Monday 31 March 2014

Psalm 71 HOLY

Psalm 71:22  ESV
I will also praise you with the harp
for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praises to you with the lyre,
O Holy One of Israel.

Psalm 22:3  ESV
Yet you are holy
enthroned on the praises of Israel

Genesis 1:26 ESV
 God said, "Let us make man in our own image and likeness."

God's people are images of Him.
We mirror His love for us in our love for Him and for others.
So we are called  "holy ones."

The E.S.V. translates the same word;-
godly,  holy one,  merciful, saints, faithful ones.
We live out the God given relationship, the "hesed" relationship.
We practice  "hesed"
Sainthood is not an attainment.
It is a state into which God in grace calls men.

1st Peter 1:15  ESV
but as he who called you is holy,
you also be holy.....
verse 16
.....it is written  You shall be holy,
for I am holy.
( Quoting Leviticus 11:44 and 45)

A Lamb has been offered for us.
Ephesians 1:7  ESV
In him we have redemption through his blood.

Psalm 71:23 ESV
My lips will shout for joy,
when I sing praises to you;
my soul also , which you have redeemed.

Psalm 34:22 ESV
The LORD redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Although holiness can be seen as a separation from
all that is not divine, Christian holiness embraces all that is wholesome
in the love of God , in the will of God, in His purposes.

The love of God, the will of God.
To-day in our lives,
in our attitudes and our actions,
we choose the love of God, the will of God.
We choose not to live in a spirit of wickedness
or violence or greed or envy or self gratification.
We choose good will not bad will.
We choose life in the love of Christ.
The dynamic in which we choose to live
is " holy".

Sunday 23 March 2014

Psalm 71 Words of Praise

The words of Praise extracted from Psalm 71 make a psalm within a psalm.
(Psalm 70 in the Orthodox Bible SAAS translation)
v6.....My song shall be always with You.
v8.....Let my mouth be filled with Your praise
         That I may sing of Your glory.
         And of Your magnificence all day long.
v14   I will hope continually And I will add to all Your praise.
v15   My mouth shall proclaim Your righteousness,
v16 ..O Lord I shall remember Your righteousness, Yours alone.
v17...I will proclaim Your wonders.
v18...even to old age and to my last breath.
     ....until I proclaim Your arm to every coming generation
         Yes, Your mighty deeds and Your righteousness.
v19   O God, I proclaim the magnificent things You did
         even to highest heaven.
         O God who is like you ?
v22   Truely, I give thanks to You with the 
                                instrument of a psalm of God ;
         I will sing to You with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.
v23   My lips will greatly rejoice when I sing to You 
         so will my soul  which You redeemed.
v24   My tongue shall meditate on Your righteousness
         all day long.

Psalm 71 Transcendent Witness

Psalm 71:19   (Ps70:19 in the Orthodox Bible)
O God, I proclaim the magnificent things You did
     Even to the highest heaven.
Luke 15:7, 10    words of Jesus
7   I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven
     over one sinner that repenteth.
10   Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence
     of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
Ephesians 3:10 NKJV
10  Now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known 
      by the church to the principalities and powers in the 
      heavenly places
11  according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished
      in Christ Jesus  our Lord.
Hebrews  12:1
......we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses.

The psalmist reveals that our praises are heard in highest heaven.
Our Lord Jesus lets us know that our repentance is witnessed by angels
and causes them joy.
Paul informs us that it is according to the eternal purposes of God that
the Christian witness of believers is made known to the angelic community.
   In practice we are encompassed by a great cloud of "spirit witnesses".
. 

Friday 21 March 2014

Psalm 70 In Him we live.

Psalm 70:4 NRSV
but let all who seek you be jubilant and rejoice in you
and may those who long for your saving aid
forever cry "All glory to God"
Psalm 70:4 NJB
But joy and happiness in you to all who seek you
Let them ceaselessly cry "God is Great"
who love your saving power.
Psalm 70:4 Amplified Bible
May all those who seek, inquire of and for You,
and require You (as their vital need)
rejoice and be glad in You.
Acts 17:27-28 ESV
.........they should seek God
in the hope that they might feel their way towards him.
Yet he is actually not far from each one of us.
28. for " In him we live and move and have our being"

People who have sung these words and identify with these verses,
are the subject of the psalmist's prayer in Psalm 70:4.

Thursday 20 March 2014

PSALM 70 Direct Prayer

Psalm 70:1 NASB
O God, hasten to deliver me
O Lord, hasten to my help.

Psalm 70:5
But I am poor and needy               NKJV
But I am afflicted and needy         NASB

The psalmist is praying to God in order that his needs will be met.
There are many types of poverty.
Like the psalmist we pray, asking for the provision of what we do not yet have...but need.
There are many kinds of affliction.
Like the psalmist we pray for help and deliverance.

