Old Testament Archives - Page 2 of 18

Trust In the Lord Always

Scripture: Proverbs 3: 5-7

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.^[a] ⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.

Scripture Commentary:

Do you trust in the Lord with all your heart or do you do things your own way?

I was going to do something in my life. I just knew this was what God planned for me. No one could tell me differently. But as time went by it did not happen. I would say that it was in God’s hands.

As time passed, I found that it was God testing my faith in Him. As I questioned this I realized that God saw the problem that lay ahead. Because it was in His hands, I was able to avoid a costly mistake.

God is the only one to go to and to trust.

We must trust Him completely and not lean on ourselves. He is a better judge of what we need than we are! We must not be wise in our own eyes.

Solomon said we must acknowledge God in all our ways and turn everything over to Him. In many ways you may already acknowledge God, but it is in the areas where you attempt to restrict or ignore His influence that will cause you grief.

Trust in the Lord in all things. He will guide you in the path to go because He loves you.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Proverbs Chapter 3

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Proverbs:

Knowledge of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom

Let God Help You Make Decisions

Jesus Makes the Rough Places Smooth

Scripture: Isaiah 42: 16

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do;

Scripture Commentary:

God guides us when things are unfamiliar; He dispels the darkness and makes rough places smooth. I was blind but now I can see. This is because God, through His grace and mercy, has taken us out of the darkness of this world and has placed us in His marvelous light.

This was done when the Messiah, Jesus Christ, came into the world and gave His life for our sins. Jesus’s mission here on earth was to demonstrate God’s righteousness and to be a true light in the world

Are you God’s servants?

Through Jesus we have the opportunity to share in His mission. God has called us to be His servants. Are you God’s servants? That is the question being asked.

The road we were on was crooked but because of His love, rough places have become smooth. His brilliant light shows the way. We are given the privilege to take God’s message to the world.

Ask God for His direction.

Don’t rely on your own thoughts. Let Him truly guide you; don’t guide yourself. Let His light shine in the world with brightness.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Isaiah Chapter 42

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Isaiah:

Find Security in God’s Plan: See What is Right

Judgment and Hope

Mighty God, My Everlasting Father

Sermon: The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

First we have the birth of Christ as foretold in Isaiah 9: 6 “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor,^[d] Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.“

Then we heard about His death. Romans 5: 10 says, “For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.”

And now we have the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 13: 20 says , “Now may the God of peace—who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—”

Before Jesus, only the rabbi had access to the Father.

Before Jesus came to save us from sin, we would have had to go to a rabbi, priest or holy man to intercede for us to God. But God sent His Only Begotten Son to not only pay for our sins but also to give us direct access to God, the Father.

God loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us.

This was a painful death. Jesus was beaten with whips, stripped of His clothes, and spit upon. Thorns were driven in His head as a crown. Then He had to carry His cross (the instrument) that was to be His death seat. When He got to the place of His execution, they hammered large nails into His hands and feet to hold Him into place on the cross.

Would you have sent your child to a death such as this, or to any kind of death? I know your answer is no! But God sent His Son to us, knowing that He had to die for us. God loves us that much!

Jesus died on the cross, and His body was taken down and placed in a tomb. The people and His followers leave, likely saying to themselves, “That’s it! Jesus is dead!”

This is the new beginning. This is why He came.

Christ’s death did not merely precede His resurrection. It was the price that obtained it. That’s why the Bible says in Hebrews 13:20, “Now may the God of peace—who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—”

The blood of the covenant is the blood of Jesus.

As He said in Matthew 26: 28, “for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant^[d] between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.”

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

Read the sermon, The Prophecy of Jesus Christ, from The Gospel Mailman:

His Name Shall Be Called Wonderful

Jesus Christ, The Prince of Peace

Do You Know the Way to Heaven?

Love Each Other As God Loves You

We invite you to return later this week for the conclusion of the sermon, The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Idols Can’t See Nor Hear Nor Walk; Worship the Living God

Sermon, Part Five (Final): The Final Destination

Revelation 9: 20-21

And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood; which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk; Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their thefts.

No one suddenly falls into immorality; it happens a little bit at a time.

These people were so hardhearted that even plagues did not drive them to God. People don’t usually fall into immortality and evil suddenly. They slip into it a little at a time, and when they realize what has happened, they are irrevocably mired in their wicked ways.

People who allow sin to take root in their life will find themselves in a predicament. Temptation entertained today becomes sin tomorrow. From there, it turns into a habit, leading to death and separation from God forever. To think you could never become this evil is the first step toward a hard heart. Go to God and confess your sin. Ask for His forgiveness.

Psalm 23:6

Surely Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

When you hear your name called and you take your last breath, what will be your final destination? Will you be the rich man in hell or will you take the same path as Lazarus, the beggar, and be in God’s House? You have a choice and a chance.

2 Corinthians 5:1

For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house mot made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

The doors of the church are never closed.

