Abiding Not Apostatizing

“You have made... the Most High, your dwelling place...” [1]

The Lord Jesus said to us, “Abide in Me, and I in you.” [2]

I want to be with the Lord. I want Him to be with me. In His presence is fullness of joy. [3]

May the Lord align our ways with His. For in Him are many benefits.

“Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.” [4]

While some angels protect those abide with God, other angels slay those who apostatize from Him. To apostatize is to abandon one’s belief in Christ.

“The Lord said to him, ‘Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.’ To the others He said in my hearing, ‘Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity.’” [5]

It is best to remain with God. “Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing.” [6]

Let us stay with Christ. We bear good fruit while abiding in Him. “I am the Vine you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit.” [7]

The Lord says that our patience and faith during persecutions and tribulations are manifest evidence that the Lord has counted us worthy of the kingdom of God, for which we suffer. [8]

The Lord helped Corrie Ten Boom and in her sister Betsy to remain in Him while suffering dearly in a Nazi concentration camp. By His grace, they led many to Christ in that place. The Lord helped Iranian Christians Maryam Rostampour and Marziyeh Amirizadeh to remain faithful to Him. Though imprisoned 259 days, they continued to testify for Jesus. Many prisoners experienced joy in Christ.

It is good to abide in Christ. To do otherwise is not wise.

“When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe....” [9]

There is one destiny for those who obey the Gospel, and another destiny for those who don’t. Thus, the apostles prayed, “Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” [10]

“Yes, Lord, our lives, please be glorified!”

The temptation of the last days before the Lord returns is to stop abiding in Him.

Don’t let distance grow between you and the Lord! Stay with Jesus by reading His Word, praying, fellowshipping and worshiping with Christians, and by testifying for Him to the lost!

“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.” “The Lord will consume the lawless one with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.” “Those who perish, perish because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” [11]

The lawless one will reward lawlessness and punish law keepers. Nevertheless, remain with Christ.

God chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. He called you by the Gospel for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by Word or our epistle. “Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.” [12]

“Amen!”

[1] Psalm 91:9
[2] John 15:4
[3] Psalm 16:11
[4] Psalm 91:9-11
[5] Ezekiel 9:4-5
[6] Psalm 92:13-14
[7] John 15:5
[8] 2 Thessalonians 1:4-5
[9] 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10
[10] 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
[11] 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 8, 11
[12] 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15; 3:5

Turned Just In Time

Have you ever made a split second decision that saved your life?

The Lord led King Hezekiah to make a turn just in time that saved his nation.

He led his nation to do a purge of all that was false and misleading in his nation. They “broke the sacred pillars in pieces, cut down the wooden images, and threw down the high places and the altars.” Hezekiah appointed priests and Levites to make offerings, to serve, to give thanks, and to praise the Lord. They aligned the service of the Lord with the Law of the Lord. He commanded the people to contribute support for the priests and the Levites that they might devote themselves to the Law of the Lord. Hezekiah’s administration allowed freedom to believe in God AND engineered a campaign to raise funds for advancement of learning about God. The result was that they soon had an overabundance of all that was needed. “The Lord has blessed His people.” [1]

“Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the Lord his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So, he prospered.” [2]

The Lord led Hezekiah to turn to Him just in time. The Word of the Lord says, “After these deeds of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah; he encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them over to himself.” [3]

Hezekiah and his people returned to a close relationship with the Lord just in time.

The Lord gave Hezekiah faith to tell his nation, “’Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.’ And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.” [4]

The King of Assyria and “his servants spoke against the Lord God and against His servant Hezekiah. He also wrote letters to revile the Lord God of Israel, and to speak against Him.” [5]

King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah prayed. “Then the Lord sent an angel who cut down every mighty man of valor, leader, and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria. So, he returned shamefaced to his own land. And when he had gone into the temple of his god, some of his own offspring struck him down with the sword there.” [6]

“Thus the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side. And many brought gifts to the Lord at Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations thereafter.” [7]

Hezekiah and his people turned to the Lord just in time.

None of us know what tomorrow will bring. It is good to always be turned to the Lord. Don’t allow distance to grow between you and the Lord. Turn to Him with all your heart. Ask Him to lead you in regards to purging things from your heart and from your home that do not honor Him and bring Him glory.

Jesus did not promise us a tribulation-free life. He said that He has overcome the world.

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” [8]

As we remain in His love, He wins the battles and shares the spoils of His victories with us.

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” [9]

[1] 2 Chronicles 31:1-10
[2] 2 Chronicles 31:20-21
[3] 2 Chronicles 32:1
[4] 2 Chronicles 32:7-8
[5] 2 Chronicles 32:16-17
[6] 2 Chronicles 32:20-21
[7] 2 Chronicles 32:22-23
[8] John 16:33
[9] Romans 8:31-39

Nevertheless Some

“Nevertheless some... humbled themselves... the hand of God... gave them singleness of heart to obey the command of the king and the leaders, at the Word of the Lord.” [1]

The Lord graciously granted King Hezekiah a heart to obey Him. Hezekiah commanded priests and Levites to cleanse their hearts and to cleanse God’s house, and then, to call God’s people to gather together.

King Hezekiah said, “Hear me, Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish from the holy place. For our fathers have trespassed and done evil in the eyes of the Lord our God; they have forsaken Him, have turned their faces away from the dwelling place of the Lord, and turned their backs on Him. Therefore the wrath of the Lord fell upon Judah and Jerusalem, and He has given them up to trouble, to desolation, and to jeering, as you see with your eyes.” [2]

God’s wrath is on those who suppresses truth so that they can live in ungodly and unrighteous ways: “For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” [3]

Hezekiah humbled himself before God. He testified to his peers, “It is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that His fierce wrath may turn away from us.” [4]

The Levites and priests sanctified themselves and the Lord’s house. It took eight days, but they did it. They completed the first phase of returning to the Lord. [5]

Next, King Hezekiah gathered the rulers of the city. They brought sin offerings of bulls, rams, lambs and goats to the house of the Lord to atone for the sins of the kingdom, the holy place and for the people. While their sin was being atoned for, the Levites made music with instruments and sang praise to the Lord. The people bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with words that the Lord gave to David and Asaph. After their sins were atoned for, they offered more animals as thank offerings to the Lord. “So, the service of the house of the Lord was set in order. Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced that God had prepared the people, since the events took place so suddenly.” [6]

After this, Hezekiah widened his outreach to include invitations to people in the farthest reaches of his kingdom. He sent out runners with invitations to a Passover feast. The Passover had not been observed in the prescribed manner for a long time. He urged people, saying, “Yield yourselves to the Lord; and enter His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you. For if you return to the Lord, your brethren and your children will be treated with compassion by those who lead them captive, so that they may come back to this land; for the Lord, your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn His face from you if you return to Him.” [7]

The runners were laughed at and mocked by many, but some humbled themselves and responded favorably. God gave them a heart to obey their king and His commands. [8]

“Now many people, a very great assembly, gathered at Jerusalem.” Some from the northern tribes had not properly prepared to partake of the Passover feast. Hezekiah noticed it. He prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord provide atonement for everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though he is not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary. And the Lord listened to Hezekiah and healed the people.” [9]

The fact that the Lord needed to heal those who did not observe the Passover properly corresponds with the Corinthians falling sick in the New Testament era because they did not properly discern the Lord’s body and blood while partaking of communion.

“Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.” [10]

Celebrating the Passover was a source of great gladness for the people. The Levites and priests were praising the Lord day by day, singing to Him and playing instruments to Him loudly. The people confessed their sins to God. “There was great joy in Jerusalem.” There is joy doing what the Lord expects of us. The leaders blessed the people. God answered their prayers. [11]

The Lord said of Hezekiah, “he did what was good and right and true before the Lord his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So, he prospered.” [12]

It is vital to give God our faces and not our backs. To ask the Holy Spirit to cleanse our hearts! Are we under God’s wrath? Is He being longsuffering with us? Let us humble ourselves and ask the Lord Jesus to forgive our sins and restore within us the joy of salvation.

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.” [13]

“Dear Heavenly Father, please cleanse our hearts of that which is contrary to You. Help us to love You and our neighbors according to Your word. I agree with “the singers and the players on instruments [who] say, ‘All my springs are in you.’ We need You working within us to bear good fruit. While some laugh and mock, there are many who worship You. ‘All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your Name.’ So, I pray, Oh Lord, ‘unite my heart to fear Your Name.’” [14]

[1] 2 Chronicles 30:11-12
[2] 2 Chronicles 29:5-6, 8
[3] Romans 1:18
[4] 2 Chronicles 29:10
[5] 2 Chronicles 29:12-19 20-36
[6] 2 Chronicles 29:20-36
[7] 2 Chronicles 30:1-9
[8] 2 Chronicles 30:10-12
[9] 2 Chronicles 30:13-20
[10] 1 Corinthians 11:27-32
[11] 2 Chronicles 30:21-27
[12] 2 Chronicles 31:20-21
[13] 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8
[14] Psalm 87:7; 86:9-10

Paul points us to a direct relationship with Christ our Redeemer rather than trying to approach God via other beliefs and practices which amount to trying to approach God via our own merits. We come to God through Christ. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life! Jesus is the only way to the Father. See Colossians 2:8-22; John 14:6

What Did Asaph Do

Too many people are unprepared for the Lord’s return. Their lack of preparedness is revealed by the things they do and say. This was true in the days of Asaph as well. What did Asaph do about it? He prayed...

“How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked? Selah Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy; free them from the hand of the wicked. ‘Arise, O God, judge the earth; for You shall inherit all nations.’” [1]

The Lord tells us in His Word that when He returns He will judge the world with righteousness.

“He comes, for he comes to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with his truth.” “He has appointed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has ordained; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” [2]

Jesus judged righteously when He came to earth the first time. He attended to the poor and needy by feeding them, healing them, and even raising some dead children back to life. He took up the cases of those who were taxed without representation. He supplied what they lacked.

There’s something wrong with a society whose leaders do not want the Bible to be heard or trusted. Why are they opposing God when He is the One who created us and loves us?

Asaph would not stand for it. He kneeled before God about it! He wanted God to change them.

“Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, and do not be still, O God! For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; and those who hate You have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against Your people and consulted together against Your sheltered ones. For they have consulted together with one consent; they form a confederacy against You. O my God, make them like the whirling dust, like the chaff before the wind! Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek Your Name, O Lord. That they may know that You, whose Name alone is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth.” [3]

Asaph knew what they lacked. They lacked a relationship with God. To know God is to love Him!

“How lovely is Your tabernacle, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they will still be praising You. Selah Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage. They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.” “O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer... For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. O Lord of hosts blessed is the man who trusts in You!” [4]

There is nothing like experiencing God’s love you! I am so glad He revealed His love for me in the person of His Son Jesus Christ. I am truly blessed!

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” [5]

I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for showing me what I am doing wrong and for showing me how to get it right. Apart from Him, no one was willing to talk to me about the areas of my life that needed repaired. My Abba Father’s love helps me to see what needs changed and He helps me change it.

“What thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God, night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?” [6]

The Lord has been perfecting what is lacking in my faith all my days. He never stops working. I am so glad He pursues me. I want to be like Him. I want to inspire others to trust in Him because the Lord is good. He does good with us as we abide in Him.

“May [the Lord] establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.” [7]

Praise God! Christ is coming! In glory coming! Let us pray daily for ourselves and for our leaders to know and serve Him better every day before He returns.

[1] Psalm 82:1-4, 8
[2] Psalm 96:13; Acts 17:31
[3] Psalm 83:1-3, 5, 13, 16, 18
[4] Psalm 84:1-5, 7-8, 10, 12
[5] Proverbs 27:6
[6] 1 Thessalonians 3:9-10
[7] 1 Thessalonians 3:13

Be Wise

“Be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the SON, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.” [1]

The Bible tells us what happens when kings, judges and people wisely serve the Lord, God’s Son Jesus Christ, and rejoice in Him. They are blessed!

“For whatever things were written heretofore, were written for our instruction; that we through patience and the consolation of the Scriptures might have hope.” [2]

The Scriptures provide for God’s servants a means patience and consolation in a world full chaos and crime. The Scriptures teach us what happens to those who heed the Lord’s voice as well as to those who don’t. God selected portions of Israel’s history to teach us about His dealing with kings, judges and peoples.

Israel experienced God’s blessings and strength as they sought Him, but disaster when they forsook Him. When they let their guard down, people who hated God and His servants took over and destroyed their nation.

Asaph cried out, “O God, the nations have come into Your inheritance; Your holy temple they have defiled; they have laid Jerusalem in heaps. The dead bodies of Your servants they have given as food for the birds of the heavens, the flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth. Their blood they have shed like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them. We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to those who are around us.” [3]

How sad that the finest among them... those who lifted up the poor, included the outcast and preached God’s Word... these were slain along with the wicked who had weakened the nation by serving themselves. Kings and judges who exploit people for selfish gain destroy a nation.

Asaph prayed to the Lord for his nation. “Oh, do not remember former iniquities against us! Let Your tender mercies come speedily to meet us, for we have been brought very low. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your Name; and deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins, for Your Name’s sake!” [4]

“Kiss the Son!” Worship Him! Acknowledge Him as the One who reverses the slide into oblivion! In Christ, God’s forgives sins. In Christ, God gives tender mercies. In Christ, God saves! In Christ, God atones (covers) our sin. God’s Son, Jesus, is the answer!

Asaph was concerned for God’s glory. He prayed, “Why should the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’ Let there be known among the nations in our sight the avenging of the blood of Your servants which has been shed. Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You; according to the greatness of Your power preserve those who are appointed to die; and return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom their reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord. So we, Your people, and sheep of Your pasture, will give You thanks forever; we will show forth Your praise to all generations.” [5]

The Lord lifted Asaph’s nation out of the pit in which they had fallen as they turned back to Him. The Lord helped them to overcome narrowmindedness so that they began to love God and neighbor more than themselves.

