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Sunday, February 22, 2015

The Work of Jesus Christ

The Work of Jesus Christ

Galatians 1:1-5


Today we begin a short study into the Book of Galatians.

We already know that all scripture is given by the inspiration of God.

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

In the accepted canon of the Bible, we know that there are 13 Epistles that bear the name of the Apostle Paul.

The birth place of Paul was the city of Tarsus which still exist in modern Turkey on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.

Paul says he was of the tribe of Benjamin and therefore a Jew but being free born in Tarsus a Roman province and circumstances that are not explained Paul was also a Roman citizen.

Paul was well trained in His Jewish heritage and at a young age he was sent to study at the feet of Gamaliel who was a high ranking Pharisee, a high ranking member of the Sanhedrin court and a celebrated Doctor of the Jewish Law, the Laws of Moses.

He was The Authority in his day of the Jewish Talmud which was a collection of the Jewish traditions and explanations of the accepted Scriptures of the Old Testament.

The Talmud was in two parts.

1) The Mishna was the written law the Laws of Moses.

2) The Gemara was the oral interpretations and comments of the Jewish, Doctors of those Laws.

The Apostle Paul was well educated in Jewish Law and all Jewish traditions and was very zealous in his beliefs.

Act 22:3 I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

When Paul totally surrendered himself to the Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, Paul then began to learn the truth of those same Scriptures he had known since he was a child.

Eph 3:7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
Eph 3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

In this epistle written to the Galatians we will see the Apostle Paul defend the truth of Christianity as we must all do.

From the beginning of the early Church there have only been a few that questioned the authorship of the Book of Galatians.

The date this wonderful book was written may not ever be exact but it was definitely written between 48-60 A.D.

Paul had a great purpose for writing this wonderful book of the Bible.

The Apostleship of Paul came under question by certain men and that accusation had to be answered and answered firmly or the "Gospel of Grace" would forever be called into question.

The Apostle Paul was not only under attack but the Gospel of Jesus Christ was also under attack as it still is today.

There were certain professing to be Christian Jews (Judaizers) who were teaching a double error.

1) They taught that salvation came partly by faith and partly by works.

2) They also taught that upon this salvation a person could only grow in Christ partly by faith and partly by their own good works.

In other words, each person had to believe on Christ but that person still had to undertake the rituals of Judaism beginning with circumcision.

How does that transpire in our days?

In many places of worship, not only must one accept the Lord Jesus as Savior but they are not saved until they are baptized, or become a member of the church, or many other things such as speak in tongues.

They then had to observe all the rituals and traditions of that false religion.

There are many places today that observe rituals and traditions that have absolutely nothing to do with salvation and are even deceiving and sinful.

***There are only two ordinances that are to be observed by the child of God and neither have anything to do with salvation.

1) There is the Lord's Supper:

1Co 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

a) This is done to commemorate the death of Jesus Christ and by His command.

b) This is done to connect each of us in a personal connection with the Lord.

c) This done to connect each believer to each other.

2) Then there is Baptism:

Baptism is an ordinance commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ just as the Lord's Supper.

Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

This Baptism must reflect the death, the burial, and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In other words baptism must be by a full immersion of that person who has already surrendered to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

3) If there was a third ordinance it would be that of being a servant as demonstrated when our Lord Jesus washed the feet of the disciples.

We are never to reach a point in in our saved life that we are not willing to take on the lowest act of a servant!

***The teaching of the Apostle Paul differed from those who were called Judaizers.

The truth of the "Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ" is this.

Each individual can only be saved by Jesus Christ and He alone!

We can only be saved by the "Grace of God"!

There is not one person who will ever enter into Heaven who has won, or earned, or merited salvation by something they have done themselves!

Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Rom 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
Rom 3:12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Of course, the Apostle Paul was charged with deceit by these Judaizers and these Galatians were told that Paul was not even an actual Apostle.

We know that there can be no more actual apostles because an apostle had to meet certain qualifications that cannot be met today.

The term Apostle means "one sent forth".

To be an Apostle meant each man was hand selected by Jesus Christ and was sent forth to preach the "Gospel of Jesus Christ"!

Act 1:21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
Act 1:22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.

The Apostle Peter led this group of the originals, only eleven after the treasonous act and death of Judas Iscariot, to select a twelfth Apostle.

We know that Mathias was chosen and no doubt a good man who also spent a great deal of time with Jesus and was a witness of the resurrection of Our Lord.

Act 1:26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

Matthias was not chosen by the Lord to be an Apostle even though he was a good disciple.

The Lord Jesus knew that Judas Iscariot would not be sent to preach the Gospel!

Joh 6:70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?

Judas has fulfilled his purpose and was even offered a chance to repent but just would not do so.

Act 1:25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.

The Lord Jesus chose and sent the Apostle Paul.

Act 9:15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
Act 9:16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.

**Paul had written many of his Epistles to specific cities and specific Churches but Paul writes this Epistle to all the Christians of Galatia.

Galatia was an area, not a nation and not a city.

Galatia was originally settled by the Gauls.

The Gauls were not Arabians but Gentile descendants of Japheth, a son of Noah.

The area settled by the Gauls was expanded in the time of the Roman domination and much of Galatia became a Roman providence.

These Galatians were an emotional, impulsive, and a changeable people and are much the same even today.

They had a love for the strange, the curious, and the unknown.

They were easily attached to religions that were mainly a worship of nature and these type still exist today.

They were easily caught up in Greek and Roman mythology.

Many of them found it possible to worship as Paul and the Word of God taught them one day and then stone the Apostle Paul the next day in confusion.

From the Book of Acts, the accounts of the Apostles, we can learn that Paul preached and established many of these churches on his first and his third missionary journey's.

Paul was forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach in Galatia on his second mission trip.

Act 16:6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,
Act 16:7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.

Just as every new Christian is, these churches were spiritually immature and easily swayed by false doctrine.

The reason for the Book of Galatians was to deal with the basic doctrine of Christianity.

The Doctrine of Christianity is "Salvation By Grace" and Grace alone!

Joh 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

The Book of Galatians takes us into the heart of the "Gospel"!

Salvation means that each of us must receive the "Gospel" by faith!

There is no amount of work nor obedience to any law that can bring salvation!

