"Our God..."

The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower." (Psalms 18:2) Here we have nine descriptions of who God is and how He is associated in the life of the believer; but within these nine descriptions are three areas in which God is manifested or works in the believer's life. One way that we can relate these three areas would be that of a battlefield, and how in any battlefield there are always three basic elements of war that are always present: there is the defence, and the strength, and the offence. It is the strength part of every battle that will determine the outcome; but the defence and the offence are what require strategy in getting the battle won. However; in looking at these three areas in such a way, we must always remember, the battle belongs to the Lord! He is our defence; He is our strength; and He is our offence! The defencive areas are represented by the first three descriptions: "The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer". Each one of these descriptions depict an area that is associated with the protection given by God to keep the enemy at bay, and to give shelter from that which is coming against us. It is easy to see this through the first two, which are "my rock, and my fortress", seeing that both speak of a stronghold for security; but the third one, it has the same meaning, with a little bit of a twist, in that it speaks of slipping away, as in to cause to escape or to save; which would be the case if we happen to be in harms way, and were in need of being placed within a secure place. The strength areas are listed as those next three, which are easy to determine since the word strength is used in between the two other elements; but in this, the simple meaning of "my God", is used as might or power; such as would be the case of any god that is used by various cultures, where their gods are used for bringing things to pass, or for protection from whatever they may feel harm from. And then we have the term "in whom I will trust", which goes back to the 'shadow of Thy wings', in that we know that under His shadow we are protected, because within His shadow there is strength. And then, finally, we have this third area; not that this is the most important, because they all are equally important; it is just that this one is the area where God's offencive measures are listed; and when God is on offence, things are usually extraordinary and spectacular! The word "buckler" is one that might seem as used in the form of defence; however, it speaks of a different kind of a shield, which is one that is used for protecting with a force, such as a smaller shield would be use in a battle by knocking into or forcing one's enemy back. The next two elements are very similar, and also speak about power; however, they speak about power that is superior to all others, and that is far exceeding what is needed to defeat the enemy. The word "horn", as in "the horn of my salvation", is a term that speaks of might of horns, such as would be the case with any animal that has horns is pictured as those horns being their might, and are used for advancing forward against their enemy or foe. The last element, although seemingly a defencive item, is far from something that is used for defence, because it is so far out of reach it becomes an offencive item. In other words; God's height of security is so high, that all fail in their attempt to obtain it, or to compromise it in any way; therefore, His refuge is an offence...

"The Remembrance"

[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all of his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said,] "I will love Thee, O LORD, my strength." (Psalms 18:1) If you read the portion of 2 Samuel that this Psalm is speaking of, it is quite an interesting read. The song that David is talking about, we find it in 2 Samuel 22; although a little longer, and somewhat different, it is the same song, just sung for a different occasion or purpose. In 2 Samuel 22:1, it says, "And David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul". In the very next verse, we have the beginning of the song, which starts as such, "And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; the God of my rock; in Him will I trust: He is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; Thou savest me from violence." Now compare this starting to the one above in this Psalm, and you find a little different start to this song; one that starts with our response to what God is and has done! Okay, maybe I am making to much of something that is simply a little different way of starting his song; but if you stop and think about it, it is fitting to start this new song in such a way. The previous song was sung just after David had defeated the last of the Philistine attacks; which was brought on by a famine in the land due to something that Saul had done to the Gibeonites. The famine had weakened the armies of David, and had given his enemies an reason for attack. The requirement for the famine to stop, was for David to offer something to the Gibeonites that would help correct what Saul had done to them. What they asked David for was seven sons of the house of Saul to hang upon a hill; which David did deliver to them. Long story shortened; after the seven had been killed, David gathered the bones of Saul and Jonathan, along with the bones of the seven, and buried them in the country of Benjamin, in the sepulchre of Kish, Saul's father. Then after several battles with the Philistines, some of which were almost the death of David, he sang this song. Here we have the remembrance of the song that was sung, and it begins with "I will love Thee, O LORD, my strength". This is an example of what our response should be to God's mercy and grace, and is the first commandment that we have been given to live by: To love God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength!

"A Song of Victory"

Coming to Psalms Eighteen, we have what is titled "A Song of Victory", and is much like many other songs of victory that were sung elsewhere in many areas within the Holy Scriptures, in that they all list those things that the victory was over. There is something to be said for knowing exactly what we have been delivered from, and what it is that God has actually done for us. This is a good example why giving testimonies of what God has done in our lives is so important to share, not only to those who hear how God has done something great in our lives, but also a great reminder to those who share what God has done for them. In many different areas of the Old Testament stories of great deliverance, the place where these victories took place were marked by something for it to be remembered by; sometimes like an alter, or a well; and then accompanied  by a song, or a proclamation. This would be something that would cause future generations to ask, What is the meaning of this? to which, there would be a testimony attached to that landmark of what God had done to deliver His people from, and whatever it was that they needed to be delivered from. I have also marked several areas in my Bible in such a way; giving dates next to certain Scriptures where God has spoken something from His word into my life that brought me through a victory; and then, also naming what it was that He delivered me from. As I run across these dates and comments that I have written, I am reminded of what it was that God has done for me, as well as the promises which I have made to Him and to myself. How easily we forget what it was that God has spoken so clearly into our hearts! Do you understand what I am talking about? It is much like when we read a certain Scripture that speaks powerfully into our hearts, and then later, going back to that same Scripture to receive that same revelation from God, we don't quite see what it was that we had seen before, or the meaning is not as powerful and specific to our need as it was before. God's word did not change, but our circumstances did; therefore, that victory which was manifested during the previous reading has already been won; therefore, the measure of what was revealed, and the need for that revelation has been diminished; therefore, the power that was felt in those words before has changed, because the force that the word was used against has been removed. (I truly hope that made sense to someone!) We must not forget what God has delivered us from; nor should we ever think that we are no longer in danger of being taken down that same road again. It is really wise to study the lives of the children of Israel, and to learn about all that that they were delivered from, and then seeing how they ended up in the same mess that they were in before, but many times worse off then they were before, and in need of God to do something much more than He had previously done. What makes this so??? Could it be that they had taken the previous deliverance for granted? You have no doubt heard to term, Out of sight, out of mind. It is easy to see why; isn't it? Don't loose sight of what God has done...

'The Reflection"

Before moving into Psalms Eighteen, I thought that is was fitting to reflect upon some of what was said in the eighteen days that were spent in Psalms Seventeen; especially seeing the length of what is to come in this next Psalm: we could be in that Psalm for almost two months. I think there were at least three things that really spoke to my heart during these last couple weeks; actually, it was at least a dozen, but for lack of time and space, I will concentrate on the three most impacting things that I believe God brought to my attention. I think of the three, the one that really meant the most, was the one that was the hardest to explain, which was about the protection of our soul. We spend so much time and effort protecting this body; making sure that it is kept feed and has a place to be sheltered; yet Jesus instructed us that we are to take no thought about those things; rather, we must focus on that which matters most, which is heaven: the place that our soul is going to end up in! As I was dealing with those things that God was showing me, especially within those three days when I was talking about 'Powerful Protection', I could not get over how simple God's reflection is part of so much of what we need, have, or look forward to. When it comes to God's protection and us being kept beneath the shadow of His wings, what is a shadow, but a reflection of Him! I am more than convinced that it is something we must want with all of our hearts!!! It must be something so important to us, that everything else pales in comparison to us being under that protection of His wings! Another hot topic that God spoke into my heart, was about how we are kept wanting, yet at the same time, we are to be content. To be satisfied with God actually should make us what to be more like Him; otherwise, we are just being comfortable where we are, and not reaching forth towards Him. This is something that God really spoke to my heart about, and has a lot to do with being content with where we are as far as being weak in certain areas of our faith; not looking for change to happen, when deep down inside, we know God wants us to desire holiness, because holiness brings us closer and closer to Him! Which brings me to this last topic, and is actually the springboard into Psalms Eighteen, and that is the reflection that we project to God as we are abiding in His Son Jesus Christ. This is something that God had shown me that I tend to forget about as I travel along day by day in this life; not because I am too busy with other things, and cannot stay focused upon His grace, but because I get so caught up in my lack to obey Him in everything, that I get discouraged and feel defeat. I think a lot of that discouragement is from the devil, and that is where he wants us to be kept: discouraged and unusable for God! Because when we are discouraged, then we do not maintain the reflection of Jesus Christ to this world...

