Search Results

We need to declare the whole/full counsel of God. If you look at your bible while it is closed there are a few things you can tell. Firstly, if all the pages are new and unworn, this means one of two things, either your bible is new or else if it is not then you do not use it very much! If the last third or so is worn but the first two thirds unworn then you spend most of your time in the New Testament. Conversely, if the first two thirds are worn and the last third unworn then you spend most your time in the Old Testament. Each Testament has its own unique emphasis however, either one is incomplete without the other. Someone has calculated that there are 6,600 cross references between the Old and New Testaments. please read this poem which explains the relationship between the two testaments. Poem The New is in the Old Contained The Old is in the New Explained The New is in the Old Enfolded The Old is in the New Unfolded The New is in the Old Concealed The Old is in the New Revealed Yes, there is a wonderful harmony between The Old and The New Testament. 66 books written by some 40 authors, all inspired by the same Holy Spirit. Today, we are going to see from God`s word the need for Christians to read and to know all of God`s word. Key Scripture Acts 20:17-30 Verse 20; Paul kept back nothing from them that he knew about God, about God`s word, about God`s will, about salvation and about the Gospel. He gave them all that would profit them whether it suited them or not. He taught about all things pertaining to life and godliness. He preached the cross and Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness. Verse 26; Innocent of the blood of all men, why? Because he did not shun/neglect to tell of all God’s word. Verse 27; The whole counsel of God The whole/complete/perfect will of God for man. Do you want to be innocent of the blood of all men? Perhaps like Paul we need to be able to declare/ to explain/to share the whole counsel of God to our fellow men. But where did Paul get/find the whole counsel or perfect will of God for man? Paul did not have a copy of the New Testament like we do today because it had not been written yet. But Paul understood the whole counsel of God by; ❖ Studying the Old Testament Scriptures ❖ Receiving revelation of them by the Holy Spirit Christians who only read the New Testament please note that the Apostle Paul only had the Old Testament to study to. (Psalm 33:11) Acts 17:10-12; They searched the scriptures daily to find out if what Paul and Silas preached was true. Do you search the scriptures daily to find out if what your leaders are preaching is true? What scriptures did the Bereans search? Again, it was the Law and Prophets of the Jewish The Old Testament. Jesus Christ fulfilled all the prophecies about Messiah in the Old Testament. 2 Timothy 3:12-17 Verse 16 All scriptures from Genesis to Malachi, from Matthew to Revelation are inspired by God. It is all God breathed. It is all full of Life. It is all full of Power. It is sharper than a two-edged sword and is given ability to penetrate the thought and motives of our hearts. All men who wrote the books of the whole Bible, it was the Holy Spirit who breathed God`s life into them! All scripture is profitable for doctrine, good wholesome sound godly teaching. All scripture is profitable for reproof for telling you off where you are wrong. All scripture is profitable for corrections. How to get it right now you admit you admit your errors. All scripture is profitable for instruction in righteousness. For showing you that you are righteous in/through Jesus Christ and that we have no righteousness of our own, and tells us how to walk in that righteousness. Verse 17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God that you the man of God, the woman of God may be thoroughly fully equipped for every good work. Would you like to be thoroughly equipped? Then read the scriptures daily, read all the scriptures. Both the Old and the New testaments. Matthew 13:52 On every occasion, you can receive a living word as Holy Spirit brings to you something old and something new. Something old from the Hebrew scriptures (the law) and something new from the New Testament (grace). Let us read the poem again. Poem The New is in the Old Contained The Old is in the New Explained The New is in the Old Enfolded The Old is in the New Unfolded The New is in the Old Concealed The Old is in the New Revealed Let us be like Paul and know the whole counsel of God and declare it. And be guilty of no man’s blood. Amen Practical Note: Prepare your plans for reading God`s word. Prayer: Pray for a new balance in your scripture reading. Amen

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 by Jacky Wilson Today’s Bible reading is about God’s Covenant with Abram who, as we know, will later be called Abraham. There are a number of Covenants of great significance in the Bible: the Noahic (No-ay-ic) Covenant, the Abrahamic Covenant (which we will be looking at this today), the Mosaic Covenant, the Davidic Covenant, and the New Covenant. So our Bible passage opens with “… after these things...,” We might be asking: "What things?" In the previous Chapter, A-bram chased the kings of the north out of the land and rescued his nephew Lot from their clutches. Abram is then blessed with bread and wine by the King of Salem, whose name is Melchizedek, Priest of the Most High God, to whom Abram in turn then gives a tithe of 10% ('Salem' is later renamed 'Jerusalem'). Melchizedek tells Abram that the dramatic deliverance was not because of Abram’s power and influence, but because of the blessing of the Most High God. But Abram’s bold move to subdue the northern kings has also left him worried, he is fearful that they may return. So as he sits there worrying, the Word of the Lord comes to him in a Vision: “Do not fear, Abram, I am your Shield, your very Great Reward.” and affirms to Abram that the kings will indeed not return. In