For Thou Art With Me-Understanding Psalm 23

In The Valley

In order to have a shadow, you must have light. And the light can be either before you, to show the shadow behind you; or the light may be behind you, revealing the shadow ahead of you.

     A valley has three parts: a beginning, a middle and an end. It's length is determined by distance from one hill, mountain, clifftop, precipice or high place to another. Valleys are seldom flat or easy to walk on. Meadows, forests and waters can separate valleys causing them to appear as if they were not really valleys at all.

     Valleys encompass only a fraction of land: water covers 90% of the earth; and most of that is undrinkable. Land covers the other 10%, but a portion of that is uninhabitable, due either to wastelands or extreme heat, which leaves us with about 8% of this earth is land, which is covered in valleys, mountains, hills, plains, deserts, forests.

     The majority of this 8% is habitable. Unfortunately, many people fight over the land instead of learning how to live with the land and with each other. From a small village to a hidden getaway; from a metropolis to a country villa; from a castle to a hut; from kings to thugs; land is sold, taken away, blood-soaked, ruined to wastes, and burned. The dead are buried beneath the land, burned and scattered across the land by winds, and hidden in tall stone pyramids above the land or laid to rest in mausoleums above ground; while some sink to the bottom of the ocean.

     The lands we live on are decimated by hate, a symptom of darkness. Darkness which covered the earth at one time, but was sent fleeing when God created light: Genesis 1:2-4 “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, 'Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.”

     Light reveals darkness and sends it fleeing away. The more light there is, the less dark there is. The more Light (1 John 1:5 “This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God Is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all.”) there is, the less darkness (Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”) there is.

     God Is Light. What a beautiful Name this is! James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from The Father of lights, with Whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” No shadow of turning, no separation from God. No variableness, no never contrary, not fickle in nature; always true and truthful, faithful, sure.

     God Is Near. No separation from God. Isaiah 41:10, 13 “Fear thou not, for I am with you: be not dismayed; for I am your God: I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you with the right hand of My Righteousness. --- For I The Lord thy God will hold your right hand, saying unto you, 'Fear not; I will help you.” Hebrews 13:5, 6 “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as you have: for He has said, 'I will never leave you, nor forsake you. So that we may boldly say, 'The Lord Is my Helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me.'” Psalm 27:1 “The Lord Is my Light and my Salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord Is the Strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

     God Is my Helper. Psalm 27:2-3, 5 “When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident....For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock.”

God Is Provision. Psalm 23:4 “Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff comfort me.”

Psalm 25:2 “O my God, I trust in You: let me not be ashamed, let not my enemies triumph over me.” 

Psalm 27:11 “Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of my enemies.”

Psalm 28:7 “The Lord Is my Strength and my Shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoices; and with my song I will praise Him.”

Psalm 31:3 “For You are my Rock and my Fortress; therefore for Your Name's sake lead me, and guide me.”

Psalm 32:7 “You are my Hiding Place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall compass me about with songs of Deliverance. Selah.”

Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is near to them that are of a broken heart; and saves such as be of a contrite spirit.”

Psalm 37:5, 6 “Commit your way unto The Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass. And He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your judgment as the noonday.”

Psalm 38:39, 40 “But the salvation of the righteous is of The Lord: He Is their Strength in the time of trouble. And The Lord shall help them, and deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him.”

Psalm 40:1-4 “I waited patiently for The Lord; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a Rock, and established my goings. And He has put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in The Lord. Blessed is that man that makes The Lord his trust, and respects not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.”

Psalm 43:3 “O send out Your light and Your truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto Your holy hills, and to Your tabernacles.”

Psalm 46:1 “God Is our Refuge and Strength, a very present help in trouble.”

Psalm 56:3,-4, 9 -13“What time I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God I will praise His Word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do to me. … .When I cry unto You, then shall my enemies turn back: this I know; for God is with me. In God will I praise His Word: in The Lord will I praise His Word. In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. You r vows are upon me, O God: I will render praise unto You. For You have delivered my soul from death: will You not also deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?”

For Thou Art With Me

“O my Lord, though I walk through The Valley of The Shadow of Death, I will fear no evil: for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Such a restful verse this is. I am contented in The Lord. I trust Him in all things, all ways, always. The Lord is my friend, my constant companion and I am His. He neither turns to the left, nor to the right: God is very near to me at all times. We walk the strait and narrow road together, for The Lord God is my Righteousness. It is He that covers me with His covenant of Grace and Lovingkindness.

We walk together in His light and His love. For when He redeemed my soul from death, He filled me with His light and His love. His Name is upon me. His glory shines upon me and through me. Your rod and Your staff guide me and lead me to safer places, higher places, where no evil can go. You hold my right hand and guide my fingers and my heart when I write, when I embrace Your Word. You are the Strength of my life; in You I am found: Lord, be found in me. Be the center of my life, the joy of my praise, my songs are of You. You are my Salvation: with Your blood You have redeemed my soul. Not enough words can be found to praise Your Name for ever. Yet, I will try and I will endure till the end, when You finally bring me home with You. Amen."