"True Soul Satisfaction"

"As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness." (Psalms 17:15) Let them have their fill; let them be taken astray by their temporary desires: but as for me, so says David, I will have no part of it, but I will behold Thy face in righteousness! Understand this: the prince of darkness is the ruler of darkness, and all that walk in darkness are under his influence, and are subject to be had by him. This is why it is so important that we are not associated with darkness in any way; and why, as soon as we are revealed to be associated with darkness, in any way, that we confess that as sin, repent from it, and walk in righteousness. Oh yes, we do stumble; and yes, we do all have issues that cause us to fall short of God's righteousness; but that is what Jesus came and died upon that cross for! What we are talking about here is a way of life; a life that is set upon the path of righteousness, and that when made aware of something that is contrary to that righteous path, this way of life sets out to make whatever change needs to be made to correct that which is wrong, at all cost! The key to doing what is right is knowing the True Light; that is the foundation that is built upon the Rock, which is the revelation knowledge of who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for us; because without that sure foundation, we are destined for failure. This was the main difference between what happen in Peter and in Judas; both men betrayed Jesus: Judas by handing Jesus over to those that sought his life, and Peter by denying Jesus three times. Then Judas, who did not have that sure foundation, ended up taking his own life, being stricken with shame, and having no knowledge of who Jesus Christ really was. Yet Peter; although also stricken by shame, knew who Jesus was; and even though he had given up for a short while, and had gone back to fishing; as soon as Jesus revealed Himself upon that shoreline, Peter was quick to run to Him and to seek His forgiveness. Sure, Peter had some issues, and Jesus had made his main issue known to him as they were gather in the upper room the night of his betrayal, saying, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat". It was only because of the pride that Peter had within himself that Satan had any authority to even ask to have Peter; because his pride was an element of the darkness, the prince of darkness had occasion to ask to have Peter for sifting him. But Jesus knew that Peter had what it took to be handed over to Satan to be sifted, because Peter had the revelation knowledge of who Jesus was, and because his foundation was built upon the Rock; therefore Jesus said, "But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren". Notice that Jesus did not say that He prayed that Satan would not have him, or that he would be protected from Satan; because Peter needed to be sifted that his pride could be removed. I know that for some, this might seem hard to understand; but the reason that God allows certain trails to be placed upon us, is not to punish us for something that we have done, but to bring us into a more perfect relationship with Him. What we are really talking about here is something called satisfaction; because, when we are satisfied with God, Satan has no authority whatsoever to have us; nor can he persuade us in any other way, or by any other light. This is what I believe is meant by "An Innocent Man's Prayer"; not that the man is actually innocent, but that he is satisfied with God; therefore, he is innocent by association with the One who gives him life. This is only made possible by He who is the righteousness of God, that being our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; for when we see Him, we will see Him just as He is: our righteousness; and we being Holy and Justified! The true soul satisfaction is only made available by the knowledge of Jesus Christ and what it is that He has done for us; knowing this, is that that which awaits us is the real satisfaction for our souls: for in that time, our true Holiness will be revealed, and we will be the reflection of God's righteousness...

"Tangled Up In Gleam"

"From men which are Thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly Thou fillest with Thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes." (Psalms 17:14) By now it might be making sense, and you can see the spiritual application that is being made by "An Innocent Man's Prayer"; that is if you are seeing what I see in what David is putting forth, and even I have a difficult time seeing it clearly enough to put it into a constructive sentence. But maybe I should ask a couple of questions to get the brain juices flowing: like, How does the prince of darkness transform himself into an angel of light? or better yet; How does the devil get a man to turn on God? If you look up the word 'gleam', you will find that it means a glimmer of light; a brief flash or beam of light that lures us to accept something as good, yet it is a false light that is reflected off something else or is a brief light that is visible only through a crack in time. Does that help any, and are you seeing it yet? Okay then; How did the serpent get Eve to be drawn to the forbidden fruit? It was by saying, "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden". (Genesis 3:1) In saying this, he caused the woman to take her attention off of everything that God said she could eat, and to put her focus on that which He said she should not eat. Then, upon gazing at that which was forbidden, "she saw that it looked good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise". (Genesis 3:6) In other words, she felt as though God was a taker instead of a giver, because He had taken away from her the freedom to eat such a desirable fruit. Yet God clearly said, "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die". (Genesis 2:16 & 17) Added to the blessing that God had given to eat freely of all that was in the garden, God gave a warning about one tree that was not to be eaten, because in that day in which it should be eaten there will be death. Seems pretty cut and dry; yet, the serpent tells Eve, "Thou shalt not surely die"; making it seem as though God was holding something back from her that she perceived to be something good. So then; the way that the prince of darkness transforms himself into an angel of light, is by putting forth an illusion that he has light to offer; and the way that he gets a man to turn on God, is by getting man to think that God is holding back something from him that he thinks is good. Therein is what I believe is the spiritual meaning of this verse that David is praying to God about; for it speaks about those men of the world who appear to have all the material desires that one could want; making their lives seem so desirable, and yet, if we do not have these things for ourselves, we feel that God is keeping them back from us; causing our hearts to be wanting, and making God out to be a taker and not a giver. This is how the enemy gets us to compromise and to follow after a gleam of light instead of the True Light. It is just a gleam of light that pulls us in, but it will shortly pass away; just a glimmer of light, that seems appealing to the eyes, and makes us want to have something that we feel is good for us, and that will satisfy a desire in our hearts. But, it is only a gleam of light, that will pass away much sooner than we think... "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures." (James 1:13-18)

"Elective Surgery"

"Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is Thy sword:" (Psalms 17:13) Right about now you might be wondering where I am going with this, and how it is that this verse has anything to do with elective surgery. However, as I have said before, this Psalm is a prayer; and because it is a prayer, the meanings that are given to these verses have two specific areas that they represent, the physical and the spiritual. With regards to the physical, this verse is no doubt referring to those that are oppressing David, and are even being used to fashion David into a man that puts his whole trust in God. But in the spiritual arena, this is a whole new area of dealing with the issues of the heart; areas that pertain to the soul, and what is required to assure that the soul is preserved through all the paths that it is taken within this fallen world. When Jesus spoke about plucking out an eye or chopping off a hand, He was not speaking of doing so in a literal sense, but was speaking of a desire to do what is right, at all cost; meaning that our desire to do so should be so strong, that if need be, we should consider all that is at stake and do whatever it takes to make it happen. If that means removing something from our lives in order to make that happen, then so be it; but do whatever it takes to become obedient to His word! Paul uses the word "flee" as the means to resist temptation; which is a another way of saying that we need to run away from that which causes us to stumble. However; in the case of something that is part of who we are, how do we flee from ourselves? This is something that Paul speaks about in Ephesians 4:22-24, where he says, "That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and holiness". Again, this is a matter of choice, and it is something that requires us to take certain actions on our part to make it happen. With regards to this verse that is given here by David, he pleads for God to disappoint him that is oppressing him; and with regards to the flesh, a missing eye or arm may be what is required to cause that disappointment to take place. However; if we are prudent, and if we weigh the cost of that which we lust after compared to that which the Lord provides to us, we can find that disappointment is what is revealed in those temporary pleasures; which is why Paul said, "I speak as to the wise; judge ye what I say"; because we must take that serious thought of what is a stake! With that; as far as the conclusion that David puts forth, saying, "which is Thy sword", it is the result of where these things will lead us according to God's word that should determine what choices that we make. This is the elective surgery that is being put before us; not that it is a surgery that must be performed to save our soul, but that it is one that should be done to preserve our soul and to bring us into a closer relationship with God. Okay; so maybe you might not understand everything that I have just said; or maybe you have not taken the time to read it slow enough to understand what it really means; but let's be honest about something here, and consider for a moment what it is that allows us to even think that we can get away with sin in the first place: Is it not that God will forgive us of our sins? As Paul has said, "Should we sin that grace may abound? God forbid!" But what we should do is prove what is that acceptable way of the Lord, and we should abstain from sin, that we may be acceptable in His sight! To insure this will happen, David pleads, "Arise, O LORD", which is another way to say, "Let Thy way be acceptable in my sight". This is the new conversation that we must have and make to be the fabric of who we are in Christ; which is not based upon the old man and what he was, but is based upon the new man and what he has become... "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17) 

