Fairest Lord Jesus

Psalm 45:2 You are fairer than the sons of men; Grace is poured upon Your lips; Therefore God has blessed You forever. 3 Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One, With Your glory and Your majesty. 4 And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness; And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things. 5 Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies; The peoples fall under You. 6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. 7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions. 8 All Your garments are scented with myrrh and aloes and cassia, Out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made You glad.

Among the descriptions of Jesus found in God’s Word, the most romantic, (with the exception of the allegorical presentation found in Song of Solomon,) is found right here in Psalm 45.

This is the “passport photo” of the Messiah, so He may be recognized upon entrance to the nation – and upon entrance to the heart. Setting the nation aside for the moment, (and what took place as Jesus appeared in Israel,) the more important point of entry IS the heart.

It is all well and good to recognize and identify the historical Person of Christ. I was in that position for (basically) all of my life – even prior to being saved. That the nation of Israel failed to recognize Christ did not really affect my own belief in the historical Christ, as I was raised in a church which taught that Jesus was real. He was truly the Son of God, and He truly came to earth.

In conversation with friends in the workplace or wherever, I was confident to speak up and say that, “I believed in God,” or that, “I believed in Jesus.” I really did. (I think.)

But it had no affect on my life. It was an external belief that was sort of an abstract impression. I was concerned about my eternal destination – but I never really did anything about it. I was concerned about taking the Lord’s name in vain – but not enough to keep from doing it.

It’s a funny thing how we keep ourselves at arms length from eternity. Belief in a historical Jesus will not get you there. The truth is, Satan believes in the historical Jesus. But there’s something more the LORD desires we grasp, and that is belief in Christ to the extent we receive Him in our hearts. For that to happen something romantic has to take place…A romance which causes us to totally let go of ourselves…the abandonment of love everlasting. Look at this photo of Christ and receive Him in your heart. You’ll always be glad you did.

 -  Pastor Bill

Such a Deal!

Psalm 40:1 I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. 2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. 3 He has put a new song in my mouth-- Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord. 4 Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust, And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. 5 Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works Which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us Cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered. 6 Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require. 7 Then I said, "Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. 8 I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart." 9 I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness In the great assembly; Indeed, I do not restrain my lips, O Lord, You Yourself know. 10 I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth From the great assembly.

There is a bargain that takes place at the center of the transaction that leads to salvation. The bargain involves what God offers to us and what we offer to Him.

Have you ever thought about it like that? He provides us EVERYTHING - what is of utmost beauty and value in the entirety of the universe - and we offer Him what is worthless - even LESS than worthless: all of our sin.

God gives His only begotten Son and we give Him our lying, cheating, stealing, idol-worship, hatefulness, ignorance, wickedness, vomit and putrefied sin.

No person could ever conceive of such a great ONE-sided deal, (which speaks directly of the Godliness of the whole process.) At once, The LORD provides the ultimate form and example of love, yet does not overlook the justice due. How wonderful, how grace-full is the love of God?

And yet, we look on and say, “I dunno… I’m not sure… I’m concerned about what I might have to give up.”

Really and truly, this is the primary concern of those who sit in their seat and refuse the grace of God Sunday after Sunday: What I might have to GIVE UP? God gives us His undying love and grace through the death of His Son, and we give Him our hatefulness, wickedness and spite – and our doubt…All the while wondering about the wisdom of making such a deal? What more could God offer? All we need to do is receive it to believe it. Remember what Jesus said? “Come and see!”

 -  Pastor Bill

Wealth Beyond Measure

Psalm 37:1 A Psalm of David. Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. 2For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. 3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. 6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. 7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret--it only causes harm. 9 For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth. 10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more. 11 But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 12 The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth. 13 The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming. 14 The wicked have drawn the sword And have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay those who are of upright conduct. 15 Their sword shall enter their own heart, And their bows shall be broken. 16 A little that a righteous man has Is better than the riches of many wicked.

