April 11
Today’s Reading - Psalm 1 - 3
(Psa 1:1 KJV) 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.
In today’s reading we begin the book of Psalms which is probably the most famous of all books in the Bible. The first and second Psalm are not attributed to David. Today’s verse is a very popular one and contains a massive truth about living a blessed life. I am going to approach this from the believer’s point of view. This verse contains three lessons which are needed by us every day. Preceding the three principles is the guarantee that a person will be blessed of the Lord if they follow these three principles.
First, we are not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly. The word counsel may also be translated, “purpose or advice.” This is telling us that whenever we order our lives according to worldly principles and take our advice from the unbeliever, the blessings of God will be absent in our life. “Walking” means that a person is actively going in concert with the ways of whatever is in view. We are never to lean on unbelief as our counsel, we are to seek Godly counsel for living, from the Bible and also from those who we know are truly saved. As Christians if we take our lead from the world, we can expect to reap adversity.
Secondly, we are not to stand in the way of sinners. “Standing” can also be understood to mean “to stay or be established.” Whenever we walk with the world, we begin to establish ourselves in the ways of the world. Worldliness becomes a way of life for us. There may be a little cheating here or a little adultery there, which all adds up to ruination. No Christian should ever be established in a way contrary to the Bible. If a Christian ever gets to this point, they will find it very difficult to discern between the true and the false.
Thirdly, we are never to sit in the seat of the scornful. The word “sit” also carries with it the meaning of “dwell or abide.” Sitting is a sign of familiarity. When you sit in your own house, you are comfortable and familiar with everything. You feel a certain safety. When you are sitting down, you are not on guard but you are resting. If a Christian orders their way according to the worldliness, they may get to the point that they think they will find security and safety in world systems. There can be no comfort found in temporary systems. God’s children will never have a sense of peace on this earth unless they rest in Christ and not a world system. This verse gives us a great beginning to a great book. It warns us and comforts us in that someday there is going to be a great dividing between the children of God and the children of Satan. This is why God does not want any of His children identifying with the world in any manner. He expects us to live above the ways of the world.
April 12
Today’s Reading - Psalm 4-6
(Psa 5:5-6 KJV) The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. {6} Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
In today’s reading we come across this verse which the majority of people neglect. This verse is a very straightforward verse which shows the vast difference between the Children of God and those who are unbelievers. These verses are part of a discourse where David is addressing the Lord. David is enunciating the fact that God abhors sin and he also brings to light that God not only hates the sin, but He hates the sinner. The Scripture states that God hates all workers of iniquity. Every unbeliever is a worker of iniquity and is at enmity with God. This goes against the emotional, unscriptural doctrine of “God loves everyone.” Well this Scripture is telling us that God does not love everyone. The great division in how God views His children versus the unbeliever is found in the rest of Psalm 5. In verse 10, David is asking God to destroy the wicked. In Theology it is known as an Imprecatory Psalm where the destruction of another is desired. In verse 12, we see how God will favor the righteous and bless them. Keep in mind when someone is quoting the words of David or the words of Habakkuk, they are quoting the Word of God. That means verse 5 is ultimately inspired by the Holy Spirit and cannot be ignored. We read in many passages of Scripture where God abhors the wicked or that He will destroy them, while at the same time showing love for His redeemed Elect. This is the great division that the “Universal Love of God” people choose to reject. They say how can a loving God hate? I have heard it taught that the hatred God has is only in contrast to the love of God and is not an abhorring hatred. Well, that is erroneous because the Hebrew Word behind “hatest” in verse 5 means “to hate,” and there is no mollifying of that word. If God only hated the sin and not the sinner, then why is the sinner being cast into hell on the last day. It is because you cannot separate the two. The one who performed the sins will be culpable before the bar of God’s justice to pay for those sins. This is not an easy doctrine to accept since the majority of Christians have grown up under the teaching that God loves everybody. The fact is that it is in the Bible and if it is there, then God has declared it whether one wants to hear it or not. No amount of Gospel neutralizing new versions are going to have an effect on this truth. If you are a true believer, then rejoice as David does that God loves you, but if you are an unbeliever, then you are under the righteous hatred of God and the only thing that awaits you is judgment and damnation. Thankfully it is still the day of Grace when God is still calling His Elect out of the world. (Rev 18:4 KJV) And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. The hour is getting late, the coming of the Lord is near. (Isa 55:6 KJV) Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: For the believer it will be a great time of joy when all evil will have been removed from before us and we can then bask in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, our mighty Redeemer, just like the Old Hymn says:
Stanza 3 - The Church’s One Foundation
April 13
Today’s Reading - Psalm 7-9
(Psa 7:9 KJV) Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.
