The Way I Should Go

Tuesday, November 8, 2016, 8:18 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “His Tender Mercies.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 143 (Select vv. ESV).

In Your Faithfulness (vv. 1-4)

Hear my prayer, O Lord;

    give ear to my pleas for mercy!

    In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!

Enter not into judgment with your servant,

    for no one living is righteous before you.

For the enemy has pursued my soul;

    he has crushed my life to the ground;

    he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.

Therefore my spirit faints within me;

    my heart within me is appalled.

When we think of the word “mercy,” what comes to mind? I am most certain we think of compassion, kindness, sympathy, and forgiveness. We want God to come to our rescue, and to deliver us from our troubles, and to take away the pain and suffering from our lives. So, how do we feel when we pray for mercy, but our situations remain the same or even get worse? Do we feel God is not listening, or that he is not answering our requests? Or, that he is not sympathetic to our cause? Or, are there other ways in which God can show us his mercy other than via removing our trials and tribulations?

Why do we even have trials and tribulations? Why are we tempted to sin? Why does God allow our enemy, Satan, to attack us? Why does he allow sickness, pain, sorrow, tragedies, war, etc., where people suffer harm, and are even killed? I know these are age old questions, and they don’t have easy answers, but let me share with you some thoughts on this subject.

We are tempted to sin, for instance, because we were born with sin natures, which goes back to the sin of Adam and God’s curse on the earth and on the human race. But, it even goes back before that, for God created Lucifer, an angel in heaven, who then decided he wanted to be God, and so he rebelled against God, was cast out of heaven, and he took a third of the angels with him in rebellion against God. He then became Satan (the devil), and the angels who rebelled with him became evil spirits.

Yet, God did not destroy him/them, but he allowed them to live and to tempt man, and for man to sin against God. In fact, God gave man the choice to obey him or to disobey him when he told him he could not eat of a certain tree. Since God is all knowing, he even knew this was going to happen before he created the angels in heaven, and before he created man. And, yet he still created them, and he allowed them to live after they rebelled against him, but he then put a curse on the snake/devil, man, woman and the earth. So, why did God allow all this to happen the way it did? Why didn’t he just wipe them from the face of the earth and start all over?

I believe, from what I know of God, and from the study of his Word, that God allowed all of this to take place the way it did, because he wants humans to follow and obey him, not because we are programmed to do so, as though we are robots or puppets on a string, but because we choose to follow Jesus, to love him and to serve him, out of hearts that long after him. He allows trials and tribulations in our lives for the same reason, which is to draw us closer to our Lord, so that we learn to rely on God and not on ourselves, so that we are taught perseverance in faith, and so we share in Christ’s/God’s holiness, among other reasons, as well.

So, if God is calling out to us to follow him and to obey him, but we are not listening, because life is going well for us, and we’re having a good time here on the earth living for self-pleasure, then how might his mercy (kindness) be shown to us at that time? Is it kind to discipline a child? Is it kind to tell people the truth? It can be, if done correctly, with the right heart. So, he might discipline us in order to help us get our priorities in the right order. If God wants to spread his gospel message to a world dying in their sin, but the church is complacent and they are not taking the gospel to the ends of the earth, might God show his mercy both to the lost and to the church by exercising some divine discipline on the church in order to revive her and to get her to be more serious about her calling and commitment to Christ? I believe the answer is “Yes.” And, didn’t God show mercy to us by allowing his Son to suffer greatly so that we could be saved? YES!

So, God may show his mercy to us, and to others whose lives we may touch for Jesus, by allowing us to go through difficulties in order to purify us, to mature us in our faith, to strengthen us, to teach us to rely on him and not on ourselves, to draw us closer to him, and so we share in his holiness.

My Soul Thirsts (vv. 5-6)

I remember the days of old;

    I meditate on all that you have done;

    I ponder the work of your hands.

I stretch out my hands to you;

    my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah

When the enemy of our souls fiercely attacks us, or when we go through suffering, trials, tribulations, and the like, it has a way of getting us on our knees before God in humility, in repentance, and in prayer, seeking God’s counsel and his help. When things are going well for us, we can get too comfortable living here on this earth, and we may not have the attitude of heart and mind that we are truly strangers on this earth, and this world is not our home, but we are just passing through on our way to heaven.

When we go through difficulties, it helps us to get our eyes focused on Jesus, and on why we are here, and on what he has for us to be and to do for his glory and for his kingdom. Through our times of difficulty God may move us to be more dedicated to him and to spreading the message of salvation to a lost world, so in that way, he is showing the lost his mercy, too. So, when we pray for mercy, know that God will always do what is best for you (for me), but it may not be comfortable. He knows what we need, not just what we want, and so we must then rest in HIM.

So, God’s mercy may be shown to us by allowing us to suffer in order to humble us, to get us refocused, and to get us to have the right perspective about life; to get us to call on God, and to seek his face, and to recall his mighty deeds of old. If life is going well for us, we may end up thirsting for the things of this life, instead of thirsting for our Lord. Trials have a way of getting us to stop, to look, and to listen, and to pay attention to where we are going, and to what needs to be changed, and get us to make the necessary adjustments to our attitudes, heart, mind, and behavior.

The Way I Should Go (vv. 7-10)

Answer me quickly, O Lord!

    My spirit fails!

Hide not your face from me,

    lest I be like those who go down to the pit.

Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,

    for in you I trust.

Make me know the way I should go,

    for to you I lift up my soul.

Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord!

    I have fled to you for refuge.

Teach me to do your will,

    for you are my God!

Let your good Spirit lead me

    on level ground!

When we have learned what we needed to learn, and when we have made the necessary adjustments to mind, heart, and actions, in the power and working of God’s Spirit at work within us, God may remove the trial from us, but he may not. He knows what we need, and he knows how he plans to use us for his glory, so he may tell us, “My grace is sufficient to meet your need, for my power is perfected in your weakness.” So, he may not remove that “thorn” in our flesh that he has allowed to torment us. Yet, God’s ways are higher than our ways, and his purposes go far beyond what we could possibly be able to comprehend. He knows the beginning from the end, and so, when we have prayed for mercy, we need to trust him. We need to rest in him. We need to believe he knows best, and that he is going to work it all out for his glory and for our good. This is where I am. How about you?

