PSALM 120
Psalmist receives answered prayer verse 1
In my distress I cried to the LORD
and HE heard me
Psalmist needed deliverance verse 2- 4
Deliver my soul – O LORD
from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue
what shall be given to you?
or what shall be done to you – you false tongue?
sharp arrows of the mighty – with coals of juniper
Psalmist describes his enemies as hostile barbarians verse 5
Woe is me – that I sojourn in Mesech
that I dwell in the tents of Kedar
Psalmist contrasts believer with unbeliever verse 6- 7
My soul has long dwelt with him that hates peace
I am for peace
BUT when I speak – they are for war
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 In my distress I cried to the LORD, and HE heard me. (6869 “distress” [tsarah] means an oppressive state of physical, mental, social, or economic adversity, trouble, affliction, adversity, anguish, or tribulation.)
DEVOTION: Most of us understand having times of distress in our lives. Some of them happen when we are growing up and others happen to us throughout our lives. We have to meet each of these time periods with our emotions.
One of the great blessings we have as believers is that each time we have one of these time periods in our life we can turn to the LORD in prayer and ask HIM for help to face whatever trouble we have within ourselves or something that others have put on our plate to face.
God wants us to bring all of these times to HIM in prayer and wait for HIM to help us through each one. HE is willing to help and if we put our trust in HIM, we will know what to do because of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our life.
Those who are genuine believers have to learn to wait on the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom in each of these times that the enemy is attacking us. Our enemy wants us to panic and sometimes even good believers fall into that trap until they come to their senses and turn the problem over to the LORD and wait for HIM to give us an answer.
Our responsibility is to call on the LORD in prayer and listen to HIS answer to our present situation.
The author of this Psalm had to do it and we have to do the same in our lives. If we try to handle it ourselves without prayer, we usually do something wrong. Then we have to take more time to get it right. If we get it right the first time then we can move on to see what the enemy is going to send our way next.
CHALLENGE: We need to cry or pray to the LORD right away and then wait for HIM to answer the prayer through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Waiting on the LORD is not easy but it is the only answer we have to conquer all the arrows of the devil.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 2 Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue. (7423 “deceitful” [r@miyah] means fraud, laxness, slackness, treachery, idle, or slothful. This is the beginning of fifteen psalms of ascent.)
DEVOTION: It is thought that these were sung as the pilgrims headed up the hill to the temple to worship. This first one is a prayer for deliverance from people who were saying false things about the psalmist. The psalmist is crying out to the LORD for help. He realized that the LORD heard him.
He restates what he is praying for to the LORD. He is praying for the LORD to control the mouths of those who are spread rumors about him. They were lying about him. They were treacherous in what they were saying.
Gossip is sometimes spreading truth that doesn’t need to be said or is the spreading of a lie. One this occasion it is lies that is being spread and people believing them. The psalmist asks what it is going to profit the people who are spreading this falsehood. Words do hurt people. The old saying “sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me” is a lie. It does hurt.
The psalmist is hurt. He thinks he is living in the midst of barbarians as far as their actions are concerned. They want war while he wants peace. There should be peace among the people of God but there is a lot of war going on in our churches. The sad fact is that it is going on in Biblical churches. We need to watch our tongues in regard to others who are true to the Word of God.
We are not at war with each other but the enemy. The enemy is Satan and his servants. There are many false teachers in the churches in our nation and around the world. They are changing the gospel message that Jesus is the only way to heaven. The Bible teaches that HE is the only way!!! Let us work together with those who love the LORD.
CHALLENGE: When we enter the church to worship let it be with peace on our hearts and in our mouths. Ask the LORD to deliver us from spreading gossip whether it is true or false.
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: 3 What shall be given to you? Or what shall be done to you, you false tongue? (7423 “false” [ramiyah] means treacherous, slack, loose, slackly, the quality of being fraudulent, a letting down, deception, fraud, or indolence)
DEVOTION: Those who are not followers of the LORD don’t have any problems saying things that are false. This is done to make them look good to their friends. They like to be the center of attention and one of the ways they get attention is when they say things that are false about their life and actions.
Many times those who don’t have a problem telling lies are willing to try to hurt those who don’t like to tell lies but like to tell the truth.
Those who like to tell the truth are usually those who are trying to honor the LORD. However, there are believers who sometimes have a problem with their tongue just like those who are not following the LORD. They sometimes like to liked and the only way that can happen is to tell lies about themselves regarding some of their actions.
Even those who are believers like to be liked by those around them and because of that they can even stretch the truth to the point of telling a lie to get others to like them. This is wrong but at the time it seems that the most important thing in the mind of a believer is to be liked.
It is not wrong to want to be liked but if it means not telling the truth we have to realize that the LORD is not pleased with this action and HE cannot bless us during this time period.
Our goal in life has to be to say the truth or at least not say anything at all regarding something that we know will be a false statement. God will bless us if we are willing to allow HIM to control our tongue regarding our truth telling.
CHALLENGE: Others will lie without any problem. Christians need to tell the truth, in order to, please the LORD. Watching our tongue is very important to our testimony.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 4 Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper. (7574 “juniper” [retamim] means broom plant, retem, genista, or broom bush.)
DEVOTION: The Psalmist is representing all those who go to Jerusalem to worship on the three special feasts that all Israelites are supposed to attend. He is living in midst of people who are wicked. They are liars. They are evil people. He is surrounded by them. He wants deliverance from the tongues.
Remember James 3: 6 informs us that the tongue “is a fire, a world of iniquity.” Words hurt. The Psalmist wants the LORD to deliver him from these people.
There is a mention of two locations in the Psalm. Mesech, which is near the Black Sea is the first location, Kedar which is part of the Arabian dessert is the second location. They are worlds apart but describe those who are pagan in their beliefs and actions. The children of Israel also had people who were not living for the LORD. They were acting like pagans instead of the people of God. The Psalmist goes to the LORD in prayer regarding these individuals that live around him.
Their tongues are described as sharp arrows and coals of juniper. The juniper referred to here is a bush that grows in the desert to a height of ten to fifteen feet. The juniper wood is used to keep people warm. It burns hotter than other wood. The coals, of this type of fire, stay hot longer than other wood. It is good for the people who need warmth.
It is used as an example of how the words of some people stay hot in the minds of those who are being confronted with these words. The Psalmist states that the words are lies but they burn deep within a person.
We need to be a people for peace even when others are people of war. There is a war of words going on today. Our words should be peaceful when they are spoken even if they cause others to become angry. We can quote the Word of God and some people will become very angry that we have even used the Bible.
Our responsibility to other believers is to be an encourager. Not an encourager to sin but an encourager to reconciliation of those who have strayed from the LORD. Our words make a difference. Our words should be kind enough to help someone who strays to return. Our words should be used to confront individuals enough to help them see the err of their way and help them return to the fellowship of fellow believers.
CHALLENGE: Do we understand how to have proper communications with other believers? Are we a encourager of or a discourager? Please practice being an encourager of the brethren. Ask the LORD for help in this area if it is hard for you.
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: 7 “I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war.” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). (War – 4421 מִלְחָמָה [milchamah /mil·khaw·maw/] n f. From 3898 (in the sense of fighting); TWOT 1104c; GK 4878; 319 occurrences; AV translates as “war” 158 times, “battle” 151 times, “fight” five times, “warriors + 6213” twice, “fighting + 6213” once, “war + 376” once, and “wars + 376” once. 1 battle, war. James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001).
DEVOTION: The title “song of ascents” identifies each of Psalms 120–134 as a pilgrim song to be sung when the Israelites “ascended” (went up) to Jerusalem for the annual feasts. [The Bible Knowledge Commentary, 882.] Pilgrims were on their way to celebrate and to offer sacrifices to the Lord. It was a wonderful time and a time of peace as the nation came together. Yet there were those who saw this as an opportunity to enrich themselves and rob, steal and plunder the pilgrims. Whether it is a holiday or a spiritual journey the enemies do not take breaks. The same is true of the enemy of our soul. When we desire peace and contentment the war is intensified through subtle words or actions. Often by the ones we love and respect. This week as we seek the peace of the Lord in worship or in personal quiet times recognize that enemy seeks to steal, kill maim and destroy. Be alert and on guard to His wicked schemes. (1 Peter 5:8)
CHALLENGE: For many, Sunday is a time of worship with fellow believers. Be prayed up and prepared for the subtle attacks the enemy will thrust at you! (Dr. Brian Miller –board member)
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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)
Prayer for deliverance from deceitful people verse 1-7
Cried verse 1
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1, 2
LORD hears prayers verse 1
LORD can deliver believers verse 2
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)
Soul verse 2, 6
Mighty verse 4
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Lying lips verse 2
Deceitful tongue verse 2
False tongue verse 3
Hate peace verse 6
War of words verse 7
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Distress verse 1
Cried [Prayer] verse 1
Wholehearted prayer verse 1
Answered prayer verse 1
Deliverance verse 2
Peace verse 7
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Sojourn in Mesech verse 5
Dwell in the tents of Kedar verse 5
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
Moreover, he will be burned with the fiery coals of the “broom tree,” a twelve-foot tree that provided good wood for fuel and coal. Such a fire could burn down the gates of the liar’s city. (Preacher’s Commentary)
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It is not likely that the psalmist was actually addressing his enemies, but this is the message God gave him in answer to his prayers. The writer did not need to attack the enemy, because the Lord would do it for him. Arrows and fire are images of their evil lying words, images that occur frequently in Scripture (55:21; 57:4; 59:7; 64:3–4; Prov. 16:27; 25:18; 26:18–19; Jer. 9:3, 8; James 3:6). The writer was confident that God would punish the enemy with their own weapons, but the consequences would be far worse. The arrows would be sharpened and shot at them by a mighty warrior, probably a reference to the Lord God Himself (24:8; Isa. 9:6, “Mighty God”). The broom tree is a desert shrub that affords shade (1 Kings 19:4), and its roots can be made into excellent charcoal. There is so much godless speech in our world today that believers must be careful what they hear and how it affects them. We must not only turn away our eyes from beholding vanity (119:37) but also turn away our ears from hearing foolishness. “Take heed what you hear” (Mark 4:24). When we are slandered and lied about, we must leave the matter with the Lord and trust Him to work. (Wiersbe, W. W. (2004). Be exultant (1st ed., p. 144). Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries.)
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Ver. 3. What shall be given unto thee, &c.] Or, what shall it give unto thee? That is, what shall the deceitful tongue give unto thee, O my soul? or to thee, to any one that hears and reads this psalm? It is capable of giving thee a deal of trouble, of doing thee a deal of mischief; and of injuring thy character, and hurting thy peace and comfort, if permitted. Or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue? or, what shall the false tongue add unto thee? it shall increase thy sorrows and distress: or rather, what gain, profit, and advantage, shall the deceitful tongue get to itself by its lies and deceit? none at all; it may do hurt to others, but gets no good to itself; see Isa. 28:15, 17. Or, what shall he (God) give unto thee? or, what shall he add unto thee, thou false tongue? so Jarchi. What punishment will not he inflict upon thee, who hates lying lips? what plagues will not he add unto thee, who knows all the deceit that is in thee, and spoken by thee? The answer is as follows:
Ver. 4. Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of Juniper.] Some think these words describe lying lips, and a false tongue; which are like arrows, sharp ones, sent out from a bow drawn with a mighty hand, which come with great force, suddenly and swiftly, and do much mischief; see Psal. 11:2 and 57:4 and 64:4 and to coals of juniper, very distressing and tormenting; the tongue being a fire, set on fire of hell, and sets on fire the course of nature; and throws out devouring words, which consume like fire, James 3:6; Psal. 52:4. But rather the punishment of an evil tongue from the Lord is intended, whose sore judgments are often compared to arrows, Deut. 32:23, 42; Ezek. 5:16; Psal. 7:13 because they come from above, and bring swift and sudden destruction with them; and are very sharp in the hearts of his enemies; are very severe and cutting, and come with power irresistible, being the arrows of the Almighty, Job 6:4 see Jer. 50:9 and these may be compared to coals of juniper, which are very vehement and strong, and very lasting and durable. Jerom and Isidorex say they will last a whole year; and the Midrash on the place reports of two men, who had prepared food with them, and at the end of a year returned and found them unextinct, and warmed their feet at them. These fitly express the lake of fire and brimstone, the portion of liars; whose fire is very strong, and flames devouring, being kindled by the breath of the Lord of hosts, like a stream of brimstone: and the fire of hell is everlasting; its burnings are everlasting burnings; a worm that dieth not, a fire that is not quenched; the smoke of the torments of which ascend for ever and ever, Isa. 30:23 and 33:14 and 66:24; Rev. 14:11 and 21:8. The Targum speaks of these arrows as lightnings from above, and of the coals of juniper as kindled in hell below; and they are interpreted of hell in the Talmud. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 4, pp. 241–242). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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3. “What shall be given unto thee?” What is the expected guerdon of slander? It ought to be something great, to make it worthwhile, to work in so foul an atmosphere and to ruin one’s soul. Could a thousand worlds be bribe enough for such villainous deeds? The liar shall have no welcome recompense: he shall meet with his deserts; but what shall they be? What punishment can equal his crime? The Psalmist seems lost to suggest a fitting punishment. It is the worst of offences—this detraction, calumny, and slander. Judgment sharp and crushing would be measured out to it if men were visited for their transgressions. But what punishment could be heavy enough? What form shall the chastisement take? O liar, “what shall be given unto thee?”
“Or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue?” How Shalt thou be visited? The law of retaliation can hardly meet the case, since none can slander the slanderer, he is too black to be blackened; neither would any of us blacken him if we could. Wretched being! He fights with weapons which true men cannot touch. Like the cuttlefish, he surrounds himself with an inky blackness into which honest men cannot penetrate. Like the foul skunk, he emits an odour of falsehood which cannot be endured by the true; and therefore, he often escapes, unchastised by those whom he has most injured. His crime, in a certain sense, becomes his shield; men do not care to encounter so base a foe. But what will God do with lying tongues? He has uttered his most terrible threats against them, and he will terribly execute them in due time.
4. “Sharp arrows of the mighty.” Swift, sure, and sharp shall be the judgment Their words were as arrows, and so shall their punishment be. God will see to it that their punishment shall be comparable to an arrow keen in itself, and driven home with all the force with which a mighty man shoots it from his bow of steel,—“sharp arrows of the mighty.” Nor shall one form of judgment suffice to avenge this complicated sin. The slanderer shall feel woes comparable to coals of juniper, which are quick in flaming, fierce in blazing, and long in burning. He shall feel sharp arrows and sharper fires. Awful doom! All liars shall have their portion in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone. Their worm dieth not, and their fire is not quenched. Juniper-coals long retain their heat, but hell burneth ever, and the deceitful tongue may not deceive itself with the hope of escape from the fire which it has kindled. What a crime is this to which the All-merciful allots a doom so dreadful! Let us hate it with perfect hatred. It is better to be the victim of slander than to be the author of it. The shafts of calumny will miss the mark, but not so the arrows of God: the coals of malice will cool, but not the fire of justice. Shun slander as you would avoid hell. (Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 120-150 (Vol. 6, pp. 6–7). London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers.)
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The broom tree was used for firewood because it burned longer than many other woods. The imagery of sharp arrows and coals of fire speaks of retribution against people with deceitful tongues. (Bible Knowledge Commentary)
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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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Sol Ibarra writes (Mexico) Women were created with a purpose! Glorifying God in our femininity. Just as men were created to glorify God in their masculinity. But the Lord designed us with different characteristics to fulfill his purpose. The woman trained her to be the giver of life. To help her husband develop his potential as a man and protective leader of his family. To raise and nurture our children. Physically and spiritually To form responsible and productive citizens, but above all to be the first influence in their lives to know God and learn to honor Him. We are the first influence in our family, in the church and in society. We are virtuous when we fulfill our mission. God help us!!!! It’s a great blessing, privilege and responsibility!!!!
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Jesus begins His ministry of miracles and preaching and calls His first disciples.
INSIGHT
Mark writes that after Jesus’ baptism the Spirit impels Him to go out into the wilderness, where He is tempted by Satan.
The next 40 days are enormously difficult for Jesus. It is not true that if you follow God’s will, you will have a life of ease. Often, the way of God involves circumstances in which we must trust in the Lord and draw on His truth and strength.
Jesus was the God-man. Yet His life on this earth was filled with trials He had to endure. And we should expect to encounter trials during our sojourning in this world, but we can endure if we draw strength from the One who has paved the way for us.
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GOD’S SPECIAL PEOPLE (Walking with God Daily Devotional)
Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation,a peculiar people.
1 Peter 2:9
The doctrine that Christians are God’s special people is given in a very remarkable way in John 17, but it is taught everywhere throughout the New Testament. It is found, for instance, in that mighty first chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians, but especially in Paul’s prayer for the church at Ephesus. He prays that the eyes of their understanding may be enlightened. He wants them to grasp this truth with their minds and with their understanding because it is so vital. He prays that they may know what is the hope of their calling and then, second, what are “the riches of the glory of his inheritance”—God’s inheritance—“in the saints.” I want you to know, he says, and to see yourselves as God’s inheritance. I want you to grasp this idea of God’s special people. It is his prayer, above everything else, that these people might know this.
Consider, too, what he wrote to Timothy. Timothy was very troubled and worried about certain things that were happening in some of the churches for which he was responsible, and Paul in effect said, “Timothy, you need not be troubled, ‘The Lord knoweth them that are his.’” God knows His own people, and that means that He not only knows them, but He looks after them, He keeps His eye upon them. Then in Hebrews 2:13 these words are applied to the Lord: “Behold I and the children which God hath given me.” That is how the Lord Jesus Christ refers to Christians and to the members of His church. Peter also writes on the same theme in his epistle: “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation,a peculiar people” (1 Peter 2:9), which means a people for God’s special interest and possession. God has chosen and marked out and separated a people for Himself.
A Thought to Ponder: Christians are a people for God’s special interest and possession.
(From Safe in the World, pp. 34-36, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Sifted
“And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” (Luke 22:31-32)
In the evening before His betrayal, capture, torture, and trial, Christ turned to Simon with these final words, encouraging him to remain strong. Of course, Peter boldly proclaimed that he would never deny Christ, but Christ knew better (vv. 33-34).
Actually, our text is quite forceful. Christ claimed that Satan has “begged earnestly” (literal translation of “desired”), not just for Peter, but for all the disciples, as seen in the plural pronoun “you,” to “sift you as wheat.” Satan knew (as he still knows) that the fall of Christian leaders causes many others to fall, and if all of the disciples could be made to abandon the faith, the gospel could not be spread.
Christ turned specifically to Peter as the generally recognized spokesman for the disciples, and even though He knew Peter would fall, Christ informed him that he had been prayed for, that his “faith fail not.” Indeed, Peter did turn around once he saw the risen Lord and became a leader in the fledgling church in Jerusalem, as well as a missionary. Through the witness of Peter and those he strengthened, the gospel has come to us.
Satan’s desire to sift those who would spread the gospel and lead others has not abated. He knows the destruction it causes in the lives of those influenced by the one who falls. The “ripple effect” may last for years, and many weaker brothers and sisters may never recover. But take heart! The One who prayed for Peter “ever liveth to make intercession for [us]” (Hebrews 7:25; see also John 17:6-26). Just as God answered Christ’s intercessory prayer for Peter, so He will answer Christ’s intercessory prayer for us.
(JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Beautiful Feet
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news. Isaiah 52:7
John Nash was awarded the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1994, recognizing his pioneering work in mathematics. His equations have since been used by businesses around the world in understanding the dynamics of competition and rivalry. A book and a full-length movie have documented his life and refer to him as having “a beautiful mind”—not because his brain had any particular aesthetic appeal, but because of what it did.
The Old Testament prophet Isaiah uses the word beautiful to describe feet—not because of any visible physical attribute but because he saw beauty in what they did. “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news” (Isaiah 52:7). After seventy years of captivity in Babylon resulting from their unfaithfulness to God, messengers arrived with encouraging words that God’s people would soon be returning home because “the L ord has . . . redeemed Jerusalem” (v. 9).
The good news wasn’t attributed to the military might of the Israelites or any other human effort. Rather it was the work of God’s “holy arm” on their behalf (v. 10). The same is true today, as we have victory over our spiritual enemy through Christ’s sacrifice for us. In response, we become the messengers of good news, proclaiming peace, good tidings, and salvation to those around us. And we do so with beautiful feet.
(Kirsten Holmberg, Our Daily Bread)
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SIN
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1 John 1:10
This is the failure to realize that we as sinners need forgiveness. It is the failure to realize the nature of sin, to grasp that our own natures are sinful, and to understand that we have all actually sinned and need forgiveness.
There are certain people who seem to say, “Yes, I believe in God, and I like to have fellowship with Him. And yet, you know, I have never been conscious of my sin. I do not understand that doctrine of yours. If you were to preach it to people gathered from the streets, I could understand that. But I have been brought up as a Christian; I have always tried to do good. I have never been conscious of the fact that I am a sinner, that I need repentance, and that I must be converted.”
Well, says John, if that is your position, “[you] make him a liar, and his word is not in [you].” If we do not realize that we are sinners and need the forgiveness of God, if we do not realize that we have always needed it and that we still need it, if we think that we have always been perfect or that now we are perfect as Christians, if we do not realize that we must repent, then, says John, we are making God a liar, for the “him” referred to is none other than God Himself. John here is just stating the whole teaching of the Bible from beginning to end.
What, then, is he teaching? Paul has summarized it perfectly for us in Romans 3; this is his verdict: “There is none righteous, no, not one” (verse 10). That is the doctrine of the Bible; so if we say we have not sinned, we are denying the doctrine of the Bible.
A Thought to Ponder: If we say we have not sinned, we are denying the doctrine of the Bible. (From Fellowship with God, pp. 119-120, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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But When You Sin
“And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John 2:1)
There is no suggestion anywhere in Scripture that any person can be sinless. “All have sinned” (Romans 3:23), the Bible boldly declares. “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). Repentance toward God (Acts 20:21) and salvation by God (2 Corinthians 7:10) eternally settles the issue of the sinful condition inherent in us (Ephesians 2:1-8). However, even though we have been “made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21), we still commit sinful acts (1 John 1:8-10)!
Hallelujah for the Advocate! What a blessed promise it is that is recorded for us that the same Jesus Christ who died for our sins, who rose from the grave in glorious victory over sin, “is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us” (Romans 8:34).
Although our security in the completed work of Christ Jesus is “for ever” (Hebrews 10:12), our great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14) stands ready to rebut the constant efforts of Satan to flaunt our sins before the holy throne of God (Revelation 12:10). We have no standing there on our own. Our life, even though forgiven and rescued from sin, still is tainted with the deeds and consequences of evil choices. Even the body in which we live houses “no good thing” (Romans 7:18).
Were it up to us to be holy, we would quickly be defamed by the reality of our life. The child of God, though redeemed by “the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:19), has no ability to plead Christ’s work in person before the throne. “Wherefore he [Jesus] is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). (HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
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You’re Still the One
Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. 1 PETER 4:8
I can’t attribute this story to its source, but a number of years ago I read a story about Babe Ruth. At the end of his legendary baseball career, the Babe had become obviously overweight. During one of his final contests, he bungled several fly balls in the outfield and struck out weakly with every plate appearance.
Fans who had seen or heard about his once-proud exploits were now quick with catcalls, mocking this man who had hit twice as many home runs as anyone else in baseball.
But as the jeering got louder and louder, a little boy leaped over the railing and onto the playing field. With tears streaming down his face, he ran to the Babe and threw his arms around the legs of the fading athlete. Babe Ruth reached down, picked up the boy and hugged him tight. Then setting him down and patting him on the head, they walked hand in hand toward the dugout, while the jeers turned to cheers. Hardly an eye remained dry in the whole place.
The crowd had been correct in their assessment, of course. The Babe had let much of his athletic prowess go to seed. Yet a little boy had remembered him for who he was . . . and had covered over his errors with love.
This is not unlike what marriage was established to be—two people saying to each other, “I know you’ve failed me and disappointed me at times (as I have you), but I’m still going to put my arm around you and tell you, ‘I love you.’ I’m on this journey with you one way or the other.”
I believe the angels burst into praise when they hear that, because this is the visitation of God’s love on two imperfect people.
DISCUSS
How are you two doing right now? Are you standing by one another in the midst of life’s turbulence? Perhaps you need to just look one another in the eyes and smile at one another. (Moment with YOU by Dennis and Barbara Rainey)
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Daily Hope
Today’s Scripture
Leviticus 11-13
It was like any other day on Friday, January 7th, until the end of the evening. Suddenly, life as I knew it drastically changed for me. That night after a Bible study, I recognized that I was a sinner and needed Jesus as my Savior. I soon realized the Lord would alter my life so my conduct would imitate Christ.
The naming of animals that were clean and unclean was an important part of helping the children of Israel recognize they were distinct from their neighbors and surrounding nations (11:1-30). Possibly, it was to protect and assist the people of Israel as they wandered in the wilderness but also to govern ritual purity in worship to God.
Israel was to be a nation of purity and uniqueness when it came to food and hygiene. This distinction allowed them to be a people capable of worshipping God and having His presence in their camp. The cleansing and purification applied to the body as well as touching, eating and removal of deceased animals from their camp.
God yearned for the people of Israel to be pure and holy for Him. The variety of skin diseases were continually a concern for the tribes during their journey. Disease and contamination could become a major issue when the people were tightly congested in the areas around the tabernacle. To avoid a major plague, the Lord gave explicit orders for Moses and the priests to follow concerning infected areas of the body.
Today the issue of clean and unclean animals is far different with Christ having declared all food clean (Mark 7:19; Acts 10:10-16). With the death of Christ and the dwelling of the Holy Spirit, believers are to be identifiable and holy in their conduct and appearance. Paul states, “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). Let us all strive for holiness and purity in our lives.
With an Expectant Hope, Pastor Miller
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