God the Father is the example for all fathers.

He is Righteous, so are we called to be. He governs over all, we are called to govern our families. He is wisdom personified, we are called to fear the Lord that we may be wise and to seek wisdom with all our ability. God is sacrificial in his love, so are we to be.

God the Father is the example for all fathers.

The post The Example of The Father appeared first on Hope Baptist Church.

A Word On the WORD

There was a Psalm last week that I mentioned to you was the Mount Sinai of Charles Spurgeon, it was the Psalm to which he feared greatly to enter upon knowing that any effort he made with respect to its commentary would be woefully insufficient even to disrespect to it;

It is a bush burning with fire, yet not consumed, he said. And with that psalm he felt a voice that seemed to cry to him when he approached near it saying “Draw not nigh hither, put off thy shoes from off thy feet.” Psalm 51 was indeed Holy Ground to Spurgeon and he feared greatly treading lightly upon it.

Well what Psalm 51 was to Spurgeon, Psalm 119 certainly is to me. It is the most holy ground of all to me because it is a Psalm all about the word of God.  And what words can any man say that can give an appreciation and understanding to a chapter in which all but three verses deal specifically with the words of the living God?

I am too much of a babe in the Lord to feel in any way qualified to expound this chapter, nor could I physically do so in any credible way even if you gave me a month of Sundays.  I feel so not up to the task of commentary on this chapter, and I would not dare presume that I was at this time. But I am up to the task to share my own love for it and my appreciation for a Psalm that has impacted me more than any other in the Bible. But I am certainly not alone in how I feel about this Psalm

It is recorded that St. Augustine, who wrote so many works and commentaries also commented on the book of Psalms, but he delayed to comment on Psalm 119 until he had completed the other 149 Psalms. 

But even then, only did so because of the many urgencies of his friends. He said, “as often as I essayed to think thereon, it always exceeded the powers of my intent thought and the utmost grasp of my faculties.” 

Another ancient church father wrote of this Psalm, titling it “the perfection of teaching and instruction”; another says that “it applies an all-containing medicine to the varied spiritual diseases of men—sufficing to perfect those who long for perfect virtue, to rouse the slothful, to refresh the dispirited, and to set in order the relaxed;”[1]

But probably the most familiar truth that I have read of all the commentators on this Psalm was that given by Matthew Henry when he gave an account of the death of his father Philip Henry, he says: 

“Once, pressing the study of the Scriptures, he advised us to take a verse of this Psalm (Psalm 119) every morning to meditate upon, and so go over the Psalm twice in the year; and that, saith he, will bring you to be in love with all the rest of the Scriptures. He often said, “All grace grows as love to the word of God grows.”[2]

This I will confess to you is the most wonderful truth and applies in just such a way to me. In the book of Isaiah, it is God who himself speaks of his words as the rain that falls from heaven to nourish the earth saying;

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (Isaiah 55:8-11)

I started gardening this year and I’ve learnt a lot. I learnt that you need the right soil to grow vegetables, they don’t just grow in any soil. Anything to heavy seems to harden around the plant. But I also learnt that seeds need water before they sprout. Water makes things grow. The Bible is likened to water in Isaiah.

Psalm 119 will be like that first water that quenches a thirsty soul, cool and delig

7 Out of The Depths Psalm 130

“In these busy days, it would be greatly to the spiritual profit of Christian men if they were more familiar with the Book of Psalms, in which they would find a complete armoury for life’s battles, and a perfect supply for life’s needs. Here we have both delight and usefulness, consolation and instruction. For every condition there is a Psalm, suitable and elevating. The Book supplies the babe in grace with penitent cries, and the perfected saint with triumphant songs. Its breadth of experience stretches from the jaws of hell to the gate of heaven. He who is acquainted with the marches of the Psalm-country knows that the land floweth with milk and honey, and he delights to travel therein.” [1]

Charles Spurgeon

The Penitential Psalms (6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143 some include 25)

1  Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD. 2 Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. 3 If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. 

