The LORD's Day April 27, 2008

Pursuing Godliness

Proverbs 23.17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.


There is a battle that we all face from time to time. It is a temptation. It is envying sinners.

1. Why is envying sinners so enticing? Psalm 73

Their prosperity. (v.3)
Riches have a way of enticing us- especially other people’s riches Then when we think (and this is a dangerous thing) “I have been faithful. I have given 10% of my income and more to the LORD. I obey Him... I-I-I...aye aye aye .. look at me I don’t have anywhere near what this person has, wicked as they are ”

We realize that some has come to them from ripping people off, being dishonest and lying. Put all this in the hopper and you have the recipe for some very very bad thinking We begin to think- they really didn’t have to work hard- not as hard I do- and look all they got. Life is not fair.Then someone comes along with a get rich scheme and you become their next victim

They have no struggles. (v.4a)
This is deceptive because it is not true They definitely do not have the same struggles as you because their battle is against flesh and blood- yours is against principalities and powers in the spiritual realm. Ephesians 6.12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Those living in sin are not bothered by them- they live in darkness but you are children of the light We are in a daily battle

Their health. (v.4b)
They have healthy and strong bodies. Remember (some of us can) the commercial for Wonder Bread- Wonder helps build strong bodies 12 ways. I wanted a strong body so I would beg my mom to buy Wonder Bread- she would say that the store brand was just as good but the guy on the TV convinced me and others we needed Wonder Bread and only Wonder Bread would do.

We pray for someone to be healed but it seems like wicked people never get sick. We just don’t understand. Then we begin to envy them. We take care of our bodies and try to treat them as temples of the Holy Spirit but the sinners don’t - they abuse their bodies and don’t have the LORD protecting them as we do but they seem to be doing fine.

Their freedom from burdens and worry. (v.5)
Ever ask yourself, “Why do these people who do not know God or care about His Kingdom have less stress and concern than me?” or “Why is my situation so unique in the area of my burdens?” Stop These are not good questions. First there are no answers given to us. Second if you ask them out loud you are going to find someone who is going to attempt to answer an unanswerable question which is not going help but rather exacerbate the situation. It will multiply your troubled thoughts.

Carefree and increasing in wealth they seem to have it all- even some of the things I have prayed about (v.12) Here I am under stress and those who are wicked are doing fine.
I know you have heard this recently but the day I worked on this message I read in II Timothy 2. 14 Keep reminding them of these things.

2. How Do We Avoid Envying Sinners?

Don’t look at their situations - hard because we are to pray for them.
It is as the Proverb tells us a heart decision. More about that in a moment. First as we said before this is a spiritual battle- not to envy sinners in our hearts. Every spiritual battle is won through prayer. There may come times when we hear that the battle belongs to the LORD. We trust and He comes through. There are other times as I commented to a friend recently that we need to keep on praying. Hudson Taylor spoke of province in China he and the China Inland Mission were going into and he said, “We’ll enter this province on our knees.” So even as we pray for the lost we must watch ourselves that we do not become envious of the very situation we are praying and hoping the will come out of

Guard your heart.
Here is where this battle takes place. We have got to rid our hearts of any envy of sinners. This a HUGE battle among young people today. In this celebrity intoxicated culture, personalities, sinful ones, are worshiped. Set your heart on heaven and let godly people be your heroes. They are around. Many have gone to heaven but their lives still speak and we need to let their lives speak to ours Don’t let affection for anything on this earth come close to your love for Jesus!
Colossians 3.1-2 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Watch your eyes. They are the window to your soul - both in and out. They show things to your heart that you can easily become envious of. Some have sought to live on a mountain or in bubble. That goes against what Jesus taught us about going into all the world and what He prayed to the Father in John 17 about us not being taken out of the world but being kept from the world.

So we live in the real world. Therefore we must watch what our eyes see. The best solution is to keep our eyes on Jesus. That is what we exhorted to do!

When we are tempted remember the promise: No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. I Corinthians 10.13

Discipline your thoughts and dreams. II Corinthians 10.5 we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. We must put this into practice in this world in which we live today. We are bombarded by thoughts, suggestions, and beliefs that are unchristlike.

Even our goals can become ungodly if we aren’t careful. We want everything we do in thought, word and deed to bring glory to the Father. Be careful to seek the LORD in all you do, to seek His Kingdom first and never to lean on our own understanding.


3. How do we keep the zeal for fear of the LORD burning within?

Keep Eternity In View- Full View
Our problem is not that we are so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good, rather it is we are so earthly minded that we are no heavenly good Keep that view of standing before Jesus one day before you. Think about it often (Colossians 3.1-2)

How do we keep the fear of the LORD burning within?

Examine our motives regularly
Why are we doing what we are doing? I Corinthians 11.28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. Wrong motives- guy on LI’s most wanted in the church here for a short time. I could not help feeling deep within that this guy did not have pure motives. He was extremely talented. Many gifts far beyond my abilities. But as it turned out he did not have the fear of the LORD.

Read the Word of God daily- it tells us to do this- we need to be reminded
Look up how many times it speaks of reverencing the LORD and fearing and worshiping Him.

Let it consume you.
Being consumed with this godly fear, this deep deep understanding of Who God is will help you. I am troubled today by the way people are so flippant with the LORD and his Name.

Pray Continually
Don’t miss the obvious. People who lose the fear of the LORD are people who have stopped praying. Oh they may still mouth the words but their hearts are far from God. Some have even stopped altogether. How is your prayer life?


Note the state of those who did not keep it. So many today have fallen away. A faithful man, who can find... a virtuous woman- her worth is far above rubies... Let those who did not obey God serve as examples for us. God did this with ancient Israel. I Corinthians 10.6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.

Keep watching for Jesus to come
This has a purifying effect on us. I John 3.3 Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Let’s get to the place where we believe Jesus could come today and there would be little change in our behavior.

Proverbs 23.17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.

The LORD's Day April 20, 2007

A Generous Man

Proverbs 22.9

A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.

We live in a time of great greed. Unfortunately our economy is based to a large degree on that. Less and less repair shops and more and more retail outlets are the venue of the day. If it breaks, we’ll buy another one. Possessions are a big thing with people. Guy in the Pond Store this past week- 75 fish- $500 one died.

What an example the LORD Jesus was while He was here on earth of being detached from possessions

There is tremendous freedom in being detached from material things. Freedom to give. Freedom from worry (man on the bus to Bombay). When you are free you can be generous. Greed prevents generosity from happening.


A generous man...


1. A generous man is a giver.

Church- the Kingdom of God. Godly generous people are seeking first God’s kingdom.
A generous man is like the widow who put those 2 very small coins into the temple treasury. She gave out of love for God and His Work. How are you doing in that area today? Do you tithe? Do you give cheerfully? Do you give regularly? Is it an act of worship?

A generous man is a man who is a fountain of goodness and pleasantness. He knows what is appropriate and becoming. He is kind and does what is right. He acknowledges His Creator as the Giver and he sees himself as a servant of His Master to carry out His will.

The needy- those who are without life’s necessities. Those who are low and weak and actually thin from the lack of food. There are not that many in our country but there are many around the world. There are many avenues to give to today. We should give where our money is going the furthest, so we need to do a little research before we give. For instance, how much is spent on advertising to keep the organization going ?

To those he loves a generous man will joyfully give. Paul, the apostle write to Timothy about providing for those in our own families. I Timothy 5.8 If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

the righteous give without sparing Proverbs 21.26 They give because they are following the example of their Father in heaven, they give because they are walking like Jesus walked. They give because they understand what we are looking at this morning.


2. A generous man lives life to the full.

Not in consumption but in sharing. Consumption is not living life to the full anyway- it is very selfish and me focused and narrow. It weighs us down. It overloads us with things we don’t even need! The generous man has a broad perspective. He has great views of life. His experiences are interesting though he seldom speaks of them. His interests are in others. He reflects Jesus Christ.

Do you know one of the reasons why there is such a degree of unhappiness and anger and bitterness today? It is because instead of givers people are grabbers. Consumable goods have become a god today. So many stores have been torn down to build bigger stores. The internet provides all kinds of buying opportunities as does the TV and other media as well. We have to navigate through this and it is a spiritual battle.

The generous man is looking to give not to get. He shares.
He is blessed.

The abundant life that Jesus told us He came to give (John 10.10) is not one where it is me focused- Jesus was the most other centered Person Who lived. He lived for others. He gave and gave and still gives. We are to imitate Him- be like Him.

