Psalm 119:97-120 (MBC: Men's Ministry)
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A Passion for His Presence
A Passion for His Presence
I’d like to introduce you to Jeremiah. I can’t tell you his whole story, but let me give you the Cliff’s Notes...
pagan breaking rocks.... became a Christian.... still breaking rocks.... worked.... studied..... conflict with this 5 wives.... tried to make things right.... issues buying land.... mud hut… strength.... cancer..... recovery..... decline.... death.
— The Word of God changed Jeremiah’s heart! Jeremiah developed a deep love for the Word of God. He valued it over most everything else. But, his circumstances never changed. He died with no money… his body had been weakened and ravaged by the cancer, malaria, and pneumonia. He was born in a small village, lived in a mud hut..... He died in a medium town..... in a mud hut…
But now… he is face to face with Jesus. He leaves behind a wonderful testimony to God’s grace…and the transforming power of the Word.
Why? Because the Word of God changed his heart.... even though his circumstances never changed. The Word of God pointed Jeremiah to the Lord… and Jesus became Jeremiah’s King!
As I prepared for tonight, for some reason pieces of Jeremiah’s story kept coming to mind and as I thought about and meditated on the Psalms, I think i realized why. Jeremiah’s story is not too different than those who compiled the book of Psalms and the Psalmists who wrote Psalm 119.
Can I share some thoughts with you to explain why?
When you look at the very beginning of the book of Psalms, we are taught that the one who walks the path of righteousness and meditates on God’s Word is blessed..... that person is chosen by the Lord, fruitful. Then in Psalm 2 we are told of a coming King that the world hates… in fact the world hates so much that they will fight against Him, His kingdom and His people. But, God is on His side… and His anointed will rule with power to judge the world. — Spoiler alert… that is Jesus!
Because of some grammatical details that we don’t have time to go into, Psalm 1 and 2 are meant to be read together… giving us the idea that those who love and meditate on the Word of God will be blessed… and will also be drawn to the promised King who will come!
As you look at the entire book of Psalms… the rest of its pages are about this promised King, His Kingdom… and His people.
Knowing this is really the key to understanding the entire book of Psalms. This inspired hymn book points all those who read its pages and sing its songs to the Messiah..... Jesus Christ!
Overall message of the Psalms: Reminder of God’s Plan = The way of righteousness…. and the victory of the Lord’s anointed King over the nations.
While each Psalm could stand alone, they were not compiled as a list of 150 one hit wonders. No, they were put together as story like anthology of praise to the Lord… pointing us to our King!
I hope that having this background in your mind may help you to see where we are going in Psalm 119 tonight...
The book of psalms is divided into 5 books. Each book highlights a different phase in Israel’s history and how God calls His people to seek Him.... their true king.
Book 1: 1-41 — God rescues His king from his enemies.
Book 2: 42-72 — God rescues His people from their enemies through His king (David)
Book 3: 73-89 — Book 3 takes a turn and reflects a difficult time in Israel’s history. (captivity) There is no longer a king on the throne.... the theme of this section would be: How could God abandon His king and His people?
Book 4: 90-106 — Reflects the time of the exile.. the theme would be: God is still King over all the world.
Book 5: 107-150— After the exile, book 5 encourages God’s people to remember that God’s promises to David are not dead. They are to have hope in this son of David who was yet to come...
When you finish reading the book of Psalms… you should be left asking yourself a question. ..... “Is the king foretold in the Psalms my king? If he is, then you can boldly proclaim with the Psalmist… “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! (150:6)
Like the Psalmist, my friend Jeremiah also became captivated it… and he experienced that those who meditate on the Law of the Lord will be blessed. Jeremiah came to the same conclusion that the Psalmist came to that the Laws, Testimonies, Precepts, Word of the Lord are his King’s Laws, precepts, statutes… and those who love and obey the Word.... are also those who love and follow the King!
Today Jeremiah… along with the Psalmist are standing, sitting, dancing.... doing something around the throne of God… face to face with Jesus their King!
So that is where we are in our Fall Study. As we look at different portions of Psalm 119 each week we are being presented with the reality that the word of God is calling us to remember that God’s promises to David are not dead.... We are to have hope in the King… the son of David who is to come.... and in fact has already come!!!