Jude 1:24-25

²⁴Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, ²⁵To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

Revelation Chapter 9

Psalm Chapter 23

2 Corinthians Chapter 5

Jude Chapter 1

Read the Other Parts of the Sermon, The Final Destination

Do You Know the Way to Heaven? (Part One)

Love Each Other As God Loves You (Part Two)

Don’t Be Ruled By Your Lusts (Part Three)

Disobedience Is the Devil’s Playground (Part Four)

Jesus Christ, The Prince of Peace

Part Two: The Prophecy of Jesus Christ

Isaiah 9: 6

⁶For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 53: 5

⁵But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

In this prophecy of Isaiah, God pulled aside the curtain of time to let the people of Isaiah’s day look ahead to see The Prince of Peace. They saw ahead to the suffering of the future Messiah and the resulting forgiveness made available to all mankind.

Today we can see all that Christ did and if we still reject Him, our sin is greater than that of the Israelites who could not see what we have seen and know.

Have you given your life to Jesus, The Prince of Peace?

Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Are you in the fold or are you like a wandering sheep?

Jesus is the sinless lamb who offered Himself for our sins to make us acceptable to God, His Father. What Christ did on the cross opened the way so we can enter heaven. It is not by our works or deeds. We are justified because we claim Jesus Christ the righteous servant.

When you accept Christ as your Lord and Savior, your sin is stripped away and you are clothed in His goodness. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ, you are lost and belong to Satan. All you have to do is accept Christ. He will forgive and forget your sins.

God loves each of us so much.

He will hold no memory of our wrong when we accept His Son. And if God is willing to forgive us, we must forgive anyone who has harmed us. We cannot seek God’s forgiveness if we can’t forgive.

In closing, in time of great darkness, God promised to send a light who would shine on everyone living in darkness and the shadow of death. Jesus is that light. He is Wonderful, Counselor, the Prince of Peace and Mighty God.

This message of hope was fulfilled in the birth of Christ and the establishment of His eternal kingdom. He came to deliver all people from their slavery to sin. Take comfort in this certainty: although the Lord may not always take us out of our troubles, He will lead us safely through them.

Think of the prayers He has answered and praise Him! Keep your thoughts and trust in God. Ask His forgiveness. He will forgive and forget.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

Isaiah Chapter 9

Isaiah Chapter 53

Read Part One of the Sermon, The Prophecy of Jesus Christ.

How Will You Live Your Life?

Sermon – Part Two: How Will You Live Your Life? (What Punctuation Mark Describes Your Life?)

God has given us time between our birth and death. How will you live your life? What will your ‘black box’ record about you?

Have you ever done something wrong and wondered why you could not look in the mirror and lie to yourself? Satan tried to make Eve think that sin was good, pleasant and desirable. God’s Word, The Holy Bible, tells us what is good and what is evil.

As God called to Adam, “Where art thou,” He is also calling to you. Where are you?

Genesis 3:11

“And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?”

God tells us what to do and what not to do. As with Eve, people think sin is good, pleasant and desirable, and think that the knowledge of good and evil is harmless. People usually choose wrong things because they have become convinced that those things are good. It feels good so it must be good. Our sins don’t always appear ugly to us. And it’s the ‘pleasant’ sins that are the hardest to avoid.

Romans 1: 22

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools

We can’t always prevent temptation. God does not tempt us; the devil does. But there is always an escape. Recognize and confess your sin to God. He will forgive you.

John 1: 29

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

What statement will be in your black box when that day, hour, minute and second comes?

John 12: 26

If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

Jesus has accepted you? Have you accepted Him?

John 6: 47

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

Life is short. Accept Jesus. That is eternal.

Read the Entire Chapter to the Scriptures Referenced:

Genesis Chapter 3

Romans Chapter 1

John Chapter 1, Chapter 12, and Chapter 6

Read Part One of the Sermon, What Punctuation Mark Describes Your Life?

What Punctuation Mark Describes Your Life?

Sermon – Part One: What Punctuation Mark Describes Your Life?

There is a gap between our first and last breath. In between those breaths is a punctuation mark. These punctuation marks in our lives can be a comma, exclamation point, question mark, apostrophe, colon, semicolon, and definitely the almighty period.

None of us is a mistake. God doesn’t make mistakes.

In Genesis 3: 4-6, it says:

⁴But the serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die! ⁵For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened [that is, you will have greater awareness], and you will be like God, knowing [the difference between] good and evil.” ⁶And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise and insightful, she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband ^[c]with her, and he ate.

This is the first recorded decision that man and woman made.

In an airplane, there is a black box. With humans, the black box is our soul, our spirit that God placed in us.

John 3: 6

That which is born of the flesh is flesh [the physical is merely physical], and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

We all have punctuation marks in our lives.

Are you a COMMA, a mark indicating a separation from life, not doing what God placed you here to do?

