Remember Me (2)

Remember Me, (2)

“Great are thy tender mercies, O LORD:

quicken me according to thy judgments.”

Psalm 119: 156, KJV

The thief hanging from his cross cried out to Jesus—the man on the middle cross— “Remember me …”  In his tender mercies, the Lord remembered the thief, promising him a place in paradise.

The only way we can be remembered and made alive in the Lord—quickened—according to his judgments, is by receiving his gracious gift, full of his tender mercies, through Jesus Christ.

“Not by works of righteousness we have done,

but according to his mercy

he saved us,

by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost:”

Titus 3:5, KJV

 Mercy meets righteousness on the cross of Jesus Christ.

Not by works of righteousness we have done,

“The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed … (Ps. 103:6

“Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3: 22-23, KJV

We, in our sin, are the oppressed. God’s judgment upon us is death. Because of the Lord’s tender mercies, he has reversed that judgment on those who by faith believed Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, who took our judgment of death and has given us life.

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Corinthians 5: 21, KJV

… but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost

• The LORD is merciful and gracious,
• slow to anger,
• and plenteous in mercy.
• He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
• He hath not dealt with us after our sins;
• nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

For as the heaven is high above the earth,

so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

As far as the east is from the west,

so far hath he removed our transgressions from us …

the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting

upon them that fear him,

and his righteousness unto children’s children;

To such as keep his covenant,

and to those that remember his commandments to do them …

Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion:

bless the LORD, O my soul.”

Psalm 103: 6, 8-12; 17-18, 22, KJV

Who receives the tender mercies of our Lord? According to his word, his righteous judgments—

• Those who come to the knowledge of their need for mercy and by faith in Jesus Christ, ask to receive his mercy.
• Those who fear the Lord, believing he is righteous, has carried out his righteous judgment in Christ’s death, and will carry it out in both the believer and the unbelieving—one to eternal life and one to eternal judgment.

We who have received the tender mercies of the Lord(which all have, including those who do not recognize this gracious gift) let us—

“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

• Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;
• who healeth all thy diseases;
• Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;
• who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
• Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Psalm 103: 1-5, KJV

Praise ye the Lord … We have been remembered.

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Remember Me

Remember Me

“Great are thy tender mercies, O LORD:

quicken me according to thy judgments.”

Psalm 119: 156

The sun began to hide its glory behind the gathering clouds rumbling across the sky. Three men hung on Roman crosses atop the foreboding skull-like hill. A crowd focused on the man in the middle.

“He saved others,” some screamed, “let him save himself.”

“Yes, then we will believe,” shouted another, “come down from your cross, then we will believe.”

The thief hanging from his stake off to the left of the man in the middle challenged the suffering servant on the center cross. “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us.”

His mocking tone irritated the thief hanging to the right of the beaten man in the middle. After three hours of torture, the second thief had come to realize his plight. Just the task of taking a breath drained him of the little strength he had left. He turned his face toward the first thief. “Do you not fear God. We are guilty. We deserve our sentence of death.”

He turned his eyes toward the man in the middle. “But this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” He raised himself up by his feet and took in another breath of air.

“And he said unto Jesus,

Lord, remember me

when thou comest into thy kingdom.”

“And Jesus said unto him,

Verily I say unto thee,

to day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

Luke 23: 42-43

That day, in his own agony, Jesus extended mercy to the undeserving thief who received the gracious gift and found a place in the kingdom of God. Jesus didn’t withhold his mercy from the first thief—but the gift was spurned and the first thief found no relief from his misery—only a just judgment.

Every person through all the ages hangs beside the man in the middle. We are all guilty before a just and holy God with no strength to save ourselves from his just judgment. But praise God, for his grace has given us Jesus who is the revelation of the Lord’s mercy.

Grace provides mercy. Mercy received withholds rightful judgment. Mercy spurned receives judgment. We are either the thief on the right or the left.

“Let the wicked forsake his way,

and the unrighteous man his thoughts:

and let him return unto the Lord,

and he will have mercy upon him;

and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon …

BLESSED ARE THEY WHOSE INIQUITIES ARE FORGIVEN,

AND WHOSE SINS ARE COVERED.

BLESSED IS THE MAN TO WHOM THE LORD

WILL NOT IMPUTE SIN.”

Isaiah 55: 7; Romans 4: 7-8, KJV  

Have you cried out to the man in the middle to remember you? It’s a call you don’t want to forget to make. Which thief do you identify with?

A Tasty Morsel

A Tasty Morsel

Photo by Vidal Balielo Jr. on Pexels.com

“Thy word is very pure:

therefore thy servant loveth it.”

