There is Hope in the True God, the Lord Jesus Christ

 Hope for the Persecuted Soul

 Book of Psalms Psalm 143

 The phrase it "came to pass" is used 457 times in the Bible which teaches us these things that we are so afraid of may come, but they will not stay, they come, and they will pass on out of our lives.

 Most of us can say that every obstacle we have faced in our lives has come to pass on out of our lives.

Some of them may leave scars, but they cannot keep us out of Heaven!

 We must completely understand that the faithfulness of God makes it impossible for God to go against the covenant He has made with us.

 God has revealed Himself as the God of mercy and forgiveness, and He can never go against these things.

 So, we can boldly plead for mercy and if we are living a righteous life, then that mercy will come.

 What is the truth?

 1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

1Jn 1:10  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 

 The prayers of every saint today are just as important to God as those prayers David prayed in his day.

 *****Psa 143:1  A Psalm of David. Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness. 

Psa 143:2  And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. 

 We see David in another crisis because his life was filled with danger.

 We cannot link this Psalm to any one particular thing that happened in David's life.

 David knew at this point in his life, that if he did not get God's help he might die, or some terrible thing might happen to him.

 I believe every one of us have had this same feeling.

 1) David appealed to God to hear his prayer.

2) David appealed to the faithfulness of God.

3) David appealed to the righteousness of God.

 David knew he needed a quick answer from God.

 It seems that we need to know more about the characteristics of God, and we must never ask God to go against His own characteristics.

 We cannot know these things unless we study the Bible!

 We should shape our prayers according to God's characteristics, as did David.

 We must never ask God to be unfaithful to His Word!

 We can plead to God for His help and sometimes we need to pray and fast, to show God that we are serious.

 When we are in a real crisis God already knows this.

 Prayer is not merely a self-improvement exercise that is good for us, whether God hears our prayers or not.

 Prayer is a real plea made to a real God!

 God is always faithful to do just as He has written down in His recorded Word.

 Our faith in Him, is the key to every answer we get from Him.

 We must remember that if we ask for forgiveness of our sins, then there is no record of our sins in Heaven.

 Psa 103:12  As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

 1Jn 1:7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 

1Jn 1:8  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 

1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

 We will pay for our sins, but God has already forgiven us of our sin, and He will not remember them.

 These are the only things God forgets.

 God does this because He chooses to do so because our sins are under the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ

 God's memory is perfect, but He just chooses to forget our sins!

 Because God has chosen to forget our sins we have missed out on the judgment for our sin.

 Gal 2:16  Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. 

 David was in the same shape as we are, but sometimes we have a lack of faith, and we will think that God still has something that He will punish us for.

 Faith is still the key to a perfect relationship with our Heavenly Father and His Son because they are both the same!

 *****Psa 143:3  For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead. 

Psa 143:4  Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate. 

 We must understand that our enemy is vicious!

 Our enemy wants the worst possible evil to happen to us!

 Our enemy wants us to die in some evil situation that will make us an embarrassment to God!

 David felt like he was just thrown out onto the street to be trampled alive.

 We must understand that our adversaries, who are led by Satan, want us dead and useless in the work the Lord has given us to do.

 Satan will do everything he possibly can to cause us to lose our testimony!

 Satan would kill us in a split second if the Lord allowed him to have access to us.

 We may feal like Satan is about to take over our lives, but our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will always save us, as long as it is true faith.

 We know from the Book of Job that Satan needs God's permission to attack us and if we think we are in the class of Job, then we are not, but God loves as much as He loved Job.

 Certainly, we will face persecution, and certainly, we will call upon the Lord for help, but most of the problems we will face in our lifetime are of our own making and we may need the Lord's to help us in those situations also.

 We must understand that our enemy is powerful, and we cannot face him alone, we need the Lord to fight all our battles, and He will, if we remain faithful.

 If the Lord permits us to dwell in the darkness of the dead, then He will surely bring us into His Light and cause us to dwell with those who are enjoying eternal life in Heaven.

 We should understand that we are already in that realm of eternal life now as we exist here on earth.

 We are already on our journey to Heaven because we can never die even though we will shed this useless flesh that we live in today.

 Lam 3:24  The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

 We know that King Saul had banished David from Judah, and it was felt by David, and when he thought about these things it broke the heart of David.

 We are wrong to sit and mull over our circumstances, when the Lord has shed His light on our future!

 We have a marvelous future ahead of us and nothing in this world can change that fact.

 God cares too much for us to allow those things that are pressing heavily on us to remain on us.

 God does not want us to suffer stress in these crises that come into our lives.

 We must remember God has a job for us to do and He wants us to be busy doing this job.

 When our burdens are too heavy for us to bear God knows, and He will take those burdens away from us if we ask Him in faith.

 Psa 55:22  Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. 

 1Pe 5:6  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 

1Pe 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 

 God is our Father, and we are his sons and daughters, He will not allow His children to suffer very long.

 Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

 God has enough "grace" to see us through every obstacle in our path!

 2Co 12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 

 We sometimes wait until we are deep in trouble before we call upon the Lord, but we should call upon the Lord when we first see trouble coming our way!

 In fact, we need to be in constant communication with the Lord God!

 God has a plan that cannot be altered and if we have a part in that plan, and we do, then we cannot fail and the trouble we are in will cease to exist.

 *****Psa 143:5  I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands. 

Psa 143:6  I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.

 I love those worship services when it seems like I can just reach us and touch God.

 So, sometimes we just need to think back on what God has already done and know that He is still All Powerful.

 God will do whatever it takes to fulfill the glorious plan He has for us!

 God had anointed David to be the King of Israel and David would soon be the next King of Israel.

 1Sa 16:11  And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. 

1Sa 16:12  And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. 

1Sa 16:13  Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. 

 This is God's plan not David's plan and God's plans never fail!

 David had a burning desire to know that God would answer his prayer.

 Nothing would satisfy David, but the presence of the Lord!

 We must keep in mind that there is nothing too hard for God.

 Jer 32:27  Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? 

 There is nothing that God cannot do but go against His character.

 God rescued Israel once long ago and God's plan for Israel is not yet complete.

 God had called Abraham and made a covenant with Him.

God had placed Joseph into Egypt so Israel could be fed during a drought.

God had raised up Moses to deliver Israel from Egypt.

God had caused a great miracle at the Red Sea.

God had brought Israel through the wilderness.

God had led Israel into the Promised Land.

 For David, God had already given Him victory over Goliath.

God had anointed David to be the next King of Israel.

 We can see that God's plans simply do not fail!

