CAPTIVE

Posted on November 10, 2016 by randscallawayffm

Psalms of Honesty and Truth

Do you feel captive by what is going on around you? Do you feel trapped in situations you can do nothing about right now? Do you feel imprisoned in a work that demands more and more, making you feel weakened and and unappreciated? Do you feel that you are walking on eggshells with trepidation around the insecure and unstable emotions of others who are close to you? Has peace escaped you?

There are many ways to be held captive. I think of this as I read how God’s temple was destroyed and His people were taken captive. Some of His people were killed in the raid of all that was holy.

Is God’s church being held captive by worldview thinking?

Psalm 79, NLT

A psalm of Asaph.

1 O God, pagan nations have conquered your land,
your special possession.
They have defiled your holy Temple
and made Jerusalem a heap of ruins.
2 They have left the bodies of your servants
as food for the birds of heaven.
The flesh of your godly ones
has become food for the wild animals.
3 Blood has flowed like water all around Jerusalem;
no one is left to bury the dead.
4 We are mocked by our neighbors,
an object of scorn and derision to those around us.

5 O Lord, how long will you be angry with us? Forever?
How long will your jealousy burn like fire?
6 Pour out your wrath on the nations that refuse to acknowledge you—
on kingdoms that do not call upon your name.
7 For they have devoured your people Israel,[a]
making the land a desolate wilderness.
8 Do not hold us guilty for the sins of our ancestors!
Let your compassion quickly meet our needs,
for we are on the brink of despair.

9 Help us, O God of our salvation!
Help us for the glory of your name.
Save us and forgive our sins
for the honor of your name.
10 Why should pagan nations be allowed to scoff,
asking, “Where is their God?”
Show us your vengeance against the nations,
for they have spilled the blood of your servants.
11 Listen to the moaning of the prisoners.
Demonstrate your great power by saving those condemned to die.

12 O Lord, pay back our neighbors seven times
for the scorn they have hurled at you.
13 Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture,
will thank you forever and ever,
praising your greatness from generation to generation.

psalm-79-13

Wonderings…

God gave His people victory over Egypt and helped them march through the wilderness and then conquer Canaan. He also gave them King David, who defeated their enemies and expanded their kingdom. But now God’s people are captive, the city and temple are ruined, and the heathen nations are triumphant. We see Asaph playing four different roles as he contemplates the defeat of Judah by the Babylonians. Each division of the psalm opens with an address to Jehovah: “O God” (v. 1), “How long, Lord” (v. 5), “O God of our salvation” (v. 9), and “O Lord” (v. 12).

We are still the sheep of His pasture. Do we ask, “How long, O Lord?” How about changing the questions. May we learn to look up from our munching and chewing on His Word to ask, What do YOU want, O Lord?” “What is Your purpose and plan for us as individuals and as Your people together as Your church?”

Then praise Him all day long and into the night for He will answer.

Thank you, Lord. In Jesus Name, Amen. I believe.

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LISTEN TO GOD’S TRUTH, TELL IT TO YOUR KIDS

Posted on November 8, 2016 by randscallawayffm

Psalms of Honesty and Truth

There is wisdom in the statement that kids will say and do what they have seen their parents say and do. They might change it up a little, with the language of the day, but basically what we have been taught will be passed down to our kids without us even thinking about it.

Parents are with their kids most of the hours of a full 24 hour day. Parents still have the greatest influence with their kids. So whatever truth parents live, so it is with their kids. Much learning is “caught” more than intentionally taught so the question is…what are we teaching our kids and grandkids as we live out our lives on this brief journey? What is being caught and what is being intentionally taught?

Psalm 78 is a long passage with some of these same questions at the beginning so let’s take this one a bite at a time, and mull over it’s wisdom and teaching.

Psalm 78, The Message

1-4 Listen, dear friends, to God’s truth,
bend your ears to what I tell you.
I’m chewing on the morsel of a proverb;
I’ll let you in on the sweet old truths,
Stories we heard from our fathers,
counsel we learned at our mother’s knee.
We’re not keeping this to ourselves,
we’re passing it along to the next generation—
God’s fame and fortune,
the marvelous things he has done.

5-8 He planted a witness in Jacob,
set his Word firmly in Israel,
Then commanded our parents
to teach it to their children
So the next generation would know,
and all the generations to come—
Know the truth and tell the stories
so their children can trust in God,
Never forget the works of God
but keep his commands to the letter.
Heaven forbid they should be like their parents,
bullheaded and bad,
A fickle and faithless bunch
who never stayed true to God.

