ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 180 - Psalm 88-90 (How Will You Live the Rest of Your Life?)
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"Remember how short my time is;
For what futility have You created all the children of men?
What man can live and not see death?
Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave?...
So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom."
(Psalm 89:47-48; 90:12)
Ethan the Ezrahite, who wrote the first part of our text above, acknowledges the brevity of life and pleads with his maker for help so that his life will not be futile. I added the second part of our text right out of the next chapter (Psalm 90) written by another author, who happens to be Moses, in order to teach us the proper response to the shortness of life.
Ethan also posed a rhertorical question stating the obvious fact of life that no one can escape death. In case you haven't heard, the statistics on death is 10 out of 10 people will die. The big question is, "How will you live the rest of your life?" and, "Are you ready to meet with your Maker?"
I think that you will agree with me that the second question is more important. As Jesus said, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? (Mark 8:36)" If you lived the rest of your life making a lot of money and enjoying it too but then lose your own soul, what good is that to you? Do you know for sure that if you died today you will go to heaven? If not, I got good news for you; the Bible says you can know for sure that you will go to heaven. How? Keep reading.
The apostle John wrote, "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:13)" There you have it - God has given us the Bible so that we may know we can have eternal life.
The Lord Jesus tell us the only way we can have eternal life: " For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)" To believe in Christ means to call on Him for forgiveness and salvation. Christ promises that whoever (includes you and all people) believes in Him will have everlasting life.
I have believed on Christ as my Lord and Savior for more than 30 years and the question that is foremost in my mind as a child of God is no longer whether I will go to heaven - that has been assured for me by Christ - but rather, "How will I live the rest of my life here on earth?" My answer is this: I have resolved to live the rest of my life by serving God however and wherever He wants.
Are you assured of heaven too? If so, I pray that you will resolve as I did to live the rest of your life by serving God. A good place to start is by serving at a good Bible-teaching church. Find one if you haven't yet; you will be glad you did.
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Monday, June 29, 2015
Day 179 - Psalm 79-87
ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 179 - Psalm 79-87 (God Would Still Help America if...)
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"Oh, that My people would listen to Me,
That Israel would walk in My ways!
I would soon subdue their enemies,
And turn My hand against their adversaries...
He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat;
And with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you."
(Psalm 81:13-16)
I realize that the title of this post pre-supposes that God will forsake America unless something takes place to change God's mind and that is exactly what I meant to say. America is becoming more and more a godless society with each passing day. The recent Supreme Court decision to legalize same sex marriage is a testament to this fact.
When the leader of a country like Russia, who admits to being a godless nation, rebukes America for forsaking its Christian values, we can be sure that we have already turned our backs on God as a nation and that unless we repent as a nation as well, we are sure to reap God's judgment.
Unless we heed God's plea (absolutely amazing that God even pleas with us) to listen to Him in order that He might change His mind from judging us to helping us as a people, America is doomed. However, should we take heed of the big IF and do what God asks of us as we read in the verse taken from the book of 2 Chronicles, there is still hope for this once great Christian nation:
"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)
I pray that God's people all over America and the world will weep for the sins of this nation and cry out to God for mercy and forgiveness and turn from our wicked ways so that God would hear from heaven, forgive our sin and heal our land.
Day 179 - Psalm 79-87 (God Would Still Help America if...)
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"Oh, that My people would listen to Me,
That Israel would walk in My ways!
I would soon subdue their enemies,
And turn My hand against their adversaries...
He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat;
And with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you."
(Psalm 81:13-16)
I realize that the title of this post pre-supposes that God will forsake America unless something takes place to change God's mind and that is exactly what I meant to say. America is becoming more and more a godless society with each passing day. The recent Supreme Court decision to legalize same sex marriage is a testament to this fact.
When the leader of a country like Russia, who admits to being a godless nation, rebukes America for forsaking its Christian values, we can be sure that we have already turned our backs on God as a nation and that unless we repent as a nation as well, we are sure to reap God's judgment.
Unless we heed God's plea (absolutely amazing that God even pleas with us) to listen to Him in order that He might change His mind from judging us to helping us as a people, America is doomed. However, should we take heed of the big IF and do what God asks of us as we read in the verse taken from the book of 2 Chronicles, there is still hope for this once great Christian nation:
"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)
I pray that God's people all over America and the world will weep for the sins of this nation and cry out to God for mercy and forgiveness and turn from our wicked ways so that God would hear from heaven, forgive our sin and heal our land.
Day 175 - Psalm 68-71
ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 175 - Psalm 68-71 (God is Great!)
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"You who have done great things;
O God, who is like You?"
