Zion the City of God

The Praise of Mount Zion

Book of Psalms Chapter 48

As we watch what is going on in Israel today, we might ask ourselves how many times have efforts been made to destroy Israel and annihilate the Jewish people but they have failed every time.

We know that Hitler had six million Jews slaughtered.

God has made certain promises to Israel and God has never broken a promise He has made to anyone!

One man wrote, that the story of Mount Zion in the Bible is both miraculous and awe-inspiring. 

The events that took place on and around this mountain shaped the course of history and the development of Christianity. 

In the Bible, this mountain is mentioned numerous times, and the importance of Zion should not be underestimated.

That word Zion is used one hundred and fifty-three times in the Old Testament.

Many times it is called the city of the Lord in both the New and the Old Testaments

In most countries one city will stand out as the grandest and the most important.

When we mention Zion, we can be talking about the city of Jerusalem, or we can be talking about Mount Zion which is a hill just outside the gates of the Old City of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is the city in Israel where people would travel to to worship God.

In fact, Jerusalem was called the city of God.

Psa_46:4  There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

Psa_87:3  Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.

Since God does not change then Jerusalem is still the city of God because God chose Jerusalem.

Isa_60:14  The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

In this Psalm we will see the greatness of Jehovah and the glory of His city Zion

*****Psa 48:1  A Song and Psalm for the sons of Korah. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. 

Psa 48:2  Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

The most common use for the word Zion was to refer to the city of God in what some call the New Age.

The Book of Isaiah says: Isa 1:27  Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness. 

Isa 1:28  And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.

This verse in the Book of Isaiah is referring to the return of the Lord.

Isaiah also writes of the birth of Christianity: Isa 28:16  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. 

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

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

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

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

We can see that some of these verses refer to New Jerusalem and some the Old Jerusalem, but they both say Zion.

The proof is seen in the Book of Hebrews: Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 

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

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

We see the Church is not a building, but is the general assembly of those who are Born Again.

Rev 14:1  And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. 

In Isa 33:5 it says: The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.

This will take place at the return of the Lord. 

Zion stood for the capital of Judah: Amo 6:1  Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came! 

 We should clearly understand that Jerusalem will be the capital of this world just as it is the capital of Israel.

Psa 87:1  A Psalm or Song for the sons of Korah. His foundation is in the holy mountains. 

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

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

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

We can see that God has some major plans for Jerusalem or Zion.

God's presence on this mountain made it a special place in the time of Jesus and when Jesus returns, He will first put His feet down on the Mount of Olives and then He will establish Jerusalem as His capital city as He will rule the world from Jerusalem for one thousand years.

King Jesus will be praised in the city of our God!

Jerusalem will be remade into a beautiful city.

*****Psa 48:2  Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. 

I have never been to Israel so I have never seen the city of Jerusalem except in pictures, but I will see it one day because I am listed as a resident of the New Jerusalem where my home is located.

Jerusalem is a lovely sight to behold.

It is the fact that God spent some time in Jerusalem that makes it a special place, and the fact that when the Living God returns, He will set His throne in Jerusalem for one thousand years.

It is this same fact that makes Jerusalem to be a holy city.

Lam 2:15  All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth? 

Jerusalem will one day soon become the city of peace and a most beautiful place when the Lord Jesus Christ returns.

Jerusalem will then become the joy of the whole earth.

Few today believe these things but this does not make it any less true. I know I believe.

Zec 14:9  And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one. 

Zec 14:10  All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's winepresses.

Isa 2:1  The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 

Isa 2:2  And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. 

Isa 2:3  And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 

Isa 2:4  And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. 

There is only one Great King and that is King Jesus.

Just to the north of the city will be the citadel of King Jesus.

*****Psa 48:3  God is known in her palaces for a refuge. 

When Israel was on the side of Jehovah, He defended Jerusalem.

When Israel was going the ways of the world, then Jehovah allowed the destruction of Jerusalem.

We know that Jerusalem was destroyed two times.

First by Nebuchadnezzar and once by Rome.

The Gentiles have ruled Jerusalem far too long and King Jesus will soon sit on His throne and there will be no more destruction of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem's palaces will be defended by God Himself.

On May 14, 1948, God proved to the world that he was not done with Israel.

The enemies of Israel were taken aback by this happening and they immediately tried to drive Israel into the Mediterranean Sea. 

They have failed every time they have tried because God is known in her palaces. 

Jehovah is Zion's Protector and the world is finding this out, just as the enemies of Israel found this out many times.

Here in America today, our government has forgotten that it is not the nation that makes the people but the people who make the nation.

When God is honored in the palace, He will be worshipped in the home.

When the Atheist make the laws there will be masses who rise up against those laws as we see in America today.

That big push to get America into socialism is a push for the downfall of America.

America stands as the last wall to conquer so the world will have a one world government.

Less than fifty percent of those who say they are Christians believe in our Divine Creator and these are the same ones who regularly attend Church services.

These are the ones in the family of God and will be welcomed into Heaven.

All the rest believe in some form of evolution and these are those who rarely attend Church.

These are the goats who will be separated from the sheep and will hear the words of Jesus when He says. "I never knew you."

*****Psa 48:4  For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. 

Psa 48:5  They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away. 

Psa 48:6  Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail. 

The nations of this world will come against the Church and this is in its beginning.

The nations of this world will come against Israel and we see this at its beginning.

God will protect His children from this wicked world.

It will be similar to the time of Sennacherib when one hundred and eighty-five thousand men of the Assyrian Army went to sleep and never woke up again upon this earth but woke up in Hell.

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. 

Sennacherib's problem was that he was so full of pride he thought he could defeat God.

This is the same problem that Satan has; he is so full of pride that he will challenge God.

In the days of Armageddon these things will be similar but it will be on a much larger scale!

The protective hand of God will remain on Jerusalem and the things that are allowed to happen to Jerusalem will be just as the Bible describes.

In this instance described in Verse five, they will look upon the defenses of Israel and decide to leave without firing a shot, out of fear.

Isa 33:3  At the noise of the tumult the people fled; at the lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered. 

Most all of us know that when that mother begins delivering her child, she can do nothing else but endure the pain.

*****Psa 48:7  Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind. 

Tarshish was seaport on the coast of Spain about twenty-five hundred miles west from Israel.

There were mighty merchant vessels located here than could sail in almost any storm but the winds from the East coming across the Mediterranean would wreak havoc on these ships.

Just as the largest, and strongest ships were no match for those storms from the east, the most powerful militaries of this world are no match to the power of God.

Job 27:21  The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place. 

Isa 27:8  In measure, when it shooteth forth, thou wilt debate with it: he stayeth his rough wind in the day of the east wind. 

I believe the United States Navy got a taste of the East wind when they tried to set up a temporary dock to unload those ships trying to bring aide to Gaza. They were no match for those same east winds.

A news source wrote:[O]n May 25, heavy sea states caused four US Army vessels operating in support of that pier operations to become beached. Two vessels were beached in Gaza near the base of the pier and two were beached near Ashkelon in Israel,” Singh said in a statement on Wednesday. “US personnel on those vessels were evacuated.

That pier cost 320 million tax payer dollars, but it could not hold up to those east winds on the Mediterranean Sea.

I believe that God had something to do with it!

Jer 18:17  I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity. 

The most powerful navy in this world had only one answer for this wind and it was to retreat.

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

The world has seen God's defense of Jerusalem many times and the truth of God's Word teaches us God's relationship with this Holy City of Jerusalem.

We know that God never changes and He gives us His warnings in the Books of the Prophets and the Book of Revelation.

1) The city of the Lord, "Elohim" speaks of God's unlimited power and when Jehovah is used, God is teaching us of His protection of Jerusalem because of His covenant with Israel.

Those covenants will be fulfilled!

2) The city of the Lord of Hosts teaches us that our God is the Commander of a mighty army of angels that no man can overcome.

l2Ki 6:16  And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. 

2Ki 6:17  And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. 

This is when the enemy of Israel came to stop Elisha as Elisha represented the Church.

3) The city of God teaches us that Jerusalem is the city where God had His Temple, the place where He met with the people of Israel.

We know that in the Middle East, the city of Jerusalem was a great prize and many nations have tried to take it away from Israel just as they are doing today.

The fact remains that spiritually speaking, Jerusalem is a picture of the true Jerusalem in Heaven and we will see this great city one day soon.

