by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Psalm 147-150
Today we wind up the book of Psalms and, as one might expect, we wind up on a high note. A high note of praise.
Let everything and everyone praise the Lord. Everything in the earth or above it. Every angel, all His hosts, the sun the moon and the stars, all of His creation – I mean everything! I love it!
There is another important lesson, however, which is planted in the midst of all the praise. It comes in Psalm 147:15-20. From time to time, as we study the Bible, we come across the concept of God’s Word and its many ramifications. Sometimes it is called “logos,” and sometimes “rhema.” (Those are the Greek words for “word”).
“Logos” means the general Word of God – the Bible and the words on the page which everyone can read. However, “rhema” means something different. It means the spoken Word. It can be spoken out loud for all to hear, or it can be spoken to you personally. When the latter happens, the words leap off of the page and you see something you never saw before – or you are reminded of something you need to hear again right now. You understand the Word.
When I am teaching, I sometimes bring some ice cubes in a glass. In that form, though they are water, they have no ability to reach the roots of a plant. They are water locked up. However, as I teach, they begin to melt and then they can begin to be useful for the watering process.
Psalm 147:15-20 is a good illustration of this concept. God speaks his Word into the earth, but it is locked up. It is icy fragments; snow like wool. No one can understand what He is saying.
Then He speaks again and the ice is melted. The wind of the Holy Spirit blows and the waters begin to flow. This second speaking is “rhema.” He is declaring His Word to His people. Understanding comes to those who are His.
As we study the Bible, we need to pray for “rhema.” We want more than just to read the words on the page; we want to understand it so that we can apply it to our lives.
The “rhema” is what we are counting on from God. That understood Word is what guides our lives and brings us deliverance.
Ask Him for more of His speaking to you personally – opening up the great truths locked up in His Word.
I Corinthians 16
“Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” (V.13)
These are some of the words Paul leaves with the Corinthians in this letter. And these are words which we should take to heart everyday.
There is always an opposition to our walk with the Lord. There are disappointments and trials. There are also those who mock our faith and try to dissuade us.
We need to be strong – in Him and know that He is our answer in everything. His Word is true whether anyone believes it or not. His path is the right one, even if we see everyone around us going another way.
Be alert and stand strong. That’s how we obtain the good, abundant life He has promised.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Psalm 143-146++
“I will extol Thee, my God, my King; and I will bless Thy name forever and ever.” (145:1)
The great praiser, David, concentrates on the many facets of God’s greatness. Besides being mighty and able to do anything, He is also gracious, merciful, great in lovingkindness, good to all. (145:8-9).
We walk with a God whose attributes are beyond human understanding. Most people – even unbelievers – know that our God is strong and mighty. His ability to perform is greater than anything we can know. Yet many – even Christians – don’t have David’s understanding of God’s mercy and lovingkindness.
It was His mercy that sent His Son to the earth to bring deliverance to us. To pay the price we owed for our sinful nature.
Then it was His mercy which took us to a new level with Him by giving us the gift of righteousness. He made us righteous and put His Holy Spirit within us.
How could we not praise Him for all of these works? How could we not praise Him for all of the kindness and mercy He has shown us personally?
So now we are to live our lives in that mercy. He has forgiven us? Okay, let’s forgive ourselves. If God, the Creator of the Universe has forgiven us, then we need to forgive ourselves.
Let’s live with our hearts free from the condemnation we used to carry. He set us free from that, if we will receive it.
His mercy, His grace, and His forgiveness are not just words. They are truths we are called to live in.
His mercy endures forever! And I receive it!
I Corinthians 15:29-58
The seed principle comes up again and again throughout scripture. This time it speaks of the earthly life as compared to the heavenly life after resurrection.
Just as a seed is sown and grows to produce the appointed crop, our natural bodies are sown into the ground and will be raised up supernatural, spiritual bodies. These new bodies are the eternal bodies we will have as we live forever with Jesus.
Paul is speaking of the resurrection. Some had contested that they didn’t believe in the resurrection, and Paul rebukes them boldly. That’s when he compares the perishable and the imperishable bodies.
After we are born again, we live as children of God. Our spirits become alive and we begin to transform our souls through prayer and the Word of God. Our bodies are the last to be changed, but they will be in the resurrection. We will be sown a perishable body and raised up an imperishable one.
