The Agony Before the Cross

 Jesus' Great Decision as King

Book of Matthew Chapter 26:36-46

We have been studying our Lord Jesus in His final week before a very cruel cross.

The Lord Jesus, 100% God yet 100% man knew what He faced.

He faced betrayal by one of His disciples.

He faced a false trial by religious hypocrites.

He faced physical abuse much, much more than necessary by tyrannical governments.

He faced a humiliating death by crucifixion.

He faced the burden of carrying the weight of every sin that had been committed and every sin that would be committed in all this world.

This death for Christ Jesus was different from that of any natural man.

Our Lord Jesus accepted the verdict of guilty for my sin and your sin and all sinners.

Our Lord Jesus accepted the penalty and punishment for my sin and for your sin and for all sinners.

By doing these things for me and for you and for every believer, we can now have eternal life!

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

We should ask ourselves just what is death?

Physical death is a reality for every member of the human race!

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

Heb 9:28  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

When the Bible speaks of death, it is speaking of the death of the physical body, but it is not speaking of the soul.

The soul is the life-principle of man and cannot die because it is God-given.

The body is made of things of this world.

Gen 3:19  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. 

The soul is made by God Himself and only God can destroy the soul.

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. 

Death of the body is the wages of sin, but this death is not an annihilation because life continues for the believer and for the unbeliever after the death of the body!

Luk 16:22  And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 

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

For the believer death means to join Jesus Christ in Heaven.

2Co 5:7  (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 

2Co 5:8  We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 

2Co 5:9  Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 

With all these things on the mind of Christ, He resorted to prayer to His Heavenly Father.

Let us begin:

*****Mat 26:36  Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.

Mat 26:37  And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.  

What is prayer? Prayer is a conversation with our Holy God who is also our Heavenly Father, who wants very much to hear from His children!

Many of us believe that all the disciples were there except Judas who had begun his betrayal.

The Lord Jesus had ridden into Jerusalem only as the Spiritual King and not as conquering king, and Judas now knew that Jesus was not going to raise an army to defeat Rome and he therefore rejected Him.

Our Lord Jesus, the human side wanted desperately to talk to His Heavenly Father.

I know I have been this way many times.

I know that many times I have had to fight my shame in talking to my Heavenly Father, but I have always felt better after I have prayed.

Many things were on the heart of our Lord but quitting was not one of them!

The Lord Jesus wanted His disciples to feel that closeness of a Father in Heaven who is still the Almighty God.

Certainly our Lord Jesus was afflicted.

Certainly He suffered.

What we need to understand.

We were guilty if sin with no way out of the wages of death! Jesus Christ willed our forgiveness.

We were enslaved to Satan with no way to escape! Jesus Christ willed our freedom.

We were sorrowful! Jesus Christ willed our peace.

We were dying! Jesus Christ willed us life for ever.

What was Jesus praying about? Father thy will be done as it is Heaven, and the requirement was a blood sacrifice.

Heb 9:26  For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 

Our Lord Jesus entered into His closet at the Garden of Gethsemane. He wanted His disciples to pray for His strength to battle with Satan.

This the same thing we do, when we pray for our Pastor.

He asked some of us to pray during the preaching and this is what we should praying strength to battle the Devil.

Gen 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. 

These things weighed heavy on our Savior, but He had no intention of quitting.

He just wished He did not have to break fellowship with His Father not even for one moment.

*****Mat 26:38  Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 

Say where is that proof?

In every prayer the Lord spoke to His Father, but once He took upon Himself all the sin of the world, just for a moment, His Father could not look upon sin and Our Lord Jesus bore all our sin!

Mar 15:34  And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Once that sin was in the grave and then in Hell, His fellowship was restored to His Father!

These disciples just did not understand Satan was trying his best to keep the Lord from going to that miserable cross.

Some would ask what difference would it make, if Jesus came to die?

Our Lord Jesus tried to explain this to them earlier:

Joh 12:30  Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. 

Joh 12:31  Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 

Joh 12:32  And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 

Joh 12:33  This he said, signifying what death he should die. 

Bible prophecy had to be fulfilled just as it was written, and it has been.

This is the very reason there are so many trying to discredit the Word of God!

1) Jesus Christ, our Lord felt much sorrow and pain and was in much heaviness.

Luk 22:43  And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. 

Luk 22:44  And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 

We can believe that the human part of the Lord has felt the agony of what was about to happen to Him.

Remember the Lord Jesus was 100% God, but at this time He was also still 100% human.

2) Our Lord Jesus was suffering much agony and grief and He wanted these men who had become His close friends to be near Him and pray with Him, but they had failed Him even in this as Jesus had said "watch with me".

This is why it is important for someone to be praying for our Pastor while he preaches!

3) Our Lord Jesus Christ also warned these disciples to pray for themselves because the entire world would change at the death, the burial, and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ!

We must clearly understand that we must strive against sin at any cost to ourselves!

