relationships (Psalm 50:1-23) the Perfection of Beauty

(Psalm 50:1-23)   The Mighty One, God, the Lord, has spoken 

     And summoned the earth, from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2   Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
     God has shone.
3   May our God come and not keep silent;
     Fire devours before Him,
     And a storm is violently raging around Him.
4   He summons the heavens above,
     And the earth, to judge His people:
5  “Gather My godly ones to Me,
     Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”
6   And the heavens declare His righteousness,
     For God Himself is judge. Selah 

7  “Hear, My people, and I will speak;
     Israel, I will testify against you;
     I am God, your God.
8   I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices,
     And your burnt offerings are continually before Me.
9   I will not take a bull from your house,
     Nor male goats from your folds.
10 For every animal of the forest is Mine,
     The cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every bird of the mountains,
     And everything that moves in the field is Mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
     For the world is Mine, and everything it contains.
13 Shall I eat the flesh of bulls 
     Or drink the blood of male goats?
14 Offer God a sacrifice of thanksgiving 
     And pay your vows to the Most High;
15 Call upon Me on the day of trouble;
     I will rescue you, and you will honor Me.”

16 But to the wicked God says,
    “What right do you have to tell of My statutes 
     And to take My covenant in your mouth?
17 For you yourself hate discipline,
     And you throw My words behind you.
18 When you see a thief, you become friends with him,
     And you associate with adulterers.
19 You let your mouth loose in evil,
     And your tongue harnesses deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your brother;
     You slander your own mother’s son.
21 These things you have done and I kept silent;
     You thought that I was just like you;
     I will rebuke you and present the case before your eyes.

22 “Now consider this, you who forget God,
     Or I will tear you in pieces, and there will be no one to save you.
23 He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me;
     And to him who sets his way properly 
     I will show the salvation of God.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

This psalm is prophetic.  But for this present age, we can see the gospel message within this passage.  Verse 5 might seem like this is for the Jews only, since they made a covenant with God through sacrifice.  God had Abraham split the animals in half to make the covenant, but God put Abraham in a sleep and God alone walked through the sacrificed animals.  Just as God supplied the sacrifice when He tested Abraham, asking him to sacrifice his only son.  And just as God provided the ultimate sacrifice with His only Son, Jesus, since salvation is only possible through sacrifice and making a covenant.

Jesus' work on the cross provided the new covenant so that salvation would be possible for all people - past, present and future.  Jesus is the only way.  By accepting Jesus as our personal Savior, we accept the sacrifice that He made on the cross on our behalf, and we make that covenant with God - or rather - God makes that covenant with us.  And as verse 14 says, all that God desires from us is our sincere hearts, which is a sacrifice of thanksgiving.  And why would we not, since His salvation rescues us!  A personal relationship with the Lord Jesus is the perfection of beauty!

relationships (Psalm 16:1-11) Sacrifice Required

(Psalm 16:1-11)  Protect me, God, for I take refuge in You.

2   I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
     I have nothing good besides You.”
3   As for the saints who are on the earth,
     They are the majestic ones; all my delight is in them.
4   The pains of those who have acquired another god will be multiplied;
     I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
     Nor will I take their names upon my lips.

5   The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
     You support my lot.
6   The measuring lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
     Indeed, my inheritance is beautiful to me.

7   I will bless the Lord who has advised me;
     Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.
8   I have set the Lord continually before me;
     Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9   Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
     My flesh also will dwell securely.
10 For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;
     You will not allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.
11 You will make known to me the way of life;
     In Your presence is fullness of joy;
     In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

We were created to have a personal relationship with the Lord God, but sin entered the world when Adam and Eve disobeyed Him.  Because God is holy and cannot have a relationship with sin, there is a separation between us and God, until we reconcile with the Lord through His forgiveness and salvation.

Since we still have souls, which were intended to be filled by the Lord, it remains empty until we become believers.  If a person doesn't receive the free gift of salvation and the indwelling Holy Spirit, a person will be constantly searching for ways to fill that void.

Innately, because everyone is born with a God-given conscience, people will have this sense that they were made for eternity.  They can also understand that a sacrifice is required.  What they don't understand is - what should the sacrifice be.  And depending on who or what they make as their god, will determine what they need to sacrifice.  

