The Glory of God – Psalm 19

 “To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and rejoices like a strong man to run its race. Its rising is from one end of heaven, and its circuit to the other end; and there is nothing hidden from its heat.” Psalm 19:1-6

Francis Bacon wrote, “God has, in fact, written two books, not just one. Of course, we are all familiar with the first book He wrote, namely Scripture. But He has written a second book called creation.” [1]

Sun, moon, stars, sky, land, sea, trees, grass, rocks, birds, fish, animals convey knowledge to us about our Creator. Your image and mine created in His image speak to us about Him. His wisdom is embodied in each tangible handiwork.

“Thank You Heavenly Father for speaking to us via the visible wonders You have created.”

God’s creation serves not only to show the folly of atheists, who see there is a heaven and yet say, ‘There is no God,’ who see the effect and yet say, ‘There is no cause,’ but to show the folly of idolaters also, and the vanity of their imagination, who, though the heavens declare the glory of God, yet they give that glory to things made with human hands. [2]

All created things had a beginning. They could not make themselves. They could not be produced by a casual hit of atoms, that is an absurdity. They had a Creator. They are God’s works. The works of His fingers as Psalms 8:3 proclaims. They declare His glory. [3]

God is not limited by time, space of matter as we are. Time, space and matter are called a continuum. All of them must come into existence at the same instant. Because if there were matter but no space, where would you put it? If there were matter and space but no time, when would you put it? You cannot have time, space or matter independently. They have to come into existence simultaneously. Genesis 1:1 tells in ten words how God began creation: “In the beginning” [there’s time], “God created the heaven” [there’s space], “and the earth” [there’s matter]. So, you have a trinity of time, space, matter with each of these also containing a trinity. Time is past, present and future. Space is length, width and height. Matter is solid, liquid and gas. The Triune God created the basic elements of the universe in trinitarian formation. [4]

The statement that describes God’s essence to us is recorded in 1 John 4:8, this verse says, “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” “God is love.” John repeats this truth in 1 John 4:16, “We have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”

Seek for love in this world, and you will be continuously disappointed until you find God, for love is from God.

The word for “love” in the New Testament is agape. Agape is an unconditional love, meaning to love when love is not reciprocated. In Matthew 5:44, Jesus urged people to love their enemies. In Romans 5:6-8, Paul differentiates between natural and divine love, writing, that God demonstrated His love for people by sending His Son to die for us while we were still sinners. We had nothing to offer God, but He had a great gift of grace to offer us... the gift of love.

In 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, God defines what love is. 1 John 4:19 says, “We love because He first loved us.” It is after we have experienced God’s love, that we are able to give His love to others. In Acts 20:35, Paul quoted Jesus as saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Once, a person is born again and made anew by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. He or she wants to love people as God loves people... finding great delight in showing His love to people.

In John 13:34-35, Jesus had a new command for the people of God. He said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” Divine love is from above. The world is starving for the Father’s love. God has called us by His Word and Spirit to express it.

“Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge.” God preserves this established order without variation, according to His covenant with Noah in Genesis 8:22. The counterchanging of day and night, in so exact a method, is a great display of the power of God. The sunrise and sunset circuit are so consistent that we can foretell the hour and the minute at which the sun will rise at such a place. As the light of the morning befriends the business of the day, so the shadows of the evening befriend the repose of the night. Every day and every night speak of the goodness of God. [5]

God’s Word compares the sun to a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, richly dressed and adorned. He rejoices as a strong man to run a race. In Matthew 9:15, 25:1-6, Ephesians 5:25-30, Revelation 19:7-9, Jesus Christ is referred to as the Bridegroom who returns for His Bride the Church. His presence lights up her life. His seeming absence due to her sin leaves her in a dark place. The consistency with which the sun returns each day is a reminder that her Bridegroom shall faithfully return for her just as He promised that He would. When Jesus Christ returns, He will be mighty and all victorious.

There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. In Romans 10:18, Paul used this as a reason why the Jews should not be angry with him and others for preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles, because God had already made himself known to them by the works of creation. In Romans 1:20, Paul wrote, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” All people may hear these natural immortal “preachers” speak to them in their own tongue the wonderful works of God. [6]

“The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.” Psalm 19:7-11

The Law of the Lord is perfect. It does not need to be revised or amended. The Law converts the soul by revealing the soul’s depravity and by pointing us to the Gospel where we learn of our Redeemer’s love and forgiveness of sinners.

The testimony of the Lord is truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. “God’s Law is called a testimony because it witnesses to what God requires of people, and what upon the performance of that condition, God will do for people.” [7] God’s testimony yields wisdom. In John 8:32, Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” How can anyone make good decisions based on deceptive intelligence? They cannot.

In this corrupt world, reporters get paid for portraying news in a particular fashion whether it is based on truth or not. Thus, it is nearly impossible for listeners to discern if they are being fed facts or propaganda of a particular consortium of con artists.

The testimony of the Lord is sure. He does not lie or deceive. The testimony of the Lord makes us wise unto salvation. In 2 Timothy 3:15-17, Paul wrote to Timothy saying, “From a child you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. ...that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

Do you want to rejoice? Learn and hold to the statutes of the Lord. The statutes of the Lord are right, and, because they are right, they rejoice the heart. When the Law is written in our hearts, it lays a foundation for everlasting joy, by restoring us to our right mind.

Do you want your lights turned on? Embrace the commandments of the Lord. Don’t be a rebel. Lucifer was a rebel and he ended up becoming a devil. His future home is the Lake of Fire. The commandment of the Lord is pure. There is no darkness, no dross and no defilement in it.

The fear of the Lord is clean and makes us clean. In John 15:3, Jesus said, “You are already clean because of the Word which I have spoken to you.” The disciples walked with Jesus due to their awe of Him. He cleansed their hearts and minds from sin by His words.

The Lord’s judgments are true and righteous. In the Hebrew Scripture, judgments were primarily something done FOR people. God heard a cry for justice and brought justice about.

The Law, the testimony, the statutes, the commandments, the fear of the Lord and the judgments of the Lord warn us so we avoid harm. They keep us in the way of eternally rich rewards. They are more fulfilling and meaningful than gold and sweet treats.

In each of the six statements of Psalms 19:7-9, the phrase “of the Lord” is repeated. The Law, the testimony, the statutes, the commandments, the fear and the judgments are weighty because they are of the Lord who made heaven and earth. The angels in heaven live by them. One day, the Lord will judge the world in righteousness by them. [8]

God’s people prefer God’s Word over the world’s wealth. Gold is earthly. Grace is heavenly. Gold is temporal. Grace is eternal. [9]

God warns His servants by His Word. He warns us of our duties toward Him, of the dangers we are to avoid, and the day of judgment for which we must prepare. In Ezekiel 3:17, 33:7, He warns the wicked not to go on in his wicked way and warns the righteous not to turn from his good way. The wise do receive and act on His warnings. [10]

“Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins. Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength, and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:12-14

Who can understand his errors? God’s Law describes errors. Every transgression of God’s commandment is an error. An error is a deviation from God’s rules by which we were to live. By the Law, says David in Psalm 40:12, he learned that his sins were more than the hairs on his head. Unable to the perceive the number of his sins, he cried out to the Lord to cleanse him from secret faults. Those faults which were hidden from his self-observation. Secret sins render us unfit for communion with God. Psalm 66:18 says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.” [11] That’s a scary thought! Imagine being in danger and crying out to God and being ignored!

1 John 1:7-10 says, “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” God is ready to forgive and cleanse our record of sins, but we must be willing to acknowledge them, confess and seek His forgiveness.

When God forgives our sins, those sins are purged from our record forever.

David asked the Lord to keep him back from presumptuous sins. “Let them not have dominion over me.” David did not want to be enslaved or addicted to any particular sin. Sins against Holy Spirit convictions and admonitions from God’s Word begin to numb the conscience and harden the heart. “God, please keep us from temptation and deliver us from this evil in this regard... either by Your providence preventing the temptation or by Your grace giving us victory over it.”

