PSALM 62

David claims he is unmovable verse 1- 2

Truly my soul waits on God – from HIM comes my salvation

HE only is my rock and my salvation

HE is my defense

I shall not be greatly moved

David knows friends are deceptive verse 3- 4

How long will you imagine mischief against a man?

you shall be slain all of you

as a bowing wall shall you be

and as a tottering fence

They only consult to cast him down from his excellency

they delight in lies – they bless with their mouth

BUT they curse inwardly SELAH

David expresses total commitment to the LORD verse 5- 8

My soul wait you only upon God

for my expectation is from HIM

HE only is my rock and my salvation – HE is my defense

I shall not be moved

In God is my salvation and my glory

the rock of my strength

and my refuge – is in God

Trust in HIM at all times

you people – pour out your heart before HIM

God is a refuge for us SELAH

David evaluates human race verse 9

Surely men of low degree are vanity

and men of high degree are a lie

to be laid in the balance

they are altogether lighter than vanity

David warns regarding wrong use of money verse 10

Trust NOT in oppression – and become not vain in robbery

IF riches increase – set not your heart on them

David states that our works determine action verse 11

God has spoken once – twice have I heard this

that power belongs to God

Also to YOU – O Lord – belongs mercy

for YOU render to every man according to his work

COMMENTARY:

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 1 “Truly my soul waits upon God: from him comes my salvation.” (“Waiteth,” 1747 דּוּמִיָּה [duwmiyah] Four occurrences; AV translates as “wait” twice, “silence” once, and “silent” once. 1 silence, still, repose, still waiting. [Strong, J. (2001). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software).

DEVOTION: The idea of waiting translated by the KJV in this psalm by David is an interpretation of the being silent before the Lord. God wants us to have times when we sit silently before Him and wait for Him to talk with us.

Silence is a lost discipline in our culture. We are surrounded with media, and are consumed by it. For many, silence may be fearful or a new experience. Yet if we really want to hear what it is that God is telling us, we must cultivate this discipline. This means that I read and meditate on His Word, and then I wait for Him to show me some area of my life that He wants to direct me in according to what I have learned in my walk with Him. Often that will be a confirmation of how I think He is leading me. At other times, He may show us more information that we need to think through prior to making an important decision. At other times, we stop and consider the awesomeness of God and just pause to worship Him.

God wants us to learn to be silent before Him (Habakkuk 2:20, Zephaniah 1:7). He wants us to take time for intimate fellowship with Him, so that He can speak to us clearly. This is accomplished by first slowing down, and then turning off all the devices around us and just meditating on Him and His Word. All of this requires that we learn how to wait on Him.

CHALLENGE: What are you willing to give up in order to hear God speaking to you? It may be the television, radio, or even Facebook. Can you dedicate some time to having all of these things “off” so that you can hear His voice? (Dr. Marc Wooten – board member)

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

: 2 He only is my rock and my salvation; HE is my defense, I shall not be

greatly moved. (4869 “defense” [misgab] means refuge, high point, a strongly fortified defensive or military structure, secure height, retreat, or a lofty place)

DEVOTION: David realizes that the LORD is the only place where he can get above the trials of life. HE is the only one to turn to when trouble comes. HE is the only one who can deliver when trouble comes.

It is because the LORD is the one, he turns to, it can cause him not to be concerned about being defeated by those who want him to fail in life. He realizes that only the LORD can give him peace in all the storms of life.

We need to realize the same facts. We are living in a different time period but the LORD is still able to deliver us for the temptations of the world the flesh and the devil. HE is the only one who can give us peace in the midst of the storms of life.

Life was not easier then and it is not easier now. We are living in the same conditions that David lived in. Satan was giving him a hard time and he is giving us a hard time. Life is hard while we are alive here in this earth.

It would be nice if it was easier but the LORD knows how much we can take and HE will not allow the enemy to win as long as we come to HIM for direction and help. HE is still the only helper we have today, as it was in David’s day.

HE cannot be moved by Satan. HE is a rock! HE is the one who is our refuge in any storm that the enemy tries to test us with. HE has been and always will be stronger than anything our enemy sends our way.

CHALLENGE: We have to be like David and trust in the LORD alone to give us the help we need in all the storms of life. Keep looking to HIM for strength!

