Psalms

Praise Ye the Lord

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Let Heaven and Earth Praise the Lord

Book of Psalms Psalm 148

The phrase “praise ye the Lord” has been used twenty-five times and only in the Old Testament.

The phrase “praise Him” has been used twenty-two times and only in the Old Testament.

The phrase “praise the Lord” is used thirty-two times in the Old Testament except for one verse written by the Apostle Paul which says.

Rom_15:11  And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.

When we try to grasp the Greatness and the Glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, we find that it overwhelms us so much that, we wonder why He would even have thoughts of us.

Many people believe that He could have just set all His creations in order and then gone off to do godly things or created other people on another planet.

We know that He did not create any other people, and Adam and Eve did not look like they came from apes, nor did any of their descendants.

Evolution played no part in creating plants, animals, or people.

What puzzles evolutionists so much is that Adam possessed far more intelligence than the people of today.

We are getting dumber, not smarter, as time passes by.

I did not mean to chase that rabbit, but I believe the Holy Spirit led me.

This Psalm is known as the joy-song of creation.

This Psalm calls on all the things in the Heavens and Earth to praise our Lord Jesus our God.

Everyone from the lowest to the highest, no matter where they are located, is called on to Praise the Lord.

This is the God who made us and there are no other Gods! We are called upon to adore our Creator.

Scientist have spent their lives studying God’s creatures and many of those creations are so complicated in their structure, that they cannot figure them out this was God’s plan to show these doubters that there had to be a Maker, a Creator.

It is wicked men who have caused so many of God’s creatures to no longer be with us.

Most of the time, it is the goal to be rich that is destroying our planet, and all our government can do drive our nation into obscurity because it is afraid to go after the real polluters.

I do not believe this will change under our new President!

Fifty-seven companies cause eighty percent of pollution, and no one is speaking of changing their ways because of money.

That lasts twenty percent (us) no matter how hard we try can change the pollution of this world.

Those who make so much money off of pollution and those who accept bribes to be quiet about what they do are not going to change.

Another rabbit.

We just need to praise the Lord!

What is praise? The word praise comes from the Latin word “pretium” which is “price” or “value”.

True praise consists in a sincere acknowledgment of real conviction of worth.

How can we not praise Him?

Rev 4:11  Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. 

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.

We need to be honest in our praise of the Lord, He knows when we are not sincere.

These things are another battle for Him, and we are just to praise His Holy Name!

The Lord Jesus Christ will come to this world just in time to save it!

It is not because He cannot make all things new because He will, He will save this world because there are still people upon this world that can be saved.

We should know that as long as people are alive if they pray that sinner’s prayer in truth, they will be saved.

*****Psa 148:1  Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights. 

You can bet the cherubim and the seraphim; the angels all praise the Lord constantly.

We are certainly fools if we do not praise our Maker!

When we grasp the greatness, and the glory of the Lord, how can we not praise our Creator?

It can be said that we are created to praise the Lord!

There is no excuse for us to not adore our Savior!

All our praise must be directed at Jehovah, the “I AM” of the Old Testament, who in the flesh is the Lord Jesus Christ of the New Testament.

 “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living”

All of Heaven does certainly praise the Lord.

*****Psa 148:2  Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.

Not one of the Lord’s Creatures in Heaven is exempted from praising their Creator and their God.

Not even Gabriel nor Michael is exempt from praising the Lord of Host.

The angelic army will praise their Commander, who is the Lord of all the hosts of Heaven.

Let us just get real, every part of everything that was created by the Lord will praise Him!

*****Psa 148:3  Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.

Psa 148:4  Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. 

The Heaven of heavens is the home of the Lord.

The lower heaven is the place where the birds fly and where the clouds that hold the waters bring rain.

The middle heaven is the space where all the stars and all the planets are located.

There are only three heavens and if we look at the vast expanse of the second heaven we can just wonder how vast is the Heaven of heavens.

One thing is certain this Heaven of heavens cannot be reached by spacecraft!

It can only be reached by loving the Lord Jesus our Creator and believing in the work He has done for our salvation.

On the day of the Rapture, all those lifeless bodies in their graves will go to Heaven faster than any spacecraft.

All the places of God’s creation are commanded to praise the Lord.

Psa_33:9  For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

Most people have forgotten that all the Lord has to do is speak things into existence.

The world had better realize that all the Lord has to do is speak and this world can be destroyed.

Rev_1:16  And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

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.

Rev_19:21  And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

All these scriptures tell us of the power of God that He only has to speak things into existence, and he can also speak things into destruction.

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. 

Psa 33:7  He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. 

Psa 33:8  Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. 

Psa 33:9  For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. 

Psa 33:10  The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. 

Psa 33:11  The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. 

How could we ever believe that we can step into Heaven and not praise the Savior who freed us from the chains of sin?

I have news for you, we are saved to praise and worship our Maker among our other duties.

*****Psa 148:5  Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created. 

Psa 148:6  He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass. 

It is our creation that gives us a reason to praise our Creator.