Legalism in any form can neither save a sinner nor perfect the Saint of God!

What we should realize is, that Paul never taught that the Jews were to abandon the Laws of Moses nor their rituals or their traditions.

BUT, they were taught that these things could not bring salvation!

The Gentiles were taught to never get caught up in the Jewish laws and traditions but being free from these things does not give us the freedom to just toss out the commandments of God!

The entire Old Testament is our School Master for what God has already done!

Cultures and practices are different throughout this world we live in but salvation remains the same to all!

The one main point of the letter to these Galatians was and it is the same today, is that none of us can earn, or win, or do anything for salvation beyond trusting on the Lord Jesus Christ!

That includes Jews, Gentiles, and any other name that people use.

Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Human effort is not spiritual and it is not eternal nor can it ever be!

We will also see that God calls all His ministers but they are not all alike.

The Apostle Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles, but the Apostle Peter was the Apostle to the Jews but they were all to have the same message of "Grace".

Another message we should not miss in our studies is that all Christians around the world are to treat each other as brothers and sisters in the same family of Jehovah God.

We should all be able to sit down with each other and fellowship in peace!

Above all we are to be servants to each other and never reach a point where we place ourselves above others.

Gal 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

The Book of Galatians has been a powerful message throughout the Church Age.

It is the Book of Galatians that brought reformation by Martin Luther and peace to many others.

The truth of the "Gospel" is that we are justified by faith and not by works.

We are saved by "Grace" and we are also kept saved by "Grace"!

So let's begin:

*****Gal 1:1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)

In the days of the New Testament, salutations were at the beginning of the letter instead of at the end as it is in our day.

All the letters Paul wrote to the New Testament Churches had certain words in common but they all also were just a little bit different.

The beginning of this letter to the Galatians began significantly different from all the others.

The Apostleship of Paul had come under question and there are even those that still question it today.

There may have been many so-called apostles throughout church history but there have only been 12 Apostles hand picked and sent out with a specific message by the Lord Jesus Christ.

At the time of Judas Iscariot there were 12 men who were said to be disciples. The command to be sent out came from the Lord after the death of Judas.

In the day of these 12 Apostles the term apostle had another meaning than "one who was sent".

The Jews had an officer called "Shaliach". A "Shaliach" could speak and act with the same authority as the One who sent him!

It was those 12 Apostles that were hand selected by the Lord Jesus Christ who carried with them the authority of the "Shaliach".

It is these 12 who went forth with the authority given to them by the Lord Jesus Christ!

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

The Apostle Paul may not have been in that original group but Paul did meet the qualifications of being an Apostle because he was hand selected by the Lord Jesus on the Damascus Road.

Act 9:15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
Act 9:16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.

Many of these Galatians had began to question the ministry of the Apostle Paul which led to them questioning the message of the Apostle Paul.

Paul says:

1) I am a true Apostle.

2) I am a true minister of God and not of men.

3) I am a true messenger of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We should be very clear, these Galatians had the right reasons. All those that preach and teach a "Gospel" other than that of the Lord Jesus Christ need to be run out of the Church and their ministry destroyed.

But at this time it was Paul who taught the truth of the Scriptures!

It had been Paul himself who tried to destroy the early church but that was not possible then nor is it now!

Paul certainly had not been sent by the home church at Jerusalem when he began his ministry.

Paul's ministry did not include the rituals and traditions of the home church at Jerusalem.

Paul preached a different message than the home church in Jerusalem.

But the Apostle Paul stood his ground because he preached the entire truth of God!

In all these things Paul did not even try to argue with those that criticized him.

And Paul said, I serve the Living God, the One whom God had raise from the dead!

There is no religion that can teach with these same words.

We must understand the message of salvation we receive is from the Living God, the Lord Jesus Christ!

It is our resurrected Savior who only can bring salvation to "all" that call on His name.

Rom 4:25 Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification.

The Lord Jesus paid the price of our sin, "the wages of death" with His own blood.

But it is our resurrected Savior who justifies all His believers!

It is the brethren, the believers who should understand this truth!

*****Gal 1:2 And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:

There had been many who traveled with Paul on his missionary journeys. To begin with there was Barnabas and John Mark but it was the Holy Spirit that had directed the work of Paul.

Act 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

We also know of Timothy and Titus among many others including Luke.

Which of these Paul was referring to at this time we may not know but that was not important. The importance came from the fact that everyone who was traveling with the Apostle Paul agreed with everything that Paul was writing in this Epistle to the Galatians.

Paul's group was in one accord and these Galatians were in a state of confusion because they had been led astray by false teaching.

Paul called them brethren because they were much more than friends. They were brothers who served the same Lord and believed the same doctrine, the Doctrine of Grace.

We should then notice that this Epistle was not just written to one church but all the churches of Galatia.

Among those would have been Antioch of Pisidia, Lystra, Iconium, Derbe and probably others.

The Apostle Paul had come under attack from all the churches that he had established.

We can see that Satan hates it when the "Gospel of Grace" is preached and then believed.

Here at Gethsemane we have a Pastor who preaches the entire truth of the Word of God, and we cannot call ourselves brethren if we do not stand with him.

It is those who would twist the truth of the Word of God who should be avoided at all cost!

True brothers in Christ will always come to the aid of each other!

Paul knew the doctrine in question so Paul begins with the word "Grace".

Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

*****Gal 1:3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

**What is Grace? Grace is the undeserved favor of God! Undeserved means it cost you nothing!

If you had to work for the favor of God then you would be trying to pay a debt that you never had the ability to pay!

Rom 4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
Rom 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

We simply do not deserve God's favor!

We absolutely cannot win God's approval!

God is too high and man is too low to deserve anything from our Holy God!

The only thing any human being has ever earned is the judgment, condemnation, and punishment of God!

Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Rom 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

**What is peace with God? Peace is to be intertwined and joined in a personal relationship with God and with all others that trust in the same "Grace".

Peace is being secured in the loving hands of God!

This peace can only come by the Lord Jesus Christ!

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Jesus said to know Me is to know peace!

Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Paul wrote to the Philippians with these words.

Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

A great lesson to learn here is, that though we can never loose our salvation, we can fall out of the "Grace" of God as a church group and as an individual and when that happens we will not be at peace in this world we live in nor with the God we serve.

