excellent

When the Name of the LORD is Blessed

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, “Blessed be Thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth; Thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and Thou art exalted as head above all.  Both riches and honour come of Thee, and Thou reignest over all; and in Thine hand is power and might; and in Thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.   Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious name.   But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? For all things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee.  For we are strangers before Thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.
“O LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build Thee an house for Thine holy name cometh of Thine hand, and is all Thine own.   I know also, my God, that Thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy Thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto Thee.
“O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of Thy people, and prepare their heart unto Thee: and give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep Thy commandments, Thy testimonies, and Thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made provision.”
1 Chronicles 29:10-19

O LORD our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth! Who hast set Thy glory above the heavens.   Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou ordained strength because of Thine enemies, that Thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
Psalm 8:1-2

When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: to deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things
Proverbs 2:10-12

Out of the Mouths of Children

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“O LORD our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth, who have set Your glory above the heavens! Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings have You ordained strength because of Your enemies, that You might still the enemy and the avenger.” Psalm 8:1-2 (KJV)

The “innocence” of children is at stake in 2018.  Contrary, however, to popular opinion children are not perfect little angels.  Since the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden all children are born sinners.  They are, however, a good example of faith and putting one’s faith in the one who cares for them.

The Psalmist begins Psalm 8 by praise and adoration to the One who is excellent in all the heavens.  In verse two, which is our focus verse for today, we see that the LORD is also excellent in the earth.  The cry of a sucking, new born child is a description of the excellent name of the LORD.  Every time a newly born baby cries it shows us the excellence of the name of our Creator.  That child is made in His image, and after His likeness; yet now marred by the evil of sin.

As that child grows they will be faced with trials, troubles, and torments.  Many of those will come from other people.  Some who are espousing their friendship to them.

One Baby was born into this world as the Son of God, and the Son of Man. His name is Jesus and Immanuel – meaning “God with us”.   Through this Child the enemy of all Adamkind was squashed and shown his proper place.

Jesus quoted this verse in Matthew 21:16 after His children laid palm leaves on the streets recognizing Him as the Messiah…

“And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?” Matthew 21:16 (KJV)

Where the devil who is Satan is working to avenge the work of the cross by destroying yours and my testimony for Christ; he is already defeated.  We just have a problem of not living in victory of him.

The next time you hear a baby cry remember the Creator.  Remember that it is through Jesus Christ that He has made all things.  Remember that He is excellent and glorious in all His ways.

Christmas Day 8

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

What do I want for Christmas today?

I want all to realize that even though your Church may not be having worship services today due to ice and snow the Lord is still on the throne, worthy of worship; so we must worship Him on this Lord’s Day as well as the other days we live.

God bless you all, and have a great Lord’s Day.

“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man, that You are mindful of him; and the son of man, that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and have crowned him with glory and honor. You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passes through the paths of the seas. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!” Psalm 8:3-9 (KJV)

Excellent in Power and in Judgment

/ Tim A. / 1 Comment

“Touching the Almighty, we cannot find Him out: He is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: He will not afflict. Men do therefore fear Him: He respecteth not any that are wise of heart.” Job 37:23-24 (KJV)

The three friends of Job have spoken. Job has finished his speaking. Now a fourth man; who is the younger of the other four; now speaks. Job 32-37 covers the speeches of Elihu.

We know nothing much of him except he was a Buzite, of the kindred of Ram. Does not tell us much. We can tell that he is ignorant of the events of heaven in chapters one and two. We know this because he is still accusing Job of unrighteousness which God has not.

One thing I like about Elihu is that most of what he says seems to exalt the Almighty, as in these final words of his speeches.

Reminds me of some of the apostle Paul’s words that God is not a respecter of persons (Romans 2:11; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 3:25), and that of the apostle Peter (1 Peter 1:17).

Elihu, though young, and verbose reminds us that this story in Job’s name, and these events are not really about Job; but about the Almighty God.

The events, challenges, trials, friends, enemies, good times, bad times are not about me; they are about the work of God in me. He is working to make me more into His image and likeness (Romans 8:29). The likeness of His Son Jesus Christ who bled and died on the cross for our sins.