Rejoice In The Lord

Rejoice In The Lord

Psalm 33

The 32nd Psalm was a Psalm of instruction and yet we know that "all" the scriptures are good for instruction.

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.

When we confess our sin to the Lord, it will lead to a time of rejoicing.

Psalm 33 is a Psalm of rejoicing.

This Psalm teaches us not to just rejoice but to express our emotions loudly.

After all we are the redeemed people of God.

Psa 107:2  Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

Whatever others think of us, as the redeemed of the Lord we have many reasons to rejoice in the Lord.

To rejoice is to experience joy and gladness to a high degree!

To rejoice should be heard by the voice. To rejoice is the idea of singing out with immense joy.

Though we can rejoice alone, this Psalm is more about the gathering in an assembly to worship the Lord!

Heb 10:24  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Heb 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

When we gather together as the redeemed of the Lord, we need to worship but we also need to rejoice in that worship!

This Psalm teaches us how to rejoice and some of the reasons why we need to rejoice.

Let's begin:

*****Psa 33:1  Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.

Who are the righteous? All those that are justified by faith in our Holy God!

Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Music has always been a vital part of praising the Lord in our worship services.

This Psalm is more about congregational praise than the individual. It is "all the righteous" who are to praise the Lord!

All music in the Church is to be about praising the Lord and not for entertaining those that are sitting in the pews!

Many places of worship have become places of entertainment.

That building may be used for other things but that worship service should be exactly that, a worship service to the Lord!

To rejoice is to shout for joy, to sing joyfully, to cry out in joy exalting the Lord our God!

If God never did anything but save us from a burning hell, we have enough reason to praise Him!

Psa 5:11  But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

It is dangerous to rejoice in the things of this world!

It is foolish to rejoice in our own accomplishments!

It is fatal to rejoice in sin! The wages of sin are death.

But it is heavenly to rejoice in the Lord!

It is a fact that even the righteous are not always glad, so we all have a need to stir up that rejoicing spirit within ourselves.

There is great joy in knowing the Lord!

When the Lord sees His church rejoicing and singing praises to Him they are beautiful in His sight!

The word "comely" means to offer rejoicing praise to the Lord is a beautiful and a most fitting thing to do!

Psa 147:1  Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.

God loves to see His people happy!

There may be many professionals who sing the songs of praise, who do not know the Lord as their Savior, but God sees no beauty in them.

Singing is wonderful but God says to bring your musical instruments.

The Psalms were never to be chanted, they were always to be accompanied by musical instrument!

There is nothing musical about chanting!

*****Psa 33:2  Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.

**The harp was the national instrument of the Hebrew people.

If you do not like the praising of the Lord with singing along with the harp, you will not like it in Heaven.

Rev 14:2  And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and "I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps":

The voice of the harp is beautiful!

**The psaltery is another version of the harp but normally had 12 strings.

It was played with the hand. Some say it resembled the guitar but had a much superior tone.

**The instrument of 10 strings was also another version of the harp.

In fact it is possible that this instrument more fits the picture of the modern day harp. The strings may have been plucked with a quill or with the hand.

There are many that say music is not important in the worship service but what do they do with these scriptures in the Bible?

God includes these things in the Bible for a reason!

Many will say that musical instruments are unnecessary to worship the Lord but most people will not sing at all without the assistance of musical instruments.

The pure fact is, that we are to praise the Lord with every fiber in our body and all the powers we possess.

Praise is never to be half-done but wholehearted!

*****Psa 33:3  Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.

Nine times in the Bible we are told to sing a "new song" to the Lord.

When we are saved, we need to be singing a new song.

When our troubles are over we need to be singing a new song.

When God has answered  that prayer we have prayed for so long a time, we need to be singing a new song.

When God has been merciful toward us in anyway we need to be singing a new song!

When we live by the ways of the Lord it is a "new and living way"!

Heb 10:19  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Heb 10:20  By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

Just singing for the sake of singing and not in praising God is not worth very much.

The Lord loves to see us excited about our salvation!

The Lord loves to see a freshness in our worship!

The Lord loves for us to put forth our new life, that "Born Again" feeling, from the heart and soul into our praises for Him.

To play skillfully is to praise God in everything with the very best that we have!

The sweetest tune, the sweetest voice with the sweetest words, the very best we can do are still much to little to offer our Lord for what He has done for us!

We can live a righteous life only because the Word of God is right!

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

If this verse is not true then we can all go home because we can find better things to do but since it is true then we need to pay attention to what God has got to say!

What ever God says in His written Word are the truth!

What ever God says about His creation is the truth!

We may not understand why things happen as they do in our lives and the lives of those we love and care about but we must believe that all the works of the Lord were the right thing for Him to allow to happen!

There are no deviations from the Word of God that hold true!

There are no deviations in God's act of creation, God spoke and things happened!

We can praise God because of His truth.

We can praise God because of His faithfulness.

We can praise God because of His "Mercy" and His "Grace".

And we can praise God because of His truth in creation!

In fact there are no reasons why we should not be praising God!

The more we know about our God, the more we will learn of His excellence!

*****Psa 33:5  He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.

What does God love?

According to the Bible, true righteousness is a character of God that is rooted in the fulfillment of the covenants God makes with us when He saves us.

True righteousness can come to each of us only because of our relationship with Our Holy God!

Righteousness is always doing things right and we have no power of righteousness within ourselves!

Psa 14:2  The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
Psa 14:3  They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

There are many who believe they know how to do the right things but God say no one can know without His wisdom.

Isa 64:6  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

God 's righteousness is seen in what God does!

And because God is righteous in His "mercy" He will also be righteous in His "judgment"!

