Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #20240908 - The Blessing of Blessing God - Psalm 145:1-21

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#20240908 - The Blessing of Blessing God - Psalm 145:1-21 · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

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  Welcome to the study of God's Word recorded live at Calvary
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  Church in Aurora, Co. To learn more about the many
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  resources available through Abounding Grace Media or to tune
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  into our live stream services, visit us online at Calvary Co
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  dot Church or download our free Calvary Church app.
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  Now let's open our Bibles and study God's Word.
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  Amen. Thank you, Pastor Enrique.
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  Greetings from the beautiful state of Oregon.
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  And I tell you we absolutely love coming to Colorado.
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  We love your church. We love your pastor.
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  I wanted to tell you a funny story.
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  So this July, we came to the Pastors and Leaders Conference
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  in Oregon. And when I got there, I saw that
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  Pastor Ed Taylor was scheduled to be one of the speakers.
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  He was the main speaker a few years ago.
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  I was the speaker editor a couple years ago.
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  And so I was excited. I'm walking around meeting
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  people and someone says, hey, great to see you.
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  I see that you're speaking this year.
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  I said no, no, no, I'm not speaking.
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  No, no, I saw you on schedule. No, I think I would know if I'm
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  speaking. I'm not speaking this year.
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  And so a little later on I'm walking around and someone says,
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  hey, I see you, you're speaking this year.
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  I go no, really, I am not speaking this year and didn't
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  dawn on me. Oh, I see you think I'm a
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  tailor. Like I get that.
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  I mean we do look alike and we are brothers after all.
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  He's a nicer looking brother and mother always did like him best.
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  But hey, let's do a Bible study. We don't take your Bibles and
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  open the Psalm 145, Psalm 145 and the title of our message,
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  the blessing of blessing God, that's pray and receive from
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  God's word. Lord, we are so thankful for
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  your word, and we open our heart now to receive from you from
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  your word. We know that you send forth your
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  word in power. You reveal yourself through your
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  word. So God, meet us here in this
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  place by your Holy Spirit, pour out your Spirit of life through
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  your word we've come to hear and to receive in Jesus name and
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  everyone said Amen. Psalm 145, the last Psalm
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  written by David and in many ways perhaps the most important
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  of all of the Psalms. And here's why I mean that
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  because this Psalm makes up the greater part of a prayer that is
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  prayed by Jews all over the world, the famous Ashrae prayer.
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  Rabbis have long taught that if a person would recite this
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  Psalm, this song here as a prayer three times a day, that
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  is, three times every day, that that person would be guaranteed
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  a place in the afterlife, the world to come.
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  In other words, eternal life. That's how important this Psalm
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  is. But from the Christian
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  perspective, of course, reciting a prayer three times a day for
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  the rest of your life would not and could not guarantee you a
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  place in eternal life. That sounds far too much like
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  like believing that a person can be saved by their own righteous
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  deeds. I mean, what if you missed one
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  of these three times a day prayers?
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  Well, you would have to make it up by saying the prayer twice at
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  the next appointed time for prayer.
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  But then praying a prayer twice only counts if you missed it
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  unintentionally. No, you're not saved by your own
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  righteous deeds. You're saved when you believe
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  that you are a Sinner who cannot redeem himself from his own sin
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  and that you believe that God is the one who forgives sin through
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  his Son, Jesus Christ. I mean, a person might be able
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  to compensate for a missed prayer, but how does one
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  compensate for telling a lie? By telling the truth twice.
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  Oh, I really need it this time. No, the stain of that lie is
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  always there. How does one compensate for
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  losing his temper and saying hurtful words?
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  By saying nice words twice. No, the stain of those ugly
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  words is always there. Just ask the person on the
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  receiving end of those ugly words.
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  No, the stain of sin is washed white as snow only when the
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  blood of Jesus Christ is applied to your sins.
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  There is no other remedy for sin.
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  There is no other name under heaven by which men must be
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  saved, but the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living
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  God. Yeah, sure, let's give them the
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  praise. Absolutely right.
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  Amen. The Scripture says in Isaiah 53
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  that the iniquity of us all fell upon him.
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  In other words, the full brunt of the condemnation of our sin
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  fell upon him, and we are saved. I was thinking of an
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  illustration. So several years ago, the guys
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  in our church were doing some work on the lights in the
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  sanctuary, and we've got a really tall sanctuary very
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  similar to this, and they were using an extension ladder.