If one's god is their work and money, then their sacrifice will be time and energy and maybe even their integrity and any close relationships.  If one's god is a manmade idol or religion, there will be certain hoops to jump through, and definitely money will be required.  If one's god is a deceased person, they will bring various items to gravesites and/or spend time talking to the deceased.  If one's god is a living person, much time, money and effort will be used to appease and appeal to them.  If one's god is themselves, sometimes there is a lot of time and money spent trying to find joy.  And sometimes, when they feel unworthy, they will cut themselves to find temporary relief and release from whatever internal pain they are feeling.  All of these sacrifices will only ever bring temporary feelings of some sort of satisfaction.

The price of sin is death - which means bloodshed.  Therefore, because He loves us all so very much, whether we accept Him or reject Him... the Lord Jesus came to sacrifice Himself - to die on the cross - to take our place in death.  The Lord always knew that He would have to come in flesh to pay the price for all sin, for all time, for all people.  Because He is God, as verse 10 prophesied, He rose again to have victory over death, so that anyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life in heaven with Him.  And because He is God, salvation is forever.  Once we are a child of God, we cannot lose our salvation. 

This is why we can find refuge in Jesus Christ.  And then, why would we worship and follow anything or anyone else?!  He is the only God.  All other gods lead to eternal death, but Jesus leads to eternal life.  Jesus rose from the dead to conquer death, so that we may have victory over sin and death.

Taking refuge in God is not just for our eternity, but for right now, as well!  The "right now" aspect involves growing closer to the Lord, by studying His word, and praying, trusting in Him and being obedient in His strength and guidance.  It also includes corporate worship, fellowship and teamwork with our brothers and sisters in Christ!  Our only sacrifice required - is our pride - to humbly deny ourselves and seek the Lord and His will!  This is in obedience to what God asks of us!  And it is a blessing to our lives, right now!!!

relationships (Psalm 11:1-7) Finding Refuge

(Psalm 11:1-7)   In the Lord I take refuge;

     How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain?
2   For, behold, the wicked bend the bow,
     They have set their arrow on the string 
     To shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.
3   If the foundations are destroyed,
     What can the righteous do?”

4   The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven;
     His eyes see, His eyelids test the sons of mankind.
5   The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked,
     And His soul hates one who loves violence.
6   He will rain coals of fire upon the wicked,
     And brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup.
7   For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness;
     The upright will see His face.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

When faced with struggles, the world would suggest that a person stay and fight, or run for the hills.  But then you are trusting in your own feeble strength and in your own very limited wisdom.  Another thing that the world would suggest is to find any religion and "climb the mountain" to some sort of god or gods, which are created by mankind based on their very limited wisdom!  And/or these religions are inspired by Satan, who is the father of lies, who seeks to deceive, distort, divide and destroy!

So many people say that there are many different ways to climb up the mountain, meaning, they believe there are different ways to get to God.  But, whoever climbs a mountain to try to find God, once they arrive at the top, if they ever do, they will still only find themselves at the top of a mountain.  

Verse 4 tells us that the Lord's throne is in heaven.  And He, being holy and righteous, cannot have a relationship with sin.  Therefore, no one can get into heaven unless they are holy... perfect... righteous... spiritually born again!  This is impossible to achieve in our own strength and wisdom.  The only way anyone can be righteous is to humbly approach and repent and believe in the Lord Jesus, who then forgiveness all sins, and seals us with His Holy Spirit of promise for all eternity.

The "upright" and the "righteous" are terms used for those who are believers.  True Christians are those who have put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.  If we have already done that, why would we not always take refuge in the Lord?  And if someone hasn't done that, until you die, it is never to late - and it is never too soon!  God, who sees and knows everything, AND LOVES US so very much that He came in flesh to suffer and die on a cross to pay the price for all sin... He is the very clear choice!  We should always run to Him, and let Him fight all our battles.

relationships (Psalm 3:1-8) Maintain Focus

(Psalm 3:1-8)  Lord, how my enemies have increased!

     Many are rising up against me.
2   Many are saying of my soul,
    “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah 

3   But You, Lord, are a shield around me,
     My glory, and the One who lifts my head.
4   I was crying out to the Lord with my voice,
     And He answered me from His holy mountain. Selah 
5   I lay down and slept;
     I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.
6   I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people 
     Who have set themselves against me all around.