Day 175 - Psalm 68-71 (God is Great!)
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"You who have done great things;
O God, who is like You?"
(Psalm 71:19b)
The Psalmist David could not help but declare the greatness of God because of what He had done for him and because of what he saw God do during his lifetime. We too should have the same response as David whenever for all the things that God has done for us and around us. Truly, God has done great things, He's so good to me.
David knew God's greatness in delivering him from his many troubles throughout his life. The Bible tells us that David was constantly at war with his enemies both outside and inside his kingdom yet God was always faithful in saving him from the pangs of death. If you have not read through the Psalms, I encourage you to do so at least once to see for yourself and have a feel of David's heart as he cried out to God for deliverance from his enemies and his praise to God for His greatness in rescuing David.
God calls us to give praise to Him for His greatness and goodness. We need to do it even when we don't feel like praising God such as during times of trouble of spiritually flatness. There is a praise song I used to sing a lot when I was a new Christian with the lyrics below:
"You have done great things,
You have done great things,
You have done great things,
You're so good to me."
God has done many great things in my life. He has rescued me from death threats when I managed a Christian resort in the Philippines. He has blessed me with a wonderful family who love God deeply. He has provided for me and my family in everything we needed and more. When I look around me, I see His greatness in creation and in His sovereignty in controlling world events in order to fulfill His will as written in His Word the Bible. God is great and and there is none like Him!
Day 177 - Psalm 75-78
ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 177 - Psalm 75-78 (We Give Thanks To God!)
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"We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!
For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near."
(Psalm 75:1)
Despite the bad weather (cloudy and windy with light rain) today at Bridgefest, our church's radio ministry's annual day at the beach gathering the Tri-State listeners to beautiful Ocean Grove for Bible teaching and fellowship and baptism, I give thanks to God for what He has done today and yesterday.
Yesterday, dozens of teenagers gathered at the Ocean Grove gymnasium for worship and Bible teaching while even more adults sat under the teaching of some of the most gifted Bible teachers in America. Last night, the dynamic singing duo Shane and Shane led hundreds in the audience at the historic Great Auditorium to worship God in music.
I thank God for allowing me to meet some wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ from various places including Canada, California and Florida. I am so blessed by their joyful attitude in serving wherever the need may be during Bridgefest. Today, I am especially thankful to God for allowing me to be a part of the hospitality tent in serving the servants by providing them with food and refreshments. I thank God for all the volunteers who willingly gave of their time and resources to bless the servants.
"Indeed, we give you thanks, O God, for your wondrous works declare that your name is near. You are worthy of our thankgiving and our praises. Thank you for allowing Bridgefest to conclude uninterupted." Great is your name and awesome are your works!
Day 177 - Psalm 75-78 (We Give Thanks To God!)
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"We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!
For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near."
(Psalm 75:1)
Despite the bad weather (cloudy and windy with light rain) today at Bridgefest, our church's radio ministry's annual day at the beach gathering the Tri-State listeners to beautiful Ocean Grove for Bible teaching and fellowship and baptism, I give thanks to God for what He has done today and yesterday.
Yesterday, dozens of teenagers gathered at the Ocean Grove gymnasium for worship and Bible teaching while even more adults sat under the teaching of some of the most gifted Bible teachers in America. Last night, the dynamic singing duo Shane and Shane led hundreds in the audience at the historic Great Auditorium to worship God in music.
I thank God for allowing me to meet some wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ from various places including Canada, California and Florida. I am so blessed by their joyful attitude in serving wherever the need may be during Bridgefest. Today, I am especially thankful to God for allowing me to be a part of the hospitality tent in serving the servants by providing them with food and refreshments. I thank God for all the volunteers who willingly gave of their time and resources to bless the servants.
"Indeed, we give you thanks, O God, for your wondrous works declare that your name is near. You are worthy of our thankgiving and our praises. Thank you for allowing Bridgefest to conclude uninterupted." Great is your name and awesome are your works!
Friday, June 26, 2015
Day 176 - Psalm 72-74
ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 176 - Psalm 72-74 (God is My Strength and Portion Forever)
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"You hold me by my right hand.
You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
(Psalm 73:23b-26)
God has blessed me beyond measure with a beautiful wife and four wonderful children who love the Lord. Yet, when all is stripped away from me, I must admit that I do not have anyone else besides God to cling to for help because He is the only One who is able to uphold me with His right hand and guide me with His counsel and afterward receive me in His presence in glory.
