An Influence for Good

“Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O LORD,

and that the foolish people have blasphemed your name. . . .

Rise up, O God!  Plead your own cause!

Remember how the foolish man reproaches you every day.

Forget not the voice of your enemies; the tumult of those

who rise up against you increases continually.”

Psalm 74:18, 22–23

I found myself praying these same things recently when I remembered seeing certain famous entertainers mock God, using vile language as they did so.  I called their names out to God, appealing to Him to show His power again so that His Son’s name would be honored again by men.

A body of Christ without miracle-working power, such as the body of Christ is at this time in history, is an invitation to the world to blaspheme the name of Jesus.  The body of Christ is supposed to act like salt, preserving society from going bad as quickly as it will without that salt.  But a body of Christ without power has no preserving influence on society.  When the world sees a body of Christ without the power of God, such as the body of Christ is at this time in history, it thinks there is no reason to fear our God.

The next time we hear a news report about how bad matters are among the nations, instead of just shaking our heads and criticizing the world, let’s get alone with God and ask for the power to be an influence for good.  We do not want God to see us as part of the reason the world is in as bad a condition as it is in.  We want Him to see us as “faultless and innocent, children of God, without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation” (Phip. 2:15).

Judgments Produce Fear, and Godliness

“You caused judgment to be heard from heaven.  The earth feared,

and was still, when God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth.”

Psalm 76:8–9

The fierce judgment of God alone can make this hedonistic world pause in its reckless pursuit of pleasure. “The fear of God is clean,” and even sinners, when they feel it, keep themselves cleaner than they would otherwise do.

Pray for God’s judgments to be revealed from heaven.  And pray to survive them when they are.

God Puts Down and Sets Up

“Promotion comes neither from the east,

nor from the west, nor from the south.

But God is the judge.  He puts down one, and sets up another.”

Psalm 75:6–7

Stay out of politics.  People vote, but God alone decides.  Daniel warned King Nebuchadnezzar that God was about to make him “know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever he will” (Dan. 4:25).

Leave this world’s politics to God, and concentrate on being a godly influence on your family, friends, and associates.  If you accomplish that, you will have fulfilled your purpose in this life.

The Enemies of the Lord

“Your enemies roar in the midst of your congregations. . . .”

Psalm 74:4

“And David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the LORD!’

And Nathan said to David, ‘The LORD has put away your sin;

you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have given

great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme. . . .’ ”

2Samuel 12:13–14

The “enemies of the LORD” to which God, through Nathan the prophet, was referring were not foreign nations.  They were Israelites who refused to believe that God had chosen David to be king and that He had revealed to David that Jerusalem was the place where all Israel should come to worship.  David’s tragic sin with Bathsheba made those rebellious Israelites confident that they were right not to believe David and were right to speak evil of him and his “revelation”.  For committing this crime against God’s people, David and his family suffered for the rest of his life.

May God save us from ever committing a sin that would make God’s enemies, His stubborn and rebellious children, feel justified in refusing the truth that He has shown us.

“We See Not Our Signs”

“We see not our signs.  There is no more any prophet:

neither is there among us any that knows how long.

O God, how long shall the adversary reproach?

Shall the enemy blaspheme your name for ever?”

Psalm 74:9–10

In our time, the body of Christ and the world are both in poor condition.  The precious name of Jesus is greatly scorned by the world, and the miracles and gifts of the Spirit which should be the norm among God’s people are rarely seen.  “We do not see our signs.” as the prophet said of his day, the signs that Jesus said would be among those who believe:

Mark 16

17. These signs shall accompany those who believe: In my name, they’ll cast out demons; they’ll speak with new tongues;

18. they’ll take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it won’t hurt them; they’ll lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

A body of Christ without power is a joke to this world.  The world is emboldened to blaspheme the name of Jesus and scoff at the gospel when God’s children lose their power and start preaching a “word only” gospel.  “The kingdom of God”, Paul said, “is not in talk, but in power.”

The prophet who wrote Psalm 74 knew why his generation did not see their signs: God had withdrawn His power from His people, and the prophet desperately wanted God to bring it back: “O God, why have you cast us off for ever?  Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?” (Ps. 74:1).

Let us seek God for a restoration of His glory among His people so that the name of His Son Jesus will again be feared and respected by men, and so that we might be healed and be true witnesses for Jesus.  Without God’s miracle-working power, none of that can happen.

God’s Laws

“The day is yours, the night also is yours.  You made the light and the sun.

You set all the boundaries of the earth.  You made summer and winter.”

Psalm 74:16–17

The “law of Moses” was God’s law, not Moses’.  God gave it to Moses; Moses did not write a single line of it, and Israel was preserved in peace when they obeyed that law.  Likewise, the “laws of physics” and “laws of the universe” are God’s laws.  God created this universe and the laws that are in it; the universe did not make its own laws.  And it is held together by the laws He instituted for it.

The Greatest Gift

“O bless our God, you people, and make the voice of His praise to be heard

who holds our soul in life, and suffers not our feet to be moved.”

Psalm 66:8–9

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.

He that believes in me shall live even if he dies,

and everyone who is living and believing in me will never, ever die.

Do you believe this?’ ”

John 11:25–26

The most desired, and desirable, object in all creation is life itself.  Every creature in every realm loves it.  However, “nobody can keep his own soul alive” (Ps. 22:29).  And so, to keep forever the most precious gift in all creation, we must ask mercy from the One who gave us life to begin with.  And He has told us how to keep it forever: believe in His Son and walk in His Spirit.  “For if you live after the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Rom. 8:13).

What a precious promise!  The gift of life – forever – if we will but walk in the righteousness, peace, and joy of God’s sweet Spirit!  Nobody but a fool would turn down such an offer.

“Never Thirst Again?”

From a sermon by Pastor John

June 30, 2016

“Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Everybody who drinks this water

will get thirsty again, but if anyone drinks the water that I’ll give him,

he’ll never thirst again.  No, the water that I’ll give him will become

within him fountain of water, springing up into eternal life.’ ”

Jesus, in John 4:13–14

I used to think that the above words from Jesus meant that those who drank the water he gives would never again feel any thirst at all.  And I wondered what was wrong with me, for I was constantly “thirsting” for more of his water.  But thankfully, he let me know that the water that he gives doesn’t quench your thirst for him and his water of life; rather, it quenches your thirst for anything else.  Jesus’ water creates thirst for more of what Jesus is handing out, and removes from our hearts the thirst for anything else!

God Is at War with Death

From a sermon by Pastor John

June 30, 2016

God is at perpetual war with death.  Death is an enemy, Paul said.  “The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1Cor. 15:26).  And do you know how God fights death?  It’s not by railing against it, or shooting guns.  Every time the Spirit moves on you, God is fighting with death.  The life of the Spirit is the victory over death!  Every time you feel the Spirit, God is conquering the death that is in your flesh.

God doesn’t fight like people fight.  Peace is His weapon; joy is His weapon; truth is His weapon.  Every time God heals somebody, He is overcoming death; He’s fighting, and He’s winning.  It is no wonder Jesus said, “He that believes in me shall never die.”  Even if you “fall asleep in Jesus”, you will rise again.  “He that is alive and believes in me shall never die.”  People may say you’re dead, but you will not be dead.  

We feel it when God is fighting.  We are blessed when the battle is raging.  It’s “joy unspeakable” for us when God is overcoming death.  Every time God speaks to you, He’s fighting against death, and He’s winning in you.  That’s where God’s warfare is, in the Spirit, and when you feel His joy and peace, the Spirit is winning.  If you stay in the Spirit, you win with it.  Solomon said, “In the pathway of righteousness there is no death” – none.  Stay on that pathway!  There is no death in the holy Ghost; “the Spirit is life, because of righteousness.”

Let’s praise God and cheer Him on!  Win, God, Win!  Let Him win in you!

“Like Those Who Dream”

“O God, you have cast us off; you have scattered us;

you have been displeased; O turn yourself to us again.

You have made the earth to tremble;

you have broken it. Heal the breaches thereof, for it is shaking.”

Psalm 60:1–2

Believers have divided themselves today, and have done so for a long time, by joining different sects offered to them by Christianity.  They are “the earth” that God has broken into pieces.  Christianity is His curse for the rebellion of their fathers against His Son and His Spirit.

If and when they repent of their rebellion against the Spirit, God will heal the breaches He has made.  And the healing will happen like this: God will open His people’s eyes to see the beauty of life in the Spirit, and He will cause their hearts to desire it so much that they realize they will have to leave Christianity and its division behind in order to have it.

When God does this, when He restores His kind of love to His people, they will love one another too much to tolerate any divisions; they will “remember Zion” and long for it.  They will at last recognize the voice of their Shepherd lovingly pleading for them to “Come out of her, my people, so that you do not participate in her sins, so that you do not receive of her plagues.”  And when they obey that voice and come out of Christianity, they will come together, and be so amazed and happy that they “will be like them that dream” (Ps. 126:1).  In other words, their dreams will have at long last come true.

A Friend

“It was not an enemy that reproached me;

then, I could have borne it.

Neither was it one who hated me that puffed himself up against me;

in that case, I would have hidden myself from him. 

But it was you, a man my own equal, my guide, and my acquaintance.

We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in company.”

Psalm 55:12–14

The cruelest blow Jesus ever received was delivered by a friend.  The greatest crime ever committed against him was committed by someone who did not hate him.

Be careful what decisions you make.

Abraham’s Blessing

“God is my helper.  The Lord is with them that uphold my soul.

He shall reward evil to my enemies.”

Psalm 54:4–5a

It is a precious thing to inherit the blessing of Abraham: “I will bless them who bless you, and him who curses you, I will curse” (Gen. 12:3).  Israel inherited it, and the Bible is full of stories of God blessing those who did good to Israel and cursing those who did them wrong.  But in this covenant, Christ Jesus is the foretold “seed of Abraham” (Gal. 3:16), and in God’s eyes, the children of Abraham are those who have the kind of faith Abraham had.

Be of good cheer, you who are in Christ.  God is your Father and your near-kinsman!

Atheism

“The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ ”

Psalm 53:1a

From a conversation with Preacher Clark in the late 1970’s.

Only God can judge a heart.  After He gave the Spirit to a group of Gentiles, Peter told the Jews, “God, who knows the heart, bore them witness, giving them the holy Spirit just as He gave it to us” (Acts 15:8).

But what if God does not give someone the holy Spirit?  How has He judged that person’s heart?  Preacher Clark pointed out to me that David said, “The fool has said in his heart,” not “The fool has said.”  Many a soul, including some who bear the title of “minister”, are not given the holy Spirit because God has judged them on the basis of what is in their heart, not by what comes out of their mouth.

Recently, a young man told a friend of mine that he was an atheist.  When I heard that, the thought came to me, “Everyone on earth is an atheist who does not have the holy Spirit.”  That is the truth that my father was pointing out to me.  Many fools say that they believe in God.  But if God has not given them His Spirit, He is saying that in their heart, they do not.   Whom, then, are we to believe?

For Your Name’s Sake

“For your name’s sake, O LORD , pardon my iniquity, for it is great.”

Psalm 25:11

“For you are my rock and my fortress; therefore,

for your name’s sake lead me, and guide me.”

Psalm 31:3

“Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name,

and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for your name’s sake.”

Psalm 79:9

“Give me life, O LORD , for your name’s sake!

For your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.”

Psalm 143:11

Some people in the Bible, such as David, loved God so much that the best reason they could think of for asking God for mercy and help is so that His name would be glorified more.

Jesus was like that.  He thought that the best reason for us to live right is so that people around us would speak well of his Father: “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Mt. 5:16).  And so did Peter: “Keep your conduct honorable among the Gentiles so that, although they speak against you as evildoers, they will, having seen your good works, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1Pet. 2:12).

Let’s give our heavenly Father a blessing today.  Let’s live so that somebody around us will say something good about Him.

Remember These Promises

“Blessed is he who considers the poor.

The LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.

The LORD will preserve him, and give him life,

and he shall be blessed upon the earth.

And you will not turn him over to the will of his enemies.

The LORD will strengthen him on his sickbed.

Whenever he is bedridden, you will turn away his sickness.”
Psalm 41:1–3

According to the Psalmist, then, if we consider the plight of the poor among God’s people, God has promised the following blessings:

1) He will deliver us when we find ourselves in trouble.

2) He will save our lives and protect us.

3) He will make our lives in this world blessed.

4) He will not let evil people do what they would like to do to us.

5) He will use even times of sickness and suffering to make us stronger.

God cares about His people, especially those whose lives on earth are not easy.  And when we help them, God has promised to help us.

Being Honest with Yourself

“Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts.”

Psalm 51:6

“LORD, who shall abide in your tabernacle?

Who shall dwell in your holy hill?

He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness,

and speaks the truth in his heart.”

Psalm 15:1–2

The most important person for you to tell the truth to is yourself.  You cannot be truthful with others if you are refusing to admit the truth to yourself.  All honesty starts with personal integrity.

Men Will Praise You

“Men will praise you, when you do well to yourself.”

Psalm 49:18b

“He who speaks on his own is seeking his own glory.”

John 7:18a

One of the chief ways that men do well to themselves in this world, and receive praise for it, is to devise religions with deep-sounding doctrines and impressive ceremonies.  Jesus said that those who come up with their own doctrines are looking for worldly praise, and history shows that such men often find it.

