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The Profit of Praise · CCC West Covina

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As we approach the holiday season, we are, we are on a
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journey, journey along the pathway.
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We've called the pathway to praise.
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And over the next several weeks we are going to look at what the
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Bible says concerning giving praise to the Lord Jesus Christ.
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And how do we do that? What does it entail?
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And last week we told you that we are, we are a Kingdom of
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priests. That's Revelation chapter 1 as
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well as first Peter chapter 2. In fact, Peter calls us a a
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royal priesthood. And as priests, we are in the
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process of offering sacrifices to our God because that's what
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priests do. And the church as a priesthood
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of believers have specifically three different sacrifices that
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they offer on a regular basis. If you're with us on Wednesday
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night, you, you know what those sacrifices are because we talked
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about how pleasing they are to the Lord.
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The first sacrifice is the sacrifice of of self or my
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person. Romans 12 tells us that we are
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to present our bodies a living sacrifice unto God, for that is
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the only logical form of worship that we will ever have.
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And so as priests we offer our ourselves up to God as living
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sacrifices. But not only do we offer up the
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sacrifice of self, but we also offer up the sacrifice of
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substance or our purse. The Bible says in Hebrews
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chapter 13 verse #16 And do not neglect doing good and sharing,
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for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
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And then there's the third sacrifice, and that's a
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sacrifice of, of song. Whether it's a sacrifice of
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self, substance or song, or person, purse or praise, it's
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all costly. Hebrews 13 verse #15 Through
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Him, then let us continually OfferUp a sacrifice of praise to
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God. That is the fruit of lips that
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give thanks to His name. All three of those sacrifices
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are costly, but they are compensated greatly by God.
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And so as we begin to journey down this pathway of praise, we
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recognize that it is a sacrifice that truly pleases our God.
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And so in our journey we began last week by looking at the
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privilege of praise. What is the privilege behind
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praising God? As we continue down this pathway
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of praise, we move from the privilege of praise to the
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prophet of praise. There is great profit in
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praising God. And so many times we we miss
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this aspect of praise. For the Bible says in Psalm 92
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verse #1 these words it is good to give thanks to the Lord, and
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to sing praises to your name almost high, to declare your
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loving kindness in the morning and your faithfulness by night,
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with the 10 stringed lute, and with the harp, with sounding
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music upon the lyre. For you, O Lord, have made me
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glad by what You have done. I will sing for joy at the works
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of your hands. The psalmist says it is good to
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give thanks unto the Lord. He would also say in Psalm one,
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O 7 these words verse #1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is
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good, for his loving kindness is everlasting.
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Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from
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the hand of the adversary. OO Give thanks to the Lord, for
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he is good. Psalm 147 says it this way.
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Psalm 147 verse #1 Praise the Lord, for it is good to sing
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praises to our God, for it is pleasing, and praise is
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becoming. There's something about praise
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that is good, and because it's good, it brings profit to those
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who give praise to God. This morning I want to show you
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why it's good to give praise to God because the benefits are
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insurmountable. It's good to give praise to God
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#1 because the person of God is good, the person of God is good.
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Psalm 1/19/68 God is good. Whenever you give thanks to the
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Lord, it is good because the person of God is good.
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And so when you give thanks to the Lord, the prophet is, is
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that you begin to understand the magnitude of the person of God
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himself. So the Bible says that God
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himself is good. Listen to Psalm 118 verse #1
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Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, For his loving kindness
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is everlasting. Oh, let Israel say his loving
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kindness is everlasting. And let the House of Aaron say
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his loving kindness is everlasting.
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Oh, let those who fear the Lord say his loving kindness is
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everlasting. And then the psalmist concludes
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Psalm 18 with these words, Give thanks to the Lord, for he is
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good and his loving kindness is everlasting.
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The psalmist was saying Psalm 25 verse #8 good and upright is the
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Lord. In Psalm 145 verse #9 the Bible
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says the Lord is good to all, and then it says in Psalm 32
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verse #9 For I will wait on your name, for it is good.
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Psalm 34 verse #8 those or excuse me, taste and see that
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the Lord is good. The Bible says in Romans chapter
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2 that it's the goodness of God that leads man to repentance.
