"God of... truth... the holy prophets"

    This week we will look at two aspects of God: He being the God of truth (2x in Isaiah 65:16) and the God of the holy prophets (Revelation 22:6).

“So that he who blesses himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he who swears in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hidden from My eyes.” (Isaiah 65:16 NKJV)  

    The context in which this verse is found God describes “My people who have sought Me” (65:10) and those who “forsake the LORD” (65:11) and what their lives will be like.

    Those who have sought the LORD and seek to do His will to the best of their ability after returning from captivity will realize God’s mercy in renewing them and not holding their past against them, their past that led them straight into captivity in both a physical and spiritual sense.

    Today we can read this verse and see the enduring truth that those who have sought the LORD and seek to do His will to the best of their ability, who repented of (turned away from) their sins and were baptized for the remission of their sins (Mark 16:15-16, Acts 2:37-38, Romans 6:1-14), realize God’s mercy and grace in renewing them (Ephesians 4:20-24) and not holding their past against them, their past that led them straight into captivity in a spiritual sense (Romans 6:15-23, 1 John 3:8; 5:18-20).

    God is the God of truth. The Hebrew word behind “truth” is one that is very familiar to every one of us: ‘amen’ – did you know you were speaking Hebrew every time you finished a prayer?  Amen means so be it; it is a declaration that all the praise you have spoken about God is true and it also proclaims your confidence in God’s ability to hear what you have said and to do what is best with what you have requested.

    When ‘amen’ is used in this Isaiah passage it would read like this: “…he who blesses himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of so be it; and he who swears in the earth shall swear by the God of so be it….”

    Simply put: If God says it, it will happen (Numbers 23:19, Joshua 21:45; 23:14, Ezekiel 12:25; 24:14). If God has made a promise it will be fulfilled (Psalm 145, 2 Corinthians 1:20, Hebrews 11:6, and consider John 17:4). God is truth and He can be counted on – you can trust Him with your life and with your soul.

“Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.” (Revelation 22:6 NKJV)

    “Lord God of the holy prophets” – a prophet was given words from God to speak to specific people (kings, tribes, cities, nations, etc.). The prophet was to speak God’s word faithfully (Jeremiah 23:28) and the people, if doubting, would know that the prophet was from God if what was said came to pass (Deuteronomy 18:20-22). The LORD rose early (always well ahead of time) to warn people of their trespasses (Jeremiah 7:13, 25, 25:14) and encourage them toward repentance.

    God used prophets – people among His people – to warn His creation from impending dangers and to trust in the mercy of the LORD, the last of all being His very Son, Jesus (Hebrews 1:1-4). “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken by angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him…” (Hebrews 2:1-3)

    Do you believe God to be the God of truth – the very so be it? Do you believe Him to be the God of the holy prophets, the very writers of the books contained in your bible? All His words have come to pass and we can trust that the words prophesied of what will yet be will be fulfilled. God is the God of truth and the holy prophets spoke only His words, only the truth (1 Thessalonians 1:13, Acts 3:18-21). I encourage you to read His word daily, fully trusting that it is Truth.

You can do it! So can I!!  

Sing And Make Melody - How Shall The Young Secure Their Hearts?

    The song I have selected this week asks a question: How Shall the  Young Secure Their Hearts? It is a teaching song (to us) as well as a declaration of the wondrous beauty of God's truth - the Bible!

How Shall The Young Secure Their Hearts?

(written by Isaac Watts in 1719)

How shall the young secure their hearts

And guard their lives from sin?

Thy word the choicest rules imparts

To keep the conscience clean,

To keep the conscience clean.

Tis, like the sun a heav'nly light

That guides us all the day,

And through the dangers of the night

A lamp to lead our way,

A lamp to lead our way.

The word is everlasting truth,

How pure is every page!

That holy book shall guide our youth

And well support our age,

And well support our age.

    This hymn is based on several passages found in Psalms 119. Look at these wonderful verses:

"How can a young man cleanse his way?

By taking heed according to Your word.

With my whole heart I have sought You;

Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!

