Undefeated-Learning to Listen to God

 Deuteronomy 28:7

The LORD shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated in front of you: they shall come out against you one way, and flee before you seven ways.

    This verse is part of the blessings God gives to His people when they are aligned with His Word and obey His Law; not just the letter of the Law, but The Spirit of The Law. Deuteronomy 28:1 "And it shall come to pass, if you shall hearken diligently unto the voice of The LORD your God, to observe and to do all His commandments which I command you this day, that The LORD your God will set you on high above all nations of the earth."

     Hearken diligently means to 'listen intelligently, attend to what is being said, obey what is being stated'. It is to listen with understanding and submit to The Word being given by God. This is doubly impactful upon us when we remember John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  

     God gave us The Word (John 1:1-3, 14) for our salvation, that we might live in Him through His death and resurrection. It is up to us to believe on The Name of The Only Begotten Son of God. 

Romans 10:8-10, 13 "But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved. ... For whosoever shall call upon The Name of The Lord shall be saved." 

    And though this newfound faith in Jesus' Name is our greatest blessing, it has also put a target on our backs and a price on our heads. We have attained 'illegal' status all over the world, for many people seek our demise hoping to wipe out God's people, both His elect people and His called people. For we who were not initially given God's people (Gentiles: anyone who is not a Jew) have been "called out of darkness into His marvelous Light." 1 Peter 2:9-10. 

AT THE CROSS - Chris Tomlin

The Lord Preserves The Simplehearted

 

   THE LORD PRESERVES THE SIMPLEHEARTED

    Psalm 116:6

The Lord preserves the simplehearted; I was helpless, and He saved me. 

    Simplehearted does not imply simpleminded. The simple in mind are openminded, hearing everything but the instruction of the wisdom of The Lord. The simple in heart have the faith of a child, believing without seeing. 

    Believing that The Lord has done great things for us, though we, as yet, may not see the results of our childlike faith. A person must be aware of their helplessness to save themselves before they can reach out to The Lord for salvation. 

    Before I was born somebody prayed for me. When I walked in the ways of the world, somebody prayed for me. When I should have died in my sins, somebody prayed for me. Though my heart was harder than my head, somebody was praying for me. And while some still do, the ones who prayed for me without my knowledge are now in my "great cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1). They passed the torch of a faithful, prayer-filled relationship in Christ to me and I'm passing it to the next person to reach out for it. 

    I was helpless. I still am. But I came to the understanding that nothing I could do could save me. That there is only ONE Savior, ONE plan of salvation: that only God's plan of salvation (John 3:16-18) would be able to deliver me from all my unrighteousness. I needed to repent of my wickedness against God and believe that His only begotten Son Jesus Christ is Lord of All. He can only save the people who believe on His Name for their salvation. Unbelief will not save you. 

    I'M SO GLAD THAT THE LORD SAVED ME 

BLESS THAT WONDERFUL NAME OF JESUS

Thanks Be To God - - For His Faithfulness

 

Psalm 100:4, 5

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endures to all generations.

Four expressions of praise are used in this verse: 

THANKSGIVING (Todah)

PRAISE (TeHillah)
THANKS (Yadah)
BLESS (Barak)

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 8426

Thanksgiving: choir of worshippers giving praise to God

From the Hebrew word todah (pronounced to-daw'), used 32 times in the Old Testament, originating from the word yadah, which we know by now means 'to throw up or raise one's hands in praise

 

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 8416

Praise: song of praise

From the Hebrew word tehillah (pronounced teh-hil-law'), affiliated with the Hebrew word Halal (pronounced  haw-lal'  ) which means 'to boast in', to shine, to break through or break (cry) out (Strong's No. 1984)

Tehillah is used 57 times in the Old Testament. Besides this verse in Psalm 100, read Jeremiah 17:14 "Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, For You are my praise."

