Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Lessons learned from Demas 515-2 - 20 - 6

The name Demas appears in three of Paul’s letters written from Rome.
Colossians 4:14, “Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.”
Philemon 1:24, “Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellow labourers.”
2 Timothy 4:10, “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.”
“The second epistle unto Timotheus, ordained the first bishop of the church of the Ephesians, was written from Rome, when Paul was brought before Nero the second time.” [eSword]
Compare 2 Timothy 4:10 to the next verse, “Only Luke is with me. Take Mark and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.”
Luke was a faithful physician to Paul throughout some of his travels and authored the Books of Luke and Acts. (John) Mark had parted with Paul in earlier travels but they were later reconciled. He later wrote Peter’s account of being Jesus’ disciple, the Book of Mark.
As for Demas, he began well as confirmed by Paul referring to Demas as a “fellow labourers,” Philemon 1:24. Sadly he may have feared being executed with Paul and abandoned him. Was it only fear or “having loved this present world.” Here we learn about the pull of survival as well as the comforts of the flesh.
“Study 9 DEMAS: THE SNARE OF WORLDLINESS
2. SEVERE PERSECUTION AND TESTING
Look up Matthew 24:9-10; compare Matthew 5:10-12 and 1 Peter 4:12-19 –- and then look up Luke 8:13. Is this a commentary upon the experience of Demas? It frequently happens that those who have trusted Christ and have confessed their faith in Him “falter” when the fires of persecution begin to burn. Many young believers who have been nurtured in a Christian home and church discover, when they leave home to go to college or to work out “in the world”, that their faith is very severely tested. Some, like Demas, turn back! All such tested ones need our prayers, (not our criticisms), and all the encouragement we can give them.”
[http://www.wordsoflife.co.uk/bible-studies/study-9-demas-the-snare-of-worldliness/]
Matthew 24:9-10, “9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.”
Matthew 5:10-12 speaks to suffering for Jesus as a joyful trial as does 1 Peter 4:12-19.
Finally, the parable of the sower refers to those such as Demas who do not persevere to the end. Luke 8:13, “They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.” 
While Christians suffer throughout parts of the world, we have been far less persecuted here in the United States. However, there can be the loss of friendship, ridicule and even employment. If and when really tested, will I be a Demas, I pray not.

Sunday, January 28, 2018

Jesus says He is the long awaited Messiah in John 5:39 and Hebrews 10:7 529-1 - 1 - 1

John 5:39, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." 
Hebrews 10:7, "Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God."
Many who denigrate the Bible claim that Jesus never said He was the long-awaited Messiah. John 5:39 is the actual words of Jesus and in Hebrews 10:7 Paul is quoting Jesus.
There are many verses in the Old Testament that testify of Jesus starting in Genesis through John the Baptist, the end of the Old Testament. John 1:29. “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” The following is just a few more verses.
Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Jesus was the seed of Mary descended from King David through the untainted blood of his son Nathan’s line.
Genesis 22, the offering of Isaac and the substitution of a ram. This was a foretelling of Jesus as the Lamb of God, however, there was no substitution. Exodus 12 deals with the Passover lamb, the Lamb of God and Unleavened Bread, Jesus in the tomb. Then joy in Leviticus 23 First Fruits, the Resurrection of Jesus.
Leviticus 1:3, "If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord." Jesus was the ultimate blood sacrifice and quoted scripture while on the cross finally stating, “It is finished.”
A mystery in Numbers 21:8, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live” is explained in John 3:14, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.” Again Jesus, a propitiation for sins.
Numbers 20:11, “And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.” Numbers 20:8 Moses was told to speak to the rock but he "smote the rock twice," and out poured the water of Meribah. The rock was a type of Christ, foreshadowing Calvary.
The Book of Psalm has many of glimpses of Jesus. Psalm 22 is written like a first hand account of a victim suffering Crucifixion.
353 Prophecies Fulfilled in Jesus Christ
[http://www.accordingtothescriptures.org/prophecy/353prophecies.html]