Heb 12:3  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. 

Heb 12:4  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. 

The Lord Jesus gave His life in great agony to pay for our sin!

What happened here in the Garden to Gethsemane should be our wakeup call in our everyday life trying not to sin.

When we sin, we are just adding to the agony of our Lord even in His forgiveness!

Thank goodness for His great love for us!

We can also see that it was that talking to our Heavenly Father (Prayer) that makes the difference in the comfort of our soul!

*****Mat 26:39  And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. 

We must understand that "prayer" is not just a great privilege, it is necessity for us in today's world!

We should also understand that even though this human side of our Lord Jesus was in such great agony, there was never at any point that Satan had the strength to destroy our Lord Jesus!

The Lord Jesus was bound for the cross, not "death in the Garden of Gethsemane", no matter how hard Satan tried to kill Him there!

Anyone who teaches such a thing dishonors our Savior!

This human body of Christ was immortal just as the Church, the Body of Christ is immortal and can stand against the "gates of hell".

Every Christian is immortal until God says it is our time to die!

If we believe that in our conflict with Satan, that he has the power to take our life at any moment, then we are saying Satan is stronger than our Lord Jesus Christ and this is false teaching!

Sure Jesus was in agony, He was taking upon Himself all the sin then, past, and future, He was surely in agony, but Satan could never take His life nor can he, our lives!

At no time was the Lord Jesus Christ in danger of death!

Death is the result of sin, and Our Lord Jesus Christ had no sin of Himself!

Only on the Cross was Our Lord Jesus made sin for us!

2Co 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

What did Jesus say?

Joh 10:17  Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

Joh 10:18  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. 

Our Lord Jesus laid down His glory to come to this earth with a mission to save our souls and nothing of this earth nor of the things of Heaven nor of the things of Hell could stop from completing His work!

Any teaching that goes against what our Lord accomplished is false teaching!

What was His agony?

What was He dreading?

What was that sorrow unto death?

Jesus who was in the image of God was soon to be made sin and had to stand in the presence of God.

His Father's face which had always looked toward Him was soon to be hid!

For just a moment in time He was no longer the beloved of God!

His Father's smile on Him would change to a frown!

That awful cry from the Cross tells us the whole story.

Mar_15:34  And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

We will never know this suffering for which our Savior endured because for this thing that our Savior did, we can never be forsaken!

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

In all things the Lord Jesus Christ pleased His Father and so should we as best we can!

Luk_22:42  Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

Jesus so wanted His disciples to pray for Him and with Him. they were also His friends.

*****Mat 26:40  And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 

Mat 26:41  Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 

What we see is that even in His death, the Lord Jesus Christ stood alone, neglected by His closest friends.

What we see is that we may not ever understand everything that the Lord teaches us, but we must have enough "faith" to just believe what He says!

We may fail to pray for our Pastor, our family, and our friends which is awful, but we had better not forget to pray for ourselves!

We must watch what is going on in the world and the things that relate to the return of Christ Jesus, and we must pray that we with the power of God can stand with the Lord.

One man wrote that. "to watch is to see" and "to pray is be prepared".

We cannot depend upon our own wisdom we need the mind of Christ Jesus!

Yes, they had a taxing day, and they were tired!

Yes, they were worried and fatigued!

We all know that concentration on prayer is hard enough without these obstacles.

Prayer is just too important to allow these things to interfere with our prayers and our prayer life.

It is a sure fact that we cannot fight temptation on our own!

Temptation is being enticed to commit sin.

The sources of temptation are:

1) Satan

2) This world.

3) Our Flesh.

Playing around with temptation will always lead to sad consequences!

When we watch and pray, we are saying, "I am depending upon you God to help me through this temptation" and He will!

If you have survived that temptation, then you need to thank the Lord for His help!

You see as a believer we are never alone!

Many of our trials come in an instant and in our weakness, we need to watch and pray immediately.

We know that our flesh struggles against the Holy Spirit who abides with us.

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 need the strength of the Lord and a daily filling of the Holy Spirit!

The Lord went back to His prayer closet and prayed more.

*****Mat 26:42  He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. 

We should take the time to read Psalm 102

Psalm 102:1 Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee. 

Psalm 102:2  Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily. 

Psa 102:24  I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations. 

Psa 102:18  This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD. 

Psa 102:19  For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth; 

Psa 102:20  To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death; 

Psa 102:21  To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem; 

Psa 102:22  When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD. 

Heb 5:7  Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; 

Heb 5:8  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 

Heb 5:9  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; 

The Lord Jesus Christ was not afraid to die, His death had a great purpose! Our Salvation.

Our Lord Jesus did not want to break fellowship with the Father not even for one moment!

Whatever the will of the Father for Him, that the Lord Jesus was happy to comply with!

Those who were there with Him just fell asleep and many a Christian are still asleep today, not realizing just how close we are to the return of Our Lord Jesus!

