My God is Great

 Book of Psalms Chapter 76

 Praise God for His Greatness

 This Psalm was written by Asaph who was the head musician of the choir established by King David.

 We know that God has a unique relationship with Israel.

 God also has a unique relationship with the Church but not with any other nation than Israel.

 No other nation has a relationship as Israel does with God.

 This is important to know if we want to study the Bible properly.

 God's name is great in Israel because He has proved Himself to be great, the Great One.

So, it is important to know just how powerful is our God.

There is no limit to God’s power!

We can accept the Word of God as the truth when it describes the power of God, but we must know God is far more powerful than these pages show.

The only thing that limits the power of God is His love for humanity, but God also cannot be unrighteous

It is because of His righteousness that He must destroy sin.

*****Psa 76:1 To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song of Asaph. In Judah is God known: his name is great in Israel.

 We may not know what historical event this Psalm refers to, but it will apply to any nation or group that tries to eliminate God's people.

 God is great in Israel and showed Himself great by breaking the power of Assyria and many other nations.

 Isa 37:36 Then the angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

 You see God had made a promise to Israel.

 2Ki 19:32 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it.

2Ki 19:33 By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD.

2Ki 19:34 For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.

2Ki 19:35 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

 God had made a promise to Israel and God does not break His promises.

 God made a promise to the Church, the Body of Christ and He will honor that promise as well.

 It is just after this that Israel gave God a new name:

 That name is Yahweh Shammah which means "The Lord is There".

 God did this to show us all that God will rescue His people in the future from hostile nations who circle Israel which may be happening today.

 Israel has to defend itself from terrorists daily.

 I can just imagine what America would do if a bordering nation began to take daily potshots into our country.

 God will break the power of any nation whose intent is to destroy Israel because "Shammah" is still with Israel.

 God is known in Judah!

 *****Psa 76:2 In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion.

 The word "Salem" means "unharmed" or "at peace" and we are to pray for the peace of Jerusalem because Salem is another name for Jerusalem, the City of Peace.

 It should also remind us of our Savior who is the King of Peace and we know He will one day soon sit as King of Israel and in fact King of this entire world.

 God had told Moses to build a Tabernacle and God made Himself known when the Tabernacle was first completed.

 There was no Tabernacle in Jerusalem until King David had retrieved the Ark of the Covenant.

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

 The true meaning of the word tabernacle is "a house or a dwelling place".

 Job 5:24 And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.

 We just assume that when we see the word tabernacle it is talking about the Tabernacle of the Congregation, but it can mean other things sometimes.

 The word tabernacle can also mean our human body.

 2Co 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

 2Co 5:4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

 And God gave us His Holy Spirit as a guarantee of His truth.

 2Co 5:5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.

 The word Zion can mean some other things but in truth it means the city of Jerusalem.

 It can also mean the City of David.

 Psa 87:5 And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish her.

 The truth of Jerusalem still lies in the future when the Lord Jesus Christ will sit as King in Jerusalem.

 The Church is looking forward to the Heavenly Jerusalem!

 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,

 The war called Armageddon will be settled in Jerusalem.

 *****Psa 76:3 There brake he the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah.

 The Lord Jesus will put an end to war when He sits on the throne of David.

 The war of Armageddon will not be won due to skillful militaries it will be won due to the actions of God.

 God will deprive the enemies of Israel of the effectiveness of all their mighty weapons.

 The Lord will render those weapons useless against God's people!

 As an example, the great Assyrian army lay in siege of Jerusalem and God sent one angel to end that siege.

 With one pass over those one hundred and eighty-five thousand soldiers, they never woke from their sleep and not one arrow was fired into Jerusalem.

 Nothing that army had that day could defend them from that one angel.

 It will be the same in the War called Armageddon.

 Isa_54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

 The Lord is perfect in His Holiness.

 The Lord is also perfect in His power!

 *****Psa 76:4 Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey.

 The powerful armies of Assyria had burned and pillaged many nations until they felt that no nation could stand against them. They had gotten rich off of the things they had plundered from other nations but at Jerusalem, God said no more.

 The glory of the Lord is brighter than our sun!

 2Pe 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

 Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

 No matter how powerful the militaries of this world get, they are no match for the glory of God!

 The mountains of Jerusalem are where God's presence dwells among His people Israel.

 Those who dare to invade His territory in hopes of preying on God's people will quickly become God's prey and He will destroy them.

 The Lord despises such nations that brag of their power such as North Korea, Iran, and some others, who have such little power that the Lord can just display His glory, and they will not exist.

 In the Lord excellence and power become perfection.

 *****Psa 76:5 The stouthearted are spoiled, they have slept their sleep: and none of the men of might have found their hands.

Psa 76:6  At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep. 

 This verse describes what happened to the Assyrian army that had sieged Jerusalem.

 2Ki 19:35 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

 One hundred eighty-five thousand soldiers went to sleep that terrible night and one hundred and eighty five thousand soldiers woke up in Hell, a place they did not believe in.

 Even Sennacherib the commander of this army died at the hands of his own two sons.

 This happened on the day after Isaiah told King Hezekiah that Israel would be delivered from this mighty army.

 My Father when He is angry does not fool around.

 This was the power of one angel. God has an innumerable number of angels but even they cannot match the power God has Himself.

 Psa_147:15 He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly.

 God's rebuke can destroy any political power.

God's rebuke can destroy any military power.

God's rebuke can destroy any power that goes against God's people, and He has already said that day was coming.

 Chariots and horses are examples of the vehicles used by powerful militaries.

 Any time we win a victory over an enemy, we need to recognize God as the source of that victory and offer Him praise!

 Who are our enemies? The world, our flesh, and the devil are all our known enemies, and we can include all the things associated with those things.

