April 30 – May 6 Daily Meditations in the Psalms
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Daily Meditations
April 30
Psalms 36:6, 12
6.
Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great
deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.
12.
There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall
not be able to rise.
We must go to the Bible to
learn the two most fatal consequences for sin: a) The Lake of Fire – an
eternity of unspeakable, undying torment, where there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth. Here is a destiny of darkness, without the faintest ray of
light or hope, into which God will cast billions of unredeemed sinners, to be
forever separated from His presence and future world. Their sin will never
again bring its filthy stench to God’s holy nostrils. b) The Cross of Christ –
the deepest judgment of all. A revelation of the cross has brought salvation to
hundreds of thousands, as the full impact of the sacrifice of the Son of God
crushes the soul. When I see Heaven’s jewel, Heaven’s sweetest joy, separated
from His beloved Father, under the smiting fury of the full wrath of God, for
and because of my sin, that will break me once and for all from my blindness to
the awfulness of my sinful state.
“I saw one
hanging on a tree, in agony and blood
Who fixed His
languid eyes on me, as near the cross I stood
Sure, never till
my latest breath, can I forget that look
It seemed to
charge me with His death, tho’ not a word He spoke
Alas! I knew not what I did-but now my tears are vain
Where shall my trembling soul be hid, for I the Lord have slain.”
So wrote the blood-washed slave trader,
who also penned, “Amazing grace, how
sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.”
Trip to Croatia
Labels:
personal testimonies
On April 10 I boarded a
plane at the nearby Vigo airport and at 8:20 that evening I landed in Zagreb, Croatia. My friend,
Segundo, was there to meet me and I stayed with him and his wife, Susana, until
Saturday morning. On Friday, Segundo asked me to do three meetings with the
young men and ladies in the center, along with the couples that lead the work. I
saw rapt attention to the Word of God, sometimes accompanied by tears.
 |
| Slave in Borovo, in a photo taken about 15 years ago. |
Seeking the Spirit of the Kingdom, chapter one
Labels:
Important messages
CHAPTER
1
THE HOLY SPIRIT VERSUS MAN
SPIRITUAL
SLAVERY
Paul had a clear
revelation of the incomparable value of the benefits that Christ purchased for
those that believed in Him. It made Paul a fiery enemy of every obstacle and deceit
that would rob the Christian of anything that God has for him. If in the time
of the apostles there existed the potential for believers to be detoured from
the clear way, powerfully marked by someone so anointed as the Apostle Paul,
think of the possibilities of that happening in these days of apostasy. These
are times particularly influenced by manipulations of men, who do not have five
percent of the biblical revelation or authority that Paul had.
For this reason, in the
first verse of his letter to the Galatians, he enters powerfully into the
theme, with which he will deal. He uses a parenthetical phrase that is not
found in any other of his writings – “Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor
through the agency of man…)”. With these words, he launches an attack against
the principle source of an element that threatened the faith, liberty, grace,
and work of the Spirit in them. This threat was based on a doctrine and an
effort merely human, deficient of true spiritual power and contrary to Jesus’
gospel. Paul affirmed that he, who had taken the gospel to them, was a “sent
one” (meaning of the word “apostle”) by Jesus Christ and the Father. He was not
a representative of men or any movement produced by them. His coming to the
Galatians had not been made possible through an effort supported by human
beings.
April 23 – 29 Daily Meditations in the Psalms
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Daily Meditations
April 23
Psalms 36:1-3
1.
The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no
fear of God before his eyes.
2.
For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found
to be hateful.
3.
The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be
wise, and to do good.
There is nothing about an
unregenerate man that is credible. “The words of his mouth are iniquity and
deceit” (verse 3). As he sees himself in his own eyes, so he will communicate
with his lips. He will attempt to convey a flattered image of himself. How can
you believe him? Hear what the friendly neighbor says about you in the privacy
of his own home, when your dog digs up his flower garden. The cheerful words of
the corner grocer are for his good customers, the ones who feed his family and
help him fulfill his life’s dreams. See the amicable smile erase from the face
of the commentator as the TV camera swings around and he is off the air. Come
backstage and watch the preacher/entertainer change his demeanor as he
discusses business with his staff.
“He hath left off to be wise, and do
good.” Outside of heart-felt, God-breathed Christianity, there has been no real
wisdom or goodness in this world since Adam. How can we think anything good can
be derived from it? The “all truth is
God’s truth” adage is subject to how one defines the word “truth”. It is
better to start with the true God and learn truth from His word, the Bible,
than to start with that which society may call truth and try to find something
of God in it. The world’s society left wisdom and goodness far behind when it
forsook obedience to Him.
April 24
Psalms 36:4a
4.
He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is
not good; he abhorreth not evil.
God judges thoughts and
intents, as well as deeds. The most wonderful deeds can come from the most
horrible motives. Most pleasant words can hide the most terrible thoughts.
Saul, the king, was one whose words and thoughts did not coincide. Saul said David could have his daughter as
wife, but Saul thought to make David
fall (see 1 Samuel 18:22, 25). The sharp sword of the word of God penetrates
the deep, unseen regions and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the
heart. He who handles the word of God is expected to go beneath the apparent
and superficial and reveal the secrets of the heart, if he expects the
unconverted to confess, “God is in you,
of a truth.”
April 16 - 22 Daily Meditations in the Psalms
Labels:
Daily Meditations
I am sorry
that I am two days late posting these Psalms. I thought that this series
started on the 18th. My apologies…
April
16
Psalms 35:1-10
1.
Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against
them that fight against me.
2.
Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.
3.
Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute
me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
4.
Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let
them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.
5.
Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD
chase them.
6.
Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD
persecute them.
7.
For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without
cause they have digged for my soul.
8.
Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath
hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.
9.
And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his
salvation.
10.
All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto thee, which deliverest
the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from
him that spoileth him?
What we examine today is not self-defense
or self-vindication. The Bible exploits no such thing. Here is a man firmly and
intrinsically identified with his message and ministry. He was God’s man, His
ambassador, with His heart. Therefore, his enemies were God’s enemies. Jesus
said, “And these things will they do unto
you, because they have not known the Father, nor Me.” It is clear also that
these are not common personal enemies with a simple grudge against another man.
These are mad, devilish rebels, who are using David in order to attack His God.
They pursue the eternal destruction of souls.
The
Almighty has a shield, buckler, and spear. Who can stand before Him? All the
threats of the enemy come to nothing and they are caught in their own net. It
is cause for joy for those, whom God defends, because victory is certain.
Salvation is of the Lord and He helps the poor and needy to triumph over the
strong spoiler. They have no other recourse, but to hope in the Lord. Are we
weak enough to qualify for divine help? It is a most fortunate position in
which to be.
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