Thoughts From Psalms - Day 6

Psalm 136

¹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
² Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
³ Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.

⁴ to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
⁵ who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
⁶ who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
⁷ who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
⁸ the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
⁹ the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.

¹⁰ to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures forever.
¹¹ and brought Israel out from among them
His love endures forever.
¹² with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
His love endures forever.

¹³ to him who divided the Red Sea asunder
His love endures forever.
¹⁴ and brought Israel through the midst of it,
His love endures forever.
¹⁵ but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
His love endures forever.

¹⁶ to him who led his people through the wilderness;
His love endures forever.

¹⁷ to him who struck down great kings,
His love endures forever.
¹⁸ and killed mighty kings—
His love endures forever.
¹⁹ Sihon king of the Amorites
His love endures forever.
²⁰ and Og king of Bashan—
His love endures forever.
²¹ and gave their land as an inheritance,
His love endures forever.
²² an inheritance to his servant Israel.
His love endures forever.

²³ He remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.
²⁴ and freed us from our enemies.
His love endures forever.
²⁵ He gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.

²⁶ Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever

or...

Psalm 136

¹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
² Give thanks to the God of gods.
³ Give thanks to the Lord of lords:

⁴ to him who alone does great wonders,
⁵ who by his understanding made the heavens,
⁶ who spread out the earth upon the waters,
⁷ who made the great lights—
⁸ the sun to govern the day,
⁹ the moon and stars to govern the night;

¹⁰ to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
¹¹ and brought Israel out from among them
¹² with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;

¹³ to him who divided the Red Sea asunder
¹⁴ and brought Israel through the midst of it,
¹⁵ but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;

¹⁶ to him who led his people through the wilderness;

¹⁷ to him who struck down great kings,
¹⁸ and killed mighty kings—
¹⁹ Sihon king of the Amorites
²⁰ and Og king of Bashan—
²¹ and gave their land as an inheritance,
²² an inheritance to his servant Israel.

²³ He remembered us in our low estate
²⁴ and freed us from our enemies.
²⁵ He gives food to every creature.

²⁶ Give thanks to the God of heaven.

        His love endures forever

     As I look at this Psalm, some observations immediately jump out at me without digging deeply into it. First of all, I see the importance of not just head knowledge but heart knowledge. To know all about God is one thing but to let it sink into your heart, personalize it, meditate on it and then let it move you to praise and adoration is another. You can see the difference in several types of people. A lot of "religious" people know all about God but have no joy. They come to church in silence, watch other people speak and worship, and return next week and do the same. The magnitude of how God has found them in their low estate and paid their debt and brought them to life has never really sunk in causing a thankful and grateful heart. Another place we see this is probably us as kids. I, personally, was drug to church, VBS, Bible Clubs, Sunday School, made to memorize verses, and like the 12 year old Jesus in the temple astounding teachers with his knowledge - well, I wasn't there but you get the drift. It still took a "touch" by the Holy Spirit to turn this head knowledge into heart knowledge where I finally realized that I wasn't a good person and realized how much God loved me and paid for me, which led me to love for Him and worshipping Him with a thankful and grateful heart.

       The next thing I see is that praise, worship, adoration isn't a one time thing as illustrated in my second rendering of the passage, but is a minute by minute reflection of God's goodness to us and a life lived in constant thankfulness to Him. As Paul says in Thessalonians, "Pray without Ceasing. Rejoice evermore." , that is the picture here or "In everything give thanks for this is the will of God concerning you." My kids once said to my wife in a bit of a disparaging way, "You see Jesus in everything" and yet, I believe this is what the Psalmist is getting at.

       Next I see the layout of this Psalm as a corporate responsive reading or maybe a chant where the leader sings the verse and the congregation sings the chorus, sort of a "Tastes great" "Less filling" back and forth. At any rate, it says that praising God is good and acceptable and expected and necessary when you are alone, but it is also meant to be done with other believers. If you think about any great spiritual advance or milestone moment in your life, was it while you were alone or was it in the midst of other believers? Chances are it was at a retreat, a camp, a mission trip, a service - you see God moves us in the presence of other people worshipping Him.

