My Heart is Set

Saturday, January 10, 2015, 6:00 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “To Be Like Him.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 119:73-136 (selected NIV).

Your Salvation

Your hands made me and formed me;

    give me understanding to learn your commands. ~ v. 73

My soul faints with longing for your salvation,

    but I have put my hope in your word. ~ v. 81

If your law had not been my delight,

    I would have perished in my affliction. ~ v. 92

It is God’s plan and purpose for our lives that we should believe in Him, and in His Son Jesus Christ, and that believing we should forsake our former ways of living for sin and self, be born anew of the Spirit of God, and be given new lives of the Spirit to be lived in the power and working of the Spirit of God within us. This is his salvation, his grace and the only true freedom we will ever know. It is by God’s grace, through faith, that we are saved (See: Eph. 2:8-10; also Ro. 6-8; Eph. 4:17-24).

When we come to faith in Jesus Christ, we submit to his Lordship over our lives, we surrender our all to him, we repent of our sins, and we allow the Holy Spirit to work his will and grace in our lives to change us and to conform us to the image of Christ. We don’t become puppets on a string. We don’t lose our free will. Daily we must submit to the cross and surrender our lives to Christ, forsaking our sins and drawing near to God. In other words, we must cooperate with God’s work of grace in our lives. This is true faith.

Some people think that “faith” or “believing” in Jesus Christ as Savior of their lives is some mystical thing that takes place via God’s grace to them, but that nothing is required of them at all other than to “believe.” Scripture does not support that notion. Scripture teaches us that when Jesus died for our sins it was not merely to free us from eternal punishment in hell and to give us the hope of eternal life with God in glory. He died for us so that we would no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave his life for us (See 2 Co. 5:15). His grace teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, godly and upright lives in this present age while we wait for his return (See Tit. 2:11-14).

You Have Taught Me

I have kept my feet from every evil path

    so that I might obey your word.

I have not departed from your laws,

    for you yourself have taught me.

How sweet are your words to my taste,

    sweeter than honey to my mouth!

I gain understanding from your precepts;

    therefore I hate every wrong path. ~ vv. 101-104

Coming to faith in Jesus Christ is a whole lot like marriage. In fact, scripture often compares our relationship with Jesus Christ to the relationship between a bride and her groom. We would all do well to keep this imagery set in our minds and in our hearts. What bride and groom “tie the knot” and then go their separate ways? I suspect the majority do not.

When we marry someone, it is usually because we want to be with that person for the rest of our lives, at least that is customary here in America where we generally choose our own marital partners, i.e. they are not normally chosen for us. We marry because we want to be in relationship with that person – to grow together, share common experiences, fellowship with each other, telling one another our joys and our heartaches; work together, laugh together, play together and worship God together. In order to do this, we have to spend lots of time together, being intimate with each other, talking, working, planning, serving alongside each other in ministry, and volunteering together, etc.

The same principle applies here to our relationships with Jesus Christ. We can’t give God 5 minutes a day reading a devotion and then do what we want the rest of the time. Our lives should be the Lord’s 24/7, and he should be the master of our lives. We should be available to him and in communion with him all the time, in order for him to speak with us, for us to talk with him, and for us to listen to and obey what he shows us. Prayer is not just something we schedule time for. Since the Spirit of God lives within us, and we are always in his presence, we should talk with him and let him talk with us throughout the day. We should regularly make it a practice of inquiring of him before we make critical decisions, and even some small decisions, too. And, we should have his words in our hearts and in our minds so that we can meditate on them throughout the day and into the night.

Direct My Footsteps

Your word is a lamp for my feet,

    a light on my path. ~ v. 105

My heart is set on keeping your decrees

    to the very end. ~ v. 112

Direct my footsteps according to your word;

    let no sin rule over me.

Redeem me from human oppression,

    that I may obey your precepts.

Make your face shine on your servant

    and teach me your decrees.

Streams of tears flow from my eyes,

    for your law is not obeyed. ~ vv. 133-136

The Word of the Lord should be our delight! We should not view time in the word as drudgery or as something we are “supposed to do,” and so we do it to fulfill an obligation. We should long for hearing the Word of the Lord speak to our hearts, giving us wisdom, understanding, healing, comfort, encouragement, direction, correction and instructions in right living. And, our hearts should be “set” on keeping his word to the very end. Amen! “Set” means: firm, steadfast, unmoved, fixed, normal, and determined.

We should want the Lord to direct our footsteps according to his word, so we must be in the word, and we must know what it says, and we must obey what we know. Then, no sin will rule over us.

Yet, if we see our lives as our very own, and freedom in Christ as freedom to do what we want, and thus we don’t regard, respect and honor God in the choices we make in our lives each day, and thus we choose what is wrong, then how can he direct our steps? In other words, if I go to work each day and then come home and sit in front of a TV all evening or if I play on the Internet or do whatever people do, and I don’t ask God what he wants for my life and my time, then how can he direct my steps? How can we keep from having sin rule over us? We have to have our hearts “set” on keeping his word to the very end.

As well, we should grieve over sin in our own lives and in the lives of others. It should break our hearts to see the Word of God forsaken, disregarded and not followed. We should set our faces like flint with regard to temptation to sin, with regard to idolatry, or in respect to following after the ways of this sinful world. There are many humans who will try to convince us to come back to walking in the ways of this world so that we would appear more “normal,” and not be so “religious,” yet we are to be determined to follow Jesus Christ and his word in all ways, and to not give in to temptation, pressure, intimidation or persuasion to follow humans or “other gods” over following God.

To Be Like Him / An Original Work

March 16, 2014 / Based off Scripture

Crucified you are with Jesus.

To be like Him, oh, you’ll be,

Because He died at Calv’ry,

So from sin you’d be free.

Oh, what joy He brings into your life,

Giving life with Him endlessly.

Oh, what plans He has for your life.

Share the gospel faithfully.

Show the people He loves them.

Now His witness you’ll be.

Tell the world of sin about Jesus,

How He died for them on a tree.

Purifying hearts, He saves them,

Who believe on Christ, God’s Son.

Turning now from their idols,

New lives they have begun.

Jesus saves from sin; we’re forgiven.

Over sin, the vict’ry He won!

When He comes again to take us

To be with Him evermore,

There will be no more crying.

Gladness will be in store.

Heavens joys will now overtake us:

We’ll be with our Lord evermore.

http://originalworks.info/to-be-like-him/

https://vimeo.com/89237609

Full of Sorrow

Thursday, January 08, 2015, 3:35 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “What the Lord Says.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 119:25-32 (ESV).

Daleth

My soul clings to the dust;

    give me life according to your word!

When I told of my ways, you answered me;

    teach me your statutes!

Make me understand the way of your precepts,

    and I will meditate on your wondrous works.

