Missions Paul

Psalm 115
Day 115: Be blessed!

“It’s all about you, Jesus”, according to the song anyway.
I remember travelling in Africa and seeing the biggest billboard I had ever seen on the side of the road. We were travelling too fast for me to read when the church services were that the poster was advertising. However, I clearly saw who the main man was! For across over half of the board was a larger than life poster of the preacher draped in gold and smiling with perfect white teeth!
It was clearly all about him!
I see a lot of super stars.
I see a lot of men wanting to be somebody.
Small men with small minds and with small impact, trying to be the big chief.
At the end of the Passover meal and before Jesus and the disciples went to Gethsemane they said the Hallel, a collection of lines from the Psalms, one of which was this: v1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.
Not to us O Lord.
It is never about man.
It is always about Him.
When it becomes about us, when we try and grab the glory then we begin to fashion God into who we think He is or should be. We fashion Him after ourselves: a God of our own imaginations, idol-worship, v3-8.
But when we get this right then:
Trust comes, v9-11
Help and protection is known, v9-11
Blessing is given, v12-13
Increase is yours, v14

Now this is why we are a blessed people!

Psalm 114
Day 114: Be blessed!

Israel didn’t just leave Egypt, they didn’t just come away from a foreign culture.
And you didn’t just leave your old life. You didn’t just decide to change your life.
No. Even if you summarise it like that, the truth is amazing things were taking place.
God was making a way where there was no way, v3.
Unmovable things became moveable, v4.
Tough places contained miraculous provisions, v8.
Still today, His presence will accomplish those very same things. So seek His presence and watch for the changes.
This is why we are a blessed people!

Psalm 113
Day 113: Be blessed!

There are days like today when I need to declare some faith statement, like this one:
Who is like the Lord our God …?

Maybe you need to join with me…
Feeling weakened ….who is like the Lord our God?
Jehovak-m’kaddesh (Lev 20:8 The Lord who sanctifies) = He lives within us to empower us to live holy lives.

Feeling away from God …who is like the Lord our God?
Jehovah-Shalom (judges 6:24 God is Peace) = God has brought peace and contentment and satisfaction between Himself and us.

In sickness …who is like the Lord our God?
Jehovah-Rophe (Isaiah 53 God heals) = He cures or heals not only in physical terms but spiritual and moral)

Needing provision …who is like the Lord our God?
Jehovah-Jireh (Genesis 22:14 The Lord who sees) = He knows our needs and makes provision.

Weary from battling …who is like the Lord our God?
Jehovak-nissi (Exodus 17:18 God my banner) = God is our battle deliverer.

Not knowing what to do …who is like the Lord our God?
Jehovah-rohi (Psalm 23 God my Shepherd) = He feeds, leads, protects and cares for us.

Who is like Him and where is He? 1 John 4:4 He that is in you is greater than He that is in the world!!

Sometimes we live our lives like He just has the edge over the devil. He’s just a little greater.
But God in you is much more significant, far superior, cannot be compared to the god of this world.

All that thrills my soul is Jesus;
He is more than life to me;
And the fairest of ten thousand,
In my blessed Lord I see.
Thoro Harris

Who is like the Lord our God? The answer is no one!
This is our faith statement today and that is why we are blessed!

Psalm 112
Day 112: Be blessed
Blessed men and women…
Love obeying God, v1
Expect the best is yet to be, v4
Steadfast on the day of bad news, v7
Secure when under attack, v8
Esteemed for their strength to remain, v9
Donate generously, v9.

Psalm 111
Day 111: Be blessed

This last week the report of the Berwick review into the NHS was released. The review reminds us that the NHS is still a world-leader of “commitment to health and healthcare as a human right”. However, as a leader, I was interested in a certain phrase: “fear is toxic to both safety and improvement”. Of course the staff of the NHS should take responsibility for their actions, but a culture of fear never brings out the best in a person.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
The fear of man brings the opposite. It breeds failure not success. The fear of the Lord is leadership.

The fear of the Lord means this:
1. What God sees is more important than what the boss sees.
2. The praise and glory of God is more important than the rise and fall of man.
3. You are safe to be who you are for He accepts you for who you are.
4. The journey is always more important than the destination. How equals what.
5. Policies are kept through relationship not because of the handbook.
6. Everyone is equal and everyone has something worth hearing.
7. Information is only held back for the good of all not the power of the one.
8. There is no favouritism.
9. Laughter is heard and heads are held high.
10. People don’t need to be reminded to be thankful for what they have.

This is the fear, the respect that every family, church and work-place yearns for. It is what I try to achieve as a leader. Join with me and make a difference. Be a blessing!

Psalm 110
Day 110: Be blessed
Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. V3

It is easy for Christians to lose their true calling.
The animal trainer enters the cage of lions carrying the stool. Yes he has whips and a pistol but the stool is as important. He holds the stool by the back and the thrusts the leg toward the face of the wild animal. The animal tries to focus on all four legs at once. It is said that in the attempt to focus on all four things at once, a kind of paralysis overwhelms the animal, and it becomes tame, weak and disabled because its attention is fragmented.
Don’t become like a tamed lion. That’s not your calling. You are a soldier of Christ’s army in your work-place, home or wherever the Lord has placed you. Make yourself available to be used by God. Stand up stand up for Jesus ye soldiers of the cross ….
Let’s stop talking about it, let’s stop saying what the church should be doing.
Where are the soldiers who are rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name of Jesus Christ?
It’s not easy, it won’t be so, hard times will come, opposition will come and we won’t be successful in everything. But a soldier keeps going until the battle is over.
It’s not easy, but if God doesn’t give the enemy into our hands so that people are saved and the harvest rescued, then it won’t be because we haven’t gone.
If we became totally passionate in our love for God, no compromise, sold out for Him, and simply not being afraid when given the opportunity to speak about our faith in Jesus and what He has done for us. If all that happened and still people were not finding Jesus, then at least we could return to our eternal home as soldiers who have at least fought.