Reflection and pause to wonder…

–Don’t depend on the schools to teach values to our kids.
–Don’t fully depend on the church to teach salvation and keeping God’s commands with the holy fear and awe of God from a deep love of God.
–Think about how we treat others and wonder if that is how we want our kids to honor and respect others.
–“Know the truth and tell the stories so our children can trust in God!”

psalm-78-7-hope

Wow, there is a lot to think about, repent over, make changes and tell God’s stories of His love and redemption.

Dear Heavenly Father, We repent of those times of failure in passing on the whole story of You. Transform us to be and do all You intended for us to be and do. Don’t allow us to be fickle but steadfast in our walk with You. Begin today with a renewed sense of who is watching. In Jesus Name, Amen

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FROM REJECTION TO REDIRECTION

Posted on November 7, 2016 by randscallawayffm

Psalms of Honesty and Truth

There have been times in my life that I have been challenged greatly in work, in personal relationships, in finances, generally just living life. We all have these moments if we care to admit. It is especially hard when your motivation was to be honest but kind and live out God’s truth in this journey on earth. If you do well at doing that, the evil one does not like it, so he works in people to bring you down, tell lies about you and make you suffer by making you wonder for days filled with sleepless nights what you did wrong.

I cry out to God; yes, I shout.
Oh, that God would listen to me!
2 When I was in deep trouble,
I searched for the Lord.
All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven,
but my soul was not comforted.
3 I think of God, and I moan,
overwhelmed with longing for his help. Interlude
4 You don’t let me sleep.
I am too distressed even to pray!
5 I think of the good old days,
long since ended,
6 when my nights were filled with joyful songs.
I search my soul and ponder the difference now.
7 Has the Lord rejected me forever?
Will he never again be kind to me?
8 Is his unfailing love gone forever?
Have his promises permanently failed?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he slammed the door on his compassion? Interlude
10 And I said, “This is my fate;
the Most High has turned his hand against me.” (Ps 77, NLT)

If you are a believer, you cry out to God much like the Psalmist is doing in today’s passage. By being honest before God, His Holy Spirit has a way of redirecting your rejection from humans by helping you remember all the ways God has delivered you in the past. We are loved by the God of creation. We are a redeemed person. So our thoughts rejoice when we remember as the Psalmist did:

But then I recall all you have done, O Lord;
I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.
12 They are constantly in my thoughts.
I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.
13 O God, your ways are holy.
Is there any god as mighty as you?
14 You are the God of great wonders!
You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.
15 By your strong arm, you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
(Psalm 77, NLT)

What we can learn…from the situation at that time….

Psalm 77, like Psalm 74, lamented over the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of Israel. Both deal with the Lord’s apparent rejection of His people (74:1; 77:7), and both look for renewed hope back to the exodus (74:12-15; 77:16-19). When Jerusalem fell, many Jews were slain, and many were taken captive to Babylon. Asaph may have been in Jeremiah’s “circle” and left behind to minister to the suffering remnant (Jer. 30–40).

But Asaph himself was suffering as he lay in bed at night (vv. 2, 6) and wrestled with the meaning of the terrible events he had witnessed. In this psalm, he described how he moved from disappointment and despair to confidence that the Lord would care for His people.

Unable to sleep, Asaph began by praying (vv. 1-2), then moved into remembering (vv. 3-6), and finally found himself questioning (vv. 7-9). In times of crisis and pain, prayer is the believer’s natural response, and Asaph reached out his hands in the darkness and cried out to the Lord.

Asaph asked six questions, all of which dealt with the very character and attributes of God.

Has He rejected us? No! He is faithful to His Word.
(Lam. 3:31-33)

Will He ever again show favor to Israel? Yes!
(Ps. 30:5; Isa. 60:10)

Has His unfailing love vanished forever? No!
(Jer. 31:3)

Have His promises failed? No!
(1 Kings 8:56)

Has He forgotten to be gracious? No!
(Isa. 49:14-18)

Is He so angry, He has shut up His compassion? No!
(Lam. 3:22-24)

It has well been said that we should never doubt in the darkness what God had told us in the light, but Asaph was about to do so. No matter what God’s hand is doing in our lives, His heart has not changed. He still loves us and always will. We are redeemed!

