SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
4/4/2012 8:55:40 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Learning from the Master
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: 1Peter 5:1
Message of the verses: As I read over the words that Dr. Wiersbe wrote in his commentary on the introduction to his eleventh chapter on the book of 1Peter I come away with a better understand of this very important section of Peter’s first book. I have mentioned on many occasions that Warren Wiersbe puts the cookies on a shelf where you can reach them and he certainly did in this section. He entitles this eleventh chapter of his commentary on 1Peter, which is called “Be Hopeful,” “How To Be A Good Shepherd,” and it covers the first four verses of 1Peter. If his writings cover only four verses in a chapter of God’s Word, then there must be a lot of important things in those four verses, and the fact that Peter is writing about “Pastors” or “Shepherds” is a very important thing for all believers to learn about for most of us who are believes in Jesus Christ will be setting under the teaching of a Pastor and so we must know what God expects us to know about the Pastor’s role in the church. Peter was an “Elder” and this is the same word as “Bishop.” Elder refers to the maturity of the officer, and bishop to the responsibility of the office. The word Pastor (and this word means shepherd) is another title for this same office as seen in Ephesians 4:11, “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers.” Dr. Wiersbe writes “The elders were appointed to office (Acts 14:23), where the verb ‘ordain’ means ‘to appoint by the raising of hands’). Apparently each congregation had the privilege of voting on qualified men.”
We have just been through the forth chapter of 1Peter and in that we learned that Peter was encouraging his readers to stand firm in the face of persecution, which would be coming in full force in about a year from the time that Peter wrote his first letter. I am not saying that Peter knew about the timing of this difficult persecution, but he knew that persecution was happening to some extent to those who named the name of Jesus Christ. Peter knew how important it was for his readers to have a qualified Pastor leading them for if judgment was to begin in God’s house then God’s house had better be in good order. Having a qualified Pastor who was learning and growing in the Lord was essential if they were to get through this persecution in a way that would bring honor to the Lord Jesus Christ. Dr. Wiersbe writes “Peter was concerned that the leadership in the local churches be at its best. When the fiery trial would come, the believers in the assemblies would look to their elder for encouragement and direction. What are the personal qualities that make for a successful pastor?”
A Vital Personal Experience with Christ (1Peter 5:1): “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed.”
We see in this verse that Peter calls himself a “fellow elder” and does not identify himself as an apostle here, but does say that he was a witness of the sufferings of Christ. That word witness, according to Dr. Wiersbe, give us our English word “martyr.” We usually think of the word martyr as one who has given his life for the cause of Jesus Christ, which is something that Peter did, but “basically, a ‘martyr’ is a witness who tells what he has seen and heard.”
The next five paragraphs in this SD are from the pen of Warren Wiersbe, and I believe that it is important for setting the background for this important subject of the qualifications of a Pastor.
“It is interesting to read 1 Peter 5 in the light of Peter’s personal experiences with Christ. First Peter 5:1 takes us to Gethsemane and Calvary. ‘The glory that shall be revealed’ reminds us of Peter’s experience with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-5; 2 Peter 1:15-18). The emphasis in 1Peter 5:2 on the shepherd and the sheep certainly brings to mind John 10 and our Lord’s admonition to Peter in John 21:15-17.
“The warning in 1 Peter 5:3 about ‘lording it over’ the saints reminds us of Christ’s lesson about true greatness in Luke 22:24-30, as well as the other times that He taught His disciples about humility and service. The phrase in 1 Peter 5:5, ‘Be clothed with humility,’ takes us back to the Upper Room where Jesus put on the towel and washed the disciples’ feet (John 13:1-17).
“The warning about Satan in 1 Peter 5:8 parallels our Lord’s warning to Peter that Satan was going to ‘sift’ him and the other Apostles (Luke 22:31). Peter did not heed that warning, and he ended up denying his Lord three times.
“It is interesting to note that the verb ‘make you perfect’ (1 Peter 5:10) is translated ‘mending their nets’ in Matthew 4:21, the account of the call of the four fishermen into the Lord’s service.
“In other words, Peter wrote these words, inspired by the Spirit of God, out of his own personal experience with Jesus Christ. He had a vital and growing relationship with Christ, and this made it possible for him to minister effectively to God’s people.”
The Apostle Paul wrote the following to Timothy to admonish him to continue to grow in his Christian walk with the Lord, “15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.” (1Timothy 4:15) Progress means in the original “pioneer advance.” This show us that Elders must continue to look at new territories of study, they are not to teach the same thing week after week. In order to do this they must be in tuned with God and His Word.
At the end of his commentary on this verse Dr. Wiersbe writes “If I have any counsel for God’s shepherds today, it is this: cultivate a growing relationship with Jesus Christ, and share what He gives you with your people. That way, you will grow, and they will grow with you.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: A couple of week ago I began to take the Spiritual Diaries that I have written since 2001 and begin to put them into individual books according to the books of the Bible that I have studied. I went to put my commentaries on 1Peter into book form and found out that I was missing the end of chapter four and all of chapter five so I then decided to complete these missing entries so that I could complete that commentary. My plan for these SD that are put into book form is to give them to my children and grandchildren so that perhaps they too will begin a serious study of the Word of God.
I believe that it was surely in the will of God for me to again study the book of 1Peter, especially this portion. Our Pastor is going over this wonderful book and so I can receive a double blessing from studying it with him and on my own.
4/4/2012 10:14:30 AM
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Our God Reigns (Psalm 68:19-35)
SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
04/04/2012 7:45 AM
My Worship Time Focus: My God Reigns
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 68:19-35
Message of the verses: In today’s SD we will look at the next main point under the outline from Warren Wiersbe’s commentary and see if we can finish the commentary on Psalm 68. He wrote the following in his introductory commentary to aid his readers in understanding this psalm: “The psalm is a jubilant hymn of praise to Jehovah in which the nation of Israel gives four expressions of triumph through their God.”
Our God Is Dwelling with Us (vv. 19-27): “19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God who is our salvation. Selah. 20 God is to us a God of deliverances; And to GOD the Lord belong escapes from death. 21 Surely God will shatter the head of His enemies, The hairy crown of him who goes on in his guilty deeds.
“22 ¶ The Lord said, "I will bring them back from Bashan. I will bring them back from the depths of the sea; 23 That your foot may shatter them in blood, The tongue of your dogs may have its portion from your enemies." 24 They have seen Your procession, O God, The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary. 25 The singers went on, the musicians after them, In the midst of the maidens beating tambourines. 26 Bless God in the congregations, Even the LORD, you who are of the fountain of Israel. 27 There is Benjamin, the youngest, ruling them, The princes of Judah in their throng, The princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.”
David sees the Lord God who dwells on Zion as a blessing to those who were in danger, and those who were burdened, for He is the God of Salvation. David is praising the Lord for His goodness to His people for keeping Israel from danger, escaping death as they fight against their enemies, which is who David is describing in verse 21, “The hairy crown” speaks of young warriors who were fighting against Israel.
God’s enemies may try to flee but He will bring them back so that they will be destroyed. God will bring them back from the tops of the mountains and from the depths of the sea, from the east (Bashan) and from the West (the sea). Amos speaks of a similar thing in Amos 9:1-3, “1 ¶ I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said, "Smite the capitals so that the thresholds will shake, And break them on the heads of them all! Then I will slay the rest of them with the sword; They will not have a fugitive who will flee, Or a refugee who will escape. 2 "Though they dig into Sheol, From there will My hand take them; And though they ascend to heaven, From there will I bring them down. 3 "Though they hide on the summit of Carmel, I will search them out and take them from there; And though they conceal themselves from My sight on the floor of the sea, From there I will command the serpent and it will bite them.” We can rest assured that none of the enemies of the Lord will escape when it comes time for their judgment. In verse 23 we see David speaking of the dogs having a portion of the enemies, and this not so pretty of a picture depicts a complete kind of judgment on an enemy as the dog’s lick up the blood of the enemy. This happened to the famous Jezebel when she was killed as seen in 2Kings 9:30-37.
