PSALM 148
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All created heavenly things need to praise the LORD verse 1- 6
Praise you the LORD – praise you the LORD from the heavens
praise HIM in the heights
Praise you HIM – all HIS angels – praise you HIM – all HIS hosts
Praise you HIM – sun and moon – praise him – all ye stars of light
praise HIM – you heavens of heavens
and you waters that be above the heavens
let them praise the name of the LORD
for HE commanded
and they were created
HE has also established them for ever and ever
HE has made a decree which shall not pass
All created earthly things need to praise the LORD verse 7- 12
Praise the LORD from the earth – you dragons – and all deeps
fire – hail – snow – vapor – stormy wind fulfilling HIS word
mountains – all hills – fruitful trees – all cedars – beasts – all cattle
creeping things – flying fowl – kings of the earth
all people – princes – all judges of the earth both young men
and maidens – old men children
All those of Israel need to praise the LORD verse 13- 14
Let them praise the name of the LORD
for HIS name alone is excellent
HIS glory is above the earth and heaven
HE also exalts the horn of HIS people
the praise of all HIS saints
even of the children of Israel
a people near to HIM
Praise you the LORD
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 2 Praise you him, all his angels: praise you him, all his hosts. (4397 “angels” [mal’ak] means messenger, ambassador, representative, or envoy.)
DEVOTION: There is so much false teaching regarding God’s messengers. We had programs such as “Touched by an angel” and movies like “It’s a Wonderful Life” that people don’t understand the nature of these heavenly beings. We are to never worship an angel.
These created beings existed before God created Adam and Eve. In fact, they were around long enough for Satan to think he could take the place of God. There was a rebellion in heaven and a portion of the other angels went with Satan in his rebellion. So we have good angels and evil angels.
The Bible informs us that this battle is going to continue until the LORD Jesus Christ returns at HIS second coming. We know that during HIS first coming as a babe in Bethlehem that Satan wanted Herod to kill HIM. We find Satan tempting in the wilderness to show that HE would not sin. When HE was tempted HE quoted Scripture. All the answers to any temptation can come from the Word of God.
When a human dies he will never become an angel. The angels are created being of one sort and humans are created beings of ANOTHER SORT. The two will never be the same. They will be in the same place for eternity. Those who reject Jesus Christ will spend eternity in the lake of fire with Satan and the evil angels. Those who are followers of Jesus Christ will spend eternity in heaven with the good angels. Angels and humans will be together but never the same.
One group of angels called Seraphim are presently in heaven before the throne of God continually singing praise to the LORD according to Isaiah chapter 6. There is another group of angels called Cherubim who seem to guard the holiness of God. The first time we see them is in Genesis 3 when they were sent to keep Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden.
Like the angels we are to praise the LORD continually. They do it with enthusiasm. They enjoy doing it 24/7. We need to learn to do it 24/7. Once we have learned we can teach others that the LORD expects us to realize that HE is with us 24/7.
CHALLENGE: Study what the Word of God teaches regarding these messengers and share what you learn with others.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 6 He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass. (2706 “decree” [choq] means statute, ordinance, limit, something prescribed, due, prescribed task, or law in general.
DEVOTION: In theological circles there is an order to the prescribed tasks: infralapsarianism, sublapsarianism, and supralapsarianism. I am not going to define them but anyone can find these explanations in a good book of theology. Those who hold to one view don’t’ think the others have God acting in a way that they like or think HE should.
This psalm is about praise. The people of God are to praise HIM for all the things HE created above us. The people of God are to praise HIM for all the things HE created around us. They are to realize that HE commanded and it happened.
HE had a eternal plan and HE worked HIS plan. HIS creation is going to last forever. The LORD is the one who created the world and everything in it. HE knew about this creation before HE created it.
Theologians have discussed the order of HIS decrees for centuries. Some think they were in one order and others in another order. Some think that there is limited atonement while others think atonement is unlimited. The decrees of God show HIS sovereignty over HIS creation. HE has a purpose for HIS creation and creation will fulfill HIS purpose. HIS purpose is only according to HIS will. HIS purpose for creation is to bring glory to HIS name.