We are presently enduring a season which has made all of us much more aware of economic forces. When things are going well, we are much less likely to pay so much attention to things like deficits and debt and bothersome stuff like that. When we are experiencing a surplus, we are in a much easier position to say, “Praise the Lord!” Our praise in those seasons is based upon our understanding it is God Who has provided, and so we praise Him. This is entirely appropriate.

But it is also God Who is providing in the tough economic seasons, when our praises tend to dwindle and to sound more like pleas.

I am constantly amazed how patient is with our (my) human nature - but then – we are His creation after all, and He knows our frame.

He knows that when we have less, we will look on at those who have more with a sense of longing. Those who were ‘wealthy’ heading into this economic crisis still seem to be wealthy, and they still seem to be doing fine…but, “Oh, what about me?!!”

God has a present and abiding desire to prove to His kids He is all they need. For those who have looked away from God and made financial gain, the Word teaches us they are not rich – they are bankrupt. God teaches us not to look on at the wealthy with any sort of longing whatsoever, (for good or for bad.) God teaches us wealth is found in knowing Him. Period. There is no wealth found outside of relationship with Him, and those who are truly wealthy know the Creator of it. Contentment is only found in knowing Christ. This is why David can truly say, “A little that a righteous man has Is better than the riches of many wicked.”

-  Pastor Bill

Forgiven!

Psalm 32:1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3 When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long.4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. (Selah) 5 I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord," And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah 

One of the sort-of bumper-sticker-type sayings that emerged since I became a Christian, (or maybe even before,) is: “Christians Aren’t Perfect, Just Forgiven.”

This is in response to those who criticize Christians for being so “intolerant” of the sin of others. Christians have come to have the reputation of being judgmental, so the cool way to respond is to say, in effect, “Hey, I’m not judging you at all, just saying how great it is to be a Christian…and part of that benefit is even though I am a sinner, (just like you, by the way,) I am now a forgiven sinner.”

The next question that arises is, “Okay mister Christian-head, how can you be so SURE you are forgiven?” (Non-Christians certainly seem to dislike the assurance Christians walk through the world with – especially prevalent among those who attend denominational churches and have not really heard the gospel message.) Really, who are YOU to be so certain about forgiveness?

We can show them some examples. One of the greatest ‘heroes’ of the Old Testament is David. One of the greatest ‘heroes’ of the New Testament is Paul. Both experienced lives mired in some of the worst sin imaginable, and both freely express how their sin impacted their lives. Listen to David bemoan his “bones growing old,” while apart from the Lord in his un-confessed depravity. You can feel his pain. But you can also sense how the Lord ministered to him and brought him to a place of total forgiveness. Here is our example. If God could and did forgive David, He can certainly forgive me! And David proves all I have to do is ask.

Psalm 32:6 For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You In a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters They shall not come near him. 7 You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. 9 Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you. 10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; but he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him. 11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

-  Pastor Bill

Trust

Psalm 23:1 A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.

If you were going out of town, and you needed someone to house-sit and take care of your belongings, who would you trust to do that for you? If you needed someone to drive you to the airport in your car, drive your car while you were gone, and then come pick you up again in your car when you got back, who would you allow that duty? If you were contemplating creating a will and were trying to decide who would care for your children in the event of your death, who would you choose?

These are all important decisions involving trust. “Trust,” as they say, is “earned.” The question is: how is it earned? Is it time? Is it faithfulness? Is it wealth, or position, or power? How do we determine who we trust with the most valuable of our possessions?

What about your life? Who would you literally trust with your life? Who can you depend on? A person or two probably immediately spring to mind, but there are probably not many you would literally trust with your life. That’s a really important decision…

Psalm 23 is the ‘greatest hit’ of all-time when it comes to the music recorded music. David has “sold” more copies of this song than any other song in history. The words have been sung or spoken by more people than any other song in history. (Don’t you wish we could somehow know the tune of the song as it was written?)