 Satan and his forces are far more powerful than we are, but they are no match for God!

 What do we need? The Whole Armor of God

 Eph 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 

Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

 We cannot even overcome our flesh without the help of God!

 Our sinful nature will overwhelm us without the Holy Spirit abiding within us!

 Gal 5:16 This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

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.

 If we walk in the Spirit, we can be conquerors.

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

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

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

 We have no reason to be afraid of what this world can do to us.

*****Psa 76:7 Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?

 The Israelites witnessed the greatness of God more than any other people. Those alive would have a fear of God, but the next generation would move away from the truth of God.

 God alone should indeed be feared!

 God is the only one who can settle wars with His tongue.

 God just speaks and things take place as He speaks.

 God stands ready to destroy all who dare to revolt against Him!

God stands ready to destroy all those who revolt against His purpose!

God stands ready to destroy all who revolt against His people.

 No one can overcome the power of God!

 God is to be feared but God is also to be loved!

 The truth: Only perfect love can cast away fear!

 If you genuinely love the Lord God, then you need have a reverent fear of God, but you need only to know the power of God for He will never use that power to destroy you or against you.

 It is those who hate God who God will destroy!

 God's "judgment" is absolute!

 *****Psa 76:8 Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still,

Psa 76:9 When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah.

 The great Prophet Isaiah had told King Hezekiah that God would show His power:

 2Ki 19:32 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it.

2Ki 19:33 By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD.

2Ki 19:34 For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.

 God was not about to allow the enemies of Israel to destroy them because God had already promised the Messiah to come by way of David's royal descendants.

 God still speaks through His prophets, or today we would say His preachers.

 In the coming "judgment" upon this world God will speak with His voice.

 That voice is called the sword of His mouth.

 Rev 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

 We had better know that from His throne in Heaven God governs this universe.

 One day soon every mouth of all those who remain after the Rapture of the Church will be closed.

 Rom 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: "that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God".

 There are those today who say that a true God would not kill people or allow them to be killed.

 God says: (my words) "all you need do is to repent and acknowledge the truth of God", so they that perish have the opportunity to live forever", but they had defied God and the penalty for defying God, is death.

 God will arise in "judgment" to save the meek and the oppressed on this earth. Those would be all those who claim the Lord is their Savior and the world oppresses them.

 God will arise in "judgement" to stir those people up to praise Him.

 *****Psa 76:10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.

 We should understand that "all" actions and feelings of humanity are under God's control.

 It is soon coming a day that even those who hate God will praise Him!

 God will make sure that all those who oppose Him know exactly what is going to happen to them, if they continue down that road of sin that they travel on.

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

 Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

 All those who seek a new path to Heaven need to realize there is no new path to Heaven.

 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. But they said, We will not walk therein.

 God has shown Himself to be the Victor over wickedness and evilness!

 God does not do evil, but God will utilize those who do, to further His plans for this world.

 Some proof to this can be seen with a certain Pharaoh:

 Exo 9:15 For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth.

Exo 9:16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

 What does God say to all those who oppose Him?

 Isa 33:11 Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, as fire, shall devour you.

 In the end, Israel has been delivered from all those who have threatened them over and over again, yet the world continues to hate Israel and continue to assist the terrorists that are no more than thieves and robbers.

 We may live in a world where there is no fear of God, but it does not mean that the Word of God is not true, and it does not mean that Jehovah God has gotten old and weak.

 Mat 10:26 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.

Mat 10:27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.

Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

 We need to vow our allegiance to the Lord!

 *****Psa 76:11 Vow and pay unto the LORD your God: let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared.

Psa 76:12 He shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth.

 There will be some alive after God's "judgment" during the Tribulation period and before the Lord Jesus restores this earth for one thousand years and what did they see?

 Zep 3:6 I have cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant.

 Until Satan is locked up in Hell for good, he will have allies in this world.

 As Christians, we will have to contend against this world and the Devil, but we are never alone and we will come out as victors.

 We have seen enough answers to prayers to know some of the power of God and we know He is far more powerful than Satan that nasty serpent.

 Every victory we have after our salvation came by the Lord.

 At times, some of us need to rededicate ourselves to the Lord.

 We must not only praise the Lord with our lips we must also praise Him with our service to Him.

 We are not to neglect to always do good out of grateful hearts.

 We must be grateful for God saving our souls from a Devil's Hell, and we can best show that gratefulness buys keeping any vows we have made and praising His Holy Name.

 The greatest victory we can celebrate is the Lord Jesus's victory on that terrible cross because this is our victory also.

 As Jesus sacrifice of "mercy" deserves the greatest sacrifice we can offer, which is the sacrifice of our own lives to Him!

 Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

 It is only then that God will reveal His complete message to us.

 The sweetest words God ever said was "I forgive"! He did not have to!

 There is no greater gift we can give to the Lord, but ourselves!

 God will be terrible to the kings and princes of this earth, and they know it is coming, and they have only one chance to avoid it, but they reject it believing that Satan is their savior.

 Such foolish men and women!

 Amen

The King is Coming

 The Reign of the Messiah

Book of Psalms Chapter 72

 No doubt that Psalm 72 was written about Solomon the son of David but in reality, the Holy Spirit caused it to be written of Israel's last and greatest King, which is the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

 David becomes a prophet in this Psalm.

 What do we know about the reign of the Messiah? It has not happened yet.

 During the early centuries of the Church there were many groups that denied the humanity of Jesus Christ.

 Today, it is in the reverse, the man Jesus is recognized, but there is a denial of His deity.

 People believe that Christ was either a liar, or a lunatic, or He is LORD like He says He is.

 Jesus Christ is God and not simply God-Like!

 Jesus Christ is absolutely equal with God the Father in His person and in His work.

 The Lord Jesus Christ is all that God is, to possess the whole fullness of the attributes which make God, God!

