Psalm 73 - “For I envied the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”  (Psalm 73:3)

“When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.”  (vv. 16-17)

“Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.  But as for me, it is good to be near God.  I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.”  (Psalm 73:27-28)

In this Psalm, God talks about the “pure in heart,” as well as the “arrogant” and the “wicked.”  To man, the wicked may seem to have no troubles.  Those who are faithful feel that they have many struggles.  Sometimes this seems unfair, even to believers.

continue

Psalm 23:1-3 – “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

continue

Psalm 23:3 – “…He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake…”

“He guides me” – God spoke and revealed Himself through the Bible, and He still speaks today. The Bible itself teaches us that God wants to speak to us and tell us His will for our lives, so that we can obey Him fully. God promises, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding, but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.” (Psalm 32:8-9).

continue

Psalm 23:4 – “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me…”

continue

Psalm 133 - “Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!  It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments.  It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing – life forevermore.” 

This psalm is a profound prophecy about the unity of the body of Christ in the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit’s purpose is to unite God’s true servants together as one body connected to the head – Jesus Christ.   continue

Psalm 127:3- “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord…”

In every society, most people want to have children – the desire for offspring is an instinct that the Lord put inside almost everyone.  Of course, every society or culture is different in their values about how many children are desirable, the age at which people should marry and have families, and how the children should act toward their parents.   continue

Psalm 74:2 - ”Remember the people you purchased of old, the tribe of your inheritance, whom you redeemed – Mount Zion, where you dwelt.”

continue

Psalm 32:8-9 - “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding, but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.”

We believe that God spoke and revealed Himself through the Bible, and He still speaks today. The Bible itself teaches us that God wants to speak to us and tell us His will for our lives, so that we can obey Him fully. In this Psalm, He promises to speak to us each step of the way. How do we hear from God? He mentions four ways that He speaks to us.   continue

Psalm 127:1 - “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.  Unless the Lord watches over the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain.”

The spiritual principle stated in this verse applies to our personal lives, as well as to our ministries and churches.  On the individual level, everybody wants a blessing from God, but few people are willing to put God first in every area of their lives, to have their lives be a house built by the Lord.  Sometimes people are willing to make small sacrifices to try to persuade God to bless them – religious offerings, attending some services, saying some special prayers – but they still want to go their own way most of the time.  Regardless of such wishful thinking, all our efforts are in vain unless the Lord is in control from the beginning.  “In vain” means that the thing is empty or fruitless, the result is worthless.  Time and effort (labor) are scarce resources in this world – this is how we earn our wages and escape poverty – and no one can afford to waste their time and labor like this.  That is why it is so important to have the Lord as the builder, and to have the Lord’s protection as we go along.   continue

Psalm 25:14 – “…The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.”

Psalm 32:8 -  ”I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.”

The Bible is a revelation from God, not just a work of ancient literature.  Some parts of the Bible are written as revelations or prophecies; others parts have stories and reports of God revealing himself and his will to various people over time.  We believe the Holy Spirit is the real author of the Bible, although he used people to write down the words.   continue