My soul melts away for sorrow;

    strengthen me according to your word!

Put false ways far from me

    and graciously teach me your law!

I have chosen the way of faithfulness;

    I set your rules before me.

I cling to your testimonies, O Lord;

    let me not be put to shame!

I will run in the way of your commandments

    when you enlarge my heart!

Are You Depressed?

Are you now, or have you ever been depressed? I have been! You cry and you pray, and yet the answers just don’t seem to come. And, so you look for various ways to try to lessen your pain, to drown it out entirely, or to run away (escape) from it so that you don’t feel so bad. And, yet, none of these remedies of the flesh ever satisfy, and many of them only leave you feeling even more depressed, and perhaps full of guilt, too, because you went to broken cisterns that don’t hold water in order to find refreshment for your troubled mind, rather than looking to the giver of life to bring healing to your wounded heart and soul.

Although there are many factors which may lead to or contribute to depression, I believe one of the primary reasons people go through depression is because they are listening to the wrong voices. There are many voices which speak to us – our own thoughts, the world, TV (all media), Satan, family, friends, the church, church leaders, music/songs, our pasts, people from our pasts, school, “what-ifs,” and/or jobs/careers, etc. All of these outside influences have had some kind of impact on our lives, our thinking, and on how we view life, and in how we view ourselves in relation to God, to others, and to our circumstances.

The problem comes in when we either make conscious choices of our wills to continue allowing the wrong kinds of input into our minds, and/or when we allow, consciously or not, these wrong voices to influence our thinking, and so we end up believing the lies instead of the truth. I know that this (the latter) is something I have battled many years. I pray to God that he makes me aware of when I am listening to the wrong voices in my head, so that I can reject the lies, and so that I can cling to the truth, instead of to the dust. Amen!

Give Me Life

I love that song by Casting Crowns called “The Voice of Truth.” It speaks to the issue of these voices which speak lies into our minds and into our hearts and how we need to reject those lies, and how we need to listen to the voice of truth and follow after the truth, instead. It is a song that has encouraged my heart many times, over many years.

The wrong voices remind us of past failures and they convince us that we cannot be successful, victorious, whole or pure. Yet, the voice of truth tells us a different story. The voice of truth, found in God’s Holy Word, says “Do not be afraid, this is for my glory.” So, “I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.” So simple, and yet so profound!

Instead of clinging to the dust, we need to cling to the Word of God. We need to be open and honest with the Lord concerning our suffering, casting our burdens upon him and leaving them there, believing in his promises, and trusting in his grace. We also need to rid our lives, as much as is possible, of those wrong kinds of voices (influences) over our minds and not continue to entertain them in our minds. And, as I have been doing for some time now, we need to pray and ask the Lord to make us aware of when we are listening to the wrong voices so that we can reject them, and so we can embrace the truth instead.

According to Your Word

Not only do we need to rid our lives of the wrong kinds of influences (voices), but we need to cling to the voice of truth. We find this truth in God’s Holy Word, the Bible.

Although we are not under the Old Covenant relationship with God, and thus many of these teachings in the Old Testament may no longer apply to us, the Bible says that all scripture is “profitable for teaching, reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (See: 2 Tim. 3:16-17). So, there is still much to be learned from the Old Testament, as well as, and in light of the New Testament and our New Covenant relationship with God. In other words, if it is supported in the New Testament by the teachings of Christ and of the apostles then it still applies to us today.

Thus, in the Old Testament, when we read such words as laws, statutes, precepts and commandments we must understand these to be speaking to us today of God’s Word, Christ’s teachings and instructions, and the teachings of the apostles, as well as all that still applies to us from the teachings of the Old Testament. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are members of God’s household, which was built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, with Jesus Christ being the cornerstone (See: Eph. 2:14-22). The prophets prophesied much concerning Christ (the Messiah) and the church age and the time of the end, so there is still much to be learned from reading them, as well.

Teach Me

So, if I have been clinging to the dust, and I need to be renewed and refreshed in mind, spirit, heart and emotion, I need to go the Word of God and in prayer, and I need to pray that the Lord Jesus would teach me all I need to learn in order to forsake my former ways of responding to my circumstances, and so I can now respond with faith and assurance in who he is, in his sovereignty over my life, and in who he has created me to be. I need to learn what his word teaches me with regard to faith, holy living, godliness, trust, security, faithfulness, and lies and truth, so that I can put off those lies and put on what is true.

This means I need to make spending time with the Lord in his word and in prayer top priority in my life, realizing that my fellowship with him and my time in his word is what gives me the nourishment, guidance and counsel my soul needs for knowing how to combat these lies and to put on the truth. We all need this! Our times with our Lord and in his word are the bread and water for life we need in order for us to live godly and holy lives for Christ in this present age while we wait for his return (See: Tit. 2:11-14).

What the Lord Says / An Original Work

February 24, 2014 / Based off Isaiah 43:1-44:5

This is what the Lord says to you:

Fear not, for I have chosen you.

I have summoned you by your name.

You are mine. I died, you to save.

When you go through your trials, so deep,

I will be with you; you will not sink.

You are so precious always to me.

Trust in your Lord, Savior and King.

This is what the Lord says to you:

He who gave salvation to you;

Who delivered you from your sin;

Takes your burdens now upon Him:

Forget the former things of your life.

Give of your heart not now up to strife.

See all the new things I have for you.

Walk in vict’ry. Trust in what’s true.

This is what the Lord says to you:

He who made you; who will help you:

Do not fear what humans may do.

Walk in freedom. Follow what’s true.

Drink of my Spirit given for you.

Trust in my mercy, for I love you.

I have a plan for all of your life.

Follow my ways. Do what is right.

http://originalworks.info/what-the-lord-says/

https://vimeo.com/87634334

On My Side

Wednesday, January 7, 2015, 5:00 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “I Pray For Them.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 118 (selected verses ESV).

He Set Me Free!

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

    for his steadfast love endures forever! ~ v. 1

Out of my distress I called on the Lord;

    the Lord answered me and set me free. ~ v. 5

“God so loved the world that he gave his One and Only Begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have life everlasting” (Jn. 3:16).

This morning, as I was reading through the words to this psalm and the words to the song from this morning, which is based off John 17, I found myself thinking about how God always was, and how he is our triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – and how, even before he created us he had a plan and a purpose for our lives, and how the plan all along was for the Son, Jesus Christ, to come to the earth to be born in human form, and to live on the face of this earth as fully man but also as fully God.

I don’t know about you, but when I think on these things it just blows me away! I cannot fathom the vastness of all of that or even begin to comprehend a triune God who always existed and whose plan it was to send the Son to die for our sins and then to send the Holy Spirit to indwell us who believe in the Son, Jesus Christ. My mind thinks in terms of beginning and end, yet I believe in Him, and I believe his Word, even though I don’t understand it all. I know my Redeemer lives, because he lives in me!

