The LORD's Day April 15, 2007

God's Blessing on the Righteous

Psalm 92.12-15

Throughout God's Word the spiritual benefits of serving Him are pointed out to us.

These are the things that come to those who love the LORD, walk with Him and serve Him with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. There are blessings for the God's people. Wonderful blessings come from our life with Jesus.

We are warned by Paul, the apostle, in the letter he wrote to the church at Rome not to allow the world to crowd us or squeeze us into its own mold. Those who do not follow Jesus many times are seeking after the things that are temporal. They seek for things which have no lasting benefit. The pleasures of this world are temporary. Solomon's reflections on this are plain: We read his counsel in Ecclesiates 12.1-8. He laments there about how you really enjoy life in the temporal sense in one's youth. As a person ages the basic enjoyment of life begins to wane, particuarly those who do not know Jesus.

But Paul puts this dilemma into such a wonderful perpesctive: II Corinthians 4.16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. While we face the same aging process as those who do not know Christ, we do not face it the same way. We know that we have eternal life. We know that the troubles we experience are not worth comparing with what awaits us. We know that the present suffering is not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

So for those who are young- Remember Your Creator in the days of your youth. For those who are old don't lose heart. Inwardly you are being renewed day by day and heaven is closer now.

The Psalmist here in this 92nd Psalm tells us of the spiritual blessings we now have as we walk with the LORD.


1. The Righteous are like Trees

12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,

Today, palms are a popular symbol for the tropics and vacations, cruises and resorts. In the Word of God palms were associated with such ideas as victory, peace, and God's blessings.

They are ever green. Green stands for everlasting life. The are analogous to the tree of life, whose leaf never fades.

Palms bear fruit such as coconuts and dates. The dates off the Palm Date Tree are very very sweet and healthy.

The Romans rewarded champions of the games and celebrated military successes with palm branches. Early Christians used the palm branch to symbolize the victory of the faithful over enemies of the soul (After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. Revelation 7.9), as in the Palm Sunday festival celebrating the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. In Judaism, the palm represents peace and plenty.

God blesses His people with victory, peace and abundant life.

The righteous will...
Flourish- to bud, sprout, send out shoots, bloom, to break out (of leprosy), to fly

We in turn pass on these blessings to others. The LORD works in us and through us and brings victory sometimes even in spite of us! When we talked to someone who is struggling with defeat we seek to encourage them. That is the righteous flourishing like a palm. When someone is ovecome by life, we offer God's mercy to them. John the Baptist said of Jesus, "A smouldering wick He would snuff out and a bruised reed he would not break." We imitate Jesus when we do the same.

Over and over again God has called us to be peacemakers. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. James 3.18

Out of our innermost being flow rivers of life... the abundant life which Jesus promised, by His Spirit within us which He also promised.

It is a blessing to be a blessing. We are blessed as we give to others. They are blessed but it is more blessed to give than to receive. The giver has the greater blessing! Righteous people are the most generous people on earth!


they will grow like the cedar in Lebanon
The importance of the Cedar of Lebanon to the various civilizations is conveyed through its uses. The trees were used in ancient times by the Phoenicians to build their trade and military ships, as well as their houses and temples. The Egyptians used its resin for mummification, and its sawdust was found in the pharaoh's tombs.

Kings of neighboring and distant countries asked for this wood to build their religious and civil constructs, the most famous of which are King Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem and David's and Solomon's Palaces. In addition it was used by Romans, Greeks, Persians, Assyrians and Babylonians.

Shade, height and planted by the LORD well watered are all described of Lebabnon's cedars in God's Word. We provide shade to those scorched by the heat of sin or life's troubles.

Grow- increase, to grow (great)

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. II Corinthians 3.18

Our growth in becoming like Jesus is for God's glory. Mature children bring delight to their parents. When they move from the give me stage to the let me give back to you stage it is wonderful. It blesses our souls. God is praised and honored. He wants all of His children to mature. It is sad that not more do.

13 planted in the house of the LORD,
they will flourish in the courts of our God.

Transplanted is the actual idea. We are like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever we does prospers. (Psalm 1.3) Once we were stuck in the mire of sin and its consequences. Now we are free and stand on the rock Christ Jesus. We are planted on the good soil.

As we abide in Christ and His Word abides in us we are fruitful and bring glory to God.



2. The Righteous have Eternal Life.
14 They will still bear fruit in old age,
they will stay fresh and green.

Gray headed age. Many trees stop bearing fruit as they get older. They wind down from their productive years. Not so with God's people. I believe that the most productive years for God's people are in their last years. It is then that the full maturity of the Spirit comes, the fruit of the Spirit matures.

They are the vigorous, stalwart ones in prayer and things of God... among others their age... among all the people - Caleb.

