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Episodes
Friday Sep 22, 2023
Friday Sep 22, 2023
Psalm 22
(as read by Kathrine D)
For the Chief Musician; set to “The Doe of the Morning.” A Psalm by David.
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?
My God, I cry in the daytime, but you don’t answer;
in the night season, and am not silent.
But you are holy, you who inhabit the praises of Israel.
Our fathers trusted in you.
They trusted, and you delivered them.
They cried to you, and were delivered.
They trusted in you, and were not disappointed.
But I am a worm, and no man;
a reproach of men, and despised by the people.
All those who see me mock me.
They insult me with their lips.
They shake their heads, saying,
“He trusts in Yahweh; let him deliver him.
Let him rescue him, since he delights in him.”
But you brought me out of the womb.
You made me trust at my mother’s breasts.
I was thrown on you from my mother’s womb.
You are my God since my mother bore me.
Don’t be far from me, for trouble is near.
For there is none to help.
Many bulls have surrounded me.
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.
They open their mouths wide against me, lions tearing prey and roaring.
I am poured out like water.
All my bones are out of joint.
My heart is like wax; it is melted within me.
My strength is dried up like a potsherd.
My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.
You have brought me into the dust of death.
For dogs have surrounded me.
A company of evildoers have enclosed me.
They have pierced my hands and feet.
I can count all of my bones.
They look and stare at me.
They divide my garments among them.
They cast lots for my clothing.
But don’t be far off, Yahweh.
You are my help: hurry to help me.
Deliver my soul from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dog.
Save me from the lion’s mouth!
Yes, from the horns of the wild oxen, you have answered me.
I will declare your name to my brothers.
In the midst of the assembly, I will praise you.
You who fear Yahweh, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify him!
Stand in awe of him, all you descendants of Israel!
For he has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted,
Neither has he hidden his face from him;
but when he cried to him, he heard.
Of you comes my praise in the great assembly.
I will pay my vows before those who fear him.
The humble shall eat and be satisfied.
They shall praise Yahweh who seek after him.
Let your hearts live forever.
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to Yahweh.
All the relatives of the nations shall worship before you.
For the kingdom is Yahweh’s.
He is the ruler over the nations.
All the rich ones of the earth shall eat and worship.
All those who go down to the dust shall bow before him,
even he who can’t keep his soul alive.
Posterity shall serve him.
Future generations shall be told about the Lord.
They shall come and shall declare his righteousness to a
people that shall be born, for he has done it.
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Friday Sep 22, 2023
Friday Sep 22, 2023
Romans 12: Living Life
Study 22: Rejoice and sorrow
I wonder if some times you are like me –you are sad when people you know have reason to be happy! We are like that as people! Jesus in Luke 15:25-30 indicates that this behaviour comes from envy! Or you are happy when people have reason to be sad or in trouble – your attitude is “They deserve it!” This is nothing short of malice. And unsurprisingly, it can come quite naturally to us! Paul here challenges the Roman readers and by proxy, us, with something totally alien to our natural way of behaving! Paul goes “be happy to the happy and weep with the weeping!”
That is a counter to the way the world we live in operates. Sure some people who are not Christian may do it Paul’s way but in general they don’t. But that is not the way it is to be with the Church! We are to love others as we would want to be loved. Love is not detached or ignorant of other people’s joys and sorrows. Love does not simply ignore or bear malice. Love lifts, encourages, embraces and emboldens! Love in action is offering a shoulder to cry on to somebody in need of help. Love in action is rejoicing with that brother or sister who has cause for celebration. Love offers solidarity with the other person, regardless of mood or emotion.
So how can we show this love to others? We maybe able to do it in our own strength, but we assuredly can by using the power of the Holy Spirit! Oh how easily we forget He is living within us! WOW! If we ask for His help, He will help – often in the most amazing ways. Let the Holy Spirit stimulate your imagination as to how you can practically rejoice and be happy with those who are rejoicing or to show you how you can weep with those who are weeping and in sorrow. And if we have reason to rejoice, let us not forget to be so overcome that we neglect to weep with those who are weeping. Or conversely, if we have good reason to be weeping, let us now forget to somehow rejoice with that brother or sister who has reason to be happy!
Go! Let your love for others be practically seen – whether with smiles or with tears!
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Thursday Sep 21, 2023
Thursday Sep 21, 2023
Psalm 121
121:1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills.
Where does my help come from?
121:2 My help comes from Yahweh,
who made heaven and earth.
121:3 He will not allow your foot to be moved.
He who keeps you will not slumber.
121:4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
121:5 Yahweh is your keeper.
Yahweh is your shade on your right hand.
121:6 The sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
121:7 Yahweh will keep you from all evil.
He will keep your soul.
121:8 Yahweh will keep your going out and your coming in,
from this time forth, and forevermore.
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Thursday Sep 21, 2023
Thursday Sep 21, 2023
Romans 12: Living Life
Study 21: Bless and pray
Paul here seems to have had some teaching about what Jesus taught for here he echoes Jesus, who is now His master. (Matthew 5:43-44 and Luke 6:27-28.)
To bless means to show kindness and love. Do you have enemies – people who don’t like you or loathe you because you are a Christian or for some other reason? I know some people who have been totally disowned by their own families because they became Christians. How are we to react? Paul here, echoes Jesus, commands that we are to show kindness and love. That is what bless means here - seeking the welfare of those that would cause us harm. It is a challenge to us because our natural reaction is usually to fight back or to ignore - that is curse. But we are challenged to pray for those who would wish us harm. Praying for their welfare is showing love for those who wish us harm. How can this be done? It can only be done using the power and strength of the Holy Spirit within us rather than attempting to do it in our own strength.