I believed in Jesus Christ when I was yet a young girl, so I didn’t have time to have a long sinful past, yet I did call out in my distress. My father was an abuser of the worst kind. And, I felt the pain and suffering of all that he did to me. I felt the weight of that sin upon me. I cried out to the Lord during an altar call at summer camp, repenting of my sin, and asking the Lord Jesus to save me of my sins. And, he answered me, and he set me free! Amen!

He is My Helper

The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.

    What can man do to me?

The Lord is on my side as my helper;

    I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

    than to trust in man.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

    than to trust in princes.

All nations surrounded me;

    in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

…I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,

    but the Lord helped me. ~ vv. 6-13

My circumstances did not change, though. My father still abused me. Yet, the Lord was gracious to me in having me brought up in an evangelical church with a strong emphasis on missions and on holy living (the same denomination as A. W. Tozer). So, I learned a lot there about God’s grace, his mercy, his love, and his compassion towards me, and I grew in my faith and in my spiritual walk with Christ. And, he became my very best friend.

I believed very much so that my Lord was on my side, that he loved me, and that he was genuinely concerned for my welfare. I didn’t understand his sovereignty over my life, though, until much later in life. Although in my mind I believed he was all powerful, yet in my emotions I think I saw him more as just a comforter, healer, guide, and counselor, who had no real power to change my circumstances, and who had no control over my situations, but who was more just like a faithful friend to help me through the difficult times, and as someone to teach me how to live for God and to obey his word and to walk in his ways.

This mindset caused problems for me throughout my life, because I also did not fully comprehend Jesus’ power over Satan in my life, and the reality of what truly happened when he died and when he rose from the grave triumphant over sin. I did not fully understand his control and sovereignty over all things and all people in my life, so I often responded in fear and retreat, and sometimes in sin, although I certainly knew I was doing wrong when I sinned. I guess for me to believe that God was absolutely in control would have been to accept that he could have rescued me from my suffering, but he didn’t, and perhaps that was more than my human mind was willing to accept at that time.

But, thanks be to God, he didn’t leave me there. He brought me through some very difficult times in my life to the realization of his absolute sovereignty and control over every aspect of my life. He told me I needed to forgive Jesus, although Jesus had done no wrong, but because my actions showed that I was angry with Jesus for not rescuing me, and/or that I lacked faith to trust him with every aspect of my life. And, so, I submitted to God’s absolute sovereignty over my life, and I decided from that point on that I would trust him with my circumstances and with the people in my life, believing that he has my good always in mind, and that he allows what he allows in my life for his purposes and for his glory – to make me the person he wants me to be, so he can use me the way he intended all along.

I Will Recount

The Lord is my strength and my song;

    he has become my salvation.

Glad songs of salvation

    are in the tents of the righteous…

I shall not die, but I shall live,

    and recount the deeds of the Lord.

The Lord has disciplined me severely,

    but he has not given me over to death. ~ vv. 14-18

Even though I had failed God greatly, and I had times in my life when I sinned against him seriously, he did not reject me as his servant. Even before I was formed by God in the womb of my mother, God had a plan and a purpose for my life (See Jeremiah 1 and Psalm 139). Certainly he did not lead me into sin, or cause me to sin, and he did not cause my dad or others to sin against me, and there were others. Yet, he allowed all those situations in my life to teach me, mature me, to mold me and to make me into the person he had created me to be for his purposes and for his glory, and for such a time as this.

And, then he called me to write down what he teaches me each day through his word, through song, and through the witness of his Spirit within me, and to place these writings on the internet for the encouragement of the body of Christ, to share his gospel of salvation, to address idolatry and spiritual adultery within the church, to point out false teaching and deception, to warn of judgment, and to call the church to repentance. And, his grace, his help, his strength and his Spirit within me have sustained me, and have kept me from falling, and have given me endurance, passion, compassion, understanding, wisdom and discernment to know the troubled times in which we live; and to persevere even in the face of rejection and persecution; and to keep on recounting the deeds of the Lord.

He is My Savior

Open to me the gates of righteousness,

    that I may enter through them

    and give thanks to the Lord.

This is the gate of the Lord;

    the righteous shall enter through it.

I thank you that you have answered me

    and have become my salvation.

The stone that the builders rejected

    has become the cornerstone.

This is the Lord's doing;

    it is marvelous in our eyes.

This is the day that the Lord has made;

    let us rejoice and be glad in it. ~ vv. 19-24

I am so thankful for my salvation, and that Jesus Christ set me free! I am also so grateful that he is on my side, that he had a plan and a purpose for my life from the beginning, and that he saw me through those difficult years to bring me to the place where he wanted me to be, so he could use me in the way he intended all along. I am so appreciative that he did not give up on me, even when I wandered away from him and his will for my life, but that he was patient with me, and that he lifted me out of the pit and placed my feet on a solid rock, and that he gave me a firm place to stand so that I may sing of him and not be silent!

I am also so glad that my Lord and my Savior willingly left his throne in heaven to come to earth, and to take on human form, and to suffer and to be tempted in like manner as we are tempted and we suffer, yet without sin, so that he could become our compassionate and merciful high priest, and also so he could be our sacrificial Lamb in dying for our sins. I am not glad that he had to suffer, but I am thankful that I have a Lord who understands and who feels my pain, and who has gone before me and has prepared the way so that when I go through rejection and persecution and abandonment that he is there to give me all that I need to endure, to persevere, and to keep on loving others with his love, even those who do evil against me. He is my foundation, in whom I place all my trust!

I Pray for Them / An Original Work / June 4, 2013

Based off John 17

“Glorify Your Son, that Your Son

May glorify our God in heav’n.

Father, You granted Him all power

And all authority over men,

That He might give eternal life

To all those whom now

You have given Him.”

“This now then is eternal life:

That they may know You,

Father, and Your Son;

That they may know the only true God,

And Jesus Christ whom the Father sent.

I have brought You the glory by

Finishing the work that You’ve given Me.”

“I have shown You to those whom

You gave to Me out of the world;

They were Yours. You gave them to Me

And they have obeyed Your words

And they accepted them. They knew

That I came from You, and they believed

With certainty, I was sent.”

“Holy Father, I pray for them by the

Power of Your name: Protect them,

So that they may be one as we are,

For they are still living in this world.

I have given them Your word;

Because of Your word, the world

Has hated them.”

“I pray they may have the full measure of

My joy now living within them.

Father, I pray You sanctify them

By Your word; truly Your word is truth.

As You sent Me into the world,

I send them to tell the world to repent.”

http://originalworks.info/i-pray-for-them/

https://vimeo.com/116141024

I Believed, and So I Spoke

Tuesday, January 06, 2015, 7:04 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “He Reached Down.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 116 (NASB).

