He is Our Help

 Psalm 121:1,2

 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help..My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

Needing help implies that a person cannot do it on their own. The psalmist looked around the world he lived in and could not find what he needed to bring him peace. All around people were fighting and seeking their own gain. Everywhere we look the world is in conflict, nations against nations, political parties in constant battle, and people seeking to gain wealth and prosperity at any cost. Help is not found in what man can do, but in the one who created all things. We need to lift our eyes higher, above the turmoil of the world, look upward, toward the hills and beyond and see God. He who is all almighty, all knowing, and all seeing. Deliverance from the chaos of this life comes when we see Jesus, and yield our heart and lives to Him. He will be our help in times of trouble, He is the answer to all the problems that fill this world.

He is Worthy

 Rev 5:9

Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

The book (scroll) with the seven seals contained the prophecy of God’s judgment of mankind who refused to submit to the sovereignty and Lordship of Christ. There was no one on earth that was able to break the seals and open the scroll for all men have sinned and come short of being worthy. But, there appears one with authority and able to break the seals. He is worthy because He was the lamb who  paid the price. He is worthy because He was without sin, and came to earth to give His life to redeem us from our sins, that we may now come boldly to the throne of God. Like the 24 elders, we bow down before Him, worship and adore Him. He will send judgments, those who have rebelled against Him and have denied His grace will see the wrath of God displayed. For those who have bowed the knee in this life will stand with Him on the last day and reign with Him forever and ever. 

Simplicity in Christ

 2 Corinth 11:3

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

It is possible to be deceived even when you have good intentions. Not everyone that says, “Lord, Lord.” will be true followers of Christ. Paul continues to warn believers that there will be those out there that will not be teaching sound doctrine, that they will preach Christ, but not the simplicity of His teachings and the purpose of His coming. The sound doctrine of Christ is that He was born of a virgin, His Deity as the Son of God, came to die, to pay the penalty for the sins of man, providing salvation to whosoever will believe in Him. He rose from the dead, ascended to heaven, and sits currently at the right hand of the Father. He is more than a good prophet, teaching us how to live. He is the only way to heaven. “I Am the truth and the way, no man comes to the Father except by me.” This is the simplicity that is in Christ.

Kick Against the Pricks

 Acts. 9:5

And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

“To kick against the pricks” is an idiom that implies the fruitlessness of resisting authority or truth. Saul (Paul) on his way to Damascus, encounters his resistance (Jesus). He came face to face with God, and try as he might he could no longer resist that inner voice that no doubt was speaking to him since the day he witnessed the death of Stephen. The Holy Spirit had arrested Paul with convictions, and Paul finally quit resisting and yielded his heart to Jesus. It is difficult to resist the prodding of the Holy Spirit when He convicts the heart of sin. When people do so, they only bring more hurt to themselves. God will use every means to bring others to the light. He will not force submission, but in His faithfulness, He will continue to “prick” to show others the way to go to find true peace. Let us not “kick” against the moving of God, but let us yield to His will and let Him have complete control of our lives.

Male and Female He Made

Gen 1:27, 28
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
From the beginning, it has been God’s plan for man to populate the earth. Replenishing the earth with other human beings requires the union of a man and a woman. The culture in our society today no longer accepted the Bible as God’s word. It is unfeasible to think that one can truly believe in the inherency of God’s word and also accept the woke thinking of the world today. From the beginning of time, God created two genders, male and female. Yes, there have been some genetic anomalies that have occurred in nature, but as a baby emerges from the womb of its mother, it is either a boy or a girl.  The acceptance of transgender identity is permitted in our society because we don’t dictate the choices that people make as long as it does not hurt anyone else. Every human being will stand before God one day and will be accountable for the choices they make on this earth. It is clear that God’s word defines many behaviors as sinful and immoral. As Christian, we are to love people regardless of the choices they make. We are to teach and be an example to others to live a life consistent with the word. There is deliverance for all who are enslaved to sin and its destruction. God is love, but it is not His will that His creation live a life of sin. Thank God, He has provided a way out, but the choice is ours to make.

Heavenly Mansions

 John 14:2
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
In the book of Revelation, John gives us a glimpse of heaven, the mansions that Jesus said He is preparing for those who have been redeemed, and are following His commandments. I can only imagine this place, the Father’s house. The homes that we will live in are described as large and beautiful. We have seen what man can do with earthly material when building an earthly mansion, but this mansion is built by the hand of God. Someday after this life is over, we will live in that city, a place prepared for all those who love Him and are waiting for His appearance. He said He will come back to receive His own. His promises are true, He does not lie. The song written by Ira Stamphill, “I've got a mansion just over the hilltop. In that bright land where we'll never grow old. And someday yonder we will never more wander. But walk on streets that are purest gold.” speaks to the hope and longing of all believers.

God Hates Sin

Psalm 90:7,8
For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled…Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
The image of God given to us here is a God of judgment. A God that hates sin. It is impossible to hide our sins from Him, the light of his presence reveals our sinfulness. This is the picture and perception that many people have of God. A God ready to strike us down as soon as we do something that misses the mark. It is true that God is Holy, and hates sin and is displeased with those who commit sinful acts of rebellion. But He is also a God of love and mercy. He sees our humanity, and our inclinations to satisfy self. It is because of His love that He sent Jesus to provide a way to save us from our sinful condition. We are all judgment bound and will stand before Him. We can stand before Him with clean hands and a pure heart if we have by faith accepted His love of grace and our sins have been covered by the blood of Christ. We can be judged guiltless because Jesus is standing in our place as our advocate.