God’s Love & Faithfulness

Faithfulness Love

Wednesday 04/22/20 

Series: For Edification…

Message – God’s Love & Faithfulness

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The Love & Faithfulness of God

While I was seeking the Lord about what to do tonight with a request I had been given for a lighter message of encouragement. I felt the Lord tell me to read the passages of scripture from the Psalms which I had told you corresponded to the book of Exodus to Judges, with some encouraging notes along the way.

This reminded me of what Paul had told a young Timothy, who was appointed over the church of Ephesus for a time, in order to establish them and raise up elders. He was instructed by Paul…to give attention to public reading of the scriptures and it is something I’ve told you we were going to do more of here.

Historically we’ve done much of teaching and exhorting towards living what we’ve learned from the scriptures, but little attention to just reading itself.

It is found in 1 Tim. 3, and Paul wrote, 

“give your attention to public reading, exhortation, and teaching.”

The words, “give attention to” are sometimes used as nautical terms, meaning to hold the course. In this Timothy it means to hold to, to apply oneself to, to give or devote oneself to the scriptures. 

So Paul was exhorting Timothy to organize and maintain the public reading of the scriptures. Quite possibly it was those portions of Scripture which historically had been appointed to be read in public at certain times according to Judaism.

This was a tradition which dated back very far in the Jewish faith and one in which Jesus Himself participated.

Many times the leader of synagogue would stand up and read portions of scripture, from the Law & the Prophets, and then would open the floor for any male who had any encouragement to offer the people in regard to them.

An example of this process also came to mind and I thought it good to read them before we begin, because they fell directly in step with this exhortation to Timothy and what we are reading about tonight. It is found in Acts 13:13-20,

“(13) Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John, however, left them and went back to Jerusalem.  (14)  They continued their journey from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia. On the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.  (15)  After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any message of encouragement for the people, you can speak.”  (16)  Then standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and spoke: “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen!  (17)  The God of this people Israel chose our forefathers, exalted the people during their stay in the land of Egypt, and led them out of it with a mighty arm.  (18)  And for about 40 years He put up with them in the desert;  (19)  then after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, He gave their land to them as an inheritance.  (20)  This all took about 450 years. After this, He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. (21) Then they asked for a king, so God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for 40 years.  (22)  After removing him, He raised up David as their king, of whom He testified: ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will carry out all My will.’  (23)  “From this man’s descendants, according to the promise, God brought the Savior, Jesus, to Israel.”

If you remember, it was after doing what Paul here did, that the men of synagogue attempted to push Jesus off of a cliff.

Luke 4:16-21, “(16) He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. As usual, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read.  (17)  The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to Him, and unrolling the scroll, He found the place where it was written:  (18)  The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, (19)  to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. (20)  He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. And the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on Him.  (21)  He began by saying to them, “Today as you listen, this Scripture has been fulfilled.”

After He said a few other things, they were enraged and sought to though Him off a cliff as it is recorded in Luke 4:16-30.

But tonight, we are going to read Psalms 103-108, so if you will turn there with me now we will begin.

Much of the history mentioned in these verses should still be fresh in your minds.

Psalm 103

“(1)My soul, praise the LORD, and all that is within me, praise His holy name.  (2)  My soul, praise the LORD, and do not forget all His benefits.  (3)  He forgives all your sin; He heals all your diseases.  (4)  He redeems your life from the Pit; He crowns you with faithful love and compassion.  (5)  He satisfies you with goodness; your youth is renewed like the eagle.  (6)  The LORD executes acts of righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.  (7)  He revealed His ways to Moses, His deeds to the people of Israel.  (8)  The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and full of faithful love.  (9)  He will not always accuse us or be angry forever.  (10)  He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our offenses.  (11)  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His faithful love toward those who fear Him.  (12)  As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.  (13)  As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.  (14)  For He knows what we are made of, remembering that we are dust.  (15)  As for man, his days are like grass–he blooms like a flower of the field;  (16)  when the wind passes over it, it vanishes, and its place is no longer known.  (17)  But from eternity to eternity the LORD’s faithful love is toward those who fear Him, and His righteousness toward the grandchildren  (18)  of those who keep His covenant, who remember to observe His instructions.  (19)  The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.  (20)  Praise the LORD, all His angels of great strength, who do His word, obedient to His command.  (21)  Praise the LORD, all His armies, His servants who do His will.  (22)  Praise the LORD, all His works in all the places where He rules. My soul, praise the LORD!?”