 We can be sure that God will rescue Israel again so, His plan can be completed as He has it written down.

 David had said that His soul was thirsting after God as a thirsty land.

 David's distressing situation had drained every last drop of life out of Him.

 His soul was parched and cracked like dry earth that was in a drought.

 We simply need to get our mind off of our own circumstances and remember God's power and God's faithfulness to obey His promises.

 What God has already done for us is nothing compared to what God is going to do for us!

 When we dwell upon things that seem to be impossible, we must know that the word "impossible" is not a word that God uses because nothing is impossible for God!

 Isa 40:25  To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. 

Isa 40:26  Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth. 

Isa 40:27  Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God? 

Isa 40:28  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. 

 There is nothing that God cannot do, if He so chooses.

 God did not give us the Bible to show His failures because there are no failures of God in it!

 David kept praying:

 *****Psa 143:7  Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit. 

Psa 143:8  Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee. 

 After expressing his thirst for God David resumed praying about his crisis.

 David had pressed the Lord to answer quickly, and David was becoming more desperate because David was afraid God would be too late answering his prayer.

 God will not fail when our spirits fail!

 God does not know how to fail; failure is not part of God's agenda!

 The truth is, if we have God's countenance we live, but if God turns His back on us, we will die!

 When the Lord looks with favor upon our efforts we prosper, but if God refuses to look upon them, we labor in vain.

 God will not look upon sin!

 We cannot cause God to rush because God always knows what is going on in our lives and the Holy Spirit has already told Him, He just knows.

 Psa 139:4  For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. 

Psa 139:5  Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. 

Psa 139:6  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. 

Psa 139:7  Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 

 We should understand that Divine loving kindness is the root of which all other blessings come.

 We could say that God's love is the fountain from which all blessings flow!

We all desire to walk in the way that the Lord has chosen for us.

 Psa 5:8  Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face. 

 David would worship Jehovah daily but in the morning hours and many times God spoke with David in that time and here David desires that the Lord would speak to him as He did in those morning worship services.

 David was desperate to hear from God, but we cannot make demands of God.

 Why was David so desperate? Look again at verse three.

 "For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead"

 David felt like he could lose his life at any time!

 We know that it is God that knows when our life will end, no one else.

What was the best thing David could do?

*****Psa 143:9  Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me. 

Psa 143:10  Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. 

Psa 143:11  Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name's sake: for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble. 

Psa 143:12  And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant. 

At the first sign of trouble, we need to flee unto God to hide us from our enemy.

**Psa_17:8  Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,

Psa_27:5  For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

Psa_64:2  Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:

All these Psalms were attributed to David, so we see David had prayed for Jehovah's help many times.

What does God teach us? God teaches us that sometimes we need to sort of pester Him to get an answer from Him.

God wants to know how sincere we are.

Luk 11:5  And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; 

Luk 11:6  For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? 

Luk 11:7  And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. 

Luk 11:8  I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

Importunity means persistence, especially to the point of annoyance.

David prayed that God would keep him out of the hands of his enemies.

What prayers will God surely answer?

God will teach us His will for us!

God will also deliver us for His namesake!

The Lord is glorified when it is proved that He is true to His Holy Name!

One of the reasons people are powerless in prayer is because they do not pray specifically.

When we pray in general terms and not specific terms, we are thoughtless and effortless.

God already knows why we are praying we need to be specific.

God already knows our needs we need to be specific, describing them to God.

God knows how desperate we are to evade our enemies, and He will answer in time, but He knows exactly what the right time is!

We know that in David's early life King Saul was trying his best to kill David or have him killed and we know David needed the Lord to rescue him and He did.

Again, we need to make specific requests in our prayers!

Most of the time in our prayers we just need God to show us His love!

We cannot be fervent in our prayer life if our requests are general and not our specific needs.

If we put ourselves in David's shoes, we would have panicked far more than David did.

When we desire God's help, we need to cry out passionately to Him.

We must clearly understand that God wants to answer our prayers!

We would like to think that God would only answer those prayer that are good for us but I believe He will allow us to get some things that are bad for us so we can learn some valuable lesson.

His will for us is for us to do His will for us and most all of it is written down and all we have to do is study the Bible to know His will.

In the end God wants us to be obedient to His Word, live godly lives, and spread the Gospel and enjoy the life He has given us.

Amen

God Will Honor His Words

 God's Promise to Honor His Word

 Book of Psalms, Psalm 138

 This is the beginning of a group of Palms written by David, and they will remind us of some of the troubles that David went through.

We will also see that this prayer of David concerns the prophecy of the return of Jesus Christ.

 We should know that trouble will either bring out the best in us or the worst in us.

 Serious troubles in our lives can be used to test to see how we will respond. 

God does not cause our troubles, but He will use them to teach us from time to time.

None of us like serious troubles, but God says they are a part of our Christian growth.

 How does the Bible describe troubles?

 2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 

2Co 4:8  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 

2Co 4:9  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

 What is God's remedy for trouble?

 Joh 14:1  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 

Joh 14:2  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. 

Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 

Joh 14:4  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

 Let us see these things that affected David.

 ****Psa 138:1  A Psalm of David. I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. 

 David is writing to the Lord God Jehovah as He always does.

 We cannot be saved unless we praise the Lord Jesus Christ with our whole heart!

We cannot be Christians unless we make a public profession of our faith as David describes in this Scripture.

 We must stand face to face with the might of the wickedness of this evil world.

 Eph_6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, "to stand".

 We know that it is Satan who controls the wickedness of this world, and those little gods are the gods that David is referring to.

 Satan continues to flash money in the face of those who believe Him, and we know that it is money that is the root of all evil.

 1Ti_6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

 Those who are lost and rich will seldom come to God, but those who have been saved, but leave the church because of some sum of money like an inheritance, we may be able to entice them with the truth of the Scriptures to come back to the Lord.

 The so-called gods of this world need to hear us continuously praising the Lord God Jehovah in their faces.

This is what riles them up when we speak the truth of God.

They cannot stand the truth.

 Only then will the power of Jehovah go before us in a show of strength.

 We must stand boldly in our own nation and other nations if we get the opportunity.

That opportunity we have today is our vote and we must vote according to Christian principles from the Word of God.

It is really quite simple! Take each candidate and put them in as a character in the Bible and see how they match up.

 We know that money is the root of all evil, but there are still the idol worshippers of Buddha, Mohamed, and the many other little gods of this world.

 *****Psa 138:2  I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. 

Psa 138:3  In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. 

 When David prayed, he would do his best to face toward Jerusalem.