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  Now many of you know, of course, what an extension ladder is that
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  if you don't, it's two ladders really connected together.
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  So you got a lower one and you have an upper one that is raised
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  up by a rope and it connects together and you can go way high
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  up. When the guys had finished, I
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  thought I would be helpful, you know, and lower down the
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  extension ladder so they could put it away.
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  Now I had a grip on the lower run of the ladder with my left
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  hand and with the rope in my right hand.
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  I was trying to bring down the upper section of the ladder, but
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  I lost my grip on the rope and the ladder came crashing down
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  and smashed directly onto my hand.
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  This is where you're supposed to go.
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  I know, right? And from that height it was
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  fully extended. From that height, it should have
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  completely broken my hand. But not only did it not break my
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  hand, it didn't even hurt. Now you say, wait, how is that
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  even possible? Here's what happened.
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  So when I held on to that lower rung of the ring, it pushed the
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  rung of the ladder. It pushed my ring like this and
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  so when the when the upper ladder came flying down, it
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  smashed directly onto my ring. My wedding ring took it all.
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  Her love took it all and I was saved.
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  But what a great illustration is that you are saved not by your
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  righteous deeds, but you are saved when the condemnation, the
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  full brunt of the condemnation of your sin, fell upon Jesus
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  Christ on the cross. God took it all and you are
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  saved. You are saved because of his
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  great love. And yeah, let's give the little
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  peace. That's exactly right.
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  But not only are your sins forgiven in their entirety, but
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  you are also given the righteousness of Jesus Christ as
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  a gift. Can you imagine receiving the
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  righteousness of Jesus Christ credited into your account?
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  The scripture says that when you stand before the throne of the
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  great Almighty at the end of the age, that you will be standing
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  there wearing a robe of righteousness, not a robe of
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  your own righteousness. Our righteousness is like filthy
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  rags. The scripture says no, you will
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  be standing there on that glorious day wearing the robe of
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  the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
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  How beautiful is that? Psalm 130, verses 33 and 4 says
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  if you Lord, shed mark iniquities, O Lord, who could
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  stand? But with you there is
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  forgiveness, that you may be honored and revered.
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  This is a key verse that you may be honored and revered.
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  And then there's Isaiah 6110. I will rejoice greatly in the
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  Lord. My soul will exalt in my God,
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  for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, and He
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  has wrapped me with the robe of righteousness.
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  Oh, all this God has done for us through His Son Jesus Christ.
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  See, when you step back and you see all that God has done for
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  you and your Son Jesus Christ, you want to honor him, you want
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  to thank him, you want to love him, you want to bless him.
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  And I'll tell you what, I look back on my life.
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  I am so blessed. God has blessed my life, and I'm
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  so thankful for that. Anybody want to join me?
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  Amen. Let's give them our praise.
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  Exactly right. And so that's what this Psalm is
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  for. It is the Psalm of the blessed.
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  They are so blessed that they want to honor God, they want to
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  Revere God, and they want to bless God.
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  There is a blessing that comes to those who bless the Lord.
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  So let's read it. We're in Psalm 145.
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  I'm reading out of the new King James.
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  I will extol you, my God, O King, I will bless your name
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  forever and ever. Every day.
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  I will bless you. There you see why they would
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  read this every day. Every day I will bless you, and
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  I will praise your name forever and ever.
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  For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His
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  greatness is unsearchable. In other words, you could search
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  for eternity and never come to the end of His greatness.
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  And one generation shall praise your works to another, and shall
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  declare your mighty acts. I will meditate on the glorious
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  splendor of Your Majesty and on your wondrous works.
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  I love that verse. I will meditate on Your glorious
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  splendor, of Your majesty and Your wondrous works, and men
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  shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, and will declare
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  Your greatness, and they will utter the memory of Your great
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  goodness, and will sing of Your righteousness.
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  For the Lord is gracious, full of compassion, slow to anger,
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  and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His
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  tender mercies are over. All His works.
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  All Your work, shall praise You, O Lord, and Your Saints shall
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  bless you, and they will speak of the glory of Your Kingdom and
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  talk of Your power. Oh, I love to speak of the glory
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  of the Kingdom, to make known to the sons of men His mighty acts
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  and the glorious majesty of His Kingdom.