        Lastly, this is the Psalm you use when someone says, "This new Praise and worship music just repeats the chorus over and over. Give me the hymns!" I would say, "Psalm 136. Take it up with David! (or whoever).

Thoughts from Psalms- Day 5

Psalm 19

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,  their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.5  It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.6 It rises at one end of the heavens  and makes its circuit to the other;  nothing is deprived of its warmth.7 The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,  making wise the simple.8 The precepts of the Lord are right,  giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.9 The fear of the Lord is pure,  enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.10 They are more precious than gold,  than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey,  than honey from the honeycomb.11 By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.12 But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

       Anyone who looks at creation and says there is no God is deceiving themselves. Just to look at the sun, a fireball 93 million miles away that keeps us from freezing to death, causing plants to grow so we don't starve, and faithfully rises in the East and sets in the west on such a predictable schedule that it is recorded before it happens. Not to mention that, but if it was any closer we would burn up and any further, we would freeze. If the color was any redder or bluer, photosynthesis would be impossible. God arranged everything just right so that man could exist and live to glorify God. And then the stars are so vast that you can come to two conclusion. One, there must be other life out there and we have spent billions of dollars looking for that life and made countless movies and TV series about it, yet we have found none. Or, second, they are put there to show to man how awesome God is - to remind us and to tell us how big He is and how small we are. Romans 1 says everyone knows about God from creation but they either suppress the knowledge so they don't have to bow the knee to Him, or make themselves manageable "gods" to worship that actually are lesser in power than us or inanimate so they don't require anything of us.

      So this is where creation leaves us with the conclusion that there is a God who is eternal, immaterial, uncreated, outside of time and space that is so powerful that He could create this universe we live in. We owe our very existence on a daily basis to Him. But this isn't enough. This is general knowledge leading us to God, but God introduced something to give us specific knowledge of Him and it is called the Word or the Bible. Look at verse 7. It says" the Law of the Lord is perfect refreshing the soul". If you look at the Hebrew it is basically saying, there is a perfect way to live and you have not followed it. However, if you look into the Word you will find a way for your dead spirit to come alive. And the verse 8 and 9 say if you revere and worship this God and follow His laws, your life will be joyful, radiant, your paths and direction for life will be clear and you will be living the life that the creator had planned for you. Don't you think that the One who created mankind would know how man is meant to function. It's like the fishing pole I used at the beach this week. The reels were not meant for sand or salt water so you had to be careful not to set it down on the beach and get sand in it, and wash it out real good with a hose when you were done. We were meant to live worshipping God and obeying His commands not to restrict us or because He is a megalomaniac, but because this is the right way to live that gives the optimal blessed life.

    So, all we need to do is live a perfect life and do everything He commands and we will live a blessed life pleasing to Him. The problem is we can't. David says in verses 12 and 13 that not only do we do willful sins but we do unknown and unintentional sins and the perfect, right, righteous law only serves to condemn us. The good news is found in verse 14 where David foretells of a redeemer who is Jesus. He perfectly obeyed the law, took our condemnation on Him on the cross, rose from the dead and gave us the Holy Spirit to be born again into His image. It's like this; you can bark and eat dog food but that doesn't make you a dog no matter how intently you do it. However, if you are a dog, you will bark and eat dog food because it is in your nature. You will do it to your heart's delight. The same is true in our life - when we have the Holy Spirit, obedience comes easily and naturally and joyfully. The Laws will become sweet like honey not a burden to carry.

        This is the essence of Psalm 19. If you want to learn more about the first 6 verses, watch this video.

Thoughts from Luke - Day 107

45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised;but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them.51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

        As I finish Luke today, 107 blogs later, I am constantly amazed at how God, through the Holy Spirit inside of me, speaks through His word everytime. I have instructed people in classes I've taught before,  that a great way to do quiet times is to get out a journal (I blog because I can't read my writing), sit down with the open Word, and pray"God speak to me through your word. I'm not getting up from this chair until you do." I totally believe that God wants to and will answer that request and that He is pleased with it. These 107 blogs are proof of that prayer being answered as many times I read a passage and have nothing and I ponder on it and a thought comes to mind and I start writing about it.

