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An exuberant declaration of faith Psalm 27 A Psalm of David KJV 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat {1} up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. 4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the {2} beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. 5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. 6 And now shall mine head be lifted up {3} above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy {4}; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord. 7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me and answer me. 8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek. 9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. 11 Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. 12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. 13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait {5} on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. {References} Psalm 27:2 devour Psalm 27:4 delightfulness Psalm 27:6 Lifted up in honour Psalm 27:6 joyous shouts Psalm 27:14 Wait in faith Comments This Psalm has a habit, when I am finding life difficult, of coming to my notice. I find it has had all-encompassing message over the years. It starts mentioning God, also my need of his light and salvation. This becomes evident as life marches on! Then the Psalm mentions lots of what we face as Christians - battles, in all aspects of our humanity as God works with us to bring us into Christ's likeness. It talks regarding battles, which sometimes has to do with relationships as it has been for me. It is comforting also encouraging when it assures us, we are not alone, it is a two-way relationship. As we face ourselves during it all we also need to know how to deal with the enemy of our souls - Satan. We are never alone. I particularly love the last verse, which is hard to comply with - WAIT on the Lord, be of good courage - he will strengthen your heart "out of which come all the issues of life." That covers so much! Last line of the verse again the command - WAIT I say on the Lord! While grounded in Australia (due to an ash cloud) a few years ago, with my great niece, I got a bit stressed, then this is the verse (v14) that came to mind. This verse brought me peace and the Lord worked it all out without any hitches! A further bonus too was my great-niece, who was still in primary school had the opportunity to sample school in Australia whilst there. A wonderful experience for her, and reassurance for her parents in Scotland. Father God had it all in hand! Amen by Guest blogger J Esslemont (medical missionary- retired) Print copy at https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/psalm-27

Psalm 27 by Jean Esslemont An Exuberant Declaration of Faith A Psalm of David NKJV 27 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked came against me To eat [a] up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell. 3 Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident. 4 One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the [b] beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple. 5 For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. 6 And now my head shall be [c] lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of [d] joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. 7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8 When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.” 9 Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10 When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the Lord will take care of me. 11 Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. 12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence. 13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. 14 Wait [e] on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord! Footnotes [a] -[e] = 1-5 Psalm 27:2 devour Psalm 27:4 delightfulness Psalm 27:6 Lifted up in honour Psalm 27:6 joyous shouts Psalm 27:14 Wait in faith This Psalm has a habit, when I am finding life difficult, of coming to my notice. I find it has had all-encompassing message over the years. It starts mentioning God, also my need of his light and salvation. This becomes evident as life marches on! Then the Psalm mentions lots of what we face as Christians - battles, in all aspects of our humanity as God works with us to bring us into Christ's likeness. It talks regarding battles, which sometimes has to do with relationships as it has been for me. It is comforting also encouraging when it assures us, we are not alone, it is a two-way relationship. As we face ourselves during it all we also need to know how to deal with the enemy of our souls - Satan. We are never alone. I particularly love the last verse, which is hard to comply with - WAIT on the Lord, also be of good courage - he will strengthen your heart "out of which come all the issues of life." That covers so much! Last line of the verse again the command - WAIT I say on the Lord! While grounded in Australia (due to an ash cloud) a few years ago, with my great niece, I got a bit stressed, then this is the verse (v14) that came to mind. This verse brought me peace and the Lord worked it all out without any hitches! A further bonus too was my great-niece, who was still in primary school had the opportunity to sample school in Australia while there. A great experience for her, and also reassurance for her parents in Scotland. Father God had it all in hand! Amen