If God does not deliver us from evil attacks against us, or from trials and tribulations (dark valleys), he will deliver us through them. He will carry us through, and he will lead us in the way we should go. And, it may be a way different from what we had been going, or it may be he is setting us aside or pulling us away from other lesser things in order that we can give more time to what he deems most important, especially since he knows what is going on in the world and the timing for everything that is going to take place.

So, we need him to lead us in the right way, and to know his will, and to be led on level (straight) ground, so we are not being tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine coming from men in their deceitful scheming. Or, so we aren’t wasting time with what is meaningless, but we are being fruitful for his kingdom work in order that many may be saved or brought back to God into pure fellowship with him once more, before Jesus returns for us.

His Tender Mercies / An Original Work / January 26, 2014

Fear not! I’m with you.

Be not dismayed!

God watches o’er you.

Trust Him today.

He’ll lead and guide you;

Give you His aid.

He’ll love and keep you

With Him always.

Walk in His footsteps.

He’ll lead the way.

Trust in His love;

Believe that He cares.

He will not leave you.

Faithful He’ll be.

His tender mercies

Now you will see.

Fellowship with Him

Throughout the day.

Tell Him your heartaches.

He’ll heal always.

Rest in His comfort.

He is your friend.

Your faith He’ll strengthen,

True to the end.

https://vimeo.com/85267672

Your Word Exalted

Monday, November 7, 2016, 6:51 p.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Give God the Glory.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 138 (ESV).

With my Whole Heart (vv. 1-3)

I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
    before the gods I sing your praise;
I bow down toward your holy temple
    and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
    for you have exalted above all things
    your name and your word.
On the day I called, you answered me;
    my strength of soul you increased.

The heart of a person is his (or her) soul, spirit, emotion, mind, will and/or core (center). It is who we are, what we think, what we feel, what we choose, and what we believe. In our hearts we feel compassion, sympathy, kindness, concern and affection for others. In our hearts we can also demonstrate courage, fortitude and resolution, or we may feel worrisome or fearful. We may, as well, be heartbroken. Or, we may have wicked hearts bent on destruction, murder, wickedness, adultery, deceit, and the like.

So, if we give thanks to God and worship him with our whole hearts, then that means we thank him, praise him, and we worship him with our entire being – with all our mind, emotion, passion, conviction, determination, steadfastness and courage, i.e. with NO half-hearted devotion.

“Before the gods” we sing his praise for all that he is and for all that he has done. So, what does that mean? Who are “the gods”? They can be people in high up positions like kings and rulers, or they can be false gods of the people. So, what is the purpose of this? I picture this a lot like Daniel who, after the law was made that the people could not pray to any other god other than the king, or be thrown into a lions’ den, went home, and with windows open, got down on his knees three times a day and prayed to the One True God. This has to do with unashamed devotion to God/Jesus Christ, to where we will stand strong in our faith and in our determination to speak the truth of God’s Holy Word, even in the face of all strong opposition. It is where we will honor God’s Word as holy, even in the face of those who dishonor it and/or who threaten to persecute us if we continue in his Word.

For example, there is a global scheme in play right now to discredit the gospel, as taught by Jesus and by his NT apostles. The New World Order “Beast” is making a case to prove that evangelical Christianity is “religious extremism,” to be equated with terrorism, i.e. with hate crimes against humanity. If we, for example, teach against sins which the Bible spells out as sin, but which the world has embraced as the new normal, then we are tagged as bigoted, intolerant and as hatemongers. If we teach that Jesus is the only way to God the Father, then we are bigoted, prideful, and intolerant of other religions. If we teach that we must repent of sins and obey Jesus Christ and his teachings, then we are disunifiers and narrow-minded bigots.

The plot is to bring the whole world under a one-world government (totalitarian) and a one-world (all-inclusive) religion. And, the plan is to shame (or force) the world into compromise, and into doing away with all which divides us as the people of the world, so that we can all join hands with one another in unity under the Beast. This one-world government is being formed before our very eyes under the guise of “climate change.” The agreement has been signed (ratified) in Paris, and from what I understand, their first meeting will be on the 15^th of this month, at which time they will determine their “rule book” for the nations to follow (Google CMA1 or Paris Agreement 2016, or in combination with New World Order).

So, if we sing praise to the Lord with our whole being before these kings and before (in the face of) their false religions and false (social) gospels, then we unashamedly exalt the name of Jesus, for who he truly is, and we exalt his Word as the supreme authority over all false teachings and over all laws of men, written to oppose God’s Word. And, we do so knowing that we could be falsely accused, falsely arrested, persecuted, abandoned, rejected and even killed for our testimonies for Jesus Christ and for his gospel, because we believe in the truths to which we hold fast, and because we have Jesus Christ living within us, and we love him, and we love His Word, and we know that we are standing on the truth in the face of Satan’s lies and deceptions.

The Words of Your Mouth (vv. 4-6)

All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,
    for they have heard the words of your mouth,
and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
    for great is the glory of the Lord.
For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
    but the haughty he knows from afar.

This brings to mind at least two New Testament passages of scripture:

“Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God’” (Ro. 14:10-11). And, “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9-11).

It appears that it was the psalmist’s conviction that when all the kings of the earth heard the Words of the Lord, from his mouth, that they would praise him and would sing of the ways of the Lord. We don’t have any such promise in scripture, as a whole, that I am aware of, though, that states that all kings on the earth will praise the Lord and sing of his ways after hearing his Words. We know, in fact, that the nations will trample on Jesus and on his servants in these last days, and will persecute the saints of God with great vigor, and that many of the people and kings of this world will never believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of their lives, and will, thus, go to hell.

Yet, I do believe a day is coming when every knee will bow and will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that will be on the day when God comes in judgment. Remember how James said that even the demons believe and they shudder. They know Jesus is the Son of God, and that he is God, and they shudder because they fear God, but not in the sense of reverential fear in which they have trusted in Jesus Christ and honor him as Lord. Well, I believe it is something like that. When God comes in judgment, even his enemies will be forced to bow the knee in submission to God, not in love, honor and respect for him as Lord of their lives, but in fearful acknowledgment that he is indeed the God he claimed to be, and that he did exactly what he said he would do. At least, this is my impression, based on my understanding of what scripture teaches.

