Psalm 121

Father, we thank you. We. Thank you that we can gather here this morning. We thank you for the calmness of our hearts and our lives that we can gather before you. With no fear of bombs falling around us. Father. Today, we lift up the people of Ukraine, we ask for your protection upon them. We pray that you would intervene. We know that you're a great guy that you can do all things. Father. We ask that you go before them. Watch over those who are ministering to the people in Ukraine. Those ministers, those missionaries, a pastor. The teachers who are sharing the word of God to encourage and to lift up in a Time Of Heartache and Devastation and father. We pray that we never forget how easily and quickly that could happen here in our own country and all around the world. We know that we're in those in X. We know that one of these days father God, you'll be returning. We don't know when that time is but we can see the things around us that are happening to direct us towards that. So help us. Help us to take our shoes off. Help us to stand before you on Holy Ground. It will give you the praise in Jesus name. Amen. As we think about the things going on in the world around us and Ukraine, specifically this morning. We need to continue to pray. And not just be thankful that it's not us and it's them.

when we began to, Look around. And see what's going on. Even right here in our own country. Even right here. You say even in our own church. All the divisions in our world, all the divisions, in our country, all the divisions that we have in our church. What do you talk about Patty there? There? We don't all agree Dewey. I guess we do. We don't all agree, doing.

You don't want to answer those questions, right?

If?

If God. What's the ask you this morning? You this morning? To wash the feet. Of your brothers and your sisters in Christ. Write Jesus gives us that example does he not? So if God was asked you to wash the feet of your brothers and your sisters in Christ. Who would be the first one you'd want to wash and who would be the last one you'd want to wash?

I would suggest you whoever that last one was make them first. Because that my friend. It's true humble before. God. It wasn't a pretty picture, you know, it's not like they were wearing boots. It's not like they were wearing socks and and and all those things they were wearing sandals and where they would travel. I'm just going off on Betty song. Okay, that's not what I had planned where they were travel from from day today. You know what your feet look like when you wear flip-flops all day. And you're walking on pavement for the most part, you're walking on sidewalks for the most part in, at the end of the day, you take your flip-flops off your sandals off and you look at your feet and go. Oh my goodness. It's terrible. It is so terrible that sometimes you don't even want to wash your own feet. Am I right? Much less somebody else's feet.

And what is God asking us to do? He's asking us to wash the feet. Of those around us, regardless, regardless of who they are, regardless of, what's going on, regardless of what's taking place. Why? Because in doing, so, we're showing the love of Jesus in doing. So, we're showing the peace in the progress that God has guided us and helped us.

I'm not in the foot-washing kind of thing. That's not really what he's talking about. What he's talking about, his humbling ourselves, ministering to those around us and if what foot washing is, a part of it then. Okay, okay.

Going to say something here, might be a little rude. Understand what the heart is. Being said with sometimes. God's not asking us so much to wash feet. As you used to wipe butts.

Would you rather watch a foot?

But when we begin to think about that, second part is usually ours that needs to be wiped. Think about that for a second cuz who of us who have us stand before, God. Here I Am Lord, it's easy to say Here I Am Lord, take me to use me, help me to be what you want me to be. When we ask God that when we tell God that then we got to be willing at that moment to be used because when he calls us we know Lord I am willing to but not now. Now is not the time. Go with me this morning, the song. 120. 121, rather Psalm 121. I want to read this this morning. And as your attorney that, let me just share with you those who are interested or may be interested in going to Leslie's mother's funeral. We're taking the church van. I'm doing the service on Tuesday 1 until they will leave here around 8, just to get there on time for any of the old folks like me to have to stop along the way a few times. Time for those brakes, but if you're interested, there's a sign-up sheet back there. So we know who's interested in, who would like to go. It's, it'll be a long day. I'll tell you that Phil leave here around 8 and get back later in the afternoon evening. So be aware of that. But just throwing that out there for those who may want to go, but didn't want to have to drive alone. Psalm 121 this morning. As we look into the word of God, listen to these verses. I will lift up my eyes to the hills from whence. Comes my help. My help comes from the Lord who made Heaven and Earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved. He who keeps you will not Slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel? Will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper, the Lord is yours. Is your shade at your right hand?

