Station 2
Power Verse:
Psalm 77:12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.
Partner Song:
Click here to play Trading My Sorrows (tip: right click a select open in new window)
Stretches and Warm Up
Begin meditating on the Psalm 77:12 POWER verse... Meditating is more than just memorizing but it is a "working of the word" in such that we come to know God, His power and His will.
- pray and ask the Lord to meet you as you think it through
- write the verse down on paper over and over
- put the verse on you answering machine, email signature, letterhead, mail box.
- place verse on fridge
- make a craft and share with others
- make a meal that represents the verse (make something so unique everyone will talk about it!)
- listen to the special song "Trading My Sorrows" (see link on top of page)
- call a brother or sister and ask them if they know the verse
- be creative, come up with ideas and share
MAKE NO MISTAKE! Study of this verse will reveal:
1. His will. The wisdom from God on what He wants me to do.
For example .
1Th 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
2. His power. This is the strength from His Spirit that allows us to do His will.
For example
As I focus on all His work, I am filled with Him. I am whole. Lacking nothing.
3. Himself. Do not forget a great benefit in this exercise is that you are developing your relationship with God!
For example
The exercise involves thinking about the works that Christ Jesus has done.
The exercise encourage a focus in His strength - YOU WILL BE IMPRESSED AT HIS STRENGTH!
The exercise encourages listening, putting ourselves in a place to ACTUALLY HEAR GOD.
Let's take Psalm 77:12 and break into its two parts, the first is the working "in" (God working in you) and then the working "out" (God working through you).
WORKING IN : "I will meditate also of all thy work..."
1. He touches the unthinkable and heals...
Please read this passage of scripture...
Mar 1:40-45 And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth [his] hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.
And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.
And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away; and saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
but he went out, and began to publish [it] much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.
Read again and put yourself in the place of the leper. Be quiet and listen to what God is doing and saying.
Something to consider...
It is hard to put leprosy in context of today's issues as it was so gross and deadly and contagious. They were ordered to stay outside the camp and always 100ft away from any "normal" person. They had to yell "unclean" when anyone was near. For anyone to touch a person like that is a miracle in itself. God broke the barrier between Himself and sinful mankind and touched each one of us in the same way this leper was touched and healed by sending His Son. Think about it! Believe it! I am trading my sickness and pain for the JOY OF THE LORD!
A challenge...
Is there an area that you have been hiding from God because you know how "unclean" it is? Maybe you have a list of items that you are hiding from the Lord. As was with Adam and Eve, it is normal for the sinful flesh to hide our shame away from God. Here is the crazy thing, you might not even be aware what these things are that you have been hiding as you have hidden them away so well or so long ago! Take some time and read Genesis 3:1-11 . This is a time for being honest and open with your creator. Maybe you have dealt with some mistakes you have made and feel somewhat like you have covered those issues properly (as Adam and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves). We need to make sure that our sins are covered properly - with the blood of Christ. The "skins" that God would fashion for Adam and Eve would replace their covering of fig leaves and also give each one of us an understanding that sins need to be covered by the death of another, the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in this by praying through any and all areas of your life and past, including relationships and come out into the open and be clothed in Christ - accept what He did as the perfect covering! Think over and sing (if you'd like) this part of the new song:
I'm trading my sorrow
I'm trading my shame
I'm laying it down for the joy of the Lord
Tip: when I "accept His covering", I am experiencing a saving faith that not only heals us but also pleases God!
2. He brings life into forsaken places...
Please read this passage of scripture...
Jhn 4:4-10 And he must needs go through Samaria. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with [his] journey, sat thus on the well: [and] it was about the sixth hour.
There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
(For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
Please consider...
There are places on this earth that, for various religious or political reasons, have become undesirable and forsaken lands to many of us. God nabbed me personally here as he did with Peter (who was also avoiding certain peoples) not to call anything unclean which he has spilled His cleansing blood for.
Acts10:12 And the voice [spake] unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, [that] call not thou common.
Review this part of the song...
I'm pressed but not crushed persecuted not abandoned
Struck down but not destroyed
I'm blessed beyond the curse for his promise will endure
And his joy's gonna be my strength
Though the sorrow may last for the night
His joy comes with the morning
A challenge....
Begin to pray for peoples of this world that you have never prayed for before. Begin with people in your own life that you may avoid for whatever reason. Pray for them! Pray for them! PRAY UNTIL God breaks through the cold stoniness of your heart and brings living water out!
3. He overcomes evil with good. Where sin abounds His grace abounds more...
Please read this passage of scripture...
Jhn 8:1-12 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.
And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with [his] finger wrote on the ground, [as though he heard them not]. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard [it], being convicted by [their own] conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, [even] unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Read the above passage again and put yourself in the place of the adulterer. Be quiet and listen to what God is doing and saying..
Conisder this....
There is a tie-back here to power verse number 1 - do you still remember it? Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs...???.