Predestination is the key to which view of order you hold regarding how God planned our world. The problem is that we are trying to figure out the mind of God and that is impossible. We should do the best we can to study doctrinal beliefs and then hold to them humbly. This needs to be true because once we think we are supreme, all others are wrong. It causes problems between believers.
Therefore we are to praise HIS name. Our main concern is to realize that God is still in control and we need to obey HIS commands regarding our life and actions. HE gives us a SOLID FOUNDATION for our daily lives. Praise HIS name.
CHALLENGE: Study the different lapsarian beliefs and be able to explain them to others who want to discuss them. However, do it for your own personal edification, not to use to put others down.)
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
:13 “Let them praise the name of the LORD, For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth andheaven.” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Ps 148:13. (Exalted – 7682 שָׂגַב [sagab /saw·gab/] v. A primitive root; TWOT 2234; GK 8435; 20 occurrences; AV translates as “high” six times, “exalted” six times, “defend” twice, “safe” twice, “excellent” once, and translated miscellaneously three times. 1 to be high, be inaccessibly high. 1A (Qal). 1A1 to be (too) high (for capture). 1A2 to be high (of prosperity). 1B (Niphal). 1B1 to be high. 1B2 to be set on high, be (safely) set on high. 1B3 to be exalted (of God). 1C (Piel). 1C1 to set on high, set (securely) on high. 1C2 to exalt, exalt (in effective hostility). 1D (Pual) to be set (securely) on high. 1E (Hiphil) to act exaltedly. James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001).
DEVOTION: As the psalmist makes the declaration of the Sovereign position of the Lord. He alone is worthy of the praise of all creation! From the very greatest of the sea creatures to all that is the created world, all is called upon to praise the Lord. It does not matter how powerful the creation, the Creator is greater and all are to worship Him. As we consider the Omnipotence of God are we overwhelmed by His power and majesty? He alone is worthy of all praise and we often cannot be bothered to even get up to worship Him for an hour or two! As you prepare to worship consider how the psalmist calls for His glory to be exalted.
CHALLENGE: Prepare to worship the Lord in church by considering the greatness of God’s power and exalt Him today!! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
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: 14 He also exalted the horn of HIS people, the praise of all HIS saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near to HIM. Praise YOU the LORD. (2623 “saints” [chaciyd] means the faithful, godly, a person characterized by loyal love to the God of Israel, pious, zeal, merciful, holy one, or pious.)
DEVOTION: One of desires of those who are genuine followers of the LORD is to be “near to HIM.” HE wants those who are HIS followers to be near to HIM each day. That will happen if we obey HIS command to daily seek HIS face. HE wants to have fellowship with those who followers of HIM each day. HE doesn’t want to have it just on Sunday but seven days a week.
Too often we can get dressed up and drive to church and sit in a church service to worship the LORD on Sunday then on Monday through Saturday we can live as if we are not a follow of HIM.
This is not what the LORD wants. HE wants to have a seven day a week relationship with HIS followers. So that means that we are to praise HIM seven days a week with our words and actions.
As a follower of Jesus we need to also be a witness to HIM to those who are around us during the week. So our life has to show a difference from those who are not followers of HIM. That doesn’t mean we have a holier than thou attitude toward others but that they can see the love of Jesus in our words and actions.
It is not easy to be a follower of Jesus Christ seven days a week but that is what HE expects of us. We have to turn to HIM throughout each day and pray for HIS help to do this, so that, others will want to become followers of HIM.
Can Jesus describe us as those who are near to HIM seven days a week at home and at work? Only we can answer this question. It should be a YES answer!