The sun shall not strike you by they. Nor the Moon by Night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil. He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth and even. Forevermore.

What we find in that passage is God is our help. To those who seek him. Are you seeking God today? Are you searching for Him to guide you to direct you to help you to want you to be what he wants? You to be not so much. What you're interested in being. And yes, he does. Tell us that he'll give us the desires of our heart, but our desires have to be in line with his will.

verse 1, Psalm 121 God is your helper.

It's been a rough week. Been up, been a tough time.

How much rougher do you think it would be if we were in Ukraine? Your weeks not so bad, is it? Got some more snow. Got to deal with that. I'd rather deal with snow than bombs falling out of the air. I'd rather deal with that than not knowing where my family is as those who were trying to get out of Ukraine, but the men, 18 years of age is 60 years of age, have to stay behind and fight for the country. And I think rightly so If something mean something to us. What do you do? And we here, we see him. We we we we always hear about praying for these people and seeking God's guidance, and we can do that in the S5. But at the same time, we need to be seeking God's guidance ourselves. We need to understand the thing that he's telling her. I was here that God is our helper, their God who made the hills, the God who gives you help is the one who's in, charge of all things. I will lift up my eyes verse 12, the Hills. From whence? Come to my help. What are you lifting your eyes to? What are you depending on to get you through the trials and tribulations of Life? The heart aches in the hardships? Who are you? Depending on yourself? We need to do the best we can for ourselves in for those around us. But we're very frail. No matter how old, or how young we are. We are still frail in the sight of God. We need to see Kim. He is a god of the hills. He's a god of the valleys.

One thing I found out in my process and life of hunting. I don't mind going down a hill. That's not so bad. The hard part is going up the hill and if it's gradual, it's not really noticed how bad it is, but man when it's a pretty steep hill and you know, you got to get to the other side by the time you get there, you I maybe you don't. I got to take stops along the way in and Catch My Breath because at my age, a lot of things start happening. I start breathing heavy in my heart starts pounding. Out of my chest was like, whoa, if I don't stop, I might have a heart attack right here. But God is the one who is still our help in those valleys. And in those heels wherever we are the hardest, the hardship, the trials of life. God is still there, and we need to be depending on him. Not just when the Trials come. They were pretty good at that, aren't we? Trial, trials, and tribulations come our way. And all of a sudden we start depending on God. Oh God, guide, me. God directly. Help me, where we ought to be doing that everyday. All day long, but you know, we forget things go back to normal. We go right back to normal with it and another speed bump comes.

What is the song that say I will lift my eyes to the Hills? Why? Because the cavalry's coming. From whence comes my help when you hear that sound in the distance, you know, they're coming. They're coming to help. They're coming to direct their coming to get you out of the situation. But that doesn't mean there has an all-way already. Been some tragedy, doesn't mean there hasn't already been some hurts. That's the life we live and that's the world around us. In this world, there will be tribulation in this world. There will be heartache and hardship in this world. You'll have to go through some tough times.

The Jesus says, be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. Yes. You may get some scratches. Yes, you may get some ones yesterday. Maybe some death.

Appointed unto man once to die. and after that, the judgment But never forget. The lift, your eyes to the hills, because God is our helping. Then God, is the one who sees us, regardless of what's going on. Regardless of what's Happening, God is the one who will guide us and will direct us and help us.

And his help is available.

To each and everyone who call upon his name.

We don't understand that so much. We we believe it because we do it. Do we not week? We call upon him all the time, especially when we know we. Maybe maybe we don't deserve it. But when we see Jesus hanging on that cross, we see on each side of him, a thief. Hanging on that cross for the wrongs that they have done. Jesus hanging on his cross for the wrongs that they accused him of doing the wrongs. He was accused of, was our sins, all they accused him of blasphemy. They accuse him of, say he was the king. Little, do they know who he was? And yet those two, thieves one on each side of him. Had a conversation with him in their pain, in their struggle, in their heartache. The one Thief looked at it today. If you're the Jesus that you say, you are getting yourself down off of this cross and us too. So that I can continue. This was give me some leeway here so that I can continue to go back to my life, do the things. I've always been doing. I don't really care who you are. That's the world we live in people don't really care who Jesus is, but just in case he can help them. Hey, get us down off of your, get us out of this problem. This issue, this trial.

