Psalm 48

A Song. A Psalm by the sons of Korah.

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48:1 Great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, in his holy mountain.

48:2 Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the north sides, the city of the great King.

48:3 God has shown himself in her citadels as a refuge.

48:4 For, behold, the kings assembled themselves, they passed by together.

48:5 They saw it, then they were amazed. They were dismayed. They hurried away.

48:6 Trembling took hold of them there, pain, as of a woman in travail.

48:7 With the east wind, you break the ships of Tarshish.

48:8 As we have heard, so we have seen, in the city of Yahweh of Armies, in the city of our God. God will establish it forever.

48:9 We have thought about your loving kindness, God, in the midst of your temple.

48:10 As is your name, God, so is your praise to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is full of righteousness.

48:11 Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice, Because of your judgments.

48:12 Walk about Zion, and go around her. Number its towers.

48:13 Mark well her bulwarks. Consider her palaces, that you may tell it to the next generation.

48:14 For this God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even to death.

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The First Deaconate ~ Acts 6v1-7

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Introduction

So far in the book of Acts, we can see that the Church has come under attack by the

• The world (persecution),
• satan (deceit & moral compromise)

Now a new crisis appears. Unable to destroy the church by way of persecution and deceit, satan now tries to create a split in the church by getting believers to argue and fight with each other.

If satan had succeeded in creating an implosion within this church, the only church in existence at the time, then the effects could have been devastating. The media in our world loves to report about anything negative to do with Christianity and the church. So any form of dissension, pressure splits and arguments within the Church, is often reported with an almost earnest gleefulness by the media.

From this Bible passage, four questions quite naturally arise.

• What was the problem?
• How was it resolved?
• What happened after it was resolved?
• How can we apply it to church life, 2000 years after the event?

Summary

The Problem! (v1)

The Solution! (v2-6)

Three things about the solution

Transformation of the Apostles – James, Peter & John particularly (v2)

All together now! (v2-5)

Commissioning (v6)

The Result! (v7)

Growth and witness = conversion of former enemies… (v7)

Growth and witness = reasoning and transformation

Conclusion

Transformation

Ministry for all – serving!

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Oh, taste and see that the Lord is GOOD!!, originally uploaded by Jeanette’s Ozpix.

CONGRATULATIONS TO DAVE (EMPTYBELLY)!!! Today is his day!!
Today is his day!! Glory to God!!

His online ministry is being launched. Dave is an Aussie who lives in England. And this morning, British time, his church is holding a special commissioning service to launch Partake Ministries.

His podcasts are here… davegroberts.podbean.com/

The Lord has been growing this ministry, with many people from around the world listening to the podcasts, especially in China. Isn’t God GOOD??? And isn’t it wonderful to know that He is also a high-tech God?… even bigger that the Internet!!

He commissioned us to go into all the world and preach the Gospel, and look at the way that is happening today!!

Please check out Dave’s Podbean site, and listen to and/or download his podcasts. Please pray as the gospel goes out around the globe, and especially pray today!!

Dave is also working on a new homepage for Partake. I will give you the link when it is ready.

Thank you, and may God bless you!! If you support Dave and this ministry, I know you will be more than blessed!!

Questions!!??, originally uploaded by Jeanette’s Ozpix.

Ever feel like that life doesn’t make sense?… that it has dealt you a raw deal?

King David did too!! But he did find an answer…

Day and night I have only tears for food,
while my enemies continually taunt me, saying,
“Where is this God of yours?”

My heart is breaking
as I remember how it used to be…

Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Saviour and my God!

Now I am deeply discouraged,
but I will remember you…
I hear the tumult of the raging seas
as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.

But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me,
and through each night I sing his songs,
praying to God who gives me life.

“O God my rock,” I cry,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I wander around in grief,
oppressed by my enemies?”
Their taunts break my bones.
They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?”

Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Savior and my God!

(Psalm 42:3-11, NLT)

Let’s sit down and chat!!, originally uploaded by Jeanette’s Ozpix.

Notice how seats like this are not made for one!! They are made to share.

How easy is it for us not to take time for the people that matter to us in life? And not to mention the other people around us, who we’d sooner not matter to us?

I had this hit home to me this morning!! Lying in bed, listening to the Christian radio station, I heard a message about how relationships matter.

