Psalm 29 - He upholds the universe by the word ...

Psalm 29:1 Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.

3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters.

4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.

6 He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.

7 The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire.

8 The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

9 The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare,

and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever.

11 May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!

 

David concentrates on the glory of God in this Psalm. You will notice that every time the Lord is found in this Psalm it is in the form "LORD," with all capital letters. That is because it represents the name of God and since Israeli tradition avoided saying the name of God, Yahweh, they spoke the word Adonai, or LORD. 

One of the ways to praise someone is to use their actual name rather than speaking the title of their job. Now, I know how wonderful it is to have the grandkids call me Papa rather than Edd, or when my daughter calls me, Daddy. There are moments and names that are very special, but to call God by a name rather than a generic, Lord, seems special. God's name is used over 5,000 times in the Old Testament and yet it is edited out of our English translations because of the old tradition. 

In this short Psalm of 12 verses the name of God, Yahweh, is used 18 times. David was praising the name of God. He was encouraging the heavens and the heavenly beings to praise the name of God. "Ascribe" is a command for the listeners to take something and attribute that something to someone. In this case, claim Yahweh is Glory and Strength. And to worship Him in the splendor of holiness. To David, there is none more holy than the one true God, Yahweh. 

The world has many gods, although the Bible denies that any of them are real, other than Yahweh. And it is unfortunate that even in the tradition of Israeli history that the one distinction that sets Him apart from all other gods, His name is obliterated. 

Yet David says He is Holy, set apart, and worthy of worship, not just by humans but by all the heavenly beings, and the heavens themselves. 

David talks about the Voice of Yahweh, how His voice is powerful and full of majesty. God spoke creation into being. His voice can still be heard throughout the universe as Hebrews says, "He upholds the universe by the word of His power." The power of the voice of Yahweh breaks the cedars, moves whole countries, flashes with fire, shakes the wilderness, speaks living creatures into existence. 

Christianity has talked about the Word of God and the power that is available to us by reading and studying the words of the Bible. We have referred to Jesus as the Word of God. John opens his gospel with, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." (John 1:1)

In times like these where we need some power over the universe, some power over this disease that is spreading, where else can we turn but to the voice of Yahweh, His Word, which speaks to us words of comfort and hope. And we need to be people who also speak the words of Yahweh to our friends and loved ones who are going through difficult times, whether it be financial, boredom, depression, grief, fear, anxiety. God has given us the opportunity to be there for them, to speak to their situation and bring them hope. 

May the LORD give strength to His people and give His people peace.

- Pastor Edd

Psalm 28 - be their shepherd and carry them

Psalm 28:1To you, O Lord, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me, lest, if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit.

2Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.

3Do not drag me off with the wicked, with the workers of evil, who speak peace with their neighbors while evil is in their hearts.

4Give to them according to their work and according to the evil of their deeds; give to them according to the work of their hands; render them their due reward.

5Because they do not regard the works of the Lord or the work of his hands, he will tear them down and build them up no more.

6Blessed be the Lord! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.

7The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.

8The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.

9Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

 

It was nice for the last week to relook at some of the stories surrounding Easter week. Today, I come back to the Psalms of David and the reality of his struggles. Normally, today would be a frantic time for many people who were waiting until the last minute to file their taxes. This year, the IRS and the State have extended the date for filing and paying your taxes to July 15th. However, that just gives us more time to think about the spread of the coronavirus and the struggles of our economy. 

In this Psalm, David's struggles were with his own temptations to be dragged off with the people whose deeds are evil. David knows that to follow in their direction would be destruction for him. He has the example set for him by king Saul. He has seen the countless people in his employment and he has watched the fruitless acts of those in his kingdom. Those who speak peace with their neighbors yet have evil in their hearts will end up with the devious choices they make coming right back upon themselves. Another part of the Bible says, "what you sow, you will reap." The way you treat other people will be the way other people treat you. It is nice to see the news media covering more and more feel-good stories about the good people are doing for one another. I could only hope they will continue to share these stories when the virus is gone. People are doing this kind of good all the time, even when we are not in the midst of a crisis. 