If we favor our sins, we cannot expect God should favor us or our services. David’s services unto God were the words of his mouth and the meditations of his heart. His holy affections offered up to God! [12]

May the godly meditations of our hearts be expressed with words from our mouth for God’s glory and the edification of others. [13]

What was David’s main care concerning his services unto God? That they might be acceptable with God. If our services be not acceptable to God, what do they avail for us? [14]



[1] Enduring Word Commentary
[2] Matthew Henry Commentary (revised wording for simplicity)
[3] Ibid
[4] @highlightTruth
[5] Matthew Henry Commentary (revised wording for simplicity)
[6] Ibid
[7] John Wesley's Explanatory Notes
[8] Matthew Henry Commentary (revised wording for simplicity)
[9] Ibid
[10] Ibid
[11] Ibid
[12] Ibid
[13] Ibid
[14] Ibid

I will Love You O Lord – Psalm 18

“To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the servant of the Lord, David, who spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said, ‘I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so, shall I be saved from my enemies.” Psalm 18:1-3

David and the apostles were happy to be known as the Lord’s servants. David placed “servant” before his given name in the Hebrew text. [1] Paul repeatedly introduced himself as a “servant of Christ Jesus” (Romans 1:1, Philippians 1:1, Titus 1:1). Peter identified himself as a “servant of Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1). James referred to himself as a “servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1). Jude identified himself as a “servant of Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:1). The Greek word for servant is “doulos” which implies that they were “purchased” by Christ, and therefore, willing to serve Him. In Revelation 5:9, in heaven, the saved people of God celebrate what Christ did for them, singing, “You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood.”

David had endured years of persecution from King Saul. Perhaps, as many as 10 years! From the time, he killed Goliath as a young man until he was 30 years old and became king. Who would have thought that a good deed such as killing a giant would have brought on so many years of misery. It’s as though Goliath represented Satan, and therefore, Satan wanted to kill David for bringing him down.

1 Samuel 16:14 says that after the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, “an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.” This spirit yielded for him fits of paranoia and rage. Evil spirits always want to turn people against the Lord and His anointed one. Due to Saul’s disobedience, the Lord allowed the spirit to torment him. Sadly, Saul never turned to the Lord for rescue.

How many people have grown up with a family member or someone outside their family that targets them for persecution? Saul was David’s father-in-law and king. Therefore, he felt that he could not harm or kill him. He had to avoid him. He had to place Saul in God’s hands.

Obviously, God used David’s heartbreaking circumstances to deepen his relationship with him. What was David’s initial response on the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul? He declared, “I will love You, O Lord.” To love the Lord is the first and great commandment. Blessed is the man, woman, boy or girl who has a genuine love for God in his or her heart. A great way to bless the Lord is to love Him.

David also described who the Lord was to him. God was his strength. The Lord protected and delivered David from a king and his army. He trusted in the Lord, and the Lord did not disappoint him. He declared that the Lord is worthy to be praised. After he became king, he appointed many musicians and singers to lead praise and worship in Israel.

“The pangs of death surrounded me, and the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me. The snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the Lord and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before Him, even to His ears.” Psalm 18:4-6

At times, there had been just a hair between David and death. He experienced extreme fear. He experienced sorrow. What did David do? He cried out to the Lord. The Scripture doesn’t say that he prayed. It says that he cried out. These were intense moments of emotion before the Lord.

Jesus Christ experienced the pangs of death. Ungodly people tortured and insulted Him. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. On the third day, after His death, He resurrected from the tomb. Acts 2:24 says, “God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him.”

“Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken because He was angry. Smoke went up from His nostrils, and devouring fire from His mouth; coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also and came down with darkness under His feet. And He rode upon a cherub and flew. He flew upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness His secret place. His canopy around Him was dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. From the brightness before Him, His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire. The Lord thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered His voice, hailstones, and coals of fire. He sent out His arrows and scattered the foe, lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them. Then the channels of the sea were seen, the foundations of the world were uncovered at Your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils. He sent from above, He took me. He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support. He also brought me out into a broad place. He delivered me because He delighted in me.” Psalm 18:7-19

In this passage, David describes God becoming angry at the news of his anguish. God blew smoke out of His nose and fire out of His mouth. He flew to David’s rescue. David’s enemies thought he was down for the last time, but the Lord was the difference maker. The Lord supported David. The Lord brought David into a broad place.

Darkness, hailstones, fire, thunder and lightnings appear in Revelation 8:5, 11:19, 16:10, 18, 21, when the first, fourth and fifth bowls of God’s wrath are poured out on earth. These judgments are likely in response to the mistreatment of God’s servants. Revelation 18:20 says, “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!”

“The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness. According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all His judgments were before me, and I did not put away His statutes from me. I was also blameless before Him, and I kept myself from my iniquity. Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.” Psalm 18:20-24

The Lord had given David grace to do what was right amidst very evil circumstances. Thus, I don’t perceive that he is taking onto himself the glory that belongs to the Lord. He is merely stating a fact. God curbed David’s will to do what was right in His sight. His obedience to the Lord’s directions saved him from harm. He could not afford to slip up, and the Lord kept him on the straight and narrow road.

In 2 Corinthians 1:12, Paul wrote, “Our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.” In Acts 23:1, Paul declared before his enemies, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.” The Lord helped Paul not to violate his conscience amidst those who wanted him to do so.

It is good to keep one’s conscience clean. In 1 Timothy 4:1-2, Paul warned that in the last days people’s consciences will be ineffective. He wrote, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.”

“With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful. With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless. With the pure You will show Yourself pure. And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd. For You will save the humble people but will bring down haughty looks. For You will light my lamp. The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. For by You I can run against a troop, by my God I can leap over a wall.” Psalm 18:25-29

The Lord says in Galatians 6:7-8, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” You want God’s mercy, show mercy. You want God’s holiness and purity, pursue Him for these virtues.

In Matthew 5:7-8, Jesus taught us, saying, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

God saves the humble, that is, those who know their need of Him. And He gives added blessings such as light where it is dark, and ability to overcome armies and walls that want to halt your progress.

God shows Himself shrewd with the devious. The Hebrew word “pathal” (shrewd) implies twisting, but when applied to God, it signifies His ability to turn the plots of the crooked back upon themselves, not that God Himself is immoral or deceitful. [2]

“As for God, His way is perfect. The Word of the Lord is proven. He is a shield to all who trust in Him. For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?” Psalm 18:30-31

Contrary to what some would say about God, David knows God as perfect. His Word is proven. David trusted in the Lord and the Lord protected him against an army that was waged against him. An army, incidentally, that he did not feel at liberty to fight against due to them being misled by evil king.

“As for God, His way is perfect.” Earthly fathers, even at their best fail to be perfect towards their children. In Matthew 5:48, in the context of love, Jesus said that our Father in heaven is perfect. In Matthew 5:45-47, Jesus said, “Your Father in heaven makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?” Our Heavenly Father shows lovingkindness both toward those who love Him and those who don’t.

“It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of deer and sets me on my high places. He teaches my hands to make war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have also given me the shield of Your salvation. Your right hand has held me up. Your gentleness has made me great. You enlarged my path under me, so my feet did not slip.” Psalm 18:32-36

Here, David gives God the glory for his triumphs. God gave him strength when he was weak. God helped him to navigate through very life threatening circumstances and survive. God helped him to win battles. God’s right hand held him up. Christ sits at the right hand of God.

God’s gentle treatment of David helped him to become great. Our Heavenly Father is not like earthly fathers who exasperate their children. Isaiah 40:11 says, “He tends His flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. He gently leads those that have young.” This verse is a good one for parents to claim. “Gently lead us as we try to raise a family.” May the Lord also help us as parents to be gentle with our children.

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

The Lord enlarged the path under David, so his feet did not slip. God provided for David blessings amidst trials that helped him to remain faithful to God. He did not slip away from God.

