Thursday, February 10, 2011

Cleansed by the Word



One of my, if not my all time favorite scriptures...
From "Days of Praise"September 10, 2010
"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word." (Psalm 119:9)
Psalm 119:9-16 provides key instructions for those who would seek to please their Creator with a godly life.
"Taking heed" (Hebrew shamar--guarding) God's Word is the foundation upon which a godly life is built (vv. 10-11). The psalmist sought God with his whole heart and pleaded with God to prevent him from wandering (Hebrew shagah--to stray through ignorance). That plea was then turned into a confirmation and an understanding: "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee" (v. 11).
With the assurance of these foundational elements, the psalmist promised the Lord that he will organize his life so that he "will not forget thy word" (v. 16).
Similar to the apostle John's assurance in his first epistle, the psalmist recognized behaviors that he was already exhibiting. His "lips" have "declared" the judgments of God (v. 13). He knows that he has "rejoiced in the way" (v. 14) of God's revealed testimonies as much as the ungodly have boasted of gaining wealth. He is no stranger to godly living and loves the way of God, seeking to excel in holiness (1 John 5:3).
The section closes with two "I will" promises, surely based upon his earlier commitment to cleanse his way. The psalmist promised to "meditate in [God's] precepts, and have respect unto ways" (v. 15). This assumes time, study, and careful thought about the purposes and intent of God's message. It is not a promise to sit comfortably and "clear one's mind" of cogent thinking, waiting on some voice to reveal truth. The psalmist can then "delight" in the statutes of the Word (Psalm 119:16; Romans 7:22).
As we seek to know God's great Word, may His works refresh our hearts and delight our lives. HMM III
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I am so thankful to the the Lord Jesus Christ for saving me and surprised more and more every day that He would want to use this broken leaky vessel to do anything! But oh so grateful and humbled that He does! Thank you Jesus! My family and I have relocated from DFW, Texas to start a church in Port Clinton, Ohio. I will miss Texas and all of the wonderful people that God has allowed me to meet and get to know there, but I am so excited to see what God is going to do through our family and Lake Point Baptist Church in Port Clinton, Ohio! My prayer is for you to come into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ! Thank you for visiting my site! Please let me know you were here.

Statement of Faith

STATEMENT OF FAITH

• I believe the Bible to be the inspired, infallible, authoritative, and inerrant Word of God
(II Timothy 3:15-17, II Peter 1:21).

• I believe there is one God, eternally existing in three persons: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:1, Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 28:19, John 10:30).

• I believe in the deity of Christ (John 10:33); His virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23, Luke 1:34-35); His sinless life (Hebrews 4:15, 7:26); His miracles (John 2:11); His vicarious and atoning death (I Corinthians 15:3, Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 2:9); His resurrection (John 11:25, I Corinthians 15:4); His ascension to the right hand of the Father (Mark 16:19); His personal return to earth in power and glory (Acts 1:11, Revelation 19:11-16).

• I believe in the absolute necessity of regeneration by the Holy Spirit for salvation because of the exceeding sinfulness of the human nature, and that all are justified on the single ground of faith in the shed blood of Christ, and that only by God's grace through faith alone are we saved (John 3:16-19; 5:24, Romans 3:23; 5:8-9, Ephesians 2:8-10, Titus 3:5).

• I believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; those who are saved unto the resurrection of life, and those who are not unto the resurrection of damnation (John 5:28-29).

• I believe in the spiritual unity of the believers in our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 8:9, I Corinthians 12:12-13, Galatians 3:26-28).

• I believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by Whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life (Romans 8:13-14, I Corinthians 3:16, 6:19-20, Ephesians 4:30; 5:18).

• I believe it is the mandate of the whole Church to go into the whole world and to preach the Gospel to every living creature. (Mark 16:15, Matthew 28:19-20)

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