The prayers of the Apostle Paul a) The prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 (read) This prayer contains a progressive revelation. Please note there are five main steps in this prayer. Step 1 Verse 16; To be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man. This strengthening with might in your inner man is an essential prerequisite before partaking of steps 2-5. For it is only through the ‘dynamite’ power of the Holy Spirit in us that we can progress spiritually. Step 2 Verse 17; Tells us that consequences of Christ dwelling in our hearts by faith is that we become rooted like a tree in love and grounded like a building, with Jesus Christ as your foundation. This means our Christian walk of obedience to Christ is based upon our responding in love to his love which Jesus gave first. Step 3 Verse 18; When we are strengthened with might in our inner man, and Christ is dwelling in our hearts by faith and we grow rooted and grounded in love then we are in the position to begin to comprehend or discern spiritually the dimensions of God`s love where it surpasses humanly discerned knowledge. Things to consider about the dimensions of God’s love. Breadth – boundless Length – endless Depth – fathomless Height [1] – measureless Even to describe God’s love as a sea is inadequate since seas have limits. Step 4 Verse 19 We must experience the love of Christ, each one of us. That agape love that the Holy Spirit sheds abroad in our hearts (Romans 5:5). When we are filled to overflowing with his divine love then we attain the fourth step of the progression, which is that we have the richest measure of the divine presence and we become a body wholly filled and flooded with God himself. If this is true, it is possible that we can experience the richest measure of the divine presence! Wow! The Greek rendering of ‘filled with all the fullness’ suggests a continuous process, a progressive enlarging experience like a vessel being filled to the brim. Then the vessel expands, and the process goes on and on. Thus, our hearts will grow and take in more and more of Him. Amen. Step 5 Verse 20 Paul then goes on to say after having given us such a tremendous revelation of the word, that the Lord can do infinitely more than all that we dare ask or think, infinitely above our highest hopes, prayers, desires, thoughts, or dreams. Wow! Fellow saints, the word of God tells us that the fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16). Would you dare to make such a prayer as this, a prayer for yourself and for those you lead, would you dare to pray this prayer right now? In verse 20 did Paul get carried away with himself? Or was the Holy Spirit showing the church how we also ought to pray for ourselves and others, so that we can aim for the summit of God`s fullness in us in bodily form. If we ask Him for bread will he give us stone or snake for a fish? He knows what good gifts to give to His children. Matthew 5:6 Conclusion Would you dare to ask God for his best for yourself and others, or do you think that the Lord can only just keep you saved? See Ephesians 3:10 concerning the multi-faceted wisdom of God. The Word of God says that the fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16). Will you dare make such a spirit anointed prayer your fervent prayer? Dare to pray this prayer! Father God we bow our knees to you in the name of Jesus Christ. We ask that you grant us, according to your riches, that we might be strengthened with your mighty power in our inner man. We pray that Christ may be dwelling in our hearts by faith, and that we are becoming rooted and grounded in your divine love. We ask that we may be able to comprehend with all your saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height of your love, and to come to truly know your love which surpasses human knowledge, that we might be filled with the love of God as you are Lord. Lord, we know you can do much more above all we can ask or even think because your power is at work in us and so we say. Amen and Glory to your name. [1] Height How high does God`s love extend? Look at the privileges we now enjoy and those the Lord has promised will come. I Samuel 2:8 Isaiah 56:5 Romans 8:16-17 I John 3:1 Revelation 22:4-5

Do something extravagant for God If the Lord tarries and you eventually die, how do you want to be remembered? What do you want written on your tombstone? The follower of Jesus called Tabitha (aka Dorcas Acts 9:36) was remembered at two distinct levels. As a friend and excellent tailor As someone whom Peter raised from the dead And what about other women of God, Esther, risked her life for her people? Deborah strengthened the weak Barak. Mary had the faith to become Jesus’ mother. Rahab prostitute believed and found salvation. Mary Magdalene was the first person to see Lord risen. However, in this message I believe the Lord wants us to consider the legacy of another godly woman. Matthew 26:6-13 Mark 14:3-9 John 12:3-8 Here we find Mary (Lazarus’ sister) who had anointed Jesus. She might have realised that Jesus was going to be killed and anointed Jesus with perfume was worth a year’s wages. The disciple (Judas) grumbled but Jesus refused to condemn her. Matthew 26:13 describes a memorial to Mary What a memorial for an extravagant act of love and devotion. A beautiful gesture of worship. If you could do it, would you? Proverbs 22:1 A good name is more desirable than great riches. God wants you to be remembered for your love for him and I believe he is calling you today as his follower, to make an extravagant act of worship to him. What precious thing have you got to give him? To pour out it will cost you dear, but it will be worth it for he alone is worthy! Amen Personal Prayer

Says who? You need to test the thoughts coming into your mind? Read 2 Kings 6:16-17 Do you think that politicians and local government are influenced by public opinion? Of course, they are, if not they would soon be voted out-of-office. But who influences public opinion and where do the ideas come from? Public opinion says it is ok to gamble, to live together before marriage. Public opinion says it is ok to practice same sex relationships. Public opinion largely supports abortion. Public opinion no longer supports the family. Public opinion has growing support for euthanasia. Who is the script writer for public opinion? If most people in your country are unbelievers, and if they are, then their opinions and beliefs will be influenced by the world, the flesh, and the devil. The word of God is alien and incomprehensible to them. We as believers in Jesus Christ the Living Word of God, must not be deceived by the opinions and ideas of the world. The aim of this message today, is to warn the church, to continue to question popular beliefs and public opinion to find out where their source lies. Going beyond this, we need to begin to pull down mental barriers and strongholds in our minds, so that our thinking begins to conform to the truth, the truth of God`s word. Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to world`s standards. Do not be conformed to world`s ideas. Do not be conformed to world`s morals. Do not be conformed to world`s thinking. Do not let the world squeeze you in its mold. Be transformed into the image of Christ. Be transformed from glory to glory. Be transformed into the full stature and maturity of Jesus Christ. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Renew your mind by reading God`s word. Renew your mind by meditating in the scriptures. Renew your mind by listening to voice of Holy Spirit. Renew your mind by reading and obeying God`s word. Then, then, then. You will know and prove what is good. You will know the truth and it shall set you free. You will know where every idea, whether public opinion, or the private opinion of yourself and others, whether it comes of God or not. All our lives before we were saved, when we were children, the world, the flesh, the devil sowed wrong ideas and thoughts into us, which grew up in us and became wrong beliefs that are contrary to God`s word and God`s will for our lives. Is this part of your life story or testimony? Do not tell your kids that “they will never amount to anything” for this is a self-fulfilling prophecy. God wants to break down such mental barriers (stronghold: castles in our minds). He wants to make the ‘unthinkable’ to become ‘thinkable’. I`d could never do… God can enable you I`ll never be able to give up …Says who? Not God, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not God, the Son. Not God, the Holy Spirit. We need to ask; says who? and only accept God’s words and thoughts! We have the mind of Christ, the Creator’s mind. We should hear the voice of Spirit. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; God has given us mighty weapons, given us power in the name of Jesus Christ. Given us power to bind and to loose, power to tread on the enemy! Use it! 2 Corinthians 4:2-4; Blinded minds cannot see truth, blinded by the preconceptions and ungodly ideas. Strongholds: My husband/wife and I will never be able to get on... Says who? I`ll never be a leader… Says who? I`ll never have a ministry…Says who? I`ll never speak in church… Says who? I`ll never be able to pray like so and so…Says who? I`ll never become a mature believe... Says who? I`ll never be able to quit drinking and smoking etc. … Says who? The devil does not need to limit your opportunities. If he has limited your mind with mental barriers to stop you progressing in God, then here is what you need to do… 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Every thought or idea that pops into our minds, do not be pushed over! Check it against God`s word. If it passes, act on it. If it fails, use the word of God as the sword of the Spirit on it to demolish it. If you are tempted to steal use the sword of the spirit on the temptation… It is written thou shalt not steal. Jesus did this three times when tempted by Satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). Strongholds- are mental prisons, or chains that bind us to wrong behaviour/thoughts. My husband/wife/dad/mother will never get saved… Says who? If you believe this, you`ll stop praying and witnessing, and your church will not grow... Says who? Do not let your thoughts allow poison seeds to be planted from the enemy of your soul. Ephesians 6:12;Put on the whole armour of God including the helmet of your salvation. The armour is a daily lifestyle lived in the revelation of your identity in Christ. We take every thought captive and only release the good seeds (thoughts) into our minds after first testing them. This will bring you brother and sister into maturity as a believer. Summary We need to keep strict control over our thought lives. Not just new ideas and thoughts that pop into our minds but also established habits thought life and test them versus God`s word. Do not let the devil sow poisonous seeds and weeds in your mind. They are tomorrow`s strongholds, cast them out now. Amen.

Something was missing in my life In 1983, my wife and I were living in Mayfield, Dalkeith. I was working in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and oversaw a big medical laboratory. I was happily married, had a lovely family, a successful career, but I knew there was something missing, but I did not know what is was. In the late spring of 1983, I lay on my bed one evening and I started to try to make a prayer, which was a new thing for me. It went something like this, OK God, or is it Jesus, what is the deal? What do I need to do? I lay there for about 30 minutes and guess what happened? Absolutely nothing! or so I thought, and my thinking was that I must be a hopeless case if God was not interested! But God heard that prayer, and 6 months later sent a Christian couple from along the road to tell my wife and I the Gospel story, of how Jesus God’s son had died on the cross for sinners like me. I did not jump at the opportunity, but there came a point, when the man Raymond said, ‘where would you go if you died tonight’? It was a though an invisible curtain fell in the room and I knew for the first time I was on the wrong side from God, and I would not go to heaven. I now know this is called conviction of sin. We said, what do we need to do to be saved? The couple then led both my wife and I, in what we now recognise as ‘the sinner’s prayer’ in which we recognised that we were indeed sinners and needed Jesus’ sacrifice to pay for our sins. We both accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour there and then. Something I could not explain was happening. Next, the man said we do not always do this, but we believe God wants to fill you with His Holy Spirit. We had no idea about the Holy Spirit but recognised something special was happening in the room. When they prayed for me, I felt something akin to electricity