Who can stand with the Congregation of God?

Verses: Psalms 26 : 1 - 12

Song inspired by the chapter:  Song has been uploaded from YouTube.com and is not my original.

My thoughts about the verses:

Haven’t we all asked the question?  Who can stand with the Congregation of God?  Aren’t we afraid that the answer will exclude us?   For some the fear is that it will include us and we will have to reevaluate our life.  However it comes out we have to answer this basic question to determine where we stand in life.

Many people want to say that this group alone makes up the Congregation.  Therefor what they are saying is that this group is not part of God’s chosen.  This debate goes on and on from one group to the next.  Each group is constantly trying to defend their idea of the perfect Congregation. 

Let us now look at the very essence of David.  He was anointed by God to be the King of Israel.  David is the ancestor of Jesus.  Yet, David wasn’t a perfect man.  He had faults and had to pay for his indiscretions throughout his lifetime.

Think back to that moment when he lusted over Bathsheba.  He ends up committing adultery.  He has a child out of wedlock.  He ends up sending her husband to the frontlines where he dies.  He then takes Bathsheba as his bride.  How many transgressions were caused because of this chance encounter on a rooftop? 

This is not the only time he sinned yet, it easily points out his flaws.  Yet, when he sings this Psalm he says that he is a member of the Congregation of God.  Thus proclaiming he is a child of the Creator and Savior.  If David can be a child of God with his apparent flaws why can we not be children of God?

David pointed out that he was trying to live a Christian life.  We need to remember that even though we are forgiven we need to live a life that represents Christ.  We need to worship God.  We need to study the word and praise God for everything that happens in our life.  We need to also ask God to help us live a life that is pleasing.  We should reach out to those that are struggling with their relationship and help them find their way to Christ.

So who is the congregation of God?  Simply anyone that accepts Christ is a member of the congregation.  There are no barriers to who can become a Child of God.  Once we are a Child of God we are part of the Greater Congregation.  We need to make sure we always keep the door open so more people can find the gift of Everlasting Life.

If anyone ever tries to tell you that you are not welcome remind them of the story of David.  Think about this if the very ancestor of Jesus can stumble in life how can we judge others that stumble.  Also how can we say that this group or that group is sinning?  We are to only look at our own life.  Determining that one person is not suitable is against the will of God.  So before you judge others look at you and make yourself right with God.  Become a member of the Congregation and then worship and praise God for the Gift that has been given freely.

Prayer:

Dear God we thank you for choosing us.  Thank you for your sacrifice.  Help us be the people that reflect your true nature.  Help us never to exclude people.  In the name of the Risen savior we pray.  Amen

Questions:

Have you accepted God as your Savior?  Are you excluding anyone by judging them as unworthy?  Do you accept that you can be a member of the Congregation of God?

The Path to God is Steadfast Love and Faithfulness

Verses: Psalms 25 : 1 - 22

Song inspired by the chapter:  Song has been uploaded from YouTube.com and is not my original.

My thoughts about the verses:

God gives unending love to us.  We are blessed with strength because of the love gives us.  We are transformed from our old self to a new self through Jesus’s love.  We are free because of Jesus’s love.  We have grace given to us through the Love of the Holy Spirit.

We are to return that love to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirt.  We need to look at our life and turn ourselves over to the love of God.  The way in which to follow God is to show love.  Through love we can find abundance in life.  By asking for God’s never-ending love we are given all the necessities of life.

We need to follow a path of faith.  It is easy to say that I love God and I turn my life over to God.  Yet, what do our actions show.  Are we living a life of faith or are we just saying we are faithful.  If we truly live a faithful life we will reach out to those that need to hear God’s word.  We will be able to show people love through our walk of faith.

Through God’s love we are forgiven for all the things that we have done in our past.  The blood of the perfect sacrifice covers our past transgressions.  Yet, the love of God doesn’t end there.  The love of God covers all of our transgressions that we will do in the future.  Once you ask for Jesus to come into your life you are made new.  Your old self is no longer alive.  Instead you are a new creation made through the unending and steadfast love of God.