Abide With Me

1 Samuel 22:23 “Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeks my life seeks your life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard.”

John 15:4-7,10-11 “(4) Abide in Me, and I and in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in Me. (5) I am The Vine, you are the branches: He that abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without Me you can do nothing. (6) If a man abide not in Me, he is cast fort as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. (7) If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you....(10) If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father's commandments, abide in His love. (11) These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”

1 John 2:28 “And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.”

Abide: dwell, remain, settle, marry, continue to dwell in, inhabit in, bring again to place, remain, return; to stay in a given place, state, relation or expectancy, endure, be present, remain, dwell, be present, stand, tarry for.

(The first definitions are for the word 'abide' in The Old Testament and the second for The New Testament, regarding the three verses given)

     Do you realize as we have studied this together that all three Persons in the Trinity are referred to here? And that born again Christians are they who remain in the branch referred to in John 15? Living for Jesus and living in Jesus are the same. Just being a nice person or glorifying yourself with 'acts of kindness' are not growing you in Jesus. Once you become a born again Christian, it is up to you to open your Bible and read God's Word every day. Do you know that sometimes I get caught up in reading and studying I lose track of time? My husband's day begins at 5 am and ends at 9 pm. He leaves here at 5:30 am and gets back home around 4 pm. One day when I was deep study, he came home and I said, “What are you doing home so early?” and he just gave me a funny look, so I looked at the clock on my computer. Yup. It was 4 pm. His normal return home time. Eight hours of pure bliss had passed through the clock, but to me it was as if I had barely started. Those days are rare and deeply coveted.

     Abiding in Christ is a glorious way to go through life. No one's life is perfect. No one can obtain pure delight in their alone time unless they are alone with Jesus. Being alone by yourself without Jesus, in the chaos of your thoughts, can bring you down. But being alone with Jesus, chaos flees, for it doesn't stand a chance where the Light shines; chaos is darkness and death; Jesus is light and life.

     My life is not perfect, but my Savior is. It is His perfection that lives in me by faith, by believing on Him for my Lord and Savior. Every thing that Jesus Christ is, lives in me by faith in Him. I may not always let His light shine through, but every time I repent of this, I get stronger. I do not want to be cut off from The Branch, nor thrown into the fire. I read God's Word, and keep God's Word in my heart, and am actively applying God's Word to my life, including my family and my children in this, for they are in my life, too.

     Yes, you can memorize Scripture, either passages or individual verses; you can know all The Books of The Bible in order and still not know Jesus Christ. You can go to church, hear the preacher's sermon, and walk right out that door living the same old life you always lived. You have not changed because you have not listened, nor applied the message of salvation that was preached. Our actions determine our outcomes when we hear God's Word spoken or preached.

     If we feel a prick in our thoughts, or our heart, when we hear the message given, and do nothing, our hearts become harder and our ears deafer; we have only strengthened our resolve not to give in to weakness. For that is how some people view born again Christians, people too weak to stand on their own that they must need God to stand for them. Oh you fools! It is the weak God uses to bring down the fool. It is the weak God uses to reach the prideful, the annoyed, the depressed, the confused, the rich, the poor, the sanctimonious, the politician, the lobbyist, the doctor, the lawyer, the lost, the found. It is the weak in themselves who are strong in Christ. It is the weak who admit they are weak who come to the altar and kneel before God to repent of their wicked ways, their sins, and receive forgiveness from God and acceptance into His family. At that moment the weak become strong. For Jesus is now living in their hearts through their faith in and on Him. His blood has washed away the sins repented of and now the weak which you decry are made strong in Him who was crucified and rose from the grave.

     Abide in Him and Him only, as I and my family abide in Him and Him only. For each person who comes to God and believes on The Name of His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ for salvation must work out their own after they believe. Which means you and I and every other believer must learn to live in Jesus. He already knows how to live in us, but we are learning to live in Him. This is why no two Christians are alike: each is responsible for their own growth, for seeking to grow in the things of God, for seeking to grow in The Word of God: searching His Word, in prayer and love, on how to be more like Jesus.

     Do you know God's perfect will for your life? Me, either. But I do know that God's first will for any one's life is be saved. 1 Timothy 2:4 “Who will have all men to be saved; and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” So, what is truth? John 14:6 “And Jesus said unto them, “I am the way, the truth and the life: no man comes unto The Father but by Me.” Jesus is Truth. So, 'to come unto the knowledge of the truth', is to come to know Jesus, to believe Jesus, to learn to live in Jesus as He lives in us, when we believe.

     If you want to know God's will for your life after you are saved, then I expect you will study His Word. If you are not able to access a Bible where you live, while there are many Bible sites, I would recommend Bible Hub Library . This is the one my husband and I use to study with; it has more tools than I have on my bookshelf. And it's free to use by any one. As I walk through The Word in my study times, I will continue to share what I receive.

Still Waters

He Leads Me Beside Still Waters

Psalm 23:2 “He leads me beside Still Waters.”

