A Gift From God

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Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.  Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.  For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.
Ecclesiastes 5:18-20

Did you know that all good things come from God?  Do you practice recognizing this?  Do you know that God is good all the time?

Where does greed come from?  It comes from a rebellious heart, against everything that God does, and everything that He says.  The heart of wicked men say, “I am going to tear down my old barns, and build bigger  and better ones so that I can accumulate all that I desire.” The story is in Luke 12:18-21.

Solomon was a wise, wealthy, and troubled man.  As a king he was an example for the people to follow.  Ecclesiastes is almost a journal of his life of wisdom, wealth and knowledge.  In chapter five and verses 18-20 we see Solomon having the wisdom to recognize the gift God gives us for our labors.  If you and I have food on the table, or in the pantry or in the field you have a gift from God.

Solomon is telling us that God gives us His gifts that we might have some personal worth.  Our labor is a gift of God.  Some people believe that work is part of the curse since the Garden of Eden.  It is not.  The curse is upon the land, and it requires harder labor than it would have been without sin coming into the world, through Adam.

Enjoy the blessings, the fruits of your labor.  Yes!  Be sure you know the One who gave it to You.  His name is Jesus Christ.  He died for our sins on a cross, was buried, and He rose from the dead, and He is alive forever more.  From the bondage of sin, turn to Him and receive  eternal life.  Thank You Jesus.  Thank You Jesus Christ Son of the Living God.

When The LORD’S People Pray

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And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, “I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to Myself for an house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people; if My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.  Now Mine eyes shall be open, and Mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.  For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there for ever: and Mine eyes and Mine heart shall be there perpetually.
2 Chronicles 7:12-16

Though these words, spoken by the LORD, were spoken to Solomon and the nation of Israel they are valuable for the Church – the body of Christ.  The Church regenerated is made up of believers, followers of Jesus Christ, and Jesus gives us power in prayer.

We, the people, who wear the name of Jesus,  and call ourselves Christians; for the sake of our neighbor, our nation and the rest of the world need to heed the message God give us in verses 12-16 above.  We first need to humble ourselves here in the United States of America; and in humility pray, seek the face of God, turn from our wicked ways.

Conservatism neither Liberalism will save our nation; only God can; but He will not unless Christians submit to God and His word, repenting, and in faith believing He can and will deliver us.  Our nation is in trouble. Let us humble ourselves before LORD,  seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways, then we can stand back, and watch what God can do.

The only hope for the U. S. of A., my nation and yours; and for all the nations of the world is Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God who is the Maker of the heavens and the earth.

The LORD’S Countenance Beholds The Upright

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In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain?”  For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.
If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
The LORD is in His holy temple, the LORD’S throne is in heaven: His eyes behold, His eyelids try, the children of men.
The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence His soul hateth. Upon the wicked He shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.  For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; His countenance doth behold the upright.

Psalm 11:1-7

There is none who are righteous, so there is none who are upright;  except One.

That One is the ever living Son of God who paid the price for our sin.  The costs of our sin is death, and in the death of Jesus Christ the Righteous One, He became sin for us; He became our unrighteousness, so that we  might become the righteousness of God.

How can that be?  The holy, righteous, sinless, Son of God was born as a babe in a manger, so that He became flesh, like we are, yet without sin; because He was God Incarnated and cannot sin. Yet, when He was nailed to that cross He was everything that God hated, and the Father poured out all His wrath on our sin, the wrath that should have been mine and yours.

We are saved by grace through faith in the gift of the cross, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  So we must call on His name by faith in Him, confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believing that Jesus was raised from the dead we will be saved.  Being made the righteousness of God, we shall see the countenance or the face of God.

Fear Of The LORD

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The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.  For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.  If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.

Proverbs 9:10-12

The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

Proverbs 10:27

In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and His children shall have a place of refuge.
The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

Provoerbs 14:26-27

The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.