 Even though the word temple is used here, the same Greek word "hekal" is used for temple and also used for tabernacle.

The object is still that David prayed toward Jerusalem.

 The Temple was not yet built, in fact, it was not built in David's time.

 For the Church, we have the Holy Spirit within us so we can pray anywhere.

 David lists five different reasons for worship:

 1) Because of the Lord's lovingkindness. (His unfailing covenant of love)

2) Because of the Lord's faithfulness and truth.

The Lord is always true to Himself.

The Lord is always true to His character.

The Lord is always true to His attributes.

The Lord never changes so we can trust Him to always do right.

All these things make the Lord absolutely trustworthy.

3) Because the Lord has exalted His Word above all things even Himself.

4) Because He answered David's prayers.

5) Because the Lord revived David's soul (strengthened him, encouraged him, and made David bold in the Word of God)

 When we are surrounded by trouble, we find it hard to praise the Lord.

 Sometimes this is because of shame, which is a sin, but also for fear of our lives.

 We must do our best to be truthful to the Holy Spirit who lives within us and remember the power of God.

 We are never to blame God for the circumstances that we face, we live in a wicked world whose god is Satan, and it is getting worse.

Most everyone you meet will say that our world is getting worse as far as the treatment of people.

 Just remember that God is with us at all times and God hears us when we cry out to Him!

 When we are around other gods, then it is a pretty good time to praise the Lord for, He is the Highest and we should praise Him.

Satan will take His bunch and flee rather than tangle with God because he knows his time is short.

 *****Psa 138:4  All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth. 

Psa 138:5  Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD.

 Many things will take place before the Lord sits upon the Throne of David!

 The two witnesses of the Book of Revelation Chapter 11 will appear and do the things described in that Chapter.

 The Antichrist will make war with those two witnesses and he will kill them, but they will not stay dead.

 Rev 11:9  And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. 

Rev 11:10  And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. 

Rev 11:11  And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. 

Rev 11:12  And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

 Then there will be a great earthquake, and I believe it will affect the entire world, but in Jerusalem, it will be terrible.

 Rev 11:13  And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. 

Rev 11:14  The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

 Before the Lord Jesus sits upon the Throne of David all the Trumpet woes of the Book of Revelation will have taken place and we can be sure that those kings who are left will fall upon their knees before the Lord Jesus Christ as the Almighty God steps down from Heaven and steps upon this earth at the same place where He had left from on the Mount of Olives.

 Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. 

 This is the time when this world will hear the words of God directly from His mouth.

 This is when the answer to David's prayer will take place.

 The entire world will sing in the ways of the Lord Jesus Christ for Great is His Glory!

 *****Psa 138:6  Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off. 

 Before King Jesus does anything else He will rescue the poor and the helpless.

 This would probably be those who had refused to take the number of the beast.

 Rev_13:17  And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

 The Word of God says:

 Psa 57:15  For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. 

 To the Proud, the Lord says:

 Isa 2:10  Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty. Isa 2:11  The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. 

 David prayed earnestly for the rulers of the earth to believe the Lord.

 We should know that David prayed these things, but they would not take place in his day, but the Lord God Jehovah has stated when He will return to this Earth.

 Not in David's day and maybe not in our day but surely in the day of our children or grandchildren.

We will see that the disciples of the Lord wrote down exactly what the Lord Jesus said about these events to come.

 Mat_24:33  So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

Mrk_13:29  So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.

Luk_21:31  So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.

 What things were these men talking about?

 Certainly, Christian persecution is on top of the list of things that will take place just before the return of the Lord Jesus.

Mar 13:9  But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. 

Today the Lord Jesus is on this earth in the bodies of believers, but soon He will return to Earth Himself, but many things will take place just before His return.

The entire world will hear only one Book of Truth when the Lord Jesus speaks with His own mouth the Words of God.

The saints of God will return with the Lord and there will be only one Gospel.

We can see that David prayed the same as we pray, that God's Kingdom to come to Earth.

Mat 6:10  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

This is what the Lord Jesus told us to pray. 

Many things will certainly take place before this day happens, but it will happen.

Php 2:9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 

Php 2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 

Php 2:11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

Jesus is coming back, and we can be sure of it!

*****Psa 138:7  Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. 

Psa 138:8  The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands. 

David reminds us of another Psalm:

Psa 23:4  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 

We see that David had more faith than most Christians today.

God wants us to have a good life, and He will see to it that we do if we would only trust Him!

It is easy to see that our world is falling apart which lets us know that we are getting closer to the Day of Christ.

God will not allow our troubles to overtake us if we snuggle up to Him in these last days.

If we would just remember that this is the Lord's fight, our job is to spread the Gospel until the day He takes us home.

Psa 60:4  Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah

That banner is our faith.

We must also remember why the Lord will save us; it is because the Lord loves us.

Psa_136:26  O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.

We may not understand everything but one thing we must know is, that all those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ, worship some other god who is a false god.

2Jn 1:9  Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 

2Jn 1:10  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 

It is not a time to be against Jehovah God!

It is time to be busy with what the Lord gave us to do!

And above all never give up!

Amen

Remembering God's Promises

 Remembering the Promise to David

 Book of Psalms: Psalm 132

 This is another Psalm that was sung as the Israelites traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast’s days as commanded by God.

They had begun to remember the promises of God and it brought joy to them just as it does to each of us.

 If we take a look into David's past, we will see all the pains, the trouble, and anxiety he underwent in his lifetime for the cause of God, especially in the establishing a sanctuary in Jerusalem and making preparation for the building of the Temple.

 David was building God's special dwelling place on this Earth, a place where God would meet with His people.

 If you do not have a longing to meet with God, then you cannot be a Christian!

 You cannot be a Christian because the Holy Spirit will not come to live within you!

 Every Christian is a sanctuary for God to dwell in!

 If we look at the very first word of this Psalm, we see the word LORD, this is the Almighty God Himself, Jehovah.

 David had accomplished what no lowly shepherd could accomplish.

David rose from a lowly shepherd to become King of Israel.

 Except we do know of another man who was a shepherd who came to save His people, and His name is Jesus the Christ, the Messiah.

 We know that special days are set aside to honor special people and some of the heroes of our nation.

 In fact, almost every nation has set days to remember their national heroes.

 For the Israelites, David was a hero and in fact, David is still honored as one of the Jews greatest heroes.

 The Star of David is the national flag of Israel today.

 The "Sling of David" is the name of one of the air defense systems of Israel.

 This Psalm was probably written for the dedication of the Temple built by Solomon.

