Oxford Bible Church - Living in the Last Days

A key to knowing God's Times and Seasons is 1 DAY = 1000 years. Examples of this are the Passover Lamb, Hosea 6:2, the Resurrection of Lazarus, the Transfiguration and the Good Samaritan. It's almost 2 DAYS from the Cross!

God's Structure of Time is based on the Blueprint of Creation Week, where 1 DAY = 1000 years of human history (Psalm 90:4, 2 Peter 3:8), with the 7th DAY being the Millennium (Revelation 20:1-6).

Derek shares 2 Keys to Victory: (1) Come to God in humility to receive His grace. (2) Once you know His will, do it with all your heart. Persist and refuse to quit, as illustrated in 2 Kings 13:14-25.

Joel's Prophecy was fulfilled by (1) the Signs in the Heavens (Dark Sun & Blood Moon) at the Cross, (2) Christ's glorious Resurrection, and (3) the Outpouring of His Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:16-21).

Pastor Derek puts together clues from the Bible, ancient history and modern science to prove Tarshish is Britain. This matters, because 3 end-time prophecies about Tarshish give us hope for this nation.

Our eternal destiny (Heaven or Hell) depends on whether we love the Truth of God (we are created by God, accountable to Him), or the Lie of Satan, that we are our own gods, the product of evolution.

There are 2 apparently contradictory sets of Scriptures, one of which says we are already fully righteous (justified) and fully forgiven in Christ by His grace (Rom 5:1, 2Cor 5:21, Eph 1:7, 4:32, Col 1:14, ), but the other says that we are lacking in righteousness and so need to seek God for more of His righteousness (Matthew 5:6, 6:33), and that we need to ask for forgiveness, when we sin to be cleansed of all unrighteousness (1John 1:9, Matthew 6:12-15, Mark 11:25-26). How can both sides be true? Many take a simplistic approach of embracing the verses they like, and ignoring or explaining away the rest, for example by saying the teaching of Jesus no longer applies (in contradiction to Matthew 5:19, 7:24-27, 28:18-20). Derek shares that the full truth is found by embracing all the Scriptures as fully true, but there are 2 related realms of truth – relationship truth and fellowship truth. Relationship truth describes what God has done for us in Christ when we received Him as Lord and Saviour. This was all done by God's grace at the moment of salvation and is unconditional, absolute, and unchanging. All our sins are forgiven and we have been justified (declared righteous) before God. Before salvation, we had no relationship with God, we were in the realm of the Courtroom, guilty before the Judge, but when we trusted in Christ, who paid the penalty for us, we were not only forgiven and placed into right-standing with God, but also adopted into His family as His son. So, we now have a new relationship with God by His grace, which move us out of the realm of the Courtroom into the realm of God's Family, where the truths of family fellowship and forgiveness apply. As far as the Courtroom (and our salvation) is concerned there is no condemnation for us in Christ, but as far as our family life with God is concerned, when we sin, we need to confess our sins to God to receive His forgiveness (1John 1:9), in order to keep our heart right with God, and restore our fellowship with Him (see James 4:7-10). Whereas relationship is binary (you either have a relationship with God or you don't), your fellowship with God (the level of the Light of His Presence in your heart) is variable, depending on how close your heart is to God. Moreover, fellowship by its very nature is reciprocal, depending on the will of both people, and therefore variable if one of them is human. Thus, Fellowship Scriptures are conditional, unlike Relationship Scriptures. Relationship truth is foundational, as our fellowship with God is only possible on the grounds of our relationship with Him in Christ. But fellowship truths are also important, for God's purpose in establishing a relationship with us is so that He might have fellowship with us (Isaiah 43:25). Finally, Derek explains why the Relationship-Fellowship distinction is a fundamental part of reality because it originates in the nature of the Triune God, who has a 2-fold unity: (1) of relationship, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit being of one substance, and (2) of fellowship, since they fully give themselves to each other and interpenetrate each other in love (perichoresis).

We look at a number of apparent theological paradoxes that are resolved in the same way, according to the principle that: “the entirety of Your WORD is TRUTH” (Ps 119:160). In each case, there are a set of Scriptures that emphasise one truth and another set of Scriptures that emphasise a different truth, but it can seem hard to see how to hold both truths together as they don't seem to fit. Some examples are: (1) the Prophecies of the Sufferings and Glory of Christ (Luke 24:25), (2) the Goodness and Severity of God, (3) God's Sovereignty and man's free-will, (4) the fact that Christ is both God and man (the hypostatic union), (5) the Tri-unity of God, and (6) how we can be forgiven in Christ (as far as our relationship is concerned), and yet still need forgiveness (as far as our fellowship with God is concerned). In each of these cases, people can easily go into a ditch on either side of the road of truth by choosing the set of Scriptures they like, and then ignoring or explaining away the Scriptures on the other side. The answer is found in realising that both sets of Scriptures are fully true, because there are 2 distinct (but related) realms of truth (if you can try to reconcile the 2 truths by mixing them together, you end up compromising and destroying them both - for example, by saying Christ is a semi-god and a semi-man, whereas the truth is that He is fully God and fully man). On the basis that all Scripture is true, we should embrace both revelations of truth, then seek God for a deeper understanding of how both sides can be fully true. When we do this, we will be rewarded with a fuller revelation of God's truth.

When we are feeling empty or spiritually depressed, or when circumstances make us aware of our weakness, that is a great opportunity to grow in God by turning to Him and asking Him to fill our void. We must be thirsty for God before we drink of His living water (Isa 55:1, John 7:37, Rev 21:6, 22:17). When our soul is full of worldly things we have no room for God, but “blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (God's Word and Spirit) Presence, for they shall be filled (with God's Presence)” (Matt 5:6). In Psalm 42 the psalmist is depressed and thirsty for the living God (v1-2), so He turns to God to fill him. Inspired by the local scenery, where the river Jordan flows out from Mount Hermon at Banias and tumbles down in waterfalls, he focuses on God, seeing these waters as a picture of God's river of life (v6), and then cries out from the depth of his heart (need) to the depths of God to fill him: “Deep calls unto deep at the noise (sound) of Your waterfalls (of grace)” (v7a). Through His Word, we hear the sound of His river of life flowing to us, and respond by calling out to Him to fill us. As a result: “all Your waves and billows (of love, peace and joy) have gone over me. The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime” (v7b-8). The Oil Miracle (2Kings 1-7), when God filled all the empty vessels that were presented to Him with His Oil (representing the Holy Spirit) reveals that He is willing to fill all the empty parts of our soul with His Spirit, if we turn to Him, present them to Him, and ask Him to fill us. The Oil only stopped flowing when there were no longer any empty vessels to fill. So our empty voids (our awareness of our weakness and need) are a great opportunity to turn to god and be filled.

Ps 27 continues with David concluding his confident declaration of faith (v1-6), saying: “And now my head shall be lifted up (in honour) above my enemies all around me” (v6a). God will exalt him to be king (v5). If we exalt Him in worship, He'll exalt us. Time in worship gives us confidence in God's protection & hope for the future. He sees beyond the present to God's victory, when he'll praise God with His people, thanking Him for manifested victory: “Therefore, I will offer sacrifices of joy in His Tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord” (v6b). God gave him victory over the immediate threat (v1-6), but he had to endure a hardness for 8 years, in constant danger & need for His help, so now he moves to humble entreaty for ongoing favour & deliverance (v7-12). Knowing himself as weak & sinful, dependent on God, he doesn't presume on His blessing, but urgently asks for continuing mercy & grace. v7: “Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also on me, and answer me” (v7). Due to the wait time between promise & fulfilment, he battles negative thoughts of fear & condemnation. But as a worshipper (v4-6), rather than giving into fears, he gives them to God in prayer (v7-12) & comes into assurance (v13). “When You said: “SEEK My FACE (Presence)!” My HEART said to You: “Your FACE (Presence), Lord, I WILL SEEK” (v8). He reminds God, He initiated this relationship by inviting him to seek Him. This is God's command to all, for the first ‘seek' is plural. He graciously invites all to seek & find Him, to know Him personally. True prayer is our response to His gracious initiative. He reminds God he did respond by setting his will (heart) to seek & know Him. So, he was sure he'd find Him, for God reveals Himself & blesses all who seek Him (Deut 4:29, Jer 29:13, Matt 7:7). Those who don't find God have not set their heart to seek to know Him. Saying: “I WILL seek” shows intentionality. He was a man (who sought) after God's heart (v4, 1Sam 13:14, Acts 13:22). We need to pay attention to God, if we want Him to pay attention to us (hear our prayers). He realises he's not perfect & deserves condemnation, so has to deal with negative accusing thoughts, which he does in prayer: “Do not hide Your FACE from me, do not turn Your servant away in anger” (v9a). When His face shines on us, He's gracious toward us, but if He hides His face, He's displeased, and we need to confess our sin & turn back to Him. “You have been my help (in the past, so); do not leave (abandon) me (now) nor forsake me (in my time of need), O God of my salvation” (v9b). In his weakness, he abandons himself to God, expressing total dependence on Him. This is how to handle inner fears - bring them to God. When you sin don't run from God, but to God. He's the God of your salvation. Despite our failings, if we seek Him (v8), He'll not hide His face from us (v9). He knew God as His Saviour (v9) & perfect Parent: “When (even if) my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me (receive, gather me up as a father lifts up his son & provides for him)” (v10). Even if our strongest relationships fail, God will not forsake us. He has that assurance, for God is what every parent should be (merciful, faithful, loving & forgiving). Having spent face to face time with God, he now prays for guidance, to walk in His will: “(1) TEACH me Your WAY, O Lord, and (2) LEAD me in a smooth (straight, level) path, because of my enemies (lit: watchful foes, looking for him to go wrong & take advantage)” (v11). (1) We need to know the WAY and (2) be LED step by step in it. “Do not deliver me to the will (desire) of my adversaries (v3, including demons); for false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out (threats & acts of) violence.” Having faced his inner fears, he prayed through into the light of assurance: “I would have lost heart, UNLESS I had (firmly) BELIEVED that I would SEE (look steadfastly on, as in v4) the (manifest) goodness (promised provision) of the Lord in the land of the living (in this life)” (v13). Thus, it finishes as it starts with confidence God's plan will come to pass (he'll be king). If we look on the Lord in worship (v4) & wait on Him in faith (v14), His glory will change us and bring God's will to pass in our life. v14: “WAIT (in FAITH) on (set your HOPE on) the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart. WAIT, I say, on the Lord!” WAIT is repeated for emphasis. He speaks to himself, then us. YLT: “LOOK to Jehovah, be STRONG, and He will STRENGTHEN your HEART, yea, LOOK to Jehovah!” When God promises, its time of fulfilment is in His hands. Sometimes there's a delay, as with David. The danger is to lose heart. So, in this time, we must stand strong in faith, believing He'll bring it to pass. Wait patiently & expectantly in faith for Him, looking to Him for directions. Then His Spirit strengthens, encourages, enlightens our heart & empowers us to obey (v14).

In the Olivet Discourse Jesus referred to the Parable of the Fig Tree, and said the appearance of the Fig Tree bearing leaves (but not fruit) was the major sign of the end-times, with the 2nd Coming to establish His Kingdom taking place within a man's lifetime of this event (Matthew 24:32-35, Luke 21:29-32). By studying the origin of the Parable of the Fig-Tree in Luke 13:6-9, Derek shows the Fig Tree is the nation of Israel planted in her land, but because she bore no fruit of faith (leaves only) and rejected Christ when He came to her, she was cut off spiritually in AD 33, 6 months after the Cross (Acts 7), and cut down and removed from her land (AD 70). Later, Jesus acted this out prophetically when He cursed a Fig Tree for not bearing fruit (Mark 11:12-21). The very same day that the disciples witnessed that the Tree had withered up from its roots, and at the very same location (the Mount of Olives), Jesus gave the Olivet Discourse in which He declared that the Fig Tree would rise again in the end-times as the major sign that the 2nd Coming was near (Matthew 24:32-35, Luke 21:29-32), for Israel must be re-established as a Nation in her Land in order for the end-time prophecies to be fulfilled – the stage must be set for the final scene to take place. Moreover, the Parable of the Fig Tree predicts Israel will initially be regathered in unbelief (leaves only), which was fulfilled in 1948, and affirms that this is the necessary prelude to her bearing fruit (faith), for all Israel will be saved (Romans 11:26).

We are commanded to put on the whole Armour of God in order to stand our ground in the victory of Christ (Ephesians 6:13). Then Paul describes 6 pieces of Armour in v14-17: (1) the Belt of Truth, (2) the Breastplate of Righteousness, (3) the Gospel Shoes, (4) the Shield of the Faith, (5) the Helmet of Salvation, and (6) the Sword of the Spirit. Then v18 describes a 7th item of our Armour – the Lances of Prayer: “praying always with all kinds of prayer and supplication in the Spirit.” Standing firm in our defensive Armour means that we are ready to launch our offensive long-range weapons – the Lances of Prayer. First, we study the Lance of Praise, which binds and silences the enemy (Psalm 8:1-2, Matthew 21:16, Psalm 149:6-9). Secondly, we study the Lance of the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving - thanking God in advance for the fulfilment of His promises and the manifested victory, based on His revealed character (faithfulness). This should be our lifestyle (Hebrews 12:15), and it prepares the way for God to show (manifest) His salvation (Psalm 50:23). Derek then illustrates the place and power of this Sacrifice in (1) the Feeding of the 5000 (John 6:11,23), (2) Jonah's deliverance from the great fish (Jonah 2:9-10), (3) Paul and Silas in prison (Acts 16:23-34), and (4) God fighting for Israel in the time of Jehoshaphat (2Chronicles 20). Finally, we study the Lance of the Prayer of Binding and Loosing in the Name of Jesus, where we use the Keys of the Kingdom to enforce Christ's finished work and completed victory on earth (Matthew 16:18-19, 18:18). We can bind and loose on earth, whatever Christ has already bound or loosed in Heaven through the New Covenant.

