Shalom,

We'll continue with our study of "In Him" verses today in 2 Corinthians:

2 Cor 5:21 (KJV)
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

For "He hath made", the Greek word, poieo, we covered in the previous post. It means: to make or do, to construct, to form , to fashion, to be the author of, to prepare, to provide a thing for oneself, to make something out of anything, him to be "sin", the Greek word, hamartia, which means: sin, offence, to be without a share in, to miss the mark, to err, to be mistaken, to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honor, to do or go wrong, to violate God's law, "for", the Greek word, huper, which means: in behalf of, for the sake of, us "Who (Jesus) knew", the Greek word, ginosko, which means: to come to know, to get a knowledge by perception, to understand, to perceive, to become acquainted with, no sin "that", the Greek word, hina, which means: in order that (denoting the purpose or result), to the intent that, we "might be made", the Greek word, ginomai, which means: to come into existence, to begin to be, to receive being, to come to pass, the "righteousness", the Greek word, dikaiosune, which means: equity of character, state of him who is as he ought to be, the condition acceptable to God, integrity, virtue, purity of life, of God in Him. The Amplified Bible says it this way:

2 Cor 5:21 (Amplified)
21For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become [endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness].

So what should we say about ourselves from this verse? We should say:

God has made me righteous! I didn't do it, God did! I am in right standing with God because of what Jesus has done for me. Jesus, Who IS righteous, WAS MADE sin with MY sin, so that I could be BE righteous with HIS righteousness. I now have the right to stand in the presence of the God of the Bible as though I've never done anything wrong! I can stand in God's presence without condemnation or inferiority of any kind, because of Jesus! Thank You, Jesus!

Let's look at another "in Him" Scripture:

Rom 8:1 (KJV)
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

We see here that there is now no "condemnation", the Greek word, katakrima, which means: an adverse sentence or verdict, no judgement, to them which are in Christ Jesus, "who walk", Greek peripoteo, which means: to make one's way, to progress, to make due use of opportunities, to regulate one's life, to conduct oneself, to pass one's life, not after the "flesh", the Greek word, sarx, which means: the mere human nature, the earthly nature of man apart from divine influence and therefore prone to sin and opposed to God, but after the "spirit", the Greek word pneuma, which means: the Spirit of God, the reborn human spirit. The Amplified Bible says this:

Rom 8:1 (Amplified)
1THEREFORE, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.

So what should I be saying here? Say this:

Because I am IN Christ Jesus , RIGHT NOW, present tense, then there is no sense of condemnation about me! I see myself the way that my Father God sees me, through the blood of Jesus! Made new and pure in Him! I have the right, the privilege and the responsibility to go boldly before His presence for answers to my needs and the needs of others!

We'll look at some more In Him verses in our next post.

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We began to look at some of the "In Him" Scriptures in our last post. One of the verses we looked at was 2 Corinthians 5:17:

2 Cor 5:17 (KJV)
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

The Amplified Bible says this:

2 Cor 5:17 (Amplified)
17Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!

As a believer we are not renovated or made over. We ARE new creatures--something which never existed before! One translation says "he is a new species." It is not our physical bodies that are made new instantly. It's also not our souls (our mind, emotions and will). The part of us that is made new is the spirit part of us. We ARE spirit beings, we POSSESS souls (mind, emotions and will) and we LIVE in our physical bodies. Our bodies WILL be made new, in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the Rapture of the church. Our spirits WERE made new at the moment of the new birth, when we accepted and received Jesus of Nazareth as our Lord and personal Saviour. Our souls ARE "renewed" daily as we spend time in the Word of God and in close, intimate fellowship with Him by the Holy Spirit Who lives in us. Finding out and confessing what God's Word says about us is one of the ways our minds are renewed.

God sees our new and recreated spirit when He sees us! He sees us "in Him!" He sees us this way:

Eph 2:10
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Notice that we are HIS "workmanship", the Greek word, poiema, which, means: a product, a fabric, a thing that is made, and comes from the Greek word, poieo, which means: to make or to do, to produce, to construct, to form, to fashion, to be the author of. We are "created", the Greek word, ktizo, which means: to fabricate, to form, to shape, to completely change or transform, in Christ (the anointed One) Jesus (Jehovah is salvation) unto "good", the Greek word, agathos, which means: good in any sense, useful, excellent, distinguished, honorable, "works", the Greek word, ergon, which means: business, employment, that which one undertakes to do, anything accomplished, which God Himself "hath before ordained", the Greek word, proetoimazo, which means, to fit up in advance, to prepare before, to make ready beforehand, that "we should walk", the Greek word, peripateo, which means: to make one's way, to make due use of opportunities, to regulate one's life, to conduct oneself, to be occupied with, in them. The Amplified Bible says it this way:

Eph 2:10 (Amplified)
10For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].

So what should we be saying about ourselves from this verse? We should say something like this:

I am His workmanship. He made me a new creation. I WILL DO the works that God Himself created me for! I will be where God wants me to be, doing what He wants me to do.

Now don't even allow yourself to say something that is contrary to what the Word of God says about you here. Don't ever say, "I'm so unworthy. I'll never amount to anything." You're actually calling God a liar when you say things like that! That is NOT what you just found out that God says about you. Speak God's Words over yourself. You'll be agreeing with Him and He is ALWAYS right!!!

We'll look more at who we are in Him in our next post. And as always, the things we're talking about in these teachings belong ONLY to born again believers in Jesus of Nazareth. If you have never received Jesus as your Lord and personal Saviour, that is the FIRST thing you need to do! THEN get into the Word of God and find out who YOU are IN HIM! Check earlier blog posts or go to The Spoken Word Church site at the left of this blog and find out what YOU need to do to become a born again child of the One True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We'll continue looking at confession today. The most important confession we can make as a believer is our confession of faith in Jesus of Nazareth as our Lord and personal Saviour. We looked at Romans 10 recently:

Rom 10:9-10 (KJV)
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

The Amplified Bible says:

Romans 10:9-10 (Amplified)
9Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms [his] salvation.

