Hear my Voice

A Psalm of David: “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?” ~ When we receive Jesus Christ into our hearts and lives to be Savior and Lord of our lives, we should understand that he is absolutely in control of our destiny. Nothing will happen to us but he has allowed it, and he has allowed it for a purpose in our lives, and for his glory. It does not mean we will not ever feel fear (the emotion), but that we have no reason to ever give way to fear to where we allow it to control our lives and our choices in life. Jesus may not rescue us from our circumstances, but he will always be there to bring us safely (spiritually) through them.

Hear my Voice / An Original Work / July 9, 2012

Based off Psalm 27

The Lord is my great salvation.

He’s the stronghold of my life.

When my enemies attack me,

My heart will not fear at all.

Though a war break out against me,

Confident in Christ I’ll be.

Of the Lord, I ask that I may

Live with Him eternally.

Hear my voice, Lord, when I call you.

Merciful to me You’ll be.

Though my relatives forsake me,

My Lord God will receive me.

Teach me Your way, O my Jesus.

Lead me in Your righteousness.

I will sacrifice to my Lord.

I will sing with joyfulness.

I am confident that I will

See the goodness of the Lord.

All the richness of His blessings,

My Lord has for me in store.

He asks me to be of courage;

To be strong and to take heart,

Patiently as I wait for Him,

And from Him to ne’er depart.

Song lyrics @ Public Domain

Song lyrics and sheet music (free):

https://sites.google.com/site/psalmshymnssongs2/home/songs/hear-my-voice

Song on Video:

http://youtu.be/r1YYnNNE2NM

Divine Appointments

Introduction: Have you ever encountered what you believe was a divine appointment? I have. Perhaps you just felt led to go somewhere or to do something for someone, or even to pray for someone, but you didn't know exactly why, but as you went in faith, God opened a door for your life to intersect with the life of another, and you were both changed forever as a result. You were never the same again. That is what today's lesson is about.

Monday, July 09, 2012, 5:55 a.m. – the Lord woke me this morning with this song:

At the Cross / Isaac Watts/ Ralph E. Hudson / Hugh Wilson

Alas! and did my Savior bleed

And did my Sovereign die?

Would He devote that sacred head

For one so low as I?

Was it for crimes that I had done

He groaned upon the tree?

Amazing pity! grace unknown!

And love beyond degree!

But drops of grief can ne’er repay

The debt of love I owe:

Here, Lord, I give myself away

’Tis all that I can do.

At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,

And the burden of my heart rolled away,

It was there by faith I received my sight,

And now I am happy all the day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyyBkfMGBvE

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Acts 8: 26-40 (NIV 1984):

Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

“How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,

    and as a lamb before the shearer is silent,

    so he did not open his mouth.

In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.

    Who can speak of his descendants?

    For his life was taken from the earth.”

The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

Historical Backdrop

Stephen had just been stoned to death for his witness for Jesus Christ. Paul (then called Saul) was standing there, giving his approval to Steven’s death. A great persecution broke out against the church. The church was scattered. Paul (then called Saul) began to destroy the church. Even against this historical backdrop, the scattered believers in Jesus Christ preached the word wherever they went. Amen! Praise the Lord!

Many throughout our world today, as well as throughout history, have undergone or are presently undergoing this kind of persecution for their faith and testimony for Jesus Christ. We, in the USA, have not yet had such severe persecution, but that time is coming, because the Bible says so. Yet, this does not mean persecution for our testimony for Jesus Christ is non-existent in America. It is! And, it is even dominant in today’s modern church.

We will have people make fun of us, not want to be around us, lie about and to us, ignore us, reject us, ostracize us, and perhaps even severely persecute us if we take a strong stand for Christ, and if we preach (witness to) the gospel of Christ – the full message. Will that discourage us and lead us to withdraw? Or, will it inspire us even more to keep following Jesus Christ wherever he leads us and in doing whatever he asks us to do?

On the Way

An angel of the Lord (or the Spirit of the Lord) spoke to Philip and told him to go a particular direction on a specific road, so Philip obeyed and went. On his way he met an important government official (or officer) of Ethiopia. This man had gone to worship God in Jerusalem and somehow had acquired the prophetic writings (a copy) of Isaiah. He was reading in Isaiah 53:7-8 when Philip met him along the road. The Spirit of God directed Philip to go over to the man’s chariot. Philip heard the man reading Isaiah, so he asked him, “Do you understand what you are reading?” The man said he needed someone to explain it to him, so he invited Philip inside his chariot to sit with him.

I found it interesting that the Spirit of God told Philip to go a particular direction on a specific road, and it was just as he had started out, and while he was “on his way” that he met with his divine appointment. Philip didn’t ask why he was to go there or what he should expect when he got there. He only knew that he should go. The obedience was in the going. The Holy Spirit of God provided the opportunity.

Sometimes we hear God’s voice clearly leading a specific direction or we sense that the Holy Spirit is nudging us toward something, but we don’t know why. So, we go in faith, like Abraham did, even not knowing where he was going. We don’t always have to know the “Why?” or even the final destination. We just obey what we know or what we believe the Spirit is saying, and then we trust God with the results. That is what Philip did, and it was while he was on the way that he met his divine appointment. If we never step out in faith until we have all of our I’s dotted and our T’s crossed, we may miss out on some awesome divine appointments God has planned for us. He may direct us to go somewhere, and that door may even close, and we may wonder why, yet it is in the going where we meet God.

Our Salvation

The man was reading Isaiah 53:7-8. The passage was a prophecy about Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was our sacrificial Lamb who took away the sins of the world. He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, because his persecutors and oppressors, mainly the Jewish religious leaders of his day, plotted and carried out his death on a cross. They meant it for evil, to get rid of the one of whom they were jealous, and whom they hated with a passion. Yet, God meant it for good, to bring salvation to the world.