 We know that David had spent many years gathering the wealth to build a magnificent Home for God, when He would come to visit this planet, but we know that God is everywhere, and He even abides in every "Born Again" child of God.

 He lives in every person who has their name written down in the Lamb's Book of Life.

 Rev 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 

 Rev 21:27  And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. 

 David was now dead and gone, we know He is with the Lord, but the Jews had a great fondness for King David.

 By remembering the hardships David faced before he was made king, it inspired the Jews to face their own hardships!

 It has never been easy to live in this world since the sin of Adam, and it is not always easy to be a Christian.

 We do still live in a cursed world!

 The word cursed is used seventy-two times in the Bible.

 We know that the Serpent who was Satan is cursed:

 Gen_3:14  And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

 Gen_3:17  And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

 If you look up the word cursed in the Bible, you will see that many of our leaders of today are cursed by their actions.

 Deu_27:25  Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen.

 We know we have been sold out by our leaders for riches, they will never spend.

 We know that every doctor who is paid to end the life of an innocent baby is also cursed.

 God has also placed a curse on all those who reject any part of the Scriptures:

 Deu_27:26  Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.

 And to all those so-called churches that have left the truth of the Bible, God says:

 Jer_11:3  And say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant,

Jer_17:5  Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.

 God is very serious about the words He has given us to live by.

 Let's begin.

 *****Psa 132:1  A Song of degrees. LORD, remember David, and all his afflictions: 

Psa 132:2  How he sware unto the LORD, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob; 

Psa 132:3  Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; 

Psa 132:4  I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, 

Psa 132:5  Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.

 The Psalmist who wrote this Psalm reminded the Lord how David was devoted to Him.

 We all say these things such as, “Lord remember me”.

 The truth is that God only forgets when He decides to forget.

His memory is perfect!

 He has forgotten our sins, and it is He that said we are covered by the blood of Jesus that has washed away our sins.

 Rev_1:5  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

 We know that King David had made a vow to find a place for the Almighty God to dwell in Jerusalem.

 David was determined that He was going to build a House for God for God to dwell in Jerusalem.

 This was David's vow.

 David had endured much suffering at the hands of Saul.

David had endured much suffering in finding a neutral place to worship God.

David had not yet taken Jerusalem from the Jebusites so, this too had to be done.

David had to transport the "Ark of the Congregation “ to this new House of God, but it was not in his hands at this time.

David had to also defend Jerusalem from the attacks of the Philistines two times, while all these other things were going on.

 These things may have hindered David in completing his vow to God, but it did not stop Him.

 In fact, David said; I'm not going to rest until I build a House for the Lord.

 David said it was not right that he was living in a beautiful palace and worshiping God in a tent.

 We can see that David's devotion to God provides a worthy example for us to follow.

 Many missionaries today have this same vision as David, to build a house for the worship of our God.

 I believe Nathan had this vision and I believe Scott David had this vision.

 These were church planters as David wanted to be.

 *****Psa 132:6  Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood. 

Psa 132:7  We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool. 

Psa 132:8  Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength. 

Psa 132:9  Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy. 

Psa 132:10  For thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of thine anointed. 

 Though this Scripture is hard to understand, what we do know is that David found the Ark of the Covenant and moved it to Jerusalem where it would remain until 70 AD when Titus destroyed Jerusalem.

 At this time nobody really knows the whereabouts of the Ark!

 These people recalled the passion of David to obtain the Ark and bring it to Jerusalem where he intended to build a House for God.

 The Ark had been gone so long that many people had forgotten about it.

It was David who had to remind the people:

 1Ch 13:2  And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and that it be of the LORD our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren every where, that are left in all the land of Israel, and with them also to the priests and Levites which are in their cities and suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us: 

1Ch 13:3  And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul. 

1Ch 13:4  And all the congregation said that they would do so: for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people. 

 The people thought the Ark was in Ephratah, but Bethlehem and Kirjath-Jearim were both known as Bethlehem at this time.

 There is the city of Bethlehem but there is also the region which was called Bethlehem.

It was Bethlehem Ephratah that provided the sheep for the Temple.

 Rth 4:11  And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:

 Mic 5:2  But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. 

 Kirjath-Jearim would be the place that was in the woods!

 We know that David failed the in his first attempt to retrieve the Ark, but he succeeded when He retrieved it according to the Word of God.

 We will always fail if we do not do things according to the proven ways of God!

 It is easy to see how this Scripture can be applied to the Lord Jesus Christ.

 If King David did not have the zeal for the Lord that he had, we do not know if anyone would have remembered the Ark of God.

 David challenged the people to get back to the worship of Jehovah God.

 David referred to the Ark as the Lord's footstool.

 1Ch 28:2  Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: As for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building: 

1Ch 28:3  But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood. 

 Psa 99:5  Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy. 

 The world knows nothing about the Holiness of God and many in the Church have also.

 Rom 6:22  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 

 David built a tent for the Ark of the Covenant, but he must have also built a place where the people could gather to worship though many of them and the priests still went to the Tabernacle that was in Gibeon, but did not have the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy Place.

 The reality of these things is that God will sit on the throne of David in Jerusalem.

 1) The Ark is not only a symbol of God's presence, but it is also a symbol of God's power!

 2) The priests that serve the Lord will be godly servants and agents of righteousness!

 3) The saints of God will be a happy people.

 4) God would not reject David's anointed successor. Solomon would be the next king, but these things also make reference to God's truly anointed which is the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Today we worship together in a building set up for worship.

 It is the people that are the Church.

 The building or the place that we worship is just that, a building or a place.

 We should never defile our bodies with the sins of the flesh.

We must obey the commands of God which say we are to separate ourselves from all unrighteousness and ungodliness.

 2Co 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 

2Co 6:18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 

 Today, God is still searching for people like David who love to worship Him.

 Joh 4:21  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 

Joh 4:22  Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 

Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 

Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 

 We must be wholly devoted to the Lord!

 Next we will see some of the promises made to David.

 *****Psa 132:11  The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne. 

Psa 132:12  If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore.

 There is no greater promise of the Lord Jesus Christ than this.

 This verse points to the Messiah and His Kingdom!

 Psa 89:3  I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, 

Psa 89:4  Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah. 

 Psa 89:35  Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.

 2Sa 7:28  And now, O Lord GOD, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant: 

2Sa 7:29  Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken it: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever. 

 The thing we know is true is, that a descendant of David will occupy the throne in Jerusalem.

 That throne is the government, and that government will be located in Jerusalem and the Messiah will rule the world from Jerusalem.

 There were some conditions to be met for each descendant of David.

