LIAR, LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE!

Posted on October 13, 2016 by randscallawayffm

Psalms of Honesty and Truth

Wouldn’t it be awesome to see pants literally catch fire every time a lie is told? We tire easily of those who lie with every breath they take. Some liars lie so well they believe what they are saying is true! “Do you not hear what is coming from your mouth?”, we want to cry out. Apparently not. It’s hard work being a liar because you have so many lies to keep track of what you have said. But alas, you just tell another lie to cover up the last lie. Wow.

When David wrote this psalm, he was angry, and rightly so. (For the reason, see 1 Sam. 21:1-9; 22:6-23.) Doeg was one of many men around Saul who catered to his whims and inflated his ego in order to gain power and wealth. He typifies all who promote themselves at the expense of truth and justice.

Doeg was an Edomite, which means he was descended from Esau, the enemy of Jacob (Gen. 27–28; Heb. 12:16-17). The battle between the flesh and the Spirit still goes on. However, it’s possible that David was also writing about Saul, who certainly fits the description given of the proud, powerful tyrant. There has always been a certain amount of evil in high places, and God’s people must learn to handle it in a godly manner.

Trying to top the liar with more lies is not behaving in a godly manner. Stay true, tell the truth and declare God’s glory in all we do to prevent being caught up in lies. Do not repeat what is not fact, or what someone said. And if it’s not necessary, then don’t say it all. Build each other up with gracious words. Avoid arrogance at all costs.

psalm-52-9

Psalm 52, NLT
For the choir director: A psalm[a] of David, regarding the time Doeg the Edomite said to Saul, “David has gone to see Ahimelech.”

1 Why do you boast about your crimes, great warrior?
Don’t you realize God’s justice continues forever?

2 All day long you plot destruction.
Your tongue cuts like a sharp razor;
you’re an expert at telling lies.

3 You love evil more than good
and lies more than truth. Interlude

4 You love to destroy others with your words,
you liar!
5 But God will strike you down once and for all.
He will pull you from your home
and uproot you from the land of the living. Interlude
6 The righteous will see it and be amazed.
They will laugh and say,
7 “Look what happens to mighty warriors
who do not trust in God.
They trust their wealth instead
and grow more and more bold in their wickedness.”

8 But I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God.
I will always trust in God’s unfailing love.
9 I will praise you forever, O God,
for what you have done.
I will trust in your good name
in the presence of your faithful people.

What do we learn?
-Trust in God to take care of liars.
-Tell the truth. Always.
-Be driven by faith in the One and Only God.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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FRESH STARTS, CLEAN HEARTS!

Posted on October 12, 2016 by randscallawayffm

Psalms of Honesty and Truth There is no better feeling than when a huge problem that has been weighing you down is lifted and thrown away, not to be dealt with again. There is nothing better than a…

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FRESH STARTS, CLEAN HEARTS!

Posted on October 12, 2016 by randscallawayffm

Psalms of Honesty and Truth

There is no better feeling than when a huge problem that has been weighing you down is lifted and thrown away, not to be dealt with again. There is nothing better than a new pair of comfortable tennis shoes that put lift in your steps. When I was a kid, the ad agencies grabbed our attention with “Run faster, jump higher!” with these Flyers. Just the name alone cause a must have attitude resulting in the begging for those special tennis shoes from mom and dad.

Nothing is better than paying of a huge debt with that final payment. You can’t stop smiling. When we move into a new home in a new place, we are giddy with excitement…after all our stuff is moved and put in place. Fresh starts, putting the past behind us is always a good place to be.

How about cleansing our hearts of all the junk of sin we have allowed to come in and clutter our very beings? This unsettledness of our hearts, soiled by sin affects us and all those around us. The sin gives birth to more sin as we try to shelve it, cover it up, and even try to put on a good act of denial. Nathan, a wise prophet in David’s day confronts him about his sin of adultery with Bathsheba. David finally stops the madness of actions to dress up his sin and repents. This Psalm is a result. This song should be sung by all of us…often. There is nothing this world has to offer that will give us fresh starts with clean hearts except repentance to the Perfect One, Jesus Christ, who saves and restores us. Amen?

Psalm 51, The Message (Read it thoroughly in your version of choice…NLT and NIV are good choices!)

1-3 Generous in love—God, give grace!
Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record.
Scrub away my guilt,
soak out my sins in your laundry.
I know how bad I’ve been;
my sins are staring me down.

4-6 You’re the One I’ve violated, and you’ve seen
it all, seen the full extent of my evil.
You have all the facts before you;
whatever you decide about me is fair.
I’ve been out of step with you for a long time,
in the wrong since before I was born.
What you’re after is truth from the inside out.
Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.

