Tag: Psalm 25

watch out for those who would cause divisions, create needless obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; turn away, avoid them. Romans 16:17-18

Romans 16:17-18 New American Standard Bible 1995

17 Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and  [a]hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. 18 For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own [b]appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Apostle Paul became increasingly aware that after his departure, the enemy would not only seek to divide the Church through false teachers and demonic doctrines, but would also use clever words, internal dissentions and disunity to cause chaos, havoc and distress among Christians and divide the Body of Christ.

As he brings his long, instructive Roman epistle to a close, the one message Paul was prompted to leave with these dear people was about discord among the saints: “Keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned,” he warned, “and turn away from them.”

His final comments to the brethren in Rome concerned the gravest dangers of internal conflict and contention. Wrangling and verbal strife among Christian brethren and internal bickering is at great variance to the gospel of grace and ultimately seeks to create great “who is right?” destroy the unity of the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 1:10-13 New American Standard Bible 1995

10 Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all [a]agree and that there be no [b]divisions among you, but that you be [c]made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. 12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.” 13 [d]Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized [e]in the name of Paul?

In his final comments, Paul greeted twenty-six people in the Roman Church by name. Was he implying that some of them just might be contentious or was he warning them to watch for others who might cause disunity among the saints?

In either case, Paul knew the great damage caused when conflict and strife from conflicted interpretations of Torah, allowed to permeate the Christian Church.

False teachers and destructive doctrines infiltrating the Body of Christ was the biggest danger about which all the apostles warned in their letters, and in Acts 20, we read that Paul knew that vicious wolves would soon come smiling into the Church, twisting the truth, and scatter the flock of God after his death. But during his lifetime, we see Paul addressing internal strife among Christians.

Conflict, division, between believers was a deep concern that Paul challenged unrelentingly in a number of his epistles, because once murmuring, bickering, squabbling, and disunity, is allowed to percolate, the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace is crumbled, destroyed, and contrary to the teaching of the Word.

Misinformed, badly educated by teachers who are themselves badly taught, upside down biological teachings in scholastic institutions at all levels, young children. False teachers and heretical doctrines have become an increasingly serious problem in church communities and Christian fellowships today, but too often they are conceived by those who desire to cause division and disunity.

We should be alert and ready to know what the truth of the Gospel teaches and be knowledgeable of correct interpretations, sound accurate contextual biblical applications, studying to show ourselves approved of God, willing to turn away, correcting them, from who have this destructive spirit of division and discord.

Drifting away from biblical truth into apostasy or the deliberate infiltration of heretical teachings are a serious problem in any Christian fellowship, but let us never forget that they are often spawned from internal disagreements, division, and disunity, and should be dealt with before the witness of Christ is tarnished.

The enemy of God is the same evil one that comes to steal our peace, kill our hope, accuse the saints, and destroy our testimony.

He not only comes as a roaring lion but also as an angel of light.

With this in mind, just as individual members of the Church in Rome were exhorted to diligently identify those who caused division within their own congregation and turn away from them, we too should be prepared to address such disunity within our own churches and quickly deal with those that cause worldly dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching of God’s Word.

I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned, Keep away from them. – Romans 16:17

Africa’s Victoria Falls produces a cloud of mist that is often heavy enough to impair visibility.

Once a man was walking the path that skirts the giant gorge, and he noticed a sign on the rim but could not fully make it out. Not wanting to miss whatever it might be noting, he slithered and slid and slipped, slogged his way through the mud out to the very brink only to read the message:

“Danger! Your standing on the very edge of a slippery, Crumbling Edge.”

As Christians, it can sometimes be easy to unwittingly miss the danger you’re in until you’ve gone too far.

This is especially true when it comes to right and wrong ideas of God.

You flip through the channels on TV at night and come across a preacher whose message sounds great at the beginning.

But when you really understand the kind of gospel he’s preaching, you realize it may be very different from what the Bible teaches.

