Notes of Noel - Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

 

Season of Advent - Hope  Each week of the season of Advent which leads up to Christmas carries a deep meaning, the first one is hope. I've often thought of hope even though you can't see it or touch it you know when you've got it and you know when you don't. Hope is something that we all need, whether that be for a physical need, financial concerns, emotional and family struggles, the list goes on why having hope that a situation will change is so important.  Our first song in the Notes of Noel is one that you can almost feel the desire of the songwriter. Our song is Come Thou Long Expected Jesus originally written by Charles Wesley who penned over 6,500 hymns, and this is just one of many with an incarnation and Christmas theme. In this version we also have a chorus and verse by Meredith Andrews which brings a fresh feel to this beautiful song.  Firstly let's read the lyrics.  Come, thou long expected Jesus born to set thy people free From our fears and sins release us let us find our rest in thee Israel's strength and consolation hope of all the earth thou art Dear desire of every nation joy of every longing heart Born thy people to deliver born a child and yet a King Born to reign in us forever now thy gracious kingdom bring By thine own eternal spirit rule in all our hearts alone By thine all sufficient merit raise us to thy glorious throne    You draw the hearts of shepherds, You draw the hearts of kings Even as a baby, You were changing everything You called me to Your Kingdom before Your lips could speak And even as a baby, You were reaching out for me And now we are awaiting the day of Your return When every eye will see You as heaven comes to earth  Until the sky is opened until the trumpet sounds The bride is getting ready the church is singing out Come, thou long expected Jesus born to set thy people free From our fears and sins release us let us find our rest in thee Come, thou long expected King Have a listen and watch of Come Thou Long Expected Jesus Let's look at the lyrics:

You can feel the desire and desperation in the opening line 'Come thou long expected Jesus'. The people waiting for a Messiah those couple thousand years ago had been waiting for hundreds of silent years. No sound of a saviour, no sign of him coming, even as the people of God desired to be set free, they waited and hoped.  To hope and desire is a powerful thing. I think back to a trivial example of being a little kid who so wanted the new Atari 2600 gaming system (Some of you won't have a clue, others will know exactly what I mean) and I hoped for it on Christmas. My hope turned to sadness as it wasn't at first, then a final present which seemed to be the right size, and there it was. The state of the art gaming system that every boy my age had to have, my desire had been fulfilled.  They waited for freedom from their captors but more than that their own troubles. We all have them, fears and sins which keep us in bondage, worries which hold us back from truly living. It's in the saviour that we find our rest, not a nice afternoon nap, (although that sounds amazing) but the ability to be settled. It can be so difficult to find rest within a busy day, during the middle of trials, illness and stresses with children. There are times where rest is exactly what's needed. It's in Jesus that we find our true rest. Matthew 11:28 says 'Come unto me all you who are heavy laden and I will give you rest'  Jesus coming was and is the hope of all the earth. At this point in the song, the desire is for him to come, this is the waiting room. The desire of all people, everywhere, desire that will turn to joy. When Jesus comes on the scene, the longing heart experiences joy. Later in the season we'll no doubt sing 'Joy to the World' what an accurate set of lyrics, the ultimate joy and consolation is the saviour, Jesus. Psalm 34:17 says The righteous cry, and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. Jesus was born to deliver, that's why he came. To be the ultimate sacrifice for everyone, everywhere once for all, to be The Deliver. Wesley's thoughts go from desiring a saviour to the realisation of one being born as a child yet a king. A king who would rule then, now and forevermore. The miracle of the incarnation, our faith is based upon a miracle, no wonder we seek for the miraculous today. This song speaks to the eternality of the king Jesus, a reign that is forever and a rule that governs our heart.  The next two verses or chorus and bridge are not original to the song, they are modern additions by singer, Meredith Andrews. I find the words compelling as they use the themes which the original text has and builds upon them. Even as a baby Jesus was changing the world around him, as he came to the earth he brought hope and joy, drawing the hearts of all including kings.  The last part is all about another advent. The meaning of advent is a breaking in, and what a breaking in it will be when Jesus comes again. We find ourselves in that same place as the people of God a couple of thousand years ago, desiring a saviour, only this time as a second advent. Every eye will see his coming, all ears will hear of his return as the sky opens and trumpet sounds. This song takes us from before the incarnation right the way through to the culmination of Jesus returning as the king.  As you listen and sing, may you too desire his deliverance in your life, and may your heart be drawn to know him more.  To enjoy the whole album, simply click on this link and you'll find each song from her Christmas album, it's a really wonderful sound.  Meredith Andrews Christmas