7-15 Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean,
scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life.
Tune me in to foot-tapping songs,
set these once-broken bones to dancing.
Don’t look too close for blemishes,
give me a clean bill of health.
God, make a fresh start in me,
shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.
Don’t throw me out with the trash,
or fail to breathe holiness in me.
Bring me back from gray exile,
put a fresh wind in my sails!
Give me a job teaching rebels your ways
so the lost can find their way home.
Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God,
and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways.
Unbutton my lips, dear God;
I’ll let loose with your praise.

16-17 Going through the motions doesn’t please you,
a flawless performance is nothing to you.
I learned God-worship
when my pride was shattered.
Heart-shattered lives ready for love
don’t for a moment escape God’s notice.

18-19 Make Zion the place you delight in,
repair Jerusalem’s broken-down walls.
Then you’ll get real worship from us,
acts of worship small and large,
Including all the bulls
they can heave onto your altar!

psalm-51-10

In Jesus Name, Amen. And I’m singing praise to the One who saves…

Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again?
Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me?

Not because of who I am
But because of what you’ve done
Not because of what I’ve done
But because of who you are

Read more: Casting Crowns – Who Am I Lyrics | MetroLyrics

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GRATEFULLY KEEP YOUR PROMISES!

Posted on October 11, 2016 by randscallawayffm

Psalms of Honesty and Truth Who do you trust? We trust in those who do what they say they are going to do. Actions do speak louder than words. Every time. It is those we trust that we want to hang …

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GRATEFULLY KEEP YOUR PROMISES!

Posted on October 11, 2016 by randscallawayffm

Psalms of Honesty and Truth

Who do you trust? We trust in those who do what they say they are going to do. Actions do speak louder than words. Every time.
It is those we trust that we want to hang out with, talk and have fun with on this brief journey here. It is those we trust that friendships go the most deep and never fade away. We love those we trust and depend on them. It is these trustworthy people that make the best friends. Even if we move far away from each other, we can see or talk to each other as if no distance ever separated us. How was this genuine, sought after trust built? By keeping our promises to them. “I’ll be there”…and we are. “I’ll help you”…and we do. Yes we are grateful for relationships we can trust and count on in this world.

God is looking for that kind of relationship with and in us. He wants to hang out with those who keep their promises to Him! We always depend on God to keep His promises to us, but shouldn’t we be more tenacious at keeping our promises to Him? And to His people? Something to think about…take all the time you need.

Our psalmist also reminds us that gratitude is the greatest sacrifice we can give back to God who gives his creation to us to enjoy. God needs nothing we can give Him. But he enjoys our gratitude from what He has given us! How grateful am I? Do I live gratefully gracious? Have I ever thought of my gratitude as a sacrifice, better than goats and money? Read this psalm carefully and see what God is asking. Listen to what God might be saying to us through these heartfelt words. “It’s a praising life that honors me”, says the Psalmist. (v.23,The Message) “…giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. (NLT)

Psalm 50, New Living Translation
A psalm of Asaph.

1 The Lord, the Mighty One, is God,
and he has spoken;
he has summoned all humanity
from where the sun rises to where it sets.
2 From Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines in glorious radiance.
3 Our God approaches,
and he is not silent.
Fire devours everything in his way,
and a great storm rages around him.
4 He calls on the heavens above and earth below
to witness the judgment of his people.

5 “Bring my faithful people to me—
those who made a covenant with me by giving sacrifices.”
6 Then let the heavens proclaim his justice,
for God himself will be the judge. Interlude
7 “O my people, listen as I speak.
Here are my charges against you, O Israel:
I am God, your God!

8 I have no complaint about your sacrifices
or the burnt offerings you constantly offer.
9 But I do not need the bulls from your barns
or the goats from your pens.
10 For all the animals of the forest are mine,
and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every bird on the mountains,
and all the animals of the field are mine.
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for all the world is mine and everything in it.
13 Do I eat the meat of bulls?
Do I drink the blood of goats?
14 Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God,
and keep the vows you made to the Most High.
15 Then call on me when you are in trouble,
and I will rescue you,
and you will give me glory.”

16 But God says to the wicked:
“Why bother reciting my decrees
and pretending to obey my covenant?
17 For you refuse my discipline
and treat my words like trash.
18 When you see thieves, you approve of them,
and you spend your time with adulterers.
19 Your mouth is filled with wickedness,
and your tongue is full of lies.
20 You sit around and slander your brother—
your own mother’s son.

21 While you did all this, I remained silent,
and you thought I didn’t care.
But now I will rebuke you,
listing all my charges against you.

