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The Psalm writer wrote: Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. As we come before a Holy God and hear his word, may we have eyes open to the wonderful and fearful things from his law. May it move us to repent and seek forgiveness, fear disobedience, and live in light of the grace we have received. This is the word of God. It is eternally true and applicable for all of life.  Proverbs 19:1-10 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity Than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool. Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, And he who hurries his footsteps errs. The foolishness of man ruins his way, And his heart rages against the Lord. Wealth adds many friends, But a poor man is separated from his friend. A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who tells lies will not escape. Many will seek the favor of a generous man, And every man is a friend to him who gives gifts. All the brothers of a poor man hate him; How much more do his friends abandon him! He pursues them with words, but they are gone. He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good. A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who tells lies will perish. Luxury is not fitting for a fool; Much less for a slave to rule over princes.
Ephesians 5:15–17 instructs us "Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Oftentimes we will hear children engaging in a round of "I can't wait until I am this old, so then I can fill in the blank." Adults do the same thing. It sounds more like "I will have children after my career is up and running", or "Son, perhaps we can play catch next weekend". Putting off till tomorrow what we could do today, or hastening towards some distant point in the future are both ways in which we fail to be good stewards of a gift God has blessed us with, a commodity called time. The days of man are short-lived and numbered (Job 14:1), fixed by our Heavenly Father in such a way that not one thing you can do, or not do, will hasten that day in which you are called to stand before Him. Likewise, we cannot slow time down, and hold off God's hand of judgement upon us. We will stand before God as His will has decreed, the very moment he decrees it, and not one microsecond early, or one nanosecond late. Years ago there was a movie in which the main character found a remote control which had the uncanny ability to fast forward time through all of the undesirable or painful parts of life, to get to the “better part”. What this man found out in the end was that he wound up missing out on many of the most precious moments of his life, time with family, wife, and children especially. This time that he hastened away could not be regained. He discovered what the writer of Ecclesiastes taught: “I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for time and chance overtake them all. Moreover, man does not know his time: like fish caught in a treacherous net and birds trapped in a snare, so the sons of men are ensnared at an evil time when it suddenly falls on them”.(Ecc 9:11,12) How frequently while doing ministry at the nursing home, or during the eulogy of a neighbor or family member who has passed away, do we hear the heartbreaking story of a life which was squandered away in the pursuit of bread and drink which does not satisfy, and now, there is only sorrow, and emptiness? Brothers and sisters, the Proverb today warns us that he who hurries his footsteps errs. How often do we find ourselves engaged in a constant string of what-if’s and wishful thinkings about some far-off future goal, planning and toiling endlessly towards it, all the while neglecting the calling which God has given us right here, right now? In what ways might you be erring this morning, wishing away today, or the next two hours even, led along by your desires like a donkey chasing after a carrot on the end of a stick? Opportunities to love your wife, submit to your husband, discipline your children, and honor your father and mother are brushed aside as we hurry through life. Perhaps we waste away a chance to speak truth into someone’s life, to open our mouth boldly as we ought to. Maybe we let pass an opportunity for conversation, or service towards someone trapped in sin and error, to instead pursue after a goal whose end is our glory rather than God’s. These everyday elements of the Christian life pass you by as you toil away on your own course, with a tunnel vision fixated on temporal, worldly promises of comfort, peace, and glory, but in the end all your toiling and striving goes to the man who comes after you (Ecc 2:18). This is not an admonition against planning, but rather an encouragement for you to ensure that your plans are aligned with the will of God, with a recognition that He will direct your steps. It is a warning to you, to evaluate your goals and examine your steps, to ensure that you are on that old path. How easy is it for us to see a course of action before us which promises all the good things in life, so we rush headlong down it, never considering the will of God? The Proverb today says that to hasten our steps, is sinful. To not examine your plans and path in light of scripture, to race ahead of God's will, to trust in you, with all your heart, leaning upon your own understanding, is a recipe for disaster. Our hurried plans, our neglect of God's will in the here and now, our hope in some far off goal line that we must hurry and get across, are all ways in which we ignore, seek to subvert, and ultimately replace God's will with our own. It is a sinful abuse of the time God has blessed us with, and we ought to repent lest we likewise perish. If you are able, let us kneel together as we ask our Heavenly Father to forgive us of our sins. O GOD, May thy Spirit speak in me that I may speak to thee. I have no merit, let the merit of Jesus stand for me. I am undeserving, but I look to thy tender mercy. I am full of infirmities, wants, sin; thou art full of grace. I confess my sin, my frequent sin, my wilful sin; All my powers of body and soul are defiled: A fountain of pollution is deep within my nature. There are chambers of foul images within my being; I have gone from one odious room to another, walked in a no-man’s-land of dangerous imaginations, pried into the secrets of my fallen nature. I am utterly ashamed that I am what I am in myself; I have no green shoot in me nor fruit, but thorns and thistles; I am a fading leaf that the wind drives away; I live bare and barren as a winter tree, unprofitable, fit to be hewn down and burnt. Lord, dost thou have mercy on me? Thou hast struck a heavy blow at my pride, at the false god of self, and I lie in pieces before thee. But thou hast given me another Master and Lord, thy Son, Jesus, and now my heart is turned towards holiness, my life speeds as an arrow from a bow towards complete obedience to thee. Help me in all my doings to put down sin and to humble pride. Save me from the love of the world and the pride of life, from everything that is natural to fallen man, and let Christ’s nature be seen in me day by day. Grant me grace to bear thy will without repining, and delight to be not only chiselled, squared, or fashioned, but separated from the old rock where I have been embedded so long, and lifted from the quarry to the upper air, where I may be built in Christ for ever. In Jesus Holy Name we pray, Amen. (Prayer from the Valley of Vision, titled “Heart Corruptions”) Please join me in standing, and listen to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe: Romans 5:6-11 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. To all those who thus repent and seek Jesus Christ for their salvation, your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lift up your hearts! (From the 07/05/2020 liturgy of Sovereign King Church written by Aaron Sabie.)
