Psalm 130  Once again as I read and meditate on this song I am inspired to give thanks to The Lord most High.  For He is the Redeemer, He does not punish us as our sins deserve, but He gives forgiveness.  In  His great love and kindness, He has provided salvation.  He has ransomed ...me.
It is out of the depths of my sin that I cried to Him and He heard my voice. He is my Hope and it is in His Word that I find the good news of salvation.  Praise the Lord!  For He is good and His lovingkindness is everlasting!  He has made me His own.  "Thank You for saving me!  What can I say?"  we sing. And it is so true.  Thomas a` Kempis writes, that as we prepare for communion, confessing our sins, shutting out the world, coming to truly commune with our Lord, realizing that the truth is there is nothing we can do that would be sufficient, we marvel once again :
      " But it is out of my mere grace and favor that thou are permitted to come to my table. As if a beggar were invited to a rich man's dinner, and he hath no return to make to him for his benefits, but to humble himself and give thanks."
       It is God who has called us.  It is He who supplies all that is missing is us. It is He who has had mercy, He who came to sanctify us and make us holy. Receive this grace.
Jesus tells us "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matt. 5:3 The poor- the pauper, the beggar, the mendicant, who lives totally dependent on the alms, the gifts, of others.  We must receive this GRACE, this gift, from our Savior's Hand. And give thanks.  Oh Lord, thank You!  "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ," Eph. 1:3


Zechariah 5  Two more visions are given to Zechariah.  V 1- 4 describe a giant scroll, written on both sides.  This, we are told, is a curse.  It specifically pronounces judgement over those who steal and those who give false witness.  These 2 represent the commandments written on the tablet given to Moses, says the Bible Knowledge Commentary.  The 3rd and the 8th, the middle of each side of the carved tablet.  God is purging out the sins of Israel.
The second vision is very interesting.  Zechariah sees a bushel basket, an "ephah". On top was a lead cover and when it was lifted there sat inside a woman.  We are told that her name is "Wickedness". The angel threw her down into the basket and slammed on the lid.  Then 2 other women, with wings, came and carried away the basket to Shinar ( Babylonia).  There will come a time when she will be set on a pedestal there.   BKC suggests that this represents idolatry being removed from Israel and taken back to its place of origin, where final judgement will come before the millennial kingdom is established.
So what is the message of the Shepherd to me?
No matter how long it seems, there is coming a time of judgement. Every theft and every lie is counted.  All wickedness will be purged. "The Lord keeps those who love Him, but all of the wicked He will destroy" (Psalm 145:20).   Our only Hope is Jesus Christ!  He calls us to Himself.  He will forgive, He will cleanse us from all sin and shame.  He will give us Grace.  Our world is exploding in boastful, prideful, wickedness. They are ignoring the Word of God and going in their own ways.  They do not fear God and are heading into judgement.  We must speak up!  OH Father, help me to speak up and share the Good News of Your abundant redemption.  Forgive me for failing to do so.
Spirit of God, fall fresh on me. Use me. Give me love for the lost and boldness to tell the Truth.
Amen

Psalm 130  " I will wait for The Lord, my soul does wait, And in His Word do I hope"
The psalmist encourages all of Israel to wait on The Lord.  He confesses his own intention to wait on The Lord, even more than a watchman waits for the morning.  One of my favorite books by Andrew Murray is Waiting on God.   Murray's focus is on our great need of God, he says that the great lack in our religion is that we do not know God and that the only way to truly KNOW Him is to learn to practice this art of waiting upon Him.  It is a powerful book and I cannot begin to express all that is contained here, but I can highly recommend it to anyone who has a desire to go deeper, to know God more. It will change your prayer life.  Let me give one quote,
         " Learn to worship God as the God who does wonders, who wishes to prove in you that He can                                        do something supernatural and divine.  Bow before Him, wait upon Him, until your soul realizes that you are in the hands of a divine and almighty worker. Consent but to know what and how He will work. Expect it to be something altogether godlike, something to be waited for in deep humility, and received only by His divine power.  Let the, 'and now Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee' become the spirit of every longing and every prayer."
    Yes, I need to also learn this practice that the psalmist has recommended.... I will wait for The Lord.

Zechariah 4
A vision is given to Zechariah.  A lampstand with 7 lamps.  2 olive trees, one on the right and one on the left.  The angel asks Zechariah if he knows what these are and the answer is "no".  The angel tells him that these are the "eyes of the Lord which range to and fro throughout the earth".  ( v10).   But before he tells him the meaning of the lampstand he tells him that Zerubbabel will complete the building of the temple.  " Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says The Lord of hosts." God's grace will be with Zerubbabel.   Zechariah asks about the olive trees and is told that these are the 2 anointed ones, who stand by The Lord of the whole earth.
God is at work, Zechariah is told, and God will complete His work. By His Spirit. It may be beyond our understanding. But as we wait upon Him, it will become clearer.  Thank you Lord for the work that You are completing even now in our times, in our lives, in our church.  By Your Spirit!.  Praise The Lord.