fact, Abram has nothing to fear for the Lord will not only protect Abram, but He will also bless Abram as He has promised. As Abram hears God’s reassuring words, it takes his mind back to an earlier promise of God. That promise made to him when he left Ur, to provide Abram with both an inheritance and an heir. The promise also affirmed that he would have nations come from him. But Abram here is thinking: "I am not getting any younger, and Sarai is long past child-bearing age." So while Abram is confident in God’s promise of an inheritance, he is questioning whether the possibility of an heir is still on the table. Beginning with this chapter and continuing until the end of Abram’s life, the story focuses on the other half of God’s promise… the seed. Abram said, "Lord God, what will you give me seeing I go childless, you have given me no offspring, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” According to the custom of the day, in the absence of a son and heir, the inheritance of the estate belonged to the oldest servant born in the house. God then answers, and it never fails me how God’s timing is exactly right on time; God takes longer to answer our prayers than we would prefer, but His timing is nevertheless always perfect. We all know in our heart of hearts that God is faithful, but like Abram, when much time has passed, we begin to doubt, often because we ourselves or a friend or family member has broken a promise, or not kept our word. Do we see God like that sometimes? We do. But God’s promises are always fulfilled - however long they take to arrive. So how does God respond? "And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 'This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.‘ And He took him outside and said, 'Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.' And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.’” Back in Genesis Chapter 13, God also tells Abram that he would have descendants so numerous they would be like the dust of the earth. So God repeats to Abram that Abram would have an heir from his own body. It is evening, so God tells Abram to leave his tent and go outside. As Abram leaves the tent, God tells him to look up towards heaven and count the stars and says to him, "… so shall your descendants be." Have you ever been under a night sky with no lights around? Let us now imagine the glory of the universe on display before our eyes. Everywhere you look, you see stars. Even in the darkest places, as you gaze, even more stars appear. There seems to be no end to them. You can understand the impossibility of counting so many stars. Hopefully, an experience will have blessed you as awe-inspiring as this. I know I have been blessed gazing up into the clear night sky in the desert in Israel, and in a remote spot in Ireland, where my Sister-in-Law lives. We truly have an awesome God. There are certainly many questions that come to mind, when we think about what must have been going through Abram’s mind as he pondered God’s words: „How can such a thing happen? Will it be by Sarai or someone else? And how long will it be before the first child comes? As Abram wrestled with these things, scripture tells us, "...BUT Abram, believed in the LORD; and He accounted it to him for righteousness." One of, if not the most important verse in the Old Testament. Abram believed the Lord’s promise to make his descendants too numerous to count. And because Abram believed God’s promise concerning this future event, and placed his trust in God, God credited Abram’s faith to him as righteousness. He trusted God and God blessed Abram by counting his faith as righteousness. For the first time in Scripture we see belief or trust, justification, and righteousness in a single statement. And this statement is foundational to all that we understand about how God is at work to save men from sin. Abram was following God, step by step, as we all do, and his walk with God was imperfect - but even so, Abram took God’s promise concerning the future and made it his own. He began to look forward to that future, to anticipate it, to see it as if it was already a present reality. This is the definition of faith, a belief in the future so sure and unwavering that we accept it as if it were history. In the book of Hebrews 11:1-2. - It says. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men and women of old gained approval. “According to the author of Hebrews, the definition of saving faith involves both an object of faith and the content of faith. The object of faith is always the same: God’s promises. The promises of God hold hope for the future. They ask us to accept something that seems impossible on the face of it. For Abram, the foolish promise he received was to have a multitude of descendants when he had yet to bear even one child naturally. The only way to accept such a promise is if you have a faith that goes beyond rational human reasoning. It must come from a supernatural source! Cutting the covenant Abram now wants assurance of how he will inherit the promise, and God instructs him to bring a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtle dove, and a young pigeon. Abram then brings all these before God and cuts them in two down the middle, placing each piece opposite the other; but he does not cut the birds in two. In verse 11 we are told that when the vultures come down, Abram drives them away. The vultures represent an attack on the covenant promise between God and Abram, distracting and drawing away Abram’s attention if they can. On this night at dusk, Abram seems supernaturally overpowered by a deep sleep and a great and dreadful darkness falls upon him. In a dream, he sees the future of his people who will be held in captivity for 400 years. But through all this, despite all the troubles, opposition and attacks on his faith and trust in God’s promises, Abram is promised that he will die in peace and shall be buried at a good old age. The sun has now