Imitate Me As I Imitate Christ

Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. This is a strong statement made by the Apostle Paul in 1Corinthians 11:1. Paul understood what Jesus meant by the command to go and make disciples.

"The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master (Lu. 6:40 KJV)."

A disciple is a student. The word master here literally means an instructor, or teacher. We tend to interpret this verse as meaning the student will never be superior to the teacher. If we take the rendering of this verse in the Amplified Bible we find, "A pupil is not superior to his teacher."

Right there it is! This is what it says, the teacher is superior to the student! We must be willing to throw away the remainder of this verse to get this interpretation. Let's finish this verse from the Amplified Bible.

"But." But is a conjunction. But indicates more is coming. "But everyone [when he is] completely trained (readjusted, restored, set to rights, and perfected) will be like his teacher." I like all the different adjectives describing completely trained.

What Jesus is telling us in Luke 6:40 is when the teacher has correctly taught the pupil, the pupil will be exactly like the teacher. This is what the Apostle Paul understood when he wrote the words of 1Corinthians 11:1, "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ (NKJV)."

This places a tremendous responsibility on those who preach and teach Christ. If you have taught and preached correctly, your students, your disciples, will be exact replicas of you as you replicate Christ. Very, very interesting. God bless...

Denying Yourself

"And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me (Mk. 8:34 KJV)."

This is a familiar Bible verse. I hear this verse spoken of frequently, and so do you. This is one of those verses we tend to get excited about. We've taken up the cross of the Gospel and we're following Christ. Or, are we?

We tend to blow right through the phrase, "let him deny himself", and move right into taking up the cross. We're following Christ, or so we think we are. Do we fully comprehend what this verse is saying to us?

The word deny literally means to surrender ownership, or to disown oneself. This verse is telling us we must surrender total control to God to follow Christ. My friends, this is very black and white. Total surrender means letting go of everything we are, everything we own, and everything we want and give it to God.

What is taking up our cross? Jesus didn't say taking up his cross. The his in this phrase refers to you and me. The cross we're to take up is ours. The literal translation of the word cross means a stake or a pole, hence a cross. Dig a little deeper though and this gets interesting.

The Greek word for cross is derived from a Greek base word which means to take a stand, exposing ourselves to death. The figurative meaning of cross used in this verse means to stand. Jesus is telling us if we're to follow him, we're to surrender ownership to him and take a stand.

Let me finish with this. You will not take a stand to the death for something without relinquishing complete control of self. This is the message Jesus is giving when he says to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him. Following Christ is giving complete control of our lives to God, giving our lives to take a stand for his kingdom. God bless...

Sow the Word

"The sower sows the Word (Mk. 4:14 AMP)."

I'm not going to recount the parable of the sower. I want to focus on this Bible verse and the impact it should have in and on the lives of Christian believers.

"The sower sows the Word." A sower is one who plants seed. The Christian believer is a sower. Jesus left us with this command before his ascension, "Go and make disciples of all the nations (Mt. 28:19 AMP)." He didn't say if you feel like it, go and make disciples. He commanded, "Go."

"But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you (Acts 1:8 AMP)." We get excited about receiving the power of the Holy Spirit. The kingdom of heaven is peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Ro. 14:17).

Don't you think we should finish the rest of Acts 1:8? Yes, we'll receive the power of the Holy Spirit, but for what purpose? "And you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth."

The moment we profess to be Christian we're a witness. We become a witness the moment we lay claim to being filled with the Holy Spirit. Our words, actions, activities, and even our appearance will testify as to who and what we are in Christ. We're a living, breathing testimonial of the god (yes, small 'g' intended) we serve. We're a witness whether we realize it or not.

How can we sow the Word if we don't know the Word? I can take this question in two directions. Jesus Christ is the Word. The written Holy Bible is the Word. I will combine these two directions with one statement. You won't know Christ the Word without knowing the Holy Bible, the written Word. It's the written Word which tells us who Christ is.

Jesus says to search the scriptures. "And these [very Scriptures] testify about Me (Jn. 5:39 AMP)!" No wonder Paul writes, "Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth (2Tim. 2:15 AMP)."

