Wednesday, November 26, 2014

PREPARING FOR THANKSGIVING


give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18





May our thankful hearts overflow tomorrow, as we set aside a special day for thanksgiving, and may it continue each day! These reminders from God’s Word encourage conscious gratitude in each of us that will become habits of life:

AM I GRATEFUL FOR ONLY A DAY

… when God created me in a wonderful way!

Psalm 139:13-14
For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.

… when God gives me only good gifts!

James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

… when God revealed Himself to us!

Romans 1:19-20
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

… when God has given me His Word!

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

… when God sent His Son to die for me!

1 John 4:9
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

…when Christ loved me first!

1 John 4:19
We love because he first loved us.

… when Christ loved me when I was His enemy!

Romans 5:8
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

… when Salvation is a gift by grace alone!

Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

… when God gives me undeservedly eternal life!

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

… when God is faithful all the time!

Psalm 36:5
Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.

… when I can actually call God my father!

1 John 3:1a
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.

… when God provides for me!

Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

… when I know I will be with the Father one day!

John 14:1-2
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?


… when The Lord is my Shepherd!

Psalm 23:1
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

… when I can pray!

Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

… when I have real peace!

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.


I am sure there are many more reasons for each of us to be grateful, and you will have a chance to rehearse them with your loved ones on Thanksgiving. What a wonderful way to encourage us all to have thankful hearts every day! May it also be a day when we resolve never to complain or fret, as we realize how very well our loving God takes care of us!

Monday, November 24, 2014

PLEASE DON’T TAKE IT FOR GRANTED!













KNOWING GOD MAKES A DIFFERENCE!


Psalm 118:14-16
The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
Glad songs of salvation
are in the tents of the righteous:
“The right hand of the LORD does valiantly,
the right hand of the LORD exalts,
the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!”

What a privilege it is, to be able to say that the LORD is my strength and my song and has become my salvation! There is no doubt that if He is not my salvation, He will never be my strength and therefore never be my song.

The fact that the writer says that the LORD has become his salvation implies that there was a time He wasn’t, and had to become His salvation.

God is not the Savior of all men. Man must come to a place in his life where he recognizes his total inability to do anything that pleases God.

Isaiah 64:6
We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

Man tries to produce what he thinks are good works, but even they are unclean. Man lives, sins, and finds himself condemned by the holiness of God.

Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

The holy God of the Bible could only do one righteous thing.

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God had to condemn us and offer the only solution possible: the death of His perfect and holy son Jesus Christ in our place. A death that becomes efficacious for man only when man recognizes himself as spiritually bankrupt, incapable of saving himself, and trusts only in the finished work of Christ on the cross.

John 1:12
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

When the psalmist says that the LORD has become our salvation, these thoughts should flood our minds. Our hearts should be inundated with awe and gratefulness, and our lives should be different. Our reactions should be in tune with these amazing truths.

Are these truths present in our lives? Have we become too familiar with them? Have they stopped causing us to be swept away with amazement?

God is at work in our lives; the same love that drove Him to provide a Savior is the same love that produces every action of God in our lives.

Psalm 118:17-18
I shall not die, but I shall live,
and recount the deeds of the LORD.
The LORD has disciplined me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.

I am not under the curse of death, but I am under God’s loving care and discipline.

Hebrews 12:5-6
And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”

The writer knew that LORD needed to discipline him. We should be pleased with God’s loving disciplinary work in our lives that produces righteousness and dependence. Gratitude should be our only response.

Psalm 118:19-22
Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD;
the righteous shall enter through it.
I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.

The Apostle Peter will tell us that the stone that was rejected is Christ.

1 Peter 2:7-8
So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”
 and “A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”
 They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
           
Christ is salvation for those who believe, but He is also a stumbling rock for those who reject Him. The world is divided in two groups: the ones who have come to Christ and those who reject the simple message of the Gospel; there is no middle ground.

Again, these truths should produce celebration and gratitude in the lives of those who know God; those who have become children of God.

Psalm 118:26-27
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!
We bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God,
and he has made his light to shine upon us.
Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,
up to the horns of the altar!

The children of Israel were called to recognize the work of the LORD and to submit to Him. Today we don’t go to God with sacrifices, because Christ’s sacrifice was done once for all - a sacrifice sufficient to save, that never needs to be repeated.

Hebrews 10:10
And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

If rehearsing these truths is not producing gratitude, if our problems are not paling in light of eternity, if remembering the work of Christ is not reassuring us of His loving care in the details of our lives, we must ask ourselves if we have really understood salvation by grace.

