Delighting in God’s Word (Part 18): The Merciful Righteousness of God

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Psalm 119:137

You are righteous, Lord,
and your judgments are just.

(CSB)

The Bible is a narrative of love by a righteous, yet merciful God, towards humanity, His greatest creation.  However, this love of God towards humanity created a conflicting situation when Adam and Eve disobeyed God with a righteous God needing to punish humanity with death while the loving and merciful part of God wanting to regain His lost fellowship with humanity.  God comes up with a unique solution with banishment from the pristine Garden with a promise of a deliverer or Messiah destroying the enemy and creating a pathway to restoration of God’s fellowship with humanity without sacrificing His righteousness (Genesis 3:15).    

When people think of a righteous God, they think of a judge issuing powerful edicts and punishment.  While God remains righteous with those choosing to continually disobey him eventually suffering wrath, the overall biblical narrative describes a merciful God (John 3:16-18).  Unfortunately, many well meaning Christians have promoted a legalistic gospel with many legal requirements for achieving a right standing with God, perhaps leading to the belief of many that their sins are too great and that there is no hope of salvation for them. 

However, this does not call for the adoption of a liberal form of Christianity believing that Jesus death eliminated the need for obedience to the law of God for as James 2:20 says, faith of this nature is a dead faith.  The balance of righteousness and mercy is in the Gospel with God the Father sending His Son to pay the death penalty for humanities sin, fulfilling the requirement of righteousness while filling people choosing to accept God’s gift with the Holy Spirit, empowering them to live lives of obedience to God.  This is what Jesus meant when he told the woman at the well that the true worshipers of God worship Him in spirit (Holy Spirit) and truth (Righteousness) (John 4:23-24). 

In Psalm 119:137-144 the psalmist describes the merciful righteousness of God by,

1)      Praising the righteous judgments of God (Psalm 119:137) – The Hebrew word translated righteous in this verse is tsad-deek.  (1) It means a form of lawful righteous judgment like one issued by a judge.  In essence, the psalmist is acknowledging and actually praising the righteous judgment of God which judges us as sinners deserving of death.  However, the praise of the psalmist is an expression of faith in the coming Messiah who would provide forgiveness from sin.  Today we no longer need to look forward for a future messiah fulfilling Genesis 3:15 for provision of salvation but can look back at the completed work of Jesus on the cross.

2)      Praising the trustworthiness and righteousness of God’s decrees (Psalm 119:138) – Unlike decrees issued by an earthly judge or ruler, the decrees of God are righteous.  The word translated righteous here is em-oo-naw carrying the meaning of something firm, steadfast, and steady.  (2)  The firm, steadfast, and steady quality of God’s decrees contained in the Bible are something upon which people can have complete trust.

3)      Anger over those choosing to disobey Gods words (Psalm 119:139) – The delight of the psalmist in the lawful, firm, steady, and steadfast Word of God creates righteous anger in the psalmist. 

4)      Love for the pure Word of God (Psalm 119:140) – The psalmist’s deep love for the Word of God is why he strives to live in obedience to God’s Word and not fear of retribution for disobedience.  Even though the Gospel message had not happened at the point in history of the writing of the psalm, the psalmist already grasped the concept of balancing God’s grace with the law.

5)      Remembering God’s precepts even though the psalmist feels insignificant and despised (Psalm 119:141) – Even King David felt inferior when considering the majesty of God (Psalm 8:4).  However, the psalmist refuses to use this as an excuse for not remembering the precepts of God’s law. 

6)      Eternity and truth of God’s righteousness (Psalm 119:142) – the word righteousness in this verse is the Hebrew Word tsed-aw-kaw indicating righteousness of a just and righteous quality that is truthful and everlasting.  (3)

7)      Delight in God’s command during times of trouble (Psalm 119:143) – In times of trouble and tribulation, we need something solid to cling to.  When Jesus asked Peter who he was, Peter rightfully declared was Messiah, the son of the living God (Matthew 16:15-19).  Jesus response that on this rock he would build His church is not a declaration of Peter as the rock but a declaration of the stability of God’s Word and our faith in it.  Even though Jesus had not been born yet, the psalmist understood the stability of God’s Word, and clinging to it in times of trouble.