A Path Through Chapter 5 - Hear my cry and lead me

 

Psalm 5 For the director of music. For pipes. A psalm of David 1 Listen to my words, Lord, consider my lament. 2 Hear my cry for help, my King and my God,     for to you I pray. 3 In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. 4 For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness;     with you, evil people are not welcome. 5 The arrogant cannot stand in your presence. You hate all who do wrong; 6     you destroy those who tell lies. The bloodthirsty and deceitful you, Lord, detest. 7 But I, by your great love, can come into your house; in reverence I bow down toward your holy temple. 8 Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies— make your way straight before me. 9 Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with malice. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongues they tell lies. 10 Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you. 11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. 12 Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favour as with a shield.

We all have enemies shows us that David's adversaries weren't just out to get him, but they were trying to get in his head too. Did the words 'God will not deliver him' cause him to sway? Did those words make him want to give up faith in God? Were they words which meant that he wasn't willing to stand any longer? We don't have to wait long for an answer. But, like I've written before and taught many a time when we read but it's time to jump for joy. The opposite is now being said, where David was feeling down and attacked he quickly turns his thoughts to the One who lifts his head. In these two verses we see that the God of David is a shield, lifter and the one who answers. He certainly had reason to put his trust in God.

Focussing on God is a great way to start a study, David says in verse 4 'You are not a God' let's worship together with 'You are God Alone by Phillips, Craig and Dean.

So we see at the beginning of our chapter that David is lamenting again. Is he a complainer or someone who is just down all the time? Is he sad constantly and moaning? Is that what lament is?   In a word, no.   Lament is grieving and expressing sorrow. It's a vital piece of our human emotion. Roughly 1/3 of all Psalms are laments, they are songs which help the writer and reader express emotion and remember what has happened. In very simplistic terms the writer begins with his heart revealing sadness and ends with his heart revealing gladness.

When my daughter Amy comes down the stairs she is ready for the day, she's awake, looking to play or watch TV and is often talkative. I on the other hand stumble down the stairs, have to be reminded what day it is, I slowly make my way to the kitchen to get a drink or I forgot why I went in there in the first place. Maybe you are a 'morning person'. If you are that's fine, for those of us who aren't we don't get it. We see in verse 3 that David is appealing to God in the morning. It's in the morning when he is giving his requests to God. Life usually looks better in the morning, after a good night's rest we are ready to tackle the day. As the Bible says joy comes in the morning, and whether you're a morning person or not having the fresh start of a new day is a real gift.

Let's pause, reflect and hear the Psalm in song, this is Psalm 5 as done by Sylvia Lange.

We already know that David had many enemies, not because he was a bad guy (he did make some poor choices) but likely because of his position. Kings are on the wanted list of those who seek power, David was the 'enemy' to many, although he was a friend of God's. In our chapter we find him talking to God about his enemies, coming before the Lord to see his enemies defeated.  It's clear from verses 4 and 5 that evil, arrogant and deceitful people can't be with the Lord. In fact the Bible says that God detests those who show these behaviours. These are strong words, doesn't the Bible talk over and over about the love of God?  Yes it does and the Bible also talks about the judgment of God and fact that God can't stand sin. He does love, to the enth degree, so much so that he is able and willing to judge. It sounds counterintuitive, but if I as a father don't discipline my girls while loving them, they are the ones who would find that wrongdoing is ok. They aren't evil, arrogant or deceitful like this chapter says but they do wrong. It's our role as parents to instil the understanding that there is right/wrong, and that there is punishment when wrong keeps on happening.  In the middle of the thoughts on evil doers we see that fascinating connector word... but.  The word but allows us into the thinking of the writer, and here we see that David realises that by the great love of God he can come into the house of God. He can dwell with God, even with his shortcomings and failures he can be reverent before the Lord in His holy temple. It's as though David snaps out of worry about his enemies to come back to the reality of who God is.  As we heard in the lyrics of our first song (have a listen if you skipped it)  He is Unchangeable, unshakable, unstoppable, that who God is.