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The Psalm writer wrote: Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. As we come before a Holy God and hear his word, may we have eyes open to the wonderful and fearful things from his law. May it move us to repent and seek forgiveness, fear disobedience, and live in light of the grace we have received. This is the word of God. It is eternally true and applicable for all of life.  Proverbs 18:21-24 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. He who finds a wife finds a good thing And obtains favor from the Lord. The poor man utters supplications, But the rich man answers roughly. A man of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
“I’ve got friends in low places, where the whiskey drowns and the beer chases my blues away”...so the song goes. Now, I don’t know what Garth Brooks intent was when he wrote those lyrics, but if having many, many friends is a virtue, a thing to be desired, why would you need a bottle of whiskey and a beer to chase your blues away? What blues could there possibly be in the company of so many friends? God’s Word makes clear all throughout that who we associate with has ramifications. The Proverb today warns us of the danger of having too many friends, and reminds us that there is a friend Who is always there for us. Now, let us think for a moment about why it is that too many friends may bring a person to ruin. If you are a person who has many, many friends, statistically, you will likely be acquainted with many heretics, unbelievers, and reprobates. While many of us here would firmly stand upon the position that Christ is King, is reigning right now, and making His enemies a footstool, truth is, we also know as we read God’s word, watch the news, talk to folks in the workplace, and minister in the streets, that in general, folks are not hungering and thirsting for righteousness in droves. While God is working, and His Kingdom is growing, many are turning from God to lawlessness. To have many, many friends, means you are at risk of fellowshipping with those walking in darkness. Is this passage telling us to make an Amish like break with the world, cutting ourselves off from every person that does not think or believe as we do? No, however, as we seek to network, meet new people, and grow our Facebook friends list, we need to recognize that in our relationships with others, especially relationships with unbelievers, the influence tends to be the opposite of what we wish it to be. We believe we have this little light and we are going to let it shine, but oftentimes the opposite is true. “A little leaven leavens the whole lump”. (Galatians 5:9) “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14) “A man of too many friends comes to ruin” we are told. Ruin as used here means to be broken into pieces. How many times in the last several years have we witnessed celebrity Christians and mega church Pastors come out of the closet, admit some besetting pet sin they simply do not want to part with, and declare they are no longer Christians? This happens, in part, because the many “so-called” friends with whom they surrounded themselves coddled their pet sin, affirmed it, supported them in their decisions, and greased the rails of their headlong plunge into ruin. The Word of God does not leave us hopeless though. We are told in this Proverb that there is a friend Who sticks closer than a brother, the implication being that even a brother may betray you. This One Who sticks closer than a brother has promised to never leave us nor forsake us, that He will comfort us, dwell with us, and has made us right with God through his atoning work on the cross. This friend Who sticks closer than a brother is the Lord Jesus Christ. This friend of ours truly loves us, and gave Himself for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Eph 5:2). We cannot fellowship with the world and walk in its ways, under its influences, and rightfully say we have fellowship with Him. 1 John 1: 6-7 tells us: “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” Brothers and sisters, let us walk in the light and fellowship with the Lord Jesus, and enjoy the sweet fellowship of the saints through Him. Where we find ourselves bound to the world, and unbelievers, let us repent lest koi ruin come upon us. If you are able, please kneel and join me in prayer. Heavenly Father, It is thy will that I should love thee with heart, soul, mind, strength, and my neighbour as myself. But I am not sufficient for these things. There is by nature no pure love in my soul; Every affection in me is turned from thee; I am bound, as slave to lust, I cannot love thee, lovely as thou art, until thou dost set me free. By grace I am thy freeman and would serve thee, for I believe thou art my God in Jesus, and that through him I am redeemed, and my sins are forgiven. With this freedom I would always obey thee, but I cannot walk in liberty, any more than I could first attain it, of myself. May thy Spirit draw me nearer to thee and thy ways. Thou art the end of all means, for if they lead me not to thee, I go away empty. Order all my ways by thy holy Word and make thy commandments the joy of my heart, that by them I may have happy converse with thee. May I grow in thy love and manifest it to mankind. Spirit of love, make me like the loving Jesus; give me his benevolent temper, his beneficent actions, that I may shine before men to thy glory. The more thou doest in love in me and by me, humble me the more; keep me meek, lowly, and always ready to give thee honour. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen. Please stand and listen to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe: Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us...For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:33-34; 38-39 To all those who thus repent and seek Jesus Christ for their salvation, your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lift up your hearts! (From the 06/28/2020 liturgy of Sovereign King Church written by Aaron Sabie. The Psalm writer wrote: Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. As we come before a Holy God and hear his word, may we have eyes open to the wonderful and fearful things from his law. May it move us to repent and seek forgiveness, fear disobedience, and live in light of the grace we have received. This is the word of God. It is eternally true and applicable for all of life.  Proverbs 18:11-20 A rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own imagination. Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, But humility goes before honor. He who gives an answer before he hears, It is folly and shame to him. The spirit of a man can endure his sickness, But as for a broken spirit who can bear it? The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. A man’s gift makes room for him And brings him before great men. The first to plead his case seems right, Until another comes and examines him. The cast lot puts an end to strife And decides between the mighty ones. A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a citadel. With the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied; He will be satisfied with the product of his lips.
The spirit of a man can endure his sickness, But as for a broken spirit who can bear it? This is a true statement, is it not? How often in life have you witnessed a man, woman, boy, or girl endure sickness, injury, or the loss of creature comforts? Think about Maple Manor, where the men and women, some Christians, some not, in general, seem to take their physical deterioration and illnesses in stride. As it relates to physical well being, most people seem to have a natural tendency towards self preservation and their innate desire to prolong life generally spurs them on in the face of some physical challenge, like illness or injury. Matthew Henry notes: “Outward grievances are tolerable as long as the mind enjoys itself and is at ease. Many infirmities, many calamities, we are liable to in this world, in body, name, and estate, which a man may bear, and bear up under, if he have but good conduct and courage, and be able to act with reason and resolution”. There is another sickness of a sort which even the strongest men and women can not bear up under. This ailment is of the type which sinks all the way down past bone and bodily organs, and into the very heart of man, woman, boy, and girl. This condition is spiritual, rather than physical, and has troubled many a faithful saint. It is the broken spirit. This condition comes upon you in the middle of the night when you are fretting over relationships in your life which have taken a turn for the worse. A broken spirit creeps into your life when suddenly, without warning, job loss takes away your ability to provide for your family. Perhaps compromise with sin has led you to a place in your life where you never would have imagined being, and now you are feeling dejected, trapped, with a broken spirit. For you, maybe it is a brokenness in spirit as you look around this world watching the wheels fall off of our nation, and rather than looking at things through eyes of faith, you are being led along by the flesh and are despairing. King David knew something of despair. In Psalm 42 and 43 he asks “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me?”, and twice answers: “Hope in God.” Brothers and sisters, if you are a child of God you are not without hope this morning. You have a Great High Priest, Jesus Christ the righteous, who sympathizes with us in our weaknesses (Heb 4:15), Who is Himself a “man of sorrows acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3), and remembers our frames, that “we are but dust” (Psalm 103:14). Be of good cheer brothers and sisters. You have a sure hope, and nothing can separate you from the love of God found in Christ Jesus. If you despair because of sin: repent, forsake your lusts and worldly desires, and turn back to Christ. Perhaps your sorrow is due to outside pressures, enemies, and troubles: repent where you have taken your eyes off of Jesus and have instead allowed fear to toss you to and fro. If you are able, let us kneel together at this time and call out to our Heavenly Father “Please be merciful to me, the sinner!” Psalm 42 To the choirmaster. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah. As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival. Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God, my rock: “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. Heavenly Father, please show us grace, that we might hope in You, praise You in the congregation, and teach unbelievers your ways. Please forgive us for our transgressions against You. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen. Listen now to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe: 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. To all those who thus repent and seek Jesus Christ for their salvation, your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lift up your hearts! (From the 6/21/2020 liturgy of Sovereign King Church written by Aaron Sabie.) The Psalm writer wrote: Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. As we come before a Holy God and hear his word, may we have eyes open to the wonderful and fearful things from his law. May it move us to repent and seek forgiveness, fear disobedience, and live in light of the grace we have received. This is the word of God. It is eternally true and applicable for all of life.  Proverbs 17:21-28 He who sires a fool does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy. A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones. A wicked man receives a bribe from the bosom To pervert the ways of justice. Wisdom is in the presence of the one who has understanding, But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth. A foolish son is a grief to his father And bitterness to her who bore him. It is also not good to fine the righteous, Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness. He who restrains his words has knowledge, And he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.
