A GOOD CONCLUSION

“But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all Your works" (Psalm 73:28 NKJV).

The prosperity of the wicked has been perplexing the Psalmist here in Psalm 73. But in this last verse, he came to a good conclusion. He concluded that righteousness was still the best way of life regardless of how the wicked prospered. Thus we want to note the association, salvation, and declaration in this good conclusion.

Association – “But it is good for me to draw near to God.” In spite of what the world thinks and regardless of the prosperity of the wicked, it is still good to be near God. And how do we draw near to God? We draw near to God through the study of His Word, through prayer, and through worship. Not practicing these three things means that we are having much fellowship or association with God.

Salvation – “I have put my trust in the Lord GOD.” The word “trust” means to flee to a place of refuge, shelter, and protection. The Psalmist says he finds safety in God. Notice also that this pursuit is personal – “I have put my trust in the Lord.” We cannot rely on another person’s salvation, nor can others do it for us. We each must personally come to Christ for salvation.

Declaration - “That I may declare all Your works.” We will not do much declaring of God’s wondrous works if we do not associate with God and if we have not come to Christ for salvation. However, when we associate with God and find salvation in Him, we will witness for God; we will testify about Him. Psalm 107:2 states, “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy.” It is the redeemed who have a testimony, not the unsaved. It is those who know God who can declare His works.

(Adapted from Butler Daily Bible Reading)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“A passion for Jesus soon becomes a passion for telling others about Jesus!”

Anonymous

Word Study

Distance (afar off)

In Luke 18:13 we read, “And the tax collector, standing afar off (some distance away), would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me a sinner!” (NKJV).

Distance (afar off) is the Greek word makrothen (μακρόθεν = mak-roth'-en). It is an adverb which speaks of location and means from far away, from a distance. The word is used both figuratively and literally in the New Testament. Here in Luke 18, it is used literally as the tax collector is standing away from the Pharisee.

But it’s not just about being alienated from the society because of his profession, it’s about being alienated, far off from God because of his sin. And while the tax collector was unwilling to lift his eyes to heaven, the Pharisee has no such reservation, being convinced of his righteousness before God. And the irony is that while the Pharisee kept his distance from this dishonest, and irreligious tax collector, God keeps His distance from this self-righteous Pharisee.

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – Messiah’s resurrection predicted (Psalm 30:3)

New Testament Fulfillment – Acts 2:32

Did You Know…

The Book of Esther is the only book in the Bible that never mentions God by name. It records no miracles and no direct intervention of God at all. In Esther’s story, the Lord redeems His people through the faith and courage of one strategically placed woman and her cousin. The Persian name Esther means ‘star,’ and her Hebrew name Hadassah means ‘myrtle.’ It’s interesting to note that the myrtle tree bears a flower that looks like a star.

Bible Quiz

How is faith described in the book of Hebrews?

**Answer to last week’s trivia: This man was so excited about hearing from God that he invited his family and friends to come and listen. Who was he? Cornelius (Acts 10:24).

Everyday Expressions Alluded to in the Bible

"As long as there is life, there is hope”

“But for him who is joined to all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion” (Ecc. 9:4 NKJV).

“As long as there is life, there is hope” - The expression “as long as there is life, there is hope” carries the idea of always believe. Life has advantages over death. Comparing the lot of a live dog with that of a dead lion, Solomon affirmed that it is better to be alive and dishonored than to be honored and dead. The living at least have consciousness and hope, things they can look forward to enjoying. But the dead have no consciousness or hope of reward or enjoyment. Solomon is pointing out that at death, we lose the opportunities of this present life, opportunities for serving God and enjoying His gifts.

Did You Know – Christian History

Pierre Poiret Naudé was born April 15, 1646 in Metz, France. He was a prominent 17th Century French mystic and Christian philosopher.

After the early death of his parents, Pierre supported himself as an engraver and teaching French, while studying theology. He was influenced by the writings of Thomas à Kempis and Tauler, but was especially influenced by the writings Dutch Mennonite mystic Hendrik Jansen van Barneveldt.

In 1676 Pierre settled in Amsterdam, and in 1766 published his Cogitationzs rationales de Deo, anima, et Malo, which gained him an immediate reputation for scholarship and philosophic insight. He also was the first man to develop a fully worked out dispensationalist system. Dispensationalism is often traced back to John Darby, who made it popular. However, Pierre’s system said that God has dealt with or will deal with people on earth under seven dispensations (economies) between creation and the end of the Millennium (thousand-year rule of Christ).

Unlike many mystics, who tend to go astray under the spell of their own mental or spiritual impressions, Pierre never wavered from the doctrine of the trinity and always appealed to Scripture as his final authority. His advice was often very practical. According to Pierre, “to successfully renounce ourselves and no longer follow our sensual nature, we must pray continually.” But prayer must be more than mouthing words. Pierre believed that people who mouthed words insult God.

Pierre also pastored several churches. Later he left the pulpit to follow Antoinette Bourignon, another mystic. He spent years studying with her and after her death, wrote a defense of her. His books, a collection of the lives and writings of mystics showed that mysticism was defensible. Some of his arguments in favor of it caused his contemporaries to revise their theologies.

Pierre died on May 21, 1719. His influence lived on through his disciple Gerhard Tersteegen and in the Pietistic movement which attempted to give Christian life more feeling and make it less formal.

A Little Humor

A church convention of over 1000 delegates met for a week in a certain city. “I suppose business is good with all these delegates here,” said a regular customer to one of the storekeepers. “They came with the Ten Commandments in one hand and a $10 bill in the other hand, and they haven’t broken either one of them yet,” lamented the storekeeper.

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“A religion that costs nothing is worth nothing!”