At one time, someone had asked Jesus what was the most important thing to God. He said…

“Which is the first commandment of all?”
Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.
“And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:28-31, NKJ)

So our relationship with God, and our relationship with others, go together. Our love for God is seen in our love for one another.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7, NKJ)

Psalm 17

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17:1 Hear, Yahweh, my righteous plea;
Give ear to my prayer, that doesn’t go out of deceitful lips.
17:2 Let my sentence come forth from your presence.
Let your eyes look on equity.
17:3 You have proved my heart.
You have visited me in the night.
You have tried me, and found nothing.
I have resolved that my mouth shall not disobey.
17:4 As for the works of men, by the word of your lips,
I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.
17:5 My steps have held fast to your paths.
My feet have not slipped.
17:6 I have called on you, for you will answer me, God.
Turn your ear to me.
Hear my speech.
17:7 Show your marvelous loving kindness,
you who save those who take refuge by your right hand from their enemies.
17:8 Keep me as the apple of your eye.
Hide me under the shadow of your wings,
17:9 from the wicked who oppress me,
my deadly enemies, who surround me.
17:10 They close up their callous hearts.
With their mouth they speak proudly.
17:11 They have now surrounded us in our steps.
They set their eyes to cast us down to the earth.
17:12 He is like a lion that is greedy of his prey,
as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
17:13 Arise, Yahweh, confront him.
Cast him down.
Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword;
17:14 from men by your hand, Yahweh,
from men of the world, whose portion is in this life.
You fill the belly of your cherished ones.
Your sons have plenty,
and they store up wealth for their children.
17:15 As for me, I shall see your face in righteousness.
I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with seeing your form.

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Psalm 16

1 Preserve me, God, for in you do I take refuge.
2 My soul, you have said to Yahweh, “You are my Lord.
Apart from you I have no good thing.”
3 As for the saints who are in the earth,
they are the excellent ones in whom is all my delight.
4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied who give gifts to another god.
Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer,
nor take their names on my lips.
5 Yahweh assigned my portion and my cup.
You made my lot secure.
6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places.
Yes, I have a good inheritance.
7 I will bless Yahweh, who has given me counsel.
Yes, my heart instructs me in the night seasons.
8 I have set Yahweh always before me.
Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoices.
My body shall also dwell in safety.
10 For you will not leave my soul in Sheol,
neither will you allow your holy one to see corruption.
11 You will show me the path of life.
In your presence is fullness of joy.
In your right hand there are pleasures forevermore

“And why worry about your clothing?

“Look at the (flowers) of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.

“And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?”

- Jesus (Matthew 6:28-30, NLT)

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Psalm 11

11:1 In Yahweh, I take refuge.

How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain!”

11:2 For, behold, the wicked bend their bows.

They set their arrows on the strings,

that they may shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.

11:3 If the foundations are destroyed,

what can the righteous do?

11:4 Yahweh is in his holy temple.

Yahweh is on his throne in heaven.

His eyes observe.

His eyes examine the children of men.

11:5 Yahweh examines the righteous,

but the wicked and him who loves violence his soul hates.

11:6 On the wicked he will rain blazing coals;

fire, sulfur, and scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.

11:7 For Yahweh is righteous.

He loves righteousness.

The upright shall see his face.

World English Bible

As read by Sharona

Like many others today, we’ve found ourselves caught up in this mortgage crisis. So I’d like to share some life lessons we’ve learned from it. If you are there too, I hope this helps!

Our situation reminded of the monkey who got his hand stuck in the peanut jar, because he wouldn’t let go of the peanuts.

LET GO OF THE PEANUTS, YOU STUPID MONKEY!!!

So what did we do? We looked at our situation, and realised that for years we’ve been working for peanuts, trying to hang on and keep our business afloat.

So we decided to LET GO OF THE PEANUTS!!! Sell up and move out before it was too late! For us, it worked out to be cheaper to rent. Maybe we can run the business from a new location, or maybe we need to work at something different!? Go and work for someone else?

Anyhow, that is all in the Lord’s hands! So, at the moment we are in limbo!! Between houses and jobs!! But the Lord knows, and He will work it out in His timing!

“And (I) know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28, NKJ)

And the Lord has things to teach us through the hard times. In my next post, I’d like to share about …

… SOME LESSONS I’VE LEARNED FROM LIFE’S LEMONS.