Being lead is a comforting feeling. I remember a time in Bible College when we were on a trip abroad to North Africa. There was a long hike that we went on (long by my standards at least) this included following a path most of the way and also following the leader of the group. On that occasion I was not the leader, it was great to be able to follow for a bit. On this part of our trip I was the leader of our group. There were 50 or so of us up in the mountains on a camp and hiking trip for a couple of days. I had been nominated to lead this group, and if you know me at all you know I'm not a camper, hiker or orienteersman (word?)  In the middle of those days of leading the group and fielding non-stop questions and answers was the mountain trek. I was one of the group, I simply followed and took in the beautiful scenery. I still had to walk though, for 10 hours or so, a bit more than just around the corner! Following the lead of the Lord requires our willingness and dare I say it some effort too. He will provide a path, and as David prays in verse 8 for a straight path as that is safer and easier to follow. Like I said though no matter the path it still has to be traversed.

We have the opportunity to listen to the thoughts and perspectives on chapter 5 from Sue Trudinger. Let's hear the wisdom and provocation that she brings to our chapter.

We come to the end of the lament morning psalm. That means were going to end on a high note. David states that all those who take refuge in God are glad. It's about joy again, we finished chapter 4 with joy and once again the lament comes full circle. The great preacher and theologian Charles Spurgeon has some wonderful things to say about joy from these verses. Below I quote his teaching on these verses.

This is a permit, a precept, a prayer, and a promise. i. You have permission for joy. “You have here a ticket to the banquets of joy. You may be as happy as ever you like. You have divine permission to shout for joy.” (Spurgeon) ii. You have a precept, a command for joy: “Come, ye mournful ones, be glad. Ye discontented grumblers, come out of that dog-hole! Enter the palace of the King! Quit your dunghills; ascend your thrones.” (Spurgeon) iii. You should pray for joy, both in yourself and others – especially servants of the LORD. “If you lose your joy in your religion, you will be a poor worker: you cannot bear strong testimony, you cannot bear stern trial, you cannot lead a powerful life. In proportion as you maintain your joy, you will be strong in the Lord, and for the Lord.” (Spurgeon) iv. You have a promise for joy: “God promises joy and gladness to believers. Light is sown for them: the Lord will turn their night into day.” (Spurgeon)

When the day is long, when it's tough to carry on we can say 'Your Name' This is something that David wrote in verse 12, it's the name that we can sing. Here's 'Your Name' by Paul Baloche.

Lord, lead me, in the path of righteousness, in the path that is safe for myself and my family. Lead me Lord through the trial, tribulations and struggle of everyday. Lead me Lord when I'm unsure of where to go, when I'm afraid of when to go, when I'm unclear of how to go. Lord make the path straight, Amen.

A Path Through Chapter 4

 

