Sunday Morning Coffee: He is Risen!

He is risen, indeed!

Saturday Soliloquy: Sing Your Hearts Out!

That’s what we did last night at my son’s house. There were 50+ people crowded into the double living rooms and the kitchen area. We sang, then we ate and visited, and then we sang some more. It was an old-fashioned hymn sing, and it was wonderful.

The only program was to sing. It was relaxed, fun, enthusiastic. Many expressed a desire to do it again, and one couple has already volunteered their spacious home.

If you’ve been following my blog for any length of time, you know how important music is to me. I grew up listening to good, solid music, including artists such as George Beverly Shea and the Blackwood Brothers Quartet, among many others. So I have a taste for good southern gospel, as well as the classic hymns we sang in church. There is such joy in good music, and we really raised the roof last night!

When you have that many people in close proximity, the harmonies come out loud and clear, and the sound fills the space. I’ve been in a couple of churches that held over 1,000 people. When we sang, it was downright goose-bumpy. All those people raising their voices in harmony is just amazing. It’s where I learned to sing when I was just a little girl, and it’s where I began to pick up on singing more than just the melody. I didn’t understand the what or the why, but my ear told me what to do, and intensified my love of the music. Singing harmony is just a pure delight!

There was lots of harmony last night, in voice and in spirit. Music unites people.

Peace Upon Israel

Psalm 125.

They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.

As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about His people fromhttps://www.gotquestions.org/prince-power-air.htmleace henceforth even for ever.

For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.

Do good, O LORD, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.

As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.

If you are familiar with the history of Israel, you may wonder why, with such promises of peace and protection, Israel has suffered such persecution both past and present. The answer is in the first verse of this psalm: They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion.

Israel has not always trusted in the Lord. Countless times down through their history, beginning with the worship of the golden calf they made in the wilderness, they have turned from God to idolatry.

Well, how about today, right now?

Zionism is not a religious movement. It is about the return of the Jewish people from around the world back to their homeland; it is about the ascendancy of the nation of Israel, and keeping it free from the enemies that surround it. Of course there are still those who believe in God; however, the main focus is not a return to worship. Still, God’s promise has been kept over the centuries when His people have turned away from idolatry and back to putting their trust in God.

Why is there so much hatred of this tiny nation? In another recent post, I said that the answer is simple: Satan hates whatever God loves. Satan knows the prophesies concerning Israel, and is doing everything in his considerable power to destroy that which God loves. So has it always been. We should never underestimate the power of Satan, who is called the Prince of the Power of the Air (Eph. 2:2). I found this excellent description of exactly what that means: https://www.gotquestions.org/prince-power-air.html

We should never overlook or underestimate Satan’s power and influence! It is folly to believe that Satan has no power over believers. We are told to be constantly watchful, in I Peter 5:8, because Satan is always prowling about, seeking “whom he may devour.” True believers cannot be possessed of Satan, because they have the Holy Spirit of God already dwelling in them. However, they can certainly be obsessed, and oppressed by Satan. One of his most effective cons is to make a believer feel that he or she is unworthy of God’s love and forgiveness; a person who is overwhelmed by his own guilt and shame isn’t going to be spending time in prayer or Bible study. Instead, his focus turns inward, and his mind and emotions are controlled by Satan’s lies.

Satan wants to see Jerusalem destroyed. It has happened before, most notably in 70 a.d. when Rome destroyed the city. The destruction was merciless and complete, but not permanent. Satan cannot have complete victory over God!

The Lord on our Side

Psalm 124.

If it had not been the LORD Who was on our side, now may Israel say;

If it had not been the LORD Who was on our side, when men rose up against us:

Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:

Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul

Then the proud waters had gone over our soul.

Blessed be the LORD, Who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.

Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.

Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.

If it had not been for the Lord. . . . .

Time after time, God warned Israel that if they did not turn away from idols and back to Him, they would suffer. Time after time they ignored His pleadings and warning; they ignored and even killed His prophets because they wanted to be just like all the nations around them. Often, they suffered because of their sin against God until they finally returned to Him. When they did, He restored them to their land, and to prosperity and peace.

Why have so many nations in world history hated Israel so much? Why have the Jews come under such incredible persecution? It is NOT simply because they “killed Christ.” Yes, they said that Jesus blood would be upon them and their children for generations to come. However, not everyone who has persecuted the Jews has loved God! Loving God and persecuting His chosen people does not equate.

The one factor we tend to overlook in answering this question is Satan, the Father of Lies. He hates God; therefore, he hates God’s people.