5 I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. 6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. 7 Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him isplenteous redemption. 8 And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. (Ps 130)

This Psalm, perhaps more than any other, is marked by its mountings: depth; prayer; conviction; light; hope; waiting; watching: longing; confidence; assurance; universal happiness and joy.… Just as the barometer marks the rising of the weather, so does this Psalm, sentence by sentence, record the progress of the soul. And you may test yourself by it, as by a rule or measure, and ask yourself at each line, “Have I reached to this? Have I reached to this?” and so take your spiritual gauge.—James Vaughan, in “Steps to Heaven,”1878.[2]

PROFOUND PETITION

1  Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD. 2 Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. 

There are times in our lives when we find ourselves in the greatest of trouble, they are some of the greatest of burdens and some of the most difficult of periods in our life. At times these are the trials that come upon us unawares, at other times they are the direct result of things we have done, nevertheless these are the deepest of waters in which we find ourselves crying unto the Lord.

Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD

Too many are the depths into which we have sunk from which we cry unto the Lord. They are as varied as there are people who experience them, but each and every one of us are aware when we are in those depths in which even Jonah cried out, 

2 … I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. 3 For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. (Jon 2:2-3)

How often has that been the most urgent of our prayers before God?

Deep places beget deep devotion. Depths of earnestness are stirred by depths of tribulation. Writes Spurgeon

And we find this so true in our own lives, this is the place in which we are most earnest before God, it is not the prayers of our lips but the prayers that cry from deep in our hearts that he hears. Some honour him with their lips but their hearts are far from him. So it is out of the depths we cry.

What is strange is how precious those times also are when you know the Lord. When those times reduce you to tears because such is the burden of the soul, and the Lord wraps his loving arms around you to comfort you.

Precious are those times, precious both for their value, but sadly also for their rarity. 

Even those who do not know the Lord f

6 The Imprecatory Psalms 

We are going to look at a very different form of Psalm this morning. As we read through the Psalms we note that, now and again, we come across Psalms that have within them calls of serious hostility against the enemies of the Psalmist, calls of retribution and judgment upon the wicked. 

This is not unique in the Bible, we see Ezekiel praying against Israel, we see this also in Jeremiah, 

Paul the apostle calls a curse upon those who preach a false Gospel in the world in Galatians 1:8-9, he desires the death of those who lead the brethren astray in Galatians 5:12, prays that God would Judge Alexander the coppersmith for the evil he did in hindering the Gospel of Christ 2 Tim 4:14, condemns Elymas the sorcerer for “perverting the right ways of the Lord” and sends God’s judgement upon him that he would not be “blind not seeing the sun for a season” in Acts 13:10-11 etc.

We see passages by Peter and even Jesus Christ that are similar, but none so concentrated as to be referred to by their own typology. 

The Psalms we are speaking of are known as “Imprecatory Psalms”.

One commentator defines Imprecation in the Psalms as “those psalms in which the writer prays that God may afflict the evildoer and punish him according to his just deserts.”[1]

Beloved these Psalms are no less inspired than any of the writings in the Bible and there is a very specific purpose for them regardless of how we might initially feel about them.

This morning we will consider the first Psalm identified as an Imprecatory Psalm and bring out at least five purposes points for them.

PSALM 7 Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto the LORD, concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite.

1  O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me: 2 Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver. 3 O LORD my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands; 4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:) 5 Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah. 

6 Arise, O LORD, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded. 7 So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou on high. 8 The LORD shall judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me. 9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins. 

10 My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart. 11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. 12 If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. 13 He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors. 14 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood. 15 He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made. 16 His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate. 17 I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.

So many are the testimonies of the value of the Psalms throughout history. 

Ambrose, one of the great saints of the church, said, “The Psalms are the voices of the church.” 

Augustine said, “They are the epitome of the whole Scripture.” 

Martin Luther said, “They are a little book for all saints.”

John Calvin said, “They are the anatomy of all parts of the soul.” 

J Vernon MCGee says the book of Psalms “is the only book which contains every experience of a human being.” “ Every th

Psalm 1

The Blessed and the Banished Man

Pr Edi Giudetti

09-08-2020

There are 219 quotation of the Old Testament found in the New Testament, 116 of those Old Testament quotes are from the Psalms.

As a whole this book of Psalms has been referred to as “the epitome and Analogy of the Soul”.

Charles Spurgeon said “The Book of Psalms instructs us in the use of wings as well as words. It sets us both mounting and singing”.

There is something about the Psalms that should not surprise us; we serve a God who is a God of Order, he seems to love structure and purpose, we see this characteristic throughout creation and we see it in the Bible. 

Strangely many people think the Psalms are just a haphazard collections randomly put together, but what we find instead as we study them is a marvellous and simple structure.

Just like the Old Testament has structure to it, and even structure within structure, so too it is with the Psalms.

What is of great interest is that the Psalms are found in the midst of the five Poetic books of the Bible and yet it itself is neatly divided into five very distinct sections.

What is most fascinating is that those very five sections measure themselveswonderfully with the first five books of the Bible, also known as The Pentateuch, or, the Five Books of Moses.

There is the Genesis section of the Psalms which extends from Psalm 1-41 (Man is the focus, firstly seen in blessedness, then in his fall and then recovery)There is the Exodus Section of the Psalms from 42 to 72 ((Israel is the focus, its Ruin and then its redemption)The Leviticus section of the Psalms from 73 to 89 (Typically the Sanctuary is the focus here. The tabernacle, temple, house of God, the assembly of the people)Numbers from 90-106 (J Vernon McGee says speaks to the Peril and Protection with the Earth in View)And Deuteronic section from 107 to 150 (Speaks to Perfection and Praise of The Lord and of His Word)

The last thing that is worth noting in this introduction is that often one Psalm introduces several others to help explain it. That is, one Psalm will set the doctrine or the principal and several others will be employed to explain them. 

It is as if God has set an order that he repeats again and again in the Bible.

Paul wrote that all scripture is given for ‘Doctrine, for reproof for correction and for instruction in righteousness” 

We witness this structure in the New testament often;

Romans: DOCTRINE1ST and 2nd Corinthians: REPROOFGalatians: CORRECTIONEphesians: INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS

It should not surprise us if Gods word follows such an order as this, and no doubt the Psalms do a good job at representing God purpose and structure in them.

Psalm 1 interestingly sets up the next seven Psalms.

J VERNON MCGEE gives an interesting outline he sees to those first 8 Psalms

A.   Perfect Man (Last Adam), Psalm 1

B.   Rebellious Man, Psalm 2

C.   Perfect Man Rejected, Psalm 3

D.   Conflict between Seed of Woman and Serpent, Psalm 4

E.   Perfect Man in Midst of Enemies, Psalm 5

F.   Perfect Man in Midst of Chastisement (Bruising Heel), Psalm 6

G.  Perfect Man in Midst of False Witnesses, Psalm 7

H.  Repair of Man Comes through Man (Bruising Head), Psalm 8[1]

Psalm 1 reveals to us two distinct manner of lives, one is the perfect man, the other the wicked, one is The Blessed, the other is Banished Man.

Both live in distinct ways, both have distinct ends. One Prospers, the other perishes.

This will be our consideration today.

Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 

4

I Will Dwell in The House of The Lord

for ever

Pr Edi Giudetti

1  The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. (Ps 23)

The most inescapable witness of how much David loved God is found in the book of Psalms. 

The Psalms is a collection of songs and poetry that never ceases to bring comfort to those who read them.

It seems each time I come to the book of Psalms in my devotional reading, I always come to them in just the right time of my need for them, and it is such a joy.

David’s love and dependence on God is the most evident aspect of the Psalms, and no Psalm seems to demonstrate that love and dependence better than the Shepherds Psalm, Psalm 23.

We considered the first three verses of this Psalm last week, today we shall conclude our consideration of this Psalm with the last three verses.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

We recall from the consideration last week that this incredible Psalm was written by a man who himself was a shepherd. 

He kept his father sheep, he was the youngest of eight sons of Jessie and a time came in his early life that a great man came to the door of his fathers house. They understood that the man was there to anoint the King of Israel.

One might imagine what was going through the minds of Jessie and his sons when Samuel had come to see who it was the Lord would have him anoint king of Israel. 

Was there not already a king is Israel?

Is Saul Dead?

Will not his son Jonathan be the heir to the throne?

Well there is nothing written in the scriptures concerning these ‘thoughts’, but seven of the sons of Jessie passed before Samuel and not one of them was the chosen of the Lord until the youngest of all the sons of Jessie came from keeping the sheep of his father.

David was there anointed King in the midst of all his brethren, the spirit of God came upon him, and he returned to keeping his father’s sheep.

It would be this work as a shepherd that he attended to faithfully year after year from his tender age, that would prepare him to become the King by which all future kings would be measured and compared.

He was indeed the figure head of the Kings of Israel. 

It would be seen that faithfully kept and protected not only the sheep of his father, but also the sheep of his God.

But Psalm 23 is not about his work as a Shepherd, no doubt if David were alive today the modern Church might press him to write a book on Church Growth and Ministry, or The Secrets of Successful Shepherding.

But no, the shepherd king, who writes this Shepherd Psalm, writes it as a sheep. David knows that God is the Good Shepherd, and he recalls God working and tending to him as a Sheep.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; 

How often it might have been that David brought his sheep through the valleys in Israel to reach the green pastures and still waters for his sheep.

Though the valleys themselves are lovely in Israel, and the greens bright and the sights around them pleasant. Israel is not a flat land, it is as many valleys as it does mountains and hills, but it was never the preferred way to bring the sheep because the valleys had dangers in them.

Snakes were the most regular of the dangers, so too were there predators s

The Lord Is My Shepherd

A Psalm of David.

1  The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Introduction

There is within the body of writing in the Psalms verses to be remembered, to commit to memory and to bring to our hearts understanding. There is within the body of writing in the Psalms even an entire song to remember and to commit to the hearts memory that which will be used and needed in later times.

It’s one of the reasons memorizing scripture is so vital a tool to employ. We read a text, a verse, a passage and chapter and find its ready impact upon our hearts and then determine to commit the entirety of that portion to memory, never knowing when it might be called upon and utilized in the greatest of our need.

Psalm 23 is one such chapter.

Its sad and poor employment by the Catholic Church as a dirge at death is a twisted use of this wonderfully encouraging chapter in the Bible. To those who have been sadly exposed to that vile use of the chapter, it may take some time to purge our minds of that illustration. But to those who have never been exposed to such distortion, this song is the greatest joy to the heart and can begin its work in you from the first reading.

Let’s look into this wonderful song and see if there are some precious jewels that can be gleaned from the surface and taken with us in our journey through The Treasury Of David.

“A Psalm of David”

It is not my intent today to frame a four point layout of this chapter. The six verses will no doubt have a voice of their own and I desire only to make that voice all the more audible as the Lord leads me.

“A Psalm of David” is how this psalm begins its song.

So precious is this headline, so revealing is this information to us; it is none other than the Shepherd King himself who has authored this song. Why does that make a difference? 

It brings to us the most joyful understanding that here, the shepherd identifies as the peer of the sheep. He writes from the perspective as a sheep and not as a shepherd.  Though it was David who led those few sheep in the wilderness, though it was indeed David that led his sheep to green pastures and still waters, safeguarding them with his rod and staff, protecting them and healing their hurts anointing their heads with oil, it is also David who identifies with suffering affliction with them in his life. David himself was led and watched over and comforted, for the Lord was his Shepherd.

But we also see in David the Shepherd King, a sheep, just as we see in Christ the King of Kings, a lamb. Jesus lived among his sheepfold, he lives as a man, he suffered the afflictions of men, the temptations of men and he died as The Lamb. 

This exposition is not intended however to push that much further, but to have as the introduction to one of the most comforting Psalms in the Bible, a knowledge that it was written by The Shepherd King, “A Psalm of David”, should bring to us a great respect for the foreshadowing inspiration of this Psalm.

1  The LORD is my shepherd;

There is indeed a limit to my ability in bringing out the value of these five words. 