Lord, Save Me!

I love the Lord, because He hears

My voice and my supplications.

Because He has inclined His ear to me,

Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live.

The cords of death encompassed me

And the terrors of Sheol came upon me;

I found distress and sorrow.

Then I called upon the name of the Lord:

“O Lord, I beseech You, save my life!”

When we are born physically into this world, we are born with sin natures due to the fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden. We are separated from God, without hope, and destined to spend eternity in hell. We bear the image of Adam (earthly man). We are fleshly and are in bondage to sin. Yet, God placed within each and every one of us the knowledge of him. We can see (understand) his eternal power and his divine nature via his created works, so we are without excuse. It is not, therefore, that we have no knowledge of God, but that we suppress the truth by our wickedness. We exchange the glory of God for what is earthly. Following after idols of human origin, we exchange his truth for a lie. [See Ro. 1] We don’t know God, because we have not yet submitted to him. We are still running our own lives.

Yet, God, in his great mercy, reached down from heaven and rescued us. He sent his Son Jesus Christ to the earth to die on a cross for our sins. When he died, he took upon himself the sins of the entire world so that our sins were crucified and buried with him. When he was resurrected back to life, he rose from the grave triumphant over hell, death, Satan and sin. When we come to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, we die with Christ to our old lives of living for sin and self. We are given new lives of the Spirit of God, and we now walk daily in Christ’s righteousness and holiness, all in the power and working of the Spirit within us. This is grace. This is freedom! This is salvation, to be freed from slavery to sin and to be able to live holy, godly, and upright lives in the here and now. And, this is a picture of true faith, which submits to the cross and surrenders to Christ’s Lordship.

He Preserves the Simple

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;

Yes, our God is compassionate.

The Lord preserves the simple;

I was brought low, and He saved me.

Return to your rest, O my soul,

For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

For You have rescued my soul from death,

My eyes from tears,

My feet from stumbling.

I shall walk before the Lord

In the land of the living.

The Lord preserves (or protects) the simple (or simple-minded). This, apparently, is speaking of those who easily trust and believe in what they hear, and who are open to instruction, which can be good, but it can also be bad (Source: biblehub.com).

In a good sense, this is speaking of child-like faith, which is required for salvation (See: Matt. 18:2-5). Yet, those who have such child-like faith can also fall prey to deception if they do not also exercise wisdom and discernment. Jesus told his disciples that he was sending them out “like sheep among wolves,” so they needed to be “as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (See: Matt. 10:16). Paul told the Roman Christians that he wanted them to “be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil” (See: Ro. 16:19). There is a delicate balance here between trust and perception; and child-like faith and discernment. The Lord Jesus will help us to find that correct balance if we inquire of him, and if we acknowledge him in all that we do, and in all our decisions and judgments.

If we are followers of Jesus Christ with child-like faith, and we have fallen prey to deception or manipulation of truth unknowingly, and thus have gone a direction that was not of God, the Lord will preserve us, and he will save (rescue) us out of our ignorance or stupidity when we call upon him to save us, to teach us, and to instruct us in the right way, and to expose to us the lies which we are following after. I know he has done this for me many times. I have most always been a person of child-like faith, so I have had to learn wisdom, discernment, judgment, and to test what I see, hear and read against the Word of Truth, and in prayer with my Lord, asking him for wisdom to know what is right or true, and what is wrong or false. We live in an age of deception. Much of what we see or hear is made to look real when it is not, or it is made to sound like truth, when it is based in lies. So, we need to be wise and discerning, as well as having child-like faith and trust in God!

And So I Spoke

I believed when I said,

“I am greatly afflicted.”

I said in my alarm,

“All men are liars.”

What shall I render to the Lord

For all His benefits toward me?

I shall lift up the cup of salvation

And call upon the name of the Lord.

I shall pay my vows to the Lord,

Oh may it be in the presence of all His people.

There does not seem to be an accurate translation of verse 10 in the various Bible Versions available to us today. Perhaps the most accurate is the King James Version, but even it does not capture it exactly. The Apostle Paul quoted the verse, as is recorded for us in 2 Co. 4:13, and I believe that quotation gives us the most accurate translation of the original meaning. He said, “But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed, therefore I spoke,’ we also believe, therefore we also speak…”

The context in which Paul expressed these words seems to parallel over to the context of Psalm 116, too. Paul spoke of the ministry of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. They, who were ministers of the gospel, had renounced secret and shameful ways to follow after Jesus Christ. They didn’t twist the scriptures or manipulate them to make them sound better than they were, but they spoke the truth plainly. They didn’t preach themselves, but Christ as Lord. Yet, they were still human beings, still in flesh bodies. They were “afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” Yet, all this was to show that their ministry was from God and not from themselves, and so that Christ’s life might be revealed in them.

So, when Paul quoted this verse from Psalm 116 he was referring to speaking the truth of God’s word and of his gospel of salvation in spite of suffering (affliction), because of his faith in Christ, and in God’s sovereign purposes over the apostles’ lives and ministry. They didn’t lose heart, even though their bodies were in misery, because of our Lord’s grace to them in renewing them inwardly day by day. They had the frame of mind to understand that their struggles were for their good, and that it produced in them perseverance, faith, steadfastness, and hope of better things yet to come in eternity. And, this should be our attitude, too, and we should also believe and therefore speak God’s words with boldness.

The Death of His Godly Ones

Precious in the sight of the Lord

Is the death of His godly ones.

O Lord, surely I am Your servant,

I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid,

You have loosed my bonds.

To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving,

And call upon the name of the Lord.

Because of all that Jesus Christ has done for us in saving us from our sins, we should call upon him for as long as we live, and we should give him much thanks and praise for what he has done. We should place our trust and faith in the Lord Jesus, even when life kicks us hard. And, we should be bold in speaking the Word of God plainly, and in truth, and with hearts filled with love and compassion for those who are lost in their sins - without God, and without hope, unless they also trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to be Savior of their lives.

Yet, when we speak in faith, and we tell the truth about God’s word, of his salvation, and of his full gospel message, we will be hated, rejected, persecuted, abandoned, betrayed, lied against, falsely accused, misunderstood, and perhaps even killed for our testimonies for Jesus Christ and for his gospel, and because we keep his Word (his instructions). And, our greatest persecutors may even be within the institutional church and from the leadership, just as Jesus Christ experienced from the Jewish leaders and the people of his day.

Yet, we are to remain faithful to our Lord Jesus, in spite of all the afflictions, persecutions and the like that we will face when we take a stand for Christ, we hold to the truths of God’s word, and we do not deny Jesus Christ for the sake of unity with the ungodly church or for the sake of wanting to be liked and accepted. We are to remain his servants (his bond-slaves) in doing what he has called us to do, in going where he sends us, and in saying what he has commanded us to say. We need to believe, and therefore speak his truths and his gospel so that many more can come to know Jesus Christ before his return.

