Psalm 66 "Come And Hear"

“Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul.” (v.16)

Most Bible commentators believe that this Psalm was written by Hezekiah, king of Judah, after the Lord delivered the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the attack of the Assyrian army. Although the city was surrounded by 185,000 Assyrians, not a single arrow would make its way into Jerusalem (Isaiah 37:33).

As with Hezekiah, when our hearts overflow with thanksgiving for what the Lord has done for us in rescuing us from destruction and from the attack of the enemy, we can’t help but declare His marvelous works, and praise His name. 

The Truth: "My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber. Behold, the Protector of Israel will not slumber or sleep.” (Psalm 121:2-4)

Psalm 65 "God's Abundant Favor"

"You who hear prayer, To You all men come. Iniquities prevail against me; As for our transgressions, You forgive them.” (vv.2-3)

Our God is the God who hears our prayers and provides atonement for our sins. The Hebrew word for atonement, kaphar, literally means to cover over, as with a lid. It is found 3 times in the Book of Psalms, and is the word used for the top covering of the Ark of the Covenant. It is also where we get the name for the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur.

In this psalm, it (atonement) describes how God covers over sin and its effects. We find, in this one word, the love of God meeting the holiness of God. God’s perfect holiness requires that the law be upheld by the prescribed payment—death. And God’s perfect love paid that price by Jesus’ death on the cross. By placing our faith in His death and resurrection, His atonement covers over our sin. Hallelujah!

The Truth: "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

Psalm 64 "Fear and Declare His Work"

“All men shall fear, And shall declare the work of God; For they shall wisely consider His doing.” (v.9)

Psalm 64 is believed to have been written in the same context as Psalm 63, during the time of Absalom’s insurrection. It is a prayer for deliverance from cunning and malicious enemies, with a confident view of their overthrow, which will honor God, give joy to the righteous, and cause all men to fear and consider their actions.

Here in our text David is expressing that when God brings upon men the schemes they have desired on others, “all men shall fear.” They shall then perceive God's hand in it, and shall be led to declare "God's work." For they shall understand that God is on the side of the righteous, to the terrible discomfiture of the wicked.

This psalm then should remind us to be confident in God’s working to preserve us from cunning and malicious people who may be scheming behind our backs. For as with David, He will turn those schemes back upon them.

The Truth: “He frustrates the schemes of the crafty, so they achieve no success.” (Job 5:12)

Psalm 63 "My Soul Thirsts"

"O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You, in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.” (v.1)

King David was in a very inhospitable environment with disastrous circumstances beyond his control when he composed Psalm 63. After his son, Prince Absalom, instigated a revolt against him, king David fled eastward from Jerusalem through the Judean Desert, most likely at the end of the summer ( 2 Sam. 16:1) to the friendlier region of Gilead on the other side of the Jordan River (2 Sam. 17:24). As we examine this psalm, we will see David’s desire to worship the Lord even though he had been cut off from access to the sanctuary in Jerusalem by those who pursued him.

King David understood that every human being is thirsty for God. Some are more aware of this thirst than others, and some deny that they are even thirsty at all. But deny or admit, every person has this thirst, and those who do not know Him, attempt to quench it with someone or something other than God. We actually need a relationship with God more than we need food to eat, air to breath, or water to drink. We will of course die physically without food, air, and water; but without God, we will experience the death of separation from God for eternity. British pastor F. B. Meyer wrote, “God has set Eternity in our heart, and man’s infinite capacity cannot be filled or satisfied with the things of time and sense.”

This psalm reminds us that, when we find ourselves in a dry place in life both physically and spiritually like David did, we need to "follow hard after God and He will uphold us” (v.8), to rejoice in Him through the dryness knowing that He will protect and provide for us, that we may glorify Him (v.11).

The Truth: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matt.11:28) - (God replace our worries with His peace (Philippians 4:6-7).

Psalm 62 "Wait For God Alone"

“Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” (Psalm 62:8 NIV)

To live the Christian life, we need “God alone.” It’s remarkable what God can do if we don’t interfere with his plans but allow him to receive the glory.  It’s easy to be like Jacob and pray for help and then make our own plans (Genesis 32:6-21). Trusting is living without scheming, and we aren’t smart enough to make better plans than God.