There is a blessedness in giving. More than receiving A generous man lives under that blessing of God. There is a thrill to it. It is not all thrills but there is an excitement in giving- when we are told to give cheerfully - God loves a cheerful giver- the word for cheerful is hilarity- give in with deep joy and your joy will increase.


God rewards in wonderful ways

Internally
That does not mean there will not be times of financial pressure but that even in those times there will be a peace and a hope that holds our soul steady.

Externally
Give to the LORD the right way and He will bless you. Matthew 6.2 when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Eternally does not yet appear...
Matthew 6.19-20 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.


3. A generous man is a blessing

Growing up- Aunt Dot East Meadow, Melville...Nana, Queens- boxes of food and things on Friday nights

Colorado- Ted Raybol

Kentucky- Michael Conover- I was the recipient of the LORD speaking to His heart a number of times. II Timothy1.16 May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. 17 On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. 18 May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus. Both were brothers born for God’s servants when they were going through adversity.(Proverbs 17.17)

Olean- Jim & Jean Angell They used to buy groceries for people during the recession of the early 80's. They gave quietly.

Here- so many

Think of the times you have been a recipient of a gift from a generous person. What a blessing it was

All these people bring a pleasant sense to my soul. I want my life to do that to others. I want those feelings to rise in others hearts when they think of me, and then see them give God glory

4. A generous man will be richly rewarded.

He is storing up treasure in heaven as we said. I take this literally. I cannot explain. We’ll have to wait to see what the full meaning is but we can be and ought ton be connected to heaven by our investments there.

It will be with him for eternity- for eternity
I Timothy 6.17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

Proverbs 19.17 He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and He will reward him for what he has done.

5. Be a generous person

Kill that old miser in you

Reckon the old man dead.

Give hilariously.

There is such a joy inside and outside when you give in the kingdom of God.

Be a giver.
Give Generously.

The LORD's Day April 13, 2008

God’s Word In Time Of National Difficulty

Habakkuk 1-3 (1.1-4)

The nation was in trouble. Big trouble. It was going down the tubes. It was morally a mess. Few people seemed to care or even notice. Habakkuk did. He cried out to God. (1.1-4)

On the surface the nation’s affluence was consoling but it was a deceptive consolation. Money could not fix this predicament. It was too far gone. Judgment was coming.

The LORD had warned them over and over again:

They had His Word: Moses
He sent His Prophets. Habakkuk was part of that company.
He waited for them to repent.
Instead they grew worse. There were signs from time to time of change but then they slipped back into sin, deep sin.

The LORD began to breath His Word through Habakkuk. Habakkuk was God’s spokesman for that time. Since He spoke the timeless eternal Word of the LORD he has something to say to us today.

The people who suffer the most in times of national spiritual decline are the ones closest to the LORD. They are the ones who experience the pain and sorrow in seeing the nation decline. People who do not know the LORD go on their merry way. Jesus spoke about the man who lived like there was no tomorrow, who like Judah in Habakkuk’s time was taking comfort and consolation in their wealth: Luke 12.16-21

The first thing the LORD tells Habakkuk in answer to his prayer of complaint is found in 1.5



1. Awesome Works of God Are Going To Happen 1.5

God does not forget His People. Matthew 28.20
He has us on His heart.

During times of great judgement, the LORD has always taken care of His people.

Noah
Abraham and Lot
David
Daniel
Three Hebrew men thrown into the fiery furnace: Shadrach, Meschech and Abendego

When God works in response to our prayers His answer may not be what we think it should be.
This certainly was the case for Habakkuk. God told him he wouldn’t believe what was going to happen even if he were told. We pray and God answers. When we ask according to His will He answers. I know a man, a very successful man, who prayed, “LORD, break me.” God answered
his prayer powerfully but I do not think this is what he had in mind when he prayed it.

There are times (and it seems they are in greater number) when it is better than we thought it could be! We ask for the LORD to do something and sometimes it is like a domino effect! A bunch of answers come. I love when that happens. He loads us with good gifts and blessings.

In times of national distress and difficulty,


2. Visions of Rapture can burst on our sight! 2.1-3,4, 14

The 1960's were turbulent times for our nation, yet the LORD did some awesome deeds! A movement of His Spirit took place and renewal came to churches and Jesus was given glory.


