SUNDAY PSALMS PART 15 OF 48 - PSALM 62

 

Southeastway Park, Indianapolis, IN

1     Truly my soul silently waits for God;
      From Him comes my salvation.
2   He only is my rock and my salvation;
     He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.
3  How long will you attack a man?
     You shall be slain, all of you,
     Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.
4  They only consult to cast him down from his high position;
     They delight in lies;
     They bless with their mouth,
     But they curse inwardly.
                                            Selah

5   My soul, wait silently for God alone,
     For my expectation is from Him.
6  He only is my rock and my salvation;
     He is my defense; I shall not be moved.
7   In God is my salvation and my glory;
     The rock of my strength,
     And my refuge, is in God.
8   Trust in Him at all times, you people;
     Pour out your heart before Him;
     God is a refuge for us.
                                              Selah

9  Surely men of low degree are a vapor,
    Men of high degree are a lie;
    If they are weighed on the scales,
    They are altogether lighter than vapor.
10 Do not trust in oppression,
     Nor vainly hope in robbery;
     If riches increase,
     Do not set your heart on them.
11   God has spoken once,
     Twice I have heard this:
     That power belongs to God.
12  Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;
     For You render to each one according to his work.
                                    Psalm 62:1-12, New King James Version

 

Some people think that politics and faith should be kept separate. Of course, we're aware of those who think anything dealing with religion (especially Christianity) has no place in politics, and probably not in the public square. There are Christians as well that basically see themselves as being in the Kingdom of God and politics being the Kingdom of the Devil and don't want to defile themselves with the latter.

However, besides seeing the obvious focus on trusting in God as our Rock, our Defense, our Salvation, and the Righteous and Merciful Judge who will give to each according to their work, I also see things that make me think of American politics.

For example, look at verses 3-4. What comes to mind when I read this? The impeachments of Clinton and Trump. In both cases, the opposition party were on the lookout for any reason to try to remove the President.

I also think of politics when I get to verse 10. Sometimes, the government itself is oppressive. Other times, people tolerate the oppression of those they disagree with. And robbery? While the Libertarian thought of "Taxation Is Theft" might be exaggerated, it's not off-base, and some favor the rich - meaning those who are better-off than they are - to pay "their fair share." But let's not forget the last part of the verse. There are people who trust in their riches.  

The reality is we should put our trust and hope in God. We should not trust in ourselves or in Government or anything else.

BOOK REVIEW - READY TO PROTECT (ROCKY MOUNTAIN K-9 UNIT PART 2) BY VALERIE HANSEN

 

 Who killed the Congresswoman and why? Is eyewitness and expectant mother Jamie London safe on K-9 officer Ben Sawyer's Wyoming ranch, with his Doberman Shadow keeping guard? And who will arrive first: Back-up or the baby?

Valerie Hansen's Ready to Protect is the second installment of the 8 part Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit (each novel by a different author). As typical in these series, there are some stories that slowly develop through the series, but the main story stands alone.  

This novel has a lot of nailbiting suspense. Hansen also does a great job dealing with Ben's relationships with Jamie, a father whose help is failing, and a half-brother who isn't trusting of the Sawyer family. 

Plus, it's got a Dobie in the story! My wife and I took care of a Dobie for a couple of years, and I enjoyed reading about one.

I highly recommend this novel. 

BOOK REVIEW - CHANGED INTO HIS LIKENESS: A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY OF PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION, BY J. GARY MILLAR

 

Why does it seem hard to make lasting change in our lives for the better? Is it impossible, or does it take, for lack of a better term, an act of God?

J. Gary Millar does an excellent job of dealing with the issue of personal transformation and what the Bible teaches on the subject in his book "Changed Into His Image: A Biblical Theology of Personal Transformation." He starts off with our desire for transformation but various reasons why we're not capable of it, including the influence psychology, neuroscience, quantum physics, and philosophical considerations.

He then goes into the Old Testament, pointing out that while there's a promise of transformation, there aren't any true examples. In the New Testament, Millar focuses on the Gospel and the Holy Spirit being the source of empowerment to be able to live a transformed life.

This is the sixth book of the New Studies on Biblical Theology series, and the second one penned by J. Gary Millar, both of which are among my favorites. I highly recommend this book.

You may realize that today is Maunday Thursday. Personal transformation is possible because Christ died for us, rose again, and sent His Spirit into those who put their trust in Him.

