PSALM 126
Israelites thought they were dreaming verse 1
When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion
we were like them that dream
Israelites realized LORD did a great thing verse 2- 4
THEN was our mouth filled with laughter – and our tongue with singing
THEN said they among the heathen
The LORD hath great things for them
The LORD hath done great things for us
whereof we are glad
Turn again our captivity – O LORD – as the streams in the south
Israelites weep in captivity but rejoiced in freedom verse 5- 6
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy
he that goes forth and weeps – bearing precious seed
shall doubtless come again with rejoicing
bringing his sheaves with him
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. (7725 “turned again” [shuwb] means to bring back into original existence, return, come back, come or go back, or to return unto)
DEVOTION: The children of Israel understood captivity. They had experienced it in Egypt. They had been attacked by many nations and lost their lands for a while. The Temple was destroyed in Jerusalem. They rebuilt it only to have other nations come in to take it over.
Each time the children of Israel were having other nations take their land it was because they had turned away from the LORD and thought they could run the country on their own.
They would worship false gods and only come to the one TRUE GOD when all else failed. They had a history of forgetting God until HE was needed and then they would go to HIM and ask for help but as soon as the problem was solved by the LORD they would turn again to false gods and the cycle would repeat.
The problem today is the same. We have a nation here in America that used to turn to the LORD for help when there was a national crisis and even do at times now but the majority of time they want very little to do with the LORD. We think that we can call on God only when it gets so bad we can’t handle it anymore and they we call for revival.
There is coming a time when the LORD will say to us as well that it is too late. We will reach the point of no return as a nation because we are seeing many churches teaching false doctrine and the people not caring anymore as long as they are entertained in their church services and the pastor leaves them alone during the week.
God has to deal with our personal sins as well as deal with nation sins even today. There will come a time when even here we will see the judgment of God on us because we are not genuinely worshiping the LORD. We are playing at church.
CHALLENGE: Our world needs the LORD and Christians need to share the truth of the Word of God with their neighbors and friends and family. We need to hold our pastors and fellow church members to a standard of outreach into the community of witnessing to the truth of Scripture. We need a revival.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 2 “Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982).
Great – 1431 גָּדַל [gadal /gaw·dal/] v. A primitive root; TWOT 315; GK 1540; 115 occurrences; AV translates as “magnify” 32 times, “great” 26 times, “grow” 14 times, “nourish up” seven times, “grow up” six times, “greater” five times, and translated miscellaneously 25 times. 1 to grow, become great or important, promote, make powerful, praise, magnify, do great things. 1A (Qal). 1A1 to grow up. 1A2 to become great. 1A3 to be magnified. 1B (Piel). 1B1 to cause to grow. 1B2 to make great, powerful. 1B3 to magnify. 1C (Pual) to be brought up. 1D (Hiphil). 1D1 to make great. 1D2 to magnify. 1D3 to do great things. 1E (Hithpael) to magnify oneself. James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001).
DEVOTION: It is a good thing when friends and family come home after being gone for a long period of time. This weekend in America is considered by many to be the beginning of the summer. Families come together to celebrate and remember joyous times. The psalmist was joyful because the Lord had restored them to their land, but he prayed for a full restoration of the captives. These captives were the individuals that had been taken to a foreign land and made to serve their captors. Upon their return the people were rejoicing.
Sin holds people in captivity and Jesus sets us free by receiving the gift of salvation he offers! While we are set free there is a process of restoration for some that takes time to occur. Temptations and difficult habits can cause a person to struggle mightily within the freedoms Jesus offers. As the psalmist prayed for the reality of restoration of Israel’s people we need to pray for people that struggle with past sins that still want to enslave them.
CHALLENGE: Pray for a person you know that is tempted by past sins and for their victory over that temptation! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
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: 3 The LORD has done great things for us; whereof we are glad. (1431 “great” [gadel] means large, exceed, excellent, increase, lift up, magnify, be in a state of honor, to have high status, promote or nourish up.)