 We should clearly understand that our unfaithfulness cannot defeat God's purpose and neither could those sons of David who rejected the truth of God.

 We know that God will keep His oaths, and He expects us to keep ours!

 It is Jehovah God who chose Jerusalem when He could have chosen anywhere.

 King Jesus will rule from Jerusalem.

 *****Psa 132:13  For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. 

Psa 132:14  This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it. 

 We know that some of the descendants of David turned from God and He had to discipline them.

 The Israelites would be singing this Psalm as they traveled toward Jerusalem.

 We know for a time there was no son of David sitting on the throne in Jerusalem, the fulfillment of the promises had been interrupted and it will stay that way until King Jesus takes control of the governments that remain in this world from Jerusalem.

 God's promise will be fulfilled, and the world is moving toward that moment when the Messiah will return.

 The promise will be fulfilled in two stages:

 1) Jesus Christ returns and rules the entire earth from Jerusalem for one thousand years.

 Jer 3:17  At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart. 

 2) When Christ Jesus takes us to New Jerusalem and reigns from there forever and ever.

 Rev 22:3  And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: 

Rev 22:4  And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

 God promises to provide abundantly for those who are now His people.

 *****Psa 132:15  I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread. 

Psa 132:16  I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. 

 I believe this speaks of the point when the Jews will join the Church.

 God will provide any and all needs to His children.

 The poor will not lack food and necessities as they had on Earth. These are material needs.

 Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 

 Then God will supply their Spiritual needs.

 In verse nine we see that it was a prayer that asked the Lord for the priests be clothed in righteousness.

 Psa 132:9  Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy. 

 We see in verse sixteen that God has answered that prayer.

 I still believe that this is the Jews as they have now joined the Church, and all the saints will shout with joy for the Church is now complete and the Bride of Christ can join with the Bridegroom.

 *****Psa 132:17  There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed. 

Psa 132:18  His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish. 

The Lord promised to make the horn of David to sprout.

To sprout means to bud to spring forth and grow.

The “horn” is a symbol of power.

This phrase means that a powerful ruler will come forth from the line of David and this ruler will fulfill all the promises made to David.

He will be a lamp or a light to all the world!

The “lamp” and that “horn” mean the Messiah.

1) Zec 6:13  Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. 

2) Jer 33:15  In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. 

3) Isa 49:6  And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. 

Zacharias the father of John the Baptist said: 

Luk 1:69  And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David. 

Luk 1:79  To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. 

We know what is going on in Israel today is turbulent times for them.

We need to remember these promises of God to David, and they will be fulfilled.

As far as the Church, we need to pray for the peace of Jerusalem which will take place at the return of Jesus Christ.

We know that the conclusion of God's plan may be nearing its end, and we will live forever in the presence of the Mighty God!

All evilness and wickedness will be gone, and we will finally be at peace on New Earth and the New Jerusalem. 

Amen

Going to the House of God

 Coming to the House of the Lord

 Book of Psalms 122 Verses 1-9

 Up until October 7, 2023, when Israel's war began, millions of people traveled to Israel, most of them were Christians.

 Some few go now but not many.

 Most Christians are headed to Jerusalem because everyone knows Jerusalem is special.

 Some people say "It just feels like home" even though they had never been there before.

 We know that our Messiah walked all over Israel, but He was crucified at Jerusalem.

 As Christians, we know that our spiritual roots extend to Jerusalem!

 We will spend a thousand years in Jerusalem serving the Lord, but we will spend eternity in New Jerusalem.

 The redeemed of all the ages who will walk through those pearly gates of New Jerusalem to bask in the glorious presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

 One day that trumpet will sound, and we will hear and heed the call to worship in God's true House.

 Let us listen to these clear instructions to all believers.

 *****Psa 122:1 A Song of degrees of David. I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.

 We know that David rejoiced to go to the house of the Lord!

 There was no Temple yet in Jerusalem, but David had built a Tabernacle in which the Ark of the Covenant was placed.

 2Sa_6:17 And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

 David was a man after God's own heart.

 David loved to be in the presence of God.

 We know the Lord had chosen to put His name in Jerusalem many years before this.

 Deu 12:11 Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the LORD:

 Every Christian should have a great desire to go to the House of God and even go more often because of the things we see today going on in Israel.

 Israel is God's timepiece!

 So, let us see if this phrase could have another meaning.

 It could be describing to us the restoration of Israel when the Lord returns to restore this Earth as it was in the day of Adam.

 Amo 9:11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:

Amo 9:12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.

 The phrase “that day” points toward the future.

 In fact, it is probably referring to the time when the Lord Jesus will restore Israel as it was in the days of King David.

 This means all the land God gave to Abraham.

 So let us see which way the Scriptures go.

 The Israelite men had to go to the Temple three times a year according to the Law of Moses.

 For believers today, we should be in God's House every time the doors are open to Praise our Savior!

 We should know how to act in God's House!

 1Ti 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

 We should go to God's House often and know that it is a command of God.

 Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

 Those who do not go to God's House often are sinning against the Word of God!

 We ought to rejoice when the appointed time comes to go to God's House.

 The Jewish feasts were special times, the highlights of the year and they celebrated the opportunity to go to God's House.

 I live in the Bible Belt and when I meet people on the street and ask them about Church most of them will claim to be saved, but they do not attend church regularly.

 Many others go to church, but it seems to be a dreadful duty to them. They just as well stay home!

 It should be a joyous occasion every time we go and hear what God has to say!

 We must make being at church to be joyful, but it cannot be that way unless we love the Lord.

 He is always at church to worship with us and even the Holy Spirit is always there because He lives within us.

 Heb_13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

 God has a purpose for everything He does.

 What was God's purpose for the founding of Jerusalem?

 *****Psa 122:2 Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.

Psa 122:3 Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:

Psa 122:4 Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD.

Psa 122:5 For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.

 ***The most important reason for going to Jerusalem was the fact that God had chosen Jerusalem as the place where He would establish His name!

 Deu 12:5 But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come:

Deu 12:6 And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks:

Deu 12:7 And there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee.

 Psa 87:2 The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

Psa 87:3 Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.

 Heb 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

Heb 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

 There should be no doubt that God loves Jerusalem!

 We can also understand that Jerusalem is a picture of the New Jerusalem, but we will not know the full picture of this until the Lord Jesus sits on the throne of David in Jerusalem.

 We could also say until the Lord Jesus sits upon the throne of David to rule this world.

 God will dwell among His people in the New Jerusalem!

 Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

 ***There is a second reason:

 Jerusalem had strong, closely guarded walls.