For Your word I have hidden in my heart,

That I might not sin against You."

(Psalm 119:9-11 NKJV)

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

(Psalm 119:105 NKJV)

"You are near, O LORD, and all Your commandments are truth.

Concerning Your testimonies, I have known of old 

that You have founded them forever."

 (Psalm 119:151-152 NKJV)

    I encourage you today to make time to read the whole of Psalm 119. It is a wonderful psalm of joyful submission to God's word, and a song of depending on God and His faithfulness for help! Please read it!

    Consider the last verse of the hymn: 

God's word is everlasting truth, how pure is every page!
That holy book shall guide our youth and well support our age.

    1 Peter 1:25 states "the word of the Lord endures forever." In Psalm 119:89 the psalmist declares, "Forever, O LORD, Your word stands firm in heaven. Your faithfulness endures to all generations." All generations! We've already read verses that declare the benefits of seeking God in our youth and applying His instruction as we develop but we need to remember that we also have support in our older years; God does not forget us, His word does not fail us. His instruction grows in value and His teachings result in increasing wisdom, so we in turn can encourage a new generation to seek Him!

    Look at this picture of old age:

"The righteous flourish like the palm tree

and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

They are planted in the house of the Lord;

they flourish in the courts of our God.

They still bear fruit in old age;

they are ever full of sap and green,

to declare that the Lord is upright;

He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him."

(Psalm 92:12-15 NKJV)

    God is good and greatly to be praised!! Encourage the young to seek Him! Encourage the old to trust in Him! No matter your age, secure your heart to Him!! Only in Him do we have the Lamp and the Light that can guide our way! Please read Psalm 119 this week and sing this hymn with understanding!

You can do it! So can I!! 

"But God..." - How God Turned Our Lives from Hopeless to Hopeful!

    If the Lord wills, I would like to take a few weeks to look at the amazingly wonderful, hope-stirring bible verses that express how God, because of His great love for us, gave us a Saviour and changed human life forever!!

    Through Jesus our lives can be changed from death to life, from bondage to freedom, from darkness to light, from hopeless to hope-filled and glorious!!

    I hope you will join me as we look at the verses that give us all the more reason to be joyful and full of thanksgiving for our great and loving Father!

    Let's begin!

“And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death. Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead.” (Acts 13:28-30 NKJV)

    “But God raised Him from the dead.”

    That one sentence, that one solitary statement, changed everything for us! That one declaration of fact is the ultimate proof that Jesus was indeed the Son of God because – God raised Him from the dead!

     When God raised Jesus from the dead:

• Jesus was proved to be His Son (Acts 2:32-33, Romans 1:4)!
• Jesus became the firstborn from the dead, never to die again (Colossians 1:18, Acts 13:34-35, Revelation 1:18)
• Jesus’ words, everything He had spoken, were proved true (Luke 9:22, 24:46-47)
• The prophets were proved true (Acts 2:16-32; 13:32-34)
• Jesus became our Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5-6), our Advocate (1 John 2:1), and our eternal High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16), who makes intercession for us (Romans 8:34)!
• We are justified (brought back into favour with God) and have access to forgiveness of our sins (Acts 10:40-43, Romans 4:25; 8:31-33, Ephesians 1:7, 1 John 1:9-2:2)!
• He proved He has power to raise us up too (1 Corinthians 6:14, 2 Corinthians 4:14, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)!

    Consider this beautiful passage:

 “…if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:14-20 NKJV)

    When God raised Jesus from the dead He changed our lives forever! We can have confident faith in every word, command, and instruction spoken by Jesus. We now can have access to God, access to His help (Hebrews 4:16) His forgiveness (1 John 1:9), His comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) and His peace (Philippians 4:6-7). Because God raised Jesus from the dead, we can believe it, and have faith to obey Jesus’ commands and have hope to be raised in the final Day to life eternal (John 5:25, 28-29, Romans 10:9-13, Ephesians 1:17-23, 1 Peter 1:20-21)!!

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15 NKJV)

The Blessings Found in Fearing the Lord

“The LORD is righteous in all His ways, gracious in all His works. The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will hear their cry and save them.” (Psalm 145:17-19 NKJV)

     In fearing the Lord – reverencing Him as Almighty and fearfully respecting Him by obeying His commands – we can attain true knowledge, true wisdom, and spiritual understanding that shows us the path to Life. On that path we will find freedoms (Galatians 5:22-23, “against such there is no law”) as well as boundaries, both of these God has lovingly provided so that we can do good works and avoid the snares of the devil.  When we respect God as Creator and Sustainer of all, put our trust in Him, and begin to rely wholly on Him, we will discover the wonderful refuge that is our God, a shelter in the time of storm and the only place where all help and blessings are found! 

     God desires that you fear Him, fully understanding who He is and who you are before Him. He created mankind to seek Him and find Him (Acts 17:26-17). He preserved His word over all these centuries so that you could read/hear His Truth. Please fear God enough that you seek out HIS word, HIS truth, stop allowing yourself to be satisfied with man’s interpretation of His word (Matthew 15:9, 2 Timothy 4:3-4)! If your church adds anything to, or takes anything away from, God’s word, it is no longer God’s word – and that is a dangerous position to side with (Revelation 22:18-19) – respect God enough to find a church that teaches and adheres to His pure truth! There you will find people who take refuge in God and declare thanksgiving to Him during troubles and in times of joy, fully appreciating His loving care in their lives each day!! Those who fear God will be nourished and strengthened by His word (John 15:4-5, 1 Peter 2:2), they will be abundantly satisfied with His blessings of every good thing (Colossians 2:3, Ephesians 1:3-14, Psalm 68:19)! It is worth every effort and every sacrifice!

"Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.” (Psalm 34:9-10 NKJV)  

 

You can do it! So can I!! 

From wherever you are right now – BEGIN!  

Fix It So You Can Flourish: Do You Wear the Armour of God?

    As we continue our series in taking a close and honest look at passages so we can make be sure we are doing what God has commanded, let's take time this week to consider Ephesians 6:11-18:

"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints..."  (NKJV)

    Do you wear the whole armour? Are you familiar with each piece and know how it protects you? God wants us to put on the "whole armour" He has given us. Why? Does God want us to be burdened? Not at all! He wants us to put on His whole armor so that we "may stand against the wiles of the devil" and "withstand in the evil day".

    Let's take a closer look at God's armor and better understand the benefits of putting it on each day:   

• Your heart is protected when you put on the breastplate of righteousness (living right before God, 1 John 2:28-3:8)
• The very core of your being is guarded when you wrap your waist with truth (2 Timothy 2:15, John 8:31-32; 14:6)
• Your walk is secured with the preparation of the gospel of peace (Ephesians 2:14-18; 4:1-3)
• You are shielded with faith and able to extinguish the devil's attempts to harm you (Ephesians 6:16, 1 Peter 5:8-9, 1 John 5:4-5)
• Your mind is safeguarded with the helmet of salvation, as you meditate on God's glorious grace and His abundant blessings while pressing toward the goal. Meditating on these things also allows you readiness to talk about your hope through Jesus (Titus 2:11-14, Philippians 3:12-15, 1 Peter 3:15)
• You can defend yourself with God's word, the sword of the Spirit. When you study God's word and wholly obey it, you will do all that is good and profitable and no one will be able to bring an accusation against you (1 Peter 2:11-12; 3:15-17) 

    Put these pieces of armor each and every day you are blessed with! Prove them and test them by using them! Know how they work, learn how they can help you!

    Now, when you wake each day and put on every piece, pray! "Praying always with all prayers and supplication in the Spirit (according to God's word) being watchful to this end with all perseverance (constant determination) and supplication (asking for supplies/needs/help) for all the saints." Pray not only for your own strength to stand and withstand but also for your fellow Christians strength to stand and withstand!! We're all in this together (Galatians 6:1-2)!

Prepare yourselves and bravely stand for Christ! It's worth every effort!!

You can do it! So can I!!