The Greatest Commandment - Love Your Neighbor

 25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" 27 And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." 28 And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live." 29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" 30 Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" 37 He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise."

[Luke 10:25-37 ESV]

At the onset of this post, I must admit that I am very much a work in progress when it comes to practicing the kind of radical love that Christ wants us to have for others. After coming up with an outline for this post, I sensed the Lord telling me that as good as that outline was, it was only drawing a big circle around the issue and not getting to the heart of issue. When it comes to loving those around us all of us face a common enemy called self-centeredness. This is the heart of issue and if we can go from being inwardly focused to more outwardly focused then we will begin loving our neighbors.

What is Self-Centeredness?

Self-centeredness is thinking of yourself too much. When you are self-centered all your thoughts revolve around your needs, wants, desires, goals and even failures. Self-centeredness usually manifests in two ways: thinking too much of yourself as in pride or thinking too little of yourself as in having low self-esteem. Both are equally harmful for our growth as a Christian , and both stifle love and relationships. I am convinced that the reason many people in our time stay single is because they cannot escape the grips of self-centeredness. But thanks be to God, Christ can deliver us from this prison that we lock ourselves in. 

Freedom From Self

We become free from self-centeredness when we learn to rely on God for all our needs - physical, mental, emotional and even relational. Moreover, we must learn to find our identity in Christ. The Bible says that when we are born again, our old selves die, and a new creation comes to be in its place. When we believe and internalize this truth, we no longer have a need to be always self- occupied. Where there was a lack of self-esteem and confidence, we now walk in confidence with the assurance that we are dearly loved children of God and members of the household of God. Where there was pride, we now have a humility that comes from experiencing the greatness of God and in comparing ourselves to that greatness pride is utterly destroyed in our life. Personally, I have always struggled with a lack of confidence, and growing up I was the quintessential timid child, but the more I dwell on the love that the Father has bestowed on me through His beloved Son I cannot help but walk in confidence and assurance. Your struggle might be different from mine in that you are on the other spectrum of things where you struggle with pride and self-sufficiency. Nevertheless, the solution to both low self-esteem and pride remains the same - a life changing encounter with Christ. A sense of lack and constant fear of poverty or falling behind financially can also lead to a self-centered isolated life. Again, the solution remains the same. Simply dwelling on the promise of God that He as your heavenly Father will take care of all your needs is plenty enough to banish all thoughts of orphanhood, lack and fear that the enemy wants to cripple us with. 

Freed for a Purpose

When we begin to walk in this newfound freedom, something else happens. We become more open to others because now there is room in your thoughts and in your heart for others. Suddenly, we have the ability to listen to others intently, sense their needs and provide for them as much as we can. Walking in freedom from self-captivity also makes you attractive to others. This is how we begin to bear fruit in our life and bring glory to our Father as we let our light shine in the world. We live in a world that is full of anxious, depressed and hurting people trying to get through life often by hiding their pain and putting on a courageous front. What we are talking about on the other hand is not faking it till we make it, but an authentic internal shift in our thinking that frees us from anxiety every day. To continue in this freedom, means to not conform to the world but to daily renew our mind through the meditation of God's Word. The World will constantly throw at us reasons to go back to our old way of thinking and self-preservation and the only way we can avoid reverting back to old ways is to daily renew our mind. 

Loving Your Neighbor 

To love your neighbor in the way God desires there are certain qualities that we must cultivate in our life. All of these qualities are exemplified by the Good Samaritan in the parable.

1. Compassion - The Samaritan was moved into action by the compassion he felt for the man on the side of the road. What differentiates him from the priest and the Levite is the compassion he felt for the man. Compassion should always be the motivating factor behind any help that we provide to others. If on the other hand we do our good works to be seen by others, we will have no reward in heaven according to Jesus. 

2. Availability - Having had compassion he then made himself available to act on the compassion he felt. We can infer from the story that the Samaritan did not wake up that morning planning to help people on the side of the road. Clearly he had other plans for the day and was undertaking the journey for a different purpose. However when he saw the need, without hesitation he was willing to alter his plans, give the man all the care he needed and only after he had done so to carry on with his journey. Likewise, we must always be ready to act on a moment’s notice to help those God puts in front of us. This not only applies to physical help but spiritual help as well. Whatever the need is, we should make ourselves available and ready to meet it.

3. Generosity - Having had compassion and  after making himself available the Samaritan then practiced radical generosity. He not only administered what we would now call first aid, but went the extra mile to place him at an inn where the man could recover fully from his injuries. He did so by spending his own money and even went as far as telling the inn keeper to give the man all the time he needed to recover and that he would pay any balance that was accrued over this time. This is irrational and radical generosity. It’s irrational because the Samaritan had no way of knowing how much money this would end up costing and it is radical because this kind of generosity is extremely rare. Yet, this is the kind of generosity Christ expects from his disciples everyday.

I would like to end by bringing to remembrance what Paul wrote about Love in 1 Cor 13. 

“ “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”

1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT

Dear brothers and sisters, without love we are nothing and everything else we do is meaningless and worthless because our hearts are not in the right place. Let us then pursue a life of loving others by forsaking our self centeredness and embracing God’s great love for us. The more we walk in the love of God, the more we can love others and ultimately point them to our Heavenly Father. 

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The Greatest Commandment

 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” - Matt 22:36-40

The question the religious leader asked is this: What is the greatest commandment in all of scripture? 

We might not initially appreciate how difficult a question that is to answer. But, if we give it some thought it becomes clear that this was a very difficult question to answer. Jesus could not have picked any commandment from Scripture without becoming open to the accusation that he had a preference to some commands over others. This would immediately be enough to label him a false teacher who did not teach the whole truth but only taught half truths based on his own preference. This is where the sheer brilliance and wisdom behind the answer that Jesus gave becomes apparent to us. This was his reply:

“ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ c 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ d 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Instead of picking one command out of scripture which is probably what the religious leader expected, Jesus summarized the whole law by choosing two commands from the OT. 

(Deut 6:5, Lev 19:18)

In this first part, we will consider what it means to Love God and how we can develop a loving relationship with our Father.

Our Love for God is a response for the Love God has for us.

We cannot even begin to consider our Love for God without first acknowledging that it is He who loved us first. The Bible says that  God demonstrated his love for us in the following way: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom 5:8). It is not possible for sinful humanity to initiate a relationship with a Holy God. God and God alone can take the first step to seek us out and save us and this is precisely what He did on the Cross of Calvary. The Cross is then the ultimate expression of Love, both of the love the Son has for the Father, in that he sought the Father’s glory through his obedience, and the love the Father has for fallen humanity. God’s love for us is not superficial and fickle but an unchanging kind of love that surpasses all knowledge. It is in the light of this great, unmerited, gracious and constant love that we may begin to consider how we can respond to God’s love.

From Infancy to maturity

Our love relationship with God begins the moment we first become believers. When we are born again, we are born as infants in Christ (1 Cor 3:1). Infants by nature, are only capable of experiencing love not loving in return. You will never see an infant caring for or sacrificing anything for the sake of someone else. In much the same way, when we first become Christians we experience God’s love and care for us but our love for God is still in seed form. Our love for God is progressive and increases to the extent that we have known Him. If we are born again as infants, then it is our lifelong goal to grow and mature to Christlikeness. Christian maturity is unlike physical maturity in that  while physically we mature with time, it is possible to remain an infant in Christ years and even decades after first putting our trust in Christ. As a result, it is possible for a believer who was born again a year ago to be more spiritually mature than someone who became a believer 30 years ago. 

Loving God with all our being by abiding in Him

God has called us to love Him with all our heart, soul and mind. This is an all encompassing, extreme kind of love. The way to do this is not through striving but through growing to maturity by abiding in Him. Jesus said that He is the Vine and we as believers are branches that are connected to the Vine. Therefore, as long as we remain in Him, we will grow as life flows through the vine into the branches.In other words, our maturity depends on where we choose to spend our life. Do we spend all of our life following after the things of the world, desiring more earthly riches and earthly pleasures, then we can expect to be stunted in our growth as Christians. But, on the other hand if we set our mind on things that are above, we then remain in Christ and grow to maturity. Our Christian maturity and the love for God also ties up with our obedience to Him. Jesus said, if you love me obey my commands. Our Obedience is a direct consequence of our love. If we find ourselves struggling to obey God in a particular area of life, it is because in that particular area we do not love God enough to obey. However, the more we obey God and take steps of Faith, the more the Father becomes real to us and the richer our relationship to Him becomes.

Practical Considerations

We cannot say we abide in Christ or that we have a relationship with Christ until we make it a practice to  carve out time in our day to spend alone in His presence. Moreover, we must learn to be aware of His presence every waking moment, whether we are at work, school or with family and friends. How is this possible?

Have you ever worried about something a whole day but at the same time functioned as normal? In other words, although you were worried you weren’t locked up in a room just worrying but went about your day as normal but the thing you were worried about was always in the back of your mind. In the same way we should practice to keep the things of God in the back of our mind as we go about our daily lives. 

However, there is simply no substitute for shutting out everything and spending time alone in God’s presence. You cannot have love or a relationship without time being spent. You may be able to get away with having a relationship without spending money, but spending time is inescapable in any relationship. Try not replying to your friends’ calls and messages for an extended period of time and you will soon notice that where there was once a relationship, there is now a vacuum. Sadly, this is what happens to majority of Christians. Worldly things begin to take priority, and God is cordoned off to a 1-2 hour window on Sundays while the rest of the time we are inundated by things of the world. As a result, love for God grows cold and we end up with a lifeless, powerless Christianity. 

If time spent with God is important, what we do in His presence is even more important. If all we do when we seek God’s face is complain and pray for our needs and wants, we are missing out on all that God has for us. Certainly, there is a place for crying out before God, there is no disputing that. But we must always keep in mind that since God is our Heavenly Father He already knows our needs and wants (Matt 6:8). Therefore, more than our petitions and prayers, we must seek to worship and praise God through songs and with our own words. We must learn to fight our battles with praise. An interesting thing about Praise is that we naturally praise what we love. So then praise is simply our expression of the Love that we have for God. 

Eternal Implications

Does the quality of our love and relationship to God have eternal implications? Absolutely Yes! Listen to what Jesus says in Matt 7:21-23. 

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

The Will of the Father is that we be in a loving relationship with Him and that we will obey His commands because of the love that we have for Him. It is frightening to think that it is possible for us to do many mighty works for God but then miss out on the Kingdom because we didn’t take time to cultivate a relationship with God. We must not be among those who hear the words, ‘I never knew you..” but rather among those who are addressed as good and faithful servants (Matt 25:23) and those blessed by the Father (Matt 25:34). We must know Him, and He must know us. 

I would like to end this post with the words of Paul and may it be true of us as well:

What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ (Phil 3:8)

Beloved, loving God with all our heart, soul and mind is what we were made for. Let us not waste our life with lesser pursuits. 

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How to stay Humble (Part 1)

Humility is one of the most vital attitudes that every christian must have to lead a healthy and fruitful life. Yet, our sinful nature and the world we live in, makes it incredibly difficult to stay humble. Pride is one of the most obnoxious things to God, and the Bible teaches that God resists the proud while he gives grace to the humble (Proverbs 3:34). Elsewhere in scripture we see that God knows the proud from afar (Psalms 138:6). In the light of these verses, every Christian ought to find ways to stay humble at all times. There might be times when everyone claps for you and you feel like you have achieved something great that sets you apart from the rest. There might be other times when you feel lower and inferior to everyone else due to some failure or lack in your life, even then you must remain humble before the Lord and before men.

Now, many people confuse humility with timidity, lack of confidence, shyness and even fear. But, this is wrong in the light of scripture. Consider what Paul writes to a young Timothy in 2 Tim 1:7.

"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline."  - 2 Tim 1:7

The Spirit of God that is in every believer gives him power, love and discipline and not fear or timidity. Therefore, to confuse timidity with humility is a gross error. Well then what is humility?

Humility is knowing who you are in the light of scripture and reflecting all glory unto God. The Humble man is a realistic man, he knows his abilities, he knows his past and no amount of boasting or flattering speech will get to him. His feet are on the ground and his head is not in the clouds. In the next post, we will learn how we can go about being humble, through all circumstances of life.

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The Light of New Jerusalem

The following is adapted from the book  Apocalypse: Lectures on the book of Revelation by J.A Seiss.

That shining is not from any material combustion, - not from any consumption of fuel that needs to be replaced as one supply burns out; for it is the uncreated light of Him who is light, dispensed by and through the Lamb as the everlasting lamp, to the home, and hearts, and understandings, of His glorified saints. When Paul and Silas lay wounded and bound in the inner dungeon of the prison of Philippi, they still had the sacred light which enabled them to beguile the nightwatches with happy songs. When Paul was on his way to Damascus, a light brighter than the sun at noon shone round about him, irradiating his whole being with new sights and understanding, and making his soul and body ever afterward light in the Lord. When Moses came down from the mount of his communion with God, his face was so luminous that his brethren could not endure to look upon it. He was in such close fellowship with light that he became informed with light, and came to the camp as a very lamp of God, glowing with the glory of God.

        On the Mount of Transfiguration, that same light streamed forth from all the body and raiment of the blessed Jesus. And with reference to the very time when this city comes into being and place, Isaiah says, "The moon shall be ashamed and the sun confounded," - ashamed because of the out beaming glory which then shall appear in the New Jerusalem, leaving no more need for them to shine in it, since the glory of God lights it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

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Paul Washer - The Gospel: The most terrifying truth of Scripture

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The LORD is in His Holy Temple (Psalm 11)

Today, we are going to consider another psalm written by David. This short psalm of seven verses, is David's reply to a confused saint of his day who doubted the survival of the righteous. Then, as it is today many had reasoned that since most of society was going astray from God and true religion, the righteous would soon have to follow suit to avoid becoming completely irrelevant in society. David confronts this argument with a succinct reminder of who God is and the extent of his power and influence.

Verses 1-3
In the LORD I take refuge, how can you say to my soul, "Flee like a bird to your mountain, for behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart; if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?"

In these two opening verses, we have a question and answer presented but not in that order. The question is, what can the righteous do when all the foundations, that is things taken for granted or existing from ages before start crumbling around them. These foundations may be customs that are rooted in scripture. For instance, the institution of marriage is from the Bible and can be considered as the foundation of society. Yet, today we are witnessing a heavy attack on marriage as described and ordained in the bible. This can be seen as a crumbling or destruction of foundations.

The answer David provides for the question is however simple -- Trust in God and find refuge in Him. We can be sure that in spite of all the conspiracies of man to overthrow God and the Bible, in the end His words shall never pass away even when the earth and the heavens pass away.  We can also be sure that even if all the evil forces of this world join forces to persecute Christians, there will be a remnant that will be saved and that remnant will be made up of those who trusted in God for salvation even in difficult times.

Verse 4
The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD's throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.

David knows that God is a witness to whatever happens in this world and that without him allowing something to happen, it would never happen. This is the basis of the confidence of a saint.

Verse 5
The LORD tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.

Testing and temptation are two different things. God does not tempt his children to sin, but he does test them by allowing seasons of suffering and calamity in their lives. This is to teach them to trust in Him more and to grow spiritually. The goal of testing is to bring victory, while the goal of temptation is to destroy and make one captive to sin.

Verse 6
A graphic portrayal of David's desire to see the wicked punished for their deeds.

Verse 7
For the LORD is righteous, he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.

God is the perfection of righteousness and He loves to see his character reflected in the lives of his children just like a earthly father would.