Psa 96:13  Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

Just as God will keep His covenant of salvation through Jesus Christ, He will also keep His covenant of judgment also by Jesus Christ!

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

Salvation and condemnation must exist together as the truth of God's character!

It is only the saved that can understand these things of God.

Liberals cringe at the thought of God's judgment!

It is God who created His covenants and it is God who must remain faithful to His own covenants!

It is the righteousness of God that is the key to understanding the salvation of humanity!

God requires each of us to be righteous but our righteousness can only come by the Lord Jesus Christ!

It is the gift of "righteousness" that God gives so freely by His "Grace"!

Rom 5:17  For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

The Earth is truly full of the goodness of God and everyone on this Earth will get the opportunity to miss out on the judgment of God!

Before any one dies they will be offered that choice to believe. It is what we do with that choice that determines our outcome at the end of our physical days.

Things happen when God speaks.

*****Psa 33:6  By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

We can understand the word heavens as the 3 heavens.

1) There is the atmospheric heaven:

This is the body of our earthly atmosphere and extends to about 6 miles above our planet.

No other planet has such an atmosphere as the one that surrounds our Earth!

Life on Earth can only exist because of our atmosphere!

Act 14:17  Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

2) There is the celestial heaven:

This the place of our Sun and Moon and all the stars of the Milky Way and all other galaxies.

Gen 1:14  And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
Gen 1:15  And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

3) And there is the dwelling place of God:

This is the specific place of God's dwelling.

Mat 6:9  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Isa 66:1  Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

This where we will find the Father's House and where Jesus returned to prepare for us a place.

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.

Paul said this is the 3rd heaven.

2Co 12:2  I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.

This is what John saw in the Book of Revelation.

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

And God made all the host of all 3 heavens just by His commands.

All the vast spaces of the heavens and the cosmos were called into existence by the Word of God, in fact by the Word of Christ Jesus.

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

It is on these things is where our faith must begin!

Heb 11:3  Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

If we cannot begin with the truth of God's creation we will never understand the truth of the righteousness of God!

*****Psa 33:7  He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.

In the Book of Genesis we read that God gathered 2 great bodies of water. One above the atmosphere and one below the atmosphere.

Gen 1:7  And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

God then gathered all the waters below the atmosphere into one place.

Gen 1:9  And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

Today all our oceans are still inter connected and separated by name only. The seas stay where God directs them.

Pro 8:29  When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:

These seas have remained in place except for the one time that God flooded the entire planet at one time in the time of Noah.

Psa 104:9  Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.

All the extra water that was used to flood the Earth is now laid up in the depth of God's storehouses.

It is from these sources that we get our wells and the many springs and many a river begin from these storehouses of water.

These waters that were once used in judgment are now used in mercy!

*****Psa 33:8  Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.

It was the Jews that sang these songs of praise but God says let all the Earth stand in awe of Him.

We cannot properly worship the Lord unless we can admit His boundless power!

We cannot get a single prayer answered unless we can admit God's boundless power!

We cannot even obtain salvation unless we can admit God boundless power!

How could we trust our salvation to a God that professed anything less than our Creator has already shown us!

Awe is fear intermingled with adoration. We must realize both these things when we come humbly before our righteous God!

Why?

Because when God speaks things happen!

*****Psa 33:9  For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

Creation is the fruit of God's Word!

This is why Creation by the design of God remains constantly under attack.

If God did not create all things as He has said then we cannot be saved!

God did not take millions nor even billions of years to accomplish His works of creation. If creation could take place by these processes then we would not need God!

We have a Creator who strives to also be our Savior but it takes "faith"!

It takes more faith to believe in the lies of evolution that it does to get saved!

Each created act was an instantaneous event that cannot be explained by natural processes!

Out of nothing came God's creation and it is confirmed by it's existence!

There is only one means of true happiness in this world and it is to realize that we are a created being and not some accident that just happened!

There is not one human being on this Earth that can prove any other method of creation beyond what God says!

*****Psa 33:10  The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.

Everything that happens on this Earth has some part in God's plan!

God does not adjust His plan according to the outcome of events. God's decrees govern human history!

Dan 4:35  And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

God also has His way in the angelic realm! Even Satan does not make a move without the express permission of God!

Sinful acts do not frustrate the plan of God and God is not the cause of sinful acts!

Although all things are encompassed in the will of God, each of us are responsible for our own actions!

Although the death of Jesus Christ was the great plan of God for our salvation, it is still a fact that wicked men were responsible for His death!

God gave us the freedom to choose but God has only chose righteousness for Himself!

Even though Christian persecution is on the rise, God will bring good out of it because He always has!

The cause of Christ is never in danger of not succeeding!

Wickedness will always be overcome with godly wisdom!

Satan will always be held in check by the power of God!

Why?

*****Psa 33:11  The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

We should ask ourselves, what is the greatest comfort we can have in this life before our death?

We should be able to answer this question with these words: That, I with my body and soul, both in life and in death, am not my own because I belong to the Lord Jesus Christ who is faithful enough to preserve me that without the will of my Father in Heaven not one hair can fall from my body and that all things that happen to me while I am alive must work to the good of my salvation!

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

God did not send His Son to this Earth to die in payment for our sin just to abandon us in our time of trouble!

1Co 1:9  God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

God is faithful to keep His promises!

God will never change His purpose for us!

God's plan cannot fail!

**What is the view of the Atheist and the Evolutionist? All human history and of life are subject to fate.

**What is the view of the Muslim and others that believe in One God? That God created our world but has since allowed the world to run itself like some machine and men control their own destiny.

**What is the view of the pantheist and the environmentalist? That the universe is God and is only some impersonal force that permeate our universe and that God is the creation.