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The goodness of God leads man to repentance.
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Why? Because man is destined for
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hell. But because of God's grace and
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God's goodness, man can be saved.
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So the Bible says it's the goodness of God that leads man
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to repentance. As you recall, way back in the
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book of Exodus, the 33rd chapter, Moses asked God to see
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his glory. I want to see your splendor.
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I want to see your majesty. God says I can't let you see the
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fullness of my majesty because I have to kill you if you do,
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because you'll be incinerated. But I will let all my goodness
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pass before you. In other words, the glory of the
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Lord is defined by the goodness of God.
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It talks about his patience, his loving kindness, his
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forgiveness, His mercy, as he would hide Moses in the cleft of
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the rock and pass by him, and he could see the afterglow of the
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glory of God, and God would proclaim to him all of his
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goodness, and Moses would fall down and worship the Lord.
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It's good to give thanks to the Lord, because the person of God
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is good. And when you realize how good he
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is, the prophet that you receive is insurmountable because you
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begin to understand the character and nature of your God
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#2 Not only is a person of God good, but the Providence of God
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is good. The Providence of God is good.
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The Providence is that is defined by the hand of God
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moving in and among his people. It's the hand of God that that
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moves mountains, is the hand of God that moves kings.
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It's the hand of God that that moves husbands and wives.
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It's it's the out working of God in the daily aspect of everyone
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of our lives. God's Providence is always at
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work. God's Providence is never, never
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not working. God is working in and among your
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life, your marriage, your workplace, even as we speak
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today through the people and circumstances that you face to
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bring about your greater good. That's what the Bible says.
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We know that all things work together for good to those who
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love God and are called according to His purpose.
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That means even sinful things. The Bible didn't say all things
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except that which is sin works together for good.
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It says that all things work together for good to those who
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love God and are called according to His purposes.
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Why? Because God is bigger than your
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sin. Your sin is never so great that
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it that it gets God by surprise. Your sin is never so big that
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God can't handle what's going on in your life.
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So God will say all things were together for good to those who
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love God in a called according to his purpose because God is at
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work in the lives of his people. You know the story of Joseph,
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you meant it for evil, but but God meant it for good.
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Why? Because the Providence of God
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was working in my being sold to the Ishmaelites, being thrown
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into a pit, being lied to by Potiphar's wife, being thrown
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into jail. God used all those negative
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circumstances to bring about good for Joseph that he might
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save two nations, both Egypt and Israel.
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But so many times we can't see the the working of God amidst
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all of our conflict and affliction.
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But God is working. God's Providence is always
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sound. That's why the Bible says in
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Psalm 1/19/68 God is good and doest good.
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Only a good God can do that which is good.
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And that's why the psalmist was going to say it was good for me
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to have been afflicted, that I might learn your decrees.
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So in, in in the goodness of God, he allowed the affliction
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to come my way that I might learn the decrees of God.
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Why? Because in the Providence of
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God, he is working all things out after the counsel of his
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will. That's why the Providence of God
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is good, because the person of God is good.
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And if I know that, OK, the prophet to me is that I know
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that God is intricately involved in every aspect of my life,
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through all the negative and all the positive, through all the
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evil and through all the good, God is involved in molding and
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shaping my life that I might be just like him because God wants
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me to be like him. He wants me to be Christ like.
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So the Providence of God is good because the person of God is
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good. And if both of those are good,
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then #3 the proclamation about God then is good.
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That's why the Angel said, we bring you good news of great
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joy. The good news is the gospel.
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And when you proclaim the good news about a good God and His
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Providence, it brings profit to your life because you're doing
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what God's called you to do, to proclaim the message of the
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Lord. Listen to the words of Isaiah
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chapter 40 verse #9 get yourself up on a high mountain.
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Oh, Zion, bearer of good news here.
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Zion is representative of the people of Israel.
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If you are reading through the Old Testament, Zion has
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mentioned some 152 different times, it refers either to a
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place Mount Zion, or to a people Israel, or to the the property
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that Israel has, Mount Zion itself.