Our Lord went to pray a third time.

*****Mat 26:43  And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. 

Mat 26:44  And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 

We must clearly understand that Christ Jesus was not afraid of the death He faced. There was joy in what He was about to do!

Heb_12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; "who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross", despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

He just wanted a different way than a separation from our Heavenly Father even if it was just for a moment in time.

By this death Our Lord Jesus made a way that we can never be forsaken. This is that gift of "Grace" to the believer!

Jas 4:7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 

Jas 4:8  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 

When we face the trials of life, and we will, we need to remember these prayers from Gethsemane as an example given to us by our Master!

What are the enemies of our prayers?

1) Physical drowsiness.

2) Spiritual blindness, not believing what the Lord teaches us.

3) Taking God for granted. We must be sure our prayers reach into Heaven!

By the end of these prayers Our Lord Jesus had His answers, and He was prepared to drink of His bitter cup.

The best decision is always just to be obedient to our Heavenly Father!

*****Mat 26:45  Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 

Mat 26:46  Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me. 

What His friends could not do for Him the Holy Spirit accomplished!

Our Lord Jesus was now at peace with what He was about to do.

He knew the terrible things that men of this world would do to Him, but He never flinched.

Christ had been in agony, but He was now at peace.

We to can find peace when we are sincere in our prayers, even when we do not get what we want.

Jesus knew what was about to happen and He welcomed the fact that in His death the world could be saved from the clutches of the Devil.

The traitor Judas led a small army of men to take the Lord Jesus to those who would judge Him, though they had already made up their minds to kill Him.

They carried swords and staves to overcome any that were with Jesus.

There were Temple guards and Roman soldiers.

There were some from the Sanhedrin Court and also of the Elders of Israel.

There was the traitor.

Joh 18:3  Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. 

Joh 18:4  Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? 

Joh 18:5  They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. 

Our Lord Jesus Christ did not get what He wanted, but His decision had been made and with joy He obeyed His Father!

God sometimes says "No" because it is just the right thing to do.

To be in the will of His Father, the Son had to die!

Amen

Seeking The Lord

Seek The Lord

What is it to "seek the Lord"?

To "seek" means to go in search of.

We should always keep in mind that the Lord has a purpose for each of us.

Our legacy should read, "what God has accomplished through us" and not what we accomplished through God!

The entire Bible will lead us to focus on the Lord Jesus Christ!

Sin and troubles in our life take our focus off of the Lord and we will begin to focus on ourselves.

Salvation is our only means of denying ourselves and returning to God!

When God has us in His place of salvation, He can accomplish His purpose for our lives.

Even during this time we will still have troubles that will try to drive a wedge between us and the Lord.

We simply cannot wait until these troubles arise to "seek the Lord", we must continuously be seeking Him.

God is not very far away from His children.

Act 17:27  That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, "though he be not far from every one of us":
Act 17:28  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

If we have trusted the Lord for our salvation, surely we must trust Him for His counseling.

We can tear ourselves apart worrying about the things in our lives and have no profit or we can just give them to the Lord!

We cannot trust ourselves for the right answers.

We also cannot trust the world for the answers.

If our trust is in the Lord then we must trust in that trust!

Just because we are having a bad day does not mean the Lord has gotten weak, it just means we are having a bad day!

Confidence in the Lord is the best answer to all life's problems!

It is believed David wrote this Psalm during the rebellion of his own son Absalom.

David won the battle that day but he also lost his son forever!

All of us who have family members that die not knowing the Lord will feel the remorse that David did this day and the only one to turn to is the Lord!

Prayer is acknowledging our dependence on the Lord and the willingness to accept and do whatever He answers.

We must remember there is only one line into the throne room of God and that line is Jesus Christ and only those things that are asked for in His name are heard and answered!

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.

The most reliable defense we can have in this world will come by Jesus Christ.

So if we look at all our troubles "from Heaven's point of view" and not through our own eyes we will receive comfort knowing the Lord is concerned about us.

Let's begin:

Psa 27:1  A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Here again we see that David had a close personal relationship with God. (My light, My salvation)

The Lord Jesus saved us while we were in darkness. Darkness is the place of distress, trouble, and sorrow but light is the exact opposite.

There is happiness in the darkness only for a season but joy comes from the Sun of Righteousness!

When there is not enough light to see our own darkness and we remain in darkness to long, then there is no evidence of salvation.

Salvation found us in the dark but salvation will not leave us there!

David wrote in a familiar Psalm these words:

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

If we do not truly believe this then we will never be able to get God to answer our prayers!

The Lord does not just light up our path, He is that Light!

The Lord does not just offer salvation to those that believe, He is that salvation!

Every light is not of the Sun but the Son is the Father of all light!

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.

God is light and in Him is no darkness at all!

1Jn 1:5  This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

We know all these things if we belong to the Lord.

Both salvation from sin and light for our daily living are to be found in the Lord Jesus Christ, and only in Him.

