Psalm 145 - 2010.05.29

“The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.” — Psalm 145:18-20

Psalm 145 is a very beautiful Psalm, beginning with a wonderful hymn of praise and focusing on God’s goodness and mercy. It is the kind of message we take great comfort in but, unfortunately, can also take for granted. As generous as the Psalm seems to be, it should be noted that there are underlying conditions for enjoying the precious promises. The portion we have chosen for our “nugget” for today will, I trust, illustrate the point.

v. 18 - “The Lord is near…” That is a promise of proximity. The awesome fact is, of course, that by reason of His omnipresence God is never far away. God is everywhere. Many would wish Him to disappear, to “get Him out of their hair,” as our idiom would have it, but cannot escape His all seeing eye and His inevitable judgment. But for those who believe that God “is” and that He is the “rewarder of those who diligently seek him,” it can be a great comfort to know that He is a God at hand Who “fills heaven and earth,” (cf. Jeremiah 23:23-24), instantly available with “grace to help in time of need.”

However, there are two conditions in this verse requisite to enjoying this glorious benefit. The first is “call.” Through the Lord Jesus Christ, for example, this God of all grace has made the forgiveness of sin and sins universally available. But He has not provided universal salvation. The word says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved [Rom. 10:13].” Those who refuse to call will miss the blessing of eternal life.

Again, to the believer He says ”If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [I John 1:9].” Those who fail to call and confess will find themselves bereft of that grace, notwithstanding His proximity. To all the scripture says, “Ye have not because ye ask not [James 4:2].”

The second condition is that one “call upon Him in truth.” Superficial prayers from insincere hearts avail nothing when addressed to our readily accessible God. He is “near” to those who call upon Him on His terms, not ours. Grace is readily available, and it is free, but it is not cheap. It cost the Son of God His life, and it requires of the penitent sincerity of heart.

v. 19 - “He will fulfill the desire of them that fear Him…” This is a promise of provision. A wonderful New Testament parallel is found in the familiar Philippians 4:19— “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” But, its condition is fear, or reverence. “The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil [Prov. 19:23].” There is a flippancy and superficiality in much of modern Christianity that comes short of the glory of God. It brings shallowness to the churches and spiritual, if not temporal poverty to the believer. To be sure, He is “near” to all and we are invited to come boldly before His throne, but we must not come brazenly. “By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honor and life [Prov. 22:4].”

v.20 - “The Lord preserveth all them that love Him…” This verse assures preservation, but it also comes with a condition—that we love Him. Love is not a warm feeling, though it may include that, but it is an attitude that effects behavior. The Savior makes this clear when He says, “If ye love Me, keep My commandments.” Love for God disposes us to be obedient to His word and desirous of His fellowship, “fruitful in every good work to do His will.”

There is a glib attitude in much present day Christianity associated with the valued doctrine of “eternal security,” (a phrase which, incidentally, appears nowhere in scripture itself) which seems to suggest that once one has “made a profession of faith,” he need not fear the judgment of God no matter what his behavior may be. Such “easy believe-ism” simply does not square with the whole tenor of the New Testament revelation. The Savior’s appeal for obedience as proof of our love for Him is supported by the emphasis of Paul who, defining justification by faith for the saints at Ephesus, declares that the true believer is “created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them [see Eph. 2;10].” And by the challenge of James, “Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works [See James 2:14-20].” Obedience and love are hallmarks of true faith!

Call upon Him, for He is near, “a God at hand;” fear Him, for He is “great, and greatly to be praised; love Him and He will never fail you.

A voice in the wilderness,

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 144 - 2010.05.22

“Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord.” — Psalm 144:15

The first half of our text for today gathers its momentum from the verses just preceding, v.12-14, in which the writer foresees a precious family, a plentiful harvest, productive flocks, prosperous labor, protected property and a peaceful community. All these are temporal blessings, and he denominates those who enjoy such circumstances as happy, or “blessed,” as the same word is rendered elsewhere. With that no reasonable person would disagree.

The inference from the second half of the verse is that this temporal prosperity and stability is a gift from God to those who have put their trust in Him. That gives a certain legitimacy to the statement we hear from time to time, especially among believers, “The Lord has blessed me…,” and the reference is to some present circumstance. Long before the Lord had counseled Israel, “But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day [Deut. 8:18, my italics].” This truth is reinforced in the New Testament; “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning [James 1:17].”

