2018 Nov 29 Psalms, 1John 4
2018 Nov 29 Psalms, 1John 4
Hello, and best wishes for a wonderful day! Let's again look at Books 1 and 2 of Psalms, and 1John 4. Let's look at Psalm 29:1-5:
"1 Give Jehovah his due, you sons of mighty ones, Give Jehovah his due for his glory and strength. 2 Give Jehovah the glory due his name. Bow down to Jehovah in holy adornment. 3 The voice of Jehovah is heard over the waters; The glorious God thunders. Jehovah is over many waters. 4 The voice of Jehovah is powerful; The voice of Jehovah is splendid. 5 The voice of Jehovah is breaking the cedars; Yes, Jehovah shatters the cedars of LebĘša·non.
Psalm 29:1,2 Appreciating the glory and strength of Jehovah--"the glory due His name"-should move us to give Him reverential respect and seek purity or holiness before Him. As Peter quotes the Scriptures, at 1Peter 1:16, referring to each servant of God: "for it is written: "You must be holy, because I am holy." One reference work, entitled "Draw Close to Jehovah" refers to God's holiness in this way:
"That God is holy does not mean that he is smug, haughty, or disdainful of others. On the contrary, he hates such qualities. (Proverbs 16:5; James 4:6) So, what does the word “holy” really mean? In Biblical Hebrew, the word is derived from a term meaning “separate.” In worship, “holy” applies to that which is separated from common use, or held sacred. Holiness also strongly conveys the idea of cleanness and purity."
At the temple, the high priest wore a headband with the words "Holiness Belongs to Jehovah." Jehovah is the One who clarifies in His word what is truly holy and what is not. May we look to Jehovah, listen to His mighty voice, and seek to keep His clean and pure standards, setting ourselves apart from the unrighteousness common in the today's world. This will bring us much joy and peace, as we learn to walk in true love for God and others.
Psalm 70 (Book 2, 29th psalm) differentiates between those seeking David's calamity and those seeking Jehovah. At Psalm 70:3,4 David says to God: "May those who are saying: “Aha! Aha!” Be driven back in shame. 4 But let those who are seeking you Exult and rejoice in you. May those who love your acts of salvation always say: “May God be magnified!” Thus God's true dedicated servants will "always" be interested in the name of God being honored or magnified, as we look to Him day-to-day for help, protection, and even everlasting salvation.
1John 4:1, 4-8 says "Beloved ones, do not believe every inspired statement, but test the inspired statements to see whether they originate with God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world...4 You originate with God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in union with you is greater than the one who is in union with the world. 5 They originate with the world; that is why they speak what originates with the world and the world listens to them. 6 We originate with God. Whoever comes to know God listens to us; whoever does not originate with God does not listen to us. By this we distinguish the inspired statement of truth from the inspired statement of error. 7 Beloved ones, let us continue loving one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born from God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love has not come to know God, because God is love."
The apostle John and other fellow Christians anointed for heavenly rulership originated with God, as did the Scriptural writings of John and the other apostles and Christian writers. (Reve 20:6; 1Tim 2:3,4) May we carefully examine especially Christian writings, as well as the entire word of God, to ascertain the truth of God to which we should cling, distinguishing truth from falsehood, discerning right from wrong by the teachings of Jesus and others in God's word. Many false ideas have proliferated, causing confusion and division among those who would be Christians today. But it is God's will that those who would be true Christians become united in our teachings and our beliefs, just as were the first-century early Christians. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, at 1Corinithians 1:10, "Now I urge you, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you should all speak in agreement and that there should be no divisions among you, but that you may be completely united in the same mind and in the same line of thought." The truth, in harmony with the love of God, can be found in the word of God. Let's continue to look there for spiritual nourishment!
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Between Winchester, Virginia, and hopefully, Washington D.C., having confidence that our thankful trust in God will not fail to inspire us to the peace He has purposed via His Kingdom!