“I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them. Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed. I have wounded them, so that they could not rise. They have fallen under my feet. For You have armed me with strength for the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. You have also given me the necks of my enemies, so that I destroyed those who hated me. They cried out, but there was none to save; even to the Lord, but He did not answer them. Then I beat them as fine as the dust before the wind. I cast them out like dirt in the streets.” Psalm 18:37-42

In terms of enemies that David could destroy without reservation such as the Philistines, Moabites, and Ammonites, the Lord helped him to subdue them. He beat them down as fine as dust so they could not rise up again to cause God’s people harm.

In this way, David was a type of Christ. Albeit Christ took down spiritual forces of wickedness in high places. He cast down the accuser of the brothers. Colossians 2:13-15 says, “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” By atoning for our sin, Jesus took away the devil’s right to punish and curse us due to our sin. 1 John 3:8 says, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

“You have delivered me from the strivings of the people. You have made me the head of the nations. A people I have not known shall serve me. As soon as they hear of me, they obey me. Foreigners submit to me. Foreigners fade away and come frightened from their hideouts.” Psalm 18:43-45

David had so much that he wanted to do for God’s glory, but until now, the striving of the people had thwarted his progress. Finally, the Lord gave him a clear opportunity to build worship in Israel. To build up people’s faith in God! Whereas before Saul’s death, he had to exist as a fugitive exists. In 1 Samuel 21:13-15, he even pretended to be a crazy person to escape death at the hands of the Philistines. Now, he was king of his nation commanding the army of God. He began to defeat Israel’s enemies on every side.

“The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted. It is God who avenges me and subdues the peoples under me. He delivers me from my enemies. You also lift me up above those who rise against me. You have delivered me from the violent man. Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and sing praises to Your Name. Great deliverance He gives to His king, and shows mercy to His anointed, to David and his descendants forevermore.” Psalm 18:46-50

Mortal friends live and die, but the Lord lives forever. David rendered unto God his highest praise. Only God, not anyone else, could do the miracles that God did for him. David was determined to thank the Lord and sing praises unto His Name as long as he lived, which brings us back to his opening declaration, “I will love You, O Lord.”


[1] Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary
[2] priceb3.wordpress.com/2011/03/13/psalm-1825-26, article by P. B. Middlebrook III

Loving the Lord - Psalm 17

“A Prayer of David.”

“Hear a just cause, O Lord, attend to my cry. Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips. Let my vindication come from Your presence. Let Your eyes look on the things that are upright. You have tested my heart. You have visited me in the night. You have tried me and have found nothing. I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.” Psalm 17:1-3

David turned to the Lord for justice. King Saul his father-in-law was trying to kill him due to jealousy. His prayer was not from deceitful lips. He was telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. “Let my vindication come from Your presence.” Since God was with David, and David was with God, he expected a favorable ruling.

“Your eyes look on... You have tested my heart... You have visited me in the night.” Like a good lawyer, the Lord met with His client, looked at him in the eyes, and heard his heart. The Lord even met with David after business hours. The Lord knew that David had done nothing to deserve the kind of treatment that his governing authority was rendering to him.

“I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.” David was not going to resort to any scheme that involved lying or speaking negatively about his king. Therefore, he absolutely needed God to show up. He needed his defense lawyer to win the case for him.

If we are abused, and misrepresented, by unrighteous men, it is a comfort that we have a heavenly defense lawyer to take up our case. In the New Testament, He is called our advocate.

“An advocate is a person who comes to our aid or pleads our case to a judge. Advocates offer support, strength, and counsel and intercede for us when necessary. The Bible says that Jesus is an Advocate for those who’ve put their trust in Him: “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). In other verses, Jesus calls the Holy Spirit our Advocate (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7). The English word advocate has been translated from the Greek word parakleton, which means ‘helper, adviser, or counselor.’” [1]

“In a human court system, an advocate speaks for the rights of his or her client. We call them lawyers because they have studied the intricacies of the law and can navigate through those often complicated statutes with accuracy and precision.” [2]

“Jesus stands as the Advocate between our repentant hearts and the law. If His blood has been applied to our lives through faith and confession of Him as Lord (Romans 10:9–10; 2 Corinthians 5:21), He pleads our case with the Righteous Judge. We may imagine the conversation going something like this: ‘Father, I know this one has sinned and violated Our commands. He is guilty as charged. However, You have said that My sacrifice is sufficient payment for the debt he owes. My righteousness was applied to his account when he trusted in Me for salvation and forgiveness. I have paid the price, so he can be pronounced not guilty. There is no debt left for him to pay’ (Romans 8:1; Colossians 2:14).” [3]

“An earthly advocate can only plead our case from external evidence or witness testimony. Our heavenly Advocate knows our hearts and pleads our case on the basis of what is there (Luke 5:22; Mark 2:8).” [4]

“Concerning the works of men, by the Word of Your lips, I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer. Uphold my steps in Your paths, that my footsteps may not slip. I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God. Incline Your ear to me and hear my speech. Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You from those who rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of Your eye. Hide me under the shadow of Your wings, from the wicked who oppress me, from my deadly enemies who surround me. They have closed up their fat hearts; with their mouths they speak proudly. They have now surrounded us in our steps. They have set their eyes, crouching down to the earth, as a lion is eager to tear his prey, and like a young lion lurking in secret places.” Psalm 17:4-12

In Revelation 9:11, the Lord reveals the name of the king over demon spirits. His name is Apollyon. “And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue his name is Apollyon.” Abaddon and Apollyon mean destroyer. The devil is a nation wrecker, home wrecker and soul destroyer.

In Ephesians 6:12, Paul wrote, “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.” King Saul was a man, but he was being led by an evil spirit to pursue David. Jesus and the apostles also encountered spiritual forces of wickedness as they proclaimed the Gospel.

In 2 Timothy 3:12, Paul wrote, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” When we apply ourselves to being a disciple of Jesus who learns from Him and teaches others what He has taught us, the enemy will come against us. He does not want his captives set free. Therefore, I find it necessary to plead the blood of Jesus over me and others who go out into the world to be witnesses for Christ.

David provided for us some petitions that we can pray for ourselves and others who are witnessing for Christ. He prayed, “Uphold my steps in Your paths that my footsteps may not slip.” The enemy delights in tripping followers of Jesus. Pray for sure footedness.

“I have called upon You, for You will hear me.” Know that God hears your prayers in the midst of overwhelming trials. In due season, He shall turn the tide on those who oppose Your witness for Him.

“Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand.” Jesus sits at the righthand of the Father. He is our Advocate, Redeemer and Deliverer.

“Keep me as the apple of Your eye.” Please treat me as precious to You. The eye is sensitive. People naturally try by all means to protect their eyes. May Jesus do this for you and for me.

“Hide me under the shadow of Your wings.” He prays that God would keep him with as much tenderness as the hen who gathers her young ones under her wings. Jesus used this metaphor in Matthew 23:37 to express His desire to treat the people of Jerusalem so. This also alludes to the wings of the cherubim that overshadow the mercy-seat.

The mercy-seat is where the sins of people were atoned for, it is a type of Christ. After Jesus arose from the dead, Mary came into His tomb and saw angels sitting at both ends of the slab on which His body had been laid. He had resurrected already and wasn’t there, but perhaps, Mary made the connection of this scene with the lid of the Ark of the Covenant. She saw a flat surface with an angel at either end of it just like the cherubim on the lid of the Ark of Covenant with a flat surface between them.

1 John 2:2 says of Jesus, “He is the Mercy-Seat for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

“The ringleader of David’s enemies, Saul was like a lion that lives by prey and is therefore greedy of it.” [5] Quite often the enemy of God’s people is compared to a lion. For example, in 2 Timothy 4:17, Paul speaks of being delivered out of the mouth of the lion. In 1 Peter 5:8, Peter compares the devil to a roaring lion, walking about, seeking someone to devour. We should take these words seriously and pray for Christians who are witnessing for Christ in evil nations.