The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to sow the Word efficiently (Acts 1:8). Why would God do this? The Word shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose (Isa. 55:11 AMP)."

I encourage us to get into the Holy Bible, the Word of God. Search the Word. It'll teach us who Christ is. Study the Word. Place the Word deep in our hearts. The words we speak, we speak from the heart. We'll speak the Word when we know the Word. We'll sow the Word when we know the Word. Lord God, make me a sower. God bless...

Our God Shall Come

I want to approach a subject which is considered a controversy. Some clap their hands and say a loud "Amen" when hearing about it. Many others shrug their shoulders and say, "Yea, another nut."

"Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him (Ps. 50:3 KJV)."

Let's move ahead and pick up the words of Jesus Christ:

"For as lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall the coming of the Son of man be (Mt. 24:27 KJV)."

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken (Mt. 24:29 KJV)."

Then we have this interesting verse written by the Apostle Paul:

"For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night (1Thess. 5:2 KJV)."

A thief breaking into a home or a place of business tries to be as quiet and unnoticeable as possible. How can our God come and not keep silent? Is this a contradiction?

Our verse from Psalms says a fire will burn before God and a tempest will rage around him when he comes. This doesn't sound like he's coming as a thief in the night.

Let's look at the words of Jesus. He says his coming will be like lightning flashing from the east to the west. The word tempestuous from Psalms 50:3 means to hurl as a storm or to come like a whirlwind. Is our God returning in the middle of a major storm? How is this compared to the coming of a thief in the night?

Jesus says the sun and moon will be darkened. Our verse from Psalms says fire will proceed before God. Earthquakes break gas lines and ignite fires. Volcanoes spew lava igniting fires. The blast from bombs ignite fires. Fire generates smoke. Smoke blackens the sky, inhibiting the light from the sun and moon from shining. Fire and smoke, how is this like a thief coming in the night?

Jesus says stars will fall from heaven and the powers of heaven will shake. I want to pick up on the words stars, heaven, powers, and shake, or shaken. Stars means the stars. Heaven means the sky above us. Powers means ability or might. Shake, or shaken, means agitated or disturbed. Stars falling from the sky could be meteorites or missile strikes. The might of the skies being disturbed or agitated sounds a lot like severe storms. This doesn't sound like a thief coming in the night.

Whether you believe in the second coming of the Lord or not, the earth is shaking. The weather seems to be unpredictable. War and the fear of future war abounds. A day doesn't pass without hearing of the tension in the Middle East. Something will break sooner or later.

Imagine this scenario. A major war breaks out. Devastating earthquakes become numerous. Storms intensify. A meteorite strikes the earth. Someone launches a nuclear strike. Multiple fires rage across the planet. Oil wells burn. Cities burn. The entire planet is thrown into utter chaos. Our God comes.

The day of the Lord takes place. Nobody but those who are ready and watching knows it happens because of all the turmoil around them. Because of the intensity of calamity after calamity, Jesus returns like a thief in the night, unheard and unnoticed. Just something to think about. God bless...

The Servant

One tenet of Christianity is a Christian is called to a life of service. Several opportunities exist for service in the realm of Christian ministry. We often think of the preacher or the pastor when we think of Christian ministry. Let's take a closer look...

"But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant (Mt. 23:11 KJV)."

How can one who is great serve? Let's look at the word greatest. Translated from Greek to English, it literally means larger in age, or older. Now let's look at the word servant. This word is translated as one who attends to menial duties, especially Christian teachers, pastors, deacons, or ministers.

Allow me to paraphrase this verse. "But he who is older shall become your teacher, your pastor, your deacon, or your minister." This puts the idea of the servant in this verse into a different perspective.

We often associate the word minister (noun) with a preacher or pastor. What does it mean to minister (verb)? The simple definition of the word minister (verb) is to give aid or service. I will contend that every Christian is called to a life of Christian ministry, to give aid or service.

Acts 1:8 says we will be witnesses of Christ. Witnessing of Christ is Christian ministry. Teaching Sunday School is Christian ministry. Playing music or singing in church services is Christian ministry. The local church soup kitchen is Christian ministry. There are many areas of opportunity for those who are older now to serve in areas of Christian ministry. Speaking words of encouragement to those who are hurting is Christian ministry. I could go on and on.

A life of service is inevitable as we grow older. We are fed as babies. We feed as adults. We spend childhood learning. Though we still learn as adults, we now teach children. Words of encouragement and praise were heaped on us as children. We speak words of encouragement and praise to those around us, both to adults and to children.

Yes, the words of this verse are truth. As we have grown older, we have become servants. It doesn't matter if you're a Christian or not, sometime during the course of this day you will serve someone or something. How will your service be perceived today? Are you a good servant? God bless...

Feed the Hungry

Why is feeding the hungry a big deal? Should I feed the hungry? Should I volunteer at the local soup kitchen? Should I give a food donation to a food pantry? Am I responsible to feed the hungry?

The act of feeding the hungry used to be something we heard about happening in third world countries. Today, feeding the hungry is a close reality as people lose jobs due to the economy. Who's responsible for feeding the hungry?

Feeding the Hungry Multitude

"When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food. But Jesus said to them, They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat (Mt. 14:15-16 NKJV)."

This is a familiar Bible story. Jesus is feeding the hungry multitude of 5,000 men, not including women and children. Yes, he blessed the loaves and fishes. Yes, he performed the miraculous increase of the food donation. Yet this command remains, "You give them something to eat."

Another version of this story is found in John 6:5-14. A lad supplies the food donation of loaves and fishes. Jesus could have created bread from rocks, but he didn't. He used available resources. Humanity provided the food donation. Christ blessed the food donation. Humanity distributed the food donation to feed the hungry multitude.

Christian Duty To Feed the Hungry

Jesus' words stand out in the story of feeding the hungry multitude. Every time I read it they hit me, "You give them something to eat." Those who profess to follow Christ are commanded to feed the hungry.

Christians have been blessed for decades with an abundance of goods. We're expected to share this abundance with those who are in need whether they follow Christ or not. Read Matthew 25:14-46. Let the reality of Jesus' words resonate in your heart.

What Can I Do To Feed the Hungry?

"You give them something to eat." Hands-on feeding the hungry requires time and effort. The experience of feeding the hungry can be heart-wrenching. Many opportunities exist to help feed the hungry.

Give a food donation in the form of money to your local food pantry or soup kitchen. This is the most effective donation. If you don't have money to give to a soup kitchen or food pantry, even a small food donation is appreciated.

Many churches already have a food pantry or food ministry in place. Some offer soup kitchen services. If yours doesn't and you can't find one locally, then start a soup kitchen. Open a food pantry.

Hungry people are looking for help. The Christian community possesses the resources to feed the hungry. We're commanded by Christ to feed the hungry.

I implore all Christians to search their hearts. Give a monetary offering, a food donation, or volunteer your services. There is something you can do to help those in need. God can take a food donation of five loaves and two fishes, bless it, and place the food donation in our hands to feed thousands. God bless...

NKJV - New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Used by permission. All rights reserved.

I Call Upon the Lord

"In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears (2Sa. 22:7 KJV)."

This is a tremendous Bible scripture loaded with truth. "In my distress" is a statement of reality. Is there not one of us who doesn't experience some form of distress almost daily? The word distress means a narrow place, as in serious trouble and affliction.

"I called upon the LORD" is a statement of action. I love the breakdown of this word, called. It's a primitive Hebrew root meaning to accost a person calling out to them by name. The statement, "I called upon the LORD", infers having a knowledge not only of God, but knowing his name.

"He did hear my voice out of his temple" is a promise literally loaded with power. The word voice means the sound of the voice. God hears the sound of our voice from his temple. The word temple is interesting. It means a large public building such as a temple in the sense of capacity. This word is derived from a primitive root which means, literally, can, could, may, or might be able to, attain, endure, overcome, have power, and prevail.

