Rock

We Have A Living Redeemer

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Job was a man of many sorrows, and he felt as though God was forsaking him; yet, through the reading of Job’s many speeches, we discover a man of faith. It is so as we look at the following verses.

Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!
For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

Job 19:23-27

First, Job desires that his words were written down, and rolled into a scroll, and sought to be vindicated later. Even written on a rock that would last as long as that rock stood.

Jesus Christ is the Rock that led the children through the wilderness, out of Egypt (1 Corinthians 10:4).

Secondly, Job makes a statement of faith. He is expecting a man or some kinsman to come and redeem him. However, these words in this statement is far more than just a  kinsman of sinful men; Job must be seeing the Almighty’s Redeemer that was coming at sometime much later. He confessed that he knew his Redeemer lives, and that on the earth He would stand. Job must also have believed that in order to be redeemed that the Redeemer would give His life to redeem him.

Third, Job confessed that he knew when he died, his body would decay and return back to the dust from which it came there would be resurrection, because he said, “Yet in my flesh I shall see God.” Even going on to say, “Whom I will see for myself, and my own eyes shall see, and not another.” His heart (reins) are consumed, probably with excitement in knowing that one day he would see God, and have a new body too.

Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of all who will come to Him, believing that He died for our sins, was buried, and rose again, and confessing Jesus as Lord.

Our Redeemer lives. He has redeemed us. He Himself paid our sin debt by taking our place on the cross, and taking the wrath of God for sin that was not His, but was mine and yours. This was God’s gift, and is received only by God’s grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Will you call on His name today for salvation?

He Only is My Rock and My Salvation

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My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him.  He only is my rock and my salvation: He is my defence; I shall not be moved. Psalm 62:5-6

The following is from John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible of Psalm 62 verses  5 and 6.

My soul, wait thou only upon God,…. Be silent and subject to him, acquiesce in his providences, rest in him patiently and quietly, wait for his salvation; See Gill on Psa_62:1; perhaps some new temptation might arise, and David’s soul began to be uneasy and impatient; for frames are very changeable things; and therefore he encourages it to be still and quiet, and patiently wait on the Lord, and on him only:
for my expectation is from him; or “my hope”, as the Targum; the grace of hope is from the Lord, and the thing hoped for is from him; he is the author and the object of it; and his word of promise encourages to the exercise of it; or “my patience”; as the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Arabic versions. The grace of patience is from the Lord; the means of it is his word; and it is exercised, tried, and increased by afflictions sent and sanctified by him; and “expectation” is nothing else than these graces in exercise, a waiting patiently for things hoped for Old Testament saints expected the first coming of Christ; New Testament saints expect his second coming; and all expect good things from him in time and eternity; nor shall their expectation fail and perish; and therefore is a reason why their souls should wait only on the Lord.

He only is my rock and my salvation,…. See Gill on Psa_62:2;
he is my defence; these epithets of God are repeated, to strengthen his faith and hope in him, and to encourage a patient waiting upon him;
I shall not be moved; neither greatly, nor at all; his faith gets fresh strength and rigour, the more he considers God as his rock, salvation, defence, and refuge; See Gill on Psa_62:2.

For God to be your rock and salvation you need to come to Him by way of the cross of Jesus Christ. On the cross Jesus paid our debt that we could not pay and have everlasting life, Jesus was buried taking away our sin, our guilt, our condemnation and death, then Jesus came out of the grave alive forever more. Come to Him. Call on His name in faith and repentance.

Two Foundations

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And why call ye Me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to Me, and heareth My sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: he is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.                                                         Luke 6:46-49

Jesus is speaking of two different hearts.  Everyone who says, “Lord, Lord” will not enter His kingdom (Matthew 7:21). Just because one professes “Jesus is Lord” does not make it so.

Doing what He says is the fruit of our confession of Jesus. Believing Him and doing is the work of God which brings forth fruit of salvation, and Jesus is Lord of one’s life.

The one who lays the foundation of faith in Him, plus nothing, minus nothing, will have the faith that stands the test and trials of every storm, wind and rain, and flood.

If we say “Jesus is Lord” then let us build on that foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11). He is the exclusive way, the only way to God the Father, eternal life, peace and joy (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).

