Psalm 27
David expresses confidence in the LORD verse 1- 3
The LORD is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear?
the LORD is the strength of my life
of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked – even mine enemies and my foes
came upon me to eat up my flesh – they stumbled and fell
though an host should encamp against me
my heart shall not fear
though war should rise against me
in this will I be confident
David has assurance of protection from enemies verse 4- 6
One thing have I desired of the LORD – that will I seek after
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life
to behold the beauty of the LORD
to inquire in HIS temple
For in the time of trouble HE shall hide me in HIS pavilion
in the secret of HIS tabernacle shall HE hide me
HE shall set me up upon a rock
And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies
round about me
THEREFORE will I offer in HIS tabernacle SACRIFICES of JOY
I will sing – YEA – I will sing praised to the LORD
David expresses the hope he has in the LORD verse 7- 10
Hear – O LORD – when I cry with my voice
have mercy also on me – and answer me
When YOU said – Seek you MY face
My heart said to YOU
YOUR face – LORD – will I seek
Hide not YOUR face far from me
put not YOUR servant away in anger
YOU have been my help
Leave me not – neither forsake me – O God of my salvation
when my father and my mother forsake me
THEN the LORD will take me up
David realizes that the LORD gives life a direction verse 11- 13
Teach me YOUR way – O LORD – and lead me in a plain path
BECAUSE of mine enemies
Deliver me not over to the will of mine enemies
FOR false witnesses are risen up against me
and such as breathe out cruelty
I had fainted – unless I had believed
to see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living
David knows he needs to wait on the LORD verse 14
Wait on the LORD – be of good courage
and HE shall strengthen your heart
Wait – I say on the LORD
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (4581 “strength” [ma’owz] means something or someone turned to for assistance or security, protection, refuge, defense, fortress, or human protection.)
DEVOTION: David knew that there was only one place that he could turn to at anytime and anyplace. It was the LORD.
No matter what was happening around him he knew that the LORD was the only one who could truly give light to the issue and HE was the only one who could deliver him from what was happening to him at the present moment.
God wants us to realize that HE is the only answer to all of our problems or situations. No matter what is going on around us we can always turn to HIM for guidance and direction.
Too often we try to handle a situation ourselves and it gets us into trouble. Then when our plan doesn’t work we start to panic and wonder what went wrong with our plan. Our plan should always be to turn to the LORD first to help us understand the situation and a solution to the situation.
David tried too many times to handle his problems on his own and it didn’t work out the way he wanted it too. We tend to do the same thing in our lives.
When we need strength and answers we should know that the LORD is there to help and give us answers to any situation we find ourselves in. HE sometimes puts us in situation where we can only trust HIM, so that, we know that HE will be the answer in all situations.
We are stubborn at times and think we can handle a problem on our own and most of the time it doesn’t work out but we never seem to learn the answer that we always need the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Have you learned this lessen yet? Have I learned this lesson yet? It is a question we have to ask ourselves each time we try to solve our own problems on our own without prayer and sometimes even fasting!
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. (982 “confident” [batach] means trust, secure, to have a strong confidence or reliance upon someone or something, lead to believe, or to cause to rely on someone.)
DEVOTION: We make statement like this one that David makes here. We sometimes tell others that we have trust in the LORD to help us in every situation.
The truth is that most of the time we try to handle problems on our own and when we fail we turn to the LORD.
Here we find David again stating that he was going to trust the LORD in every situation. Even when there was a large group camped around him to do him harm. He wants us to believe that he didn’t have any fear.
This is what we are supposed to believe every time we face a problem but too often we try to settle it ourselves. The answer is always to turn our problem over to the LORD and watch HIM work out the details of the present situation.
If we genuinely rely on the LORD we will be in prayer most of our day because there is not a day that doesn’t have it’s own problems that need solving. HE will help us make wise decisions. HE will give us strength to face people we don’t want to face. HE will give us rest on days that are very troubling from a human perspective. HE has all the answers and we really don’t have very many on our own.
We tend to be a fearful people even when we seem to have confidence in our own wisdom and strength. HE wants to take care of any fear we might have IF we will trun to HIM first for answers, not after we have tried our own way and failed.
CHALLENGE: Do you presently have a “host” that are against you? Are you fearful? HE is the only place we can turn that has the answers to what is going on in our life.