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  For your Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and your
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  dominion endures throughout all generations.
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  For the Lord upholds all who fall, and raises up all who are
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  bowed down. For the eyes of all look
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  expectantly to you, and you give them their food.
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  In due season you open your hand, and you satisfy the desire
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  of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all His
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  ways and gracious in all His works.
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  And the Lord is near to all who call upon Him, who call upon Him
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  in truth. He will fulfill the desire of
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  those who fear Him, and He will hear their cry, and He will save
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  them. The Lord preserves all who love
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  Him. All the wicked he will destroy,
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  but my mouth will speak of the praise of the Lord, and all
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  flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.
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  That is an amazing song filled you.
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  Let's give the Lord praise. I love it.
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  You guys are awesome, filled with great insights for us to
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  take hold of and apply to our lives.
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  Starting with this, that it's good for the soul to bless God.
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  Notice how he begins in verses one and two.
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  I will extol you, my God, O King.
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  I will bless your name forever and ever every day.
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  I will bless you. See, in other words, I've set my
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  course. I have decided that my life will
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  bless and honor the name of my God forever and ever.
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  Yeah, You got to come to the place where this matter is
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  settled. It's like that verse.
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  Your word, O Lord, is settled in heaven.
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  And if your word is settled in heaven, God, your word is
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  settled in. May those you see who are
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  unsure, may they stay close to the fence.
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  But those who have decidled and settled their hearts, they go
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  farther in and higher up in the Kingdom of God.
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  For there is no greater joy for the soul than to delight itself
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  in God. There is no higher place for the
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  soul to dwell, because many are searching and many are longing
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  to fill that which is missing. There's something empty.
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  There's something missing. What is this thing many people
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  are searching and longing? What is this thing that's
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  missing in their lives? They're longing to be filled
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  with meaning and purpose and significance.
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  They want their lives to matter. What are we here for?
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  What is our purpose? Well, He tells us an aspect of
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  that in verse 4, to praise His works to another generation.
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  You notice verse four, One generation shall praise your
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  works to another and declare your mighty acts, right?
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  He is Speaking of the older generation, Speaking of the
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  mighty acts of God to the younger generation.
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  Well, what is it you want to tell the younger generation?
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  You want them to know I know what the soul longs for.
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  I have found the soul's desire. I have found what the soul
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  seeks. I know what it is.
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  I want you to taste it for yourself.
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  I want you to see it for yourself.
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  I want you to know that the Lord is good.
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  That's what the older generation wants to say to the younger
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  generation. But I think it's our nature
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  firstly to share good news. When you find something that's
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  good, you want to share it. I was thinking of an
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  illustration. I remember the first time I ever
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  tasted cotton candy grapes. I remember right where I was.
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  I was at Fred Meyer store. It's like King Super here.
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  I was in the produce section and I saw a sign, cotton candy
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  grapes. And I thought, no way.
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  Grapes. I taste like cotton candy.
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  And so I tasted one. You're allowed to taste one and
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  I tasted 1 and they thought this is amazing.
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  These really taste like cotton candy grapes.
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  I was so excited. I took my phone out right there
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  at Fred Meyer and I started calling all my family like you
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  guys will not believe this. I'm standing in the produce
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  section here at the store and I'm tasting grapes.
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  They taste like cotton candy. And they said no way.
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  And I said, way, these are so good.
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  And so we were going to have a family gathering, you know, and
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  I bought a big bag of them and I brought them and I said, taste,
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  taste. You got to taste this for
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  yourself. And they're all like, yeah,
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  you're right. This, this is amazing.
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  These actually taste like cotton candy grapes.
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  By the way, how many people have never had a cotton candy grape?
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  Are you kidding me? They are so good.
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  By the way, they had them on sale at King Super High was
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  yesterday. Like what a great illustration.
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  Like that's what one generation declares to another.
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  I know what the soul desires. I want you to then taste it for
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  yourself and see that the Lord is good.
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  It's like Psalm 34 verse 80. Taste and see that the Lord is
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  good. How blessed is the man who takes
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  refuge in him like you want to tell the next generation that
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  relationship with God is far more than a theological
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  understanding. Relationship with God is a
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  matter of life. It's a spiritual bearing of
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  faith. Now you must taste and see that
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  the Lord is good. When you're partaking, see,
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  you're partaking in the life of God, and it becomes life within
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  you. See, when you critique of the
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  Lord, it's good for the soul. It settles well in the soul
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  because it brings forth that which is beautiful in your life
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  and in your heart. See, when you're critique of the
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  Lord, you are being transformed from within your soul.