In the history of the world there is no clearer example of a bribe being received to perpetuate an injustice, than the example we find on the pages of scripture when we read of Judas taking the 30 pieces of silver to betray the sinless, perfect, Jesus Christ. Judas, a disciple of our Lord Jesus, walked with Him, ate with Him, sat under His teaching, and observed the miracles. This son of perdition, enslaved to the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, motivated by the prospect of gain, was willing to pervert justice against an innocent man for a few pieces of silver, and wound up hanging by his neck. A wicked man receives a bribe from the bosom To pervert the ways of justice. Bribes can come in many forms. Money is probably the most obvious motivator for someone willing to perpetuate an injustice against another. However, things like fame, affirmation, notoriety, influence, power, and position are powerful incentives which can be dangled in front of the faces of those all too willing to engage in a round of perverting justice. Take the BLM movement for example. Their website states “The call for black lives to matter is a rallying cry for ALL black lives striving for liberation”. This sounds like a very noble cause. Who could possibly be against a movement whose end goal is the liberation of all those who are trapped in a system in which they are “systematically targeted for demise”? Well, if you are a Christian, you ought to be against this movement for many reasons. For example, one of the ways BLM recruits followers is by appealing to the base lusts of folks who are desperate to have their pet sins affirmed. Their website states : “We affirm the lives of black queer and trans folks, disabled folks, undocumented folks, folks with records, women, and all black lives along the gender spectrum”. “We make space for transgendered brothers and sisters to lead”. “We are self reflexive and do the work required to dismantle cisgender privledge”. “We practice empathy”. “We disrupt the western-prescribed nuclear family structure.” I could easily go on, but hopefully you get the point, which is this: BLM is seeking to bribe folks trapped in sin with the promise of a world full of safe spaces from which they can live out their perversions, all in the name of JUSTICE, while simultaneously ignoring and denying justice to millions of unborn black children and the black children born into fatherless homes. As they appeal to the base lusts of so many in the name of seeking justice, they actually promote an environment where injustice will flourish. An obvious example is their goal to disrupt the very foundation of civilizations, the nuclear family. Moving further away from this framework of father, mother, married for life, raising children with dad going to work and mom as the keeper of the home, BLM seeks to create an environment where the injustice and oppression that they desire to be free from, will actually be inherent in their system, as more and more black children are born into fatherless homes. Denying the mountain of evidence that clearly shows the damaging impact of fatherlessness, BLM plays bait and switch with folks trapped in sin by bribing them with their hearts desire: unfettered sex life, abortion on demand, freedom from any law that may prevent you from expressing yourself however you see fit. It is really a classic case of worshipping and serving the creature, rather than the Creator. Matthew Henry says: See here, 1. What an evil thing bribery is: He is a wicked man that will take a gift to engage him to give a false testimony, verdict, or judgment; when he does it he is ashamed of it, for he takes it, with all the secresy imaginable, out of the bosom where he knows it is laid ready for him; it is industriously concealed, and so slyly that, if he could, he would hide it from his own conscience. A gift is taken out of the bosom of a wicked man (so some read it); for he is a bad man that gives bribes, as well as he that takes them. 2. What a powerful thing it is. It is of such force that it perverts the ways of judgment. The course of justice is not only obstructed, but turned into injustice; and the greatest wrongs are done under colour of doing right. BLM aren’t the only one’s guilty of this. I cannot recall how many times justice has been perverted in my home through the taking of a bribe. Consider this scenario: You have had a long, difficult, frustrating week at work. Friday afternoon rolls around, and in your mind you have made big plans for the weekend: going to do some light reading, throw back a few beers, work in your garden, maybe go fishing, or perhaps indulge in a movie or two, because heck, you never get to pick. This weekend, you are gonna do you. Then a kid winds up sick. Your car breaks down. It rains all weekend. Your wife had already made plans. And just when you finally get to sit down and crack open that beer and a book, some conflict breaks out in the home. Maybe it is an episode of disrespect between a child and his mother. Perhaps some Cain and Able throwdown is taking place 2 feet away. Maybe your husband or wife decides to make some other plans, and now, everything you had going on is about to get blown up. How do you respond? Does the promise of a refreshing beer override the need to help resolve the conflict that broke out? Is the page of the book you are on so life changing, that you are actually considering allowing your son’s disrespect of his mother to go uncorrected? Is the reward, or bribe, offered by that thing you so desperately wanted to do, worth more to you than seeking justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with your LORD? Is the light, momentary affliction of a broken down car or sick kid, so burdensome, that you have forgotten that what awaits those who persevere and overcome is an eternal weight of glory, so you rage against it rather than viewing it as The Battle God has put before you here and now to wage war against? Brothers and sisters, we have a very vivid picture of injustice being painted for us right now as anarchists burn monuments to the ground, loot small businesses, and BLM engages in an information war seeking to overthrow history and facts. We ought to watch this scene unfold very carefully, and learn the valuable lessons from it. One very big lesson is that sin, and the enticement of it, can sway us into a lifestyle which perverts justice, in the public square, and in the home, all for a few moments of satisfaction. Please join me in kneeling if you are able, as we confess our sins to God, Who is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins. Heavenly Father, Your Word declares that You are a righteous judge Who is angry with the wicked every day. Father, you are perfectly righteous, holy, and just, and it is by these standards that we are and will be judged. Though we are Your children, born again, new creations, the old nature creeps up behind and rises up inside us, and far too often we succumb to the carnal rewards that sin offers. Father You have given us Your Son Jesus. We have tasted and seen that He is so good. Yet because of the deceitfulness of sin, and our willingness at times to be deceived, we find ourselves taking the bribe offered by sin, and watch as justice in our streets and homes is perverted and trampled upon in the process. Merciful Father, please forgive us for these vile sins against You. Forgive us for being all too willing to trade the fleeting pleasures of sin, for the eternal promises of Glory. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen. Please join me in standing, and listen to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe: Psalm 37:7-11 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing. For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land. Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there. But the humble will inherit the land And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity. To all those who thus repent and seek Jesus Christ for their salvation, your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lift up your hearts! /(From the 06/07/2020 liturgy of Sovereign King Church written by Aaron Sabie.) The Psalm writer wrote: Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. As we come before a Holy God and hear his word, may we have eyes open to the wonderful and fearful things from his law. May it move us to repent and seek forgiveness, fear disobedience, and live in light of the grace we have received. This is the word of God. It is eternally true and applicable for all of life.  Proverbs 17:11-20 A rebellious man seeks only evil, So a cruel messenger will be sent against him. Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, Rather than a fool in his folly. He who returns evil for good, Evil will not depart from his house. The beginning of strife is like letting out water, So abandon the quarrel before it breaks out. He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord. Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, When he has no sense? A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity. A man lacking in sense pledges And becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor. He who loves transgression loves strife; He who raises his door seeks destruction. He who has a crooked mind finds no good, And he who is perverted in his language falls into evil.