During the crisis experiences of life, there comes a time when we must get ourselves by the nape of the neck and shake ourselves out of pity into reality, and that’s what Asaph did. We are redeemed by our God who NEVER changes His love for us!

When the Red Sea saw you, O God,
its waters looked and trembled!
The sea quaked to its very depths.
17 The clouds poured down rain;
the thunder rumbled in the sky.
Your arrows of lightning flashed.
18 Your thunder roared from the whirlwind;
the lightning lit up the world!
The earth trembled and shook.
19 Your road led through the sea,
your pathway through the mighty waters—
a pathway no one knew was there!
20 You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep,
with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds. (Ps 77, NLT)

When we look at our circumstances, we focus on ourselves and see no hope; but when we look by faith to the Lord, our circumstances may not change, but we do. Asaph didn’t completely solve his problems, but he did move out of the shadows of doubt into the sunshine of communion with the Lord and confidence in Him. We are redeemed and delivered!

As believers, we look back to Calvary, where the Lamb of God gave His life for us. If God the Father did not spare His own Son for us, will He not give us everything else that we need (Rom. 8:32)? There is a wonderful future for the people of God!

psalm-77-remember

Asaph had some struggles during this difficult period in his life, but in the end, he knew he could trust the Lord to work out everything for good, and like an obedient sheep, he submitted to the Shepherd. That is what we must do.

In Jesus Name, and by HIS power working in us, Amen!

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NOTHING GETS PASSED GOD!

Posted on November 6, 2016 by randscallawayffm

Psalms of Honesty and Truth

The background of this psalm is probably God’s judgment of the Assyrian army as recorded in Isaiah 37–38 and 2 Kings 18–19. But the emphasis in this psalm is on the God who accomplished the victory and not on the miracle itself. God’s mighty works reveal the greatness of His character and His power (75:1). Sennacherib’s officers boasted of their king and his conquests, but their dead idols were no match for the true and living God.

We cry out for our God to defeat our own enemies today. Do we trust that He will? Do we think he is watching over the election coming up that is on everyone’s minds? Is there a situation you are overwhelmed with at the moment that you wonder if God knows about?

Psalm 76, New Living Translation
For the choir director: A psalm of Asaph. A song to be accompanied by stringed instruments.

1 God is honored in Judah;
his name is great in Israel.
2 Jerusalem[a] is where he lives;
Mount Zion is his home.
3 There he has broken the fiery arrows of the enemy,
the shields and swords and weapons of war. Interlude

4 You are glorious and more majestic
than the everlasting mountains.[b]
5 Our boldest enemies have been plundered.
They lie before us in the sleep of death.
No warrior could lift a hand against us.
6 At the blast of your breath, O God of Jacob,
their horses and chariots lay still.

7 No wonder you are greatly feared!
Who can stand before you when your anger explodes?
8 From heaven you sentenced your enemies;
the earth trembled and stood silent before you.
9 You stand up to judge those who do evil, O God,
and to rescue the oppressed of the earth. Interlude

10 Human defiance only enhances your glory,
for you use it as a weapon.[c]
11 Make vows to the Lord your God, and keep them.
Let everyone bring tribute to the Awesome One.
12 For he breaks the pride of princes,
and the kings of the earth fear him.

psalm-76-jesus

Asaph shares four basic truths about Jehovah God.

God Wants Us to Know Him (vv. 1-3).
God Wants Us to Trust Him (vv. 4-6).
God Wants Us to Fear Him (vv. 7-9).
God Wants Us to Obey Him (vv. 10-12).

“No one can know the true grace of God,” wrote A. W. Tozer, “who has not first known the fear of God.” To really know the greatness of God overwhelms us with reverence and respect for only God. We trust him because of His greatness, power and majesty. He is always at work, never sleeps, wants the best for us, and loves us so much He sent His Son to save us. NOTHING gets passed our God! He sees all we are inside and what we are going through from day to day. He even delights in all the details that we miss! He is there rescuing us before we even know we need rescuing!

God defeated the Assyrian army without God’s people raising a sword. He did while everyone was asleep! Why don’t we trust him now? Today? With all of life? With all our hearts, minds and very souls? He IS in control. We ARE redeemed!

Instead of resisting the Lord–a losing battle–we should be grateful to Him for rescuing us (v. 9) and saving us from our sins. Asaph spoke to the Jewish believers and told them to keep the promises they made to the Lord when Jerusalem was in danger. How easy it is to make vows and not keep them!

