Overthrowing the Moneychangers.  

I want to speak of two things, which all of us are influenced by:  convenience and money.

John 2:13-16 “And the Jews Passover was at hand,  and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, 

               And found in the temple  those that sold oxen and sheep and doves,  and the changers of money sitting:

               And when He had made a scourge of small cords,  He drove them out of the temple,  and the sheep,  and the oxen;  and poured out the changers money,  and overthrew their tables;  

              And said unto them that sold doves,   Take these things hence;  make not my Father’s house a house of merchandise.”

This is the first of three Passovers, which Jesus attends to fulfill His work, after He was baptized of John the Baptist.

He came with no fanfare,  but walked into the temple, fulfilling God’s commandment.

There He finds those men which had been allowed to go into the outer court of the temple, to sell their wares.

This would be very convenient.  

(And how many times we give into the convenient way of doing God’s Will;  not His way).  

If you had traveled from a far distance, you could not bring a proper sacrifice with you……..It would certainly be damaged by the time you got to Jerusalem. Which would make it unacceptable. (Deuteronomy 17:1)

So, you would need to buy one there……..usually, at an exorbitant rate!

The priests had an arrangement with the sellers.  

(Most likely getting some of the money they charged to the visitors.)

And so at the time of the Passover, the outer court was turned into a market place.

When Jesus came, and saw it…….He drove out the sellers, and reminded all  that the temple was God’s house.   

It was not to be a house of merchandise,….but a house of prayer.

John 2:17 “And His disciples remembered that it was written,  The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.”

This was the first public rebuking of the Priests, and authorities.  It was for His Father’s glory,……and they should have realized their error……if they wanted God’s glory….and repented.

But believing in God’s Law, in general…….and being personally corrected by it, are two different things.  

It requires heart submission, to God….to receive correction.

(Paul said of these religious hypocrites,  later:

Romans 2:21-23 “Thou therefore which teaches another,  teaches thou not thyself?  Thou that teaches a man should not steal, dost thou steal?

              Thou that sayest that a man should not commit adultery,  dost thou commit adultery?

              Thou that abhorrest idols,  dost thou commit sacrilege?

              Thou that makest thy boast of the law,  through breaking the law dishonorest thou God?”)

Jesus had ministered to others, and had done miracles;…but this was the first time He publicly showed His authority:

He not only demanded the removal of that which was defiling His Father’s House……He drove them out!

He spoke with Power, and used His power to cleanse His Father’s Temple!  

None had done, as He was doing.

There were three years of the ministry of Jesus:

It is not certain when the priests went back to the arrangement of selling in the temple  court;….but in the third year of His ministry, He came again to Jerusalem, for the Passover.

This time He came with fanfare….if anyone wanted to really see and receive their Messiah;  here He  was:  according to prophesy.  (Zechariah 9:9)

Matthew 21:6-11 “And His disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them,

And brought the ass,  and the colt,  and put on them their clothes, and they set Him thereon.

         And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way;  others cut down branches from the trees and strewed them in the way.

         And the multitudes that went before,  and that followed,  cried,  saying,  Hosanna to the Son of David:   Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord;  Hosanna in the highest.

         And when He was come into Jerusalem,  all the city was moved,  saying,  Who is this?

         And the multitude said,   This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.”

By this time He was recognized,  as the One who did many miracles, throughout the land.   

Not so long ago He had raised Lazarus from the dead.   For all these things, the crowds in Jerusalem praised Him.

There were many who believed on Him as the Messiah;  but the crowds were looking for miracles,  for healing,  for a show.  

(Were those who praised Him here,  crying “Crucify Him”,  in a few days?)

Matthew 21:12-14 “And Jesus went into the temple of God,  and cast out all of them that sold and bought in the temple,  and overthrew the tables of the money changers,  and the seats of them that sold doves,

             And said unto them,  it is written,   My house shall be called a house of prayer;  but ye have made it a den of thieves.

            And the blind, and the lame, came to Him in the temple;  and He healed them.”

When He came the first time, He said, “My Father’s House”.   

Here it is called the temple of God, still. 

Later He will say, “your house is left unto you desolate”. (Matthew 23:37-38)

But here, in front of all,  He said “My house”.   Showing clearly that He is the Messiah, that was to come, and restore the hearts of Israel to God. (Isaiah 56:7)

But the leaders refused.  There was no subjection to His claims.

He did teach and heal those who came to Him,……and it is pointed,  that God wanted us to know that it was the blind and lame who came…….

….but when it was evening……He left Jerusalem.  