I think of David as the shepherd boy, faithful in his duty and care for them. I recall also the words he spoke to King Saul in justifying his personal training to fight against Goliath;

“Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:

Psalm 2

Voices Of Testimony

Testimony is a revelation of the truth.

It reveals the truth of hearts, natures, determinations and ends.

(August testimonials)

44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. (Luke 24:44)

There is, a body of writing in the Psalms known specifically as The Messianic Psalms.

There are specifically 16 Messianic Psalms in the book of Psalms, and they are referred to as Messianic because they are identified as such in the bible itself, or specifically referred to Christ in the New Testament.

That does not mean that all the words in those Psalms refer to Christ, clearly in Psalm 69 when David wrote “O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee In verse 5, he was referring to himself, but when the text says “They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” In verse 21 and it was applied to the Lord in Matthew 27:34 and 48, it is clearly Messianic. 

Paul wrote to Timothy that we must “study to shew theyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15), so always be careful to ensure the context of what you are reading is properly applied. 

Sometimes an entire Psalm applies to Christ, such as Psalm 22, sometimes it’s a paragraph such as Psalm 40:6-10, and sometimes is a single verse such as Psalm 41:9, or several verses such as Psalm 69:4, 9 and 21.

Nevertheless, these all form a body of writing known as the Messianic Psalms, there are 16 in total, that also include three Psalms that are clearly messianic, but not referred to in the New Testament;

Psalm 24 speaks of the King of Glory.

Psalm 72 outlines the millennial reign of Christ.

Psalm 89 expounds the Davidic covenant fulfilled by David’s greater Son, the Messiah.

The messianic Psalms don’t follow chronologically

Again, it is not my purpose in this series of David’s wonderful treasury to preach through the messianic Psalms. I am at this point subject to the Lord alone to lead me and have no set plan at this stage, unless one be revealed.

Psalm 2 however sets the scene and might be regarded as an introduction to the entire collection of Messianic Psalms, and I desire to preach on this Psalm today, as It seems both pertinent and timely. 

Psalm 2

1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, 3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. 4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. 5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. 6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. 

7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. 

10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. 

Psalm 2 has twelve verses and are neatly arranged into four sections of three verses each, forming for us its own outline.

There are four voices that are illustrated as speaking in each of those four sections.

The first voice is the TESTIMONY of rebellious man saying of God; 3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

The second v

Introduction To The Treasuries of David I have titled this series The Treasury of David, it is a title not original to myself but was given by a man referred to as the Prince of Preachers, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, in a work of the same name. A total of six Volumes on the 150 Psalms was penned, when Pr Spurgeon had taken very ill and unable to reach the pulpit and publicly declare the word of the Lord to a ready and waiting congregation. He therefore took his pen and began to wright those things the Lord had placed upon his heart in the exposition of the Psalms of David. He refers the work done by him, though for the encouragement of others, he said:  “ The delightful study of the Psalms has yielded me boundless profit and ever-growing pleasure; common gratitude constrains me to communicate to others a portion of the benefit, with the prayer that it may induce them to search further for themselves.”[1] Nevertheless, though the title of the series belongs to another, know that the words contained herein are my own, I take full responsibility of my account to the Lord respecting them. Though I do, in rare occasions, consider the works of other men on the scriptures, I do so often only to arouse my thoughts.  THE PSALMS Possibly the greatest single volume of work in the Bible that can bring about the greatest comfort to those who love the Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ. The Psalms bring to us the fragility of man but the power of God, the sin in man but the grace and mercy of God, the trouble against man, and the salvation of God, the fear in man and the comfort and shield of God. If the Psalms do anything incredibly well, it is to bring about the contrast between God and man concerning these things. The Psalms bring to us an insight into the nature and Character of the God we rejoice in, unlike any other book in the Bible, save that revealed by Christ in the Gospels. The Psalms can’t help but instill faith in the heart of the believer. The Psalms are centrally located in The Bible and brings about the heart of God. Almost all the emotions of the Lord are expressed in this volume.  Anger Justice Holiness Mercy Grace Forgiveness Sacrifice And most clearly, Love. The Psalms are the understanding of the nature of God repeated back to him in prayer for our encouragement. Beloved, it is remembering WHO GOD is that has the greatest blessing to us when we are in times of trouble.  When you read the Psalms it truly is as if you are reading the engravings of the heart of God, and you can’t but help feeling overjoyed at his love and comfort imparted to you. If there are any verses that should be memorized for you comfort, joy and peace, it is The Psalms. Most of the Psalms are those penned by David, though not all are.  The Psalms are songs, some of which to be sung publicly, given to the direction of “The Chief Musician”. The inspiration of the Psalms is not limited to the words contained after the verse numbers, but extend to the very headings, as these headings are not those entered in by the Translators or the printers but are found in the very earliest of the copies of Scripture. Yes, the headings also are the inspired words of the Lord. The headings often provide for us context as to the history and purpose of the song. EG: Psalm 3: A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son Psalm 7: Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto the LORD, concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite. Psalm 18: To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said, These are a precious part of the inspired text and should never be discarded or overlooked, for they will often give to the reader some context that will help in the understanding of that which follows. We are at Psalm 20 Ther

