Psalm 110 ~ The Lord has sworn

Psalm 110

A Psalm of David.

110 The Lord says to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
2 The Lord sends forth from Zion
your mighty scepter.
Rule in the midst of your enemies!

3 Your people will offer themselves freely
on the day of your power,
in holy garments;
from the womb of the morning,
the dew of your youth will be yours.

4 The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever
after the order of Melchizedek.”

5 The Lord is at your right hand;
he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.
6 He will execute judgment among the nations,
filling them with corpses;
he will shatter chiefs
over the wide earth.

7 He will drink from the brook by the way;
therefore he will lift up his head.

Fashions come and go. When I was a child Reverend "W. A." Criswell's Oratory Style covered the Radio Christian Broadcasts. "Aaaaand AYE say To Youuuu." Criswell actually spoke this way as a Southerner and a two-term elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Supporters have described Criswell as one of the 20th century's greatest expository preachers. So everyyyyyyone addapppted his speaCH inFLECTIONS.



And styles, in many things, come and go. The top eyeglasses were worn by my step-grandfather Reverend William Tate Young, Graduate twice of University of the South. Tate was a John Wayne, or Marlboro man, type figure at 6'2" with broad, broad shoulders and a good set of very, very white hair and these glasses. He never ever employed the Criswell speak. Instead his style was conversational always, standing up straight to get attention and expecting the very, very, very best of every living Soul.

My Grandmother was the most delightful, sweet, loving, educated... Loving, Alcoholic you'd every enjoy conversing with. Three of her 4 great grandchildren are named for this slice of Heaven Grandmother Bit is and was. Named "Bit" as a nickname by her father because she was such a Bit of Love. My Nativity Angel was declared to look like Grandmother. And I've had the privilege of dreaming and seeing Grandmother Bit in Heaven showing me what filled in the Lord actually looks like. And made me realize her life was a struggle for her here. Losing her loved father and two husbands with only one alcoholic child. Mammas don't let your babies grow up and marry their first husband as an alcoholic.

My Great-Grandfather was the most landed man in Mississippi  (the one who named Bit as Bit) and he told Tate in 1917 he despised clerics as The Laziest Human Beings on the Planet. Being social butterflies who craved feting, gave judgment and did absolutely Nothing. I think maybe Pop had seen "Gran Torino"  the film directed by Clint Eastwood. "Walt said I knew nothing about life or death, because I was an over-educated, 27-year-old virgin who held the hand of superstitious old women and promised them eternity. "

Tate defied what Pop said. He was an Episcopal Priest for over 50 years and was in the Sherman, Texas and Dennison Church for well over 35 years. And he did this right.



Tate had suffered from his congregation. Perhaps the most shocking thing that happened, when he moved, the long time congregation 'lifted" "boosted" a few of his quite gorgeous items. Tate probably did not care too very much, he mildly commented he knew who had what. And Tate was very, very popular and beloved by his two Churches he worked for. It was a solid set of congregations.


What were some of Tate's successes? He was very integrated with the laity. He did not consider himself above them. He was literally a foot taller than most people. And probably 40 I Q points higher. And Tate accepted this without much comment. To him this was God's way of making a Priest. Tate was not interested in sin much. He stated what pleased God and found the Joy of God to be the direction we should seek God. He was spitting damn angry with the 1970s Church for all the 'modern' improvements about divorce. Tate said this would ruin the Church by the 1990s. Tate said the marriage of a man and a woman is a vow and to undo this would cause rifts in the mystery of God and His Church.


Tate was infuriated, having a magnificent temper - he did not hush about easy divorce.


Tate married 3 times due to spousal death and after 20 years of widowhood married for the second time to a Mayonnaise Heiress. She had pursuited Tate, to Tate's surprise for 10 years. Hearing his now 2nd wife's admonition, caught our attention. I guess Tate caught on when she gave him her guest house next door. Tate was not pleased to find out she had left him her entire Estate when she suddenly died of terrible Pneumonia. But Tate kept on going with the laity to sail, build handguns, target shoots, dinners, meetings, and lots and lots and lots of hospital trips for the elderly congregation. Rich or making ends meet, Tate drove a VW Squareback. A car that was white, lasted decades and looked like a Porsche SUV.




I sat with decades of Tate pounding the Dining Room table about this and that. Sundays rare roast beef. And let me tell you what I learned from Tate. Abraham was a wise man. Very wise. Father of the Nations. Speaking personally to God, Abraham never became a... PRIEST. But you look for a good one and you nourish your people for decades and decades knowing the details, foibles, aspirations, hopes and realities of your flock.


Tate would discuss the sermons around the area. Tate knew local government and what was going on in the schools. He knew the veterinarians.



