Psalmist Cries, 1of5

 ~ Lament of Complaint To God ~

Introduction  ~  Throughout the Book of Psalms we find a Psalmist crying out to God – lamenting the circumstances surrounding him.  In this series we look at five types of laments found in the Psalms – it is by no means an exhaustive list of the types of laments or the number of psalms in each of the types we look at.  Also, a particular psalm can be labeled in more than one way. 

Example Psalms  ~  “O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger, nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.  Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.  My soul also is greatly troubled; but You, O Lord — how long?  

“Return, O Lord, deliver me!  Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake!  For in death there is no remembrance of You; in the grave who will give You thanks?  

“I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears.  My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows old because of all my enemies.  

“Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity; for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.  The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.  Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled; let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly” (Psalm 6:1-10).

“How long, O Lord?  Will You forget me forever?  How long will You hide Your face from me?  How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?  How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

“Consider and hear me, O Lord my God; enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; lest my enemy say, ‘I have prevailed against him’; lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

“But I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.  I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me” (Psalm 13:1-6).

Comment  ~  Have you ever cried out to God with a cry of honest complaint to God?

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

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Spiritual Gifts, 6

 ~ Spiritual Gift Categories ~

Opening Comment  ~  “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.  Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures” (James 1:16-18). 

Scripture  ~  “There are different kinds of gifts” (1 Corinthians 12:4a, niv).  “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us” (Romans 12:6).

Four Categories  ~  Generally lists of Spiritual Gifts are put into three categories.  I have added a fourth category which I list first since they form the foundation or source for the effective use of the other Spiritual Gifts. 

SOURCE GRACE GIFTS: The Construction Sector

~~ Love (which develops Prayer, Intimacy, Thanksgiving, and Discernment/Maturity.

~~ Faith

~~ Hope

~~ Witness (ambassador)

SERVING GRACE GIFTS: The Service Sector

~~ Giving (Time, Talent, Treasure)  

~~ Going (Mercy)

~~ Helps

~~ Hospitality  

~~ Ruling (Leadership)

~~ Administration

~~ Discernment (including Discerning Spirits)  

SPEAKING GRACE GIFTS: The Medical Community

~~ Teaching

~~~~ Word of Wisdom

~~~~ Word of Knowledge

~~ Exhortation

~~ Evangelism

~~ Pastor

SIGN GRACE GIFTS: The Media Group

~~ Apostleship

~~ Prophecy

~~~~ Knowledge

~~ Tongues

~~~~ Speaking in Tongues

~~~~ Interpretation of Tongues

~~ Miraculous Powers

~~~~ Healing

Comment  ~  It is very important to note that not all Spiritual Gifts are specifically mentioned in Scripture.  Any grace gift which God has given an individual for use in building up the body of believers is a Spiritual Gift.  

Closing Comment  ~  Future posts in this series will look at these Spiritual Gifts in more depth.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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Question – Jesus, 74

 ~ Regarding Logic ~

Introduction  ~  This series is about questions involving Jesus.  Some were asked by individuals involved with Jesus Christ while He walked on earth.  Others are questions that Jesus Christ asked others.  We will look at questions on about 130 topics (some may split into two or more posts).  Even so, it is far from an exhaustive list. 

Scripture  ~  “And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute.  So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled.  But some of them said, ‘He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.’

“Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.  But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.  If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?  Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they will be your judges.  But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.  But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters’” (Luke 11:14-23).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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