note for personal tomorrow. When I got up from my rest the Song, Psalm 23: A Thankful Heart was playing. I rejoiced in the Lord. As I dressed for work, I couldn’t stop from thanking God for this experience and blessing. Chill bumps broke out and I wanted to dance before the Lord (actually I did). But He wasn’t through yet. When I came out, guess what song was playing? A song titled Thank you Lord!

https://youtu.be/XkV2SDAEpmg

Well, I thought I might have some time Saturday, but I was very tired having slept very little that day because I helped a brother move some stuff to his new house. Now I am here Sunday (actually it has dawned into Monday) and I am tired again. It’s my middle name lately. This persistent cold doesn’t help either. Just a few thoughts for today, then I am going to bed.

WORD:

1The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

2He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

3he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths

for his name’s sake.

4Even though I walk

through the darkest valley,^a

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

5You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

6Surely your goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

forever.

As noted in a previous day this is a very familiar psalm. Of this it has been described as that psalm which is:

“[K]nown and loved of all generations to this day, and perhaps the best known of any portion of Scripture. It is the most precious jewel in that treasure house of devotion, and worship, and praise we call the Psalms. Committed to memory in childhood's early years, it has been to multitudes the comfort of life's closing years. It has dried many a tear and dissipated many fears. It forms the mold into which the faith of countless saints has been poured.”

The first verse is brief but packed with meaning. Stored up in it is a treasure trove of blessing and provision for us, His sheep. David shares some of those treasures in this short psalm, but one has to the plumb the depths of scripture to find them all and some might say that even then we may not know all till we arrive in glory!

Here we are introduced to a name of God hitherto not revealed in scripture-- Jehovah-Rohi. Genesis 48:15 intimates the concept in the blessing of Joseph by Israel.

The NIV says:

Then he blessed Joseph and said, "May the God before whom my fathers

Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd

all my life to this day,”

The KJV Says:

And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,”

The words used there are “haa-’Elohiym haaro‘eh’(the word order has been reversed so you can see the difference better) in Psalm 23 the words are “Yahweh ro‘iy”.

Keil & Delitzsch translate it this way:

"The God (Ha-Elohim) before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God (Ha-Elohim) who hath fed me (led and provided for me with a shepherd's faithfulness, Ps 23:1; 28:9)

So, while the concept may have been expressed somewhat in the past the actual name whether formally or informally is introduced in Psalm 23.

Nathan Stone says, in his classic book on the names of God, concerning this name:

“The name Jehovah-Rohi means Jehovah my Shepherd. It is that most precious designation of Jehovah which begins the Twenty-third Psalm, where it is translated, "The Lord is my shepherd." Perhaps it is not so specifically a name of Jehovah as the other names which have been studied, but no designation of Jehovah has brought more comfort to the heart or sounded sweeter to the ears of the saints of both Old and New Testaments, ancient and modern, than this beautiful expression.”

Notice David’s confident confession here.

First, it is a confident confession that distinguishes:

The LORD is my Shepherd. Yahweh, not Ashe'rah, Ba’al, Che’mosh, Dagon, Mo’lech, Ne’bo nor any of the other multitude of god’s the pagans worshiped. Not a god of something, but the God of everything¹. Not a god located somewhere, but a God who was everywhere². Not a god born of a god, but the self-existing God of eternity³. This was David’s God and all who, with God’s given discernment, name Yahweh as their one and only God, who is the one and only true God⁴.

Second, it is a confident confession of declaration:

The LORD is my Shepherd. There is no doubt in his mind. There is no pleading or requesting: “LORD please be… may You be… won’t You be my Shepherd? Alright, no bursting into song now to the tune of Mr. Rogers! This is serious business here. A believer must see himself as a sheep of God’s pasture (see Psalm 95:7, 100:3; Ez. 34:31) or he will wander constantly and live in constant dread and harm.