Psalm 130: 7  "... and with Him is abundant redemption"  Redemption -Hebrew-pduth/ padah - deliverance, ransom, by any means... rescued.   Greek - apolutrosis, from apo- away from, out of;  and lutron- to loosen with, a redemption price ( atonement) -ransom.   Romans 3: 24-25  says " .. being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith."  Abundant redemption,  KJV says
"plenteous redemption"  -rabah - increase, abundance, continue, enlarge, excel, exceeding, greater, heap, many, more, much, multiplied, thoroughly, very.   How marvelous is our God, with Whom redemption is more than enough, for you and for me.  He has rescued us from sin's grasp, from Satan's tyranny, from the prison of self.  Through Christ Jesus the ransom price was paid in full!
There is "room at the cross" for you, come and marvel with me. He has paid it all!  Praise to The Lord and to our Saviour, Christ Jesus. Amen.

Zechariah 1-3
The first vision is found in 1:1-6.  The Lord declares "Return to Me"  and says "that I may return to you".   In the past this message had been given and ignored.  Because of this the fathers were gone.  What God said He would do, He did.  " As The Lord of hosts purposed to do to us in according with our ways and our deeds, so He has dealt with us."   A sobering message that is much needed in our world today.  May we not forget!  Unless we turn to Him, returning to Truth, finding His redemption to be abundant for us, then we will be lost forever. Left in bondage. We will perish.  But if we repent and return then He will return to us!  What a Mighty God we serve!
The second vision begins in v7.   It focuses on the Lord's return to Jerusalem.  He is coming with compassion, He tells Zechariah. He is coming to dwell with them in her midst. Gracious and comforting words.  Zechariah sees Joshua, the high priest, standing before The Lord and Satan standing next to him, accusing him.  But The Lord rebukes Satan.  Then The Lord does a beautiful thing for Joshua, taking his filthy garments, taking away his iniquity, and clothing him with clean garments. And he gives a precious promise, " Thus says The Lord of Hosts, If you walk in My ways, and if you will perform my service, then you will govern My house and also have charge of My courts, and I will grant you free access among these who are standing here" .  Joshua is told a marvelous truth.  "I am going to bring in My servant, the Branch"  Jesus is coming!  And, " I will remove the iniquity of the land in one day."  Redemption is drawing nigh!.  Precious words!  Wonderful Words.  Wonderful words of Life!

Psalm 130: 3  "If Thou, O Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?" Until you say, "Not me."  you can not rejoice in the next verse (4) "But there is forgiveness with Thee."   Thomas a` Kempis writes in The Imitation of Christ of examining our conscience in preparation for  communion.  It is a stirring list of the deep hidden thoughts of our heart.  Paraphrased, it includes lamenting and grieving that:
You are worldly, immorally lust-filled.
You are careless with your senses, caught up in sensuality.
You are focused on outward things, "negligent in things inward and spiritual"
You are full of laughter and mirth, indisposed of tears of repentance or regret for sin
You are happy to be at ease and enjoying pleasures, reluctant to have self-discipline for the sake of Christ.
You are curious to hear the latest news, to see the beautiful sights, but unable to appreciate the humble and low.
You want and covet abundance, keeping for yourself, but stingy in giving to those in need.
You are "inconsiderate in speech, so reluctant to keep silence"
Unmannered, fretful , You are "so eager about food, so deaf to the Word of God; In such a hurry to rest, so slow to labor; So wakeful in vain conversation, so drowsy at sacred services;..." and the list goes on.
O Lord, if You count all my sins, I am unable to stand!  I wait for You, I hope in Your Word. For there is "forgiveness with Thee",  "for with the Lord there is lovingkindness, and with Him is abundant redemption" ( v7).  Lord, God of Heaven and earth, Father and Saviour, have mercy on us! Thank You that "the Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works" ( Ps. 145:9).  Your greatness is indeed unsearchable, You are great in lovingkindness!  I praise You and bless Your Name!  Every day Lord, I extol You! You are gracious and merciful, slow to anger and full of lovingkindness!  Praise The Lord!

Haggai delivers 4 messages to the returned Israelites in Jerusalem.
1. "Consider your ways"  You are living in rebuilt, paneled houses,  but the Temple is not rebuilt. That is why you can not prosper,  food, wine, clothing, work.... empty and dry, because you have not reverenced The Lord.
The people obeyed, and humbled themselves and God began to bless.
2. " Take courage" - The people remembered the beauty of the temple in its former glory and saw that this one could not come close.  But God Himself is with them, His Spirit is abiding there in their midst. A time is coming when it will be even more glorious than before.
3. "Do consider from this day forward... I will bless you" -  There is a picture given here,  what is holy cannot make another thing holy by touching it; but something unholy can make another thing unclean.  It is easier to become unclean than clean.  It is important for the people to not only obey God by rebuilding the temple, but to purify themselves from the unclean practices and impure hearts that took them into exile in the first place.  It is a new day, a day of new life , a day to follow and obey God like they never did before.  And He will bless them.
4. ".. for I have chosen you"  This last message is for Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah.  The "servant" of God.  The descendant of David, the ancestor of Jesus. "On that day..." when heaven and earth are shaken, when thrones of kingdoms are destroyed,  when there is no nation that can stand,  there will be a King, chosen by the Holy One of Israel.
So the Shepherd speaks these Words to us too.  "Consider your ways" - Are we giving our ALL to Christ?  Honoring Him above all?  If not then we will not truly prosper or be ever satisfied.
If we humble ourselves and reverence Him, then we can "Take courage"  for He is with us!  And He will bless us as long as we stay in right relationship with Him.  We have a Hope that is certain and sure.  That day is coming when Christ will reign on earth .  It will be a Kingdom of Peace.  O what a day that will be!