Proof:

Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

We must guard against falling from "Grace"!

We must guard against trusting in our own works to be saved and our own works to keep us saved because we can do neither one!

So what has Jesus actually done for us?

*****Gal 1:4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

This verse gives us a brief summary of the "Gospel", the "Good News" of our Savior.

Jesus Christ gave Himself for our sins because He knew we were unable to do so!

Jesus Christ died as our substitute.

Jesus Christ took my place and your place in order to pay our wages of death!

Jesus Christ gave His life, no one took His life, nor could they have taken His life!

Jesus Christ offered Himself to a Holy God as a sacrifice for our sin because only He was the sinless Son of God and able to do so!

And for what purpose did the Lord Jesus do this for us?

That He might deliver us from this present evil world!

We must realize the Son of God did this in unison with His Father!

Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

But it was the Son, not the Father, who has made us citizens of Heaven and no longer a part of this world!

Php 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

This was the only point of the death of our Savior on Calvary's cross!

To be delivered means to be "rescued" now while we are still living in this flesh!

To be delivered means to be "plucked out" which will take place at the "Rapture of the Church".

To be delivered means to have abundant life now and eternal life now and forever!

Again Jesus said:

Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Why did Jesus do these things? Because it was the will of God, His Father!

1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

This was God's method of adoption then and is the same way now!

Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

And once saved and adopted into the family of God we all need to praise and glorify God!

*****Gal 1:5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

It is now and it has been true from the beginning, it is Jesus Christ who is the glory of the Church!

It is now and it has been true from the beginning, that God the Father who by His own purpose and His own will offered up His only begotten Son, "By His Grace" so that we could be delivered from this present evil world.

Isa 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.

All those that discount the "Grace of God" are foolish people, who ignore the truth of God and cling to a world that will one day no longer exist!

We need to praise God continuously for what He has done and we need to make ourselves familiar with the work of Jesus Christ our Lord!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Help Comes From On High

Praise God For His Help

Psalm 146


A wise man once wrote "it is a blessing to know that I am on the Lord's side but it is an even greater blessing to know that the Lord is on my side".

The Apostle Paul wrote:

Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not "with him" also freely give us all things?

The more we know about the ways of our God, the less we have to worry about our future!

In the time of the Apostle Paul there were many mysteries of the "Gospel" but there are no mysteries of salvation today.

God has made salvation a simple thing!

We absolutely cannot allow false teaching and even more false religions to confuse the simplicity of the plan of God.

Satan has tried to do this throughout history but when God sent His Son, salvation became a simple thing.

2Co 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Help came from on High!

God did not save us and then just go off and leave us.

Until we reach our heavenly home God will help us.

We need to praise God for all His help!

*****Psa 146:1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.
Psa 146:2 While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.

The Bible is the best commentary of itself and the Bible says that "Praise" is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to the Lord.

"Heb 13:15 "By him" therefore "let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God" continually, "that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name."

Our praise to God must be "by Him", the Lord Jesus Christ our Mediator.

Our praise to God is the only thing we can offer here on Earth that will continue when we get to Heaven, so while we are still living we need to be continually praising the Lord!

Continually means without pausing.

Continually means without ceasing.

It is God who creates the fruit of our lips:

Isa 57:19 I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.

God creates peace, reconciliation and pardon by His "Grace".

It is from these things that "Fruit" will burst forth from our lips.

It is also these same things that will be our greatest help from others in this world until we get home.

Pro 12:14 A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth: and the recompence of a man's hands shall be rendered unto him.

Praising the Lord will take our mind off our problems and our own shortcomings and we can just give them to God!

Our praise will lead us to others who also offer praise to the Lord.

Praise will cause us to appreciate all the things that God has done for us already.

Praise takes our focus off this world so we can focus on heavenly things.

Praise will prepare our hearts to receive the love of God, the power of the Holy Spirit, through the salvation plan given to us by the Lord Jesus Christ.

How can we not praise the Lord the rest of our days here on Earth?

How can we not praise the Lord for His help because we cannot trust this world we live in to be much help to us?

*****Psa 146:3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.

It is probable that this Psalm was also written by King David and what does this king say?

David was king and the head of what in history has proved to have been be a good government but David says we cannot place our trust in the rulers of government nor the people that live in this world.

Even in America, so many have been raised up to depend on the government and our leaders who have caused this to happen, take political advantage of them and keep them dependent and even their children, who grow up not encouraged to do better for themselves.

Not only that, but our government insist on allowing and even encouraging strangers to come into America, not those seeking to be a benefit, but those who will seek to be dependent on the government all their days and the days of their children.

This is a government seeking to be in control of it's people and not a government that serves it's people.

We absolutely cannot trust these leaders, these princes!

Psa 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
Psa 118:9 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.

Mankind will never evolve to a point where it can provide salvation to all the people.

This is the theory of evolution at work.

We are not evolving we are in fact d-volving!

2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

The gap between those that do right and those that do wrong is ever widening!

All those that have made a life of deceiving others and have reaped the benefits of that life to a point that they cannot or they refuse to recover themselves from that life and encourage others into the same errors.

These are those that will reach God's deadline while they yet live!

2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

There is no real help that can come from these princes in this life and no help at all in our future life!

Those that trust in man will suffer the curse of God.

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.

It is those that trust in the Lord who will receive the blessings of God!

Jer 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.

Even if you could find the best man on this Earth, he would still be just a man!

*****Psa 146:4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

There are some very important things that we must realize before we die.

Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

There has never been a time of evolution of mankind!

God made man from the elements of this Earth and then God breathed into man the spirit of life.

These things take place at conception and each individual becomes a living soul!

Each and everyone that comes into this world will exit this world the very day God has written down on His calender!

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

There are things we can do to extend our days but God still knows the exact day of our death and He has been preparing us for that day all the days that we live.

When that day comes certain things happen:

Ecc 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

That body will return to the elements it was made from and that spirit of life will return to the God who gave it!

This is the history of mankind but not of animal kingdom:

Ecc 3:21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

Evolution has never been a part of mankind nor that of animal life!

Job 27:3 All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;

All these things have taken place just so the soul of each human has the opportunity to decide it's fate.