“Arise, O Lord, confront him, cast him down. Deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword, with Your hand from men, O Lord, from men of the world who have their portion in this life, and whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure. They are satisfied with children and leave the rest of their possession for their babes.” Psalm 17:13-14

In Matthew 24:37-39, Jesus spoke of the last days before His return as being like the days of Noah. He said, “For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” The people were not doing anything that seemed particularly evil but in fact they were. They failed the first commandment. They did not love the Lord or honor Him. They were caught up in the affairs of this life to the neglect of their relationship with God.

David wrote of his enemies that they were men of the world, whose portion is in this life. They were focused on filling their bellies with earthly treasures. They wanted to lay up treasures for their children rather than seek God and His righteousness, and to trust God to take care of their children.

“As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” Psalm 17:15

It is extremely satisfying to see the Lord and find that He has been transforming you into His likeness. To love as He loves! To be at rest in one’s soul as God is at rest! To forgive as He forgives! To know that you will be with Him forever!

In 1 John 3:2, the Apostle John expressed this same sentiment, writing, “When He shall appear we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”

God blessed David with a great love for Him. This love kept David ever looking consistently to be with the Lord. Paul loved the Lord. He went so far as to write in 1 Corinthians 16:22, “If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come!” To know Christ is to love Him. To not know and to not love Christ is to be accursed. But the Lord can change this.

In Ezekiel 36:26, the Lord says, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” In 2 Corinthians 5:17, the Lord says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” In Romans 5:5, the Lord says, “The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

Before Paul knew Christ, he arrested Christians and consented to the death of Stephen the martyr, but after Jesus revealed Himself to Paul, Paul became like David. He was willing to go through any trial and hardship as an expression of his love for the Lord.

May the Lord help everyone who calls themself a Christian to love the Lord fervently.



[1] https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-Advocate
[2] Ibid
[3] Ibid
[4] Ibid
[5] Matthew Henry Commentary

Empowered by the Holy Spirit – Job 19:25-27

Amidst suffering, the Lord gave to Job a wonderful revelation. In Job 19:25-27, the Lord gave to Job a witness that He existed and that He would redeem Job from the suffering that was waged against him. Job declared, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth. And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”

Job’s inner witness about who the Lord was and what He would do for him was a gift of faith from God. This kind of faith helped Peter to speak boldly for Christ amidst people who sought to do him harm. In Acts 5:32, Peter declared, “We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

In Acts 5:40-42, the religious leaders “called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the Name of Jesus and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.” Such resilience for a cause is beyond normal. Like Job, Peter and the apostles had a revelation from God of their Redeemer.

According to Job 1:6-2:9, the devil wanted Job to curse God. He robbed Job of his children, his wealth, and his health. His wife urged him to curse God and die. His three friends believed that he was getting what he deserved. In Job 16:2, he told them, “You are miserable comforters, all of you!”

God’s Spirit let Job know that His Redeemer lived. He would be satisfied when he saw God.

Praise the Lord! God assures by His Word and by His Spirit that Jesus is the Son of God. In Romans 15:13, Paul wrote to Christians, saying, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Do you have peace in believing in Jesus? Paul says that the peace to believe in Jesus comes as God fills the believer with hope and with joy by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Christianity is different than other religions because it is more than just an intellectual assent to various belief statements. For sure, we do have belief statements such as the Apostles’ Creed, but the kind of faith that the apostles had was fueled by a personal relationship with the Lord.

In John 3:1-20, a man steeped in Scripture knowledge came to Jesus by night. He said to Jesus, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Nicodemus could see that for Jesus and His apostles, religion was more than words on a page in a religious book. Religion was more than a weekly social gathering for them. Their faith in God had the breath of God breathing life into their faith. Theirs was a faith from above not generated solely from earthly education.

Jesus told Nicodemus, ““Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Jesus described the work of the Holy Spirit as a wind that breathes new life into people. Incidentally, the word for spirit and wind are the same Greek word in the New Testament.

Peter and the Apostles were different people after the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. The Holy Spirit filled them and provided for them strong convictions about Jesus Christ. From Acts 2 and forward they were not the same men as they were before Jesus died and resurrected.

Acts 4:33 says, “And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.” The grace was God’s Spirit and Word living in them.

Do you want to be an effective witness for Jesus Christ? If so, then, be a witness for Him by the power of His Holy Spirit. Be open to the work of the Holy Spirit! Trying to impact the world for Christ in one’s own strength is comparable to using a hand-held sickle to harvest a large field of grain when God your father wants to provide you with a motorized combine harvester that is powered by a 700 horsepower diesel engine.

In 2 Peter 1:10, Peter wrote, “My brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble.” The Lord Jesus reveals His calling to us by His Spirit as we seek Him. And what I have discovered is that the more I shun earthly entertainments and indulgences to focus on the great commission, the more clearer and easier it becomes to receive revelations from Jesus concerning my calling. The Holy Spirit helps me to discern what is that perhaps, one thing, the Lord wants to accomplish through me for His glory and for the salvation of others.

What is that main thing God wants you to do? Ask Him to reveal it to you. Then, continuously pray the Lord to develop and cultivate His vision in you. Don’t waste your life trying to please your flesh! The flesh never says, “Enough!” God has an exciting and meaningful purpose for you.

1 John 2:28 says, “And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.”

Know, like Job did, that your Redeemer lives and He will greatly reward your commitment to Him!

In 2 Timothy 4:8, Paul wrote, “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

Recently, I was having a bad day. I was striving to get something done, but it wasn’t getting done. Then, thankfully, the Holy Spirit brought me to my face on the floor before God. I found myself praying, “Jesus, I just want to love You. I want to be with You. I don’t want anything else but to serve and honor You and lead others to do the same.” The next day, I woke up with so much inspiration and clear leading of God’s will for my life. I was excited. Serving Him became a great pleasure for me once again. I could say with Job, “I know my Redeemer lives!”

How does Job apply to our lives? The Lord provides for us an application in James 5:11, saying, “As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” Hold onto the Lord amidst trials! The Lord turns trials into gold.

In Romans 8:28, Paul wrote, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

In 1 Peter 5:10-11, Peter wrote, “The God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

Would you like the Lord to go before you and lead you? Would you like the Lord to show you a better way? Would you like the Lord to send help your way? To supply that missing piece to the puzzle? Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you. Obey His leading. The Holy Spirit may speak to you directly or through someone who just happens to say the right thing at the right moment. I have been helped in this way numerous times.

I have heard people from various walks of life testify that their breakthroughs came after great trials. They were so broken. They turned to the Lord just to heal their broken hearts, and it was in that moment that God transformed their lives.

Ultimately, the Lord loves you and He delights to make your life more fruitful for His glory! Never give up on the brink of a miracle.

Resting In Hope – Psalm 16

“A Michtam of David.”

Psalms 16 is entitled a Michtam, which some translate a golden psalm, a very precious one, more to be valued by us than gold, yea, than much fine gold, because it speaks so plainly of Christ and His resurrection, who is the true treasure hidden in the field of the Old Testament. [1]

According to Peter in Acts 2:25 and Paul in Acts 13:35, this Psalm relates to Christ. It expresses His sufferings and victory over death and the grave, including His subsequent exaltation at the right hand of God. [2]

“Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust. O my soul, you have said to the Lord, you are my Lord, my goodness is nothing apart from You. As for the saints who are on the earth, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.” Psalm 16:1-3

“Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust.” These words are applicable to Christ when He prayed in Mark 14:35 “that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.” He did not want the suffering, but He did want saints. Thus, He looked to our Heavenly Father to preserve His resolve to go to the cross and make an atonement for our sins. The end result was that the sins of humanity were atoned for and now whosoever believes in Jesus Christ has their sins forgiven and may receive the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is the One who sanctifies us. He does in us and through us what we could never do without Him. We bear God’s image by His Spirit.

“The saints in the earth are excellent ones, in whom is my delight.” God makes us excellent by the grace He gives to us as we fellowship with Him and with His people. David, though a king, testified in Psalm 119:63 saying, “I am a companion of all who fear You, and of those who keep Your precepts.” King David delighted in horizontal fellowship with others who loved the Lord.