Jesus Christ, God the Son, left heaven, came to earth as a baby, took on human flesh, suffered as we suffer, was tempted as we are tempted, yet without sin, and then he was severely persecuted, beaten, mocked and then crucified on a cross, although he had done no wrong, but because he stood as a threat to the power centers of the religious leaders of his day. Yet, this was all in God’s plan from the very beginning of time that Jesus Christ would be our perfect Lamb sacrifice to take away the sins of the world. So, when he died, our sins died with him, yet when he rose from the dead, he conquered death, hell, Satan and sin. He died for our sins and rose triumphant over them so that we could go free from the ultimate penalty of sin (eternal punishment in hell), so we could go free from the daily control of sin over our lives, and so we would be free to walk in fellowship and obedience with our Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father and Spirit.

The way we come to know Christ, and we receive this salvation that Christ provided for us via his shed blood on the cross, is first of all by God’s grace and design, and then by faith (repentance and obedience). Ephesians 4:17-24 teaches us that the way we come to know Christ is, “with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny himself (his selfish will) and take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) Jesus Christ. In 1 John we learn that if we claim to have fellowship with Christ but continue (persist) to walk in darkness (sin), we lie and we do not live by the truth. We also learn that the way we know that we have come to know Christ (God) is if we obey his commands. This is how we receive this great salvation!

Faith to Believe

When the man from Ethiopia heard the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ he asked to be baptized. In those days, physical baptism with water was usually performed immediately upon the individual’s decision to believe in Jesus Christ. The baptism with water symbolized what took place in the heart (the baptism of the Holy Spirit), in that it represents our death to sin, the burial of our sin, and our resurrection to new life in Christ Jesus, free from the weight (bondage) and control of sin over our lives, so that we are now free to walk in the Spirit of God instead of in the flesh of man. Amen! The man was transformed inside by the working of the Holy Spirit of God and he gave testimony to his faith through water baptism.

Philip was taken away by the Spirit of God at that point, but the man went on his way rejoicing. He was seeking the truth, so God provided a divine appointment for him, and for Philip, where their lives would intersect and the man would never be the same again.

We need to be seeking God, and we need to be open to the Holy Spirit’s leading so that we, too, are available for such divine appointments to intersect other people’s lives for Christ.

Fully Surrendered / Alfred C. Snead / George C. Stebbins

Fully surrendered—Lord, I would be,

Fully surrendered, dear Lord, to Thee.

All on the altar laid,

Surrender fully made,

Thou hast my ransom paid;

I yield to Thee.

Fully surrendered—life, time, and all,

All Thou hast given me held at Thy call.

Speak but the word to me,

Gladly I'll follow Thee,

Now and eternally

Obey my Lord.

Fully surrendered—silver and gold,

His, who hath given me riches untold.

All, all belong to Thee,

For Thou didst purchase me,

Thine evermore to be,

Jesus, my Lord.

Fully surrendered—Lord, I am Thine;

Fully surrendered, Savior divine!

Live Thou Thy life in me;

All fullness dwells in Thee;

Not I, but Christ in me,

Christ all in all.

http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/442

The Full Message Revisited

Saturday, July 7, 2012, 5:20 a.m. – The Lord woke me this morning with the song “Abide with Me” going through my mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Acts 5:17-42 (NIV 1984):

Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people the full message of this new life.”

At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.

When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin —the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were puzzled, wondering what would come of this.

Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them.

Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”

Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men! The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead —whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. Then he addressed them: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men… Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”

His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

My Understanding: The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. More and more people came to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior of their lives. People brought their sick and those tormented by evil spirits to the apostles, and all of them were healed of their afflictions. Members of the party of the Sadducees were jealous of the apostles, so they arrested them and put them in public jail. Jealousy, in this context, means: “feeling bitter and unhappy because of another's advantages, possessions, or luck; feeling suspicious about a rival's or competitor's influence, especially in regard to a loved one” (Encarta). The religious leaders had been so jealous of Jesus Christ that they sent him to the cross to be killed. Now they were jealous of his followers, too, because of the influence they, in the power of the Holy Spirit, had among the people.

Yet, God is in control! Amen! He sent an angel to open the doors of the jail and to bring the apostles out. And, he sent them to stand in the temple courts and to tell the people the “full message of this new life.” There was no holding back; no shrinking back due to persecution. They were to keep doing what they had been doing despite orders to the contrary. There was no compromising of the gospel message, either. They were to tell the “full message.”

No Compromises

Many of today’s churches and church leaders are compromising with the world. They have toned down the message of the gospel in order to make it more acceptable to the world; more palatable to their listeners, in order to not offend people with the gospel, so that more people will want to come to church. Many church services and activities, including small group “Bible studies,” have also compromised with the world in order to draw in more people, and to attract the world to the church. Yet, the gospel (the full message) is an offense to those who are perishing in their sins, the Bible says. We are not supposed to attract the world to the church. We are supposed to share the whole truth of the gospel so that the Holy Spirit of God can pierce through people’s hearts, convict them of sin, and so that people will come humbly before the Throne of Grace and find mercy.

The “full message” says that we are lost in our sins without Christ and we are bound for eternity in hell. Jesus Christ paid the price for our sins through his death on a cross so we could be free from the penalty of sin, free from the control of sin over our daily lives, and so we could be free to walk in the Spirit of God, in daily surrender and obedience to Christ and to God’s will for our lives. We come to Christ through repentance (turning away from sin) and through being transformed in heart and mind via the power of the Holy Spirit in regenerating our hearts and minds (new birth). Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. He said if we choose to hold on to our fleshly way of living, we will lose our lives for eternity, but if we choose to lose our lives of sin, we will gain eternal life with God. The “full message” says that if we say we have fellowship with God and yet we continue (persist) to walk (lifestyle) in darkness (sin), we lie and do not live by the truth. The way we know we have come to know Christ is that we obey his commands. Repentance (turning away from sin) and obedience to Christ and his commands are necessary for salvation, and together they comprise what it means to truly believe in Jesus Christ.