 Any attack on the deity of Jesus Christ is an attack on the bedrock of Christianity.

 I am tired of seeing my Savior mocked in this world.

 Heb 1:8  But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. 

 It is a fundamental truth of Scripture that only God is to be worshiped.

 Even Satan knows this is the truth!

 Mat 4:10  Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 

 It is the Trinity of God that is the Lord Jesus Christ:

 2Co 13:14  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

 Prophecy says that the Messiah would be King.

 Gen 49:10  The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. 

 There will be a people ready to be ruled by the Messiah.

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

 God the Father announced the making of His Son to be King.

 Psa 2:6  Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

 The Lord Jesus Christ will be the government of this world!

 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 three offices of the Messiah which are, Prophet, Priest, and King will be fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ!

 As a Prophet, the Lord Jesus was involved with revealing the salvation message of God.

As a Priest, His work was as an Intercessor, and His saving work.

As King, He fulfill the promises to Israel and He will rule the entire earth.

 \*****Psa 72:1 Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son. 

 As King David lay on his death bed, he had this prayer for his son by asking God to make him a righteous ruler.

 One of the king's most important duties was to judge disputes and then administer justice.

 If Solomon would govern according to the Word of God, the Lord would bless him and his nation's people.

 This same prayer holds true to every ruler, every king, and every president of every nation even today!

 God is the source of all "judgment"!

 It should be noted that Solomon prayed this same prayer for himself.

 1Ki 3:9  Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? 

 We know that a society cannot exist without laws and these laws are to be expressed and enforced and whoever does this is the ruler but this is just a part of what is needed to govern any people.

 *****Psa 72:2  He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment. 

Psa 72:3  The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. 

Psa 72:4  He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.

 It is obvious that the courts and prosecutors of today are not interested with righteousness!

 It is obvious today that our courts are not fair and impartial but yield to the politics of today!

 We should also understand that the children of Israel belong to God just as the Church belongs to God.

 The Church is bought and paid for with the Blood of Jesus Christ.

 We should also understand that peace will never come to this world because leaders seek their own fortunes rather than seeking the good will of those they were elected to serve.

 In old times most of the poor were not that way because of laziness or would not work.

 We know this has changed today.

 There are still some who are poor for many reasons but there are also many who refuse to work and would rather live off the taxpayer.

 In the day of the Kings the poor were powerless to defend themselves and were taken advantage of by greedy and wicked people.

 These same greedy and wicked people are going after the middle class today and the middle class is becoming powerless to defend themselves.

 It is easy to see that it is the rich who are the cause of the oppression of the poor and they want to keep it that way.

 It is a fact that in the day the Jesus Christ rules this earth from Jerusalem the oppression of the poor will end.

 It is uncalled for today, but the greedy rich just cannot get enough riches to satisfy them!

 Peace can be said to be the absence of fear of the threat of harm along with a sense of security.

 We do not have this in America today and it is because of greedy politicians, who always seem to have a better way, but it never turns out that way!

 When King Jesus sits upon the throne of David there will be great changes.

 *****Psa 72:5  They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.

 It is this passage where we begin to see that this Psalm was not just about King Solomon because his life would be similar to the life expectancy we have today.

 It is King Jesus in whom we should have a godly fear of throughout time as it we see it today.

 The sun and the moon will endure until God brings them to an end and it is only God who can live through all the generations of mankind and forever.

 Only God can do these things. It was Solomon's job to make sure all the people of his kingdom understood this, just as it is the job of every national leader to do today.

 We see where this world is failing!

 You see, for as long as the course of nature last, we are to fear the Lord.

 God promised eternal dominion to the house of David.

 Since the Lord Jesus as a man was a descendant of the House of David, and because He is God then these things apply to the Messiah.

 Since we are in the family of the Messiah then these things apply to the Body of Christ.

 King Solomon was to provide security for God's people.

 King Jesus will also provide security in His Kingdom. He will rule with a rod of iron.

 He would rescue the needy.

He would rescue the poor and those who are afflicted, and their children.

 These are the ones that the world takes advantage of.

 These are the same ones that this government we have now, have taken advantage of.

 They have tried to keep the poor, poor so that they will always need the government to help them.

 This is why the gates of America have been thrown open for the world to enter so even more people will become dependent upon the government to support them.

 This is the way a certain party is trying to stay in power.

 The Messiah came to this earth to put a stop to these things.

 The Messiah came to rescue the needy and the poor, all those who are Spiritually poor.

 David prayed that his son would crush all those who are so cruel in this world.

 *****Psa 72:6  He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. 

 We already know there is a great famine for the Word of God today.

 2Ti_4:3  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

2Ti_4:4  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

 Eze 34:23  And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. 

Eze 34:24  And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it. 

Eze 34:25  And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. 

Eze 34:26  And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.

 Deu 32:2  My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: 

Deu 32:3  Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.

 David called on his son to be true to Jesus Christ.

 The Lord Jesus will enforce righteousness upon this earth when He sits as King of the World!

 *****Psa 72:7  In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. 

 Does anyone here know how long the moon that we see nightly is going to flourish? I do not either because only God knows.

 Isa 11:4  But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 

Isa 11:5  And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

 All those who are with Christ during His Millennial Reign upon this earth will enjoy lives that are full, and free of fear and oppression.

 If the Lord Jesus Christ is going to save us from all these things, then these are the things that are going to get worse especially during the time of the Antichrist.

 Keep in mind this is after the Rapture of the Church and the Church will come down again to this earth during the time Christ sits as King of this world and remain the God of all creation.

 *****Psa 72:8  He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. 

Psa 72:9  They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust. 

 What was the Kingdom of Solomon?

 1Ki 4:21  And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life. 