In times of trouble, we must "Seek the Lord"!

The Lord had everything David needed and the Lord has everything we need today!

Isa 12:2  Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.

What were the first words written down for us in the Bible?

Gen 1:3  And God said, "Let there be light: and there was light".

So why on Earth do we allow our fears to interfere with the joy of the Lord!

*****Psa 27:2  When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

First, this verse is not speaking about cannibalism by humans but as the actions of wild beasts.

This word cannibalism depicts the viciousness which God's enemies will try to use to destroy God's people and I think we can see this happening more often in our world today.

The enemies of the Church are becoming more vicious.

Remember God 's enemies are our enemies. Those that attack the Church, no matter their walk in this life, are our enemies!

Our enemies are called "the wicked" in this verse. God never intends for godly people to cause harm to godly people!

Even when our enemies cannot destroy us they still have victory when they can destroy our testimony!

If you are allowing your light to grow dim, you are allowing the enemy to have victory over you!

When our strength is in the Lord our enemies will stumble and fall!

What happened to the enemy when Jesus rose up from His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane?

Joh 18:4  Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?
Joh 18:5  They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
Joh 18:6  As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, "they went backward, and fell to the ground".

The enemies of God will always stumble and fall when they are before Him, our Lord gave Himself to His enemy to save us from having to do so!

*****Psa 27:3  Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

Though our enemies are great in number our confidence must remain in the Lord!

It is because the Lord is the "Light of our salvation" that we can be so confident!

Our confidence then comes by our faith!

We already know that without faith we cannot please God and it is that same faith in the Lord that we can use to defy all our enemies.

In Bible times, if the enemy could not directly defeat an enemy they would lay siege on the enemy and just wait them out.

This is exactly what Satan is trying to do to the Church today!

Satan has laid siege round about the Church and he has succeeded in many places of worship where the "Light of Jesus" has been extinguished.

It is only by allowing the Lord to be our strength that we can be confident against our enemy!

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

What should we desire most if all?

*****Psa 27:4  One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.

The falsehood of evolution is on display in this verse.

Animals are satisfied and live in the contentment of this world because they can know no better but humans are never satisfied here in this world.

The world says live today because tomorrow you die.

Because those of the world see themselves as an accident that just happened they have no great desire!

Death truly is a reality for all mankind but the Bible says there is judgment after death.

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

The fact of reality is that the body might die, but the soul, the life principle of mankind, lives on!

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".

When we know these things then we should have that great desire to spend eternity with Our Creator!

At this time in the life of David, the Temple had not yet been built, the place of worship was still the Tabernacle.

David certainly was not desiring to spend everyday in the Tabernacle though we should all have a great desire to worship the Lord in our places set aside for worship.

David had that desire that we should all have.

Our desire to spend eternity with the Lord must be real!

Paul said:

Php 3:13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, "and reaching forth unto those things which are before",
Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Jesus said these words:

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

We must have a desire to be with the Lord. We should show this in our prayers!

We must know the means and the way to get to the Lord. We show this in our faith!

We must know the beauty of the Lord. The Beauty of the Lord is in His "Grace".

While we are still living in this body of flesh we must inquire of His Temple.

That word "inquire" means we must learn more and more about the Lord and His purpose for each of us!

2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

The Bible says we must avoid the ways of the world.

Pro 14:12  There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

We must shy away from false science.

1Ti 6:20  O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:
1Ti 6:21  Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen

To desire, to seek, and to inquire of the Lord, are the things that protect us in our times of troubles!

What did Mary the sister to Martha do?

Luk 10:39  And she had a sister called Mary, "which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word".

What was Martha doing that was wrong?

Luk 10:41  And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

The answer is to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear His Word and not concentrate on our worldly troubles!

Luk 10:42  But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, "which shall not be taken away from her".

There is nothing more important than sitting at the feet of Jesus and hearing His words!

*****Psa 27:5  For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

In the time of David a pavilion was a large, richly decorated tent. The Tabernacle of Moses could be considered a pavilion by this standard.

BUT, the image David wants us to see is an image of God's protection because of His presence.

Psa 31:20  Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

All those that who trust the Lord are safely housed in the Holy of Holies, where no sinful man can approach.

Heb 6:19  Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and "which entereth into that within the veil";
Heb 6:20  Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

The world is a sea of iniquity. This is the place where the "Body of Christ" dwells at this time. Every believer is as a ship bound for the Heavenly port, with Christ Jesus as the pilot, and our hope as the anchor and that anchor of hope is firmly planted inside the veil of the Holy of Holies, the place where God dwells.

That rock is the Lord Jesus Christ!

1Co 10:4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

How can we not praise Him?

*****Psa 27:6  And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

Let's wrap our minds around what David is saying here.

David was king, he lived in royalty but David is not praying for the comforts of his royal palace.

David is not praying for the great feasts in the banquet hall.