In the original Hebrew text of Psalm 62, the world translated “only” or “alone” is used in verses 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 9. When Jesus announced his coming death, Peter interfered with his plans (Matthew 16:21-23), and in the garden, Peter drew his sword and tried to deliver Jesus (John 18:1-11). To interfere with God’s plans is to rob ourselves of the best blessings he has planned for us.

Warren Wiersbe wrote, “This entire psalm tells us to focus entirely on the Lord, for he is our rock (vv. 2, 6, 7), our refuge (vv. 7-8), our salvation (vv. 1, 2, 6, 7), our defense (vv. 2, 6), and our glory (v. 7). Jesus is the Lord of "our time", so be patient and wait on him. He is the Lord of "our speech", so be silent and don’t advise him. He is the Lord of "our plans", so let him have his way."

If you’ve been trusting God and hanging on, but you’re starting to run out of patience, be still and continue to wait for the Lord!  He will see you through in your trial, he will provide that guidance you need, he will meet that financial need you have, he will bring back your wayward child. And as God’s peace is reestablished in your soul, you will be able to say, “It is well with my soul!

Therefore, do not take this thing into your own hands, do not rush or get into a panic mode. Instead continue to wait on Him, for God’s steadfast love for the church does not fail (vv.11-12).

The Truth: "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I have hope in Him." The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently For the salvation of the LORD. (Lamentations 3:24-26)

Psalm 61 "Lead Me To The Rock"

“When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to “The Rock” that is higher than I.” (v.2)

The term rock is often used to describe God in the Scriptures. When Jesus told the parable of building our house on a rock, He was speaking of God. The parable symbolizes that when we build on Him, no matter how overwhelming our lives may feel, we will stand firm. David expressed his reliance on the God here in our text when he wrote, “the rock that is higher than I.” This ties in with his realization from psalm 60 that he should not trust in his own strength, but look to the Lord, for his help comes from Him.

When we think of David, many things come to mind; a writher, a warrior, a king. This prayerful man after God’s own heart fought a bear, a lion, a giant, led troops into battle, and took on 300 Philistines, and yet we see him cry out to God. Even this powerful, strong, and confident king knew there was someone stronger, someone greater, and higher than he - Jesus, the “Rock” of our salvation.  

The Truth: “The LORD is my rock and my or tress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust: My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Psalm 18:2)

The Journey Begins

Today my son will get married to a very special lady, Megan Kearon. I thank God for bringing her into his life and filling him with so much joy and vision for the future. We (Lori & I) love you so much and can't wait to see you both begin your lifelong journey together. God Bless you. See you soon in your beautiful dress and handsome tux. 

Psalm 60 “Look To The Lord, Not Man”

“Give us help from trouble, for vain is the help from man.” (v.11)

This verse (and the one that follows) shows us that David realized the source of his success and the secret of his strength, did not lie in the might of his armies but in the Lord. David realized his armies were just as vulnerable as his enemies, unless there were empowered, and directed by God. Unfortunately later in his life, David would forget this great truth and suffered the corrective hand of God for his pride (2 Samuel 24).

Pride can easily get us all off track from our first days in the Lord, when we walked in total dependency upon Him. And, insted of bathing our steps in prayer and looking to be guided by His Spirit, we begin to depend on our own abilities and strength. Then like with David, it becomes a recipe for troubled waters. The good news is, there is a course correction we can take to navigate back to a safe haven - simply “looking to the Lord” for his help and direction.

Just as Peter who in faith stepped out of his boat and onto the water and began walking toward Jesus, but got his eyes off the Lord and on to the circumstances around him, the the wind and the waves and began to sink - So shall we all if we walk in our own strength. Therefore look to the Lord, present your needs to Him, and like both Peter and David, He will help you.

 The Truth: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6)

Psalm 59 “Sing of the Lord”

“I will sing of Your power; yes I will sing of Your mercy in the morning: for You have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble.” (v.16)

Here in our text David is testifying of his praise to God. Singing of His power, His mercy, His defense and protection against all of his enemies. Singing is such a beautiful way to communicate love and display contentment. My grandmother often sang and hummed in the most contented voice as she ironed, washed clothes on a washboard over the sink, or cooked. To this day I remember the love that went into her daily chores. Mothers have been consoling their restless babies for years by singing them to sleep. There is no greater display of love and affection than the showering of joy through music to another's soul.

