Book of Psalms

Relying On The Lord

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Rely On The Lord

Psalms 46

To rely on means we have taken all the facts into consideration. We have studied the ability of a certain person along with his integrity and after considering all the evidence we have confidence that we can trust and depend on that person.

This describes the truth of our relationship with the Lord!

Eph 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

We can know, what hope, what riches, and what the overwhelming greatness of the Lord’s power is but only when we rely on Him for all things, especially our salvation!

Let’s begin:

*****Psa 46:1 To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Hear again we have another song put to music by the sons of Korah. We see one other thing in this Psalm.

That word “Alamoth”. The word Alamoth means that when this Psalm was sung it was to be the tenor voices that were to take the lead or be emphasized.

In Psalm 6 we can see the word “Sheminith” and this word would indicate just the opposite or the bass voices to take the lead.

SO, why can we rely on the True and Living God? He is our refuge and our strength!

Until the Lord Jesus Christ is our foundation of life we have nothing else to rely on or to trust in as we travel through this thing we call physical life.

Life means we have movement. We are living, breathing, creatures. This physical, bodily existence is subject to suffering, sickness, weakness, temptations and sin!

But life as described in the Bible has greater meaning than than just physical, bodily existence.

In reality only God has life in the absolute sense of life’s true meaning!

We know our Father in Heaven is the fountain of life and the light of life.

Psa 36:9 For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.

So we know that the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ has life in Himself.

Joh 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

This is our only means of real life!

It is our Savior who is also the source of all life!

The Bible does not teach that life exists of it’s own. Life is not spoken of as made!

The Bible only says that our life exist only in Our Creator and our Savior!

We can rely on this life because of the work of Our Lord Jesus Christ!

Joh 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

**He gives abundant life.

Joh 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

**He gives resurrected life.

Joh 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

And this life which is given to us as a gift from God we can have in this present life!

1Jn 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
1Jn 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
1Jn 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

This is the proof that we can rely on the Lord!

Our God is our “sure” shelter and our “pure” strength and is “ever present” in our lives today!

God will never withdraw Himself from us!

*****Psa 46:2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

Therefore still means “for this reason”. It is because my God is my refuge and my strength that I will not fear and it can be the same for each one that will trust Him!

With God on our side it is irrational to have fear of what man can do!

Even when the worst of the worst presents itself to the child of God, if we have placed our trust in the Living God we should have no fear!

Those that reject that the Earth will change during the tribulation period have rejected the Word of God!

Isa 40:4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
Isa 40:5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and “all flesh shall see it together”: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Those that reject the fact that this Earth will one day be destroyed and replaced have rejected the Word of God!

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: “for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away”; and there was no more sea.

Those that reject the world wide flood in the days of Noah also reject the Word of God.

Gen 7:10 And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.
Gen 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

Those that reject the coming destruction also reject the Word of God.

Rev 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

Rev 16:20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

Peter described these things like this:

2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Destruction of all life that breathes came by a flood in the time of Noah.

Destruction of all life will come by fire at the return of Jesus Christ.

If you have never been in a war zone then you have missed an opportunity to see that some men just simply have no fear of death.

As Christians we need to be like these men and have nothing to fear from this world we live in. We are just passing through!

Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that “they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth”.

*****Psa 46:3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

We know that in the time of Noah, no one had ever seen a storm because no one had ever seen rain, so when those waters were raging even Noah was troubled by this sight as God judged this Earth.

2Pe 3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
2Pe 3:6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

But those same waters that troubled that world to destruction also saved eight people when those flooding waters raised up the Ark of Noah into safety.

1Pe 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, “wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water”.

God will remove His people from this earth before this coming storm rages!

The same God that carried Noah and his family to safety can still carry all of His children to safety in any storm that happens in this life!

All those that trust in the Lord have no reason to fear!

And Selah, let’s stop and take a moment to think about and meditate on what God has already done and then relate those things to what God says He will do in the future.

Let’s stop and enjoy the music of the songs of salvation!

We can rest in the middle of every storm in this life, if we are sure of our future eternal and everlasting life!

Why?

*****Psa 46:4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

There was a great river that flowed out of the Garden of Eden and divided into 4 streams.

Gen 2:10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.

There will be a great river that will flow from the rebuilt Temple of the Millennial Kingdom.

Eze 47:1 Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.

But these cannot compare to the river of life that will flow out of the throne of God.

Rev 22:1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
Rev 22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

In the Church Age we can still see the river of Grace that is smoothly flowing from the hand of God to every believer.

It is “Grace” that flows through the Lord Jesus Christ that is our water of life and the river of God’s pleasures!

What are the two greatest evils of mankind?

Jer 2:13 For my people have committed two evils; “they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters”, and “hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water”.

When we forsake the Lord Jesus Christ we have forsaken the fountain of living waters.

When we reject the Word of God and go our own way we are as pots that can hold no water.

God the Father is the source of living waters!

God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ is the water that flows from that source!

Joh 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

God the Holy Ghost is the power behind that source of living waters!

Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Because God is in the midst of the city of God and all life flows from Him!

*****Psa 46:5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

God stands in the middle of His river of “Grace”.

What does God promise to all those that believe?

Jesus Christ said, “I am with you always”.

God is never separated from any part of His creation.

And God is always present in His relationship with those that believe on Him.

And without a doubt, God took a moment out of eternity and appeared to this world in the human flesh of His Son Jesus.

God is not some impersonal force in this world. God is alive! God is working in this world and God is relating to all those that call on His name!

God is a jealous God, taking Himself seriously and God is to be taken seriously by those He has created!

Whether we get God’s help in certain things or not God is still present and available to help if He so chooses to do so!

If we do not believe this we cannot get a single prayer answered.

God is forever by our sides!

And the certain promise of God is that He will always be there for us at the right time!

God is never late because He is always on time!

The Church is not the city of God, because the city of God is the New Jerusalem.

It is the New Jerusalem that will be the eternal dwelling place of God in the midst of His people.

This city is not in Heaven because it is coming down from Heaven.

Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, “coming down from God out of heaven”, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

This is the eternal city that will last forever.

Isa 66:22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.

Those that will live in this city is the Church of the first born and the Lord stands in the midst of His Church and the Church cannot be moved!

Heb 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Heb 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Though this earth may be moved, God’s Church cannot be moved but by Him!

*****Psa 46:6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.

There are only two things in our world today that can cause such a furious uproar.

1) The city of Jerusalem in the hands of the Jewish people.

2) The Church established in the name of Jesus Christ.

God allows the heathen to rage at this time but one day soon this will all end and their voices will be silenced!

God will not always allow the heathen to turn this world against His people!

When God utters His voice these things will cease and so will those that are heathen.

2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

The Hebrew word for “melt” means to be dissolved or to disappear!

Who are the heathen? All those that do not worship the One True Living God!

1Jn 5:10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
1Jn 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

1Jn 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

What kingdoms will be moved? Those that are influenced by Satan.

Isa 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
Isa 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
Isa 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Isa 14:15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Isa 14:16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, “Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms”;
Isa 14:17 That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?

Who can do all these things?

*****Psa 46:7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Why is the Church so secure? The Lord of hosts is with us.

Why is Heaven so secure? The Lord of hosts abides there.

Isa 40:22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
Isa 40:23 That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.

Isa 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.

It is our Lord who rules all the angels, all the stars, all the elements, and all the hosts of Heaven and it is this same Lord who stands in the midst of His Church!

It is the same God of Jacob that fulfilled the prophecies of the Bible to stand in the midst of His Church!

Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

It is our God that gave Himself for the Church and it is this same love and dedication we are to give to our own families!

Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

And Selah.

Let’s take a moment and meditate on all these things as we behold the works of our Lord!

*****Psa 46:8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.

All we need do is observe all the things that are going on in this world we live in.

God has made sure that technology has progressed to a point that if we want to, we can see what is going on throughout the entire world without leaving our homes.

There has been no other time in history when these things that take place can be observed as they are taking place due to television, computers, and cell phones.

To believe in the providence of God is to be sure to know that God’s will and God’s plan are moving forward at His own pace and by His own wisdom!

Pro 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Man’s evilness is leading our world down a path of destruction but these things are not within man’s control!

Psa 135:6 Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.

This world we live in is under the direct control of our Almighty God!

Dan 2:20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
Dan 2:21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
Dan 2:22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.

And God has already told us of a future coming destruction.

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

You know, God cast all our sin into the deepest part of the sea but there will be no sea in the New Heaven nor the New Earth.

What happened during the time of Noah?

Isa 24:1 Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.

What will happen someday in the future?

Isa 24:3 The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word.
Isa 24:4 The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.
Isa 24:5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant

Even war and peace are under God’s control!

*****Psa 46:9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.

The world tries to end wars by the use of politics.

Politics is supposedly the science of government. The world uses of laws, regulations and so called ethics to preserve the safety of innocent people, at least this what they say.

**Politics have been used to bring to the end many wars.

But today politics is more about making concessions to those that seek to do evil at the expense of those that seek to do good!

Most people think that peace can come only by a One World Government with one set of laws for all people.

But these results would be a peace that cannot be sustained because those that seek to do evil are never satisfied!

**There are those that seek to bring peace by education.

If we study the history of our world we can see where and why wars have begun, many by trivial matters, and not repeat these same mistakes.

The pure fact is the leaders of our world never learn from the mistakes made by those of the past and history continues to repeat itself over and over again.

A wise man once wrote:

Ecc 1:9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

If we could learn from our mistakes, we could make something new and lasting but we just keep remembering “the good old days” which is not the wise thing to do.

Ecc 7:10 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.

**There is only one method to bring world peace and it is God’s way. It is the Christian way!

Evil must be conquered and removed or reconciled to God.

Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

The Church must be ambassadors for peace and not ambassadors of war!

2Co 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

In the end, God will bring peace!

Isa 2:4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

There will only be peace when the Prince of Peace rules on this earth and government will rest on His shoulders!

Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

What did God tell Moses? God said you go tell Pharaoh that “I Am” sent you.

*****Psa 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

If we truly rely on the Lord, sometimes we must simply “be still”.

To be still is to keep silent, or to be quiet!

We must quit warring with ourself long enough to hear “that still small voice” of the Lord!

1Ki 19:12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire “a still small voice”.

When we become so occupied with our own selves and our own miseries, we sometimes cannot hear what God is trying to teach us!

The “Gospel of Jesus Christ” is a gentle voice of “Mercy and Grace”.

The “Gospel of Jesus Christ” is a gentle voice of Love!

It is “that still small voice” of God that brings with it peace, and pardon, and righteousness, and best of all salvation by Christ Jesus!

Psa 89:15 Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.
Psa 89:16 In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.

Most of the time, “and God knows”, when we are relying on the Lord, we just need to stop what we are doing and wait patiently on the Lord!

After all He is God!

If we believe in what we say we believe in, then all we need do is read what God has done in the past and we can see what God will do in the future!

God is no respecter of persons!

Act 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

God will not do for one, what He will not do for another!

We simply cannot put anything else before our God!

Anything we put before God is an idol. We all have our idols from time to time and they will certainly interfere with our relationship with the Lord!

There is coming a day when our God will be exalted in all this earth!

Rom 14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
Rom 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

SO, Why can we rely on the Lord?

*****Psa 46:11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

God is never separated from any part of His creation!

God is present throughout all His creation! We call that the omnipresence of God.

But even more important than that, God is always present in His relationship with those who love Him!

God has appeared to us all “Person to person” in the flesh of Jesus Christ, His Son!

Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

It is the Lord of all creation who is our Father!

It is the that same God of Jacob who is our refuge!

It is only the Lord we can rely on!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

Yearn For The Lord

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Yearn For The Lord

Psalms 42

In Psalms 42 we have the second of the Maschil Psalms.

Remember all Scripture is given for instruction to improve our walk with the Lord!

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

But the Maschil Psalms have special instructions for specific things that happen in our walk with the Lord.

What is the Biblical meaning of the Maschil Psalm?

Psa 47:7 For God is the King of all the earth: “sing ye praises with understanding”.

In other words a Maschil Psalm is a song that praises God but just by singing it we can still obtain God’s wisdom!

God is always looking down from Heaven just to see if we truly understand what He is trying to teach us.

Psa 53:2 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, “to see if there were any that did understand”, that did seek God.

Not only is this a Maschil Psalm but it is also the first time we have seen a Psalm that was to be sung by the sons of Korah.

These “sons of Korah” were Levites by bloodline of the tribe of Levi and during the time of David and Solomon their chief place was to keep the doors of the Tabernacle and then the Temple after it was built.

1Ch 6:32 And they ministered before the dwelling place of the tabernacle of the congregation with singing, until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem: and then they waited on their office according to their order.

There are 11 of the Psalms titled “for the Sons of Korah” that were put to music by these doorkeepers of the House of God.

The doorkeeper was the lowest of the jobs of the Levitical priest but these men did not see it that way.

Psa 84:10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. “I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness”.

They readily boasted that is was better to be in the lowest position in the work of God than to be in the highest position among those that rejected God.

In other words it is better to be changing diapers in the nursery at church than to be the President of the United States or the most powerful person in this world and not know God!

There is no greater job than serving in the Army of God!

So let’s begin:

*****Psa 42:1 To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

God never said our walk with Him would be an easy walk.

There will still be times when we will begin to wonder if God truly exists.

There will be times when we will desire any sign from the Lord just to know He is listening to our prayers.

There will be times when we have a great desire to be in the House of God but do to reasons out of our control we just cannot get there.

There will be times when we just want to feel that God is doing something in our lives and have a great desire and a need to just feel His presence.

This Psalm is intended to help us through those times and it begins by showing us that we are not alone because the Holy Ghost inspired this writer, probably David, to write about such a time that he was experiencing.

In the Bible a “hart” refers to a stag or a male deer. This was one of the clean animals and could be hunted and killed for food.

A deer will use every skill it has to allude the hunter even to the point of exhaustion avoiding a watering hole knowing they would be an easy target if they stopped to drink. They would have a great thirst for a refreshing drink of water that was necessary for life.

To pant describes an excited rapid movement of the heart.

We all know that our soul is the seat of all our emotions.

God created man as a unique being.

If we have evolved, we are just a higher form of some animal, without morals and without accountability and many people use this as an excuse to live anyway they so desire.

But the Bible teaches us that humans are moral creatures who are accountable to our Creator!

Man is also a “soul” and therefore eternal!

Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

And the Bible states that mankind is made in the image of God thus cannot be a product of evolution!

Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

That word “our” means we were created after the image of the Tri-Une God, (Body, Soul, and Spirit)!

1Th 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It should be obvious to us that our soul will sometimes be longing for it’s Creator our Maker!

*****Psa 42:2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

Our soul, our true being, that is housed in our body of flesh will thirst for it’s Creator!

We will sometimes miss a meal and in time we will feel the pangs of hunger.

But when you are thirsty for water it is an awful feeling that could lead to your death.

As a rule of thumb if you got caught out in dangerous cold most people could last no more than 3 hours.

Most people cannot go without water more than 3 days but no more that 8-10 days.

Most people can go without food for 3 weeks or more.

This writer was thirsting to the point of death for God, not water and not food!

God encourages us to be in the House of God in our appointed times of worship.

Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

We should have a desire to be in our place of worship!

BUT, even more than that, we need to thirst for that close and personal relationship with God.

Not with just any God but the True and Living God!

We need that desire to have fellowship with God Himself!

It is because Our God lives that He can give us “living water”!

What did Jesus tell that woman at the well?

Joh 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

Joh 4:13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
Joh 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

A dead and an impersonal god is a mockery to any religion!

What is the truth of eternal life?

Rev 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

What is the truth of eternal life? Being in the family of God!

If we say we love the Lord but do not assemble in His name we are pretenders of the “Gospel”!

But if we do not crave that personal relationship with Jehovah the Living God then we are fooling ourselves because we cannot know true life!

Sometimes we can crave to be in the presence of God so much we will seek some real evidence that He has not forgotten about us.

*****Psa 42:3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?

When we cannot feel the presence of the Lord and we know that we have not been drinking of that “Living Water” we soon also find out that there is nothing on this earth that will satisfy that longing for the Lord and this will lead to a miserable life.

It is our God in Christ Jesus that our soul will crave!

Those that do not know the Lord Jesus as their Savior also cannot know this craving of being close to our very personal God and they will always say, where is your God when you really need Him or they will say a true God would not allow such a thing to happen.

Only those that do not know our Savior could say these things!

When we are down because of the things that happen in this world, our enemies will always try to take advantage of that situation.

We should be very clear, Satan will do anything to keep us off of our knees!

But prayer is still our greatest weapon!

The God of the mountain is still God in the valley!

What is the irony of prayer?

God knows our needs, but He will sometimes make us ask.

God will answer every prayer that makes it to Heaven, but sometimes will have to be persistent and patient.