 Jerusalem was a secure city.

 2Sa 5:9 So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.

 Most people felt safe when they were inside the walls of Jerusalem.

 ***There is yet a third reason.

 The walls of Jerusalem were solid walls.

 Jerusalem was without a doubt the City of God!

 Psa 48:8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah.

 This same God Jehovah is the same God today, still full of power and majesty.

 Psa 48:14 For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.

 When the gates of the city came into view of God's children, they knew they were almost home!

 Israel was a nation of tribes, and they were all essentially one family. Their leaders were each the sons of Jacob who became Israel. They may have forgotten that for a while, but they are bound to remember when it becomes time to choose the world or time to choose God's family.

 ***There is a fourth reason.

 As a nation of tribes who had a common ancestor, then they needed a place to gather in the name of God.

 Each tribe may operate independently but they could come together in unity because they all had the same God!

When they gathered together for the feast to give thanks to the Lord they obeyed the testimony of Israel, the laws that God had given to them.

 Exo 23:14 Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.

Exo 23:15 Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)

Exo 23:16 And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.

Exo 23:17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD. 

 There is a great feeling of relief that comes from knowing that you have been obedient to the Almighty Living God.

 Jerusalem was the appointed worship center where they came in unity.

 God ordained this physical location on our planet for Israel to gather to worship Him.

 The world may refuse to acknowledge this, but it does not make it any less true.

 Anyone, anyone who tries to alter this ordination of God deserves the punishment that God will place on them!

 ***A fifth reason also comes to us.

 Jerusalem was also Israel's political center, much like Washington DC is the political center of the United States of America.

 We could say the United Tribes of Israel, and this is who they are when they are obedient to God!

 In Jerusalem was the location of the Throne of Judgment.

 One of the King's most important duties was to render judgment and execute justice.

 The thrones of the house of David would extend until it will be the Lord Jesus Christ, King Jesus, who will sit upon that throne in Jerusalem.

 2Sa 7:13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

 2Sa 7:16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.

2Sa 7:17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

 The Jerusalem of old is a picture of New Jerusalem to come in many ways.

 When the Apostle John was on the Isle of Patmos, the Lord Jesus showed him the New Jerusalem.

 John reported what he saw.

 Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

 God's people will rejoice in New Jerusalem, and all the painful things of this life will have passed away.

 Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

 This new city will be full of God's Glory.

 Rev 21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

Rev 21:11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

 We will all be secure within the walls of New Jerusalem.

 Rev 21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

Rev 21:13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

Rev 21:14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

 All God's people from every nation and every tribe will come together in New Jerusalem.

 Rev 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

Rev 21:24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

 We see that God has a plan and those who are against Him cannot stop it!

 The greatest privilege after salvation is the privilege to stand in God's House in New Jerusalem!

 There will be a gathering of family members who have gone on before us and those who will come after us.

The Word of God will be exalted because we will understand the things that God has done.

We will praise God like never before because we will truly have the mind of Christ.

We will understand that we are safe and secure throughout all eternity.

 Today, especially because of what we see and what we know, we need to pray earnestly for the peace of Jerusalem.

 *****Psa 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.

Psa 122:7 Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.

Psa 122:8 For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.

Psa 122:9 Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.

 If you are a Christian, you will love Jerusalem.

If you are a Christian, you will be on the side of Israel.

If you are a Christian, you will pray for the peace of Jerusalem and all of Israel.

 To the Eastern part of the world, Jerusalem is called the Holy City and it is.

 The Apostle Matthew used this phrase in Scripture and so did the Apostle John.

 Mat_4:5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

 Rev_21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

 Nehemiah, Isaiah, and Daniel used this phrase in the Old Testament all speaking of the same Jerusalem.

 Shalom is living happy, untroubled, with a sense of fulfillment.

 Shalom and its related words are among the most important theological words in the Old Testament.

 Jerusalem has not seen peace throughout the Bible.

 The closest this city of God came to peace was in the time of King David, but Jerusalem will finally see peace in the time of King Jesus.

 David prayed for peace in Jerusalem asking for peace inside the walls of his city.

 David was praying that God would bless the leaders of Israel and would protect them from the wickedness of this world.

 How many of us pray such prayers?

 David prayed for the peace of Jerusalem for the sake of his family friends and those of all of Israel.

 We should remember that King David was responsible for the peace of Jerusalem in his day.

 It is one thing to look out for your own self and that of your family, but it takes a lot more to look out for each individual in an entire city.

 David next prayed for peace in God's House.

 If we consider all denominations to be the Church today, we can certainly see that there is no peace in God's House.

 We may brag about the church that we attend, but the truth is many denominations are throwing the Bible away and listening to what the world has to say rather than what God has to say.

 The Pope the leader of the Catholic Church is one way today and another way tomorrow.

 The Wesleyans have thrown out the truth of the Gospel.

 The Methodists have forgotten the methods of truth.

 The Protestant church has forgotten about those who protested for the truth.

 The Southern Baptists have left the truth for lies.

 We could go on and on, but the truth is God's House is not at peace and the church is no longer holding back the evilness and the wickedness in this world.

 We know that Israel is at war, so we surely know we need to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and all of Israel as the world turns its back on reality.

 The fact remains there will be no peace in Jerusalem until the return of Christ!

There will be no peace in the Church until the Lord Jesus returns to separate the wheat from the tares!

There will be no peace in this world until King Jesus speaks with that sword in His mouth and brings an end to the time of Satan!

 Today the Temple of Jerusalem lies in ruins part of it under the Muslim Dome of the Rock.

 The Jews have to pray at what is called the Wailing Wall most of them have never been able to even go upon the Temple Mount.

 Even so-called Christian sects in Jerusalem haggle over shrines and the Arabs and Jews are at each other's throats.

 The world refuses to recognize that land belongs to the Jews because God gave it to them and God is going to give it back to them.

 Those nations that surround God's people trying to rid this world of them will find that the shoe is on the other foot at the appearance of King Jesus.

 The fact is that the Arab nations will almost destroy this world just to annihilate all the Jews, but King Jesus will settle this issue forever before this happens.

 We can be with Him, or we can burn in Hell with all other unbelievers.

 I choose the Lord!

 Amen

Have We Given God the Praise He Deserves

 The Lord Our Help and Our Shield

 Book of Psalms 115

 We have just witnessed nature's power, and those folks in Florida have seen much more of nature's power than we have seen.

 No doubt many will blame God, and most others will question God's love and concern for people.

 Some will sneer at the mention of the existence of God.

 When many of our brothers and sisters are affected, the unbelievers will mock our faith.