Proverbs 15:33

Our loving the LORD means that we fear Him, and we trust Him, because He will always do what He says He will do.  His positive as well as His negative promises will come to pass, just as He has said.

Someone has said, “If we fear GOD we need to fear nothing else.”

Hate What God Hates

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The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.  But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.

Proverbs 8:13, 35-36

Proverbs eight and nine personifies wisdom, and she is speaking of the need, for we descendants of Adam, to possess her.  She is mentioned in chapter one verses 20 through 33; and she says quite a bit there for us to hear.

Wisdom is a gift from God, that comes with knowledge, and understanding.  In chapter six we are given seven things which God hates.  I do not believe this is an exhausted list, but that each of these evil things include all the evil that we do; and God hates it.

As you can see in verse 13 of chapter 8 above, “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil.”  Wisdom is telling us that we are to hate everything that the LORD hates.

God hates sin and evil so much that he sees us in the bondage of wickedness of evil, and knows we cannot defeat it on our own.  So seeing us in the condemnation of sin, evil, wickedness, sent His holy,  ownly begotten Son, Jesus Christ to die in our place to purchase our salvation.

Jesus died on that old wooden cross as the propitiation for our  sins, by becoming sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.  When we turn away from sin to Christ Jesus that is repentance and faith, then we are no longer in condemnation.  We are freed from the bondage of sin and evil.

The wisest thing we can do is to find life through Him.  The greatest evil you can do is to reject wisdom and turn down God’s greatest gift.  That is the mind of a fool.

Loving God and His Word

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PE. Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them.
The entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.
I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed forThy commandments.
Look Thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as Thou usest to do unto those that love Thy name.
Order my steps in Thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.
Deliver me from the oppression of man: so will I keep Thy precepts.
Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant; and teach me Thy statutes.
Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not Thy law.

Psalm 119:129-136

The writer of this part (PE), one of what is the seventeenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  Each eight verse section begins with a letter in the Hebrew text.

Notice the love the Psalmist has for the word of God.  Notice, also his love for his fellowman; “Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not Thy law.”

We  need a great love for God and His word – commandments, etc; and great love for our fellow man.

For The Sake Of The LORD’S Mercy and Truth

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Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory, for Thy mercy, and for Thy truth’s sake. Wherefore should the heathen say, “Where is now their God?” But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased.
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.  They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: they have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: they have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.  They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.
O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: He is their help and their shield.
O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD: He is their help and their shield.
Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: He is their help and their shield.
The LORD hath been mindful of us: He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron. He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great.  The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children.
Ye are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth.  The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’S: but the earth hath He given to the children of men.  The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.  But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the LORD.

Psalm 115:1-18

I do not know how many people, Christians especially, know that idols are really demons.  That is not my opinion, it is from what God says in His word.

They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.  Deuteronomy 32:17

And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations. Leviticus 17:7

But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.  Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. 1 Corinthians 10:20-21

In Psalm 134:15-18 the Psalmist says nearly the same as verses 4 – 8 of Psalm 115.  The worship, exaltation of any thing, or any one other than the Most High God whose Son is Jesus Christ is worshiping demons.

We are to give glory to the LORD for the sake of His mercy and truth,  There is only one way into God’s presence and that  is through Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son who died in our place, for our sins.  He died on a cross.  He had no sin, but became sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.  Worship Him for His mercy and truth’s sake.

You become like what  you worship.  Always worship Jesus for what He has done, and because of who He is.

You LORD, Have Helped Me

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I will extol thee, O LORD; for Thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.
O LORD my God, I cried unto Thee, and Thou hast healed me.
O LORD, Thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.  For His anger endureth but a moment; in His favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.  And in my prosperity I said, “I shall never be moved.”
LORD, by Thy favour Thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: Thou didst hide Thy face, and I was troubled.  I cried to Thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication. What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise Thee? Shall it declare Thy truth?
Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be Thou my helper.  Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: Thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; to the end that my glory may sing praise to Thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto Thee for ever.