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Why Do You Hide Yourself? (Psalm 10)

As one can see from the title of this Psalm, it is written out of a great desire to see God act swiftly in the Psalmist's life. At the time of writing, the Psalmist feels like God has intentionally hidden Himself, and the only question that pops up in the mind of the psalmist is "Why"? This is a familiar feeling for most Christians if not all, we all go through periods of dryness where we cannot experience God, or we feel like God has abandoned us. Some have called this experience, the dark night of the soul. This period, however is used by God to increase our trust in Him and strengthen our faith.

Verse 1

Why O Lord, do you stand far away, Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

These two questions stem from the inability of the Psalmist too see God's hand at work or feel his presence during the time of writing. 

Verses 2-4

The Psalmist's description of the poor brings out three important features of the wicked and the ungodly:

1. They "hotly pursue" the poor, that is they are eager to take advantage of the poor and the defenseless for their own selfish gain.

2. They do not seek God - The wicked do not seek God, because they are too proud to do so. Their thoughts are "There is no God." The root of all atheism is pride.

3. They are greedy for gain and in their attempt to gain more for themselves they see God as an enemy and curse and renounce God.

Verse 5

This verse introduces the paradox that troubles many to this day. In spite of all this, the wicked seem to be visibly prospering. This baffles the psalmist and this is one of the reasons he believes that God has hidden Himself.

Verses 7-11

Description of the wicked continues with more graphic language. The wicked are exposed to being  deceitful, oppressive and rapacious.

Verses 12- 13

The Psalmist's plea to God to arise in retaliation against the deeds of the wicked so that justice will be done.

Verses 14

Although, the Psalmist cannot empirically see God's hand at work he reacts in the best way possible. First of all, he cries out to God to act so that he can once again see God at work and give praise unto Him. Secondly, he reiterates his faith which is not based on sight and declares God to be the helper of the helpless.

Verse 15

A call for destruction of the wicked to break their arms so that they won't be able to afflict the poor anymore. 

Verses 16 - 19

The Psalmist's exaltation of God as the merciful King who hears the cries of the fatherless and the oppressed and does justice for their sake.

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I Will Recount Your Wonderful Deeds (Psalm 9)

This Psalm is another of David's many Praise psalms where he is either himself praising God or calling out the people to give praise to God. This particular psalm launches with four "I will" statements showing David's conscious decision to give praise to God for two reasons. Firstly, David expresses gratitude to God for the things God has done in his life. Secondly, David praises God and worships Him for who God is. What God is, and what God does for His people are closely related. The Psalm reveals God as a righteous judge and a savior of the oppressed. David experienced both of these attributes of God in a deeply personal way. However, intertwined with the praises are David's cries for help from those who afflict them. This shows that some of his enemies remained at large and ready to strike. This is a picture of Christian life, we will always have spiritual enemies who repeatedly taunt and attack us. In all this, we are to find refuge in God who is the Savior of the oppressed. For our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places. (Eph 6:12)

Verses 1-2

David's decision to give praise and thanks to God for his wonderful deeds. Sometimes, praise comes spontaneously, at other times we have to consciously remove our eyes from everything else and praise God on purpose.

Verses 3-6

The fall of David's enemies before God's righteous judgement. This was a fall from which they could not get back up. Verse 5 says, that their names were blotted out forever, indicating complete destruction.

Verses 7-9

David's declaration of God as the eternal righteous judge and the stronghold for the oppressed. God is not simply obsessed with justice just for the sake of justice alone, but he seeks justice because of who He is and because of his care for the suffering.

Verse 10

"And those who know your name put their trust in you, for You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you."

This shows the necessity of making God's name known. Men can put their trust in God, only if they first know who God is. This knowledge comes from the Word of God being preached faithfully in season and out of season.

Verses 11-12

David urges the reader to Sing out praises to God and tell of his mighty deeds among the peoples. As we saw earlier, God's deeds and His nature are inextricably tied together. So, making his deeds known would inevitably lead to a better knowledge of God among the people, which in turn will result in some of them putting their trust in God to save them from their oppressors.

Verses 13-14

David's cry for help in the midst of praises is an indication that there still remained some enemies who hated him.

Verses 15-16

"The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught."
This is what scholars call as the "Boomerang" principle of exact retribution. It is a fact that sometimes, the wicked get caught in their own wicked deeds and experience judgement on this side of eternity. Now, this is not Karma or anything like that. God, in His mercy prolongs judgement on the wicked to the afterlife. Not a single deed of the wicked will go unanswered and unpaid when they stand before the throne of God. We can be sure of that.

Verses 17-20

The climax of a great hymn from David, asking for God's intervention in the judgement of the wicked and the salvation of the poor and needy.

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How Majestic Is Your Name (Psalm 8)

This Psalm is a Praise psalm and is unlike some of the Psalms we have considered before. Evidently, David is writing this during a good season in his life because he doesn't make any mention of his troubles. The Psalm can be divided into two parts. In the first part, David attempts to glorify the name of God by describing Him and his works. In the second part, David ponders on the position of mankind in God's created universe.


1. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

David uses the word "Lord" in two different ways here in the opening verse. The first time he uses it, he refers to the revealed name of God, Yahweh. The second time he uses the word, it is to show God's ownership of his life and that of Israel.

2. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.

David ponders on how God has used the weak and the defenseless to make them strong and then wage war against much larger and stronger enemies.