Sadly, many once-faithful followers of Christ have built their house on this misty mud covered “crumbling edge” of mistaken misinformed faith, and their whole spiritual life is one fatal step away, fallen out from under them because they forgot to stand on the correctly educated e high ground of biblical truth.

So if you find yourself tempted to walk out into the heavy mist of dangerous doctrine where things may not seem as they should, watch out for the warning signs! Stay grounded in the truth of Scripture. Stay engaged with self and group Bible Study. Recognize when what’s being taught is not what the Bible teaches.

When you take the time to do that, you can be sure you’ll build your faith on the dry, solid rock of good doctrine and not on the crumbling edge of bad theology.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 25 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 25

A Psalm of David.

1 Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed,
let not mine enemies triumph over me.
3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed:
let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.
4 Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths.
5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me:
for thou art the God of my salvation;
on thee do I wait all the day.
6 Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses;
for they have been ever of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions:
according to thy mercy remember thou me
for thy goodness’ sake, O Lord.

8 Good and upright is the Lord:
therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
9 The meek will he guide in judgment:
and the meek will he teach his way.
10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth
unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
11 For thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity;
for it is great.
12 What man is he that feareth the Lord?
him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.
13 His soul shall dwell at ease;
and his seed shall inherit the earth.
14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him;
and he will shew them his covenant.
15 Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord;
for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.

16 Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me;
for I am desolate and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged:
O bring thou me out of my distresses.
18 Look upon mine affliction and my pain;
and forgive all my sins.
19 Consider mine enemies; for they are many;
and they hate me with cruel hatred.
20 O keep my soul, and deliver me:
let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me;
for I wait on thee.

22 Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Advent Week 1: Hope for our World, Living Hope into our Darkness, Unto You alone, O God, Do I lift up my Soul.

Today is the first Sunday of Advent and the theme is “Hope in the Darkness.” We will take some time for ourselves, something we’re often not very good at doing. The reality is God cares deeply for you before you can do anything for him, and he wants that truth to settle deeply into our hearts today. We will be exploring what it means to have vision for ourselves holistically. How do we set ourselves up for success emotionally, physically and spiritually? The truth is you matter, and it’s my prayer you are strengthened and encouraged today.

Psalm 25:1-10 Names of God Bible

By David.

1 To you, O Yahweh, I lift my soul.
2 I trust you, O my Elohim.
    Do not let me be put to shame.
    Do not let my enemies triumph over me.
3 No one who waits for you will ever be put to shame,
    but all who are unfaithful will be put to shame.
4 Make your ways known to me, O Yahweh,
    and teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth and teach me
    because you are Elohim, my savior.
        I wait all day long for you.
6 Remember, O Yahweh, your compassionate and merciful deeds.
    They have existed from eternity.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my rebellious ways.
    Remember me, O Yahweh, in keeping with your mercy and your goodness.

8 Yahweh is good and decent.
    That is why he teaches sinners the way they should live.
9 He leads humble people to do what is right,
    and he teaches them his way.
10 Every path of Yahweh is one of mercy and truth
    for those who cling to his promise[b] and written instructions.

The Word of God for the Children of God. In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

Psalm 25 is a plea from the depth of a suffering soul to the God in whom the speaker trusts for deliverance and mercy. Yet despite this trust, the text is a cry of utmost desperation. It points directly and decisively to our longing for God not only to deliver us from our troubles, also for God’s light to reveal us fully.

As we enter into this season Advent, we wait for God to see us through the darkness, reveal Himself, to bestow the mercy that we trust God alone to give.

While this reading is limited to verses 1-10, considering the entire Psalm provides a richer understanding of the Psalmist’s prayer.

In many ways, Psalm 25 is a brilliantly woven text. The Psalm as a whole appears to be two prayers woven together: one expressing the experience of a suffering individual who feels the absence of God, and the other expressing a community’s trust in God’s direction and deliverance. The individual and communal voices alternate, with verses 1-7, 11-12, and 16-21 voicing the individual, and verses 8-10, 13-15, and 22 voicing the community. It may be that two prayers were interwoven in this way for use in a worship context.

