Is God Still Working in the World? - Mark 4:14-32

If you had ask me this question when I was a new Christian at 21 years old, I would have given you an overwhelming YES because I had just encountered his love and influence on my life and I was sure that things happening around me each day were as a result of his daily intervention as my life bringing about frequent and noticeable improvements. I was a happy young Christian.

I was young, industrious, constantly associated with young people and could experience daily examples of their reactions to me, others, and life in general. These kids were far from perfect, but were normal and natural and not mixed up in mind and spirit. The young and older were not perfect, never was, but would admit that God was ever present, working his will through all that would accept his love in their life.

That was sixty-four years ago and I will still give you an overwhelming YES, God is still here with us, working his will into the lives of believers, because in these many years I have learned much more about God’s nature and why he sent his Son to save his people. No deity would invest so much in his holdings and walk off and leave it without attention. He was in charge the day the earth and all therein was created, and He still is. The fallen angel, Lucifer, was powerful and at war with God the first day, and he has never stopped. Admittedly in something over six thousand years, the devil has learned many new ways to confuse people and lead them to believe that God has gone back to heaven to live in luxury and is no longer at work on earth in our behalf.

In those early days of my Christian life the energy flowed and activities involving Christ and people stood out as proof of his intervention in our affairs. In these latter days when energy levels are low, I depend on the may years of experience, and the fact that there is an inter feeling of binding love and appreciation for His word which has convinced me that he has never left me alone and will never forsake me.

Lack of paper, ink and time will prevent me from being inclusive about all the adverse changes that I have witnessed, but I will assure you that it is not a myth—it is truth; Satin is more experienced than ever, and has learned many new way to attack God’s people. Admittedly, at times it seems that evil is winning over God’s worldly influence, but if you know and believe the bible this should not be a surprise. Christ is not willing that any should perish, but that all should become children of God. It is not his will that one single person wind up in Hell. But you can not accuse him of being ignorant; he knew from the start that many would reject him. He told us that the Low Road to hell is wide and well lighted and that MANY of the people will travel this LOW road and spend eternity in hell. In the same passage He told us that the High Road is narrow, [evidently not as well lighted and marked with signs that men could choose to follow] and FEW will find their way to heaven by traveling the HIGH road.

I know that it sounds harsh and brash, but just because Christian Believers are in the minority, and seem to be falling behind in numbers in the world today, does not mean we are loosing. Just the opposite; it means that we are one of the FEW that will enjoy eternity with Christ in Heaven. So look up in fear and trembling if you are one that disbelieves that God no longer works among men today; that mean that you are one of those traveling the Low Road to hell on a fast train—maybe a jet-liner or a 20-lane, one-way super highway, wide, well lighted, and going down hill…it is the LOW road to Hell.

I heard on ABC evening news today that some survey shows that a shocking percentage of those that claim to be Christians go to more than one church. The national news [all of them are guilty] reports only those things that are shocking and controversial. What they should be interested in reporting is how many go to church anywhere. I have gone regularly for over sixty-five years. Why do they not interview people like you and me who go the church of our choice and trust God all the way?

I know this preparation is going to sound personal. It is, because it tells you what I know to be true and is the story you need to hear. Yes GOD IS STILL WORKING IN THE WORLD AS 2009 DRAWS TO AN END. I could be critical of my church, and would have reasons to tear it down, but I choose to go positive.

I Joined First Baptist, Heber Springs, in 1975, 34 years ago last July and we are just about the same size if you count heads in membership. Regular attendance on Sundays has varied from about 300 to 500 or a few more. The facts that are much more convincing regarding God at work, is when you add to the regular Sunday morning attendance, all of the activity in the Children’s church, in the youth department, in the individual and specific church activities such as the women’s study groups, the nail benders, and the list goes on, and there is much duplication, but by the end of each week the number could easily be a thousand or more. Multiply this by 52 weeks times the 34 years and it looks like God may have been working in this neighborhood at least 176,800,000 times. The only feet and hands He has to work with are those belonging to dedicated Christians and they can be found in all the other God fearing churches in the community—that means that the 176 million plus is just a drop in the bucket.

We at Heber First have our good and bad times, but have never stopped working in this world. And then there are all of the outreaches from our church that add to God’s influence. We sponsor local, state, national and foreign missions—and ours is the most generous of any congregation of any where I have ever been a member. People, hear me now; we are God working in this world. I warned that it would sound as if I am tooting our horn…personally. I realize that our efforts are only a drop in the bucket and that we could do more. When we fail we only limit Him, we never stop him from working to save the lost and feeding his sheep.

The scriptures suggested to be use as background material for our lesson today is found in Mark 3: to 6: 6a, and the passage for emphasis is found in 4: 1-34. Jesus and his disciples were along the shores of Galilee and the people were already so impressed with [God working in the world at that time] that the crowds had grown until the press of the people was causing problems. Notice that Christ was working, and [His disciples who could be thought of as the people in his church of that day] were at his side helping each day. Note: Christians today are at His side working today in this world.
In that day His church was small in number of members. Jesus told us that he established His church, and the gates of hell would never prevail against it. It is still here on earth, working, and has MORE members than ever.

Jesus taught in parables, and he has left his word, with his parables as examples for us to use as teaching materials. That has not changed. He used highly recognized people and things to teach life-giving and life changing lessons and Christians do the same today. One of the parables he used concerned the farmer that sewed seeds in four different kinds of ground, three of which failed to produce a harvest. Yes, he warned them that three out of four seed beds would fail. That phenomenon has not changed. The devil never ceases to remind us of all of our failures and tries to make us believe that God is no longer working as he once did. Don’t believe his lies. Christ told us that good seed sewn in good ground [which represents those of us who hear the word, and embrace the word] will produce a crop that will be 30 to 100 times what was sewn. Christian seed are still being sewn and many new converts are still being reborn in the world today.

Jesus taught the balance of life message in verse twenty-four, and today it is the lazy and unbelieving that are finding fault and accuse God of forsaking his people. He told the people that they would get what they gave. Man reaps what he sews. This is true in the study of the word; the more you are willing to study the word the more you will learn from it. It is true in worship, the more you take with you to church, the more you will get from your worship. We do have a problem today. Far too many go to church to get and are not willing to give. Want to know who they are? Listen and see who is criticizing the preacher; who dislikes the music director and criticizes the music program.

In this passage you will find the Law of Increase. It is hard and harsh but true. To him who already has still more will be given; and from him who has not; even what he has will be taken away. For example, it is true of knowledge. The more you know, the more you are capable of knowing—so study to show thyself approved. It is true in effort; within the limits of your bodily strength, the stronger you are the more you can do. If you take what you have and exercise you will become stronger. Sit and do nothing and you will weaken each day. [Oh, do I know this to be true. Arthritis teaches this truth. It is true of one able to bear responsibility. If you refuse to be responsible you will soon be irresponsible. Finally, it is true regarding any skill. Work hard and make first chair in the band; refuse to practice and you will be asked to drop out of the band altogether.

Men who forget this law of increase are the ones that look around today and think God has quit, simply because they are not willing to do what they have to do in order to see spiritual things happen. I ask you—have you quit exercising, practicing, studying and learning, an accepting your responsibility in the kingdom work? Do you go to church to GET or GIVE?

What Does Jesus' Call Mean for Me? - Mark 2:15-28

There are literally hundreds of direct statements given in the Bible that answers the question proposed in the title of our lesson. When considered within the context intended there is no contradiction and no verbatim repetition; however there are numerous reinforcements.

Christ came to seek and save lost people. He came not to condemn the law but to fulfill it. He came to die on a cross. He came to do the will of his Father, God. He came to forgive everybody of their sin. He came to judge all men. He came to be crucified. He came to arise from the dead and prove that there is life after death. He came to defeat Satin. He came to be the promised Messiah. He came to earth as the only Savior of sinful man. He came to give us a picture of what God looks like and who God is. He said that if we have seen Him we have seen the father. He came to live a life of example, teaching us how we should live. He came to prove that he is the way, truth and light of the world. And so the list goes on with hundreds of statements proving that men are eternally lost and without hope when they reject the true Christ, the Son of God—the Christ that is in every Christmas.

Never before in the history of this world…and especially in the history of the United States of America, have people faced a more dismal picture of what people see when they observe this Christmas season. There has been an urgent and dedicated effort to remove the word CHRIST from the season. It breaks my heart to see true Christian people willing to give up so easily and allow the business world change the name of the tree, the day, the season, to a shallow and meaningless by-word “holiday” In order to emphasize their effort, they tell us that it is no longer politically correct to talk about CHRISTMAS, but we should say happy-holiday. This tendency has not happened over night, we have for years now, experienced {with deep sorrow} the wording of Christmas songs changing to the secular mode. We no longer feel the hair on our neck standing erect and the joy in our heart causing creepy feelings ascending and descending our spine as we hear the words of age old hymns that we love so well. It is different now as the words of the songs of the holiday cause us to visualize mother kissing Santa Clause, and deformed rein-deer that have grown noses of red. [I have never been a deer hunter, but might be tempted to start if the noses of the ‘legal to shoot deer’ would light up red identifying the prey.]