David finds his strength in the LORD, the God of Israel. He puts his trust in God and believes he receives a great benefit from Him. And David remembers to give God the thanks for what He has done. 

That is one of the dilemmas of the Christian faith, we want God to be near us in the times of trouble and then often we turn back to trusting in our own strength when the storms of life pass us by. How will my life be different when this virus is under control, when there is a vaccine? Will I still trust in the LORD? Will I still call upon Him and let Him be my strength? 

David's concern is for God to save His people. We know that He has chosen to do that through the voice of people who have been sent to share the good news of our sins being forgiven in the death and resurrection of Jesus. And ours are the voices. God desires to use us to speak to the people of this world and tell them about the love of Jesus. 

David instructs God to bless His heritage. The heritage David is talking about is the people of Israel, and yet those are the people whose leaders rejected God's blessing in Jesus and put Him to death. The heritage God had in mind was the whole of the world; Israel and also the other nations.

With the words, "be their shepherd and carry them," David is referring to something he knows all too well, the needs of the sheep. And he sees us as sheep who cannot exist without a shepherd to guide us. David knows that God is a good shepherd who will lead us in the right path and carry us when we are weary. 

Do not give up on God when the pandemic is over. Let Him always be your strength. Give Him the okay to carry you when you need extra care. It is such a joy to daily spend extra time with Jesus because we are "sheltering in place." Learn how valuable that is now while you have a chance and build a habit you can take with you into the "life after the virus." Don't stop spending time with Jesus because the storm clears and the sun shines again. Come out of this crisis of life with habits that continue to deepen your faith and increase your witness to others who need what Jesus has to offer. And be the one of the voices that help others find their strength in Jesus. 

have.

May you be blessed with health and hope in this time.

Pastor Edd

Psalm 25 - To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

Psalm 25:1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. 

2 O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. 

3 Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous. 

4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. 

5 Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long. 

6 Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. 

7 Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord! 

8 Good and upright is the Lord; therefore, he instructs sinners in the way. 

9 He leads the humble in what is right and teaches the humble his way. 

10 All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. 

11 For your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great. 

12 Who is the man who fears the Lord? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose. 

13 His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring shall inherit the land. 

14 The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. 

15 My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for he will pluck my feet out of the net. 

16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. 

17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses. 

18 Consider my affliction and my trouble and forgive all my sins. 

19 Consider how many are my foes, and with what violent hatred they hate me. 

20 Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me! Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. 

21 May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you. 

22 Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.

 

David was a King with troubles all around. His kingdom was quite a bit larger than a generation before him. He was a warrior for King Saul, his predecessor. He was the one who would lead the battles against the nations around Israel, conquer their lands, and bring them under the leadership of King Saul. Then David became King. The nations around Israel wanted their freedom back and sought for David's demise. He had troubles around him. 

I am sure he had troubles within Israel also. David was anointed the King of Israel before Saul was ready to give up the throne. For years, David wandered around the country, hiding from Saul and his other enemies. It wasn't until the next generation, under Solomon that the country greatly expanded its borders and Israel found a sense of peace for a few years.

So, David is drawing a distinction between the enemies and the followers of God. And as often is done, that distinction is vivid and exaggerated. The enemies are evil, and the others are those who seek the LORD, Yahweh, the God of Heaven. 

Those who seek the LORD are painted in a picture that glows with a picture of God's love and mercy. His followers find forgiveness of all sins, from the sins of youth to the sins of the King himself. Verses 9 and 10 make it sound like there are no troubles in the pursuit of the LORD, that He will protect the seeker from all ills; and verse 13 says they will abide in well-being and inherit the land. The description David lays before his listener is one of peace and joy and wonder and contentment. Being with God is fabulous. 