gone down, and it is completely dark a smoking pot and a burning torch appear and then pass between the sacrificial pieces that Abram has prepared. We know that a smoking pot with a flaming torch was used in Mesopotamian rituals to ward off evil. But here it seems the smoking pot and flaming torch are not symbolic of Abram’s efforts to ward off evil but are actual representations of God himself moving between the pieces. Remarkably, it is the Lord Himself who is moving between the halves alone, which invokes a curse upon Himself should He break the terms of the covenant. This covenant is a commitment of the one Party! God is placing Himself on the line, His Name, His reputation, and His Being. So God makes the covenant with Abram an action that can be considered complete, instantaneous, and valid in the here and now. The Lord unconditionally promises that Abram’s descendants will possess the land. The promise becomes increasingly definite as the reality becomes increasingly implausible to the ageing Abram — until Isaac is born! At the beginning of this Bible Passage, I mentioned the great significance of the five Covenants which show us how we can see the covenants progressively build upon one another forming a spine of sorts to the redemptive work of God. God preserved the world through Noah, initiated redemption through Abraham, formed a special people through Israel, promised a shepherd-king through David, and then fulfilled all his covenantal promises through Jesus. With each covenant, God’s promises and plans to save the world through the seed of the woman become clearer and clearer until we finally see that redemption can only come through King Jesus. ***From this historical passage from the Bible how do we today apply this to our lives. First, we need to totally believe in God’s word and His promises as Abram did. We need to trust that God will fulfil that promise, not wavering, but standing on the promise, even when it is hard to believe, or we cannot see how it will come to pass. Let us hold onto and remember God’s word stands and He will come through for us. We are saved today by grace, so let us strengthen our faith on a promise in God’s word, like the Saints of old, like Abram, whose faith was strengthened on the promise of many descendants will come from him. Remind God of the promise or scripture that God has given you and believe and trust in it. Put on the full armour every day which is found in Ephesians 6 that God has given us, especially remembering the shield of faith to stop those arrows of the evil one from getting through to us. Put on the breast place of Righteousness, Jesus’s righteousness. Let us choose to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. I am going to lead us in a prayer now - let us be still Holy Spirit, we welcome you - fill this place with your presence - Father in the name of Jesus, thank you that you are here amongst us… “Jesus asks a question” - Are you struggling today with what we see and hear going on in the world around us, or we ourselves are going through a difficult or challenging time with our personal situations? Then let us close our eyes, as we now come individually into the presence of the Lord - and ask God to renew our trust in Him, and to give us His peace. For us, whose faith might feel a bit shaky, let us ask God to renew and deepen our faith and to remind us that He has already put Himself on the line for us, as He did for Abram, and as Abram we need but trust Him and walk with Him step by step into the fulfilment of His promises. Lord Jesus, come now in the power of the Holy Spirit and meet us in all our needs, restore us, instil a renewed, deeper trust in You, to the glory of your Name. In Jesus Name. Amen Full text which is easy to print at https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/god-s-covenant-with-abram

Whose voice did you hear? About a year ago whilst I was alone in a closed room, I heard an audible voice say to ‘Your time is short.’ (Just for the record it would very rare for me to hear directly from the Lord nor have I suffered from any type of hallucinations at any time in my life). I was a bit shocked, I asked myself if this was the voice of the Lord telling me to get me house in order as my time earth might not be long. Or could it have been a message to frighten me from the enemy’s team? I prayed and asked the Lord to show me if the message was from him and a few months passed with no obvious answer coming. However, the Lord did give me the answer as you might expect from the bible. I felt an impression in the usual way asking me ‘How did this voice announce itself’? Everywhere in the bible where the Lord himself or his holy angels make an appearance to an individual or a group of believers, the first thing they say ‘Fear not or Peace unto you or something similar’. The reason for this because the Lord knows our frame and that it can be very frightening for a human to encounter a supernatural being such the Lord himself or his holy angels. It has been asserted that the KJV bible records the expression ‘Fear not and similar expressions’ 365 times. That is very useful if correct, a ‘fear not’ for every day of the year! So I had my answer, this voice did not tell me to' fear not' or 'receive peace' and so the voice was not from the Lord nor his angel! So the Lord clearly answered my request. Amen Fear not, fear nought but God. PS Would you recognise the Lord if He spoke directly to you? What do you think? Print out and much more at https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/did-the-lord-speak-directly-to-you