David is praying for the joy of worship, the opportunity to sing praises in the House of God!

Even in America we see the freedom to worship come under attack more and more.

We see cities and even counties that change the laws to stop a new church from being built.

We see a government that seeks ways to close the doors of the existing places of worship.

We see churches close for lack of worship because the pulpits have grown cold.

There could come a day when we are like David and we and our own children will have this longing to worship and sing praises in the House of the Lord, because we are no longer able.

We certainly must be diligently seeking our Lord.

*****Psa 27:7  Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
Psa 27:8  When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.

In the last verse David was tuned to joy, music, and praises but now he is crying.

We live in a world where many who pray do not care if the Lord answers them. To be honest most do not have enough faith that God can help them through their troubles.

The answer to these prayers will never come, in fact it is sin to have doubt in the power of God!

Rom 14:23  And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: "for whatsoever is not of faith is sin".

If we do not have faith in answered prayer we cannot even be saved!

Act 2:21  And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

If we have this faith enough to be saved, then we can expect an answer to our prayers.

David so dearly wanted God to answer his prayer and He will in His time and we already know that David's prayer was answered.

Verse 8 plainly states that if we expect to hear from the Lord and then we do, we are then also expected to be obedient to what He says!

Jesus said this:

Joh 15:7  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

David knew it was God who sat him on the throne of Israel. If that was still God's will, then the prayer of David would surely be answered.

God expected David to rule Israel according to the Word of God, this was the will of God for David's life.

This is what God expects of every ruler!

God has a purpose for each of us. When we seek the face of God "according to the fulfillment of that purpose" then we will certainly get an answer to that prayer and it will always be a positive response.

As soon as the Holy Ghost led David to prayer, He was sincere in seeking the will of God.

God will never hide from us the things He has promised!

*****Psa 27:9  Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.

We can be sure that if the Lord commands us to seek Him, then He will not hide from us to make it impossible for us to meet Him in our prayer.

There is only one thing that increases the distance between us and our God.

Isa 59:1  Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
Isa 59:2 0 "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God", and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

David had been a witness to the time that King Saul had been set aside by the Lord.

David also knew he had not led a perfect life.

Truly we must always realize that we are unworthy of the mercy of God!

We should also realize that we would already be in Hell if not for the mercy of God!

If God saved us then He certainly has a plan for us and God will see that His plan moves forward and if we will be a part of God's plan God will make sure this happens!

God uses human beings to get His will done on this Earth. God will never refuse the volunteer and God will never forsake His own children!

The Lord is truly the God of our salvation!

*****Psa 27:10  When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.

Even if our own families withdraw from us, the Lord will never forsake those that love Him!

Though our parents have protected us as long as they could, the Lord days are never ending.

There is no time while we are alive in this world that we are beyond the mercy of the Lord!

*****Psa 27:11  Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

The most important thing we should realize as the children of God is that we do not need instruction in our own ways because our way will always lead to failure.

We need instruction in the ways of God that can never fail!

What is the remedy for success?

2Pe 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2Pe 1:5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pe 1:6  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:9  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
2Pe 1:10  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

You see, we not only need a map while we are on the path of righteousness, we also need a guide to assist us on our journey.

We have both in Jesus Christ!

Pro 15:19  The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.

The enemies of God will always try to hinder our walk with the Lord but we need to know the simplicity of Jesus Christ and remain in His ways!

*****Psa 27:12  Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.

We know from the Book of Job that Satan cannot just have his way with us. He needs God's permission to do so!

Job 1:8  And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
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.

BUT, Satan will always have his eyes on each child of God. He knows our weaknesses. He knows our secret sins.

But Satan has no power over us without the divine permission of God!

When we are tempted God will supply the "Grace" needed to overcome Satan.

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

When Satan cannot touch the individual saint of God, he will then use his followers to slander them.

Slander is that old fashioned weapon out of Satan's arsenal.

No matter how well we walk by the Word of God there will always be some one who will find fault with us!

We can be sure that when Satan is attacking in this method it is because God will not allow him to make a personal attack on our being!

We can also be sure that all those that breath out cruelty will find themselves in Hell!

Those that persecute God's people will find themselves under God's persecution!

*****Psa 27:13  I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

Faintness of heart is a lack of faith!

BUT, Hope in the promises of God is the medicine for faintness of the heart.

2Co 4:16  For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
2Co 4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
2Co 4:18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

When distress comes from the circumstances around us and we are about to fall to pieces, we need to remember we are "Born Again" and our new man within us is in a prosperous position.

Our souls are in good health. The more we cling to the Lord the more we will grow.

We must be patient. The Lord has not forgotten about us and He cannot!

*****Psa 27:14  Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

We must wait in confident expectation!

Most every child of God is ready to go home to Heaven but not one of us want to see a member of our own family left behind.

This is exactly the way the Lord fills.

The Lord wants us all to be home with Him but He is patiently waiting until He knows that very last soul has been saved!