Paul here is a good example. Just a few years ago, Paul was going around persecuting the church. The first Christian Martyr was Stephen, as told to us in Acts 7:59-60. “While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he fell on his knees and cried out, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he fell asleep.”
Saul was standing there watching. Saul who we know now became Paul – our writer! Shortly after this event, Saul was arrested by Jesus whom He was persecuting. Paul has changed! His motto now is “bless those who persecute you.” Whereas his motto before was “Love your neighbour but hate your enemy!” What a change under the power of the Holy Spirit!
This is of course a picture of the Gospel. God showed love for His enemies, by sending His Son Jesus to die, so that all of humanity could change from being enemies of God to being friends of God.
Go! Bless others who are against you. Go and also pray for the persecuted church around the world – for they are your Christian family.
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Wednesday Sep 20, 2023
Wednesday Sep 20, 2023
Psalm 20
20:1 May Yahweh answer you in the day of trouble.
May the name of the God of Jacob set you up on high,
20:2 send you help from the sanctuary,
grant you support from Zion,
20:3 remember all your offerings, and accept your burnt sacrifice.
Selah.
20:4 May He grant you your heart’s desire,
and fulfill all your counsel.
20:5 We will triumph in your salvation.
the name of our God, we will set up our banners.
May Yahweh grant all your requests.
20:6 Now I know that Yahweh saves his anointed.
He will answer him from his holy heaven,
with the saving strength of his right hand.
20:7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses,
but we trust the name of Yahweh our God.
20:8 They are bowed down and fallen,
but we rise up, and stand upright.
20:9 Save, Yahweh! Let the King answer us when we call!
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Wednesday Sep 20, 2023
Wednesday Sep 20, 2023
Romans 12: Living Life
Study 20:
Here in verse 13, Paul is referring to helping other Christians in need, as and when we can. Note I said need and not want. By helping other needy people in the Church, such love reflects God’s love. As well as evangelism, the Church also has a social mission – to help cover the needs of those outside the Church.
Part of that need would be giving hospitality to people. We should be looking to pursue opportunities to give hospitality and not just when we want to. If I came to your door, cold, hungry and thirsty, would you feed me, give me a drink and put me near the heater? Jesus taught in the parable of the sheep and the goats from Matthew 25 that any act of love and mercy we do for others, was also an act of love and mercy toward Him.
When we provide the needs of others and practise hospitality we are reaching out to others – just as God reaches out to humanity with a free offer of salvation. Perhaps one of the great sins of our generation is the neglect to do good to others – doing good by supplying needs and practising hospitality. For you see, sin is not just doing bad things, it is also not doing good when we have the opportunity.
Over the last 2 months, my wife and I have been in need. Almost every day of those 2 months, somebody we know has helped us out in helping alleviate that need. We may well be in need for a little while longer, but it is a comfort to know that people care and will help us out at our point of need. Praise God for them!
We Christians show that we love God, by practically loving others. Helping the needy and doing hospitality, not as a means of salvation (for that is by grace alone) but as a means to show our salvation to those in need of embracing Jesus’ love for them. Go and help those in need and practise hospitality. Not just to your friends but also those you don’t know.
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Click on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!Tuesday Sep 19, 2023
Tuesday Sep 19, 2023
Romans 12: Living Life
Study 19: Persevere and Pray
v12 Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.Another part of our hope is that God’s whole purpose for you is to transform you into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. God may well use some form of temporal suffering in order to achieve it, but in the light of eternity, it will not be for long!
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Monday Sep 18, 2023
Monday Sep 18, 2023
Psalm 128
A song of ascents for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.
128:1 Blessed is everyone who fears Yahweh, who walks in his ways.
128:2 For you will eat the labor of your hands. You will be happy, and it will be well with you.
128:3 Your wife will be as a fruitful vine, in the innermost parts of your house; your children like olive plants, around your table.
128:4 Behold, thus is the man blessed who fears Yahweh.
128:5 May Yahweh bless you out of Zion, and may you see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
128:6 Yes, may you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel.
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Monday Sep 18, 2023
Monday Sep 18, 2023
Romans 12: Living Life
Study 18: Rejoice!
v12 Rejoice in our confident hope.
We rejoice by filling our minds with the hope of the glory to come! But as we looked at previously, don’t be so heavenly minded that you are of no earthly use! You are called to be growing and maturing in a process that is called discipleship. This will inevitable lead to your being asked the reason for which you have your hope in Jesus Christ. This hope is an unending hope, which will enable you to endure to the end and run the race marked out for you. How can you run this race? By having your focus set on Jesus Christ. Keep him in focus each day, by living each day for Him and let Him get all the glory and honour in all things you do!
Rejoicing doesn’t necessarily mean going around with a big silly grin on your face! Rejoicing is also have a quiet confident and sincere hope. Why can we be confident of this great hope? Because God is faithful and He is always true to His word! Just as Jesus Christ was raised from the dead with a new body 3 days after his death, so will all those who are Christian have new bodies! WOW! Go forward in this great hope you have with confident rejoicing! Thank you.
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Click on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!Sunday Sep 17, 2023
Sunday Sep 17, 2023
Romans 12: Living Life
Study 17: Enthusiastic Zeal
v11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.
Paul here commands Christians not to be lazy but to work hard! Is Paul talking about work outside the church or is he referring to work for the church? Quite possibly he means both! Remember those gifts we looked at earlier in the series? How are you doing with them? Are you being lazy and neither developing or using them as you ought? Get up and use them and develop them – work hard at them ensuring your service of God is with great zeal and delight! Perhaps Paul had heard that some of them were just sitting around waiting for Jesus to come back again and were neglecting their care and duty to work - and therefore their families!. So Paul has had to command them to get about their work with due diligence and attitude.I wonder why you do, what you do and when you do it? In everything we do, we are to do it with zeal as we serve our God – regardless of what we do!
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