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And it refers to very different aspects of the things relate to
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Israel. But here it refers to the
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people. Oh Zion, my people bear bearer
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of good news, lift up your voice mightily.
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Oh Jerusalem, bearer of good news, lift it up.
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Do not fear, say to the cities of God or the cities of Judah,
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here is your God, you're a bearer of good news.
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The Bible then says in Isaiah 52 verse #7 which Paul quotes in
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Romans chapter 10, How lovely. On the mountains are the feet of
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him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good
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news of happiness, who announces salvation and says his eye on
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your God reigns. How?
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How beautiful are the feet of those who proclaim good news?
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Listen, if you want beautiful feet, you don't need a pedicure.
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You just need to proclaim the gospel that makes your feet
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beautiful. Save your money on your pedicure
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and make sure you're that money is used to proclaim the gospel
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because that's what makes the feet of those who bring good
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news beautiful. Why?
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Because you're bringing the people that which they need to
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hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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So the person of God is good, The Providence of God is good.
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The proclamation about God is good and the promises of God are
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good. Back in Joshua chapter 23,
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listen to what Joshua says. Joshua chapter 23 as he
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concludes his ministry of leading Israel to the promised
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land. He says the verse #14 Now
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behold, today I'm going the way of all the earth, and you know
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in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word of
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all the good words which the Lord your God spoke concerning
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you has failed. All had been fulfilled for you.
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Not one of them has failed. What a testimony here Joshua is
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going to weigh of all the earth he's about to depart into the
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presence of the living God, and he wants to assure the people of
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Israel that not one good word that God has spoken has failed
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them. Earlier he would say in verse
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#45 chapter 21, not one of the good promises which the Lord had
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made to the House of Israel failed.
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All came to pass. That's just such a remarkable
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statement that Israel would know that what God has said to you
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has come to be. So we trust the promises of God
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because it's the good word of God.
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The promises of God are good. If the person of God is good,
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then the promises he make, he makes are good as well.
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The promise of forgiveness, the promise of of his mercy, the
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promise of his love, the promise of His grace.
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All of God's promises are true, even the promises that are in
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the negative, that if you don't do this, this will happen.
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Why? Because God is faithful and true
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to His word. And so God, when he makes a
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promise, he fulfills that promise because he is true to
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His Word. Psalm 8411 says no good thing
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will the Lord withhold from those who walk uprightly.
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Talk about the prophet of praise.
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No good thing will the Lord withhold from those who walk
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uprightly. That's very, very important.
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A lot of you know, know about my testimony and, and the my, my
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first wife died after after 4 1/2 years of marriage of cancer.
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After she died, I, I, I went to the Lord and prayed.
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Psalm 8411. Lord, the Bible says no good
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thing will the Lord withhold from those who walk uprightly.
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And the Bible also says that God is good and he does good.
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So Lord, you are good, you do good, and no good thing does the
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Lord withhold from those who walk uprightly.
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The Bible also says, if I present my body as a living
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sacrifice, it is good and acceptable unto God.
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And the Bible also says that he who finds a wife finds a good
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thing. So, Lord, because you withhold
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no good thing from those who walk uprightly, and I desire to
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present my body as a living sacrifice to you, which is good
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and acceptable, and you are a good God who does good, I would
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ask that you bring a good thing to me.
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And the Lord brought Lori to me. It was no longer than a week
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after that that she knocked on my office door and she and her
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boyfriend were at the door. Little did the boyfriend know,
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his days were short. You know what I'm saying?
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But the Lord brought her to me because I believe that when you
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wait on God, He will always bring to you that which you
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need. We, we spend all of our energy
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searching for that which we think is good.
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And if you're single, you search for a wife.
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Why? You search for a husband, the
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Bible says seek after God, then say seek a husband, search God,
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seek after God, be consumed with God and watch what God does.
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No good thing does the Lord withhold from those who walk
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uprightly. Focus on your walk with the
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Lord, focus on honoring him. Because those who honor me, God
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says I will honor for Samuel 2:30 So honor the Lord and watch
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and see how the Lord honors you. But we spend all of our energy
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seeking that which we think we need instead of searching after
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the God we need to worship and adore.
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And the promises of God are very, very good.