And it is only the prayer in the name of Jesus Christ that can be answered because this shows our faith in Him to solve our problems.

Calling upon our Father in Heaven, through the Holy Spirit, and in the name of His Son Jesus is the mark of the true believer!

Even with the greatest “faith” prayers not in the will of God will certainly not be answered.

But without “faith” no prayer can be answered!

Our understanding of prayer will correspond with our understanding of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!

And we must remember all these things.

*****Psa 42:4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.

God is our refuge and the place of our strength!

Hardly a day goes by that we are not caught up in the atrocities of this evil world we live in.

The phrase “come to pass” is used 161 times in the Bible. These things will come and they will pass and the answer is that when they come we need to pour out our souls to God!

In fact if we are in daily contact with our Father in Heaven we will miss out on many obstacles that cross our paths.

We need to attend the House of God regularly.

We need to get involved in the worship service.

We need to remember why we need to do these things!

Psa 62:7 In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
Psa 62:8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.
And we need to stay in constant contact with our Savior!

We just cannot allow the things that go on in this world to knock us down!

*****Psa 42:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

We should also remember that God will test our faith from time to time.

1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

We should think of this as God trying to remove all our defective parts.

And we should just question our own selves and quit complaining and asking God why He has forgotten about us because that is impossible for Him to do!

What does God expect from us during these times?

1Pe 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Why in the world should we get so discouraged since we know that God exist and He certainly cares for us?

It is vital that we endure these times of testing!

Jas 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Jas 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

Our hope is in the Lord!

1Th 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
1Th 1:4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

AND, God is never very far from His children!

*****Psa 42:6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.

In verse 5 the writer of this Psalm, probably David, began to realize that he really had no good reason to fill so dejected but when we have a close personal relationship with our Father in Heaven, we need to make sure to tell Him everything.

We must also be persistent in our prayer!

We should show the Lord how we really feel, our feelings are important to the Lord!

And we should also remember the goodness of the Lord and how He has already brought us through the many trials of our life.

God makes a covenant with each one of His children and God will always keep His covenant!

It is good to remember these thing when we feel this world caving in on us.

The land of Jordan was the promised land to the Jews.

Eternal life in Heaven is the promised land to all, “whosoever will”, call on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Where do we flee? We must flee to the Covenant of Grace!

Who made this covenant?

God the Father made a covenant with God the Son, brought about by God the Holy Spirit.

Isa 42:6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
Isa 42:7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

God prepared His Son to be our sacrifice:

Heb 10:5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

God met all the conditions of His personal covenant:

Gal 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Gal 4:5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

God work through the power of the Holy Spirit:

Rom 1:2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
Rom 1:3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
Rom 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

God has kept this covenant and now works through the Lord Jesus to fulfill His covenant:

Heb 9:15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

It is the “Throne of Grace” where we must flee in our times of trouble.

God made this covenant with Himself and it cannot be broken by anyone on this earth!

Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

The land of Jordan refers to the promised land, our promised land is the New Heaven and New Earth.

Deu 27:3 And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over, that thou mayest go in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, a land that floweth with milk and honey; as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee.

The land of the Hermonites refers to place God commanded His blessings, The Lord commands our blessings from the Father’s House.

Psa 133:3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.

And the hill Mizar refers to the New Jerusalem.

Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

We can find comfort in the promises of God even in our times of trouble.

*****Psa 42:7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.

We will all have to travel through the “sea of affliction” once we call on the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior!

If we remember the story of Job, just as soon as one affliction was over another one came until Job had lost everything he had, but his God.

If you view the ocean you will see that one wave comes and before it is over, another is already on the way.

Some higher, some lower but they come continuously. A billow describes a great wave or a surge from the sea, possibly a Tsunami type of wave.

A water-spout is a large tube formed by the clouds and with it’s circular motion and being hollow within, it attracts a vast quantity of water which it will pour down all at one time.

There is only One who we can turn to and that is Our God!

Zec 10:11 And he shall pass through the sea with affliction, and shall smite the waves in the sea, and all the deeps of the river shall dry up: and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the sceptre of Egypt shall depart away.
Zec 10:12 And I will strengthen them in the LORD; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the LORD.

*****Psa 42:8 Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.

Come what may it is the God of love that can sweeten our day!

Those that do not know the Lord have nowhere to turn but at any hour of the day or night, those that do know the Lord can turn to Him but only if He is the God of your life.

It is only the Living God that can be the God of our life!

1Ti 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

Since the Lord is a living God He has life within Himself and therefore the “Author of” and the “Giver of” life to all others.

This is good reason to trust Him!

*****Psa 42:9 I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

Since we know the Living God and only because we have a close and personal relationship with Him are we even allowed to ask such questions as these.

And it is only a loving Father who is patient enough with His children who will listen to us as we do!

There is no question that God will ever reject but we may not always like His answers!

The most important thing to remember is that God is truly Our Rock!

1Co 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
1Co 10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
1Co 10:3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
1Co 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

God gets no pleasure seeing His children suffer.

God gets no pleasure seeing the things that Satan tries to do to God’s people.

We suffer because of the choices we make!

Satan uses the afflictions of this world to either cause us to backslide, to reject the Lord, or to loose our testimony.

So we must be more like Moses.

Heb 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;
Heb 11:25 “Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season”;
Heb 11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: “for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward”.

There are rewards for serving the One true and Living God!

*****Psa 42:10 As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?

There is no doubt that the tongue of our enemies will cut to the bone and God will listen as we explain these things to Him. God already knows what we are going through and He does not mind as we explain these things to Him and listens intently as we express our feelings to Him in prayer.

God will not judge us, He just listens to His child as most any good parent would do!

When our enemies and our persecutors ask “Where is your God now” it can cut deeply but we know that our Lord is only a prayer away.

If we did not believe that, we would not be praying. Sometimes it’s good just to get some things off your chest and Our Father in Heaven will even allow us that privilege at times if we have humbled ourselves before Him.

Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

In America we hear a lot about freedom of speech. This was installed into the our Constitution by our forefathers but it comes from our relationship with the Lord.

The Lord allows us the freedom to speak to Him and the confidence to know that He will patiently listen and He promises an answer.

God only has 3 answers.

Yes, No and not at this time!

When we pray we should remember we are at the “throne of Grace” and not the “throne of Judgment”!

God is never very far from His children!

Act 17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
Act 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

We simply cannot allow the things of this world to tear us down!

*****Psa 42:11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Once we humble ourselves before the Almighty God we realize that we have no ground to complain!

He is our only help!

He is the only one who can drive the sorrow away!

It is He that our enemies hope does not respond to our prayers!

He is, He has been, and He will be, our strength and our salvation forever!

He is Our God!

Isa 12:2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
Isa 12:3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.

And we must not forget what our job is after we are saved!

Isa 12:4 And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.

We must keep the main thing, the main thing, and the main thing is “salvation” to whosoever will believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

Wait On The Lord

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Wait On The Lord

Psalms 40

What is patience?

Patience is is actively enduring the opposition we have to our lives.

Patience is suffering while remaining calm in that suffering!

Patience is enduring adversity while keeping a calm temper!

God’s people are commanded to be patient!

Patience is described in the Bible as: endurance, steadfastness, long-suffering, and forbearance.

The Bible says we are saved by our “hope” in the sure promises of God and we must be patient in that hope!

Rom 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Rom 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

The gift of patience comes forth as we improve in our walk with the Lord.

2Th 3:5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

Jesus is coming soon but if He does not come before our death then at that time we will go straight to Him!

Let’s begin:

*****Psa 40:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

It may have been David’s hand that wrote this Psalm but this Psalm is not so much about David.

No doubt David had passed through some deep suffering in which he had to be patient and wait on the Lord. The Lord says we all will pass through our times of suffering!

David was a type of Christ in many ways but David was never a sacrifice for God’s people!

The Holy Spirit who inspired all the Bible and this Psalm points beyond David to Jesus Christ.

In fact the entire Old Testament will point you toward Jesus Christ!

This Psalm is about the Messiah!

This Psalm is a celebration of God’s deliverance!

This Psalm expresses the feelings of the human nature of Jesus Christ!

Jesus Christ was 100% human while still being 100% God!

This Psalm teaches us that the greatest example of “patience” in the Bible is that time of Christ just before and during His Passion.

This Psalm recounts the inner most thoughts of the Lord Jesus Christ when He was on that cross for “our” salvation.

What is the truth about the Messiah?

Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

This is the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

The Lord Jesus Christ did not have an ounce of impatience all through His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.

The Lord Jesus never expressed impatience during all of the false trials before the High Priest nor before Herod nor Pilate.

The Lord was never impatient when He suffered for 3 hours the agonies of Hell’s separation from His Father in Heaven while He hung on that cross until His cry was heard.

Our Lord Jesus only had one response to all these things when He said these words!

Joh 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished”: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

God came down to this earth in the form of a man and patiently made a way for us to join Him in Heaven!

One day when we know our days are nearing their end we can also realize that our suffering of this life is “finally finished” and we are going home!

Notice this patient Lamb of God had no wrath and professed no vengeance, He just waited patiently until these things were over.

1Pe 2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

Luk 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

We should know that the patient waiting by the Lord Jesus was not in vain and not one child of God will ever wait on our Lord in vain!

Our Messiah was brought very low but He arose in victory and because He did we can!

*****Psa 40:2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

What was the condition of Christ our Lord at the time of the cross?

Heb 5:7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
Heb 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

Why was He in that horrible pit?

2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

And the wages of sin are death!

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, bore on His person the curse of all our sin because He had no sin of His own!

Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

It is this act of God that is the truth of Christianity and separates Christianity from all false religion!

2Co 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
2Co 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

This is the only means of a personal relationship with our Holy God which also separates Christianity from false religion!

This is the only means of establishing our goings!

And we too should be singing a new song!

*****Psa 40:3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

The atonement of Christ Jesus, which means being at one with God, did not end with the death of Christ but ended with His resurrection!

Rom 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, “by the resurrection from the dead”:

Let’s look back: (John 20:2-8)

When Peter and John came to the tomb, they saw the grave-clothes lying in the grave retaining their shape as they had been wound about the body of Christ. The face napkin had been folded and laid neatly nearby but the body of the Lord Jesus Christ was gone. The body of Jesus had passed right through those linen wrappings leaving them in place.

The Lord Jesus had arose just as He had said He would!

Joh 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
Joh 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

What is this new song? It is the glorious and never ending song of redemption!

Only the Lord Jesus can know the fullness and the glory of this new song and He will one day lead all those He redeemed in singing this new song.

Psa 22:22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

Our Lord will sing praises not only to His God but to our God!

It is this act of redemption that could have only been done by the Lord Jesus Christ that has brought each believer unto a personal relationship with God!

Joh 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and “to my God, and your God”.

Just as the Lord Jesus can be the only One to sing this new song of the redeemed, it is only the redeemed who can sing the new song of the Lord’s worthiness to open the Book of Judgment.

Rev 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

All those that can see the resurrection of our Lord just as John and Peter saw it, shall trust in the Lord and be saved!

This is the Lord’s reward!

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, “and gave himself for me”.

It was personal for the Lord and we can have that personal relationship with Him!

This is our greatest blessing!

*****Psa 40:4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

The most blessed day we can ever have is that day we trust in the Lord!

Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

All those that are rich and in power on this earth and full of self pride expect all men to bow to them but the King of Glory went from riches to rags to pay our sin debt.

This world we live in is full of Satan’s lies!

Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

It is only the Lord Jesus Christ who is the truth!

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

*****Psa 40:5 Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

No one can count all God’s wonderful works in His creation of this world and the cosmos!

No one can see God’s great design for His people!

But all these things are quiet small when compared to God’s great plan of redemption, and His future plans for those that trust Him!

Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

The greatest thing we can give back to Our Lord while we are still living, is just realizing how much we are loved!

Psa 139:17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

God desires only that we believe on Him!

*****Psa 40:6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.

Sacrifices and offerings are physical things that are brought unto God to express devotion, thanksgiving, or a need for forgiveness.

What these scriptures show us is an actual conversation between God the Father and God the Son described by God the Holy Ghost.

Heb 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Heb 10:5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
Heb 10:6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

There should be no doubt to any of us that a greater and a better sacrifice was needed to solve the sin problem created by Adam!

There is a great example in the Old Testament that can give us an explanation of our ears being opened.

Exo 21:6 Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.

When that hole was bored in the ear of that bond servant after he had become eligible for freedom it was meant to show the world that he had chosen to remain in the service of his master forever.

The Lord Jesus says, “mine ears has thou opened” because He so chose to be obedient to His Father in Heaven!

Our Lord was quick to hear and perform His Father’s will!

Heb 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ “once for all”.

*****Psa 40:7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
Psa 40:8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

You see it was God’s plan all along to sacrifice Himself in payment for our sin!

We are wrong when we do not realize that the entire Bible was written to bring us to the truth of Jesus Christ.

The God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament are one and the same God!

Every writer of the Old Testament wrote about Jesus Christ!

Jesus said:

Luk 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, “concerning me”.

When baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem, He began to fulfill all the things written about Himself in the Old Testament!

This was the first sign that the Messiah had come!

Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

We know these same things are written in the Book of Hebrews because The Messiah and the Lord Jesus Christ are one and the same.

But these are also the thoughts of Jesus Christ when He was on that cross remembering how and why He had come into the world.

Mat 26:42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, “thy will be done”.

Jesus delighted in paying our sin debt but His greatest delight was in pleasing His Father in Heaven and this is the lesson and our greatest example He has given to us to learn.

It is the will of God that we be just as obedient as He was!

Heb 5:7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
Heb 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation “unto all them that obey him”;

*****Psa 40:9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.

The entire life of Jesus was our sermon for salvation!

When Jesus preached, He preached the whole council of God!

Jesus preached openly in the Temple unashamed of His testimony!

Jesus was the first true missionary to declare the Gospel of God!

Jesus was the greatest evangelist that ever lives and reached out to all people(whosoever)!

But, Jesus also preached prophesy and judgment.

Again Jesus did all these things in obedience to His Father and Our Father in Heaven.

Isa 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Isa 61:2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, “and the day of vengeance of our God”; to comfort all that mourn;

*****Psa 40:10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.

This is exactly what the Lord Jesus did when He was on this earth!

Those that were lost clearly understood that no one taught the things Jesus taught!

Joh 7:46 The officers answered, “Never man spake like this man”.

The scribes were the ones that made the copies of the Old Testament at that time and they had written the words so much that they became the authority on the scriptures but it had Jesus who had given the words to the original writers.

Mat 7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
Mat 7:29 “For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes”.

Salvation is God’s plan and no one can explain it better than the Lamb of God who fulfilled God’s plan!

We truly have no righteousness in our selves!

It is God’s righteousness that is delivered to each one that believes on the Lord Jesus Christ that provides our opportunity to be saved!

Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, “but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith”:
Php 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Php 3:11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

What was the message Jesus had for this world?

Jesus preached the “faithfulness” of His Father.

Jesus preached the “salvation plan” of His Father.

Jesus preached the “love” of the Father.

Jesus preached the “truth” of the Gospel!

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

This now the same job of all those that Christ Jesus has delivered into salvation!

We are not to hide the righteousness of God in our hearts but we are to tell it to all who will listen!

*****Psa 40:11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.

When the Lord Jesus had been obedient all the way to the cross and just before He entered into the shadow of His death, He pleaded with His Father for mercy and His compassion.

And what was God’s answer?

Isa 49:8 Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, “and give thee for a covenant of the people”, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;

The Lord Jesus never doubted that God’s plan would be fulfilled just as it was written!

*****Psa 40:12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.

It was the assembly of the wicked that surrounded Jesus on that cross.

Psa 22:16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

But it was all “our sin” that Jesus bore on His body!

1Pe 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, “the just for the unjust”, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

We are also to be more like Christ Jesus in His death than in His life.

Jesus Christ died for our sin and therefore we are to be dead to sin in order to live in Jesus Christ!

Rom 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Rom 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

The Lord Jesus was made sin for us. The transfer of our sin to our Savior was real!

This is the truth of the Gospel!

It was for this reason that for a brief moment He could not look upon the face of His Father in Heaven!

Jesus died for our sin and He died of a broken heart for this one reason!

It is a well known scientific fact, that the effect of continued and intense agony will produce a colorless fluid as the blood begins to separate.

Joh 19:34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

We are washed in the blood of Jesus!

Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

But we are also showered by the living water!

Joh 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

And our Father in Heaven was very pleased with His Son.

*****Psa 40:13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me.

How can we not be amazed at God’s plan of salvation?

Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Was God pleased?

Isa 53:10 “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him”; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Isa 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

Did God help His Son? if we cannot believe this we cannot be saved!

Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and “shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead”, thou shalt be saved.

If we cannot believe that Jesus was the Messiah we cannot be saved!

*****Psa 40:14 Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.
Psa 40:15 Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.

