Blessed Seeker_Psalms

Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, that seek Him with the whole heart.

Psalm 119:2

Each word on the signs in the above poster are synonymous with the word 'testimonies'. It is a covenant term regarding the requirements the LORD set up. 

• Psalm 25:10 All the paths of the LORD are Mercy and Truth unto such as keep His commandments.
• Deuteronomy 4:45 These are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which Moses spoke unto the children of Israel, after they came forth out of Egypt.
• Deuteronomy 8:6 Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in His ways, and to fear (reverent fear) Him 
• Joshua 22:5 But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all His Ways, and to keep His commandments, and to cleave unto Him, and to serve Him with all your heart, and with all your soul.

In point of fact, when we read all the way through Psalm 119, we see that this whole chapter focuses on the thoughts that begin this chapter: Walking in the Law of the LORD. For instance, how many different times is each word that is synonymous with the word testimonies used? 

• LAW(S)
• TESTIMONIES/TESTAMENT
• STATUTES
• MERCY, MERCIES, MERCIFUL
• TRUTH
• PRECEPTS
• COMMANDMENTS
• WAYS 
• WORD
• ORDINANCE(S)
• JUDGMENT(S)

Now while this next word may not be synonymous with Testimonies, it surely refers to Who our Testimony Is:

• SURETY

I'm taking note of each time, but if you want to know, then I suggest you read through this chapter carefully. The psalmist is making promises to His God each time he says "I". It's personal. And when we are declared to be His people, The Blessed, then The Word of God becomes personal to us, too. It's more than a read Word, it's an applied Word, a daily living Bread Word, a spoken with power and authority Word. 

God's Ways are an important concept to live by, but can only be lived faithfully by believing in Christ for our Savior: He Is, after all, the Bread of Life. Psalm 34:8 "O taste and see that the LORD Is Good: blessed is the man that trusts in Him." John 6:33, 35 "For the bread of God is He which comes down from heaven and gives life unto the world." ...... "And Jesus said unto them, "I Am the Bread of Life: he that comes to Me shall never hunger; and he that believes on Me shall never thirst."

What are you going to do with this Bread? 

Blessed Undefiled_Psalms

Happy and to be envied is the man of integrity, who walks, lives his life, in the law of the LORD.
Psalm 119:1

The word WALK implies that the growth of being Christian is a forward process, a journey, a daily interactive Christ-centered life.

Undefiled: innocent, perfect, whole, complete, entire, sound; without blemish, what is completely in accord with truth and fact. (Strong's Hebrew #8549)

Paul's prayer for the Colossians, the church in Colosse (in what is now Turkey) gives greater detail of what it means to walk in integrity as believers. 

Colossians 1 (Berean Study Bible) 

Walking in integrity requires, first of all, that we have faith in Christ Jesus (v 4). Secondly, we need to strive (be hungry and thirsty for more of Him) to be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding (v 9). 

With the reminder that this letter was written to a group and not an individual the clarifications are to unity within the group, the church, and not per se to the individual, but should still be brought into the understanding of each individual on what it means to be Christian. 

Thirdly, walking worthy unto the LORD unto all pleasing (v 10a) means to live in the unity of the Spirit (Philippians 1:27; 1 Corinthians 1:10); being truthful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God (Hebrews 13:20, 21). 

Fourthly, (v 11) Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness. Inner strength through the power of Christ. Joyful in our struggles because we have a hope and a reward in Christ. 

Fifthly, (v 21-23) And you, that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now has He reconciled In the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight: IF you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven. 

Unless we are born again according to the Word of God, through Christ, we remain ignorant and unchanged. But IN Christ we are made holy, perfect, without blemish 'in His sight'! To remain in this faith  which brought us to Christ, grounded and settled and immovable, we must remain in His Word, daily reading and studying it; praying over it and in it (speaking aloud the Word of God into our lives and the lives of the people around us. Not just people we know either [Ephesians 2:19 "strangers and foreigners"].

Happy and to be envied is the man of integrity, who lives his life, in the law of the LORD.
Psalm 119:1

Blessed Delight_Psalms

Praise ye the LORD.

