Landy's Gospel Creations-LGC 'Advancing the Gospel...' (Philippians 1:12)

This  "Rhema Topic" is from a message that I preached back on Sunday, April 15, 2012 at Christ-faith Bible Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

 MESSAGE: “Thank you Lord, thank you Jesus!”

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 92:1-4

         Minister Frederick A. Landy

Psalm 92:1-4(NASB):

 It is good to give thanks to the LORD
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning And Your faithfulness by night, With the ten-stringed lute and with the harp,
With resounding music upon the lyre. For You, O LORD, have made me glad by what You haven done,
I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.

    The Holy Bible. New American Standard Bible, (NASB). Iowa Falls, IA: World Bible Publishers, Inc., 1995.  

Putting things into perspective! -a

 •This particular psalm is “A Psalm, a Song for the Sabbath day.”

• The Holy Bible  (The Supreme & Ultimate source)
• Genesis 2:2-4  (NASB): “By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done and He rested on the seventh day form all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”
• The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11)
• The Gospels, specifically, Mark 2:27 (NASB): “Jesus said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath…’”
• (American Heritage Dictionary)

http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/Sabbath

• (Amazing Facts)

http://www.sabbathtruth.com/faq/advanced-topics/weighing-the-evidence.aspx

We can worship the Lord any day of the week and the Psalmist here in Psalm 92 lets us know that!

With having Jesus Christ deep down in our hearts and the Holy Spirit resting within us, our worship is not restricted just to a church building, but can be expressed any where!

        Putting things into perspective! –c        

______________________________________

  ANSWER:  There are 1440 minutes in a day!

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Morning & evening devotion 

Vv. 1-2

 1 It is good to give thanks to the LORD
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
2To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning And Your faithfulness by night,

LOVINGKINDNESS – God kept us throughout the night.

FAITHFULNESS – God kept us throughout that day.

The implication given here is that before we go out each day, and after we’ve come back in, we must bless the Lord!

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Praising & worshipping the Lord!

Vv. 3-4

3 With the ten-stringed lute and with the harp,
With resounding music upon the lyre.
4 For You, O LORD, have made me glad by what You have done,
I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.

  From the bottom of our hearts, to the depths of our soul, is how sincere our worship unto the Lord should be!

  Let us not worship the created, but rather, the Creator!

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 Some questions to be asked…

A TIME and a SEASON

source: http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs30/i/2008/090/0/7/4_seasons_by_vxside.jpg  

       The Free online dictionary identifies the term "season" as a noun and defines it through multiple definitions:

1. One of the four natural divisions of the year, spring, summer, fall, and winter, in the North and South Temperate zones. Each season, beginning astronomically at an equinox or solstice, is characterized by specific meteorological or climatic conditions

2. A recurrent period characterized by certain occurrences, occupations, festivities, or crops

3. A suitable, natural, or convenient time. .

       These three definitions, in their own respect, really stood out the most for the content needed for this "Rhema Topic". Just as there are natural divisions of the year known as seasons, so are there seasons during one's walk with Christ. This simply clarifies the first definition. As the second definition goes, it states that a season is a recurrent period or rather, something that happens repeatedly. This can be seen within one's walk with Christ as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

        There are many things that seem to occur that makes it feel as if it desires to "take us out" and cause us to meet our demise, but just as it came for that appointed time, God Himself, comes and makes it leave at His appointed time! The last definition is one that all, in one's belief, can attest to. The previous "Rhema Topic" entitled "Keep the faith, you're almost there!" comes to mind here. We may have seasons of trouble, heartaches, challenges, sickness, and so on yet there is a bright side to it all.

       These are to strengthen us in our faith and bring a greater appreciate for the "good gifts" God gives to us. There is a conjunction that one can see at work in Ecclesiastes 3:2-8 that produces a greater result or harvest when perseverance and endurance is incorporated. One may be trying to figure out what it is and it is simply the term, "and". Consider from the New International Version (NIV) context:

Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

 ¹ There is a time for everything,
   and a season for every activity under the heavens:

 ² a time to be born and a time to die,
   a time to plant and a time to uproot,
 ³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
   a time to tear down and a time to build,
 ⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
   a time to mourn and a time to dance,
 ⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
   a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
 ⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
   a time to keep and a time to throw away,
 ⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
   a time to be silent and a time to speak,
 ⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
   a time for war and a time for peace.