What did God show you regarding the covering of Love? Think over what He did in and through you- for many of us this is still a fresh work in progress! No fear - more power here as we see Jesus covering the sin of adultery here with forgiveness. Think about Him doing that! He overcame evil with good. He traded the shame of adultery for the JOY OF THE LORD. YES LORD! AMEN!
Final Challenge: Set someone free.
Take a look at this verse:
Hbr 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Go through the song "Trading My Sorrows" and allow God to work through you to set people free by forgiving them in the same way Jesus set this woman free so she could go forward and sin no more; set free from the power of sin; past, present and future. Find two rocks one smaller than the other. Take the smaller rock (or ball) as you listen to the special song and drop it and pick it up over and over to symbolize the struggle we have with forgiving people. Then take the larger rock which represents your sin before God and drop it only once per song. The song represents our life which has a start and finish. The picking up of the little rock is our unforgiveness of others where the one-time drop of the large rock represents the one-time purging of your sins at the cross of Calvary.
Remember, this is an exercise in faith so that we know Him, His power and His love, and follow Him.
WORKING OUT: "...and talk of thy doings."
1. Freshen up in The Great Comission...
What a simple thought to frame the Great comission with "I will talk of thy doings". Paul the apostle did not fear much including death. However, he mentioned a fear of our minds being corrupt with complexity of things (2Cr 11:3).
What a simple way to frame the Gospel. This is what Jesus did. Instead of attacking someone or engaging in endless debates about this or that...just stick with "I will talk of thy doings". Simply what Jesus did for us and said to us, and this is what He is doing in me. Begin to pray in the direction of being used by God in this way. Share simply and let God open the eyes and stir the heart like only He can. Remember God chose the foolish things to confound the wise, Meaning that He is not typically looking to change the world with high-minded, heavy-headed professors but rather children who cry Abba Father (or Dear Daddy).
Take a look at this example in scripture, it will bring a smile as you see how simple the Gospel is. Jesus healed a blind man. This blind man was then probed by the religious rulers of the day as to what happened and who did it. The former blind man kept repeating his testimony, in other words he kept saying what had happened to him thorugh Jesus. He did not engage about how was it he could be healed on the sabath or that Jesus could not be God by doing such a thing. The former blind man did not all the sudden become an expert in Bible because what had happened he simply knew what had happened to him. Read through John chapter 9 and ask the Lord to show you the areas where God has touched your life and changed you. Ask the Lord to use your testimony.
Mat 28:17-20 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.
2. Get in the groove - tune in and become part of what Jesus is already doing.
For example.
During the process of meditating on this verse and what God wanted us to do with it as a church, I came across these two christian women who are also citizens and natives of Iran. They are sisters to each other and of course spiritually to us through Christ... they remind me very much of my own daughters. I cant imagine my own daughters in prison for most of a year because of their faith in Christ.
Click here to read news story.
Maryam Rostampour, and Marzieh
They are from a country that I cannot remember ever praying for one soul to be saved. For that matter I would rather have no dealings with them (see above He brings life into forsaken places...) and so if I needed to go through Iran I would go around. I had no idea that Christ was alive in the hearts of thousands in this country. Are they really any different from my own?
Melinda (Mindy) and Brianna
God brought me to this "Samaria" to show me HIS WORK that I might talk of HIS DOINGS and let my talk even take the shape of prayer and action for the body of Christ here. I did not expect this. The way He brought the believers in Iran to my attention was very cool. This week my focus was to develop Psalm 77:12 for our body..to "talk of His work". I made an unusual stop at the library to kill an hour before an appointent. I came across an article about Francis Chan. His simple devotion to Christ caught my attention. I checked out a teaching later at home; randomly choosing the one that was given on my birthday (why not). His church had an usual experience of all getting on their knees the week before for the two women above, Maryam and Marzieh. During that week (to his suprise especially) they had an unexpected ruling in which their most serious charges were dropped. Once again, the congregation went to their knees in prayer and he went for it all and asked for Maryem and Marzieh's release. Keep in mind this was over a month-old teaching that I was listening to. The next day on the car radio, I heard the two familiar names announced as being set FREE! The final piece to the puzzle where I knew this was God opening my eyes, was the place we were at the Bible as a church. That coming Sunday we were to be immersed in Genesis 16 which shows us the birth of the Arabian people through Ishmael.
Gen 16:11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou [art] with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
Little did I know God would love me enough to bring to my attention His grace working in the lives of two great grandaughters of Ishmael.
http://www.cornerstonesimi.com/special/media_player.html Click the 10/11/09 teaching and then click Watch
This part of the exercise is easy because we will all do together. We will send a check to OpendoorsUSA.org
as well as subscribe to a newsletter to display at church.
3. Let's not stop there! Be in prayer and keep your eyes open to "Jesus movements"
Become involved in what He is doing...
- In the local body of Christ (your community)
- keep connected to the international body through christian news resources and web sites.
Allow God to move you to action as His Word comes alive in your heart !
Psa 77:12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.
