We all have a story to tell. Why not share yours with someone today. Be blessed with His presence and grace today.
Psalms 105: Tell of All His Wonderful Works
1 Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!
3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!
4 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!
5 Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
6 O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones!
7 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.
8 He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
9 the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac,
10 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11 saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance."
12 When they were few in number, of little account, and sojourners in it,
13 wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people,
14 he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account,
15 saying, "Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!"
16 When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread,
17 he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18 His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron;
19 until what he had said came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him.
20 The king sent and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free;
21 he made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions,
22 to bind his princes at his pleasure and to teach his elders wisdom.
23 Then Israel came to Egypt; Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
24 And the LORD made his people very fruitful and made them stronger than their foes.
25 He turned their hearts to hate his people, to deal craftily with his servants.
26 He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
27 They performed his signs among them and miracles in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness, and made the land dark; they did not rebel against his words.
29 He turned their waters into blood and caused their fish to die.
30 Their land swarmed with frogs, even in the chambers of their kings.
31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country.
32 He gave them hail for rain, and fiery lightning bolts through their land.
33 He struck down their vines and fig trees, and shattered the trees of their country.
34 He spoke, and the locusts came, young locusts without number,
35 which devoured all the vegetation in their land and ate up the fruit of their ground.
36 He struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their strength.
37 Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold, and there was none among his tribes who stumbled.
38 Egypt was glad when they departed, for dread of them had fallen upon it.
39 He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light by night.
40 They asked, and he brought quail, and gave them bread from heaven in abundance.
41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed through the desert like a river.
42 For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham, his servant.
43 So he brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing.
44 And he gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples' toil,
45 that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws. Praise the LORD!
Psalms 106: Give Thanks to the LORD, for He Is Good
1 Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD, or declare all his praise?
3 Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!
4 Remember me, O LORD, when you show favour to your people; help me when you save them,
5 that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance.
6 Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.
7 Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.
8 Yet he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make known his mighty power.
9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry, and he led them through the deep as through a desert.
10 So he saved them from the hand of the foe and redeemed them from the power of the enemy.
11 And the waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left.
12 Then they believed his words; they sang his praise.
13 But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.
14 But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert;
15 he gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them.
16 When men in the camp were jealous of Moses and Aaron, the holy one of the LORD,
17 the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.
18 Fire also broke out in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.
19 They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a metal image.
20 They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass.
21 They forgot God, their Saviour, who had done great things in Egypt,
22 wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
23 Therefore he said he would destroy them--- had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them.
24 Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise.
25 They murmured in their tents, and did not obey the voice of the LORD.
26 Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them that he would make them fall in the wilderness,
27 and would make their offspring fall among the nations, scattering them among the lands.
28 Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;
29 they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them.
30 Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stayed.
31 And that was counted to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever.
32 They angered him at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses on their account,
33 for they made his spirit bitter, and he spoke rashly with his lips.
34 They did not destroy the peoples, as the LORD commanded them,
35 but they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did.
36 They served their idols, which became a snare to them.
37 They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons;
38 they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.
39 Thus they became unclean by their acts, and played the whore in their deeds.
40 Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his heritage;
41 he gave them into the hand of the nations, so that those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their power.
43 Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes and were brought low through their iniquity.
44 Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress, when he heard their cry.
45 For their sake he remembered his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
46 He caused them to be pitied by all those who held them captive.
47 Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.
48 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the LORD!
Things to think about…
1. What’s your testimony? How has the Lord blessed you in the past? Psalm 105 is a psalm of praise, but it is in the context of God blessing the children of Israel in the time of need and their release from captivity in Egypt. What have you been delivered from that you can tell others about, that the Lord may receive praise from a new generation? Tell someone your story today!
2. God is a covenant keeping God Psalm 105:6-11. Each of these men, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were called out either to a new land or away from a situation that was leading them into sin. These patriarchs started with nothing, but the Lord made them into a mighty nation. What legacy are you building in your life for the generations that follow you.
3. The Psalmist continues his history lesson through what happen to Israel in Egypt, Ps 105:12-38. Acknowledging the Lord’s protection, guidance and blessing of the past is important for our faith as well as encouraging the next generation. In Ps 105 we see the Psalmist go through in detail the history of Israel in a snapshot. He details the small beginnings before being led to Egypt. He describes the imprisonment and rise of Joseph who would lead Egypt. Finally, he lists the 10 plagues that came upon Egypt because of rebellion against Moses and God’s people. What signs of the supernatural can you point to in your past where the Lord has delivered you, the things that point to a God of mercy and protection even through adversity?
