Shouts of Joy!

Thursday, December 13, 2012, 7:55 a.m. – the Lord woke me with the song “I Will Lift My Eyes” playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Psalm 27 (NIV 1984):

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 evil men advance against me

    to devour my flesh,

when my enemies and my foes attack me,

    they will stumble and fall.

Though an army besiege me,

    my heart will not fear;

though war break out against me,

    even then will I be confident.

One thing I ask of the Lord,

    this is what I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

    all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord

    and to seek him in his temple.

For in the day of trouble

    he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle

    and set me high upon a rock…

at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;

    I will sing and make music to the Lord.

Hear my voice when I call, O Lord;

    be merciful to me and answer me.

My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”

    Your face, Lord, I will seek.

Do not hide your face from me…

    you have been my helper.

Do not reject me or forsake me,

    O God my Savior.

Though my father and mother forsake me,

    the Lord will receive me.

Teach me your way, O Lord;

    lead me in a straight path

    because of my oppressors…

I am still confident of this:

    I will see the goodness of the Lord

    in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord;

    be strong and take heart

    and wait for the Lord.

Our Enemies

Not many people in this world are completely free of all enemies, nor should it be our goal to be absent of enemy attacks or disdain against us. In other words, we should not make it our goal to live to please men or to avoid all conflict through compromise or through patronizing those who think differently from us. Jesus said we would be hated. He said:

“All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” ~ Matt. 10:22

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.” ~ Matt. 24:9

“Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.” ~ Luk.6:22

And, we read in 2 Tim. 3:12-13: “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”

So, if we are following Jesus Christ with our lives, and we are walking in obedience to him in all ways, and we are sharing the truth of the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ with the world around us, we should expect that there will be those who won’t like us, and who may even be actively against us, and disconcertingly enough, many of those may even be within the church and/or the church leadership.

Yet, the Bible teaches us that our true enemies are not flesh and blood, but are of Satan and are of his world. In other words, this is a spiritual battle, not a physical one, and it must be fought and won with the spiritual resources and armor of God (see Eph. 6) which he has supplied for us with which to fight off Satan’s attacks against us. And, Satan will use people as his instruments, whether they are conscious of that fact or not. Yet, we are to love those who hate us, we are to treat them with kindness, and we are to pray for them.

Our Salvation

The Lord Jesus Christ came to earth, took on human flesh (as a newborn baby), went through the same kinds of sufferings and temptations we regularly endure, yet without sin, was betrayed, forsaken, beaten beyond recognition and hung on a cross to die, although he had done no wrong, but had only done what was good. Yet, this was God’s plan of redemption for you and for me so that, in his death, our sins would be crucified with him, and when he rose from the dead, he would conquer death, hell, Satan and sin so that we could be set free – from eternal damnation and from slavery to sin on a day-to-day basis.

We accept his plan of salvation for our lives by God’s grace, and by the working of the Holy Spirit in our hearts in transforming us from those who walk according to our fleshly desires to those who walk according to the Spirit of God. This work of God’s grace in our hearts is what gives us the faith to believe, and is that which empowers us to repent of (turn from) our sins, and to turn to God to follow Jesus Christ in faithful obedience. This is why Jesus died, so that we would be with him today and forever in fellowship with him, and so that we would live lives pleasing to God, free from the control and bondage to sin, and free to obey Jesus Christ in all ways. Although our salvation is a working of the Spirit of God in our hearts, and not of the works of our flesh, we must cooperate with the Spirit’s work by faith.

Our Stronghold

Once we have entered into genuine relationship with Jesus Christ by faith (repentance + obedience), then we can begin to experience what David wrote about concerning his relationship with God in this psalm. We can know, because we know God, that no matter how many physical or spiritual enemies come against us, because we are followers of Jesus Christ, and because of our testimony for Jesus Christ, that we need not be afraid. God has it all under control. We can turn to our Lord in faith and trust in his power, his love, his strength and his sovereignty over all things, and we can know that God is looking out for those who are truly his disciples. This does not mean we will not suffer, but it means that we don’t have to fear, because God is with us always, and he will give us all we need.

Teach Me

David’s joy and peace came through his times alone with God in fellowship with him. He loved God’s house and desired nothing more than to be with God forever. When we believe in Jesus Christ as Lord (master) and Savior of our lives, we enter into his eternal kingdom, by faith, and we have the promise and hope of eternal life with God in glory. This world is no longer our home, for we live our lives for what is eternal in value. We should all love those personal times of intimacy with our Lord Jesus each day where we come into his holy temple, when we seek his face, when we learn at his feet, and then when we walk in obedience to what he has shown us. For this is how we are kept safe spiritually.