SUNDAY PSALMS PART 14 OF 48 (EASTER EDITION): PSALM 47

1   Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!
    Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
2  For the LORD Most High is awesome;
    He is a great King over all the earth.
3  He will subdue the peoples under us,
    And the nations under our feet.
4  He will choose our inheritance for us,
    The excellence of Jacob whom He loves.
                                        Selah

5  God has gone up with a shout,
    The LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
6  Sing praises to God, sing praises!
    Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7  For God is the King of all the earth;
    Sing praises with understanding.
8  God reigns over the nations;
    God sits on His holy throne.
9  The princes of the people have gathered together,
    The people of the God of Abraham.
    For the shields of the earth belong to God;
    He is greatly exalted.

                    Psalm 47:1-9, New King James Version

 

Normally, the Psalm that one would associate with Jesus' resurrection would be Psalm 16:10. Both Peter and Paul quoted from it in dealing with Christ being raised (Acts 2:25-38 and 13:35). However, in doing this series, I chose 48 Psalms I wanted to deal with and then choosing which one of those I wanted to do on Easter.

I chose Psalm 47, because I see a comparison of the LORD Yahweh being the King of the earth, and the resurrected Christ being the ruler of all, having conquered death.

One item I found interesting, besides the urging to sing in verses 6 and 7 is the reference to "the people of the God of Abraham" in verse 9. It isn't "The God of Israel" or "The God of Jacob." When you compare this with the New Testament, I see a hint that God's people is not restricted to Israel but is broader than that.

Hallelujah! He is risen! And the answer to "He is Risen!" is... 

DOES "ALL THINGS ARE PURE" INCLUDE LENT, EASTER, ETC.?

 

Christians United Church, Indianapolis

I'm sure you've heard it all. Lent and Advent are nowhere mentioned in the Bible. Jesus was not born on December 25th. Easter was named after the goddess Ioster, filled with fertility rite symbols like rabbits and eggs. Jeremiah 10 condemns the pagan Christmas tree. And I haven't even gotten to the Satanic holiday of Halloween or the equally ungodly customs of Pride Month!

There is little I disagree with in the above paragraph. There are ungodly roots in many of our holidays. I smile when a cartoonist friend of mine had his protagonist place a "Y" in front of a church's Easter banner (following the pattern that "yeast" always has a negative connotation).

On the other hand, my regular blog readers know that this is not the first time I've tackled the subject of holidays. My hunch is that the believers that are up in arms about holidays are not as concerned with loving others as they are in being more "Biblically correct" than their brothers and sisters in Christ, emphasizing the letter that kills rather than the Spirit that gives lives.

Titus 1:15 says, "To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure." Romans 14:14 reads, "But I know and am convinced in the Lord that nothing is unclean of itself." Yes, there are days that are rooted in the demonic or the completely rebellious against God and evil is called good. But there are debates about other holidays.

As I said, I've blogged about this. So why do I have to write another one? 

Actually, it's because I learned something. ERLC posted a list of things about Lent. I knew it was 40 days, but I thought it started on Ash Wednesday (I'm correct about that) and ended 40 days later on Palm Sunday (I missed that one). Actually, the 40 days of Lent don't include Sundays. 

I was amused at the article. I have never been in a church that celebrated Lent, and most Baptists tend to ignore it at best. But the Southern Baptist ERLC (Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission) article seems to be written to say that Lent fits in Southern Baptist belief and almost gave the impression of trying to get more Baptists observing Lent.

Mind if I tell a joke here? I heard of parents telling their son about Lent and encouraging him to give up something for that season, like candy. He asked his parents were giving up, and they told him they were giving up liquor. The son then asked about the wine they drank at supper, and they explained that it was hard liquor they were giving up. The boy thought a minute and said, "Okay, I'll give up hard candy."

Sometimes observing holidays are just ritual and not done out of love for God, and yes, that mere observance can be called pagan. But it can be observed as worship. Once again, we should be more concerned about loving our brethren (John 13:34-35) than trying to get them to give up something they enjoy to satisfy your "holiness."

"6TH PLACE ON MY BUSTED MEN'S BRACKET?" AND OTHER '23 NCAA TOURNEYS THOUGHTS

Cup promoting the Southwestern College Eagles Basketball team from the mid-'80's

 

Note - I am writing this before the '23 men's championship game started, so my blog will be written without knowing the victor.

