“The Everlasting Arms of God”

In Deuteronomy 33:27 we reads the everlasting arms of God…

 

Deut 33:26-27 (KJV)

26) [There is] none like unto the God of Jeshurun, [who] rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky.

27) The eternal God [is thy] refuge, and underneath [are] the everlasting arms:…

 

Let’s take a few minutes to study the importance of the everlasting arms of God and their effects in our life.

 

THE SCRIPTURES:

 

Deut 33:26-27

 

THE STUDY:

 

Deut 33:26-27

 

1)   [There is] none like unto the God of Jeshurun,

a)   Our God is truly unique and beyond comparison to all other Gods in three ways…

i)     Exod 15:11 (KJV) - Who [is] like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who [is] like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful [in] praises, doing wonders?

(1)  Glorious in holiness – His perfection

(2) Fearful In Praises – His greatness

(3) Doing wonders – His works among men

b)   Jeshurun – “upright, standing, upheld One”; A title given to the nation of Israel pointing to them being blessed, prosperous and righteous.   In other words, Israel was a trophy of God’s grace, they were blessed with prosperity and righteousness.  They were a living display of the grace of this wonderful God.

 

2)   [who] rideth upon the heaven in thy help,

a)    Our God is so great He is said to ride upon the heavens.  In other words, He transcends this natural world, taking authority over His people, leading and guiding them throughout their walk on earth.

i)     Exod 13:21-22 - And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, [from] before the people.

 

3)   and in his excellency on the sky.

a)    Excellency – Ornament, that which beautifys, attracts attention. The Lord’s forgiveness, leadership and blessing upon Israel brought beauty, honor and glory to Himself.

i)     Neh 9:12-15 - Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go. Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments: And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant: And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.

(1)  The Lord had blessed them with leadership, His Word, and met their physical needs.

  

ii)    Neh 9:16-18 - But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments, And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou [art] a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not. Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This [is] thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations;

(1)  Israel responded with rebellion and the worship of false Gods.

 

iii)   Neh 9:19 - Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.

(1)  Yet the Lord was patient, kind, forgiving and continued to keep His Word in spite of their actions.

 

4)   The eternal God [is thy] refuge,

a)    Eternal – before, ancestral, preceding.  This God, we now serve, is the same God that preceded us, taking care of the Israelites and remaining faithful to His Word.

i)     Psalm 90:1-2 - A Prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou [art] God.

b)   Refuge – a retreat; a dwelling; a secure, safe, protected place.  It is this same God to which we are to run and find rest, security, and divine supplies.

i)     Isa 57:15 - For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name [is] Holy; I dwell in the high and holy [place], with him also [that is] of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

 

5)   and underneath [are] the everlasting arms:…

a)    Everlasting – vanishing point.  As far as the eye can see (into the past and into the future) … the arms of God will supply support, strength and comfort to His people.  There is no scenario we can conceive where His arms will not be with us as we seek to serve Him on earth.

i)     His arms symbolic of…

(1)  support and comfort - Song 2:6 His left hand [is] under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.

(2)  strength - Gen 49:23-24 - The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot [at him], and hated him: But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty [God] of Jacob; (from thence [is] the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)

ii)    Our need to…

(1)  trust Him - Isa 26:4 - Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH [is] everlasting strength:

(2)  know our eternal security is in Him - 1Pet 1:3-5 - Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

 

 

PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

 

For those who have trusted in Christ.

 

By remembering our Lord’s patience, grace, mercy, strength and comforting arms, we can find rest for our souls in the midst of a sinful, trouble filled world.  His everlasting arms are always with us, enabling and protecting us as we seek to serve Him with our lives.

 

For those who have never trusted in Christ.

 

The same eternal God that will protect and bless His followers is the same eternally just God who will hold mankind accountable for the sins that they commit. Realizing He is the eternal judge of all mankind, should be a motivating force in seeing the need ot come to Him for salvation before it is eternally late.

 

 

 

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My Main Blog “Settled In Heaven” (updated twice weekly) – http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com

 

The following are other places you can find “Settled In Heaven” blog (updated once per month):

www.settledinheavenbibleblog.posterous.com

www.settledinheavenblog.blogspot.com

 

To see this lesson taught on video please go to my Video Blog at  http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven

 

If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com.    I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both.

 

Take A Look At My Wife’s Artistic/Scriptural Devotion Blog http://alivewithchristart.blogspot.com

 

Follow my Squidoo Instructional Lens “Presenting God’s Grace” “The Solemn Obligation To Present the Doctrines of Grace to the Lost and Saved Alike” http://www.squidoo.com/presenting-gods-grace

 

May the Lord bless your study of His Word.  Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.” 