David’s desire was for the Lord to teach him his ways and to lead him in a straight path. We learn the ways of the Lord through his word, through the witness of the Holy Spirit within us, and through obedience. He cannot teach us his ways if we are not in his word each day drinking in whatever he has for us, and/or if we are not walking in obedience to what he shows us, because this reveals our hearts are not willing or receptive to hear and to obey. The same applies if we are only willing to hear what tickles our itching ears and/or if we set limits on what commands of God we will obey and which ones we won’t. This reveals we are not interested in the straight path he has for us which is free from wanderings, dishonesty, immorality, and any kind of deviation from his commands and from the true gospel. So, to pray this prayer means we must be willing to give it all to Christ, holding nothing back.

Shouts of Joy

The psalmist had physical enemies who were attacking him or who were plotting attacks against him. Yet, he put his confidence and trust in the Lord and did not let fear consume him. He daily communed with his Lord and depended on the Lord’s strength, power and wisdom to overcome his enemies. And, in spite of his enemies surrounding him, he chose to sacrifice to God with shouts of joy, to sing and to make music to the Lord.

The scriptures speak much about singing and praising and being joyful, especially in times of grief, sorrow, pain, persecution, and enemy attacks against us in body, mind or spirit. This is part of our spiritual armor we put on with which to fight off Satan’s attacks. And, we don’t have to be particularly gifted at singing or at making music, either, for the Lord looks at our hearts and he hears what comes from our hearts.

So, when you are feeling under attack of Satan and/or when you are being persecuted or rejected for your testimony for Jesus Christ, sing praises to God, tell of all his wonderful works, and tell of his salvation, which he has provided for all the world to come to know God intimately and to be free from their burden of sin.

I Will Lift My Eyes / An Original Work / December 12, 2012

Based off Psalms 121-125

I will lift my eyes

To my Lord Most High.

My help comes from Him,

Who saved me from sin.

He will not let your foot slip, and

He who watches will not sleep.

Our Lord watches over you, and

Your life He will keep.

I will lift my eyes

To my Lord Most High.

My help comes from Him,

Who saved me from sin.

I give thanks to Him.

I will lift my eyes

To my God in heav’n.

I look to the Lord.

My sins, He’s forgiv’n.

Because of His great love for us,

He made us alive with Christ.

Through the kindness of our Savior,

He gave us new life.

I will lift my eyes

To my God in heav’n.

I look to the Lord.

My sins, He’s forgiv’n.

My home now in heav’n.

Praise be to the Lord,

Who is on our side.

Our help found in Him.

He gives peace within.

Those who trust will ne’er be shaken.

God will supply all we need.

Our Lord has done great things for us.

He’s our friend, indeed!

Praise be to the Lord,

Who is on our side.

Our help found in Him.

He gives peace within.

I can count on Him.

http://originalworks.info/i-will-lift-my-eyes-2/

I Will Lift My Eyes

Hebrews 12:2 says: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

In 2 Corinthians 4:18 we read: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

When we lift our eyes to the heavens and/or we fix our eyes on Jesus, this is not speaking merely of the use of our physical eyes, but this is speaking of our whole being – thoughts, attitudes, heart, emotion, and will. This means that the central focus of our lives, in all we do, think, are and speak is centered in Jesus Christ and his divine will for our lives, because of all that he has done for us in saving us from sin. We look to God, not to man, and not to the things of the world for our help, for all that we need, and to give us the strength and courage to live each and every day of our lives for Him and for His glory. And, God is faithful. “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2 Pet. 1:3 NIV ’84).

I Will Lift My Eyes / An Original Work / December 12, 2012

Based off Psalms 121-125

I will lift my eyes

To my Lord Most High.

My help comes from Him,

Who saved me from sin.

He will not let your foot slip, and

He who watches will not sleep.

Our Lord watches over you, and

Your life He will keep.

I will lift my eyes

To my Lord Most High.

My help comes from Him,

Who saved me from sin.

I give thanks to Him.

I will lift my eyes

To my God in heav’n.

I look to the Lord.

My sins, He’s forgiv’n.

Because of His great love for us,

He made us alive with Christ.

Through the kindness of our Savior,

He gave us new life.

I will lift my eyes

To my God in heav’n.

I look to the Lord.

My sins, He’s forgiv’n.

My home now in heav’n.