Each time you open your Bibles to the Psalms… ask yourself: Is the King that the Psalmist is anticipating and pointing us towards my king?
With that perspective in mind… Let’s look at Psalm 119 together tonight. We’ll be starting in verse 97.
For those who have been part of this study, it should be no surprise that each passage we look at tonight in Psalm 119 is going to be highlighting and pointing us to the Word of God. We are going to read through 24 verses tonight and each and every single verse is talking about.... and pointing us towards the Word of God.
The main emphasis of this first stanza we’ll look at is all about the love and wisdom of the Word. The question we need to answer is:
l. Is Love all you need? (97-104)
Yes, love is a great part of our lives....but apparently the Beatles led us astray… because according to the Psalmist… love isn’t all we need. We need love… wisdom… and a bit of hate ... if we are to live a life that is truly pleasing to our king. (don’t cut the mic just yet.... I promise I’m not a heretic!)
Oh how I love your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
for it is ever with me.
I have more understanding than all my teachers,
for your testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the aged,
for I keep your precepts.
I hold back my feet from every evil way,
in order to keep your word.
I do not turn aside from your rules,
for you have taught me.
How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through your precepts I get understanding;
therefore I hate every false way.
This stanza is filled with joy and the love of God’s law. No requests are made. Only statements that express praise to the Lord for His Word and Wisdom. How did the Psalmist get here? He didn’t just wake up one day and out of the blue say… I love the Word! No, it had to be developed.
If you remember last week, the Psalmist tone tonight is quite a bit different than it was in the last two sections.
In verses 81-88 the was a tone of despair.
“My soul longs for your salvation… when will you comfort me?”
“How long must your servant endure?”
Pretty low point it would seem in the Psalmists life and circumstances.
Then in verses 89-96, the tone of despair shifts to one of confidence.
“… your word is fixed in the heavens...”
“Your faithfulness endures to generations…|
What has caused the psalmists tone to change?
I doubt the Psalmists circumstances have changed at this point. Verse 95 says that the wicked still lie in wait to destroy him. Now that He is focusing on God’s Word… life is not all bread and butter. He’s not living the high life of prosperity…
What has changed? God’s word is doing its work in the Psalmists’ heart.
As this confidence in the Lord and His Word swells up it eventually explodes in joyful expression in verse 97.
Let’s try and read verses 97 together with that same joyful expression… (affectionate like you would tell your wife you love her…)
Oh how I love your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
(based on how some of you read that verse… you might need some marriage counseling… :-) )
The love that is expressed here is a pretty intimate and special love. God uses the same word when He speaks to Abraham in Genesis 22:2 when he says…
He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
Leah uses the same word when talking about the love of her husband for her in Genesis 29:32.
God uses the same word when he expresses His love for Israel in Deut. 10:15...
“Yet the LORD set his heart in love on your fathers… “
Evil is still impacting him (101), he is severely afflicted (107)… the circumstances of the Psalmists’ life haven’t really changed.
What has changed is his own heart to bring him from despair to joy?
The Word of God has changed his heart.... even though God has not changed his circumstances.
This is a main idea that we’ll see again and again throughout our study:
The Word of God changes the heart.... even when our circumstances stay the same.
That reality was true for the Psalmist… and it is true for you and me as well.
Through the study and meditation on the Word of God....
Our despair is turned to joy
Our doubts are turned to confidence.
Have you ever been in a situation like this? You are being faithful to the Lord. You are in the Word… you are growing… you are experiencing spiritual renewal and intimacy with the Lord.... but the crummy.... hard.... difficult.... unfortunate circumstances of life stay the same.
Life is hard. The extensive effects of sin will continue to surround us until we are at home with Jesus.
One of the truths the Psalmist wants you to understand..... is that even though your circumstances may not ever change… (divorce, work, finances, bullying, etc…) Don’t let your circumstances rob you of true joy.
A heart changed by the Word of God brings true joy, enables genuine love, and leads us to real wisdom!
Let me give you a few thoughts that you can think about later.
In verses 97-104, the psalmist shares 5 reasons why he has learned to love God’s law… and why we should love it too.
Nerd moment:
A what’s more B......