**What is the view of dualism? That two opposing forces, the forces of light and the forces of darkness are locked in a great battle and no one knows who will win in the end. In other words God is caught up in this battle that is out of His control.

What is the real truth of Jehovah God?

Psa 86:10  For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.

Truly the Word of God will stand forever and God's eternal purposes are much firmer than His creations!

Men and women come and go and most of them follow their own desires to the grave!

But the undisturbed mind of God moves on producing results that are certain!

God's will and God's plan will be carried out from age to age and we know that the Church Age is fast drawing near it's end.

So how can our own nation of America and all other nations be blessed?

*****Psa 33:12  Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

Blessed does not just mean just spiritual happiness but also to be prosperous in our physical lives.

Israel has been blessed from the time of Abraham but God's blessings are for any and every nation whose God is the Lord!

There are many religions but there can be only one Christianity!

If Christianity is to be considered a religion then in can only be the religion of Jesus Christ!

We have no religion beyond Jesus Christ!

There are many things that have happened and continue to happen in our world in the name of Christianity but are not of true Christians.

We see many Muslim who move forward to establish the Koran with cruelty and superstitions.

We know that many nations throughout history, such as in Europe that have felt the power of the sword in the name of Christianity but not by true Christianity.

It is not any of these things that can bless a nation!

It is only Christians who are filled with the fruit of the Holy Spirit that can bring God's blessing to any nation!

We already know that in America, those that do not know the Lord are using all their power to remove the Lord Jesus from any part of America.

God's may have already stopped blessing America!

We already know that those that bless Israel will also get a blessing but as our government condemns Israel then the blessings will stop!

So as we see our nation falling apart we do not have to look far for the reasons!

But God will never remove His blessings from those that He has chosen for His own inheritance!

Our home is not in America.

Our home is not even in this world.

There is nothing in this world that can cause our home in Heaven to be less than what God says it will be!

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.

Since we are so blessed, we need to rejoice and shine brightly for the world to see and cling to Jesus who is our Savior!

The Lord has His eyes on us.

*****Psa 33:13  The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.
Psa 33:14  From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.

It should provide us a great comfort knowing that we are always under the watchful eye of the Lord.

But the eyes of the Lord are also on those that do not know Him.

God knows what the saints are doing and what those that are lost are doing to those saints!

There is nothing that can happen on this Earth that does not catch the eye of God.

There is also nothing that happens on this Earth that could not be stopped if the Lord chose to do so!

God can also see deep into the heart of every man and He says it is the foolish men that cause wars.

2Ch 16:9  For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.

*****Psa 33:15  He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works.

God has fashioned every heart to seek after the Creator. The heart of the king as well as the heart of the beggar and all in between.

Consider what it means that God is examining each of us and He knows our intentions even before we act on them.

What did Jesus say?

Mat 5:28  But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her "hath committed adultery with her already in his heart".
Mat 5:29  And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Mat 5:30  And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

We must desperately fight against the desires of our heart when our desires go against the Word of God!

*****Psa 33:16  There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.

God cannot be defeated in His plans for all mankind!

Our Lord is a sovereign God and has decreed all things according to His will.

Every human being is responsible for their own sinful acts!

For instance, Christ's death was a result of God's plan but wicked men were responsible for His death!

So man being a mortal, and subject to death, has no power to change God's plan.

All those that trust in mortal power are deceived!

There have been many an empire fall throughout history that have fallen even though they had the largest army and/or the best armaments.

There is no greater example of this than the nation of Israel!

America has never been great because of earthly resources. America has been great only because the founding fathers searched for a place to serve God, by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why is America failing today? Because Christians are standing idle while wicked people are removing the Lord Jesus Christ from our nation!

America may be the most powerful nation on this Earth but nothing can ensure the safety of those that God leaves to their own destruction!

No man, no matter his strength is able to deliver himself from the hands of God!

When that day of death arrives there is no force on this Earth that save us from that death!

Our strength can only come from the Lord!

Jer 9:23  Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
Jer 9:24  But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.

*****Psa 33:17  An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.

In the time of David, military strength was measured not only by the size of the army, but also in horses and chariots.

It is a fact that the well trained horse will rush into danger therefore taking his rider to his death or death can come if that horse falls upon it's rider.

The strongest defenses are nothing if they fail when they are needed the most.

Even today in Iraq, we have an army supposedly trained by America, supplied with the best weapons on this Earth yet they are failing miserably because they have no will to fight the enemy.

They do not have God on their side!

In fact they themselves allow the persecution of God's people!

We should realize God is not on either side of this conflict!

It is just evil and foolish men on both sides seeking to control the masses of people.

And it is only the Lord our God who can deliver us from such wars!

Sennacherib had a mighty army but it only took one angel of the Lord to end his day!

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.

Not one army nor even all the armies on this Earth can stand against the Lord!

Psa 20:7  Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
Psa 20:8  They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.

*****Psa 33:18  Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;
Psa 33:19  To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.

That word "behold" means open your eyes and you will see who sits on the throne of our world!

Many laugh when they see the references to the physical features of the Lord.

God is Spirit for sure!

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

But we know that the Lord Jesus went back to Heaven in a glorified body and in that same glorified body will He return!

Act 1:9  And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
Act 1:10  And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Act 1:11  Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

The truth is that our God is omnipotent and He can certainly assume the attributes of the bodies of those He has created when He so wills!

What does God say to those that mock Him?

Psa 94:8  Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise?
Psa 94:9  He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?
Psa 94:10  He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know?
Psa 94:11  The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.

Deliverance from evil cannot come by military power!