Praise be to the Lord,

Who is on our side.

Our help found in Him.

He gives peace within.

Those who trust will ne’er be shaken.

God will supply all we need.

Our Lord has done great things for us.

He’s our friend, indeed!

Praise be to the Lord,

Who is on our side.

Our help found in Him.

He gives peace within.

I can count on Him.

Song lyrics @ Public Domain

Video, MP3, Song Lyrics, Sheet Music w/chords (free):

http://originalworks.info/i-will-lift-my-eyes-2/

The Way Chosen for You

Tuesday, December 11, 2012, 8:30 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with the song “Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us” playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Psalm 25 (quoting vv. 1-2a, 4-12, & 14-15 in the NIV 1984):

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;

    in you I trust, O my God…

Show me your ways, O Lord,

    teach me your paths;

guide me in your truth and teach me,

    for you are God my Savior,

    and my hope is in you all day long.

Remember, O Lord, your great mercy and love,

    for they are from of old.

Remember not the sins of my youth

    and my rebellious ways;

according to your love remember me,

    for you are good, O Lord.

Good and upright is the Lord;

    therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.

He guides the humble in what is right

    and teaches them his way.

All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful

    for those who keep the demands of his covenant.

For the sake of your name, O Lord,

    forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord?

    He will instruct him in the way chosen for him…

The Lord confides in those who fear him;

    he makes his covenant known to them.

My eyes are ever on the Lord,

    for only he will release my feet from the snare.

What are the ways of the Lord?

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.  What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?” (Lk 9:23-25)

“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Matt. 10:37-38).

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matt. 22:37-40).

What have we been taught?

“You were taught, 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” (Eph. 4:22-24).

“…that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord” (1 Co. 7:35).

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Col. 2:6-7).

“Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other” (1 Thess. 4:9).

“He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it” (Titus 1:9).

How has the Lord shown us mercy?

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (Eph. 2:4-5).

“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7).

What instructions have we received?

“It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit” (1 Thess. 4:3-8).

“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (1 Tim. 6:11-12).

“We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did” (1 Jn. 2:3-6).

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever” (1 Jn. 2:15-17).

“See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us—even eternal life” (1 Jn. 2:24-25).

In what ways has the Lord confided in those who fear him? (Another word for confide is “entrust”):

“But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted” (Ro. 6:17).

“On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts” (1 Thess. 2:4).

“What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us” (2 Tim. 1:13-14).

“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Tim. 2:2).

“Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away” (1 Pet. 5:2-4).

“Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 1:3).

The Way Chosen for You

The way chosen for you and for me is to accept God’s gift to us of eternal life with God, his forgiveness of our sins, and Christ’s blood sacrifice given for us so that we can be free from slavery to sin and delivered from eternal damnation without God forever. We do this through denial of ourselves and our selfish desires, by dying to our old lives of living in sin and self-pleasure (daily), and by following our Lord Jesus Christ in obedience to his commands he has for us.

When we choose to make Jesus Christ Lord (master; boss) and Savior (from slavery to sin) of our lives, we put off that old way of living in sin, the Holy Spirit of God transforms us in heart and mind in giving us new lives in Christ Jesus, and we become new creatures in Christ Jesus, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” We don’t put on Christ over our old lives, and we don’t use Christ as a means to clean up our old lives, but we allow the Spirit of God to transform us from one way of living to living to please God.

Then, we begin to grow in faith, in love (for God and others), and in obedience to his commands and to his will for our lives. We do this by spending time daily with him in prayer, in praise, in fellowship with God, in listening to what he has to teach us (through his word), and then through obeying what he teaches us that we should do, and how we should conduct our lives.

We also do this through the body of Christ, his true church, which is comprised of all true followers of Jesus Christ. We join with other believers for fellowship, the teaching of the word, for prayer and for communion, and/or the sharing of meals together with one another. We also join with the body of Christ for the purpose of using what gifts God has given us for the edification and encouragement of the saints of God so that they, too, may grow in his grace. This can be done anywhere at any time. Amen!

Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us / Dorothy A. Thrupp / William B. Bradbury

Savior, like a shepherd lead us, much we need Thy tender care;

 In Thy pleasant pastures feed us, for our use Thy folds prepare.

 Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus! Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.

 Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus! Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.

We are Thine, Thou dost befriend us, be the guardian of our way;

 Keep Thy flock, from sin defend us, seek us when we go astray.

 Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus! Hear, O hear us when we pray.

 Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus! Hear, O hear us when we pray.