4. Ps 105:39-45 continues to describe God’s abundance even in the wilderness even when they were in rebellion in asking for meat to eat, vs 40. All of this was to fulfill His promise to Abraham, vs 42 by bringing them into their land of inheritance , vs 44. What things has the Lord led you through, even when you have rebelled against Him where you know acknowledge His grace in leading you through those times to where you are today?
5. Psalm 106 is a history lesson on the rebellion of Israel and proves that His steadfast love endures forever, vs 1. The Psalmist recalls how even in Egypt before they left, Israel “did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love”, vs 7. They believed for a moment “they believed his words; they sang his praise”, vs 12, but soon forgot His works, vs 13. The rejected the Lord the wilderness where even the ground opened up and swallowed them, vs 17.They made a gold calf vs 19, murmured in theor tents, vs 25, joined with the idols of the Moabites, vs 28, rebelled at Meribah , vs 32. Even when they entered the land they did not get rid of the nations, vs 35, served the idols, vs 36 and even sacrificed their sons and daughters in the flames, vs 37, 38. Many times they were delivered and heard their cry, vss 43-45. Doesn’t all this prove the point that our God is long suffering towards us. He will see us through even when we rebel against Him.
6. Part of our witness and our story in Christ is how He covers our sin and our rebellion. The children of Israel rebelled in the wilderness and then again when they inherited the land. The enemies of God did not allow them to keep their inheritance. But God is their Saviour. Look at Ps 106:44 and 45. He remembers His covenant with His people, regardless of whether it feels good or not. He will deliver. What do you need deliverance from today.
7. Even when there are promises given, the Lord calls His people to pray. Ps 106:47, 48 end in prayer and praise. This is the right response to all those who have received the truth of Christ. The Lord had promised the land to His people. What has He promised to you as His child? One that gives me comfort is the fact that He said He would never leave me or forsake me. Hallelujah!.
Vision Point for cell groups
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Title was “temple and the River of Life” – Reading Ezekiel 47:1-12.
1. Have you ever thought about the Millennium and the Millennial temple. Water is described here as flowing out of the temple and filling the Dead Sea and brimming with life. What do you make of the is picture? When and how will it happen?
2. The only way to experience Jesus as the River of Life and be sustained by the Tree of Life is to deal with sin. Discuss the different situation where the Tree and or the Water of life are seen in the scriptures, eg, Gen 3, Ezek 47, John 4, Rev 22.
3. In the John 7 Jesus is at the temple and shouts out “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" John 7:37, 38? What is the significance of the place where Jesus said this, as well as the feast that is before celebrated. What relevance has it for us?
4. Pray for each other and the outreach of the gospel.
Prayer Points
1. Carols service 18th December – Family fun Day afternoon/evening 3pm-7pm.
2. Christmas Day Service 25th Dec – on a Sunday this year – service will start at 9:00am.
3. Pray for the leadership of our country.
4. Pray for the people of Iran and Ukraine.
5. The right choice for a full time Youth and Young Adults Pastor to start Jan 2023 and the finances to support them.
6. Health of Ross Goltz
7. More young families and youth into the church.
8. Ministry leaders within the church.
9. Our One for Israel ministry.
10. Pray for other building projects – café roof, the repair of the house roof.
11. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points
1. More visitors on Sunday – pray they remain engaged with the church.
2. Our AGM and discussion moving forward with respect to the Youth and young adults pastor position.
3. The faithful service of Ross Goltz for 9 years as CBC’s treasurer!
4. Worship on Sunday – thankyou and Ben. Dan and Melinda on Words and Hannah on sound. Thankyou. Bec, Fiona and Maddison in café. Thankyou for those who welcomed at the door.
5. All those who faithfully serve in ministries, Worship, Sound/Technical/Kids Church/ Cell Groups/Admin - Bulletins/Finances/Property/Welcoming/Spiritual Leadership/Cafe
6. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Family fun day/Carols night 3-7pm 18th Dec – Book it in.
2. Christmas Day service – 9am Dec 25th.
3. Remember to check your duty rosters.
4. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
5. Tune in again this week on our youtube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