An essential piece of our spiritual Armour is the Helmet of Salvation (Ephesians 6;17, Isaiah 59:17) or more fully: “the Helmet of the HOPE of SALVATION” (1Thessalonians 5:8). The Helmet protects our mind in the battle, from negative, discouraging thoughts, which try to cause us to cause depression and give up hope, so we give up. HOPE is the vision of future manifested salvation, the final outcome of all God's promises fulfilled in our life. Hope comes from our faith in the promises of God (Romans 15:4). Derek explains how to put our Helmet of Hope on, by speaking the Scriptures to ourselves (to our own souls), as in Psalm 103, and Psalm 42:5: “Why are you cast down, O my soul? and why are you disquieted within me? HOPE in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His Presence.” In the context: “the Helmet of the HOPE of SALVATION” (1Thessalonians 5:8) is referring to our blessed Hope (Titus 2:13), our future salvation at the Rapture (1Thessalonians 4:13 - 5:10).

The Armour of God is described in Ephesians 6:14-17. The GOSPEL SHOES: "having shod your feet with the (shoes of) preparation (readiness) of the Gospel of Peace (another aspect of God's Word)” (v15). To be ready for battle, you need the right shoes to give you a firm footing, so you can stand your ground on God's Word and the completed victory of Christ. These are the shoes of the Gospel, which declares His finished work over sin and every enemy, thereby bringing us into peace with God (peace comes after victory). We put on the Shoes by knowing and embracing the Good News that He has won the victory and we stand firm in that truth, ready for action. We standing in His victory, rather than trying to get the victory. Then v16 says: “above (covering) all, taking (up) the SHIELD of (the) FAITH, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts (arrows) of the wicked one (God's Word is powerful).” The Shield that protects us is not our faith, but God's Word (the Faith), we need to trust in God's Word rather than our faith, but it is by faith that we take up the Shield and put it in front of us. The Word must not just wrapped around our heart, but lifted up in front of us, where it can cover every area of our life, by confessing His Word and thanking God for His promises and who He is to us (Heb 13:5-6). The roman shield was like a door covering the whole body, made of 6 layers of animal hide, anointed with oil (the Spirit) and drenched with water (Eph 5:26), able to protect even against fiery arrows filled with combustible liquid designed to explode on impact. Likewise, the anointed Word of God is empowered to protect us, even against the worst weapons of the enemy. These fiery arrows are words (thoughts) set on fire by hell (Jam 3:6), with spiritual power to penetrate our soul and set it on fire (with bitterness, anger, fear, discouragement etc) if our Shield is not up. But if we activate our Shield, by declaring: "The Lord is my Strength, Stronghold, Light, Peace, Provider Shield, Victory..." then the fiery darts will not be able to penetrate our heart and mind and emotions. Derek concludes by giving a classic example of how to put up the Shield of Faith as demonstrated by Paul in Romans 8:28-39, where he says we must not be passive in the face of the things (attacks) of life, but we must declare God's truths (Christ's love for us and His finished work) in response to these things. he asks: "what shall we say to these things?" (v31), and then tells us what we should say (v31-39). In this way, we activate our Shield of God's Word, which quench the evil thoughts (words), sent from the enemy to hurt and destroy us.

In Ephesians 6:14-18, Paul describes the 7 pieces of God's Armour of God, which He provides to us through His Word for our spiritual warfare. The Breastplate of Righteousness (Isa 59:16) is necessary for guarding the heart. To enter into spiritual warfare, it is vital our heart is under the protection of God's Righteousness (it is the Armour of God). It does not consist of our own righteousness, but the righteousness of Christ. In spiritual warfare, pride is fatal. Instead, we must submit to God and His righteousness, which He gives us by grace (Job 41:34, Luke 10:17-20, Jam 4:6-7), through the Great Exchange (2Cor 5:21). To put on His Breastplate of Righteousness so that it covers and protects our heart, we must submit to His righteousness (Rom 10:3, Phil 3:9). It is attached to the Belt, for it is God's Word which imparts the faith we need to trust in His gift of righteousness. It had 2 parts, a breast and back plate, which correspond to (1) the imputed righteousness of Christ, through which we were justified by faith (Rom 3:28,4:1-8, 5:1, 8:1, Gal 2:16), and (2) the imparted righteousness of Christ (His life and nature) through the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5, 14:17, Gal 5:22-23, 1Cor 1:30). (1) Through FAITH in Christ and His finished work we are justified, declared forgiven and righteous in Christ. This protects the heart from satan's main weapon – condemnation (Rev 12:10-11, Isa 54:17). (2) The LOVE of Christ filling our souls with His love (Rom 8:4) protects our hearts from evil thoughts. We see these 2 parts of the Breastplate in 1Thess 5:8: “putting on the breastplate of (1) FAITH and (2) LOVE.” We see these 2 kinds of righteousness in: Romans 1:17: “For in the Gospel the righteousness of God is revealed from (1) justifying faith to (2) living faith; as it is written: “The just (by faith) shall live by faith.”

In Ephesians 6:11,13, Paul commands us to put on the whole Armour of God (which God provides to us through His Word). Then in v14-18 he describes the 7 pieces of the Armour of God. Derek shares about the Belt of Truth and how to put it on (v14), and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the spoken word (rhema) of God (v17), and how they work together. The Belt of Truth consists of God's Word (John 17:17), which we are to put on tight by wrapping our heart around with His commands and promises, bringing our thoughts into alignment (1Pet 1:13). Our Belt consists of the Word of God that we know and have embraced until it is part of us. It is the foundational piece of Armour, which is why it is mentioned first (the sword, shield and breastplate were attached to it). If loose, the whole armour falls apart. The Sword of the Spirit fits in the Belt. In a fight, a soldier pulls his sword from his belt. Likewise, in a spiritual fight, we pull a Scripture-Sword from our Belt of Scriptures as quickened by the Spirit, and put in our mouth and speak it. It will then go forth in the power of the Spirit against the enemy. God's Word is like a sharp sword (Hebrews 4:12). Jesus used His Sword 3 times to defeat Satan, saying: "it is written" (Matthew 4:3-10). For the Sword to work we must first have our Belt on tight (know the Word well). We also see the Sword in action in Revelation 12:11, Isaiah 54:17, and Psalm 149:6-9.

We are called to fight the good (victorious) Fight of the Faith (the Word of God) according to 1Timothy 6:12 and 2Tim 4:6. Derek describes the nature of this fight and the keys to successful spiritual warfare. The fight is to stand on and stay true to God's Word, in faith and practice, against all opposition, deception and wiles of the enemy. It is the fight to stay in the faith, to continue to trust God and His Word. The strategy of the enemy is to try to get you off God's Word. Then you lose. We fight it with God's Word, by standing, speaking and doing His Word. (1) Our posture in the fight is to stand on His Word (Eph 6:11-14), which means standing on the finished work of Christ, who has already won the victory over every enemy (Col 2:15, Matt 28:18, Eph 1:19-21, Phil 2:9-11, 1Pet 3:22), and has shared the victory with us in His Name (Eph 2:4-6). So, in Christ we are overcomers (1John 2:13-14, 4:4, 5:4-5), more than conquerors (Rom 8:37) in the Name of Jesus (on the basis of His victory, power and authority). As we stand in faith we are automatically in the victory. (2) We must reject pride, and submit to God and resist the enemy (Jam 4:6-7, 1Pet 5:5-9, Job 41:34), by exercising our will in making a quality decision to trust in and stand firm on His Word and not be moved, no matter what happens, enforcing this by confessing the good (victorious) confession of His Word, just as a wrestler does everything in his power to stay on his feet (Eph 6:12, 1Tim 6:12, Isa 54:17, Rev 12:11), (3) As we do this, we must depend on and lay hold of the power of the Holy Spirit (God's eternal life that He gives us by grace - John 3:16, 1John 5:11-12), which is continually available to us by grace (Eph 1:19, 3:20, 5:18, 6:10, 1Tim 6:12). This is necessary, if we are to stand, because we wrestle against principalities and powers (Eph 6:12). Therefore our role in the battle is to submit to God and stand on His Word and resist the devil, standing in the victory of Christ, trusting in His Name, and depending on the power of His Spirit to strengthen our heart (will).

Why is Christianity based on the Death and Resurrection of Christ? Man cannot save himself. Everything of the Old Creation is only worthy of being consigned to judgment and death (Isaiah 53:6). Only then can God bring forth a new creation, a rebirth by resurrection (1Peter 1:3). In His death as the last Adam He took all the sin and curse of the original creation and brought it to judgment thru His death. Then as the 2nd Adam in His resurrection, He became the head of a new creation, the firstborn and first-fruits from the dead, the first of a new breed of redeemed humanity, recreated through their union with Christ (John 14:19, Romans 6:1-11, Colossians 2:12-13, 3:1,10-15, 2Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:1-10, 4:24).

Derek shares the keys for us to enter and possess our Promised Land (God's perfect will and provision for our life). First, our heart need to be strong in faith, through His Word and Spirit within us, so that we are willing to obey Him. Second, we need the Promise of His Presence with us as we walk with Him, so that we have the courage to obey Him, even when we face opposition without and fears within. He gave this promise to Moses: “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you Rest (the Promised Land)”, and repeated it in Deuteronomy 31:6-8 and Joshua 1:5-9.

Every believer should be looking forward to Jesus' imminent return in the Rapture. All the heathen should recognise when it happens, because it will be one of the last great signs to get right with God by making Jesus Lord of your life – while there is still time to do so. At the invitation of Pastor Nicholas Roberts - Full Grown Ministry, Pastor Derek ministers an in-depth, comprehensive Bible teaching on the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church.

God's purpose is for us to be Temples of God, revealed through His earthly Temples, patterned after His heavenly Temple (Dwelling Place), all pictures of His ultimate eternal Temple (redeemed man in Christ). All Temples (earthly & heavenly) reveal different aspects of His ultimate Temple, revealing how we are to function to His glory. Jesus was the 1st functioning human Temple, indwelt by the Holy Spirit (John 1:14, 2:19-21, 4:21-24). Although man was made to be God's Temple, sin resulted in his spiritual death, so God couldn't indwell him. But Christ made it possible for our spirit to be born again & His Spirit to indwell us, making us His temples. God's earthly Temples are built according to a heavenly blueprint (Heb 8:5), so God's Heavenly Temple, the Father's House, the New Jerusalem gives the clearest revelation about the shape of His ultimate Temple. When God shows John where He'll dwell with His People (Bride) for all eternity (His heavenly Temple), He showed him the New Jerusalem, shaped like a great Mountain, Mt Zion, shining with His glory (Rev 21:2-3,9-11). The peak is the holiest place, the holy of holies, His Throne Room, the centre of all authority, down from which flows the river of life alongside its golden streets (Rev 22:1,2). Its 4-square design means the river divides & flows in 4 main directions to water the city (holy place), and then flows out the gates to the land beyond (outer court). Height represents holiness, so holy places are built on high ground to signify their closeness to God. Thus, God's Throne is at the peak of his holy Mount (Rev 22:1-2). Mountain signifies Kingdom. The river flows downhill from the throne, so the throne must be at the peak (Rev 22:1). This describes us as temples of God. Our highest place is our spirit (Eph 2:6), like a mountain peak. It's where God's authority, glory & presence dwells in the Holy Spirit (the holy of holies), the throne room where Christ is enthroned in us, if we've received Him as Lord. God, the Fountain of living waters, lives in our spirit (Jer 2:13, John 4:14), and desires His river of life to flow out of our spirit (John 7:38), down into our soul, imparting life, authority, power, wisdom, love, health to it, so it can express His life & nature to God's glory. The fact the New Jerusalem, the heavenly City & Temple of God is shaped like a pyramid Mountain is confirmed by Heb 12:22-24. As the daughter of the heavenly Zion (Zech 9:9, Gal 4:26), earthly Zion is made after the image of its mother, so earthly Mt Zion is named after the heavenly Mt Zion (Temple Mount), so if the image of the heavenly Mt Zion is a mountain, so too the heavenly Temple. God's original template for His Dwelling Place (Temple) design is a pyramid mountain City. The whole heavenly Temple (the 3rd Heaven) is also described as ‘Eden, the Garden of God' = Paradise (Ezek 28:12-13, 2Cor 12:4), so earthly Eden was its image. Both have a garden, tree of life (Gen 2:9, Rev 2:7, 22:2,14), river of life (Gen 2:10-14, Rev 22:1-2) & cherubim, who often appear in temples as guardians of the throne (Gen 3:24, Rev 4:6-8, Ezek 28:14). Thus, Eden was God's 1st earthly Temple. Lucifer was originally a cherub in Eden, on the holy heavenly Mountain of God, before he was cast down to earth (Ezek 28:12-14,16-17, Isa 14:12-15, Rev 12:4, Luke 10:18). So, the centre of Eden (God's heavenly Temple) is the holy Mountain, Mt Zion, the New Jerusalem, a Garden City, shaped like a Pyramid. As a cherub, Lucifer lived in this Mount and ministered in the throne room, but in pride tried to ascend within Heaven and establish his own throne above all the angels in God's Throne Room (Holy of Holies), to sit enthroned on the Mount alongside the Most High, but was cast down to the earth (Isa 14:13-15). This confirms God's Throne is at the highest point of this Mount, for he tried to ascend & exalt his throne to the highest place in Heaven, when God was enthroned, to be like (equal in authority to) the Most High. As Eden is a name for the whole Heavenly Temple, centred on a Mountain, so it's the name for the whole original earthly Temple, centred on a Mountain, with (1) its Peak on the west side of Eden (holy of holies), where an underground spring was the source of a great river flowing down into (2) the Garden (holy place) on a plateau on the mountain's east side, with the tree of life, where man lived & walked with God, where it divided into 4 rivers, which watered the whole earth (Gen 2:8-14). So, Eden was on higher ground than the rest of the earth (water flows downhill), signifying its holiness as God's temple. After the fall, man was cast out of the Garden, and (3) went further east (3:24-25), onto lower ground at the base of the Mount, but still within Eden (the outer court), a place of God's Presence (4:16), with an ordained place of sacrifice (4:4), for Cain was cast out of Eden into another land, east of Eden, away from God's special Temple Presence (4:16).

God's ultimate purpose for man is that we should be TEMPLES of the LIVING GOD, with God living in us and shining His glory through us. God introduced the concept of Temples (places where God chooses to dwell among men) to the human race from the beginning, which is why temples are in every ancient culture & religion. All EARTHLY TEMPLES of God were patterned according to a heavenly blueprint, the HEAVENLY TEMPLE (Heb 8:5). The Bible describes a sequence of earthly Temples, and all these earthly & heavenly Temples are pictures, encoding revelation of God's ultimate eternal Temple – redeemed Man in Christ. We need to put together all the clues provided by all the different temples, to see how they all harmonise together, to give a complete picture of who we're called to be as His ultimate Temple. All Temples of God have a tripartite structure: (1) HOLY of HOLIES, (2) HOLY PLACE & (3) OUTER COURT. Likewise, we (1) ARE a SPIRIT, (2) HAVE a SOUL, and (3) LIVE in a BODY. Gen 2:7: “The Lord formed man (1) of the dust of the ground (man's BODY), and (2) BREATHED into his nostrils the BREATH of LIFE (man's SPIRIT); and (3) man became a living SOUL.” The fusion of man's SPIRIT (created by God's breath) & BODY (made from the earth) formed his SOUL. We're not just individually Temples of God, but are designed to be part of one great corporate TEMPLE of God consisting of all believers. We're LIVING STONES that fit together into a far greater Temple of God. Each has a unique place in that greater Temple of the Holy Spirit. We are all (1) living stones in the TEMPLE of God the Spirit, (2) members of the FAMILY of God the Father, and (3) members of the BODY of Christ the Son. So, we need to think corporately as well as individually. In Matthew 16, Peter is used as an example of a believer, who comes into and becomes part of God's Temple by faith in Christ (v15-17). Jesus said in v18: “you are Peter (petros, small stone), and ON this ROCK (petra, massive foundation stone) I will build My CHURCH.” The FOUNDATION STONE or ROCK for the Church is CHRIST Himself (1Cor 3:11, 10:4). Peter, an example & picture of all believers, is a small LIVING STONE, that becomes part of the Church, the Temple of God, built on the FOUNDATION ROCK - CHRIST. As living stones built on Christ, we partake of His life & nature (made of the same stuff). He then predicted His death & resurrection (v21). By laying His life down and then rising from the dead, he established Himself as the FOUNDATION STONE for the CHURCH, the TEMPLE of God. The CHURCH only came into existence as the new TEMPLE of God after He laid Himself down as its FOUNDATION STONE in His death & resurrection. In v18, Jesus declared He will BUILD His CHURCH on HIMSELF as the ROCK FOUNDATION. But first, He had to lay Himself down as the Foundation Stone (v21). He's saying in v18-21: “I am the foundation ROCK & foundation SACRIFICE of my new Temple, the Church.” So, thru His death & resurrection, His Temple has a firm FOUNDATION, consecrated to God - the risen CHRIST, who upholds the whole Building before God. Having declared Himself the ROCK-FOUNDATION of His CHURCH, He said: “I first have to die as the foundation Blood Sacrifice, to make this a reality” (v21). He died and was buried as the Foundation Sacrifice, dedicating Himself to God as the FOUNDATION for God's Temple. On the basis of His shed Blood, He was resurrected & established & consecrated to God as the Foundation Stone for God's eternal Temple (Heb 13:20). To be in the Kingdom (Temple) of God, we must enter in through Christ, our Threshold Stone, through faith in His sacrificial death & resurrection for us. To reject His Blood Sacrifice, counting it as something of no value, is to trample on Him & His precious Blood, resulting in eternal punishment (Heb 10:29). CHRIST Himself is the FOUNDATION STONE or ROCK (1Cor 3:11). He completed the laying down of this FOUNDATION of HIMSELF in His death, burial & resurrection. So, He's now our living FOUNDATION. 1Peter 2:4: “COMING to HIM (the risen CHRIST) as to a LIVING STONE (the FOUNDATION STONE), rejected indeed by men (His death), but chosen by God & precious (His resurrection & exaltation).” 1Peter 2:5: “You also, as LIVING STONES, are being BUILT UP (together) as a spiritual HOUSE (upon Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit), a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Thru our union with CHRIST, the LIVING FOUNDATION STONE, we are blessed with His life & nature, and so become LIVING STONES, built together into the Temple of God upon Christ, our Foundation. So, Christ told Peter he was a LIVING STONE, BLESSED with eternal life, part of God's Temple, built on the ROCK of CHRIST, the LIVING FOUNDATION STONE in Matthew 16, and Peter applies this to all believers in 1Peter 2:5. This House is the HOLY TEMPLE of God, the DWELLING PLACE of God (1Cor 3:16-17, Eph 2:21-22).

God introduced the concept of TEMPLES to the human race from the very beginning, which is why you see temples in every ancient culture and religion. Even if the religion is corrupted, man has an understanding of the fundamental concept of a temple as it is part of God's original general revelation to mankind. A TEMPLE is designed to be a DWELLING PLACE of GOD, and God introduced TEMPLES to reveal His ULTIMATE PURPOSE for mankind. God created man to be His TEMPLE, and now His plan is to redeem us, so that we might be the DWELLING PLACE of God, that God would dwell with us and IN US! In salvation, the forgiveness of sin is just the beginning, the necessary preparation in order to make possible the fulfilment of His ultimate purpose - that we might become the holy Temples of the Living God. Each Temple of God was a visual aid, a teaching tool, designed to reveal what it means to be a Temple of God (the nature, design and operation of a temple). Ultimately, these temples are all revelations of redeemed MAN in Christ – God's ultimate and eternal Dwelling Place, which we see fulfilled in Rev 21-22. All the earthly temples of God are pictures of God's ultimate eternal TEMPLE – redeemed MANKIND in Christ. We are designed to be Temples of the Living God, so that God might dwell in us and be glorified through us. The EARTHLY Temples were made according to a HEAVENLY blueprint – the HEAVENLY Temple (Heb 8:5). So, earthly Temples are images of the heavenly Temple (Mount Zion, the New Jerusalem), both of which are pictures of God's ultimate eternal Temple – redeemed MAN in Christ. The Bible describes a sequence of earthly Temples, which are patterned after the heavenly Temple, and all these earthly and heavenly Temples are pictures (revelations) of God's ultimate eternal Temple – redeemed MAN. The ultimate fulfilment in Christ is not just that we individually are Temples of God, but that God joins all redeemed humanity in Christ together into a union, so that together, we all form one great corporate Temple of God, Christ & His Body - the Dwelling Place of God forever. This is God's vision for mankind. All the different temples have different characteristics, each providing different pieces of the complete picture. They all harmonise together, but each one carries only part of the whole revelation of God's ultimate Temple. To get the full picture of what we are called to be, we must put together what each temple reveals. The main earthly temples are: (1) The Garden of Eden, (2) Mount Sinai, (3) The Tabernacle of Moses, (4) the 1st Temple of Solomon, (5) the 2nd Temple (Herod's Temple), (6) the 3rd (Tribulation) Temple, (4) the 4th (Millennial) Temple. Individually, we are Temples of God, and God is also fitting us together as living stones to form one great ultimate Temple of God (1Peter 2:5). We understand spiritual things by their physical analogy, so by understanding all the analogies (the earthly and heavenly temples) we can learn much about God's ultimate Temple (the Church), and we will understand how we are designed to be God's Temple, and how everything works and connects together. Basically, a Temple has 2 PARTS: (1) the Temple BUILDING, and (2) the GOD who dwells within the Temple, for a Temple is the Dwelling Place of God: “(2) the LORD GOD Almighty and (1) the LAMB (Christ and those who are in Christ) are its TEMPLE” (Rev 21:22). A Temple is a Holy Place, for God's PRESENCE dwells within the Temple, and His GLORY shines out from the Temple, sometimes represented as RIVERS of LIVING WATER flowing out from the Temple (Gen 2:10, Ezek 47, Joel 3:18, Rev 22:1-2, John 7:37-39). Through the New Covenant, established by Jesus Christ, His believers become Temples of the Living God, indwelt by the Spirit of God. This is God's plan & purpose for man coming to pass – that God would dwell in man, that man would become a Temple of God. Jesus came & died & rose again to make this possible (1Cor 3:16-17: 6:17-20, 2Cor 6:16, Rev 21:3). Man is the ultimate Temple of God, so all the other temples are teaching tools to reveal God's purpose for man, and how man is designed to connect with God and function under the grace and power of God. Jesus came as a sinless man, the PROTOTYPE TEMPLE of God, a man indwelt by and filled with the Spirit of God - showing us what man is meant to be like. He declared He was a TEMPLE of God (John 8:12). By His death & resurrection, Jesus multiplied and reproduced Himself in us (John 12:23-24). Through the New Birth the Holy Spirit indwells every believer, making us all into Temples of God. The Spirit is the Fountain of living waters within us (Jer 2:13, 17:13), a continual Source of outpoured grace (rivers of life) flowing into our heart, causing us to worship God & empowering us to serve Him. (John 4:13-14). So now there are many Temples, and God is building us all together into one great Temple (Christ) – His ultimate Purpose.

Ps 27 continues with David concluding his confident declaration of faith (v1-6), saying: “And now my head shall be lifted up (in honour) above my enemies all around me” (v6a). God will exalt him to be king (v5). If we exalt Him in worship, He'll exalt us. Time in worship gives us confidence in God's protection & hope for the future. He sees beyond the present to God's victory, when he'll praise God with His people, thanking Him for manifested victory: “Therefore, I will offer sacrifices of joy in His Tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord” (v6b). God gave him victory over the immediate threat (v1-6), but he had to endure a hardness for 8 years, in constant danger & need for His help, so now he moves to humble entreaty for ongoing favour & deliverance (v7-12). Knowing himself as weak & sinful, dependent on God, he doesn't presume on His blessing, but urgently asks for continuing mercy & grace. v7: “Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also on me, and answer me” (v7). Due to the wait time between promise & fulfilment, he battles negative thoughts of fear & condemnation. But as a worshipper (v4-6), rather than giving into fears, he gives them to God in prayer (v7-12) & comes into assurance (v13). “When You said: “SEEK My FACE (Presence)!” My HEART said to You: “Your FACE (Presence), Lord, I WILL SEEK” (v8). He reminds God, He initiated this relationship by inviting him to seek Him. This is God's command to all, for the first ‘seek' is plural. He graciously invites all to seek & find Him, to know Him personally. True prayer is our response to His gracious initiative. He reminds God he did respond by setting his will (heart) to seek & know Him. So, he was sure he'd find Him, for God reveals Himself & blesses all who seek Him (Deut 4:29, Jer 29:13, Matt 7:7). Those who don't find God have not set their heart to seek to know Him. Saying: “I WILL seek” shows intentionality. He was a man (who sought) after God's heart (v4, 1Sam 13:14, Acts 13:22). We need to pay attention to God, if we want Him to pay attention to us (hear our prayers). He realises he's not perfect & deserves condemnation, so has to deal with negative accusing thoughts, which he does in prayer: “Do not hide Your FACE from me, do not turn Your servant away in anger” (v9a). When His face shines on us, He's gracious toward us, but if He hides His face, He's displeased, and we need to confess our sin & turn back to Him. “You have been my help (in the past, so); do not leave (abandon) me (now) nor forsake me (in my time of need), O God of my salvation” (v9b). In his weakness, he abandons himself to God, expressing total dependence on Him. This is how to handle inner fears - bring them to God. When you sin don't run from God, but to God. He's the God of your salvation. Despite our failings, if we seek Him (v8), He'll not hide His face from us (v9). He knew God as His Saviour (v9) & perfect Parent: “When (even if) my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me (receive, gather me up as a father lifts up his son & provides for him)” (v10). Even if our strongest relationships fail, God will not forsake us. He has that assurance, for God is what every parent should be (merciful, faithful, loving & forgiving). Having spent face to face time with God, he now prays for guidance, to walk in His will: “(1) TEACH me Your WAY, O Lord, and (2) LEAD me in a smooth (straight, level) path, because of my enemies (lit: watchful foes, looking for him to go wrong & take advantage)” (v11). (1) We need to know the WAY and (2) be LED step by step in it. “Do not deliver me to the will (desire) of my adversaries (v3, including demons); for false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out (threats & acts of) violence.” Having faced his inner fears, he prayed through into the light of assurance: “I would have lost heart, UNLESS I had (firmly) BELIEVED that I would SEE (look steadfastly on, as in v4) the (manifest) goodness (promised provision) of the Lord in the land of the living (in this life)” (v13). Thus, it finishes as it starts with confidence God's plan will come to pass (he'll be king). If we look on the Lord in worship (v4) & wait on Him in faith (v14), His glory will change us and bring God's will to pass in our life. v14: “WAIT (in FAITH) on (set your HOPE on) the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart. WAIT, I say, on the Lord!” WAIT is repeated for emphasis. He speaks to himself, then us. YLT: “LOOK to Jehovah, be STRONG, and He will STRENGTHEN your HEART, yea, LOOK to Jehovah!” When God promises, its time of fulfilment is in His hands. Sometimes there's a delay, as with David. The danger is to lose heart. So, in this time, we must stand strong in faith, believing He'll bring it to pass. Wait patiently & expectantly in faith for Him, looking to Him for directions. Then His Spirit strengthens, encourages, enlightens our heart & empowers us to obey (v14).

