Psalms 1:1-2 ESV
If we are blessed of the Lord, what does that mean? This has to do with God extending his benefits towards us, his favor, his grace, his provisions. And benefits are what are for our good spiritually, morally, emotionally and physically. They are helps and aids, and God’s protection, and they are for our welfare, for our well-being. Included in these are forgiveness of sins, deliverance from slavery to sin, empowerment of God to live holy lives free from the control of sin, and the promise and hope of eternal life with God.
So, who are the recipients of these benefits? And this is not just Old Testament teaching, for this is what the New Testament under the New Covenant teaches, too. We are those who are not walking in the counsel of the wicked. We are not getting our biblical teachings from those who are still walking (in conduct, in practice) in deliberate and habitual sin, and/or from those who are diluting and altering the message of the gospel to make it more acceptable and appeasing to human flesh.
We are not depending on other human beings to tell us what the Scriptures teach, but we are those who are students of the Scriptures ourselves who are studying the Scriptures in their context and who are following in the ways of the Lord in doing what his word teaches his followers that we must do and not do. Although we will listen to others’ sermons and teachings, we will be those who diligently test what we are hearing against the Scriptures, in context, to make certain that what we are hearing is the truth.
We are also people who do not take a stand in the ways of the unrighteous and the ungodly who are making sin their practice, whether or not they are those who profess faith in Jesus Christ. We are not to join in with them in their sinful ways, nor should we be those who approve of and who applaud them in their sinful practices. And this includes us not being entertained by what is sinful, ungodly, and immoral. For we are to be those who live different from the world because we are being made to be like Jesus.
We also should not join in with those who are scoffers, who make jokes and poke fun at what is holy and righteous, or at those who are living holy and righteous lives, or at those who are different from us. Bible humor is often making light of what is serious and holy and godly so that those who adopt such humor become insensitive and desensitized to what is holy and to what should be revered and respected and honored and not made fun of. For we in America live in a culture where mocking is quite acceptable.
Instead, our delight should be in the law of the Lord. Yes, we are not under the Old Covenant. Yes, we don’t have to obey all those old liturgical, ceremonial, sacrificial, purification, and dietary laws and restrictions that the Jews of the Old Covenant had to obey. But our Lord never did away with his moral laws. He summarized them into two – to love God with our whole heart, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves in preferring moral purity, honesty, faithfulness and obedience to our Lord.
And the New Covenant teaches us that we must be those who obey the word of God and who keep to (practice) God’s commandments (New Covenant) and who do not walk in sin, in the ways of this sinful world. For if sin is what we practice, and if righteousness, dying to sin daily, and walking in obedience to our Lord are not what we practice, we will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what faith we profess with our lips. And these are not my words. Please read the following Scriptures:
[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
My Sheep
An Original Work / June 24, 2012
Based off John 10:1-18 NIV
My sheep hear me. They know me.
They listen to my voice and obey.
I call them and lead them.
They know my voice, so they follow me.
They will never follow strangers.
They will run away from them.
The voice of a stranger they know not;
They do not follow him.
So, I tell you the truth that
I am the gate, so you enter in.
Whoever does enter
Will find forgiveness and will be saved.
Nonetheless whoever enters
Not by the gate; other way,
He is the thief and a robber.
Listen not, the sheep to him.
Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,
Who laid his own life down for the sheep.
I know them. They know me.
They will live with me eternally.
The thief only comes to steal and
Kill and to destroy the church.
I have come to give you life that
You may have it to the full…
They know my voice, so they follow me.
“Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.”
If we are blessed of the Lord, what does that mean? This has to do with God extending his benefits towards us, his favor, his grace, his provisions. And benefits are what are for our good spiritually, morally, emotionally and physically. They are helps and aids, and God’s protection, and they are for our welfare, for our well-being. Included in these are forgiveness of sins, deliverance from slavery to sin, empowerment of God to live holy lives free from the control of sin, and the promise and hope of eternal life with God.
So, who are the recipients of these benefits? And this is not just Old Testament teaching, for this is what the New Testament under the New Covenant teaches, too. We are those who are not walking in the counsel of the wicked. We are not getting our biblical teachings from those who are still walking (in conduct, in practice) in deliberate and habitual sin, and/or from those who are diluting and altering the message of the gospel to make it more acceptable and appeasing to human flesh.
We are not depending on other human beings to tell us what the Scriptures teach, but we are those who are students of the Scriptures ourselves who are studying the Scriptures in their context and who are following in the ways of the Lord in doing what his word teaches his followers that we must do and not do. Although we will listen to others’ sermons and teachings, we will be those who diligently test what we are hearing against the Scriptures, in context, to make certain that what we are hearing is the truth.
We are also people who do not take a stand in the ways of the unrighteous and the ungodly who are making sin their practice, whether or not they are those who profess faith in Jesus Christ. We are not to join in with them in their sinful ways, nor should we be those who approve of and who applaud them in their sinful practices. And this includes us not being entertained by what is sinful, ungodly, and immoral. For we are to be those who live different from the world because we are being made to be like Jesus.
We also should not join in with those who are scoffers, who make jokes and poke fun at what is holy and righteous, or at those who are living holy and righteous lives, or at those who are different from us. Bible humor is often making light of what is serious and holy and godly so that those who adopt such humor become insensitive and desensitized to what is holy and to what should be revered and respected and honored and not made fun of. For we in America live in a culture where mocking is quite acceptable.
Instead, our delight should be in the law of the Lord. Yes, we are not under the Old Covenant. Yes, we don’t have to obey all those old liturgical, ceremonial, sacrificial, purification, and dietary laws and restrictions that the Jews of the Old Covenant had to obey. But our Lord never did away with his moral laws. He summarized them into two – to love God with our whole heart, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves in preferring moral purity, honesty, faithfulness and obedience to our Lord.
And the New Covenant teaches us that we must be those who obey the word of God and who keep to (practice) God’s commandments (New Covenant) and who do not walk in sin, in the ways of this sinful world. For if sin is what we practice, and if righteousness, dying to sin daily, and walking in obedience to our Lord are not what we practice, we will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what faith we profess with our lips. And these are not my words. Please read the following Scriptures:
[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
My Sheep
An Original Work / June 24, 2012
Based off John 10:1-18 NIV
My sheep hear me. They know me.
They listen to my voice and obey.
I call them and lead them.
They know my voice, so they follow me.
They will never follow strangers.
They will run away from them.
The voice of a stranger they know not;
They do not follow him.
So, I tell you the truth that
I am the gate, so you enter in.
Whoever does enter
Will find forgiveness and will be saved.
Nonetheless whoever enters
Not by the gate; other way,
He is the thief and a robber.
Listen not, the sheep to him.
Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,
Who laid his own life down for the sheep.
I know them. They know me.
They will live with me eternally.
The thief only comes to steal and
Kill and to destroy the church.
I have come to give you life that
You may have it to the full…
They know my voice, so they follow me.