Thou hast promised to receive us, poor and sinful though we be;

 Thou hast mercy to relieve us, grace to cleanse and power to free.

 Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus! We will early turn to Thee.

 Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus! We will early turn to Thee.

Early let us seek Thy favor, early let us do Thy will;

 Blessèd Lord and only Savior, with Thy love our bosoms fill.

 Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus! Thou hast loved us, love us still.

 Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus! Thou hast loved us, love us still.

No Temptation

December 10, 2012

The children of Israel in the Old Testament were under God’s leadership and divine protection. He provided for his people spiritually in much the same way in which he provides for his church, the saints of God, today. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with them.

We read in 1 Corinthians 10 that their lives serve as “examples to us to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.” And, the evil things they did and God’s judgments on them “were written down as warnings for us.” So, we read in scripture, “if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!”

Some people think that because we, as believers in Jesus Christ, are now under grace, and because all of our sins have been forgiven, that God is no longer concerned with our sin. He is! This passage in 1 Corinthians 10 makes it quite clear that whether we lived under the Old Covenant or we live under the New Covenant relationship with God, he still takes our sin seriously, which is why Jesus gave his life so we could go free from slavery to sin.

Some professing Christians live like Satan still has a hold on their lives, or as though Christ Jesus did not die to set us free from sin. Numerous people who confess Christ Jesus as Lord and as Savior of their lives use God’s grace as a free license to continue in willful sin against God. Many lack true understanding of what really took place when Jesus paid the penalty for our sin so we could go free, and so sin often gets the best of them. Some of them truly believe that they still don’t have the power to say “No” to sin. Yet, I Corinthians 10:13 says:

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”

You may think differently. You may have experienced some severe temptation in your life which you felt was way beyond what you could bear, and so you gave in to it. I have been there, so I know from experience what you are thinking. Yet, I lacked the faith and the trust in my Lord to believe that nothing was impossible with him, and that I could do all things through Christ who gave me strength! I was lacking in complete understanding of the power of the cross to conquer sin and Satan so that there is no longer a question as to who will win this battle. Christ has already won! And, I was incomplete in my understanding of the armor of God which he has supplied for us to fight off Satan’s attacks, and in how to use it. Yet, those were not viable excuses for continued sin, no matter what!

God has made a way for us out from underneath temptation to sin so that we no longer have to be controlled by sin. He did that when he died on the cross for our sins. Also, he will show us through his word how to resist Satan and our flesh, and how to draw near to God in full assurance of faith, if we will listen and if we will obey what he shows us.

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If you identify with anything I have shared with you today, and/or if you have any questions concerning anything that has been shared, you may reach me at www.originalworks.info. Thank you!

Audio and Video of Devotional: http://youtu.be/gK6A3XApibs

http://originalworks.info/no-temptation-2/

My Shepherd

Monday, December 10, 2012, 5:57 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me this morning with the song “A Believer’s Prayer” playing in my mind. Then he put this song in my mind:

Jesus, Lead Me / An Original Work / July 22, 2011

Jesus, lead me all the way.

Be my hope and be my stay.

Gently lead me where I should go,

So Your Spirit, I want to know.

Open up my heart to You.

Fill me with Your love and truth.

Make my heart want to obey.

Be my Lord today. Gently lead always.

Jesus, lover of my soul,

Cleanse my heart, and make me whole;

Be transformed in my heart today,

As I turn from my sin and pray.

Make Your will known to my heart.

May I not from You depart.

How I long to hear You now,

As I humbly bow. Jesus, hear me now.

http://originalworks.info/jesus-lead-me/

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Psalm 23 (NIV 1984):

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

    He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

    he restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness

    for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk

    through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

    for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

    they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me

    in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

    my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me

    all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

    forever.

My Shepherd

A shepherd is “somebody who looks after sheep” or is “somebody who is responsible for caring for and guiding a group of people” (Encarta). A shepherd, in Biblical times, fed the sheep, took them to pasture, groomed and sheared them, delivered their young, led them where they should go, went after any who wandered off, and protected them from anything or anyone who might harm them. This is a picture of Jesus, as our Good Shepherd.

The Bible oftentimes compares the people of God to sheep, and Jesus Christ to a shepherd, i.e. he is the Good Shepherd. A good shepherd would lay down his life for his sheep, and that is exactly what Jesus Christ, God the Son, did for the people of this world.