In Ephesians 2:19-22, Paul wrote, “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”

In Romans 12:4-5, the Lord describes fellow believers in Christ as one body. “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

In 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, the Lord uses our physical bodies to illustrate how we depend on one another in His body the Church. For example, in 1 Corinthians 12:21, He states, “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’” In 1 Corinthians 12:27, He concludes this topic, saying, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

In regards to our vertical relationship with God, David wrote, “O my soul! you have said unto the Lord, ‘You are my Lord.” Communing with God involves our soul acknowledging a God that we cannot see with our physical eyes but who we know is there. 1 John 5:10 says, “He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself.”

David confessed, “My goodness is nothing apart from You.” Whatever good there is in us, or is done by us, we must humbly acknowledge that it comes from God. In 1 Chronicles 29:14, David wrote, “Who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You.” In John 15:4, Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”

“Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god. Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, nor take up their names on my lips. O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup. You maintain my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places. Yes, I have a good inheritance.” Psalm 16:4-6

David prophesied of sorrows to those who pursue another god. Multiple sorrows! Great losses!

Those that multiply gods multiply grief to themselves. “Their drink-offerings of blood will I not offer. Such offerings are barbarous.” God prohibited the drinking of blood. God’s prescribed drink-offerings were of wine. The devil prescribed blood sacrifices to teach people cruelty. David wrote, I will not “take up their names on my lips.” [3]

The unbelieving Jews, who rejected Messiah and hastened after another king, namely Caesar, received from Emperor Titus Caesar multiplied sorrows. In 70 AD, he destroyed Jerusalem. He killed 1.2 million Jews. He enslaved 9,700 Jews. [4]

Most people take the world for their chief good, but David made the Lord the portion of his inheritance and his cup. He delighted in God’s love and favor. He enjoyed communion with God. He treasured God’s promises. To take God as the portion of our inheritance and our cup is to do what’s best for ourselves. I often see people carrying around fancy drinking cups. I am thankful to have the Lord as my close at-hand cup from whom I drink and am refreshed by all day long, and even on into eternity. Praise the Lord!

“You maintain my lot.” Nothing shall pluck me out of my Good Shepherd’s hands, nor separate me from His love. It is for us as Paul wrote in Roans 8:38-39, “I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Praise the Lord!

“The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places.”

“I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel. My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices. My flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life. In Your presence is fullness of joy. At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:7-11

Blessed be the Lord for granting us grace to make the right choices. When others have went to sleep and left us to our own thoughts, God is still there, instructing us and assuring us of His presence. Gladness, rejoicing and resting in hope are gifts of His unmerited grace to us in Christ Jesus His Son, and from the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit. Praise the Lord!

The words about God’s Holy One not seeing corruption are applied to Christ by Peter in Acts 2:25 and by Paul in Acts 13:35. In 1 Peter 1:11, Peter wrote of the Old Testament prophets who testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow.

When He says, “My flesh shall rest,” it is implied that He must put off the body, and therefore must go through the pains of death. It is likewise plainly intimated that His soul must go into a state of separation from the body, and that His body, so deserted, would be in imminent danger of seeing corruption — that He should not only die, but be buried, and abide for some time under the power of death. [5]

Jesus was certain that He would resurrect before it came to pass. “He is at My right hand.” “You will not leave My soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” Isaiah 50:8 says, “He is near that justifies Me. He is at My right hand, to direct and strengthen it, and hold it up.” In Luke 22:43, when Jesus was in His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, an angel was sent from heaven to strengthen Him. In Hebrews 12:2, it was for the joy set before Him that Jesus endured the cross. In Isaiah 11:10, Jesus rested in hope and made His rest glorious.

When Jesus gave up the spirit, He said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit.”

These verses apply to believers in Christ. The Lord is before us. He is at our right hand. He is a very present help in time of trouble. When we breathe our last breath in our mortal bodies, Christ shall transfer our souls to a new celestial body. One that will never again experience hunger, thirst, excessive heat, pain, sadness or death. We shall be alive forevermore enjoying eternal pleasures with God. Praise the Lord!


[1] Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary
[2] Matthew Henry Commentary
[3] Ibid
[4] Ibid
[5] Ibid

With Christ – Psalm 15

“A Psalm of David.”

“Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart; he who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the Lord; he who swears to his own hurt and does not change; he who does not put out his money at usury, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.”

In Psalm 15:1, David asked the Lord, “Who may abide in Your tabernacle.” Tabernacle here refers to the place where He is present. As I meditated on David’s question, the Lord revealed to me that the breaking of the first commandment really strikes at the core of God’s being. When people don’t love Him or want to be with Him… this really hurts.

I’m grateful to the Lord for the times when I felt that no one wanted to be with me. Those memories help me to understand how it hurts God to love people so greatly but receive so little love in return.

In 2 Corinthians 12:15, Paul wrote to the Corinthians, saying, “I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.” Sometimes, people are that way. Like children who take the loving service of their parents for granted!

The rest of Psalm 15 speaks of the Lord’s love language. The kinds of words and deeds we should and should not do to express love to Him and to be with Him!

I love the Lord and do enjoy being with Him. This is His grace to me!

Allowing distance to exist between God and oneself does not end well.

In Revelation 13:15-17, the Lord reveals two beasts. They are the demonic duo. The first beast killed those who refused to worship its image. It forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. That number is 666.

John 6:66 says, “From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.” Is it just a coincidence that John 6:66 (666) speaks of disciples abandoning Jesus?

In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, Paul wrote about the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, saying, “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.”

In Matthew 24:37-39, in regards to the last days, Jesus said, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”

The people knew nothing about the flood’s coming in Noah’s day because they were distant from the Lord. They were too busy with their lives to stop and love God.

What’s worse than murder, lying, stealing and adultery? The answer is to not love the Lord. According to Jesus in Matthew 22:38, “The first and great commandment is ‘you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” This commandment is also recorded in Deuteronomy 6:5.

In Mark 3:14, when Jesus appointed the twelve to be His disciples, it was that “they might be WITH HIM and that He might send them out to preach.” Their first calling was to be WITH HIM. To love Him and to want to be like Him! Then, to tell others about Him!

In John 6:67, after many of Jesus’ disciples turned back and no longer followed Him, Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” In John 6:68-69, Simon Peter answered Him, saying. “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that You are the Holy One of God.”

Who abides with God? The answer is he or she who loves Him.

How do we love the Lord our God?

Walking uprightly is an expression of love for the Lord. Rejecting crooked paths is an expression of love for the Lord. Speaking truth in our hearts is an expression of love for the Lord. Refraining from backbiting, doing evil, insulting a friend, and vile behavior is an expression of love for the Lord. Honoring those who fear the Lord is an expression of love for the Lord. Refraining from breaking covenants, from charging interest on loans, and from taking bribes are all expressions of love for the Lord.

“He who does these things shall never be moved.” Moved from where? Moved from being close with the Lord! So be it! May we never move away from God! May we abide in Christ and in His Word by His Spirit. Our ultimate goal is to arrive at His holy hill and dwell in His house forever.

Knowing God – Psalm 14

“To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.”

“The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good.” Psalm 14:1

Romans 1:28 says, “Even as they [people who suppress truth in unrighteousness – see Romans 1:18] did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.”

Psalms 107:17 says, “Fools are afflicted because of their transgression.” Proverbs 13:19 says, “It is abomination to fools to depart from evil.” Proverbs 27:22 says, “Though you grind a fool in a mortar, grinding them like grain with a pestle, you will not remove their folly from them.”

I heard a preacher say, “A man’s morality impacts his theology.” When a person wants to sin, he or she is apt to adopt a different theology or philosophy than that which is in the Bible. In other words, move the goal posts so that his or her conscience is not bothered by his or her lifestyle.

