What do I want for Christmas?
I want to want what is best for you and others; whether it be wealth, good health, family, peace, justice, love, grace, etc.; over what I want for myself.
Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12 (NKJV)
What do I want for Christmas?
That the world may know that we are Christians by our love for one another.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”” John 13:34-35 (NKJV)
What do I want for Christmas?
If there is to be any boasting which comes from my mouth let it be of the power, wrath, love, grace, mercy, peace, awe, beauty, the cross, burial, resurrection power, etc. of the Almighty, Living God.
My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad.” Psalm 34:2 (NKJV)
“In God we boast all day long, And praise Your name forever.” Psalm 44:8
“But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Galations 6:14
What do I want for Christmas?
I want to live in peace with all people; as much as is possible; and want all to live in peace with me.
“When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” Proverbs 16:7 (NKJV)
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:43-45 (NKJV)
“If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” Romans 12:18
What do I want for Christmas?
I want my family, friends and neighbors to be blessed, in peace, comfort and wealth; most of all to be blessed with the peace and presence of the Lord in their lives.
“The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 (NKJV)
What do I want for Christmas?
I want the lunacy of the lottery to end; and that people might have the same passion and drive to know God, His love, His righteousness, His justice, and peace.
Give us help from trouble, for the help of man is useless. Through God we will do valiantly, For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.” Psalm 60:11-12 (NKJV)
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let Your glory be above all the earth.” Psalm 57:6 & 11
What do I want for Christmas?
I want a righteous man to be the President of the United States of America. One who loves God, loves God’s Word, loves God’s people called Christian, and loves righteousness, justice, and peace.
When we have a godly, righteous leader, through Christ Jesus we will be blessed again.
“Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people.” Proverbs 14:34 (NKJV)
What do I want for Christmas?
At Christmas time; from about mid November through December 25th each year we suddenly begin to be generous in our heart toward others. Christian, that is the way we ought to be 365 days of every year, except when it is leap year; such as 2016; then it is 366 days of the year.
What do I want for Christmas? I want there to be peace in Jerusalem; and when there is peace, genuine peace in Jerusalem, there will be peace in the Middle East, and the rest of the world.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.” Psalm 122:6 (KJV)
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…” Romans 5:1
What do I want for Christmas?
I want all my family, friends, neighbors, and enemies to be at peace with God, one another, and themselves in the New Year of 2016.
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:1-2 (NKJV)
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
Jesus on trial before a wicked, mob of Jewish priests, and haters of the Gospel of God stands with confidence in His Father and in the fulfillment of the promises, and prophecies of the Word of God.
As He is being questioned He stands boldly; not answering the questions which are baited to condemn Him, but speaking the truth when a question is asked about His identity:
“And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? What is it which these witness against Thee? But He held His peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him, and said unto Him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” Mark 14:60-62 (KJV)
“Son of the Blessed” is speaking of GOD, the Supreme authority of the Universe, and all created things.
Jesus’s words would not be fulfilled immediately. They will be fulfilled; and maybe nearer than many would want or like to think.
It was my sins and yours that He went to the cross to bear; and to suffer the wrath of Almighty God, and die that all who will believe in Him might not perish, but have everlasting life.
There are so many who are telling us that God is finished with Israel. That they are no longer God’s chosen people or nation. However, for someone to say that they are going against both the Old Testament prophecies, and the teachings of the New Testament as well.
Look at this prophecy through the prophet Ezekiel:
“Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are My people, saith the Lord GOD. And ye My flock, the flock of My pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.” Ezekiel 34:30-31 (KJV)
Reading from verse 25 of the same chapter you will notice “My servant David”, and it is a reference to the Messiah of Israel, bringing them peace, and safety. Their Messiah is Jesus. Now I realize that they rejected Jesus when He came the first time, born as a baby in a manger; but that was for our benefit; for the whole earth’s benefit (Romans 11:11-15). “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance” Romans 11:29.
One day the remnant of Israel will see Jesus, God will be with them; He will be their God, and they will be His people.
May God save the house of Israel, and all those of the earth who are perishing (2 Peter 3:9); through the sacrificial blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; the Messiah of Israel.
“Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. They say still unto them that despise Me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.” Jeremiah 23:16-17 (KJV)
The word of God was despised in Jeremiah’s day. They claimed to hear it. They claimed to believe it. The prophets of whom God is speaking through Jeremiah were those who went by their own visions and dreams; not the Word of God.
No visions of men or women can be trusted when they in fact go against what God has spoken and said through the written word. God says, “The words of the prophets… they make you vain…” These prophets spoke comfort, encouragement, and peace when the priests, and prophets were living in idolatry, and adultery, and lusts.
They were crying “Peace, peace”; and there was not peace. The enemy was all around. Most of the people were following the liars, deceivers, and frauds. God’s judgment through Babylon was just outside the gate.
It is vanity for the preacher to preach peace, love, encouragement, and comfort without dealing with sin, and pointing the lost, condemned and dying to Jesus Christ and His finished work of the cross – His death, burial and resurrection. Paul the apostle wrote by the Spirit of God,
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18
The cross is the means of your salvation, and the salvation of the world; for those who will believe.
O people, the earth is in trouble; you are in trouble without Christ. Evil abounds. Grace still abounds more, but not to the neglect of dealing with our sins, through the cross of Jesus.
There will be no personal peace, no comfort, no encouragement, until Jesus is your personal Lord and Saviour.
“And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, saith the LORD.” Isaiah 65:24-25 (KJV)
These verses are a promise to the “Blessed of the LORD” (65:23). The prophecy is still speaking of the Servant.
The Servant was beaten, despised, and rejected by His own. He was crucified, buried, and rose again from the grave (Isaiah 53; Matthew 27, 28; Mark 15; Luke 24, John 20-21; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8). He is Servant because He chose to leave heaven to become a man, that He might die for the sins of the whole world.
Though the iniquities of the world were placed on Him, and though He died with those sins on Him, in His burial He carried them all away, and they are cast away as far as East is from West; they are cast into the deepest parts of the sea; never to be retrieved; never to be held against those who will receive this gift of heaven; this gift of grace.
The eternal benefits are living in His eternal kingdom with Him. For the people of Israel they will live under His glorious reign on the new earth. All will be heard, and He will answer. There will be no more threat from wild animals. The wolf and the lion; both have been predator animals, carnivores for most of the existence of the earth; they will be mild, pleasant, peaceful animals.
The rulers of this present world are searching for peace, working for peace, and it is to no avail. It will not happen because of the wickedness, the conniving, deceiving, scheming, lying, cheating, thieving ungodly ways of mankind.
Jesus is coming soon. Hear and believe. Receive Him, and live with Him eternally.
“I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known Me: that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” Isaiah 45:5-7 (KJV)
Speaking through the prophet the LORD states with power and authority that there is no other God.
It is the purpose of God, His Word, His Spirit that all will know that He is the LORD. He has been working in the world and through mankind so that the world may know that He alone is GOD and that that there is no other.
When He chose Israel as His light to the nations of the world He gave them His word. He also sent His Son Jesus to the people of Israel. “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not” (John 1:11). Just as they had over and over again rejected the word of the law given by Moses, they also rejected the prophets He had sent; they rejected Isaiah, and his words given by God; they rejected the Son of God Himself.
Because of their rejection they experienced “Evil” or as newer translations state it “Calamity”. When one rejects the light they will walk in darkness. When one, or a nation rejects the peace of God, then they will walk in “evil” or “calamity”.
God has given us His Light. If we reject that we choose darkness. God has given us peace. If we reject peace we turn to evil, and choose calamity that follows.
In the Acts of the Holy Spirit Doctor Luke was inspired by the Spirit to write,
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
This is speaking of none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, God the Son. There is no other God by which we can be saved.
It seems that many of the people of God, the people of Israel were searching for answers in all the wrong places. Their hearts had grown hard and dull to the light of God’s Word, and His messengers the prophets, and the Law. They were seeking out “wizards” and “Necromancers” seeking a word for their future. This God has forbidden for His people (Leviticus 19:26; Deuteronomy 18:10-11). King Saul was guilty of the practice with the witch of Endor (1 Samuel 28:8-19), and due to his rebellion and pride he was killed in battle, along with Jonathan his son, the very next day.