"Libidinousness"

"Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places." (Psalms 17:12) I have wondered what kind of power can compare with lust, and the desire that is associated with the heart and mind working together to satisfy the bodies want or need. Having tried to forget that passion more times then I can remember, I can say without hesitation that it is always lurking in the dark, waiting to be released. This morning I wasted a lot of time looking for a word to describe what I felt God was speaking into my heart; just one word that would replace at least three to five words that I needed to express what I felt was being revealed. The word that I have chosen for the title of this post is a word that is not regularly used in our everyday communications; however, it's meaning is more predominate than the word hello. Without going into much detail about what God has revealed to my heart, I will say that as with the learning of how we must be content is something by which we train ourselves to do, so is the ability to put away lust. Lust is something that is always readily available and part of this sinful flesh that we inhabit; and in order to control it's power in our lives, there is no other way to do that than to refuse to give in to it. Not only must we train ourselves to not give into it, but we must be prepared to use every power available to do so; that means we cry out to God for help!!! Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:12-15, "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There is no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say." The key to what Paul is speaking about in this portion of Scripture is something that requires there to be desire greater than the passions that flare up in us; in other words, the way of escape that Paul is referring to is based upon our desire to accept it; we must make that dash towards the escape route! Where we get into trouble most frequently, is when we think that we are strong enough to withstand the temptation, and we linger too long in a place or a thought that we do not belong in. If you read the verse above, and then consider the viciousness of a lion that is greedy for his prey, or a young lion, lurking in the darkness and eager to experience the thrill of killing it's prey; then think about what kind of power is generated within us as we give into our lust; you will see the great need that we have to heed Paul's warning: FLEE!!!

"The Discontent"

"They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;" (Psalms 17:11) Isn't interesting how God's word can open up our minds to teach us things that we might otherwise overlook? Take this portion of Scripture for example; some may read this verse and see David speaking about being overtaken by his enemies; and worse than that, they appear to look away when confronted, as if they look down to the ground, pretending that they are not interested or guilty of any wrong doing. It's not to hard to see this, because that is what David has said; however, I read something else within this verse; something a little different and that fits a pattern of what God is showing me from this Psalm. Maybe it's just me, and I have something wrong with the way I look at things; and then again, this is my blog, so I can say whatever it is that I feel God is speaking into my heart! The apostle Paul said something interesting in Philippians 4:11, as he is thanking those who have supported him for their gifts, then he says, "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content". There is a key word that Paul uses here about being content, which is the word "learned", because to be content is something that we must learn to be. We are discontent from our mother's womb; crying out as soon as we feel hungry or in need of some affection. And it stays with us all through our lives, it just changes to bigger and better things; although, some things are really not better, just more addicting. We must train ourselves to be content, and it must be something that we do out of obedience to the testimony of Jesus Christ. As I was praying over this verse, Psalms 17:11, I saw an illustration of two different scenarios that showed the actions of those that are discontent with what God has given them. The first illustration was that of those who are always seeing what other people have; always chasing after the footsteps of someone else, and trying to figure out how to get what others have instead of being content with what they have been given. The sad thing about this illustration, is that is not the way things work! You ask someone how they got where they are, and then try to copy that journey, more times than not you will fall flat on your face! The other illustration is connected to the first, and is the result of not being satisfied with what you have been given. You see this expression in people every day, yet when it becomes apparent within a Christian, you have to wonder if someone has stolen their little red wagon: the expression that I am talking about is hanging of the head in discontent and in a feeling of disparity; as if God has not treated you as good as He has treated others. As with what Paul says in Philippians 4:11, contentment is something that is learned, and there is nothing we can change about where we are or what we have in this life by thinking about it; let alone, to be dissatisfied with where we are and what God has given us... "Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?" (Matthew 6:27)

"The Successful"

"They are inclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly." (Psalms 17:10) Who does not want to be successful at what they do? However; when we run after success, we take a chance of loosing everything else in the process. This does not just apply to business, but will also be the case in ministry also; something that many pastors of very successful ministries can relate to: provided that they can admit to it and see the grip it can have upon our lives. As someone who once was chased after success, and had once considered myself as a successful Christian businessman, I can tell you that the lure of success is a trap, and can cause even the strongest among us to get their priorities so backwards that it is hard to turn them around; mostly because after having tasted success, everything becomes based upon success; and once that happens, then there is an exhorted effort to retain that success; even at the cost of relationship of God and family. This is something that is not intentional, nor is it even something that is easily realized; that is until it is too late, and there has been someone harmed, such as a spouse or children; or in the case of ministry, those that leave the ministry disgruntled and harmed by a master that should have been a servant. Don't get me wrong and think that I am saying that success is a bad thing, because I believe that God wants us to be successful at whatever He sets before us to do, and to do it to the best of our abilities; but when we chase after that success we step out of the place that God would have us to be, and we try to make something happen in our own strength, and for our own glory. We can see the affect of chasing after success in 2 Samuel 24, where David asked for the numbering of the forces of his people. Based upon pride, he attempted to obtain the number of his success; as if to boast of his mighty forces and to be puffed up in his own heart. What might appear harmless or of little offence in our own eyes, may be a great sin in the eyes of God; for He sees the intents of our heart. God wants us to remain humble and dependent upon Him for our provisions; to be dependent upon Him requires us to look to Him for our strength and not to our own resources. As we look at the meaning of what David is speaking of in this verse, there are two basic principles that come forth; one being that of abundance, and the other being that of pride. The abundance is the meaning of the word "fat", and it speaks of an illusion of being the best or the most excellent of any kind. The word "inclosed" speaks of closed up or imprisoned; which is what happens when we become trapped in our own success, and that success begins to role our lives. The pride is the result of someone who thinks of themselves more powerful then they really are, and their mouth does not hide what is in their heart... 

"Protection From Whom?"

"From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about." (Psalms 17:9) As we plan for our souls, it is very important to know who our enemies are, and what it is that they are after; remembering, that what we are talking about is the protection of our soul. Take into account the title of this Psalm, and how it is that "An Innocent Man's Prayer" might have something to do with how much our souls are dependent upon protection; far more protection than that of our bodies, or even our mortal lives! I honestly do not know whether or not our souls can be scared, or even it they can be maimed, or to what degree that any harm might come to them; however, when it comes to the description of hell, it sounds like it will be hot, and according to what I have read, there will be suffering there from those flames; so it sounds to me like our souls can feel pain. Besides; what really matters most is that our soul makes it into heaven and that we are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ when we get there; taking the whole notion of hell and suffering out of the equation! These enemies that David is speaking about are those that can influence his life, making his soul's journey take a turn down the wrong path; which takes into consideration the ways of this world, such as being and doing those things which make us walk in the counsel of this world, instead of the counsel of God. When we are truly honest with ourselves, we know that we don't just fall into sin, but that it is the result of a series of wrong choices and actions on our part, that end up with sin waiting at the door. The first key ingredient to causing this to happen is that of failing to stay in fellowship with God, such as keeping in prayer and reading His word on a daily basis; which we could look upon as staying under the shadow of His wings. Failing to do this critical action is what actually creates the door of opportunity for sin to happen, and makes way for the enemy to gain access into our rational way of thinking. This is not something that happens over night, but is a slow fade from the light into the darkness; something that requires us to not pay attention to the change taking place, which can only happen when we are out of fellowship with God. When we are talking about "deadly enemies", we are talking about those enemies that are after our soul; for our life is but a vapor, and compared to eternity, this life is but a dot...