In today’s reading we come across this verse which gives us an insight into how God trains His people. In the last part of that verse we see that God tries the hearts and the reins. The word “reins” in the Hebrew is literally the word “kidney.” It represents the deepest thoughts and emotions of a person. Here we see that God tests our deepest thoughts an emotions. (Psa 11:5 KJV) The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. Why does God do this? Don’t we have enough problems trying to fight off the temptations of the world? The Lord tries the righteous as a testimony and a training program for His people. God tests us because He wants us to know where we are on the maturity level. God knows where we are and testing is not only for Him to show the principalities of evil that His children are undergirded by His strength, but it shows us if there are any breaches in our faith. Remember how hard Job was tested and he passed with flying colors. God continues to send trials our way to test us and grow us in the faith. The Christian life is not an easy life, especially when you are living in a world where the majority of people are hostile to you. There are going to be times when we are going to fail the test and then at that point God begins to work with us to grow us in that area. All one needs to do is look at Peter. Look how rough he was when the Lord first chose him and how he ended up writing two books of the Bible under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. As Christians we must realize that tests will come. We see this in the Bible, and we as Christians, who stand on the same ground as the saved Bible characters, can expect the same trials and also the same help from the Lord to endure them. So when a trial comes your way, determine that you are going to learn from it and not complain about it. Complaining and fighting will only lengthen the duration of it and increase the intensity of it. Be careful that you don’t sing “Oh how I love Jesus on Sunday” and then bring shame to His name on Monday. Remember, when a trial comes your way, it is your spiritual reputation on the line because people are watching you to see how you will react to adversity. In a time of trial, you should also have an answer prepared for those who may look at you and say, “Why is God doing this to you?” Your trial may be a great time for a witness, not only of salvation but of the glory of God in every matter in your life. If you ever want to speak to someone who lives in trials on a consistent basis, speak to a missionary and they will tell you what trials are all about and how God works every one out to His glory and furtherance of the Gospel. Our trials are designed for personal growth. If you view it that way, then you have begun to live the victorious Christian life.
April 14
Today’s Reading - Psalms 10-12
(Psa 10:1 KJV) Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?