 

Blessed is the man that fears the LORD, 

that Delights greatly in His commandments. Psalm 112:1

Happy and to be envied is the person that reveres, has godly fear of, the LORD, that takes great pleasure in His code of wisdom. 

Psalm 112:1 

Are you happy in your salvation? If not, you need to repent of whatever is keeping you from God's blessings, and grab hold of what God is trying to give you. I can't do it for you. No one can. We can pray for you. You and I can pray together. I don't even need to know what it is you are praying for. Not my business. I'm just here to encourage you to draw near to the place where God is and pour out your heart before Him. He loves you and wants you to be happy in Him. 

Do the people around you envy what you have in Christ? Are you representing? being Christ's ambassador to the world? Am I? I'm trying. I love being in the Word every day. Something new every day is given to me. All I need is all I have. I have Jesus. 

Blessed Instruction_Psalms

The King James Version reads the word instruct as chastisement, which by implication means severe criticism, harsh rebuke, as well as corporal punishment. This is not how the Word is to be applied. For the Word of God is Jesus Christ, and He is to be applied willingly to the heart, not forcefully. God's Love is Mercy and Grace; Patience and Strength. We are not to wield such Love as if it were a paddle board, nor should we be meanly spoken with it or by it.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love studying with my KJV Bible and I love reading it because I know that the Holy Spirit will reveal to me what I need to know when I need to know it. But I love studying with the Interlinear Bible, too. It tells me the Hebraic word and pronunciation, as well as the Strong's reference, and specific meaning for a word in any verse, not just a general definition or description. 

Knowing also that "blessed" when referring to man means "happy" and "to be envied", we read with a better understanding the verses in which we are to be blessed. 

Psalm 94:12 Happy and to be envied is the man whom You instruct, LORD, and out of Your law teach. 

And don't be getting all feminist on me, either. When God's Word speaks of 'man' in general, He is not excluding women: it is mankind, or man-kind (Genesis 1:27): male and female. But the Word must be applied individually. While all blessings from God to us are for each of us and all of us, we must first believe not only that God is, but that His Word is Faithful and True. Only then can we seek, search out and find how God wants to bless us. 

Once we are living the blessing life, those around us will see the difference in us. Our blessings will indeed be enviable to those folks who are in our daily lives; they're going to wonder why we are like we are and what brought about this change in us. A few may even decide they want these blessings, too. That's when we tell them about our Jesus, the Savior of all mankind, who died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead. Who even now is interceding on our behalf to His Father. 

Do you know what the Holy Spirit tells me, when I begin to judge the surface of a person? "I love them, too." Only God knows the heart of an individual, only God knows whether or not a person is truly saved when that person dies. It's not my place to know and I should be content with that knowledge. And, yet, occasionally I still hear the Spirit say, "I love that person, too". Contrition and humility are the catch words of the moment. I repent, am forgiven and move on. 

The second part of this verse "out of Your law to teach" means more than expounding the verse, whether personal study or teaching another. It is accusative. The Law of God reveals sin and shows us in it that it is impossible to obey said laws without the strength of God aiding us. We are taught by God that we need Him to help us obey Him. And we do. For our God is a holy God and demands us to be holy, too (Leviticus 20:7; 1 Peter 1:16).

Jesus did not abolish the law of God, He fulfilled it (Matthew 5:17). In Romans 3:31 Paul writes to the church at Rome the question of faith vs law and reminds them, and us, that our faith in Christ establishes, fulfills, upholds the law of God. Through our faith in Christ we recognize that the law of God reveals our sin and that without Him we are lost and undone. I would be lost, undone, alone and miserable if I did not know Jesus as my Lord and Savior. 

If you are lost, undone, alone and miserable I know Who can save you, keep you, befriend you and love you. His name is Jesus Christ. He died for you, fought death, hell and the grave for you, rose from the dead for you. And is seated at the right hand of the Father waiting to intercede for you. "I love the person reading this, too". 