“O Death, where is your victory? O Death, where is your sting?” (V.55) Death has neither victory nor sting for the Christian. The resurrection life overcomes death, and we live forever.
“Therefore be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” (V. 58)
Never give up. Never give up doing what God directs you to do. His grace is with you wherever you go and in whatever comes your way. His love never fails – and always causes you to overcome, when you are in His will.
I embrace His purpose in my life and I embrace His ability to do it!
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Psalm 140-142
Isn’t it wonderful to know that we can run to our God with anything? Are you fearful? Run to Him. Are you feeling guilty of your sin? Run to Him. Are you not sure what to do next? Run to Him.
Our Father is always on our side. He is always pulling for us and there to help us. His grace is there to carry us to the next level.
Our job is to be honest with Him. It’s silly to think that we can be otherwise, because he knows our thoughts, our fears, and our weaknesses. Yet many somehow think that they can pretend with God, and He will be fooled.
David really understood the significance of being honest with God. He poured our his heart to the Lord on a regular basis – just as he would a best friend. God was indeed David’s best friend.
Now we come to our century and our own set of issues. Our generation is a “got it all together” generation. We want to be on top of everything and always be ready for the challenge. That attitude can be a source of strength to us when it makes us stand strong and exhibit fortitude. However, that attitude can cause trouble for us if we think that we shouldn’t be honest with our Lord.
You don’t have to tell everybody else what you are going through emotionally and spiritually, but when you run to your God and pour out your heart to Him, He will lift you up like no one else can. He will cause new strength to rise up within you. He will direct your steps, and cause greater victories than ever.
He will never fail you.
I Corinthians 15:1-28
“By the grace of God I am what I am,” says Paul. (V.10). The apostle is addressing the Corinthians and reminding them to “hold fast that Word” which he brought to them.
The word they are to hold on to is the gospel, which he has preached to them. That Christ died for our sins, was buried, rose again the third day, seen by Cephas, the twelve apostles, over five hundred brothers at once, and then by Paul.
Apparently there were in the group at Corinth those who were trying to say that the resurrection had not occurred. Paul is addressing that issue.
If Christ has not been resurrected, then there is no hope for anyone, says Paul. It’s important to know and believe that Christ died and rose again for our sins. He paid the price for the sin debt which was against us. That’s the essence of the gospel.
He now is seated at the right hand of God until every enemy is made His footstool. The last enemy is death – which will eventually be totally done away with.
There will come a time when the kingdom of God will rule the earth as He intends. It may seem hard to believe that when you look around you now, but that is the Word of God, and it will happen in due season.
Until then, let’s remain strong and press toward the high calling of our Father which He has for us in this day.
Forever upward!
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
I didn’t post yesterday. My husband and I spent most of the last two days with or praying for our dear friend, Steve Woods. His precious wife, Darlene, moved to Heaven, and she will be dearly missed. She truly left her mark on all those who knew her.
Psalm 139
Our Father has searched me and known me and is intimately acquainted with all my ways. Just reading this statement brings peace, doesn’t it?
Psalm 139 is full of all of the intimate ways our Father knows us – and all of the personal dealings He has with us as believers. Often I have shared this with young people as they are going through their self-conscious teen years. They – and you – are special to God. He has a plan for them – and you – and won’t let them go.
“You have hedged me before and laid Your hand upon me…Where can I go from your spirit?”(V. 5-7) The answer: no where. Our Father is watching over us, knowing our every move, and His loving hand is guiding us even when we don’t know about it. Even when we “make our bed in hell,” He will be there to guide us back to the light.
What a loving God!
Then we come to some of my favorite verses. “For you have formed my inward parts…I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”(V 13-14) What a confidence booster! You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
You are a unique person wrought by God Himself. Instead of trying to find all of the faults with your makeup – let your mind meditate on this. God made you the way He wants you. Of course, you aren’t like everybody else. Why would you be? You are unique – according to His plan.
This reminds me of Acts 17:26 where Paul says that God has set the “appointed times and boundaries” of all the people on the earth. The fact that we live in this century and in the places he has put us is no accident. It’s all part of God’s plan.