Jas 5:7  Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
Jas 5:8  Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

It will take a certain amount of courage to be in the Army of God!

If you are busy about the work of the Lord, it will sometimes be hard to be on the front lines day after day.

Patience is a part of maturing in our Christian walk with the Lord!

Jas 1:2  My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Jas 1:3  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Jas 1:4  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

We must wait, I say, wait on the Lord!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

Cry Out To The Lord

Cry To The Lord

Psalms 18

We should never forget that even the Psalms are the inspired Word 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.

So not only is this the praise of David but this Psalm should also be the praise of each of us that know the Lord Jesus as our personal Savior.

We know from our past studies that David was a sinner but he had a very personal relationship with the Lord just as we are to have.

We will never improve our walk with the Lord unless we get as close to Him as we possibly can!

God wants us to get close to Him!

Jas 4:8  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

How do we get closer to God?

First and foremost when God calls us by the Holy Ghost we must return God's call!

Rom 10:13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Then we must do these other things:

**Then we must present ourselves in His house.
Those that say they do not have to go to church are not in agreement with the Word of God.

**Then we must walk in His ways.
Those that have one foot in the world and one foot in the church are wasting God's time.

**Then we must obey His commands.
Those that think the Bible is a book of suggestions are in the wrong.

**Then we must humble ourselves in prayer.
Those that do not stay in daily contact with Our Father, through Jesus Christ, will have no power at all.

**Then we must exercise our faith toward Him!
Without faith we cannot please God.

BUT, we should never have the feeling that we must draw nigh to God before He will draw nigh to us because it is God that made the first move.

Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and "hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us";

If we say when did God do this thing?

Mar 15:37  And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
Mar 15:38  And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.

God sent His only begotten Son to pay our sin debt with His own death and this one thing opened the doorway to the throne room of God in Heaven.

David had found an even closer personal relationship with the Lord in his later days.

We need to begin our own personal relationship with God as soon as He calls!

Let's begin:

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul:

*****18:1 And he said, I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.

And David said: "I love thee, O Lord".

We must realize that human love is preceded and generated by the love of God!

God did not wait for us to make some feeble attempt to clean ourselves up before He decided to love us!

Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5  "Even when we were dead in sins", hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

God's love is shown fully by His mercy and His amazing grace!

We should begin each day by saying "I love you Lord" because we would have no strength to begin our day without Him!

How should we express our love for God?

Mar 12:30  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

This is a commandment and not a suggestion!

How does the Lord defend us in all our troubles in order to fulfill the purpose He has for each of us?

*****Psa 18:2  The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

In last weeks lesson we learn what the title LORD means.

These things are written about Jehovah, the self-existing, Eternal Living God!

**The Lord is our rock. It is the Lord who is my hiding place. The Lord is my cleft in the rock.

What did God tell Moses?

Exo 33:21  And the LORD said, Behold, "there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock":

And who is this Rock?

Dan 2:34  Thou sawest till "that a stone was cut out without hands", which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.

This the same rock on which the Bride of Christ is founded.

Psa 118:22  The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

Eph 2:20  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, "Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone";

Jesus Christ is our hiding place, our cleft in the rock.

**The Lord is our fortress. The Lord is our place of safety.

Pro 18:10  The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

**The Lord is our deliverer. The Lord will deliver us our of all affliction, from all temptations, out of the hands of all our enemies, but more important the Lord will deliver us from a body of sin, eternal death, and His wrath that is soon coming.

It is the Lord who rescues our soul!

Joh 10:28  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

**The Lord is our strength.

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

**The Lord is our God. The Lord is all good things in One God!

God says that every Atheist is a fool.

Psa 14:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

The Atheist is a fool by his nature and having denied God he also becomes a fool in practice.

Pro 1:7  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

**The Lord is my buckler. A buckler is a portable shield.

Psa 91:4  He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

**The Lord is the horn of our salvation.

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

This "horn of salvation" is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.

**The Lord is our high tower. It is the Lord who can place us so far out of reach that no evil can touch us. He will do this on the day of the Rapture of the Church.

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

Rev 22:1  And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

But the Lord can be none of these things unless we do the first thing ourselves.

*****Psa 18:3  I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

To call is to cry for help. To call is to pray and to pray is to be in conversation with God. To be in conversation with the Lord is to believe that He has the answers we need and that first prayer should be about salvation.

Act 2:21  And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Why, because it is the Lord who is worthy of our praise.

Rev 5:12  Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

How did our Lord suffer just to become worthy?

*****Psa 18:5  The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.
Psa 18:6  In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

We know that David suffered greatly at the hands of Saul but these things are about Our Lord.

What were these sorrows that encompassed our Savior?

Eph 4:9  (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

The Bible says that Our Savior tasted death for every believer.

Heb 2:9  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; "that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man".

We know that the Lord Jesus suffered the death of His flesh.

