THE LAST WEEK: JOHN 11:1-16

This first day of March begins a new blog series leading up to Easter Sunday. Today's passage from John's Gospel, finds Jesus' friends, Mary and her sister, Martha in great distress. Their brother Lazarus has fallen gravely ill . They send for Jesus to come, but he purposely delays responding to the request. It appears Jesus knew that Lazarus would die before he could be there to heal him. Imagine the sisters' grief when Jesus did not arrive to prevent Lazarus's death... Have you ever been disappointed when God seemed to ignore your prayer request? But this story is not over ...

Artist unknown

PSALM 150!

Here we are ...after 150 days we come to the end of the Book of Psalms! To those who have faithfully followed and to those who just occasional catch this posting- THANK YOU!

I am taking Feb 28th off:-) And starting March 1st I will follow John's Gospel account of the last week of Christ before his Resurrection. We will begin with John 12.

Now for today, the focus of Psalm 150 is nothing but praise!
Where should we praise the Lord? ...in his sanctuary and in his heavens. Why should we praise God? ... for his acts of power and surpassing greatness. How should we praise God? ... with musical instruments and dancing. Who should praise the Lord?... everything that has breath! Are you breathing? How about a "shout out" for your creator and redeemer? Here is one of the percussionist from Epcot's Christmas Concert... she was amazing!

PSALM 149

"Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints." The sounds of gathered Christians are to ring out with joy and creative expressions in praise to God.
Several years ago I visited this church in Thessaloniki, Greece. Paul wrote about these Christians, "you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit." Well something has gone very sour in the last 2,000 years! Two older women sat in the back of the sanctuary in "their special chairs". They never smiled but were quite clear as they barked orders to everyone who entered the worship area.... each pronouncement started the same, "Don't ...". Indeed there was no joy to be find anywhere. What's your experience with Christians? Joyful or sour?

PSALM 148

"Praise the Lord. Young men and maidens, old men and children, let them praise the name of the Lord for his name alone is exalted!"
Sunday night at Orlando Presbyterian Church we celebrated our first baptism! Elders brought water for the baptism bowl as the parents,  presented their son for the sacrament. Indeed - Praise the Lord!

PSALM 147

Here are some of my favorite words in Scripture,"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Just look at these kids, my three grand kids and my great niece and nephew. They have seen their share of lumps and bumps along their young lives, but fun and friendship are close at hand, among these cousins, even though they haven't seen each other in years! Praise God for his healing grace!

PSALM 146 2 Questions

How does the Lord fulfill his promise to ..."uphold the cause of the oppressed and give food to the hungry."? God calls us to do it in his Name. There ... it's quite simple! Now the next question, "What are you doing to help"? Here are members of Orlando Presbyterian Church stocking the shelves at Community Outreach's discount grocery store. All this food had been donated to feed hungry families. We spent a morning helping out. Next month we are on to another worthwhile project to be Christ's hands and feet.

PSALM 145

A seminary professor once said,"...the Christan faith is very fragile...if one generation fails to pass on the faith to another, it could die....". Hear the wise words of the Psalm: "One generation will commend your works to another"...they will speak of God's glorious splendor and majesty, God's powerful works, the abundance of his goodness and they will joyfully sing of God's righteousness. What have we done today to nurture others in the faith of Jesus Christ? God calls each of us to that task. Here Guy, an Elder at Orlando Presbyterian, is teaching our youth fishing as well as mentoring them in Christian values.  Don't you just love the kid's expression on the left?! "Are we really gonna eat these smelly fish?" 

PSALM 144

"O Lord, what is man that you care for him?

Man is like a breath;

his days are like a fleeting shadow."

 

And yet the Lord of all, is our loving God,

our protective fortress and shield,

the One who delivers us from our own sin,

the One in whom we find peace.

Blessed are the ones whose God is the Lord!

 

 

PSALM 143

If you are a gardener, you know what a drought does to your plants.... they wither and then the ground cracks open as if to catch any possible moisture. Souls can wither also... leaving large gaping places needing to be filled. "I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land." And what quenches such a thirst?
"God's unfailing love..." Put your trust in the only sure source of unfailing love. See what Jesus Christ can do with your life!

Taken in Badlands National Park, SD

PSALM 142

Hiding in a cave from his enemy, David calls out to God. His prayer portrays a man troubled, desperate, weary from in the inside out and terribly lonely.  He knows God is his refuge but he cries out for some tangible comfort. He ends the prayer with two requests: to be set free from his enemy's pursuit and to be surrounded by people who love God.  The latter is huge! We need others to stand with us in hard times. These women and others certainly stood with me through my share of lonely troubled times in ministry. Have you stood alongside   your pastor? ...offering friendship and prayer?

PSALM 141

"O Lord, I call to you; come quickly to me.

Hear my voice when I call to you.

May the lifting up of my hands be like a sacrifice to you."

This would be good exercise for all of us!

 

 

PSALM 140 Deliver Us from Evil

Today I spent time with Jill, who is a major force behind engaging our Presbytery to search for ways to end human trafficking in America and particularly in Central Florida, which is a major area for kidnapping and forcing young girls into the sex slavery market. Appalling, I know. But if Christians don't speak out against this evil, who will? In the USA there is even a "market" for infants to be used as sexual objects. May we all be better informed, more attentive to our surroundings and stand up for the victims of this horrendous evil.
I invite you to pray this prayer from Psalm 140 for your family and our nation.

