Our Blog
The Basis of Praise
“Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off” (v. 6).
The writer once had a professor who had a special passion for the homeless. The professor had made it the focus of his doctoral work. Over the course of two years, by spending time with the homeless, he became their friend and was accepted into their culture. For Thanksgiving, he enjoyed preparing food and taking it to the homeless who were living under interstate overpasses. At the institution where he taught, he obtained permission to have the leftover food from the cafeteria. He and some of the students would put it in back packs. They would walk through the city to share food and the gospel with those who were the neediest in society.
Jesus was called a Friend of sinners. He came from the highest echelon of glory to dwell with sinful mankind. He sees and has regard for the lowly. Let us praise Him for condescending to where we are. As we humble ourselves, He draws near, but if we are lifted up with pride, He withdraws and is far off. (Bob Blankenship)
Hail, Galilean King!
Thy humble state I sing;
Never shall my triumphs end;
Hail derided Majesty!
Jesus, hail! the sinner’s Friend,
Friend of Publicans, - and me.
Charles Wesley (Public Domain)
<
p style="font-style-italic;text-align:center;">The better we know God, the better we can praise Him.
The Barrier of Cultural Prejudice
Prejudice is an ugly sin. It hurts when people assume negative things about you simply because you are of a certain ethnicity, culture, etc. Prejudice also limits you when you assume that because a person comes from a certain background, etc. that certain things must be true of them. Prejudice shackles people with historical baggage. Prejudice limits the number of positive relationships we can develop. Prejudice is especially ugly when God's people purposefully hold on to biased opinions of people without thinking, questioning, or reasoning. Prejudice held by those who are to marked by agape love is a mark of hypocrisy, a stain on the Bride's wedding gown.
Many of the barriers discussed during this quarter, while serious, can be remedied by small tweaks. Prejudice, on the other hand, may cause long-lasting damage; years later the memories may still linger on.
How will you work this week to banish prejudice and encourage agape love in your class?
Praising the Living God
Lesson 13 - November 27, 2016
Focus Text: Psalm 145:3-21
Central Truth: Praise to God is the highest expression of redeemed man.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to list new ways they will praise God in their lives.
Lesson Outline:
- Praise the Greatness of God (Psalm 145:1-6)
- Praise the Goodness of God (Psalm 145:7-10)
- Praise the Government of God (Psalm 145:11-13)
- Praise the Grace of God (Psalm 145:14-21)
Prayer – Lesson 12, A Sure Guide for Living
Heavenly Father, bless our classes again today as they study Your Word. Reassure each student of the reliability and practicality of the Bible. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.
Why are the Proud Cursed?
"Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments." (Psalm 119:21)
In "Biblical Perspective" Gordon Snider writes:
These are people whose sense of self-importance causes them to accept authority for themselves which belongs only to God. And this naturally leads to a refusal to follow the directions of God. Thus, to the psalmist, to be proud is to be cursed. The proud were specifically described as those who do err from thy commandments. The connection between the proud and do err at first seems unusual. The proud deliberately choose to resist God, while err means to sin through ignorance. There may be a suggestion here that open rebellion against God makes it impossible for us to see the “road signs” along the way that indicate we are going the wrong direction. Thus we truly are not only ignorant of our wrong, but willfully ignorant.
Source: Studies in the Psalms: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 73.
What is the Word of God?
In "Doctrinal Discussion" William Sillings writes:
What is the “Word of God”? The Word of God is the direct self-revelation of God to humanity. This part of revelation is often listed by theologians in the area of “special revelation” and includes both words and deeds of God's direct self-revelation.
Sillings continues on page 74 about how God's Word takes three forms.
Source: Studies in the Psalms: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 74.