Oh how I love your law! (strong statement)
It is my meditation all the day (amplified statement meant to make the first statement more powerful or impactful)
It is the source of true wisdom
he has become wiser than his enemies (98)
He has gained more understanding than his teachers (99)
He possesses more wisdom than the “wise” of the world (100)
The Psalmist isn’t being all proud saying that he is unteachable.... and that there is no need for teaching and schooling. He is comparing the richness of the Word of God with the world’s standards for wisdom. Jeremiah echo’s this same thought in chapter 9.
Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”
There is humble holy pride that comes from sitting under the teaching of the Word… and having the Word as our tutor and schoolmaster.
As the Psalmist submits to the Word of God… he finds that he is made wiser than even the aged and wise teachers of the world....
The spiritual wisdom revealed to us in the Word… is far superior to the wisdom of the world.
It keeps us on the right path and off the wrong ones
He is able to avoid stumbling into evil/ sin (101)
He has gained the ability to maintain faithfulness to the Word and it’s instructions (102)
When we study it we have God himself as our teacher
It is sweet to our spiritual taste, like honey
Rabbi’s teaching kids what God tastes like… honey!
He has developed a craving for the sweetness of the structure given by the Word (103)
It not only keeps us from evil it causes us to hate evil (every wrong path).
Verse 97 started this stanza with love and now verse 104 ends it with hate.
Through gaining a true taste for understanding, the psalmist’s palate is now more sophisticated and cannot stand the taste of anything that is contrary to God’s Word.... He hates anything that is false. By filling ourselves with the truth… our tastes will change.... the things of the world and false teaching that once may have been attractive or tasty to us.... we will begin to hate… and it will repulse us. (104)
We are to hate every evil path with as much intensity as we love the Word… (The intensity with which we love the Word should cause us to hate every evil
Sin should be repulsive to us.... Sin should make our skin crawl… but it doesn’t. For many of us, sin is probably something that we keep at arms length.
Men, the closer we are to the Lord.... the more full of HIs Word we are… the more our sin will make us sick to our stomach.
Casey’s covid symptoms.... everything tastes like trash.
That is a great illustration of how sin should be to the man who truly loves God’s Word.
The sweetness of the Word… should make everything sinful we come into contact with taste like garbage.
A growing and passionate love for God’s law… for His inspired Word will develop in you a hatred for every false way.
(if this is true… and it is... then the opposite is also true)
If we develop a love for (if we embrace) any false way, will develop a hatred for God’s Word.
Be careful! This can happen easier than you think! We are the ones leading our homes.... if it happens to us… then there is a big chance that our families will follow!
The Psalmist desperately pleads with you to love the Word of God. He has given us 176 verses in Psalm 119 alone to persuade us to love the Word of God.... so that we will be pointed to the King of the Word!
Principle to take home: We need both love and hate in our lives.
Love for God and His Word
Hate for every evil way… for anything that is false.
Let’s move onto the next stanza where the Psalmist tells us of the life giving clarity (main emphasis) of the Word of God when he calls us to;
II. Walk the Line (105-112) — [no, Johnny Cash is not the Psalmist.. just in case you were wondering]
This stanza reminds us of the concept of “walking”…
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
I have sworn an oath and confirmed it,
to keep your righteous rules.
I am severely afflicted;
give me life, O Lord, according to your word!
Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O Lord,
and teach me your rules.
I hold my life in my hand continually,
but I do not forget your law.
The wicked have laid a snare for me,
but I do not stray from your precepts.
Your testimonies are my heritage forever,
for they are the joy of my heart.
I incline my heart to perform your statutes
forever, to the end.
Verse 105 begins by painting a picture that all of us can relate to. Walking around in the dark..... then turning the light on and realizing how much easier it is to see with enough light.
Here is another example of the “a what’s more b” principle.
Your word is a lamp to my feet (gives light to a small/ specific area)
Your word is a light to my path (gives light to a very broad area)
(Illustration from Liberia...... I always carried a flashlight.... walking around at night and stumbling upon a cassava snake.. pit viper )
When you are walking in the dark, yes it is helpful to have a light that shows what is right under your feet so that you don’t step on anything dangerous… but it is also helpful to have a light that illuminates the entire walkway in front of you, enabling you to see obstacles ahead of time… and make the needed corrections to avoid them all together.