Dr. Wiersbe writes “The King now receives the homage of His people who gladly say, ‘My God, My King’ (vv.24-27). Both men and women, lay people and priests, join in praising the Lord. Zion was situated at the border of Judah and Benjamin; David came from Judah and King Saul from Benjamin. As the youngest of the sons of Jacob, and perhaps as the tribe of Israel’s first king Benjamin leads the procession along with the leaders of Judah (representing the southern tribes), and the leaders of Zebulun and Naphtali (the northern tribes). Israel is a united people, praising the Lord. ‘Fountain of Israel’ (v. 26) refers to the Lord (NASB, and see 36:9) or the patriarchs, especially Jacob (AMP).”
Our God Receives Universal Tribute (vv. 28-35): “28 Your God has commanded your strength; Show Yourself strong, O God, who have acted on our behalf. 29 Because of Your temple at Jerusalem Kings will bring gifts to You. 30 Rebuke the beasts in the reeds, The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples, Trampling under foot the pieces of silver; He has scattered the peoples who delight in war. 31 Envoys will come out of Egypt; Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God.
“32 ¶ Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, Sing praises to the Lord, Selah. 33 To Him who rides upon the highest heavens, which are from ancient times; Behold, He speaks forth with His voice, a mighty voice. 34 Ascribe strength to God; His majesty is over Israel And His strength is in the skies. 35 O God, You are awesome from Your sanctuary. The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be God!”
“ 28 Summon your might, O God. Display your power, O God, as you have in the past. 29 The kings of the earth are bringing tribute to your Temple in Jerusalem. 30 Rebuke these enemy nations- these wild animals lurking in the reeds, this herd of bulls among the weaker calves. Make them bring bars of silver in humble tribute. Scatter the nations that delight in war. 31 Let Egypt come with gifts of precious metals; let Ethiopia bow in submission to God.
“32 ¶ Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth. Sing praises to the Lord. Interlude 33 Sing to the one who rides across the ancient heavens, his mighty voice thundering from the sky. 34 Tell everyone about God’s power. His majesty shines down on Israel; his strength is mighty in the heavens. 35 God is awesome in his sanctuary. The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!” (NLT)
We will see when we look at Isaiah 2:1-4 and Revelations 21:24 that this section of Psalm 68 has prophetic overtones as it describes the Gentile nations submitting to Jehovah, the God of Israel. “1 ¶ The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. 3 And many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths." For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.” “24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.” I believe that the verses in Isaiah speak of the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ on the earth, while the verse in Revelations speaks of the eternal kingdom of God. That verse is difficult to understand.
We know that there will be no peace on earth until the Prince of Peace reigns in Jerusalem which will take place after the tribulation period, which is described in Revelations 6-19. At that time there will be peace on earth for Satan will be bound along with his demons, and Christ will reign from Jerusalem and any wickedness will be dealt with instantly. The question is do you want to be a part of this kingdom? Do you want to reign with Jesus Christ in His earthy kingdom? You can if at this moment you confess that you are a sinner and then trust the Lord Jesus Christ as you personal Savior and Lord believing that He is the One who died in your place on the cross to take away yours sins. Just tell Him this and you too will be born from above and will have eternal life in Christ.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: Knowing that Jesus Christ is in charge and will take care of my future and that I will be a part of His kingdom on earth ruling and reigning with Him gives me faith to believe that He will take care of me today and every day.
My Steps of Faith for Today: In all of life’s ups and downs I know that my Savior is in control and will continue to teach me contentment as I go through these ups and downs of life.
My prayers go up to the Lord for my mother who is sick and in the hospital. She is in the same hospital where she gave birth to me 65 years ago today and I pray that God will bring her back to good health soon.
4/4/2012 8:45:36 AM
04/04/2012 7:45 AM
My Worship Time Focus: My God Reigns
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 68:19-35
Message of the verses: In today’s SD we will look at the next main point under the outline from Warren Wiersbe’s commentary and see if we can finish the commentary on Psalm 68. He wrote the following in his introductory commentary to aid his readers in understanding this psalm: “The psalm is a jubilant hymn of praise to Jehovah in which the nation of Israel gives four expressions of triumph through their God.”
Our God Is Dwelling with Us (vv. 19-27): “19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God who is our salvation. Selah. 20 God is to us a God of deliverances; And to GOD the Lord belong escapes from death. 21 Surely God will shatter the head of His enemies, The hairy crown of him who goes on in his guilty deeds.
“22 ¶ The Lord said, "I will bring them back from Bashan. I will bring them back from the depths of the sea; 23 That your foot may shatter them in blood, The tongue of your dogs may have its portion from your enemies." 24 They have seen Your procession, O God, The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary. 25 The singers went on, the musicians after them, In the midst of the maidens beating tambourines. 26 Bless God in the congregations, Even the LORD, you who are of the fountain of Israel. 27 There is Benjamin, the youngest, ruling them, The princes of Judah in their throng, The princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.”
David sees the Lord God who dwells on Zion as a blessing to those who were in danger, and those who were burdened, for He is the God of Salvation. David is praising the Lord for His goodness to His people for keeping Israel from danger, escaping death as they fight against their enemies, which is who David is describing in verse 21, “The hairy crown” speaks of young warriors who were fighting against Israel.
God’s enemies may try to flee but He will bring them back so that they will be destroyed. God will bring them back from the tops of the mountains and from the depths of the sea, from the east (Bashan) and from the West (the sea). Amos speaks of a similar thing in Amos 9:1-3, “1 ¶ I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said, "Smite the capitals so that the thresholds will shake, And break them on the heads of them all! Then I will slay the rest of them with the sword; They will not have a fugitive who will flee, Or a refugee who will escape. 2 "Though they dig into Sheol, From there will My hand take them; And though they ascend to heaven, From there will I bring them down. 3 "Though they hide on the summit of Carmel, I will search them out and take them from there; And though they conceal themselves from My sight on the floor of the sea, From there I will command the serpent and it will bite them.” We can rest assured that none of the enemies of the Lord will escape when it comes time for their judgment. In verse 23 we see David speaking of the dogs having a portion of the enemies, and this not so pretty of a picture depicts a complete kind of judgment on an enemy as the dog’s lick up the blood of the enemy. This happened to the famous Jezebel when she was killed as seen in 2Kings 9:30-37.
Dr. Wiersbe writes “The King now receives the homage of His people who gladly say, ‘My God, My King’ (vv.24-27). Both men and women, lay people and priests, join in praising the Lord. Zion was situated at the border of Judah and Benjamin; David came from Judah and King Saul from Benjamin. As the youngest of the sons of Jacob, and perhaps as the tribe of Israel’s first king Benjamin leads the procession along with the leaders of Judah (representing the southern tribes), and the leaders of Zebulun and Naphtali (the northern tribes). Israel is a united people, praising the Lord. ‘Fountain of Israel’ (v. 26) refers to the Lord (NASB, and see 36:9) or the patriarchs, especially Jacob (AMP).”
Our God Receives Universal Tribute (vv. 28-35): “28 Your God has commanded your strength; Show Yourself strong, O God, who have acted on our behalf. 29 Because of Your temple at Jerusalem Kings will bring gifts to You. 30 Rebuke the beasts in the reeds, The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples, Trampling under foot the pieces of silver; He has scattered the peoples who delight in war. 31 Envoys will come out of Egypt; Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God.
“32 ¶ Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, Sing praises to the Lord, Selah. 33 To Him who rides upon the highest heavens, which are from ancient times; Behold, He speaks forth with His voice, a mighty voice. 34 Ascribe strength to God; His majesty is over Israel And His strength is in the skies. 35 O God, You are awesome from Your sanctuary. The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be God!”