In today’s reading we come across this verse which at one time or another is the cry of many Christians. How many times when we are going through a time of adversity we think that maybe God is not there to help us or that it seems like He has abandoned us in our lowest time. Psalm 10 speaks about the rich people of the world persecuting the poor people and the people of God are afraid that God is allowing it to happen with impunity. As we read on in the chapter, we see a string of verses which teach about how evil these people can be. It is interesting because I was fired from my last job by a spoiled rich kid whose father owned the business. This rich kid couldn’t manage a lemonade stand unless his father told him how. When I look at these verses, it is amazing that a King is complaining about the arrogance of the rich in his own country. So what has changed up to today? Have you heard about the New World Order? In New Jersey we have black helicopters with no markings flying over. There is a New States Constitution for the USA when our Constitution is discarded. Only 5 more states are needed to call for a Constitutional Convention which would put in place the Constitution of the World, which is already written and ready. In the New States and World Constitution, religion is considered a “privilege.” Did you get that? Privilege, not freedom! This is not Fantasy Island, this is true. Did you know there are many concentration camps already built in the USA to “detain” New World Order dissenters? This is all happening and what are we concerned about? Sports, Emmy Awards, Good Times, Parties, etc. While we play, the New World Order crowd is taking away our freedoms. One more thing. Look at your money. It is a note which signifies a debt instrument. There is no real money in circulation. Oh, yes, the Bio-Chips are ready for insertion under the skin so you will have your ID on you at all times. This is all being done by the super rich like the Rockefellers and Rothschilds who are the main players in world domination. So the attitude of the rich has not changed since David’s time. But as we look on in Psalm 10, we are assured that the rich think they can rule, but verse 16 says that the Lord is King forever and ever and the heathen will perish out of the land. This means that the evil will have a season of rule, but eventually God is going to bring all their works into judgment. Now as believers, we really don’t want to wait. We want to be delivered from problems immediately but that is not always God’s way. However, we always have the assurance that God is with us and knows exactly what we are going through and would never abandon us. (Psa 10:17-18 KJV) LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: {18} To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.
April 15
Today’s Reading - Psalms 13-15
(Psa 14:4 KJV) Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD.
In today’s reading we come across this verse which asks a tough question. Basically, the question is simple, does the unbeliever have any knowledge of God? Or let’s ask another question, does the unbeliever have any knowledge of judgment? The second part of that verse gives us a little insight into the answer of these questions. The answer is a resounding yes! The unbeliever has much knowledge about both of these. First of all, Christians have been persecuted from Abel to present because we are God’s representation on earth. The unbeliever wants to completely refute the knowledge of God so they create systems like evolution, science, psychology, etc. These type of systems are not because they have no knowledge of God, it is because they are trying to eradicate God from everyone’s thinking. They think by doing this, there will be no judgment. If two of us were standing in a corn field facing each other, and I said to you, “There is a tornado heading our way.” You said to me, “I don’t believe you.” Will your unbelief stop the tornado? No it will not and neither will the unbeliever’s unbelief stop the judgment of God. The entire human race knows there is a culpability to someone and that someone is God.
Whenever a Christian walks into work, the unbelievers are already convicted and make sure the conversation is not directed God-ward. The unbeliever cannot escape the reminders of the presence of God. Place a bumper sticker on your car and you can reach a few hundred daily. Now I have a handicapped placard because of my bad knees, and a few weeks ago I went food shopping and there was one handicap parking place open. It was the first one in line. Next to me was parked a car which had evolution stickers all over it. Coincidence? No such thing as coincidence in the Kingdom of God! So I parked right next to it, and one of my two stickers says, “If you are living like there is no God, you better be right!” The person who owned the ape-mobile next to me had to pass right by my car to get to theirs. She was witnessed to. The Bible even says in Psalm 19 that the heavens declare the glory of God and there is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. When someone goes out for a drive, they will normally see a number of churches. That too is a witness. Even when you see on TV, programs about hauntings or ghost stories, inadvertently they are admitting there is a spirit world. A ghost is nothing more than a demon who takes the shape of the deceased person to deceive those who are trying to contact them.
This is a true story that John Wesley’s home was annoyed by a demon and it was bothering his family. He confronted the demon and told it to remain in his study and not to bother the family. It obeyed! Many years ago when Harold Camping, President of Family Stations Inc., was starting out, he was doing a study on Satan. He had purchased Ouija boards and other satanic paraphernalia for the purposes of study. One day he and his wife went out for the evening and when they returned home, all the lights were on and his children were scared. They had told him that lights were going on and off and doors were opening and closing. There was satanic activity in his house. It was at that point, that he discarded all the satanic material and it never happened again. He didn’t make this public but this is why you will hear him say don’t spend your time studying the false, stay with the Bible.
In the unbelieving world, there is a testimony of another life. Our responsibility is to make sure the people we come in contact with know the truth, whether they believe it or not. Remember, that is not our business. God will apply the truth to whomever He will, our responsibility is to bring the faithful word. In the age we live in, there is a renewed desire in the contacting of spirits because of the New Age which is nothing more than the old Occultism dressed up. I remember when Shirley MacLaine announced to the world that she was god. She was a deceived disciple of Kevin Ryerson, a trance channeler. Let us try to dispel deception to the best of our ability by giving the unbeliever the knowledge of the Almighty!
April 16
Today’s Reading - Psalm 16-18
(Psa 16:11 KJV) Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
In today’s reading we come across this verse which is a great encouragement to believers. The first part of this verse tells us that God will show us the path of life. Many times as humans we want to create our own path of life. We may create a path of progressive works which we feel if we keep, we will then gain God’s favor and we will gain eternal life. We may even come along with a series of teachings which may sound like they are a pathway to truth but will eventually lead to eternal damnation. Notice that God is the one who is going to show us the path of life. Man is spiritually dead and unable to find the path. When God brings one of His elect to salvation, He is showing them the path is through the Lord Jesus Christ alone. The Lord Jesus is the path and no one can come to the Father unless they come through the Lord Jesus. Until God opens our spiritual eyes and ears we cannot see that the Lord Jesus is the only way. Once we have become saved, we then experience the next two phases of this verse. When we are saved we are in the presence of God and we experience fullness of Joy. Joy is the inward result which does not fluctuate from situation to situation as happiness does. The fullness of joy is one of the spiritual fruits that we enjoy from our salvation. It allows us to remain stable in a time of instability. It is joy that confuses the unbeliever when they see us going through tough times and we are not falling apart because we are resting in Calvary. This is the time they will ask. If you notice also, that many people preach, especially at funerals of a believer, that he or she is now in the presence of God. Wait a minute! As Christians we are always in the presence of God, even here on earth. If we realized that, maybe we would not be so free to sin. When we sin, whether in private or open, we are doing it before the throne of God. After all, the Holy Spirit is eternal God which means He goes where we go. Our joy is fulfilled and we are no longer in want because our souls have found rest from flight. Then the verse speaks about pleasures forevermore. What I can gather about the right hand of God is that it represents His power in salvation. (Psa 17:7 KJV) Show thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them. I want you to imagine this scene.
A billion years times a billion years times 50 billion years, then multiply that by, 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 billion years.
After you come to that number, then you have just come to the beginning of eternity where the believer will be enjoying the joy and pleasures that God has in store for His redeemed children. All the storms of life are passed, sin is no more, the evil desires of sin shall no more plague us, sickness and death no more hang over the believer, the joys of heaven shall never wane as they will be new each moment. And you are worried about what today?
April 17
Today’s Reading - Psalm 19-21
(Psa 20:7 KJV) Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
In today’s reading we come across this verse which shows the great difference between the people of the world and the people of the Lord. When we speak of chariots and horses, we are looking at what was once the might and strength of many nations. When Israel came out of Egypt and they were camped by the Red Sea, Pharaoh had made an attempt to trap them against the sea so he could kill them all. Egypt was trusting in the might of her horses and chariots. Nations today also trust in their military might. The American people and many of our allies trust in the American military. The truth is that if God ever took His hand off our military, we would become like Joshua at Ai. The chariot was an instrument of war and the horse represented strength. (Job 39:19 KJV) Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder? What they both have in common is that they are visible things. People tend to place faith in what they can see. In ancient days, when the great armies marched, especially Rome and Egypt, their chariots and their horses were visible signs of their immense strength. Both of these great empires were destroyed by the hand of God, because it was God who gave them their greatness in the first place.
The second part of that verse speaks about remembering the name of the Lord our God. The child of God does not look at the physical and then trust in it. The child of God looks to the invisible God as their source of strength. If one looks at the American War for Independence and realizes that a band of worn out, tired Colonials defeated the mighty British Army, we can see the hand of the Lord in this. When Israel went out to war against its enemies, many times the Lord had already told them to go up because He had given them into their hands. In our own spiritual walk, we do not place our faith in what man can do. We place our faith in what God is doing in our lives. The strength that God gives us to go through rough times is what causes us to remember the name of our God. We see how God worked in our lives with our 20-20 spiritual hindsight and we know that because we are His children, we need not worry that He will forsake us or leave us to fight the enemy in our own strength. The only reason that sometimes we fall before the enemy is because we run into battle ahead of the Lord and we come out scarred. We must wait on the Lord and he will fight the battle for us. He will set the timing and the circumstances, and then He will say, go up, I have given them into your hands. Human works and might cannot work the works of God unless it is directed by the Word of God.
April 18
Today’s Reading - Psalm 22-24
(Psa 23:1 KJV) The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In today’s reading we come across this verse which begins probably the most beloved and quoted psalm. I am sure that we have all been to funerals of both believers and unbelievers and have heard this psalm quoted at the grave site. As with all six verses in this psalm, this one gives us a great comfort. It begins with a statement that only a true believer can state. The LORD is “MY” Shepherd. It carries with it the meaning of “keeper.” Many times we wonder what we are going to do when provision goes low or our spiritual strength is low. That is when we see the Lord as our Shepherd. The Scriptures states in the second part of that verse that “I shall not want.” This is a suggestion to parents. When I was younger I used to read this psalm and in this verse, I could never understand why I didn’t want the Lord. Explain it to your young ones and don’t take for granted they understand it. The word “want” means that you shall not lack or be deficient in. Yet, there are Christians all over this world who are suffering from lack of physical things. What is the psalmist speaking of? I believe the answer to that is found in Ephesians 1. (Eph 1:3 KJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
God has provided everything the Christian will ever need in this life and the one to come through the cross of Christ. By giving us the Holy Spirit, He gave us eternal God to dwell in every believer. This is why we will not lack anything. God is not only focusing on this life but also eternal life. In this life we may not have all the material goods we want or need, but our every spiritual need has been satisfied. In verse 2 God goes on and tells us that He is placing us in green pastures and by still waters. This means He is going to be our stability and our peace. These are two things which are lacking in Satan’s people. (Psa 4:8 KJV) I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety. David was on the run from Saul and his life was threatened every day. Yet, David’s confidence in the Lord was so strong that he was able to lie down at night and feel safe enough to sleep. Whenever we trust God for all phases of our life, we can begin to experience the peace whereby we lack nothing. As Christians, we can commit to God our entire life and keep nothing back. As the sheep look to their shepherd for guidance, we can look to our Shepherd for guidance also. Do you know when sheep become frightened, they will not eat and this is why the shepherd leads them to the quietest resting places. God knows that in this world too there are many things which frighten us or cause us great worry. It is at those times that we do not eat either. I am speaking of the spiritual food. Sometimes situations overtake us and lead us away from the Scriptures but God as the great Shepherd will not allow us to stray for He will lead us back to those quiet waters. Let each rejoice that the Lord is my Shepherd. Think for a minute who the shepherd is of the unsaved.
April 19
Today’s Reading - Psalm 25-27
(Psa 27:11 KJV) Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.
In today’s reading we come across this verse which should be the heart’s desire of every Christian. Here is David entreating the Lord on two matters. First, David is asking the Lord to be taught. He is asking the Lord to teach him His ways. The word “thy way” carries with it the meaning of “manner.” David does not want to know the ways of the world, he desires to know God’s ways. David wants to order his life according to the teachings of the Lord. We as Christians should seek the same manner. As we go through this sin-cursed world, because of the enemies that surround us, we want to march through this world in the ways of God. When we seek the ways of the Lord, He strengthens us as we continue on. Then David asks the LORD to lead him in a plain path. The word “plain” carries with it the meaning of level ground but in a spiritual application, it speaks of “uprightness.” The way of the Lord is always to walk upright in this world. This gives us insight into our salvation walk. (Isa 40:4 KJV) Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: The word “straight” and “plain” are the same word. When we become a child of God, we are no longer concerned about mountains or valleys in our lives because God promises to raise the valleys and lower the mountains. When this is done, the road becomes level. This is because we have that beautiful promise that God goes ahead of His people.