Third, it is a confident confession of designation:

The LORD is my Shepherd. In times past God may have revealed Himself as Provider, or Protector, or Peace but here David calls Him his Pastor. This is a name David gives to the Lord. David understands what it means to be a shepherd, so it is significant that he calls Him by this designation - more on shepherds later. From the New Testament we learn that Our Lord Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep (John 10:11). He is the Good Shepherd who knows His sheep and they know Him and they know His voice and they follow Him (John 10:14, 27).

This is the confident confession of all God’s followers and we invite, declare, and exhort with confidence:

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.

Ps 100:1-3 NIV

¹Psalm 74:13-17; Psalm 135:5-6

² Psalm 139:7-10; 2 Chronicles 2:5-6

³Psalm 90:2; Psalm 93:2

⁴Psalm 18:31; Psalm 83:18

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Marvelous Grace!

You probably won't believe this, but it is true; I still have that cold to this day(see personal note below). It increases and lessens from day to day. I went to the doctor and received medicine, but that has only made it less severe. I have prayed for healing, but God has not sought fit to do that yet. So I wait and try to discern what He is trying to teach me. I haven't come to any conclusion yet and He has not sought fit to reveal the reason for it. Perhaps one reason is pride when I sing. I like to hear my voice which distracts from my worship. Instead of singing to Him I start listening to myself. I constantly fight that. I can't sing very well now with this cold. Lord break me. Yet even this is part of His marvelous grace, for when I glory in myself I miss the greater glory and satisfaction I find in Him!

August 28, 2015

Worship: The Lord is My Shepherd (old children’s VBS song), Grace Greater Than All Our Sin by Julia H. Johnston; Grace That is Greater by Building 429

Grace Greater Than Our Sin

Words: Julia H. Johnston

Music: "Moody" by Daniel B. Towner

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,

Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!

Yonder on Calvary's mount outpoured,

There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,

Threaten the soul with infinite loss;

Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,

Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.

Dark is the stain that we cannot hide.

What can we do to wash it away?

Look! There is flowing a crimson tide,

Brighter than snow you may be today.

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,

Freely bestowed on all who believe!

You that are longing to see His face,

Will you this moment His grace receive?

https://youtu.be/A-qLa_2GPcM - The Lords My Shepherd" by Ingrid DuMosch

Search me, Oh, God, and know my every thought
Discern my every way and speak into my soul
Point out to me my wrongs, convict me until
I follow down the path that leads me to Your will

Because my heart sometimes can wander
And my faith sometimes can stray
But I know that when I fix my eyes on You
That I will always remain safe in the shadow of Your

Grace, grace, God's grace
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within
Grace, grace, God's grace
Grace that is greater than all my sin

I praise You because I am fearfully made
You formed my frame in a secret place
All of my days ordained before I breathed
Written in Your book before I came to be

Because Your love I stand and wonder
You know I come to Thee
And knowing that when I fix my eyes on You
That I will always remain
Safe in the shadow of Your...

https://youtu.be/4EnPawKuchg

Personal: I am very tired. This cold is dragging me down. The precious word is not being studied as I desire to do. I won’t really get into it till Sunday. Tomorrow I am helping a brother move. I love You Lord. Be my comfort and guide… my Shepherd.

Word: I am entering into familiar pastures. This Psalm is probably one of the most well known passages in all the Bible. Believer and non-believer, fervent worshiper and vilest villain, know this Psalm. It is the text of many sermons and numerous books. Probably the most oft passage recited at funerals. While this last circumstance is a wonderful time to share this passage, it also has created a stereotype for many that this is a Psalm about death. Nothing could be more far from the truth than this. This psalm is so full of life, grace, and God’s goodness! Moreover, rest… which is what I am going to do right now.

A psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he restores my soul.He guides me in paths of righteousnessfor his name's sake. 4 Even though I walkthrough the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,for you are with me;your rod and your staff,they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before mein the presence of my enemies.You anoint my head with oil;my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and love will follow meall the days of my life,and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
NIV
Ps 23

Ps 23:1-24:1

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

A Psalm of David.
KJV

Friday, February 5, 2016

He has done it, it is finished!