     There are some days when I absolutely cannot move. Thankfully those days are rarer now that I am getting stronger in every aspect. But the days when I cannot do much of anything and sitting often is a necessity, those are the days I draw from The Well. Sitting outside or near an open window is very peaceful for me. Songbirds in neighbors' trees; squirrels playing on the utility pole and along our fences; traffic rumbling by somewhere close; these are the sounds of my days. But The Song in my heart never ceases to breathe life into me, stirring my soul with the call of 'draw close to Me and I will draw close to you.'

     His hands are gentle but firm; strong yet flexible. He picks me up when I stumble and nearly fall. (Literally, too. I weave, I wobble, but I never fall, for I believe He is near to hold me up and lift me up).

     My Shepherd's voice is pleasant when I am near, firmer when I wander a little bit away and used to be faint when I was not so near, not so close. I do not miss those days. With His gentleness and kindness He has brought me near to Him and I do not wander any more.

     No longer do I long for greener pastures on the other side of the fence, outside the safety of My Shepherd's pasture. The only reason the grass is greener on the other side is because it isn't really grass at all: it's fake grass, turf. Sheep cannot exist on fake grass; tasting it is nauseating; eating it is toxic, deadly. Both the body and the soul require real sustenance to be healthy and strong. One needs food and water, the other needs The Word of God spoken into it.

Word of God Speak

      Are still waters still? Yes. According to the Free Dictionary, still waters are defined as flat or level sections of water which have no flow or discernible motion. Yet, the water could either be shallow or deep; which is why the sheep would need a wise Shepherd to lead them while near it. Some still waters flow gently over large rocks, on mountainsides or through mountains. A Shepherd is necessary when it comes to being near still waters.

     Notice the word “waters” is plural. Sheep must be watered more than once in their lifetime. Just like we do. Our Shepherd leads us beside Still Waters. We are drawn gently to His side, as the classic hymn says, “Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, Calling O sinner, come home.” In our daily lives there is so much noise and distractions calling us away from our Shepherd. The thief in the pasture removes one sheep after another by tempting it with greener grasses. Entertainments entice us and keep us amused for hours on end. Time passes. Life happens. And now many sheep have gone astray.

     But The Shepherd's voice still calls them to Himself. He never gives up on bringing His sheep home again, nor does He stop searching for them, wherever they may be. Wandering sheep browse the grasses, sometimes unaware that they have gone so far away. Until danger makes itself known and then the sheep bleat, letting The Shepherd know they are in immediate danger. And The Shepherd hastens to the crying voice of the lost sheep, seeking the cry of the heart that is terrified, weak, scared, alone, afraid, hopeless, lost.

      Finding the wanderer, The Shepherd fights for the lost sheep, defeating the danger and death which surely would have overtaken the sheep had He not arrived in time. The Shepherd cradles the lost sheep which is now found in His arms, holding it close to His heart, that the shaking sheep might calm and be at peace. Setting it down, He leads it back to the pasture, back to the waters, back home; where the sheep remains, staying close to/near its Shepherd. 

     My Shepherd defeated Satan when I was in his clutches. My Shepherd defeated death, hell and the grave for me. And He only had to do it once. There are many wolves in a wolf pack but there is only one leader of a pack; in the claws of evil that leader is the devil. And while he finds many ways to attack people and separate them from God's hands, the only One who can defend them from him is Jesus Christ, The Good Shepherd. He who died on the cross and rose from the dead; in life He submitted Himself to The Almighty God, His Father. In death, He fought the devil and won, overcame death and walked out of the grave when His Father rolled the stone away.

     My Shepherd not only has my back, He has all of me. Every breath, every heart-beat, every waking moment belongs to Him. I stay near Him now. He truly, truly leads me beside still waters. And for this I am thankful. I sure love my Shepherd.

Green Pastures

"I have learned in whatsoever circumstance I am therewith to be content." Paul speaking in a letter to the church in Philippi.

"Let your conversation be w/o covetousness; and be content with such things as you have, for He has said, 'I will never leave you, nor forsake you." Peter writing a letter to the church in Jerusalem.

"Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you." David speaking to his son Solomon, on the building of the temple of God. 

THE WORD OF GOD IS ALIVE BECAUSE THE WORD OF GOD IS JESUS CHRIST AND HE IS LIFE ETERNAL. What was written to others then is written to us NOW.

The Bible is not a dusty manuscript, nor is it only a 'dead sea scroll': IT IS THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD. JESUS CHRIST is the LIVING WORD OF GOD. And when GOD speaks, that is THE SPOKEN WORD OF GOD.

     When we read our Bibles aloud, or hear The Word spoken by those who teach it or preach it, then we are hearing GOD speak. Do not listen to the voice of the one speaking or preaching: LISTEN TO GOD.

     We are all accountable to GOD for what we HEAR, what we SAY, what we SEE, what we DO, what we TOUCH.

     See the first three words in the first verse? I HAVE LEARNED. Paul had been through much for the sake of the gospel and he wrote them that HE HAD LEARNED. Learning to be content in every situation, not wanting what someone else had, regardless of where he was or what conditions his living arrangements, if any, were like.