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  That's what one generation declares to the next generation.
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  They have found their souls desire and they want the
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  generation to know it, to taste it, to see it.
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  I tell you, I have personally discovered the beauty of the
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  Lord. Now many people don't think in
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  those terms, the beauty of the Lord, but David did.
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  In fact, David wrote in perhaps one of the most famous psalms
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  that he ever wrote, Psalm 27, where he said, one thing I have
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  asked from the Lord, and that I shall seek, that I may dwell in
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  the House of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the
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  beauty of the Lord, and to meditate in his temple.
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  David understood the beauty of the Lord.
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  That that which God does is beautiful in the soul.
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  David wrote. Great is the Lord and greatly to
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  be praised. His greatness is unsearchable.
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  But notice then where he goes next in verse 5.
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  I will meditate. See, this is the key.
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  Meditate on the majesty of His splendor and on your wonderful
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  works. I will meditate.
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  This is a deep understanding. They even understood the the
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  glory that abides in the soul when you meditate on the majesty
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  of his splendor and on his wonderful works.
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  Now, the Christian understanding of meditation is far different
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  than that of the Eastern religions.
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  I remember teaching a class many years ago to new believers, and
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  a fellow raised his hand and said, do Christians meditate,
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  you know, like the Eastern religions?
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  And they said, well, no, the Christians do have a beautiful
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  understanding of what it means to meditate on the glory and
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  majesty of God. But the Eastern philosophies,
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  their idea of meditation is to empty one's mind of all thought
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  in order to become one with the universe.
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  This is their big idea, that if you would empty, empty, empty
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  your mind of all thought that you could become one with the
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  universe. Can I just say I have no desire
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  to become one with the universe when I have a person or
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  relationship with the One who created the universe by His
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  great power and by His outstretched hand?
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  Amen. Can you give God praise?
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  See, the biblical understanding of meditation is far different.
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  It's not the emptying of one's mind, it's the filling of one's
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  mind and one's heart and one's soul.
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  You meditate on the glory, the majesty of his splendor, David
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  wrote in Psalm 139. Wonderful are your works, O
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  Lord, and my soul knows it very well.
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  See, so many people, they fill their minds with fears and
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  anxieties and insecurities. This is what they meditate on,
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  their fears, anxious thoughts. And when you think on such
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  things, it's not good for the soul, for you're constantly
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  turning inward and you're meditating upon your fears and
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  your insecurities. And the result of that is
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  bitterness. But David here is giving us a
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  great spiritual secret. Something glorious happens in
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  the soul when you fill your mind and your heart with the majesty
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  of a splendor. It's like Psalm 82, verses one
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  to four. It is good to give thanks to the
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  Lord, and to sing praises to your name almost high, to
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  declare your loving kindness in the morning and your
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  faithfulness by night. For you, O Lord, have made me
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  glad by what you have done, and I will sing for joy at the works
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  of your hands, for great are your works, O Lord.
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  Now Paul wrote something very similar to that in Philippians 4
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  verses 8 and 9. Whatever is true, whatever is
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  honourable, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is
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  of good repute, if there is any excellence in anything worthy of
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  praise, think on these things. And then would you notice verse
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  20? For in verse 20 really He gives
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  us the theme of the last section of this beautiful Psalm, that
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  the Lord keeps all who love him. The Lord keeps watch and guards
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  over all who love him. Now firstly, we misunderstand
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  that you were made in God's image and He loves you and what
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  He desires most is that you would love him in response.
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  That you would love him out of the glory in the splendor of all
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  that God has done in your life. That you would love him in
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  response to all that he has done in you and for you.
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  It's a love relationship that goes both ways.
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  I was thinking of an illustration.
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  I in all my life, I've never been into babies until I had one
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  and that changed everything. Like that baby is made in my
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  image and something clicked, something happened.
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  It's like I'm all in it. It was amazing.
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  Now, before that I, I wasn't into babies.
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  And if someone said, oh, here's my baby, I was, oh, that's nice.
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  You want to hold him? No, not really.
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  But then when I had one, it's like, yeah, I'm all the, I'm
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  going to the doctor's appointments.