Reflect and take action…
–What can we trust God to do in our life, right now, today?

Dear Heavenly Father, We love how You work. We stand in awe of You and how You always come through with the right solution for every problem. You heal us in the middle of it all. You lift us up and encourage us. You are God…and we are not. We bow down before You with love, respect and reverent, trembling fear. Thank you for loving us so much You were willing to go to hell and back for us. In Jesus Name, and by His power, Amen. I believe.

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FIRST FOCUS OF WORSHIP

Posted on November 5, 2016 by randscallawayffm

Psalms of Honesty and Truth

True worship begins and centers on the Lord and not on us, our personal problems, or our “felt needs.” We praise God for who He is–His glorious attributes–and for His wonderful works, what He has done, is doing and will do. God’s very name is a synonym for God’s person and presence. He is indeed “a very present help in trouble” (Ps 46:1), and when God’s people call on the Lord, we know He will hear us.

The Psalmist teaches us the “order of worship” in this next passage if you look for it and think about it:

Psalm 75, New Living Translation
For the choir director: A psalm of Asaph. A song to be sung to the tune “Do Not Destroy!”

1 We thank you, O God!
We give thanks because you are near.
People everywhere tell of your wonderful deeds.

2 God says, “At the time I have planned,
I will bring justice against the wicked.

3 When the earth quakes and its people live in turmoil,
I am the one who keeps its foundations firm. Interlude

4 “I warned the proud, ‘Stop your boasting!’
I told the wicked, ‘Don’t raise your fists!

5 Don’t raise your fists in defiance at the heavens
or speak with such arrogance.’”

6 For no one on earth—from east or west,
or even from the wilderness—
should raise a defiant fist.[a]

7 It is God alone who judges;
he decides who will rise and who will fall.

8 For the Lord holds a cup in his hand
that is full of foaming wine mixed with spices.
He pours out the wine in judgment,
and all the wicked must drink it,
draining it to the dregs.

9 But as for me, I will always proclaim what God has done;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

10 For God says, “I will break the strength of the wicked,
but I will increase the power of the godly.”

psalm-75-1-thanks

We Begin with an Invocation of Praise (v. 1). We thank the Lord for all He has done, and we tell others about His wonderful works. Though God wants us to bring our burdens to Him and seek His help, worship begins with getting our eyes of faith off the circumstances of life and focusing them on the Lord God Almighty.

We Hear the Lord’s Message (vv. 2-5). If we expect the Lord to receive our words of praise, we must pay attention to His Word of truth as it is read, sung, and preached. The message delivered here was twofold: a word of encouragement for believers (vv. 2-3) and a word of warning to the godless (vv. 4-5).

We Apply God’s Message Personally (vv. 6-8). How easy it is to hear God’s message, leave the meeting, and then forget to obey what we heard! The blessing doesn’t come in the hearing but in the doing of God’s Word (James 1:22-25).

We Close with Praise and the Fear of the Lord (vv. 9-10). “As for me” (v. 9) indicates decision on the part of the psalmist. Asaph had participated in the sanctuary worship and helped lead the music, but he, too, had to make a decision to obey the Lord and tell others about Him. Witness and praise go together.

This is not only food for thought for our worship service corporately, but for a daily attitude of worship. FIRST FOCUS and worship God alone for He IS worthy of all our praise. Begin to list your praises as soon as you rise from sleep, write them down if you have to, then praise God for all He has done, is doing and will do in your life. It’s what I do each morning in these writings. God is slowly but surely transforming me to be more of who HE intended for me to be in the process of praise to Him.

I PRAISE GOD FOR YOU!
I praise God for all of you who spend moments of your precious time each day to read God’s Word together and be blessed by what He has to say. Thank you!

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WHERE ARE YOU, GOD?

Posted on November 4, 2016 by randscallawayffm

Psalms of Honesty and Truth

Psalm 73 deals with a personal crisis of faith, but Psalm 74 moves to the national scene and focuses on the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 587-86 BC. Even though the prophets had warned that judgment was coming (2 Chron. 36:15-21), the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple were catastrophic events that shook the people’s faith. As he surveyed the situation, Asaph moved from despair to confidence and in the end affirmed that all was not lost.