A Choice Presents Moment By Moment Who Shall Deliver Me Pt 5 05-07-2020 Pr Edi Giudetti  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. (Rom 7:24-25) When we began to go through this series in the beginning, an impression seems to be given in the passage that gives the potential to both rationalize and excuse sin in the Christian life. I know that I have addressed this in part and possibly in the clearest way when I preached on the Body of Death in part three of this five-part series. But its this last portion of this last verse in the chapter that I have not dealt with, and largely because we had not yet come up to it, having spent our time mostly in the earlier portions.  But now it is time to deal with it and we again will give some consideration to the passage in what seems to present on first glance, but when we consider it in the light of other clear passages in the Bible, we come to know that it presents a message somewhat different. There is something in man that seems inherently evil. It’s an evil that seems to be a part of his natural state since his fall in the garden.  Only when it is recognized in you with all clarity, will it ever be consciously dealt with.It’s in us all.We too often take heed of it without realizing it.It starts arguments, andIf it’s retained in us without our recognition of it, will continue our arguments well beyond where it should have concluded.It would not be an exaggeration to say that, when this evil within us is recognized and dealt with earnestly, it will transform every relationship we ever have.It can be understood in one word…It begins with the letter IEnds with “responsibility”, can anyone guess? Irresponsibility When first reading this verse it gives the impression that to “serve sin” is inevitable. We read from Paul’s writing of his experiential struggle that it also seems ‘inevitable’. But there are two great problems with this idea; It removes from us responsibility and therefore the idea of accountabilityIt denies scripture. From the very beginning of the fall, man did not want to take responsibility for his or her actions.  As the child of pride, irresponsibility is one of the greatest evil’s in man and man goes to extraordinary means to preserve his Irresponsibility.  If you have been a part of the ‘Chances Are’ series I have been undertaking in the evenings, you can see the levels to which man attends in order to hope against hope that there is no God. Tonight, you will hear from both philosophers and scientists, from their own mouths (or pens), how far they will go to deny personal responsibility and accountability for their actions. Be sure to join me tonight, and be sure to bring someone who needs to hear the Gospel. There is the Good and there is The Flesh For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: (Rom 7:18) I love the wonderful clarity and simplicity of the scriptures, I love how the bible refers to itself as “Pure Words”, Holy Words. God takes tremendous care to ensure that his words simply cannot run the risk of contradiction, especially not in matters of such importance as that which indwells a man. We touched on this before, I know, but lets do it again for the sake of clarity. Notice of great importance that what is seen in the parenthesis is not required for the general flow of the sentence. You can take out the bracketed text and the sentence will read just fine; For I know that in me …dwelleth no good thing: (Rom 7:18) But as the Bible is vitally careful to ensure it presents all truth, and this matter of indwelling is vital to Paul’s argument, to what purpose serves the words in the parenthesis?  The spirit of God dwells in Paul. Well done, but also understand something else on the other side of t