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: 4 They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah (3280 “ya‘ats] means to make or work out a plan for, to advise, to plan, decide, to take counsel, determine, plot, give counsel, or plot)

DEVOTION: Our enemies delight in seeing us have problems while we are here on this earth. It seems that there are more enemies than friends in this world. They seem to get together to see what they can do to hurt us.

If they can’t hurt us with the truth, they will try to hurt us with lies. Our world is full of people who don’t have any problem with lying about those who trying to serve the LORD. They seem to delight in it as David states in this psalm.

Sometimes the problem is that they use praise to put us down. They act like friends when in reality they are enemies and working for the Enemy while seeming to have the LORD in their life.

It is hard at times to know who is genuine and who is false. We think that they are friends but in reality, they are working with the enemy to find a way to cause us to fall and then they can laugh at us. It is sad but true.

Our hope and help is always in the LORD and we have to listen to the ministry of the Holy Spirit to give us discernment as to who are genuine friends and who is working for the enemy.

Sometimes that is hard to discern and we need to be in prayer every hour of every day to ask the LORD to help us with wisdom in all that we do and say and who we can have as friends and who are not really friends.

God wants us as HE did David to turn to HIM every hour of every day for wisdom that only HE can give us. Those who are our enemies consult our enemy the devil to see if he can show them how to pull us down.

CHALLENGE: Trust in the LORD with all you heart and don’t lean on your own understanding but consult HIM every hour. HE will give us the right instructions.

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 5 “My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.”

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982).

Silently – 1826 דָּמַם, דָּמַם, דָּמַם [damam /daw·man/] v. A prim root [compare 1724, 1820]; TWOT 439; GK 1957 and 1958 and 1959; 30 occurrences; AV translates as “silence” six times, “still” six times, “silent” four times, “cut off” three times, “cut down” twice, “rest” twice, “cease” twice, “forbear” once, “peace” once, “quieted” once, “tarry” once, and “wait” once. 1 to be silent, be still, wait, be dumb, grow dumb. 1A (Qal). 1A1 to be silent. 1A2 to be still, die. 1A3 to be struck dumb. 1B (Niphal) to be silenced, be made silent, destroyed. 1C (Poal) to make quiet. 1D (Hiphil) to make silent (cause to die). (James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001).

DEVOTION: It can be easy to discuss an urgent problem with a friend or family member. A matter that is weighing heavily upon your heart and mind so that it immediately is ready to communicate. For some people that is a difficult issue! Their personality and lifestyle is such that whatever is on their mind becomes the subject of conversation. If you are one like that consider what the psalmist states in this section of this verse..

Here the writer determines to wait and to be silent until the Lord speaks. He reveals that as we wait on God, we can pour out the issues and concerns to him but not to man. Take to heart that he has watched the activities of men and knows the fickle nature of man! They are like a vapor and unstable. Do not trust in people or in material possessions. Trust in God as he is pictured as a rock, refuge, and defense! When He speaks there will be power, wisdom and direction. Something well worth being silent and waiting for!

CHALLENGE: As you face a difficult decision, remain silent and wait on the Lord, study, meditate and pray. He will direct your path! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)

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: 11 God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongs unto God. (5797 “power” [‘oz] means might, strength, strong, or boldness.)

DEVOTION: David challenges those who will listen to him to trust only in the LORD. This Psalm is one of confidence in the ability of the LORD to work in the lives of HIS people.

The LORD is the one who has the strength to defeat our enemies. David tells everyone that God is his rock and salvation. He informs them that because of the LORD’S help he shall not be greatly moved. He states to the children of Israel that all of his expectations come from the LORD. He wants everyone to trust in the LORD.

No one can trust in oppression, robbery, or riches. The LORD is going to speak and be HIS children’s defense. HE has the strength to keep their lives in order. HE is the only one they can count on to be our refuge. HE is the only one they can trust. HE causes them to expect things from HIM. David doesn’t expect deliverance from people who say they are his friends but are planning his downfall. These people spoke well to him while they faced him but behind his back, they were cursing him. These people told lies about him.

This doesn’t just happen to David but to all of those who are trying to follow the LORD. It happens to us. Where should we turn? David repeats in many Psalms that we should always wait on the LORD for HIS help. Are we waiting on the LORD? The Word of God keeps telling us to trust in the LORD alone.

CHALLENGE: Remember to not look to riches to be your helper. Remember to not look to friends for deliverance. Remember to not think you can handle things yourself. Trust in the LORD alone always!!!! HE is the only one with enough STRENGTH to see us through every time of trouble.

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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)

Pour out hearts to LORD verse 8

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)

God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 1, 5, 7, 8, 11

Rock verse 6

Salvation verse 6

Defense verse 6

Refuge verse 8

Power belongs to God verse 11

Lord – Adonai (Owner, Master) verse 12

Mercy belongs to God verse 12

God renders to every man according to his work verse 12

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)

Men of low degree = vanity verse 9

Men of high degree = lie verse 9

Lighter than vanity verse 9

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

Mischief verse 3

Cast down others verse 4

Lies verse 4, 9

Curse verse 4

Vanity verse 9

Trust not in oppression verse 10

Robbery verse 10

Setting heart on riches verse 10

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

Wait on the God verse 1, 5

Salvation verse 1, 2, 6, 7

Rock verse 2, 6, 7

Defense verse 2, 6

Not greatly moved verse 2, 6

Expectation verse 5

Glory verse 7

Strength verse 7

Refuge verse 7, 8

Trust verse 8

Pour out hearts to LORD verse 8

Power verse 11

Mercy verse 12

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

David – author of Psalm verse 1- 12

Soul waits on God

God provides my salvation

HE is my rock (2x)

HE is my salvation (3x)

HE is my defense (2x)

I will NOT be greatly moved

God is my glory

God is my strength

God is my refuge

Wait on the LORD

My expectations are from HIM

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

Slain verse 3

God renders to every man

according to his work verse12

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DONATIONS:

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QUOTES regarding passage

Verse 3 In contrast to his great confidence in the Lord, the psalmist has little faith in the kingdom of man. Man in opposition to the Lord is destructive, selfish, and deceitful. ….

Verse 4: The ungodly devise many forms of evil. They attack with words and deeds. Their aggressiveness does not rest until those who were seated on a “lofty place” are toppled and reduced to nothingness. Even in this state of weakness, compared to a “leaning wall” and to a “tottering fence” (v.3; cf. 18:29O), the wicked purpose nothing less than a complete destruction. (p. 422, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary Volume 5, by Willem A. VanGermeren.)

Faith is the antidote to despair (cf. 37:7). Silence in the presence of the Lord will speed God’s deliverance, as Calvin observes, “Never, as if he had said, will he frustrate the patient waiting of his saints; doubtless my silence shall meet with its reward; I shall restrain myself, and not make that false haste which will only retard my deliverance” (2:423). (p. 423, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary Volume 5, by Willem A. VanGermeren.)

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3, 4. Evil, being ruthlessly competitive, is attracted to weakness, to give a last push to whatever is leaning or tottering. It is also attracted to strength, the target of its envy and duplicity (‘to topple him from his height’, neb). It is a total contrast to the goodness which spares the bruised reed, is glad ‘when we are weak and you are strong’, and achieves its ends by ‘the open statement of the truth’. (Kidner, D. (1973). Psalms 1–72: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 15, pp. 239–240). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)

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62:3–4. This confidence led David to marvel at the attempt of some people to thrust him down. The image of a tottering fence suggests weakness and susceptibility. As men try to topple a city wall or fence, the wicked attempted to overthrow David whom they thought was vulnerable. They hoped to accomplish this through lies. They blessed David with their words, but in their hearts they cursed 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. 839). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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The word translated “only” or “alone” in verses 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6, and “surely” in verse 9 (all kjv) is a Hebrew adverb that is also translated “indeed, verily, but” and is even ignored completely. David wants us to know that his faith isn’t in God plus something else, but in God alone. Yes, God uses means to accomplish His work, and the same God who ordains the end also ordains the means, but our faith is in Him and not in the means. David didn’t argue with the enemy or try to tell God what to do; he simply prayed, trusted and waited, knowing that God would give him the kingdom in His good time. The images of God as “rock” and “fortress” remind us of Psalm 18:1–2. A humble man, David saw himself as a bowing stone wall about to collapse and a tottering fence ready to fall down (see 1 Sam. 24:14 and 26:20). But God was his strong tower! The enemy could threaten him, lie about him, and even assault him, and he would not lose the peace God put in his heart. To wait in silence before the Lord is not idleness or inactivity. It is calm worship and faith, resting in His greatness and submitted to His will. It is preparation for the time when God gives the orders to act (18:30–45).

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62:3 leaning wall … tottering fence. A metaphor for imminent collapse. Some apply it to the victim, but as translated here it refers to the attacker. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ps 62:3). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)

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Ver. 3. How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? &c.] Against a good man, as the Targum; or against any Israelite, as Kimchi; or rather he means himself, a single man, a weak man, and an innocent one; which aggravated their sin, in devising his hurt, and contriving ways to take away his life, as did Saul and his courtiers; and Absalom, and those that were with him. R. Jonah, from the Arabic language, interprets the word here used of putting or drawing out the tongue to a great length; that is, multiplying words, as lies and calumnies, in agreement with the next verse; but Jarchi, Aben Ezra, and Kimchi, explain it as we do, of devising mischief. The Targum is, “how long do ye rage against a good man?” Ye shall be slain all of you; this is a further aggravation of their folly, since it would issue in their own ruin; the mischief they devised for him would fall upon themselves. Some understand this דרך תפלה, by way of prayer; as Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Ben Melech, “may ye be slain all of you:” there is a double reading of these words; Ben Napthali, who is followed by the eastern Jews, reads them actively, ye shall slay; with which agree the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions; and so the Targum, “ye shall become murderers all of you.” Ben Asher, who is followed by the western Jews, reads passively as we do, ye shall be slain; and which is approved by Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and others. As a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence; which are easily and suddenly pushed down; and so these similes denote the easy, sudden, and certain destruction of those men; see Isa. 36:13. though some connect the words with the men against whom mischief was imagined by his enemies, who was like a bowing wall and a tottering fence; and so are expressive of his weakness, and of the easy destruction of him; and read the words, ye shall be slain all of you, in a parenthesis; but the former sense seems best. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, p. 776). London: Mathews and Leigh.)

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3. “How long will ye imagine mischief against a man?” It is always best to begin with God, and then may we confront our enemies. Make all sure with heaven, then may you grapple with earth and hell. David expostulates with his insensate foes; he marvels at their dogged perseverance in malice, after so many failures and with certain defeat before them. He tells them that their design was an imaginary one, which they never could accomplish however deeply they might plot. It is a marvel that men will readily enough continue in vain and sinful courses, and yet to persevere in grace is so great a difficulty as to be an impossibility, were it not for divine assistance. The persistency of those who oppose the people of God is so strange that we may well expostulate with them and say, “How long will ye thus display your malice?” A hint is given in the text as to the cowardliness of so many pressing upon one man; but none are less likely to act a fair and manly part than those who are opposed to God’s people for righteousness’ sake. Satan could not enter into combat with Job in fair duel, but must needs call in the Sabeans and Chaldeans, and even then, must borrow the lightning and the wind before his first attack was complete. If there were any shame in him, or in his children, they would be ashamed of the dastardly manner in which they have waged war against the seed of the woman. Ten thousand to one has not seemed to them too mean an advantage; there is not a drop of chivalrous blood in al their veins. “Ye shall be slain all of you.” Your edged tools will cut your own fingers. Those who take the sword shall perish with the sword. However many or fierce the bands of the wicked may be, they shall not escape the just retribution of heaven; rigorously shall the great Lawgiver exact blood from men of blood, and award death to those who seek the death of others. “As a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.” Boastful persecutors bulge and swell with pride, but they are only as a bulging wall ready to fall in a heap; they lean forward to seize their prey, but it is only as a tottering fence, inclines to the earth upon which it will soon lie at length. They expect men to bow to them, and quake for fear in their presence; but men made bold by faith sec nothing in them to honour, and very, very much to despise. It is never well on our part to think highly of ungodly persons; whatever their position, they are near their destruction, they totter to their fall; it will be our wisdom to keep our distance, for no one is advantaged by being near a falling wall; if it does not crush with its weight, it may stifle with its dust.

The passage is thought to be more correctly rendered as follows:—“How long will ye press on one man, that ye may crush him in a body, like a toppling wall, a sinking fence?”* We have, however, kept to our own version as yielding a good and profitable meaning. Both senses may blend in our meditations; for if David’s enemies battered him as though they could throw him down tike a bulging wall, he, on the other hand, foresaw that they themselves would by retributive Justice be overthrown like an old, crumbling, leaning, yielding fence. (Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 56-87 (Vol. 3, p. 49). 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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A woman was once asked:

What do you “gain” from praying to God regularly?

She replied:

Usually ′′ I don’t earn anything “, but rather ′′ I lose things “.

And she quoted everything she lost praying to God regularly:

I lost my pride.

I lost my arrogance.

I lost greed.

I lost my urge.

I lost ′′ my ′′ anger.

I lost the lust.

I lost the pleasure of lying.

I lost the taste of sin.

I lost impatience, despair, and

discouragement.

Sometimes we pray, not to gain something, but to lose things that don’t allow us to grow spiritually.

Prayer educates, strengthens, and heals.

Prayer is the channel that connects us directly to God.”

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2 Peter 2
Beware of false teachers whose lives deny their faith and who will be judged by God.
INSIGHT

False teachers are viewed gravely in the Scriptures. Perhaps the most scathing rebukes and most unthinkable punishments are articulated against these “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” Why are they dealt with so harshly? Because while refusing salvation themselves, they also keep others from it. It is like a drowning man who not only refuses to accept a lifesaver, but also insists on drowning someone else with him. We must take great care to accurately teach the truth and shun those who do not.

(Quiet Walk)

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JESUS THE GOD-MAN

This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. 1 John 5:6-8
John is concerned to establish the reality of the Incarnation, to prove that Jesus Christ is really the Son of God incarnate, in the flesh. I believe that he was anxious to do so in order to correct a heresy that was very prevalent at that time. It taught something like this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man, but when He was baptized by John in the Jordan, the eternal Christ came upon Him and entered into Him, so that from the moment of the baptism the eternal Christ was dwelling in the human Jesus, and He continued to do so until just before the crucifixion took place; then the eternal Christ went back to heaven, and it was only the man Jesus who was crucified.
Now that was a very common heresy in the first centuries, and it is a heresy that has also been prevalent during these past centuries. The whole trouble during the last hundred years or so about the person of Christ has been nothing, in a sense, but a recapitulation of that ancient heresy; it puts a wedge between the man Jesus and the eternal Christ. And here John is concerned to assert the mighty fact that the baby in the manger is the God-Man. “Jesus Christ,” and not Jesus only. The Incarnation is a reality, and the One who died upon the cross was not only the man Jesus—it was the God-Man who died. And I believe that John mentions this testimony and witness of water and the blood in order to establish the unity and the oneness of the person; not two persons, but one person with two natures. (Walking with God Daily Devotional by Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones)

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The Christian’s Partnership
“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.” (Ephesians 2:19)
Prior to salvation, we are called “aliens…and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.” But now we are part of the “new man” and the grand partnership that has been made possible between Jew and Gentile, Old and New Covenant saints, and the operative impact and purpose of the “household of God” (v. 12-13, 15, 19).
We are “made nigh” and made “one.” The enemy has been abolished, with the “middle wall of partition” that was between us broken down (vv. 13-15), making us “one body” with common “access by one Spirit unto the Father” (vv. 16-18).
Therefore, we are “fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God…built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets”; “fitly framed,” growing unto a “holy temple…for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (vv. 19-22). Now displayed in a fellowship of past and present, bond and free, male and female—all new “partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel” (3:1-6; Galatians 3:22-29)
And God has “created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (vv. 9-11).
God has designed His salvation for us in such a way that we cannot fail to achieve His plans for us! We should humbly thank Him for what He has accomplished in us through Christ Jesus. (HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)

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Beethoven was angry. He’d intended to name his Third Symphony “The Bonaparte.” In an age of religious and political tyranny, he saw Napoleon as a hero of the people and champion of freedom. But when the French general declared himself emperor, the celebrated composer changed his mind. Denouncing his former hero as a rascal and tyrant, he rubbed so hard to erase Bonaparte’s name that he left a hole in the original score.

Early believers in Jesus must have been disappointed when their hopes of political reform were dashed. He’d stirred hopes of life without the tyranny of Caesar’s heavy-handed taxes and military presence. Yet, decades later, Rome still ruled the world. Jesus’ messengers were left with fears and weakness. His disciples were marked by immaturity and infighting (1 Corinthians 1:11–12; 3:1–3).

But there was a difference. Paul saw beyond what remained unchanged. His letters began, ended, and overflowed with the name of Christ. Christ resurrected. Christ with a promise to return in power. Christ in judgment of everything and everyone. First and foremost, however, Paul wanted believers in Jesus to be grounded in the meaning and implications of Him crucified (2:2; 13:1–13).

The love expressed in Jesus’ sacrifice made Him a different kind of leader. As Lord and Savior of the world, His cross changes everything. The name of Jesus will forever be known and praised above every name. (By Mart DeHaan – Our Daily Bread)

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A Thought to Ponder
The baby in the manger is the God-Man.

From Life in God, pp. 74-75.

Too often it has been about the worshipers, and giving them a pleasant experience as they express themselves, rather than about the God whom they have come to worship.

It was but a short step to take, then, for pastors to begin appealing to this individualism, in whatever form it took, in order to attract a congregation. (p. 198, GOD in the Whirlwind, by David F. Wells)

In one study done in 2013, it was found that in the recent past, 70 percent of the young people who had been raised in evangelical youth groups had dropped out of church attendance once they became independent adults. Why?

When churches lost their central focus, when that focus is then displaced by generational tastes, when it is defined more by the culture of consumption than by who God is, it loses its seriousness. It also loses the sense of transcendence for which the human spirit longs. …. The more churches become like their own culture, the less reason there is to be in a church. ….

How can we possibly be “addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, … submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Eph. 5: 19-21) if the “other” on the television or computer screen is mute and in a faraway city?

….If the way we worship is defined more by the worshiper than by the reality of the God who is being worshiped, then chaos breaks out. (p. 199-200, GOD in the Whirlwind, by David F. Wells)

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In this excerpt from Dangerous Calling, Tripp reveals how this unhealthy culture begins and its natural result:

When the Word of God, faithfully taught by the people of God and empowered by the Spirit of God, falls down, people become different. Lusting people become pure, fearful people become courageous, thieves become givers, demanding people become servants, angry people become peacemakers, complainers become thankful, and idolaters come to joyfully worship the one true God. The ultimate purpose of the Word of God is not theological information but heart and life transformation. Biblical literacy and theological expertise are not, therefore, the end of the Word but a God-ordained means to an end, and the end is a radically transformed life because the worship at the center of that life has been reclaimed. This means it is dangerous to teach, discuss, and exegete the Word without this goal in view. It should be the goal of every seminary professor. It should be his prayer for every one of his students. It should cause him or her to make regular pastoral pleas to the students. It means recognizing that this student’s future ministry will never be shaped by his knowledge and skill alone but also, inevitably, by the condition of his heart.

Think about it. When a pastor has left his office and is at home yelling at his wife, he’s not ignorant of the fact that his yelling is wrong. At that point he doesn’t care what is right or wrong, because something else is ruling his heart. When a pastor is responding to issues in his church in ways that are more political than pastoral, it’s not because he’s ignorant of the selfishness of this response but because he’s more committed to building his kingdom than God’s. When a pastor is eaten with envy over the ministry position of another, he isn’t giving way to envy out of ignorance of its danger but because his self-absorbed heart feels entitled to what is a blessing and not a right.

Have we accomplished our training task if we produce generations of graduates who have big theological brains but tragically diseased hearts? Must we not hold together theological training and personal transformation? Should we not require every seminary classroom to be faithful to God’s intended purpose for his Word? Shouldn’t every seminary professor have pastoral love for his students? Shouldn’t every instructor long to be used of God to produce a growing love for Christ in each of his students?

I am convinced that the crisis of pastoral culture often begins in the seminary class. It begins with a distant, impersonal, information-based handling of the Word of God. It begins with pastors who, in their seminary years, became quite comfortable with holding God’s Word distant from their own hearts. It begins with classrooms that are academic without being pastoral. It begins with brains becoming more important than hearts. It begins with test scores being more important than character. The problem with all of these things is that they’re subtle and deceptive. They don’t exist in a black-or-white world of either/or but in a messy world of both/and. Yes, every seminary professor would say that he cares about the hearts of his students. All of us would say that we want to stimulate love for Christ. The question is, does this goal shape the content and process of the theological education to which we have given ourselves?

Tripp, P.D. (2012). Dangerous Calling: Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry. Wheaton, IL: Crossway)

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Recently on BreakPoint, I said that it took a lot of courage to be a Christian in Iraq. Just two years ago, the Obama administration called what ISIS was doing to Iraqi Christians “genocide.”

Unfortunately, there are other places in the world where being a Christians requires a lot of courage as well, and, where the treatment of Christians merits the word “genocide.”

One such place: Nigeria. By most estimates, the population of Nigeria is almost evenly divided between Muslims and Christians. That religious split largely follows geographic lines: The northern part of the country is predominantly Muslim, the eastern and southern parts of the country heavily Christian. The middle, sometimes called the “Middle Belt,” is ethnically and religiously diverse.

Not surprisingly, what makes Nigeria so dangerous for Christians originates in the Islamic north. There, Christians have been on the receiving end of a campaign Open Doors calls “religious cleansing,” that is, an attempt “to eradicate Christianity” from the region.

One of the most notorious Islamist terrorist groups in the world, Boko Haram, is responsible for killing thousands of Christians and displacing countless more in northern Nigeria. But Boko Haram isn’t the only group targeting Christians there.

In a statement released in late June, Christian leaders claimed that “over 6,000 persons—mostly children, women and the aged—have been maimed and killed in night raids by armed Fulani herdsmen.”

The Fulani are an ethnic group who are overwhelmingly Muslim, and their raids are not always at night. In April, Fulani herdsman attacked a group of Christians during Sunday mass, killing two priests and seventeen parishioners. The same attackers then razed fifty homes belonging to Christians. In fact, earlier in the year, on New Year’s Day, 72 people died at the hands of a Fulani attack.

In their statement, Nigerian Christian leaders also complained about the “continuous abduction of under aged Christian girls by Muslim youths…” These girls “are forcefully converted to Islam and taken in for marriage without the consent of their parents.”

The language used by Christian leaders in Nigeria in their statement to describe what is happening, “pure genocide,” is hard to disagree with. As was the call, directed toward the national government to “stop this senseless … blood shedding… and avoid a state of complete anarchy where the people are forced to defend themselves.”

Unfortunately, Nigerian officials are downplaying, if not outright denying, the religious dimension of what’s happening. Instead, they’re calling this a conflict over resources, in this case, over land.

Don’t believe it. For starters, the security forces are, in the words of the statement, “skewed to one religion and one region of the country,” that is, Islam and the Islamic north.

What’s more, this idea conveniently glosses over the one-sided nature of the violence in the region: The Fulani are the hammer and the Christians are the nails.

Finally, any student of the history of genocide or ethnic cleansing knows that conflicts over resources are often just the trigger that unleashes the sort of mass violence we’re currently seeing in the nation of Nigeria.

So, what can we do about this? First, we must pray, continually, for our brothers and sisters there. Second, we have to encourage the White House to continue pressing Nigeria about what’s happening in its Middle Belt, as it did during an April meeting with the Nigerian president.

President Trump called what’s happening then a “serious problem.” That’s an understatement. It’s past time to make sure that the response to the problem is equally as serious and not understated at all.

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Nehemiah resists the efforts of the adversaries to discourage him or distract him from working on the wall. He is convinced that he is doing the right thing, and he steadfastly resists the interference. The Old Testament often has a literal illustration of a spiritual truth that is explained in the New Testament. In Ephesians 6:11, we read that we are to “put on the whole armor of God”: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Once these are in place, we “resist”–“stand firm!” (Quiet Walk)

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Chick-fil-A has once again emerged as America’s top-rated fast food restaurant, according to a report from the American Customer Satisfaction Index.

The Christian Post reports that the ACSI rates restaurants on a 100-point scale, and Chick-fil-A scored an 87. The survey polled 22,522 customers.

Panera Bread and Subway, were the only other fast food restaurants on the list to score 80 or higher.

Next in the rankings were Arby’s (79), Starbucks (78), and Dunkin’ Donuts (78).

This marks the third year in a row that Chick-fil-A has topped the ACSI’s list. Additionally, before Chick-fil-A came on the scene, no restaurant had scored higher than 86.

In addition to providing delicious chicken sandwiches, Chick-fil-A restaurants prioritize excellent customer service and Christian values, such as being closed on Sundays and playing Christian music in their establishments. ACSI also credited Chick-fil-A’s “product focus” as a reason for their continued success.

Although the fast food chain often comes under criticism for these Christian values, it also continues to be popular with customers, as the ACSI report shows.

As far as full-service restaurants on the list, Texas Roadhouse ranked highest (83), followed by Cracker Barrel (81), Longhorn Steakhouse (81), and Olive Garden (80).

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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.

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