“A No-Quit Christian”

Have you ever known someone who just refused to quit?  No matter what obstacle they might face, no matter how gloomy the outlook for success, there are those who refuse to say “I give up”.  I don’t know about you, but I admire those type of people. 

 

When it comes to sharing Christ with others, Christians should be the masters of exhibiting the “I refuse to quit” attitude.  You see, the level our commitment to share Christ with others, is directly related to our level of trust in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  The Apostle Paul explained this principle in great detail in our text for this posting. 

 

Let’s take a few moments and study a “No-Quit Christian”…

 

THE SCRIPTURES:

 

2Tim1:8-12 (KJV)

8) Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

9) Who hath saved us, and called [us] with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

10) But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

11) Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

12) For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

 

THE STUDY:

 

In our text, the Apostle Paul is encouraging a young Pastor, Timothy, to be a faithful steward of the gospel message.  Paul is explaining to Timothy why he (Timothy) needs to exhibit a “no-quit” attitude as he shares the gospel with others. (Rom 1:16),   These same principles can be applied to each of our lives as we seek to share the message of salvation to others around us.

 

2Tim1:8-12 (KJV)

8) Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner:

Paul, is encouraging Timothy to take a stand for the Lord in spite of all the opposition and discouragements that he will face.  Paul knew that our fleshly nature is bent toward “taking the easy way out” when it comes to our service for the Lord.  It is far easier on us as sinful humans to deny our relationship with the Lord and those who are faithfully serving Him. 

Just think of the Apostle Peter who so easily denied knowledge of the Lord during the trial and crucifixion of Christ. (Mark 14:66-72)

 

but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

Being led by the teachings of Christ, Himself (Luke 9:23-26), Paul understood that anyone who takes a stand for the gospel by faithfully witnessing to others will, eventually, face abuse and mistreatment in this world. (2 Tim 3:12)  

Following his denials of Christ, Peter made a purposeful choice to allow Christ and the gospel message to take preeminence in his life as well. (1 Peter 4:14)  Even the OT prophet Isaiah, understood the need to be willing to suffer shame for the cause of the Lord (Isa 51:7).

 

How can we consistently face the world’s criticisms and still serve Christ… it is by the power and grace of the Lord. (2 Tim 4:17, 2 Cor 6:4-10)

 

9) Who hath saved us, and called [us] with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

The Christ that we share with others is the same Christ that has graced us with His forgiveness and eternal salvation.   We did not deserve our salvation, nor could we work to gain our salvation… it was given to us freely through the workings of the HS in our life.  Paul is reminding Timothy, and all of us, of our obligation to serve Christ in appreciation for all He has done for us. (Roms 12:1)

 

10) But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

This same eternal plan of salvation that was made in eternity past, has now been clearly shown to mankind through the first coming of Christ. 

This is the essence of the gospel message that we proclaim.  It is an explanation of Christ’s work in defeating sin, and its result, that was wrought in the eternal counsels of God Almighty.  By sharing the gospel, we are sharing the way in which mankind can be set free from the effects of sin. (Col 1:25-29, 1 John 1:1-4)

 

11) Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

Paul’s call to the ministry centered on this gospel message.  He was appointed a preacher (one who proclaims the gospel message); an Apostle (one who was commissioned to be an ambassador to deliver the gospel message); and a teacher (one who explains the gospel message).  Paul had a tremendous amount of responsibility placed upon his shoulders. All of which was fulfilled as he faithfully took the gospel message to the lost Gentile world. (Eph 3:4-7)

 

12) For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

What motivated Paul to continue to share the gospel in spite of many hindrances?  Paul was very familiar with the Lord in whom he had placed his trust… he was well acquainted with the person and work of His Lord.  (Isa 12:1-2, Phil 3:7-11, 1 Pet 4:1-9)

1. Paul knew of His person: His greatness, His love, His grace… the list goes on and on. 

2. Paul also knew about His work: His forgiveness, His salvation, His security, His justice, etc etc.   

 

Paul was convinced beyond any doubt that His Lord was able to store up all that Paul had done for Him unto “that day”.  In other words, he was convinced that the Lord would remember, and reward, his faithfulness at the last judgment. (2 Tim 4:8, Matt 6:19-20, Jude 1:21-25)

   

 

PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

 

For those who have trusted in Christ.