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  I'm going to help with this. I'm going to.
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  I am so in. I was so in that I said to the
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  doctor, I want to deliver this baby myself.
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  And the doctor said, yes, I could in the hospital, I can
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  deliver this baby, he said on two conditions.
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  I said, OK, what? What's that first condition?
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  If anything goes wrong, you step aside and let me take over.
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  I said, oh, I want that. Anything happens.
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  Yes, you take over. Now.
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  You said there were two conditions.
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  What's the second one? The second one is you're still
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  paying the same price. Yeah.
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  OK. OK.
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  I'm fine. Fine, fine.
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  That was Nicole. I'm all in.
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  Something special between us. I would get up at night.
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  I'll change the diapers. I'm all in something special
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  between us all her life, in fact, the night before she was
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  killed, she was murdered 10 years ago.
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  The night before she was killed, we sat together, Starbucks
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  sitting outside was a warm August evening.
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  Just sat outside having a cold drink, talking about life,
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  family, God, relationships, something special between us.
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  It's a beautiful illustration because you were made in God's
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  image and He loves you and He's all in.
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  He's so in that He said His only begotten Son, that whoever would
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  believe in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.
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  God loves you so much that He himself for the price and the
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  consequence of sin, that those who would believe in Him would
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  have their sins paid in full, because He paid it for them in
• 25:26
  the cross of Jesus Christ. God is all in.
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  Amen. And God wants you to be in
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  That's the the glory of this Psalm.
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  God's all in. He wants you to be all in.
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  And then it says, and then those who love him will know that he
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  keeps watch. He surrounds them with songs of
• 25:52
  deliverance. He guards over them and keeps.
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  Now he says, you are like the apple of his eye.
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  Deuteronomy 3210. He encircled Israel, He cared
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  for him, He guarded him as the apple of his eye.
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  Zechariah 28 Thus says the Lord of hosts, He who touches you
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  touches the apple of my eye. God loves you, He's all in.
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  That's what he says then in verses 18 and 19, that he is
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  nearer to all those who call. He's near to all those who call
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  upon him, who call upon him in truth.
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  Now there are two parts to that, to all those who call upon him
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  and those who call upon him in truth.
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  Now in first John chapter 5 verse 14, we we read a similar
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  thing. This is the confidence we have
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  before him, that if we ask anything according to His will
• 26:54
  that He hears us. And if we know that He hears us
• 26:58
  in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we
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  have asked from you. David understood this very well.
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  How many times did David cry out to the Lord?
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  And God saved him over and over and over.
• 27:16
  It's a master class in God, meeting David in the moments of
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  his insufficiency and revealing his hand of favor on David's
• 27:27
  life. God was David's help and his
• 27:31
  confidence. Your help makes me great, Lord,
• 27:34
  he said. And then to call upon him in
• 27:36
  truth means with the true heart. In the Hebrew it means a true
• 27:41
  confidence of faith to believe that God is near to those who
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  call and that God will rescue and that God will save.
• 27:50
  And then it says, and not only that, but he will satisfy those
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  who honor him. When you honor God because of
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  all that God has done in your life, you want to bless him.
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  This is the prayer the the the Psalm of the blessed.
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  He says He will fulfill verse 19.
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  He will fulfill the desire of those who Revere him and those
• 28:16
  who honor him. This is one of David's greatest
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  themes. You can see it all through the
• 28:22
  Psalms. You can imagine why David would
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  include it in one of the greatest prayers known to man.
• 28:29
  He says in other places, Psalm 37 verse 4, delight yourself in
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  the Lord, and He would give you the desires of your heart.
• 28:40
  The premise, delight your soul in the Lord and He will give you
• 28:47
  the desires of your heart. Psalm 34 verse 90 Revere the
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  Lord, you his Saints, for those who honour Him.
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  There is no want. There is no want.
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  David understood this very well. Psalm 23 verse one.
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  The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
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  I love the expression of Psalm 23 by Pastor SM Lockridge where
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  he says it this way. I shall not want Forrest, for he
• 29:19
  makes me lie down in green pastures.
• 29:22
  I shall not want for refreshment, for He leads me
• 29:25
  besides still waters. I shall not want for
• 29:29
  forgiveness, for He restores my soul.