Psalm 30:1-12

This is a Psalm of David which  was sung at the dedication of the house of David.

David was a man greatly blessed by God, who was the first and only king of Israel whom the LORD referred to him, “As a man after my own heart.”

This is a song of praise.

Christians are followers of Jesus Christ alone.  We are to worship Him and praise Him with our mouth and with our lives; loving Him, and living for His glory.

Because He Is Great, The LORD Is Holy

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The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: He sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.
The LORD is great in Zion; and He is high above all the people.  Let them praise Thy great and terrible name; for it is holy.  The king’s strength also loveth judgment; Thou dost establish equity, Thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob.
Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at His footstool; for He is holy.  Moses and Aaron among His priests, and Samuel among them that call upon His name; they called upon the LORD, and He answered them.  He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept His testimonies, and the ordinance that He gave them.  Thou answeredst them, O LORD our God: Thou wast a God that forgavest them, though Thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.
Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at His holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy.

Psalm 99:1-9

It could also be said, “Because our LORD is holy, He is great.”

The LORD God who is holy is worthy of our praise and worship.  Why because He is holy.  There is no god; but the LORD He is the only God.  That is why He is holy, and because there is no wickedness, evil, neither uncleanness in Him.

The LORD God even tells His people, “Be holy; for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44-45; 1 Peter 1:16).

How can we be holy?  First of all we must realize that we are unholy, and separated from holy God.  The only way we can be  holy is through Jesus Christ, God’s holy and only begotten Son, and believing in Him, confessing Him as Lord, and believing that God raised Him up from the grave alive forever more.

“You be holy, for I am Holy,” saith the LORD.

Treacherous Friends, and The Caring LORD

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He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant. The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.
Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.  But Thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in Thee.

Psalm 55:20-23

Sometimes you cannot count on trusting your friends; but God cares for you and me.  The apostle  Peter by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit has said, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (1 Peter 5:7).

Friends cannot always be counted upon; but God loves you and me so much that He sent His only begotten Son to pay our debt of sin by becoming sin for us, and dying for us.  All He ask of us to to call on His name by faith, turning from our sin to Him, believing Him forever.

Do Not Forget His Benefits

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Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

 Psalm 103:1-5

This Psalm, not just the above portion, is called a Psalm of David.

This Psalm is a song about God, and His benefits,  First of all we must realize that the LORD God is holy, separate from all others.

What are some of those benefits?

  1.   First we see that he forgives all our iniquities, and in this day and in all the  times He forgives our iniquities because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
  2.   Then, He is the One, the only one who can heal all our diseases.  When Jesus came to earth to walk among Adam’s race He went about the land of Israel healing  all kinds of sicknesses, and He  is the Great Physician who heals all our diseases.  If a doctor is given credit for a healing of one of  his patients, then he needs to give God the glory for that.
  3.   He redeems us, and keeps us from eternal damnation, and gives us eternal; keeping us  from the pit of hell, through the blood of Jesus Christ, which was shed on Calvary’s cross.
  4.   He crowns us with His loving kindness, and tender mercies which are new every morning, and all day long; and all through the night. All because of the sacrifice  of a perfect, spotless Lamb, who is Jesus Christ.
  5.  He gives us good things to eat, to satisfy our desires in the foods we eat; and we can also say that He gives us a cleaner mouth that we might speak to others like He would with His perfect mouth, and with words that point people to God through faith in Christ Jesus.
  6.  Finally, through these things, these benefits we get a renewing to our youth as we age; a renewing like that of the eagle which has been said is renewed by its losing of its feathers, and new ones growing to replace; and also have some  believe – When an eagle gets older its beak over grows, and causes the eagle to be unable to eat if it does not continually rub that beak against the rocky to rid the beak of its problem.

It is for sure that one day we shall receive new bodies which will be given those who have faith in Jesus Christ and His death, burial, and resurrection.  Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18;  1 Corinthians 15; and Revelation 20.