7   Arise, Lord; save me, my God!
     For You have struck all my enemies on the cheek;
     You have shattered the teeth of the wicked.
8   Salvation belongs to the Lord;
     May Your blessing be upon Your people! Selah 

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

The definition of the word "Selah" isn't known, but some speculate that because David is writing songs to sing, this could be like the musical symbol of a rest note.  In other words, have a poignant pause right there, in order to mediate on what has just been said.  Let that thought sink in for a bit.  And here, we find three "selahs".  So what points are we to let sink in?  

First of all, we will experience struggles.  David could speak well on this as he had many enemies out to kill him.  As well, he had committed some very "serious" sins.  But David really loved the Lord, and humbly and persistently pursued Him.  So as a strong believer, a huge betrayal and insult would be when someone slanders, gossips, and accuses you of being so wicked, there's no way that you are saved, and your sins prove that you are worthless and beyond saving!  

For anyone to do or say such things, is to help do the work of Satan, who makes accusations against God's children, planting seeds of skepticism and doubt so they will walk away from the Lord.  But these tactics are only affective when we stop focusing on the Lord and what He has done in our lives, and instead, put the focus on ourselves and the world.  THEN - YES - things will look and feel very bleak and hopeless!  

So the second "selah" points out that we need to keep, or put our focus back on God and cry out to Him, because through Him all things are possible.  He died for ALL sins, for all people, for all time, and He is more than able to forgive, adopt us as His own, and then keep His children securely in His salvation for all eternity!

The final "selah" is for us to meditate on the Lord, and remember how He answers prayers!  Whether we are attacked physically, psychologically or emotionally... these will not be a threat to us when we are consistently seeking a close relationship with the Lord Jesus.  

When we maintain focus on the Lord Jesus, we will realize His power, faithfulness and love!  The Lord is our shield, Who protects!  The Lord is our glory, Who gives us confidence!  The Lord is our sustainer, Who gives us strength and guidance!  The Lord is our salvation, Who gives us assurance and peace!  And this is forever!!!  Selah!!!

relationships (1 Chronicles 14:1-17) Victory in Battle

(1 Chronicles 14:1-17)  Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees, masons, and carpenters, to build a house for him. 2 And David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that his kingdom was highly exalted, for the sake of His people Israel.

3 Then David took more wives in Jerusalem, and David fathered more sons and daughters. 4 These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 5 Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, 6 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 7 Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

8 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up in search of David; and David heard about it and went out against them. 9 Now the Philistines had come and carried out a raid in the Valley of Rephaim. 10 David inquired of God, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? And will You hand them over to me?” Then the Lord said to him, “Go up, for I will hand them over to you.” 11 So they came up to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there; and David said, “God has broken through my enemies by my hand, like the breakthrough of waters.” Therefore they named that place Baal-perazim. 12 They abandoned their gods there; so David gave the order and they were burned with fire.

13 The Philistines carried out yet another raid in the valley. 14 David inquired again of God, and God said to him, “You shall not go up after them; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the baka-shrubs. 15 When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the baka-shrubs, then you shall go out to battle, for God will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.” 16 David did just as God had commanded him, and they defeated the army of the Philistines from Gibeon even as far as Gezer. 17 Then the fame of David spread in all the lands; and the Lord brought the fear of him on all the nations.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Here we see David inquire of God and wait for His answer.  As well, David did exactly as the Lord commanded, both times.  And at the outcome, David gives the credit and the glory to God for not only winning the battle against the Philistines, but also gives the credit and the glory to God for his kingdom being established.  This may sound all very easy, but Israel had a formidable enemy who was persistently rising up against them.  And in order to obey God's directions, they had to go to war and fight.  Taking a life is never easy, even when justified.

To make this applicable for us today, we might not have to fight a literal battle, but there is a spiritual battle, and as soldiers of Christ, we will face a few enemies.  These might include standing up for justice, sticking our necks out in the face of peer pressure, going into undesirable or uncomfortable areas to help someone, being a gracious ambassador while struggling with a disease... 

