for a later generation

Posted on April 20, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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for a later generation

Psalm 102:18-22 (JDV)

Psalm 102:18 This will be written for a later generation, and a people will be created who will praise Yah:
Psalm 102:19 He looked down from his sacred heights – Yahveh gazed out from the sky to the land –
Psalm 102:20 to hear a prisoner’s groaning, to set free those condemned to die,
Psalm 102:21 so that they might declare the name of Yahveh in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem,
Psalm 102:22 when peoples and kingdoms are gathered to serve Yahveh.

for a later generation

One of the tremendous blessings I am discovering is the treasure I find in books, ancient ones. We live in an age with resources available for research and understanding that would make ancient scholars envious. And these resources are available to almost anyone anywhere. One of the reasons I write is that I know there is a chance of reaching people with my writings that I would never meet personally. Some of those people will be like I am now, hungry and thirsty for knowledge of God’s word, and willing to proverbially dust off some old books to get it.

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Yahveh will rebuild Zion

Posted on April 19, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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Yahveh will rebuild Zion

Psalm 102:12-17 (JDV)

Psalm 102:12 But you, Yahveh, remain sitting permanently; your fame endures from one generation to the next.
Psalm 102:13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her – the appointed time has come.
Psalm 102:14 Yes, your servants are pleased with its stones and favor its dust.
Psalm 102:15 Then the nations will fear the name of Yahveh, and all the kings of the land your fame,
Psalm 102:16 because Yahveh will rebuild Zion; he will appear in his fame.
Psalm 102:17 He will pay attention to the prayer of the stripped people and will not despise their prayer.

Yahveh will rebuild Zion

Lieth suggests two options in interpreting the prophecy in verse 16: “This verse could describe the repatriation of Israel and the nation’s founding, or it could describe the construction upon the land. That could mean that the construction of Zion is directly tied to Jesus’ return” (69). It is entirely possible that the events taking place in the world right now are indications of the Messiah’s soon return.

Lieth, Norbert. Messianic Psalms. West Columbia, S.C: Olive Press, 2012.

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like a solitary bird

Posted on April 18, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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like a solitary bird

Psalm 102:3-11 (JDV)

Psalm 102:3 Yes, my days finish off like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace.
Psalm 102:4 My heart is suffering, drying up like grass; I even forget to eat my food.
Psalm 102:5 Due to my loud groaning, my flesh sticks to my bones.
Psalm 102:6 I am like an owl of the open country, like a little owl among the ruins.
Psalm 102:7 I stay awake; I am like a solitary bird on a roof.
Psalm 102:8 My enemies taunt me all day long; they ridicule and use my name as a curse.
Psalm 102:9 I eat ashes like bread and mingle my drinks with tears
Psalm 102:10 because of your indignation and wrath; because you have picked me up and thrown me aside.
Psalm 102:11 My days are like a lengthening shadow, and I am drying up like grass.

like a solitary bird

Gloria Hutchinson speaks of a woman who had just gone through a divorce, and “every common chore from driving to grocery shopping now loomed like a high-jump crossbar set at Olympic heights. Insomnia had her groaning with the psalmist, “I lie awake; I am like a lonely bird on the house- top” (Psalm 102:7). Her prayer was angry, accompanied by pounding on the wall: “Where are you when | need you the most? I don’t see you wiping every tear from my eye!” (8)

We may not feel like God is there when we face loneliness, but he is. We can cry out to him. He wants us to.

Hutchinson, Gloria. Be Comforted: Healing in Times of Loss, Anger, Anxiety, Loneliness, Sickness, Death. Cincinnati, Ohio: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2004.

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God’s shining face

Posted on April 17, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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God’s shining face

Psalm 102:1-2 (JDV)

Psalm 102:1 Yahveh, hear my prayer; let my cry for help come before you.
Psalm 102:2 Do not hide your face from me in my day of distress. Listen closely to me; answer me quickly when I call.

God’s shining face

Fruh writes: “God’s love is unconditional. Is it any wonder that David prayed, “Do not hide Your face from me” (Psalm 102:2)? He could not bear even thinking about life without the shining face of his heavenly Father penetrating his soul. To David, the shining face of God was a symbol of mercy and salvation: “Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved!” (Psalm 80:19) (43).

Fruh, Aaron. Forgotten Blessing, the: Ancient Words That Heal Generational Wounds. Grand Rapids: Baker Pub. Group, 2006.

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making a difference

Posted on April 16, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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making a difference

Psalm 101:8 (JDV)

Psalm 101:8 At the morning I will silence all the wicked of the land, wiping out all troublemakers from Yahveh’s city.

making a difference

Do we dare say something like that in today’s pluralistic environment? We need to start making a difference in our society,or before long there will be no one left who can.