This Man’s Blood

In the morning, the apostles were at the temple courts preaching the “full message” of the gospel. The religious leaders assembled the Sanhedrin, but did not find the apostles in jail. Someone said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” So, the apostles were brought before the Sanhedrin for questioning. “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” the high priest said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”

You know, this is what we are all supposed to be doing. This is what Jesus commanded us: “Go, and make disciples.” “Teach them to obey everything I have commanded…” “You will be witnesses.” This is not optional. If everyone around you was dying of a massive flu epidemic, and you had just been given the antidote, and you knew there was an ample supply of this antidote for everyone else, would you keep that a secret? Would you just enjoy the fact that you had been given life, but yet watch everyone else die, knowing you could do something to save them?

Have we been given mercy just so we can continue to live selfish lives? No! When we come to Christ, we choose to leave our selfish lives behind us, and we choose now to be the Lord’s servants in doing what he wants (desires) of us. This is what we are supposed to do. We are not here on this earth to live for ourselves or for others; to please ourselves or others, but to live for God and to please him in all we do and say. And, we are here to love others by giving them the “antidote” so that they don’t die in their sins. And, that means telling them the “full message” and not a watered down gospel-lite that does not make them “guilty of this man’s blood.” We are all guilty, because truly it was our sin that sent Jesus Christ to the cross. The full message brings conviction, which leads to repentance and to true faith in Jesus Christ, and it probably will get us hated and persecuted, yet it is worth it all if it brings true life to others.

We Must

The apostles, again, responded: “We must obey God rather than men!” “Must” means: a necessity; obligation; duty; requirement; or being compelled to. Their love for Jesus Christ; their desire to obey him in all things; their love for others and their desire to see all people come to salvation and eternal life with God; their faith in Jesus Christ; and the compassion, love, mercy, forgiveness, gentleness and kindness of God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – within them compelled them, obligated them, and made it necessary (essential) for them to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and to obey their Lord in all things, and especially over men. And, this should be true of each one of us, too. If it isn’t, why isn’t it? What are we holding on to? Why are we holding back? Do we fear men more? Do we desire the acceptance and approval of men more than we do the acceptance and approval of God? - Or more than the salvation of other human lives? We, also, “must” obey God rather than men.

The apostles then preached the gospel to the members of the Sanhedrin. The religious leaders were furious, because, once again, the apostles were trying to make them guilty of Jesus’ blood, yet they were also demonstrating that Jesus Christ was indeed the promised Messiah, God in the flesh, their Lord and Savior who gives repentance and forgiveness of sins to them, if they will receive it. Notice it says he gives “repentance.” It is not difficult to repent of our sins, and it is not a work of the flesh, as some would have you believe, because Jesus gives us repentance as a gift. True faith in Christ is a gift of God, and repentance and obedience are necessary components of that faith, which are also gifts from God. We are given the ability to repent of sin and to believe and to obey because of Jesus Christ and what he did for us, and because of the working and power of the Holy Spirit of God within us transforming our hearts and minds to make us more like Jesus. So, when the apostles said that the Holy Spirit is given to those who obey Christ, this is not work-based salvation. This is salvation by faith, a faith that proves itself genuine through repentance and obedience, both of which are gifts and workings of the Holy Spirit of God in our lives.

Never Stop!

The members of the Sanhedrin were furious with the apostles. They wanted to put them to death. A Pharisee came to their defense and reasoned with the Sanhedrin. He advised them to leave the men alone and to let them go, for if their purpose or activity was of God, they would only find themselves fighting against God. That is so true! The Bible talks much on this subject. If we are truly following Jesus Christ and others oppose us for following Christ, in reality they are, in fact, fighting against and opposing God himself and his work. So, we must be so careful that we don’t quickly judge others just because their methods or words might not fit within our culture or comfort zone. We must weigh carefully their words against the word of God to see if they add up. Yet, we must be so careful not to judge by human standards or the standards of this world or even of our own culture, but to judge righteously as God judges, so that we are not opposing God in what we do and say.

Again the apostles were ordered not to speak in the name of Jesus Christ, and then they were let go. They left the Sanhedrin rejoicing and praising God because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the name of Christ. Wow! What an awesome example to us for how we should all respond to persecution. Day after day, in the temple courts, and from house to house, they NEVER STOPPED teaching and proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. Amen! Awesome! May we be like this! May we never give way to persecution, rejection, unjust suffering, or human rebuke. And, may we always keep on keeping on in sharing the truth of the word of Christ and of his gospel to all who will listen.

Abide With Me / Henry F. Lyte / William H. Monk

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;

The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.

When other helpers fail and comforts flee,

Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;

Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away;

Change and decay in all around I see;

O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

I need Thy presence every passing hour.

What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?

Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?

Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;

Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.

Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?

I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;

Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.

Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;

In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

Bold as a Lion

Thursday, July 5, 2012, 5:00 a.m. – The Lord woke me this morning with the song “Blessed Assurance” playing through my mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Acts 4:1-22 (NIV 1984):

The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.

The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men of the high priest’s family. They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is

“‘the stone you builders rejected,

    which has become the capstone.’

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”

Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.

My Understanding: As I read this passage of scripture this morning, there were five main verses or passages that stood out to me, in particularly, which is what I will concentrate on this morning.

