The Devotional - 1524 - The Heart and Soul

The Devotional – 1524 – The Heart and Soul

Psalm 119:169-176 – Let my cry come before You, O Lord; give me understanding according to Your word. Let my supplication come before You; deliver me according to Your word. My lips shall utter praise, for You teach me Your statutes. My tongue shall speak of Your word, for all Your commandments are righteousness. Let Your hand become my help, for I have chosen Your precepts. I long for Your salvation, O Lord, and Your law is my delight. Let my soul live, and it shall praise You; and let Your judgments help me. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, for I do not forget Your commandments. 

Comments and Challenges – TAU

1.      169 – Let my cry come before You YAHWEH, give me understanding according to Your WORD.

2.      170 – Let my supplication come before You, deliver me according to Your WORD.

3.      171 – Let my lips utter praise, for You teach me Your STATUTES

4.      172 – Let my tongue sing of Your WORD, for all of Your COMMANDMENTS are righteousness.

5.      173 – Let Your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen Your PRECEPTS

6.      174 – I have longed for Your salvation YAHWEH, Your LAW is my delight.

7.      175 – Let my soul live, that I may praise You, let Your ORDINANCES help me.

8.  176 – I have gone astray like a lost sheep, seek Your servant, for I do not forget Your COMMANDMENTS.

Here we are once again at the end of Psalm 119:1-176; for me this trip is and was a joy. There really are few words to explain the experience of being involved with the Living Word of God. Only the LORD Jesus Christ and His Spirit can provide the understanding of His WORD. Similar but different is that when someone says to you; “I did not understand what you meant can you explain it to me?” So you turn your mind up a notch or two and reword your thought or idea until the person in front of you says. “Now I see, you have spoken plainly!”

In John 16:25-30 we see a narration that the LORD had with His disciples, they said they understood and they uttered praise as He taught them His PRECEPTS; in John 16:30 their tongue sings of the wisdom and knowledge they experience with their Friend and conclude that they believe that Jesus came forth from God. How often I have said to the LORD; I love your WORD, Your COMMANDMENTS, STATUTES and PRECEPTS rejoice my heart; only to see that the LORD knows that these moments can be short lived. John 16:31-33.

In despair; we feel that Jesus has been distracted from our needs and is focused on someone else. Sort of like those moments in conversation when you see that person you are talking to is not listening and then before you know it, in the middle of your conversation they walk away or begin talking to someone else. You find at these times the reoccurring despair of your soul and heart is critical and longs for the needed friendship of a friend.

God is not like people; His love for you is an unbreakable ORDINANCE, as is His faithfulness to us. The ORDINANCES and STATUTES of the LORD are as near to each of us as is His presence. It is we who have drifted away; we are the distracted ones. Therefore like the psalmist describes of himself as a lost sheep, we too have strayed from the “still waters” we are the ones who have risen up from the “green pastures” and walked away. We are the ones who are facing the “shadow of spiritual death”, Psalm 23:1-6.

Yet in all of this we DO NOT LOSE HOPE do we? Why? Because God is GREAT in Mercy and GRACE and is greatly to be PRAISED! There are many evils, but there is no fear of evil when we have faith in Jesus Christ; because His rod and staff are always a COMFORT even when we go astray as sheep do. He continues to seek us because we do not forget His COMMANDMENTS. Here is a little portion of scripture in the New Testament that should thrill your soul. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. 

Why? Because in this the LORD has allowed us to see what is not seen, the things that are seen are temporary. While the things that are not seen come BOLDLY REAL and alive by faith in HIS WORD! AMEN!

The Devotional - 1523 - The PERSONAL God

The Devotional – 1523 – The PERSONAL God

Psalm 119:161-168 – Princes persecute me without a cause, but my heart stands in awe of Your word. I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure. I hate and abhor lying, but I love Your law. Seven times a day I praise You, because of Your righteous judgments. Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble. Lord, I hope for Your salvation, and I do Your commandments. My soul keeps Your testimonies, and I love them exceedingly. I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies, for all my ways are before You.

Comments and Challenges – SCHIN

1.      161 – Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of Your WORDS.

2.      162 – I rejoice in Your WORD, as one who finds great plunder.

3.      163 – I hate and abhor falsehood, I love Your LAW.

4.      164 – Seven times a day I praise You, because of Your Righteous ORDINANCES.

5.      165 – Those who love Your LAW, have great peace, nothing causes them to stumble.