surging through my body, so much so that I had to sit down in case I fell. The couple read us the parable of the sower and told us to bear fruit for God. They then prophesied Psalm 1 over my life. There was a huge change in our lives, I could no longer use bad language, a huge weight of sin lifted of my shoulders. I felt as though I had, had a sauna inside my being, cleansing out all the pores of badness in me. I developed a tremendous hunger for the bible and Christian books. The Lord brought the right people into our lives who showed us the way to become followers of Jesus. This was a wonderful new beginning in our lives bringing the purpose and direction that I cried out to God for. God then blessed us in every area of our lives our family, our marriage, our finances etc. A neighbour even said that we looked younger! In closing, my late mother-in-law Sybil used to sing this song which captures our story. It is no secret what God can do, what He has done for others, He will do for you With arms wide open He will pardon you Come to Jesus and get your free pardon today (see below)

The Beatitudes Matthew 5:7-12 In part 1 we covered Matthew 5:3-6, we now pick up from Matthew 5:7 https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/sermon-on-the-mount-2 Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men cast insults at you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely on account of Me… v.7 Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy; The Lord is our Shepherd, and He leads us on into the area of forgiveness. He showed us how it is done and now expects us to give it in the same way. We must show that same mercy to others especially the poor! In everyday terms this means dealing with offences, resentments, and even full-blown hate. Hurt produces anger and then resentment manifesting in grudges and thought and/or acts of hatred. Mercy costs us the sinful fleshly pleasure of revenge. The seeds of resentment will produce a bitter harvest in our lives. resentment is like an addictive drug... We must sow mercy and forgiveness and then the world will see Christ in us because it knows the thrill of revenge. v.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God: We must lift clean hands to God flowing out from a pure heart. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks! Create in me a clean heart O God. We must purify our hearts by washing with the Word of God, which is sharper than a two-edged sword' piercing even to the division of the soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12.). We need to bring all our ugliness, prejudices, mental barriers and even our very motives to God having the removed and replaced by that which is truth. As our hearts are purified so the desire to see God grows. The Lord can only be revealed to those whose hearts are pure as only they have the correct motives and perspective to see Him. To see His hand, the finger of God moving, to see His MO[1] to see His motive ......Love. As we allow our hearts to be purified our motives will become godly and will see God in others, in situations in our own lives and of course eventually we will see Him face to face. v.9 Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God. The Son of God came to reconcile sinful man to a Holy God, He is the ultimate peace maker giving us peace with God and the peace of God. As we are purified so we become peaceable towards men and the desire to witness and evangelise grows i.e. to preach the gospel of peace. Like Father like Son, .... like sons. We must bring the peace of God to the unbelieving out of a pure heart, with correct motives and a lifestyle which is above reproach. v.10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. All that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution! I call it 'negative confirmation ' that you are in the will of God! It seems that every step of faith we take in God that there is a persecution raised by the enemy. Remember Nehemiah, at first, they mocked and then progressed through various steps to threatening to murder him. (Nehemiah is a good study in which to see Satan's strategy of discouragement of believers). As we step out into God's plan, we will consider ourselves as blessed (and not be discouraged) in that we have been considered worthy to be persecuted for Jesus’ sake. v.11 Blessed are you when men cast insults at you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely on account of Me..... Bible-bashers, Jesus freaks, God-squad, nutters and worse, if you have or are being called such, rejoice Jesus says you are blessed. Do you believe Him? We are called to make up or share in the sufferings of Christ, who for the joy that was set before Him endured death, even death on the cross. Not just insults but nails and death. We must consider ourselves blessed as the inevitable persecutions come forth and be of the same mind as Christ. Summary Consider the stepwise order of the Beatitudes (salvation). Only admission of our poverty in spirit to God can enable Him to breathe His life into us. When we reach the point of mourning over our sins God can do something with us. God begins to work in us producing meekness and humility. Meekness with humility removes paralysing fear from us and produces courage in us to go and possess the land, to begin to fulfil all our destiny in Christ. We no longer try to do things in our own strength. Our tastes and likes to begin to change. God begins to fill us with a hunger and thirst for His things. We begin to hunger for His Word and to thirst for God’s presence. We also begin to long for the things that God longs for. As we allow our hearts to be purified our motives will become godlier and will begin to see God in others and in situations in our own lives. Having received the peace of God, we must bring it to the unbelieving out of a pure heart, with correct motives and a lifestyle which is above reproach. We must consider ourselves blessed as the inevitable persecutions come forth and be of the same mind as Christ and remember to rejoice and not be discouraged. Amen Further study Consider the Beatitudes in the book