The result of this interweaving is a compelling prayer that contains all the elements of a lament:

  • Petition: As we see from the first two verses, this Psalm is addressed to God, calling upon God to hear the sufferer’s plea. The speaker pleads for God’s attention to and for deliverance from suffering (verses 1-3 and 16-21), and also for forgiveness of sins of the past, which seem to be haunting the speaker and contributing to that affliction (verse 6-7 and 11-12).

Woven together with this plea is a petition for instruction in following the right path (verses 4-5 and 8-10). While mercy is utterly dependent on God and not on our own deserving, the Psalmist knows that such mercy is most often found by his walking the way that God has provided within the covenant community (verses 10, 13-15).

  • Complaint: While we do not have here a clear description of the precise nature and source of the Psalmist’s suffering, it is clear, however, the situation is dire; the Psalm is rife with the language of shame, guilt, loneliness, and affliction. Whatever the cause of the individual’s suffering, a significant piece of the pain expressed here is the Psalmist’s idea, God’s apparent absence in the midst of it.

This absence of God is a source of shame for the speaker, who is persecuted for maintaining faith in a God who seems either unwilling or apparently unable to respond (verse 2-3 and 20). Indeed, for the Psalmist persecution is a “violent hatred” (verse 19) that further intensifies the very acute pain of the experience.

The Psalm is the Psalmists very heartfelt Appeal to God’s character: Here, the speaker takes this complaint to God precisely because God is the one who can be trusted to provide deliverance. In verses 6-7, 11, and 18, the Psalmist calls on God to make known the steadfast love that characterizes the Divine Reality.

Here we see another example of the brilliant weaving of this Psalm: the appeal unto God’s character is interwoven with a particular plea for forgiveness. “Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love . . . Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness’ sake, O Lord!” (verses 6-7).

It is as if the speaker is saying, “Remember, God, both who you are and who I am, and forget the sin that seems to stand between us.” The natures of God and of the sin filled, sin darkened human being both seem hidden under deep suffering and deeper shame, and only God’s attention to the afflicted can restore them.

Statements of confidence in God, and promise of sacrifice or praise: These final two elements of Psalms of lament are less explicit and frequent here than in other such Psalms (see Psalm 22).

The speaker asserts his sure and certain trust in God (verse 2), maintains the goodness and uprightness of the Lord (verse 8), and repeats the refrain of waiting for God to respond, implying assurance God’s response will surely and certainly, directly and decisively, timely and succinctly come (verses 3, 5, 21).

The speaker praises God for the sureness of God’s instruction (verses 8-10). But the overlying theme of this lament remains that of the perception of suffering, God’s divine absence; the Psalmist’s faith remains interwoven with fear and doubt, the Psalm ends with a plea for the redemption of all Israel (verse 22).

Advent often seems to come to us as a pinhole of light surrounded by darkness.

The world, with its suffering, its violence, its ruthlessness, at times seems so dark, and the light at tunnels end seems so puny. We want it to be enough, but we’re not really convinced it will be. We fear the light that God has promised won’t really shine in the darkest corners of our world, or of ourselves. And it is only dimly, through that pinhole of light, that we see ourselves, reduced to our shortcomings, and we long for God to look past those faults and really see us.

With the Psalmist, as a community and as individuals, we pray, “See me, God, and show me that mercy and steadfast love for which I long, and which I can receive only from you.” As the season of Advent begins, our hope begins as we cry the lament of Psalm 25, and we wait for the salvation that we know is ours.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

Let us raise up our souls unto the Lord our God, and enter into a time of prayer.

“O my God, in You I trust, do not let me be ashamed; do not let my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed; those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.”  

Thank You, Father, that I can place my complete trust in You to keep my soul pure and holy. As we move forth into this season of Advent, Continue to guide me so that I will never be ashamed of my behavior, words or thoughts. I praise You that if I will wait for You and seek after Your heart, I will never be ashamed.

In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.