Sunday, October 30, 2016

Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Promise: Remembered" by Michael Paugh for Sunday, 30 October 2016 with Scripture: Psalm 77:1-20

Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Promise: Remembered" by Michael Paugh for Sunday, 30 October 2016 with Scripture: Psalm 77:1-20
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"Promise: Remembered" by Michael Paugh
Psalm 77:1 (0) For the leader. For Y’dutun. A psalm of Asaf:
2 (1) I cry aloud to God,
aloud to God; and he hears me.
3 (2) On the day of my distress I am seeking Adonai;
my hands are lifted up;
my tears flow all night without ceasing;
my heart refuses comfort.
4 (3) When remembering God, I moan;
when I ponder, my spirit fails. (Selah)
5 (4) You hold my eyelids [and keep me from sleeping];
I am too troubled to speak.
6 (5) I think about the days of old,
the years of long ago;
7 (6) in the night I remember my song,
I commune with myself, my spirit inquires:
8 (7) “Will Adonai reject forever?
will he never show his favor again?
9 (8) Has his grace permanently disappeared?
Is his word to all generations done away?
10 (9) Has God forgotten to be compassionate?
Has he in anger withheld his mercy?” (Selah)
11 (10) Then I add, “That’s my weakness —
[supposing] the Most High’s right hand could change.”
12 (11) So I will remind myself of Yah’s doings;
yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
13 (12) I will meditate on your work
and think about what you have done.
14 (13) God, your way is in holiness.
What god is as great as God?
15 (14) You are the God who does wonders,
you revealed your strength to the peoples.
16 (15) With your arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Ya‘akov and Yosef. (Selah)
17 (16) The water saw you, God;
the water saw you and writhed in anguish,
agitated to its depths.
18 (17) The clouds poured water, the skies thundered,
and your arrows flashed here and there.
19 (18) The sound of your thunder was in the whirlwind,
the lightning flashes lit up the world,
the earth trembled and shook.
20 (19) Your way went through the sea,
your path through the turbulent waters;
but your footsteps could not be traced.
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My wife and I recently celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. Like most couples, we celebrate the good days along with the bad. We also remember the commitment we made to each other. We look at our wedding photos, remembering the promises we made to each other and the miracles that brought us together.
Today, as we look at promises remembered, we need to be reminded that the author of Psalm 77 has not written this psalm for himself, but as a song to encourage others, especially those who are suffering.
The psalmist tells us: “I thought about the former days, the years of long ago” (v. 5). His reflects on the day when his people lived in Egypt as slaves. The days were difficult with no hope in sight. However, in His time, God came to His people and delivered them. God also promised them future blessings in Deuteronomy 30:3: “The LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.”

As God’s people, when we are facing difficult times, like the psalmist we must remember God’s promises.
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Hymn for Today: "Sing Hallelujah" by Jack Hayford copyright Pilot Point Music, Box 419527, Kansas City, Missouri 64141. All rights reserved.

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Thought of the Day: Isaiah 40:8 The grass dries up, the flower fades;
but the word of our God will stand forever.
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Please Pray: That many people in Suriname will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fulness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
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Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Promise: Unchanging" by Michael Paugh for Saturday, 29 October 2016 with Scripture: Hebrews 6:13:-20
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"Promise: Unchanging" by Michael Paugh
Hebrews 6:13 For when God made his promise to Avraham, he swore an oath to do what he had promised; and since there was no one greater than himself for him to swear by, he swore by himself[Hebrews 6:13 Genesis 22:16] 14 and said,
“I will certainly bless you,
and I will certainly give you many descendants”;[Hebrews 6:14 Genesis 22:17]
15 and so, after waiting patiently, Avraham saw the promise fulfilled. 16 Now people swear oaths by someone greater than themselves, and confirmation by an oath puts an end to all dispute. 17 Therefore, when God wanted to demonstrate still more convincingly the unchangeable character of his intentions to those who were to receive what he had promised, he added an oath to the promise; 18 so that through two unchangeable things, in neither of which God could lie, we, who have fled to take a firm hold on the hope set before us, would be strongly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as a sure and safe anchor for ourselves, a hope that goes right on through to what is inside the parokhet, 20 where a forerunner has entered on our behalf, namely, Yeshua, who has become a cohen gadol forever, to be compared with Malki-Tzedek.[Hebrews 6:20 Psalm 110:4]
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Oaths are taken all the time, both in a professional capacity and in a personal capacity. An oath is defined as “a solemn promise, often invoking a divine witness, regarding one’s future action or behavior.”
In some cases, you can get into serious trouble for taking an oath and then going back on your word or not living up to your promise. For example, when you testify in court, you take an oath to tell the truth. If you lie on the witness stand, you can be tried for and convicted of perjury for breaking your oath. A person who takes an oath of loyalty to their country can be tried for treason if they are found to have betrayed it.
In Genesis, God made a promise to Abraham and bound it with an oath: “Since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself” (Hebrews 6:13). In the same way, God has promised all who believe in Him through His Son, Jesus Christ, an abundant life (John 10:10; Romans 5:17). Not only did He promise, but He also swore it with an oath!
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Hymn for Today: "Softly and Tenderly" by Will L. Thompson
1. Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, 
calling for you and for me; 
see, on the portals he's waiting and watching, 
watching for you and for me. 
Refrain:
Come home, come home; 
you who are weary come home; 
earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, 
calling, O sinner, come home!
2. Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading, 
pleading for you and for me? 
Why should we linger and heed not his mercies, 
mercies for you and for me?
Refrain:
Come home, come home; 
you who are weary come home; 
earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, 
calling, O sinner, come home!
3. Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing, 
passing from you and from me; 
shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming, 
coming for you and for me.
Refrain:
Come home, come home; 
you who are weary come home; 
earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, 
calling, O sinner, come home!
4. O for the wonderful love he has promised, 
promised for you and for me! 
Though we have sinned, he has mercy and pardon, 

