Author: Pastor Howie

All the nations are invited to join in this praise to God for all the wonderful things that He has done. The psalmist has plenty of reason to give his own praise. One reason is that God has heard his prayers for deliverance and his praise. He can say that because after a time of introspection, he had determined that there were no sins that he was holding onto, trying to protect, unwilling to let of. No, he wasn’t perfect, but he didn’t have any sins that would hinder God from hearing him.

How about you? Is the reason your prayers are being answered because you are harboring some sin in your heart that you won’t let go of? When we confess our sins and know we are forgiven, we have the confidence then that God hears our prayers and praises.

First of all, let me apologize that the entire service is not streamed. I neglected to click on the ‘go live’ button to start the streaming, but most of the message is available for viewing.

If you have ever felt like your circumstances compared to being in the wilderness, you’re not alone. As a matter of fact, you’re in good company. David felt that way. He is in an actual wilderness. But he didn’t feel alone. He knew God was with him. Even though he was out there on the run from an enemy, he still founding it fitting to praise God. Can we respond in the same way? In our trials, we still have a God worth seeking. In our trials, we still have a God worth singing about. In our trials, we still have a God who satisfies. Lift up your hearts and give Him praise.

James says that a double minded person is unstable in their ways. Robert Berlin looks at I Corinthians 2 and addresses the need to have the mind or Spirit of Christ, which is in conflict with the mind or spirit of the world. They are not compatible. As a Christian we are directed to have the mind of Christ, which then directs our actions, thoughts, and words. As Christians, we are to pursue the mind of Christ.

Does God have a plan for your life and does that plan include trials? David thought so. He was running for his life from Saul who was closing in on him. David cried out to God for help because he knew God was loving and faithful to those who trust Him. David knew that God’s plans for him would be completed. The result was exalting the person of God, giving Him the praise He is due. Do we recognize the sovereign hand of God in our trials? Do we trust His perfect plan? Can we proclaim His praise?

Psalm 51 is for everyone. Why because we’re all sinners in need of forgiveness. It’s a great psalm because it assures us that all our sins when confessed will be forgiven when done so with a sincere and broken spirit for our wrongdoing. It’s a great psalm not only because we can be forgiven, but our joy can be renewed and our relationship with God restored. Is God’s hand heavy on you because of some unconfessed sin? Admit your sin, confess, repent and experience the joy you once had.

What a great Psalm! It’s a reminder that know matter what trouble we are facing, God is an ever-present help in our trouble. At times we try to face our trouble on our own, in our own strength and He tells us to stop and consider that He is God and that He is there with us and for us. So let Him be in control of the situation. In that way and in the end, He is the one who is exalted. What problems are you facing right now where you need to let go and give it to God?

What do you thirst for? Do you thirst for adventure? Fame? Fortune? Leisure? Something else? In Psalm 42, the psalmist said he thirsted for God as a deer thirsts for the water brook. Perhaps it was a time of drought and the psalmist saw a deer drinking deeply from one of the few sources of water drinking as if it didn’t know where or when it would have such refreshment. Imagine then the psalmist making a correlation between that and a thirst for God. He identifies reasons why he may have been in his own spiritual drought, but remembers that hope in God, longing for God satisfies us in times of trouble. It is a call for us to consider where we seek satisfaction with the psalmist concluding that if we want it to last, it must come from God.

In this message, Mr. Randy Chamberlain discusses the business of the Christian to be a soul winner, a believer who shares the gospel so that they can learn about and receive Christ as Savior.

David has strong convictions about God. Because he trusted in God’s sovereignty, David had learned to wait patiently on the Lord. His personal experience testified that God had heard him and helped him and he wanted others to trust in the same God and worship Him. His convictions led to his consecration of committing himself to fully obey the Lord. Conviction will lead to consecration, not the practice of rituals for the sake of rituals, but in an inner commitment of obedience that exhibits the character of God.

No matter what we do, it seems like weeds keep coming back. It doesn’t seem fair or right that they prosper while we struggle to get our flowers and vegetables to grow with a lot of effort. David addresses something else that doesn’t see fair or right. Why do the wicked seem to prosper? Why do the righteous seem to get the raw end of the deal and the wicked have no problems? David gives us a caution not to fret over or envy the wicked. Their prosperity is short lived. Instead, David gives us five ways to combat a wrong attitude about the wicked. It begins with trusting the Lord. Let’s also remember that their demise will come, while on the other hand, our eternal reward is yet to come.