Psalms 104

“(1) My soul, praise the LORD! LORD my God, You are very great; You are clothed with majesty and splendor.  (2)  He wraps Himself in light as if it were a robe, spreading out the sky like a canopy,  (3)  laying the beams of His palace on the waters above, making the clouds His chariot, walking on the wings of the wind,  (4)  and making the winds His messengers, flames of fire His servants.  (5)  He established the earth on its foundations; it will never be shaken.  (6)  You covered it with the deep as if it were a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.  (7)  At Your rebuke the waters fled; at the sound of Your thunder they hurried away–  (8)  mountains rose and valleys sank–to the place You established for them.  (9)  You set a boundary they cannot cross; they will never cover the earth again.  (10)  He causes the springs to gush into the valleys; they flow between the mountains.  (11)  They supply water for every wild beast; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.  (12)  The birds of the sky live beside the springs; they sing among the foliage.  (13)  He waters the mountains from His palace; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of Your labor.  (14)  He causes grass to grow for the livestock and provides crops for man to cultivate, producing food from the earth,  (15)  wine that makes man’s heart glad–making his face shine with oil–and bread that sustains man’s heart.  (16)  The trees of the LORD flourish, the cedars of Lebanon that He planted.  (17)  There the birds make their nests; the stork makes its home in the pine trees.  (18)  The high mountains are for the wild goats; the cliffs are a refuge for hyraxes.  (19)  He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows when to set.  (20)  You bring darkness, and it becomes night, when all the forest animals stir.  (21)  The young lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God.  (22)  The sun rises; they go back and lie down in their dens.  (23)  Man goes out to his work and to his labor until evening.  (24)  How countless are Your works, LORD! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures.  (25)  Here is the sea, vast and wide, teeming with creatures beyond number–living things both large and small.  (26)  There the ships move about, and Leviathan, which You formed to play there.  (27)  All of them wait for You to give them their food at the right time.  (28)  When You give it to them, they gather it; when You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good things.  (29)  When You hide Your face, they are terrified; when You take away their breath, they die and return to the dust.  (30)  When You send Your breath, they are created, and You renew the face of the earth.  (31)  May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in His works.  (32)  He looks at the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they pour out smoke.  (33)  I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God while I live.  (34)  May my meditation be pleasing to Him; I will rejoice in the LORD.  (35)  May sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more. My soul, praise the LORD! Hallelujah!”