When Israel returned to God, they were always redeemed from imprisonment. They were allowed to return to their land, to rebuild their cities, and to live in peace. Like birds released from traps, they were set free to live as God wanted them to live.

The time is coming when all people will live in peace; peace with God, peace with God’s people; peace with each other. There will be great trouble before that time comes, but it will come. And it will last until the final clash between God and Satan, when Satan will be finally defeated, never to rise against God again.

What a day that will be!

Have Mercy Upon Us!

Psalm 123.

Unto Thee lift I up mine eyes, O Thou that dwellest in the heavens.

Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that He have mercy upon us.

Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.

If you have never been a servant, you may have a little trouble understanding the importance of that relationship between servant and master. The servant pays attention, and observes the master or mistress, anticipating their needs or desires and striving to fulfill those needs. Maybe the closest comparison is the mother of a young child, who really is the master as a newborn and for much of the first year. Every time the baby fusses, Mommy is there to make sure he has every need supplied. The next 17 or 18 years, of course, are spent convincing the child that he really is NOT the center of the universe 🙂

The way the servant looks to his master is the way we need to wait on God. We need to desire to fulfill His plan for us, to have His mercy cover us like the love and protectiveness a mother gives her newborn baby. To be in that place of right relationship with Him is a comfort beyond description. It takes vigilance for us to maintain that place of dependence and blessing, because our hearts are deceitful. We can easily persuade ourselves that we know better, and we choose to go our own way. When we do that, it won’t come to a good end.

Verses 3-4 mention how we are often filled with contempt for the Master, because of the influence of others–the influence of the world. What I am going to say next may seem like a departure, but it’s what is on my heart.

God has designated the husband/father to be the head of the home, under God. We wives need to show respect toward our husbands, so that our children do not become filled with contempt for their fathers. As a counselor, I observed many times that when there was trouble with the children in a family, the mother often sided with them against the father. When a woman is contemptuous toward her husband, the children will often follow her example.

If you are a strong, capable, independent woman it is a daily exercise in submitting to God’s authority for you to show proper respect toward your husband. If your child is showing contempt and disrespect toward his father, and often toward you as well, you need to look at your own attitudes and behaviors toward your husband.

I will never forget the reaction I got when, in counseling, I asked the husband if he ever gets to be right. The wife was so angry that she slammed out of the room. The husband looked at me and said, “You have no idea what you just did. Thank you.” The happy ending is that she returned, in tears, and apologized to both of us for her disrespect. She simply had not seen that she contradicted every word he said, every time.

Dear Lord, let us, as women who profess to love God, not be filled with contempt toward You, or to our husbands. Let us set the godly example for our children. Give us tender hearts of grace and mercy toward all with whom we have relationships. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

The House of the Lord

Psa;m 122:1-4.

I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.

Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:

Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the Name of the LORD.

Many of the pictures I found this morning, like this one, are evocative of the pioneer days. A single church building stood on the vast prairies, and on Sundays it filled up with families dressed in their Sunday best. They came on horseback, in buggies and wagons; sometimes they walked. For many, it was a journey taken only when weather and time permitted. They often had “dinner on the grounds” after the service, and then spent the rest of the day catching up with each other. Life was hard, and they were hard-working people who took joy in the Sunday break from the endless work. Of course, they had animals to tend, so they were usually beginning the long trek home before darkness fell.

The main thing is, they loved Sunday when they could make it to church. They worshiped together, caught up with each other’s lives, and enjoyed the respite from toil that Sundays offered.

I love church, too. The church we attend is about a 40-minute drive, so we have time to just talk–or not. When we arrive, there are always welcoming hugs and handshakes, inquiries into our well-being (We’re old, you know, so people are concerned that we are well). It’s a time to catch up with good friends that we see only once each week. We have a fine young pastor who is involved and interested in our lives, always available to help if he can. His sermons always give me something to consider, to research, to apply to my own life. We are blessed to have him.

The Israelites, in David’s day, didn’t have just the one place of worship. There were gatherings in every small town, but Jerusalem was the center for the celebration of the special feast days. Those celebrations were times of both joy and deep introspection. They were the scene of family reunions. There was teaching from the scrolls that were treasured and stored in the synagogues. There was prayer, and there were offerings appropriate to the occasions.

The Israelites were glad for the opportunity to go into the House of the Lord. So we should be, also.

Sunday Morning Coffee: Easter Music

It’s Palm Sunday tomorrow, and there will be a little extra music in the service. Our choir is presenting a couple of songs relating to the events of Palm Sunday and the following week. My son Mike will sing Behold the Man, a powerful song honoring the work Jesus did on the cross. The offertory will be a piano piece called Easter Medley. It is made up of Near the Cross, What can Wash Away My Sin, Are You washed in the Blood of the Lamb, and a few notes from It is Well With My Soul. There will be special scripture readings.