The writer concludes with an exclamation!

Psalm 118:28-29
You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God; I will extol you.
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!

May this be our song, our life, the driving force of our every action and reaction. May our lives invite others to know the God of our salvation!


Wednesday, November 19, 2014

OUR GRATEFULNESS EXPOSES OUR HEART!













GOD IS BEHIND EVERY EVENT OF OUR LIVES

Psalm 118:1
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!

As we read this psalm, we see a familiar theme repeated. We remember, of course, that the psalms were meant to be sung by the children of Israel. We also know that the words were inspired by God. Thus, we can conclude that God is pleased by and desires the genuine praise of man. True praise is the result of careful thought about the character and actions of the LORD.

The LORD is good. We know it and we say we believe it, but every time we complain, every time we are bitter, every time we are upset, every time we are unhappy, every time we are angry, our actions and reactions are really stating that God is not good to us.

James 1:16-18
        Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

It is incomprehensible to us that God has loved us from eternity past, He is loving us now, and He will love us forever. His love was not initiated by what He saw we would be or become. His love for us today is not based on our behavior, and His love will not be based on the measure of faithfulness we will demonstrate in the future. God loves us and will love us forever, because of a unilateral and undeserved decision He made in eternity past.

Psalm 118:4
Let those who fear the LORD say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”

If we know God, if He is our Savior and Lord, then praise should be our continuous response. I know that my thoughts and my words would be much different, if I had a continuous awareness of the presence and powerful care of God for me. My lack of awareness does not change the fact He is loving me, but it does change my disposition and behavior.

God’s careful love, however, does not imply a lack of difficulties and problems for me.

Psalm 118:5-7
Out of my distress I called on the LORD;
the LORD answered me and set me free.
The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
The LORD is on my side as my helper;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

God both ordains and orchestrates all events, so that we will become more and more dependent on Him. Our fear of man or of circumstances is out of order, in view of the fact that the LORD, the creator of the universe, the sustainer of all, is on our side. The sovereign God is our helper; we have no reason to fear. Our situation has not escaped His good and perfect oversight. We should not look anywhere other than the LORD for comfort or help.

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

We may be disappointed with the actions of men or the behavior of governments, but they have no ultimate power to control our lives. We are not their victims, nor should we look to them as our ultimate source for help.

As the psalmist describes the actions of men in the next verses, the image is vivid, but the response of God is reassuring.

Psalm 118:13
I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,
but the LORD helped me.

When our problems are real and are hard, they seem to be more than we can handle, but the Lord is there to help us.

Psalm 118:14-16
The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
Glad songs of salvation
are in the tents of the righteous:
“The right hand of the LORD does valiantly,
the right hand of the LORD exalts,
the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!”

We need to stop and recognize the work of God in our lives. We need to gain our strength from Him. The LORD is our salvation; our hearths and mouths should be overflowing with His praise.

Our lives need to be different today, in light of the God who loves us and is good to us. The psalm continues with its rich reminder and instruction. We will conclude it next time, Lord willing.


Our hearts – reactions – words – all of these reveal whom we are trusting!

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

HAVE WE LOST A SENSE OF URGENCY?












OUR PRAISE SHOULD BE A WITNESS TO THE NATIONS!

Psalm 117
Praise the LORD, all nations!
Extol him, all peoples!
For great is his steadfast love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD!

The writer, under the inspiration of God, is commanding all nations to praise and extol the LORD. Obviously, it needs to begin with those who know Him. Our lives, our words, our actions, our goals, our relations, our choices should all lift God up high in praise.

Of course, God’s unwavering, enduring,, unchanging, undeserved, and costly love should produce our praise. His faithfulness that, by contrast, exposes our own unfaithfulness and sinfulness should bring forth our constant praise.

The psalmist reminds us that whatever circumstance we are facing, we are still being loved by God and we can count on the fact that God will continue to be faithful to His character and to His promises. His love has never been the result of something we offered to Him, and never will be.

This psalm, I believe, also reminds us of our role in inviting the nations to recognize the LORD and to praise him.

Romans 10:14-17
            How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

We live in a world where God is talked about, where people have opinions about God, where many follow religions that give lip service to God, but where the majority of these do not know or have ever heard of the true God of the Bible.

God has commanded us very clearly to be the lights to a dark and lost world.

Acts 1:8
            But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The Apostle Paul did not take this responsibility lightly.