3,4. When I look at your heavens, the works of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

This verse is the heart of the Psalm and possibly the initial thought that made David pen this Psalm. David starts by first acknowledging that the heavens were made by God, but note the words he uses to bring out God's glory in the fullest possible manner. He maintains that the "fingers" of God were involved in the making of the moon and the stars. This is not a contradiction with the Genesis account, but a poetic way of making the Creator larger than the creation. If the fingers of God made the moon and the stars, he wants the reader to understand that the Creator is infinitely larger than creation and that God exists outside of its limitations.

The second part of the verse is a rhetorical question that magnifies God and diminishes mankind. David looks at the heavens in all its glory and then thinks to himself what man is worth in all of creation. He comes to the rather logical assumption that mankind is not worth a mention compared to the vastness of the universe. All pride must be laid down, before one can witness the greatness of God. This is what David tries to do here.

Verses 5-8

In spite of the smallness of man, God has made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned man with glory and honor. Not only that, God also gave man dominion over all the animals that he created. We learn this truth from the creation account in Genesis.This is where the agnostic and the Christian part ways. The agnostic would come to the same conclusion that David came to in the previous verse concerning the insignificance of mankind. In this sense, the agnostics are more honorable that atheists,  as in they at least see their weak nature! However, they refuse to believe that the God or the being that is supposedly responsible for the creation of the universe would have anything to do with mankind. However, they come to this conclusion because they look at the whole scenario through fallen eyes. In their eyes, rulers, creators, bosses and the like are all entitled individuals who don't care a bit about the common man. Then, they project the same character onto God who they think would be worse than the proudest of earthly bosses. This is a wrong conclusion, since God is not a man. God is love, and he loves his creation, especially the human race who he has placed as the crown of creation.

This position that God has given us and the news that we are treasured and loved even to the point that God gave His own Son for us, is the gospel. It is good news, that asks all men to repent and follow this God in this life and the life to come.

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In You Do I Take Refuge (Psalm 7)

The seventh Psalm in the book of psalms, is termed as a Shiggaion. A Shiggaion is defined as an "erratic melody betokening excitement and agitation." So we see that Psalm is again straight from David's heart and he is not concerned about the melody and the aesthetics of the psalm. He simply wants to pour out his heart through this song to God and his hearers.

As one proceeds through this psalm, it is easy to see that David progresses through many stages. In the first stage, David is pleading for divine intervention to deliver him from his enemies. In stage two, he argues his innocence before God, the divine judge and in the last stage he waits patiently for God to act decisively over his enemies.

Verses 1-2
A plea for God to help him, so that his enemies might not destroy him like a lion tears its prey into pieces.

Verses 3-5
David establishes his innocence by boldly saying that he will gladly accept ruin if what his accusers are saying can be proved to be true. The accusation against David was that he repaid evil towards his friends, and plundered his enemies without cause. David, who is absolutely sure of his innocence in this matter asks God to settle the case once and for all to see.

Verses 6-7
A battle cry from David to see his God arise against his many foes.

Verses 8-11
A description of God's attributes. God is a righteous judge, and he judges not by what human eyes can see but by testing the minds and hearts of men. No human court can judge minds and intentions, because they lack the perception to see the deep things of the mind.

Verses 12-16

The result of God's judgement on the wicked is described in very serious language. Verse 12 says, "If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow." How dreadful it is to fall into the hands of the living God. Sometimes, the wicked judge themselves by their own unrighteous acts. This is shown in verse 15 and 16, " He makes a pit digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made. His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends."

Verse 17
David's declaration and decision to give thanks to the Lord and sing praises to His matchless Name.

The principles of judgement found in this Psalm, might sound like wishful thinking on David's part, but we who live in this generation have undeniable proof that it is the truth. Over the last decade, we have witnessed in the news many oppressive leaders being overthrown in the middle east by the people and by this these leaders received the same violent treatment that they dished out on their people. This is true throughout history.

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O Lord, Deliver My Life (Psalm 6)

This Psalm paints a picture out of David's personal struggles and desperation. It is a very intense psalm written from the heart of a man who seems to be crushed from all sides. However, as we have seen time and time again hope springs eternal in David' heart and by the end of the Psalm he is once again in a defiant mood.

1. O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath.

David seems to have made a habit out of starting most of his Psalms with a direct plea to God. This time his plea is for mercy from God. He fears God's rebuke and discipline that come out of His wrath.

2. Be gracious to me, O LORD for I am languishing; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled.

David's condition is expressed in these words. He is completely worn out both physically and emotionally. Even his bones are troubled, which is a way of expressing deep seated grief. We are not given the exact cause of these emotions, but evidently it was caused by men who were David's enemies.

3. My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O LORD --- how long?

In the midst of his trials, David is growing weak and tired of waiting for God's intervention. But, even in the midst of this he continues to hold on to his hope that God will come through in the end.

4. Turn, O LORD, deliver my life, save me for the sake of your steadfast love.

David implores God to deliver him from his troubles for the sake of his steadfast love. David reasons with himself that if God doesn't deliver him that would be against God's essential quality of love.

5. For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise?

David sort of argues with God saying that if he dies now and goes to Sheol (grave), he wont be able to praise God anymore through Psalms or any other means.

6. I am weary with my moaning every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping.

Its been a sleepless season for David where he found himself crying throughout the night. This goes to show the extent of darkness he was experiencing on a day to day basis.

7. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes.

His eyes are weary because of the lack of sleep caused by intense grief.

Verses 8-10

Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping. The LORD has heard my plea, the LORD accepts my prayer. All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled; they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.