And then the thief on the other side, looks at him and says Lord. That's the key word. Right there a man. Lord, remember me. When you enter into your kingdom.

He didn't ask to get down off the cross. He didn't have to go back to his old way of life. All he was asking was for Jesus to remember him.

When they entered into the kingdom in that hour. The same hour they all died. The thieves on the right, the thief on the left. They ended up breaking their legs, on that cross, so they could no longer breathe. It's got to be tough enough to breathe hanging on a cross with Nails in your feet and Nails in your wrist. A man. Trying to breed with that pain. But if it took too long for some of these, I they would go and they were break their legs so they can no longer lift himself up to take a breath.

Now they couldn't do that. So, to suffocate hanging on the cross. They did that to the thief on the right, they did that to the thief on the left. They did not do that to Jesus. In scripture says, not a bone of his body would be broken prior years prior that I happening. But they did put that sword in his side. To prove he was dead. And they took him down off the cross. And Joseph of Arimathea, took him and put him in his own Sepulcher buried our Lord and savior that night. But yet Jesus in his own trial in his own tribulation, his own pain and suffering said to the guy who said Lord, remember me. He says today, today Thou shalt be with me in Paradise.

In fact, he probably looked at his Apple watch was headed in 35 minutes and 42 seconds will be there together.

Gaius little Exegetical too much there. Didn't I?

Today. Thou shalt be with me in Paradise. You know, why? Because at that last moment and I wouldn't suggest anybody wait till the last moment. The last moment that Thief looked up, lifted his eyes to the Hills. And he saw his help hanging hanging on the cross next to him.

Let's go on here and see what else we can find. God, is your help. And we also see that God is your keeper. Look at verse 3. Psalm 121 verse 3. He will not allow your foot to be moved. He who keeps. You will not slumber.

Never think God's asleep. God, how come you're not listening to me. How come you're not answering my prayers? God. How come you're not taking care of this situation in my life.

The pilgrims travel together for Fellowship. And safety because the roads were dangerous. We see that as a would travel from place to place in biblical days. They were there in a group to help protect themselves from the thieves in the robbers that may have want to have their way with them. The dangers in our modern society today, or just as great. When we try to go It Alone. When we try to make the decisions, all of our all on her own when we don't even listen to what God's word says, when we don't need to listen to what those around to say, when we just do our own thing. We are in danger.

And when we are in danger, it also brings danger to those around us.

Because usually, usually, when we are thrown in the position of danger, we began to watch strike, back out, lash out at those to protect ourselves at whatever cost it may take, whatever we can do to protect myself. So, we'll lash out. when we travel in those groups, when we allow ourselves to, be watched over, and Kept. Has God keeps us. He who keeps you will not Slumber. He's not sleeping. He's not bored. He's not ignoring us. But you know what? He's doing in our hearts and our Lives. Many Times. He's working it, so that we would get closer to him. He's working. So that we would want to have more moments more times. More talks with him. Not just when there's trouble or tribulation. Not just when there's trial or heartache or hardship.

He keeps us. He helps us. He directs us, he wants us to understand all the things that are there.

Those dangers around us today, or are they and they may even be greater than the dangers of Biblical times. Things that get our retention. We're talkin about that a little bit this morning in my office. Prior to the church service and how everybody's everybody's on their device. Pretty much 24/7. I want you to do something. Time yourself. Time yourself and see how long you can set your device down and leave it alone.

Without looking at it every 30 seconds buzzes all the time. I know that mine does the same thing but people ask me quit. Hey, did you get my this? Did you get my text? Did you get a look at that thing? Maybe in the morning? I look at that thing. Maybe at night. My emails, my tax and if you want to get ahold of me.

Right, cuz we're very good at putting the pressure on somebody else. Okay. Well, I need to talk to you. So I'm going to leave you a text. I'm going to leave so you can call me back. No, call me.

Can I get an amen? Don't get mad at me. If I don't call you back cuz you left me a text and I didn't get ahold of call me my phone rings in a buzzes. And yes, I may look to see who is this calling me.

And I tell it, cuz I get a lot of telemarketers calling. That's why I don't know that number for Massachusetts. I don't know that number from California. I'm not answering it. But if you got a message and leave me a message, I will get it. Cuz I know somebody called.