Today, I will call on the name of the LORD God, for through his name I will have power to endure and overcome all trouble and all affliction which brings me distress. "If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it (Jn. 14:14 KJV)." Today, I call on the name of Jesus Christ; Amen. God bless...

The Guiding Light

"O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles (Ps. 3:3 KJV)."

This verse is a direct request of the psalmist. He is asking God to send him light and truth. His desire is for light and truth to lead him to God's holy dwelling.

Light and Truth

In the beginning was the Word (Jn. 1:1). In the Word was life and the life was the Light of men (Jn. 1:4). God sent Jesus Christ into this world as Light, as the Word. "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path (Ps. 119:105 KJV). If we walk in the Light, we'll see where we are going.

"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth (Jn. 14:13 KJV). If we are walking in the Light, the Spirit of truth will lead us into all truth.

Those who say they have truth, those who say they walk in the Light, yet refuse to obey the Word deceive themselves. How can this be? "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth (1Jn. 1:6 KJV)." If we profess to walk with Christ, yet refuse to obey the Word, we're in darkness. We deceive ourselves.

Let Them lead Me

The Word is the Light to the course of our lives. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth which leads us. The word lead in today's verse is a primitive root meaning to transport. "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Jesus from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you (Ro. 8:11 KJV)."

If we will walk in the light, as Christ is the Light, his blood cleanses us from all sin (1Jn. 1:7). The Holy Spirit will transform our flesh into immortality and transport us to God's holy hill.

Bring Me To Thy Tabernacles

Those whom God leads, he leads to him. Those who are led by the Spirit are led to him. When God places his Light, his Word, his Holy Spirit of truth in our hearts, we'll be led to him.

The word tabernacles translates to a dwelling, specifically to the Tabernacle which God instructed Moses to make. The Tabernacle with it's wooden walls and covering of animal skins was only a temporary structure. What's interesting about the word tabernacles here is it's derived from a primitive Hebrew root meaning to reside or to permanently stay.

The place the psalmist is requesting Light and Truth to lead, or transport him to is God's dwelling in Heaven. When God sends Light and Truth into our hearts, we'll be led in all our aims, expectations, and devotions to him. We will one day be transported to God's holy Temple to reside permanently with him if we willingly walk in Light and Truth. God bless...

Alpha, Omega, and Living Water

"And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely (Rev. 21:6 KJV)."

It Is Done

"It is done"; three of the most powerful words ever written in the Bible. When coupled with "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end", these words create a concept which can be difficult to wrap our brain around.

What was before God? Nothing. What is after God? Nothing. This is why God could tell Moses he is the I AM. Before anything existed, there is God. When all is finished, there is God. "It is done." If God is the beginning, and if God is the end, than God must be everything between them.

Because God is the end, he has full knowledge of all. He already knows how everything will end. He knows everything that will take place tomorrow, next week, next month, and for the years to come. "It is done."

God knows the course each of us should take for our lives. He knows the troubles and trials we face. He knows the answer to each and every problem we will encounter. "It is done." We must be willing to relinquish control and place our trust completely in him. In doing so, we can stand in faith and say, "It is done!"

Living Water

At first glance this Bible verse appears to deal with two different subjects. The verse finishes with "I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of living water freely." What a tremendous promise given by God to quench our thirst for him!

How does this promise apply to "It is done"? The prophet Jeremiah defines the fountain of living water as being the LORD (Jer. 17:13). Jesus told the woman at the well of Jacob if she would ask, he would give her living water (Jn 4:10). Upon asking for a drink, we will receive the Lord! Isaiah invites all who are thirsty, "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters (Isa. 55:1 KJV)."

If we, like the woman at the well, come and say, "Sir, give me this water (Jn. 4:15)", the Spirit of God, the Living Water, will flood our being and quench our thirst. This Water will be a well of Living Water springing up into everlasting life (Jn. 4:14). When we drink deep of the Living Water, it doesn't matter what we will face today, tomorrow, next week, or next year. We can say, "It is done!" The one who floods the soul is Alpha and Omega. We can stand in faith and cry, "It is done!" God bless...