In Satan’s feeble attempt to destroy our Savior, he destroyed himself!

Because it is in total ignorance that anyone battles with the Lord!

God used the cross to show His love for all His created human beings!

And it was only the sacrificial Lamb of God that brought divine redemption to all people!

1Co 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
1Co 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

By destroying the Lamb of God, this evil world executed the plan of God perfectly!

In reality there is no one that has ever walked or that will ever walk on this earth that is not involved in God’s plan of salvation!

God gives us His choice to do so willingly or unwillingly!

And God says:

1Co 14:38 But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.

And God says in the end:

Rev 22:11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

It is a foolish thing to reject the Word of God!

Even as our Lord Jesus was desolate in His agony on that cross, we will see that the enemies of the Church will also be in agony in the end.

The Lord Jesus was deprived of the comfort and companionship of His Father for three hours on that cross.

That word “desolate” means that the enemies of God will be deprived of His comfort and His companionship for eternity!

1Co 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
1Co 3:20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

It is only those that seek the Lord who will be able to rejoice!

*****Psa 40:16 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.

There are to many people in this world that think of God as loving God that would never punish the wicked forever but that is simply not true!

God says it is only those that seek Him who will rejoice!

God says that it is only those that seek Him who will be glad that they did!

Jesus said:

Joh 17:9 I pray for them: “I pray not for the world”, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
Joh 17:10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.

Jesus is not praying for those that reject Him!

Jesus prayed only for those that accept Him!

We have only one job after our salvation and that is to proclaim the glory of God!

This is why Our Lord rejoiced for our salvation!

Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross”, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We are not only to love the God of our salvation but we are also to love our salvation itself!

Self-preservation is the first law of life in this flesh!

Satan uses this one trait against us more than any other thing!

Job 2:4 And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.

We also know that Job would have died for His children.

Many of us who would not give our life for any other reason will give their life for their own children.

Many a soldier has given his life for freedom!

We know that this is exactly what our Lord did for us. The Lord did not allow the love He had for Himself to interfere with the love He has for each of us!

Our Lord wanted us to be free form the bondage of sin!

We are to love our salvation even more than we are to love ourselves!

There is only one thing that must remain greater than our love for our salvation and that must be our love of God!

*****Psa 40:17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

The Lord Jesus knew that Jehovah God would never turn away His heart from Him.

This is the thing that upheld Him in His hour of need!

As the redeemed of the Lord we must believe that the Lord will never turn His heart way from us!

It should be very sobering to think that out of all the people on this Earth, the Lord is thinking on each of us!

Jesus Christ is our example to live by in this life and He knew that His Father in Heaven was His help and also His deliverer and He is the same to each of us!

When the Lord Jesus Christ was on that cross He knew His death could come at any moment so He gave His life freely for our sake!

Jesus rose up bravely and met death head on so that we do not have to!

His need was urgent because He knew our need of salvation is also urgent!

As we go through this life we need only know one thing!

Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

There is not one thing on this earth that can separate us from the love of the Lord Jesus Christ!

We need to patiently wait on the Lord!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

Rest In The Lord

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Rest In The Lord

Psalms 37

There are many who fall by the wayside everyday because they find it impossible to believe God would allow the wicked to prosper while the Christians suffer.

To many, these things lead to doubt and frustration.

Satan will use these things to tempt us into sin.

The Lord will not hold us accountable for the suggestions that the Devil makes, or those thoughts that our evil hearts produce but God will hold us accountable if we yield to that sin or act on that evil thought!

We must lay hold to integrity and moral soundness and remain incorruptible.

There is no greater passage in the Bible in teaching this than the Book of Job.

Incorruptible means not being subject to decay!

Two weeks ago we saw that unconfessed sin was leading King David to the point of decay.

When we are so easily troubled because we see the wicked live a life of prosperity and we have forgotten that our sins have been forgiven and true riches await those that make it into God’s Heaven and we will never spend one moment in the Burning Lake of fire, then it can also lead us to that same point of decay!

Earthy rewards are not the payment for spiritual work, spiritual work brings Heavenly rewards!

To expect earthly rewards for the work of God will only weaken our faith!

God is not dealing harshly with us when He does not make us rich!

There is a great bit of difference between a need and a want!

We can rejoice when we know we are redeemed by the blood of Jesus!

We can only rest when we understand the truth of God!

Let’s Begin.

*****Psa 37:1 A Psalm of David. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
Psa 37:2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

Again another Psalm of David.

Not only was David King of Israel, and a man after God’s own heart, God used the experiences of David to teach us many valuable lessons.

We must accept that every Word in the Bible was inspired by the Holy Spirit but when that writer had experienced those things that they had written, we can more easily relate those things to our own lives.

It is the object of God’s Word to teach us the means of salvation but also how to walk in the ways of the Lord in this life!

One of the greatest problems to the Christian is when they try to answer the question of “why God’s people suffer while the wicked seem to succeed”?

They say why would God allow such a thing?

This is what the word “fret” has as it’s meaning!

The purpose of this Psalm is to answer this question.

To “fret” is to worry, to fume, to have heart-burn, to become irritated and it is in fact a form of jealousy!

We are not to be jealous of evildoers who seem to prosper because of their evilness.

We are also not to be envious of their apparent success.

Envy will only add to jealousy hate, and uneasiness, and it shows to that wicked person that he is superior to you!

Pro 3:31 Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.
Pro 3:32 For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.

How does God describe these evil doers?

They are as the grass that we mow weekly during the cutting season.

The destruction of ungodly people will be speedy, it will be sudden, and it will be sure!

What is the truth about herbs?

The herb is not like a tree, the herb dies to the root every year. The herb dries up once it has produced it’s fruit and dries up in the sun.

All the glory of wicked and evil people will end at their death and they are soon forgotten.

Inside every “Born Again” child of God there lives a soul that knows that true life will be eternally spent with the Lord!

This true life begins when we trust in the Lord.

How do we obtain true riches?

*****Psa 37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Psa 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Psa 37:5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
Psa 37:6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
Psa 37:7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

1) We are commanded not to fret ourselves because of evildoers.

2) We are now commanded to trust the Lord.

The Bible is a book of commandments and not a book of suggestions!

God says the cure to “fretting” is “faith”!

Faith means we can see things as they really are.

God says the remedy for “fretting” is “doing good”!

That word “verily” means “the truth is”.

The truth is that God will not only feed His people with bread, but more important God will feed His people with “His Truth”!

How will the evil doer be fed?

Isa 44:20 He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?

Jer 23:15 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.

They will feed on ashes and wormwood and gall!

3) We are now commanded to delight ourselves in the Lord!

We are to make the Lord the joy of our lives!

Those that are evil get joy from doing evil things which will bring them no reward at their death.

Remember how David has used the word “my”?

The Lord is my light, my salvation, my strength, my rock, my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer!

This is the way we need to use the word “my” when it comes to the Lord!

We must have a personal relationship with Him!

What are the facts?

Those who delight in the Lord only delight and ask for the things that please Him and Our God delights in fulfilling those desires!

Joh 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

How can these things come about?

4) We must commit ourselves to the Lord and not to the ways of this world.

We must roll the burden of our life over to the Lord!

1Pe 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

When we place our trust in the Lord, why in the world would we want to interfere and not leave the results in His hands.

The more we fret the worse we will be, the more we trust the Lord the better off we will be!

The Lord is the Judge of all this Earth!

Abraham asked the Lord this question.

Gen 18:25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right”?

We can know that the Lord is the Righteous Judge of this Earth and can only do what is right!

How will He judge the righteous who remain in the light of the Lord?

Each believer is as the noon of day when there is not even a shadow of darkness!

We must not fret because of evil doers.
We must trust in the Lord.
We must delight ourselves in the Lord.
We must commit ourselves to the Lord.

5) And then we can rest in the Lord.

This is also a command and not some suggestion.

Psa 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

God will never act before it is time to act but we can also be sure to know that God will never be late, He will always be on time!

We must never forget the intent of the Lord.

Jas 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

I have said it before, that lost soul the Lord is waiting on could be one of our own family members.

We will certainly see the unrighteous prosper in this world but that is all they have!

We will certainly see that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer!

We simply must help those we can, especially those of the true Church and cease from our anger at these things.

God’s “Grace”, through the Lord Jesus Christ is still the only answer to all life’s problems!

*****Psa 37:8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
Psa 37:9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

We must believe that nothing can ever happen to us apart from the knowledge, the presence, and the love of God!

And we must know that God only wants good things for us, things that will make us better suited for His use!

What is the truth of God?

Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

When we see these things happen around us, we can either get angry at those that are so prosperous in their evil, or we will get angry at God.

To be angry at the world is madness, to be angry at God is insanity. Then the answer must be for us to forsake being angry!

We can live and rejoice with life when we trust that the Lord only does the right things for us and we need to avoid anything that even gives the appearance of being evil.

Anger will simmer and burn until reaches a point of explosion which will lead to sin.

Eph 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

Eph 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

We must remember those that reject the Word of God will suffer a terrible judgment.

What is the truth of the Word of God?

Luk 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
Luk 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

But those who are patiently waiting on the Lord even in this life will have the most of real enjoyment and in the ages to come the glory and triumph of the glory world.

John Bunyan wrote: “Passion” has his good things first, and they are soon over. “Patience” has his good things last, and they last forever.

What is the truth of the Word of God?

*****Psa 37:10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.

The average life span in some places in this world may have increased to over 70 years but that is still a short time. Many who live the lifestyle of the rich and famous do not live that long. The glitter of the wicked is not true gold!

There are many a building which carry the name of some famous person but that person has already perished. We may consider their place in society but they themselves are long gone.

His house is empty, his chair at the office is empty, his estate belongs to someone else or is without an owner. They are gone and will be soon forgotten!

But this is not so for those that love the Lord.

*****Psa 37:11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

It is those of “faith” that above all others, can enjoy life.

The “meek” are all those that have submitted themselves to the divine will of God!

Our meekness comes from the “Grace” of God through the Lord Jesus Christ which the world simply cannot understand.

What is the truth of the Lord our God?

Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Those that have been justified by faith will always be the enemy of those that will not submit to the Lord.

*****Psa 37:12 The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.

The Atheist say there is no God, so why do they attack those that do believe?

In reality most of them just hate the fact there is truly a righteous God.

Many others just say that there simply cannot be a personal God.

And all others place their faith in false gods!

As Christians we are simply to tell others about salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ and then stand our ground on these facts!

We are not at war with the world! God gave every one the gift of choice!

God wants us to have an informed choice so that there will not be any excuses at the judgment seat.

What will God do when He hears the excuses of the wicked?

*****Psa 37:13 The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.

We know that the Lord is full of mercy and grace so laughing seems out of His true character, yet here it is.

The Hebrew word saw-khak is used here and it means a mocking laugh.

God will not allow for excuses and He will have heard them all at the White Throne of Judgment.

God’s mocking laughter occurs only after those wicked have conclusively rejected His love and mercy, and then continued in their arrogant rebellion against the Word of God.

Pro 1:24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
Pro 1:25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
Pro 1:26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

It seems that most pulpits refuse to preach the truth of these scriptures.

Things will be different for those that love the Lord!

*****Psa 37:18 The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
Psa 37:19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

God may have laughed at those who reject Him but those that love Him have a bright future!

There is not one thing that lies in our future that God is not already aware of and is already preparing us for it before it comes!

To know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior means to have an inheritance laid up in Heaven that will last forever!

For ever means one day we will wake up in glory and there will never be another day. That day will just continue unending!

Rev 22:5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

For this reason we do not have to be ashamed that we are not as prosperous as those that refuse the Lord Jesus here in this life.

We do not have to be disappointed because we cannot obtain all our desires in this life.

God is not just a friend on the sunny days, God is our friend even on the cloudy days!

When God’s providence is our inheritance in this life, we need not worry about tomorrow. God already knows what we need for tomorrow!

*****Psa 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
Psa 37:24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

What is it like to be in the Army of God? The Lord delights in the ways of all those who “themselves” delight in the Lord!

As a babe who delighted it’s parents with those first steps, so it is with the Lord when we begin our walk with Him.

As our walk becomes more and more secure as time passes by, the Lord’s smile also broadens.

Pro 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

God knows that the path of each Christian is not always an easy road and God understands we will fall on occasion.

Job lost everything he had and Job was a very rich man.

Joseph was treated as a slave and then put in prison.

Jonah was cast into the deep in the belly of a whale.

The child of God need fall only as far as his knees to brought back up again!

The troubles in this world may bring us down to our knees, death may bring us to the grave, but we will never go lower than this because our true life is up!

It is God that holds on to His children through Jesus Christ!

Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Joh 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one.

*****Psa 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
Psa 37:26 He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.

David adds a personal testimony in his own observations in serving the Lord but this is nonetheless a true statement!

The Lord will reward those that obey Him!

The Lord will never forsake His children!

The true children of God will never be beggars when they remain in the congregation of the faithful!

How can this be true?

*****Psa 37:27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
Psa 37:28 For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

The path way of the Christian is stay off the path of evil!

The path way of the Christian is cease to do evil and learn to do good!

It is very important for us to maintain good works after our salvation!

Tit 3:14 And let ours also learn to maintain good works “for necessary uses”, that they be not unfruitful.

Good works are all those works that grow out of our supreme love of God!

It is a fact that there will some children of God who will have certain needs from time to time and it is the congregation of the faithful who are to provide that need!

Gal 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Very few wicked men ever leave any help for their own children!

Not one wicked man will influence his children to obey God and most of them will also fall into the same snares of the Devil!

*****Psa 37:29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.

There is only one place that is forever!

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

There is only one inheritance!

Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

This is the paradise of the believer, so who could be so foolish to turn down such an opportunity as this?

*****Psa 37:30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.
Psa 37:31 The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.

What are the characteristics of a righteous man?

Their thoughts are good because their heart is right with God.

Their words are good because they have an understanding of the Word of God and the “Gospel” of Jesus Christ.

Their works are good because they take action guided by the Holy Spirit.

Col 4:6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

How do we find that certain rest for our souls?

Jer 6:16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

*****Psa 37:32 The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
Psa 37:33 The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.

It is sad but it is also a fact, if it were not for the laws in most lands, we would see a complete massacre of the followers of Jesus Christ!

Even when Christians cannot be just killed because of laws, their testimonies will be slandered, what they own will be taken away from them, and many will attempt to destroy the way they live.

1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

We are foolish to not believe that this true!

God may allow us to be in the enemies hands for a period of time, such as Job, but God will not leave us there!

By the providence of God, temporary injustice may be tolerated for awhile but but those that love the Lord will be justified by their faith.

Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

It takes a little patience!

*****Psa 37:34 Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.

That word “wait” is easy to say but it is hard to carry out.

Waiting is a line that extends from the heart of the believer by faith in a great desire to be with the Lord, Our God!

There will not be even one “Born Again” child of God that will stand in judgment before God at the “White Throne” seat of judgment but they will be there to witness the judgment of the non-believers.

We may also witness the ruin of many of our foes while we remain alive.

What will God do to the wicked?

Psa 52:5 God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.

*****Psa 37:35 I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.
Psa 37:36 Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.

God’s people are to be fruitful trees producing fruit season after season.

The wicked on the other hand spread themselves out as a luxurious overbearing shrub that can only grow locally and all signs of it will perish when it dies. There will be no evidence that it ever existed.

In the New Heaven and New Earth, there will be no evidence that anything wicked ever existed!

*****Psa 37:37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
Psa 37:38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.

Who is a perfect man?

Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

The perfect man will be obedient to these two commandments!

The perfect man will know who his neighbor is.

Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Mat 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

To do these things is the closest we can get to being perfect while we are still living on this Earth and we are commanded to do this also!

Mat 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

But we are not to be wimps! Jesus Christ was no wimp, He was still 100% a real man while still being 100% God!

All the wicked have the same fate which is destruction and in the end will be cut off!

Their time will be shortened. their happiness will be ended, their hopes will not be fulfilled and their execution will be eternal.

*****Psa 37:39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.
Psa 37:40 And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

This is the “Doctrine Of The Bible”!

Salvation can only come by the Lord!

The Lord not only delivers us in the end, He will also deliver us along the way!

The Lord must be the object of all our faith and all our trust!

The Lord will help, the Lord will deliver, and the Lord will save all those that trust in Him and His Word!

And knowing all these things we can “Rest in the Lord”!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

Rejoicing In The Lord

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Rejoice In The Lord

Psalm 33

The 32nd Psalm was a Psalm of instruction and yet we know that “all” the scriptures are good for instruction.

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

When we confess our sin to the Lord, it will lead to a time of rejoicing.

Psalm 33 is a Psalm of rejoicing.

This Psalm teaches us not to just rejoice but to express our emotions loudly.

After all we are the redeemed people of God.

Psa 107:2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

Whatever others think of us, as the redeemed of the Lord we have many reasons to rejoice in the Lord.