Psalm 70:5 continued
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay.

It is "You and me"......that personal !
For help the Psalmist turns to my help.
For deliverance the psalmist turns to my deliverer.
Verse 5 reveals a personal relationship, already established.

We have a Saviour , in whose name we pray to God the Father.
John 16:23 KJV
And in that day ye shall ask me nothing.
Verily ,verily, I say unto you,
Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name,
he will give it to you.

Wednesday 19 March 2014

Psalm 69 Confidence Firmly Grounded

Psalm 69:16  ESV  and NRSV
Answer me , O LORD, for your steadfast love is good
according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.

Psalm 69:16 Amplified Bible
Hear and answer me, O LORD, for Your loving-kindness is sweet and comforting;
according to Your plenteous tender mercy and steadfast love, turn to me.

Psalm 59:17 New Living Translation
O my Strength, to you I sing praises
for you, O God, are my refuge
the God who shows me unfailing love.

Psalm 69:16 New English Bible
Answer me, O LORD, in the goodness of your unfailing love
turn towards me in thy great affection.

Psalm 59:17 and 69:16 show that it is God's unfailing love
that gives the psalmist confidence to pray to Him.
In these Psalms the psalmist is NOT praying with groundless optimism !
The psalmist is depending on God's covenant love and compassion.
He is trusting in God's covenant promises and unfailing steadfast love.
Neither do we pray with groundless optimism to-day.
Our own peace with God depends on all that the Lord Jesus did for us
on Calvary. Jesus is the fulfilment of those covenant promises.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life.
                                         John 3:16  AV 

Tuesday 18 March 2014

PSALM 69 Ongoing Relationship

Psalm 69:13  ESV
But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD.

Psalm 42:8   ESV
.........a prayer to the God of my life.

even a prayer to
         "the Lord who daily bears me up"  Ps 68:17

Prayer is an intrinsic part of our ongoing relationship
           with the living God.

It is in the nature of that divine relationship
that our words of prayer
are expressed in personal love and faith.

Sunday 16 March 2014

PSALM 68 Blessed be God

Psalm 68:19 ESV
Blessed be the Lord,
who daily bears us up;
God is our salvation.
Psalm 68:35 ESV
Awesome is God in his sanctuary, the God of Israel --
he is the one who gives power and strength to his people.
Blessed be God.

With David, we bless the Lord.
With David, we attribute our strength , our power and our
salvation to the Lord who daily bears us up.
For our ongoing physical and spiritual provision, we bless the Lord.

The Israelites were obedient to Psalm 105:4-5 NRSV
Seek the LORD and his strength
seek his presence continually.
Remember the wonderful works he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he uttered.

In Psalm 68 the people of Israel literally " Remember
the wonderful works he has done."
In liturgical processions, in keeping feasts and in making regular
pilgrimages up to Jerusalem, they kept alive the context of their
existence as people of God.

Psalm 68:24 ESV
24  Your procession is seen , O God,
            the procession of my God, my King into the sanctuary
25  the singers in front, the musicians last,
            and between them virgins playing tambourines.

Today we continually celebrate all that God has done for us.
We value the spiritual context in which we live.

Ephesians 4:8  ( Which refers to Psalm 68 )
When he ascended on high he lead a host of captives.

We see , in this passage , the ascension of Christ
who draws the redeemed after him,
and the church filled with the gifts of the Spirit.

Those who do not remember what God has done for them
have lost something;- like lost creatures, wandering,
without a shepherd, detached from their spiritual inheritance.

Discernment here is straight forward.
Those who remember what God has done for us
give a resounding  AMEN to Psalm 68:19

Blessed be the Lord
Who daily bears me up.           AMEN.

Saturday 8 March 2014

PSALM 67 World Mission

The psalmist's next words (Psalm 67:2) are a prayer
"that your way may be known on earth".
The Holy Spirit, whose inspiration enabled the psalmist 
to give us this Psalm, also put into his heart , to pray
for the world mission of ISRAEL to bring
"The way of God" to all creation.
The psalmists vision is confirmed in Isaiah 45:8 NRSV
Shower , O heavens, from above,
and let the skies rain down righteousness;
let the earth open, that salvation may spring up,
and let it cause righteousness to sprout up also.
I the LORD have created it.
That great commission is now the responsibility
of Christians of every nation. (as at Pentecost )
John 3:16 ESV
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish
but have eternal life. 

