JESUS IS THE FOCUS OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

Second Corinthians is a valuable guide in examining our own motives for serving the Lord, whether as lay people or as ordained pastors and evangelists. As an instrument of the Holy Spirit, this letter can refine our motives until we reflect the kind of selfless giving best exemplified in Christ, but also found in His servant Paul. The instructions concerning the collection for Jerusalem (chs. 8 and 9) emphasize generosity in the area of financial resources, just as Paul emphasized generosity in self-giving throughout the book.

Jesus Christ is the focus of our relationship with God. All God’s promises to us are Yes in Jesus, and we say “Amen” to God’s promises in Jesus (1:19, 20). Jesus is God’s Yes to us and our Yes to God. Only in Christ do we see the glory of God, and only in Him are we transformed by that glory (3:14, 18), for Christ is the very image of God (4:4–6). God came to us in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself (5:19). Thus, it is “in Christ” that we have become new creatures (5:17). This change was accomplished through the marvelous act of God’s grace in which Christ, “who knew no sin,” became “sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (5:21).

Jesus is also the focus of our service to God. We proclaim Jesus as Lord and ourselves as servants for His sake (4:5). We willingly share not only Christ’s life and glory but also His dying (4:10–12), His willingness to be weak so that others might experience the power of God (13:3, 4, 9), and His willingness to be impoverished so that others might be enriched (8:9). We experience His weakness but also His strength as we seek to bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (10:5).

Again, Jesus is the focus of our present life in this world, where we simultaneously experience in our mortal bodies both “the dying of the Lord Jesus” and His life (4:10, 11).

Finally, Jesus is the focus of our future life, for we will be raised up with Jesus (4:14), who is the “betrothed. . .husband” of the church (11:2) and the judge of all men (5:10).

The Holy Spirit is the power of the New Covenant (3:6), because He makes real to us the present and future provisions of our salvation in Christ. By the gift of “the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee,” we are assured that all God’s promises are Yes in Christ, and that we are anointed and “sealed” as belonging to Him (1:20–22). The present experience of the Spirit is specifically “a guarantee” of the glorified bodies we will one day receive (5:1–5).

We do not merely read about the will of God in the “letter” of Scripture, for “the letter [alone] kills.” The Spirit who gives life (3:6) changes our way of living by opening our eyes to the living reality of what we read. Thus, we progressively experience and embody the will of God, and we ourselves become epistles of Christ, “known and read by all men” (3:2).

When we submit ourselves to the work of the Spirit, we experience a miracle. We find that “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (3:17). There is liberty to behold the unveiled glory of the Lord and to be changed more and more into the likeness of what we behold. The Holy Spirit gives us freedom to see and freedom to be what God wants us to be (3:16–18).

The work of the Holy Spirit is evident in daily inward renewal (4:16), spiritual warfare (10:3–5), and the “signs and wonders and mighty deeds” of Paul’s ministry in Corinth (12:12). Paul ended his letter with a blessing, which included “the communion [fellowship] of the Holy Spirit” (13:14). This could indicate a sense of the Spirit’s presence or, more likely, an enjoyment of the fellowship the Spirit gives us with Christ and with all people who love Christ.   ~New Spirit-Filled Life Bible

Heavenly Father, I thank and praise You for Your Word, the Holy Scriptures and for the promise that Your Holy Spirit will guide me into all truth. Give me a teachable spirit so that I may learn all that You would teach me in Your word and prevent me from falling into deceptive teaching or false doctrine.

Lord I ask that by Your Holy Spirit You would open my mind to the truth and give me discernment so that I am not tossed about by every wind of doctrine. Thank You for what You are teaching me in Your Word and give me a thirst to read, mark learn and inwardly digest all that You would have me learn.