       Throughout this list one can see that the term "and" is put into focus fourteen (14) times. To effectively understand the term "and" as a conjunction or a term that brings union and association between parts, it has to be considered from the contextual definition as a noun. Furthermore, the contextual definition of "and" is this: a logical operator that returns a true value only if both operands are true. 

       To understand this it will be summed up through Psalm 34:8a, which challenges Bible readers and doers to "taste AND see that the Lord is good..." Now, let's just think about it, David said not only to taste, but also to see that God's way is the best way! It's like an old song that one has heard many times while growing up in the church and it says, "Try Jesus, He's alright!" It can be stated that once we have truly tried Jesus for ourselves, we can testify that He is all we need! He's not just alright, but more than that! Awesome, wonderful, merciful, kind, loving, and all these words together, sovereign. Amen.

      To further expound upon this "Rhema Topic" one will take into consideration one of the above verses of the scriptural passage and that will be verse 8. This will be expounded upon in light of first, the individual disciple of Jesus Christ then the body -of-Christ as a whole. This explanation can be employed in all of the other verses also. Verse 8 states that there will be "a time to love and a time to hate; a time of war and a time of peace." As for the individual disciple of Jesus Christ and also the body-of-Christ, before "confess[ing] with [one's] mouth the Lord Jesus and believ[ing] in [his or her] heart that God raised Jesus from the dead [and becoming] saved" (Romans 10:9), the things of the world were loved, but once conversion and true sanctification takes place the things of the world are hated. No more with the things of the world!

       This can be found in such scriptures as Romans 6:1; 7; 12:1-2. It was a controlling spirit/mentality causing one to love the things of the world, but with being saved, sanctified and Holy Ghost filled, the love one has must be in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost; the Holy Bible; prayer and fasting, even the more.

       To further, do know that in one's own personal walk with Christ, there will be seasons of intense warring between the flesh and spirit. The devil tempts, but God test His children to strengthen one's faith. It's like as the apostle Paul stated in Romans 7:14-20.

       Furthermore, this war between the flesh and the spirit cannot be settled unless one "be[comes] anxious for nothing, but in all things in fasting and praying with thanksgiving, make one's request known unto the Lord, so that the peace of God which surpasses all understanding can guard [one's] heart and mind in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7). The body-of-Christ, God's chosen people, have been in persecution throughout the whole Bible. Many times, because of disobedience to God and still yet to show that God knows the plans that He has for us; plans not to harm, but help His people (Jeremiah 29:11).  

       It was the children of Israel under Egyptian bondage through pharaoh's command, though with God still in complete control, then Moses was sent to free them. There was the children of Israel with their first king Saul that Samuel the prophet had already told them they did not need because God was trying to let them know that He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, then God raised David to succeed Saul; God's people under Chaldean/Babylonian bondage at this point. Furthermore, it was ultimately, Jesus Christ of Nazareth who was sent into the world not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:17). Yet many of the same ones that cried "Hosanna" cried "Crucify him!"; God's people under Roman bondage. Even from there when Jesus died and rose on the third day, the Holy Ghost was given and the apostles along with many saints of God were being persecuted and this is still going on today! 

       One must understand that through staying in the word-of-God, being in much prayer and forsaking not the assembling of oneself (Hebrews 10:25) true peace and favor will rest upon the individual saint and the body-of-Christ as a whole. The ultimate peace will truly come when God sets His kingdom here on the earth with the second coming of Jesus Christ. While we as saints of God are here, we have been commanded to be in the world, but not of the world. Sin is rampant and the devil is deceiving, but there is a time coming when all of this will be done away with.

       In conclusion, this particular "Rhema Topic" speaks this, we must not be surprised at the fiery trials that we face as if something strange is happening, but rejoice that one participates in the sufferings of Christ and be overjoyed when His glory is revealed. (I Peter 4:12-13). Everyone will be challenged with many things as being a disciple of Jesus Christ, but it is all for the strengthening of one's faith. God will not put no more on His own then they can bear! That is enough right there to give God thanks!

       I encourage you, as I also encourage myself, to know that we must give our season it's time. What am I saying? We should give God permission to have His will and not our will done in our lives. Crops cannot bring the farmer food for his family or even a means of living through selling if it is gathered before its proper harvest time. That is simply verse 2 part b of the focus passage of the above scripture.

