Here is the conclusion to the last study and the answer to the question asked there. Here we also see the continual struggle I have with rest. Even now as I write this introduction to today's blog I am falling asleep, having woken early from a restless sleep. Nevertheless, you can also see the continual faithfulness and presence of the Lord in my life. Praise to the Lord for His patience and loving kindness He shows towards His children.
February 5-6, 2016
Worship: King of Love by I Am They; Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness by Nikolaus L. von Zinzendorf
The King of Love my Shepherd is
Whose goodness faileth never
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever
And He is mine forever
Where streams of living water flow
My ransomed soul He leadeth
And where the verdant pastures grow
With food celestial feedeth
Never failing, Ruler of my heart
Everlasting, Lover of my soul
On the mountain high or in the valley low
The King of Love my Shepherd is
The King of Love my Shepherd is
Lost and foolish off I strayed
But yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me
In death’s dark veil I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me
Thy rod and staff my comfort still
Thy cross before to guide me
Never failing, Ruler of my heart
Everlasting, Lover of my soul
On the mountain high or in the valley low
The King of Love my Shepherd is
The King of Love my Shepherd is
Oh, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Oh, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Never failing, Ruler of my heart
Everlasting, Lover of my soul
On the mountain high or in the valley low
The King of Love my Shepherd is
Never failing, Ruler of my heart
Everlasting, Lover of my soul
On the mountain high or in the valley low
The King of Love my Shepherd is
The King of Love my Shepherd is
And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never
Good Shepherd, may I sing Your praise
Within Your house forever
Within Your house forever
Whose goodness faileth never
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever
And He is mine forever
Where streams of living water flow
My ransomed soul He leadeth
And where the verdant pastures grow
With food celestial feedeth
Never failing, Ruler of my heart
Everlasting, Lover of my soul
On the mountain high or in the valley low
The King of Love my Shepherd is
The King of Love my Shepherd is
Lost and foolish off I strayed
But yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me
In death’s dark veil I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me
Thy rod and staff my comfort still
Thy cross before to guide me
Never failing, Ruler of my heart
Everlasting, Lover of my soul
On the mountain high or in the valley low
The King of Love my Shepherd is
The King of Love my Shepherd is
Oh, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Oh, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Never failing, Ruler of my heart
Everlasting, Lover of my soul
On the mountain high or in the valley low
The King of Love my Shepherd is
Never failing, Ruler of my heart
Everlasting, Lover of my soul
On the mountain high or in the valley low
The King of Love my Shepherd is
The King of Love my Shepherd is
And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never
Good Shepherd, may I sing Your praise
Within Your house forever
Within Your house forever
Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress;
’Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.
My beauty are, my glorious dress;
’Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.
Bold shall I stand in Thy great day;
For who aught to my charge shall lay?
Fully absolved through these I am
From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.
For who aught to my charge shall lay?
Fully absolved through these I am
From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.
The holy, meek, unspotted Lamb,
Who from the Father’s bosom came,
Who died for me, e’en me to atone,
Now for my Lord and God I own.
Who from the Father’s bosom came,
Who died for me, e’en me to atone,
Now for my Lord and God I own.
Lord, I believe Thy precious blood,
Which, at the mercy seat of God,
Forever doth for sinners plead,
For me, e’en for my soul, was shed.
Which, at the mercy seat of God,
Forever doth for sinners plead,
For me, e’en for my soul, was shed.
Lord, I believe were sinners more
Than sands upon the ocean shore,
Thou hast for all a ransom paid,
For all a full atonement made.
Than sands upon the ocean shore,
Thou hast for all a ransom paid,
For all a full atonement made.
When from the dust of death I rise
To claim my mansion in the skies,
Ev’n then this shall be all my plea,
Jesus hath lived, hath died, for me.
To claim my mansion in the skies,
Ev’n then this shall be all my plea,
Jesus hath lived, hath died, for me.
This spotless robe the same appears,
When ruined nature sinks in years;
No age can change its glorious hue,
The robe of Christ is ever new.
When ruined nature sinks in years;
No age can change its glorious hue,
The robe of Christ is ever new.
Jesus, the endless praise to Thee,
Whose boundless mercy hath for me—
For me a full atonement made,
An everlasting ransom paid.
Whose boundless mercy hath for me—
For me a full atonement made,
An everlasting ransom paid.
O let the dead now hear Thy voice;
Now bid Thy banished ones rejoice;
Their beauty this, their glorious dress,
Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness.
Now bid Thy banished ones rejoice;
Their beauty this, their glorious dress,
Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness.