Psalms 105 

“(1) Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name; proclaim His deeds among the peoples. (2) Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell about all His wonderful works! (3)  Honor His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.  (4)  Search for the LORD and for His strength; seek His face always.  (5)  Remember the wonderful works He has done, His wonders, and the judgments He has pronounced,  (6)  You offspring of Abraham His servant, Jacob’s descendants–His chosen ones.  (7)  He is the LORD our God; His judgments govern the whole earth.  (8)  He forever remembers His covenant, the promise He ordained for a thousand generations–  (9)  the covenant He made with Abraham, swore to Isaac,  (10)  and confirmed to Jacob as a decree and to Israel as an everlasting covenant:  (11)  “I will give the land of Canaan to you as your inherited portion.”  (12)  When they were few in number, very few indeed, and temporary residents in Canaan,  (13)  wandering from nation to nation and from one kingdom to another,  (14)  He allowed no one to oppress them; He rebuked kings on their behalf:  (15)  “Do not touch My anointed ones, or harm My prophets.”  (16)  He called down famine against the land and destroyed the entire food supply.  (17)  He had sent a man ahead of them–Joseph, who was sold as a slave.  (18)  They hurt his feet with shackles; his neck was put in an iron collar.  (19)  Until the time his prediction came true, the word of the LORD tested him.  (20)  The king sent for him and released him; the ruler of peoples set him free.  (21)  He made him master of his household, ruler over all his possessions–  (22)  binding his officials at will and instructing his elders.  (23)  Then Israel went to Egypt; Jacob lived as a foreigner in the land of Ham.  (24)  The LORD made His people very fruitful; He made them more numerous than their foes,  (25)  whose hearts He turned to hate His people and to deal deceptively with His servants.  (26)  He sent Moses His servant, and Aaron, whom He had chosen.  (27)  They performed His miraculous signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.  (28)  He sent darkness, and it became dark–for did they not defy His commands?  (29)  He turned their waters into blood and caused their fish to die.  (30)  Their land was overrun with frogs, even in their kings’ chambers.  (31)  He spoke, and insects came–gnats throughout their country.  (32)  He gave them hail for rain, and lightning throughout their land.  (33)  He struck their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their territory.  (34)  He spoke and locusts came–young locusts without number.  (35)  They devoured all the vegetation in their land and consumed the produce of their soil.  (36)  He struck all the firstborn in their land, all their first progeny.  (37)  Then He brought Israel out with silver and gold, and no one among His tribes stumbled.  (38)  Egypt was glad when they left, for dread of Israel had fallen on them.  (39)  He spread a cloud as a covering and gave a fire to light up the night.  (40)  They asked, and He brought quail and satisfied them with bread from heaven.  (41)  He opened a rock, and water gushed out; it flowed like a stream in the desert.  (42)  For He remembered His holy promise to Abraham His servant.  (43)  He brought His people out with rejoicing, His chosen ones with shouts of joy.  (44)  He gave them the lands of the nations, and they inherited what other peoples had worked for.  (45)  All this happened so that they might keep His statutes and obey His laws. Hallelujah!”

Psalms 106

“(1) Hallelujah! Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever.  (2)  Who can declare the LORD’s mighty acts or proclaim all the praise due Him?  (3) How happy are those who uphold justice, who practice righteousness at all times.  (4)  Remember me, LORD, when You show favor to Your people. Come to me with Your salvation  (5)  so that I may enjoy the prosperity of Your chosen ones, rejoice in the joy of Your nation, and boast about Your heritage.  (6)  Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have gone astray and have acted wickedly.  (7)  Our fathers in Egypt did not grasp the significance of Your wonderful works or remember Your many acts of faithful love; instead, they rebelled by the sea–the Red Sea.  (8)  Yet He saved them because of His name, to make His power known.  (9)  He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; He led them through the depths as through a desert.  (10)  He saved them from the hand of the adversary; He redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.  (11)  Water covered their foes; not one of them remained.  (12)  Then they believed His promises and sang His praise.  (13)  They soon forgot His works and would not wait for His counsel.  (14)  They were seized with craving in the wilderness and tested God in the desert.  (15)  He gave them what they asked for, but sent a wasting disease among them.  (16)  In the camp they were envious of Moses and of Aaron, the LORD’s holy one.  (17)  The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan; it covered the assembly of Abiram.  (18)  Fire blazed throughout their assembly; flames consumed the wicked.  (19)  At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped the cast metal image.  (20)  They exchanged their glory for the image of a grass-eating ox.  (21)  They forgot God their Savior, who did great things in Egypt,  (22)  wonderful works in the land of Ham, awe-inspiring deeds at the Red Sea.  (23)  So He said He would have destroyed them–if Moses His chosen one had not stood before Him in the breach to turn His wrath away from destroying them.  (24)  They despised the pleasant land and did not believe His promise. (25) They grumbled in their tents and did not listen to the LORD’s voice. (26)  So He raised His hand against them with an oath that He would make them fall in the desert  (27)  and would disperse their descendants among the nations, scattering them throughout the lands.  (28)  They aligned themselves with Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods.  (29)  They provoked the LORD with their deeds, and a plague broke out against them.  (30)  But Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stopped.  (31)  It was credited to him as righteousness throughout all generations to come.  (32)  They angered the LORD at the waters of Meribah, and Moses suffered because of them;  (33)  for they embittered his spirit, and he spoke rashly with his lips.  (34)  They did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had commanded them,  (35)  but mingled with the nations and adopted their ways.  (36)  They served their idols, which became a snare to them.  (37)  They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons.  (38)  They shed innocent blood–the blood of their sons and daughters whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; so the land became polluted with blood.  (39)  They defiled themselves by their actions and prostituted themselves by their deeds.  (40)  Therefore the LORD’s anger burned against His people, and He abhorred His own inheritance.  (41)  He handed them over to the nations; those who hated them ruled them.  (42)  Their enemies oppressed them, and they were subdued under their power.  (43)  He rescued them many times, but they continued to rebel deliberately and were beaten down by their sin.  (44)  When He heard their cry, He took note of their distress,  (45)  remembered His covenant with them, and relented according to the abundance of His faithful love.  (46)  He caused them to be pitied before all their captors.  (47)  Save us, LORD our God, and gather us from the nations, so that we may give thanks to Your holy name and rejoice in Your praise.  (48)  May the LORD, the God of Israel, be praised from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, “Amen!” Hallelujah!”