6.      166 – I have hoped in Your salvation YAHWEY, I have done Your COMMANDMENTS

7.      167 – My soul has observed Your TESTIMONIES, I love them exceedingly.

8.      168 – I have obeyed Your PRECEPTS and Your TESTIMONIES, all my ways are before You

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Our Psalm writer takes many inward looks at his mind and soul before the LORD. Each day of these twenty-two stanzas he has something to say to the LORD about obedience, praise and his personal love for the Word of God and the lovingkindness returned to Him by YAHWEY, his personal God. The challenge for us today is short compared to yesterday. First; is the LORD God of the Living Word, your friend? Can you go to Him immediately and find MERCY or GRACE? Oh how I hope you can and DO.

Can you say that the Holy Word of God is AWESOME while you are under a momentary light affliction? Are you moment by moment seeing the invisible spiritual underworld working to destroy your walk? 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 explains that even while our outward physical body is perishing, our inner mind and soul is working a far better and exceeding eternal weight of glory> Only if you are rejoicing in God’s WORD as one who finds great treasure

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One of the hindrances for many is that we do not hate falsehood (lying). For me I sometimes think that lying is like the co-pilot of our mind instead of the LAW of God which clearly says that if you are a child of the King; “Thy shall NOT lie”. So I seek to remind myself and you, place that Commandment in the riding seat of your mind and speak LOVE to one another. John 13:31-35

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A friend and a pastor who is now with the LORD used to say that the PROMISES of GOD are “YEA and AMEN” and while I did not fully understand this in the days of his life, I do now – The ORDINANCES and the STATUTES of God are unchangeable. As people of God we teach that SALVATION is by FAITH in Jesus Christ as a GRACE message and once saved by GRACE God will not change His mind and take it from you. God would not do this because God cannot lie. Titus 1:1-4.

With our personal Friend and God our soul is able to come alive and have AWESOME moments of good fellowship with the Eternal God of the Universe. Can you not, just take a moment and reflect on THAT wonder? Take the time here and read Proverbs 8:1-36 allow your mind to meditate on the JOY of Wisdom as it gives TESTIMONY of being with the Creator of the universe. Let your soul meditate on this; if tears do not form in your soul with joy and run down your cheeks, then… READ IT AGAIN!

The Devotional - 1522 - The LOVE of Faith

The Devotional – 1522 – The LOVE  of Faith

Psalm 119:153-160 – Consider my affliction and deliver me, for I do not forget Your law. Plead my cause and redeem me; revive me according to Your word. Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek Your statutes. Great are Your tender mercies, O Lord; revive me according to Your judgments. Many are my persecutors and my enemies, yet I do not turn from Your testimonies. I see the treacherous, and am disgusted, because they do not keep Your word. Consider how I love Your precepts; revive me, O Lord, according to Your lovingkindness. The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever. 

Comments and Challenges – RESH

1.      152 – Consider my affliction and deliver me, for I do not forget Your LAW.

2.      153 – Plead my cause and redeem me, revive me according to Your PROMISE.

3.      154 – Salvation is far from the wicked, because they do not seek Your STATUTES.

4.      155 – Great are Your tender mercies, YAHWEH revive me according to Your ORDINANCES.

5.      156 – Many are my persecutors and advisories; I have not swerved from Your TESTIMONIES.

6.      157 – Look at the faithless with loathing, because they do not observe Your WORD.

7.      158 – Revive me YAHWEH, according to Your lovingkindness.

8.      159 – All of Your WORDS are Truth, everyone of Your righteous ORDINANCES endures forever. 

Whether an affliction is small or large it no doubt is a bother to our well-being. Events that can cause sleepless nights and day dreaming come in all SIZES and SHAPES. No doubt you are dealing with one even today. Some of us go to the wine that is red, when it swirls in the glass with alcoholic torment, in the end it stings and poisons like a snake bite; Proverbs 23:30-35. Others turn to stronger chemicals, like legal and illegal drugs, which is the torment of sorcery. Some turn to religion, others to crime and not one of us alone can rid ourselves of the “root” the affliction; by seeking relief in these temporal torments offered by world around us, Hebrews 12:12-17. If our afflictions are allowed run the course these soon become rooted in our heart and produce bad results.