Let’s look for ways to bring glory to God instead of ourselves.  The only praise we really need is the praise our heavenly Father will give us in the end, if we are faithful to Him in this life.

1Corinthians 4:5

5. So, judge nothing before the time, but wait until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and expose the intentions of hearts, and then from God will praise be given to each one.

Who Is Your Family?

“Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear;

forget also your own people, and your father’s house. 

So shall the king greatly desire your beauty.”

Psalm 45:10–11a

When Jesus said that those who obey God were His real family (Mt. 12:48–50; Mk.3:33–35), He was showing us how to “forget your own family, and your father’s house.”  When Paul said that a born-again person is “a new creature” (2Cor. 5:17), He assumed we would understand that as new creatures, we belonged to a new family – the family who obeys God.

If we follow Jesus’ example in just this one thing, if we truly embrace God’s family as our real one, the world will hate us and cast us out of their company, just as worldly-minded people hated and cast out Jesus.

If your family is Jesus’ family, if your family is those who obey God, and only them, then you are beautiful in the eyes of the King, Jesus, and he will someday come and take you to meet his Father.

    Who is your family?

He Felt Sinful

“Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted,

which did eat of my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.”

Psalm 41:9

Jesus revealed that he himself was the one speaking those words through the prophet David, foretelling, a thousand years before it happened, that one of his disciples would betray him:

John 13

10. Jesus said to him, “He who has been washed needs only to wash his feet, but he is entirely clean.

11. (He knew who would betray him; this is why he said, “You are not all clean.”)

12. Then, when he had washed their feet, he put his garments back on, reclining again at the table, and said to them,

. . .

18. I know the ones I’ve chosen, but so that the Scripture might be fulfilled, it must be that ‘he who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me.’

When the Son of God in heaven made that statement through David, it was only part of what he said.  Here is his statement, in context:

Psalm 41

4. I said, Lord, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against you. 

5. Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish?

. . .

8. “An evil disease”, say they, “cleaves fast unto him, and now that he lieth he shall rise up    no more.”

9. Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.

As a man, the Son of God felt sinful.  He never sinned, but he felt the guilt and the shame of the sinful nature of the body of flesh he had come and taken on.  Everyone in a fleshly body feels its sinfulness.  Whenever you feel it, just follow the Son’s example and tell the Father about it.  He will lift up your head and will see to it that you are not discouraged, just as He did Jesus.  And afterward, you will glorify God again, just as Jesus did God:

Psalm 41

11. By this I know that you favor me, because mine enemy does not triumph over me.

12.   And as for me, you uphold me in mine integrity, and set me before your face for ever.

13. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.

Who Wants Life?

“What man is he who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good?

Keep your tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.”

Psalm 34:12–14

This is so simple!  If you want eternal life, just do these things: tell the truth and be honest, do good instead of evil, and strive for peace with everyone.

God is not hard.  We can do these things, and if we do them, God will guide us into eternal life.

While He May Be Found

“To you, I acknowledged my sin, and my iniquity have I not hid.

I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD’,

and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah.  For this,

every one that is godly shall pray to you in a time when you may be found.”

Psalm 32:5–6a

An invitation from God to confess and be forgiven is a precious opportunity, and when God offers it, the wise take advantage of it.  The Bible contains a number of stories of people who missed their chance to be forgiven, such as Esau who “found no place of repentance, even though he earnestly sought it with tears” (Heb. 12:17).  It doesn’t matter how much you cry and pray when God is not offering forgiveness.

“Seek the LORD while He may be found,” said Isaiah, “call upon Him while He is near!” (Isa. 55:6).  Wise counsel.  May we all do that.  For the day is coming when God will again close the door to mercy, and on that day, “there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  May God grant us grace to be among those who will be rejoicing instead!

Even the “Falling Down” Part

“So, Judas, having received a cohort, as well as officers from the chief priests

and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, and torches, and weapons.

Then Jesus, knowing all things that were coming upon him,

went out and said to them,‘Who are you looking for?’

They answered him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I am he.’  

(And Judas, the one who betrayed him, was also standing among them.)

Then, when he said to them, ‘I am he’,

they went backward and fell to the ground.”

excerpts, John 18:3–6

“When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes,

came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.”

Psalm 27:2

God knew everything that would happen to His Son long before it took place.

Acceptable Service

“I will wash mine hands in innocency; so will I compass thine altar, O LORD,

that I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving,

and tell of all thy wondrous works.”

