(New Living Translation)
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.
Author: Unknown. Some suggest Hezekiah.
1 I lift my eyes to you,
O God, enthroned in heaven.
2 We keep looking to the Lord our God for his mercy,
just as servants keep their eyes on their master,
as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal.
3 Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy,
for we have had our fill of contempt.
4 We have had more than our fill of the scoffing of the proud
and the contempt of the arrogant.
What picture comes to your mind when you read this psalm? Stop a while and imagine how the scene may look, when a servant who has suffered injustice, or maybe done something wrong, looks to his master for mercy, for a kind word, for help.
The scene here describes how the pilgrims (remember they are on a journey of ascent to the Lord’s temple) suffer contempt from their enemies as they press in to the Lord. The important thing for us to learn is that the pilgrims continue to look to the Lord for help, for mercy.
We are taught to go to God in prayer when we are in trouble. However many times that is only something we know but do not do. “The Message” translates this psalm - “like servants, alert to their master’s commands… We're watching and waiting, holding our breath, awaiting your word of mercy. Can you sense the desperation mingled with hope and trust? Such words of expectation and faith, as if every word and command from God will deliver us from certain death, which in fact, is true!
When we are in trouble, we are to look to God for the help He has promised. Looking for that daily bread, that grace that is sufficient, that protection. Where can we look for help except our Master? Those of the world will look to the world for help, but our help is in God who is enthroned in heaven.
Little mercy and comfort is found in the world. Our Saviour Jesus Christ was scorned and rejected. Why should we as followers complain when we encounter pain and suffering as if our Lord does not understand? When you are weighed by troubles and worries, in faith, cast your cares upon Him and look to Him as servants to their master.
O what peace we often forfeit
O what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer
Apply this:
Reflect on the words of the song “What a friend we have in Jesus”. Find comfort as you sing and worship the Lord with the song.
Monday 30 April 2007
Sunday 29 April 2007
Prophetic Word for COOS by Joan Hunter's husband, Kelley
January 2007
Revival is coming to Singapore. Many are called, few are chosen. So, it may not hit everyone or all the churches even. God said THIS CHURCH is called. You have done something to capture God’s heart or a part of His heart. When you captured God’s heart, His favour is unleashed on your behalf.
When this revival comes, THIS CHURCH is going to experience a great part of the revival. There will be times when you are going to have 24-hour-day prayer and worship right here. There will be times when people will come out of the neighbourhood and high-rise apartments. And they will be going in the middle of the night to get saved, to get delivered and to get healed. People are going to call up the church and they don’t even know why. They are going to say, ` I need to get saved. I need to get delivered.’ They are not going to even know why. God is just going to draw them off the streets.
He is going to provide the parking that you need. This church is going to have a healing ministry (It already has a healing ministry). The healing power of God is going to be unleashed here. God has already chosen you to do that. He is going raise up people to do it. And it is going to happen miraculously. At times, you will just be sitting out in the congregation. But many times, it is going to be because the people here, your healing team members, elders and ministers laying hands on them and they are going to get healed. God is going show Himself powerful on your behalf.
God is going to unleash financial resources on some of the membership here. And He is going to draw people to you. Some of them are not even Christians, who are going to bankroll your projects, to pay for your parking building or a new auditorium or whatever you need to do what God wants you to do. Whatever God wants you to do, God is going to send people to pay for it. It is not even going to come out from your pockets. God is going to miraculously do it. Why..? Because He wants to take the glory. What He is going to do in Singapore, He does not want any church or any individual or any ministry to take the credit. He is going to do things only He will take the credit for.
Something is going to happen to the worship of this church. God is going to use this worship to transform the city. Your worship team is going to more like traveling ministry squads. You are going to hit various places and people will just get saved. They just going to walk by the worship team, and get saved! Your prayer teams are going to be there and people are going to get healed. Why? Because God just want to do it. It is not because you are so great but because the favour of God is going to be unleashed on this congregation and on the membership. And you are going to get drenched. The oil of God is coming upon you.
