King James Bible Study – [Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.]
Date: Tuesday, April 26, 2022
Chapters: PSALMS 73, 77-78
Study: Compromise Elsewhere
Hello My Friend,
As faithful Christians, we do have that fear of God inside of is that keeps us faithful, but it is really not the sinning against God that we fear most, because we know that God is righteous and just to forgive us. It is having that sin exposed that we fear most as that would mean that we would disappointing so many people who trusted. With that said, we are all capable of slipping, even one bad decision could cause any one of us to trip and fall. What do we do then? If we have fallen, do we continue to live in sin? Do we run and hide? No. we confess our sin to God, repent, and do what we need to do to make things right.
[What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. – Romans 6:15-17]
And what if someone has fallen, and we found out about it? Do we condemn them for life? Do we turn on them? No. We remember what Jesus said, we do not condone them, we help them get back up on their feet, [Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. – Luke 17:3-4]
It is still mind boggling to the saved, born again Christian to know that we are the sons and daughters of God through our faith alone in Christ. It is not like we literally forget that we are saved, or that Jesus lives in us, but between the cares of life and the devil throwing his darts at us, we can lose sight of that, especially when we are being afflicted. And let me tell you, the longer you face affliction, the easier it is to fall. As we return to reading Psalms, the chapters for today are written by Asaph, he was a prophet during David’s reign, a Levite, and also a musician, who was trusted by David. Asaph recorded quite a few of the Psalms, and as we begin, he has issues dealing with people who reject God and wonders what most Christians do, “Why am I struggling in life, while those who have no interest in God prosper? He even contemplates walking away from his ministry.
[A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. – Psalms 73:1-8]
[but their strength is firm.] There is one thing about the world that we as Christians lack severely, and that is that they stand firm in what they believe and will not cave into pressure. There is a difference between having respect for those we disagree with and compromising our faith in order to keep the peace, and sadly, many Christians have compromised their faith out of fear of offending them. Well, let me tell you, offenses come, [Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. – Matthew 18:7-8]
I do not care who we are, we are all broken, we all have done things that we are not proud of, but that is what Jesus is for. He is the one who mends us, and puts us back together, only better than we were. I do not know about you, but the more I see how foolish the world is, the less my heart desires what they have. And in the end, they may have everything they want and desire right now, but their end will be much worse than mine.
[Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee. Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works. – Psalms 73:13-17,22-26,28]
[but God is the strength of my heart,] A heavy heart is exactly how we do become addicted or drawn to the lusts of our flesh, we think that we can somehow get rid of the pain with something else, and, strong saved, born again Christians get like this too. However, those of a pure heart come to their senses and not only realize that Christ is their strength, they also understand where the fools are going, and God only allows them to live the way they live because it really is best they are going to get, they will perish in their sin, [The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; – 2 Peter 2:9,12]
[But it is good for me to draw near to God:] It is the devil who tries to convince us that God is not with us and will never give us any relief. It is the devil who tries to convince us that the affliction we face is due to some fault of ours are we must deal with it on our own. And it is the devil who makes us think that we are not forgiven when we do repent. My goodness, our faith truly is like a roller coaster, and it can take a toll on us so, instead of living life as though we are lost, how about we turn things around and live knowing that we belong to Jesus, and that our suffering will end one day. The world may not know Christ, but you do, and He knows you, He hears you, and is right there with you.
[To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun, A Psalm of Asaph. I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah. Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search. Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? 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? Selah. And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. – Psalms 77:1-10]
[This is my infirmity:] What exactly is our infirmity? Our self pity party. Remember, God does not respond to self pity, we need to go back through the years and think about everything that God has done for us after we were saved, and even before, [Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. – Romans 8:26-27]
I cannot begin to tell you just how many times God has intercepted something in my life to keep me from falling. I actually found myself getting angry with Him the one time He did not, and that was when He reminded me that I have a choice, He tested me, I failed, but I also learned my lesson, the hard way, but I learned it. You see, affliction, pain, and suffering, these are what actually tender our heart, God already knows our heart, but this is what gets us to see it for ourselves. Remember, God will prove us by our faith in Him. And if there is anything we ought to be learning about faith coming from suffering, it is how God judged Egypt before they let Israel go free.
[Maschil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle. They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law; And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them. – Psalms 78:1-5,9-11]
[and his wonderful works that he hath done.] Not that we may have any hidden sin, perhaps God is telling us that we are not being open enough about our faith as we need to be a mocking bird when it comes to telling everyone from family to strangers on the streets what Jesus has done for us. Let me tell you, being a faithful witness keeps us accountable as it reminds us of what Jesus has done. There was a time when I watched everyone I knew being blessed and swore I was cursed for my past, I lost my health, and everything I owned, except for the clothes I wore. Then I remembered what Christ did for me, and how much He has done for me since giving my life to Him, and no matter how much I struggle today, I never again want to be where I was.
[They kept not the covenant of God,] This is referring to Jeroboam, who forsook God after He had made him king of the northern kingdom of Israel, out of fear that the people were going to run back to Rehoboam, after God had separated the nation, [And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. – 1 Kings 12:26-29]
Do you realize just how often you cry out to God and He hears what you have to say? Whether it is when we are troubled, complaining, fussing, or whining, the second we cry out to Him, He is all ears. If all we do is whine and complain about things with no faith or no mention of Him at all, of course, He will not hear us, but I can tell you of countless times I have cried out to God with my voice, and even to God with my voice, and He gave ear to me. The Psalmist continues to recall the account of Israel as God showed them countless miracles, yet they never fully trusted Him, and God knew it too.
[Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people? Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel; Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation: When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God. And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer. Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant. But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. – Psalms 78:20-22,34-38]
[Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth,] These are the ones who, never really had much faith in God, and when they do fall, they never get back up and continue to fall until they have turned on Him all together. Let me tell you, the longer I walk with Christ the more I discover just how weak my flesh is. If I am not only grounded in His Word, but serving Him as well, and living in that fear, my flesh turns to the deceit of my heart rather than the pure heart that Jesus gives me. You see, those who constantly complain, and are only happy with God as long as their bellies are full, actually limit God to what He can do. I mean, would you want to do something for someone who is always complaining about everything you do for them?
[Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy. He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them. He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence; And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham: But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock. And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies. And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased. – Psalms 78:41-42,49-54]
[by sending evil angels among them.] The evil angels are not the ones that Satan took with him, they are all in chains, awaiting judgment from Jesus also, [I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. – Jude 1:5-6]. These are the ones that God uses to send the natural evils that will either bring repentance or rebellion in order to bring out their true faith, like death, disease, and judgment, [And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place: For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it. – Genesis 19:12-13]
l[which his right hand had purchased.] You do know that Jesus Christ purchased your soul? Yes, you were bought with a price, and that price was His life. It is time we stop feeling sorry for ourselves, stop living in fear, and stop blaming others for our problems. We are saved, born again Christians, and if you are not, the time is right now to accept Him as Saviour, [For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant. Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God. – 1 Corinthians 7:22-24]
Today’s Prayer: God, You are very clear to us that salvation only comes from our believing in and receiving Your Son as our Saviour. You are also very clear that as a nation of Your people, You want Your people to be living in a way that reflects Your Son so that others can come to know Him too. You also want us to trust You and be reminded that You are always with us, and what will come to the end of those who refuse to accept Your Son. Lord, Lead us, guide us, give us Your power, mercy, grace, strength, and courage to step up and be one nation under Christ. Help us be bold and declare Your Son in a dark world, overshadowed by Satan. Put Your hedge of protection around us and keep us safe from those who will attempt to stop us, and let us not become weary in well doing. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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