We believe in our heart that God raised Jesus from the dead which results in righteousness (right standing with God, the right to stand before a holy God as thought we've never done anything wrong because of the precious blood of Jesus!) and THEN we confess (declare our faith openly and freely) which results in salvation (soteria, deliverance, preservation, safety, health, wholeness). Now you're ready to find out what else God has declared about you in His Word, so you can declare that, too! We discussed in the last post about finding out who we are in Him. Let's look at one such Scripture now:

Acts 17:28 (KJV)
28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being;

What does this verse say about who we are? We read here that in Him "we live", the Greek word, zao, which means: to live, to be full of vigor, to be fresh, strong, efficient, active, powerful and efficacious (having the power to produce a desired effect), and "move", the Greek word, kineo, which means: to stir, to cause to move, set in motion, to excite, and "have our being", the Greek word, esmen, which means: we are. So what do we confess from this? We say this:

Jesus of Nazareth is my Lord and personal Saviour. I AM in Him! His storehouse of power lives in me, therefore I AM fresh, strong, active, powerful, efficient and effective. I have life! I have energy! I can move when God tells me to! I can do what God says I can do! I can be all that God says I can be! I have His strength for impossible tasks!

Here is another "in Him" Scripture that we can and should confess over ourselves:

2 Cor 5:17 (KJV)
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

As born again believers we are In Christ, therefore we are "new", the Greek word, kainos, which means: new, recently made, of a new kind, unprecedented, novel, uncommon, unheard of, "creatures", the Greek word, ktisis, which means: an original formation or creation. Our old life is gone and "behold", the Greek word, idou, which is an imperative word that means: See! Look! Listen! "All things", the Greek word, pas, which means: individually and collectively, each, every, all, the whole, everything, "are become", the Greek word, ginomai, which means: to become, to come into existence, to begin to be, to come to pass, "new", the word kainos from above.

The Amplified Bible says this:

2 Cor 5:17 (Amplified)
17Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!

So what should you and I say? We say:

I AM a new creature in Christ Jesus. I am a new creation being with the life of God, the nature of God and the ability of God IN ME! I can accomplish ANYTHING He calls me to do because I do it by His ability IN ME! Hallelujah!

When you really believe that, living this Christian life will get so much easier and simpler for you! You won't have to try so hard to do the right things. His nature will rise up in you to help you! You should begin expecting it to! We'll look at more "In Him" Scriptures in out next post. Get these inside of you until they are real to you! Make them yours!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We began to look at confession in our last post and we want to continue with that today. I recently learned that "DeVaR" is Hebrew for "word". It also can be translated "things" or "matter". That is very exciting when you look at it from God's perspective. In the beginning, when God created the Heaven and the earth, Genesis tells us that "God said..." and whatever God said came to pass! What did God say? He said "words" and the words He said BECAME the thing (or matter!) that He spoke. God said "light" and light came into existence! Everything we see on the earth came into being when God spoke words!

Another powerful teaching I just heard was that Science has now broken down the atom and when they broke it down to the smallest state they could they found that what they had were "sound waves"! God SPOKE and matter happened!!! That is especially exciting when you look at what Jesus said in Mark:

Mark 11:23 (KJV)
23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

JESUS said that WE would speak things into existence WHEN we believe in the words that we speak! There is power in the spoken word! Jesus also said in John:

John 15:7 (KJV)
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

We also have a warning about our words in Proverbs:

Prov 18:20 (KJV)
20 A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.

The Amplified Bible says it this way:

Prov 18:20 (Amplified)
20A man's self shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth; and with the consequence of his words he must be satisfied [whether good or evil].

We WILL reap the fruit of our mouth, the words of our mouth. If you and I are not satisfied with some of the things we have happening in our lives, the FIRST place to look is at our words! WHAT are we saying? Are we speaking God's Word into our lives, or are we repeating what we hear in the world around us? The Bible says that we will only have the results in our lives that we are speaking into our lives! That's why we are studying confession and what we SHOULD be saying about ourselves. Here is an example of how we should be talking, if we are born again believers in the Lord Jesus:

I Jn 3:1-2
1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

The Amplified Bible says this:

1 John 3:1-2 (Amplified)
1SEE WHAT [an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! The reason that the world does not know (recognize, acknowledge) us is that it does not know (recognize, acknowledge) Him.
2Beloved, we are [even here and] now God's children; it is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be [hereafter], but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall [as God's children] resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He [really] is.

So what should WE be saying? We should be saying that we ARE sons of God! I am a born again believer in the Lord Jesus of Nazareth. I AM a child of God! God IS my very own Father and I AM (right now!) His very own child! When you meditate on God's Word from that perspective, it will just come alive inside of you! When you really realize who you are as a believer, you will have a boldness you never thought possible! That's where you begin. You go through the New Testament, primarily the Epistles because they are the letters to believers, and underline or highlight all the verses you find that say "in Him", "in Christ", "in whom", etc. Write them down and meditate on them, allowing the Holy Spirit to teach you what it means to you. Then begin to call yourself what God calls you! Speak about yourself ONLY what God's Word says. You will be amazed at the results! We'll look more at some of these verses in our next post.

As always we remind you that if you have never received Jesus of Nazareth as your own Lord and personal Saviour, then none of this belongs to you. You are not YET a child of God, but you can be! Believe in your heart that Jesus came to this earth, died on the cross for your sin, rose from the dead and is seated at the right hand of God in Heaven, Ask Him to come into your heart and be the Lord over your life. Click on The Spoken Word Church link to the left of this blog to find more info and to let us know about your decision. We want to hear from you and to help you grow in the things of God!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

One of the most important things to know as a believer is the importance of confession. Now it's always very important to remember to confess sin according to 1 John 1:9:

1 Jn 1:9 (KJV)
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9 (Amplified)
9If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].

Make sure you are staying cleansed from all sin by continuing to confess that sin to your Heavenly Father each and every time you miss it by making a selfish decision or choice to do things your own way instead of God's way. Then receive His forgiveness and move on. That's vital to your Christian life. But that's not the confession we want to talk about today. The confession we want to look at today is found in the Book of Romans.

Rom 10:8-11 (KJV)
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

The "word" that is nigh is the Greek, rhema, which means: an utterance, what is or has been uttered by the living voice, a thing spoken by the voice and having definite meaning, a declaration of one's mind made in words. It actually refers to the Word of God spoken from the mouth of a believer who has meditated on that Word until it becomes real to them, then they speak that Word out of their mouth and it WILL come to pass! We see that the Word is nigh, or near, even in our mouths (speaking it) and in our heart (the spirit & soul combination) after meditating on it until we really know, that we know that it is Truth! This Word is the Word of "faith", the Hebrew word, pistis, which means persuasion, reliance, assurance, trust and confidence, which we preach!

