Canadian Gospel Mission

10/26/2024

Psalm 105 - A Call to Praise

Psalm 105 is a recounting of the blessings of God to His people in consideration of their history. There are many such psalms. We could think of the psalms of Asaph as an example of this. It is indeed a good thing to remember the mighty acts of God in history, which in turn should induce us to praise Him. In this psalm, there is more than a psalm of praise. It is a psalm that calls one to praise, and even calls one to enjoin others to praise. This gives us insight into the true nature of praise to the Lord.

True praise is more than inspirational. It is MOTIVATIONAL. The praise of God brings more than warm and fuzzy feelings. It calls us to higher service.

There are different types of praise psalms. Some are psalms of thanksgiving for God's mercy to His people through their seasons of rebellion. These speak more to the mercy of God in forgiving His people.

This psalm does not offer even a hint of the sins of Israel's rebellious past. You could say this praise psalm is more a reflection of the providence of God in keeping His promises to His people.

We need both, by the way. We do not want to overlook the necessity of revisiting the goodness of God in view of our unworthiness. However, it is good also to consider the goodness of God in view of His purposes and promises. After all, the eternal purposes of God are such, even in spite of mens' best attempts, as it were, to thwart them.

We see in the introduction of Psalm 105 a series of calls to action in praising the LORD, and that is the purpose of this study.

1. Give thanks unto the LORD.
2. Call upon his name.
3. Make known his deeds
4. Sing unto him (in psalms)
5. Talk of his wondrous works.
6. Glory in his holy name.
7. Rejoice (in heart)
8. Seek the LORD, his strength, and his face.
9. Remember his marvelous works.

In these nine calls to action we see a threefold direction.

5 of these are directed upward (give thanks, call upon Him, sing unto Him, glory in His name, seek Him)

2 of these are directed outward (make known His deeds, talk of His works)

2 of these is directed inward (rejoice in heart, remember His works)

In this we discover the very purpose of praise. Proper praise to the Lord orients the heart in a proper manner toward Him.

We praise the Lord, first of all, because He truly is worthy.

One aspect of tyrants is that they demand the praise and adoration of their subjects upon penalty of great injury if they refuse to do so. In this example of praise, we consider the great worthiness of God in being praised. He is worthy to be praised because He is good!

His works are marvelous, wondrous, thank worthy
His name is holy, glorious
His face is one to be sought,
His goodness is proven, thus worth telling to others, who then can prove Him to be good as well.

We praise the Lord, because He is wonderful! When our hearts are oriented properly toward the goodness of God, it brings us to a true heart of gratitude toward Him. This is critical for our own spirit, and it brings us to the proper perspective of service, and thus, the second aspect of praise.

If the Lord is so worthy of praise, is He not thus worthy of others' praise? Praise to the Lord prepares our witness, as we invite others to come and join us in this praise.

Make known His deeds...
Talk ye...

If our witness of the Lord is lacking, could it be that our praise to the Lord is lacking. Do we witness to others out of a sense of obligation or duty? Or do we count it our moral responsibility on account of the goodness of our Lord?

We tend to talk to others about things that impress and amaze us, things that inspire and motivate us, things that we appreciate and wish for others to appreciate. Why then are we slack at times to witness of the Lord, Who is the most qualified and entitled to all of the above? Perhaps our praise for Himis lacking, which has brought us to the love of other things far less worthy of our attention, devotion, and love!

Thirdly, and lastly, not only does praise orient us properly toward the Lord and others. It establishes our own priorities. Joy of heart comes to the established heart, the quiet heart, the contented heart.

Let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Joy is the result of seeking the Lord.

Remember his marvelous works, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth.

The memory of God's great power, and the memory of His perfect word establish the heart in joy.

The joyful heart desires to praise.

Are you praising the Lord today? Are you telling others about the Lord today? Are you full of the joy of the Lord today? If not, consider the words of this blessed psalm. Be reminded of the faithful God who performs wonders in ways past finding out! Be reminded of His power to fulfill all that He has promised! Be reminded of how worthy His name is to be praised!

God bless you today!

10/29/2022

02/01/2022

https://youtu.be/gSBjPeXeINE

CHRIST OF THE PSALMS - ( A Bible study series in the PSALMS ) Today's Bible study is in Psalm 41

01/16/2022

Here is a link to today’s Sunday School lesson from Acts 26. We looked at the subject of “SPEAKING FOR YOURSELF” in the example of Paul testifying before Agrippa. I hope it is an encouragement to you!

SPEAKING FOR YOURSELF | FOUNDATIONS Series in Acts | Sunday School January 16 2022

FOUNDATIONS - Sunday School Series in Acts (chapter 26)

11/29/2021

The phrase, “Fear not” is one often repeated throughout the Bible, a sweet, short assurance from God Himself that He is greater than any and all circumstances that may arise in our lives.

Why do we fear? We become fearful when we realize a situation has become too difficult, too complicated, too intense to be able to work it ourselves.

You’ve heard the phrase, “Be the decider of your own destiny.” You pull up your bootstraps, you set to work, and believe that nothing can stop you in your ceaseless determination to succeed. And then reality sets in...