"Powerful Protection" -3

So maybe since we are through with the theoretical plight of a soul, how about taking a look at that Third question? I know it's been a couple of days, but the question was one asked by Jesus in Luke 6:46, saying, "And why call ye Me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" Jesus then goes on to share about two different foundations, which is also found in Matthew 7:24-27, and says, "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon the house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon the house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it." What we are talking about is strongly related to that message I heard the other morning, saying, "Plan for your soul"; and it requires us building upon the Rock; which requires that we do those things that the Lord requires. We do not need to be an architect in order to build the house, for the Lord will be that for us; but we do need to place the foundation upon Truth: Truth being that which we know is right, and that we live by, as if our very lives depended upon it!!! Let me say this again, just so you do not get confused and think that this is about works; because we are talking about protection, not grace; for grace is freely given to us, but protection; well, let's just say that it is lived for. With that said, we must know something about this protection that is lived for: it is very powerful protection; so powerful that the storms that come will have no affect upon our soul, for the foundation which has been established is the Rock; which is the word 'Petra', and means an immovable rock, and is used metaphorically of Christ and the testimony concerning Him which is an unchangeable, immovable testimony. Therefore; when David is asking God for protection, and is saying, "Keep me as the apple of Thy eye; hide me under the shadow of Thy wings", he is in fact making the proclamation within this request that he knows where he must be kept, and why it is that he is kept there! Which basically means, that the protection comes from the shadow of God's wings, which is the Truth of His testimony; and that the testimony of His Truth is that we are the apple of His eye; and with that, we must make His testimony the apple of our eye...

"Powerful Protection" -2

I could not skip over this that easily, and really want to explore this whole concept of God's protection. If we stop communicating with God, we suffer in more ways than just not hearing from Him will generate; such as not knowing the proper path to take, or the peace we get from having that intimate fellowship; but we also suffer from being outside of that shadow mentioned yesterday. Remember, we are not talking about grace, but protection; because, I believe that we will make it through based upon His grace, but we might be a little banged up from the journey. With that; let's look at that first question, which was about scars, and whether or not we might have any when we get to heaven. First off, I am not talking about our new bodies that will be scared, but our souls; which by the way, is the protection we are talking about here, in case I did not make that point clear enough before. The soul that we have right now is the same soul that we will have in heaven; it does not change, as our body will; for this corruptible body must put on incorruptible, and will be transformed either by death and resurrection, or by the rapture, it will be changed. Our souls on the other hand, do not change; they are the same souls that we have always had, for they are eternal. That is the thing that many people do not understand. If we go back to Adam and look at what happen in the garden, Adam did not physically die when he ate the apple, but he did spiritually die, being separated from God's Spirit by the connection his soul once had with God's Spirit being severed because of sin. However; just because his soul was severed, did not mean that his soul was dead, or that it would die; because his soul was created by the breath of God, but his body was formed from the earth. Therefore; if we have the same soul when we get to heaven, doesn't it stand to reason that we will have the same bumps and bruises that our souls have received in this life? Provided that they actually receive any damage from anything; which I guess we will just need to wait and find out! However, when we read Matthew 5:27-30, Jesus is speaking about something that requires plucking out an eye, or cutting off a hand; to which He is not speaking literally, but is making the point of how important it is to deny our flesh; and then saying, "For it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell".  As for the second question, and to whether or not there are different areas in heaven, this is something that many will try and debate; for in this, we have the question of rewards, and whether or not we are given position in heaven based upon our life lived out as His child. Personally, I believe that there are, and that they are based upon our attitude of service; such as whether we are serving God, or whether we are serving man. We know the difference between the two, and if we say that we don't, we are just kidding ourselves. This is something that also goes back to our communicating with God, and how important it is that we not only stay in communication with Him, but that we desire to be in constant fellowship with our Creator. It is by this constant fellowship with God that we remain under the shadow of His wings; and when we feel as though we are not hearing His voice, then we need to take care to get back in fellowship. That is the key! We should never settle for not hearing from God; as if to say, "I am not hearing from God right now, so I guess He is not speaking". God desires to speak to us: just as He listens to our voice, He wants us to hear His also... "Unto Thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest if Thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit." (Psalms 28:1)

"Powerful Protection"

"Keep me as the apple of Thy eye, hide me under the shadow of Thy wings," (Psalms 17:8) Whether or not we realize all the times that God protects us, we must firmly believe in His protection; not just making a claim that we believe, and then standing upon that claim; but we must take the necessary action to back up that claim, which involves investing into that claim. Let me step back for a minute, and set this up. In this fallen world, many, if not all of life's struggles and trials have a direct relationship with the fall of man; what that means for you and I, is that because of the state that this world is in, it is only to be expected that this life will be filled with times of trouble. It is because of these difficult times that we face, that we must continually stay as close to God as we possibly can be. Now then; as with many things in this life that are important, these things require planning; which means that there are certain steps or procedures that must be taken into consideration and planed out to make these things happen. As I was praying for this message that I felt God was telling me, I heard a very audible voice, saying, "Plan for your soul!". After hearing this voice, I stayed still for several minutes and thought upon those words; then the strangest vision popped into my head, it was a vision of a box of crayons laying on the dashboard of a car. I know; pretty strange, Right? Have you ever tried to use crayons that have been left in the sun too long? They just don't work that way they were meant to work; as a matter of fact, that may be where in idea of finger painting came from. But as far as the sharp lines being drawn, or the light and dark separations being made in shading, these things are not possible with melted crayons; and depending on how melted they are, the true colors may be tainted for ever. For the person that had wished to use these crayons, leaving them of the dashboard of the car was poor planning. Likewise; for the Christian who is counting on God for His protection, would be wise not to stray too far from the shadow of His wings! What shadows are good for, is for protecting against the heat of the sun; I am reminded of that daily as I stand to long in the sunlight and feel my head start to sting, reminding me to find some shade. Now, I know that most of us are familiar with this concept, and how we are to be standing under God's grace, and many use the illustration of an umbrella in the rain; but this is a little bit different. God's grace is provided for us freely; it is not based upon anything that we do or that we have done; but is solely based upon what God has done for us. What we are talking about here is protection, and primarily, the protection of our souls! Okay; maybe I should ask some questions, and give us something to ponder till tomorrow. First one being, Do you think that there will be any scars when we get to heaven? Secondly; Do you know that there will be different areas in heaven, or do you think that we will all be hanging out together? And Thirdly: "Why call ye Me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I say?" (Luke 6:46)

"And God Delivers"

"Show Thy marvellous lovingkindness, O Thou that savest by Thy right hand them which put their trust in Thee from those that rise up against them." (Psalms 17:7) I want to try and think of the most wonderful thing that God has shown me, and I cannot think of anything greater than His love for me. I tried to make my quest more about something of a physical nature, but could only come up with the fact that He gave me my wife; and even then, His love was revealed in that relationship. It just comes down to the fact that His love is so unique and personal to each and everyone of us; and yet, we all share in that same love together. Last night, as I was trying to get to sleep, I could not help but think about what Paul says in Romans 8:28 about "All things work together for good", and thinking how many times I have heard this verse misquoted, and the word "together" being left out of the quote. We can try all we want to make this personal, but try as you might, it is about all of us together! Try and think about the one thing about the devil that makes him so much of a force against this world; would it be his desire to take as many of us to hell with him as he can? And yet, the opposite of that destructive force is the love of God to see all of us saved and with Him for all eternity. Therefore; we that are called, and that share in God's love together, have this same desire deep within our hearts; the desire to see as many as we know delivered from destruction, and saved for all eternity. The word "marvellous" that David is using to describe God's lovingkindness, is a word that means to be distinct, separated, or set apart; it makes the point of God's love being distinguished from all others; that there is nothing which can compare to His love for us. Within that same distinction there is a force that passionately moves towards delivering all those who shall be saved, and bringing to an end all the death and destruction that sin has caused upon this world. It is that passionate force of God to which "all things work together for good"; which means that even the bad things God uses towards the good of His purpose. The problem we have as partakers in all of this, is that we see the physical side of most everything; which means that we see most of the bad, but do not see all of the good. This is David's prayer that he is pouring out to God; that God would demonstrate His mighty love as He saves those who put their trust in Him. And we know that God has done so, as He has sent us His Son to deliver us from death and destruction, once and for all!!! And soon and very soon, we will see God's completion to all of this, as He has promised...