I suppose I could finish Psalm 22 by commenting on the fact that in the consummation of all things, the rich and poor and despised will all sit together and we shouldn't wait until then to put that into practice. That is very true and should go without saying. However, I did not want to end on the horizontal plane, but on the vertical plane. Pointing towards our great and mighty God who accomplishes our salvation by His grace.

August 26, 2015

Worship: Every Giant Falls by Rend Collective

"Every Giant Will Fall"

I can see the Promised Land
Though there's pain within the plan
There is victory in the end
Your love is my battle cry

When my fear's like Jericho
Build their walls around my soul
When my heart is overthrown
Your love is my battle cry
The anthem for all my life

Every giant will fall, the mountains will move
Every chain of the past, You've broken in two
Over fear, over lies, we're singing the truth
That nothing is impossible with You
With You

There is hope within the fight
In the wars that rage inside
Though the shadows steal the light
Your love is my battle cry
The anthem for all my life

Every giant will fall, the mountains will move
Every chain of the past, You've broken in two
Over fear, over lies, we're singing the truth
That nothing is impossible
Every giant will fall, the mountains will move
Every chain of the past, You've broken in two
Over fear, over lies, we're singing the truth
That nothing is impossible with You
With You

No greater name, no higher name
No stronger name than Jesus
You overcame, broke every chain
Forever reign, King Jesus

No greater name, no higher name
No stronger name than Jesus
You overcame, broke every chain
Forever reign, King Jesus

Every giant will fall, the mountains will move
Every chain of the past, You've broken in two
Over fear, over lies, we're singing the truth
That nothing is impossible
Every giant will fall, the mountains will move
Every chain of the past, You've broken in two
Over fear, over lies, we're singing the truth
That nothing is impossible with You
With You

Oh nothing is impossible

https://youtu.be/qW63lCBOaVo

Personal: I decided to just continue on from yesterday. I began by prayer as usual and review of a past journal entry. I read the journal entry from August 6^th, 2015. There I had discovered a song by Isaac called “Join all the Glorious Names”. This song reminds me that if I,

“Join all the glorious names

Of wisdom, love, and power,

That ever mortals knew,

That angels ever bore:

All are too mean to speak His worth,

Too poor to set my Savior forth.”

However,

But O what gentle terms,

What condescending ways,

Doth our Redeemer use

To teach his heav’nly grace!

Mine eyes with joy and wonder see

What forms of love He bears for me.

I then sang the songs from yesterday. One wonders how these two songs of differing generations and tempo have to do with each other. Perhaps none except that we know from that ,

Fair is the sunshine, fairer still the moonlight,

And all the twinkling starry host;

Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer

Than all the angels heaven can boast.

And,

You will never run away
You're forever mine
You will never run away
You're by my side
You will never run away
You forever shine
You will never run away
You're by my side

Because,

Love wide as galaxies
Love deeper than the sea
Countless as all infinity
Love like a shooting star
Tearing apart the dark
Shining for all eternity
Shining for all eternity

I believe that’s why God put those two songs together in my spirit!

While I was beginning to share what was on my heart about the things that happened today; how my wife was hurt by the response of one our children to a post she had made on facebook and my response to her - which she totally rejected - a song came by Rend Collective that totally ministered to my heart. It is called “Every Giant Will Fall”. These words captured my attention and I had to worship to this song today:

Every giant will fall, the mountains will move
Every chain of the past, You've broken in two
Over fear, over lies, we're singing the truth
That nothing is impossible with You
With You

WORD:

Ps 22:25-23:1
25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the Lord!
May your hearts live forever!

27 All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before you.
28 For kingship belongs to the Lord,
and he rules over the nations.

29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
even the one who could not keep himself alive.
30 Posterity shall serve him;
it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
that he has done it.
ESV

Ps 22:25-23:1

25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows. 26 The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the Lord will praise him — may your hearts live forever! 27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, 28 for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.