We can’t help but think of our own nation and the crisis of faith that seems to be evident. Do we cry out, as the psalmist, “Where are You, God?” “Have You walked off and left us?” The answer is no, of course. But we have to realize that God does not reside where evil is. He does not walk among those who are arrogant, full of pride, snarky and sarcastic always jockeying for powerful positions of influence. He walks with the humble and holy who are seeking His forgiveness, His will and His purpose. He is also a gentleman who does not make us do anything. His desire and command is for us to put HIM first in our thinking and in our actions. God wants us to come to him from our own desire to be near Him, to love Him back with all that is in us. God wants to talk with us and walk with us!

Psalm 74, NLT
A psalm of Asaph.

1 O God, why have you rejected us so long?
Why is your anger so intense against the sheep of your own pasture?

2 Remember that we are the people you chose long ago,
the tribe you redeemed as your own special possession!
And remember Jerusalem,[b] your home here on earth.

3 Walk through the awful ruins of the city;
see how the enemy has destroyed your sanctuary.
4 There your enemies shouted their victorious battle cries;
there they set up their battle standards.
5 They swung their axes
like woodcutters in a forest.

6 With axes and picks,
they smashed the carved paneling.
7 They burned your sanctuary to the ground.
They defiled the place that bears your name.
8 Then they thought, “Let’s destroy everything!”
So they burned down all the places where God was worshiped.

9 We no longer see your miraculous signs.
All the prophets are gone,
and no one can tell us when it will end.
10 How long, O God, will you allow our enemies to insult you?
Will you let them dishonor your name forever?
11 Why do you hold back your strong right hand?
Unleash your powerful fist and destroy them.

12 You, O God, are my king from ages past,
bringing salvation to the earth.
13 You split the sea by your strength
and smashed the heads of the sea monsters.
14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan[c]
and let the desert animals eat him.

15 You caused the springs and streams to gush forth,
and you dried up rivers that never run dry.
16 Both day and night belong to you;
you made the starlight[d] and the sun.
17 You set the boundaries of the earth,
and you made both summer and winter.
18 See how these enemies insult you, Lord.
A foolish nation has dishonored your name.
19 Don’t let these wild beasts destroy your turtledoves.
Don’t forget your suffering people forever.

20 Remember your covenant promises,
for the land is full of darkness and violence!
21 Don’t let the downtrodden be humiliated again.
Instead, let the poor and needy praise your name.
22 Arise, O God, and defend your cause.
Remember how these fools insult you all day long.
23 Don’t overlook what your enemies have said
or their growing uproar.

psalm-74-16

REMEMBER US, LORD GOD OF CREATION…
The nation had been ravaged, the city of Jerusalem had been wrecked, and the temple had been destroyed and burned–but the essentials had not been touched by the enemy! The nation still had Jehovah God as their God, His Word and His covenant had not been changed, and Jehovah was at work in the world! God is at work in our world today, and we need not despair.

When all seems lost and hopeless, look up! God is there and He has been there all the time.

Don’t worship the church building or the people gathered there, worship almighty God. Let us humble ourselves, repent of our sins of snarky attitudes and prideful obsessions and possessions and pray for His deliverance and He will save us. He will save our nation. Let us lay down the world’s way of thinking and think and act more like Jesus taught us to behave…kingdom thinking with higher goals.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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DON’T MISS THE BIG PICTURE…

Posted on November 3, 2016 by randscallawayffm

Psalms of Honesty and Truth

An Asaph Psalm

1-5 No doubt about it! God is good—
good to good people, good to the good-hearted.
But I nearly missed it,
missed seeing his goodness.
I was looking the other way,
looking up to the people
At the top,
envying the wicked who have it made,
Who have nothing to worry about,
not a care in the whole wide world.

6-10 Pretentious with arrogance,
they wear the latest fashions in violence,
Pampered and overfed,
decked out in silk bows of silliness.
They jeer, using words to kill;
they bully their way with words.
They’re full of hot air,
loudmouths disturbing the peace.
People actually listen to them—can you believe it?
Like thirsty puppies, they lap up their words.

11-14 What’s going on here? Is God out to lunch?
Nobody’s tending the store.
The wicked get by with everything;
they have it made, piling up riches.
I’ve been stupid to play by the rules;
what has it gotten me?
A long run of bad luck, that’s what—
a slap in the face every time I walk out the door.

15-20 If I’d have given in and talked like this,
I would have betrayed your dear children.
Still, when I tried to figure it out,
all I got was a splitting headache . . .