Psalm 131  To be like a weaned child, composed, resting, quiet and satisfied in the Lord, is David's attitude as he comes before God to worship.  He puts aside his own pride and ambitions.  He decides to not pursue those things that are impossible within himself, only possible with God.  To not be anxious or impatient.  Just to wait and put his hope in the Lord alone.  To be like a child in faith, in hope, and in love. To obey his Father and rest in His provision and comfort.  Oh what a privilege we have in this relationship with our Heavenly Father!

Thomas a` Kempis  in The Imitation of Christ wrote about the verse " I am the way, the truth, and the life."  He said " Without the way, there is no going; without the truth, there is no knowing; without the life, there is no living.  I am the way, which thou oughtest to follow; the truth, which thou oughtest to trust; the life, which thou oughtest to hope for. I am the way inviolable, the truth infallible, the life that cannot end. I am the straitest way, the highest truth, the true life, the blessed life, the life uncreated."  Here we find everything... in Christ alone. Amen!

 Zephaniah 1  This prophecy is chilling and sobering.  The Lord says " I will completely remove all things from the face of the earth, declares the Lord.  I will remove man and beast; I will remove the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea,and the ruins along with the wicked; and I will cut off man from the face of the earth, declares The Lord." (v 2-3) The day of the Lord is "near and coming quickly" the prophet writes.  " A day of wrath is that day, A day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet and battle cry against fortified cities and the high corner towers.  I will bring distress on men so that they will walk like the blind, because the have sinned against the Lord."  Nothing can deliver us from the judgement of God that is due us,  not silver or gold, not good deeds or sacrifices, nothing, except the blood of Jesus.  He says that He will come with lamps to search, looking at hearts, punishing those who are "stagnant in spirit", those who deny God's power and authority.  

Only in chapter 2 do we find hope. "Seek the Lord, all you humble of the earth who have carried out His ordinances, seek righteousness, seek humility. Perhaps you will be hidden in the day of the Lord's anger." (v3)

Lord Jesus, our only Hope is You.  You are our refuge and help. Forgive us this day, lead us in Your way. Fill us with Your life. We trust in You alone. Amen.

Psalm 132:9,16   The prayer: "Let Thy priests beclothed in righteousness; and let thy godly ones sing for joy." The answer, verse 16 " Her priests also I will clothe with salvation; and her godly ones will sing aloud for joy."   The answer does not come because of David's sake, but because of Jesus.  The sons of David failed to keep the covenant,  but the Son of David walked perfectly in the will of the Father.  He is the anointed One, the horn of David and "upon himself his crown shall shine." Thank you Jesus! You are the answer to every prayer.

Psalm 132:9  "Let Thy priests be clothed with righteousness; And let thy godly ones sing for joy."
We shout for joy when we are in God's Presence.  We are in God's Presence when we come before Him in righteousness,  clothed with Jesus Christ, our Righteousness.   This psalm is Solomon's prayer.  He asks, based on the merit of his father David, for David's sake, for the covenant promises given to him.  We come, seeking God's Presence, to "worship at His footstool", for Jesus' sake. Matthew Henry says, "... Christ, the great anointed, who, in his intercession urges his designation to his office.  He is God's anointed, and therefore the Father hears him always."  Solomon prayed God's blessing over the temple.  We pray for God's blessings over the church.  Let our leaders lead with righteousness.  Let us sing aloud with great joy.  Amen!

Habakkuk sees the violence and wickedness around him and cries out to The Lord.  The Lord's answer is more than Habakkuk can handle, for the judgement is coming in the form of Babylon's armies.  Throughout this account though, Habakkuk clings to God and over and over he praises and worships Him.
1:12 "Art Thou not from everlasting, O Lord, my God, my Holy One? .... And Thou, O Rock, hast established them to correct."
13 "Thine eyes are too pure to approve evil, And Thou canst not look on wickedness with favor..."
2:14 "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of The Lord, as the waters cover the sea." and v20 "But The Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him."
Chapter 3 is a prayer filled with worship.   The report about The Lord brings fear and Habakkuk appeals for The Lord's mercy.  "His splendor covers the heavens, and the earth is full of his praise. His radiance is like the sunlight; He has rays flashing from His hand, and there is the hiding of His power." God's ways are everlasting, His judgements are devastating, but His mercy is great!
The earth is cleaved, the mountains quake, the waters sweep by, the sun and moon freeze in their place, but it is God who is our salvation.  No matter what happens in the world around us, Habakkuk says, "Yet I will exult in The Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds feet and makes me walk on my high places."
This prayer comes from a song of David, II Sam. 22.  Habakkuk goes back to the Word of God written before this time of crisis and stands on the Truth.    So must we!  In this day when wickedness seems to be rampant and we see war and devastation everywhere. When we are anxious about our political and cultural tendencies..... we must go back to the Word, to our God, our Holy One, who is our Rock and our Salvation. His judgement is fearful, but His mercy is great. Rejoice in Him!