Yet, I do believe, that through judgment on the earth, during the Tribulation, that many people will come to faith in Jesus Christ – even kings and rulers of the people, if that were possible. Prophecy of scripture teaches that people will be saved during this time. And, it could very well be that they end up believing in Jesus when they see the strength and courage of his servants, when they are faced with enormous opposition, and yet they stand firm in their faith, and in their testimonies for Jesus Christ, and they still give honor and praise to their Lord even in the face of death. When they hear the Word of God, not only taught, but lived out through His faithful servants, many will turn their hearts to Jesus Christ and make him Lord of their lives.

His Purpose for Me (vv. 7-8)

Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
    you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
    and your right hand delivers me.
The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
    your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
    Do not forsake the work of your hands.

We live in troubled times, when the gospel of Jesus Christ and its messengers are under severe attack from the enemy of our souls. Many are being severely persecuted and even put to death for their faith in Jesus Christ, and for their stand on his Word and on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Others are being persecuted in less obvious ways, or in less physical ways. They are being attacked verbally, and even from many church pulpits, because they dare to hold to the tenets of the Christian faith, and the purity of scripture, and the gospel as taught by Jesus and his NT apostles.

The gospel has slowly and subtly been pecked away at until it barely resembles the gospel taught by Jesus and his apostles. And, it continues to be diluted and altered on a daily basis to make it more palatable and acceptable to the world, as well as to people of all religions, many of whom are becoming “Jesus admirers,” but not Jesus followers. But, then the Jesus they are admiring is largely not the Jesus Christ of scripture, but one that is man-made to fit with the sinful lifestyles and multi-religious practices of the people of this world. They paint Jesus as a do-gooder who just went around smiling and making people happy all the time, but who never confronted people with their sins, or called for repentance and obedience, and who welcomed people of all faiths and lifestyles, and never spoke of hell.

Yet, even though we live in these difficult times, and we know that things are only going to get much worse, before they get better, i.e. when Jesus comes back, we can rest in our Lord, trust in his promises, take him at his Word, and be comforted by his love, care and watch over us. This does not mean he won’t allow us to suffer. He will! The Bible says we will be hated and persecuted, as was Jesus, that we will be disciplined of God, in order that we may share in his holiness, and that we are destined for trials and tribulations. So, we shouldn’t expect that life is going to be easy for us.

Yet, he will be with us, he will strengthen and keep us, he will teach us and lead us in the way we should go, and he will give us all we need to remain firm in our faith and to keep on sharing his gospel, in order that many will be saved. God has a purpose in it all, to make us holy and like Jesus Christ.

Give God the Glory / An Original Work

Based off Psalm 19 / March 10, 2014

All of creation now proclaims:

“Give God the glory; honor His name!”

Each day the stars in heav’n above

Show forth His wisdom; tell of His love.

They do not speak. They have no voice.

Yet, they declare we have a choice:

“Worship the God of heav’n above;

Believe in Jesus; trust in His love.”

God’s word is perfect, just and good,

Refreshing souls who trust in the Lord;

Makes wise the simple; radiant -

Lighting our lives with God’s righteousness.

Joy to the heart His words now speak;

Pure and enduring, now we seek.

They are more precious than our gold;

Sweeter than honey; never grow old.

Keeping the word brings great reward.

By the word Jesus speaks and He warns,

Convicting hearts of all their sin;

Forgiving all who call upon Him.

Praying You keep me, Lord, from sins.

May they not rule my life again.

Then will I walk in all Your ways,

Following Jesus all of my days.

https://vimeo.com/88900305

Full Redemption

Sunday, November 6, 2016, 8:00 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “My Jesus, I Love Thee.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 130 (NIV).

There is Forgiveness (vv. 1-4)

Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;

    Lord, hear my voice.

Let your ears be attentive

    to my cry for mercy.

If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,

    Lord, who could stand?

But with you there is forgiveness,

    so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

Literally, this should read: “If you, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?” The phrase, “mark iniquities” was not clear to me as to its meaning, so I chose the NIV translation, instead, which says, “kept a record of sins.” Yet, does God keep a record of sins committed? Yes, he does:

“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.” (Rev. 20:12).

So, then, I looked at what some commentators said concerning verse 3, and I read this: “If you, Lord, should observe them accurately, and punish them severely, as they deserve. Who shall stand in thy presence, or at thy tribunal? No man can acquit himself, or escape the sentence of condemnation, because all men are sinners” (Matthew Poole’s Commentary).

So, it isn’t that God doesn’t keep a record of sins. He does. The point of the statement, I believe, is that if God did not provide a way for us to be forgiven of our sins, who could stand? If he did not provide a way to have our records expunged, who could stand? We couldn’t, because we are not able to acquit ourselves, because not one of us could ever be perfect. Not one of us could obey the law with sinless perfection, which is why Jesus had to die for our sins, so that he would take the punishment for us, so that we could go free from both the punishment of and slavery to sin. Amen!

So, how does this work exactly? Well, when Jesus Christ, God the Son, died on the cross for our sins, he who knew no sin became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God (2 Co. 5:21). So, what does that mean? It means that Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness (1 Pet. 2:24). When he died, our sins also died with him, and were buried with him. When he was resurrected from the dead, though, our sins remained buried. He rose victorious over hell, Satan, death and sin, for our sake. Amen! So, does that mean that everyone is now saved from sin, and none of us have to give an account to God for our sins? No!

We have to believe on Jesus for our salvation, and for forgiveness of sins. So, how do we do that? Well, the Bible says we have to repent of our sins. We have to turn away from living sinful lifestyles, and we have to turn to God/Jesus, to follow him in obedience. When Jesus called Paul to be a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, he gave him this commission:

“I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (See: Ac. 26:16-18).