"God Does Listen"

"I have called upon Thee, for Thou wilt hear me, O God: incline Thine ear unto me, and hear my speech." (Psalms 17:6) Do you ever automatically blame God when bad things happen? If you consider the question, 'God, how could you let this happen?'; what kind of a question is that, if not blame? Is not simply asking God, 'WHY???', also blaming God for something that has happened? Do you think that John Bradford was blaming God for what was about to happen, just before they were going to light him up? Or was he counting upon God's grace to lead him home? As he had no doubt previously asked God for his protection, and acted upon having received it prior, by stating, "There but for the grace of God, goes John Bradford"; and now, faced with the certainty of death, he most move past protection and the holding onto this life; counting on God's grace now for that merry supper with the Lord. Some people may read David's words in this verse and think that he is doubting that God will listen, as he says, "incline Thine ear unto me, and hear my speech". Yet, David has no doubt whatsoever that God is listening, and he begins this verse by proclaiming so, as he says, "I have called upon Thee, for Thou wilt hear me, O God". It is not as though God has stepped away, or that He is busy doing other God things and does not have time for listening right now; our God is much bigger than that! Another way to look at what David is saying, would be, "God, I know that you hear me when I speak; therefore, hear me now as I speak". It is not a question of does God hear, but rather a matter of trusting that God does listen! This same principle can be applied to God's grace, and that tightrope illustration from yesterday; for we are assured that His grace will sustain us, and we can be assured that His grace will secure us when we slip or fall; whatever might happen, even that of being burnt at the stake! Therefore; when it comes to asking God why or how He could allow something to happen, maybe we should first consider how much He loves us; then perhaps we might have the proper perspective on how we should approach Him with our response. Much like David, who knows how much that God loves him, saying, "Lord, I am calling out to you, because I know that you listen to my voice, because I know that you love and care for me". Our God is so much bigger than we could ever imagine; yet He is never too big to hear our cries, or to care for the concerns we are faced with; it is only a matter of adjusting our own perspectives... "To whom then will ye liken Me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: He calleth them by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth. Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest thou, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgement is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of His understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Keep silence before Me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgement." (Isaiah 40:25-41:1) 

"By God's Grace"

"Hold up my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps slip not." (Psalms 17:5) You have most likely said or have heard the expression "There but for the grace of God, go I", which is commonly used to express relief in being where you are, verses that place someone else might be in, such as having lost everything or having fallen in sin; but do you know the origin of that saying? It is said to have first been spoken by an evangelical preacher and martyr by the name of John Bradford; who, while looking out his prison window, said while watching a criminal being led to his death, "There but for the grace of God, goes John Bradford". In 1555 he and another young man named John Leaf were burned at the stake, and before being set on fire, he turned to his fellow victim, and said, "Be of good cheer brother; for we shall have a merry supper with the Lord this night". As we can see, not always is it those who are guilty to which bad things do happen. Thinking back to that pond filled with decoy ducks, I can only help but wonder how many of us are taken in by the devil's distractions; or more importantly, by the comfortable places he draws us into. In light of what we know about the destroyer's tactics, you would think that we would be more vigilant to pay attention; but there is something that comes with feeling comfortable, which is a false peace and security; a unrealistic safety to feel comfortable just where you are, and doing nothing to draw closer to God. David had a very unique understanding of God's grace, and how it was not just that God pours out grace randomly upon anyone, but that He holds forth His grace for those who will receive it. In that light, it does not matter where you are at, or under what circumstance you might find yourself in, His grace is always being held out for us to receive; such was the case with John Bradford, who having spoken previously about God's grace being what kept him from the executioners, relied upon that same grace when it was time for him to go also. This is the point that David is making here; that it is not just the path we are on, but it is also the manner by which we travel down that path, and by what strength we are traveling. We must never come to the place where we feel that we have arrived, and that we are complete in our goings; such an attitude will take us down quicker than than almost anything else. Every day; every hour of every day, is another time for us to reach out for God's grace; to rely on His grace for our every footstep. Think of it as if you were walking a tightrope, and that twenty foot long pole you hold is God's grace; each step taken, is because His grace keeps you upright and balanced as you move along that path; if you let go of that pole, you will slip and fall; however, there is something else that holds us: grace upon grace!!! There is a lifeline from above that is strapped to our waste...we may fall, but not too far...

"God Speaks Truth"

"Concerning the works of men, by the word of Thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer." (Psalms 17:4) Now the grip of this world, and the trap of the destroyer are the topic of the day! One way that we can avoid a trap is to know what traps look like; the other way to more successfully avoid a trap is to stay on the right path! When we are talking about "the works of men", we are talking about the ways of this world; be that prosperity, power in leadership, notability and fame; or just doing whatever suits your desire or pleasure. Going the way of the world will surely lead to destruction; and the destroyer is always trying to distract us with the different pleasures that can be found in this world. Have you ever wondered why the devil is referred to as "the destroyer"? To completely understand why this is so, we must realize the meaning of 'decoy', and that which is used to entice or lure us into a trap; otherwise known as bait; it is something which looks good or safe, or to be something that draws us into a place that we are not to go. In the world of duck hunting, decoys are used to give the illusion of a safe place to hang out, giving the ducks a sense of security, seeing that there are other ducks carelessly floating around in the water. The best way to avoid such a trap would be not to be a duck, unless you are a duck; and in that case, your duck is cooked. But seriously; how do we avoid such a trap this? There is only one way that we can even hope to avoid such a trap, and that is to not be of this world; and there is only one way that we are not of this world, and that is to be begotten of God; and, when we are begotten of God, there is only one way that we are kept out of such a trap, and that is by walking in the Spirit; and the only way that we are assured to be walking in the Spirit, is by adhering to the Word of God! In 1 John 5:18-21, John completes his first epistle with a closing note; a note to those who know and who want to keep themselves from sin. After having been instructed in the importance of God's love, and how we must love one another, John speaks now about what keeps us from the decoy of the devil, and that it is all about knowing the True God; for there is only one true God, and there is only one path that leads to eternal life!!! "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true; and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen."

"God Knows The Truth"

""Thou hast proved mine heart; Thou hast visited me in the night; Thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress." (Psalms 17:3) Yes indeed, God does watch our lives; every little thing that we are, He knows, and He can see even those dreams that we have at night. What David is asking for with this statement, is that God would judge him according to the intentions of his heart; which God knows, can see, and has proved David in from the time of his youth. This is part of his request from the previous verse, that God would let His eyes behold the things that are equal; equal meaning the things which are right, not based upon injustice or deceitfulness, but based upon truth; they are weighed in the balance of justice, and they are found in a straight way. Okay; so here is a test: When you are being persecuted, is your way before the Lord straight enough that you can make this request? Look at this in a little different light, and try considering just the last portion of this verse, which says, "I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress". Notice that is does not say "my mouth has not transgressed", because he may have transgressed with his mouth; but he is purposed not to do it, which means that he is determined not to offend anyone with his mouth. In James 3:2, James give an example of the power of the tongue, by saying, "For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body". We may not fully understand the meaning of what James is saying until we are standing face to face with Jesus; but that main point he is making has to do with how unruly the tongue is, and that the chances are we all have offended someone in word; and if you have not, then you must be perfect; and what are the chances of that? We must purpose in our hearts not to offend in word; and even then, it is still something that requires God's help to control; but God, who searches our heart, knows if we are sincere or not, and He judges upon the intentions of our heart. The point to what I was asking, was to do with the sincerity of the heart; as to whether our heart is sincere enough to ask God to judge us upon the actions of our heart. For someone who is not sincere in their walk with God, this is taking a bad situation and making it worst; because not only are they being persecuted by the world, but they are asking God to the integrity of there walk, and to use that as the basis for His consideration of deliverance. It is not a matter of being perfect, for we all know that we can not be perfect; but it is a matter of seeking after perfection, and the desire to be righteous in everything we do; whether it be in word, in deed, or in the secret places of our hearts, we are sincerely asking God to judge us in all of these areas; and upon that, is my way straight enough to make this request? That is the question...