       Give your season its time and watch how God will bring you peace in the storm and give you a testimony to tell! That's what it's for, to have a testimony to tell about the goodness of Jesus and all He's done for you! May the Lord God bless you and bless you real good! Even the more, may He give you peace in the storm, as only He can! ~SEASONS~       

Serve the Lord

 source: http://www.reocities.com/Heartland/5023/scripturebible.jpg

       The Free Online Dictionary defines the word "serve" as 1 a. to work; b. to be a servant. In both respects, it is God whom we as saints of God are working for through witnessing and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Furthermore, we are servants of God through the power and work of the Holy Ghost.

       When going to the house-of-God many take on various roles and fulfill diverse functions in ministries within the church. Some are ushers, musicians, choir members, a part of the ministerial staff (i.e., elder, missionary, evangelist, prophet, etc.), some deacons, trustees, youth coordinators and some simply just a worshipper in the congregation and the list still goes on. There are many offices and titles that we can function in as being a part of the local church.

       The conflict that I have come to observe is that, though much respect is to be given to such offices and available functions, many are mislead into thinking that through serving God in such a capacity, within the church, then that is all there is to being a disciple of Jesus Christ. This is role confusion that must be clarified. In that, the church or sanctuary, is the place in which one must not forsake, but rather come and be encouraged through the lives of the other saints and to be further reminded that Christ is soon to return (Hebrews 10:25).

       The scripture I will take into consideration will be Psalm 100:2 and it will be assessed in two different translations, so that this word "serve" will be clarified in its giving. For the sake of expounding I would like to broaden your thinking with what I call the two types of services unto God and they are: sanctuary service unto God and street (society) service unto God.

Let's begin with the Sanctuary service unto God.

Psalm 100:2

(King James Version):

"Serve the Lord with gladness, come before his presence with singing."

(New International Version):

 "Worship the Lord with gladness, come before him with joyful songs."

       With taking into consideration such a passage of Scripture we must  understand the context in which this is being taken. To clarify, let's take into consideration the Hebrew word and definition of "to 'serve'". In the Hebrew "to serve" is "abad" or "avad" which means in (Qal): labour, work, to do work; to serve (God). When looking at the above passage of Scripture in the two translations we can become easily confused if the Hebrew is not incorporated through having researched the etymology or origin of the word "serve."

       When taking into consideration "serving" in the context of Psalm 100:2, it is saying that we are "worshipping" the Lord and most individuals tie this to the sanctuary: Sunday morning worship, Midweek worship, revivals and so on. What this scripture is saying in that regard is that through our acts of worship and obedience to the Holy Ghost we are serving the Lord, be it as it may, in the sanctuary. Please, lets not limit ourselves into thinking that God can only be met in the sanctuary! Wherever God's name is lifted up, He said He will draw all men unto Him. (John 12:32) Where two or three are gathered in His name, He will be in the midst. (Matthew 18:20) By forsaking not the assembly we become able to do the necessary acts of worship among the saints of God.

 Next is the Street (society) service unto God.

       This service unto God is simply referring to how Jesus gave His disciples the commission of witnessing along with how, where and what to preach. This can be found in in parallel in the synoptic gospels:  Matthew 10:5-8, Mark 6:12-13 and Luke 9:6. He told them to "preach, 'repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" To know that worship unto the Lord is a continual act (Psalm 34:1), it is a must to know how to render street service unto God.

These few examples will help in gaining understanding of this part of the "Rhema Topic."

Types of street (society) services unto God:

1. Doing as James 1:27 declares as being "pure and faultless religion", which is "caring for the widows and orphans", a street service unto God.

2. "Let[ting] your light shine so that men can see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16), simply put, a street service unto God.

3. Being obedient to the commands of God and putting them into practice (Exodus 34; Leviticus 20), a street service unto God.

4. Worshipping God even at home and sharing the love of Jesus Christ everywhere you go, frankly a street service unto God.

***Please note that true worship comes from the heart and is not directly tied to a building.

       In closing, Joshua told the children of Israel in Joshua 24:15, "choose ye today whom you will serve (worship)!" This is quite profound because many will only worship or serve God in the sanctuary, but forget that there is much work to be done after the benediction is given. I challenge you today and every day to choose to "be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:13); to "present your bodies as a living sacrifice; holy and acceptable unto the Lord, which is your reasonable act of worship (service)" (Romans 12:1); to love, which is the greatest commandment and it covers a multitude of sins (Matthew 22:35-40; I Peter 4:8). May God bless you and keep you is my prayer and as I always say,"now, go and 'receive from the Lord'" (Psalm 24:5)!