Deliverance form evil cannot come by manpower!

Deliverance from evil cannot come by all the horsepower in this world!

Deliverance from evil can only come by "Spiritual Power"!

Because the Lord's hand go everywhere His eyes go!

God can preserve all those He sees and death cannot touch them unless the Lord allows it!

Mortality means we are always subject to death at any time, God knows exactly when that day will come and it comes by the choices we make.

We should also remember, famines normally come by the judgment of God.

It may be said that famine comes from natural causes but they must be allowed.

Natural causes are just the agents and instruments God uses in His judgment of sin!

But the greatest famine of all is when sin separates us from the express will of God!

Amo 8:11  Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:
Amo 8:12  And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.

This famine may be in the early stages of it's beginning or even farther along than that!

There is not a day that goes by that we should not be calling upon the Lord.

*****Psa 33:20  Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.

We can only rejoice when we are patiently waiting for the Lord and trust in His Word!

What are we waiting for?

Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

That word "Our" means these things belong to those who wait on the Lord.

Our relationship with the Lord must be a very personal thing!

The Lord is the answer to all things to His people!

Isa 40:31  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

What are we to rejoice in?

*****Psa 33:21  For our heart shall rejoice "in him", because we have trusted in his holy name.

We must not rejoice in sin.

We must not rejoice in ourselves.

We must rejoice in the Lord!

We must rejoice in His Word!

We must rejoice in His person!

We must rejoice in His righteousness!

We must rejoice in His salvation!

We must rejoice in His unspeakable joy!

1Pe 1:8  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
1Pe 1:9  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

And we must rejoice in our only hope!

*****Psa 33:22  Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.

Even when we can rejoice in the Lord, we still need His mercy!

Our joy can come only by our faith!

What did Jesus say?

Mat 9:29  Then touched he their eyes, saying, "According to your faith be it unto you".

We are saved by our hope in a very personal relationship with the Lord!

Rom 8:24  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Rom 8:25  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Even when our hope is weak, we can rejoice because we have been blessed far more than we deserve!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

True Confession

Confess To The Lord

Psalms 32

What does true confession of sin really mean?

It means we see our sin the same way that God sees it!

It means we acknowledge our sin as a fault against God!

It means we acknowledge our sin as a crime, it means we acknowledge our human faults!

Confession is a declaration of our guilt before God!

Confession must always come before repentance!

Repentance is the pain or grief from committing that sin and is brought on by Holy Ghost conviction if you are one of God's children.

Repenting is a changing of the mind, turning away from sin and turning toward God.

Not only are we to confess our sin to God the Father through Jesus Christ, we are also to confess our faults to one another for our prayers to bring the greatest results!

Jas 5:16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Sin is the source of corruption and trouble in our lives.

As we go through this Psalm today we will see a psalm of instruction.

Confession and repentance will always bring instruction from the Lord!

We have been learning how to improve our walk with the Lord and this is a very important lesson for us.

In Psalms 143 we read "Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk" and in another verse we read "Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God".

We need God's instructions to improve our walk with Him!

Let's begin:

*****Psa 32:1  A Psalm of David, Maschil. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

We see again that we have another Psalm of David but we also see a difference in this Psalm.

We see that word "Maschil". The word Maschil means "instructive"!

In other words God says, "let Me explain some things to you".

There are 13 of the Maschil Psalms where God says let me explain this thing to you in a few words.

God says, "let Me give you these things to meditate on".

When we are obedient to the Word of God it means our own judgment will be sound because it is based on the truth of God.

We may talk the talk of a Christian but if we do not walk the talk by doing the will of God then we need to get on our knees before God and seek the truth!

There can be no doubt that David wrote this Psalm in connection with his great sin with Bathsheba and the death of Uriah.

This 32 Psalm is not only the record of David's confession but also a record of the forgiveness he received.

And most important it is a permanent record of David being restored in the eyes of God!

So God told David to use this instance in his life to teach others how to walk closer to the Lord.

Even today this is a Psalm that that is read on Ash Wednesday by the Jews and they still cannot see the lesson God is teaching.

David had come to realize that the blood of Uriah was on his hands.

The Jews have still not yet considered that the blood of Jesus was on there hands.

Mat 27:25  Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

It is the blood of Jesus that is the one thing that brings redemption to all God's people!

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

We can find great comfort in knowing the "Amazing Grace" of God and then using these lessons we learn to help others come to the Lord.

The Jews will not learn this lesson until after the "Rapture" of the Church and during the tribulation period!

Rev 7:14  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

There will never be but one way to get to Heaven, it will always be by Jesus Christ!

What is our greatest blessing?

When our transgressions are forgiven!

God has given us the 10 moral laws(10 Commandments) as our standard to live by.

Any act that goes beyond these laws is a transgression against the Word of God!

Being pardoned by the mercy of God is the greatest prize we can obtain in this world!

This is the only way of sure happiness in this world we live in!

Notice who is blessed here.

It is not those that think they break no laws.

It is only those that have broken the laws of God, realize that they have done so, and by repenting have received a full pardon by our merciful God.

1Jn 1:8  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jn 1:10  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Forgiven means that burden of sin has been taken away.

What is the burden of sin?

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

It cost the Lord Jesus Christ the sweat of His blood to carry our sin away.

To know the Lord as your Savior means our sins are covered, they are out of His sight.

The Bible says:

Mic 7:19  He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; "and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea".

There are places in the seas that are so deep that no man can go, somewhere in those great depths the Lord has cast all the sin of those that love Him.

*****Psa 32:2  Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

When we go against the Word of God we are being disobedient. That disobedience is describes as sin, transgression, and iniquity and we have all three of these words in these first two verses of this text.