How many of you are called by God to be intercessors? Listen. It does not need to take many of you. It is not the number but it is the level of commitment. It is the level of Your Commitment. You can change the city by just the 5 or 6 of you. Don’t give up. This is your hour. This is your time.
Breakthrough. Breakthrough. Breakthrough! Do you hear me? Do not stop. Do not give up!
Revival is coming to Singapore. Many are called, few are chosen. So, it may not hit everyone or all the churches even. God said THIS CHURCH is called. You have done something to capture God’s heart or a part of His heart. When you captured God’s heart, His favour is unleashed on your behalf.
When this revival comes, THIS CHURCH is going to experience a great part of the revival. There will be times when you are going to have 24-hour-day prayer and worship right here. There will be times when people will come out of the neighbourhood and high-rise apartments. And they will be going in the middle of the night to get saved, to get delivered and to get healed. People are going to call up the church and they don’t even know why. They are going to say, ` I need to get saved. I need to get delivered.’ They are not going to even know why. God is just going to draw them off the streets.
He is going to provide the parking that you need. This church is going to have a healing ministry (It already has a healing ministry). The healing power of God is going to be unleashed here. God has already chosen you to do that. He is going raise up people to do it. And it is going to happen miraculously. At times, you will just be sitting out in the congregation. But many times, it is going to be because the people here, your healing team members, elders and ministers laying hands on them and they are going to get healed. God is going show Himself powerful on your behalf.
God is going to unleash financial resources on some of the membership here. And He is going to draw people to you. Some of them are not even Christians, who are going to bankroll your projects, to pay for your parking building or a new auditorium or whatever you need to do what God wants you to do. Whatever God wants you to do, God is going to send people to pay for it. It is not even going to come out from your pockets. God is going to miraculously do it. Why..? Because He wants to take the glory. What He is going to do in Singapore, He does not want any church or any individual or any ministry to take the credit. He is going to do things only He will take the credit for.
Something is going to happen to the worship of this church. God is going to use this worship to transform the city. Your worship team is going to more like traveling ministry squads. You are going to hit various places and people will just get saved. They just going to walk by the worship team, and get saved! Your prayer teams are going to be there and people are going to get healed. Why? Because God just want to do it. It is not because you are so great but because the favour of God is going to be unleashed on this congregation and on the membership. And you are going to get drenched. The oil of God is coming upon you.
How many of you are called by God to be intercessors? Listen. It does not need to take many of you. It is not the number but it is the level of commitment. It is the level of Your Commitment. You can change the city by just the 5 or 6 of you. Don’t give up. This is your hour. This is your time.
Breakthrough. Breakthrough. Breakthrough! Do you hear me? Do not stop. Do not give up!
Friday 13 April 2007
Psalm 122
Psalm 122
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 I rejoiced with those who said to me,
"Let us go to the house of the LORD."
2 Our feet are standing
in your gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
4 That is where the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD,
to praise the name of the LORD
according to the statute given to Israel.
5 There the thrones for judgment stand,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
"May those who love you be secure.
7 May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels."
8 For the sake of my brothers and friends,
I will say, "Peace be within you."
9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I will seek your prosperity.
“Going to God’s house can be a chore or a delight. For the psalmist, it was a delight. As a pilgrim attending one of the three great religious festivals, he rejoiced to worship with God’s people in God’s house. We may find worship a chore if we have unconfessed sin or if our love for God has cooled. But if we are close to Him and enjoy His presence, we will be eager to worship and praise Him. Our attitude toward God will determine our view of worship.”
- Commentary of Ps 122:1. Life Application Study Bible.
I decided to quote this entire commentary from the Life Application Study Bible because I felt it so accurately and truthfully explained why we sometimes struggle with worshipping God.
We all know we must worship God, but sometimes that word “must” brings such a negative feeling to worship. It’s as though someone forced you to do it. When we feel that way, we need to ask ourselves why we do. More often than not, it's because we are affected by circumstances and situations around us.