Your marriage goes sideways. You end up in a brush with the law. You get sick or injured. All of a sudden, you realize that what seemed to be your certain future seems little more than a fleeting mirage, and you come face to face with your own mortality and weakness. Fear sets in, then discouragement. Perhaps despair. Despondency. Defeat? What then?

The Bible teaches us that we fear when we forget to trust God. We fear because we are sure to fail. Yet we have forgotten that life is not a game of chess, but a matter of walking with God. If I am looking to myself to have the answer, to lay my future solely upon my frail shoulders, how could I not be fearful?

Yet God has called me to Himself. He has given me new life in Jesus Christ, forgiven me of all my sins, given me life everlasting, and set me upon a sure foundation. Why should I live in fear of tomorrow? The everlasting God Who has seen the end from the beginning has trodden my path before! He has called me to follow Him, not plod my own uncertain way. I cannot but be fearful when I choose my way over God’s.

So then, the answer lies with in where my faith rests. Fear dissipates where my faith in God begins. If in any part of my life I am unwilling to trust God, I am sure to live fearfully. So there is a choice I must make; trust God and be at rest, or strive for control (which I ultimately do not have) and be overcome with fear.

Repeated over and over, the assuring words “Fear not!” ring out, and yet until we come to realize that God knows best, we will never come to appreciate the rest that is available from our gracious God to all who will take Him at His word!

Below is a Bible study from Psalm 34, where the psalmist addresses God delivering him, not from his difficulty, but from his fears in the difficulty. The psalm demonstrates his journey from fear to faith in the all-powerful hand of God. We hope the study may be a blessing and help to you!

DELIVERED FROM MY FEARS - (Psalm 34) - November 4 2021

11/13/2021

Do you want peace in your soul? You can!

What is peace? An inner calm, a rest from the tumultuous rush of life, the pressures of difficult relationships, the concerns of the uncertainty of tomorrow.

These things can consume one to the breaking point of health, mind, and spirit. The complexities of life, not to mention our own missteps, frailties, and failures on top of all these other things, can build up such turmoil that within the heart there is such unrest that a good night’s sleep is wishful thinking at best, a stable frame of mind a distant memory.

1. Peace is found in Christ’s presence.

Jesus said to all who are weary and heavy laden, “Come unto me...and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 KJV) Jesus made clear that peace comes to us when we come to Him. “I will give you rest.” Peace cannot be discovered or brought about by our own means. It is a gift from Jesus Christ.

We seem to blame externalities as the cause of our inner turmoil. “The reason I don’t have peace is because of this person or that circumstance.” We blame our boss, our schedule, our spouse, our children, our in-laws, our least favorite co-worker... we see everyone and everything but ourselves as the reason why we cannot be settled inwardly.

We then assume we must change those externalities. We think a new job, a new church, a new house, a new truck, a new spouse, a change in financial standing, that will bring peace. Sadly, we find that those things only lead to greater turmoil, for now on top of all we already face, we have added layers of difficulty to the mess.

Jesus said, “in me ye might have peace” (John 16:33 KJV)

Thus, Jesus said the root of the problem is not your outward circumstance. It is a blessing to have a good wife, a good job, a good house, a good church, etc. You can have all of those things, and still lack peace; for peace is found in Jesus Christ, and is given by Christ to those who come to Him.

So the problem is our unwillingness to come to Him, and attempting to bring ourselves what only Jesus can give.

2. Peace is found in Christ’s purpose.

When we come to Christ, we discover that He has a purpose to fulfill in our lives, a journey to take us on. We cannot merely come to Christ for His peace, and then proceed with the life we want to have. He says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me...” (Matthew 11:29 KJV) A yoke is an instrument of labor. Jesus has a work that He wants us to follow Him in. You might say, that doesn’t sound like peace to me. But wait a sec...

As the giver of peace, Jesus knows what our needs are. He knows our personality, characteristics, limitations, desires, and capacities far better than we could ever discover. He knows how best to use those things, and to fit us where those traits are most suited. As we follow Him, should it be a surprise that His will is where all of those considerations are fulfilled?

Further, as we follow and learn of Him, we see that He has not sent us so much as called us to go with Him. He is there to carry what we cannot sustain, to supply what we cannot provide, to fulfill what we cannot complete.

In His purpose is found His companionship. As we enter into His plan, we discover He has trodden the path before us. Though we are uncertain of the next step, we realize He has seen the end from the beginning. What peace to possess when life is more a journey of discovery with the Creator of all things than it is a shot in the dark.

3. Peace is found in Christ’s perspective.

Jesus says, “learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart...” (Matthew 11: 29 KJV). Peace comes when we realize that Jesus is right, and that we are wrong. Christ desired to give us, not only a relationship and fellowship in His will, but a new understanding of living. He desires to impart to us His nature, His manner, His attributes. As we go with Him, in learning what He is like, we learn how to deal with the complexities, uncertainties, and difficulties of life HIS WAY.

We learn to see things as Jesus sees them, and thus we learn to deal with things as Jesus would have it.

When we do these things, we have the promise of Jesus, “ye shall find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11: 29 KJV)

So we ask the question again. Do you want peace in your soul? You can!

But only when you come to Jesus!

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