8)      Eternal quality of God’s righteous decrees providing understanding and life (Psalm 119:144) – God’s Righteousness is eternal and what gives us life.  To live abundantly we must seek to understand the Word of God and live in obedience to it.

The first step in the process of experiencing the merciful righteousness of God is praying to accept Jesus as your savior.  If you have not already done so, I encourage you to pray with me now,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

I encourage everyone that just prayed with me to begin learning more about the merciful righteous God who just forgave you sins by reading and studying the Bible.  Begin communication with Him in prayer, and find a church teaching the Bible.  May God bless everyone reading this.

1. Godrules.net. WICV. www.godrules.net. [Online] [Cited: May 12, 2018.] http://www.godrules.net/library/strongs2a/heb6662.htm.

2. —. DPEN@. www.godrules.net. [Online] [Cited: 12 http://www.godrules.net/library/strongs2a/heb530.htm, May.]

3. Bible Tools. Strong's #6666: tsdaqah (pronounced tsed-aw-kaw'). www.bibletools.org. [Online] Bible Tools. [Cited: May 16, 2018.] https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Lexicon.show/ID/H6666/tsdaqah.htm.

Preparing for Revival. Knowing our Identity

By Dale Weckbacher

2 Corinthians 5:20

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf: “Be reconciled to God.”

 (CSB)

While identity theft is not a violent crime like murder, assault, or rape, it is violent with one’s emotions and finances.  There are approximately 15 million U.S. victims of identity theft annually with losses of $50 billion.  (1)  In addition to this massive financial cost, the emotional trauma is also devastating for it is our identity that makes us who we are.  (2)  However, there is an identity that identity thieves cannot steal, and one that Christians, including myself, need to learn more about to prepare for revival.  This identity is our identity in Christ. 

One of the reasons there are few workers for revival or the harvest of souls for Christ (Matthew 9:37, Luke 10:2) is that it places us on the front lines of spiritual warfare (John 10:10).  The good news is that we are already on the winning side with the second half of John 10:10 promising us abundant life.  However, not recognizing our Christian identity of victor in Christ results in our being weak and open for attack. 

Peter provides an excellent example of one beginning as weak due to a lack of understanding of his identity in Christ experiencing transformation into a courageous soldier for Christ who gave the first evangelical message, resulting in 3,000 souls coming to Christ.  The nation of Israel provides a picture of the identity transformation process occurring in the lives of Christians after accepting Jesus as their savior. 

1)      Peter – While Jesus, the Son of God could have selected His disciples from among the religious leaders of his time, he instead chose ordinary people like Peter, a fisherman by trade.  Anyone reading this who has watched the program “Deadliest Catch” can appreciate the hard work of fishing.  The television program also illustrates the rough edges these individuals have in their lives.  While this is the identity those living in Jesus’ time would have seen in men like Peter, Jesus saw what Peter would become after encountering Him after His resurrection and receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4).  Likewise, we too can become trapped in our old identity, believing that we do not have what it takes to participate in revival.  However, like Peter, identity transformation does not occur through our own efforts, but by the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8) making us good enough to participate and contribute to revival.  In addition, those of us who have made Jesus our savior and experienced salvation from our sins have the power of the Holy Spirit within us to empower us just as it empowered Peter on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). 

2)      Israel – While it appears that the transformation in Peter was instantaneous and due to some magical power, it was a process that involved three and one-half years of walking with Jesus during His earthly ministry.  Thankfully for Peter, the process did not take forty years as it did with the nation of Israel.  The journey of Israel as recorded in Exodus through Deuteronomy is symbolic of our life’s journey as Christians.  Through the journey of Israel through the wilderness we see,

a.       The nation of Israel miraculously saved by God and set free under the leadership of Moses (Exodus 2:1-12:42).  At this point, the people of Israel have salvation from their Egyptian bondage. 

b.       The nation of Israel struggling with their new freedom.  As Israel journeys to the promised land, God takes them the long way through the wilderness instead of the short way through the land of the Philistines because God knew they were not ready for war should they encounter it (Exodus 13:17).  While God has saved them from their bondage, they still see themselves as slaves with the security it provided (Exodus 16:3). 

c.       Most in Israel focus on the power of the enemy instead of the power of God (Numbers 13:26-14:10).  The consequences of this lack of trust in God resulted in everyone, except for Joshua and Caleb, who was over twenty dying in the wilderness and not entering the “Promised Land.” 

Jesus parting words in Matthew 28:19 are for the Disciples to make disciples of all nations.  While Jesus is speaking to the twelve, now eleven, the implication is that the disciples of the Disciples are to make disciples as well, multiplying and spreading the message of the Gospel around the world.  What a great illustration of revival not being due to some program or individual, except for Jesus, but instead a grassroots effort by people who have had their identity transformed through time with God in prayer, study of the Word of God, and through the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives.  The question we all must ask ourselves is will we experience an identity shift like Peter or fall short in our quest for revival just as Israel lacking trust in God fell short of entering the “Promised Land.”  I encourage everyone reading this to join me in trusting God and allowing Him to transform our identities, so we can be ambassadors for Christ and effective harvesters in revival. 

1. identitytheft.info. Identity Theft Victim Statistics. www.identitytheft.info. [Online] [Cited: May 8, 2018.] http://www.identitytheft.info/victims.aspx.

2. Weisbaum, Herb. ID theft can take heavy emotional toll on victims. www.today.com. [Online] Todsy, November 20, 2014. [Cited: May 8, 2018.] https://www.today.com/money/id-theft-can-take-heavy-emotional-toll-victims-1D80305639.

Delighting In God’s Word (Part 17): Wondrous Obedience

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Psalm 119:129

Your decrees are wondrous;
therefore I obey them.

(CSB)

Ephesians 2:8-9 teaches that our salvation is a result of the grace of God and not in accordance to our works.  On the other hand, James 2:26 tells us that faith without works is dead.  These two passages of scripture appear to contradict each other and possibly what has led to the two extremes of theological thought in Christianity, legalism, and liberalism. 

On the legalistic side, the belief is that we must obey God’s Word totally to achieve salvation, in other words I obey, therefore I have salvation.  While this aligns with most other religions, we must wonder that if this line of thinking were in alignment with God’s will, why did Jesus need to come and die on the cross since the law already existed and all we must do is obey.  Those adopting this belief align with the interpretation of James 2:26 as faith coming alive through good works. 

Liberal Christianity, however, holds close to the teaching of Ephesians 2:8-9 believing salvation is a product of God’s grace.  However, they liberally interpret Ephesians 2:8-9 to mean there is no longer any need to live in obedience to the laws of the Old Testament for God’s grace covers all sins.  A balance between these two extremes of theological thought comes through a greater understanding of the truths of the Gospel. 

For example James 2:23, in reference to Genesis 15:6 tells us that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.  This clarification by James indicates that the work he refers to in James 2:26 is the work of believing God which aligns with John 3:16.  Any belief that Paul’s reference to salvation by grace means no further need for obedience is proven false by his teaching in Romans 6:15.  The balance between James 2:26 and Ephesians 2:8-9 lies in one believing God and finding salvation and then living in obedience out of love and thanksgiving for what God has done.  The Gospel is about liberation from slavery to sin and service to God through obedience to His Word (Romans 6:16).

Psalm 119:129-136 begins with the psalmist expressing a sense of wonder leading to a desire to live obediently to God’s Word (Psalm 119:129).  The psalmist then goes on to express,

1)      Understanding through revelation (Psalm 119:130) – Even though we have salvation through the grace of God, we continue to live in a world dominated by evil and sin which leads to temptation and confusion.  The solution to any confusion and power to resist temptation (Matthew 4:1-11) lies in gaining understand through experiencing the revelation of God in his Word through regular study (2 Timothy 2:15). 

2)      Fervent longing to know more (Psalm 119:131) – Psalm 42:1 compares a thirst to know more of God’s truth to a deer panting for water.  The Judean dessert of Israel is extremely dry with the largest body of water being the undrinkable Dead Sea.  Deer, any animal, or person living in the area might experience times of extreme thirst desperately seeking lifegiving water.  We should seek the life giving spiritual water of God’s Word with this same fervency. 

3)      Plea for God’s grace (Psalm 119:132) – Seeing his personal failures at living in complete obedience to the Word of God, the psalmist understands his need for God’s grace.  This provides another illustration of living dependent on the grace of God while living with a fervent desire to obey God’s Word by doing the good works it instructs us to do.

4)      Plea for freedom from sins domination and redemption (Psalm 119:133-134) – Prior to receiving Jesus as our savior, we lived lives in slavery to sin with its penalty of death or eternal separation from God (Romans 6:23).  We have an advantage over the psalmist in that Jesus has already come and paid the death penalty for our sins while the psalmist was looking forward in faith with a plea for salvation.  This is similar to our present day desire and the faithful anticipation of Christians today for the second coming of Jesus (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). 

5)      Plea for God’s favor (Psalm 119:135) – God’s grace is often defined as His unmerited favor.  Our sins mean we do not deserve God’s salvation but receive it out of God’s love for us.  Once again, we see the psalmist pleading for God’s favor in light of his own personal failures.

6)      Sorrow over disobedience to God’s Word (Psalm 119:136) – Upon receiving salvation through acceptance of Jesus as our savior, we should seek to live lives of obedience to God out of thankfulness and love for what God did for us by sending His only Son, Jesus, to die for our sins.  Once we experience this great love and grace from God, disobedience to God’s Word should result in great sorrow. 

The Gospel message brings into balance the legalistic and liberal theological thoughts.  In the Gospel we encounter a loving graceful God that sent His only Son, not to condemn humanity but to save them (John 3:16-17).  However, as we study Scripture and encounter the extent of God’s love for us, we develop a desire to live lives of obedience.  The Gospel makes it possible for us to enjoy the wonderous obedience of a live of dependence on the grace of God. 

Preparing for Revival. Overview

By Dale Weckbacher

Matthew 28:19-20

 Go, therefore, and make disciples of^[e] all nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember,^[f]I am with you always,^[g] to the end of the age.”

(CSB)

Billy Graham, a great man of God with a passion for revival went home to be with the Lord this year.  While we will miss him, his vision for revival must live on through willing servants of Christ.  As Jesus stated in Matthew 9:37, there is much work to do and few workers to do the work.  Over the next four Saturdays we will be looking at how we can prepare to be workers in the much-needed revival in our world.  Before we begin, however, take a moment to watch this video from the Christian Band Third Day as it captures the heart of revival that must be stirred up on our world. 

As the lyrics of the song remind us this revival will not be as a result of electing the right politician or even the result of our work but a move of the Holy Spirit.  However, those volunteering to take part in the revival must prepare themselves for the work ahead which will be the focus of the next four Saturday postings.  During these four weeks we will look at how we, the people of God must,

1)      Know our identity in Christ

2)      Know the enemy

3)      Know their weapons

4)      Know how to engage

Please take time prior to next Saturday to prepare your heart to receive what God has for us and pray for me as I prepare the study.  Also pray for those needing Christ in their lives for our prayers are effective (James 5:16).  Even though not everyone will receive salvation through accepting Jesus as their Savior, God wants all to be saved (2 Peter 3:9).  As disciples of Christ, our job is to prepare ourselves for the work and offer the Gospel message to everyone God places in our lives. 

