Tuesday, September 30, 2014

A Good Man Who Was a Sinner



(#52, Hinkley 44; Yermo/Hinkley/Kelso 1950; Imperial 1955)
 Read Isaiah 6:1-9.

Where there is no vision, the people perish. Pr. 29:18.

Isaiah's vision can be characterized by five C's.

Conviction of sin, 6:1-4.
Isaiah was a good man in comparison to the people about him.  Isaiah was a sinful man in contrast to the holiness of God in the vision.  To whom do we compare ourselves (2 Cor. 10:12)?  Our goodness compared to God's holiness is as filthy rags.

Confession of sin, 6:5.
This confession is not to be merely a conscience easer but a true confession with a turning from.  "I have sinned" is the cry of David, Job, Saul and the prodigal son.
When we are ready to confess that we have sinned we are ready to come to Christ.

Cleansing from sin, 6:6.
There was an altar by the throne where sacrifice for sin was made.  Christ was that sacrifice (John 1:29; Hb. 10:9-10; 9:26-29).

Commitment of self, 6:8.
Many go as far as the cleansing from sin but do not commit themselves to the Lord.  Rom. 6:13.  Is your all on the altar?

Commission to go, 6:9.

Paul said that he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.  We too need to live out of a vision of God.  Our time in God's Word provides an opportunity to meet God

There will be a time in the future when there will be no altar but the throne of judgment.  It will be too late for the altar of cleansing.

Monday, September 29, 2014

America's First Line of Defense



(#329,353, Yermo/Hinkley/Kelso 1948
Read 2 Timothy 1:1-6; 3:13-15.

We talk much in these days about defense.  We talk about guns, ammunition, ships, tanks, planes, etc., but we leave out one of the most important of all defenses, THE HOME.  Little is said about the home, in fact, it is being sadly neglected.

*     In the first 9 mos. of 1943 arrests of girls under 21 for offenses against common decency increased 69.6%.
*     The number of wards of juvenile courts in California jumped from 12,000 in 1942 to 21,000 in 1943.
*     Last year 20% of all crime was committed by boys and girls under 21.
I'm just wondering if we are not reaping today some of the results of the lack of family life of recent years.  Compare the home of today with that of Timothy -- with that of 100 years ago.

Here are some things that are lacking in a great many of our modern homes.
ƒ      Christ.  1 Cor. 3:11.  Christ should be the Head of every home.  This means home-makers should be Christians.
ƒ      Praying parents.  Prayer has saved many a boy from a life of sin and out of sin.  Many songs speak of mother's prayers.
ƒ      Godly instruction.  Too much is left up to the outside world in instruction of the children.  Timothy received his instruction at his mother's knee.  There should be a time every day when the Bible is opened and read before the whole family.
ƒ      A wholesome atmosphere.  This is generally determined by the mother.  It involves love toward one another and revolves around our choices of literature, music, recreation, etc.  In a recent meeting of Police chiefs a definite stand was taken against radio thrillers for children.  The article stated between the movie and radio programs you can't expect your child to go straight after ten or twelve.
ƒ      Discipline (Prov. 13:24; 19:18; 22:15; Eph. 6:1).  One of the signs we are in the end-time is that children are disobedient to parents.

Our children are being drawn out into the swirling torrents of the world because parents have failed to put the Lord Jesus Christ first.

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Psalm 5



Many of us ask for guidance from the Lord, as does the Psalmist in this Psalm (v8).  But what do we mean when we ask this of our God?  Compare your answer to that question with that of David the King.
After pleading with God to hear him (v1-3), David is reminded that God is holy and will have no connection at all with sin (v4-6).  David then contrasts his own approach to God (v7-8) with that of his foes (v9-10), ending with a prayer that the righteous will rejoice in God’s blessing (v11-12).  

Consider these few thoughts verse-by-verse.
·        v1: “”Consider my meditation”: perceive, understand my murmuring. In Ps. 39:3 this word speaks of a strong, burning thought within that he shares with no one else.  God knows our hearts; we can trust His ability to understand our hearts accurately, with more precision that we know ourselves.
·        v2: “My King and my God”: “King” refers to rulers or chiefs at a variety of levels, though most often used of the King.  Other Semitic languages had a similar term.  For the Ammonites their chief god was “Moloch”.  For God’s people the King was not the one chosen and thus empowered by the people.  He was God’s Anointed (Ps. 2:2; 18:50).  Thus the King had one ultimate allegiance, one Sovereign.  God (Elohim) was his King!  Certainly you can see the connection between David and the greater Son of David, Messiah (the Anointed One).  The Davidic king was to be God’s “Son” (Ps. 2:7), God’s Firstborn (Ps. 89:27).  These titles in Psalms of David were not merely figurative; they were anticipatory, predictive of the Eternal Son.
·        v3:  This is a morning prayer.  It seeks God’s guidance and blessing.  Thus the first thing God’s people do, at beginning of day, is to “look up” to God for the day’s needs.  How do our days begin?  Does anyone think that the answer to that question is not important?  Coffee?  Newspaper? Breakfast?  Jogging?  In the presence of your King?
·        v4-6: In a negative way David describes the holiness of God.  God IS the absence of evil; it shall not dwell with or be at home with God.  It has no standing with Him.  He hates and abhors and will destroy those who are defined by evil. 
·        v4: “You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness”: Evil is never funny or enjoyable to God.  He is not “a God” like that, indicating there are gods who do gain pleasure from sin. 
·        v5: “workers of iniquity”: Iniquity is a term that indicates trouble, the aftermath of sin.  These workers  are frequently spoken of in the Psalms (15X).  They do those things that result in trouble.  And yet they worship the gods that take pleasure in wickedness.  This is important to consider in this Psalm.  In the end the Psalmist will ask for God’s blessing that results in great joy and rejoicing.  Thus there is a contrast between those who take pleasure in sin and those the righteous who are blessed by God (v12).
·        v7-10:  Therefore David calls on God to hear his prayer (v7-8) and to judge the workers of iniquity (v9-10).
·        v7: David does not come in the sense of deserving God’s blessing.  He rather acknowledges his only basis to seek God is mercy and the only way he will enter God’s presence is in fear (reverence, with trembling).  Note that by mercy we have entrance into the “house” of God!  In fear we enter into His holy temple.  For many this is a necessary clarification.  We love to think of God and His house of delights or blessing.  It is true, very true, that God desires to abundantly bless His people.  So when we come let us come knowing it is of His mercy.  But when we come to God let us remember we enter a “holy temple” as well.  It is a relationship of worship characterized by the holiness of God referred to in v4-6.  We do not, we cannot, come into his presence as people who find pleasure in wickedness.  He is a merciful and holy God.
·        v8: When we come to God in this way we are truly prepared to ask for His leading.  We will not ask, “lead me to what I want.”  We will instead ask, “Lead me in Your righteousness.”  We will seek HIS way.
·        v9-10: David reminds God of the nature of the workers of iniquity.  What he describes is the depravity into which every human is born.  The Apostle Paul understood this.  In Romans 3 he drew from a collection of Old Testament passages to describe the sinfulness of all men.  One of the quotes is the last half of Psalm 5:9.  Their throat is an open tomb or sepulcher.  Think of the stench, the filth of an “open tomb”.  That is the nature of the natural man.  Thus, as is the case in Rom 3, so here, they are declared guilty.
·        v11-12:  There is a question that must be considered in the move from v9-10 to v11-12.  If v9-10 describes all mankind, it includes David.  It includes those on whom he prays God’s blessing.  This “enigma” is of course clarified perfectly in Romans (and all the New Testament) in the salvation provided through the Lamb of God.  Those “who put their trust in You” (v11) are those who are trusting God for salvation.  They are those whose faith will be credited as righteousness (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4).  Remember, David knew his sinfulness, that he too was depraved.  He came to God in reverential fear, and he came “in the multitude of Your mercy”.  Remember, “Not by works of righteousness we have done but according to His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:5).
May we begin our mornings, every morning, in the house of God, in His holy temple.  You need not leave your house or even your bedroom.  Access into His presence has been opened wide by the blood of Christ.  But come, not in the pleasure of wickedness, but in mercy and fear.  Not mere human pleasure but deep joy will be yours as He surrounds you with His favor.

Saturday, September 27, 2014

The Control of the Tongue



(#688, Imperial 1956,1964)

Read Matthew 12:33-37.

One word spoken by God brought creation into being.
One word spoken by us can do a world of good or evil.

Note the following sins of the tongue.
ƒ      Exaggeration: coloring a story to keep it from sounding flat.
ƒ      Flattery: an effort to compensate for lack of value.
ƒ      Hypocrisy: one whose profession exceeds his practice, whose creed outruns his life, who says more than he believes.
ƒ      Profanity: when Peter wanted to convince the world he was not a disciple, he used oaths (Mt. 26:74).
ƒ      Criticism: saying anything that puts the other in an evil light.
w     This is one of the most prevalent sins of the tongue, though we are commanded not to speak evil of anyone (Js. 4:11; Tt.3:2).
w     This sin has serious consequences...
    1.  It separates old friends.
    2.  It brings cruel misunderstandings.
    3.  It blasts the reputation of Godly men.
    4.  It breaks the hearts of dearest saints.
    5.  It blocks the power of the Holy Spirit.
w     Criticism hurts the one who speaks and injures the one of whom it is spoken.
w     Criticism and slander are the works of the devil.

How are we to control the tongue?  We must first recognize two opposing yet true statements. 
If you can control your tongue, you can conquer anything else.
No man can tame the tongue.
    1.  We must guard our heart, Mt. 12:34.
    2.  We must be watchful, Mt. 12:34.
    3.  Yield to the Holy Spirit - since no man can control the tongue, let God control it.

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
Psalm 141:3.