Asaph asked the Lord to remove robbers from robbing their nation. [6]

The Holy Spirit led Asaph to pray for the Son of Man to revive and restore His people. Pretty amazing, considering that he prayed this hundreds of years before Jesus arrived on earth in bodily form. “Let Your hand be upon the Man of Your right hand, upon the Son of Man whom You made strong for Yourself. Then we will not turn back from You; revive us, and we will call upon Your Name. Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved!” [7]

When Israel was defeated, they got what they deserved. They had not heeded the Lord’s voice. They didn’t want Him. They were stubborn. They thought they were so smart. But only God can subdue the spiritual forces of wickedness that destroy a nation. Only the Lord can bless our crops so that they are abundant and so that they are genetically healthy for us. [8]

God’s Word says, “Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” [9]

The Lord raises up wonderful servants via His Word. Paul served the Lord despite suffering maltreatment and conflicts. [10] Such people are a blessing to the world.

Paul spoke to please God not sinners. He did not use flattering speech to hide a heart full of covetousness and competitiveness. He did not seek glory from men. He was gentle towards those he served “as a nursing mother cherishes her own children.” He was pleased to impart to people “the Gospel of God” and his “own life” because people had become dear to him. He labored night and day rather than burden anyone. [11]

God exhorts us to “walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.” [12]

God will deal with those who oppose Him and His Word in due season. To those who killed the Lord Jesus, killed the prophets, persecuted the apostles, do not please God, are contrary to all people and forbid to speak the Gospel that saves people, God’s Word promises that “wrath will come upon them to the uttermost.” [13]

Therefore, “Be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the SON, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.” [14]

[1] Psalm 2:10-12
[2] Romans 15:4
[3] Psalm 79:1-4
[4] Psalm 79:8-9
[5] Psalm 79:10-13
[6] Psalm 80:8-16
[7] Psalm 80:17-19
[8] Psalm 81:11-16
[9] Proverbs 26:12
[10] 1 Thessalonians 2:2-3
[11] 1 Thessalonians 2:4-9
[12] 1 Thessalonians 2:12
[13] 1 Thessalonians 2:15-16
[14] Psalm 2:10-12

God has Power to Help and to Overthrow

Amaziah, king of Judah, spent $2,722,800 (100 talents of silver) to hire soldiers from the northern tribes of Israel. A man of God advised him, saying, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel.” He told him, “God has power to help and to overthrow.” The king asked about the spent funds. God’s man replied, “The Lord is able to give you much more than this.” Thanks to God’s grace, the king heeded the Lord's Word and the battle was won. [1]

Whether a king or not, it is good to heed God’s Word. God is always urging people to turn to Him via His messengers.

“Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood above the people, and said to them, ‘Thus says God: why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, He also has forsaken you.’” [2]

“Amen, brother Zechariah” should have been their response, but... “they conspired against him, and at the command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the Lord.” [3]

King Joash forsook the Lord, AND he executed the son of the man who previously saved his life. “Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but killed his son; and as he died, he [the son] said, ‘The Lord look on it, and repay!’” [4]

King Uzziah “did what was right in the sight of the Lord. He sought God... and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper.” [5]

God has commanded fathers to make His Word known to their children that they may “set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments.” [6]

Some fathers failed to do this. Their children “spoke against God.” “The Lord heard this and was furious,” “because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in His salvation.” [7]

“He cast on them the fierceness of His anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, by sending angels of destruction among them.” [8]

One angel of God can destroy more than one hundred thousand of people in a moment. [9]

Drifting away from the Lord and forsaking Him is deadly serious matter.

The Lord “delivered His strength into captivity, and His glory into the enemy’s hand. He also gave His people over to the sword and was furious with His inheritance. The fire consumed their young men, and their maidens were not given in marriage. Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation.” [10] Thus, God can shut down a thriving nation in a moment depending on how they treat Him.

But when the people returned to Him: “The Lord awoke as from sleep, like a mighty man who shouts because of wine. And He beat back His enemies.” [11] He restored the land back to His people and made them to prosper once again.

This just didn’t happen before Christ came to earth. It also happened after He resurrected from the dead and ascended to heaven. In first century Thessalonia, a city in Greece...

“For from you [Thessalonians] the Word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” [12]

The key point of the prophets is to turn God. Only faith in His Son Jesus Christ saves souls from the greatest calamity – God’s wrath against sin. God keeps His promises. Jesus said, “A time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.” [13]

May the Lord grant us all the grace to believe His Word, turn to Him, and serve Him by calling those around us to believe in Him as well.

[1] 2 Chronicles 25:6-12
[2] 2 Chronicles 24:20
[3] 2 Chronicles 24:21
[4] 2 Chronicles 24:22
[5] 2 Chronicles 26:3-5
[6] Psalm 78:5-7
[7] Psalm 78:19, 21-22
[8] Psalm 78:49
[9] 2 Kings 19:35; 1 Chronicles 21:15; see also Revelation
[10] Psalm 78:61-64
[11] Psalm 78:65-66
[12] 1 Thessalonians 1:8-10
[13] John 5:28-29

Christ is All and in All

He is the image of the invisible God
All things were created through Him and for Him
In Him all things consist
That in all things He may have the preeminence. [1]

Christ in you, the hope of glory
Christ is all and in all
Do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus
As to the Lord and not to men
Speak the mystery of Christ [2]

“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” [3]

Christ completes us. We want God. The fullness of God is in Christ. He is more than enough.

Philosophies?

Human traditions? 

Food or drink?

Festivals?

False humility?

Worship of angels?

Superstition?

NOTHING ABOVE RIVALS CHRIST

“These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.” Flesh cannot beat flesh. We hold fast to Christ. He is the One who gives us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings us into fellowship with God. [4]

Jesus took the handwriting of requirements that was against us and nailed it to the cross. He triumphed over the things that condemned us. He took our sins away and made a public statement that God so loved us that He sent His Son to die for us that we might be with God forever. [5]

Thus, the Lord says, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” [6]

Being full of Jesus fills the void that fleshly pleasures vie to fill. Fleshly pleasures are fornication, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. These things provoke the wrath of God. [7]

We bear fruits that please God by abiding in Christ. The fruits that please God are “tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another.” Love, peace, gratitude! Letting the Word of Christ dwell in us richly! Singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs! Speaking and doing all things in the Name of the Lord Jesus. Praying! Speaking for Christ as we ought to speak. [8]

[1] Colossians 1:15-18
[2] Colossians 1:27; 3:11, 17, 23; 4:3
[3] Colossians 2:8-10
[4] Colossians 2:16-23
[5] Colossians 2:14-15; John 3:16
[6] Colossians 3:2-4
[7] Colossians 3:5-7
[8] Colossians 3:12-17; 4:2-3

Christ in You the Hope of Glory

“...Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.” [1]

On a scale of 1 -10 how urgent would you rate “Christ-in-you-the-hope-of-glory” proclamation?