29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him — those who cannot keep themselves alive. 30 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. 31 They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn — for he has done it.
NIV

Well I have struggled enough over these verses and it’s time to move on to the “green Pastures” of Psalm 23. Let me share a few things before I move on tomorrow.

Verse 29

I’m not the only one who struggles with verse 29. In fact the Cambridge Bible for School and College says, “A most obscure verse.” (from Bible Hub)

It goes on to say:

The first line (according to the present text) may be rendered literally,

All earth’s fat ones have eaten and worshipped.

The tense is a ‘prophetic perfect’; with the eye of faith the Psalmist sees homage already paid to Jehovah even by the haughty nobles of the earth. They abandon their proud self-sufficiency, and join in the eucharistic meal with the meek (Psalm 22:26), whom once they despised and persecuted. Then he continues

Before him bow all that were going down to the dust,

Yea he who could not keep his soul alive.

Those who were on the edge of the grave, ready to die from want and misery and trouble, come as guests and gain new life. Rich and poor, strong and weak, alike partake of the feast: for it the rich desert their wealth; in it the poor receive the compensation of their privations; and those who were ready to die find life. Cp. Isaiah 25:6-8.

This seems to be the best explanation of the text as it stands; but it is open to serious objections. The reference to the sacrificial meal is very abrupt; the sense given to ‘those that go down to the dust’ is questionable; and the last line drags heavily at the end of the verse.

It goes on to suggest that that the text has been corrupted:

But the text is not improbably corrupt. An easy emendation, adopted by several critics, simplifies the first line thus:

Surely him shall all earth’s fat ones worship,

and the second line repeats the thought,

Before him shall bow all they that must go down to the dust.

Earth’s mightiest are but mortals and must yield their homage to the King of kings. Then the last line should be joined to the next verse thus:

And as for him that could not keep his soul alive,

His seed shall serve Him.

The Psalmist and those who like him were at the point of death will leave a posterity behind them to serve Jehovah. The reading indicated by the LXX, But my soul liveth unto him, my seed shall serve him, suits the context less well. Bible Hub,

I do not believe one has to go that far in order to see this in the text.

Barnes says something similar in seeing three types of people here:

All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.

All they that be fat upon the earth - The general meaning of this verse is, that "all classes of persons" will come and worship the true God; not the poor and needy only, the afflicted, and the oppressed, but the rich and the prosperous. There are three classes mentioned as representing all:

(1) the rich and prosperous;

(2) they who bow down to the dust, or the crushed and the oppressed;

(3) those who are approaching the grave, and have no power to keep themselves alive.

The first class comprises those who are mentioned here as being fat. This image is often used to denote prosperity: Judges 3:29; Job 15:27; Psalm 17:10; Psalm 73:4 (Hebrew); Deuteronomy 31:20;Deuteronomy 32:15. The meaning is, that the rich, the great, the prosperous would be among the multitudes who would be converted to the living God.

Shall eat and worship - This expression is derived from the custom of offering sacrifices, and of feasting upon portions of the animal that was slain. In accordance with this, the blessings of salvation are often represented as a "feast" to which all are invited. See the notes at Isaiah 25:6. Compare Luke 14:16.

All they that go down to the dust - All those descending to the dust. Those who are bowed down to the dust; who are crushed, broken, and oppressed; the poor, the sad, the sorrowful. Salvation is for them, as well as for the rich and the great.

Shall bow before him - Shall worship before the true God.