But the Lord Jesus also suffered the (spiritual) death of His soul because for a very brief moment He was forsaken by the Father because he bore all our sin.

Mat 27:46  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Mat 12:40  For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth

Just as Our Savior had victory over sin in the flesh.

He also had victory over death because after 3 days he arose.

Act 2:27  Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

This was the reason our Messiah had to die. It was our sin that Our Savior bore on the cross that day!

Col 2:14  Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, "nailing it to his cross";
Col 2:15  And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

This was the reason God came down from Heaven, to take the sting of death away!

1Jn 3:8  He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. "For this purpose" the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

It was our Savior who saw the sorrows of Hell for us. We will never see this place called Hell.

It was our Savior who escaped the snares of death that we could never have escaped from.

It is our Savior who teaches us by example that if we call upon the name of Lord we can be saved.

Peter said it like this:

Act 2:24  Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

At the time these things were written these were all prophesy but they were all fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ.

As David described them, the fear of death is like an overwhelming flood.

Verses 7-15 gives us a vivid picture of the turmoil on this earth that is called the flood of Noah's day.

*****Psa 18:7  Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.
Psa 18:8  There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
Psa 18:9  He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
Psa 18:10  And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
Psa 18:11  He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
Psa 18:12  At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
Psa 18:13  The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
Psa 18:14  Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
Psa 18:15  Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.

These verses give us a word picture of the convulsion of nature at the time of the flood.

But they also tell us many of these same things that happened when Our Lord arose from the death of the grave.

Just as Noah was delivered.

Just as David was delivered.

And because Lord Jesus Christ was delivered.

Then every believer will also be delivered!

*****Psa 18:16  He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.

Those same waters that brought death to the world of that day, raised up the Ark of Salvation.

Because the Lord ascended back to His throne in Heaven, He can now rescue everyone that calls on His name.

This is why we can "Cry Out To The Lord".

Noah and his family were drawn out of deaths chilly waters.

Moses and Israel were drawn out of deaths chilly waters brought on by Pharaoh.

David said he was drawn out of deaths chilly waters brought on by Saul's death grip.

Our Savior was also baptized in the chilly waters of agony and ascended back to His throne in Heaven.

Heb 5:7  Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
Heb 5:8  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Heb 5:9  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

By His own blood He has redeemed all who believe because the Lord had victory over death, hell, and the grave!

*****Psa 18:17  He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.

David knew the joy of being delivered.

Just as David was delivered from Goliath, and from Saul, we have also been delivered from Satan's power.

It would do us good to occasionally look back from where we came and remember that joy on the day that we were delivered from our sin.

Satan is our strong enemy and he is much too powerful for us to challenge alone but Satan's hold on us was broken through the cross!

Heb 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Heb 2:15  And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

*****Psa 18:18  They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.

Calamity is distress. The enemies of Jesus Christ are our enemies and the enemies of the church.

What did they do to the Lord Jesus?

They met Him, they laid hold on Him they insulted Him, they condemned Him, and they crucified Him.

But they could not "prevent Him" from fulfilling the will of God!

When David was greatly distressed, he encouraged himself in the Lord, his God!

Why should we do any different than David did?

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

*****Psa 18:19  He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

Just as God brought Joseph from the prison cell to be governor of Egypt and David from the caves of Adullam to throne of Israel, God will also bring us into a large place!

God does not just liberate us from the pangs of sin and stop at that point. Sin is Satan's prison but the Lamb of God brings true freedom.

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

Why? Because He delights in saving all those that love Him.

When we cry out to the Lord, He wants to do everything we ask of Him but we hold that power within our own selves.

We must be obedient to the things He says!

Our rewards come from doing things the right way!

*****Psa 18:20  The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
Psa 18:21  For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
Psa 18:22  For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
Psa 18:23  I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
Psa 18:24  Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.

The Bible says it will be our righteousness if we observe to do all God's commandments.

We must keep our hands clean.

We must walk by God's standards.

We must study the Word of God.

We must abstain from even the appearance of doing evil.

We must realize that the Lord always has His eyes on us, not for punishment but always ready to give a reward for doing things right.

What is God's rule of thumb for rewards?

*****Psa 18:25  With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
Psa 18:26  With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.
Psa 18:27  For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.

God will render to everyone according to their own works!

*****Psa 18:28  For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.

Darkness is a place where evil goes to hide but evil can never hide from God.

Darkness is also seen as a curse, so death then is also in the land of darkness.

In the time of David many people would burn a lamp all through the night time because they dreaded a dark house.

But the Bible says it is the spirit of man that is God's candle.

Pro 20:27  The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

The question is then are we a lighted candle burning for the Lord or are we in darkness?

We must have that light within ourselves.

It is the Lord Jesus who must light up our souls so that we can give light to others.

Do you have enough light in your candle to light the light of some one else's candle?

We should ask ourselves this question and work on our walk with the Lord until we can be a shining light.