CHALLENGE: If we can’t have a YES answer than we need to pray for strength to change what needs changed with prayer and the help of the Holy Spirit.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Praise verse 1-5, 7, 13, 14
Creation praises HIM verse 3, 4
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1, 5, 7, 13, 14
Sun and moon need to praise the LORD verse 3
Stars need to praise the LORD verse 3
Heavens and waters need to praise verse 4
Creator verse 5, 6
Decrees of God verse 6
Creation praises and obeys HIM verse 7- 13
Mountains
Hills
Fruitful trees
Cedars
Beasts
Cattle
Creeping things
Flying fowl
Need to praise HIM verse 11, 12
Kings
All peoples
Princes
Judges
Young men
Maidens
Old men
Children
Praise the name of the LORD verse 13
Name of the LORD excellent verse 13
Glory of the LORD verse 13
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Praise you HIM all HIS angels verse 2
Hosts verse 2
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Kings verse 11
All people verse 11
Princes verse 11
Judges verse 11
Young men verse 12
Maidens verse 12
Old men verse 12
Children verse 12
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Praise verse 1-5, 7, 13, 14
Saints verse 14
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
His people verse 14
Exalts the horn of
Children of Israel verse 14
People near to HIM verse 14
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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DONATIONS:
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QUOTES regarding passage
148:5–6. All Creation should praise … the Lord because He created it all by His command and has established it all by His decree. His word is powerful and is sure and abiding. (Ross, A. P. (1985). Psalms. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 897). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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Ver. 5. Let them praise the name of the Lord, &c.] Set forth the glory of the nature and perfections of God, and celebrate the praise of them; even all celestial creatures, the angels, the hosts of heaven, the sun, moon, and stars; the heavens, and the heaven of heavens, and the waters above them; and that for the following reasons. For he commanded, and they were created; they are all his creatures, and therefore should praise him: he is the Father of spirits, of angelic spirits, as well as the spirits of men; and the Father of lights, of all the luminaries of the heavens; and he has made the heavens themselves, and all their hosts, and the firmament dividing the waters above and below; and all this by an almighty fiat, at a word of command; he spoke, and they came into being at once, Heb. 12:9; James 1:17; Psal. 33:6, 9. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 4, p. 321). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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Starting with the angelic host, and descending through the skies to the varied forms and creatures of earth, then summoning the family of man and finally the chosen people, the call to praise unites the whole creation. If any notion of a colourless or cloistered regime were associated with the name of God, this glimpse of his tireless creativity would be enough to dispel it. 5–6 The sequence of imperatives (“praise him,” vv. 1–4) is followed by a jussive, “let them praise” (v. 5). Praise of the Lord is due him because he is the Creator. The creative acts of God are marked by three characteristics. The Lord created everything by his word (“for he commanded”; cf. Gen 1; Pss 33:9; 147:15). Second, he permanently ordered and regulated the world of nature (v. 6). The order and regularity of the heavenly bodies and of the forms of precipitation is because of his creative involvement. There is nothing due to a chance happening.
7–8 By poetic license the psalmist put the “sea creatures” (tannînîm, v. 7; cf. Gen 1:21; Ps 104:26: “leviathan”) at the beginning of this list. The “sea” and its mysterious depths were associated in the Canaanite religion with the powers of Baal. They believed that he had been victorious over Yamm (the sea god) and had demonstrated his powers in lightning, storms, and precipitation (v. 8). The association of the meteorological phenomena with the “sea” may be explained by a polemical concern of demonstrating the supremacy of Yahweh over all objects of pagan worship, whether they be the starry hosts above or the “depths” (tehōmôṯ, 104:6) of the sea. He is in control over “the waters above the skies” (v. 4) as well as the thunderstorms (v. 8; cf. 18:12). The powers of nature are subject to his word (“bidding,” dāḇār, v. 8; cf. 147:15–16). (VanGemeren, W. A. (1991). Psalms. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (Vol. 5, p. 873). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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his saints—that is, occasions for them to praise Him. They are further described as “His people,” and “near unto Him,” sustaining by covenanted care a peculiarly intimate relation. (Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 1, p. 388). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.)
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He hath made a decree which shall not pass. He has given a law or statute which they cannot pass. The word rendered decree here seems to be used in the sense of limit or bound; and the idea is, that he has bound them by a fixed law; he has established laws which they are compelled to observe. The fact is, in regard to them, that he has established great laws—as the law of gravitation—by which they are held from flying off; he has marked out orbits in which they move; he has so bound them that they perform their revolutions with unerring accuracy in the very path which he has prescribed. So accurate are their movements that they can be predicted with exact precision; and so uniform, that any succession of ages does not vary or affect them. (Barnes, A. (1870–1872). Notes on the Old Testament: Psalms (Vol. 3, pp. 333–334). London: Blackie & Son.)
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11, 12. In these few lines there emerges, quite incidentally and with unforced simplicity, the only potential bond between the extremes of mankind: a joyful preoccupation with God.
