Thursday, April 7, 2011

What a Wonderful God

The Psalms
105

The LORD's Wonders in Behalf of Israel
1 Chr. 16.7-22
1 O give thanks unto the LORD;

call upon his name:
make known his deeds among the people.
2 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him:

talk ye of all his wondrous works.
3 Glory ye in his holy name:

let the heart of them rejoice
that seek the LORD.
4 Seek the LORD, and his strength:

seek his face evermore.
5 Remember his marvelous works that he hath done;

his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
6 O ye seed of Abraham his servant,

ye children of Jacob his chosen.
7 He is the LORD our God:

his judgments are in all the earth.
8 He hath remembered his covenant for ever,

the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.
9 Which covenant he made with Abraham, Gen. 12.7 ; 17.8

and his oath unto Isaac; Gen. 26.3
10 and confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law,

and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:
11 saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan,

the lot of your inheritance. Gen. 28.13
12 When they were but a few men in number;

yea, very few, and strangers in it;
13 when they went from one nation to another,

from one kingdom to another people;
14 he suffered no man to do them wrong:

yea, he reproved kings for their sakes;
15 saying, Touch not mine anointed,

and do my prophets no harm. Gen. 20.3-7
16 Moreover he called for a famine upon the land:

he brake the whole staff of bread. Gen. 41.53-57
17 He sent a man before them,

even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: Gen. 37.28 ; 45.5
18 whose feet they hurt with fetters:

he was laid in iron:
19 until the time that his word came:

the word of the LORD tried him. Gen. 39.20--40.23
20 The king sent and loosed him;

even the ruler of the people,
and let him go free. Gen. 41.14
21 He made him lord of his house,

and ruler of all his substance: Gen. 41.39-41
22 to bind his princes at his pleasure;

and teach his senators wisdom.
23 Israel also came into Egypt; Gen. 46.6

and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. Gen. 47.11
24 And he increased his people greatly;

and made them stronger than their enemies.
25 He turned their heart to hate his people,

to deal subtilely with his servants. Ex. 1.7-14
26 He sent Moses his servant;

and Aaron whom he had chosen. Ex. 3.1--4.17
27 They showed his signs among them,

and wonders in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness, and made it dark; Ex. 10.21-23

and they rebelled not against his word.
29 He turned their waters into blood,

and slew their fish. Ex. 7.17-21
30 Their land brought forth frogs in abundance,

in the chambers of their kings. Ex. 8.1-6
31 He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, Ex. 8.20-24

and lice in all their coasts. Ex. 8.16, 17
32 He gave them hail for rain,

and flaming fire in their land.
33 He smote their vines also and their fig trees;

and brake the trees of their coasts. Ex. 9.22-25
34 He spake, and the locusts came,

and caterpillars, and that without number,
35 and did eat up all the herbs in their land,

and devoured the fruit of their ground. Ex. 10.12-15
36 He smote also all the firstborn in their land,

the chief of all their strength. Ex. 12.29
37 He brought them forth also with silver and gold:

and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.
38 Egypt was glad when they departed:

for the fear of them fell upon them. Ex. 12.33-36
39 He spread a cloud for a covering;

and fire to give light in the night. Ex. 13.21, 22
40 The people asked, and he brought quails,

and satisfied them with the bread of heaven. Ex. 16.2-15
41 He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out;

they ran in the dry places like a river. Ex. 17.1-7 · Num. 20.2-13
42 For he remembered his holy promise,

and Abraham his servant.
43 And he brought forth his people with joy,

and his chosen with gladness:
44 and gave them the lands of the heathen: Josh. 11.16-23

and they inherited the labor of the people;
45 that they might observe his statutes,

and keep his laws.
Praise ye the LORD.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

A Real Concern for The Future

James 5
Warning to Rich Oppressors
1 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.[a] 6 You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.
Patience in Suffering
7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 9 Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.
The Prayer of Faith
13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Footnotes:

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Freedom in Christ Jesus is Key

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (John 8:36). Free from what? First, from the power of indwelling sin. Not that the sinful nature is eradicated or even slain, but that the heart is delivered from its dominion. "Being now made free from sin" (Rom. 6:22). That which was once loved, is now hated. Those solicitations which were gladly heeded, are now resisted. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Prov. 9:10). None have been made wise unto salvation (2 Tim. 3:15) unless there has been implanted in their hearts a filial respect for God. And, "the fear of the Lord is to hate evil" (Prov. 8:13), and "by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil" (Proverbs 16:6). The heart of a saved person is set upon pleasing God.

Second, the Christian is delivered from the power of the world. "The friendship of the world is enmity with God, whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God" (Jam, 4:4). The friendship of the world consists of indulging worldly lusts, following worldly vanities, fellowshipping with worldlings. It is for the heart to find its satisfaction in the perishing things of time and sense. From this the grace of God delivers its favored subjects, by fixing their heart upon One who is "altogether lovely." Before Christ saves him, a man seeks happiness in the pleasures, honors, or riches of this world; but when He delivers "from this present evil world" (Gal. 1:4), his affections are drawn unto things above. "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world" (1 John 5:4). The heart of a saved person finds its delight in God.

Shirley Caesar "He's Bringing You Out"

Shirley Caesar sings GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU