Monday, May 2, 2011
Psalm 32
Psalm 32 (New International Version, ©2011)
Psalm 32
Of David. A maskil.[a] 1 Blessed is the onewhose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the one
whose sin the LORD does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit.
3 When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night
your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.[b]
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the LORD.”
And you forgave
the guilt of my sin.
6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
while you may be found;
surely the rising of the mighty waters
will not reach them.
7 You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
9 Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.
10 Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the LORD’s unfailing love
surrounds the one who trusts in him.
11 Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Footnotes:
- Psalm 32:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 32:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 5 and 7.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
National Day of Prayer
TABERNACLE at MONTGOMERY
May 5, 6, 7, 2011
State Capitol Grounds
Exact Location to be Announced
Near Washington and Union
Suggested hotel: Hampton 100 Commerce Street
Bring your own bottled water, food.
No pork, catfish or shellfish please.
No alcohol.
Psalm 31
Psalm 31 (New International Version, ©2011)
Psalm 31
Psalm 31[a]
For the director of music. A psalm of David. 1 In you, LORD, I have taken refuge;let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
4 Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;
deliver me, LORD, my faithful God.
6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
as for me, I trust in the LORD.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for you saw my affliction
and knew the anguish of my soul.
8 You have not given me into the hands of the enemy
but have set my feet in a spacious place.
9 Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
my soul and body with grief.
10 My life is consumed by anguish
and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction,[b]
and my bones grow weak.
11 Because of all my enemies,
I am the utter contempt of my neighbors
and an object of dread to my closest friends—
those who see me on the street flee from me.
12 I am forgotten as though I were dead;
I have become like broken pottery.
13 For I hear many whispering,
“Terror on every side!”
They conspire against me
and plot to take my life.
14 But I trust in you, LORD;
I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in your hands;
deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
from those who pursue me.
16 Let your face shine on your servant;
save me in your unfailing love.
17 Let me not be put to shame, LORD,
for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
and be silent in the realm of the dead.
18 Let their lying lips be silenced,
for with pride and contempt
they speak arrogantly against the righteous.
19 How abundant are the good things
that you have stored up for those who fear you,
that you bestow in the sight of all,
on those who take refuge in you.
20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them
from all human intrigues;
you keep them safe in your dwelling
from accusing tongues.
21 Praise be to the LORD,
for he showed me the wonders of his love
when I was in a city under siege.
22 In my alarm I said,
“I am cut off from your sight!”
Yet you heard my cry for mercy
when I called to you for help.
23 Love the LORD, all his faithful people!
The LORD preserves those who are true to him,
but the proud he pays back in full.
24 Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the LORD.
Footnotes:
- Psalm 31:1 In Hebrew texts 31:1-24 is numbered 31:2-25.
- Psalm 31:10 Or guilt
Proverbs 1
Proverbs 1 (New International Version, ©2011)
Proverbs 1
Purpose and Theme
1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: 2 for gaining wisdom and instruction;for understanding words of insight;
3 for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
doing what is right and just and fair;
4 for giving prudence to those who are simple,[a]
knowledge and discretion to the young—
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance—
6 for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.[b]
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools[c] despise wisdom and instruction.
Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom
Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men
8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instructionand do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
9 They are a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck. 10 My son, if sinful men entice you,
do not give in to them.
11 If they say, “Come along with us;
let’s lie in wait for innocent blood,
let’s ambush some harmless soul;
12 let’s swallow them alive, like the grave,
and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
13 we will get all sorts of valuable things
and fill our houses with plunder;
14 cast lots with us;
we will all share the loot”—
15 my son, do not go along with them,
do not set foot on their paths;
16 for their feet rush into evil,
they are swift to shed blood.
17 How useless to spread a net
where every bird can see it!
18 These men lie in wait for their own blood;
they ambush only themselves!
19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the life of those who get it.
Wisdom’s Rebuke
20 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,she raises her voice in the public square;
21 on top of the wall[d] she cries out,
at the city gate she makes her speech: 22 “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?
How long will mockers delight in mockery
and fools hate knowledge?
23 Repent at my rebuke!
Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
I will make known to you my teachings.
24 But since you refuse to listen when I call
and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
25 since you disregard all my advice
and do not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;
I will mock when calamity overtakes you—
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
28 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
they will look for me but will not find me,
29 since they hated knowledge
and did not choose to fear the LORD.
30 Since they would not accept my advice
and spurned my rebuke,
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways
and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm.”
Footnotes:
- Proverbs 1:4 The Hebrew word rendered simple in Proverbs denotes a person who is gullible, without moral direction and inclined to evil.
- Proverbs 1:6 Or understanding a proverb, namely, a parable, / and the sayings of the wise, their riddles
- Proverbs 1:7 The Hebrew words rendered fool in Proverbs, and often elsewhere in the Old Testament, denote a person who is morally deficient.
- Proverbs 1:21 Septuagint; Hebrew / at noisy street corners
Saturday, April 30, 2011
The Glory Ride Alabama 150 Years After the Civil War
Written by Gary Miller
What a Surprisingly Humbling experience watching this story unfold. It all started for me when a person in our Local church told me about the Glory Ride. The Glory ride 2011 can be found on the inter net at http://www.thegloryride.com/ look on the right hand side under the list of topics for the Alabama Ride. He went on and explained the purpose of this intervention was to break the back of prejudice that was still lingering, 150 years after the War Between the States.
So “The Glory Ride 2011 Alabama” began on Passover from the 4 opposing corners of Alabama and will meet up in Birmingham, with local black Pastors at a 24 hour prayer service that was to be going on in Birmingham. Then all four teams and the Birmingham group would go together to the Alabama State Capital in Montgomery to join in with the State Wide Day of Prayer.
As the Glory Ride was going on the opposition was incredible. Even the State of Alabama itself experienced over 64 tornados in one day and the city to Tuscaloosa was most likely the hardest hit with a tornado on the ground for over 100 miles, causing President Obama to state on National TV that He has never seen anything this devastating.
Harvest, Alabama, was hit with an EF-5 tornado with winds over 230 miles per hour flattening stores and wiping buildings off the face of the earth.
As I was in the ER that night looking for Medical Shelter, unharmed by the storm, I heard a man calling on a land line phone tell his friends the story of what had happened. He went on and explained how the furry of the storm tour the house apart from around him and his family and how he had grabbed different members of his family to keep them from flying away in the sheer force of the winds and even had to put his dad in a scissor lock between his legs. Then, the men broke down in tears-- and asked his friend for prayer.
Alabama is the apple of God's Eye in America and God cleans house at home first. So wake up America and see what’s coming. If you do not humble yourself and pray then you could be looking at the same devastation that has come upon Alabama. Take this time and reflect and make things right with the Lord while He can still be found.
I tell you all this to say one Final thought.
Are you ready to meet JESUS?
He is coming.
It does not matter if you believe it or not.
He is still coming!
The Good News is there is Hope found in God’s Word.
Check out John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)