(1) In Christ we find Refuge. Safety is found in Jesus Christ (Isaiah 32:2, Proverbs 18:10). But Divine judgment is coming on the ungodly, who are outside Christ (Psalm 1:4, 11:6, Jeremiah 23:19, 30:23, 2Thessalonians 2:8). (2) In Christ we find Refreshment. Having made us completely safe, Christ then makes us fully satisfied (Isaiah 32:2, Psalm 42:1, 143:6, John 4:10,14, 7:37-38, Revelation 21:6, 22:17). (3) In Christ we find Rest. Jesus provides in Himself a place of shade and peaceful rest from the world (Isaiah 32:2, Hebrews 4:9-10, Matthew 11:28-30).

Psalm 26 portrays a man devoted to God, seeking His glory, not his own (v12), wholehearted in leading a blameless life (v1), trusting God without wavering (v1b), keeping himself pure, walking in the light, his heart open to examination (v2), walking in God's love & truth (v3), avoiding close company with evil doers (v4-5). God's House (the setting) is central to his life (v6-8,12). Only Christ perfectly fulfils this description, but we are righteous in Christ, and as we walk with Him, He changes us into His image. David does not boast in a self-righteous way, claiming he is sinless, for he knows his need for redemption & mercy (v11), and trusts in divine grace as His foundation (v3,12). It inspires us to embrace the ideal of faith covenant keeping, but achieving it is not a pre-condition for entering into worship. It's given for us to affirm & strengthen our love for God. Declaring we love righteousness & hate evil, even if we're not perfect, helps us identify with the good & reject the evil. Saying: “I love You, Lord” is not a claim of perfection, but strengthens our commitment to Him. He describes his inner life & outward deeds (integrity). He declared his innocence of accusations against him, affirming he walks with God & seeks to keep His laws: “VINDICATE (judge) me, O Lord” (v1a). His enemies (v4-5, 9-10) slandered him (especially at Absalom's rebellion). In response, he brought his case to God, asking Him to judge in his favor, according to 1Ki 8:31-32. He declared his innocence: “O Lord, for I have (1) WALKED in my integrity (devoted heart, loyal to God). I have also (2) TRUSTED in the Lord; I shall not slip (unwavering trust)” (1Ki 9:4-5). Note the parallelism: (1) his outward WALK from (2) his inner TRUST in God's grace, the root & sap of moral integrity. His holiness empowers our morality, overcoming our sin-nature. He is willing to be examined & corrected by God: “Examine (test) me, O Lord, and prove me; try (refine, as in metals) my mind ('kidneys', seat of emotions) and my heart (will, moral centre)” (v2). A mark of believers is coming to the light, inviting God to search our heart and show us what is right & wrong (John 3:19-21). If we don't want to be told we're wrong, we don't come to the light, but then we live in a lie and will pay the price. “For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes and I have walked in Your truth (faithfulness)” (v3). Again, we see faith & works in balance. By trusting in God's faithfulness, He walks in faithfulness to God, in the truth of His Word in doctrine & deed. He then describes another vital aspect of holy living, separation from evil people & their corrupting ways. We must choose our close friends carefully. “(1) I have not SAT (had close fellowship with) with idolatrous (worthless, those given to the pursuit of vanity) mortals, nor (2) will I go in with hypocrites (play-actors)” (v4). “(1) I have HATED (rejected) the assembly of evildoers, and (2) will not SIT (fellowship) with the wicked” (v5). He rejects their ways, works & company. He hated sin & loved God as seen in his WORSHIP: “I will wash my hands in innocence” (v6a). The priests washed their hands at the Laver before ministering at the Altar, so he prepares his heart to minister to God (Eph 5:26). “So, I will go about Your Altar O Lord” (v6b). True worship centres on Christ's Sacrifice, the basis of God's grace. “That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all Your wondrous works” (v7). We give thanks for His works of salvation. “Lord, I have LOVED the habitation of Your House (where God dwells & His people assemble), and the Place where Your Glory (manifest Presence) dwells (‘the Place of the Tabernacle of Your Glory')” (v8). As we draw near to God, His Glory will be revealed to us. Contrast his loves with his hates (v5). We should also love His Church. Knowing God is the Judge, he prays: “Do not gather (‘take away') my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men” (v9). "Do not sweep me away with sinners into Your rubbish dump (Hell)." He describes these sinners: “in whose hands is a sinister scheme (plotting for gain at the expense of others), and whose right hand is full of bribes (corruption)” (v10). God will separate the righteous & wicked. Next, he declares his full commitment to God by His help: “But as for me, I will walk in my integrity” (v11a). This is loyalty to God, not self-righteousness, for he knows his need for mercy: “(1) REDEEM me and (2) be MERCIFUL (gracious) to me” (v11b). As he walks round the Altar, he knows he needs redemption by Christ's blood, and so asks God to redeem, forgive & empower him to please Him. Finally, he is assured his prayer has been granted: “My foot stands in an even place” (v12a). By trusting in Christ, he stands on level solid ground, so will not go to Hell. So, what is left, but to declare His praise: “in the great congregation I will bless the Lord” (v12b). Praising God in Church is a mark of a true believer.

God wants us to enter into deeper communion with Him, through the Holy Spirit, who will lead us into knowing more of the truth of His Word, and who will guide and empower us in our lives. The Holy Spirit opens our heart to believe and receive the extravagant, amazing and eternal love of God, which heals and restores our heart.

After his initial prayer (v1-7), he moves into a meditation on God's attributes & acts, to fuel his prayers (v8-10): “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore, He teaches sinners in the WAY (of holiness)” (v8). In His goodness, He works to save us all from destruction, but only the humble receive His instruction, for they know their need of guidance and are willing to submit to God's will. The proud go their own way, thinking they don't need God. “The HUMBLE He guides in justice (righteousness), and the humble He teaches His WAY” (v9). The key to guidance is humility, asking God to show us His way. “All the PATHS of the Lord are MERCY and TRUTH (faithfulness), to such as keep (are loyal to) His covenant and His testimonies” (v10). We're in a covenant grace relationship with God, but to enjoy His presence & blessing, we must be loyal to God and keep His Covenant, walking in love & truth. If we don't, we can't have His Presence. Based on this meditation, he makes this PRAYER: “For Your NAME's sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity, for it is great” (v11). God's Name is His revealed character (v8-10). He asks God to pardon his great iniquity according to His Name (His faithfulness to forgive those who repent). Also, He pardons us for His Name's sake, for His glory, as He is glorified by our salvation. As Absalom's rebellion brought his past sins back to mind, he had to deal with condemning thoughts, so makes sure he has fully repented and received full forgiveness. Then he meditates on the BENEFITS of the FEAR of the Lord (v12-14): “Who is the man that FEARS the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses” (v12). The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge & wisdom (Prov 1:7, 9:10). “He himself shall dwell in prosperity (lit: goodness), and his descendants shall inherit the earth (possess the land)” (v13). “The SECRET (or friendship) of the Lord is with those who FEAR Him, and He will SHOW (reveal & manifest to) them His covenant.” Fearing God brings us into His intimate circle, to whom He shares His secrets, as with Abraham (2Chr 20:7, Isa 41:8, Jas 2:23). The closer we come to Him, the more He reveals & manifests Himself to us. We can't comprehend spiritual things apart from the Spirit; we need His Presence in our soul to perceive & receive spiritual things (1Cor 2:12-15). Without Him we're like a blind & deaf man. To explain His secrets to those without the Spirit is like describing colours to a blind man. It's by submission to (fear of) God we receive the Spirit into our soul (Is 11:2,3). Thus, it is the beginning of wisdom & knowledge. This meditation (v12-14) built his faith, resulting in a DECLARATION of FAITH: “My eyes are ever toward the Lord (looking to God in expectation), for He shall pluck (lit: bring out) my feet out of the net” (v15). As David speaks, his enemies have already set a net for him, for Absalom's armies were closing in on him, but he trusts God for victory. His final PRAYER (v16-22): “TURN Yourself to me, and have MERCY on me” (v16a). He says: "I am looking to You (v15), please look at me and smile on me, and release Your radiant Presence on me, flood me with your grace." “for I am desolate (lonely) and afflicted” (v16b). He reminds God how much he needs Him for most Israel had turned against him. “The troubles of my heart have enlarged; bring me out of my distresses! Look on my affliction and my pain, and forgive all my sins” (v17-18). Again, he admits his sins are behind many of his problems, so asks for mercy to overcome the effects and forgiveness for any unknown sins. “Consider my enemies, for they are many; and they hate me with cruel (violent) hatred. Keep my soul, and deliver me; let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You” (v19-20, cf. v2). “Let integrity and uprightness preserve me (this is his own integrity) for I wait for You” (v21, cf. v1). He knew his need to walk before God with integrity (a whole heart), to stay in His Presence to be protected & delivered. He knows it's God's Presence that preserves Him, but we need to walk with God to abide under His Presence. He's not trusting in his own integrity (“for I wait for You”), but in God. The acrostic ends at v21, then in v22 his prayer expands to Israel as a whole. It was not just the future of David on the line, but all God's people: “REDEEM (ransom) Israel, O God, out of all their troubles!” (v22). He understood all blessings for which he'd prayed, are only available on the basis of the payment of a price. This is a prayer for the coming of the Redeemer, who would redeem Israel & all God's people by His Blood. Christ alone can bring the full forgiveness & restoration desired in this prayer by His (1) Blood (1st Coming) and (2) Power (2nd Coming). He prayed Ps 25 in his time of trouble and God answered him, but v22 expands it to all of Israel's troubles, including her final & full restoration, so we can also pray it with confidence.

Ps 25 describes a man devoted to God & trusting in Him, but also aware of his faults & past sins, so his prayer is based on God's mercy, not his own performance. It's an Acrostic - each verse starts with the next letter of the alphabet, a literary device to add form & aid memorisation. Many elements fit with the time of Absalom's rebellion. His reference to the sins of his youth (v7) shows it's set later in his life. David is in distress, on the run from his enemies, but also aware his sins opened the door to this rebellion, as Nathan predicted in 2Sam 12:11. So, seeking divine deliverance from enemies is a major theme (v2,3,15,16,17,18,19). He acknowledges the root of his troubles was his own sins (when we sin, we turn our back to God & open the door to the curse). So, asking for God's mercy & forgiveness is also a major theme (v6,7,11.18). Thus, it's called a Penitential Psalm. So, he declares his faith that: “You are the God of my salvation” (v5) from both sin & enemies. Likewise, God saves us from our sins (the root problem) & rescues us from our enemies (the resulting curse). Part 1 is a PRAYER (v1-7). “Unto You, O LORD, I LIFT UP my SOUL” (v1). Like a windsurfer trying to catch the wind, we need to lift up our earthbound soul to God (Isa 40:31), seeking fellowship with Him. We need to put aside everything else and direct our soul toward God in faith, looking & waiting on Him, in submission, ready to receive His life. Then he prays for DELIVERANCE from his enemies (v2-3). Thus, he starts with his outer life. Even if we are at peace we should pray into our future: “Deliver us from evil” (Matt 6:13). “O my God, I TRUST (take refuge) in You; let me not be ASHAMED; let not my enemies triumph over me.” He bases his prayer on his covenant with God. By faith he draws near to God and lays hold of His protection. 'Ashamed' means to be disappointed, to trust in something that proves unworthy (Rom 5:5, 10:11, Isa 49:23). This is a prayer for public vindication thru victory, which will also result in God's glory. “Indeed, let no one who WAITS on You be ASHAMED” (v3a), or better: “no one who WAITS on You (in faith) will be ASHAMED” (v3a). He is confident of this fact. To WAIT is to actively look to God & wait for His instructions, ready to obey, like a waiter. It's an attitude of submission to God's timing, leadership & wisdom, rather than rushing ahead in the flesh. This is how he responded to Absalom's rebellion. “Let those be ASHAMED, who deal treacherously without cause” (v3b). This describes his enemies who followed Absalom in his lies & treachery. Then he moves from praying for his outward life to his inner life by first praying for GUIDANCE (v4-5), for he understood outward victory & good circumstances require walking with God, as he did at the time of Absalom's rebellion (prayer is superficial if all we pray for is our outer life): “Show me Your WAYS, O Lord; teach me Your PATHS” (v4). God's WAYS are love, righteousness, service, integrity, faith, and His PATHS include their practical application in our lives. Receiving His guidance is not enough, for he also knows he needs God to lead him step by step along His path: “LEAD me in Your truth and TEACH me, for You are the God of my salvation (from my sin & enemies). On You I WAIT all the day (patience in waiting, his settled attitude)” (v5). Guidance is part of our personal walk with God. It's of the heart, not mechanical obeying of rules, a lifestyle of waiting & obeying. Then he prays for MERCY: “REMEMBER, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses (chesed), for they are from of old (eternity)” (v6). To remember is to bring certain thoughts to the forefront of one's mind as a basis for our attitude & actions. It is used as a covenant word, as in remembering our covenant with God (1Cor 11:24-25), and God remembering us in His covenant love (Lk 23:42). He grounds His prayer on divine mercy, not justice (Ex 34:6). “Do NOT REMEMBER the sins of my youth (Bathsheba), nor my transgressions; according to Your MERCY REMEMBER me, for Your GOODNESS' sake, O Lord” (v7). "Don't let your attitude & actions toward me be based on my sins, but on your covenant love for me. Don't just forgive my sins, forget them." He knows he's forgiven (2Sam 12:13, Ps 32, 51), but his troubles reminded him of his past sins, that led to this situation, causing him to turn to God in humility and reaffirm before God his full repentance, and in faith plead for & claim God's covenant promises of forgiveness (MERCY) & grace (GOODNESS) to overcome the effect of those sins. This was also needed as the situation would have triggered accusing thoughts of condemnation, encouraged by satan (this whole attack on David's Throne was part of a bigger spiritual warfare, where satan tried to stop God's purposes thru him), that would have paralysed his faith had he allowed them. So, it was necessary for him to bring these thoughts to God in prayer, claiming His covenant mercy & grace.