Matthew 21:15 “And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did,  and the children crying in the temple,  and saying,   Hosanna to the Son of David;  they were sore displeased.”

After all, He was the Messiah,  that meant they would have to submit to Him.   This they had refused to do;…..even with all His miracles……and  still refused.  

Their hearts were full of themselves.   

They had a good thing going here.   They were in charge of the money,  gifts, and offerings, given to the Lord.

They had influence and power.   They had place.   

And they did not want the Messiah coming along,  and ruining it for them.

(How sad to refuse salvation because of things!  How often have we felt  the same about our plans, and position?    

I know I have.  We think,  “If we yield to God, and do His Will;  how will that effect us?”  

When the Lord pointed it out to me,  I confessed my sin;  for how awful for me to think this way, after all He has done for me!)

The next day, when He comes back into Jerusalem, to the temple to teach;  the chief priests send people to prove Him wrong.  Then,  they could accuse Him of something.

But He knew their tricks,  and confused them. 

Then He spoke to them, directly:

Matthew 21:31-32 “….Jesus saith unto them,  Verily I say unto you,  that the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.   

            For John came unto you in the way of righteousness,  and ye believed him not;  but the publicans and the harlots believed him:    and ye,  when ye had seen it,  repented not afterward,  that ye might believe him.”

Here is the crux of the whole matter:  “ye repented not afterward, that ye might believe”.    

Jesus had given them time to repent,…..to come and believe Him.  

But though they heard Him many times (and acknowledged His answers),  yet their hearts would not yield.

John the Baptist had come, preaching repentance;  to prepare for the Messiah.  

The Son of God had come, preaching the kingdom of God was at hand.  

Why wouldn’t they hear and enter in?

Isaiah 65:2 “I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people,  which walked in a way that was not good,  after their own thoughts;”

We seldom understand the grip that the world has on us; until we see it next to Jesus.

Repentance is changing our minds and hearts about God; then changing our actions toward Him.

Once we fought against Him:  His will and our subjection to Him.

But when we repent:  we give in.  He will be our Lord and Savior.  

He will command in this holy temple of my body (1 Corinthians 3:16 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”),  …..and I will yield to Him.

Repentance toward God, and faith to our Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 20:21)

For Christ Jesus is still saving His people.  

He cleanses us….driving out those things which defile us…..that we might be His dwelling place here on earth.

Faith, our spiritual sight

My husband used to preach a lot on “the Faith of Christ will command a man, or have nothing to do with that man.”

What does that mean? That means that faith is given us as an active principle which keeps showing us God, and His Will. It never stops….it’s whole purpose is for us to see God… in these circumstances…..and hang on to Him.

Moses in the palace of Egypt…as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter! All he had, all he did! Yet by faith….that active principal which showed him God, brought him to see the worthlessness of all there in the palace….
…and to see the worthiness of God’s people and call.

Isaiah, a prince of Israel, called to minister…..knowing that the majority of people will not hear the word from the Lord he speaks….knowing that his nation will eventually go into captivity for their sins….knowing that only a small remnant will hear and be saved….
….yet,…faith shows him God’s holiness…
….and his “unclean” tongue (perhaps he was a complainer…taking on the conversation of the times)….
…and led him to cry out in repentance….and the Lord cleansed him…and set him in his ministry.

Peter, after being called and seeing so many miracles….hearing the Lord’s words everyday…yet when Christ was taken (he denied him three times) and when Christ was crucified….
…he returned to his old life in shame,….trying to piece a life together without God.
Yet….faith flamed up when he saw the Lord on the shore and he ran to Him….Who restored him, and told him to hang on in love to Him and the brethren, till the end.

2 Corinthians 5:7 “(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”

Plainly we can not see things in their true colors, as Christians, especially, because of the wiles of the devil against us….unless faith is active within us.

Faith is our sight. It opens the vision to the Strength of the Almighty…..to His cleansing Power and grace…..to His merciful forgiveness and restoration….
….but it also just shows us the work for today…..for in faith, facing today with God is eye-opening….knowing He knows what is ahead, even when we do not.

This is living in faith:
Habakkuk 2:4 “…but the just shall live by his faith” (Ro.1:17, Gal.3:11, Hebrews 10:38) When we see things for ourselves before God clearly (and faith makes our steps straight)....then we can speak, clearly. Our voices may seem small….perhaps they may seem like speaking into the wind.

But the Lord can use that very wind to spread them, that others may hear.

“Faith” and “Believe” are similar…..but faith is the actual seeing….and believe is the action we take because we can see.
Once you are given faith….we are commanded to believe (to act upon that sight)

Paul wrote:
2 Corinthians 1:14 “….for by faith ye stand.”

We live by the sight of Him Who saved us….and loves us….and sanctifies us to His glory…
…we endure (hold on) because we…”seeing Him Who is invisible.” (Hebrews 11:27)….
….till one day faith will become sight.

His Pleasure for me.

Revelation 4:10 “The four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne,  and worship Him that liveth forever and ever,  and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,”

The glory of having a crown in that day,  will be, to cast it at the feet of Jesus.

He deserves all the honor:  for He created us,  saved us,  sustained us, and brought us to the place of all joy:  heaven and His Presence forever.

This crown is truly our own;  we have “earned” it as a reward for our devotion to the Lord Jesus.   We could walk around heaven with it on, if we wanted to.

[There are three crowns for us in heaven,  spoken of in scripture:  

the crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8) to them that love His appearing;   

the crown of life (James 1:12) to them that love Him;  

and the crown of glory (1 Peter 5:4) by feeding the flock of God, by being examples to the flock.]

But the real glory of having a crown;  is to cast it down at His feet.  

He has shown me this verse, I read it everyday:

Revelation 4:11 “Thou art worthy,  O Lord,  to receive glory and honor and power:  for Thou hast created all things,  and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.”

He created all things: By His Almighty Power He made something out of nothing.

And for His pleasure they are , and were created.  

“Pleasure” here means determination.

If, indeed, we exist for His Pleasure/Determination,  what is His Pleasure where we are concerned?

What has He determined for us?

It is to be reconciled to Him…..in all things. 

(Is there something you are not reconciled to God, about?  I wish to tell you….He comes to meet us….as we come to Him.  [the prodigal])

2 Corinthians 5:19-20 “To wit,  that God was in Christ,  reconciling the world unto Himself,  not imputing their trespasses unto them,  and have committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

                                         Now then we are ambassadors for Christ,  as though God did beseech you by us:  we pray you in Christ’s stead,  be ye reconciled to God.”

This is to put first things,  first.   

And it is in today’s situation that this must be done.  

We can not wait for “better” opportunities,  or a “more convenient season”.

“Lord, I am here now, by Your pleasure……In this set of circumstances.   

May I adjust to them,…..seek Your will in them,…..and see Your will brought to pass in me, by them.  

And may I know Your joy and peace in them.”

(How many opportunities have I missed because I thought that this situation was just like before?    Too many. )

But we can be “crowned” here, by the Lord, as well:

Psalms 103:2-5 “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:

        Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;  Who healeth all they diseases;

        Who Redeemeth thy life from destruction;  Who crowned thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

         Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things;  so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

The “crownest” here,  means to encircle for protection.

Here,   we are crowned with God’s lovingkindness and mercy for our protection…..crowned also suggests noticeable,  for testimony to others for our God.

In heaven,  we are given crowns to reward our devotion to Christ…..the joy of which, will be to give them back to Jesus….Who won us to Himself….by His sacrifice and life.

We are created for a purpose.   Saved for a purpose.   Guided into that purpose,  which is His Pleasure/Determination, by the Holy Spirit.

Will we be reconciled to Him in all things,…..and our purpose….day by day?

Let us have the crown of love and mercy encircle us now….and look forward in devotion to Christ, to be able to throw our crowns down at His feet.

Guidance 

James 3:3 “Behold, we put bits in the horses mouth, that they may obey us;  and we turn about their whole body.”

There are two ways to break a horse.  Gently, over time, getting the horse to accept you, and your weight on him;  till the horse and you become partners.

He is mastered,  but by love.

Or severely, which makes the horse accept you and your weight—now, by wearing down it’s resistance.

He is mastered, but by force of circumstances.

How would you like to receive your guidance from the Lord?

We can be brought to the place that we are directed by the force of circumstances;  which is like the bit and bridle.

We must do,  because we have no choice in the matter.  

But this is not what the Lord Jesus Christ would have for us. 

Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way that thou shalt go:  I will guide thee with Mine eye.”

This is gentle guidance.  Remember one look from the Lord sent Peter out weeping.

The Lord would have us, all look to Him for our guidance,  if we would just see Him as He is.  The Creator, and Sustainer of the Universe is our Lord and Savior.

He loves us, and wants us to enter into—with Him—all the joys of service to Him.  

For in Him is glorious liberty of spirit!

True freedom is freedom from the power of our sin, and self.  