       How does all that relate to the passage? The first verse, "then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures", shows exactly what I am talking about.  God has given us the Holy Spirit,  who was the gift from the Father that they were to wait for in Jerusalem, who opens our minds to understand the Scriptures. And these thoughts are different for every one who reads them and different for you at a later date depending on what God thinks you need at the time. When you read this account in Luke and Acts, it is very different- not contradictory,  just different. You might say,"well, it was a different author's perspective", until you realize, "wait, it is the same author, Luke, that wrote both books." So why are they so different?  I think it goes along with what I was saying that different facets of God's Word will be important to you on different days just like certain parts of Christ's post resurrection teachings and ascension, and what the disciples did while they waited for Pentecost,  were important to Luke on different days so his "blogs" were different every day.

       I encourage you to start journaling or bogging and writing your thoughts on the Bible,  God's holy, inspired, inerrant Word that comes alive to believers each time they read it through the illumination of the Holy Spirit.  I once had a guy who worked at a restaurant use this illustration. He said the Bible was like a mix of blueberry muffins. It's dry, not tasty, not exciting until you add water. Then suddenly it tastes delicious and comes alive. Jesus told them to go to Jerusalem and wait for the "water". You have it.  Pour Him on the Bible on a daily basis.

Kids Video Devotion - Temptation

1. Watch this Episode of SpongeBob called "Hooky"

2. SpongeBob trivia
     When was the last time there was a "break" at the Krusty Krab?
      What were the two names Mr. Krabs called SpongeBob?
     
3. What were all the bad things that could happen to you if a hook caught you?

4. What did people think about Mr. Krabs? How do you think that affected their warning about the hooks?

5. Read Genesis 3:1-7  https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis+3%3A1-7&version=NIV   What was the "hook" in the garden?  How was the snake like Patrick? What did the snake imply about God?

6. What are the temptations in your life? What are the end results of giving in to those temptations?

7. How can you have victory over those temptations?


Note to parents;  In this episode, we see the introduction of hooks into SpongeBob's world with real danger attached to them. You and your kids will be faced with temptations like these in life just like our first parents were in the garden. How do we avoid giving in to temptations? SpongeBob tried with all his might but couldn't. One is to surround yourself with friends who make wise choices, unlike Patrick. Second is to avoid roads or paths that have "hooks" on them. Third is to avoid idleness. If SpongeBob lazy pants hadn't gone on a break, he would have not encountered temptation. But lastly, and most importantly, flee from sin because you love and respect God. No one respected Mr. Krabs and thus no one heeded his warnings. Look at Joseph in Gen.39 :6-10 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+39%3A6-10&version=NIV  He, like Adam had a hook and that was Potiphar's wife. He, however, beat the temptation because he didn't want to wrong Potiphar who he respected and was grateful to. We should love God so much that we resist temptation because it would hurt Him. Once again, instilling a love for God and a relationship with God in your kids is of prime importance.

Thoughts From Luke - Day 106

                                             Luke 24:37-44

37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence.

44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

        Around Christmastime, we always look at the Messianic prophecies which consist of over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament concerning the coming Messiah. It's been said that the chance of even 8 of these being fulfilled in a person is the chance of covering Texas with silver dollars a foot deep, putting a red X on one of them, blindfold someone and have them pick up that coin on the first try. Not only do we have those prophecies, but through the Old Testament we have Christ types such as Joseph, Moses, and David for example. What do I mean by "Christ types"? Look at Joseph. He was loved by the father, sent to his brothers, hated by his brothers because he testified of their sins, "killed" by the brothers, came back to life so to speak, forgave his brothers, and prepared a place for them. Recently a Bible has come out called the "Jesus Bible" which points to Jesus throughout the Old Testament. Jesus didn't need this Bible as he went through the Old Testament by heart and told these prophecies and Christ types to the Apostles and the Road to Emmaeus guys for the second time.