My Rock, My Salvation, and My Defense

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“Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from Him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.
How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? Ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.
They only consult to cast down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.”   Psalm 62:1-4  (KJB)

My Rock, My Strength, My Shield

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“Unto Thee will I cry, O LORD my Rock; be not silent to me: lest, if Thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.
Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto Thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle. Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts.
Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavors: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert. Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of His hands, He shall destroy them, and not build them up.
Blessed be the LORD, because He hath heard the voice of my supplications. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. The LORD is their strength, and He is the saving strength of His anointed.
Save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.” Psalm 28:1-9 (KJB)

Thanksgiving for Deliverance

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To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in 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 buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from my enemies. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death surrounded me. In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of His temple, and my cry came before Him, even into His ears. Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because He was wroth. There went up a smoke out of His nostrils, and fire out of His mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under His feet. And He rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, He did fly upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness His secret place; His pavilion round about Him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. At the brightness that was before Him His thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire. The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave His voice; hail stones and coals of fire. Yea, He sent out His arrows, and scattered them; and He shot out lightnings, and discomfited them. Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered 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, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay. He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because He delighted in me.
The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath He 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 upright before Him, and I kept myself from my iniquity. Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His eyesight. With the merciful You will shew Yourself merciful; with an upright man You will shew Yourself upright; with the pure You wilt shew Yourself pure; and with the froward You wilt shew Yourself shrewd. For You will save the afflicted people; but will bring down high looks. For You will light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
For by You I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall. As for God, His way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: He is a buckler to all those that trust in Him. For who is God except the LORD? Or who is a rock except our God? It is God that girds me with strength, and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places. He teaches my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by my arms. You have also given me the shield of Your salvation: and Your right hand has held me up, and Your gentleness has made me great. You hae enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip. I have pursued my enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed. I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet. For You have girded me with strength unto the battle: You have subdued under me those that rose up against me. You have also given me the necks of my enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me. They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD, but He answered them not. Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets. You have delivered me from the strivings of the people; and You have made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me. As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me. The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places. The LORD lives; and blessed be my Rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted. It is God that avengeth me, and subdues the people under me. He delivers me from my enemies: yea, You lift me up above those that rise up against me: You have delivered me from the violent man. Therefore will I give thanks unto You, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto Your name. Great deliverance gives He to His king; and shows mercy to His anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.” Psalm 18:1-50 (KJB)

Pray That the Word May Run

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 “Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all have not faith.” 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2 (KJV)

When I think about the running of the word, I think of the runners in Old Testament days running to tell the king the outcome of a battle (2 Samuel 18:24-27).

Paul is speaking of the word of the Lord, the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Prayer for the word to be spread with haste, with speed, and certainly we need that in 2019.

If any of you are of the type who like to see good in everyone; we need to always keep in mind that there are those who are not in the faith of  our Lord Jesus, and some of these try and twist the word of God to suit their own ends and means.

Christian all we have to stand on is Christ our Rock; and we do that through faith in Him and all that He has said. His word is His way, His law, His commandments, His statutes, His testimonies, His judgments, His  holiness, and His righteousness.

Let us stand upon that Rock or we will be crushed by Him (Matthew 21:44).  Pray for the speed of the work of the word of the Lord.

Tempting Christ

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“Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.” 1 Corinthians 10:9 (KJB)

There are four “Neither”(s) in this paragraph of chapter 10.  The apostle is giving the Corinthian Christians, and Christians of every age examples of how we are not to be and live:

  1. “Neither be Idolaters”;
  2. “Neither let us commit fornication”;
  3. “Neither let us tempt Christ”;
  4. “Neither murmur”.

Each one of these have a lesson in themselves.  Paul is dealing with historical events in the journeys of his forefathers who wandered forty years in the wilderness.  Someone has said, “It only took a few days to get Israel out of Egypt, but it took forty years to get Egypt out of Israel.”

On the matter of “Tempting Christ” that is putting Him to the test.  It is not a matter to temptation of sinning.  He cannot be tempted to sin (James 1:13).

As I read these words this morning my first thought was that the apostle is recognizing that Christ Jesus was with Israel in the wilderness.  He has in these verses recognized that in 1 Corinthians 10:4 – “That Rock was Christ”.

Putting Christ to the test.  How is that done? Not trusting Him. Not believing what He says. Not walking with Him. Living as the people around us live, instead of as He teaches and lived.

In the wilderness twenty three thousand people died as a result of unbelief, because they had put Him to the test.

Let us as a Christian of 2019 commit ourselves to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength; and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves; and choose daily, moment by moment to walk humbly with God in the power of His Spirit.  When we are doing that we will not be tempting Christ.

