Psalm 97 ~ Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise His Holy Name.

Streams of Light, painted by James Coleman
 

Psalm 97

1 The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad;
let the distant shores rejoice.

2 Clouds and thick darkness surround him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

3 Fire goes before him
and consumes his foes on every side.
4 His lightning lights up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the Lord of all the earth.

6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all peoples see his glory.

7 All who worship images are put to shame,
those who boast in idols—
worship him, all you gods!

8 Zion hears and rejoices
and the villages of Judah are glad
because of your judgments, LORD.

9 For you, LORD, are the Most High over all the earth;
you are exalted far above all gods.

10 Let those who love the LORD hate evil,
for he guards the lives of his faithful ones
and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

11 Light shines on the righteous
and joy on the upright in heart.

12 Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous,
and praise his holy name.

This is a repeat old post, and then, generally, an old post is improved. Oddly enough, at the time of this old writing - the painting on floor is unfinished and Father God put upon my heart to not add more to this work or write about the Scripture. The art work is sitting on the floor unframed, and waiting for its place on the wall.


Yay! Yay! Yay! A New Year.

Let's be real.

We have a New Year ahead of us. There is a story, I'm sure you've heard, of a man who faces a New Year. He is sixty or seventy years old and he decides that he is called to boot camp his body back into the prior decades by strenuous exercise. The exercise journal goes on to say - a young, blond woman is the instructor and the first week in January, the man is encouraged by her strength, vivacity and tenacity. And the first two weeks are difficult to get into his car, go up stairs, open jar lids and put on his trousers. By the sixth week, she is boot camp style in his face and he leaves saying he never wanted an old ditch as dross again.

Frequently for students and parents, the New Year is staggered into. Winter darkness is not the most happ, happ, season of all.

Christmas has almost as many obligations and time requirements, financial requirements, emotional commitments and stresses as any other time of the year. Expectation of the School Year has met reality. Christmas Lights for Anglican Christians and the Christmas tree are removed after Epiphany, January 6th - the manifestation of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi. And on January 7th, we are left without daylight savings time, in winter sunlight, to see with faith that the sun is rotating , back to our side of the planet, a minute at a time each day. 

And yet the Winds are lifting with new approach. 
A determined positive viewpoint.

Isaiah 40:26
Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

 


God gives us work.

John 9:4
We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.

John 11:9
Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world's light.

2 Thessalonians 3:10
For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.






Now What Is This Work To Accomplish?

John 6:29
Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”






There is a very HUGE Purpose to Life.

Proverbs 17: 3
The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tries the hearts. 

Malachi 3 says we wonder if serving God is to our benefit. The truth is we speculate. Yet we know. The Word of God, Romans 1, says we know the Truth. It depends upon our hearts to let this Call be answered by our lives.

Malachi 3
13 “You have spoken arrogantly against me,” says the Lord.

“Yet you ask, ‘What have we said against you?’

14 “You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty? 15 But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’”
The Faithful Remnant

16 Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name.

17 “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him. 18 And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.




Psalm 11:5
The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion.

There is a story now of ISIS, they are asking children to play with decapitated heads to desensitize young innocent children to violence. Lack of compassion for the frailties of mankind that causes God to love His creation with so much Love. A young man wanted to be a doctor at age 12 - instead - he was coerced and compelled to violence by ISIS of Muslim against Muslim. He had no way out. And volunteered to be the human explosion with a way to blow himself up. Instead he has turned himself in and the captivity has led to his freedom for his compassion to the creation of mankind by God.

How does this hit our Western Culture? 

We must look where we are swimming in the great current of the forces of the river of life. 

We should keep our eyes on Jesus Christ to see we are nourished.  Honestly seeing our lives, the people around us - the Truth of our own spiritual journey - the Greatest Adventure.

This is easy to miss. Even today. The Narrow Path calls us to  work on your own Salvation.  Rick Warren points out - who missed the Greatest Adventure in the First Christmas? Herod the King, the Political leaders, the Religious leaders, the Business people ~ Joseph, Mary, Elizabeth and Zechariah (family), Shepherds and the Wise Men. A narrow path even for this Greatest of All Events.

Test the Spirit, ask the Wind of the Holy Spirit to propel us forward. AGAIN.
And going where we are called and pleased and fed and nourished to be.  
Sustained by Father God.
We are surrounded by people putting their best face on their words, actions and deeds. 
We must have our eyes on Jesus Christ. 
We work on our own salvation - our gratitude in relationship to Jesus Christ the Lord.
He is our Standard Bearer.

 



I have quoted this before, yet this is a great New Year Standard to look at:

Galatians 5

What does it look like to be swimming in the good crowd - moving and shaking - gettin on down the Highway of Life. Remember with me, the High Places in Scripture are sometimes used as glamor more than earnestness of heart and narrow, meaningful life.

Those who have ears - hear. Blessed are your eyes that see. See the difference.

19-21 Obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies [porn], and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

And if we are swimming to become filled with all the gifts, talents and unique talents and abilities God had given to us to keep our own lives pleasing to Him and to us.

The fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Forbearance, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, 23 Gentleness and Self-Control. Against such things there is no law.

Our Savior tells us - True worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4




 






Now.

As you begin your New Year as a Child of God.

Hebrews 12
11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. 12 Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, 13and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.

John 6:29
Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

We lean with trust and expectation upon our Father God. I just lost my very beloved Grandmother Bit's 18th Birthday Gift to me. She gave me the garnet and pearl cufflinks of my great-great-grandfather James Wells Person, 1865, which she had taken and made into earrings for me. I lost one earring. And I mourned. And now, I'm praying for the best (your prayers are appreciated) and I have felt in my heart Father God said to trust Him. This is very sad, yet not to be placed in the category of never having experienced the love this brought. The mystery of God's plan is to live the adventure.

Jesus tells us this:

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

And this is where this post rests.




Ephesians 2

Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Thank God.


Father God, we are all Your beloved in process like the painting.

This year has had great moments and hopes and leave with some far better and some in need of nourishment. We place this last Year with You in Gratitude and earnest Prayer.

We lean upon You for Your Blessings and Promises in expectation of Love and Mercy for this next year, living Your Plan for us. To be living with Jesus Christ Centered with Love, Joy, Peace, Forbearance, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control believing the mystery of faith - we are blessed in Your Plan of Love for us.

Because, Because, Because Father GOD You love us just as we are! Your Scripture says this in the Words and Actions of Jesus proclaiming You. And only the earnest truthfulness of a heart leaning to You is what You ask. We have the privilege of asking in the Highest Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves Those Who Call upon Him †

<><

<><
Ephesians 2:8
<><
<><
<><