And Israel will be saved.

Heb 8:8  For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 

Heb 8:9  Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 

This scripture is in the process of beginning today.

*****Psa 48:9  We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple. 

If you know the Lord in your heart then you have felt His Love.

I would not be here today if God had not thought of me.

I know that God loves me because He created me and He is still working on me.

We know these words were sung by the sons of Korah.

They could not sing about the love of God unless they had felt the love of God.

God's "grace" comes to us because of His loving kindness.

God's "mercy" comes to us because of His loving kindness.

I can praise and glorify God because He has shown me His loving kindness.

God Himself says all those who do not believe that He exists are fools and worthless.

Psa 14:1  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

If you know the loving kindness of God then you will praise Him.

*****Psa 48:10  According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness. 

Psa 48:11  Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments. 

God's name is Elohim.

Elohim is in the plural form because God is a Trinity which is better said Triunity.

God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit show the divine nature of God.

It is because of God's name that we can praise Him.

When we understand that God is One in essence we can praise Him unto the ends of the earth.

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

There are still some in the Church that do not accept the Triunity of God.

These three persons are equal in authority, but God the Father is recognized as supreme yet each person stand equal in every respect.

1Co 8:6  But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. 

1Co 8:7  Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

While Sennacherib could not over power and take Jerusalem, he had already taken over many of the unwalled cities.

If he defeated Jerusalem, he would have defeated all the nation of Israel.

These would be the daughters of Judah. These daughters of Judah could certainly rejoice because God had executed His "judgment" on the Assyrians.

They could now walk around without worrying about being captured by the enemy.

*****Psa 48:12  Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. 

Psa 48:13  Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following. 

Now we get to a theme of our lesson which is deliverance.

Jerusalem had been delivered from her enemy without firing a shot.

A person could not walk around Jerusalem without noticing that Jerusalem was a well-fortified city.

1) Towers were the tallest structures in the city and were placed in prime locations so the watchmen could see for miles and the warriors were protected against the enemy.

2) Bulwarks were steep embankments outside the walls of Jerusalem. The enemies had to first get by them before they could attack the city.

There would be some of the military located there.

3) Palaces: For the devout Jews there was one thing only that made Zion glorious and it was that Jehovah dwelt there.

One of those palaces would be the Temple in that day and Zion's hill was the mountain of God's holiness.

When the Jews were faithful to Jehovah no enemy could overcome them and Jehovah would keep His covenant with them.

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

Because God is our God forever, He will guide us through this life until our death.

Of all the people upon this earth God is the God of the Jew and the God of the Church.

We should understand the Lord's unfailing love God has for His people; it is never ending!

Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 

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

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

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

Amen 

The Song of Loves

 The Psalm of the Great King

Book of Psalms Chapter 45

Psalm forty-five invites us into the lavish royal wedding where the King and His bride symbolize the deep, committed relationship between God and His people. 

Psalms forty-five paints a picture of divine love, encouraging us to incorporate the same principles of truth, humility, and justice that this King exemplifies.

Not everyone agrees but the truth of Psalms 45 is the truth of King Jesus and the Church, the Bride of Christ.

That word "Maschil" would mean that this Psalm is a song of instruction requiring the sons of Korah to choose the most qualified singers.

That word "Shoshannim" would describe the saints of God, the Bride of Christ, the beautiful virgins, lilies.

We know the Holy Spirit is the author of all the Word of God and He says this is a "Song of loves".

This Psalm describes the love the Lord Jesus Christ, the true Messiah has for the Church, the Bride of Christ.

Remember the words of the Lord Jesus Christ: Luk_24:44  And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that "all things" must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

The Church will be with our Lord Jesus at the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Rev_19:9  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, "These are the true sayings of God".

This verse supports the fact that the Holy Spirit and God the Father are the same person.

Psalm 45 invites us to the royal wedding where our King and His bride symbolize the deep, committed relationship between God and His people. 

This Psalm paints for us a picture of divine love, reminding us to embody the same principles of truth, humility, and justice that the King Jesus has shown to us.

Chapter 45 and verse 1

*****Psa 45:1  To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A Song of loves. My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. 

That word "Mashil"  means that this is a Psalm of instruction of a serious matter.

That word "Shoshannim" describes the Bride of Christ as lilies. but we know that King Jesus is the lily of the valley.

The Lily of the Valley represents purity and innocence, the true life of Jesus Christ.

He represents the virtue and beauty found in salvation.

2Co_11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from "the simplicity that is in Christ".

The Lily of the valley symbolizes the renewal of life and the rebirth of the child of God.

The Lily of the valley represents the arrival of a fresh start and a new beginning.

The Lily of the valley symbolizes happiness, good fortune, and joy in the Lord Jesus.

The Lily of the valley is associated with the love and romance of the Messiah and His Church, the delicate nature of true love.

All these things come to us by the Lord Jesus Christ!

That word "inditing" means that the Holy Spirit has committed all these words in writing, dictating what shall be written with special instructions.

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

The salvation offered by the Lord Jesus Christ is the greatest of all gifts that are given to undeserving humans.

*****Psa 45:2  Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. 

Matthew Henry writes that the Lord Jesus is the great favorite of Heaven. 

Jesus is fairer than all the children of mankind.

God has done more for Jesus than He has for all mankind and because of this, He will show kindness to mankind for Christ's name’s sake.

Pro 22:11  He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend. 

The Lord Jesus is full of "grace" and this "grace" is for the Church.

Joh 1:16  And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. 

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

Joh 1:18  No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

God the Father has blessed God the Son with an everlasting Kingdom.

So let us read what God the Holy Spirit has given to us.

*****Psa 45:3  Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.

There is no one mightier than the Lord Jesus Christ!

All the tools of our great King are to be used for truth and righteousness.

Even God's "judgment" is done in righteousness.

Honor and majesty are the Divine attributes of God's representative and "He will pass these things down to His children".

He will have a never-ending fellowship with all His loyal subjects!

We know that truth and righteousness have practically disappeared in America today and from all the other nations of this world and it is this reason that God will make all things new. A new Heaven and a new Earth.

Our King will return to earth this time as a man of war and He will not be excused from this field of battle by the law which says:

Deu 24:5  When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken. 

This Bridegroom, King Jesus, will not abide by this Scripture because He will immediately go to war and He will take His bride with Him.

Salvation is not about the law; salvation comes only by the "Grace of God"!

*****Psa 45:4  And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. 

When the Lord returns to claim His bride, we will see our victorious warrior face to face and He will be clothed in majesty.

The Lord Jesus will defend truth and righteousness to a world that has none.

We see these things disappearing from our societies today.

No ruler can conquer a nation to win their souls. Jesus will war for truth, meekness, and righteousness.

The Lord Jesus does not war out of arrogance and greed or a thirst for power, as we see today.

Satan has a campaign against the truth of God that is going full force and it is just a matter of days that the Antichrist will step out unto the world scene to take charge of this campaign against the truth of God.

We must not forget that we are already in the army of God and we are to resist Satan, the Devil, and his forces and the greatest battle with Satan will be the Lord's.

This is why we are to wear the armor of God daily even in our homes where Satan is trying to destroy our families.

This is why we carry the Sword of the Spirit in us at all times. In our heart and in our minds.

Eph_6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

The Lord Jesus Christ will crush His enemies with His mighty double-edged sword!

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

Every nation will bow before our Lord and Savior, the Holy King from Heaven.

*****Psa 45:6  Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. 

Immediately we see that this King, this Messiah, this Bridegroom, is none other than God Himself and this will never change!

This throne is the throne of God and not the throne of David or any other king.

No one can sit upon the throne of God, but God Himself.

How do we know that this King is God?

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. 

Heb 1:9  Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. 

The Bible will never contradict itself!

So we see that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are all involved in this passage of Scripture.

One God in three persons!

*****Psa 45:7  Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. 

Psa 45:8  All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad. 

This royal Bridegroom, His personal beauty, the justice of His government, the success of His arms, the magnificence of His court, is the One of whom Divine Blessing will be on forever and ever.

The Lord Jesus Christ loved righteousness and this is the way He lived and the way we are to live.

The Lord Jesus Christ hates wickedness and will have no part in it and it should be the same for every child of God.

2Pe 3:17  Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 

2Pe 3:18  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. 

