For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen –
This part of the Lord’s Prayer ends with claiming 4 attributes about God:

1. Kingdom, gives Him right to rule and reign over our hearts and lives.
2. Power, places the authority and ability He possesses to control and command our attitudes and conduct.
3. Glory, grants to Him whatever good or reward we may receive from the work He does in us.
4. Forever, points to His eternal being. He is in charge of all things both now and throughout eternity. When we say, “Forever” we know that we are short-term, but He is long-term. He is our “Forever.” When you pray tonight, praise God for His attributes. Thank Him that He is “Forever.”  

 
Praises and Thanksgiving

• Praise God that the day was beautiful this past Sunday.
• Praise Him for those attending in-house worship.
• Praise Him for those watching our online worship.
• Praise God for the those He brought to Sunday School.
• Praise God for the tithes and offerings.
• Praise God for the joy of worship together again.
• Praise God for our Mission Team back from Tanzania. They did well and shared Jesus on behalf of our church family and the truth of the gospel.
• Count your blessings. Name them one by one, and praise God for them.

 
Prayers for our People

• The family of Scott Pethel (Tina – wife, Emily – daughter, Ken, Debra, Carol and Christy)
• Christy Kent, back at Emory, Intensive Care Transplant Unit
• Donna Roberts, COVID continues (21 days).
• Joyce Reed, recovering at home
• Doug Bryant, cancer treatments and extreme back pain
• Mike House, back surgery
• Joey Wilson - COVID
• Michele Peppers - heart issues
• Dennis Greer (Michele's father) - in hospital Intensive Care Unit

 
Prayers for our Church

• “Making Christ Real on Mundy Mill” Our sign is under construction. Installation is scheduled for March.
• Pray for our coming 2022 Emphasis, “The Year of Our Faith,” as we preach and teach the beliefs (Doctrines) of our faith. The first doctrine we will study is the doctrine of the Bible.
• Things are happening in the Lower Building. Pray for the work underway and for the workers who are getting the work done.
• Pray for our Children’s Ministry Team leadership.  Pray that we will soon see our children returning to Children’s Church on Sundays that we will see parents and grandparents gathering again to worship.

 
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen –
This part of the Lord’s Prayer ends with claiming 4 attributes about God:
1.Kingdom, gives Him right to rule and reign over our hearts and lives.
2.Power, places the authority and ability He possesses to control and command our attitudes and conduct.
3.Glory, grants to Him whatever good or reward we may receive from the work He does in us.
4.Forever, points to His eternal being. He is in charge of all things both now and throughout eternity. When we say, “Forever” we know that we are short-term, but He is long-term. He is our “Forever.” When you pray tonight, praise God for His attributes. Thank Him that He is “Forever.”  
 
Praises and Thanksgiving

• Praise God that the day was beautiful this past Sunday.
• Praise Him for 73 attending in-house worship.
• Praise God for the 56 He brought to Sunday School.
• Praise God for the $3,800+ received in tithes and offerings.
• Praise God for the joy of worship together again.
• Praise God for our Mission Team back from Tanzania. They did well and shared Jesus on behalf of our church family and the truth of the gospel.
• Praise God for the children we had in Children’s Church and Nursery this past Sunday.
• Count your blessings. Name them one by one, and praise God for them.

 
Prayers for our People

• The family of Scott Pethel (Tina – wife, Emily – daughter, Ken, Debra, Carol and Christy)
• Christy Kent, back at Emory, Intensive Care Transplant Unit
• Donna Roberts, COVID continues (21 days).
• Joyce Reed, recovering at home
• Doug Bryant, cancer treatments and extreme back pain
• Mike House, back surgery
• Joey Wilson - COVID

 
Prayers for our Church

• “Making Christ Real on Mundy Mill” Our sign is under construction. Installation is scheduled for March.
• Pray for our coming 2022 Emphasis, “The Year of Our Faith,” as we preach and teach the beliefs (Doctrines) of our faith. The first doctrine we will study is the doctrine of the Bible.
• Things are happening in the Lower Building. New Bathrooms, New Lighting, New Flooring, New, Ceiling in the Worship Center, New Staging, New Sound System and Booth, NEW EVERTHING. Pray for the work underway and for the workers who are getting the work done.
• Pray for our Children’s Ministry Team leadership.  Pray that we will soon see our children returning to Children’s Church on Sundays that we will see parents and grandparents gathering again to worship.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen – This part of the Lord’s Prayer ends with claiming 4 attributes about God:

1. Kingdom: gives Him right to rule and reign over our hearts and lives.
2. Power: places the authority and ability He possesses to control and command our attitudes and conduct.
3. Glory: grants to Him whatever good or reward we may receive from the work He does in us.
4. Forever: points to His eternal being. He is in charge of all things both now and throughout eternity. When we say, “Forever” we know that we are short-term, but He is long-term. He is our “Forever.” When you pray tonight, praise God for His attributes. Thank Him that He is “Forever.”

 
Praises and Thanksgiving

• Praise God that the day was beautiful this past Sunday.
• Praise Him for 73 attending in-house worship.
• Praise God for the 56 He brought to Sunday School.
• Praise God for the $3,800+ received in tithes and offerings.
• Praise God for the joy of worship together again.
• Praise God for our Mission Team in Tanzania. They are well and sharing Jesus on behalf of our church family and the truth of the gospel. Did you see that Giraffe?
• Praise God for the children we had in Children’s Church and Nursery this past Sunday.
• Count your blessings. Name them one by one, and praise God for them.

 
Prayers for our People

• The family of Scott Pethel (Tina (wife), Emily (daughter), Ken, Debra, Carol, and Christy)
• Christy Kent, back at Emory, Intensive Care Transplant Unit
• Donna Roberts, COVID continues (21 days).
  • Great News – Veda’s custody granted to Jessica.
• Joyce Reed, recovering at home
• Doug Bryant, cancer treatments and extreme back pain
• Mike House, anticipated back surgery
• Joey Wilson - COVID

 
Prayers for our Church

• Sunday’s Sermon is “Not Of, But Into”, John 17:17-19. Jesus prays that we will be SANCTIFIED in the truth. We live in a world where lying is getting worse and worse. Truth is what God uses to sanctify His children. Sanctify means to make Holy or to Consecrate something for God. Untruth makes you unholy and spoils you for spiritual service. I’m going to preach about truth Sunday. Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
• “Making Christ Real on Mundy Mill” Our sign is under construction. Installation is scheduled for March.
• Pray for our coming 2022 Emphasis, “The Year of Our Faith,” as we preach and teach the beliefs (Doctrines) of our faith. The first doctrine we will study is the doctrine of the Bible.
• Man! Things are happening in the Lower Building. New Bathrooms, New Lighting, New Flooring, New Ceiling in the Worship Center, New Staging, New Sound System and Booth, NEW EVERTHING. Pray for the work underway and for the workers who are getting the work done.
• Pray for our Children’s Ministry Team leadership. Pray that we will soon see our children returning to Children’s Church on Sundays that we will see parents and grandparents gathering again to worship.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY
 
“The Psalms”

Last week we looked at the Lament Psalms comprising the second largest body of content within the Psalms. We looked at the personal lament psalms which deal with the spiritual, mental, physical, and material suffering inflicted upon individuals. Our example was Psalm 51 which king David wrote following his sin with Bathsheba where he confesses the pain and suffering his sin caused him, “Make me hear joy and gladness, let the bones which You have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities” (Psalm 51:8-9). In all there are 40 personal lament psalms which plea for God’s deliverance and vindication from personal suffering and pain.
 
Tonight, we look at the COMMUNITY or the CORPORATE lament psalms found within the 150 psalms. These congregational psalms express a collective call for help caused by catastrophic oppression and/or mistreatment. They are cries from the nation as a whole for God to intervene and change the circumstances of the entire nation. It is an amazing truth that a whole nation, church, or congregation can call on God for help, “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, I shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 18:19). If only America would learn how to pray together. God promises to hear and act upon the cares, laments, and cries that are upon the hearts of a nation that asks Him for help.
 