      PSALM 23:2a “He makes me to lie down in green pastures.” Through a learning process, I have been made to lie down in the greener pastures of GOD. I would like to say that I have learned to be content, but when we see a beautiful garden or a wraparound porch or a lovely vacation home in the mountains, I have found myself saying, “I want that” or “I wish we could do that”. That is envy rearing its ugly little head into my life. I am still learning to be content in all things; but I do believe I am getting there.

     When a shepherd needs to train a wandering sheep who keeps escaping through fences or keeps falling off the cliff-side in search of sweeter grasses, he breaks its leg gently. GOD does not break our legs in the same way as this. What God did was to send His Holy Spirit to the believers who earnestly desired to be comforted and strengthened after Christ returned to heaven. They needed Someone to guide them in the ways and the will of God until Christ's return.

     To hear God's Word when it is spoken, The Holy Spirit must draw you nearer to God. Often one of the first ways He does, is to prompt you to stand up and walk down the aisle of the church-place you are in and get on your knees. The Holy Spirit will gently lead you to Christ, perhaps through another person who will offer to pray with you, and then to God. Becoming a born-again Christ is not difficult; the hardest thing you will ever do on that leg of the journey is take that first step. It is the steps we take after we stand up that could become more difficult.

     To have God hear your words, you must have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life and everything that pertains to your life. He is King of all kings and Lord of all lords; there is none higher, none greater, no one outranks Him. For even His own Father has said that we are to WORSHIP CHRIST. Everything we do in our lives should reflect Jesus Christ.

     How does My Shepherd MAKE me to lie down in green pastures? He calls to me and while at the first few times I will respond, it is when I am farther away from His voice that I do not respond quite as quickly nor as affectionately. So He must come after me and lead me back to His side. I am learning to be content in His pastures. Reading His Word daily keeps me near Him. While in the beginning of my newly born-again life, which began a mere 20 years ago (I was saved when I was 34), I was content to just read my Bible, it became clear right away to me, that I needed more. So I began to study, and when that wasn't enough, I began to seek the baptism of The Holy Spirit; just like they who gathered in the upper room in the Book of Acts, waited and prayed to receive The Comforter Who had been promised to them by Jesus.

     And I was baptized after many days of prayer and hearing The Word of God being preached by an evangelist who had visited our church. The devil tried to keep me away by having me work one or more of those nights, but God had a plan for me down at that altar, and He made a way yet again for me to receive what He had promised for me.

     To be content in all things, to be able to be at peace in every complication, is something I am still working on. I have anxiety, I get panic attacks; sometimes they are pretty bad. So my husband is learning how to recognize them. Even though my heart races and I can't catch my breath and I can't talk or communicate in any way, these attacks can be mistaken and diagnosed otherwise. They are not heart attacks, nor am I stroking out; it is not even 'malaise' as one such ER doctor put it. They are rare, but they do still happen.

     And yet, on some level, I am at peace because I know that God Is With me. Because I believe Him when He says He will never leave me, nor forsake me. I believe God when He says He loves me and will always be near me. I believe God and that's what keeps me in His greener pastures. Do you? 

Our God

Our God is greater. Greater than any of our weaknesses. God is greater than any addiction, any hold that the devil has on a person. God is greater than any power you believe you have, or believe someone else has over you. God is all powerful. His strength, His love, His faithfulness, His grace, His mercy, His righteousness is above all. Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world.

Our God is stronger. Stronger than any superhero, able to be in more than two places at the same time, and still aid us in our troubles and struggles. God's strength is supreme. His love never fails: that's strong love. His mercy endures forever: that's strong mercy. His lovingkindness is to all generations: that's strong lovingkindness. His grace covers all sins: that's strong grace. His righteousness is upon all believers: that's strong righteousness. He never leaves us, nor forsakes us: that's strong nearness. Time is not a restraint over God; He is every where at the same time, any time. 

Our God is higher. Higher than any other god you acknowledge or worship or bow your head to or put first in your life. God is a jealous God and desires all of your love to be given to Him. The first commandment on the list is just that: “You shall have no other gods before Me”. And the second declares that no graven images, no statues of anything in heaven, in earth or beneath the earth, shall be made and worshiped. There is no god like our God. There is none like Him. God is to be loved with all of our hearts, all of our soul and all of our mind. His thoughts are higher and greater than ours, and He knows what we are thinking; He knows when our minds are not on Him, when our hearts are not right in Him. God is God and there is no other god.

The Word of God was placed in Mary's womb via The Holy Spirit resting upon her. The Word of God became flesh, a small baby boy born in a stable, whose birth was foretold by the prophets hundreds of years before He was born. The Word of God is God's only begotten Son Jesus Christ. Our God did that.

 His birth was foretold, His death was foretold, His resurrection was foretold. And, also, His journeys to this earth have been foretold. Now, it has been several hundred years since He was here. As the disbelief was then, it is greater now and the world is more evil. The next time He returns to this world will be to remove His Bride and The Holy Spirit, until such time as He returns and destroys the wickedness upon the face of the earth. Our God will do this.