The bondage of…..I have to do this (which can be any addiction),  

…..and the bondage of…..I want to do this (how many “things” we want:  no contentment,  just want).

We can be free from these, by the liberty of the Holy Spirit’s control.

The closer to God we get,  the more freedom we have.

I will instruct and teach you, in the way that you shall go.

What this means, is that He will go with you in each step, showing you what to do, and helping you do it.

So often, we refuse the gentle way, for one reason or another.  

We fight with Him,……even though we want what He is leading us into.

I have found that no one likes to be told what to do….and obedience is the first lesson we must learn….obedience, without knowing the way….but knowing Christ;

Obedience, without our “two cents” being added….just bowing to His Way.

We need to understand that the Lord must lead us(or we will surely go the wrong way).  But how will He lead us?

Psalm 32:9 “Be not as the horse,  or as the mule,  which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee (or trample thee).”

The “something” which hinders, is our unbroken will.   Like the horse, or mule;  we must be broken or mastered, to be usable.

It is the method of the breaking which is spoken of here.  

He wants us to yield to Him,  which is what we do when we “look to Him”….

Isaiah 45:22 “Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth:  for I am God,  and there is none else.”

For the look of faith and trust,  in Christ Jesus our Lord,  is yielding.

If we are looking to Him,  we are looking away from other things.   Choosing Him.

And when we look?

Ephesians 1:18 “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened;  that ye may know   the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.

                            And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe,  according to the working of His mighty power,”

We need to know….

….and we need this mighty power in our everyday walk;   instructing us and teaching us in the way we must go.

I want that gentle instruction of His eye.    

How do you want to be guided?

Manasseh 

Manasseh was one of the Bible’s worst persons:  he was a king,  born into luxury and position.

Loved of his father,  Hezekiah, who was a Godly king.

As a matter of fact,  years before, when Hezekiah was going to die;  he prayed that he might live.  That God would extend his life.

He had no son,  and wanted to have an heir,  before he died.

Manasseh was the result.

From the first,  he departed from the ways of his father. And forsook the worship of God,  for idols.

The pleasures of this life was all he was interested in;……that, and leading others into the same sin.

2 Kings 21:1-2 “Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign,…

                            And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord,  after the abominations of the heathen,  whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.”

 2 Kings 21:6 “And he made his sons pass through the fire,  and observed times,  and used enchantments,  and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards:  he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord,  to provoke Him to anger.”

He destroyed those who spoke out against him,  and became worse and worse in “having his own way”.

2 Chronicles 33:10. “And the Lord spake to Manasseh,  and to his people:  but they would not hearken.”

How often it is, that sin leads to more sin.  

We can begin by getting angry, and the next minute,  we can be thinking about getting even.

We can begin by speeding, and end up endangering others.

Sin is addictive;    that is why we need our Savior, Jesus Christ, to save us from it. (Matthew 1:21)

The blood that Manasseh shed, and the idols he worshipped,  brought the curse of God onto the nation of Judah.

(Tradition says that he killed Isaiah for preaching against him, and his sin)

2 Kings 21:16 “Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much,  till he had filled Jerusalem from one end unto another;    besides his sin where with he made Judah to sin,  in doing that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.”

2 Kings 21:11-12 “Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations,  and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him,  and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols:

                               Therefore  thus saith the Lord God of Israel,  Behold,  I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah,  that whosoever heareth of it,  both his ears shall tingle.”

Yet….

And this is amazing grace….Manasseh repented.  

2 Chronicles 33:11-12   “Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria,  which took Manasseh among the thorns,  and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.

                                          And when he was in affliction,  he besought the Lord his God,  and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,”

To “humble ourselves” in the Hebrew is to “bend the knee” or submit to God.

This is what Manasseh had never done.  He had not submitted to anyone or anything.

No matter what image he had brought and set up;  there was always something else to seek after. 

For none of them satisfied Manasseh’s real desire.  

He had used power to do what he wanted,  when he wanted, as he wanted;  no matter who got hurt in the process.  (Remember he sacrificed his own children.)

God, the true God,…..was to be sought, heard, and obeyed;…..not refused and rebelled against.   And there is usually a time limit to our rebellion:  either repentance….or destruction.

God knows how to bring down a person’s pride.  

And how to finally awaken the person to His claims,…….upon the life He gave us.

(For some, it comes in rebukes: to back-strike with words, to get them into the way of life.

For some, it comes in chastening:  things happen that would not have happened had we heard His rebuke….sometimes to others we love…..sometimes to ourselves.