Will you believe Him today?

Purging Of All Our Transgressions

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Praise waiteth for Thee, O God, in Sion: and unto Thee shall the vow be performed. O Thou that hearest prayer, unto Thee shall all flesh come.
Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, Thou shalt purge them away.
Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest, and causest to approach unto Thee, that he may dwell in Thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of Thy house, even of Thy holy temple.  By terrible things in righteousness wilt Thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea: which by His strength setteth fast the mountains; being girded with power: which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.
They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at Thy tokens: Thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice. Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: Thou preparest them corn, when Thou hast so provided for it.  Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: Thou settlest the furrows thereof: Thou makest it soft with showers: Thou blessest the springing thereof.  Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness; and Thy paths drop fatness.  They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side.  The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.

Psalm 65:1-13

The Old Testament believers were saved by grace through faith in their coming Messiah.  That Messiah is Jesus Christ which means Jesus the Messiah, and He is the Son of God.  God says of Noah, “But “Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” (Genesis 6:8).

I say that because the only purging of sin that is done is done by the perfect sacrificial Lamb of God who came to take away our sin.  That Lambs name is Jesus.

Giving Thanks To The LORD

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Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon His name, make known His deeds among the people.  Sing unto Him, sing psalms unto Him, talk ye of all His wondrous works.  Glory ye in His holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.
Seek the LORD and His strength, seek His face continually.
Remember His marvellous works that He hath done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth;  O ye seed of Israel His servant, ye children of Jacob, His chosen ones. He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth.  Be ye mindful always of His covenant; the word which He commanded to a thousand generations;  even of the covenant which He made with Abraham, and of His oath unto Isaac; and hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant, saying, “Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance;” when ye were but few, even a few, and strangers in it. And when they went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people;  He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, He reproved kings for their sakes, ” Touch not Mine anointed, and do My prophets no harm.”
Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; shew forth from day to day His salvation.  Declare His glory among the heathen; His marvellous works among all nations.  For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised: He also is to be feared above all gods.  For all the gods of the people are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.  Glory and honour are in His presence; strength and gladness are in His place.
Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.  Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name: bring an offering, and come before Him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. Fear before Him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved.
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, “The LORD reigneth.”  Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein.
Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the LORD, because He cometh to judge the earth.
O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.  And say ye, “Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to Thy holy name, and glory in Thy praise.
Blessed be the LORD God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, “Amen,” and praised the LORD.

1 Chronicles 16: 8-36

Some of the things I see in this song which was written by David, and sang by the choir on the day they brought the ark of God into the city of David.

This song tells us several acts that are involved in thanksgiving to the LORD, who alone is the One worthy of thanksgiving:

  1.  Give the LORD thanks, and call on His name, and tell of His great deeds He has done;
  2.  Seek the LORD, and His power;
  3.  Sing unto Him along with the rest of the world;
  4.  Give to the LORD glory and strength, give unto Him the glory that is due Him;
  5.  Creation rejoices in the LORD, when God’s people are rejoicing in the LORD, and living for Him;
  6.  Give thanks unto the LORD, because He is good, and His mercy endures forever;
  7.  Let us be continuing in thanksgiving, surrender our lives to Him.

He will come and judge the earth.

The LORD can be found in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who came to earth as a man, lived a sinless life, was tried by wicked men for crimes He did not commit, was found guilty, and sentenced to die on a wooden cross.  He became sin for us was away from the Father, because He had become our sin, taking the full wrath of God.  Jesus was buried, and He rose again came out of the grave very much alive.

When one believes and confesses that Jesus is Lord, and believes in their heart that He rose from the dead, they will be saved unto eternal life. Romans 10:9-10.

Excellent Loving Kindness

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The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.  The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.  He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.
Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; Thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, Thou preservest man and beast.
How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy house; and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures.  For with Thee is the fountain of life: in Thy light shall we see light.
O continue Thy lovingkindness unto them that know Thee; and Thy righteousness to the upright in heart.  Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.
There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.

