Psalm 121 Devotion

Psalms 121:1-2

I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

My help comes from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

From where does my help come?

           I like watching cop shows. I don’t know why, I just like them. One of the shows I watch is called Boarder Patrol. In this show, they try to stop people from sneaking into the country. One of the stretches is a 30+ miles walk through the dessert from Mexico. It takes days to travel this journey. There is not a lot of food or water. They are running from enemies, having heat strokes, dehydrated, and there are wild animals…This is what I think of when I read this Psalm. Pilgrims often traveled this road as they were headed to Jerusalem. They may have sung this song as an encouragement to themselves, to each other, and as a prayer to the LORD.

 

        There were many dangers on this journey. The latter verses of the Psalm (v. 3-6) imply accidents, wild animals, robbers, heat exhaustion, etc. As they are travelling, they are not thinking about the dangers that they passed through in the hills behind them, but the hills in front of them. What is on their mind is their destination. After they have travelled over many hills already, they get to another humungous mountain and say, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills…” When they look on that hill and realize how high it is, how hot it is, how tired they already are, how they don’t feel like taking another step, they ask the question, “From where does my help come?” This question lies in the crutch between hope and heartache. The wrong answer to this question can leave us either with JOY or HEARTBREAK. But they quickly remember the promise of God who had promised His people his provision, protection, and peace. And they quickly remind themselves “My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth”. Its not one of the gods, its not one of the idols, its not anything but the all powerful LORD. They were encouraged because the one who was helping them, was the one who created not only that mountain that they looked upon, but all of the other mountains that they passed, and mountains to come. The Creator of heaven and earth!

They looked to the one who was in control of the mountain,

for help to get over the mountain.

                  

         Family, someone might think, as you sit at the bottom of this mountain looking up, that you don’t know how you can make it another day. Lift your head high because you have a God that will not only bring you through, but has already brought you a mighty long way. In this long journey, called life, you will have mountains to climb, battles to fight, seas to cross. The beautiful thing is that you have a God who is powerful enough to create a universe out of nothing. Surely He is powerful enough to bring you through. We are His children. He takes care of His children. But that reality is made possible by the work that Jesus did on the cross, fully covering our sin with his own blood. Because we have a great high priest who is able to sympathize with our weakness, we draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in the time of need.  Be reminded that the Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. He is always in control. He has brought you a mighty long way. Have comfort to know that he has not left you at the bottom of the mountain to rot, but He is with you. Your help comes from The Lord.

Psalms 1

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD and on his law he meditates day and night.” Psalms 1:1-2 The Psalmist here tells us what it looks like for the person to devote themselves to God. Blessed there means, overjoyed and happy is the man. Who walks not in the council of the wicked… That means, the one who’s happy in the Lord does not take ADVICE from the wicked. Nor does he have the same lifestyle (stand in the way) as them, nor participates in conversations that make a mockery of the Lord (sit in the seat of scoffers). RATHER….His delight is in the instruction from the Lord (that’s found in His word) and on his law he mediates day and night. Delight means pleasure, complete delight, joy, intoxication, desire. His desire is the word of the Lord. And on this word he MEDITATES. It literally means to murmur or speak to ones self. In other words, this passage tells us, overjoyed and happy is the man, that 1.) doesn’t take advice from the wicked, 2.) doesn’t practice the lifestyle of the wicked, and 3.) doesn’t make a mockery of the word of God like the wicked, but his full delight and joy is in the word of the Lord and in times of happiness or hurt, he encourages himself by continually reminding himself of the Word of God. There is nothing that will make you overjoyed and fully satisfied outside of the truth of the Lord, the foundation of our salvation. Family, there is nothing that we can or could do that would bring us more satisfaction then the word of the Lord. Continue to meditate and remember HIS INSTRUCTIONS. Be encouraged in the rock of our salvation.

My Wife did a rendition of "He Loves Us"

Hey fam, click the link below to listen to "He Loves Us"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVAmzaG9zhk