Because on the day of death all our thoughts, all those things we wanted to accomplish in this life will end!

It is that eternal living soul that will live on, either in Heaven with God the owner of that soul or in the Hell and the Burning Lake of Fire that was prepared for Satan and those that place there trust in him!

We can know as we were known:

1Co 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Or we can suffer in Hell wishing we had done differently:

Luk 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Who are those that rejoice? Those that have a personal relationship with their Creator!

*****Psa 146:5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:
Psa 146:6 Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:

The only way of true happiness is to rely on the same God that Jacob did!

Other humans cannot bring us to this point of happiness even that one we love the most.

There is not one powerful man on this Earth that can provide what we need for true happiness.

Our happiness can only come from the God that helps us.

Our happiness can only come from our Creator!

The God of Jacob is God's covenant name in Christ Jesus.

Luk 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Luk 4:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Our source of true happiness can come only by the Lord Jesus Christ!

Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Col 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

It is the Lord Jesus who is happy to help us in our present life but also our only hope for the future of the eternal living soul!

Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

God will always be true to His nature.

God will always be true to His promises.

God will always be true to His Word.

God will always be true to His personal relationship with each of us.

Because God will always be true to His Son!

And on a sad note to those that reject God's Son, God will also, always be true in His "Judgment"!

*****Psa 146:7 Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners:

Since the time of Adam, the Bible states that "Mankind", was created to be responsible for his own actions.

God judged Adam for his sin but before this took place, God had already judged Lucifer and the fallen angels.

2Pe 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

God judged the people of this Earth in the time of Noah.

God judged the people at the Tower of Babel.

God judged the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

God judged the Southern Kingdom of Israel.

God judged the early Church, remember Ananias and Sapphira.

And God will judge the people of this present age!

Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Why has God always done this?

Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

All people no matter who they are will come under the judgment of God.

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, "but after this the judgment":

All those that surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ will be immediately judged and justified but the Bible tells us of two more judgments.

1) There is the "Judgment Seat of Christ".

The Bible says:

2Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

The is the judgment of the believer.

This not a judgment for salvation.

Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

This is a judgment for what each believer has accomplished since being in the family of God.

1Co 3:13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

2) There is the "White Throne Judgment".

This is the judgment of the unbeliever.

Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

We have a righteous Judge who will see that the oppressed will be vindicated.

Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

The Lord does much more than just bring justice to this world.

All food comes from God!

All those that are oppressed and all those that are starving can also find help from our merciful God!

God would not say this if it were not true, they need to call on His name.

There is no one that has reached so low in this life that they are out of the reach of the loving arms of Jehovah God!

There are also many who live today who are bound not only by chains, but also by disease, also by unsound and unhealthy bodies, who are weak and feeble and the Lord can also break the chains of these miseries.

Joh 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

But there are even more things that Jehovah God will do!

*****Psa 146:8 The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:

Blindness in the Bible is portrayed as those who are morally and spiritually ignorant of the truth of God!

Isa 59:9 Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.
Isa 59:10 We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.

But only Jehovah God can not only open the eyes of the spiritually blind, He can also open the eyes of those who are physically blind. Those that are born blind and those that become blind by accident.

There is no case of blindness that cannot be overcome by the Lord!

It is also the Lord God Almighty who can raise us up from our lowest point of depression.

So many of our young people are taking their own lives today because they do not see another way out of this depressed world.

There are evil men who take advantage of those young minds and convince them of a false path to Heaven but the only sure path and out of all misery is the Lord Jesus Christ!

Php 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Php 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Who are God's favorite people? Those that do things the right way!

The righteous are only those that are obedient to the Word of God!

There is only one commandment that has fit this world we live in from the time of Adam until the Lord takes us all home to be with Him!

Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecc 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

*****Psa 146:9 The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.

There are too many people in this world who feel like they have been abandoned by mankind. These are not just the oppressed who slip over our national borders but even some here in America who are truly trying to escape oppression and depression.

There are many who come for the right reasons and many who come for the wrong reasons.

Even Jesus turned away those that just wanted a handout!

Joh 6:26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

To seek God just to get our wants supplied is selfishness and gross sin!

To seek any nation only to have your needs supplied is wrong.

A government that provides needs just to make it's people more dependent on those needs is also evil!

God is interested in that stranger who is seeking a better life.

God does not forbid us to seek happiness but we are to seek it in the proper way. That way begins with seeking the Lord!

It is to the true stranger that God will send the Holy Ghost along with God's people bringing the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ.

It is also the fatherless who can find the true Father in Heaven.

It is the widow who can find the true Bridegroom.

Jehovah God is the only true Friend to all those who have no earthly protector!

Jas 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

There is no one who still lives that cannot have a Friend in Heaven if they truly seek the Lord!

Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Joh 15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
Joh 15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

It is Jehovah, the true God that will reign forever!

*****Psa 146:10 The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD.

When the Lord Jesus Christ returns to this Earth, He will establish Himself as King in Jerusalem!

Luk 1:32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
Luk 1:33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

It is the covenants that God has made that will insure that there will be a literal and physical return of Christ Jesus to establish His Kingdom.

The Jews will be gathered:

Mat 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The Jews will be converted:

Zec 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

There will then be a time of peace that this world has never known since the time of Adam:

Mic 4:2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Mic 4:3 And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Mic 4:4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.

Only believers will enter into this Kingdom:

Psa 24:3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?
Psa 24:4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

Jesus Christ will rule as King:

Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isa 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

And King David will be Christ's Regent:

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:

And Jerusalem will then be the center of the world:

Zec 8:3 Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain.

This Kingdom on Earth will last for 1000 years but King Jesus will reign forever!

This Kingdom on Earth will end because the Heaven and the Earth will be judged because they were the domain of Satan's rebellion against God!

2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

The eternal state of the Redeemed will then begin:

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.

God does not leave any doubt of His future plans.

It is our generation that now have the duty of giving this message to this lost world!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Praise God For His Compassion

Praise God For His Compassion

Psalm 145


In the Bible we can see compassion in words such as "pity", "mercy", "love", and some others.

Compassion is a loving feeling for others and is best exhibited by the things that God has done for all people.

Lam 3:22 It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
Lam 3:23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

It is this attribute of God that we fail to learn the most.