Romans 1:14-17
            I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
            For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

The obligation of the Apostle is the result of the exclusivity and necessity for the Gospel. Man without the Gospel is lost eternally; there is no other way for man to escape eternal punishment and separation from God.

Have we lost the sense of urgency for the mission that God has given us? Have we allowed the cares of the world to distract us? Have our personal problems caused us to lose our focus on what is eternal and valuable?

We cannot all go to the ends of the world, but we certainly can pray and support financially those faithful missionaries who are willing to go and reach people who still today need to hear the message of the Gospel.

It would be a great encouragement for my wife and me to know that you are praying for our ministry in Italy, and that you will continue to sustain us in prayer, as we minister according to God’s leading. The need here is so great, and we are blessed, at present, to be serving in a small church in Rome, whose missionary pastor has recently retired. You can find more information on our website: www.corneliusministries.org.

The psalmist ends with the words: “Praise the Lord!” The wonderful thing is this: that God is active today in bringing people from every tongue and nation to Himself. One day we all will be in heaven, united with people from all over the world, praising God.

May the Lord help us to be praise-filled people who invite others to join in praise to the only true God, Who deserves to be praised forever!


Thursday, November 13, 2014

PRAISE THE LORD IN LIFE OR DEATH!













ARE YOU DEPENDING ON GOD?

READ PSALM 116

Psalm 116:1-4
I love the LORD, because he has heard
my voice and my pleas for mercy.
Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
Then I called on the name of the LORD:
“O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!”

16-19
O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your maidservant.
You have loosed my bonds.
I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call on the name of the LORD.
I will pay my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people,
in the courts of the house of the LORD,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the LORD!

What a wonderful Psalm, showing us the interaction between the writer and God.

The author is grateful because the LORD has heard his voice. The Lord has responded to his call. There is no doubt that the writer was going through a hard time. He suffered distress and anguish, but his difficulties brought him closer to God. God sends us difficulties to bring us closer to Him. Our reactions display what is in our heart; they make evident what we believe about God. We should be grateful for the times when our hearts are exposed and we have an opportunity to come closer to God. The psalmist has experienced the loving response of God and now he is responding to that love by stating that he will call and rely on God for as long as he lives.

1 John 4:16-19
So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.
We have had the privilege of knowing God’s love. Without God revealing Himself to us, we would have no ability to know Him or love Him. Without God’s love, we would also have no ability to love anyone the way God wants us to love.

Psalm 116:5-9
Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
The LORD preserves the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
Return, O my soul, to your rest;
for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling;
I will walk before the LORD
in the land of the living.

The psalmist goes on to remind us that the God he called upon is righteous and merciful. The LORD did not respond to a wise and mighty person, but to a simple man who had been brought to a low position.

False religions require man to merit the attention of their gods; man has to rise up to meet the standards of the man-made gods. The God of the Bible loves to rescue those who recognize their inabilities and their needs.

We are blessed when God brings us to a state of complete dependence upon Him. God is the one Who delivers us from eternal death, Who dries our tears, and keeps us from falling. So often our circumstances cause us to lose perspective of what God is doing in our lives. As I look back in my life, I can see many heartaches and sins that I could have avoided, if I had taken the time to recognize the work of God and had found consolation in Him.

The psalmist states that he continued to believe, even during the afflictions.

Psalm 116:10-11
I believed, even when I spoke:
“I am greatly afflicted”;
I said in my alarm,
“All mankind are liars.”

Every time we go through difficulties and hardships, there is a temptation to listen the world. The writer chose to listen to God and to reject every dissonant voice of men.

We are often faced with the choice of listening to the world or listening to the Word of God. Our reaction needs to be one of total consecration.

Psalm 116:12-14
What shall I render to the LORD
for all his benefits to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the LORD,
I will pay my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people.

The psalmist was resolute in his decision. He was going to consecrate his life to the God Whom he had called upon. His consecration was visible to all men. The only response possible was complete consecration and obedience.

When we are going through difficult times, is our dependence on God visible to those around us? Are we peacefully dependent upon the God of our salvation?

The writer had probably been saved from physical death, but he does not forget that there is a wonderful privilege in being in the presence of God.

Psalm 116:15
Precious in the sight of the LORD
is the death of his saints.

The apostle Paul knew this very clearly.

Philippians 1:21
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Our reactions, our goals, our attitudes, our sins so often show that we do not live in light of eternity. We are so attracted by and rooted in the things of this world. We should be ecstatic that the God of the universe finds pleasure in having us, His children, in His presence.