Let us get back to the question of why Jesus came to earth. As you read the story of his first years of life as recorded in Luke 2, there is very little recorded there that would give us any reason why people have decided to welcome and worship him in so many secular ways. In verses six and seven, Luke gave the very simple account of the birth of Christ in so remarkable few words. [Go there and read] He had just proclaimed that Caesar Augustus called for a census to be made. People abroad were required to return to Bethlehem for the census. Joseph and Mary {who was with child} had to leave Nazareth and return to Bethlehem. “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.” Note: Firstborn here indicates she had others later.

Josephus quotes the actual law that required the censuses to be taken. Their censuses were taken every fourteen years. According to Barclay we possess actual documents from every census taken from AD 20 until AD 270 and if no errors were made this census referred to in Luke 2 must have been taken in 8 BC. That means that Jesus was born in 8 BC. Luke was the only gospel writer that referred to gospel events in comparison to historical events. His audience was predominantly Greek. At that time Palestine was under Roman rule and Caesar Augustus, the first roman emperor was in charge. A part of the problem lay in the fact that Caesar was believed to be God, in contrast to the new born Messiah.

The census was taken to provide names for those that would be placed in the army and for the purpose of collecting taxes. Jews did not have to serve in the army, but was required to pay taxes, so Joseph made the trip of eighty miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem along with his pregnant wife and a donkey. Think about that. Why? Because it had been prophesied that it would happen that way in Micah 5:2. God controls all of history so through the decree of a Roman emperor even the date and place of this birth was determined to be as Micah had predicted.

Bethlehem was crowded with people and all of the hotels, motels, bed and breakfast places, and rooms for rent were filled to capacity. Mary and Joseph were lucky to be able to stay in the stable where their donkey was being kept and fed. And there, Jesus was born and wrapped in a square of cloth and lay in the manger which was probably a stone which had been hewn out to contain food for animals. There was no room for him in the Inn…indicates that there was no room for him in the hearts of men. In fact, it tells us that there was only one place where there was plenty of room for him and that was on the Old Rugged Cross.

Luke tells us that the message of His birth came first to a group of shepherds that were tending sheep in the fields near Jerusalem. This must have been a blow to the Jewish elite. Angles came to the smelly old shepherds before they did to the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Sanhedrin movers and shakers. These shepherds were probably the ones that had furnished the lambs used for sacrifice in the Temple all these years. They were privileged to grow the sacrifices that had announced his coming and now they were privileged to announce the coming birth of the Sacrifice for all man kind, Jesus himself.

Luke tells us that Jesus did not disobey the law. In this passage we see Jesus undergoing three ancient ceremonies which every Jewish boy had to undergo. [i] One was Circumcision. Every Jewish boy was circumcised on the eighth day after birth, and given his name. This law was so important that it could be administered on the Sabbath Day even though the law forbade almost every other act of work. [ii] One was the Redemption of the First-born. According to Exodus 13:2 every first born of man and animal belonged to God, and had to be purchased back from God at birth. [iii] One was the Purification after Childbirth. A mother was considered unclean for forty days after the birth of a son and eighty days if the child was a girl. She could go about her work at home but could not go to the temple or share in a religious experience. In Leviticus 12 you find that a sacrifice of lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon for a sin offering was necessary. I believe these laws were kept to prove to the people that it was true that Jesus did not come to condemn the law but to make if full, complete it, obey it as if to say that law is necessary and to be obeyed. It is important that you see that Mary offered the two pigeons instead of the lamb. Some could not afford the Lamb. The pigeons were known as the offering of the poor. The home of our Lord was just an ordinary one. Our Lord knows what it is like to be unwanted, and poor. His love for mankind is absolutely inclusive.

The time has seemingly come in our day when older Christians are not afforded the respect and appreciation they rightfully deserve. There are two individuals mentioned by Luke that should cause the reader to gain great respect for and of the elderly.

The greater number of the people believed that because the Jews were the chosen people they were bound some day to become the masters of the world and lords of all the nations. Some believed that some great celestial champion would descend upon the earth; some believed that there would be another king of David’s line arise and days of old would revive. In contrast there were a few people known at The Quiet in the Land. They had no dreams of violence and powerful armies. They relied on prayer, fasting and quiet watchfulness until the coming of the Messiah. All their lives they had waited quietly and patiently upon God.

Simon was one of these. All his life he had waited quietly and patiently upon God to arrive on the scene and comfort his people. God blessed this man and had him waiting at the temple entrance when Mary and Joseph arrived with the baby Jesus. He held the child in his arms and blessed the family. He was wise in old age and able to give these parents information they needed even if it hurt. He said “Jesus will be the cause whereby many will fall.” Many will not accept Him. Are you one of these? Then he said, “He will be the cause whereby many will rise.” He was and is the extended hand let down to sinful men to help us rise above our selves toward God. Are you one of these? Then he said, “He will meet with much opposition.” Now we know that there are no neutral grounds we either surrender to him or we are at war against him. Where do you stand? Hear this old man, your fate is up to you, decide now!

Anna was 84 years old, one of the Quiet Ones in the Land like Simeon, a widow, lived in the temple, praying and fasting and witnessing to all that would listen. Old, but never ceased to hope, worship, pray and witness. I visualize my Granny Pankey as being another Anna.

I too am old, 85, and still have my greatest hope abiding. I pray and witness, and sometimes it becomes so discouraging when so few seem to hear my plea. Simeon had a prayerful wish and it was that he could hold Jesus in his arms before he died. His wish was granted. I have a prayerful wish and God and I only know what it is; it shall remain that way and then if it comes true, I will know that God has answered my Simeon request. Got problems? Write or call me and I will pray for you.

How Can Jesus Help Me? - Mark 1:14-31

The first three books, Matthew, Mark and Luke are known as the synoptic gospels. ‘Synoptic’ is a Greek word meaning that two or more words, books, ideas or things should be viewed together—or side by side, in order to show their likeness, difference, order of origin like first or last. William Barclay placed these three books side by side and analyzed every word written checking the terms that are alike and the ones different. This study produced some very interesting information. Barclay deducted that Mark is the most important of the synoptic gospels; in fact he thinks that is good argument that it is the most important single book in the world. Of course this would only be possible if you contend that the Bible is a compilation of sixty books.

Mark is the first book of the birth and life of Christ that was written and is still available and unchanged. It is known that others made simple attempts to write the story of Jesus’ life; but Mark’s gospel is the oldest that has survived. It is not only difficult to realize that at the time of the writing of Mark there were no mechanical ways to print a book; and there was not a single printed book in the world. None of the books in the New Testament were printed—all were written by hand; there were very few copies of any book in existence. You may wonder…and indeed, you may ask how we know that Mark was the first gospel written.

First, even after being rewritten by hand; and changed into print—and changed from the original Greek language to English—THERE ARE REMARKABLE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE SYNOPTICS.

1. They contain the same incidents often told in the same words.
2. Teachings of Christ contain accounts of teachings of Jesus which are close to identical.
3. Compare the feeding of the 5000 in the synoptic and they use almost exactly the same wording.
4. It is amazing. Compare the story of the man who was sick of the palsy and you will find four words in parenthesis—“he said to the paralytic” occurs in all three gospels in exactly the same place.
5. It is clear to see that two of these sources used the third as reference—or all three used a fourth as reference. There are several reasons why bible scholars have decided that Mark wrote first and Matthew and Luke used his book as their reference.

Notice this fact. There are only twenty-four verses in Mark which do not occur somewhere in Matthew and Luke. This should cause you to place a high honor on Mark’s writing, and should cause all of us to honor him for being the first to establish this truth regarding the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Who was this man, Mark? Before we go into the study assigned for today, here are a few more vital statistics that we need to hang securely on one of our pegs of remembrances.

Mark was the son of Mary, an important lady of Jerusalem who was an important member of the Church that furnished food and lodging for leaders serving in the area—Acts 12:12. Mark was the nephew of Barnabas and went with them on their first missionary trip. Mark was not one of the original apostles but went with Paul who contended that he was one of God’s missionaries because of his calling on the Road to Damascus. No doubt about it, Mark was brought up in the very center of the Christian fellowship.

Mark was the nephew of Barnabas or he would not have become connected to Paul on his missionary journeys. I have taught this lesson several times, and have tried to find the reason why Mark decided to leave Paul and Barnabas; I still do not know for sure. In Acts 13: 13, it says that Mark decided to go home. Paul was unhappy with him and called him a quitter. The only clue we have says that he went home because he wanted to be with his mother. I have been made to wonder who his father was and how he fit into this story. {Seriously, if you know and can contribute to this part of our lesson today, please let me know who the father was and how he fit in.}

I believe I know why Mark wrote the book named for him…Mark. He had no other reason but that he wanted to present the work and teachings of Jesus Christ in whom he believed and felt committed. Mark wrote by hand the book of Mark. He is the Author. He lived in Rome, and from Rome he wrote Mark to the Christians in Rome—and to John Vandiver, and all the rest of you Christians living in Arkansas, and throughout the world. The date of the writing of this synoptic gospel was somewhere between A.D. 55 and 65.

The setting was the Roman Empire under the Caesar. The common language, the great transportation and communication system was ripe and growing and ready to hear about the new message of Jesus Christ which was spreading from nation to nation.

The key verse that I see as being important because Mark was writing about Christ, who he was, and what he came to do was Mark 10:45: “FOR EVEN THE SON OF MAN DID NOT COME TO BE SERVED, BUT TO SERVE, AND TO GIVE HIS LIFE AS A RAMSOM FOR MANY.” We need to notice who Mark listed as the Key people involved in this part of the Live of Christ. They were: Jesus, the twelve disciples, Pilate, the Jewish religious leaders, and the key places were Capernaum, Nazareth, Caesarea, Philippi, Jericho, Bethany, Mount of Olives, Jerusalem, and Golgotha.

Mark is a special feature. The evidence is strong that Mark was the first gospel ever written, and it is the only one written in chronological order. The other gospels quote all but thirty one verses of Mark. Mark is the shortest of the four gospels—however it records more miracles than does any other gospel. Other gospels begin with the birth of Christ but Mark begins with the works of Christ and the first thing recorded came from Isaiah’s conversation with Him when he was told that John The Baptist would be sent to prepare a way for Him to follow as He did the work of his Father.

Mark writes the gospel in dramatic action-packed stories that makes it easier to understand. He gives us the most vivid account of Christ’s activities. He features facts and actions rather than teachings. The way Jesus lived his life is the perfect example of how we should live our lives today.

Soon after John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee where he started his preaching of the Good News that simply proclaimed that “The time has come.” “The kingdom of God is near.” “Repent and believe the good news!” As Jesus walked along the shore of Galilee He saw two fishermen, Simon and his brother Andrew. Jesus told them to follow him and he would make them fishers of men. They obeyed.

A short time later he saw James and John, sons of Zebedee, fishermen, mending and preparing their nets. He called them and they followed him, leaving their father with only his hired-hands to help him. Fishing for fun is still hard work; however fishing for a living is even harder. It is a business, and these four men had some heavy investments in equipment and must have been successful since they were able to hire extra help needed. We need to realize that they gave up their way of living upon one command…”Follow Me.”

They left the lake and went to Capernaum where Christ preached on the Sabbath. He was approached by one who was possessed y an evil spirit that cried out asking what He wanted with them. Jesus told the evil spirit to “Be quiet and come out of the man.” The evil spirit obeyed Christ. People began to question and wonder why he was able to do this.

They left the synagogue and went to the home of Peter, where his mother-in-law was ill. She was healed. Her fever subsided and she got up and waited on all of them. That night, many others came and were healed and there were demons cast out. Demons were told not to talk about it. Why? I believe that Jesus wanted everyone to accept him on his own words and deeds and to believe that he was the Son of God; and therefore did not want the demons explaining to the others what had happened to them.

The work of Christ includes prayer, preaching, healing, miracles, and at no time did he brag of his power but always gave His Father God all the glory. It is amazing how Mark is able to cram so many facts, so many incidents and many things about our Savior into this the smallest of the synoptic gospels.

Listen, this is a Vandiverism, but oh, so important. This first chapter of Mark is so important, so complete that you have already studied enough scripture to save every person in the world if they would simply accept and obey what has been taught.

Obey God's Word - Psalm 119:1-16

Last Sunday, Brother Bill Fowlkes brought to the attention of our class a survey that has recently been made in America that was shocking to those of us who discussed the results. The survey determined that the number of Bible believers is at the lowest ebb it has ever been in the USA. It indicated that only about one half of our citizens believe that the Word is truth and use it as their daily guide for Christian living.

I have been thinking about this report in connection with the study of our admonition to ‘OBEY GOD’S WORD in today’s study. First, let me let you know that I do not trust the liberal media or any of their sources of information. This is one time that I hope that I am right when I say that I do not really believe this is an accurate report. I believe that the liberals are using half-truths and out-right-lies trying to break the moral of Christian people. I can tell you that it is frightening for me to think about living in a nation where half of the citizens do not trust God and the Bible to represent absolute truth.

From past personal experience, I can attest to you that it is impossible for a Christian to witness to a lost person regarding their acceptance of Christ as their Savior if they do not believe the Bible is the True Word of God. In my opinion, absolutely nothing else is more important to us today. The lesson today calls upon us to OBEY GOD’S WORD. And the only way for that to happen is for us to believe His Word is truth and that it is the only road map available that shows the way to heaven.

No Bible teacher will ever teach a lesson more important than this one is. The beauty of it is that you do not have to take my word for this fact. If you will simply open your eyes and see God each and every day in all of his manifestations of his power and glory, He will prove himself to be the one and only God. And then you must also be willing to accept some things by faith. The Bible declares the absolute necessity of an individual faith in God.

Listen to me. We are talking about a book that is actually the living Word of God. Martin Luther expressed his feelings this way. “The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me.” If you are living the life that is recommended by God in his Word, then you will be able to relate to these words by Luther.

God’s Word is sufficient to handle every problem man will ever face. It is perfect. This does not mean that it contains every word spoken by God, Christ and the disciples. But it covers every problem or circumstance that will ever become a part of our lives. That means it has lift nothing out that was or will ever be necessary for us to know. The New Testament states emphatically that This Book does not contain every word ever written or stated, because if it did, there would not be room enough to store the book safely.

The 117th Psalm was the shortest Psalm. This, the 119th is the longest Psalm and also the longest chapter in the Bible. The writer is unknown, but thought by many to be Ezra. Many believe that it was written soon after the Temple was completed and had as a central theme the idea that God’s Word along with his house and the act of worship is the greatest act of tribute we can offer God. The author used a different letter in the Hebrew alphabet to start each stanza of this poem, and almost every verse mentions something about God’s Word. It plainly teaches that God’s Word, the Bible is the only sure guide we have for living a pure life. This is definitely to be considered a wisdom Psalm—may be the best of all that were written.

The Psalmist says that we are drowning in a sea of impurity and that everywhere we look we find temptation to lead impure lives. The author asks us a troubling question. How can a young man keep his way pure? We can not do it on our own. There is only one source that offers such wisdom and that is by our reading God’s Word. We are to hold his Word in our heart. They did not have personal Bibles and were forced to memorize and remember in heart as well as in mind. This writer as well as most in the Bible says that this book must be our guide for everything we do. We do not enjoy strict rules, but we learn here that without proper guidance from the right source, we perish.

It may sound like paradoxes for him to tell us that we will rejoice in keeping his laws. Let me give you an example that explains why we sometimes feel good. The next time this happens—think about it. [You are driving within the speed limit and realize that you have just gone through a speed check point—and you discover the police has his speed gun aimed at you—but he did not stop you!!!] How do you feel? Great! You sigh with relief and gratitude. Oh! How wonderful it is to find that you have just done the right thing at the right time and the consequence is in your favor.
The Psalmist admits that he is a stranger on earth…in a strange land and need a good road map to show him his way. The Bible is our road map through this life and all the way to Heaven. Have you ever thought about how this world is cluttered with billions of books, maps, instructions and recipes but the author never comes along with the recipes to show you how to bake the cake? Not so with this book—The Holly Spirit comes with the book and shows up between each line to show us how to apply it to our hearts and lives.

Money represents power and we often crave wealth and success. However in verse thirty-six, we should learn to guide our prayers as instructed by the writer. We should fear the Lord and desire to live as he would have us live and not for financial gain. We should learn to rejoice in keeping His laws because of the freedom they bring and dread them because of the restrictions they apply. Think about the most important law He has ever made. You can have no other God before me! The restriction applied here simply denies us from worshipping some other God. That desire might lead to everlasting destruction. Look at what we get in exchange. We can love God all we want, any time and as much and find that he always repays us and finally saves us forever. It really does not cost us to gain everything—for he has already paid the price—our cost has been paid.

In verse ninety-seven and following we learn of the joy this man obtained when he realized that knowledge of and from God’s word was the thing that made him wiser than his enemies. Just stop a moment and remember your greatest Bible teacher and your most knowledgeable preacher. Did you learn from them? Sure you did and that is good, but this man reminds you that he has learned most of what he knows from studying God’s Word. He said that he had more insight than all of his teachers put together. It is his personal insight and meditation that makes the difference.

I often travel at night from my garage under the hill and behind my house up and around the house to my front door. When I turn out the light in the basement, the trip up the hill is the darkest place on the banks of the river. Since I do not have a two way switch at the front door, I have to turn the light out and travel up in total darkness. When I don’t forget I use a flash light that becomes a lamp unto my drive way. The drive is hazardous without the light.

This is a dark old world and sources of spiritual light seem to be growing dim. It is a great comfort to realize that a study of his word turns a bright light on my spiritual pathway. Think how dark this sinful world would be if we did not have his Word as a lamp to our feet.

Give Thanks - Psalm 116:1-19

On Monday morning of this week I opened my email to find a beautiful picture made in color at Arlington’s Cemetery that was made while the President and several others behind the podium were [supposedly] honoring our Veterans. The President was the only person in the line that was not either saluting or holding their hand over their heart. It just so happens that our lesson today directs Christians to GIVE THANKS.

When carefully studied we fine that the objectives of our thanks should be God our creator and redeemer, our parents and friends, our country and it’s service men who protects us in harm’s way. My prayer is that God will have his will in dealing with any man, especially the President, who does not show honor and praise where they are due.

We have no direct reference telling us who wrote Psalm ll6 or the date of the writing. We do know that he had faced some hard times and even in the face of death he was still able to praise the Lord and give him thanks for things that were right that outweighed those that went wrong. The theme of this writing is a direct praise for his being saved from what appeared to be certain death. The writers praise was not intended in any way to be a payment for his being delivered but it was a thankful response for God’s love and concern.

We should be reminded that this is a proper way for us to respond regarding something good that has come to us. We are fortunate to have good neighbors that do neighborly deeds because they want to; it makes them feel good. They do not to expect us to pay them for their help; they do desire that we let them know our appreciation. They enjoy our praise of them; but may even feel put-down if we indicate that we want to pay them in a financial way. I have friends today that will voluntarily do hard and expensive work for me in my time of need and do not expect—will not accept anything as reimbursement.

Look at verse three and you will see that the writer could easily have said something like “I had cancer that has already destroyed a major part of my liver. The doctor gave me less than three months to live. My family and I went through the process of preparing for my burial. Those were the darkest days of our lives.” By this time in a life of trouble, many have given up hope and they have no time or energy left with which they can praise God. This man had an attitude of praise and used it. He called on the name of the Lord—“Oh Lord save me.” We can afford to do nothing less.

Our God is gracious and righteous and full of compassion. And though there are times when we must pass through some of those low valleys with cancer or arthritis that are incurable we must maintain an upright spirit and thank him for never placing more on us than we can bear.

Our unknown witness that must have been somewhere close to what we have just described above, found that he is in a predicament much like you and I often go through. What did he proclaim? He said, “I love you Lord, for you heard my cry for mercy. God opened his ear to me…he heard me! He turned his face and looked at me…he saw me personally and did not look away without making response.

Do you pray often? Is your prayer one of thankfulness and praise? Or does it reflect another need that you have encountered and do you continually request something new and different? If you will make a relevant inventory of your life’s wants and needs, you will find that the blessings you receive far outnumber the needs you seem to have. If we reflect on this fact it will soon occur that our prayer life is changing complexion. Ours prayer time will become overwhelmingly one of thanks and expressions of our love rather than a list of earthly needs.

Look at verse twelve and hear this man asking how he can repay the Lord for all of His goodness. Now hear his answers and a thought or two of mine. He said that he would lift up salvation—try to show others how to be saved. And that he would continually call on God—and that he would keep his vows…be truthful…do right. Now I help him answer by saying that God does not want to be repaid! Remember what I said about my good neighbor who does so much for me? He does not want to be paid. It hurts his feelings sometimes when I insist. He just wants me to appreciate him! Sometimes that is all God wants of us. Just praise him. Only thank him. Brag on him and what he has done for you so that others may learn who he is and that he wants to be a part of their life too.


TRIVIA sometimes is very important. We are studying chapter 116. The next two verses forms the shortest book in the bible. These verses say: Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! And now…the 8th verse of 116 is the MIDDLE VERSE IN THE BIBLE; THE CENTER or HEART OF THE BIBLE. And it tells us to TRUST GOD…NOT…MAN!

Psalm 116, our lesson for today gives us an excellent picture of the ALL-SUFFICIENT GRACE of God. We have learned by studying the New Testament that Grace is stronger than any of our circumstances. For by Grace we are saved not of our works, to keep us from boasting that it was something that we had done on our own.

Is there a verse in the bible that says, “God helps those who help themselves?” I have heard this verse quoted several times and just assumed that it is really there. Be honest. How many of you think this is a verse in the bible? I think I have heard it a thousand times, and it sounds good to me. But there are two problems—unfortunately there are two issues at fault with this statement. First, it is not in the bible. Second, the theology of this supposed truism is also not in the bible. In fact, the bible teaches exactly the opposite. The truth is that God will always help those who can not help themselves. Another truth is that if we could help ourselves, we would not need God’s help. All of us are weak and in need of the grace of God. In John 15:5, Jesus told us that apart from him we can do nothing. The word nothing as he used it here means that we can not do anything of any eternal or spiritual value without the help of an eternal and spiritual leader.

Looking back we can see that this writer had some serious problems in his life. Knowing that we would have the same kind of problems he has let us know that his main response has been to always thank and continue to serve God. He emphasizes that God is not a deaf idol like the ones of stone that pagans serve. God bends low and listens to our needs…he hears and responds, therefore as long as we live we should continue to thank and praise him. Our love and appreciation should come first…but we may always feel free to go back to God for help in our next time of need.

The man in our lesson today had lived a life much like some of us who are getting older even today. He had faced some hard times that remind us of what happened to Paul as he attempted to serve. We are all in need of His sustaining grace. God bends low and hears us. He is ready to help us when we recognize our weakness and rely on his grace. This sounds like a contradiction and impossible; but when we are weak we are at our strongest place through the Grace of Christ. And through our weakness…His grace is made stronger as it is extended to us. Paul said in 2 Cor. that through our weakness his grace is made perfect.

Live Righteously - Psalm 112:1-10

This is so easily defined but so difficult to do. To live righteously simply means ‘do right’ but to always be right means that you must live as Christ lives and affords us the example. My granny Pankey who died about fifty years ago at age ninety, was, I believe, the most righteous person I’ve known, and my dad, born in 1887 was a close rival. I consider myself fortunate to have inherited genes that have a human tendency to be like Christ and only wish I could tell you that I have kept the faith and walked the walk that they did. To do so would show wisdom.

I say these things because the 112th Psalm is considered a ‘wisdom’ message from an unknown writer that God used to make his word complete. The purpose this writer had in mind was to teach people of all ages how to be truly successful in life, especially when evaluated from Christ’s standpoint. If you will read and study this Psalm you will learn and understand the benefits and blessings of living righteously. In the conclusion of the chapter he makes sure that you fully understand how to rightly discern the difference in right and wrong, he uses a comparison of a Godly person’s life with the life of a wicked man.

The Psalm is anonymous and does not give any history or background situations about which it is written. To me this says that it applies to all regardless of whom they are or what their experience. There is no excuse for unrighteousness, we were born that way, for all have sinned and all require the cleansing blood of Christ in order to correct their position with Christ.

In the original language, the first word of the first verse of chapter 112 is Hallelujah! The King James Version and many others begin with “Praise the Lord.” However, this is not a change or different; because the meaning of the word “Hallelujah” is “Praise the Lord.” Hallelujah is a word of praise and a direct command. We walk up to a friend and usually say “Good morning how are you?” Most of the time I am somewhere on a scale that ranges from uncomfortable to outright pain, and just recently discussed in our men’s class that it is sometimes hard to know how to respond to the usual greeting. Now I have learned a new way to greet that will solve this problem. Do you see the main difference in the greeting? Our mind is on man; I am thinking about you, and there is nothing wrong with this…how are you? Our mind could better be on God and our greeting would let you know that we are thinking of Him and we would be asking you to join us as we ‘praise the Lord.’

We all have something or someone at the center of our lives; there are no exceptions we have a driving force even a consuming passion at the core of our being. This is neither good nor bad and always depends on the placement of our heart. Some of us are centered on good things like our parents, wife, husband, children, vocation, service or ministry. Some are centered on a lower level that may even be shallow like some specific sport, our avocation, beautiful home, luscious yard and or garden. And finally, and sadly more often, some of us center our thoughts on the shallowest of all things ourselves, our lusts, and sinful desires. For the righteous Christian our life and everything in it should revolve around one dominant force—our passion should be to Praise the Lord. God must be the center of our life and everything else [good or shallow] must be secondary. This is the central truth or theme of Psalm 112.

If you will study this Psalm line by line you can see what the writer thinks is the character of a God centered life [GCL] and he tells us what the consequences of living a GCE will be. The greeting is the first clue. The GCE will praise the Lord—Hallelujah. If you are living the GCE, you will be blessed—you will fear [be in awe] of the Lord and find great delight in the commands that God has placed on our lives. In addition to our personal blessings, our children will be blessed and will be mighty or important with honor and worth in the sight of other people [the land]. He does not stop here but claims that future generations [our children’s children] will reflect the upright living of their parents.

The televangelists of today have the tube burning with guarantees that if you will plant a seed [send them donations] you will defeat poverty and become rich. Some quote verse three as their source of God’s promise. The only problem with their interpretation is the false reason they give. TGC life will become wealthy and riches will be in their house. The blessing will come as a result of the Christians faith, commitment to God, keeping of his commandments, and love of God and what He has done for them through his Son Jesus Christ. And the wealth and riches may not necessarily be dollars but much more such as a godly family, honor, security, freedom from fear, and the promise of a home in heaven. Our wealth surely includes all the promises that God has made never to forsake and always sustain us meeting our needs and not necessarily our desires to be filthy rich.

Verse four tells us that there will be some dark days in our lives, but to the GCL light dawns ahead. He will never put more on us than we can bear. He will never ask us to do anything that he does not prepare us to do. He will never lead us to a task that he has not prepared us to accomplish. The writer says that the GCL is a gracious [free giver] compassionate and do right man.

Generosity will cure problems that money can cause or create. One who is rich and has no generosity may abuse others in order to create his gain and fulfill his desire to accumulate wealth. Generosity will eliminate that abuse.
With the rich there is a fear of loosing the wealth. One becomes fearful of giving to others because he does not trust God to replenish or repay him for his generosity. God wants us to trust him and not our money.

The man with a GCL has no fear because of his trust in God. If any man scatters some of his wealth around—to God’s church that it may prosper and grow—to the poor that they may eat and be clothed—and to widows and children that they know they are of concern, HIS RIGHTEOUSNES WILL ENDURE FOREVER and he will gain high honor.

And now in closing this chapter the writer makes the comparison so that we may not miss his point. He tells us that the wicked man will be vexed. He will grind his teeth in agony and become nothing in God’s sight as well as his fellow man. Then in the end the wicked will come to naught.

Note that he does not say the wicked will not be remembered. Because of their atrocities history may keep records on them but future generations of GCL will pass judgment upon them that will cause regrets forever and more important than that—in that last day—God will say “Depart from me I never knew you.”

Do you fear the Lord? Do you stand in awe in his presence? Charles H. Spurgeon once said, “The fear of God is the soul of godliness.” The GCL is one that fears the Lord.

Choose Wisely - Psalm 1:1-6

We have all heard it said that experience is a wonderful teacher. It has been my experience to find that many of the choices that I have made on my own have taught me lessons that were far too expensive. I recall that the Great Depression was especially hard on teen-agers. The automobile industry grew rapidly during the 1930s and 40s and I was hooked on cars but was unable to afford a new one. I did not realize that the price of clunkers plus the massive upkeep was even more costly than buying the new ones; therefore I surely could not afford to buy someone else’s problems.

In 1943 I finally accumulated enough money to make a down payment on a 1936 model Ford. It used oil to excess; the mechanical breaks were constantly in need of repair and the monthly payments plus the cost of upkeep soon proved that I had made a bad choice. I did not learn from my experience, and used car dealers kept me drained for years. My choices were usually poor ones, and even when I would seek advice from men who knew the industry, I was often misled.

The greatest financial mistake of my life continued on a regular monthly basis until I was in my mid-fifties. I chose to spend all that I made and save nothing for the rainy days ahead. I did not choose wisely and will always have to suffer the consequences. Looking back on my experiences and by studying God’s word, I know now that CHOOSING WISELY is one of the most profitable practices any man can choose to make while making this so journey through life.

According to Psalm 1 there are only two roads through life and there are only two destinations, Heaven and Hell. We can fail to choose wisely about all other decisions we make and still find that the results are bearable; surely some better than others but even the worst is not total disaster. When it comes to the two roads mentioned here in Psalm 1, it is imperative that the right choice is made and that it is made at the right time—while time and opportunity will afforded. No person can risk his own personal judgment in making the decision as to which road through this life he will take. Charles Spurgeon once said, “Walk with God, and you cannot mistake the road; you have infallible wisdom to direct you, permanent love to comfort you, and eternal power to defend you.” There is no doubt in my mind that this is the only choice in this life that you are capable of making on your own—and even in this case you must depend upon the Holly Spirit to guide you in making the choice.

The two roads are referred to by biblical scholars as the High Way and the Low. John Oxenham, is the noted British hymn writer who wrote the hymn, “In Christ, There Is No East Nor West.” He put to music a poem that he had written entitled “The Ways” that is quoted below.

‘ THE WAYS’
To every man there openeth But to every man there openeth
A Way, and Ways and a Way, A High way and a Low,
And the High Soul climbs the High Way, And every man decideth
And the Low Soul gropes the Low, The Way his soul shall go.
And in between, on the misty flats,
The rest drift to and fro.

Yes, every one of us must make this choice, and to error is tragic. The poem is penned with poignant language that most of us only wish we could write. It states that many different paths are lying before us that we can choose; but among these many roads that we can take, in reality there is only two paths—The High road to Heaven and the Low road to Hell. Our life here on earth and ultimately our eternal destiny will be determined by the choice we make regarding the Way our soul will go. We must remember that not only is it imperative that we make the right choice [WE MUST CHOOSE WISELY] but it is also imperative that we travel the road of choice.

Psalm 1 explains the differences found between these two Ways of life while we remain here on earth and even more important in eternity. Today the right choice leads to blessings unbelievable; while the wrong choice leads to sorrow and curses that are bred by sin. We are at the election polls voting for the High Way to salvation or the low path to eternal destruction. How will you mark your ballot?

While I have your doubting mind listening one more time, let me assure you upon the authority of Almighty God, you have a choice to believe in heaven and hell or to doubt that they are a reality. In order to escape Hell and eternal torment, you MUST make the right decision and believe that they are real—and you will spend eternity in one of these places. Answer now—which will it be. Psalms tells us that there are only two roads in this life—the way of the godly and the way of the ungodly and they definitely lead to two different destinies—LIFE and DEATH; life eternal and in the presence of Jesus Christ your Savior and death which means you will continue the dying process forever in a burning torment separated from all that is good especially the presence of Christ who loved you so much he died one the cross to save you from the torment you will suffer forever. It is a matter of your choice! You do not have the privilege of ignoring this decision; therefore it is imperative that you choose well.

Should you ask me today what I pray for the most—my answer would be WISDOM. It requires the wisdom of God to make right choices or decisions. The first Psalm is considered a wisdom Psalm—one that provides guidance for godly living and that is why it is so important for us to study it today and follow the instructions we find in this writing. It provides a clearly marked entrance to the path of righteousness, and it serves as an introduction to the entire Book of Psalms.

The main idea that I get from this first Psalm is that Christians are a blest people. We are insulated from the evil deceptions and defilements of this wicked world. This is not a special gift unavailable to others, but is afforded to all of us who study and internalize God’s Word. To the contrary, the unbeliever, wicked, and unstable, will perish because they have refused to believe on the Only Begotten Son of God. I found another way of stating this same belief that supports what I have just told you. I think the godly are blessed because they do not live according to the sinful philosophies, practices, or associations of fallen man but are deeply rooted in God’s Word.

The only road map that clearly shows both the High way and the Low way is the word of God. Nothing else written, stated, drawn or devised by any one else is accurate information. Each denomination, or different church, has some of their MAN-MADE MAPS DRAWN FOR YOU TO FOLLOW. My warning is that much of it is trash and untruth. There are many good commentaries that may help you to understand the Bible…but they are not the whole TRUITH. This commentary that I write is the best I can do to explain Psalm 1, but if you really want to know what THE BIBLE says and means then you must personally read Psalm 1 and ask God to explain the absolute truth found there. If you are uneducated, a weak reader, or even have a mental deficiency, you may need to go to others who can help you understand. I am sorry, but I can not tell you for sure who that person should be. I can tell you that when you make your choice…you must choose wisely. I can assure you that if you choose wisely, that person will never tell you to go anywhere else for your information…other than GOD’S WORD. And God’s word starts with a book called Genesis and ends with the Revelation. It has a book called Psalm near the middle and the very first chapter begins with an emphatic declaration that God’s abundant favor will rest upon the person who lives a truly God-centered life.

In the original Hebrew, the first sentence, the word blessed is repeated to emphasize it to be plural…blessed, blessed, most blest, which may also mean happy, or very happy, is the man….who does not stand in the way of sinners—and does not allow a wicked man to be his counselor…We need to listen to Redeemed, God believing counselors. This means that we must make the right choice of counselors to believe. I can not help you hear…but I can tell you that you need to seek the help of the Holly Spirit to teach you how to make good choices. How can you know that you are not living in error? Here are a few simple answers. You are doing great if:

You trust Christ and believe his word. You delight in his Word. You live a God centered life. You actually meditate upon His Word day and night. You do not stand in the way of sinners. You are living a separated life that is distinct from the beliefs and behavior of ungodly people. You are still in the world but not of it.

Fruit is the test of salvation. What fruit are you bearing? What choice have you made—the HIGH ROAD or THE LOW? Your life depends upon the CHOICE YOU MAKE.

When I Am Afflicted - Psalm 102:1-14,24-28

The author of this psalm is unknown. The central theme of this psalm is considered to be a prayer of the afflicted. In order to grow his confidence the writer is assured that even though heaven and earth perish, the Lord who created them shall endure forever. His afflictions may be a hindrance along life’s pathway; however because of the enduring power of God there is always hope for the future.

In our inflictions of this day we have found from our experience and from the teachings of this writer that there is only one source of dependable relief and that source is located and enlisted through our prayers. Any person with afflictions must believe in prayer and know that God hears and answers prayers offered according to His plan. We must understand that a profitable prayer is not an assortment of words arranged as a request made to God. Rather, the prayer of the afflicted is an attitude of mind and soul that is totally dependent upon the will of Almighty God. It is an interment conversation with a higher power that has the ability to answer legitimate request.

This prayer requires ultimate faith and belief that God hears and will answer the prayer of an afflicted person. Note the intimate, direct approach this writer uses to address God. He said, “Lord, hear me.” You “hear my prayer.” “Let my plea come before you.” This writer was related to the Lord on a personal basis.

The personal and individual use of the name of God—Yahweh—was not ordinarily or commonly used on a daily basis with the common Jewish people. However you can see that this writer was related to the Lord on a personal basis. He prayed believing that mercy and help came directly from Yahweh to the distressed. The distressed and God were related on a personal basis.

The Jewish people depended upon the priest to go to God for them. They were usually not on a first-name-basis with God individually. However, we see here a new direct connection between the distressed and God. The devout could go directly to Yahweh through prayer. Oh, how important this is to the modern day Christian. We do not have to depend upon another person…a member of the priesthood…to intercede for us. We can call upon God to look at our problem, see our condition, and know our needs from first hand communication with us.

The problems faced by the author were heart afflicted, painful problems that were classified as physical, mental, and emotional and gave the example of the broad scope of needs that Christians have even in our world today.

It helps us to know more about this situation when we understand that this psalm was written during a low ebb tide in Jewish history. It was the period while they were under Babylonian captivity. The writer’s hope shines through that day’s darkest clouds and the psalmist depends upon God to intervene and deliver him during these dark and difficult times. We can relate to this because it appears that God was ignoring the writer’s call for help. God’s silence caused him to cry louder in his cries out to God for help in his days of affliction.

The writing of this lesson by your teacher comes during some of the most difficult days of my Christian walk and for this reason the lesson is more relevant to me than many that I try to teach. My greatest difficulties come as health problems that are interfering with a normal daily life. I am becoming more unable to do the things that I wanted to do in my declining years. I have been fortunate to receive help from the medical profession because it has been available to me; however I have been unfortunate in that I have found their ability to help has continued to fail in my declining years and time of physical trouble.

I have been able to see through this study an unwavering hope. Thomas Brooks said that “Hope can see heaven through the thickest clouds.” Believing this, my only hope remains for God to hear my prayers when I pray for God to look in my face, see my condition, and bless me according to my deeds only if I am willing to use improved conditions for the benefit of God’s kingdom work.

Even in the midst of my darkest hours, I still have a steadfast hope in God. I think that one of the main ideas of this lesson was to teach us that the psalmist depends upon God to intervene and deliver him in the midst of dark and difficult days. When I personalize this lesson it makes me realize that I have reached the place in my troubled life that I must now depend upon God to intervene in any improvements that are to be realized. My hope no longer lies in neither the ability of surgeons to remove obstructions; nor neurosurgeons to block the pain pathways through my body, nor the ability of any medical knowledge available through specialized training. The only hope I have left is that God will see fit to use his supernatural power to make life worth living. The least that I can do is to promise Him that I will use any new or extended ability afforded to grow his kingdom and praise and honor Him. Thank God I can relate with this writer of old.

In 102-3, we it is easy for us to see that this crises had brought a heavy physical toll upon the writer’s body. He was loosing the years of his life under this stress. His physical life was wasting away. His days left on earth were vanishing like smoke before him. His bones were burning like glowing embers, as if fire were burning his body.

Please, I do not wish to make you feel sorry for me, but at my age and in my physical condition, I have some of the same feelings described by this writer. I do want you to understand that a time like this may be your experience soon and you need to know the importance of prayer in your personal life. The day may soon come when prayer is the only source left that can provide any relief.

Am I the only one that feels that I am living in a day much like that of the ancient psalmist? If you will be honest, I doubt that I am the only one, and you may also agree. God’s glory is being obscured, his Word is surely neglected, and far too often and in too many places his house is abandoned and religious work is stalled. Go to the church and see that exposition is being replaced with entertainment—Theology is giving way to theatrics and the Word is caving into the world. The rich hymns of doctrine that once focused on the cross have give way to crossover contemporary music that barely mentions Christ and the cross.

We are not sure what all of the psalmist problems were, but he had not been well. Have you ever been sick or disabled for an extended period of time? How did that experience affect your fellowship with God? Why do you think God let the psalmist suffer affliction? Did his suffering push him from or draw him closer to the Lord? What is happening in your life? Are you allowing physical pain and emotional suffering to draw you closer to God? Or do you blame God for your problems and let them drive you further away?

The title of the lesson today is WHEN I AM AFFLICTED. Maybe I should have made it a question that asked; WHEN I AM AFFLICTED WHAT SHOUD I DO? I like this. The Psalmist answered the question…hear him please. He said, God, I am hurting, hear me please. Listen to me. No matter what my problem is, you are the only source of comfort. I hurt. I pray. You listen. You hear. You answer. You promised me that you would be ready to serve my need. You are the only answer whatever the need.

When I Have Doubts - Psalm 73:1-5,12-20,25-28

Now that some of us are older and can look back across years of experience I am made to wonder if anything has ever been more devastating to the Christian life than the doubts and fears that we have allowed to weaken our confidence in our fellow man and the God we serve. When we first believe and place our lives in the care of Jesus Christ there is usually a surge of confidence that wells up in us and drowns out the fears that life has taught. This contented state of mind comes to us through our faith and by the grace of God.

The mental and emotional process of fear and doubt begins in our early childhood and a strong confidence has to be relearned. During our first three to five years we are loved, protected and made secure by the love and care of our parents. We have no reason to fear because we trust our parents to always do right and furnish our protection. Usually by the age of four or five our sin nature causes us to start doing things that are unacceptable and loving and caring parents are forced to enact restrictions, and teach personal accountability. As we grow into the age of accountability we enjoy our own way less often and soon begin to fear the results that our actions may bring. Doubt and fear enters our lives and we become less comfortable individually and more dependent on god as our spiritual leader.

This process repeats itself through the early years of our Christian life. We must accept Christ as a child and believe that He will cause all things to work together for our good, Romans 8. Then, as our Christian life grows, we learn that we are not always spiritually obedient and that God will hold us to our commitment even if it requires Him to punish us for our sins. Soon, even as a dedicated Christian, doubts and fears reenter our thought patterns and cause us to worry about our position in God’s sight. This is a dreaded position that should not bother any man who has a great and abiding faith.

As we grow older, it is not uncommon for us to incur problems with our eyesight; two of the most common problems are far and near sightedness. When our distance vision is impaired it is know as myopia and may require correction in order to see things that are afar off. What is even worse is spiritual myopia that occurs causing us to be able to see those problems which are temporal, physical and earthly. One with spiritual myopia can only see the things in the here and now.

This psalm addresses one of life’s most difficult “life seeing problems?” Christian people just can not discern the answer to this problem. “How is it that the wicked often prosper while the godly suffer so much? This is a specific problem to all of us who have myopic faith. We must always remember that it is not possible for a person to see and trust in the eternal things of life while his focus is on the temporal things of life.

Asaph was the musician that wrote this psalm. He remembers a time in his life when he envied the prosperity of the wicked and fell into doubt about the goodness of God toward the righteous. He did not understand why God’s people suffered while the ungodly seemed to prosper at the same time.

Look at and read the first verse carefully. Asaph could look back through the ages and remember the many times when God had been especially good to the country of Israel. I am sure that one of the greatest memories the Israelites had—was their ability to look back to the six thousand years of slavery in Egypt—and to remember that God used Moses in a very great way to bring them out of Egyptian bondage and to care for them all the way to the Promised Land. Asaph said. “Surely God is good to Israel.” {Even with full knowledge of this great love, he still had doubts.} In verse 2 he said, “But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.

Be sure to note why he had slipped away. He said it was because “I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” He says the wicked can be carefree and still always increase in wealth. In verse 13 he continues—“Surely in vain have I kept my hart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. I am still plagued, in fact punished every morning.”

Let me beg you to be honest with God, yourself, and me. Have you ever had some of these feelings that Asaph is expressing? Have you doubted God? Have you feared that you would not receive your rightful blessings because of the way God was reacting to you differently from others? In verse 12, do you feel with him that the wicked can remain always carefree and still increase in wealth? Do you vainly keep your heart pure and feel that all you gain is punishment ever morning and each day you live? The psalmist had a problem. Today, we Christians still have the same problem. Complaining Christians think they see what is happening and believe it to be wrong. They sometimes believe that sinners are prospering more than Christians. What many have forgotten is that there will be a judgment day…some day; and when the scales are balanced there will be some on both sides who are very surprised.

The thing that bothers me more than anything else in this day and time is that those who want to eliminate the name of God from literature, and especially in a government function, seem to be gaining power and control. I know that in this world where the wicked seem to prosper more than the righteous—the believer’s eye must be fixed on God and his goodness. Only God can give the true believer a proper outlook on life and eternity. This perspective will dominate the believer’s life only when he constantly focuses on God, trusting in him alone. Your father and mother, or your best friend may let you down but God will never fail you. Do you believe this?

Does this lesson fit your situation? Have you ever encountered an ungodly person who had better things in life or a better situation in life than you have had? Why do you think God allowed this to happen? Why do you believe God allowed someone else to prosper more than you prospered? Is it very important to you that God allowed this difference to exist? To some people, why is close fellowship with God more important than fame and fortune? Is it more important to you? Why do you not examine very carefully and find that the one who seems to have more of this worlds goods than you have…who seems to have prospered the most…just may be the one that has the greatest need for a close fellowship with Christ on a daily basis? Here is a good question for you: would you like to trade places with your rivalry? I know my answer would be NO. I can live with my doubts and fears regarding my daily prosperity and be much more content than if I am required to live on a daily basis with out the love, compassion, and protection of God Almighty. WHEN I HAVE DOUBTS I CAN ALWAYS GO TO MY LORD FOR COMFORT AND SECURITY.

When I Have Sinned - Psalm 51:1-13

Is there a man in the crowd today that likes to admit that he is on the wrong road headed in the wrong direction? It is sometimes difficult to pick up the map and try to locate where you are and how to get back on the freeway and headed in the right direction. There is no argument about this matter—embarrassing as it may be—it is the right thing to do. It is hard to admit to your wife that you have made a wrong turn at the last intersection. Sometimes as a Christian, you will find it even more difficult to admit to God that you have committed a grievous sin and it is taking you in the wrong spiritual direction. Spiritual driving on the wrong road can often lead you into a ghetto where crime and destruction hazardously awaits your next turn.

Today we will study the Psalm that David used to give an example of his hazardous driving on his spiritual road home. He had committed some major sins—not minor offenses. He had reached the area in his life that was life threatening and was still man enough to repent, get his road map out and find his way back into fellowship with God.

The superscription that heads the 51st Psalm says that this is a psalm of David written for the director of music following the time when Nathan went to visit David and warned him that he had knowingly and willingly committed adultery with the wife of one of his prize soldiers. No doubt that Bathsheba had played apart in this affair, but we must treat her fairly and acknowledge that she was dealing with her King, and even though she knew that she was sinning, it would have been difficult for her to refuse him in his position of power. The act of adultery was a sin in depth but David realized that he had taken advantage of this woman and his sorrow and regret must have been great. His attempt to cover his sin included murder, lying and forceful involvement of others honest people that did not want to be involved.

If you will go now and read the story of how David was alone at his palace and knew the setting, and the habit of this woman bathing on her roof top in view of one wing of the King’s palace. He, no doubt had observed her before, and knew who she was—even though he inquired as to her identity. David premeditated this evil act and went against his own conscientious, not only carrying out his own lustful desire but actually forcing her to be a part in it; and involving other innocent bystanders. He fully intended to commit this sin—but just did not expect to get caught and surely did not realize how far he would go to try to cover his actions. It is easy for us to see how deeply involved he is in this matter, and how he now has only one way out. He has to confront all of his people and the God of his life with the one tool left; which is repentance before God and a plea for his forgiveness.

Look inside at the enter being of the greatest of all earthly kings and try to imagine what you see in his action and reaction; place yourself in his place and feel the enter pangs of sorrow for you sin. Internalize this moment; place yourself in his shoes and face God alone with no self defense other than to admit that you were conceived in sin and have now succumbed to sin’s power over you.

Remember now that there are no little or big sins; therefore you must realize that your sin and mine are all grave in God’s sight. [For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.] We, like David, have also sinned against God. What can we do? What can we say? We must repeat his words and plead—Have mercy on me, Oh God. Be gracious to me, God, according to your faithful love; according to your abundant compassion, blot out my rebellion—transgression. Did God forgive him? Yes. Will he forgive us? Yes. How? According to his compassion and love; and greater love has no man than to be willing to die for him. Christ died for David and John, me, and you.

David prayed, “Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.” Had that already happened? No. Did it happen? Yes, it did when Christ spilled his blood on the cross and washed away his sin…and ours also.

If you have not read this chapter…do so now…and you can boast of reading one of the most sincere prayers ever prayed by a sinful man. You will learn that there is more to a prayer of forgiveness than just forgiven sin.

The total process must also create within us a clean heart. That is past sins are forgiven first and then our hearts must have the inclination to remain free from future sins. A clean heart can not sin. A forgiven person desires the presence of the Holy Spirit and realizes that so long as the Spirit lives within us, sin can not exist in the same territory.

The most difficult request made in this prayer is that the memory of committed sin will vanish and torment David no more. Only when we forgive ourselves can we reach the place where God can restore unto us the joy of our salvation. The joy of salvation can not exist in the hart of one who is continuing in sin. We can only enjoy God’s presence through the visitation of the Holly Spirit when we are free from sin.

Then David made God a promise. He said now God, do to me and for me as I have prayed and “I will teach transgressors your ways and sinners will turn back to you.”

The largest and most complicated Super highway interchange in the world is located in Houston, Texas. I would not dare exit on to this interchange without having a map in my car and everyone knowing that I am willing to follow it. The sinful road to spiritual destruction is just as complicated as the Houston interchange and I will not attempt to drive on it without instructions as how to exit on to the straight and narrow road that leads to heaven.

The title of this lesson today is WHEN I HAVE SINNED. The best question about the title is WHAT MUST I DO? And the ONLY answer to this question is DO AS DIAVID DID—REPENT OF YOUR SIN AND SEEK FORGIVINESS FROM THE LORD WHO LOVES YOU. The results will be THE RETURN OF THE JOY OF YOUR SALVATION HERE AND LIFE EVERLASTING.

When I Need Comfort - Psalm 23

There are only six verses in the 23 chapter of Psalm, so as usual; I decided to read the entire chapter before I started writing. Then I found four different versions that aroused my attention, and I have copied all four versions below. Note: I tried to copy verbatim, and this is very hard to do on a personal computer. The computer refuses to copy small case letters where capitols are required. It will not allow partial sentences, and so you may find that my attempt is not PERFECT…BUT it is close enough for you to see the many differences in the way this chapter is written.

One fact makes these differences great in my sight. Though very different…THERE ARE NO CONTRADICTIONS. God’s word is truth! Many different writers stood on different viewing stands and wrote about the same incident. They all used their own language, their own understanding, but were all inspired by the same Holy Spirit that brought the whole truth out of every story we read. God is great and without error and he did not allow the writers of his Word to error.

NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. [I shall not want. Or,
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, I shall not be in the
He leads me beside quiet waters, state of want.] [We
3 he restores my soul. could want but not
He guides me in paths of righteousness have a need]
For his namesake.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

5You prepare a table before me
In the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6Surely goodness and love will follow me [Some say mercy and love will
all the days of my life, follow]
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

PSALM 23…AUTHORIZED KING JAMES VERSION

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.



PSAM 23…NEW KING JAMES VERSION

The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.

4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
for you are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5You prepare a table
before me in the
presence of my
enemies;
You anoint my head with
oil;
My cup runs over.
6Surely goodness and
mercy shall follow me
All the days of life;
And I will dwell in the
house of the Lord
Forever.

PSALMS 23…NEW AMERICAN STANDARD VERSION

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.

3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the valley of
the shadow of death,
I fear no evil; for thou
art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff,
they comfort me.

5 Thou dost prepare a table
Before me in the presence of my enemies;
Thou hast anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.

6 surely goodness and loving kindness will follow me all the days
of my life,
And I will dwell in the
house of the Lord forever.


PSALM 23…TODAY’S ENGLISH VERSION By Nelson

The Lord is my shepherd; [This version removes the possibility of wanting
I have everything I a person may not need.]
Need.
2He lets me rest in fields of [He can rest while sitting, strolling, or
Green grass standing. Rest is over mind and not
and leads me to quiet pools position of body.]
of fresh water.

3He gives me new strength. [God keeps his promise.]
He guides me in the right
Paths,
as he has promised.
4Even if I go through the
Deepest darkness, [To David, deepest darkness may not be death.]
I will not be afraid, Lord,
for you are with me.
Your shepherd’s rod and staff
protect me.
5You prepare a banquet for
me,
where all my enemies can [My enemies may not just be present, but they
see me; actually see me while you welcome me.]
you welcome me as an
honored guest
and fill my cup to the brim.
6 I know that your goodness
and love will be with me
all my life;
and your house will be my
home as long as I live.

If you were writing a Psalm to God this morning, what would you use as the back-drop or bases for your thinking? How would you make your petition to God seem realistic enough that God would know your deepest worries, sorrows, needs and desires? David had been a shepherd and understood what he had meant to his sheep. He used this metaphor to explain to God that he placed the same dependency in his shepherd—God almighty; as did the sheep experienced under his, David’s watch.

There are many examples in the Word where we are known as the sheep; and where God is the Good Shepherd. No animal is more dependent upon total leadership from an earthly shepherd. And man is the only animal that is spiritually dependent upon the Heavenly Shepherd. The New Testament tells us that He is our great Shepherd…the good Shepherd, and as he is our Shepherd so we are his sheep. One circumstance makes our position even greater; we are not passive or frightened animals but wise and obedient followers. This passage does not deal with the animal like qualities of the sheep, but it deals with the qualities of disciples of God as followers of his shepherding.

David is pictured here as one most dependent upon his God and he gives him complete credit for all good that is his to enjoy. David, as a mortal man had some desires that were undesirable to God, but if in His will, he never was left suffer a need unfilled. When his mind was on God he never had a need for food [green pastures] or water, always quiet and pure.

When David’s sinful nature bothered him…God restored his soul and he was soon guided back into the pathway of righteousness. This was not for David, but for His name’s sake…so that he can be honored for His greatness.

David was a great man of God, but not so great that he did not have fear when evil approached him. The giant stood in his way; he could have feared the death of an approaching spear…it was a shadow of death to him—but his faith was so great that he knew that all was well so long as God was with him and that they were on the same side. As he approached the giant, he was able to visualize God as a great shepherd, standing in the gap with his rod and staff in hand, ready to intercede for him in a moment of need.

The 23 Psalm is only six verses long; however no passage long or shout, has more proof of complete confidence of any other man in his God. God exhibits complete concern in his sheep all the way from the food they eat, water they drink, through all of their life and then that time that comes when we pass through the shadows of death to a bright and shinning tomorrow. Our heart is our cup, and it should be constantly filled to overflowing. If you were finishing your Psalm to God right now, what other grounds would you use to prove your complete dependency upon your GREAT SHEPHERD? Pray for me! Oh! You have. You do. And you will…then I thank you.

God is Great - Psalm 135:1-18

From fifty to one hundred years ago the lesson title represented the first three words to this nation’s most common prayer. Practically every child in a Christian home was taught this simple prayer. “God is great, God is good and we thank him for this food.” Since we were reminded of this truth three times a day [at each meal time] the repetition caused the truth to sink in and leave no doubt that God was great. Since we know that we serve an unchangeable God we know that he was great even in the day of the tribe of Levi who were probably responsible for the writing of this Song of Psalm; He has continued to be of the same greatness and will forever be as great to all who follow our way.

One of the very first ways that God has always proclaimed his greatness is found in this Psalm. God, our creator, our breath and our life, has made us to be compared to the angels and placed us in charge of the universe at the time of creation. In return for all that He has done for us including the gift of life itself—here in the first verse of chapter 135, the author lets us know that God simply request that we acknowledge him as the Great Redeemer of mankind. “Hallelujah! Praise the name of the LORD, Give praise, you servants of the LORD.”

According to the Holman Christian Standard Bible’s this first word “Hallelujah” translates into a two-word Hebrew sentence that simply demands that we “Praise Yah.” This expression is also translated as “Praise ye the Lord.” The word Yah is a shortened form of one of the names of God known as Yahweh. Note that in these few words in this sentence, the writer tells us three times to PRAISE GOD. First, the word Hallelujah says praise God. Second, the writer then repeats “Praise the name of the Lord.” The emphasis comes down the third time when the writer says, “Give praise, you servants of the Lord.”

Then read verse two. It is the verse which identifies who must praise God over and over…three times in this one simple verse…which is the very simple and little thing that God demands of us in exchange for his greatness shown toward us. Who are identified as those who must praise, serve, honor and proclaim His name? Who are to praise Him? “Those that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.” This simply refers to all of us that attend his worship services; those who frequent the buildings of praise and honor and carry out the work expected of all who are called Christ like.

The main idea found here is that the psalmist is inviting all of God’s people to worship and praise the God over all creation and the history or story that we know about it. There is no doubt but that the writer includes all who are involved with the service to and worship of God. There is even a greater likelihood that he is including all who are worship leaders of any kind such as teachers, counselors and pastors.

There is another main reason for worship and praise. The psalmist uses words of praise and worthy expression regarding who God is. He is Great. He is Good. He is Worthy. He is Faithful. He is Loving and Kind. He Knows All. And is All Powerful, and always Present, forever With Us. This call for praise not only includes all of these things that God is but also all of the things that he has done and will do for us.

In verse four today the writer speaks of the fact that God chose his people for a special reason. He says here that “The Lord has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession.” This refers to the word from Deuteronomy 7: 1-9. He calls Israel Jacob…they are the same. He chose Jacob, not because they were many but they were his elect. We Christians are a part of that elect group today. We were not chosen because we were strong but because He had made the promise to our forefathers. Our part of the inheritance comes down through the line of David to Mary and Joseph, and our Lord was born a virgin into this family. In this lesson today we find one of the greatest gifts to all mankind. We are the elect. He made us his elect by his choice and not our deserving position.

In 1 Peter 2:9 the new church is told that “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praise of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.”

How can we ever live one moment in the presence of God, with all He has provided us without praising Him? To our God is all the glory. We willingly and in all humbleness praise the almighty name of our living God.

God Is Faithful - Psalm 105:7-11; 106:6-7,19-21,40-45

No human being, young or old, married or single, parent or child, can obtain and maintain a characteristic that is more important to them and their piers as their faithfulness to God, and each other. I will start this chain of thought with the relationship at the time of marriage. Two young people give themselves to each other with no reservations, expecting true faithfulness without having to watch and wonder each day if fidelity is always present. Then one slips and the other finds out and from that day forever there is always a shade of doubt in their minds. A beautiful relationship is damaged, never to be completely restored to the perfection it once had.

The couple has one or more children that are brought up in the nature and admonition of the Lord. The day comes when acquisitions are made against them by a fellow student or a teacher that just seem to be impossible. They must have been falsely accused…and there is no way you can accept it as being true. This hurts—and the pain is great. And then you find through your own knowledge, the undisputable fact that your child will actually commit the wrong for which they were accused; and that they very probably did already commit the wrong as they were accused. Your child has continually denied the accusation. Now you find that they have been unfaithful to you as parents; untruthful and untrustworthy for the future.

Life is loaded with examples like this that will result in the total destruction of you joy and happiness caused by the betrayal of a loved one. Sadly these loved ones range all the way from close friends to parents, and none…no not one…except God is Faithful. I regret that I must give one more example because it compares man to a dog. We know assuredly that God is Faithful! It appears at times that a man’s dog is more faithful to the man than man is to his God.

The writer of this Psalm has a good knowledge of the destruction caused when there is unfaithfulness present. It might be well for all of you who are Christians and reading and studying the results of being unfaithful would stop for a moment and remember your past. Have you fully trusted a person in your life to an extent that when you found there was some unfaithfulness involved in your relationship, you were totally devastated? Be thankful if you have not had this experience. If you have experienced the results of unfaithfulness in a love one, use that experience to help you develop a total acceptance of God’s Faithfulness to you in every phase of his dealings with you throughout your life. There is no relationship that can possibly be more important to man than to know that his one and only Savior is without fault and will forever be faithful to a sinful man saved by Jesus Christ.

When you read 105:7 and realize that He is the Lord our God; ant that His judgments are in charge of the whole earth…it chills ones heart to even think for on moment that He could be Unfaithful for even one moment about one tinny thing. You can not remove the divine providence of God and still retain the total perfection that is absolutely necessary for God’s system to work. In verse eight we are reminded that his covenant that he keeps faithfully is one that he ordained for a thousand generations—and this is just a way of saying for all eternity.

The scripture used today names several of the men of God like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to which God made decrees regarding their inheritance…the things he would and would not do for them. In verse eleven he gave the land of Canaan to them as their inherited portion. Would you just stop for a moment and try to realize what these men and their followers could have done if God had not been FAITHFUL in keeping his promises to them.

How well do you keep your commitments? What do you consider to be some of the most important commitments that you have ever made? I think we will have to consider at least three or four categories of commitments that w are involved in, and there may be others as important as these. First, we were born into a family to which we must have been committed. Secondly, we are married into a family that demands our faithfulness. Third, we are converted [born again] into the family of God and fourth, we are by nature created into the family of human nature that we continually remain a part of as long as we live.

All of the above commitments are important, but surely you need to think about prioritizing the right commitment at the appropriate time. What do you consider to be the most important commitment you have made to date? Have you ever made an important commitment that came to you without some sacrifice on your part? What are some of the prices you have paid in order to hold on to your commitments?

When we recall any sacrifice that has ever been ours to bear or make, we surely do not bring them to mind in any way to compare with the greatest ones made by our Father God. It is to recall the importance of sacrificial living. One thing that it does quickly is remind us that in comparison to what God has done for us we are inferior, tinny, and owe our all to Him who is the greatest of all.

Remember that the writers of the Psalms were continually singing songs of praise and writing poetry that expressed the heart of God to his people. It will always be time consuming to fully explore all the writings to see what each is referring to. However, there is one example I can mention at this time. If you will study all of the 105th Psalm and compare it verse to verse to the 106th Psalm, you will find that the 105th book explains the total faithfulness of God to man. And then chapter 106 reminds us of our unfaithfulness toward God. There is a comparison made here that actually shows that there is no comparison. We should study with a broken heart the comparison of the way God treats us and the way we repay Him.