We do the same thing with God. We don't really have time to talk to him. So we're going to sort of give me a quick text. Okay, God will you when you get time. Or email him will give us some time.

Jobs, not in the email. This is nothing. Send an email. Right? When we get on our knees and when we pray to him and seek a guides, then he's our help. He is there to keep us in the watch over us and to provide for us.

Go back to verses 3 and verse for, because what I want is to understand here. Is this process that God wants us to have the dangers? Are they said, in modern society? Might be greater today than ever before. But what is God doing? Looking first three numbers for? He will not allow your foot to be moved. He who keeps you will not Slumber? Behold he who keeps Israel? Will neither slumber nor sleep.

I'm thankful for that, aren't you? How do you think people in Ukraine today are feeling about God, those who may have a belief in him and those who do know, probably mad at him for allowing this to happen, which I don't understand. How can you be mad at somebody that you don't believe in? But people do that, really. If your God is so great. Then why is he allowing this to happen? If your God is so great. Then why is this taking place? I hear that quite often. If your God is so great. Then why do babies end up dying of cancer? What did they do wrong? Send not theirs hours. It's our fault, but we don't want to admit to our wrongdoing. It's always easy to point. Somebody else's wrongdoing out. But imagine. Here we are standing before God. Praying to him, seeking his guides in our prayer is always this. Because Jesus prayed this way is what he wants us to Lord, not my will. Find me. Do we really want God's will to be done? We know deep down inside. Yes. That's what we want. But I rather had my will done first. Hey, man. I want my will done because I think it's before God does his will. If I get my wall done, then I'll be happy.

We get what we want sometimes. And once we get what we wanted, we don't want what we got. Wednesday night, we're going through 1st Samuel. The problem that we find in first Samuel was God was wanting. The children of Israel to have another judge in the children versus no, no. No, we don't want to judge. We want a king. I mentioned this a few weeks ago, but it's on my mind. We wanted king. That's it. Now. I know you don't want to kiss you you want to judge. No, no. No. We want to keep give us a king. So God said to Samuel the freeze. Okay, Samuel. They want a king. Give him a king. I prefer they had a judge, they want it can give him a king. What's the difference will give the people what they want? And how's that working for us? They? The judge was going to be there in judge for a. Of time and wants that court case. If you will was done, he was done. Then they get another job after that, somebody else to come in and rule on the next situation. But if they got a king, the king was going to rain over them. Forever. And wants that King died. Somebody in that King's family, stepped up. Became king. So you don't get rid of the king.

God gave them what they wanted. They didn't like it. They didn't like a wiper. Yes. There's good King. And yes, there's bad. Can you give me? We have good people. We had bad people, they got what they wanted, but they didn't like it after a time because it wasn't working out the way that they fought, it should. See when we think we know better than God when we think we know more than even what God's word tells us. And I'm going to stand before you today. I'm going to make a bold statement. You're ready. I read this book every day. I do not buy any way.

Stand. Before you say, I understand it all because I do not. There are some things that are not meant for us to understand this side of Heaven. I strive to study ice, tried to figure it out, part of it. Is I where's the Lord? Got to come back? I don't know, but I think we can look around and see what's going on the world around us and realize it sooner than later. Things are happening. Routers at open your eyes and see it in my question to those who may not believe in the Lord, Jesus Christ. As are you prepared for that? Because when the Lord comes back, then we're taking out of here. The church is raptured out a man. Give me forever with the Lord. Those left behind those. Who do not believe. Will they have an opportunity? I believe they will have an opportunity to accept Christ as your lord and savior. But if you have a gun to your head if if you are being forced to deny Christ so that you could live or or or worse. Denied Christ or your family can live. What choices would you make then? If you haven't made that choice yet. see, usually, when trial and tribulation coming to our life, we make choices that that benefit us or so, we think not so much choices that benefit those around us.

Look to the Hills. From whence comes our help. God is there he will keep us. He will take care of us. He will provide for us until the end our responsibility. Is it put our faith and our trust in him? Not just when we need him. Everyday. Everyday. And there is nothing too stupid to ask God to do.

Some of you been following our escapades at our house the last couple of days with a certain dog.