I can’t help wonder if the Psalmist had those night time journeys of Israel as they wandered through the wilderness in mind when he wrote this. I’m sure they had torches or something to light up the campsite… but imagine how clearly they could probably see when it became nigh time and that pillar of clouds that they followed in the day, erupted into fire and illumined the entire dessert.
As long as the Israelites followed the light.... every step they took was clear. — If they had decided to refuse to follow the light.... then their path would have been darkened and they would have stumbled.... fallen… and ended up in a place from which they probably couldn’t return.
The Psalmist is presenting us with this picture of God’s glorious Word going before us, illuminating our way.... giving us the clarity to know where to go… and how to walk without a doubt… ;
directing our steps during the day.... and illuminating our paths as we walk in the darkness…
It is a lamp to our feet..... It teaches us and trains us how we should take our next step.
It is a light to our path.... it warns us of what is ahead by rebuking and correcting us so that we don’t fall into error.
Perhaps Paul used this for a proof text when writing 2 Tim. 3:16-17. There is a bit of overlap :-)
Men… If we are to walk in the right paths… and avoid the wrong ones… we need both teaching/ instruction… as well as rebuking and correction.
Let me give you some more thoughts to think about as you read through this passage later.
In this passage the Psalmist tells us about keeping God’s righteous rules/ decrees.
He also tells us what keeping God’s decrees will enable in our lives.
live a God pleasing life (105) — 105 The way we should go: The Bible sheds light on the path of our lives exposing the wrong, dangerous ways so that we can avoid them.. and illuminates the correct paths that we should follow.
Some people think that reading the Bible will give them some detailed instructions about what job they should take, whom they should marry, where they should live, where they should go on vacation. — That isn’t how God’s word functions. The Bible does not offer any special or mystical leading. It merely unfolds the kind of character that a Christian should have… and shows us the priorities that should govern our thinking. It is the true light on our path. No other source will provide this true guidance. --- Those who live apart from God’s Word (the world) make a habit of setting the wrong priorities… based in a fallen ungodly character.
Understand true righteousness (106)
Get a divine perspective on suffering (107) — in his suffering the Psalmist turned to God’s Word and found God present in its pages.... as well as found promises for the renewal of his life and spirit during hard times. What keeps the Psalmist going? God’s presence… and God’s promises! — possesses a divine perspective on suffering and triumph in it!
Possess a right understanding of worship… (108) — Praising God with our mouths.. and being taught His Word. These things belong together. I’m so thankful for a church were we regularly praise God with our mouths..... and are taught the Word. Even the songs we sing teach the Word! I’m so thankful for Sean and how careful he is about selecting the music. He wants the singing to preach! That is such a blessing!
Gain victory in suffering (dangers of this life/ enemies)(109-110)
Have a heritage that lasts forever (111)
This stanza ends with a statement of fierce determination. "My heart is set on keeping your decrees forever… to the very end”!
The Psalmist wants to keep God’s decrees because he will be able to live a God-pleasing life, understand the nature of true righteousness, possess a divine perspective on suffering and triumph, be able to worship God rightly, not be turned away from obedience by physical danger, not be distracted by every evil way, and will have a heritage that is eternal!
The Bible brings clarity to our lives…
No special training is needed to understand the Word. No ordination is required.... you don’t have to be a pastor or clergyman to understand and discern what it means. All you need is the Spirit of God within you… and you are able to read and understand the Scriptures.
Principle to take home:
“…if we are to walk as God wants us to walk, we must be able to see the right way clearly.”
We can only see the right path if the Word of God shines on it and lights it up for us. The Bible teaches us the way we should go and actually enables us to walk in it
The Bible alone enables us to see the right way clearly. (Principle from this stanza)
Let’s look at this last stanza together as the Psalmist instructs us about the importance of being determined in our walk and encourages us to
III. Walk this way! (113-120)
Have you ever noticed in the movies how someone’s walk illustrates something about their character?
How does a hero walk? Standing tall with his head held high…
How does a beautiful woman walk? She glides or floats across the room
How does a villain walk? Slouching, sleeking….. creeping along…
How should a Christian walk? Ephesians 4:1, tells us to walk worthy of our calling. Isaiah 57:2, tells us to walk uprightly, 1 John 1:7, tells us to walk in the light. Micah 6:8, tells us to “act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God”.
We live in a fallen world.... plagued by the extensive effects of sin. How are we going to follow the Psalmist’s challenge to obey God’s law? To love the Word.... to desire the King.... to see with clarity..... to walk in a manner that is worthy????
The Psalmist gives us a few answers to this question.
1. Determined to obey God’s Law (113-115)
I hate the double-minded,
but I love your law.
You are my hiding place and my shield;
I hope in your word.
Depart from me, you evildoers,
that I may keep the commandments of my God.
We are never going to obey God’s law unless from the very beginning we are determined to do so. That is our starting point.
We make a decision to just do it. (Like the Bob Newhart skit.... “Just Stop It!”)
No matter how enticing the call of sin may be..... ifwe are to live for God, we must determine in our hearts to obey Him regardless of any circumstances
Being determined is our starting point...
It seems like a non answer doesn’t it? How do I live my life in a way that honors the Lord in a broken and fallen world?
Just do it! Be determined to do it!
Is it that easy? Yes and No. None of us can just wake up tomorrow morning and claim that we are going to start perfectly obeying God’s Word. We are sinners… we fail.... we get distracted. The Psalmist knew that… so he insightfully shares with us what must change so that we can be enabled to obey God’s law.
Verse 113 is an important key for us to remember because it confronts one of our biggest problems.
I hate the double-minded,
but I love your law.
The phrase “double-minded” is also used in 1 Kings 18:21 when Elijah is on Mt. Carmel challenging the people of Israel to follow Jehovah rather than the false god Baal. It means to be of two opinions...
How long will you be of two opinions? If the Lord is God… follow Him ; but if Baal is god… follow him!
Double minded people are those who know about God but are not fully determined to worship and serve him only. They are those who want both God and the world. They want the benefits of true religion… but they want their sin too.
This takes us back to the idea from the first stanza we looked at.... we are to have a love for God’s Word… and a hatred for every false way.
The Psalmist says that he hates people who are double minded. He hates them as much as he loves God’s law. Being a sinner myself… I can pretty confidently say that the Psalmist is also saying that he hates the same double-minded tendencies in himself.
Why else would he continue to ask God to sustain him, according to `His promise, and uphold him so that he might be kept from sin? Because even the Psalmist still has a tendency to sin… to be double-minded.
What is our tendency? If we are completely honest… many of our tendencies are to be lukewarm about the Lord and our passion for the Word.
The Psalmist hates that tendency to be lukewarm… to be double-minded. We are to hate it too!
God hates it so much that he tells the church in Laodidea (Rev. 3:16) that because of their lukewarmness… he can’t even stand to swallow… they are like nasty water that he spits out of his mouth!
James also tells us that the man that tries to straddle the line between the Word and the world “should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable is all he does. (James 1:7-8).
Men, we need help. That is why the Psalmist reminds us that God alone is our hiding place… He is our shield.
One last thing before we move on. There is a really cool picture here n verse 115, the Psalmist says
Depart from me, you evildoers,
that I may keep the commandments of my God.
This is the only time this phrase “my God” is used in the Psalms. It gives us a really cool picture/ illustration.
The Psalmist’s hand is tightly gripping God… and God has His Hand tightly gripping the Psalmist.
What an amazing picture! Men, I know that some of you are struggling to hold on to God… to be faithful… to be determined....
Don’t ever forget… that God has his hand holding you! --- If you are a believer today.... He is Your God!
Men, do you want to walk the line.... and grow in your ability to walk worthy for the Lord?
Starting point is to be determined to do so.... but as all of us know… we can’t do it on our own. We are hopelessly double-minded.... without the work of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. So, what should do?
The Psalmist tells us to
2. Pray for Grace (116-117)
Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live,
and let me not be put to shame in my hope!
Hold me up, that I may be safe
and have regard for your statutes continually!
We have to look to the Lord for sustaining grace to walk on the path that He has called us to walk. We have to ask God for help. That is exactly what the Psalmist does in verses 116-117.
If we are going to be determined to read, study, understand and actually obey God’s Word.... it will only be by the grace of God.... and with His help as we do it.
Realize: I need God’s help so I go to Him constantly (Word & Prayer)
We must all get into the habit of asking God daily for help!
3. Standing in awe of God (118-120)
You spurn all who go astray from your statutes,
for their cunning is in vain.
All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross,
therefore I love your testimonies.
My flesh trembles for fear of you,
and I am afraid of your judgments.
As you come to the last three verses of this stanza, the psalmists words reflect a reordered view of the world and of God. No doubt, these last few statements area result of the Psalmist’s time in prayer.
He realizes his inability to obey God’s Law (a place we all have to come to)
He has sought God’s help. (we all must do)
Now… having spent time with the Lord, he sees how vain the world is..... and how great God is.
What is his response? Look at verse 120.
My flesh trembles for fear of you,
and I am afraid of your judgments.
Have you ever been standing before an opportunity and began to shake with the fear/ nervousness of your own inadequacy? That is kind of what the Psalmist is saying. He is not afraid of punishment from the Lord...
Having spent so much time with God.... he trembles at his own inadequacy and fallenness… and realizes how far away from God his world has become.
“It is only as we tremble before the exalted and holy God that we will ever see the world and its distorted values to be the empty things they are.” (J.M Boice)
Men, if we don’t tremble before God.... the siren call of the world will seem so wonderful to us that it will be hard for us to resist.
As we read verse 120, we should all read it with careful, prayerful, repentant attention.
The phrase if verse 120, “I am afraid of your judgements” means to stand in awe of God and His Word.
We are to have a reverent awe of God.... we are to be paralyzed by His greatness!
This is a super important part of walking uprightly before God.
When we spend time with God in the Word and through prayer… it should lead us to the place where we see that God is so big… so perfect… so holy… that it forces us to do nothing but be amazed!
This should be our default: Now that I have been with God, the wickedness of the world is clear and my view of God is awe striking.
Unfortunately, often instead of being in awe of God’s greatness… we consider God to be one of our convenient buddies… which (I think) shows how little we really know about God.
Many people today present the idea that we should just cry out… “Hey Jesus, come over here and spill the tea.... tell us what’s up”…
I get it, people are casual..... but keep in mind that our actions and attitudes often reflect the impact of our relationship with the Lord… and our understanding of His character.
One author commented how it seems that God has “little bearing on the actual life of today’s Christians. They do not disbelieve in him; they are Christians after all, but he is remote from their thinking. He just doesn’t enter in.” (David F. Wells).
Are we thinking about God? Do we love Him and His Word enough that we are thinking about Him… and meditating on his Word day and night?
The correct response to God’s Word.... is to tremble.... to stand in amazement… in awe of God… He is our Lord… our Sovereign.... our God.... and our King! --- and he invites us to have an intimate personal relationship with Him! Amazing!
If we are to walk as God wants us to walk, we must determine to do it… pray for grace… and be amazed by His greatness!
Main Idea:
Knowledge of God’s commandments and obedience to Him are the only means to true happiness and fulfillment. (Psalm 1, Proverbs 1:7)
The Word of God changes the heart, even when the circumstances of life stay the same.
Knowing this helps us to:
Love the wisdom of God…
2. See our path with clarity so that we don’t stumble and fall.
3. Walk with worthy determination in a way that truly honors the Lord.
Group Work: Application Grid (if time)
Intended Response: How did the Psalmist want his original audience to respond? How should we respond?
God’s promises are not dead… they are still valid and will come to pass.... therefore
Grow in your hunger for and dependance on the Word!
Saturate yourself with the Word (so much so that you love the Wisdom of the Lord with this divinely huge love.... so that your taste for God’s law so penetrates your palate that every time you begin to even taste the slightest hint of evil.... you will hate very false way) ---> Develop a passion for His presence!
Surrender to the King of the Word! (Be ready for His coming!)
In July of 2014, my friend Jeremiah went home to be with the Lord. He was one of the most pagan people that you would ever dream of meeting.... but the Word of God captured his heart.... his love… his devotion… and Jesus became His King!
Is Jesus your king? If you can’t confidently answer that question by saying yes.... please don’t leave here tonight without talking to someone.