Sin is the departure from the Word of God.

Transgression is going beyond the Law of God.

Iniquity is deviating from the Word of God.

What separates the Christian faith from religion!

Christians see the trinity of sin and the trinity of sin can only be over come by the Trinity of Heaven.

Joh 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

And add the Holy Spirit.

Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

The Apostle Paul clearly understood what David had written down for us and what that word "imputeth" truly meant.

Rom 4:7  Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
Rom 4:8  Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

How does the Holy Spirit get involved in the lives of God's children?

*****Psa 32:3  When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.

Remember David had not only committed adultery while he was King of Israel but he had caused the death of a true hero of the nation of Israel.

In today's world Uriah would have easily have won the "Medal of Honor" for his duties as a soldier in the army of Israel but David's sin had ended his life and ended his heritage.

The world knew nothing about David's sin.

David was outwardly silent about his sin but inwardly the Holy Spirit was eating him alive!

While a true child of God is trying to hide their sin, that eternally saved soul within them will begin to decay with weakness!

Holy Ghost conviction means the God's Spirit is convincing you of that sin, or pointing out that sin in your life.

Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
Joh 16:8  And when he is come, "he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment":

Did the Holy Spirit do His work in the Old Testament"

Isa 63:10  But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: "therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them".

When the Holy Spirit is fighting against you, your life will be miserable!

Just so we can also know that Jesus Christ can feel our pain and suffering, He also felt our sin:

Psa 22:1  My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and "from the words of my roaring"?

David felt a roaring inside for his own sin!

The Lord Jesus Christ felt a roaring inside because He carried all our sin!

*****Psa 32:4  For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.

God's hand was a marvelous thing when He lifted us up out of that miry clay.

God's hand is wonderful in our time of need and He provides.

God's hand brings much comfort when we are in distress.

But that same hand will weigh heavy on us when we have gone against His Word!

David had hidden his sin from the world for nearly a year but God had made his life miserable.

The chastening hand of God does not treat us like a criminal but as a loving Father dealing with His disobedient children.

God chastens us because He loves us.

Heb 12:6  "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth", and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
Heb 12:8  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Unconfessed sin had dried up the fountain of David's strength. David had become a physical wreck!

What is the fruit of the Spirit?

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

None of these things will be available in our lives if we carry unconfessed sin!

If you have plants that you water and you neglect to water those plants they will dry up and eventually die.

God had cut off His glory spout from Heaven to David and David was withering to the point of death.

David's conscience was defiled.

David's was worried for his health.

David's was sick in his body.

It took all these things to bring David back to the Lord.

That word "Selah" means that David thought about what he was doing and David paused to reflect on what he had done.

It was time to change!

That word "Selah" can also mean that it was time to set the music to a different key.

It was time for David to sing a new song with his life.

There was only one answer to David's problems.

*****Psa 32:5  I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

When we are too proud to humble ourselves before God we deserve all our troubles!

The sin of Adam is a corruption of our own nature and everyone that lives, live in Adam's corruption!

David was not only corrupt in his nature but he carried the heavy weight of adultery and murder that no one knew about except he and Joab and God.

We must not only confess our sin, we must confess our guiltiness of that sin!

Remember sin is something we intentionally do, when we had the opportunity to avoid it!

When David looked over that wall and saw Bathsheba, he had the opportunity to go back into his home and forget what he had seen and none of these other things would have taken place!

Then notice the next thing that happened.

David said to himself that, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord".

There is no room for excuses in our prayers!

And how merciful is the Lord? David had said this in his heart and before he said these things with his mouth, the Lord had gotten ahead of him and The Lord forgave him.

Not only was David's sin forgiven but his guiltiness was also taken away from him!

And Selah: David paused to meditate on the "Amazing Grace" of God!

When we know the Lord, there will be a change in our lives!

And just as quickly as David had confessed his sin in his heart, God had just as quickly forgotten that sin.

And David said this is an example for us all.

*****Psa 32:6  For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.

We are foolish when we try to carry the weight of unconfessed sin!

God put these passages in the Bible for us to know the truth!

God put these passages in the Bible to instruct us so we can avoid living miserable in our sin!

Just as David, we all can draw nearer to the Lord, when godliness rules in our heart.

There is a reason that the place above the Ark is called the "Mercy Seat".

The Mercy Seat of God is where mercy and truth come together!

BUT, the "mercy" of God can only be obtained by the "Truth" of the Lord Jesus Christ!

When is the time that the Lord can be found?

It is between the time of sin and the day of punishment.

It is between the time we are born until the time we die!

Since we cannot know the time we will die then now is the best time!

The Lord cannot be found by those who are condemned!

It is this time of Grace we live in now!

2Co 6:2  (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Unconfessed sin will bring the heavy hand of God down on us like a flood of raging waters but those waters will not come near the ones who acknowledge and confess their sin!

We can hide in the truth of God!

*****Psa 32:7  Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.

Just a moment ago we read that David was under the heavy hand of God because of unconfessed sin but where is he now?

David is now rejoicing in God's hiding place.

This is what honest confession and a full forgiveness will do for us.

Trouble can do us no real harm when the Lord is with us!

But the lessons we learn from our troubles will also lead to greater strength!

We may wonder how David could write so many of the Psalms but maybe it was because he realized the great joy of understanding the mercy of God!

Instead of drowning in the sea of forgetfulness we to can be surrounded with songs of deliverance!

Sorrow can be changed into happiness!

And again Selah, we need to pause and reflect on these things and see what God has done.

We need to pause and reflect on the many things that God does everyday in our lives.

Many of them go unnoticed but God continues His work in our lives to fulfill the purpose He has for each of us!

