"Insight On Psalm 23 And You" (With Sermon On Psalm 23 By Charles Spurgeon) - Inspirational Weekend

My daily Bible reading to study yesterday was, in part, Psalm 23.  I was inspired to focus on verse 3 of that Psalm for this weekend's post.  Many of you may have the entire Psalm 23 memorized, and it is an excellent one to know by heart, as I myself have memorized it.  Sometimes when I am extremely tired or just for a loss as to what to pray,  I quote the entire Psalm 23 out loud to the Lord.  It is soothing and calming to do so.

"He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake."  -  Psalm 23:3

The soul can have weaknesses and weariness, and sometimes loss of trust in God.  It can sometimes lose sight of the promises of God found in His Holy Word.  Take it all to the good Lord in prayer, and the Great Physician will restore you to a healthy state of mind and of soul.   

One commentator believes this is the only meaning of "He restoreth my soul"..... that it does not refer to any sin.  But actually, any doubt of God is a sin in itself.  

Other commentators say that this restoration of the soul refers to the pardoning of sins.  We all are aware that although, if we are born again, we are still prone to sin occasionally.   The big difference in when believers sin, is that it is not on purpose and deliberately and willfully done.  It shouldn't be, if you are a true believer in Jesus.  

If one has sinned, or become a backslider, he can come back to the

Lord by way of humility and prayer and repentance and to turn from any evil.  You must come to the Lord in sorrow for the wrong and with whole-hearted  remorse.  If you are a sheep that has left the fold and become separated from the flock, the Good Shepherd will welcome you back with open arms of love and pardon.

When one is oppressed, God can refresh the soul with His Word, the Bible, and by His Holy Spirit, Who is the Comforter.   Faith is the great restorer of life to any oppressed Christian.  

Psalm 23:3 ........."He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness.."

The custom of the Eastern shepherds was to go before the sheep, thereby leading them.   So God guides us.  We enter the paths of righteousness not because we are forced or driven into them, "but by the attraction of our Lord's loving presence, and the persuasive power of His holy will."

"O LORD,  I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps."  -   Jeremiah 10:23

From the above verse, we can see that even converted persons need a God to lead them.   We can also see this when David prayed:

"Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: Thy Spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness."  -  Psalm 143:10

Keep on the good paths, the narrow and straight paths, the paths that the good Lord leads you to follow, and you will not go wrong.  If you are in doubt, pray to God to guide you and He will tenderly  lead you on the path that is righteous, one that leads to heaven in the future.  

Psalm 23:3  ".....For His name's sake."

The above makes you think of God's sovereignty.  He not only guides us in paths of righteousness because of His love and mercy and grace, but because He is concerned with His reputation and His purposes and wants them to be maintained by His people in order that He might be glorified.

"....So didst Thou lead thy people, to make Thyself a glorious name."   -  Isaiah 63:14b

Indeed, we all ought to do everything for God's glory.  He is the Sovereign of the universe; He is our Creator and breath of life.

We believers have so much to be grateful for.  The good Lord watches over us, provides for us, loves us, and tenderly guides and corrects us.  We owe Him reverence and respect and total surrender to His will;  and we owe Him our grateful love in return.

Following is a 26 minute audio sermon by Charles Spurgeon on beautiful Psalm 23: 

In this commentary, Spurgeon says:  "It is to the honor of our Great Shepherd that we should be a holy people, walking in the narrow way of righteousness."    Another way to say it is, we should be living as godly a life as possible, endeavoring to please the good Lord in all we do, say, think, and believe.

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord;"   -  Hebrews 12:14

How do we become holy and live a godly life?   You need to be born again (John 3:3), which means you repent of any sin and put your full trust and belief in Jesus as the Savior, whose shed blood at Calvary can wash away your sins.  You must forsake your sinful life and live for the Lord and obey Him and love Him with your whole heart and soul and mind.   Pray for forgiveness and for Him to wipe the slate clean; refreshing and cleansing you with His love and forgiveness.

Romans 10: 9,10,13 tells us:  (9) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13)  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."   -       Jesus speaking at Matthew 7:13-14

"Jesus saith unto him,  I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."    -  John 14:6

"Jesus answered and said unto him,  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."   -  John 3:3

Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend...... and life !

"The Mystery Of Godliness" (With Charles Spurgeon Sermon) - Inspirational Weekend

In my previous post last weekend, we discussed "The Mystery of God", which pointed to Jesus Christ as the mystery of God, and how also His rule in God's soon to be kingdom was part of that mystery.  Today, we will talk about "The Mystery of Godliness".  