One thing that we have to remember is that we did not deserve this gift.  It wasn’t our doing that led us to saving grace.  It was Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross that has cleansed us.  Therefor we need to remember to be humble.  We have nothing to boast about.  We have and will do things that are against God.  If it were not for Jesus’s death we would not receive eternal life.  Therefor our faith is nothing to boast about.  Instead we should humbly display our faith walk.  Our only hope is that through our faith we will help people to accept Christ.

Prayer:

Thank you God for  showing us unending love.  Thank you for your sacrifice so that we can be made whole.  We ask that you help us accept your gift.  Help us walk in our faith while remaining humble.  Help us share the good news to the world.  In the name of the One True Love we pray.  Amen

Questions:

Have you accepted Jesus in your life?  Have you walked in faith?  Are you willing to turn your life over to God?  Is there something that you need to do today to be Jesus for someone today?

Only those that are Clean may enter the Mount of the One True God

Verses: Psalms 24 : 1 - 10

Song inspired by the chapter:  Song has been uploaded from YouTube.com and is not my original.

My thoughts about the verses:

God is the Creator of the Earth.  All things upon the Earth are created by God.  God can be seen in all things from the land, water and all inhabitants.  All should desire to worship God.

Even though all should worship God there is a fine line between those that will enter Heaven and those that won’t.  Think about this a second, anyone can get into Heaven.  The line that separates those that are blessed and those are not in the cross.  Trusting in the cross in which Jesus went freely to save us from our own transgressions.  

Those that accept Jesus’s salvation will enter the gates of Heaven.  Those that don’t will never get to live in the peace of the eternal life that is gained in Heaven.  You have to understand if you accept Jesus’s free gift you are cleansed from all your sins.  You are passed under the cleansing water.  No longer are you sins seen by God.  You can enter through the gates of Heaven.  For only those that are spotless can enter Heaven.

Those that have become spotless do have an obligation.  They must try to live up to their salvation.  They must do their best to not sin.  They should ask for forgiveness when they do sin.  God knows that we cannot do it our self so we are given the perfect cleansing gift and that is the blood of the perfect lamb.

Prayer:

Thank you for creating us.  Thank you for loving us when we did not deserve it.  Thank you for you saving grace.  Help us live a life that will bring you honor.  Cleanse us from our trespasses so that we can enter the realm of Eternal peace.  In your Holy Name we pray.  Amen

Questions:

Have you accepted Jesus into your life?  Are you walking in the light of God?  Are you willing to turn your life over to the Creator?  Is today the day that you become new in the cleansing blood of the Lamb?

Jesus is the Good Shepherd

Verses: Psalms 23 : 1 - 6

Song inspired by the chapter:  Song has been uploaded from YouTube.com and is not my original.

My thoughts about the verses:

Many of us know this verse.  I know in my past that this chapter of the book of Psalms has been used at numerous funerals that I have attended.  It is a comfort to those that are mourning that God is the Good Shepherd.  Protecting our loved one and walking with them as they go into the next life. 

I want to look at the verse in another way.  To focus on how this chapter can help us in our own life.  If we pay close attention to the verses we will see that the words apply to our life not only in Heaven but, also as we walk on this Earth.

The story is symbolic to the actions that take place when a Shepherd is working with its flock.  This is not just the story of an average Shepherd but the Great Shepherd.  One that put his life on the cross as a way of protecting us.  If you look at the main purpose of the Shepherd is to defend the flock so that it can provide the family with the goods that are needed. 

The Sheep are important during the time this Psalm was written.  The sheep provided many things for the community.  First the sheep provide wool for clothing.  The Sheep provide meat for the family.  The sheep also provide the sacrifice that was needed to please God.  Yet, what we want us to realize that we are the sheep.  Yet, we are important to the Shepherd.  We provide a voice for the good news.  We provide love for those that are in need.  We also provide ourselves to help those that are in need.

The first and most important thing about his chapter is the recognition that God is the Shepherd.  That God knows each one of his flock.  Because Jesus is such a perfect Shepherd the flock responds when they are called. 

The necessities that are needed for sheep to survive are lush grass to nourish on.  A good shepherd makes sure that they go to lands that are full of grass.  Jesus provides our nutrients in which we need to survive.  The Word of God is the food in which we survive on.  We are to read and make the Word of God part of your life.  When we consume the Words we learn how we should live.