He Reached Down / An Original Work / February 3, 2014

Based off Psalm 18

How I love You, Lord,

My Rock and my strength.

My God is my fortress;

I hide in Him.

He is my shield and the horn of

My salvation, whom I praise.

I have found my refuge in Him.

He reached down from heaven

And rescued me;

Drew me out of waters

So deep, I’d sink.

He delivered me from Satan

And my slavery to sin;

Gave me hope of heaven with Him.

My God turned my darkness

Into His light;

Opened up my blinded eyes;

Gave me sight.

As for God, his way is perfect.

He gives strength to stand secure.

I have found my vict’ry in Him.

My Lord lives!

Praise be to my Savior God,

Jesus Christ, who died

On a cruel cross.

He is my Rock and the source

Of my salvation, whom I trust.

I will give praise always to Him.

http://originalworks.info/he-reached-down/

https://vimeo.com/86346545

All His Benefits

Monday, January 05, 2015, 5:50 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “Believe Him.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 103 (NASB).

The Good and Bad

A Psalm of David.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And all that is within me, bless His holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget none of His benefits… ~ vv. 1-3

As I read this psalm this morning, particularly in relation to the song the Lord Jesus put in mind, I realized several things of primary importance. First off, sometimes in life we have questions for which we don’t have answers. Sometimes we pray and we can’t hear God speaking, i.e. he seems silent concerning our requests. And, so we cry out for him to hear us, even though we know he does, and for him to answer. Yet, he doesn’t always give us the answers we desire, nor does he explain all of his ways to us.

Sometimes he just says “Trust me;” “Believe me;” “Rest in me.” And, he reminds us that his ways are greater than our ways and his thoughts greater than our thoughts, i.e. he doesn’t think and work like we do. He has purposes for what we go through in this life far beyond our human comprehension. We may even desire the right things, but he may have planned for us to go through injustice or heartache, and so he asks us to just trust him that he knows best.

Secondly what I realized is that when we go through these difficult times of heartache, distress, trouble, hardship, unanswered questions, or seemingly unanswered prayers, it is natural to focus on the negative and on what is not happening, which we had hoped would happen by now, and/or to concentrate on all that is going wrong, and then miss out on what is good that is happening. We get our eyes off Jesus and on to our circumstances, and we can begin to drown. So, the antidote for this is to praise the Lord for ALL HIS BENEFITS.

Eight Benefits

“Who pardons all your iniquities… He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities… As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” ~ vv. 3, 10, 12

Jesus Christ, God the Son, died on the cross for our sins so that we could be free of eternal damnation, free of slavery to sin, and free to walk daily in his righteousness and holiness. When he died, he took upon himself the sins of the entire world, and when he was resurrected back to life, he conquered death, hell, Satan and sin on our behalf.

The Bible teaches us that it is by God’s grace that we are saved, through faith. We can do nothing to earn or to deserve salvation. It is a free gift, paid for by the blood of Christ. Yet, we must believe in Jesus Christ in order to receive this gift. This belief involves turning away from living for self and sin, being born of the Spirit of God, and turning to God/Christ to walk daily in his righteousness and holiness, all in the power and working of the Spirit within us who are born again. Our sins are forgiven, and we are no longer bound for hell, eternal punishment, and eternal separation from God. God’s grace set us free from all that. Amen!

“Who heals all your diseases…” ~ v. 3

There are many ways in which God heals us. He heals our sin-sick souls, the pain of unjust suffering, and many physical diseases, too. Just like he doesn’t always remove us from difficult circumstances, though, healing doesn’t always come, perhaps, in the forms we had hoped for. Sometimes he heals people through death, for instance, by taking them home to be with him. Other times he uses people’s afflictions to humble them, and to teach them to walk in his ways.

Oftentimes he will use our illnesses to get us to slow down and to spend time with him when we are too busy going here and there and everywhere in our own strength. Frequently he will use sicknesses or handicaps in his servants in ways which will advance his kingdom, which will bring comfort to others, and which will draw people to Jesus Christ. So, although I believe strongly in divine healing, I also see that God heals in many ways, and that sometimes he allows physical suffering for his purposes and glory in our lives.

“Who redeems your life from the pit…” ~ v. 4

I kept this one separate from the first one, with regard to him pardoning our iniquities, and him delivering us from eternal damnation. Even though they are most certainly on the same subject, and both take place when we believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, I see an ongoing aspect of this, as well.

When we believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, and we are delivered from hell, and set free from slavery to sin, we are given new lives to be lived in the power of the Spirit within us. Yet, we are still in flesh bodies, and we still have a propensity to sin, which is why there is so much instruction given to us in the New Testament on continually forsaking sin and on walking daily in Christ’s holiness. So, we may still experience some pitfalls from time to time, and we will need our Lord to lift us out of the pit and to set us back on the right path again. I am so thankful for the times that he has lifted me up when I have fallen, and he has restored and renewed me and has given me new hope and healing.

“Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion… The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness… For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him… Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him… To those who keep His covenant and remember His precepts to do them.” ~ vv. 4, 8, 11, 13, 17-18

“Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” I also know this from experience. How awesome is God’s love toward us that, not only did Jesus die for our sins and give us such a great salvation, but he sustains us, encourages us, strengthens us, counsels us, comforts us, renews us, holds us, and never lets us go. He is our very best friend! He cares about our deepest needs and longings, and he is there to meet us in whatever we are going through. You will never find anyone like him!

Yet, not everyone in this world has this relationship with God/Jesus. It is reserved for those who honor, respect, value, obey, surrender to, and bow down before God/Jesus in humility, repentance, and submission to his will for their lives, and who make it a practice of their lives to keep his commands (his word – instructions and teachings). This is not just OT teaching, either. This is NT, too. This is all part of our faith in Jesus Christ (See: Ac. 26:16-18; Ro. 6-8; Eph. 4:17-24; 2 Co. 5:15; Tit. 2:11-14; 1 Pet. 2:24-25; & 1 Jn. 1-5).

“Who satisfies your years with good things…” ~ v. 5

Our idea of “good” is not necessarily the same as God’s idea of what is “good.” Good, in God’s eyes, has to do with what is best for us and that which meets our legitimate needs. For instance, in Romans 8:28 it says that he will cause “all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.” Yet, he tells us that we will have to go through suffering, pain, persecution, false accusations, false arrests, etc., and we may even be put to death for our testimony for his name. We may not think of this as something “good,” but God’s purposes are greater than ours. He may use what we go through to purify our hearts, to mold us into the image of Christ, and to advance his gospel of salvation, and to bring many people to Jesus Christ before Christ’s return.