Luke 14:12-14 Previously we saw the intimacy of sharing a meal. Such sharing builds strength into our family units and cements friendships between families. If you feel you’ve few friends, then perhaps it is time to invite someone for a meal? We also learned that we must not let trivial things hold us back from serving the Lord in this way. Luke 14:12 Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. 13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: 14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. Comments Verse 12; Does not preclude intimate meals with those we love, as the general tone of scripture bids us share each other’s lives. The idea is that we need to show hospitality beyond those in our circle of family and friends. Verse 13; Here is a clear duty in scripture to society’s less fortunate, the blind, the crippled, and the lame. Or what about the homeless and single parents? Verse 12-14; The idea of repayments tells us to check our motives for hospitality from this viewpoint. There is the greatest safety in giving to those who cannot repay. Amen Matthew 6:1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. Comments Charity is best practiced in secret lest we fall into the subtle sin of hypocrisy, in other words when we show charity to be seen by other people. Verse 1; There is no reward if you have wrong motives. Verse 2; If you draw attention to yourself to get the honour of man you will lose God’s reward. Verse 3; God requires your charity to be done in the strictest secrecy Verse 4; What is secret to man, God sees and God rewards. When only God knows your charitable deeds then your motives are safer. -- James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. Looking after the widows and orphans and helping the helpless is a true measure of our heart for God. The warning from Isaiah 10:1-2 makes it clear the God is closely watching that justice is done for the widow, the orphan, and the poor. Those who exploit the poor cannot run to God, they have nowhere to go on the day of their calamity. Matthew 25:31-46; God identifies intimately with poor James 2:14-17; Faith without works is dead Galatians 2:10; Always remember the poor If Jesus Christ totally identifies with the poor, then so must we. Bless someone today who cannot repay you and keep it a secret between you and the Lord. Amen Prayer For a print copy and much more please click the link below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/remember-those-who-cant-repay

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine Sometimes when we feel heavy hearted, a good laugh and a smile really lift our souls! Similarly at a spiritual level we need to ‘put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.’ The Lord has provided an antidote for the spirit of heaviness. Isaiah 61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. As we begin to praise God and sing to Him the heaviness of heart and soul is lifted from us. We need to remember that when Paul and Silas were badly whipped, bleeding and thrown in the deepest dungeon they began singing praises to God at midnight. This act set them free in every sense and even led to the salvation of their jailer and his family! The Lord has also provided an antidote to sadness in our hearts. Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. Strong’s: merry 8056. sameach, saw-may'-akh; from H8055; blithe or gleeful: --(be) glad, joyful, (making) merry ([-hearted]), rejoice (-ing). That smile and laugh can really boost our hearts and souls. Conclusion The garment of praise is indeed the answer for the spirit of heaviness! When we start praising God in difficult circumstances our joy begins to return and as our heart becomes merry with the new wine of the Spirit, so the joy removes the heaviness like a medicine. Hallelujah, I am going to get my ‘prescription’ my 'medicine' right now, what about you? Praise the Lord Remember we walk by faith not by sight or feelings. Amen Prayer For a print out and much more please click on the link below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/put-on-the-garment-of-praise

by Guest blogger Ian Atkin Traditionally and in times past, primarily a ‘Holy Day’ – holiday – Christmas acknowledged true belief in the historical birth of Jesus of Nazareth, who at birth was recognised by many as ‘The Christ’ – The Messiah. In modern times it is evident that true belief in the historical reality of the life, ministry and death of Jesus of Nazareth takes second place to the celebration of the mythological figure Santa Claus. The Christian message is largely lost in this generation; the population in the UK, in the main, has rejected our Christian heritage, the foundations on which our society and structures were built on. Significantly, the foundations and structures of our society were hard fought for, in for example, the dark ages of medievalism, the Reformation, the first and second world wars. The Christian message fundamentally is that of the need for humanity ‘to be saved’ and that it is Jesus Christ who provides the means by which we can ‘be saved.’ However, in modernity people generally do not believe in God, His judgement, nor in the possibility of eternal hell after death. However, Christian believers know that this is indeed what they have been saved from. Salvation is an offer from God to every human being that lives – but He requires a response! It is for those ‘who have ears to hear and eyes to see’ their own need, and, to see spiritually that it is Jesus Christ who will meet that need – there is no other way to ‘be saved.’ The Christian message has also always been about ‘the return of Christ’ – that Jesus is ‘coming back again.’ When He lived, His disciples pushed Jesus for a description of the ‘signs of the times’ that would indicate His return was getting nearer (a time future to them). The response of Jesus is found in Mathew Chapter 24 and Luke Chapter 21. What Jesus described is evident in the days we are living in today. Importantly, there are two events occurring in this generation that has not happened in past generations – these events mean that we are now living in the times that Jesus and His disciples referred to as ‘the signs of the times of the end of the age preceding His return.’ These two related events are: 1. The establishment, in 1948, of the Independent State of Israel, the Jewish homeland, ‘The Promised Land’. And, 2 The return of the Jewish people (Aliyah), from around the world, to Israel. These are the events which distinguish this generation and these times from previous ones; therefore, we live in the times described in The Bible as ‘the end of the age,’ the times in which current events indicate and precede the return of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. We live in troubled times. The Covid-19 Sars 2 virus pandemic is surely a warning sign to the entire world. Christ will return. The ‘saved’ will be His. The ‘unsaved’ will not be. When Jesus was alive, He was frequently asked by people “what must I do to be saved?” His consistent reply was “repent” meaning ‘change your mind (about what you believe about me),’ “believe” i.e. ‘in me as Lord and Saviour,’ and “be baptised.” The Scriptures say, “All who call on the name of The Lord will be saved;” The Lord’s Name is Jesus Christ – this is the name we must call on. Also, “confess with your lips He is Lord and believe in your heart God raised Him from death to life” – so., make this confession and adopt this belief – it is not too difficult! As we move from Christmas time towards Easter it is interesting to think about whether our beliefs and celebrations relate to the birth, death and resurrection of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, or are they about belief and celebration in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. We can celebrate ‘both/and,’ it does not have to be ‘either/or.’ We can all enjoy the best of both worlds by receiving God’s gifts of salvation and eternal life as well as receiving Christmas presents and Easter eggs. Normal is not returning! The Jewish people (the ‘Chosen People’) are returning! (to ‘the Promised Land’). Jesus Christ is returning! to end this age and establish His Kingdom here on earth, in which “all things will be made as new.” Say ‘yes’ to God’s offer of salvation – get saved – be saved. The alternative does not bare thinking about! Amen Full text at https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/end-times-a-few-initial-thoughts Further thoughts at 'Are we living in the end times? https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/are-we-living-in-the-end-times

An exuberant declaration of faith Psalm 27 A Psalm of David KJV 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat {1} up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. 4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the {2} beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. 5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. 6 And now shall mine head be lifted up {3} above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy {4}; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord. 7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me and answer me. 8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek. 9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. 11 Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. 12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. 13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait {5} on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. {References} Psalm 27:2 devour Psalm 27:4 delightfulness Psalm 27:6 Lifted up in honour Psalm 27:6 joyous shouts Psalm 27:14 Wait in faith Comments This Psalm has a habit, when I am finding life difficult, of coming to my notice. I find it has had all-encompassing message over the years. It starts mentioning God, also my need of his light and salvation. This becomes evident as life marches on! Then the Psalm mentions lots of what we face as Christians - battles, in all aspects of our humanity as God works with us to bring us into Christ's likeness. It talks regarding battles, which sometimes has to do with relationships as it has been for me. It is comforting also encouraging when it assures us, we are not alone, it is a two-way relationship. As we face ourselves during it all we also need to know how to deal with the enemy of our souls - Satan. We are never alone. I particularly love the last verse, which is hard to comply with - WAIT on the Lord, be of good courage - he will strengthen your heart "out of which come all the issues of life." That covers so much! Last line of the verse again the command - WAIT I say on the Lord! While grounded in Australia (due to an ash cloud) a few years ago, with my great niece, I got a bit stressed, then this is the verse (v14) that came to mind. This verse brought me peace and the Lord worked it all out without any hitches! A further bonus too was my great-niece, who was still in primary school had the opportunity to sample school in Australia whilst there. A wonderful experience for her, and reassurance for her parents in Scotland. Father God had it all in hand! Amen by Guest blogger J Esslemont (medical missionary- retired) Print copy at https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/psalm-27

Psalm 27 by Jean Esslemont An Exuberant Declaration of Faith A Psalm of David NKJV 27 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked came against me To eat [a] up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell. 3 Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident. 4 One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the [b] beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple. 5 For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. 6 And now my head shall be [c] lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of [d] joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. 7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8 When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.” 9 Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10 When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the Lord will take care of me. 11 Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. 