Then in the next verse (18) he asks the LORD to help him in his affliction and trouble. Wait! I thought the picture David was painting had no ills for the seeker of the LORD. But David now mentions his own troubles, foes, and those who hate him. 

Christians often make it sound like following Jesus is a life filled with days of bliss. In some ways they are, but not in the way it is often portrayed. I look back on my life with Jesus, since 1967 and before, over 50 years and can tell you I have never been disappointed I made the choice to follow after Jesus. But I have been disappointed. I have experienced sorrow and pain. I have known the troubles of life, the loss of people and things, the loneliness of perceived and even real isolation. Life with Jesus does not mean a life without struggle.

What I have. What all Christians have is faith, hope, and love. 

Faith that God is available for us to call upon. That we can lay every single concern before Him and He will listen and answer our prayers. Will He always give us what we want? Definitely not! But will He give us what is good? Always. How do I know? I have trusted in Him for over 50 years and never been disappointed. I sometimes had to wait longer than I wanted but when all was said and done, I knew that He had provided for me something better than I could have ever acquired or achieved on my own. There is a God to call upon in times of sorrow and in times of calm. 

Hope comes from my faith. I have seen God work in my life and in the lives of others. I have had the blessing of seeing lives transformed from addiction to wholeness. I have witnessed clear healings, where people were on their death bed and the next morning they stood up and went on to live another 20 years. There have been times of powerful transformations in demonically crazy people to calm and loving followers of Jesus. Instant changes and long gradual changes, but changes that I have had the privilege of witnessing. People who now have hope who did not before because Jesus came into their lives. 

Hope also comes in the form of an eternal hope. Even if, actually, when, I lose the battle for life itself, I have hope because there is another life more glorious than this one. Don't get me wrong, I love this world with all of its opportunities and beauties. But there is a place I long to be that I am told if far more glorious and wonderful than anything I or anyone else can even imagine in this world. And I have seen a lot of imaginations of what life could be. Heaven is even greater. Oh, what glorious hope that even when I or a loved one loses their life in this world, they will in Jesus move on to another place where Jesus dwells. 

And love. I can't forget the love of God. He is my help in time of need. He brings me what I need. I am continually amazed at the ways God prepares the way for me to walk. Before I even know what it might be that I need, I can see it unfolding before me. Is that just for me because I am a preacher? Not a chance! It is the way Go works in each of our lives, we just don't always take time to see the little things that God has done for us. Or we arrogantly take credit for them ourselves, thinking we made it happen without the help of God. 

When I look around my life, I see one situation after another where God has laid the groundwork for me to walk in His path and find the smoothest possible direction. But I am also tempted by the things this world has to offer. I want more than what God has to offer because it appears the other man's grass is always greener. But it is not, especially if the other man is evil and centered on the things of this world. 

David ends the Psalm today with a request of God to guard our souls and bring deliverance. I pray that for our church family, for Bonny Doon, for our friends, for our nation and for our world. I pray that the whole world, each and every person would find refuge in this time of trial in Jesus. I pray that all would put their faith, hope, and love in Him alone and find the peace that comes from following Him and definitely the peace that is available after this life is over. I pray that God would redeem this world, our nation, our area of the country out of all our troubles. 

May Jesus bless you richly, with peace, comfort, friendships, and hope as we all traverse the next few weeks and possibly a bit more. 