The writer ends the psalm reminding us that he has called upon the LORD Who has listened. He has trusted the character of his Savior and found great consolation. And he now lives a consecrated life to Him.

May this be the way we go through our difficulties: putting our lives in the hands of God, trusting His character, finding consolation in His care, knowing that He longs to have us with Him, but knowing that while we are on earth, we are to live in total consecration and dependence upon Him.

The psalm ends with: “Praise the Lord”! May we praise Him at all times.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

GOD WILL NOT SHARE HIS GLORY!















WHY WOULD ANYONE EVER VENERATE A STATUE!

Psalm 115:1
Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory,
for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!

This psalm begins with a short phrase that seems so clear and easy to implement in our lives.

We all would say that we desire to do all things to the glory of God. We know that God deserves all the glory because of His perfect love to us and because of His unwavering faithfulness.

My question, at this point, is if you have had the same reaction of disappointment that I have, when people do not thank me for a service I have done? Have you let people know the things you have done for them or for others? Have you been disturbed when people have not even noticed the work you have done? Have you been upset when others have received praise for work you have accomplished? Have you been disturbed because you were doing “all” the work? Have you complained that others do not give, but seem to be always on the receiving end? Are you embittered by people who seem demanding of your service?

I am afraid I could prolong this list, and I would be good at doing it because these feelings and attitudes so easily creep up into my own heart. They certainly reflect a desire (in the best of cases) to share the glory with God, and most times to receive recognition for myself.

But our lives should always be lived with the desire to magnify God and to minimize ourselves. John the Baptist understood this clearly.

John 3:30
        He must increase, but I must decrease.”
       
Especially here in Italy, the truth of the verses that follow are magnified.

Psalm 115:4-8
        Their idols are silver and gold,
                the work of human hands.
        They have mouths, but do not speak;
                eyes, but do not see.
        They have ears, but do not hear;
                noses, but do not smell.
        They have hands, but do not feel;
                feet, but do not walk;
                and they do not make a sound in their throat.
        Those who make them become like them;
                so do all who trust in them.

Visiting the Sistine Chapel or one of the basilicas in Rome causes us to be awestruck by the beauty of the art and talent of the artists. In a little church not far from the Coliseum, there is the statue of Moses, done by Michelangelo. It is majestic and beautiful. On the knee there is a crack caused by the Michelangelo, who hit it with his hammer, as he exclaimed: “Speak!” The artist was so impressed with the perfection of his creation that he felt that all it needed was the ability to speak.

As beautiful as the idols are, they have no ability to hear or respond to the needs of devoted people. Not only they are inanimate, but even the “saints” they represent have no ability to respond. In many or most of the churches here, an image of Mary is prominent, even overshadowing the images of Christ. Man has created and will continue to create idols and images that replace the position which only God should have.

God is not the better choice in a multiple array of possibilities. He is the only one!

Isaiah 42:8
        I am the LORD; that is my name;
                my glory I give to no other,
                nor my praise to carved idols.

The psalmist goes on with a command to trust only God, to depend upon Him for everything.

Psalm 115:13
he will bless those who fear the LORD,
both the small and the great.

God is blessing us in whatever circumstance we are, in whatever position we are, in whatever state we are. He is active in bringing us closer to Him and magnifying Himself through them all.

As long as you are alive, God expects and deserves your absolute, unshared praise and dependence.

Psalm 115:18
But we will bless the LORD
from this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the LORD!

May our day today reflect the fact that we are not trying to take glory from God, nor replacing Him with visible or invisible idols created by any man.


Wednesday, November 5, 2014

THE CREATED WORLD TREMBLES BEFORE GOD: DO WE?













HOW DO WE REFLECT GOD IN OUR LIVES?

Psalm 114
            When Israel went out from Egypt,
                        the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
            Judah became his sanctuary,
                        Israel his dominion.
            The sea looked and fled;
                        Jordan turned back.
            The mountains skipped like rams,
                        the hills like lambs.
            What ails you, O sea, that you flee?
                        O Jordan, that you turn back?
            O mountains, that you skip like rams?
                        O hills, like lambs?
            Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
                        at the presence of the God of Jacob,
            who turns the rock into a pool of water,
                        the flint into a spring of water.

This psalm is a description of the exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt. Through the psalms, God desired for His people to remember His great works. The reminder was intended to produce dependence, assurance, awe, gratitude, hope, and fear.