“…So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.” ~ v. 5; cf. Is. 40:30-31

I just turned 65 years old a week ago, so I am no longer a youth. I don’t have the stamina that I once had. I get tired more quickly now. My brain doesn’t work as fast. I don’t multi-task like I did when I was younger. I have more aches and pains. It is called growing old. So, I get tired and weary, and sometimes I just don’t have what it takes to keep pressing on, yet God does! So, I put my hope in him, and he renews my strength. It is amazing to me the strength and endurance he gives me, at times, far beyond what I ever thought I could do. So, it is not unlike soaring like an eagle when we rest in Him, and in his strength, and we allow him to empower us. We can do amazing things in the power of the Spirit within us that our flesh cannot do. I can attest to that from personal experience.

“The Lord performs righteous deeds and judgments for all who are oppressed.” ~ v. 6

The Lord does not always deliver us from oppression, though sometimes he does. He does not always remove us from difficult circumstances. He allows us to go through troubled times and persecutions. Yet, what he does is work miracles in our hearts and lives, and in the lives of other people whose lives we touch. Sometimes he uses oppression to keep us dependent on him, and not on ourselves, and to fill our hearts with compassion towards others who are hurting, so that we will reach out and will minister God’s grace to others in various ways, according to his purposes and his divine calling for our lives. The apostle Paul was a great example of how God used suffering in his life to advance the gospel.

“The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.” ~ v. 19

Our God is absolutely sovereign over all things. This means that Satan cannot touch us but what God allows it. When we truly understand the sovereignty of God over our lives, and that he will work all things out for good, and that he has a plan and a purpose in all that he allows in our lives, it helps us to get through those difficult times. We learn to rest in the Lord and not give way to fear and to worry. And, we learn to trust in his love, and that he knows what he is doing. We don’t ignore problems in our lives, and we don’t deny they exist and refuse to deal with them, but we rely upon the Lord for the wisdom and strength to make the right judgments, and we trust him when situations are truly out of our hands. We let go, and we let God, and we obey him no matter what. And, we believe him to work it all out for good in our lives and in the lives of others. He who promised is faithful! Amen!

Believe Him / An Original Work / July 15, 2013

My heart cries: Lord, won’t You hear me

Seeking You for the answers

To my heartache and questions

I have concerning my life?

Speak, Lord, to me right now.

“Oh, dear one, why don’t you trust Me

With your life’s circumstances?

Give your all on the altar

In submission of your will

To My purpose for you.

“Surrender your life completely

To your Lord and your Savior.

He has all things planned for you

For His glory and honor.

He’ll work all things for good.

“Believe Him. He will fulfill all

Of His promises to you

For your life and your future.

Trust Him. Rest in His love.

He’ll give you peace from above.”

http://originalworks.info/believe-him/

https://vimeo.com/115945593

Enter His Gates

Sunday, January 04, 2015, 6:25 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “In Faithfulness He Leads Me.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 100 (ESV).

Praise and Worship

A Psalm for giving thanks.

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!

    Serve the Lord with gladness!

    Come into his presence with singing!

When we think of praise and worship, what comes to mind? Generally, at least here in America, I think we think of a time of singing praise and worship songs in what is commonly referred to as a worship service, usually in the context of the organized and institutional church. Certainly singing is to be part of our worship of our Lord, whether we can sing on tune or not, or with beautiful voices or not. And, we are to offer words of praise and adoration to our Lord, too. As well, we are to do so with joyful and glad hearts, desiring to give honor and praise to our Lord and King. Yet, is that the totality of our worship?

This word translated here as “serve” also has the meaning of “worship.” The same is true with the Greek word translated “service” or “worship” in Romans 12:1-2. In Psalm 100, the word serve (worship) also means “to become bond-slaves, to work, to make a servant” (Source: biblehub.com). In Romans 12, the word service (worship) also means “service rendered to God, divine worship, or service of worship” (Source: biblehub.com). So, what this says to me is that there is a direct correlation between worship and service. This plays out in the Romans passage where it tells us, that in view of God’s mercy to us, we should offer our lives (our whole being) to God as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is our reasonable service of worship - no longer conformed to the ways of this world, but transformed in the renewing of our minds. Then we will be able to discern the good, acceptable and perfect will of God for our lives. This is true worship of God!

Jesus Christ, when he walked the face of the earth, had multiple encounters with the Jewish religious leaders of his day. On one occasion the Pharisees and teachers of the law were criticizing Jesus’ disciples for not washing their hands before they ate, which was the tradition of the elders. Jesus responded by asking them why they break the command of God for the sake of tradition. He told them that they nullify the Word of God for the sake of tradition. They were hypocrites. He added that Isaiah had prophesied about them when he spoke of people who honor God with their lips, but their hearts are far from him. They worship God in vain, for their teachings are merely human rules (See: Matt. 15). He also told the woman at the well that a time was coming, which has now come, when we won’t worship God in any specific location, but in the Spirit (or in spirit) and in truth (See Jn. 4).

So, what can we take away from all this? For one, I believe we should not limit our idea of worship to merely saying or singing words of praise and adoration to our Lord, or to a specific day, time, atmosphere or venue/place during the week. I believe we should worship our Lord 24/7, regardless of time or place. Our service of worship to our Lord should also be according to God’s design, not of human origin. As well, I believe for our words and our singing to be true worship of our Lord, we have to first of all be born again of the Spirit, surrendered, committed, repentant, and obedient to our Lord; pure in heart, and separated from the world of sin because we are being made into the likeness of God/Christ. We must also be bond-slaves of our Lord, meaning he is boss, and we are his servants. We must take the attitude that our lives no longer belong to us, but they belong to HIM.

We Are His Sheep

Know that the Lord, he is God!

    It is he who made us, and we are his;

    we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

We need to know that the Lord is God, not just intellectually, but deep down in the depths of our hearts and souls. We must walk in the fear of the Lord. What this means is that we must give God all the honor, respect, value, submission, obedience and surrender which he so deserves. To know that he is God means we treat him as though he is truly LORD of our lives. We don’t give our lives over to the “gods” of this world, to serve, worship and honor them. When anything in our lives takes God’s rightful place as Master of our lives, and God begins to take a back seat to our entertainment, sports, possessions, careers, houses, friends, patriotism, socialization with other humans, lust, and/or any sinful passions and desires, etc., then we are no longer walking in the fear of the Lord, but are returning to walking according to the flesh. And, then we are not acting according to true knowledge that the Lord truly is God, our creator, sustainer, Savior, sanctifier, healer and coming King.