The scenes unfolding right before our eyes in Louisville, Ky and in other cities across the country right now have roots which will take social scientists a lifetime to untangle and identify. Some of the more visible, easily identifiable, and widely repeated reasons for this round of uprisings are: police brutality, racism, injustice, and oppression. On the street level what you see are a mixture of frustrated youth, professional demonstrators, virtue signalling white people, thieves, and thugs, with a small contingent of folks looking for genuine peace and justice. I watched an elderly black woman being interviewed by the news in Atlanta night before last speak about why she was protesting. As cars burned behind her, she gave an emotional plea for justice in the case of her son who had his arm broken by police officers a year early. As Christians, we know that the heart of man is deceitful and wicked above all else, that the machinations of man’s heart is evil continually, and that in general, man’s hatred of God is the very foundation upon which all rebellion sits upon. However, it may be helpful for us to recognize with a little more specificity what tendril of rebellion is at work in our land right now. He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord. Calling evil good, and good evil, giving a wink and a nod to sin, while mocking and scoffing at virtue, justice, and righteousness is at the heart of the rebellion we see on display in the streets, courthouses, and state houses in America. It is a muddy, murky scene wrapped up in moral relativism and feelings which makes it difficult to pinpoint where the truth lies. Nowhere in history do we see a clearer picture of this than in the Gospel account of Jesus before Pilate. Pilate, seeking to appease the crowd, presents to them Barabbas, a notorious criminal, and Jesus, whom Pilate had recognized as being innocent of any wrongdoing. So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew that because of envy they had handed Him over. While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.” But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death. But the governor said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Crucify Him!” And he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Crucify Him!” When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.” (Matthew 27:17-24) The problem with the crowd in Jesus’ day, is the same problem the mob in the streets of Louisville has, and is the same problem you and I have when we do not love our neighbor as ourselves: we have a massive plank in our eye that blinds us from seeing the sin in our own hearts. This plank blinds us to our own sin, so everyone we see, whether a police officer kneeling on a neck, a looter carrying a tv, or scheming politicians not letting a crisis go to waste, become people that we are confident are not as righteous as us, and since we are holier than thou, we now get to stand in judgement and take things into our own hands. On this Proverb Matthew Henry has said: “This shows what an offence it is to God, 1. When those that are entrusted with the administration of public justice, judges, juries, witnesses, prosecutors, counsel, do either acquit the guilty or condemn those that are not guilty, or in the least contribute to either; this defeats the end of government, which is to protect the good and punish the bad, Rom. 13:3, 4. It is equally provoking to God to justify the wicked, though it be in pity and in favorem vitae-to safe life, as to condemn the just. 2. When any private persons plead for sin and sinners, palliate and excuse wickedness, or argue against virtue and piety, and so pervert the right ways of the Lord and confound the eternal distinctions between good and evil.” Jesus has commanded us in scripture to judge with right judgement (John 7:24). We are told to open our mouths and judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy (Prov 31:9). However, when we watch this dumpster fire unfold before our eyes in the streets of America right now, we do not see judgment being delivered in a righteous manner. Truth is distorted. Facts are ignored. Innocent people are having their livelihoods and homes destroyed, in the name of protecting the innocent. This happens because the protestors have huge logs in their eyes which they need Christ to remove so that they may see clearly and judge righteously. This happens in our lives when we fail to recognize the abominable nature of our sin and believe ourselves to be more inherently righteous than another, like the pharisee who declared “God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector." (Luke 18:11). Brothers and sisters, we should look at things unfolding before our eyes and rightly declare “wicked!”, but first we ought to recognize the sin in our hearts, and cry out to God as the tax collector “God, be merciful towards me, the sinner!” (Luke 18:13). If you are able, please kneel as we confess our sins before God, Who is a righteous judge, angry with the wicked everyday. Heavenly Father, We are but worms before You, grovelling in the dirt, yet because of the sin which so often blinds our eyes, we fail to recognize that we are in need of deliverance. We hear the Words of Jesus that we are to judge with right judgement, so we elevate ourselves above our fellow man as if it is our righteousness which is the standard. Because we frequently love our sin, we excuse it away and simultaneously condemn others who we perceive as worse sinners than us, and in doing so justify ourselves in our own minds. Father, please be merciful towards us sinners. Help us to recognize our arrogance and our pride, that we may see clearly to take the speck out of our brothers eye and judge righteously. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen. Please stand and listen now to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe: One will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.- Romans 5:7-9 To all those who thus repent and seek Jesus Christ for their salvation, your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lift up your hearts! (From the 05/31/2020 liturgy of Sovereign King Church written by Aaron Sabie.) The Psalm writer wrote: Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. As we come before a Holy God and hear his word, may we have eyes open to the wonderful and fearful things from his law. May it move us to repent and seek forgiveness, fear disobedience, and live in light of the grace we have received. This is the word of God. It is eternally true and applicable for all of life.  Proverbs 17:1-10 Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it than a house full of feasting with strife. A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully, And will share in the inheritance among brothers. The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the Lord tests hearts. An evildoer listens to wicked lips; A liar pays attention to a destructive tongue. He who mocks the poor taunts his Maker; He who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished. Grandchildren are the crown of old men, And the glory of sons is their fathers. Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool, Much less are lying lips to a prince. A bribe is a charm in the sight of its owner; Wherever he turns, he prospers. He who conceals a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends. A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding Than a hundred blows into a fool.
