Weekly Sermon

This sermon is a companion to a previous sermon:  Rich in the Realm of Faith (Part 1) - James 2:5 

James 2:5 reads, “Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?”

James 2:5 indicate that those from the poor class in relation to this world who place their trust in Christ as Savior are chosen by God to be rich in relation to His kingdom.  Regardless of their poor status in the realm of this world, they possess an abundantly rich status in the realm of faith.  Indeed, every one of us who are the children of God through faith in Christ is spiritually rich in the realm of faith.  These spiritual riches may be considered from two perspectives.  First, we may consider our spiritual riches in the realm of faith in relation to our eternal salvation.  Second, we may consider our spiritual riches in the realm of faith in relation to our daily walk.  Already in first part of the message, we considered the first of these truths.  Now, in this second part of the message, let us consider the second of these truths.

Meditations in Joshua

Joshua 6:1-2 – “Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.  And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.”

Joshua and the children of Israel did not acquire victory over the city of Jericho through their own ability or ingenuity.  Rather, they acquired victory over the city of Jericho only through the power of the Lord their God.  The Lord’s favor was upon them, and the Lord’s power granted the victory.  Yet there were a number of prerequisites that the Lord required of them before He would grant the victory.  These prerequisites are revealed in the earlier chapters of Joshua.  In like manner, we ourselves can only find victory in the spiritual battles of our daily lives through the favor and power of the Lord our God.  Yet again, there are a number of prerequisites that the Lord our God requires for us to fulfill in order that He might grant us His favor and power for victory. 

Weekly Sermon

This sermon is a companion to three previous sermons:  Consider Your Priorities - Haggai 1:5    
                                                                                         Consider the Lord's Pleasure - Haggai 1:8      
                                                                                         Consider Our Lord's Purpose - Haggai 2:10-19    

Haggai 2:10 gives the report, “In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying.”  Then in Haggai 2:18-19 we come to the conclusion of that message where our Lord declared through His prophet, “Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the LORD’S temple was laid, consider it.  Is the seed yet in the barn?  Yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you.”  Finally, in Haggai 2:20-23 our Lord delivered a second message on the same day through His prophet Haggai.  There we read, “And again the word of the LORD came unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying, Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth; and I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.  In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the LORD, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the LORD of hosts.”

In Haggai 2:15-17 the Lord had instructed His people at that time to consider His hand of chastening against them and to consider His purpose in that chastening.  Yet in Haggai 2:18-19 the Lord instructed them to consider another matter.  In these two verses, the Lord gave promise to reverse their situation.  Until that time His hand of chastening had been against them, but from that time forward He promised to open His hand of blessing upon them.  At the end of verse 19, the Lord proclaimed, “From this day will I bless you.”  He had confronted them and chastened them for their sinful priorities and ways, and they had repented of those sinful priorities and ways.  Thus from that day of their repentance forward, the Lord promised to bless them.  Even so, the Lord instructed them to consider His promise.  In like manner, we ourselves also need to consider our Lord’s promise to those who will repent of their sinful ways and return unto the Lord.

Meditations in Exodus

This meditation is a companion to a previous meditation:  
                            Gather the Elders, and Say unto Them - Exodus 3:16-22 (Pt. 1)    

Exodus 3:16-17 reads, “Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt: and I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.”

In Exodus 3:9-10 the Lord God expressed his call upon Moses to send Moses as His instrument of deliverance for His people Israel.  In verse 11 Moses responded with the question, “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?”  In verse 12 the Lord God answered Moses’ question by promising to be with Moses and to enable Moses in fulfilling His call.  Then in verse 13 Moses asked a second question – “Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?”  To this question the Lord God gave answer in verse 14-15, declaring – “I AM THAT I AM.”  “Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”  “Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.”

Even so, on the ground of this declaration, the Lord God then instructed Moses to “go, and gather the elders of Israel together,” and to deliver the message of verses 16-22 unto them.  Herein it is worthy of notice that although this message certainly pertained unto the entire nation of Israel, it was to be delivered specifically unto the elders of Israel, unto the leadership of Israel.  Indeed, Exodus 3:16-22 provides encouragement and exhortation to those who serve in leadership for God’s people.  In the first part of the meditation (see above), we considered three elements from Exodus 3:16-18 -- that the Lord our God knows personally of our need (the Lord's personal care), that the Lord our God promises to help us in our need (the Lord's promised help), and that the Lord our God calls us to serve Him in this world (our public service).  In this second part of the meditation, we shall consider three further elements from Exodus 3:19-22.

Outlines in Psalms

This outline is a companion to a previous outline:  O God, Why - Psalm 74    

In that time of the Old Testament, the enemies for the Israelites were the foreign nations around them, that were attacking and afflicting them.  In this time of the New Testament, the primary enemy for us believers is not a “flesh and blood enemy,” but is our spiritual adversary the devil, who “as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” spiritually. (See Ephesians 6:11-12; 1 Peter 5:8)

The Introduction:

Psalm 74:3 – “Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.”

Weekly Sermon

2 Corinthians 2:11 reads, “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

Brethren, I would direct your attention to the opening phrase of this verse – “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us.” Let us then consider three truths concerning our spiritual warfare against our adversary the devil and concerning the manner by which he might get a spiritual advantage over us.

Meditations in Exodus

In Exodus 3:9-10 the Lord God revealed His purpose to Moses, saying, “Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.  Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.”

In Exodus 3:7-8 the Lord God had revealed that He knows the sorrows of His people and that He is moved to deliver His people from their sorrows.  As He continued His message unto Moses from “the burning bush,” He further revealed unto Moses His purpose and plan for the deliverance of His people.  Indeed, the Lord God expressed His call upon Moses to send Moses as His instrument of deliverance.  Even so, we find so often that when the Lord our God moves on behalf of His people, He does so by calling and sending a man through whom He might accomplish His work.