of Nehemiah. Consider the Beatitudes in an area of your life. Consider converting the beatitudes into a prayer for your own and others growth in discipleship. Prayer Lord, we come to you in Jesus’ name, confessing our poverty and inability to do anything for you in your kingdom. We realise that we are weak and sinful people and are fed up with our powerlessness. Lord, as we mourn over our sins, forgive, and cleanse us and produce meekness and humility in our lives. Free us from paralysing fear and enable and empower us to possess the land and fulfil all our destiny in Christ. Take away the desire to do things in our own strength but rather fill us with a hunger and thirst for you and your things. Let us be a people like David, men, and women after your own heart. Purify our hearts, motives, and lives that we might begin to see you and bring the unbelievers to your wonderful salvation. Cause us to rejoice and consider ourselves blessed when the inevitable persecution and reviling comes. For Jesus’ sake. Amen. Further thoughts: Is the stepwise progression mirrored in reverse with the wicked, so that they end up becoming the persecutors? [1] Modus operandi i.e. his way of doing things. Part 1 of the Beatitudes: Matthew 5:3-6 can be found at https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/sermon-on-the-mount

Beatitudes Matthew 5:3-6 Summary of the Beatitudes Part 1 https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/sermon-on-the-mount Jesus departed from the crowds and went up the mountain, the disciples came to him. This in a sense represents going on with Him i.e. a step of consecration, coming out of the crowd to follow Him. Being a disciple means to follow the Master and obey his teaching and commands. Come and meet Christ on the mountain if you want to be his disciple. Why go to the mountain; to get away from distractions and closer to God. To the fleshly mind the beatitudes seem like madness or confusion but to the spiritual man they are a source of joy and direction. Jesus commands His Church to go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Only disciples can disciple others and here is one of the major teachings to make us into disciples. . Matthew 5:3-12 Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men cast insults at you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely on account of Me… Beatitudes; (Latin) blessednesses. Blessed; def. happy, to be envied and spiritually prosperous (that is with life joy and satisfaction with God's favour regardless of the outward conditions). This is the state of heart and mind we all long for! It is the attitude of heart or mind that is fulfilled in God. Blessed: Makarios; Greek is used to describe God himself; it is enjoying life as God enjoys it Consider a stepwise progression of the Beatitudes. They represent the starting point and how to make progress in coming to maturity. Maturity in Christ is our vision. It might also be that the beatitudes may give us the pattern of tackling every project in our spiritual lives! v.3. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. We must admit our inadequacy and failure to God (sin, shame, pride, fear, insecurity, self-sufficiency). All our (own) righteousness, all our own good deeds are as filthy rags to God. This is the starting point. This poverty of spirit (attitude of heart/mind) opens the door to the kingdom of God. It is impossible to enter the kingdom in any other state of heart. The kingdom of God is within you i.e. when the love of Christ that is shed abroad in our hearts and influences our whole life, thoughts, and actions. Only admission of our poverty in spirit before and to God can enable Him to breathe His life into us (c.f. the salvation experience). v.4 Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. This means mourning over our sins to go on with God we must firstly confess our sins and express sorrow on an ongoing basis before God. The Greek word for mourn is mainly used in the New Testament in the context of mourning over other sins. James 4:8-11; v.9 mourn and weep for your sins. 1 Corinthians 5:1-2; v2 This church had failed to mourn over incestuous immorality. 2 Corinthians 12:21; Paul mourns over the churches unrepented sin. We might need to ask the Lord to take away any enjoyment of the sin. We then ask for forgiveness and the grace to avoid falling into the same trap. When we reach this point of mourning over our sins God can do something with us. We must mourn for our own sins, for the church’s sins and those of the nation. v.5 Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. Meekness is not weakness. Meekness incorporates strength and gentleness and includes humility (paradox). It is the branch that bears most fruit that bows the lowest on the tree. Humility is to see your true standing before God. To recognise His power and majesty (the surpassing beauty of holiness) and yet at the same time to realise his great love for you. In meekness we stop telling God how to do it and submit to His will. We then enter His strength and ability, as we become lesser in our own eyes, so He becomes greater and brings all his abilities into the situation. Meekness with humility removes paralysing fear from us and produces courage in us to go and possess the land, to begin to fulfil all our destiny in Christ. We no longer try to do things in our own strength. v.6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Now that we are no longer bound in fear or in self-sufficiency (due to meekness with humility) we can ask God to fill us with a hunger and thirst for His things. Having confessed and turned from our sins and admitted our inadequacy before Him He is ready to create these desires in our hearts. To hunger for · The Word of God · opportunities to minister · opportunities to serve. To thirst for · His presence · His Spirit · His power in revival No more yesterday’s manna but hungering and thirsting for a freshness each day with God. We begin to long for the things that God longs for. Amen Prayer See summary of the Beatitudes Part 2 Matthew 5:7-12 https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/sermon-on-the-mount-2