I love the music of Easter. Next Sunday will be the celebration of His resurrection, and the songs will reflect the joy of that event.

I have often considered how my life has been full of wonderful music. Not just one kind of music, but all different varieties. My dad love western music. Mom enjoyed classical music. I love really great movie themes, and there are a lot of them. I also love Southern gospel–not the twangy scoopy stuff, but the classy kind that is full of heart and joy. I’m not a huge fan of opera, but there are some arias I love.

I love Chopin, Tchaikowsky, Rachmanninoff, and Beethoven. I like music that is BIG, and gives me goose bumps. I love patriotic music that is performed well. I can still sing dozens of TV ads that I heard as a child and a teen before I left for college. I still remember the theme music for all the westerns my dad enjoyed watching–Gunsmoke, Sugar Foot, Bonanza, Rawhide, and Wyatt Earp. Music tends to stay in my brain, and something I’d completely forgotten can work its way out of a crevice and surprise me 🙂

I do love the music of the Easter season, and I’m looking forward to services tomorrow. I’m thankful for a God Who, in love and kindness, gave us the gift of music!

Saturday Soliloquy: A Busy Week

These Saturdays sure do come around fast! Do you remember when you were a kid in school, and it seemed Saturday would never come? For me, that was a VERY long time ago 🙂

Rain today, mostly all day. A good day to stay indoors and catch up with some much-needed housecleaning. Ugh. I strongly dislike housecleaning, but I don’t like a dirty house, either.

It was a busy week. Something going on almost every day, which is good. The highlight for me was on Thursday, when I went to an organ concert in Philly with my son and DIL and a good friend. It was amazing! Held in a grand old Episcopal church, it was packed out. Lots of people enjoy good music 🙂 My favorite part was the last three pieces, which come from “The Planets.” The most well-known is Jupiter, which you can listen to below if you enjoy that sort of thing. My personal favorite was Mars, full of booming kettle drums and drama.

After the concert, we found a little pizzeria that also makes the best Philly cheesesteak I’ve ever eaten. A most enjoyable evening.
After the concert, we found a little pizzeria that also makes the best Philly cheesesteak I’ve ever eaten. A most enjoyable evening.

I’ve been spending intense practice time at my piano, preparing to accompany my son Mike who will be singing Behold the Man in church tomorrow morning. It’s a beautiful song, first published back in the early 1970s. It is a powerful description of Jesus as He sacrificed Himself at Calvary.

Music. It’s such an important part of my world, my life. I am thankful beyond words for good music!

Our Help is the Lord

Psalm 121.

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keepeth thee will not slumber.

Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.

The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall preserve thy soul.

The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

I searched but could not find the song we used to sing that was entirely based on this psalm. Perhaps some of you will remember. One of the best ways to memorize scripture is to learn it to music. And a psalm, after all, is a song 🙂

This psalm is purely praise. There isn’t much I can say about it that will truly need to be said. It explains itself.

God Hears our Distress

Psalm 120.

In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and He heard me.

Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.

What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue?

Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.

Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!

My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace.

I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war.

I was having my second baby. I was in distress. For the first and only time, I had a nurse who seemed to have no empathy, but only disapproval. She was no comfort. In fact, she made me feel guilty for groaning. The sad thing is that I knew her, and she was a believer. Back then, I’d never heard of an epidural. There was no relief, and there was no comforting touch or word. I truly felt completely alone, and disapproved of. It was a difficult labor, and I needed a hand of comfort, a word of encouragement.

In my distress, I called upon the Lord—and HE heard me! A wonderful sense of calm and peace seemed to cover me like a warm blanket, and I was able to relax between those hard contractions that didn’t seem to be accomplishing anything. It wasn’t long, then, until they wheeled me into the delivery room. Soon I was holding my newborn son, rejoicing that it was over and we were both healthy and safe. I never saw that nurse again, and that’s probably a good thing 🙂

David’s distress was far different, of course, than mine. He had enemies from the time he killed Goliath who never stopped plotting, lying, and trying to kill him. Even his own children turned against him. I have never had to endure what David endured, and I’m thankful for that.

Deceit is an important feature of this psalm. Deceitful lips, a lying and false tongue, plagued David all throughout his reign. We see this same behavior today in our very sad political system, where we don’t know if anyone at all is telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Verse four says that the lying tongue will be punished with sharp arrows and long-burning coals–judgment will not be merciful for those who, through lies and treachery, strive to destroy everything in their path.