Saturday, January 27, 2018

The daughters of Zelophehad 529-1 - 1 - 5

Our omniscient God sets in motion events that will later be of great important. King Zedekiah, a descendant of King David, was the last king of Judah, that is until Jesus reigns in the millennium.
A blood curse was pronounced on King Jeconiah, in the line of King David through his son Solomon. Jeremiah 22:30, "Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah."
This blood curse meant that the Messiah could not come from a male in the line of David. As a son of David, how could Jesus circumvent this blood curse? God anticipated this and had the solution centuries before in the time of Moses.
During the wandering in the desert, Zelophehad died without male issue to leave his inheritance.  Zelophehad had five daughters and the daughters petitioned Moses Numbers 27: 4, “Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father.” Moses brought their case before the Lord. And the Lord said, Numbers 27: 8, “And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter.” When the daughter married her father would adopt his son-in-law as his son.
The petition of the daughters of Zelophehad solved in advance the future problem of the blood curse on Jeconiah and all his sons. Jesus’ mother Mary had no brother, so her father adopted her husband Joseph. Through Solomon Joseph was in the line of King David tainted by the blood curse. Mary was in the line of Kind David through his son Nathan, untainted by the blood curse. Mary was the biological mother of Jesus born of her “seed” as predicted thousands of years before in the Garden of Eden. God said, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel.
God is outside of time and nothing surprises Him.

Thursday, January 25, 2018

Mastering the distance from the head to the heart 515-2 - 20 - 4

How have I mastered the distance from the head to the heart; I’m still very much a work in process. I have an absolute knowing that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. This comes not only from years of study but from within, something I can’t really explain. I’m working at becoming a Christian apologist, however, I don’t always have patience when dealing with people, a heart problem. 
Anne Graham Lotz has written, “In almost thirty years of ministry, I have observed many good Christians — but very few great ones. And the difference is the same eighteen inches — the distance from the head to the heart. While there are many good Christians who have a head knowledge of Scripture and are comfortable with prayer, there are relatively few Christians who are in love with Jesus, who put Him first in their lives when doing so demands that they sacrifice their own time, money, and desires”.
Here Mrs. Lotz was referring to a quote by Tom Landry, the head coach over the Dallas Cowboys. “On several occasions, I heard Coach Landry say that during his career he came across many good athletes — but very few great ones. He said the difference between a good athlete and a great one is eighteen inches — the distance from the head to the heart. Good athletes have exceptional ability and a thorough understanding of the game, but great athletes have heart — a passion to play that drives them to selfless sacrifice, brutally long hours of practice, undivided focus, and ultimately, to achieve extraordinary accomplishments.”
[Graham Lotz. Fixing My Eyes on Jesus: Daily Moments in His Word]
When I selected this discussion question, I recalled a book I read years ago “Like A Mighty Wind.” The book is about the Indonesian revival that began in 1965 and according to author, “the Lord has restored the spiritual gifts in our churches, and I thank God for that.” The author goes on to say, “The trouble with most of us is that we have to figure out everything with our minds, our little computers, instead of with our hearts.”
Does the manifesting of the spiritual gifts involve the heart or the head or a combination of the two? Can the head block the impartation of the spiritual gifts? What of baptism in the Holy Spirit?
More basic, are the spiritual gifts for today or did they end with the passing of the first century apostles? CM has a commentary on "The Spirit Gifts" listing divine wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, and tongues.
At the first Pentecostal people spoke in tongues but they spoke a foreigner language understood by foreigner. Fast forward to the present, I attend a Pentecostal church that strongly suggest that speaking in tongues means one is filled with the Holy Spirit. Several people will be speaking at once with no interpretation which sounds to me like babbling. So, is this a reaction of my head rather than the heart? I don’t speak in tongues, rather I feel the presence of the Comforter. I Often get confirmation through “goose bumps.”
Again, my mastering the distance from the head to the heart is a work in process. Perhaps the head rules when it comes to speaking in tongues rather than the simple heart acceptance of it as by Mel Tari, Mel, the author of “Like A Mighty Wind.”

