PSALM 121

Source of help described as Creator verse 1- 2

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills

from whence comes my help

my help comes from the LORD

which made heaven and earth

Source of help never sleeps verse 3- 4

HE will not suffer your foot to be moved

HE that keeps you will not slumber

BEHOLD – HE that keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep

Source of help is the LORD alone: keeper verse 5- 6

The LORD is your keeper

the LORD is your shade upon your right hand

the sun shall not smite you by day

nor the moon by night

Source of help is the LORD along: preserver verse 7- 8

The LORD shall preserves you from all evil

HE shall preserve your soul

The LORD shall preserves your going out and your coming in

from this time forth and even for evermore

COMMENTARY:

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 1 I will lift up mine eyes to the hills, from whence comes my help. (5828 “help” [‘ezer] means assistance, a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose, support, or succor.)

DEVOTION: There are three ways we can handle any situation. We can do it on our own without any help. There is the assistance we can get from other people. Finally, as this verse states we can receive help from the LORD if we are one of HIS children.

The author of this Psalm is looking to the LORD for help in his present situation. He knew that he could not handle the problem on his own and needed help that only the LORD could provide.

We have to realize this truth in our life when things get out of hand and we are struggling with temptation or we have people who are giving us a hard time. HE is the only one who can genuinely help us through a trial that HE as allowed in our lives for our personal growth.

Sometimes we are the cause of the problem because we are not turning to HIM when things get tough and we try to handle it ourselves instead of taking it to HIM in prayer and waiting for HIM to answer.

We can be stubborn and think we can handle it on our own and then we realize that it is not happening. All of us have had times in our Christian life when we have tried to handle what is going on without times of prayer and fasting.

Only we can answer the question regarding where we go when we face a problem. If it is to the LORD through prayer and fasting or do we do it on our own. We know the answer.

CHALLENGE: Our responsibility as genuine believers in the LORD is that we always need to go to the LORD. Seek his answer to the problem.

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

: 2 My help comes from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. (6213 “made” [asah] means produce by labor, create, cause, fashion, or accomplish.)

DEVOTION: Where are our eyes looking when we need help? Do we look into our brain to find answers? Do we look to good human resources for help? Do we go to the LORD first and foremost for answers? That is something that has to happen in the life of a believer.

Here we find the Psalmist making a statement as to where he goes for help. He looks up to the LORD for help. Why?

The reason he looks to the LORD is because HE is the creator of the universe. HE is the one who put all the parts together. HE is the one who put all the parts of a human together. HE created us to serve HIM.

We are to bring glory to the LORD. Does HE need us? NO!!! We need HIM.

What attributes does HE have that causes HIM to be such a help? HE is omniscience, which means, HE is all knowing. This attribute means that there is nothing that HE doesn’t know how to handle. HE is omnipresent, which means, that HE is present everywhere. This attribute means that there is no hiding anything from HIM. There is no dark place to hide from HIM. HE is omnipotent, which mean, HE is all powerful. There is nothing that HE can’t do. HE can remove any problem that comes into our lives and remove any time HE likes.

Our God loves us because of the sacrifice the LORD Jesus Christ did on the cross. HE is our Father once we ask for forgiveness and welcome HIM into our life. HE does this on the basis of the blood sacrifice on the cross. We are part of HIS family.

Does this help us understand WHO we have helping us on a daily basis to face all the fiery darts the enemy is sending our way? It should. HE is able to preserve us.

CHALLENGE: Share with people that you are worshiping the Creator of the Universe. HE created the world in six twenty-four hour periods and then HE rested. We need to rest in HIS power)

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: 3 “HE will not allow your foot to be moved; HE who keeps you will not slumber.” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). (Keeps – 8104 שָׁמַר [shamar /shaw·mar/] v. A primitive root; TWOT 2414; GK 9068; 468 occurrences; AV translates as “keep” 283 times, “observe” 46 times, “heed” 35 times, “keeper” 28 times, “preserve” 21 times, “beware” nine times, “mark” eight times, “watchman” eight times, “wait” seven times, “watch” seven times, “regard” five times, “save” twice, and translated miscellaneously nine times. 1 to keep, guard, observe, give heed. 1A (Qal). 1A1 to keep, have charge of. 1A2 to keep, guard, keep watch and ward, protect, save life. 1A2A watch, watchman (participle). 1A3 to watch for, wait for. 1A4 to watch, observe. 1A5 to keep, retain, treasure up (in memory). 1A6 to keep (within bounds), restrain. 1A7 to observe, celebrate, keep (sabbath or covenant or commands), perform (vow). 1A8 to keep, preserve, protect. 1A9 to keep, reserve. 1B (Niphal). 1B1 to be on one’s guard, take heed, take care, beware. 1B2 to keep oneself, refrain, abstain. 1B3 to be kept, be guarded. 1C (Piel) to keep, pay heed. James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001).

DEVOTION: When you are traveling it is nice to know that your guide or person in charge is familiar with the route and the area being visited. It is always a little disconcerting when you find out the person has never been there before yet is responsible to lead you. The psalmist had no worries as he looked to the Lord as His source of security. The Lord is guaranteeing that the pilgrim would reach their destination because he never slumbers, rests or is caught unaware. To “keep” means to exercise diligent, watchful, protective care over, or to guard someone or something. This is the promise that God is aware of His people and the threats that they face.

Our God is an awesome God and seeks what is best for us each step we take.

CHALLENGE: Take courage as you face this upcoming week. (Dr. Brian Miller- board member)

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 7 The LORD shall preserve you from all evil: HE shall preserve your soul. (8104 “preserve” [shamar] means to maintain in safety from injury, harm or danger, to guard, to keep, protect, have charge of, keep watch and ward, or safe life)

DEVOTION: If we are listening and learning from the Word of God and from those who are training us in the Christian life, we can be safe from injury, harm and danger. Our lives can be lived with little difficulty.

However, the problem is that we are not consistent in our Christian life. We tend to wander and this is what causes our problems of growth and development toward being more Christlike in our actions.

We have to ask the LORD to keep us from wandering from the path HE has set before us. We need the help of those around us who are living a life that is pleasing to the LORD to guide and direct us.

If our prayer life and study of the Word is going well, then we have the strength to defeat any temptation that comes our way. It is possible to have victory on a daily basis because that is what the LORD has said to those who trust HIM and obey HIM.

When we fail to listen to the Word of God and the Holy Spirit in our life we are going in the wrong direction and need to ask for forgiveness and get back to the basics of our Christian life.

CHALLENGE: Are you experiencing the protection of the LORD in your life from the wiles of the devil? If not, then there is more work to be done by you to find this protection through your study and prayer life.

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: 8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. (8104 “preserve” [shamar] means to keep, guard, observe, give heed, protect, or have charge of.)

DEVOTION: In verse seven this word is used twice to tell us that those who are believers in the LORD will be protected from evil and their soul shall be kept. The LORD never sleeps. HE is always watching over HIS children. HE is our keeper.

We have heard the commercial about “good hands.” That company might fail us but the LORD will never fail us. We are in “good hands” or the “best hands” with the LORD. No one can take us out of the LORD’S hands.

Does this mean that no evil will come close to those who trust in the LORD? NO. Storms come into the believer’s life and they are hard storms but the LORD is the one we should turn to for help and HE will help us. Our soul is going to go to the LORD when we die. Our body will go to the grave until the resurrection from the dead.

It is a great promise that to be absent from the body IS to be present with the LORD. While we are here on this earth this verse informs us that the LORD knows each time we go out of the house. HE knows each time we come into the house.

HE wants us to know that HE is with us each time we move. HE observes everything we do and say! HE wants us to be close to HIM as HE is close to us. Stay close!!! If we “feel” that the LORD is not close, that thought is coming from the enemy!!! Don’t listen!

CHALLENGE: Say a prayer each time you leave your house. Thank the LORD each time you enter your house.

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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

God the Father (First person of the Godhead)

LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 2, 5, 7, 8

Creator verse 2

Ever present help 24 hours a day verse 3, 4

Keeper verse 4, 5

Preserver verse 6- 8

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)

Evil verse 7

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

Help verse 1, 2

Kept verse 3- 5

Preserved verse 7, 8

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

Israel verse 4

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

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DONATIONS:

Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org. Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church, please use that method. Thank you.

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QUOTES regarding passage

Ver. 5. The Lord is thy keeper, &c.] This explains more fully who it is that keeps Israel and particular believers, and confirms the same; not a creature, but the Lord; the Word of the Lord, as the Targum, in a following verse: Christ, the Word and Wisdom of God; who is the keeper of his people by the designation of his father, who has put them into his hands to be kept by him; and by their full will and consent, who commit the keeping of their souls to him; for which he is abundantly qualified, being able as the mighty God; faithful to him that has appointed him; tender and compassionate to those under his care, whom he keeps as the apple of his eye; and diligent and constant, for he keeps them night and day, lest any hurt them: he keeps them as they are his flock, made his care and charge; as they are the vineyard of the Lord of hosts; as they are a city, which, unless the Lord keeps, the watchmen watch in vain; as they are his body and members of it, and as they are his jewels and peculiar treasure: these he keeps in the love of God; in his own hands; in the covenant of grace; in an estate of grace; and in his own ways, safe to his kingdom and glory. The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand; he is at the right hand of his people, to hold their right hand; to teach them to go, lead them into communion with himself, and hold them up safe; and to strengthen their right hand, assist them in working, without whom they can do nothing; and to counsel and direct them, and to protect and defend them against all their enemies. So a shadow signifies defence; see Numb. 14:9; Eccl. 7:12 and such great personages are to others; in which sense Virgil uses the word shadow; and much more true is this of God himself. And he is like the shadow of a great rock in a weary land; or of a spreading tree, which is a protection from heat, and very reviving and refreshing; see Isa. 32:2; Cant. 2:3. The allusion may be to the pillar of cloud by day, which guided and guarded the Israelites in the wilderness, and was a shadow from the heat, Isa. 4:5, 6 and 25:4, 5 as Christ is from the heat of a fiery law, the flaming sword of justice, the wrath of God, and the fiery darts of Satan. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 4, p. 244). London: Mathews and Leigh.)

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The word ‘keep’, or ‘keeper’, comes often in this psalm. Protection is a burning issue for a pilgrim who is travelling arduously and through lonely country.

1. The hills are enigmatic: does the opening line show an impulse to take refuge in them, like the urge that came to David in Psalm 11:1, to ‘flee like a bird to the mountains’? Or are the hills themselves a menace, the haunt of robbers?

2. Either way, he knows something better. The thought of this verse leaps beyond the hills to the universe; beyond the universe to its Maker. Here is living help: primary, personal, wise, immeasurable.

3, 4. The rest of the psalm leads into an ever expanding circle of promise, all in terms of ‘he’ and ‘you’ (the ‘you’ is singular). Another voice seems to answer the first speaker at this point in the pilgrims’ singing, and yet another in verse 4; or else the whole song is an individual utterance, and the dialogue internal, as in, e.g., Psalm 42:5.

In verse 3 the word for not is the one used normally for requests and commands. So this verse should be taken, not as a statement which verse 4 will virtually repeat, but as a wish or prayer (cf. tev⁶⁰), to be answered by the ringing confidence of 4 and of all that follows. I.e. ‘May he not let your foot be moved, may he … not slumber!’—followed by the answer, ‘Look, he who keeps Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.’

5, 6. Now Israel’s privilege is made sure to the single Israelite: a protection as individual as he himself. It starts where he is now, out on his journey, looking at the hills. The Lord is closer than they (5c), and his protection as refreshing as it is complete. It avails against the known and the unknown; perils of day and night; the most overpowering of forces and the most insidious.

7, 8. The promise moves on from the pilgrim’s immediate preoccupations to cover the whole of existence. In the light of other scriptures, to be kept from all evil does not imply a cushioned life, but a well-armed one. Cf. Psalm 23:4, which expects the dark valley but can face it. The two halves of verse 7 can be compared with Luke 21:18f., where God’s minutest care (‘not a hair of your head will perish’) and his servants’ deepest fulfilment (‘you will win true life’, neb) are promised in the same breath as the prospect of hounding and martyrdom (Luke 21:16f.). Your life, in the present passage (7), is as many-sided a word as in Luke; it means the whole living person. Our Lord enriched the concept of keeping or losing this by his teaching on self-giving and self-love (e.g. John 12:24f.).

The psalm ends with a pledge which could hardly be stronger or more sweeping. Your going out and your coming in is not only a way of saying ‘everything’ (cf. the footnote to verse 6): in closer detail it draws attention to one’s ventures and enterprises (cf. Ps. 126:6), and to the home which remains one’s base; again, to pilgrimage and return; perhaps even (by another association of this pair of verbs) to the dawn and sunset of one’s days. But the last line takes good care of this journey; and it would be hard to decide which half of it is the more encouraging: the fact that it starts ‘from now’, or that it runs on, not to the end of time but without end; like God himself who is (cf. Ps. 73:26) ‘my portion for ever’. (Kidner, D. (1975). Psalms 73–150: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 16, pp. 467–468). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)

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121:5–6. The assurance was then given that the Lord would protect the pilgrim at all times. The Keeper of Israel (cf. v. 4) was the pilgrim’s Keeper as well, protecting him as a shade protects one from the blazing sun. The sun and the moon stand for dangers that occur in the day and in the night. (Ross, A. P. (1985). Psalms. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 883). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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121:5 your right hand. This represents the place of human need. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ps 121:5). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)

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5 The third promise particularly directed to the believer, including the psalmist himself. Whence learn, 1. Albeit the believer hath not a promise to be free from trouble and persecution, yet he hath a promise of consolation in it, and of defence from the hurt of it: the Lord is thy keeper, the Lord is thy shade. 2. When trouble cometh, the Lord is not far to seek, but is ready to be found for protection and consolation: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. (Dickson, D. (1834). A Brief Explication of the Psalms (Vol. 2, pp. 414–415). Glasgow; Edinburgh; London: John Dow; Waugh and Innes; R. Ogle; James Darling; Richard Baynes.)

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5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade ^eupon thy right hand.

Thy shade; both to refresh thee and keep thee from the burning heat of the sun, as it is expressed in the next verse, and to protect thee by his power from all thine enemies; for which reason God is oft called a shadow in Scripture. Upon thy right hand; partly to uphold thy right hand, which is the chief instrument of action; and partly to defend thee in that place where thine enemies oppose thee; of which see on Psal. 109:6. And compare Psal. 16:8; 109:31. (Poole, M. (1853). Annotations upon the Holy Bible (Vol. 2, p. 193). New York: Robert Carter and Brothers.)

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5. “The Lord is thy keeper.” Here the preserving One, who had been spoken of by pronouns in the two previous verses, is distinctly named—Jehovah is thy keeper. What a mint of meaning lies here: the sentence is a mass of bullion, and when coined and stamped with the king’s name it will bear all our expenses between our birthplace on earth and our rest in heaven. Here is a glorious person—Jehovah, assuming a gracious office and fulfilling it in person,—Jehovah is thy keeper, in behalf of a favoured individual—thy and a firm assurance of revelation that it is even so at this hour—Jehovah is thy keeper. Can we appropriate the divine declaration? If so, we may journey onward to Jerusalem and know no fear; yea, we may journey through the valley of the shadow of death and fear no evil. “The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.” A shade gives protection from burning heat and glaring light. We cannot bear too much blessing even divine goodness, which is a right-hand dispensation, must be toned down and shaded to suit our infirmity, and this the Lord will do for us. He will bear a shield before us, and guard the right arm with which we fight the foe. That member which has the most of labour shall have the most of protection. When a blazing sun pours down its burning beams upon our heads the Lord Jehovah himself will interpose to shade us, and that in the most honourable manner, acting as our right-hand attendant, and placing us in comfort and safety. “The Lord at thy right hand shall smite through kings.” How different this from the portion of the ungodly ones who have Satan standing at their right hand, and of those of whom Moses said “their defence has departed from them.” God is as near us as our shadow, and we are as safe as angels. (Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 120-150 (Vol. 6, pp. 15–16). London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers.)

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FROM MY READING:

(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)

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Daily Hope

Today’s Scripture
Leviticus 14-15

One of the many things that have been exposed through the pandemic is the negative impact of isolation. For many, the painful truth of being in a hospital separated from family, filled both the healthy and sick with dread and anxiety. A ray of hope was delivered when the period of quarantine concluded, and they could be reunited again.

The word “unclean” is used fifty-four times in Leviticus 13-15. It described the defilement of a person, making them unfit for community life or worship in the presence of God. In these chapters, it was often associated with a skin disease referred to as leprosy. Today this is called Hansen’s disease and it affects skin and nerve endings. As it spreads, it ulcerates and eventually deadens that area of the body. The Hebrew word translated leprosy in Leviticus 14-15 included various skin diseases, even mildew, not just leprosy.

When an apparent disease was discovered, the person, clothing, and home was quarantined until the illness was identified. Since there was no cure for this leprosy, fear was rampant. The contents of chapter 14 provided a glimmer of hope that lepers could be cleansed and restored to their friends and family. This procedure of identification and ceremonial cleansing were important to both the individual and the community. The priest had to pronounce the object as clean (14:7), a ritual of cleansing was to be accomplished and sacrifices were to be made for restoration to be completed before returning to normal living.

Those who had previously been an outcast and avoided, were welcomed back into their tribe. Forgiveness and restoration were announced, and the community accepted the decision of the priest and the ordinances of God’s word.

The story of salvation and the restoration of a soul blends well with these chapters. As the horrors of sin and the ravaging effects of iniquity separate people and homes from one another, it is only through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that our sin is forgiven, and reconciliation is made possible between God and man. It is only through faith in Jesus Christ that homes can be restored, and families reunited! Have you trusted Him or are you still outside, looking in as unclean and unforgiven?

With an Expectant Hope, (Pastor Miller (Board Member of SCM)

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GOD’S PARTICULAR POSSESSION

That ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. Ephesians 1:18
God desires us as His own particular possession and portion, and ultimately as those who are to share His glory. Look again at Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian church in Ephesians 1. It is that they may know what is “the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints” (verse 18). To talk about God’s “inheritance in the saints,” the God who made everything and to whom all things belong and by whom all things are, to talk in this way is the most amazing and daring piece of anthropomorphism that Paul ever produced, and yet he has put it like that in order to give believers an understanding of it. What he means is that these are the people in whom God delights and whom God is going to enjoy.
Let me give an illustration in order to make this point clear. Take a child who has many toys, all of which he likes. Yes, but there is one particular favorite, the toy that is always with him. The child is fond of them all, but that one is something special. And it is the same with us. We all have certain possessions that we prefer to others; there is always something especially dear and of interest to us. That is the idea—that the great Lord of the universe has a special object of interest and affection—His own people, those whom He has taken and, as Paul puts it in writing to the Galatians, separated out of this evil world and put into a special category and compartment. That is the whole message of the Bible—God preparing for Himself a people who are going to be His joy throughout eternity.
A Thought to Ponder: These are the people in whom God delights and whom God is going to enjoy. (From Safe in the World, pp. 37-38, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones).,

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The first petition in the Lord’s Prayer is that God’s name be hallowed. The second petition, “your kingdom come” builds on the first by showing us how God’s name is hallowed in the world. God reveals his character and reputation as his kingdom spreads to every corner of the earth and as citizens of that kingdom do God’s will on earth as it is in heaven. But what is God’s kingdom, and what are the implications of praying in this way?

A Radical and Revolutionary Prayer

Very few prayers are so memorable that they become cemented in the public consciousness. Certainly, the Lord’s Prayer is one of the few examples of a prayer that has exercised a formative cultural impact. Some other prayers, considerably more trite than the Lord’s Prayer, have also become artifacts of the culture. For instance, the so-called “Serenity Prayer” is one of the most well-known prayers in our culture: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” A great deal of controversy surrounds who first wrote the Serenity Prayer, though the most likely candidate seems to be theologian Reinhold Niebuhr.

The Serenity Prayer has enjoyed some time in the spotlight since it was first penned. It has been adopted, for instance, by groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and other humanitarian or self-help organizations. It has been placarded and painted on decorative pieces throughout the country. Calvin and Hobbes even spoofed the prayer, perhaps writing a superior version in the process. In one famous comic strip Calvin humorously prays, “Lord grant me the strength to change what I can, the inability to accept what I can’t, and the incapacity to know the difference.”

In many ways, the Serenity Prayer is the model prayer for a post-Christian society. It says nothing about the character of God, the plight of man, the need for redemption, or the nature of the Gospel. The Serenity Prayer is nothing more than a generic prayer for a people with generic religious convictions.

The Lord’s Prayer, however, is doctrinally robust, theologically deep, and anything but serene. The Lord’s Prayer is anything but tame. Regrettably, our familiarity with the Lord’s Prayer often blinds us from seeing just how radical, even subversive, this prayer is. In other words, this is not a generic prayer for a people with generic theological convictions. The Lord’s Prayer is for those who hold firmly that Jesus Christ has inaugurated a kingdom, has risen from the dead, reigns at the right hand of God, and is coming again to judge the living and the dead. The Lord’s Prayer is for revolutionaries, for men and women who want to see the kingdoms of this world give way to the kingdom of our Lord…

Ultimately, the radical nature of this petition challenges everyone in every theological tradition. We are all guilty of trying to domesticate the kingdom so that it doesn’t subvert our values or disorder our commitments. For decades theological liberals and revisionist theologians have sought to speak of God’s kingdom as something we can engineer through humanitarian efforts and good works. In the liberal conception of the kingdom, God is little more than a cheerleader encouraging our own efforts. He is not one who is infinitely sovereign, but instead just someone who is infinitely resourceful. His kingdom makes no demands on our lives because, as king, he is merely an impotent monarch who simply encourages humanity to live up to its full potential.

Of course, conservatives can similarly domesticate God’s kingdom by confusing a particular political party or a particular government with the kingdom. Christians too often fall prey to the temptation that we can bring the kingdom of God by political force or some other sociological means. But we must always remember that God’s kingdom is not of this world. As Jesus teaches us in this prayer, we are dependent on God and God alone to bring the kingdom to every heart and every corner of the earth. We cannot manufacture God’s kingdom by our own efforts. Instead, we are called to be faithful in the Great Commission, trusting that God by his sovereign, supernatural grace will spread his redemptive reign to every tribe, tongue, and nation.

So, what are we asking when we say “your kingdom come”? We are asking for something wonderful and something dangerous all at the same time:

We are praying that history would be brought to a close.
We are praying to see all the nations rejoice in the glory of God.
We are praying to see Christ honored as King in every human heart.
We are praying to see Satan bound, evil vanquished, death no more.
We are praying to see the mercy of God demonstrated in the full justification and acquittal of sinners through the shed blood of the crucified and resurrected Christ.
We are praying to see the wrath of God poured out upon sin.
We are praying to see every knee bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
We are praying to see a New Jerusalem, a new heaven, a new earth, a new creation.

This is indeed a radical prayer. We must not take this petition lightly. But, as we have seen, this petition also carries great hope. Our God will come to save us and bring us to know the fullness of his grace in the final revelation of his kingdom. To that end, we pray. (The Prayer that Turns the World Upside Down: The Lord’s Prayer as a Manifesto for Revolution by Albert Mohler)

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All Creatures Great and Small

You, Lord, preserve both people and animals. Psalm 36:6

Michelle Grant trained a baby beaver named Timber to return to the wild. When she took him for swims in a pond, he’d come back to her kayak to snuggle and rub noses. One morning Timber didn’t return. Michelle scoured the pond for six hours before giving up. Weeks later she found a beaver skull. Assuming it was Timber, she began to cry.

My soul ached for Michelle and Timber. I told myself, “Snap out of it. He’s just a large, aquatic rodent.” But the truth is, I cared—and so does God. His love reaches high to the heavens and down to the smallest creature, part of the creation He calls us to steward well (Genesis 1:28). He preserves “both people and animals” (Psalm 36:6), providing “food for the cattle and for the young ravens” (147:9).

One day Michelle was kayaking in a neighbor’s pond and—surprise—there was Timber! He’d found a beaver family and was helping them raise two kits. He surfaced beside Michelle’s kayak. She smiled, “You look well. You have a beautiful family.” He cooed, splashed his tail, and swam to his new mom.

I love happy endings, especially my own! Jesus promised that as His Father feeds the birds, so He will supply whatever we need (Matthew 6:25–26). Not one sparrow falls “to the ground outside your Father’s care. . . . So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (10:29–31).

By Mike Wittmer (Our Daily Bread)

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International observers were alarmed Monday by Russia’s announcement that they would be sending their S-300 missile defense systems to Syria. The decision comes after Syrian air defenses shot down a Russian Il-20 spy plane, killing 15 Russian servicemen.

Russia said Israel is “solely” to blame for the downing of the plane. Israeli F-16s flew below the Il-20, in a move the Russians said used the plane for cover. The antiquated Syrian defenses likely aimed for the larger Il-20 rather than the smaller F-16s.

Russia claims they need to place the S-300 in Syria to protect their planes flying over Syrian airspace. The S-300 uses technology that distinguishes Russian planes from those belonging to other nations. Russia claims they initially proposed placing the S-300 batteries in Syria in 2013, but relented after Israel protested.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said last week’s incident changed Russia’s mind about using the S-300 in Syria. “In 2013, at the request of the Israeli side, we suspended the delivery of the S-300 complex to Syria which was prepared to receive delivery and for which Syrian military personnel were trained. Today the situation has changed. And it is not our fault.”

The presence of Russian air defense in Syria complicates Israel’s strategy for dealing with their war-torn neighbor. Israel frequently attacks Iranian fighters who are engaged in Syria’s civil war. Human rights groups say these strikes have killed over 100 Iranians in Syria in the last month.

Israeli air campaigns frequently require the destruction of Syrian air defenses. Now, those defenses will be manned by Russian troops. Any action by Israel that directly kills Russian personnel could escalate tensions between the two countries.

Nikolai Sokov, a senior fellow at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, said the presence of the S-300 “constraints not just Israeli, but also US operations in case of possible bombing of Syria. Not only will Syrian air defense become more capable, but it will be necessary to keep in mind the presence of Russian operators at the Syrian air defense systems.”

The S-300 possesses a range of over 250km, possibly threatening Israeli airspace if they are placed in the Latakia province. Russia will ship two to four systems to Syria and they could be ready for use in between three to six months.

Scott Slayton is a pastor and writer. Visit his blog One Degree to Another.

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The Christian life is a life of total dedication and service to others.

INSIGHT

To better understand the implications of the first two verses of chapter 12, it is helpful to read them backwards. We all want to be a living demonstration of the fact that the will of God is “good and acceptable and perfect.” In order to do that, we must have our minds transformed and renewed. In order to have our minds transformed and renewed, we must make our bodies “a living sacrifice” to God. We all want the will of God in our lives. We can experience it if we present ourselves as a living sacrifice to Him. (Quiet Walk)

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ANALYZING FELLOWSHIP

If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John 1:6-7
In order to make this fellowship active, we have certain things to do, and God must do certain things to us. “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another”–that is what we do. “And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin”–that is what He does. “If we confess our sins” (verse 9)–that again is our part, then “he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” So it is quite inevitable in the matter of fellowship like this that though in a logical sense we persist in dividing up the aspect of fellowship into the two sides–Godward and manward, they are constantly intermingled, because it is a sharing together, it is an interaction of the one upon the other.
In other words, fellowship is never mechanical but always something organic and vital. Of course, if we would understand it truly, for the sake of clarity of thought we are allowed to analyze it in the way we are doing, but we must remember that organic nature. To use an illustration, what we are doing is what the musicians do when they analyze a piece of music such as a sonata or a symphony. It is right to say that it is composed of various parts, and you can make an analysis of it; but if you are truly to appreciate it, you must always remember it is a whole, and you must take it as such. You cannot stop at an analysis, nor can you leave it at those various bits and portions; they are there, but they are parts of the whole.
A Thought to Ponder: Fellowship is never mechanical, but always something organic and vital. (From Fellowship with God, p. 124, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

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Our Eternal Bodies
“Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” (Philippians 3:21)
Only those religions that believe in special creation—that is, orthodox Judaism, Islam, and Christianity—also believe in a bodily resurrection. Of the three creationist/resurrectionist religions, however, only the Christian faith acknowledges that the resurrection can be possible only when the Creator Himself becomes the atoning Savior, dying for sin and thereby defeating death.
When Christ arose from the tomb, He could proclaim, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore” (Revelation 1:18). His resurrection body was the same physical body that had been in the grave, able to be touched and even retaining its crucifixion scars. Nevertheless, it was different, a “spiritual” body (1 Corinthians 15:42-49), controlled by spiritual forces. Our present “natural” bodies are controlled by natural forces, but the resurrected Christ could move quickly from Earth to heaven, and could pass through closed doors (John 20:17, 19, 26).
But our resurrection bodies will be like His someday, according to the “working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead” (Ephesians 1:19-20). By that same “working,” He is able to subdue all things, for He is the Creator of all things (Colossians 1:16). Our “vile” bodies will become “glorious” bodies, no longer subject to sickness and aging, or lusts and evil passions. “This corruptible shall have put on incorruption” (1 Corinthians 15:54). “We know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). This is the blessed hope of the genuine Christian. (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)

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Bad Apples

Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” 1 CORINTHIANS 15:33

One of my favorite object lessons in the sixth-grade Sunday School class I taught for many years was the “bad apples” demonstration. During a class at the beginning of the year, I brought some apples with me into the room—a beautiful, shiny red one that I called a “good apple” and a couple of others that looked nice but had at least one bruise.

“These two apples with the bruises represent a couple of buddies you really shouldn’t spend time with in junior high,” I would say. “They have a dark side to them—a compromised area of their lives. This good apple represents you, a nice Christian teenager but one who doesn’t see any problem with bruised apples. ‘These are my buddies,’ the good apple says.

“So these three apples are going to hang out together for a few months. We’ll check on them at the end of the year and see what happens.” Then I would put the apples together in a plastic bag and place them in the closet. Several of the students would become curious over the next few months about what had happened to our little “buddies,” but I wouldn’t return the bag until the last class of the year. Then I’d read the verse we’re focusing on today—about bad company and its impact on good morals.

It never failed, of course. Nine months of hang time always took a toll on the good apple. The identity of all three apples had long been lost. All that was left was sort of a gross, discolored, mushy apple soup.

The buddies our children spend time with will inevitably influence them, either for good or for bad. That’s why parents need to be fruit inspectors, helping their kids spot the bad apples and encouraging their kids to build friendships with the good ones.

DISCUSS

Do your children have some bad buddies? Discuss how you can take steps to wean them away from the wrong crowd and encourage them to spend time with some “good apples.”

(Moments with You Couples Devotional by Dennis and Barbara Rainey)

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