To rejoice is to experience joy and gladness to a high degree!

To rejoice should be heard by the voice. To rejoice is the idea of singing out with immense joy.

Though we can rejoice alone, this Psalm is more about the gathering in an assembly to worship the Lord!

Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

When we gather together as the redeemed of the Lord, we need to worship but we also need to rejoice in that worship!

This Psalm teaches us how to rejoice and some of the reasons why we need to rejoice.

Let’s begin:

*****Psa 33:1 Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.

Who are the righteous? All those that are justified by faith in our Holy God!

Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Music has always been a vital part of praising the Lord in our worship services.

This Psalm is more about congregational praise than the individual. It is “all the righteous” who are to praise the Lord!

All music in the Church is to be about praising the Lord and not for entertaining those that are sitting in the pews!

Many places of worship have become places of entertainment.

That building may be used for other things but that worship service should be exactly that, a worship service to the Lord!

To rejoice is to shout for joy, to sing joyfully, to cry out in joy exalting the Lord our God!

If God never did anything but save us from a burning hell, we have enough reason to praise Him!

Psa 5:11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

It is dangerous to rejoice in the things of this world!

It is foolish to rejoice in our own accomplishments!

It is fatal to rejoice in sin! The wages of sin are death.

But it is heavenly to rejoice in the Lord!

It is a fact that even the righteous are not always glad, so we all have a need to stir up that rejoicing spirit within ourselves.

There is great joy in knowing the Lord!

When the Lord sees His church rejoicing and singing praises to Him they are beautiful in His sight!

The word “comely” means to offer rejoicing praise to the Lord is a beautiful and a most fitting thing to do!

Psa 147:1 Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.

God loves to see His people happy!

There may be many professionals who sing the songs of praise, who do not know the Lord as their Savior, but God sees no beauty in them.

Singing is wonderful but God says to bring your musical instruments.

The Psalms were never to be chanted, they were always to be accompanied by musical instrument!

There is nothing musical about chanting!

*****Psa 33:2 Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.

**The harp was the national instrument of the Hebrew people.

If you do not like the praising of the Lord with singing along with the harp, you will not like it in Heaven.

Rev 14:2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and “I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps”:

The voice of the harp is beautiful!

**The psaltery is another version of the harp but normally had 12 strings.

It was played with the hand. Some say it resembled the guitar but had a much superior tone.

**The instrument of 10 strings was also another version of the harp.

In fact it is possible that this instrument more fits the picture of the modern day harp. The strings may have been plucked with a quill or with the hand.

There are many that say music is not important in the worship service but what do they do with these scriptures in the Bible?

God includes these things in the Bible for a reason!

Many will say that musical instruments are unnecessary to worship the Lord but most people will not sing at all without the assistance of musical instruments.

The pure fact is, that we are to praise the Lord with every fiber in our body and all the powers we possess.

Praise is never to be half-done but wholehearted!

*****Psa 33:3 Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.

Nine times in the Bible we are told to sing a “new song” to the Lord.

When we are saved, we need to be singing a new song.

When our troubles are over we need to be singing a new song.

When God has answered that prayer we have prayed for so long a time, we need to be singing a new song.

When God has been merciful toward us in anyway we need to be singing a new song!

When we live by the ways of the Lord it is a “new and living way”!

Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

Just singing for the sake of singing and not in praising God is not worth very much.

The Lord loves to see us excited about our salvation!

The Lord loves to see a freshness in our worship!

The Lord loves for us to put forth our new life, that “Born Again” feeling, from the heart and soul into our praises for Him.

To play skillfully is to praise God in everything with the very best that we have!

The sweetest tune, the sweetest voice with the sweetest words, the very best we can do are still much to little to offer our Lord for what He has done for us!

We can live a righteous life only because the Word of God is right!

*****Psa 33:4 For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.

If this verse is not true then we can all go home because we can find better things to do but since it is true then we need to pay attention to what God has got to say!

What ever God says in His written Word are the truth!

What ever God says about His creation is the truth!

We may not understand why things happen as they do in our lives and the lives of those we love and care about but we must believe that all the works of the Lord were the right thing for Him to allow to happen!

There are no deviations from the Word of God that hold true!

There are no deviations in God’s act of creation, God spoke and things happened!

We can praise God because of His truth.

We can praise God because of His faithfulness.

We can praise God because of His “Mercy” and His “Grace”.

And we can praise God because of His truth in creation!

In fact there are no reasons why we should not be praising God!

The more we know about our God, the more we will learn of His excellence!

*****Psa 33:5 He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.

What does God love?

According to the Bible, true righteousness is a character of God that is rooted in the fulfillment of the covenants God makes with us when He saves us.

True righteousness can come to each of us only because of our relationship with Our Holy God!

Righteousness is always doing things right and we have no power of righteousness within ourselves!

Psa 14:2 The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
Psa 14:3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

There are many who believe they know how to do the right things but God say no one can know without His wisdom.

Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

God ‘s righteousness is seen in what God does!

And because God is righteous in His “mercy” He will also be righteous in His “judgment”!

Psa 96:13 Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

Just as God will keep His covenant of salvation through Jesus Christ, He will also keep His covenant of judgment also by Jesus Christ!

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Salvation and condemnation must exist together as the truth of God’s character!

It is only the saved that can understand these things of God.

Liberals cringe at the thought of God’s judgment!

It is God who created His covenants and it is God who must remain faithful to His own covenants!

It is the righteousness of God that is the key to understanding the salvation of humanity!

God requires each of us to be righteous but our righteousness can only come by the Lord Jesus Christ!

It is the gift of “righteousness” that God gives so freely by His “Grace”!

Rom 5:17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

The Earth is truly full of the goodness of God and everyone on this Earth will get the opportunity to miss out on the judgment of God!

Before any one dies they will be offered that choice to believe. It is what we do with that choice that determines our outcome at the end of our physical days.

Things happen when God speaks.

*****Psa 33:6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

We can understand the word heavens as the 3 heavens.

1) There is the atmospheric heaven:

This is the body of our earthly atmosphere and extends to about 6 miles above our planet.

No other planet has such an atmosphere as the one that surrounds our Earth!

Life on Earth can only exist because of our atmosphere!

Act 14:17 Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

2) There is the celestial heaven:

This the place of our Sun and Moon and all the stars of the Milky Way and all other galaxies.

Gen 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
Gen 1:15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

3) And there is the dwelling place of God:

This is the specific place of God’s dwelling.

Mat 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Isa 66:1 Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

This where we will find the Father’s House and where Jesus returned to prepare for us a place.

Joh 14:2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Paul said this is the 3rd heaven.

2Co 12:2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.

This is what John saw in the Book of Revelation.

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

And God made all the host of all 3 heavens just by His commands.

All the vast spaces of the heavens and the cosmos were called into existence by the Word of God, in fact by the Word of Christ Jesus.

Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

It is on these things is where our faith must begin!

Heb 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

If we cannot begin with the truth of God’s creation we will never understand the truth of the righteousness of God!

*****Psa 33:7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.

In the Book of Genesis we read that God gathered 2 great bodies of water. One above the atmosphere and one below the atmosphere.

Gen 1:7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

God then gathered all the waters below the atmosphere into one place.

Gen 1:9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

Today all our oceans are still inter connected and separated by name only. The seas stay where God directs them.

Pro 8:29 When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:

These seas have remained in place except for the one time that God flooded the entire planet at one time in the time of Noah.

Psa 104:9 Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.

All the extra water that was used to flood the Earth is now laid up in the depth of God’s storehouses.

It is from these sources that we get our wells and the many springs and many a river begin from these storehouses of water.

These waters that were once used in judgment are now used in mercy!

*****Psa 33:8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.

It was the Jews that sang these songs of praise but God says let all the Earth stand in awe of Him.

We cannot properly worship the Lord unless we can admit His boundless power!

We cannot get a single prayer answered unless we can admit God’s boundless power!

We cannot even obtain salvation unless we can admit God boundless power!

How could we trust our salvation to a God that professed anything less than our Creator has already shown us!

Awe is fear intermingled with adoration. We must realize both these things when we come humbly before our righteous God!

Why?

Because when God speaks things happen!

*****Psa 33:9 For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

Creation is the fruit of God’s Word!

This is why Creation by the design of God remains constantly under attack.

If God did not create all things as He has said then we cannot be saved!

God did not take millions nor even billions of years to accomplish His works of creation. If creation could take place by these processes then we would not need God!

We have a Creator who strives to also be our Savior but it takes “faith”!

It takes more faith to believe in the lies of evolution that it does to get saved!

Each created act was an instantaneous event that cannot be explained by natural processes!

Out of nothing came God’s creation and it is confirmed by it’s existence!

There is only one means of true happiness in this world and it is to realize that we are a created being and not some accident that just happened!

There is not one human being on this Earth that can prove any other method of creation beyond what God says!

*****Psa 33:10 The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.

Everything that happens on this Earth has some part in God’s plan!

God does not adjust His plan according to the outcome of events. God’s decrees govern human history!

Dan 4:35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

God also has His way in the angelic realm! Even Satan does not make a move without the express permission of God!

Sinful acts do not frustrate the plan of God and God is not the cause of sinful acts!

Although all things are encompassed in the will of God, each of us are responsible for our own actions!

Although the death of Jesus Christ was the great plan of God for our salvation, it is still a fact that wicked men were responsible for His death!

God gave us the freedom to choose but God has only chose righteousness for Himself!

Even though Christian persecution is on the rise, God will bring good out of it because He always has!

The cause of Christ is never in danger of not succeeding!

Wickedness will always be overcome with godly wisdom!

Satan will always be held in check by the power of God!

Why?

*****Psa 33:11 The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

We should ask ourselves, what is the greatest comfort we can have in this life before our death?

We should be able to answer this question with these words: That, I with my body and soul, both in life and in death, am not my own because I belong to the Lord Jesus Christ who is faithful enough to preserve me that without the will of my Father in Heaven not one hair can fall from my body and that all things that happen to me while I am alive must work to the good of my salvation!

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

God did not send His Son to this Earth to die in payment for our sin just to abandon us in our time of trouble!

1Co 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

God is faithful to keep His promises!

God will never change His purpose for us!

God’s plan cannot fail!

**What is the view of the Atheist and the Evolutionist? All human history and of life are subject to fate.

**What is the view of the Muslim and others that believe in One God? That God created our world but has since allowed the world to run itself like some machine and men control their own destiny.

**What is the view of the pantheist and the environmentalist? That the universe is God and is only some impersonal force that permeate our universe and that God is the creation.

**What is the view of dualism? That two opposing forces, the forces of light and the forces of darkness are locked in a great battle and no one knows who will win in the end. In other words God is caught up in this battle that is out of His control.

What is the real truth of Jehovah God?

Psa 86:10 For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.

Truly the Word of God will stand forever and God’s eternal purposes are much firmer than His creations!

Men and women come and go and most of them follow their own desires to the grave!

But the undisturbed mind of God moves on producing results that are certain!

God’s will and God’s plan will be carried out from age to age and we know that the Church Age is fast drawing near it’s end.

So how can our own nation of America and all other nations be blessed?

*****Psa 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

Blessed does not just mean just spiritual happiness but also to be prosperous in our physical lives.

Israel has been blessed from the time of Abraham but God’s blessings are for any and every nation whose God is the Lord!

There are many religions but there can be only one Christianity!

If Christianity is to be considered a religion then in can only be the religion of Jesus Christ!

We have no religion beyond Jesus Christ!

There are many things that have happened and continue to happen in our world in the name of Christianity but are not of true Christians.

We see many Muslim who move forward to establish the Koran with cruelty and superstitions.

We know that many nations throughout history, such as in Europe that have felt the power of the sword in the name of Christianity but not by true Christianity.

It is not any of these things that can bless a nation!

It is only Christians who are filled with the fruit of the Holy Spirit that can bring God’s blessing to any nation!

We already know that in America, those that do not know the Lord are using all their power to remove the Lord Jesus from any part of America.

God’s may have already stopped blessing America!

We already know that those that bless Israel will also get a blessing but as our government condemns Israel then the blessings will stop!

So as we see our nation falling apart we do not have to look far for the reasons!

But God will never remove His blessings from those that He has chosen for His own inheritance!

Our home is not in America.

Our home is not even in this world.

There is nothing in this world that can cause our home in Heaven to be less than what God says it will be!

Joh 14:2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Since we are so blessed, we need to rejoice and shine brightly for the world to see and cling to Jesus who is our Savior!

The Lord has His eyes on us.

*****Psa 33:13 The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.
Psa 33:14 From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.

It should provide us a great comfort knowing that we are always under the watchful eye of the Lord.

But the eyes of the Lord are also on those that do not know Him.

God knows what the saints are doing and what those that are lost are doing to those saints!

There is nothing that can happen on this Earth that does not catch the eye of God.

There is also nothing that happens on this Earth that could not be stopped if the Lord chose to do so!

God can also see deep into the heart of every man and He says it is the foolish men that cause wars.

2Ch 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.

*****Psa 33:15 He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works.

God has fashioned every heart to seek after the Creator. The heart of the king as well as the heart of the beggar and all in between.

Consider what it means that God is examining each of us and He knows our intentions even before we act on them.

What did Jesus say?

Mat 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her “hath committed adultery with her already in his heart”.
Mat 5:29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Mat 5:30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

We must desperately fight against the desires of our heart when our desires go against the Word of God!

*****Psa 33:16 There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.

God cannot be defeated in His plans for all mankind!

Our Lord is a sovereign God and has decreed all things according to His will.

Every human being is responsible for their own sinful acts!

For instance, Christ’s death was a result of God’s plan but wicked men were responsible for His death!

So man being a mortal, and subject to death, has no power to change God’s plan.

All those that trust in mortal power are deceived!

There have been many an empire fall throughout history that have fallen even though they had the largest army and/or the best armaments.

There is no greater example of this than the nation of Israel!

America has never been great because of earthly resources. America has been great only because the founding fathers searched for a place to serve God, by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why is America failing today? Because Christians are standing idle while wicked people are removing the Lord Jesus Christ from our nation!

America may be the most powerful nation on this Earth but nothing can ensure the safety of those that God leaves to their own destruction!

No man, no matter his strength is able to deliver himself from the hands of God!

When that day of death arrives there is no force on this Earth that save us from that death!

Our strength can only come from the Lord!

Jer 9:23 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
Jer 9:24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.

*****Psa 33:17 An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.

In the time of David, military strength was measured not only by the size of the army, but also in horses and chariots.

It is a fact that the well trained horse will rush into danger therefore taking his rider to his death or death can come if that horse falls upon it’s rider.

The strongest defenses are nothing if they fail when they are needed the most.

Even today in Iraq, we have an army supposedly trained by America, supplied with the best weapons on this Earth yet they are failing miserably because they have no will to fight the enemy.

They do not have God on their side!

In fact they themselves allow the persecution of God’s people!

We should realize God is not on either side of this conflict!

It is just evil and foolish men on both sides seeking to control the masses of people.

And it is only the Lord our God who can deliver us from such wars!

Sennacherib had a mighty army but it only took one angel of the Lord to end his day!

2Ki 19:35 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

Not one army nor even all the armies on this Earth can stand against the Lord!

Psa 20:7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
Psa 20:8 They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.

*****Psa 33:18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;
Psa 33:19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.

That word “behold” means open your eyes and you will see who sits on the throne of our world!

Many laugh when they see the references to the physical features of the Lord.

God is Spirit for sure!

Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

But we know that the Lord Jesus went back to Heaven in a glorified body and in that same glorified body will He return!

Act 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
Act 1:10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Act 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

The truth is that our God is omnipotent and He can certainly assume the attributes of the bodies of those He has created when He so wills!

What does God say to those that mock Him?

Psa 94:8 Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise?
Psa 94:9 He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?
Psa 94:10 He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know?
Psa 94:11 The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.

Deliverance from evil cannot come by military power!

Deliverance form evil cannot come by manpower!

Deliverance from evil cannot come by all the horsepower in this world!

Deliverance from evil can only come by “Spiritual Power”!

Because the Lord’s hand go everywhere His eyes go!

God can preserve all those He sees and death cannot touch them unless the Lord allows it!

Mortality means we are always subject to death at any time, God knows exactly when that day will come and it comes by the choices we make.

We should also remember, famines normally come by the judgment of God.

It may be said that famine comes from natural causes but they must be allowed.

Natural causes are just the agents and instruments God uses in His judgment of sin!

But the greatest famine of all is when sin separates us from the express will of God!

Amo 8:11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:
Amo 8:12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.

This famine may be in the early stages of it’s beginning or even farther along than that!

There is not a day that goes by that we should not be calling upon the Lord.

*****Psa 33:20 Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.

We can only rejoice when we are patiently waiting for the Lord and trust in His Word!

What are we waiting for?

Rom 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

That word “Our” means these things belong to those who wait on the Lord.