I am not the only one who needs God; although not everyone may admit it, all people need God for apart from Him we would be eternally lost and forsaken. Those who are wise will say along with the Psalmist in our text above, "Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
There are at least two reasons why I need to make God the strength of my heart and my portion forever: first, He is the God of the universe, the creator of all things including me. Second, God loves me so much that He sent His only Son Jesus to die for my sins and He continues to show His love for me by showering me with His grace and mercy.
In light of the two reasons I mentioned above, how could I not acknowledge that there is none other besides God who cares enough for me and who alone deserves my utmost and complete devotion? Yes, I will declare to God, "I have none other on earth and in heaven but You. You are my strength and my portion forever, O God!"
Day 176 - Psalm 72-74 (God is My Strength and Portion Forever)
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"You hold me by my right hand.
You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
(Psalm 73:23b-26)
God has blessed me beyond measure with a beautiful wife and four wonderful children who love the Lord. Yet, when all is stripped away from me, I must admit that I do not have anyone else besides God to cling to for help because He is the only One who is able to uphold me with His right hand and guide me with His counsel and afterward receive me in His presence in glory.
I am not the only one who needs God; although not everyone may admit it, all people need God for apart from Him we would be eternally lost and forsaken. Those who are wise will say along with the Psalmist in our text above, "Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
There are at least two reasons why I need to make God the strength of my heart and my portion forever: first, He is the God of the universe, the creator of all things including me. Second, God loves me so much that He sent His only Son Jesus to die for my sins and He continues to show His love for me by showering me with His grace and mercy.
In light of the two reasons I mentioned above, how could I not acknowledge that there is none other besides God who cares enough for me and who alone deserves my utmost and complete devotion? Yes, I will declare to God, "I have none other on earth and in heaven but You. You are my strength and my portion forever, O God!"
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Day 174 - Psalm 62-67
ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 174 - Psalm 62-67 (When God Won't Listen to Us)
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"If I regard iniquity in my heart,
The Lord will not hear."
(Psalm 66:18)
Iniquity is sin at its worst. It is premeditated evil as opposed to unintentional sin. When a person decides in his mind to commit a sin such as adultery or pornography or theft, it is iniquity. God's Word teaches that the person who regards iniquity in his heart - his prayers will not be heard. In other words, God will not even listen to him.
Now, there is not a single human, being dead or alive, who has never been guilty of iniquity. Every child has cleverly plotted to circumvent his parents commands which is proof that what the Bible says about man is true, that is, that all have sinned and that there is none righteous, not even one.
There is a need, therefore, for man's sins to be removed before God can even begin to listen to us. That is where Jesus Christ comes in. Jesus is God Himself in human flesh who died in our place so that we can receive forgiveness for our sins. Everyone who will repent of his sins and ask Christ to forgive him and be his Savior will be saved. Only then can that person's prayers be acceptable to God. The condition still applies, however, that the saved person must be free from unconfessed sins.
You see, even though you and I may have received the gift of salvation through faith in Christ, we still commit sin as long as we are in our body. The Bible teaches that we need to confess those sins to God and that failure to do so on our part will result in unanswered prayer.
How can the believer in Christ find cleansing from daily sins? The apostle John tells us how in his letter to the believers: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us (1 John 1:8-9)."
Thank God He will cleanse us from all our iniquities and unrighteousness and listen to our prayers when we confess our sins to Him! I dare anyone find a better deal in the universe than that. "Father, thank you for sending your Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sins. Thank you for your promise of continual cleansing from all my unrighteousness as long as I confess my sins to you. I praise you for you for your loving mercies. Great are you Lord!"
Day 174 - Psalm 62-67 (When God Won't Listen to Us)
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"If I regard iniquity in my heart,
The Lord will not hear."
(Psalm 66:18)
Iniquity is sin at its worst. It is premeditated evil as opposed to unintentional sin. When a person decides in his mind to commit a sin such as adultery or pornography or theft, it is iniquity. God's Word teaches that the person who regards iniquity in his heart - his prayers will not be heard. In other words, God will not even listen to him.
Now, there is not a single human, being dead or alive, who has never been guilty of iniquity. Every child has cleverly plotted to circumvent his parents commands which is proof that what the Bible says about man is true, that is, that all have sinned and that there is none righteous, not even one.
There is a need, therefore, for man's sins to be removed before God can even begin to listen to us. That is where Jesus Christ comes in. Jesus is God Himself in human flesh who died in our place so that we can receive forgiveness for our sins. Everyone who will repent of his sins and ask Christ to forgive him and be his Savior will be saved. Only then can that person's prayers be acceptable to God. The condition still applies, however, that the saved person must be free from unconfessed sins.