Until I entered the sanctuary of God.
Then I saw the whole picture:

The slippery road you’ve put them on,
with a final crash in a ditch of delusions.
In the blink of an eye, disaster!
A blind curve in the dark, and—nightmare!
We wake up and rub our eyes. . . . Nothing.
There’s nothing to them. And there never was.

21-24 When I was beleaguered and bitter,
totally consumed by envy,
I was totally ignorant, a dumb ox
in your very presence.
I’m still in your presence,
but you’ve taken my hand.
You wisely and tenderly lead me,
and then you bless me.

25-28 You’re all I want in heaven!
You’re all I want on earth!
When my skin sags and my bones get brittle,
God is rock-firm and faithful.
Look! Those who left you are falling apart!
Deserters, they’ll never be heard from again.
But I’m in the very presence of God—
oh, how refreshing it is!
I’ve made Lord God my home.
God, I’m telling the world what you do!

psalm-73

In Jesus Name, Amen

As God’s church, could we try a little harder? Worldview thinking and actions have entered God’s church. It’s time this thinking left the building and our minds, hearts and souls. Let’s think and act more like Jesus taught us to be and to do. Then we won’t miss the big picture, either. It’s also time God’s church left the building to serve wherever He leads. Mm. Kingdom thinking?

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CORNUCOPIAS OF PRAISE!

Posted on November 2, 2016 by randscallawayffm

Psalms of Honesty and Truth

Because God’s Word tells us to pray expectantly, I have been transforming my thinking by doing just that. When I ask God about something, I KNOW in my heart, mind and soul that He will do what is best. Because of this change in my own thinking, I am noticing more of what God is doing in all the details of my life and even in the lives of others. All this causes me to live more gratefully and provides peace in my daily walk. Storms still come but I EXPECT God to hold the umbrella over me as we dance in the rain!

In our next passage of praise by Solomon the Psalmist, we find a very grateful attitude as he thanks God with “cornucopias of praise” to God, the One who blesses. He calls for “all godless people enter his circle of blessing, and bless the One who blessed them.” He asks that we never forget the Giver of all things blessed and good for us.

We notice that God truly takes care of those who cannot take care of themselves, who are abused by the world, and who need a helping hand up from the pits of despair. “Offer prayers unceasing to him, bless him from morning to night.”, writes Solomon who first asked God for wisdom. And what did God do? He gave Solomon so much wisdom he became famous for this particular trait. Mm. Praying expectantly…

Psalm 72, The Message

A Solomon Psalm

1-8 Give the gift of wise rule to the king, O God,
the gift of just rule to the crown prince.
May he judge your people rightly,
be honorable to your meek and lowly.
Let the mountains give exuberant witness;
shape the hills with the contours of right living.
Please stand up for the poor,
help the children of the needy,
come down hard on the cruel tyrants.
Outlast the sun, outlive the moon—
age after age after age.
Be rainfall on cut grass,
earth-refreshing rain showers.
Let righteousness burst into blossom
and peace abound until the moon fades to nothing.
Rule from sea to sea,
from the River to the Rim.

9-14 Foes will fall on their knees before God,
his enemies lick the dust.
Kings remote and legendary will pay homage,
kings rich and resplendent will turn over their wealth.
All kings will fall down and worship,
and godless nations sign up to serve him,
Because he rescues the poor at the first sign of need,
the destitute who have run out of luck.
He opens a place in his heart for the down-and-out,
he restores the wretched of the earth.
He frees them from tyranny and torture—
when they bleed, he bleeds;
when they die, he dies.

15-17 And live! Oh, let him live!
Deck him out in Sheba gold.
Offer prayers unceasing to him,
bless him from morning to night.
Fields of golden grain in the land,
cresting the mountains in wild exuberance,
Cornucopias of praise, praises
springing from the city like grass from the earth.
May he never be forgotten,
his fame shine on like sunshine.
May all godless people enter his circle of blessing
and bless the One who blessed them.

18-20 Blessed God, Israel’s God,
the one and only wonder-working God!
Blessed always his blazing glory!
All earth brims with his glory.
Yes and Yes and Yes.

psalm-72-glory

In Jesus Name, we praise You, God our Father, Deliver and Lord. Amen! Yes!

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RESCUED WITH NO REGRETS!