 Notice Solomon ruled over the land of the Philistines also at this time.

 As we apply this to King Jesus:

 Isa 60:4  Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. 

Isa 60:5  Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. 

Isa 60:6  The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD. 

Isa 60:7  All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory. 

Isa 60:8  Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? 

Isa 60:9  Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee. 

Isa 60:10  And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee. 

 *****Psa 72:10  The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. 

Psa 72:11  Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him. 

 David prayed that Solomon would be recognized as the world's leader the sovereign ruler over all the earth.

 He asked that God would cause all rulers to pay tribute to Solomon.

 As David prayed for his son, he also prophesied of the Messiah.

 Solomon did establish an extensive kingdom but he did not rule to the ends of the earth.

 Solomon was not King of all kings.

 Only the Lord Jesus Christ will fully answer this prayer of David!

 Only the Lord Jesus Christ will reign forever over all the earth!

 Zec 9:9  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. 

Zec 9:10  And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. 

 Psa 2:7  I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 

Psa 2:8  Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 

 Luk 1:33  And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 

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

 King Jesus will rule this world just as He rules everything that we see and know about. He will rule all His creation.

 Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

Joh 1:2  The same was in the beginning with God. 

Joh 1:3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 

Joh 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 

Joh 1:5  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

 David then prays that Solomon will be compassionate toward the people.

 *****Psa 72:12  For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. 

Psa 72:13  He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. 

Psa 72:14  He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight. 

 When is the last time we have seen our leaders be compassionate to all the people?

 This is when we know we have a true leader.

 Did you know being compassionate to the people is not one of the things that our President is to do.

 An American President is to keep our nation safe and make sure the Constitution is being implemented and is the guide to our laws.

 If our leaders would show compassion to all the people of our great nation instead of picking out certain groups to show compassion, if you can call it that, to certain groups and cause division in all the rest, our nation would be a better place.

 A true leader will deliver all who cry to him who are in need.

 These would be those who are poor, oppressed, and helpless beyond their fault.

 He is to deliver those who suffer due to circumstances beyond their control.

 Most of the problems where people suffer today is because our leaders have made laws that cause friction in the people.

 A good leader would deliver those who are oppressed who are law abiding people.

 A good leaders would not take away our freedoms that are guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

 A good leader would save the people from oppression and stop their adversaries who only deceive and defraud the people.

 An unrighteous leader would view the needy with contempt, seeing them as a burden to society and worthless.

 Why is our nation faltering? It is because no one wants a righteous leader!

 Even Solomon was not a righteous leader many of his days because he taxed the people so he could live an extravagant life.

 God told Israel these things about a king:

 Deu 17:15  Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. 

Deu 17:16  But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. 

Deu 17:17  Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. 

Deu 17:18  And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: 

Deu 17:19  And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: 

Deu 17:20  That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel. 

 Solomon ignored all these laws of God just as most all kings have done even presidents.

 But the Lord Jesus Christ was innocent of any wrong doing!

 Israel became a rich nation but it was just like today.

 The rich got richer and the poor remained poor and the middle class paid most of the taxes.

 David prophesied of King Jesus as no one else could meet the qualifications that God had set in His Laws.

 The Jews had six hundred and thirteen laws besides these things that God added to kings.

 The Lord Jesus Christ perfectly portrayed the compassionate, sacrificial heart of our Savior because He cannot be different from what He is!

 He is still this same Savior today with these same characteristics!

 Because of Jesus our souls can be saved from a Spiritual death which means an eternal separation from God in Hell.

 The Lord Jesus is soon returning to claim our bodies as well!

 Solomon did become the richest man in the world, but a lot of it was wasted when He could have done more for Israel such as tax relief.

 *****Psa 72:15  And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised. 

Psa 72:16  There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. 

Psa 72:17  His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed. 

 Verse 15 is hard to understand but it could mean "God save the King".

 People could not only greet him in the customary way, but bring gifts to him and they would pray for him.

 Besides the gifts, we still do this for our own leaders.

 The gift we can give is to be obedient to the laws of the land that do not go against the Word of God.

 A good king would be the source of happiness and prosperity and there will never be but one good king and that is King Jesus.

 Another prayer would be for the fertility of the land.

 "May there be an abundance of corn in the land upon the top of the mountains?"

"May the fruit rustle like Lebanon".

"May men flourish out of the city like the grass of the earth."

 This would be praying for the prosperity for the people of the kingdom.

 These would be the things that the Lord Jesus will do after He has destroyed the earth. He will make all things new and the earth will again be like it was in the Garden of Eden.

 Hos 14:5  I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. 

Hos 14:6  His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. 

Hos 14:7  They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.

 Isa 27:6  He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit. 

 There will also be a conversion of the Jews.

 Psa 92:12  The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 

Psa 92:13  Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. 

Psa 92:14  They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; 

Psa 92:15  To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. 

 Only the Lord Jesus fits the picture painted by verse seventeen:

 Psa 45:17  I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever. 

 Eph 3:13  Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. 

Eph 3:14  For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

Eph 3:15  Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 

Eph 3:16  That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 

Eph 3:17  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 

Eph 3:18  May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 

Eph 3:19  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 

 And blessed be the Lord God:

 *****Psa 72:18  Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. 

Psa 72:19  And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen. 

Psa 72:20  The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended. 

 When the Messiah sits on the throne of David during the Millennial Kingdom the whole earth will be filled with God's glory.

 Isa 11:9  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. 

Isa 11:10  And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. 

 Hab 2:14  For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

 The Lord did wondrous things as the God of Israel by delivering them from bondage.

 The Lord did wondrous things for the Church as he delivered us all from the bondage of Satan.

 He did these things because His mercy endures forever!

 It is our duty to praise God for what He has done for us and Israel will soon find this same thing out.

 It is our honor to praise God.