Thirsty For God

"My soul thirsteth for God, the living God: when shall I come and appear before God (Ps. 42:2 KJV)."

The psalmist David spent a great deal of time running and hiding in the wilderness from King Saul. David was separated from the tabernacle while running for his life. He found himself thirsty for the presence of the living God. As the hart, or deer, pants for the brooks of water, so did David's soul pant for the presence of God (Ps. 42:1).

Let's fast-forward to our day. Not too many of us are running for fear of physically losing our lives. However, many are running for their lives. We occupy ourselves with the cares of life, consuming nearly every waking moment of the day. We awaken and rush to work. The day is spent earning the paycheck which pays for the lives we live. We return home, clean up, eat supper, then try to relax. We finally end the day and sleep, only to awaken and start the process over again.

As we go about life, we find ourselves with less time available to spend in the presence of the living God. We begin to develop a thirst. The prince of this world offers plenty of drink to those who thirst for the presence of God. We fill ourselves with this drink only to find we're soon dying from thirst.

God, the living God, is the only one who can quench the thirst of the dying soul. We have this promise: "When the poor and needy seek water and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water (Isa. 41:17-18 KJV)."

Instead of turning to the gods of this world to quench your thirst, turn and ask the one who said to the woman at Jacob's well, "If you knew the gift of God... you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water (Jn. 4:10 NKJV)." Ask for the living water and drink deep. Fill your temple of flesh with the presence of the living God. God bless...

Shout Aloud For Joy

"Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright (Ps. 33:1 KJV)."

Rejoice In the Lord

To rejoice in something is to have great joy or delight in it. This is the definition given by Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary. The word rejoice used in this Bible verse is from a primitive Hebrew root meaning to shout aloud for joy.

Christians are supposed to be a happy bunch. Sometimes we are and sometimes we're not. The Word tells us the kingdom of heaven is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Ro. 14:17). Yes, Christians should be a happy bunch, rejoicing, or shouting aloud for joy.

What would cause Christians to be so happy? No matter what we face or endure while living in this flesh, we do hope we shall one day see the Lord Jesus Christ as he is and we'll be like him (1Jn. 3:2). This is a good reason to shout aloud for joy.

One day we will be before the throne of God. We will serve him in his temple day and night. We'll never again hunger or thirst for anything. We'll not get too hot or burnt by the sun. One day, the Lamb will feed us. One day, the Lamb will lead us to living fountains of waters. Notice the plural form, waters. One day, God will wipe away all of our tears (Rev. 7:15-17). Yes, we Christians possess good reason to shout aloud for joy!

Praise Is Comely

The word translated praise in this Bible verse means praise, specifically a hymn of praise. The word comely means suitable or beautiful. This word is derived from two root words, one meaning beautiful and the other meaning to rest at home through the implied idea of beauty.

We sing hymns of praise to God because it's suitable and beautiful for us to do so. The deeper meaning of this Bible verse is we can find rest for our weary souls when we offer up praises, when we shout aloud for joy, to our God. This explains why we feel so good and refreshed after a serious period of giving praise and worship to God.

Who would've thought there was rest in worship? Shout aloud for joy, you who are righteous. Sing aloud for joy, you who are in a right relationship with your God. It is fitting and it is beautiful for you to do so. Come all and find beauty. Come all and find rest in singing hyms of praise to our God. God bless...

Teach Me In the Way I Must Go

"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye (Ps. 32:8 KJV)."

How many times do we pray, "God, what am I supposed to do now?" How often do we cry, "God help me, I don't know where to go or what to do?" The promise of Psalm 32:8 is the answer to these questions.

The first phrase of this Bible verse is straightforward, "I will instruct thee." This means exactly what it says. God will teach us everything he determines we need to know.

The second phrase of today's Bible verse, "and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go", is pretty straightforward also. The modern definition of teach is to cause one to know a subject. When we couple this definition with "in the way which thou shalt go", the subject becomes the direction in which we are to go. This leads to a deeper look at the word teach. The word used for teach is a primitive Hebrew root word meaning, in a figurative sense, to point out as if by aiming the finger.