The Lord Jesus Christ conformed to the will that God the Father had for Him, except for one instance when He took upon Himself all of our sin from Adam's sin unto the last Christian to be saved, when He took upon Himself all the sin of the world and took that sin down to Hell where it belongs, and God has forgiven all the sin of this world and we can see just how sinful this world has become.

This one act caused the death of our Savior, but He did not stay dead!

It is this resurrected Savior who is the Bridegroom!

Salvation is also being in the will of God.

1Ti_2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Because our Lord Jesus Christ was perfect in His character in every way, because of His holiness, God has anointed His Messiah with the "oil of gladness" above all things that He has created.

The fragrance and the splendor of Emmanuel showing His perfection, renown heroism, splendor of royalty, Divine majesty, this is the Savior who reached way down to pull me out of the cesspool of sin, just before I went under.

Our Lord Jesus Christ at one time gave up all these things to save a sinner like me and many more did come to know the truth of the Triune God.

All the spices identify this Bridegroom in His office as our High Priest.

The fragrance of the myrrh points to our Savior as the Bridegroom to the Church, the Bride of Christ.

The myrrh and aloes point to the death of our Savior.

The home of our Savior is the most elegant of all places and is called Heaven.

Yes, Heaven is a real place!

So let us look at this Bride.

*****Psa 45:9  Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.

Do we really know just how blessed we really are?

Do we realize that the Bride of Christ will sit at the right hand of the Bridegroom as He sits as the sovereign King of all this Universe.

It is this Mighty King who laid down His life just we could live with Him throughout eternity.

Life in this present world is far to discouraging, plagued by trials, by difficulties, and struggles that never seem to end but this marriage to the Lamb of God will allow us to have a little bit of joy now, because we know we will live with Him forever.

When we realize just how short our lives are and how long eternity is, it will seem like we are almost there.

Even one thousand years when this Bridegroom will sit as King of this world does not seem to be a long time.

Jer 23:5  Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. 

Jer 23:6  In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

We sit here today knowing that day Jeremiah speaks of could begin at any moment.

Until this time comes, we are to be busy with the work that the Lord has given to us all.

*****Psa 45:10  Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house; 

Psa 45:11  So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him. 

We should understand that every privilege we have because of our Savior has their own responsibilities.

These responsibilities are spelled out for us in the Book of Romans.

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

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

We must leave everything behind and choose our Bridegroom.

We may have to give up all our old friends.

We may have to give up our father's family and our mother's family or all our family.

The Bridegroom will not accept us unless we put Him first in our lives!

We must be completely devoted to the Bridegroom.

Gen 2:24  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. 

The Bridegroom must be first in our lives.

The Church is beautiful only because our sins have been forgiven and we are new persons in Christ Jesus.

Our sins are behind us and the Bridegroom has given us a fresh start to a new life.

Our reason for living is now to honor and glorify our Lord and Savior.

1) We should be able to see that the Bridegroom desires us to be with Him. He is not willing to share us with anything else!

2) We must be totally devoted to Jesus Christ because he is the Lord of our lives. We should live for Him because He died for us.

Eph 5:22  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 

Eph 5:23  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 

Eph 5:24  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 

Eph 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 

In return for our devotion to the Bridegroom there will be great gifts given to the Bride.

*****Psa 45:12  And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour.

Psa 45:13  The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold. 

Psa 45:14  She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee. 

Psa 45:15  With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king's palace. 

1) The Bride of Christ will be exalted before all nations.

2) The Bride of Christ will be dressed in the most perfect and glorious clothing. She will be transformed into the image of Christ. Eph 4:24

3) The Bride of Christ will be presented to the Bridegroom and be wed while wearing fine garments. Rev 19:7-8

4) Pure, holy companions will accompany the Bride of Christ. (Old Testament believers)

5) The Bride of Christ will know the greatest gladness and joy possible living in the presence of King Jesus. Rev 22:3

What will be the King's reward?

*****Psa 45:16  Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth. 

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

Because of His submission to his Father's will, our Bridegroom will be exalted throughout eternity.

Php 2:5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 

Php 2:6  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 

Php 2:7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 

Php 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 

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

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

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

1) The King will father many royal sons and daughters who will be princes and princesses.

This generation of royal descendants will reign with Christ on this present earth in the one thousand years He will reign on this earth but also throughout eternity on the New Earth.

2) The King will be honored and praised forever and ever. His name will be above every name.

Every knee will one day soon bow to Jesus Christ and every tongue will confess Him as Lord.

If we live faithfully for Jesus, He will richly reward us.

There is no better day than today to give your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ!

Amen

Rest in the Truth of Our Savior

 Rest in the Lord

Book of Psalms Chapter 37

Last week we studied a Psalm of David he wrote while in his twenties.

This week we study a Psalm of David written while he was in his sixties approaching the end of his life.

He had been through many wars.

He had experienced the results of his sin with Bathsheba who was now his wife and the mother of Solomon.

At this time David was doing a lot of meditating on rest much like all of us that have reached these same years in our own lifetime.

That word "rest" has more than one meaning.

Most people look at "rest" as to stop doing any work at all. Our bodies are at rest when they cease to move.

What did the Lord Jesus say about rest?

Mat 11:28  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 

Mat 11:30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 

Our Lord Jesus says, "if we will submit to His teaching, we will find true rest".

It takes far less labor to work in the toils of righteousness than it takes to live a sinful unrighteous life.

We could say our nation is at rest because we are not at war with any other nation but I do not feel at rest because of all the things happening in our world.

I think our leaders could do more to protect us from the turmoil that is certainly coming to our nation because of the lack of true leadership in the government that is now in place.

Jehovah told Israel that they could find rest when they reached the promised land.

Deu 12:9  For ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the LORD your God giveth you. 

Deu 12:10  But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the LORD your God giveth you to inherit, and when he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety; 

We know that this rest did not come until the time of King Solomon the son of David and it did not last long and Israel is not at rest even today.

There is another place where it says that Israel had rest for eighty years but even this is not a long time.

It is nothing like the rest that is promised to the Body of Christ when we reach Heaven, the true Promised Land.

This is the place where we can find rest for our souls.

Heb_4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

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. 

Rev 7:15  Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 

Rev 7:16  They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 

Rev 7:17  For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

These things sound like rest to me. 

Even though the burdens of righteousness are not as heavy as the burdens of being in sin, there is true rest coming to us when we get to Heaven.

Let us begin our lesson today:

*****Psa 37:1  A Psalm of David. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. 

Psa 37:2  For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. 

Many a Christian today suffers while the wicked seem to prosper as they live in sin.

Our lesson today has some answers to this question of; "why do bad things happen to good people while the bad people seem to prosper".

David wrote this Psalm when he was living in his later years after seeing many things throughout his life.

Last week's lesson David was a young man probably in his twenties.

Today David was in his late sixties when he wrote this Psalm.

David had been King of Israel for more than thirty years and had witnessed many things in his lifetime.

Most of us, who have called upon the name of Christ, realize that our lives were in turmoil until we placed our trust in our Savior.

One of the things we have realized is that we cannot overlook the presence of evildoers in our world.

They are bent upon our destruction.

Even in the United States that we love, Christians are now considered to be as bad as terrorists.

We will have to deal with the personal wrongs committed against us by ungodly people!

The Holy Spirit says, "fret not thyself because of evil doers".

We must not wear ourselves out because of these things. Their day of grief is certainly coming.

To fret also means, besides stop worrying, we should not be murmuring or complaining to God or to each other about these things.

To fret is an inward ailment that affects our bodies and our souls.

The Lord tells us to not get upset because of these wicked people.

We must not let our emotions get the best of us.

We will become angry at the injustice of their successes.

The Holy Spirit reminds us that they will not endure and Judgment Day was coming to them.

As far as King David, he had realized that all his old enemies were now gone or dead and it was he who was prosperous as King of Israel they who suffered.

Mighty things happen in our lives when we trust in the Lord.

*****Psa 37:3  Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. 

The most crucial decision we can make in our lifetime is to trust in the Lord and do good.

Our faith in the Lord can cure any ailment!

Our faith in the Lord has placed us on the winning side.

When we yield to fear we cannot do good, and when we put our effort into doing good, we will not yield to fear.

Working for God will keep our minds occupied.

The Holy Spirit teaches us:

Php_4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Again for the Jews they could dwell in the land God had promised to them.

For the Body of Christ it is Heaven that has been promised to us.

We are only strangers and pilgrims on the land called earth.