Remember, a mystery in the New Testament sense is not something which cannot be understood.  It is rather some plan or purpose of God which has always been known to Him, but which he kept  the meaning hidden until He knew the time was right to reveal it.  Mysteries were revealed by Christ and eventually by the Holy Spirit.

I am sharing here a 52 minute sermon by the "prince of preachers", Charles Spurgeon, which is titled "The Great Mystery of Godliness".  This sermon is well worth the time to listen to, as are all of Spurgeon's discourses.

Spurgeon explains that the great mystery of godliness is the manifestation of God in human flesh, that He might save men from sin.  Jesus took the sins of man upon Himself so that He paid the price for sin in our place.  Therefore, if we believe in Him as the Savior, and have faith, we may have forgiveness of sins and gain eternal life.

"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:  God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."  -    1 Timothy 3:16

There are many Scriptures that admonish true believers to have godliness themselves; to lead a godly life.   Godliness is reverential piety toward God.  The two words express inward and outward holiness.

"For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty."  -  1 Timothy 2:2

"For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come."  -   1 Timothy 4:8

"But godliness with contentment is great gain."  -  1 Timothy 6:6

"According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue."  -  2 Peter 1:6

So called carnal Christians need to wake up and take these Scriptures to heart. You cannot be a part of the world and have godliness at the same time.  I really feel like there is no such thing as a carnal Christian, with the exception, perhaps, of new believers that do not yet have a clear understanding of how the world can corrupt and ensnare you to keep you from being an effective and "on fire" follower of Jesus Christ.

"The key to godliness is not more knowledge but more obedience."  -  Woodrow Kroll

"How can you give up the world?  Just do what you ought to do and it will give you up."  -  Jack Hyles

"Grace and peace are possible since God has given us (all Christians) everything we need to live godly lives."  -  Dr. Thomas Constable

"Prayer - secret. fervent, believing prayer -  lies at the root of all personal godliness."  -  William Carey

"Godliness, as well as the doctrine of our faith, is a mystery."  -    William Gurnall

When a person gives evidence of a sincere appreciation and love towards the heavenly Father, that is one of the most evident signs of genuine godliness.

What helps a person to be godly and to live a holy life is for him to have a close, intimate, personal, love relationship with God through Jesus Christ His Son.   How does that happen?  By much prayer and much Bible study.  As I have said previously, you cannot get to know a person unless you communicate with him.  That is true of God as well.  Take everything to Him in prayer and pray often.  Take time to "listen" to Him speak to you in your heart and through His Holy Word.  When we read in the Bible about the character of the good Lord, we come to know Him better.  We appreciate His many attributes, and grow to love Him more and more the better we come to know Him.  

Perhaps there are those reading this that are not saved; that do not believe in Jesus as their Savior.  I would like to remind you that these are the last days of this age....we are even in the last "hour" of the end times.  You need to repent and turn to the Lord in faith and believe that Jesus is the promised Savior.  Do it now while there is still time before the 7 year Tribulation period and before that being left behind because of unbelief when the Rapture of the Church occurs soon.   

Romans 10:9,10,13 explains,  (9) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13)  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation)."  -    2 Corinthians 6:2

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish,  but have everlasting life."   -   John 3:16

Have a blessed weekend and a Christ centered life !

  

"Be Blessed" - Inspirational Weekend

"Praise ye the LORD.  Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in His commandments"  -  Psalm 112:1

To be blessed is the happy condition of those who revere the LORD and do His will. 

"Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.  Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart."  -  Psalm 119:1-2

"Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust....."   -   Psalm 40:4 a  

So from these verses we see that to be blessed is to trust the LORD, walk in His laws and keep His commandments; and to have a reverent and healthy fear of Him and to seek Him with the whole heart.  

The ultimate blessing is to have Jesus Christ as our Savior, by Whom we may gain eternal life.   But that takes faith and belief on our part.  Salvation is believing in Jesus as the Savior, repenting of all known sin, and praying to God for forgiveness; surrendering our life and will to the good Lord.

Romans 10:9,10,13 says it best:  (9) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

A blessing is a gift from God.   Our every breath is a gift from Him.  So is the fact that we have eyes to enjoy all the beauty of His creation, and to see the faces of our loved ones.   God is love, and He shows His love to us in many ways.  He blesses us with a roof over our heads and with food to sustain us.   But the subject of this post will dwell on the spiritual blessings from the good Lord.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:"  -   Ephesians 1:3

Treasure God's Holy Word and read it daily. The Bible is a gift from the Lord; His love letter to us and His Instruction Manual for us.  By studying the Bible you come to comprehend God's attributes and His character, and you begin to know Him more intimately, and you become full of love for Him and for Jesus.  Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  You need to communicate with the good Lord in order to know Him and to love Him with all of your heart.  You cannot truly know a Person unless there is communication between you and Him.  It takes much prayer to build a strong, intimate, love relationship with the Lord.  He communicates with you by His Holy Word, and through sermons and even by conversations with other believers.