Psalm 26:6–7

“But to the wicked, God says, ‘What have you to do, to declare my statutes,

or that you should take my covenant into your mouth?’ ”

Psalm 50:16

David understood that for worship of God to be acceptable, the worshipper must have “clean hands and a pure heart”.  He also knew that to serve God by speaking to others about Him accomplishes good only if the speaker is innocent in God’s sight.  To go about serving God with sin in your heart is worse than having sinned in the first place.  It is hypocrisy.

This is why God warns the wicked not to speak about Him.  He does not approve of sinful people testifying about His righteousness.  He does not accept that kind of service.  He wants the wicked to repent and be made righteous, then tell others about Him!

Doing Good in Hard Times

“Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry.

But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold;

he shall give all the substance of his house.”

Proverbs 6:30–31

Circumstances may put a person in such a difficult position that he feels he has no option but to do something wrong in order to survive.  A man who steals to feed his family, for instance, is not condemned by others because people know they would probably do the same wrong thing in the same difficult circumstance.

It is the man who chooses evil when he is not under pressure to do so that is condemned by society, and rightly so.  “Let them be ashamed”, said David, “who transgress without cause!” (Ps. 25:3b).

But there is something else to consider.  What about those who are hungry but refuse to steal?  What about those who suffer, but keep God’s commandments anyway?  This path, the path of stubborn righteousness and faith toward God, is open to everyone who is suffering.  Men may not despise a thief if he steals because he is hungry; still, God will judge his sin because the path of faith was available to him, if he had wanted to take it.

In God’s eyes, there is no excuse for sin, even though people will not condemn sin in certain circumstances.  The soul is wise who chooses to do good in hard times instead of doing evil and blaming hard times for it.  For God will reward us all according to our works, whatever our circumstances.

Unremembered Counsel

“I will bless the Lord, who has given me counsel.

My reins also instruct me in the night seasons.”

Psalm 16:7

Some instructions the Lord gives us come to us while we are asleep, in the form of dreams.  We may or may not remember such a dream; that doesn’t matter.  What matters is the residual effect of the dream on our spirit.  God uses dreams to adjust our attitude and give us direction even if we do not remember the dream when we wake up.

We bless the Lord for giving counsel, even if “our minds are unfruitful”; that is, even if we don’t remember the counsel He has given.  As long as our hearts are influenced by it, we are blessed.

The Perfect Heart

“You have proved my heart; you have visited me in the night;

you have tried me, and shall find nothing;

I am determined that my mouth shall not transgress.”

Psalm 17:3

This is perfection, and this is how you live your life when you walk in the Spirit.  Perfection does not mean you never drop a fork, or never trip on a rug, or always understand everything.  Perfection is a heart that will not lie, a heart that is determined to live uprightly in all situations.  Perfection is a heart like God’s, and that kind of heart passes every test.  When Jesus said, “Be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect,” this is the perfection he was talking about.  And he was telling us that it is doable.

Do not believe those who say that you can never be perfect.  They say that because of their unbelief.  You believe God, and He will lead you into perfection.  It’s the only place He ever leads any of His children.

One God; One Way of Worship

“Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god:

their drink offerings of blood will I not offer,

nor take up their names into my lips.”

Psalm 16:4

The holiness and glory of God is so great that it demands exclusivity; that is, it demands that we worship Him and no other.  In practical terms, this means that we worship Him as He says to worship Him, and no other way.

This is why we do not add ceremonies to the way of worship God created through His Son.  Jesus said that the Father desires to be worshipped “in spirit and in truth.”  And if God has revealed how we are to worship Him, who are we to choose another way of worship?  Who are we?  But more importantly, who is God?

“O LORD God, there is none like thee.”  He is infinitely wise, and good, and mighty, and holy.   He has condescended to speak to us and He has revealed how we can worship Him acceptably!  That one thing – that He deigned to show us the way – is what makes all other ways of worship so wrong that godly souls refuse to participate in them.

The sorrows of those who worship in a way that pleases themselves instead of in the way that pleases God shall indeed “be multiplied”.  But the joys and pleasures of those who obey God also “shall be multiplied”, as God promised in this same Psalm! “You will show me the path of life [and I will walk in it!]  In your presence is fulness of joy; at your right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”

Psalm 16

“O my soul , you have said to the LORD, ‘You are my Lord!