There are 16 of these Community Lament Psalms:
12                          58                          80                          106
14                          60                          83                          123
44                          74                          85                          126
53                          79                          90                          137
 
Psalm 60 is a cry to God because of a military defeat. This psalm could be according to the warnings given to Israel by the prophet Samuel when they demanded a king to rule over them, “Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day. Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, ‘No, but there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles” (1 Samuel 8:18-20).

A portion of this psalm is repeated in Psalm 108:7-9. Kings and military leaders are men of clay. Whenever the nation trusts their government and military more than they trust God, its future stands on shaky and unstable ground, “But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, ‘Give us a king to judge us.’ And Samuel prayed to the Lord. The Lord said to Samuel, ‘Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day—in that they have forsaken Me and serve other gods—so they are doing to you also” (1 Samuel 8:6-8).
 
The lament of Psalm 60 follows the sin of God’s people Israel when they decided that they would govern themselves and fight their own battles rather than rely upon God.
 
In our day as Russia’s military masses along the Ukrainian border and governments around the world talk about sanctions or economic responses to a potential Russian invasion, it does not seem that the world has come to far in its attempts to solve its own problems and fight its own battles. When battles are fought, blood is spilt, and people die.
 
Why does it take bloodshed for people to cry out to God for help?
 
Like Israel, maybe it’s time for us to lament and pour out our sorrow to God for our own shortcomings.
 
The Consequence of Battles (verses 1-5)

• Brokenness – Anytime there is a fight, somebody gets hurt. Brokenness in our world is a consequence of God’s rejection and anger. Look what the psalmist says, “O God, You have rejected us…You have been angry…” (verse 1).

 
It is always good to remember what Jesus said when you are tempted to tear into somebody, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also” (Matthew 5:38-39).
 
I heard a politician say recently, “Turning the other cheek is too mild. It doesn’t get the job done. It’s time for action.”
 
Fighting always results in brokenness. Maybe the action we need more of today is lamenting hateful and hurtful actions that leave people broken and bleeding.
 

• Earthquakes – The consequence of our fighting today leaves people tottering and in shock. In verse 3, the psalmist says that the people are swaying to and fro like people drunk on too much wine. The world is unstable because we quarrel and fight too much. The tongue can be as destructive as military tanks and warplanes. The Bible says, “And the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell” (James 3:6). Our world is unstable today. Instability in our world or even in our circle of acquaintances is something we need to lament. God is not a God of chaos. Like the psalmist, we too should be sorry about how shaky our world has become.

 
The Word of God (verses 6-8)

• A Mighty Warrior – God is pictured here as a mighty warrior. His anger is cast upon Israel in verse 1, but He still loves them. He is ready to fight their battles. God promises to restore the territory on both sides of the Jordan. He will wear Ephraim (the most powerful tribe) as a helmet and carry Judah (the tribe of king David) as a royal scepter.

 
Can you picture God leading the charge?
 
I am reminded of what the apostle Paul said in Ephesians, “Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything to stand firm” (Ephesians 6:13). God is a mighty warrior who is stronger than any enemy we may encounter. God fights against evil. God wins! Notice that the lament over the evil of war include the assurances that God is on the side of those who trust in Him.
 

• A Total Wash-up – God washes the stains of bloodshed in the “washbowl” of the enemy— Edom and Philistia. God’s ultimate victory includes all of His enemies. The Bible says, “…every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11). The promise of the lament is to not leave you lamenting. There is hope and assurance of victory even in the low ebb of pain and suffering.

 
When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, what do you think about?
Do you think about the worst, or do you think about the ultimate victory that belongs to God?
 
“For the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you” (Deuteronomy 20:4).
 
“He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth: For the Lord has spoken it” (Isaiah 25:8).
 
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place” (2 Corinthians 2:14).
 
Prayer for God’s Help

• Rejection – The psalmist goes back to where he was in verse 1 – rejection, brokenness, and the anger of God. Without God, there is only alienation and hopelessness. He laments the relationship of Israel as being separated from God rather than bound closely to Him. He asked for God to accompany, help, and deliver His people from their enemies. He realizes that human intervention is weak and useless (vain). Trying to fight for yourself and by yourself is a futile exercise. Notice that the lament in verse 10 turns into confession. When we confess our sins, God forgives our sins (1 John 1:9). When you think about your sins, don’t just be sorry. Ask God to forgive and He will.