Pastor Edd

Psalm 23 - The LORD is a good shepherd

The LORD is a good shepherd

Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.  3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.  4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.   Two thoughts come to mind this morning, to speak against and to speak for. Let me explain. Paul says we should resist the devil and he will flee from us. So, I encourage you to just that. When fear, frustration, boredom, anxiety, and the like come into your thinking or your speech, tell it to "go away, I don't want it and I don't receive it." And then do as David does, start with your confession of what you do believe. "The LORD is the one watching out for me." And then continue on listing all of the things you believe God does for you even in the "presence of my enemies."  You could just speak this Psalm out loud in your house, recite it over and over. I remember a book I read years ago that talked about thinking of the 23rd Psalm as a prescription written by your spiritual doctor. Rather than "take these pills, twice a day," it reads, "Read this Psalm when you wake up and when you lie down to sleep." Speak out the confession that the LORD will take of me, I will have no wants or needs. He will restore my soul and make me walk in green pastures and beside still waters. He will be the one who comforts us all in this time of death and fear because His rod and staff will be there to guide and protect. He will pour out His blessings on us even in the midst of the suffering and loss of our loved ones. Goodness and Mercy will follow us all the days of our lives, and we shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.  I have always pictured a serene pasture leading to a mountain pass with the shepherd out in front of the flock and nipping at the heels of the straggling sheep are the two sheep dogs, one named goodness and the other mercy, bringing up the rear. Jesus is never going to leave us or forsake us; He will make sure we know of His goodness and His mercy that is always with us.  Our human problem is how we think. For some reason we like to think of the negative. The news media gives us the negative twist on the story. They could be telling us how many people have the virus and how many have not died. That to me would be more hopeful. "Today 985 people are still living with the virus, and 824 of them are fully recovered."  Once again, when the negative starts to enter your mind or you realize you are stressing over a negative idea, speak against it, "Be gone, I don't want you in my mind." It seems awkward at first, a little silly, but it works.  Then replace it with something good and positive. Sing a happy song, recite a poem, speak out your beliefs, recount your blessings. Maybe you can put the 23rd Psalm on your bulletin board or refrigerator or in your pocket so it is readily available when you need to confess the positive truths of what God has done for you.   The church hymn goes like this, "When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord has done. Count your blessings, name them one by one, Count your blessings, see what God has done! Count your blessings, name them one by one, Count your many blessings, see what God has done." Or had the alternate last line, “And it will surprise you what the LORD has done.” When I stop to list all of the things that I believe Jesus has done for me in my life, I am amazed. Recently, I wrote a book about my life called the Drunken Preacher. I wrote it for my kids and grandkids to know the stories behind why I am a pastor and the many ways Jesus has impacted my life. But it is now being read widely. You don’t have to write a book, but in this time of sheltering in place, take a moment and begin your list. What has Jesus done for you? List them one by one and keep the list handy, you might be surprised by what the LORD has done. The LORD is a good shepherd, He will watch over you in this time of uncertainty. Pastor Edd

Psalm 22 - Peace in Your Time of Sheltering

Peace in Your Time of Sheltering

Psalm 22:1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? 

Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? 

2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. 

3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. 

4 In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. 

5 To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. 

6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. 

7 All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; 

8 “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” 

9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.

10 On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother's womb you have been my God. 

11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help. 

12 Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; 

13 they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. 

14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; 

15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. 

16 For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet— 

17 I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me; 

18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. 

19 But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! 

20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog! 

21 Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!

22 I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: 

23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! 

24 For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him. 

25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him. 

26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord! May your hearts live forever! 

27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. 

28 For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. 

29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. 

30 Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; 

31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.

 

Psalm 22 has been a favorite of the Christian church from the beginning. Jesus spoke the beginning of the Psalm when hanging on the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" People around Him thought He was crying out for Elijah because "My God" in Hebrew is "Eloi." Jesus felt forsaken in that moment because God would not come to His rescue because that was the moment Jesus came to earth for, to die for the sins of the world. 

Later in this Psalm David says, "a company of evildoers encircle me; they have pierced my hands and feet—  I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots." Clearly foretelling the events of the crucifixion. But it also shows us a glimpse of the suffering Jesus went through for us. 

Now, in America, actually, throughout the world, people are almost being forced to suffer for their neighbors. We shelter in place to slow the spread of the virus. We choose to do this more for others than for ourselves. We could cry out like Jesus asking God why He is doing this to our world. We could complain that the government is making us give up the life we have known. We could be frustrated and find someone to point the finger at and blame them for what is going on. But that will not bring any help. Judging others never brings good to their life or to the life of the one judging. 