The Man That Makes the LORD His Trust

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“I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.  And He hath put a new song in my mouth, praise unto our God: many shall see and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.”  Psalm 40:1-4  (KJB)

The LORD does indeed lift us, picks us up, out of the miry clay, the pit of sin, and sets our feet upon a rock; the Rock is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4).

The way of sin is darkness, and cold. O, it may seem like the way to go at the time; it may seem like it is the comfortable thing; it may seem to be pleasurable, but it leads to shame, pain, misery, and death.  Be an instrument of praise to the LORD God.  Call on the name of the Lord and be delivered from that pit to which you are imprisoned.

Let me share with you the thoughts of Charles Spurgeon from the Treasury of David on verse four…

“Blessed.” This is an exclamation similar to that of thePsa_1:1-6, “Oh, the happiness of the man.” God’s blessings are emphatic, “I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed,” indeed and in very truth. “Is that man that maketh the Lord his trust.” Faith obtaineth promises. A simple, single-eyed confidence in God is the sure mark of blessedness. A man may be as poor as Lazarus, as hated as Mordecai, as sick as Hezekiah, as lonely as Elijah, but while his hand of faith can keep its hold on God, none of his outward afflictions can prevent his being numbered among the blessed but the wealthiest and most prosperous man who has no faith is accursed, be he who he may. “And respecteth not the proud.” The proud expect all men to bow down and do them reverence, as if the worship of the golden calves were again set up in Israel; but believing mean are too noble to honour mere money-bags, or cringe before bombastic dignity. The righteous pay their respect to humble goodness, rather than to inflated self-consequence. Our Lord Jesus was in this our bright example. No flattery of kings and great ones ever fell from his lips; he gave no honour to dishonourable men. The haughty were never his favourites. “Nor such as turn aside to lies.” Heresies and idolatries are lies, and so are avarice, worldliness, and pleasure-seeking. Woe to those who follow such deceptions. Our Lord was ever both the truth and the lover of truth, and the father of lies had no part in him. We must never pay deference to apostates, time-servers, and false teachers; they are an ill leaven, and the more we purge ourselves of them the better; they are blessed whom God preserves from all error in creed and practice. Judged by this verse, many apparently happy persons must be the reverse of blessed, for anything in the shape of a purse, a fine equipage, or a wealthy establishment, commands their reverence, whether the owner be a rake or a saint, an idiot or a philosopher. Verily, were the arch-fiend of hell to start a carriage and pair, and live like a lord, he would have thousands who would court his acquaintance.  TREASURY OF DAVID, by Charles Spurgeon verse 4

You, O LORD, Are My Rock and My Fortress

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“In Thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in Thy righteousness. Bow down Thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be Thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me. For Thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for Thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.”  Psalm 31:1-3 (KJB)

Are you feeling down, dirty, discouraged, and in despair today? There is One in whom you can place your trust.  David found that trust in the LORD our God.

The Psalmist calls on the LORD to listen to him.  He request that the LORD be “My strong rock, for a house of defence…”  I am pretty certain that David faced those times like we have too.  Lonely, afraid, desperate, and in despair; and in those times he cried out to God;  and God hear him and answered his prayer.

Though David was looking for a hasty reprieve from his dilemma, he quickly realized that the LORD was his Rock and his fortress, and simply requested that God would lead and guide him.

In the not too distant past our Vice President was mocked and criticized by a lessor known individual who called him a mental case because he claims that Jesus speaks with him.  I was thrilled to hear our VP say that.  David spoke with our Lord, and the Lord spoke back, and because of this we have the Psalms which we can read and through them the Lord speaks with us too.  That is if we have a heart for Him.

He hears the cries of His people.  The question really is today; Do His people hear Him?

Hear the Lord GOD today through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus God Son, the God Man, in whom you can give your life – heart, mind, soul, and strength.

The LORD My Rock

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“The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower”  Psalm 18:2. (KJV)

There is a rock called the Rock of Gibraltar located in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar, near the southwestern tip of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.  It is a massive island rock, and has been a picture of strength, power, and stability for many years; maybe even centuries and millenniums.  There is a Rock that stands for all eternity, and that Rock is Christ Jesus.

David said this of the LORD, that is YaHWeH, and He is GOD.  GOD is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Our Lord Jesus Christ is said by the apostle Paul to be the Rock that was with the children of Israel through the wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:4).

When we are faced with an enemy; whether the devil and his legions of Hell, or the neighbor next door; Christ Jesus is our Rock.  I can say with David,  the the LORD is my Rock.  I can stand on Him, and never fear of being without Him, because He has said I will never leave you.

