My family is headed out this afternoon to Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, to visit with my sister and her family. She is expecting their 3rd child in mid-August. We are headed to a baby shower tomorrow. Here are some good articles from the past week, posted on some of my favorite blogs: Steve Sanders reminds us all to “Obey God, Not Men.” Jeremiah Tatum has an interesting article regarding “Local Church Membership.” Drew Kizer writes a brief article on “The Pulpit,” and bring up a famous quote from Moby Dick. Want to save money on ink for your printer? James Dalton writes a great summary of how to do that on Where…

1. The superscript tells us that this psalm was written, “When Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul and said to him, ‘David has come to the house of Ahimelech’.” The story is in First Samuel 21 and 22. This brief psalm describes the final triumph of good and also discusses the fact that God is ultimately in control. 2. Verse 1 gives a great contrast between the “mighty man” (Doeg) and God. The boasting of this man will last, but only for a short while; while God’s powers, including his lovingkindness, are forever. 3. Verse 2 gives a great description of the make-up of an evil man. They are…

To say our Vacation Bible School was a success would be an understatement. Our attendance was up from last year, and our teachers outdid themselves preparing and presenting lessons. Our decorators made our auditorium and bulletin boards fit the theme so well. The crafts were well-done, as were the refreshments. In a nutshell, the week went as well as could be expected. If you decided not to attend, whether you are a young person or an adult, you truly missed out on a rich experience. Throughout the four days, we searched for “treasures” in God’s Word. We focused our attention on four stories from the life of Christ that taught…

There are several psalms that are very well-known. The best-known is the 23rd, but the 51st must also be on that list. While there is nothing I could say that hasn’t been already stated, hopefully some of these devotional thoughts will help you as they have me. For historical background to this psalm (the sin of David with Bathsheba and his consequent confrontation with the prophet Nathan) see Second Samuel 11 and 12. 1. While God is always gracious, we should still plead with Him for grace, especially when our spirits are low due to sin. We know He is gracious, but it shows our respect for, and dependence upon,…

Amazingly, we are now 1/3 of the way through this great book. I hope you are enjoying the devotional thoughts. Reading and looking at these poems in this light is greatly strengthening my faith, and I hope it is yours as well. Because this series “stretches” so far, below are links to the first 50 articles. Psalm 1-25: The Links (contains a list like the one below for the first 25 Psalms) Psalm 26 Psalm 27 Psalm 28 Psalm 29 Psalm 30 Psalm 31 Psalm 32 Psalm 33 Psalm 34 Psalm 35 Psalm 36 Psalm 37 Psalm 38 Psalm 39 Psalm 40 Psalm 41 Psalm 42 Psalm 43 Psalm 44…

1. This psalm is written as though we are hearing a report on what God has spoken. His words are intermingled throughout the thoughts of the poem. 2. God is called 3 things in verse 1 (“The Mighty One, God, the Lord”). The first two are common names for God in the Old Testament, but the third is the name (Yahweh) that sets God apart from all others in the Old Testament. This God is the One Who speaks throughout this psalm. 3. Verses 2-3 are an example of “theophany.” This is an expression of God’s appearance, which can only be described in amazing, usually natural, language. 4. Verse 5…

1. Psalm 49 is quite solemn. The focus of the writer is on the certainty of death and the fact that we cannot take this world’s goods with us at the time of our passing. In the time when these words were written, that would have been a revolutionary thought. 2. Verses 1-4 serve as an introduction, and sound much like many of the introductions to speeches given in the book of Job. The poet is grabbing our attention and telling us to listen to this important piece of wisdom. 3. Verses 5-8 give words building up to the main point: the certainty of death. These verses are showing some…

1. A good overview of this psalm is given in the notes of The MacArthur Study Bible. He writes, In [Psalm] 48, it often appears that Zion itself is the object of praise. While referring to Zion, this hymn of confidence contains several checks and balances showing that it is ultimately God, who dwells in Zion, who is to be praised. Therefore, this perspective must be kept in mind as the lines of Ps 48 flow back and forth with respective emphases on the city and the great God of that city. This psalm, sung with orchestral accompaniment, therefore contrasts two different responses to the God of Zion and the…

1. The theme of Psalm 47 is the same as several other “praise” psalms. The main idea is that God is the Ruler of all. This idea runs through many psalms and causes some to think that this is all the Psalms are about. As we have already shown in many psalms, though, the range of emotion is amazing. Psalms such as the 47th, though, are uplifting and helpful to our faith. 2. Verse 1 gives us a great opening sense of praise. Verses 6 and 7 repeat the same idea of praising God in every way possible. Clapping, shouting and singing were all acceptable ways of worshipping God in…

Subtitled Shepherding God’s Flock in the World, this short book is a must-read for congregations who are appointing elders or for those who already serve as elders. Ted H. Waller wrote this 124-page book in 1991, and the information in it still rings true. While I generally liked this book, there was, to me, at least one drawback found in it. There are 13 chapters, and a couple of them seem to get off track a bit from discussing the eldership. Waller does a decent job trying to show the connection between what he is saying in those sections and the overall thrust of the book, but I feel he…