Let's pick apart this second phrase of our Bible verse yet a little more. We take the word way to mean direction. It literally translates a course of life or a mode of action. Now allow me to put the whole phrase back together in a paraphrase. The promise is this: God will show us the course of life we're to take. God will show us what mode of action we are to take in any situation or circumstance we face.

The final phrase of today's Bible verse is "I will guide thee with mine eye." What does it mean? "Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him (Ps. 33:18 KJV)." God watches over those who are his. How can God's watching guide us?

God gives us the Comforter, the Holy Spirit who will teach us all things and cause us to remember every spoken word of Jesus Christ (Jn. 14:26). Allow me to present another Bible verse which speaks of the Spirit and what it will do. "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth (Jn. 16:13 KJV)." The watchful eye of God is his Spirit which dwells within us. His Spirit, his eye, will guide us into all truth.

I encourage all of us today to seek the Lord to show us his course for our lives. I encourage all of us to seek God's direction, the pointing of his finger, to show us the actions we must take in the situations and circumstances in the course of life we face. I encourage all of us to place our trust in God's knowledge of the appropriate and best course for our lives. God bless...

My Hiding Place

"Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance (Ps. 32:7)."

I love this Bible verse. This scripture offers much promise to the believer. The verse begins with a promise of a hiding place. It moves on to a promise of preservation from trouble. It concludes with a promise of joy experienced because of deliverance.

"Thou art my hiding place." The word for hiding place means secret place or covering. God is our refuge when the storms of life assail us. We can run to the Rock of our salvation when the adversity of life begins to weigh heavily on us. I love the word covering. You, O God, are my covering. We are covered by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. Nothing can harm us when we're covered by the blood of Christ.

"Thou shalt preserve me from trouble." The word translated preserve means to guard, as in to protect. The word translated trouble means a narrow, tight, or strait place. You, O God, will protect me from distress, sorrow, adversity, and tribulation. It doesn't mean we'll never face these things. This Bible verse promises God will protect us from being harmed by our adversities. How? God is our hiding place. Nothing can harm us as long as we remain covered by the blood of the Lamb.

"Thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance." Exodus 15:1-21 provide an example of songs of deliverance by Moses and Miriam. 2Samuel 22 gives us David's song of deliverance. Acts 4:24-31 is another example, although a prayer, of the joy of deliverance. Notice I used the word joy. Why? The word translated song in this Bible verse means a shout. The promise is God will surround us with shouts of joy because we are delivered.

Allow me to take this last phrase of today's Bible verse a little deeper. The word compass can be broken down, meaning to cast a protective border. The joy we obtain from deliverance, God's salvation, becomes a protective border of worship surrounding us. How's that for a motivator to give shouts of praise and to sing songs telling of the glorious deliverance of our souls from sin?

God is our hiding place. Hide me in the blood of Jesus. God protects us from trouble. The covering of the blood of Jesus protects us from the harm which can be caused by the storms of life. We're surrounded by shouts of joy, the songs of deliverance, because we will one day escape trouble, sin, and death. God bless...

Acknowledgment and Confession of Sin

Confession is good for the soul. Confession of sin is a powerful weapon in the hands of the believer who's willing to use it. We must examine confession of sin in depth to understand how it can be used to strengthen the daily walk of the child of God.

"I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin (Ps. 32:5 KJV)."

The first thing we need to look at is the phrase "I acknowledged my sin unto thee". Sin is not obeying the commandments of God. Therefore when we sin, we sin against God. The word acknowledged used here means recognized or comprehended. We must recognize our sin before we can confess it. However, upon recognition of sin we are then faced with a decision. Do we confess the sin or do we hide it?

The next phrase of today's scripture passage is, "mine iniquity have I not hid." The decision is made to not hide our sin. We move forward confessing our sin to the Lord. Take note this confession is to God, not to man.

I want to look into the word confess used here. It comes from a primitive root meaning to use the hands, especially to revere or worship with extended hands. This means confessing our sin is a form of reverence or worship. The extension of the hands is a formal sign of surrender. Our confession is surrendering to God in worship.