There is no where the people of God; and Christians of today; need to go for answers, and the truth except to the Word of God. He has given His Word of truth in the Bible. It is found from Genesis 1 through Revelation 22.
Any man or woman who does not teach or preach according to what God has given us in His Word is not of God. There is no light in them. The message of the Word of God exalts the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. It is about Him. It is not about you. It is not about me. These things are written that all may know that He is the LORD of all the earth.
Any who speak not according to His Word; there is no light in them. They are in darkness. O perishing soul; come to the Father through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ; God the Son, and the Son of God.
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.” Psalm 122:6-9 (KJV)
The word “Peace” is used three times in these four verses. Peace is a sought after thing for most people. The name “Jerusalem” means “city of peace”; and yet this city has been one of the most fought over places in all the centuries since the death of Christ.
David took Jebus from the Jebusites (2 Samuel 5), and called it Jerusalem. He later would bring the tabernacle, and the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. This city is called “the city of David” (2 Samuel 5:7). There are references to the “City of God” which could be references to this city as well (Psalms 46:4; 48:1; 87:3).
David longed for the peace of Jerusalem, even to the building of the temple, and making it a place for all people to come and worship the one God of all creation and all people; a place where they could come, worship and pray;
“And He taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? But ye have made it a den of thieves.” Mark 11:17
We all; those who love God, Israel, and Jerusalem must pray for the peace of Jerusalem. For when there is peace in Jerusalem there will be peace in the world. That will come only when the Prince of Peace returns to reign from His rightful throne in Jerusalem. His name is Jesus the Christ Son of the Living God
With the enemies of God, and of Israel crouching around the land today; Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Jesus will be returning soon.
I want to wish all a wonderful, blessed, and safe Independence Day in the U. S. of A. No matter what the events which have set many hearts to fears and tears this is still the land of the free, and the home of the brave. Please take the time to read this declaration of Independence which was dated July 4th, 1776 239 years ago.
| The Declaration of Independence |
| 07/04/1776 |
| When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitles them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly, all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government and to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of governments. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these States. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world. He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. He has forbidden his Governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them. He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. He has dissolved representative Houses repeatedly for opposing with manly firmness his invasion on the rights of the people. He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without and convulsions within. He has endeavored to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands. He has obstructed the administration of justice by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers. He has made judges dependent on his will alone for the tenure of their offices and the amount and payment of their salaries. He has erected a multitude of new offices and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people and eat out their substance. He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies without the consent of our legislature. He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to the civil power. He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation: For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us: For protecting them, by a mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these States: For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world: For imposing taxes on us without our consent: For depriving us in many cases of the benefits of trial by jury: For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses: For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries so as to ren-der it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies: For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments: For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever. He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us. He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation. He has constrained our fellow citizens taken captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands. He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions. In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. Nor have we been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They, too, have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity which denounces our separation and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends. We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in general Congress assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name and by the authority of the good people of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent States, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliance, establish commerce, and do all other acts and things which independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor. Signers of the Declaration of IndependenceNEW HAMPSHIRE: Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton |
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,
The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
The LORD make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The LORD lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
And they shall put My name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.” Numbers 6:22-27 (KJV)
This blessing was given to the Priests of Israel to bless the people. It was not an earned blessing, but a blessing from the hand of God’s mercy and grace. Of this blessing it has been said,
Here is a benediction that can go all the world over, and can give all the time without being impoverished. Every heart may utter it: it is the speech of God: every letter may conclude with it; every day may begin with it; every night may be sanctified by it. Here is blessing—keeping—shining—the uplifting upon our poor life of all heaven’s glad morning. It is the Lord himself who brings this bar of music from heaven’s infinite anthems. D. L. Moody, Notes from My Bible, pg. 41
from BELIEVER’S BIBLE COMMENTARY
The Lord Jesus Himself is our greatest blessing and the greatest fulfillment of this blessing. It is however a blessing in which we can be a blessing to others.