David's response is one of praise and trust, "Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame." I encourage you to take the same tactic David did. 

First, remember God is holy. Whatever He chooses to do in this life is good. We cannot see from the perspective of God, we do not have the benefit of seeing all of time at once, knowing the future and how the present will make the future better. We are limited in our understanding. But God is not. He is all-knowing and He is all powerful. He has everything under His control. And if He allows a virus like this to exist and to spread as it is spreading, He must have a reason that we can trust even if we do not understand. 

Second, God is enthroned on the praises of His people. It could be simply stated, "If you wish to be close to God, sing His praises." If you don't like your singing voice, then listen to hymns or praise songs. Most TVs and computers these days can get you in contact with Christian music, turn it on and hum along. Think about the words, give the praise to Jesus, and become aware of His presence. Learn to recognize that Jesus is with you, feel Him close, and let Him bring you comfort and peace in this time of turmoil. 

Third, the past vindicates God. David remembers that his fathers, going back to Abraham, trusted in God and were not disappointed. "In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame." You have that past experience as well. You have prayed, trusted, hoped, and waited. God has not disappointed you and He will not disappoint in the future. 

How long we have to wait, what will happen in the meantime, these are questions I have no answers for. But I do have the confidence that Jesus is right here with us, that He wishes to reassure us, that He does have the world in His hands, and He will bring His best to our lives and the lives of those we love. 

Paul mentioned in one of his letters that to go and be with Jesus is "much, more, better." In the Greek language, using comparatives and superlatives together just emphasizes the greatness of the statement. We would say in English, "much greater." But the phrase Paul uses in the Greek is like saying more than, "most greatest." To be with Jesus is the ultimate goal. Some might get there sooner than they planned with this virus, but what a glorious sight that will be, to see Jesus face to face. In His time. 

While we have the time to shelter in place, let's not just clean out our closets, or watch the news, but let's take more time than normal to develop our faith in a Holy God, our trust and praise of Him, and our recollection of the many blessings He has poured out upon us in the past. With these three thoughts David found peace and contentment when the bulls of Basham were surrounding him. 

May you find that same peace in your time of sheltering. 

- Pastor Edd

Psalm 21 - Do not lose hope in God!

Do not lose hope in God!

Psalm 21:1 O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults! 2 You have given him his heart's desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah 3 For you meet him with rich blessings; you set a crown of fine gold upon his head. 4 He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever. 5 His glory is great through your salvation; splendor and majesty you bestow on him. 6 For you make him most blessed forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence. 7 For the king trusts in the Lord, and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved. 8 Your hand will find out all your enemies; your right hand will find out those who hate you. 9 You will make them as a blazing oven when you appear. The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath, and fire will consume them. 10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth, and their offspring from among the children of man. 11 Though they plan evil against you, though they devise mischief, they will not succeed. 12 For you will put them to flight; you will aim at their faces with your bows. 13 Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power.   Looking directly into the face of an enemy can cause fear, especially when the enemy has so many unknowns. Where is this virus, who has it, and will it actually harm me? These questions come to my mind often. When will it really show its face in our county? It is all around us, but we cannot see it. We talked on Sunday of people we know who have this virus. We mentioned many of our loved ones and friends who are in the middle of the battle as first responders, police, fire fighters, nurses and doctors. We prayed for the virus to stop in its tracks, much the same as David reminds God of His power to find the evil (verse 8) and destroy them as a blazing oven destroys the food that is left inside it for too long. We would want God to consume this virus and not the people who have it.  But our hope and strength lie not in our words of condemnation but in our God who we know loves us and cares for us in the midst of these kinds of tragedies. I do not lose hope in God to be faithful. As David says in the beginning of this Psalm, God brings to us our heart's desire and answers our prayers. He pours out blessings upon us. He gives us life and hope and joy even in the midst of our enemies.  In the news today, our lock down might be longer than we thought. It might take us through the month of April or longer. That seems like a long time from now. However, I remember the last month of my high school years. I thought the day of graduation would never arrive. And then I couldn't wait until college started. And then the last quarter of college was agonizing, as was the month before Seminary and the last month of Seminary. You get the point. All of those months make up less than a year of my life compared to the 72 years I have lived without the anxiety of waiting. One month will be over before we know it, but we will think about it often during that time.  The news this morning is not good in some parts of the United States. The expectation is for that bad news to grow in the coming days. Continue to pray for God's help and support in these times.  When you begin to wonder what will happen in the next month, turn back to God. Don't let the anxiety overcome you. Turn to prayer, singing, and reading the word. Join with us on Sunday mornings for our Zoom meetings (see details at the bottom of this email message) where we can see one another face to face. Keep in touch with one another by phone, email, text, or writing. Support each other as we walk through this difficult time. Spread the love of Jesus toward you family and friends. Have faith that this will be over.  "Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power." - Pastor Edd

