Psalm 107 is an amazing Psalm with an amazing end. The last verse of this Psalm says, "Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD." On the surface, you would expect this Psalm to deal with the sweet times of blessings and gifts from God, but the opposite is true. The chapter gives five examples of troubles or trials in the lives of people. Some experience troubles because of sin and some because the Lord led them into troubles and some just because of everyday life. Two verses are repeated four times each. One of these verses is repeated in verses 6, 13, 19 and 28 and it says, "Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses." The other verse is repeated in verses 8, 15, 21, and 31 and it says, "Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!" These verses demonstrate not only a purpose for trials in the lives of men and women, but it also builds on the idea of the lovingkindness of the LORD. The lovingkindness of the Lord seems to be connected to His dealings as a Father. He allows or causes trials and troubles in our lives to bring us to a point where we cry out to Him and then He delivers us. When He delivers us, He desires praises from our lips. Through these trials we are drawn closer to Him and are strengthened in faith. This truly is the lovingkindness of the Lord.

According to an article in Thursday's "Wall Street Journal," earlier this year on the day Muslims celebrate the willingness of Abraham to sacifice his son on Mt. Moriah (a son they claim was Ishmael), 25,000 sheep in Brussels, Belgium, had their heads turned to Mecca and were sacrificially killed by having their throats slit so that they would die from the shedding of their blood. Many of the Muslims will be eating their sheep for lunch that same day. Although home slaughters are illegal in Belguim, Muslims now make up over 15% of the one million people in the city of Brussels.

"When burdened with sins from 2006; just burn them up for a real quick fix." Martin Luther dealt with a Roman Catholic agent who sold indulgences with a catchy ditty. Perhaps the preceeding one might work for the new sellers of quick fix forgiveness. Thursday's "Wall Street Journal" revealed a growing trend in churches and the modern spiritual community. More and more congregations are meeting for a service in which they write the sins and failures of the previous year on a piece of paper. Then, in a heart uplifting ceremony, they burn the pieces of paper to symbolize the doing away of these sins and their readiness to face a new year clean and ready to do better. The ceremony is getting rave reviews from many religious groups.

In the old days, an atheist might present his atheism as a better alternative to belief; he might even mourn the loss of meaning in life by his rejection of God but claim it to be an honest conclusion. The new atheist, as exemplified by Dr. Richard Dawkins, turns the tables against the believer. The believer is the one who is to be feared. Atheism is needed to calm the God-intoxicated wars and hatred of society (we presume not the kind of atheism purported by China's Mao or Russia's Stalin). Children need to be protected from religious parents. Dawkins calls the religious training of children a "form of child abuse." Believers need to be shunned as stupid and dangerous. We who believe need to prepare ourselves and our children for this kind of attack. It is not around the corner; it is now. Note: information taken from editorial in Friday's "Wall Street Journal."

In a great essay on the current path of fundamentalists, the editor of Straightway magazine, Dr. H.T. Spence, makes this greatly enlightening statement : "Though Fundamentalism has endeavored to be strong historically in ecclesiastical separation, one of its great weaknesses from its beginning has been its lack of personal separation." This can be found in the June-July 2005 issue of the magazine in an article entitled "Ask for the Old Paths."

In fundamental circles it is popular to teach that an "apostate" is one who is lost with little hope of redemption. This definition makes "apostate" synonymous with "reprobate." Perhaps this definition keeps the continually-backsliding fundamentalists of our day from ever having the ugly word used to describe them, since they are saved. However the dictionary definition of an apostate is very applicable to the modern fundamentalist. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines an apostate as "one who has forsaken the...profession to which he before adhered."

This chapter is called

In this chapter, Isaiah describes difficult times in the history of God

The history of Israel demonstrates that they were often a people of doubt and rebellion against God. But that is also the history of all of God

After the flood, God gave man a fresh start through Noah and his family. Man is to replenish the earth and make another go at it. God gave Noah foundational principles of good government and promised all creation that the earth would never again be destroyed by water. But tragically, by the end of the chapter, sin had already begun to corrupt the new world.