From this preacher,
The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
The LORD make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The LORD lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
“Unto Thee lift I up mine eyes, O Thou that dwellest in the heavens.” Psalm 123:1 (KJV)
To the child of God who reads this verse it should be quite obvious who the subject is. He dwells in the heavens. There is only one.
It is to Him that the child directs his/her gaze. It is to Him that the child of God places their trust, and receives comfort, peace, rest, and salvation.
Yes, the Holy One dwells in the heavens, and He also dwells in the hearts of His children.
Make sure today that He not only dwells in the heavens, but that He also dwells within your heart; and that He shows through.
“Hold not Thy peace, O God of my praise; For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.” Psalm 109:1-2 (KJV)
How do we respond when we hear others speaking against us? When we hear that others have said something against us? It happens, it will happen, or it is happening now. None of us are immune to this.
David’s response was by going to the One who holds us in His hands. Lies often fall empty on a life that is lived for the glory of God. The truth will win out. If not in the courts of men, it does in the courts of the guiltless heart of the individual; and in the Court of heaven.
I will go to God of my praise, and rely on Him for my defense. He will not be silent. He will defend; He will oppose; He will destroy the lying tongues that oppose Him.
When others speak against you; PRAY to God through His Son Jesus Christ. He will hear you.
“The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: He sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.” Psalm 99:1 (KJV)
There is one thing for which I am certain, and that is that God is GOD, and that He rules in the hearts and minds of mankind. He rules in the hearts and minds of kings, queens, presidents, prime ministers, senators, and congressmen.
To the feeble, finite mind of mankind, and even the mind of the Christian man or woman it is often hard to see; but God still reigns on the earth. The evil, finite mind of humankind cannot begin to fathom the mind of God. Yet, the LORD reigns.
The sovereign hand, and mind of God works in the feeble minds of men to do His own will and purposes. For that reason the people ought to tremble. One day, and I believe it to be soon the whole earth will tremble, will be shaken, and evil will be destroyed; and Christ Jesus the King of all kings, and Lord of all lords will reign supremely from His throne; and there will be peace.
Read Isaiah 2; 10; 66; Ezekiel 38-39; Revelation 20-22. Yet, it is not only a future thing: He is reigning now to accomplish His purposes in my life, in your life, in the world, for His name’s sake.
God has made a way for us to come to Him in worship, praise, honor and glory; and that is through the death, burial and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ His only begotten son (John 3:16-17, 36).
“Keep not Thou silence, O God: hold not Thy peace, and be not still, O God. For, lo, Thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate Thee have lifted up the head.” Psalm 83:1-2 (KJV)
This song of Asaph is directed toward the Godhead (Colossians 1:16-19), to ‘El, the Mighty One of the Godhead. It appears that Asaph has been feeling like God is being silent, in the midst of facing the enemy of Israel.
Like Asaph when we feel like God is being silent we need to see our enemy as God’s enemy; and God’s enemy as our enemy. The Prime Minister of Israel in his recent speech to a Joint Session of Congress made the statement, “So when it comes to Iran and ISIS, the enemy of your enemy is your enemy”. Christian the enemy of God is definitely your enemy.
The psalmist calls for God to fight against His enemies. Do you desire to hear God speak on the matter of your troubles and heart aches; even sometimes of our own making? Then, you can cry out to Him.We must understand though that the enemies of God are not our troubles.
The enemies of God are those who seek to through down every principle of holiness, godliness, righteousness, justice, peace, and love of God. The enemy of God is evil, and unrighteousness, and every vain thing that seeks to exalt itself against the LORD (2 Corinthians 10:3-6). We must not rely on the flesh of men – even our own – to deliver us from the enemy of God.
Remember that God loves you so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day. He is returning soon to rid the word of all unrighteousness. Trust Him today.
“Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.” Psalm 59:1 (KJV)
Oh that I had a heart like that of David. David often; as we read in the Psalms; would go to God when he found himself in peril. I try too often to deliver myself, and that is usually to my own peril until I plead for God’s help, God’s deliverance.