The blessed are willing!

Psalm 109
Day 109: Be blessed

Are you a man or woman of prayer? (v4)

When you witness wickedness and deceit…
When people have spoken against you behind your back…
When things are thrown back in your face…
Do you pray? (v2-5)

When you have served an evil man…
When the leader no longer leads…
When others are complicit…
Do you pray? (v6-10)

When you see extortion…
When you see mistaken praise from men…
When you see a legacy of sin…
Do you pray? (v11-15)

When you see a trail of suffering and broken hearts…
When cursing is loved and blessing is forgotten…
When the drink was cursed…
Do you pray? (v16-18)

When you see purchases of finery…
When you want judgment more than anything…
When you long for God to act…
Do you pray? (V19-20)

When you need a miracle…
When your heart is wounded…
When what you have left is nothing…
Do you pray? (V21-23)

When the effects are showing on you physically…
When your best years seem to have come and gone…
When the enemy seems to laugh even more…
Do you pray? (V24-25)

The Lord our God will help and save you…
He will be known in your life and work…
Where there is cursing He will begin blessing…
If you are a man or woman of prayer! (V26-28)

You will know and sing for joy…
Your enemy will be put to shame…
For God is near the needy and unjust…
If you are a man or woman of prayer! (V29-31)

Prayer: the road to blessing!

Psalm 108
Day 108: Be blessed

From verse 7-9 …
“God has spoken. Yesterday was a dark day, a day to cry “Save us!” Today I speak in response to that.
Shechem was the man who raped Dinah, Jacob’s only daughter. Man has come and taken away ruthlessly from you and violated your trust. Yet I come and will turn the experience into a gift.
The valley of Succoth was where Jacob limped to after his struggle with the Angel of the Lord. I will measure off once again an area known as ‘booths’ to become that place of refuge for you. I will protect you, shield and cover you.
Gilead was the mountainous area east of Jordan and what you face is indeed that. But it was also the birth area of the prophet Elijah and you are and will hear my voice again. This mountain that you climb is “in my pocket” (Msg).
Manasseh means to forget but more than what you understand by that word. It is the taking away of something. Yesterday happened, but Manasseh is mine, I have taken it. Say nothing of it (Msg).
Ephraim means “fruitfulness in the land of suffering”. It is my helmet. The defence of your life is that fruitfulness is always found in suffering: this is the heart of mission.
Judah is how I will rule in your life. It means “Let God be praised”. That’s it. Praise is the rule.
Moab was the incestuous son of Lot with his oldest daughter, again an evil history. But Ruth was a Moabite who moved from obscurity to significance. I will mop the floor with your history (msg) and turn things around for you.
Edom was Esau’s nickname, the one who lost his inheritance. Those who trade in what I have given them I spit on (msg).
Philistia was Israel’s arch-enemies, it means ‘a land of wanderers’. This enemy has tried to attack you to deflect you off the path, but I triumph over this.
I have spoken, In triumph I will …. And in triumph I shout!”

Psalm 107
Day 107: Be blessed

Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say this.
One of the highlights of being a Pastor of a church was to hear the countless public testimonies from people who were grateful to God. Of course, over the years I have heard a lot of self-advertisement instead of testimony. But real testimony is the testifying to Jesus Christ as the only important person in the story of life. Tonight I will be visiting an Elim church in South Wales which has seen hundreds and hundreds of people come to saving faith in Jesus. I am looking forward to being taken back to the centre of our faith: salvation through Jesus Christ.
The blessed are not silent. They make the most of every opportunity to speak up, to shout about it and to live loud so that all may hear.
So go on today: speak to someone of the love of God and what He has done for you.
For some:
He has led you into peace and satisfaction, v4-9.
He has broken every chain and set you free, v10-16.
He has healed and rescued you, v17- 22.
He has stilled your raging storm, v23- 32.
He has given you a fruitful life, v33-39.
He has lifted you out of your suffering, v41.
Pray the line that best fits you and then look forward to the opportunity of saying so to others!
The blessed do this and are blessed!

Psalm 106
Day 106: Be blessed!

Throughout these Psalms we have tried to stay focused on the word ‘blessed’. It has been quite difficult in some of the laments we have read!
Today the Psalmist explains that living the blessed life is acting justly and doing what is right. He then goes on to reveal more fully what that means. Perhaps as you read this list you will pause and meditate at the place which best fits you right now.
1. Find joy in the success of God’s people, v5.
2. Don’t think of yourself more superior than the previous generation, v6.
3. Continually appreciate what God has done for you, v7.
4. Believe the promises of God, v12.
5. Be patient and wait for things to change, v13.
6. Resist the cravings, v14.
7. Be careful what you ask for, v15.
8. Keep relationships as good and as healthy as you can, v16.
9. Don’t trade in the glory for something that glitters, v19-20.
10. Learn to stand in the gap praying for others, v23, 30.
11. Be content with what you have and where you are, v25.
12. Become like Christ not man, v35.
13. Know it’s never too late to cry out in repentance, to change and begin again, v44.

This is the blessed life.