Psalm 6 - 2007.07.28

"The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer." — Psalm 6:9

Of all the privileges that fallen man may enjoy, surely the greatest is that of restored communion with the Eternal God. And we need to consider more solemnly than we do, the wonder of it all.

First, "The Lord hath heard… " It is directly to the Lord of glory that the believer's prayers are addressed. No earthly priest, no "queen of heaven" stands between. "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time [I Tim. 2:5-6]." As soon as the sinner trusts the Savior, a direct line of communication is opened up to him with the Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer of the universe. He has immediate access to the throne of God.

This truth generally fails to strike us with the impact that it should. It means that fellowship with God is our high privilege, and the resources of God are at our service. "Call unto Me, and I will show thee great and mighty things that thou knowest not," God exhorts through the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 33:3). In the New Testament we are counseled, "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need [Heb. 4:14-16]."

There is suggested here a second thing, however, that further heightens the wonder of this word. "The Lord hath heard… " The psalmist's confidence is not only that he has access to God, but that God is attentive to his cry. It matters little that one can stand in the presence of greatness, if it is only to be ignored. The believer's fellowship and communion with God is immediate and personal. God listens when we pray. He says in one place, "The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry [Psalm 34:15]." We do not have to compete for His attention; He is listening! "And it shall come to pass, that before before they call, I will answer, and while they are yet speaking, I will hear [Isa. 64:24]."

A third astonishing thing emerges from this brief text. "The Lord hath heard my supplication." Elsewhere the psalmist remarks, "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him [Psalm 8:3-4]?" Apprehending the vast difference between God and man, he was awed, appropriately, that God would be mindful of man. Yet here, a mere man, he is confident that God is listening to him when he prays. That is cause for amazement!

Finally, there is this assurance in our text: "The Lord will receive my prayer." It is no great comfort to have access to authority with the right to appeal, only to have the plea rejected out of hand. David's confidence is that with God that does not prove to be the case. Before His throne is a platform of grace, and it is His delight to do us good. Like all children, of course, we sometimes make requests that are not in our own best interests— or in His. On such occasions the prayer may not be answered as requested, but it is received, nonetheless. Jesus assures, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom [Luke 12:32]."

Having said all this, it seems appropriate to observe two cautions. First, the only request God is obliged to honor for the unconverted is a prayer for pardon for sin and the gift of eternal life through the Lord Jesus Christ. Second, believers must remember, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me [Psalm 66:18]." Unconfessed sin closes the door to every prayer but those of confession and repentance.

Let me reiterate: Of all the privileges that fallen man may enjoy, surely the greatest is that of restored communion with the Eternal God. Are you availing yourself of this of this high honor?


For our greater good,

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 5 - 2007.07.21

"Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray." —Psalm 5:1-2

In few areas of the believer's life, or the life of the local church, does Satan wage more successful warfare than in the prayer life. Prayer, more than anything else, links us to God in an active way. Sever that link, and divine influence is severely truncated. Sadly many believers never learn to pray, in private, to say nothing of in concert with the body of Christ. When asked about her prayer life, a certain church going woman responded, "We pay our pastors to do that!" Such thinking is sad enough when it relates to an individual, but reflect on the fact that when a church for whatever reason decides to scale back activities, one of the first causalities is often the prayer fellowship. And even in the "best" of churches, the prayer meeting will likely be the least attended service of the week.

Closely related to this concern is the matter of the content of prayer when we do pray. Having participated in hundreds of prayer meetings during years of active ministry, we have observed the shallowness that can effect us in prayer. Many believers pray, but only in times of crisis. And on average, prayer requests are more likely to be for matters of physical welfare than for spiritual concerns.

One of the things that can change the prayer life and charge it with vitality is suggested in the opening clause of our selection for today. The key word is "meditation." We are inclined to see this sentence as redundant, the second clause as merely a repetition of the first, in different words for emphasis. I think that is not the case. The "words" involved in prayer are one thing; "meditation" is another. Both are implicated in a full-orbed prayer life.

Meditation is defined, in part, as "contemplation on sacred or solemn subjects, especially as a devotional exercise." Central in meditation as a spiritual exercise is focus upon God Himself; His character, His attributes, His ways, His word. Meditation is the exercise that gives rise to such grand hymns as "How Great Thou Art." It is not first occupied with me, but with Him, and that, in principle, is where prayer should begin. "Praise is comely for the upright [Psalm 33:1}." Meditation is the preface to praise. It is reflection upon His greatness, goodness, grace and glory.