 We know our God is righteous so everything He does was the right thing to do.

 Did God send these Hurricanes, my answer would be no.

 Could God have stopped these mighty storms from causing devastation then certainly my answer is yes.

 We know that Satan has some powers even over storms just read the Book of Job where a tornado or something similar causes all of Job's children to die at the same time. There were ten of them.

 When tragedy strikes, our first response should not be "Where is God"!

 Today's lesson will teach us that God is great in His moral excellence.

 "Mercy and truth" are the foundation of moral greatness!

 This was the mission of the Lord Jesus Christ!

 Jhn_1:17  For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

 A man may be capable of making some laws for people to live by, but most of them are seldom based upon righteousness.

 Grace and truth came from the Lord Jesus Christ.

 The question we should ask when tragedy comes is, how have we treated our Savior?

 Have we given Him the glory that He deserves?

 *****Psa 115:1  Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake. 

 Our faith must be based upon the truth or reality.

 Without love, we will live in a world of selfishness which we see today.

 Selfishness is the essence of sin!

 Selfishness is contrary to the law of God!

 The reality is that we have no right to question God for any action He might take!

 We can ask the Lord any question, but we will not always be pleased with His answers.

 We must not show any lack of faith when we are talking to the Lord our God!

 If the Lord does not interfere on behalf of His people, we must not think that His attributes of love and faithfulness have vanished.

 No matter what is happening in our world, we must give God the glory!

 Here in Anderson during the last storm, five deaths were storm related.

 We must not condemn God for those deaths, we must give God the glory that there were no more than five deaths here where we live.

 When Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar, we can be sure that many unbelievers were mocking God, but the truth is that God was using the Babylonians to discipline Israel.

 Israel had turned to idols but after the conquest by the Babylonians, Israel never turned to idols again.

 Sometimes God's methods may seem harsh, but they are effective. Harsh does not ever mean abuse!

 As God's people, we will suffer through trials and tribulations, and unbelievers will mock us, but we must never retreat from our goal of serving the Lord until we get to Heaven.

 Why should anyone question our loyalty to God?

 We must always do our very best to look like Jesus Christ!

 *****Psa 115:2  Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God? 

Psa 115:3  But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. 

 When we go about our daily routine looking defeated our enemies will ask us, "Where is your God now, when you need Him so desperately?

 If we look back at the Jews, we know that they had endured the taunts of the idolatrous nations.

 We do not have to go that far today as our Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are blasphemed today.

 On that day, the heathen had scoffed at the invisible God.

 Keep in mind those who scoffed had to go home and wipe the dust off of some idol who could not even talk to them.

 When the Jews returned to Jerusalem, they made a strong confession of their faith and even though they were far from perfect they were not called idol worshipers again.

 Though they struggled to put their lives back together they knew to go to God and not go to man.

 We have seen over and over again that when we pray, we need to tell God what we are going through.

 Yes, He already knows, but He wants us to understand that that is nothing too hard for God!

 They happily proclaimed the superiority of the Living God to all who had ears!

 When we are true to the Lord, He will be true to us!

 It angers the Lord for His name to be blasphemed, and He will show His power by His people much of the time.

 If God does not help His children, then Satan and his children will triumph!

 Where is God? He is in the Heavens in a place where He can see all His people.

 The truth is God does as He pleases all the time.

 There is never a time that Jehovah God is wondering what He is going to do next!

 Our dearly loved Savior always, ALWAYS wants to help us through this life and He has already prepared for our future non-ending life in Glory.

 God not only has the will to help those who love Him, He also has the power to make sure what He does is done right!

 Mic 7:10  Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the LORD thy God? mine eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets. 

 Another thing we must understand is that, if we are suffering then it is the will of God and He has a good reason for that suffering.

 In most cases it is to bring us closer to Him!

 God never lacks the power to end our suffering.

 Isa 55:11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

 There are no gods who can hinder the work of God!

 False gods are either a figment of their imagination or they are pieces of wood, gold, silver, or some other handmade object that can do nothing.

 *****Psa 115:4  Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. 

Psa 115:5  They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: 

Psa 115:6  They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: 

Psa 115:7  They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. 

Psa 115:8  They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them. 

 Anyone who comes to us questioning our God, we should ask them about their god!

 People may scoff, which is mockery and ridicule, at Jehovah who we worship but the fact remains that He is alive, but He is invisible.

 He is invisible for the reason that if He had shown Himself without His glory people would have made an idol of Him and they would have worshipped that idol instead of the invisible God just as people did the pole with a serpent of brass.

 Num 21:6  And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 

Num 21:7  Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 

Num 21:8  And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 

Num 21:9  And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. 

 What happened?

 This brazen serpent known as Nehushtan, became on object of idolatry and King Hezakiah destroyed it.

 2Ki 18:4  He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.

 This brazen serpent upon a pole had a reality as a type of the Lord Jesus upon the cross, when He died for our salvation.

 Joh 3:14  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 

Joh 3:15  That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 

 Idols cannot speak, see. hear, smell, feel, or walk.

 Yet even today some people still worship idols.

 Psa 135:18  They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them. 

 An idol is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, and anything that you seek to give you what only God can give.

 Many today have made themselves to be idols such as so-called movie stars, or some sports figures, and yes, some political figures think they should be worshipped, and we certainly cannot leave out those who worship Satan.

 Then there is the idol of money/material things:

 We already know what God says about this.

 1Ti 6:7  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 

1Ti 6:8  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 

1Ti 6:9  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 

1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

 Money is the root of all the evil of today. Most all our politicians are bought out in one way or another.

 Other modern idols include, status, physical appearance, entertainment, influence, and yes sex has become an idol which is why abortion is fought so hard along with the LBGTQ is prevalent in our nation and now sex change.

 These are all idols that are worshipped by the “now” generation and God is tossed aside as irrelevant in today's world.

 All these people are in for a terrible surprise very soon.

 Such gods drag down their worshippers to a level of senseless stupidity!

 Rom 1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 

Rom 1:22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 

Rom 1:23  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 

Rom 1:24  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 

 God does not play around with idol worshippers!

 We must trust in the Lord!

*****Psa 115:9  O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.

Psa 115:10  O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield. 

Psa 115:11  Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield. 

 Trust means we are reliant upon God for all things including life, justice, and our love for one another.

 We do not worship a god we have made, but we worship the God who has made us, our Creator, our Maker!

 There is only one true God.

 There are many today that say all religions worship the same God, but nothing could be further from the truth! They just do not know Jehovah.