He is my deliverer.  He is my strength.  Without Him I can do nothing; with Him I can do all things through Him that glorify His name.  One of the things about Christ being our Rock is He is everything we need.  As the high tower we need not fear what may be in our future.  The future is not mine to know, but to know Christ is to leave it in His hands because He can see all things and has control over it.

“The LORD is my rock, and my fortress…”  because He made a way for me.  He made a way for us to know Him, and that is through the cross upon which He bled and died.

No Matter What Anyone Says…

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Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. But You, O LORD, are a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. Psalm 3:2-3 (KJV)

No matter what anyone says in mockery of the Christian you are loved by God.  It has been said by some, that, depending on Christ or God is a crutch.  Well, my response to that is… Yes, I am a spiritual cripple, and I need Him as more than a crutch.  I need Him many times to carry me.

There may be many who say of us… “There is no help him/her in God”  but I can look them in the eye and say, “God is my help, He is my shield protecting me from the vile attempts by the devil to get me to turn against the Almighty.  He is also my glory.  He is also the one who lifts up my head and sets my feet upon the Rock.

What are folks saying about you and your faith in God today?  Maybe you have been ill, attacked by a grave illness, maybe even cancer, and people are saying, or asking, “Where is her God now?”  You can use these verses to combat that. You do not need to wait till the sickness is over.  He is your shield, your glory and the lifter of your head now.

No matter what anyone says… God is for you when you are for Him through His Son Jesus Christ who is God the Son.

Jesus Speaks – Christmas Day One Hundred Seventy and One

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Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” Matthew 7:24-27 (KJV)

What do I want for Christmas?

I want all those who come to this blog today, and in the days to come to be certain of their eternal destination; and that that destination is to the place where Jesus is; and I want you to know that He has  prepared the way, and the place for you (John 14:1-6), that you can call on Him, He will hear you and deliver you from all your sin, and its shame, guilt, condemnation, and give you eternal life in His presence.

Stop, Look, and Listen

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This title are words of warning I learned as a child about Railroad Crossings, and crossing them: STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN.  Perhaps you remember them; and they are practical words for all of life.  Especially for the words of our Lord.

“Hearken to Me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him. For the LORD shall comfort Zion: He will comfort all her waste places; and He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.” Isaiah 51:1-3 (KJV)

People will hear what they want to hear. Have you heard that statement before? It is illustrated by the story of two men walking on the busy streets and sidewalks of New York City. One man is telling the other of how people will only hear what they want to hear. The one being told this did not agree, so the one who made the statement dropped a coin, on the concrete sidewalk, and nearly everyone stopped.

How much do we miss by not listening and by not hearing what God has to say? Much. Very much I would say.

The words above, “Hearken to Me…” is the plea to God’s people to listen to Him. He makes this plea to the “righteous” to those “that seek the LORD”. Note what He is asking them to do. First He tells them to listen; then, He tells them to “Look”.

It is very basically a call to remember the promises He has previously given. Promises concerning Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 12:1-3). It is a promise that He will bring them back to the land of Promise; and that it will be prosperous once again.

This too is a promise of the fulfillment of all that God has promised to Israel, His nation, and Zion [Jerusalem]. That is a promise which will be fulfilled when Jesus comes to earth again.

Christian, we can rejoice in knowing that these promises of God are irrevocable, and that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance (Romans 11:29).  Take time today to STOP what you are doing; LOOK into the word of God; and then LISTEN and hear His invitation to come to Him for deliverance from your sins.

Be sure and listen to our Lord, Creator, and Saviour today, and everyday.

The Rock

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“O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation.” Psalm 95:1 (KJV)

This Rock is not speaking  of a former World Wrestling Federation “champion”, or a movie star.  It is speaking of One who has made all things from nothing.

There is only one who is worthy of our song, our music, our joy, and our praise.  His name is Jesus the Christ; Son of the Living God.  He is the Rock.

Paul the apostle mentions this Rock;

“And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” 1 Corinthians 10:4

Let us forever sing to the One who is Lord.  He is the Rock of our salvation.  Let us sing.

Also see Exodus 17:6 and Numbers 20:8-11.

The LORD My Rock

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“Unto Thee will I cry, O LORD my Rock; be not silent to me: lest, if Thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.” Psalm28:1 (KJV)

The Psalmist David is praying again.  It is important to pray.  It is important to whom you pray even more.  David prayed to the One he calls “My Rock”.  Who is this Rock?  He is the One who followed the Israelites through the wilderness of the Exodus.

