Christ Will Be Glorified In You – Part 2

Here are 10 Things to Know about Psalm 119:

1. Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible with 176 verses. It has a similar length to some of the Bible’s shorter books like Philippians, James, or Ruth!

2. The purpose of this Psalm is to celebrate God’s word and instruction to his people. It is used in Jewish tradition to celebrate Rosh Hashanah (which is Jewish New Year). This holiday is the first of a series of holidays called Yamim Nora’im, or in English ‘Days of Awe.’ It is fitting to use this psalm in that setting because the Psalmist beautifully expresses awe and adoration of God for His word. Here is one verse commonly used in this celebration:

“The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.” Psalm 119:72

3. The structure of Psalm 119 is comprised of 22 stanzas, each starting with a different letter in the Hebrew alphabet. Each stanza has 8 verses with two lines each.

4. There is a tradition in the Eastern Orthodox Church that King David used this psalm to teach his son Solomon both the Hebrew alphabet and the “alphabet of the spiritual life.”

5. Many of the verses mention God’s Word in one line, and then in the second line connect it to God’s revelation. Other words used to describe God’s revelation are: law, testimonies, precepts, statutes, commandments, word, and rules.

6. Psalm 119 is a prayer that includes many different elements, including prayers of praise (45-48), lament (81-88), vindication (132-134), obedience (57-64), and petitions for wisdom (33-40).

7. David Powlison observes, “Psalm 119 is actually not about the topic of getting Scripture into your life. Instead, it is the honest words that erupt when what God says gets into you. It’s not an exhortation to Bible study; it’s an outcry of faith…Psalm 119 is the thoughtful outcry that rises when real life meets real God.” (Speaking the Truth in Love, p 14).

“It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.” Psalm 119:71

8. Charles Spurgeon liked this Psalm so much, he said, “we might do well to commit it to memory.” That’s a tall order for a Psalm that has 176 verses!

He also had this to say about it:

“As those who drink the Nile water like it better every time they take a draught, so does this Psalm become more full and fascinating the oftener you turn to it.”

9. The song “Thy Word” by Amy Grant is based on one of the most memorable verses from this beloved Psalm, verse 105 which says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (KJV). You can listen to the song below:

Christ Will Be Glorified In You – Part 1

Those who are outside the presence of the Lord are those who “do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (1:8). If I do not want to be among them, then I must obey the gospel.

I’m glad it says “obey the gospel” not “obey the law,” or there would be no hope for us. No one lives a perfect life. So, if salvation comes by “obeying the gospel,” what does that mean?

i. Repentance begins when your life is no longer “all about me,” it has to be about Jesus Christ who loved you and gave himself for you. It’s a decisive turning away from all God calls “sin” in order to offer yourself to Christ. You wonder “How could I make a change like that?”

ii. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a real relationship in which you trust that he is the Son of God, you trust in his death for your sins, and in the power of his resurrection for your life. You trust Christ because he is altogether worthy of your trust.

iii. “Come follow me,” says Christ, who laid down his life for you. He lays claim to your gifts, talents, time, money, and affections.

Maybe you’ve been saying, “I’ll think about Christ later.” Don’t be passive. God is calling you right now to obey the gospel. Your eternity hangs on this.

From the message by Colin S. Smith called, “God Will Bring Justice for You,” preached on January 9, 2011, from the series, Staying the Course When You’re Tired of the Battle.

God Will Bring Justice For You – Part 2

God Will Bring Justice For You – Part 1

God is Working Through You – Part 2

God is Working Through You

Part 1

“Godliness with contentment is great gain.” 1 Timothy 6:6

Godliness is a God-centered life. It grows, not through the pursuit of a process, but through the presence of a person. Jesus Christ is the mystery of godliness (1 Timothy 3:16).

His presence in your life is your hope of becoming the person God calls you to be. Christ in you [is] the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

Contentment is finding joy in what God has given to you. The opposite of contentment is greed which destroys your capacity to enjoy what God has given.

Contentment is a Christian grace that grows over time. It does not come quickly, easily or naturally. Paul says “I have learned to be content” (Philippians 4:12).

How did he learn it? He tells us “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content” (Philippians 4:12). He is saying: “There were times when I had plenty. But then God brought me to situations where I was ‘in need.’ And through that I learned something: I discovered the secret of being content.”

God used the experience of loss to produce the good fruit of contentment in Paul’s life. Have you discovered the secret of being content?

Jeremiah Burroughs described contentment as “a rare jewel.” How can you find joy in what God gives you, especially when it is less than you had before? Burroughs has great wisdom on how to obtain this jewel:

“A Christian comes to contentment, not so much by way of addition as by way of subtraction… Contentment does not come by adding to what you have, but by subtracting from what you desire. The world says that you will find contentment when your possessions rise to meet the level of your desires… The Christian has another way to contentment, that is, he can bring his desires down to his possessions.”

Great gain
“Godliness with contentment is great gain.” 1 Timothy 6:6

Not just gain, but “great gain.” Paul says “If you have godliness with contentment, it will be of huge advantage to you.” Why is this? It has to do with the consequences of not being content.

Why is godliness with contentment great gain?

1. You cannot keep what you gain

“…people who want to get rich” (v9)

If getting rich is your goal, you cannot keep what you gain. “We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it” (v7). You may get rich, but you cannot stay rich. You cannot keep what you gain in this world.

2. You will encounter powerful temptations

“People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction… the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil (v9,10)

If you set your heart on money, you expose yourself to powerful temptations that ruin many people.

3. You may wander from the faith

“Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith” (v10)

In the parable of the sower, our Lord speaks about “seed that is choked by thorns and thistles.” The seed is God’s Word. The thorns and thistles are “the worries of this life, and the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things” (Mark 4:19). Money chokes the fruit of God’s Word in the lives of some people.

4. You will experience great sorrow

“Some people, eager for money, have… pierced themselves with many griefs” (v10)

Money is a great servant but a terrible master. If you set your heart on money, money will break your heart. You will not keep what you gain. You will fall into powerful temptations. You may wander from the faith. You will pierce yourself with many griefs and sorrows.

That’s why godliness with contentment is great gain. When you have less, learn the art of contentment. This rare jewel is not found when you have more, but when you have less.

Bring your desires down to the level of your possessions. Learn to enjoy what God has given more than you grieve what He has taken away. Practice the art of godly contentment and you will find that it is great gain.

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From the sermon Gospel Lifestyle in the series 10 Distinctives of a Gospel-Centered Church. You can follow Pastor Colin Smith on Twitter @PastorColinS.

Does it ever bother you that the justice of God is not more obvious in this world? Have you ever noticed that people who do good often suffer and people who do evil often prosper?

In a world like this it’s important to know that God is just, and even though his justice may be hidden for now, it will become obvious on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed (1:8).

The justice of God is a central truth in all of the Bible. We see this played out in the Old Testament as well as in the New Testament. God never acts out of vindictiveness. He always acts with justice.

What does that mean? It means you can have absolute confidence that no one will ever be punished for a single sin that he or she did not commit. And no sin will ever be punished in a way that is out of proportion to the offense.

God’s justice also means that no one will be able to escape from the justice of God. God knows all things. That means nothing is hidden from him, and no one intimidates him. No one has leverage against him—power and wealth count as nothing before him.

God’s justice is always important, but we become more aware of it when we’re suffering, or when someone we love is suffering.  We won’t see God’s justice fully carried out until Christ is revealed, but in the meantime, you can have confidence in the absolute justice of God.

From the message by Colin S. Smith called “God Will Bring Justice for You,” preached on January, 9, 2011, from the series “Staying the Course When You’re Tired of the Battle.”