941 God, put an end to evil; avenging God, show your colors! 2 Judge of the earth, take your stand; throw the book at the arrogant. 3 God, the wicked get away with murder - how long will you let this go on? 4 They brag and boast and crow about their crimes! 5 They walk all over your people, God, exploit and abuse your precious people. 6 They take out anyone who gets in their way; if they can't use them, they kill them. 7 They think, "God isn't looking, Jacob's God is out to lunch." 8 Well, think again, you idiots, fools - how long before you get smart? 9 Do you think Ear-Maker doesn't hear, Eye-Shaper doesn't see? 10 Do you think the trainer of nations doesn't correct, the teacher of Adam doesn't know? 11 God knows, all right - knows your stupidity, sees your shallowness.
12 How blessed the man you train, God, the woman you instruct in your Word, 13 Providing a circle of quiet within the clamor of evil, while a jail is being built for the wicked. 14 God will never walk away from his people, never desert his precious people. 15 Rest assured that justice is on its way and every good heart put right. 16 Who stood up for me against the wicked? Who took my side against evil workers? 17 If God hadn't been there for me, I never would have made it. 18 The minute I said, "I'm slipping, I'm falling," your love, God, took hold and held me fast. 19 When I was upset and beside myself, you calmed me down and cheered me up. 20 Can Misrule have anything in common with you? Can Troublemaker pretend to be on your side? 21 They ganged up on good people, plotted behind the backs of the innocent. 22 But God became my hideout, God was my high mountain retreat, 23 Then boomeranged their evil back on them: for their evil ways he wiped them out, our God cleaned them out for good.
951 Come, let's shout praises to God, raise the roof for the Rock who saved us! 2 Let's march into his presence singing praises, lifting the rafters with our hymns! 3 And why? Because God is the best, High King over all the gods. 4 In one hand he holds deep caves and caverns, in the other hand grasps the high mountains. 5 He made Ocean - he owns it! His hands sculpted Earth! 6 So come, let us worship: bow before him, on your knees before God, who made us!
7 Oh yes, he's our God, and we're the people he pastures, the flock he feeds. Drop everything and listen, listen as he speaks: 8 "Don't turn a deaf ear as in the Bitter Uprising, As on the day of the Wilderness Test, 9 when your ancestors turned and put me to the test. 10 For forty years they watched me at work among them, as over and over they tried my patience. And I was provoked - oh, was I provoked! 'Can't they keep their minds on God for five minutes? Do they simply refuse to walk down my road?' 11 Exasperated, I exploded, 'They'll never get where they're headed, never be able to sit down and rest.'"
961 Sing God a brand-new song! Earth and everyone in it, sing! 2 Sing to God - worship God! Shout the news of his victory from sea to sea, 3 Take the news of his glory to the lost, News of his wonders to one and all! 4 For God is great, and worth a thousand Hallelujahs. His terrible beauty makes the gods look cheap; 5 Pagan gods are mere tatters and rags. God made the heavens - 6 Royal splendor radiates from him, A powerful beauty sets him apart. 7 Bravo, God, Bravo! Everyone join in the great shout: Encore! In awe before the beauty, in awe before the might. 8 Bring gifts and celebrate, 9 Bow before the beauty of God, Then to your knees - everyone worship!
10 Get out the message - God Rules! He put the world on a firm foundation; He treats everyone fair and square. 11 Let's hear it from Sky, With Earth joining in, And a huge round of applause from Sea. 12 Let Wilderness turn cartwheels, Animals, come dance, Put every tree of the forest in the choir - 13 An extravaganza before God as he comes, As he comes to set everything right on earth, Set everything right, treat everyone fair.
14 Personally, I've been completely satisfied with who you are and what you are doing. You seem to me to be well-motivated and well-instructed, quite capable of guiding and advising one another. 15 So, my dear friends, don't take my rather bold and blunt language as criticism. It's not criticism. I'm simply underlining how very much I need your help in carrying out this highly focused assignment God gave me, 16 this priestly and gospel work of serving the spiritual needs of the non-Jewish outsiders so they can be presented as an acceptable offering to God, made whole and holy by God's Holy Spirit.
