Psalms: The Word of God

Here is another Psalm that hit me as I was reading. It was particularly interesting because it included a verse I did not realize came from the Psalms…check out verse 14. I am going to have to check and see if this appears elsewhere or if I just never knew where it came form.

Psalm 19
1The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
2Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.
3There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;
4yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,

5which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.
6Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hid from its heat.
7The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple;
8the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes;
9the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.
11Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
12But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults.
13Keep back your servant also from the insolent; do not let them have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.

14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Psalms: Your brother, your enemy?

This relates to my current reading in I Samuel, but I thought of it while reading Psalm 27.

As I read about David's struggles with Saul, I found that I could relate to it so well. Here is a man of God at battle with another "man of God." On the one hand, David knows what is going to happen, but on the other he does not want to harm the other "man of God."

This is very much how I feel as I enter into my studies of Scripture again and begin looking at ministry opportunities. There are so many "Christians" who would rather I not exist, much less be in ministry. I myself am not a confrontational person the majority of the time and would rather not debate about such things, but it almost seems inevitable.

Here is the passage I was reading…

Psalm 27
1The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

2When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh— my adversaries and foes— they shall stumble and fall.
3Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident.
4One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.

5For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock.

6Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

7Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me!
8“Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!” Your face, Lord, do I seek.
9Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!

10If my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up.
11Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.
12Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence.

13I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
14Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Happy Thanks Giving

Yes, it is a time for giving thanks. I hope that each of you have a great day remembering what God has done for you in days gone by, as well as for our nation. While everything may not be as we would like it, there is still so much for which to be grateful.

Here are some of the things I am thankful for:

• My family has been apart of American history for 300 years and many things have changed for the better. Can you imagine if we still had the same laws and practices we had 300 years ago…or even 100 years ago? I still am a part of my family's life and I get to spend the holiday with them.
• I have great neighbors who are loving and supportive and with whom I have lots in common.
• I have a diverse group of friends that give me hope for the future of the human race.
• I am Baptist. Baptist have up until recently always stood for Separation of Church and State, as well as Religious Freedom. I am happy to be a part of a welcoming and affirming church that I enjoy being a part of and which still holds to these principles and seeks justice in our world.
• I also have a roof over my head and food on my table, even if it's not what I want all the time.
• I have a job…even if circumstances could be better.

I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Judges: God uses Women

As I read Judges, I was constantly reminded how frequently God used women not only to lead, but to give direction from the Lord to the people. It amazes me that even after their leadership, in the past that women have not been looked upon for leadership since that time and even discouraged from being a servant of God for so long. Even more amazing is that this continues to happen today in some groups.

If there is anything we can learn from Judges, it is God can use anyone. Have you met some of those characters?

The Cause: Mary Lou Wallner

For those of you who have not heard her story, I invite you to check it out. http://www.teach-ministries.org/ Mary Lou was featured in the film The Bible Tells Me So and in the most recent issue of People magazine. The article from People is not online, but basically says what her website says.

Please read about this ally of Gay Christians everywhere. It would be wonderful if my own parents came to the same conclusions, but for the time being we are chosing to agree to disagree rather than sever our ties.

Deuteronomy: The Word of God

It is interesting that so many of the famous passages are those that jump out at you when you read…Or perhaps they are famous because they jump out at you.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is one such passage which I recall hearing many times and always touches me. I am drawn to passages like this that draw emphasis on the Word of God.

4Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 5You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. 6Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. 7Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. 8Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, 9and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

One of my favorite Psalms is Psalm 119, which is a very long song about the Law/Word of God. I once did a service during which I and several friends read through the whole Psalm. It took about 20 minutes. The service did not have quite the impact I had hoped, but it was still meaningful for me and it is something I might try again.

Deuteronomy: Making since at last

So reading the Bible chronologically and in such a short time, is bringing some things to light that have sometimes been confusing.

For example, It was always a little confusing that Leviticus-Deuteronomy seems to repeat things, but I never really understood the rhyme or reason until today.

Deuteronomy starts out reminding the Israelites of what they have been through in preparation for entering the promise land. I suppose a student of the Bible such as myself should have noticed that before, but it just seemed to pop out when I read it this time.

It's just amazing how many times the Israelites screwed up and God punished, then forgave them. It is also interesting how many references to Christ coming that I am finding as I read through the Bible this time. I knew there were a few, but not quite so many before you get to the prophets.

Random Thought...

I was thinking about the design of my Xmas brunch invites today and I for some reason had I Corinthians 10:31 in my head. No idea why, but I think that it is appropriate as we head into Thanksgiving and Xmas.

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.

And in case anyone is taking offense at my use of Xmas, do not forget that X is the Greek letter Chi, which stands for Christ in the Icthus acronym.

Numbers

There is only one passage that you ever hear form Numbers. 6:24-26. Some have referred to it as the Lord's Prayer of the Old Testament. Sometimes I think it is over used, but it does have a very nice sentiment and has for centuries served as a blessing in both Jewish and Christian gatherings. So to each of you who happen upon my humble blog:

The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make his face to shine upon you,
and be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
and give you peace.

My Symbol: The Pink Queen Elizabeth Rose

For next Sunday's New Member Service, I have to give a blurb about my symbol. So, this is what I wrote in it's original form. I had to shorten it by 30 seconds but it still maintained a lot of what I wanted to say.

When I was 32, I decided that I wanted a tattoo and I knew that it had to be meaningful and it had to be personal…after all it may be with me a while. It did not take me long to settle on the pink Queen Elizabeth rose.

