THE LORD IS GOOD AND HIS MERCY IS EVERLASTING

Proclamation:

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.  For The Lord is good and His loves endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.”  Psalm 100:4-5 (NIV)

Explanation:

Most Bible scholars agree that the words of this psalm were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Believers are encouraged to shout and make a joyful noise unto The Lord. (Psalm 100:1)  He should be approached with reverence and with a thankful heart.  He is our maker and our creator, and we belong to Him. (Psalm 100:3)

Application:

In addition to our private prayer and praise, we are encouraged to publicly and loudly praise The Lord.  We are also encouraged to worship Him gladly. (Psalm 100:2)  When we approach Him in prayer, we should do so in a spirit of thanksgiving.  When we enter His temple, we should do so with praising Him on our mind and in our heart.  For He is worthy of all praise, honor, and glory.  He has shown us His goodness, His mercy, and His grace and we should be grateful. (Psalm 100:5)  He is the good shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep. (John 10:11)  His love for us is eternal and we should love Him with all of our heart and soul. (Joshua 22:5)

EXALT THE LORD OUR GOD AND WORSHIP HIM

Proclamation:

“The King is mighty, He loves justice; You have established equity; … Exalt The Lord our God and worship at His footstool; He is holy.”  Psalm 99:4-5 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm of praise are thought to have been written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  He says that The Lord God reigns, He is great, He is awesome, He is holy, and He is mighty.  In the past, He led and protected His people, He spoke to them and answered their prayers.  He forgave their sins but He also punished them for their misdeeds. (Psalm 99:8)  They were encouraged to lift up His name and to bow down at His feet.

Application:

The Lord God is holy, and He is also great and powerful.  He is ruler over all the earth and He is worthy of our praise and worship.  He is The King of all kings, the creator of all things, and He rewards of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)  He answered them in the past when they called to Him, and He will answer us when we call upon Him.  The effectual fervent prayers of the righteous are productive. (James 5:16)

A SECOND REASON FOR SINGING JOY TO THE WORLD

Proclamation:

“Sing to The Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things … The Lord has made His salvation known and revealed His righteousness to the nations.”  Psalm 98:1-2 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm is thought to have been written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God as a prophecy of the coming Messiah.  He presents the celebration of His second arrival (Psalm 98:4-8) and the purpose of His coming, which is to judge the people of the world. (Psalm 98:9)

Application:

The second coming of Christ gives us a second reason to sing the song, “Joy To The World.”  When The Lord comes we will enjoy new benefits, new blessings, and a new complete salvation, and therefore we will sing a new song unto The Lord.   Everyone in heaven will not sing the same song because everyone will not go through the same thing to get there.  The angels will not sing the same songs that the tribulation saints will sing. (Revelation 7:9-14)  The Lord has made His salvation known through the gospel, and through the ministers who preach it.  However, it is The Holy Spirit of God convicts, convinces, and converts the hearts of those who hear The Word of God.  Salvation is available to all, but only those who believe will be saved. (John 3:16 and Romans 10:9)

JOY COMES TO THOSE WHO WALK IN THE LIGHT

Proclamation:

“Let those who love The Lord hate evil … Light shines on the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.  Rejoice in The Lord, you who are righteous, and praise His holy name.”  Psalm 97:10-12 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm are thought to have been written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  It presents the same subject and argument as the preceding psalm, the coming of the kingdom of Christ.  This psalm provides descriptive imagery regarding the coming of The Lord.  It ends with a focus of the light of The Lord shining on the righteous.

Application:

Those of us who love The Lord cannot also love the things which The Lord hates.  We cannot serve two masters. (Matthew 6:24)  Believers love The Lord and must walk in the light and let His light shine through us for the world to see. (John 8:12, Matthew 5:16, and 1 John 1:7)  He will show us the way, guide our feet and a light unto our pathway, if we follow His word. (Psalm 119:105)  Blessings are in store for those of us who are upright in heart.  So, let us rejoice in The Lord and praise His holy and righteous name.  He is coming back.

