In His Praise

“See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth ; the season of singing has come…” Song of Songs 2:11-12 The season we call spring has arrived.  Many of us look forward to this time of the year when the grass starts to turn green again, flowers bloom, and birds can be heard singing as they build their nests in the budding trees. Baby animals are born. New life is everywhere we look! We are certainly blessed to know that our awesome God planned the seasons when He created the world. (Genesis 1:14) But nature is not the only place we can see these changes. Through God’s plan of salvation, we too can be renewed and receive a new life. Paul says in…

“I am the Lord your God…  You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:2-3 In the book of Exodus we find in chapter 20 what we refer to as the Ten Commandments. These were rules given to the Israelites to live by. They still apply to our lives today. In this first commandment, God tells us that He alone is God and there should be nothing more important than Him in our lives.  He alone is worthy of our praise and adoration. He alone is almighty, all knowing, ever present, and always loving. He provides for our needs, heals our sicknesses, blesses us with good things and gives guidance. Most of all, God provides salvation through His Son, Jesus.   Why would we want another God? Our Lord…

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you.” James 4: 7-8  Most Christians would say that they want a closer walk with God. The majority of people would acknowledge that there is evil in the world that causes problems and tempts mankind. In the book of James we find words of advice to help us deal with the world and it’s evil; and learn how we can have closer relationship with our Lord.  First of all, we are to submit ourselves to God. In other words, make God our priority. Read His word, pray and meditate on it and let His will be done in our lives.  Secondly, resist the devil. Rebuke the…

In His Praise! Good News from East Point C.P. Church February 27, 2022 “… the joy of the Lord is your strength.”  Nehemiah 8:10b In the book of Nehemiah, we read about the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem. This was a great undertaking, which was dangerous at times and required much hard work and cooperation from the people. God’s people were happy when this project was completed. After the completion of the wall there was a day of celebration. Ezra, the priest was asked to read the book of God’s law to the people. As the people heard God’s word, they realized they had sinned and not kept the law as they should. They repented. They shed tears and were truly sorry for the failures.   Ezra encouraged them by…

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”  Luke 6:38  At first glance one might think this verse is all about getting blessings for ourselves. In a way it is, but a deeper look at these words and the verses before and after it reveal that Jesus was once again trying to teach people how to treat each other and how to walk like Him. Beginning in verse 27 of this same chapter Jesus repeats the words that so many have grown up hearing — “Love your enemies’, “Do good to others” and “Treat others like you want to be treated”, “Do…

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”  Psalm 118:24 These words can mean different things to different people in a variety of circumstances. They can be spoken as words of celebration at events such as a graduations or birthdays. Just as often these words can be repeated quietly in a personal devotion, or as an act of worship to welcome a new day.  At times this verse can  be read to encourage, strengthen and give peace to the broken hearted or troubled. This passage has even been set to music in a popular children’s praise song. God’s word is full of wonder. As we read and meditate on such passages, God can speak to our hearts. His love  and goodness will…

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 Today was Denomination Day for Cumberland Presbyterians. A day to remember our roots and look forward to our future. This denomination was born out of prayer and much dedication; and out of a desire to better  spread the gospel. John 3:16 is a very familiar scripture, but it sums up a large portion of the beliefs of Cumberland Presbyterians. The belief that no one is out of God’s reach and that anyone can be saved if they only believe on the Lord Jesus Christ is foundational to our church. This has come to be known as the “whosoever will” doctrine. It is…

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27 Several years ago there was a campaign going on that was meant to boost children’s self-image. It had a slogan that went something like this: “I know I’m special, because God don’t make no junk.” I suppose it was pretty effective.  That thought is something from which all of us can  learn. The Bible teaches that God created all the earth, and sky,  plants, animals and people. It also teaches us that when God stepped back and looked over His creations, He was happy with it and “it was very good.” Genesis 1:31.  For sure God does not make junk! Every person is important to Him and…

“God is love.” 1 John 4:8 and 16 “God is love.” Three simple words, but oh the depth of their meaning!  God’s love for humankind is wonderful, powerful and dependable! We can feel it in our hearts and see the changes it can makes in our lives, but we cannot fully comprehend all that it is. Because God loves us so, he desires to have a relationship with us. We can do nothing on our own to merit this relationship, so God, in His great compassion and wisdom, sent Jesus to die for our sins,  John 3:16. His sacrifice makes it possible for we humans to be made right before God and to have a relationship as a His child.  When we accept this free gift of salvation God’s love…

“Praise the Lord, O my soul, all my inmost being, praise His holy name.’ Psalm 103:1 We can read much about praising God in the Bible. There are many verses in both the Old and New Testaments.  This chapter in Psalms is just one that declares the greatness our God and expounds on His attributes.  The psalmist listed many reasons why we should praise the Lord.  Some of them are : He forgives our sins, He heals our sicknesses,  He redeems our lives,  He renews our strength,  He has compassion for us,  He is slow to anger  and the list goes on. Yes we have a mighty God that deserves all our praise, worship and thanksgiving! Take a few minutes to read Psalm 103 in its entirety. Let your heart…