First of all it carries the name of my mother, grandmother and great grandmother, which I still hope to pass to my own daughter someday.

But more importantly, it has become a symbol of love, commitment and sacrifice in my own life. For 34 years my father has grown these roses in our yard. It is not because he loves gardening (he would rather be fishing) but because he loves my mother.

For nearly 9 months of the year my mother has roses throughout her house. I recall many a day when she would awake to find he had left her new roses before going to work. At other times he would bring them in while she was cooking dinner and no matter what had happened up to that point in the day, she would smile.

He did this because of his love and commitment to her and was willing to sacrifice his time and energy to make her smile. This is the kind of love, commitment and willingness to sacrifice I hope to have in my life and a reminder also to me of the love and commitment of Christ and the sacrifice of God.

What's not to love about Leviticus

Today's ready in my 52 day quest to read the Bible was the majority of Leviticus. I recall a time in Seminary when I was very interested in all of the specifics of what God required of the Israelites after coming out of Egypt. I even drew to scale all the elements as they were described and if I am not mistaken submitted all of this as part of a project for a class at a later date.

In one respect, Leviticus is enlightening, in that it shows the very specific way in which God desired the people to follow him. As we know this was not very successful and eventually God offered them a new plan.

So, Leviticus basically sets everyone up to fail? I am not so sure about that, but it does lay some kind of foundation for our understanding of our own inability to be obedient, even in seeking forgiveness.

I have to say that I skimmed a lot of Exodus and Leviticus thus far.

Exodus: Names of God

Today in my reading I came across another name of God which struck me as odd. I do not recall it, but it was there. In Chapter 34 God refers to God as Jealous. "I am Jealous", as in Jealous is God's name. In the context of Exodus and the laws regarding the worship of God, it makes sense, but it is not a name I readily think of when I think of God.

Encouraging...

I was looking through the Whosoever site and I came across there beliefs, which were all related to Scripture and as I read them, I began to be encouraged. So, I have taken some of those Scriptures and arranged them in a way that I hope brings glory to the Lord and also comfort and hope to others.

• Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
• 
  “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. “
  
• For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast.
  
• I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.
  
• You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.
  
• He said to him, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
  
• There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.
  
• “But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt.”

Hebrews 4:12, John 3:16-17, Ephesians 2:8-9, Galatians 2:21, John 15:18-19, Matthew 22:37-40, Galatians 3:28, Luke 6:27-29

Great Day Bulletion Cover

Call to Worship for Great Day

I am joining a Oakhurst Baptist Church on November 18, 2007 and as part of this, my new member class is doing the service. I am doing the call to worship and bulletin cover. I have attempted to blend part of our covenant which is our theme..."We are not here by chance" with Psalm 98 which is the Lectionary text for the Sunday we are doing this. I'd appreciate your comments positive or negative to this as it is in its current state. Basically the first line is the minister and the second is the congregation and so on.

Me: O sing to the LORD a new song, for God has done marvelous things.

Congregation: We are together only to be the church of God in Christ.

Me: Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.

Congregation: We are not here by chance…

We: Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody. Congregation: God through grace is making of us a fellowship… We: With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the Creator, the LORD.

Congregation: We are a fellowship to embody and to express the Spirit of Christ.

Me: Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it.

Congregation: "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female, for all of us are one in Christ Jesus."

Me: Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy at the presence of the LORD.

All: We are not here by chance.

Genesis: Names of God

Today I was reading back in Genesis. I read something I do not recall reading before. Jacob referred to God as the Fear of Issac several times. It is one of those names of God I never recall hearing. I suppose that it has to do with Abraham attempting to sacrifice Issac to God.

Genesis: Meeting God

I am reading through the Bible and today in my reading I was reminded how in Genesis, every time someone met God, they would name a place after their experience with God. I have given some thought and some of my friends are working on this themselves, but I decided to name a place where I had a significant experience with God.

When I was 10 I became a Christian at Camp Harmony in South Carolina. My experience had a strong impact on me, such that even that day knew God was calling me to serve the Lord.

I would call this place where I sat on the picnic table and met God:

Dieu de paix

- God of Peace in French. Peace is what I felt I had gained and peace is what I felt I had to offer others...

Job

Here is what I found interesting today in my 52 day quest to read the Bible through. We often think about Job as the text on handling suffering, but I have found several things in my reading the last 2 days that I never recall seeing. One is that Job often refers to God with names usually associated with Christ in the New Testament. Perhaps Job had some knowledge of the Savior God even before the time of the prophets...

Second, Job makes some very interesting statements about creation as he debates with his friends. Here are a couple.

Job 11:7-9
7‘Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? 8It is higher than heaven—what can you do? Deeper than Sheol—what can you know? 9Its measure is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.

Job 12:7-13
7‘But ask the animals, and they will teach you; the birds of the air, and they will tell you; 8ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. 9Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? 10In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of every human being. 11Does not the ear test words as the palate tastes food? 12Is wisdom with the aged, and understanding in length of days?
13‘With God are wisdom and strength; he has counsel and understanding.

Reading the Bible in 52 days

So my next reading is The Bible. Since I have been out of studying it for a while, (though in recent months I have regularly) I have decided to read it all at once in chronological order as sort of a refresher and see what pops out at me in the process that I might like to go back and research in detail next year. So for the next 52 days I am going toread through the Bible.