22 Repent, all of you who forget me,
or I will tear you apart,
and no one will help you.

23 But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.
If you keep to my path,
I will reveal to you the salvation of God.”

psalm-50-1

Dear Heavenly Father, Our tithe is for us to give to you with gratitude for what you have given to us. It has nothing to do with what you need, for everything we have is yours and has been yours all along. May we be more grateful…as a sacrifice of praise to honor you…and to live more gracious lives as a result. My promise to love you back with all that is in me will always be kept. In Jesus Name, Amen

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REDEEMED, LISTEN!

Posted on October 10, 2016 by randscallawayffm

Psalms of Honesty and Truth

The psalmist had a message for everybody in the world, the important people and the nobodies, the rich and the poor (vv. 1-2). The word world is the translation of an unusual Hebrew word that means “the total human scene, the whole sphere of passing life,” not unlike “world” in 1 John 2:15-17.

The writer spoke from his heart (v. 3) the wisdom and understanding that the Lord gave him, and he dealt with an enigma that only the Lord could explain (v. 4). The enigma was life itself and its puzzling relationship to the distribution of wealth and the power that wealth brings. How should believers respond when they see the rich get richer? Should they be afraid that the wealthy will abuse the poor? Should they be impressed by the wealth that others possess and seek to imitate them? The writer gives us three reminders to help us keep our perspective in a world obsessed with wealth and the power it brings.

1. Wealth Cannot Prevent Death (vv. 5-12).
2. Wealth Will Not Determine Your Destiny (vv. 13-15).
3. Wealth Must Not Increase Your Desires (vv. 16-20).

No matter how hard we try, we do not, can not buy our salvation. Only Jesus, the Perfect Sacrifice, would pay the high price of His life for our sin, paying that debt in full. He then went to hell and back again, defeating death for all of us. Forever. And ever. Amen.

Forgiveness is free…but not cheap. We are a redeemed people. It’s time we behaved like we know that. Love God. Love Others.
Let’s cause a revolution of kingdom thinking. Leave the world and it’s definition of “wealth” behind.

psalm-49-cross

Psalm 49, New Living Translation

For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah.

1 Listen to this, all you people!
Pay attention, everyone in the world!
2 High and low,
rich and poor—listen!
3 For my words are wise,
and my thoughts are filled with insight.
4 I listen carefully to many proverbs
and solve riddles with inspiration from a harp.

5 Why should I fear when trouble comes,
when enemies surround me?
6 They trust in their wealth
and boast of great riches.
7 Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death[a]
by paying a ransom to God.
8 Redemption does not come so easily,
for no one can ever pay enough
9 to live forever
and never see the grave.

10 Those who are wise must finally die,
just like the foolish and senseless,
leaving all their wealth behind.
11 The grave is their eternal home,
where they will stay forever.
They may name their estates after themselves,
12 but their fame will not last.
They will die, just like animals.
13 This is the fate of fools,
though they are remembered as being wise.

Interlude
14 Like sheep, they are led to the grave,[d]
where death will be their shepherd.
In the morning the godly will rule over them.
Their bodies will rot in the grave,
far from their grand estates.

15 But as for me, God will redeem my life.
He will snatch me from the power of the grave.

Interlude
16 So don’t be dismayed when the wicked grow rich
and their homes become ever more splendid.
17 For when they die, they take nothing with them.
Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.
18 In this life they consider themselves fortunate
and are applauded for their success.
19 But they will die like all before them
and never again see the light of day.
20 People who boast of their wealth don’t understand;
they will die, just like animals.

Dear Heavenly Father, I am redeemed! Thank you!
In Jesus Name, Amen. I believe.

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THE STORY OF GOD

Posted on October 9, 2016 by randscallawayffm

Psalms of Honesty and Truth What would we learn about God if we read the Bible forgetting for awhile how reading His Word would help us, comfort and encourage us and just read it to gain knowledge …

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THE STORY OF GOD

Posted on October 9, 2016 by randscallawayffm

Psalms of Honesty and Truth

What would we learn about God if we read the Bible forgetting for awhile how reading His Word would help us, comfort and encourage us and just read it to gain knowledge of the story of God? What is our prayers before reading His Word were, “Lord, help me know You more. Help me to know your story…in every detail…so I can tell others”.

Know God. Learn His story in every detail. When we read and ponder the details of all He has done, is doing and will do, we are in awe and humbled in His Presence as we read.

Psalm 48 begins with praise and then recounts all that God has done. Praise builds as details of God’s story are revealed and worshiped. “You Name, God, evokes a train of Hallelujahs wherever it is spoken, near and far; your arms are heaped with goodness-in-action.” (The Message) Our circumstances seem so small and insignificant as we think about the details of the story of God. He is Alpha, Omega, beginning and end. “Our God forever, who guides us till the end of time.” Ah. Think on this…and be blessed.

Believers today are citizens of the Zion that is above (Gal. 4:21-31; Heb. 12:18-24; Phil. 3:20) and rejoice that the Lord cares for us even as He cared for His ancient people Israel.