And all the while, we are still not perfect.  Notice that David took more wives, which was one of his weaknesses throughout his life until near the end.  As for the idols, in verse 12, there was a repentant act of destroying them, and fully turning their hearts over to the Lord, in a willingness to strive in His will.  Sin prevents us from having a close relationship with the Lord in the first place, and even after we become believers, sin will bring about consequences, impact our relationships with God and others, as well as impede our prayers.

There is no doubt that we will require courage!  Even within our own lives, we need to fearlessly, vigilantly deal with our personal enemy - sin - as it creeps in and tries to take hold, and destroy.  Firstly, one requires God's salvation, which comes with forgiveness, and then grace, with a guarantee of eternal life.  Then we are to equip ourselves appropriately with the gospel of peace, faith, God's righteousness, God's word, and prayer... And to stand firm, we can strive to be obedient in the Lord's will when we consistently ask for His guidance and strength, in all things.  This is when we experience victory and blessings, in the Lord.

relationships (2 Kings 16:1-20) Not Just Another Religion

(2 Kings 16:1-20)   In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, became king. 2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord his God, as his father David had done. 3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and he even made his son pass through the fire, in accordance with the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had driven out before the sons of Israel. 4 And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.

5 Then Rezin the king of Aram and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem for war; and they besieged Ahaz, but were not capable of fighting him. 6 At that time Rezin king of Aram restored Elath to Aram, and drove the Judeans away from Elath; and the Arameans came to Elath and have lived there to this day.

7 So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son; come up and save me from the hand of the king of Aram, and from the hand of the king of Israel, who are rising up against me.” 8 And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and sent a gift to the king of Assyria. 9 So the king of Assyria listened to him; and the king of Assyria went up against Damascus and captured it, and led the people of it into exile to Kir, and put Rezin to death.

10 Now King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and he saw the altar which was at Damascus; and King Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the pattern of the altar and its model, according to all its workmanship. 11 So Urijah the priest built an altar; according to everything that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus, in that way Urijah the priest made it, before the coming of King Ahaz from Damascus. 12 And when the king came from Damascus, the king saw the altar; then the king approached the altar and went up to it, 13 and burned his burnt offering and his meal offering, and poured out his drink offering and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings on the altar. 14 And the bronze altar, which was before the Lord, he brought from the front of the house, from between his altar and the house of the Lord, and he put it on the north side of his altar. 15 Then King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, “Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, the evening meal offering, the king’s burnt offering and his meal offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, their meal offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle on it all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the sacrifice. But the bronze altar shall be for me, for making inquiries.” 16 So Urijah the priest acted in accordance with everything that King Ahaz commanded.

17 Then King Ahaz cut off the borders of the stands, and removed the wash basin from them; he also took down the Sea from the bronze oxen which were under it and put it on a pavement of stone. 18 And the covered way for the Sabbath which they had built in the house, and the outer entry of the king, he removed from the house of the Lord because of the king of Assyria.

19 Now as for the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 20 So Ahaz lay down with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and his son Hezekiah reigned in his place.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

The things that God does and Christians do in worship - Satan mimics and twists to use in other religions and cults (which goes as far as sacrificing one's own children).  So what is extra strange to me is that people will buy into the twisted versions and practice those... but then claim that Christianity and the Bible are weird and unbelievable.  Consider though, that worshipping anything or anyone other than the Lord God Jesus Christ, is sacrificing those around you to the realm of Satan.  If we are not for God, we are against God.  If you are not part of building up God's kingdom, then you are helping Satan try to tear it down.

So when I hear people say that they have "tried" Christianity and it didn't work for them, I know that they were only going through the motions... seeing it as just another religion, instead of seeking and developing a close, personal relationship with the Creator who came to die for us, so that we can live!!!  