Many Believed

Peter and John were speaking to the people about Jesus Christ. They were approached by the priests, the Sadducees, and the captain of the temple guard. Talk about intimidating! Imagine speaking to someone or a group of people about Jesus Christ, and then having the highest ranking religious and civil authorities approach you to question you, and, perhaps, also to scold you for what you are doing. Some people don’t have to imagine this, because this still happens today to people all over the world. Still, in the USA, we have relative freedom to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with people… at least for now we do.

The religious and civil authorities were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people about Jesus Christ, specifically concerning the resurrection of the dead, because the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, if I remember correctly. So, they seized Peter and John and threw them in jail for the night. Yet, many who had heard them speaking believed in Jesus Christ, and the number of men (plus women and children, too, I imagine) grew to about five thousand.

Ok, so Peter and John were sharing the gospel. They faced severe opposition from religious and civil authorities. And, they were thrown in jail because of their testimony for Christ. I am assuming here that this was done publicly and that some of the people witnessed this taking place. This means that the people who heard the message saw what could happen to them, too, if they chose to believe in Jesus Christ, and they chose to believe in spite of the severe opposition and the persecution they knew would most likely be awaiting them. Wow! We know so little of this in the USA now, but one day, I believe, we will experience what others throughout the world have already experienced, and are still experiencing on a daily basis. If we were to be treated as they were treated, would we be so bold as to continue sharing the gospel?

The Spirit

The next day the rulers brought Peter and John before the Sanhedrin, which was kind of like our Supreme Court here in the USA. It was made up of religious and civil authorities, and usually members of the Sadducees and Pharisees were on this supreme ruling council. John and Peter were, thus, questioned by this supreme council of leaders. They asked them by what power or what name they had brought healing to the crippled beggar.

Then it says, “Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit said to them…” If you were to do a word search in your Bible concordance on the word “filled,” you would find many instances where it spoke of men of God being “filled with the Spirit” before they spoke in Jesus’ name or before they performed some miracle or healing of some kind. We learned a day or two ago that Ephesians 5 teaches on this subject of filling of the Holy Spirit. We are baptized with the Holy Spirit when we come to faith in Jesus Christ. That is when we are crucified to our flesh and are risen (born again) to new life in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Yet, the scriptures also talk about being filled with the Spirit, which literally means “be being filled,” and is in the context of putting off the old man and putting on Christ and the things of the Spirit.

So, when it says Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit, it means he was walking closely with Christ, he had a clear conscience, he was living in submission and surrender to God, and to God’s will for his life, and he was daily putting off his flesh, i.e. he daily died to his old man, and daily he chose to walk in obedience to Christ and to follow him wherever he led him. Being filled with the Spirit is not an emotional experience unrelated to our repentance or our obedience to Christ. It means we have chosen to not walk according to our flesh and the ways of this world, but we have chosen to be completely surrendered to Christ. Then, he can use us in powerful ways to do his work here on this earth.

The Capstone

Peter, filled with the Spirit, answered their question, and he addressed his response to the Sanhedrin and all the people of Israel. He said it was by the name of Jesus Christ, whom they had crucified but whom God raised from the dead (a sore point for the Sadducees), that the man stood healed. Then, he went on to let them know that Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of prophecy of scripture. Jesus Christ is “’the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Amen!

A capstone is the top stone of any structure, usually a building or a wall. In other passages of scripture Jesus is called the “cornerstone,” which is “the first stone laid at a corner where two walls begin and form the first part of a new building” (Encarta). Also, a capstone is a keystone: “The keystone, or capstone, is the center stone found at the top of the arch. In this position it supports the surrounding bricks or stones and helps distribute the weight of the remainder of the arch. Its name ‘keystone’ comes from its importance: without it, the arch would collapse. Romans were the first to use keystones in their arches.”

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/list_5943872_parts-arch-roman-architecture.html#ixzz1zkUcO6PL

So, what Peter was saying is that Jesus Christ is God, he is the promised Messiah to the Jewish people, he is the top, the first, the most important, the foundation, the beginning, the center, the support, the key, and that without him as our Lord and Savior, we will collapse. He created all things and he holds all things together. He is to be number one in our lives, and have the most central place in all that we think, do and say, and he is to be the boss, our support (emotionally and spiritually), and from him all else should flow in our lives. So many people have this inverted. We need to understand what Peter was saying here. Jesus is to be the King of our hearts and lives and everything else in our lives should come out from that relationship with him, not the other way around.

Jesus said that if anyone would want to come after him (to believe in him), he must deny himself (his own selfish ways), take up his cross daily (daily die to the old flesh nature), and follow (obey) Jesus Christ, going wherever he leads us. This is what it means to believe. The people who heard Peter’s message understood this. They knew that when they believed in Jesus that it could cost them their lives. And, that is the approach we should take, too, in surrendering our lives to Jesus Christ – we should give him our all in perfect submission. It is there that, in that state of perfect submission, that we find rest, peace, joy, assurance of salvation, and we are enveloped in the love of Jesus Christ.

With Jesus

When the Sanhedrin saw the courage of Peter and John, recognizing that these were ordinary and unschooled men, they were amazed, and they “took note that these men had been with Jesus.” Cool! They saw that what the men were able to say and accomplish, as well as their courage under fire, was outside of their own natural habitat and level of education. Yet, better than all that, they “took note” that the men had been with Jesus. I wonder if the same could be said about us. I mean, when people here us speak, or watch how we behave, or when they read what we write (formally or informally), would they take note that we had been with Jesus? Could they tell that we not only spend time with Jesus each day, but that we show we believe what we say we do by how we act and speak when we are not in the public eye? I believe that is a challenge for each one of us.