A sheep needs water to survive.  The shepherd makes sure that the water is slow and pure.  Jesus provides the water we need to survive.  The very blood of Jesus is the gift of everlasting life.  The water is pure and clean.  We are washed in the blood of Jesus and washed clean.  Through this our souls are restored.

A shepherd will make sure that the path that the sheep walk is an easy clear path.  One in which they will not hurt.  One in which they can easy follow.  Jesus provides the path of our life.  When we follow Jesus we walk a path that guides us to help others.  Our life is fulfilled because we are giving ourselves to others.  The path is laid with the knowledge that Jesus fills our souls with.

The shepherd would make sure to be with the sheep through all things.  The shepherd is always on guard.  There are so many things that are a threat to the lamb.  The shepherd has to make sure that they are prepared if an animal would come to injure the sheep within their care.  The sheep are always in threat.  The shepherd uses all tools at hand to protect and guide the sheep to safety.

Jesus protects us from all things.  The greatest comfort that we can have is knowing that no matter what happens Jesus is there protecting us.  Think on this a moment, we have nothing to fear in this life because Jesus is our center.  We are guaranteed that those that accept Jesus in their life will receive everlasting life.  Because of this knowledge there is nothing to ever fear.  God provides our comfort, strength and peace not only in this life but in the next life.

Shepherds provide meals for the lambs.  If there is no grass they will work to provide other nutrients.  The oil used is to heal the wounds that occur to the sheep.  The oil makes sure that the sheep can get over injuries.  In our life God provides all we need.  God is protecting us even we are confronted by enemies.  No matter how hard this life is we have God making sure that we can overcome it.  Through the sacrifice of Jesus we are made whole.  No matter what has or will happen in our life God forgives us if we accept Jesus in our life.  We only have to ask Jesus in our life for our transgressions to be forgiven.

Lastly, if we have Jesus in our life we have peace following us in our life.  Jesus provides sanctuaries here on Earth in which we can feel safe in.  This might not be the normal church home.  We might have to provide it in such things as this blog.  Places where we can feel safe and comforted.  Yet, not only are we provided a place to worship on this Earth we will have a place in Heaven.  Jesus made it clear when he left that he was going to prepare a place for us to live.  There are many rooms in Heaven so that we all have a place. 

Yet, to get that gift of everlasting life we must accept the gift that the Good Shepherd is offering.  The gift is already paid for by Jesus  all that is needed for us to have everlasting life is to give our life over to God.  When we do this God guarantees us everlasting life in Heaven.  In Heaven we will have no fears and we will be made whole.

Prayer:

Jesus we thank you for your sacrifice.  God we praise you for  sending the perfect lamb into this world.  We thank you Jesus for the love you give us each day.  Help us  to feel your presence.  Help us to never fear.  Help us turn our lives over to you so that we may have the free gift you want to give us.  In the name of the Good Shepherd we pray.  Amen

Questions:

Is the Good Shepherd your shepherd?  Have you turned over your life to the one that will provide all of your needs?  Are you willing to share the good news with others?  Are you holding back anything from this life?  Is it time to give all to Jesus so that you can feel the peace and strength of God?

Jesus’s Love will be Remembered for all Eternity

Verses: Psalms 22 : 1 - 31

Song inspired by the chapter:  Song has been uploaded from YouTube.com and is not my original.

My thoughts about the verses:

There are times in our life that we need to step back and thank God for all that has been done in our life.  God loves us and because of this love we are blessed.  God also has great power this power protects us dally.  No matter what comes in our life we are to life up praises to God for the greatness of the Creator.

God gives us many blessings every day.  We are given life and multiple gifts.  Think about this a moment God sends many gifts our way.  We are given the needs for daily living.  We are blessed with extra things in our life that make us happy and fulfilled.

You might be saying how can you say all our blessed.  Easy even when Christians are struggling in life there are things that they have things that bless their life.  We are blessed with people in our life that care for us (these people may be our friends, birth family or our chosen family).  We are blessed with a new morning when we have woken up.  We have days of great sunshine.  We have nights of brilliant star light.  The thing is we miss the things that are right in front of us.  We think we are not blessed because we do not have the things we want.  Even we have what we need want more sometimes to the point that we do not believe God is blessing us.

