Seeking the Lord

The Temple Solomon Built

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Solomon Built the Temple
 
Book of 1 Kings 5
 
 
One of the most important things we need to complete any building project successfully is to be committed to it.
 
We can accept the fact that King Solomon had little if any construction skills, but he now had great wisdom in all things.
 
What Solomon had was a humble spirit and he sought the Lord for His help.
 
The next thing that is needed is preparation.
 
Site preparation must be properly taken care of, and it begins with following the Word of God.

Then you must own the property you are building upon.

David first bought the threshing floor of Araunah:

2Sa_24:18  And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.
2Sa_24:21  And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
2Sa_24:24  And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

Then David bought the entire area around the threshing floor.

1Ch 21:24  And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost. 
1Ch 21:25  So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight. 

There should be no doubt who the Temple Mount belongs to.
 
Remember it was God who gave the dimensions and the details of this Temple to David mphasizing a solid foundation.
 
Luk 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Luk 6:47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
Luk 6:48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
Luk 6:49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.
 
King Solomon needed to be obedient to the Lord just as we all should be today!
 
This new Temple was to be a House of the Lord for the Lord’s people to worship Him.
 
This had been a dream of his father David for many years, and Solomon was committed to seeing it succeed.
 
Solomon’s most important task was to seek the Lord!
 
1Ki 5:2 And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying,
1Ki 5:3 Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an house unto the name of the LORD his God for the wars which were about him on every side, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet.
1Ki 5:4 But now the LORD my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent.
 
King Hiram and King David had been great friends, and his son Huram wanted the same relationship with King Solomon.
 
In fact, this King Hiram had told his own son about the great God of Israel even though he was pagan and worshipped his own gods.
 
We should understand that God would not allow David to build this Temple of Worship because it would have sent the wrong message.
 
It would be like religions such as the Muslim who are forced to seek Mohammed and can never leave that religion with the threat of death if they do.
 
There is no personal relationship because there is no Allah.
 
Just as important, because David was protecting the cause of Israel in great battles with the enemies that surrounded Israel and he certainly did not have time to make such a commitment as Solomon was saying to Huram.
 
Israel was at peace all the time of King Solomon and he maintained a strong military presence in the regions.
 
To David God said: 22:8 But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.
 
This king of Tyre understood these things Solomon was saying.
 
When the Lord forbids us to do something He is serious about it!
 
King David had made this entire area to be at peace because of his conquest.
 
We could say that Israel was the honcho nation during the time of King Solomon.
 
Solomon said he had no adversaries nor was there any occurrence of rebellion to his rule.
 
In fact, the nation of Israel was very prosperous in the days of King Solomon.
 
We know that David spent time training Solomon.
 
It was Solomon who wrote the Book of Proverbs so we can see what he wrote about his father.
 
Pro 4:1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
Pro 4:2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
Pro 4:3 For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
Pro 4:4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
Pro 4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
Pro 4:6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
Pro 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
 
David did everything in his power to smooth the way of Solomon.
 
David drew up the plans for the Temple according to the plans God had given to him:
 
1Ch 28:11 Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat,
1Ch 28:12 And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD, and of all the chambers round about, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries of the dedicated things:
 
David gave Solomon the funds to build the Temple:
 
1Ch 28:14 He gave of gold by weight for things of gold, for all instruments of all manner of service; silver also for all instruments of silver by weight, for all instruments of every kind of service:
 
David told Solomon that the plans for the Temple came from Jehovah:
 
1Ch 28:19 All this, said David, the LORD made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern.
 
And again, David encouraged his son:
 
1Ch 28:20 And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.
 
We can see that Solomon was a good student!
 
Solomon began to understand what his father was saying.
 
1Ki 5:5 And, behold, I purpose to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spake unto David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build an house unto my name.
1Ki 5:6 Now therefore command thou that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon; and my servants shall be with thy servants: and unto thee will I give hire for thy servants according to all that thou shalt appoint: for thou knowest that there is not among us any that can skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians.
 
Solomon was committed to building the Temple his father David desired.
 
Solomon sought to honor the Lord by building a house of worship for the people of Israel.
 
If we do not learn anything else, we need to know that there needs to be a place to worship the Lord!
 
There needs to be set times so we can all gather together to encourage one another.
 
We will need to deal with this lost world.
 
Solomon renewed the relationship between Israel and Tyre which was Phoenicia and Solomon sought to establish a trade agreement between the two nations, and he did.
 
Solomon sought workers with skills that Israel did not know at this time.
 
Notice Solomon did not open the borders of Israel to just anybody, but Israel had a need for skilled laborers.
 
This should be a lesson for our nation.
 
Solomon knew he had no excuse to delay this work for the Lord and Israel.
 
When God calls us for a task it is time to say yes and get busy!
 
We need to yield to the call of God without hesitation.
 
The Bible explains this request to Huram from Solomon better in Second Chronicles:
 
2Ch 2:4 Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.
2Ch 2:5 And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods.
2Ch 2:6 But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him?
2Ch 2:7 Send me now therefore a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave with the cunning men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide.
2Ch 2:8 Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants,
2Ch 2:9 Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great.
2Ch 2:10 And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.
2Ch 2:11 Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because the LORD hath loved his people, he hath made thee king over them.
 
We must realize that God cannot be contained in any nation but that God is bigger than our little world but He is also small enough to come into our hearts.
 
God has a purpose for each of us and God is still building upon His Church!
 
King Hiram agreed with Solomon and a pact was made between the two nations.
 
*1Ki 5:10 So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees according to all his desire.
1Ki 5:11 And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year.
 
We see that Hiram gave this timber to Solomon and Solomon provided the food to feed these men while the work was taking place.
 
We can better understand that Solomon asked for cedar trees, fir trees which means cypress, and other timber that was long-lasting.
 
Solomon also needed an architect.
 
Hiram was glad to provide the things that Solomon requested.
 
We should not be confused the Phoenicians were Pagans.
 
These cities existed before Israel came into the Promised Land in most cases they worshipped Baal.
 
Baal means lord but he is identified with the false god Molech where children were sacrificed on his blazing arms.
 
Baal was also known as the Sun god and there are Pyramids and High places all around the world where Baal the Sun god was worshipped along with the Moon god, and they are still worshipped today under different names.
 
This is the reason most of these nations no longer exist today.
 
Hiram’s servants would cut the timber from the forest in Lebanon. Transport it to the Mediterranean Sea, form it into rafts, and guide it through the waters to the Sea Port of Joppa.
 
Tyre was over fifty miles from Joppa and Joppa was around thirty miles from Jerusalem.
 
This was no easy task we know because we have the problems our own military had in the Mediterranian Sea.

The Phoenicians were the masters of the sea in that day.
 
2Ch 2:8 Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants,
2Ch 2:9 Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great.
2Ch 2:10 And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.
 
Both men kept their agreements, and Solomon paid the wages of all these workers to make it worth their while.
 
Our lesson here is that we must do everything we can to seek peace and preserve peace throughout society without compromising the Word of God.
 
We need to make peace in our homes.
We need to make peace in our schools.
We need to make peace in our workplaces.
We need to treat everyone fair as we know our Lord Jesus did.
We should have peace in our Churches, we have the same Word of God. We do not need opinions, likes, dislikes, complaints, or murmurers among our members. Again, we have the same Word of God.
We should have peace in our government whose goal should be to take care of its people and protect our nation.
 
The word peace is used 429 times in the KJV Bible so peace is important to God, but may not always be possible.
 
Rom_12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
 
There were also workers with stone at this same time.
 
1Ki 5:18 And Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders did hew them, and the stonesquarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house.
 
This stone cutting was started before the death of King David, and it was time consuming.
 
David also began gathering many of the supplies needed for the Temple.
 
1Ch 22:2 And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God.
1Ch 22:3 And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the joinings; and brass in abundance without weight;
1Ch 22:4 Also cedar trees in abundance: for the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought much cedar wood to David.
1Ch 22:5 And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the LORD must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.
 
The Splendor of what is called Solomon’s Temple began to come to life.
 
Work began in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign.
 
We can see this was a major undertaking with the tools that were available on that day.
 
In fact, many of those large stones and the cutting of them is not really understood today how they were able to do such things with just manual labor.
 
These stones were cut, squared, shaped, and dressed to fit together perfectly without mortar.
 
Our lesson is no matter what we do for the Lord, do it right while also making a contribution to society.
  
*1Ki 6:12 Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father:
1Ki 6:13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.
1Ki 6:14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it.
 
It had been four hundred and eighty years since a group of slaves led by Moses, had left Egypt searching for the land promised to Abraham.
 
This would have been around 966 BC, so the Hebrews left Egypt around 1446 BC.
 
All the materials were assembled in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount without the use of construction hand tools axes and hammers and such tool made of iron.
 
1Ki 6:7 And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.
 
1Ki 6:9 So he built the house, and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar.
 
Then God gave Solomon a challenge and a promise.
 
It appears to me as I read this that the stonework was first completed and then the Temple was covered with lumber and this lumber was gold plated.
 
1Ki 6:22 And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house: also the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold.
 
In the end, God said this was a worldly sanctuary and cannot compare to our Heavenly sanctuary.
 
Heb 9:1 Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.
 
Heb 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
 
Any place of worship today simply means God is identifying with His people so it becomes a House of God.
 
God is certainly “gracious” but this does not mean it is a light thing to come into the presence of the Lord.
 
We should be reverent in the House of God and God will show up.
 
Today the body of each believer becomes the House of God and we are to honor the name of the Lord who dwells within us at all times and not just while we are in His House of worship.
 
Those large stones teach us of a solid foundation which is in Christ Jesus.
 
If our lives are not built upon Jesus Christ we are doomed to destruction.
 
Without Jesus Christ, we are separated from God and doomed!
 
Without God, there is no hope, not in this world or the next!
 
We should also understand that just being in a Church building is not enough. God only looks upon those with a pure heart as we saw in last week’s lesson.
 
A wicked person entering a church building is still a person with a wicked heart and will remain that way until they claim the Lord Jesus Christ and repent of their old life.
 
Many today do not want to repent but maintain their sinful ways and sin is according to the Word of God and not public opinion.
 
God created us to have fellowship with Him, but He cannot look upon sin and, in His wisdom, He sent the Lord Jesus to pay our sin debt and if we accept this fact then God will deal with us His own children!
 
God gave us free will to decide this on our own!
 
Amen

Seeking the Lord

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Seek the Lord

Book of Psalms Chapter 34

In Psalms 34 we have another psalm of David. We know that David wrote more of the Psalms than any other writer, keeping in mind that all Scripture is given to us by the Holy Spirit.

This psalm is another psalm that David wrote while he was fleeing from King Saul who was trying to kill David because Jehovah had selected David to be the next King of Israel.

We should understand that when the word “bless” is spoken in reference to the Lord’s blessing to His people, it means the bestowing His loving kindness, His grace, His favor, and His mercy.

When the word “bless” is spoken in respect to our blessing the Lord, then it is much different.

We should ask ourselves how we can bless the God of all creation.

We must understand that all blessings are in the Lord Jesus Christ!

When Jesus Christ is not in your heart you cannot be a true blessing to anyone!

Jesus Christ is our blessedness!

We have nothing worthwhile to offer anyone if we cannot offer them an opportunity to meet Jesus Christ!

It is not enough to see the hand of Jesus Christ as He touches our lives with His mercy and His “grace”, but Jesus Christ must be seen as that blessing sent from God!

Psa 31:7 I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities;
Psa 31:8 And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room.

David was a man of war all his days even though his heart belonged to Jehovah.

With his reputation it was hard for David to be a witness for the truth about Jehovah.

This is one of the reasons David was not allowed to build the first Temple and his son Solomon had to build it.

The one thing David had that most of us do not have was a talent to sing and make and play instruments of music and write songs.

The Lord Jesus Christ is certainly worthy of our praise just as Jehovah was in the time of David.

I believe David understood these things which is why he could write so many of the Psalms.

Let us begin:

Psa 34:1 A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

If you know the story of David then you have read of the day, he had foolishly showed himself mad in consequence of what he had heard the servants of Abimelech say.

We will notice that Achish and Abimelech are one and the same king of the Philistines.

We should also note that this place called Gath was the home of Goliath and the family of Goliath and David was foolish to ask for help in this place.

When David realized this, he began to act like he had gone mad and Achish sent him away unharmed rather than kill him.

1Sa 21:13 And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.
1Sa 21:14 Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?
1Sa 21:15 Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?

It was not this king of the Philistines that David needed it was Jehovah God whom David needed.

God had already done many important things for David therefore David declared that he would bless the name of the Lord all his days.

We are a blessing to the Lord when we worship Him with all our heart.

We cannot leave the Lord out of our lives and expect to have joy in this corrupt world.

I can tell you from the experience of missing the worship services I have missed these past few weeks, that there is only misery out in this world and joy comes only by the Lord Jesus Christ.

*Psa 34:2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

To be honest, how many of us understood about our soul until we met Jesus?

David began to realize that is praise and worship of the Lord would be noticed by those around him.

When David pick up his harp and began to praise and worship Jehovah there were many ears that heard his singing.

Just as we can find comfort in these same Psalms today, those that traveled with David could find comfort in his singing.

Remember those who were with David were those who were the outcasts of society.

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.

There is nothing in this world that we owe our allegiance to other than our Savior!

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.
Psa 5:12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

It is far easier to lead someone to the Lord if you are joyful in your salvation.

It is easy to bless the Lord when everything is going our way.

We can also be a blessing to the Lord when we explain to Him all our troubles and have faith that He will solve those issues for us.

Faith is the key to our relationship with our Heavenly Father!

David was on the run from a government who was trying to kill him, but he knew that he must be a blessing to the Lord during those times also.

No matter what we are going through, it is not time to quit on God!

We do this if we have moved away from the Lord because we will have quenched the Holy Spirit who lives within us.

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.

Even on a difficult day we are never alone if we are a “Born Again” child of God!

Eph 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

We are never to feel hopeless because we are never hopeless if we belong to Jesus Christ!

We are to be an encouragement to those around us at all times because we all need encouragement from time to time.

A joyful believer is a powerful tool in the hands of God!

A believer who is going through terrible things is also a powerful tool if they still show faith in the Living God.

*Psa 34:3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.

We may not be able to lead everyone we meet to the Lord so that they can be saved, but we can surely invite them to our place of worship so they will see others who worship the Lord and are a blessing to Him.

When we “magnify” the Lord we proclaim His greatness.

There are times we are to be alone when we bless the Lord and there is nothing wrong with this.

The Lord tells us to get in our closet so we can meet face to face with Him.

The truth is that God’s praises just sound best when those praises are in concert with others!

We should understand that David was no longer welcome to worship in the Tabernacle.

If David wanted to worship in concert with others, then he would have to be the example in the Cave at Adullam with many who did not know the Lord but there were probably some that did.

When David picked up his harp and bellowed out these Psalms that we have today, there were many others in that cave with him who could relate to his sorrows and learn the truth of Jehovah.

Most of these men were outlaws for one reason or another.

We must understand that the Lord wants us to gather in His name and worship Him in a congregation.

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 see the “Day of the Lord” approaching are not concerned with our world today but those who do know that now is not the time to give up on the Lord should gather more often and not less often.

David was burdened down with all his fears because he had not given those fears to the Lord, but when he did, David found his Deliverer.

The same Deliverer we have today.

*Psa 34:4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Just what is fear?

The Bible says that there is only one creature that was made that had no fear.

Job 41:33 Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.

This verse is speaking of the Leviathan.

All others are afraid of something in this world from time to time.

David admits to his fears.

Our fears come from a conscious sense that we are sinners.

We should understand that David had already faced a lion and defeated it.
David had already faced a bear and defeated it.
David had already faced Goliath and defeated him.
David had done these things before the age of twenty.
At this time David was fleeing for life from an unstable king and a government trying to destroy him because it did not want David to be king.

This sounds familiar to what we are seeing today in our own nation and our own government.

We would not think of David as a man full of fears, yet he professed he had more than one fear to the Lord.

If we belong to the Lord there is nothing in this world that we should fear!

Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

If we have these fears then we certainly need to talk to the Lord.

*Psa 34:5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
Psa 34:6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

The very first thing we must do, is to take our eyes off the fears of this world and look to Jesus.

The Lord Jesus said: 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.

David began to realize that he was not in a hopeless situation when he put his faith in Jehovah.

Eyes that were darkened with doom did suddenly sparkle with new courage, hope, and joy.

It is called seeing the Light of Jesus.

Those in that cave with David could also see these things in David.

Our life and our actions are our greatest witness to the life of a Christian.

David had never known the shame of defeat and he would not feel that shame as long as he depended upon God.

Today, when we depend upon the Lord Jesus Christ to lead us, He will always lead us to victory.

The Lord Jesus will never lead us to a defeated life.

1Co_15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

There are only two things that can happen when we call upon the Lord in our fears.

1) He will just remove that obstacle in our path.
2) He will go with us every step of the way. We never have to face our fears alone!

David wanted those with him to know that there was no mistake to who deserved the credit for our victories.

We do not have it in us to be victorious over the things of this world!

Victory can only come if we cry out to the Lord and place our faith in Him!

It is only by the faithfulness and the power of the Almighty God that we can have victory and live in victory throughout eternity.

We are all poor unless we know the riches of a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

All those in that cave with David could relate to the things David was singing about.

What is the truth?

*Psa 34:7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

All throughout the Old Testament we read about the “Angel of the Lord”. In fact, fifty-six times we can see this exact phrase.

This angel of the Lord is that being who appears as Jehovah’s representative in His dealing with mankind until the time of Jesus Christ.

What was the job of this angel? He protects all those who have a reverent fear of Jehovah God.

He is like an army encamping around each believer.

He was in fact the Captain of the angelic host.

Jos 5:13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?
Jos 5:14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?
Jos 5:15 And the captain of the LORD’S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

This Captain of the LORD’s host can be no other than the Lord Jesus Christ because no angel will allow us to worship them but Lucifer and this is not Lucifer. There is not one thing holy about Lucifer!

We know that the omnipotent Son of God can immediately and single-handedly overcome all our enemies.

The truth is that our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ does supernaturally protect all those who have that reverent fear of Him.

There is an angel near us at all times!

The Lord is always willing and able to help us!

Psa 9:10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

*Psa 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

What is the first step to a blessing from God? Simply trust in Him.

There is no other way of really knowing how good, Good is!

It is like the Word of God. We are not to sample part of the Word of God and just keep the part we like.

We cannot just sample God’s goodness!

In reality we are to take every action necessary to receive all that God promises to all those who trust Him.

To trust the Lord is to accept all of Him.

To reject any part of the Lord is to accept none of Him.

When we study the Word of God, we will see that God is truly good!

To trust is to run to the Lord for the protection that can come from nowhere else.

What is the next step to a blessing from God?

*Psa 34:9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

We must have a reverent fear of God but we must also have a godly fear.

After all He is all powerful and it is only, He who can supply our wants.

We must have a sense of gratitude for what the Lord has already done for us.

When we accept the salvation gift from the Lord, we must know that we are just getting started in a life that is close to God.

The Apostle Paul wrote:

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,

There is nothing in our past life that is worth clinging too.

We have seen in this lesson that these words of David, applied to David and all of Israel, but they also apply to every Christian today.

Salvation and life eternal are the greatest gifts that the Lord can offer to us, but these thing are just the beginning of the blessings that the Lord promises to all those who trust Him.

Faith is still the key to our life long relationship with our Heavenly Father through the Lord Jesus Christ!

*Psa 34:10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

The mother and father of that cub did provide all things necessary for the early life of that lion cub.

Those cubs will reach a point when those parents will quit providing for that cub and they will have to provide for themselves and many days they will go hungry until they become proficient to provide for themselves.

Even the strongest lion will suffer and want for a time and maybe many times.

This is true for all the animal world, but this is not true for all of us who seek to get closer to the Lord.

This is a powerful statement. “they that seek the Lord shall not want for any good thing.”

1) God does not provide bad things. Those come from Satan.

2) Those that seek the Lord shall not want for any good thing. Those good things that the Lord has approved as good for us.

When we see the word Lord in all capital letters we know this is YAHWEH, Jehovah the absolute God of all creation.

Exo 3:13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
Exo 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
Exo 3:15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.

As David found the right place in the cave of Adullam, he would sing these Psalms with all his heart and all those near to him would listen for they were as near death as was David.

Just as they found the words of these Psalms to be comforting, so can we here today.

If we truly wish to taste the goodness of the Lord ourselves then we must trust Him including all the words He has given to us.

It is the atoning blood of Jesus Christ that will keep us from seeing the wrath of this powerful, Almighty God.

It is this same Lord who will carry us through the storms of this life we live today.

We must also understand that we have greater needs than food, shelter, and clothing.

Only the Lord knows our needs and our deepest needs are spiritual.

When we have the gift of salvation provided for us by the Lord Jesus Christ, we also have a relationship with God the Father and when we have God, we have all we need.

2Co_3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

David became the most beloved King of Israel and David’s rag tag bunch of outlaws became a mighty army because of the sweet Psalmist of Israel.

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,

It will remain the same for the Church today if we continue to seek the Lord Jesus Christ!

Amen

The Master Teacher

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Jesus Taught Like a King

Book of Matthew Chapter 5 verses 1 through 16

What happened immediately after Jesus was baptized? Jesus tempted of the Devil.

What happened immediately after Jesus was tempted of the Devil? Jesus began His ministry.

Jesus began His ministry with what is now called the Sermon on the Mount also called the “Beatitudes”.

We can understand the “beatitudes” as the blessedness of the saved soul.

We are nothing unless we have accepted the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Psa 32:1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

You are not forgiven by our Holy God until you have accepted the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is just that simple!

We can also understand this sermon of the Lord Jesus Christ as the “qualities” of all those who will be found in the Kingdom of God.

We must begin these qualities once we have accepted the salvation of the Lord, “we must be Born Again”!

Remember John the Baptist preached “repent because the Kingdom of God is at hand”.

Jesus begins by preaching the qualities of those who will be found in the Kingdom of God.

If we consider that blessedness is happiness, then we can understand the preaching of the Apostle Peter:

1Pe 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: “on their part he is evil spoken of”, but on your part he is glorified.
1Pe 4:15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.
1Pe 4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, “let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf”.

Or James the half-brother of our Lord and Savior:

Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: “for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him”.

We can consider blessedness and happiness to be almost equal in this first sermon of our Lord Jesus.

*Mat 5:1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

We first see the compassion Jesus had for the people.

His disciples came to Him. As disciples we should always be seeking Jesus!

These Jews were seeking King Jesus!

The Lord Jesus chose this place on a mount because it was big enough to accommodate those multitudes who were following Him.

It was also a place His voice would carry. We can just imagine these people being quiet because they wanted to hear what Jesus had to say.

If you are a human being then it behooves you to hear what the Lord Jesus Christ has to say!

The Lord Jesus Christ was a great preacher who was always full of the Holy Spirit:

Joh 3:33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.
Joh 3:34 “For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him”.
Joh 3:35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

We can understand these words of Christ Jesus as a proclamation of the Kingdom of God “by the King of His coming Kingdom”.

Jesus is teaching His disciples.
Jesus is showing His authority over the Scriptures. His authority was within Himself.
Jesus taught as the Jewish Messiah. The Messiah who would be King of His Kingdom.

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. (A scribe could only read the Word of God)

We will see that the way to be saved is not given in this Sermon!

But we should not forget all Scripture is written for us to learn!

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.

This includes all the Old Testament and all the New Testament. (This does not include the acrophobia books not inspired by the Holy Spirit)

So let us begin:

*Mat 5:2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
Mat 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

What will we be like as “Subjects” in God’s Kingdom?

Notice Jesus did not start by passing out copies of the Old Testament. Jesus sat down and taught with the Words of His mouth.

Jesus teaches us as the fulfillment of all the Scriptures. Jesus taught with authority!

To be blessed is to be “happy”.

To be blessed is a spiritual joy and satisfaction regardless of the conditions we face.

The Apostle Paul understood this to mean:

Php_4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

This is the thing carries us through times of pain, and sorrow, and loss and grief.

Everyone wants to be blessed, but most of the world seeks that blessedness in the things of this world and it cannot be found in the things of this world!

1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Those who are blessed are those who choose the Lord because He first chose them!

Psa 65:4 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.

Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

We cannot associate these poor in Spirit with those who are poor in worldly things.
We cannot associate those who are mean spirited with those who are poor in Spirit.
We should not understand that the poor in Spirit are poor in spirituality.

Poorness of spirit, in a godly sense, is true humility or true contrition of heart, because we acknowledge that we are sinners in need of a Savior.

We are poor in spirit when we acknowledge we are nothing without the Lord Jesus Christ and then Jesus Christ will take us into His Kingdom!

*Mat 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

To mourn is the condition of all those who are brokenhearted because of their own sin or of the sin of others or the sin of this world.

It can be somewhat compared to mourning over the death of a loved one.

Isa 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Isa 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
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.

It can be that brokenness when we read the things Christ Jesus went through on the cross, while realizing it was our sin that put Him there!

2Co 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who can only provide that comfort!

Joh 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

You know, it is the Lord Jesus Christ who will wipe away all those tears of mourning!

*Mat 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

It is all those who have humbled themselves before Christ who can enjoy the remainder of their days upon this earth!

They are teachable in the ways of the Lord.
They have nothing to prove to this world.
They have a renewed purpose and meaning and a significance in this life knowing it will end in the glory world, in the Father’s House!

As Christians we learn to control our circumstances by not allowing our circumstances to control us!

We know we are on the winning side and we act like it!

*Mat 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

When we hunger for righteousness it means we have put to death the sin in our lives!

Rom_8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Jesus Christ died to remove sin and the control that sin had over our lives.

It is righteousness that will fill that gap where the sin is gone forever!

Eph 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Being filled with our Righteous Savior!

*Mat 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

To be merciful is to be compassionate!

Fourteen times in the Gospels, the word compassion is used where 10 of those times Jesus used the word compassion Himself.

The other 4 times it said Jesus had compassion or that Jesus was moved with compassion.

This verse states emphatically, that if we are merciful to all others showing compassion, then God will show mercy to us and He proved this on the cross!

The modern Church have removed the importance of the cross because they would rather cling to their sin calling it the modernization of the Word of God. God is not old fashioned!

The Lord gives us an example.

Mat 18:22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Mat 18:23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
Mat 18:24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
Mat 18:25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
Mat 18:26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
Mat 18:27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
Mat 18:28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
Mat 18:29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
Mat 18:30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
Mat 18:31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
Mat 18:32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
Mat 18:33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
Mat 18:34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
Mat 18:35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Every believer can be merciful and therefore “must be merciful”!

When we understand the blessings of God, then we should understand that it is certainly more important to give than to receive!

The Lord will deal with us just as we deal with other people. We had better keep this in mind!

So, whatever mercy we desire from God, then we had better show that mercy to our brothers and sisters in Christ!

A merciful heart is a pure heart!

*Mat 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

A pure heart is “clean”, it is unsoiled from the things of this world. It is unpolluted, “a pure heart is Holy”!

Remember no one can see God and live, yet here we read that those with a Holy heart shall see God, in fact they are the only ones who will ever see God face to face!

Of all the other traits of the Christian, none of those traits can be true if our heart is not pure and like the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ!

How do we see God now?

1Co 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
1Co 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Perfect charity comes from a pure heart! Charity is a “giving love”!

Our pure heart will become a reality when we meet the Lord in the air!

1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, “we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is”.
1Jn 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him “purifieth himself”, even as he is pure.

All the qualities of the true Christian come together with a pure heart which leads us to righteousness!

Psa 17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

Only then can we become a true peacemaker, a true child of God.

*Mat 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

The Lord has left us upon this earth after our salvation “to become peacemakers”.

It is our job to prepare the highway to the Lord for individuals who are lost, just as did John the Baptist begin preparations for Jesus to build the “Highway to Heaven”!

It is our job to make peace between the lost and the Lord!

We are to solve disputes and never be the cause of them!

We must find ways to explain the truth of God to those who do not understand it, without compromising the Word of God.

We must take our faith, with a pure heart, full of mercy and love, and show these things to the unbeliever.

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.

We must remember we can only get close to Christ Jesus because of the blood He shed for us.

Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Eph 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Eph 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Eph 2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

We are reconciled to God by His “grace” and we must show “that same grace” to all we meet, even to our enemies.

When we do these things, we will be persecuted by those who are sold out to Satan.

*Mat 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Mat 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

There are many people in this world who are persecuted for one evil reason or another, only the Church is persecuted for doing good.

The Church is persecuted simply because most of the leadership of the world hates the Lord Jesus Christ and the principles that He teaches through His disciples!

The teachings of Jesus Christ reveal the wickedness and immorality that is approved by the world, even though the queer movement represents only a small fraction of the world’s people, less than ten percent.

The teachings of Christ Jesus go against abortion, when it is those two people who decide to commit a sinful act, neglecting the responsibility of their actions!

Why is the everyday taxpayer held responsible for the acts of two people who should be held accountable?

It is not the child who is at fault, so why is the child punished with death?

Abortion is now used, not just to murder an innocent living child, but also to choose the sex of the baby, to check for traits that are unwanted, and many other reasons and then aborted child is not treated with any respect but is sold for its body parts. “True wickedness”.

When we are persecuted for doing what is right, it shows how low our world has become!

2Ti 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

I accept the fact that I may be persecuted just because I love the Lord Jesus Christ, but it does not make it easier, it is just like all the other Word of God, I just accept it as the truth and move on.

It just shows that I serve an all-knowing God!

Whoever thought people would be treated so bad just because they were trying to do good for all people.

Our government has already decided that we are too ignorant to know right from wrong!

Today you can do all manner of evil and much of the world will stand up in your defense, even come to your rescue, but if you try to do the things the Lord Jesus Christ did or try to live your life according to the Word of God, you are treated as less than a human being.

In fact the world will say you are mentally unfit.

But it does not matter because we have a Savior and if you reject that Savior you are only causing harm to yourself and to those you love.

Just because you persecute God’s people, you cannot rob them of God’s blessings!

Jesus speaking here just says, I can be happy that I am seen to be like Him.

In fact Jesus says to rejoice! Be exceeding glad! For our rewards are just piling up in Heaven!

Persecution is just a test of true discipleship!

1Pe 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
1Pe 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
1Pe 4:15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.

The world may try to protect the murderer, and the thief, and the evildoer, and all those who are busybodies in other people’s matters, but “Heaven is not open to the world”.

Jesus is not preparing a home for the world He is preparing a home only for those who love Him!

Joh 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
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.

I will not worry about what this world can do to me, because I have a Living Savior who cannot be touched by the ways of the world and I want to be like Him!

The Church exists for the sake of the world to try to change the evil ways of the world, but most of the world have sold their souls to the Devil and they are not looking to change!

*Mat 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

At one time salt was so valuable in this world that Roman soldiers were paid with salt because it could be used to meet their needs in any nation they traveled and was more valuable than gold.

Salt makes many foods acceptable because it changes the flavor of the food.

Job 6:6 Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg?

Salt was a preservative especially for edible meats and fishes and is still used today for this reason.

Salt can also be used for destruction of the land not allowing it ever again to produce life, such as the land that was once Sodom and Gomorrah.

Zep 2:9 Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.

Psa 107:34 A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.

Salt is also used in blessings.

Lev 2:13 And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.

It is the Christian life that can change the evil ways of Sodom and Gomorrah in our world today.
It is the Christian life that can show the world the beauty of living for Christ Jesus before it is too late.

It is the quality of Christian salt and not the quantity of Christian salt, that can make a difference in this world!

The flavor of evil can be changed by salt of God’s people!

Remember God’s people are salted and preserved forever more!

But much of the Church has lost its saltiness and it has no more value than the soil we walk upon.

In fact, as the false church gains in popularity, the world becomes a barren wilderness of sin!

The true Church is also the Light of this world.

*Mat 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Mat 5:15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

The Christian who stays true to the Word of God cannot be hidden any more than the Sun can be blocked from its light.

God is Light, darkness is sin:

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.

Every Christian being filled with the Holy Spirit has the Light of God living within them, glowing with the Light of Life.

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.

Joh 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

Now that our Lord Jesus Christ is in Heaven, then the Church is the Light of the World.

Eph 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
Eph 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
Eph 5:10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

Light is clear and pure.
Light penetrates darkness.
Light enlightens, it enlarges our vision.
Light reveals, it opens up the truth of darkness.
Light guides us down the right path.
Light strips away darkness.
Light protects us from the ways of darkness.

Our own Christian Light will grow dim if it is not used!

The more we confess the Lord Jesus Christ, the brighter we will shine, and no amount of persecution can change that.

There is no other light in this world that can benefit this world, we cannot allow our Christian Light to become dim and go out!

Light only has one purpose and that purpose is “to shine”!

After God created Heaven and the void of Earth, He next made “Light”!

Amen

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!