Obey God

The Sanhedrin dismissed the apostles and then they conferred about what to do with them. Their goal was to stop the gospel of Jesus Christ from spreading further, so they commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus. What would you do if someone in authority over you commanded you not to speak in the name of Jesus? Would you retreat or continue? They replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Awesome! Amen! I pray that would always be my attitude, i.e. that I would never stop speaking in the name of Jesus Christ, even if threatened, severely persecuted, hated, rebuked, rejected, mocked, ridiculed and/or even if I am falsely accused, because Jesus Christ was treated the same way so I could be free of my sin! Amen! And, I can do no less than praise him, thank him, obey him, live for him, and serve him for all he did for me!

Blessed Assurance / Fanny Crosby

Blessèd assurance, Jesus is mine!

O what a foretaste of glory divine!

Heir of salvation, purchase of God,

Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,

Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;

Angels descending bring from above

Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Perfect submission, all is at rest

I in my Savior am happy and blest,

Watching and waiting, looking above,

Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

This is my story, this is my song,

Praising my Savior, all the day long;

This is my story, this is my song,

Praising my Savior, all the day long.

Times of Refreshing

Wednesday, July 4, 2012, 5:25 a.m. – The Lord woke me this morning with the song “Refresh My Spirit” playing through my mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Acts 3 (quoting selected passages in NIV 1984):

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people.’

“Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days. And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

The Setting

Peter and John, two of Jesus’ disciples, went to the temple at the time of prayer. They encountered a crippled beggar there who asked them for money. Peter told the beggar they had no money to give him, but they would give him what they did have. “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk,” said Peter. They took the man by the hand, the man’s feet and ankles became strong, and he jumped to his feet and began to walk. The people were all amazed at seeing this man, whom they recognized as the crippled beggar, now walking, jumping and praising God.

A crowd gathered out of curiosity and astonishment. When Peter saw the crowd he took the opportunity to talk with them about Jesus Christ, whom they had crucified. Peter said:

“You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see. Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer.”

The Instructions

Then Peter told them to repent, and to turn to God, so that their sins might be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send Christ.

So, what does it mean to repent? Is it merely to feel sorrow in one’s heart over wrongs committed? Or is it much more than that? Paul said this about sorrow and repentance:

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. ~ 2 Co. 7:10-11

Turn

So, it is possible to feel sorrow and perhaps even regret in one’s heart over wrongs committed but it never lead to repentance or to salvation. True repentance does not merely feel sorrow or regret over sin. True repentance leads to changed hearts and lives. To repent means to turn away from our sin and to go the opposite direction. Then we turn to God to walk with him in obedience and surrender to his will for our lives. The two are coupled together, and together they comprise what it truly means to have faith and to believe in Jesus Christ. Faith is not just something we think or feel, but it is something we demonstrate by what we do. In other words, if we say we believe Jesus Christ died on the cross to set us free from sin, and yet we continue in sin, where is our faith? James said that “Faith without works is dead.” We are not saved by works, but true faith reveals itself as genuine by what we do in heart response to what Jesus Christ did for us.

If we want to be saved and to spend eternity with God in heaven, we must believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We must turn from our sin, and we must turn to walk with God in obedience and surrender. This teaching is all through the New Testament. There is no way around it. This is what it means to believe in Jesus Christ. And, this is what is required for Jesus to forgive us of our sins and to give us eternal life. Yet, we do not do this in our own flesh. Even the ability to repent is a gift from God, yet we must appropriate it to our own lives via cooperating with the Holy Spirit’s work of transformation in our hearts and lives. To turn from our sin means to make a conscious choice of our will to not willfully yield to sin’s deceitfulness, but to live holy lives pleasing to God, not in absolute perfection, but with a heart attitude that desires to please God in all that we do and say and that repents of sin whenever the Holy Spirit puts his finger upon a sin area in our lives.

Refresh

Peter said that we should repent, turn to God, so that our sins may be wiped out, and that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. To “refresh” something means to revive; enliven; recharge; rejuvenate, and regenerate, etc. To “regenerate” someone or something means “to form again;” or “to recover from decline” (Encarta). So, this can be speaking of “new birth,” when we come to faith in Jesus Christ, and/or it can be speaking of bringing us back into a strong faith in Jesus Christ if we are in a state of spiritual decline or apathy. “Times” of refreshing would seem to indicate more than one time. When we are saved, that is not the end of it until we get to heaven. Salvation is a life-long process of sanctification until we reach heaven one day, or when Jesus returns, when our salvation will be complete. We are continually growing and being made holy. So, there will be, perhaps, many “times of refreshing” that will need to take place in our hearts and lives to keep us revitalized and walking with and serving our Lord Jesus Christ in all that we do until he returns.

So, if you are presently in a state of spiritual decline, apathy, slumber, stagnancy, or rebellion, and you know that you are not walking, jumping and praising the Lord publicly for all that he has done for you in your life in healing you of your sin and of giving you a new life in Jesus Christ, then my prayer for you today is that you will humble yourself, get on your knees, pray, turn from your sins, and choose this day to follow Jesus Christ in all that you do and say; to listen to him, and to obey him in all things. The word of God strongly teaches us that those who truly know Christ are those who obey him and who do the will of God. We can’t have a casual approach to Christianity or to salvation. We are not saved and then one day we die and go to heaven, and so we just live how we want in the time in between. Jesus Christ saved us to radically transform our hearts, minds and lives so that we live and walk with him in obedience and surrender day by day by day.

So, I pray today, Lord Jesus, for everyone reading this today, including for myself, that you will send these times of refreshing, that you will revive our hearts, and that we will all choose today to live our lives with eternity’s values in view. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Refresh My Spirit, Lord / An Original Work / August 8, 2011

Based off of Psalm 51 & Matthew 11:28-30

Refresh my spirit, Lord. Revive my heart today.

Move me to serve You, Lord in all I do and say.