Our God is greater, stronger and higher than any thing you hold onto in your beliefs, your faiths. Our God is The God of The Holy Bible. He is The God of The Old Testament, the old covenant under which men lived and righteousness was difficult to obtain, but still worth reaching. He is The God of The New Testament, the new covenant of grace under which we now live, but must first come to God and acknowledge that God Is and that Jesus Christ is His only Begotten Son, Who died on the cross, rose from the dead and is ascended into heaven, where He is seated at God's right hand, interceding on behalf of His people.

But not every person is God's people. Not every one who says, “I am a Christian” is a Christian. Those who follow other gods are not God's people. Those who participate in other religious ceremonies and rituals, honoring other gods, idols, are not God's people. God's people are those who believe God's Word. And what do we know now about God's Word? God's Word is Jesus Christ. If you do not believe Jesus Christ is God's Son and that He died for you and walked out of the grave for you, then you are not a Christian and you do not belong to God. 

Therefore, if you are not God's children, God's people, then you are not under God's umbrella of grace and mercy and lovingkindness. You are outside of God's realm. You need to be inside with God as your God and your King. All those who do not acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord before they die, will never live with God in His home.

I do not want you to be outside God's realm of glory. I want you to know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. I want you to be with me and my God in heaven after this life is over. But wanting you to be with me is not enough. You have to want Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. You have to want to be loved by Him and love Him in return. You have to decide now before it's too late and the decision is moot. Once we die there is no coming back to change your mind.

I share God and Jesus with you because I love you. I love you so much, I don't want you to die without Him. When you choose Jesus Christ as Lord of your life and Savior of your soul, you are choosing an eternal relationship with God's only begotten Son, not a religion. The Bible says that true religion is to take care of the widows and the fatherless. Making sure your heart and your soul are right with God is not religion, it's relationship. 

A strong relationship requires spending time in that person's presence and sharing your thoughts and heart with that person. In this case, the person is Jesus Christ. Real Christians spend so much time with their Lord and Savior, that Jesus can be seen in their faces, their eyes, their actions and heard in their words. Christians are people who are Christ-like in their behavior and lifestyles. Christians love to go to church. Christians study their Bible every day and apply what they read to their lives. Christians joyfully give of their time, themselves and their finances. Christians share. Christians love. Christians get stronger every time they read and apply God's Word to their lives, to our lives. 

God is able to overcome whatever it is that is holding you back from believing in His Word. Nothing is greater or stronger or higher than our God. Great is His Name, and greatly to be praise is He. 

 

Generations

                                                   

Basic Timeline

|--Before Time Began----------Time----------Beyond Time--|

     Sat down with Brother Littleton at Family Camp this year and he asked me, “What's the word?” My response? “Generations. How many years are in a one generation?” Bro. Littleton said that generational lengths are determined by cultural eras. What a generation was in early Genesis is not what a generation was in Malachi, nor was that the same as in Matthew or even now. From parent to infant is one generation.

     Consulting King James Bible Word Book*, I read that generations means “the whole body of individuals born about the same period; also, the time covered by the lives of these”. Also from this book I see that generation in the New Testament has two meanings. In Matthew 1:1, 18 the word generation means 'birth'. In 1 Peter 2:9, the word is rendered 'children, offspring'.

     Vines' Expository Dictionary gives these same definitions for generations: (1) Age; (2) Origin, lineage, birth; (3) Offspring. Somewhat helpful, but not as helpful as Brother Littleton. So much more interesting conversations are had with people in person than through a study book, but am grateful I have such books with me.

     Why do I want to know what a generation is? Well.........the first time the word is used is in Genesis 2:4, when God tells us “These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that The Lord God made the earth and the heavens.” Here, the word generations means 'history, descent (referring to family), birth) using the Hebrew dictionary.

     But the word is not translated the same in every passage of The Old Testament. In Exodus 3:15 “And God said moreover unto Moses, 'Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Is'rael, The Lord God of your fathers, The God of Abraham, The God of Isaac, and The God of Jacob, has sent me unto you: this is My Name for ever, and this is My memorial unto all generations.” Here, the word means 'revolution of time, an age, a dwelling: posterity'. A revolution of time goes clockwise in a circular motion, which could refer to passage of time, as the earth revolves around the sun giving us day and night repeatedly. 

     These two definitions of generations are repeatedly used in The Old Testament. The first explains generations as historical fact. The second explains generations as the passing of time. Each reference needs to be separately looked up to know what it actually refers to. For instance, Psalm 14:5 “There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.” Revolution of time, a dwelling.

     Psalm 24:1-6 “The earth is The Lord's, and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. Who shall ascend into the hill of The Lord? Or who shall stand in His Holy place? He that has clean hands, and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from The Lord, and righteousness from The God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek Him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Se'lah.” Again, a dwelling.

     I bring up these two specifically as examples because we know that God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3 “But Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabits the praises of Israel.) In other words, God dwells in the praises of His people. And who are His people?

     In The New Testament, the word generations refers to: kin, diversity, nation, age, kindred, offspring, stock, age, time. 1 Peter 2:9,10 “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” These are God's people.

     Acts 8:33 “In His humiliation His judgment was taken away: and who shall declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.” This verse refers to Jesus Christ. His generation, His descendants  are they who believe that He is Lord, that He is Savior, that He is the Only Begotten Son of God. His generations are the people of God; they who love Him and keep His commandments.