Posted on November 1, 2016 by randscallawayffm

Psalms of Honesty and Truth

Psalm 71, The Message

1-3 I run for dear life to God,
I’ll never live to regret it.
Do what you do so well:
get me out of this mess and up on my feet.
Put your ear to the ground and listen,
give me space for salvation.
Be a guest room where I can retreat;
you said your door was always open!
You’re my salvation—my vast, granite fortress.

4-7 My God, free me from the grip of Wicked,
from the clutch of Bad and Bully.
You keep me going when times are tough—
my bedrock, God, since my childhood.
I’ve hung on you from the day of my birth,
the day you took me from the cradle;
I’ll never run out of praise.
Many gasp in alarm when they see me,
but you take me in stride.

8-11 Just as each day brims with your beauty,
my mouth brims with praise.
But don’t turn me out to pasture when I’m old
or put me on the shelf when I can’t pull my weight.
My enemies are talking behind my back,
watching for their chance to knife me.
The gossip is: “God has abandoned him.
Pounce on him now; no one will help him.”

12-16 God, don’t just watch from the sidelines.
Come on! Run to my side!
My accusers—make them lose face.
Those out to get me—make them look
Like idiots, while I stretch out, reaching for you,
and daily add praise to praise.
I’ll write the book on your righteousness,
talk up your salvation the livelong day,
never run out of good things to write or say.
I come in the power of the Lord God,
I post signs marking his right-of-way.

17-24 You got me when I was an unformed youth,
God, and taught me everything I know.
Now I’m telling the world your wonders;
I’ll keep at it until I’m old and gray.
God, don’t walk off and leave me
until I get out the news
Of your strong right arm to this world,
news of your power to the world yet to come,
Your famous and righteous
ways, O God.

God, you’ve done it all!
Who is quite like you?
You, who made me stare trouble in the face,
Turn me around;
Now let me look life in the face.
I’ve been to the bottom;
Bring me up, streaming with honors;
turn to me, be tender to me,
And I’ll take up the lute and thank you
to the tune of your faithfulness, God.
I’ll make music for you on a harp,
Holy One of Israel.

When I open up in song to you,
I let out lungsful of praise,
my rescued life a song.
All day long I’m chanting
about you and your righteous ways,
While those who tried to do me in
slink off looking ashamed.

psalm-71-teaching

Pause to praise…
I thank you for my rescued life. I am redeemed and I long to proclaim it! I will sing praises of You continually until I can sing them to You face to face! In Jesus Name, Amen

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VICTORY AND PEACE

Posted on October 31, 2016 by randscallawayffm

Psalms of Honesty and Truth

We all have “those days” when everything seems to go wrong and when everyone’s criticisms and lies about us cut deeply into our being. We take all things too personally. Believe me, I know. I have fallen for the “poor me” stuff many times. Those who care deeply and want the best for all concerned seem to also hurt deeply when it thwarted by gossip. But victory is ours when we stop, look and listen to the Holy Spirit’s comfort and hear, really hear what God wants instead of what we think we need.

There will always be gossip by those who forgot that God hates it or they don’t know God and love him and others; but love self and self promotion more. Disregard them. Move on, don’t fight back with more gossip and sarcastic put downs. It’s unbecoming of believers who seek God’s will and purpose. Let God take care of them, in HIS time. Stay focused on the goals and purpose He gave us. We realize that His Presence draws close to us when we listen to His voice, focus on His Word and allow the negative voices to fade into the background of this world.

It’s been going on a long time. The Psalmist had his own battles with gossip. His psalms are intensely personal, containing over fifty personal pronouns; and the writer fluctuated between faith and despair as he wrestled with the Lord. He questions the Lord eleven times as he wonders why God doesn’t do something for him. We see him passing through phases of self pity, then on to more growth and maturity. He begins with self, moves on to others’ wrongs to him and then finally realizes it’s all about God before he comes to victory and peace.

Psalm 70, NLT

Please, God, rescue me!
Come quickly, Lord, and help me.
2 May those who try to kill me
be humiliated and put to shame.
May those who take delight in my trouble
be turned back in disgrace.
3 Let them be horrified by their shame,
for they said, “Aha! We’ve got him now!”
4 But may all who search for you
be filled with joy and gladness in you.
May those who love your salvation
repeatedly shout, “God is great!”
5 But as for me, I am poor and needy;
please hurry to my aid, O God.
You are my helper and my savior;
O Lord, do not delay.

psalm-70

Pause and meditate all day long on this phrase if you will, I am:

“You are my helper and my Savior.”

In Jesus Name, Amen

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