Psalm 40
ScripturePsalm 40:1-3I waited patiently for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
and put their trust in him. Observation-What does it say?Doubts and fears about the eternal state, are a horrible pit and miry clay, and have been so to many a dear child of God. There is power enough in God to help the weakest, and grace enough to help the unworthiest of all that trust in him. The psalmist waited patiently; he continued believing, hoping, and praying. This is applicable to Christ. His agony, in the garden and on the cross, was a horrible pit and miry clay. But those that wait patiently for God do not wait in vain. Those that have been under religious melancholy, and by the grace of God have been relieved, may apply verse 2 very feelingly to themselves; they are brought up out of a horrible pit. Christ is the Rock on which a poor soul can alone stand fast. Where God has given steadfast hope, he expects there should be a steady, regular walk and conduct. God filled the psalmist with joy, as well as peace in believing. Multitudes, by faith beholding the sufferings and glory of Christ, have learned to fear the justice and trust in the mercy of God through Him. Many are the benefits with which we are daily loaded, both by the providence and by the grace of God.https://www.christianity.com/bible/commentary.php?com=mhc&b=19&c=40
he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
and put their trust in him. Observation-What does it say?Doubts and fears about the eternal state, are a horrible pit and miry clay, and have been so to many a dear child of God. There is power enough in God to help the weakest, and grace enough to help the unworthiest of all that trust in him. The psalmist waited patiently; he continued believing, hoping, and praying. This is applicable to Christ. His agony, in the garden and on the cross, was a horrible pit and miry clay. But those that wait patiently for God do not wait in vain. Those that have been under religious melancholy, and by the grace of God have been relieved, may apply verse 2 very feelingly to themselves; they are brought up out of a horrible pit. Christ is the Rock on which a poor soul can alone stand fast. Where God has given steadfast hope, he expects there should be a steady, regular walk and conduct. God filled the psalmist with joy, as well as peace in believing. Multitudes, by faith beholding the sufferings and glory of Christ, have learned to fear the justice and trust in the mercy of God through Him. Many are the benefits with which we are daily loaded, both by the providence and by the grace of God.https://www.christianity.com/bible/commentary.php?com=mhc&b=19&c=40
Understanding-What does it mean?I love the picture of God putting our feet on a rock – solid ground. When things seem uncertain, crazy, scary…God is (has always been, continues to be and will always be) able to place us on solid ground.He puts a new song, new words, new heart inside of us…and, because of that, those that haven’t experienced this but see it, are drawn to it and potentially transformed by it. Life ApplicationKeep that “new song” ever present on our lips by actively choosing gratitude. You can do something simple like taking a few minutes each day – at the beginning or end – to think of 3 things your grateful for…recognizing God as the source of all good things.Other ideas for incorporating gratitude can be found here…https://daringtolivefully.com/gratitude-exercises-Rei
1 Corinthians 1
Scripture
1 Corinthians 1:26-29 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no [t]man may boast before God. Observation-What does it mean? Paul is writing to the church at Corinth. Corinth was a port city approximately 40 to 50 miles west of Athens. It was an important city on the trade route between the Aegean and Adriatic Seas. It was a city of mixed cultures, where Jews, Greeks, Romans, Syrians, Egyptians, etc., came into contact with each other on a daily basis. This unique location made it a strategic place to plant a church, due to the ability to spread the gospel message to the rest of the world. However, this culture also posed a problem for the church, as it made the church vulnerable to outside influences and the blending of different doctrines. In the opening words of this letter, Paul makes a call to unity within the body of Christ. He makes a bold statement, which is repeated to the body in other cities as well, that we are to focus our message on Christ’s crucifixion, which is our salvation. To the world this message is foolishness and to the religious this message is a stumbling block. Jesus himself gave us the message that his message of love was a point of division. In Matthew 10:21-22 we read, “Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.” The author of the letter to the Hebrews wrote, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Understanding-What does it say? It’s strange that you sometimes don’t know the effect a person has on your life until you don’t have them anymore. This was surely the case with Agnes, my wife’s grandmother. I had the pleasure of having her be a part of my life for about ten years of my life. She called me her “friend” in the most endearing way. I would come over to spend time with Jen, while we were still dating, and I would often hear from the back room, “Is my friend here?” I greatly enjoyed spending time with her. But, it wasn’t until she was gone that I realized the depth of wisdom she had imparted on me. Lessons like, it’s good to share a beer with friends, be passionate about the ones you love, clean up after yourself, and tell good jokes. Most of all, Agnes taught me the importance of sharing the gospel. She was an embodiment of the words of St. Francis of Assisi, “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” Her home and her heart was always open, and she was willing to share whatever she had. She was patient and kind, and I can’t think of a time she was boastful. She shared her love with whoever came into her life, which sometimes caused her to sacrifice greatly. She was not a woman with great accolades or degrees to speak of, but, she loved all, the great and small. The message of Christ is a message of love. God loved us so much, he was willing to send Jesus to sacrifice for us (John 3:16). He loved us before we were cool, while we were still deep in our sins (Romans 5:6-8). His message asks us to show love for others (1 John 3:16-18), even if it means we need to act like fools, or be looked at as unintelligent because of a message of a savior who died more than 2000 years ago. Our message cannot change, just like our savior is unchanging (Hebrews 13:8). So hold fast, even as the world is becoming violent towards our message, because His love will be victorious and we cannot be separate from Him (Romans 8:38-39).
Life Application
Jesus, give me the strength to preach your message, even as the world becomes more hostile towards You. Help me to hold fast to your living word. For you are my strength in this time of need. Your foolishness is wiser than the world’s wisdom, and your weakness is stronger than the world’s strength.
-Tyler Galloway
Romans___16
Scripture - What stood out?Romans 16
3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert[b] to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia,[c] my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles,[d] and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers[e] who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. Observation - What does it say?This is such an exciting time in the history of the bible. The apostle Paul continues to establish the church among the gentile nations. In this conclusion of his letter to the Romans the apostle Paul exhorts the believers to be wise in what is good and innocent of evil. Understanding - What does it mean?We are getting ready to reopen the doors of our church beginning April. edit **I had written end of this month earlier in error. My apologies! ** end edit As part of the ushers we are now tasked with figuring out first impressions in the midst of the new post pandemic landscape we live in. At the heart of what our team does however is greet people. Whether you are new to our church or have been attending forever our goal is to greet you. That is part of the first impression that our ushers hope to imprint on people as they see us. In Romans 16:3-16, the apostle Paul uses the word greet 18 times in reference to a fellow believer in Christ. Something tells me Paul was the consummate usher! Thousands of years ago when the church first started it was important to the apostle Paul to greet his fellow laborers and believers. Isn’t this just as important today as we look to rebuild our universal church post-pandemic? Life Application - How can I apply this to my life today? I felt convicted after reading that portion of scripture to try harder to imitate Paul. It is now easier than ever to reach out. For my life application today I am going to text one person I normally wouldn’t. And I would like to let them know they are a believer in Christ like I am, they are loved by God, that I am grateful to be friends with another Christian, and that I wanted to say- hello. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. -kenneth lee