Psalms 107

“(1)Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever. (2) Let the redeemed of the LORD proclaim that He has redeemed them from the hand of the foe (3) and has gathered them from the lands–from the east and the west, from the north and the south.  (4) Some wandered in the desolate wilderness, finding no way to a city where they could live. (5) They were hungry and thirsty; their spirits failed within them. (6) Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; He rescued them from their distress. (7) He led them by the right path to go to a city where they could live. (8) Let them give thanks to the LORD for His faithful love and His wonderful works for the human race. (9) For He has satisfied the thirsty and filled the hungry with good things. (10) Others sat in darkness and gloom–prisoners in cruel chains–  (11) because they rebelled against God’s commands and despised the counsel of the Most High. (12) He broke their spirits with hard labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help. (13) Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; He saved them from their distress. (14) He brought them out of darkness and gloom and broke their chains apart. (15) Let them give thanks to the LORD for His faithful love and His wonderful works for the human race.  (16) For He has broken down the bronze gates and cut through the iron bars.  (17) Fools suffered affliction because of their rebellious ways and their sins.  (18) They loathed all food and came near the gates of death.  (19) Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; He saved them from their distress.  (20) He sent His word and healed them; He rescued them from the Pit.  (21) Let them give thanks to the LORD for His faithful love and His wonderful works for the human race.  (22) Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and announce His works with shouts of joy.  (23) Others went to sea in ships, conducting trade on the vast waters.  (24)  They saw the LORD’s works, His wonderful works in the deep.  (25) He spoke and raised a tempest that stirred up the waves of the sea.  (26) Rising up to the sky, sinking down to the depths, their courage melting away in anguish,  (27) they reeled and staggered like drunken men, and all their skill was useless.  (28) Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress.  (29) He stilled the storm to a murmur, and the waves of the sea were hushed.  (30) They rejoiced when the waves grew quiet. Then He guided them to the harbor they longed for.  (31) Let them give thanks to the LORD for His faithful love and His wonderful works for the human race.  (32) Let them exalt Him in the assembly of the people and praise Him in the council of the elders.  (33) He turns rivers into desert, springs of water into thirsty ground,  (34) and fruitful land into salty wasteland, because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.  (35) He turns a desert into a pool of water, dry land into springs of water.  (36) He causes the hungry to settle there, and they establish a city where they can live. (37) They sow fields and plant vineyards that yield a fruitful harvest.  (38) He blesses them, and they multiply greatly; He does not let their livestock decrease.  (39) When they are diminished and are humbled by cruel oppression and sorrow,  (40) He pours contempt on nobles and makes them wander in trackless wastelands.  (41) But He lifts the needy out of their suffering and makes their families multiply like flocks.  (42) The upright see it and rejoice, and all injustice shuts its mouth.  (43) Let whoever is wise pay attention to these things and consider the LORD’s acts of faithful love.”