Interestingly enough, when king Saul was troubled, tormented, and could not sleep, he would call for David (when he was younger) and have him play the harp and sing songs to calm him down. But now David is fleeing from the very man he comforted, and even though his life is in danger, he sings of His mighty deliverer from the heart.

When we sing worship songs with our hearts fixed on God, we are singing of His presence. When we testify to others of what God has done for us, we are singing of His power. When we give thanks to God for His workings in our lives, we are singing of His mercy. Therefore, “sing of the Lord" and all He has done for you, and make known His faithfulness to all.

The Truth: "I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 89:1)

Psalm 58 “There Is A God Who Judges”

"And men will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; Surely there is a God who judges on earth!” (v.11)

This Psalm was written against wicked rulers. It has been suggested that it was penned because, Abner and the rest of Saul's princes, who judged David as a rebel and outlaw, urged Saul to pursue him. The psalm is laid out in three parts: a description of the evils of the unrighteous judges (vv.1-5); prayer for their overthrow (vv.6-8); the ultimate realization of the triumph of righteousness (vv. 9-11).

We too at times may feel that unrighteous rulers are chipping away at our lives as well. Whether they are judges, politicians, lawyers, or ones boss, I’m sure you (like David), have prayed against unrighteousness in some area of your life, and even cried out to God for justice. But as Christians, we are also called to love. And therefore, we should also to pray against the forces that bind the unrighteous. Then, as David did, rest in the knowledge that righteousness will eventually triumph.

But, until then as Jesus said, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:28). Remember, if it were not for God's mercy, and long-suffering we would have been found wanting a long time ago. Therefore, be patient, pray for His will in every situation, and leave judgement to God. It will happen, but in His timing.

The Truth: "From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress.” (Revelation 19:15)

Psalm 57 “He Will Deliver You"

"I will cry to God Most High, to God who accomplishes all things for me.” (v.2)

It is a marvellous thing to consider that God is literally willing to perform all things in us, and for us, if only we will let Him. The mystery is that most of us insist on performing all things in the energy of our own resolve, in the strength of our own power, instead of waiting on Him.

Before God will perform all things for us, as He did for his servant, we must learn to wait in his presence that He may teach us our absolute helplessness; that He may assure us of our need of absolute dependence on Him. As the psalmist wrote, let thy heart be fixed in its resolve to take deliverance from none other — and He will send forth his twin-angels, Mercy and Truth (v. 3). They will come, even into the lion’s den, and save thee from those who would swallow thee up (v. 4).

Wait on the Lord and He will deliver you.

The Truth: "Call to Me and I will answer and show you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)

Psalm 56 “I Will Not Be Afraid"

"In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (v.11)

This psalm records David’s trust in God after being seized by the Philistines. Though his circumstances were overwhelming and discouraging, he chose to take his eyes off what he was experiencing and focus them instead on God. As he began to think of the sufficiency of God, it reminded him of how carefully God watched over him and not to be afraid what the Philistines might do to him. God had rescued David in the past, therefore David believed God would rescue him again, even in the Philistine city of Gath. 

We too can look back over our lives and see the times where God rescued us from different trials and troubles. And, like David, we know He will be there for us in the future as well. Better to trust the one who after the body is dead, has the power to save the soul from eternal damnation. 

The Truth: "The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” (Psalm 145:18)  

Psalm 55 “Betrayal By A Close Friend"

"For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; Then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has magnified himself against me; Then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal, My companion and my acquaintance.” (vv.12-13)  

Here in Psalm 55, David pours out his heart to his Lord because a close friend Ahithophel has betrayed him. Ahithophel had been David’s close personal friend and counselor but Ahithophel turned on the King. If the betrayal had been a known enemy, then that would have been expected and David could have handled it. But when betrayal comes from this unexpected, close person, he was caught off guard and it broke his heart.

