Jesus was Forsaken so We are Accepted

 “How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬ ‭KJV‬‬

David cried, “I’m hurting, Lord—will you forget me forever? How much longer, Lord? Will you look the other way when I’m in need?”  This is the psalm that describes the journey from self to God, from despair to delight, from feeling abandoned to feeling affirmed.  It begins with pain and ends with praise.  Moaning gives way to music.  We each can take comfort in what David experienced.  David feels as though God is hiding His face from his cries, and is left alone to wrestle with his doubts feeling as if his patience will hold on no longer.  Most of us have been there, haven’t we!  This is what Jesus Christ experienced on the Cross for all humanity,  when at about the ninth hour He cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  So we can come to Him, all of us who labor and are heavy laden, and He gives us rest.  Amen!

Trust God for Everything

 “Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭11‬:‭7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Paul tells the church at Corinth, “Have I committed a sin by degrading myself to dignify you? Was I wrong to preach the gospel of God to you free of charge?”  Paul received financial support for preaching the Gospel and could have asked the Corinthian church to support him.  But while among them, he refused to receive their gifts and relied on other churches to support him.  He did this to set himself apart from the “super-apostles” in Corinth, and to demonstrate that his ministry would not be bought.  Jesus had taught the disciples, “Travel light, and don’t even pack an extra change of clothes in your backpack. Trust God for everything, because the one who works for Him deserves to be provided for.”  Let’s not be influenced by the ways of this world but trust God for providing for us.  Amen!

The Pure Words of God

 “The words of the LORD are pure words: As silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭12‬:‭6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

As David received this revelation of the Word of God, “For every word Yahweh speaks is sure and reliable. His truth is tested, found to be flawless, and ever faithful. It’s as pure as silver refined seven times in a crucible of clay.”  The clay furnace is the heart of man.  We are the earthen vessels inside which God has placed His flawless words.  His words test us, they try us, and they refine us, seven times over, until they are purified and assimilated into our spirits.  The fire of testing purifies us as vessels to carry the Word within our hearts.  As Paul explained that we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.  Jesus said that His words are spirit and they are life.  God’s Word quickened by the Spirit, brings life in us.  Hallelujah!

Bringing Every Thought to the Obedience of Christ

 “(for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭4‬-‭6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Paul explains that “our spiritual weapons are energized with divine power to effectively dismantle the defenses behind which people hide. We can demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude that is raised up in defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One. Since we are armed with such dynamic weaponry, we stand ready to punish any trace of rebellion, as soon as you choose complete obedience.”  Paul calls these strongholds as demonic centres of opposition to the light of the Gospel and describes the areas of our warfare as: we are empowered by grace with the Gospel to dismantle strongholds; we demolish arguments, opinions, theories and philosophies; taking every thought captive, we insist it becomes obedient to the mind of Christ; we stand ready and willing to wage war to defeat the enemy.  Hallelujah!

The Righteous God Has Face to Face Encounters with those Made Righteous

 “The LORD trieth the righteous: But the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; His countenance doth behold the upright.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭11‬:‭5‬, ‭7‬ ‭KJV

As David worshipped, “Yahweh tests both the righteous and the wicked. God’s very soul detests lovers of violence. But remember this: Yahweh is the Righteous One who loves justice, and every godly one will gaze upon his face!”  David understood the trials of the righteous. In the new covenant it is important for the righteous to encounter trials.  These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold-though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.  The trials of the righteous happen because God made Jesus Who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.  What a great and glorious God.  Amen!

Give Hilariously - God loves It!

 “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

As Paul explains, “Let giving flow from your heart, not from a sense of religious duty. Let it spring up freely from the joy of giving—all because God loves hilarious generosity!”  Even Proverbs declares, “Sin is a seed that brings a harvest; you’ll reap a heap of trouble with every seed you plant. For your investment in sins pays a full return— the full punishment you deserve! When you are generous to the poor, you are enriched with blessings in return.”  God loves it when we are generous and give cheerfully!  He provides for our needs with blessings overflowing.  Let’s give as God gives.  Amen!

God Chooses the Weak & Oppressed to Release His Strength

 “LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: Thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, That the man of the earth may no more oppress.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭10‬:‭17‬-‭18‬. KJV

“Yahweh, you have heard the desires of the humble and seen their hopes. You will hear their cries and encourage their hearts. The orphans and the oppressed will be terrified no longer, for you will bring them justice, and no earth-dweller will trouble them again.”  This was the psalmist cry and God is the same unchanging God.  In the old covenant He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice. In the new covenant it says, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”  God lifts up the weak and gives grace to the humble. God’s way is that He has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.  May we follow Christ our God and His Way always.  Amen!

God Empowers Us to Live By His Will

 “Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭8‬:‭7‬ ‭KJV‬

Paul is teaching the Corinthian church and all of us, the features of godliness that must be seen in our lives and ministries. “You do well and excel in every respect—in unstoppable faith, in powerful preaching, in revelation knowledge, in your passionate devotion, and in sharing the love we have shown to you. So make sure that you also excel in grace-filled generosity.”  All true believers whose life’s purpose is to manifest Christ in us the hope of glory, should have these features according to this verse: 1) we excel in everything; 2) we have unstoppable faith; 3) we have an anointing of faith to speak the Word; 4) we have revelation knowledge; 5) we have passionate devotion; 6) we show love; 7) we are generous.  These are the graces that God empowers us to live in accordance with His will.  Amen!

Trust God that He Never Forsakes Us

 “The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: For thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭9‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭KJV‬‬

This was David’s experience in his relationship with YHWH, “All who are oppressed may come to Yahweh as a high shelter in the time of trouble, a perfect hiding place. For everyone who knows Your wonderful Name keeps putting their trust in You. They can count on You for help no matter what. O Lord, You will never, no never, neglect those who come to You.”  Because of what God did on the Cross for all humanity, this promise is not only for the Jews but for all of us non-Jews who have tasted the goodness of God when we believed on what Christ did on the Cross for us personally.  Christ has been our refuge when we were oppressed of the devil.  Christ has sheltered us in trouble and delivered us.  The power of the Blood of Jesus’s sacrifice has spoken on our behalf because we put our trust in Him.  This is the testimony of our relationship with Him that He never leaves us or forsakes us, just as He said.  Amen!

An Example of Blameless Ministry

 “Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭7‬:‭2‬ ‭KJV‬

Paul exhorts, “Again, I urge you, make room for us in your hearts, for we have wronged no one, corrupted no one, and taken advantage of no one.”  Paul says he has hated no one, nor led people astray from the right doctrine, nor corrupted anyone’s faith, nor cheated anyone for financial gain.  Every minister of God should set these goals for his or her calling: 1) do no wrong to another nor to ‘hate’ anyone; 2) to not corrupt or lead anyone astray; 3) to never use his or her authority to take advantage of anyone by cheating for personal gain.  Paul had a blameless history in ministry.  We need to follow this example.  Every church and denomination riddled with legal cases needs to turn away from their wicked ways, repent and turn to God for mercy.  Amen!