Everything we invest our time and our money in will fade away but the blessings we receive from the Lord are everlasting.

As we grow in our faith, we will find that there is immense pleasure in serving our Lord and Savior.

*****Psa 37:4  Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 

We just cannot allow this world we live in to rob us of the joys of serving the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is a fact that the more faith we have in the Lord the more blessings we can earn here upon this earth but even more of the treasures of Heaven.

Joy is mentioned as part of the fruit of the Holy 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. 

Eph_5:9  (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

For the Body of Christ it is simple. If we have the Holy Spirit living within us then we are to follow in His ways and not our own ways.

We can see how those that are determined to go their own ways are destroying our nation today.

Gal 5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 

If we delight ourselves in the Lord, He promises to answer our prayers.

For those who cannot ever seem to get a prayer answered, this is a very important part of this lesson today.

It takes a full commitment to the Lord to get our prayers answered.

*****Psa 37:5  Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

Psa 37:6  And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

To commit to the Lord is to place our lives in His hands and get busy serving Him.

This means all our cares, all our necessities, all our business, and all our wants, are we to give to the Lord so He can manage our lives according to the Word of God.

When we are facing severe trials, many of us falsely conclude that God is judging us just as we read in the Book of Job but this is not true.

A child of God has already been judged and determined to be a child of God.

If we commit ourselves to the Lord, He will answer our prayers and when the world attacks us, He will vindicate us.

As things get worse for the Christian, the best thing we can do is to remain close to God and continue to serve Him.

The fight with wickedness belongs to the Lord.

We are to be obedient Christians and stand our ground upon the truth of the Word of God

Our time upon this earth is growing short.

What did the Holy Spirit tell Timothy?

2Ti 3:12  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

2Ti_3:13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

Then Paul told Timothy to just continue serving the Lord.

We must simply understand that everything happening in our world is going on according to the plan of

God but we should remember that God is not the cause of these evil things but He does allow these things happen according to His plan.

No one can stop God's plan and no one can change God's plan!

These things of God will become as visible to mankind as the light of the sun at noonday.

Righteousness will win in the end!

The truth of God will become so clearly seen it will make the Atheists cry, but they still will not come to the Lord, but will hate Him even more.

For God will send to them a loss of memory and they will rebel against each other.

It will be the same for all false religions.

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

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: 

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

Nothing changes for the Christian as we are to patiently wait upon the Lord and rest in the truth of the Word of God.

*****Psa 37:7  Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. 

We are never to complain about the way the Lord deals with this ungodly world, even though some of our family members are in that group.

We can teach them the plan of salvation, but they have to make their own minds up about salvation.

The Body of Christ is to quietly submit to the entire will of God and patiently wait upon His help.

To rest in the Lord is to place ourselves into the hands of God and be useful.

Remember that there is no one who can remove us from the hand of God and God will never cast us away.

Isa 30:15  For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. 

Israel would not do this and it cost them dearly, but the Body of Christ must not be like Israel.

Our strength comes by being obedient to this passage as our time grows short.

It does not matter as we see the rich get richer.

It does matter that our confidence remains in the truth of the Word of God!

Ecc 5:8  If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they. 

It is hard to see the corruption going on in our own nation and the only tools we have are our prayers and our vote. 

Obeying the Word of God must still be our goal remembering that our prayers are the greatest tool we have.

Come voting time we are to vote according to the truth of the Word of God, but it is God who will put our next president in place for His own reasons and our job remains for us to be obedient to all the Word of God.

1) We must trust in the Lord.

2) We must delight in the Lord.

3) We must commit ourselves to the Lord.

4)We must focus on the Lord and His faithfulness rather than upon the ways of this wicked world.

God has already judged them and they will find out that Hell is a real place.

We may get disheartened in what we see of the wicked side of our world while many of us struggle every day, but this is not the attitude God wants from His people and we must be obedient to the Lord.

*****Psa 37:8  Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. 

Psa 37:9  For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

Discontent is not only foolish but it can be dangerous because it could lead us to deny God's providence.

We see many so-called Christians today who have joined the evildoers because they are not content with the Word of God and the actions of God.

If we dwell upon the prosperity of evildoers, we are apt to envy them and envy leads to strife, division, and hatred.

Jas 3:16  For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 

It is foolish to rage against the ungodly whom we see prosper, since they will certainly be cut off eventually.

I can tell you that it makes me mad every time I see where a super-rich person gives billions to charity, when that charity supports wickedness, when if it were given to a wise church and maybe souls could be saved.

They would be better off if they gave that money to pay down our national debt rather than just throw it away to support apostasy.

We can see that we are taught to live in inner peace even though we see all this wickedness in our nation and in this world.

The truth is that God will deal with the wicked and God will take care of His children.

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

Mat 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. 

Jesus says we have more important things to concentrate on than the wickedness of this world.

*****Psa 37:10  For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.

We should ask ourselves why in the world would we be envious of wicked and evil people.

We must never allow the prosperity of the wicked prevent us from living a higher standard established by Jesus Christ Himself.

What is the truth of each Christian?

*****Psa 37:23  The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

Psa 37:24  Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. 

God blesses the righteous, He does not bless the wicked!

God has put every good person in a particular course of life and we must travel that course with the wisdom from Heaven.

If we remember those first baby steps when our children began to walk, we should understand the walk of a baby Christian.

One step in the wrong direction can cause them to fall.

It is the same for the baby Christian.

It is not long before a small child can walk with confidence.

That babe in Christ can soon walk in confidence when they walk in the wisdom from Heaven.

God orders and establishes the details of everyone of His children.

Pro 16:9  A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps. 

We live in a world that is getting more dangerous every day.

We must be aware of these things but we are not to be too concerned about these things.

As Christians we may not always have what we want but we find out that we have enough when we trust in the Lord.

*****Psa 37:25  I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. 

Most all of us can relate to this verse because we have seen many things as we have aged.

It is true that we have never seen the righteous deserted by God.

God will never forsake His children!

I see a lot of people standing on the side of the road begging but in many cases today this is a business operated to make money and it has caused harm to some that were really in need.

I not seen where any of these were Christians because a true Church will help the needy in that Church.

Because God is merciful then we are to be merciful if we want to be like Him.

*****Psa 37:26  He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. 

As Christians we are not to hoard anything that the Lord has loaned to us.

Everything we have was given to us by the Lord and we are to share some of these things with others if there is a need.

By helping others we bring God's blessings not only upon ourselves but also our children who follow in our footsteps.

The truth is it is better to be righteous than to have any of the world's possessions.

*****Psa 37:27  Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. 

Psa 37:28  For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. 

The greatest blessing we can get after our salvation is that we will live forever in a place so wonderful that we do not have the words to describe it.

This is the promise we receive from the almighty living God.

The Lord loves justice and He will see that those who abuse His children will be punished.

In fact this verse says that the children of the wicked will be cut off.

It is far better to be walking with Jesus Christ than to be walking in step with the world.

God will never abandon those who walk with His Son!

Nothing in this world can over power the Almighty God!

All those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ have no protection and will certainly perish in God's judgment.

The children of God will be enjoying the inheritance that God has prepared for them.

*****Psa 37:29  The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.

We can rest assured in the truth of the Word of God.

When we love the Word of God and hide it in our hearts, we will find the strength to resist the strong pull of our flesh to turn to worldly things.

In fact we will find out that our own flesh is the greatest enemy we have to face throughout our lifetime.

We cannot be perfect as long as we are in this body of flesh but we can live a life of righteousness if we depend upon the Lord to walk with us all our days.

Amen

The Sweet Psalmist of Israel

 Seek the Lord

Book of Psalms Chapter 34

In Psalms 34 we have another psalm of David. We know that David wrote more of the Psalms than any other writer, keeping in mind that all Scripture is given to us by the Holy Spirit.

This psalm is another psalm that David wrote while he was fleeing from King Saul who was trying to kill David because Jehovah had selected David to be the next King of Israel.

We should understand that when the word "bless" is spoken in reference to the Lord's blessing to His people, it means the bestowing His loving kindness, His grace, His favor, and His mercy.

When the word "bless" is spoken in respect to our blessing the Lord, then it is much different.

We should ask ourselves how we can bless the God of all creation.

We must understand that all blessings are in the Lord Jesus Christ!

When Jesus Christ is not in your heart you cannot be a true blessing to anyone!