The compassion of our God can be seen in every book of the Bible and compassion is also required of each of us!

Mic 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

In this verse it lists three things that are required of each of us that know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior.

1) We are to do justly. We are to walk according to the truth of God.

We are to be honest, be fair in our dealings with others, and have integrity.

2) We are to love mercy. As the Lord has been merciful to each of us we are to also be merciful to others.

We are to have compassion not only on all our brothers and sisters in Christ, but we are to have compassion on all other human beings.

3) We are to walk humbly with our God.

We are to live in obedience to the Word of God and have a personal relationship with Him.

We will never walk with God without a firm belief in the "Gospel" of the Lord Jesus Christ!

We are to live, act, and behave according to the entire written Word of God, rightly divided!

Why? Because this is the thing that God has done!

Eph 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Let's Begin:

*****Psa 145:1 David's Psalm of praise. I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.
Psa 145:2 Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.

We see that it was King David that wrote this Psalm or maybe this was King David's favorite Psalm of praise or both.

David was king of Israel at this time and Israel was therefore ruled by David's government.

What we see is that David was not praising his own government but he was praising the fact that we are all to be under the government of the true King. That would be King Jesus!

This is where the governments of this world fail!

To "extol" is to exalt and to magnify.

David wrote these words in another Psalm:

Psa 68:4 Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.

David was king of Israel but his personal King was Jehovah!

We may live under the rule of man-made governments but if we do not acknowledge the absolute government of Jehovah God and be devoted to His rule, then we will fail in this life.

All governments that do not acknowledge the true God of this universe are failing governments.

The government of God refers to the "Providence of God"!

It is Jehovah God who provides the needs of this entire world at His own will(discretion) and is continuously preparing this world according to His own use.

Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

To bless God is to praise God with a personal relationship with Him.

That word "forever" means our relationship with God can never end and when we add "and ever" it means we have made a covenant with our own selves just as God made a covenant with Himself.

So whatever happens on any day or whatever our circumstances, it should be our goal to be a blessing to the Lord!

In other words it should be our goal to bless the Lord eveyday and every hour of each day, because these are the days the Lord has given to us.

And for those that reject the idea of praise we should keep in mind, praising the Lord is the one thing we can do now after we are saved, that we will continue to do when we get to Heaven.

There will be no need of prayer in Heaven, we will be in the presence of God.

There will be no need of hope in Heaven, our hopes will be fulfilled.

There will be no need of "faith" in Heaven, because we will have made it home.

But there will be a continuous want to praise in Heaven!

*****Psa 145:3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.
Psa 145:4 One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.

We already know we have a great big God who is great in all His power and in all His ways!

The ways of God are past finding out by any man!

We should also know then that we should have great praise for our great God!

Praise is not praise unless it comes from the heart and great praise can only come from a fervent heart!

No matter what this secular world says, it is only the wonderful message of God's work, God's creation, and God's deliverance, that has been declared from the time of Adam and Eve.

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.
Isa 38:19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.

The truth of God has been passed down since the beginning of time and it is now our job to continue to do so.

It is only the living that can praise God!

It is only the living who can pass the Word of God from one generation to another!

I only began living when I was "Born Again" into the family of God!

*****Psa 145:5 I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.
Psa 145:6 And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.
Psa 145:7 They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.

Remember David was King of Israel but David was speaking of the honor and majesty of our God and our King.

We must feel the same. Even though all generations are to praise the Lord and speak of His ways, in our day we should be at the head of the line and jumping at the chance to declare the wondrous works of God.

Like David we will also find it hard to find the right words to describe the majesty of the Lord.

How can we describe the "One" that died for our sins, He had none of His own?

How can we describe the "One" that rose from the grave on the third day because He is not bound by death?

How can we describe our "Mediator" between us and a Holy God?

How can we describe the "One" who sent His own Spirit to abide in each believer?

How can we describe the "One" who has placed His own Church in the midst of this world to tell about His wondrous works until He returns to take us all home?

What we should be asking is, "how can we be so silent" in not speaking of the majesty of our Lord?

We can be sure if anything bad happens in this world or in the lives of certain people they will immediately blame the Lord for their misfortune.

The world will call all bad things an "act of God".

Even insurance companies write this phrase into their policies.

Horrible news will always spread faster than the Word of God.

As the Church we must tell of the wonderful works of God, because God does not do bad things.

The world may talk about the bad things because they are to blind to see the wonder of the God of salvation!

2Co 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Those that do not know the Savior can only speak of what this world has done for them but at some point they will always look back and say, "the world has not done very much".

Those that come to know the Lord as Savior and Redeemer will speak of the great goodness of the Lord all the days they have come to know true life.

Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles wrote:

Php 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Php 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

How can we not sing of the righteousness of God?

How can we not understand the "Grace of God"?

*****Psa 145:8 The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
Psa 145:9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.
Psa 145:10 All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee.

What is the nature of our Savior?

If we refer back to the time of Moses we find that Moses made a certain request of the Lord.

Exo 33:18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.

God told Moses no human could see the glory of God and live.

Exo 33:20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

But God said to Moses, I can show you my "Goodness" by my "Grace".

Exo 33:19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.

What was shown to Moses?

Exo 34:6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
Exo 34:7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

King David had finally realized these same things that Moses had seen.

If you surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ, you will come to know these very same things!

God has much more "Grace" than He has "wrath"!

Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Lord is good to all His creation and even Satan could not deny this!

Job 1:9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
Job 1:10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

God is good to all mankind!

Mat 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Kindness is the law of God's providence.

God created our world so that we might live in happiness.

God may have cursed this world after the sin of Adam but God also provided a cure for that curse.

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

Our Creator is always delicate with His creations.

Our Provider is always willing to display His kindness.

Our Savior is always ready to forgive!

God does not create disease.

God does not ever promote misery.

God hates pain as much as we do.

God is life and the giver of eternal life because God hates death.

Those that end up in Hell will be there because they chose to be there!

The saints of God already know these things and that is why we can bless the Lord.

Remember we bless the Lord when we have a close and personal relationship with His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ!

How can we not speak of the glory of our God?

*****Psa 145:11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;
Psa 145:12 To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.

This is the job we have to do after we have accepted the truth of God!