There's a path, let's follow it It has been great to begin down the path of the Psalms, there is so much to open up through these songs of old. Today it's chapter four which is a prayer and request to God from David.    We'll break down this chapter, have some songs together, and hear from our guest speaker. This week our guest is a former Rector at St. Mary's Overton who started here the same summer I moved to Overton. We get to hear from my friend Ian Smale on chapter 4. So lets...  get on the path Psalm 4 For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David. 1 Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer. 2 How long will you people turn my glory into shame?     How long will you love delusions and seek false gods 3 Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him. 4 Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds,     search your hearts and be silent. 5 Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the Lord. 6 Many, Lord, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?”     Let the light of your face shine on us. 7 Fill my heart with joy when their grain and new wine abound. 8 In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord,     make me dwell in safety.  When I read this psalm this is one of the first songs that came to mind. It was the beginning, 'you hear me when I call' it's a response to David's request at the beginning of our psalm today. Here is 'Whom Shall I Fear' by Chris Tomlin.  "Mr. Watson, come here -- I want to see you." 10th March 1876 This is not the most exhilarating quote but they are the first words ever transferred through a telephone.  That day in the lab Alexander Graham Bell confirmed what he thought, the human voice could be carried over a wire and his assistant Thomas Watson heard, and came into the room. To be heard is what we all desire, to know that our voice is not muted.                                              We find David writing a song which is essentially a prayer, a speech, an internal conversation and statements of trust in God. Eight verses  which encompass all of this from the man who was after God's heart, David. It starts by asking God to answer him when he calls. 'Can you hear me, can you hear me now' or 'You're still on mute' these are lines so often heard on our now everyday life Zoom calls. We are somehow worried that our voice is not carrying, that the people on the call can't hear us, nothing has changed as David had this same concern thousands of years ago.  Answer me when I call to you. It all starts here with God hearing, the rest is what God could do for David, but it all starts with hearing his voice. We all want to be heard by God, and we too need to hear. A phone conversation is not a conversation unless both people talk, a zoom call can be unengaging if there isn't some talking and some listening. This is a hallmark of prayer, it's talking and listening.  When we last saw David  in chapter 3 he was on the run, he was looking for relief from his distress. If you look back at your last few weeks there's a good chance that you too were looking for some relief. It's a prayer that we are used to praying, 'Lord help'. It can come in many words or just those two, sometimes those two are the best ones to say.  The other night we had some trouble with a tantrum downstairs with one of our girls and I was with Rose (our youngest) in the bedroom after her bedtime bath. We could hear the commotion and she cut right through it all with some simple words. She said 'Jesus help me' that's all, she was troubled by the noise downstairs. We held each other and prayed, and God heard our cry as quickly all was at peace and she was so calm she went right to bed (that's not always the case:)  So we see in this first part of the psalm that David is out to be heard and is looking for an answer. That's why we come to God because we know that he hears and answers. Not always with yes, sometimes it's no, sometimes it's wait, then wait and maybe wait a bit longer. It's like I tell our girls you can ask but you may not like the answer, but we'll talk and think about it.  Verses 2-3 is where David is talking to others, who are the others? That were not sure, some have said it's the people who were present when he ran from Absalom, but that is not clear. So it's likely more a general group of people, where he is sharing his frustration. How long? This is the question he's asking, how long are you going to do this? How long will the people not put God first, how long will they need reminding that it's God who's there when we call to him. You and I need reminding, just today I was pleased to see a reminder of a meeting with the details I needed. I too need reminding that God is the one who's there, that's what hit me like a ton of bricks with Rose's statement 'Jesus help me' she knew from where her help comes.  Very quickly David goes from the one asking the questions (verse 1) to the one bringing the encouragement and teaching in verse 3.  Gone is the worry that God won't hear and it's replaced with 'the Lord hears when I call to him' Had he already felt 'heard' by God, it's likely, so often when we come to Father God in prayer, just the act of opening up to Him lifts us. Let's pause and listen to a song which expresses what David knew that God was to him. This is 'Sure of This' (Psalms 4) by the talented Shiyr Poets, well known worship leader Brian Doerksen is part of this project.  Vs 4-5 we get to hear the internal thoughts of David. We all talk to ourselves, sometimes to encourage ourselves, other times to reassure us that we'll be ok or we remind ourselves. We probably get tired of hearing ourselves think, I know I do! He's telling himself to not sin, to meditate on God, to search his heart and simply listen. He reminded himself to fill his mind with the things of the Lord and to have his heart full of God.  Trust in the Lord is one of the lines that he utters to himself all throughout the psalms, no matter the situation trust. No matter how desperate or lonely he may feel, trust in the Lord. That's the landmark he's going to return to, trust in the Lord. One of the main points we are to glean from walking down this path is to in all situations; trust in the Lord. Prosperity is one of those words which can cause us all kinds of trouble. We want to prosper, we want to see our family and children prosper as they mature and have families of their own. The propsperity that our Psalm is speaking of though is not a fat back account with a third car parked in the garage used just for special occasions. A very simple definition of prosperity from the Bible is to be in the will of God. To be close to Him, in relationship and doing what He has asked of you.  It's not that we don't have troubles or that we aren't able to live through adversity. Of course we don't want to be on the breadline or see those we know and love struggle with sickness and financial troubles. We can however expect trials, tribulations and trouble, not because we are out of the will of God but because we're human, living in a fallen world full of strife.  I think that when the light of God shines on us we are in fact prospering. Admittedly that's not easy to quantify, but how much of faith is?   This is something to think about, take stock in your own faith walk with Jesus. Do you feel as though you are prospering, meaning are you in His will?  Our guest speaker today, Ian Smale has a very interesting perspective on this chapter. Let's listen to his thoughts as we think about chapter four.  As we finish this Psalm we see David writing about the joy and peace that God brings. Joy which fills the heart and peace which fills the soul. How good it is to rest in this peace and to enjoy this joy. Let's finish with a rollicking song and a prayer.  Wouldn't it have been fun to see David playing a song like this on his stringed instrument? Here's 'Joy' by the duo of For King and Country.  This Psalm is another one that is perfect to take, pray and make your own. Take the time to say the Psalm aloud, it's you and God. Lord hear us as we call to you, after all is said and done we will have joy in our hearts, peace in our souls and be able to rest in your presence.