You see, even though you and I may have received the gift of salvation through faith in Christ, we still commit sin as long as we are in our body. The Bible teaches that we need to confess those sins to God and that failure to do so on our part will result in unanswered prayer.
How can the believer in Christ find cleansing from daily sins? The apostle John tells us how in his letter to the believers: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us (1 John 1:8-9)."
Thank God He will cleanse us from all our iniquities and unrighteousness and listen to our prayers when we confess our sins to Him! I dare anyone find a better deal in the universe than that. "Father, thank you for sending your Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sins. Thank you for your promise of continual cleansing from all my unrighteousness as long as I confess my sins to you. I praise you for you for your loving mercies. Great are you Lord!"
Monday, June 22, 2015
Day 172 - Psalm 50-61
ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 173 - Psalm 50-61 (Everything is the Lord's)
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'"For every beast of the forest is Mine,
And the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know all the birds of the mountains,
And the wild beasts of the field are Mine...
Offer to God thanksgiving,
And pay your vows to the Most High.
Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me."
(Psalm 50:9-15)
God was telling the Jews in our text above that He did not need their animal sacrifices for He is not a God who eats the flesh of bulls or drinks the blood of goats. He reminded them that everything on earth was His. What God desired from them, rather, was for them to offer Him the sacrifice of thanksgiving and prayer.
When my children were younger, I would sometimes ask them to share a favorite candy or food with me and one or two of them who were not naturally givers would hesitate or even flat out deny my request. Then, I would remind them that I was the one who paid for their candy or food and that being selfish in sharing it was not only wrong but could result in them no longer getting any candy from me.
Whenever we hesitate to give God what He requires and expects from us as His children and His creature, we act foolishly and forget that everything is His and that He could very easily take from us whatever He has given to us. Not only that, God could withold His provisions from us or remove our ability to earn our provisions.
Although giving a portion of our material wealth to God is right and pleasing to God, it is really for our own benefit and not God's. God doesn't need our money and material possessions which are all His anyway; rather, as the Psalmist in our Scripture passage wrote, God desires from us our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving:
"Now consider this, you who forget God,
Lest I tear you in pieces,
And there be none to deliver:
Whoever offers praise glorifies Me;
And to him who orders his conduct aright
I will show the salvation of God."
(Psalm 50:22-23)
Forget God by failing to give back to Him and honoring Him with your wealth which He has blessed you with and be torn to pieces by God in the end; or, offer praise to God, trusting Him for your soul and living righteously for Him and receive salvation from Him who alone can save you. The choice is yours.
Day 173 - Psalm 50-61 (Everything is the Lord's)
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'"For every beast of the forest is Mine,
And the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know all the birds of the mountains,
And the wild beasts of the field are Mine...
Offer to God thanksgiving,
And pay your vows to the Most High.
Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me."
(Psalm 50:9-15)
God was telling the Jews in our text above that He did not need their animal sacrifices for He is not a God who eats the flesh of bulls or drinks the blood of goats. He reminded them that everything on earth was His. What God desired from them, rather, was for them to offer Him the sacrifice of thanksgiving and prayer.
When my children were younger, I would sometimes ask them to share a favorite candy or food with me and one or two of them who were not naturally givers would hesitate or even flat out deny my request. Then, I would remind them that I was the one who paid for their candy or food and that being selfish in sharing it was not only wrong but could result in them no longer getting any candy from me.
Whenever we hesitate to give God what He requires and expects from us as His children and His creature, we act foolishly and forget that everything is His and that He could very easily take from us whatever He has given to us. Not only that, God could withold His provisions from us or remove our ability to earn our provisions.
Although giving a portion of our material wealth to God is right and pleasing to God, it is really for our own benefit and not God's. God doesn't need our money and material possessions which are all His anyway; rather, as the Psalmist in our Scripture passage wrote, God desires from us our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving:
"Now consider this, you who forget God,
Lest I tear you in pieces,
And there be none to deliver:
Whoever offers praise glorifies Me;
And to him who orders his conduct aright
I will show the salvation of God."
(Psalm 50:22-23)
Forget God by failing to give back to Him and honoring Him with your wealth which He has blessed you with and be torn to pieces by God in the end; or, offer praise to God, trusting Him for your soul and living righteously for Him and receive salvation from Him who alone can save you. The choice is yours.
Day 171 - Psalm 45-49
ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 171 - Psalm 45-49 (Jesus is God)
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Day 171 - Psalm 45-49 (Jesus is God)
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"Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions."
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions."