What IS that Word of Faith which we preach? It is that "thou shall confess", the Greek, homologeo, which is a compound word that means: to assent, to covenant, to acknowledge, to say the same thing as another, to agree with, to declare, to profess, to declare openly, with our mouth, the Lord Jesus and "shalt believe", the Greek, pisteuo, which comes from the word pistis, which we covered in the previous chapter, and means, to be persuaded, to place confidence in, to trust. What are we to believe and have confidence in? That God raised Jesus from the dead! We're told here that when we believe that in our heart and speak it out of our mouths, then we will be "saved", the Hebrew word, sozo, which means: to save, deliver, protect, heal, preserve, do well, make whole. For with the heart (spirit/soul combination) man believeth, the same Greek word, pisteuo, that we see above, which results in "righteousness", the greek word, dikaiosune, which means, integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, and actually refers to our "right-standing" with God. You can also say it is our right to stand in the presence of Almighty God as though we've never done anything wrong, because of the precious blood of Jesus! Hallelujah! And then confession is made with the mouth that results in "salvation", the Greek word, soteria, which means: deliverance, preservation, safety, health, healing, wholeness, wellness and fitness!

We are born again by believing that Jesus Christ came to this earth, died on the cross for our sin, rose from the dead, and is now alive and seated at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven. Then we ask Him to come into our hearts and to be the Lord of our lives! We "confess" that He is our Lord. Once we've done that, then we need to find out what God's Word says about us as believers and continue to "confess" what God's Word says about us so that all of those Truths can become real in our lives. Confessions plays a vital role in the life of a believer. We are to be saying about ourselves what God says about us. That's true humility, agreeing with God!

We'll talk more about what we should be confessing about ourselves in our next post.

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We've been looking at Psalm 1 and today we will begin with verse three. This is the result of being a doer (obeyer) of God's Word concerning the first two verses:

Ps 1:3 (KJV)
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.

This verse begins with "And he shall be", the Hebrew word, hayah, which means: to exist, to become, to come to pass (always emphatic!), to come into being, to be established, "like a tree", the Hebrew word, 'ets, which means: a tree (from its firmness), planted by the rivers of water that "bringeth forth", the Hebrew word, nathan, which means: to give, to bestow, to yield produce, "his fruit", the Hebrew word, periy, which means: fruit or produce of the ground, fruit of the womb (children), fruit of actions, "in his season, the Hebrew word, 'eth, which means: time (especially now), due time, his leaf (the evidence of life and part of what a tree produces) also shall not "wither", the Hebrew word, nabel, which means: to wilt, to fall away, to fail, to faint, to be senseless or foolish, "and whatsoever", made up of two Hebrew words, 'aher, which is a primitive relative pronoun such as who, which, what, that, and kol, which means: the whole, all, any, every, totality, everything, "he doeth", the Hebrew word, 'asah, which means: to do, to accomplish, to make, to work, to act with effect, to produce, to bring about, "shall prosper", the Hebrew word, tsalach, which means: to advance, to prosper, to make progress, to succeed, to be profitable. This is the result of doing things God's way! The Amplified Bible says this:

Ps 1:3 (Amplified)
3And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity].

Now for the next three verses. They reveal the results of NOT doing things God's way. Of NOT obeying God's Word.

Ps 1:4-6 (KJV)
4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

This fourth verse begins "The ungodly", which we looked at in the first verse and is the Hebrew word, rasha', which means: morally wrong, a bad person, a guilty one, one that has done wrong, "are not so but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away". That alone is a pretty grim picture! But verse five goes on to say: Therefore (because of the previous verses) the unglodly shall not "stand", the Hebrew word, quwm, which means: to arise, to accomplish, to be established, to be confirmed, "in the judgement", the Hebrew word, mishpat, which means: a verdict, a sentence or formal decree, "nor sinners", the Hebrew word, chatta', which means: one accounted guilty, "in the congregation of", the Hebrew word, 'edah, which means: an assembly, a company, a family, a crowd, "the righteous", the Hebrew word, tsaddiyq, which means: the just, the lawful, those made righteous by the Blood of Jesus!

Verse six says "For the LORD (Jehovah, the Eternal, self-existing One), "knoweth", the Hebrew word, yada', which means: to know, to perceive, to recognize, to distinguish, to be acquainted with, to make known, to declare, "the way of", the Hebrew word, derek, which means: the way, the road, the path, the manner of life, the moral character, the righteous: but the way of the ungodly "shall perish", the Hebrew word, 'abad, which means: to wander away, to lose oneself, to be destroyed, to be lost. The Amplified Bible says it this way:

Ps 1:4-6 (Amplified)
4Not so the wicked [those disobedient and living without God are not so]. But they are like the chaff [worthless, dead, without substance] which the wind drives away.
5Therefore the wicked [those disobedient and living without God] shall not stand [justified] in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous [those who are upright and in right standing with God].
6For the Lord knows and is fully acquainted with the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly [those living outside God's will] shall perish (end in ruin and come to nought).

Go back over the first three verses and make the determined purpose to obey the Word of God. Be a doer, not just a hearer. Meditate on the Word until it becomes real to you and then just simply put into practice in YOUR life what the Word says to do. The results are well worth paying the price to do so. Our God is a GOOD God!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we want to begin to look at Psalm 1. Here is the entire Psalm:

Ps 1:1-6 (KJV)
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 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

The first half of this Psalm talks about the blessings of the person who chooses to do things God's way and the last half tells about those who do not. Verse 1 starts with "Blessed", the Hebrew word, 'esher, which means: blessed, happy, happiness, is the man that "walketh", the Hebrew word, halak, which means: to walk, to live, to move, to proceed, have manner of life, NOT "in the counsel of", the Hebrew word, 'etsah, which means: counsel, advice, purpose, "the ungodly", the Hebrew word, rasha', which means: morally wrong, an actively bad person, a guilty one, a wicked man, one that did wrong, nor, "standeth", the Hebrew word, 'amad, which means: to stand, to remain, to take one's stand, to become a servant to, to stop moving or doing, to delay, to continue, "in the way of", the Hebrew word, derek, which means: a road trodden, a course of life, a mode of action, sinners, nor "sitteth", the Hebrew word, yashab, which means: to dwell, to remain, to abide, to have one's abode, "in the seat of", the Hebrew word, mowshab, which means: an assembly, a dwelling place, "the scornful", the Hebrew word, luwts, which means: to scorn, to talk arrogantly, to boast, to mock, to deride. Remember that the person is blessed who does NOT do these things! The next verse tells us what we SHOULD do instead.

"But" is the two Hebrew words, kiy & 'im, which together mean: but rather, instead, "his delight", the Hebrew word, chephets, which means: pleasure, desire, a valuable thing, purpose, longing, is "in the law of", the Hebrew word, towrah, which means: a precept or statute, the law, instruction, of the LORD (Jehovah) and in this law "doth he meditate", the Hebrew word, hagah, which we have lookd at before. It means: to murmur, to ponder, to imagine, to speak, to study, to talk, to utter, day and night. That's all of the time! If the Bible is telling us to do something, God has given us the ability to carry it out! Let's look at these two verses in the Amplified Bible:

Ps 1:1-2 (Amplified)
1BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather.
2But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night.

I really like how the Amplified Bible reads in these verses. It is very clear what we are not supposed to be doing. Don't spend time around these types of people, whether they are believers or unbelievers! You can share the Good News of the Gospel with them, but you and I should NOT be spending time continually in the presence of these people. Instead, we should be doing what the second verse says, spending time in God's Word, in prayer, praise and worship, and in fellowship with the Lord and with like-minded believers! Verse 3 will tell us what the results of obeying this commandment are!

We'll continue with verse 3 in our next post. In the meantime, keep meditating on these verses until you get a Holy Spirit revelation of how you can obey this command! What adjustments do you need to make in your own individual life so that you can walk in verse 3? Make them! You'll be so glad you did!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We began to look at Psalm 150 in our last post. Let's continue there today:

Ps 150:1-6 (KJV)
1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

We will continue with the 3rd verse. Remember that the word "praise" used throughout this Psalm is the Hebrew word, halal, which means:to be clear (used of sound or color), to shine, to make a show, to boast, to be clamorously foolish, to rave, to celebrate, to glory, to stultify (to cause to appear to be foolish or absurdly illogical), to act like a madman. It is a very active word. To obey this command means to be both seen and heard in giving glory to God! It means to be willing to appear foolish to some people while bragging on, boasting about, celebrating Him! The "Him" we are talking about is the Lord, Jehovah, the Eternal, Self-existing One! We are told here to praise Him "with the sound of", the Hebrew word, teqa', which means: a sound, a blast (of a horn), a trumpet blast. "Trumpet" is the Hebrew word, shophar, which is: a cornet (as giving a clear sound), or curved horn, trumpet, horn, a ram's horn. We're also told to praise Him "with the psaltery", the Hebrew word, nebel, which is: a harp, a lute, a guitar, a musical instrument, "and harp", the Hebrew word, kinnowr, which means: to twang, a harp, or lyre.

The 4th verse tells us to praise Him " with the timbrel", the Hebrew word, toph, which is: a tambourine, tabret, timbrel, "and dance" the Hebrew word, machowl, which means dance or dancing. Then we are told to praise Him with stringed instruments, and we know what those are, "and organs", the Hebrew word, 'uwgab, which means: a reed instrument of music, the panpipes.

In the 5th verse we are told to praise Him "upon", the Hebrew word, tselatsal, which is also translated here as cymbals and means: a clatter, a whirring, a cymbal (as clanging), the "loud", the Hebrew word, shema, which means: something heard, a sound, bruit (any of several generally abnormal sounds), cymbals and also upon the cymbals that are "high sounding", the Hebrew word, teruw'ah, which means: clamor, acclamation of joy, a battle-cry, an alarm, a signal, a sound of tempest, a shout, a shout or blast of war or alarm or joy.

I hope you didn't think that praising the Lord is a quiet affair! God is not afraid of a little noise! In fact there are many places throughout the Word of God where we are told to shout to the Lord! You cannot shout quietly! God loves music and praise and shouting and dancing when His people do those things unto Him! And, lest you think this only refers to people who know how to play instruments, the 6th and final verse says: "let" which is that Hebrew word, halal, again, "everything", the Hebrew word, kol, which means: all, the whole of, any, each, every, anything, everything, totality, "that hath breath", the Hebrew word, neshamah, which means: every breathing thing, praise the Lord, PRAISE YE THE LORD!!!

Psalm 150:1-6 (Amplified)
1PRAISE THE Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in the heavens of His power!
2Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to the abundance of His greatness!
3Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with lute and harp!
4Praise Him with tambourine and [single or group] dance; praise Him with stringed and wind instruments or flutes!
5Praise Him with resounding cymbals; praise Him with loud clashing cymbals!
6Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

It IS the commandment of God that every living, breathing person spend some time praising (putting on a show, boasting, bragging, being clamorously foolish and even appearing as a madman!) in giving praise and glory to the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords! If you've been holding back, now is the time to pick it up! Let go and let loose with everything that is in your heart for Him, and don't forget the dance! He LOVES your praise. In fact, the Bible says that He inhabits the praises of His people! That means that His presence is active in your praise. So let's do it! Give Him the praise He so deserves and desires! You will never be the same again!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we're going to look at Psalm 150, verse by verse. Here is the entire Psalm:

Ps 150:1-6 (KJV)
1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

This Psalm begins with the word "Praise", which is the Hebrew word, halal, which means: to be clear (used of sound or color), to shine, to make a show, to boast, to be clamorously foolish, to rave, to celebrate, to glory, to stultify (to cause to appear to be foolish or absurdly illogical), to act like a madman. The same word is translated "praise" throughout this Psalm. It is a very active word. To obey this command means to be both seen and heard in giving glory to God! It means to be willing to appear foolish to some people while bragging on, boasting about, celebrating Him! "The LORD" is the Hebrew word, Yahh, which is a shortened form of the Hebrew word, Jehovah, and means the same: the Eternal, self-existing One. We are told to praise "God", the Hebrew word, 'el, which is another Name for God, "in His sanctuary", the Hebrew word, qodesh, which means: a sacred place, apartness, holiness, separateness, set-apartness. We are also told to praise Him "in the firmament of", the Hebrew word, raqiya', which means: an expanse, the visible arch of the sky, space supporting the waters above, "His power", the Hebrew word, 'oz, which means: strength in various applications (force, security, majesty, praise), boldness, loudness, might, power, strength, strong.

The second verse says to praise Him "for His mighty acts", the Hebrew word, gebuwrah, which means: force, valor, victory, mastery, might, power,strength, bravery, mighty deeds. "According to" and "excellent" are the Hebrew word, rob, which means: abundance (in any respect), great number, huge, be increased, long, many, more in number, most, much, multitude, plenty, greatness, numerous. "His greatness" is the Hebrew word, godel, which means: magnitude, greatness, magnificence.

We're told, and that means this is a commandment, to praise our Lord because He is holy (separated from the world and separated unto God), because He is mighty and powerful! Praise Him for all the amazing things He has done and for Who He is, the all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere-present, One true, Most High, living, Almighty God of the Bible! You'll find that your understanding of Him and your love for Him will grow, along with your faith, trust and confidence IN Him as you do this! Begin TODAY! We'll look further at this Psalm in our next post.

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We will look at the 6th and final verse of Psalm 23 today. Here is the verse:

Ps 23:6 (KJV)
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.

The very first word, "surely", is the Hebrew word, 'ak, which means: certainly, of a surety, truly, indeed, also. Also would mean that along with the other promises previously discussed, this too is mine! "Goodness", the Hebrew word, towb, which means: good in the widest sense, beautiful, best, better, bountiful, pleasure, precious, prosperity, wealth, welfare, happiness, good things, excellent, rich, valuable, "and mercy", the Hebrew word, checed, which means: kindness, beauty, favour, goodness, faithfulness, "shall follow me", the Hebrew word, radaph, which means: to run after, to chase, to follow after, to pursue, to attend closely upon, to pursue ardently, to aim eagerly to secure, to hunt. All of these good and wonderful promises from God and His Word are hunting me down, pursuing me, running after me for the purpose of securing these blessings in my life! What a powerful Truth! Our heavenly Father wants to bless us even more than we want the blessings! How long will they keep pursuing me? "All", the Hebrew word, kol, which means: the whole, all , any, every, anything, totality, everything, the days of my life! And that's still not all there is here! We also see "and I will dwell", the Hebrew word, yashab, which means: to sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to continue, to abide, to stay, to have one's abode, "in the house of", the Hebrew word, bayith, which means: a house, a shelter, a home, a family, a household, "the LORD", which is, again, the Hebrew Name Jehovah, the eternal, self-existing One! The Almighty God! We who belong to Him will live in His family and in the shelter of His presence FOREVER!!! He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). The Amplified Bible says this:

Ps 23:6 (Amplified)
6Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place.

If the Lord Jesus is YOUR Shepherd, your Lord and personal Saviour, then all of these promises are YOURS! Start expecting and allowing Him to be all that He wants to be for you. If you have never received Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Saviour, then these promises are for others and NOT for you. But it doesn't have to stay that way! Do you believe that Jesus Christ came to this earth? Do you believe that He died on the cross for you? Do you believe that He rose from the dead and is now with the Father in Heaven? Is there any reason why you can't receive Him as YOUR Lord and personal Saviour right now? Then pray this prayer:

Almighty God, I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus Christ came to this earth, died on the cross for me, was raised from the dead, and is now seated at Your right hand. I accept and receive Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour and I invite Him to come into my heart and become Lord over my life. I thank You now Father, for welcoming me into Your family. You are my Father. I am Your child. Jesus is my Lord! Amen.

Now you truly are a member of the family of God! The Holy Spirit came in and recreated your human spirit into the image of God Himself! You need to get into the Word of God so that you can grow up in the Word of God. It is vital that you get into a good local church that teaches the Word of God boldly, uncompromisingly, precisely and accurately, and where you can fellowship with like-minded believers. Go to The Spoken Word Church link at the left of this blog and find out if we are in your area. If not, please contact us to let us know about you and we will try to find a church for you in your area! There is a lot of teaching available on that website to carry you over until you can find a good church! And remember that the Lord Jesus is now your Shepherd and Lord! All of those promises are now yours!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We began to look at Psalm 23 in our last post. Let's look at the next two verses today:

Ps 23:4-5 (KJV)
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.

The first word we see is "Yea", which is the Hebrew word, gam, which means: also, even, indeed, moreover. It actually connects this verse with the previous verses. BECAUSE He does all of the things we see in the first three verses, then, also I can have confidence in Him for what we will look at next! Even though "I walk", the Hebrew word, yalak, which means: to go, to walk, to proceed, to cause to go, through the valley of "the shadow of death", the Hebrew word, tsalmaveth, which means: the shade of death, the grave, calamity, distress, extreme danger, "I will fear", the Hebrew word, yare', which means: to fear, to revere, to be afraid, to stand in awe, to make afraid, to terrify, to cause astonishment and awe, NO "evil", the Hebrew word, ra', which means: bad, evil, disagreeable, malignant, giving pain, unhappiness and misery, distress, adversity, calamity. That means I will NOT fear any evil work! How can I say that? The next word says "For", the Hebrew word, kiy, which means: because that, certainly, surely, since, forasmuch as. Thou art "with me", the Hebrew word, 'im, which means: with, toward, beside, accompanying, equally with. "Thy rod", the Hebrew word, shebet, which means: a stick for punishing, ruling, walking, correcting, a club for protecting, a scepter of authority, "and Thy staff", the Hebrew word, mish'enah, which means sustenance and support of any kind. They "comfort me" is the Hebrew word, nacham, which means: to ease, to console, to comfort, it also means to comfort ONESELf! There are many things promised in the Word of God in which WE have a part to play. We must do our part so that our heavenly Father is free to do His part, honor our stand on His Word by confirming His Word with "signs following" (Mark 16:20).

The next verse says that He "preparest", the Hebrew word, 'arak, which means: to set in a row, to arrange, to put in order, to set in place. What does He prepare, or set in place for us? A "table, the Hebrew word, shulchan, which means: a table (as spread out), a meal, used of a King's table. Where is this "King's table"? "Before me", the Hebrew word, paniym, which means: the face, the presence, the person, in the face of, in the presence of, in front of. "In the presence of" the Hebrew word, neged, which means: in front of, in the sight of, in the presence of, "mine enemies", the Hebrew word, tsarer, which means:adversary, enemy, the one who causes distress and shows hostility toward. Right in the face of our enemy, our Heavenly Father will "anoint", the Hebrew word, dashen, which means: to prosper, to make fat (have abundant provision), "my head", the Hebrew word, ro'sh, which means: the head, the top, the upper part, the chief, the total (our entire being!). What will He anoint us with? With "oil, the Hebrew word, shemen, which means: oil, richness, fruitfulness. What will be the result of that anointing? "My cup", the Hebrew word, kowc, which means: to hold together, a container, "runneth over", the Hebrew word, revayah, which means: satisfaction, saturation, wealthy, and comes from a root word meaning to take the fill, satiate, abundantly satisfy. Our Heavenly Father is an abundant provider, a strong protector, a perfect leader. He wants to fill to the full our every need and to give us Godly desires that He can fulfill in our lives! He wants always and ONLY the very best for us! The Amplified Bible says this:

Ps 23:4-5 (Amplified)
4Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my [brimming] cup runs over.

Let's continue to meditate on what the Word of God says about Him! When we understand Him better, we will have confidence, expectant hope and eager anticipation for what each day in His presence will bring to us, right here while we're on this earth!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today we will look at the 23rd Psalm. The whole Psalm is here:

Ps 23:1-6 (KJV)
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.

For today we will look at just the first three verses:

Ps 23:1-3 (KJV)
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.

"The LORD" is the Hebrew word, Yehovah, or Jehovah as we say. It means: the eternal, self-existing One. He IS the LORD of Lords and the KING of Kings! Who else is He? We see here that He is "my shepherd" , the Hebrew word, ra'ah, which means: to tend a flock, to pasture (feed) a flock, to rule, to teach. He tends to our every need! He protects us from danger, teaches us how to operate in our Covenant, rules over His Church. What results are there for those sheep who allow the Lord to really BE their Shepherd? "I shall (not) want"! Shall and want are both the Hebrew word, chacer, which means: to lack, to fail, to be without, to decrease, to have a need, to cause to fail. But the important word here is "not", the Hebrew word, lo', which means: no, not, (absolute prohibition), nothing, without. That means that we who trust in the Lord as our shepherd will want for NOTHING! We will be without lack or decrease and we will not fail! Now that is great Good News!

What does the next verse say? "He maketh me to lie down" is the Hebrew word, rabats, which means: to recline, to repose, to lie down, to make rest. He will cause us to rest "in pastures", which is the Hebrew word, na'ah, which means: a home, a habitation, a pleasant place. These pleasant places are "green", which is the Hebrew word, deshe', which means: a sprout, new grass and comes from the word, dasha', which means: to bring forth, to sprout. This is a living, very alive place of new life and new growth! "He leadeth me", the Hebrew word, nahal, which means: to run with a sparkle, to lead with care, to guide, to protect, to sustain, to feed, to cause to rest, to refresh. Where does He lead me? Beside "still", the Hebrew word, menuwchah, which means: a resting place, a comfortable place, a place of quietness. Waters means waters, a place of refreshment, and in Scripture water sometimes refers to the Word of God.

The next verse says that "He restoreth", the Hebrew word, shuwb, which means: to turn back, to bring back, to restore, to refresh, to repair. He repairs "my soul", the Hebrew word, nephesh, which means: a soul self, the mind, emotions and will. He leads me in the paths of "righteousness", the Hebrew word, tsedeq, which means: the right (natural, moral, legal), equity, justification, deliverance, victory and prosperity. For the sake of "His name", which is the Hebrew word, shem, which means: a mark of individuality, by implication honor, authority, character, reputation, fame and glory, it is His purpose to protect, deliver, provide for and prosper us.

The Amplified Bible says this:

Ps 91:1-3 (Amplified)
1THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack.
2He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.
3He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him--not for my earning it, but] for His name's sake.

The more that we get to know our heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus through the Word of God, the more faith, trust and confidence we will have in His love for us and in His goodness, loving kindness and faithfulness. He is a GOOD God! Always!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We saw in our last post that Jesus said the greatest commandments were to love the Lord our God with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength, and then to love our neighbor as ourselves. Today I want to look at what the Bible says love looks like:

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NKJV)
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

That sounds good, but what does it actually mean? We've been taking Scriptures apart verse by verse and looking at the meanings of the words used. Now we'll see how it sounds in the Amplified Bible:

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (Amplified)
4Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. 5It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. 6It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. 7Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. 8Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth].

Now that translation makes things a little clearer! Do you know that meditation can make it even clearer to us than that? Let's look at this passage this way:

THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXPANDED, INTERPRETIVE TRANSLATION OF FIRST CORINTHIANS 13:4-8

“Love patiently and passionately bears with others for as long as patience is needed;

Love doesn’t demand others to be like itself; rather, it is so focused on the needs of others that it bends over backwards to become what others need it to be;

Love is not ambitious, self-centered, or so consumed with itself that it never thinks of the needs or desires that others possess;

Love doesn’t go around talking about itself all the time, constantly exaggerating and embellishing the facts to make it look more important in the sight of others;

Love does not behave in a prideful, arrogant, haughty, superior, snooty, snobbish, or clannish manner;

Love is not rude and discourteous–it is not careless or thoughtless, nor does it carry on in a fashion that would be considered insensitive to others;

Love does not manipulate situations or scheme and devise methods that will twist situations to its own advantage;

Love does not deliberately engage in actions or speak words that are so sharp, they cause an ugly or violent response;

Love does not deliberately keep records of wrongs or past mistakes;

Love does not feel overjoyed when it sees an injustice done to someone else but is elated, thrilled, ecstatic, and overjoyed with the truth;

Love protects, shields, guards, covers, conceals, and safeguards people from exposure;

Love strains forward with all its might to believe the very best in every situation;

Love always expects and anticipates the best in others and the best for others;

Love never quits, never surrenders, and never gives up;

Love never disappoints, never fails, and never lets anyone down.”

Now that makes things even clearer and easier to understand! How did someone come up with this expanded, interpretive translation? They meditated on the Word. They studied the meanings of the words in the original text and allowed the Holy Spirit to teach them what that would mean to us today! That's what makes meditating on the Word so fun and fulfilling! To be able to look at the Bible and apply it to MY life, right now! That's what our heavenly Father intends for us to do. That is why He gave the Holy Spirit to us to be our Teacher! Allow the Holy Spirit to make the Word of God come alive to YOU by spending time reading, studying and meditating. I guarantee that you will never be the same!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

When Jesus was ministering on the earth, going about teaching, preaching and healing, He was asked by someone to tell them which of the commandments was the greatest. He replied:

Mark 12:29-31 (KJV)
29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

The Amplified Bible says this:

Mark 12:29-31 (Amplified)
29Jesus answered, The first and principal one of all commands is: Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord;
30And you shall love the Lord your God out of and with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul (your life) and out of and with all your mind (with your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of and with all your strength. This is the first and principal commandment.
31The second is like it and is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.

Jesus said that the "first", the Greek word, protos, which means: foremost (in time, place, order of importance), best, chief, first in rank, influence or honor, the principal thing, "commandment", the Greek word, entole, which means: an injunction, an authoritative prescription, an order, is "Hear", which is the Greek word, akouo, which means: to give an audience to, to attend to, to consider what is or has been said, to understand, to perceive, to learn, to comprehend. What are we to learn, to pay attention to, to understand? That the Lord our God IS "Lord", the Greek word, kurios, which means: supreme in authority, Lord, Master, He to whom a person belongs, the Owner, the Sovereign One. We are to come to know that the Lord our God is "one" Lord, the Greek word, heis, which means: primary numeral. Our Lord is THE #1 Lord and besides Him, there is NO OTHER!

We also see here that it's not even enough for us to know these things about Him, but we must continue to obey the next verse! We must love the Lord (love is agape, the God-kind of love!) The same love that God loves us with, we are to love Him back with! And not just a little bit, either, but with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength! Just what does that mean? Well we can break it down briefly this way: Our heart is the spirit/soul combination. The Bible refers to the spirit of man as the "hidden man" of the heart (1 Peter 3:4). Our real self is a spirit being that, when we were born again, was recreated in the image of God. We have, or possess, our souls, our mind, emotions and will. Then He breaks it down even further by saying that we need to love the Lord with all of our "mind", the Greek word, dianoia, which means: deep thought, the mind, the imagination, the understanding. We are also told to love the Lord with all of our "strength", which is the Greek word, ischus, which means: force, ability, might, power. And THEN and ONLY THEN, can we do the rest of that commandment and love our neighbor, or fellow believer, as ourself!

It starts with the "ability" to make the choice to renew our "minds" with the Word of God, so that we can know and understand Who He is. When we renew our minds to think like the Word, then we'll be thinking like Jesus thinks! We will understand the great love that He has for us. When we really understand that love, it won't be hard for us to love Him back! THEN He wants us to "love Him forward" by loving other people in the same way that He loves us! That may seem hard now, but His love IN US, by the Holy Spirit Who lives in us, will do the work.

Just fall in love with Jesus everyday and meditate on His Word until it becomes real to YOU! Then you can be a doer of the Word and cause other people to see Jesus through you!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We'll continue in our verse by verse study of Psalm 91 today. We will be looking at the last 4 verses:

Ps 91:13-16 (KJV)
13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

"Thou shalt tread" is the Hebrew word, darak, which means: to walk, to tread upon, to march, to bend (as a bow). Upon "the lion" is the Hebrew word, shachal, which means: to roar, a lion (fierce) or wicked men. "And adder" is the Hebrew word, pethen,, which means: to twist, an asp, a snake, a venomous serpent. The young lion "and the dragon, the Hebrew word, tanniyn, which means: a marine or land monster, a sea serpent, a jackal,a dragon, a venomous snake. "Shalt thou tample under feet, is the Hebrew word, ramac, which means: to tread upon as a potter, to stamp upon, to tread down. WE are the ones who are to be exercising our God-given authority over ALL the works of the enemy!

The next verse talks about God's part. He says because "he has set his love", the Hebrew word, chashaq, which means: to cling, to join, to love, to delight in , to be attached to, to long for; upon Me, "therefore will I deliver him", the Hebrew word, palat, which means: to escape, to deliver, to carry away safe, to bring into security. He continues by saying "I will set him on high", the Hebrew word, sagab, which means: to make lofty, to make especially inaccessible, to make safe or strong, to defend, to exalt. He does all of these things because "he hath known", the Hebrew word, yada', which means: to know, to learn to know, to perceive, to find out, to discern, to know by experience, to recognize, to be acquainted with; My Name. If you have never studied the Names of God you should do so as soon as possible. Every Name that God is called by in His Word reflects an aspect of His character and the promise of Who He will be for us in our time of need.

The next verse starts with something else that we are to do. "He shall call upon Me", the Hebrew word, qara', which means: to call out, to cry out, to proclaim, to utter a loud sound, to call unto, to call (with the Name of God), to call for. When we understand the Names of God, we will be able to "call" Him by the Name we need at the time! And God says, "and I will answer him", the Hebrew word, 'anah, which means: to heed, to pay attention, to respond, to announce, to shout. Don't you know that we really DO want God Himself shouting on our behalf when we're faced with ANY kind of trouble! He goes on to say; I will be with him "in trouble", the Hebrew word, tsarah, which means: tightness, adversary, adversity, affliction, anguish, distress, tribulation, trouble. Whatever problem we may be facing, He is more than enough to see us through to victory! He says, "I will deliver him", the Hebrew word, chalats, which means: to pull off, to deliver, to equip for a fight, to strengthen, to arm for war, to rescue, to set free, to make strong, to invigorate. He will deliver us Himself or prepare us to fight the fight with HIS weapons so that we win, ALWAYS! Then He says also, "and honour him", the Hebrew word, kabad, which means: to be made numerous, rich, honourable, abounding, glorious, abundant. What Powerful promises! And He's not done!

The last verse says, With long life "will I satisfy him", the Hebrew word, saba', which means: to be filled to the full, to have enough, to be fulfilled, to have in excess, to enrich. Don't ever let anyone tell you that God has set a time for your death. That is simply NOT TRUE! He says when we know Him, we will call on Him and He will keep us protected until WE are satisfied with how long we've lived on this earth, then He will welcome us home to heaven! He also says, "and show him", the Hebrew word, ra'ah, which means: to cause to see, to show, to present oneself, to cause to look intently at, to be exhibited to. What will He show us? He says, "My salvation", the Hebrew word, yeshuw'ah, which means: deliverance, aid, victory, properity, health, welfare. It is also the Hebrew Name for Jesus! Jesus IS salvation!

Do YOU know Him yet? If not I invite you to go to The Spoken Word Church link at the left of this blog and learn Who He is and how to be born again. We also covered that earlier on this blog. You can access that teaching and also the prayer to become a member of God's family by making Jesus your Lord and personal Saviour! He wants YOU to know Him, He already knows you!

For those of you who are already born again, get to know Him more every day. Get Psalm 91 inside of you until you get to the point where you never fear anything or anyone again! Then you will be free to minister in the Spirit and power that God wants you to so others can be set free!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We will continue looking at the 91st Psalm today. The reason we are going verse by verse is so that we can show meditation at work in one of it's forms. Looking at the meanings of the original words helps us to get a clearer picture of what is actually being said. That will help to increase our understanding of the Word so that we are able to act on it, which produces Godly results!

Ps 91:11-12 (KJV)
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

The "he" referred to in this verse is the Lord (Jehovah) that we looked at in verse 9. "He shall give" and "charge" are the same Hebrew word, tsavah, which means: to command, to charge, to give orders, to appoint, to ordain, to send with a command. It is His angels that the Lord is giving orders "to keep thee", which is the Hebrew word, shamar, which means: to hedge about (as with thorns), to guard, to protect, to attend to, to watch, to take care, to preserve. They are to guard us (along with all of the other meanings) "in all", which is the Hebrew word, kol, which means: all, any, every, the whole of, everything, totality, "thy ways", which is the Hebrew word, derek, which means: a road, course of life, mode of action, manner.

Continuing on to verse 12 we see that, still speaking of His angels, "They shall bear thee up", which is the Hebrew word, nasa', which means: to lift, in a great variety of applications, to bear up, to carry, to support, to sustain, to aid, to assist. They are sent to lift us up in their hands so that we don't so much as "dash", which is the Hebrew word, nagaph, which means: to push, to gore, to defeat, to strike, to smite, to stumble, our foot against a stone. The Amplified Bible says it this way:

Ps 91:11-12 (Amplified)
11For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service].
12They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone.

Our heavenly Father wants, above ALL things, that we renew our minds with His Word so that we can think like Him, talk like Him and act like Him. (3 John 2) Then we will have HIS results and He will be glorified. How do we bring glory to our Father and our Lord Jesus? By being DOERS (obeyers) of His Word.

Keep meditating, you're getting there!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We will look at the next two verses in the 91st Psalm today:

Ps 91:9-10 (KJV)
9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

The word "because", is the Hebrew word, kiy, which is a consequential word that means: because, forasmuch, therefore, since. "Hast made", is the Hebrew word, suwm or siym, which means: to set, to ordain, to establish, to determine, to set in place. The LORD is referring to Jehovah, the eternal, self-existing One. He is our "refuge", the Hebrew word, macheceh, which means: a place of refuge, a shelter from storm. WHEN we make the "most High", Hebrew, 'elyown, one of the many Names of God, our "habitation", the Hebrew word, ma' own, which means: abode, dwelling, refuge, THEN there shall NO evil "befall" us. This is the Hebrew word, 'anah, which means: to meet, to encounter, to befall or approach. Neither shall any "plague", Hebrew, nega", which means: a blow, an infliction, a stroke, a plague, a disease, a wound, "come nigh", the Hebrew word, qarab, which means: to approach, to come near, our "dwelling", Hebrew, 'ohel, which means: tent, dwelling, home, habitation.

Do you see that if you meditate on this Psalm until it becomes real to you, (that means you will have the faith to believe that it is true and that it will happen) then NOTHING can by any means hurt you! That is exactly what your heavenly Father wants you to understand. HE HAS provided complete and total protection for any of His children who dare to believe His Word and act like it's true! Remember, now, where faith comes from:

Rom 10:17 (KJV)
17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

You and I will have faith to believe all the promises in this powerful Psalm of protection and safety, WHEN we hear it and hear it and hear it until it becomes real to us. Meditation in the Word is more than just reading and much more than just memorizing. You can memorize the entire Bible and it will be of no benefit to you UNLESS you meditate on those verses. Remember Joshua:

Josh 1:8 (KJV)
8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

To "meditate", which is the Hebrew word, hagah, which means: to murmur, to ponder, to imagine, to speak, to study, to utter, is to allow the Holy Spirit Who indwells every born again believer, to teach us the Word. Only then can we begin to know and understand how to obey that Word. Continue to meditate on Psalm 91 and your faith for God's protection over your life will get stronger as you do!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I hope you've been understanding more about God's protection, provision and safety through our study of Psalm 91. Today we will continue with the next two verses:

Ps 91:7-8 (KJV)
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

This verse tells us that when we are under God's protection, even when a thousand "shall fall", the Hebrew word, naphal, which means: to fall, to fail, to fall short, to desert, to fall away, to fall into the hand of, to waste away, to fall (used of violent death), at one side of us, and ten-thousand at "thy right hand", the Hebrew word, yamiyn, which means: the right hand side, the stronger side, locally (near us), "it shall not come nigh thee". This phrase is another that in the Hebrew actually says this: "thee not shall it come nigh". This means that it will NOT "come nigh", the Hebrew word, nagash, which means: to be or come near, to make approach, to attack, to overtake. It CANNOT touch us, IF we are dwelling in the secret place of God's divine protection!

Verse 7 says that only "with thine eyes", the Hebrew word, 'ayin, which means: eyes (physical and mental image), "shalt thou behold", the Hebrew word, nabat, which means: to scan, to cause to behold, to consider, to look intently, and "see", the Hebrew word, ra'ah, which means: to see, to perceive, to learn about, to discern, to find out, to consider, the "the reward of", the Hebrew word, shillumah, which means: retribution, recompense, reward, "the wicked", Hebrew rasha, which means: morally wrong, condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked. We will ONLY be an observer, NOT a partaker, of what happens to the wicked, those without God in this world. Bad things WILL happen in this world, but if we stay in that secret place of the Most High, we will be UNTOUCHABLE by calamity! The Amplified Bible says this:

Ps 91:7-8 (Amplified)
7A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you.
8Only a spectator shall you be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High] as you witness the reward of the wicked.

Thank you, Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and precious Holy Spirit for teaching us to abide in this powerful Word you have given us so that we can ALWAYS be MORE that conquerers in every situation! Keep studying, there's still more to come in this powerful Psalm!

Shalom in Him!