Not Able to Assemble

Not Able to Assemble

It is hard for us to imagine the spiritual lives of those in the Old Testament, but the life and psalms of David give us so much insight into his worship. The design of the Sabbath was not to assemble (that only began because of the scattering of the Jews as they went into captivity), but to take time every week to remember they were resting every week to spend time meditating on how God delivered them from the bondage in Egypt where they had no rest.

However, there were special feast days for Israel. Three times every year they came to the temple for those special days. That section in Psalms which contains the “Psalms of Ascent” gives us insight into the joy they celebrated as they ascended the mountains in Jerusalem to worship God. David describes his emotions. “I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival” (Psa. 42:4 ESV).

Then the wrath of Saul destroyed David’s ability to keep the feasts. As a youth, he made those three journeys with his parents for the feast days. For the early years in Saul’s palace, he enjoyed being part of the songs of praise with the multitudes. Angry Saul changed that. For over seven years Saul’s army robbed David of this joy. Hear his words showing the joy taken from him. “Come before the Lord with singing…Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful and bless His name” (Psa. 100:2-4).

How did the loss of this joy impact David? “As a deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirst for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God” (Psa. 42:2)? He longed for that day when he again might be able to go to the feasts. His heart rested in the hope that someday it would be restored to him. “Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance” (42:5).

Think of the parallel in David’s life and the lives of many Christians. Two years ago, they came every week to celebrate a festive time at the Lord’s table. David said, “I used to go with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise” (Psa. 42:4 NKJV). Covid came. It kept us from meeting our Lord in the keeping of the Lord’s supper.

Are you among those who have been driven from assembling at His table? Are you among those who for two years could not speak to one another in spiritual songs? The most vital question you face is do you miss worship like David did? Has complacency settled in and replaced the joy of coming with the multitude into His presence? Are you thirsting and panting to come to His table? Think about this.

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Paul’s Words the Basis of Faith

Paul’s Words the Basis of Faith

Paul’s words to young Timothy were so descriptive of the trials he would have to face. Those verses in 1 Timothy 4 were given to Timothy because of what was happening. The gospel was soon to be preached to every creature under heaven, and the future of the church was so promising.

Paul warned Timothy that the Holy Spirit of God had clearly revealed that some would depart from the faith and begin following false teachers and the lies they taught (1 Tim. 4:1). Their teaching was that Christians must refrain from eating certain foods. What was the truth about this matter? The Holy Spirit revealed through Paul that such was false teaching for “…every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer” (1 Tim. 4:4-5).

Timothy’s task was to take this truth and instruct the brethren. If he did this, he would be a good minister of Jesus Christ, for he had been nourished in the words of faith and had carefully followed them (1 Tim. 4:6). Notice how the truths of God are described. They are based on the words of faith.

Look again at the contrast. Some had left the faith by following those who had departed from the faith. When they spoke, they did not speak the words of truth, but they were “…speaking lies in hypocrisy.” Timothy’s task was to stay faithful to the truth and instruct his listeners to stay in accordance with the words of faith.

Faith is based on words. If there are no divine words to describe what one believes, then his faith is not based on what God said. We express ideas using words. We express heavenly ideas by using heavenly words. If there are no Biblical words to describe one’s faith, then it cannot express an idea which has its origin in heaven.

There is more to be added to these thoughts. Paul instructs Timothy saying, “Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me” (2 Tim. 1:13). The words of faith become the basis of the “pattern of sound words.” A pattern shows what must be done and become the basis of duplicating precisely what was in the pattern. The reason forbidding the eating of certain foods was false teaching is because such teaching does not follow the pattern. This pattern is expressed in words, sound words.

Now make the application. Timothy was instructed to take the things he learned from Paul and deliver them to faithful men who then could deliver them to others (2 Tim. 2:2). Timothy was to take the words of faith and teach as a pattern to be followed by using sound words. This pattern was then to be given to others. God help us to find the words of faith!

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A False Balance is Abomination

A False Balance is Abomination

“A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight…” (Proverbs 11:1 KJV)fair just

Solomon advises us to be just in our business dealings with other people. Most business transactions relied upon the barter system. For instance, if someone had a bag of salt they wanted to trade for some leather, then both parties would agree on a certain weight of salt in exchange for a certain amount of leather. The fairness of the trade would depend, in some part, upon the accuracy of the scale, which was merely a balance bar with a known weight on one side and a space on the other for the thing weighed. Using a lighter than advertised counterweight, a dishonest trader could then take advantage of the gullible.

This practice is an abomination to the Lord. The word abomination, according to the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Dictionary means, “1) a disgusting thing; in a ritual sense or in an ethical sense…”  An abomination is something that makes God “sick” at His “stomach.” Dishonesty in business or in any other realm of our lives makes God disgusted with us!