This is a sudden change in attitude from David. He goes from pitying himself and his condition to a mood of defiance in a flash. He his completely certain that God has heard his prayer and weeping and will act soon in his defense. He expects God to act and bring trouble on his enemies in a moment, that is to say quickly.

In this Psalm, we can once again not miss David's undying hope in God even in the midst of the most difficult trials. This is a lesson for all of us, to keep hoping and trusting in God in our darkest days. Let us remember that weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Whatever you are going through today, be confident that it too shall pass.

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You are Not Your Body

I just wanted to quickly share this anecdote I read just now. The time is now 11:13 pm and it is time for me to sleep, but I felt like I have to type this up before I sleep so here it goes.

One day in his 80th year... John Quincy Adams was approached by a friend who said, "And how is John Quincy Adams today?"

The former President of the United States replied graciously, "Thank You, John Quincy Adams is well, sir quite well, I thank you. But the house in which he lives at present is becoming dilapidated. It is tottering upon its foundations. Time and the seasons have nearly destroyed it. Its roof is pretty well worn out, its walls are much shattered, and it trembles with every wind. The old tenement is becoming almost uninhabitable, and I think John Quincy Adams will have to move out of it soon; but he himself is quite well, sir quite well." And with this the venerable statesman, leaning heavily upon his cane, moved slowly down the street. (From the Glory of Heaven, by John MacArthur)

The cares of this world have been especially strong these days in my life and I have been feeling rather unwell spiritually. Although I churned out posts each day, it has been a rather tough period in my life. But I was sent this book through the mail and I have been reading it bit by bit and the thoughts of heaven has given me such endurance and relief. Let us set our affection on things above and remember that life on this planet is temporary. Our eternal abode is in Heaven.

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Lead Me in Your Righteousness (Psalm 5)

1. Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning.

Like in the earlier psalms we have considered, David is again crying out to his God for help. His heart is groaning which signifies extreme distress. We all have times like this, it is an inevitable part of human life, but what we do during those times of suffering is what counts.

2. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God for to you do I pray.

David's plea continues here in verse 2. From a human standpoint we have a tendency to doubt whether God really hears our prayers and groaning. In the midst of this doubt, David cries out to God that He would hear his cry.

3. O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice, in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

It is typical for David to contrast his emotions with his faith. In the previous verse he was crying out to God to pay attention to his cries and pleas for help. In this verse, he expresses his confidence that God does hear his voice every morning. This is the triumph of faith over emotions. Faith is above feelings and man's reasoning.

4. For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you.

God does not delight in wickedness. David knew that innately he was a sinner and that he needed a sacrifice to dwell with God. This is why he says "I prepare a sacrifice for you in the morning." For a New Testament believer the sacrifice is already done through Jesus Christ our Lord. We have solid ground to stand upon, however we must take the utmost care to keep ourselves from sin each day.

5. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.

The one who is boastful about his achievements or self righteousness cannot stand before God.

6. You destroy those who speak lies, the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful men.

David expounds on the fact that God hates all evildoers. Can God hate his own creation? It seems like he does from this verse.

7. But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.

Here David contrasts himself with his enemies. They are boastful and full of pride while he is humble. However, note how David trusts in God's abundant and steadfast love to enter the House of God. What an apt description of God's love! Abundant and steadfast (unwavering).

8. Lead me, O Lord in your righteousness because of my enemies make your way straight before me.

David showcases the true mentality of a disciple, that is a desire to continue walking in the way of righteousness. He wants to know more of the way he should go, this is what it means when he says make your way straight. The straighter a road, the farther you can see and the more you can prepare for the journey. It does not mean, the way will be easy it only means that you have an idea of what is on the way.

9. For there is no truth in their mouth; their innermost self is destruction, their throat is an open grave they flatter with their tongue.

David's enemies were evidently liars and lusted for destruction and violence.

10. Make them bear their guilt, O God, let them fall by their own counsels;  because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.

David makes no secret of his desire to see his enemies suffer. But was he right in doing so? In the new testament, Jesus teaches us to pray for our enemies and provide for them when they are hungry.

11. But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.

David wants to see justice done. This is no different from most people, when they see injustice being done on themselves and other innocent people. In this world, justice might not be complete, but it will be in the next age. Each man will have to stand before the throne of God and give an account of his life. Justice will prevail in the end. This is a scary thought, but we who trust in Jesus and his sacrifice have nothing to fear. We have been declared righteous. Amen.

12. For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield.

The righteous man is protected with God's favor.

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Answer Me When I Call (Psalm 4)

Today we are going to look at another psalm of David. Like Psalm 3 this one is also written by David in the midst of trying circumstances and again we see that David trusts and hopes in His God.

1. Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.

A plea of David for God to respond like he did in the past and give him relief in the midst of distress.

2. O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies?

Now the focus changes onto David's enemies who are out to get him. They want to turn David's honor into shame that is to bring him down or destroy him in every way possible. This is comparable to what the Devil, the ultimate enemy of God's people wants to do to them.

3. But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself, the Lord hears when I call him.

David addresses his enemies and lets them know that no matter what they do he belongs to the Lord. Being set apart or being godly refers to separation and holiness. David also reaffirms his faith that his God will answer him even in this present circumstance.