Pastor Derek looks at what the Bible Prophecy has to say about Israel in the End-Times.

Messiah's anointed Ministry is prophesied in Isaiah 61:1-3: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them BEAUTY for ASHES, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” The Messiah came to set us free from the power of the enemy (Genesis 3:15). *(1) The POWER of the Messiah's Ministry. Isaiah 61:1: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me" *(2) The PROVISION of the Messiah's Ministry (Isaiah 61:2-3). He provides beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning (Psalm 45:6-7, Romans 14:17, 15:13, Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 126:1-3) and a garment of praise (Psalm 30:11-12). *(3) The PURPOSE of the Messiah's Ministry. Isaiah 61:3: "that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be GLORIFIED.” Isaiah 60:21: "Your people shall all be righteous; they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be GLORIFIED." Also Psalm 92:12-15.

The background to Ps 24 is the ascension of the Ark of the Covenant (God's earthly throne) to its rightful place in Jerusalem in a great procession, with much rejoicing (2Sam 6, 1Chron 13,15). It signified God arising to be enthroned in Jerusalem, His chosen dwelling place (Ps 132). The event's importance is reflected in the pomp & pageantry of Ps 24. This is a type of Christ's Ascension to sit on God's throne in the New Jerusalem & future ascension to sit on His earthly throne in Jerusalem. What gave significance to this event is the holiness of the Hill of the Lord (His dwelling place) and the King of Glory enthroned on the Ark. The question & answers in Ps 24 were part of the dramatic ceremony, enacted before the city gates. The answers affirm only the King of Glory is worthy to enter thru the Gates and ascend to His place on the holy Hill. Likewise, Christ alone (the King of Glory) is worthy to ascend into Heaven, but He did it for us, so that in Christ, we also can ascend into God's holy Presence in Heaven. Ps 24 is in 3 parts: *(1) The Sovereign Creator, who owns all things (v1-2). *(2) The Heavenly Temple – the requirements for Ascension (v3-6), how can a man know such a high God, stand before Him & receive His blessing? Perfection is required, which is a problem for us. *(3) The true Redeemer – the King of Glory (v7-10). God became a man, and made a way to bring men to God. *PART 1. The Truth about God (v1-2): "The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness (expanded in next line), the world and those who dwell therein (its produce and people)" (v1). This is quoted x2 in 1Cor 10:25-28 (see Ps 50:10-11). WHY does it all belong to Him? He is its Maker & Manager: "For He has (1) founded it on the seas (Maker, Gen 1:2,9,10, 2Pet 3:5), and (2) established it on the waters (rivers, symbolic of His Providence)" (v2). ‘Established' (imperfect tense) speaks of His ongoing management of the earth. He's the rightful Owner of all things. We are just tenant possessors of the earth & stewards of God's resources, for which we'll give account. Our life is not for us to do with as we please. God's authority is absolute over all, He has the right to do whatever He wants with us & the world. When we see this, it humbles us. The big question we must ask is: "How can I be right with God?" This seems impossible due to the infinite gap between us as sinful creatures & the holy God. Holiness is represented by height, so God is high above us (Is 57:15, 55:8). For man to be right with God & commune with Him requires us to ascend, but how is this possible? This is what David asks in PART 2: God's requirements for Ascension (v3-6): "Who may ASCEND the Hill of the Lord? (Heavenly Jerusalem) or STAND in His Holy Place?" (v3). The answer, the moral requirements for ascension, is given in v4: "(1) He who has clean hands & (2) a pure heart" (v4a). Here Hebrew parallelism works like stereo vision to give a full 3D picture, emphasising both his (1) outward actions & (2) inward attitudes & motives must be pure & perfect. This is followed by another parallelism emphasising (1) perfect holiness & (2) perfect righteousness: "(1) who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor (2) sworn deceitfully" (v4b). These represent the (1) God-ward requirement of true worship, free from idolatry, and (2) man-ward requirement of integrity, being a person of our word (no lies, deception or bearing false witness). 'Idol' also means vanity (that which is hollow). Rather than finding meaning, comfort & identity in the Creator, man seeks it in the creation, superficial things, even things with no reality, that don't ring true & against nature (like gender ideology). Thus, God requires perfection (Matt 5:48), but all sin (only Jesus fulfils these requirements), so what hope have we? But v5 says God provides a way for men to be saved and be made righteous by grace: "He shall receive blessing from the Lord (as a free-gift), and righteousness from the God of his salvation (enabling him to ascend)" (v5). These ones who ascend to God, not by their own righteousness, but by His grace, are described as God-seekers: "This is Jacob, the generation (the group of people) of those who SEEK Him, who SEEK Your face. Selah" (v6). They want to know Him & be right with Him. He promises they will find Him (Deut 4:29, Jer 29:13, Matt 7:7-8). David uses Jacob to represent those who are imperfect, but seek God (Gen 32:9-12), whom He brings to Himself by a process of coming to saving faith, when they come to an end of themselves & their own strength, knowing they can't stand before God on their own, and so cling to Him for blessing (Gen 32:24-29). So, to ascend to God requires a perfect righteousness, which God graciously gives to those who seek Him. How He made salvation possible, solving our sin-problem is revealed in PART 3: The King of Glory (v7-10), which describes the Ascension of Christ, the righteous Man, the King of glory - the subject of the next study.

Knowing the faithfulness of God is foundational to your faith in God. Peter builds your faith by revealing what God's word reveals about His absolute faithfulness to keep all His promises to us.

Pastor Derek and Howard Condor discuss the identity of Tarshish in the Bible, and conclude that the evidence points clearly to Great Britain. They also look at 3 end-time Prophecies about Tarshish, and what they mean for this nation.

Psalm 23:1: “The Lord is my Shepherd” - a confession of personal faith & submission. He's my Shepherd, Owner, Lord, Leader (sheep belong to their shepherd; they submit, follow & trust him). Only believers humble themselves to be His sheep and admit they need, belong to & follow their Shepherd, trusting Him to provide. Since the Lord is my Shepherd: “I shall not want” (v1b), a summary of His provision of every blessing, unfolded in detail in the rest of Ps 23: "I'll not want for peace, protection, guidance, blessing etc. Also, a statement of contentment: “He's all I want.” “He makes me to lie down (settles me down) in green pastures” (v2a) - satisfied peace & rest. Shepherds rested their flocks at noon (Song 1:7). Sheep only lie down having had plenty to eat & drink, not threatened by wild animals or troubled by parasites or flies and if there's no friction among the sheep. Rest comes, for the shepherd has dealt with fear, friction, flies & famine. Christ brings us into soul-rest: “He leads (not drives) me beside the still (gentle) waters” (v2b). He plans my life, knows the best way & leads me in it – oriental shepherds go ahead & lead their sheep. They know his voice & follow him. Jesus the Prince of Peace can't give us peace apart from Himself, as He is Peace. So, if you go away from Him, you lose peace. Sheep can't drink from swift waters. He supplies us with grass to chew (His WORD) and gentle waters to drink (His SPIRIT). “He restores (lit: 'brings back') my soul” (v3a). Translations emphasise the reviving of the soul. The literal meaning includes something more important, the restoration of a soul by repentance (Gal 6:1). He brings my soul back to God, resulting in the restoring of life & peace. Thus, it speaks of the rescue of a lost sheep, who has gone astray, a vital part of a shepherd's work (Ezek 34:4-6,11-12), a picture of salvation (Isa 53:6). Lost souls are sheep without a shepherd, and Jesus came in compassion to gather His flock (Matt 9:36). This aspect of the Good Shepherd's ministry is emphasised in the NT (1Pet 2:25). The Parable of the Good Shepherd (Matt 18:11-13) reveals Christ, the Son of Man, is the Good Shepherd, with sacrificial love for each of His sheep. He claimed to be the Good Shepherd of Ps 23, who came from Heaven to seek & save His lost sheep, by bringing us back to Himself. Luke 15:4-7 adds detail: “When he has found it (the lost sheep), he lays it on his shoulders (salvation by grace) rejoicing" (v5). "Likewise, there will be more joy in Heaven over one SINNER who REPENTS” (v7). This proves it's a picture of salvation by Christ thru repentant faith. When a sheep knows it is lost, it's paralysed by fear & lies down, or gets caught in a bush or ditch. It's helpless to save itself. But the Shepherd loves him & seeks Him, calling out to him. When he hears His voice, he bleats (we call on His Name to save us), He lifts him up & carries him home. We repent from going our own way, call on the Shepherd and trust Him to save us, rather than running away. His rejoicing over 1 saved sheep reveals God's personal love for us. To save the sheep He had to go to where he was. So, to save us, God had to come to earth as a man. So, Ps 23 can only be fulfilled by God becoming a man in the person of Jesus to save us. Having restored me to Himself: “He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His Name's sake (for His glory & reputation, displaying the glory of His grace)” (v3b). The Good Shepherd is our Leader & Guide. He plans the best route for the day. The sheep didn't need to know where to go; just to know where the Shepherd was and follow Him. The Lord leads us into abundance of life & provision. He leads us on the right path for our life. Trust Him, for He'll lead you well, in accordance with His good Name. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for YOU are with me" (v4a). At times it was necessary to go thru deep gorges in the shadows, vulnerable to robbers & predators, representing times of danger, when death casts a shadow over us, but if we're with Jesus, our Shepherd, we need not even fear death, for He defeated death for us. He'll be with us even thru death. v4 speaks of His Protection through His Presence with us both now & forever, for He'll never leave us. Note the change from HE to YOU. The sheep draws closer to Him in danger. He's now alongside us, rather than ahead. His Presence protects us from evil, removing our fear. Sheep don't last long on their own, our safety is in staying close to the Shepherd. “Your ROD and Your STAFF, they comfort me” (v4b). The Shepherd manifests His Presence and so comforts the sheep (1) by His ROD (a club with iron nails in its head, like a mace, used to strike His enemies, 1Sam 17:34-35), corresponding to His WORD. The STAFF was used on the sheep if it started to go the wrong way, to pull it to safety if it needed rescuing, and to count the sheep (Mic 7:14) – a symbol of His SPIRIT.