Lead me in the path of righteousness and guide me into all truth for Your holy names sake and help me to come to a deeper knowledge of the Lord Jesus, so that I may grow in grace and in a knowledge of Him – and of all that You would have me learn. Keep me from pride I pray and may I walk humbly before You all the days of my life – I ask this in the precious name of my Saviour, Jesus Christ my Lord, Amen

O MY SOUL, BLESS GOD!

When I woke up this morning I looked out my window and the Sun had not risen yet and for some reason I had the thought, Is the Sun going to rise? Then later as I was going about my daily chores the Holy Spirit spoke, "There will be more Sunrises and more Sunsets", which had a urgency to it. I searched the Biblical Meaning and PSALMS 103:1-22 was one of the scriptures given. Also a Blog post showed up in the search titled "Sunrise and Sunset: Evidence of God’s Goodness." The post also had the same scriptures, so I read it, and because of the urgency when the words were given I'm sharing that blog info at the bottom of my blog post.

PSALMS 103 1-2 O my soul, bless God.

    From head to toe, I’ll bless his holy name!

O my soul, bless God,

    don’t forget a single blessing!

3-5     He forgives your sins—every one.

    He heals your diseases—every one.

    He redeems you from hell—saves your life!

    He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown.

    He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.

    He renews your youth—you’re always young in his presence.

6-18 God makes everything come out right;

    he puts victims back on their feet.

He showed Moses how he went about his work,

    opened up his plans to all Israel.

God is sheer mercy and grace;

    not easily angered, he’s rich in love.

He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold,

    nor hold grudges forever.

He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve,

    nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.

As high as heaven is over the earth,

    so strong is his love to those who fear him.

And as far as sunrise is from sunset,

    he has separated us from our sins.

As parents feel for their children,

    God feels for those who fear him.

He knows us inside and out,

    keeps in mind that we’re made of mud.

Men and women don’t live very long;

    like wildflowers they spring up and blossom,

But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly,

    leaving nothing to show they were here.

God’s love, though, is ever and always,

    eternally present to all who fear him,

Making everything right for them and their children

    as they follow his Covenant ways

    and remember to do whatever he said.

19-22 God has set his throne in heaven;

    he rules over us all. He’s the King!

So bless God, you angels,

    ready and able to fly at his bidding,

    quick to hear and do what he says.

Bless God, all you armies of angels,

    alert to respond to whatever he wills.

Bless God, all creatures, wherever you are—

    everything and everyone made by God.

And you, O my soul, bless God!

"The real message in sunrises and sunsets is their predictability. Every day the sun comes up, and every evening it goes back down. No need to be sad when it sets, or to worry whether it will rise again the next morning. It will. Some days the sky may be covered in thick clouds that hide the sun from view, but we don’t doubt that it’s up there shining away, or worry that it won’t rise again the next day. We can count on it". ~Bits & Pieces of "Sunrise and Sunset: Evidence of God’s Goodness"

GOD LOOKS INTO THE HEART

                                      

The cure for Saul’s affliction came through David’s music, and it was two-fold. 

First, Saul Benefited From Temporary Spiritual Deliverance: Whatever one believes concerning the identity and/or scope of the “evil, distressing spirit,” this much is clear the music had the power to cause the spirit to depart from Saul. 

The implications here are important for the discussion of the morality of music because the ability of David’s music to interrupt spiritual oppression qualifies its moral substance.

The text is not implying, by any stretch of the imagination, that music has the power to deliver men from their sin. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ contains that atoning power (cf. John 14:6; Ephesians 2:8–10).

The point here is that the music created by David evidenced the unique ability to either directly remove the distressing spirit or indirectly create an atmosphere whereby the spirit could no longer distress Saul.

Both possibilities direct us to the same conclusion. The elements of David’s music were able to render the spirit unable or unwilling to continue its oppression of Saul. One must not relegate to obscurity this representation of music’s power.

The Cure for King Saul’s Affliction: Physical Deliverance

Second in this two-fold cure, Saul benefited from temporary physical deliverance: The word used here is ravach, which means “to be spacious or wide, cause enlargement, relief.” It may also contain the idea of feeling relieved. 