I like what I heard someone say about the mind and soul just this Labor Day weekend; which is the hub (heart) of our being. In my understanding of what was said; the heart operates the brain in our head. Our heart deals with the circumstances of living and is capable of applying good or bad integrity of thought into the processing works of the brain. Good integrity produces good results, and the bad produces bad results. This is simple in thought for the mind and soul; but very complex in application when people give little or no thought to the soul side of their heart. Without a mind and soul the brain that has no ability to process; it is either dead or is absent of a normal and working heart. 

Most of us, because of this “double nature” human nature that is; have the ability in our mind to produce both ‘good’ and ‘bad’ works. The Holy Bible defines this production of the mind as “good and evil”. How is that true you might ask? Of course you know what I am about to say… “I’m so glad you asked, good question!” First, we were born, (just as Adam and Eve were created) and that is; in the image and likeness of God. Genesis 1:26-27. Also, you may know the following events in the life of Adam and Eve, in that; they challenged the Word that God spoke to them and failed to obey His Word; please read Genesis 3:1-24 on your own.

 

Notice now the family of Adam; those that are born in and after Genesis 3; the murder of Abel, Cain’s brother, Genesis 4:1-24. Thus the LORD God gave another son to Adam and his name was Seth (meaning: a substitute) whose son was Enosh, It was not until this time (105 years) that men began to call upon the Name of the LORD, Genesis 4:25-26. Now note Genesis 5:1-4 – God continues even to this day to produce mankind in HIS image; Genesis 5:1-2, He blessed them and called them MANKIND. 

Now notice Genesis 5:3 – Mankind came from the loins of Adam and the womb of EVE and they begot sons and daughter, who also begot sons and daughters and verse 3 continues with these words “in his own likeness, after his image and he named him Seth. In the past I have said that we were no longer created in the image and likeness of God, based on this passage. That is an error and if it were true there would be no avenue to return to God by faith in Jesus Christ. Yet the passage in Genesis 5, gives us clear understanding of our two natures. One: divine and good and the other: selfish and evil and why so often we find ourselves dealing with life like the apostle Paul describes in Romans 7:1-25.

Now with this said let me return to Psalm 119; our writer understands the perils of living under the control of circumstance and the affliction of selfishness. Throughout the 176 verses we see the words “revival and rejoice” both of these words are directed at the “heart” that operates the brain. How does the psalmist allow God to work in his heart to produce good results over the bad ones that we, like him are capable of producing? He surrounds his day with God’s LAW, PROMISE, STATUTES, ORDINANCES, TESTIMONIES and WORD. We still are capable of failing, but this does not mean that we should continue in darkness; be revived and be rejoiced in the WORD.

He calls upon YAHWEH for tender mercy and lovingkindness. This is something that cannot be done in the Sunday morning one hour church service; just let me say in closing here. If you do not know and if you have not heard that the promises of God are the daily, moment by moment delight of the “soul” (God’s image and likeness), that provide MERCY and GRACE for little ole YOU, then shame on you since you will use the mind which is the source of evil in you (the image and likeness of Adam). If you are SAVED by FAITH you must be willing to surround your-self with the LIVING WORD of GOD this then is to surround your-self with eternity where LOVE is. God is love – 1 John 4:7-11.

The Devotional - 1521 - Labor Day - Sept 01, 2014

The Devotional – 1521 - Labor Day - Sept 01, 2014

Psalm 91:1-16

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation."

Fellow Believers in Christ

I hope the Labor Day experience for you and your family is what you have planned it to be! When the sun comes up on Tuesday the labor pains of our future and our American heritage will still be moving to give birth to CHANGE. We do not have to look back at some interesting words of those political champagnes of the men and women in charge these days. However; that word CHANGE is to me, like the “Collision Alarm” that is sounded when a submarine is imminently involved in hitting a dangerous object.  

If you’ve not been there than you have little clue as to what that sound is like, so if you have experience a fire drill or some other emergency signal, hurricane warnings or such, this will also give you some idea of the alarm I am seeking to explain here. Our American heritage is no longer protected. People who wish to CHANGE the American way of life are using every method available to destroy the following.

The Constitution, the Family, the Local government, the School system, the Freedom to Worship; and I am sure this list is not complete, but it will do; of the four listed. Two of these are so riddled with liberal components of socialistic countermeasures that normal conditions are already dysfunctional and that would be the FAMILY and the EDUCATIONAL foundations. Crumbling in third place is the CONSTITUTION. Once that is completely snuffed out our FREEDOM to WORSHIP will quickly fall.

May we PRAY, REPENT and return to the ABIDING safety found in the PRESENCE of GOD.