Our relationship with the Lord must be a very personal thing!

The Lord is the answer to all things to His people!

Isa 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

What are we to rejoice in?

*****Psa 33:21 For our heart shall rejoice “in him”, because we have trusted in his holy name.

We must not rejoice in sin.

We must not rejoice in ourselves.

We must rejoice in the Lord!

We must rejoice in His Word!

We must rejoice in His person!

We must rejoice in His righteousness!

We must rejoice in His salvation!

We must rejoice in His unspeakable joy!

1Pe 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
1Pe 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

And we must rejoice in our only hope!

*****Psa 33:22 Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.

Even when we can rejoice in the Lord, we still need His mercy!

Our joy can come only by our faith!

What did Jesus say?

Mat 9:29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it unto you”.

We are saved by our hope in a very personal relationship with the Lord!

Rom 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Rom 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Even when our hope is weak, we can rejoice because we have been blessed far more than we deserve!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

Confessing To The Lord

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Confess To The Lord

Psalms 32

What does true confession of sin really mean?

It means we see our sin the same way that God sees it!

It means we acknowledge our sin as a fault against God!

It means we acknowledge our sin as a crime, it means we acknowledge our human faults!

Confession is a declaration of our guilt before God!

Confession must always come before repentance!

Repentance is the pain or grief from committing that sin and is brought on by Holy Ghost conviction if you are one of God’s children.

Repenting is a changing of the mind, turning away from sin and turning toward God.

Not only are we to confess our sin to God the Father through Jesus Christ, we are also to confess our faults to one another for our prayers to bring the greatest results!

Jas 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Sin is the source of corruption and trouble in our lives.

As we go through this Psalm today we will see a psalm of instruction.

Confession and repentance will always bring instruction from the Lord!

We have been learning how to improve our walk with the Lord and this is a very important lesson for us.

In Psalms 143 we read “Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk” and in another verse we read “Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God”.

We need God’s instructions to improve our walk with Him!

Let’s begin:

*****Psa 32:1 A Psalm of David, Maschil. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

We see again that we have another Psalm of David but we also see a difference in this Psalm.

We see that word “Maschil”. The word Maschil means “instructive”!

In other words God says, “let Me explain some things to you”.

There are 13 of the Maschil Psalms where God says let me explain this thing to you in a few words.

God says, “let Me give you these things to meditate on”.

When we are obedient to the Word of God it means our own judgment will be sound because it is based on the truth of God.

We may talk the talk of a Christian but if we do not walk the talk by doing the will of God then we need to get on our knees before God and seek the truth!

There can be no doubt that David wrote this Psalm in connection with his great sin with Bathsheba and the death of Uriah.

This 32 Psalm is not only the record of David’s confession but also a record of the forgiveness he received.

And most important it is a permanent record of David being restored in the eyes of God!

So God told David to use this instance in his life to teach others how to walk closer to the Lord.

Even today this is a Psalm that that is read on Ash Wednesday by the Jews and they still cannot see the lesson God is teaching.

David had come to realize that the blood of Uriah was on his hands.

The Jews have still not yet considered that the blood of Jesus was on there hands.

Mat 27:25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

It is the blood of Jesus that is the one thing that brings redemption to all God’s people!

1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

We can find great comfort in knowing the “Amazing Grace” of God and then using these lessons we learn to help others come to the Lord.

The Jews will not learn this lesson until after the “Rapture” of the Church and during the tribulation period!

Rev 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

There will never be but one way to get to Heaven, it will always be by Jesus Christ!

What is our greatest blessing?

When our transgressions are forgiven!

God has given us the 10 moral laws(10 Commandments) as our standard to live by.

Any act that goes beyond these laws is a transgression against the Word of God!

Being pardoned by the mercy of God is the greatest prize we can obtain in this world!

This is the only way of sure happiness in this world we live in!

Notice who is blessed here.

It is not those that think they break no laws.

It is only those that have broken the laws of God, realize that they have done so, and by repenting have received a full pardon by our merciful God.

1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jn 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Forgiven means that burden of sin has been taken away.

What is the burden of sin?

Rom 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death”; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

It cost the Lord Jesus Christ the sweat of His blood to carry our sin away.

To know the Lord as your Savior means our sins are covered, they are out of His sight.

The Bible says:

Mic 7:19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; “and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea”.

There are places in the seas that are so deep that no man can go, somewhere in those great depths the Lord has cast all the sin of those that love Him.

*****Psa 32:2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

When we go against the Word of God we are being disobedient. That disobedience is describes as sin, transgression, and iniquity and we have all three of these words in these first two verses of this text.

Sin is the departure from the Word of God.

Transgression is going beyond the Law of God.

Iniquity is deviating from the Word of God.

What separates the Christian faith from religion!

Christians see the trinity of sin and the trinity of sin can only be over come by the Trinity of Heaven.

Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

And add the Holy Spirit.

Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

The Apostle Paul clearly understood what David had written down for us and what that word “imputeth” truly meant.

Rom 4:7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
Rom 4:8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

How does the Holy Spirit get involved in the lives of God’s children?

*****Psa 32:3 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.

Remember David had not only committed adultery while he was King of Israel but he had caused the death of a true hero of the nation of Israel.

In today’s world Uriah would have easily have won the “Medal of Honor” for his duties as a soldier in the army of Israel but David’s sin had ended his life and ended his heritage.

The world knew nothing about David’s sin.

David was outwardly silent about his sin but inwardly the Holy Spirit was eating him alive!

While a true child of God is trying to hide their sin, that eternally saved soul within them will begin to decay with weakness!

Holy Ghost conviction means the God’s Spirit is convincing you of that sin, or pointing out that sin in your life.

Joh 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
Joh 16:8 And when he is come, “he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment”:

Did the Holy Spirit do His work in the Old Testament”

Isa 63:10 But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: “therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them”.

When the Holy Spirit is fighting against you, your life will be miserable!

Just so we can also know that Jesus Christ can feel our pain and suffering, He also felt our sin:

Psa 22:1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and “from the words of my roaring”?

David felt a roaring inside for his own sin!

The Lord Jesus Christ felt a roaring inside because He carried all our sin!

*****Psa 32:4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.

God’s hand was a marvelous thing when He lifted us up out of that miry clay.

God’s hand is wonderful in our time of need and He provides.

God’s hand brings much comfort when we are in distress.

But that same hand will weigh heavy on us when we have gone against His Word!

David had hidden his sin from the world for nearly a year but God had made his life miserable.

The chastening hand of God does not treat us like a criminal but as a loving Father dealing with His disobedient children.

God chastens us because He loves us.

Heb 12:6 “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth”, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Unconfessed sin had dried up the fountain of David’s strength. David had become a physical wreck!

What is the fruit of the Spirit?

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

None of these things will be available in our lives if we carry unconfessed sin!

If you have plants that you water and you neglect to water those plants they will dry up and eventually die.

God had cut off His glory spout from Heaven to David and David was withering to the point of death.

David’s conscience was defiled.

David’s was worried for his health.

David’s was sick in his body.

It took all these things to bring David back to the Lord.

That word “Selah” means that David thought about what he was doing and David paused to reflect on what he had done.

It was time to change!

That word “Selah” can also mean that it was time to set the music to a different key.

It was time for David to sing a new song with his life.

There was only one answer to David’s problems.

*****Psa 32:5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

When we are too proud to humble ourselves before God we deserve all our troubles!

The sin of Adam is a corruption of our own nature and everyone that lives, live in Adam’s corruption!

David was not only corrupt in his nature but he carried the heavy weight of adultery and murder that no one knew about except he and Joab and God.

We must not only confess our sin, we must confess our guiltiness of that sin!

Remember sin is something we intentionally do, when we had the opportunity to avoid it!

When David looked over that wall and saw Bathsheba, he had the opportunity to go back into his home and forget what he had seen and none of these other things would have taken place!

Then notice the next thing that happened.

David said to himself that, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”.

There is no room for excuses in our prayers!

And how merciful is the Lord? David had said this in his heart and before he said these things with his mouth, the Lord had gotten ahead of him and The Lord forgave him.

Not only was David’s sin forgiven but his guiltiness was also taken away from him!

And Selah: David paused to meditate on the “Amazing Grace” of God!

When we know the Lord, there will be a change in our lives!

And just as quickly as David had confessed his sin in his heart, God had just as quickly forgotten that sin.

And David said this is an example for us all.

*****Psa 32:6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.

We are foolish when we try to carry the weight of unconfessed sin!

God put these passages in the Bible for us to know the truth!

God put these passages in the Bible to instruct us so we can avoid living miserable in our sin!

Just as David, we all can draw nearer to the Lord, when godliness rules in our heart.

There is a reason that the place above the Ark is called the “Mercy Seat”.

The Mercy Seat of God is where mercy and truth come together!

BUT, the “mercy” of God can only be obtained by the “Truth” of the Lord Jesus Christ!

When is the time that the Lord can be found?

It is between the time of sin and the day of punishment.

It is between the time we are born until the time we die!

Since we cannot know the time we will die then now is the best time!

The Lord cannot be found by those who are condemned!

It is this time of Grace we live in now!

2Co 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Unconfessed sin will bring the heavy hand of God down on us like a flood of raging waters but those waters will not come near the ones who acknowledge and confess their sin!

We can hide in the truth of God!

*****Psa 32:7 Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.

Just a moment ago we read that David was under the heavy hand of God because of unconfessed sin but where is he now?

David is now rejoicing in God’s hiding place.

This is what honest confession and a full forgiveness will do for us.

Trouble can do us no real harm when the Lord is with us!

But the lessons we learn from our troubles will also lead to greater strength!

We may wonder how David could write so many of the Psalms but maybe it was because he realized the great joy of understanding the mercy of God!

Instead of drowning in the sea of forgetfulness we to can be surrounded with songs of deliverance!

Sorrow can be changed into happiness!

And again Selah, we need to pause and reflect on these things and see what God has done.

We need to pause and reflect on the many things that God does everyday in our lives.

Many of them go unnoticed but God continues His work in our lives to fulfill the purpose He has for each of us!

*****Psa 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

Notice God has already forgiven David and allowed the joy of forgiveness to sink in and now after these things it’s time for God’s instructions.

The most important part of any prayer is God’s answer!

Our Savior is also our instructor!

We are not just pardoned so we can move ahead in our own lust and desires!

Preacher Sam says all the time, “The Lord did not give us the Holy Spirit for enjoyment, He gave us the Holy Spirit for our employment”.

We have have been learning how to improve our walk with the Lord for may weeks now and that walk makes it’s greatest improvement when we obey the instructions that come with answered prayer!

We are to be educated in holiness and trained for perfection!

Too many mistakes are made when we go our own way.

All of us can remember as we were growing up and doing something wrong and get that glance from that father or mother that said without speaking to stop what you are doing.

It seems all mothers had that look and we all knew what that certain look meant.

This is the same feeling we should all have when we are back in fellowship with the Lord and sensitive to His will, by the Holy Spirit!

The Bible still says:

Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

*****Psa 32:9 Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.

It is the understanding that we are to have a close personal relationship with our Father in Heaven that separates us from animals as they can have no such understanding!

God gave man the ability to make choices through counsel and advice but many choose the harness and the whip!

If we are close enough to God to see that loving guiding eye, God will not have to restrain us with bridles and bits as animals!

When David took that second look at Bathsheba he felt he could control his own destiny and was free to do so but God only saw David acting like an animal!

Like the war horse David rushed into trouble.

Like the stubborn mule David was just as stubborn and tried to hide his sin.

And like animals, sometime God has to physically restrain us for our own good!

It is a fact that we need to travel through this life on God’s pathway!

It is also a fact that we need a guide in our travels and that guide is the Lord Jesus Christ!

God will use His loving eye to guide us if we will pay attention but if not, God loves us enough to guide us with His chastisement.

God will keep tight reins on those He loves!

But for the wicked it is not so.

*****Psa 32:10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about.

God will guide His children with His mercy and His grace to the place of triumph but all those that reject the Lord Jesus Christ will eventually find continuous sorrow.

Faith is the true source of virtue but a lack of faith brings wickedness and many sorrows.

What is the best choice?

*****Psa 32:11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

Happiness is not just a privilege, it is our duty!

When this Psalm began David was deeply depressed because he had refused to repent of his secret sin.

The most important thing we can do in this world is to have a close personal relationship with the Lord!

There are no secrets we can hide from Him!

And we have to much to be thankful for than to continuously backslide on God!

What are the guidelines for peace in our lives and peace with God?

1Th 5:15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.
1Th 5:16 Rejoice evermore.
1Th 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
1Th 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1Th 5:19 Quench not the Spirit.
1Th 5:20 Despise not prophesyings.
1Th 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
1Th 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
1Th 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The closer we walk the Lord, the nearer He is to us!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

What Is It To Seek The Lord

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Seek The Lord

What is it to “seek the Lord”?

To “seek” means to go in search of.

We should always keep in mind that the Lord has a purpose for each of us.

Our legacy should read, “what God has accomplished through us” and not what we accomplished through God!

The entire Bible will lead us to focus on the Lord Jesus Christ!

Sin and troubles in our life take our focus off of the Lord and we will begin to focus on ourselves.

Salvation is our only means of denying ourselves and returning to God!

When God has us in His place of salvation, He can accomplish His purpose for our lives.

Even during this time we will still have troubles that will try to drive a wedge between us and the Lord.

We simply cannot wait until these troubles arise to “seek the Lord”, we must continuously be seeking Him.

God is not very far away from His children.

Act 17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, “though he be not far from every one of us”:
Act 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

If we have trusted the Lord for our salvation, surely we must trust Him for His counseling.

We can tear ourselves apart worrying about the things in our lives and have no profit or we can just give them to the Lord!

We cannot trust ourselves for the right answers.

We also cannot trust the world for the answers.

If our trust is in the Lord then we must trust in that trust!

Just because we are having a bad day does not mean the Lord has gotten weak, it just means we are having a bad day!

Confidence in the Lord is the best answer to all life’s problems!

It is believed David wrote this Psalm during the rebellion of his own son Absalom.

David won the battle that day but he also lost his son forever!

All of us who have family members that die not knowing the Lord will feel the remorse that David did this day and the only one to turn to is the Lord!

Prayer is acknowledging our dependence on the Lord and the willingness to accept and do whatever He answers.

We must remember there is only one line into the throne room of God and that line is Jesus Christ and only those things that are asked for in His name are heard and answered!

1Jn 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
1Jn 5:15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

The most reliable defense we can have in this world will come by Jesus Christ.

So if we look at all our troubles “from Heaven’s point of view” and not through our own eyes we will receive comfort knowing the Lord is concerned about us.

Let’s begin:

Psa 27:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Here again we see that David had a close personal relationship with God. (My light, My salvation)

The Lord Jesus saved us while we were in darkness. Darkness is the place of distress, trouble, and sorrow but light is the exact opposite.

There is happiness in the darkness only for a season but joy comes from the Sun of Righteousness!

When there is not enough light to see our own darkness and we remain in darkness to long, then there is no evidence of salvation.

Salvation found us in the dark but salvation will not leave us there!

David wrote in a familiar Psalm these words:

Psa 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

If we do not truly believe this then we will never be able to get God to answer our prayers!

The Lord does not just light up our path, He is that Light!

The Lord does not just offer salvation to those that believe, He is that salvation!

Every light is not of the Sun but the Son is the Father of all light!

Jas 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

God is light and in Him is no darkness at all!

1Jn 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

We know all these things if we belong to the Lord.

Both salvation from sin and light for our daily living are to be found in the Lord Jesus Christ, and only in Him.

In times of trouble, we must “Seek the Lord”!

The Lord had everything David needed and the Lord has everything we need today!

Isa 12:2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.

What were the first words written down for us in the Bible?

Gen 1:3 And God said, “Let there be light: and there was light”.

So why on Earth do we allow our fears to interfere with the joy of the Lord!

*****Psa 27:2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

First, this verse is not speaking about cannibalism by humans but as the actions of wild beasts.

This word cannibalism depicts the viciousness which God’s enemies will try to use to destroy God’s people and I think we can see this happening more often in our world today.

The enemies of the Church are becoming more vicious.

Remember God ‘s enemies are our enemies. Those that attack the Church, no matter their walk in this life, are our enemies!

Our enemies are called “the wicked” in this verse. God never intends for godly people to cause harm to godly people!

Even when our enemies cannot destroy us they still have victory when they can destroy our testimony!

If you are allowing your light to grow dim, you are allowing the enemy to have victory over you!

When our strength is in the Lord our enemies will stumble and fall!

What happened to the enemy when Jesus rose up from His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane?

Joh 18:4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?
Joh 18:5 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
Joh 18:6 As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, “they went backward, and fell to the ground”.

The enemies of God will always stumble and fall when they are before Him, our Lord gave Himself to His enemy to save us from having to do so!