I watched a documentary about a man suffering from ALS.  ALS is a dreadful disease.  It attacks your body and leaves a person incapable of doing simple task.  Many suffer and eventually die because their lungs stop working and they cannot breathe.  Yet, in this story this young man had things that we often take for granted.  He had a brother that was devoting his life to find a way to help his brother.  He had parents that were spending time with him and helping him live as normal a life as he could.  He had a wife that totally supported him.  He had a son that looked up to him and was growing up with a father that adored him. 

He also had the gifts that others had created.  Gifts that were created through the talents God had shared with these inventors.  He had a wheelchair that he could operate on his own even when his arms quit working.  He had the ability to communicate through a computer when he started losing his voice. 

The most important thing he had was a positive attitude.  Through this support he found a way of going to his limitations. He realized how much that he had to do in a very short time period.  So instead of worrying about what he couldn’t do he concentrated on what he had.  His family and friends supported him.  They did all they could to make sure that he had all he needed to make his life as successful as it could be.

Think of the power that God used in this story to help him overcome his limitations.  How many times in our life do we miss the strength that comes from God?  We worry so much about our limitations that we do not see what God is doing for us.  We stress over the things that we cannot accomplish and miss the things God gets us through.

God is our strength and our protector.  God will carry us through our obstacles.  It is up to us if we want to put our total trust in God.  If we choose this path we will see the things that God does each day to protect us and make us stronger.  Think about how life would be if we just turned over today to God.

When people come against us, God is there protecting us.  There are people that will fight us.  They will be against us because of who we are.  The fact that we are Christian opens the door to people that will be against us.  If you start thinking about our multiple diversities you can just add on our abuse.  Yet, if we turn it over to God the strength will carry us through.

We need to offer praises to God for the love that is given to us each day.  We need to thank God for the strength that we are given.  We need to remember that we could not do it alone.  Pray for those that haven’t found God.  Just imagine how the world would be if all trusted in a God of love and power.

Prayer:

Dear God we thank you for multiple blessings.  We thank you for loving us when we didn’t deserve us.  We thank you for carrying us when we need your help.  We thank you for answering our prayers and giving us what we need.  In the name of the Protector and Savior of our life we pray.  Amen

Questions:

Have you thanked God for all that has happened in your life?  Have you asked God to come into your life and save you?  Have you praised God for the times that you are carried?  Is there anything that you need to turn over to God?  How would your life be without God?  Think on this a moment.  Do you not have a reason to praise God today?

Sing Praise to God’s Power and Love

Verses: Psalms 21 : 1 - 13

Song inspired by the chapter:  Song has been uploaded from YouTube.com and is not my original.

My thoughts about the verses:

There are times in our life that we need to step back and thank God for all that has been done in our life.  God loves us and because of this love we are blessed.  God also has great power this power protects us dally.  No matter what comes in our life we are to life up praises to God for the greatness of the Creator.

God gives us many blessings every day.  We are given life and multiple gifts.  Think about this a moment God sends many gifts our way.  We are given the needs for daily living.  We are blessed with extra things in our life that make us happy and fulfilled.

You might be saying how can you say all our blessed.  Easy even when Christians are struggling in life there are things that they have things that bless their life.  We are blessed with people in our life that care for us (these people may be our friends, birth family or our chosen family).  We are blessed with a new morning when we have woken up.  We have days of great sunshine.  We have nights of brilliant star light.  The thing is we miss the things that are right in front of us.  We think we are not blessed because we do not have the things we want.  Even we have what we we need want more sometimes to the point that we do not believe God is blessing us.

I watched a documentary about a man suffering from ALS.  ALS is a dreadful disease.  It attacks your body and leaves a person incapable of doing simple task.  Many suffer and eventually die because their lungs stop working and they cannot breathe.  Yet, in this story this young man had things that we often take for granted.  He had a brother that was devoting his life to find a way to help his brother.  He had parents that were spending time with him and helping him live as normal a life as he could.  He had a wife that totally supported him.  He had a son that looked up to him and was growing up with a father that adored him. 

He also had the gifts that others had created.  Gifts that were created through the talents God had shared with these inventors.  He had a wheelchair that he could operate on his own even when his arms quit working.  He had the ability to communicate through a computer when he started losing his voice. 

The most important thing he had was a positive attitude.  Through this support he found a way of going to his limitations. He realized how much that he had to do in a very short time period.  So instead of worrying about what he couldn’t do he concentrated on what he had.  His family and friends supported him.  They did all they could to make sure that he had all he needed to make his life as successful as it could be.

