Psalm 21 - Rejoice in the Lord

Psalm 21 – Rejoice in the Lord

The 21^st Psalm is a declaration of the wonderful blessings that King David received from the Lord. David received joy, salvation, his heart’s desires, goodness, length of days, and the crown from God. David praised God for the honor God had granted to the king. These blessings came because David was “exceedingly glad with (God’s) presence” and because he put his trust in God. As a result, David rejoiced in the salvation of the Lord (v.1).

We should follow David’s example and praise God for the salvation He has made possible in Jesus Christ (John 3:16; 1 John 3:16; Luke 15:7,10,24,32). There is only one way to be saved (Acts 4:12; 1 Corinthians 3:11). Jesus is the only way to the Father (John 14:6). Jesus came into this world to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10; 1 Timothy 1:15). God desires for all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). He does not want anyone to be lost but for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

Who then shall be saved and be able to have joy in the salvation of the Lord: Those who hear the word of God (Romans 10:17); Those who believe Jesus is the Christ (John 8:24); Those who repent of their sins (Luke 13:3); Those who are baptized into Christ for the remission of their sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16; Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21); and those who live faithfully in this life (2 Timothy 4:6-8; Revelation 2:10). Those who follow the teaching of God will be saved and this salvation brings joy into the hearts of the child of God (Acts 8:39; 16:34).

Sadly, there are many who will not obey the will of God and they will be lost (Matthew 7:13,14). The Psalmist used language that describes the end of those who are enemies of God: fiery oven, anger, swallowed up in wrath, fire shall devour, destroy, and arrows toward them (8-12).

Friends and neighbors don’t wait until it is too late. Turn to the Lord who can save you from sin. Your life will be blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). Then as a faithful child of God, you can rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4). If you would like help in coming to know God, please do not hesitate to contact us. We would love to help. Don’t forget to ask for a free DVD.

Accurate Information

Have you ever received a phone call, email or heard someone tell a story telling about a person, an event or some news report proclaiming doom and gloom? I’m sure you have. I am sure we all have. Many times upon receiving such information, I was eager to pass that on to someone else. Unfortunately, on more than one occasion, I found out the information was not true. In our information age there are many internet sources that cannot be trusted. In fact, some “sources” are actually satirical in much of what they produce. An unknowing individual will read the report and pass on that report as if it were fact. It is kind of like the old game “telephone” where the person at the start of the line says something like “my shoes are red” and by the end of the line the last person declares to the whole group, “he said ‘I choose to go to bed.’” We must be careful not to gossip or spread lies or false information, knowingly or unknowingly.

In dealing with the Sadducees, Jesus had to explain that they were basing their views on some faulty assumptions. They thought they would trap Jesus with a question about marriage and the Jewish Laws/Customs in dealing with bringing up a child for a deceased relative. Their question would mock the resurrection asking, “In the resurrection whose wife...will she be?” To their foolishness Jesus declared “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God” (Matthew 22:29). They had faulty information causing them to be wrong about the resurrection. They needed accurate information so they could believe and obey.

In Acts 19, Paul traveled to Ephesus and found an interesting situation that needed some accurate information. Paul found some disciples that had believed and been baptized in John’s baptism. They didn’t understand being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. They didn’t know about the Holy Spirit. They had tried to do the best they could with what they knew and were even baptized into John’s baptism. But something was missing. They needed to know whole truth. Paul preached unto them Jesus and they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus (v.5). Once presented with the accurate information, these 12 men obeyed the gospel. In order for our friends and neighbors to have the opportunity to do the same, we must tell them about the Lord’s plan of salvation so they too can be saved.

In the previous chapter, Acts 18, we learn of a man who was also willing to obey once he learned the truth. “Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue” (v.24-16). When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, the realized he didn’t know the whole story. He needed to gain the accurate information. So they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. We know that Apollos obeyed the gospel and went forth preaching the gospel in accuracy from this moment on because the brethren in Ephesus wrote of letter to pass on to the disciples in Achaia when Apollos traveled to work with them. We are told that he “vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ” (v.28). Apollos had the courage and character to be corrected and make adjustments in his life when he heard the truth. All he needed was the accurate information.

It is interesting that in each of these accounts, someone had to tell the others that they were mistaken. Jesus told the Sadducees the truth, but they rejected the gospel because they did not believe in a resurrection. They chose to follow the false information of men. Paul helped the 12 men know the difference between following John and following Christ. Those men had the courage to obey the gospel and to get busy in the kingdom. Aquila and Priscilla had the courage to take Apollos aside and show him that he was missing some of the vital information in being a Christian. Apollos was willing to accept the message and give his life to following Christ while preaching the gospel to the lost. We appreciate those who will tell others the truth.

Additionally, we understand that each of us has a responsibility to respond to the accurate information. The Sadducees rejected the message of Christ because of their own bias. The 12 men were humble enough to listen to Paul and obeyed the gospel. Apollos, who had so much going for him (zeal, powerful speech, and eloquence), did not reject the truth in arrogance but received the message in submission to the gospel of Christ. Let us be a people who speak the whole truth and obey the whole truth when it is spoken to us! 

Psalm 20 - The Day of Trouble

Wilson’s Weekly

Psalm 20 – The Day of Trouble

Some days are better than others. Some days are filled with excitement and our hearts are filled with a zest for life. Some days are filled with grief and sorrow so that our hearts ache from the difficulties of life. You have heard the expression, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” While it may not always be so easy…my luck is I wouldn’t have any sugar or ice…our outlook does affect the direction of our life.

In the day of trouble, David declared a glorious blessing upon those who call upon our Lord and King (v.9). The Lord will defend, protect, strengthen and remember us, accepting our offering if we do His will (v.1-3). God can make all of our dreams come true (provided they are in accordance with His will). Notice David’s blessing for God’s children: “May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your purpose. We will rejoice in your salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions. Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand” (v.4-6). My first reaction at reading these words is to say “WOW!” My second reaction was to say, “I want some of that.” Seriously, Our God is a great God and He “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20). Let’s dig a little deeper…

The key to receiving the blessings of God is that we must first be in Christ for all spiritual blessings are in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3). We must be subjects to the King. Our hearts desires and our purpose should be to serve our King faithfully. In those difficult days, God will help us because we are His children and are living according to His purpose.

Sadly, many think they should receive the blessings of God even though their hearts desires, their purpose and their citizenship have nothing to do with God. Too many put their “trust in chariots” or in “horses” (v.7). In our day, people still put their trust in uncertain riches. They are not aware that “life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Luke 12:15). They do not realize that they are lost if they lay up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God (Luke 12:21).

If one will remember the name of the Lord and serve Him, salvation is waiting. God will be there to fight for us and help us in our journey. Our dreams will come true because we are living according to God’s purpose. Whether it is a good day or a bad day, our focus should be on serving the One True God. 

You may have thought that the way this article started you would find it reaching the conclusion you see on so many TV “preachers” that if you serve God you will be rich, especially if you send me your money. However, in truth the article reaches the conclusion that is the main theme of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation: the redemption of man. Our prayer for this community and for our world is that all will become citizens of the kingdom of God with all its reward: abundant life (John 10:10). If we can help you to know God and His plan for men, please contact us. We would love to study with you. We have a free DVD we would love to share with you. Let us know how we can help you grow closer to God.

What if it Were You? part 2

Last week we looked at some of the amazing things God asked men to do in the past. We saw their faithfulness. We saw even some reluctance but a redirection of that focus to do what is right. The focus of the article last week was to make you think about what if it were you that was asked to build an ark, or to offer your son as a sacrifice, or to prepare the way for the Lord. We aren’t asked to do those things these days. However, we have been asked to do several things for God. My question still stands: What if it were you? Are you ready to do what God asks of you?

Jesus said that if we love Him we will keep His commandments (John 14:15; 15:14). The amazing thing is that those commands by God are not too difficult for us to follow (1 John 5:3). Jesus is the author of eternal salvation for those who will obey Him (Hebrews 5:9). Will you obey Him?

What if you were asked to:

· Believe that Jesus is the Son of God (John 8:24). And just so you know, belief is a work. “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent” (John 6:29). Most people in the U.S.A. claim to believe but do you honestly believe with such faith to follow His instructions?

· Repent of your sins (Luke 13:3,5; Acts 17:30). Would you really be willing to change your life from worldliness and sin toward Christian living? Would you have godly sorrow that leads to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:9,10)?

· Make the good confession before men of your faith and your desire to live for Christ (Romans 10:9,10; Acts 8:37;  1 Timothy 6:12)? After having made that good confession and becoming a Christian, have you continued to make the confession of your faith in Christ before men as you live daily (Matthew 10:32,33)?

· Be baptized for the remission of your sins (Acts 2:38), put on Christ in Baptism (Galatians 3:27), be added to the church by the Lord (Acts 2:47), which will save your soul (1 Peter 3:21), and give you a new life in Christ (Romans 6:3,4).

· If you were asked to do these things, would you do it? I am sure that most of you would and have.

However, there is more to faithful living than obedience of the plan of salvation. We must be obedient in all aspects of our lives:

· Parents who teach their children the will of God

· Husbands who love their wives

· Wives who love their husbands

· Marriages devoted to God and to one another

· Children who obey their parents

· Members of society who are obedient to government, who work hard, who help our fellow man

· Christians who are faithful to the Lord by attending Bible classes and worship at every opportunity

· Christians who tell their family and friends about Jesus

· Christians who give generously

· Christians who keep themselves pure and holy as they keep themselves separate from the sinful ways of the world.

When we look at it, there really isn’t much that God asks of us for all that He has done for us. He gave us life, breath, and all things. It is in Him that we live, move and have our being. He sent His Son, Jesus the Christ, to die on the cross for our sins paying a debt that we owe and can never earn. In return, He asks that we follow His plan for living.

Too often in life, man chooses to do things His own way. In worship, man has created his own devices. In marriage, man has decided that divorce is acceptable regardless of the words of Jesus stating there to be only one accepted reason for divorce and subsequent remarriage. In living, man has determined that we can live like the world 6.5 days a week, but if we somehow show up for one hour of worship on Sunday morning then we are pleasing God. I wonder how well that kind of thinking would have worked for Abraham, Noah, or John.

The question is not “what if it were you?” but will you obey the commands of God? He has given us instruction. He has given us His word to guide us. He has given us forgiveness of sins and an eternal home in heaven, but you must obey!!! There is no other way but His way.

The Law of the Lord is Perfect

Psalm 19 – The Law of the Lord is Perfect!

The nineteenth psalm is a beautiful expression of the power of God. From it we learn that God created the world and creation proves there is a Creator. We learn of the circuit of the sun (we are part of a planetary system with a star with planets orbiting it as the system itself orbits within the Milky Way Galaxy). Thus God has revealed Himself in nature (v.1-6).

God has also revealed Himself through His word (v.7-10). The Psalmist wrote, “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.”

If you think of all the problems that exist in this world, it seems that there is no hope. But the truth is that God’s word provides us with the answers for the world today. God’s word converts the soul, gives us understanding, gives us joy in righteous living, opens our eyes in pure living, and are more valuable to us than the greatest possessions or pleasures. The word of God should be our guide and then we would conquer our problems through Christ and Christian living (Philippians 4:13).

The way we live demonstrates our devotion to God (v.11-14). We should be servants worthy of reward. We should strive to be free from error, secret faults, and presumptuous sins. Instead we should be clean, blameless and innocent of great transgression (or sin).

God created the world, sustains the world, His word directs the world, and our lives should be devoted to Him. Our goal should be to live according to the perfect law of the Lord saying, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer” (v.14).

Are you living in a way that is acceptable to the Lord? Do you know what the Lord wants for your life? If you would like to know about the perfect word of God or what it means to be a Christian, we would love to help you as you open the wonderful words of life. Let us know if you would like to have a home Bible study or if you would like to study on your own through a free DVD. We would love to help you. 

What If It Were You?

In the gospel of Mark, John the Immerser is introduced by describing his role in the preparing the way for the Lord.

“Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You. The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.’” (Mark 1:2,3).

John was a wonderful man who lived in service to the Lord. He kept himself pure. He stood up to the sins of the spiritual leaders of the day. He stood up to the sins of the King. He did his job and he did it well. He was faithful until death. He died at the hands of the very King and Queen he opposed because of their adultery. John was truly a wonderful soldier. Jesus praised him highly in Matthew 11:11 saying, “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” What an amazing statement! When the Son of God says you are the greatest man born that is saying something.

There are many wonderful lessons we could learn from John, his parents and his life’s work. However, my question today is not about John, his baptism, his preparation for Jesus, or his stance against sin that cost him his life. My question is what if it was you that were asked to carry out such a great task for Jesus? What if it were you?

What if you were asked to give a great sacrifice like Abraham sacrificing his son Isaac? Would you be faithful to God?

What if you were asked to stand opposed to Pharaoh like Moses and Aaron and demand “let my people go?” Would you stand strong before him?

What if you were given the opportunity to stand in faith against a giant like Goliath with only a few stones and a sling? Would you understand like David that you were actually fighting for God and He is on your side? Would you run toward Goliath?

What if you were asked to march around the city of Jericho for 7 days rather than use conventional weapons and wisdom to fight your enemy? Would you put your trust in the Lord?

What if you were asked to fight your enemy with only 300 men being completely outnumbered and for weapons you carry pitchers and torches while the enemy had swords, spears and more? Would you come boldly to the outskirts of the camp with truth that the Lord was fighting for you?

What if you were asked by the Father, to give up the glory of heaven, to come to this earth, to live as a man, to be persecuted unmercifully, to be rejected by your own, and to be crucified by your creation? Would you have the dedication to the Father to say, “Not My will, but Thine be done” like Jesus?

I am afraid that too many are like Naaman and think that what we have been asked to do isn’t worthy of us or is too simple. We are asked to worship in spirit and truth. We are asked to tell our friends and family about Jesus. We are asked to be faithful in life and service. Sometimes we act like Naaman. We need someone to remind us that it isn’t beneath us and why do we think we need to be asked to do “some great thing” before we obey the Lord (2 Kings 5).

I am afraid that sometimes we act like Jonah and run and hide from our responsibility. Sometimes we try to pretend like we are doing more than we really are like Ananias and Sapphira. Sometimes we love the world more than Jesus like Demas. Sometimes we elevate ourselves and want preeminence like Diotrephes.

When you examine your life, what do you see? We must examine ourselves to make sure we are living in the faith (2 Cor. 13:5). Be honest! When you look at your life, are you a soldier like John? Or do we question what we are asked like Naaman or Jonah? What if you were asked to do something for God?

Often we I read my Bible or study a person’s life, I look at their life and their faith, and then I look at my life and wonder how I would act in the same situation. We are so blessed with air condition, plumbing, refrigeration, vehicles, internet, TV, radio and so many other blessings. We could do so much. Yet, a man eating locust and wild honey, wearing camel’s hair and living in the wilderness puts us to shame. What if it were you? Would you be praised by the Lord for your faithfulness?

Psalm 17 - Walking in His Footsteps

Walking In His Footsteps (Psalm 17:4,5)

“I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer. Uphold my steps in Your paths, that my footsteps may not slip.”

This time of year, many make new resolutions to improve their health, their finances and their relationships. In so doing, plans are made to make changes. Most of these plans come from man’s ways. Self help books and tapes fly off the shelves this time of year. It is good to make changes for the better, but who determines the right changes? Is it the latest guru? Do we devise our own plans? In truth, God must determine our paths.

The Wiseman said, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12). Jeremiah wrote, “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). Instead of coming up with our own ways, we must put our trust in God. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5,6).

It is good to make changes to improve our condition in this life with our health (physically and spiritually). We should all strive to be better people in the new year. But in order to be truly productive in this life, we must follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. In fact, if we are to be Christians, we must walk as He walked (1 John 2:6). Turn to the Bible for your answers. If you need help finding these answers, please contact us. We would love to study with you.