Nothing rocks our world more than the betrayal of a close friend or a loved one. It can break our hearts and cause us to react differently than if the betrayal came form someone else. In dealing with this, David went through many different emotional stages; heartache and terrors of death (v.4), fearfulness and trembling (v.5), thoughts of running away to escape the situation (vv.6-8), even asking God to take revenge upon his betrayers (v.15). Then David finally came to the correct conclusion concerning this and all disappointments in life, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved” (v.22). 

We, like David, are going to have disappointments in this life, we are going to get hurt. Family, friends, co-workers, they are all human, and as such will disappoint. Therefore, like David, when treachery rears its ugly head call upon the Lord, cast your burden on Him, He will sustain you and hold you up. He will strengthen you, and not allow you to be moved from His protection. Trust in the Lord.

The Truth: “The way of the Lord is strength for the upright, but destruction will come to the workers of iniquity” (Proverbs 10:29)  

Psalm 54 “The Lord Delivers”

“For He has delivered me out of all trouble; And my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies.” (v.7) 

David wrote this psalm when the Ziphites told Saul that he was hiding among them and that they would hand him over to Saul (1 Sam. 23:19–20). In response, David cried out to the Lord for help. His cry however, was not one born out of desperation. David, who had often experienced God supplying him a way of escape, so firmly believed God’s promises that he anticipated God’s deliverance with confidence. And, we know from historical records, God did deliver David from the Ziphites.

Today we can also rest in the confidence that God will deliver us, and will always make a way of escape for us (1 Cor. 10:13). But the key is believing in Jesus. Jesus said, “He that believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:12-14). As Jon Courson put it, “Faith sees the glory of the future, not the doom of the present.” 

Therefore, ask in faith and rest in the mighty agent who will fulfill His promises.

The Truth: "Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)

Psalm 53 “The Fool”

"The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.” (v.1)

There is something very fresh and current about Psalm 53. Though David penned this psalm in about 1000 BC, he is describing today’s world. The fools of the world (the atheists) are still busy spouting their lies, “There is no God.” Though the fool observes that there is no God, it is God’s observations on mankind that strike me as being more accurate: They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good. God looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.

When God is taken out of the picture, corruption runs rampant, and no set of laws or regulations will change that. The problem is not laws or regulations; the problem is the state of a person’s heart. Without the love and fear of God, restraint is cast off and everyone does what is right in their own eyes. (See Judges 21:25.) Thus, the fool doesn’t stop at claiming there is no God, but takes matters to the next logical step. In the absence of God, he asserts that he is god, seeing himself as is the master of his own domain and not accountable to anyone else.

Just as David speaks of the universal corruption of man here in Psalm 53, the Apostle Paul in talking to the Jews of his day, quoted this psalm to remind them, “there is none righteous”, which includes those who had the promise of God (Romans 3:9-12). Therefore, we all need to guard against thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought, for there are no degrees of sin - sin is sin. Scripture tells us that, “Whom the Lord loves, He also chastens” (Hebrews 12:6). Meaning, God will get the attention of the sinning believer to bring about repentance and renew fellowship with Him. But, to those who deny Him, their sin is unto death both physical and spiritual. Thus earning the label, “the fool”.

The answer then is to get smart and recognize there is a God who created all things and can keep your soul from hell.

 The Truth: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)

Psalm 52 “Vengeance Belongs to God"

"But God will break you down forever; He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent, And uproot you from the land of the living.” (v.5)

In Psalm 52 we find David on the run from Saul. While fleeing, he stopped by the town of Nob to pick up supplies and guidance from Ahimelech the priest. Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s “head shepherd,” spotted David in the temple and reported Ahimelech’s apparent treason to Saul--who then ordered his soldiers to go to Nob and kill the priests. Saul’s men would eventually refuse the order, but Doeg would put them to death. He killed 85 priests and decimated the entire town (1 Sam. 22:9-23). Psalm 52 is David’s outcry against Doeg’s action. 

The consequence of Doeg's evil, are spelled out in verses 5–7, to his ultimate ruin. He will be torn from his tent by God, brought down, uprooted from the living--when he least expects it. His trust in wealth and his destruction of others will prove to be false strongholds (v. 7), and the righteous, confident in God’s power, will laugh at the unmasking of his weakness.