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God always keeps His word. And so the person of God is
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good, the Providence of God is good, the proclamation about God
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is good, the promises of God are good.
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Oh, by the way, the property of God is good.
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Did you know that? If you're still in Joshua
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chapter 23, it says this in verse #15 It should come about
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that just as all the good words which the Lord your God spoke to
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you have come upon you, so the Lord will bring upon you all the
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threats until He has destroyed you from off the good land which
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the Lord your God has given you. Notice he calls it the good land
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that God has given you. It says in verse 16, when you
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transgress the covenant of the Lord your God, which He
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commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them,
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then the anger of the Lord will burn against you, and you will
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perish quickly from off the good land which He has given you.
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Which land did God give Israel? He gave them His land.
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Leviticus 25 verse #23 The land God says is mine.
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As he talks about the promised land, He says the land is mine.
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OK, now we know that God owns the earth.
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He created the earth. Everything about the earth is
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his right. But never does God say America
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is mine, Canada is mine, China is mine, Russia is mine.
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Never says that. But it does says say that the
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promised land, the land of Israel, is mine.
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That's why there are 38 different descriptions of that
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land in the Old Testament, to make sure there is no mistake.
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Which land is God's in? The land he gave to Israel from
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the river Nile to the great river, the Euphrates, God says
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is my land. That's the good land that I've
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given to Israel. Why?
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Because if the person of God is good, then his Providence is
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good. When you proclaim Him, that's
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good. His promises are good.
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Therefore his property, that which he owns, is good.
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You see, everything about God is good.
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That's why. That's why the rabbi came to him
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and called him good teacher that.
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That's why in John 10 he's called the Good Shepherd,
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because everything about God is good, and therefore we, we are
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the benefactors of his goodness, because no good thing does the
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Lord withhold from those who walk uprightly.
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So therefore we begin to understand the Providence of
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God, the promises of God, the property of God, the person of
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God, the proclamation about God. We begin to understand all those
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things and say, wow, God's in charge, God's working.
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Look what God has done. That's the prophet of praise.
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And as you journey down the pathway of praise, you begin to
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recognize all the benefits that come your way when you praise
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the name of God. How about this?
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The precepts of God are good. The precepts of God are good.
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Book of Nehemiah 9th chapter in Chapter 9 is one of the three
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national prayers recorded in the Old Testament.
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Ezra 9, Daniel 9, and Nehemiah Chapter 9.
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It's a prayer of praise to God. It's a prayer of praise about
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God and His creation, about God and His choice of Abraham, about
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God and His care and compassion for His people, Israel.
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In fact, it's a prayer about the commandments he gave to Israel.
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Listen to what is said. Nehemiah 913 Then you came down
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on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven.
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You gave them just ordinances and two laws.
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Good statutes and commandments, the precepts of God are good.
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The statutes of God, the commands of God, they're all
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good. That's right.
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John would say in first John 5 verse #3 that God's commands are
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not burdensome. They can't be.
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Why? Because a good God has given
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good commands. In fact, in Psalm 111 verse #10
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it says those who do them have a good understanding.
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So those who obey the commands of God have a good
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understanding. Why?
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Because the precepts he gave are good.
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And only a good God can give good precepts, good commands,
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good statutes. And so when you obey the the
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statutes of God, it's to your benefit because you gain good
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understanding. This is the prophet of praise.
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To praise him for he is good. Give thanks to the Lord, for he
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is good. And so the person of God is
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good, the Providence of God is good, the proclamation about God
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is good, the promises of God are good, the property of God is
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good, the precepts of God are good, the power of God is good.
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The Bible says in Psalm 62 verse #10 the power belongs to God.
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So if the person of God is good, then the power of God is good
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because it comes from a good God.
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The Bible says the Romans 116 that the gospel is the power of
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God unto salvation. In First Corinthians one verse
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#18 the cross is the power of God to those who believe in
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Psalm 62. Power belongs to God in Psalm
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77. Psalm 77.
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I shall remember the deeds of the Lord surely.
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I remember your wonders of old. I will meditate on all your work
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and muse on your deeds. Your way, O God, is holy.