How urgent do you think God rates “Christ-in-you-the-hope-of-glory” proclamation?

Proclamation of Christ is vital for people to hear and apply.

If heads of nations, denominations, communities and people will not heed the message of Christ and His servants, God has another method of speaking. He calls them stumbling blocks. My Dad used to call it the great persuader (a spanking). Pain!

Sword, famine, plague and earthquakes are four judgments that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:7-8 with His disciples. Similar judgments are mentioned 2 Chronicles 20:9, Jeremiah 29:18-19, and Revelation 6:8. To abandon faith in God and to reject His commands leads to pain.

Jesus Christ, His Prophets, His Apostles and we by His Spirit urge people to turn from sin to God.

King Jehoshaphat was led by the Spirit of God to bring His nation back to God. One of the first corrections that he made was to addresses the judges in the land. He told them, “Take heed to what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment. Now therefore, let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take care and do it, for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, no partiality, nor taking of bribes.” [2]

Secondly, he corrected the religious leaders. He told them, “You shall act in the fear of the Lord, faithfully and with a loyal heart: whatever case comes to you from your brethren who dwell in their cities, whether of bloodshed or offenses against law or commandment, against statutes or ordinances, you shall warn them, lest they trespass against the Lord and wrath come upon you and your brethren. Do this, and you will not be guilty.” [3]

When armies approached his nation to destroy it, he called the people to pray for the Lord’s help. As they prayed, “the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel” and gave him a word from the Lord to speak to the people. He told them, “You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah, and Jerusalem! Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.” The king and all the people bowed their faces to the ground and worshipped the Lord. Then, they stood up and praised the Lord with loud and high voices. [4]

What happened? The Lord led them to put the singers of praise out in front of their soldiers. “When they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.” “They found among them an abundance of valuables on the dead bodies, and precious jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much.” “They came to Jerusalem, with stringed instruments and harps and trumpets, to the house of the Lord. And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.” [5] Praise the Lord!

The Lord gave King Jehoshaphat a wonderful victory over war and death. But there’s more at stake than just a good life here on earth. King Solomon wrote, “Do not let your heart envy sinners but be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day; for surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off.” [6] Surely, there is a hereafter.

The Bible urges us to believe in Jesus Christ for victory in the hereafter. Paul wrote, “He is the image of the invisible God.” “...All things were created through Him and for Him. “...In Him all things consist.” “...That in all things He may have the preeminence.” [7]

You want to see God? You want to be with Him forever? Look at God through the lens of the Gospels! What did Jesus do and say while He walked the land of Israel? The miracles that He did for the disabled, the diseased and the dead help us see God.

Jesus became like us so that we could become like Him and be with Him. “For it pleased the Father... to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, ...having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the Gospel which you heard...” [8]

Christ in us is the hope of glory. Not only for eternity, but also for now. Let us pray for the judges of nations to come to Christ so that they will judge rightly. Not for bribes! Let us pray for religious leaders to come to Christ so that they will be faithful witnesses for Christ. Let us pray for one another to be in Christ! To love Him (first commandment)! To love our neighbors as He loves them! To work with the power and wisdom that His Holy Spirit provides us so that more people will want to be in Christ.

[1] Colossians 1:27-29
[2] 2 Chronicles 19:6-7
[3] 2 Chronicles 19:9-10
[4] 2 Chronicles 20:5-19
[5] 2 Chronicles 20:20-30
[6] Proverbs 23:17-18
[7] Colossians 1:15-18
[8] Colossians 1:20-23

Peace Through Praise

“O, let the nations be glad and sing for joy! For You shall judge the people righteously and govern the nations on earth. Selah Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You. Then the earth shall yield her increase; God, our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.” [1]

Being glad in the Lord and singing for joy is a healthier mindset than grumbling and despairing.

The Apostle Paul drank deep from the fountain of life, that is Christ, so that even from a prison cell, he cheered others up, writing, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice!” [2]

The Lord says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” [3]

Last night, after the news broke that the USA had struck Iran’s nuclear facilities, the CBN (Christian Broadcast Network) newscasters took turns praying for our nation and for the people of Iran. Focusing on the Lord, praying for others, and trusting in the Lord are excellent ingedients for stability of heart and mind during times of turmoil.

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned, received, and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” [4]

Meditate on what? Things that are true! Noble! Just! Pure! Lovely! Good reports! Virtue! Praiseworthy! Let the other stuff pass by you by. Keep them from nesting in your mind.

“I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.” [5]

Yes, there is evil in the world, but what reasons do we have to be content. Do we have food, clothing, transportation, a roof over our head at night? A functioning body? Friends? God? Eternal life?

One day, there will be no more wars. “He [the Lord] shall judge between the nations and rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” “Death will be swallowed up in victory” meaning there will be no more death. We who believe in Jesus “shall not perish but have everlasting life.” [6]

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” [7] The Lord helps us navigate our way through this current life as we look to Him for guidance and strength.

“My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” [8] He supplies what we need.

“Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.” [9] He deserves our worship!

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” [10]

[1] Psalm 67:4-7
[2] Philippians 4:4
[3] Philippians 4:6-7
[4] Philippians 4:8-9
[5] Philippians 4:11
[6] Isaiah 2:4; 1 Corinthians 15:54; John 3:16
[7] Philippians 4:13
[8] Philippians 4:19
[9] Philippians 4:20
[10] Philippians 4:23

Resurrection From The Dead

How’s your race to be resurrected from the dead going?

There is no greater race to win than being with the Lord Jesus Christ forever.

The Lord is working throughout your life and mine to bring us to Himself.

He teaches us through the Scriptures how to abide with Him.

“Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah.” He said to Asa, and to all Judah and Benjamin. ‘The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law; but when in their trouble they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them. And in those times there was no peace to the one who went out, nor to the one who came in, but great turmoil was on all the inhabitants of the lands. So nation was destroyed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every adversity.” [1]

God allowed tribulation to flow when people forsook Him and for blessings to flow when they sought Him.

King Asa responded rightly to the Word of God.

When Asa heard the words of the prophet, “he took courage and removed the abominable idols from all the land...” He restored the altar of the Lord. People came to him in great numbers. He offered 7,700 animals to the Lord. The people “entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul; and whoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel was to be put to death...” This might sound shocking to us but think of it! How often have people been executed by evil empires for not surrendering their conscience to evil? If the eternal future of people and the blessing of a nation depends on God, why not have severe consequences for forsaking Him. In any case, the people did seek the Lord and “the Lord was found by them, and the Lord gave them rest all around.”  [2]

That was a great time for the nation of Israel, 21 years later, another prophet spoke to King Asa. This time, Asa did respond well to God’s Word nor to God’s messenger. He imprisoned Hanani the prophet and oppressed his people.

“Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: ‘Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand.’ ‘The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly, therefore from now on you shall have wars.’ Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him because of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at that time.” [3]

“Dear Heavenly Father, please grant us the grace to always be for You. As Your Word says, ‘Blessed is the man You choose, and cause to approach You, that he may dwell in Your courts.'” [4]

Later in Israel’s history, another king, King Ahab, preferred lies (fake news) to truth so God gave him lies. He listened to the counsel of false prophets and imprisoned the prophet of the Lord. God’s messenger told King Ahab, “The Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these prophets of yours, and the Lord has declared disaster against you.” [5]

This is what is happening today. Many prefer to listen to lies and not truth.

“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” [6]

King Solomon, having wisdom from God, warned us, “A man who wanders from the way of understanding will rest in the assembly of the dead. He who loves pleasure will be a poor man. He who loves wine and oil will not be rich.” [7]

The lies of the evil one rob people of eternity with God. The devil advises his victims to enjoy sin for a season rather than God for eternity.

The Lord turned the Apostle Paul from temporary treasures to eternal ones. He wrote, “What things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.” Paul counted all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord. He wanted faith in Christ more than anything else because faith in Christ is rewarded by God with resurrection from the dead to be with God. [8]

Paul was in the race to win God: “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." [9]

His wept for those who opposed Christ and rejoiced with those who were for Christ: “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.” [10]

[1] 2 Chronicles 15:1-6
[2] 2 Chronicles 15:8-15
[3] 2 Chronicles 16:1, 7, 9-10, 12
[4] Psalm 65:4
[5] 2 Chronicles 18:18-22
[6] 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12
[7] Proverbs 21:16-17
[8] Philippians 3:7-11
[9] Philippians 3:14
[10] Philippians 3:18-21

Holy Lord God Almighty

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.” [1]

How often are these words spoken in heaven? John tells us that four living creatures say these words day and night. I imagine that these expressions flow from their mouths like unto people standing in the cold who say continually, “It is cold.” God’s holiness and might override every other thought as one sees Him.

It is good to always be aware of God’s holiness and might.

King Abijah of Judah was aware of God’s holiness and might.

When an army of 800,000 choice men came against his army of 400,00 choice men, Abijah professed His faith in God’s holiness and might to win the battle. He told his enemy, “As for us, the Lord is our God.” “We keep the command of the Lord our God.” “God Himself is with us as our head.” “Do not fight against the Lord God.” “You shall not prosper.” [2]

As Abijah and his men cried out to the Lord, sounded trumpets to the Lord, and shouted to the Lord, God struck the opposing king so that he died and so did 500,000 of his men. Abijah and his men prevailed “because they relied on the Lord God.” [3].

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.”

King David was aware of God’s holiness and might. He knew God as “the rock that is higher than I.” His “shelter.” His “strong tower.” David told his enemies upfront, “You shall be slain, all of you, like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.” He professed, “Those who seek my life, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.” [4]

King Solomon was aware of God’s holiness and might. He wrote, “The wrath of a king is like the roaring of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger sins against his own life.” [5] You don’t want provoke a lion to attack you. Those who provoked God to anger did not enjoy a happy ending.

The Apostle Paul was aware of God’s holiness and might. He wrote of how God the Father has made the Name of His Son above every other name.

“He [Jesus Christ] humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the Name, which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” [6]

This truth is illustrated by the fact that demons are afraid of Jesus. They recognize Jesus as the Son of God, a title that signifies His unique relationship with God and His power over evil. Demons are aware that Jesus has the power to send them to hell or to their final judgment. This knowledge instills fear in them, as they understand their ultimate fate is tied to Jesus.

“Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’ ‘Legion,’ he replied because many demons had gone into him. And they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.” [7]

The demons begged Jesus repeatedly not send them to hell, or the Abyss. O that all of us knew this truth as well as the demons do! Hell is so bad that even the demons don’t want to go there.

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.”

“We need You holy and Almighty God to work in us according to Your Word... ‘It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.’ Help us to ‘do all things without complaining and disputing, that we may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom we shine as lights in the world.’” [8]

Praise God for revealing His holiness and might to us in the Bible, and also by all the created things around us that He has made, including our own bodies. I pray that the world will see His holiness and might shine through you and me, as He shined through others that trusted in Him. The Apostle John, King Abijah, his soldiers, King David, King Solmon and the Apostle Paul to name a few of the many!

[1] Revelation 4:8
[2] 2 Chronicles 13:3, 10-12
[3] 2 Chronicles 13:13-20
[4] Psalms 61:2-3; 62:3; 63:9
[5] Proverbs 20:2
[6] Philippians 2:8-11
[7] Luke 8:30-31
[8] Philippians 2:13-15

Yoke Fellows – Good Figs

The Lord wants us to be His yoke fellows and good figs. [1]

God’s servant Jeremiah the prophet described God’s people as those who: “Deliver the plundered out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong and do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, or the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.” [2]

What would happen if they listened to the Lord and obeyed Him?

“If you indeed do this thing, then shall enter the gates of this house, riding on horses and in chariots, accompanied by servants and people, kings who sit on the throne of David.” [3]

What would happen if they rejected the Word of the Lord?

“But if you will not hear these Words, I swear by Myself, says the Lord, that this house shall become a desolation.” [4]

The people that Jeremiah spoke to were living lavishly while others could barely survive. They destroyed innocent people to maintain their dominance and superiority in the world. [5]

The leaders in the days of Jesus were similar. Jesus said that they liked the best places, best titles and best recognitions. They were liars and deceivers. They made their followers fit for hell. They devoured the houses of widows. They made their fortunes by stealing from people who could not defend themselves. [6]

In the Gospels, Jesus cursed a fig tree that bore no fruit and it died. This miracle symbolized God’s judgment on those who refuse to be fellow yoke bearers with Him. [7]

The Lord told Jeremiah to make yokes and send them to the surrounding the nations. They were to submit to the Word of the Lord. [8]

Jeremiah also wore a yoke to the king of Jerusalem’s court. He urged his king to accept God’s Word concerning Babylon. Sadly, a false prophet named Hananiah contradicted Jeremiah. Hananiah’s name means the Lord is gracious. Hananiah broke the yoke off of Jeremiah’s neck. Hananiah prophesied that in two years that the judgment which Jeremiah prophesied of, namely Babylon, would no longer be a threat to their nation. He lied. Jeremiah told Hananiah by the Word of the Lord that he would die within the year for teaching rebellion against the Lord. That same year Hananiah died according to the Word of the Lord. [9]

When the disciples pointed out to Jesus the beauty of the temple that King Herod built for the people of Jerusalem, Jesus told them that the temple would be completely demolished. [10]

Jesus told them a parable about fig trees. “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!” [11]

The leaders of Jerusalem were not yoked to the God of God’s Word. They twisted God’s Word for personal gain. Jesus and His servant Jeremiah focused on saving souls from God’s fiery judgment on sin. They spoke what God told them to say.

What relevance do these prophecies have for us today?