In 2020, having peace in one’s home generally means lifting up the corner of the big family rug and sweeping all of your troubles underneath it. Peace in the home means appeasing children with treats, toys, entertainment, and Ipads, so mommy or daddy can watch their favorite show on netflix. I said mommy or daddy, because most homes in America in 2020 don’t have both. Peace in the home, within a family, has come to mean doing whatever it takes to appease and satisfy the carnal desires of those within the home, and quickly destroying and cutting off all those who would disrupt that tranquility. Homes such as this merely give the appearance of peace. A quick glance would reveal laughter, and much merrimaking. Homes built upon a foundation of faux peace may look like places of feasting, celebration, and much activity. This comment could be heard coming from the mouths of folks who live in a home of pseudo-peace: “I work full time, make meals for my kid, take them to ballet, football practice, scouts, drag queen story hour, and their weekly counselling session. My kid has an ipad, air jordans, an xbox, plays ten different sports, and is on 3 different meds because he won’t sit still in class. I barely have any time for myself, except in the evenings while my kid is in his room playing on his ipad, then I get ‘me time’. The last 5 live-in boyfriends/girlfriends didn’t work out, so now I just do me. I don’t need no man/woman. Everybody in my home is happy, has whatever they want, and if anything or anybody gets in my way i will gladly cut them off and discard them from my life, because nobody is going to keep me from being happy. I want what I want, when I want it, and nobody, not my parents, not my children, not even God will keep me from living this peaceful, joyful, fun life I want to live. Got it?” Today’s Proverb states: Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it than a house full of feasting with strife. When you have peace with God through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, even a dry morsel and a lowly place in the world will seem as a feast and blessing to you. Peace with God through Jesus Christ promotes real peace in the home, with contentedness, good will, brotherly affection, and joy being the air which everyone in that home breathes. Going without the things of the world is barely perceived, because Christ has filled their cup to the point of overflowing. Times of plenty are looked upon with awe and wonder, as those in a home of peace marvel that God would be so good to them. When problems do arise in a home filled with genuine peace, the corner of the family rug is not lifted up to sweep the problems under, no. Instead, this family goes to the cross where all the sins can actually be taken away, never to be seen again, no records kept, just reconciliation. Matthew Henry states: 1. Those that live in unity and quietness, not only free from jealousies and animosities, but vying in mutual endearments, and obliging to one another, live very comfortably, though they are low in the world, work hard and fare hard, though they have but each of them a morsel, and that a dry morsel. There may be peace and quietness where there are not three meals a day, provided there by a joint satisfaction in God's providence and a mutual satisfaction in each other's prudence. Holy love may be found in a cottage. 2. Those that live in contention, that are always jarring and brawling, and reflecting upon one another, though they have plenty of dainties, a house full of sacrifices, live uncomfortably; they cannot expect the blessing of God upon them and what they have, nor can they have any true relish of their enjoyments, much less any peace in their own consciences. Love will sweeten a dry morsel, but strife will sour and embitter a house full of sacrifices. A little of the leaven of malice will leaven all the enjoyments. What type of peace do you strive for in your home? Peace through attempts satisfy the flesh, or peace through the blood of the Lamb? If you are able please kneel as we confess our sins before God Who is Holy, Holy, Holy. Heavenly Father, We come before You this morning, each of us seeking some semblance of peace in our lives, but often falling short because the object of our peace is wrong. Father, help us to remember that Your Son is our peace. Help us to believe that the Prince of peace has made a way for us to be right in Your eyes through His shed blood, no longer at war with you. Father, whether we have an overabundance of the world’s goods, or only a dry morsel to feast upon, help us to feed daily from that bread of life come down from heaven. Help us to be satisfied whether the harvest is plentiful or is destroyed by locusts. Please forgive when our feet quickly turn away from following you, to pursue after tranquility and food in other pastures. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen. Please stand and listen now to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe: 1 Corinthians 1:30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption. To all those who thus repent and seek Jesus Christ for their salvation, your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lift up your hearts! (From the 05/24/2020 liturgy of Sovereign King Church written by Aaron Sabie.) The Psalm writer wrote: Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. As we come before a Holy God and hear his word, may we have eyes open to the wonderful and fearful things from his law. May it move us to repent and seek forgiveness, fear disobedience, and live in light of the grace we have received. This is the word of God. It is eternally true and applicable for all of life.  Proverbs 16:21-30 The wise in heart will be called understanding, And sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness. Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it, But the discipline of fools is folly. The heart of the wise instructs his mouth And adds persuasiveness to his lips. Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. A worker’s appetite works for him, For his hunger urges him on. A worthless man digs up evil, While his words are like scorching fire. A perverse man spreads strife, And a slanderer separates intimate friends. A man of violence entices his neighbor And leads him in a way that is not good. He who winks his eyes does so to devise perverse things; He who compresses his lips brings evil to pass.