It is good and proper for the believer to trace every blessing back to the hand of God and to thank and praise Him for it, whether it be a gratifying family, satisfying enterprise or community stability. And our gratitude should be expressed not merely in words, but in deeds as well. He warned Israel,

“Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied…thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth…And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish." [Deut. 8:11-13, 17, 19]

When we take God for granted, and attribute to our own diligence or genius the “happiness” we enjoy, we rob Him of His glory and threaten our own future, this side of heaven.

Of course such temporal welfare is not always the “case,” even for the most humble and faithful Christian. Sometimes hardship and adversity comes for reasons tucked away in the divine wisdom, as our Father in heaven undertakes to develop the character of His children according to their individual needs, “For whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth…” Then we must continue to praise and thank Him when the road gets rough. It is written of Christ Himself, “Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered [Heb. 5:8].” Sometimes, as with Job, we are obliged to cry, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him…He also shall be my salvation… [Job 13:15,16].”

And that leads us to look again at the second half of our text. “Happy (blessed) is the people whose God is the Lord.” The first half of the verse relates to our present circumstances; the second comprehends the eternal dimension. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “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].” Among the blessings that may here be enumerated are grace and peace (v.2); chosen in Christ (v. 4); adopted as God’s children (v.5); accepted in glory (v. 6); redeemed through the blood of Christ and sins forgiven (v. 7); an eternal inheritance (v. 11); and the security of His Holy Spirit (v.13) . And these are but some of the eternal blessings which are ours “in Christ Jesus.”.

Once “dead in trespasses and sins,” the believer is “quickened (made alive) together with Christ,” raised from the dead already through union with Christ, and seated together with Him in heavenly places, out of the ultimate reach of every alien power and waiting for the redemption of the body. “Blessed,” indeed, “is that people whose God is the Lord!”

God’s earthly oversight of our situation notwithstanding, we cannot know here what a day may bring. Wisdom demands that we say, “If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that,” But, there’s a great day coming when we will cash in on our “inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven” for us.

If you are assured that He is your Lord, count your many blessings—and thank Him for them every day!

For peace in the valley,

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 143 - 2010.05.15

“Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness. And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.” —Psalm 143:1-2

Here is the introduction to another of David’s great prayers and, as usual, it is filled with spiritual implication. In approaching this excerpt today I want to begin with the last clause, where a profound doctrinal truth is uttered: “In thy sight shall no man living be justified.”

David’s insight here is quite remarkable and leads the informed New Testament believer immediately to the epistle to the Romans where we are taught, with reference to the Gentile world, “…there is none righteous, no, not one…there is none that doeth good, no, not one [Rom. 3:10-12].” And with respect to the Jew, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin [v.19-20].”

In short, the New Testament confirms David’s declaration. There is not a soul on the planet, now nor ever, (Jesus Christ excepted) who can stand before God and be justified on his own merit. To be sure, some men are better than others; but none can meet the divine standard required for “justification” before a holy and perfect God.

That David knew this is the greatest proof of his spiritual perception. It gave rise to his impassioned petition, “Enter not into judgment with Thy servant.” Here is another appeal to God’s mercy. Unable to justify himself, he casts himself on the mercy of the Lord. Here is a wonderful illustration of the benefit of the conviction of sin. Those who have no consciousness of their accountability to God will never make such an appeal, nor will those who are satisfied that they are “good enough,” or that their good works will outweigh their bad ones. That is simply not the way it works, even in man‘s justice system. If you stop for a red light a hundred times, that will not get you off if you are arrested for going through it once. Moreover through the apostle James the Holy Spirit informs us, “Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all [James 2:10].” If one were to keep nine of the commandments and break but one, he is as guilty as though he broke them all!!

David’s hope and plea for exemption from God’s judgement is remarkable for the ground upon which he rests it: “In Thy faithfulness answer me, and in Thy righteousness.” Faithfulness is that quality in God which makes it impossible for Him to lie. His righteousness is the attribute which makes it impossible for Him to compromise His justice. Together, given His word, they form the platform upon which, it would seem, our doom is sealed. He has promised to judge sin, and cannot lie; He exercises that judgment on the principle of His own standard of righteousness, which cannot be compromised. How, then, can we possibly be forgiven?

The New Testament answer is found in the cross of Christ. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life [John 3:16].” The theology behind this hope is profound, but the appropriation of it is wonderfully simple. “For [God] hath made [Christ] to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him [II Cor. 5:21].”

When the sinner pleads for mercy—for exemption from judgment—through the Lord Jesus Christ, his sin is laid on Christ and the righteousness of Christ is credited to to him by grace through faith. Paul puts it this way, returning to Romans: “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus [Rom. 3:21-24].”

God maintains His righteousness by exacting the due penalty for our sins in the Person of His Son, our substitute; He maintains His faithfulness by keeping His word: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Have you cried to Him for mercy?

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” —John 3:17-18

For His glory and our good,

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 142 - 2010.05.08

"When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me. I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living." —Psalm 142:3-5

This Psalm, like numerous others, carries a title which reads in part, “A prayer of David when he was in the cave.” David was in a cave on more than one occasion, and dedicated Bible students go to some lengths in an effort to decide which occasion is here referred to. It doesn’t really matter. Sufficient to know the general circumstances under which psalm was written.

Have you ever been in a cave? Alone? In the dark? It is an eerie experience! Few places are more oppressive, lonely and potentially terrifying. And the literal setting is a fine illustration of the “caves” some find themselves in when life’s circumstances seem overwhelming.

David describes himself as hunted by his enemies; “they have privily laid a snare for me,” forsaken by his friends; “there was no man that would know me,” and hemmed in on every side; “refuge failed me.” Alone. Trapped. Helpless. Have you ever felt that way? Whether real or imagined, such a plight can be devastating: “My spirit was overwhelmed within me.”

In that pitch darkness, the ‘dark night of the soul,’ one glorious glimmer of light arrests him: “then Thou knewest my path.” If God is real, hope survives in the darkest night. Consider a few of the candles that God has given to illuminate the darkness. “The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry [Ps. 34:15].” “…All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do [Heb. 4:13].” And Job’s confidence in his overwhelming crisis, “He knoweth the way that I take… [Cf. Job 23:10]”

No matter who you are, no matter where you are, no matter how tangled the circumstances, nor how dark the night, God is vividly aware of your situation, and “able to do exceeding abundantly above all that [you] ask or think.”

“Men ought always to pray, and not to faint,” the Savior taught. And never does prayer prove more significant than when we are in the “caves” of life. Because of his assurance that God “knew,” the Psalmist “cried unto the Lord” aloud in the thick darkness (v.1). He “poured out [his] complaint before Him,” and showed Him his trouble,” spelling out his plight in detail (v. 2) and prayed very specifically, “bring my soul out of prison (v. 7).”

His cry brought relief. First, the relief of a revived confidence in God: “…for Thou shalt deal bountifully with me.” (v. 7)

When believing prayer does not immediately bring us out of the cave, it may revive our hope within it. But in due time more tangible relief came and God altered the circumstances so that David could record this event at a later time.

There is, of course, a loftier illustration of the same truth. It is not a cave, but a cross that contains the Son of God when, like His type before Him, “no man cared for His soul,” for even His disciples “all forsook Him and fled.” The only light in His darkness was the same as David’s here; ‘My Father knows My path.’ And as with His forbear, the Savior turned to prayer crying “with a loud voice,…Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit,” “Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared [Heb. 5:7].” He, of course, was not delivered from the cross, but through it, because it was essential to the Father’s plan. Certainly the Father was able to deliver Him from death,” but His plan, which included our deliverance from sin and death, did not allow it—just then.

Believing friend, if you are “overwhelmed” by some circumstance or combination of circumstances, be assured that God knows your path. Spell out your situation in detail before the Father’s throne of grace. Rejoice in the assurance that He will deal bountifully with you when His purpose has been fulfilled, and rest in His love.

Trapped in the cave, David did not cave in, but “cried unto the Lord with his voice.”

Go thou and do likewise!

For Light in life’s darkness,

"Pastor" Frasier