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What God is great, like our God. You are the God who works
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wonders. You have made known your
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strength among the peoples. You have by your power redeemed
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your people, the sons of Jacob, the sons of Joseph.
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Listen to the words of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter
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4 when he says this. At the end of the period, a very
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specific time in which Nebuchadnezzar had been for
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seven years crawling on his hands and knees, I,
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Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my reason
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returned to me. And I blessed and praised the
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Most High, and honored him who lives forever for his dominion
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and his everlasting dominion. His Kingdom endures from
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generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth
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are Canada's nothing. But He does according to His
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will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the
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earth, and no one can ward off his hand or say to him, What
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have you done? Verse 37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar
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praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are
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true in his ways just, and he is able to humble those who walk in
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pride because the person of God is good, then the power of God
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is good and God always is demonstrating his power, whether
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it's through the gospel that's preached or how he moves that
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his Providence to orchestrate and rearrange all kinds of
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things in your life. God's in charge of all that.
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That's why the power of God is good.
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Next, the purposes of God are good.
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Book of Numbers 23rd chapter verse #19 God is not a man that
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he should lie nor a son of man that he should repent.
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Has he said and will he not do it, or has he spoken and will he
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not make it good? No one can ward off the hand of
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God. God has a purpose.
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He fulfills that purpose. Isaiah chapter 46 Remember the
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former things long past, where I am God and there is no other.
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I am God and there is no one like me.
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Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times
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things which have not been done. Saying My purpose will be
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established and I will accomplish all my good pleasure
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calling the bird of prey from the East, the man of my purpose
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from a far country. Truly I've spoken, truly I will
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bring it to pass. I've planned it.
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Surely I will do it. That that just speaks loudly
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about about the purposes of God. God speaks to fulfill his
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purpose. God does what he does because
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the ultimate purpose is that he will be glorified and honored.
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God has a purpose behind his providential working.
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God has a purpose behind the power that he enacts.
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God has a purpose behind the proclamation that is given that
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others might hear the gospel. God has a purpose behind all the
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promises that he gives. And it's all about the glory of
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God, that somehow he might be put on display, that he might be
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seen through his people. God will receive the glory
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because His purpose is that he be magnified.
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And that's why everything is moving to that great crescendo
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toward the end where every knee will bow and every tongue will
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confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the
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Father. The purposes of God are good.
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How about this? The provisions of God are good.
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The provisions of God are good over in the the book of
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Nehemiah. Nehemiah chapter 2.
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By the way, Nehemiah chapter 1 begins with the prayer.
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Nehemiah ends with the prayer. There are 12 prayers in the book
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of Nehemiah. The book of Nehemiah is about
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leadership can't lead unless you're a prayer warrior.
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Fathers can't lead their children or their wives unless
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they're men of prayer. They can't lead in the
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workplace, in the church, on their team, no matter where
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they're at, unless they're people of prayer.
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That's why the these 12 prayers are recorded in the book of
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Nehemiah, as Nehemiah exemplifies great leadership
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among the people of Israel. In chapter 1, Nehemiah begins to
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pray. He's concerned about the nation.
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He has heard about the destruction of Jerusalem and all
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that's taking place, and he is burdened greatly.
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So he prays for four months. Most of us can't pray for 4
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minutes, but he prays for four months.
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And in the Providence of God, as he's before the King, his
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countenance is sad, which is not a good thing because if that's
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the case, the king would take offense and recognize that you
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were sad because you were in his presence and you'd need to be
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demoted or you'd be killed. But something unique happens in
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chapter 2 of Nehemiah, because the queen appears with the king.
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Only time in the book of Nehemiah that the queen appears
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with the king. She appears there with him in
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the province of God. To soften the hardness of the
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King's heart. God places people in certain
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positions for his purposes. There are no accidents in your
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life. They're just divine
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appointments. You don't have a car accident.
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You have a car appointment, right?
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No one dies by accident. They die because there's an
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appointed time for man to die. Everything is about a divine
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appointment. So the queen is with the king.
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God in his Providence allowed that to happen.
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And the king begins to ask the question, Nehemiah, what is
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wrong? Why are you so sad?