A Path Through Chapter 3

 

There's a path, let's follow it We've started our look at the hymn book of the Psalms. Today it's chapter three, this chapter lets us in on the reality of the sitautions David finds himself in. We get an insiders view on his thoughts as he attempts to stay safe and close to God.   We'll break down this chapter, have some songs together, and hear from our guest speaker. This week our guest is a church leader in Basingstoke, friend and caring man, it's Robin Mendelsohn from the Hub Community Church. So let's... get on the path

Psalm 3 A psalm of David when he fled his son Absalom 1 Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! 2 Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” 3 But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.  4 I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain. 5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. 6 I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side. 7 Arise, Lord! Deliver me, my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw;     break the teeth of the wicked. 8 From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people

This is the first lament of many throughout the book of Psalms. They don't start with an explanation but they always come around to the realisation and recognition that God is faithful, and He is faithful now in the moment. To get us on the path let's have that focus, here is Faithful Now by The Vertical Worship Band.

The context of passages in the Bible is so important. When a story takes place, what precedes and follows a passage can frame that portion of scripture, who is was written to and why. All of these reasons help us realise that context is king when it comes to reading and understanding the Bible. Here in Psalm 3 we find a song written by David within a particular context.  He was on the run from his own son Absalom. (the full story is found in 2 Samuel 15:13-23) We know this because the subtitle of the chapter is written above. The subtitles we see throughout the Psalms were part of the original text not simply helpful additions by a publisher. They helped the readers and singers of the Psalms an understanding of where that author was coming from. Music is so emotive, it can be written on the highest of highs, the lowest of lows and everywhere in between. It will likely however take a shape that is in step with the emotion of the time. So much of David's writing in the Psalms is emotive of the moment, what he was doing right then, right there, whatever situation he found himself within.

The opening question that David asks in verse 1 is one that he will utter many times throughout his psalms. 'How many are my foes?' He was attacked by his foes verbally and at times especially by Saul attacked physically too. When he found himself in these situations of being in the line of the fire of his enemies we often read this question. Whether it was cried aloud, under his breath or in his head I'll bet you can hear it too. We all do it, maybe not about our enemies being against us but about situations that we come up against. The coronavirus and lockdown situations have been an occasion to cry aloud, under our breath in our head. How many of us have watched and talked to the TV during the daily briefings, how many of us have done more than talk but yelled and screamed at the latest restrictions or difficult news? This is the type of life-changing and dangerous situation that we've found ourselves in, David was in troublesome states and he went to God. We must learn from the poet and king too.