Jesus prophesied of another Babylon to His servant John in the Book of Revelation. Like the first Babylon, the one of the last days before the Lord returns will be an evil empire. Those who serve the Lord will submit their necks to the yoke of proclaiming God’s judgments on it and to pointing people to Jesus Christ as the only Savior from sin and judgment.

John the Apostle recorded the revelation that Jesus gave him and sent it to the seven churches of Asia minor. The Lord has preserved these prophecies for us because they are vital for us to hear. How many times did Jesus use the word, “hear” in the Book of Revelation? Twelve times!

Jeremiah prophesied of the Messiah’s first coming, and Jesus fulfilled it. Jesus prophesied of His second coming in the Book of Revelation. Jesus will also fulfill this Word. [12]

“Dear Heavenly Father, please help us to hear and serve Your prophetic Word. Please help us to be yoke fellows with You, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. To be good figs! In the Name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.”

[1] Jeremiah 22-29
[2] Jeremiah 22:3
[3] Jeremiah 22:4
[4] Jeremiah 22:5
[5] Jeremiah 22:13-14
[6] Matthew 23:5-15; Luke 20:27
[7] Jeremiah 24:8; Mark 11:12-14, 20-21; Matthew 11:28-30; 21:43
[8] Jeremiah 27
[9] Jeremiah 28
[10] Matthew 24:1-2
[11] Matthew 24:32-33
[12] Jeremiah 23:5-6; Revelation 22:20

Civility

Civil servants whose conduct was uncivil caused a civil conflict.

The citizens wanted less burdens. The leaders promised them more burdens. The Bible says that the king did not listen to the people for this “turn of events was from God, that the Lord might fulfill His Word, which He had spoken by the hand of Ahijah...” [1]

King Rehoboam rejected the advice which older leaders gave him. He preferred the words of his young friends. The older leaders recommended kindness. Rehoboam’s friends recommended burdens. The Bible says, “He [Rehoboam] did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord.” [2]

Rehoboam and his young friends should have leaned on the Lord.

What about you and me? The Bible says that it was evil for Rehoboam not to seek the Lord. Oh wait! That’s right! The first commandment is to love God. How did we miss that?

Betrayal by a buddy is a bitter pill to palate.

“It is not an enemy who reproaches me; then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal, my companion and my acquaintance.” [3]

David was a king who loved the Lord. His grandson turned his back on the Lord. The nation divided during Rehoboam’s reign.

“Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.” [4]

God’s GPS directs us to love. God doesn’t drop us the moment that we disappoint Him. Hatred has a short fuse. Hatred does not get us to a good place.

King David praise God’s Word. [5]

God’s Word teaches us right from wrong. He directs us to “Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” [6]

Love does not fornicate, covet, talk foolishly, vulgarly jest. Love is characterized by a gratitude for God and people. The Bible says, “For this you know that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them.” [7]

God’s Word directs us to “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” [8]

Following God’s GPS helps us to avoid behavioral pot holes that produce to civil conflicts. He says, “Redeem the time, because the days are evil.” “Understand what the will of the Lord is.” “Do not be drunk with wine.” “Be filled with the Spirit.” “Speak to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.” “Sing and make melody in your heart to the Lord.” “Give thanks always for all things to God the Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” “Submit to one another in the fear of God.” [9]

Let us lean on the Lord for help and strength. Let us trust in Him to convict people to behave with civility. I have found that most motorists drive according to the speed limit when they see a police car. I have found that people eat right when the wrong food hurts them. So, I pray, “Lord, please convict us to read and obey You, otherwise, we tend to disregard You to our own destruction. Please grant us civility towards You and one another. In Name of Jesus Your Son, I pray, Amen.”

[1] 2 Chronicles 10:14-15
[2] 2 Chronicles 10:3-13; 12:14
[3] Psalm 55:12-13
[4] Proverbs 10:12
[5] Psalm 56:10
[6] Ephesians 5:2
[7] Ephesians 5:2-7
[8] Ephesians 5:11
[9] Ephesians 5:16-21

Avoid Losses Experience Gains

Many centuries ago the Lord appeared to Solomon the king of Israel and told him how to overcome losses and experience gains. Solomon had prayed, God said...

“I have heard your prayer... when I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My Name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” [1]

The only way up from losses is down. Down on one’s knees before God, speaking to Him, not letting up until you know that you have His attention, repenting of your sins and asking Him to forgive you. Then, allow Him to do His healing, reorganizing, and transforming work in you.

God uproots and casts away those who rebel against Him: “But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them, then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for My Name I will cast out of My sight and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples.” [2]

God fulfills His promises to those who serve Him and to those who do not: “Here is the man who did not make God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness [destroyed]. But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.” [3]

God separates rejectors from receivers even as a refiner separates dross from gold and silver: “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the hearts.” [4]

Receivers from God gain from Him lowliness, gentleness, longsuffering, and love. Abiding in Him helps us to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” [5]

“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” [6]

Paul speaks of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the above passage. He speaks of one hope, one faith, one baptism and one God. When a person is abiding in Christ, these beliefs and practices come forth.

God has provided for us nurturers. He calls them apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. God equips His servants for the work of ministry through them. They edify or feed the body of Christ to bring us into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to the fullness of Christ. They stabilize our faith so that we will not be deceived by false teachers. They work to get us firmly joined to the body of Christ so that we grow in God’s love. [7]

God told Solomon to heed His lead. The Lord helps losers to overcome losses as we embrace Him and His ways. The Lord says, “Put off your former conduct.” “Be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” “Don’t give place to the devil.” “Steal no longer. “Work.” “Impart grace to hearers. “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit.” “Put far from you bitterness and malicious evil speaking.” “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” [8]

In God’s economy, He turns love for Him and love for neighbor into blessings for all involved.

[1] 2 Chronicles 7:12-14
[2] 2 Chronicles 7:19-20
[3] Psalm 52:7-8
[4]Proverbs 17:3
[5] Ephesians 4:2-3
[6] Ephesians 4:4-6
[7] Ephesians 4:11-16
[8] Ephesians 4:22-23, 27-32

A Glorious Life

“God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for He shall receive me. Selah” [1]

Think of it! Apart from God’s grace, you and I will suffer searing heat, agony, weeping, gnashing of teeth, and darkness for all eternity without hope of escape.

God is gracious to you and to me to warn us about hell. Jesus spoke about hell more than anyone else in the Bible. His love for you and me moved Him to bring the topic up.

The world is lost. If we gauge our acceptance by God by how many people in this world accept us, we are watching the wrong gauge. The Bible says, “Men will praise you when you do well for yourself.” But that such people “shall never see light.” “A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, is like the beasts that perish.” [2]

The world delights in immediate gratification and refuses to face the reality of a real heaven and a real hell where human souls continue to live forever. They hate God’s instruction. They cast His Words behind them. They join with thieves in robbing. They join with adulterers in adultery. They slander close friends behind their backs. God is warning the world via the Bible, “Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver: whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.” [3]

We need a new language! A language that communicates love for God and neighbor! A tongue that offers praise to God. A mouth that is guarded from speaking evil because it serves the message of God’s salvation.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” [4]

Let us not follow what seems right. Let us know what is right according to the Bible and do it.