          Isn't it interesting that despite the fact that there stood Jesus, holes in His sides and hands, probably passed through the wall, eating food, and they still needed scripture to convince them. This is what Abraham said to the rich man in Hades, "Even if someone rises from the dead, they won't believe. Let them believe the Law and the prophets." Peter said in 2Peter 1 that they beheld the transfigured Lord and yet the prophecies are even more certain than that. To pick and choose what you want to believe in the Bible is so wrong. God has made sure that it is more trustworthy than even our eyes. Thomas said, "I won't believe it unless I see it with my own eyes", and Jesus said to Him, "How fortunate are those who haven't seen, yet" (through the Bible) "believe." In this day where preachers are saying that you don't have to believe everything in the Bible, just believe in Jesus, let us rather continue to lift it up, defend it, and use it's supernatural power to lead people into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ through His death and resurrection as testified and predicted in the scriptures.

Thoughts From Luke - Day 105

                                         Luke 24: 33 - 36

33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

       I'd never noticed this before, but the guys on the Road to Emmaeus got to see Jesus twice. We had just discussed the importance of having Christian friends, but not only that, discussing spiritual things with your Christian friends. Discuss current events with them and iron out what your world view should be in light of scripture. But here we have the two guys telling others their testimony and the proof of the resurrection and meeting with a group of fellow believers only to be rewarded with the presence of Christ. So if our goal as a Christian is to develop a closer walk with the Lord, experiencing His presence in our lives, we need to be sharing our faith.

     I have been to a lot of witnessing seminars (because it's a lot easier learning about it than doing it - sort of like pastors doing series on Revelation generally spend a disproportionate amount of time on chapters 2 and 3), and the thing that they all have in common is they all stress sharing your testimony - it's the one thing an unbeliever can't dispute. Lately, people like Andy Stanley and Tim Keller have been stressing the importance of arguing the resurrection with skeptics rather than going down all the other rabbit trails because there really is no credible argument against it. In this passage, even though the two guys are talking to followers of Christ, we see the Emmaeus friends sharing what they had seen and heard, their testimony, and giving proofs of the resurrection. There is something supernatural that happens when you share your faith with an unbeliever, that is hard to explain, but you definitely feel the presence of Christ. In the gospels, Jesus tells the disciples that when they are brought before hostile judges to give an account of their faith, they are not to fear because Jesus will be there giving them the words to speak. Also, Paul says in Philemon 1:6

    "I pray that you might be active in sharing your faith so that you might understand every good thing you have in Christ" NIV84

        Are you looking and praying for opportunities to share your faith on a daily basis? Start today! Do you want to see Christ today? How about witnessing. I will not leave my office today until I have talked to someone about Jesus. What about you? And unlike Mormons or Jehovah Witnesses who are doing it to earn their spot in the afterlife, we are doing it to get to know the one we love, more and more, and to get a taste of his presence long before we assuredly go to be with Him forever.

Thoughts From Psalms - Day 4

Psalm 84

For the director of music. According to gittith. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
    Lord Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints,
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
    for the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
    Lord Almighty, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
    they are ever praising you.

5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
    whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
    they make it a place of springs;
    the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
7 They go from strength to strength,
    till each appears before God in Zion.

8 Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty;
    listen to me, God of Jacob.
9 Look on our shield, O God;
    look with favor on your anointed one.

10 Better is one day in your courts
    than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
    than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
    the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
    from those whose walk is blameless.

12 Lord Almighty,
    blessed is the one who trusts in you.

       The "sons of Korah". Who were they? We see through the Biblical genealogies that they were from the line of Levi and their lot in life was to take care of the temple which at this time in history was not a fixed structure but a movable "tent". They were responsible for picking it up, moving it, staking it down, keeping the candles lit, the incense burning, the bread baked and kept fresh, the music being played, and probably in this immediate family, watching the door or gate. I guess they were sort of like the bouncers making sure no one came into the presence of the Lord without doing it right. We also know that the Levites were not given land when Canaan was divided up because their inheritance was the Lord. When you look at the Psalm this way, you can't help but see some brothers getting together and writing a song about how stoked they were to go be bouncers at the "church" every day for the rest of their lives, because they got to be near the presence of God on a daily basis. They were even jealous of the birds that flew freely in this open air tabernacle and got to even make nests nearer to the presence of God than the sons could get. Plus, the sons had to take shifts and leave the presence while the birds got to live there.