Psalm 36:1-12

The loving kindness of the LORD is greater than our iniquities, and transgressions; far greater than our sin.  His proof of that is in sending His Son Jesus to die for us, paying the debt that was ours.  Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died, was buried, and He rose again giving us everlasting/eternal life.

It is limited to only those who will believe and call on His name.

Grant Us Your Salvation

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LORD, thou hast been favourable unto Thy land: Thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.  Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of Thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.
Thou hast taken away all Thy wrath: Thou hast turned Thyself from the fierceness of Thine anger.
Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause Thine anger toward us to cease.  Wilt Thou be angry with us for ever? Wilt Thou draw out Thine anger to all generations?  Wilt Thou not revive us again: that Thy people may rejoice in Thee?
Shew us Thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us Thy salvation.
I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for He will speak peace unto His people, and to His saints: but let them not turn again to folly.   Surely His salvation is nigh them that fear Him; that glory may dwell in our land.
Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.  Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.  Righteousness shall go before Him; and shall set us in the way of His steps.

Psalm 85:1-13

Psalm 85 was written for the sons and daughters of Korah. Korah was one of the organizers of a rebellious act against Moses and Aaron to seize power.  The other two were Dathan, and Abiram.  Read Numbers 16.

There were some of Korah’s children who did not participate with dear ole dad.  Read Numbers 26:11.

Be wary of people who are always speaking against those whom God has placed in positions of leadership.  There is not a President, neither Pastor who had not been placed where they are by the hand of God.  I am speaking of personal, physical, and verbal attacks.  It is a good thing to challenge their policies.

Peace For Israel

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They that trust in the LORD shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.  As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about His people from henceforth even for ever.
For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.  Do good, O LORD, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.
As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.

Psalm 125:1-5

The place called Mount Zion is Jerusalem, which cannot be removed.  Why because God has said so.  The LORD God is the protector of Israel, and those who try to destroy Israel will themselves be destroyed.

Who better to bring peace to Israel, than the Prince of Peace, who is Christ Jesus.

The LORD still loves and protects Israel.  Believe God’s word.  It shall come to pass.

The LORD’S Loving Kindness Is Better Than Life

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O God, Thou art my God; early will I seek Thee: my soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for Thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; to see Thy power and Thy glory, so as I have seen Thee in the sanctuary.
Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise Thee.  Thus will I bless Thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in Thy name.  My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise Thee with joyful lips:  When I remember Thee upon my bed, and meditate on Thee in the night watches.
Because Thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice.  My soul followeth hard after Thee: Thy right hand upholdeth me.  But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.  They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.  But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by Him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

Psalm 63:1-11

This is a Psalm of David while fleeing from king Saul, who was trying to kill him.   What can I learn from this Psalm?

In The LORD Is My Trust

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LORD, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto Thee.  Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.  Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.
Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.  When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.
Our bones are scattered at the grave’s mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth.  But mine eyes are unto Thee, O GOD the Lord: in Thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute.  Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity.  Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape.

Psalm 141:1-10

This is a Psalm of David.  It was probably written  while he was fleeing from king Saul when he was trying to kill David.

Partial Obedience – Disobedience

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In the lessen of King Saul we learn that obedience is what God requires.  Saul did not obey the LORD.

Samuel also said unto Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over His people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD. “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.  Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.”
And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.  And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.  And Saul said unto the Kenites, “Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.  And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.  And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.  But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying, “It repenteth Me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following Me, and hath not performed My commandments.” And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.
1 Samuel 15:1-11

The LORD, through Samuel had given king Saul a command to go and destroy the Amalekites, because they had not treated Israel right when they were in the wilderness.

Now,  I know what people of today in the year 2025 are thinking as we read this event; “That is genocide,” or “That is very cruel,” yet that is God’s way of dealing with evil.  Who are we to question our Creator?  If God gives a command to do something, then we need to do it when, and where He says; and with haste.