This word is also used in Job 32:20 where Job seeks relief from terrible abdominal pain. The word signifies that Saul’s body felt complete relief from the affliction. Medical research has proven that the right kind of music can speed physical healing in war casualties.

A writer points out the similarity of this Hebrew word with the word translated “spirit, wind, breath” and believes that Saul’s affliction may have included difficulty in breathing.

David’s music was powerful enough to bring about temporary, complete physical relief from the severe agony that Saul was experiencing.

Some have used Saul’s murderous treachery in Chapters 18 and 19 to argue that the music could not help Saul. The context of these two examples is key to answering this objection. One must remember that David had become a national hero by slaying Goliath in Chapter 17.

King Saul had promoted David from a lowly shepherd to the King’s royal armor-bearer, and now the nation of Israel had fallen in love with David! This irony was not lost on Saul, and the people singing “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands” only fed his resentment toward David.

David’s political popularity created deep hatred within the heart of Saul, and he was now determined to murder David. The text indicates that David’s music had refreshed Saul previously on numerous occasions; it says that whenever the distressing spirit would come upon Saul, he would call for David to come and play, and only then would the spirit depart. Saul’s physical deliverance is emphasized clearly in the Hebrew language: the music made him well.

First Samuel contains remarkable instances of the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the prophets, as well as upon Saul and his servants. In 10:6 the Holy Spirit comes upon Saul, who prophesies and is “turned into another man,” that is, equipped by the Spirit to fulfill God’s calling.

It is not only in the broad sweeps of history that God’s hand is obvious. The following lessons are also evident in First Samuel. God steps into the pain and misery of Hannah to give her, not only a son, but three sons and two daughters (2:21). Though men look on the outward appearance, God looks on the heart (16:7). 

Obedience is better than sacrifice (15:22, 23), indicating that God is concerned about men’s hearts as well as their actions. God does not spare even those in high position when they have sinned, but He is still a God of patience and forgiveness.

The tragic end of Saul illustrates the ultimate result of earthly kingdoms. The only hope is a kingdom of God on Earth, whose ruler is God Himself. In David, the earthly lineage of God’s King begins. In Christ, God comes as King and will come again as King of Kings. 

The similarities between Jesus and the boy Samuel are striking. Both were children of promise. Both were dedicated to God before birth. Both were the bridges of transition from one stage of the nation’s history to another. Samuel combined the offices of prophet and priest; Christ is Prophet, Priest, and King.

The phenomenon of the Spirit inspiring worship occurs in chapter 10 and 19:20. This was not the emotionalized raving of the pagans, but true, Spirit-inspired worship and praise to God, not unlike what happened on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2).

On a side note, the musical abilities of man made in the image of God, coupled with the Bible’s teaching that God sings (Zephaniah 3:17), remind us of the possibility that God did not create music but rather that music is a part of His very being. Man’s expression in music could be a part of the image of God placed within him. This author believes that music is a part of God’s essence and that He has evidenced this aspect of His being in the universe.

Music that contains elements consistent with the fruits of the Spirit such as goodness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22–23) can communicate those concepts to the listener. Music is ultimately a spiritual issue. 1 Samuel 16:14–23 communicates that good music has power to relieve spiritual and physical suffering. The text states that, when David would play his lyre, the spirit would depart from Saul. David’s music, therefore, was responsible for Saul’s relief.

The current debate within Christianity concerning music certainly invites further study and writing among theologians. The implications of such a study would yield valuable information for the application of music both in the church and in the individual Christian life.

Our anointing is displayed in the gifts God has given us. Others might notice them before we realize them ourselves. They will be pleasing and helpful to someone. Just like David played the harp for Saul, our gifts are a help to someone.

BITS & PIECES OF DAVID’S MUSICAL THERAPY, I SAMUEL 16:14-23