When we truly put our trust in Jesus Christ to be Lord (owner-master) and Savior of our lives, we are, in essence, turned from darkness (sin) to light (righteousness), and from the power Satan had over our lives in holding us in bondage to sin, to God/Jesus, to now walk in his righteousness. Through this heart transformation of the Spirit of God, in which we cooperate fully with God’s work of grace, we are, thus, forgiven of our sins and we are given a place among those who are sanctified (made holy) by faith in Jesus Christ. Believing in Jesus means we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are resurrected with Christ in newness of life, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (See: Eph. 4:17-24; Ro. 6:1-23; Ro. 8:1-14).

I Put my Hope (vv. 5-6)

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,

    and in his word I put my hope.

I wait for the Lord

    more than watchmen wait for the morning,

    more than watchmen wait for the morning.

When we believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, he gives us the promise of life everlasting with him. He promises us that one day our toil here on this earth will be over, and we will no longer suffer temptation to sin, sickness, sadness, pain, decay and death. He is preparing for us a heavenly home, and glorified bodies, which will not be like these fleshly bodies in which we now live. There will be no sin or wickedness where we are going. Everything will be glorious! Righteousness will reign supreme! Amen! We will be with our Lord face-to-face for eternity, which has no end. One day, if we do not die first, Jesus will return for us who are his followers, and we will be forever with the Lord. In that, we rest our confidence.

In the meanwhile, while we wait for our Lord’s return, we walk in his Spirit, and we do not gratify the cravings of our sinful flesh. We walk by faith, and not by sight. We enjoy sweet fellowship with our Lord each day in the reading of his Word, in listening to what he says to us, and in doing what he tells us to do. We talk with him in prayer, and we bring all our requests before him. We give him praise, thanksgiving, honor, respect and reverence for all that he is, and for all that he has done for us in saving us from our sins, and in keeping us in his love and care, here on the earth, until we reach our heavenly home. His grace, which brings salvation, teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we wait for his soon return (See: Tit. 2:11-14).

Full Redemption (vv. 7-8)

Israel, put your hope in the Lord,

    for with the Lord is unfailing love

    and with him is full redemption.

He himself will redeem Israel

    from all their sins.

This was a promise of Jesus Christ, Israel’s Messiah and Lord, who would one day redeem them from all their sins. That day has come and gone. Jesus Christ, God the Son, gave his life up for us to buy (purchase) us back for God with his blood, which was shed on a cross for our sins. So, why did we need to be bought back (redeemed)? Because the first man Adam sinned against God, thus all humans since that time have borne the image of Adam, and are born sinners (See: Rom. 3:23; Ro. 5:12-19; 1 Co. 15:21-22, 42-49). And, we all come up short of attaining God’s divine approval, because we are all sinners. So, Jesus Christ died on a cross so that we could be restored to fellowship with God, be forgiven of our sins, and have the hope of eternal life with God from this point on and forevermore.

So, this is a call now for all people everywhere to put their hope in the Lord, so that they might be saved from their sins, be delivered out of slavery to sin, have the hope of eternal life with God, and walk (conduct their lives) now in his righteousness and holiness, for that is why he died.

We must come to God with humble hearts, accept his gift of salvation from sin, turn from our wicked ways, and turn to follow him in obedience and in surrender to his will for our lives. For, if we hold on to our old lives of living for sin and self, we will lose them for eternity. But, if we willingly die with Christ to sin (lose our lives), we will gain eternal life (Lu. 9:23-25; cf. Ro. 6:1-23; Eph. 4:17-24). So, if we walk (conduct our lives) according to our flesh, we will die without Christ in our sins, but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, we will live with Christ for eternity (See: Ro. 8:1-14). If we say we have fellowship with God, but we walk (in lifestyle) in darkness (sin), we are liars, and the truth is not in us (1 Jn. 1:6). A saved life is a life that is crucified with Christ in death to sin, and is resurrected with Christ to newness of life, to be lived to him and to his righteousness.

Will you today, if you have not already done so, believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of your life? Will you forsake your sinful lifestyle, and follow him in obedience, and in surrender to his will? Jesus died that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us. He died that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to our sinful flesh, but who walk according to the Spirit. Will you love Jesus by following him in death to sin, and will you live for him by walking in his righteousness? – all in the power, working and strength of God’s Holy Spirit, who lives within those of us who believe in Jesus Christ.

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. 

I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,

And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;

And say, when the death-dew lies cold on my brow,

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ‘tis now.

In mansions of glory and endless delight;

I'll ever adore thee in heaven so bright;

I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow;

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

From All Evil

Saturday, November 5, 2016, 11:24 p.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Gift of God.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 121 (ESV).

Our Help (vv. 1-2)

I lift up my eyes to the hills.

    From where does my help come?

My help comes from the Lord,

    who made heaven and earth.

Not one of us is truly autonomous. We all need help. We may not all admit that we do, but we all need assistance, support and service from someone or something. Even if you lived alone on a secluded island, and you were the sole survivor of a boat or plane crash, and you had to do everything now for yourself, you would still need the sunshine and the rain and the earth to plant food, and trees to give you shade or for wood for building a shelter. And, all of that is provided by God and is governed by God, so you need God just to live and to survive on this earth, even if you don’t acknowledge him.

But, we all have a need which is even greater than survival on this earth, believe it or not. We are all born into sin, without hope and separate from God, destined to die without God in our sins (See: Ro. 3:23; Ro. 5:12-19; 1 Co. 15:21-22, 42-49). So, we need a way to be saved from our sin, to be restored to God, and to have the hope of eternal life with God. So, God, in his great love and compassion toward us, provided a way for us to be saved from our sins, and to be restored to fellowship with him. He sent his One and Only Begotten Son to the earth to die on a cross for our sins.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God (and God) is also our creator (See: John 1). It is he who made us. He came to earth, took on human form, suffered as we suffer, and was tempted in like manner as we are also tempted, yet without sin. Although he knew no sin, yet he became sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Co. 5:21). In other words, he died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness (1 Pet. 2:24). He died that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us (2 Co. 5:15). Through his blood, which was shed on the cross for our sins, he purchased us back for God so that we could be reunited in fellowship with God, be delivered from slavery to sin, and have the hope of eternal life with God. Our help comes from Him.

He Keeps Us (vv. 3-4)

He will not let your foot be moved;

    he who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, he who keeps Israel

    will neither slumber nor sleep.