 It is our honor to meet each week in the House of our God to offer to Him our praise.

 We will do this in Heaven, we just as well get in the practice here on earth!

 It is our duty and our pleasure to honor our God, the Lord Jesus Christ!

 It is only the lord who can do these wondrous things and does them because He loves us!

 Me and my brother Mike used to talk about being saved and we would refer to this passage in the Book of James.

 Jas 5:19  Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 

Jas 5:20  Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. 

 Our sins, as terrible as they were now are all blotted out in God's records in Heaven!

 Mike is in Heaven now and I owe it to the Lord to spend the rest of my days serving Him!

 This was David's dying prayer for his son Solomon, but the Holy Spirit used this same prayer to prophecy of the Messiah, King Jesus.

 Amen

Remembering What God Has Already Done

 Remember What God Has Done

Book of Psalms Chapter 66

The lessons we have had up to this lesson have been prayers for God's help.

We can identify with the lessons we have already had because we face these same problems today.

We will see before we finish this Psalm, that Psalm sixty-six is another prayer for deliverance.

The difference being that this Psalm will tell us what to do after we have been delivered.

God is not just the God of the Jews!

God is not just the God of the Christians!

Jehovah God is the God that is to be worshiped!

Jehovah is not some God that can be made into an idol to be put on display and wipe the dust off occasionally.

All of this earth is called to worship Jehovah and to acknowledge the greatness of the power of the Almighty Supreme God, our Creator!

*****Psa 66:1  To the chief Musician, A Song or Psalm. Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: 

Psalm sixty-six is a Psalm of "deliverance"!

The writer of this Psalm is not known but we can be sure God the Holy Spirit guided him.

2Ti_3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

I think we sometimes forget that we can profit from all the Bible and not just from our favorite passages.

Psalm sixty-six is a hymn of thanksgiving to celebrate God's deliverance.

Psalm sixty-six begins with a command for all the earth to exalt the Living God.

Jehovah cares not only for all this world but He brings this care down to every single individual.

God wants to have a personal relationship with each and every one of us, all His creation.

We must understand that if we have victory in our lives, it did not come by our own hands!

It was more by the hands of God than any work that we have done with our own hands.

One of these days when this false evolution bubble is in trouble this world will figure out that there had to be a Creator.

The lie of evolution exists because of hatred for our Creator!

As far as Israel, it would not exist today if not for Jehovah God.

The world needs to realize that the Israelites are a special people to our God.

***Exo 19:5  Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 

Exo 19:6  And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. 

In reality God will not show favoritism so what He does for one He will do for another.

Rom 2:11  For there is no respect of persons with God. 

The Key to being a peculiar treasure to God is being obedient to the voice of God.

The Bible that we have compiled from the original Greek and Hebrew Text is in reality the voice of God and commandments that we are to obey.

So, we can understand that all those who are obedient to the Word of God are peculiar treasures that belong to Jehovah God, the Lord who loves us all.

So, all the earth is called on to make a joyful noise to the Lord.

If you have ever witnessed a large joyful crowd, the sounds coming from that crowd does sound a whole lot like noise because they are loud and have known the victory of the Lord.

*****Psa 66:2  Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious. 

The one job we have after salvation is to praise and worship and glorify our God while witnessing to all others the news of His deliverance.

We must magnify God for His greatness and His Divine Majesty!

This is what this Psalm will do as it is sung in the worship of God.

All of us are to honor God's name and tell all others just how glorious He truly is.

"All of us" would include the people of all nations and we may soon see that all remaining nations will do this when God delivers Israel from those who hate Israel.

When Israel came back upon the scene as a nation on May 14, 1948, it was telling this world that God put things in motion all things of the end times.

God has delivered this tiny nation many times and He is certainly not though with Israel now!

What was the first step?

Gal 4:4  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 

Gal 4:5  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 

Gal 4:6  And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 

We could say that the work that the Lord Jesus has done to save us is the first step.

1Co 15:45  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Prince of Life!

Act 3:13  The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. 

Act 3:14  But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; 

Act 3:15  And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. 

As we see every day most of this world stands in opposition to Israel but it does not matter, they will only cause harm to themselves.

God will never abandon Israel and we know that this thing is only going to get worse.

The hatred of God's people will drive this world into non-existence.

The return of Jesus Christ will settle all these issues!

Rev 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 

Rev 19:12  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 

Rev 19:13  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 

Rev 19:14  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 

The promises God has made to Israel will be kept and fulfilled, and it may not be very much longer till we see the hand of God in motion.

Yes, all the world will praise His Holy Name or perish with the Sword of His mouth.

*****Psa 66:3  Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. 

We must understand that everything is possible with God and God will do just as He says He will.

Mar 10:27  And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

You can believe Him or reject Him, this is the choice we all have, there is no middle ground!

Nothing is too hard for God to achieve.

Gen 18:14  Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

If you read the history of Israel in the Scriptures you will be able to see that God never withheld His power when it came time to defend Israel.

He will not withhold His power today in the defense of Israel when that time comes.

It is the same for the Church except God will just remove His Church when the time requires for Him to do so.

We must understand that as long as the Church is in this world souls can be saved.

It is those "terrible works" that will cause this world to stand in awe of God!

It is the greatness of His power that will cause those "terrible works".

God need only but speak and those "terrible works" will take place.

There are nations that do not exist today because of the terrible works of God and there will be others.

All those nations that remain will fall down on their knees and worship the Almighty God!

In fact, all these nations will come cringing out of fear of the Supreme God.

Much of homage is unwilling but solely out of absolute fear of Jehovah God!

This is why God chose the plan to use His Son Jesus for salvation. He did not want  people in the New Heaven who were only there because of their absolute fear of Him.

So thankful we serve a loving and merciful God so full of "Grace"!