In Isaiah 40, He also promises us that the rough places will be made plain. There are many today who are turning Christianity into a Rube Goldberg Contraption. The simplicity we have in Christ is being turned into a thousand mini-religions all with their own set of rules and their own quasi-interpretations of the Bible. No wonder so many new Christians are confused about the teachings of the Lord. This is why David wants to supplant the confusion made by religious people and asks the Lord to teach him His way. This is why we go to the Bible when we hear teachings which can lead us astray. Normally, an astute Christian who is well-versed in the Bible will automatically know when something is wrong. This is one of the great inheritances of the child of God, that we can receive discernment on any issue which comes across our path. As we look at verse 14 in this chapter, we are told that we must wait on the Lord, that is because sometimes the answer to our dilemma or our questions may take a little time. During that wait we are tested as to our faithfulness. But David wants to make sure that he is walking in the ways of the Lord before his enemies, so they will have no accusation to make against him. If we continue to walk in the ways of the Lord, we can never be snared into a false gospel, because we will program our thinking to the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit will let us know when we are departing out of the straight and narrow. Thank Him for such a defense.
April 20
Today’s Reading - Psalm 28-30
(Psa 29:11 KJV) The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.
In today’s reading we come across this great encouraging verse in which the Lord makes two promises. First of all, these are promises that we can be assured of because God uses the word “will.” This means that He is definitely going to give it. He also puts no condition on that “will’ either. When a person becomes a child of God, they can count on these two promises. Now we also see the two blessings which become part of the inheritance of the Christian and that is, strength and peace. It is almost like these two are opposites, if you have strength then you are not looking for peace, and if you have peace why would you need strength. Yet, these two are harmonious blessings in the Christian walk. Both of these blessings are given to each Christian at the time of their salvation, but it takes growth to nurture the two. It is a strange occurrence that in many places in the Scriptures, we read that God gives His children peace and yet most Christians we meet are harried and we wonder why. In many places we read that God gives His children strength, yet we meet many Christians who seem to succumb the worldly situations and are weakened in their testimony.
(Deu 33:25 KJV) Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be. In dealing with the issue of strength we look at this verse and see that God promises that we will receive the needed strength to make it through each day or situation. I believe deeply that what truncates the strength of God in our life is our emotions. Many times we allow our emotions to take over the situations that we are in, and emotions are too vacillating to be in control of any situation. This is why God gave us His peace, to stabilize our emotions during a time of hardship or just a hard day. When you approach a situation with a peaceful advance, you will be able to make sane and proper decisions. If you approach a situation with emotions flaring, you will make a wrong decision which could affect you for the rest of your life. As Christians in a hostile world, we can expect the strength of God to undergird us through each day. When we look at those who were martyred for the faith, we notice the strength they had to go through these horrible tortures. They committed their lives and situations to the Lord, and their bodies were committed to the flames. Yet some of them sang psalms as they were being burned as if they were suffering no pain. We envy their strength at their time of martyrdom and the peace they had committing the situation unto the Lord knowing they would soon be engulfed in flames. We say that “God was surely with them.” Yes He was and the same strength and peace which guided the lives of the martyrs is promised to us also, as we see in today’s verse. Let us claim that which our forefathers knew well.
Faith of our fathers, living still,
In spite of dungeon, fire and sword;
O how our hearts beat high with joy
Whenever we hear that glorious Word!
Refrain
Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death.