As a true believer, one needs to watch his associations and not become chummy with hardened sinners.  Psalm 1:1-2 tells us:

(1) "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  (2)  But his delight is in the law of the LORD:  and in His law doth he meditate day and night."

The Psalms are full of expressions of blessings.  And do not forget the sermon on the mount by Jesus... the Beatitudes .   Read Matthew 5:1-12.  There is described the happiness to be found by those who find their purpose and fulfillment in God.

"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."  -  Matthew 5:8

"Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God."  -  Psalm 146:5

To be blessed is to be happy.  Don't forget to bless others and spread the happiness around in a generous fashion.


"Jesus answered and said unto him,  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."    -  John 3:3


"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  -  John 3:16

"Jesus saith unto him,  I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."   -  John 14:6


Have a blessed and Christ-centered weekend...... and life !

"Walk As Children Of Light" - Inspirational Weekend

What does it mean, exactly, to walk as children of light?  

"For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord:  walk as children of light."  -  Ephesians 5:8

There is a distinct contrast between light and darkness.  Not only as in night and day, but also spiritually speaking.  When we think of darkness, we tend to think of the devil and evil and chaos.  When we consider the light, we think of God and Jesus and everything holy, lovely and pure.

"This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all."   -   1 John 1:5

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world:  he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."   -   John 8:12

It follows, then, that if we have a close, personal, intimate love relationship with God through Jesus Christ; and if we are followers of Jesus, that we would therefore "walk in the light".  However, you need to be born again and filled with the Holy Spirit in order to walk in the light.  Without a saving faith in Jesus, you are in darkness.   

Jesus called us believers the light of the world at Matthew 5:14 ,  

"Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid."  

One commentator sums up walking as children of light is, first of all, "It is to walk in the brightness of that light: to walk in the light of God's precious gospel, to walk in the light of God's perfections, to walk in the the realizing view of His pardoning mercy,  to walk in the light of His adoption, to walk as righteous ones, righteous in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ."

The light of God and of Jesus is pure and holy.  As a person grows in spiritual maturity, their "light" will be made pure and holy as well.   Granted, Christians are imperfect in that they sometimes sin, but they confess their sins, turn away and endeavor never to repeat the sin, and they pray for God's forgiveness in Jesus' name, Who in turn intercedes for them to the Living, True, God Who is Almighty. When you are a born again believer, God sees you as being "washed in the blood of Jesus"; He sees you as being pure and holy in the sense that you are forgiven;  He sees you as forgiven by the sacrifice of Jesus' shed blood at Calvary, whereby you are washed and made clean.

1 Peter 1:15-16 tells us:  (15) "But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;  (16) Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."

So those who walk as children of light abide in the light.  "Their hearts, minds, affections are of a spiritual and heavenly temper; spiritual light in their minds, holiness in their wills, joy, delight, hopes of glory in their hearts."  Children of light walk so as to be light unto others.

 Another commentator says, " 'Walking in the light' means we believe Jesus is 'the Light' in this world, and we 'walk' in that light by following His precepts, living in His power, and growing in His Grace."

We all need to keep in mind that we are living in the last hour of the last days; Bible prophecy is being fulfilled almost daily; the hour is near when Jesus will return to take all true believers to heaven to be with Him forever.

Don't be left behind!

If you have never given your heart and your life to the Lord, now is the time.  You do not want to be left behind after the Rapture of the Church as what follows in the 7 year Tribulation period is so horrific and full of God's wrath upon the ungodly left on earth during that time. 

"(For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)   -  2 Corinthians 6:2

Everyone longs for peace and security, a home where you are loved and where the good Lord is to be found.  That home of love and heavenly bliss can be yours if you but accept Jesus as the Savior, and put your hope and trust and faith in Him, and believe in His resurrection.  You need to pray and ask for forgiveness, and truly repent of your sins, which means you have a change of mind and heart and will endeavor never to repeat your sins. 

Believe in Jesus with all of your being !

His arms are wide open, ready to receive you in an embrace of love and of forgiveness !

Romans 10:9, 10, 13 tells us:  (9)  "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 

(10)  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (13)  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;"  -  Philippians 2:15

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  -  John 3:3

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  -  John 3:16