An Update from the South Lebanon Ministry

People have crowded back to the beaches and the temperature has found a comfortable home in the mid-eighties (I will never understand Celsius temperatures). The air is heavy with the smell of jasmine and flowers are blooming. Summer has arrived. But here- as I'm sure the rest of the world- it doesn't feel quite the same. This summer is like no other I've ever experienced. To be honest, I've been putting off writing this update in hopes of having good news to share. But none has come and I hope that for those of you, who have normal lives (which is all of you) with enough bad news to read about where you are, I could maybe provide a crash course in what can only be called a crisis here in Lebanon. We'll get in to it all, but first I need to say thank you. Thank you to all of you who have given towards food for families here. Your generosity is no small thing. I know that things are tight financially all over the world, but those of you who have been willing to give, even just five dollars, know that you are making a difference. Know that you are making it possible for a family to literally survive for another month. You are making it possible for the church to break into the homes of starving people and offer them the Bread of Life from which they can eat and never again hunger. Because, oh, these people are hungry. But thanks to you all, hundreds were able to feed their children last month- simple things, like rice and flour and canned meat- things most of us take for granted. I am going to include a link below for our 1,000 Lighthouses ministry- all of our evangelistic centers are part of this ministry. It is through 1,000 Lighthouses that we are able to feed people. If you are able to give we would be so grateful. Like I said, every little bit helps. Please just tag your gifts as 'Tyre Church Food Portions' or something like that (that way we can track them).  Our food portion distribution team in Tripoli. A French publication recently published a series of photos of Lebanese people standing next to their refrigerators, all of which are empty. One is a picture of an older woman next to a small, half-fridge with a tagline that reads something like, 'If there were such things as smaller refrigerators I would sell mine and buy one. I don't need the space and that way I might have left over money to actually buy something to eat.' So I guess now we're getting into that not-so-good news. I think there is a greater sense of understanding though, which I suppose is a good thing- a sense of understanding when others break down about the situation. It has almost become normal. Its not uncommon to see someone have a total breakdown in the middle of the day because they, like everyone else, are overwhelmed about how bad things are and then simply wipe their sleeve across their eyes, take a deep breath (often offering an apology that no one accepts because we ourselves did the same thing yesterday), and move on for the day. I listened to someone who has lived the last fifty years in Lebanon say that this is the scariest time they remember in Lebanese history ( note that in the last fifty years there have been multiple civil wars, invasions, and economic downturns). Its such a strange atmosphere to be in the middle of. Life is for the most part relatively normal for all of us. Each thing comes and we take it in stride and it becomes a new normal. Its not denial though, but more of a powerless acceptance. Oh, we might run out of gas or electricity or bread? Thats terrifying, but what can we do? We talk and we have our breakdowns, but we know that none of that makes any difference to the daily realities.  I know its dark. Thats why I've been hesitant to say anything. The world has been a dark place lately.  We as humans, we as believers, seem to be having our hearts broken time and time again by the world around us- by the hatred and the racism and the division. Problems that aren't just specific to us as individuals, but that plague the entire, fallen world, and sometimes enough is enough. Jesus said in the world we will have tribulation.  In the whole of Scripture it is never an if but always a when. Yet, in the same breath, our Savior says, "Take heart." Yes you. You who are starving and don't know how you are going to feed your children tomorrow- you. You who are worn down by discrimination- you. You who feel like you can barely hold your family together- you. You who feel like you're barely holding on to the last thread of hope, wondering when your prayers will be answered- you. You who are terrified of the future- you. You who feel like the only constant in your life is disappointment- you. You who are tired of the pressure, of the corruption around the world- you. You who don't have a roof over your head or you who have one, but are stuck alone- you.  You, beloved, your Savior says take heart. Because he has overcome the world. Easier said than done. I know. I've had those ugly cry break downs like everyone else. Its a constant battle in trust, sometimes shouting, sometimes just whispering to my soul, saying, "Take heart."  