So, if Jesus died for the sins of everyone in the world, is everyone now saved? No! We have to believe in him to be Lord (owner-master) and Savior of our lives. We have to die with him to sin, and be resurrected with him, of the Spirit of God, to newness of life, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (See: Ro. 6:1-23; Eph. 4:17-24). And, then we have to walk (conduct our lives) in the Spirit and no longer according to our sinful flesh, for if we walk according to the flesh, we will die (without Christ in our sin), but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, we will live with Christ for eternity (See: Ro. 8:1-14; cf. Lu. 9:23-25).

You see, the whole purpose for why Jesus died for our sins was not just so we could escape punishment in hell and have the hope of heaven when we die. He died to deliver us out of slavery to sin so that we would now become servants of his righteousness, and so that we will walk in his holiness. He died to transform our lives, not just to save us from hell. He died to give us new lives in Christ, while we still live on this earth, not just to give us eternal lives in heaven. His purpose for us is that we no longer walk according to our sinful flesh, but that our desire is now for him, to please him in all things. So, we need to turn from our sins, and we need to turn to God to obey him.

Our Shade (vv. 5-6)

The Lord is your keeper;

    the Lord is your shade on your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,

    nor the moon by night.

When we believe on the Lord Jesus, and we are crucified with him in death to sin, and we are given new lives in him to be lived for his praise and his purposes, his Holy Spirit comes into our lives to dwell. Now God is living within us, and we are his temple, his body. We, collectively, are his church. His Spirit within us watches over us, teaches us his truths, and gives us comfort, encouragement, hope, counsel and direction for our lives. Through the Spirit now living within us, the living Word of God now dwells within us, showing us the way we should go. He also warns us against going the wrong way. He keeps us on the right path, and helps us to not go astray, if we will listen, and if we will heed his counsel, and if we will obey what he says.

Forevermore (vv. 7-8)

The Lord will keep you from all evil;

    he will keep your life.

The Lord will keep

    your going out and your coming in

    from this time forth and forevermore.

When we trust in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, though, we do not become puppets on a string. We have to cooperate fully with his work of grace and transformation in our lives. Yes, he is there to protect us from all evil, but we have to do what he tells us. He has saved us, and he has freed us from slavery to sin, but we have to walk in that freedom, and no longer live to gratify the cravings of our sinful desires. It is true that we do this all in his power and strength within us, but we still have to do it. He can’t protect us from evil if we willingly choose to engage in (participate in) evil. In other words, we can’t expect to have victory over the flesh if we are daily feeding that sinful flesh, can we?

For instance, if we continue to overeat, we can’t lose weight. If we keep going to internet sites where we have fallen into sin before, thinking that this time it will be different, we shouldn’t be surprised if we fall into temptation once again. If we watch TV shows or movies or play video games or listen to music or go to internet sites where we know we are going to see and hear sexually immoral content, then how can we expect to keep our minds pure? God has provided the way out from temptation, but we have to take it. He has provided freedom from slavery to sin, but we have to want to be free from sin. If we keep playing with sin and temptation, and if we keep doing what we know is going to lead us into sin, then we have invited evil right back into our lives, and we can’t blame God or anyone else for not protecting us. He provides the way, but we must choose his way.

When we choose to go God’s way and not our own way, it is awesome! There is such peace, freedom and joy in the victories he gives us over temptation to sin against him, and over the tempter’s evil schemes which he works against us. Then, we truly sense God’s protection over us, because we are yielding to him and to his protection instead of fighting against it. I can tell you from personal experience that there is no better place to be than in the center of God’s will for my life, doing what he has called me to do, and being who he wants me to be. When we walk in his Spirit, and we live holy lives, pleasing to God, and we follow him in surrender and in obedience, there is no greater joy than that ever!

Gift of God / An Original Work / October 25, 2016

Based off Various Scriptures

Jesus Christ, Son of God,

Died for us on a cross;

Conquered death, sin, and hell,

So, with Him, we would dwell.

For, by His grace, we are saved.

He set us free from all sin.

Thanks be to God for His Gift.

Through faith in Him, we’re forgiven.

Holy Spirit of God,

Given to us who believe,

Gives us new life in Christ;

Made to be just like Him.

We died with Christ to our sin.

New lives in Him we begin,

Walking with Christ day by day.

We read His Word, and we pray.

Jesus, He is our Lord.

Follow Him where He leads.

Tell the world of His grace.

We’ll see Christ face to face.

Soon He is coming again.

We’ll be forever with Him.

He’ll wipe our tears all away.

Oh, what a wonderful day!

https://vimeo.com/188931779

Call on Jesus

Saturday, November 5, 2016, 9:11 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Give Ear to Jesus.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 119:145-152 (ESV).

I Call to You (vv. 145-146)

With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O Lord!

    I will keep your statutes.

I call to you; save me,

    that I may observe your testimonies.

Peter, on the Day of Pentecost, when confronted by mockers who thought the Lord’s disciples were drunk with wine, when they were filled with the Spirit, quoted Joel 2 regarding what had just taken place. At the end of the quotation he said, “And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Paul appears to have also quoted from Joel when he wrote, “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Ro. 10:12-13). So, what does it mean to call on God for salvation? Isn’t God the one who does the calling? We can’t be saved unless God first draws us to Jesus.

Romans 10:14-17 says this: “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’ But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?’ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

Yes, the Father is the one who draws us to Jesus through the preaching of the gospel of our salvation. He convicts our hearts of sin, via the Holy Spirit, so that we become conscious that we are sinners in need of the Savior. The preaching of the gospel tells us the story of how Jesus Christ, the Son of God (and God), died on a cross, taking upon himself the sins of the world, so that our sins died with him and were buried with him. It also tells of how he was resurrected back to life when he rose victorious over hell, Satan, death and sin on our behalf, so that we could be set free from slavery to sin, and so we could walk now in his righteousness. The gospel message, thus, invites the sinner to turn from his (or her) sin and to follow our Lord Jesus in obedience.

In response to hearing the gospel, the sinner believes on Jesus and thus calls on him in faith, which is also equated with obedience (Ro. 10:16). Calling on Jesus, thus, is not merely making a request to him for salvation, but it is a heart (believing) response to the message of the gospel, as well as it is an obedient response to the teaching of the gospel and to God’s drawing us to Christ. So, what is the gospel? Peter summarized it pretty well in 1 Pet. 2:24: “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” What that scripture expresses, in a nutshell, is really the purpose for which Jesus died, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, not just so that we might escape hell and go to heaven when we die.  

