New Foundations

Jun 23, 2020Jun 22, 2020KennethLeave a comment

1 Peter 2 New International Version

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

⁴As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— ⁵you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house^[a] to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”^[b]

⁷Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”^[c]

⁸and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.”^[d]

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

⁹But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

The Lord’s unfailing Love

Feb 13, 2020Mar 21, 2020KennethLeave a comment

Psalm 143 New International Version

Psalm 143

I bring to you this morning a blog of a difference, with two videos. In video one we hear Major Len Ballantine talk about how he came to compose the song ” Let the morning bring

⁷Answer me quickly, Lord;
    my spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me
    or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
⁸Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
    for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
    for to you I entrust my life.
⁹Rescue me from my enemies, Lord,
    for I hide myself in you.
¹⁰Teach me to do your will,
    for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
    lead me on level ground.

¹¹For your name’s sake, Lord, preserve my life;
    in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.
¹²In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;
    destroy all my foes,
    for I am your servant.

Here is the finished article sung by The International Staff Songsters of The Salvation Army.

Fearing the Lord

Nov 30, 2019KennethLeave a comment

Psalm 103 New International Version

7.He made known his ways to Moses,
    his deeds to the people of Israel:
⁸The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
    slow to anger, abounding in love.
⁹He will not always accuse,
    nor will he harbor his anger forever;
¹⁰he does not treat us as our sins deserve
    or repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love for those who fear him;
¹²as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

¹³As a father has compassion on his children,
    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
¹⁴for he knows how we are formed,
    he remembers that we are dust.
¹⁵The life of mortals is like grass,
    they flourish like a flower of the field;
¹⁶the wind blows over it and it is gone,
    and its place remembers it no more.
¹⁷But from everlasting to everlasting
    the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
    and his righteousness with their children’s children—
¹⁸with those who keep his covenant
    and remember to obey his precepts.

¹⁹The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.

²⁰Praise the Lord, you his angels,
    you mighty ones who do his bidding,
    who obey his word.
²¹Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,
    you his servants who do his will.
²²Praise the Lord, all his works
    everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, my soul.

Give Thanks

Oct 10, 2019Oct 10, 2019KennethLeave a comment

Psalm 9 New International Version – UK

Psalm 9^[a]^[b]

For the director of music. To the tune of ‘The Death of the Son’. A psalm of David.

¹I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
²I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.

³My enemies turn back;
    they stumble and perish before you.
⁴For you have upheld my right and my cause,
    sitting enthroned as the righteous judge.
⁵You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
    you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
⁶Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies,
    you have uprooted their cities;
    even the memory of them has perished.

⁷The Lord reigns for ever;
    he has established his throne for judgment.
⁸He rules the world in righteousness
    and judges the peoples with equity.
⁹The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
    a stronghold in times of trouble.
¹⁰Those who know your name trust in you,
    for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

¹¹Sing the praises of the Lord, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among the nations what he has done.
¹²For he who avenges blood remembers;
he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.

¹³Lord, see how my enemies persecute me!
    Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,
¹⁴that I may declare your praises
    in the gates of Daughter Zion,
    and there rejoice in your salvation.

¹⁵The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;
    their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
¹⁶The Lord is known by his acts of justice;
    the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.^[c]
¹⁷The wicked go down to the realm of the dead,
    all the nations that forget God.
¹⁸But God will never forget the needy;
    the hope of the afflicted will never perish.

¹⁹Arise, Lord, do not let mortals triumph;
let the nations be judged in your presence.
²⁰Strike them with terror, Lord;
let the nations know they are only mortal.

The Lord’s Goodness and unfailing Love

Oct 9, 2019KennethLeave a comment

Psalm 23 New Living Translation

A psalm of David.

¹The Lord is my shepherd;
    I have all that I need.
²He lets me rest in green meadows;
    he leads me beside peaceful streams.
³    He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
    bringing honour to his name.
⁴Even when I walk
    through the darkest valley,^[a]
I will not be afraid,
    for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
    protect and comfort me.
⁵You prepare a feast for me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
    My cup overflows with blessings.
⁶Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
    all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
    forever.