Psalm 20 - Speak blessings, NOT curses

Speak blessings, NOT curses...

Edd spoke on the 20th Psalm this morning.  You can listen to his message here:  https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-ycydq-d794ef Psalm 20:1 May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! 2 May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion! 3 May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah 4 May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans! 5 May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions!  6 Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven     with the saving might of his right hand. 7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. 8 They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright. 9 O Lord save the king! May he answer us when we call. David opens this Psalm with a blessing. The word "blessing" comes from the Greek word that means "good words" or to speak onto someone else words that will bring them good fortune. There was a firm belief in the time of the Old Testament that what you say to someone will come true for them.  We have lost that faith over the years in many ways. We will say, "God bless you" or "Have a good day," but almost out of reaction or habit and sometimes we forget to mean it in our heart. What if we knew God was watching over the words we speak to help them come true? I think of two quick reasons I might change the way I speak. One, I might stop saying the negative things because I do not in any way want to wish ill on other people, even if I don't like what are doing at the moment. Two, I might start thinking before I speak so I am passing on to other people the best of God's will and the most wonderful life I could imagine for them.   David blesses his listeners with the presence of God in the people's lives so they will have answers from God, His protection and support in their ventures, and His favor over all their offerings of good deeds. David also blesses people with God granting them their heart's desire and the fulfillment of all their plans. (verse4) Wow. I would be happy to have people pronounce that blessing on me every day, wouldn't you? What if you wrote this blessing in your own words and put it on your refrigerator? Then picked a friend or a loved one, maybe two or three, and spoke this blessing over them each day as you began your morning or started your meal. And kept doing this until you began to believe that the words you are speaking over them are coming true because of the power of God's love in your life and in theirs. Could the changes in other people be thwarted by the negative things we speak or our lack of faith in seeing our role in the betterment of the lives of others.  Chariots and horses, armies, cannot be fully trusted to bring good to your friends and loved ones. But trusting in the name of the LORD our God can. Rise up with confidence in a loving and caring God, One in whom we can place our hope and reliance, and in His name, bless your friends continually with good things. Pastor Edd