And none can keep alive his own soul - Or rather, and he who cannot keep his soul (that is, himself) alive. So the Hebrew properly means, and this accords better with the connection. The class here represented is composed of those who are ready to perish, who are about to die - the aged - the infirm - the sick - the dying. These, thus helpless, feeble, and sad, shall also become interested in the great plan of salvation, and shall turn unto the Lord. These classes would represent all the dwellers on the earth; and the affirmation is equivalent to a statement that men of all classes would be converted, and would partake of the blessings of salvation. (http://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/psalms/22.htm)

This agrees with the first interpretation in the Cambridge commentary. Perhaps the commentator is reacting too subjectively to the text when suggesting the text was corrupted. Calvin says of this verse:

29. All the fat ones of the earth shall eat and worship. Lest it should be thought inconsistent that now the fat ones of the earth are admitted as guests to this banquet, which David seemed immediately before to have appointed only for the poor, let us remember that the first place was given to the poor, because to them principally comfort was set forth in the example of David. Yet it was necessary, in the second place, that the rich and the prosperous should be called to the feast, that they might not think themselves excluded from the participation of the same grace. They are not, it is true, urged, by the pressure of present calamities, to seek comfort for grief, but they have need of a remedy to prevent them from intoxicating themselves with their delights, and to excite them rather to lay up their joy in heaven. Again, since they also are subject to a variety of troubles, their abundance will be a curse to them, provided it keep their minds down to the earth. The amount of the Psalmist's statement is, that this sacrifice will be common as well to those who are sound, lusty, and in opulent circumstances, as to those who are lean, poor, and half dead from the want of food; that the former, laying aside their pride, may humble themselves before God, and that the latter, though they may be brought low, may lift up their minds by spiritual joy to God, the author of all good things, as James (James 1:9, 10) admonishes both classes, in these words, "Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted; but the rich in that he is made low." Now, if God, under the law, joined the full with the hungry, the noble with the mean, the happy with the wretched, much more ought this to take place at the present day under the gospel. When, therefore, the rich hear that food is offered to them elsewhere than in earthly abundance, let them learn to use the outward good things which God has bestowed upon them for the purposes of the present life, with such sobriety as that they may not be disgusted with spiritual food, or turn away from it, through loathing. So long as they wallow in their own filth, they will never long for this food with a holy desire; and although they may have it at hand, they will never take pleasure in tasting it. [525] Farther, as those who are fat must become lean, in order that they may present themselves to God to be fed and nourished, so David endeavors to inspire the famished with assured and undaunted confidence, lest their poverty should hinder them from coming to the banquet. Yea, he invites even the dead to come to the feast, in order that the most despised, and those who, in the estimation of the world, are almost like putrefying carcases, may be encouraged and emboldened to present themselves at the holy table of the Lord. The change which the Psalmist makes in the number, from the plural to the singular, in the end of the verse, somewhat obscures the sense; but the meaning undoubtedly is, that those who seem already to be reduced to dust, and whose restoration from death to life is, as it were, despaired of, shall be partakers of the same grace with him.

So you see the various interpretations, each having its merits and demerits. The verses following (vs 30-31) envision the passing on of God’s gracious acts down through the ages. God will always have a people and a witness. Even in the millennium, when Christ rules on earth, the testimony of God’s grace will be passed on to the next generation!

I conclude with the words of Spurgeon:

"They shall come." Sovereign grace shall bring out from among men the bloodbought ones. Nothing shall thwart the divine purpose. The chosen shall come to life, to faith, to pardon, to heaven. In this the dying Saviour finds a sacred satisfaction. Toiling servant of God, be glad at the thought that the eternal purpose of God shall suffer neither let nor hindrance. "And shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born." None of the people who shall be brought to God by the irresistible attractions of the cross shall be dumb, they shall be able to tell forth the righteousness of the Lord, so that future generations shall know the truth. Fathers shall teach their sons, who shall hand it down to their children; the burden of the story always being "that he hath done this," or, that "It is finished." Salvation's glorious work is done, there is peace on earth, and glory in the highest. "It is finished," these were the expiring words of the Lord Jesus, as they are the last words of this Psalm. May we by living faith be enabled to see our salvation finished by the death of Jesus! (http://biblehub.com/commentaries/tod/psalms/22.htm)

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Humble yourself (part two)

Friday, February 12, 2016

Humble yourself (part one)

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Surrender and the servants of God

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

David's confident confessions

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Marvelous Grace!

Friday, February 5, 2016

He has done it, it is finished!

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