When I got to the Final Four in filling out my 2023 men's tournament bracket, I had a dilemma. I would have loved to put both Arizona - representing where I grew up - and Purdue - in my home state for the past 27 years - in the Championship game. Alas, they both were slated to play each other in one of the semi-finals. I did pick Arizona to beat Purdue and then win the Championship game (over UConn).

Was that selection based on sentimental value? Some. But not all. After all, Purdue was a #1 seed, and Arizona a #2.

One of the exciting things about the men's tournament is the parity and the upsets that take place. The first night this year, a 15 seed sent a #2 packing, and the next night a 16 seed ousted a number one - only the second time that ever happened, I believe. 

Yep, the defeated 2 and 1 seeds were Arizona and Purdue. Second round hadn't begun, and half my final four took the role of spectators.

Now, let's move to the women's seed. There was a time in the not too distant past that the women's Sweet Sixteen might have a 5 seed sneak in by defeating the 4 seed, but upsets were much rarer. They're getting less rare. Indiana was a one seed. In the second round, they were ousted by the nine seed. 

Going into Friday night's final fours, I had two of my picks in the women's lobby, and one for the men. On paper in both cases, I had UConn making it to the finals but losing in the final. For the women's, that was a safe bet, because the Huskies are a dominant team. They didn't make it to the final four. The men did, and they're in the Championship game.

So I was in shock when I looked at the standings of the men's lobby for my company's regional pool (including several states) this morning and found I was in 6th place! I mean, by the end of the second round I had only 8 picks intact in the Sweet 16, half of the elite eight gone, and as I said earlier only two of my final four surviving the first round. But I'm in 6th place, with 67 points (160 would be perfection at this point).

Women's pool? Well, I had more points (83), but I was in 18th place in that competition. I correctly had defending champions South Carolina facing Iowa in the Semi-Final. Like a lot of others in the pool, I had the Gamecocks winning it all. Not to be - Iowa knocked them out, before losing to LSU.

Now, you might remember my note - the championship game is probably going on, so how can I say with certainty that I'm in 6th place? Good question, and I've got the answer. While UConn is in it, I picked them to lose, so I know I won't be gaining any points, so I won't move up, and if I had picked the Huskies to win, so did three of the five ahead of me, so I only could have gotten up to fourth. Those were the only ones to pick UConn in the pool, and NOBODY picked San Diego State. Thus, no one will be overtaking me. 

How did your favorite teams do? What were your thoughts on the tournament? 

SUNDAY PSALMS PART 13 OF 48 - PSALM 60

St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Indianapolis

1    O God, You have cast us off;
     You have broken us down;
     You have been displeased;
     Oh, restore us again!
2   You have made the earth tremble;
     You have broken it;
     Heal its breaches, for it is shaking.
3   You have shown Your people hard things;
     You have made us drink the wine of confusion.
4   You have given a banner to those who fear You,
     That it may be displayed because of the truth.
                                                                    Selah

5   That Your beloved may be delivered,
     Save with Your right hand, and hear me.
6   God has spoken in His holiness:
     "I will rejoice;
     I will divide Shechem
     And measure out the Valley of Succoth.
7   Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine;
     Ephraim also is the helmet for My head;
     Judah is My lawgiver.
8   Moab is My washpot;
    Over Edom I will cast My shoe;
    Philistia, shout in triumph because of Me."

9   Who will bring me to the strong city?
     Who will lead me to Edom?
10  Is it not You, O God, who cast us off?
     And You, O God, who did not go out with our armies?
11  Give us help from trouble,
     For the help of man is useless.
12  Through God we will do valiantly,
     For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.
                    Psalm 60:1-12, New King James Version

One fascinating tidbit - Psalm 108 is a combination of part of Psalm 57 and the last seven verses of this Psalm. A second is that I remember a worship chorus based on the final verse.

This Psalm deals with the Psalmist feeling Israel has been cast off, which is obvious in the first three verses as well as verses nine and ten. There are times we feel that way as well.

What is the answer? The final two verses of this verse gives us two facts to remember.

1. Man's help is useless. Our help doesn't come from man's ideas or man's activities. Some of that human philosophy comes from people who want to help, and some comes from people who want to manipulate, but that is at best flawed and fallen and at worst in opposition to God's ways.
2. God/Christ needs to be our help when we're in trouble. He is willing and able to help, and anything we accomplish is from Him.