Psalm 19 - Let the words of my mouth be acceptable

Let the words of my mouth ...be acceptable in your sight, O Lord

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, 5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. 6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.   7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.   11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 12 Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. 13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.   I am a big fan of the Bible. I have found it to be the source of all I believe and teach. When I am weary and in need of comfort, I turn to the words of this book, any part of it, and I find rest for my soul. And David seems to have found much the same things in the words of the LORD.  He begins this Psalm with praise of God and His handiwork. The beauty of this earth and sky declare the glory of God. Whether it is a clear day with a blue sky or a blustery afternoon with wind and clouds, you can look and see the handiwork of God. And the Son reminds us of the faithfulness of God when it arrives anew every morning, coming out of its chamber like the bridegroom.  He then talks about the words of God in verses seven through ten. The Bible uses many words to describe the things God tells us. Here, David calls them laws, testimonies, precepts, commandments, fear, and rules. When normally associate laws with things we have to do whereas testimonies seem to bring up ideas of life stories. Precepts and commandments take us back to the idea of things we have to do, things that must be obeyed. Most people don't like to think about what they have to do, they enjoy rather thinking about what they want to do. David finishes his list with fear and rules. Fear, in the Bible, refers to the awe that a person has in the presence of a formidable other. In this case God, so much bigger and more powerful, one needs to be in awe of Him.  What does David say about the words of God? He uses words like perfect, sure, right pure, clean, true, and righteous altogether.  And then he lists a few qualities that come to our lives when we listen to these words. The words of God revive the soul, make the simple wise, rejoice the heart, enlighten the eyes, and cause the heart to last forever. Then he describes the words of God in comparison to gold and honey. It is better to have your life filled with the words and teachings of God than to have an untold amount of gold or your taste buds coated with the sweetness of fresh honey. There have been so many times in my life that I thought I could revive my soul by taking a long vacation or improve my wisdom with a little more study. I did not realize all I needed was a little more time with my creator and listening to the words of the book He has provided for us. I have sought to find joy in the pleasures of this life and the things that make my eyes dance with delight, and all the time I could have just turned to the Bible and found what I was looking for.  I have to tell you; I have never been as happy and comforted and calmed as I am when I sit back and take the time to read and meditate on the words of God. To read a few verses and think about what God might be telling me through these words even though they were written so many years ago.  David ends the Psalm with the idea that the words of God warn me if I follow the advice in this Book, I will have great reward. When I do not heed the advice these words offer, my life becomes more of a struggle. Regularly reading and paying attention to the ideas of the Bible keep me from making choices that cause God disappointment. It is in following the word of God and keeping His commands that my life is full of abundance even in the midst of the difficulties of life.  Can you join with me in praying David's words in verse 14, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer." - Pastor Edd

Psalm 15 - Who is right in God’s eye?

Who is right in God’s eye?

Psalm 15:1 O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill?  2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart.  3 who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor,  nor takes up a reproach against his friend.  4 in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord, who swears to his own hurt and does not change;  5 who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.   David asks God about the people who can dwell with God. David is raising a great question, who does God look upon as "righteous." Who is right in God's eyes?  David lists a number of qualities that he believes causes a person to fit in the category of "righteous." No slander of others, do no evil to your neighbor, and does not take up a reproach against a friend. The list goes on. Micah, a prophet who spoke many years after David said, "God has told you, o man, what is good; and what the Lord requires of you; to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Years later Jesus says there are two great commandments, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself."  In the times we are living through it seems many people are exhibiting these qualities and asking God for help and reaching out to help their neighbors. I love hearing the stories about people helping one another and I always love talking with people who are seeking God's help for comfort and assistance in difficult times.  The hope I have is two-fold, that people will seek God more in the future than they have in the past, and I include me in that statement. And I hope that people will stop the slander of others, the doing of evil, and taking up a reproach against their friends, and I include me in that comment as well.  You and I want to blame someone for this event we have going in our world. We hear someone say something or see someone do something and our first reaction is, "they are not doing the right thing." Whether we are criticizing our government leaders or making a comment about the college students on spring break, ignoring the "shelter in place" commands that have been levied. We want to make our comments, make them strong enough so people can hear our passion, and we want someone to do something so this whole thing will "blow over." I agree.  But nothing good will come from our criticism of others, they won't change as quickly as we would like, they won't act according to our standards, and they won't like it when we speak out against them. All that happens, does so within us. We get angry, we allow our frustration level to rise, and we start to be the kind of person we don't want to be because all we can do is speak about the things we don't like in others. Soon we just live out what we are speaking.  Let's try to be different in our times of sheltering. Maybe the silence of our shelter will help us see the way we speak evil of others, the politicians, the bosses, the neighbors, etc. Take some time to "dwell in God's tent." Spend a few minutes today thinking about the qualities David lists in this Psalm and ask God to help you make the needed changes in your life so you can be more kind, more just, and treat people in our words and our actions, with mercy and love.  I saw a post yesterday that did not give an author and I could not find one on the internet but it says, "There is no perfect life, no perfect job, no perfect childhood, no perfect marriage, and no perfect set of people who will always do what we expect them to do.  What we have is a perfect God who is able to lead us through this imperfect life with unfailing strength, incomparable wisdom and infinite love."  Join with me in trying a little harder today to imitate God's qualities in all I do and say.  Pastor Edd

