David Henneke's Podcast

1 Peter 1:6-7

Life today is a school in which God trains us for eternity. This explains the presence of trials in our lives: Trials are the tools and textbook of God’s training. Our trying experiences today are preparing us for glory tomorrow. 

1 Peter 1:3-5
What a contrast of emotions there is between the words, “HOPEFUL” and “HOPELESS”. The Bible uses both ideas to describe our spiritual condition. The HOPE we have in Christ is confidence concerning God’s presence in our life today and the comfort we have in being in God’s presence throughout eternity. Are you HOPELESS or are you HOPEFUL? Your condition is determined by your response to the greatest gift ever given to man!

As hard as we may try we cannot stop others from trying to damage or destroy us with their words or actions. It is unfortunate but the reality is we will face ungodly people in our lives. People that will say some rather cruel & damaging things to us or about us This Psalm will help us know how to properly respond when that happens.

The question is not whether we, as God’s people, will have to go through wilderness experiences in our lives. Rather, the question is how do we face those experiences in a way that seeks to glorify God. It is to this point that David’s psalm offers us tremendous help and insight.

In many of the Psalms, we see the pattern where the Psalmist cries out to God in a time of distress and God either delivers them or comforts them in their distress. Psalm 22 is quite different…Here, David cries out to God but NOTHING CHANGES! He receives NO COMFORT… NO STRENGTH… NO RELIEF… NO DELIVERANCE. Here, we discover How to Approach God in Times of Suffering. 

God had warned Israel that the way they treated the manna would be a test of their obedience to His Word. In rejecting the manna, Israel really rejected the Lord, and this rebellious attitude invited the judgment of God. So it is with us…the way we treat God’s Word is the way we treat the Lord Himself. To ignore the Word of God, to treat it carelessly or to willfully disobey it is to REBEL against God

Psalm 95 teaches us how to approach worship. In this Psalm we discover THREE INSTRUCTIONS for BELIEVERS:

1.  COME and PRAISE God (1-5)

2.  BOW DOWN and WORSHIP Him (6-7a)

3.  LISTEN and OBEY (7-11)

The salvation of sinners was God’s idea. The accomplishing of that salvation was God’s WORK. The granting of that salvation is God’s GRACE. The fulfillment of that salvation is God’s PROMISE. From BEGINNING to END, according to Psalm 3:8, “Salvation belongs to the LORD, your blessing be on your people!” Therefore, there is no room for the glory of man in God’s plan for salvation. The glory belongs to God and God alone, Soli Deo Gloria!

Over 500 years ago, the Reformers were NOT seeking to invent new doctrine, they were simply uncovering & proclaiming what the Scriptures already declared. It is CHRIST ALONE who endured the wrath of God. It is CHRIST ALONE who paid the penalty of our sin. Therefore, It is only thru FAITH ALONE, by GRACE ALONE, in CHRIST ALONE that we can obtain salvation.

Do you believe that Jesus is able to do all that needs to be done for your salvation?Do you entrust the weight of your salvation unto Him? If you do, then it is Christ (not your faith in Christ) that does all the work. Your faith neither ADDS TO nor AIDS IN the work of Christ. Your faith merely RESTS and RELIES UPON the work of Christ. Salvation is completely by grace, even the faith by which we take hold of his promises is His gift to us. Therefore, our salvation & the faith by which we receive salvation come from the Grace of God.