     Now, we come to one of the verses on my mind which started this whole thing to begin with. Deuteronomy 7:9 “Know therefore that The Lord thy God, He Is God, The Faithful God, which keeps covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations.” How many is a thousand generations if generations vary? Here the definition of generations is the second one: the passage of days, of time. These are God's people.

     A thousand generations of them that love Him and keep His commandments. We cannot know how many this is, because only God can keep perfect track of who is righteous is His sight. Their names are written in The Lamb's Book of Life. We will know these generations later in heaven and we will get to meet all of them eventually. 

     But only if our names are written in The Lamb's Book of Life. How do you get your name in that Book, you ask? You must be born-again. When your name is called by The Holy Spirit and you feel yourself being drawn, led, to Jesus; and you answer this call, you have taken the first step to being born again. Repentance means to turn your back on sin and turn your face to Jesus. How can you do this when you cannot see Jesus?

By faith, by believing that Jesus Is. By believing that Jesus died for you and rose from the dead; the first act washes away the sin from your heart, the second gives you eternal life through His life.

     John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him shall not perish but have ever lasting life.” You are whosoever. You can trust in Jesus to wash away your sins through the blood He shed on the cross He was nailed to. You can trust in Jesus to give you eternal life with Him. You just have to believe.

     Hebrews 11:1, 3 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen....Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by The Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” Faith is believing that something is real, is true, even if you cannot see it right now. We believe that tomorrow will come even though tomorrow is not yet. We have faith that the sun will rise at day, the moon at night. We cannot see tomorrow but we believe it will happen anyway, and so we prepare for it.

     Just as we prepare for eternity. An eternity with God is better than an eternity without God. “For whosoever was not written in The Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:15. That is an eternity without God. It is not my eternity, for my name is written in His Book.

Is yours? 

Restoration-The Paths of Righteousness

The more you know, the more you understand. The more you understand, the more you exercise wisdom. The more you exercise wisdom, the more you know.

Restoration

“He restores my soul; He leads me in The Paths of Righteousness for His Name's Sake.”

Psalm 23:3 (KJV)

“For whosoever shall call upon The Name of The Lord shall be saved.”

Romans 10:13(KJV)

“But you also are from Him in Yeshua The Messiah, He who has become for us The Wisdom of God and The Righteousness and The Holiness and The Redemption.”

1 Corinthians 1:30 (Aramaic Bible in Plain English)

JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU, THE LORD RIGHTEOUSNESS

     All, if not most, in the scientific community, will tell you they do not know everything there is to know about our universe and its beginnings, or its size. What I can tell you is that some say science proves God's existence. While others are attempting to disprove God's existence. Some even look for the beginning of God, what is referred to as 'the God particle'. This is impossible to declare for God is God. John 1:1-3, 14 “In the beginning was The Word, and The Word was with God, and The Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. … And The Word was made flesh, and lived among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of The Father,) full of grace and truth.”

     See, in order to discover the beginning of anything, you have to acknowledge not only that God exists, but that He is Creator. Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” The following verses tell you what God created, who named what He created and how what He created fell into disarray. For the world as we know it is not the world that God had in mind, when He created it.

     Rules were put into place by God to follow and obey, that our lives would be pain-free, death-free, sickness-free, chaos-free, crime-free, destruction-free. But all of those possibilities ended when sin, disobedience to God's rules, entered this world through Eve's and Adam's deliberate disobedience when they ate the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. The woman's punishment, curse, was to bear and raise children with sorrow. No longer was she her own woman, now she belonged to her husband; he would be responsible for her. The man's punishment, curse, was to work hard all the days of his life; the ground would be cursed because of his actions. He would eat what he could grow; he would die and be buried in the earth, because that is what he is made of. Animals died because of their sin, and the skins of these animals were placed on them to cover their nakedness.

     There is no 'fountain of life' or 'spring or eternal youth'; there is only sickness, aging, death. In this life, there is no hope of ever getting away from any thing. But if you go back a few verses in chapter 3, you will see that God promised a way out of all that had occurred through their actions. Genesis 3:14, 15 “And The Lord God said unto the serpent (which had tempted Eve), Because you have done this, you are cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon your belly you shall go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life: And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; it (her seed) shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” One day we would have power over temptation and sin. Though the serpent, the devil, would tempt us, we would overcome him and rule over sin.

     I am here to tell you, that day has come. It came in Matthew through Revelation. That day of overcoming sin and death, was given us when Jesus Christ, the only begotten of The Father, the only begotten Son, came into this world (John 1:14); lived a sin-free life (John 1:29-34); caused miracles to happen wherein the sick were healed, the dead restored to life, the blind could see, the lame could walk, the deaf could hear and the mute could speak (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John); was beaten beyond recognition and died on a cross (Isaiah 42, 43:6-12; 53, Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 19); rose from the grave and ascended into heaven after several people had seen Him (Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20 and 21, Acts 2:21:36).