Dear Jesus, 
I recognize that I am lost without You. Please forgive me of my sins, come into my heart and be Lord of my life. Guide me through Your Word as I read and study it. Holy Spirit fill me with Yourself and help me be who God wants me to be. 
In Jesus' Name,
Amen. 

The Five Senses In Eternity

THE FIVE SENSES IN ETERNITY

When God creates us, He creates us with a body, a soul and a spirit. When we die, His will has ordained that our body, our soul and our spirit be separated from each other. While our physical body remains in the ground, our soul and our spirit are taken into an eternal place. If a person is born-again according to the Word of God, then that person’s soul and spirit are taken into God’s dwelling place, heaven. If a person is not born-again before death, then that person’s soul and spirit are taken to hell. And, in either destination, we take with us many invisible aspects of our lives. 

For example, we know that our soul consists of our thoughts, our emotions and our will. Our spirit is the breath of life that was in us, placed there by God when He created us. In our soul’s mesh of thought +emotion+will is our five senses. We know this because we have in God’s Word the parable of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar, who both died, yet ended up in two entirely different places.

It is more than hot in hell, it is horrible: Luke 16:22 “the rich man was tormented”. What do we read in the next verse? The rich man could move (he lift up his head) and see (he saw the beggar in paradise). 

In verse 24, the rich man in hell could speak, feel the heat of the fire and knew thirst. Now, I looked up this chemical fact of fire to see if fire has a smell, which it does; depending on what started the fire, the smell of that fire will differ from other fires. But this is basic: Fire is the result of a chemical reaction called combustion. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition point, flames are produced. Flames consist primarily of carbon dioxide, water vapor, oxygen, and nitrogen. (from the thought company). So we know that the rich man in hell could also smell the fire that was around him. 

Verse 25 tells us the rich man could hear “But Abraham answered”. The man to whom Abraham spoke also had the ability to understand Abraham’s statements. His selfish request for the beggar to leave paradise and come to hell to aid him was denied. Not only was this denied but even if a person wished to travel between both destinations after death, it was impossible, for the chasm which separated them was far too wide to traverse (verse 26)

His selfishness (his will) continued in verses 27-31 by begging Abraham to send the beggar back topside to tell his brothers who still lived how to avoid this hell in which he found himself. For surely they would believe a dead man should he rise up out of the grave and speak the truth. Again, his request was not only denied but explained. And here the conversation, as well as the parable, ends. 

  
But it is enough for us to see that hell is real and is not a destination we should look forward to. No, the destination our souls and spirits should want to be in is the eternal dwelling place of God. There our souls are satisfied (Psalm 63:5; Psalm 34:8). There our spirits take rest (Matthew 11:28; Hebrews 4:3). In heaven we can hear, taste, touch, smell, and see. For this knowledge we turn to The Revelation of John, the last Book in our Bibles. 

Revelation 19:1 We can speak in heaven “a great voice of much people”. But not a clamoring: worship to our God. Verse 5 tells us we can hear “And a voice came out of the throne, saying”. Verse 8 we are “arrayed in fine linen”: our sense of touch is intact. Verse 9 tells us that we can taste for we are “called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb”. Every supper can be smelled, too; so we know that our sense of smell works in heaven. 

Eternal means forever, without end. Both destinations are eternal and without end. But the choice must be made now, on this side of eternity. Which destination do you want to make yours? One destination, hell, is eternal separation from God. One destination, heaven,  is eternal dwelling with God. 

While hell’s access door is unbelief (Revelation 21:8), heaven’s access Door is Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God (Acts 10:43; Romans 10:9; John 10:9; John 3:16; 1 John 4:9). While there are many more such verses which tell of God’s means of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ, these are the ones the Spirit led me to. 

Now it is your turn. Now you must make a decision and choose which side you are on: there is no middle ground here. The Word says “To day if you will hear His voice” (Psalm 95:7-8; Hebrews 3:7, 15) and again, “Today is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). 

“The Spirit and The Bride, they say, Come!” , Revelation 22:17, “Let him that is hears, come. Let him that is thirst, come. And whosoever will, let him take the Water of Life freely.” 