All so that we will not continue our mad dash toward death.

For Manasseh….nothing affected him,…….until he was afflicted.)

2 Chronicles 33:13 “And prayed unto Him (the Lord):   and was entreated of him, and heard his supplication,  and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom.

Then Manasseh knew that the Lord  He was God.”

The prison brought him to the place he needed to be:  alone….before God.

Repentance brought him to the place he needed to be: saved from his sins….

And brought him to his kingdom again. This time he was in subjection to God, bringing back the worship of God to Judah;  whereby saving many of his people.

2 Chronicles 33:15-16 “And he took away the strange gods,  and the idol out of the house of the Lord, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord,  and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city.

                                        And he repaired the altar of the Lord,  and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings,  and commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel.”

Peace offerings!  Because he had found peace with God.  (So can we.  Romans 5:1-2)

Thank offerings!  Because he had finally found true satisfaction in God.

James writes:

James 4:6. “But he giveth more grace.  Wherefore he saith,  God resisteth the proud,  but giveth grace unto the humble.”

Grace is the unmerited favor of power in our lives, by Jesus Christ our Lord.

He has power for us:  everyday power to live for Him, and enjoy the peace and joy,  He only can give.

And power to save and deliver us from the worst sins.

He can save to the uttermost those that call upon Him, and come to Him….He did Manasseh.

                                       

It is High Time to Awake 

Romans 13:11 “And that, knowing the time,  that now it is high time to awake out of sleep:  for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.”

In the Greek,  “awake” means to collect all our faculties, to rouse up from obscurity, sickness or death.

It is when you start using all your spiritual faculties,  to do God’s Will.

It is as the Prodigal, when he “came to himself”. 

Luke 15:17 “And when he came to himself,  he said,   How many hired servants of my Father’s have bread enough and to spare,  and I perish with hunger!”

The Prodigal was the younger son of two boys.  He had lived in the Father’s House, and became restless for “something more”.

So he came and asked his Father for his portion, and his Father gave both boys their inheritance:  the older, as was the custom, received two-thirds of the estate;  the younger received one-third.

What is this “inheritance”?  

I believe it is our wills.  As God’s children (Yes, these are Christians—sons of the Father),  we will use our wills to will after God, and bring forth fruit;   Or we will “waste” our wills on things of this world.

Luke 15:13 “And not many days after the younger son gathered all together,  and took his journey into a far country,  and there wasted his substance with riotous living.”

The “far country” seemed to be a great place,  but the heart of this boy knew that it was just “wasting” time and effort, with nothing to show for it.

Luke 15:14 “And when he had spent all,  there arose a mighty famine in that land;  and he began to be in want.”

See God’s hand in this?

How could he spend all his will?     By wasting his efforts chasing shadows: and refusing reality.

Look at Solomon:

Ecclesiastes 2:10,  6:12  “And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them,  I withheld not my heart from any joy;  for my heart rejoiced in all my labor: and this was my portion of all my labor.

                                For who knoweth what is good for man in this life,  all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow?  For who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?”

Solomon and this Prodigal spent all their effort of will “tasting” of things which they knew to be nothing, in comparison to God’s Will.

But they continued,  till they were “spent” or like dead inside.

What to do?  the Prodigal,  deadened to spiritual feelings, went and begged a job from a pig farmer.   (Swine were unclean to the Hebrews,  but as I said, this poor boy is deadened to things as they should be….until…)

Luke 15:17.  “And when he came unto himself,  he said,   How many hired servants of my Father’s have bread enough and to spare,  and I perish with hunger!”

Now here, thankfully,  he “Awakes!”.   For that is what “he came unto himself” means:  he remembers,  “Hey, I am a Christian.  I have a Father that is good to servants,  and gives them the Bread of Life.”

Then, because he is awake,  he begins to use his will,  for God’s Will:  notice the “will” here:

Luke 15:18-19 “I will arise and go unto my Father,  and will say unto Him,  Father,  I have sinned against heaven, and before Thee,  

                           And am no more worthy to be called Thy son:  make me as one of Thy hired servants.”

We know the rest.  He does what is God’s wills, and returns:  confessing all to his Father.   

But instead of the lowest place in the Father’s House, the boy is given the Father’s kiss of forgiveness,  the best robe,  a ring of authority for his finger, and a fatted calf.

Paul in Romans is calling for these Christians to “awake out of sleep”……to realize that time is moving forward……are they?