As followers of Jesus Christ – Christians, we are to love our neighbors, and our neighbor maybe an enemy.   We must first deal with the evil within ourselves.  At a time a few years back, I was in prayer, and concerned about the evil I saw in the world, and I asked the Lord, “Why do you allow evil in the world? You could with the snap of Your finger destroy evil.”  Then this thought came to my heart and mind, “If God were to destroy evil, He would need to destroy me.”  That has been my answer for that question ever since then.

God will be compassionate to whom He will be compassionate.  He is merciful to whom He will be merciful.  The LORD God is wiser, and smarter than billions of the wisest people working together.

Something to think about concerning the complete destruction of a group of evil people is that the Amalakites is that there was evidently one that was shown mercy who grew up, and one of the descendants of Agag, was born as Haman in the  book of Esther.  Haman tried to kill all the Jews in Persia, but He failed.

When we fail to obey the commands of God we sin.  Even if we succeed in obeying in part of the command, and fail in the hard part, we have been disobedient children.  King Saul lost the kingdom – a dynasty that could have been his, but He failed to obey the LORD.

We are not redeemed, we are not saved, we are not justified by keeping commandments, but Jesus tells us, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).  Since we are justified by grace through faith, then we will desire to keep His commandments, because we love Him.  If You do not have a desire to always be on the right side of God, and do His will, then you are not justified by grace through faith.

Jesus Christ died for our sins; we were  a rebellious, disobedient, and evil people; yet God so loved us He sent His only begotten Son – Jesus Christ – to  go to the cross, become the curse of sin, taking the judgment that we  deserved, dying for us.  He was buried, and He rose again.  Because He rose again we can come to Him, confessing Him as Lord, and believing in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, and He saves us unto eternal life.

Will you trust Him today?  It is His will that you do so.

She Prayed for a Child, and the LORD Heard Her Prayer

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In chapter one of First Samuel we find a woman who is the a wife of a man named Elkanah.  One wife has children; and Hannah has so far been without a child, but so yearns for a son from God. She has prayed, and vowed to the LORD, that when the child is weaned she will give him to the LORD.

Now she has conceived, and has a son she named Samuel.  When Samuel is weaned she takes him to Eli, and to God, with sacrifices according to the word of God, and leaves Samuel, at that time a small boy, with Eli who has some wicked sons who are priests; whom Eli knows are wicked, yet does nothing about it.

After Hannah leaves her son she prays another prayer,

And Hannah prayed, and said,

“My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in Thy salvation.  There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside Thee: neither is there any rock like our God.
“Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed.  The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength. They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.
“The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: He bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: He bringeth low, and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, and He hath set the world upon them.  He will keep the feet of His saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
“The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and He shall give strength unto His king, and exalt the horn of His anointed.”

1 Samuel 2:1-10

Hannah shows a great heart of praise and worship to the LORD for the blessings which God has given her.  She recognizes Him as being supreme in power.  He is the One who brings death, and the  One who gives life.

He breaks His adversaries, and He judges the end of the earth.  He also exalts the one His anointed king.

O, may we as followers of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, be always faithful to pray for more of God’s children to come to Him.  Then when they come to Him may we continue to pray and served the Lord.  Amen.

Rebellious, Unfaithful Children

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And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not Him.  And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon. And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.  Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed.  And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, “We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim.”

Judges 10:6-10

The book of Judges does not encourage us so much as other books of the Bible do.  Judges shows us a people of God who are not always faithful to Him, and are, in fact very rebellious.

When things are going good they turn away from God, but when they find themselves having trouble with a neighbor or an enemy  they cry out to God,  Every time God hears them, and sometimes He tells them, “Go and pray to the ones you have been worshiping (Judges 10:14).  God even tells them “Not this time.”  Yet the people recognize their rebellion, their sin of departing from God, and are seeking Him, and God sends them a deliverer.