We introduce Psalm 23, the most popular of Psalms, which despite being short, speaks in poetic beauty to all our needs in life, as well as in facing death, imparting comfort & faith to our souls. It is a declaration of trust in God's goodness, with no complaints or requests – a confident confession of faith. A great thing to do is to declare it boldly over your life. It has a close relationship with Ps 22, which describes the Good Shepherd, who dies for the sheep & rises again, and provides abundant life for His people (John 10). Then Ps 23 develops this theme in detail, describing this risen Shepherd, leading His sheep, who hear His voice and follow Him, into abundant & eternal life, purchased through His death. Through knowing & following Him, our Shepherd leads us into every blessing of the new covenant (Heb 13:20). We can only claim Ps 23 if we have come to Christ through faith in His death & resurrection (Ps 22). We must meet Christ in Ps 22, before we experience Him in Ps 23. It starts with an outstanding claim that "the Lord is my Shepherd" (v1). This describes His personal care for us, His commitment to us, to provide for us, protect us and lead us as our Shepherd. This is the translation of Jehovah Rohi - one of the 8 Covenant Names of God. God as the Shepherd of His people (sheep) is major theme of Scripture. We look at how Ps 23 fits into the wider biblical revelation of God as our Shepherd, and note the special place it has within this revelation. God is the Shepherd of Israel (Gen 49:24, Ps 77:20, 78:52, 79:13, 80:1, 95:7, 100:3). Ps 23 is special because it emphases God is our personal Shepherd, as well as being the Shepherd of His people as a whole. The human leaders of Israel, including David, are also described as shepherds - His under-shepherds (Ps 78:70-71, Isa 63:11). These 2 concepts of divine & human shepherds come together in the God-man Messiah, who would be the good Shepherd of His people. The sinful leaders of Israel had failed to shepherd & feed His people as they should, and so the sheep were scattered (Jer 23:1-3, Ezek 34:1-10). In response, God declared He Himself would be their Shepherd, by personally coming to the earth a Man (the Messiah) to shepherd His people, saving, restoring, protecting and feeding them, leading them into peace, good pasture & abundant life (Jer 23:4-6, Ezek 34:11-16, 23-31). Other prophecies of the God-man Messianic Shepherd are Micah 5:2,4, Isa 40:3,9-11, Zech 13:7. This was fulfilled by Jesus (Matt 2:6, 26:31, Luke 19:10, John 10). Jesus said He was the fulfilment of these prophecies in John 10, where He claimed He was the true Shepherd, who alone entered through the door of the virgin birth (v1-3). He comes to call His people to Himself: "and when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice" (v4). He comes to save us and bring us into abundant and eternal life (v7-10). By claiming He is 'THE Door' into God's Kingdom (v7) and 'THE Good Shepherd' of Ps 23 (v11), He was claiming to be the true Shepherd prophesied in the Old Testament, the Messiah-King, even God manifested in flesh. This was a Divine claim: 'I AM the Good Shepherd' = Jehovah Rohi (Ps 23:1). Good (kalos) does not just mean moral excellence, but that He is excellent in His shepherding, in fulfilment of Ps 23. He repeats this claim in v14 adding: "I know My sheep, and am known by My own", the very feature unique to Ps 23. He demonstrated His selfless love for the sheep by giving His life for them (v11,15, 17-18), adding that He will also take up His life again in resurrection, another claim to Deity (v17,18). Thus, He will save His sheep through His death & resurrection. Now we can see why Ps 23 could only find its full fulfilment in Christ. For example: "Yea, though I walk through the VALLEY of the shadow of DEATH, I will fear no evil; for You are WITH ME” (v4). This only became fully true, when God became one of us, to identify with us (Immanuel: “God with us”) and personally lead us through the valley of death into Heaven's glory, so that we: "will dwell in the House of the Lord forever" (v6). This would not have been possible if God had not become a man to shepherd us to glory. Through taking on Himself a human nature, He went through death & resurrection for us, so that if we trust in Him, through our union with His humanity, we enter through the Door (Himself) into eternal life. Only true believers in Christ are His sheep, who receive the blessings of Ps 23 (v26). He calls them to Himself through the Gospel, and they enter into a personal relationship with Him, and they show their faith by following Him (submitting to His leadership) - v27, and He gives them eternal life & security in His & His Father's hands, in fulfilment of Ps 23:6 (v28-30). He gathers all these sheep into one Flock (the true Church), of both Jews and Gentiles (v16).

Psalm 37:4-5: “Seek your HAPPINESS in the LORD, and He will give you your heart's desire. Give yourself to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will help you.” The love that God has for YOU is unconditional, He will never stop loving YOU. You are of infinite worth and value to Him, because He loves you. Just think about it - the greatest, the most powerful, the most important Person ADORES YOU. He prizes YOU as His most valuable treasure. You hold such value in His sight that He sent His most precious Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to the earth to die in your place, to pay for your sins, all for the purpose of bringing you back to Him, so He could manifest His love to you, as He longs to do. Our wonderful Heavenly Father desires a very CLOSE relationship with all His children. He is calling and leading each one of us into a closer love relationship with Him, and He wants us to seek our happiness in Him, rather than in things. Psalm 27:8: “When You said: “SEEK My FACE (Presence)”: My heart said to You: “Your FACE (Presence) Lord, I will SEEK.” “My heart has heard You say: “Come and talk with Me.” And my heart responds: “Lord, I am coming” (NLT). To SEEK is to crave and search earnestly, until the object of your desire has been found. None of us is perfect, or ever will be in this life. But even though you may be struggling with some things in your flesh, or soulish realm, do not cut your self off from worshiping God. Do not deprive God of the very thing Jesus suffered & died to give Him - your love, worship and your intimate fellowship with Him (John 4:21,23-24). God is prodigal in His love for us. Prodigal means excessive, plenty too much, over the top. The Parable of the Prodigal Son, is not so much about the son, who was prodigal in his sinning, but it is mostly about the father, who was prodigal in his great love for his sinning son. This is a picture of God's love for us. Luke 15:20: “He arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.” God longs to fellowship with us. When David cried out to the Lord (Ps 27:7), the Lord replied by saying: “SEEK My FACE” (v8). Ps 27:8: “When You (Lord) said: “Seek My Face (in prayer, require My Presence as your greatest need],” my heart said to You: “Your Face (Presence), O Lord, I will seek.” God is the all-sufficient One, so He can never be lonely. From eternity, there has been perfect love, unity & fellowship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit – the Triune Godhead. God has NO NEEDS, but He has VERY STRONG DESIRES, such as His desire for our love. He loved us so much, that He sent His only begotten Son to die for us, and redeem us from our sins, and purchase us for Himself, so we might belong to God forever as His children (John 3:16). Ephesians 2:4-7: “God, who is rich in mercy, for His GREAT LOVE wherewith He LOVED US, even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ (by grace are you saved), and has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. So that, in the Ages to come (for all eternity) He might show (demonstrate) the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” God is a Giver, not a Withholder! Seeing how much He loves us should make us want to worship Him. Isn't it breath-taking that we have the ability to bless such a loving Creator, the All-Sufficient One. How amazing that our love and worship can minister to God and give Him great pleasure! God has given us free will, so LOVING God is our CHOICE. He will never force us to love Him. WORSHIPING GOD is a CHOICE. God has placed within each one of us the ability to love, bless & minister to Him in return. But He will never force you to love Him. By giving us free-will, He has made Himself vulnerable to us. We can choose to love Him in return, or turn our back on Him, and break His heart. Hosea 11:3,8: “It was I who taught Israel how to walk, leading him along by the hand. But he does not know or even care that it was I who took care of him... Oh, how can I give you up Israel? How can I let you go? My heart is torn within Me, and my compassion overflows.” Will you break His heart by withholding your love from Him? Our loving worship BLESSES God immensely. It brings Him tremendous pleasure. He DELIGHTS in our worship. It brings Him JOY. If you knew what God really wanted from you, would you do it? Will you give Him your love? God LONGS for intimacy with us, more than we will ever understand in this life. He DESIRES sweet communion with us, more than we desire intimacy with Him. It is so amazing that Almighty God makes Himself available to us every moment of every day! We must EXPECT that He is giving us His undivided attention, when we come to worship Him. Hebrews 13:5: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Pastor Derek puts together clues from the Bible, ancient history and modern science to prove Tarshish is Great Britain. This matters, because 3 end-time Prophecies about Tarshish give us hope for this nation.

With the victorious cry: "You have answered Me!" (v21), Ps 22 suddenly transitions from a prayer of suffering in the dark, to praise for salvation in the light, from lament to thanksgiving, from travail to triumph, from a prophecy of Christ's suffering on the Cross to a prophecy of His glorious resurrection and the bringing in of a new age of grace. From being alone in the darkness, forsaken by all, even apparently by God (v1-21), He is now in the light of God's Presence surrounded by a great congregation of His brothers, declaring the universal & eternal consequences of His sacrificial death on our behalf & His resurrection (v22-31). His 1st announcement is the formation of His new spiritual family, the Church, brought forth (born again) by His resurrection as the firstborn among many brethren (v22, Rom 8:29). His great desire is for God to be glorified by His people, especially as they gather together, for praise is the repeating theme in all of these verses (the subject of every verse from v22-32, except v24, which gives a reason for praise). God's glory is the fulfilment of our faith, the ultimate purpose & result of His work of salvation. We see His priority is the formation of the Church & one of her main purposes is to praise God. v23-31 describe the formation of this worshipping community, expanding from Israel (v23) to the whole world (v25-29), as the Gospel declaration of God's gift of righteousness through His finished work is proclaimed down the generations(v30-31). This predicts His death & resurrection will have universal & eternal significance, changing the future of the world, and bringing about the world-wide salvation of the Gentiles, proving that Jesus is the Christ. v23-24: “You who fear the Lord, praise Him!” (true believers fear the Lord, and true praise comes from a submitted heart). “All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, and fear Him, all you offspring of Israel! For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction (v1-21) of the afflicted (Messiah); nor has He hidden His face from Him; but when He cried to Him, He heard (by raising Him from the dead).” This predicts the Gospel will go 1st to Israel, declaring God has fully accepted the value of His sacrificial death (v1-21) as the sufficient basis (payment) for our eternal salvation, and has declared this by hearing His prayer & raising Him from death (v24). The risen Christ calls all Israel to respond & glorify God by believing in Him as Messiah, and in His finished work, submitting to Him & praising Him. He calls all who fear the Lord to praise Him (v23), due to the wonderful work of salvation He's just accomplished (v24). Then v25 predicts the successful formation of a great Assembly of believers, united to Christ, all praising God together, as the Church grows and expands across the world (confirmed by v27): “My praise shall be of You in the great Assembly” (v25a), He gives a reason why they praise God – they share in His great sacrificial feast: "I will pay My vows before those who fear Him. The poor shall eat and be satisfied" (v25b-26a). Someone in bad situation would pray for Divine Intervention (v1-21), and make vows to God that they'd fulfil after their deliverance. This included a peace offering for thanksgiving in the Temple, then sharing the benefits of the sacrifice with family, friends & the poor in a communal meal before God, where they all joyfully partake of the sacrifice (Lev 7:15-16, Deut 12;17-19). Likewise, by His death, Christ purchased & received every blessing for us. He vowed to God to offer His sacrificial blood to God in the heavenly Temple on our behalf and share the wealth (blessing) with us in an everlasting Sacrificial Feast. Since He is the Sacrifice, He shares Himself with us (the Feeding of the 5000 - John 6). Thus, this is a picture of the feast made available to all thru His finished work. He fulfils His vow to share His purchased blessings with us, and we're all invited to come into God's Presence to partake. But only believers will respond, only the poor (in spirit) will eat & be satisfied. Thus, His provision is abundant & sufficient for all our needs (Isa 53:12, 55:1-3). "Those who seek Him will (find Him and) praise the Lord" (v26b). The seekers will become singers. The blessings are not just for this life but also eternal life & glory with God: "Let your heart live forever!" (v26c). The prophecy goes on to predict the conversion of the Gentiles in the Church Age & Millennium as a result of the Christ's death & resurrection: "All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before You." This is a picture of true conversion: (1) REMEMBER - like the prodigal son, people come to their right mind about God, when they hear the Gospel, (2) REPENTANCE - they will turn from their own ways & return to God (like the prodigal) - the turning of the will to God. (3) REVERENCE - the fruit of this repentance unto salvation is a lifes

The 1st Part of Psalm 22 (v1-21) is a Prophecy of Christ's suffering & prayers on the Cross. Its 3rd Lamentation (v12-18), describes His physical sufferings inflicted by the Romans, described as DOGS (v16), and oppression by demonic powers (BULLS, v12) & Satan (LION, v13, 1Pet 5:8). Then He turns to God asking Him to draw near to Him, release His mighty power on His behalf (‘O My strength'), deliver, help & save Him (v19-21a). In this prayer He asks for deliverance from the same 3 animals, causing His suffering: DOG (v20), LION (v21), WILD OXEN (Reem, an extinct massive wild BULL, v21). We note the Chiastic Structure of these animal verses (His prayer names them in reverse order to His lament), so we have in His lament: (1) BULLS (v12), (2) LION (v13), (3) DOGS (v16), and in His prayer: (3) DOG (v20), (2) LION (v21) and (1) BULLS (v21). This means we have 3 sets of parallel verses to be compared. In particular, v16, where DOGS PIERCE His hand & feet (the key act in crucifixion), and v20, where the DOG's power is in the SWORD (of capital punishment) are parallel, confirming ‘they pierced my hands & feet' is the correct translation, rather than ‘like a lion' which destroys the symmetry. His prayer concludes with a triumphant declaration: “You have answered Me” (v21b). This dramatic change of tone marks the transition to Part 2 (v22-31), a Prophecy of His resurrection, declared in faith on the Cross, knowing God will answer His Prayer for deliverance from death & enemies (v1-21), by raising Him from death, resulting in God's salvation going to the whole world (v22-31). At this point, it dramatically transitions from a lament-prayer of suffering in the DARK to thanksgiving for salvation in the LIGHT. Dawn is when light overcomes darkness, and this is His announcement of the dawning of a new day, not just for Himself, but for all His people, the dawning of a new day of history, brought about by His resurrection at dawn on Sunday, April 3rd AD 33. The Light (Christ) has overcome the darkness by His death & resurrection! At this point, Psalm 22 moves from travail to triumph, from suffering to the glory that would follow. It's significant that the title is the ‘Hind of the Morning' or ‘Deer of the Dawn.' Christ is the deer, hunted by the lion, dogs & wild bulls, springing up in new life to victory in resurrection power, bringing in the dawning of a new day. This is a Prophecy that this sinless man, who is executed, will be resurrected. It reveals His dramatic reversal of fortunes, from depths of despair to exuberant praise. for God has heard His prayer. v22: “I will declare Your Name to MY BRETHREN; in the midst of the Assembly (Church) I will praise You.” Before He was alone and surrounded by enemies. He's no longer alone, but in the midst of a great congregation of His friends. The 1st thing He wants to do is to praise God in the Assembly. This shows the importance of public praise, and that Jesus is in the midst when we gather together in His Name (Matt 18:20), revealing God to us, and glorifying God through us, empowering our praises & preaching (John 17:26). This verse also announces the 1st accomplishment of His death & resurrection - the creation and formation of a new spiritual family in Christ, the Birth of His Church. This is signified by Him calling us His BRETHREN. Thru His resurrection, as the Head of the New Creation of humanity, He's now the firstborn among many brethren (Rom 8:29, Col 1:18, Heb 12:23). Believers sharing in His resurrection life are now BORN AGAIN, sons of God, by His resurrection (1Pet 1:3), and so are members of God's family. His life is our life, and our lives belong to Him. The New Birth is a New Covenant reality, not available before. ‘Brethren' also speaks of His ongoing humanity, and reveals His purpose in becoming a man was to bring men to God, so we would be born again into His forever family, and might all know and praise Him. Immediately after He rose, He said to Mary: “Go to MY BRETHREN and say to them: ‘I am ascending to My Father & your Father, and to My God & your God” (John 20:17). He was declaring to her that Ps 22:22 was now being fulfilled, that we are now in the 2nd Part of Ps 22, just as He'd declared v1 on the Cross to tell us He was fulfilling Part 1. He was telling them that to understand the new reality, study the 2nd half of Ps 22. (He'd not used this description ‘MY BRETHREN' before, as it reflects the new reality, which Ps 22 predicted with the same term). He reinforced this by saying that His Father was also now their Father, so they were in the same covenant relationship with God as He was. This vital verse is quoted in Hebrews 2:11-12. This is another proof that the whole Psalm is Messianic, fulfilled by Jesus. It confirms that the fruit of His work is that we would be reborn from the same womb as Christ, through His death & resurrection, so that in His humanity, He is now our brother, the firstborn among many brethren (Rom 8:29).