There are few words which grate against the nerves of reasonable people more than the words coronavirus, quarantine, and "social distancing". As these vulgar words leave the mouth of one person and make their way towards the ear of another, something strange takes place in which the words themselves get transformed into some of the most annoying sounds in the known world. Anger, anxiety, frustration, and possibly post traumatic stress disorder kick in as soon as these words are uttered, leaving the hearer reeling, befuddled, and perhaps dry heaving, agonizing over the fact that yet one more person has been infected by a big dose of unreasonableness. When contrasted with Proverbs 16:24, these words are clearly not pleasant, nor sweet, but are rather repugnant, and almost rise to a level which would lead schoolboys to engage in fisticuffs at the very mention of them, akin to a bad “ yo momma” joke. Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Some words simply do not bring to mind the idea of a tasty, honey laden treat which satisfies that sweet tooth. Instead of bringing about healing and refreshment to a person’s soul, words frequently do harm, separate friends, enrage enemies, and stir up unnecessary strife. Matthew Henry states: The pleasant words here commended must be those which the heart of the wise teaches, and adds learning to (v. 23), words of seasonable advice, instruction, and comfort, words taken from God's word, for that is it which Solomon had learned from his father to account sweeter than honey and the honey-comb, Ps. 19:10. These words, to those that know how to relish them, 1. Are pleasant. They are like the honey-comb, sweet to the soul, which tastes in them that the Lord is gracious; nothing more grateful and agreeable to the new man than the word of God, and those words which are borrowed from it, Ps. 119:103. 2. They are wholesome. Many things are pleasant that are not profitable, but these pleasant words are health to the bones, to the inward man, as well as sweet to the soul. They make the bones, which sin has broken and put out of joint, to rejoice. The bones are the strength of the body; and the good word of God is a means of spiritual strength, curing the diseases that weaken us. David in Psalm 34 emplors us to “Taste and see that He is good”, so it is clear that any words we speak to another ought to be grounded in the truth of God’s Word which are sweet to the soul and bring healing to the bones. With these truths in mind, I would like to leave you with a few additional words of truth, which I pray you will find pleasant, and refreshing. Where they fall flat, ring hollow, or seem not so sweet to you in this season of life, please join me in repenting. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn of many brethren; and those whom he predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the One who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is he who died, yes rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. All things work together for our good. This includes coronaviruses, quarantines, and social distancing. If you are able, let us kneel and repent for how we call things which come to us from the hand of God a curse, rather than a blessing which is meant to conform us to the image of His Son. THOU GREAT THREE-ONE, Author of all blessings I enjoy, of all I hope for, Thou hast taught me that neither the experience of present evils, nor the remembrances of former sins, nor the remonstrances of friends, will or can affect a sinner’s heart, except thou vouchsafe to reveal thy grace and quicken the dead in sin by the effectual working of thy Spirit’s power. Thou hast shown me that the sensible effusions of divine love in the soul are superior to and distinct from bodily health, and that oft-times spiritual comforts are at their highest when physical well-being is at its lowest. Thou hast given me the ordinance of song as a means of grace; Fit me to bear my part in that music ever new, which elect angels and saints made perfect, now sing before thy throne and before the Lamb. I bless thee for tempering every distress with joy; too much of the former might weigh me down, too much of the latter might puff me up; Thou art wise to give me a taste of both. I love thee for giving me clusters of grapes in the wilderness, and drops of heavenly wine that set me longing to have my fill. Apart from thee I quickly die, bereft of thee I starve, far from thee I thirst and droop; But thou art all I need. Let me continually grasp the promise, ‘I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.’ Join me in standing, and listen now to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe: John 8:12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life To all those who thus repent and seek Jesus Christ for their salvation, your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lift up your hearts! (From the 05/10/2020 Liturgy of Sovereign King Church written by Aaron Sabie.) The Psalm writer wrote: Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. As we come before a Holy God and hear his word, may we have eyes open to the wonderful and fearful things from his law. May it move us to repent and seek forgiveness, fear disobedience, and live in light of the grace we have received. This is the word of God. It is eternally true and applicable for all of life.  Proverbs 16:11-20 A just balance and scales belong to the Lord; All the weights of the bag are His concern. It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts, For a throne is established on righteousness. Righteous lips are the delight of kings, And he who speaks right is loved. The fury of a king is like messengers of death, But a wise man will appease it. In the light of a king’s face is life, And his favor is like a cloud with the spring rain. How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver. The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who watches his way preserves his life. Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling. It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly Than to divide the spoil with the proud. He who gives attention to the word will find good, And blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.
The annals of history and every other headline in the news today are filled with example after example of kings, presidents, governors, pastors, mayors, and husbands ruling in their spheres of authority in such a way that would leave one believing that they themselves created out of their own imagination and strength the position they hold. The rulers in the civil realm trample upon the authority of those in the church and home, refusing to protect good and punish evil. Rather they protect evil and punish good. Frequently those entrusted with the keys of the kingdom refuse to guard the paths. Rather than proclaimers of the truth, shepherds of sheep, they become goat keepers seeking to maintain comfort and ease. They become cheerleaders of the state, rather than prophets of God. Rulers in the family realm, fathers, abandon their posts to pursue pleasure and entertainment, leaving a vacuum which is quickly filled by dictatorial feminists and child rights activists. Rather than thrones established upon righteousness, most domains rest upon a foundation of carnal pursuits and fleshly appetites. The civil authorities attempt to appease the masses by loosening all restraint, utilizing man’s depraved nature as a means of controlling him and making an obedient, compliant little slave. Those leaders in the church, in order to keep the pews packed and their pockets filled, turn from God’s Word and preach instead the sweet sounding doctrines of tolerance, “health and wealth”, niceness, and completely subservience to the state. And if that ditch don't scratch the itch. There is always ways to scratch the ears of "the reformed." Teach rebellion to authority, the sinless nature of women, the saving power of essential oils. Fathers in the home are no better, that is, if they are in the home. The majority of children in 2020 are born into single parent homes. While children are murdered in the womb, or grow up being raised by feminist, lesbian mommies, abused by drug addicted boyfriends and “well intentioned” teachers, daddy sits in his mommies basement, playing x-box, with the approval of his boomer generation parents, the state who is putting unemployment in his pocket, and the church who cries “judge not” rather than Repent! It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts, For a throne is established on righteousness. It is an abomination because God gives him name of father to all fatherhood. For authorities to do evil is to smear the name and image of God. Fathers who rule unjustly blaspheme the name of God, the Father. It is an abomination and treason. Each and every one of us are capable of this treason and living lives akin to despot dictators if we take our eyes off of the King of Kings and His throne which He established in righteousness. For all of his faults, King David knew well what his kingdom was founded upon and what a domain of righteousness and justice looked like. Psalm 101 A Psalm of David. I will sing of lovingkindness and justice, To You, O LORD, I will sing praises. I will give heed to the blameless way. When will You come to me? I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart. I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not fasten its grip on me. A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will know no evil. Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; No one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure. My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; He who walks in a blameless way is the one who will minister to me. He who practices deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who speaks falsehood shall not maintain his position before me. Every morning I will destroy all the wicked of the land, So as to cut off from the city of the LORD all those who do iniquity. A ruler of the state, home, and church would do well to give heed to the blameless way, to hate the work of apostates, to set no worthless thing before their eyes, to speak truth and cut off all iniquity in their realm before it takes root. Leaders of the state ought to do their God given duty to punish evil and reward good as ministers of God revealed in Romans 13. Rather than seeking to appease the masses through handouts and creating an environment where every perverted practice known to man has a safe place to operate, the state ought be bold as a lion to hunt down evil where it resides, root it out, and make a very public spectacle of it so that all would fear the Lord and flee to Christ. Fathers in the home ought foster an environment where no worthless thing is allowed to flourish. The home should be a place where a man’s wife and children see the patriarch leading with a humble, broken and contrite heart. The home sphere ought be a place where the man leads by submission to God ordained authority, yet always standing upon God’s Word and obeying it rather than the evil decrees of dictators. Pastors in the church must preach the gospel. They must feed, shepherd, and