• 29:32
  I shall not want for guidance, for He leads me in paths of
• 29:36
  righteousness for His name's sake.
• 29:39
  I shall not want for companionship, for though I walk
• 29:42
  to the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for Thou
• 29:46
  art with me. I shall not want for comfort for
• 29:50
  your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
• 29:52
  I shall not want for sustenance or provision for Your prepared
• 29:56
  table before me in the presence of mine enemies.
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  I shall not want for joy, for you anoint my head with oil, and
• 30:03
  my cup runneth over. I shall not want for anything in
• 30:07
  this life, for goodness and mercy will follow me all the
• 30:10
  days of my life. And I shall not want for
• 30:13
  anything in the life to come, for I shall dwell in the House
• 30:17
  of the Lord forever. That's a glorious song.
• 30:20
  Can we give God praise? Amen.
• 30:23
  One of the reasons Psalm 145 is so beautiful is because it
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  expresses a relationship of the Lord of blessings that flow both
• 30:34
  ways. It's the Psalm of the blessed.
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  God has so blessed my life. He's so great, wondrous.
• 30:42
  I will meditate on the majesty of His splendor.
• 30:46
  Wonderful works, how He blesses His people and that it expresses
• 30:51
  the beauty of those who want to bless God in return.
• 30:56
  I will bless your name forever and ever.
• 30:59
  Every day I will bless you. See, there's that theme.
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  We read it in Psalm 36 earlier today.
• 31:07
  One of my favourite Psalms because it contains some of the
• 31:11
  deepest truths known to man. Psalm 36 verses 8:00 and 9:00.
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  They drink their fill of the abundance of your house, and you
• 31:22
  give them to drink of the river of your delights.
• 31:26
  There is a river. God says you, and you may drink.
• 31:32
  You may drink your fill. He invites you to come.
• 31:37
  You have no money. Come by and eat.
• 31:41
  There is a river He invites you. It's a river of God's delight.
• 31:47
  He wants to have your soul filled and overflowing with the
• 31:52
  glory and the delight. He says they drink their fill of
• 31:57
  the abundance of your house for you give them to drink of the
• 32:00
  river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of
• 32:03
  life. And in your light we see light.
• 32:07
  See, what you partake of in this life would directly impact your
• 32:12
  soul. There was so much in this world
• 32:17
  that people partake of that is poison to the soul.
• 32:22
  That brings a bitterness in a poison of life.
• 32:26
  But when you have tasted and seen how good God is, you want
• 32:34
  to bless Him in return. There's a point you come to life
• 32:40
  when you must decide the course. You must settle this with God.
• 32:46
  Every day I will bless you. You must decide from where life
• 32:53
  comes. Reminds me of when many of you
• 32:58
  have read in the history of Israel that at some point they
• 33:02
  were defeated by the Babylonians, and the Babylonians
• 33:05
  took them captive into Babylon. Those 70 years.
• 33:10
  At the end of 70 years, a new king reigned over Babylon and
• 33:14
  gave an edict, a decree that any Jew who wished could leave
• 33:20
  Babylon and return to Jerusalem, to rebuild and restore the city
• 33:25
  and to rebuild and restore the temple.
• 33:28
  But many Jews did not want to go to Jerusalem.
• 33:33
  They had grown quite content there in Babylon.
• 33:39
  What's not so like everything one might desire was in Babylon.
• 33:45
  By the way, the two cities most mentioned in all the Scriptures
• 33:49
  are Babylon and Jerusalem. Jerusalem being the first most
• 33:53
  mentioned, Babylon being the 2nd.
• 33:55
  And in many ways Babylon represents the world.
• 34:00
  You can see that clearly in the Book of Revelation.
• 34:03
  Babylon, Jerusalem. There were many who heard the
• 34:09
  decree that they could return to Jerusalem, but they did not want
• 34:12
  to return. They had grown quite comfortable
• 34:15
  there. What's not to like in Babylon?
• 34:18
  Oh, in Babylon you could buy a house with a garden.
• 34:23
  You can get a house with a view of the river.
• 34:25
  You could get a four horse horsepower chariot in Babylon.
• 34:31
  You can get Persian rugs in Babylon.
• 34:34
  You can get Turkish delight in Babylon.
• 34:38
  Oh, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were considered a wonder
• 34:43
  of the world. What's not to like in Babylon?
• 34:50
  But there were others who said, no, Jerusalem.