12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence. 13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. 14 Wait [e] on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord! Footnotes [a] -[e] = 1-5 Psalm 27:2 devour Psalm 27:4 delightfulness Psalm 27:6 Lifted up in honour Psalm 27:6 joyous shouts Psalm 27:14 Wait in faith This Psalm has a habit, when I am finding life difficult, of coming to my notice. I find it has had all-encompassing message over the years. It starts mentioning God, also my need of his light and salvation. This becomes evident as life marches on! Then the Psalm mentions lots of what we face as Christians - battles, in all aspects of our humanity as God works with us to bring us into Christ's likeness. It talks regarding battles, which sometimes has to do with relationships as it has been for me. It is comforting also encouraging when it assures us, we are not alone, it is a two-way relationship. As we face ourselves during it all we also need to know how to deal with the enemy of our souls - Satan. We are never alone. I particularly love the last verse, which is hard to comply with - WAIT on the Lord, also be of good courage - he will strengthen your heart "out of which come all the issues of life." That covers so much! Last line of the verse again the command - WAIT I say on the Lord! While grounded in Australia (due to an ash cloud) a few years ago, with my great niece, I got a bit stressed, then this is the verse (v14) that came to mind. This verse brought me peace and the Lord worked it all out without any hitches! A further bonus too was my great-niece, who was still in primary school had the opportunity to sample school in Australia while there. A great experience for her, and also reassurance for her parents in Scotland. Father God had it all in hand! Amen

Do something extravagant for God If the Lord tarries and you eventually die, how do you want to be remembered? What do you want written on your tombstone? The follower of Jesus called Tabitha (aka Dorcas Acts 9:36) was remembered at two distinct levels. As a friend and excellent tailor As someone whom Peter raised from the dead And what about other women of God, Esther, risked her life for her people? Deborah strengthened the weak Barak. Mary had the faith to become Jesus’ mother. Rahab prostitute believed and found salvation. Mary Magdalene was the first person to see Lord risen. However, in this message I believe the Lord wants us to consider the legacy of another godly woman. Matthew 26:6-13 Mark 14:3-9 John 12:3-8 Here we find Mary (Lazarus’ sister) who had anointed Jesus. She might have realised that Jesus was going to be killed and anointed Jesus with perfume was worth a year’s wages. The disciple (Judas) grumbled but Jesus refused to condemn her. Matthew 26:13 describes a memorial to Mary What a memorial for an extravagant act of love and devotion. A beautiful gesture of worship. If you could do it, would you? Proverbs 22:1 A good name is more desirable than great riches. God wants you to be remembered for your love for him and I believe he is calling you today as his follower, to make an extravagant act of worship to him. What precious thing have you got to give him? To pour out it will cost you dear, but it will be worth it for he alone is worthy! Amen Personal Prayer

Says who? You need to test the thoughts coming into your mind? Read 2 Kings 6:16-17 Do you think that politicians and local government are influenced by public opinion? Of course, they are, if not they would soon be voted out-of-office. But who influences public opinion and where do the ideas come from? Public opinion says it is ok to gamble, to live together before marriage. Public opinion says it is ok to practice same sex relationships. Public opinion largely supports abortion. Public opinion no longer supports the family. Public opinion has growing support for euthanasia. Who is the script writer for public opinion? If most people in your country are unbelievers, and if they are, then their opinions and beliefs will be influenced by the world, the flesh, and the devil. The word of God is alien and incomprehensible to them. We as believers in Jesus Christ the Living Word of God, must not be deceived by the opinions and ideas of the world. The aim of this message today, is to warn the church, to continue to question popular beliefs and public opinion to find out where their source lies. Going beyond this, we need to begin to pull down mental barriers and strongholds in our minds, so that our thinking begins to conform to the truth, the truth of God`s word. Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to world`s standards. Do not be conformed to world`s ideas. Do not be conformed to world`s morals. Do not be conformed to world`s thinking. Do not let the world squeeze you in its mold. Be transformed into the image of Christ. Be transformed from glory to glory. Be transformed into the full stature and maturity of Jesus Christ. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Renew your mind by reading God`s word. Renew your mind by meditating in the scriptures. Renew your mind by listening to voice of Holy Spirit. Renew your mind by reading and obeying God`s word. Then, then, then. You will know and prove what is good. You will know the truth and it shall set you free. You will know where every idea, whether public opinion, or the private opinion of yourself and others, whether it comes of God or not. All our lives before we were saved, when we were children, the world, the flesh, the devil sowed wrong ideas and thoughts into us, which grew up in us and became wrong beliefs that are contrary to God`s word and God`s will for our lives. Is this part of your life story or testimony? Do not tell your kids that “they will never amount to anything” for this is a self-fulfilling prophecy. God wants to break down such mental barriers (stronghold: castles in our minds). He wants to make the ‘unthinkable’ to become ‘thinkable’. I`d could never do… God can enable you I`ll never be able to give up …Says who? Not God, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not God, the Son. Not God, the Holy Spirit. We need to ask; says who? and only accept God’s words and thoughts! We have the mind of Christ, the Creator’s mind. We should hear the voice of Spirit. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; God has given us mighty weapons, given us power in the name of Jesus Christ. Given us power to bind and to loose, power to tread on the enemy! Use it! 2 Corinthians 4:2-4; Blinded minds cannot see truth, blinded by the preconceptions and ungodly ideas. Strongholds: My husband/wife and I will never be able to get on... Says who? I`ll never be a leader… Says who? I`ll never have a ministry…Says who? I`ll never speak in church… Says who? I`ll never be able to pray like so and so…Says who? I`ll never become a mature believe... Says who? I`ll never be able to quit drinking and smoking etc. … Says who? The devil does not need to limit your opportunities. If he has limited your mind with mental barriers to stop you progressing in God, then here is what you need to do… 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Every thought or idea that pops into our minds, do not be pushed over! Check it against God`s word. If it passes, act on it. If it fails, use the word of God as the sword of the Spirit on it to demolish it. If you are tempted to steal use the sword of the spirit on the temptation… It is written thou shalt not steal. Jesus did this three times when tempted by Satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). Strongholds- are mental prisons, or chains that bind us to wrong behaviour/thoughts. My husband/wife/dad/mother will never get saved… Says who? If you believe this, you`ll stop praying and witnessing, and your church will not grow... Says who? Do not let your thoughts allow poison seeds to be planted from the enemy of your soul. Ephesians 6:12;Put on the whole armour of God including the helmet of your salvation. The armour is a daily lifestyle lived in the revelation of your identity in Christ. We take every thought captive and only release the good seeds (thoughts) into our minds after first testing them. This will bring you brother and sister into maturity as a believer. Summary We need to keep strict control over our thought lives. Not just new ideas and thoughts that pop into our minds but also established habits thought life and test them versus God`s word. Do not let the devil sow poisonous seeds and weeds in your mind. They are tomorrow`s strongholds, cast them out now. Amen.

Something was missing in my life In 1983, my wife and I were living in Mayfield, Dalkeith. I was working in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and oversaw a big medical laboratory. I was happily married, had a lovely family, a successful career, but I knew there was something missing, but I did not know what is was. In the late spring of 1983, I lay on my bed one evening and I started to try to make a prayer, which was a new thing for me. It went something like this, OK God, or is it Jesus, what is the deal? What do I need to do? I lay there for about 30 minutes and guess what happened? Absolutely nothing! or so I thought, and my thinking was that I must be a hopeless case if God was not interested! But God heard that prayer, and 6 months later sent a Christian couple from along the road to tell my wife and I the Gospel story, of how Jesus God’s son had died on the cross for sinners like me. I did not jump at the opportunity, but there came a point, when the man Raymond said, ‘where would you go if you died tonight’? It was a though an invisible curtain fell in the room and I knew for the first time I was on the wrong side from God, and I would not go to heaven. I now know this is called conviction of sin. We said, what do we need to do to be saved? The couple then led both my wife and I, in what we now recognise as ‘the sinner’s prayer’ in which we recognised that we were indeed sinners and needed Jesus’ sacrifice to pay for our sins. We both accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour there and then. Something I could not explain was happening. Next, the man said we do not always do this, but we believe God wants to fill you with His Holy Spirit. We had no idea about the Holy Spirit but recognised something special was happening in the room. When they prayed for me, I felt something akin to electricity surging through my body, so much so that I had to sit down in case I fell. The couple read us the parable of the sower and told us to bear fruit for God. They then prophesied Psalm 1 over my life. There was a huge change in our lives, I could no longer use bad language, a huge weight of sin lifted of my shoulders. I felt as though I had, had a sauna inside my being, cleansing out all the pores of badness in me. I developed a tremendous hunger for the bible and Christian books. The Lord brought the right people into our lives who showed us the way to become followers of Jesus. This was a wonderful new beginning in our lives bringing the purpose and direction that I cried out to God for. God then blessed us in every area of our lives our family, our marriage, our finances etc. A neighbour even said that we looked younger! In closing, my late mother-in-law Sybil used to sing this song which captures our story. It is no secret what God can do, what He has done for others, He will do for you With arms wide open He will pardon you Come to Jesus and get your free pardon today (see below)