Does the church need a reboot according to Acts 2:42? Did you know that God is still at work during the pandemic? Do you know that there are no surprises for God with the global pandemic? Do you know that God is not on furlough, and that God has not retired, and that God has no fears for the future of his church? In fact, presently, many Christians believe that God has a specific plan for His church. Different streams of believers come at God’s plan in different ways although many people agree it has something to do with the book of Acts. Some say God wants to unleash his church, that sounds exciting, many of us have wanted rid of our leashes for years to be fully free to serve. Other believers say that God wants to bring a fresh revival to his people, a renewal, a fresh outpouring, and we say amen to all of that. My own take, on what I feel the Spirit is saying to the church, is that the Lord wants to ‘reboot’ the church. ‘Reboot’ sounds a bit geeky, so, let me explain what ‘reboot’ means. If you have ever been in employment with a company that has an IT department, you will know that when you report a problem, the first things the IT people usually tell you, is to switch your computer off and on again to reboot the system. Very often this is successful, your computer returns to how it was meant to work in the first place and your problem disappears. Reboot means to go back to the original programme and function. So, what if God decides to reboot his church what would it look like? What was his original plan/blueprint for his church? Fortunately, the Lord has recorded his original plan for his church in Acts 2:42, and this is what it looks like. The context: on the day of Pentecost, in Acts 2, we see Peter preaching and telling the crowd to repent and be baptised and in response 3000 souls get saved and water baptized. Here is what happened to the believers next. Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship (koinonia), to the breaking of bread and to prayer. The four elements of the new and thriving church were as follows, call them a, b, c, and d. a) Apostles teaching (doctrine) = the apostles verbally communicated the inspired word of God which was then passed through the early church community. These inspired teaching of the apostles have been captured in the bible. So, the rebooted church would have bible study as a main priority. b) Fellowship = sharing lives together, this koinonia fellowship is an intimate sharing of lives, not just a club, a handshake at the door, or a cup of tea after the meeting. Christian fellowship is a key aspect of the Christian life. Believers in Christ are to come together sharing in love, faith, encouragement, and materially. That is the essence of koinonia. God himself lives in a dynamic sharing of life and fellowship as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Methodist preacher W E Sangster put it like this; the fulness of the Christian life cannot be known except in fellowship - fellowship with God and fellowship with one another. Moreover, the purposes of God in this world require a social organism by which to express themselves. That is us, his church, his koinonia fellowship of true believers. To love one another is not optional! Jesus commands us to love one another in John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. The rebooted church obeys Jesus by loving one another c) Breaking of bread = sharing meals together from house to house, not communion in this context. They all ate of the same food, the same bread as they recognised that Christ has brought us into one family. Eating and drinking together, is what a family does. The rebooted church shares meals together. d) Prayer = we communicate with God in 5 main types of prayer, which include 1) confession of sins, 2) praise 3) thanksgiving 4) intercession and 5) petition. The rebooted church prays together and separately. I understand that the Greek in Acts 2:42 suggests a relationship between the more spiritual activities of a) bible study and d) prayer with the two more practical activities of b) koinonia fellowship and c) sharing meals together, like a sandwich in the middle. We need to have all four of these elements to reflect God’s original plan for his church. So, here is what happened next, when the church of Acts 2:43-47 did these 4 things (doctrine, shared meals, koinonia fellowship, and prayer) … Acts 2:43 Then fear came on everyone, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. 44 And all that believed were together and had all things common.45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,47 Praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Shared love is a great witness to the unbelievers, our shared love is reproductive in terms of the salvation of unbelievers. Beloved, Acts 2:42-47 is what the rebooted church ought to look like, and the effect we should have on our city/town, so let us get ready for God is still at work during this pandemic. Action: Let us be reading and meditating on Acts 2 just so we know how it should be. Amen Prayer Lord, please prepare our hearts during this pandemic and make us ready to be revived, renewed, refreshed, and unleashed into all you have for us. We acknowledge our need for the church to be restored to its original form and function. Help each one of us, your saints, to be ready individually, as a body and as a koinonia fellowship of believers. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