Last time, we studied the 1st Lamentation of Christ from the Cross describing His spiritual suffering (v1-5). This week, we study the 2nd Lamentation of Christfrom the Cross describing His mental suffering (v6-11), from His enemies who mocked and humiliated Him as He suffered. “But I am a WORM, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people” (v6, see Isaiah 53:3). This is made worse by the fact that ‘the people' are His own people – Israel). Being a WORM is a figure of speech describing how helpless, despised, weak He felt, as those who hated Him treated Him as a worm, only worthy of being trampled under foot (see Isaiah 41:14, where Israel was compared to a worm under the foot of her enemies, yet God promised to deliver her). But there is also a deeper meaning to this picture. The word for ‘worm' is ‘tolaith' - the same word as for ‘scarlet', for these worms were crushed to create a costly, brilliant, beautiful and enduring red dye from their blood. Crimson-dyed clothes were costly (Lam. 4:5). It was used for dyeing the curtains of the Tabernacle (Ex. 26:1), the garments of the high priests; in the purification rites of a leper (Lev 14:4–6), and of a house affected by leprosy; and it was added to the ashes of the red heifer (Num 19:6). Likewise, Christ was crushed for us and His Blood was used to cleanse, purify and clothe us as Temples of God. Moreover, thus worm would reproduce by attaching itself to the limb of a tree and would die in the process of giving birth! We were weak and helpless as a worm, worthy to be rejected and crushed because of our sin, but God valued us and redeemed us, by becoming a worm in our place, made weak, helpless and vulnerable to the attacks of people, and He was treated like a worm to be crushed by our sin and curse to make us whole. v7-8: All those who see Me ridicule Me; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head (show contempt with their mouth)” (for the fulfilment see Matthew 27:39, Mark 15:29), saying: “He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!” (for the fulfilment see Matthew 27:41-44). It is important to recognise the evil voice of the serpent behind this attack. It is more than the mockery of hatred. This was a mental torture, designed to attack and undermine His faith, His very connection with God, when He was at His most vulnerable, when it seemed as if God was abandoning Him and not hearing His prayers. The serpent, speaking through these men, tried to play with His mind and deceive and persuade Him by suggestion that God had finished with Him, that He did not actually love Him or delight in Him, and so He should let go of God. This was a more dangerous attack than the attack on His body, for it was satan's voice trying to penetrate His inner heart, sowing seeds of doubt saying: “If God really loved you, you would not suffer like this, or He would have delivered you, so give up your faith in God.” But God did delight in Him and would deliver Him in the resurrection. Likewise, when we suffer, whether it is because we have sinned or not, satan comes as the accuser to whisper his lies to us that God does not love us any more, and that we should abandon our loyalty to God. At that time, it is important that we should not be passive, but answer these evil thoughts by declaring our faith, that God does love us, that He has redeemed us by His Blood, and that we will always love and trust God (Rev 12:10-11) This is exactly what Christ does, when He moves from His Lament to focusing back on God and declaring His faith in God in v9-10: “BUT YOU are He who took Me out of the womb; You made (caused) Me (to) trust while on My mother's breasts. I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother's womb You have been My God.” This predicts the Messiah will be sinless and in perfect fellowship with God from birth, not having a sin-nature because of the virgin birth (Gen 3:15, Isa 7:14, confirming that He is not suffering because of his sins. This is only true of Christ, not David (Psalm 51:5). So, He had never experienced any separation from God before. Whereas He previously established His faith on God's proven faithfulness to Israel, as recorded in the Bible (v3-5), here He establishes his faith on God's faithfulness in His own life. Based on God's constant faithful Presence with Him as His God, throughout His life, He knows that God will not suddenly abandon Him now. From that place of faith, and prays that God would draw close to Him again to help Him, and deliver Him from trouble, as He has always done before: “Be not far from Me, for trouble is near; for there is none to help” (v11). God answered this prayer at His resurrection.

Psalm 22 is a detailed & accurate prophecy describing a righteous man being executed by crucifixion by evil men, written 800 years before crucifixion was invented. Nothing in Ps 22 was fulfilled by David, either in the details of his suffering or in the world-wide consequences of his death. Rather as a prophet (Acts 2:30), David spoke by the Spirit of Prophecy, enabling him to describe Messiah's inner thoughts & feelings on the Cross. Whereas the Gospels record outward events, Messianic Psalms (like 22) reveal His inner experience. It is messianic from start to finish, a prophecy of His death & resurrection, followed by the Gospel going to the world, and the establishment of God's Kingdom. This is confirmed by New Testament quotes from Ps 22, claiming Jesus is the fulfilment. Along with Isa 53, it has special importance in providing a detailed revelation of the Cross. It's written in 2 Parts corresponding to (1) Christ's SUFFERINGS (v1-21), and (2) the GLORIES that would follow (v22-31), see 1Pet 1:10-11. The 1st Part is a Lament, in which an isolated man, surrounded by enemies, suffers & prays on the altar of sacrifice (v1-21a). He describes his sufferings, but also turns to God and declares his faith, requesting God to draw near to save Him. Then it moves from travail to triumph in v21b, when he declares: “You have answered me”. The 2nd Part is a Thanksgiving Psalm, where He rejoices in his victory, and thanks God for accepting his sacrifice and delivering him from death, and for all the blessings released as a result. He is no longer alone, but praises God in the midst of His brethren. He declares the Gospel of His finished work will be declared around the world and down the ages, resulting in the salvation of the Gentiles (as well as Jews), and God's Kingdom established over all. *Part 1 consists of 3 Laments: (1) His spiritual suffering & desolation (v1-2), followed by a declaration of faith in God (v3-5). (2) His mental suffering & humiliation as a social outcast (v6-8), followed by a faith-declaration and request to God (v9-11). (3) His physical suffering - the torture of crucifixion (v12-18), followed by a faith-declaration & request (v19-21). Each time, He first expresses His feelings and describes His suffering (the focus is on ‘I' & ‘ME'). Then He turns his focus to God, saying: “BUT YOU.” So it is fine to express our feelings to God, but don't stop there, as if they are the final word. Don't stop with the negative, but go on to declare the truth of God, who has the final word. *Lament 1 describes his spiritual suffering, as he felt totally forsaken by God: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me (v11,19) and from the words of My groaning (roaring)? O My God, I cry in the DAYTIME, but You do not hear; and in the NIGHT season, and am not silent” (v1-2). He had a covenant relationship with God (‘My God') and walked with God all His life (v9-10,31), yet now all fellowship was broken. He experienced total separation from God's Presence. Ps 22 starts with him asking ‘Why?' The answer to this unlocks the meaning of the whole Psalm. The answer as revealed in v31 is that He was bearing the sin of mankind, as our sin-offering, and so experienced Hell (total separation from God's Presence) for us. Thus, the result of this one man's suffering is salvation for the world (v22-31). He suffered separation from God, so we might be restored to God's Presence. During the supernatural darkness on the Cross, Jesus quoted v1 in Matt 27:45 & Mark 15:33-34. By quoting the start of Ps 22, He pointed to the whole Psalm, saying He was fulfilling it all: ‘if you want to know what I am experiencing and what the outcome will be read Ps 22'. He prayed it all, ending with the proclamation: “He has done (finished) it” (v21). So, just before He died, He quoted the last verse saying: “It is finished!” (John 20:30). As v2 predicted, Jesus suffered on the Cross during the day (9am – noon), when He was the burnt offering, and during a night, when He was the sin offering (the supernatural darkness, noon to 3pm, Amos 8:9, Joel 2:31, Acts 2:20). Throughout this time, He called on God in faith to help Him. The physical pains did not cause Him to roar v1 in agony, for He only did this in the darkness, when He experienced God's wrath on our sin and the spiritual darkness of total separation from His Presence, as predicted by v1-2, fulfilled in Matt 27:45. We discuss the secular evidence for the supernatural darkness and prove it was indeed a night (v2, Gen1:5,14-18), and how this solves the paradox of the 3 days & 3 nights between His death & resurrection, and how it confirms He died in AD 33. In v3-5 Christ moves from His 1st Lament to a declaration of faith: “BUT You are HOLY.” This shows He knew the answer to His question in v1. When Christ became sin, God's holiness required Him to pour His wrath on him, and separate Himself from him. Thus, He praised God & vindicated His righteousness.

Psalm 95:6-7: “Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will HEAR His VOICE” (quoted in Heb 3:7,15, 4:7). God is speaking today! *I. God is BROADCASTING (Ps 95:7b). Clearly God is speaking. He spoke from the beginning (Gen 1:3) and He is speaking now. He has a voice and He speaks with a purpose, for He wants to be heard. Yet, not everybody is hearing what He is saying to them: “IF you will HEAR His VOICE.” Let's have confidence God is talking today. The question is: “Will we hear Him?” His voice comes to us in many different ways. That's how much He wants to be heard! He talks to us through His Creation (Rom 1:20, Ps 19:1). He also speaks directly with us through dreams, visions and angels. And He speaks through the still, small voice. He speaks with us very personally. He desires to communicate with us. Built into us is a desire to communicate with Him. God is broadcasting constantly, but are we in a position to receive what He is saying? *II. We have a RECEIVER (Ps 95:7a). God is broadcasting, and we have a built-in RECEIVER to hear from God! He made us in His image for fellowship with Himself. He made us to hear His voice. When we are born again, with our spirits made new - we are in a position to receive what God is broadcasting. Even if you are not a Christian, He is reaching out to reveal Himself to you all the time. Those signals are emanating from Him continually, reaching out to our hearts. Why do we know we can hear His voice? Ps 95:7: “He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand” – this speaks of a personal relationship! (also Ps 23:1-2: “The Lord is my Shepherd...He leads me beside the still waters.” Notice how personal this is! He is not hiding Himself from us; He hides Himself FOR us (Matt 7:7). It does not say: “Today, IF God is speaking to me.” No! it says: “Today, IF I will hear His voice.” God IS speaking to us today! The problem is not with Heaven's radio station, but with my receiver! Perhaps we are waiting for God to speak to us in some extravagant, external way, but instead He has a better way to communicate with us – quietly, within our hearts. How often do we mistake what God is saying to us for our own thoughts? Sometimes we miss God's speech, as it comes to us so simply & gently. So often, God speaks to us, but we miss what He is saying, as we are not TUNED IN to His wavelength. The enemy lies to us that God is silent, distant, unconcerned with the details of our lives. But the truth is that He is intimately concerned with every detail of our lives, which is why He is so willing to speak to us at all times and circumstances. He is speaking to us, but are we receiving His voice? Are we hearing God, or are we so tense, nervous and agitated, that we can't hear from God? There's too much static! In John 10, Jesus uses this image of the sheep and the true Shepherd, who cares for His sheep. We are His sheep (Ps 95:7), and “His sheep hear His voice” (John 10:3a). Don't doubt that. We DO hear Him. "and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. And when He brings out His own sheep, He goes before them; and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice” (v3b-4). It's so personal. He is leading us by His voice. Are we tuned in to His voice? We have a receiver in us, for the Holy Spirit lives inside us. He is built in to the centre of our being! v5: “they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” The devil likes to imitate God's voice, but the more we are in God's Word, we can be sure we know His voice, as we are familiar with it. His voice is in His Word! As we familiarize ourselves with His Word, we can build that confidence that we hear His voice. John 10:27: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." *III. Let's turn the DIAL (Ps 95:6). God is BROADCASTING, and I have a RECEIVER. I am His sheep and I hear His voice. So why am I not hearing it? It may just be a question of TUNING! Fine tune the dial. Find the right wavelength and exclude the wrong wavelength. After all the activity of Ps 95:1-2, we come to v6: “Oh come, let us worship and BOW DOWN; let us KNEEL before the Lord our Maker.” In this moment, our bodies and flesh are IMMOBILISED. This agrees with Rom 12:1. As we do that, we are ruling out all that static that gets in the way and interferes with us hearing from God. We can just be still and know that He is God (Ps 46:10). So, God is BROADCASTING, and we can RECEIVE and hear His voice. Let's TUNE OUT all the other voices & noises, and let's hear from Him. Let's trust Him! How do we do that? Let's just bow before Him, and be quiet before Him. He is speaking. We can hear Him. Let's not doubt that!