Saying to oneself that there is no God and that His Word does not apply to you does not change the fact that God exists and that He says in Romans 6:23 that the wages of sin is death.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, “If we go astray in our doctrine, eventually our life will go astray as well. You cannot separate what a man believes from what he is.” Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “

Sinners are “fooled” because they lack discernment. For example, in Genesis 34:7, Shechem thought nothing of raping Jacob’s daughter and afterwards asking for her hand in marriage. When “Jacob’s sons heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious, because Shechem had done an outrageous thing in Israel by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.” They put Shechem to death.

Hebrews 4:12 says that “The Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” God’s Word helps those who receive it to discern right thoughts from wrong ones. Psalm 119:130 says that the entrance of God’s words gives light. It gives understanding to the simple.

“The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside. They have together become corrupt. There is none who does good, no, not one.” Psalm 14:2-3

God is an eye-witness, “The Lord looked down from heaven.” Was there anyone who wanted to know God? God could not find one. And why were they corrupt? They refused to retain God in their knowledge! They did not want to know their Creator and Savior.

In Genesis 1:31, after God created the world, He looked, and it was very good. However, by Genesis 6:5, “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continuously.” Genesis 6:8 says, “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” In this regard, Noah was a type of Christ.

In Noah’s day, humankind was about to be destroyed, but God expressed grace through one man named Noah. In Romans 5:12-15, God saves humankind from His wrath on sin via the grace of one Man named Jesus Christ. “Just as through one man sin entered the world... much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.” Romans 5:18 adds, “Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.” And Romans 5:20 concludes, “Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” There is more grace in the One Man Jesus Christ than there is sin in the entire race from Adam until the last person born.

“Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call on the Lord? There they are in great fear, for God is with the generation of the righteous. You shame the counsel of the poor, but the Lord is his refuge.” Psalm 14:4-6

In Psalm 14:4-6, the Lord describes four traits of wickedness.

The first trait is pleasure in iniquity. Iniquity is being unequal or unfair in your relationship with others. Taking in much and returning little!

The second trait is to devour God’s people with as much veracity as a hungry person eats bread. Psalm 52:7 describes a person who relies on wealth and wickedness rather than God. “He trusts in his great wealth and grows strong by destroying others.”

The third trait of wickedness is not to “call upon the Lord.” Evangelist D.L. Moody said, “Every great movement of God can be traced to a kneeling figure.” In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God says, “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.” How many of us fail to realize what a sin it is not to pray to God for ourselves and others? In 1 Samuel 12:23, Samuel said to the people of Israel, “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you.”

The fourth trait of wickedness is to shame the counsel of the poor. Wicked people mock the poor for relying on God, but God is their refuge and strong tower. The fool oppresses the poor because he is convinced that God does not exist.

“O, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord brings back the captivity of His people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.” Psalm 14:7

In the Bible, Zion primarily refers to Jerusalem and the site of the Temple Mount, but later, “Zion” expanded to symbolize the spiritual “City of God” or the heavenly kingdom.

Salvation did come out of Zion when Jesus Christ, God’s Son, gave His life there as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world.

Jesus brings us, who believe in Him, from captivity back to paradise.

Thus, Psalm 14:7 has a prophetic fulfillment in Christ, but also it had a prophetic fulfillment for David and for the people of Jerusalem in his day. David believed that by God’s grace his throne would be restored to him and that the people of Israel would have cause to rejoice and be glad.

The triumphs of Zion’s King JESUS will be the joy of both Jew and Gentile believers in Him. Upon His second coming, Christ will destroy the one who thought to take His throne, namely Satan. Then, we who believe in JESUS shall be as Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:8 “filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.” Amen! Hallelujah!

God Almighty – Psalm 13

“How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and hear me, O Lord my God. Enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death! Lest my enemy say, ‘I have prevailed against him!’ Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved!” Psalms 13:1-4

Death was pursuing David. An enemy was on the verge of destroying him. Those who enjoyed seeing him suffer looked forward to celebrating his demise.

The lyrics of “God Almighty” a song by Matthew Ward came to my mind...

“Overwhelmed with sorrow
Broken by the pain
I could hear the doubt
Falling like the rain
This time it is over
This time you won’t win
While the voice of doubt was calling
I barely heard the truth within

Loneliness would cry out
Keeping my heart bound
I would ache inside
To hear heaven sound
Just the smallest whisper
Just a word or two
Could let me know
There’s nothing my God can’t do”

In Psalm 13:1-4, David prayed in a similar fashion as our Lord Jesus Christ did upon the cross. Mark 15:34 says, “At three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’”

In Psalm 13:1-4, David was a man of sorrows like unto our Lord. Isaiah 53:3 says of Jesus, “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces He was despised, and we held Him in low esteem.”

David asked how long four times. “How long – will You forget me?” “How long – will You hide Your face from me?” How long – shall my heart sorrow? How long – will my enemy be exalted over me?

Where did David find hope in a time like this?

“But I have trusted in Your mercy. My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me.” Psalms 13:5-6

“I have trusted in Your mercy!” The best place to express grief is at God’s throne of grace.

Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

“My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.” Sometimes we need to look back to go forward. Remember all the times that God delivered us and His people in the past! We, in this New Testament era can think of Jesus nailed to the cross... giving His life blood to atone for our sins. We can think of His resurrection from the dead.

“I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me.”

In Acts 16:16-34, Paul and company were going to a place of prayer. A female slave had been following and shouting about them for many days. Finally, Paul became so annoyed that he rebuked the spirit out of her in the Name of Jesus Christ. Her owners seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities. A crowd of people joined with the owners against Paul and Silas. The city’s authorities ordered Paul and Silas to be stripped and beaten with rods. They were severely flogged, imprisoned, and their feet were fastened in stocks. What did Paul and Silas do? They prayed and sang hymns to God, and their fellow prisoners listened to them.

As Paul and Silas worshipped and prayed, God sent an earthquake to open the prison doors. They were liberated. Their jailer invited them to his house. They shared the Gospel with him and with everyone there. They all believed in Jesus Christ and were baptized that day.

“Enlighten my eyes.” Reveal to me what otherwise I will not see.

A large coin directly in front of the eye, can block the sun from view. A tiny item can hide a mighty one. In a similar way, when trouble fills our mind, it is difficult to see God. The Word of God removes the blinder and reinstills faith in His power.

David needed the Lord to help him look beyond his present troubles.

In 1 Peter 1:8, Peter wrote of Jesus filling believers with inexpressible and glorious joy.

Nehemiah 8:10 says that the joy of the Lord is our strength.

In Romans 15:13, Paul wrote, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

As David turned from thoughts about his persecutors to thoughts about his Provider, he began to rejoice and sing. His faith in God’s mercy filled his heart with joy in his salvation.

Matthew Ward’s song, “God Almighty” includes the following bridge and conclusion lyrics:

“I am watching
Watching over you
I am for you
And I will lead you on

God Almighty
God Almighty
God Almighty
Raised me from the dead”

Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life. No matter how far you seem from help, know that He is near. He who resurrected from His tomb on the third day, can resurrect you.

Isaiah 61:3 testifies that the Lord bestows beauty for ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Praise the Lord!

Link to 21st Century Jeremiah eBook and webpage

“Dear Heavenly Father, please use this eBook to help Your servants align end time messages with the prophetic words of the Bible. Please help us to share Your Word and the testimony of Jesus among people of every nation, tribe, and language. For Your glory and their salvation. In the Name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!”

Link to 21st Century Jeremiah eBook:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1twrFVFyWtS-HYdtrUNAWSjwHNN0eE2LW/view?usp=sharing

Link to 21st Century Jeremiah webpage:

https://sites.google.com/view/21st-century-jeremiah/home

Pure Words – Psalm 12

“To the Chief Musician. On an eight-stringed harp. A Psalm of David.”

“Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaks proud things, who have said, ‘With our tongue we will prevail. Our lips are our own. Who is lord over us?’” Psalm 12:1-4

In Psalms 12, David discerned by God’s Spirit that godly and faithful men were disappearing. He asked the Lord for help. He testified that God’s Word is pure, and that God will preserve it.