*****Psa 32:8  I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

Notice God has already forgiven David and allowed the joy of forgiveness to sink in and now after these things it's time for God's instructions.

The most important part of any prayer is God's answer!

Our Savior is also our instructor!

We are not just pardoned so we can move ahead in our own lust and desires!

Preacher Sam says all the time, "The Lord did not give us the Holy Spirit for enjoyment, He gave us the Holy Spirit for our employment".

We have have been learning how to improve our walk with the Lord for may weeks now and that walk makes it's greatest improvement when we obey the instructions that come with answered prayer!

We are to be educated in holiness and trained for perfection!

Too many mistakes are made when we go our own way.

All of us can remember as we were growing up and doing something wrong and get that glance from that father or mother that said without speaking to stop what you are doing.

It seems all mothers had that look  and we all knew what that certain look meant.

This is the same feeling we should all have when we are back in fellowship with the Lord and sensitive to His will, by the Holy Spirit!

The Bible still says:

Eph 4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

*****Psa 32:9  Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.

It is the understanding that we are to have a close personal relationship with our Father in Heaven that separates us from animals as they can have no such understanding!

God gave man the ability to make choices through counsel and advice but many choose the harness and the whip!

If we are close enough to God to see that loving guiding eye, God will not have to restrain us with bridles and bits as animals!

When David took that second look at Bathsheba he felt he could control his own destiny and was free to do so but God only saw David acting like an animal!

Like the war horse David rushed into trouble.

Like the stubborn mule David was just as stubborn and tried to hide his sin.

And like animals, sometime God has to physically restrain us for our own good!

It is a fact that we need to travel through this life on God's pathway!

It is also a fact that we need a guide in our travels and that guide is the Lord Jesus Christ!

God will use His loving eye to guide us if we will pay attention but if not, God loves us enough to guide us with His chastisement.

God will keep tight reins on those He loves!

But for the wicked it is not so.

*****Psa 32:10  Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about.

God will guide His children with His mercy and His grace to the place of triumph but all those that reject the Lord Jesus Christ will eventually find continuous sorrow.

Faith is the true source of virtue but a lack of faith brings wickedness and many sorrows.

What is the best choice?

*****Psa 32:11  Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

Happiness is not just a privilege, it is our duty!

When this Psalm began David was deeply depressed because he had refused to repent of his secret sin.

The most important thing we can do in this world is to have a close personal relationship with the Lord!

There are no secrets we can hide from Him!

And we have to much to be thankful for than to continuously backslide on God!

What are the guidelines for peace in our lives and peace with God?

1Th 5:15  See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.
1Th 5:16  Rejoice evermore.
1Th 5:17  Pray without ceasing.
1Th 5:18  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1Th 5:19  Quench not the Spirit.
1Th 5:20  Despise not prophesyings.
1Th 5:21  Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
1Th 5:22  Abstain from all appearance of evil.
1Th 5:23  And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The closer we walk the Lord, the nearer He is to us!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

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!

Hearing What God Has To Say

Hear The Word Of The Lord.

Psalms 19:1-14

We first learned that we must "trust" in the Lord.

Without "faith" it is impossible to please the Lord!

Last week we learned that we must "cry out" to the Lord.

Without "prayer" we cannot obtain deliverance by the Lord!

This week our theme is we must"hear" what God has to say to us.

We can never understand the foundations of our "faith" if we do not do these things.

What are the two sources of the truth of Jehovah the Living God.

1) God's creation, the physical world we live in.

2) God's, Holy Ghost Inspired Word, the Scriptures which also contain the way of eternal life in our new home.

God says:

Rom 1:19  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
Rom 1:20  "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made", even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

There will be no excuses acceptable when we come face to face with the true and Living God!

*****Psa 19:1  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

Hear again we see another Psalm of David.

This is the Psalm of the two books given to us from God.

There is the Book of Nature, God's created world, and there is the Book of Scriptures, the written Word of Truth.

The Book of Nature is not silent and speaks in every language known to man.

David spent many a day in the outdoors under the day time sky and under the night time sky.

Before David lived the life of a soldier, he was first a shepherd.

David realized the the heavens certainly do declare the glory of God.

And just as our Sun is never seen without it's brightness, Our Father in Heaven is never seen without His Son!

Mal 4:2  But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Heb 1:3  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

The world we live in may cling to the theory of evolution but it is a fact that the heavens declare the glory of God.

God spoke the heavens into existence.

Gen 1:14  And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
Gen 1:15  And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

There were signs established in the night time skies.

Job 38:31  Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?
Job 38:32  Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?
Job 38:33  Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?

There are also the phases of the Moon, the ever circling Comets, the glorious movement of Space itself.

Nature tells us that there is a God!

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

Nature tells us that this God is a glorious God.

Nature tells us that this God is full of knowledge and power.

But Nature also tells us of the mercy of God, God's Grace!

Notice David wrote "the heavens". David was not just teaching us about the celestial bodies but also the air, the clouds, the rain, the wind, everything above the ground which all display the infinite power and wisdom of our Creator.

The word firmament is all the expanse of God's creation that is above us.

God tells us that all these things we see in Nature should be speaking to us all the things that we cannot see, that there is a God!

Isa 40:22  It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

*****Psa 19:2  Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
Psa 19:3  There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.

Day after day the Sun rises just as the Lord has directed. Night after night we can see the wonders in the expanse of the night sky just as the Lord has directed.

There are no words that can explain the Lord's creation, it speaks for itself.

What we see with our eyes is the great design of our Creator!

The existence of a creation implies the existence of a Creator!