pardon for you and for me.
Refrain:
Come home, come home; 
you who are weary come home; 
earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, 
calling, O sinner, come home!
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Thought of the Day: Psalm 105:7 he is Adonai our God!
His rulings are everywhere on earth.
8 He remembers his covenant forever,
the word he commanded to a thousand generations,
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Please Pray: For the development of Christian leaders in Saint Vincent.
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Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Promise: Blessing" by Michael Paugh for Friday, 28 October 2016 with Scripture: Galatians 3:1-14
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"Promise: Blessing" by Michael Paugh
Galatians 3:1 You stupid Galatians! Who has put you under a spell? Before your very eyes Yeshua the Messiah was clearly portrayed as having been put to death as a criminal! 2 I want to know from you just this one thing: did you receive the Spirit by legalistic observance of Torah commands or by trusting in what you heard and being faithful to it? 3 Are you that stupid? Having begun with the Spirit’s power, do you think you can reach the goal under your own power? 4 Have you suffered so much for nothing? If that’s the way you think, your suffering certainly will have been for nothing! 5 What about God, who supplies you with the Spirit and works miracles among you — does he do it because of your legalistic observance of Torah commands or because you trust in what you heard and are faithful to it?
6 It was the same with Avraham: “He trusted in God and was faithful to him, and that was credited to his account as righteousness.”[Galatians 3:6 Genesis 15:6] 7 Be assured, then, that it is those who live by trusting and being faithful who are really children of Avraham. 8 Also the Tanakh, foreseeing that God would consider the Gentiles righteous when they live by trusting and being faithful, told the Good News to Avraham in advance by saying, “In connection with you, all the Goyim will be blessed.”[Galatians 3:8 Genesis 12:3] 9 So then, those who rely on trusting and being faithful are blessed along with Avraham, who trusted and was faithful.
10 For everyone who depends on legalistic observance of Torah commands lives under a curse, since it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not keep on doing everything written in the Scroll of the Torah.”[Galatians 3:10 Deuteronomy 27:26] 11 Now it is evident that no one comes to be declared righteous by God through legalism, since “The person who is righteous will attain life by trusting and being faithful.”[Galatians 3:11 Habakkuk 2:4] 12 Furthermore, legalism is not based on trusting and being faithful, but on [a misuse of] the text that says, “Anyone who does these things will attain life through them.”[Galatians 3:12 Leviticus 18:5] 13 The Messiah redeemed us from the curse pronounced in the Torah by becoming cursed on our behalf; for the Tanakh says, “Everyone who hangs from a stake comes under a curse.”[Galatians 3:13 Deuteronomy 21:22–23] 14 Yeshua the Messiah did this so that in union with him the Gentiles might receive the blessing announced to Avraham, so that through trusting and being faithful, we might receive what was promised, namely, the Spirit.
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Rain is a sign of life and blessing to many. Serving in the state of Washington for six years, I grew to love the rain. It is very common to have rain showers there most of the year. Often, they come even when you aren’t expecting them.
Blessings are like rain drops; they come when you least expect them–or perhaps they come as a long-awaited answer to prayer. In any case, God promises to shower His blessings on us when we put our faith and trust in Him.
We see that “those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith” (Galatians 3:9). We experience a new life–a life filled with love and blessings from above. We are blessed just like Abraham, the father of faith. Therefore, let us not be foolish like some of the Galatians who tried to attain God’s favor by human effort (vv. 1-3). Rather, may we follow Abraham’s example by trusting God’s promise. Then we will be blessed as he was for his faith.
We also trust God’s promise in Ezekiel: “I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing” (Ezekiel 34:26b).
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Hymn for Today: "There Shall Be Showers of Blessing" by Daniel w. Whittle
1. There shall be showers of blessing: 
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing, 
Sent from the Savior above. 
[Chorus]
Showers of blessing,(Showers, showers of blessing) 
Showers of blessing we need;
Mercy drops 'round us are falling, 
But for the showers we plead. 
2. There shall be showers of blessing-- 
Precious reviving again; 
Over the hills and the valleys, 
Sound of abundance of rain.
[Chorus]
Showers of blessing,(Showers, showers of blessing) 
Showers of blessing we need;
Mercy drops 'round us are falling, 
But for the showers we plead. 
3. There shall be showers of blessing: 
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing; 
Come and now honor Thy word.
[Chorus]
Showers of blessing,(Showers, showers of blessing) 
Showers of blessing we need;
Mercy drops 'round us are falling, 
But for the showers we plead.
4. There shall be showers of blessing: 
Oh, that today they might fall, 
Now as to God we're confessing, 
Now as on Jesus we call!
[Chorus]
Showers of blessing,(Showers, showers of blessing) 
Showers of blessing we need;
Mercy drops 'round us are falling, 
But for the showers we plead.
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Thought of the Day: Psalm 65:10 (9) You care for the earth and water it,
you enrich it greatly;
with the river of God, full of water,
you provide them grain and prepare the ground.
11 (10) Soaking its furrows and settling its soil,
you soften it with showers and bless its growth.
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Please Pray: That many people in saint Vincent will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
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