Fighter Verse Songs

Ephesians 4:31 and 32

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander, be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.

So last week I said that the passage didn’t give us nice, tidy rules about communication, but gave us the guidelines and said we should speak, “as fits the occasion”.

And then this week there are some nice tidy rules on what we should not do.

We should not communicate with “bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander . . . and malice.” It sounds like Paul had experienced church meetings where these words could describe some of what was said. And he wanted to make it clear that this wasn’t helpful.

So the question we should ask ourselves is – do we ever talk like that? At church, or with our families? It’s so easy to fall into habits where we talk with the negative traits and then find ways to justify them.

Is that something you do?

We should pray for discernment and then the strength to obey God as we talk to others.

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[Just a reminder – many or most of the songs posted on this site or at our channel at Youtube.com are demo or scratch versions (not finalized) of what will be available on the CD]

(Say, do you know that disclaimer we put at the bottom saying that what we put here is often not the final version of the song – i.e. not what will be put on the CD? Well, that’s especially true this week)

Ephesians 4:29

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

So how about that for a practical application verse?

I think the key phrase is “as fits the occasion”, which makes this a little tricky to do. We’d like things more basic than that – nice, tidy rules: Always say happy things, always point out error, always state the facts, or always base your response on emotion.

No, we are to make our goal two things for the individuals we are talking to:
1. Build them up.
2. Give them grace.

So we should ask ourselves, what can I say that will do these two things?

And to what end? We can go back to verse 1: So they will walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called

And what is the calling? To glorify God.

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[Just a reminder – many or most of the songs posted on this site or at our channel at Youtube.com are demo or scratch versions (not finalized) of what will be available on the CD]

And by ‘New CD’, I mean after more than a year and a half of working on it, the New Set 1 Fighter Verse Song CD is done.

Free CDs will be available to all (one per family) who come to any of the seven services at all Bethlehem campuses this weekend (Mar 24 and 25). And for those who aren’t able to attend, we will be making them available for purchase very soon.

What’s on the CD?—40 songs of 99 verses from 16 books of the Bible, written by 11 songwriters and performed by more than 30 musicians. It’s more than seventy minutes of music.

The CDs will be free in the bookstore (Downtown & North) and at the information table (South). May God bless the singing of his Word.

Psalm 86:11

Teach me your way, O Lord,
that I may walk in your truth.
Unite my heart to fear your name.

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Did you notice that when they came up with the order of these fighter verses, they decided to give us a short one after the very long Psalm 103. Nice.

This Psalm verse is a prayer and it has two requests of God.

1. Teach me about how you want me to live.
2. Help my heart be undivided in its reverence for you.

So: Please help me to know what I should do, and then help me to have the strength and will to do it.

May we all have that wish and may God grant it.

But here is the question – do you really want Him to give you what this verse says?

I mean, if He did, you might become a completely different person.

[Just a reminder – many or most of the songs posted on this site or at our channel at Youtube.com are demo or scratch versions (not finalized) of what will be available on the CD]

(start at 3:20 for this week’s verse)

Psalm 103:20-22

Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word! Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will! Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul!

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This is the last week with Psalm 103 and it’s a grand finish, isn’t it. We humans aren’t alone in blessing God. We bless him with the Angels, the mighty ones, his hosts, his ministers and all his works!

You’re in good company company when you bless the LORD.

Can you find one more way to bless the LORD this week?
Can you find one more way to teach your children to bless the LORD this week?
Can you find a way to get someone who isn’t saved to bless the LORD this week?

Bless the LORD, o my soul!

[Just a reminder – many or most of the songs posted on this site or at our channel at Youtube.com are demo or scratch versions (not finalized) of what will be available on the CD]

(start at 2:45 for this week’s verse)

Psalm 103:17-19

But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
The LORD has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.

I said last week that there was a very important ‘but’ in this week’s verse.

We are finite, we are frail, we will die soon, BUT

We have a God who has love that is eternal. We have a God who will be righteous towards us eternally. We have a God who is stronger than any other being in the universe.

This Psalm just took a very happy, joyous, encouraging turn. Like so many others, praise God.

Do you keep his covenant? Do you remember to do is his commandments? Do you believe in a Savior who can grant you the grace which enables you to do God’s will?

Then these promises are for you.

[Just a reminder – many or most of the songs posted on this site or at our channel at Youtube.com are demo or scratch versions (not finalized) of what will be available on the CD]

(start at 2:26 for this week’s verse)

Psalm 103:15-16

As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.

It is something we need to remember – where we are and what we are doing is not permanent. Those of us in relatively good situations would like to think – Oh, I’m fine. I don’t really need to think about the future.

But this verse says otherwise – our early life is very short – and much of what we think is important will soon be forgotten – like the grass in my back yard that was so strong and green four months ago and now is brown and dead and buried.

These are dark and sobering words. And if I were reading this for the first time, I’d be a bit depressed at this point.

But the good news is – there is a very important ‘but’ in the next verse.

But that’s for next week!

In the meantime – Are you living and thinking and acting and talking like your early life will last forever?

Or are you taking a more realistic and godly approach?

[Just a reminder – many or most of the songs posted on this site or at our channel at Youtube.com are demo or scratch versions (not finalized) of what will be available on the CD]

(start at 1:44 for this week’s verse)

Psalm 103:11-14

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.
For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust.

Question: What is the greatest way God can show his love for us?

Answer: By removing those things from us that separate us from Him. And by moving them far from us.

Question: How does God show that he has compassion for us?

Answer: By remembering how weak we are.

Really Really Important Question: What is your response to this?

[Just a reminder – many or most of the songs posted on this site or at our channel at Youtube.com are demo or scratch versions (not finalized) of what will be available on the CD]

(start at 1:20 for this week’s verse)

Psalm 103:8-10

The LORD is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.

This passage begins with mercy and then lists the ways God shows mercy.

On Wednesday nights I work with Kindergardeners and first graders and when I get to passages like this I say things like “We would be in big trouble if it weren’t for these kinds of truths” or “we would be lost if this wasn’t true.”

It is very good for us to think about how doomed we would be except for God’s mercy.

Have you thought about what you deserve every day but what you aren’t receiving because of what Jesus did for you?

Have you thanked God for his Mercy today?

[Just a reminder – many or most of the songs posted on this site or at our channel at Youtube.com are demo or scratch versions (not finalized) of what will be available on the CD]

(start at 0:43 for this week’s verse)

Psalm 103:5-7

. . . who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,
His acts to the people of Israel.

I am encouraged by the structure of that first line there (vs. 7): Good happens so much that more good happens to us. God’s goodness to us causes other goodness to happen to us.

There is strength and renewal that is gained by being satisfied with the good things that God has given us.

It’s a blessing. It’s grace.

Are you thankful? Do you act like it? Does your family see it?

[Just a reminder – many or most of the songs posted on this site or at our channel at Youtube.com are demo or scratch versions (not finalized) of what will be available on the CD]