13, 14. It is instructive to compare these verses with their counterparts, verses 5 and 6. In verse 5 the celestial bodies are called to praise God simply by the fact of their existence (‘For he commanded and they were created’). But in 13, man may praise him consciously, since he has revealed himself (‘For his name … is exalted’). Similarly, God’s glory in the natural world is the reign of law (6), the regularity which invites us to ‘search out’ his works (Ps. 111:2); but among his people his glory is redemptive love (14), in raising up a horn for them, i.e. a strong deliverer (Luke 1:69); above all, in bringing them near to him. That is the climax of the psalm, as it is of the gospel: ‘Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people’(Rev. 21:3). (Kidner, D. (1975). Psalms 73–150: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 16, p. 524). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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If a preborn baby isn’t a human person with rights, when does it become one? Some abortion advocates have drawn that line at the second trimester, while very few others point to fetal heartbeat or detectable brain activity. Harder-line activists reject any abortion restrictions and insist it’s okay to kill a baby at any point right up until or even during birth. Planned Parenthood’s official stance is still to the point of viability, when the baby’s experience of pain during abortion is excruciating.
What has never been clear is why abortion supporters would draw the line at birth. At least in medical, scientific, and philosophical terms, passing through the birth canal doesn’t change anything about a child. If a tiny human is considered a disposable inconvenience inside its mother, why would six inches and twenty minutes turn them into a person with rights? This is why some, like Princeton ethicist Peter Singer, propose that parents should be allowed to kill children well after birth, especially if they are born with a disability such as Down Syndrome.
Until now, this horrifying consistency of pro-abortion logic hasn’t made it into law. But as a Supreme Court decision looms in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, legislatures in progressive states are feverishly taking steps to safeguard so-called abortion “rights” in a potential post-Roe world. In at least one case, lawmakers finally followed the logic of abortion to its awful conclusion and left room for post-birth infanticide.
Maryland Senate Bill 669 would amend the state’s fetal murder-manslaughter statute to prevent “any form of investigation or penalty” for a person “experiencing a miscarriage, perinatal death related to a failure to act, or stillbirth.” Notice that this is not in the context of a botched abortion. Abortionists have already been caught more than a few times in the past allowing babies born alive after abortions to die.
This law would prohibit investigations in any case where a baby died after birth as a result of neglect. Making matters worse, the term “perinatal” (which just means “newborn”) is not clearly defined. Typically, as Wesley J. Smith points out at National Review, perinatal refers to baby’s first month after birth, so this bill “effectively decriminalizes death by neglect for the first 28 days of life.” “In other words,” explained the American Center for Law and Justice, “a baby born alive and well could be abandoned and left to starve or freeze to death, and nothing could be done to punish those who participated in that cruel death.”
Even worse, the Maryland bill authorizes those who are investigated for fatally neglecting an infant to sue law enforcement for civil damages. And, since even investigations are not allowed, if this bill became law, any Maryland residents could allow any newborn child to die without facing questions or consequences.
(Break Point)
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Daily Hope
Today’s Scripture
Numbers 31-32
Wars must be fought so that peace might reign. Ulysses S. Grant stated, “I have never advocated war except as a means of peace.” This is spoken by one that had experienced all the trauma and agony of leading good men to death and killing other good men to regain peace in a land fractured by hate and misunderstanding.
Israel is now commanded to go to war against the Midianites and to destroy them for the wickedness they had committed in tempting Israel to worship false idols and commit immorality. This was a religious war with Phinehas the priest leading the army instead of Joshua. They were to take the holy articles and the trumpets that the priests used and the lead the troops into battle against those who opposed the Lord (31:6).
After destroying the Midianites, the Israelite army brought the spoils of victory to Moses and the people encamped in the plains by the Jordan (31:12). As the spoils were brought from the battle, Moses met them and was angered they had brought the women of Midian to the camp. His anger was due to the Midianite women having tempted Israel at Baal Peor. Moses commanded all nonvirgin women and males to be killed (31:17).
The Israelite men who had done battle were declared unclean and cleansing was needed before they could enter the camp. They were to wash and purify their garments and themselves. After that purification process was accomplished, the division of the plunder was undertaken by Moses. Shortly thereafter, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh approached Moses for permission to claim land east of the Jordan so these tribes could raise their cattle and sheep.