 God has revealed Himself to us through the Lord Jesus Christ and the Bible if you have a true Bible.

 It is true that once we come to know Christ as our Savior, we need to constantly examine our hearts for spiritual idolatry.

 Jehovah is also a jealous God! The lost do what lost people do, but anyone that claims Christ as their Savior and falls into the trap of idolatry could come under the truth of God's jealousy.

 Three times these verses say the word trust.

 1) God is our help and our shield.

 God is safe to depend upon for defense and for offense for all those who love the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

 God is also our shield to cover us from danger and to protect us from assault and injury.

 2) For all those who preach the truth of the Scriptures, God is also their help and their shield.

 3) The Lord has had His mind on us since our creation. The remnant of this world who love the salvation gift of God.

 Mat_7:14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

 This one verse should tell all those who think we all worship the same God that it is simply not true. By the way, this was the lord Jesus Himself that was speaking. He knows everything.

 We could look at this passage as God's invitation for Israel to join the Church because it is the Church that God is protecting in this world.

 The battles of Israel will show that only the Church is on their side along with Jehovah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Even this week our administration has sent a unit to Israel that can intercept missiles from Iran to try to keep Israel from going after the oil and nuclear sites of Iran.

 This is only bribery when Israel should destroy Iran, and this world would be a little bit better because of it.

 We cannot trust man, but we can trust God to do the right things.

Many scientists and archaeologists wonder what happened to many old civilizations, but they are not around, and many have no history because God knew no one needed to know how wicked they were.

 We should not forget that Iran is that part of old Persia and the other part Iraq is trying its best to get away from the USA and then they will join Iran and Persia will be again and war mongering nation.

 God will only bless those who trust Him!

 You cannot trust idols because they cannot do anything at all!

 The Holy Spirit wants us to grasp the importance of trusting God!

 We will face persecution, but we must not falter in our trust for the Almighty God!

 If we are worried about what is going on in our nation and in this world, then we do not trust the God of all creation and His plan which He has given us a copy of.

 We must have confidence in our Holy God and His Word salvaged by the Holy Spirit and is the truth.

 Pro 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 

Pro 3:6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 

Pro 3:7  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

 We were once a part of the world but now if you love the Lord Jesus, we are part of Heaven. Ambassadors to this world.

 We are always on the mind of our God!

 *****Psa 115:12  The LORD hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron. 

Psa 115:13  He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great. 

Psa 115:14  The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children. 

Psa 115:15  Ye are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth. 

 Who does the Lord bless?

 He blesses those who trust Him!

 Even though Israel does not trust the Son of God, most of them do trust Jehovah (Yahweh).

They reject that they are the same God!

 They are wrong to not accept the Messiah, but they will eventually, at least a remnant of them will.

 We should keep in mind that this Psalm was probably written for the dedication of the Second Temple after the return from Babylon.

 They had been released by the King of Persia who had defeated Babylon.

 We could say that God would bless those who had returned with many children for only about fifty thousand had returned of those who were captured.

 Israel began to see just how great their God is.

 God is always, ALWAYS, working to do good to His people!

 God is always, ALWAYS, mindful of the covenants He has made with all His children!

 God is always, ALWAYS, mindful of the promises He has made, and He will never break a promise He has made to anyone.

 Why is God able to bless so much?

 It is pretty simple, God is our Creator, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, and God can do anything He wants to His creation, but He cannot go against His Word!

 Notice that Israel is back in a part of the land God had given to them and God will get the remainder of that land that was promised back to Israel.

 We may be seeing this today, the Lord giving Israel their entire homeland and the world cannot stop it!

 No, there will never be a Palestinian nation within the boundaries of the land God gave to Abraham, the same land God gave to Israel!

 When those who hate God scoff at us, we need to stand firm in our confidence in the Lord.

 We may go through trials.

We may go through persecution.

We may go through attacks.

We may be oppressed.

 God's purpose for us cannot be defeated!

 Nothing can separate us from the love of God!

 Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 

Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 

Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 

Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

 *****Psa 115:16  The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD'S: but the earth hath he given to the children of men. 

 Verse fifteen says it is our LORD who is the Creator of the heavens, and we know of three heavens.

 The first heaven is the space where we get our air to breathe and the place where the birds fly.

The second heaven is what we call outer space, a place where all planets, all stars, and anything we find in outer space, and it is immense.

The third Heaven is the place where God dwells with His angels and all those souls who are in that Heaven today.

 Notice the Earth is mentioned as the only place God has given mankind to live.

 We know the earth is also the Lord’s:

 Psa 24:1 The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. 

 This Psalmist has said that God has given the earth to mankind to live upon.

 Gen 1:28  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 

Gen 1:29  And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. 

Gen 1:30  And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. 

 God has not given mankind any other planet, moon, or star to live.

 This earth is where we belong, where we live and work and where our future lies unless we believe all these things and our Creator who made all these things, then our future lies in the third Heaven with our God.

 We know that mankind has not cooperated with God on the development of all the resources of this Earth, but they are all gifts from God for our use.

 God has given the occupants of Earth the responsibility of overseeing the resources of Earth.

 This Earth is the only planet that God gave to be inhabited!

 Isa 45:18  For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else. 

 We need to be sure to know that God only declares things that are right and not wrong!

 Isa 45:19  I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. 

 The trouble today is that a few greedy people have tried their best to gain control of the earth's resources and for the most part they have, and the governments control the rest.

 But you see God has reconciled the world back to Himself by the Lord Jesus Christ.

 2Co 5:18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 

2Co 5:19  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 

 Now I cannot explain the meaning of all these things, but I know that these words are true.

 Jesus Christ (Messiah) came to this earth to establish the only means of salvation which is available to all people.

 The desire to let the whole redeemed world know of its redemption should move in the heart of every man but the world is tied up with greed for the resources of our planet, corrupt governments, and immorality.

 *****Psa 115:17  The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence. 

Psa 115:18  But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the Lord.

It should be obvious that those who are dead cannot praise anyone.

When we die our voices are silenced.

In fact, those who are dead lose all communication with the Lord who died for them.

Isa 38:18  For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.

I must never forget my job is to praise my Lord.

No matter what I'm going through, I need to praise the Lord, and I know I do not praise Him enough.

Even when the Lost World scoffs at me, I will praise the Lord!

My opportunities to praise the Lord will cease when I take my last breath, but my blessings will continue because I am a child of God!

Psa 118:17  I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD. 

Psa 118:18  The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death. 

Psa 118:19  Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: 

Psa 118:20  This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. 

Psa 118:21  I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.

Rev 5:13  And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. 

 Amen