Psalm 150 The Conclusion of the Matter

Psalm 150:6

Let everything that has breath,

Praise The LORD.

So what do you think it is…….

The conclusion of the matter, that is……

What is it this life might be all about anyway?

Some possibilities…….

Making a name for yourself…

Accumulating nice things…

Maximizing pleasure…

Making a difference…

Becoming powerful…

Following the rules…

Being comfortable…

Solving problems…

Meaningful work…

Rich experiences…

Building a legacy…

Proving myself…

Helping others…

Relationships…

Looking good…

Being good…

Doing good…

Self-control…

Having fun…

Adventure…

Winning…

Church…

Family…

Maybe it’s all about……

Nothing…..

It’s all random.

Maybe it’s all about…..

Everything…..

It’s all random.

But wait,

I wonder if there might be something…..

Some one, special, real, thing……

My life could be about….

Could center on……

Some one, special, real thing

That would…..

Make the difference for me……

That would……

Give substance to all these other…..

Lesser things?

Maybe it’s simple.……

As simple as the Psalmist expresses in this closing chapter.

Psalm 150:6

Let everything that has breath,

Praise The LORD.

Amen.

Psalm 149 The Best Feeling I Ever Had.

Psalm 149:1

…Sing to The LORD a new song…..

“My dream has finally come to reality….

And it’s the best feeling I have ever had.”

LeBron James on winning a Championship.

Strong words.

When I saw the quote……

“The best feeling….”

I couldn’t help but wonder how this could be so.

I mean here is a man with millions….

A man acclaimed by all his world to be one of the best…..

A man who has certainly had many incredible experiences and yet…..

This experience……

His dream…

A Championship…..

Worked so hard for…..

“The best feeling I ever had”

Maybe it’s because of his hard work…

The committed investment of his life in this pursuit.

Maybe it’s because he had made this his dream…..

Achieving greatness….

A Championship….

Validation.

“The best feeling I ever had”

The truth is I don’t know.

Anything I write here is a guess..….

A projection of my own experiences to a man I don’t know.

My congratulations go out to LeBron……

Along with my wishes that he have…..

At least one more experience…..

One that eclipses even this.

Now though…

What about you and me?

What is our dream?

What is the song of our lives?

What are we committing our lives to…..

For the most incredible feeling we might ever have?

Guys,

Know this….

Whatever it is…..

This song of our lives….

The reason we rise out of our beds …..

If it’s not flowing out of the very Life of Christ in us……

It may be time to heed the Psalmist……

To heed the Psalmist and……

Sing to The LORD……

A New Song.

Father,

I pray You lead us all into the New Song.

I pray You reveal to all of us in a powerful way

What it is that will give us the best feeling we ever had….

And so we might be irresistibly drawn to Life….

Real Life in You.

Amen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXilbs5a-iI

Psalm 147 Feeling God's Pleasure

Psalm 147:10-11

The LORD’S pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,

Nor His delight in the legs of a man.

The LORD delights in those who fear Him,

Who put their hope in His unfailing Love.

Eric Liddell,

The missionary, turned Olympic runner…….

Had a conversation with his sister Jenny one day.

Jenny was concerned for Eric……

She worried that all this running and fame was going to his head.

She was concerned that he had forgotten his mission.

The conversation went something like this…….

“Yes, I will return to the mission field”

Eric reassured Jenny,

“But first”……He went on to say…..

“Please realize Jenny……..

God made me fast

And when I run……”

“ I feel God’s Pleasure.”

And all the world marveled….

As this man won a gold medal……..

And went on to China as a missionary.

Yes all the world marveled

At a man whose life was a ……..

Living, breathing, real expression……

Of The Glory of God.

Liddell understood.

Liddell did what he was gifted to do……

For the Glory of God.

And so…….

Not for his strong legs…..

But for a heart of hope……..

Hope in the unfailing Love of God……

Eric Liddell experienced the delight of The Father.

Guys,

Let’s go out today……

Let’s go out with hope……

Hope in the unfailing Love of Christ…..

And so experience…..

The delight of God Himself!

Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit,

Remind me continually today of Your Unfailing Love,

And so let me feel Your Delight.

Amen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yoDE-3dTvU&feature=related

 

Psalm 146 The Heart of God......In Us!

Psalm 146:6-9

The LORD Who remains faithful forever….

He upholds the cause of the oppressed

And gives food to the hungry.

The LORD sets the prisoners free.

The LORD gives sight to the blind.

The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down.

The LORD loves the righteous.

The LORD watches over the alien and

Sustains the fatherless and widow.

The Heart of God was known……

Even before the advent of our Savior.

He has always cared for the downtrodden.

He has always sustained the fatherless.

He has always set prisoners free.

This is the Heart of God…..

That is now in you.

Guys…..

As Christ lives in you…

You sense it don’t you…….

He has given you His own Heart…..

His own Heart…… to care…..

For what He cares for.

We do not do these good things from a sense of duty.

We are not compassionate because we are supposed to be.

No…… there is something much greater at work in us.

It is truly the Very Life of our Father…….

The Spirit of the Living God….

Christ Himself…..

In us.

Ezekiel 36:26-27

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you;

 I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees…..

Thank You Lord God Almighty

That You have given me Your Good Heart.

I pray it be so powerful in me that all else fade to nothing.

Amen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yoegDcm3w8

Psalm 144 Nice Won't Get It Done

Psalm 144:1

Praise be to The LORD, my ROCK;

Who trains my hands for war,

My fingers for battle.

Whoa……

I thought God was supposed to be nice.

What’s this all about….

This training for war….

This preparation for battle?

Exodus 15:3

The LORD is a warrior;

The LORD is His Name.

God…..

The God we serve……

Is not nice.

Oh, don’t misunderstand…..

He is fiercely Loving…...

He is wonderfully compassionate…….

He can be gentle…….. as it is called for…...

But nice……..

No.

Oh, and lest you think…….

But Charles…..

“You’re thinking of the Old Testament God”

“Jesus…. He’s not like that……”

“Jesus….. He’s nice”

Revelation 1:12-18 (About Jesus)

¹² I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me……

 Someone like a son of man……..

His eyes were like blazing fire.

 ¹⁵ His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace,

and His voice was like the sound of rushing waters.

 ¹⁶ In His right hand He held seven stars,

and coming out of His mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword.

His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at His feet as though dead…….

“Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.

¹⁸ I am the Living One;

I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!

And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Guys…..

This is the God whose image we are made in.

This is the Christ who lives in us.

A Warrior who trains us for battle.

A Warrior who has enlisted us to join Him…..

To join Him in His passionate quest…..

For the freedom of His people.

Guys…..

I‘m afraid nice won’t get it done.

Almighty God,

Train me.

Rise up in me for Courageous Strength.

Love fiercely through me today.

Go out with me today Jesus.

Lead me into battle for the lives of all You bring my way.

Bring Your strength in me to bear on all I do today……

And please Lord never let me forget

The greatest weapon in all my warfare is

Your Powerful Love that wrested the

Keys of Death and Hades from the evil one.

All Praise be to our Mighty Captain.

Amen