God pronounced judgment on the enemies of His chosen people. Simultaneously, He took the horror of warfare and used it to strengthen and encourage the people of Israel before they entered the land which had been promised. At times, God uses extremely bad circumstances to bring good to His people.
Persecution and suffering have been inflicted upon the church at different times to purge, cleanse, and declare her as a bride to Christ. Instead of looking at pain and difficulty as judgment, examine the situation and see if it might be God’s way of drawing someone closer to Himself. With an Expectant Hope, by Pastor Miller
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Pilate tries Jesus then hands Him over to be crucified.
INSIGHT
Proverbs 20:17 says, “Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.” If ever a man illustrates that truth, Judas does. Some mysterious passion burns in his breast to betray Jesus.
Whether Judas seeks political ambition or mere lust for money, we do not know. But later, his remorse is so great that he throws the money away and hangs himself. We must remember Judas when illicit desire burns in our breast. Such desire always promises more than it delivers; it always turns to gravel in our mouths. (Quiet Walk)
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GLORYING IN THE CROSS
God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Galatians 6:14
The Christian is one who glories in the cross. “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Let us look at this. Paul does not merely say that he admires it, that the cross is simply beautiful and marvelous. No; he does not stand there just admiring it or merely praising it. I want to go further—he does not just believe it. He does not merely accept its message intellectually.
I am going to test you, my friends. The Christian is a man who does not only believe in the cross—he glories in it! What do you mean by that? says someone. Well, I mean the same as the writer (J.Bowring) of the hymn when he says:
In the Cross of Christ I glory,
Towering o’er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.
He rejoices in it. The word that the apostle actually uses here is a very strong one. He says “God forbid that I should boast.” He makes his boast of it. He says these Jews are the people who want to have you circumcised in order that they may boast about their converts. They want to boast in your flesh. They are out for their own success and their own name. “Oh,” says the apostle, “I boast in nothing, and God forbid that I should, save in the cross of Christ.”
A Thought to Ponder
The Christian is a man who does not only believe in the cross—he glories in it!
(From The Cross, pp. 53-54, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones).
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Arrows in the Hand
“As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.” (Psalm 127:4)
This is the central verse in the 101 verses contained in a remarkable group of 15 psalms called “The songs of degrees” (Psalms 120–134). The central verse in the central psalm of this group is the preceding verse: “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward” (Psalm 127:3). The origin of these psalms and this peculiar superscript has always been uncertain. Four are said to be by David, one by Solomon; the other 10 are anonymous.
A reasonable supposition, however, is that they were composed by King Hezekiah after he had been miraculously healed of a lethal illness. “I will add unto thy days fifteen years,” God had said, and gave Hezekiah a miraculous sign as confirmation, causing the shadow on the sundial of Ahaz to go “backward ten degrees” (2 Kings 20:6, 10). In thanksgiving thereof, the king proclaimed, “Therefore we will sing my songs…all the days of our life in the house of the LORD” (Isaiah 38:20).
It is significant that the word for “degrees” is the same in both cases. It apparently means “steps” or “ascents.” The shadow miraculously ascended 10 steps back up the sundial after it had gone down, and Hezekiah’s life was miraculously extended 15 years. Perhaps, therefore, “my songs” mean the 10 songs the king composed in commemoration of the 10 degrees. He then added five songs of David to round out the total to 15, corresponding to his added “days of our life.” And right at the center was his great testimony to the blessing of children. He was childless at the time, but he had a son three years later (2 Chronicles 33:1) by whom he was able to continue the Messianic line promised to David through Solomon. (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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A Good Work
He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6
As a teenager, Charles Spurgeon wrestled with God. He’d grown up going to church, but what was preached seemed bland and meaningless. It was a struggle for him to believe in God, and Charles, in his own words, “rebelled and revolted.” One night a fierce snowstorm forced the sixteen-year-old Spurgeon to seek shelter in a tiny Methodist church. The pastor’s sermon seemed directed at him personally. In that moment, God won the wrestling match, and Charles gave his heart to Jesus.
Spurgeon later wrote, “Long before I began with Christ, He began with me.” In fact, our life with God doesn’t begin with the moment of salvation. The psalmist notes that God “created [our] inmost being,” knitting us together in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). The apostle Paul writes, “Even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace” (Galatians 1:15 nlt). And God doesn’t stop working with us when we’re saved: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6).