For example, if you are angry with someone, it’s very likely you will find it hard to worship God. The root of that unwillingness could be thinking that God is unjust, or that you “deserve” to be treated better, which is a very subtle form of pride, which is sin. Therefore it is not surprising that you will struggle with worshipping God.
Lifting your eyes towards the Lord can change that perspective. In the midst of your own struggles, if your attitude towards God is always one that wants to please Him and to enjoy His presence, the circumstances around should not drive you away from Him but TOWARDS Him. However it is not magic. It involves our choice. Before it becomes a natural reflex, we must exercise our will to worship God simply because He is worth it.
This reflection is largely based on verse 1 and its commentary. Bringing it back to where we are right now, remember that these are a series of songs which were written and sung as people were travelling to the temple to worship God.
So even as we are all on different journeys with God, it is unavoidable that we will encounter times and situations when we will find it hard to worship God. At that time, are we able to say “I rejoiced with those who said to me, Let us go to the house of the LORD"?
Act on it:
1. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any sins which you have not confessed and repented of. Receive God’s forgiveness.
2. Are the waters of difficulties quenching the fire of God in your life? Go to God and ask Him to rekindle the fire, then look for someone you can be accountable to.
I just want to end of by saying I’m so proud of you because you did so well at CCR! More importantly, you were a blessing to others, which is on the heart of God.
Luv,
jenn
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 I rejoiced with those who said to me,
"Let us go to the house of the LORD."
2 Our feet are standing
in your gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
4 That is where the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD,
to praise the name of the LORD
according to the statute given to Israel.
5 There the thrones for judgment stand,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
"May those who love you be secure.
7 May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels."
8 For the sake of my brothers and friends,
I will say, "Peace be within you."
9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I will seek your prosperity.
“Going to God’s house can be a chore or a delight. For the psalmist, it was a delight. As a pilgrim attending one of the three great religious festivals, he rejoiced to worship with God’s people in God’s house. We may find worship a chore if we have unconfessed sin or if our love for God has cooled. But if we are close to Him and enjoy His presence, we will be eager to worship and praise Him. Our attitude toward God will determine our view of worship.”
- Commentary of Ps 122:1. Life Application Study Bible.
I decided to quote this entire commentary from the Life Application Study Bible because I felt it so accurately and truthfully explained why we sometimes struggle with worshipping God.
We all know we must worship God, but sometimes that word “must” brings such a negative feeling to worship. It’s as though someone forced you to do it. When we feel that way, we need to ask ourselves why we do. More often than not, it's because we are affected by circumstances and situations around us.
For example, if you are angry with someone, it’s very likely you will find it hard to worship God. The root of that unwillingness could be thinking that God is unjust, or that you “deserve” to be treated better, which is a very subtle form of pride, which is sin. Therefore it is not surprising that you will struggle with worshipping God.
Lifting your eyes towards the Lord can change that perspective. In the midst of your own struggles, if your attitude towards God is always one that wants to please Him and to enjoy His presence, the circumstances around should not drive you away from Him but TOWARDS Him. However it is not magic. It involves our choice. Before it becomes a natural reflex, we must exercise our will to worship God simply because He is worth it.
This reflection is largely based on verse 1 and its commentary. Bringing it back to where we are right now, remember that these are a series of songs which were written and sung as people were travelling to the temple to worship God.
So even as we are all on different journeys with God, it is unavoidable that we will encounter times and situations when we will find it hard to worship God. At that time, are we able to say “I rejoiced with those who said to me, Let us go to the house of the LORD"?
Act on it:
1. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any sins which you have not confessed and repented of. Receive God’s forgiveness.
2. Are the waters of difficulties quenching the fire of God in your life? Go to God and ask Him to rekindle the fire, then look for someone you can be accountable to.
I just want to end of by saying I’m so proud of you because you did so well at CCR! More importantly, you were a blessing to others, which is on the heart of God.
Luv,
jenn
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