As a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ I am so thankful for these true stories of the struggles of faith God’s people seem to continually.  Day after day, week after week,  month after month, and year after year; they struggle, fall, fail – then they cry out to the LORD, and He hears them and delivers them.

I have no right to criticize God’s people of the Bible days.  I see myself in too many of them.  Gideon was a man who was not real brave, but God’s angel called him “Valiant.”  Gideon accomplished what God called him to do.  He sinned in his later years, yet is a hero of the faith.  I will never be seen as a hero of the faith.  I can also see myself in Samson, a lusty, act without thought, angry man.

I am also thankful that God has delivered me from those things through Jesus Christ.  He died for me (the world) going willingly to die on the cross, was buried, and He rose again; and when I came to Him He gave me a new heart for Him, His word, and sealed me to Himself by giving me His Spirit; the Holy Spirit; who is Christ in you (Colossians 1:27.  He, by grace, keeps me.  He gave me a heart and mind that is growing more and more into hating what He hates.  He has not delivered me from the penalty of sin, so that I can sin more; He has saved me to live a righteous life for His glory.

Will you call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life today?

A Woman’s Power

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Why is it that there are some women who want to be equal with men? There are even a few women who want to be a man; which is sadder still.

Women  have a power over men they sometimes do not realize they have.  We are looking today at a part of Deborah’s Song.  Deborah was one of the judges of the book of Judges where we find our text for today.

Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.  He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.  She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen’s hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.  At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.
Judges 5:24-27

I have said for years that “Women rule the world,” and what I mean by that is women who are wives of men in leadership positions have a great influence on what kind of policies, procedures, and who they get for their aids.  A whisper in the ear of the husband can get quite a few things moving, in the home, and at the office.

A woman’s power can be for good, or for evil.  For a comparison example think about Deborah who’s song we are looking at; and Jezebel who was king Ahab’s wife in years to follow.   Deborah led the army of Israel to defeat of Amelek  (Judges 4 and 5); and Jezebel framed an innocent vineyard owner, so her husband could have his vineyard (1 Kings 21).

It was not a man whom God used to defeat this enemy of Israel, in a time “when everyone did what was right in their own eyes”  (Judges 17:6 and 21:25).  There is also another woman who is mentioned, and her name in Jael.  Sisera the commanding officer of Jabins Canaanite army ran from his stuck chariot found himself, in what he thought was a friendly face.  He asked for water, and she gave milk.  When Sisera had gone to sleep she put a tent peg through his head.

Ladies you have a great power over men that you must use rightly.  The husband of a wife needs to be humble enough to realize when his wife, in love, is suggesting something good, and/or is giving words of instruction.

Women do have power to affect things for good, or for evil.  The godly woman will lead others to faith in Christ Jesus.  She will lead her children, teaching them of God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit; and she will also be a faithful wife to her husband.  She will live an exemplary life.

Debora lead when no man would.  There are  women who are like that now.  It is a sad thing, though when a woman must take lead when a man is supposed to.

The faith in Christ Jesus is available to all who will humbly call on the precious name of Jesus.  He died for our sins, was buried, then He was raised from the dead.  He live today.

Your Sin Will Be Found Out

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It has been said, “What I do personally does not hurt anyone else.”  Usually being someone who is being confronted about their sin.  In the writings of Moses it is said, “Be sure your sins will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).  In the story we read today a soldier of Israel, and all Israel found I that that kind of thinking was stinking, and wrong.

