The Path of Pleasing God

 

"When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him"          (Proverbs 16:7)

Human behavior patterns can please the Lord. A servant can please his master. A son can please his father. A student can please his teacher.

"Without faith it is impossible to please him." Hebrews 11:6 does not say that it is improbable but that it is impossible. It is totally outside the realm of a possibility that a man can please God without first trusting in Him. He wants to be believed, for one thing. The one who doesn't trust Him is virtually saying that God is not trustworthy. Then again, man cannot know God's will about the ways that please Him unless he believes what God has said.

When He is pleased He makes human enmity to melt and turn to peace. This is a general truth but not a universal one or else Christ would have had no enemies, for He wholly pleased the Father. Also, there would have been no martyrs. In the main, however, when a man pleases God, other men seem to like him and want to have a good relationship with him.

But the greatest reward to such behavior is the knowledge that we give God pleasure. This is an astounding thought and yet is exactly what our text teaches. Man can give God real pleasure. That is not to say that He is satisfied and seeks no further growth, development, or obedience from us. He is easy to please although hard to satisfy.

"The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, on those that hope in his mercy" (Psalm 147:11)             "For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation" (Psalm 149:4)

-- Rev. Roger J. Andrus

Praise to the Healing God

I will exalt you, Lord, because you have lifted me up and have not allowed my enemies to triumph over me. Lord, my God, I cried to you for help, and you healed me. Lord, you brought me up from Sheol; you spared me from among those going down to the Pit. Sing to the Lord, you his faithful ones, and praise his holy name. (Psalm 30:1-4)(CSB)

I want to give praise to my Lord---Jehovah-Rophe---God my Healer. 

It was a little over two months ago, when my wife, Lisa, and I began to feel a little sick. It began with her coughing, then to me coughing, then to both of us running a low-grade fever over night. The next morning we went to the doctor to get checked out. After looking us over and giving us a couple of tests, we were told that we were positive for the coronavirus. We were a little dismayed, because we thought we had been careful around others, but we got our prescriptions and went home to quarantine. 

The next week and a half were pretty rough for us. In fact, there was a time or two when I felt like I may need to go to the hospital because of difficulty breathing, but each time we prayed, things seemed to get better. After we each got past that phase, then we started wondering if we would ever regain our strength again. But each morning as we prayed for God to heal us, we began to slowly feel better and regained our strength little by little. We had our loved ones, and our church family checking in on us and praying for us, and it made a big difference. Through all our fears and pains, the Holy Spirit was there calming us. We continued to improve until finally we were restored to normal (or some might say "abnormal") again. We still had to deal with the isolation and boredom from being quarantined, but it was obvious to Lisa and me that our God had answered our petitions and healed us.

I share all of this to give praise to our Lord, the Great Physician, and to hopefully encourage others. You may say that all the medical statistics and reports show that most people recover from this virus, and you would be right. But I have no doubt that God heard our prayers--our cries for help--and healed us. As in the above passage from Psalm 30, God spared us and lifted us up from the pit of sickness that we had fallen into. And just like verse 4 encourages, we want to be faithful by continuing to sing to the Lord and praise His holy name. Our Healing God is so much more than worthy!

Joey Culpepper

A Prayer During Times of Trial

 

O my God, your loving providence transforms sorrows, difficulties, trials, and dangers into means of grace, lessons of patience, and channels of hope. Grant us good will to use and not abuse those privileges. By your great goodness, keep us alive through this dying life, that out of death you may raise us up to immortality. For his sake who is the life, Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

-Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)

How Do I Know if My Heart is "Divided"?

 

Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. (Psalm 86:11)(NIV)

Throughout the Psalms, the word heart refers to the center of the human soul or spirit. From this center flow all a person's emotions, thoughts and attitudes. An undivided heart means that these expressions reveal a heart that is pure and unselfish, not corrupted in any way (Ps. 24:3-4).

The prophet Jeremiah wrote in a similar vein, telling us that God wants us to return to him with all our heart (Jer. 24:7). He called this concept singleness of heart and action (Jer. 32:39). Ezekiel also spoke of God giving an undivided heart and ....a new spirit (Ezek. 11:19).

Only God can give someone an undivided heart; it's not something we get on our own. Still, we must accept God's offer; we must want an undivided heart. The surest way to know whether one's heart is undivided may be to echo David's prayer: Search me, O God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts (Ps 139:23). Only God can tell whether or not our hearts are pure.

                                                                                                                                                                              

       (from the Quest Study Bible published by Zondervan)

God Heals His People

 

If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.  (2 Chron. 7:14)(NLT)

Under God's covenant with Israel, there was a strong connection between sin and sickness. When the Lord commanded the Israelites to obey his laws, he promised to reward them by keeping them safe from many diseases. But these diseases were spiritual as much as physical. So here the Lord promised first to forgive his people, then to heal their land. We have also sinned against God in our thoughts and actions. But if we turn from our sin and humbly follow him, he will forgive us as well and heal us as his people. Let us praise God for healing and restoring us.

MERCIFUL GOD, we have harmed ourselves and others by neglecting your Word and living according to our own desires. Please forgive our sins, and help us to turn from our wicked ways. We thank and praise you for healing us. Amen

(from the Praise and Worship Study Bible by Tyndale House)

A Prayer for the Morning

O God, the King eternal, who divides the day from the darkness and turns the shadow of death into morning, drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our heart to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having done your will with cheerfulness while it was day, we may, when night comes, rejoice and give you thanks. Amen.

Anonymous

Obedience to God Shows our True Commitment to God

1 Jn. 2:3-4 (HCSB)

This is how we are sure that we have come to know Him: by keeping His commands. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” yet doesn’t keep His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

How deep is your commitment to God? Is it defined by you calling yourself a Christian, going to church most Sunday mornings, and reading your Bible once every couple of weeks? Or is it deeper than that? Is your commitment limited to only acting like a Christian around your church friends while living like the world the rest of the time? Or is it a commitment that touches and influences every aspect of your life?

That deeper type of commitment is what our Lord is calling us to. It’s also what the disciple John teaches us in his gospel and letters. John taught us that we can Know that we know. We can have an assurance of our salvation and of our Christian faith. This assurance is profound and not just a “maybe so” hopefulness. It’s evident through the obedience to God in our lives.

Jesus made it clear that our love for Him is directly connected to our obedience. He said: “If you love me, you will do what I command.” (Jn. 14:15 NIV), and “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s command and remain in His love.” (Jn. 15:10 NIV) So if we say that we know Him and truly love Him, we should be able to point to obedience in our lives that will reflect that. This obedience will be obvious when it’s apparent to those around us that we aren’t living our lives for ourselves, but for a higher purpose.

This is how we can know that we know Him: if we keep His commands (1 Jn. 2:3), by keeping His Word (1 Jn. 2:5), and walking as Jesus walked (1 Jn. 2:6). “Keeping His Word” signals that it’s not enough to just read, hear, or to know His Word. We need to strive to be “Doers of the Word” as James encourages us to do: Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (Jms. 1:22 NIV) I enjoy hearing my pastor’s sermons, at least the ones where he’s not stepping on my toes too hard, but if I listen to them week after week, never letting them sink in, but just going in one ear and out the other, how is that ever going to impact my life or those that I come into contact with for God’s kingdom? As the old saying goes…We need to “Walk the walk” not just “Talk the talk.” When we walk our walk we should want to walk as Jesus walked. He gave us the perfect example of the humble servant, doing His Father’s will, following after God in obedience.

This kind of commitment is not easy. It’s hard to go against the gravitational pull of this world. That’s why Jesus says that if we want to follow Him we have to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily, dying to the world. (Mt. 16:24) But because of what God has done for us, through the power of the Holy Spirit we can. We can Know that we know Him and keep His commands, by deciding every day (with the Holy Spirit’s help) that we are going to follow Christ’s example for us –an example of obedience even to the point of death:

(Phil. 2:8 NIV) And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross.

Pray:  Heavenly Father, please help me to follow Jesus’ example by showing my commitment to You through obedience.