Here are Spurgeon’s words on this verse,
“Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God.” They were all round the house with the warrant of authority, and a force equal to the carrying of it out. He was to be taken dead or alive, well or ill, and carried to the slaughter. No prowess could avail him to break the cordon of armed men, neither could any eloquence stay the hand of his bloody persecutor. He was taken like a bird in a net, and no friend was near to set him free. Unlike the famous starling, he did not cry, “I can’t get out,” but his faith uttered quite another note. Unbelief would have suggested that prayer was a waste of breath, but not so thought the good man, for he makes it his sole resort. He cries for deliverance and leaves ways and means with his God. “Defend me from them that rise up against me.” Saul was a king, and therefore sat in high places, and used all his authority to crush David; the persecuted one therefore beseeches the Lord to set him on high also, only in another sense. He asks to be lifted up, as into a lofty tower, beyond the reach of his adversary. Note how he sets the title “My God,” over against the word “mine enemies.” This is the right method of effectually catching and quenching the fiery darts of the enemy upon the shield of faith. God is our God, and therefore deliverance and defence are ours.
from THE TREASURY OF DAVID
Do you find yourself in a world of hurt, pain, despair, doubt, fear, anguish? Your only help that will give you peace, and comfort is found in the One who made you from the dust of the earth. He may not end the trouble or trial; but He will give you peace through it.
“And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made: and thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver. And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the Testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the Most Holy. And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the Testimony in the Most Holy place.” Exodus 26:31-34 (KJV)
GOD was giving Moses instructions on the proper worship of Himself, and His holiness. To approach God any other way than God’s way is a terminal endeavor. You will die. You will perish, and still not see God.
The ark of the Testimony above is a representation, or symbol of the presence of God. This pattern was given to Moses, and is a pattern from heaven itself (Hebrews 8:5; 9:22-28). In the tabernacle of the wilderness only the priests had access into the holy place, and only the High Priest had access to the Most Holy place, and that only one day in the year, and not without blood.
As we consider this today we have one access to GOD, and that is through the cross of Jesus Christ of whom the ark of the Testimony represents. It was His own blood that was shed. It was while Jesus was on the cross that the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom showing that GOD had made the way for all who will believe to come to the very throne of grace to find mercy in our time of need (See Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38 and Hebrews 4:16).
May the GOD of all glory give you peace through His Son Jesus today.
“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” Matthew 5:9 (KJV).
Many use this Beatitude to lavish praises on those who work for world peace, or peace from a certain war going on at that given time. Let’s think again of ‘Attitude’ – ‘the position of something in relation to something else’.
John MacArthur writes concerning this verse in THE MACARTHUR NEW TESTAMENT COMMENTARY on Matthew Vol. I, pg. 211;
“The essential fact to comprehend is that the peace about which Jesus speaks is more than the absence of conflict and strife; it is the presence of righteousness”.
It seems that a very definite verse of Scripture could be Romans 5:1, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”.
Peace in the world would be a wonderful thing. Peace with God is an even greater thing. As long as men are at war with God; not believing Him or in Him; not believing His Word; not trusting in His truths; there will never be peace with God. No peace with God. No peace with men; and to complete a phrase I have seen; Know peace with God. Know peace with men.
“Men can stop fighting without righteousness, but they cannot live peaceably without righteousness” IBID.
Having peace with God makes one righteous. Some where, some time in days to come there will be peace on earth. That will be when Jesus Christ the King of all kings sets up His kingdom on earth.
How do we help people have peace with God? By taking the Word of truth to them. Preaching God’s love through the cross of Jesus Christ. Letting the Holy Spirit take the Word and convict of sin and convince them that Jesus is the Christ; the Son of God who died for our sins, was buried and He rose again, and ever lives to intercede for us.
Though it is the Spirit of God who uses us to lead a soul to peace with God we have this verse in Proverbs 11:30; “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise”. Those are the “Peacemakers” who shall be called ‘the children of God’. When your position with God is right; you will have peace with God, and you too will be a “Peacemaker”.
The Fire and Hammer 