Think of the power that God used in this story to help him overcome his limitations.  How many times in our life do we miss the strength that comes from God?  We worry so much about our limitations that we do not see what God is doing for us.  We stress over the things that we cannot accomplish and miss the things God gets us through.

God is our strength and our protector.  God will carry us through our obstacles.  It is up to us if we want to put our total trust in God.  If we choose this path we will see the things that God does each day to protect us and make us stronger.  Think about how life would be if we just turned over today to God.

When people come against us, God is there protecting us.  There are people that will fight us.  They will be against us because of who we are.  The fact that we are Christian opens the door to people that will be against us.  If you start thinking about our multiple diversities you can just add on our abuse.  Yet, if we turn it over to God the strength will carry us through.

We need to offer praises to God for the love that is given to us each day.  We need to thank God for the strength that we are given.  We need to remember that we could not do it alone.  Pray for those that haven’t found God.  Just imagine how the world would be if all trusted in a God of love and power.

Prayer:

Dear God we thank you for multiple blessings.  We thank you for loving us when we didn’t deserve it.  We thank you for carrying us when we need your help.  We thank you for answering our prayers and giving us what we need.  In the name of the Protector and Savior of our life we pray.  Amen

Questions:

Have you thanked God for all that has happened in your life?  Have you asked God to come into your life and save you?  Have you praised God for the times that you are carried?  Is there anything that you need to turn over to God?  How would your life be without God?  Think on this a moment.  Do you not have a reason to praise God today?

God is our Victory

Verses: Psalms 20 : 1 - 9

Song inspired by the chapter:  Song has been uploaded from YouTube.com and is not my original.

My thoughts about the verses:

There comes a time in our life when we have to accept that we cannot handle things ourselves.  We have to realize at one time or another that there are powers that are much stronger than us.  We have to come to the understanding that we need to look at what is happening in our life and hand it over to God.

God will be the victorious savior we need.  Though it might seem that things are falling down around us we will find our strength and fortitude in God.  Jesus becomes the inner peace that keeps us safe from all harm.

I am contemplating a recent event that happened at our church.  We had someone vandalize the building that we are presently in.  Just like the temple fell and would one day rebuilt.  The windows that were vandalized can be replaced.

What we have to do is look more closely to what the psalmist is saying.  People who follow God will never lose their foundation.  The buildings may fall but our fortitude grows.  People might try to destroy where we worship yet what they miss it is the people that are the Church.

In other verses it says wherever two are gathered in the name of God the Holy Spirit will be there.  The people are what makes the Church a living breathing body.  God wants us to know that we have to put our entire faith into loving and trusting the one that gives us Everlasting life.

God's people have always been resilient.  There are many obstacles and barriers that have come between the people serving God and the Almighty.  Yet, the church continued because it was the hearts that had been changed.  It is through this that we learn that nothing can hurt us.

I  also am thinking about all of the churches, synagogues, and other religious institutions that have been destroyed by war.  Many which were destroyed because people could not accept that different faith traditions believed in the same God.  Believing that their way was the right way.  If you were not of their tradition then your sanctuary did not deserve the same respect as their own.

I go to the Metropolitan Community Churches that have endured fires and vandalism because of their stand on Christianity.  The church buildings were destroyed because of hate of a group of people that were seen to be unfit as Christians.  That other Christian group could not understand the simple principle that God loves us all no matter who we are.

In all these cases there is one thing to remember the buildings may have been damaged.  Lives may have been loss during the destruction.  Yet, the church bodies grew stronger.  In times of great despair the body of Christ grows stronger because of their dependence on God.  No one can ever take that away.

Buildings may come and go but the body of God will not falter.  It will only grow stronger as God takes over and the people that make of the church let God be in charge.

Prayer:

Dear God we come to you thanking you for your strength.  We thank you for teaching us that buildings are nothing more than the material that their made out of.  Help us come to the understanding that church is the people that you place in the buildings to worship.  Help us never to forget this.  In your Holy Name we pray.  Amen

Questions:

Have you put your sanctuary before your praises to God?  Are you worried about the building instead of serving God?  Are you willing to put aside your love for where you worship and put worshiping God first?