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lie free palace

Posted on April 15, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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lie free palace

Psalm 101:7 (JDV)

Psalm 101:7 No one who acts deceitfully will stay in my palace; the one who tells lies will not be retained here to guide me.

lie free palace

This poem, entitled WATCHFULNESS appeared in Martha Daniel’s “Dew of Hermon”:

“Ye saints of God, arise!
Your houses guard with care,
That sin may not before your eyes
Take the possession there.

For slander and deceit,
And crimes of every hue
Will strive to gain within a seat,
And tarry there with you.

O keep your own hearts pure,
That you may ever be
A terror to the evil doer,
That they may from you flee.

God surely will destroy
The wicked of the land,
But all his saints shall still enjoy
The blessings of his hand” (93).

Our King wants his servants to be free of deceit.

LORD, purify our hearts so that we can serve in your palace.

Daniel, Martha A. The Dew of Hermon. Lewiston, Me.: J.A. Smith, printer, 1858.

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qualified to serve

Posted on April 14, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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qualified to serve

Psalm 101:6 (JDV)

Psalm 101:6 My eyes favor the faithful of the land so that they may stay sitting with me. The one who follows the road to integrity may serve me.

qualified to serve

McMinn says “God is not just seeking worship. He’s seeking worshipers (John 4). Otherwise, we could just insert a compact disk of praise music, put it on continuous play, and be done with it. God would be appeased and we could do our own thing. But it’s not that simple, God is looking for worshipers – people.

And, of course, He’s more interested in the condition of our hearts than the position of our hands and in the choices of our volition than in the beauty of our voices. Yes, God enjoys our singing, clapping, and kneeling, but it does no good to bend the knee before God if we have not first bent our hearts” (26).

LORD, change our hearts so that we qualify to serve and worship you!

McMinn, Don. A Heart Aflame: A Study Course for Developing Intimacy with God Through Worship. Oklahoma City, OK: NCMPress, 1993.

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God is supervising

Posted on April 13, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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God is supervising

Psalm 101:5 (JDV)

Psalm 101:5 I will silence anyone who secretly slanders his neighbor; I cannot tolerate anyone with haughty eyes or an arrogant heart.

God is supervising

The Eagans list this verse three times in their book of Scriptures as they apply to the workplace.

The chapter on pride and arrogance at work (p. 149).

The chapter on lying at work (p. 228).

And the chapter on gossip and slander at work (p. 266).

When we work together with others, we should keep in mind that God is supervising.

Eagan, J V, and Catherine B. Eagan. The Word @ Work: Scriptures for the Workplace. Orchard Lake, Mich: Workplace Wisdom Pub, 2003.

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hot stove therapy

Posted on April 12, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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hot stove therapy

Psalm 101:1-4 (JDV)

Psalm 101:1 I will sing of covenant faithfulness and justice; I will sing praise to you, Yahveh.
Psalm 101:2 I will pay attention to the road to integrity. When will you come to me? I will live with a heart of integrity in my house.
Psalm 101:3 I will not let anything worthless guide me. I hate the practice of transgression; it will not cling to me.
Psalm 101:4 A devious heart will be far from me; I will not be involved with evil.

hot stove therapy

The authors of “Every Young Man’s Battle Guide” write: “For most young men, the eyes bounce toward the sexual and not away from it. To combat years and years of this reflexive action, you need to train your eyes to immediately bounce away when they come upon a sexy image—much like the way you jerk your hand away from a hot stove. Here is what you want to do in a nutshell: When your eyes bounce toward a woman’s attributes, they must bounce away immediately (190).

Arterburn, Stephen, Fred Stoeker, and Mike Yorkey. Every Young Man’s Battle Guide. Colorado Springs, Colo: WaterBrook Press, 2003.

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He defines who we are

Posted on April 11, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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He defines who we are

Psalm 100:1-5 (JDV)

Psalm 100:1 Whole land, shout triumphantly to Yahveh!
Psalm 100:2 Serve Yahveh with joy; come before him with joyful songs.
Psalm 100:3 Acknowledge that Yahveh is God. He made us, and we are his – his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Psalm 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name.
Psalm 100:5 Yes, Yahveh is good, and his covenant faithfulness endures permanently; his reliability, through all generations.

He defines who we are

The Ryans wrote: ‘Who am I? It is one of the most basic questions we ask in life. Most of us attempt, at one time or another, to answer this question in superficial ways. We may, at times, believe that we are what we do—or that we are what we have accomplished. We may, at times, believe that we are what we buy—that our identity comes from the stuff we own. At other times, we may believe that we are what we look like—that our identity comes from our body’s size, shape, and appearance. Or we may believe that we are who other people think we are. Or the various roles we play. Or that we are what happened to us. Sooner or later most of us come to believe—or at least suspect—that these kinds of answers to the question of our identity are not satisfying; they are not answers at all” (7).

We are creatures of God, sheep from his pasture.

Ryan, Dale, and Juanita Ryan. Receiving Identity from God: 6 Studies for Individuals or Groups. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 2001.

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