*****Psa 66:4  All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.

Many times Israel only returned to God because they witnessed His terrible power upon their enemies.

One day soon God will get tired of this and only accept the true worshiper.

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

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

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

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

People may look at the sound of worship and if it is true worship then it is marvelous.

God on the other hand, looks into the heart and He knows the difference in joy and Spiritual joy.

When there is Spiritual joy then, the praise of God becomes glorious!

The entire earth will sing praises to the name of Jesus one day.

Rom_14:11  For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

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

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

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

We must have a reverent fear of the Lord but we had better have a sure fear of the power of the Almighty God.

His power is endless and the greatest power of God that is seen today is seen in Creation and most of the world rejects our Creator.

How can anyone look at the creation of this universe and come to the conclusion that it happened by accident?

The important thing for the non-believer today is that, if our creation did not come by accident then it had to come by alien intervention.

The evolution bubble is about to bust.

Psa 111:4  He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion. 

The alien intervention theory is about to take over.

Those that know the Lord show great wisdom in the truth!

Psa 111:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever. 

What is the truth of God on the day of His wrath?

Psa 110:5  The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. 

Psa 110:6  He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries. 

Psa 112:10  The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.

Psa 114:7  Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob; 

Psa 114:8  Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters. 

It was the demonstration of God's power that stirred up Israel to come together and worship Him.

The Apostle Paul said it like this: Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 

What had God shown to the people of Israel?

 *****Psa 66:5  Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.

Psa 66:6  He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him.

I just wonder what that Egyptian Pharaoh last thought was as the waters held back by the Lord came crashing down on him and his army.

I believe he is in Hell today reliving that last thought and drowning forever and ever.

The Israelites had witnessed the power of God on many occasions.

They had witnessed the power it took to save them from enemies that were far more powerful than they were.

Israel's glorious history recorded in the Bible shows the awesome power of God and the parting of the Red Sea may be the greatest of those miracles.

For those who do not believe, there are destroyed chariots with wheels broken off, the remains of dead men, the remains of dead horses, and the many weapons of the many Egyptian military located in that place of the crossing of the Red Sea for anyone who wants to see the truth of that momentous day when God delivered His people from Egypt.

Exo 14:28  And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. 

Exo 14:29  But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. 

Exo 14:30  Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.

God will make sure that there is evidence of His great works left behind for the future generations to see but most of them are ignored and rejected.

There is much proof of the worldwide flood in the days of Moses!

There is much proof of the creation of this universe by the hands of God. Evolution is just a grand old lie that has no proof!

There is much proof of all the works of God but it is not accepted.

You see if you disagree with the world then you are just a troublemaker.

It is somewhat like what we see today. As Christians we do not agree with the world and we are labeled as troublemakers and even called terrorist in some places.

The works of the Lord are true, and the evidence of those works are readily available, and most of those works are in plain sight.

This same God can tame the sinner and cause them to be Born Again, a Spiritual birth a complete change.

All the remnants of this world after the wrath of God will come to worship the God that has such power.

*****Psa 66:7  He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.

Who are the true rebels? Those who reject the truth of God!

We live today in a nation and a world that is ruled by the rebellious who have exalted themselves.

God is in control of our destiny!

The worship of God is binding on all nations!

We can neglect many things in this world but to worship of our Creator.

The one thing we need the most is a personal relation with our Creator!

We are damned if we neglect our Maker!

Satan has succeeded in much of this world to get people to hate Jesus the Messiah but all he has is lies.

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.

This world is blind to the truth!

Joh 12:40  He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

Rom 11:8  (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. 

Rom 11:9  And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: 

Rom 11:10  Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway

It should be obvious the God rules by His power because He keeps this one planet in all the solar system called earth capable of supporting life.

There are no other planets, moon, or anything else that can support life as we know it in all this universe.

There is only a place called Heaven and God has shown us how to get there.

Those same rebellious people who are searching for things that do not exist are destroying this earth we have today and they would succeed if our Creator does intercede.

We can see all the works of mankind till our hearts grow feeble and old and feel worthless because this world only accepts the rich and famous but if we take the time to see the works of God, we will see the lies of this world.

We know that it is about the time that all Christians will be going home because this world is primed and ready to accept the Antichrist and he is about ready to reveal himself. His claim will be that he will solve all the issues of this world.

We must stop what we are doing today and start a deep study of God and most of us will come away praising God for what He has already done and He will also show us what He is about to do.

God is fully aware of everything that goes on in our world and the enemies of God and the Church should take heed to what God is saying here.

God is aware of what evil men are doing and even what they are planning to do. They have no respect for the power of God but they will witness His power first hand one day soon.

Prophecy informs us that the Lord Jesus will return and He will deliver all of God's people that this world hates so much.

It is then that the entire world will acknowledge the awesome power of God.

Rev 15:3  And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. 

Rev 15:4  Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest. 

As Christ it behooves us to keep in mind the power of God and submit to Him with all our heart.

We are often tempted to think we can get away with sin, that God does not see us or that He will do nothing about it but we must not be deceived by this lie. We will reap what we sow!

Gal 6:7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 

Gal 6:8  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

God sees everything we do just as He sees what the evil and wicked are doing. God even hears every word that we say.

Pro 15:3  The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. 

As Christians we are humble ourselves before God and before His Word.

*****Psa 66:8  O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard:

One of the greatest truths we can see today is that the Israelites are still alive, they are still a nation, and they are back in the land that God has given to them, at least part of it.

The world is trying to deny them the rest of it and allow robbers and thieves to claim part of the Holy Land.

God faithfully sustains our lives from day to day. In fact every day is a gift from Him!

It is God who put us upon this earth and it is God who keeps us here.

1) God faithfully sustains us.

2) God keeps us from slipping and losing our way.