We were calling the dog. Gino. We thought the dog's name was Gino. Come to find out the name was Tino. Really the name is Valentino, but that's a whole other story. The dog that once it gets loose likes to run and then the people told him, he's a runner. He likes to run. Boy. Does he like the Run? When you're watching somebody else's dog babysitting, somebody else's dog and it pulls its collar off and gets loose and runs for hours and hours and hours. In Okemos close to your skip is and you tried to catch it and it's Dawn.

Today's of that happened Friday, that happened again yesterday.

I'm too old for that.

I am worn out. It's not just a factor of trying to catch the dog. It's the stress of you're watching. Somebody else's dog, which is now on the Run. Finally got captured down on Route, 40. Behind our house. Some people been called got a hold of the dog. Called the owner of the dog. The owner called, my wife and my wife went down on Route, 40 got the dog asked. How did you catch him while we gave him a treat?

Listen, I got steak late Friday night because my wife was outside grilling steak to get the dog to come.

Not a bad thing. Good steak. Yesterday morning. She's out there. Grilling bacon. Trying to get the dog to come.

How did you catch that, dog? Pastor Clyde people were asking, am I right? Chickens. Live chickens.

I noticed the dog was really interested in birds falling, the birds, every bird that flew at dog was running out to the neighbor's yard and saw the neighbors Chicken in their Coop and was very interested in the chicken coop. This is Friday. Finally, I'm tired. I'm worn out so I am tired of chasing this dog to keep an eye on this dog or making sure the dogs going to be. Okay. I went open the chicken coop up. Course of chickens were smart enough. Not to come out in the snow, but they're in there. They're doing a container and whatever chickens do. And a dog came around and got his eyes on the chickens. What is that? I'm hiding over around behind the shed.

Cuz everytime I would come out the dog would see me and go the other direction, 112 play. Well, it wasn't play, it wasn't playing Fair because this tag thing I couldn't tag and I was always it.

So, I just want to start over there and the dog went in the fenced-in area of the chicken coop that I'd opened up. And I knew that was my moment. I ran I close the door me and the dog inside the dog. Like

How do you say you took my wife? Bring me the collar? I'll put the collar on the dog. Get him inside. Stick him in the cage. He's in doggy jail. The next morning when he needs to get out. Once again, he gets loose again.

That's just a funny thing, right? But you know how much stress that brings in a person's life. A silly dog. And I think it's not even mine. It's somebody else's. I mean if Ismael, can you do you want to run around? I don't care. I'm a dumb dog.

but we We were responsible for somebody else's bar MIT. So I'm looking at this dog those next rest stop.

Why is it? Why is it were more concerned about dogs or animals that we are about people?

Aren't we? Depends on the person spends on the people. Here I am. I'm all stressed out. Patrick like, it's Tressa.

Go to my grandson's basketball game tournament. Yesterday at Glens Falls had a game at 3 p.m. At 5. I'm sitting here watching them play their down by 11 points. That's just a basketball game. But it's your family. It's your loved one, getting a little stressed because they're going to lose this thing. And they didn't. They came back and they won by like four points with just a few minutes left. They made three 3-pointers in a row without the other team score and get you right back in the game real quick. Then the other team got behind and they got frustrated. They got sort of rattle didn't know really what to do now. And here we go again.

Cadence team won that game. We hang around for an hour. What's the next game? The next game was. Just as riveting. is that are you watching and It goes into overtime. If they finish the game tied up. That's how close goes into overtime and back and forth, back and forth, and back and forth, them back back back and no, fourth fourth. And they end up losing. And it's like man, I'm already stressed from the dog. And now I'm watching the kids play and I wanted to win.

So, why does that bother you? It's life is a not man. If you go and watch your children and your grandchildren, play a sport and you could care less. If you don't understand a sport.

Am I right? Am I, my dad was that way. He can come watch me play football when I was a kid. He had no idea what was going on. 22 guys out there on a football field running around. He had no idea who I was, which one was me? I'm not even sure. He knew what team I was on. What color my jersey was that didn't bother me as a kid. I was out there doing what I wanted to do. I didn't even notice the crowd. You don't even recognize the crowd is there when you're involved. In the game.