To the Church, we know that this would be the Second Coming of Christ, the Messiah.

To the Jew, this will be the most important time in their existence, the coming of the Messiah!

Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isa 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

The theme of the Old Testament is this fact that this kingdom will be established on this Earth by the Messiah, a Son of David, as written in the Davidic Covenant!

2Sa 7:12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
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.

That Child to be born was the Lord Jesus Christ in His humanity, 100% Human.

That Son to be given was the Lord Jesus Christ in His deity, 100% God!

Immanuel means God with us:

Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

The suffering Messiah and the reigning Messiah are One and the Same, the Almighty Living God!

The suffering Messiah:

Isa 53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

The reigning Messiah:

Isa 52:13 Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.

We are to speak of the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ and included in that message we are to teach of the Second Coming of Christ.

This will be an everlasting kingdom!

*****Psa 145:13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.

When David realized all these things it brought him closer to God.

When we realize the truth of the "Gospel" it will draw us closer to the truth of God and it will also bring us peace in this life.

God has governed His creation since it's beginning and many of this world will get a full view it's Creator on this Earth for 1000 years.

But only those that have accepted the truth of God will be a part of God's everlasting kingdom which will not be on this Earth, at least as we know it now.

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 21:27 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.

Everyone will get the opportunity to live in the city of God!

This Messiah, who will reign with all authority, will also come down off that throne to personally hold up all those that fall.

*****Psa 145:14 The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.

All those who look to the Lord for help "with faith" will be raised up to be with the Lord.

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

God is always willing to lift those up that call upon His name, while they yet live!

*****Psa 145:15 The eyes of "all" wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
Psa 145:16 Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
Psa 145:17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

All those that fall.

All those that are bowed down because of their burdens.

All those that wait upon the Lord.

As children who look to our earthly fathers in a time of need, so should we "all" look to the Lord who is not only our Creator but who is also our Provider!

God will open up His hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing!

Psa 107:9 For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

It is only the Lord Jesus Christ who is the source of true satisfaction!

The creature can only find satisfaction in the Creator!

Whether we understand it or not, whatever God does is always the right thing to do!

Psa 33:4 For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.

God said it was the right thing for Him to do to bring tribulation to all those that rejected His Church!

2Th 1:6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

BUT, God's justice will always be in harmony with God's "Mercy"!

Psa 85:10 Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Psa 85:11 Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

In God's government, promises made are always promises that are kept!

God is always closest to those that love Him!

*****Psa 145:18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, "to all that call upon him in truth".

What is the facts of God's Word?

God will never leave praying men and women, who truly confess the Lord Jesus Christ, to battle this world alone!

Psa 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

God is always "very present" in our times of trouble.

Formal prayers and false professions of sin will never bring anyone into communion with the Lord!

We must remember there are some things that God hates.

Pro 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
Pro 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
Pro 6:18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
Pro 6:19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

Jesus said that He was the truth and God expects us to come to Him in truth.

It is only these that know the truth and confess the truth that God will answer!

*****Psa 145:19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.

What is the will of God?

1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

How does the will of God fit into our prayer life?

1Jn 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
1Jn 5:15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

God will fulfill the desire of all those that respect and esteem His name and His Word!

We must remember, It is God who listens and it is God who will send salvation.

God has never trusted these things to any part of His creation.

It is God who came Himself to save us and it is that same personal God who will hear us and who will deliver us from all our troubles!

Why? Because we serve a compassionate and loving God!

*****Psa 145:20 The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.

To preserve means God will save all of His children from death and destruction but notice it is only those that love Him.

Heaven and Hell are both eternal realities!

There are two ways to travel in this world!

1) There is the humanistic approach that says that all religious beliefs must pass the test of human reasoning and the findings of science. Therefore if Christianity that does not adapt to the modern world then it must not exist.

They insist that the Bible is not infallible and it is only a record of the experiences of others.

The Bible disputes this line of thinking:

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

2) Then there is the right way.

Jer 6:16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.

Salvation came to the Church by the "Apostles Doctrine".

Act 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
Act 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

We must continue steadfast in the Apostles Doctrine in order for the Church to continue to grow!

There is only one pathway to Heaven!

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, "I am the way", the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

ALL other paths lead to Hell!

This is why the world hates the Lord Jesus Christ and reject His truth!

*****Psa 145:21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and "let all flesh bless his holy name for ever" and ever.

King David said it does not matter what all others are going to do but with my mouth I will speak praise to the Lord.

David said, I'm doing it now and I will do it forever.

It does not matter from what background we come from!

Every race, every sinner, and from every generation, young and old, we need to unite behind the Word of God and glorify the only Savior of our world.

We should be doing this same thing that King David said.

We need to praise the Lord!

We need to praise Him now and we need to praise Him forever and ever!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Praising God For His Attributes

Praise God For His Attributes

Psalm 139


An attribute can be said as something that belongs to someone.

The attributes of God are things that belong to Him and Him only!

Let's look at a few things we can attribute to God that only He has.

**1) God is spirit.

This does not mean that God is "a spirit"!

God does not have a physical form but "as spirit" God is everywhere. God cannot be limited.

God has substance but not in the material forms that we understand.

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

God is Spirit, just as God is Light and just as God is Love!

God does not have a physical form and it is sinful to make any likeness of Him.

Exo 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

This attribute is best described as the Omnipresence of God!

None of God's created creatures possess this attribute and that includes Satan.

**2) God is self-existent.

Exo 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

God is independent of any part of His creation.

Joh 5:26 "For as the Father hath life in himself"; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

Everything that lives is dependant on something or someone to exist and have life, but God is independent of such things.

**3) God is immutable which means God is perfect.

God is devoid of any and all change.

Mal 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not;

Jas 1:17 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".

This is why the love of God and the promises of God are all certain!

**4) God is "One" God!

The essence of God cannot be divided!

The Lord alone is God, He is not a composite and cannot be divided into parts.

Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

God is "One" in essence but God is "Three" in respect to persons!

God has 3 substances with each substance having the same essence of God, and each having the same fullness of God!

God merely makes Himself known in 3 different ways.

Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

In this passage we have the Lord Jesus Christ speaking of the Holy Spirit, and the Father.

All three in total unity!