For those who say it is then better to not be created, I can tell you that Heaven will be far greater than any place you have ever seen and you should want to go there for its beauty and where you can find the life that the Lord wanted us to have from the beginning.

What does God actually say:

Pro 8:32  Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. 

Pro 8:33  Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. 

Pro 8:34  Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. 

Pro 8:35  For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. 

Pro 8:36  But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death. 

The Lord is serious about all those who want to be with Him.

*****Psa 148:7  Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps: 

When we see this verse we need to accept as it is written.

Gen 1:21  And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 

Psa 104:26  There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.

All of the earth must praise the Lord.

All that is in the Seas must praise the Lord.

Psa 74:13  Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters. 

Psa 74:14  Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.

We know that there are places in the Oceans where there are depths that are deeper than the highest mountains that can be seen, these are those places that are called the “deeps”.

The deep is the deepest part of the Seas and these are the places where the largest animals in the Seas play out of sight most of the time from the people.

Some people are privileged to see them come to the surface on occasion.

Most people write them off as non-existent.

Psa 104:4  Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire: 

Psa 104:5  Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever. 

Psa 104:6  Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.

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. 

Psa 33:7  He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.

No one has been to the deepest seas so only God knows what lives in those places.

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.

Some things have been proved by mankind:

Pro 8:28  When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:

These are the same waters that burst forth in the days of the flood.

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. 

These waters returned to their place at the command of God.

Gen 8:3  And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. 

We know that the waters of the deep can be both constructive and also destructive.

These waters can also be a blessing.

Deu 8:7  For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; 

It is only the Lord God, the Living God that can control these waters of the great deep.

Psa 95:2  Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. 

Psa 95:3  For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. 

Psa 95:4  In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. 

Psa 95:5  The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. 

We are in the season of Thanksgiving now and we can see why we need to praise the Lord while offering Thanksgiving to Him.

*****Psa 148:8  Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word: 

Psa 148:9  Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars: 

Psa 148:10  Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl: 

Psa 148:11  Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: 

Psa 148:12  Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children: 

Psa 148:13  Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven. 

We humans are the most stubborn creations that God has made!

All the other of God’s creations will gladly praise Him.

They understand that He is the God of all creation.

In verse eight we see the Psalmist calls upon all of the natural elements of weather to praise the Lord.

All these elements can merge together at the command of the Lord.

There are “laws of nature” but they too are the creations of the Living God.

They will certainly do His bidding if He so chooses!

After the weather, the elements, all the elements of the earth will offer praise to the Lord.

Then all land animals, all the birds, and the insect world will offer praise to the Lord.

Then the most stubborn of all of them!

The various rulers of this world, all the people, the princes, those considered to be next in line to rule, and all the judges.

Then the young generation and the old generation are left behind, all these are called to praise the Lord.

Why should humans offer praise to the Lord?

1) The Lord Jesus Christ is the only true and Living God!

His glory is above all of His creation!

His name is above and greater than all universes and greater than the earth and the heavens.

Notice that all the universes and there are many, and many more unseen, but they have less value than the Earth and the people of Earth.

2) There is no one more powerful than our Lord!

Psa 148:14  He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD. 

In the New Testament, the Horn represents strength.

Luk 1:68  Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, 

Luk 1:69  And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; 

That exalted horn is the Lord Jesus Christ.

He is the praise of all His saints. These are not those saints chosen by the Catholic Church; these are all those who have accepted the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

These also include the children of Israel who in the last days will join the Church.

In other words, everything that God has created is to offer up praise to the Lord!

Those who have received the salvation gift of the Lord should be praising the Lord the loudest and the longest.

Just so we know, God’s most powerful creatures the Angels, long to understand salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.

1Pe 1:12  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. 

Only the saints of God can praise Him for His redeeming love, a love so great that He sacrificed His Son for us.

Rom 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 

Praise ye the Lord

Amen

The Promises God Makes

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Remembering the Promise to David

Book of Psalms: Psalm 132

This is another Psalm that was sung as the Israelites traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast’s days as commanded by God.

They had begun to remember the promises of God and it brought joy to them just as it does to each of us.

If we take a look into David’s past, we will see all the pains, the trouble, and anxiety he underwent in his lifetime for the cause of God, especially in the establishing a sanctuary in Jerusalem and making preparation for the building of the Temple.

David was building God’s special dwelling place on this Earth, a place where God would meet with His people.

If you do not have a longing to meet with God, then you cannot be a Christian!

You cannot be a Christian because the Holy Spirit will not come to live within you!

Every Christian is a sanctuary for God to dwell in!

If we look at the very first word of this Psalm, we see the word LORD, this is the Almighty God Himself, Jehovah.

David had accomplished what no lowly shepherd could accomplish.

Except we do know of another man who was a shepherd who came to save His people and His name is Jesus the Christ, the Messiah.

We know that special days are set aside to honor special people and some of the heroes of our nation.

In fact, almost every nation has set days to remember their national heroes.

For the Israelites, David was a hero and in fact, David is still honored as one of the Jews greatest heroes.

The Star of David is the national flag of Israel today.

The “Sling of David” is the name of one of the air defense systems of Israel.

This Psalm was probably written for the dedication of the Temple built by Solomon.

We know that David had spent many years gathering the wealth to build a magnificent Home for God, when He would come to visit this planet, but we know that God is everywhere, and He even abides in every “Born Again” child of God.

He lives in every person who has their name written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

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.

Rev 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

David was now dead and gone, we know He is with the Lord, but the Jews had a great fondness for King David.

By remembering the hardships David faced before he was made king, it inspired the Jews to face their own hardships!

It has never been easy to live in this world since the sin of Adam, and it is not always easy to be a Christian.

We do still live in a cursed world!

The word cursed is used seventy-two times in the Bible.

We know that the Serpent who was Satan is cursed:

Gen_3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

Gen_3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

If you look up the word cursed in the Bible, you will see that many of our leaders of today are cursed by their actions.

Deu_27:25 Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen.

We know we have been sold out by our leaders for riches, they will never spend.

We know that every doctor who is paid to end the life of an innocent baby is also cursed.

God has also placed a curse on all those who reject any part of the Scriptures:

Deu_27:26 Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.

And to all those so-called churches that have left the truth of the Bible, God says:

Jer_11:3 And say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant,
Jer_17:5 Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.

God is very serious about the words He has given us to live by.

Let’s begin.

*Psa 132:1 A Song of degrees. LORD, remember David, and all his afflictions:
Psa 132:2 How he sware unto the LORD, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob;
Psa 132:3 Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed;
Psa 132:4 I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids,
Psa 132:5 Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.

The Psalmist who wrote this Psalm reminded the Lord how David was devoted to Him.

We all say these things such as, “Lord remember me”.

The truth is that God only forgets when He decides to forget.

His memory is perfect!

He has forgotten our sins, and it is He that said we are covered by the blood of Jesus that has washed away our sins.

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,

We know that King David had made a vow to find a place for the Almighty God to dwell in Jerusalem.

David was determined that He was going to build a House for God for God to dwell in Jerusalem.

This was David’s vow.

David had endured much suffering at the hands of Saul.
David had endured much suffering in finding a neutral place to worship God.
David had not yet taken Jerusalem from the Jebusites so, this too had to be done.
David had to transport the “Ark of the Congregation “ to this new House of God, but it was not in his hands at this time.
David had to also defend Jerusalem from the attacks of the Philistines two times, while all these other things were going on.

These things may have hindered David in completing his vow to God, but it did not stop Him.

In fact, David said; I’m not going to rest until I build a House for the Lord.

David said it was not right that he was living in a beautiful palace and worshiping God in a tent.

We can see that David’s devotion to God provides a worthy example for us to follow.

Many missionaries today have this same vision as David, to build a house for the worship of our God.

I believe Nathan had this vision and I believe Scott David had this vision.

These were church planters as David wanted to be.

*Psa 132:6 Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood.
Psa 132:7 We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool.
Psa 132:8 Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength.
Psa 132:9 Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy.
Psa 132:10 For thy servant David’s sake turn not away the face of thine anointed.

Though this Scripture is hard to understand, what we do know is that David found the Ark of the Covenant and moved it to Jerusalem where it would remain until 70 AD when Titus destroyed Jerusalem.

At this time nobody really knows the whereabouts of the Ark!

These people recalled the passion of David to obtain the Ark and bring it to Jerusalem where he intended to build a House for God.

The Ark had been gone so long that many people had forgotten about it.

It was David who had to remind the people:

1Ch 13:2 And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and that it be of the LORD our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren every where, that are left in all the land of Israel, and with them also to the priests and Levites which are in their cities and suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us:
1Ch 13:3 And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul.
1Ch 13:4 And all the congregation said that they would do so: for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

The people thought the Ark was in Ephratah, but Bethlehem and Kirjath-Jearim were both known as Bethlehem at this time.

There is the city of Bethlehem but there is also the region which was called Bethlehem.

It was Bethlehem Ephratah that provided the sheep for the Temple.

Rth 4:11 And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:

Mic 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Kirjath-Jearim would be the place that was in the woods!

We know that David failed the in his first attempt to retrieve the Ark, but he succeeded when He retrieved it according to the Word of God.

We will always fail if we do not do things according to the proven ways of God!

It is easy to see how this Scripture can be applied to the Lord Jesus Christ.

If King David did not have the zeal for the Lord that he had, we do not know if anyone would have remembered the Ark of God.

David challenged the people to get back to the worship of Jehovah God.

David referred to the Ark as the Lord’s footstool.

1Ch 28:2 Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: As for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building:
1Ch 28:3 But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood.

Psa 99:5 Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.

The world knows nothing about the Holiness of God and many in the Church have also.

Rom 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

David built a tent for the Ark of the Covenant, but he must have also built a place where the people could gather to worship though many of them and the priests still went to the Tabernacle that was in Gibeon, but did not have the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy Place.

The reality of these things is that God will sit on the throne of David in Jerusalem.

1) The Ark is not only a symbol of God’s presence, but it is also a symbol of God’s power!

2) The priests that serve the Lord will be godly servants and agents of righteousness!

3) The saints of God will be a happy people.

4) God would not reject David’s anointed successor. Solomon would be the next king, but these things also make reference to God’s truly anointed which is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Today we worship together in a building set up for worship.

It is the people that are the Church.

The building or the place that we worship is just that, a building or a place.

We should never defile our bodies with the sins of the flesh.

We must obey the commands of God which say we are to separate ourselves from all unrighteousness and ungodliness.

2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Today, God is still searching for people like David who love to worship Him.

Joh 4:21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
Joh 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

We must be wholly devoted to the Lord!

Next we will see some of the promises made to David.

*Psa 132:11 The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.
Psa 132:12 If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore.

There is no greater promise of the Lord Jesus Christ than this.

This verse points to the Messiah and His Kingdom!

Psa 89:3 I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,
Psa 89:4 Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.

Psa 89:35 Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.

2Sa 7:28 And now, O Lord GOD, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:
2Sa 7:29 Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken it: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.

The thing we know is true is, that a descendant of David will occupy the throne in Jerusalem.

That throne is the government, and that government will be located in Jerusalem and the Messiah will rule the world from Jerusalem.

There were some conditions to be met for each descendant of David.

We should clearly understand that our unfaithfulness cannot defeat God’s purpose and neither could those sons of David who rejected the truth of God.

We know that God will keep His oaths, and He expects us to keep ours!

It is Jehovah God who chose Jerusalem when He could have chosen anywhere.

King Jesus will rule from Jerusalem.

*Psa 132:13 For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.
Psa 132:14 This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.

We know that some of the descendants of David turned from God and He had to discipline them.

The Israelites would be singing this Psalm as they traveled toward Jerusalem.

We know for a time there was no son of David sitting on the throne in Jerusalem, the fulfillment of the promises had been interrupted and it will stay that way until King Jesus takes control of the governments that remain in this world from Jerusalem.

God’s promise will be fulfilled, and the world is moving toward that moment when the Messiah will return.

The promise will be fulfilled in two stages:

1) Jesus Christ returns and rules the entire earth from Jerusalem for one thousand years.

Jer 3:17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.

2) When Christ Jesus takes us to New Jerusalem and reigns from there forever and ever.

Rev 22:3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
Rev 22:4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

God promises to provide abundantly for those who are now His people.

*Psa 132:15 I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread.
Psa 132:16 I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.

I believe this speaks of the point when the Jews will join the Church.

God will provide any and all needs to His children.

The poor will not lack food and necessities as they had on Earth. These are material needs.

Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Then God will supply their Spiritual needs.

In verse nine we see that it was a prayer that asked the Lord for the priests be clothed in righteousness.

Psa 132:9 Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy.

We see in verse sixteen that God has answered that prayer.

I still believe that this is the Jews as they have now joined the Church, and all the saints will shout with joy for the Church is now complete and the Bride of Christ can join with the Bridegroom.

*Psa 132:17 There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed.
Psa 132:18 His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish.

The Lord promised to make the horn of David to sprout.

To sprout means to bud to spring forth and grow.

The “horn” is a symbol of power.

This phrase means that a powerful ruler will come forth from the line of David and this ruler will fulfill all the promises made to David.

He will be a lamp or a light to all the world!

The “lamp” and that “horn” mean the Messiah.

1) Zec 6:13 Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

2) Jer 33:15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.

3) Isa 49:6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

Zacharias the father of John the Baptist said:

Luk 1:69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David.

Luk 1:79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

We know what is going on in Israel today is turbulent times for them.

We need to remember these promises of God to David, and they will be fulfilled.

As far as the Church, we need to pray for the peace of Jerusalem which will take place at the return of Jesus Christ.

We know that the conclusion of God’s plan may be nearing its end, and we will live forever in the presence of the Mighty God!

All evilness and wickedness will be gone, and we will finally be at peace on New Earth and the New Jerusalem.

Amen

Being Obedient to God

/ Bobby Mayfield / 1 Comment

Coming to the House of the Lord
 
Book of Psalms 122 Verses 1-9
 
 Up until October 7, 2023, when Israel’s war began, millions of people traveled to Israel, most of them were Christians.
 
Some few go now but not many.
 
Most Christians are headed to Jerusalem because everyone knows Jerusalem is special.
 
Some people say “It just feels like home” even though they had never been there before.
 
We know that our Messiah walked all over Israel, but He was crucified at Jerusalem.
 
As Christians, we know that our spiritual roots extend to Jerusalem!
 
We will spend a thousand years in Jerusalem serving the Lord, but we will spend eternity in New Jerusalem.
 
The redeemed of all the ages who will walk through those pearly gates of New Jerusalem to bask in the glorious presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
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.
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.
Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
 
One day that trumpet will sound, and we will hear and heed the call to worship in God’s true House.
 
Let us listen to these clear instructions to all believers.
 
Psa 122:1 A Song of degrees of David. I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.
 
We know that David rejoiced to go to the house of the Lord!
 
There was no Temple yet in Jerusalem, but David had built a Tabernacle in which the Ark of the Covenant was placed.
 
2Sa_6:17 And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
 
David was a man after God’s own heart.
 
David loved to be in the presence of God.
 
We know the Lord had chosen to put His name in Jerusalem many years before this.
 
Deu 12:11 Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the LORD:
 
Every Christian should have a great desire to go to the House of God and even go more often because of the things we see today going on in Israel.
 
Israel is God’s timepiece!
 
So, let us see if this phrase could have another meaning.
 
It could be describing to us the restoration of Israel when the Lord returns to restore this Earth as it was in the day of Adam.
 
Amo 9:11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:
Amo 9:12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.
 
The phrase “that day” points toward the future.
 
In fact, it is probably referring to the time when the Lord Jesus will restore Israel as it was in the days of King David.
 
This means all the land God gave to Abraham.
 
So let us see which way the Scriptures go.
 
The Israelite men had to go to the Temple three times a year according to the Law of Moses.
 
For believers today, we should be in God’s House every time the doors are open to Praise our Savior!
 
We should know how to act in God’s House!
 
1Ti 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
 
We should go to God’s House often and know that it is a command of God.
 
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.
 
Those who do not go to God’s House often are sinning against the Word of God!
 
We ought to rejoice when the appointed time comes to go to God’s House.
 
The Jewish feasts were special times, the highlights of the year and they celebrated the opportunity to go to God’s House.
 
I live in the Bible Belt and when I meet people on the street and ask them about Church most of them will claim to be saved, but they do not attend church regularly.
 
Many others go to church, but it seems to be a dreadful duty to them. They just as well stay home!
 
It should be a joyous occasion every time we go and hear what God has to say!
 
We must make being at church to be joyful, but it cannot be that way unless we love the Lord.
 
He is always at church to worship with us and even the Holy Spirit is always there because He lives within us.
 
Heb_13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
 
God has a purpose for everything He does.
 
What was God’s purpose for the founding of Jerusalem?
 
Psa 122:2 Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.
Psa 122:3 Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:
Psa 122:4 Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD.
Psa 122:5 For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.
 
***The most important reason for going to Jerusalem was the fact that God had chosen Jerusalem as the place where He would establish His name!
 
Deu 12:5 But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come:
Deu 12:6 And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks:
Deu 12:7 And there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee.
 
Psa 87:2 The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Psa 87:3 Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.
 
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,
Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
 
There should be no doubt that God loves Jerusalem!
 
We can also understand that Jerusalem is a picture of the New Jerusalem, but we will not know the full picture of this until the Lord Jesus sits on the throne of David in Jerusalem.
 
We could also say until the Lord Jesus sits upon the throne of David to rule this world.
 
God will dwell among His people in the New Jerusalem!
 
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.
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.
Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
 
***There is a second reason:
 
Jerusalem had strong, closely guarded walls.
 
Jerusalem was a secure city.
 
2Sa 5:9 So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.
 
Most people felt safe when they were inside the walls of Jerusalem.
 
***There is yet a third reason.
 
The walls of Jerusalem were solid walls.
 
Jerusalem was without a doubt the City of God!
 
Psa 48:8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah.
 
This same God Jehovah is the same God today, still full of power and majesty.
 
Psa 48:14 For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.
 
When the gates of the city came into view of God’s children, they knew they were almost home!
 
Israel was a nation of tribes, and they were all essentially one family. Their leaders were each the sons of Jacob who became Israel. They may have forgotten that for a while, but they are bound to remember when it becomes time to choose the world or time to choose God’s family.
 
***There is a fourth reason.
 
As a nation of tribes who had a common ancestor, then they needed a place to gather in the name of God.
 
Each tribe may operate independently but they could come together in unity because they all had the same God!
 
When they gathered together for the feast to give thanks to the Lord they obeyed the testimony of Israel, the laws that God had given to them.
 
Exo 23:14 Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.
Exo 23:15 Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)
Exo 23:16 And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.
Exo 23:17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.
 
There is a great feeling of relief that comes from knowing that you have been obedient to the Almighty Living God.
 
Jerusalem was the appointed worship center where they came in unity.
 
God ordained this physical location on our planet for Israel to gather to worship Him.
 
The world may refuse to acknowledge this, but it does not make it any less true.
 
Anyone, anyone who tries to alter this ordination of God deserves the punishment that God will place on them!
 
***A fifth reason also comes to us.
 
Jerusalem was also Israel’s political center, much like Washington DC is the political center of the United States of America.
 
We could say the United Tribes of Israel, and this is who they are when they are obedient to God!
 
In Jerusalem was the location of the Throne of Judgment.
 
One of the King’s most important duties was to render judgment and execute justice.
 
The thrones of the house of David would extend until it will be the Lord Jesus Christ, King Jesus, who will sit upon that throne in Jerusalem.
 
2Sa 7:13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
 
2Sa 7:16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
2Sa 7:17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
 
The Jerusalem of old is a picture of New Jerusalem to come in many ways.
 
When the Apostle John was on the Isle of Patmos, the Lord Jesus showed him the New Jerusalem.
 
John reported what he saw.
 
Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
 
God’s people will rejoice in New Jerusalem, and all the painful things of this life will have passed away.
 
Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
 
This new city will be full of God’s Glory.
 
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 21:11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
 
We will all be secure within the walls of New Jerusalem.
 
Rev 21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
Rev 21:13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
Rev 21:14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
 
All God’s people from every nation and every tribe will come together in New Jerusalem.
 
Rev 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Rev 21:24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
 
We see that God has a plan and those who are against Him cannot stop it!
 
The greatest privilege after salvation is the privilege to stand in God’s House in New Jerusalem!
 
There will be a gathering of family members who have gone on before us and those who will come after us.
The Word of God will be exalted because we will understand the things that God has done.
We will praise God like never before because we will truly have the mind of Christ.
We will understand that we are safe and secure throughout all eternity.
 
Today, especially because of what we see and what we know, we need to pray earnestly for the peace of Jerusalem.
 
*****Psa 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
Psa 122:7 Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.
Psa 122:8 For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.
Psa 122:9 Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.
 
If you are a Christian, you will love Jerusalem.
If you are a Christian, you will be on the side of Israel.
If you are a Christian, you will pray for the peace of Jerusalem and all of Israel.
 
To the Eastern part of the world, Jerusalem is called the Holy City and it is.
 
The Apostle Matthew used this phrase in Scripture and so did the Apostle John.
 
Mat_4:5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
 
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.
 
Nehemiah, Isaiah, and Daniel used this phrase in the Old Testament all speaking of the same Jerusalem.
 
Shalom is living happy, untroubled, with a sense of fulfillment.
 
Shalom and its related words are among the most important theological words in the Old Testament.
 
Jerusalem has not seen peace throughout the Bible.
 
The closest this city of God came to peace was in the time of King David, but Jerusalem will finally see peace in the time of King Jesus.
 
David prayed for peace in Jerusalem asking for peace inside the walls of his city.
 
David was praying that God would bless the leaders of Israel and would protect them from the wickedness of this world.
 
How many of us pray such prayers?
 
David prayed for the peace of Jerusalem for the sake of his family friends and those of all of Israel.
 
We should remember that King David was responsible for the peace of Jerusalem in his day.
 
It is one thing to look out for your own self and that of your family, but it takes a lot more to look out for each individual in an entire city.
 
David next prayed for peace in God’s House.
 
If we consider all denominations to be the Church today, we can certainly see that there is no peace in God’s House.
 
We may brag about the church that we attend, but the truth is many denominations are throwing the Bible away and listening to what the world has to say rather than what God has to say.
 
The Pope the leader of the Catholic Church is one way today and another way tomorrow.
 
The Wesleyans have thrown out the truth of the Gospel.
 
The Methodists have forgotten the methods of truth.
 
The Protestant church has forgotten about those who protested for the truth.
 
The Southern Baptists have left the truth for lies.
 
We could go on and on, but the truth is God’s House is not at peace and the church is no longer holding back the evilness and the wickedness in this world.
 
We know that Israel is at war, so we surely know we need to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and all of Israel as the world turns its back on reality.
 
The fact remains there will be no peace in Jerusalem until the return of Christ!
There will be no peace in the Church until the Lord Jesus returns to separate the wheat from the tares!
There will be no peace in this world until King Jesus speaks with that sword in His mouth and brings an end to the time of Satan!
 
Today the Temple of Jerusalem lies in ruins part of it under the Muslim Dome of the Rock.
 
The Jews have to pray at what is called the Wailing Wall most of them have never been able to even go upon the Temple Mount.
 
Even so-called Christian sects in Jerusalem haggle over shrines and the Arabs and Jews are at each other’s throats.
 
The world refuses to recognize that land belongs to the Jews because God gave it to them and God is going to give it back to them.
 
Those nations that surround God’s people trying to rid this world of them will find that the shoe is on the other foot at the appearance of King Jesus.
 
The fact is that the Arab nations will almost destroy this world just to annihilate all the Jews, but King Jesus will settle this issue forever before this happens.
 
We can be with Him, or we can burn in Hell with all other unbelievers.
 
I choose the Lord!
 
Amen

A Psalm of Thanksgiving

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

David’s Psalm of Thanksgiving

Book of 2 Samuel Chapter 22

The Book of Psalms is one of the most beloved books of Scripture in the Bible!

The Book of Psalms is actually the Song Book of Israel.

Although there may be many writers of these songs, it is believed that King David wrote as the hand of God at least two thirds of all the Psalms (songs).

We can also see the hand of the Holy Spirit in every Psalm and David takes no credit for Himself!

It was the Bible translators who penned David’s name to the many psalms that he wrote.

In this song, we see David acknowledge what Jehovah had been to him, and it is important that we see the hand of the Lord in our own lives.

If we take a good look at our lives, we can see the hand of God working in our lives.

David recognized that it was Jehovah who had delivered him all his days.

I can also tell you that it was Jehovah who delivered me through the many dangers in my own life.

No doubt most all of us that know the Lord Jesus as our Savior also know He has been our Deliverer, all of our days.

When we can understand this thing, we can know that the Lord has always had a purpose for us and the reason He has kept us alive.

Without having purpose then, what is life all about?

Most of us realize that we have faced many enemies in our lifetime, and would not have escaped them without the hand of the Lord being upon us.

Most of us know that it is Satan, the Devil who has been our true enemy all of our life, but only after we came to know the Lord Jesus Christ did, we did we learn of the wiles of the Devil.

Eph_6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

It is believed that this Psalm was written before David became King of Israel, when King Saul was trying to kill him.

If Saul had killed David, then the plan of God would not be credible and the Bible would have been just another useless book!

Once David was delivered from the hands of King Saul, David became King of Israel and this deliverance was by God’s hands and not David’s hands.

*2Sa 22:1 And David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:
2Sa 22:2 And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
2Sa 22:3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.

As we read the story of David in the Bible, we must realize that David was acting with a Higher Power more than most others in the Old Testament, even Moses and Abraham.

The thing about songs is that, if they are not enjoyed or they do not cause some movement by the Holy Spirit then, they should be put aside for some other song.

The fact that more than two thirds of the Psalms of David have remained in the Word of God, have proven that they were songs that encouraged those who trusted Jehovah for their own deliverance.

It is the Holy Spirit that caused their remembrance and their prominence in the Word of God!

Many of us here today have found great comfort in reading the Book of Psalms.

Almost every Christian you meet has a favorite Psalm.

If the Lord Jesus is not your Rock, and not your Fortress, or not your Deliverer, then you are not saved!

David was a warrior and probably fought more battles for the right of the nation of Israel to exist, than any other person then and now!

There would be no nation of Israel if God had not used King David to secure their existence in that day!

The Israelites know this and this is why they love King David so much!

It was King David that established Jerusalem as the capitol city of Israel.

It was king David that bought the land where the Dome of the Rock sits illegally.

It was King David that bought all the land of the Temple Mount.

It was King David that set this land apart to be given for the worship and praise for Jehovah, the One True Living God.

It was David that designated that first Temple to be a house of prayer, through his son Solomon.

Why is the Lord our Rock?

Deu 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

As we know these things are all true, why would we not call upon the Lord in our hour of need or at any time we just want to talk to Him.

It is by the Lord Jesus Christ that we can sit down in the throne room of our God and just have a personal conversation with Him.

*2Sa 22:4 I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

We see that David knew that the ears of our Savior are always open for those who love Him!

Most of our lives we find that the enemies of this life are too fierce and too powerful so that no man can help us, but God can.

These things are more prevalent today than they were in the time of King David, and we need to stay as close to the Lord as possible and the Lord Jesus knew this when He ripped the veil of the Holy of Holies into, so that we can go straight to God without going through some priest.

Every child of God has also become a priest for themselves and their families.

Rev_5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

Talking to a true priest of God is good, but talking to our Creator is much better!

Sometimes we need both our Heavenly Priest and our Comforter, to feel true comfort!

Our pastors can only help us if he too is a man called of God!

It is only the Lord God Almighty who can save us from our enemies!

1Pe 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

Snuggle up to Jesus and He will know what we are going through!

Isa 65:24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

It is only the Lord who can save us from our enemies!

It seems like today we are walking through that valley of death constantly.

*2Sa 22:5 When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid;
2Sa 22:6 The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me;
2Sa 22:7 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.

As we know, in a war, we could face an overwhelming enemy and I believe many in America are beginning to feel this way.

This is something we have never had to worry about since the time of our wars with England when our nation first became independent of foreign rule.

With the government we have today and the way our taxes are being spent, we may not be that dominating force in this world that we once were, and this is hard to say, but it may be the truth.

The modernization of our military forces seems to have stopped and the many other things that were a deterrent, which have worked for us for ages, may have aged out of beneficial use.

No one in this government we have today seems to care!

The Democrats are all in step for destruction of America!

The Republicans argue with each other and nothing can be accomplished.

The swamp keeps growing in full power.

We need to get rid of the whole bunch and start with fresh blood.

Washington ruins the lives of good people because corruption reaps corruption!

Most of us feel this way because “the floods of ungodly men have made us afraid”!

Most of us cannot trust many of the medicines that are created for us, and as we have found out, no one can find a cure for this man-made thing called COVID that has been intentionally released into our world.

Stupid governments are still working on plagues that can render armies useless and bombs that can destroy nations.

There certainly have been waves of death, which have compassed us in the last few years and are continuing.

Our true enemies are all those ungodly men who actually run our nation today, who hide in the dark corners of our nation!

The perils that we have been exposed to for the last several years can be described as waves of death.

Listen to Jonah: Jon 2:2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

No one is really working on “waves of life” except the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Giver of Life!

We have only one hope for our world and He is the Lord Jesus Christ, who has already decided that we need a brand-new world that will only be available to those who love Him!

According to the Words of Jesus we do not have the ability to save our planet.

Rev_21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

David was describing a hopeless situation for him and his nation like many of us are thinking today about America.

We know that the Lord Jesus Christ is the answer and He will always be the answer and the only answer!

Distress can be described as extreme pain, or the anguish of mind and body, to suffer greatly, harassment, or misfortune.

To David, it was probably the anguish of mind and body because he did not know when Saul would find him or one of his spies and kill him.

We see, we must place our trust in the Lord and keep doing what He tells us to do and He will direct our paths!

*2Sa 22:18 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.

No matter what confronted David, whether human enemy, wild beast, or natural catastrophe, the Lord delivered David.

The Lord also delivered David from physical misfortune.

We must understand that the Lord is always present in our hour of need because the Lord is always watching over His children.

Sometimes, the Lord will give us the power to overcome any obstacle the hinders us or the Lord will just remove that obstacle.

Our enemies are never powerful enough to overcome the Lord!

There are many things we need to understand about the Lord.

The Lord is always for us and He is never against us unless we reject Him and His Word!

Psa 56:9 When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.
Psa 56:10 In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word.
Psa 56:11 In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.

This is why we can be at perfect peace within ourselves no matter what we are facing!

We can be at perfect peace, because we serve the only perfect Savior who has the only perfect Words!

*2Sa 22:31 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.

We need to celebrate the goodness of God every day of our lives!

The Lord Jesus said:

Mat_19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

We can try to think of good people and we would produce many, but in reality, according to the God’s “goodness”, in comparison, we could not call them good at all.

God is good because His ways are perfect and we could never be called perfect, until we are standing in Heaven’s gates.

There are no human beings who can be said to be perfect. We all have our flaws.

Jehovah God has no flaws!

Psa 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
Psa 12:7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

This is why the Lord can be our “buckler”, our “shield” of protection, as we go about our days doing our very best to live according to the perfect Word of God!

When we trust the Lord to guide us through every day, then He becomes our strength!

*2Sa 22:32 For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God?
2Sa 22:33 God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.

Though the world laughs at us, we still know that there is One True God and He is our Lord and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, known as Jehovah in the Old Testament.

The Lord gave David a way to travel in his world and that way was the Lord’s way.

It is no different for any of us today.

The path He has given to us is to follow is His Word, rightly divided.

This is the reason He is the Rock of our salvation!

This is the reason He is our strength!

This is the reason He is our power!

This is the reason that He is the path to a perfect way of life!

Who are the true saints of this world?

It is not those who have been declared by the Pope, even though they may be true saints of God.

It is not those who give the most!

It is not even those who pray the most!

The true saints of God are those, who do their very best, to stay on the Path of God which He has given to us, the Perfect Word of God!

It is these who always have a heart ready to praise God for His goodness!

Our way is made perfect by the pure truth of the only Living God!

*2Sa 22:47 The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.

We must understand that “life” is the essential attribute of the Lord Jesus Christ.

He is the Living God in contrast to all the dead gods of this world!

The Living God is among us at all times!

It is the Living God who is strong, who is faithful, and who is able to work out my own deliverance for me!

My salvation, is His gift to me if I love Him! He is the God of my salvation!

It is the same for all those who choose Him to be their Rock!

Psa 18:46 The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.

Psa 24:5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

It is this same Living God who will avenge His Church, and it may not be very much longer before He does this!

*2Sa 22:48 It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me,
2Sa 22:49 And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies: thou also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.

Just as David was King and those under him his servants, the Lord has made His Church to be kings and priest and again it is the Lord who will avenge all those who do not know the Lord.

As the Lord’s people witness in the name of the Lord, He will not allow them to be shut up by anyone!

Psa 31:8 And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room.

God will not allow His voice to be stopped until He takes the Church out of this world, and then, the angels will preach the Gospel to the people left behind.

Rev_14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

As long as the everlasting Gospel is preached, souls can be saved!

In other words, we will be allowed to speak the Word of God and act with the freedom to do so, until God removes His Church and this world will not be able to stop it!

Therefore we need to be offering thanksgiving today.

*2Sa 22:50 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.

We must not be afraid to offer thanksgiving to the Lord in front of our enemies!

We must not be afraid to worship with our voice’s songs of praise in the name of the Lord!

We must not be afraid to state our commitment to the Lord in front of our enemies!

We must not be afraid to praise the Lord no matter where we are, even in unknown circumstances.

Mat 10:19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
Mat 10:20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

No one upon this earth is mightier than the Holy Spirit who abides within all God’s children!

We know the promises made to King David and we know that every promise has been kept up till now and those that are not complete will be completed.

*2Sa 22:51 He is the tower of salvation for his king: and sheweth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for evermore.

As the joint heirs with Jesus Christ, we know that the promise of Mercy extended to the anointed One of God, has also been extended to His children and His brothers and sisters in Christ!

This is God’s plan of salvation, and who are we to question Him or His plans, we owe Him our obedience.

Amen