 

• Valiant Victory – With God, all things are possible (Philippians 4:13). God’s sovereign power and steadfast love turns the lament into a shout for joy. The psalmist turns the king’s sorrow over defeat into a glad anthem of praise because God always listens to the cries of His people and helps them overcome their despair, “Come unto Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

 
Pray that God will turn the lament of our nation into a shout of assurance and joy. Laments are sad songs that need to be turned into glad songs. They can be when we give our sorrow to God and trust Him to do His work in His way.
 
Remember, God is at work today. He is able to change things. He will change things when we ask and seek after Him.

​Our last Bible study covered the first books contained in the Psalms which was the Psalms of praise. It is the largest block of Psalms comprised of 74 praise psalms. The second largest body of psalms is the psalms which express sorrow, grief and regret form individuals as well as communities over suffering, pain and stress from problems and anguish which has taken place. This category of sad psalms covers 56 psalms. It is interesting to see that 130 of the 150 total psalms are within these two categories. God wants to hear about the joy and gladness of our hearts. He also wants to hear about the pain and disappointments we encounter. He wants us to share our thanksgiving and praise, but He also wants us to tell Him about the tears we shed and the shattered dreams that break our hearts.
 
On the one hand, God rejoices with us and celebrates our victories:
​

(Psalm 108:1-5)

 
Everybody enjoys worship services like that. We all want church to be positive and happy. We love celebrating the goodness of God and glory that comes by His abundant love. It’s great when people are happy at church.
 
But what happens when people are sad.
 
Are we as excited when we face problems and hardship?
Are people as eager to weep together as they are when we shout for joy?
What happens to people when they fail, or meet up with some great hardship?
Is church attendance as great when the Spirit of God leads us to confession and repentance?
 
The altars at church are not as crowded sometimes as they need to be:
 

(Psalm 51:1-4)

 
We simply do not welcome sorrow and regret in worship and readily as we welcome gladness and praise. We seem to be more comfortable putting on a pageant than we are comfortable with honest reflection and repentance these days. The Psalms teach us that God is eager for us to “Tell Him all about our Sorrows,” as He is to hear our shouts of joy and praise. These psalms of lament teach us that we can be honest and broken before God about the things that trouble us and need to be changed in our hearts.
 
Psalms of Individual Lament
 
There are 46 individual or personal laments throughout the Psalms. This is more that any single form of psalm. The personal lament is written by someone who has experienced some form of spiritual, mental, physical, material suffering. These are cries from someone who needs God to hear their plea. Most times they are certain that God is listening and will hear. There is a tone of certainty that God cares about them and has faith that God will do something about what they are calling on Him to do. These psalms end in praise and thanksgiving for God’s action on their behalf.
 
These Psalms include:
3                      31                    56                    94
5                      35                    59                    102
6                      38                    61                    109
7                      39                    63                    120
13                    40                    64                    130
17                    42/43               69                    140
22                    51                    70                    141
25                    52                    71                    142
26                    54                    86                    143
28                    55                    88
 
Psalm 51 is one of the most popular of the individual or personal lament psalms. It is a humble prayer of forgiveness and personal cleansing from sin. Many believe that it is the prayer of David following his encounter with the prophet Nathan who confronted the king for His sin with Bathsheba and his murder of her husband Uriah (2 Samuel 11:1 – 12:25). David is clearly broken over the fact of his sin,


“For I know my transgression, and my sin is always before me.  Against You and You alone, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:3-4). David recognized that his sin had violated God’s law (Exodus 20:13-17) and that God had the right to judge him through sending Nathan to make the Lord’s pronouncement. David felt dirty because of what he had done, “…Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin…” (Psalm 51:2-3). David’s sin had clearly separated him from God’s presence which he could not bear to continue, “Let me hear the joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity” (Psalm 51:8-9).
 
David’s sin and God’s absence from him because of it caused the king to ache inside. He was in spiritual pain. He could not rest until he made it right with God. Think of a time in your life when your sins caused you to feel heartache inside and unrest in your spirit.
 