PSALM 67 Smile of Love

Verse 1 of Psalm 67 draws us to immediately address God.
Heart and soul we come before the mighty God upon whose
graciousness we depend and whose blessing we now seek.
When a father smiles at his child, it is a smile of approval
(which is what the child seeks)     and a smile of love
(which is what the father gives).
Earthly fathers are made in the image of our Heavenly Father.
What freedom we have, to spend a lifetime seeking
what our Father longs to give.
Psalm 100:5 ESV
For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

Thursday 6 March 2014

PSALM 67 UNIVERSAL PRAISE

A prayer for universal praise.

Psalm 67:3,4,5  ESV
3  Let the peoples praise you, O God;
         let all the peoples praise you!
4  Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
         for you judge the peoples with equity
         and guide the nations upon earth.
5  Let the peoples praise you. O God;
         let all the peoples praise you!

The goal of our ministry.
These verses express a prayer that all the people
of all the nations will be guided by God and enabled by God
to engage in united charismatic prayer and worship.
It will happen, and we shall be participants.

PSALM 67 Our Ministry

When we sing this prayer, we address the Lord our God.
We also edify those listening that they may make our words,
(God's Words ) the prayer of their own heart.
In fact we pray in verse one to be blessed in order that;
"your way may be known on earth"  ( verse two )
When we sing verse one followed by verse two,
we are volunteering for an amazing ministry.
Psalm 67:1-2 KJV
God be merciful unto us, and bless us;
and cause his face to shine upon us.
That thy way may be known upon earth,
thy saving health among all nations.
We are asking to be anointed for the ministry of
making "The way of God " known throughout the earth
and bring His saving grace among all nations !!
Psalm 67:6-7 KJV
Then shall the earth yield her increase;
And God, even our own God , shall bless us.
God shall bless us;
And all the ends of the earth shall fear him.

We will all be greatly blessed in the process,
as people of every nation become God fearing men and women.

PSALM 67 A Blessing

Psalm 67:1 NIV
May God be gracious to us and bless us
   and make his face shine upon us .              AMEN

Psalm 67:1 NCV
O God , be gracious to us and bless us
   and let your face shine upon us .                 AMEN

Psalm 67:8 NCV
May God continue to bless us
   and be revered to the ends of the earth.      AMEN

We may use these words of blessing, they are God's words.
We are given these words because God wants to bless us.
This is the attitude of His heart towards us.

How much love does it take to want to bless all the people in the world ?
When His love fills our heart we want to bless every member of creation.
In verse one (NCV) we lift up our heart and pray directly to God the Father.
In verse eight (NCV) we sing out the words to the assembled believers,
"May God continue to bless us "
The enthusiastic "AMEN" of the other worshipers is prayer.
We facilitate the words to which the assembly can pray their AMEN.

Sunday 2 March 2014

PSALM 66 SHOUT FOR JOY to the LORD all the earth

PSALM 66 ERV    
1  Everything on earth, shout for joy to God!

4  Let the whole world worship you
    Let everyone sing praises to your name.

7  He rules the world with his great power
    He watches people everywhere....

8  People, praise our God.

9  He gave us life, and he protects us.

16 All you people worshiping God,
     come and I will tell you what he has done for me.

The psalmist was speaking about the mighty work of God
in delivering the people of Israel from captivity in Egypt

We too shout joyfully to God, and in addition to the deliverance
of the people of Israel, we give witness to the delivery of the people
of God from darkness into light through the death and resurrection  of JESUS CHRIST.
Set free from the consequences of sin and death, the gift of God is eternal life through JESUS CHRIST.
    

PSALM SIXTY-SIX

Psalm 66 is a song of thanksgiving in which the psalmist
draws attention to the works of God.
He proclaims the goodness of the works of God.
He makes a hymn of praise extolling the works of God in Psalm 66:1-12.
He makes a personal song of thanksgiving in Psalm 66:13-20.
The imperative calls to " Come and see ".............in verse 5
                         and to "Bless our God"..............in verse 8
apply to all who have an eye to see and an ear to hear.     Praise God.
The song of Miriam the Prophet ( Aaron's sister )  Exodus 15:31
 the call to praise............................."Sing to the LORD"
 the reason to praise ........" for he has triumphed gloriously
                                          horse and rider he has thrown into the sea "
PSALM 22:31 NASB
    They will come and will declare His righteousness
    To a people who will be born, that He has performed it.
PSALM 66 ; 5 & 6 NASB
5   Come and see the works of God,
     who is awesome in His deeds towards the sons of men.
6  He turned the sea into dry land;
    They passed through the river on foot.
Like the psalmist we have a need to share/to tell what God has done.
There is a need for people to know. I shall recount the deeds of the Lord
Psalm 118:17 NASB      I will not die, but live, and tell of the works of the LORD.