Delighting in God’s Word (Part 16): Surviving the Waiting Process

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Psalm 119:123

My eyes grow weary looking for your salvation
and for your righteous promise.

(CSB)

Isaiah 40:31 gives us the promises of strength, victory, energy, and that we will not give up while waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promises.  While we find comfort in this promise as we are waiting for the Lord to provide what we need, most of us share the emotions of the psalmist in Psalm 119:123 during the waiting process.  Psalm 119:121-128 gives guidance for us during this waiting process and provides a sort of survival guide for us during this process. 

The context of the psalmist’s writing differs from ours in that he is waiting for salvation from God through the coming of Messiah, whereas we already have salvation available to us for the asking because of Jesus’ work on the cross.  However, while we have salvation from sins through Jesus, we still live in a world dominated by evil, sin, oppression, and persecution and like the psalmist can grow weary looking for deliverance from these things with the second coming of Jesus.  However, even with this difference in context, we can still find hope and guidance in what the psalmist writes in Psalm 119:121-128.  In this passage we see,

1)      Remaining faithful to God during the frustration of waiting (Psalm 119:121) – Since scripture reminds us that we all have sinned and fallen short of God’s standard (Romans 3:23), the psalmist is not declaring his self-righteousness.  Instead, the psalmist is expressing frustration at doing all the right things and yet suffering oppression.  The Book of Job in the Bible tells the account of a man severely oppressed.  While we know the reason for the oppression happening to Job (Job 1:6 – 2:10), there is no recorded record of Job discovering the back story of his oppression.  During the waiting period for Job, and the constant barrage of advice from his “friends,” Job shows frustration but never curses or turns his back on God. 

2)      Asks for a guarantee against the arrogant oppressing him (Psalm 119:122) – Notice that the psalmist is not seeking a guarantee against oppression but a guarantee against oppression from arrogant people.  Even Jesus the Son of God could not escape oppression from arrogant people with them putting Him on the cross because of the blinding of their arrogance, blinding them from truths in scripture pointing to Jesus as their Messiah.  This reminds us not to focus on arrogant, ungodly commentary in opposition to the promises in the Bible but to focus on the promises of God in scripture. 

3)      Be honest with God (Psalm 119:123) – During the waiting period we may experience times as the psalmist did when we believe we cannot continue.  The psalmist’s confession of feeling weary while waiting on the Lord appears to demonstrate a lack of faith in the promise of Isaiah 40:31. The truth, however, is that God knows our hearts and knows we grow weary during the waiting process.  We therefore must be honest with God about our feelings and trust that He will renew our strength during times of oppression. 

4)      Rely on God’s love and continue learning truth from His Word (Psalm 119:124) – Our fleshly tendency during times of oppression is to shake our finger at God asking why this is happening to us.  Job had his moments of finger shaking at God but in the end, surrendered to a loving God, receiving deliverance.  Instead of finger shaking we should search scripture to reinforce the truth that God loves us and is with us. 

5)      Ask for godly understanding of scripture (Psalm 119:125) – While we should daily read the Bible, it can become a routine activity that we check off our to-do-list.  While reading scripture in this manner may produce some positive results, the best results from reading scripture come through reading and asking God for understanding through the Holy Spirit.  Recently I began the practice of using a journal to write down scripture that God brings to mind as I read the Bible.  This causes me to continue meditating on that scripture throughout the day, taking Scripture from simple words on a page to something I can begin applying to my life. 

6)      Plea for prompt action against those violating God’s instructions (Psalm 119:126) – While asking for prompt action during a waiting period seems like a lack of faith and trust, the psalmist is not seeking prompt action on his request from God but prompt action against violators of God’s law.  Perhaps these are the same oppressors in Psalm 119:122, distracting the psalmist from his focus on God and His Word. 