In the book of Joshua we read of the children of Israel’s victory over  Jericho, because of the LORD’S doing it.  Then they are so confident to go against a smaller city named Ai, and the Israelites find themselves soundly defeated.  Why?  Because of one man’s sin.  Joshua gathers the tribes together; by the LORD’S instruction; for the purpose of finding the guilty party,  and it comes down to one man…

So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: and he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken:  and he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. And Joshua said unto Achan, “My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.”  And Achan answered Joshua, and said, ”
“Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: when I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.”
JSo Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it.  And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD.   And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor.  And Joshua said, “Why hast thou troubled us? The LORD shall trouble thee this day.” And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.  And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.
Joshua 7:16-26

Because of Achan’s hidden sin (it was hidden from Joshua and the others, not from God) caused the whole army of Israel to lose a battle and had at least thirty six men lose their lives.  Make a note in your heart and mind what his sin did to his family too; because they were stoned to death as well.  Why was the family of Achan struck down too?  Most likely because of their complicity to the sin.  They had harbored the dark secret as well.

There is plenty of evidence in Scripture; like David’s sin with Bathsheba and what that did to his family, and the nation of Israel.  There are things that happen in the lives of people today show us also that your sin does not hurt just you, but others as well.  The phrase, “What happens in Vegas; stays in Vegas” is just not true.

Since God knows our every thought, and deeds we have done, we need to be sure that we repent of our sin; make a turn around; turn to faith of Jesus Christ the One who became sin for us and paid our sin debt by being put to death on a cruel, rugged cross in our place.  He was buried, and He rose again.  Yield to Him today and let Him into your life, and you will receive eternal life.

When Blessings Become A Curse

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But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.  They provoked Him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they Him to anger.  They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.  Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.
Deuteronomy 32:15-18

Jeshurun named above is a pet name for Israel, and it means, “Uprightness,”  and in this Song of Moses, we see God’s verdict against Israel.  In their wilderness journeys they continued to see the mighty hand of God.

They were not thankful for the provision, for His presence, neither for His power.   When Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments from the LORD, they were making a golden calf to worship rather than God.

In their departure from the LORD God they worshiped by offering sacrifice to demons.  I wonder how they could do such a thing?  When you turn your back on God that is what will become of you,  You will worship at the altar of comfort, or the altar of pleasure, or the altar of wealth; maybe the altar of power, or the altar of privilege.

God had greatly blessed the people called Jeshurun with the law of God, and is salvation, and deliverance from Egypt; seeing the great power of the Almighty God against the demon gods of Egypt.  Yet they forsook their Rock (the Rock is Christ Jesus 1 Corinthians 10:4), and worshiped demons.  When they departed from the LORD, their blessings became curses against them.  Thus this song is partly a warning of what was to come if they were not faithful in their worshiping the LORD alone, having no other gods in their lives.

As Christians in today’s world; O how we need to beware of the drawing powers of darkness, causing our blessings to become curses.  Let us not trust in our blessings but only in the LORD through the Lord Jesus Christ who gave His life on a cross to pay our sin debt that we owed to Him.  He died on the cross, was buried, and He rose again from the grave and walked out of that grave alive forever more.  Worship the Blessor not the blessing.

Christian Soldiers, Fear Not

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When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.  And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, and shall say unto them, “Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; for the LORD your God is He that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”
Deuteronomy 20:1-4

As a Christian we are soldiers of the Lord, and there is not a time when we are not at war.  We however fight a different kind of warfare.  It is not in or of the flesh, but a spiritual battle (2 Corinthians 10:4-6); and we are to fight first of all to be personally holy and pure before God.

There are times when we may get fearful of something, or someone, and get all stressed out about it. There are  times I do anyway, and I have found that when I am that way, that I have allowed something to get between the Lord and myself.  When I realize it, that is when I pray, and turn it over to Him.

There are in this world many things that cause us fear, and mostly it is of things we can do nothing about, and it sometimes something that is future, whether there is going to be an economical collapse  or whether our nation will go to war or not.

Christian, let’s face it.  We are in a battle against the enemies of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and the leader of those against Him is known as Satan, or the devil.  The devil is a real being, a fallen, and defeated angel of darkness, who as a roaring lion goes about seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).  Know this; that roaring lion lost his teeth on the day Jesus died on the cross, and the resurrection seals the security of the saints in Christ Jesus.

Trust in the Lord, and fear not, Christian Soldier.