Psalm 132 recalls the heart of David to build a "dwelling place" for the Lord.  A place of worship, a resting place. This place is chosen and desired by the Lord, verse 13 tells us.  A place where the Son of David will reign.   "Let us worship at His footstool." v 7 tells us.  O come Lord Jesus!

Nahum tells of the judgement against Nineveh/ Assyria. This was located in modern day Iraq, next to the Tigris River.  Nineveh had repented during the time of  Jonah, but had turned back to wicked living in the years that followed.  Nahum begins this oracle by reminding the people of Who God is.
He is a "jealous and avenging God". " He is slow to anger and great in power, And the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished."
He walks in whirlwinds and storms, clouds are like dust beneath His feet, mountains quake, hills dissolve, and the earth heaves.  This is our Great God. The Lord God Almighty! Nahum reminds them that the "Lord is good".  This reflects the Lord's own description of Himself given to Moses on the mountain.  Exodus 34:6-7  " The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished..."
Judah needed to be reminded of Who God is and that He would not forsake them.  He was bringing judgement against Assyria and Nineveh, its capital would be completely ruined.  Their armies could not stop God, their numbers would not stop God, because they were wicked and would not repent, judgement would come.  This is Truth. Our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  He is slow to anger and great in lovingkindness, but He will not leave the guilty unpunished.  Psalm 145:20
"The Lord keeps all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy."
Merciful and gracious God, bring repentance to our land!  Oh may we turn back to the Truth, to righteousness and to seeking You.  We need You now.  Help us I pray. Amen.

Psalm 133:3  The blessing - life forever - is referenced back to Deut.28-30 where Moses reviews the terms of the covenant that Israel made with The Lord their God.   The blessings would be poured out if they were obedient to the commands that God had given.
Blessings that would "come upon you and overtake you" v2
Blessings  "in the city" or  "in the country" v3
Blessings on the "offspring of your body and the produce of your ground and the offspring of your beasts"
"Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl" v5
"Blessed shall you be when you come in and blessed shall you be when you go out" v6
Blessings of security from enemies, prosperity in their work, family, nation, and every need met.

All they had to do was obey.  Choose life, He tells them!  Choose to obey and live and prosper.  Failure to make that choice would bring curses.  So severe and painful that one would never want to be out of the Word.  Yet, God knew that they would fall, He knew that they would not obey.  That we  would not know Him, see Him, hear Him, or love Him.  So, He made a way for redemption.  Jesus!
The true Life. In Him alone do we find the will to obey and the power to live.  I choose You Jesus. Come and bring Your Life into me that I might walk in the commands of God and  obey with "joy and a glad heart" ( Deut. 28:47 ) .  That I might "fear this honored and awesome name, The Lord your God".   Jesus, You are the One that brings true unity to us, Your brothers and sisters.  How we need you!  Thank You for Your great love and sacrifice for us.  I choose to follow You.

Psalm 133 David writes this psalm of brotherly love and unity.  Such unity is likened to the perfume and luxury of the oil used in the tabernacle to anoint the priest.  It is desirable, it is holy, it is precious, it is necessary for true worship.  It is vital to fruitful living, like the dew from the mountain.
Matthew Henry says that loving people are blessed people.   They are blessed of God. The blessing is according to His command, according to His promises, and everlasting. "Those that dwell in love not only dwell in God, but do already dwell in heaven. As the perfection of love is the blessedness of heaven, so the sincerity of love is the earnest blessedness."  The epitome of what is good.  
So what does one do when there is a lack of unity in the church?  Especially when it is due to someone else who has caused it?  Someone who chooses to be anonymous?  Oh Lord, You know.  Help me to love in spite of the betrayal and hurt that has come our way. I cannot do it without You.

Philemon
It continually amazes me how my meditation on the psalms and my daily reading in the OT and NT come together.... seemingly random passages, but a common focus brought out by the Shepherd's spotlight.  The letter that Paul writes to Philemon emphasizes brotherly love as much as Psalm 133.
v 1 Paul calls Philemon "our beloved brother"
v 5 Paul commends Philemon for the love toward Christ and toward all the saints.
v 9 Paul appeals to Philemon for love's sake to do as he asks.
v 16 Paul calls Onesimus "more than a slave, a beloved brother"
v20 Paul desires to benefit from Philemon's willingness to do as Paul has asked, once again noting their brotherhood.
This unity in Christ Jesus is beyond human capacity.  A bond has been forged between Paul and Onesimus, a runaway slave, and between Paul and Philemon, the slave's owner.  Paul uses the persuasion of love to bring together the slave and owner into a relationship of brotherly love.
Onesimus had to be radically changed to go back into slavery willingly.  He trusted Paul who sent him back.  Paul trusted Philemon to do the right thing.  Philemon also had to trust Onesimus to come back and stay. It is the power of love in Jesus Christ that forges brotherly bonds between these men.
He alone can do that for us also. Thank You Jesus for this Truth.  For the Hope that is in You.  Have your own way Lord!  It is "good". Amen.