Be my heart’s one desire; my spirit set on fire

In pure devotion, Lord, to love you and obey.

Create within me, Lord, a pure heart, this I pray,

So I can worship You and yield to You always.

May all Your love and pow’r be lived in me, I pray,

So I might love as You; be Your witness today.

Jesus says, “Come to me all you with heavy hearts,

And find in me your peace, and give to me your all.

My yoke is light to bear, ‘cause I paid for your sin,

So you might be set free, and purified within.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlPBpizIc04  

Holy Spirit Power

Monday, July 02, 2012, 7:42 a.m. – The Lord woke me this morning with the song “There is a Redeemer” playing in my mind. I can’t recall the last time I heard that song by Keith and Melody Green.

There is a Redeemer / Melody Green / Keith Green

Jesus my Redeemer,

Name above all names,

Precious Lamb of God, Messiah,

Oh, for sinners slain.

Thank you, oh my Father,

For giving us Your Son,

And leaving Your Spirit,

'til the work on earth is done.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3_Ufa9pdbQ

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Acts 1:1-11 (NIV 1984):

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

My Understanding: In this song “There is a Redeemer,” the authors thanked God the Father for giving us Jesus Christ as our perfect Lamb sacrifice for our sins to redeem us from the ultimate penalty of our sin (eternal damnation and eternal separation from God), and to set us free from the control of sin over our daily lives. Jesus Christ, God the Son, our Lord and Messiah, was crucified on a cross for our sins. When he died, he took upon himself the sins of the entire world. He buried our sins with him in that grave, yet he rose from the dead triumphant over death, hell, Satan and sin. Hallelujah!

The authors did not stop there, though. They also thanked God the Father for leaving his Holy Spirit with us and in us until his work on this earth is completed, and until Jesus Christ returns to earth for his bride, to judge, and to set up his millennial kingdom reign on the earth. The theme of this passage of scripture in Acts, chapter 1, centers on this subject of the Holy Spirit and his working in our hearts and lives, and speaks, as well, as did the authors of this song, about Jesus’ return one day when we will see our Lord face to face.

In Acts 1, Luke wrote about how Jesus, following his death and resurrection, had appeared to his disciples numerous times over a period of forty days. On one of those occasions he spoke with them concerning the Holy Spirit whom he had promised to send to them. He instructed them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Then, he said, “For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” John the Baptist had said this, too, about his baptism of people with water in contrast to Jesus’ baptism of us with the Holy Spirit. So, the disciples had heard this before. And, then Jesus told them that when they received the promised Holy Spirit, i.e. when he came upon them, they would be Christ’s witnesses to the ends of the earth.

As I read this passage this morning, in combination with the lyrics to this song, the Lord Jesus gave me a picture of the lesson he wanted me to learn and to share from this today. First of all Jesus spoke with his disciples about the gift of the Holy Spirit they were to receive, and then he talked about some of the effects of receiving this gift of the Holy Spirit – they would be empowered by the Holy Spirit to be Christ’s witnesses to the ends of the earth. And, the song spoke of God the Father leaving his Spirit here for us to complete the work Jesus had begun until Jesus Christ returns one day for his bride. So, with that in mind, the Lord led me to look into his word to see what it taught concerning the receiving of the Holy Spirit, the filling of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit’s working in our hearts and lives, and what our response should be to the Holy Spirit’s work in our hearts and lives.

Receiving the Holy Spirit (baptized with the Holy Spirit)

First of all, the Holy Spirit is a gift from God the Father. We can do nothing within ourselves to earn or deserve the Holy Spirit within our lives. Yet, Jesus Christ has laid down requirements for receiving this gift, which is the same as receiving the gift of salvation, because when we believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes within the life of the believer. We must have believing faith in Jesus Christ that demonstrates itself as genuine through repentance (turning from sin), and obedience to Christ and to his commands. We must die to our old lives of sin, be transformed in heart and mind by the working of the Holy Spirit in regeneration (new birth), and we must put on our new lives in Christ Jesus, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:24). This is what water baptism signifies, and this is what it means to be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

When we are baptized with the Holy Spirit in regeneration (new birth), we choose to no longer live according to the sinful nature, but according to the Spirit. We now have our minds set on what the Spirit desires, not what our flesh desires. We submit willingly to Christ’s commands and we choose to live to please God in all we do. We choose to put to death the misdeeds of our fleshly bodies, so that we might live eternally with God. Instead of allowing our flesh to lead and rule our lives, we now yield to the Spirit of God as the boss of our lives. [See Romans 8] We understand that when we were outside of Christ that we were slaves to sin and depravity, and that through faith in Jesus Christ, by his grace, we have been freed from the control of sin over our lives. So, we count ourselves dead to sin, but alive to Christ. We no longer allow sin to reign (rule; control) our lives, so that we obey its evil desires, but we now offer ourselves to God as instruments of righteousness, holy and pleasing to him, no longer conformed to the pattern of this world. [See Rom. 6; 12:1-2]

Being filled with the Holy Spirit

The scriptures also teach about being filled with the Holy Spirit. This is separate from being baptized with the Holy Spirit in regeneration (new birth), in that it is an ongoing process. In other words, we receive the Holy Spirit when we receive Christ. He comes within us, indwells us, empowers us, sets his seal of ownership upon us, and he transforms us into new creatures in Christ Jesus. Yet, salvation is a process of being transformed into Christ’s image, and, although the Holy Spirit is within us, we are to be continually being filled up in measure of the Spirit within us. In Ephesians 5:18 we read that we are not to get drunk on wine, which leads to wickedness, but we are to “be being filled” (literally) with the Spirit.