It is out of meditation—thoughtful contemplation—that the psalmist recognizes and refers to God as "My King, and my God." His meditation carries him to lofty spiritual heights and his feet are planted on holy ground before he begins to engage in "prayer requests." It is by reflection that God is seen as "high and lifted up," and man is reduced to his proper dimensions. Even believers can lose sight of that all important distinction.

To be sure, we are invited to "come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need [Heb. 4:16]," but that does not authorize us to come brazenly. When a subject is authorized to present his petition to a king, there is still a protocol to be followed; so ought it to be with our approach to our King. We have every reason to come with confidence, but we need to approach with some awareness of the awesome character of the One before Whom we come, and the enormous privilege that is ours to be welcomed there. In a day and age when "oh my God," is a flip phrase on the tongues of many, it behooves the Bible Christian to cultivate a proper sense of awe in communion with Him.

Some idea of what we are suggesting can be drawn from John's description of the heavenly scene in the Revelation of Jesus Christ. "And immediately I was in the spirit: and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold… [and] the four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever… [Rev. 4:2-4,10]." (Cf also Rev. 5:8,14; 7:11; 11:16; 19:4) Let us meditate… and worship Him, our King and our GOD!
For God's glory,

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 4 - 2007.07.14

"Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased." —Psalm 4:7

What does it take to be happy, and where does it come from? The words "glad" and "gladness," words prominent in the scriptures, are defined as "feeling joy, pleasure or satisfaction," and "happiness." Committed, separated Christians are often taunted by the unsaved as "never having any fun," or asked, "What do you do for pleasure?"

Here the Psalmist contrasts the gladness of the believer with that of the unconverted by the simple word, "more," affirming that the believer's gladness surpasses that of the lost world around us. Now consider the difference.

Two words are used to characterize the pleasures of the unsaved: "corn" and "wine." Corn speaks of material prosperity. It represents the increase realized from their labors, which gives access to the "things" in which so many find their gladness, their pleasure. "Wine," on the other hand, suggests the artificial pleasures derived from an altered perception that brings an inner sensation of pleasure from dulled or heightened senses, which eventually subsides and must be re-ignited again and again. It is, at best, a temporary "gladness."

Corn and wine are not unrelated, of course. The first may be the resource for the latter. The more corn, the more and better wine. The downside of both is that the gladness derived from them is sometimes illusionary and always temporary. Both the wallet and the wineglass must be refilled, or the "gladness" will be gone. All the world's pleasures, legitimate or not, are only "for a season" (cf. Hebrews 11:24-27). Much of the world's commerce flourishes on that fact.

The gladness of true, discerning believers stands in glorious contrast to the gladness of the unregenerate. "THOU hast put gladness in my heart…" The source of the believer's gladness is the eternal God, unchanging, inexhaustible. This well will never run dry. The party, if you please, will never be over, the pleasure never exhausted; the concert never ends.

Further, the seat of this gladness is not external— "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life," but is an internal thing, "in my heart." It is essentially not restricted to outward stimulus, which will eventually perish, but is from God and His grace "renewed day by day." Divinely imparted, the gladness of heart of the believer is in quantity and quality more" than the sum of the gladness stimulated by worldly "things" and events. To be sure, what gladdens the heart of the saint seems often invisible and inscrutable to the eye of critical observer, but it is more real, more enduring, more profound and far more significant than the most glittering pleasures of this present evil world.

Among the things scripture associates with the substance of the gladness of believers is, first and foremost, the assurance of salvation and its significance. "The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish. The way of the Lord is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity. The righteous shall never be removed, but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth [Prov. 10:28-30]."

From that platform, the righteous find gladness in the knowledge of and fellowship with God Himself: "The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in Him; and all the upright in heart shall glory," for "Glory and honor are in His presence; strength and gladness are in His place [I Chron. 16:27]." And gladness is induced by worship and fellowship with other believers: "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord [Ps. 122:1]." There is gladness for the believer in the service of God: "Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that hath made us and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture [Ps. 100:2-3]." There is much more, but these are a sample.

The Psalmist sums it up when he remarks, "Thou has turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise unto thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to Thee forever [Ps. 30:11-12]."

Remarking on the Psalm, a commentator of another era said appropriately, "Men mistake… 'good.' They look for a good that is to gratify their passions; they have no notion of any happiness that does not come to them through the medium of their senses. Therefore they reject spiritual good, and they reject the Supreme God, by whom alone all the powers of the soul can be gratified" (Adam Clarke). That is a word well spoken.