Psalms 108

“(1) My heart is confident, God; I will sing; I will sing praises with the whole of my being.  (2) Wake up, harp and lyre! I will wake up the dawn.  (3) I will praise You, LORD, among the peoples; I will sing praises to You among the nations.  (4) For Your faithful love is higher than the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches the clouds.  (5) God, be exalted above the heavens; let Your glory be over the whole earth.  (6) Save with Your right hand and answer me so that those You love may be rescued.  (7) God has spoken in His sanctuary: “I will triumph! I will divide up Shechem. I will apportion the Valley of Succoth.  (8) Gilead is Mine, Manasseh is Mine, and Ephraim is My helmet; Judah is My scepter.  (9) Moab is My washbasin; on Edom I throw My sandal. Over Philistia I shout in triumph.”  (10) Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?  (11) Have You not rejected us, God? God, You do not march out with our armies. (12) Give us aid against the foe, for human help is worthless.  (13) With God we will perform valiantly; He will trample our foes.”

…Blessings! 

 

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I hope this teaching will challenge you and encourage you to place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

You have a special place in God’s family & kingdom. If you do not know Him, please use our ‘Contact Us‘ page and reach out so we may have the privilege of introducing you to the Lord. Neither money nor attendance at our church will be mentioned.

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Blessings!

Hi my name is Mark and though I am opposed to titles, I am currently the only Pastor (shepherd/elder) serving our assembly right now.

I have been Pastoring in one capacity or another for nearly 30 years now, though never quite like I am today.

Early in 2009 the Lord revealed to me that the way we had structured our assembly (church) was not scriptural in that it was out of sync with what Paul modeled for us in the New Testament. In truth, I (like many pastors I am sure) never even gave this fundamental issue of church structure the first thought. I had always assumed that church structure was largely the same everywhere and had been so from the beginning. While I knew Paul had some very stringent things to say about the local assembly of believers, the point of our gatherings together and who may or may not lead, I never even considered studying these issues but assumed we were all pretty much doing it right...safety in numbers right?! Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong!

So needless to say, my discovery that we had been doing it wrong for nearly two decades was a bit of a shock to me! Now, this "revelation" did not come about all at once but over the course of a few weeks. We were a traditional single pastor led congregation. It was a top-bottom model of ministry which is in part biblical, but not in the form of a monarchy.

The needed change did not come into focus until following 9 very intense months of study and discussions with those who were leaders in our church at the time.

We now understand and believe that the Bible teaches co-leadership with equal authority in each local assembly. Having multiple shepherds with God's heart and equal authority protects both Shepherds and sheep. Equal accountability keeps authority and doctrine in check. Multiple shepherds also provide teaching with various styles and giftings with leadership skills which are both different and complementary.

For a while we had two co-pastors (elders) (myself and one other man) who led the church with equal authority, but different giftings. We both taught in our own ways and styles, and our leadership skills were quite different, but complimentary. We were in complete submission to each other and worked side-by-side in the labor of shepherding the flock.

Our other Pastor has since moved on to other ministry which has left us with just myself. While we currently only have one Pastor/Elder, it is our desire that God, in His faithfulness and timing, may bring us more as we grow in maturity and even in numbers.

As to my home, I have been married since 1995 to my wonderful wife Terissa Woodson who is my closest friend and most trusted ally.

As far as my education goes, I grew up in a Christian home, but questioned everything I was ever taught.

I graduated from Bible college in 1990 and continued to question everything I was ever taught (I do not mention my college in order to avoid being labeled).

Perhaps my greatest preparation for ministry has been life and ministry itself. To quote an author I have come to enjoy namely Fredrick Buechner in his writing entitled, Now and Then, "If God speaks to us at all other than through such official channels as the Bible and the church, then I think that He speaks to us largely through what happens to us...if we keep our hearts open as well as our ears, if we listen with patience and hope, if we remember at all deeply and honestly, then I think we come to recognize beyond all doubt, that, however faintly we may hear Him, He is indeed speaking to us, and that, however little we may understand of it, His word to each of us is both recoverable and precious beyond telling." ~ Fredrick Buechner

Well that is about all there is of interest to tell you about me.

I hope our ministry here is a blessing to you and your family. I also hope that it is only a supplement to a local church where you are committed to other believers in a community of grace.

~God Bless!