So, what's your point this morning Pastor Clyde? My point. Is this when we are involved in, what God wants us to do. Doesn't matter who's out there. Do what God has called you to do minister to those, in a way that Christ. Would Minister to them, help them in a way that Christ would want them to be help. Guide them in a way that Christ would want them to be guided Minister. The people around, you know, why? Because people are dying. I'm going to hell. Having saved said that, they'd never heard. About the things of God. Scripture tells me, everybody will have a chance to hear. Everybody has a chance to say yes or no. And our responsibility is to follow him to do what he's asked us to do. Look at this as we close, as we're looking for is five. The Lord is your keeper. The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

The song shall not strike you by day. Northern Moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil. He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth and even forever. More.

Who do you want to put? Your faith in. Somebody who's going to take care of you forever more or somebody who just want you for the moment. Sadly, we put more faith in those around us. Then we do in the one above us. How do we put more faith in those closest to us? Then we do to the one that is within us. And what God is asking us in the trials and tribulations of life that we see going on around us in the world. We live in.

The world around us. This is trust him, no matter what. We could be next week, could be the next Ukraine. If you will. We are very blessed folks. Amen. Right now. But how long would it take for that to change?

You know, what amazes me.

I'm a gun owner. Not ashamed of that. My Constitution gives me a right to do that.

You see what's going on in Ukraine? I want I want, I want to do something every male here this morning between the age of 18 in 60 stand up.

If you were in Ukraine, you'd have a gun and you be battling for your country. You know, that. You be battling for your country, you be seated?

Who's giving them the guns?

The country. The people here, go fight for your land.

Time zone. Plano.

Wednesday night. Bible study 1st Corinthians 1st, Samuel chapter 14. Jonathan says to his armor Bearer. Let's go take on the Philistines. Me and you. Good idea, right? Charles back in his tent. He's a massing, an army. Together numerous man to be in this Army. Let's get more guys as go up and let's take it on the Phyllis. He's so here's my question to you. Whose team? Do you want to be on Jonathan and the armor Bearer or saws? Humanly speaking with also always be with us the numbers He-Man. Humanly speaking.

Spiritually, speaking. We want to be with Jonathan. You know why Jonathan and his armor Bearer or going with God as their guide? Ball, he's not even worried about God. He's not even thinking about God, he saying about how many more guys can we get together to go fight this battle?

Here's what we need to understand. Me and God. Is a majority. Go with God. What about the numbers? What happened? They went up to the mountain and they said to the Philistines. Hey, what do you want us to do? Why are they said to each other? Listen, we're going to go. And if they say it was come up. We'll go up there. Stay down here. We'll stay down here. We'll use that as God, telling us what to do. Hey. We're here to fight you. Come on up, you little dogs. And then the next passage says, within a half-mile, radius. They killed the two of them kill 20 Philistines. I think the two of them to kill the feet. What am I saying? I'm saying when we have God on our side. We are a majority regardless of what's going on around us.

Does God can use whatever he wants to win the battle? Earthquakes windstorms Darkness. He's in charge of that. They men, he can make that happen. What happens to you? And I for a battle and it gets dark all of a sudden you start fighting and you keep fighting with, you know, the enemy is all around you. So you're swinging your sword, you're doing whatever you need to do to protect yourself because she hears something over here. And guess what? You might even hurt somebody of your own side.

That's bad. Yad, that's what's happened to the Philistines. They started swinging their swords, they started killing her from guys because they didn't know who I was, be careful. When you're not following God because you're in darkness, but when you're following, God know that he guys and he directs father. We thank you. We think you that we can follow you. We thank you that you will lead us. You will guide us and you will direct us in the path that we need to go. Father, we lift up those in our church, who are sick, those who are hurting those, who are dealing with family, loss and pain. We asked you to fill their hearts and their souls, and their minds with your grace and your peace in your love. Ask for the rest of us here this morning cuz just kneeled of ourselves to use a father. God, I give it all to you, whatever burdens I'm holding on to whatever anxieties, or keeping me from being whatever. I need to be whatever stresses. I'm holding onto. I give it all to you. Father, help us. As a body to worship you in spirit and Truth. Help us as a body to minister to the best of our abilities. Help us. To take our farm sandals. If I would be willing to wash the feet of those around us regardless of what's going on. Give us that kind of humility, but help us a trust you through it. All in Jesus name we pray.