The apostle Paul says, “And that Rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4).

Have you; as a Christian; ever felt as though He was being silent to you?  That silence is a motivation to be fervent, to be earnest, to be patient, and bold in your praying.  This is something I must remember.

It does seem when you begin to feel as though He is silent to you that also feel like one whom God will not hear; like those who “Go down to the pit”.  They are those who do not know God; those who have chosen to reject His free gift of grace, and refuse to receive His daily mercies.

You can go to the Rock, and He will hear you.  That Rock is Jesus Christ Son of the Living God, and God of the living.

The Living LORD

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I am looking at Psalm 18 this morning.  It is a Psalm which David wrote while fleeing from Saul the anointed king of Israel for the time.  Time after time God delivered David from the hands of his enemies, and Saul the king.  David never thought of king Saul as an enemy; even though the man sought many times to kill David himself.

In David we find the faith of a child.  The kind of faith our Lord Jesus speaks of,

“Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  And whoso shall receive one such little child in My name receiveth Me.  But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in Me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”  Matthew 18:3-6 (KJV)

In  the eighteenth Psalm David speaks much about the LORD, His way, His word, trusting Him, and in the verse for which the title comes he has written for all time and eternity;

“The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.”  Psalm 18:46

One of the things that strengthens faith is knowing that God is the living GOD.  All others are dead, buried, on display, and the imaginations of wicked hearts.  Our God lives, even though He was crucified, died, was buried; He rose again bodily from the grave, and is alive forevermore.

He is the Rock of Ages.  He is to be exalted.  He is to be worshipped.  He is the Living LORD.

-Tim A. Blankenship

The Scarlet Thread – The Rock

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Moses stood in the “cleft of the rock”  (Exodus 33:22); and there is much of the Rock which followed the children of Israel through the wilderness on their 40 year journey.  The Rock is a very important part of the Old Testament history and of our LORD.

“Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.” Deuteronomy 32:18 (KJV)

It was the Rock which Moses was commanded to strike which followed them:

“Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.”  Exodus 17:6

It was also the Rock which Moses struck when he was commanded to speak to it that was with them in the wilderness.  The Rock a source of survival, life, living, hope, sustenance.  The image of God’s presence and sovereign power.

“Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.  And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as He commanded him.  And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, ‘Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?’  And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.”  Numbers 20:8-11

So many times the children of Israel rebelled against the leadership of God and Moses.  So many times God in His grace and mercy reached down to Israel and supplied their every need in a dry and thirsty land.  Always, God is working to supply the needs of His children.

Those who know God through His Son Jesus are His children; and are children of this Rock.  This Rock is Christ Jesus who died on the cross in our stead.  He had no guilt, but suffered with our guilt, shame and sin on Him.  He became our sin.  He became unjust; the Just for the unjust.  His righteousness is imputed to you and I who trust and believe in Him; and all our unrighteousness was imputed to Him.  Which goes along with what the Psalmist wrote:

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.   Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.”  Psalm 32:1-2

Jesus is our salvation, our strength, our defender; He is our sustenance;  by Him “all things consist” (Colossians 1:17).  Jesus is that Rock.  Hear what the apostle Paul says of the Rock –

“Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.   But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.”  1 Corinthians 10:1-5

Just as Moses said, “…thou art unmindful”.  So does Paul mention this; but the real picture is that “That Rock was Christ”.  It was Christ who was with them in the wilderness.  It was Christ who was with the Jew all through their journeys; in the wilderness; and throughout all their years of blessing; and He is their Rock even today when they look upon the One who was pierced for our sins.

That Rock is Christ.

-Tim A. Blankenship

The Living Stone

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We don’t often think of a “Living stone”, though living in the Ozarks of Southwest Missouri, we joke about stones growing; and it does seem that way at times.  I can remember picking rocks off the fields, carrying them off by wagon, or taking them for fill somewhere else; and they never seem to get any lower number on the fields.

Peter, the apostle, has written of vices that are not to be in the life of a Christian in verse 1 of chapter 2.  We are to be growing in the “sincere milk of the word” into the image of Christ.  That is “Christian” [Christ like]  in living.

 “To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious…” 1 Peter 2:4 (KJV)

As we look through the Bible we find the terms, “Cornerstone”, “Stumbling stone’ or ‘Stone of stumbling”, (Psalm 118:22; 144:12; Isaiah 28:16; Jeremiah 51:26; Zechariah 9:15;  Matthew 21:42;  Mark 12:10;  Acts 4:11;  Ephesians 2:20) “Rock” (Deuteronomy 8:15; 32:13, 15, 18, 30, 31;  1 Corinthians 10:4).  Those who come to this Rock, Stone to stay, to abide; those who come for Him are not as those who cast Him away, or those who crucified Him.