When we worship God, he must respond. When we worship God in confessing our sin, he is moved to respond with mercy and grant forgiveness, which happens to be the final phrase of today's verse, "and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin." This is why John could write, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1Jn. 1:9 KJV)."

We only deceive ourselves when choosing to hide sin from God. Jesus said, "For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known (Lu. 12:2 KJV)." Paul tells us when the Lord returns he will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and expose the counsels, or motives, of the heart (1Co. 4:5). Our sin will be exposed sooner or later.

Confession of sin brings mercy and forgiveness. Forgiveness brings freedom to live and walk in the grace and blessing of Almighty God. We can hide our sin and place our hope and trust in God's mercy, or we can confess our sin and live in the grace and blessing of God. This is what gives confession power. Confession brings mercy and mercy brings forgiveness. Forgiveness brings grace and blessing directly from God. God bless...

Forgiven

"Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile (Ps. 32:2 KJV)."

Psalm 32:2 is a continuation of the promise contained in the first verse. We learned in verse 1 of how happy is the one whose sins are forgiven. The second verse supports the promise of forgiveness given in verse 1. Verse 2 however, also contains a tremendous fundamental truth.

Psalms 32:1 says the one whose sin is forgiven and covered is blessed, or happy. Psalm 32:2 reinforces this by saying how happy the one is who God doesn't count their sin against them. The powerful truth lies in the words, "unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity."

How many times do we approach the altar and repent for the same sin we commit over and over? Why does this happen? We confess our sin to Christ at the altar, and by faith we believe God has granted forgiveness. We leave the altar feeling good and happy (Ps. 32:1). After a few moments, minutes, hours, or days, something happens.

The enemy of our soul can't stand us believing God's forgiven us. The forgiveness of sin, or remission of sin comes only through the covering of the blood of Jesus Christ. The moment we're covered, Satan loses power. He's rebuked by the blood of Christ. How much time passes from repentance to remembrance?

The devil begins to throw forgiven sin back in our face. We begin feeling the guilt associated with the sin all over again. We start beating ourselves up over it, and before long, we give up and give in, committing the same sin again. We return to the altar and start the circular process all over.

Psalm 32:2 is a direct response to this exact situation. It's a promise of truth saying those whom God has forgiven he will not hold their sin against them. Sin that's covered by the blood of Christ is gone, no longer in existence. That my friends is the tremendous truth contained in Psalm 32:2.

When Satan begins to attack, calling sin to your remembrance, fight back with the words of Psalm 32:2. Rejoice and be exceeding glad! God has forgiven our sin! God no longer holds the sin against us! The sin is gone! God bless...

Blessed Is He Whose Sins Are Covered

Psalm 32 is a chapter of Scripture loaded with truth and promise. A tremendous amount of wealth is contained within the prose of the psalmist. Verse 1 is a powerful opening to this great chapter of the Word.

"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered (Ps. 32:1 KJV)."

The word blessed used here means happy, or how happy, as an exclamation of great joy. Transgression is moral rebellion, or sin. The word used for forgiven literally means to lift. The Hebrew word used for covered means to cover for secrecy. To paraphrase Psalm 32:1, "How happy is the one whose moral rebellion is lifted, whose sin is covered for secrecy."

The Christian who knows his or her sins are covered in secrecy by God should be experiencing tremendous joy. We're entering into the Easter, or Passover, season. "For God so loved the world, that he gave (Jn. 3:16 KJV)." Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became the Passover Lamb when he was sacrificed once and for all for sin at Calvary.

As the Israelites placed the blood of passover lamb on the door posts of their homes in Egypt, we too should place the blood of our Passover Lamb on the door posts of our hearts. Only with the blood of Jesus Christ covering our sins to secrecy will the judgment of Almighty God pass over us.

Christians rejoice! How happy are the ones whose moral rebellion is lifted! How happy are the ones whose sin is covered by the blood of the Lamb! How happy are the ones who look forward to the day when they will stand before the throne of God forgiven! How happy are the ones who know they will spend eternity with the Creator, the one who gave all so we could live! God bless...