Let us pray the prayer of David as often as we need it...

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You.” [5]

To be cast from God’s presence is to be cast into hell. The price tag to escape hell and to enter heaven is repentance of sin and faith in God. “I give to You God my sins. Please give me Your Holy Spirit. Please restore to me the joy of your salvation and empower me to teach transgressors your ways that they might be converted unto You.”

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise.” [6] We don’t have to be a “somebody” to catch God’s eye. A humble reckoning of self before God and a vocalized request for His help will turn Him toward us. He is merciful. He has compassion on us.

“Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; though they join forces, none will go unpunished. In mercy and truth atonement is provided for iniquity; and by the fear of the Lord, one departs from evil.” [7] God’s mercy and truth are given to those who fear Him enough to say “no” to evil and “yes” to their need of God’s Savior, Jesus Christ.

I identify with the words of Paul. God has revealed His Gospel to me by His Spirit. He empowers me to minister for Him. He graces me to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. [8]

“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, [and do prayer walks around my neighborhood] that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” [9]

Yes, amen, be saved by God’s grace! Be forgiven by God! Be accepted by God! Be empowered by God! Know you have a home in heaven with God when you die because you are redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Saved by His merits not your own! Know the width, length, depth and height of Christ’s love for you. Be filled by the Holy Spirit with the fullness of GodI Amen! What a glorious life!

[1] Psalm 49:15
[2] Psalm 49:18-20
[3] Psalm 50:17-23
[4] Proverbs 16:25
[5] Psalm 51:10-13
[6] Psalm 51:17
[7] Proverbs 16:5-6
[8] Ephesians 3:2-8
[9] Ephesians 3:13-19

Praising the Lord

To think and vocalize wholesome words is wise.

“A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” “A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, and a word spoken in due season, how good it is!” [1]

I testify that praising God is wholesome, good, and yields joy. When I worship the Lord, I experience joy. God created us to glorify Him. Singing unto Him brings us into harmony with God and with our very purpose for existing.

“Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with understanding. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne.” [2]

I am so glad that I have a church within 15 minutes of my house where musicians, singers and others like me enjoying speaking and singing words of love and thanksgiving to God. There is no mandatory cover charge to enter the building but offerings are welcomed to keep the light of Christ shining there. We are happy to support our local church. I am grateful to God for those who pioneered it and keep it thriving.

There are many good reasons to think and speak the language of praise unto God. First of all, He made of me a new creation. I used to live among the dead, that is, those who didn’t know God. I lived as though there was no tomorrow. Jesus came to me when I was at my worst. He offered to me forgiveness of my sins. He offered to me a newness. When I said, “YES” to Jesus Christ, He filled me with His Spirit and brought me into fellowship with God and God’s people.

“You He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins... that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” “Now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” “You are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” “In whom also you are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” [3]

I hope and pray that you join with me in thinking, speaking, and singing words of praise and thanksgiving to God. I am telling you... God wants to fill you with joy in the Holy Spirit! With wholesome thoughts and words that yield abundant life to your whole being: body, soul and spirit. Praise the Lord!

[1] Proverbs 15:4, 23
[2] Psalm 47:6-8
[3] Ephesians 2:1, 7-9, 13, 19, 22

Wisdom and Knowledge

On a night when Solomon offered a 1,000 burnt offerings on a bronze altar before the Lord, God appeared to him and said to him, “Ask! What shall I give you?” King Solomon asked God for wisdom and knowledge that would help him make good judgments for the people. God granted Solmon’s request. [1]

Solomon composed 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs [2] with his gifts of wisdom and knowledge from the Lord. Three of his compositions have been preserved for us in the Bible. He wrote Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs.

Wisdom and knowledge are the givers in Solomon’s proverbs. Foolishness is the robber.

“A scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it, but knowledge is easy to him who understands Go from the presence of a foolish man, when you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge. The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, but the folly of fools is deceit. Fools mock at sin, but among the upright there is favor.” “A wise man fears and departs from evil, but a fool rages and is self-confident.” “He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, but he who is impulsive exalts folly.” [3]

The fool has a self-defeating tendency to scoff. To scoff is speak to someone or about something in a scornfully derisive or mocking way. The wise person invests himself in understanding things and then, holds onto knowledge he has gained for future use. The fool chooses the path of deception and cheating (sinful behaviors). He makes light of doing wrong. He assumes wrongly that his bad choices will yield good returns. He has no patience for honesty and integrity. He is impulsive. The wise person anchors his or her choices to the wisdom and knowledge of God that is recorded in the Bible, namely, to love God and love neighbor in all that one does. Goodwill!

God is wiser than anyone else. He knows all things. And what has He done for people? He has given His Son for us to be our Redeemer from sin’s captivity. In Christ, God has forgiven our previous bad choices (sins). God has made wisdom and prudence to abound toward us in Christ. God has made known to us the mystery of His will. The Creator reveals to us wisdom and knowledge that we could not grasp without Him. [4]

“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the Word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” [5]

God gives His Holy Spirit to us who believe in His Son. The Holy Spirit is God with us and in us. The Holy Spirit is not a skeptic. He is not a scoffer. He is a confidence giver. He is a counselor. His presence in us is God’s way of affirming to us that we are on our way to the heavenly Promised Land. He is the guarantee of our eternal inheritance. The wisdom and knowledge of such an inheritance in Christ helps us to be patient and committed to making good choices.

The Holy Spirit led Paul to pray “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.” [6]

Christianity is a revealed religion. People can read the Bible, quote the Bible and even teach the Bible, but only the Holy Spirit can reveal it so that it becomes alive and transformative. The Holy Spirit turns the lights on for us so that we believe and have zeal to build our lives on God’s Word.

Our Heavenly Father resurrected Jesus Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places. Jesus is now far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. All things are under His feet. [7]

Jesus holds the keys to the kingdom of God. “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” The door Jesus opens no one can shut, and the door He shuts no one can open. Knowing that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life is the highest form of wisdom and knowledge. [8]

May the Lord grant to you, my dear friend, His wisdom and knowledge in Christ Jesus! Amen!

[1] 2 Chronicles 1:6-12
[2] 1 Kings 4:32
[3] Proverbs 14:6-9, 16, 29
[4] Ephesians 1:6-9
[5] Ephesians 1:13-14
[6] Ephesians 1:17-19
[7] Ephesians 1:20-21
[8] Matthew 16:19; Revelation 3:7; John 14:6

Solus Christus

“Solus Christus” is a Latin phrase meaning “Christ alone.” Only faith in Jesus Christ saves one’s soul. To add or take away from this teaching amounts to idolatry. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the hill to die on, or as Paul put it, to be crucified for.

Let’s walk through Paul’s letter to the Galatians and observe His jealousy for glory of Christ.