The nature of our creation implies that our Creator was wise enough to plan it, powerful enough to make it happen and sincere enough to maintain it according to His own plans.

Many worry today with all the talk of "global warming" and the many other things that the evolutionists come up with but we have these assurances from God.

What did God tell Noah would happen after the flood?

Gen 8:22  While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night "shall not cease".

We know that this promise will hold to be true until the "day of the Lord", which will be the day the Lord will return to judge this world.

2Pe 3:7  But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

It is our same Creator that makes this promise and the Lord will never break His promises.

Deu 7:9  Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
Deu 7:10  And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.

This day of the Lord's judgment will not seem as an accident to anyone, they will know it comes from the Lord because they will see Him face to face.

Just as our Creator promises to maintain His creation until the day of judgment, He also promises to repay those that have ignored what His creation teaches and what His written Word teaches.

The Lord will not be slack in His promises!

2Pe 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
2Pe 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

There is no place on Earth where God's silent voice of creation cannot be heard with our eyes and our hearts!

The truth of God is plainly seen in His creation!

The theory of evolution is just that "a theory" punched full of lies!

Much of the world does not know the name of this wonderful Creator and that is the job God has given us to do once He saves us!

*****Psa 19:4  Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,

That "line" refers to God's entire physical creation, everything in space and time.

Time is a measurement of change that takes place in what we call space.

While we have the ability to control our experience of the first three dimensions (height, width and depth), we do not seem to have the ability to navigate, manipulate or control our experience of time.

It is God that controls all these things!

These are the words that God's creation should be speaking to us!

It is our Lord that is in control of His own creation!

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

The glory of God's creation is the standard by which all mankind is measured!

The Heavens declare the glory of God and by this measurement we all come up short!

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

In the midst of the night time sky, the Sun hides until it will marches out at daybreak.

*****Psa 19:5  Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.

To us it is the Sun that is the most glorious heavenly body because without the Sun there would be no life on Earth.

The glory of the Sun is seen in it's rays of light.

The strength of the Sun is is felt in it's warmth and reliability 365 days each year and every year for a little more than 6000 years.

The Sun is our source of light, which is the the source of life, and the source of fruitfulness and the prominent witness of life in God's creation.

In this sense the Sun is a type of Christ who is the true light!

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.

The Lord Jesus is that "Bridegroom" who will be coming forth one day soon to claim His bride.

Because The Lord is truly the Son of Righteousness!

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.

*****Psa 19:6  His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

To understand Christ as the "Sun of righteousness", we must consider the three main qualities of the sun.

Which
 are light, warmth and gravitation.

From these things we get the Laws of Thermodynamics which states that energy can be changed from one form to another, but it cannot be created or destroyed.

The total amount of energy and matter in the universe remains constant, merely changing from one form to another.

It has been established scientifically that the sun's gravitation holds the planets in their paths.

This is the force that holds the universe together. If gravitation could be turned off, the universe would come apart.

The righteousness of Christ is the gravitation that draws the spiritual universe together.

Many who reject the truth of the Bible use this verse as one of their proofs. They say the Sun cannot rotate around the Earth which is true.

BUT, Since all motion is relative motion, no one knows where the center of our universe is located nor can they.

We do know that our planetary system does truly revolve around our Sun and our own solar system is constantly in motion around the Milky Way which itself is in motion with respect to other galaxies.

The most scientific way to deal with motion is to assume a spot that is motionless!

We live on the only place, Earth, that can be treated as a reference point.

All surveyors, all navigators, and most astronomers use Earth as a reference point and this is what David did as he was influenced by the Holy Spirit!

All of us know the beauty of the Sunset but truly the most impressive is the Sunrise.

The Sun rises in the East and sets in the West and it has been like this since God first place the Sun in orbit.

Just as the Sun is the light of our world and brings light and heat.

Just as the Sun is the source of gravity that keeps our solar system in place.

So is the Lord Jesus Christ!

What the Sun is to our Earth, The Son of God is as the light of our world.

The Bible states that there is an actual circuit in the heavens for the entire Solar System.

Job 22:14  Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and "he walketh in the circuit of heaven".

And it is the Sun that provides the energy for the things on this Earth.

The first law of thermodynamics teaches us that since the time of Creation the energy that was first created, remains constant, it just changes from one form to another.

The second law of thermodynamics teaches us if no energy enters or leaves the system, the potential energy of the state will always be less than that of the initial state.

When energy changes from one form to another the energy at the source will depreciate.

In other words when you run out of gas your car will not move until you get more gas but that energy from that gas just changed to another form as it powered your engine.

David also wrote that there is nothing that can be hidden from the heat of the Sun because the Sun is the source for all energy on our planet!

And therefore there is nothing that can be hidden from God who is the source of all things!

Rom 11:36  For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Since we know that God's creation is an open book for the world to read let's now see the written Word of God.

*****Psa 19:7  The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
Psa 19:8  The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
Psa 19:9  The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
The physical world gives a mighty testimony to the existence of God and His power in creation but only His written Word can give testimony to the power of God in salvation!

God's Word is perfect! God's Word can convert the soul because it contains the saving truth!

At least 3800 times the Bible says "God said" or "thus saith the Lord".

If the Word of God was not inspired it would have disappeared long ago.

If it's God's Word then it must be perfect because God is perfect!

The Scriptures are God's witness to us of who He is, what He has said, what He has already done and what He will do!

It is God's Word that will make us wise unto salvation and our salvation can only come through Jesus Christ.

Paul told a young Timothy:

2Ti 3:15  And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, "which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus".

It is also the Word of God that teaches us the principles of successful living!

Pro 8:33  Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.

Once we have felt the power of the Lord's truth, we should demand the truth in our own lives!

