ARE YOU WILLING TO EXAMINE YOURSELF?
We are coming up to the Passover - March 28th at sunset in this
year of 2010.
Paul in 1 Corinthians 11: 28 said: "But let a man examine
himself, and so let him eat that bread and drink of that cup."
Are you willing to do as David once said: "Examine me, O Lord,
and prove me; try my reins and my heart" (Ps.26:2).
The reins of a horse are used to guide him, to steer him the way
to go, to lead him to do your will. So think of yourself as the
horse that the Lord rides and guides you with His reins.
What are His reins? Oh indeed they consists of many things all
rolled into one, or with the analogy of the horse - two reins,
but they act as one on the horse. It is quite incredible when you
think of it, that a "bit" in the mouth (and some horse respond
just as well without a bit) and a pair of reins, can have a horse
do so much for you. And a well trained horse is very responsive
to the slightest touch of the reins, and will immediately say, "I
know what your asking me to do, and I'll do it." A well trained
horse will act in a split second as you guide it with the reins.
And if the heart of the horse is right, it will comply with no
hesitation (unless your wanting it to do something that could be
very dangerous and he thinks his life is in danger - but some
horses will even do that - follow your command even to death).
Back in Ps.25 we read: "Show me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy
paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God
of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
You know a horse can be like that. Some are very eager to learn;
you teach them a little something, and they with joy receive it
and you can sense them saying "Give me more," or "Let's do that
again, that is something good."
I felt my horse Goldie saying all that to me when I gave her the
first lesson on pushing a door or gate open with her nose. She
lapped it up like a kitten at milk, she just wanted to do it all
the time, still does, when I'm at a door or gate.
David wanted to be taught, he wanted to be shown God's ways, he
wanted to be led into truth; he wanted God to teach him!
Later David was to write: "Blessed is the man whom thou
chasteneth, O lord, and teaches him out of thy law"
(Ps.94:12,13).
Maybe now is a good time to read through Psalm 119. What a
glorious Psalm. Look how it starts off in verses 1-6. How about
verse 10 and then verse 11, hiding God's word in your heart, so
sin will be less and less. Do we "meditate:" upon God and His
precepts? (v.15).
David was a man meditating in God's statutes (v.23).
Notice verse 32, "I will run the way of thy commandments, when
thou shalt enlarge my heart."
We must be willing to have out heart ENLARGED to absorb all the
commandments of our Lord. They cannot be stored in a narrow
closed up heart. It' got to be willing to expand as more enters.
David requested: "Make me to go in the path of thy commandments;
for therein do I delight" (v.35).
There is so much in this Psalm 119 that David cried out for:
verses 45: "I will walk at liberty; for I seek thy precepts."
It is James who calls the law of the Lord, the "law of liberty"
and he says we shall be judged by that law. We are not going to
be judged by the ideas of men, by the traditions of men. We shall
not be judged by how much we followed the latest popular preacher
on TV, or how many books we have by all the famed writers of
Christendom. It is the law of God that will judge us.
How much are you in tune with David when he declared: "And I will
delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved" ? (verse
47).
Here is the Bible definition of "the wicked" - "horror hath taken
hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law" (verse
53). The Bible speaks a lot about the wicked, and the wicked who
do not repent, who work at sin (and sin is the breaking of the
law - 1 John 3:4) shall receive the wages of sin, which is death
(Rom.6:23).
It is the season of the year where we must think on our ways: "I
thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. I
made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments" (verses
59,60).
Often lies are forged against commandment keepers, like "They are
trying to earn salvation" or "They are legalists" or "They don't
see Ephesians 2:8 where it says we are saved by grace." It is not
true! I have written a whole study called "Saved by Grace" - if
you've never read it, or if it's been a long time since you've
read it, this is a good time of the year to read and study it
again.
David answered such proud lying people with his words in verses
69-70.
David knew the truth about mercy/grace and the law of God: "Let
thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live, for thy law is
my delight" (verse 77).
And again in verses 85,86: "The proud have digged pits for me,
which are not after thy law. All thy commandments are faithful:
they persecute me wrongfully, help thou me."
Now is a good time to meditate on how broad the commandments of
God are: "I have seen an end of all perfection; but thy
commandment is exceeding broad" (verse 96). You can see the
broadness of them by reading the teachings of Christ in the
famous so-called "sermon on the mount" in Matthew 5,6,7. Maybe
now is a good time to go over that section of the New Testament
in my "New Testament Bible Story" where I expound those chapters
of Matthew.
Do you live and breath the commandments of God? David did: "O how
love I thy law, it is my meditation all the day" (verse 97).
Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, whatever you speak,
are you thinking "Now how within the law of God do I speak, do I
answer, do I act, in this situation."
Did you know that you can have more understanding of the Bible
and life, than many PhD teachers of theology. Yes you can! This
is how David put it: "I have more understanding than all my
teachers; for thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand
more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts. I have
refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy
word. I have not departed from thy judgments; for thou hast
taught me. How sweet are thy words unto my taste, yes, sweeter
than honey to my mouth. Through thy precepts I get understanding;
therefore I hate every false way" (verses 99-104).
How was I able to tell you in 2004 that Jesus would not return
before 2010? How am I able to tell you in 2010 that Jesus will
not return before 2015? It is because I love the word and
commandments of God, because He teaches me to understand the
prophecies of the Bible. And so God teaches and gives
understanding.
If your living by every word of God (as Jesus said we should -
Mat.4:4), it will be a lamp unto thy feet, and a light unto thy
path (verse 105). It will show you the straight and narrow path
that leads to eternal life.
The Bible speaks of "evildoers" - here's the Bible definition of
such: "Depart from me, ye evildoers; for I will keep the
commandments of my God" (verse 115). Evil and those practicing it
are those who will not or do not keep God's commandments. Oh,
they may be doing the best they can in their spiritual blindness,
they may be sincere, but being sincere of itself does not make
righteousness, for you can be sincere and still be sincerely
wrong!
David thought his day was pretty far from following God; what do
you think about our day? "It is time for thee, Lord, to work; for
they have made void thy law. Therefore I love thy commandments
above gold; yes, above fine gold" (verses 126,127). Are our
leaders teaching us live by the Bible? Are our leaders forming
the laws of the land based upon the commandments of God?
What about this verse, do you have the mind of David? "I opened
my mouth, and panted; for I longed for thy commandments" (verse
131).
The Bible speaks of "iniquity" - how are we to have dominion over
iniquity and not the other way around? David gives the answer:
"Order my steps in thy word; and let not iniquity have dominion
over me" (verse 133). It is living by the word of God that will
prevent iniquity from dominating us.
Oh now, how about this verse; do you find yourself at times doing
the same as David? "Rivers of water run down mine eyes, because
they keep not thy law" (verse 136).
How do you look at "truth"? What do you acquaint with truth? Do
you believe that every single one of the Ten commandments are
truth, and still today, are truth? "Thy righteousness is an
everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth" (verse 142).
We have just read about "righteousness" and David gives us one
definition of righteousness: "....for all thy commandments are
righteousness" (verse 172).
Again David tells us about "truth" - "Thou art near, O Lord; and
all thy commandments are truth" (verse 151).
Again we are taught by David the facts of "salvation" and the
"wicked" - "Salvation is far from the wicked; for they seek not
thy statutes" (verse 155).
Anything is a lie that does not harmonize with God's law: "I hate
and abhor lying; but thy law do I love" (verse 163). As you
meditate on the laws of God, as you meditate on the broadness of
them (again Matthew 5,6,7,) you will come to see the lies of the
world, and the lies of a so-called "Christianity" and the
deceptions and falsehoods it teaches.
Do you have "peace" - peace of mind - a peace that passes all
understanding? You can have it! Here's how: "Great peace have
they which love thy law; and nothing shall offend them" (verse
165).
Salvation and law, grace and law, do go hand in hand, despite
what some false Christianity tells you: "I have longed for thy
salvation, O Lord; and thy law is my delight" (verse 174).
It might be a good time of the year to read the books of the
apostle John, his Gospel and his letters. It is a good time of
the year to read and meditate on the Ten Commandments in Exodus
20. It is a good time of the year to study my study called "Saved
by Grace" on this Website.
"Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and
drink of that cup."
May you all have a blessed and wonderful Passover - a night
indeed much to be observed and remembered.
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