SING AND REJOICE FOR THE LORD IS COMING

Proclamation:

“Let all creation rejoice before The Lord, for He comes, He comes to judge the earth.  He will judge the world in righteousness and the people in His faithfulness.”  Psalm 96:13 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm was written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  It was first sung at the bringing of the Ark of the Covenant from the house of Obededom to the city of David. (1 Chronicles 16:7-14)  This psalm is also a prophecy of the coming of The Messiah and a calling to the Gentiles that believe in Him.  He is coming to judge all of the inhabitants of the earth, past and present, according to their works, words, and thoughts. (Revelation 20:12-15) 

Application:

Believers are encouraged to sing and proclaim the good news of The Lord to all the earth. (Psalm 96:1-6)  He is great and worthy to be praised.  There is also good cause for celebration because He is coming back.  He is coming to judge all of the people of the earth.  All those who believe will be saved, and all of those who don’t, won’t be. (John 3:16 and Romans 10:9)

LET US BOW DOWN AND WORSHIP THE LORD OUR GOD

Proclamation:

“Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before The Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care…”  Psalm 95:6-7 (NIV)

Explanation:

The untitled psalms 94 to 100 are thought to have been written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  They are consecutive parts of a story in song celebrating the reign of The Messiah.  Psalm 95 is a delightful hymn of praise.  The intent of this psalm is for the believers to give themselves wholly over to the worship of God.  It is He who protects and provides for His people that are the sheep in His pasture.

                                                                        

Application:

The Lord God is to be worshiped, praised, and held in reverential awe.  Whether we lay prostrate before Him, or on bent knees, or just with bowed down head, we ought to humble ourselves and bow down before Him in prayer and worship.  He is our creator, our sustainer, our protector, our provider, our healer, and our savior.  All that we are, and all that we have, we owe to Him.  We should hear His voice and listen to His words, and not harden our hearts as our ancestors did. (Psalm 95:8-10)  Let us not be so intellectually rigid or willfully obstinate that we are emotionally unresponsive to voice of The Lord God.

CHASTISED BLESSED AND TAUGHT BY THE LORD

Proclamation:

“Blessed is the one You discipline, Lord, the one You teach from Your law; You grant them relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked.”  Psalm 94:12-13 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David concerning the persecution of the church.  This psalm is a call to God to intervene in His righteousness against the wicked who are causing His people to suffer.  However, these two verses address God’s punishment of His own people.  The Lord chastises His people out of love, for the benefit of the individual that he might learn, change, and not be condemned with the world.  The chastisement of The Lord are tokens of His love and evidence of a man’s being an adopted child of God.

Application:

A parent who loves a child punishes that child in order to change his bad behavior so that the child will learn to do the right thing in the future.  So does The Lord God punish His children out of love in order to teach them to obey The Word of God.  The result of the instruction of God is to change our sinful behavior.  The lessons are sometimes painful but The Lord needs to get our attention because we seem insistent upon doing things our way and not His way.  In the end, His chastisement will lead to our benefit and we will be blessed because of it.  Therefore, we ought to thank The Lord for teaching us to walk His way.

THE LORD GOD IS AWESOME AND HE REIGNS

Proclamation:

“The Lord reigns, He is robed in majesty; The Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength; indeed, the world is established, firm and secure.”  Psalm 93:1 (NIV)

Explanation:

Although there is some debate about it, the words of this psalm appear to have been written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  It is the custom of the Jewish people to sing this song on the day before the Sabbath.  In some Bibles this psalm is entitled, ‘The kingdom of God.’  The Lord God has reigned and will reign from everlasting to everlasting, throughout all of eternity. (Psalm 93:2)  He is omnipotent and controls everything.  His majesty and strength know no limits or ends.  He established the world and everything therein. (Genesis 1:1-27)  He is clothed in majesty and honor. (Psalm 104:1-2)

Application:

God is omnipotent.  There is nothing that compares with the power of The Lord God.  After His resurrection, Jesus, The Christ, said, all power in heaven and in earth was given to Him. (Matthew 28:18)  In the beginning He spoke and created something out of nothing. (Genesis 1:1-3)  Before there was anything, God was. (John 1:1)  Everything that exists was made by Him. (John 1:3)  God is omniscient.  He knows everything about everything.  He knew each of us before we were even born. (Psalm 139:13 and 16)  “Great is The Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.” (Psalm 145:3)  “Let everything that has breath praise The Lord.  Praise The Lord.” (Psalm 150:6)  He is truly worthy to be praised.  As the song says, “Our God is an awesome God, He reigns …”

A LONG AND PRODUCTIVE LIVE FOR THE LORD

Proclamation:

“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of The Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God.  They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright; He is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in Him.’”  Psalm 92:12-15 (NIV)

Explanation:

Although there is some debate about it, the words of this psalm appear to have been written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Here the righteous are compared to a tree, firm and strong, not like the grass which is weak, bendable, and easily cut down, to which the wicked are compared. (Psalm 92:7 and Psalm 37:1-2)  The righteous will flourish in God’s garden and be rooted in Christ.  They will be productive servants for The Lord even in their old age.  The palm tree is symbolic of victory and the cedar tree is symbolic of strength and seriousness.