Sunday, January 21, 2018

Psalms 117 and 118, Praise the Lord 515-2 - 19 - 6

Psalm 117:1, “O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.”
In this, the shortest chapter of the Bible, the nations/ Gentiles are called to praise the LORD.
“All ye nations”, that includes the Gentile world. Nearly 2000 years ago Jesus gave the Great Commission to believers for the time between the rejection of the Him and His Second Coming, Matthew 28:19, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”
Romans 15:9, “And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.”
Psalm 117:2, “For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth endlessly. Praise ye the LORD.” 
Jesus fulfilled the promises given to Israel before His incarnation proving that He was/ is from the foundation of time. We Gentiles are grafted in, so we glorify God for His mercy."
Psalm 118:1, “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth forever.” This continues for the net few verses. Let Israel, the house of Aaron and all that fear the Lord now say, that his mercy endureth forever. 
“Never failing streams of mercy flow from our God. The more our hearts are impressed with the sense of His goodness, the more we are bound to praise Him and the more our hearts will be enlarged in all manner of obedience.”
[Summarized Bible K.L. Brooks]
Good words to live by, Psalm 118:8-9, “8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. 9 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.”
Psalm 118:11, “They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.” A foretelling of the return of Jesus as the Lion of Judah.
Psalm 118:18, “The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.”
Because He Lives by Kristin Chenoweth
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living, just because He lives
Psalm 118:22, “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.”
“Jesus Christ is the tried stone, elect, precious, which God Himself appointed. While the Jews could not see the excellence in Him that they should build upon Him, in raising Him from the dead God made Him the headstone of the corner, the foundation of the church. To the rejector He is now a stumbling stone. At His second coming He is the stone cut out without hands which is to fall upon and crush the unbelieving nations.”
[Summarized Bible K.L. Brooks]

Saturday, January 20, 2018

Psalm 109, an imprecatory Psalm 515-2 - 19 - 2

Both Psalm 109 and 110 are Messianic psalms and Psalm 109 is an imprecatory Psalm beginning with, Psalm 109:1-2 “1 Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise; 2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.” And from there, growing anger.
Psalm 109:3, “They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.” As an aside, compassed me is also in Psalm 22:12, “Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me.” Bashan, post flood land of the Rephaim whose king was Og. David was unjustly compassed by his enemies; a foretelling of Jesus being compassed by demonic forces while unjustly nailed to the cross.
Fast forward to the present, Isaiah 5:20, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” The world seems to grow darker daily but still God stays His hand.
However, Psalm 109:5-6, “5 And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love. 6 Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.” There is tribulation in many parts of the world today, nevertheless we are not in the Tribulation; the wicked man will soon appear, the son of Satan, the Antichrist.
After this will be the Second Coming of Jesus, Revelation 19:15, “And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” The sword, the Word of God.   
While reading Psalm 109 I recalled a skit from Saturday Night Live which I rarely watch as it has little redeeming value and, IMO, is too far left of center. Several years I was watching the Sean Hannity Show on FoxNews and Sean was very upset. Sean showed parts of the parody trailer, "DJesus Uncrossed" shown the night before on Saturday Night Live.
And I quote from the trailer, "The parody was a spoof mash-up of Quentin Tarantino movies, Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained." I realize that I often think way outside the box so I had to write about it: 
In the trailer the DJesus character is shown first rolling the rock from the tomb and saying, "Guess who's back." He then invades the Roman guard and with a sword and slays dozens. The moderator says, "He may be wearing sandals, but he can still kick a##." DJesus also kills many more with an assault rifle. Peter organizes the apostles into a Roman killing militia.
The trailer/spoof was extremely blasphemous, extremely violent and had very rough language and ends with the DJesus character saying, "No more Mr. nice Jesus."
Shades of Isaiah 61:2, “…, and the day of vengeance of our God.” When reading from the scroll of Isaiah Jesus stopped before the comma, Luke 4:19. “The day of vengeance of our God” the Second Coming of Jesus.
That said, the intent of the producers of the above trailer was to ridicule Jesus and in turn his believers. However, I wonder if the producers realized that there was a germ of truth in their spoof. As in the trailer, Jesus will return to exact vengeance with a two-edge sword. However, the two-edged sword will be the word of God and not a physical sword.