Vidio: https://youtu.be/9hdOeKznqN4
Witness: I said I would return the next day to continue my thoughts on the word “who”, but that turned into two days. It is funny and a little sad that I constantly face the same two problems – lack of sleep and lack of time. I am not the best time manager either. Lord, I pray, order my steps. Let them lead consistently to You. Order my thoughts Lord, may they focus on You the King of my Love and Glory. In the name of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Amen
When I began my worship time I had one song in mind. It was - Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness by Zinzendorf. However, I came across the other song as I was playing music on YouTube. I had sung this song before during my study in Psalm 23. However, this was a newer arrangement of the song by a group I had not heard of, but have come to love and enjoy. When I finished singing this song, I said “amen”. As if to put HIS emphasis on the truths just spoken in song; the follow-up song flashed on the screen. What was the title of the song? “AMEN”
WORD:
Ps 24:7-10 NIV
7 Lift up your heads, O you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
the LORD mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is he, this King of glory?
The LORD Almighty —
he is the King of glory.
Selah
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Ps 24:7-10
7 Open up, ancient gates!
Open up, ancient doors,
and let the King of glory enter.
8 Who is the King of glory?
The LORD, strong and mighty;
the LORD, invincible in battle.
9 Open up, ancient gates!
Open up, ancient doors,
and let the King of glory enter.
10 Who is the King of glory?
The LORD of Heaven's Armies—
he is the King of glory.
Interlude
Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
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The Lord has risen and is seated at the right hand of His Father. The early believers are sharing the good news of the cross and resurrection of our Lord. This, of course, raised the ire of the Jewish leaders, steeped in tradition. One such person was a Pharisee named Saul, who once described himself as a “Hebrew of the Hebrews” (Phil. 3:5). How did his zeal play out in those days?
Acts 8:3
But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men
and women and put them in prison. NIV
However, on the road to Damascus, with the same intent in mind, he is suddenly blinded by a great light.
Acts 9:3-4
As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around
him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you
persecute me?" NIV
It is here we encounter a “who” that was pivotal in the life of the church. It led to the gospel spreading to the Gentiles, of which most of us who are reading this are. It led to the writing of the major portion of the New Testament. It led to the most important question a person can ask.
Acts 9:5
5 "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. NIV
Is there any more important question than this? It is the question, for which the answer, determines one’s eternal destiny and one’s life’s direction here on earth. The answer?
Acts 9:5
"I am Jesus..” NIV
So Saul, who now goes by the name Paul, declares in 1 Corinthians 15:
1 Cor 15:1-11
15 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them — yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.
NIV
In Psalm 24 the word “who” appears as a question 3 times. The first deals with the character and standing of one who may enter into the presence God. Here, it is a question of identity, much like Saul on the road to Damascus. How one responds to the answer will determine their destiny. If we lift up our heads in expectancy and wonder and honor and joy and swing open wide the doors, as it were, to our hearts; then we will experience the peace and protection and security that comes from the one who is “mighty in battle” and who is “almighty”. If we refuse, then certain defeat and destruction will ultimately occur. So, this is my answer to the question I asked several days ago: “does the God who created all (v. 1) need a door to enter in?”. No, He doesn’t need a door to enter in, because His omnipresent – present everywhere in all His being. However, the Bible often incorporates anthropomorphic* language to convey a powerful spiritual truth. Here, the call to the gates is actually a call to us to receive the “King of Glory” who is the “LORD Almighty” or “LORD of hosts”. This is a message to everyone, but in this context, it is specifically aimed at those who call themselves God’s people, for this is being sung as the ark of the covenant is approaching the city of God or the temple of God. This calls to my mind another door found in Revelations 3:20. I am running out of time so I will end with the words of Matthew Henry:
Revelation 3:14-22
v. 20. Here observe, [1.] Christ is graciously pleased by his word and Spirit to come to the door of the heart of sinners; he draws near to them in a way of mercy, ready to make them a kind visit. [2.] He finds this door shut against him; the heart of man is by nature shut up against Christ by ignorance, unbelief, sinful prejudices. [3.] When he finds the heart shut, he does not immediately withdraw, but he waits to be gracious, even till his head be filled with the dew. [4.] He uses all proper means to awaken sinners, and to cause them to open to him: he calls by his word, he knocks by the impulses of his Spirit upon their conscience. [5.] Those who open to him shall enjoy his presence, to their great comfort and advantage. He will sup with them; he will accept of what is good in them; he will eat his pleasant fruit; and he will bring the best part of the entertainment with him. If what he finds would make but a poor feast, what he brings will make up the deficiency: he will give fresh supplies of graces and comforts, and thereby stir up fresh actings of faith, and love, and delight; and in all this Christ and his repenting people will enjoy pleasant communion with each other. Alas! what do careless obstinate sinners lose by refusing to open the door of the heart to Christ!
(from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, PC Study Bible Formatted Electronic Database Copyright © 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All Rights reserved.)
* The attribution of human characteristics or behavior to a god, animal, or object.
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