Psalm 134:3 " May The Lord bless you from Zion, He who made heaven and earth".   May The Lord, the Creator of  heaven and earth, our great and infinite, loving God, do well for you.   Matthew Henry tells us that we are being taught here to desire God's blessings.  To be truly happy can only come from His blessing upon us.  We are to desire His blessing for ourselves and to extend that prayer for others.  The blessings from Zion are spiritual blessings, not material ones.  Seek the true blessings that only God can provide by His mighty hand and from His great and amazing Love.
The psalmist blesses those who serve The Lord during the night. Those who are faithful servants in the house of the Lord.  We are to pray God's blessing upon those who are doing the work of ministry. That God would pour out His mercy and love, His grace and peace, His every benefit on them - pastors and teachers, missionaries and evangelists, lamp lighters and flame keepers, guards and servants.  May The Lord bless you today!

Titus
Paul opens every letter with the word of blessing, asking God's grace and peace for the reader.   He always introduces himself as the servant of God and of The Lord Jesus Christ, coming in His Name.
Paul's emphasis in this book is sound doctrine and good works.  Titus is to focus on the Truth of God's Word which will result in godliness and fruitfulness in the lives of the believers.  There is a distinct contrast made between those who truly know God and those who simply profess to know Him.
True followers of Christ are:  hospitable, sensible, loving what is good, just, devout, self-controlled, faithful to the Word, temperate, dignified, sound in faith, love, and perseverance, reverent in behavior, teachers of good, pure, kind, well-pleasing in their work,  engaged in good deeds, meeting pressing needs,  " showing all good faith that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect" (2:10b).
Those who do not truly know God, pretend believers, are exposed by their deeds:  they are self-willed, quick tempered, quarrelsome, rebellious, empty talkers, deceivers, detestable, disobedient, worthless for good deeds, factious, foolish, and caught up in disputes.  They have not been transformed by the Truth, but remain "foolish.. disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts, and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another." (3:3).
The difference between what we were as unbelievers and what we become as true believers is found in  2: 11-14 and 3:4-7  "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds."  and  "But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
Oh Great and Wonderful Father, thank You for Your blessing on us, for salvation, for Grace.  May we "adorn" our faith with good deeds, done from hearts of love and obedience, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, to the praise and glory of our Lord and Savior and to You, our Heavenly Father, full grace and glory. Amen

Psalm 134.  3 short verses, yet filled with Truth.  Matthew Henry's Commentary digs out truths for us to learn and practice.  First we are to learn to "bless The Lord".  To speak well of Him.  This is the occupation for His servants.  The psalmist addresses the Levites who were appointed to "serve by night".  Their job was to attend the sanctuary and to guard it from being plundered  or profaned in any way. They kept the fires burning and the lamps lit. While they did their work they are called on to "bless The Lord".  Keep awake, keep alert, keep employed, useful in this very wonderful work of blessing The Lord, of praise and prayer.  They must remember where they are, in the place of holiness, of God's Presence.  They must lift up their hands, holy hands, clean hands and pure hearts, in this holy place, this sanctuary.  This applies to us, Matthew Henry writes, "we have a place and a name in His house, in His sanctuary; we stand before Him to minister to Him. Even by night we are under His eye and have access to Him.  Let us therefore bless The Lord, and again bless Him; think and speak of His glory and goodness.  Let us lift up our hands in prayer and praise, in vows; let us do our work with diligence and cheerfulness, and in elevation of mind".  This is conduct befitting the fact that we are in the Presence of the Holy One.

Micah 6  The people of God, who owed their very existence and freedom to Him, failed to know Him. They practiced a false religion of external acts while living in rebellion of God's commands.  He boils it down to the basics for them " He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does The Lord require of you But to do justice,to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Instead of this they cheated each other using "a short measure" and "wicked scales".  They were deceptive, violent, liars.  No justice, no love, no mercy, and no fear of God.  In response to such sin God brings desolation.  To sow and not reap, to work and not enjoy the fruits of your labor,  to try to put away things for safe keeping and lose them anyway.
Micah 7  Things were so bad in Israel that Micah says "The godly person has perished from the land, and there is no upright person among men."   They hunt each other and kill each other.  They do evil with the left hand as well as the right.  The leaders and judges ask for bribes.  They cannot trust their neighbors or even their friends. They cannot even trust their own family members.
We may not be that bad yet, but we see the signs of it.  We hear of such things with more frequency than ever before. This is what happens when God is not feared and obeyed.
But, Micah shows us how to handle life in such a society.  "But as for me, I will watch expectantly for The Lord, I will wait for the God of my salvation."  The Lord is his light.  The Lord pardons iniquity and "delights in unchanging love".  "He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot, Yes, Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea."   There will come a day when the nation will be ashamed, Micah tells us. When they will truly fear The Lord as they lie on the ground before Him.  Our nation will be included in that number.  Meanwhile we keep our eyes and hearts on the Holy One and wait for that day.  How wonderful is our God!  There is none like Thee! Thank You Father for Your Truth and Your unchanging Love.