Thursday, January 18, 2018

Psalm 104, David praises God's majesty and His provisions %15-2 - 18 - 4

The Bible is hologram, one verse relates to a confirming verse and that to another and to....
Matthew Henry divides Psalm 104 as follows:
(Psalm 104:1-9) ,  in the heavens, The creation of the sea, and the dry land.
(Psalm 104:10-18) His provision for all creatures.
(Psalm 104:19-30) The regular course of day and night, and God's sovereign power over all the creatures.
(Psalm 104:31-35) A resolution to continue praising God.
I would divide Psalm 104 further. Psalm 104:1-3 “1 Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. 2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: 3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” 
Truly God's majesty is identified in the heavens. Psalm 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.”  Job 9:8, “Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.” 
Psalm104:3-4, “3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind: 4 Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire”
Ezekiel 1:1, "Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God." There was a fierce whirlwind coming from the north. Followed by four living creatures.... There above the clouds was God on His throne...
Psalm 104:5, “Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed forever.” God asked Job, “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.” Job 38:4.
Then the creation of the sea, and the dry land. Psalm 104:6, “Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.” Leads us back to Genesis 7:19, “And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.”
Psalm 104:9, “Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.” And back to Job 38:4.
As quoted above, Psalm 104:10-18 deals with God’s provision for all creatures and Psalm 104:19-30 charts the regular course of day and night, and God's sovereign power. Psalm 104:31-32, “31 The glory of the LORD shall endure forever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works.” 32 He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.”
David’s resolution is to continue praising God. Psalm 104:33-35, “I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. 34 My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD”
And finally, a cry for justice and a final praise for the Lord. Psalm 104:35, “Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.”

Saturday, January 13, 2018

Psalm 103, mercy and redemption 515-2 - 18 - 3

Psalm 103:1, “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” 
Although I pray throughout the day as well as speaking audibly to God, I have a bad habit of forgetting to give thanks for the food I eat. When I catch myself, I smile and remember what CM said about Psalm 193:1 and say thanks.
Psalm 103:2, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:”
Psalm 103:2 is a call to praise God by David, however, there is an increasing and vocal ingratitude for His creation by unbelievers. The populace is “reaping the whirlwind” of Romans Chapter 1.
Psalm 103:4, “Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;”
Mercy is not getting what we deserve through our fallen nature. Jesus was/ is our propitiation, the gift of redeeming grace.
Psalm 103:8-9, “8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. 9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.”
Here is good news, bad news. God is merciful but eventually His anger will build to a final judgment. In my opinion, the United States has received many “smaller” judgments/ shakings as a wake-up call to revival.
Psalm 103:12, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”
How very comforting it is to know that by grace we are justified before our righteous God. I asked for forgiveness for past sins and then I had trouble remembering them. Now I have the Holy Spirit guiding me.
Psalm 103:16, “For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.”
Although perhaps a bit of a stretch, this verse reminded me of the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. John 3:6, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” harkens back to the redeeming grace of Psalm 103:4 above. John 3:8, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”
Psalm 103 ends with “Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.” We are very blessed to be in His dominion. 

Saturday, January 6, 2018

Psalm 100, God’s love is “Steadfast and Endures Forever.” 515-2 - 17 - 6

Psalm 100, so many riches and guidance in five short verses. God’s love is “Steadfast and Endures Forever.”
Psalm 100:1-2, “1 A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. 2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.”
Here is a call to praise and worship. 
Psalm 100:3, “Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”
John 10:4-5, “4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.”
Our God is the Creator God, our shepherd and worthy of worship.
Psalm 100:4, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”
 Again, a call to worship and perhaps a foretelling of Matthew 28:18-20 and the Great Commission.
Psalm 100:5, “For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting (H5769); and his truth endureth to all generations.” 
H576, everlasting, the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), eternity; always, perpetual, at any time, beginning of the world without end.
Many generation later Jesus made His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem as the Angel Gabriel shared with Daniel hundreds of years earlier [Daniel 9:25]; in fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” 
As Jesus entered Jerusalem people were rejoicing greatly, Luke 19:38, “Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.” This did not set well with the Pharisees who said, “Master, rebuke thy disciples.” Luke 19:40, “And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.” 
Matthew 28:18-20, “18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen,” the Great Commission.
More to the point is this commentary, “We learn from these five short verses that worship is simple. The longest words are thanksgiving, everlasting, and generations. The language is neither involved nor flowery. We learn too that the simple recital of facts about God is worship. The words themselves carry cargoes of wonder. The plain facts are more wonderful than fiction.”
[Believer’s Bible Commentary