As we go through the activities of our say, we can sometimes forget that we are under the watchful eyes of God and are always within range of His Awesome Power.

We are a stubborn but we are fools if we do not let the voice of our praise be heard in Heaven!

We should also praise God for His deliverance of Israel and we may be about to see a great deliverance of Israel again today.

It is God that has us in His hands: Psa 66:9  Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved. 

Amen

This World Will Overwhelm Us

 A Prayer When Overwhelmed

Book of Psalms Chapter 61

That word overwhelmed means we have been crushed by something violent and weighty, that covers or encompasses us.

To be submerged, to be engulfed, to be defeated, to be overthrown, to be overpowered.

We cannot escape the demands of everyday life!

At every stage of our time upon this earth pressures exist that cause us problems.

We still live in a cursed world.

Satan spends every moment of time he has left to trip up Christians and cause us to fail in serving the Lord.

It seems that the more we claim the Lord Jesus Christ the worst our problems are, and this is true because the world hates Christians because the world hates the Lord Jesus Christ.

Joh_7:7  The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

Joh_15:18  If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

Life's burdens can be tough to carry everyday if we try to do it alone!

Many times life's burdens are just too tough for us to carry and we will feel "overwhelmed" by them.

As Christians God has given us every tool to use to never be "overwhelmed" in this world.

That first tool is prayer!

David wrote this Psalm while he was in a period of extreme stress.

David's son Absalom was trying to kill him and replace him as King of Israel.

David knew he could not endure in his own strength and he cried out to God.

What are the steps we must take for relief?

1) We must cry out to God and beg Him to hear our prayer.

2) We must tell God and show God, that we want to live with Him forever.

3) We must approach God boldly in prayer being humble when we get there. We must never be afraid to go to God for help!

4) We must make a renewed commitment to praise God and we must fulfill our promises to Him each and every day.

It seems that David could no longer withstand the pressures of life, and there are many who have felt this way during their lifetime.

This world of today is taking its toil on people even today in our own nation.

The suicide rate in the United States has risen to its highest point in more than 80 years.

Here is something to think about, the suicide rate has increase every year that President Biden has been in office!

When David felt this kind of pressure he cried out to the Lord and begged Him to hear him.

David knew he could not endure the pressures on his life in his own strength!

Neither can we!

*****Psa 61:1  To the chief Musician upon Neginah, A Psalm of David. Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.

That word Neginah means this Psalm was to be accompanied by stringed instruments.

Probably soft music in the background so the music did not interfere with the words of this Psalm.

Listen to David in this Psalm and we can see his urgency.

I will be quiet honest with you. I do not know how people deal with their stress without the Lord Jesus Christ.

Where can we go in times of trouble, but to the Lord.

Today we see that many cannot deal with the stresses of this world and they choose suicide rather than asking for God's help. 

The only help for the weary soul is a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Hebrew word used for this word "cry" is "rinnah" and this word expresses a shrill, a piercing cry for help, a desperate cry for help.

This world has no answers to this sort of stress!

David begs God and uses the Hebrew word Elohim, the Supreme God, the Triune God, the God of All Power.

Obviously, this is a song of exile, David is far from the city he loves, Jerusalem.

David left Jerusalem to keep from warring with his son Absalom.

According to the Word of God, Jerusalem is to be a city of peace and God tells us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

In the time of David, he considered the sanctuary of God to be in Jerusalem and it was.

It was the place of the "Mercy Seat" where a soul could approach God.

For David the center of the universe is being in Jerusalem!

The world will find this out when the Lord Jesus Christ rules this earth from Jerusalem for a Millenium.

Jerusalem will be the center of this universe we live in until it is replaced with the New Jerusalem which will then be the center of all God's creation.

Today, if you are a child of God, the sanctuary of God is within us.

We are the Temple of God where He dwells!

Wherever God reveals Himself, He can still reach us with the riches of His "grace"!

David shows the world that no matter where we are located, even at the end of the earth, we can still cry out to God and He will hear us!

*****Psa 61:2  From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 

When we feel lost and far away from God, we need to call on His name and He will hear us.

There is no saddening time greater than a feeling of loneliness!

It is not God's hearing us that is so important, it is how we are living our lives.

If we are not living according to the Word of God, then God might not answer our prayer.

Psa 66:18  If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: 

Psa 66:19  But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. 

Psa 66:20  Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.

Much of the time we must first ask for forgiveness of some sin we are trying to hold on to, before the Lord will accept our prayer and give His answer.

When we ask to be led to the "Rock that is higher than I", it means lead me to a place I cannot reach without God's help.

That "Rock" is God Himself.

Psa 62:2  He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.

Psa 62:6  He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.

Psa 62:7  In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. 

Psa 62:8  Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.

That Rock is the place strength, the place of faithfulness, and the unchangeableness of Jehovah.

The more we say this and it comes from our heart, the more confidence we will have in our God, and it does not matter what our enemies attempt to do, they will fail.

God is our refuge that we can trust because God is our salvation!

We can trust the Lord at all times, God is always faithful to those who love Him!

We can never be very far from God even when we feel like we are!

The Holy Spirit lives within every child of God.

He can become silent when we have quenched the Spirit and a prayer of forgiveness will solve this issue.

When we are spiritually far away from God we will not feel His presence.

It is at these times that we will feel overwhelmed by this world!

Through the power of God we can handle every pressure and every circumstance in this life!

*****Psa 61:3  For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. 

Through the power of God we can certainly handle every circumstance of this life because we do not have to handle it because God will handle it for us.

God will fight all our battles if we live for Him!

We must look beyond ourselves and our own pitiful strength to the strength of the Almighty God which is endless.

We must look to the "Rock" that is higher than we are!

It is a fact that God will be our refuge when the weight of this wicked world tries to rob us of our peace!