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Why are you downcast? And Nehemiah begins to explain
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to him all that's taken place. The king said to me, the queen
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sitting beside him. Chapter 2 verse #6 How?
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How long will your journey be? And when you will return?
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Because he says, I want to go back to, to Jerusalem.
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So the king asked him, how long will it take you?
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And it pleased the king to send me.
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And I gave him a definite time. And I said to the king, If it
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pleases the king, that letters be given me for the governors of
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the provinces beyond the river, but they may allow me to pass
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through until I come to Judah. And the letter to Asaph, the
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keeper of the King's forest, that he may give me timber to
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make beams for the gates of the fortress which is by the temple,
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for the wall of the city, and for the house to which I will
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go. And the king granted them to me
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because think carefully. The good hand of my God was on
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me. Nehemiah gives credit to the
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good hand of my God that was upon me.
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God, God was going to provide, He provided a, a Commission for
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me to go back. He provided letters so that I
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could get through those who might be my enemies.
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He provided wood so we can build the, the, the, the necessary
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elements around the city. God was good.
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He provided everything, but he also provided an army to protect
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him. Verse 9.
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Then I came to the governors of the provinces beyond the river
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and gave them the King's letters.
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Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and
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horsemen. God provided everything Nehemiah
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needed to go back to build the walls around the city of
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Jerusalem. Why?
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Because all the provisions of God are good.
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God will provide all of your needs according to his riches in
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Christ Jesus. But God is the provider, and
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when you when you begin to pray to him and seek his face and ask
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the Lord to do a great and mighty work, which God did you
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able to give him all the credit, because God in his good hand was
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upon you. The Bible says that in James
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chapter one that every good thing given and every perfect
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gift comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no
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variation or shifting shadow. Every good gift, every perfect
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thing comes down from God above. God doesn't give bad gifts,
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doesn't do that. He gives only good gifts.
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You'll embark on the Christmas season and you probably receive
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a lot of bad gifts. Gifts that you don't want to
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have, gifts that you don't need. God doesn't give you anything
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you don't need. God only gives you good gifts.
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Why? Because the provision of God is
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good. How about this?
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The plan of God is good, is it not?
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A verse specifically given to Israel, which by way of
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secondary application we can apply to us, but it was
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specifically given to Israel as God would reassure them?
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Of his plan for the life. And he said in Jeremiah 29, I
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know the plans I have for you, plans for prosperity and not for
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calamity, plans to give you a future.
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And the hope that was specifically given to Israel so
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that they would know that the plan of God that would take them
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through 70 years of captivity would end up being such a
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perfect plan for them because it would be for their prosperity.
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The plan of God is always good. Sometimes we we find ourselves
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in the midst of that plan and we wonder where God is and we ask
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him, what are you doing? But but God has a purpose behind
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the plan, like he has a purpose behind us Providence, like he
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has a purpose behind his promises, like he has a purpose
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behind his proclamation. God has a purpose for
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everything. And in his plan He is
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orchestrating all things for his glory.
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And lastly, the paradise of God is good.
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That's where we're going. We're going to glory, Christ
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said to the thief on the cross. Today you will be with me in
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paradise. Paradise in, in the in in
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paradise. Revelation 2 verse #7 is, is the
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tree of life in the tree of life?
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Is that what you partake of throughout all eternity?
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Because it's a life giving tree. It's the eternal tree, and
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therefore paradise only comes from a good God whose presence
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dwells in that place. It is good to give thanks to the
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Lord because the prophet that it brings is insurmountable.
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As you journey this week down the pathway of praise, don't
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forget the privileges of praise, and certainly don't forget the
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prophet of praise. Let's pray together.
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Lord, thank you for today. Thank you that we can spend a
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brief moment in your word. So so many things to be said
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about each of these principles. So many things to to meditate
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upon our prayer Father, is that we would be a people of praise
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for the Bible says that the people I have formed for myself,
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they will declare my praise. And those of us who know you as
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Lord and Savior have been formed by you and you're still working
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in and through our lives. And one of the ways you work is
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that we would declare your praises.
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May we be those people this week and for the rest of our lives
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until you come again, as you know surely will in Jesus name,
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Amen.