(Psalm 45:6-7)
Writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the author of Psalm 45 is unmistakenly referring to two beings in verses 6 and 7. He calls the one God and the other God as well. No other place in Scripture does it refer to a human as God. Therefore, the person whom the Psalmist is writing about oftentimes called the King could be none other than a second person of the godhead in human form.
Traditional Jewish scholars believe that the king described in Psalm 45 does not refer to just any king of Israel but rather to the Messiah. Judaism rejects the idea that the Messiah is God and believes rather that he is a human. It is baffling to me, however, that the Jews could not see the plain truth in the old testament that the Messiah is God Himself. Our text above taken from Psalm 45 clearly proclaims the Messiah as God.
Those who deny the deity of the Messiah from Psalm 45 as well as other references in Scripture to Messianic diety are guilty of twisting the Word of God to suit their own pre-conceived notions of Messiah.
tragically, they miss the very Messiah they claim to be waiting for. Christians, however, believe that Jesus is the Messiah of the world who is none other than God Himself in human flesh sent to earth in order to die for man's sins so that we might receive forgiveness and eternal life.
Today, as I write this short commentary, is Father's day. It is a fitting time to reflect on our heavenly Father who demonstrated His love for us in that He sent His only begotten Son Jesus to earth in human flesh in order to die on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. Have you acknowledged Jesus as your Messiah and your God?
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Day 170 - Psalm 35-44
ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 170 - Psalm 35-44 (Delight in the Lord and He Will Give You the Desires of Your Heart)
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Day 170 - Psalm 35-44 (Delight in the Lord and He Will Give You the Desires of Your Heart)
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"Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
(Psalm 37:4-5)
I have proven God's promise in our text above over and over again. God has given me every desire of my heart except for the one thing that I am still praying for and waiting for, that is, that all of my loved ones discover the joy of having a personal relationship with Jesus. I claim that promise that God will also give me that desire of my heart in His own time.
One particular example I will never forget happened before God gave us the house we live in here in Keyport, NJ. Amber and I loved going to the Keyport boardwalk since it was only about a mile away from our kids' school where I happened to work at as a teacher from 2007 to 2009. I keenly remember telling Amber how I wished that we could live in Keyport. Little did I know then that God will give me the desire of my heart and give us the perfect home that we now own.
God's promise to give us the desire of our heart is conditional; one must delight in the Lord. What does it mean to delight one's self in the Lord? One way to find what it means is to ask ourself the question, "What do I delight in more than anything else in the world?"
Most people will give an answer that is temporary in nature such as having a lot of money in the bank or travelling the world or finding success or delighting in the person they love. To delight in the Lord, therefore, means to find one's fulfillment in God and the things of God. It means to delight in reading and obeying His Word, the Bible which is His revelation of Himself to man.
David also adds that delighting in God means committing our ways to Him and trusting Him to take care of all our needs and concerns. When we do that, God promises that He will bring to pass whatever it is that we desire or seek as long as it is according to His will.
One thing that my wife and I have committed to God and trust Him for is our children's future spouses. We obviously want all our children to marry the one person whom God has chosen for them even before they were born. We believe that God's will for our children is to marry someone who is a Christian and who loves God above all else. I believe with all my heart that God will give us also this desire of our hearts.
Do you delight in the Lord? If you cannot honestly answer yes, ask God to help you to do so and He will help you delight in Him. Just as you need to work on any relationship to develop love and arrive at a point where you begin to delight in the person you love, we also need to work on developing our love for God by committing all our ways to Him and seeking Him daily through His Word. If you do that, God will start giving you the desires of your heart.
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Day 168 - Psalm 25-34
ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 168 - Psalm 25-34 (The Person Whose Sins Are Forgiven)
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"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity...
The LORD redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.
(Psalm 32:1,2;34:32)
King David knew what it was like to be guilty of murder and adultery which according to the Old Testament Law were punishable by death. There is no provision in the Law of Moses for an offering for those sins. The guilty must pay with capital punishment.
But God decided to extend His mercy to David and instead of him dying, his son from his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba paid for his father's sins as a substitute. As we have discussed in a recent blog I posted, the purpose of the Law is to make us guilty of our sins. No one can be justified by trying to obey the Law.
If David insisted on being justifed according to the Law, he would not have escaped death. God would have killed him because it was the requirement of the Law. No judge worthy of his salt would even think of letting a convicted multiple murderer and rapist off the hook just because he does not want to be mean. It is his job and responsibility to mete justice. God is the ultimate Judge and the author of justice and He cannot disregard His own attribute as Judge.
God forgave David not because his son died in his place; it was just in order to fulfill the Law of Moses under which David and all the Jews were subjected before the coming of the Christ. Now that Christ has come and had paid the punishment for the sins of all people, we can be forgiven by trusting in His finished work on the cross as David wrote in our text above:
"The LORD redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned."