            As I searched the sons of Korah, I found that they also wrote Psalm 42 which starts, "As the deer pants for water, so my soul longs after You". If you were to write a song about what your heart longs for, what would it be about? Probably it would be about vacation at the beach, hanging out with family, a relationship with the opposite sex, travelling the globe, a new kitchen, a winning lottery ticket, a new car or house - most likely anything but hanging out in the presence of God. Yet, these guys are saying, "You got some time off work and you are using it to travel to come to Zion to be in God's presence? That's awesome! You are going to be so blessed and energized and refreshed. Your strength and passion for life will be renewed."

           Fast forward to the New Testament where Christ comes to give us direct access to the Father as symbolized by the torn veil in the Holy of Holies. We can have 24-7 access to the Father through His Son who took away our sins and put His Spirit inside us who gives us life. Because His Spirit is alive in us, we no longer have to go to a building to be in the presence of God, but rather, we are the temple. We are the Holy of Holies. Therefore, in a very complicated way, we can be at the beach, on vacation, with our families, driving a new car, renting a new house with an amazing kitchen and yet be in the presence of God and worshipping Him in the midst of and at the center of everything around us.

          How do we get to this place where our minds are yearning, fainting, longing, panting for Him and our hearts are praising and crying out for Him, in the midst of a fallen, sinful and wicked world? This is the question, isn't it, because if loving God is the well - spring of our lives, basically we have arrived. There are a few hints in this passage. The first is seen in the sons of Korah calling God, "The God of Jacob." Why the God of Jacob? Do you remember who Jacob was? His name meant "deceiver" or "He cheats". He was a schemer who got the best of his uncle Laban and his brother Esau and lied to his old blind dad to get the inheritance. The first step in falling in love with God is to see ourselves as Jacobs, unworthy sinners. Luke gives an account of this at Simon's house where a woman "of ill repute" washed Jesus' feet and Simon was outraged that "a holy man" would let such a person touch him. Jesus then rebuked Simon in a parable about two debtors, one forgiven a small sum and one forgiven an insurmountable sum by a master, and asked Simon, "Who would love the master more?" Simon reluctantly answered, "The one with the larger debt", and Jesus' point was that if you think you are a pretty good person, your love for God is going to be lacking. When we realize the depth of our sinful heart, our "Jacobness", we can't help but love our forgiver, redeemer, and savior more and more.

          The second factor related to desiring God's presence more than anything else is "passing through the valley of Baka". This was not a specific geographical location but rather an idiom for sorrow as Baka means "weeping" or "desolation". As we go through those tough times or as David would say, "The Valley of the shadow of death", we meet God. We get rains of blessing showered on us which in Palestine, which averaged 25 inches of rain annually, was a good thing. When David talked about being led through this valley in Psalms 23, from that point on in the Psalm he no longer referred to God as "He" but as "You", almost as if to say, like Job, "I knew about You, now I know You." As much as we try to avoid these hard times and pain, they are means, unfortunately, that God uses to get to know, need, and love Him more.

        Lastly, as much as I emphasize that the sanctuary of God has moved from a place into our hearts, I would be remiss to imply that we don't need the place. We need to meet with fellow believers. We need to worship with other Christ followers. In fact, this is why this very Psalm exists - it was written for a choir to be sung in the assembly. No matter how vehemently one argues that they don't need to go to a place to worship God, without that place where other believers assemble, their love for God will grow cold. Putting a mildly glowing charcoal square in amongst other glowing coals, soon causes a raging fire. When did you feel closest and most in love with God in your life? Chances are it was at a camp, retreat, conference, or mission trip. What do all of these have? Fellow believers hanging out with each other discussing, serving, and worshipping God together. The doorkeepers in this Psalm could interact with every single worshipper of God and it made them say, "Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere."

          Can you say this? If not, chances are your love for God has grown cold. Immerse yourself in the presence of God and His people. Cry out for the presence of God. Serve Him and His people instead of yourself and you will be moving in the right direction towards a change of heart - a change of passion.