Psalm 23 is the featured text at every funeral or memorial service I have ever attended or been associated with. Why would that be? What is it about Psalm 23 that brings such peace to the soul, especially in a time of intense grief when peace is the thing most needed by the soul?

The answer is: God knows. Period. It is just that simple. God knows.

Who else do you know that can bring peace to your soul? Who knows exactly what to say at exactly the right time to create a sense of assurance about eternity, when just such assurance is needed most? It is God alone Who can be trusted when all else fails, and when darkness closes in, and when the “shadow of death” lurks. It is God Whom we can trust with our lives because He is the only One Who can bring peace to our souls. Shouldn’t that alone tell us He is the only one we can trust with our eternal destiny?

-  Pastor Bill

Odds-on

Psalm 22:1My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning?2 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent.3 But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel. 4 Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them. 5 They cried to You, and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were not ashamed. 6 But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. 7All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 8 "He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!" 9 But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother's breasts. 10 I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother's womb You have been My God. 11 Be not far from Me, For trouble is near; For there is none to help. 12 Many bulls have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me. 13 They gape at Me with their mouths, Like a raging and roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death. 16 For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; 17 I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. 18 They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots. 19 But You, O Lord, do not be far from Me; O My Strength, hasten to help Me!

If you correctly predicted the outcome of last Sunday’s Super Bowl, raise your right hand! (And – I’m not just talking about picking the winner - anyone could have done that! After all, you had a 50-50 chance.)

No, what I’m talking about is picking the exact final score. (That narrows the field a bit, doesn’t it?) Or – how about picking the exact sequence of plays, exactly as they played out? Do you know anyone who could have pulled off that feat? Do you know anyone that knew beforehand the Saints would begin the second half with an on-side kick? Do you know anyone that predicted the game-ending interception before it happened - or were all on pins-and-needles as the Colts drove down the field for the apparent game-tying score?

You had an “odds-on” chance to pick any of this stuff in advance. How well would you have done? Even the betting experts in Las Vegas had the outcome of the game wrong, having installed the Colts as “odds-on” favorites to win the game.

Can you imagine not just picking all the exact results of all these events before the game, but picking the exact results of all the events of the game a thousand years before the game? (And - 800 years before the game of football even existed?) God did that pertaining to the events surrounding the crucifixion of Christ. Simply amazing is ALL you can say about Psalm 22. Simply amazing.

-  Pastor Bill

Victorious

Psalm 16:1  Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust. 2 O my soul, you have said to the Lord, "You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You." 3 As for the saints who are on the earth, "They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight." 4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god; Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, Nor take up their names on my lips. 5 O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot. 6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance. 7 I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. 8 I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. 9Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. 10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. 11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

David says, “Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust.”

Preservation is a key to “life.” Where would we be without the refrigerator, or the freezer?

One of the greatest conveniences and blessings of modern life has been the development of various ‘preservation’ devices. Also notable are the numbers of foods now available at the grocery store which take advantage of modern scientific methods to ensure freshness for longer periods of time without refrigeration, even in the case of foods we would have previously thought impossible to preserve longer than a day or so.

David knew that preservation equals victory, especially when the Lord is the One doing the preserving.

This was Jesus’ prayer in the garden of Gethsemane. We have a prophetic record here in Psalm 16. Jesus’ victory would come through preservation. For all that Jesus was about to face on the next day of His life, He knew from God’s Word that He would not see corruption. God would not allow it. He would be preserved. The corruption of death would be defeated.

The resurrection of Christ is the greatest single event in human history. We look back on this historical event in the same way David looked forward to it, and Jesus trusted in it. Jesus’ example was to trust God’s Word, and to lay down His life for God’s purpose. He knew He could lay down His life, because He knew He had the power to take it up again. And that is glorious victory we all can share for the taking of it, for the proclaiming of it.

Does anyone ever remember who finished second?

-  Pastor Bill