Suffering not an option for the believer

1 Peter 2:20-21 “If when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” As we look at the book of peter, we see his continual encouragement to stand firm during trials. As believers, this will happen. All of us that have our faith in Jesus, have been called according to his purpose will endure persecution. In the same way let us stand firm in the power of his might, not of our own power, looking forward to the vindication of the Father! We have been elected according to his sovereign will, and have been empowered to stand firm. Just as the Lord suffered, we followers of him must also suffer but we often time look at a stubbed toe on the way in to church as suffering for the gospel; wrong...the suffering that we will endure comes from confessing Jesus. This idea of persecution is translated by Webster’s as such…‘To oppress or harass with ill-treatment, especially because of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or beliefs.’ Like Jesus….wow… Also, let us suffer, not as an evil doer (1 peter 4:14-16) but rather for the sake of proclaiming the name of Jesus, boldly, wherever we go! As we take time to pray and in our devotion time today, let us ask for the courage of Jesus to empower us, giving us comfort and strength. Comfort to endure, and strength to press on. It may look bad, but…it looked bad on the cross. It looked like the enemy won. We might be in that season of ‘look bad’ but Jesus got back up on the 3rd day, showing off and proclaiming his authority may we endure the suffering and await vindication of our Father! In the midst of it looking bad, let us understand the encouragement of Christ; getting back up and winning. We one day will also win in Christ, when the Christ returns, for his church, making things new, restoring, reviving, and renewing. This is what we look forward to brothers and sisters! Be encouraged. Grace and Peace.

Oh Holy Night

Enjoy a holiday song by us
Trevor Chin-keys & arrangement
Melissa Chin-Vocals
Marc Scott-Trombone

Christmas Sermon

I got the opportunity to preach our Christmas service; Micah 5:1-5. Listen in! Merry Christmas!

The Peace Bringer, and The Peace Maker

Draw Nigh, Draw Nigh, Emmanuel

For a brief history, this song was known to be a song of the “Great Antiphons”.  Originally written in Latin, it was translated by John M. Neale, translated as ‘Draw Nigh, Draw Nigh, Emmanuel. The original version was sang on the last 7 octaves, or days, before Christmas, singing one verse per day (December 17-23 with Christmas eve being the final day). The verses were to paint a series of biblical prophesies that were continually fulfilled when Christ was born. 

In the first verse, you see Isaiah 7:14 as well as Matthew 1:23 mirrored in this verse.  This verse defines the idea of Emmanuel, God with us, and showing Israel being held captive, awaiting their Messiah. 

In verse two you see the wisdom of God adored. In verse three, you see the mirror of Isaiah 11, talking about the righteous reign of the branch, and this rod is a representation of Christ. In this chapter, as mirrored through verse 3 of the song, it shows that Christ is the ruler, and He is the only one that can defeat Satan and grant eternal life. The next verse you see shadowed in Malachi 4:2, “But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings…” Just as the sun comes and brings daylight to night darkness, so will the Son come that we may not be left in darkness and gloom, but bring us to his eternal light.  We move to the next verse, speaking of the Key of David, tying with Isaiah 22:22. “And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and non shall shut, and he shall shut, and non shall open.” This verse exclaims that this Messiah holds the key to the Kingdom and no one can access it but through Him. In singing these verses, we see the multiple prophecies that were fulfilled! Each verse is another fulfilled prophesy! 

In conclusion, the song was taken, as mentioned earlier, from “O Antiphons” also known as “The 7 O’s”. Again, this song was sung the 7 days before Christmas Eve. Here are the 7 O’s, with Latin word with them:

WISDOM, (Sapientia) 

LORD (Adonai) AND RULER 

ROOT (Radix) OF JESSE, 

KEY (Clavis) OF DAVID, 

DAWN/LIGHT FROM THE EAST (Oriens), 

KING (Rex) OF THE GENTILES 

EMMANUEL, (Emmanuel) 

In taking the first letter of each word backwards, it spells “ERO CRAS”, meaning in Latin, “TOMORROW I WILL COME”. I beg of you now family, rejoice, rejoice, for our Emmanuel has come! He is our wisdom, our Lord and Ruler, the Root of Jesse, the Key of David, the light from the east, the King of the Gentiles, He is God with us! On this Christmas Eve, let us rejoice in these truths, in these prophesies that were fulfilled through his birth, and the truth that remains and stands solid today. 

Merry Christmas

Here are the Lyrics

1. O come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear.

Refrain

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

2. O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,

Who orderest all things mightily;

To us the path of knowledge show,

And teach us in her ways to go.

Refrain

3. O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free

Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;

From depths of hell Thy people save,

And give them victory over the grave.

Refrain

4. O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer

Our spirits by Thine advent here;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,

And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

Refrain

5. O come, Thou Key of David, come,

And open wide our heavenly home;

Make safe the way that leads on high,

And close the path to misery.

Refrain 

6. O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,

An ensign of Thy people be;

Before Thee rulers silent fall;

All peoples on Thy mercy call.

Refrain

6. O come, O come, great Lord of might,

Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height

In ancient times once gave the law

In cloud and majesty and awe.

Refrain