Jesus Christ, God the Son, left his home in heaven, came to earth, took on human flesh as a newborn baby, suffered, and was tempted as we are, yet without sin; was mocked, criticized, ridiculed, chastised, rejected, despised, hated for telling the truth, and forsaken, abandoned, denied and betrayed by his closest companions. He was beaten beyond recognition, and he was hung on a cross to die for the sins of the entire world. When he died, our sins died with him, and when he rose from the dead, he conquered death, hell, Satan and sin so that we could, by faith in him, be set free from slavery to and the ultimate punishment of sin (eternal damnation).

The true sheep of God, i.e. true followers of Jesus Christ know the voice of the Shepherd, they listen to him, and they follow him in obedience wherever he leads them. The Shepherd calls his sheep by name and he leads them. His sheep will only follow him. They will never follow a stranger (a false shepherd of the people), and, in fact, they will run away from a stranger, “because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice,” i.e. they are able to discern truth from lies. Jesus Christ is not only the Shepherd for the sheep, but he is the gate, and all who enter in through faith in him will be saved from their sins, and will have eternity with God in glory. Jesus Christ came to give us new and full lives in him. [See John 10]

Not in Want

A Good Shepherd takes good care of his sheep. Yet, not being in want does not mean that we will never go without anything of this world, that we will always be happy (by the world’s standards of happiness), and/or that we will never experience trouble or hardship, or persecution or sword. In fact, Jesus promised his disciples that they would go through hardship, that they would be persecuted and that they would be hated for the sake of his name and for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And, the New Testament writers echoed those words of Jesus when they told us much the same thing. We are taught, though, that these times of hardship and trouble are for our good – to teach us patience, endurance, perseverance and to mature us in our walks of faith with Jesus Christ.

So, what does it mean then to not be in want? I believe, whereas this might be speaking literally of physical shepherds and their sheep, it is speaking metaphorically and spiritually to us of our relationship with Jesus Christ, who is our Good Shepherd. Our green pastures and quiet waters, thus, are not physical, but speak spiritually of the Lord Jesus meeting our needs for spiritual nourishment and rest in him in the quiet trust we exercise in our relationship with him. He supplies all that we need for living this Christian life, and he will fill us with his peace and joy, with his presence, and with the knowledge of his power and his authority to work miracles in and through our lives for the glory of God. So, we never have to fear anything or anyone, because God has all our circumstances under his control.

Paths of Righteousness

A path, in this context, is “a course of action or a way of living; direction” (Encarta). Righteousness has to do with Christ’s righteousness (virtue, morality, goodness, uprightness, honor, honesty, purity, etc.) being credited to our account and lived out within us and out through us on a daily basis. We are made righteous (in right standing with God) by God’s grace, through the blood of Christ shed for us, and through faith (repentance + obedience) in Jesus Christ, and we are continually being made righteous through that same faith (see Luke 9:23-25; Eph. 4:17-24; Rom. 1:17; 3:22-23; 4:3-5; 6:13-18; 8:24, etc.).

So, Christ’s righteousness is credited to our account when we believe in him as Lord and as Savior, but it is also a progressive experience of the Christian faith and practice as our Good Shepherd daily leads us in a way of living in Christ’s righteousness, holiness and purity. And, we all need to daily be in his word, listening to what he says, and then following him in obedience in the righteous path he shows us to follow. There is no value in praying for God – Jesus, our Good Shepherd - to lead us into righteousness, if we do not intend to follow.

No Fear!

We all have our areas of weakness where we seem to be the most vulnerable to Satan’s attacks, perhaps due to personal history or experiences we have faced in our lives. Jesus conquered sin in sinful man, and through Jesus we have complete victory over sin, yet Satan will try to work his way back into our lives sometimes, and he will try to get us to return to our former ways of responding, reacting and dealing with life’s situations. I believe, based upon the number of times in scripture that it says the words “Don’t fear,” or something similar, that it must be a problem that many of us must fight against.

Yet, when we truly comprehend, not just with our minds, but in our hearts and in our spirits the reality of who God is, and what he has done for us, and all that he provides for us, and the unending love, mercy and grace he offers to us, and all his power and majesty and absolute control over all things, all circumstances, and all people of this world, we should not fear anything or anyone, even when faced with the possibility of torture or death for our testimony for Jesus Christ. Yet, we often revert to fear when faced with even the slightest of difficulties, and we are tempted to take matters into our own hands, to give up, to run away, or to just be complacent, because we feel things are out of our control. They are! We just have to face that reality! Yet, they are not out of God’s control. We have no need ever to fear because our Lord is with us, and he will lead us, guide us, protect us, encourage us and he will rescue us from all evil attacks if we will let him, and if we will take on and use the spiritual armor he has provided for us to use to fight off the attacks of our enemy.