The Prophet Amos lived where godly and faithful men were difficult to find. In Amos 5:10-12, he wrote, “They hate the one who rebukes... they abhor the one who speaks uprightly.” He saw that they taxed the grain of the poor to build stone houses surrounded by vineyards for themselves. They punished the just. They took bribes. They diverted justice from the poor.

Amos 5:13 says, “Therefore the prudent keep silent at that time, for it is an evil time.” But Amos was not prudent in regards to his personal safety or comfort. He said to them, “Seek good and not evil, that you may live; so the Lord God of hosts will be with you... Hate evil, love good! Establish justice in the gate! It may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious...”

Ask worldly people what makes times bad, and they will tell you, “Lack of treasures and sensual pleasures.” But 2 Timothy 3:1 blames perilous times on the increase of sin.

Psalm 12:1 places the lack of godliness and faithfulness together. Godly and faithful people bind their conscience to God’s Word. In Jeremiah 5:1, the Lord said to His prophet, “Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem. See now and know! Seek in her open places if you can find a man, if there is anyone who executes judgment who seeks the truth, and I will pardon her.” Sadly, Jeremiah could find no one that fit that description. God did not spare the city.

When double-heartedness and flattery corrupt a society, the times are indeed evil. Cursing God, lying, stealing, cheating, and killing are “normal” behavior where the consciences of people are seared as it were with a hot iron.

What is a double-heart? In 1 Samuel 20:9-10, “Joab said to Amasa, ‘Are you in health, my brother?’ And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. But Amasa did not notice the sword that was in Joab’s hand. And he struck him with it in the stomach, and his entrails poured out on the ground; and he did not strike him again. Thus he died.” Joab kissed then killed Amasa. With the smile of a friendly face, he tore out the unsuspecting man’s guts.

The prophet Micah lived where godly and faithful people had disappeared. In Micah 7:5-6, he wrote, “Do not trust in a friend. Do not put your confidence in a companion. Guard the doors of your mouth. From her who lies in your bosom! For son dishonors father, daughter rises against her mother, daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own household.”

In Jeremiah 9:4-5, the Lord warned people via Jeremiah, “Everyone take heed to his neighbor, and do not trust any brother. For every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will walk with slanderers. Everyone will deceive his neighbor and will not speak the truth. They have taught their tongue to speak lies. They weary themselves to commit iniquity.”

The ungodly and unfaithful say, “With our tongue we will prevail. Our lips are our own. Who is lord over us?” The forbidden fruit they ate gave them a false sense of invincibility and self-sufficiency. They enacted laws that contradicted God’s Word. They delighted in destroying anyone who dared to break their rules. They wanted to provoke people to anger so they could imprison and torture them.

When wickedness abounds under the protection and countenance of those in authority, then the times are indeed very bad. When the vilest men are exalted to places of trust and power, then the wicked walk on every side. They seek to deceive, defile, and destroy others.

David turned to the Lord during evil days, He prayed, “Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases.” He asked God to intervene.

Missionary to China, Hudson Taylor, turned to the Lord for help amidst overwhelming odds. He wrote, “When man works, man works. But when man prays, God works.”

The righteous God will cut off flattering lips. He will pluck out the tongue that speaks proud things against Him. God will silence lying lips.

When the oppressors are in the height of their pride and insolence — when they say, ‘Who is lord over us?’ — God will let them know who is Lord over them. There is a time fixed for the rescue of the oppressed. That time will come! We may be sure it!

“’For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now I will arise,’ says the Lord; ‘I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.’” Psalm 12:5

In 1 Samuel 1:6, Hannah’s rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. Hannah placed her oppressive situation into the hands of God. God did a miracle for her. In 1 Samuel 2:8, she thanked and praised God saying, “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap, to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of glory.”

The Apostle Paul wrote 14 of the 27 books in the New Testament. By word count, his writings constitute 23.5% of the New Testament. He planted at least 14 known churches during his three missionary journeys, traveling over 7,000 miles. Yet, in Galatians 2:10, when the other apostles asked him to remember the poor, he wrote that he was eager to do it.

Proverbs 14:31 says, “He that oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker: but he that honors Him has mercy on the poor.”

“The Words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. You shall keep them, O Lord, You shall preserve them from this generation forever. The wicked prowl on every side when vileness is exalted among the sons of men.” Psalm 12:6-8

When vile words become the popular language of a nation, that nation is in decline.

In Luke 6:45, Jesus said, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

The Lord’s words are pure words. They do not depreciate in value. They prosper their recipients.

In Isaiah 55:8-11, the Lord says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is My Word that goes out from My mouth. It will not return to Me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

In Matthew 5:18, Jesus stated, “Verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” David wrote of God’s Word, saying, “You shall preserve them from this generation forever.”

Friedrich Nietzsche famously declared, “God is dead,” meaning that the Christian God is no longer the foundational center of Western culture, but in 2026, Nietzsche is dead, and Bible sales are currently experiencing a significant upsurge in the USA and in the UK.

The Church is built upon the rock of faith in Jesus Christ. It is so well fortified that not even the gates of hell can prevail against it. God preserves a holy remnant to inherit His kingdom.

In Psalm 12, David laments that vile people are being exalted, but rejoices that God is preserving and proclaiming pure words.

Standing on the Sure Foundation – Psalm 11

“In the Lord I put my trust. How can you say to my soul, ‘Flee as a bird to your mountain?’ For look! The wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow on the string, that they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart. If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Psalm 11:1-3

Do we trust in the Lord? We find out how strong our trust in the Lord is when the devil is firing his fiery arrows at us. In Ephesians 6:16, Paul wrote, “Above all, take up the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”

1 Samuel 21-23 focus on David’s life as a fugitive. He was pursued by a jealous king named Saul.

In 1 Samuel 21:1-9, David went to Nob, located about two miles north of Jerusalem, King Saul’s home city. While there, he picked up food and a sword. 1 Samuel 22:10 says that David also inquired of the Lord. The tabernacle was at Nob in those days.

In 1 Samuel 21:10–15, after securing supplies, David fled to the Philistine city of Gath. But while there, David felt obligated to feign insanity in order to escape from his enemies in that city.

In 1 Samuel 22:1-2, David escaped to the cave of Adullam. While there, his brothers came to him, as well as 400 other men. Some of these men were in distress, some in debt, and others were discontented. David became a captain over them.

In 1 Samuel 23:12-13, David now has 600 men with him in Keilah. The Lord told him that Saul and his army was coming for him, so he fled from that city.

In 1 Samuel 24:24-28, David and his men were on one side of a mountain, and Saul and his army were on the other side of it. Saul’s army was about to overtake David and his men, when Saul received word that the Philistines had invaded Israel! Thus, Saul stopped pursuing David. David and his men called that mountain the Rock of Escape.

Some were saying to David’s soul that he should take flight like a bird to his mountain. The Matthew Henry Commentary suggests that they were telling him to forsake the Lord. But while David was fleeing from persecution, he was not fleeing from the Lord. When he fled from Saul, he was led by God’s Spirit do so. The foundation of David’s soul was His relationship with the Lord. The Lord led David to safety and diverted his enemies away from him.

Jeremiah 36:26 says that God hid the prophet Jeremiah and his scribe, Baruch, when King Jehoiakim ordered their arrest.

In Luke 4:29-30, after teaching in His hometown of Nazareth, people drove Jesus to a cliff to throw Him off, but miraculously He passed through them and left. In John 8:59, religious leaders picked up stones to kill Jesus, but He hid Himself and left the temple.

In 2 Timothy 4:16-18, Paul wrote, “At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!”

As Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:12, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” The foundation on which we stand against them is faith in the Word of God and faith in the testimony of Jesus Christ.