7)      Continue loving the priceless Word of God and applying it to our lives (Psalm 119:127-128) – The constant struggle during the waiting period with God is allowing impatience, frustration, or ungodly advice to distract us from the truths in the Word of God and applying them to our lives.  After honestly expressing his frustration and impatience, the psalmist concludes this portion of Scripture with reaffirming his love for God’s Word and his commitment to continue applying it to his life. 

Our human nature is to dislike waiting.  We dislike long lines, being on hold on the telephone, and rush hour traffic.  Likewise, we dislike waiting on God, growing frustrated and impatient as we seem to see God leave our prayer unanswered.  However, the waiting process is where we receive renewed strength, and learn to soar like an eagle in the victory of our salvation in Christ, gain strength to go on without growing weary, and where we continue to go on without giving up.  Please Lord help us survive the waiting period.

Making America Great Again: Tapping into the Power of Prayer, The Bible, and Worship

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Nehemiah 9:2-3

Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners, and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. ³ While they stood in their places, they read from the book of the law of the Lord their God for a fourth of the day and spent another fourth of the day in confession and worship of the Lord their God.

(CSB)

The first amendment of the United States Constitution prevents the government, or any government official from mandating people make a public confession of sin and belief in God.  (1)  While Christians like myself may entertain the thought of the nation on its knees in confession, it would not be biblical for the government to mandate this public confession for belief in God and confession of sins is voluntary (John 3:16, Romans 10:9-10, 1 John 1:9).  However, the first amendment also grants Christians the freedom to share their beliefs with others moving them to confess their sins and profess their belief in Jesus as their savior.  The responsibility of spreading the Gospel and moving the nation to repentance, confession, and worship lies with the people of God and not government (Mark 16:15). 

After completion of the wall and the public reading of the law, the Israelites assembled together to pray confessing their sins, reading from the Word of God, and a fourth of the day in worship.  While the U.S. Constitution forbids a similar government mandated public assembly in the United States, the gathering of Christians together voluntarily occurs each Sunday across the nation.  Unfortunately, however, the people of God often do not realize the tremendous power of prayer, study of the Bible, and assembling together, failing to tap into the tremendous power available to them (Matthew 18:18-20).  Jesus knew the need for His disciple’s empowerment and why he cautioned His disciples to wait for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit prior to beginning their ministry (Acts 1:4).  To effectively spread the Gospel and make America great again we must

1)      Tap into the power of prayer – James 5:16 reminds us of the power of our prayers.  Unfortunately, however, some in the world view prayer as a demonstration of weakness with some even believing prayer is a demonstration of one unwilling to make needed changes as evidenced by David Hogg, one of the survivors of the Parkland shooting.  (2)  However, if R.A. Torrey were alive, he would disagree after seeing prayers power to transform lives at work in his ministry, examples of which Chris Poblete mentioned on the BLB Blog.  (3)  The United States began with a solid biblical foundation as stated in the nation’s founding documents (1) (4) , but after many years of liberal progressive governance and policies has fallen off this solid foundation.  Prayer is powerful and just as prayer was instrumental in the group in Sydney, Australia, and the group in Bristol, England coming to Christ, (3) the powerful prayers of believers across the world will bring many to Christ.  The effect of these prayers will remove the violent intentions from the hearts of people, thus reducing violent crimes like mass shootings. 

2)      Know the truth of the Bible to resist and point out hypocrisy and deception – Truth liberates people and sets them free (John 8:32).  Conversely, lies and deception turn people away from the liberating power of truth, holding them captive.  Jesus said He is the way, truth, and life (John 14:6) with John 1:1 reminding us that God is the Word, and with Jesus being equal to God (John 5:17-18), we come to the logical conclusion that The Word of God is truth, the truth Jesus came to earth to declare (John 18:37).  In addition to protecting the President of the United States, the Secret Service also has the duty of detection of counterfeit money.  (5)  As part of their training, secret service agents become intimately familiar with real U.S. currency to detect counterfeit money more easily.  (6)  As Christians, we must tap into the power of truth in the Word of God to better discern hypocrisy and deception. 