We Have A High Priest

"For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin (Heb. 4:15 NKJV)."

This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. It offers the promise to believers that God understand our worries, fears, pain, and sorrow. The significance of this verse lies in the three words, "in all points". This means our he has faced every trial we have, or will face.

The man Jesus Christ was flesh and bone. He felt the burning of a raging fever and experienced the agony of sickness. He dealt with the frustration of physical disability. He felt the pain of physical injury. The compassion showed by Jesus for the multitudes is a clear testament to his knowledge of human suffering.

Jesus Christ felt the pain of rejection at its highest point. It was much more than the rejection experienced between boy and girl, man and woman. The King of glory came to his people and they rejected him. Humanity still rejects him.

Jesus lived through the worry and fear of having to face another tomorrow. He understood the need of and the worry for food, shelter, and clothing. It led him to say, "Therefore do not worry , saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear?... For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things (Mt. 6:31-32 NKJV)."

Jesus Christ tasted firsthand the sting and sorrow of death. He was so moved by the death of his friend that he stood at his graveside and wept. More importantly, Jesus faced his own death alone at Calvary. Do we comprehend that the Spirit of God could not remain in Christ as he experienced human death for himself?

Christ became sin for all humanity. He became the sacrificial Lamb as sin was nailed to the cross. The Spirit of God cannot dwell in the presence of sin. At the point of his death, the man Jesus Christ experienced exchanging flesh for an eternity apart from God. Think about it, he died as sin, separated from God.

Jesus Christ is qualified to be the ultimate High Priest for all humanity. He experienced sickness, fear, sorrow, and pain. He experienced the ultimate death of facing eternity apart from God. God now sees humanity through the sacrificed Lamb, Jesus Christ. God experiences the deepest of pain when each man, woman, or child reject him and pass on into eternity apart from him.

Lord God, don't only give us the Spirit of Christ. Allow us to see humanity through the eyes of Christ. Plant within us the heart of Christ. Help us to understand the grief you experience when another of your creation slips into eternity apart from you. Help us to translate our experiences of suffering into ultimate glory to your holy name. God bless...

Blessed Be the Lord

"Blessed be the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications (Ps. 28:6 KJV)."

A detailed is prayer recorded in the first five verses of Psalm 28. The prayer ends by blessing God in worship and praise for hearing it. Take notice it wasn't answered prayer the psalmist was blessing God for.

The Prayer
David begins the prayer of Psalm 28 with these words: "Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me (Ps. 28:1 KJV)." He continues the prayer in verses 3 and 4, and I paraphrase: "Don't take me away with the wicked. Give them according to their deeds. Render to them what they deserve."

David understood the demise of the wicked. This is evidenced in Psalm 28:5. He finishes his prayer by referring to it: "Because they regard not the works of the LORD... he shall destroy them."

The key to understanding this prayer is found in the first verse in the word rock. The word denotes God as being a rock, a strong refuge or a fortress. What's interesting is the Hebrew word for rock is derived from a root word meaning to confine. When we insert this key into Psalm 28:3, "Draw me not away with the wicked (KJV)," or to paraphrase, "don't take me away with the wicked," we have David praying for the salvation found only in God, the strong Rock. He's praying to be confined within the strong Rock.

Blessing the Lord
Psalm 28:6 is David giving thanks to God for hearing his prayer. He prayed in faith (Ps. 28:1-5). By the same faith David offers thanksgiving and worship. As he placed faith in his prayer for salvation, so he placed faith in the fact that God would hear it.

Psalm 28:6 tells us those who pray in faith have hope of an answer because by the same faith in which we offer the prayer, we have faith that God will hear it. Like the psalmist David, we should offer up praise and worship to God thanking him because, by faith, we believe he hears our prayers. This thanks is offered before the answer is received.

Allow me to conclude with these golden words of truth from the great commentator Matthew Henry, "What we win by prayer we must wear by praise." God bless...