The Word of God is the right medicine for the lost soul!

The Word of God is the right counselor for the best advice!

Once our soul has been converted God can then make us wise and this wisdom will cause us to rejoice.

**There are no errors in the Word of God!

Once our eyes are open to the truth we will see how truly foolish is the wisdom of this world.

**The fear of the Lord is clean.

We will never decay or deteriorate if we walk in the fear of the Lord. We have an eternal salvation!

We are made white by the "Blood of the Lamb"!

And no one need to explain the judgment of God, He explains that fully Himself.

God is just as righteous in His judgment as He is in His salvation!

Once we are saved God has sealed us with His Spirit and if we walk in His Spirit, we will live and learn the truth.

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

1Co 2:9  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1Co 2:10  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

When we have seen God in His creation, we should desire God's plan in His Written Word.

*****Psa 19:10  More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

The way we treat the Bible also reflects the way we treat the Lord!

Wealth can be described as prosperity and external happiness but only by obeying the Word of God can true wealth be obtained!

There is a feeling of wealth when you have more than that person beside you but there will always be some one  who has more than you do so your own feeling will fade.

Gold is the richest and most valuable of most all metals but Bible truth is truly the most valuable commodity on this Earth!

Many people base their wealth on the amount of Gold that they own but true wealth is found in the Word of God.

The entire Word of God is Holy Ghost inspired so Spiritual treasure is much more noble than any mere material wealth.

Men may speak of solid gold but nothing is more solid than the truth of God's Word!

How can we obtain true wealth?

Deu 8:18  But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: "for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth", that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

It is God who gives humans the power and the ability to obtain wealth.

But where great pleasure is great instruction has been and that can only come from God's Word.

Honey directly from the honeycomb has a sweetness that cannot be found in refined honey.

The Word of God is the purest of all words and and the sweetest of all words because they come directly from the Lord.

Gold must be refined, Honey must be processed but the Word of God does not need need man for either of these things!

To have an appetite for the Word of God is the sign of a healthy Christian.

But God's Word has many more benefits than these.

*****Psa 19:11  Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.

Do we accept the warnings that are in the Word of God?

We should remember our study of the Book of James.

Jas 4:17  Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, "to him it is sin".

It is sin not to accept the warnings that God gives us!

The Bible warns us of our duties.

The Bible warns us of our danger.

Then Bible warns us to accept God's remedy for all these things.

If we walk in the Spirit, we will live and learn from God's truth and there will be rewards not only in Heaven but also while we remain here on this Earth.

Notice that there is no debt that can come from obeying the Word of God, there are only rewards.

Pro 13:13  Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.

Those that despise the Word of God will bring ruin upon themselves!

We should never forget these words:

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

**To deny the Word of God is to deny God!

**To obey the Word of God brings a guaranteed reward!

Pro 11:18  The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a "sure" reward.

That word "sure" means a reward is certain, that reward is guaranteed!

It is the Word of God that points out the sin in our lives.

*****Psa 19:12  Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.

How can we be so foolish to not realize our sins and confess them?

No one can be so blind to themselves without sooner or later having to pay a serious penalty for such blindness!

It is a fact that society has become so tolerant of sin that all those in the world just look the other way!

It is also a fact that those that sit in the judges seat are so full of sin themselves that they cannot properly judge and sentence those that come before them!

Sin creates a false standard by which we judge ourselves!

Why is the Word of God so rejected?

Because the more we know of God the more we will realize the wickedness of sin.

But even still there is only one sin that cannot be forgiven and that is the sin of rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ!

Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
Joh 16:8  And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Joh 16:9  Of sin, because they believe not on me;

For us to understand our errors we must first know the Lord who only can forgive us our sin!

Only the One we sin against has the power to forgive us our sin!

And we must not be fooled there are no sins that can be hidden from the eyes of God.

And every sin will be judged by the standards of Jesus Christ and according to His "Gospel".

Rom 2:16  In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

*****Psa 19:13  Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.

Presumptuous means we know we live in the time of God's "Grace" and we believe that we can go ahead with our sin believing that we can go to God afterwards for forgiveness.

This means we are arrogant enough to test God and this is a most terrible sin!

Paul wrote:

Rom 6:1  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

God forbids presumptuous sin!

Rom 6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Rebellion was and is Israel's greatest sin for they know the commandments of God and still reject the prophecies that lead to Jesus Christ!

God provided a means of atonement for every sin under the Jewish law but one:

Num 15:29  Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them.
Num 15:30  But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; "and that soul shall be cut off from among his people".
Num 15:31  Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.

Israel will learn this lesson during the 7 years of tribulation.

It is only then that those who repent will be innocent from that great transgression.

Those that presume such things in the time of "Grace" need to question their salvation and repent today.

Repenting is not just feeling sorrow and regret. True repenting is a complete change of mind and a change of ways!

Mat 21:28  But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
Mat 21:29  He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.

Notice it was the one son who completely changed his mind and his direction that was said he repented.

Understanding the Word of God will lead us to our Redeemer.

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

The words of our mouth are mockery unless we have Holy Ghost conviction in our hearts!

But even then our prayer must be accepted!

That prayer can only be accepted when we are certain that the One we are praying to has the strength and power to answer than prayer and is truly our Redeemer!

To be redeemed is to be bought with a price!

We have been redeemed by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

1Pe 1:18  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1Pe 1:20  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1Pe 1:21  Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

Every redeemed child of God is very special to Him!

Tit 2:14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

We need to hear what God's creation says but more important we need to hear what God wrote down for us!

If you are not peculiar by the worlds standards then you need to go back to the altar of God and repent!

Questions?

Let's Pray!