Blessed Strength_Psalms

Blessed is the man whose strength is in You; In whose heart are the ways of them. --PSALM 84:5

Our physical strength comes from the food we put into our bodies and the physical exertion we indulge in.
But our spiritual strength comes from what we put into our hearts and how we exercise such as that may be. When we allow Christ to come into our hearts, then is The Word placed within us through the power of God's Holy Spirit.
And we exercise our faith in God when we apply this Word we have within us to the rest of our lives. By faith we live according to God's laws, God's Word and by faith we know that He is our Strength and in Him we trust.

JEHOVAH-CHATSAHI-ZIMRATH

Zimrath is the base root of the word Zamar, which is one of the seven words of praise in Scripture, meaning 'to use musical instruments, or instrumental music', in raises and praising. 

Also used in Isaiah 12:2 

"Behold, God is my salvation; 

I will trust and not be afraid: 

For the LORD JEHOVAH is my

Strength and my Song;

He also is become my Salvation."

and, again in Psalm 118:14

"The LORD is my Strength and Song,

And is become my Salvation."

Though I cannot play a musical instrument, I can appreciate the use of them. In the Bible music originated with Jubal, Lamech's son, who is the 'father of all such as handle the harp and organ' (Genesis 4:22). 

Blessed Guests_Psalms

 This verse does not refer to the Levite priests who were assigned to the care of the temple, but to the invited guests who lived in God's dwelling place. And who are these invited guests? The righteous, the redeemed of the LORD, are the invited guests. Whatever the invitees did to please the LORD in the Old Testament assured them of an eternal dwelling with God, for they, unlike the New Testament Christians, did not live in a period of grace. No Jesus, no grace. 

If we read the verses preceding this one, we see how the writer of this psalm had a deep desire to with God forever in His dwelling place. Just like this psalmist sings: 

Better Is One Day by Kutless

He knew that they who lived in the habitation of God were living a much better life than the one we live here. That they were singing the praises of their eternal God in His court. He could Only Imagine what it was like up there, but he knew it was better and more beautiful than anything we could build for God down here. 

How beautiful it will be! I long for that day, too! 

All My Tears by Hayde Bluegrass

Blessed In His Presence_Psalms

BLESSED IN HIS PRESENCE

Blessed are those who know the joyful sound, who walk, O LORD, in the light of Your presence. --PSALM 89:15

The joyful sound? The sound of the sanctuary trumpets being blown in the sanctuary, perhaps for the Day of Atonement, as seen in Leviticus 25:9 "Then shall you cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall you make the trumpet sound throughout all your land."

Foreshadowing Christ's atoning work on the cross, the Day of Atonement was instituted by God to the Israelites, His chosen people. Today that day is known as Yom Kippur. The sacrifices made on this day were only temporary. But the sacrifice Christ made for all is permanent. Hebrews 9:13-14 "For if the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"

To know this is to know the joyful sound, to make the joyful sound. For our God is with us at all times, encouraging us to seek His face, His Word, His voice. He woos us through the Word and into His presence. The light of His presence is Himself. As Jesus stated, "I am the Light of the world" in John 8:12, "he that follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." But what is life? John 14:6 "Jesus said unto him, 'I am the way, the truth and the Life: no man comes unto the Father, but by Me."

Blessed am I, for I know the joyful sound, I walk, O LORD, in the light of Your presence.

Blessed & Delivered_Psalms

Blessed are the people of whom this is so;

blessed are the people whose God is the LORD.
Psalm 144:15

This chapter deals with the deliverance of God's people. On how God trains our hands for war (v 1).
Acknowledging who God is and seeking His presence (3-6). Needing His hand to deliver us from our enemies (7) and a description of our enemies (8).
Praising God for answering these requests and again acknowledging who God is (9-10) and how He works (11).
The result of God answering these prayers is that our sons grow up strong, our daughters are beautiful; our barns are full, our cattle are many and fertile (vv 12-14). No one breaks into our homes and homelands, no one of us is taken into captivity (ie. no more wars); no one complains or is in distress (v 14).
Happy, blessed, to be envied is that people of whom this is so, Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD.

Blessed Nation_Psalm 33:12

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; And the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance. 

Now therefore, if you will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine. -- Exodus 19:5

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into Him marvelous light. --1 Peter 2:9

While there are many nations on this earth, the only nation that matters is the 'holy nation'. It is a collective group of people who choose God as LORD, who call upon His name, as Seth did way back in Genesis 5:26 all the way up to today.

Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved.

And just whom does God choose for His own inheritance? Those who obey His voice when He speaks and keep or follow His Word. As Jesus said when He began to minister to the people (after overcoming temptation in the wilderness), firstly "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." And secondly, "Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men."

First, we repent and believe, then we lead others to Jesus Christ that they, too, may repent and believe and follow. That's how a holy nation is built up. That's the generation whom God has chosen for His inheritance.

I am part of this generation. Are you? Do you want to be?

Blessed Are The Forgiven_Psalm 32:1 & 2

Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sin is covered. 

Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no guile. Impute means to hold against, but the person who has been forgiven, their sins will not be held against them. And this can only happen when the person seeking forgiveness is honest and sincere and speaks from their heart; otherwise their words are just noise. 

(The) Blessed Chosen

Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man whom You have chosen, 
And caused to approach unto You,
that he may dwell in Your courts:
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, 
Even Your holy temple. 
Psalm 65:4

But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him. 
Psalm 4:3


“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool." Isaiah 1:18

I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more. Isaiah 43:25
How are our sins blotted out? Through the blood of the Lamb of God, as John the Baptizer said after he baptized Jesus, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" 

Who are people God has chosen for Himself? The ones who have answered His call to salvation. The ones who have been redeemed by the blood of His Lamb Jesus Christ. "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” --Galatians 3:13

"God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." --2 Corinthians 5:21

And, lastly, that beloved Scripture which many of us learn as children and remember well into our adult years (though we have not always lived it):  "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." --John 3:16

What makes us The Blessed Chosen? Answering the call of salvation sent from God to the world through the Holy Spirit. For it is the Spirit who quickens the soul and places the gospel within us, in a much different way than when He did so in Mary, Jesus' mother. 

Now, our souls are quickened and The Word of God grows in us so much that He is quickly poured out before all men when we testify of Him whom we have believed. 

Come,  As it has been said: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion.” --Hebrews 3:15

Tomorrow is not promised, but To day is here. 

(The) Blessed Righteous

The verse actually means what I have written. But if you are reading your KJV Bible, the verse will read like this:
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth with the scornful.
Pretty basic stuff here, isn't it? And, remember, Blessed is defined as Happy and To Be Envied.

The righteous person, the believer, the saved who love and obey God's Word are to be envied. They who live in the world should want what the Christian has. But far too many Christians are not being Christ-like, not living holy righteous lives according to the Word by which we should be livng. Many are disguised as sinners so they can blend in and not be seen. How sad an existence that is.
Christians should shine with the light of Jesus flowing through them into the people around us. "This little light of mine" is more than a song: it is a declaration, a proclamation, of Hope and Peace and Love through Jesus Christ.
Ungodly advice will cause a person to ive an ungodly life when they give in to it. I know. I lived an ungodly life style before my heart got right with God. I listened to my 'friends' who convinced me that drugs and alcohol was normal. I not only kept company with such, but kept stumbling back into that life every time I tried to get out on my own power. It took Jesus to lift me up out of that miry clay and set my feet upon the Rock, Himself.
I thank God I am saved and I try to live according to God's Word. Every day is new and every day is another opportunity to be a faithful witness of the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. Today, today is a good day. Today is a good day to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life, if you have not done so.

O Lord, have mercy on me a sinner! I see that I have wronged You and deserve death, but I repent of my wicked ways and ask that You forgive me. Please make me and mold me according to Your Word that I may walk in Your Way and obey Your Will. Teach me Your Word that I might be holy and be able to be in Your eternal presence ever more. Lord, O Lord, take me into Your heart as I take You into mine! Be my God and I will be Your child. I believe that Jesus died on the cross to take my punishment and that He rose from the dead and walked out of the grave, saving me and giving me hope of eternal life through Him and by Him. 
Thank You, Lord God, for saving me. You are most precious in my sight and I love You so much. Your name is great and greatly to be praised! Your grace is mine. Thank You, Lord God, for showing me mercy. Help me to lead my family and my friends into Your marvelous light and love. 
Amen. 

JEHOVAH-SHALOM

THE LORD MY PEACE

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31

In other words, what have to fear when our hearts are aligned with God's? Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved." 

Isaiah 9:6 says Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace. Romans 5:1 "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our LORD Jesus Christ."

I have this peace. I have peace with God through Jesus Christ my LORD because I believe that He Is and that God sent Him to die on the cross in my place and raised Him from the dead, showing Christ to be God's Promise of Salvation to all men everywhere. 

Getting this peace is easy. Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, I believe that You are God's only begotten Son, that You died on the cross and rose from the dead for me. I recognize that I have sinned against You, against Your Word, and repent of all my wicked ways. Oh God, forgive my wretchedness! Cleanse my heart, wash me clean and make me wholly holy unto You. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I might be able to live daily in You, live in obedience to Your Word. Remember me, O LORD.

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

The Peacemakers

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. Matthew 5:9
Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lies within you, live peaceably with all men. Romans 12:17-18
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14

Peace. A much sought after product, but seldom found by today's diggers. What does it mean to be a peacemaker? They who promote peace, instead of war, instead of division. They who introduce peace by way of the gospel, instead of hate. 
To be a Peacemaker is to reflect the heart of God, for God is Peace. "But now is Christ Jesus, you who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For He Is our Peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us....For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father." Ephesians 2:13-14, 18
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6
Peacemakers are trouble-brokers, they settle disputes, disperse justice and judgment fairly. They disperse blessings on their attackers instead of vengeance: peacemakers do not  get even. Nor do they sue the wrongful, but leave everything in a situation in God's hands and let Him settle things, beginning with themselves. 
In this way, the Christian is recognized as a child of God. For only a true Christian, a true follower of Christ, will be proven by their actions and words of peace and blessing where none would be expected to be found. 1 Peter 2:8-9 "Finally, be you all of one mind, having compassion on one another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that you are thereunto called, that you should inherit a blessing." 

Blessed are we who bless each other and are a blessing to each other, who show compassion and mercy fairly, with guileless hearts: for we shall be called the children of God. 

The Pure In Heart

Matthew 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."

So, in studying this verse out it took me to Psalm 15:2, which describes even further what it means to be pure of heart; it is more than good thoughts and generosity.
To be pure of heart is to walk uprightly and work righteousness, to live a moral life and use the powers we are given to bless people whenever we can, not use our powers against others. Whether the power we wield is social, economical, or political we are to use it to be a blessing not a curse.
This verse took me Genesis 17:1 where God tells Abraham that in order to walk With God, Abraham must back up his faith in God with obedience to God. And the righteous? They who honor God by placing Him first in every aspect and decision of their lives, which means they follow His will.
The pure in heart speak truth in their heart and truth is spoken through them. They don't lie to themselves, nor anyone else for that matter. So, how do I read this with understanding?

Blessed is the one who is pure in heart: who uses his blessings to bless others, who wields justice and mercy with compassion and not regard. Blessed is the one who puts God first in every way, and consults Him first in decision-making. Blessed is the one who backs up his faith in God with actions that align with his faith.

Seeing God fact to face is our reward for living a pure and holy life. God sees us always, but Hebrews 12:14 says that someday we will see God just as clearly as He sees us. Now, that's something to look forward to!

Wait On The LORD: Psalm 37

 

Wait on the LORD, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land: When the wicked are cut off, You will see it.

Psalm 37:34

Wait on the LORD, and keep His Way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land: When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.

In this verse wait means a couple different activiites we should be doing before Jesus Christ returns; and we should be doing them at the same time.

The first is 'collect and bind together'. Sounds odd doesn't it, that Wait means that? But what are we collecting and binding together? Souls. Proverbs 11:30

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life;

He that wins souls is wise.

How do I win souls for Jesus? I tell you about my Jesus and what He's done for me. I tell you how He died on the cross and shed His blood for me. With joy I speak how he rose from the grave, conquering death, hell and the grave; that He holds the keys to all those doors to save a wretch like me!

I tell you how He loves us so much that He left His glory behind in heaven, and took on the form of mankind. That God gave His only begotten Son no place of His own to rest from the cradle to the grave. Luke 9:58 "the Son of man has no place to lay His head".

And when you accept and believe that Jesus is God's only begotten Son, that He did those marvelous things, and believe that the Word of God is True, it is then you come to the realization that you are a sinner and must repent of your wickedness to God, for He will truly forgive every rotten thing you have ever done. That's what He does: God is a God of Justice and Mercy and Love: He forgives His children of their sins. That's the collection part of Wait.

But the binding part? When we believers fellowship with one another and encourage each other in the Word and through the Blood, we are binding ourselves not only to each other, but to God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit who calls you through the Word that is preached and shared and prclaimed by God's prophets and ministers to the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son.

We sing Bind Us Together with cords that cannot be broken. Cords of love and faith and joy.

The second part of Wait is 'eagerly anticipating' or 'looking forward to' Christ's return. It is an attitude of the heart which is played out in our everyday lives. When we are eagerly awaiting His return, we live a lifestyle that removes everything not welcome in a Christian's life. But not by ourselves. We need the Holy Spirit of God to empower us to live holy and fruitful lives. I need the Holy Spirit to empower me to live a holy and fruitful life. And I need Him everyday.

I wait on, upon, for the LORD, and keep His Way. He shall exalt me to inherit the land: When the wicked are cut off, I will see it. Psalm 53 describes what will happen to the wicked, who trust themselves and have not put their trust in God. But at the end in verses 8 and 9, it is the believer who rejoices in His God.

I rejoice in the God of my Salvation.

Trust In The Lord: Psalm 37

PSALM 37:3 

Trust in the LORD, and do good: So shall you dwell in the land, and truly you shall be fed. Psalm 37:3

Trust (have faith in God) and do good (obey God's Word). Psalm 34:8-14 confirms this pursuit of happiness in Jesus:

8. Taste and See that the LORD is Good. To taste and see we must open our Bibles and pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal what God is speaking to us when we study His Word out. When we apply Biblical principles and ethics to our lifestyles, then we can begin to see how God is working in us and in our lives.

9. They that fear the LORD lack nothing in this life and in life eternal. Fearing the LORD is to obeying the Word He speaks to us. More than the 10 Commandments listed in Exodus, it is also a life of joy in obedience through Christ who is our Strength, as outlned in the New Testament.

10. Seek the LORD and any good thing is ours to have. Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want means not only do I know Who my Leader is, but that I choose to follow where He leads me. And where He leads me is to a place of Enough, More Than Enough, Abundant Living in Him and through Him.

11. Learn the fear of the LORD by listening to the Holy Spirit's voice. It is the voice of Wisdom which speaks plainly in Proverbs. He is the Friend of the Bridegroom who not only prepares the bride to meet her Groom, but fetches the bride and her bridal party to the wedding.

12. Desiring a good long life is normal. But the only way to obtain it is to Trust and Obey God.

13. Don't speak evil against anyone, and don't be talking nasty about a person. No slander, no lies, no gossip, no backstabbing, no anger is to come out of the mouth of the believer. Don't be bad-mouthing a person. Nor should we talk about them without their knowledge. James 3:5-10 warns of the ruin our tongues can bring when we allow the tongue to lash out and lose control. 

14. Depart (walk away from, leave) from evil, and do good (be obedient); Seek peace (the peace which only God can give), and pursue it.

They That Mourn

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Matthew 5:4

So, as I study through this portion of the sermon on the mount, the Beatitudes, I see that Luke 6:20-23 is referenced for most of it. And what does Luke have to write that confirms what Matthew is saying? He also speaks of the poor, the weeping, the persecutions, and rejoicing. Jesus is speaking to the crowd about the state of the believer. It is a hard and difficult life but the reward is worth it all.

They that mourn. It is not just the grieving heart that will be comforted in due time, it is the repentant, broken heart that is referred to, as well.  The word "mourn" is from the Hebrew word 'Pentheo' which means: to lament, I grieve, feel guilt; manifested grief so severe it takes possession of a person and cannot be hid. 

How does such grief find relief? In Jesus. The word 'blessed' all by itself goes beyond mere emotional status and into the spiritual well-being and 'distinctive spiritual joy of they who share in the salvation of the kingdom of God. Are you blessed in such a way? Come to Jesus. 

This past Wednesday Karl taught on Psalm 51 which shows the mournfulness of King David after his sin against God with Bathsheba. Here was grief manifested. And what did David do? He ran to God and repented of his sins. And what did God do? God forgave him. A reminder that when we sin, we should turn to God and seek His forgiveness. And God will forgive the truly repentant soul; the soul of a person will be comforted in the knowing of such forgiveness. 

God is merciful and will show mercy to whomsoever He chooses. King David lusted after a woman who. in my opinion as a woman,  shamelessly bathed on the rooftop of her house, where all could see her. He had sex with her, she got pregnant. So he manipulated the death of her husband and married her. Through it all he remained unrepentant and God judged him. Afterwards, David repented, received forgiveness and came into the joy of his salvation through God. Knowing God can forgive David for all his wickedness, we should run to God whenever sin gets into our hearts that God might forgive us, too. 

When we know the difference between what is right and what is wrong, we become accountable to God for how we choose. In this day and age of accessible technologies, there is no excuse for not being informed of the right way to live according to God. Bibles and Scripture passages can be accessed right on a person's cell phone. 

(I have downloaded Bible Hub on mine. There is also Bible Gateway, which is a great resource for study. I use Bible Hub on b  my PC daily because my Strong's Exhaustive Concordance has such tiny font that I need to use a magnifying glass to read it. Though I will still use it occasionally, but it is so doggone heavy. I am paying the price for growing older.)

Anyway, let's come back to our verse today. How do we seek God's forgiveness? It's easier than you think. On our knees, face downward acknowledging God's holiness and righteousness. Jesus gives us an example of how to pray, which is commonly referred to as The Lord's Prayer, but is merely an example of How To Pray. 

We can come to God as our Father. A good, good Father who resides in heaven, whose Name is HOLY. 

We pray for His kingdom to come to us, the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. We pray that God's will be done to us here, that we repent of our wicked ways, turn from them to God and walk out this life in His glory: that all may see that God is just in His love and merciful. We pray that God's will be done here just as His will is done in heaven where He reigns.

We pray for our daily Bread, for a daily walk with Jesus in this life we now live for God. Daily we will read His Word and seek His face. 

We pray for God to forgive us, as we have forgiven others. Whoa! That right there is a loaded prayer. How have we forgiven others, how have we treated the people who do us wrong? If we have not forgiven anyone who has mistreated us, then God cannot forgive us. We must forgive all those who sin against us, that God will forgive all the sins we have committed against Him. Only an honest heart will repent of all uncleanness, all unrighteous acts and thoughts that have kept us from the presence of God: for God is HOLY and sin cannot be where God is.

We pray that God keeps us from temptation, knowing that He will make a way for us to escape said temptations in our life. How do we know this? Because He says so. For the kingdom is His, the power is His and the glory is His. Not ours, nor anyone else's, regardless of what other folks might think, believe or say. 

Dear Heavenly Father, I repent of all my wicked ways, the words I have spoken and the thoughts which Your Spirit reveals to me. Forgive me of all my sins, bring me into Your kingdom and Your kingdom into me. Take me into Your heart, wash me clean and make me Yours.  Teach me Your ways and Your will that I might live a holy and righteous life in Your sight. In Jesus' Name, Amen.