Those that reject the Word of God and look to this world for answers will forever be in outer darkness.

Isa 8:22  And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.

Jesus Christ is our only light in this dark world!

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

Jesus Christ is the only light than can light our candle!

*****Psa 18:29  For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.

The reality of our world is that Satan has a large army of his followers. We should never under value the strength of the enemies of God.

There are many that look upon the death of Jesus Christ as some weakness on the part of God but we know that Christ Jesus rose through that occasion to be our place of strength.

Jesus did not die for Himself, He died for us. His sufferings were made short and He marched right through His enemies and our enemies.

Eph 4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, "he led captivity captive", and gave gifts unto men.

Satan shuts the sinner up into a deep ditch of sin and a high wall of immorality.

When Christ comes into our heart, He leaps over these walls and carries each one to safety.

Satan cannot overcome the plan of God because God's plan is perfect.

*****Psa 18:30  As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
Psa 18:31  For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?
Psa 18:32  It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
Psa 18:33  He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places.

To the sinner God's ways may not seem to be perfect.

And when we are suffering we sometimes forget the promises of God.

The roads in the wilderness of sin are always crooked!

Disappointment most always causes doubt!

The "Gospel" is sometimes a stumbling block to many that want more from this life but do not know how to achieve it.

But pain comes from this world when we refuse to accept the "perfect" Word of God.

The Bible has stood the test of time!

2Pe 3:8  But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

There is no other God besides Jehovah the Tri-Une God no matter what the world tries to say!

The girdle in the time of David was a necessary part of clothing. It strengthened the loins, it kept the other garments close to the body, and it gave a place to tuck in the long robe when it was time to move quickly.

The strength of God is to our soul, what the girdle is to the body.

Isa 45:5  I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:

That girdle for the soul is the Lord Jesus Christ.

A hind is a female deer or a doe.

It is the Lord that gives us swiftness to avoid trouble but also strength, protection, and a firm footing in this world.

All our strength will come from the Lord if we accept His plan of salvation!

*****Psa 18:34  He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
Psa 18:35  Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
Psa 18:36  Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
Psa 18:37  I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
Psa 18:38  I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.
Psa 18:39  For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.
Psa 18:40  Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.

God's way is the perfect way and when our walk in this life is in step with the Lord Jesus Christ then He will make our walk perfect also.

We will be swift and sure footed when our path is slippery.

We will be strong in all our battles.

He will give us the shield of His Salvation.

But we must put on the whole armor of God because there should be no doubt that as Christians we  are living in the war zone.

God will not always strive with the enemies of Jesus Christ!

*****Psa 18:41  They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.

Our prayers are such a great weapon in this world that even the wicked will try call out for help in desperation but to no avail.

The Bible says:

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

It is a fact that bad men have called out to God to go against His own children but God will never answer that prayer!

Remember the story of Balaam?

When a sinner refuses to hear the Holy Spirit then God will refuse to hear when they cry out to Him.

Zec 7:13  Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts:

In fact God will laugh and mock at these request.

Pro 1:24  Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
Pro 1:25  But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
Pro 1:26  I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

*****Psa 18:42  Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.
Psa 18:43  Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.
Psa 18:44  As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.
Psa 18:45  The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.

King David had defeated the enemies of Israel in such a way that they were powerless. God had subdued all his enemies under his feet.

This gives us the example of the Lord during the Millennial Kingdom. It is the Lord Jesus Christ who will sit on David's Throne.

Psa 22:27  All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
Psa 22:28  For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the nations.
Psa 22:29  All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.

Even Israel will worship King Jesus at this time.

But even during the 1000 years of the Millennial Kingdom will everyone willingly serve the Lord. There will also be some, such as strangers who are too afraid not to!

All nations must now serve Him because He will reign with a "rod of iron".

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.

*****Psa 18:46  The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
Psa 18:47  It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.
Psa 18:48  He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
Psa 18:49  Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.
Psa 18:50  Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.

We do not serve an inanimate, imaginary, or an old dying god. We serve the Living God!

Heb 10:31  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of "the living God".

The topics of our conversation should be about our own calling by God the Father.

The topics of our conversation must include the redemption by the Son of God.

The topics of our conversation must include the washing and regeneration by the Holy Spirit of God.

It is only the individual Christian that can know these things!

This must be the beginning of our testimony to others!

What is the Psalm we will all sing in Heaven?

Rev 1:5  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,"

Vengeance is to never in our hands, vengeance belongs to the Lord!

It is the Lord Jesus Christ that has delivered us from all our enemies, especially Satan, the Devil.

Though this world we live in tries to stop our mouths from praising the Lord, we must sing out to our God whether they like it or not!

David wrote this Psalm, by the Holy Spirit, because he had been delivered.

If you know the Lord Jesus Christ as you Savior, then you have been delivered!

We should show our happiness in our singing of praises to the Lord!

We should have no problem crying out to the Lord!

Questions?

Let's Pray!