4. Be angry and do not sin; ponder in your hearts on your beds, and be silent.

Paul quotes this admonition in his epistle to the Ephesians thereby shedding light on what the verse actually means. Paul writes that anger must not be cherished and that it must be resolved before the sun goes down. This means that anger must be short lived, not something that we hold on to because in the end anger can lead to sin and rebellion. Also, righteous anger will always be directed at sin and will be mingled with sorrow at the presence of sin. This is the way Jesus experienced anger in his earthly life and is a model for us on how to deal with this emotion.

5. Offer right sacrifices and put your trust in the Lord.

This could be a reference to Cain, who scripture says was angry at Abel because his sacrifices were rejected while Abel's were received. 

6. There are many who say, Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord.

The skeptics who do not trust in God are running around to see something that satisfies, something that is good. Alas, all their searching is in vain, because they lack the joy of the Lord

7. You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.

David has more joy than his enemies, even in his difficult condition.

8. In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord make me dwell in safety.

Not only does he have joy, he also has peace. This peace finds its origin in his faith in God and his realization that God will keep him safe from his enemies.

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Save Me, O My God (Psalm 3)

This is the first of 73 psalms that are attributed to David in the Bible. The superscription tells us that this psalm was penned by David when he fled from Absalom, his son. The words of the psalm are indicative of the struggles that David had to face at the time of its writing. However, it also shows the great hope and peace that David had because he put his complete trust in His God.

1. O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me;

David was in the peculiar position of having his son as his enemy. Under these circumstances, defeating his "enemy" would in reality be a defeat to David at the same time. This is what happened in the end when Absalom was slain by David's men. David did not celebrate his victory rather he cried out aloud in anguish over the son that he lost.

2. Many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God.

People have a tendency to find some kind of happiness in seeing others suffer. This is the nature of sinful human beings and this is why people laugh when others trip and fall or some accident takes place. Because of this nature, people also find joy in being naysayers when bad things happen to people especially to important people. This is what David was going through at the writing of this psalm.

3. But you, O LORD are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head.

David acknowledges that in spite of his circumstances, God was his shield that is to say his protection, his glory (greatness) and the lifter of his head (helper). This is in stark contrast to what the people where saying about him. Every christian can learn a great lesson from this and the lesson is not to pay attention to the words of men rather to hearken unto the voice of God who cannot lie.

4. I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered from his holy hill.

David finds strength by remembering how God saved him in the past in answer to his prayers.

5. I lay down and slept, I woke again for the LORD sustained me.

Even in the most difficult circumstances, David had enough peace from God to relax and sleep.

6. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.

Faith in God always confronts and erases fear. But this is a conscious decision by David to not be afraid of people. Fear is a decision and so is faith. You can either focus on the problem and be afraid of it, or you can focus on God and confront the problem. David chose the latter.

7. Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.

This is the prayer of David. Now that he has put his trust in God, he urges God to act in his defense and save him one more time from those who seek to destroy him.

8. Salvation belongs to the LORD, your blessing be on your people.

Not only does David pray for his deliverance but also that God's blessing might rest on all his people. David also recognizes that salvation belongs to God, whether it be from temporary earthly death or permanent eternal death.

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The Reign of the LORD'S anointed (Psalm 2)

Psalm 2 is a Messianic psalm and in a way expands on the idea of the previous psalm. The author of the psalm is not mentioned in the text, however scholars feel that the style of the psalm shows that it was written by David. Where Psalm 1 talked about being blessed in an individual sense, psalm 2 takes the same idea to a broader scale talking about nations and not individuals.

1. Why do the nations rage and the people plot in vain?

This is a rhetorical question meaning that people plotting against God is useless as it will ultimately end only in failure.

2,3. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, let us burst their bonds apart and cast their cords from us.

This is an apt description of what is going on in the world today. The leaders or kings of the earth are coming together to change the way people look at morality. Biblical morality is seen as a yoke that no can bear and they want to cast it off, not knowing that these are borders put in place by God for human well being. The use of the word anointed refers to David in the more immediate sense, but ultimately it refers to the Messiah.

4. He who sits in heaven laughs, the Lord holds them in derision.

This silly rebellion by weak men is not a threat to God or His Kingdom, in fact it only makes God laugh at the foolishness of men who think they are wise.

5,6. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury saying, "As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill"

After witnessing the rebellion by men, God has proclaimed that whatever they do they cannot stop Him from setting His King on Zion, Jerusalem's most prominent hill. The word King here again refers to David and the Messiah at the same time. In the end, the Lord's anointed one, Israel's true King will reign and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. This is final, no amount of conspiracy or planning can change this decree.

7. I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you.

Also read 2 Samuel 7:8-16

The reference above is about the covenant that God made with David. If you read it carefully, you will see that the covenant is an unconditional covenant and was ultimately meant to bring the Messiah to the scene. The Son referred to in the verse is undoubtedly Jesus Christ, but it was told to David. This might be confusing, but when you think of it David was only an image of the greater David who is Jesus Christ.

8. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.

Matthew Henry's commentary on this verse sheds light on its true meaning.

The Son must ask. This supposes his putting himself voluntarily into a state of inferiority to the Father, by taking upon him the human nature; for, as God, he was equal in power and glory with the Father and had nothing to ask,

9. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potters vessel.

Again this is a continuation of the divine decree. The imagery here shows the impending judgement that is to come on the entire world even on the rulers of the world.

10,11. Now therefore, O kings, be wise, be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.

This is the ideal reaction that must come from the rulers of the earth that conspire against God after realizing that God's decree is final. They are asked to be wise, that is to see their folly and turn from it. They are also given the privilege to serve the Lord with fear and rejoicing.

12. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.

Kissing the Son, means pledging alliance to Jesus the King. Those who do not pledge alliance to the King of kings will surely perish in the way of History. Those who on the other hand do swear allegiance to the King are blessed as they have taken refuge in Him. These He will make part of His church, the body of Christ on earth.

Psalm 3 tomorrow :)

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The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked (Psalm 1)

We are about to begin an exciting journey into the world of Psalms. As I type this, I am excited as well as anxious. I am excited because I am sure that studying these Psalms like never before will have a great effect on my spiritual life. At the same time, I am anxious because this is a very long book and going through it and internalizing it will be very challenging and will require a lot of dedication and discipline from my part. But as our Lord said, each day has its own worry. So, I am not going to look forward too much. I am going to relax, take it in slowly and trust in the Lord. I hope you do the same.

PSALM 1

This particular psalm has only 6 verses, but it covers a broad spectrum. The idea of the psalm is to compare and contrast between the righteous and the wicked. There are only two kinds of people in the world, the righteous and the wicked. People who do not have the righteousness of Christ imputed to them are innately wicked. We know this since scripture teaches us that all men have fallen short of the glory of God. In essence, the whole Bible is about God in His sovereign grace redeeming wicked sinners and making him them righteous by imputing to them a righteousness that is not their own.

1. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of the sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.

Have you ever wondered what the word "blessed" means? The word is used very frequently among Christian circles, but many don't know the true definition of this word. After doing a bit of study on the word myself, this is what I felt was the best definition. Being blessed means having a deep seated joy and contentment in God. When I say deep seated, I mean that it is not affected by anything, except when it comes to sin. The blessed man remains joyful and content irrespective of the circumstances that he encounters. Do you have such joy and contentment or are you substituting true joy with entertainment and other worldly things? Ponder on this. 

The Psalm tells us that the blessed man does not walk, stand or sit with scoffers. Note that it does not mention anything about complete avoidance. As we live in this world, contact with wicked people is inevitable or like Paul said we might have to leave this world. However, we decide whether or not we walk with them, take advice from them and sit with them. Friendship with the world is enmity with God. When we walk in the counsel of the ungodly or wicked we reject the counsel of the Lord. Walking leads to standing and then sitting, that is being completely absorbed in the things of the world. It is a downward spiral, and the blessed man avoids this by not getting too comfortable and cozy in this world.

2. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

The blessed man delights or finds joy in the laws or ways of the Lord. The Bible tells us the way to live life, it doesn't tell you who to marry or what profession you must have. It doesn't tell you how many children to have, or where to live. This means that no matter who you marry, or what you do in life, or how many children you decide to have, God is only concerned with how you play these roles in life. The blessed man meditates on God's Word continually for direction and insight. This keeps him from not having to delight in the way of sinners.

3. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither.

A healthy tree is an apt symbol for a blessed man especially in the harsh terrain of Israel. In our study of the word blessed, we said that the blessed man has a deep seated joy and contentment with God. This is the individual or inner side of being blessed. However, out of the inner state of being blessed flows the outer signs of being blessed. The man blessed by God will be fruitful, and will prosper in all that he does because he only does what his Lord wants him to do. 

4. The wicked are not so, but are like the chaff that the wind drives away.

So far, we have been talking about the blessed man or the righteous man. But as we saw in the introduction to this psalm, there is a second type of man - the wicked. While the blessed man is planted, signifying security and permanence, the wicked is like chaff that blows away in the wind. He is affected by circumstances, though he looks beautiful now he will not be able to withstand the wind that is to come. The chaff is also a symbol of worthlessness.

5. Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

God's judgement on the wicked will be strong and final. It will be an irreversible judgement that finally once and for all divides the wicked and the righteous. Everything will be exposed, here on earth we have difficulty separating the tares and the wheat. But, on judgement day the separation will be complete and final. It will be a dreadful day for the wicked, but for the righteous it will the most glorious day. 

6. for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Broad is the way that leads to destruction and many go through it. The way of the wicked is the world's way.  It is a way where gratification of sinful desires is glorified and God is shunned as old, superstitious and unwanted. But the Lord knows the way of the righteous, this means that God is personally involved in the lives of his saints. He is not just sitting on his throne and giving his recognition to the righteous but his intimately involved in everything that they do and go through.

I hope that you enjoyed reading through this post. Maybe you just stumbled across this blog accidentally, but it would mean the world to me if you would comment and suggest anything that would make the blog better and more edifying for our Lord's church.

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CRAZY LOVE Chapter 1 - Stop Praying

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Study of Psalms Coming up

Let me cut right to the chase. I will be beginning a new series on the Psalms tomorrow. The vacation in the north east is done and I am back in Texas again. I had a wonderful two weeks with my cousins and their family during which I was recharged and redirected regarding my future. but now that I am back and the lawn is mowed, I am looking forward to beginning the study on the longest book in scripture. Its going to be a wonderful experience and I welcome you to join me in the journey.

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Vacationing in Delaware

I haven't been able to post anything since I am in Delaware right now. I will be back home in Houston on June 2nd. I hope to resume blogging before June 2nd though. Expect a new post tomorrow.

Bye. God Bless.

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