     “This is the day that The Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24. “For He says, I have heard you in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I helped you: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2. “Thus says The Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard you, and in a day of salvation have I helped you: and I will preserve you, and give you for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; That you may say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for He that has mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall He guide them. And I will make all My mountains a way, and My high ways shall be exalted. Behold (Look here now!), these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.” Isaiah 49:7-12.

     The acceptable time. The day of salvation. This day is preferred above all other days to those who believe that Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, The Father, died on the cross and rose from the grave, making a way through His blood shed on the cross, for us to be in God's presence; holding the keys of hell and death, He walked out of the grave, when His Father rolled the stone away. Perhaps God shoved the stone forcefully. I would have, had my son been in that tomb and needed to be released. What parent wouldn't aid their child, when that child needed them so?

     My day of salvation came when I was 34. Though I was raised in church, and loved Sunday School, I did not fully believe until I was in a place where I had to seek God. That day is forever etched in God's Book of The Lamb, for that is my spiritual birthday. Surrounded by vague memories of events of the day, I do not remember the exact date, but I do remember how old I was. Now, twenty years later, here I am telling you that today could be your spiritual birthday. If you have not already believed on The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ for the salvation of your soul, this is the day. This is the time.

The Lord Is my Shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures:

He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul:

He leads me in the Paths of Righteousness for His Name's sake.

Psalm 23:1-3

Psalm 55:22 reads "Cast your burden upon The Lord, and He shall sustain you: He shall never suffer you to be moved." When we apply The Word of God to ourselves, this verse would say, 

I have cast my burden upon The Lord, He sustains me:

He will never suffer (allow) me to be moved.

I repented of my sinful ways and turned my back on them. With my back turned to sin, my face is now facing God's direction. My burden, my load of baggage which I carried around within my heart and my mind, I laid at the foot of the cross, and left it there, where God forgave me of these sins and threw them into The Sea of Forgetfulness, never again remembering these sins that had been against me. The only one who will remind you of your past is Satan, and he will use it against you to bring you down. But your face, my face, needs to be focused on God's face. Never should we take our eyes off of God's Word, God's Voice needs to be in our ears, our hearts, our thoughts. Constantly and consistently, we need to be watchful in prayer, alert in His Word and alive in His Love; daily loving each person, whether we are loved in return or not, with our actions, our words, our heart; our heart should mirror God's heart. For God loves everyone and His heart is to see each one accept the salvation He has given through His Son Jesus Christ.

This is the Paths of Righteousness: The Way, The Truth and The Life: Jesus Christ The Messiah of Israel and all the world beyond her borders. He Is The Word of God In The Flesh. Our Holy Bible is The Word of God In Print. Your Bible is not just a book of stories, it is Holy and Alive. Just reading your Bible is not enough. As a sip of water will not quench your thirst, neither will just reading The Bible save your soul.

As a bite of bread will not satisfy your hunger, neither will just studying The Bible save your soul.

You must believe that Jesus Christ Is Lord. That His Name Is Salvation. Romans 10:13 "Whosoever shall call upon The Name of The Lord shall be saved." What is The Lord's Name? Matthew 1:21 "And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call His Name JE'SUS: for He shall save His people from their sins." His Name Is EMMAN'UEL. Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore The Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His Name Imman'uel."

 (different spellings, different areas of time) 

A name which means "God Is With Us". 

Emmanuel, God With Us by Mercy Me

Who Shall Be Able To Stand?

The Day of The Lord

Isaiah 2:12-Isaiah 3:26

Revelation 6:12-17

Who Shall Be Able To Stand?

Revelation 6:17

“For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

n other words, unless you are protected by the covenant which God has set up with His people, you will not be able to remain standing upright. Your sins have never been forgiven. You are not covered by His grace, nor have you accepted His mercy. You are lost and undone. There is nowhere for you to go to escape from such great wrath, when that horrific day appears.

As previously stated in verses 15, 16 “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, 'Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of The Lamb”, no one will escape punishment from God for ignoring Him. They who denied His existence will be condemned by their actions and judged for their unbelief.

With God, time has no meaning. Though the days are ordained from Genesis, where we are told He created day and night here on earth, time does not exist in heaven. 2 Peter 3:8 “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with The Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” From the moment the cries of God's people begin until they reach His ear may seem like hundreds of years to mankind, it is but an instant in God's hearing. Revelation 6:10 “And they cried with a loud voice, saying, 'How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on them that live on the earth?'”

There are two days you and I should be concerned with: Today and The Day of The Lord. The first, Today, is all you have to get ready for the other. 2 Corinthians 6:2 “For He says, 'I have heard you in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I helped you: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Today is your day of salvation. Tomorrow is not promised. If tomorrow never comes, how can you say “I will do it tomorrow”?

Many have heard, but not all have heard, of the gospel of salvation, G.R.A.C.E.: God's Riches At Christ's Expense. I'll bet most can recite John 3:16, but how many of you know what that verse really means, or means to you personally? “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him shall not perish, but have ever lasting life.” God loves us so much He did not ask His Son to go, He sent Him to die in our place. He gave Him to us as our sin offering, the Lamb of God, which takes away the sins of the world, the whole world, from time begun until time ends. That is an awful lot of sins. And every one of those sins was laid across His back, one whiplash at a time. Jesus was so covered in the sins of the world, that God could neither look at His Son nor be with Him at the time of His crucifixion; for God is holy.

Whosoever means me. Whosoever means you. Whosoever means anyone can believe on The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. Water baptism will not save you. Immersion in water after salvation is a public display of our conversion: we are saying to our family and friends and strangers and enemies that once we were sinners but now are we saints because we believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior of our lives, our souls. Once we lived as the world lives, for self: it's all about me life-style and habits. Now, we live for Jesus: it's all about Him. Today is our day of salvation. “For whosoever shall call upon The Name of The Lord shall be saved.” - Romans 10:13.

Romans 3:10-18 “As it is written, 'There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that seeks after God. They are all gone out of The Way, they are together become unprofitable: there is none that does good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of Peace they do not know: There is no fear of God before their eyes.” This is the unbeliever. This is the unrepentant backslider, one who once accepted Christ and then rejected Christ. This is the sinner who was not saved by grace. This is the false teacher, the false prophet, the fake, the liar, the deceiver.

Jesus says if we even think about doing harm to anyone, we have committed murder in our hearts, and therefore we are just as guilty as the one who literally took a life from another. If we participate in sexual immorality, whether in the physical sense or in our thoughts, there is no difference in God's sight: both actions are condemned and deserve God's wrath. Stealing a grape from the grocer is just as wicked as stealing money from the bank; stealing possessions and stealing trust are equal: a thief is a thief. “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” - Proverbs 23:7a. Who you really are and who the world sees could be two different things, and usually is. But God looks only at the heart of mankind. 1 Samuel 16:7 “But The Lord said unto Samuel, 'Look not on his face, or on his stature; because I have refused him: FOR THE LORD SEES NOT AS MAN SEES; for man looks on the outward appearance, BUT THE LORD LOOKS ON THE HEART.” Romans 3:23 “For ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Romans 5:8 “BUT GOD commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” See, God did not wait for us to clean ourselves up and then come to Him. No matter how good we think we are, we will never be good enough to see God and live for ever in His presence. Isaiah 64:6 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” While we may seem 'good enough' in our own eyes, we will never be 'good enough' for God: for God is holy.

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” A gift is something that is exchanged between friends, given in love to bring joy to the receiver. This is the salvation of The Lord. Once we have repented of our sins to God and received salvation through Jesus Christ, His death, His blood washes away our sins; His burial and His resurrection is our hope of eternal life in Him. It is a gift from God. Salvation cannot be earned, nor can it be bought. No matter how many little gold plaques your name is engraved on, your salvation depends on your believing in Jesus Christ as Lord.  

Hell was not created to hold people. It is God's will that all be saved, but He does not force us into His plan of salvation. He loves us enough to let us choose. We are all preordained to salvation, but not all of us have chosen salvation. Of the many gifts God has given us, one of these gifts is free will. It is the gift of being able to decide on any idea and bring it into existence. We choose who we will follow. By not choosing God's plan of salvation for our inheritance, we inherit nothing. We are written out of God's will and cast into eternal damnation in hell and the lake of fire. For those who choose not to believe, there will be two deaths: the first is death in hell; the second is hell in the lake of fire.

Yes, I am a fire and brimstone preacher. But I am also a believer who has not only received this grace, this gift of life eternal, from God, but I am a believer who re-gifts. I share God's plan of salvation, God's will, with you. I want you to be saved. I want you to spend eternity with God and with me. I want to see your face, your smile, your spirit in heaven beside me. I have God's heart in me, and I want to see God's salvation in you. But you have to make that decision, that choice. I cannot make it for you. Salvation must be accepted on an individual level, with understanding and knowledge.

Romans 10:9, 10 “That if you shall confess with your mouth The Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart we believe unto righteousness; and with the mouth (our) confession is made unto salvation.” And now we come back to the heart of the matter. The heart is the seat of emotions, the throne room, if you will, of whichever destination we have chosen. If evil lies in the heart, then evil thoughts invade the mind and evil words come out of the mouth ('I wish you were dead' and 'Idiot driver' are only two of these evil phrases). Gossip, revenge, workplace theft, violence on any level, getting even, pranks, pride, arrogance, and the list goes on of all the evils in the world and in the heart.

When you repent of your sins to God and accept the forgiveness of Him through The Lord Jesus Christ, and you make this statement out loud in the presence of people, witnesses to your conversion, you are confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord. You can believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord and not say it out loud, but your actions will give you away. But, if you say out loud that you believe and your actions prove otherwise, you are just another liar and not a believer at all. Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says unto Me, 'Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of My Father, who is in heaven.”

“He who does the will”. So what is God's will that we must do? 1 Timothy 2:4-6 “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” God's will is that we be saved through Jesus Christ. Plain and simple gospel of salvation.

Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon The Name of The Lord shall be saved.” Man, woman, boy, girl: whosoever means you.

Your only means of escape from The Great and Terrible Day of The Lord is salvation through Jesus Christ. If you repent of your sins and depart from your wicked ways, you shall be saved. If you do not, you will not.