This Psalm contrasts the temporary “power” of the man who trusts in himself for his own security and would stop at nothing for personal gain, with the eternal security of the man who trusts in the Lord’s unfailing love. David, though on the run and from many who sought to kill him, envisioned himself as, “a securely rooted olive tree, flourishing in the house of God” (v. 8). What a contrast between trusting in the abundance of riches and in the mercy of God! As we see in our text, the former will take wings and be gone; but the latter is forever (Psalm 52:1).

In spite of what the wicked do around us, it is so very important that we pray for their salvation. We know their end; we know that God will deal with them. No matter how much we want them to pay for what they have done (and they will), we must remember that we would be right there with them except for the grace of God.

The Truth: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8)

Psalm 51 "David’s Prayer of Confession”

"Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.” (v.1)

The background for today’s reading is King David’s adultery with Bathsheba and murder of her husband, Uriah (see 2 Sam. 11–12). His eventual confession, prompted by a confrontation with the prophet Nathan, is recorded in today’s psalm. It shows great faith in God’s character: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions” (v. 1), and also demonstrates trust in God’s power to forgive sin--to blot it out and wash the sinner clean (v. 7). David's prayer also demonstrates spiritual brokenness. He understood how much he offended God; in fact, he couldn’t forget it. He grieved deeply over what he’d done--it was as though his bones had been crushed. He acknowledged the justice of God’s punishment, which is no light statement considering that the penalty of his sin was the death of his baby son (2 Samuel 12:14).

This story reminds us of two facts concerning sin; 1) "If we confess our sin, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sin, and to cleans us from all unrighteousness” and 2) though forgiven, sin still has consequences. Here in our text we see that David's forgiveness was not just a matter of patting David on the head and sending him on our way. There was a cost, the sickness and eventual death of the child born to David through Bathsheba, and later in life multiple family issues, which is another story for another time.

The important thing to take away from this Psalm is that sin is destructive, and carries with it an eternal death sentence. But, repentance is constructive, which comes out of Godly sorrow, and leads to salvation. Therefore, search your heart continually and confess your sin to Him who is able to forgive, cleans, and blot out your transgressions.

The Truth: “For Godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation, not to be regretted; but sorrow of the world produces death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10)

2 Peter 3 “The Lord is Longsuffering”

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (v.9)

Verses 1-9 of this chapter cover the subject of the Lord and His delay. Early in this first section Peter is reminding the brethren that the prophets, the apostles, and even Jesus himself said, “in the last days there shall come in scoffers saying, where is the promise of his coming” (vv.1-4)? He then goes on to remind the brethren that there was another time in human history when men scoffed, during the time of Noah (vv.5-6). Day after day while he was constructing the Ark, Noah heard the voices of the scoffers (for over 100 years), then came the rain, and the skeptic voices changed to pleas of salvation. Peter goes on to encourage the brethren that God is still in control (v.7) and waits in a realm where a day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day (v.8). 

Therefore, He is not slack concerning His promised return, for its only been a few days (in His realm). And like the catastrophic flood of Noah’s day, so He has delayed His second coming - giving man time to repent again, not willing that any should perish. So, take advantage of His long-suffering today and come to Jesus, before the “Return of the King.”

The Truth: "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

2 Peter 2 “The LORD Delivers The Godly”

“The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.” (v.9)

Chapter 2 has been described as both a warning and an encouragement by Peter to those he cares about. He warns concerning; false teachers, and the bringing of damnable heresies that deny the Lord (vv.1-2), he warns against those who would make merchandise of God’s people (v.3), against those who live ungodly lives and walk after the flesh (vv.5-6), against those who despise government, and speak evil of dignitaries (v.10), and he warns of the judgment that awaits those who partake of theses things. 

But, Peter also encourages his flock that God knows how to deliver the Godly out of temptations, out of judgment, and out of destruction, as He did with Lot and his family, and Noah and his family (vv.5-6). And I believe, along with many others, this also speaks to how God will deliver His church from the great tribulation described in Revelation 6-19, in an event called “The Rapture.” Then, as in times past, “He will pour out His wrath and the unjust shall be punished.” 