Jesus Christ is our blessedness!

We have nothing worthwhile to offer anyone if we cannot offer them an opportunity to meet Jesus Christ!

It is not enough to see the hand of Jesus Christ as He touches our lives with His mercy and His "grace", but Jesus Christ must be seen as that blessing sent from God!

Psa 31:7  I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities; 

Psa 31:8  And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room. 

David was a man of war all his days even though his heart belonged to Jehovah.

With his reputation it was hard for David to be a witness for the truth about Jehovah.

This is one of the reasons David was not allowed to build the first Temple and his son Solomon had to build it.

The one thing David had that most of us do not have was a talent to sing and make and play instruments of music and write songs.

The Lord Jesus Christ is certainly worthy of our praise just as Jehovah was in the time of David.

I believe David understood these things which is why he could write so many of the Psalms.

Let us begin:

Psa 34:1  A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

If you know the story of David then you have read of the day, he had foolishly showed himself mad in consequence of what he had heard the servants of Abimelech say. 

We will notice that Achish and Abimelech are one and the same king of the Philistines.

We should also note that this place called Gath was the home of Goliath and the family of Goliath and David was foolish to ask for help in this place.

When David realized this, he began to act like he had gone mad and Achish sent him away unharmed rather than kill him.

1Sa 21:13  And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard. 

1Sa 21:14  Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me? 

1Sa 21:15  Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house? 

It was not this king of the Philistines that David needed it was Jehovah God whom David needed.

God had already done many important things for David therefore David declared that he would bless the name of the Lord all his days.

We are a blessing to the Lord when we worship Him with all our heart.

We cannot leave the Lord out of our lives and expect to have joy in this corrupt world.

I can tell you from the experience of missing the worship services I have missed these past few weeks, that there is only misery out in this world and joy comes only by the Lord Jesus Christ.

*****Psa 34:2  My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. 

To be honest, how many of us understood about our soul until we met Jesus?

David began to realize that is praise and worship of the Lord would be noticed by those around him.

When David pick up his harp and began to praise and worship Jehovah there were many ears that heard his singing.

Just as we can find comfort in these same Psalms today, those that traveled with David could find comfort in his singing.

Remember those who were with David were those who were the outcasts of society.

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. 

There is nothing in this world that we owe our allegiance to other than our Savior!

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. 

Psa 5:12  For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

It is far easier to lead someone to the Lord if you are joyful in your salvation.

It is easy to bless the Lord when everything is going our way.

We can also be a blessing to the Lord when we explain to Him all our troubles and have faith that He will solve those issues for us.

Faith is the key to our relationship with our Heavenly Father!

David was on the run from a government who was trying to kill him, but he knew that he must be a blessing to the Lord during those times also.

No matter what we are going through, it is not time to quit on God!

We do this if we have moved away from the Lord because we will have quenched the Holy Spirit who lives within us.

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.

Even on a difficult day we are never alone if we are a "Born Again" child of God!

Eph 5:20  Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 

We are never to feel hopeless because we are never hopeless if we belong to Jesus Christ!

We are to be an encouragement to those around us at all times because we all need encouragement from time to time.

A joyful believer is a powerful tool in the hands of God!

A believer who is going through terrible things is also a powerful tool if they still show faith in the Living God.

*****Psa 34:3  O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. 

We may not be able to lead everyone we meet to the Lord so that they can be saved, but we can surely invite them to our place of worship so they will see others who worship the Lord and are a blessing to Him.

When we "magnify" the Lord we proclaim His greatness.

There are times we are to be alone when we bless the Lord and there is nothing wrong with this.

The Lord tells us to get in our closet so we can meet face to face with Him.

The truth is that God's praises just sound best when those praises are in concert with others!

We should understand that David was no longer welcome to worship in the Tabernacle.

If David wanted to worship in concert with others, then he would have to be the example in the Cave at Adullam with many who did not know the Lord but there were probably some that did.

When David picked up his harp and bellowed out these Psalms that we have today, there were many others in that cave with him who could relate to his sorrows and learn the truth of Jehovah.

Most of these men were outlaws for one reason or another.

We must understand that the Lord wants us to gather in His name and worship Him in a congregation.

Heb_10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Those who do not see the "Day of the Lord" approaching are not concerned with our world today but those who do know that now is not the time to give up on the Lord should gather more often and not less often.

David was burdened down with all his fears because he had not given those fears to the Lord, but when he did, David found his Deliverer.

The same Deliverer we have today.

*****Psa 34:4  I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. 

Just what is fear?

The Bible says that there is only one creature that was made that had no fear.

Job 41:33  Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.

This verse is speaking of the Leviathan.

All others are afraid of something in this world from time to time.

David admits to his fears.

Our fears come from a conscious sense that we are sinners.

We should understand that David had already faced a lion and defeated it.

David had already faced a bear and defeated it.

David had already faced Goliath and defeated him.

David had done these things before the age of twenty.

At this time David was fleeing for life from an unstable king and a government trying to destroy him because it did not want David to be king.

This sounds familiar to what we are seeing today in our own nation and our own government.

We would not think of David as a man full of fears, yet he professed he had more than one fear to the Lord.

If we belong to the Lord there is nothing in this world that we should fear!

Rom 8:15  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 

If we have these fears then we certainly need to talk to the Lord.

*****Psa 34:5  They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. 

Psa 34:6  This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. 

The very first thing we must do, is to take our eyes off the fears of this world and look to Jesus.

The Lord Jesus said: 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.

David began to realize that he was not in a hopeless situation when he put his faith in Jehovah.

Eyes that were darkened with doom did suddenly sparkle with new courage, hope, and joy.

It is called seeing the Light of Jesus.

Those in that cave with David could also see these things in David. 

Our life and our actions are our greatest witness to the life of a Christian.

David had never known the shame of defeat and he would not feel that shame as long as he depended upon God.

Today, when we depend upon the Lord Jesus Christ to lead us, He will always lead us to victory.

The Lord Jesus will never lead us to a defeated life.

1Co_15:57  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

There are only two things that can happen when we call upon the Lord in our fears.

1) He will just remove that obstacle in our path.

2) He will go with us every step of the way. We never have to face our fears alone!

David wanted those with him to know that there was no mistake to who deserved the credit for our victories.

We do not have it in us to be victorious over the things of this world!

Victory can only come if we cry out to the Lord and place our faith in Him!

It is only by the faithfulness and the power of the Almighty God that we can have victory and live in victory throughout eternity.

We are all poor unless we know the riches of a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

All those in that cave with David could relate to the things David was singing about.

What is the truth?

*****Psa 34:7  The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. 

All throughout the Old Testament we read about the "Angel of the Lord". In fact, fifty-six times we can see this exact phrase.

This angel of the Lord is that being who appears as Jehovah's representative in His dealing with mankind until the time of Jesus Christ.

What was the job of this angel? He protects all those who have a reverent fear of Jehovah God.

He is like an army encamping around each believer.

He was in fact the Captain of the angelic host.

Jos 5:13  And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? 

Jos 5:14  And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? 

Jos 5:15  And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

This Captain of the LORD's host can be no other than the Lord Jesus Christ because no angel will allow us to worship them but Lucifer and this is not Lucifer. There is not one thing holy about Lucifer!

We know that the omnipotent Son of God can immediately and single-handedly overcome all our enemies.

The truth is that our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ does supernaturally protect all those who have that reverent fear of Him.

There is an angel near us at all times!

The Lord is always willing and able to help us!

Psa 9:10  And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. 

*****Psa 34:8  O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. 

What is the first step to a blessing from God? Simply trust in Him.

There is no other way of really knowing how good, Good is!

It is like the Word of God. We are not to sample part of the Word of God and just keep the part we like.

We cannot just sample God's goodness!

In reality we are to take every action necessary to receive all that God promises to all those who trust Him.

To trust the Lord is to accept all of Him. 

To reject any part of the Lord is to accept none of Him.

When we study the Word of God, we will see that God is truly good!

To trust is to run to the Lord for the protection that can come from nowhere else.

What is the next step to a blessing from God?

*****Psa 34:9  O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. 

We must have a reverent fear of God but we must also have a godly fear. 

After all He is all powerful and it is only, He who can supply our wants.

We must have a sense of gratitude for what the Lord has already done for us.

When we accept the salvation gift from the Lord, we must know that we are just getting started in a life that is close to God.

