Psalm 76

In Judah God is known;
His name is great in Israel.
2 In [b]Salem also is His tabernacle,
And His dwelling place in Zion.

Judah

If someone is visiting New Jersey and asks you what is the New jersey famous for? what do you say?

If Someone asks you what is famous or well known thing in New York, what do you say?

Paris -? eiffel tower,

In Judah , God is known.

In Some translations, it says  God is well known , God is honored.

Wow.  every place has its uniqueness in identifying itself through a landmark, or the business.

But Judah, is well known not for a land mark or a business, but in Judah, God is well known.

Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord.

There are four names that were mentioned here 

Why is God well know in Judah.

Judah

Genesis 43:8,9

8 Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. 9 I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.

A  man being surety for another,

God is well known in a land or in a man when a man is surety for his brother.

What Ruben , as a firstborn, could not do , Judah did by being surety for his brother.

Today God is looking for people like Judah who can be surety for the soul of others.

Have you ever said, I am surety for saving this soul

God is well know in Judah,, because Judah became a surety for his brothers life.

Israel - God is great in Israel

Salem - His Tabernacle in Salem

Zion  - His Dwelling place in Zion.

Israel

When a person  Identity changes from self to God , then God becomes great

Simons identity was a fisherman, he identity was very low.  But when the Lord changed his identity from simon to Peter,  God became great in his life.

A persons character is derived from his identity.

A person who identifies himself as sportsperson , all his habits will be related to sports.

A person who identifies himself as medical professional, all habits will be related to medical stuff.

A person who identifies himself as Child of God ,  God becomes great in his life.

Salem  - HIs Tabernacle is in Salem.

Abraham rescued Lot,  King of Salem , High priest of God came and brought bread and wine to Abraham

Genesis 14:18

18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. 

There was complete worship service that was happening there

Melchizedek came with Bread and Wine,

Abraham rescued Lot and communion service was so great.

Abraham came with Tithes

Abraham 

Israel is Prince with God.

God changed Jacobs identity from Jacob to Israel.

Psalm 75

V1  We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!

For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.

Gods Works declare that Gods Name is near us.

When a work of God is revealed then you know that His Name is near.

We know that Gods Name is near in this Church, because we have seen wonderful works over the years.

Blessing of Children

We have seen how God blessed our sisters who waited for long time to have children. When a Wondrous work is done,  we should know that God is near.

Protection from pandemic

There are many families outside where there is crying because of the pandemic, but Gods protection is there on this Church, it is wondrous work.  So we know that Gods Name is near.

Jobs

God kept our jobs - wondrous works are revealed - His Name is near.

Boldly

In this Church, Gods Name is near because His Wondrous works are revealed.

V7 - But God is the Judge, He puts down one, And exalts another.

In recent times, we have seen the transfer of power in our country.

the Trump administration ended and Biden administration started.

You might have voted from Trump or you might have voted for Biden.

But God is the judge.

He puts down one, And exalts another.

As Daniel says

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
21 And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;"

God is the One who changes the times and seasons , kings

winter goes, spring comes, spring goes, summer comes, summers, fall

same way, God changes the kings.

Verse 9 says

But I will declare forever, I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

No matter who is in power, but I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

Your praise should not be dependent on who is in power, or who is not in power.

The praises of a believer should not be dependent on external factors.

But because you have praise in your mouth, external factors should change.

Too many of us get affected by what happens outside.

anything good happens outside, we have praise

anything bad happens , we go into sorrow mode.

But it should be the other way

Your praise in your heart and your mouth should change the situations outside.

Outside situations should not change the praises in your mouth.

When all the children were signing Hosanna to the Son of David.

Scribes and pharisesees were so angry, the Lord says

'Out of the mouths of babes and nursing infants, You have pefecte the praise"

If you do not know how to praise, goto a nursing infant, you will see how they Praise God.

It should be inside out.

The Word should become flesh

Isaiah says 

Violence shall no longer be heard in your land,
Neither [a]wasting nor destruction within your borders;
But you shall call your walls Salvation,
And your gates Praise.

gates shall be praise

Consistency

Consistency

Luke 18:1-5

 18 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor [a]regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, [b]‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will [c]avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’

We see a widow - wanted justice

So she came to the judge ( the judge was not a compassionate, nor a kind, , not godly, he does not even regard other people).

How do we get breakthroughs in life?

We find tough people in workplaces, find cruel and wicked people , situations.

sometimes we find challenging situations, wondering when will i get deliverance, when will i see the light, when will my relationship restored, when will my career gets established,

The one amazing things that this window did was revealed by the judge himself.

verse5 lest by her continual coming she weary me.

notice the word continual coming

this woman did not go just once, nor twice, nor thrice,

but i could imagine, she might be going everyday.

She decided that she will go everyday till it gets resolved.

It is her consistency that brought her breakthrough.

Many of us fail in having consistency in our daily lives.

So if i ask you what do you do consistenly everyday,

you might say, i eat breakfast consistently.

I drink starnbucks /dunkin donuts coffee consistenly.

some say I exercise everyday consistently

What you do consistently is what you will become.

If you exercise consistently , you will become fit person

if you eat MacDonalds burger everyday, your waist will show your consistentyc of burgers

what you do consistently is what you will become.

This woman consistently knocked at judges door till he became restless and did justice for her.

many of us , became seasonal christians.

In some days our prayer life will be very strong, especially when there is a situation.

but if situation is gone, again dull.

some season, we will read the Word so deep, but afterwards again will be shallow.

But when you dont do things consistenly, there will be no fruit.

Suppose you are cooking rice on the stove, lets say you cook 5 minutes and stop and then again you come back after 1hour and then cook again for 5 minutes and then stop  and then again come back and cook 5 mintes and stop.

do you think the rice will ever be cooked.

NO.. because there is no consistency.

I see in my own life, the things that i have done consistently have seen fruit. but the things that i started and missed consistency have not been fruitful.

The Psalmist says Blessed is the one who meditates on His law day and night.

6 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

Here the Lord says His own elect who cry out day and night to Him

this crying out is day and night.

Whoever may be the person that is blocking the breakthrough.

Some people do things only if everybody is seeing, but their private life will be different.

Consistency is not what you do when others see.

Consistency is what you are in your private life too.

Philippians 1:2

27 Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,

Daniel 6:10

10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.

as was his custom

Daniel was not doing something new, but he was doing what he was doing since early days

Daniel was not suddenly going to prayer. people who suddenly go to prayer in need they cannot withstand the persecution.

But Daniel was doing the same thing that he had been doing all his life.

This evening, Are we lacking consistency in our spiritual lives.

David says Blessed is the one who meditates on His law Day and Night

Daniel Prays as he was praying everyday

What you do everyday is what you become.

I want to encourage the Church to get consistent in the spiritual things.

Amen.

Psalm 74(V1-12)

4 4 

Mark 3:25. House divided

Matthew 4:8, Luke 4:5 media

Ephesians 2:11,12,13. Unity

Nehemiah 1:3,4, 5 pray

4 Your enemies roar in the midst of Your meeting place;
They set up their banners for signs

The Psalmist says the enemies are roaring in the midst of Your meeting place.

They set up their banners for signs.

9 9 We do not see our signs;
There is no longer any prophet;
Nor is there any among us who knows how long.

We donot see our signs

How long will this go?

America , once upon a time is a Sanctuary for God.  A vessel of honor brining Light to the world.

Today enemies roar in the midst of meeting places.

Churches are being sold and becoming temples.

We do not see our signs, there is no longer any prophet

How long this will go?

Nehemiah cried when he heard that Jerusalem 

Nehemiah 1:3,4

3 And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”

4 So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

Nehemiah , when he heard that  Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are burned with fire, he sat down and wept, mourned for many days. I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

Do we cry  for our Nation? Have you ever shed a tear for America.

you know when we cry, we lose a job, our children are not dong well, or some one is sick in our family then we shed tears and pray.

But did you ever shed a tear for the land that has given you so much.

This land  gave you food, this land kept you safe from enemies. this land 

It is time you sow with tears for this land.

Nehemiah , wept. ,mourned for many days.

He was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

What Nehemiah prayed is amazing.

First he repented of his sins, family, confessed the sins of children of Israel, 

A godly man cried out as a father.

The Anointing upon Nehemiah is Anointing of a builder.

First they speak to the kings.

This year Our Church has to speak to the kings, authorities, mayors,.

But you can only speak when you cry, shed tears.

God first sees your tears and he moves you in places  where you can speak to authorities.

This year, whoever is authority, speak to gospel.

As God stirred the heart of the king artaxerxes and he favored him.

and Nehemiah started building the walls of Jerusalem.

God saw the weeping of Nehemiah and he saw the tears that were shed by Nehemiah.

12 For God is my King from of old,
Working salvation in the midst of the earth.

Honor

We call out to God, the relationship that we address is Father

Because God has given us the Spirit of adoption.  we cry out  Abba Father.

Romans 8:15

15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba,[e] Father.”

Our Church Vision also

Honor God

Reveal Life

Share Hope

Malachi 1:  6 

“A son honors his father,
And a servant his master.
If then I am the Father,
Where is My honor?
And if I am a Master,
Where is My reverence?
Says the Lord of hosts
To you priests who despise My name.
Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’

When we call God as our Father.

God is expecting 

If then I am the Father, Where is My honor?

Prayer is in the closet.   In the closet we can call God as Abba Father.

but Honor is always revealed in our works and it is revealed outside.

Honor is to Gods Name.

8 And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice,
Is it not evil?
And when you offer the lame and sick,
Is it not evil?
Offer it then to your governor!
Would he be pleased with you?
Would he accept[d] you favorably?”
Says the Lord of hosts.

Bringing down the Name of the Father in public - is dishonoring Fathers Name.

Parents always their children to honor their name in public.

In the above verse 6,  God says Israel did not honor His Name

and Israel is asking how they did not honor HIs Name.

When your Fathers Name, Fathers Word becomes last priority  we dishonor His Name.

Here the people brought the lame and sick.

Authorities are not pleased by least offering.

Wow, for most of the people.

The attitude to honor Gods Name, Gods Word is utmost importance for God when we call Him as Father.

Verse 11

11 For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down,
My name shall be great among the Gentiles;
In every place incense shall be offered to My name,
And a pure offering;
For My name shall be great among the nations,”
Says the Lord of hosts.

Honor the Heavenly Father

Honor your Spiritual Father

Honor your Physical father and mother.

Father is a position where honor has to be given.