- araratchurch
- Jun 18, 2022
- 3 min read
“I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord.” Our feet have been standing Within your gates, O Jerusalem! Jerusalem is built As a city that is compact together, Where the tribes go up, The tribes of the Lord, To the Testimony of Israel, To give thanks to the name of the Lord. For thrones are set there for judgment, The thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.”
Psalms 122:1-6 NKJV
It really doesn’t matter whether something makes sense to us or not; what matters is what God wants or what He thinks. With that, one thing is for certain, God loves Jerusalem. Consider that even when Solomon had greatly offended the Lord by promoting idol worship, the Lord did not allow Jerusalem to be taken out from under the control of the House of David.
“(but he shall have one tribe for the sake of My servant David, end for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel), And to his son I will give one tribe, that My servant David may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for Myself, to put My name there.”
I Kings 11:32, 36 NKJV
Notice that the Lord says that He has chosen to put His name in Jerusalem. Now, that’s kind of a big deal.
Sadly, some who follow after replacement theology (the belief that the church has become the new or true Israel, replacing the Jews as the people of God) don’t give any special importance to the state of Israel or the physical city of Jerusalem. That is a big mistake.
Interestingly, I don’t think that there’s ever been a city in the history of mankind over which there has been more controversy and conflict than Jerusalem. Since being made the capital of Israel by King David, it has often been a cup of trembling with very few periods of peace. We also know that Jerusalem will be central to the events leading up to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The attack on Jerusalem will actually be the event that brings Jesus back to fight for His Holy City!
“Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.”
Zechariah 14:3-4, 9 KJV
Additionally, Jerusalem will be the seat of the Lord’s power when He rules and reigns from the earth.
“At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts.”
Jeremiah 3:17 NKJV
In our portion from Psalms today we see David speaking of Jerusalem as “the house of the Lord.” He further declares a blessing on those who love Jerusalem and pray for its peace.
It’s impossible to be aligned with the heart of God and not care what happens to Israel with Jerusalem in it. I will remind you that—after a couple of thousand years of being out of Jewish control—the city of Jerusalem was brought back into the complete control of the Jews in the Six Day War of 1967. Additionally, in 2017, President Donald J. Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. These things should tell you what time it is. Let’s pray for Jerusalem and Israel, it’s still important to our Lord.
For today let us know and understand what David knew:
Jerusalem is special to the Lord.
- araratchurch
- Jun 16, 2022
- 3 min read
“The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!”
Psalms 110:1-2 NKJV
It’s not easy to watch your enemies prosper. In our way of thinking, the enemy—no matter how soon they are cut off—prospered too long. But remember this, God is perfect in justice and judgment. He allows things to come to fruit, even when those things are evil. He has perfect timing in terms of the crack down on His enemies.
Now, as children of God, we must understand that if we are being obedient to the Lord, those who set themselves against us, are setting themselves against Him!
“But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.”
Exodus 23:22 NKJV
Several years ago I was contemplating confronting someone who was dealing with me in a treacherous way. The Lord clearly spoke to me at that time and said, “You can do that; but they will strike out against you; and when they strike out against you, they are striking out against Me.” Now, that could sound like a very arrogant statement if I had had anything to do with it. I did not expect to hear that from the Lord and it was very humbling. But, that reality isn’t just true for me; it is true for anyone who is being obedient to the heavenly vision, being obedient to God‘s plan for their life. You see, we can’t just go out, making enemies because of our own obnoxious dealings, then expect God to be on our side. Remember, the only just or righteous cause is the one based on what God wants.
In our portion from Psalms today we see David—by way of the Spirit—speaking of the fact that the Father has placed our Lord Jesus at His right hand of authority, until His enemies are made His footstool. Understand that becoming a footstool, indicates that the enemy will be completely humiliated and will be subservient to Lord Jesus!
You might be wondering how all of this will go down. From what I can understand (by way of the Spirit), the Father is indicating to the Son that all events will culminate in a point where the enemy, thinking they are going to destroy the people of God, will be gathered together for the Son to destroy!
“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Revelation 19:11-16 NKJV
People of God, there will always be those who set themselves against what is right. So, it stands to reason that if you are standing for what is right, you will garner many enemies. But, in the spirit, Christ has already overcome all things; and, we have access to that victory as we walk in Him. But soon and very soon, the enemies of God, and by extension, the enemies of the people of God, will be neutralized.
For today let us know and understand what David knew:
Christ’s enemies will be His footstool.
- araratchurch
- Jun 15, 2022
- 3 min read
“Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, And Your glory above all the earth; That Your beloved may be delivered, Save with Your right hand, and hear me.”
Psalms 108:5-6 NKJV
I have known people who have spent years grieving over the fact that they didn’t feel that they were special to anybody. Now, I could argue all day that probably there was somebody who cared whether they lived or died, but it doesn’t matter if that’s the way a person feels. I have also seen people—because they wanted to feel special—be very deceived in relationships by people who knew their weakness and flattered their way into the person’s trust. And, as you might have predicted, ended up being terribly, terribly hurt.
Lately, I have seen interviews with people who were abortion survivors. In other words, the procedure meant to end their lives before they were even born, didn’t work; and they were born alive. Many have suffered terribly from the results of procedures meant to snuff them out. Having been born into a loving family, and having had great effort made at the beginning of my life to sustain me, I can’t imagine the sense of rejection these people must face. Thankfully, and miraculously, the ones I have seen, have given their lives to helping others; and seem to be devoid of bitterness.
A scripture I have returned to often is one that was a favorite of my father. It is where the Lord is speaking to His people about how He took them in when they were rejected by others.
“As for your nativity, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with salt nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. No eye pitied you, to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you; but you were thrown out into the open field, when you yourself were loathed on the day you were born. “And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’”
Ezekiel 16:4-6 NKJV
I never read the above scripture without it touching me deeply. It is probably one of the best verbal expressions of the profound love our Lord has for us. Even though, by rebelling and going against His rule, we alienated ourselves from Him, He has gone to unimaginable lengths to reach out to us.
In our portion from Psalms today we see David asking the Lord for help and referencing himself as the Lord‘s “beloved.” You see, he had gotten close enough to the heart of the Lord that he could experience a kind of love toward him never found in any other relationship. The same can be true for us. All we have to do to be the Lord‘s beloved is to listen to His heart, care for what He cares for, and to receive His lavish love without turning aside from His guiding hand.
It’s wonderful when, in this life, we experience fulfilling relationships, whether that comes through a loving parent(s), a loyal friend, or a faithful spouse. But nothing—I mean nothing—could ever compare to the relationship which is available with our dear Lord!
For today let us know and understand what David knew:
We are His beloved.