There's a huge difference between acting like a Christian and BEING a Christian - with God working in and through our lives.  So then, believing that Jesus is the Son of God - that Jesus is God - and the more we trust and obey Him - the more we will see God work!!!  Christianity DOES work!  Because God is always working in the lives of those who ask Him into their hearts!!!

relationships (1 Samuel 6:1-21) To Stand

(1 Samuel 6:1-21)  Now the ark of the Lord had been in the territory of the Philistines for seven months. 2 And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, “What are we to do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us how we may send it to its place.” 3 And they said, “If you are going to send the ark of the God of Israel away, do not send it empty; but you shall certainly return to Him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be revealed to you why His hand does not leave you.” 4 Then they said, “What is to be the guilt offering that we shall return to Him?” And they said, “Five gold tumors and five gold mice corresponding to the number of the governors of the Philistines, since one plague was on all of you and on your governors. 5 So you shall make likenesses of your tumors and likenesses of your mice that are ruining the land, and you shall give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps He will lighten His hand from you, your gods, and your land. 6 Why then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He had severely dealt with them, did they not let the people go, and they left? 7 Now then, take and prepare a new cart and two milk cows on which there has never been a yoke; and hitch the cows to the cart and take their calves back home, away from them. 8 Then take the ark of the Lord and place it on the cart; and put the articles of gold which you return to Him as a guilt offering in a saddlebag by its side. Then send it away that it may go. 9 But watch: if it goes up by the way of its own territory to Beth-shemesh, then He has done this great evil to us. But if not, then we will know that it was not His hand that struck us; it happened to us by chance.”

10 Then the men did so: they took two milk cows and hitched them to the cart, and shut in their calves at home. 11 And they put the ark of the Lord on the cart, and the saddlebag with the gold mice and the likenesses of their tumors. 12 Now the cows went straight in the direction of Beth-shemesh; they went on the same road, bellowing as they went, and did not turn off to the right or to the left. And the governors of the Philistines followed them to the border of Beth-shemesh.

13 Now the people of Beth-shemesh were gathering in their wheat harvest in the valley, and they raised their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced at seeing it. 14 And the cart came into the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite and stopped there where there was a large stone; and they split the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. 15 And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the saddlebag that was with it, in which were the articles of gold, and put them on the large stone; and the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices that day to the Lord. 16 When the five governors of the Philistines saw it, they returned to Ekron that day.

17 Now these are the gold tumors which the Philistines returned as a guilt offering to the Lord: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, and one for Ekron; 18 and the gold mice, corresponding to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five governors, both of fortified cities and of country villages. The large stone on which they placed the ark of the Lord is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite.

19 Now He fatally struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the Lord. He struck 50,070 men among the people, and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter. 20 And the men of Beth-shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom will He go up from us?” 21 So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back the ark of the Lord; come down and take it up to yourselves.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

We all have been created with a free will, a conscience, and a soul intended for only God to fill, because He created us to have a personal relationship with Him.  But mankind brought sin into the world, and with that came both physical and spiritual death - a separation between us and God.  So now we all have the choice to make, do it our own way (the world's way), or choose God's way.  FYI - God desires that all come to know Him - personally!  It is then that the void in our soul is filled with God's Holy Spirit.

How the world attempts to fill that void, and how the world wants to view right from wrong is very linear, very limited and very self-serving.  Just so, to address their personal problems as it related to "the God of Israel", the Philistines naturally thought that God would want from them whatever they themselves would expect.  That, or they tried to be clever in attempts to placate and manipulate!  So they came up with the five golden tumors and five golden mice as a guilt offering, thinking that the value and the significance would suffice.  

All the Philistines needed to do was return the ark of the Lord.  But more than that, God would have LOVED for them to give their hearts to Him, which is the only way to "placate" God.  As well, it is the only way to fulfill and satisfy one's soul, and truly be healed.  The appropriate "guilt" offering is to repent and confess one's sins to the Lord, who is the only One able to forgive.  Yet even though they heard and remembered stories of how God dealt with Egypt, and even though they saw the power of God first hand, they chose to stay focused and dedicated to their gods, and to themselves.

We also see how some of the Israelites behaved in disobedience and suffered the consequences.  And still, after this happened, they asked with bewilderment and forgetfulness - "who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God?"  Well, no one can!  One has to be holy in order to stand before the Holy One!

God cannot be fooled, bought or manipulated, and most certainly, we cannot take Him for granted.  So it is impossible for anyone to stand before God, except through faith in Jesus, forgiven and clothed in His righteousness.  Then, we can not only stand before God, but we can have a personal relationship with Him.  The best possible relationship we could ever have is with our heavenly Father who wants to so richly fill us and bless us for all eternity.  All He wants from us is our heart!