We’re all works-in-progress in the hands of a loving God. He leads us through our rebellious wrestling and into His warm embrace. But His purpose with us then is only beginning. “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13 nlt). Rest assured, we’re His good work regardless of how old we are or what stage of life we’re in.
By Kenneth Petersen (Our Daily Bread)
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Soul Alchemy
“I heard my mother ask the neighbors for salt. But we had salt at home. I asked her why she asked the neighbors for salt. And she replied: – Because our neighbors don’t have much money and they often ask us for something. From time to time I also ask them for something small and economical, so that they feel that we need them too. That way, they will feel more comfortable and it will be easier to keep asking us for everything they need.
And that’s what I learned from my mother… let’s build empathetic, humble, supportive children .” <![if !vml]>
<![endif]> Thanks Daniel for the thoughts.
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The truth is, all of us wish we’d have done some things differently. We all live with a measure of regret and disappointment. The only difference is whether we let ourselves moan for the past or be thankful for where we are . . . and decide to make choices today that will result in a life of no regrets later. (Dennis Rainey)
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Persecuted for Righteousness’ Sake
“Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.” (Luke 6:22)
“Blessed” means “happy,” and it would seem paradoxical to try to find happiness by being persecuted. Most Christians are extremely reluctant to do anything that might make them less popular with their peers, let alone anything that might lead to social ostracism or even physical suffering. Yet, Jesus said that this is the way to find true happiness.
He did not say that blessing comes through suffering for foolishness’ sake, or for carelessness’ sake, or for sinfulness’ sake. “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake” (Matthew 5:10). The principle is amplified by Peter: “If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye. . . . But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf” (1 Peter 4:14-16).
It hurts, of course, to be “cast out—as evil” when one is sincerely seeking to do right and to honor God. This was the experience of the blind man to whom Jesus gave sight. The religious authorities responded to his testimony with: “Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out” (John 9:34). Nevertheless, he now could see! Likewise, the religious leaders “raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.” Nevertheless, “the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 13:50, 52).
The situation exists today in many countries—soon perhaps in America. If so, may the Lord enable us to honor His name in suffering with joy and without compromise, for “Christ also suffered for us” (1 Peter 2:21). (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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We are exhorted to be like Christ, who practiced only selflessness.
INSIGHT
Selfishness is the source of most interpersonal conflict. Someone is taking something from us (materially, emotionally, socially, etc.) that we don’t want to give, and we fight to keep or gain our desires. Unselfishness is the source of most interpersonal harmony. Think about the people you really like – even famous people you don’t know personally. Usually the reason you like them is because they are gracious and kind, and give of themselves. If you want to be a harmonious, likable person, you must be unselfish. (QuietWalk)
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SINLESS PERFECTION?
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning….Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin.
1 John 3:8-9
The man or woman who is righteous will show that by living a righteous life; the one who is not righteous shows it by not living a righteous life. That is why this reference to the devil is so significant: “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.” That is his characteristic, his nature, his habit; that is his way of living. That is the thing that is so true of the devil: He sins from the beginning; he goes on sinning. “And that man,” John says in essence, “who goes on sinning is therefore the man who is proclaiming that he has the kind of nature that the devil has. He does not have the new nature that the Christian has.”
We must remember that the apostle here is speaking about all Christians. Now some of the people who believe in sinless perfection tell us that the apostle here is only talking about some Christians. But at this point they become inconsistent, because they forget the message of verse 6; they say he is only speaking about some, but John is speaking about all Christians: “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not.” If a man does not abide in Christ, he is not a Christian at all; to be a Christian means to be abiding in Christ. Now there are some who would have us believe that you can be a Christian without abiding in Christ, but surely that denies the whole doctrine of rebirth. We are in Christ or we are not, and if we are not in Christ we are not Christians at all. “If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Romans 8:9); if we have not been born of the Spirit, we are not Christians. You cannot be in Christ one day and out the next; every Christian is in Christ and abides in Him. John is not only speaking to certain Christians: he is speaking to all Christians.
A Thought to Ponder: We must remember that the apostle here is speaking about all Christians. (From Children of God, pp. 76-77, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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