When we truly trust in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are resurrected with Christ to newness of life, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (See: Eph. 4:17-24; Ro. 6:1-23). “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin” (Ro. 6:6). Jesus also died that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For, if we walk according to the flesh, we will die (in our sins without Christ), but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, we will live (with Christ for eternity) (See: Ro. 8:1-14). As well, John said that if we say we have fellowship with God but we walk in darkness, we are liars (1 Jn. 1:6).

I hope in Your Words (vv. 147-148)

I rise before dawn and cry for help;

    I hope in your words.

My eyes are awake before the watches of the night,

    that I may meditate on your promise.

When Jesus saves us from our sins, it doesn’t stop there until we get to heaven. The moment we believe in Jesus to be Lord and Savior of our lives is not the “end-all” until we get to heaven, though many people teach that. We are saved (past), we are being saved (present) and we will be saved (future) when Christ returns for us and takes us to be with him forever. Some people call this the process of sanctification in the life of the believer. However you want to look at it, our salvation is not complete until Jesus comes back for us and we have the wedding banquet. Our faith needs to remain in Christ and us in his Word throughout our lives on this earth, and we need to continue in him until the end. We also must walk (lifestyle) according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh. Our lifestyles must reflect that we have died with Christ to sin and that we are living to his righteousness, otherwise we have believed in vain.

When we believe in Jesus, and we call on him in faith, he transforms our lives away from living for sin and self to living for our Lord. We love our Lord, and we love his Word, and we want to spend time with him in his Word, listening to all that he has for us, and we desire to do what it says. It should not be a drudgery for us. We should not feel like it is some task we have to check off each day, either. We should even be willing to get up in the middle of the night if he wakes us, in order to hear what he has to say to us. In fact, we should have such a close relationship with Jesus that reading his Word should be like eating meals. We wouldn’t go without eating, would we, unless we were fasting? Or, unless we had no food to eat. Yet, our time with him should really never have a beginning or an end. We should be continually aware of his presence, listening for his voice, and be ready to obey him at a moment’s notice when he speaks his truths to our hearts.

Give Me Life (vv. 149-150)

Hear my voice according to your steadfast love;

    O Lord, according to your justice give me life.

They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose;

    they are far from your law.

When Jesus saves us from our sins, the life we receive from him is not just the life we will receive after death, when we go to be with him forever. He gives us new life in him right then and there, which is to be lived no longer for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us. It is a transformed life of the Spirit of God in new birth of the Spirit. It isn’t like the old life, and it isn’t just a slightly cleaned up version of the old life, either. The change should be like turning the opposite direction from what we had been going and going the other (opposite) way. It should be radical, and it should be obvious that we are not the same as we were before. It doesn’t mean we will be perfect or sinless, but that sin should no longer be our master, but Jesus should be our only Lord (owner-master) of our lives. And, our desire should now be for him, and not for the trappings of this sinful world.

Yet, when we have this heart transformation, and we no longer live how we lived before, and we don’t do the things we used to do with the people of this world, there will be those who will hate us, and who will reject us, and who will persecute us because we will be an offense to them. Sin loves company, so those who choose to continue in sin will no longer be comfortable around those of us who choose to walk in holiness. It is just the nature of the beast. In other words, that is just how things go. People who are walking in sin won’t want to be around those who are not, and so they may even attack us, and kick us out of their lives, so they can go on sinning without any feeling of guilt for their sin. So, we should pray for them.

Your Commandments (vv. 151-152)

But you are near, O Lord,

    and all your commandments are true.

Long have I known from your testimonies

    that you have founded them forever.

So, what do we do when we are persecuted? We should turn to the Lord for our consolation and our comfort, and we should rest in him and in his love for us. We should also be determined even more to stand on his Word, to speak boldly the gospel of our salvation, and to never compromise our faith or convictions in order to be liked or accepted by other humans. People will fail us, but God and his Word will never fail us. We can count on them always. People will leave us and forsake us, but our God will never leave those who are his. We can count on his complete faithfulness and his continual presence with us, and his guidance and direction in our lives to take us where we need to go. He is our only hope, joy and salvation.

Give Ear to Jesus / An Original Work

Based off Isaiah 55 / February 16, 2016

Call on your Savior.

Seek the Lord while He is near.

Let the wicked forsake his way;

Turn to the Lord.

God will have mercy.

He’ll forgive you of your sin.

He will freely pardon you

And give peace within.

Turn from your sin, follow Jesus,

Be cleansed from sin.

Give ear to Jesus.

Come to Him. Your soul will live.

Listen to Him speaking to you:

“Eat what is good.”

If you are thirsty,

Come to Jesus, drink from Him.

Drink His Spirit given to you.

Be born again.

Listen to Him. Do what He says.

Rejoice in Him.

God’s Word, eternal,

Will achieve what He desires.

He is willing none should perish,

Saved by His blood.

Share now the gospel.

Jesus died so we’d go free.

Walk in vict’ry,

Free from your sin, eternally.

Die to sin, and live to Jesus.

In Him believe.

https://vimeo.com/155612854

Forever, To the End

Saturday, November 5, 2016, 12:22 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Gift of God.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 119:105-112 (ESV).

A Lamp to my feet (vv. 105-106)

Your word is a lamp to my feet

    and a light to my path.

I have sworn an oath and confirmed it,

    to keep your righteous rules.

I am reminded here of the words John spoke in his gospel, regarding the Word. He said the Word was with God in the beginning, and the Word was God. All things were made through Him, i.e. He is our creator. “In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it” (Jn. 1:4-5). He went on to say that “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (v. 14). John later identified the Word as Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who had come into the world to take away the sins of the world.