The Living Stone is Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God (Matthew 16:16).

For some reason there are growing numbers of people who are believing that Jesus had thousands and thousands who believed in Him, however, the truth of the matter is that He was highly rejected, by the religious establishment of the time as well as the multitudes; many of whom He fed on the mount; many of those who laid palms in His path on the day of His presentation in the streets of Jerusalem.  On the day of Pentecost, there was only 120 gathered in the upper room praying (Acts 1:15).  That was most likely all there were who believed in Him.

The prophecies of the Old Testament were fulfilled in both the life and death of our Savior.  His coming, rejection by many, and His condemnation unto death are all foretold by the prophets.

He was “disallowed” (disapproved, and rejected) by the majority; showing clearly that the majority is not always right.  Who in their right mind could reject so much love, kindness, and such a great salvation which is provided through His death, burial and resurrection?  Only those who cannot see clearly; those who are blinded by their sin.

He is the chosen One of GOD; and He is precious, unique, no other like Him.  The only precious, Son of GOD.

I pray He is precious to to you.  That you have come to Him to stay, to abide with Him forever.

-T.A.

Observations From Numbers – 021511

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Today reading from Numbers 19 – 21.

There are several great points for us to consider from these three chapters.  The hearts of the surrounding people to Israel as they journey, and most of it due to fear and disrespect.  Moses told, by GOD, to speak to the rock, and then, he strikes it instead.  Finally the placement of the “serpent on a pole” for their healing from snake bite, because of their sinning in complaints.

We will take a moment and focus these observations on the Rock.

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, ‘Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.’  And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as He commanded him.  And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?  And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.”  Numbers 20:7-11 (KJV)

In Exodus 17 we find the first time the people are thirsty in the wilderness and their experience with the rock.  In that chapter of the Exodus Moses is commanded to strike the rock, and Moses obeys; then, comes forth cool refreshing water for the multitude of people.

In this case above the people are complaining about not having water; and remember this is after seeing God provide water previous to this.  Verse four says, “Why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into the wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?”  My how short their memories are.  My, how short our memories are as well.  We can be surrounded by God’s grace, mercy, sustenance, and every need being met and still complain.

The apostle Paul tells us that this rock was following them in the wilderness…

“And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” 1 Corinthians 10:4

“For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them…”  Can it be anymore clear than that?  Paul continues, “…that Rock was Christ”.  Who was with Israel in the wilderness?  Jesus the Christ of God.

It does not seem that we should even try and understand why Moses struck the rock; but we must remember the consequences of his disobedience.  Because he did this rebellious deed, now Moses will not enter the Promised Land.

It may have been anger that caused him to strike it.  He was disobedient.  It could have been he didn’t fully hear God’s statement.  He was disobedient.  It could have even been because he was “only human”.  He was disobedient.  Moses could not go into the Promised Land, and he did not.

That Rock was Christ.

Remember to read Numbers 19 – 21.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Ignorance Of Scripture

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“Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,  Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man’s brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.’
‘Now there were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed.   And the second took her, and died, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise.   And the seven had her, and left no seed: last of all the woman died also.   In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.   And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God?   For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.   And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?   He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.”  Mark 12:18-27 (KJV)

IGNORANCE OF SCRIPTURE.

Remember the Sadducee’s did not believe in the spiritual.  They did not believe in angels, and I suppose even the devil himself, nor did they believe in a resurrection of the dead.  Everything is material.  If you look at it that way, they could not, really, even believe in God.  He is Spirit.  So, this question and story they tell is to try and get Jesus twisted up and “confused”.  They are trying to show people that He is a fraud.  With Jesus it does not work.

It is no wonder that they are ignorant of Scripture.  Not believing in the spiritual world, and most likely in God, why would they want to know the Word of God.  The Sadducees accepted only the writings of Moses.  The “Prophets” meant nothing to them, and that is why they and the Pharisees did not get along, except at times in political matters.  It makes me wonder how they viewed the “disappearance” of Enoch in the fifth chapter of Genesis; the plagues in Egypt; the crossing of the Red Sea; the provision of water from the Rock; the daily provision of “Manna” from heaven; the judgments of the family of Korah by the ground opening up and swallowing them and all who followed them, the serpents in the camp because of excessive complaining, and their deliverance by the lifting up of the bronze serpent on a pole.  These are all in the books which Moses wrote, and they have to do with the spiritual power who made them come about.