Psalm 135: "For I know that The Lord is great, And that our Lord is above all gods".   God's power is revealed in nature and in nations.  Idols, silver, gold, or whatever,  have no power whatsoever.  Know it.  Count on it!  Believe it!  Live it.  This is the Truth. Praise The Lord!

Micah 4 pictures the time of Jesus' reign on earth.  The "mountain of the house of The Lord" will be raised up higher than any other and people will stream to it, Micah tells us.  They will come to be taught God's ways.  He will judge, he will bring peace, He will redeem His own.  No matter what we think now about Israel, or about any nation or power on earth,  it is God Who reigns.  "But they do not know the thoughts of The Lord, And they do not understand His purpose" v12.  God's power is not limited in any way.  We need not despair, for His purposes are being accomplished, even right now.  Even here in the United States of America.  "And He will judge between many peoples and render decisions for mighty distant nations." v3.  Our God reigns and there is no end to His Kingdom!
Praise The Lord!

Micah 5 tells us about the 1st coming of Jesus.  Here we find the prophecy of His birth in Bethlehem. (v2).  Here we are told that "they will smite the judge of Israel on the cheek".   He  who comes forth to "be the ruler in Israel"  will arise and "shepherd His flock" .  "And this One will be our peace."
Jesus came from the "days of eternity", giving them up to "she who is in labor".
Verses 7-15 tell of the remnant of Jacob scattered among the nations.  About a time of vengeance and anger. A time of judgement on the nations that do not obey the Word of The Lord.  Oh how we need to know the Truth and Worship God with reverence and awe.  Our nation is heading away from God and we will suffer for it.  Help us Father!  Turn hearts and lives back to Your Word.  Shine Your light on us and push back the darkness that seeks to ruin this nation.  Forgive us and redeem us we pray. Amen.

Psalm 135:5-14  The Lord's greatness deserves our praise, the psalmist tells us.   Matthew Henry's Commentary says that this section gives us the psalmist's proofs, by his observation and by the revelation of it.   That God is great is proven by the greatness of His power, absolute power to do whatever it is that pleases Him. ( v6).  No one can hinder God from doing what He wills. His power is absolute no matter where we look, heaven or earth, or under the earth.  His power is shown in nature - lightning, rain, wind - those things that we cannot control.  His power is absolute in His dealings with nations.  He rescued Israel, overthrew Pharaoh, struck down kings, and fulfilled His promises.  "No power of hell or earth can prevent the accomplishment of the promise of God when the time, the set time, for it has come." ( Matt. Henry).  
God's greatness is shown also in His glory and grace.   His name is everlasting.  " God is, and will be, always the same to His church, a gracious, faithful, wonder-working God; and His church is , and will be, the same to him, a thankful praising people; and thus His Name endures for ever."   God will "judge His people" - He rules, He contends, He executes judgements, but He is on our side!   He "will have compassion on His servants" (v14).  He will have pity, He will comfort, He will show mercy.  He delights in doing good for those who are His own.
"Great is The Lord and highly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable." Ps. 145:3   I praise You Father for You are great in power, great in glory, and great in grace!  You are amazing, unchanging, perfect in every way.  Thank You that You choose to reveal Your power to us in our experiences as well as through Your Word.  You have made me Your own child, Your daughter.  That is a wonderful work, a mighty act, an awesome act of pure and perfect grace.  Oh how great You are, how lovely and beautiful is The Lord God Almighty! Amen.

Micah 1-3 Micah pronounces the coming of God in judgement against the sins of Israel and Judah.  When God brings judgement against sin it is fierce and powerful. " For behold, The Lord is coming forth from His place. He will come down and tread on the high places of the earth. the mountains will melt under Him, And the valleys will be split, like wax before the fire, like water poured down a steep place." v3-4.   The judgement is certain and it is frightening.
Ch 2 addresses specific sins.  They scheme iniquity and work on their evil plans at night while lying on their beds.  They use their power to harm. They covet fields and steal them, they rob men and houses.  They take away inheritances from men.  Those who should be standing up for the victims fail to do so.  They refuse to listen to the warnings of the prophets.  They steal the shirts right off the backs of strangers. They treat soldiers returning from war with disrespect and steal from them too.  They evict women from their own houses. They harm children.  They tell lies and make false promises.
Ch. 3 addresses certain groups of people who have failed in their responsibilities.
The rulers don't know justice, they love evil and hate good.  They devour people.
The prophets and  priests led people astray, wanting only money.
Bribes and extortion.  They " twist everything that is straight". 3:9b.  All the while prideful and arrogant, proclaiming to be the Lord's.
This could be written of America today.  Our rulers don't know justice and they certainly don't believe the Truth of God's Word.  They love evil and hate good. Many religious organizations have led people astray.  They do twist everything according to what they want and seek money from those who want them to say that sin is not sin.
We must listen to the voice of the prophets, we must be "filled with power- with the Spirit of The Lord and with justice and courage."  To tell our nation also their sins and their rebellious acts.  ( 3:8)
Keep speaking the Truth. Know the Word of God and speak it.  Know God and keep your gaze on Him.  He is a God of judgement, but He is a God of mercy also.  Make it known to those around you today.