The author reminds us that God lead the children of Israel out of bondage and lived in their midst, through the pillar of fire by night and the cloud by day. The waters of the Red sea and of the Jordan river opened at His command. The mountains shook at the power of God. When the Lord gave the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai, the whole nation of Israel watched, as God’s power was displayed on the mountain. The psalmist goes on to remind the readers of His provision of water from the rock at Massa.

Dear friends, we need to reflect and ask ourselves what reactions are displayed in our daily lives.

The God who controls all powers and rulers is our God. The Holy Spirit dwells within each believer, to comfort and guide. The Lord controls our circumstances and is our provider. We should not, cannot, be indifferent to this reality.

Though God displayed His power to Israel, wanting them to be a light to the nations, they failed many times. As believers today, God wants to be our all, as well, and wants us to be a light to those around us.

Matthew 5:13-16
            “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.
            “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Do people glorify God because they see His work displayed through us?

How often do we live our lives as if God is not a major part of them? We make decisions without eternal goals in mind. How is our relationship with God affecting our friendships, our leisure, our purchases, our job decisions… How are our responses displaying our dependence on the God of the Bible?

The children of the Israel did not have the privilege of reading the Word of God every day. We are so blessed in having the Scriptures available at our fingertips. Each day we should prepare ourselves by reading and meditating the Bible.

I know that I should live my life with the fear of the Lord. Nature shakes at the voice of God. The demons shake before God. All too often, though, I live my days as if God did not exist and I must take care of myself. What a terrible way to dishonor God!

May our lives be different today and every day, because we know the God who lovingly revealed Himself to us!

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

STOP! DON’T LOSE SIGHT OF GOD!














THOSE WHO KNOW GOD PRAISE HIM!

Psalm 113
        Praise the LORD!
        Praise, O servants of the LORD,
                praise the name of the LORD!
        Blessed be the name of the LORD
                from this time forth and forevermore!
        From the rising of the sun to its setting,
                the name of the LORD is to be praised!
        The LORD is high above all nations,
                and his glory above the heavens!
        Who is like the LORD our God,
                who is seated on high,
        who looks far down
                on the heavens and the earth?
        He raises the poor from the dust
                and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
        to make them sit with princes,
                with the princes of his people.
        He gives the barren woman a home,
                making her the joyous mother of children.
        Praise the LORD!

Praising the Lord is certainly a joyous duty, which should be the daily activity of all God’s servants.

The author is reminding us of the subject of this praise, its length, its duration, and the reasons for our praise.

Knowing that the LORD is the subject of our praise should certainly cause us to love praising Him! God is majestically in control of all, daily, minute by minute, I tend to forget this. My attention goes to the situations, the circumstances, the people around me and I act as if they are in control. I look at people and I see their inconsistencies, their sins, their attitudes, and I mentally become their victim. This psalm is reminding me to look beyond circumstances and people, and see the One who holds everything in His hands.

Living in Italy is a constant reminder of the lostness of so many Italians. They live each day controlled by their habits, their religion, and their culture, unaware of the God who sustains the universe and made a way for them to have eternal life. In spite of the darkness around us, we are still reminded that God is in control.

The author reminds us to praise the name of the LORD. In our culture, the importance of names has ben lost. But in the culture of the time, a name was descriptive of the person. Every name of God we find in Scripture displays His character to us, and there are many.
Our God is a powerful God, He is holy, in total control, loving, gracious, just, righteous, majestic… He is our shepherd, our counselor, our guide, our father… We should pause and think of His names, as we rehearse the difficulties and challenges of our days. He is the provider, the healer, the sustainer…

We are in good hands. Praise the LORD!

God is in total control. We might be confused by our circumstances, perplexed by the events, but we can and must find our rest in God.

2 Corinthians 4:7-12
        But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.

God’s goal, in allowing us to go through our circumstances, is that He will be exalted and not us. Way too often, our comfort, our families, our relationships, our possessions even our churches become our treasure. We get attached to earthly treasures! Our treasure must be always Christ!

God controls who is poor, who is rich, who has children; He wants for us to look to Him at all times and joyfully receive what His hand is giving us.

The interesting thing is that we complain and are so quickly disappointed because things don’t go according to our plans and desires, and forget how limited we are in what we see and understand.

Praise the LORD: He is in control. Even today, I will have many occasions to stop and control my actions and reactions, in light of the fact that God is in control and I depend on Him! May our praise be continuous from dawn to sunset!