God’s Word for the vision and for Him to move:
Watch (v.1) Be looking for God to do something. It was Habakkuk’s only hope. It is ours too!

Habakkuk got up on the rampart walls of Jerusalem. He wanted to see the LORD work.

When God’s people get up early to pray. When God’s people inconvenience themselves, the LORD answers in extraordinary ways. Sacrificial giving, fasting, God sees what is done in secret and rewards us openly! Get up and pray. I like to start the day that way before I rise.


Wait for it (v.3)

God’s timing is perfect. He is always on time. When God tells us to wait it is because He si working lining things up for just the right time.

God’s purposes will prevail. His will being done. Trust Him

This is good for us. We need to learn to wait. The idea in waiting here is also longing for it.

Wonderful things are planned. (v.14)

What a tremendous promise which we have seen fulfilled! We can rejoice in the work of God today in the world- all over the world His Spirit is moving. In our lifetime in some places we just prayed for a generation ago God is moving. He is at work.


3. Meaningful Prayer Is to be Offered c.3

The cry was plain and strong. In desperate times is usually is. Then God speaks or begins to act. Some revelation comes and we are quiet. This should not be!

After the answer comes we should be fully engaged in praying.

Habakkuk prayed for God to keep working! 3.1-7

vs. 16-19
Even though there is no visible proof of a work of God, a sign that something is about to happen, I will rejoice in the LORD! How can you rejoice when the nation is going down the tubes? You focus on the LORD.
Rejoice in the God of my salvation- that is something Jesus told us we should rejoice in above things God enables us to do.

God gives me strength- I can face the trouble of the nation with God on my side. Too often we get so caught up with the details of evil we blind ourselves to see where the LORD is working. As we wait for Him if we look too much on the present situation (the servant of Elisha) “O My Lord, what shall we do?!!!” The fact was he just needed to have his eyes opened to God’s work. The answer was there but he couldn’t see it because he had studied the enemy so well. The enemy had robbed him of seeing what God had already done. Then Elisha prayed for his eyes to be opened.

He will lift me up. So often we try and boost ourselves up. I need a vacation- or I’ll go out and buy something only to become more exhausted or live with buyer’s regret added to my soul which is already struggling. Wait for the LORD! Be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD!

To Him I will offer praise. Give God the glory for every good thing in your life- that is where it has come from!

I’ll be in heavenly places! - this concept was written from a Roman prison. Ephesians 2.6
God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus

In the midst of national decay and decline spiritually, I can be in heavenly places! Through God’s amazing grace and power he can lift my spirit up above all the sinfulness and trouble in this world.

This has a great effect on my talk. I am not focusing on how bad things are and giving the devil what he wants but I am focusing on how good God is and blessing Him and others as well.

This is God’s Word In Time of National Difficulty

The LORD's Day April 6, 2008

When Justice Is Done

Proverbs 21.1-15

We live in a sinful world. It very often falls short of God’s glory and God’s Will. When we pray the prayer Jesus taught us to pray we ask for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. As with all the concepts in this prayer Jesus taught His disciples to pray, they take in large amounts of life. One of the many facets of this petition to our Father in heaven is for justice to be done. His will is done in heaven. There is perfect justice there. He is the King of glory and
there is no sin there. He has us praying for that to come to the earth. One day it will. Praying it keeps our hope alive for the day when Jesus will come back.

So it is implied in this verse this morning- sometimes it isn’t done.
1. When justice isn’t done (and there are times it isn’t)
Habakkuk experienced that as did Joseph

Habakkuk 1.2-4
Why do you make me look at injustice?
Justice never prevails.
Justice is perverted.
The law is paralyzed.

We cannot become bitter. Joseph, one of the twelve sons of Israel had reason to but he didn’t. He could have said, “Here I am in this prison. I don’t deserve this. I didn’t do anything wrong. My family did this to me. If I get the chance I’ll get even with my brothers. I’ll make them pay for this. I’ll show them.” He would have been fighting against God’s plan for him and the whole world at that time.

Joseph evidently forgave his brother early on so that when they came before him he wept. He showed no anger or resentment and saw God’s Hand upon the whole imprisonment: Genesis 50.15-21

We dare not take matters into our hands. People who manipulate and try and settle scores and spread bad things about others are not following Jesus.