A Table

The table is in reference, I believe, to a banquet table where we can come and be fed the riches of God’s truths, and drink of his life-giving Spirit, and find refreshment and renewal in him for our wearied minds, bodies, and souls. Each and every day of our lives we can come and sit at his feet and take in his word and drink in his love, grace, mercy and his many blessings he has for our lives. It is here that he leads us in the path of righteousness and he comforts and encourages us, and it is here where we find correction, too. It is here that he anoints us for his service, and he calls us to specific areas of ministry, and he fills us with all kinds of spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. I love my times with God each day!

His House

The Lord’s house is his temple, which collectively speaking is the true church of Jesus Christ, his body. For David, it was a physical temple, yet it was much more than that. The temple of God represented a place where the people of God could come into his presence. We who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are that temple, as we have the Spirit of God living within us, so we are blessed beyond measure to be able to come into God’s holy presence day and night, seven days a week. It is the most wonderful place to be ever!

I understand why David wanted to dwell in the house of the Lord forever! We, who have come to know Jesus Christ, by his grace and through faith (repentance + obedience) in him, will dwell with the Lord forever in his holy presence - beginning now and forever with him in glory. God’s goodness to us and his love will be with us forever! Amen!

A Believer’s Prayer / An Original Work / July 31, 2012

With my whole heart,

Lord, I pray to be Yours,

And Yours always.

Lead me in Your truth today.

May I love You, and obey.

Lead me in Your righteousness.

When I sin, may I confess;

Bow before You when I pray;

Live for You and You always.

Love You, Jesus,

You’re my friend.

Life with You will never end.

You are with me through each day,

Giving love and peace always.

You will ne’er abandon me.

From my sin You set me free.

You died on that cruel tree,

So I’d live eternally.

Soon You’re coming back for me;

From this world to set me free;

Live with You eternally.

Oh, what joy that brings to me.

I will walk with You in white;

A pure bride,

I’ve been made right

By the blood of Jesus Christ;

Pardoned by His sacrifice.

http://originalworks.info/a-believers-prayer/

Declare the Glory of God

Saturday, December 08, 2012, 8:11 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with this song:

My Jesus, I Love Thee / William R. Featherstone / Adoniram J. Gordon

My Jesus, I love thee, I know thou art mine;

for thee all the follies of sin I resign. 

My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art thou;

if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now. 

I love thee because thou hast first loved me,

and purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree;

I love thee for wearing the thorns on thy brow;

if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now. 

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Psalm 19 (NIV 1984):

The heavens declare the glory of God;

    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

    night after night they display knowledge.

There is no speech or language

    where their voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out into all the earth,

    their words to the ends of the world…

The law of the Lord is perfect,

    reviving the soul.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,

    making wise the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right,

    giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are radiant,

    giving light to the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is pure,

    enduring forever.

The ordinances of the Lord are sure

    and altogether righteous.

They are more precious than gold,

    than much pure gold;

they are sweeter than honey,

    than honey from the comb.

By them is your servant warned;

    in keeping them there is great reward…

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

    be pleasing in your sight,

    O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Their Voice

The psalmist expressed here how God’s created works declare the glory of God to the ends of the earth. The moon, sun, stars, clouds, planets, the sky and all that is in the visible universe, that is a creation of God, speaks of God’s power and his divine nature. The heavens are not limited by human languages or cultures of men in order to display or to communicate the knowledge of God throughout the world. If we keep our voices silent, the heavens will still declare the glory of God to the ends of the earth. Paul said this concerning how God’s created works reveal God to us:

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. ~ Ro. 1:18-20

We are also God’s created works, and God has a plan for us to be part of this declaration of his glory, his power and his divine nature throughout the world, too. Jesus said that we are to go into all the world and make disciples (of Christ) of all nations, baptizing them, and teaching them to obey all that Christ has commanded us (see Matt. 28:19-20). Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit comes upon us that we shall be his witnesses in our homeland and throughout the world (see Acts 1:8). And, he said that we, the church (the body of Christ), are the light of the world, so we should let our lights shine before men.

