Monday, December 31,
2012, 4:00 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with the song “In Harmony” playing in my mind.
In Harmony / An
Original Work / September 2, 2012
Based off Ro. 12:9-21; 1 Pet. 3:8-15
Love each other truly.
Cling to what is good.
Hate all that is evil.
Never lack in zeal.
Serve the Lord with
fervor.
Joyful in hope be;
Patient in affliction;
Praying faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
Share with all God’s
people
Who are found in need.
Do not be conceited.
Sympathetic be.
Love, and show
compassion
In humility.
Keep your tongue from
evil.
Peaceful you must be.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
God sees who are
righteous;
Listens to their
prayers.
But He’s against evil
–
Is His to avenge.
Do not fear what they
fear.
Suffer patiently.
In your hearts, make
Christ Lord.
Serve Him faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Psalm 78 (quoting vv. 1-8 in the NIV
1984): http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2078&version=NIV1984
O my people, hear my
teaching;
listen to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth
in parables,
I will utter hidden things, things from of
old—
what we have heard and
known,
what our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them
from their children;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds
of the Lord,
his power, and the wonders he has done.
He decreed statutes
for Jacob
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our
forefathers
to teach their children,
so the next generation
would know them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.
Then they would put
their trust in God
and would not forget his deeds
but would keep his commands.
They would not be like
their forefathers—
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not
loyal to God,
whose spirits were not faithful to him.
In
Parables
When Jesus walked the face of this earth
during his time of earthly ministry, he often spoke to the people in parables.
Matthew, in the gospel of Matthew, stated that when Jesus spoke in parables
that it was a fulfillment of these words spoken by the prophet in Psalm 78 (see
Matt. 13). So, in a sense, these are also the words of Jesus Christ, as well as
all scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting
and training in righteousness (see 2 Tim. 3:16). So, although these words in
this psalm were penned by the psalmist, they are the very words of God, and are
profitable and beneficial to us even today to teach, counsel, encourage,
rebuke, correct and to train us in righteousness.
“Hidden things” revealed in the New Testament
was often a reference to the gospel of Jesus Christ, which was prophesied concerning
by the prophets of old. “The mystery kept hidden for ages and generations,”
according to scripture, is “Christ in you” (in the saints of God), “the hope of
glory” (see Col. 1:25-27; Rom. 16:24-26; and 1 Co. 2:6-8). Although the
prophets of old foretold the coming of the Messiah and of our great salvation,
it was not revealed or fully realized until the coming of Jesus Christ, his
death, his resurrection, his ascension into heaven, and his sending of his Holy
Spirit to indwell true followers of Christ. As well, our salvation will be completed
when Jesus Christ returns for his bride (his saints).
Hear
and Listen
We are counseled and/or instructed here to
hear and to listen to this teaching. Although it was most certainly intended
for the people of that day, evidenced by the historical references to Jacob,
a.k.a. as Israel, and references to the law, the teaching still has relevance
to us today when understood in light of the things once hidden but now
revealed.
God decreed statutes (rules) for Jacob and
established the law in Israel, which were then passed down from generation to
generation so that future generations would, as well, put their trust and hope
in God - so they would not forget his deeds, but would keep all his commands.
Jesus Christ is the embodiment and fulfillment of the law (see Matt. 5:17). The
law was put into effect to lead us to Jesus Christ (see Gal. 3:19-24; Eph. 1:10).
And, Jesus Christ, as well, demands our obedience (see Luke 9:23-25; Matt.
28:19-20; Jn. 14:15).
A
Rebellious People
The other objective of passing down these
Biblical and prophetic teachings from generation to generation was so the next
generations would not be like their forefathers – “a stubborn and rebellious
generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful
to him,” said the psalmist. And, then he recollected the many ways in which the
previous generations of God’s people had been rebellious, disloyal and
unfaithful.
Although God had miraculously delivered and
provided for them time and time again, the people of God turned their backs on
God, they did not keep his covenant, and they refused to obey his laws. They
forgot his miracles, they continued to sin against him, they practiced
idolatry, they rebelled against him, and they tested him with their continual
demands for more from God while they were not willing to give God what he
deserved, desired and commanded of them, his children, i.e. their obedience,
love, submission and respect. God was angered with them because “they did not
believe in God or trust in his deliverance.” So, God sent judgment upon them.
“In spite of all this, they kept on sinning,”
so he judged them again. When he judged them, they would seek him, but then the
psalmist said that they began to “flatter him with their mouths, lying to him
with their tongues; their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful
to his covenant. Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities… Time after
time he restrained his anger… he remembered they were but flesh.” His people
often rebelled against him and grieved him because of all their sin. “They
angered him with their high places; they aroused his jealousy with their idols,”
and the list of their sins against God goes on and on.
Rules
and Grace
A lot of professing Christians are under the
assumption that now that we are under grace by faith in Jesus Christ that we
are no longer under rules. Some even take it so far as to suggest that
repentance (turning from sin) and turning to God in faithful obedience are not
required for salvation. Oh, how wrong! Jesus said that if anyone would come
after him he must deny (die to) himself and take up his cross daily (die daily
to sin and self) and follow him in obedience (see Luke 9:23-25). As well, we
read in Eph. 4:17-24 that the way we come to know Christ is through putting off
our old lives of sin, by being transformed in heart and mind via the power and
working of the Holy Spirit within us, and by putting on the new “man,” created
to be like Christ in true righteousness and holiness. And, the New Testament is
filled with rules for daily Christian living. We don’t earn our salvation
through following a set of rules, yet obedience to Christ and to his commands
is a requirement for our salvation.
The teachings of scripture are passed down
from generation to generation for the same reasons that the people of God of
old passed down the teachings to future generations. The teachings of God’s
word is passed down to future generations so that they will put their “trust
and hope in God - so they would not forget his deeds, but would keep all his
commands,” and so they will not be stubborn and rebellious like their
forefathers, who were unfaithful to God and who did not keep his commands.
God’s grace does not set us free from obeying
Christ’s commands for our lives, nor is it a free license to continue in
willful and unrepentant sin. Our God is still a jealous God who does not want
us following after other gods and our own selfish desires, but who wills and purposes
that we live holy lives, pleasing to him, which is our reasonable worship of
him (see Ro. 12:1-2).
Seek
the Lord / An Original Work / July 20, 2012
Based off
Isaiah 55
“Come
to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.
Listen
to Me, and eat what’s good today,
And
your soul will delight in richest of fare.
Give
ear to Me, and you will live.
I
have made an eternal covenant with you.
Wash
in the blood of the Lamb.”
Seek
the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.
Let
the wicked forsake his way, in truth.
Let
him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.
Freely,
God pardons him.
“For
My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor
are your ways My ways,”
declares
the Lord, our God.
“My
word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.
It
will not return to Me unfulfilled.
My
word will accomplish all that I desire,
And
achieve the goal I intend.
You
will go in joy, and be led forth in peace.
The
mountains will burst into song… before you,
And
all of the trees clap their hands.”
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