Thursday 18th, august, 2016
PSALM 34
It is a continuation of Psalm 33. The context of this psalm is that David was drove out by Saul. We feel the threat of the enemy. The psalmist hadn't peace in his heart. But what was his attitude in the midst of this misfortune ? He might have the feeling of failure and loss, but he looks the situation and the future differently, and the praise implodes in his heart. First, David kept the fear of the Lord. There is an episode where David, in a cave, had the opportunity to kill his enemy Saul. But David had the fear of the Lord and he only cut the fringe of the clothing of Saul, as testimony. He never lost that fear, and he had the assurance in Whom he believed. God is the one who gets the side of the righteous. Who is right?
1) The one who keeps his tongue
2) Despite the prejudices of others, he continues to do good
3) The one who has the broken and repenting heart  before the holy God.
In conclusion:
 -The villain is reprehensible
 -The misfortune is probable
 -The rightous is always helpful

PRAISE TO OUR GOD

Wednesday, August 17^th 2016

Psalm 33

Throughout Psalm 33, we learn a lot about the attributes of the Lord.

1. God is just and wise.

The psalmist exhorts his audience to exalt the Lord because praise and joy belong to his people. Even as shouts of joy in honnor of the Lord, praise suits righteous men. Being joyful and full of praise is a great privilege for the people who honor the just Lord. The Lord God has made his people righteous. This doesn't mean they have no faults, simply that God has justified them. Later, the psalmist explains that the people of God are joyful and happy since God has given them his hertiage. Happiness is to belong to God.

2. God is powerful and wise.

Yesterday, after studying what James wrote about Abraham's faith, we learned that God is omniscient. When Abraham believed in the Lord God—in spite of the absence of his child—and believed that he would have descendants, it was counted to him as righteousness. Fifteen years later, he would offer Isaac as a sacrifice. God watches over the whole earth and is omniscient. He watches the peoples. As though looking at a world map on the wall, God knows all the peoples, all those who live on the earth, since he is our creator. He opens his mouth and his will is accomplished (6-9). He is also wise and brings the counsel of nations to nothing. A king depends on great armies which will be destroyed. This all-powerful God gives counsel to his people so that they can walk in the world. The psalmist exhorts us to watch and listen to the Lord God who is full of love and compassion, worthy of our trust, since he saves us even from death so that we can live on earth.  

Tuesday 16^th, august, 2016

James 2:14-26

FAITH VERSUS WORKS

James speaks of works for salvation. Would that contradict what Paul wrote in his letters ? Actually James wrote his letter after the Council of Jerusalem, where he met Paul. Both doctrines are not contradictory but complementary. The purpose and the interlocutors differ. Paul addresses the pagans, James speaks to Jews, Jewish Christians, for those who bear fruit, it is a big problem. Paul emphasizes salvation, James accentuates fruits. In fact, infertility is also the object of God's judgment. Mercy, which James spoke about earlier, is one of the main fruits. It is a fruit that also participates in salvation, and on the contrary, those who do not practice mercy violate the law.

Then James speaks of the faith of Abraham. Paul speaks of justification by faith alone. James completes, it is also by works. God justifies Abraham according to the theory of predestination: God knows all of the dispositions and actions of man in advance. God justified in advance Abraham because of his acts of offerings, including the sacrifice of Isaac.

PARTIALITY

August 15^th, 2016

PARTIALITY

James 2:1-13

James talks about partiality. It's a very important subject, since we often tend to use it. During the Reform and the reign of King Charles IX, there was great persecution (Saint Bartholomew). After this event, the king fell gravely ill. He suffered greatly. His royal physician was a protestant, Ambroise Paré. King Charles asked him if it would be fair to treat the king better than one treats poor people. But Paré always treated rich and poor in the same way. He always acted according to the word of God.

God chose the poor to become rich. It's an unusual moral, as the poor are considered as the elect, rather than the rich. The poor seek a new status, that of citizen in the kingdom of God, while the rich are satisfied with the wealth of this world. Jesus Christ said, « Blessed are the poor in spirit ». These kinds of people are humble enough to search for what has heavenly worth. James called the poor rich in the kingdom of God. It does not mean that they must stay poor, but that they must seek spiritual wealth.

James was unusual because he transformed the sense of value in presenting the subject of partiality as a law, the law of liberty (theologians). We have to look at it from a believer's point of view. Through this text, we catch a glimpse of who God is. In him, there is no partiality. We must imitate him, otherwise, we will offend him.

James also lists mercy as another attribute of God (7). Mercy triumphs over judgement. We must also show mercy. In God, there is no partiality, and in him there is mercy. We must abandon our tendancy to show partiality and become conformed to the image of Christ.

Conference and Pilgrim in Spain (from 3 to 13 Aug)

3-day conference followed by a walk to Saint Jacques de Compostela (> 100 km) on 03 Aug 2016 to 13 Aug 2016 
Location: field pignada Langlet

Good holyday!

MAKE AN EFFORT TO RETURN TO THE LORD YOUR GOD

Tuesday, August 2^nd

Deut. 30:11-20

Historically, there has never been a time when people trembled so much from attachment to material wealth like the people of today do. The neighbor behind me bought a television while working as a garbage collector. Everywhere, we see that people who claim to live by faith serve matierals more than God. Big brother Moses said (17:18) to the believers who loved materials more than God that they had to make an effort to come back to God. This passage teaches us the commandment and the attitude of the heart that we must have before God, who is the master of life, death, evil and blessing.

1. The commandments are not difficult (11-14)

In Deuteronomy, the words « You will love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul » (6:5) are repeated. But the last part of Deuteronomy says to come back to God with all your heart and soul. It says that those who love God but who turn away from Him more and more must truly come back to God with all their heart. Those who have a twisted heart ask, « How is it possible to keep God's commandments ? » They think His commandments are difficult and far above in heaven. But the commandments are not difficult and they are in our hearts (14).

2. Come back to the Lord with all your heart (15-20)

If you turn away from temptation and come back with all your heart to serve God, He who is the master of life, death, evil and blessing will take care of you without failure (19, 20 ; Jer. 17:13). Only a life lived with the Lord has meaning. When we come back to God with all our heart, we grow without ceasing (Col. 2:10).

Prayer : Lord, I say I love You, but help me to come back with all my heart, though I easily turn away from you. I pray with all my heart !

Bottom line : Always come back !

ALL BLESSING WHICH COMES THROUGH YOU

Dt 28:1-10

A lot of people think « Me, I am useless ! What's the difference if I make an error ? ». Thoughts like that become the seeds of a lot of curses. On the other hand, in this text, God gives us a lesson that if you live according to God's will (1), blessing comes as a result, and not only for you but on top of that blessing comes until material wealth of your country, your society and the faith of your country.

1. Blessing which comes to the family through you (3-6)

Observe blessing which comes if me, a single person, obeys God. You receive blessing wherever you go (3). Your descendants, your land and even your animals receive blessing, also food (4) and dangerous routes (5) will be blessed. So, Do you love God wherever you go and consider his commandments precious ?

2. Blessing which comes in the country through you (7-8)

God looks at one person who has faith in the country and saves the country (Gn 19:29). Do you believe that ?

3. Blessing of faith (9-10)

God blesses with faith a country where there are people who serve God, in the time of war and in the time of peace. God etablishes them to become a holy people, according to his promise.

How large is blessing which comes on a person, a country and a society by a person who has faith ? (Eph 1:3)

Prayer : Lord, help me to be a person who obeys your will to become a holy people. So that the current of water of your blessing doesn't dry up on this earth.

Bottom line : You and me are sources of blessing