Thursday, January 4, 2018

Psalm 92, a Song for the Sabbath day. Psalm 93, The Lord Reigns 515-2 - 17 -2

Two powerful Psalms. Psalm 92 praises the great works of God and Psalm 93 celebrates the eternal King who always was/ is/ and will be when Jesus is on His eternal throne.
Psalm 92:1-2, “1 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: 2 To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,”
Psalm 92 is referred to as Psalm or Song for the Sabbath day. Nevertheless, the Psalmist praises God’s loving kindness in the morning and faithfulness every night. 24/7 is always the correct time to praise the Lord for our many blessings.
Psalm 92:3, “Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound.” 
Perhaps as CM suggested a veiled reference to the world having 10 dimensions.
Psalm 92:4, “For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.” 
Psalm 92:5, “O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep (H6009).”
H6009, deep, Brown-Driver Briggs Definition:
1) to be deep, be profound, make deep
1a) (Qal) to be deep
1b) (Hiphil) to make deep, make profound
Psalm 92:6, “A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this.”
Living in a fallen world, understanding the deep thoughts of God are beyond the natural man.
Psalm 92:9, “For, lo, thine enemies, O LORD, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.” 
A coming judgment?
Psalm 92:15, “To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.” 
The Lord is upright, ethical and unchanging and the rock is our coming Messiah.
Psalm 93:1, “The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.”
A song for the coming Messiah when He crowned Lord and is clothed with majesty rather than the homespun of His first incarnation.
Psalm 93:2, “Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.”
King Jesus is eternal with no beginning and no end.
Psalm 93:3-4, “3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. 4 The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.”
There will be a flood of Gentiles as all nations proclaim Jesus as Lord.
Psalm 93:5, “Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, forever.”
A warning is found in Revelation 21:27, “And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.” 

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Psalm 83, the inner ring 515-2 - 16 - 2

Asaph, the author of Psalm 83, cries out to God, Psalm 83:1, “Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.”
This Psalm was/ is about a then besieged Israel as well as pointing to the future defeat of her enemies. 
Psalm 83:4-5, “4, They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. 5, For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee.”
Not so fast, Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.”
Isaiah 17:1, “The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.”
I expected the Damascus prophecy to be fulfilled a few years ago when time sensitive chemical WMD were being produced in Syria. Nevertheless, Syria is becoming a ruinous heap.
 Ezekiel 38 deals with a confederacy of Israeli’ outer ring enemies coming to “the land of unwalled villages; that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates to take a spoil.”
Israel certainly is not an unwalled village so is Psalm 83 sandwiched between Isaiah 17:1 and the Gog and Magog war of Ezekiel 38? Psalm 83:13-15, “O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind. 14 As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire; 15 So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm.” Stubble before the wind,” the destruction of Damascus?
Bill Salus has an interesting take on Psalm 83 in his book. PSALM 83, The Missing Prophecy Revealed - How Israel Becomes the Next Mideast Superpower. To Mr. Salus, Psalm 83 is predictive of a future war between Israel and the “inner circle,” her enemies that border her.
After the fulfillment of Psalm 83 the area controlled by Israel will be greatly increased as she wins back land promised to her by God thousands of years ago. After Israel is victorious over these “inner ring” countries she will then dwell in peace in unwalled villages. In peace that is until the Gog and Magog war involving Israel’s “outer ring” countries, those not sharing a border with Israel.
Although Israel will most likely be responsible for winning the future Psalm 83 victory, God will intervene in the Gog and Magog war. Ezekiel 38:23, “Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.” Indeed, He is the Lord.