“The Lord is in His holy temple. The Lord’s throne is in heaven. His eyes behold. His eyelids test the sons of men. The Lord tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates. Upon the wicked He will rain coals; fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup. For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness. His countenance beholds the upright.” Psalm 11:4-7

No one has dethroned God. Earthly temples to the Lord have been destroyed. Some fell into disrepair. But in heaven, God’s temple is still standing during the last days of Revelation 3:12; 7:15; 11:1-3, 19; 14:17; 15:5-6, 8; and during Revelation 16:1. But then in Revelation 21:22, John saw “no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” In Revelation 21:22, the temporary temple is replaced by God whom it represented.

David wrote that God’s eyes behold. His eyelids test the sons of men. 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “For 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 Luke 18:8, Jesus asked, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” God is looking for faith in Him among His people.

“The Lord tests the righteous.” How is anyone righteous in the sight of God? The answer is by believing in the One whom God sent into the world to save us. In John 6:28-29, when people asked Jesus, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

Are we trusting in our own righteousness or in the Lord’s? Our own righteousness will not stand in the day that tries by fire.

Persecution has a way of leveling the playing field. When you are given the option to either deny the Lord or be tortured, you must decide between denying Him or trusting in Him for grace to endure or be delivered from the torture.

The persecuted need God Almighty Creator of heaven and earth to intervene. They need Jesus to save them and to redeem them from the hand of those who want to destroy them.

David wrote that God hates lovers of violence. It is good to know that God is ready to rain coals, fire, brimstone and a burning wind on such people. He did this to the souls in Sodom and Gomorrah. He promises in Revelation to do this to the beast, the false prophet, their followers and the devil. Eternal suffering shall be their portion and their cup! Why? Because the Lord is righteous! He loves righteousness. His countenance beholds the upright.

David was concerned about the foundation of the righteous being destroyed. This should be the concern of every believer. In 1 Timothy 4:16, Paul wrote, “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” Bind your conscience to the Word of God! Love it! God’s Word is the sure foundation.

In John 8:32, Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” In John 18:37, Jesus said, “For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

When the disciples asked Jesus for signs of His return, the first sign He gave to them in Matthew 24:4 was, “Take heed that no one deceives you.” It is wise to know the truth in these last days.

The Spirit of the Lord moved the Bible’s prophets to call people to know and align themselves with the Word of God. Jesus exposed the false teachings and practices of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Jesus taught His disciples by Word and deed the strait and narrow way to God. Paul passionately defended pure doctrine and practice in his epistles, emphasizing salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. In Revelation 19:10, an angel told John, “The testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy.”

Why was the Apostle John on Patmos Island when he wrote Revelation? In Revelation 1:9, he states why. He wrote, “I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Amidst persecution, John stood steadfastly on the foundation of God’s Word and the testimony of Jesus. Jesus was with John. Jesus gave to John visions of things to come in this life and in the life that is yet to come.

David’s sure foundation was his personal relationship with the Lord and with the Lord’s Word. The Lord delivered David from the arrows of violent people. God’s Spirit filled David’s soul with prayers, words and testimonies that helped him and others to remain strong for God’s glory! Praise the Lord!

Of Whom the World was not Worthy – Psalm 10

“Why do You stand afar off, O Lord? Why do You hide in times of trouble? The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor. Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised. For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire. He blesses the greedy and renounces the Lord. The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God. God is in none of his thoughts. His ways are always prospering; Your judgments are far above, out of his sight; as for all his enemies, he sneers at them. He has said in his heart, ‘I shall not be moved. I shall never be in adversity.’” Psalm 10:1-6

The Lord revealed His concern for the poor in the Gospels.

In Luke 4:18, Jesus announced at the beginning of His earthly ministry, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.”

In Matthew 11:2-5, when asked if He were the expected Messiah, Jesus replied, “The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the Gospel preached to them.”

In Acts 10:38, Peter said of Jesus, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”

The Lord ministers to many poor people daily, but even when one poor person feels abandoned by the Lord, that is one too many. David wanted the Lord to show up on behalf of the poor.

The problem is not with the Lord. The problem is with the wicked. The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor. He plots against them. He boasts of his heart’s desire or lusts. He blesses the greedy and renounces the Lord. He is a part of criminal network that seems invincible. He does not seek God. God is in none of his thoughts. He is prospering but only because he is stealing, cheating and exploiting people. He sneers at those who think to take him down. He has said in his heart, “I shall not be moved. I shall never be in adversity.”

Those that have power ought to protect the innocent and provide for the poor, but wicked people prefer to turn them into slaves laborers or sex slaves. Some sell those who are depressed or disillusioned harmful drugs, and/or hard liquor. Others with riches, loan money to the poor and charge them exorbitant interest rates. Still, others take extreme advantage of those who need medical, mechanical, electrical or plumbing help. Still, others take advantage of those who want to purchase land, home and/or car, or perhaps, charge high rent for poor housing! In some places, gangs make people pay “protection money” to avoid being hurt by them. Some run gambling rackets that urge the poor to bet their paychecks on get-rich-quick possibilities that favor the racketeers and robs the poor gambler and his/her dependents..

Poor people bear God’s image. Yet, the proud pursue them like a ferocious lion.

David had been hunted like an animal by King Saul. He was a king who understood what it was like to be one of the poor. In a similar way, 2 Corinthians 8:9 says of Jesus, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” Jesus literally gave the shirt off His back and the blood in His veins to redeem us from the power of the devil.

1 John 3:8 says, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” One of the works of the devil is to deride poor people.

Luke 16:14 says that the Pharisees were lovers of money, and that they derided Jesus.

Proverbs 6:16-17 say, “These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look...” A proud look is at the top of the list. A proud look comes from a person with an inflated view of his or herself and a deflated view of others.

James 4:4 says, “Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

In Luke 12:20-21, Jesus prophesied of the man who laid up treasure for himself, and was not rich toward God, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you. Then whose will those things be which you have provided?”

The proud fool imagines God will never call him to an account.

In Luke 16:23-26, a rich man being in torments in Hades, lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. He cried and said, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.” But Abraham said, “Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.”

Tyranny by state and church begins with pride. While speaking of the evil deeds of the wicked, David inserts a short prayer, “Let them be caught in the plots they have devised.”

In singing this psalm and praying it over, our hearts should be stirred with a holy indignation at the wickedness of oppressors and filled with a tender compassion for the oppressed.

In Matthew 25:31-46, when Jesus spoke of His return to earth, He depicted Himself as a king sitting on His throne in glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him. He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. The sheep will inherit the kingdom prepared for them before the world was founded. The presence of the Lord in the sheep was revealed by how they treated the “least” of Jesus’ brothers.

Who is the least of Jesus’ brothers?

The apostles came to my mind. In 1 Corinthians 4:9-10, Paul wrote, “For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored!”

The modern day equivalent of the apostles would be Christian missionaries, pastors, evangelists and teachers who humbly serve the Lord for little pay and quite often for negative recognition.

In some cases, such laborers for Christ serve others who cannot repay them. They end up, hungry and thirsty at times. Due to the fact that they chose the Lord and not worldly wealth and recognition, they are treated as strangers at popular social gatherings. They are turned away by those who could have showed them hospitality. They cannot afford decent clothes and shoes for themselves, their spouses and their children. When they suffer sickness or imprisonment due to their zeal for Christ, those who think them crazy, believe they deserved it.

In Matthew 25:40, The King will say to those who cared for the least of His brothers, “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” In Matthew 25:45-46, the King will say to those who had nothing to do with the least of His brothers, “’Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

David had been hunted like an animal due to his earthly king’s misguided perspective of him. By God’s grace and power, David killed Goliath. By faith in God, he conquered enemies of his nation. Yet, his earthly king treated him as an enemy that needed to be destroyed. If were not for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, King Saul would have captured and killed David. I believe this is the kind of poor that David was most concerned for... those suffering due to their faith in God.

Hebrews 11 highlights the acts of faith that pleased God. Hebrews 11:35-38 says, “...Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.”

These believers presented the teachings of God’s Kingdom in places where there were severe consequences for doing so. The Prophets, Apostles and Jesus Christ did this. They knew heaven was for real, and they wanted all people to have the opportunity to be there.