“ 28 Summon your might, O God. Display your power, O God, as you have in the past. 29 The kings of the earth are bringing tribute to your Temple in Jerusalem. 30 Rebuke these enemy nations- these wild animals lurking in the reeds, this herd of bulls among the weaker calves. Make them bring bars of silver in humble tribute. Scatter the nations that delight in war. 31 Let Egypt come with gifts of precious metals; let Ethiopia bow in submission to God.
“32 ¶ Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth. Sing praises to the Lord. Interlude 33 Sing to the one who rides across the ancient heavens, his mighty voice thundering from the sky. 34 Tell everyone about God’s power. His majesty shines down on Israel; his strength is mighty in the heavens. 35 God is awesome in his sanctuary. The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!” (NLT)
We will see when we look at Isaiah 2:1-4 and Revelations 21:24 that this section of Psalm 68 has prophetic overtones as it describes the Gentile nations submitting to Jehovah, the God of Israel. “1 ¶ The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. 3 And many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths." For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.” “24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.” I believe that the verses in Isaiah speak of the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ on the earth, while the verse in Revelations speaks of the eternal kingdom of God. That verse is difficult to understand.
We know that there will be no peace on earth until the Prince of Peace reigns in Jerusalem which will take place after the tribulation period, which is described in Revelations 6-19. At that time there will be peace on earth for Satan will be bound along with his demons, and Christ will reign from Jerusalem and any wickedness will be dealt with instantly. The question is do you want to be a part of this kingdom? Do you want to reign with Jesus Christ in His earthy kingdom? You can if at this moment you confess that you are a sinner and then trust the Lord Jesus Christ as you personal Savior and Lord believing that He is the One who died in your place on the cross to take away yours sins. Just tell Him this and you too will be born from above and will have eternal life in Christ.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: Knowing that Jesus Christ is in charge and will take care of my future and that I will be a part of His kingdom on earth ruling and reigning with Him gives me faith to believe that He will take care of me today and every day.
My Steps of Faith for Today: In all of life’s ups and downs I know that my Savior is in control and will continue to teach me contentment as I go through these ups and downs of life.
My prayers go up to the Lord for my mother who is sick and in the hospital. She is in the same hospital where she gave birth to me 65 years ago today and I pray that God will bring her back to good health soon.
4/4/2012 8:45:36 AM
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR (1Peter 4:19)
SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
4/3/2012 9:52:07 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Commit yourself to God
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: 1Peter 4:19
Message of the verse: “19 Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.” (NASB-95)
Commit Yourself to God (1Peter 4:19): “19 So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.” (NLT) “19 Therefore these who suffer according to God’s will can safely commit their souls to their faithful Creator, and go on doing all the good they can.” (Philips) 19 For this reason let those who by the purpose of God undergo punishment, keep on in well-doing and put their souls into the safe hands of their Maker.” (BBE) “19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” (ESV)
In the Philips paraphrase version of the Bible, which is seen above, the word “commit” is used, while the NASB says “entrust” and so does the ESV. This word can be used as a banking term where one puts their funds into a bank and receives interest for those funds. In the same way we as believers when we suffer for the cause of Christ can put ourselves into God’s bank and we will always receive eternal dividends on our investment.
In the US we have the FDIC that is suppose to bring us great comfort when we deposit our funds into a US bank, for if the bank goes under the funds are insured. However when we belong to God who loves us, who has purchased us, and who lives in us and promised to one day take us to heaven we can totally put our faith and trust in Him, and we can commit our lives to Him even though we suffer for the cause of Christ, for we know that God is faithful.
Dr. Wiersbe writes “this commitment is not a single action but a constant attitude. ‘Be constantly committing’ is the force of the admonition. How do we do this? ‘By means of welldoing.’ As we return good for evil and do good even though we suffer for it, we are committing ourselves to God so that He can care for us. This commitment involves every area of our lives and every hour of our lives.”
It may sound strange to some that Peter calls God “a faithful Creator” and not a faithful Judge, which of course He is. Peter knew that it was the Creator who provided food and clothing to those persecuted Christians, and it was the faithful Creator who protects them in times of danger.
Dr. Wiersbe finishes his commentary with the following paragraph: “Before God pours out His wrath on this evil world, a ‘fiery trial’ will come to God’s church, to unite and purify it, that it might be a strong witness to the lost. There is nothing for us to fear if we are suffering in the will of God. Our faithful Father-Creator will victoriously see us through!”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: When Paul wrote to the believers in Philippi he told them in verse 4:11b that he had learned to be content and we can see from his second letter to the Corinthian church in chapter eleven that it was through persecution that he had learned to be content. This is what Peter is telling his readers who were about to go through some difficult persecutions because it would be about a year after his readers received this letter that Rome would burn and Nero would blame it on the Christians and so the persecution would begin and it would be very difficult. There is a story in the 32nd chapter of Jeremiah which helps us to understand how our faith should not waver even when persecution comes. Jeremiah was in prison and the Babylonians were attacking Jerusalem, about to destroy it, when his cousin comes to sell him a piece of property and because it was of the Lord Jeremiah bought the property because God told him that the children of Israel would return and build houses once again. It took faith to do this and it takes great faith to endure persecution, but God is in control and one day He will judge all who have caused the troubles in the world.
4/3/2012 3:24:05 PM
4/3/2012 9:52:07 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Commit yourself to God
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: 1Peter 4:19
Message of the verse: “19 Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.” (NASB-95)
Commit Yourself to God (1Peter 4:19): “19 So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.” (NLT) “19 Therefore these who suffer according to God’s will can safely commit their souls to their faithful Creator, and go on doing all the good they can.” (Philips) 19 For this reason let those who by the purpose of God undergo punishment, keep on in well-doing and put their souls into the safe hands of their Maker.” (BBE) “19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” (ESV)
In the Philips paraphrase version of the Bible, which is seen above, the word “commit” is used, while the NASB says “entrust” and so does the ESV. This word can be used as a banking term where one puts their funds into a bank and receives interest for those funds. In the same way we as believers when we suffer for the cause of Christ can put ourselves into God’s bank and we will always receive eternal dividends on our investment.
In the US we have the FDIC that is suppose to bring us great comfort when we deposit our funds into a US bank, for if the bank goes under the funds are insured. However when we belong to God who loves us, who has purchased us, and who lives in us and promised to one day take us to heaven we can totally put our faith and trust in Him, and we can commit our lives to Him even though we suffer for the cause of Christ, for we know that God is faithful.
Dr. Wiersbe writes “this commitment is not a single action but a constant attitude. ‘Be constantly committing’ is the force of the admonition. How do we do this? ‘By means of welldoing.’ As we return good for evil and do good even though we suffer for it, we are committing ourselves to God so that He can care for us. This commitment involves every area of our lives and every hour of our lives.”
It may sound strange to some that Peter calls God “a faithful Creator” and not a faithful Judge, which of course He is. Peter knew that it was the Creator who provided food and clothing to those persecuted Christians, and it was the faithful Creator who protects them in times of danger.
Dr. Wiersbe finishes his commentary with the following paragraph: “Before God pours out His wrath on this evil world, a ‘fiery trial’ will come to God’s church, to unite and purify it, that it might be a strong witness to the lost. There is nothing for us to fear if we are suffering in the will of God. Our faithful Father-Creator will victoriously see us through!”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: When Paul wrote to the believers in Philippi he told them in verse 4:11b that he had learned to be content and we can see from his second letter to the Corinthian church in chapter eleven that it was through persecution that he had learned to be content. This is what Peter is telling his readers who were about to go through some difficult persecutions because it would be about a year after his readers received this letter that Rome would burn and Nero would blame it on the Christians and so the persecution would begin and it would be very difficult. There is a story in the 32nd chapter of Jeremiah which helps us to understand how our faith should not waver even when persecution comes. Jeremiah was in prison and the Babylonians were attacking Jerusalem, about to destroy it, when his cousin comes to sell him a piece of property and because it was of the Lord Jeremiah bought the property because God told him that the children of Israel would return and build houses once again. It took faith to do this and it takes great faith to endure persecution, but God is in control and one day He will judge all who have caused the troubles in the world.
