The Guidance of God

One thing I learned in Israel was how God truly leads His own. As David writes, Psalm 31:3 3 For You are my rock and my fortress; For Your name's sake You will lead me and guide me. Indeed we experienced this truth; that God leads His people and guides His people.

The past few weeks in Israel have made this verse ever clearer to me as I trusted in the Lord for many aspects regarding our recent trip to Israel. It is true that God is my Rock and my Fortress. Because God is my Rock and my Fortress, I can be confident that He will lead and guide me. This is a pattern in the psalms:

Psalm 27:11 11 Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me in a level path Because of my foes.

Psalm 43:3 3 O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your dwelling places.

Psalm 61:2 2 From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Psalm 139:9-10 9 If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.

Psalm 139:23-24 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.

Psalm 143:10 10 Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

I found that in trusting God, He had already worked everything out for us -- according to His sovereign plan. He truly paved the way for us. From the important matters even down to the mundane God was our guide. If there is one thing I have reflected on today regarding the character of God, it is the ever-present reality that God is my Shepherd and Guide:

Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

Psalm 58:10 - Rejoice at the Destruction of the Wicked?

Does the Bible really say that the righteous will rejoice at God's vengeance upon the wicked? Yes, it does. First of all, the Bible no where advocates or condones people rejoicing over the downfall of the enemy because of personal vengeance . All vengeance must be left to the LORD (Deut 32 and Rom 12). Nevertheless, when the Christian has a God-centered perspective, it is absolutely reasonable—yes, required—that believers rejoice at the destruction of the wicked. (Again, this is not personal vengeance or gloating that the wicked are finally cast into hell.) But in my sermon last night I provided seven reasons why the righteous will rejoice at the judgment of the wicked: 1. God commands it (Rev 19:1-10) In a mysterious way, God commands believers to rejoice because His judgments are poured out upon the wicked. Just read Revelation 19:1 (which immediately follows Rev 17-18 and the cataclysmic destruction of Babylon, the false religious system and the false political system durin

Giving Your Pastor Feedback After a Sermon. Some Helpful Tips.

Giving Your Pastor Feedback After a Sermon... Geoffrey R. Kirkland Christ Fellowship Bible Church “Good sermon.” “Helpful!” “Interesting.” “Awesome message.” “Thanks, Pastor!” Pastors hear these sorts of comments after sermons from time to time. Some may come more frequently than others. But if you ask most pastors who care about feeding the flock and who have literally emptied all that they have in that hour of heralding, many who approach them after sermons unknowingly do not provide helpful feedback. It’s not necessarily bad. It’s not necessarily harmful. It’s just not the most helpful. Preachers have heard the standard lines that people give on their way out of the church building when they give a brief word before heading home. Ministers have heard those. But feedback that is more helpful and more thoughtful is what every pastor needs. Here are a few helpful pointers in giving your shepherd helpful feedback after he has preached the Word of God to you. 1. Be specific in your

The Upright of Heart as a Metaphor for Integrity.

The Upright of Heart as a Metaphor for Integrity Psalm 11.2 says that the wicked seek to destroy those who are “upright in heart” ( לְיִשְׁרֵי־לֵב). The LXX renders the Hebrew phrase as: τοὺς εὐθεῖς τῇ καρδίᾳ (“the straight ones [=upright] of heart”). The Aramaic Targum renders the phrase in its oft-expanded way: תקיני לתריצי לבא (“the firm stability of the upright ones in heart”). Why is this language used to speak about integrity? Why does this describe the godly? I want to offer a few observations concerning this phrase. 1. This phrase refers to the godly person being one who is unbending and standing straight up for the Lord and for His Word. The Hebrew root for “upright” (יָשָׁר) speaks of that which is straight and right. So then, the person who is upright in heart is one who is straight in his life, straight in his course, unbending in his convictions, unswerving in his conduct. Joshua was told not to turn away from the Law of God either to the right or the left (Josh 1.7;

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