*****Psa 27:3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

Though our enemies are great in number our confidence must remain in the Lord!

It is because the Lord is the “Light of our salvation” that we can be so confident!

Our confidence then comes by our faith!

We already know that without faith we cannot please God and it is that same faith in the Lord that we can use to defy all our enemies.

In Bible times, if the enemy could not directly defeat an enemy they would lay siege on the enemy and just wait them out.

This is exactly what Satan is trying to do to the Church today!

Satan has laid siege round about the Church and he has succeeded in many places of worship where the “Light of Jesus” has been extinguished.

It is only by allowing the Lord to be our strength that we can be confident against our enemy!

Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

What should we desire most if all?

*****Psa 27:4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.

The falsehood of evolution is on display in this verse.

Animals are satisfied and live in the contentment of this world because they can know no better but humans are never satisfied here in this world.

The world says live today because tomorrow you die.

Because those of the world see themselves as an accident that just happened they have no great desire!

Death truly is a reality for all mankind but the Bible says there is judgment after death.

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

The fact of reality is that the body might die, but the soul, the life principle of mankind, lives on!

Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: “but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell”.

When we know these things then we should have that great desire to spend eternity with Our Creator!

At this time in the life of David, the Temple had not yet been built, the place of worship was still the Tabernacle.

David certainly was not desiring to spend everyday in the Tabernacle though we should all have a great desire to worship the Lord in our places set aside for worship.

David had that desire that we should all have.

Our desire to spend eternity with the Lord must be real!

Paul said:

Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, “and reaching forth unto those things which are before”,
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Jesus said these words:

Joh 14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

We must have a desire to be with the Lord. We should show this in our prayers!

We must know the means and the way to get to the Lord. We show this in our faith!

We must know the beauty of the Lord. The Beauty of the Lord is in His “Grace”.

While we are still living in this body of flesh we must inquire of His Temple.

That word “inquire” means we must learn more and more about the Lord and His purpose for each of us!

2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

The Bible says we must avoid the ways of the world.

Pro 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

We must shy away from false science.

1Ti 6:20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:
1Ti 6:21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen

To desire, to seek, and to inquire of the Lord, are the things that protect us in our times of troubles!

What did Mary the sister to Martha do?

Luk 10:39 And she had a sister called Mary, “which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word”.

What was Martha doing that was wrong?

Luk 10:41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

The answer is to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear His Word and not concentrate on our worldly troubles!

Luk 10:42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, “which shall not be taken away from her”.

There is nothing more important than sitting at the feet of Jesus and hearing His words!

*****Psa 27:5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

In the time of David a pavilion was a large, richly decorated tent. The Tabernacle of Moses could be considered a pavilion by this standard.

BUT, the image David wants us to see is an image of God’s protection because of His presence.

Psa 31:20 Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

All those that who trust the Lord are safely housed in the Holy of Holies, where no sinful man can approach.

Heb 6:19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and “which entereth into that within the veil”;
Heb 6:20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

The world is a sea of iniquity. This is the place where the “Body of Christ” dwells at this time. Every believer is as a ship bound for the Heavenly port, with Christ Jesus as the pilot, and our hope as the anchor and that anchor of hope is firmly planted inside the veil of the Holy of Holies, the place where God dwells.

That rock is the Lord Jesus Christ!

1Co 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

How can we not praise Him?

*****Psa 27:6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

Let’s wrap our minds around what David is saying here.

David was king, he lived in royalty but David is not praying for the comforts of his royal palace.

David is not praying for the great feasts in the banquet hall.

David is praying for the joy of worship, the opportunity to sing praises in the House of God!

Even in America we see the freedom to worship come under attack more and more.

We see cities and even counties that change the laws to stop a new church from being built.

We see a government that seeks ways to close the doors of the existing places of worship.

We see churches close for lack of worship because the pulpits have grown cold.

There could come a day when we are like David and we and our own children will have this longing to worship and sing praises in the House of the Lord, because we are no longer able.

We certainly must be diligently seeking our Lord.

*****Psa 27:7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
Psa 27:8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.

In the last verse David was tuned to joy, music, and praises but now he is crying.

We live in a world where many who pray do not care if the Lord answers them. To be honest most do not have enough faith that God can help them through their troubles.

The answer to these prayers will never come, in fact it is sin to have doubt in the power of God!

Rom 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: “for whatsoever is not of faith is sin”.

If we do not have faith in answered prayer we cannot even be saved!

Act 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

If we have this faith enough to be saved, then we can expect an answer to our prayers.

David so dearly wanted God to answer his prayer and He will in His time and we already know that David’s prayer was answered.

Verse 8 plainly states that if we expect to hear from the Lord and then we do, we are then also expected to be obedient to what He says!

Jesus said this:

Joh 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

David knew it was God who sat him on the throne of Israel. If that was still God’s will, then the prayer of David would surely be answered.

God expected David to rule Israel according to the Word of God, this was the will of God for David’s life.

This is what God expects of every ruler!

God has a purpose for each of us. When we seek the face of God “according to the fulfillment of that purpose” then we will certainly get an answer to that prayer and it will always be a positive response.

As soon as the Holy Ghost led David to prayer, He was sincere in seeking the will of God.

God will never hide from us the things He has promised!

*****Psa 27:9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.

We can be sure that if the Lord commands us to seek Him, then He will not hide from us to make it impossible for us to meet Him in our prayer.

There is only one thing that increases the distance between us and our God.

Isa 59:1 Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
Isa 59:2 0 “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God”, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

David had been a witness to the time that King Saul had been set aside by the Lord.

David also knew he had not led a perfect life.

Truly we must always realize that we are unworthy of the mercy of God!

We should also realize that we would already be in Hell if not for the mercy of God!

If God saved us then He certainly has a plan for us and God will see that His plan moves forward and if we will be a part of God’s plan God will make sure this happens!

God uses human beings to get His will done on this Earth. God will never refuse the volunteer and God will never forsake His own children!

The Lord is truly the God of our salvation!

*****Psa 27:10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.

Even if our own families withdraw from us, the Lord will never forsake those that love Him!

Though our parents have protected us as long as they could, the Lord days are never ending.

There is no time while we are alive in this world that we are beyond the mercy of the Lord!

*****Psa 27:11 Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

The most important thing we should realize as the children of God is that we do not need instruction in our own ways because our way will always lead to failure.

We need instruction in the ways of God that can never fail!

What is the remedy for success?

2Pe 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2Pe 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pe 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
2Pe 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

You see, we not only need a map while we are on the path of righteousness, we also need a guide to assist us on our journey.

We have both in Jesus Christ!

Pro 15:19 The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.

The enemies of God will always try to hinder our walk with the Lord but we need to know the simplicity of Jesus Christ and remain in His ways!

*****Psa 27:12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.

We know from the Book of Job that Satan cannot just have his way with us. He needs God’s permission to do so!

Job 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
Job 1:9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
Job 1:10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

BUT, Satan will always have his eyes on each child of God. He knows our weaknesses. He knows our secret sins.

But Satan has no power over us without the divine permission of God!

When we are tempted God will supply the “Grace” needed to overcome Satan.

2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: “for my strength is made perfect in weakness”. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

When Satan cannot touch the individual saint of God, he will then use his followers to slander them.

Slander is that old fashioned weapon out of Satan’s arsenal.

No matter how well we walk by the Word of God there will always be some one who will find fault with us!

We can be sure that when Satan is attacking in this method it is because God will not allow him to make a personal attack on our being!

We can also be sure that all those that breath out cruelty will find themselves in Hell!

Those that persecute God’s people will find themselves under God’s persecution!

*****Psa 27:13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

Faintness of heart is a lack of faith!

BUT, Hope in the promises of God is the medicine for faintness of the heart.

2Co 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
2Co 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

When distress comes from the circumstances around us and we are about to fall to pieces, we need to remember we are “Born Again” and our new man within us is in a prosperous position.

Our souls are in good health. The more we cling to the Lord the more we will grow.

We must be patient. The Lord has not forgotten about us and He cannot!

*****Psa 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

We must wait in confident expectation!

Most every child of God is ready to go home to Heaven but not one of us want to see a member of our own family left behind.

This is exactly the way the Lord fills.

The Lord wants us all to be home with Him but He is patiently waiting until He knows that very last soul has been saved!

Jas 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
Jas 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

It will take a certain amount of courage to be in the Army of God!

If you are busy about the work of the Lord, it will sometimes be hard to be on the front lines day after day.

Patience is a part of maturing in our Christian walk with the Lord!

Jas 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Jas 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Jas 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

We must wait, I say, wait on the Lord!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

Are You Listening

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Hear The Word Of The Lord.

Psalms 19:1-14

We first learned that we must “trust” in the Lord.

Without “faith” it is impossible to please the Lord!

Last week we learned that we must “cry out” to the Lord.

Without “prayer” we cannot obtain deliverance by the Lord!

This week our theme is we must”hear” what God has to say to us.

We can never understand the foundations of our “faith” if we do not do these things.

What are the two sources of the truth of Jehovah the Living God.

1) God’s creation, the physical world we live in.

2) God’s, Holy Ghost Inspired Word, the Scriptures which also contain the way of eternal life in our new home.

God says:

Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
Rom 1:20 “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made”, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

There will be no excuses acceptable when we come face to face with the true and Living God!

*****Psa 19:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

Hear again we see another Psalm of David.

This is the Psalm of the two books given to us from God.

There is the Book of Nature, God’s created world, and there is the Book of Scriptures, the written Word of Truth.

The Book of Nature is not silent and speaks in every language known to man.

David spent many a day in the outdoors under the day time sky and under the night time sky.

Before David lived the life of a soldier, he was first a shepherd.

David realized the the heavens certainly do declare the glory of God.

And just as our Sun is never seen without it’s brightness, Our Father in Heaven is never seen without His Son!

Mal 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

The world we live in may cling to the theory of evolution but it is a fact that the heavens declare the glory of God.

God spoke the heavens into existence.

Gen 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
Gen 1:15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

There were signs established in the night time skies.

Job 38:31 Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?
Job 38:32 Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?
Job 38:33 Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?

There are also the phases of the Moon, the ever circling Comets, the glorious movement of Space itself.

Nature tells us that there is a God!

Isa 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.

Nature tells us that this God is a glorious God.

Nature tells us that this God is full of knowledge and power.

But Nature also tells us of the mercy of God, God’s Grace!

Notice David wrote “the heavens”. David was not just teaching us about the celestial bodies but also the air, the clouds, the rain, the wind, everything above the ground which all display the infinite power and wisdom of our Creator.

The word firmament is all the expanse of God’s creation that is above us.

God tells us that all these things we see in Nature should be speaking to us all the things that we cannot see, that there is a God!

Isa 40:22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

*****Psa 19:2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
Psa 19:3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.

Day after day the Sun rises just as the Lord has directed. Night after night we can see the wonders in the expanse of the night sky just as the Lord has directed.

There are no words that can explain the Lord’s creation, it speaks for itself.

What we see with our eyes is the great design of our Creator!

The existence of a creation implies the existence of a Creator!

The nature of our creation implies that our Creator was wise enough to plan it, powerful enough to make it happen and sincere enough to maintain it according to His own plans.

Many worry today with all the talk of “global warming” and the many other things that the evolutionists come up with but we have these assurances from God.

What did God tell Noah would happen after the flood?

Gen 8:22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night “shall not cease”.

We know that this promise will hold to be true until the “day of the Lord”, which will be the day the Lord will return to judge this world.

2Pe 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

It is our same Creator that makes this promise and the Lord will never break His promises.

Deu 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
Deu 7:10 And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.

This day of the Lord’s judgment will not seem as an accident to anyone, they will know it comes from the Lord because they will see Him face to face.

Just as our Creator promises to maintain His creation until the day of judgment, He also promises to repay those that have ignored what His creation teaches and what His written Word teaches.

The Lord will not be slack in His promises!

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

There is no place on Earth where God’s silent voice of creation cannot be heard with our eyes and our hearts!

The truth of God is plainly seen in His creation!

The theory of evolution is just that “a theory” punched full of lies!

Much of the world does not know the name of this wonderful Creator and that is the job God has given us to do once He saves us!

*****Psa 19:4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,

That “line” refers to God’s entire physical creation, everything in space and time.

Time is a measurement of change that takes place in what we call space.

While we have the ability to control our experience of the first three dimensions (height, width and depth), we do not seem to have the ability to navigate, manipulate or control our experience of time.

It is God that controls all these things!

These are the words that God’s creation should be speaking to us!

It is our Lord that is in control of His own creation!

Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

The glory of God’s creation is the standard by which all mankind is measured!

The Heavens declare the glory of God and by this measurement we all come up short!

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

In the midst of the night time sky, the Sun hides until it will marches out at daybreak.

*****Psa 19:5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.

To us it is the Sun that is the most glorious heavenly body because without the Sun there would be no life on Earth.

The glory of the Sun is seen in it’s rays of light.

The strength of the Sun is is felt in it’s warmth and reliability 365 days each year and every year for a little more than 6000 years.

The Sun is our source of light, which is the the source of life, and the source of fruitfulness and the prominent witness of life in God’s creation.

In this sense the Sun is a type of Christ who is the true light!

Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

The Lord Jesus is that “Bridegroom” who will be coming forth one day soon to claim His bride.

Because The Lord is truly the Son of Righteousness!

Heb 1:8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

*****Psa 19:6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

To understand Christ as the “Sun of righteousness”, we must consider the three main qualities of the sun.

Which
are light, warmth and gravitation.

From these things we get the Laws of Thermodynamics which states that energy can be changed from one form to another, but it cannot be created or destroyed.

The total amount of energy and matter in the universe remains constant, merely changing from one form to another.

It has been established scientifically that the sun’s gravitation holds the planets in their paths.

This is the force that holds the universe together. If gravitation could be turned off, the universe would come apart.

The righteousness of Christ is the gravitation that draws the spiritual universe together.

Many who reject the truth of the Bible use this verse as one of their proofs. They say the Sun cannot rotate around the Earth which is true.

BUT, Since all motion is relative motion, no one knows where the center of our universe is located nor can they.

We do know that our planetary system does truly revolve around our Sun and our own solar system is constantly in motion around the Milky Way which itself is in motion with respect to other galaxies.

The most scientific way to deal with motion is to assume a spot that is motionless!

We live on the only place, Earth, that can be treated as a reference point.

All surveyors, all navigators, and most astronomers use Earth as a reference point and this is what David did as he was influenced by the Holy Spirit!

All of us know the beauty of the Sunset but truly the most impressive is the Sunrise.

The Sun rises in the East and sets in the West and it has been like this since God first place the Sun in orbit.

Just as the Sun is the light of our world and brings light and heat.

Just as the Sun is the source of gravity that keeps our solar system in place.

So is the Lord Jesus Christ!

What the Sun is to our Earth, The Son of God is as the light of our world.

The Bible states that there is an actual circuit in the heavens for the entire Solar System.

Job 22:14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and “he walketh in the circuit of heaven”.

And it is the Sun that provides the energy for the things on this Earth.

The first law of thermodynamics teaches us that since the time of Creation the energy that was first created, remains constant, it just changes from one form to another.

The second law of thermodynamics teaches us if no energy enters or leaves the system, the potential energy of the state will always be less than that of the initial state.

When energy changes from one form to another the energy at the source will depreciate.

In other words when you run out of gas your car will not move until you get more gas but that energy from that gas just changed to another form as it powered your engine.

David also wrote that there is nothing that can be hidden from the heat of the Sun because the Sun is the source for all energy on our planet!

And therefore there is nothing that can be hidden from God who is the source of all things!

Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Since we know that God’s creation is an open book for the world to read let’s now see the written Word of God.

*****Psa 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
Psa 19:8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
Psa 19:9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
The physical world gives a mighty testimony to the existence of God and His power in creation but only His written Word can give testimony to the power of God in salvation!

God’s Word is perfect! God’s Word can convert the soul because it contains the saving truth!

At least 3800 times the Bible says “God said” or “thus saith the Lord”.

If the Word of God was not inspired it would have disappeared long ago.

If it’s God’s Word then it must be perfect because God is perfect!

The Scriptures are God’s witness to us of who He is, what He has said, what He has already done and what He will do!

It is God’s Word that will make us wise unto salvation and our salvation can only come through Jesus Christ.

Paul told a young Timothy:

2Ti 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, “which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus”.

It is also the Word of God that teaches us the principles of successful living!

Pro 8:33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.

Once we have felt the power of the Lord’s truth, we should demand the truth in our own lives!

The Word of God is the right medicine for the lost soul!

The Word of God is the right counselor for the best advice!

Once our soul has been converted God can then make us wise and this wisdom will cause us to rejoice.

**There are no errors in the Word of God!

Once our eyes are open to the truth we will see how truly foolish is the wisdom of this world.

**The fear of the Lord is clean.

We will never decay or deteriorate if we walk in the fear of the Lord. We have an eternal salvation!

We are made white by the “Blood of the Lamb”!

And no one need to explain the judgment of God, He explains that fully Himself.

God is just as righteous in His judgment as He is in His salvation!

Once we are saved God has sealed us with His Spirit and if we walk in His Spirit, we will live and learn the truth.

Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

When we have seen God in His creation, we should desire God’s plan in His Written Word.

*****Psa 19:10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

The way we treat the Bible also reflects the way we treat the Lord!

Wealth can be described as prosperity and external happiness but only by obeying the Word of God can true wealth be obtained!

There is a feeling of wealth when you have more than that person beside you but there will always be some one who has more than you do so your own feeling will fade.

Gold is the richest and most valuable of most all metals but Bible truth is truly the most valuable commodity on this Earth!

Many people base their wealth on the amount of Gold that they own but true wealth is found in the Word of God.

The entire Word of God is Holy Ghost inspired so Spiritual treasure is much more noble than any mere material wealth.

Men may speak of solid gold but nothing is more solid than the truth of God’s Word!

How can we obtain true wealth?

Deu 8:18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: “for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth”, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

It is God who gives humans the power and the ability to obtain wealth.

But where great pleasure is great instruction has been and that can only come from God’s Word.

Honey directly from the honeycomb has a sweetness that cannot be found in refined honey.

The Word of God is the purest of all words and and the sweetest of all words because they come directly from the Lord.

Gold must be refined, Honey must be processed but the Word of God does not need need man for either of these things!

To have an appetite for the Word of God is the sign of a healthy Christian.

But God’s Word has many more benefits than these.

*****Psa 19:11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.

Do we accept the warnings that are in the Word of God?

We should remember our study of the Book of James.

Jas 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, “to him it is sin”.

It is sin not to accept the warnings that God gives us!

The Bible warns us of our duties.

The Bible warns us of our danger.

Then Bible warns us to accept God’s remedy for all these things.

If we walk in the Spirit, we will live and learn from God’s truth and there will be rewards not only in Heaven but also while we remain here on this Earth.

Notice that there is no debt that can come from obeying the Word of God, there are only rewards.

Pro 13:13 Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.

Those that despise the Word of God will bring ruin upon themselves!

We should never forget these words:

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

**To deny the Word of God is to deny God!

**To obey the Word of God brings a guaranteed reward!

Pro 11:18 The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a “sure” reward.

That word “sure” means a reward is certain, that reward is guaranteed!

It is the Word of God that points out the sin in our lives.

*****Psa 19:12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.

How can we be so foolish to not realize our sins and confess them?

No one can be so blind to themselves without sooner or later having to pay a serious penalty for such blindness!

It is a fact that society has become so tolerant of sin that all those in the world just look the other way!

It is also a fact that those that sit in the judges seat are so full of sin themselves that they cannot properly judge and sentence those that come before them!

Sin creates a false standard by which we judge ourselves!

Why is the Word of God so rejected?

Because the more we know of God the more we will realize the wickedness of sin.

But even still there is only one sin that cannot be forgiven and that is the sin of rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ!

Joh 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
Joh 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Joh 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;

For us to understand our errors we must first know the Lord who only can forgive us our sin!

Only the One we sin against has the power to forgive us our sin!

And we must not be fooled there are no sins that can be hidden from the eyes of God.

And every sin will be judged by the standards of Jesus Christ and according to His “Gospel”.

Rom 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

*****Psa 19:13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.

Presumptuous means we know we live in the time of God’s “Grace” and we believe that we can go ahead with our sin believing that we can go to God afterwards for forgiveness.

This means we are arrogant enough to test God and this is a most terrible sin!

Paul wrote:

Rom 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

God forbids presumptuous sin!

Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Rebellion was and is Israel’s greatest sin for they know the commandments of God and still reject the prophecies that lead to Jesus Christ!

God provided a means of atonement for every sin under the Jewish law but one:

Num 15:29 Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them.
Num 15:30 But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; “and that soul shall be cut off from among his people”.
Num 15:31 Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.

Israel will learn this lesson during the 7 years of tribulation.

It is only then that those who repent will be innocent from that great transgression.

Those that presume such things in the time of “Grace” need to question their salvation and repent today.

Repenting is not just feeling sorrow and regret. True repenting is a complete change of mind and a change of ways!

Mat 21:28 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
Mat 21:29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.

Notice it was the one son who completely changed his mind and his direction that was said he repented.

Understanding the Word of God will lead us to our Redeemer.

*****Psa 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

The words of our mouth are mockery unless we have Holy Ghost conviction in our hearts!

But even then our prayer must be accepted!

That prayer can only be accepted when we are certain that the One we are praying to has the strength and power to answer than prayer and is truly our Redeemer!

To be redeemed is to be bought with a price!

We have been redeemed by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1Pe 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1Pe 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

Every redeemed child of God is very special to Him!

Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

We need to hear what God’s creation says but more important we need to hear what God wrote down for us!

If you are not peculiar by the worlds standards then you need to go back to the altar of God and repent!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

Cry Out To The Lord

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Cry To The Lord

Psalms 18

We should never forget that even the Psalms are the inspired Word of God.

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

So not only is this the praise of David but this Psalm should also be the praise of each of us that know the Lord Jesus as our personal Savior.

We know from our past studies that David was a sinner but he had a very personal relationship with the Lord just as we are to have.

We will never improve our walk with the Lord unless we get as close to Him as we possibly can!

God wants us to get close to Him!

Jas 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

How do we get closer to God?

First and foremost when God calls us by the Holy Ghost we must return God’s call!

Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Then we must do these other things:

**Then we must present ourselves in His house.
Those that say they do not have to go to church are not in agreement with the Word of God.

**Then we must walk in His ways.
Those that have one foot in the world and one foot in the church are wasting God’s time.

**Then we must obey His commands.
Those that think the Bible is a book of suggestions are in the wrong.

**Then we must humble ourselves in prayer.
Those that do not stay in daily contact with Our Father, through Jesus Christ, will have no power at all.

**Then we must exercise our faith toward Him!
Without faith we cannot please God.

BUT, we should never have the feeling that we must draw nigh to God before He will draw nigh to us because it is God that made the first move.

Eph 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and “hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us”;

If we say when did God do this thing?

Mar 15:37 And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
Mar 15:38 And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.

God sent His only begotten Son to pay our sin debt with His own death and this one thing opened the doorway to the throne room of God in Heaven.

David had found an even closer personal relationship with the Lord in his later days.

We need to begin our own personal relationship with God as soon as He calls!

Let’s begin:

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul:

*****18:1 And he said, I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.

And David said: “I love thee, O Lord”.

We must realize that human love is preceded and generated by the love of God!

God did not wait for us to make some feeble attempt to clean ourselves up before He decided to love us!

Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5 “Even when we were dead in sins”, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

God’s love is shown fully by His mercy and His amazing grace!

We should begin each day by saying “I love you Lord” because we would have no strength to begin our day without Him!

How should we express our love for God?

Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

This is a commandment and not a suggestion!

How does the Lord defend us in all our troubles in order to fulfill the purpose He has for each of us?

*****Psa 18:2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

In last weeks lesson we learn what the title LORD means.

These things are written about Jehovah, the self-existing, Eternal Living God!

**The Lord is our rock. It is the Lord who is my hiding place. The Lord is my cleft in the rock.

What did God tell Moses?

Exo 33:21 And the LORD said, Behold, “there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock”:

And who is this Rock?

Dan 2:34 Thou sawest till “that a stone was cut out without hands”, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.

This the same rock on which the Bride of Christ is founded.

Psa 118:22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

Eph 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, “Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone”;

Jesus Christ is our hiding place, our cleft in the rock.

**The Lord is our fortress. The Lord is our place of safety.

Pro 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

**The Lord is our deliverer. The Lord will deliver us our of all affliction, from all temptations, out of the hands of all our enemies, but more important the Lord will deliver us from a body of sin, eternal death, and His wrath that is soon coming.

It is the Lord who rescues our soul!

Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

**The Lord is our strength.

Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

**The Lord is our God. The Lord is all good things in One God!

God says that every Atheist is a fool.

Psa 14:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

The Atheist is a fool by his nature and having denied God he also becomes a fool in practice.

Pro 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

**The Lord is my buckler. A buckler is a portable shield.

Psa 91:4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

**The Lord is the horn of our salvation.

Luk 1:69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;

This “horn of salvation” is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.

**The Lord is our high tower. It is the Lord who can place us so far out of reach that no evil can touch us. He will do this on the day of the Rapture of the Church.

Rev 21:10 And “he carried me away in the spirit” to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

Rev 22:1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

But the Lord can be none of these things unless we do the first thing ourselves.

*****Psa 18:3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

To call is to cry for help. To call is to pray and to pray is to be in conversation with God. To be in conversation with the Lord is to believe that He has the answers we need and that first prayer should be about salvation.

Act 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Why, because it is the Lord who is worthy of our praise.

Rev 5:12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

How did our Lord suffer just to become worthy?

*****Psa 18:5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.
Psa 18:6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

We know that David suffered greatly at the hands of Saul but these things are about Our Lord.

What were these sorrows that encompassed our Savior?

Eph 4:9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

The Bible says that Our Savior tasted death for every believer.

Heb 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; “that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man”.

We know that the Lord Jesus suffered the death of His flesh.

But the Lord Jesus also suffered the (spiritual) death of His soul because for a very brief moment He was forsaken by the Father because he bore all our sin.

Mat 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Mat 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth

Just as Our Savior had victory over sin in the flesh.

He also had victory over death because after 3 days he arose.

Act 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

This was the reason our Messiah had to die. It was our sin that Our Savior bore on the cross that day!

Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, “nailing it to his cross”;
Col 2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

This was the reason God came down from Heaven, to take the sting of death away!

1Jn 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. “For this purpose” the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

It was our Savior who saw the sorrows of Hell for us. We will never see this place called Hell.

It was our Savior who escaped the snares of death that we could never have escaped from.

It is our Savior who teaches us by example that if we call upon the name of Lord we can be saved.

Peter said it like this:

Act 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

At the time these things were written these were all prophesy but they were all fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ.

As David described them, the fear of death is like an overwhelming flood.

Verses 7-15 gives us a vivid picture of the turmoil on this earth that is called the flood of Noah’s day.

*****Psa 18:7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.
Psa 18:8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
Psa 18:9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
Psa 18:10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
Psa 18:11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
Psa 18:12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
Psa 18:13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
Psa 18:14 Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
Psa 18:15 Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.

These verses give us a word picture of the convulsion of nature at the time of the flood.

But they also tell us many of these same things that happened when Our Lord arose from the death of the grave.

Just as Noah was delivered.

Just as David was delivered.

And because Lord Jesus Christ was delivered.

Then every believer will also be delivered!

*****Psa 18:16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.

Those same waters that brought death to the world of that day, raised up the Ark of Salvation.

Because the Lord ascended back to His throne in Heaven, He can now rescue everyone that calls on His name.

This is why we can “Cry Out To The Lord”.

Noah and his family were drawn out of deaths chilly waters.

Moses and Israel were drawn out of deaths chilly waters brought on by Pharaoh.

David said he was drawn out of deaths chilly waters brought on by Saul’s death grip.

Our Savior was also baptized in the chilly waters of agony and ascended back to His throne in Heaven.

Heb 5:7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
Heb 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

By His own blood He has redeemed all who believe because the Lord had victory over death, hell, and the grave!

*****Psa 18:17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.

David knew the joy of being delivered.

Just as David was delivered from Goliath, and from Saul, we have also been delivered from Satan’s power.

It would do us good to occasionally look back from where we came and remember that joy on the day that we were delivered from our sin.

Satan is our strong enemy and he is much too powerful for us to challenge alone but Satan’s hold on us was broken through the cross!

Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Heb 2:15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

*****Psa 18:18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.

Calamity is distress. The enemies of Jesus Christ are our enemies and the enemies of the church.

What did they do to the Lord Jesus?

They met Him, they laid hold on Him they insulted Him, they condemned Him, and they crucified Him.

But they could not “prevent Him” from fulfilling the will of God!

When David was greatly distressed, he encouraged himself in the Lord, his God!

Why should we do any different than David did?

Eph 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

*****Psa 18:19 He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

Just as God brought Joseph from the prison cell to be governor of Egypt and David from the caves of Adullam to throne of Israel, God will also bring us into a large place!

God does not just liberate us from the pangs of sin and stop at that point. Sin is Satan’s prison but the Lamb of God brings true freedom.

Joh 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, “ye shall be free indeed”.

Why? Because He delights in saving all those that love Him.

When we cry out to the Lord, He wants to do everything we ask of Him but we hold that power within our own selves.

We must be obedient to the things He says!

Our rewards come from doing things the right way!

*****Psa 18:20 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
Psa 18:21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
Psa 18:22 For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
Psa 18:23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
Psa 18:24 Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.

The Bible says it will be our righteousness if we observe to do all God’s commandments.

We must keep our hands clean.

We must walk by God’s standards.

We must study the Word of God.

We must abstain from even the appearance of doing evil.

We must realize that the Lord always has His eyes on us, not for punishment but always ready to give a reward for doing things right.

What is God’s rule of thumb for rewards?

*****Psa 18:25 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
Psa 18:26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.
Psa 18:27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.

God will render to everyone according to their own works!

*****Psa 18:28 For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.

Darkness is a place where evil goes to hide but evil can never hide from God.

Darkness is also seen as a curse, so death then is also in the land of darkness.

In the time of David many people would burn a lamp all through the night time because they dreaded a dark house.

But the Bible says it is the spirit of man that is God’s candle.

Pro 20:27 The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

The question is then are we a lighted candle burning for the Lord or are we in darkness?

We must have that light within ourselves.

It is the Lord Jesus who must light up our souls so that we can give light to others.

Do you have enough light in your candle to light the light of some one else’s candle?

We should ask ourselves this question and work on our walk with the Lord until we can be a shining light.

Those that reject the Word of God and look to this world for answers will forever be in outer darkness.

Isa 8:22 And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.

Jesus Christ is our only light in this dark world!

Joh 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Jesus Christ is the only light than can light our candle!

*****Psa 18:29 For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.

The reality of our world is that Satan has a large army of his followers. We should never under value the strength of the enemies of God.

There are many that look upon the death of Jesus Christ as some weakness on the part of God but we know that Christ Jesus rose through that occasion to be our place of strength.

Jesus did not die for Himself, He died for us. His sufferings were made short and He marched right through His enemies and our enemies.

Eph 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, “he led captivity captive”, and gave gifts unto men.

Satan shuts the sinner up into a deep ditch of sin and a high wall of immorality.

When Christ comes into our heart, He leaps over these walls and carries each one to safety.

Satan cannot overcome the plan of God because God’s plan is perfect.

*****Psa 18:30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
Psa 18:31 For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?
Psa 18:32 It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
Psa 18:33 He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places.

To the sinner God’s ways may not seem to be perfect.

And when we are suffering we sometimes forget the promises of God.

The roads in the wilderness of sin are always crooked!

Disappointment most always causes doubt!

The “Gospel” is sometimes a stumbling block to many that want more from this life but do not know how to achieve it.

But pain comes from this world when we refuse to accept the “perfect” Word of God.

The Bible has stood the test of time!

2Pe 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

There is no other God besides Jehovah the Tri-Une God no matter what the world tries to say!

The girdle in the time of David was a necessary part of clothing. It strengthened the loins, it kept the other garments close to the body, and it gave a place to tuck in the long robe when it was time to move quickly.

The strength of God is to our soul, what the girdle is to the body.

Isa 45:5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:

That girdle for the soul is the Lord Jesus Christ.

A hind is a female deer or a doe.

It is the Lord that gives us swiftness to avoid trouble but also strength, protection, and a firm footing in this world.

All our strength will come from the Lord if we accept His plan of salvation!

*****Psa 18:34 He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
Psa 18:35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
Psa 18:36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
Psa 18:37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
Psa 18:38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.
Psa 18:39 For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.
Psa 18:40 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.

God’s way is the perfect way and when our walk in this life is in step with the Lord Jesus Christ then He will make our walk perfect also.

We will be swift and sure footed when our path is slippery.

We will be strong in all our battles.

He will give us the shield of His Salvation.

But we must put on the whole armor of God because there should be no doubt that as Christians we are living in the war zone.

God will not always strive with the enemies of Jesus Christ!

*****Psa 18:41 They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.

Our prayers are such a great weapon in this world that even the wicked will try call out for help in desperation but to no avail.

The Bible says:

Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

It is a fact that bad men have called out to God to go against His own children but God will never answer that prayer!

Remember the story of Balaam?

When a sinner refuses to hear the Holy Spirit then God will refuse to hear when they cry out to Him.

Zec 7:13 Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts:

In fact God will laugh and mock at these request.

Pro 1:24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
Pro 1:25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
Pro 1:26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

*****Psa 18:42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.
Psa 18:43 Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.
Psa 18:44 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.
Psa 18:45 The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.