tend to the sheep of the flock to which they were called. Boldly, and clearly proclaiming the gospel of Christ from the pulpit, Pastors must be vigilant to beat back the wolves at the gate. Declaring the truth regarding the state of man, that we are but sinful worms in need of a Savior, and the truth of Christ, that He is a Mighty King establishing His throne on righteousness, ought to be the constant drumbeat of every Pastor. Where have we fallen short of these charges to us? Let us repent lest we likewise perish. GOD OF THE PUBLICAN, Be merciful to me a sinner; this I am by nature and practice, this thy Word proclaims me to be,this I hope I feel myself to be; Yet thou hast not left me to despair, for there is no ‘peradventure’ in thy grace; I have all the assurance I need that with thee is plenteous redemption. In spite of the number and heinousness of my sins thou hast given me a token for good; The golden sceptre is held out, and thou hast said ‘Touch it and live’. May I encourage myself by a sense of thy all-sufficiency, by faith in thy promises, by views of the experience of others. To that dear refuge in which so many have sheltered from every storm may I repair, In that fountain always freely open for sin may I be cleansed from every defilement. Sin is that abominable thing which thy soul hates, and this alone separates thee and me. Thou canst not contradict the essential perfections of thy nature; Thou canst not make me happy with thyself, till thou hast made me holy like thyself. O holy God, make me such a creature as thou canst take pleasure in, and such a being that I can take pleasure in thee. May I consent to and delight in thy law after the inner man, never complain over the strictness of thy demands, but mourn over my want of conformity to them; never question thy commandments, but esteem them to be right. By thy Spirit within me may my practice spring from principle, and my dispositions be conformable with duty. (Valley of Vision, “Mercy”) Listen now to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe: Romans 8:33-34; 38-39 Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us...For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. To all those who thus repent and seek Jesus Christ for their salvation, your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lift up your hearts! (From the 05/03/2020 liturgy of Sovereign King Church written by Aaron Sabie and Joseph Spurgeon.) The Psalm writer wrote: Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. As we come before a Holy God and hear his word, may we have eyes open to the wonderful and fearful things from his law. May it move us to repent and seek forgiveness, fear disobedience, and live in light of the grace we have received. This is the word of God. It is eternally true and applicable for all of life.  Proverbs 16:1-10 The plans of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the Lord weighs the motives. Commit your works to the Lord And your plans will be established. The Lord has made everything for its own purpose, Even the wicked for the day of evil. Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished. By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, And by the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil. When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Better is a little with righteousness Than great income with injustice. The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. A divine decision is in the lips of the king; His mouth should not err in judgment. Because I am such a procrastinator, the decision yesterday to do “zoom church” sent me scrambling out in the rain at 6 o’clock last night in search of an HDMI cable to hook my tablet up to the living room TV. As you can perhaps tell, my scheme fell through. Now, my plan was to get to Lowes, move as quickly as possible to aisle 12 bay 6, (which is where their website said I would find the needed cable), proceed to the checkout, and go home. Lowes closed at 7, so I would be cutting it close, but no problem.
Lowes and behold, Lowes did not have the cable I needed. But, about 30 seconds into my search, which I suspected was going to end fruitless, I began devising a back up plan. Across Veterans Pkwy sat Walmart, Chinese junk Mecca. Viruses aren’t the only thing China exports. Don’t judge me. So, I dove back out into the pouring rain, got in my van, and drove across the street. After spending several minutes driving around their parking lot I find a space and make my way into the Walmart. First thing I noticed was that the entryway was roped off and barricaded in a fashion that would make Donald Trump proud. As I wove my way through the ropes, I noticed cute little blue arrows on the ground telling me which way to walk. People are everywhere. Masks on. Generally ignoring all of the social distancing guidelines. So I step in, through the automatic turnstile, and look straight to the back and see plastered on the wall “Entertainment”. This was shaping up to be anything but entertaining. My plan was to move to the back of the store, get the cable I need, and exit as fast as possible. From the outside my demeanor probably looked as it usually does, a happy go lucky scowl and furrowed brow, but on the inside I was beginning to get ticked that my simple little plan was not going the way I wanted it to. I follow the little blue arrows to the back and am confronted with the realization that there are 3 different sections in their entertainment department which have HDMI cables. Guess what? Walmart let me down. The cable I needed was nowhere to be found. Oh sure, they had plenty of micro hdmi to standard hdmi, USB-C to Hdmi, and a dozen other variants, but not the one I needed. My plans were thwarted. By this time my right eye was probably twitching, so I left the entertainment center by exiting out of an aisle going the wrong way according to their precious little arrows, then crossed over a roped off register in violation of some rule and got stuck behind a slow moving masked woman as I attempted to exit the building. That’s when I glanced to my right and saw sitting on the ground between a claw machine and a pile of vomit, a cute little 12 or 13 year old brace-faced girl shaking, looking very confused and embarrassed. I almost kept walking because I had to get home and do family worship and nothing was going to thwart my plans the rest of this day so help me. I don’t have time for this, and what the heck can I do anyway. But then I saw everyone else glance over, and keep walking, and I remembered a verse of scripture that I had just read a few hours before: The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. So I stopped a few feet short of the exit, broke the “one way only protocol” because there is no law against love, and walked back to where she was. I asked if she was Ok and she quietly said she was. I asked if I could help her by getting some paper towels so she could clean up a bit, and she said that would be nice. So I totally broke the rules, went back into the store down the one way path, found a clerk, broke social distancing guidelines asking for some paper towels, and made my way back to the young lady. When I rounded the corner with the towels she smiled ear to ear, and it was then that I realized that this whole failed trip for some HDMI cables had been worth it. Brothers and sisters, our Church has seen plans we made a mere 3 months ago get turned on their head by Covid-19. We had ministry work, outreaches, and fellowship meals planned out for the whole year. Our calendar was full, yet now we find ourselves unable to even meet face to face. Will we respond as I did last night, frustrated by the fact that everything we planned on doing has been suspended, and perhaps cancelled altogether? Will we miss opportunities to minister in this new season of life because we are so blinded by the anger of having had our plans thwarted? Sovereign King Church, our Father loves to give His children good gifts, and for those who love God and are called according to His purpose, this pandemic can rightly be viewed as a gift from God. Rather than looking at this time in the life of the Church through the lense of “O woe is me”, we ought repent of our grumbling and attempts to usurp the will of God, and look for how God is working now and embrace the plans that He has for us. Maybe it isn’t the ‘rona which has thwarted your plans so much. Perhaps it is some circumstance with your job. Quite possibly you have plans within your family which are being undermined by your spouse or children, and rather than view this as an opportunity to show mercy, and be patient, you grow angry, bitter, and selfish. Maybe your life is not shaping up the way you envisioned it years ago, and now you find yourself frustrated, grumbling, and maybe even raging against the ever kind ordaining hand of God. Repent lest you likewise perish. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, as men, women, boys, and girls of dust created in Your image, we have an innate desire to plan and shape our future. The unknown is a fearful thing to us, so we attempt to control it through plots and schemes. Frequently we fail to see Your designs, Your plans at work. We forget that it is You that ordains all things which come to pass, not us. We pray Your will be done, but live our lives as if it is “Our will be done”. Father, please help us to recognize this season of our lives as a blessing from You. Please forgive us for grumbling and complaining, and enable us through the power of Your Spirit to trust and obey. It’s in Jesus Name we pray, Amen. Listen now to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe: Psalm 103:8-14 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth. So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust. To all those who thus repent and seek Jesus Christ for their salvation, your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lift up your hearts! (From the 4/26/2020 liturgy of Sovereign King Church, written by Aaron Sabie.) The Psalm writer wrote: Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. As we come before a Holy God and hear his word, may we have eyes open to the wonderful and fearful things from his law. May it move us to repent and seek forgiveness, fear disobedience, and live in light of the grace we have received. This is the word of God. It is eternally true and applicable for all of life.  Proverbs 15:1-10 A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, But the mouth of fools spouts folly. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Watching the evil and the good. A soothing tongue is a tree of life, But perversion in it crushes the spirit. A fool rejects his father’s discipline, But he who regards reproof is sensible. Great wealth is in the house of the righteous, But trouble is in the income of the wicked. The lips of the wise spread knowledge, But the hearts of fools are not so. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, But the prayer of the upright is His delight. The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, But He loves one who pursues righteousness. Grievous punishment is for him who forsakes the way; He who hates reproof will die.
There were times as a small child that my father disciplined me through the application of a spanking. Though I did not realize it at the time, the correction was meant for my good. I can remember attempting to talk my way out of the spanking “please daddy, don’t spank me, it will hurt”. Other times, anticipating the blow, I may shift my rear end this way or that or tense up in an attempt to lessen its effect. Have you ever been tasked with picking out your own switch? I have heard of this practice and been told that you better never come back with a small twig to receive your spanking. Sometimes, because earthly fathers are sinful men, discipline is applied in such a way that it winds up provoking the child to anger, and resentment. Fathers sometimes appear hypocritical, disciplining their children for laziness, or disobedience, or the disrespect of their mother, while having learned these things from their father. The child, rather than being understanding of their father’s weaknesses, recognizing that he is a sinner in need of God’s grace, becomes resentful of their hypocrite dad, and winds up rejecting ALL of his discipline. Instead of remembering that their father, though a sinner, loves them and means the discipline for their good, he chooses to instead think the worst of him and winds up rejecting all of his father’s discipline. A fool rejects his father’s discipline, But he who regards reproof is sensible. Pro 15:5 Matthew Henry said: “Let inferiors be admonished, not only to submit to instruction and reproof (even hardships must be submitted to), but to value them as favours and not despise them, to make use of them for their direction, and always to have a regard to them; this will be an evidence that they are wise and a means of making them so; whereas he that slights his good education is a fool and is likely to live and die one.” FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.” It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. (Heb 12:6-11) Brothers and sisters, the fact that we have been reduced to coming together via zoom, should serve as a clear message to us that God is doing some mighty work in our world right now. The heathen are raging, scrambling around attempting to gobble up as much stuff as possible, hoping to soften the blow of discipline from a God they hate and say does not exist. Isaiah 45:7 “The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these.” The reprobates are looking for a “cure”, with suggestions that aborted baby cells hold the keys to freedom from these scourgings from a God in which they do not believe. Rather than considering that it is their bloodlust which has brought this upon our heads, they are in the process of doubling down. The government, whose job it is from God Almighty to punish evil and reward good, has done what this one trick pony has shown it will always do, and that is to throw money we don’t have, at a problem we can not fix. Rather than mourning over our sin and calling upon the name of the LORD, the government appears to be content to scramble around looking for the little twig that won’t hurt so bad when the blow falls. We in the church are hardly different. Rather than view this season as an act of God’s grace towards us, that perhaps God in His wisdom may be using the evil intents of wicked men to discipline us by not allowing us to meet, not allowing us to fellowship in our old ways, protecting us from taking the Lord’s supper in an unworthy manner, we cry “O woe is me”, and look for someone to blame, out there, rather than first looking within our own hearts and crying “Be merciful towards me a sinner!” Brothers and sisters, these afflictions are light and momentary, and if we look close, are full of blessings. God’s discipline towards us right now is chock full of goodness, mercy, and grace towards us. Look how much more time you are getting to spend with your family. Look at how many more opportunities you have to share the gospel. Think of how your productivity and time management in the home will improve, learning to focus on things which are truly important, things which have eternal value. Just recently we began talking about needing a new place of worship because we were outgrowing the old one. Well, now we can’t even meet there. My friends, we are being disciplined right now. It is light, momentary, and for those who love God and are called according to His purposes, it is meant for their good. Will we learn from it? Will we be thankful for it? Will we choose to make the best use of our time, knowing the days are evil, or will we squander it all away with worry and strife? If you are able, please join me in kneeling as we cry out to our Heavenly Father in the Name of His Son, Who is full of mercy and grace. SOVEREIGN COMMANDER OF THE UNIVERSE, I am sadly harassed by doubts, fears, unbelief, in a felt spiritual darkness. My heart is full of evil surmisings and disquietude, and I cannot act faith at all. My heavenly Pilot has disappeared, and I have lost my hold on the Rock of Ages; I sink in deep mire beneath storms and waves, in horror and distress unutterable. Help me, O Lord, to throw myself absolutely and wholly on thee, for better, for worse, without comfort, and all but hopeless. Give me peace of soul, confidence, enlargement of mind, morning joy that comes after night heaviness; Water my soul richly with divine blessings; Grant that I may welcome thy humbling in private so that I might enjoy thee in public; Give me a mountain top as high as the valley is low. Thy grace can melt the worst sinner, and I am as vile as he; Yet thou hast made me a monument of mercy, a trophy of redeeming power; In my distress let me not forget this. All-wise God, Thy never-failing providence orders every event, sweetens every fear, reveals evil’s presence lurking in seeming good, brings real good out of seeming evil, makes unsatisfactory what I set my heart upon, to show me what a short-sighted creature I am, and to teach me to live by faith upon thy blessed self. Out of my sorrow and night give me the name Naphtali — ‘satisfied with favour’ — help me to love thee as thy child, and to walk worthy of my heavenly pedigree. Listen now to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe: John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. To all those who thus repent and seek Jesus Christ for their salvation, your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lift up your hearts! (From the 4/5/2020 liturgy of Sovereign King Church written by Aaron Sabie.) |
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