"God Is Truth"

"Let my sentence come forth from Thy presence; let Thine eyes behold the things that are equal." (Psalms 17:2) We really have no clue as to why things happen the way they do; and even when we think that we do know, the answers that we have come up with will only be incomplete pictures, and will only be the ones that are meant to satisfy our own personal reasoning. God knows the truth, because God is Truth! We are to be willing to trust Him; which means that there really is no reason that we need to figure out why God is doing this or that, but that we rest in the knowledge that He loves us, and that He only wants the very best for us. If we truly think about this carefully, what benefit do we have in knowing why, except to say that we know why? Jesus told us why He was sent, and that it was because God loves us; isn't that all that we really need to know? When we start to analyze what is happening, or try to figure out what God is doing, I truly believe that God gets offended by our not trusting Him to get us across and to the other side. Has He not given us His word, saying, "I will never leave you, or forsake you" ? Don't get me wrong here, I am in this same boat, and many of these questions that I am asking, I ask for myself. Having said that, I can clearly say, I have come to a point where I have quit asking why, and have started asking When??? When will You God? I believe that God can take offence in that question also, and yet, I constantly find myself asking it, and looking for each new day to be the one. On the other hand; we are to hope, which has the general meaning of that question, but brings with it the act of waiting on the Lord; which actually means, we eagerly wait! So; you might be wondering what any of this has to do with Psalms 17:2, and why the fact that God is Truth, can be the basis for His judgement? (I hope you are not!) There are more meanings for this word that is used for "sentence" than I care to get into today; but I will say that when it comes to God's justice in the area of a sentence, I would rather be judged by God, than by man, any day of the week! Because I know that God loves me, I can take refuge in His love for me; that love proves all things, be they afflictions, or pestilence, or persecutions, or whatever this world might throw at me to test His love, His love will stand the test!!! In 1 Corinthians 13:13, Paul makes a statement about the greatness of love, in which he says, "And now abideth faith, hope, and charity (love), these three; but the greatest of these is charity (Love)." We need faith and hope now, but when we get to heaven, they will be no more; but God's love, that is for all eternity...

"What is Truth?"

[[A Prayer of David.]] "Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips." (Psalms 17:1) As Matthew Henry puts it, regarding his introduction to this opening, "As there is a time to weep and a time to rejoice, so there is a time for praise and a time for prayer; this Psalm is a prayer." And as this introduction says, "A Prayer of David", this is a prayer of a man who is torn between two different worlds of understanding: one that is truth and one that is perceived as truth; the difference in these two worlds, is what God knows, and what we here on this earth think that we know; of which, the difference can literally be worlds apart. As I mentioned yesterday, the title written above this Psalm in my Bible reads, "An Innocent Man's Prayer"; to which, there is something that we must all come to understand, that none of us are truly innocent in God's eyes, for we all have fallen short of righteousness. The sooner we can come to realize this truth, the sooner we can become aware of what the truth is; because, before God can begin to fix us, we must first realize that we are broken. Granted, David definitely was being falsely persecuted by Saul; having done nothing to warrant Saul's fits of rage against him, he sought to only obey the Lord, and to serve his king. But there is another piece of the puzzle that David may not have realized; something that we ourselves fail to completely understand; which is that God can see us now, and He can see our future; He can even see us as we should or could be, if we would just listen and obey. For us to try and figure this out, it is enough to make our head spin; but for God, it is nothing more that His love for us, as a Father's love for a child, seeing what is best for us, and what is needed to make us grow up big and strong in Him. Another way to look at what I am talking about when it comes to two different worlds, is to imagine what it must have appeared like to see Jesus crucified upon that cross; not knowing what was going to take place from that, but watching it happen, and wondering, Why is this happening to someone such as this? You can begin to see that what we perceive as something wrong and evil, can actually have a completely different meaning, if we were only to know and understand the truth. As David starts this prayer, he comes to God from the vantage point of a man who is just, and who is asking God to hear his prayer because he has no deceitfulness in his prayer. In other words; he is seeking God's intervention, but is not asking to be unjustly favored, just to be protected and to be treated fairly, as a man that is only looking to do, or to have done, what is right. This is the character of a man that wants what is best for not only himself, but for those also that are causing him harm; which is unique among man, for we usually want revenge to be part of our deliverance; hoping that God will justify our innocence by taking action against those that have wrongly come against us, in hope that when we are vindicated, everyone will come to realize who was right and who was wrong. We can see this attribute displayed by Jesus, as He cried out, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do". This He said as He hung there on the cross, while they mocked Him, and spat on Him, and divided His things among themselves; He asked for their forgiveness, knowing full well, that what they did, they did out of ignorance, not knowing who He really was. We can only hope and pray for this same type of attitude when it comes to those that falsely accuse or persecute us; because we should hope that if they knew the truth, then they would not be doing what they do; or at least that is what we hope for in them. However; this is not how it is, because men who are driven by evil, will continue to pursue evil, even after the truth is revealed; for they are only vindicated by completing what they have begun in their own hearts; not seeking to right their wrong, but that their wrong should be right. Such was the case with Saul, who no sooner had he promised David that he would treat him as his very own son, he turned against him again, and sought to take his life. We can see this action played out in the religious leaders who had detained Peter and John, as we read in Acts 4:16-18, what they said after having come to understand the truth, and how it was, that in the name of Jesus was that lame man healed; yet they continued in their quest to stop His name from being made known any further... "Saying, What shall we do to these men? For that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus."   

"Misconstrue"

Sometimes life just is not fair! For whatever reason, we end up taking the wrong turn, leading to the wrong direction; or we take the right turn, but then get thrown off course; either way, we find ourselves in a battle to get back to normal. As we come to Psalms Seventeen, there are a few things we need to be prepared for as we begin this Psalm; primarily, we need to know that this is not a song, this is a prayer; and not just a prayer, it is "An Innocent Man's Prayer", as per the title over this Psalm in my Bible. I have written a footnote below this Psalm in my Bible that reads, 'Do not try to cross the bridge before you come to it!'; and I do not remember why I wrote it, but I can only imagine it was from hearing someone say it; maybe it will come to me later? Anyways; the most important thing that we must understand in moving forward through this prayer, is that the way that seems right may not be right, at least not right at this moment; and God's way of answering our prayer, may not provide the answer that we are looking for, at least not the answer we wanted to hear. The reason that these directions and these answers are misconstrued is because we do not understand why things happen, and for what reason that God allows things to happen in our lives. It is kind of like the old 'glass half full or half empty' way of looking at life; is it a positive or a negative thing that we are going through; is it for our benefit or for our demise! If we are on our guard, and as a true believer in what God's Word promises those that are His children, then we know that "All things work for the good!"; but as a man or a woman that is trapped in a fallen world, and looking for quick answers to 'Why is this happening to me?' kind of situations, we tend to forget about promises; even though we might read them over and over again, we still might be searching for the answers in our heart, even as we read these verses with our eyes. One thing that could be taken from what I have written in my Bible, is that we should never try to create our own bridge; which is what we do when we try to figure out what God is doing, or for what reason that He is allowing something to happen. Our number one priority must be to draw near to God; for it is only God who can give us the satisfaction that we need in any and every situation; and even then, that satisfaction that we find will not be perfect until we are in heaven. So far, I don't think that there is an application available for my IPhone that can get me quick answers to life's complicated situations; if so, maybe they would call it "The God App"; and even then, if we knew the answer, would we still take all the right roads? Life is complicated; and just when you think you have it figured out, we find out that we misinterpreted the real meaning...

"Indescribable"

"Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." (Psalms 16:11) Some things just have to be seen, not for us to believe, but for us to realize the magnitude of all that is waiting for us. Do I believe that Jesus Christ had seen what He had stepped down from? I believe that He knew exactly what heaven was like; more so than we could ever imagine for ourselves; and even more that the angels that had been cast out; for Jesus came from the fullness of God, and would be returning to the same. Jesus spoke many times about what heaven was like, giving us descriptions that we could relate to, and without making them seem too far fetched. It was this insight that He had of the glory to follow His assignment here that carried Him cheerfully through His undertaking, and that gave Him the will to carry it out. It might be hard for some to accept this belief, seeing that Jesus was manifested in the flesh, and that being born as a man, He might not have had access to such information; but He was not just a man, He was the Son of God who came down to dwell among us, and within Whom the fulness of God's Spirit was made available to and did dwell. In John 3:27-36, John the baptist was speaking to his own disciples about who Jesus was, and why it was that he should decrease and Jesus must increase; and He spoke to them about the words that Jesus spoke and why He should be believed, saying things like, "A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven"; "He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly: He that cometh from heaven is above all. And what He hath seen and heard, that He testifieth; and no man receiveth His testimony. He that receiveth His testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. For He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him". So then; does that mean that this verse does not apply to us who have not seen? Absolutely not! This is not only a verse that should apply to us; but it is a verse to be sung by the church, and to be declared among each other; for it is by His testimony that we enter into that same belief; not by being a witness of heaven, but by being a witness of Jesus Christ, and that His testimony is true. Jesus said, "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you". (John 14:2) This is a promise to all those that believe in Him; not for us to see the place that is being prepared for us, for it is indescribable; but we do need to see Jesus, and we need to see Him high and lifted up! And, as believers in Christ, we should comfort one another in these things; believing that the fulness of joy is waiting for us in heaven; for this world has no lasting joy to offer us, but in Christ is that fulness, both now, and for evermore! This is the engraving that has been etched into our hearts: He is our portion...What more do we need to know? A golden Psalm indeed... 