Romans 13:11-12 “And that,  knowing the time,  that now it is high time to awake out of sleep;  for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

                              The night is far spent,  the day is at hand:  let us therefore cast off the works of darkness,  and let us put on the armor of light.”

Are we still living “riotously”in the far country?  

Have we felt the “famine” of the Word of God to our souls? (Amos 8:11)

Are you ready to “awake”?

Well, wherever you are…..

….Gather your faculties,  all the things you possess in Christ, to one grand end:  to do the Will of God in these days.

To “put on” the Lord Jesus Christ (Be conformed to His character).

Romans 13:14 “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ,  and make not provision for the flesh,  to fulfill the lusts thereof.”

Come to yourself…who you are, as Christians, in this world.  Remember the Bread of Life, and put on the armor of light.  His light is real protection, for in His light we see everything clearly.

The Prodigal forgot the goodness of his Father, for a while,  but was awakened, and returned to Him.

We, too, often forget the mercy, and grace of God.  But we can remember Him, awaken, and come to His light.  

We can use our wills to do His Will.

As Paul says,  “It is high time to awake out of sleep”.

Psalm 136: A psalm of praise for the Lord’s Mercy 

Psalm 136:1 “O give thanks unto the Lord;  for He is good:  for His mercy endureth forever.”

In this Psalm, every verse ends with the phrase,  “for His mercy endureth forever”.

“Endureth” means that it is established and stands fast.   God’s mercy for us has been established in eternity past….and will stand fast….immovable for us throughout eternity future.

He is the God of gods, the Lord of lords,  Who alone does great wonders.

Whose wisdom made the heavens, stretched out the earth above the waters.

Who made the sun to rule by day, and the moon and stars to rule by night.

Who redeemed Israel from Egypt,…protecting under Blood, their firstborn;  while slaying the firstborn of Egypt.

Who brought them through, dry shod, the Red Sea.  

Yet slew Pharaoh’s army when they followed, bringing the same Sea to drown them.

Who lead them through the wilderness, bringing  them into the Promised land.

All these things are the marvelous works He has done….

….but then,…. the personal memory of God for “us”….the personal pronoun.

Who remembered, and remembers “us” now (for it is in a continuing sense)…..and here it takes a personal turn.

And “hath redeemed us”….

Psalm 136:23-24 “Who remembered us in our low estate:  for His mercy endureth forever:

               And hath redeemed us from our enemies:  for His mercy endureth forever.”

It is good to see and acknowledge…to praise and extoll God for Who He is, and what He has done.

But it is better to know God’s mercy personally……that He remembers me, or us.  And redeems us.

How often we are in need of His mercy.   

Mercy is God’s kindness to sinners.  

There is temporal mercy:  He sends the rain on the just and unjust. (Matthew 5:45)

And there is Spiritual mercy, which is only found in Christ Jesus,  for ”us”.

This redemption is personal Salvation, guidance, and victory.

Let us acknowledge Who God is, and praise Him for it.

But let us make sure we have a personal interest in Christ Jesus, that He is our Redeemer.

We are ever in His memory…ever before His eyes.  

2 Timothy 1:9-10 “Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began;

                                 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, Who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:”

This seal of mercy is set on all the circumstances, people, and paths that comes to “us”:      “His mercy endureth forever.”

His mercy reaches us where we are.

His mercy leads us out of bondage.

His mercy delivers us and gives us the promises. 

His mercy remembers us, and in Christ Jesus, our Lord,  brings us before His throne to get what we need. 

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

How much He has for us, if we will but come to Him and get it,  and then with the help of the Holy Spirit within,  use it.

God is Nigh unto them with a Broken Heart. 

Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart:  and saveth such that be of a contrite spirit.”

This is a promise from our God.

Often the broken heart thinks that God is far away….but not so.  He is near.

This broken heart is found in all places.  

We are broken in heart by our sin and many failures to such a Good God.

We are broken in heart, often, when we are in troubles and afflictions.

We are broken in heart by people’s cruelty, and circumstances which seen out of control.

We are broken in heart as we go through this weary world…..by grief, and loss.

Isaiah 32:2 “And a Man (and that man is Christ) shall be as a hiding place from the wind and a culvert from the tempest;  as rivers of water in a dry place,  as a shadow of a great rock in a weary land.”

“Broken” here means “burst,  to break in pieces.”

But we have a promise:  The Lord is near us.   I don’t know about you, but the greatest joy of my life, has been His Presence.

I’ve known it since being born again,…..and though I have failed and wavered (often),…….He has not.  

He has loved me; and helped me.

Yes, I can say it has not been always the way I wanted.   