Paul quoted Ps. 19:4 in Romans 10 in reference to the beautiful feet of those who bring the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. Their voice, too, “goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”

Go and Say

The Lord Jesus reminded me, as I read this first section of this psalm this morning, of the call of God on Jeremiah’s life to “Go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you,” and to not be afraid of the people. He told him to get himself ready, to stand up and to say to the people whatever God commanded him to say. In reality, this is the call of God for every believer in Jesus Christ, because we are all his servants and witnesses, and we have all been commissioned to speak his words, either in the sharing of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost sinner, or else in the communication of words of truth, counsel, encouragement and edification of the body of Christ. We need to all be strong and courageous in speaking forth the words of God to others, especially as God specifically leads us to do so.

And, then I was reminded of God’s call in Habakkuk’s life, where God told him to “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.” A revelation is something revealed or disclosed; a discovery; something made known; shown; told; “to make something visible that had been hidden or covered” (Encarta). This can include what has already been revealed in scripture, i.e. the revelations of God in his word, but it can also include the opening of our minds and hearts to understand what has been previously revealed, but that has been hidden from our understanding up to the point to where we understood it, and it could also be the Holy Spirit of God giving us a practical insight or application of Biblical truth of which we previously had not been made aware. What the Lord teaches us, we should thus share with others to encourage and to edify the body of Christ and to share the truth of the gospel of Christ - whether in spoken or in written word.

The Ends of the Earth

In both the Matthew passage and the Acts passage, where Jesus spoke with his disciples concerning their commission to be his witnesses and to make disciples of Christ of all nations, he spoke to them of the necessity to take the gospel of Jesus Christ, which includes teaching the need to turn from our sins (repent) and to walk in faithful obedience to Jesus Christ, as required for salvation (see Eph. 4:17-24; Luke 9:23-25), to the ends of the earth.

There are many ways in which we can do that today. We can physically go to other lands and travel throughout the world, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. We can be involved in radio ministry or television ministry where the gospel is preached and which reaches people all over the world. We can send Bibles or gospel tracts to people in other countries who can then distribute them to people in their nations. And, we can sing, speak or write on the internet (the runner), which goes throughout the world, and we can share the gospel of Jesus Christ. And, I am sure there are many other ways I have not thought of.  

The point is that we are to go, and we are to communicate the truths of God’s word and the gospel of Jesus Christ to other people for their salvation and/or for their encouragement and edification. And, if we surrender our wills to the will of the Father in this, he will often stretch us in ways we would not have imagined, and he will open doors for us that we would not even have thought to pursue. I know he has done this, and he is doing this in my life, as he continues to encourage me to take his gospel “to the regions beyond.”

Sing Praises / An Original Work / November 30, 2012

Based off Psalms 6-9

Sing praises to the Lord!

Tell of His wondrous works.

Afflicted, they cry out;

The Lord will not forget;

The needy, not desert.

The Lord’s our refuge now;

A stronghold when we fear.

The Lord will ne’er forsake

The ones, who Him pursue!

Sing praises to the Lord!

With all my heart I sing.

I will rejoice in Him;

Sing praises to His name;

Tell of His wondrous works.

My shield is God Most High.

He saves those who believe

In Jesus Christ, God’s Son.

His grace has pardoned you!

The Lord accepts my prayer!

The Lord has heard my cries.

He is so merciful.

He heals my anguished soul.

The Lord has made me whole.

Give thanks unto the Lord.

Give praise unto His name.

Our Lord is righteousness.

Sing praises to the Lord!

Sing praises to the Lord!

http://originalworks.info/sing-praises-2/

The Lord is My Rock

Friday, December 07, 2012, 6:42 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me this morning with the song “Sing Praises” playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Psalm 18 (quoting vv. 1-6, 16-19a, 28-30, & 49 in the NIV 1984). After each section of quoted scripture I will share what the Lord Jesus is teaching me from his word.

Lord, I Love You!

I love you, O Lord, my strength.

In the New Testament book of 1 John we get a good picture of what it means to love God:

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.” “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome…”

My Deliverer

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.

    He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,

    and I am saved from my enemies.

The cords of death entangled me;

    the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.

The cords of the grave coiled around me;

    the snares of death confronted me.

In my distress I called to the Lord;

    I cried to my God for help.

From his temple he heard my voice;

    my cry came before him, into his ears…

The Lord as my rock, my fortress and my stronghold, presents an image of God to me as immovable, solid, dependable, and having unfailing strength, power, wisdom and grace to meet me in my time of need 24/7. His love will never fail me. He will always be there for me day or night. I can go to him anytime, and he will supply all that I need. He will give me answers to my questions, and will counsel me when I am troubled or broken at heart. He will comfort me when I am hurting, he will rejoice with me in my victories, and he will correct me when I am at fault. He will never leave me or forsake me. Hallelujah!