"Indestructible"

"For Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption." (Psalms 16:10) I remember at one time when I was young I thought that I was indestructible, and I tried to prove it more times than I care to remember. If you are into the Marvel movies, especially the most recent one called the Avengers, then you would know that there is one character who is portrayed to be indestructible, which is the Hulk; who takes on the energy that is meant to destroy, such as a bomb, and absorbs it into his molecular structure, thus using that energy to become stronger. What an incredible concept; to take on the power of death in order to defeat death itself. However, this is in essence what Jesus had done; and not only the power of death, but also that of sin; for He took on to Himself the sins of this world, and defeated the power of sin, as well as the power of death. This He could do because of who He was, is, and always will be, The Holy One: He is God; who not only had the power to lay down His life and to take it back up again, but He had the power to absorb unto Himself the sins of the world. For as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15, that if Christ had not risen, then our faith would be in vain; and as by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead; for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. As for the meaning of the word "corruption", it is that which is destroyed by death; meaning that the body would have taken on the properties of deterioration and would have began to putrefy. In Leviticus 7:15,18, under the law it was strictly ordered that those parts of the sacrifices which were not used, should in no means be kept until the third day, least they should putrefy. This could have pointed to Jesus rising from the dead on the third day, and that His body would not see corruption; neither were there any bones of His body broken, yet that does not mean be was not bruised: as is says in Isaiah 53:5, "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed". As for His indestructibility; after Jesus had chased out the money changers from the temple, the Jews asked Him, "What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?; and Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up". The world might be looking for a Superhero, or someone who can defeat all the powers of darkness, and who can rid the world of all evil; yet we have someone to point them to, and His name is Jesus Christ..."Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down rule, and all authority and power. For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." (1 Corinthians 15:24-26)

"Cheerfully Resolute"

"Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope." (Psalms 16:9) To better understand the joy that was set before Jesus as He traversed towards the cross, we should realize that what He did, He did by His own doing. Sure, it was His own people that condemned Him to be crucified, and it was the Romans that actually carried it out, but He was the one that allowed it to happen. Jesus declared this concerning His own life in John 10:18, saying, "No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of the Father". In other words; it was a charge that He had received of the Father, to lay His life down, and therefore He did so without hesitation; and because of the respect that He had for the Father's will, He did so gladly, and of His own free will. Peter also was crucified, yet he was taken where he did not want to go, which is what the Lord told him, as He described the manner of death that he would die (John 21:18). It was altogether a different death upon the cross; which is why Peter asked his executioners to place him upside-down on the cross, as to not associate his death with that of Christ's. The other point to consider from this verse, is that of His flesh; as He counted it only as the tent which carried around on this earth; a concept that we must come to understand ourselves; but that sadly, we many times fail to keep it at the forefront of our minds. Jesus not only came to die for our sins, but He came also to show us the way to live, to treat each other, and most importantly, to love! The main point that He made was that of sacrifice, and of our need to deny our own flesh; something that is really hard to do, because the flesh cries out to be satisfied in every way imaginable. Although the flesh is only temporary, compared to our eternal soul, it has such a pull for the things that bring it pleasure: comfort, food, and whatever else it has grown accustom to having, are all the things that our bodies naturally are drawn towards; and because of this, we strive to satisfy our flesh more often then we might realize. The meaning of "my flesh also shall rest in hope", is one of temporary camping, or that of a dwelling which is only a place to wait for that final resting place. "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that, if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." (2 Corinthians 4:17-5:1)

"Unmovable"

"I have set the LORD always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved." (Psalms 16:8) This is a verse that can only be attributed to Jesus Christ; for He alone can justly proclaim what is proclaimed within this verse. He alone was without sin, and could say, "I have set the LORD always before me"; for the Bible clearly says that there are none righteous; none this is, except He who came from God! David could not have been applying this verse to himself, for he himself had fallen short in the area of holiness. This also was declared by Peter, who, after the pouring out of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, said, "For David speaketh concerning Him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is on my right hand, that I should not be moved". (Acts 2:25) We can also see that Jesus was determined to go to the cross; being driven not only by the will of the Father, and His love for the Father, but also by the joy that was set before Him: being that which He would accomplish through His sufferings, death, and His resurrection. It was the utmost certainty of what should be accomplished that caused Jesus to have such joy to face something that others would never look forward to; primarily because we can only hope in what we believe, but Jesus knew with all certainty that He would rise again on the third day; of which, He proclaimed over and over again. Even the angels knew that He knew, and were quick to proclaim this as the women stood amazed that the tomb was empty, for they said, "Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay". (Matthew 28:5 & 6) Okay then; now that we have that straight, let's look at what God can do in an ordinary man. Some might think that the apostle Paul was no ordinary man; or even David, who slew Goliath with just a stone; but these were mere men, who like you and I, did not have the privilege of being born the Son of God; but what they did have, was a promise of something that was greater than this life; something that would take them past this world which is present, and into a world that is beyond what we see in our every day lives. This is the difference between those that live for this world and those that live for heaven; not that they just believe that there is another life after this one; but that they see it, and know in their hearts that it is waiting for them on the other side. I believe that David saw this, and that he was chosen by God to partake in that life; as did Paul, who having been so radically saved, believed that though he would be stricken by whatever this world had to dish out, he would end up in the arms of Jesus! This is what it means to be unmovable; not because we have any power or strength within ourselves to be such, but because Jesus was unmovable, we can rest in what He has done... "Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1 & 2)

"A Prepared Heart"

"I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons." (Psalms 16:7) To truly know what it means to wait upon the Lord, we must have a heart that is prepared to receive His instruction and deliverance. Some of the greatest deliveries that God demonstrates in His word, the people had their hearts prepared for what was going to happen; usually their hearts were prepared by being humbled, but sometimes it was by being awakened to God's holiness and power; and then sometimes it was both. In the case of the greatest delivery of all, which was the delivery of our souls from damnation and separation from God, Jesus was well prepared for what He was going to do. Understand what it was that drove Him to the cross, because it involved great humility to give Himself as a sheep to the slaughter; but the love that He had for the Father was greater than we can imagine, for He and the Father were one. This might be hard for some to comprehend, and it surely was for those in His day; but the main reason that Jesus had a heart prepared for what He was doing, is because He and the Father had the same heart. As David wrote this Psalm, he more than likely was seeing a vision of Jesus Christ, or at the very least, he was seeing the awesome power of God to preserve his soul. Nonetheless; all Scripture is inspired by God, and He has given it for us to understand His great love for us; but in order to truly understand His great love for us, we must humble ourselves, and be awakened to His holiness and power. To the point of what I believe David is saying in this verse above; it is that he knows the counsel of God, and that because he knows God's counsel, his heart instructs him to wait upon God's delivery and direction; even in those times of adversity and despair. We can see this also portrayed in the night that Jesus was being tried, and as Pilate had offered His release. Being that this took place during the night, might mean nothing at all; but nonetheless, Jesus had a heart that was prepared to do what the Father had sent Him to do, no matter how much it hurt, or the chances given to retreat from it; He had a prepared heart...