Psalm 135 "For I know that The Lord is great, that our Lord is above all gods.  Whatever The Lord pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in the deeps." v 5-6   The nations make idols of silver or gold, with no mouths that speak, no eyes that see, no ears that hear, no breath... no life.  The psalmist says that "Those who make them will be like them," v18.  If we worship anything else, besides The Lord, we become like it.  Does that mean if we worship the One and Only True Creator God, that we will be like Him?  Paul tells us ; "But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of The Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from The Lord the Spirit." ( II Cor. 3:18)  We must keep our eyes on Him, Who is above all others.  We must worship Him alone.  We need to fix our gaze and our hearts on God, the Almighty, Who is transcendent, immutable, eternal, self-contained, perfect, infinite, and gracious God.  Lift up your eyes to the only True God.  Start thinking of Him more often, meditate on His "glorious splendor" and on His "wonderful works".  Do it right now.  Then tell it to your children, to your spouse, to your friends. Praise, brag, about God today. The Lord is great!

II Tim. 4  Paul says he is "poured out" and "the time of my departure has come".   He is confident that The Lord will take him home, to "His heavenly kingdom".  Paul is ready for the future.  His eyes are on his God!  Thomas a Kempis also had this kind of focus, endure everything with humility, giving up even your own will, because life in heaven will more than make up for it:  "For instead of that little of thy will, which now thou so readily forsakest, thou shalt always have thy will in heaven.  Yea, there thou shalt find all that thou canst wish, all that thou shalt be able to desire. There thou shalt have within thy reach all good, without fear of losing it. There shall thy will be ever one with me; it shall not covet any outward or selfish thing."   Heaven, the Kingdom of our God, will be worth every pain, every fear, every hurt, every mean word that we suffer for His sake.  Kempis ends this meditation with great advice, " this is what thou art to wish, that, whether it be by life or by death, God may be always glorified in thee."  That is how Paul lived.  Father, help me to also live this way.
I pray that this will be your prayer also. Amen.

Psalm 135 "Praise The Lord" . Who should praise The Lord?  His servants.  Israel, Aaron's house, Levi's house, and all "who revere The Lord , bless The Lord." v1,19-20.   Those who "stand in the house of The Lord, In the courts of the house of our God".  The ministers, the priests, the servants, and the worshippers, all are instructed to praise The Lord, " for The Lord is good" and His Name "is lovely" v2-3.   If we are followers of Christ, if we are servants of God, then we must be about the business of praising Him. To praise means to be clear, to shine, to make a show, to boast; to be(clamorously) foolish; to rave, to celebrate, commend, glory, give light, ....How often do we say "Praise The Lord" and not truly mean it? We need to make clear the glory of God, to boast of His goodness, and to celebrate His lovingkindness and grace. Father, forgive me for not being diligent to praise You, not only in church, but also in my everyday conversations. To rave about You! To even look foolish while praising You.  The Lord is good. Thank You for being so patient and kind.  Amen

II Timothy 3
The last days, the difficult times, will come, Paul tells Timothy.  No kidding, we think.  Are there any times when this has not seemed true?  Men who are lovers of money?  Yep, plenty of those around.
Lovers of self? Boastful? Arrogant?" Revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God;"   Just read a newspaper or turn on the tv.  Our world is overflowing with these kinds of men and women.  People "holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power." A form, a fashioned religious appearance, with no real faith in the power of God, or in the need for Truth.   These people are like Jannes and Jambres, Paul says.  And they have depraved minds, rejecting the Truth, never coming to know the Truth.
The impostors will be found out, Paul tells us, their folly will be obvious.   How are we to live then, in light of such a culture?  The same as Paul tells Timothy:
Follow "my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance.."
Endure persecutions and sufferings.
Continue in the things learned, be convinced in them.
Know " the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus"
All Scripture - teach it, reprove by it, correct with it, train in righteousness by it,  so that we will be "adequate, equipped for every good work".

We need, I need, to talk about God, praising Him, boasting and celebrating, and raving about Him! And I need to know and share the Word of God.  Especially to my children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren!  "One generation shall praise Thy works to another and shall declare Thy mighty acts." Psalm 145.  In these last days there is nothing more important!