The Lord as my deliverer brings yet another aspect of God’s nature and character to mind. He delivered me from slavery to sin; and he delivered me from a life of giving in to selfish desire and living to please myself, even if it was on-again, off-again. So, in essence, he also delivered me from a seesaw kind of existence where I lived for the Lord part of the time and then I would regress to my old ways and habits. He forgave me all my sin, he gave me a new life in him, and he continues to grow me in Christ and to daily keep me from living for self but instead to live a life pleasing to him.

And, he daily delivers me from attacks of Satan, who would like nothing more than to defeat me in any way possible, and he gives me the spiritual armor I need with which to fight off my enemy’s attacks so that I can continue to walk in faith, in victory, and to move forward in my obedience to Christ and to his will for my life.

A Spacious Place

He reached down from on high and took hold of me;

    he drew me out of deep waters.

He rescued me from my powerful enemy,

    from my foes, who were too strong for me.

They confronted me in the day of my disaster,

    but the Lord was my support.

He brought me out into a spacious place…

When the Lord delivered me, he brought me into a “spacious place.” To me, this “spacious place” is a figure of being set free from the entanglements of sin, the control of and bondage (in shackles) to sin, the guilt and weight of sin, the shame of sin and the hold it had on my life. A “spacious place” is thus a symbol of freedom in Christ Jesus. And, it is a lot like being released from a physical prison and being allowed to go freely about my business. Yet, it is not without confines. It is spacious, and it is free, but there are still boundary lines, even to this spacious place, and they are for our protection. They are God’s laws and commands – his rules for followers of Jesus Christ for daily living in holiness and righteousness, and in moral purity. These boundaries serve as our fortress and our rock and shield to protect us from enemy invasion and to keep us from straying away from God’s word. They serve as the shepherd’s rod and staff for leading and for protecting his sheep.

Keep my Lamp Burning

You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning;

    my God turns my darkness into light.

With your help I can advance against a troop;

    with my God I can scale a wall.

 As for God, his way is perfect;

    the word of the Lord is flawless…

Jesus said: “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matt 5:14-16).

“No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light” (Luke 8:16).

Jesus is the light. He is truth, and truth is light. The opposite of light is darkness. Darkness represents sin, absence of light (truth and righteousness) and what is evil. Light is truth, revelation, righteousness and holiness and all that is good and is of God. Our lamps (our lives) should burn brightly with the light of Christ, his gospel, his truth and his righteousness and holiness in all love, purity, holiness, honor and obedience to Christ and to his commands. So, to have our lamps keep burning means to keep walking in obedience and surrender to Christ and to his will for our lives, and to have that relationship with Jesus Christ reflected in all that we do, say and are on a daily basis, including in how we conduct our lives, in how we share our faith, and in how we show Christ’s love to others. And, we can only do this in the power, wisdom and strength of the Lord Jesus within us.

We need to let our lights shine before men (mankind). We need to love as Jesus loved, to serve others as he served, and to care for others’ needs (physical and spiritual) in the way Jesus did. And, we need to be purposeful in sharing the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ to as many as will listen, and to whom God leads us, and to be sensitive to open opportunities for sharing his love, grace and gospel of salvation to the ends of the earth. This is what we were called to do. Jesus did not call us so we could continue to live selfish lives revolving around what we want to do each day. He called us to die to self, and to live for him, and to let our lights shine before men so that all can see the light and love of Jesus, and so that many will come to know Jesus Christ, too, as Lord and Savior of their lives.

Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O Lord;

    I will sing praises to your name.

Sing Praises / An Original Work / November 30, 2012

Based off Psalms 6-9

Sing praises to the Lord!

Tell of His wondrous works.

Afflicted, they cry out;

The Lord will not forget;

The needy, not desert.

The Lord’s our refuge now;

A stronghold when we fear.

The Lord will ne’er forsake

The ones, who Him pursue!

Sing praises to the Lord!

With all my heart I sing.

I will rejoice in Him;

Sing praises to His name;

Tell of His wondrous works.

My shield is God Most High.

He saves those who believe

In Jesus Christ, God’s Son.

His grace has pardoned you!

The Lord accepts my prayer!

The Lord has heard my cries.

He is so merciful.

He heals my anguished soul.

The Lord has made me whole.

Give thanks unto the Lord.

Give praise unto His name.

Our Lord is righteousness.

Sing praises to the Lord!

Sing praises to the Lord!

http://originalworks.info/sing-praises-2/