So, what does it mean to belong to God, and that we are his? What does it mean to be his sheep? Well, for me, the first passage of scripture that came to mind was John 10:27: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” So many people like to quote the next verse independent of verse 27. Vs. 28 says: “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” Yet, that promise is dependent on v. 27 being true in the believer’s life. We must be ones who truly listen to God, not just with our ears, but we truly pay attention to what he says, we take it into account, and then we act upon what we have heard via obedience to what his word says, which means we then follow him in obedience wherever he leads us or calls us, or to whatever he asks us to do. We won’t do this perfectly, but we should do it consistently and as a matter of course.

Enter His Gates

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

    and his courts with praise!

    Give thanks to him; bless his name!

Also in John 10 we read that Jesus is the gate through which we enter into eternal life. He is the only way, truth and life by which we gain access to heaven, to the Father, into fellowship with God/Christ, and into the body of Christ, the church. As well, we read in Matthew 7:13-14 that we are to “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” So, not only is Jesus the gate that leads to eternal life with God, but this gate is narrow. So, what does that mean?

“Narrow,” in this sense, has to do with the straight paths John was to make for the Lord in preparing the way for him. John’s message was one of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus taught the same message, and so did the apostles after him. “Straight” means “honest, law-abiding, upright, trustworthy,” etc. The narrow gate thus has to do with the means by which we gain access to life with Christ and we are born of the Spirit of God, and we become part of his family (his household). Truly it is by God’s grace, and through faith, that we are able to enter through this gate (See Eph. 2:8-10), but this faith is realized or proved genuine via us turning from sin, being born of the Spirit, and turning to walk in faithful obedience to Christ and to his teachings (instructions) for how we are to live our lives in the power of his Spirit within us, and for the praise, honor and glory of God.

His Faithfulness Endures

For the Lord is good;

    his steadfast love endures forever,

    and his faithfulness to all generations.

When someone is completely faithful, he is trustworthy, loyal, reliable, and true. We can depend on him to do exactly what he said he would do, and to be precisely who he said he is. Only God/Christ is absolutely faithful in all that he does, but we are also to be faithful.

God’s/Jesus’ faithfulness will never be nullified by our unfaithfulness (Ro. 3:3). God is faithful to not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear, but he will provide a way out from under the temptation so that we can stand up under it (1 Co. 10:13). He won’t necessarily remove the temptation, but he will show us how to not give in to it, but we must do what he says. He is also faithful to sanctify us and to strengthen and protect us from the evil one (1 Thess. 5:24; 2 Thess. 3:3). If we are faithless, he will remain faithful. Yet, if we disown him, he will disown us. But, if we endure, we will reign with him (2 Tim. 2:10-13).

Jesus was faithful as our high priest in making atonement for our sin (Heb. 2:17). He was faithful in paying the price for our sin so that we could go free from damnation, free from slavery to sin, and so we could be free to walk daily in his righteousness. He is also faithful to God the Father as the Son over God’s house, his church, of which he is the head, her Savior and her Shepherd. Christ is also faithful to all his many promises to us. We can always count on him. He will never leave us or forsake us.

As well, as his followers, we are to be faithful in all that we do – faithful to the truth of God’s word, faithful in suffering for the sake of the name of Jesus and his gospel, and faithful in being his servants and witnesses. We who have been given a trust – Christ, our salvation, the gospel, the Holy Spirit, spiritual giftedness, et al – must be faithful to the trust we have been given. This means that we should walk in the Spirit, and not according to the flesh; that we should do what the word says and not be hearers only; that we should be willing to suffer and die for the sake of Christ and his gospel; and that we should submit to Christ and to the Spirit within us in being who he has called us to be, in doing what he has called us to do, and in being his witnesses in sharing the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ with the world around us so that many others can know God/Jesus Christ and can have the hope of eternal life in heaven with God.

In Faithfulness He Leads Me / An Original Work / March 20, 2013

Based off Various Scriptures

(Ps. 26:3; 86:11; 91:4-5; 111:7-8; 119:73-76;

Is. 25:1,4&9; 42:6-7; Hos. 2:16-20)

Teach me Your ways, Lord, and I’ll walk in them.

Give me a pure heart. I’ll fear Your name.

Your love is always, ever before me.

Continually I’ll walk in Your truth.

You will cover me with feathers.

Under Your wings I’ll find refuge.

My Lord’s faithfulness will be my

Comfort and my shield.

The works of His hands are faithful and just.

Trustworthy are all of His precepts.

Your hands have made me, and they have formed me.

Give understanding of Your commands.

I have put my hope, O Lord, in Your word.

Your teachings, O Lord, are righteousness.

Lord, in faithfulness You have

Afflicted me so I may learn of

Your unfailing love and comfort

And Your truthfulness.

You are my husband; You have betrothed me

In love, compassion and faithfulness.

O Lord, You are my God, I’ll exalt You.

In faithfulness You’ve done wondrous things.

You’ve been a refuge for those who’re needy;

A shelter in storms; shade from the heat.

This is the Lord, we trusted in Him,

Let us be glad and rejoice

In His salvation which He

Provided through the Lamb.

Open the blind eyes; free all the captives.

Tell them of Jesus: “Be born again!”

http://originalworks.info/in-faithfulness-he-leads-me/

https://vimeo.com/115747912

Jesus is Exalted!

Friday, January 02, 2015, 7:52 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “He Keeps Me Singing.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 89 (ESV).

Our Foundation

A Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.

I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever;

    with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.

For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever;

    in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”

You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one;

    I have sworn to David my servant:

‘I will establish your offspring forever,

    and build your throne for all generations.’” Selah

Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord,

    your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!

For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord?

    Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord,

a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones,

    and awesome above all who are around him? ~ vv. 1-7

God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – is our foundation for our Christian walks of faith. His love stands firm (steadfast; unwavering). His faithfulness has been established in heaven, and his righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. He and his Word are the foundation (basis; source; and heart) for all that we are and do and say as followers of Christ, with regard to our walks of faith in the power of the Spirit within us. Jesus Christ, God the Son, is the only way, truth and life by which we enter into God’s eternal kingdom and by which we become members of God’s household, his church – the body of Christ.

Jesus Christ, God the Son, left his throne in heaven, came to the earth, and was born as a baby, with God as his father and Mary as his mother. Thus he was fully God and fully man. He grew to manhood. Though he lived in a flesh body, and he suffered and was tempted in like manner as we suffer and are tempted, he did not sin. He called 12 disciples to follow him in ministry. He healed the sick, raised the dead, and preached repentance for the forgiveness of sins. He chastised the hypocritical religious leaders of his day, and he told the people the truth about their sin. The majority of the people hated him for it, too. He was also critical of man-made religion which was based on human rules and regulations, and he warned his followers against following hypocritical liars. As a result, they hung him on a cross to die, as though he was a criminal, although he had done nothing wrong.

