Shalom,

The introduction to Psalm 70 says this:

To the Chief Musician. [A Psalm] of David, to bring to remembrance or make memorial.

"To bring to remembrance" is the Hebrew word, "zakar", which means: to mark so as to be recognized, to remember, to recall, to bring to mind, to cause to remember, to make a memorial. This is a reminder! If we are being reminded of something, we had to have heard it before! We have! Psalm 40:13-17 is almost identical to this Psalm! If we are supposed to remember it, then it is doubly important! The psalmist is showing us by example to call out to God when we need deliverance! Verse 1 says to "make haste". We know that this means to "hurry up"! Then verse 2 says:

²Let them be put to shame and confounded that seek and demand my life; let them be turned backward and brought to confusion and dishonor who desire and delight in my hurt.

"Let them be ashamed" is the Hebrew word, "buwsh", which means: to be put to shame, but it also means: to be disappointed, to be disconcerted (embarrassed, upset, frustrated and confused). The prayer here is that the enemy be unable to succeed in his plan to hurt us! I like that prayer! Verse 3 continues the petition. Then verse 4 tells us OUR part:

⁴May all those who seek, inquire of and for You, and require You [as their vital need] rejoice and be glad in You; and may those who love Your salvation say continually, Let God be magnified!

Are YOU saying CONTINUALLY "Let God be magnified? If not, why not? This is the example we have been given for stopping the attack and turning it back on the enemy! It will NOT happen if we do not do our part! What's holding you back? Whatever it may be, it is NOT worth it! Amen! I believe that Nike stole "JUST DO IT!" from God! Now that's an order! AMEN!

Hebrews 4:12 (KJV):

¹²For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than anytwoedgedsword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

"Quick" is the Hebrew word, "zao", which means: to live, alive, having vital power in itself and exerting the same upon the soul. This is the Word of God that we're speaking about now! It is also "powerful", the Hebrew word, "energees, which means: active, operative, effectual, powerful, to work. The Amplified Bible gives a little more accurate look at this verse:

¹²For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.

Now THAT is some powerful Word right there! Remember that "man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word" (Luke 4:4 & Matt. 4:4):

Isaiah 53:4-5 are two of the most vital Scriptures you can ever get inside of you!

³He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men, a Man of sorrows and pains, and acquainted with grief and sickness; and like One from Whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him. ⁴Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy].

THIS is what Jesus has done for you! Study it, know it, receive it, believe it Then SHARE IT! AMEN!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 69 is another Psalm of David that has him crying out to God because of the trouble that he was in. Then there are some of these verses that also were quoted by Jesus and reference some of what He went through during his ministry and even while on the cross! Verses 7-9:

⁷Because for Your sake I have borne taunt and reproach; confusion and shame have covered my face. ⁸I have become a stranger to my brethren, and an alien to my mother's children.

We know that the family of Jesus thought He was nuts! They kept trying to get Him and bring Him home with them! Then we see Jesus overturning the tables of the money changers and those selling things in the Temple! (And all of that while avoiding sin and walking in Love!) Then we see verse 21:

²¹They gave me also gall [poisonous and bitter] for my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar (a soured wine) to drink.

The verses we will look closer at today are verses 34-36:

³⁴Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and everything that moves in them. ³⁵For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah; and [His servants] shall remain and dwell there and have it in their possession; ³⁶The children of His servants shall inherit it, and those who love His name shall dwell in it.

The word "praise" here is our familiar "halal" which means: to boast to rave, to be clamorously foolish over! That means loud and boisterous praise! Praise that can be heard and seen! Like David dancing before the Ark! Some will like it and join us, and some will hate it and despise us, to their own hurt, just like Michal! And this does not just mean US, but ALL of God's creation will do this! If you already do this, then you will be very comfortable at The Spoken Word Church, because we praise Him according to His wonderful Word! AMEN! Then there is the promise that He will reclaim and rebuild Israel and His people will return and live there again. They WILL NOT be moved!

In Hebrews 3:1-5:

¹SO THEN, brethren, consecrated and set apart for God, who share in the heavenly calling, [thoughtfully and attentively] consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest Whom we confessed [as ours when we embraced the Christian faith]. ²[See how] faithful He was to Him Who appointed Him [Apostle and High Priest], as Moses was also faithful in the whole house [of God]. ³Yet Jesus has been considered worthy of much greater honor and glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house has more honor than the house [itself]. ⁴For [of course] every house is built and furnished by someone, but the Builder of all things and the Furnisher [of the entire equipment of all things] is God. ⁵And Moses certainly was faithful in the administration of all God's house [but it was only] as a ministering servant. [In his entire ministry he was but] a testimony to the things which were to be spoken [the revelations to be given afterward in Christ].

The word "consider" is the Greek word, "katanoeo", which means: to observe fully, to behold, to consider, to discover, to perceive. Who are we to consider and discover? JESUS! When we do, theses verses say, we will see that Jesus is so much greater than Moses! Moses was very highly revered among the Jews, and for good reason! He served the Lord faithfully, but it was as a servant! Jesus obeyed, followed and served God faithfully, but as THE SON! Verse 19 says this about God's people in the wilderness:

¹⁹So we see that they were not able to enter [into His rest], because of their unwillingness to adhere to and trust in and rely on God [unbelief had shut them out]

So don't get yourself shut out from the promises of God by unbelief! Remember that unbelief comes from one of two sources:

1. Ignorance of God's Word: you don't know so you can't believe and obey. The answer: get knowledge from the Word of God, then DO IT!
2. Disobedience: You know WHAT to do, but you just don't DO IT. The answer: OBEDIENCE!

Know the Word and Obey the Word, that's where you'll find real peace!

I learned something else new about the Book of Isaiah today! .We saw yesterday that the last 27 chapters go along with the 27 books of the New Testament. According to The Bible Exposition Commentary:

Chapters 40-48 emphasize the greatness of God the Father in contrast to the vanity of the heathen idols. Chapters 49-57 extol the graciousness of God the Son, the Suffering Servant; and chapters 58-66 describe the glory of God in the future kingdom, and the emphasis is on the work of the Holy Spirit (59:19,21; 61:1 ff; 63:10-11,14). Thus, there seems to be a trinitarian structure to these chapters.

It also stated that the heart of chapters 40-66 are chapters 49-57 that exalt the Messiah, as God's suffering servant. The heart of these verses is found in 52:13- 53:12, where we find the description of our Saviour's substitutionary death for the sins of mankind. We look at verses 52:13-15 today:

¹³Behold, My Servant shall deal wisely and shall prosper; He shall be exalted and extolled and shall stand very high. ¹⁴[For many the Servant of God became an object of horror; many were astonished at Him.] His face and His whole appearance were marred more than any man's, and His form beyond that of the sons of men--but just as many were astonished at Him, ¹⁵So shall He startle and sprinkle many nations, and kings shall shut their mouths because of Him; for that which has not been told them shall they see, and that which they have not heard shall they consider and understand.

His form was "marred", the Hebrew word, "mishchath", which means: disfigured, corrupted. He did not even resemble a man by the time the soldiers had finished beating Him, crushing giant thorns into his head and making Him carry his cross in that condition! He endured all of this, and much more, because He loves us! We'll look at more tomorrow!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 68 is a Psalm of great praise and prophecy! Some believe that this Psalm was from the time that David brought the Ark of the Covenant back, dancing before it with his whole heart! It also looks forward to the time of the Temple and even to the Church Age! I particularly like verses 19-20:

¹⁹Blessed be the Lord, Who bears our burdens and carries us day by day, even the God Who is our salvation! Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! ²⁰God is to us a God of deliverances and salvation; and to God the Lord belongs escape from death [setting us free].

Our God is a delivering God! He has already delivered us from eternal death by giving His only begotten Son Jesus (John 3:16-18) And He delivers us day by day from all of the tricks and traps of the enemy WHEN we trust in Him and stand strong on the promises of His Word! We need to begin every day in thanksgiving and praise for Who He is and for all He's already done! That attitude will keep us tuned in to His voice so that we can continue to walk in victory in every area! Then join with the praising saints in Heaven and on Earth with verses 32-35:

³²Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praises to the Lord! Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! ³³[Sing praises] to Him Who rides upon the heavens, the ancient heavens; behold, He sends forth His voice, His mighty voice. ³⁴Ascribe power and strength to God; His majesty is over Israel, and His strength and might are in the skies. ³⁵O God, awe-inspiring, profoundly impressive, and terrible are You out of Your holy places; the God of Israel Himself gives strength and fullness of might to His people. Blessed be God!

"He sends forth His voice" reminds us that His Word (which He has already spoken into the Earth) does NOT return unto Him void, but WILL accomplish His will and purpose for speaking it! Will it accomplish His will in your life? Only YOU can determine that! Selah - Pause and calmly think of THAT! It is ALWAYS our choice! Make the right one!

Hebrews 2:14-18:

¹⁴Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; ¹⁵And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. ¹⁶For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. ¹⁷Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. ¹⁸For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Jesus came to this Earth in bodily form as a man! He HAD to in order to save us! He was 100% God and 100% man! That is the ONLY way He could have bridged the divide between God and mankind made through Adam's treasonous sin! If He had come as an angel (as some wrongly believe) He would not have qualified to take our place. He was completely man, "in all points tempted" (Hebrews 4:15) yet He did not sin! The one and only sinless man, who was also God, was the perfect sacrifice for us! Hallelujah! And because He underwent the same temptations, He is able to understand and deliver us! Thank YOU, Jesus, for so great a deliverance! AMEN!

I learned something new about the Book of Isaiah today! I found this in The Bible Exposition Commentary:

The Book of Isaiah can be called "a Bible in miniature." There are sixty-six chapters in Isaiah and sixty-six books in the Bible. The thirty-nine chapters of the first part of Isaiah may be compared to the Old Testament with its thirty-nine books, and both focus primarily on God's judgment of sin. The twenty-seven chapters of the second part may be seen to parallel the twenty-seven books of the New Testament, and both emphasize the grace of God.

We are now in the "New Testament" part of Isaiah. We will be soon be seeing the picture of Jesus on the cross! Isaiah 50:5-7 are about Him!

⁵The Lord God has opened My ear, and I have not been rebellious or turned backward. ⁶I gave My back to the smiters and My cheeks to those who plucked off the hair; I hid not My face from shame and spitting. ⁷For the Lord God helps Me; therefore have I not been ashamed or confounded. Therefore have I set My face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame.

Confess Isaiah 50:4 about yourself! You represent Him in the Earth and this IS how He wants to operate through you!

⁴[The Servant of God says] The Lord God has given Me the tongue of a disciple and of one who is taught, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He wakens Me morning by morning, He wakens My ear to hear as a disciple [as one who is taught].

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 67:1-2:

¹GOD BE merciful and gracious to us and bless us and cause His face to shine upon us and among us--Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!-- ²That Your way may be known upon earth, Your saving power (Your deliverances and Your salvation) among all nations.

The word translated "God" here is the Hebrew word, "`elohiym", which is a plural word that refers to the Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). The phrase "His face" is the Hebrew word, "paniym", which is also a plural word which means: face, faces, presence or person. The prayer is that the person and presence of each member of the Godhead would shine on and within our lives so that His ways and His saving power would be known! What a powerful and unselfish prayer that is! I also want the Light within me, the powerful presence of the Spirit of God, to shine so that the people I come in contact with will be drawn to HIM!

As we begin in Hebrews today, I want to share a few interesting things I found in The Bible Exposition Commentary. There are three words that are very important to the study and understanding of the Letter to the Hebrews. They are:

• Better - found 13 times in showing the superiority of faith in Jesus over religion.
• Perfect - found 14 times in showing our standing with God through the New Birth
• Eternal - meaning FOREVER

This is what this commentary says:

When you combine these three important words, you discover that Jesus Christ and the Christian life He gives us are better because these blessings are eternal and they give us a perfect standing before God. The religious system under the Mosaic Law was imperfect because it could not accomplish a once-for-all redemption that was eternal.

The Book of Hebrews exalts the person and the work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. When you realize all that you have in and through Him, you have no desire for anyone else or anything else!

As we go through each day, keep these things in mind!

Hebrews 1:3:

³He is the sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God's] nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high,

THAT is the wonderful Lord and Saviour that we love and serve! He is definitely worthy of ALL praise and adoration! AMEN!

In Isaiah 47-48 we see Isaiah prophesying 150 years ahead of time what God would do to Babylon. God's people had rebelled over and over and refused to return to Him, so He had allowed Babylon to take them captive. Babylon, instead of recognizing that the One, True God was the reason for their success, became prideful and treated God's people unjustly. God would have none of it! He used Isaiah to warn them of what was to come! He says this in Isaiah 47:6:

⁶I was angry with My people, I profaned My inheritance [Judah]; and I gave them into your hand [Babylon]. You showed them no mercy; upon the old people you made your yoke very heavy.

And then this in verses 9-11:

⁹But these two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day: loss of children and widowhood. They shall come upon you in full measure, in spite of the multitude of [your claims to] power given you by the assistance of evil spirits, in spite of the great abundance of your enchantments. ¹⁰For you [Babylon] have trusted in your wickedness; you have said, No one sees me. Your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart and mind, I am, and there is no one besides me. ¹¹Therefore shall evil come upon you; you shall not know the dawning of it or how to charm it away. And a disaster and evil shall fall upon you that you shall not be able to atone for [with all your offerings to your gods]; and desolation shall come upon you suddenly, about which you shall know nothing or how to avert it.

Isaiah 48 is an exhortation to Israel to remember God's prophecies concerning them. He declares himself in verse 12:

¹²Listen to Me, O Jacob, and Israel, My called [ones]: I am He; I am the First, I also am the Last.

This is WHO HE IS! This is a Truth they should have treasured! We should, too! Then we find this promise in verse 17:

¹⁷Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you in the way that you should go.

The word "profit" is the Hebrew word, "ya`al", which means: to ascend, to be valuable, useful and benefited, to gain. Then verse 18 says this:

¹⁸Oh, that you had hearkened to My commandments! Then your peace and prosperity would have been like a flowing river, and your righteousness [the holiness and purity of the nation] like the [abundant] waves of the sea.

Apparently they did not heed the Word of God and He could NOT cause them to profit! Just knowing what God's Word promises will NOT get the promises to YOU! You and I have to get the Word of God inside of us so that faith will grow and then we can obey that Word with expectant hope and eager anticipation that the Word WILL WORK for us! Count on it!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 66 is all about praising God! Verses 1-7 are directed to all the people of the Earth! Verse 1:

¹MAKE A joyful noise unto God, all the earth;

Than verses 8-12 are directed to HIS people! The Jewish people (Old Covenant) and the Church of Jesus Christ (New Covenant). Verse 8:

⁸Bless our God, O peoples, give Him grateful thanks and make the voice of His praise be heard,

Then verses 13-20 are directed to the individual person! That's you and me! Verse 16:

¹⁶Come and hear, all you who reverently and worshipfully fear God, and I will declare what He has done for me!

And verse 20:

²⁰Blessed be God, Who has not rejected my prayer nor removed His mercy and loving-kindness from being [as it always is] with me.

Whenever you read, study and meditate Scripture, remember to ask yourself:

• Who is speaking?
• Who are they speaking to
• What is the Holy Spirit saying to ME about this?
• How can I put what I've learned into practice in my own life?

Do that and you will find that your time in the Word will be much more fulfilling and your understanding will grow!

In Mark 16:1 we see that these two ladies went at the soonest possible moment after the Sabbath to buy the spices they would need to anoint the body of Jesus for burial. They went at night!

¹AND WHEN the Sabbath was past [that is, after the sun had set], Mary Magdalene, and Mary [the mother] of James, and Salome purchased sweet-smelling spices, so that they might go and anoint [Jesus' body].

Then we see that they went "very early" the next day to anoint the body, but Jesus was already risen! These ladies were very committed to Jesus! They would have gone sooner if they hadn't been obligated by the Law to honor the Sabbath! As it was, they were the very first to go. Then we see in verse 9-10 that Mary saw Jesus and we know from Matthew 28:10 that she was sent by Jesus to "preach the gospel" or "go tell My brethren". She DID and they DID NOT believe her! Verse 11:

¹¹And when they heard that He was alive and that she had seen Him, they did not believe it.

Don't get so down on Thomas! The other men didn't believe it until they saw Him either! But once they DID see Him and believed, they DID do what Jesus said to do and saw these results! Verse 20:

²⁰And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord kept working with them and confirming the message by the attesting signs and miracles that closely accompanied [it]. Amen (so be it).

My favorite verse in Isaiah 45 is verse 5a:

⁵I am the Lord, and there is no one else; there is no God besides Me.

And then verse 6:

⁶That men may know from the east and the rising of the sun and from the west and the setting of the sun that there is no God besides Me. I am the Lord, and no one else [is He].

And also Isaiah 46:9-10:

⁹[Earnestly] remember the former things, [which I did] of old; for I am God, and there is no one else; I am God, and there is none like Me, ¹⁰Declaring the end and the result from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure and purpose,

That really says it all, doesn't it! Our God IS God, and the ONLY God! I want to continue to find out HIS WAYS and DO THEM! How about you?

If you believe the Bible, then there can be NO DOUBT that our God IS God! He is the ONLY GOD!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 65:2:

²O You Who hear prayer, to You shall all flesh come.

Why will all flesh come to Him? Because HE is the ONE Who answers prayer! Remember when Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal? They called on their "god" all day long and got no answer whatsoever! Why? Because there is NO OTHER GOD! They worshiped a "god" who didn't exist! Something represented by a statue or other fixture made by the hands of man! Only the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible can hear and answer prayer! The call to any other god gets no answer! It's like calling a dead phone line! No one can ever pick up!

What is it that gets the attention of the lost in this world and causes them to call out to Him? The goodness of God that is demonstrated in our lives! Remember Romans 2:4:

⁴Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

It is His goodness in our lives and their need. What should they be seeing in us? Our needs met according to His riches! Philippians 4:19:

¹⁹And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

That's what Psalm 65:9-13 (World English Bible) reveals:

9 You visit the earth, and water it.

You greatly enrich it.

The river of God is full of water.

You provide them grain, for so you have ordained it.

10 You drench its furrows.

You level its ridges.

You soften it with showers.

You bless it with a crop.

11 You crown the year with your bounty.

Your carts overflow with abundance.

12 The wilderness grasslands overflow.

The hills are clothed with gladness.

13 The pastures are covered with flocks.

The valleys also are clothed with grain.

They shout for joy!

They also sing.

Now THAT will get someone's attention!

In Mark 15 we see Pilate trying to set Jesus free by the will of the people. Verses 8-11:

⁸And the throng came up and began asking Pilate to do as he usually did for them. ⁹And he replied to them, Do you wish me to set free for you the King of the Jews? ¹⁰For he was aware that it was [because they were prompted] by envy that the chief priests had delivered Him up. ¹¹But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to get him to release for them Barabbas instead.

How could this crowd be so easily stirred up by the religious leaders? Remember the other day when we looked at the fact that those who welcomed Jesus into the city with "Hosannas" were those who were familiar with His ministry. Now Jerusalem is filled to overflowing with people who had come from everywhere around to celebrate Passover there. Some of these people may have never even heard of Jesus yet. Many of them would do whatever the religious leaders told them to do. All of that being said, aren't you forever grateful that Jesus DID go through with it all? Without that we would have no hope! Thank You, Jesus, for Your tremendous gift to us! Hallelujah!

The things we spoke about above concerning Psalm 65 are borne out in Isaiah 43-44! Look at Isaiah 43:10-11:

¹⁰You are My witnesses, says the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know Me, believe Me and remain steadfast to Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me. ¹¹I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior.

And 44:6:

⁶Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God.

And then 44:13-17:

¹³The carpenter stretches out a line, he marks it out with a pencil or red ocher; he fashions [an idol] with planes and marks it out with the compasses; and he shapes it to have the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, that it may dwell in a house. ¹⁴He hews for himself cedars, and takes the holm tree and the oak and lets them grow strong for himself among the trees of the forest; he plants a fir tree or an ash, and the rain nourishes it. ¹⁵Then it becomes fuel for a man to burn; a part of it he takes and warms himself, yes, he kindles a fire and bakes bread. [Then out of the remainder, the leavings] he also makes a god and worships it! He [with his own hands] makes it into a graven image and falls down and worships it! ¹⁶He burns part of the wood in the fire; with part of it he [cooks and] eats flesh, he roasts meat and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire! ¹⁷And from what is left [of the log] he makes a god, his graven idol. He falls down to it, he worships it and prays to it and says, Deliver me, for you are my god!

No, THIS is OUR GOD in verses 23-26:

²³Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it; shout, you depths of the earth; break forth into singing, you mountains, O forest and every tree in it! For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and He glorifies Himself in Israel. ²⁴Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and He Who formed you from the womb: I am the Lord, Who made all things, Who alone stretched out the heavens, Who spread out the earth by Myself [who was with Me]?-- ²⁵[I am the Lord] Who frustrates the signs and confounds the omens [upon which the false prophets' forecasts of the future are based] of the [boasting] liars and makes fools of diviners, Who turns the wise backward and makes their knowledge foolishness, ²⁶[The Lord] Who confirms the word of His servant and performs the counsel of His messengers, Who says of Jerusalem, She shall [again] be inhabited, and of the cities of Judah, They shall [again] be built, and I will raise up their ruins,

AMEN!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 64:1:

¹HEAR MY voice, O God, in my complaint; guard and preserve my life from the terror of the enemy.

David calls on God to "hear", the Hebrew word, "shama`", which means: to hear with attention or interest, to give heed, to consent, to grant request, his "voice", the Hebrew word, "qowl", which means: to call aloud, a voice, a sound, a noise, a proclamation. David wasn't concerned that God was deaf! David WAS concerned that God DO SOMETHING FOR HIM! In the New Covenant we have this promise found in 1 John 5:14-15:

¹⁴And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us. ¹⁵And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him.

We also have this promise found in Romans 10:10 (Wuest Translation):

For with the heart faith is exercised resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made resulting in salvation.

"Salvation" here is the Hebrew word, "soteria", which means: rescue, safety, deliverance, preservation. I believe that even in David's time, if a person asked of God something in line with His Word (His will) they would have the answer they desired! David was making it clear that he was not just thinking this prayer, or just a "hopin' and a prayin'". He knew what God had promised and he wanted to make sure that he put voice to the promise of God's protection! That is the ONLY way to operate under the New Covenant! Find out what God's Word has to say about any given situation, and then speak that Word OUT LOUD over it! The Word works! Let's work it!

In Mark 14 we see Jesus and His disciples sharing the Passover Supper. Then He tells them of things that will happen later that night and that someone will betray Him. Jesus KNEW where He was going. He KNEW what He was doing. Jesus KNEW what lay ahead! He went to the Garden to pray so that He would be ready to endure the cross! Remember that Jesus could have, AT ANY TIME, walked away from the crucifixion and been done with us all! He spent time in prayer in the Garden so that He would be completely ready to take on this responsibility! When Jesus prayed He said this in verse 36:

³⁶And He was saying, Abba, [which means] Father, everything is possible for You. Take away this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You [will].

Jesus prayed "Abba" "Father" when addressing God in prayer here. "Abba" is an Aramaic word meaning: Papa or Daddy. It shows unreasoning trust! You know, LIKE A CHILD! This is the attitude that our Heavenly Father wants us to have! Recognize Him for Who He is and expect Him to be IN YOUR LIFE exactly Who YOU need Him to be!

I want at two verses in Isaiah 41-42. The first is found in Isaiah 41:10:

¹⁰Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice.

Here God is saying "Stop being afraid"! That is NOT just a suggestion, it is a command that will put us in position to be blessed IF we obey! Then stand strong and let God BE God! What will happen when we do this? Isaiah 41:13 is God's promise:

¹³For I the Lord your God hold your right hand; I am the Lord, Who says to you, Fear not; I will help you!

He WILL deliver us EVERY TIME and FROM EVERYTHING that the enemy tries to bring against us, as long as we FEAR NOT and trust in Him and His Word! Remember "God is not a man that He should lie". (Numbers 23:19) If He said it, You can count on it! AMEN!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In Psalm 63 we find David in the wilderness of Judah. This was most likely when Absalom was leading his rebellion against David. Having all of this happen to him, and having it be at the hands of his own son, it would have been "natural" for David to be worried, stressed, fearful and depressed. Was he? Look at verse 1:

¹O GOD, You are my God, earnestly will I seek You; my inner self thirsts for You, my flesh longs and is faint for You, in a dry and weary land where no water is.

"O God, You are my God" reminds me of the new song from Hillsong Live: "Like Incense"!

That is exactly what David was doing here! He turned his wilderness experience into a worship experience! That's how we should handle EVERY problem, test, trial, tribulation, persecution, temptation, situation and circumstance! Turn everything into an opportunity to praise Him for Who He IS and thank Him for what He's done! That takes faith and we KNOW where THAT comes from: Hearing (again & again & again) the Word of God!

Mark 13:1-2:

¹AND AS [Jesus] was coming out of the temple [area], one of His disciples said to Him, Look, Teacher! Notice the sort and quality of these stones and buildings! ²And Jesus replied to him, You see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be loosened and torn down.

One of the most fascinating things we saw when we visited Israel was how new things were always built on top of old ruins! Sometimes the old stones would be used to make a new structure and our Guide would tell us how to identify which era the particular stones came from! The most fascinating of all were the giant cornerstone pieces that supported the Western Wall of the Temple Mount. They are massive stones in one large piece! How they managed to put them in place will be an interesting video to watch in heaven!

Everything that God has stated in His Word will happen, has either already been fulfilled, or is shortly going to be! These are the days that we are living in! When Jesus was addressing His followers here, He was speaking to Jewish people, therefore He was speaking of things that would shortly take place (in their lifetime) or things that will occur AFTER the Church is removed from the Earth and DURING the 7 remaining years of Jewish history, the Tribulation, or Jacob's Trouble. They are written here for our greater understanding of God's Word, but not for our use. We won't BE here! AMEN!

In Isaiah 39 we see that Hezekiah, after being healed of his illness, gets himself in trouble again through pride! An envoy from Babylon came pretending to be friends and Hezekiah PROUDLY showed them ALL THAT HE HAD! He didn't even consider WHY they might be asking him these things nor did he consult with Isaiah for advice! He was the "Man of the Hour" as far he was concerned and his pride would bring bad things to his nation. Remember Proverbs 16:18:

¹⁸Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Don't get into pride and arrogance over ANYTHING in your life! Everything you have and everything good thing about you came from God! Maintain a humble spirit and God will be able to use you tremendously to reach others!

Isaiah 40:1-5 speaks of something very familiar to us!

¹COMFORT, COMFORT My people, says your God. ²Speak tenderly to the heart of Jerusalem, and cry to her that her time of service and her warfare are ended, that [her punishment is accepted and] her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received [punishment] from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. ³A voice of one who cries: Prepare in the wilderness the way of the Lord [clear away the obstacles]; make straight and smooth in the desert a highway for our God ⁴Every valley shall be lifted and filled up, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked and uneven shall be made straight and level, and the rough places a plain. ⁵And the glory (majesty and splendor) of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.

Thank You Lord Jesus, for coming to this Earth to fulfill Your calling as MY personal Saviour! Soon and very soon, we are GOING to see our King! Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 62:11-12:

¹¹God has spoken once, twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God. ¹²Also to You, O Lord, belong mercy and loving-kindness, for You render to every man according to his work.

The phrase including "Once" and "Twice" is a Hebrew way of saying "many times, repeatedly". What is worth repeating many times? That "power", the Hebrew word, "`oz", which means: strength in various applications, force, security, majesty, praise, boldness, loudness, might, belongs to God and that "mercy", the Hebrew word, "checed", which means: goodness, kindness, faithfulness, favour, mercy, also belong to God. Does that bring anything immediately to mind for you? It does for me! I am reminded of something I hear at The Spoken Word Church a LOT! It is the Truth that God is 100% ABLE (Power) to meet my needs, and that He is even more WILLING (Mercy, Favour) than He is ABLE (If that's possible!) So I have heard this "many times repeatedly" and it sounds better every time I hear it! Thank You, Jesus!

Mark 12: 41-44:

⁴¹And He sat down opposite the treasury and saw how the crowd was casting money into the treasury. Many rich [people] were throwing in large sums. ⁴²And a widow who was poverty-stricken came and put in two copper mites [the smallest of coins], which together make half of a cent. ⁴³And He called His disciples [to Him] and said to them, Truly and surely I tell you, this widow, [she who is] poverty-stricken, has put in more than all those contributing to the treasury. ⁴⁴For they all threw in out of their abundance; but she, out of her deep poverty, has put in everything that she had--[even] all she had on which to live.

I love this account of the widow giving all that she had! I KNOW that we can't out-give God, so she had to have been tremendously blessed in her life! I like this from the Bible Exposition Commentary:

There were thirteen trumpet-shaped chests around the walls of the court of the women, and here the people dropped in their offerings. The rich made a big production out of their giving (see Matt 6:1-4), but Jesus rejected them and their gifts. It is not the portion but the proportion that is important: the rich gave out of their abundance, but the poor widow gave all that she had. For the rich, their gifts were a small contribution, but for the widow, her gift was true consecration of her whole life.

In which group are you?

The Holy Spirit had our Pastor begin proportionate giving many years ago at The Spoken Word Church! We pledge a certain (OUR choice!) percentage of our income, over and above our Tithe, that is to go to provide for our partners who are taking the Gospel all around the world! It has been one of the best ways to learn how to walk in Divine Prosperity! Try it! you'll be glad you did! AMEN!

Isaiah 37-38 show us two different times and circumstances in which King Hezekiah turned to the Lord for help. One was for the nation when faced with attacks from other nations and the other was because of a physical attack on Hezekiah's body. In both instances God spoke to Hezekiah through the prophet Isaiah, and both times he was delivered! Hezekiah had faith in God to answer His prayers! We have a better Covenant which is based on better promises, so pray, believing you receive when you pray, and you WILL have it!

Shalom in Him!