Things to remember when you are hanging by a thread. As Christians we all appear to go through times when we seem to be getting overwhelmed by the circumstances or by the difficulties in our lives. Disappointment, rejection, apparent failure, illness, stress, family and financial problems to name but a few of the things that come against God's people. This may give us a feeling that God is somewhat distant, uninvolved or uncaring or at worst he has forgotten about you. But is this true? How does God feel about us when we are hanging by a thread? Let us turn to His word to see how God feels and how God deals with His people when they feel that they are hanging by a thread. Isaiah 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; my elect, in whom my soul. delights: I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgement to the Gentiles. 2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgement unto truth. 4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he has set judgement in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. Jesus, your Jesus, my Jesus, our Jesus, mild and yet so strong, not seeking to draw attention to himself. Quietly going about his father’s business, not striving by his flesh for the weapons of his warfare are not carnal but mighty. through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Jesus is patient and kind. towards his own, and you are his own! When we are crushed and bruised, he sets a limit. Precious spices and ointments need to be crushed to give their aroma! He never allows us to be tempted above. our measure. Remember the story of Joseph and his brothers. When your flame is only smouldering, he will not put it out, he never intended to, quite the opposite. The devil means to break us and snuff out our light (this little light of mine) but Jesus wants us to be whole and to burn with a pure light. Matthew 12:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, 18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall show judgement to the Gentiles. 19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he sends forth judgement unto victory. 21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust. Jesus shows power and grace in bearing up the weak and the suffering, to produce perseverance, but never to kill or destroy our faith in him. Sometimes, God needs to deal with the comfort in our lives to confront and destroy our pride of life, complacency, self sufficiency, wrongful dependence on others. Ultimately whatever we go through it is for our benefit as it says in Romans 8 28. Although a wonderful truth this does not make it easy for us but produces confidence that in the end it will be for our benefit and blessing. In his name the Gentiles trust, are you trusting him today in your particular situation? The reed is made up of long strands or filaments but when enough of them are. bruised or broken the reed just snaps in two and is no use for its purpose. Reeds can made into papyrus which as you know was the ancient world’s version of paper. God wants to heal your broken strands so that he can write his gospel message of love on you and in you. You are God's perfumed living love letter to your fellow. man! Amen God does not kill or destroy his own wounded. He binds up the broken-hearted and restores us to wholeness. Do you remember Elton John’s song ‘candle in the wind’, In the song the flame is tossed to and fro with absolutely no control. However Jesus tells us that we are the light of the world…and yet it seems that problems and difficulties in our lives seem to cut off the either the air or the flow of wax vapour. In the case of the flax, smouldering is the final stage before the flame is extinguished. When we feel we are hanging by a thread or our faith is about to smoulder out, Jesus comes to strengthen and breathe his life into us again. At school, in the chemistry class, the test for oxygen was that it relit a glowing or smouldering taper. So the awareness of the presence of Jesus Christ by his spirit relights our love and faith in God. We just need to get into his presence and allow the oxygen of his love to re-ignite our hearts. We must remember all his precious promises to us! Then we can go on to be once again Gods love letter, living and perfumed. epistles to our fellow man and bring the light of the world into the hearts of the unbelievers. Jesus does not just want to keep you hanging by a thread or smouldering but wants to bring you back into fullness. Whole and burning brightly! Strong and gentle Jesus! Make us whole and burning brightly for you today. Amen Prayer

The story of Rev Morris Dutch I met and received Jesus as my Lord and Saviour at the age of 17 on the evening of Saturday 29 March 1969. On my way to meet my pals and have a night out in Glasgow, I was walking up Renfield St. when I was stopped by a girl and given an invitation to visit St George’s Tron (Church of Scotland) Café on Bath St. In the course of chatting, I was asked if I was a Christian, to this I said yes not realising that attending Sunday School as a child and later very rare visits to a church service on Sunday was not what she meant. Saying goodbye and shortly arriving at the Majestic Dance Hall at the top of Hope St., I was most upset when the bouncers at the door refused me entry. Bewildered and feeling quite insulted I began to make my way back to the Central Station when I remembered about the Café invitation I had received earlier. Entering the Café I met a Christian fellow who engaged me in discussion about Christianity. At that point I became very aware that he had a living faith and also talked about God in a personal way. To my surprise I heard that God not only loved me but also He answered prayer. Wow!!!! I had never met someone around my own age that could share this stuff with me. Always believing in God’s existence, I could never understand where Jesus fitted in and it was at this point that I was shown 'The Bridge' Illustration. Seeing in picture form Jesus’ cross bridging the gap of my sin to bring me into relationship with God our loving heavenly Father, I knew immediately that this was for me. Arriving home later that night I prayed and asked God to forgive me and to enter my life. I had a very real inner experience of the love and security of God with me. What a weekend! Packing up my tools and putting away my overalls into my big green toolbox at work on the Friday night I entered the weekend not knowing that God’s hand would be guiding everything ahead. Opening the same big green toolbox at 7.30am on Monday morning was an incredible experience. As the Apostle Paul said so well in 2 Corinthians 5:17, ‘the old had passed away and the new had come’ I felt completely clean and fresh and knew a deep peace and joy in my heart. Innocently telling all my mates at work on Monday morning that I became a Christian on Saturday evening catapulted me into the world of sharing and defending my newfound faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. What a privilege! Life from that point was a quest to learn, understand and grow more in my new Christian life. Some years later, working in engineering, I began to appreciate that I was actually a Minister doing the wrong job. This realisation eventually led me pursue formal theological study which opened the door to serve my Lord as a Minister of a Church. “God does move in mysterious ways and His wonders to perform.” Wouldn’t change any of it for a moment!!!! Amen