The Apostle Paul wrote:

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,

There is nothing in our past life that is worth clinging too.

We have seen in this lesson that these words of David, applied to David and all of Israel, but they also apply to every Christian today.

Salvation and life eternal are the greatest gifts that the Lord can offer to us, but these thing are just the beginning of the blessings that the Lord promises to all those who trust Him.

Faith is still the key to our life long relationship with our Heavenly Father through the Lord Jesus Christ!

*****Psa 34:10  The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. 

The mother and father of that cub did provide all things necessary for the early life of that lion cub.

Those cubs will reach a point when those parents will quit providing for that cub and they will have to provide for themselves and many days they will go hungry until they become proficient to provide for themselves.

Even the strongest lion will suffer and want for a time and maybe many times.

This is true for all the animal world, but this is not true for all of us who seek to get closer to the Lord.

This is a powerful statement. “they that seek the Lord shall not want for any good thing."

1) God does not provide bad things. Those come from Satan.

2) Those that seek the Lord shall not want for any good thing. Those good things that the Lord has approved as good for us.

When we see the word Lord in all capital letters we know this is YAHWEH, Jehovah the absolute God of all creation.

Exo 3:13  And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? 

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

Exo 3:15  And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. 

As David found the right place in the cave of Adullam, he would sing these Psalms with all his heart and all those near to him would listen for they were as near death as was David.

Just as they found the words of these Psalms to be comforting, so can we here today.

If we truly wish to taste the goodness of the Lord ourselves then we must trust Him including all the words He has given to us.

It is the atoning blood of Jesus Christ that will keep us from seeing the wrath of this powerful, Almighty God.

It is this same Lord who will carry us through the storms of this life we live today.

We must also understand that we have greater needs than food, shelter, and clothing.

Only the Lord knows our needs and our deepest needs are spiritual.

When we have the gift of salvation provided for us by the Lord Jesus Christ, we also have a relationship with God the Father and when we have God, we have all we need.

2Co_3:5  Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

David became the most beloved King of Israel and David's rag tag bunch of outlaws became a mighty army because of the sweet Psalmist of Israel.

2Sa_23:1  Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,

It will remain the same for the Church today if we continue to seek the Lord Jesus Christ!

Amen

God' Guidance for His Church

 Guidance for Church Life

Book of 2 Thessalonians Chapter 3

In the end Paul knew that the prayers from each church were more important than all other things.

It is the same today. Prayer is the power behind the Church!

Prayer is very different from preaching, and yet a moment’s reflection will show how they work together. 

Prayer speaks to God for man; preaching speaks to man for God. 

Prayer seeks to bring God to man; preaching aims to bring man to God. 

Prayer moves God towards man; preaching persuades man to seek after God. 

Prayer makes known unto God man’s request; preaching reveals to man God’s mind and will. 

Preaching casts in the seed; prayer brings the rain and the sunshine.

Preaching deposits the leaven; prayer secures the hand which adds to it working. 

Preaching utters the good tidings; prayer carries the sound to the ear and makes that all sensitive. 

Preaching is doing the practical work which man can do; prayer asks for what God only can do, and for that which is necessary to the success of that which the man can do. 

Now the Apostle Paul switches to a subject that we all already know, "work and employment".

Preacher Sam says it all the time, the Holy Spirit was not just given to us for our enjoyment but was given to us more importantly for our employment!

*****2Th 3:5  And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ. 

2Th 3:6  Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye "withdraw" yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. 

It is extremely hard to be patient in this wicked world we live in, but the Lord Jesus Christ directs each of us to be patient while we wait upon His return.

It helps us to stay away from unbelievers unless we are witnessing to them.

Here we see it is very important to get away from so-called brothers and sisters in Christ who walk against the truth of the Word of God.

We also see in this verse that God commands us to stay away from those who refuse to work and provide for themselves.

As our lesson states, we are to withdraw our fellowship and remove them from church membership.

If you have worked for any amount of time, you have seen workers who slack off and do as little as possible.

These are the same ones who work only when they see the boss coming.

There are also far too many today who just refuse to work and want someone, even the church to provide for them.

Why are there so many recalls in every industry today? Why? Because the work forces of America do not have pride in their work.

They are just in it for the money.

Now I certainly believe in a fair wage and there are many who are just not paid enough, but there are many who depend on the unions to cause an increase in wages when they maybe taking that company into closing the doors.

The Bible commands us to walk away from such people who walk disorderly, that is who do not work.

In the early days of the church, the Thessalonians became so excited about the return of the Lord Jesus Christ they began to sacrifice all their possessions to meet the needs of the Church people but they went too far.

They ignored the Word of God that only God knows when He will return to this earth.

They even began to project the dates of the Lord's return.

Some even quit their jobs to have more time to witness for the Lord.

When these things did not take place as they thought, they depended upon the Church to support them.

These things caused many problems for this new church.

The Bible teaches each of us to live our lives as if we will live long lives.

In fact, God promises us long lives!

Eph 6:1  Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 

Eph 6:2  Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 

Eph 6:3  That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. 

Deu 4:40  Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, for ever. 

We are to be the example to the world as the very best workmen possible in everything we do but especially in the work the Lord has given us to do.

Not working is disorderly behavior and the church is not to support such people.

Obviously, there will be times when a member in good standing may need the help of the church, this is not what the Word of God is referring to, but we are not to support those outside the Church who refuse to work.

We are to stay away from the idle worker which is the meaning of the word withdraw as used in this passage.

The Apostle Paul was their example of a hard worker to support himself without church support.

The Church is not to be identified with members to come only for church support.

We are not to run the risk of being associated with idle workers. This will give us a bad testimony as we witness for Jesus Christ!

*****2Th 3:7  For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; 

2Th 3:8  Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: 

2Th 3:9  Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.

2Th 3:10  For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. 

2Th 3:11  For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.

According to the Word of God we are to be industrious beings and not lazy Christians.

The Bible commands us to do good for all people, but we are not to support those who refuse to support themselves.

A slothful person will be a slothful Christian!

Laziness can be looked upon as sin!

There is absolutely no excuse for a Christian to be a lazy employee, it is a command of God that we not be lazy!

Even the Lord Jesus Christ had a reputation as a carpenter. This would not have been said of Him if it were not true!

We can believe that Jesus was the best carpenter in Nazareth.

We know the Apostle Paul was a tent maker and we can believe he was a good tent maker making quality tents.

According to the Word of God, when we refuse to work, we lose our right to eat.

In other words we become so useless to society that society would be better off without us.

This message does not go over well today, but it is still the truth of God!

Those who refuse to work tend to get into everybody else business and not their own.

One of the greatest gifts God gave to humans is our minds.

The mind is always active, even in our sleep.

It is either thinking positive thoughts or negative, evil thoughts.

It is true that the idle mind is the Devil's playground!

This is why so many lazy people are always getting into trouble!

The world has pity upon such people when the world should insist that they work or starve.

Sounds harsh but still the truth of God.

We must not forget that Paul is speaking to the Church, in fact to a church that started out on the right tract.

They just got confused about the return of Jesus Christ.

It is a sin to poke our noses into the affairs of others unless they have asked for our help.

It is a sin to gossip.

It is a sin to spread rumors.

It is a sin to tattle on others when we do not know the whole story.

All we need to do is to look around at nature and we will see that the law of labor is rigidly enforced.

Every animal except domesticated animals have to work for their food.

The Bible speaks of the ant.

Pro 6:6  Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: 

The Bible speaks of other creations.

Pro 30:24  There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: 

Pro 30:25  The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer; 

Pro 30:26  The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks; 

Pro 30:27  The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; 

Pro 30:28  The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces. 

The Bible speaks of the birds.

God feeds the birds but they have to go look for it.

We had better get one thing straight!

We are not saved by our own works, but by God's free and unmerited mercy.

How are the people of God described?

We are called soldiers.

We are called pilgrims.

We are called husbandmen.

We are called fishermen.

All these things imply some form of work.

In fact all these things require demanding work.

2Pe_3:14  Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

Work was the law in the Garden of Eden.

It only became arduous work after sin entered in!

There is probably no greater feeling than to sit down and partake of those things that come by honest work!

*****2Th 3:12  Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. 

2Th 3:13  But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

There can be no doubt that we are commanded to work to provide for ourselves.

Notice this commands comes directly from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Luk 11:3  Give us day by day our daily bread. 