Because to turn around and tell someone facing starvation, homelessness, and war to take heart, you yourself have to really believe its enough. You have to really believe that God keeps his promises and that he can and will overcome. "But now we see through a glass dimly," says Scripture. We are not standing at the peak looking down at life and the world, able to understand why everything is happening- to understand the intent and purpose in God's will. We see only dim glimpses as humans. But, oh the grace in that dim sight, the brief glimpses of the goodness of our God! The church doors are open nearly every day the week in order to comply with many of the government regulation as far as prevention with the virus, which is, in and of itself, exhausting. Yet, no matter how tired we may be, every time the doors have opened the church and the centers have been full. Every time people have asked we have been able to feed them, thanks to the generosity of the body Christ around the world on their behalf. It has been an honor and a privilege to execute your love for the brethren here. We gather in prayer with a desperation and an empathy that we didn't have before.  Each one of these in itself is an undeserved fragment of that glass that the Lord has, by his grace, allowed us to see in the land of the living. Put together they are a beautiful mosaic, reflecting shafts of mercy's light into the darkness where we find ourselves in right now. People here- hungry, tired, scared people- pray for you in America. They pray for issues they might not truly understand, but they pray for peace and safety. They pray for the President, that the Lord would work in and through him to protect you. They pray for Brazil and those affected by the virus. They pray for the persecution in Africa. There is no part of the globe untouched by concerned prayer. Then they end it all by thanking the Lord for his grace and provision in their own lives. Its from these very people that I have learned some of what of taking heart can look like. I think of the way that the Lord has brought each of us from all over the world for such a time as this- each with a different purpose. Each of us are so different and yet there is so much beauty in that. Often, on the weekends we will sit together, around the table, over a lunch we have prepared together or on the roof as the sun sets. We talk about our weeks and our lives and we tell stories and despite everything- despite the fear and the desperation and the exhaustion- there is so much joy.  And that, that odd-defying joy right there, is one of the most beautiful glimpses of grace that I have ever had the privilege to witness.  We labor on. We hand out food portions and we open centers and we offer to wipe others tears when they have their breakdowns. It is strangely mundane in the face of so much chaos. Each week I still prepare and practice Bible lessons and kids songs in Arabic to give the children that come five nights a week.  There is a battle waging- here and all over the world- and it makes me wonder how I can possibly fight against it. I wonder how the sometimes mundane or repetitive things I do will make a difference. I wonder how hearing the story of David and Goliath or singing "Our God is a Great Big God" for the hundredth time will really make a lasting impact for a child who just wants to know if they're going to eat that day But then in the back of my mind there is a song, a simple one that I learned probably when I was just old enough to talk. I have no conscious memory of learning it, but it has always been there. It had to have been taught to me by someone. Its chorus goes, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid! For the battle is not yours but its Gods…" Its been twenty years since I heard that song for the first time- its not even really a very pretty song- and yet its familiar promises spur me on, they comfort me. I suppose its the rousing, VBS version of "Take heart, I have overcome the world-" a truth both universal and reviving no matter how it is said. All of this, longwinded and heavy as it may be, to say that we here covet your prayers. We have no power aside from the Savior who has already overcome, who has already won the battle and so we have taken to our knees for the sake of this nation. We'd love for you to join us. Love and miss you all, Teenie 💛 More specific ways you can pray! Here are some quick, bullet point prayer requests on our behalf: Provision for the people and wisdom for the Lebanese government. Guidance and open doors for our Syrian students who have essentially missed an entire school year due to revolution and quarantine and are extremely crippled by new government restrictions. Especially those trying to go to university! We are so grateful for God's continued provision for us and those around us through the generosity of churches and individuals and also our farm. Prayers of praise for that! That Lebanon will remain the open door for the Gospel to the Middle East that it has been in recent history. Give Toward Food Portions This email was sent to titolyro@gmail.com why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences Tyre Work · 2039 Sleater Kinney Rd NE · Olympia, WA 98506-3793 · USA http://olympiabp.blogspot.com/2020/06/an-update-from-south-lebanon-ministry.html Send olympiabp blog feed to OBPC Podcast Unsubscribe from these notifications or sign in to manage your Email service.

Forgive Me, O Lord - Pastor Tito Lyro - Psalm 51

AUDIO -- If you find these lessons helpful, or if you have questions please write to us at contact@olympiabp.net or visit us at facebook.com/olympiabp. We would love to hear from you and learn how we can serve you.              Sermon notes can be found here: http://olympiabp.blogspot.com/2020/06/forgive-me-lord-psalm-51.html  #OBPC #OlympiaBP #BiblePresbyterian #Sermon #Bible #Tito Lyro #Psalm51 #confession #forgiveness http://olympiabp.blogspot.com/2020/06/forgive-me-o-lord-pastor-tito-lyro.html Send olympiabp blog feed to OBPC Podcast Unsubscribe from these notifications or sign in to manage your Email service.

Forgive Me, Lord! Psalm 51

Introduction As we consider Psalm 51 this morning, I want us to think about the truth that this psalm has a special message for several groups of people. ·      First, Psalm 51 is for those who have never come to grips with the horror of human sin and the magnitude of divine grace. ü Often grace becomes meaningless, and certainly less than "amazing", because we lose sight of the depths of our depravity. ü David helps us on both counts by describing in graphic detail the reality of his sin and the breath-taking glory of forgiving grace. ·      Second, this psalm is for those who think some people are too high or too holy to fall – let us never forget that this psalm describes the experience of David, king of Israel, the "man after God's own heart" (1 Sam. 13:14)! ·      Third, this psalm is also for those who think that once you have fallen, you can never get back up again. ü It is for those who think it's possible to fall beyond the reach of God's grace and forgiveness or that there is a quantifiable limit to divine mercy. ü But no one is so holy that he/she can't fall, or so fallen that he/she can't be forgiven. ·      Fourth, Psalm 51 is for those who think that if you have fallen and have actually gotten back up, perhaps even forgiven, you are still useless from that point on both to God and the church – David's experience will prove otherwise. I.             The Historical Setting for This Psalm Is Stated in the Title (see 2 Sam. 11:1-18, 26-27; 12:1-18). A.  None of us likes to have our struggles and problems broadcast publicly, much less our sins of the flesh. B.   Yet here we are told that this psalm was written "To the Chief Musician"! C.  How would you like for your worst sins to be projected on a screen up here and set to music for the corporate worship of God's people? 1.    This psalm is a remarkable, and in many ways unparalleled, description of the nature of conviction, confession, and forgiveness. 2.    But at the same time that we celebrate with David the joy of having one's sins washed clean, we don't forget that his transgressions yielded significant and far-reaching consequences: a.    His denunciation by Nathan and the public shame it brought (2 Sam. 12:1-14); b.   The death of David's son (12:15-23); c.    Trouble with Amnon: he raped Tamar, Absalom's sister (13:1-22); d.   The rebellion of Absalom (13:23-18:33); e.    Trouble with affairs of state (e.g., the revolt of Sheba in 19:41-20:26). 3.    The lesson is that while sin is certainly personal, in many cases it is anything but private! II.          On What Basis Does David Ask for Forgiveness, 1-2? A.  Does he appeal to his track record as king over Israel? 1.    Does he remind God of how many psalms he has written and how much of a blessing they have been to God's children? 2.    Does he cite his faithful service or marshal forth a long list of character witnesses? 3.    Not in the least. B.   He doesn't expect to be forgiven based on his sincerity or spiritual intensity or deep pain for having sinned or fervor of heart or promise not to sin again or his depth of determination to somehow "make it up" to God. 1.    That's not to say sincerity and zeal and conviction aren't important. 2.    But David's appeal is based on what he knows of God's mercy and compassion and lovingkindness. C.  Note the three words David uses in vv. 1-2 to describe his sin. 1.    If nothing else, it indicates on his part an acknowledgment that it is sin, and not just some trivial mistake. 2.    He calls it a "transgression" (a willful, self-assertive defiance of God), an "iniquity" (a deviation from the right path), and a "sin" (a missing of the divine mark). D. Equally vivid are the three words he uses in his plea for forgiveness. 1.    He asks God to "blot out" his transgressions – to erase it from the record or wipe it away. 2.    He begs the Lord to "wash" him from his sin, 2, 7b. a.    This word was often used of a woman first saturating a garment with soap and then treading it under foot on a rock, beating and pummeling it as the rushing waters poured over it. b.   One can almost hear David tearfully praying: "Gracious Lord, do that to my spirit!  My sin is like a deep-dyed stain that has soiled the fabric of my soul, and no ordinary soap or detergent, far less any good works I might perform, can remove it.  My transgressions are like ground-in dirt.  Lord, scrub me clean by your mercy and grace!" 3.    Finally, the word "cleanse" was one used for ceremonial purification in the OT. III.       When David Turns to Confess the Magnitude of His Sin, His Language Is no less Graphic, 3-4. "The sin is not vaguely expressed and in a neutral context but intensely personal – MINE – and is so described five successive times in the first three verses. True penitence is not a dead knowledge of sin committed, but a vivid, ever-present consciousness of it. Thus poignantly affected by this fixation of sin and dominated by a feeling of complete submission, the psalmist opens the hidden world of his soul, exposing his guilt-stricken conscience."  Edward Dalglish A.  David makes no excuses, offers no rationalizations, and refuses to shift blame. 1.    He doesn't say, "Well, now wait a minute God.  Yes, I sinned. But it takes two to tango.  What about Bathsheba's complicity in all this?  She's so beautiful and seductive.  Besides, the pressures of being king over your people are enormous.  Given what I faced on a daily basis, I'd expect you to cut me a little slack." 2.    No! B.   There's no insanity plea or appeal to diminished capacity. 1.    Back in 1985 Dan White attempted to kill San Francisco mayor George Moscone and his supervisor Harvey Milk. 2.    During his arraignment, he pleaded innocent based on his alleged "diminished capacity" brought on by certain biochemical reactions to junk food! " "I'm innocent, Your Honor.  I overdosed on Twinkies!" 3.    That is not what David does here. C.  My sin, he says, "is always before me," 3b. 1.    It is no intermittent flash but a perpetual obsession, a sight from which he can never turn away. 2.    It is, as it were, seared on the inside of his eye-lids: he sees it all the time. 3.    Worse still, it is a sin ultimately against God alone, 4a. a.    But how can it be against God "only" if he committed adultery with Bathsheba, conspired to kill her husband Uriah, disgraced his own family, and betrayed the trust of the nation? b.   Perhaps David would argue that while one commits crimes against people, one sins only against God. c.    More likely still, "face to face with God, he sees nothing else, no one else, can think of nothing else, but His presence forgotten, His holiness outraged, His love scorned."  J.J.S. Perowne d.   David is so broken that he has treated God with such disregard that he is blinded to all other aspects or objects of his behavior. D. David's confession is not simply to "get things off his chest," as if confession were merely a therapeutic release of sorts. E.  His confession is designed to tell everyone that God was in the right all along, that God's judgment was true, just, and that God is blameless, 4b. IV.        How Long Has David Had This Problem with Sin?, 5. A.  Did it start with puberty? Was he turned to the "dark side" by some childhood or teen-aged trauma? B.   "The problem," says David, "isn't so much that I sin.  The problem is that I'm sinful, and always have been.  These deeds of the flesh are symptomatic of a much deeper problem. The fact is, 'I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me' (v. 5).  My transgressions are not of recent vintage.  This was no freak, one-off event.  I've been a sinner from my mother's womb!" C.  So, David confesses his sinful nature (v. 5) as the root cause of his actual sin (v. 4), but makes no effort to excuse himself on that basis. 1.    In other words, David's problem (yours and mine too!) isn't that we commit individual acts of sin. 2.    The problem is that we have a constitutional propensity to sin. 3.    What we need most isn't a new lifestyle, but new life! 4.    Not new habits, but a new heart! 5.    And what hope is there for this? a.    Countless Christians feel spiritually paralyzed by the lingering stain of sin. b.   Neither therapy nor religious formulas, not good intentions or good deeds, can erase the vivid memory of their transgressions or bring cleansing to the defiling sense of guilt. c.    The oppressive weight of their failures is virtually suffocating. d.   But we do have hope in Jesus Christ. 1 Jn. 1:9 – If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. D. Psalm 51 is a refreshing and heart-warming reminder of the hope of forgiveness. E.  But it's even more than that. V.           David not only Prays for Pardon from Past Sin but also for the Power to Walk in Future Purity. A.  He makes an impassioned plea for ceremonial cleansing, 7. 1.    David's choice of words is instructive.  2.    Hyssop, an aromatic herb with a straight stalk and a bushy head (it looked a lot like broccoli), was dipped in the blood of the sacrifice and then sprinkled seven times on the person who was defiled (cf. Lev. 14:1-9; Num. 19). 3.    The word translated "purge" might more literally be rendered, "de-sin" me! 4.    Only then will David be "clean" and "whiter than snow". 5.    Can this actually happen for sinners like you and me?  YES, through the blood of Christ sprinkled on us by faith. B.   But David longs for more, 8. 1.    He asks that God would enable him to "hear joy and gladness," 8a – "Make me to experience the joy and gladness that come from hearing the announcement of forgiveness." 2.    He may even have in mind a priestly or prophetic oracle in which another loudly declares that his sins are forgiven. C.  Sin can be as spiritually devastating and painful to the soul as broken bones are to the body, thus his cry: "That the bones You have broken may rejoice," 8b. D. David's desire is that his entire being, body and soul, might once again celebrate and rejoice in the blessedness of communion with God. E.  Once more he prays: "Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities," 9. 1.    Don't look any longer at my failures! 2.    Let not your eyes gaze on my wickedness! 3.    Blot it from view, erase it from memory! VI.        With Verses 10-12 David's Prayer Gets even more Specific – Lord Give Me Spiritual Power (v. 10), Spiritual Presence (v. 11), and Spiritual Pleasure (v. 12). A.  Simply asking for pardon isn't enough. B.   One must also have the power by which not to commit the same sin again. C.  No mere "makeover" will do, no matter how "extreme"! 1.    David refuses to settle for a glossing over his faults, and pleads for a replacement of the old with the new. 2.    A "clean heart" (v. 10a) and a "right spirit" (v. 10b; or steadfast, firm, reliable spirit), which is his way of describing the inner core and center of his life, are essential for a life of holiness. D. David can't bear the thought of the loss of intimacy of fellowship and its accompanying joys, and so he prays that he not be cast from God's "presence" or suffer the loss of God's Spirit, 11. 1.    What does David mean when he prays that God would not take his Spirit from him? Does he envision the possible loss of his salvation? Does he envision the withdrawal of divine grace? No. 2.    His prayer is that God would not withdraw the enabling anointing of the Spirit that empowers and equips him to lead Israel as king. E.  God's power, God's presence, and even God's pleasure is at the heart of David's prayer: "Restore to me the joy of your salvation," 12a. 1.    David was saved, but his soul had soured. 2.    He longs once again for the enjoyment of God that comes with intimacy. VII.    David Concludes with a Vow of Commitment, 13-19. A.  It is possible for the fallen to be forgiven and used of God in ministry to others. 1.    David anticipates that after his restoration he will again "teach transgressors [like himself] your ways," 13. 2.    David anticipates once again singing "aloud" of the "righteousness" of God, 14b. 3.    With pardon and power comes the opportunity to once more "declare" God's "praise" aloud, 15. B.   Note also the relationship between testimony and praise in 14-15. 1.    Often guilt acts like glue: it seals shut the mouth of praise. 2.    It's as if David says, "My conscience has shamed me into silence.  Right now, my lips are sealed because of my sin.  Forgive me and open my mouth and I will surrender my voice to you!" C.  People have often misunderstood the concluding verses of Psalm 51 (particularly vv. 16-17), thinking that God has rejected his own appointed sacrifices. 1.    But in the OT, "not that, but this," is an emphatic way of saying "not that, without this." 2.    David is simply telling us that what matters most to God is the inner spiritual reality of a truly contrite and broken heart. 3.    Without it, sacrifices are worthless. 4.    With it, they are a sweet-smelling aroma to God (see vv. 18-19). Conclusion Gordon MacDonald tells the story of how as a child he once knocked over a lamp, cracking the side of it.  He quickly placed it back on the table, turning the lamp so the crack was not visible.  He lived in fear each day that his misdeed would be discovered.  "The longer the confrontation was delayed," he writes, "the worse the consequences promised to be in my mind."  When the day finally arrived, his mother asked him, "Did you do this?"  He confessed.  What happened next is instructive for us all: "But Mother never said a word.  She took it to the kitchen, glued the pieces so that they once more fit tightly together, and within a few hours returned the lamp to the table.  The crack was always there, but the lamp was rebuilt.  And it served its purpose for years.  Broken worlds may always have cracks to remind us of the past; that's reality.  But sometimes the grace of God is like the glue my mother used on her lamp.  The bonded edges can become stronger than the original surface" (Rebuilding Your Broken World, xviii). Some of you have cracked lamps in your past and live in constant fear, devoid of joy, paralyzed in life, relationships, and ministry.  You wonder whether you will ever again experience the joy of intimacy with God, much less a fruitful ministry to others. But God is in the business of rebuilding cracked lives and shattered dreams.  His "lovingkindness" (v. 1a) is a soul-cleansing power, his "multitude of tender mercies" (v. 1b) a force for restoring long lost hope.  All he asks of you is a "broken spirit" and a "contrite heart" (v. 17a).  These, says David, he will "not despise" (v. 17b).  The second David, the Lord Jesus Christ, invites us to come to him and experience divine rest in him. Mt. 11:28-30 – Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. http://olympiabp.blogspot.com/2020/06/forgive-me-lord-psalm-51.html Send olympiabp blog feed to OBPC Podcast Unsubscribe from these notifications or sign in to manage your Email service.