 

(by Joey Culpepper)

The Lord is God Almighty

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; serve me faithfully and live a blameless life." (Gen. 17:1)(NLT)


The name "God Almighty" is a translation of the Hebrew El Shaddai, which refers to God as a great mountain. This name, which God used to reveal himself to the patriarchs, stresses God's splendor and majesty. Recall for a moment the overwhelming awe we experience at the sight of a great mountain. Now imagine how great God, who created that mountain, must be in comparison with us! In light of this great truth, let us walk before our God in humble obedience.


ALMIGHTY GOD, Maker of heaven and earth, honor and glory and praise are yours alone. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains. Enable us, with the help of your Spirit, to walk before you in righteousness and humility, so that your name will be glorified through all the earth. Amen.

(from the Praise and Worship Study Bible - Tyndale House)

What is His Name?

When Abram was 99 years old, the LORD appeared to him, saying, "I am God Almighty. Live in My presence and be blameless." (Gen. 17:1)(NLT)

"When I come unto the children of Israel," Moses said, "and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?" (Ex. 3:13). Yes, what shall he say? If the "heaven of heavens cannot contain God," how then can one name describe Him?

The fact is, no one name fully describes or defines our great God. The names of God are self-revealed; they were not assigned to Him by man. Far-reaching revelation is involved, therefore, in the names of God as they are progressively indicated to us in His Word. The revelation of each name is announced in relation to some new experience of man, some critical need through which he is passing, or some enlarged capacity which has been attained. Each name discloses a fresh and fuller quality of God's character and greatness:

Elohim (Gen. 1:1), with the English translation, "God," occurs about 2,500 times in the O.T., and means "the Strong One."

Jehovah (Gen. 2:4), English "LORD," means the self-existent One, the eternal "I AM."

Jehovah Elohim (Gen. 3:1-5), "LORD God" in the English, occurs about 7,500 times in the O.T., and has in it the idea that "He causes to become." It suggests His gracious covenant-keeping quality.

El Elyon (Gen. 14:22), English "most high God," means the actual "possessor of heaven and earth," and was so revealed to Abram in a critical hour, as the supreme giver of good and perfect gifts.

Adonai (Gen. 15:2), English "Lord," small letters, only the first is capital. It speaks of God as the supreme Master, who is entitled to our fullest allegiance.

El Shaddai (Gen. 17:1), English "Almighty God," indicates "The God who is enough," the God who is able to meet every emergency, every peculiar need that you and I may have even today.

Jehovah-Jireh (Gen.22:14), which has the significant meaning, "The LORD will see to it," or "The LORD will provide." In Abraham's experience it was the "ram caught in a thicket," the substitute which God provided.

"His name alone is excellent" (Psalm 148:13)

(this meditation by Dr. N. A. Woychuk)

What A Holy God

Isaiah 6:1-3---In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." (NIV)
                                  I Peter 1:16---for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." (NIV)

 I've often wondered how we would respond or react if we could get a glimpse of the Lord like  Isaiah did. When we realize just how holy He is, and how unholy we are, would we fall on our  face and cry out to the Lord like Isaiah, or would we turn away from the Lord in disdain? Would  we volunteer for the mission God had for us, or would we walk away with indifference in our  heart?

 So many people have no reverence or fear of the Lord. They don't regard Him as holy, or in any  case, you sure don't see any evidence that they do by the way that they live their lives. Many  don't feel that they need a relationship with God. They don't particularly worry about the  afterlife because they think that they are pretty good people. Some have been mislead by the  erroneous concept that their good deeds are going to be weighed against their bad deeds, and if  the good outweighs the bad, then they will be able to go to heaven. They compare themselves to  others, and say "Hey, I'm not a rapist or a killer or anything, so I'm a pretty good person. I'm a  much nicer and better person than a lot of people I've seen, so I think I'll be okay. I'll take my  chances when it comes to what's after this life, because God knows that I'm not nearly as bad as  others."

 They forget that Jesus said that the man who looks at a woman with lust is the same as an  adulterer, and that the one who hates his brother is the same as a murderer. They have no  understanding of how holy God is. They don't grasp the idea that if God is perfect in  holiness(which He is), then we can't come into His presence because of our sinful nature. The  best we could ever hope to do falls way short of the mark. In fact, God's Word states that "even  our righteousness is like filthy rags" (Isa. 64:6) when we compare it to how pure and holy God is.  We can never be good enough, or do enough good things in this lifetime to earn or work our way  into heaven. Unfortunately there are many mislead cults that strive to do just that. They think  that if they give a certain number of years of their life to witnessing or teaching or helping the  poor, etc., that they will be able to earn what God has already provided through the only means  possible: the sacrifice of His only Son--Jesus. Jesus was the only perfect man Who ever lived. He 

 is the only One Who can give us hope of an eternity in heaven because He alone lived a truly holy  life. No one else who has ever lived on this earth was without sin. Jesus alone met that mark set  by our Father in heaven. Only by Jesus taking the penalty for our sins, could we ever hope to be  reconciled with a holy God.

  Let's see some of the scripture references to how holy God is from the New Living Translation    (NLT):

• Ps. 77:13--O God, your ways are holy
• Ps. 99:3--Your name is holy!
• Ps. 99:9--for the Lord our God is holy!
• Ps. 111:9--What a holy, awe-sinpiring name he has!
• Isa. 57:15--The high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, the Holy One
• Lev. 11:44--You must be holy because I am holy
• 1 Sam. 2:2--No one is holy like the Lord!
• Isa. 40:25--"To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?" asks the Holy One
• 1 Pet. 1:15--just as God-who chose you to be his children-is holy

  There are also verses in the (NLT) which mention God's holiness:

• Ex. 15:11--Who is glorious in holiness like you
• Ps. 29:2--Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness
• Ps. 96:9--Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor
• Isa. 5:16--The holiness of God is displayed by his righteousness
• Ez. 28:25--I will reveal to the nations of the world my holiness among my people
• Heb. 12:10--we will share in his holiness

 As Christians, we are called to be holy and to live a life of holiness which sets us apart from the  world. We are referred to as a peculiar people, a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.  (1 Pet. 2:9)We are to be a reflection of the goodness and purity of God. Here's some scriptures  from the (NIV) that testify to that fact:

• Ex. 19:6--holy nation
• Ex. 20:8--Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy
• Lev. 20:7--Consecrate yourselves and be holy
• Lev. 20:26--You are to be holy to me
• Rom. 12:1--holy and pleasing to God
• Eph. 5:3--improper for God's holy people
• 2 Thess. 1:10--to be glorified in his holy people
• 2 Tim. 1:9--saved us and called us to a holy life
• Titus 1:8--upright, holy and disciplined
• 2 Pet. 3:11--holy and godly lives
• Rom. 6:9--righteousness leading to holiness
• 2 Cor. 7:1--perfecting holiness out of reverence
• Eph. 4:24--God in true righteousness and holiness

 Let's think of that vision of Isaiah's as we consider God's holiness. Isaiah said, "I saw the Lord  seated on a high and lofty throne, and His robe filled the temple." (Isa. 6:1)(HCSB) God is high  and lifted up. He is holy and pure and true; before Him we are like nothing. Isaiah realized that  when He said in Isa. 6:5--"Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips and  live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of  Hosts." God is holy and His thoughts and ways are much higher than ours. "For as heaven is  higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."  (Isa. 55:9)(HCSB) 

 When we come to the place in our walk with God that we truly understand in our limited  capacity(with just a glimpse of His true perfection) how holy He really is, we should have a  response similar to Isaiah's. We should get an increased and better perception of how utterly  lowly and unrighteous we are in comparison to His perfect holiness. And then we should want to  live a life that reflects those higher qualities of our Lord. We need to be careful to watch what  we see and hear and say. We should live to a higher standard, shunning the wicked things that  this world promotes, craves and seeks. We can only do that through the power of the Holy Spirit  living in and through us. Remember that we are wearing His name, so let's strive with all we  have to be holy, for ... HE IS HOLY!

 Singing His Praises,
 Joey C.