What type of person becomes a Minister. Ministers, doctors and psychologists run in the same directions.

If someone needs a podium, to become important, or to render judgment. This ain't necessarily Jesus. Some very chilly people become psychologists for the sheer joy to look like this:

If you can't smile and laugh with the truth - you aren't living the Joy of the Lord!!! C'mon.





And then you have the Tender Hearts.

The people who can't get enough to their people. They'd never dream of saying, "These people just take and take and just suck the life out of you."

This is someone who believes God really and truly wants to save the world. His Grace is wide. They believe their job is to cater to the laity. Not their image. They see their job as builders of community. And want this employment full time. Realistically understanding the population of the church is 60s and up. Realistically knowing this is going to involve loving the poor as well as the rich. Understanding God reacts whether HE feels the emotion or not. Being an open door to all. Understanding the days of picking and choosing the 'right' people to advance a career is over.

The drawback to being this person is to be overwhelmed.
This is a Faith Based Ministry and this person will need to remember God has a Plan for all of us. Prayer is the major occupation and involves an ongoing conversation with God. And in the Strength of Prayer, knowing God provides for His People. People have the strength to do their lives when they believe God is going to Be There With Them.

This is an Adventure. See the Mercies of the Lord renew each day. As an active search for a real promise. A white water knuckle search some days. And a breeze in the spring of God's Garden other days.

This is Faith. To be told the secrets of the police officer who is trained to go into a dark house where the husband is stoned or loaded with alcohol and gun. To hear what is hard to hear. And leave the person, actually, equipped and empowered by the Word of God to stand and be able. To love back to standing. To believe standing will happen. And, importantly, hand prayer concerns over to God believing we will see coping, tolerating, growth, achievement, and Miracles. No human being is God, we just talk to Him - for real.

Jesus walked. He loved ... Vineyards. Jesus was said to be a glutton and a drinker. Jesus went to the less 'righteous' parties. Jesus is easily obtainable. Jesus tells where he is so that he could be found. Even during the Ascension, baby. Jesus kept employing people to do God's Work. Jesus sent people with good deeds. God knew during Genesis 11 Good things about Creation. He could have named quite a few that handing over to people would have "an opportunity for a solution". Jesus saw the Good. Sees the Good. Says the Good.



This Job has discernment. It does not hold out Judgement. If Judgement is to be rendered - this is done face to face and not crowd to crowd. This is called Wisdom. And fully employs the remembrance Jesus challenged Nicodemus to remember a Teacher of Israel will fall into Greater Judgment. To Whom? To God Himself. This could be exactly why Abraham decided to be a rancher!!!








And to put the whipped cream to the sprinkles...

The A to B of Sermons. Once you write the Sermon you had fun working on all week, then you get to go back and ask why is this 'New.'

How has the Sermon avoided being routine. What tools are available to me? Songs. Art. Pop Culture. Archaeology.Hand outs of art and bumper stickers? Can the Sermon be done by Subtitles easily followed? Is part of the Sermon just noise? A is excellent, but get to dragging B and you are bbbbbbbbboring. If the congregation is 60 years old, what do they probably know that was just hammered at them?

What do the Popular Christian Books suggest is the question on the believing soul's mind? What inspired you in the topic. What brings you closer to God "Our" Father?

How did you do? Did you honk your own horn? Did you shine? Did you really get that job done mightier than the speeding bullet. Then, Bubba, you did that WRONG. Because the reason for the entire Season is JESUS.

What did you convey about why YOU LOVE JESUS. Do the people look like they are considering that they arrived 'soul-ly' to Love Jesus and now see again something about Jesus reflecting the nature of God Himself?


God tells us He is the God of Love.

He is the God of Encouragement.

Did you?



Perhaps Peter, himself, dealt with very honest, thinking, mature, good people as he told them the Good News of Jesus Christ. Let's listen to Peter's advice on being Christ's representative to the average person. Look at the first verse and then the rest in that Light of Christ Jesus:

2 Peter 1

1 Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

12 Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. 13 I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.





Abba, 

Help us all to do this. Daily. The excellent adventure of Loving Jesus. Knowing Jonah ran. Jeremiah said I'm too young. Peter said not me, oh please Lord. And Jesus Shines on helping, loving, encouraging, strengthening us all to do more of what Jesus says is, "I say to you, arise.”

And the laity, given the Holy Spirit, will. We will with God's Help. Arise and be the Body of Christ Jesus. The people of the Bible do not have a college degree to call themselves ministry to be the Body of Christ.

In Jesus we have our Allllleluia and will Rise up. Amen Amen Amen Jesus.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †