PSALM 93
God is on the throne verse 1
The LORD reigns – HE is clothed with majesty
the LORD is clothed with strength
wherewith HE has girded HIMSELF
the world also is stablished
that it cannot be moved
God is on an everlasting throne verse 2
YOUR throne is established of old – YOU are from everlasting
God is mightier that the greatest waves verse 3- 4
The floods have lifted up – O LORD
the floods have lifted up their voice
the floods lift up their waves
The LORD on high is MIGHTIER
than the noise of many waters
yea
than the mighty waves of the sea
God reigns in holiness verse 5
YOUR testimonies are very sure
HOLINESS becomes YOUR house
O LORD – for ever
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 “The LORD reigns, HE is clothed with majesty; The LORD is clothed, HE has girded HIMSELF with strength. Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). (Clothed – 3847 לָבַשׁ [labash, labesh /law·bash/] v. A primitive root; TWOT 1075; GK 4252; 112 occurrences; AV translates as “clothe” 51 times, “put on” 22 times, “put” 18 times, “array” six times, “wear” four times, “armed” three times, “came” three times, “apparel” once, “apparelled” once, “clothed them” once, “came upon” once, and “variant” once. 1 to dress, wear, clothe, put on clothing, be clothed. 1A (Qal). 1A1 to put on clothes, be clothed, wear. 1A2 to put on, be clothed with (fig.). 1B (Pual) to be fully clothed. 1C (Hiphil) to clothe, array with, dress. James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001).
DEVOTION: A familiar saying is that “clothing makes a man!” The psalmist seems to have understood this as he speaks of this Royal psalm. He describes the Lord as dressed in garments of victory! He is described as dressed in majesty and power, regally established as victor over all the earth. Such a description inspires the reader to celebrate God as King compared with the Canaanite thought of power and strength in their religion.
As you celebrate the Lord’s Day may you also be clothed also with the clothes that Christ brings us to wear. For the battle, armor (Ephesians 6) and in your relationships put on (clothe) yourselves with “tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another…but above all these things put on love…” (Colossians 3:12-14).
CHALLENGE: See yourself as a believer clothed with the truths of God’s word not with the lies of the world. (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 2 YOUR throne is established of old: YOU are from everlasting. (3559 “established” [kuwn] means to prepare, make ready, to erect, to determine, fix, appoint, to make firm, to be set up or founded, or be bent on)
DEVOTION: In our society we are used to things being set up and then to be taken down. It is hard to get things to last. It seems that nothing is forever. Yet we know that the LORD is forever and HIS throne is going to stay where it is forever.
God wants us to know that HE is not going to get old or die or fail to keep us save from those who what to hurt us. HE is going to make sure that we know that we can count on HIM to help us through all the trials of life.
Too often we find that people will let us down but the LORD will never let us down. HE is there to help those who trust HIM. HE is there for those who are willing to serve HIM. HE is there for those who need HIS help at anytime or anywhere.
Kings on earth come and go but HE is eternal.
CHALLENGE: Trusting in HIM to be there whenever we need HIS is a great promise that HE will never break.
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: 3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. (6963 “voice” [qowl] means noise, sound, thunder, proclamation, the auditory effect produced by a given cause, report.)
DEVOTION: We have two views in this verse and the next. In this verse we are looking from the human perspective. We see the floods coming our way. We have many trials and temptations and they seem to be without end as a flood coming down a valley toward a village. The people in the village see the mountains in each side and the flood waters coming toward them with a force that is going to destroy the village and they seem to have nowhere to turn.
If we look at things from our perspective without thinking about how God is right by the side of those who are followers of HIM, we can panic. That should not be the attitude of a believer. Too often we need to rest in the LORD during out daily time in this world.
The Psalmist has keep the right perspective if his faith is to grow. We need it as well today if we are going to grow in our faith.
The LORD promises to never send more than we can take. HE promises to be right by our side each day of our life if we only trust HIM.
Too often we think HE is sending more than we can take but HE wants to stretch us. HE wants our faith to grow.
CHALLENGE: Allow the LORD to stretch our faith each day. It will help us trust HIM more and grow.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 4 The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. (4791 “high” [marowm] means above, heaven, upward, elevated site, the highest and most remote part, lofty, any thing far off.)
DEVOTION: There is a LOT of noise in our world. There is the noise of cars and trucks on the road. There is the noise of television and radio. There is the noise of other devices like cell phones. There is the noise of just other people talking. So, there is a lot of noise to distract us from the LORD.
Here we find that the LORD can speak above the noise of the world we are living in on a daily basis. We need to TRY to find a quiet place to study HIS Word and pray. It is not easy with our busy life. We add way too much stuff into each day.
Once we find a quiet place and talk with the LORD and read HIS Word we can think about what HE expects of us each day. Remember each day is a new day to do HIS work in our world. HE will open the right doors and we will meet the right people to witness to or to just encourage.
God wants us to know that we are here for a reason. We are HIS representatives to the LORD and we know that most of the people we know need the LORD and what HE can do in their life. We are the ones HE will send out each day to grow in our spiritual life and help others to grow or become believers.
CHALLENGE: HE speaks through us to a noisy world.
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: 5 Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becomes YOUR house, O LORD, forever. (6944 “holiness” [qodesh] means a sacred place or thing, sanctity, consecrated, dedicate, hallow, or saint.)
DEVOTION: How do we worship today? Do we enter into the presence of the LORD as if HE is still on the throne of this world? Do we think that HE is confused by what is going on in our world? Do we think that HE has weakened with age? Our God is very old. HE is ancient. HE is everlasting. HE is eternal. HE is without beginning or end.
This is a psalm of praise to the greatness of the LORD. HE is full of majesty. HE is full of strength. HE is not going to be moved. HE is on the throne.
Many voices are trying to drown out the voice of the LORD but HE is mightier than them all. We sometimes listen to the wrong voices in our life. We sometimes believe that every religion is a way to God but that is not so. HE is the only voice we should listen to and HIS voice is heard in the Word of God or Bible. Praise HIS name.
God’s people are to come into HIS house realizing that it is a consecrated place. God’s house in the Old Testament was found in Jerusalem. Today God’s house is in the heart of all those who confess their sins and have Christ in their heart.
Our bodies have become the temple of God. The Holy Spirit indwells us. With the Holy Spirit indwelling us we can understand the testimonies of the LORD. HIS Word is always true. HIS Word is always sure. What HE says will happen. It WILL happen. When we think of the LORD, we should think of his majesty and strength. Our God is not weak. HE is still on the throne!!!
CHALLENGE: Remember that the day you became a follower of the LORD you were consecrated to HIS service. We are to serve as a saint, which means, that we are to be individuals who act sanctified.)
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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)
Psalm of worship of the LORD verse 1- 5
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Testimonies are very sure verse 5
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1, 3- 5
Reigns verse 1
Clothed with majesty verse 1
Clothed with strength verse 1
Creator verse 1
Throne verse 2
Everlasting verse 2
Mighty verse 4
LORD on high verse 4
Holiness verse 5
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)
World is established verse 1
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Holiness become God’s house verse 5
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Existence of God everlasting verse 2
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QUOTES regarding passage
93:3–4. The psalmist praised the might of the Lord, which is greater than the seas with their raging waves and roaring noise. In the Old Testament the sea is sometimes an emblem of hostility (cf. Isa. 17:12–13). In pagan Canaanite mythology Baal attained a position of power (and a house that was corrupt) through struggling with and overcoming Prince Yamm, the sea (in Heb. yām means “sea”). But these two verses, a polemic against Baalism, show that the Lord, not Baal, is mightier than the … sea. The sea is not mythological; it is a force of nature under God’s power (e.g., the Red Sea, Pss. 106:9; 114:3, 5). (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. 861). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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There is meanwhile no belittling of ‘the surge’s angry shock’, whose pounding (cf. neb), rather than roaring, is expressed in the last word of verse 3 and in the relentless repetitions of these lines. This is, pictorially, the hostile scene familiar to us at ground-level, faced here in its full fury with biblical realism; yet outfaced in verse 4, with equal realism, by the glory of God. Mighty, in both its occurrences (see footnote), has the ring of majesty, as in Psalm 8:1 (2, Heb.); and this psalm’s presentation of the majesty on high can add its own virile tone to our invocation of God, ‘who art in heaven’. (Kidner, D. (1975). Psalms 73–150: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 16, p. 371). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
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The raging seas and the pounding waves are often used as symbols of the rise and fall of the nations and the great noise that rulers make as they try to impress people. (See 46:1–3, 6; 60:5; 65:6–7; 74:13–14; Isa. 17:12–13; 51:15; 60:5; Jer. 31:5; 51:42; Dan. 7:1–3; Luke 21:25; Rev. 13:1; 17:15.) God used the Euphrates River to illustrate the Assyrians (Isa. 8:7–8), and He connected Egypt with the Nile River (Jer. 46:7–8). No matter how stormy the nations on earth may become, God is still on His throne and is not frustrated by the foolish words and deeds of “great leaders” who are only made of clay. Do not focus on the threats around you; focus on the throne above you (see 29; Isa. 6; Rev. 4–5). (Wiersbe, W. W. (2004). Be exultant (1st ed., p. 22). Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries.)
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Psalm 93. Never a maritime people, the Jews found the sea mysterious and awesome. This poet has watched wave after wave lift up and pound the shore, listened to their roar and crash, pondered their immeasurable power, and thought of God.
But is that impressive seascape all that stirs the poet’s mind? After the Babylonian exile (and possibly before) the myth of God’s struggles with chaos, the great deep, to establish the solid earth, was certainly known (cf. Pss. 74; 89; 104). Moreover, “the Lord reigns” was the watchword of the New Year festival’s acknowledgment that God is King, his holy rule unending. The psalm thus became a festival carol for New Year, rejoicing again in the sovereignty of the Lord over nature and time. (White, R. E. O. (1995). Psalms. In Evangelical Commentary on the Bible (Vol. 3, p. 390). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.)
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93:3, 4 The sea with all its power is nothing in comparison to the power of God. The doubling and tripling of expressions throughout this psalm (vv. 1, 3, 4) are poetic means of generating literary energy and emphasis. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ps 93:3). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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Ver. 3. The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice, &c.] The Targum adds, “in a song,” taking the words in a good sense; and so some of the ancients, as Jerome particularly, understood them of the apostles and their ministrations; who lifted up their voice like a trumpet, which went into all the world, and unto the ends of the earth; and who came with the fulness of the gifts and graces of the spirit, and were attended with a force and power which bore down all before them: but rather by the floods are meant the enemies of Christ, his kingdom, and interest; and by their lifting up their voice, the opposition made by them thereunto; see Isa. 8:7, 8 and 17:12, 13; Psal. 124:4, 5 and 18:4 this was fulfilled in the Jews and Gentiles, who raged, like foaming waves of the sea, against Christ, and lifted up their voices to have him crucified; in the Roman emperors, and in the ten persecutions under them; in those floods of errors and heresies, which the dragon has cast out of his mouth to devour the church of Christ, against which the spirit of the Lord has lifted up a standard in all ages; in the antichristian kingdoms, compared to many waters, on which the whore of Rome is said to sit, Rev. 17:1, 15 and especially in antichrist himself, who has opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, his tabernacle, and they that dwell therein; and will be further fulfilled in the last persecution and slaying of the witnesses, and in the Gog and Magog army, which shall encompass the beloved city and camp of the saints. Kimchi interprets it of Gog and Magog, and of the kings that shall be gathered together to fight against Jerusalem: the floods lift up their waves; with great strength, making a great noise, and threatening with ruin and destruction, as before. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 4, p. 102). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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3. “The floods have lifted up, O Lord.” Men have raged like angry waves of the sea, but vain has been their tumult. Observe that the Psalmist turns to the Lord when he sees the billows foam, and hears the breakers roar; he does not waste his breath by talking to the waves, or to violent men; but like Hezekiah he spreads the blasphemies of the wicked before the Lord. “The floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves.” These repetitions are needed for the sake both of the poetry and the music, but they also suggest the frequency and the violence of wicked assaults upon the government of God, and the repeated defeats which they sustain. Sometimes men are furious in words—they lift up their voice, and at other times they rise to acts of violence—they lift up their waves; but the Lord has control over them in either case. The ungodly are all foam and fury, noise and bluster, during their little hour, and then the tide turns or the storm is hushed, and we hear no more of them; while the kingdom of the Eternal abides in the grandeur of its power. (Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 88-110 (Vol. 4, p. 135). 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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An old Chinese proverb says that if you want to know what water is, don’t ask the fish. Why shouldn’t we ask the fish about water? I asked that question to a group of high schoolers years ago, and they replied, “because fish can’t talk?”
No, you don’t ask fish about water because fish don’t even know they’re wet. Fish don’t know anything other than the water.
Culture is to humans what water is to fish. It is the air we breathe, the environment we think is normal. Because of this, we often forget that culture could be different than it is unless we travel to another culture or take note of a cultural change. That means we tend to accept culture as it is, rather than asking whether culture is good or bad.
That’s why it’s so important that Christians find ways to step out of culture from time to time, to intentionally look at and evaluate our cultural moment. So often we get distracted by the noisier stuff in our culture and lose sight of what’s important. But, as Brett Kunkle and I discuss in our book A Practical Guide to Culture, the louder parts of our culture are rarely the most important parts of our culture.
In recent years, our cultural moment has become more and more relentless. We are pounded by issue after issue, such as addiction, the rise in suicidal ideation, the ever-growing list of identities and acronyms, and the onslaught of social media dominating every moment of every day. The issues are like pounding waves. They seem endless, and we feel them.
However, there are also aspects of culture that we don’t feel. Like the ocean, in addition to the waves we see and feel, there are undercurrents we barely notice until they sweep us out to sea. These currents lurk beneath the surface, dramatically altering the landscape of our culture.
One of the most significant cultural undercurrents is what historians and scholars call “the age of information.” We live in a noisy world that is saturated with content. Today, you will likely encounter more information than someone who lived hundreds of years ago would have seen in their entire lifetime. The sheer amount of information available to us is stunning and historically unprecedented.
Information is not neutral. Information carries and communicates ideas. These ideas may be true or false, but they are not neutral. Ideas matter. Ideas have consequences. Bad ideas have victims.
In other words, the age of information is also the age of ideas. Ideas have a source. This means we also live in an age of competing authorities. (Break Point)
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Daily Hope
Today’s Scripture
Job 24-28
The tragedies that are occurring today with evil and sadness being present is indeed heartbreaking. From a mother throwing her son into a dumpster to another hosing down their child and leaving him outside to die in the cold is simply unimaginable. Just as chilling are educated and elected officials calling for refusal of care for individuals because of different views or opinions.
These are some of the news items that have recently entered our headlines. Like in Job’s time, these events may cause people to question the righteous judgments of God. Is He concerned for the poor, downtrodden, and helpless? Bildad indicates that man is not righteous and should fear the consequence of the condemnation of sin.
Despite the fact of evil and sinfulness surrounding them, Job asserts that God is sovereign and very attentive to care for both the just and the unjust. His majesty is presented in the general revelation of nature and in the skies and heavens that daily display His works!
Although Job is at a loss to why God would choose to treat him as He did, Job steadfastly trusted and committed himself to his God. He continued to teach and present the truths that he knew God had revealed. The wicked will be judged even though they ignore the coming judgment!
Job concludes this section with a question that correlates with our society and the issues we face, “…where can wisdom be found?” (28:12). With all the education available and the high emphasis on learning today, the reality is many are still searching for answers and knowledge. Job determines that wisdom is the fear of the Lord and departing from evil is understanding (28:28).
While sin is darkening our society and answers are being given similar to Job’s friends responses, how do we respond? Are we prepared for the difficult questions and the societal convulsion of sin in our world? A good resource to assist you when questions are presented is Evidence That Demands a Verdict, Volumes 1 & 2 by Josh McDowell or The Apologetics Study Bible.
With an Expectant Hope, Pastor Miller
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Abraham’s Intercession Test
“I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.” (Genesis 18:21-22)
Three “men” stood before Abraham’s tent, two of whom were later revealed to be angels (Genesis 18:2; 19:1). One of them, however, was none other than the Creator Himself (as the visible Word of God), who told Abraham of the beginning of the fulfillment of His earlier promise of a son (Genesis 18:10, 14).
As the Lord reiterated the promise (now nearly 25 years dormant), the confrontation with Sarah began (Genesis 18:9- 15). She “laughs” at the repeated promise, citing her old and “worn out” body as an excuse. Most noteworthy here is the immediate response of God: “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” (Genesis 18:14). Although Sarah mocked the Lord’s promise, Abraham reacted with the laughter of joy and anticipation. His faith was now firm and confident (Genesis 18:16-22).
As God told him of His immediate plan to judge Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham began his intercession on behalf of any righteous residents there (Genesis 18:23-32). Yet, even though the Lord yielded each time to Abraham’s limiting request, it was clear that the wickedness of those cities would come under the righteous judgment of a holy God.
Abraham “returned unto his place” (Genesis 18:33), knowing that while he had prayed for God’s grace, he was satisfied that God’s judgment was “righteous altogether” (Psalm 19:9). The contrast of attitude toward God’s Word is on display in this section of Scripture. “Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves” (Psalm 100:3). (HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
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THE WORD OF GOD AND THE SPIRIT
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides for ever. 1 Peter 1:23
In order to do His work, the Spirit uses the Word of God. First, He reveals, through the Word, the great love of God to sinners in general: “God…for his great love wherewith he loved us…” (Ephesians 2:4) and so on.
Second, He presents and offers salvation in Christ; through His people, He states the facts about Christ. That is the business of preachers of the gospel. It is to give the record of the life, the death, the resurrection, and the resurrection appearances of our Lord. What is preaching? It is proclaiming these facts about Christ. Not only that—it is an explanation of the fact, the meaning of the facts, how these facts constitute salvation and are the cause, the means, of salvation. So in the preaching of the Word in the power of the Holy Spirit, these facts and their interpretation are presented
Then the Holy Spirit calls us to repentance. He calls everyone to repentance, all men and women everywhere, because of these facts, because of “that man whom he hath ordained,” by whom the whole world is going to be judged in righteousness (Acts 17:31).
And finally the Holy Spirit calls us to faith in Christ. Take again those words of Paul in his farewell message to the church at Ephesus. What did Paul testify? What did he preach? It was “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). He called men and women to faith in Christ in order that they might obtain forgiveness of sins and inherit eternal life. That was the way in which our Lord commissioned Paul on the road to Damascus. He said that He was going to send him to the people and to the Gentiles “to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me” (Acts 26:18).
A Thought to Ponder
The Spirit uses the Word of God.
(From God the Holy Spirit, pp. 51-52, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Vessels of Honor
“If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:21)
There are several metaphors used by the New Testament writers to help us understand aspects of God’s Kingdom. “Fowls” make a home in the mustard seed “tree” (Matthew 13:31-32). “Tares” grow up with the “wheat” (Matthew 13:25). A “house” represents the church of God (1 Timothy 3:15), in which are both honorable and dishonorable “vessels” (2 Timothy 2:20).
The first step in becoming an honorable vessel is to “purge” oneself from that which is dishonorable. The Greek term ekkathairo and its derivatives all are connected to active cleansing from falsehoods and defilements, as well as separation from those who tolerate ungodliness. “Purge out therefore the old leaven,” Paul insists, “that ye may be a new lump” (1 Corinthians 5:7). Those who are the twice-born are to “possess” their “vessel” in honor (1 Thessalonians 4:4). Some, like Paul, are “chosen vessels” (Acts 9:15).
All who would seek “honorable” service must be sanctified (set apart) for the Master’s use. “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). An honorable vessel must be prepared (ready) for good works.
Honorable and effective service in the house of God requires that such vessels must be willing to “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts” (1 Peter 3:15). There is no greater honor than being counted “sanctified, and meet for the master’s use.” (HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
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KNOWING GOD
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9
Is it possible to know God? Here I have to introduce a term, a big and yet vital word. The Bible teaches what is called the incomprehensibility of God. It means that God cannot finally be comprehended or understood by human beings. It means that we can read around the doctrine of God and try to grasp it with our minds, but by definition God is incomprehensible; we can never know Him in the ultimate, final, and complete sense. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Read about this also in Romans 11:33 and 1 Timothy 6:16. God dwells in that light that no one can approach. God in His eternal and absolute being is incomprehensible.
Yet we see that though God is finally incomprehensible, He is nevertheless knowable; He cannot be comprehended, but, thank God, He can be known. Let us be clear about this. There are those who would have us believe that God cannot be known in His real being, that He can only be known in His dealings with men and women. But that is a position that is quite wrong when you bring it into the light of biblical teaching. The knowledge that we have of God’s being will never be anything but a partial knowledge, but though it is partial, it is nevertheless real; though it is not complete, it is true knowledge, enough to lead us to glorify Him. And we have this knowledge of God because it has pleased God Himself to give it to us.
A Thought to Ponder: Though God is incomprehensible, He is nevertheless knowable; He cannot be comprehended, but He can be known. (From God the Father, God the Son, p. 51, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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DAWKINS TARGETING TEENS AND CHILDREN WITH ATHEISM (Friday Church News Notes, August 10, 2018,www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) – Richard Dawkins, one of the leaders of the “new atheist” movement, is targeting teens and children with atheist propaganda. Dawkins, author of The God Delusion, said the book for teens will be titled Outgrowing God, while the one for children is yet to be named. The man is on a ridiculous rampage against the Creator, while admitting that he has no clue how life began. In an interview with Ben Stein that was published in the documentary Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, Dawkins said that life might have been “seeded on to this planet” by aliens. This is not science; it is science fiction; it is “Never-Never land.” The glorious gospel according to Richard Dawkins is that man is the product of blind chance, he has no ultimate purpose, he is bound by no absolute laws, and when he is dead he is dead. In Dawkins’ sad world, man is alone in a meaningless, dying universe; alone, without help and without hope. The gospel according to Richard Dawkins is a recipe for despair and suicide, and if it were true, the very act of writing and publishing books would be a meaningless exercise. If what Dawkins believes is true, nothing in life means anything, ultimately, and it does not matter what one believes. He has no dogmatic basis for saying that anything is true or that anything is wrong. As a mere animal, his opinion is no more significant than that of a worm. But Richard Dawkins is wrong. He is willfully blind. There is overwhelming evidence of an Almighty, all-wise Creator, and overwhelming evidence that the Bible is God’s compassionate revelation to man. Bible-believing homes and churches need to wake up and prepare their children to face the fierce skepticism of this age. I personally know of a pastor’s son who professed atheism by reading the deceitful musings of the “new atheists” online. The Bible twice says, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God…” (Psalm 14:1; 53:1). (We recommend An Unshakeable Faith: A Christian Apologetics Course and The Mobile Phone and the Christian Home and Church: A Youth Discipleship Course, both of which are available from www.wayoflife.org.)
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Get ‘Em While They’re Young
How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. PSALM 119:9
For many years George Barna has been a leading researcher on Church and cultural trends in America. When he appeared on our radio broadcast, I posed a question I’d always wanted to ask him: “What was the most stunning set of data you ever received?”
This is a man who isn’t stunned by much. Even though he’s become well known for exposing very troubling patterns in our society, his findings rarely surprise him.
This one did. He took a national sample of 13-year-olds and compared them with a sampling of adults comprising every age segment. On 12 core spiritual perspectives, he discovered no difference between any of the groups. In other words, the things a person believes by age 13 are pretty much what he or she will die believing.
This tells me something: We don’t need to wait until our children are teenagers before we expect them to be able to understand major biblical truths. Things like being saved by grace through faith, not by good deeds. Things like how our hearts are naturally inclined to sin and that as a result, they need forgiveness.
As Charles Spurgeon said, “A child who knowingly sins can savingly believe.”
Dwight Moody was speaking to a group of children in Scotland when he rhetorically asked them, “What is sin?” One of the children replied, “Sin is transgression of the law of God”—straight out of the catechism. Amazed, Moody responded, “Children, you must thank God that you have grown up in Scotland”—where they were systematically taught the Bible from an early age.
I pray that our children will thank God they have grown up in our homes, where they are learning the Scriptures and learning how to live. (Moments with You Couples Devotional by Dennis and Barbara Rainey)
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He Serves (Phil. 2:7)
Thinking of “others” in an abstract sense only is insufficient; we must get down to the nitty-gritty of true service. A famous philosopher wrote glowing words about educating children but abandoned his own. It was easy for him to love children in the abstract, but when it came down to practice, that was something else. Jesus thought of others and became a servant! Paul traces the steps in the humiliation of Christ: (1) He emptied Himself, laying aside the independent use of His own attributes as God; (2) He permanently became a human, in a sinless physical body; (3) He used that body to be a servant; (4) He took that body to the cross and willingly died.
What grace! From heaven to earth, from glory to shame, from Master to servant, from life to death, “even the death of the cross!” In the Old Testament Age, Christ had visited earth on occasion for some special ministry (Gen. 18 is a case in point), but these visits were temporary. When Christ was born at Bethlehem, He entered into a permanent union with humanity from which there could be no escape. He willingly humbled Himself that He might lift us up! Note that Paul uses the word “form” again in Philippians 2:7, “the outward expression of the inward nature.” Jesus did not pretend to be a servant; He was not an actor playing a role. He actually was a servant! This was the true expression of His innermost nature. He was the God-Man, Deity and humanity united in one, and He came as a servant.
Have you noticed as you read the four Gospels that it is Jesus who serves others, not others who serve Jesus? He is at the beck and call of all kinds of people—fishermen, harlots, tax collectors, the sick, the sorrowing. “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28). In the Upper Room, when His disciples apparently refused to minister, Jesus arose, laid aside His outer garments, put on the long linen towel, and washed their feet! (John 13) He took the place of a menial slave! This was the submissive mind in action—and no wonder Jesus experienced such joy!
During the American Civil War, Gen. George B. McClellan was put in charge of the great Army of the Potomac, mainly because public opinion was on his side. He fancied himself to be a great military leader and enjoyed hearing the people call him “a young Napoleon.” However, his performance was less than sensational. President Lincoln commissioned him General-in-Chief, hoping this would get some action; but still he procrastinated. One evening, Lincoln and two of his staff members went to visit McClellan, only to learn that he was at a wedding. The three men sat down to wait, and an hour later the general arrived home. Without paying any attention to the President, McClellan went upstairs and did not return. Half an hour later, Lincoln sent the servant to tell McClellan that the men were waiting. The servant came back to report McClellan had gone to bed!
His associates angry, Lincoln merely got up and led the way home. “This is no time to be making points of etiquette and personal dignity,” the President explained. “I would hold McClellan’s horse if he will only bring us success.” This attitude of humility was what helped to make Lincoln a great man and a great President. He was not thinking of himself; he was thinking of serving others. Service is the second mark of the submissive mind. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, pp. 74–75). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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A 2014 poll found that roughly one-third of Americans seldom or never attend religious services in churches, mosques or other “houses of worship.” A new survey explores all the reasons why they stay at home.
The Aug. 1 Pew Research Center survey found that among adults who seldom or never attend services, 37 percent do so because they say they practice their faith “in other ways.”
The other reasons are varied:
28 percent – “I am not a believer.”
23 percent – “I haven’t found a church or other house of worship I like.”
18 percent – “I don’t like the sermons.”
14 percent – “I don’t feel welcome.”
12 percent – “I don’t have the time.”
9 percent – “I’m in poor health or find it difficult to get around.”
7 percent – “There isn’t a church or other house of worship for my religion in my area.”
The 2014 survey found that 30 percent of Americans seldom or never attend religious services.
Meanwhile, among Americans who attend services at least once a month, the new poll found that 81 percent do so to become closer to God, 69 percent so their children will have a moral foundation, 68 percent to make them a “better person,” and 66 percent to give them comfort in troubled times.
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