17 Looking back over what has been accomplished and what I have observed, I must say I am most pleased - in the context of Jesus, I'd even say proud, but only in that context. 18 I have no interest in giving you a chatty account of my adventures, only the wondrously powerful and transformingly present words and deeds of Christ in me that triggered a believing response among the outsiders. 19 In such ways I have trailblazed a preaching of the Message of Jesus all the way from Jerusalem far into northwestern Greece. 20 This has all been pioneer work, bringing the Message only into those places where Jesus was not yet known and worshiped. 21 My text has been, Those who were never told of him - they'll see him! Those who've never heard of him - they'll get the message!
22 And that's why it has taken me so long to finally get around to coming to you. 23 But now that there is no more pioneering work to be done in these parts, and since I have looked forward to seeing you for many years, 24 I'm planning my visit. I'm headed for Spain, and expect to stop off on the way to enjoy a good visit with you, and eventually have you send me off with God's blessing. 25 First, though, I'm going to Jerusalem to deliver a relief offering to the Christians there. 26 The Greeks - all the way from the Macedonians in the north to the Achaians in the south - decided they wanted to take up a collection for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. 27 They were happy to do this, but it was also their duty. Seeing that they got in on all the spiritual gifts that flowed out of the Jerusalem community so generously, it is only right that they do what they can to relieve their poverty. 28 As soon as I have done this - personally handed over this "fruit basket" - I'm off to Spain, with a stopover with you in Rome. 29 My hope is that my visit with you is going to be one of Christ's more extravagant blessings.
30 I have one request, dear friends: Pray for me. Pray strenuously with and for me - to God the Father, through the power of our Master Jesus, through the love of the Spirit - 31 that I will be delivered from the lions' den of unbelievers in Judea. Pray also that my relief offering to the Jerusalem Christians will be accepted in the spirit in which it is given. 32 Then, God willing, I'll be on my way to you with a light and eager heart, looking forward to being refreshed by your company. 33 God's peace be with all of you. Oh, yes!
(Read Romans 15:14-21)
The apostle was persuaded that the Roman Christians were filled with a kind and affectionate spirit, as well as with knowledge. He had written to remind them of their duties and their dangers, because God had appointed him the minister of Christ to the Gentiles. Paul preached to them; but what made them sacrifices to God, was, their sanctification; not his work, but the work of the Holy Ghost: unholy things can never be pleasing to the holy God. The conversion of souls pertains unto God; therefore it is the matter of Paul's glorying, not the things of the flesh. But though a great preacher, he could not make one soul obedient, further than the Spirit of God accompanied his labours. He principally sought the good of those that sat in darkness. Whatever good we do, it is Christ who does it by us.
(Read Romans 15:22-29)
The apostle sought the things of Christ more than his own will, and would not leave his work of planting churches to go to Rome. It concerns all to do that first which is most needful. We must not take it ill if our friends prefer work which is pleasing to God, before visits and compliments, which may please us. It is justly expected from all Christians, that they should promote every good work, especially that blessed work, the conversion of souls. Christian society is a heaven upon earth, an earnest of our gathering together unto Christ at the great day. Yet it is but partial, compared with our communion with Christ; for that only will satisfy the soul. The apostle was going to Jerusalem, as the messenger of charity. God loves a cheerful giver. Every thing that passes between Christians should be a proof and instance of the union they have in Jesus Christ. The Gentiles received the gospel of salvation from the Jews; therefore were bound to minister to them in what was needed for the body. Concerning what he expected from them he speaks doubtfully; but concerning what he expected from God he speaks confidently. We cannot expect too little from man, nor too much from God. And how delightful and advantageous it is to have the gospel with the fulness of its blessings! What wonderful and happy effects does it produce, when attended with the power of the Spirit!
(Read Romans 15:30-33)
Let us learn to value the effectual fervent prayers of the righteous. How careful should we be, lest we forfeit our interest in the love and prayers of God's praying people! If we have experienced the Spirit's love, let us not be wanting in this office of kindness for others. Those that would prevail in prayer, must strive in prayer. Those who beg the prayers of others, must not neglect to pray for themselves. And though Christ knows our state and wants perfectly, he will know them from us. As God must be sought, for restraining the ill-will of our enemies, so also for preserving and increasing the good-will of our friends. All our joy depends upon the will of God. Let us be earnest in prayer with and for each other, that for Christ's sake, and by the love of the Holy Spirit, great blessings may come upon the souls of Christians, and the labours of ministers.