• 34:55
  I must go to Jerusalem. Why?
• 34:58
  Why would you go to Jerusalem? It's the city is in ruins.
• 35:02
  It's a it's in rubble. Compared that to Babylon, It's.
• 35:06
  Oh, no, in Jerusalem is where the glory of God dwells.
• 35:12
  I want that. There's nothing in Babylon that
• 35:15
  satisfies the desire of my soul. I need the glory, and I know
• 35:20
  where the glory dwells. It's in Jerusalem.
• 35:24
  For we will rebuild this temple, and God's glory will dwell there
• 35:28
  again. Oh, my heart longs for
• 35:31
  Jerusalem. Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, may I
• 35:34
  never forget you. Oh my Jerusalem.
• 35:38
  By the way, Jerusalem is so important that God calls our
• 35:43
  eternal dwelling place the new Jerusalem, coming down out of
• 35:49
  heaven, adorned like a bride, adorned for her husband.
• 35:54
  Such is the significance of Jerusalem.
• 35:58
  It's a modern application for Babylon in so many ways
• 36:03
  represents the world, all the world, all the pleasantnesses of
• 36:09
  the world. What's not to like?
• 36:12
  There's so many pleasant things. And I have to tell you, yes, the
• 36:15
  pleasant things of the world are certainly pleasant.
• 36:20
  Microwave popcorn, Caramel macchiatos, nachos, Doritos
• 36:30
  while watching the Denver Broncos and their new
• 36:35
  quarterback who's from Oregon, by the way.
• 36:41
  What's not to like? All the pleasantnesses of
• 36:46
  Babylon. What?
• 36:47
  The pleasantnesses of the world, What's not to like?
• 36:55
  But all of the pleasantnesses of the world are not enough for me.
• 37:00
  They're not enough for you. Passion.
• 37:01
  What is it you need? I need the glory of God.
• 37:06
  That's what I need. And there's nothing in this
• 37:09
  world. Sure, let's give the Lord
• 37:10
  praise. Exactly right.
• 37:14
  And all of the pleasantnesses of the world, no matter how
• 37:18
  pleasant they may be, cannot satisfy the deepest longing of
• 37:23
  my heart. I need the glory.
• 37:27
  I need to behold the beauty of the Lord.
• 37:29
  I need the nearness of God. Nothing can satisfy my soul but
• 37:33
  that. Would you join me?
• 37:37
  Let's pray. Lord, we are so thankful for the
• 37:45
  revealing of your glory, the beauty of your majesty, the
• 37:52
  greatness of who you are, and all that you have done for us
• 37:58
  through your Son Jesus Christ. God, we stand in awe of who you
• 38:04
  are. And church, as we're praying, as
• 38:10
  we're continuing to pray with your eyes closed, there comes a
• 38:16
  time to settle this. There comes a time to say yes to
• 38:23
  Jesus. He is the one pursuing you.
• 38:27
  He is the one knocking on the door of your heart.
• 38:30
  He says if anyone would hear my voice and open the door, I will
• 38:34
  come in and Sup with him to have relationship with him.
• 38:38
  God has made a way for sinners to be made right with God.
• 38:43
  God has made a way. God has made a way for sinners
• 38:48
  to have their sins forgiven in full, for He has paid the price.
• 38:54
  When his Son Jesus died on the cross, He paid the penalty for
• 38:58
  your sins, all of them, and they are paid in full.
• 39:04
  There comes a time to settle this with God.
• 39:08
  There comes a time to get your life right with the Almighty
• 39:16
  Church today. If you would say yes, He's
• 39:21
  pursuing you. Do you want to settle this with
• 39:24
  the Lord? If you want to know that your
• 39:25
  sins are forgiven? He's made a way for sinners to
• 39:30
  have a relationship to the Almighty God that you can call
• 39:35
  Him your own Father gives you the promise of eternal life.
• 39:43
  He's made a way through His Son Jesus Christ, but you got to
• 39:51
  open your heart going to say yes.
• 39:54
  If that's you, if you would say yes to Jesus, if you want to
• 39:57
  know that your sins are forgiven, you have the hope and
• 40:00
  promise of eternal life, have relationship with God as your
• 40:04
  father, then I'm going to ask that you would just raise your
• 40:07
  hand. I want to just agree with you
• 40:09
  and pray with you. Just raise your hand.