Or are you an EXCLAMATION POINT? Do you express excitement about what God is doing in your life?

Perhaps you are a QUESTION MARK. You have doubts, uncertainties, and difficulties that have shaken your confidence.

Or, maybe you’re an APOSTROPHE. Have you turned away from life, taking the path of not being present? In doing so, you show your omission from God and the life He has given you.

If you are a COLON, are you part of a group that set good examples in life or are you a series of things that have no meaning? Are you quoting the good or the bad?

Or, are you the SEMI-COLON – that mark of punctuation denoting a degree of separation greater than that marked by the comma but less than that marked by the period?

No matter who you are, the end – completion – is marked by a PERIOD. This is our death.

What punctuation mark will come before the PERIOD in your life?

Read the Full Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

Genesis Chapter 3

John Chapter 3

Read Other Sermons by The Gospel Mailman:

The One That Is Lost

Jesus Came to Save the Lost (Part One)

Be Willing to Accept Jesus Into Your Heart (Part Two)

God Can Hear Your Cry and Save You (Part Three)

Return Thursday for the conclusion of the sermon, What Punctuation Mark Describes Your Life?

Is the Punishment Fair?

Part One: That Isn’t Fair! In Reality, God Is Fair.

Ezekiel 18: 19-20

“Yet do you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father’s sin?’ When the son has practiced justice and righteousness and has kept all My statutes and has done them, he shall certainly live. ²⁰The person who sins [is the one that] will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the sin of the father, nor will the father bear the punishment for the sin of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be on himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on himself.

We will say “This isn’t fair, why am I being punished?” Some people feel that are bearing someone else’s punishment. This can be true when we follow their ways.

If we are living in sin because we were raised in it, we don’t have to continue when we learn that it’s wrong. Once we put The Bible in our hands and read the Word or listen to a preacher of God’s Word, we begin to know the truth.

Now the people of Judah believed they were being punished for the sins of their ancestors, not their own sin. Now if you do, think, or are living wrong, and you know that you are, who can you blame? No one but yourself!

If you think that someone in your family has been living in sin and you are bearing the punishment for it, you are wrong. God judges each and every person individually!

Psalm 7: 8

The Lord judges the peoples; Judge me, O Lord, and grant me justice according to my righteousness and according to the integrity within me.

God searches our minds and hearts. Nothing is hidden from God. This can be either terrifying or comforting. It can be terrifying because you can’t hide or lie to God when you stand before Him. Likewise, it can be comforting if you know that His grace and mercy is freely given.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

Ezekiel Chapter 18

Psalm Chapter 7

Read Other Sermons From The Gospel Mailman:

The Great Shepherd Restores the Soul

Part One: Jesus Is Our Great Shepherd

Part Two: God Is With Me; I Will Fear No Evil

Part Three: Jesus Prepared Your Place At the Table

The Lord Is My Light

Scripture: Psalm 27: 1, 8, 14

The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?(1) My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.(8) Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.(14)

Scripture Commentary: Jesus brings the light of salvation.

When you walk in a dark room, you can’t see the furnishings. But turn on the lights, and you can see everything! The Lord is my light, and with Him, I can see the way. In His light, I can see the pitfalls, and the bends in the road.

Fear can be a dark shadow that can imprison you to the point where you think there is no way out. But Jesus brings the light of salvation.

Jesus is a strong tower; a hedge of protection.

This is what happens when you let Jesus in your life. He is your salvation, so why have fear? He is your strength and protection.

Knock on God’s door and He will open it to find you. Ask God and He will answer you.

We have all left God at times in our lives but take heart. He has never left us.

Read the Entire Chapter:

Psalm Chapter 27

Read Other Commentary from Psalms:

Take Shelter in the Lord for Every Storm

Teach Me Lord, and Order My Steps In Your Word

Come to Jesus’ Banquet Table

Part Three: Jesus Prepared Your Place At the Table (Jesus Is Our Great Shepherd)

There are seventy-two psalms and almost half speak about enemies. Enemies are those who oppose not only us, but also God’s ways. David is at the table asking God to keep his enemies from overcoming him because they oppose what God stands for.

David isn’t questioning his faith. He knows that God will triumph. But David did not want his enemies’ success to be an obstacle to the faith of others. When we see a person or a group that we consider to be doing well, keep in mind that it’s only temporary, as we all are temporary. We are here for a moment, but what we do while we are here in the name of Our Lord will carry on.

Psalm 25: 2

O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd, the Perfect Shepherd, promises to guide and protect us through life to bring us into His Father’s house.

John 14: 2

In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

God tells us He is our shepherd. Jesus tells us He is going to prepare a place for us, and He will come back for us. We can look forward to eternal life with Him.

Psalm 23: 6

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Jesus has a place for you in His Father’s house, and the banquet table is prepared. Your seat is waiting for you. Jesus paid the ultimate price for your seat when He went to the cross, died and rose from the grave. Jesus gave you the way to eternal life.