We will not prosper spiritually if we hold a grudge.
Proverbs 19.11 A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.


2. God Overrules Injustices.
He told Habakkuk that v.5 Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.

God did some incredible things in straightening out the injustices then.

He is working today. By the end of the book Habakkuk is telling God, “Keep working Don’t stop working.”

Today we experience injustice. Things are done to us that aren’t right. It is how we respond to it. If we submit to the LORD, humble yourselves under His Almighty Hand, He will lift us up in due time.
Our problem is when personal injustice is done we want to fight. We want to prove we are right. There is a time to speak and there is a time to be silent. For someone else we ought to pray and fight.

We need to check our attitudes But for our own we need to more praying and less fighting and continually check our attitudes.

It is amazing how quickly we can fight and how in the flesh we would rather fight than pray.
Isaiah 58 and Proverbs 21.13

We need to remember the Proverbs were written under a monarchy and the New Testament under a dictatorship. We live in a democracy here in the US and have power these folks did have as far as government goes. There are things we need to speak up about when it involves moral issues. But for personal injustice Jesus shows us they way - look at how He repsonded.

I have taken up a hobby of sorts. When people have trouble with major companies I make calls or send e-mails for them. I don’t like to see people I love taken advantage of. Anyone can do this really- most of it is done right on the computer. Most of these things are small matters.

Big or small the LORD is on your side. He is with you. He reigns and rules from on High. He has all power and all authority in heaven and on earth.

3. When it is done.

Joy to the Righteous.

We are glad when justice is done. We know God is just and right.
We are depending upon justice when we stand before Christ. We are depending on our being justified through faith. This joy is both for now and is connected with eternity.

We know that when justice is done is brings order to our society. There will always be sin but we can hope for it to be contained.

I Peter 2.13-14 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.

Terror to Evil Doers
Punish those who do wrong.
When evil men are punished for their evil deeds- terror comes into the heart of others who are thinking about doing the same kind of deeds. The punishment of evil doers is the responsibility of the government which have been established by God

Romans 13.1-3
For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong
The whole judicial system set up by the LORD was for order after sin came into the world to stop it from destroying itself.

to put to flight by terrifying (to scare away), to flee, to fear, be afraid, to be struck with fear, to be seized with alarm Emma and I feeding the cats yesterday-
My next door neighbors asked me to watch the cat for them as they were going away. Emma likes going over. They have a burgular alarm you have to turn off which is connected to the police station in case anything happens. I told Emma we have to turn the alarm off. Once before I messed up turning it off but htta was when I first began to do this favor for them. Well we got in yesterday and I thought I had disconnected it correctly but evidently didn't and the alram went off. Emma went running outside and was yelling with her feet running in place, "Come on Poppa, let's get out of here before the police come!!!" I yelled back that I needed to feed the cat and give them water. She reponded , "No lets just go!!!" When I did come out a few seconds later, she went running over to our property, and was saying, "Let's get in the house." A few minutes later the police showed up. The cars on Southern State yesterday when the saw the State Police.

to reverence, venerate, to treat with deference or reverential obedience Life is sacred. It is to be treated with reverence. If it is not then the person who takes it must be punished.


4. One Day it will be done always and forever

The darkness will be done away with. One day there will be no need for human government because Jesus will come. He will sit on the throne of His father David literally
Isaiah 9.7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. Being done in heaven now- should be happening in the hearts of believers- will be done on earth soon- very soon.

The Prince of Peace Who now reigns in our hearts will soon reign on the earth.

We must keep Jesus’ Return before us. Don’t let over zealous people who predict the day of Christ’s coming rob you of what a comfort it is to us. To me it a pressure release among many other things. Keeping that in my consciousness helps me when I cope with overwhelming things. The LORD is coming

Rejoice when justice is done but remember many times it is not.

Don’t be discouraged.

We need to speak out against injustice and seek to correct it when it is in the lives of others.
This is a moral obligation as a follower of Jesus.

Remember in personal injustices done to us God overrules, if not immediately then ultimately
Remember Joseph. Keep your eyes fixed upon Jesus!

Keep Watching.

One day Jesus will come!