But I can also say, it has been what I needed.

My broken heart, (by loss, by hate, by hurt feelings, by money troubles, by other troubles)  was not always miraculously healed,  but always mended. 

(And “mended” means “to fasten upon,  to strengthen, to cure, repair, make courageous”.)

Ezekiel 34:16a  “I will seek that which was lost,  and bring again that which was driven away,  and will bind up that which is broken,  and will strengthen that which was sick:..”

“And saveth such that be of a contrite spirit.”  

When we are broken in heart by our sins, and contrite (bruised)…….when we remember that we have rebelled against our Loving Lord;  then God is well pleased….and is more than ready to save us.

Our sin crucified our Lord.  He died for me.  

Psalm 51:14, 17 “Deliver me from bloodguiltiness,  O God,  thou God of my salvation:  and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

                The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:  a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”

Isaiah 57:15 “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity,  whose name is Holy;   I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit,  to revive the spirit of the humble,  and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

Jeremiah 30:17a  “For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds,  saith the Lord;…”

When our hearts are broken by loss, hurt, or grief;  He is not there just to comfort;……but to restore.

He supports us, so we go on through the sorrow, together;  and not be overcome.

(He never dismisses our loss;  but seeks to hold on to us,  through it.)

David felt this way, for he knew many losses, enemies, and troubles; and turned to the Lord:

Psalm 69:2, 20, 29-30 “I sink in deep mire,  where there is no standing:  I am come into deep waters,  where the floods overflow me.

                                         Reproach hath broken my heart;  and I am full of heaviness:  and I look for some to take pity,  but there was none;  and for comforters, but I found none.

                                          But I am poor and sorrowful:  let Thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.

                                          I will praise the name of God with a song,  and I will magnify Him with thanksgiving.”

Christ Jesus has carried our sorrows;……so we can receive His joy and peace.  

His joy lifts us up out of the depths of despair.   

His peace surrounds us, in His arms.

Isaiah 53:4 “Surely He had borne our griefs,  and carried our sorrows:  yet we did esteem Him stricken,  smitten of God,  and afflicted.”

He did that for us.   Receive His comfort.

Jesus quoted this promise when He was here on earth:

Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor;  

He hath sent Me to heal the broken-hearted,  

to preach deliverance to the captives, 

and recovering of sight to the blind, 

to set at liberty them that are bruised,

                    To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

He has promised.  He will give it.  Ask for it.  

Look to Jesus, and He will heal your broken heart;…..no matter how it got broken.

Edification, Exhortation, and Comfort.

1 Corinthians 14:3 “But he that prophetieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.”

Paul is speaking concerning prophesying….or preaching what is on God’s mind for His people.    

1 Corinthians 14:4 “….but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.”

As preachers,  we are to bring before the people we preach to,  three things:

Edification….which is to build up.   

       We are to preach the Word of God in such a way that the people will grow in grace.   That they will grow from children…tossed to and fro in doctrine…..to grown men of God.

       Ephesians 4:13-15 “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:

       That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

         But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things which is the head, even Christ:”

       God’s Word is full of “building blocks”….that will fortify us against this world’s tricks and allurements….for through His Word, and by HIs Spirit, we will know our God.

        Daniel 11:32 “And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries:     but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.

        Psalm 61:3 “For Thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.”

       Psalm 62:2 “He only is my rock and my salvation;  He is my defense;  I shall not be greatly moved.”  

       

To know the Lord,  and HIs Word to us….builds us up.   We are not tricked….for we know HIs Will.   

       We are not “greatly moved”….it does not say we are never moved by emotions, troubles, or adversity…..but we are not greatly moved….because Christ is our Rock and fortress.

Then we are to Exhort.

Exhortation is to awaken….

Hebrews 13:22 “And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation : for I have written a letter unto you in few words.”

When we exhort,  we are preaching to wake our hearers up.   It is so easy to fall asleep,  or settle down in what we consider a time of rest.

 The  Adversary of our souls, the devil, never rests….but seeks to trick or beguile us.

              So we must be watchful of our souls….and awake to hear the calling of our Lord for the next step.

Paul wrote the Ephesians in the early part of his first imprisonment….a letter of affection….reminding them of the Will of God from “before times eternal”….and the blessings He has for us.   But he exhorts them to be awake….not comfortable in their spiritual lives….but staying in the light.

               Ephesians 5:14 “Wherefore He saith,  Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”

Paul wrote the Romans about the Purpose of God….and the importance of continuing in it.

