Rev. Moultrie

THE FACT THAT THE DESCRIPTION OF UNITY IS SO POETIC ATTRACTS ME. IT'S ALMOST AS THOUGH I CAN FEEL THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD IN THE WORDS. I THINK THAT DWELLING TOGETHER IN UNITY IS SOMETIMES DIFFICULT BECAUSE EVERYONE WANTS TO HAVE THEIR OWN WAY; AND BECAUSE WE'RE UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS, THOSE WAYS AREN'T ALWAYS THE SAME. THIS OF ITSELF IS NORMAL, BUT THE PROBLEM COMES IN WHEN NO ONE IS WILLING TO HUMBLE THEMSELVES AND BEND A LITTLE SO THAT UNITY CAN BE ATTAINED. I BELIEVE THAT UNITY REQUIRES A COMMITMENT OF HUMILITY & A COMMITMENT TO LOVE OTHERS & DESIRE THEIR BEST. I DON'T REALLY SEE HOW THE PRINCIPLES OF UNITY & PURITY CONFLICT WITH EACH OTHER. I BELIEVE THAT RECONCILIATION & UNITY ARE HIGH VALUES IN JESUS' TEACHINGS BECAUSE ONE OF THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD IS "UNITY" & JESUS CAME TO EARTH IN THE FORM OF MAN, WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, & RESURRECTED SO THAT WE (SINFUL HUMANS) COULD BE RECONCILED TO FATHER GOD. I REMAIN IN HIS SERVICE+++

I WOULD USE IT AS A PSALM THAT INSTRUCTS MY CHILDREN IN WHAT TYPES OF BEHAVIOR GOD IS PLEASED WITH. IT COVERS THE TOPICS OF NOT LYING, GOSSIPING, OR BACK-STABBING ANYONE. IT ALSO SEEMS TO SAY IN VERSES 4 & 5 THAT WE SHOULD KEEP COMPANY WITH PERSONS WHO LIVE AS GOD WOULD HAVE THEM TO, SUCH AS, DOING UNTO OTHERS AS WE WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO US. THIS IS WHAT I THINK, BUT I'M A LITTLE MUDDLED ON THIS ONE AS FAR AS THE TOPICS. ***PERHAPS SOMEONE OUT THERE COULD GIVE ME A LITTLE MORE INSIGHT ON THE TOPICS OF RIGHT LIVING COVERED?

FOR ME IT IS GOOD TO BE REMINDED THAT MY EFFORTS AT LIVING GODLY ARE NOT IN VAIN. FROM AN EMOTIONAL STANDPOINT, VERSE 2 "BUT HIS DELIGHT IS IN THE LAW OF THE LORD; AND IN HIS LAW DOTH HE MEDITATE DAY AND NIGHT." STANDS OUT TO ME BECAUSE IT'S DESCRIBING A PERSON THAT REALLY LOVES THE LORD, AND THAT DESCRIBES ME BECAUSE I AM SEEKING A CLOSER WALK WITH GOD. BLESSINGS TO EVERYONE!

AS I READ PSALM 139 I GET THE FEELING THAT DAVID IS MORE IN AWE WITH THE FACT THAT THERE IS NOWHERE THAT GOD IS NOT. GOD IS EVERYWHERE AND HE KNOWS EVERYTHING. IN HIS CONCLUDING PRAYER IN VERSES 23-24, DAVID IS ASKING GOD TO DO A THOROUGH 'INVENTORY' ON HIM TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS NO EVIL WITHIN HIM(DAVID). LASTLY, HE'S ASKING THAT GOD LEAD HIM ALONG THE ROAD TO ETERNAL LIFE.

THE COMMON THREAD THAT CONNECTS THE 1ST PART OF PSALM 19 TO THE 2ND PART IS THE AUTHORITY OF GOD. THE PSALMIST SEEMS TO BASK IN GOD'S WORD BY THE VERY EXPRESSIVE WORDS THAT HE USES TO DESCRIBE GOD AND HIS WORKS. THESE VERY EXPRESSIVE WORDS AND EXAMPLES SHOW JUST HOW THE WONDERS OF CREATION AFFECT THE PSALMIST. IN VERSE 14, I BELIEVE THAT DAVID IS ASKING GOD TO GUIDE HIM IN EVERYTHING THAT HE SPEAKS; AND GOD IS THE ONE TO DO THIS BECAUSE DAVID ACKNOWLEDGES THAT GOD IS HIS STRENGTH AND REDEEMER.

(1) I BELIEVE THAT THIS PSALM TEACHES US ABOUT THE GREATNESS OF GOD. HE IS OMNIPOTENT, OMNISCIENT, AND OMNIPRESENT (ALL POWERFUL, ALL KNOWING & EVERYWHERE). (2) I BELIEVE THAT PSALM 8 TEACHES THAT GOD TRULY LOVES US EVEN THOUGH WE CAN NEVER MEASURE UP TO HIS MAJESTY. (3) SINCE CHRIST IS REFERRED TO AS THE SON OF MAN IN OTHER SCRIPTURES, THEN PSALM 8 SHOWS A CONNECTION BETWEEN CHRIST AND MAN. AS WE KNOW FROM LATER SCRIPTURES, CHRIST CAME TO EARTH AND LIVED AS A MAN TO MAKE ATONEMENT FOR OUR SINS, BUT IN THE PROCESS, HE SHOWED US HOW TO LIVE CHRIST-LIKE LIVES. HE SUFFERED GREATLY FOR US WHILE ON EARTH, SO THIS TELLS US THAT HE TRULY LOVES US ALSO. (4) PSALM 8 TEACHES THAT BECAUSE GOD HAS MADE US "CARETAKERS" OVER HIS CREATION, THEN WE MUST REALIZE OUR BLESSED POSITION AND CONDUCT OURSELVES ACCORDINGLY.

BLESSINGS TO EVERYONE! MY NAME IS REV. MOULTRIE AND I AM A "NEWBIE". I LIVE IN A SMALL COMMUNITY CALLED SEABROOK IN SOUTH CAROLINA. I AM MARRIED WITH A 14 YR OLD SON AND A 16 YR OLD DAUGHTER. ALSO, I AM ASSISTANT PASTOR AT MY CHURCH WHICH IS A NON-DENOMINATIONAL CHURCH FOR ALL PEOPLE. I HAVE JOINED THIS STUDY GROUP BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT STUDYING GOD'S WORD WILL BETTER ENABLE ME TO PRESENT IT TO HIS PEOPLE. AND IT IS BY STUDYING GOD'S WORD THAT WE LEARN WHAT HE EXPECTS OF US; IN OTHER WORDS, IT TEACHES US HOW TO LIVE. I LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING GOD'S WORD WITH ALL OF YOU!