Where do you find your gladness"?

For enduring "gladness,"

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 3 - 2007.07.07

"Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: Thy blessing is upon Thy people." —Psalm 3:8

"Thy blessing is upon Thy people." How do you count your blessings? Or, perhaps, what do you count as blessings? It is good and important to "count [our] many blessings," so that we are properly encouraged in the battle, and so that we do not deny God the glory due unto His name. But often, I fear, we misjudge our blessings, looking for them in the wrong place.

David, when writing this psalm, was in the grip of the misery caused when his own son Absalom rebelled against him and attempted to take the throne from him. "Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God [V. 1-2]." Yet it is in that climate that he observes, "Thy blessing is upon thy people." Obviously, the Lord's blessing is distinct from mere circumstances. We need to learn that, in order to recognize our riches when outwardly life seems to be a pile of ashes. The Savior said to His own, "Lo, I am with thee alway, even unto the end of the world."

We should recognize from the first clause in our text that the blessing of the Lord rests upon the foundation of His salvation. It is His salvation that makes us one of His people, and apart from it we are not heirs of His blessing at all. "Salvation belongs to the Lord." "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed." We are not saved by our own efforts, nor is our salvation improved by our good works. It is "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior; that being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life [Titus 3:5-7]." That is the first and greatest blessing in the believer's life, and it is a gift of our gracious heavenly Father upon the exercise of faith in the finished work of Christ. No adversary or adversity can take that away. It is "an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time [I Peter 1:4-5]." Note: it is kept for us, and we are kept for it!!

Upon this glorious foundation rest numerous other blessings. The apostle writes to believers, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ [Eph. 1:3]." Notice that they are blessings already in place, spiritual, not material in nature, and located not on earth, where they might be subject to "change and decay," but "in the heavenlies," where they are unassailable by the storms and conflicts that plague us here.

Among those blessings the context notes "chosen in Him" (v.4,) adopted into God's family by Him (v.5,) "accepted in the Beloved" (v.6,) "the forgiveness of sins" (v.7,) afforded an inheritance in Him, ( v.11,) and secured in Him by the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit (v.13.) These, my friend, are blessings no amount of money can buy, moth and rust cannot corrupt, and thieves cannot steal!

D. L. Moody told of visiting a man who took him out to his property. As they circled his dwelling he waved his hand to the east and said, "as far as you can see, all is mine." The little ritual was repeated to the south, and the west and the north; "As far as your eye can see, all is mine!" Mr. Moody paused a moment, then raising his hand heavenward replied, "And sir, what do you have in that direction?"

If our concept of the blessing of the Lord is horizontal, it will fluctuate like the stock market, and our praise will vary with the wind. But if our faith is in Christ and our blessings are measured in eternal dimensions, our praise will mount up to heaven continually. Circumstances my threaten our joy on occasion, but never our blessings. How do you count your blessings?

"The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it." — Prov. 10:22

Rejoicing,

"Pastor" Frasier

Site Upgrade

Tonight I made some slight changes to Pastor Frasier's VOM Nuggets newsletter blog. To begin with I updated the template used to publish this blog to include various new features provided by BlogSpot and Google. This includes various widgets that add simple functionality to the site with only a few clicks. One of these new features (widgets) I added was the ability to have a topical search of previous blogs. The plan for now is to limit these topics (aka labels or tags) to either Bible books or to special topical series by Pastor Fraiser. For example his 1 Corinthians 13 series on love was tagged with the Bible passage as well as the topic of Love.

During this time I have also moved a number of elements around and removed some. You may notice that only the current newsletter is posted. This was done to allow for a shorter page so that the counter could be placed in the footer. It will also make for easier reading for new vistors as they come looking for the most current information. For previous articles please check the Archive section located in the sidebar on the right side of the page. From here you will be able to access any previous posts.

Three other coming changes you may see in the near future. Links. As I come across additional valuable links I will place them in the sidebar. Please note that I will probably keep them to a short list due to space. Google Adsense. In order to provide additional relevant resources to you and possible some income for the writer you may see some adds in the sidebar near the bottom. These links ought to be content relevant to the content of the blog. If I find that this addition is not edifying then I will promptly remove them. Recommend Reading. The last feature I am hoping to add is a recommended book reading list from Pastor Frasier. This might even include what he is currently reading.

Please let me know what you think of the changes and if I need to make any more. Your feedback is always valued. Between you, Pastor Frasier, and myself we ought to be able to make this a very valuable resource to edify the body of Christ.

Godspeed and goodnight,
Wesley