 

Paul was one of the most persecuted of all of Christ’s followers.  He understood that by keeping his Lord, his Lord’s works, and his eternity with the Lord on his mind, he would be encouraged to continue faithful service for Christ.  Let’s all be conscious of our Lord and His workings, as we serve Him with no shame nor fear.  Let’s confidently look forward to our eternity with Him, it will make our service worth it all.

 

For those who have never trusted in Christ.

 

Being known as one of Christ’s followers may lead to mistreatment from this world, but it will result in a certain blessed eternity with the Lord.  By coming to Christ, we are acknowledging both our need of a Savior and our realization that eternity is of far more importance than the temporal things of this world. 

 

If you have any questions concerning the way of salvation please feel free to visit or call a Bible teaching church in your area.  They will be happy to speak to you about the Lord Jesus and the salvation He graciously gives.

 

Or, if you would rather, feel welcome to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com.  I’ll be more than happy to answer any question you may have. 

 

Also, if you look at my blog page “How To Have A Relationship With God”.  On this page, you will find several blog entries explaining the way of salvation.

 

 

 

Please visit the “Settled In Heaven Ministries” homepage –

http://www.settledinheaven.org

 

My Main Blog “Settled In Heaven” (updated twice weekly) – http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com

 

The following are other places you can find “Settled In Heaven” blog (updated once per month):

www.settledinheavenbibleblog.posterous.com

www.settledinheavenblog.blogspot.com

 

To see this lesson taught on video please go to my Video Blog at  http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven

 

If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com.    I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both.

 

Take A Look At My Wife’s Artistic/Scriptural Devotion Blog http://alivewithchristart.blogspot.com

 

Follow my Squidoo Instructional Lens “Presenting God’s Grace” “The Solemn Obligation To Present the Doctrines of Grace to the Lost and Saved Alike” http://www.squidoo.com/presenting-gods-grace

 

May the Lord bless your study of His Word.  Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.” 

“SIH’s Think On These Things: Gen 5:19-24 (5)”

Jude 1:14 (KJV)

14) And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

 

Within the pages of the Bible, we read very little about this man named “Enoch” and, yet, what we are told about him should cause any Christian to appreciate the wonderful testimony that he left behind.  Besides his age, lineage and descendants, we are told basically four different things about Enoch:

1. “Enoch walked with God”

2. “God took him (Enoch)”;  in other words, “Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found for God took him”

3. “he had this testimony, that he pleased God”

4.”Enoch… prophesied of these saying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints”

 

In our next devotion, I would like us to consider the fourth aspect of the Enoch’s testimony…”Enoch… prophesied of these saying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints”

 

Keep in mind, the event that Enoch is talking about is an end-time event that leads to the Battle Of Armageddon as taught in the book of Revelation and elsewhere.   Following the rapture (the taking of God’s people to meet Him in the air and the resurrection of the believer’s body) we find Christ returning to the earth with His saints to fight the Battle of Armageddon.  This battle will involve Christ coming to this earth and destroying the sinful powers of this world using the words of His mouth. (Rev 19:11-16, Zech 14:5, 2 Thes 1:7-10 etc).  This then is followed by the final judgment and consigning of lost to the Lake of Fire while the saints are placed in a New Heavens and Earth to dwell eternally. (Rev 20:-22:)

 

When we read that Enoch spoke to others about this great future event we can learn much about the basic teaching that others received through the witnessing of Enoch:

 

1. Enoch spoke of The Jehovah and His attitude against, and judgment of, sin.

2. Enoch spoke of the final victory over Satan, sin and death.

3. Enoch spoke of the future blessings of Jehovah’s people and their final victory in Christ.

4. Enoch was a living illustration of faith in Jehovah.  Keep in mind, He was declaring to others a future prophecy.  His faith in Jehovah was clearly shown by his certainty this prophecy would take place.

5. Enoch’s life exhibited love for His Lord and others.  As he spoke of this prophecy, he was glorifying God and placing the attention of his hearers on God.  He was warning others of their coming judgment and the blessings they can receive if they turned to this great and victorious God.

 

I believe that Enoch revealed other teachings of the Lord to his hearers beyond this one prophecy.  In my mind, I am certain he related to them their need of salvation and the way that would lead them to the Lord.  However, this part of his teachings is mentioned as a cornerstone of his ministry because by relating to others this one event that is yet to come that many of the basic truths about sin, judgment, the victory wrought by God and future blessings of His people can be clearly seen.

 

Do we make these truths clearly understood by others as well?

 

May the Lord bless us as we “Think On These Things”.

 

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