When I think of my grandmother who was frail and battled several things such as TB and cancer, I remember that I came into the world when she was in her late 50's. she went to be with the LORD at 87, I was 31. It was in her 60's, 70's and 80's that I was blessed by the fruit of her life, the fruit of the Spirit. She wasted away outwardly but never was she strong in her faith as she was when she was in her last hours. She never lost consciousness, 36 hours before she died she blessed all my children. I read John 14 to her and she was on her way to heaven, literally.


3. The Righteous have the Correct Perspective.
15 proclaiming, "The LORD is upright;
He is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him."

This may not seem like some great blessing but sometimes a blessing can be measured by its absence. Do you know what it is like when you do not have the right perspective? We all do. It is misery.

Wickedness= injustice, unrighteousness, wrong
We need people to be conspicuous, tell, make known, to tell, declare, announce, report, expound, to inform, to publish,
to avow, acknowledge, confess, be a messenger about this aspect of the LORD. He is just. He is good. He is right in all He does. God does everything perfectly. I love to talk about the LORD to others and catch a glimpse of those who are passing by- they often speed up their steps- like Jonah they are running from God. I pray like Jonah they will find out they can't hide from God.

There are people who need to be corrected gently but firmly. They think the LORD does harsh things to them. "Why is God doing this to us?!" The god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers. This is one of the things he throws up. He blames God on the residual effects of sin on the human race when it is he who introduced the idea of rebelling against God that brought sin about!


Stand upon a boulder, hide under a cliff. Standing on the Rock of Ages, He hides us beneath His wings!

The blessings of God upon His people are great.
Like the palm and the cedar,
They bear fruit and stand strong.
The blessing of eternal life is theirs
And in their hearts, God puts a song.

They know the LORD and His Goodness,
They hear his voice in His Word,
They praise Him with all their heart
In music the most beautiful ever heard.

God leads us through each day,
He shows us the path to take.
He tells us that he loves us
all this for His Names' Sake.

We stand upon the Rock
Secure in every storm and blast
He hides us under His wings
Until the dark night is past.

Then one day when life is done,
He bring us to heaven
These are some of the blesssings
Of those who have been forgiven.
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The LORD’s Day
April 15, 2007

We Worship In Singing
We Worship In Prayer
We Worship In Hearing the Word of God
God’s Blessings on the Righteous Psalm 92.12-15

*Tithes and Offerings can be placed in the box at the rear of the sanctuary*
Please join us for coffee and bagels downstairs if you are visiting today.
V
This Week
Bible Reading Psalm 93-96
Monday Men’s Prayer Meeting 6:30am
Wednesday Bible Study -7:30pm at the parsonage
Thursday Bible Study-10:30am at the church

Next Lord’s Day
Morning Prayer- 10am in the church basement
Morning Worship- 10:30am(Sunday School for Children)
Spanish Service- 4pm


In Your Prayers For All of God’s People
Remember the men serving in the armed forces: Bradley, Julia Bujold’s grandson with Special Forces in Afghanistan, home on leave right now, Ken Brown, Pastor’s friend’s son on his third tour of Iraq. Please pray for the whole family. Billy Knapp, Jr. left for Iraq last week (neighbor of the church and Pastor- Billy’s sister graduated from Good Shepherd). Matthew Klaus, brother of Good Shepherd parent in Iraq as a firefighter for Haliburton... Pray for them and the others away from their families. Praise God for keeping David Louis, Jake Morgan and Tom Hindelang safe during their times in Iraq. Christine Frankland, Katharina’s daughter home and continuing to recover from surgery. Please pray for Monica’s (Katrina’s granddaughter) mother-in-law, Rosemary, with breast cancer. Kathy, Ziggy and Margot’s daughter-in-law, under the doctor’s care for fibromyalgia. Praise God for a good report on Judy Mucci. She continues on Chemotherapy. Pray for Eloise Brooks. She had her leg amputated on Thursday and is in Good Sam. Remember Jean Louis as both he and Eloise are on dialysis. Christopher (Uncle of Good Shepherd Grad) with leukemia.
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A number of nursery school families are going through difficult times. If you would like to sponsor a child presently at Good Shepherd, see Alice or call the school at 666-7503
If you would like to help with the Sunday Morning Bagel ministry see Alice Gordon.
Notes on Our Time in the Word of God This Morning:
God’s Blessings on the Righteous

Psalm 92.12-15








Pastor’s messages are now available online:
http://thesundaymorningmessage.blogspot.com/
Church e-mail: bayshorenaz@rock.com
(Church Phone: 631-969-1730
*1314 Pine Acres Boulevard, Bay Shore, Long Island, NY 11706-5436

Whatever you do, in word or deed, do all for the glory of God