Psalm 136:10-22  The psalmist leads us in the song of thanksgiving, remembering the mighty acts of God as He brought Israel out of Egypt and into the promised land.  It was God Who "smote the Egyptians in their first-born", "divided the Red Sea", and "slew mighty kings".   It was the strong hand of God, His outstretched arm that led Israel out of bondage and into freedom.  He gave His people a land, a heritage, an inheritance.  Why?  "For His lovingkindness is everlasting".   He knew their grumbling, their rebellious natures, their future apostasy. He knows ours as well.  But, it is He "who remembered us in our low estate.... rescued us from our adversaries...."  and gives us our daily bread.  He is the Gift giver.  And we are the thanks -givers.   I love the little book one thousand gifts.  The author tells of the Greek word for thanks "eucharisteo" - from charis - grace, chara - joy.  She says " Jesus took the bread and saw it as grace and gave thanks."  This word, eucharisteo, give thanks,  "Grace, thanksgiving, joy".   " A threefold cord that might offer a way up into the fullest life?" The psalmist knew this truth.  The people of Israel sang this song.  Let us join them.  " Give thanks to The Lord for He is good; For His lovingkindness if everlasting."  Amen.

II Timothy 1
Paul writes a final letter to Timothy, whom he loved like a son.  He reminds Timothy of his love for him,  his prayers for him, and his gladness in the sincere faith that Timothy has displayed.  Paul encourages Timothy to have courage, love, and discipline in the Holy Spirit, to use his gifts, and to live boldly for the gospel. Paul has suffered and is imprisoned because of the gospel, and Timothy must not falter because of this.  He must be prepared to also suffer for the sake of Jesus Christ.
God has saved us and called us for " His own purposes and grace, which was granted to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity."   He abolished death and brought real Life, eternal life, through the Gospel.  This is not something to be ashamed of, but to glory in. This has been entrusted to us and we must guard it carefully, even as Timothy and Paul did.
The gospel, the good news, "sound words" of  Jesus Christ, The Lord and Savior bring life.  These are words that have power.  Power to change lives, power that redeems sinners, rescues the perishing, and brings life to the dead and light to the darkness.  We are either ashamed of this Truth, or we are willing to suffer for it. Some had turned away from Paul, not willing to suffer for the gospel.  But Paul pleads for Timothy, "Suffer hardship with me,as a good soldier of Christ Jesus." II Tim. 2:3.
Father grant me also the gift of Thy Spirit, the spirit of power, love, and discipline.  The courage to suffer for the sake of Your dear Son, Christ Jesus.  Grant to me grace, mercy, and peace in Christ Jesus. Thank You. Amen.

Psalm 136:4-9  We give thanks to The Lord, because He is good, because of His everlasting kindness.  We thank Him, who is God of gods and Lord of lords, the God of heaven.  These next verses extol God for His mighty work of creation:
He alone "does great wonders" v4
He "made the heavens with skill" v5
He "spread out the earth above the waters"v6
He "made the great lights", the "sun to rule by day",  "the moon and stars to rule by night" v7-9
With intelligence and wisdom - skillfulness, He made the universe.  God alone, does such great wonders. These are the mighty acts of God that we must praise and talk about with our children and grandchildren. "One generation shall praise thy works to another and shall declare Thy mighty acts." Ps. 145:4.   We have failed this as a nation, as a world.  But it is not too late!  For His loving kindness is everlasting!  He is good!  And He is Almighty, Sovereign, never changing, Perfect God. Praise Him forever and ever!  Bless His Holy Name!

Jonah 3-4
Jonah obeys the Lord's command to go to Nineveh, but he is still a reluctant witness.  He simply repeats what God told him to say, " Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown."  He doesn't tell anything about how great God is, nor Who God is, or even what God desires.  The work that is done in the heart of the king and of the people of Nineveh is done without Jonah's love or compassion, without his desire or prayers.  It is done by God alone. It is the king's proclamation that "men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands."  that brings the people to humble themselves before God in repentance.  God sees and relents from destroying them.
Jonah is so angry that all he wants to do is die.  He " knew that Thou art a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity."  He feels that he has every right to be angry at God.  For God has allowed wicked men to repent and not be punished for their sins.  God is so tender and patient with Jonah. For Jonah has already forgotten that God had allowed him to repent from his rebellion and had rescued him from a fishes belly .
 Jonah goes and sits outside of the city, watching to see what happens.  God appoints a plant to cover Jonah, a worm to eat the plant, and a scorching wind to blow.  Jonah is sunburned, faint, and ready to die in his anger.  Jonah "had compassion" for the plant which only lasted one day but had made Jonah happy and comfortable.  God had compassion on 120,000 babies in a great city where there was no hope.
God is "righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds" Ps. 145:17.  He had compassion upon Nineveh and He had compassion upon Jonah.  He can bring a city to repentance through the words of a reluctant angry prophet.  He can change a nation through even us.  If we had the message from God that Jonah had... if we knew that our nation would be overthrown in 40 days... would we preach it?
Let us speak about the greatness of our Holy God!  Let us tell of His everlasting kindness and love. And let us be real about the fate of the wicked, for they will perish unless they humble themselves before God like the people in Nineveh did.