• 40:11
  I want to pray with you right now.
• 40:12
  God bless you. I see you right there.
• 40:14
  God bless you anyone else. I want you to have this moment.
• 40:17
  Many have come to the Lord this weekend.
• 40:19
  God bless you, friend. God bless you there in the back.
• 40:21
  I see you. God bless you, sister.
• 40:23
  God bless you here in the middle.
• 40:25
  Anyone else over there? I see you too, right there.
• 40:27
  God bless you there in the back. I see your hand.
• 40:29
  Anyone else? Anyone else.
• 40:32
  I want you to have this opportunity.
• 40:33
  Don't miss, don't miss this opportunity.
• 40:37
  I see you right back there. I see you right there.
• 40:40
  God bless you. Anyone else?
• 40:43
  I see you. God bless you, sister, right
• 40:45
  there in the back and there. I see you there, over there.
• 40:47
  God bless you. Anyone else?
• 40:50
  God bless you, sister, right here in the front.
• 40:51
  And you two sister. Anyone else?
• 40:54
  Anyone else? I see you right there.
• 40:56
  I see your hand. Yes, anyone else.
• 41:00
  I see you guys right here, up here, both of you.
• 41:01
  God bless you guys. Anyone else.
• 41:07
  Maybe you're here and the spirit is stirring you and you need to
• 41:13
  maybe rededicate or recommit. Maybe you've been a believer,
• 41:18
  but you've wondered. You're out there wandering in
• 41:20
  the desert and now you see Spirit is saying to you, you
• 41:25
  need to get this right. You need your soul right with
• 41:27
  God. Maybe you need to rededicate or
• 41:29
  recommit your life. Would you raise your hand?
• 41:31
  If that's you, I want to pray for you as well.
• 41:33
  God bless you. Many hands raised.
• 41:34
  Anyone else? Anyone else?
• 41:36
  This is your opportunity. Let your soul be right.
• 41:39
  I see many hands right there and right there.
• 41:41
  God bless you guys, right up there, God bless you, thank you.
• 41:45
  Right there, God bless you. Anyone else?
• 41:49
  God bless you guys. Several hands back there in the
• 41:51
  back, thank you. In the front here God bless you,
• 41:55
  and over here God bless you. Anyone else?
• 41:59
  Father, we want to pray for everyone who's lifted their
• 42:04
  hands to say yes, yes, yes, Jesus, forgive my sin.
• 42:12
  I want to be right with God. I want to walk with Jesus.
• 42:15
  I want to walk in a relationship to honor you and bless you
• 42:23
  because you've blessed me so much.
• 42:25
  Thank you for the Lunas of Life Church.
• 42:29
  If you made that decision to receive Christ or rededicate
• 42:33
  your life, I want to lead you in a prayer.
• 42:36
  This is a prayer that you pray from the depths of your heart.
• 42:39
  You mean this prayer you pray this prayer, I'm going to lead
• 42:43
  you in it. A prayer where you getting
• 42:46
  you're going to declare your heart.
• 42:49
  Now, church, I'm going to ask those who are believers that you
• 42:51
  pray also just as a way to support them.
• 42:54
  But you all just let me lead you in this prayer.
• 42:57
  You pray with me. Dear Jesus, thank you for dying
• 43:02
  on the cross. Yeah, you just pray this prayer
• 43:05
  out loud. Thank you for dying on the
• 43:08
  cross. Thank you for forgiving my sin.
• 43:15
  Thank you for receiving me, for loving me, for giving me eternal
• 43:21
  life. I want to walk with you and
• 43:28
  honour you. Thank you for calling me, Thank
• 43:36
  you for loving me and thank you for forgiving me.
• 43:42
  I honour you and thank you in Jesus name.
• 43:45
  And everyone said, can we give the Lord praise and glory and
• 43:49
  honor? Amen.
• 43:51
  Amen. We pray that you've been
• 43:53
  encouraged by this Bible study, delivered live from the
• 43:56
  sanctuary of Calvary Church. For prayer, call us at 87730
• 44:01
  Grace that's 877-304-7223. To listen to this message in its
• 44:09
  integrity or to join us for our live stream services, visit us
• 44:13
  online at Calvary Co dot Church or download our free Calvary
• 44:18
  Church app. Be blessed as you worship Jesus
• 44:21
  this week.