Psalm 21 is the celebration of the accomplished victory prayed for in Ps 20. The kind of language used means it's a Messianic Psalm, for only Christ can fully fulfil these words, although it was fulfilled in measure by David. The ancient Rabbis interpreted it as speaking of King Messiah (v1), but the later Rabbis dropped this view, to try & prevent Christians from showing how Jesus perfectly fulfils it. v1: “The KING (Messiah) shall have joy in Your strength (invisible power), O LORD; and in Your salvation (manifested victory) how greatly shall he rejoice!” This describes God's mighty power that raised Christ from the dead, bringing Him into manifested victory & glory. Likewise, we should thank God for the invisible power of His Spirit (the blessing), as well as the manifested blessings brought forth by His grace. This verse is the answer to the prayers in Ps 20:2,5,8. v2: “You have given him his heart's desire, and have not withheld the request (desire) of his lips. Selah.” This corresponds to Ps 20:4. His desire is our salvation, through His victory over enemy powers (Heb 12:2). Note the poetic parallelism – He did not just desire our salvation & victory, but prays for us (Jas 4:2, Heb 7:25). You were on His mind when He went to the Cross and ever since! Also notice God works through our desires, but only when our heart is submitted to God (Ps 37:4, Phil 2:12-13). v3: “For You meet (welcome) him with the blessings of goodness (abundant rich blessings); You set a crown of pure gold on his head.” Here the image changes from celebrating a Conquest to a Coronation - both were fulfilled by Christ in His Ascension. Having won His great victory, He ascended to Heaven and was crowned as Lord of all. Also as our representative He received every blessing of the New Covenant on our behalf, so that every blessing is now ours in Christ (Eph 1:3), for we are joints heirs with Him (Rom 8:17). This blessing includes abundant & eternal life, salvation, glory, authority (v4-5). The fact He shares this blessing with us is stated in v6a: “For You have made him most blessed forever (literally, ‘you have made Him blessings forever').” This means He was made to the source of blessing to us forever (blessed to be a blessing). This blessing includes joy, which only comes from God's Presence: “You have made him exceedingly glad (‘joyful with gladness') with Your Presence” (see Ps 16:11). God's Presence is the key to happiness. Thus, holiness comes before happiness (Heb 1:9, Ps 45:7). The basis for Christ (and us) to receive God's blessing is faith in the Lord and His covenant love: “For the KING trusts in the Lord, and through the mercy (covenant love and faithfulness) of the Most High, he shall not be moved (shaken)” (v7). He shall be established forever in God's grace. Whereas Part 1 looks back Christ's decisive victory at His 1st Coming (v1-7), Part 2 looks forward to His future victory at His 2nd Coming, when He'll judge all His enemies and establish His Kingdom on earth (v8-13). Thus, after Christ's initial victory, this predicts His enemies will still be in the field, which is the case. But at His 2nd Coming He will search out and then seize all His enemies with His mighty right hand (v8, Ex 15:6). He'll then throw them into His fiery furnace: “You (the KING) shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger (lit: ‘face, presence'), the LORD shall swallow them up in His wrath, and the fire shall devour them” (v9). This will happen when they meet Him face to face for judgment. The parallelism shows the close relationship between KING (Messiah) and the LORD. Christ is the Lord's representative & channel of both the Lord's salvation for His people (v6) and His wrath on His enemies (v9). This judgment is in 2 stages: (1) At the 2nd Coming (or death) the souls of the wicked are thrown into the fire of Hades, and then at the end of time, they'll be resurrected and stand before the Great White Throne, and then be thrown body & soul into the Lake of Fire. All they've produced (the fruit of their lives) will be destroyed, as well as their spiritual sons, who partook of their nature and followed in their ways (v10). They'll get their just desserts for they planned evil against God, but were always bound to fail (v11), for God resists the proud (Jas 4:6), and you can't defeat God. This reveals the futility of the godless life (any success is temporary). At a time of His choosing, He'll confront all rebels and cause them to want to flee, but there'll be no escape. God is seen as the Divine Warrior, who has already prepared His arrows of judgment, placed them on His bow, pulled back the strings, and pointed His arrows toward their faces - a picture of imminent judgment (v12). Ps 21 concludes with God's people praising Him for manifesting His power, not only in accomplishing salvation for them, but also for judging His enemies (v13). This judgment is a necessary part of establishing His Kingdom (Rev 11:15-18, 19:1-6).

Heaven's Coronation, is inspired by the recent coronation of King Charles III. In this country we have a long history of crowning kings and queens, in splendid ceremonies. Yet none compare to the vision seen by Daniel, when King Jesus ascended into Heaven to receive an everlasting Kingdom from His Father, the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:13-14, see also Philippians 2:9-11). Peter's message looks at this glorious event and the bright hope it brings for all God's people.

Ps 20 describes Israel's spiritual preparation before an impending battle, a day of trouble (v1). It is a model for how to prepare ourselves in prayer, to walk in victory in our spiritual battles & days of trouble. It twins with Ps 21, describing the celebration after the victory (c.f 20:2,5 & 21:1; 20:4 & 21:2). The central character is the anointed king (v6), leading his people into battle. It finds its ultimate fulfilment in Christ, who leads His people to victory (battles of the Lord are pictures of His ultimate battle, when Christ personally overcomes all His enemies). Thus Ps 20 is messianic like Ps 21). The setting shows God's people gathering before Him before battle, dedicating their lives to God, and calling on the covenant-keeping God to go with them to battle & give them victory. Their trust in & submission to God was expressed thru the sacrifice the king offered up on behalf of the nation (v3, 1Sam 7:7-12). The efficacy of their prayers was based on the merits of the sacrifice, representing the Sacrifice of Christ. Likewise, we come to God on the basis of Christ's righteousness, given us thru His Sacrifice, and dedicate ourselves to God to do His will (Rom 12:1), acknowledging the battle belongs to Him & we fight in His Name, under His authority, for His glory & will to be done. Thru this dedication, His Presence comes on us transforming us into mighty warriors (Ro 12:2), for He gives grace to the humble. At this point the priests encouraged the army to fear not, even if the enemy seems superior, for God goes with them into the battle to fight for them (Deut 20:1-4). So, in our battles, we don't fight in our own strength, but daily come to God with a sacrifice of praise, dedicating ourselves for His will to be done thru us, and drawing on His grace. In v1-5, the people (‘we' in v5) pray for the anointed king (David), who speaks in v6. They are one with their king, so his victory is theirs. “May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble; may the Name (revealed nature) of the God of Jacob defend you (set you on high)” (v1). They call on God to manifest His Name on behalf of His people. “May He send you help from the Sanctuary (the Place of God's Presence) and strengthen you out of Zion” (v2). The key to victory is His Presence, so to receive help from God, we must draw near to Him, so His Presence fills us. The 1st key in spiritual warfare is to look to & submit to God, calling on Him to fill us with His Presence. “May He remember all your offerings and accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah” (v3). They offered their prayers on the foundation of the sacrifice. Likewise, when we pray, we trust in Christ's Sacrifice for God to accept our dedication & for our prayer to be answered. “May He grant you according to your heart's desire (the saving of his people, victory over God's enemies & God's glory) and fulfil all your purpose” (v4). Their prayer ends with assurance of victory, and readiness to go into battle under His Banner, as He goes with them to give them victory (Ex 17:15): “We will rejoice in your salvation (victory), and in the Name of our God, we will set up our banners! May the Lord fulfil all your petitions” (v5). Thus, true dedication to God brings assurance of God's Presence, which we confess with our lips, that God is with us. In response, the king declares his faith, that God's mighty right hand will give him the victory: “Now I know that the Lord saves (gives victory) to His anointed; He will answer him from His holy Heaven with the saving strength of His right hand” (v6). Then the people also declare their faith is in God, not in the strength of their forces. They focus on & make mention of (confess) His Name, His faithfulness to the covenant (v7), and, by faith they confess the final outcome of victory, before battle begins (v8). Again, we see it's important to confess our faith (Rom 10:8-10, 2Cor 4:13), as part of our spiritual preparation for battle. The concluding prayer in v8 is best translated: “O Lord, save (give victory to) the king, answer us in the day of our calling” (the origin of 'God save the king'). This is another link to Ps 21 (v1), v2 of which records the answer to this prayer. We show how Ps 20 was fulfilled by Christ, on His day of trouble, after which He was lifted up on high (v1), by God in Heaven (v2), who accepted His perfect Sacrifice (v3). God granted Jesus His heart's desire (our salvation, the defeat of all His enemies & the fulfilment of His purpose to establish His Kingdom over all, v4). God gave victory to His Anointed by raising Him from death by His mighty power (v6). His people call on the exalted King, who is also Lord, for salvation (v9, Rom 10:13). They now rejoice in His salvation, for He won the victory for us, and now ever-lives to make intercession for us (v5). They now trust in His Name, rather than their own resources (v7), and are assured of the final downfall of the wicked and their own future resurrection to life (v8).

There are many kinds of PRAYER. One kind is INTERCESSION or TRAVAILING in prayer: “My little children, for whom I LABOUR in birth again until Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 4:19). We need to YIELD to the HOLY SPIRIT, for Him to pray through us as He wants. We want to yield our hearts & bodies to Him, to pray God's will into people's lives: “It is not by (human) might, and not by (human) power, but by My SPIRIT, says the Lord” (Zechariah 4:6). We need to let God fill us with His love, so that we pray from a heart of love. Everywhere Jesus went, He was MOVED with COMPASSION to meet the needs of people, and God's POWER was manifested through Him (Matthew 9:36, 14:14, 15:32, 20:34, Mark 1:41, 6:34, 8:2, 9:22, Luke 7:13). Romans 5:5: “The LOVE of God has been SHED ABROAD in OUR HEARTS by the HOLY SPIRIT, who was GIVEN to us.” Thus, the same compassion (love) that moved Jesus is in us. But we have to learn to yield to it. When we are moved with COMPASSION, we not only recognise their need and feel for the one who is suffering, but God also EMPOWERS us to MEET their NEED. One way to do this is to PRAY in the SPIRIT for them (Romans 8:26-27). We also need to pray in faith. Faith does not depend on fickle feelings. It is a matter of believing God and His Word, and then we need to exercise our faith by obeying His Word, acting as if it is true. We become STRONG in FAITH by (1) MEDITATING in God's WORD, and (2) EXERCISING our FAITH, by corresponding actions. We build up our FAITH MUSCLES, when we EXERCISE our FAITH (put it into action). All prayer, when prayed in faith to God the Father in the Name of Jesus, is powerful. One area where you can BUILD up your FAITH by EXERCISE is in the area of PRAYER, especially PRAYING in TONGUES. If you never exercise your faith by praying in tongues, trusting the Holy Spirit to give you the utterance (Acts 2:4), then your faith in that area will never grow! When you receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, you automatically receive the ability to pray in tongues. But you must exercise this gift to activate it, so it is fruitful in your life. It's the same way with God's LOVE. He has already given us His LOVE (Romans 5:5). We must believe this truth and put His love into action in our lives, by walking in love. God wants us to agree with His Word, that He has already given us His love – and start exercising it! He says to you: “I have shed My love abroad in your heart by the Holy Spirit” (Romans 5:5). You are a love child of a love God. We still have the flesh, but God's love in our heart is more powerful than our flesh. God has given us free-will, so we can choose to love or not to love. If you are born again, you are His child, and so you have His nature in your spirit, you have His LOVE in you, but by not exercising His love, you are allowing your flesh to take control of your life. But if you do EXERCISE the LOVE of God in you by faith (not feelings), for example by PRAYING for someone when you do not feel like it, then His love will fill you, and flow through you, and you will grow in love and become a lover of mankind, full of mercy and compassion. You become a person MOVED with COMPASSION to DO something, for example, YIELDING to the SPIRIT, asking Him to take control of your lips, to PRAY through you God's perfect will for that person. Matthew 9:36-38: “When He saw the multitudes, He was MOVED with COMPASSION for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep with no shepherd. Then He SAID to His disciples: “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore, PRAY the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest.” Jesus was moved with COMPASSION, and His next thought is to PRAY. Therefore, there is a linking together of LOVE and PRAYER. When you have COMPASSION for someone, you want to reach God on their behalf. Today, God is calling His people to lay down our lives and PRAY. In the days to come, IF we will lay down our lives and PRAY, we will be entering into God's call for our life, and we will begin to become unselfish. The nature of GOD is to GIVE (John 3:16). The greatest joy in the world is for us to love others, for example, to help someone in trouble. Jesus wants us to be known for our LOVE (John 13:34-35). Standing in the gap for someone else is an act of love. INTERCESSORY PRAYER is an ACT of LOVE. As you sow to the Spirit by doing good, such as interceding for others, you will REAP everlasting LIFE (Galatians 6:7-9). YIELD your tongue to the HOLY SPIRIT, and pray in unknown tongues, trusting in the Spirit to give you the words (Acts 2:4): “for he who speaks in an unknown tongue does not SPEAK to men but TO GOD, for no one understands him; however, IN the SPIRIT he speaks MYSTERIES” (1Corinthians 14:2).