Psalm 119: 140, KJV

The dark chocolate candied cherry beckoned my taste buds to delight in the delicacy’s rich smooth sweetness filled with syrupy goodness. I had tasted this kind of confection before and knew the pure deliciousness waiting to be enjoyed—I loved chocolate from my first bite.

As I love chocolate, especially dark chocolate, the psalmist must have loved honey. For concerning the pure word of God, he writes—

“How sweet are thy words unto my taste!

Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth.”

Psalm 119: 103, KJV

People, including me, write easily of the things we love, using the word unrecognizable to its truest meaning. True love brings delight to the heart of a person, a sense of satisfaction, and completion. It is not dependent on circumstances or feelings. True love receives and shares what has been given.

The psalmist received those things from the pure word of God, the Scriptures. I believe a read through of Psalm 119 shows the psalmist fully immersing himself in the pure riches of God’s word, mining great treasures of joy, contentment, and fulfillment in life wrapped in God’s everlasting love.

God’s word is like a box of chocolates enticing us to—

“O taste and see that the LORD is good:

blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”

Psalm 34: 8, KJV

Open the Book of God’s goodness and find his love inside—taste and see it is good.

“For God so loved the world,

that he gave his only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,

but have everlasting life …

But God commendeth his love toward us,

in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us …

Behold, what manner of love

the Father hath bestowed upon us,

that we should be called the sons of God …”

Romans 5:8; John 3:16; 1 John 3:1a, KJV

With so many in this broken world tasting everything they can to find love and being rewarded with disappointment in a cheap imitation chocolate, it’s time to open the Book and find the true love that fully satisfies our need.

Love is not the only delicious piece to eat, for the whole box is wrapped in God’s goodness. Dig in and find his—

• Grace—“For the LORD God is a sun and shield: The LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11,KJV
• Mercy—“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;” Titus 3:5, KJV
• Forgiveness—“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;” Ephesians 1:7, KJV

These tasty morsels wrapped in God’s word invite us to reach for more of God’s goodness and be so filled we can’t wait to share his sweet goodness with others, telling them his—

“words were found, and I did eat them;

and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart:

for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.”

Jeremiah 15:16, KJV

The Lord God pours his love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness into those who will taste of his goodness. He calls us his sons and daughters. What’s not to love about the pure word of God? What tasty morsel of God’s draws you to his word?

According To His Word

According to Thy Word

“Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, even thy salvation,

according to thy word.”

Psalm 119:41, KJV

The son of man stood bound before his judge—one unable to discern the living Word standing before him, the Son of God, the King of kings. Pilate asked Jesus if he was a king. Jesus answered with—

“Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world,

that I should bear witness unto the truth.

Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.” John 18:36, KJV

Pilate replied, “What is truth?”

People continue to ask that question today. Like Pilate, the world searches for truth, but they are blind to the truth standing before them.

• Multitudes don’t believe it,
• twist it,
• fear to proclaim it,
• and walk away from it.

John, the apostle, wrote Jesus’s words stating, “Thy word is truth.”

Jesus, the living Word of God, said, “I am … the truth.” Not only did he make these statements, he lived the truth. He is truth.

When the psalmist asked the Lord to send his mercies and his salvation, according to his word, those same mercies he asked for, gave birth to hope. In his loving kindness, the Lord’s salvation has come to us. The truth has found it’s way into our hearts.

God’s grace lavishes us with his mercies—

payment for our sin debt,

cleansing from the sins of the past,

strength to live in victory over sin,

and eternal life.

• According to his word, and his word is truth,

“It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

They are new every morning:

great is thy faithfulness.

The LORD is my portion, saith my soul:

therefore will I hope in Him.” Lamentations 3:22-24, KJV

• According to his word and his word is truth,

“FOR WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED.” Romans 10:13, KJV

• According to his word, and his word is truth,

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear,we shall be like him;

for we shall see him as he is.

And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” 1 John 3:2-3, KJV

• According to his word, and his word is truth,

“Being confident of this very thing,

that he which hath began a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6, KJV

• According to his word, and his word is truth,

“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.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself,

that where I am, there ye may be also …

I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” John 14:2-3, Matthew 28:20b, KJV

Truth does not have to be believed—it remains the truth. Truth can’t be twisted—for then it is no longer the truth. Fearing to speak the truth—will not prevent it from be revealed. Walking away from the truth—will not bring freedom but captivity.

• According to his word, and his word is truth,

“If ye continue in my word then are ye my disciples indeed;

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31b-32, KJV

If you, like Pilate, have asked, “What is truth?”,  according to his word, and his word is truth, Jesus is the truth. Know him and you will know truth. Truth never changes. Truth endures forever.

“The grass withereth,

the flower fadeth:

but the word of our God shall stand for ever …

O give thanks unto the LORD;

for he is good:

for his mercy endureth for ever.”

Isaiah 40:8; Psalm 136:1, KJV

With his mercies come salvation.

Mercy Cries

Has the pain of sorrow ever consumed your soul to the point you believe there can be no more tears left to cry? What experience brought you to that place? The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah experienced such pain of sorrow.

“Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water

for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without intermission,”

Lamentations 3:48,49.

The destruction of Jerusalem caused his pain. He had warned the people time and again with no avail. In fact, his people turned against him. They would not listen. Now the destruction had come. But why?

• “for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy…
• Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed.” Lamentations 1:5,8.

Jeremiah was not the only one to weep over Jerusalem. Jesus entered Jerusalem for His final Passover Celebration on a donkey. The people cried out,

“BLESSED BE THE KING THAT COMETH IN THE NAME OF THE LORD: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest…and when he was come near,

he beheld the city, and wept over it,

Saying, If thou hadst known,

even thou, at least in this thy day,

the things which belong unto thy peace!

But now they are hid from thine eyes.

• For the days shall come upon thee,
• that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,
• And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee;
• and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another;
• because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.” Luke 19:38,41-44.

Why did Jesus cry? ; “because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.”

“He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”

John 1:11

“But though he had done so many miracles before them,

yet they believed not on him:”

John 12:37.

Jesus prepared his disciples for the rejection to come.

“Saying,

The Son of man must suffer many things,

and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes,

and be slain and be raised the third day.” Luke 9:22…

“The Jews answered him[Pilate],

We have a law, and by our law he ought to die,

because he made himself the Son of God…

they cried out,

Away with him, away with him,

crucify him.

Pilate saith unto them,

Shall I crucify your King?

The chief priest answered,

We have no king but Caesar.”

John 19:7,15

Jesus cried because the people chose sin and death instead of righteousness and life. They missed the way of life before them. He knew the wages of their sin.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,

thou that killest the prophets, and

stonest them which are sent unto thee,

how often would I have gathered thy children together,

even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings,

and ye would not!

Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.”

Matthew 23:37-38

Jeremiah and Jesus shared an agony over the people’s disbelief. Jeremiah reminds us there is another way, a way of faith. Where faith is mixed with the mercy of God, hope lives.

• “This I recall to my mind,
• therefore have I hope.
• It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed,
• because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning:
• great is thy faithfulness.
• The LORD is my portion, saith my soul;
• therefore will I hope in him.” Lamentations 3:21-24.

The Lord’s mercy did not leave Israel without hope nor has His mercy left us without hope. For He is faithful to perform all His word.

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel;

for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

and hath raised up an horn of salvation

for us in the house of his servant David;

As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets,

which have been since the world began:

That we should be saved from our enemies,

and from the had of all that hate us;

to perform the mercy promised to our fathers,

and to remember his holy covenant:

The oath which he sware to our father Abraham…”

Luke 1:68-73.

Israel’s hope is our hope. The oath God swore to Abraham includes the Gentiles, us, the non-Jewish world. Their hope is our hope. From before time began God’s plan included all, to give us all His mercy and hope.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,

saith the LORD,

thoughts of peace, and not of evil,

to give you an expected end”[hope].

Jeremiah 29:11.

“For I would not brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery…that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

And so all Israel shall be saved…

For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

For as ye[Gentiles] in times past have not believed God,

yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:

Even so have these also now not believed,

that through your mercy

they also may obtain mercy.

For God hath concluded them all in unbelief,

that he might have mercy upon all.”

(Taken from Romans 11:25-32.)

Jesus Christ is God’s mercy in action. His mercy is our hope.

“But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour

toward man appeared,

Not by works of righteousness which we have done,

but according to his mercy he saved us,

by the washing of regeneration,

and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Which he shed on us abundantly

through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

that being justified by his grace,

we should be made heirs

according to the hope of eternal life.”

Titus 3:4-7.

Our Savior cried for those who would live their days without receiving the mercy He brought. They chose to live in false hope rather than receive true hope. He cried for those who would make His sacrifice, His death on the cross worthless. He cried for there is no need for the perishing to perish. His mercy continues to cry.

I wonder, do we have such a love for the lost, the dying? Who are our tears for?

Heroes, Villains and Your Heart

“And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go…Then the officers of the children of Israel…met Moses and Aaron…and they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.” (Ex. 5:2,21).