Yet, when he died, he took upon himself the sins of the entire world. Our sins were crucified and buried with him. When he was resurrected back to life, he rose triumphant over sin, death, hell and Satan. Amen! He took our punishment for sin upon himself so that we could go free from eternal damnation in hell, and so we could have the hope and assurance of eternity with God in heaven. Yet, he also died to save us from slavery to sin day-to-day, as well as to free us to walk daily in Christ’s righteousness and holiness. Amen!

We come to faith in Jesus Christ by God’s grace through faith in what Jesus Christ did in dying on the cross for our sins. This faith, though, is not just a one-time emotional experience or some words we pray at an altar to get our “get-out-of-jail-free” card. Involved in this faith is the act of turning from our sin (repenting) and turning to follow our Lord Jesus Christ in obedience and in surrender to his will for our lives. Faith is dying with Christ to our old lives of living for sin and self, being transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God, and being given new lives in Christ to be lived in the power of the Spirit within us in daily walking in the Spirit by faith, and in Christ’s righteousness and holiness (See: Ro. 6-8; 2 Co. 5:15; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 4:17-24; Tit. 2:11-14; 1 Pet. 2:24-25; & 1 Jn. 1-5). This is our basis or our foundation for our faith – the truth of what God’s word teaches us.

He is Exalted!

Blessed are the people who know the festal shout,

    who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face,

who exult in your name all the day

    and in your righteousness are exalted.

For you are the glory of their strength;

    by your favor our horn is exalted.

For our shield belongs to the Lord,

    our king to the Holy One of Israel… ~ vv. 15-18

To “exult” in someone means to rejoice – to be joyful and delighted and to jump for joy – over them. To “exalt” someone means: “to raise to a higher level; to praise highly; to raise in rank, power or character, or to elevate by praise or in estimation” (Merriam-Webster). We are to do both in regard to our Father God and our Lord Jesus Christ. We are not only to find our delight and joy in God above all else, but we are to lift up God/Jesus and his Word by how we live our lives, by our words, and by our actions. With regard to how we live our lives, we are to walk in the light of God’s character, his truth, and his divine will and purpose. Not only are we to do this, but what the Lord Jesus was showing me this morning is that we are to exalt Jesus Christ and his word in the sharing of the gospel of Jesus Christ – in the sharing of the only way, truth and life by which we enter into God’s eternal kingdom and we become members of God’s household, his church – the body of Christ.

What I believe this means is that we are to share the gospel of Jesus Christ according to the full gospel message, as taught by Jesus Christ and by his apostles, which is our foundation for our walks of faith. We are to teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. We should tell the people that Jesus Christ died, not just so we could escape hell and go to heaven when we die, but so we would no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave himself up for us. We should tell them that God’s grace is not free license to continue in willful sin without guilt, but his grace teaches us to say “NO!” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age while we wait for his return. And, we should tell them that true faith in Jesus Christ means death to sin and that we are given new lives by God, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (See Eph. 4).

You see in this passage where it says that the Lord is the glory of our strength and by his grace our horn is exalted, and that in his righteousness we are exalted. What I believe this means is that, because of God’s grace to us, and because of Jesus’ righteousness, which was credited to our account, so that we are forgiven of our sins and made right with God, we are raised to a higher level and our character is raised to a higher level. We are no longer slaves to sin, but slaves to righteousness. We no longer walk according to the flesh, to fulfill its passions and desires, but we now walk according to the Spirit, to please God and to walk in obedience to his commands (teachings & instructions). This is what we are to teach, and in this way we are exalting God/Jesus and his word in the context of us sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, in presenting to people the only way to God and to heaven.

If His Children

If his children forsake my law

    and do not walk according to my rules,

if they violate my statutes

    and do not keep my commandments,

then I will punish their transgression with the rod

    and their iniquity with stripes,

but I will not remove from him my steadfast love

    or be false to my faithfulness.

I will not violate my covenant

    or alter the word that went forth from my lips.

Once for all I have sworn by my holiness;

    I will not lie to David.

His offspring shall endure forever,

    his throne as long as the sun before me.

Like the moon it shall be established forever,

    a faithful witness in the skies.” Selah ~ vv. 30-37

The picture the Lord Jesus was giving me this morning was not only that God/Jesus and his Word is our only foundation for Christian living, and of the need for us to exalt (lift up) the name of Jesus and the truth of his Word, but of how government and church leaders have removed the Word of God, the Biblical foundations for salvation and our faith, and the authority of God from the entrance into the church (the body of Christ; God’s family).

By removing God’s/Christ’s and his Word’s authority from the gospel of salvation, they have also opened the way for people to enter into institutional religion that is a business of human origin, marketed and run just like any other worldly business, and to bypass true faith in Jesus Christ altogether. In America, the church has become unequally yoked together with the US government so that the government is head over the church corporation, and Christ, as the true head of his church, has been removed in favor of man-made religion and a man-made gospel. And, this man-made religion, which Jesus Christ strongly opposed, appeals to the flesh of humans and honors humans over and above honoring, exalting, and respecting God/Jesus and his Word as the authority for their lives.

In most of these man-made churches, though, I believe the truth of God’s word is being taught to a certain extent, but it is often mixed in with lies and manipulations of truth, so that the people in these churches are being tossed back and forth by various winds of doctrine, “by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (Eph. 4:14). For instance, most of them do tell half the gospel correctly, but they leave out the other half. They will teach you that Jesus died for our sins, but they don’t teach that we must die with Christ to our sin or that we must follow him in obedience to his teachings and instructions. Yet, the Word teaches us that if we say we have fellowship with him, but we continue living in sin, we are liars. It says that if we say we love God, but if we don’t do what he commands, we are liars, and he doesn’t know us (See: 1 John). This is speaking of lifestyle, I believe.

I believe God will discipline his wayward, spiritually adulterous and idolatrous church here in America for failing to heed his warnings and to respond to his calls for repentance. Yet, I believe God will do so in love, mercy and compassion, because he will be rescuing his children from their idolatry and the powerful influence these human institutions have over them right now, so that he can be their Lord again, and so they will honor him as the holy God that he is. I believe God will use divine correction to revive his church so that he can renew and restore her back to himself. In this, he will show his steadfast love and faithfulness. He will purify his people so that his bride will be ready for her husband.

He Keeps Me Singing / Luther B. Bridgers

There’s within my heart a melody

Jesus whispers sweet and low,

“Fear not, I am with thee, peace be still,”

In all of life’s ebb and flow.

Though sometimes He leads through waters deep,

Trials fall across the way,

Though sometimes the path seems rough and steep

See His foot-prints all the way.

Soon He’s coming back to welcome me

Far beyond the starry sky;

I shall wing my flight to world’s unknown,

I shall reign with Him on high.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus –

Sweetest name I know,

Fills my every longing,

Keeps me singing as I go.