:8 “When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek.” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982) Seek 1245 בָּקַשׁ [baqash /baw·kash/] v. A primitive root; TWOT 276; GK 1335; 225 occurrences; AV translates as “seek” 189 times, “require” 14 times, “request” four times, “seek out” four times, “enquired” three times, “besought” twice, “ask” twice, “sought for” twice, “begging” once, “desire” once, “get” once, “inquisition” once, and “procureth” once. 1 to seek, require, desire, exact, request. 1A (Piel). 1A1 to seek to find. 1A2 to seek to secure. 1A3 to seek the face. 1A4 to desire, demand. 1A5 to require, exact. 1A6 to ask, request. 1B (Pual) to be sought. James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001).
DEVOTION: When we love someone or something it is very important and special to us we pursue them. A person we love is constantly on our mind and we attempt to do or say things that will make them happy or please them. I try to please my wife by doing things that will help her and I think of ways that will make her smile. It may be flowers, candy or helping around the house. These acts are done as a desire to demonstrate my heart and desire. The same is true with the relationship we have with the Lord. If we want to please and enjoy His presence we must seek after him and request to see his face. Whether in difficulty or prosperity we are to be seeking the house (v.4) and the face (v.8) of the Lord each day.
CHALLENGE: Take time to seek after the Lord right now and then do something to demonstrate your devotion to Him. This might be to sing a song, do an act of kindness or send a note of encouragement. (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
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DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
:11 “Teach me thy way, O Lord, And lead me in a plain path, because of
mine enemies.” (“Plain,” 4334 מִישֹׁור [miyshowr], 1 level place, uprightness. 1a level country, table-land, plain. 1b level place. 1c uprightness. [Strong, J. (2001). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.])
DEVOTION: David here prays about the challenges he has faced, and how his faith in God has sustained him. In that context, David is asking God to teach him God’s ways, which will result in his walking in a level path. The picture is one of walking a long direction on level ground in a valley, without having to go up or down mountains or hillsides. The flat or level path on a long journey by foot would be a welcome relief from climbing up and down. Usually this path was wide enough for people to walk side by side, rather than simply walking in tandem.
Not all of our lives are characterized by flat or level paths. God allows challenges to come into our lives to test our faith, so that we will walk closer with Him. The challenges (steep paths) that David faced were sometimes severe (including abandonment by his mother and father, verse 10, probably as he was running for his life from Saul), yet no challenge was so difficult that he could not survive it. He learned to rely on his relationship with God to sustain him. However, there are also those times when God walks alongside of us, simply leading us down a level path of obedience to Him. These are usually times of refreshment and encouragement, especially if we draw upon these to strength our relationship with Him (verse 8).
While we sometimes are not inclined to think so, God’s ways and paths usually are simpler to follow than our own plans. How many people have worked long and hard at “get rich quick” schemes, only to find out that these schemes did not deliver what they promised or were much harder than expected? But many times we get off of the level path by trying to live life from our own perspective, only to find that the level path of obedience was the right path to take after all.
CHALLENGE: Is this a season of your life where things seem to be going well? Are you using this time to draw closer to the Lord? Or is there an area that you are struggling in and need to simply obey God? Everything we face is designed to strengthen our relationship with Him. Ask Him to help you do that today. (Dr. Marc Wooten – board member)
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: 14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. (6960 “wait” [qavah] means look for, hope or expect.)
DEVOTION: When David returned from being released from the Philistines in a battle against Israel he found that all of his family and the families of his men had been taken captive. His men wanted to kill him but he encouraged himself in the LORD.
David was always dealing with enemies and troubles. He came to realize that that was part of life but that also trusting in the LORD was also to be part of his life. There seemed to be no shortage of enemies or battles to fight.
He was happy in the LORD because of HIS answers to prayer. He offered the LORD a sacrifice of joy through singing praises to HIM. David ends this psalm with the statement that all are to expect things from the LORD. What they expect is that the LORD will provide help in all times of trouble.
There are at least two types of people in the world. One is called a “type A” personality. It seems that David was this type of person. They have a hard time looking forward to something in the future without it happening NOW! They want everything to happen yesterday.
Here David tells all the followers of the LORD to look forward to the LORD working out the details of the battles they face. Sometime we want the battles to be over before they teach us lessons we need to learn.
In David’s prayer he asks the LORD to teach him the way that the LORD wants him to handle the battle. We want the LORD to answer our prayers quickly, so that, we can offer sacrifices of joy to HIM.
Sometimes HE doesn’t answer right away. The final verse of this song is telling us that we have to look for or hope or expect an answer sometime in the future. The Word of God consistently tells us that some answers come in the future, which is God’s timing. We don’t like this timing. We want everything yesterday.
We have people who are waiting for the right job to come and are tired of looking for the job to come. We have people who have more bills than money at the end of the month and they would like it to change.
The LORD promises to provide our every need. A job is a need. Will HE answer this prayer from HIS children? YES! Their relationship with HIM at the time of the prayer is something to consider. Are we in tune with the LORD when we pray? David was. David anticipated the LORD would strengthen him.
Is patience in our vocabulary? Are we praying and fasting for answers to prayer? Are we willing to let a long period of time to pass before the answer comes from the LORD? CHALLENGE: These are questions we need to ask ourselves on a regular basis. Sometime we expect the LORD to be our servant instead of us being HIS!!!
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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)
Sacrifices of joy verse 6
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)
Inquire in HIS temple verse 4
David’s prayer verse 7- 12
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
House of the LORD verse 4
Temple verse 4
Tabernacle verse 5, 6
Sacrifices of joy verse 6
Sing praises verse 6
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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 1, 4, 6- 8, 10,
11, 13, 14
Light verse 1
Provides salvation verse 1
Provides strength verse 1
House of the LORD verse 4
Beauty of the LORD verse 4
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 9
Teach David HIS ways verse 11
Goodness of the LORD verse 13
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)
Wicked verse 2
Enemies verse 2, 6, 11, 12
Foes verse 2
Host verse 3
War verse 3
Father and mother forsake verse 10
False witnesses verse 12
breath out cruelty
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Fear verse 1
Afraid verse 1
Wicked verse 2
Will of enemies verse 12
False witnesses verse 12
Cruelty verse 12
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Light verse 1
Salvation verse 1, 9
Fearless verse 1, 3
Strength verse 1, 14
Enemies stumble and fall verse 2
Confidence verse 3
Desire verse 4
Seek after verse 4
Dwell in the house of the LORD verse 4
Inquire verse 4, 7
Protection verse 5
Set upon a rock verse 5
Sacrifices of joy verse 6
Sing verse 6
Praise verse 6
Cry to the LORD verse 7
Mercy verse 7
Answers verse 7
Seek the LORD verse 8
Help verse 9
LORD take me up verse 10
Teach verse 11
Lead verse 11
Deliver verse 12
Belief verse 13
Goodness verse 13
Wait verse 14
Good courage verse 14
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Psalm of David verse 1- 14
LORD is his light
LORD is his salvation
LORD is the strength of his life
Not afraid
Times of trouble HE shall hide me
Not fear
Confident
Inquire in HIS temple
Seek LORD’S face
Put not your servant away in anger
Father and mother – forsake me
but LORD will take me up
Taught of the LORD
Led of the LORD
See goodness of the LORD
Wait on the LORD
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
Ver. 12. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies, &c.] It is a dreadful thing for a man to be given up to his own heart’s lusts, and to be delivered up into the hands of Satan; who would fain have even the people of God themselves in his hands, that he might distress them at pleasure, if not destroy them; and also to be suffered to fall into the hands of wicked men, whose tender mercies are cruel. For false witnesses are risen up against me; laying to his charge, that he sought to take away from Saul his crown and kingdom, and even his life, 1 Sam. 24:9. And such as breathe out cruelty; as Doeg the Edomite, whose tongue was as a sharp razor, and by whose hands four score and five priests were slain, on account of David’s being supplied with bread by Ahimelech; the word is in the singular number; see Psal. 52:1–4 and 1 Sam. 22:18. compare with this clause Acts 9:1 and Horace’s phrase, Spirabat amores. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, p. 644). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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But David is not only a worshipper seeking God’s face (8ff.); he is a pilgrim committed to his way (11), every step of it contested. He is very much in the world, and the prayer for a level path is not for comfort but for sure progress (as a moral term it implies what is right, or straight) when the merest slip would be exploited. The word for enemies (as in 5:8) may contain the idea of vigilance, according to a likely derivation; hence ‘my watchful foes’ (neb); cf. Luke 11:54. In verse 12 the will might be rendered ‘the appetite’: it is the predatory picture of verse 2 (mg.) again. (Kidner, D. (1973). Psalms 1–72: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 15, p. 139). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
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27:11–12. David asked God to teach him the way to go (cf. 25:4–5) because his enemies were lying in wait for him. He asked not to be turned over to his foes, who were false witnesses sworn to destroy him. (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. 815). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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Instead of rushing ahead, David calmly waited on the Lord, for faith and patience always go together (Isa. 28:16; Heb. 6:12; 10:36). Perhaps in verse 14 he was addressing his soldiers, for the men would need courage and strength for the next battle and for the journey that lay before them. This admonition reminds us of the words of Moses to Joshua (Deut. 31:7, 23), God’s words to Joshua (Josh. 1:6–7, 9), and the Jewish leaders’ encouragement of Joshua (Josh. 1:18). Stuart Hamblin wrote in one of his familiar songs, “I know not what the future holds / but I know who holds the future.” If Jesus is your Savior and Lord, then the future is your friend, and you have nothing to fear. (Wiersbe, W. W. (2004). Be worshipful (1st ed., pp. 110–111). Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries.)
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Verses 7–14 open with a sharp cry for mercy, that God will neither turn from nor forsake his servant. The poet argues (with himself?) that God’s care is more dependable than any parent’s; he pleads to be led where none can lie in ambush, and to be delivered from false accusation. The Hebrew of verse 13 is urgent: “Oh! if I had not believed … (then it would have gone ill with me).” So in the end the poet waits for the darker experience (or mood) to pass, with his faith tenacious. True faith has both dimensions. (White, R. E. O. (1995). Psalms. In Evangelical Commentary on the Bible (Vol. 3, p. 378). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.)
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12. “Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies;” or I should be like a victim cast to the lions, to be rent to pieces and utterly devoured. God be thanked that our foes cannot have their way with us, or Smithfield would soon be on a blaze again. “For false witnesses are risen up against me.” Slander is an old-fashioned weapon out of the armoury of hell, and is still in plentiful use; and no matter how holy a man may be, there will be some who will defame him. “Give a dog an ill name, and hang him;” but glory be to God, the Lord’s people are not dogs, and their ill names do not injure them. “And such as breathe out cruelty.” It is their vital breath to hate the good; they cannot speak without cursing them; such was Paul before conversion. They who breathe out cruelty may well expect to be sent to breathe their native air in hell; let persecutors beware! (Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 27-57 (Vol. 2, p. 5). 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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Because God will avenge the righteous, we should be patient during times of persecution.
INSIGHT
“This world is not my home. I’m just passing through. If heaven’s not my home, O Lord, what would I do? The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door, and I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.” We are not of this world; we are sojourners and pilgrims. This world will deal with us unkindly; we cannot expect it to be otherwise. If we insist on getting our meaning or justice in life only from what comes to us in this world, most of us will be gravely disappointed. Complete justice for us will come only “when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels” (v. 7). (Quiet Walk)
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THE TEACHING OF THE ANTICHRIST
Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 1 John 4:2-3
What is the teaching of the antichrist? It is not a denial of Christ—it is a misrepresentation of Christ; it is a teaching that either does something to Him or detracts something from Him. You remember how John put it; he said these people “went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be manifest that they were not all of us” (1 John 2:19). They were in the church. The antichrists had arisen within the Christian church; they said they believed in Christ. And yet, says John, their teaching is such that we can prove that they do not truly believe in Him.
Now this is a very important principle to grasp. Merely for people to say, “Yes, I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ; I always have believed in Him” is not enough, until we have tested them further. The apostle Paul says that these people preached “another Jesus.” Ah, yes, they were preaching Jesus, but it was another Jesus; it was not the Jesus that Paul preached (2 Corinthians 11:4). They preached Christ, yes, but what sort of Christ, what kind of Jesus? That is the question.
Therefore we ask this question: How can we decide whether the teaching concerning Jesus Christ is true or false? And here the one answer is given perfectly clearly. Our ultimate authority, our only authority, is the apostolic teaching. That is the whole point of the first epistle of John
A Thought to Ponder
The teaching of the antichrist is not a denial of Christ—it is a misrepresentation of Christ.