The hypothetical question posed by the Sadducees was based on what is called Levirate marriage.  In Deuteronomy 25:5-6 we see the law of Moses giving the levirate marriage law, and where the question of the Sadducees came from.  According to their story a man married a wife, and died without having children,  the second brother took her to wife, and so on until they all had her as wife with no child.  Their question,  “Whose wife will she be in the resurrection?”  My question, Who said they would be in the resurrection?  At least the first one.

Not knowing the Scripture is a sad state for these men of the Sadducees.  They were supposedly knowledgeable of the first five books of Scripture, but they would not believe the spiritual, nor anything having to do with resurrection – living again.  I suppose they must have thought that anything having to do with “Living forever” only meant in a continued family after one’s death, or something.

Anyway Jesus said, “God is the God of the living.”

There is a great tragedy in being ignorant of Scripture.  One can miss out on eternity with Jesus Christ, and/or be the cause of others missing out.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Secure The Documents

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The prophecy of Isaiah has been strong. The people who have heard his preaching of these prophetic words of judgment coming are calling him a leader of conspiracy. In fact in conspiring against his own people and nation.

He has told them of one coming who would be a sanctuary and a “Stone of offense and a Rock of stumbling”, in fact “a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem”. Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone who we are told in the New Testament is that Stone of offense and Rock of stumbling, are warned not to let that Rock fall on us, by Jesus Himself (Matthew 21:42-44; Mark 12:10). This is the stone also of which Daniel the prophet would describe coming down out of heaven, and in the kings dream –

 “Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold–the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.” Daniel 2:45 (NKJV); (Also see verses 34-35ff).

The responsibility of keeping these prophecies – writings were those disciples who were following Isaiah, and writing down what he preached (8:2). To “Bind up the testimony” is to secure them for future acknowledgement of the events which the prophet foretold. They have been kept secure now for over 2,700 years. That is in fact what we are reading today.

Hear the Word of the Lord:

“Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.  And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.” Isaiah 8:16-17 (KJV)

The prophet is secure in the preaching of the LORD’s message. The prophet would not see the invasion of the invading forces of Babylon. The word of the LORD which he had spoken, and his disciples who believed the message would have it to show and prove to those who were living at that time that it was foretold.

When we read the words, “Hiding his face” it means in judgment, or shame, or maybe both. God is not looking on “Jacob” in favor is its implication.

Isaiah the prophet will “Wait for the LORD’ and ‘hope in Him”. The confidence of Isaiah is wonderful. He may be tried beyond understanding, and normal patience; but no matter what his faith in God will see him through. We see the nation we live in crumbling morally, and economically around us; when we see the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ watered down with “Feel good” messages, and messages of prosperity and health, without our suffering with Christ; we too have the faith to look to the LORD, and “Wait for the LORD” of heaven to come in all His glory and power, and to put all things under His feet. Let us pray that He is not hiding His face from His people today.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Stand Upon The Rock

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“O, that will be glory for me, Glory for me, glory for me.  When by His grace I shall look on His face; that will be glory, be glory for me.”  So goes the words of the song “That Will Be Glory”.  This should be the hearts desire of every child of God; to see the glory of our God.

Peter, James and John witnessed the glory of Jesus when they were on the Mount and Jesus was transfigured before them (Matthew 17:1-11).  We will see the significance of this a little later in this message.

In Exodus 32 Moses had been up on the Mount getting the 10 Commandments on stone tablets,  by God, and the people took it on themselves, using Aaron, to build an idol called the golden calf, to worship.  The people had already heard the commandments (20:1-17),  ”Thou shalt have no other gods,’ and ‘Thou shalt not make any graven image”.   When he returned with the tablets of stone the people had rebelled against the LORD’s commandments and worshipped another god, and built a graven image to worship.

Moses breaks the tablets of stone; the whole law was shattered; ground the calf into powder, poured it into a stream, and made the rebellious ones drink the water (32:20).  Moses also called for those who were on the LORD’s side to come to me (32:26).

The heart of a shepherd/pastor is seen in Moses as he prays, “Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.” Exodus 32:32 (KJV).  Moses spends time setting up a special place outside the camp which represented the place to meet God the “Tabernacle of the congregation” (33:7).  You will notice that everytime Moses went to the tabernacle the men stood at the door of their tents and watched as the “cloudy pillar descended on the door of the tabernacle”.  When they saw this “cloudy pillar” descended to the door “they worshipped (v. 10).