If we read this Ephesians passage in context, we get a bigger picture of what this “be being filled” with the Spirit entails. Ephesians 4 speaks much on the subject of putting off our old lives of sin, being transformed in mind, and putting on our new self in Christ Jesus. It speaks of how we need to stop lying, and we need to tell the truth. We need to stop stealing, and we need to work and give to the needy. In our anger we should not sin. We should not do anything to give the devil a foothold (grip) in our lives. We should not allow unwholesome talk to come out of our mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up in the faith. We should be kind, compassionate and forgiving, instead of demonstrating bitterness, hatred, rage or malice against others. In all that we do, we should not grieve the Holy Spirit who sealed us for the day of redemption.

We were once darkness, but now we are children of light, so we should live as children of light in all goodness, righteousness and truth, and we should find out what pleases the Lord. We need to be careful how we live, not as unwise, but as wise. We are not to be foolish, but we are to understand what the Lord’s will is for our lives. Ok, then it says we should not get drunk on wine but we should “be being filled” with the Holy Spirit. The contrast is clear! Drunkenness expresses itself in something else being in control of our lives (other than Christ), which leads to all kinds of evil. We are out of control. One of the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit is self-control. Instead of being controlled by evil, we should be under the continual control of the Holy Spirit of God. This is what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit. It is not an emotional experience. It is dying to self and it is living for God.

The Working of the Holy Spirit

Wow! There is not enough space or time here to list all the things the Holy Spirit does. I have already mentioned some. He also teaches us all things about God and reminds us of the words of Christ. He gives us the words to say when we are brought before rulers on account of our testimony for Christ. He empowers us to be Christ’s witnesses. He encourages, strengthens, warns of danger, gives hope and healing, serves as our conscience, gives peace and joy, sanctifies and makes us holy, fills us with deep conviction concerning the things of God that must be shared with others, comforts, leads, guides and helps us where we need help, gives us spiritual gifts (see Rom. 12; 1 Co. 12; Eph. 4), and he convicts us of sin, inspires and instructs us in the way we should go, exhorts, chastises and speaks words of judgment, too, to his church (see Rev. 2-3).

Our heart response to the Holy Spirit’s work

We need to remember always what Jesus Christ did for us in saving us, not just from the penalty of sin, but in freeing us from the control of sin so that we are free to love, serve and obey him, and to walk in daily fellowship with him. We need to remember that the Holy Spirit of God now dwells within us and we are the temple of God, we were bought with a price, and we are no longer our own. So, we are to honor God with our lives by fleeing from the temptations to sin, and by living to please God in all we do. We must walk now by the Spirit of God, so that we don’t gratify the desires of our sinful nature. The Spirit of God and our sinful nature are in conflict with each other and cannot coexist. We must now focus our minds, hearts and attention on building ourselves up in our most holy faith and on praying in the Spirit of God, believing God to do the work within us as we cooperate with his work.

My Desire / Lillian Plankenhorn

My desire, to be like Jesus

My desire, to be like Him.

His Spirit fill me, His love o'erwhelm me;

In deed and word, to be like Him.

A Prayer for Mercy

Sunday, July 01, 2012, 7:30 a.m. – the Lord woke me with the song “Now Abiding” playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Psalm 17 (NIV 1984):

Hear, O Lord, my righteous plea;

    listen to my cry.

Give ear to my prayer—

    it does not rise from deceitful lips.

May my vindication come from you;

    may your eyes see what is right.

Though you probe my heart and examine me at night,

    though you test me, you will find nothing;

    I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.

As for the deeds of men—

    by the word of your lips

I have kept myself

    from the ways of the violent.

My steps have held to your paths;

    my feet have not slipped.

I call on you, O God, for you will answer me;

    give ear to me and hear my prayer.

Show the wonder of your great love,

    you who save by your right hand

    those who take refuge in you from their foes.

Keep me as the apple of your eye;

    hide me in the shadow of your wings

from the wicked who assail me,

    from my mortal enemies who surround me.

They close up their callous hearts,

    and their mouths speak with arrogance.

They have tracked me down, they now surround me,

    with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.

They are like a lion hungry for prey,

    like a great lion crouching in cover.

Rise up, O Lord, confront them, bring them down;

    rescue me from the wicked by your sword.

O Lord, by your hand save me from such men,

    from men of this world whose reward is in this life.

You still the hunger of those you cherish;

    their sons have plenty,

    and they store up wealth for their children.

And I—in righteousness I will see your face;

    when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

The Examination

This is a prayer of King David. He was facing much opposition from physical enemies. So, he was calling upon God to show him great love and mercy. Yet, before he could pray that part of his prayer, he obviously had spent much time with the Lord in soul searching, examining his own heart before the Lord, and perhaps even confessing any known sin in his life and heart, as well as asking the Lord to examine him, too. Then, he could say with confidence that his prayer to God was a righteous plea that stemmed from pure motives, and that there was no deceit on his lips; no deceit in his utterance to God in prayer.

David made his appeal to God on the basis of God’s righteous judgment. If God, in the night, had probed his heart and had examined his thoughts, motives, and actions, God would have found that David was not holding on to any known sin in his heart. He had resolved to not sin with his mouth. [That is a tall order, especially when we read what James (in the NT) said about the tongue.] David, also, purposefully had kept himself from the ways (actions and attitudes) of people who willfully do evil, and he had walked in the ways of the Lord, and in the truth of his word. Could we all say this, in truth?

When he said that his feet had not slipped, I am most certain David was not making claims to absolute sinless perfection, but that in his present state of heart examination, he found that he had been faithful to God. And, so he felt justified in bringing his appeal to God.