So, not only is the Bible (Genesis to Revelation) God’s Word to us, but Jesus Christ is the living Word, who now dwells within those of us who are his followers, via the person of the Holy Spirit. We have the Word living within us, giving us light and truth, and directing our paths. Awesome! Even when we are not engaged in reading the written, yet living Word of God - the Bible - the Word is within us counseling, guiding, encouraging, comforting, and teaching us what Jesus taught his disciples when he walked the face of this earth. The Word is always with us, in other words. It never leaves us. We just have to listen to the Spirit speak God’s Word into our hearts, and then we have to follow our Lord in obedience to his will and to his ways.

Give me life, O Lord (vv. 107-108)

I am severely afflicted;

    give me life, O Lord, according to your word!

Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O Lord,

    and teach me your rules.

Before we believed in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, though, we were weighed down with sin. We did not have the light of life living within us, because we had not yet been given this new life in Christ. Yet, somewhere we heard the gospel preached (or shared), our hearts were convicted of sin, we humbled ourselves before God, repented of our sins, and we trusted in Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior. Through the Spirit of God, we were, thus, crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we were resurrected with Christ in newness of life, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:24). The old was now gone, and the new had come. We were now delivered out of slavery to sin, and we were given new lives in Christ Jesus to be lived to his righteousness. Amen!

But I do not stray (vv. 109-110)

I hold my life in my hand continually,

    but I do not forget your law.

The wicked have laid a snare for me,

    but I do not stray from your precepts.

A transformation of the Spirit of God had now just taken place in our hearts. Where we once lived to please our sinful flesh, now our desire was for God, to do his will. We no longer walked (conducted our lives) after the ways of our sinful flesh, but we now walked according to (in agreement with) the Spirit of God. We didn’t reach instant perfection, but we had changed directions, and now we were on the path of righteousness, with the living Word as our guide. So, we began the journey of the Christian life in following our Lord in obedience, and by the Spirit, we began the process of daily dying to sin and putting to death the deeds of the flesh, so that we might have eternal life with God in heaven (See: Ro. 8:1-14; cf. Lu. 9:23-25).

Remember here what John said. He said that if we say we have fellowship with God, but we walk (conduct our lives) in darkness (in sin), we are liars, and the truth is not in us (1 Jn. 1:6). Jesus said if we hold on to our old lives (of living for sin and self), we will lose them for eternity, but if we lose our lives (die with Christ to sin), we will gain eternal life (Lu. 9:23-25). A saved life is a changed a life; a life transformed of the Spirit of God out of darkness and into God’s wonderful light. Jesus died, not just so we could escape hell and go to heaven when we die. He died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. He died that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh, but who walk according to the Spirit. If we are still walking in sin, we don’t know Christ.

Forever, to the end (vv. 111-112)

Your testimonies are my heritage forever,

    for they are the joy of my heart.

I incline my heart to perform your statutes

    forever, to the end.

Jesus said, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (Jn. 8:31-32). Paul said, “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain” (I Co 15:2). And he said, “But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel” (Col. 1:22-23). The writer of Hebrews said, “… And we are his house, IF we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast… We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first” (Heb. 3:6, 14; cf. Romans 11:17-24; II Tim 2:10-13; 2 Pet. 1:5-11; & I John 2:24-25).

A saved life is not only a life transformed of the Spirit of God away from sin and the power of Satan, and to God - and out of darkness, and into his wonderful light - but it is continuous to the end. In John 3:16 we read that God so loved the world that he gave his One and Only Begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. That word “believes” is present tense. In other words, our belief must be ongoing. We are not saved on the basis of past belief. If we want to have eternal life with God, we must be believing on him at the time we go to be with him. And, that belief in Jesus is revealed to be genuine by our forsaking of our lifestyles of sin to follow our Lord Jesus Christ in obedience to his will and to his ways – on his path of righteousness.

Some people will try to write this off by calling it “works-based salvation,” but it can’t be, because it is what God’s word teaches us we must do. Yes, we are saved by God’s grace, through faith, which is a gift of God and not of works lest any of us should boast that we somehow earned our own salvation (See: Eph. 2:8-9). Yet, our salvation is not absent of works of the Spirit in our lives (See: Eph. 2:10). “For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” James said, “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder… faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (Jas. 2:17-19).

The evidence that true faith in Jesus Christ exists in our lives is that we no longer conduct our lives after the flesh, but we live our lives (in lifestyle) according to the Spirit, not in sinless perfection, but daily, by the Spirit, putting to death the deeds of the flesh, and daily putting on Christ and his Word and his righteousness, and to do so to the very end of time.

Gift of God / An Original Work / October 25, 2016

Based off Various Scriptures

Jesus Christ, Son of God,

Died for us on a cross;

Conquered death, sin, and hell,

So, with Him, we would dwell.

For, by His grace, we are saved.

He set us free from all sin.

Thanks be to God for His Gift.

Through faith in Him, we’re forgiven.

Holy Spirit of God,

Given to us who believe,

Gives us new life in Christ;

Made to be just like Him.

We died with Christ to our sin.

New lives in Him we begin,

Walking with Christ day by day.

We read His Word, and we pray.

Jesus, He is our Lord.

Follow Him where He leads.

Tell the world of His grace.

We’ll see Christ face to face.

Soon He is coming again.

We’ll be forever with Him.

He’ll wipe our tears all away.

Oh, what a wonderful day!

https://vimeo.com/188931779

In His Hands

Friday, November 4, 2016, 1:32 p.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Have Thine Own Way, Lord.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 119:73-80 (ESV).

Your Hands Made Me (vv. 73-77)

Your hands have made and fashioned me;
    give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.
Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice,
    because I have hoped in your word.
I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous,
    and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

God/Jesus Christ is our creator, so he knows us inside out. Not only does he know everything about us, but he is the one who planned who we should be, and what we should be doing in this life, which he has given to us on the earth. He placed us in the wombs of our mothers. That means he put us in our families. All the days ordained for us were written in his book before one of them came into being (See: Ps. 139). Even before we were formed in the wombs of our mothers, God knew us, and he had a plan for our lives (See: Jer. 1:5). Not one of us is here by happenstance. God made us, and he placed us on the earth, because he has a purpose for each of us to fulfill.

The hard part for us, as humans, is often in accepting God’s absolute sovereignty over our lives. It is hard for us to imagine that God, who is loving and kind, would allow us to be placed in difficult situations. We sometimes have this image of God as one who only gives happiness, and that he has no control over what goes on in the world, but that isn’t true.