The Truth: "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)

2 Peter 1 ”Moved by The Spirit”

"For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (v.21)

Where did Scripture come from? What is the basis of our faith in the Bible and the Gospel? Peter wants us to realize that the prophets of ancient times didn't make up their own private stories. Instead, they only moved and responded to what God was doing in them, not what they themselves wanted to do or say. They were human, but their message was God's word because the Holy Spirit moved them to speak and guided their words. This makes what we have in Scripture from the prophets more than precious, for we are given the very words of God!

One thousand years before Jesus Christ came, men of old, prophets, were moved by the Holy Spirit to post prophetic signs that would point to Him as the Messiah. Moved by the Spirit men like David, Isaiah, Micah, Zecharaiah, and Malachi wrote of the following events; “The Messiah’s hands and feet would be pierced” (Psalm 22:16); “The Messiah would not open His mouth to defend Himself” (Isaiah 53:7); “The Messiah would be buried in the tomb of a rich man, though He was destined for burial with the wicked” (Isaiah 53:9); “The Messiah would be born in the town of Bethlehem: (Micah 5:2); “The Messiah would ride into the Holy City on the back of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9); “He would be betrayed by a friend for thirty pieces of silver” (Zechariah 11:12); and that the silver would be used to buy a potters field (Zechariah 11:13); The Messiah would have a “forerunner announcing His coming” (Malachi 3:1). 

These are but eight of the 300 prophecies recorded in the Scriptures of the Messiah before He appeared. The “Law of Compound Probabilities” tells us that the chances of one man fulfilling these eight prophecies is 1 in 10 to the 28 power. In other words 1 in 100000000000000000000000000000 - Or as Pastor Chuck use to say, “You could cover the state of Texas with silver dollars two feet deep, mark one of them with a red X, tell a friend to wonder around the state and choose one silver dollar. Those are the odds of any one person fulfilling just eight of the 300 prophecies, yet Jesus fulfilled them all. Thus proving beyond any doubt that, "prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but it came from God through the Holy Spirit."

It seems that Peter understood that his (and the other apostles’ writings) would carry the same weight as the words of the prophets and that he knew they were writing Holy Scripture (2 Peter 1:12-15; 2 Peter 3:16). Like the prophets of the Old Testament, Peter and the other authors of the books of the New Testament were careful to write only what God inspired through the Holy Spirit as well. 

Men die, experiences fade, but the Word endures. As our world grows darker, His Word shines brighter, and I thank God for the truth of the Scriptures. 

The Truth: "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” (John 16:13)

1 Peter 5 “Marks of a True Shepherd”

"Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” (vv.1-4) 

What are the marks of a true shepherd? Our text describes four - attitude, purpose, manner, and accountibility. True shepherds do their work with an attitude of willingness, not out of a sense of obligation (v. 2a). Second, the true shepherd's purpose is to serve others, rather than leading in order to serve one's own needs (v. 2b). Third, we see that a true leader does not “lord it over” others, seeking power and authority; rather, they offer a humble “example to the flock” (v. 3). Finally, a true shepherd of God's flock will always remember that there is a Chief Shepherd to whom they are accountable as well (v. 4). 

Ultimately, it is Christ's church, not ours. And Christ is the true Shepherd of His people. Therefore, any leader of Christ's church is only an under-shepherd (a steward) of that one great “Shepherd and Overseer of our souls” (1 Peter 2:25). 

The Truth: "Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with every good thing to do His will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13:20-21)

1 Peter 4 “Christian Love”

“Keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” (vv. 9-10)

What does true Christian love look like? It's a life of service. Scripture calls us to a life of deep love for others. Rather than seeking to expose the faults of others, we should strive to cover those faults with a generous forgiveness and a welcoming hospitality (vv. 8-9). Knowing we are loved and welcomed by God, we should in turn offer love and welcome to others.

Love is more than just feelings and forgiveness; it involves tangible actions as well. Whatever gifts we've been given (and Scripture says that each of us has some gift), we are to use them to serve others. Whether it be comforting words in a time of great need, or a anonymous gift in a time of hardship, our life should be an act of service that operates out of God's gifts to us, and for His glory (vv. 10-11). 

So while our days on this earth grow shorter every day, that knowledge should sharpen our focus on the things that matter most: honoring God by loving and serving one another.

The Truth: "Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.” (Romans 12:9-13)