Notice not only is this a command straight from our Lord Jesus, but He also uses this passage as a way to train us in the proper way to act in the Church.

As believers we are prone to make mistakes and we can even make mistakes about how we are to work.

If we have been slack in our work the Lord will forgive us and teach us the proper ways.

We must still confess our wrong and repent.

We are to work with a quiet spirit and mind our own business.

Our brothers and sisters will come to us if they require our help.

We are never to be weary in well doing.

We must not allow idle busybodies to discourage us but stick to the work the Lord had given us to do.

We must not forget we are to be examples of Jesus Christ and not examples of other Church members unless they are wholly following the Lord themselves.

It is obvious that many in this church were doing things right and Paul does not want them to change their effective ways.

There are most always those in the Church that do need some help.

Some who are working and doing the best they can but maybe fell on challenging times.

These are those who we need to help if we are able to do so and continue to help until they are recovered.

Paul also informs these who live and work according to the Word of God that there are things they can do to discourage those that are not following the Word of God.

*****2Th 3:14  And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. 

2Th 3:15  Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

We must understand that the epistles of the Apostle Paul are to be considered Church Doctrine along with all the Books of the New Testament!

If there are those who reject the truth of the New Testament in the blood of Jesus Christ then we are to make a mental note of that person and refuse to be associated with that person.

The Church is a place we are to be in one accord, one mind, one fellowship one bride of Christ!

Note, this is not an excommunication but simply an avoidance.

This discipline is meant to shame that person.

This goes back to where we began our lesson today.

2Th 3:6  Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. 

There should be no excuse for not accepting the truth of the New Testament.

For Paul, it was his intention to read this epistle to read out loud while the entire church was gathered together so there could be no misunderstanding of his intent.

Paul knew that many of them would acknowledge their faults and it would be the end of this matter.

As usual there will be those who still reject the truth and it is these, after they have understood the exact words of the Apostle Paul from whom the Church must withdraw.

2Th 2:15  Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. 

There must not be any unkind feelings towards this person as the intent is to shame that person.

If this shaming does not work then there might have to be other steps taken but these things will work or this would not have been the truth of the Scriptures.

We must never allow a false doctrine into the Church to take holt.

*****2Th 3:16  Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all. 

1) We must remember that peace in our lives can come only by the Lord Jesus Christ.

2) The Lord Jesus Christ seeks a close personal relationship with each of us.

3) It is only by the "Grace of God", the undeserved favor and strength in Jesus Christ, that any of us can be saved.

We are not put into the Church to be the judge of any other person!

We are all to obey the truth of the Gospel and help each other understand it as best we can.

This is why the Lord will not allow any deviation in the Words He has given to us.

We are all judged by the same Word of God!

Amen.

The Word of God is True

 The Coming of That Day

Book of 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2

We must understand that the best approach to what the Bible says is, to take every passage as its literal meaning, compare Scripture to Scripture and refuse to make claims that the Bible does not make.

There are some things that the Bible says that cannot for certain be understood. 

It is these places and all the rest of the Bible we are to accept by faith!

It is like the Holy Trinity; I cannot explain and the Bible does not try to, but I know it is real.

I know there is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, and they are all one person, one God.

I know a virgin named Mary found favor with God and had a child named Jesus. 

Isa_7:14  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

I cannot explain it but I know it is the truth.

I know that the Lord Jesus Christ is that One sent down from Heaven to save us. (Immanuel)

I know that eye witnesses saw the Lord Jesus ascend back to Heaven.

I cannot explain it but I know it is the truth.

I know when the Bible speaks of the "Day of the Lord" it does not mean one single day in history.

The "Day of the Lord" covers a long span of time and some significant events that will take place.

There is a terrible time of trouble coming to this world we live in!

There is a day when the wrath of God will fall upon all the wickedness, all the meanness, and all the filthiness of mankind.

This day is not that far off because we are seeing the signs, but as Christians we are not to fear the "Day of the Lord".

Our hopes are for the future and not in the present!

*****2Th 2:1  Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 

2Th 2:2  That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

We know that the Lord Jesus Christ will return to this world.

1) To gather His Church.

2) To bring the wrath of God to all unbelievers.

But we are not to think of wild and unreasonable notions concerning His return.

We must not be troubled by the return of Jesus Christ. To the Church this is the best thing that can happen to us. We will be going home!

These saints of Thessalonica were being persecuted so badly that they thought the "Day of the Lord" was taking place at that time.

Many thought that the tribulation years had already begun.

There were some who claimed that some spirit or some angel had revealed to them that the "day of the Lord" had begun already.

They were listening to some false preacher calming to be the Messiah.

He claimed that he had received some special word that no one else had.

He claimed that that he had heard in a letter from Paul that the "Day of the Lord" was taking place.

Many believers became shaken in mind and troubled by all these things as they strived to believe in the Apostle Paul.

The important thing for all believers is, to look forward to the day the Lord gathers His Church and not to the judgment that comes later because the Church will not be a part of that judgment.

It is far more pleasant to focus on the day we go home to Heaven than the "day of judgment" that does not concern the Church.

Heaven is a beautiful place where we can rest from the persecutions of this world!

It is those who have rejected the Lord Jesus Christ who should be shaken in their minds and troubled.

1Th 5:9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 

1Th 5:10  Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 

We must be careful not to get caught up in false teaching, and anyone who says they have a special revelation from God, because God will never go against His Word that He has given to the Church.

There will not be any prophecy in the Church Age other than the Word of God that we now have!

We are not appointed to the wrath of God, but to the salvation that God has presented to us!

We must not be deceive by some false prophet or some false preacher at any time.

*****2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 

There are two events listed here from the Apostle Paul.

1)The first event to launch the day of the Lord will be a great falling away of believers from God.

In fact that phrase "falling away" means "apostasy", "revolt" "rebellion".

Many from all over the world will be rebelling and revolting against God.

Before the Lord returns there will be a great day of apostasy, a great day of deception.

Just yesterday I read where the United Methodist Church were meeting to see if they could reconcile their differences as more than half of those had given in to the LBGTQ agenda, even having some leaders who were prophesied to be part of the gay movement and welcomed them all.

Now it is true that the Church is to welcome all who come but they are to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as the Messiah and "Repent" to become part of the Church.

This may not be what the Apostle Paul was referring to but it is involved in this thing somewhere.

We simply cannot fall away from the truth of God.

For some man to decide he was really a woman. He is saying that my God made a mistake which is impossible.

For woman to say that she is really a man. She is saying that my God made a mistake and that is impossible.

For groups to give in to this they are calling God a liar and my God cannot lie!

Before the Lord Jesus will return to this earth there will be a great apostasy and I believe we are beginning to see this now in our lifetime.

What did Jesus teach us? Mat_24:34  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

2) The second event that will launch the "Day of the Lord" will be the revelation of that man of sin, the son of perdition, the Antichrist himself.

This means that the Antichrist is on our planet somewhere today.

This Antichrist is a man of sin though he may first seem to be the savior of this world from climate change, war, and politics.

This means that the Antichrist will be that "son of perdition". He will be so evil he will actually be that son of doom! Doomed to destruction.

This means that the Antichrist will not just be another evil world leader that we see so often, but the Antichrist that has been prophesied.

He will come out into the open after hiding for such a long time, working his way through the politics of this world.

The evil that such men from our past that have caused, will not compare to the evil the Antichrist will bring.

Men such as Hitler, Stalin, and other dictators who themselves slaughtered millions of innocent people will be nothing compared to the Antichrist.

Those days will be like the days of Noah before the flood came.

Those will be like the days of Lot when the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

Mar 13:14  But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: 

What does this wicked man do?

*****2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 

What are the traits of the Antichrist?

1) He is the "man of sin". All he knows is sin and lawlessness. He idealizes sin. He is the ideal sinner. He will fulfill the dreams of Satan.

He will lead a revolt against our Holy God and the world will follow him.

2) He is the "son of perdition". Perdition means doom and destruction.

He is the son of the most violent doom and destruction this world will ever see.

He is the son who deserves his own doom more than anyone who has ever lived.

He is the son of the Devil himself, the father of all doom and destruction.

3) He is the "opposer" of all that is called God.

He is the opponent of Jesus Christ and all believers.

He will show no love, no mercy, no grace, and no justice, but especially to those who profess the name of Christ.

4) He is the one who "exalts himself" above everything that God stands for.