DEVOTION: The children of Israel were typical believers because they would honor the LORD one minute and rebel the next. Each time they rebelled against the LORD HE sent them into a time of captivity. Their enemies had the victory over them. Their enemies made fun of them. Even worse the children of Israel would start worshiping the false gods of their captures. They would get the point where they finally repented of their sin because the captivity was so hard on them and prayed to the LORD for help.
The LORD was always available to repentant sinners. HE listened to their prayers and answered their prayers. They knew that they didn’t deserve HIS mercy and grace but they still wanted it. God doesn’t think lightly of sin and so judges it all the time with the idea of reconciliation to those who repent.
Now the children of Israel were able to go up to Jerusalem at a given feast to worship the LORD. Were they happy that they had this opportunity? YES!! They considered the ability to worship the LORD an occasion to be lifted up to a place of honor. They were worshiping the creator of the universe in a place of worship that HE allowed to be built. It was exciting to them. They were glad.
The children of Israel are praising the LORD for a return from captivity. It seemed like a dream to them that they were back in the Promised Land. They had been praying for a return but seemed not to expect it. The nations around them knew it was the LORD who helped them return to the land.
It caused the children of Israel to rejoice. It brought laughter back into their lives. The LORD promoted them again. HE gave them high status with their neighbors again. Now it was time for them to act.
Do we consider a place to worship a privilege we want to keep or could we care less? Some seem to care less. I have heard people say that they are just as good as those who go to church, even though they don’t go to church. Is this the right attitude? NO!! Those who are going to church are being obedient and those who are not going to church are rebellious. Rebellion is a sin.
CHALLENGE: It is our responsibility to not be on the side of rebellion but on the side of obedience. We need to be in a place of worship weekly.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 6 He that goes forth and weeps, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come
again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. (7440 “rejoicing” [ranan] means a ringing cry, song, shout for joy, praise or shout of jubilation.
DEVOTION: This same word is found in verses 2 and 5. It is translated “singing” in verse 2. It is translated “joy” in verse 5. So we can see that the Psalmist was expressing a time of great singing and rejoicing in the LORD.
Why were they so happy? It was because they were back in the Promised Land working the fields again and raising their families. They could bring the work of their hands with them to worship. They were willing to give the LORD their tithe and offerings because of HIS blessing.
They were to work the land. Farming is hard work. Even today with all the modern inventions it is hard to bring a crop to market. Everything depends on the LORD giving the right weather for sowing and reaping.
However, if the children of Israel do their part, God will do HIS part by giving them a good harvest. It is the same today. We have to do our part and God will do HIS part in our lives and in the life of the church.
Too many churches are not doing their part of going out and sowing the seed in their neighborhoods. Jesus made it plain to HIS follows that the field is “white unto harvest.” HE will increase the blessings HE sends our way, if we are faithful in doing our part. HE nourishes HIS people.
When we realize the blessings we receive from the LORD our mouths should be full of singing and laughter. We should be the ones with a smile on our face because of all the blessings we are daily receiving from the LORD.
What do our faces look like? We have been lead from the captivity of sin into a new world of blessing and favor with the LORD. With all the blessings coming into our lives, we should be bearing fruit for the LORD. Are we leading people closer to the LORD on a regular basis? Are we leading a Bible study with those who don’t know the Word of God? Are we glad for all the excellent blessings that are in our lives? Show it! Sow the seed!! Look for the harvest!!!
Work with your local church to reach your world for Christ. That could mean going door to door and inviting people to special services at the church. It could me passing out flyers to invite children to Daily Vacation Bible School in the summer.
CHALLENGE: Remember that God will bless faithfulness. Faithfully reach your friends and neighbors for the LORD!!)
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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 ending captivity verse 4, 5
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- 4
Turned away captivity verse 1
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Heathen verse 2
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Like a dream verse 1
Laughter verse 2
Singing verse 2
Great things happening verse 2, 3
Glad verse 3
Sow in tears verse 5, 6
Reap in joy verse 5
Joy verse 5, 6
Goes forth weeping verse 6
Come again rejoicing verse 6
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Zion verse 1
Going and coming can bring results verse 6
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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DONATIONS:
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QUOTES regarding passage
Ver. 5. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.] A proverbial expression, encouraging faith in prayer put up for the return of the captivity, whether in a literal or spiritual sense. Praying or seeking the Lord is sowing in righteousness, Hos. 10:12 which is often attended with tears and weeping; the issue of them is not always seen soon: these, like seed, lie buried under the clods, but take effect and will rise up in due time: saints should wait patiently for a return of them, as the husbandman for the fruits of the earth; in due time they will produce a large crop of blessings, a plentiful harvest, which the praying saint will reap with joy; as those that prayed and waited for the redemption in Jerusalem; and as those that pray for the latter-day glory, the conversion of the Jews, the fulness of the Gentiles, and the destruction of antichrist; the souls under the altar have been sowing in tears, but ere long they will reap in joy, Rev. 6:9 and 19:1, 2. It may be applied to the state and condition of saints in common in this life; now is their sowing-time, and careful they should be that they sow not to the flesh, but to the spirit: and a sorrowful time it is, on account of inward corruptions, Satan’s temptations, divine desertions, and the imperfection of their services; but ere long they will reap life everlasting, reap in joy, and be in the fulness of it; now they weep, then they shall rejoice; now they mourn, then they shall be comforted. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 4, p. 254). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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5. “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.” Hence, present distress must not be viewed as if it would last for ever: it is not the end, by any means, but only a means to the end. Sorrow is our sowing, rejoicing shall be our reaping. If there were no sowing in tears there would be no reaping in joy. If we were never captives we could never lead our captivity captive. Our mouth had never been filled with holy laughter if it had not been first filled with the bitterness of grief. We must sow: we may have to sow in the wet weather of sorrow; but we shall reap, and reap in the bright summer season of joy. Let us keep to the work of this present sowing time, and find strength in the promise which is here so positively given us. Here is one of the Lord’s shalls and wills; it is freely given both to workers, waiters, and weepers, and they may rest assured that it will not fail: “in due season they shall reap.”
This sentence may well pass current in the church as an inspired proverb. It is not every sowing which is thus insured against all danger, and guaranteed a harvest; but the promise specially belongs to sowing in tears. When a man’s heart is so stirred that he weeps over the sins of others, he is elect to usefulness. Winners of souls are first weepers for souls. As there is no birth without travail, so is there no spiritual harvest without painful tillage. When our own hearts are broken with grief at man’s transgression we shall break other men’s hearts: tears of earnestness beget tears of repentance: “deep calleth unto deep.” (Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 120-150 (Vol. 6, p. 70). London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers.)
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“Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26), so after we have praised God and prayed, we must get to work, for work is a blessing, not a curse. God gave our first parents work to do in the garden before sin ever entered the human race (Gen. 2:15). In Scripture, the people God commissioned for special service were busy when He called them: Moses was caring for sheep (Ex. 3); Gideon was threshing wheat (Judg. 6); David was tending the family flock (1 Sam. 16); Nehemiah was serving the king (Neh. 1); Peter, Andrew, James, and John were busy in their fishing business (Luke 5:1–11); and Matthew was in his tax office (Matt. 9:9).
The returned remnant experienced some bad seasons (Hag. 1:9–11), but the promise came that God would send the rains and the harvests (Hag. 2:15–19). God would keep His covenant promises if His people would keep His covenant commands. The grain that the farmer sowed might have been used to make bread for his family, so it is no wonder he was weeping as he toiled. Tears and rejoicing often went together at that time (Ezra 3:8–13; 6:16, 22), but the farmer was trusting God to multiply the grain so that he would have both bread for his family to eat and seed to sow the next season (2 Cor. 9:10–11). In His covenant, God gave the promise of adequate food for the people (Deut. 28:1–14), and the sower was claiming that promise. It pleases the Lord when we water with our tears the seed of the Word that we sow. We cannot reap if we do not first sow the seed, and the seed must be watered with our tears and our prayers.
Some blessings God sends suddenly (vv. 1–3), some come in the course of time (v. 4), and some come as we patiently sow and weep (James 5:7). But His promise is secure: “in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Gal. 6:9, nkjv). (Wiersbe, W. W. (2004). Be exultant (1st ed., pp. 161–162). Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries.)
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126:5–6. The psalmist found encouragement in the Principle of sowing and reaping. These verses are connected to verses 2–3 by their references to great joy. Also verse 4 is the connecting link because of its use of the verb “restore” (also used in the Heb. in v. 1) and because of the comparisons with nature (cf. vv. 5–6).
The setting in verses 5–6 is agricultural. After the land had been neglected for so long, it was almost impossible to work it. The planting would be difficult, but persistence would doubtless bring a harvest. The sowing with tears (i.e., agonizing over the work) would signify anything someone did to help advance God’s theocracy (e.g., encouraging people to respond to the Lord and return to the land). The joyful harvesting (reap) would then refer to other people who returned to the land in faith. The psalmist was convinced that continued labor, no matter how agonizingly difficult and frustrating, would result in more people returning to the land of Israel.
The metaphors of sowing and harvesting have been widely used by believers (cf. Gal. 6:7). Jesus spoke of sowing as spreading the message of the kingdom, and spoke of the harvest as people who received Him by faith (Matt. 13:1–8, 18, 23). (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. 885). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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The two images of renewal (4b, 5–6) are not only striking: they are complementary. The first of them is all suddenness, a sheer gift from heaven; the second is slow and arduous, with man allotted a crucial part to play in it.
Sudden bounty has its perfect illustration here, since few places are more arid that the Negeb, and few transformations more dramatic than that of a dry gully into a torrent. Such can be the effect of a downpour, which can also turn the surrounding desert into a place of grass and flowers overnight.
Matching this is the other picture of revival, in terms of farming at its most heart-breaking; all its joys hard-won (cf. 2 Cor. 9:6) and long-awaited (Gal. 6:7–10; Jas 5:7f.). But whatever the uncertainties of literal farming, the psalmist is as sure of this harvest—God’s blessing of seed sown, and his visiting of his people—as are the apostles. The modern translations tend to omit the extra words of emphasis in the final verse, which are partly preserved in av, pbv. Both the going forth and the coming home are stressed by a doubling of the verb, and might be translated, ‘He that surely goes forth weeping … will surely come home with shouts of joy.’
So the psalm, speaking first to its own times, speaks still. Miracles of the past it bids us treat as measures of the future; dry places as potential rivers; hard toil and good seed as the certain prelude to harvest. (Kidner, D. (1975). Psalms 73–150: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 16, pp. 475–476). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
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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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Lisa Black Jeanson
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Saturday’s Wall Street Journal~ “Democrat Senators don’t want U.S. companies to produce more oil so prices can fall….They want higher gas prices so reluctant consumers buy more electric vehicles. They can’t say this directly because it would be political suicide in an election year (November) with the Avg<![if !vml]>
<![endif]> price above $4 a gallon, so they do it indirectly through taxes and regulation.” “Oil companies don’t set prices. Supply & demand, market expectations do.” “Democrats are threatening to hurt producers for producing more (fuel).” —To reduce US oil production. (From my brother)
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Earlier this year, Kelsey Ichikawa of Nautilus magazine raised an important question: Is virtual reality harming the cognitive development of children?
As they grow, kids rely on years of practice to develop basic levels of coordination. The process of “sensory integration,” where sight, balance, orientation, and touch are integrated into a seamless neurological experience is a “long and elaborate process of development,” writes Ichikawa, “that begins before birth and extends into early adulthood.”
One of the reasons young kids perform terribly in the virtual world is that they have yet to master those basic skills in the real world. This has led some experts to question if hours spent playing as an avatar could shortchange the process, leading to developmental issues later in life. So far, the jury is still out.
“When you enter the virtual world, the rules of sensory experience change, which could impact kids’ development,” says Swiss neuroscientist Jenifer Miehlbradt; “Maybe it’s totally safe, or maybe it’s not. Either way we need to know a lot more about what happens to them when they slip into avatar.”
Researchers won’t have to wait long for data. According to Bloomberg, more than two-thirds of all U.S. kids between the ages of 9 and 12 play “Roblox,” a massive, multiplayer online game that lends itself to VR. Immediately after going public, the game was valued at $41 billion, making it an overnight competitor with juggernauts like Nintendo and Electronic Arts. While you don’t have to use VR to play Roblox, millions do. Their experience could give researchers a baseline to test their theories, but with a painfully obvious catch. Any harm will have already been done.
As it develops at a breakneck pace, VR is already creating other ethical dilemmas. For example, despite developers’ best efforts, games like Roblox can fall victim to lewd or predatory content, as the BBC covered in February. As users upload content, a “small subset” find creative ways around built-in parental safety controls. It’s a problem as common as the internet, but with dramatically higher stakes.
VR is a powerful technology. University of Texas at Austin researcher Jakki Bailey found that immersive virtual reality far outpaces other digital media like TV or standard computers when it comes to creating a sense of “presence.” That’s exactly the purpose it was designed for. “It’s why even most adults have trouble stepping off a gangplank in immersive VR despite knowing that in reality, an office carpet lies just below,” writes Kelsey Ichikawa.
But like any technology, that immersive power should raise questions. Some are Class 1 questions or questions that come up when technology doesn’t work perfectly. What happens, for example, if VR safety protocols can’t filter out disturbing content?
But the more powerful dilemmas are Class 2 questions or “What happens if this technology does work perfectly?” What if we create such a seamless virtual experience that it’s indistinguishable from real life? What if we spend more time there than in real life? What if kids can instantly connect with anyone on the internet in a way that to them seems completely real? (Break Point )
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Daily Hope
Today’s Scripture
Leviticus 22-23
At the conclusion of church service today, we celebrated the Lord’s Table. During this part of the service, we spent a moment reflecting upon our readiness to commemorate our union with the Lord Jesus Christ. In preparation for communion, believers were encouraged to examine themselves before a holy God.
Leviticus 22 instructs the readers that the priests were to be cleansed, in preparation to do service to the Lord. The priest’s holiness was essential as they handled holy objects such as incense, bread, and sacrifices. As a spiritual leader, the priest was privileged to have portions of meat and grain from the tabernacle offerings. This was to be given to his immediate family only for their consumption.
Holiness was costly to both the priests and the worshippers. Only the best of the flock and the first of the harvest was acceptable. This reiteration from earlier chapters was perhaps to remind the Israelites that imperfections were not acceptable to the Lord as sacrifices. Faithful worshippers were to comply with the requirements of a Holy God.
The 23rd chapter begins the section of national feasts which the people were to commemorate. From the Sabbath to the Feast of the Tabernacles, the people were to celebrate and bring their gifts before the Lord Who had redeemed them from bondage and gave them the privileges they enjoyed. They were never to forget what God had done for them!
We as believers, are also to be mindful of what God has done for us. The deliverance from sin and the freedom of we have in Christ should instill a desire in every believer to worship God alone. As obedient worshippers, we are called to approach God with a pleasing sacrifice. Romans 12 1:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” May our service of praise be from a renewed and transformed life that is offered to Him in all that we do and say this week!
With an Expectant Hope,
Pastor Miller
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JUDAS ISCARIOT
…none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
John 17:12
If there is one thing in the Scriptures that proves more conclusively than anything else the absolute necessity of the rebirth, it is the case of Judas Iscariot. What differentiates the Christian from the non-Christian is not that the Christian lives a better life than he did before, nor that he knows more of the Scriptures and all these other good things. Judas knew all that, and he probably lived a good outward moral life during the three years he was among the disciples. What makes a man a Christian is that he is born again; he has received the divine nature; he has indeed become indwelt by the Spirit of the living God. It is this that gives understanding and everything that Judas did not have. It was because Judas was never renewed and given the new life that he remained “the son of perdition.”
And here I want to utter a solemn, terrible word. The end of the non-Christian, even though he may be highly religious, is perdition,which means perishing. Though Judas was in the company of the apostles all along, he really belonged to the world, and the fate of the world is to perish. Whatever its appearance may be, its end is destruction, with no hope whatsoever; because it has not truly believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God, it perishes.
This is an unpleasant subject, and yet we have to face it, because in the very center of this most wonderful prayer our Lord had to mention it as a solemn warning. He was not praying for Judas—He was praying for those who were God’s people, those who belong to God. My dear friends, are we certain that we belong to God? Do not rely upon anything but the certain knowledge that you have received life from God.
A Thought to Ponder: The end of the non-Christian, even though he may be highly religious, is perdition, which means perishing.
(From Safe in the World, pp. 129-130, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Paul says no foundation can be laid other than Jesus, and anything else is worthless in eternity.
INSIGHT
When the events of life are viewed with an eternal perspective, things that initially seemed important become unimportant, and things that seemed unimportant become important. Religious activity that is not undertaken with the right spirit or motive is worthless in view of eternity, regardless of how much weight it is given by men. And conversely the smallest cup of water given in the name of Christ receives eternal reward. Be careful how you build your life’s work. Keep eternity in mind at all times. (Quiet Walk)
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Justice and Jesus
What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
Caesar Augustus (63 bc–ad 14), the first emperor of Rome, wanted to be known as a law-and-order ruler. Even though he built his empire on the back of slave labor, military conquest, and financial bribery, he restored a measure of legal due process and gave his citizens Iustitia, a goddess our justice system today refers to as Lady Justice. He also called for a census that brought Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem for the birth of a long-awaited ruler whose greatness would reach to the ends of the earth (Micah 5:2–4).
What neither Augustus nor the rest of the world could have anticipated is how a far greater King would live and die to show what real justice looks like. Centuries earlier, in the prophet Micah’s day, the people of God had once again lapsed into a culture of lies, violence, and “ill-gotten treasures” (6:10–12). God’s dearly loved nation had lost sight of Him. He longed for them to show their world what it meant to do right by each other and walk humbly with Him (v. 8).
It took a Servant King to personify the kind of justice that hurting, forgotten, and helpless people long for. It took the fulfillment of Micah’s prophecy in Jesus to see right relationships established between God and people, and person-to-person. This would come not in the outward enforcement of Caesar-like law-and-order, but in the freedom of the mercy, goodness, and spirit of our servant King Jesus.
By Mart DeHaan, Our Daily Bread)
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He had hair like wool, skin like brass (Revelation 1:14-16). I want to say something about the spirituality debate. You don’t believe in God? Fine, I’m not one to judge, cause I’m not the judge. Why is it so important for many of you to mock those of us that do? If we’re wrong, what have we lost when we die? Nothing! How does our believing in Jesus bring you any harm? You think it makes me stupid? Gullible? Fine. How does that affect you? If you’re wrong, your consequence is far worse. I would rather live my life believing in God and serving Him, and find out I was right, than not believe in Him and not serve Him, and find out I was wrong. Then it’s too late. There’s no shame in my game! I believe in Jesus Christ. He said deny me in front of your friends & I will deny you in front of my Father (Matthew 10:33-35). HE’S COMING BACK…Greatest man in history, had no servants, yet they called him Master. Had no degree, yet they called him Teacher. Had no medicines, yet they called him Healer. He had no army, yet kings feared Him. He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world. He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him. He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today. His name is Jesus. (Ellen Walker)
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Teena Herron ·
He had hair like wool, skin like brass (Revelation 1:14-16). I want to say something about the spirituality debate. You don’t believe in God? Fine, I’m not one to judge, cause I’m not the judge. Why is it so important for many of you to mock those of us that do? If we’re wrong, what have we lost when we die? Nothing! How does our believing in Jesus bring you any harm? You think it makes me stupid? Gullible? Fine. How does that affect you? If you’re wrong, your consequence is far worse. I would rather live my life believing in God and serving Him, and find out I was right, than not believe in Him and not serve Him, and find out I was wrong. Then it’s too late. There’s no shame in my game! I believe in Jesus Christ. He said deny me in front of your friends & I will deny you in front of my Father (Matthew 10:33-35). HE’S COMING BACK…Greatest man in history, had no servants, yet they called him Master. Had no degree, yet they called him Teacher. Had no medicines, yet they called him Healer. He had no army, yet kings feared Him. He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world. He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him. He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today. His name is Jesus. ____________________________________________________________________
THE ADVOCATE, PART 2
He ever liveth to make intercession for us. Hebrews 7:25
Christ is not our advocate before an unwilling God. But at the same time we must be very careful not to go to the other extreme and think that what John means by “advocate” is just that the work of Christ on the cross prevails and continues throughout eternity and is there always in the mind of God, and that therefore in that sense Christ and His work are advocates for us. We must not think that, because that makes it something quite passive, and that is an idea we must reject, not only because of 1 John 2:1, but also because of those magnificent words in Hebrews 7 where the whole argument is that “he ever liveth to make intercession for us.” Christ is unlike the Levitical priests who came and lived and died and then a new person had to be appointed. The whole point about Him, says the author of Hebrews, is that He lives. He is without beginning and without end “it is an eternal priesthood” and it is because “he ever liveth” that He is able to “save…to the uttermost” “a nd must forever and ever irrespective of what may happen” those “that come unto God by him.”
In other words, it does seem to me that once more we are confronted by a conception that baffles our understanding. But of this we can be quite certain: As the Lord Jesus Christ looked after His disciples and followers while here on earth, as He looked after their interests and did certain things for them, so He is now equally active for us there in heaven. He is representing His people; He is there looking after us and our interests. This is not a conflict between Father and Son; but it seems to me that in the economy of the blessed Trinity, the Father has handed this particular work to the Son.
A Thought to Ponder: As the Lord Jesus Christ looked after His disciples while here on earth, so He is now equally active for us there in heaven. (From Walking with God, pp. 37-38, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Update on Javier and Sole (Mexico): We are thankful to the Lord for His great goodness and mercy. After a year of home assignment, we are happy to say that we are back in our ministry in Mexico. This is bitter sweet as we are once again away from our children and grandchildren. Aug 13th Classes started at the Bible School. We have a total enrollment of 19 students this year. The year we left for furlough we had 50 praise the Lord for that; but every year is different. This time most of them are full time students. One teacher is taking this semester off and Sole is teaching Memory Class and Hold the Ropes. She is enjoying it as it gives her more opportunity to interact with the students. Please pray that the Word of God may impact their lives in such a way that they may create firm and strong convictions that may move them to obey the Great Commission! We are also thankful for the opportunity to minister in the local Church we attend. It is a small congregation about 70 people including kids and they do not have a Pastor because they cannot afford one. We have been serving there for a number of years, during our spare time. Javier is preaching and teaching Sunday School and Sole is teaching and ministering to the ladies. They asked us to consider taking on the role of Pastoral Care for the congregation, and we agreed to that. Please pray the Lord may use us as we minister to them. There is so much need in that area! This is our regular faithful ones for Wednesday’s Prayer meeting between 10 and 14.
We are now using some time for visitation. We started Counseling Ministry for married couples in our home at night because that’s the best time for everybody. We of course are not trained for that but people always come asking for help and we cannot turn them down as we see that as an opportunity from the Lord. We truly appreciate your faithful prayers and financial support. We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
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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.