Application:

Believers who follow The Word of God and maintain a close relationship with The Lord God will grow strong and their efforts will be productive, and they will continue to bear fruit even into their old age. (Psalm 1:3 and Psalm 92:12-14)  Those who walk in fellowship with The Lord will be powerful men and women of God.  Their lives will be an example to others as they let their light shine.  They will be a blessing to others and they themselves will also be blessed. (Proverbs 11:25)  By their good works The Lord God will be glorified.

THE LORD WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS TO GUARD YOU

Proclamation:

“If you say, ‘The Lord is my refuge’ and you make The Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.  For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”  Psalm 91:9-12 (NIV)

Explanation:

Bible scholars disagree regarding the human author of this psalm, some attribute it to Moses while others attribute it to King David.  However, it is clear that it is a messianic psalm of life written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  It reveals the perfect place of protection for us, under His wings.  This psalm spells out the protection will provide for us.

Application:

If we want The Lord God to be our refuge and our dwelling place, we need to pray and ask Him for that.  Some things we have not because we ask not. (James 4:2)  He will protect us from all hurt, harm, and danger.  He will command His angels to guard us in our going out and coming in.  He will rescue us because we love Him.  He will protect us because we acknowledge His name.  He will answer us when we call Him and be with us when we are in trouble.  He will also grant us a long life and salvation. (Psalm 91:14-16)

TEACH US TO SERIOUSLY MEDITATE ON THE SHORTNESS OF THIS LIFE

Proclamation:

“All our days pass away under Your wrath; we finish our years with a moan.  Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away…Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:9-12 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Moses.  This psalm is thought to be his prayer to The Lord God after the people of Israel had sinned in the wilderness.  Ten of the twelve spies that he sent to check out the promised land of Canaan returned with an evil report, and the people murmured and rebelled against Moses and that provoked The Lord God.  Before the flood, men lived hundreds of years, some to eight or nine hundred years.  After the flood men generally lived no more than 120 years. (Genesis 6:3)  After the forty years of wandering in the wilderness, men generally lived to seventy or eighty.  The prayer of Moses was that God would allow man to seriously consider the brief time to be spent on earth as compared to eternity, and then hopefully develop an appreciation for following The Lord and eternal salvation.

Application:

To the very young, seventy years seems like a very long time, but to the rest of us that is not so.  We can shorten or lengthen our life span by our behavior. (Exodus 20:12)  However, regardless of the number of years we live on earth, when we die, our soul will leave our body and spend eternity somewhere. (2 Corinthians 5:6-9)  It is because of our soul that we are alive. (Genesis 2:7)  From the dust of the earth were our bodies formed and when our soul leaves our bodies and returns to The Lord, our physical body will return to dust. (Ecclesiastes 12:7)  Our earthly life is brief but our souls are eternal.  In the end we will hear The Lord God say “Well done good and faithful servant …” and spend eternity with our Lord, (Matthew 25:21) or we will find that our name is not written in Book of Life and spend eternity in the lake of fire, tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:10-15)  Pray for a heart of wisdom, for fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom. (Psalm 111:10 and Proverbs 9:10)

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HAVE LEARNED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE LORD

Proclamation:

“Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You, who walk in the light of Your presence, Lord.  They rejoice in Your name all day long; they celebrate Your righteousness.”  Psalm 89:15-16 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Ethan the Ezrahite regarding the Davidic Covenant.  Ethan, a singer during the days of King David, who saw the decline of David’s family, is thought to have written this psalm to remind the people of God’s Covenant with David.  This psalm expounds upon the mercies of The Lord God which the psalmist sings about. (Psalm 89:1-2)

Application:

Those of us who believe and acknowledge The Lord God in our lives and worship and praise Him, and who walk in His way are blessed.  We rejoice in His righteousness and we are thankful for His grace and mercy.  We lift His name and He in turn lifts us up and grants us His favor. (Psalm 89:17)

HAPPY RESURRECTION SUNDAY - HE IS RISEN

Proclamation:

“He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.  Come see the place where The Lord lay.”  Matthew 28:6 (KJV)

Explanation:

These words were recorded under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the apostle Matthew.  When Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, the mother of James, arrived at the tomb where the body of Jesus had been placed, they encountered an angel who was sitting on the rock which had sealed the door of the tomb. (Matthew 28:2)  The angel told them that he knew that they were looking for Jesus who had been crucified, but He was not there. (Matthew 28:5-6)  The angel said that He is risen. (Matthew 28:6)

Application:

All four gospels give an account of the post crucifixion resurrection of Jesus, The Christ. (Matthew 28:6, Mark 16:6, Luke 24:6, and John 20:11-12)  Belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is essential for salvation of our lost soul. (Romans 10:9)  There are recorded witnesses to His death on the cross and the placing of His body in the tomb.  There are also many witnesses to His resurrection.  He appeared first to Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9 and John 20:14-18), then to two of His disciples as they walked towards the village called Emmaus. (Mark 16:12 and Luke 24:13-32)  He appeared to His disciples in the upper room as they ate without Thomas, (Mark 16:14, Luke 24:35-51, and John 20:19-22) again in the upper room with Thomas present, (John 20:26-29) and at the sea of Tiberias. (John 21:1-14)  For forty days after His resurrection (Acts 1:3) Jesus appeared to His disciples, spoke to them, and at times He ate with them.  His disciples also witnessed His ascension from a mountain in Galilee. (Matthew 28:16-17 and Acts 1:9)  This happened and there are multiple witnesses to verify it.  The question is do you believe it?

THE LAST SEVEN SAYINGS OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS

Proclamation:

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  Luke 23:34

“Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise.”  Luke 23:43

“Woman, here is your son … Here is your mother.”  John 19:26-27

“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  Matthew 27:46

“I thirst.”  John 19:28

“It is finished.”  John 19:30

“Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.”  Luke 23:46

Explanation:

After He had been beaten, scourged, and mocked, Jesus, The Christ, was nailed to a cross in a place called Golgotha.  While on the cross, He prayed to His Heavenly Father and asked Him to forgive them.  Then He briefly ignored His suffering to offer salvation to one of the criminals who was being crucified beside of Him.  He also took the time to provide for the care of His earthly mother.  He suffered physically and mentally and cried out in a loud voice while He was on the cross.  When He had finished all that He had to do, He gave up His spirit and died.

Application:

Jesus, The Christ, was chastised, beaten, bruised, scourged, wiped, wounded, and crucified for our transgressions and iniquities. (Isaiah 53:5)  We are all included in the people that He prayed for His Heavenly Father to forgive because we made it necessary for Him to pay the price for our sins, and to take our place and suffer the punishment we deserved.  He was considerate and concerned for others even while He was suffering.  He who was without sin, took on the sins of the world, and paid the price for our sins, past, present and future. (John 1:29)  He suffered and gave us His life for us.  We should remember that, and how He suffered, especially when we take communion.  The good news is, that is not how the story ends.  Three days later He conquered death and rose from the dead.

THE LORD GOD IS OUR SAVIOR OUR HELP AND OUR PROTECTOR

Proclamation:

“Lord, You are The God who saves me; day and night I cry out to You.  May my prayer come before You; turn Your ear to my cry.”  Psalm 88:1-2 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written by the sons of Korah under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  The sons of Korah were descendants of Levi, the grandfather of Moses.  They were the musicians in the temple at Jerusalem who were to sing and/or play this song.  The psalmist is in trouble and is crying out to The Lord to help him. (Psalm 88:3-5)  He knows that The Lord God has saved him in the past and he is praying for Him to save him now. 

Application:

To pray day and night suggests not just praying twice each day but continual prayer, or to pray without ceasing as we are encouraged to do. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)  That is to say that we ought to pray frequently.  For example, when we wake up, when we get up, as we get dressed, before we eat, before we drive to work or where ever, when we arrive safely at our destination, before we speak, before we perform any task, when we have completed a task, before we drive home, when we arrive home safely, when we enter our home and find all is well, before we eat, before we speak to our loved ones, and before we go to bed, any time is a good time to pray.  If you only pray when you are in trouble, then you are really in trouble.  There is a time and place for public, corporate prayer, but there are also times for private personal prayer when we want The Lord to hear and answer us. (Psalm 88:2, and 9, and 13)  He has saved us in the past, and we know that He can help us now and in the future.