3)      Tap into the power of worship – Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well that true worshipers of God worship Him in Spirit and in truth (John 4:23).  Church services generally begin with songs which service to worship in spirit, preparing our hearts to receive truth from the Word of God.  Worship encompasses more than just music and encompasses offering praise, glorifying God, giving thanks, and offering service.  (7)  Looking at worship from this perspective, we begin to understand the words of Jesus to the woman at the well, worship in Spirit and truth. 

Tapping into the power of prayer, the Word of God, and worship makes America, or any nation, great again by transforming people, empowering, and enabling them to realize the Godly purpose for their lives.  A nation full of such empowered and transformed people transforms into a Godly great nation one individual at a time.  Beginning next Saturday, we will look at how to bring about revival, or turning nations and our world to God one individual at a time.  Please join us then and invite your friends. 

1. constitutionus.com. The Constitution of the United States. constitutionus.com. [Online] [Cited: January 21, 2017.] http://constitutionus.com/.

2. The Editorial Board. Florida school shooting demands more than thoughts and prayers. www.usatoday.com. [Online] USA Today, February 15, 2018. [Cited: April 22, 2018.] https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/02/15/florida-school-shooting-demands-more-than-thoughts-prayers/340400002/.

3. Poblete, Chris. EXAMPLES OF GOD'S POWER EVIDENT IN PRAYER. blogs.blueletterbible.org. [Online] The BLB Blog, August 9, 2012. [Cited: April 22, 2018.] http://blogs.blueletterbible.org/blb/2012/08/09/examples-of-gods-power-evident-in-prayer/.

4. ushistory.org. The Declaration of Independence. www.ushistory.org. [Online] [Cited: October 30, 2016.] http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/.

5. Lovgren, Stefan. news.nationalgeographic.com. U.S. Secret Service's Other Job: Fighting Fake Money. [Online] National Geographic News, October 22, 2004. [Cited: March 25, 2017.] http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/1022_041022_tv_secret_service.html.

6. Challies, Timn. Counterfeit Detection (Part 1). www.challies.com. [Online] Challies Blog, June 27, 2006. [Cited: March 25, 2017.] http://www.challies.com/articles/counterfeit-detection-part-1.

7. Bayless, David. Worship and Service. www.dabhand.org. [Online] www.dabhand.org. [Cited: December 10, 2017.] http://www.dabhand.org/Essays/ME511_worship_and_service.htm.

Delighting in God’s Word (Part 15): Single-Minded Biblical Focus

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Psalm 119:113

I hate those who are double-minded,
but I love your instruction.

(CSB)

The greatest struggle anyone has in living for Christ is their struggle with the flesh.  Most believers have a strong heart desire to live lives pleasing to God but since we still live in our flesh with its desires, are engaged in a struggle.  Even the Apostle Paul spoke of his struggle with the flesh in Romans 7:15-25. 

The Christian band Petra perform a song entitled Jekyll and Hyde.  Take a moment to listen to the song here and reflect on the Jekyll and Hyde we all deal with in our lives.  The next eight verses in our continuing study of Psalm 119 and delighting in Gods Word begins with the psalmist expressing his hatred of double-mindedness and his love for the instructions provided in God’s Word.  From this foundation, the psalmist goes on with,

1)      Acknowledgement of Gods protection coupled with the hope he finds in God’s Word (Psalm 119:114) – It is a dangerous world.  As of April 22, there have been 420 terrorist attacks in 2018 leading to 2,120 fatalities globally.  (1)  As of April 22, there has also been a total of 67 mass shootings in the United States.  (2)  These alarming statistics illustrate that we live in a dangerous world.  However, with the psalmist’s acknowledgement of needing God’s protection, the world of his time was also dangerous.  The good news for each of us is that like the psalmist, we too can find comfort and hope in God’s Word.