The strength to endure trials and temptations and the wickedness of this evil world comes from being in God's presence!

We are in God's presence everytime we bend our knees and pray, and spend some time with God, through the Lord Jesus Christ.

If we are unable to bend our knees then we can pray standing up but we must be humble before the Lord.

When we are going through intense pressure we sometimes neglect the House of God and we dont pray as much as we should and both of these things are wrong. Both of these things will quench the Holy Spirit.

These are the times we need God the most.

Being in God's presence must be the most important priority of our lives!

Php 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. 

We can find that shelter we need when we gather together with others in God's House.

*****Psa 61:4  I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah. 

The Tabernacle was not in Jerusalem at this time so David was not speaking of the Tabernacle of Moses.

2Ch_1:3  So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness.

David was speaking of a "spiritual abiding" in the presence of the Lord all his days he had left, and after his death to pass on into God's Heavenly Home.

This is what we all crave. To be with God in His House when He calls us home! 

The Lord Jesus teaches us of this fact.

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

Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 

Psa 23:6  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Hiding under God's Wings is a sure place of safety!

Now we do not know if God has wings or not, but the "Mercy Seat" of God had the wings of the two Heavenly Angels, the Cherubim which was the seat of God upon this earth.

It is at the "Mercy Seat" where we will find the protection of the Almighty Living God.

We find shelter from the dangers and the pressures of this life when we abide in the presence of the LORD.

When we abide in the presence of the LORD we can be sure that He hears our prayers!

*****Psa 61:5  For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.

As David poured out His heart to God, he felt the assurance that he was in the presence of God.

Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 

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

There was no doubt in David's mind that God had heard his prayer and had accepted David's vows.

At this time David had perfect peace in his soul.

David was assured that he would return to Jerusalem and sit on the throne as King of Israel.

Israel is still the heritage of the Lord.

Rom 9:4  Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; 

Rom 9:5  Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. 

We know the importance of King David sitting on the throne of Israel because we know that the Lord Jesus Christ is that actual true heritage and he came from the family of David.

Jesus also explained this to the woman from Samaria.

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

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

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

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

God promised to give this heritage to all those who trusted in His name.

1Pe 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 

1Pe 1:4  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 

This is the promise God made to David.

The land of Canaan is the inheritance of the Jewish people, but this land is also a picture of the New Heaven.

It is the New Heaven that will be the permanent home of all those who believe the truth of God!

This is the inheritance that is eternal!

1) We see that when we stay close to the Lord we will be safe in the shelter of God's wings and He will answer our prayers.

2) We see that God has offered a glorious inheritance and the brightest future imaginable. We are going to live in the New Jerusalem with Him.

2Co 5:1  For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 

David knew he would live a full life.

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. David called on the Lord to keep His promises.

*****Psa 61:6  Thou wilt prolong the king's life: and his years as many generations. 

Psa 61:7  He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him. 

It takes a true committment to the truth of God to please Him.

David began to remember the promises God had made to him while he was still on this earth.

David called upon God to keep the promises that He had made.

God could not establish the Kingdom of David, if He allowed David to die at the hands of Absalom.

At least not in a way where we could understand it.

God promised David an everlasting dynasty.

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

We should give some thought to this. If God has called us to a certain thing and we answer that call, then God is not likely to to take our life before we can accomplish what God has called us to do.

God wants us to live long happy lives!

Pro 3:1  My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 

Pro 3:2  For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. 

God has the power to deliver us from all the hazards of this world if He so chooses.

Any lack of faith is the same as calling God a liar!

David's life would extend far beyond his days upon this earth through his royal line.

David's ultimate descendant would be the Messiah who will sit upon David's throne throughout eternity.

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. 

This throne is a picture of the sovereign power and the divine dignity as the Supreme Ruler of all God's creation.

This takes place when the Lord Jesus comes down to live amongst His people.

We should understand that this Psalm is not a prayer.

This Psalm is an appeal to God's promise and God's purpose.

It would be hard to hope for the future if we have not lived long enough to know the true meaning of our future.

No one can live forever upon this earth except as living on through his descendants.

But we can live eternally in Heaven because we will live a life through the eternity of our Savior. We will be like Him!

The Lord Jesus cannot ever die because He is God!

Joh_11:25  Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

If Absalom had replaced David as king of Israel then the promise made to David would be broken.

David's Throne had already been promised to another, Solomon.

Keep in mind that David had another son by Bathsheba whose name was Nathan. Mary the mother of Jesus came through the line of David through Nathan his son.

God had already decided that the Messiah would come by one of the sons of Bathsheba.

Everything is OK until we get to King Josiah and this is where the confusion starts.

King Jesus will be in the line of King David.

*****Psa 61:8  So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows. 

It takes a true commitment to the truth of God to please Him.

It takes a true commitment to praise God and we must keep the vows we have made to Him.

We sometimes say things in our prayers that we do not know how to keep.

King David is in Heaven today giving God the praise that He deserves!

Before David went to Heaven, he looked forward to going back home and completing the vows that he had made.

Prayers that are made in confidence will surely be answered.

In order for us to live long lives we need to praise the Lord and trust every word He has given to us.

The longer we live, the longer we have to offer up praise to the Lord.

God has promised us great things concerning the Millennial Kingdom and our life in the New Jerusalem.

Jesus Christ will live forever and we can live with Him if we make a true commitment to Him.

We must realize that God is worthy of our worship and praising God must be a central part of our worship.

When we take time to read this wonderful Book of Psalms we will see that they exalt the name of the Lord.

An important part of being a Christian is praising our Savior and to attend and to participate in church worship.

Eph 3:21  Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. 

If we are not honoring the Lord we are not fulfilling our purpose.

These things are important in our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ!

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Rock that is higher than we are.

Amen