My goodness does not extend to you, but to the saints that are in the earth,

and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.’ ”

Psalm 16:1–2

This was the Son, talking to the Father and confessing that the Father is so great that there was nothing he (the Son) could do to make Him greater.  The only thing the Son could do was make the Father happy, and this he did by loving and blessing those on earth whom the Father loved.

It is the same with us and the Son.  Jesus has been “exalted above the heavens” and is “most blessed, forever.”  There is absolutely nothing we can do to make him more blessed than the Father has made him.  The only thing we can do is make Jesus happy, and this we do by loving and blessing those on earth whom Jesus loves.  Remember what Jesus said: “As often as you did it to one of the least of these, my brothers, you did it to me.”

If you want favor with God, then love and bless His children.

Psalm 15: What To Do To Be Saved Part Four

“LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle?

Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? . . .

‘He that does not lend money on interest,

or take a reward against the innocent.

He that does these things shall never be moved.’ ”

Psalm 15:1, 5

Requirement #8: Be merciful to those who are vulnerable.

The Amalekites took advantage of every defenseless person they ever met.  That is why God swore to Moses that He would eradicate them from the earth.  Godly people are not like Amalekites; they have compassion on those less fortunate than they.  If you can help one of God’s people with a loan, just do it without using the opportunity to enrich yourself.  Remember, “He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD.”

Requirement #9: Do not lie for money.

You do not have to like everybody, but you absolutely must treat everybody honestly.  If someone is innocent, then he is innocent.  Do not be influenced by money to speak evil of anyone when you (1) know he is innocent and (2) when you don’t know for certain that he is guilty.  Maintain your integrity.

God has promised that those who live according to these simple rules of personal integrity will live forever.  Resist the pressures around you to compromise on any of them.  God will remember your faithfulness, and He is “not slack concerning His promises.”  You will be blessed with His eternal favor, and from that blessing, you “shall never be moved.”

Psalm 15: What To Do To Be Saved Part Three

“LORD, who shall abide in your tabernacle?

Who shall dwell in your holy hill? . . .

‘In whose eyes a vile person is condemned;

but he honors them that fear the LORD.

He that swears to his own hurt, and changes not.’ ”

Psalm 15:1, 4

Requirement #6: Make righteous judgments.

We are required to know what is good and what is evil, and to condemn those who are wicked and to honor those who are godly.  In another place, the Psalmist said that if we want to live, we must “eschew evil”.  But how can we refuse what is evil without judging what is evil?  Or how can we “love what is good”, as God tells us to do, unless we first judge what is good?

Requirement #7: Be faithful.

When a righteous person has given his word that he will do a thing, he will be faithful to the person with whom he made that agreement – whether that other person is Jesus himself or the lowest sinner on earth.  And he will keep his word even if he learns afterward that the deal he made is not the best deal he could have made.  It’s not about the deal; it’s about being trustworthy.

Psalm 15: What To Do To Be Saved Part Two

“LORD, who shall abide in your tabernacle?

Who shall dwell in your holy hill? . . .

‘He that does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor,

nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor.’ ”

Psalm 15:1, 3

Requirement #3: Do not backbite.

When someone in authority speaks to us, God requires us to acknowledge that person’s God-given authority by not talking back at him in a sarcastic or rebellious manner.  Those who are saved in the end will be those who have respected in this life the “higher powers” that God ordained.

Requirement #4: Love others.

“Love does no harm to its neighbor”, wrote Paul; “therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.”

Requirement #5: Do not repeat gossip.

When a “reproach”, that is, a slanderous comment, is spoken against someone in our hearing, we must not “take it up” and carry it around to others.

Psalm 15: What To Do To Be Saved Part One

“LORD, who shall abide in your tabernacle?

Who shall dwell in your holy hill?

‘He that walks uprightly, and works righteousness,

and speaks the truth in his heart.’ ”

Psalm 15:1–2

David was moved by the Spirit to ask God who would be saved in the end, at the Final Judgment.  Then, immediately, God spoke back to David, through David’s own mouth, and answered his question, revealing what will be required of all who hope to meet Him in peace.  God began with these two requirements.  Meditate on them, and ask Jesus to help you live this way.

Requirement #1: Do righteousness.

This is God’s righteousness, not our own, and to be able to do His kind of righteousness, we must receive His Spirit, for the holy Spirit, alone, gives us the power to understand and live in God’s kind of righteousness.

Requirement #2: Be honest-hearted.

To speak the truth in your heart means that you are honest with yourself, about yourself and all others, including those you love most.  An honest-hearted man would rather see the truth, whatever it is and whoever it is about, than to look the other way and pretend the truth is not there.