Then look at this: “Your eyes see my unformed substance.”(V 16) I love this verse, because it reminds me that there are parts of my makeup which I have never discovered. There are gifts and talents which He knows are there, which He put there – deep within me, and as I follow His lead, I will discover them
All of us know people who late in life started painting or writing and we were surprised, because that talent hadn’t been evident before. That’s what I am talking about. Those gifts were always there, and of course, God knew it. He was waiting for the opportunity to reveal them.
So hold up your head. Regardless of where you have been, where you are going is more important. You have a Father who adores you, and has a marvelous plan laid out for you. As you continue to walk with Him, He will open new doors for you, causing your life to become richer along the way.
I Corinthians 14
When you read this chapter, you can really get a picture of the Corinthian personality, can’t you? These people who had been – and in many respects still were – worldly, came to the Lord and received His Spirit. They seemed quick to embrace the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and they were fluently speaking in tongues. (Paul says in 1:7 “you have become short in no gift”).
Here’s the thing. They had received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, but they were trying to show off for each other. Instead of using their tongues, or prayer language, the way they were supposed to, they were trying to outdo each other. Apparently these people needed a governor on their behavior.
Paul rebukes them for getting together and speaking to one another in tongues, or getting up and giving messages in tongues. (Unless there is someone to interpret). He told them to speak in a language the people could understand when they are giving messages in church. “If the whole church comes together in one place and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind?”(V.23)
Paul is certainly not knocking the gift of tongues, as he says, “I’m glad that I speak in tongues more than you all.”(V.18). He is just trying to bring order to the services of the Corinthians.
The bottom line is the bottom verse, “Let all things be done decently and in order.”(V. 40)
Desire to prophesy, and don’t forbid to speak in tongues, but just make sure that your services are orderly. That’s the message of Paul.
Good advice, wouldn’t you say?
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Psalm 137-138
“I will praise You, for You have magnified Your Word above all Your name.” What a declaration! God holds His Word higher than His name. His Word is sacred – and He will keep it.
If you want to eliminate any ho-hum attitude toward the Word of God, just think about that statement for a moment.
If you want to know God, read his Word. If you want to know about His character and what He thinks, read His word. If you want to know what He will do, read his Word.
There are many out there speculating about God, throwing around ideas concerning Him – often very foolish ideas. But they don’t even bother to read His Word. When you read and meditate on the Word of God, you begin to know Him – and how He thinks.
The Word is the source of our faith. When we meditate on it, it becomes more than words to us. It grows within us so that it becomes the truth. And when we know the truth, we will be set free.
Over the years, when I have encountered problems of life – similar to the problems which every human being encounters, I have turned to the Word and found God’s promise or plan concerning those issues. When I see what He has said about something, I know what to pray for. It’s his will, and I will pray for that specific will to be done in my life. I will also speak those Words into the atmosphere, causing angels to hearken to obey that spoken Word. (Psalm 103:20)
I’m on the road to recovery! I may have to wait a little bit, but I know that God’s Word is prevailing in my life.
He magnifies His Word above His Name. Awesome!
I Corinthians 13
We come to one of the most important and powerful chapters in the entire Bible. This is your dipstick to check your oil (anointing) level. Are you walking in love?
Now this word for love is different from some others. There is the Greek word “eros,” which means romantic love, “phileo,” which means brotherly love. Then there is “agape,” which we have here. It means “God-like love.” There is no English word which corresponds to this word, so the King James Version of the Bible translates it “charity.”
God-like love is bigger than any other. It is unconditional – it is for everybody. It’s truthful and sometimes tough, as in the case of a mother who doesn’t allow her child to play in the street. (It’s tough so that it will keep the person out of trouble). But it is always reaching for the best in a person.
When you read this passage, you see a perfect description of God’s love for us – and what should be our love for others. Patience, kindness, rejoicing in the truth of the other person. Always pulling for them. Not proud and puffed up, considering themselves better. Not taking into account a wrong suffered.
That last one is a stinger. Have your feelings been hurt? Don’t take it into account. Have they really “done you wrong?” Don’t take it into account. Forgive them, and don’t meditate on the wrong suffered. Let it go. God will handle that for you. He is faithful, when you do things His way.
Bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things. What a picture is being painted here.
God’s love for us will never stop. He never gives up on us. His love never fails.
And that’s the way He wants us to love others. We’ll be working on this the rest of our lives!