(From The Love of God, pp. 29-30, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Yahweh’s Desire
“For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.” (Psalm 132:13-14)
In these two verses, we are told that the Lord (Yahweh) has desired Zion, which He has chosen. The Hebrew verb used twice for “desired” is awa and occurs in a specific form called the Piel stem, which to the Hebrew reader would have added an intensively strong meaning to its action. In other words, Yahweh deeply, passionately, and intensively desires Zion as a place for His habitation.
So, what is this object of Yahweh’s intense desire? The name Zion is first used in the Bible for the pagan Jebusite fortress (“the stronghold of Zion”) in 2 Samuel 5:6-10 when David conquered Jerusalem and subsequently made it the capital of Israel. Thereafter, Zion was often equated with the City of David (Jerusalem) and was also used to refer to the inhabitants of Jerusalem or even the whole nation of God’s people of Israel.
In the new covenant, we are given the full revelation of Zion following Christ’s death and resurrection: “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel” (Hebrews 12:22-24).
It is this Zion of which we are now redeemed citizens that God deeply desires to make His habitation. Knowing this, let us look “for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10) and “desire a better country, that is, an heavenly” (Hebrews 11:16). (JPT, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Remember: when something goes wrong in the circus, they send in the clowns to distract the audience. Well, something has gone very wrong with this circus, and the clowns are everywhere. (Thanks Jim Cummins)
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Yet, though I am not what I ought to be, nor what I wish to be, nor what I hope to be, I can truly say, I am not what I once was; a slave to sin and Satan; and I can heartily join with the apostle, and acknowledge, “By the grace of God I am what I am.”
(John Newton)
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Looking Back
As I look back at the day I just lived,
I wonder now if I did enjoy today.
Did I smile and laugh and give thanks to God
or was I consumed in self and worries?
It is up to me to make choices each day
a day that I will never live again,
When I walk with God and be of service to Him
And at the end of the day I say “Amen” 🙂
Peace to all of you and when you look back at your days I hope you too can see your light shining in the darkness of another.
(Sent by Joan from her mother’s poems: Anne Neale – 2014)
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Your New Nature
“. . . that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.” (Ephesians 1:4)
In the grand purpose of our selection into God’s family, two key words are used.
Holy: The word “holy” (Greek hagios) is the most frequently used descriptor about God’s twice-born. It stresses dedication. A holy man or woman is distinctively God’s, set apart for God’s use, separated from the secular, and consecrated to God’s service. All who are chosen are to be holy. The Colossians Christians were told to mortify the physical appetite, put off the sinful mental attitudes and habits, and “put on the new man . . . as the elect of God, holy and beloved” (Colossians 3:10-12). The focus is character.
Without Blame: “Without blame” refers to our reputation. This will only be finally realized in heaven (1 Corinthians 1:8), but there is a present responsibility to “present your bodies a living sacrifice . . . . And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:1-2). The character of holiness is the cause for a lifestyle of blamelessness. We are to be the “sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).
This holy and blameless condition will result in “the praise of the glory of his grace” (Ephesians 1:6), where God will “gather together in one all things in Christ” (Ephesians 1:10). What a magnificent thought! The purpose for which we have been chosen, predestined, redeemed, and forgiven is to be holy in character and blameless in reputation so that when God gathers us all together in Christ, we will be the praise of the glorious grace of God! (HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
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There is a world of difference between going to a leaders’ meeting with your mind made up and knowing our own mind. It is doubtful if we should ever go with our mind made up, for that presupposes we will reject whatever else is suggested. Knowing our own mind means being clear as to our convictions and why we hold them, We may then share them coherently in a discussion, and at the same time we are willing to adjust our opinion and alter our convictions as fresh light is shed upon the subject through what others say. (p. 219, On Being A PASTOR by Derek J. Prime & Alistair Begg)
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Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. JOB 38:3, NIV
I wrote yesterday about an interview I’ve conducted numerous times with young men who have wanted to date our daughters. Lots of parents have asked me to share some of the things I cover when I meet with these young men. Here’s a “high fly by” list:
1. A woman is God’s creation, a beautiful creation, a fine creation. You’ve certainly noticed that my daughter is pretty, is attractive and has a cute figure, haven’t you?
2. The attraction of a young man to a young lady is both normal and good. I’m glad you like her and want to be with her.
3. I understand and remember what the sex drive of a young man is like. Believe me, I’ve been there, I know what you’re dealing with.
4. I’m going to hold you accountable for your relationship with my daughter. Expect me to be asking to see if you’re dealing uprightly with her.
5. I’m challenging you to purity. I want you to guard her innocence, not just her virginity.
6. I want you to respect and uphold the dignity of my daughter by keeping your hands off of her. Keeping this one precaution in mind will help keep you from getting into further trouble.
7. Do you understand all of what I’ve just said to you? Are we clear on what I’m expecting and what you can expect from me?
8. When you’re a dad someday, I hope you will challenge your own children to abide by these standards and will interview your daughter’s dates. My prayer is that you will never forget this conversation.
One of the greatest privileges God has given me is to stand alongside our four daughters and honorably and gently attempt to protect their innocence. Meeting with these young men has been one of the highlights of being a dad. (Moments with You Couples Devotional by Dennis and Barbara Rainey)
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When you turn your worries into worship, God will turn your battles into blessings. Thanks Judy Smith
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As a man , I can tell you that most of us are NOT romantic, it’s simply not in us, but just because your man doesn’t love you the way you wish he would doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you. You want flowers, probably not going to happen but he will go out in the middle of the storm to see why the roof is leaking. You want him to light candles, not going to happen but he will make sure your car has good tires & the oil is changed. He probably isn’t going to plan a weekend getaway but will make sure the grass gets mowed. Chances are he won’t ever write you a poem but he will be the first one to teach your kid how to play ball. You know what, the the truth is, it’s easy to buy a woman some perfume & take her to see a romantic movie, any guy can do that but it’s the day in & day out boring mundane chores thats hard to find someone to do. It’s easy to “love” someone for for the first year, but very few are willing to love you for 5 years, 10 years or 25 years. Listen , just because love doesn’t come in a pretty little package with a bow on it doesn’t mean that it’s not love. Just because it doesn’t look like you thought it would doesn’t make it any less meaningful. If you want to know what love looks like, don’t look at the hallmark cards, look for the guy that went out in the cold to start your car up so it would be warm when you leave. That’s love! Anyone can buy you a gift, few are willing to sacrifice & serve. Don’t overlook true love looking for fairy tales.
Jeepin For Jesus (Dwayn Greerwood on Facebook)
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Daily Hope
Today’s Scripture
Romans 14:14-23
It will soon be forty-five years since I last drank alcohol or smoked a cigarette! When I received Christ as my Savior there was an immediate conviction not to have those substances in my life any longer. Those decisions came easily to me but for many people choices such as those are challenging and often takes time to determine a new lifestyle. Habits which we have ceased can create critical attitudes toward others still participating in them.
Paul was writing to the believers at Rome and encouraging them in their attitudes toward believers whose practices, habits, and lifestyles were different and questionable. The acceptance of meat sacrificed to idols and the participation of individuals in guilds (today’s unions) that worshipped other gods were areas of tension Paul addressed. The family had to eat, and the father had to provide for the family, so these issues were not secondary but of vital importance. The apostle John also addresses similar controversies in the churches of Asia Minor.
Paul states emphatically in verse 14 that nothing is unclean of itself. Yet, it (food) can become unclean to individuals who consider it as contaminated. The word unclean, has the basic meaning of being unholy or in opposition to the Divine. In that sense it is unclean and not to be brought before the Lord in worship. Yet his teachings also are clear that if an individual is struggling with these items, then we (believers) must be respectful and patient with them. Their relationship with the Lord is more important than food or social standing.
Being sensitive to fellow believers can be very difficult at times! Your growth and maturity can bring freedom to go and participate in activities that others cannot join in good conscience. With restaurants and events including alcohol on their menu and language increasingly becoming more foul and vulgar on television and movies, the challenge to be sensitive to fellow believers is relevant. Before inviting someone to an event or out to dinner, seek to understand what are difficult or areas of temptations for them. We do not want to be a stumbling block or be a cause for failure in another believer’s walk with Christ.
With an Expectant Hope, Pastor Miller
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We now have a Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.