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 3034

Thanks: to throw, to cast; to throw one's hands or arms up in worship; to cast one's hands/arms out in front of them

From the Hebrew word 'yadah' (pronounced yaw-daw'), used 113 times in the Old Testament

1 Chronicles 23:30

They were also to stand every morning to give thanks and praise to the LORD, and likewise in the evening.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 1288

Bless: to kneel, to fall prostrate before (in worshiping God); to bless (when God blesses us); to salute, to congratulate, to 

From the Hebrew word barak (pronounced baw-rak'), used 33o times in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, by Greek definition of the word 'bow', which means to worship God in recognition of the name of Jesus (Strong's No. 2578) the word 'bow' is used four times only. 

Psalm 72:11

Yea, all kings shall fall down before Him: all nations shall serve Him.

Romans 14:11

For it is written: “ As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.”

And the reason we are to worship the LORD in such ways? 

Psalm 100:5

For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endures to all generations.

He doesn't go back on His Word. What the Lord has promised from days gone by He will fulfill in days to come. 

THE LORD IS GOOD

His Goodness never ends. His goodness is shown in His faithfulness to His people.

Nahum 1:7

The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows them that trust in Him.

Lamentations 3:22-24

(22) It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

(23) They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!

(24) “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!”

THE LORD's MERCY IS EVERLASTING

No end is there to the Lord's mercies. 

Jeremiah 31:3

The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with loving devotion."

THE LORD's TRUTH ENDURES TO ALL GENERATIONS

What He promised to the first generation of mankind is promised to the last generation of mankind, whether that promise is a blessing to receive a reward, or a curse to receive damnation. 

Deuteronomy 5:10

And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and keep My commandments.

Hebrews 1:8

But unto the Son He says, Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Your kingdom.

Dear God,

You are our God. You are holy and Your Name is Holy. We worship and adore You, but not from afar. For we know that You are a near-to-us-who-love-You-God, for Your Word tells us that You will never leave us, never forsake us. We are not alone because You are with us.

Make us ready to be received into Your eternal presence, Lord. You have been faithful to us since we have been received Your Truth and been restored to Your house.

Forgive us of all our sins: uncover them within us, sweep them into the Light of Your righteousness and uproot the deep sin that is within us, that we may stand before You when we see You face to face at last. 

Oh how I love Your Name! May we be shining reflections of You to all the world over. 

In Jesus' glorious Name, I pray,

Amen

  

Without Love

What is Love?

     How does your marriage work? Is it 50/50 or 100/100? Does one of you do all the work and one of you do nothing but play all day? It doesn't work that way in ours. We work together for what's best in our relationship. We did not get married so one of us could slide while the other worked his butt off.
     Maybe you aren't married, but in a gf and bf relationship. Does one of you pay for everything on every date? Or do you each pay your own way? Who decides what is best for the both of you? Is there equal say in every decision, married or single?
     When we first got married, Steve and I were both working outside and inside the home. We both had jobs that paid for our services outside the house. We both took care of the home maintenance, sharing the work. Working together to bring about an increase in our assets and a decrease in our liabilities.
     Then I got sick and couldn't work. Did the relationship suffer? Yes. On every level. Especially the finances got hit hard. And then Steve got laid off and was laid off for nine months. The only income coming into the house was his unemployment. My disability had not yet been approved. Every bill was paid on time. We had groceries. We paid our tithes into the church. We had gas in the car. And even the dog had her needs met. We were clothed, fed and nurtured while neither of us was working.
    Because the relationship we have with Christ is 100/100. He gave His all. So we gave Him our all, too. Individually, Steve and I both were able to reach a level in our walk with God where we were each able to surrender what we want out of life and turn it over to God. We are able because God is able. God's Word is faithful. Every promise He makes, He keeps.
     All He wants us to do is obey. If we are only hearing the Word of God preached and doing nothing with it, the Word has fallen on deaf ears. And the hearer has disobeyed God. It is not enough just to go to church. If you claim to do the works of God, but refuse to hear the Word of God spoken, you are disobeying God. It is not enough to do just the good works, the good deeds. If songs of praise are coming out of your mouth, but your heart is filled with unforgiveness and hate, not only are you disobeying God, but your voice is not being heard. Without love, you are just noise. 1 Corinthians 13:1 "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity(love), I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal."
     It is not enough to open your mouth, if you refuse to open your heart. It is not enough to put your body in motion, if you are lacking in spirit. You will never be good enough on your own. Without Jesus, you are just a shell of who you really could be. Without submitting to God and without surrendering your heart and your life to Christ, you are not even giving God anything. There is no relationship. There is no 50/50. A half-hearted attempt on your part will not be met with a half-hearted reciprocation on God's part. HE ALREADY GAVE ALL. He can't give you half of nothing.
      And He is still giving to us. Every time we are faithful to our Lord and Savior, He continues to give and give and give. He already gave till it hurt; and then some. Now it's our turn to give till it hurts; and then some. Do you really think you are living the life God wants you to have? the life God wants to give you? Can you love like Jesus loves?

     Luke 6: 27 "But I say to you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you.." Are you loving the people you consider your enemies? Are you being good or doing good things for the people who hate you? Luke 6:28 "Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you." So, the last time someone swore at you, what did you do? Luke 6:29 "And to him that hits you on one cheek, offer him the other; and to him that steals your coat, give him your shirt." There's a rare sight. Or maybe not so rare. I have been accused of being a doormat, but I have only "turned the other cheek."
     Luke 6:30 "Give to every man (or woman) that asks of you; and of him that takes away your goods ask them not again." If someone asks you for something that is rightfully yours, can you give it to them in love? If a thief or a friend takes something that belongs to you, do you try to get it back?
     Luke 6:31 "And as you would that men (and women) should do to you, do you also to them likewise." Treat others how you want to be treated. When we bless people, regardless of how we have been treated, they will respond in kind. Luke 6:32 "For if you love only those who love you, what good does it do you? For sinners also love those that love them." You are not getting any credits built up in heaven if you only love the people who love you back. We must love everyone the same; treat everyone the same.
     Luke 6:33 "And if you do good to them who do good to you, what good does it do you? for sinners are also good to they who are good to them."  Are you being good to your enemies? Do you share what you have with someone you don't like?
     Luke 6:34 "And if you lend to someone hoping to receive something back, what good does that do to you? for sinners lend to sinner, expecting to receive as much back again." We are to give without expecting compensation back from anyone we give to. Therefore it is not a loan that we are giving them; it is a gift.
     Luke 6:35 "But love you your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and you shall be the children of the Highest: for He is kind to the unthankful and to the evil." We are to (1) Love our enemies; (2) Do good to all; (3) Lend to all; (4) Hope for nothing in return. Why? For great is our reward AND we will be the children of the Highest, He who gives gifts to everyone. He who shows kindness to the ungrateful and thankless people.
     Luke 6:36 "Be merciful, as your Father also is merciful." As Christians, we are to show mercy to all, not expecting a recompense of anything. We who have answered the call to salvation are Christians; therefore, we have become the sons of God also and can call Him Father. Because our Father has shown mercy to us, forgiving all sins and transgressions on our part, we are to show mercy to all on their part. We are His people, and He is our God. Psalm 100:3 "Know you that the LORD He is GOD: it is He that has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture."
     Luke 6:37 "Judge not, and you will not be judged: condemn not, and you will not be condemned: forgive, and you will be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given to you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give to you. For with the same measure that you mete out, it shall be measured to you again." If you turn on the television, not too many Prime Time shows are advocating mercy or forgiveness or love. Most shows and movies have swearing, mild nudity and/or someone gets hurt or killed. People in general do not want to change for the better; only the worse. Sometimes this can happen to Christians, too. We start running with the pack and we will behave like the pack.
     But when we walk with God and behave like Christ, we get separated from the pack mentality. By advocating love and mercy, we show that we are different; that this difference is a good thing. An example to be emulated and not treated like dung. Without love, the true love of Christ, that changes a person from the inside out, we are just like everyone else. "But, Mom, EVERYBODY'S DOING IT!" is a lie. That is the pack mentality creeping into the situation.
     As Christians today, especially in this crumbling immoral world we live in, we now more than ever need the love of God in us. And we need to show it and share it with the rest of the world: one person at a time, if we have to. You want to see the world become a better place? You who advocate change for the better instead of for the worst, are you willing to make the sacrifice it will require for you to love your enemies and bless those who mock you, imprison you, torture you or kill you? Without love, it is impossible to change anyone, even yourself. But with love...hm. 

Just you watch. I'm gonna change the world.

    

    

Psalm 1:1-3

"Blessed (happy, content) is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law does he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper."

Well, yes, this appears to be quite a bit to take in at first. But we need to remember that when God says, "O taste and see that the Lord is good", that 'taste' means exactly what it says. When we try to bite into God's Word, we don't get to savor the full flavor. We tend to choke on what we read or hear; refusing to swallow and not being able to digest the wonderful poetry that is God's written Word.

Taste, roll around on the tongue, savor every delightful bit of. You know how you get brain-freeze when you bite the top of the ice cream cone instead of licking it? Well, same application here. Only this time we get heart-freeze when we force ourselves to speed through verses instead of taking the time to understand them.

Walk not in the counsel of the ungodly: Don't take to heart the words of people who are not born again, Holy Spirit filled, humble servants of God. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. As long as my delight is in God's law, God's Word, God's way, God's will. As long as I remain as close to my Redeemer as I can get every single day, words should not be able to affect me. But, somehow they do. People I love have killed me off with their words. I have been hated and left for dead. So many reminders from God's Word just popped into my head. You and I have a target on us. It's not on our backs; it is on our hearts.

When people we love abuse our trust and our love, we tend to retreat instead of advance. These are the gates of hell and we need to advance and retrieve these people from the swinging doors of hell. When we retreat, depression sets in. Why? Because we have forgotten our Word. Or perhaps not quite understood it. A baby does not leave the womb walking and talking. He leaves it crying and screaming. When we see ourselves as babes in Christ, we see how little we really do know and understand. Maturity comes with time; growth in the Word of God, the Love of Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit, is gradual and not instantaneous. We do not live a drive-thru existence here. We sit at Jesus' feet and hear Him speak words of restoration, words of healing, words of unconditional love, words of forgiveness.

Stand not in the way of sinners. We are not here to judge. We are not here to block the sinners' path to righteousness. We are not here to fellowship with darkness. Our relationship with Christ should cause the people around us to hunger and thirst for righteousness, not run the other way. Matthew 5:13 says "we are the salt of the earth" and verse 14 says "we are the light of the world". They should be thirsty for a relationship with Jesus Christ. They should see a difference in us that makes them want that difference, too. The verse goes on to say that "a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid." The love of Jesus within us should cause darkness to run and hide, leaving the people we are sharing our lives with open to the redeeming grace of the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Sit not in the seat of the scornful. Mockers, blasphemers, scoundrels. Wickedness in both high and low places. We sit on thrones in the presence of God. And someday we will reign over many, if we are good and faithful servants. We walk in the counsel of the Holy Spirit, in the path of righteousness, where God's Word is a Lamp to guide our feet and a Light along our path. Walk is an active verb; it requires motion and activity on our parts.

When we read the Word of God, we need to remember that He is speaking directly to each and every one of us as if there was only one of us. I try to apply each verse that is brought to my attention by the direction of the Holy Spirit to myself. So, then, I end up reading the Bible like this:

Blessed am I when I walk not in the counsel of the ungodly (the foolish, the wicked, the rebellious).Blessed am I when I stand not in the way of sinners. Blessed am I when I do not sit with the scornful, nor align myself with them.

My delight is in the law of the Lord; in His law do I meditate day and night.

I am like a tree planted by the rivers of water, I bring forth my fruit in due season; my leaf shall not wither (I am ever green and growing); and whatsoever I do (for the glory of God and none other) shall prosper.

Amen.