He will lift himself above everybody that is alive in his day, in an antagonistic way.

All people will be his subjects or they will be killed or suffer severe consequences.

5) He will claim to be God.

He exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped.

He will attempt to sit in the rebuilt Temple as God to be worshipped as God.

Many people worship science and technology today and the Antichrist will use this to his advantage with some great miracle within his power.

He will lead the governments of this world into war with God.

There will be a one world religion based upon the rule of the Antichrist by the False Prophet.

There will be a one world government.

There will be a false peace for a season.

Remember Rome brought peace through destruction and fear, the Antichrist will do the same.

We must teach these things in the Church!

*****2Th 2:5  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 

When a false preacher gets into to any church his message will always confuse some in the pews because people just refuse to study the Bible.

The Church must understand the truth of the Antichrist and it must be taught in the Pulpit and the Sunday Schools.

Just as Paul had to be careful what he said because he was a Roman citizen and Rome would silence those who spoke against it, it will be the same with those who speak against the Antichrist in his day.

So today is the day we must teach these things about the Antichrist.

The Lord Jesus will certainly return to gather His Church to Him. There will be a "Rapture" of the Church.

The Lord Jesus will return to this earth and that great and terrible day will come and it is sooner than most people want to believe.

The Antichrist will arise upon the world scene maybe just before the "Rapture of the Church" but certainly after the Church has been removed.

After the Church is removed by the Rapture, this world will turn into the most evil and wicked place that ever existed and the Antichrist will use this chaos to his advantage to make a false peace.

Remember the Church will be gone but Israel will remain and Israel will realize how wrong they had been about the Scriptures.

Rom_10:19  But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.

Rom_11:11  I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

*****2Th 2:6  And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 

It should be clear that there will be a historical appearance of the Antichrist. His time is set and he will appear before all the world.

Right now there is some power that holds back the appearance of the Antichrist.

Once this power is taken out of the way then the Antichrist will be revealed.

Notice it says, "taken out of the way" and not "taken away" there is a significant difference in these two statements.

If this power of restraint is completely removed there would be no power of good left in this world.

So this power will only step aside enough to allow the Antichrist to present himself to this world.

This power is so strong that He can control events in this world.

In fact, this person is so strong that He knows the exact day to step aside to allow the Antichrist to appear.

So, just what is this restraining power? In the early Church, those people thought that Rome was this restraining power but this cannot be true simply because Rome's dominance is long gone.

It is not the power of the law because every nation has different laws.

The restraining power can be nothing but the power of God, through the Spirit of God, who came to this earth when the Lord went back to Heaven.

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_16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

That word mystery refers to the mystery of lawlessness that works secretly in our world but when the Holy Spirit is taken out of the way then this mystery of lawlessness will no longer be in secret.

Eph_6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Those principalities, those rulers of darkness and that spiritual wickedness will finally be seen by this entire world.

Why do we do so many rotten things as we live and grow older?

That "mystery of iniquity" is that unseen, unknown power which is in our world dedicated to evil working against the will of God.

This is the thing that corrupts everything it touches causing misery in God's creation.

When did it begin?

Gen 3:17  And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 

Rom 5:12  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 

Who is this Antichrist?

Dan 11:36  And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. 

Dan 11:37  Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. 

It is the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost) who is the power behind the Church!

There should be no doubt that there is an Antichrist that is in this world, he has not revealed himself because the Holy Spirit will not allow it yet to happen just yet, but the Holy Spirit will take Himself out of the way of this Wicked man when the time is just right.

In the last days, when the time is just right for the Antichrist to rise, God is going to remove much of His restraint upon lawlessness and lawlessness will run rampant over this earth.

Men again will be allowed to do their own thing and live as they desire.

Men will get their wish and live without the influence of God.

Mat 24:10  And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 

Mat 24:11  And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 

Mat 24:12  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 

The Church will already be in Heaven, the Rapture having taken place, and the influence of the Church will be no more on this earth.

The Holy Spirit will still be within each believer in Heaven, but the Holy Spirit will begin another work here on earth.

The Lord will make quick work of the Antichrist!

The Lord will destroy the Antichrist with the brightness of His coming.

How will the Antichrist deceive so many?

*****2Th 2:9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 

The Antichrist will carry on the activities of Satan upon this earth.

He will be the embodiment of Satan.

He will carry on all the lying power and signs and wonders of Satan.

He will carry out the activity and work of Satan on this earth.

Satan will energize him.

He will be totally surrendered to Satan.

All the unbelievers will think they have reached heaven upon this earth, but even the wicked do not approve of all wickedness.

He will bring a false peace to this earth for three-and one-half years.

He may make a way for all to have food and adequate provisions.

Rev_13:18  Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

He may solve the problems of health insurance, employment, homelessness, energy, and other problems, because Satan is the one who caused those problems to begin with.

He will then claim supernatural power for himself, his government, and his science and the last three-and one-half years will begin.

He will cause the world to worship him as god.

Mat 24:15  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 

No man can be god because that grave will make him to be a liar!

When the Antichrist insist that he is god many will rebel against him because they do not want any sort of god to worship.

This world will live in a lie for only a brief time because it has rejected the truth of God.

*****2Th 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 

We should understand that any follower of the Antichrist has rejected the truth already.

To receive is to welcome and no one at that time will welcome the truth, they will not want to hear any truth and we are almost there today.

This truth is the "Gospel of Jesus Christ".

They do not want a way to be saved.

They do not want a way to escape death.

They do not want a way to live forever and ever.

They do not want a way to live a victorious life.

They have chosen to suffer at the hands of the Antichrist and Satan the Deceiver.

Joh 8:23  And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. 

Joh 8:24  I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. 

God will cause them to believe every lie of the Antichrist.

*****2Th 2:11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 

We live today in a nation where there has been a persistent rejection of truth.

This behavior destroys the sense of the truth so much that it results in a fatal error.

The lies against the truth become the truth to those who reject the truth.

In other words they believe the lies are the truth.

This is the America we live in today!

Does this mean that God misleads unbelievers? 

That God deceives people?

That answer is no and a thousand times no.

No person is deceived apart from their own will.

No person is deceived against his will.

A person is only deceived because he chooses to reject the truth of God.

We need only to look at the lies of evolution to see how lies have changed our world.

Unbelief is governed by the laws of sowing and reaping.

If a person sows’ unbelief and deception, he will reap unbelief and deception.

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

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

It is because people reject the truth of the Gospel that they will suffer strong delusion because of their actions, and they will believe the lies of the Antichrist.

Those who reject the Word of God will go further and further astray as we see in our own nation today.

So, God will use Satan as the means to punish them!

The Lord Jesus said to just leave them alone: Mat 15:14  Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

All the followers of the Antichrist will be those who are deceived about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The tragedy of this situation is that a person cannot reject Jesus Christ and expect things to stay as they are.

The truth will always prevail in the end!

God loves His Son too much to see Him rejected because of what He has done for the salvation of this entire world.

The "judgment" of the unbeliever is also drawing closer each and every day!

*****2Th 2:12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 

All the followers of the Antichrist will be damned to Hell.

All those without the love for the truth will naturally believe a lie when it comes because there is no other choice for them!

People love their sin so much that will hold on to it even if it means they will spend eternity in Hell.

Go back and look at the sin of Adam.

Gen 3:17  And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 

Gen 3:18  Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 

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

It is the instinct of sinful man to flee from God and His truth!

When the wickedness of sinners is known of God, they will attempt to hide from the truth.

The Lord Jesus came to this earth for this reason.

Joh_15:22  If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.

This world cannot expect God to overlook its sin, especially those who take pleasure in unrighteousness.

Any person who rejects the work that our Savior has done for our salvation cannot expect God to overlook the dishonor done to His Son!

The world is full of sin!

1Jn_2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

These are the things that Satan has used since the time of Adam and Satan has never had to change his ways.

When the Antichrist shows up the world can expect for him to use these things to become its new world leader.

Man loves himself and himself alone and refuses to show true love to anything else but himself and this is the downfall of mankind.

Job 15:16  How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?

Psa 52:3  Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. 

Psa 52:4  Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. 

Psa 52:5  God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah

These are the same ones who will cling to the Antichrist like he is some sort of god when he is nothing.

God will allow the Antichrist to lead this world for seven years and it will be a terrible time to live upon this earth, but Hell is even worse.

Amen