Psalm 14 - Can't we do this another way?

Can't we do this another way?

Psalm 14:1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good. 

2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. 

3 They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. 

4 Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread 

and do not call upon the Lord? 

5 There they are in great terror, for God is with the generation of the righteous. 

6 You would shame the plans of the poor, but the Lord is his refuge.

7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! 

When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

 

David calls the atheist a fool. You could see that as cruel. But I think David is just being realistic. The choice is simple, you believe there is a God, or you do not believe there is a God. I know some choose to be agnostic, they are still making up their minds on which to choose. Choosing is not easy, but there is plenty of evidence in creation and in living to help us make this decision. 

David says God is looking down upon the earth seeking for people who are seeking Him. So many, he goes on to say, have turned aside and become corrupt. No one does good. Just for clarification, David's definition of good and evil, if you look at all of his writings, is simple; if you do what God says, its good, if not it is evil. He is not making a profound judgment upon the world; he just sees those who seek after and follow God as good and everything else is evil. 

David's assessment of the people who choose evil over good brings him to the conclusion they are in great terror. Now, I know some atheists. They don't seem to be in great terror. Although, I have not talked to them during this current situation in the world. It has to seem terrifying to not have hope. To think that this virus will destroy much of mankind and bring down the whole economy of the world. What to do? What to do?

God is a refuge, a salvation, a place to go in a time of trouble and find rest for our souls and comfort for our thinking. Even Jesus, when He was in the garden of Gethsemane on the night of His trial and the day before His crucifixion, asked God to take the "cup" away. "I don't want to suffer," was His thinking. "Can't we do this another way?" was His question. But His resolve was more straightforward, "I do not want my will to prevail, I want Your will to dominate." What Jesus knew, at the most crucial time of His life, was the simple truth, there is a God and His best will prevail, no matter the circumstances or my perception of the storms I experience in life.

Let's look at it this way. When do I really have control over my life? Oh, I can make choices and I often do. Some turn out good and others not so good. I really cannot control the little things of my life much less the grand scheme of things in the world around me. I can make a list of what I want to do and have happen today, but only part of the list gets done; other things show up that I could not have predicted. Jesus once said, "Don't worry about tomorrow, today has enough worries of its own." How true!

One of King Solomon's proverbs says, "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand." 

I might as well trust that what happens today is what is in the hands of the Lord. Peace, the opposite of anxiety, comes from realizing that God is in control. I just need to acknowledge His presence. I am not in control, and I don't need to be, because God is and I trust Him to make good decisions on my behalf, on behalf of all mankind. 

Years ago, my sister-in-law sent me a shirt that she had embroidered. It included a beautiful sunrise and included these words, "When your day is hemmed in prayer, it is less likely to unravel." 

You can choose to discount God, but I agree with David, that is foolish. Seek Him out in this time of need and ask Him to bring you the comfort and peace you need to calm your anxious thoughts. Then turn off the TV or the news for a while and enjoy the many blessings God has given you. 

God will restore the fortunes of our lives and we will again rejoice when this is all over. 

- Pastor Edd