(Psalm 34:22)
The Bible is very clear that only those who put their trust in Christ will be forgiven and escape eternal condemnation in hell. Jesus repeated this truth throughout His three-year ministry including the verse below when He talked to Nicodemus about being born again:
"He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
(John 3:18)
It doesn't matter what sin you may committed in your life; God will forgive you if you repent and put your trust in His Son Jesus Christ who died in your place and took on the penalty for your sins with His own blood. What are you trusting for your salvation? I pray you are not trusting the requirements of the Law for if so you will get what's coming to you and it won't be heaven for sure.
Day 168 - Psalm 25-34 (The Person Whose Sins Are Forgiven)
(To View Past Posts Click: http:/tonyvicreyes1-yearbible.blogspot.com/ )
"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity...
The LORD redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.
(Psalm 32:1,2;34:32)
King David knew what it was like to be guilty of murder and adultery which according to the Old Testament Law were punishable by death. There is no provision in the Law of Moses for an offering for those sins. The guilty must pay with capital punishment.
But God decided to extend His mercy to David and instead of him dying, his son from his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba paid for his father's sins as a substitute. As we have discussed in a recent blog I posted, the purpose of the Law is to make us guilty of our sins. No one can be justified by trying to obey the Law.
If David insisted on being justifed according to the Law, he would not have escaped death. God would have killed him because it was the requirement of the Law. No judge worthy of his salt would even think of letting a convicted multiple murderer and rapist off the hook just because he does not want to be mean. It is his job and responsibility to mete justice. God is the ultimate Judge and the author of justice and He cannot disregard His own attribute as Judge.
God forgave David not because his son died in his place; it was just in order to fulfill the Law of Moses under which David and all the Jews were subjected before the coming of the Christ. Now that Christ has come and had paid the punishment for the sins of all people, we can be forgiven by trusting in His finished work on the cross as David wrote in our text above:
"The LORD redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned."
(Psalm 34:22)
The Bible is very clear that only those who put their trust in Christ will be forgiven and escape eternal condemnation in hell. Jesus repeated this truth throughout His three-year ministry including the verse below when He talked to Nicodemus about being born again:
"He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
(John 3:18)
It doesn't matter what sin you may committed in your life; God will forgive you if you repent and put your trust in His Son Jesus Christ who died in your place and took on the penalty for your sins with His own blood. What are you trusting for your salvation? I pray you are not trusting the requirements of the Law for if so you will get what's coming to you and it won't be heaven for sure.
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Day 166 - Psalm 17-24
ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 166 - Psalm 17-24 (Is Jesus Your Messiah?)
(To View Past Posts Click: http:/tonyvicreyes1-yearbible.blogspot.com/ )
"My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
All those who see Me ridicule Me;
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
"He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him;
Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!"
Day 166 - Psalm 17-24 (Is Jesus Your Messiah?)
(To View Past Posts Click: http:/tonyvicreyes1-yearbible.blogspot.com/ )
"My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
All those who see Me ridicule Me;
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
"He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him;
Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!"
They pierced My hands and My feet;
I can count all My bones.
They look and stare at Me.
They divide My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.
(Psalm 22:1, 7, 8, 17, 18)
If I did not know that the above text was from the book of Psalm, you may think that it came right out of the New Testament gospels if you are familiar with it as many are. The reason for that is simple, the various verses above I have copied and pasted from Psalm 22 were all spoken by our Lord Jesus as He hung on the cross.
Many prophecies in the Old Testament were written by the prophets without them knowing what they were writing about. Such is the case with the above verses. David wrote them as sort of prophetic "inserts" under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit without him knowing what he was writing about. For sure, David would not have known that the Messiah would utter those exact words one thousand years later.
The fact that Jesus Christ fulfilled the handful of prophecies about the Messiah from Psalm 22 should be enough to make any skeptic believe that Jesus indeed is the Christ of the Bible. Could it be mere co-incidence? Impossible! Jesus fulfilled a total of 456 prophecies about the Messiah.
After examining only eight different prophecies several Mathematicians conservatively estimated that the chance of one man fulfilling all eight prophecies was one in 10^17. To illustrate how large the number 10^17 IS (a figure with 17 zeros), Stoner gave this illustration:
"If you mark one of ten tickets, and place all the tickets in a hat, and thoroughly stir them, and then ask a blindfolded man to draw one, his chance of getting the right ticket is one in ten. Suppose that we take 10^17 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They'll cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would've had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote them in their own wisdom" (http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/radio034.htm)
"God so thoroughly vindicated Jesus Christ that even mathematicians and statisticians, who were without faith, had to acknowledge that it is scientifically impossible to deny that Jesus is the Christ." (idem)
Only a completely disillusioned person would deny that Jesus is who He claimed to be - the Messiah of Scriptures and of the world. The question is, "Is He your Messiah?"