Even when our world today is changing fast Two years ago we were just beginning to hear about the Covid-19 virus which went on to cause a worldwide pandemic. In our lockdowns, many jobs and businesses have already gone bust, many families have lost loved ones and many with health concerns cannot get access to the proper medical treatment. New types of vaccine have been developed at a pace never seen in human history. Most people do not know where to look for security and safety and yet during our most difficult times in our lives God is saying to us today “For I, the Lord, do not change... Malachi 3:6 There are several scriptures in the bible which tell us that God does not change. In the new testament we see Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. It is part of God’s being to be eternal and unchanging. It is difficult for us to imagine what eternity is exactly or indeed what an eternal being is like. Eternity is not a long, long stretch of time but rather eternity is timeless. We should note that, whatever is going on the world today has not caught the Lord by surprise and even if we cannot see what his plan is, be assured that he does have a plan. He is carefully weighing everything. God has ever been and will always be entirely consistent to his word as written in the bible. His character and approach to the unfolding of history is entirely consistent. His love and protection of his old covenant people and his new covenant people is permanent. The God of old testament that opened the Red Sea for Moses and his people to cross over, is the same God for the church today and tomorrow. The seasons in our lives change but God is the same. God is immutable. Our God is a God of the ‘big picture’ in terms of what is going on in the world. I want to give you an example of this from the book of Daniel whose main message is ’Heaven rules’. We pick up the story in Daniel 5 the infamous Belshazzar’s feast. The king and his drunken guests toasted the false gods and had the impudence to use the holy vessels from the holy temple in Jerusalem. 5 In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6 Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. D5:7-9 As with his grandfather before him, none of the astrologers, Chaldeans, or soothsayers (wise men) were able to interpret this message from God. D5:10-11 The queen tells Belshazzar to send for Daniel, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him. Daniel had been chief over the groups of wise men under Belshazzar’s grandfather Nebuchadnezzar. The king summoned Daniel offering great rewards including be promoted to the third ruler in the empire. Daniel declines all rewards and reminds Belshazzar how the Lord God had to humble his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar by driving him mad for seven years. Daniel points out that despite Belshazzar knowing all this and much more about the God of Daniel, he was lifted by pride, and had insulted the Living God, by toasting idols using the vessels from the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Daniel now interprets the writing on the wall, and it is extremely bad news for Belshazzar. D5:24 Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written. 25 And this is the writing that was written, Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. 26 This is the interpretation of the thing: Mene; God hath numbered thy kingdom and finished it. 27 Tekel; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. 28 Peres; Thy kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians. Whilst the banquet was still in progress the Medes and Persian troops had captured the city of Babylon and King Belshazzar was put to death that very night. He had mocked the Lord. Learning points: How is this relevant to us today? 1. No matter how powerful kings, presidents, and rulers are, God carefully weighs their actions in his balance. It is a sobering thought that God weighs the actions of mankind. Thank the Lord, we can get ongoing forgiveness through 1 John 1:9. Proud people seldom change and revert to their sinful ways all too quickly. God gave Nebuchadnezzar a second chance but not Belshazzar. God really looks at the the human heart. Now here is the good news: God is saying to each one of his people today… I am the Lord I change not. No matter what is going on in your life with the pandemic, the failing economy, your family, your job, your health concerns and other worries, no matter what life throws at you...God will have the last word. So remember heaven rules, remember God rules. He will get you through everything that the world, the flesh, and the devil can throw at you and even when this life is ended …underneath are the everlasting arms. He has got you covered in life and He has got you covered in death. He has got your loved ones covered. Prayer Unchanging Father, in Jesus name, we cast all our cares and fears upon you today because we know you care about every detail in our lives, even the number of hairs on our heads! We put all our fears, cares, worries and the like into your barrel and roll them over to you. Lord we take one hand off the barrel now we take the other hand off the barrel. As we take both our hands off the barrel, we hand over all our fears, cares, worries and suchlike for you to deal with in the full confidence you genuinely care for each one of us. Lord we rest in you. Amen Personal Prayer