The Beatitudes Matthew 5:7-12 In part 1 we covered Matthew 5:3-6, we now pick up from Matthew 5:7 https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/sermon-on-the-mount-2 Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men cast insults at you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely on account of Me… v.7 Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy; The Lord is our Shepherd, and He leads us on into the area of forgiveness. He showed us how it is done and now expects us to give it in the same way. We must show that same mercy to others especially the poor! In everyday terms this means dealing with offences, resentments, and even full-blown hate. Hurt produces anger and then resentment manifesting in grudges and thought and/or acts of hatred. Mercy costs us the sinful fleshly pleasure of revenge. The seeds of resentment will produce a bitter harvest in our lives. resentment is like an addictive drug... We must sow mercy and forgiveness and then the world will see Christ in us because it knows the thrill of revenge. v.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God: We must lift clean hands to God flowing out from a pure heart. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks! Create in me a clean heart O God. We must purify our hearts by washing with the Word of God, which is sharper than a two-edged sword' piercing even to the division of the soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12.). We need to bring all our ugliness, prejudices, mental barriers and even our very motives to God having the removed and replaced by that which is truth. As our hearts are purified so the desire to see God grows. The Lord can only be revealed to those whose hearts are pure as only they have the correct motives and perspective to see Him. To see His hand, the finger of God moving, to see His MO[1] to see His motive ......Love. As we allow our hearts to be purified our motives will become godly and will see God in others, in situations in our own lives and of course eventually we will see Him face to face. v.9 Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God. The Son of God came to reconcile sinful man to a Holy God, He is the ultimate peace maker giving us peace with God and the peace of God. As we are purified so we become peaceable towards men and the desire to witness and evangelise grows i.e. to preach the gospel of peace. Like Father like Son, .... like sons. We must bring the peace of God to the unbelieving out of a pure heart, with correct motives and a lifestyle which is above reproach. v.10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. All that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution! I call it 'negative confirmation ' that you are in the will of God! It seems that every step of faith we take in God that there is a persecution raised by the enemy. Remember Nehemiah, at first, they mocked and then progressed through various steps to threatening to murder him. (Nehemiah is a good study in which to see Satan's strategy of discouragement of believers). As we step out into God's plan, we will consider ourselves as blessed (and not be discouraged) in that we have been considered worthy to be persecuted for Jesus’ sake. v.11 Blessed are you when men cast insults at you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely on account of Me..... Bible-bashers, Jesus freaks, God-squad, nutters and worse, if you have or are being called such, rejoice Jesus says you are blessed. Do you believe Him? We are called to make up or share in the sufferings of Christ, who for the joy that was set before Him endured death, even death on the cross. Not just insults but nails and death. We must consider ourselves blessed as the inevitable persecutions come forth and be of the same mind as Christ. Summary Consider the stepwise order of the Beatitudes (salvation). Only admission of our poverty in spirit to God can enable Him to breathe His life into us. When we reach the point of mourning over our sins God can do something with us. God begins to work in us producing meekness and humility. Meekness with humility removes paralysing fear from us and produces courage in us to go and possess the land, to begin to fulfil all our destiny in Christ. We no longer try to do things in our own strength. Our tastes and likes to begin to change. God begins to fill us with a hunger and thirst for His things. We begin to hunger for His Word and to thirst for God’s presence. We also begin to long for the things that God longs for. As we allow our hearts to be purified our motives will become godlier and will begin to see God in others and in situations in our own lives. Having received the peace of God, we must bring it to the unbelieving out of a pure heart, with correct motives and a lifestyle which is above reproach. We must consider ourselves blessed as the inevitable persecutions come forth and be of the same mind as Christ and remember to rejoice and not be discouraged. Amen Further study Consider the Beatitudes in the book of Nehemiah. Consider the Beatitudes in an area of your life. Consider converting the beatitudes into a prayer for your own and others growth in discipleship. Prayer Lord, we come to you in Jesus’ name, confessing our poverty and inability to do anything for you in your kingdom. We realise that we are weak and sinful people and are fed up with our powerlessness. Lord, as we mourn over our sins, forgive, and cleanse us and produce meekness and humility in our lives. Free us from paralysing fear and enable and empower us to possess the land and fulfil all our destiny in Christ. Take away the desire to do things in our own strength but rather fill us with a hunger and thirst for you and your things. Let us be a people like David, men, and women after your own heart. Purify our hearts, motives, and lives that we might begin to see you and bring the unbelievers to your wonderful salvation. Cause us to rejoice and consider ourselves blessed when the inevitable persecution and reviling comes. For Jesus’ sake. Amen. Further thoughts: Is the stepwise progression mirrored in reverse with the wicked, so that they end up becoming the persecutors? [1] Modus operandi i.e. his way of doing things. Part 1 of the Beatitudes: Matthew 5:3-6 can be found at https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/sermon-on-the-mount