I can count all My bones.
They look and stare at Me.
They divide My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.
(Psalm 22:1, 7, 8, 17, 18)
If I did not know that the above text was from the book of Psalm, you may think that it came right out of the New Testament gospels if you are familiar with it as many are. The reason for that is simple, the various verses above I have copied and pasted from Psalm 22 were all spoken by our Lord Jesus as He hung on the cross.
Many prophecies in the Old Testament were written by the prophets without them knowing what they were writing about. Such is the case with the above verses. David wrote them as sort of prophetic "inserts" under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit without him knowing what he was writing about. For sure, David would not have known that the Messiah would utter those exact words one thousand years later.
The fact that Jesus Christ fulfilled the handful of prophecies about the Messiah from Psalm 22 should be enough to make any skeptic believe that Jesus indeed is the Christ of the Bible. Could it be mere co-incidence? Impossible! Jesus fulfilled a total of 456 prophecies about the Messiah.
After examining only eight different prophecies several Mathematicians conservatively estimated that the chance of one man fulfilling all eight prophecies was one in 10^17. To illustrate how large the number 10^17 IS (a figure with 17 zeros), Stoner gave this illustration:
"If you mark one of ten tickets, and place all the tickets in a hat, and thoroughly stir them, and then ask a blindfolded man to draw one, his chance of getting the right ticket is one in ten. Suppose that we take 10^17 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They'll cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would've had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote them in their own wisdom" (http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/radio034.htm)
"God so thoroughly vindicated Jesus Christ that even mathematicians and statisticians, who were without faith, had to acknowledge that it is scientifically impossible to deny that Jesus is the Christ." (idem)
Only a completely disillusioned person would deny that Jesus is who He claimed to be - the Messiah of Scriptures and of the world. The question is, "Is He your Messiah?"
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Day 162 - Psalm 9-16
ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 162 - Psalm 9-16 (No One is Good)
(To View Past Posts Click: http:/tonyvicreyes1-yearbible.blogspot.com/ )
'"The fool has said in his heart,
"There is no God."
They are corrupt,
They have done abominable works,
There is none who does good.
The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
They have all turned aside,
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one."'
(Psalm 14:1-3)
The Holy Spirit, speaking through His prophet David, declares for all generations to know, that there is not even a single human being who does good. I know that may come as a surprise for you to learn but you see, God's standard of good is way far different from man's standard of good. For us humans, doing good deeds to others such as helping the poor is good but God says,
"But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags..."
Day 162 - Psalm 9-16 (No One is Good)
(To View Past Posts Click: http:/tonyvicreyes1-yearbible.blogspot.com/ )
'"The fool has said in his heart,
"There is no God."
They are corrupt,
They have done abominable works,
There is none who does good.
The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
They have all turned aside,
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one."'
(Psalm 14:1-3)
The Holy Spirit, speaking through His prophet David, declares for all generations to know, that there is not even a single human being who does good. I know that may come as a surprise for you to learn but you see, God's standard of good is way far different from man's standard of good. For us humans, doing good deeds to others such as helping the poor is good but God says,
"But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags..."
(Isaiah 64:6)
Think of the best good deed you can possibly do in your life. Perhaps it is giving up everything you have in order to be a priest or a nun. God says that even that is like filthy rags in His senses. The phrase "filthy rags" in the original Hebrew language meant what would be the equivalent of a used sanitary napkin that women use during their monthly period.
Wow, if God counts our best works as used used Tampax or Modess what hope is there for us? There is absolutely hope for all of us. The apostle Paul in his letter to the Christians in Rome quoted our text above and explained that it referred only to those who are under the Law:
"Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God (Romans 3:19)."
Paul explained that there is one group of people in this world - those who are under the Law. Then, he goes on to talk about the other group of people in this world - those who have been justified (forgiven) by faith. Obviously, those who are under the law are those who have not been forgiven or saved through faith in Christ.
In explaining how a person can be justified by faith, Paul used the example of Abraham by quoting Genesis 15:6: "For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness..." (Romans 4:3-5)
The apostle Paul plainly stated that a person who works for his salvation by trying to obey the Law of God will be judged according to how he fares; whereas, the person who, like Abraham, believes in God through His Son Jesus and His substitutionary sacrifice on the cross for the forgiveness of sins, that person's faith will be counted or imputed to him as righeousness that God will accept.