All 3 having the same authority!

Joh 5:21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
Joh 5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
Joh 5:23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

Mat 12:31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

Look at the prophecy of the Messiah in the Book of Isaiah:

Isa 48:16 Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, "there am I": and now "the Lord GOD", and "his Spirit", hath sent "me".

We are all to be baptized in the name of the "One" God but also in all His essence!

Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

**5) God is TRUTH!

We can only see things as they really are by looking at our world through the Holy Ghost Inspired Word of God!

Rom 3:3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
Rom 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

**6) God is Love!

God's love is not some emotional impulse. God's love is rational and is the voluntary affection from our Creator!

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.

**7) God is Holy.

Holy means set apart. God is totally set apart from all His creation.

God is the moral and ethical standard for all His creation.

Isa 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.

God expects us to exert every effort to be as holy as He is!

There are so many others.

God is eternal.
God is immense.
God is great in all ways.

**8) God is omniscient. God knows all things.

God knows all things that exist.
God knows all the variables of things that exist and all things that have not yet occurred.
God knows all future events.
God knows all these things at the same time.

God's knowledge is immediate, simultaneous, actual, complete and is according to reality.

**9) God is omnipotent. God is all powerful!

God's power cannot be overcome by any part of His creation!

God is full of mercy.
God is full of grace.
God is just and the justifier of all His creation.

Psalms 139 will tell us much about our God so let's begin.

*****Psa 139:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.

We see we have another Psalm of David that is given to the chief Musician.

It can be said that the true Chief Musician is our Lord Jesus Christ.

There are things that we know about our own selves that we would never tell to anyone, even the ones we love and trust the most but there is absolutely nothing that can be kept hidden from God.

If we accept this one thing then our conversations with God can be open and real!

No pretended god can know anything about us but the God of truth can understand all our ways because He knows everything that can be known about each of us and He understands our thoughts because He has searched us.

God has given us His Word so we are then able to also know about Him.

It should be very clear from this passage that God has known us even before we were ever born and one of the attributes of God is that God can never forget anything that He knows.

Remember God does not forget our sin, God chooses to not remember our sin against us.

We are pardoned as if that sin never existed!

God said this to Jeremiah:

Jer 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

God had plans for Jeremiah before he was born and God has a plan for each of us even before we ever exist.

*****Psa 139:2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

You see God has personal knowledge of each of us. God sees every move we make. God sees us when we are sitting quietly and God notices us when we stand back up while knowing every thought that makes us do the things we do.

God even knows the thoughts we think even before we ever think them!

God may seem to be far off but He is never very far from those He loves!

It is important for us to realize just how much God knows about each of us.

God has personal knowledge because God wants us all to have a very personal relationship with Him!

*****Psa 139:3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

When I was in Vietnam we would occasionally surround a village for several days and we would keep a close eye on everyone and everything that went on in that village.

The Vietcong had such a fear-hold on many villages that by observing we could sometimes tell if that village was helping the enemy.

The presence of God always has us surrounded and God is observing our every move and God is very acquainted with all our ways.

God may be just observing our reaction to the things that our enemy, the Devil is causing to happen.

We must remember these words:

1Co 10:13 There hath 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.

If God were not acquainted with all our ways, He could not be ready to provide that means of escape from our enemy!

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

God knows every word I will speak before I even speak them.

That's the reason God cautions us to think about what we are about to say, before we speak them.

Sometimes when we speak, what we say can be misinterpreted, but God always knows the true meaning of what we say.

God even knows the reason behind the words we are about to say. God is never surprise at what comes out of our mouths!

For this reason we need to include in our prayers that God will guide the things we say.

Psa 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Our words begin in our heart, so when our hearts are right with God, it will also show up in the words that come out of our mouths.

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

God knows the past, the present, and the future and He knows all these things at the same time because God is not bound by the restraints of time.

Behind us God has recorded our sins.

Upon the acceptance of Jesus Christ, "by Grace", God has blotted out His remembrance of those sins.

And before us, when God has us within His loving hands, God is recording our deeds so He can give us the proper reward.

What did David say about all these things?

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

It is a foolish thing for us to think we will ever grasp the enormous power of our God!

Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

How very precious was the day that our Lord Jesus was crucified and the veil of the Temple was rent into, just so we can have access "at any time" into the throne room of our Father in Heaven!

Until we get to Heaven we will never understand why our Creator would even want to be so close to sinners such as we are!

The theme of these first 6 passages has been the Omniscience of God.

Now we will spend some time seeing the Omnipresence of God.

*****Psa 139:7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
Psa 139:8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
Psa 139:9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Psa 139:10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

What is the truth of the omnipresence of the Lord? There is no one on this earth that can escape the observation of the Almighty God and this includes Satan, the Devil!

God is present everywhere!

Jer 23:24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.

God is very near to us at all times!

We do not have to wait until the White Throne of judgement because we can be judged now, while we are living.

We do not have to wait until we get to Heaven for safety, God has surrounded us by His Heavenly host and they will guard us against the evils of Satan!

We do not have to wait for God's inspiration, God is close enough that we can ask for His wisdom on a personal level!

We do not have to wait till we get to Heaven to go before God, God is available to us at any moment of the day!

God dwells in the hearts of those that love Him and God is as close as a silent thought!

If God could be limited by any distance or by any means then God could not be perfect in His divine being!

When we ascend to Heaven either by death or by Rapture, we will find God sitting on His throne.

If we have chosen the wrong path and end up in Hell, we will find that, part of the torment, is that though the Lord is near, we will never find His comfort.

Those that strap on bombs to kill God's people see this truth immediately at their death as they join all those others that have rejected the truth!

Though we travel in a mighty space ship, we can never go beyond the reach of God's presence!

Though we seek the depth's of the uncharted seas to escape, we will find the Lord is already there and even in that place we can know the salvation of the Lord.

Heb 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

There is no darkness that can escape the Shekinah Glory of God!

*****Psa 139:11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
Psa 139:12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

By definition darkness is the absence of light.

Spiritual darkness is chaos, a world without the presence of God.

Darkness is also the curse of Hell the outer darkness of the Bible!

Mat 8:12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Darkness in truth is far away from the "Grace" of God but is also being in the midst of the "Ultimate Wrath" of God!

Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

In this life, darkness may be our oppressor and our enemy, but darkness can never shut me out from the presence of my God.

Evil is said to dwell in darkness but it is impossible for anything to be hidden from the sight of God!

To the Lord, darkness is just another part of the day that He created back in the Book of Genesis.

Job 22:13 And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?
Job 22:14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.
Job 22:15 Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?

There is no evil that can hide from God and there is no darkness where we cannot reach out to Our Savior, while we are still living!

These things relate to the Omnipresence of God.

*****Psa 139:13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.

God does not just dwell in His children:

Joh 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

God does not just just keep a watchful eye on us.

Job 34:21 For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.

God is the possessor of our most secret parts!

That word "reins" actually means the kidneys in the lower part of the back. The Hebrews believed this to be the seat of all our desires and all our longings.

In this verse it probably means the most hidden and vital portion of our true being, the seat of our affections and our passions!

Every new mother today wants to get an ultra sound, to get some picture of their unborn child but the pure truth is that only God knows what we will be be like before we are even born!

Even before we are born we are under the control of God!

Jer 1:5 "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee"; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

*****Psa 139:14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
Psa 139:15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Psa 139:16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

The word "wonderfully" means "differently"!

Each baby that is born is designed to be like other humans.

Gen 1:24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature "after his kind", cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

But, every human being is uniquely different from all others in details!

That word "fearfully" means that every human being from the time of birth will live all his days seeking his Creator because he is born with the knowledge of a Creator.

Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Solomon wrote these words:

Ecc 7:29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; "but they have sought out many inventions".

Our soul knows the truth, it is our flesh that is blinded by Satan!

2Co 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

We exists as flesh and bones in the eyes of other humans, but God's greatest creation is the entire human being!

Not one scientist since the beginning of time has been able to completely explain the miracle of child birth along with the DNA structure and the other things that make humans unique in this world.

In fact most scientist have given up trying to explain the Creation of God and just say the human race just evolved by some accident.

How were we made?

Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

God first made the elements of the earth, and then God formed man from those elements and only after God breathed into man the breath of His life was man a complete human being.

It is from Adam and Eve that our world has been populated by all other humans!

That phrase "substance, yet being unperfect" means the "embryo".

God is watching over each and every embryonic human from the the very moment of conception!

There is no act of evolution going on at any time in the life of the human being from the point of conception till the death of that individual.

There are those that say that embryo may not reach perfection for 9 months but the truth is that from the moment of conception until delivery that embryo it is a human being and has a God given eternal soul!

That word "continuance" means that God over seeing the development of that soul and all the substance of that human all the days of his or her life!

That word "fashioned" has the meaning that each and every embryo is fashioned in the same way as Adam!

When we realize that our entire creation came about by the design of God, it's Creator, we will then begin to understand the thoughts of our God!

1Co 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

*****Psa 139:17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
Psa 139:18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

Anthropology is the science of studying man and is almost in its entirety based on the theory of evolution.

Man can never be understood when we use evolution as the guideline!

Some old scientist such as Isaac Newton, and Kepler and Maxwell understood and bragged on the fact that God knew their thoughts but there not many around today who will actually say this.

It is only God who knows everything about us as mankind and as individuals!

God knows each of us individually!

God thinks on us as individuals!

A thought is an operation of the mind. It should bring us great pleasure in knowing that the thoughts of God are on each one of us all the time.

It should also bring comfort to us knowing that God is not thinking of evil things about us or to do to us!

Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

God simply tells us what will happen if we follow certain paths in our lifetime and God then points out the proper way to avoid all those evil things.

God teaches us His thoughts so we can think more the same way that He does!

Psa 40:5 Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

If God's thoughts of us are innumerable, then we must be on the mind of God continuously!

We know that the main thought of God concerns His love for us and that love will never end!

God may limit His acts of creation and His acts of wrath, but God will never limit the power and thoughts of His love for each of us individually.

We absolutely cannot make God stop loving us!

BUT, we will miss out on God's rewards by not thinking the same way that He does!

If our own thoughts are on the Lord when we go to sleep, then when we awake we will know that God has sustained us through the night or we will wake up in His presence!

No matter where we are we will always be with Him in His thoughts and one day face to face.

These things relate to the Omnipotence of God.

*****Psa 139:19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.
Psa 139:20 For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.
Psa 139:21 Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
Psa 139:22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.

God will always do the right thing!

We can be sure that the crimes we commit before our righteous Judge will not go unpunished!

If God's wrath is stirred because of some evil, we can be sure that God will remove that evil thing from His sight!

What does God expect of us?

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,

Just as God will one day remove Himself from all evil, God expects us to do the same thing during our lifetime!

God has proclaimed the sentence of death to all unbelievers and the sentence of life to all that accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior!

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We can be sure that God will slay all wicked things!

Even though the liberals do not agree the Word of God says what it says!

This evil world will always speak against the Lord Jesus Christ and they would remove His name entirely if they could.

This world is all about going their own way and rejecting the purposes of Christ Jesus.

This world ignores the providence of God.

This world strives to remove the commandments of God.

This world is striving to remove God's people, but if this world will be patient God will do this thing Himself and this world can then come face to face with the God they hate so much!

God teaches us to hate the works of this world but God teaches us not to hate the people themselves.

The Apostle Paul had these same feelings as did David and most of us will also.

Rom 9:1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
Rom 9:2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
Rom 9:3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

The Lord Jesus gave us this command:

Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Mat 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

It is the Lord who will deal with all those that are wicked and evil:

Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Rom 12:20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
Rom 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

It is alright to be angry with those that hate God, but it is only God who knows His creation best!

*****Psa 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
Psa 139:24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Here again is some other things we need to include in our prayers.

We need to be saying:

"Search Me Lord"

"Know My Heart"

"Know My Thoughts"

We cannot lose our salvation. If God is powerful enough to save us then God is certainly powerful enough to keep us saved!

We should not have a problem then asking the Lord to search out any sin, minor or major, that we can repent of "while we are still living".

We should not want any one thing to come between us and our God!

When we are going through something in our lives that we do not understand, we can be sure that God is trying to remove that thing from us, so He can reward us even greater!

Questions?

Let's Pray!