2)      Acknowledgement of stronger obedience to God’s Word through disassociation with evil (Psalm 119:115) – Growing up there were kids my parents did not want me to hang around with.  This was usually because these kids habitually got into trouble and my parents wanted me to stay out of trouble.  This is good advice not only for children but also for adults.  However, the Bible does command God’s people to go into all the world spreading the Gospel (Mark 16:15) which requires interaction with unbelievers.  This does not represent a contradiction in scripture for as adults, especially adult believers, we can discern good from evil and while we must interact with unbelievers, we know when to disassociate ourselves from evil so like the psalmist we can have stronger obedience to God and His Word.

3)      Acknowledgment of the sustaining power of God and His Word (Psalm 119:116-117) – When we live in a dangerous world we need some sustaining force in our lives that provides hope and security.  As a Christian I find that hope in my personal relationship with Jesus Christ my savior.  I have eternal life through my belief and confession that Jesus died, and rose again for my sins (John 3:16, Romans 10:9-10).  I find hope in knowing the security of my eternal state with God and unashamedly share it with others when God gives the opportunity. 

4)      Acknowledgement of God’s rejection of those that stray from His commands and fall for the deceitful lies of Satan (Psalm 119:118) – While at times it appears those not living for Jesus have the good life, the Bible reminds us that the appearance of living the good life is temporary while living for Jesus in this life has its troubles but also an eternal reward (Psalm 73). 

5)      Comparing the removal of evil to removal of dross from metal (Psalm 119:119) – The removal of dross from fine metals like Gold represents a purification process.  This process involves first grinding the metal into a fine powder and then melting the mixture in a furnace.  During this smelting process the pure gold sinks to the bottom with the impurities coming to the top for removal, leaving the pure gold.  (3)  In a similar fashion, God’s Word grinds our spirit and places us in the heat of the furnace of trials in our lives bringing any evil present in our lives to the top for removal through our surrendering it to God.  When Jesus returns at the end of the great tribulation, he will remove the dross of evil dominating our dangerous world, establishing His Kingdom on earth. 

6)      Development of a reverential fear of God and His judgments (Psalm 119:120) – When people mention the fear of the Lord, some envision God ready to strike someone with a lightning bolt for their disobedience.  However, the fear the psalmist speaks of is a reverential fear of the Lord at the realization of his power, righteousness, and holiness but a sense of awe at the realization that the all-powerful creator loves him.  As Christians living under the New Covenant this is an awe and fear that God would send His Only Son who knew no sin to die for our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21). 

If you have not already done so, I encourage you to pray with me and accept Jesus Christ as your savior, so you can enjoy the sustaining hope and security of knowing your eternal reward is eternity in heaven with God.  Please pray with me now,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

For the rest of us who are Christians struggling with our Jekyll and Hyde personalities, I encourage you to develop a Biblically single-minded focus through prayer and taking delight in the Study of God’s Word.  May God bless everyone reading this.   

1. Storymaps.esri.com. 2018 Terrorist Attacks. [Online] April 22, 2018. [Cited: April 23, 2018.] https://storymaps.esri.com/stories/terrorist-attacks/.

2. Jeffrey, Courtland. Mass shootings in the U.S.: When, where they have occurred in 2018. www.abc15.com. [Online] ABC 15 Arizona, April 22, 2018. [Cited: April 23, 2018.] https://www.abc15.com/news/data/mass-shootings-in-the-us-when-where-they-have-occurred-in-2018.

3. Davis, Scott. Removing the Dross. www.cornerstoneidahofalls.org. [Online] Conerstone Assembly of God, November 29, 2017. [Cited: April 24, 2018.] https://www.cornerstoneidahofalls.org/single-post/2017/11/29/Removing-the-Dross.