Psalm 8

July 20, 2015 Monday Message:

“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. Psalm 8:1 NIV

Sometimes we need to praise the Lord, to exalt God, with no other agenda. Our prayers shouldn’t always be about asking for something or complaining about our circumstances. God is good all the time; He deserves our praise.

We lose a little bit as we translate Psalm 8 from the original language. The first word “Lord,” is actually a personal name for God. Most Bible students know that “Lord” with the small capital letters always means “God’s name,” probably “Yahweh,” but the exact pronunciation has been lost over the years. The second “Lord,” refers to the one that we worship, the one that WE call God – Lord over us. The phrase in contemporary Hebrew reads, “Hashem Adoneinu,” literally God (His name,) the one we adore.

“Who am I that You are mindful of me?” Psalm 8:4a God is so magnificent, and, by comparison, mankind is so insignificant, it seems curious that God would care so much for us. But by His design, (v5) he made us only a little lower than the angels! Truly, God has been extremely good to us, forever worthy of our worship. Hallelujah – praise the Lord!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) gathers at 10 a.m. every Sunday in the North end (gym) of the Oliver Ministry Building, 2647 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis. This Sunday, July 26, Pastor Van Dickerson brings us a message from God’s Word.

The Name of the Lord

January 28, 2013 Monday Message:

We’re investigating the Ten Commandments, and today we’ll check out #3 - "Do not swear falsely (take in vain) the name of the LORD..."

God wants to hear from you. Use His name often. He desires a relationship with you. You need to get to know him better. Start with prayer. Read the Bible. Think about it, meditate on what you read. Talk with other Christians. Join a small group or a Bible study. Pray (you talking to God,) and then look and listen for God speaking back to you.

This isn’t about religion – it’s about establishing a relationship. It’s about you interacting with God. You and God should become best friends. You can’t “inform” God, because He already knows – He’s God! But you can talk it over with your new friend, like when you come home from work and your spouse asks, “How was your day?” It’s good to share your ups and downs, to be able to bend someone’s ear.

When you call out for God, mean it. Don't call out for the Lord in vain. I see TV shows where when something has happened – they secretly remodeled a room, or cooked a special meal or designed fancy clothing – and then: the Reveal! The people see it for the first time, their hands go up, their eyes open wide, and they shout, “Oh, my God!” Now, these people don’t intend anything bad. It’s just something that people say. I think God understands, but probably also wishes you’d save shouting-out to Him for the occasions when you really want to reach Him. That's what the Bible says.

Did you know that God cannot tell a lie? Because He’s incompatible with untruths, using His name carries a great deal of weight, and also charges the user with a great deal of responsibility. In a court of law, witnesses place their hand on God’s Word and swear in His name to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. If someone doesn’t intend to tell the truth, they shouldn’t use God’s name. By the way, everything you say should be true, but not everything true needs to be said.

Next week we’ll move on to #4, Shabbat, the day of rest.

Norton Lawellin

We’ll worship together this Sunday, Feb. 03, 10:30am Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF), in the North end of the Oliver Ministry Building, 27^th Street & Bloomington Avenue, Minneapolis, as we continue preaching our way through Dr. Luke.

NL