4/3/2012 3:24:05 PM
God Goes Before Us (Psalm 68:7-18)
SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
4/3/2012 8:31:26 AM
My Worship Time Focus: God goes before us
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 68:7-18
Message of the verses: In today’s SD we continue to look at Psalm 68. Warren Wiersbe wrote the following at the end of his introduction to Psalm 68: “this psalm is a jubilant hymn of praise to Jehovah in which the nation of Israel gives four expressions of triumph through their God.” We looked at the first expression in yesterday’s SD.
Our God Is Marching Before Us (vv. 7-18): “7 ¶ O God, when You went forth before Your people, When You marched through the wilderness, Selah. 8 The earth quaked; The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel. 9 You shed abroad a plentiful rain, O God; You confirmed Your inheritance when it was parched. 10 Your creatures settled in it; You provided in Your goodness for the poor, O God. 11 The Lord gives the command; The women who proclaim the good tidings are a great host: 12 "Kings of armies flee, they flee, And she who remains at home will divide the spoil!" 13 When you lie down among the sheepfolds, You are like the wings of a dove covered with silver, And its pinions with glistening gold. 14 When the Almighty scattered the kings there, It was snowing in Zalmon.
“15 ¶ A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan; A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan. 16 Why do you look with envy, O mountains with many peaks, At the mountain which God has desired for His abode? Surely the LORD will dwell there forever. 17 The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands; The Lord is among them as at Sinai, in holiness. 18 You have ascended on high, You have led captive Your captives; You have received gifts among men, Even among the rebellious also, that the LORD God may dwell there.”
We see in verses 7-8 that David is reviewing Israel’s Exodus out of Egypt all the way to Mt. Sinai and the rain that he is writing about could be real rain or it may refer to the manna that the Lord provided for food which He gave six days a week to the children of Israel. We then see in verses 9-14 Israel going into the Promised Land and conquering it. God promised this land to the children of Israel as far back as when He first promised it to Abraham which can be seen in Genesis 15 where we find a part of the Abrahamic covenant that God made with Abraham.
Verses 13-14 are difficult to understand as Dr. Wiersbe points out: “Students have long been puzzled by verses 13-14 and don’t always agree on either their translations or their interpretations. There appears to be a reference to the ‘Song of Deborah’ in Judges 5:15-18 where she shamed Reuben for staying home and not fighting the enemy, but praised Benjamin, Zebulun, and Naphtali for joining in the battle. These three tribes are commended in 68:27, but we don’t know of any tribes that failed to participate in the conquering of Canaan. The New Living Translation interprets verses 12-14: ‘12 Enemy kings and their armies flee, while the women of Israel divide the plunder. 13 Even those who lived among the sheepfolds found treasures- doves with wings of silver and feathers of gold. 14 The Almighty scattered the enemy kings like a blowing snowstorm on Mount Zalmon.’ Israel is compared to a turtledove in 74:19.”
God conquered Canaan not only to give the children of Israel a home, but to also to “secure” a home for Himself. God chose Mt. Zion for His home and this goes back to when He told Abraham to offer his son as a burnt offering on Mt. Mariah as seen in Genesis 22. It was also on this mountain that the Angel of the Lord stopped the plague that was caused by David’s numbering of the children of Israel. Solomon built the temple of the Lord on this very spot and later on the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God would suffer and die outside the gates of Jerusalem in order to provide salvation for God’s people. We see in this the attribute of wisdom that God has in planning all of this. Mt. Zion was not as tall as Mt. Hermon, which is 9,000 feet, but it was where God chose to secure His home and we can see this all being played out in verses 15-18. The chariots of God make up His heavenly army, for after all God is the Lord of Hosts. When we read about ascending on high this is referring to winning the victory and returning in triumph (See Psalm 47:1-6). Dr. Wiersbe points out that “some think this refers to a time when the ark was ‘in the field’ with the army and then brought back to the sanctuary on Zion (2Sam. 11:11; 12:26-31). Paul quoted verse 18 in Ephesians 4:8 when referring to the ascension of Christ. A king ascending the throne both receives and gives gifts, and even those who reject him will honor him outwardly.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I am not the only one who sees difficult times coming soon to our country and as I read verses like that are in Psalm 68 and other verses in the Scriptures that speak of the wisdom and planning of the Lord it gives comfort to me to know that He is in charge and nothing will happen unless it is allowed by God. We were once a nation where people feared the Lord, but now we live in a nation where the theory of evolution has had its toll on our country and not only ours but many countries too. The toll that it has had is that if the world and the universe are just an accident then there is no Creator who created them, and if there is no Creator who created them then we are not accountable to this Creator. I once heard a Pastor give an illustration to help explain how foolish the theory of evolution is. He stated that at one time he had received a Rolex watch as a gift and told us how wonderfully this watch was engineered and then he stated that if it takes a person to design and build a watch, for that watch did not happen by accident then it took a Designer to create the world and the universe that the earth is in.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Continue to trust the Lord to teach me contentment in the circumstances that I am facing, knowing that the Lord is in charge and has a plan for, not only me but for all His creation.
4/3/2012 9:43:28 AM
4/3/2012 8:31:26 AM
My Worship Time Focus: God goes before us
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 68:7-18
Message of the verses: In today’s SD we continue to look at Psalm 68. Warren Wiersbe wrote the following at the end of his introduction to Psalm 68: “this psalm is a jubilant hymn of praise to Jehovah in which the nation of Israel gives four expressions of triumph through their God.” We looked at the first expression in yesterday’s SD.
Our God Is Marching Before Us (vv. 7-18): “7 ¶ O God, when You went forth before Your people, When You marched through the wilderness, Selah. 8 The earth quaked; The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel. 9 You shed abroad a plentiful rain, O God; You confirmed Your inheritance when it was parched. 10 Your creatures settled in it; You provided in Your goodness for the poor, O God. 11 The Lord gives the command; The women who proclaim the good tidings are a great host: 12 "Kings of armies flee, they flee, And she who remains at home will divide the spoil!" 13 When you lie down among the sheepfolds, You are like the wings of a dove covered with silver, And its pinions with glistening gold. 14 When the Almighty scattered the kings there, It was snowing in Zalmon.
“15 ¶ A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan; A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan. 16 Why do you look with envy, O mountains with many peaks, At the mountain which God has desired for His abode? Surely the LORD will dwell there forever. 17 The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands; The Lord is among them as at Sinai, in holiness. 18 You have ascended on high, You have led captive Your captives; You have received gifts among men, Even among the rebellious also, that the LORD God may dwell there.”
We see in verses 7-8 that David is reviewing Israel’s Exodus out of Egypt all the way to Mt. Sinai and the rain that he is writing about could be real rain or it may refer to the manna that the Lord provided for food which He gave six days a week to the children of Israel. We then see in verses 9-14 Israel going into the Promised Land and conquering it. God promised this land to the children of Israel as far back as when He first promised it to Abraham which can be seen in Genesis 15 where we find a part of the Abrahamic covenant that God made with Abraham.
Verses 13-14 are difficult to understand as Dr. Wiersbe points out: “Students have long been puzzled by verses 13-14 and don’t always agree on either their translations or their interpretations. There appears to be a reference to the ‘Song of Deborah’ in Judges 5:15-18 where she shamed Reuben for staying home and not fighting the enemy, but praised Benjamin, Zebulun, and Naphtali for joining in the battle. These three tribes are commended in 68:27, but we don’t know of any tribes that failed to participate in the conquering of Canaan. The New Living Translation interprets verses 12-14: ‘12 Enemy kings and their armies flee, while the women of Israel divide the plunder. 13 Even those who lived among the sheepfolds found treasures- doves with wings of silver and feathers of gold. 14 The Almighty scattered the enemy kings like a blowing snowstorm on Mount Zalmon.’ Israel is compared to a turtledove in 74:19.”
God conquered Canaan not only to give the children of Israel a home, but to also to “secure” a home for Himself. God chose Mt. Zion for His home and this goes back to when He told Abraham to offer his son as a burnt offering on Mt. Mariah as seen in Genesis 22. It was also on this mountain that the Angel of the Lord stopped the plague that was caused by David’s numbering of the children of Israel. Solomon built the temple of the Lord on this very spot and later on the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God would suffer and die outside the gates of Jerusalem in order to provide salvation for God’s people. We see in this the attribute of wisdom that God has in planning all of this. Mt. Zion was not as tall as Mt. Hermon, which is 9,000 feet, but it was where God chose to secure His home and we can see this all being played out in verses 15-18. The chariots of God make up His heavenly army, for after all God is the Lord of Hosts. When we read about ascending on high this is referring to winning the victory and returning in triumph (See Psalm 47:1-6). Dr. Wiersbe points out that “some think this refers to a time when the ark was ‘in the field’ with the army and then brought back to the sanctuary on Zion (2Sam. 11:11; 12:26-31). Paul quoted verse 18 in Ephesians 4:8 when referring to the ascension of Christ. A king ascending the throne both receives and gives gifts, and even those who reject him will honor him outwardly.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I am not the only one who sees difficult times coming soon to our country and as I read verses like that are in Psalm 68 and other verses in the Scriptures that speak of the wisdom and planning of the Lord it gives comfort to me to know that He is in charge and nothing will happen unless it is allowed by God. We were once a nation where people feared the Lord, but now we live in a nation where the theory of evolution has had its toll on our country and not only ours but many countries too. The toll that it has had is that if the world and the universe are just an accident then there is no Creator who created them, and if there is no Creator who created them then we are not accountable to this Creator. I once heard a Pastor give an illustration to help explain how foolish the theory of evolution is. He stated that at one time he had received a Rolex watch as a gift and told us how wonderfully this watch was engineered and then he stated that if it takes a person to design and build a watch, for that watch did not happen by accident then it took a Designer to create the world and the universe that the earth is in.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Continue to trust the Lord to teach me contentment in the circumstances that I am facing, knowing that the Lord is in charge and has a plan for, not only me but for all His creation.
4/3/2012 9:43:28 AM
Monday, April 2, 2012
Examine Your Life (1Peter 4:15-18)
SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
4/2/2012 3:34:51 PM
As I was looking at my Spiritual Diaries for the books of first and second Peter I noticed that some of them were missing and so I have decided to finish the book of First Peter and then fill in what is missing in Second Peter. This is the first of those Spiritual Diaries.
Let me begin with stating that Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on 1Peter is entitled “Be Hopeful, and in the introduction to the tenth chapter in his commentary, which he entitles “Facts About Furnaces and it covers 1Peter 4:12-19, he states the following in the introduction: “Peter gave the believers four instructions to follow in the light of the coming ‘fiery trial.” The first trial was covered in previous SD’s which was entitled “Expect suffering” and then the next main point was entitled “Rejoice in Suffering.” This SD will begin with the next main point from Dr. Wiersbe’s outline which is entitled “Examine Your Life.”
Examine Your Life (1Peter 4:15-18): “15 Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; 16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER?”
We must remember that Dr. Wiersbe entitled this chapter “Facts about Furnaces,” and being an old foundry man for 35 years I do know a bit about furnaces too, so that will make it easier for me to understand this section better. I remember that Dr. Wiersbe has said that when we are in a fiery trial that it is God who controls the thermostat. We will see in this section that it talks about judgment and Peter writes that judgment begins with the household of God. In the 9th chapter of the book of Ezekiel we can see an OT version of judgment beginning with the household of God. It is a short chapter of only ten verses that helps us understand better what Peter is writing about.
Steve Green is a wonderful singer of Christian music and one of his songs is entitled “The Refiners Fire and at this time I wish to put those lyrics on this SD.
There burns a fire with sacred heat
White hot with holy flame
And all who dare pass through its blaze
Will not emerge the same
Some as bronze, and some as silver
Some as gold, then with great skill
All are hammered by their sufferings
On the anvil of His will
Chorus:
The Refiner's fire
Has now become my souls desire
Purged and cleansed and purified
That the Lord be glorified
He is consuming my soul
Refining me, making me whole
No matter what I may lose
I choose the Refiner's fire
I'm learning now to trust His touch
To crave the fire's embrace
For though my past with sin was etched
His mercies did erase
Each time His purging cleanses deeper
I'm not sure that I'll survive
Yet the strength in growing weaker
Keeps my hungry soul alive
Chorus
Why am I suffering? (v. 15): 15 “Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler;” We can look at some of the more prolific saints in the Word of God and see that they suffered because of disobedience to the Word of God. Moses did not enter the Promised Land because of disobedience. David lost four sons because of disobedience. Peter was miserable because He denied the Lord. Dr. Wiersbe writes “Let’s be sure we are suffering because we are Christians and not because we are criminals.”
Am I ashamed, or glorifying Christ? (v. 16): “16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.” Not being ashamed is something that is negative, while glorifying God is a positive. Hebrews 11:16 states, “But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.” “For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren (Hebrews 2:11).” Hebrews 12:2 states, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Dr. Wiersbe writes “It was the determination not to be ashamed that encouraged Paul when he went to Rome (Rom. 1:16), when he suffered in Rome (Phil. 1:20-21), and when he faced martyrdom in Rome (2Tim. 1:12).”
Am I seeking to win the Lost (vv. 17-18): “17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER?”
I think that it is wonderful how Dr. Wiersbe brings in witnessing from these two verses, for when one first reads them witnessing does not seem to be what Peter is talking about. Dr. Wiersbe writes that “Instead of being concerned only about ourselves, we need to be concerned about the lost sinners around us. Our present ‘fiery trial’ is nothing compared with the ‘flaming fire’ that shall punish the lost when Jesus returns in judgment.” Now let’s take a look at what will happen when the Lord returns from the writing of the Apostle Paul as he writes to those in Thessalonica in 2Thes. 1:4-10, “4 therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure.
“5 ¶ This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering. 6 For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed-for our testimony to you was believed.”
John MacArthur writes the following from his Study Bible on verse 18: “Quoted from the LXX of Proverbs 11:31, and reinforces the point that if the justified sinner is saved only with great difficulty, suffering pain, and loss—what will be the end of the ungodly?” The end of the ungodly is described in the verses in 2Thes.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: It was just last night in our church service that the guest Pastor was preaching on verses in Hebrews 12:1-3 and then in 1Peter 4. One of the things that stuck into my mind from his message was not being ashamed of Christ for in Hebrews 12:2 it tells us that Jesus despised the shame and as he was talking about that section of the verse it was as if I had not seen that before, but I know that I have. He went on to talk about as believers; we are not to despise the shame when doing something for the Lord. I took out of that, that we should not be ashamed in doing the work of God.
Today while visiting my sick mom in the hospital, as I was leaving I saw an older man with his head bowed and his mouth moving in what looked like he was praying. He was sitting outside a room with the curtain closed and my first instinct was to stop and put my arm around him and as if I could join him in prayer. I did not do this and it bothered me all of the way home. I did pray for him and the situation that he was in, but I was too ashamed or frightened to stop and I know I should have.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Not to be ashamed of Jesus Christ or the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Continue to learn contentment in a world that seems to be falling apart.
4/2/2012 4:49:32 PM
4/2/2012 3:34:51 PM
As I was looking at my Spiritual Diaries for the books of first and second Peter I noticed that some of them were missing and so I have decided to finish the book of First Peter and then fill in what is missing in Second Peter. This is the first of those Spiritual Diaries.
Let me begin with stating that Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on 1Peter is entitled “Be Hopeful, and in the introduction to the tenth chapter in his commentary, which he entitles “Facts About Furnaces and it covers 1Peter 4:12-19, he states the following in the introduction: “Peter gave the believers four instructions to follow in the light of the coming ‘fiery trial.” The first trial was covered in previous SD’s which was entitled “Expect suffering” and then the next main point was entitled “Rejoice in Suffering.” This SD will begin with the next main point from Dr. Wiersbe’s outline which is entitled “Examine Your Life.”
Examine Your Life (1Peter 4:15-18): “15 Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; 16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER?”
We must remember that Dr. Wiersbe entitled this chapter “Facts about Furnaces,” and being an old foundry man for 35 years I do know a bit about furnaces too, so that will make it easier for me to understand this section better. I remember that Dr. Wiersbe has said that when we are in a fiery trial that it is God who controls the thermostat. We will see in this section that it talks about judgment and Peter writes that judgment begins with the household of God. In the 9th chapter of the book of Ezekiel we can see an OT version of judgment beginning with the household of God. It is a short chapter of only ten verses that helps us understand better what Peter is writing about.
Steve Green is a wonderful singer of Christian music and one of his songs is entitled “The Refiners Fire and at this time I wish to put those lyrics on this SD.
There burns a fire with sacred heat
White hot with holy flame
And all who dare pass through its blaze
Will not emerge the same
Some as bronze, and some as silver
Some as gold, then with great skill
All are hammered by their sufferings
On the anvil of His will
Chorus:
The Refiner's fire
Has now become my souls desire
Purged and cleansed and purified
That the Lord be glorified
He is consuming my soul
Refining me, making me whole
No matter what I may lose
I choose the Refiner's fire
I'm learning now to trust His touch
To crave the fire's embrace
For though my past with sin was etched
His mercies did erase
Each time His purging cleanses deeper
I'm not sure that I'll survive
Yet the strength in growing weaker
Keeps my hungry soul alive
Chorus
Why am I suffering? (v. 15): 15 “Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler;” We can look at some of the more prolific saints in the Word of God and see that they suffered because of disobedience to the Word of God. Moses did not enter the Promised Land because of disobedience. David lost four sons because of disobedience. Peter was miserable because He denied the Lord. Dr. Wiersbe writes “Let’s be sure we are suffering because we are Christians and not because we are criminals.”
Am I ashamed, or glorifying Christ? (v. 16): “16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.” Not being ashamed is something that is negative, while glorifying God is a positive. Hebrews 11:16 states, “But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.” “For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren (Hebrews 2:11).” Hebrews 12:2 states, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Dr. Wiersbe writes “It was the determination not to be ashamed that encouraged Paul when he went to Rome (Rom. 1:16), when he suffered in Rome (Phil. 1:20-21), and when he faced martyrdom in Rome (2Tim. 1:12).”
Am I seeking to win the Lost (vv. 17-18): “17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER?”
I think that it is wonderful how Dr. Wiersbe brings in witnessing from these two verses, for when one first reads them witnessing does not seem to be what Peter is talking about. Dr. Wiersbe writes that “Instead of being concerned only about ourselves, we need to be concerned about the lost sinners around us. Our present ‘fiery trial’ is nothing compared with the ‘flaming fire’ that shall punish the lost when Jesus returns in judgment.” Now let’s take a look at what will happen when the Lord returns from the writing of the Apostle Paul as he writes to those in Thessalonica in 2Thes. 1:4-10, “4 therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure.
“5 ¶ This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering. 6 For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed-for our testimony to you was believed.”
John MacArthur writes the following from his Study Bible on verse 18: “Quoted from the LXX of Proverbs 11:31, and reinforces the point that if the justified sinner is saved only with great difficulty, suffering pain, and loss—what will be the end of the ungodly?” The end of the ungodly is described in the verses in 2Thes.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: It was just last night in our church service that the guest Pastor was preaching on verses in Hebrews 12:1-3 and then in 1Peter 4. One of the things that stuck into my mind from his message was not being ashamed of Christ for in Hebrews 12:2 it tells us that Jesus despised the shame and as he was talking about that section of the verse it was as if I had not seen that before, but I know that I have. He went on to talk about as believers; we are not to despise the shame when doing something for the Lord. I took out of that, that we should not be ashamed in doing the work of God.
Today while visiting my sick mom in the hospital, as I was leaving I saw an older man with his head bowed and his mouth moving in what looked like he was praying. He was sitting outside a room with the curtain closed and my first instinct was to stop and put my arm around him and as if I could join him in prayer. I did not do this and it bothered me all of the way home. I did pray for him and the situation that he was in, but I was too ashamed or frightened to stop and I know I should have.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Not to be ashamed of Jesus Christ or the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Continue to learn contentment in a world that seems to be falling apart.
4/2/2012 4:49:32 PM
Our God is Coming to Us (Psalm 68:1-6)
SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
4/2/2012 8:58:00 AM
My Worship Time Focus: God comes to us
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 68:1-6
Message of the verses: I have decided to only use the introduction written by Warren Wiersbe as we begin to look at Psalm 68.
“Read the ‘Song of Deborah’ (Judges 5) as preparation for studying this psalm, and compare the parallels: Psalm 68:4/Judges 5:3, 7-8/4-5, 12/30, 13/16, 18/12, and 27/14, 18. The emphasis is on God’s mighty acts on behalf of Israel resulting in His decision to dwell on Mount Zion. Several names of God are used, including Elohim (23 times), Jehovah, Jat (short for Jehovah, as in hallelujah, Elijah, etc), Adonai (6times), and Shaddai. The psalm is Messianic; Paul quotes verse 18 in Ephesians 4:8 and applies it to the ascension of Christ. The use of ‘temple’ in verse 29 doesn’t prohibit Davidic authorship since the word hekal was applied to the tabernacle as well (1Samuel 1:9, 3:3; and see Psalm 5:7; 41:4; 18:6; 27:4; 65:4). The psalm is a jubilant hymn of praise to Jehovah in which the nation of Israel gives four expressions of triumph through their God.”
Before we begin to look at Psalm 68 I want to quote the verses from Judges 5 along with the verses in Psalm 68 like Dr. Wiersbe suggests in his introduction. I will highlight the verses from Judges 5 in yellow and the verses in Psalm 68 in blue to tell the difference.
4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts, Whose name is the LORD, and exult before Him. 3 "Hear, O kings; give ear, O rulers! I-to the LORD, I will sing, I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel.
7 ¶ O God, when You went forth before Your people, When You marched through the wilderness, Selah. 8 The earth quaked; The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel. 4 "LORD, when You went out from Seir, When You marched from the field of Edom, The earth quaked, the heavens also dripped, Even the clouds dripped water. 5 "The mountains quaked at the presence of the LORD, This Sinai, at the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel.
12 "Kings of armies flee, they flee, And she who remains at home will divide the spoil!" 30 ’Are they not finding, are they not dividing the spoil? A maiden, two maidens for every warrior; To Sisera a spoil of dyed work, A spoil of dyed work embroidered, Dyed work of double embroidery on the neck of the spoiler?’
13 When you lie down among the sheepfolds, You are like the wings of a dove covered with silver, And its pinions with glistening gold. 16 "Why did you sit among the sheepfolds, To hear the piping for the flocks? Among the divisions of Reuben There were great searchings of heart.
18 You have ascended on high, You have led captive Your captives; You have received gifts among men, Even among the rebellious also, that the LORD God may dwell there. 12 ¶ "Awake, awake, Deborah; Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, Barak, and take away your captives, O son of Abinoam
27 There is Benjamin, the youngest, ruling them, The princes of Judah in their throng, The princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali. 14 "From Ephraim those whose root is in Amalek came down, Following you, Benjamin, with your peoples; From Machir commanders came down, And from Zebulun those who wield the staff of office. 18 "Zebulun was a people who despised their lives even to death, And Naphtali also, on the high places of the field.
Our God Is Coming to Us (vv. 1-6): “1 ¶ «For the choir director. A Psalm of David. A Song.» Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered, And let those who hate Him flee before Him. 2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; As wax melts before the fire, So let the wicked perish before God. 3 But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God; Yes, let them rejoice with gladness. 4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts, Whose name is the LORD, and exult before Him. 5 A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, Is God in His holy habitation. 6 God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.”
Verse one is a quotation from Numbers 10:35, but in order to understand what it means I will quote Numbers 10:33-35 “33 Thus they set out from the mount of the LORD three days’ journey, with the ark of the covenant of the LORD journeying in front of them for the three days, to seek out a resting place for them. 34 The cloud of the LORD was over them by day when they set out from the camp. 35 Then it came about when the ark set out that Moses said, "Rise up, O LORD! And let Your enemies be scattered, And let those who hate You flee before You.’” Psalm 68 pictures the Lord on the march on behalf of His people. We can see that God fights their battles and leads them into the Promised Land and then He will take up residence in the sanctuary on Mt. Zion. In verse two we see that the enemies of the Lord are blown away like smoke, like the melting of wax that gets close to a fire. This is the fate of the rebels who oppose the Lord, but in verse three we see a different story for the righteous, for they will be glad to see the Lord and will lift up a song for the Lord who rides through the desert. Dr. Wiersbe writes that the phrase riding through the desert should read “cast up a highway for him who rides through the desert” (AMP) This would be something like what John the Baptist did in preparation for the coming of Messiah, The Lord Jesus Christ, and I believe that it will be like when Elijah comes to prepare the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. I think that many Bible commentators believe that Elijah is one of the two witnesses that are spoken of in the book of Revelations chapter eleven.
The Lord will care for the fatherless and the widows and this is something that is mentioned in Scripture many times. The wicked will be judged but the Lord will make a home for the lonely and lead the prisoners into prosperity.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: One of the things that I trust in the Lord doing is seen in this portion of Psalm 68 and that is He will make all wrongs right. God will judge the wicked one day and I am looking forward to that happening. In today’s world we see many people living their lives like there is no God, but one day they will find out that the wickedness that they have done was not done in a closet for the Lord knows what they have done and because one of His attributes is Justice He will judge those who have not accepted the judgment that was taken out on His Son on the cross, something that is celebrated this coming Friday, but something that should be celebrated every day, and also the celebration of His resurrection should be celebrated every day too. God judged His Son for those who will accept it but for those who turn their back on it God will judge them.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Trust the Lord when it come to judgment for He has said that vengeance is Mine saith the Lord, and so as I continue to learn contentment I must be content that God will do the judging in His own time.
4/2/2012 10:03:33 AM
4/2/2012 8:58:00 AM
My Worship Time Focus: God comes to us
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 68:1-6
Message of the verses: I have decided to only use the introduction written by Warren Wiersbe as we begin to look at Psalm 68.
“Read the ‘Song of Deborah’ (Judges 5) as preparation for studying this psalm, and compare the parallels: Psalm 68:4/Judges 5:3, 7-8/4-5, 12/30, 13/16, 18/12, and 27/14, 18. The emphasis is on God’s mighty acts on behalf of Israel resulting in His decision to dwell on Mount Zion. Several names of God are used, including Elohim (23 times), Jehovah, Jat (short for Jehovah, as in hallelujah, Elijah, etc), Adonai (6times), and Shaddai. The psalm is Messianic; Paul quotes verse 18 in Ephesians 4:8 and applies it to the ascension of Christ. The use of ‘temple’ in verse 29 doesn’t prohibit Davidic authorship since the word hekal was applied to the tabernacle as well (1Samuel 1:9, 3:3; and see Psalm 5:7; 41:4; 18:6; 27:4; 65:4). The psalm is a jubilant hymn of praise to Jehovah in which the nation of Israel gives four expressions of triumph through their God.”
Before we begin to look at Psalm 68 I want to quote the verses from Judges 5 along with the verses in Psalm 68 like Dr. Wiersbe suggests in his introduction. I will highlight the verses from Judges 5 in yellow and the verses in Psalm 68 in blue to tell the difference.
4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts, Whose name is the LORD, and exult before Him. 3 "Hear, O kings; give ear, O rulers! I-to the LORD, I will sing, I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel.
7 ¶ O God, when You went forth before Your people, When You marched through the wilderness, Selah. 8 The earth quaked; The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel. 4 "LORD, when You went out from Seir, When You marched from the field of Edom, The earth quaked, the heavens also dripped, Even the clouds dripped water. 5 "The mountains quaked at the presence of the LORD, This Sinai, at the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel.
12 "Kings of armies flee, they flee, And she who remains at home will divide the spoil!" 30 ’Are they not finding, are they not dividing the spoil? A maiden, two maidens for every warrior; To Sisera a spoil of dyed work, A spoil of dyed work embroidered, Dyed work of double embroidery on the neck of the spoiler?’
13 When you lie down among the sheepfolds, You are like the wings of a dove covered with silver, And its pinions with glistening gold. 16 "Why did you sit among the sheepfolds, To hear the piping for the flocks? Among the divisions of Reuben There were great searchings of heart.
18 You have ascended on high, You have led captive Your captives; You have received gifts among men, Even among the rebellious also, that the LORD God may dwell there. 12 ¶ "Awake, awake, Deborah; Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, Barak, and take away your captives, O son of Abinoam
27 There is Benjamin, the youngest, ruling them, The princes of Judah in their throng, The princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali. 14 "From Ephraim those whose root is in Amalek came down, Following you, Benjamin, with your peoples; From Machir commanders came down, And from Zebulun those who wield the staff of office. 18 "Zebulun was a people who despised their lives even to death, And Naphtali also, on the high places of the field.
Our God Is Coming to Us (vv. 1-6): “1 ¶ «For the choir director. A Psalm of David. A Song.» Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered, And let those who hate Him flee before Him. 2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; As wax melts before the fire, So let the wicked perish before God. 3 But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God; Yes, let them rejoice with gladness. 4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts, Whose name is the LORD, and exult before Him. 5 A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, Is God in His holy habitation. 6 God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.”
Verse one is a quotation from Numbers 10:35, but in order to understand what it means I will quote Numbers 10:33-35 “33 Thus they set out from the mount of the LORD three days’ journey, with the ark of the covenant of the LORD journeying in front of them for the three days, to seek out a resting place for them. 34 The cloud of the LORD was over them by day when they set out from the camp. 35 Then it came about when the ark set out that Moses said, "Rise up, O LORD! And let Your enemies be scattered, And let those who hate You flee before You.’” Psalm 68 pictures the Lord on the march on behalf of His people. We can see that God fights their battles and leads them into the Promised Land and then He will take up residence in the sanctuary on Mt. Zion. In verse two we see that the enemies of the Lord are blown away like smoke, like the melting of wax that gets close to a fire. This is the fate of the rebels who oppose the Lord, but in verse three we see a different story for the righteous, for they will be glad to see the Lord and will lift up a song for the Lord who rides through the desert. Dr. Wiersbe writes that the phrase riding through the desert should read “cast up a highway for him who rides through the desert” (AMP) This would be something like what John the Baptist did in preparation for the coming of Messiah, The Lord Jesus Christ, and I believe that it will be like when Elijah comes to prepare the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. I think that many Bible commentators believe that Elijah is one of the two witnesses that are spoken of in the book of Revelations chapter eleven.
The Lord will care for the fatherless and the widows and this is something that is mentioned in Scripture many times. The wicked will be judged but the Lord will make a home for the lonely and lead the prisoners into prosperity.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: One of the things that I trust in the Lord doing is seen in this portion of Psalm 68 and that is He will make all wrongs right. God will judge the wicked one day and I am looking forward to that happening. In today’s world we see many people living their lives like there is no God, but one day they will find out that the wickedness that they have done was not done in a closet for the Lord knows what they have done and because one of His attributes is Justice He will judge those who have not accepted the judgment that was taken out on His Son on the cross, something that is celebrated this coming Friday, but something that should be celebrated every day, and also the celebration of His resurrection should be celebrated every day too. God judged His Son for those who will accept it but for those who turn their back on it God will judge them.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Trust the Lord when it come to judgment for He has said that vengeance is Mine saith the Lord, and so as I continue to learn contentment I must be content that God will do the judging in His own time.
4/2/2012 10:03:33 AM
Sunday, April 1, 2012
The Lord Blesses the Nations and Sends His Harvest (Psalm 67:3-7)
4/1/2012 8:40:03 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: The nations praise the Lord, and He sends the harvest
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 67:3-7
Message of the verses: Dr. Wiersbe writes the following at the end of his introduction to Psalm 67: “God blesses us that we might be a blessing to others. The psalm describes the stages in this sequence.” We looked at the first one in yesterday’s SD and now will continue looking at the last two in today’s SD.
The Nations Praise the Lord (vv. 3-5): “3 Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. 4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; For You will judge the peoples with uprightness And guide the nations on the earth. Selah. 5 Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You.”
In yesterday’s SD we learned that Israel Blesses the Nations from verses one and two of Psalm 67 and now we will discover how after Israel blesses the nations that the nations will praise the Lord.
The question is when will the nations praise the Lord and the answer is during the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ upon the earth. According to Psalm 2:1-3 this is not happening now: “1 ¶ Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 3 "Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!’”
“1 ¶ The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. 3 And many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths." For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war. 5 Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.” (Isaiah 2:1-5)
Dr. Wiersbe points out that the prayer in the verses of Psalm 67:3-5 is like the section of what is called the “Lord’s Prayer” in Matthew 6:9-13 where in that section we read “thy kingdom come.”
In an earlier SD, perhaps it was from the study of Mark that I mentioned that the Kingdom of God has three parts, the invisible part, which is what we are in as Jesus Christ rules from heaven after dying on the cross, being buried and then raised from the dead, and now He sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven. The next part will be His earthly kingdom, which will be the 1000 year rule of Jesus Christ upon the earth after He returns in glory at the end of the tribulation period described in Revelations 6-19. The final part of the Kingdom of God is the eternal Kingdom and this is described in the last chapters of Revelations.
The Lord Sends the Harvest (vv. 6-7): “6 The earth has yielded its produce; God, our God, blesses us. 7 God blesses us, That all the ends of the earth may fear Him.”
Verse six is a quotation from Leviticus 26:4, and Leviticus 26 is a summary of God’s covenant with Israel, and it is also found in Deuteronomy 28-30. In that covenant God made it clear to Israel that if they obeyed Him that He would provide the rains so that Israel would have food to eat, but if Israel did not obey the Lord then He would withhold the rains and Israel would not have enough food to eat. In both cases the nations around them would see that God was in control and would fear the Lord. Israel did not do a good job in spreading the Word of God, but as we see in the NT time of Jesus the Scribes and the Pharisees had the religious system turned into something that was all wrong and did not glorify the Lord. It was so wrong that they crucified the Lord of Glory.
Dr. Wiersbe ends his commentary on Psalm 67 with these words: “The application to the church today is obvious: as we obey the Lord, pray and trust Him, He provides what we need, and the unsaved around us see that He cares for us. This gives us opportunity to tell them about Jesus. While verse 6 speaks of a literal harvest, it also reminds us of the ‘spiritual harvest’ that comes as we witness for the Lord (John 4:34-38).
“God blesses the nations through His people Israel and through His church, and all the nations should trust Him, obey Him, and fear him.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: There is no better time in my life than when I have the opportunity of telling someone what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for me in saving me from my sins and giving me eternal life. I cherish these wonderful moments when the Lord gives a “divine appointment” to me and sends someone into my life that is ready to hear the Gospel. The harvest is ripe.
My Steps of Faith for Today: I have been praying for my sick mother that God’s will, will
be done in her life, that the God of all comfort will comfort her and give her peace and rest. I have
been praying that the Lord will prepare my heart for a special Lord’s Supper Service at our church this morning, that my heart will be ready to receive the elements that remind me of what the Lord has done for me when He suffered and had His body broken for me and shed His precious blood that I may become His child. I continue to pray that the Lord will continue to teach me contentment.
4/1/2012 9:22:40 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: The nations praise the Lord, and He sends the harvest
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 67:3-7
Message of the verses: Dr. Wiersbe writes the following at the end of his introduction to Psalm 67: “God blesses us that we might be a blessing to others. The psalm describes the stages in this sequence.” We looked at the first one in yesterday’s SD and now will continue looking at the last two in today’s SD.
The Nations Praise the Lord (vv. 3-5): “3 Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. 4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; For You will judge the peoples with uprightness And guide the nations on the earth. Selah. 5 Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You.”
In yesterday’s SD we learned that Israel Blesses the Nations from verses one and two of Psalm 67 and now we will discover how after Israel blesses the nations that the nations will praise the Lord.
The question is when will the nations praise the Lord and the answer is during the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ upon the earth. According to Psalm 2:1-3 this is not happening now: “1 ¶ Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 3 "Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!’”
“1 ¶ The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. 3 And many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths." For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war. 5 Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.” (Isaiah 2:1-5)
Dr. Wiersbe points out that the prayer in the verses of Psalm 67:3-5 is like the section of what is called the “Lord’s Prayer” in Matthew 6:9-13 where in that section we read “thy kingdom come.”
In an earlier SD, perhaps it was from the study of Mark that I mentioned that the Kingdom of God has three parts, the invisible part, which is what we are in as Jesus Christ rules from heaven after dying on the cross, being buried and then raised from the dead, and now He sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven. The next part will be His earthly kingdom, which will be the 1000 year rule of Jesus Christ upon the earth after He returns in glory at the end of the tribulation period described in Revelations 6-19. The final part of the Kingdom of God is the eternal Kingdom and this is described in the last chapters of Revelations.
The Lord Sends the Harvest (vv. 6-7): “6 The earth has yielded its produce; God, our God, blesses us. 7 God blesses us, That all the ends of the earth may fear Him.”
Verse six is a quotation from Leviticus 26:4, and Leviticus 26 is a summary of God’s covenant with Israel, and it is also found in Deuteronomy 28-30. In that covenant God made it clear to Israel that if they obeyed Him that He would provide the rains so that Israel would have food to eat, but if Israel did not obey the Lord then He would withhold the rains and Israel would not have enough food to eat. In both cases the nations around them would see that God was in control and would fear the Lord. Israel did not do a good job in spreading the Word of God, but as we see in the NT time of Jesus the Scribes and the Pharisees had the religious system turned into something that was all wrong and did not glorify the Lord. It was so wrong that they crucified the Lord of Glory.
Dr. Wiersbe ends his commentary on Psalm 67 with these words: “The application to the church today is obvious: as we obey the Lord, pray and trust Him, He provides what we need, and the unsaved around us see that He cares for us. This gives us opportunity to tell them about Jesus. While verse 6 speaks of a literal harvest, it also reminds us of the ‘spiritual harvest’ that comes as we witness for the Lord (John 4:34-38).
“God blesses the nations through His people Israel and through His church, and all the nations should trust Him, obey Him, and fear him.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: There is no better time in my life than when I have the opportunity of telling someone what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for me in saving me from my sins and giving me eternal life. I cherish these wonderful moments when the Lord gives a “divine appointment” to me and sends someone into my life that is ready to hear the Gospel. The harvest is ripe.
My Steps of Faith for Today: I have been praying for my sick mother that God’s will, will
be done in her life, that the God of all comfort will comfort her and give her peace and rest. I have
been praying that the Lord will prepare my heart for a special Lord’s Supper Service at our church this morning, that my heart will be ready to receive the elements that remind me of what the Lord has done for me when He suffered and had His body broken for me and shed His precious blood that I may become His child. I continue to pray that the Lord will continue to teach me contentment.
4/1/2012 9:22:40 AM
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