Rescue my family and this nation, from evil ones; protect us from people of violence, who devise evil plans in their hearts and stir up war every day. Keep us, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked who spread out the cords of their net and set traps for people along their paths. O Sovereign Lord, our strong deliverer, shield our heads in the day of battle. We know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy. 

Indeed evil comes in many forms. This picture of a sign at ground zero in New York City was taken in 2001.

PSALM 139

"O Lord you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. You hem me in behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me." Yes, God knows everything about us... the good...the bad...and the ugly! And God still loves us with an ever abiding  commitment! Who knew!!!

PSALM 138

I have been in my share of life crashes... smashed by my own sinfulness and somethings hit by other's sins. And like King David's experience, God has always brought me through. "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, and with your right hand you save me. The Lord will fulfill his purposes for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever." If you are getting beat up with life, turn to Christ. He is very good at turning life crashes into opportunities for growth for each of us.  Here is a picture of the annual school bus demolition derby at Washington Co. PA fairgrounds.

PSALM 137

Besides Psalm 22 and 23, this is the most dramatic of all the Psalms. The people of Israel captured and carried away to Babylon, their beloved city, Jerusalem or Zion, the symbol of God's promises to them, was laid in ruins ... They are working for their captures and to add insult they are made to sing for them. "By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, 'Sing us one of the songs of Zion!' Kidnapped, defeated and now humiliated, they lash out with a heart of revenge and hatred. Yet in spite of all the above, they remain confident that God will have the last word. And God did vindicate and rescue them in time. Whatever you face today, know that God is able and willing to bring you through to the other side, where genuine heartfelt songs of joy will come forth!
Here is a lush spot along the Sebastion River.

PSALM 136

Does anything last forever? ...Not much in this world ...with one profound exception. Over and over, 26 times, the song's refrain fills the air, "God's love endures forever." We are hit with all types of offers to buy this or that...scams... or bait and switch bargains like the picture below taken in St Croix. But God's love in not only enduring but always available to any who seek him. And yes it is free everyday :-)

PSALM 135

Lest we forget the power and authority of God; "The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths." Picture from St Croix

PSALM 134

This is the last of the "songs of ascent" ...songs Jewish travelers would sing on their way to the temple in Jerusalem. In the Hebrew culture, worship was not just an intellectual expression. They understood the need to involve their total being in expressing praise; hence they danced before the Lord, clapped and yes, raised their hands to offer God a heart full act of adoration. They remembered the commandment to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind and strength {body}. Oh that our worship would move us to such passion  and praise, that we needed more than our thoughts and words to speak and show God our adoration!

Even the plants and trees "raise their hands" to praise the Lord of all creation.

PSALM 133

"How good and pleasant it is when siblings live together in unity! ... for there the Lord bestows his blessing..." Here are my grand kids a few years ago and now at 8, 8 and 11 they still treat each other with respect and loyalty.

PSALM 132

Here is a word for the church- "May your priests be clothed with righteousness; and may your saints sing for joy." We know the only true righteousness in this life comes to us as a gift. To be more specific, the gift is Christ's righteousness draped over us. May pastors be humbled in wearing Christ's righteousness, and may congregations sing for joy to the Lord.

Here are couple of Orlando Presbyterian joyful worshippers!

PSALM 131

"My heart is not proud, O Lord, my eyes are not haughty;
...I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with her mother..." my wonderful daughter in law and granddaughter!

PSALM 130

Mark this Psalm in your Bible!Whenever you hit a rough patch in life, turn here for comfort and direction. "Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.... with you there is forgiveness... I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope." There is no pit so deep that God's love and mercy can not reach. Think on this - you may wait over an hour to reach a Disney World ride, but you know the wait is worth it. God's loving action in your life is more than worth the wait. Remember the three P's... patience, perseverance and prayer.

I waited an hour to finally catch a photo of a moose in WY... so worth the wait!

PSALM 129

Some of us have gone through fierce personal storms, just like the lyrics to today's Psalm. ... Oppression  that feels like someone driving  a plow down your back.  In spite of the turmoil, the song writer testifies that the storm has not gained the victory! In fact the Lord has and will "cut us free from the cords of the wicked."
Whatever storm you face today, know that Christ is sufficient and willing to walk you through.

PSALM 128

Humility is not a welcomed attribute these days. Power, money and influence are the currency of the day. So this passage runs counter culture- "Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in God's ways."
Another way to understand the biblical call to fear God, is to respect or honor God ... to posture ourselves under God's power and majesty.... to humble ourselves before the Lord Jesus Christ. This psalm observes that those who do humble themselves before God, will surely find blessings. Now who should we believe?... the advertising world that promises happiness with power, money and "stuff" or God Almighty? I don't know about you, but I am going with God!

The way to Yellowstone Park

PSALM 127

We can get really full of ourselves... "Look what I have accomplished!" And we boast in our ribbons, trophies, promotions and achievements ! But consider who gave us the brains, brawn, and opportunities...who rules over all that can be seen and unseen? Let's get real- "Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain." Instead of expecting God to be on our side, lets be on God's side!

PSALM 126

"Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy....The Lord has done great things for us."

Orlando Presbyterian Church

PSALM 125

"As the mountains surround Jerusalem, as the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forevermore."

Jackson Hole, WY surrounded by the Grand Tetons!