Romans 13:11-12 “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep:  for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

             The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.”

Exhortation is an important element in our growth in grace….for it we are not awake to Christ’s call and direction….we may surely take a wrong turn.

Then we are to Comfort.

How important this is to godly growth in grace!   For to comfort a Christian is to turn their eyes upward to Christ….and His love and peace.  

          Romans 8:35, 38-39 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?…

….For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,   Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

To see and feel the needs of others….their grief, sorrow, pain,….tiredness even.  As a Christian, we are to pray for….and speak the words of Christ which will heal, and give something to lean upon.

For God is the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3)

Paul, when the Thessalonians were sorrowful about those who had died already…thinking that perhaps since they were dead,  the Lord would not raise them up when He came….wrote to them.

         1 Thessalonians 4:13, 16-18 “But I would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

             For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

            Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 

           Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

The Holy Spirit is the Comforter (John 14:16, 26)….for He abides with us forever.

       The scriptures are for our comfort…..

….”…that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”(Romans 15:4)

         And we are to comfort each other.    

2 Thessalonians 5:11 “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.”

  

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 “Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,  

            Comfort your hearts and stablish you in every good word and work.”

We are called help each other grow in grace…..

Maybe you can not preach or teach…..but you can witness to God’s grace and comfort to you….and pray for His people,  that they may know Him as they should.

         

       

Real Spirituality begins when we take our place before our God, our Maker.

Romans 9:19-20 “Thou wilt say them unto Me,  Why doth He yet find fault?  For who hath resisted His Will?

       Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God?  Shall the thing formed say to Him that formed it,  Why hast Thou made me thus?”

“Why have You made me thus?   If You had not made me as I am,  I would not have these problems….it is Your fault, I am as I am.”

(I told this to the Lord once……I was so angry about the mess my life was in!                                Even though I had been born in a “Christian” family….had gone to church….yet there was an anger in my life….from hurts and resentments I refused to deal with.

Down through the ages,  we have wondered why God made us the way we am.

Or in this time,…..or in these circumstances.

(And are we not seeing this more and more….people refusing God’s Way of life for them?)

When that is exactly what He did….He made me for now….for the time I am in,  to manifest to this age…….our God.

That is the purpose of every man.

Revelation 4:11 “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.”

(This is a marvelous verse….for it pictures the Raptured church in heaven.   And what do they praise the Lord for first?    That He created all things for His pleasure.   His Will is best for all His creation…especially me!)

He has created all things, and placed them….for His glory.

All things means all things.   He says,  “…yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.”   

Romans 3:19 “Now we know that what things soever the law saith,  it saith to them that are under the law:  that every mouth may be stopped,  and all the world may be come guilty before God.”

Here is the last word….that every mouth may be stopped:

No more alibis

No more excuses

No more reasons why we did…..or did not do.

But every mouth will be stopped.

Now there are two ways that this happens:

For the lost, it happens at the White Throne judgement….every knee shall bow to Christ Jesus,   at the mention of His name.    Every sin will be read, and there will be no “talking back”…no excuses…just silence….as the Judge of all the earth gives the verdict….”depart from Me, ye workers of iniquity.”

For the saved,  it happens when we realize we are sinners…..lost….without hope in this world. 

Our mouths are stopped….we see we can give no excuse for our actions…against God and others.

But once we stop….and come to Christ,  Who alone can save us….and become born again….

…….then the Lord opens our mouths to speak His Word.

When Job had this experience, he spoke plainly of it:

Job had served the purpose of God in his wealth and prosperity;….as well as in his poverty and want.

He spoken a lot of words….good words….

….until the Lord showed Himself to him….then….

Job 40:1, 4 “Moreover the Lord answered Job, and said,     Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct Him?   He that reproveth God, let him answer it.

        The Job answered the Lord,  and said,   Behold,  I am vile;  what shall I answer Thee?  I will lay my hand upon my mouth.”

It is quite one thing to…know about God….even a great deal.

And another thing to….know God.

Job 42:5-6 “I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear;  but now mine eye seeth Thee:  

          Wherefore I abhor myself,  and repent in dust and ashes.”

This is taking our place before our Maker.   

He speaks, and I listen.

He decides, and I do.

That day Job knew God as His Creator and Sustainer.    And Job repented and bowed.   

        But then Job got up, forgave his “friends”…who had criticized everything he went through…

….and went on with the life God gave him…as a witness to God.

        Every time we know God more personally,  we will see ourselves more clearly….and marvel of marvels….we will in our humbling, be exalted to a more spiritual life in Him.