"Staying The Course"

"The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage." (Psalms 16:6) It is not a question of what trials we have to overcome, but what the end result of this life will be. I can not begin to tell you the number of times that I have felt the need to ask God for strength; but I can tell you that He has kept me pushing through each and every one of those times; not by my own strength, of that I am sure; but by giving me hope in what is at the end of all this suffering, God continues to show me His grace through each and every one of those times of weakness. Yesterday was another one of those days that required His special touch of grace. It was my wife's birthday, and I felt so helpless to give her what I wanted her to have; which was a complete healing in the name of Jesus Christ!!! Although this was not what took place on her very special day, God did show me something that I needed to know; and it had to do with sharing in the life that we have been given. Some might question the quality of such a life; and I am ashamed to say it, but I find myself questioning that also at certain times; which just so happens to be those times when I feel the worst! It truly comes down to love! There are some things that I like about the New King James, and 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 is one of them, for it says, "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails". The primary source of this love is God's love for us; because it is His unconditional love for us that is unmatched by anything else; which, when we accept it, and as we receive it into our circumstance, or whatever it is that we have a need to be strengthened in, things are changed in an instant. If you think that it is not that easy, then you might just need to try it and find out for yourself. Let me be clear about something that was said: It is God's love that changes everything, not our love that is based upon what we receive, but His love for us, that is based upon His love and His love alone. Once we get this truth settled in our heart, we can begin to love as He loves; not because we have any power on our own to do so, but because we have His love in us, we can begin to share that which we are experiencing. Those times when we are feeling anything that is contrary to the properties listed in 1 Corinthians 13, it is nothing more than that we have lost sight of God's amazing love for us; therefore, we only need to focus upon His love, even asking for His help if need be, but anything it takes to see how much He loves us. I know, this might sound like there is a lot dependent upon our actions, or upon our ability to believe; to which I will say, Yes, it is very much dependent upon what we believe! What we have within this verse, Psalms 16:6, is a paradox within a statement; something that contradicts itself based upon the result of the outcome. To get this that I am talking about, we must understand what the end result is, which is stated in the second part of the verse, "yea, I have a goodly heritage". The "lines" that "are fallen", are the life experiences that we have in our journey towards that which is our "goodly heritage"; some good, some bad, and some that are devastating; but all of which are fallen "in pleasant places". It is this "pleasant places" which is that based upon God's love, and not upon the experiences of this life, whether good, bad, or ugly. It speaks of 'one beloved', which takes on a life that is outside of the situations, and becomes a place set towards the source of that love. This is also the same condition that Jesus experienced when He prayed, saying, "Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me: nevertheless, not My will, but Thine be done". (Luke 22:42) For even though His situation was overbearing, the love He had for the Father was greater, because that love He experienced from the Father was far more powerful than anything else...

"Staying True"

"The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Thou maintainest my lot." (Psalms 16:5) So I hope you were not to concerned by being excited to do the things you like to do, because we all have things that excite us and are our passions; such as golf, snowboarding, and family gatherings usually excite me. But the bigger point that I was making, had to do with long term passion and that which makes us move, and is what directs are path. This is pretty much where David is going in this verse today, by saying that it is God who is the portion of his inheritance. To believe that there is a God is good, for only a fool would doubt that He exist; but to believe that He is my reason for existence, and that I must depend on Him for my very substance, that is altogether a different matter. Besides being a Psalm of God's engravings upon our hearts, this is also a Psalm that speaks of Jesus Christ and parts of His sufferings for us. The main meaning of "portion" has to do with food, as in that portion which is distributed for substance, or to maintain the office of the priests or the Levites; and "inheritance" is the award or share, such as would be expected to not only be the amount of food given, but would also be the results in which that food satisfies, or fulfills the purpose that it was intended for. The "cup" is something by which something else is poured out of, but before it can be poured out, it must be contained within something; which is the cup or vessel's use, for containment. If you think about how this might relate to Jesus and His death for us, there are two things which can relate to this verse; one being when Jesus spoke about eating of His flesh and drinking His blood; the other, is when Jesus was in the upper room with His disciples the night before He was crucified. In Luke 22:15-16, Jesus had sat down with the twelve of His disciples for their last meal together before He was to be killed, and getting prepared to share with them 'Communion' of His body and of His blood, He said, "With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: for I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God". Jesus was the Manna sent from heaven; for He was that bread sent from God to satisfy the hunger of our dying souls; and as He broke bread with His disciples, He declared to them that the bread they did eat, represented His body that was to be broken for them. And He was the vessel or cup by which the blood was to be poured out; as He held up that cup, He said, "This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you"; signifying, not only the contents of the cup, but that of the cup, which was a representation of His body, being the vessel which contained the blood to be poured out. I know this may not complete the picture I am trying to paint, but you must understand the desire that Jesus had for this last supper, and how it meant so much for Him to share it with those He had chosen. When it comes to that portion of this verse which says, "Thou maintainest my lot", this is the part that pertains to staying true; because, if we truly believe that God is in control, then we know that He is going to bring everything into His perfect purpose; whatever lot that we are dealt, or anything that is cast our way, He will fulfill that which He has designed for us. This is what Jesus was saying as He spoke of not eating of this again until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. Jesus knew what His lot was, and He longed for it to be completed... 

"Staying Focused"

"Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips." (Psalms 16:4) As I was praying about this mornings post, I pictured a cone shaped diagram on a board, much like a drawing board; and above this cone was written "priorities". It may just be a recollection of something I was taught once; but it seemed to be different that the ones that I remember, because it moved from top to bottom, as if it was trying to correct it's self. In a world that is filled with all sorts of pleasures, and things that challenge our human abilities, we are constantly being pulled into a dirrection that can lead us upsidedown in our priorities. Our number one priority should be to God, for in Him do we find our strength for anything else; and our second priority should be to our family; after that, we want to place ourselves in that number three position, and most of us do, although we call it work. There is nothing wrong with work, it is what we must do to support our families and to be able to give to our church or those that might be in need; but when our work becomes who we are, that's when we have an issue! We must stay focused on God, keeping Him as our number one priority. All the other things will fall into place, if we just focus on Him first; even work will be easier and not so ruling over our lives, if in everything we do, we do it as unto the Lord. In this verse, David seems to devert from the message about having confidence in God; but if you stop and think about what is being said, you can see it more as a check and balance; whereas, we are to focus in on the One True God, so that any other god that we might be serving will be revealed. I know, you are most likely thinking to yourself, I don't serve other gods! But a god is an idol; and an idol is anything that we place between us and God; which can be a whole assortment of things, from entertainment to work, reading books to viewing pornography; anything that can get between you and God, causing you to place Him anywhere else but first in your life. In the first portion of this verse, we see a few words that can give us help in understanding what is being said; "hasten" is the first I would like to look at, because it speaks of being anxious for something, as in rushing after. This may help us understand what it is that we are excited about doing, or what it is that gives us the most joy in our hearts; is it fellowship with God, or is it something else? Another word to chew on, is the word "multiplied", as in, "their sorrows shall be multiplied". This takes us to a place of understanding what price we pay in giving way to idols, for there are multiple sorrows that we will suffer by so doing; being accountable unto God is one, and the great disapointments we shall experience by trusting in another god for our peace and security; or even for our joy! The second part of this verse has to do with association, as in staying clear of being taken in by anything, and considering it something to repent over, if you catch yourself doing it...

"Formability"

"But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight." (Psalms 16:3) This is a continuation of David's statement, "my goodness extendeth not to Thee". In other words; our goodness, although it does not extend unto God, is meant to be extended towards our brothers and sisters here on the earth. It is because of God's rich blessings that we are equipped to freely give to one another; it is part of who we are meant to be in Christ. In other words; because God's rich mercy is poured out upon us, we are delighted to give unto others, and for the cause of Christ. If we continue in Paul's teaching, in 2 Corinthians 9:10-14, we can see a blueprint given for our formability in giving; and that it is not just so that we can be blessed, but that we may bless others; for he says, "Now He that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness; being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men; and by their prayers for you, which long after you for exceeding grace of God in you". It does not really take a scientific view to understand how this works, but it does take a caring heart; a heart that cares for those who serve the ministry, and who are dedicated to a life of service to God. In return, we that supply their needs are kept in their prayers, and the thankfulness of our giving is expressed before God. This goes back to what Paul is saying in 2 Corinthians 9:6, as he says, "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall real also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall real also bountifully". It really comes down to the question, How much do you want to be blessed by God? This does not just pertain to our finances, but to all areas of our life; in that, the bigger we make God's blessings in and through us, the bigger God's blessings become...