The antagonists in Exodus are like a dripping faucet that will not quit, but what is a good story without at least one antagonist?  Without a villain, no hero arrives to save the day. Many would tag Moses as the hero of Exodus and Pharaoh as the villain. I believe Moses is the instrument of the real Hero, as Pharaoh is the instrument of the real villain. Another antagonist in Exodus is the product of our flesh as seen in the people of Israel as they continually desired to return to Egypt.

Unlike Moses who, “Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.” They lost sight of the reward for the temporary comforts of the world, including bondage under a hard hearted Pharaoh, who opposed God at every turn.

The LORD God revealed himself to Pharaoh through the words of Moses.  “And the LORD said unto Moses…do all these wonders before Pharaoh…but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go…say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn…Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.” Ex. 4:21-23.

Why did the LORD God harden Pharaoh’s heart? Did God leave Pharaoh without opportunity for repentance?

First, the word Pharaoh received he did not believe. This was his first opportunity to turn from his wickedness, his rebellion.

“And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice…”

With that statement judgment began.

“Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments…Ex. 6:6;

Four hundred years of slavery, bondage, murder and oppression of God’s children ended the time of turning for Egypt. Satan had worked through the Pharaohs attempting to destroy the promised seed of Abraham, who would bless all nations. If he destroyed Israel, he destroyed the seed. But God does not forget his covenant. Pharaoh would see the power of the LORD in the judgments to come.

Each plague the Lord put upon Egypt evidenced the power of God before Pharaoh. Each time Pharaoh had a choice but each time the choice became easier and easier to be rebellion. He would not bow to the Hebrew God.

“And the LORD said unto Moses…stand before Pharaoh, and say…Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth…thou shalt be cut off from the earth…for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth. As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go?” Ex. 9:13-17.

Those who believed the word of the Lord were spared. But when Pharaoh saw the thunders and hail end, “…he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened…”

The end of Pharaoh’s hardened heart would be destruction. Sin had done its work and would have its wages. “He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” Prov. 29:1.

Pharaoh’s kingdom was not unlike the coming kingdom of the beast in the end times. “And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.” Rev. 16:10,11.

Many things of God we don’t fully understand. Let’s cling to what we do know. “But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.” Rom. 2:2. Judgment comes after opportunities are rejected.

God could not be holy if He did not judge sin. And His final judgment came in the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ. Receive Christ’s judgment as your own or receive judgment on your self.

“…we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him…TODAY IF YE WILL HEAR HIS VOICE, HARDEN NOT YOUR HEARTS.”( 2Cor. 5:20-21;Heb. 4:7)

You have heard the word. Will you receive or reject it? Guard your heart.

 

 

 

King of Glory, The Sequel

Yesterday the challenge to be among, “…the generation of them that seek him…” went out. Consider today, if you are among those who seek the King of Glory, what you will find?  The Hebrew word, kabod, used for glory, also carries the meaning of weight, honor, esteem, majesty, abundance, wealth. Society’s hunger for abundance and wealth caused me to look at King of Glory as the King of Abundance. Abundance of what, you ask?

“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” Ps. 136:1.

“…for he is good…” Good is also translated kindness. “Or despises thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance…O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever…

That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus… Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever…

But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared…according to his mercy he saved us…which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour…being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according  to the hope of eternal life…The voice of joy…shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever…” (Rom. 2:4; 1Chron. 16;34; Eph. 2:7; Ps. 106:1; Titus 3:4-7; Jere. 33;11).

The abundant goodness of God reveals His character in the kindness of His actions toward us and is an extension of His rich mercy.

“…for his mercy endureth for ever…”  

“Who remembered us in our low estate…Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NO, NOT ONE…NONE THAT DOETH GOOD…THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES…For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…sin entered the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”(Ps. 136:23; Rom. 3:9-23).

“…And hath redeemed us from our enemies…”…ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things…from your vain conversation…But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot…Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.” (1Pet. 1:18-21).

“…Who giveth food to all flesh…” “The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand and satisfies the desire of every living thing…The LORD is nigh unto … all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them…for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.(Ps. 145:15-19; Matt. 6:32, 33).

And when you find your self caught in a web of sorrow and trials, when temptation questions the truth of the King of Abundant Goodness and Mercy asking, “Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Answer as Asaph did in Psalm 77. “…This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will mediate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary. who is so great a God as our God? Thou art the God that doest wonders…” Ps. 77: 8-14.

“O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.  Give thanks to the King of abundant goodness and mercy…He endures forever and “…takes pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.” Ps.147:11.  He, “…is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” Eph. 3:20. Seek the King of Glory. He will be found.