On the other hand, when we are honest and do right by our fellow man, God takes delight and pleasure in it! The word “delight” here is the opposite of abomination. God looks favorably upon morally upright and godly business ethics.

Christians are to be “wise as serpents…” – there is nothing wrong with sharp business acumen, but this also must be counterbalanced by being “as harmless as doves…” (Mat 10:16) We should go out of our way, if necessary, to be just and fair in all our dealings with other people. It may be a temptation to “fudge” the numbers a bit, to take advantage of another, but we must refrain from all forms of dishonesty.

Read Romans 12:17-18, 2 Corinthians 8:20-21; 1 Peter 2:11-12

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Read it Slowly

Read it Slowly

It might seem as an unusual way to begin writing about God and His concerns for our tears, but take the following quiz to see just how carefully you are reading Bible stories. It is important to read the Bible, but it is far more important to read it slowly enough to remember what it says.read slowly

Unusual Bible Quiz About Weeping

1. Who does God specifically say wept in the ark?

2. Who wept because they did not have meat to eat?

3. Who wept for seven days because her husband would not tell her the answer to the question she asked?

4. Who wept every day for three years?

5. Who wept and those around her thought she was drunk?

6. Who was barefooted and wept on the Mount of Olives?

7. Who wept when he heard his hometown was in ruins?

8. What three times did Jesus weep?

9. Who wept when he heard a rooster crow?

10. What prophet did God tell to stop weeping?

(How did you do?  Answers at end of article).

God and Our Tears

The Bible has much to say about our tears when with broken hearts we come to Him.

Isaiah had just told Hezekiah that he was about to die, and the righteous king immediately prayed to God. Before Isaiah got outside the palace, God came to him and told him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father, ‘I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years’” (Isa. 38:5).

In the psalms, David cried and prayed to God. “All night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears” (Psa. 6:6). “Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; do not be silent at my tears” (Psa. 39:12). “Put my tears into your bottle; are they not in your book?” (Psa. 56:8). David then described God’s response, “For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling” (Psa. 116:8).

Oh, the joy of knowing that God sees our tears. Look at those questions again and see God’s involvement in them. Then, pray fervently knowing just how much He cares.

Answers:
1. Moses—Exodus 2:6
2. Jews in Wilderness—Num. 11:4
3.  Samson’s wife—Judg. 14:16-17
4. Paul—Acts 20:31
5. Hannah—1 Sam. 1:9-13
6. David—2 Sam. 15:30
7. Nehemiah—Neh. 1:3-4
8. Jesus—John 11:35; Luke 19:41-42; Heb. 5:7
9. Peter—Matt. 26:75
10. Jeremiah—Jer. 31:16.

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Last Words of the Saints

Last Words of the Saints

I am not sure the reason, but it seems that most of us remember the last words spoken to us by those who are deceased. Those words sometimes reflect the last thoughts of those who are dying and the final message they give to us. Consider these last words of the saints of God.

The last words of Jacob were, “Bury me with my fathers in the cave…which Abraham bought” (Gen. 49:29, 30). Joseph’s final words? “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here” (Gen. 50:25). At the end of the life of Joshua, he urged Israel to choose what he had chosen for himself and his household. The people then said, “We will serve the Lord.” Joshua took a large stone, placing it under an oak tree and said, “The stone…has heard all the words…it shall therefore be a witness to you, lest you deny your God” (Josh. 24:15-27). Those were the last words Israel heard from him.

The last words of Jesus before He died are well known. “Father into your hands, I commit My spirit” (Luke 23:46).  These words, first spoken by David (Psa. 31:5) in the midst of his trials, were so much in the heart of Jesus that they comforted Him as He died.

Stephen was the first Christian martyr, and he fully understood the principle of what would Jesus do. As he was being stoned, he visually knew Jesus awaited him in heaven. He said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then as he died, he said, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin” (Acts 7:59-60).

What final message would you like to give to your family? Because they may not be able to hear you speak these words, I have known many Christians who have written a final message to be read by their loved ones after they die. Some have even left video messages for those who remain.

Those Old Testament saints spoke words to remind those still on the earth that God still reigned. Jacob and Joseph gave instructions that were tied to the fact that God was in their lives. Joshua left a large stone as a visual reminder that would be there many years to remind the Jews of the vows they had made to God.

Those who heard the final words of Jesus and Stephen could never forget those words about what death really was like. Death is that time when our souls depart from this body and are received into the hands of God. What a blessing death is when viewed in this way. What a blessing it is to think that Jesus showed Stephen this truth. Of greater significance, what a blessing that He has showed us.

Your final words? They may not be nearly as important as the final message you leave by the way you lived.

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