Paul credits his apostleship to Jesus Christ. Christ ordained him to be a “sent one” by God. “Apostle” is a Greek word that literally means a “sent one.” Paul is a prophet of God, His spokesman, His ambassador, His proclaimer, not because he decided to become a pastor, but the rather, because Jesus Christ ordained him for this ministry. Jesus revealed Himself to Paul and told Paul to reveal Him to others.

“Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father.” [1]

What did our Lord Jesus Christ do for our salvation?

“He gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” [2]

No one else did this for us – only Christ alone.

God wants us to keep this truth pure.

“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different Gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the Gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other Gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.” [3]

The Gospel is God’s grace to us. We don’t need to add works of our flesh to what Christ has done for us. To do so, is to defile the Gospel. Such a one is a false prophet. A cult leader! Accursed by God! A liar! For example, John Smith, the founder of Mormonism, he wrote that an angel gave to him a different gospel.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is above all others. Only the truth revealed to us by Jesus is to be trusted. Paul wrote, “I make known to you, brethren, that the Gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.” [4]

Jesus Christ was not just a prophet or priest. He was not just the founder of a particular branch of religion. He is God enfleshed in human skin. He is only reliable revealer of God.

The Gospel that Paul preaches is from God. He had been well-schooled in Judaism, but Judaism did not bring him to God. Christ did!

“I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood.” [5]

Paul traces his calling to preach the Gospel back to when he was still in his mother’s womb. Before he could do anything for God, himself or anyone else, God ordained him. Paul gave to Christ alone the glory for his understanding of salvation. Flesh and blood did not reveal Christ to Him. God did! Paul understood the Gospel clearly before he met any of the disciples who walked with Jesus.

“Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me...” “After three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter...” “And they glorified God in me.” [6]

“False brothers” is what Paul called those who preached the need to of be circumcised. He compared them to slavers. He did not submit to their persuasion. He withstood them to their faces. When Peter separated himself from eating with uncircumcised Gentiles due to his fear of those who adhered to circumcision, Paul reminded him, “a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ... for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” [7]

To be a Christian is to be crucified to self-saving doctrines and to wholly lean on Christ alone.

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.” [8]

Paul reminded his Jewish believing brothers that, “Abraham ‘believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ ...Only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.” [9]

Faith in one’s ability is to fulfill the Law amounts to idolatry. It is to believe you are above other sinners so much so that you can save yourself from sin. You cannot.

“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.’ But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ‘the just shall live by faith.’ Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” [10]

God sent forth His Son, Jesus, to redeem us that we might receive the adoption as sons. And having become His sons and daughters, God sent forth His Spirit of His Son into our hearts to help us pray to our “Abba, Father!” [11] God does this work through faith in Christ alone.

Paul told those who were preaching Christ plus circumcision: “If you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.” [12]

The Lord says to walk in the Spirit and live by the Spirit of God. If you plant works of the flesh, you will reap corruption. If you sow to the Spirit of God, you will reap everlasting life. [13]

Paul gloried in Christ alone. “God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” [14]

Brothers and sisters, stand up for faith in Christ alone. Don’t allow the Gospel of Christ to be diluted or diminished by any other teaching. Thus, you will serve as a true “sent one.” A true prophet of God!

[1] Galatians 1:1
[2] Galatians 1:4-5
[3] Galatians 1:6-10
[4] Galatians 1:11-12
[5] Galatians 1:4-16
[6] Galatians 1:17-24
[7] Galatians 2:1-16
[8] Galatians 2:20-21
[9] Galatians 3:6-7
[10] Galatians 3:10, 13-14
[11] Galatians 4:4-6
[12] Galatians 5:2, 4, 6
[13] Galatians 5:16, 25
[14] Galatians 6:8, 14

Peace Through Praise

The Lord provided for King David and his army captains a weapon that neither earthly nor heavenly foe could overcome. It was the weapon of praise and worship unto the Lord.

“David and the captains of the army separated for the service some of the sons of Asaph, of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbals.” [1]

These musicians prophesied with their instruments. They drew their inspiration for music composition from the Holy Spirit. Heman wrote Psalm 88. Asaph wrote Psalms 50, 73-83. Jeduthun directed the music for Psalms 39, 62, and 77.

“The sons of Heman the king’s seer in the Words of God, to exalt His horn. For God gave Heman 14 sons and 3 daughters. All these were under the direction of their father for the music in the house of the Lord, with cymbals, stringed instruments, and harps, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the authority of the king. So the number of them, with their brethren who were instructed in the songs of the Lord, all who were skillful, was 288.” [2]

These songwriters of the Lord, sung of the Lord’s guidance. They sung of His faithfulness to those who trust in Him. His justice! Rest! Waiting patiently for God until He acts! Not fretting because it only causes harm. Inheriting the earth! Enjoying an abundance of peace! [3]

What does the Lord do when the wicked plots to hurt His servants. “The Lord laughs at him, for He sees that his day is coming.” [4]

The songwriters of the Lord, sing of God providing abundantly for those who do what is right. “I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread. He is ever merciful and lends; and his descendants are blessed.” [5]

The songwriters of the Lord, sing of the good speech God gives his servants due to His Law being in their hearts. The Lord gives His servants victories over unlawful lawfare.

“The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of justice. The Law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide. The wicked watches the righteous and seeks to slay him. The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.” [6]

The songwriters of the Lord, sing of the sudden disappearance of the proud troublemaker and of the peace of the man who did what was right. “I have seen the wicked in great power and spreading himself like a native green tree. Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; indeed, I sought him, but he could not be found. Mark the blameless man and observe the upright; for the future of that man is peace.” [7]

The songwriters of the Lord, sing of the Lord’s salvation, and of His strength. “The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble.” [8]

The songwriters of the Lord, sing their prayers to the Lord: “Do not forsake me, O Lord; O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!” [9]

The words and thoughts of the Lord yield good physical, mental, and emotional health. “There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health.” “Counselors of peace have joy.” [10]

Many battles have been lost due to soldiers losing confidence and being overcome by panic. The Lord reminds His warriors that right makes might. Our goal is to glorify the Lord!

“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” [11]

The songwriters of the Lord, sing of confidence in His deliverance such as Paul wrote about: “Don’t be frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God.” [12]

The songwriters of the Lord, sing of the sweetness of His amazing grace, of His deep love, and of His fellowship divine such as Paul wrote about: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.” [13]

“The weapons of our warfare are not carnal (of the flesh) but are mighty in God for the pulling down of strongholds.” As we worship God, He fights our battles for us. “Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.” [14] Peace through praise!

[1] 1 Chronicles 25:1
[2] 1 Chronicles 25:5-7
[3] Psalm 37:3-11
[4] Psalm 37:12-13
[5] Psalm 37:25-26
[6] Psalm 37:30-33
[7] Psalm 37:35-37
[8] Psalm 37:39
[9] Psalm 38:21-22
[10] Proverbs 12:18, 20
[11] Psalm 46:10
[12] Philippians 1:28
[13] 2 Corinthians 13:14
[14] 2 Corinthains 10:4; 2 Chronicles 20:22