King David had defeated the enemies of Israel in such a way that they were powerless. God had subdued all his enemies under his feet.

This gives us the example of the Lord during the Millennial Kingdom. It is the Lord Jesus Christ who will sit on David’s Throne.

Psa 22:27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
Psa 22:28 For the kingdom is the LORD’S: and he is the governor among the nations.
Psa 22:29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.

Even Israel will worship King Jesus at this time.

But even during the 1000 years of the Millennial Kingdom will everyone willingly serve the Lord. There will also be some, such as strangers who are too afraid not to!

All nations must now serve Him because He will reign with a “rod of iron”.

Rev 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and “he shall rule them with a rod of iron”: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

*****Psa 18:46 The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
Psa 18:47 It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.
Psa 18:48 He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
Psa 18:49 Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.
Psa 18:50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.

We do not serve an inanimate, imaginary, or an old dying god. We serve the Living God!

Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of “the living God”.

The topics of our conversation should be about our own calling by God the Father.

The topics of our conversation must include the redemption by the Son of God.

The topics of our conversation must include the washing and regeneration by the Holy Spirit of God.

It is only the individual Christian that can know these things!

This must be the beginning of our testimony to others!

What is the Psalm we will all sing in Heaven?

Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,”

Vengeance is to never in our hands, vengeance belongs to the Lord!

It is the Lord Jesus Christ that has delivered us from all our enemies, especially Satan, the Devil.

Though this world we live in tries to stop our mouths from praising the Lord, we must sing out to our God whether they like it or not!

David wrote this Psalm, by the Holy Spirit, because he had been delivered.

If you know the Lord Jesus Christ as you Savior, then you have been delivered!

We should show our happiness in our singing of praises to the Lord!

We should have no problem crying out to the Lord!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

Trust In The Lord

/ Bobby Mayfield / 2 Comments

Trust In The Lord

Psalms 11:1-7

Today we will begin a 6 month study in the Book of Psalms.

Psalms are “praise hymns”.

In fact the Psalms were lyrical songs that were to be sung to a musical instruments.

The Book of Psalms serves as the songbook to Israel in their worship of God.

The Psalms are God’s Inspired Hymnbook!

In these “Inspired Songs” we will find the works of God.

We will find the wisdom of God along with the thoughts of God.

We will find the prophecies of God along with the prophecies of the Son of God, as a babe and of His return.

We will read the personal thoughts and the confessions of many of the writers such as King David.

We will even read where many requested to see God’s wrath upon His enemies and our enemies.

We have in the Book of the Psalms, songs from Moses and from many other writers such as David, Haggai, Ezra, Zechariah and there were others.

The Bible is a collection of many books written by 40 different writers across at least 3 continents over a period of more that 4000 years.

The one Book of Psalms is a collection of Spiritual Songs that span more than 1000 years.

All the books of the Bible have one thing in common, they will all lead you to Jesus Christ but also of importance they are all in harmony from the beginning of Genesis to the last written Word of God, in the Book of Revelation.

It is believed that it was Ezra who gathered all these songs into one book, which we call the Book of Psalms.

King David is known as the sweet psalmist of Israel because he wrote at least 73 of the Psalms in this book and by some estimates, many of the others.

The Book of Psalms is the largest book in the Bible and contains 2453 verses.

Psalms 119 is the longest book of the Bible with 176 verses.

Psalms 117 is the shortest book of the Bible with only 2 verses but is not short in importance:

Psa 117:1 O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.
Psa 117:2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.

Psalms 118:8 is the middle chapter in the Bible and the very middle of the Bible verse 8 clearly states the central them of the entire Bible.

Psa 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

It is far better to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ than to place your confidence in anything in this world!

There is no greater truth in the Bible than these words!

There is no created being that is greater than our self-existing Lord.

The New Testament is full of quotes from the Old Testament with 283 direct quotes but 116 of those quotes are from the Book of Psalms.

Jesus said we could not know everything about Him unless we included a study of the Book of Psalms.

Luk 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, “and in the psalms, concerning me”.

This Book of Psalms has been a great comfort to God’s people and this great book of the Bible still brings great comfort to those who read it today.

To many people this is their most favorite book of the Bible.

Even after we have spent 2 lesson quarters in the Psalms we will still have only touched parts of this book so we need to learn that word so often seen which is the word “Selah” which is seen 71 times in the Book of Psalms and means “stop and think on that”.

As we study the Psalms, “we need to stop and think on them and their message”!

We should also make note that the Psalms were sung accompanied by musical instruments.

1Ch 13:8 And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.

Musical instruments and singing have been a big part in the worship of the Lord for several thousand years. Worship is not to be dull and boring but full of spirit and praise, for we serve a Mighty God.

The style of music may vary from church to church but all music within the church should be to praise the Lord, touch the hearts of the believer, and uplift the worship service!

Gospel music by it’s title means to proclaim the “Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ”!

The church is never to be a place of entertainment, but only a place to worship God but still according to the scriptures.

Church music and church songs must be scriptural!

Our first lesson is titled “Trust In The Lord”.

What do we mean by the word “trust”? It can mean confidence. It can mean to care. It can mean to believe. It can mean depend on or to rely on.

The Bible teaches us to place our trust in the Lord because we simply cannot trust ourselves nor any other human being in our walk with the Lord Jesus.

Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Pro 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

There are only two ways to go through this life.

1) We go through life with God believing on things we cannot see.

2) Or, we go through life without God believing on the things of this world.

Most of those in this world will fail because they cannot see past the end of their own life span!

So lets begin:

*****Psa 11:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?

Throughout the Bible we are told that the chapters and verses were separated by ancient Bible scholars but that is not the case of the Psalms.

The verses themselves maybe have been labeled but the chapters are basically the individual songs of those that wrote them.

That phrase “to the chief musician” refers to the choir director or the music conductor.

We see that this was a Psalm of David and David wrote more than half of the Psalms, therefore we get this scripture.

2Sa 23:1 Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and “the sweet psalmist of Israel”, said,
2Sa 23:2 The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.

David was remembered for many things but God made sure for us to know that this mighty man of war who had shed much blood was also the “sweet psalmist of Israel”.

We next see the title LORD in all capitol letters.

There should be no doubt in our minds that it is the Lord who is our refuge at all times but especially in times of trouble!

When we see the title LORD in all capitol letters, the Bible is speaking of Jehovah, the Almighty God.

The Jews would write this title as YHWH or JHVH or with vowels added Yah-weh or Jehovah.

When we see the title Lord with just the first letter capitalized in the Bible it usually refers to Adonai or the Supreme Master.

When we this title written lord with all small letters it means someone with absolute control or a ruler over others such as slaves.

The Bible records that the Philistines had five such lordships.

The Palestinians along with many others still allow men to be lords over them in our day.

But many of the Jews even in our day hold the name Jehovah in such high regard they will not pronounce it aloud for fear of using God’s name in vain.

And just to throw this in, Allah is not Jehovah.

Allah is the god of the Muslim.

“Allah” comes from the Arabic word “elah”, which is any god or some thing that is worshiped.

This word (elah) can be made plural (gods), as in “aleha” and it can be male or female just as the word “god” in English can be “goddess.”

“Allah” comes from “elaha” but it needs more clarification and understanding.

Allah = Has no gender (not male and not female”He” is used only out of respect and dignity – not for gender)

**********(Jehovah is always male in gender, It is Our Father who is in Heaven)

Allah = Is always singular – Never plural *”We” is used only as the “Royal WE” just as in English for royalty.

*********(Jehovah is always plural and consist of Our Father who is God, The Holy Spirit who is God, The Son, The Lord Jesus Christ who is God, The Tri-Une God not three Gods but One God in three persons, Elohim)

Allah = Means “The Only One to be Worshipped”

*****(Jehovah is the True God who only deserves our worship)

There is a move by so called religious groups to convince the world that The Muslim, The Jew, And Christianity all worship the same God.

This is a lie of Satan.

There are many who will try to convince you that Allah and Jehovah are the same but that cannot be true because to the Christian, Jesus the Christ is LORD and the Living God.

The Muslim do not accept that there is a Son of God and they refuse the Godship of the Lord Jesus.

Jesus Christ is not Allah and Allah is not Jesus Christ!

The Jews are still blind(according to the Bible) to the fact of The Messiah, The Lord Jesus Christ.

Rom 11:8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

All others including the Muslim are blinded by Satan.

2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

The Bible is very specific on this issue!

1Jn 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, “and with his Son Jesus Christ”.

1Jn 2:22 Who is a liar but “he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ”? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
1Jn 2:23 Whosoever denieth the Son, “the same hath not the Father”: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

The Jew are still looking for the Messiah to come.

The Muslim are still looking for some messiah to come.

The Christian know the truth that the Messiah has come and He was Jesus the Christ!

We simply should not be deceived as there are many today trying to link Christianity, Jewish, and Muslim under one and the same God and this is simply a lie just as the Apostle John says it is.

We either trust all the Word of God or we trust none of it!

It is in the Lord Jesus Christ we must place our trust!

And it is this the only Lord who can and who will be with us in all our troubles just as He promises us!

Isa 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

And just as a fugitive runs for the hills, or a soldier seeks safety from the enemy, every child of God should seek the Lord as the place for protection!

The Lord is our only refuge!

When we know the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Savior there is no need to flee like a bird to some mountain to hide, we must flee to the LORD.

Psa 91:9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
Psa 91:10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

But evil will always be the enemy of God’s people.

*****Psa 11:2 For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.

The wicked of this world are always ready for action against the Children of God!

If you haven’t figured it out already, the world looks upon a righteous man or woman as someone to take advantage of!

They slander them with their bows in their hand.

Bows were a weapon of war in the time of David but this bow is referring to deceptive and destructive words.

Psa 57:4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, “whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword”.

That word “for” means because we trust in the Lord and not in the ways of evil men.

That word “privily” means “in darkness”. Our enemies will be treacherous in all their actions but they always try to hide behind the ways of the world.

That word “shoot” means they have no fear of God and are morally wrong. They are wicked to the core and they know what they are doing, they just refuse to see the truth of God.

The blindness of all those who remain lost will end in their own destruction.

Pro 4:19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

*****Psa 11:3 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

There are four obvious foundations that every human being can build onto which will guarantee the best possible life we can have.

1) There is the foundation of “faith”.

“Trust” in the Old Testament relates to “Faith” in the New Testament.

Rom 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

When we allow the foundation of “faith” to be destroyed, those that do right will loose hope.

We cannot please God without faith.

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

2) There is the foundation of “honesty”.

Honesty is conforming to justice. Remember the just shall live by “faith”.

Honesty is fairness, in all transactions, upright in all decisions and conforms to justice.

Rom 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
Rom 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

3) There is the foundation of “Moral Integrity”.

It is the laws of God that must be the basis for our morals.

We simply cannot allow the world to dictate the morals for society!

Integrity is wholeness!

Integrity is pureness!

Integrity is genuine!

Integrity is a sound mind, moral soundness, and incorruptible by God’s standards!

1Co 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
1Co 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
1Co 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

4) There is the foundation of “truth”.

Truth is conforming to the facts.

Truth is conforming to reality.

Truth is in accordance with that which is, that which has been, and that which shall be!

Jesus said:

Rev 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Jesus also said:

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

And Jesus said all these things are of God:

Joh 17:7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.

If your life is not what you want it to be, then you have weak foundations.

All four of the foundations we have discussed are things that each of us can do!

In fact these are things that we must do!

We can build a strong working faith in God by examining the evidence for His existence.

This wicked world continues to attack these foundations with worldly wisdom that is not from God.

The evidence of God begins with His Creation and God created all things by Jesus Christ!

Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

We already know that without “faith” we cannot please God.

The truth of Creation is recorded for us in the Book of Genesis. This is the foundation for the rest of the Word of God, and the faith and the practices of each Christian.

While the world keeps up the attack on God’s people, the ungodly world is trying to systematically destroy the truth of Creation by the “Design Of God”.

Evolution has dug it’s way deep into society and even as this false theory is defeated over and over again with the truth, the Evolutionists have gotten control of the education systems of this world and are teaching a false science that goes against the Word of God.

Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

If we allow these foundations to be destroyed within ourselves then it is certain there will be no place for the righteous!

But it is the Lord who sits on the throne in Heaven and will not allow this to happen.

*****Psa 11:4 The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD’S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.

Unless you are having that rare perfect day in your life, all you see around you are problems.

I don’t know if at any other time in history that the world seemed to have as many problems as we see today.

The one thing we cannot see in our world is the answer to these problems.

So where do we look? We Look Up!

When we have trusted the Lord, the place to look for answers is up because Our Lord sits in His Holy Temple.

The Bible teaches us with these words.

1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
1Ti 2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

From His position in Heaven, Our Mediator can see everything!

And this holy temple is the same place where the Lord went to prepare us a place.

Jesus said:

Joh 14:2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
This holy temple is none other than the Father’s House!

It is in the Father’s house where we find the throne of God.

Psa 103:19 The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

**It is Jehovah God who is the final authority of our world!

It is the Lord who is able to control all the events that are happening on this world!

When things happen on this world it is because the Lord has allowed them to happen.

The Lord Jesus is “omnipotent”! God is all powerful and can do anything that is consistent with His own nature. God will never go against His Own Word, but His Word will be fulfilled just as He states it!

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

**It is Jehovah God who has all knowledge. Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven in His glorified body so it is His eyes that can behold all things.

The Lord Jesus is “omnipresent”! God is everywhere present in All Power, in His totality at all times.

In His humanity Jesus is localized in Heaven but in His deity Jesus is present everywhere.

Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

**It is Jehovah God who can feel the things that we feel. It is His eyelids that try the children of men.

The Lord Jesus is “omniscient”! God knows all things that can happen and all things that will happen, past, present, or future.

Jesus knows whats in the heart of every man and the Lord will test each man’s faith.

*****Psa 11:5 The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.

Why would the Lord put trials on the ones He has saved?

The Lord tries each of us so He may do us good in the latter end.

God provides opportunities for us to show our faith!

Deu 8:16 Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, “to do thee good at thy latter end”;

1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

God goes beyond to furnish us with everything we need to survive this cruel world and along the way He will send some trouble so we can be fine tuned for the tasks that lie before us.

God never wants us to fail and we cannot fail in His eyes, we can only fail ourselves in our own eyes!

The trials of our faith are only temporary and even the worst of them will only last a short period of time.

But this is not so for the wicked!

This not so for those that love violence!

The wicked are all those that are morally wrong.

Those that love violence are all those that love to be cruel. These are all those that would be bullies!

The world is more full of bullies who would have things their way, than it is full of racist.

Our government is more full of bullies than it is racist!

As the Holy Ghost led David to write these things we get to see how God will deal with the wicked and violent people who reject the Word of God and have made themselves gods.

*****Psa 11:6 Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.

1) God will rain down fire and brimstone upon them.

Where do we find some examples?

Gen 19:24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
Gen 19:25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

Isa 30:33 For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.

Rev 9:17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.

2) There will be a terrible storm upon them.

Where do we find examples?

Psa 18:7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.

What is a Simoom?

This is a very hot, dry, suffocating and dust-laden wind that blasts across the African deserts, notably in Arabia, Syria, and neighboring countries generated by the extreme heat of the parched deserts or sandy plains. It can form into whirlwinds. It is one of the briefest winds and lasts only 20 minutes but can carry mounds of dust and sand that it has scooped from the desert floor. This is one of the winds that reshapes the desert and the sand dunes.

3) They will drink of the cup of God’s wrath.

Where do we find examples?

Psa 75:8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.

Rev 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

If we could a picture all these things happening at the same time we should know that the “day of the Lord” will not be a good day for all those that have rejected the Word of God.

But God has better plans for those who love Him.

*****Psa 11:7 For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.

C. H. Spurgeon wrote “Upon the roses of grace grow the thorns of justice”

Justice is God’s plum line!

If you walk on the wrong side of God’s plum line you will see judgment.

If you walk on the right side of God’s plum line you will have justice.

Isa 28:17 “Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet”: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

Our righteous Lord could not be righteous in “Justice” if He were not also righteous in “Judgment”!

The plum line that God uses is His Written Word He has given to us!

What does God have planned for those who choose the right side?

The righteous shall see the face of God!

For God to turn His face away is to reject us but to look upon us with delight is to receive His blessings!

Mat 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Mat 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Because Our Lord Jesus is also the Creator it is only He that has the absolute right to decide “Justice”.

Pro 29:26 Many seek the ruler’s favour; but every man’s judgment cometh from the LORD.
Pro 29:27 An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.

Jesus said we will all suffer persecution at some level.

Jesus said the world we live in will only grow worse not better.

We must see these threats for what they are and the only place to flee is the mountain of comfort which is the Lord Jesus Christ!

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ must be our foundation in this life!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!