Worship God in His Holy Word Today!

"The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward." (Psalm 19:7-11, NKJV)

In our Bible study tonight we will be considering the concept of worship. God is worthy of all honor and praise. Last week we focused at seeing his glory as revealed in general revelation in the world. Tonight we will focus on His specific revelation in His Word.

I want to encourage you to spend time in His Word on a daily basis. Worshiping God in response to His direct revelation on a daily basis will help you to worship Him in the most difficult times. Most of us know the story of Job how through no direct fault of his own he literally lost everything he owned and loved here on earth. His grief was overcome by His joy in God.

"Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong." (Job 1:20-22, NKJV)

The key to responding to crises in this way is to have a daily practice of feasting on the Word of God. Job describes his practice later in the text.

"I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food." (Job 23:12, NKJV)

Worship God in His Holy Word Today!

Worship on Wednesday

Psalm 19 1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge.3 There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard.4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.6 Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.10 More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward.12 Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression.14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer


I like to define worship as the affectionate response of our soul with praise to God as we consider the glory of His attributes revealed generally in the world and specifically in His Word.

Psalm 19 uniquely includes both aspects of this divine revelation, His world and His Word.

Tonight we will be discussing our worshipful response to God as we see His glory revealed in the world and in the Word. Even if you are unable to join us for prayer and Bible study this evening I encourage you to take a moment and read Psalm 19 again and meditate on the glory of God.

Grace be with you always,

Wayne

Doping on the Tour

NARBONNE, France — The Tour de France, already diminished by the absence of some of the world’s best cyclists because of doping violations, was thrown into turmoil yet again Thursday when an Italian rider who had won two stages of this year’s race was kicked out of the competition for failing a drug test.

I have a keen interest in the Tour de France but if situations like this continue it may be difficult to maintain enthusiasm. One of the reasons bicycling is so interesting is because of the physical and mental effort required to achieve a victory and in some cases even finish. The effort is minimized if we find out that the athlete actually achieved his success through doping.

This situation brings to mind Paul’s admonition in 2 Timothy 2:5

“… if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.”

This analogy of not competing according to the rules was to help us remember that the rule of life for a Christian includes hardship.

2 Timothy 2:3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

The world in which we live today puts such a premium on achievement that we may have a tendency to accomplish our goals without putting forth the steady methodical effort that is required.

Christians can also fall victim to the lure of easy street. To grow in grace and knowledge of God requires daily prayer, Bible study, and regular fellowship with Christians. There are no short cuts to sanctification.

Pastor Rodne Romeus from Haiti

Wednesday Evening 07-16-2008 at 7:00 PM

Rodne Romeus a Haitian Pastor will share his unique ministry experiences as a national pastor in Haiti.

Haiti profile:

• Area: 27,750 sq km
• Population: 7 million
• Population growth rate: 1.42% (2002 est.)
• Net migration rate: -2.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
• Life expectancy at birth: 49.55 years
• People living with HIV/AIDS: 210,000 (1999 est.)
• GDP per capita: purchasing power parity $1,700 (2001 est.)
• Population below poverty line: 80%
• Main trading partners: US, EU.
• Internet users: 30,000 (2002)

(CIA - The World Factbook 2002)

Pete Lafakis with AMG asked me if we would like to have Rodne Romeus stop by this Wednesday and share with us. I am looking forward to our time together. I encourage you to invite your friends, family, and neighbors and join us as we are privileged to a unique opportunity. I came across an article on the internet that should give you another perspective of this vital ministry.

A Ray of Light in a Dark Country
God Uses Pastor Rodne in Grand-Bassin, Haiti
By Bob Gerow

What is life like in the small town of Grand-Bassin in Haiti? This community of 20,000 has no electricity or power lines. There is no water piped into homes. There is virtually no medical care in this town. The closest hospital is 18 miles away. Several people have died recently because they were not able to walk those miles to get to the hospital. Jobs are scarce, and schooling is a privilege given to only a few of the town’s children.

It would be easy to look at Grand-Bassin and feel hopeless, but God is doing a great work here through the ministry of Pastor Rodne Romeus.

God has given Pastor Rodne a great vision to change people’s lives in Haiti. He leads a congregation of 1,000 members in Grand-Bassin. He has a large school of 600 students who receive a much-coveted education and learn about Jesus in daily Bible classes. AMG donors sponsor children at this school, which helps pay for their schooling, supplies, uniform, and a daily meal. The students range from pre-school to 7th grade, and Pastor Rodne hopes to build more classrooms to add grade levels so that the students can graduate from high school and go to college.

Pastor Rodne saw how many of the students and teachers at school were sick. He realized that a medical clinic in Grand-Bassin would not only help his church and school, but it would be an opportunity to minister to the community and share the gospel with hurting people. His church sacrificially gave out of their own poverty to start building the medical clinic. A short-term mission team recently went to Grand-Bassin to help put up the walls. Now the medical clinic needs a roof, so that it can begin receiving patients.

Brother Rodne does not like to talk about his own personal needs, and his selfless ministry is a blessing to the people of Haiti and a challenge to us all. His small truck breaks down frequently due to rough roads, potholes, and extensive use. He drives this small truck many hours every week to buy food and school supplies for the children at school. On another occasion he walked for several hours in the rain to perform a wedding at his church, but the wedding party was thrilled to see their rain-soaked pastor finally arrive!

Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western hemisphere. AMG International is partnering in ministry with Pastor Rodne to meet the spiritual and physical needs of its people—particularly of the children of Haiti. Partnership opportunities abound through child sponsorship, financial support, and even short term ministry trips. Above all, you are invited to join in prayer for Pastor Rodne, that the light of the gospel will shine brightly through him in this unique and effective ministry.

Tour De France

Tour De France

I became interested in the Tour De France a few years when the American Lance Armstrong was beginning his quest to win the race an unprecedented seven times in a row. The only reason he did not win eight in a row is because he retired from the sport.

I thought I would no longer have an interest in the sport after his departure but when July rolled around the following year there was something that caused me to see who would pick up the mantle as the tour champion. The sport has officially caught my interest.

Cycling is a fascinating sport because it uniquely blends team work and individual effort into a symphony of dramatic triumph that is paced out one strategic stage at a time. If the sport has not caught your attention yet it may be worth a glance.

One of the essential characteristics of a professional cyclist is discipline. They must say no to a number of things that will not help them achieve their goal. They must push through the pain of the moment to achieve the victory in the end.

This circumstance is a fitting modern day analogy to the Apostle Paul’s use of a soldier, athlete, and farmer in 2 Timothy 2.

"You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things." (2 Timothy 2:1-7, NKJV)

A lot of people ask me to pray for them that they would have victory over sin or would grow stronger in their faith. Success in the Christian life is not something that comes by accident. As Christians we are made positionally holy in Christ and called to practical holiness in this life.

Paul described the way he achieved his practical holiness as literally giving himself a black eye.

"But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified." (1 Corinthians 9:27, NKJV)

The Christian has one additional advantage because this discipline is actually a fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:23) and can be powerfully unleashed as we spend time with Christ in His Word and in prayer.

"“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5, NKJV)

So enjoy the excellence of a well disciplined athlete and use it as a reminder of the glory of God that will be on display in your life as you kill the flesh with the sword of the Spirit.

"For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." (Romans 8:13, NKJV)

Top 20 Riders of the Tour De France

http://www.bicycling.com/tourdefrance/20riders/20.html?cm_mmc=Bicycling%20tdf%20NL-_-2008_07_09-_-TdF-_-tdf

The Pledge Story