We are reminded again that sufferings are for a season and that God’s steadfast love and faithfulness will remain into eternity. Be blessed.
Psalms 36: How Precious Is Your Steadfast Love To the choirmaster. Of David, the servant of the LORD.
1 Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
3 The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good.
4 He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil.
5 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD.
7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.
10 Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart!
11 Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There the evildoers lie fallen; they are thrust down, unable to rise.
Psalms 37: He Will Not Forsake His Saints Of David.
1 Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!
2 For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!
8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9 For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.
10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
11 But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.
12 The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him,
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.
14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright;
15 their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
16 Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.
18 The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever;
19 they are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine they have abundance.
20 But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish---like smoke they vanish away.
21 The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives;
22 for those blessed by the LORD shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
23 The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way;
24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.
26 He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.
27 Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever.
28 For the LORD loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.
32 The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death.
33 The LORD will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.
34 Wait for the LORD and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.
35 I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree.
36 But he passed away, and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found.
37 Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace.
38 But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
40 The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
Things to think about…
1. Psalm 36 describes the condition of the unbeliever, vs 1 “Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes.” The desire for sin in other words calls them from the heart because there is no restraint. That’s the whole point of course. You cannot obey God if you don’t even believe He exists at the deepest level in the heart. As such there is the fallout of a ‘no-God’ belief system. David says this situation is not beyond him and therefore prays in vs 11 “Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.” Let’s all consider how we stand, lest we fall. Pray for the Lord’s continued grace and blessing as we work out our salvation with fear and trembling.
2. Psalm 37 has some interesting statements. In vs 4 it says the Lord grants the desires of our hearts as we delight in Him. This promise also comes with a guarantee that “trust in Him and He will act”, vs 5. But in vs 7 it says “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way”. Seems like a contradiction. The reality of course is that both are true, timing being a critical factor. We may look at the unbeliever and say ‘he is prospering in the way’, but the end game should be our focus of course. Encourage yourself and someone else to be patient to wait on the Lord. David writing as an old man, vs 25, wisely reflects the need to – “refrain from anger…it tends only to evil”, Ps 37:8.
3. Perhaps you have been praying about something for many years. We should always consider that our time here is but for a moment. David says “In just a little while, the wicked will be no more”, vs 10. God will bring it about, continue to wait. I have many desires and hopes in my heart for revival for our church and community. I have been waiting 15 years so far. This word is for me.
4. Jesus quotes Ps 37:11 “the meek shall inherit the land (earth)”. This needs to be told not only to the people of Israel, but also to the church. You cannot manufacture the blessing of God. The arm of flesh will not save you. May the Holy Spirit regulate our hearts and therefore our actions. All blessing and inheritance flow from there. We will of course inherit a new earth into eternity.
5. In the same way “righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever”, Ps 37:29. Jesus says the righteous shall be satisfied, Mt 5:6. The righteous do not keep silent, but speak, vs 30. Why? Because the law of the Lord is in their heart, vs 31. As such the wicked seek to put them to death, vs 32. This is the struggle of life here on earth in this dispensation. But we know the promises to us and the ultimate end of the wicked, “Wait for the LORD and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off”, vs 34.
6. Do you want to know if there is a future for CBC or any church that preaches the gospel of Jesus? Ps 37:37 gives the answer “Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace.” If the church is blameless and upright while seeking after peace – its future is guaranteed. Solomon says it is even possible to be at peace with our enemies (Prov 16:7), how much more for those of us in the household of faith.
Vision statement for CBC
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Cell groups are on break for School holidays
Prayer Points
1. Continue to pray for Jennifer’s mum recovering from a stroke that she may have restored health over the coming days and weeks.
2. Pray for the Kids Klub starting in Term 3 Fri 28th July.
3. Pray for alpha course starting 26th July Wed 6:30pm at Church. Invite non Christians.
4. Andrew has reduced kidney function. Please pray for better health and a suitable nursing home.
5. That those who are new to the church are encouraged and settle in well into the church.
6. That we be bold in our witnessing for Christ. Pray for a heart to see those around you saved.
7. Pray for Kids@church.
8. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points
1. Wonderful day on Saturday for the Community day. A number of contacts were made. Wonderful weather.
2. New equipment is coming online at Church. New cameras and sound equipment.
3. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Axiom next Sunday morning 2nd July “Challenging Cancel Culture” – 9:30am
2. Alpha Course starting on Wed 26th July – 6:30pm – invite non Christians to this course.
3. Friday afternoon Kids Klub – starting third term Fri 28th July – 3pm (3:30pm start) - 5:30pm.
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.
Catechism questions for June...
Q. 9. Who is God? A. God is a Spirit, and does not have a body like men.