This idea of heart examination is not just an Old Testament principle. It has its counterpart in the New Testament, too. Paul, in giving instructions on communion, stated that “A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.” If a person partakes in communion with our Lord, whether in the physical elements in the Christian rite of communion, or whether speaking of his intimate relationship with the Lord in prayer, fellowship, adoration, thanksgiving and in making requests of God, it is essential that he come into that time with the Lord with a pure heart and a clear conscience. For, if we come into a time of communion with the Lord, in remembrance of what he did in sacrificing his life for us so that we can be free from sin, while we knowingly are holding on to sin, we “eat and drink” judgment on ourselves.

Is this where we are presently? Have we examined our hearts and minds before God in prayer, and can we honestly say before God that he would not find any hold of sin, or any sin not yet repented of existing still within our lives, hearts and minds? Would he say of us that he finds no deceit in us, and that our steps have held to his path?

The Enemy

David’s enemies were wicked people. They had surrounded him, and they were attacking him, most likely with physical weapons of war, but they could have been attacking him with lies and accusations, too, especially since David said that his enemies spoke with arrogance. These were violent men who had tracked David down and whose mission and goal was to destroy David, in one way or another. They were coldhearted men who had determined to remain that way and to show no compassion. David described them as “like a lion hungry for prey; like a great lion crouching in cover” just waiting to pounce on its victims. These men had no regard for God or for his word. They were worldly men whose reward was in this life, i.e. they worked for earthly benefits, not for heavenly values and rewards.

The New Testament speaks of two kinds of enemies: 1. People who are willfully mistreating, abusing, taking advantage of, and persecuting us, etc. and 2. Satan and his evil forces.

We are taught in the New Testament, with regard to physical enemies (made up of human beings), that we are to feed them, if they are hungry, and to give them something to drink, if they are thirsty (see Ro. 12:20). Jesus said that we are to love our enemies, to do good to those who hate us, to say kind things about those who say bad things about us, and we are to pray for those who mistreat us (see Luke 6:27-35).

He also said that, because of our faith and testimony for Jesus Christ, our enemies could even be members of our own household. Yet, our love for Jesus should always rule over our love for our family members, i.e. we should always choose to please Jesus first. Jesus came to set us free from the hand of our enemies, though not necessarily physical deliverance in this life, but to free us from the fear of man, and to enable us to serve him without fear (see Luke 1:68-79).

We are also taught that we were once enemies of God and of the cross of Christ when we were still in our unbelief (see Ro. 5:10; Phil. 3:18; Col. 1:21). That thought should humble us. So, we should pray for our enemies to find Christ, too. And, we should leave the judgment to God, i.e. he will pay back trouble to those who troubled us in this life when he returns to earth to judge his enemies and to deliver us.

With regard to Satan as our enemy, we are taught that we are to be self-controlled and alert, because our enemy is like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (see 1 Pet. 5:7-9). David described his enemy much in the same way. We are to resist the devil, standing firm in the faith (cf. Jms. 4:7), and submit ourselves to God, all of which David did. We are to be careful not to give Satan a foothold in our lives (see Eph. 4), but we are to put off the misdeeds of the flesh, and we are to put on the things of the Spirit. We can’t expect to keep from sinning if we are opening the door for Satan into our homes, minds and hearts via what we take into our eyes and minds. We are to daily put on the “armor of God” (see Eph. 6:10-20), so that we can take our stand against the devil’s schemes, for our true struggle is not against flesh and blood (humans) but against the spiritual forces of evil (of the devil).

The Appeal

David asked for an audience with God. He asked him to hear his righteous plea and to listen to his cry. He asked that his vindication (to be declared righteous and not to blame) come from God. It appears that his enemy may have been falsely accusing him of wrongdoing, so he was asking God to clear his name, basically, and to set the record straight. And, he could ask this on the basis of his own heart examination and his clear conscience.

David took refuge in God, at least at this time in his life. He had no desire to get even with his enemies of his own accord. He acknowledged that God was a just God, and that he saves those who take refuge in God. Yet, we know from Biblical history, as well as from the instructions given to us in the New Testament, that God never promises absolute deliverance (physically) from all physical enemies at all times. Many times it is God’s will that we suffer unjustly at the hands of wicked and evil people, or ignorant people who think they are doing a service for God by mistreating us. Yet, he always promises spiritual protection, his peace, assurance, joy, love, kindness, tenderness, and compassion during times of physical or emotional suffering at the hands of either physical or spiritual enemies.

David asked that God would keep him as the apple of his eye, meaning that he is special and treasured in God’s sight. He also asked that God would hide (shelter) him in the shadow (safety) of his wings (arms). He was praying for both physical and spiritual protection from his enemies.

This kind of relationship David described between him and God is descriptive of what our relationship should be with Jesus Christ when we are walking in fellowship, surrender, and obedience to him and to his will for our lives on a daily basis. It begins with confession, repentance, and the resolve to keep our lives free from sin, and to follow Jesus Christ in obedience, and then it grows on a daily basis as we continue in this resolve, and as we daily spend time with our Lord in fellowship, prayer, confession, repentance, obedience, worship, and service, as the Lord leads and directs us in his ways. Then, we can expect God to hear our pleas for mercy and to give us the spiritual and emotional protection we need.

Now Abiding / An Original Work / January 31, 2012

Walking with Him; have Him near me,

Brings me comfort, joy and healing.

Now abiding in His presence;

His words speaking, oh, how gently:

Speak conviction, inspiration,

And instruction in right living.

Hope and comfort Jesus brings you,

When you’re walking with Him daily.

Be His servant; share the gospel;

Be His witness of salvation.

Love your brothers and your sisters.

Share with them that Jesus loves them.

Talking daily with my Savior;

List’ning to Him while He teaches,

Draws me closer; get to know Him,

So that I can now obey Him.

Follow Him where’er He leads me.

Worship only Jesus, Savior.

http://youtu.be/27fKCFSK-oc