Moses, the man of God, longed for the  abiding presence of the LORD, and sought it diligently.  He prayed to see God in His glory, and that if God was not with him and the people that they would go no farther (vv. 13-15).

OUTLINE OF Exodus 33:21-23 –

I.  THERE IS A PLACE NEAR TO GOD TO WHICH WE ARE CALLED (v. 21).  This is a place that is provided by God.  It is God who provided the rock for Moses, on which to stand.

God desires for all those who know Him to come near to Him.  “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8).  God has always provided a place for His people.  He provided a garden for Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:8).  He provided an ark for Noah and His family to escape a flood (Genesis 6-9).  The Lord Jesus Himself said, “I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:1-3).

II.  WE ARE TO STAND ON THE ROCK, AND HIDE IN THE CLEFT WHICH GOD PROVIDES (vv. 21, 22).  The rock of course represents the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of God.  “That Rock was Christ”, says Paul the apostle (1 Corinthians 10:4).  He even says that Rock followed them.

There is no surer foundation than the Rock which is Jesus Christ.  He is the Rock upon which His Church is built (Matthew 16:18), and there is no other foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11).

When we come to the place God has provided for us, He hides us in the cleft of the Rock.  God passed by Moses with His hand over Moses’s eyes protecting him from the glory that would have slain him.

III.  IN THE CLEFT OF THE ROCK; COVERED BY THE HAND OF GOD (v. 22).  Even though we may be in the place God has placed us we still need His  covering hand to protect us from His glory.  His hand is on display in the person of His Son.  Jesus said to Phillip, “He that has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

Jesus Himself was the incarnation of God.  God became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1, 14), “(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:14 (KJV).  Jesus came veiled in human flesh, and though a man never sinned, never transgressed the law of God or man, but was obedient to the Father in all points, even unto the cross.

“Rock of Ages, cleft for me; let me hide myself in Thee”.  Hidden from the glory of God that could and would consume us if not in that cleft of the Rock.

IV.  THE GLORY OF GOD FROM THE BACK (v. 23).  We are not given any description of the back of God by Moses.  Therefore we are left to believe that this was completely satisfactory to Moses.  He knew he had been in the presence of holiness, righteousness, and the awesome wonder of His glory.

One day we are promised that we shall behold the face of our Lord.  All will look on Him whom we have  pierced with thorns, nails, spears, and our sins.  When we appear before the throne of Jesus Christ He will see only the garments washed clean by His own blood, and the judgment received will be for our rewards, for good or bad we have done (2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Corinthians 4:12-15).

Where are you standing today?  I pray you stand on the Rock which is Christ, and that you are hid with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3).  When your life is “Hid with Christ  in God” you are Standing On The Rock.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Pray Until Something Happens

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The following came by email sometime ago.  It may have been around for quite a while, but it is a good illustration of faithfulness to our Lord. There is no author given, so I will call her/him UNKNOWN.

PUSH

A man was sleeping one night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light, and God appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to Push against the rock with all his might….
So, this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sunup to sundown, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, Pushing with all his might!
Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain. Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary (Satan) decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the weary mind: (He will do it every time)!
“You have been Pushing against that rock for a long time and it hasn’t moved.” Thus, he gave the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man.
Satan said, “Why kill yourself over this? Just put in your time, giving just the minimum effort; and that will be good enough.” That’s what the weary man planned to do, but decided to make it a matter of prayer and to take his troubled thoughts to The Lord.
“Lord,” he said, “I have labored long and hard in Your Service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why
am I failing?” The Lord responded compassionately, “My friend, when I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to Push against the rock with all of your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to Push. And now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back shiny and brown; your hands are callused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. True, you haven’t moved the rock. But your calling was to be Obedient and to Push and to exercise your Faith and trust in My Wisdom. That you have done. Now I, my child, will move the rock.”
At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He Wants, when actually what God wants is just Simple Obedience and Faith in Him. By all means, exercise The Faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still God Who Moves The Mountains.
When everything seems to go wrong….just P.U.S.H.
When the job gets you down…..just P.U.S.H.
When people don’t do as you think they should…..just P.U.S.H.
When your money is “gone” and the bills are due…..just P.U.S.H
When people just don’t understand you…..just P.U.S.H.
P = Pray U = Until S = Something H = Happens

Thanks UNKNOWN for this great illustration.  We don’t know the reason for certain things in our lives.  Only God knows.  He has not called us to understand, but to be faithful.