There is only one way for sinful man to be made righteous before God, that is, by placing his faith or trust in Jesus Christ as savior. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6)."
You can either continue to work your way to heaven if that's what you've been doing and the Bible says that you will receive your wages for your work which is eternal separation from God because God will not accept your good works which is like used sanitary napkin to Him. Or, you can, like Abraham, trust Christ and His finished work on the cross alone for your salvation and because you did not work for it, it will be counted as a gift to you and imputed or transferred to your behalf as righteousness.
So, what will it be for you, working under the Law for wages that leads to eternal death or, placing you trust in Christ alone for your salvation and receiving the free gift of salvation which Christ has already paid for on the cross with His own flesh and blood? The choice is yours to make today for tomorrow might be too late.
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Day 161 - Psalm 1-8
ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 161 - Psalm 1-8 (The Blessed Life)
(To View Past Posts Click: http:/tonyvicreyes1-yearbible.blogspot.com/ )
"Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper."
(Psalm 1:1-3)
Everybody wants to be blessed. I don't know anyone who would say that he does not want to be blessed by God. Thankfully, God tells us very clearly how you and I can be blessed by God today. God says that we are blessed when we do not associate with evil people by thinking and acting as they do but instead, our delight is in the Word of God to meditate upon it constantly.
Speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Psalmist describes the blessed person as we read from our text above. He is likened to a tree planted by rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.
I have an apple tree in my backyard which on a good year may bear one apple the size of a small plum. I know it's pathetic but I'm giving it some more time to see if it will mature well or not. So, to have a fruit tree in my backyard that bears forth abundant fruit in season will definitely be a picture of blessing for me.
The Psalmist adds to the description of a blessed person that whatever he does shall prosper. When we talk about being blessed, we usually think of success in all of our endeavors. Well, apparently, God also has the same thing in mind because He promises that the blessed man will prosper in everything he does.
I have tried to live my life for God since I became a Chrisian in 1981. I have not always deighted in God's Word to read it everyday as my daily bread but by the grace of God, I have in recent years been able to consistently feed on His Word daily.
God is always true to His promise. He has blessed me abundantly beyond description. He has given me a godly wife who happens to be the kindest person I know. God has also blessed me with four children who all love God. God has also provided my family with everything we need and more. To top is all, and wonder of all wonders, God has decided to call prepare me and my wife serve Him full-time in the Philippines as our two youngest children move on to a Christian college this September.
You too can experience the blessed life if you follow God's conditions as written by the Psalmist David in Psalm 1. It is the life that God intends for you and all people to have but you need to have the will and resolve to live a righteous life and to start delighting in His Word. Do you?
Day 161 - Psalm 1-8 (The Blessed Life)
(To View Past Posts Click: http:/tonyvicreyes1-yearbible.blogspot.com/ )
"Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper."
(Psalm 1:1-3)
Everybody wants to be blessed. I don't know anyone who would say that he does not want to be blessed by God. Thankfully, God tells us very clearly how you and I can be blessed by God today. God says that we are blessed when we do not associate with evil people by thinking and acting as they do but instead, our delight is in the Word of God to meditate upon it constantly.
Speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Psalmist describes the blessed person as we read from our text above. He is likened to a tree planted by rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.
I have an apple tree in my backyard which on a good year may bear one apple the size of a small plum. I know it's pathetic but I'm giving it some more time to see if it will mature well or not. So, to have a fruit tree in my backyard that bears forth abundant fruit in season will definitely be a picture of blessing for me.
The Psalmist adds to the description of a blessed person that whatever he does shall prosper. When we talk about being blessed, we usually think of success in all of our endeavors. Well, apparently, God also has the same thing in mind because He promises that the blessed man will prosper in everything he does.
I have tried to live my life for God since I became a Chrisian in 1981. I have not always deighted in God's Word to read it everyday as my daily bread but by the grace of God, I have in recent years been able to consistently feed on His Word daily.
God is always true to His promise. He has blessed me abundantly beyond description. He has given me a godly wife who happens to be the kindest person I know. God has also blessed me with four children who all love God. God has also provided my family with everything we need and more. To top is all, and wonder of all wonders, God has decided to call prepare me and my wife serve Him full-time in the Philippines as our two youngest children move on to a Christian college this September.
You too can experience the blessed life if you follow God's conditions as written by the Psalmist David in Psalm 1. It is the life that God intends for you and all people to have but you need to have the will and resolve to live a righteous life and to start delighting in His Word. Do you?
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