Psalm 48, New Living Translation
A song. A psalm of the descendants of Korah.

1 How great is the Lord,
how deserving of praise,
in the city of our God,
which sits on his holy mountain!
2 It is high and magnificent;
the whole earth rejoices to see it!
Mount Zion, the holy mountain,[a]
is the city of the great King!

3 God himself is in Jerusalem’s towers,
revealing himself as its defender.
4 The kings of the earth joined forces
and advanced against the city.
5 But when they saw it, they were stunned;
they were terrified and ran away.
6 They were gripped with terror
and writhed in pain like a woman in labor.

7 You destroyed them like the mighty ships of Tarshish
shattered by a powerful east wind.

8 We had heard of the city’s glory,
but now we have seen it ourselves—
the city of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
It is the city of our God;
he will make it safe forever. Interlude

9 O God, we meditate on your unfailing love
as we worship in your Temple.
10 As your name deserves, O God,
you will be praised to the ends of the earth.
Your strong right hand is filled with victory.
11 Let the people on Mount Zion rejoice.
Let all the towns of Judah be glad
because of your justice.

12 Go, inspect the city of Jerusalem.[b]
Walk around and count the many towers.
13 Take note of the fortified walls,
and tour all the citadels,
that you may describe them
to future generations.

14 For that is what God is like.
He is our God forever and ever,
and he will guide us until we die.

psalm-48-great-is-god

Dear Heavenly Father, Help me to “take note” of all You have done in detail so I can tell the next generations of Your power and majesty, your peace, your help and comfort. Help me tell of your salvation through Jesus Christ. Give me gracious words that tell of your grace and mercy. Help me express the wonderful Counselor we have in Your Holy Spirit. Help me tell the story of You.
In Jesus Name, Amen

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NOTHING BUT PRAISE!

Posted on October 8, 2016 by randscallawayffm

Psalms of Honesty and Truth

Sometimes when I awake in the night, the first song on my heart is often, “How Great Thou Art”. I pray this song in my mind with deep thought for every word of this old hymn of praise.

“O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder, Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made”…

I stop to realize all His handiwork in our world from blades of grass to intricate, magnificent flowers, to our meticulous made bodies. When fed well, working properly, our bodies are intricately made chemical factories as they breathe in oxygen that gives life and exhale carbon dioxide. I think of the words of psalm 139: “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

“I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed”

It’s not just for me, but for all of us whom God has made. He just wants us to love Him back and to listen and obey His words of His best for us.

“Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art”

This chorus often times brings tears for all kinds of reasons. They are tears of joy. They might be tears of release of all that has caused stress through loss. In the end of the chorus, they are tears of praise and thanksgiving for a Great God who stops to listen to His creation, his beloved daughter who loves Him back with all that is in her.

Psalm 47 is nothing but praise this morning! In the morning when I rise, I give you praise, the psalmist writes. “SHOUT out God-songs…sing your best songs to God!” as Eugene Peterson paraphrases in The Message. It’s all about God…nothing but praise from us…for it’s not about us, but all about God.

Psalm 47, New Living Translation

Come, everyone! Clap your hands!
Shout to God with joyful praise!
2 For the Lord Most High is awesome.
He is the great King of all the earth.
3 He subdues the nations before us,
putting our enemies beneath our feet.
4 He chose the Promised Land as our inheritance,
the proud possession of Jacob’s descendants, whom he loves. Interlude

5 God has ascended with a mighty shout.
The Lord has ascended with trumpets blaring.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7 For God is the King over all the earth.
Praise him with a psalm.[a]
8 God reigns above the nations,
sitting on his holy throne.
9 The rulers of the world have gathered together
with the people of the God of Abraham.
For all the kings of the earth belong to God.
He is highly honored everywhere.

psalm-47-clap-hands

According to the research of Warren Weirsby, this psalm is used in the synagogues on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year’s Day, and in the church, it is used on Ascension Day (see v. 5; 68:18; Eph. 4:8-10). This also makes it a messianic psalm, with an emphasis on the coming kingdom.

“And when I think of God, His Son not sparing
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing
He bled and died to take away my sin”

Tears of gratitude now fall as I think of Jesus dying for my stupid, selfish sins. I am humbled. Then tears of joy flood my soul as I remember that I AM REDEEMED! No matter what happens next, I am redeemed by God through Jesus Christ! He’s coming back for His own!

“Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!”

In Jesus Name, I find hope, rest and encouragement. Amen.

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STEP OUT OF THE TRAFFIC!

Posted on October 7, 2016 by randscallawayffm

Psalms of Honesty and Truth Can we just pause, step out of the traffic of all we are doing and just be still before God? Can we take a break in the busyness of what we think this day will bring and…

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