Verse 2 shows us that David's adversaries weren't just out to get him, but they were trying to get in his head too. Did the words 'God will not deliver him' cause him to sway? Did those words make him want to give up faith in God? Were they words which meant that he wasn't willing to stand any longer? We don't have to wait long for an answer. But, like I've written before and taught many a time when we read but it's time to jump for joy. The opposite is now being said, where David was feeling down and attacked he quickly turns his thoughts to the One who lifts his head. In these two verses we see that the God of David is a shield, lifter and the one who answers. He certainly had reason to put his trust in God.

Let's listen to the raw emotion of this lament is heard through this song appropriately called Psalm 3 done by Jason Silver.

Vs 5. Being sustained is something that we all need, everyday, every second. We don't provide our own oxygen, we don't cause the sun to rise morning after morning. We might buy our food but we don't cause the seed to turn to a thriving fruitful plant. We can't sustain ourselves, only God can be the sustainer, (word?) David is really aware of this, while he travels the hills to be safe from his raging son like we see in this psalm or whether it's when he is having a difficult time in his thinking. He comes back to the fact that God is the provider and sustainer, and the one who lifts David head again and again. As a result he can say that he does not need to fear. It's oh so easy to fear, to fall into the trap of worry, to walk right into the uncomfortable struggle of being scared. Here he says even if there were tens of thousands trailing after him he would still turn and trust in God.

Let's have a listen and watch to Robin Mendelsohn as he brings his perspective to the richness of chapter 3.

Lord deliver! This is a cry heard so often in the Old Testament. I think of the moving scene from the Exodus where Moses has led the people to the edge of the Red Sea. The Egyptian armies are pounding across the desert behind them, the water stands a foe in front of them. They can only plead that God will deliver them, Moses can only cry to God to be the deliverer. As we know the sea parts, they cross on dry land, the Egyptians are swept away in the waves. It can almost seem unmiraculous.(word?) It isn't, the sea was pulled back, over 2 million men, their families and belongings crossed through a dry sea bed to safety. This is deliverance on techinocolour display. David knows this story from his history and so many more. He was of course the one who slung the stone to knock Goliath out of commission. He knew what it was to be delivered. Here once again his plead is with the Lord of deliverance in this desperate hour. One of the overriding points in this psalm is that the Lord deeply cares for those who are righteous. Again not that Christ followers are perfect, we all know that's not true. Our shortcomings, and mistakes don't disqualify from the care of God. He is always but a prayer away, I love how God never leaves or forsakes us. We see as this passage wraps up that He watches over the way of the righteous. It reminds me that no matter what is going on in our house, with the toing and froing of life (not so much in lockdown but you get the idea) that either Rebecca or I am watching over our girls. They may be on their own a bit upstairs or in the living room but we're only a 'Mom or Dad' call away, and usually we can hear all that's going on anyway. Let's have this big idea in our mind as we worship and pray together that God blesses those who love Him, and He so loves you, watches after you and causes you to prosper.

You can almost hear David singing this song as he continues to realise and live out the deliverance of God. Let's make the words of 'O God You're my Deliverer' ours today, here it is by Matt Maher.

Lord, we need your deliverance in our lives as a people, in and our lives individually. Would you deliver us and the world from the coronavirus which has plagued so many and changed the lives of so many. We call and cry out to you as the deliverer and lifter of our head. Help me not to fear even when it feels like I'm being pressed on all sides, may my hope and trust be in the one who never leaves nor forsakes me. amen

Isn't it good to be on the path? We'll see how David reaches such highs and lows as he writes many of these wonderful songs. Next week we'll open up chapter 4 with former Rector at Overton, Ian Smale.