Look at these:

• Psalm 34:18
• Psalm 73:26
• Psalm 147:3

 
God promises to hear the prayers of the broken hearted to give strength and hope. Forgiveness is just a prayer away. Like David in his prayer for forgiveness, we need to acknowledge our need and ask God to cleanse and forgive.
 
Listen to Psalm 51:10-13:
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit away from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and renew a right spirit to sustain me. Then will I teach transgressors your ways and sinners will turn back to you.”
 
It may be that the only hope we have today for revival in our land is the willingness of God’s people to cry out to God to be forgiveness of our neglect and cold hearts in order that we may teach others the ways of repentance and faith. The Bible talks about the dangers of cold and unrepentant hearts (Jeremiah 18:12; Psalm 95:8-9). Jesus continually confronted people had ears to hear, but would not hear and eyes to see, but would not see (Mark 8:18; Matthew 13:15, Psalm 115:6). We live in the middle of a world of people who need to read the psalms of lament to find out how ready God is to listen, hear and forgive. If only God’s people would cry out in sorrow and shame for our sins and the terrible consequences, they bring. Listen once more to God’s promise: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn for their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Instead of blaming folks, try crying for them. Instead of pointing fingers at others, try lamenting and confessing. Instead of passing the buck, ask God to “Create and clean Heart” in you—then you will be read to teach, lead people back to God.

 
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen – This part of the Lord’s Prayer ends with claiming 4 attributes about God:
1. Kingdom, gives Him right to rule and reign over our hearts and lives.
2. Power, places the authority and ability He possesses to control and command our attitudes and conduct.
3.  Glory, grants to Him whatever good or reward we may receive from the work He does in us.
4.  Forever, points to His eternal being.
 
He is in charge of all things both now and throughout eternity. When we say, “Forever” we know that we are short-term, but He is long-term. He is our “Forever.” When you pray tonight, praise God for His attributes. Thank Him that He is “Forever.”
 
Praises and Thanksgiving

• Praise God that the day was beautiful this past Sunday.
• Praise Him for 73 attending in-house worship.
• Praise God for the 56 He brought to Sunday School.
• Praise God for the $3,800+ received in tithes and offerings.
• Praise God for the joy of worship together again.
• Praise God for our Mission Team in Tanzania. They are well and sharing Jesus on behalf of our church family and the truth of the gospel. Did you see that Giraffe?
• Praise God for the children we had in Children’s Church and Nursery this past Sunday.
• Count your blessings. Name them one by one, and praise God for them.

 
Prayers for our People

• The family of Scott Pethel (Tina – wife, Emily – daughter, Ken, Debra, Carol and Christy)
• Christy Kent, Back at Emory, Intensive Care Transplant Unit
• Donna Roberts, COVID continues (21 days). Great News – Veda’s custody granted to Jessica.
• Joyce Reed, recovering at home
• Doug Bryant, Cancer Treatments and extreme back pain
• Mike House, anticipated back surgery
• Joey Wilson – COVID

 
Prayers for our Church

• Sunday’s Sermon is “Not Of, But Into”, John 17:17-19. Jesus prays that we will be SANCTIFIED in the truth. We live in a world where lying is getting worse and worse. Truth is what God uses to sanctify His children. Sanctify means to make Holy or to Consecrate something for God. Untruth makes you unholy and spoils you for spiritual service. I’m going to preach about truth Sunday. Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
• “Making Christ Real on Mundy Mill” Our sign is under construction. Installation is scheduled for March.
• Pray for our coming 2022 Emphasis, “The Year of Our Faith,” as we preach and teach the beliefs (Doctrines) of our faith. The first doctrine we will study is the doctrine of the Bible.
• Man! Things are happening in the Lower Building. New Bathrooms, New Lighting, New Flooring, New, Ceiling in the Worship Center, New Staging, New Sound System and Booth, NEW EVERTHING. Pray for the work underway and for the workers who are getting the work done.
• Pray for our coming SUPER BOWL SUNDAY, Men’s Chili Cook Off. Pray for a great fellowship and fun as we gather together for good food and great fun.
• Pray for our Children’s Ministry Team leadership. Pray that we will soon see our children returning to Children’s Church on Sundays that we will see parents and grandparents gathering again to worship.