Our God and Lord Jesus Christ is far above all rule and authority, power and dominion. God the Father has placed all things under Jesus’ feet. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. In everything he has the supremacy. Amen! He is the ruler of God’s creation; the head over every power and authority; and all angels, authorities and powers are in submission to him. Praise God! In that we can rest secure, knowing that God rules supreme over all. [See: Eph. 1:15-23; Col. 1:15-20; Rev. 3:14; Col. 2:9-10; & 1 Pet. 3:21-22.]

So, we need understanding of God’s purposes in what he does, and in what he allows in our lives, so that when hard times come, our faith is not shaken. God allows or he brings about adversity in our lives to refine us like silver. He uses unjust treatment in our lives to purify us and to prune away those things which are interfering with our walks of faith. He disciplines us for our good so that we may share in his holiness. Those who have been trained by such divine discipline will produce the peaceful fruit of righteousness (See: Heb. 12:3-11). Jesus never promised us that the Christian life would be easy, or that we would be free from suffering. In fact, he told his followers that they should expect to be treated as he was.

God’s goal for us is not to please our flesh, but to purify it. He wants us to be holy, i.e. to be separate (unlike, different) from the world, because we are becoming like Christ. Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. He died that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us. Jesus said that if we want to come after him we must deny self, take up our cross daily and follow (obey) him. Paul said that if we conduct our lives after the flesh, we will die (in our sins), but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of our flesh we will live (with Christ for eternity). And, John said that if we say we have fellowship with Christ/God, but we walk (in lifestyle) in darkness (sin), we are liars.

Comfort Me with Your Love (vv. 76-77)

Let your steadfast love comfort me
    according to your promise to your servant.
Let your mercy come to me, that I may live;
    for your law is my delight.

So many professing Christians want God’s comfort, but they don’t want the discipline, i.e. they don’t want the cross of Christ in their lives. They want his mercy and forgiveness, but they are not willing to let go of their sin. They want the resurrection without the crucifixion. But, Jesus had to go to the cross. He had to die for our sins in order to put sin to death. And, then he had to be resurrected back to life in order that we might have new life in him, victorious over sin. Yet, we can’t have life without death. Not only did Jesus have to die, but coming to Christ means we die with Christ to sin and we are resurrected with Christ to newness of life, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (See: Ro. 6:1-23; 8:1-14; Eph. 4:17-24).

As well, God allows or he causes us to go through hard times in order to purify us and to conform us to his image, but he does not leave us comfortless. He comforts us with his love, his grace, and his mercy, and with the assurance that our trials were not without purpose. Some people find comfort in thinking that God has no control over their circumstances, and that he is impotent to do anything about the enemy of our souls.

I would rather find comfort in knowing he is absolutely in control over all powers and that they can’t touch me unless he allows it, and that he allows it for a purpose, and that he will fulfill that purpose in my life through it. I can accept the trials a whole lot easier knowing that my life is in God’s hands, and that everything has a purpose, and that he is going to work all things out for the good of us who love him, and who have been called according to his purpose (See: Ro. 8:28). Amen!

They Have Wronged Me (vv. 78-80)

Let the insolent be put to shame,
    because they have wronged me with falsehood;
    as for me, I will meditate on your precepts.
Let those who fear you turn to me,
    that they may know your testimonies.
May my heart be blameless in your statutes,
    that I may not be put to shame!

Who are our enemies? – The ones who have wronged us? The Bible teaches us that our real struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (See: Eph. 6:10-20). In other words, this is a spiritual battle, not a physical one, and it must be won with spiritual weapons of warfare – truth, righteousness, the gospel, our testimonies, our faith, salvation, the word of God, and prayer.

Yet, our real enemy, Satan, has hordes of servants who do his bidding, both in the spiritual realm and here on earth. First of all, we need to pray for the salvation of our human enemies, i.e. for those who hate us and who are scheming against us. We need to not try to get even with them, but leave vengeance to God alone. And, we need to love and forgive them, and treat them with kindness, even if they despitefully use and abuse us. And, we need to trust our lives into God’s hands, and trust him to rescue us, in his timing, and to judge those who have mistreated, us, too, while holding on to the hope that many of them will be saved.

I will note here that this takes much spiritual discernment to know who our real enemies are, too, because there is so much deception going on in the world right now. What our government, for instance, and the government controlled media project to us concerning who our enemies are is most likely fabricated for their own evil purposes. So, just because the media or our political figures or even some of our preachers tell us that we should fear certain groups, and tag them as our enemies, don’t believe it just because they said it, but pray, and ask God to show you who is really against us. You will probably be surprised if he hasn’t already revealed this to you by now.

Some people will say, “Why do I need to know this?” I believe we need to know this so we don’t put our trust in the wrong people or wrongfully accuse those who have done us no wrong. We also need to be aware so we don’t fall into the devil’s trap of deception and end up on the wrong side, thinking we are on the right side. We may be giving allegiance to Satan and not even realize it because we are being duped by master deceivers and manipulators. So, don’t trust whatever you hear, see or read, but test everything against the Word of God, against God’s divine character and will, and in prayer, ask God for much wisdom and discernment, and then believe him when he reveals to you the truth.

The main thing here, though, is that we stay connected to the head, Jesus Christ, and that in all things we are listening to his voice, and that we are following him wherever he leads us. And, we need to keep on sharing the truth of the gospel with all who will listen. In addition, we need to make certain that we are walking in truth and that we are not self-deceived. We need to yield to God’s perfect sovereignty over our lives, and let him do his work of transformation in our hearts for his purposes, for his glory, for his praise, and for our good.

Have Thine Own Way, Lord / Adelaide A. Pollard, 1862-1934

George C. Stebbins, 1846-1945 / Tune: ADELAIDE, Meter: 54.54 D

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Thou art the potter, I am the clay.

Mold me and make me after Thy will,

While I am waiting, yielded and still.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Search me and try me, Master, today!

Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,

As in Thy presence humbly I bow.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Wounded and weary, help me I pray!

Power, all power, surely is Thine!

Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Hold o'er my being absolute sway.

Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see

Christ only, always, living in me!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSnBbgsecD4