O Give Thanks to the Lord
Call on His Name & Make His Deeds Known
by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2014, all rights reserved.
Chapter 1
The title comes from Psalm 105, verse 1.
Here is Psalm 105 from the Holy Bible, Hoehn Version--
___Psalm 105
1 O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name, make known his deeds among the people.
2 Sing to him, sing psalms to him, talk of all his wondrous works.
3 Glory in his holy name, let the heart of those rejoice who seek the Lord.
4 Seek the Lord, and his strength, seek his face always more.
5 Remember his marvelous works that he has done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth,
6 O you seed of Abraham his servant, you children of Jacob his chosen.
7 He is the Lord our God, his judgments are in all the earth.
8 He has remembered his covenant forever, the word that he commanded to a thousand generations.
9 Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath to Isaac,
10 And confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant,
11 Saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance,"
12 When they were but a few men in number, yes, very few, and strangers in it.
13 When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people,
14 He allowed no man to do them wrong, yes, he reproved kings for their sakes,
15 Saying, "Don't touch my anointed, and do my prophets no harm."
16 Also he called for a famine on the land, he broke the whole staff of bread.
17 He sent a man before them, Joseph, who was sold for a servant,
18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters, he was laid in iron,
19 Until the time that his word came, the word of the Lord tested him.
20 The king sent and loosed him, the ruler of the people, and let him go free.
21 He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance,
22 To bind his princes at his pleasure, and teach his senators wisdom.
23 Israel also came into Egypt, and Jacob visited in the land of Ham.
24 And he increased his people greatly, and made them stronger than their enemies.
25 He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtlely with his servants.
26 He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron whom he had chosen.
27 They showed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness, and made it dark, and they didn't rebel against his word.
29 He turned their waters into blood, and killed their fish.
30 Their land produced frogs in abundance, in the rooms of their kings.
31 He spoke, and there came various sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts.
32 He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land.
33 He struck their vines also and their fig trees, and broke the trees of their coasts.
34 He spoke, and the locusts came, and caterpillars, without number,
35 And ate up all the vegetables in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground.
36 He struck also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.
37 He brought them out also with silver and gold, and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.
38 Egypt was glad when they departed, for the fear of them fell on them.
39 He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light in the night.
40 The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
41 He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out, they ran in the dry places like a river.
42 For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant.
43 And he brought out his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness,
44 And gave them the lands of the heathen, and they inherited the labor of the people,
45 So that they would observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise the Lord.
Chapter 2
In verse 1, we see, “...make known his deeds among the people.”
It brings glory to God when we tell about the great things He has done.
There is a scripture where the Lord says, “I will not give my glory to someone else.”
We should give the Lord proper credit for what he has done for us and for the world.
Another scripture says, “Give the Lord the glory due his name.”
2 Sing to him, sing psalms to him, talk of all his wondrous works.
3 Glory in his holy name, let the heart of those rejoice who seek the Lord.
Now in verse 4, it says seek the Lord.
4 Seek the Lord, and his strength, seek his face always more.
People are sometimes negligent about seeking the Lord.
In Matthew chapter 7, Jesus said--
7 Ask, and it shall be given to you, seek, and you'll find. Knock, and it shall be opened to you,
8 For everyone that asks receives, and he that seeks finds, and to him that knocks it shall be opened.
9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son asks for bread, will he give him a stone?
10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a snake?
11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him?
Jesus said to ask, seek, and knock.
Psalm 105:4 says to seek the Lord.
Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him, for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he's a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.”
God rewards those who diligently seek him.
But someone might say, “But what if I don't seek him much?” Well then, less reward.
And also, those who don't seek the Lord are living a little dangerously.
Paul says, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Phil 2:12)
Christians who get sloppy about working out their own salvation with fear and trembling are risking their own souls.
And Jesus said, “What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his own soul. Or, what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt 16:26)
You lose your soul if you wind up in hell.
And Jesus said most people go to hell. (Matt 7:13,14)
The richest man in the world doesn't have enough to ransom his own soul with God. No, you have to meet the qualifications God has set.
There is Phil 2:12, above.
There is “Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matt 6:33)
Jesus basically said that if you love anything more than him, you're not worthy of him.
If you don't have time to seek the Lord, then apparently there is something that you love more than the Lord.
I know we have busy lives. We have to earn money for our families, and thank God for employment.
But mostly, people find time to do the things they choose to do. If you have a favorite TV program, you usually find time to watch it, don't you?
But don't watch that TV program, if watching it leaves you no time for the Lord.
Choose to find time for the Lord, for Bible reading, for worship and praise to the Lord, for gathering together with other believers if the Lord shows you a good place to do that, and ask him about who to gather with.
And if you happen to be one of those who've been told that once you get saved, you can never lose your salvation, then you've been lied to, my friend.
Please see my book, “Can Christians Lose Their Salvation?” In that book is an example of a man who had been a Christian, and then lost his salvation.
Another example is from Hebrews chapter six--
4 For it is impossible for those who were once illuminated, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify to themselves the Son of God again, and put him to an open shame.
This passage from Heb chapt 6 disproves the false doctrine that once you're saved, you're always saved.
If you buy the lie that “once saved, always saved,” you're in danger of going to hell.
If “once saved, always saved” were true, then where would be the need for us to be followers of Paul, and work out our own salvation with fear and trembling?
In 1 Cor 11:1, Paul says, “ Be followers of me, as I also am of Christ.”
Another scripture says, “Obey those who have the rule over you.” We would do well to obey the teachings of that man of God, the Apostle Paul.”
5 Remember his marvelous works that he has done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth,
6 O you seed of Abraham his servant, you children of Jacob his chosen.
7 He is the Lord our God, his judgments are in all the earth.
8 He has remembered his covenant forever, the word that he commanded to a thousand generations.
Notice in verse 8 the phrase, “to a thousand generations.” Several years ago, a British politician, perhaps he was a Member of Parliament, used this phrase in a speech. Perhaps it was Neil Kinock.
Not long afterward, an American politician used the same phrase, “to a thousand generations.” Perhaps the American politician was Joe Biden, prior to his becoming Vice President.
So then, some people in the media accused the American politician of plagiarizing from the British politician.
Nonsense!
It's right out of the Bible, so anyone can use that phrase, and should not be accused of plagiarism for doing so.
And the Bible makes a pretty good phrase book, for people who make speeches, or for people who engage in conversation, as most of us do.
God made his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when they were but a few men in number, yes, very few, and strangers in it.
13 When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people,
14 He allowed no man to do them wrong, yes, he reproved kings for their sakes,
15 Saying, "Don't touch my anointed, and do my prophets no harm."
16 Also he called for a famine on the land, he broke the whole staff of bread.
17 He sent a man before them, Joseph, who was sold for a servant,
18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters, he was laid in iron,
19 Until the time that his word came, the word of the Lord tested him.
20 The king sent and loosed him, the ruler of the people, and let him go free.
21 He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance,
22 To bind his princes at his pleasure, and teach his senators wisdom.
Joseph was sent into Egypt ahead of Israel. A famine was coming, but Joseph prepared for it by storing up corn.
Joseph was put in prison for a crime he didn't commit.
But the ruler of Egypt brought Joseph out of prison and promoted him.
23 Israel also came into Egypt, and Jacob visited in the land of Ham.
24 And he increased his people greatly, and made them stronger than their enemies.
25 He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtlely with his servants.
Israel was in Egypt for about four hundred thirty years.
Then God raised up Moses to be a deliverer.
26 He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron whom he had chosen.
27 They showed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.
37 He brought them (Israel) out also with silver and gold, and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.
38 Egypt was glad when they departed, for the fear of them fell on them.
39 He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light in the night.
40 The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
41 He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out, they ran in the dry places like a river.
42 For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant.
43 And he brought out his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness,
44 And gave them the lands of the heathen, and they inherited the labor of the people,
45 So that they would observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise the Lord.
If you have not yet become a born again Christian, pray this simple prayer: “Jesus, save me!”
The Bible says, “All who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Joel chapt 2)
Another passage on salvation is Romans 10:9,10--
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you're saved. For with the heart man believes for righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made for salvation.”
___James chapter 1
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings.
2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations,
3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience.
4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.
7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted,
10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away.
11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man,
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death.
16 Do not err, my beloved brothers.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.
18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God.
21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror,
24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing.
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
___James chapter 2
1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also,
3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool,"
4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?
6 But you have despised the poor. Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats?
7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called?
8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well,
9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners.
10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill." Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law.
12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty.
13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment.
14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works? Can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food,
16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that?
17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works."
19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?
22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."
24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
___James chapter 3
1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation.
2 For in many things we offend all. If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies.
4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants.
5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. See how great a matter a little fire kindles!
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.
7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind,
8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.
10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be.
11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter?
12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries? Or a vine, figs? So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.
13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom.
14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth.
15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace.
___James chapter 4
1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members?
2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask.
3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts.
4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God.
5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?"
6 But he gives more grace. So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you.
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.
11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers. He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge.
12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else?
13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit,"
14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.
15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that."
16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil.
17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.
___James chapter 5
1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten.
3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire. You've heaped treasure together for the last days.
4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.
5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter.
6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you.
7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.
8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near.
9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door.
10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
11 See, we count them happy that endure. You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation.
13 Is anyone among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is anyone merry? Let him sing psalms.
14 Is anyone sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven.
16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good.
17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him,
20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.