Am I Really God's Servant?

I was thinking about Psalm 119:121-125.

1. My eyes fail for Your salvation.

   My eyes fail for Your salvation, and for the Word of Your righteousness.

   (From v123.)

   Do you even care if people get saved? We should want people to be saved, and we should preach the gospel. We should pray for it.

2. I have done judgment and justice.

   There are people who are in big trouble. They're lost. They need saved. There are people appointed to die. They're old. They're very sick. There are unborn babies at abortion clinics. There are people who aren't walking with the Lord.

   We should do what we can, and preach the gospel, and preach the Word. We should pray, write, call, or whatever we can do. Can you honestly say, "I have done judgment and justice"?

3. I am Your servant.

   I was thinking about praying these verses to the Lord like a prayer from myself. I came to parts like these.

   Be surety for Your servant for good...

   (From part of v122a.)

   Deal with Your servant according unto Your mercy...

   (From part of v124a.)

   I [am] Your servant...

   (From part of v125a.)

   Will the Lord deal with you according to His mercy? Or, is salvation far from you? When we pray and cry to the Lord, and look for His help, will the Lord help us? Will He hear us and be near us?

   Seek His Word, and His salvation. Do judgment and justice.

   Am I Really God's Servant?

This is based on notes I originally took at 2006 09 09 1100.

The Secret of Getting God's Help

See 1 Chronicles 5:20.

God's people cried to Him in a battle, and He listened to them and helped them.

Why?

...because they put their trust in Him.

Call on God

See 1 Chronicles 4:10. It's the story of Jabez, who "called on the God of Israel", "...And God granted him that which he requested." Here's a good prayer list for us.

1. bless me indeed
2. enlarge my coast
3. that Your hand might be with me
4. keep me from evil so it may not grieve me

God gave Jabez the things he asked for. He promises us, "Ask, and you will receive."

3 Good Memory Verses

I have a friend who recently told me about these 3 verses.

1. Isaiah 41:10
2. Philippians 4:13
3. Colossians 3:23

These would be good verses to memorize.

Love God's Word

See 1 Timothy 6:3. This is just an outline about Loving God's Word.

1. Consent to God's Word.

   ...and consent not to wholesome words...

   (From part of 1 Timothy 6:3b.)

   Salvation [is] far from the wicked: for they seek not Thy statutes.

   (Psalm 119:155.)

2. Seek God's Word.

   ...teach me Thy statutes.

   (From part of Psalm 119:124b.)

   ...give me understanding, that I may know Thy testimonies.

   (From part of Psalm 119:125b.)

3. Teach God's Word.

   If any man teach otherwise...

   (From part of 1 Timothy 6:3a.)

   the doctrine which is according to godliness

   (From part of 1 Timothy 6:3d.)

4. Desire God's Word.

   Mine eyes fail for thy salvation, and for the Word of Thy righteousness.

   (From Psalm 119:123, I added the emphasis.)

John 16 - the Comforter

Verses

v1+ "remember that I told you..."
v5+ "...sorrow has filled your heart."
v7+ "It is expedient for you..."
v16+ "...your sorrow shall be turned into joy."
v23+ "...ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full."
v28+ "...be of good cheer..."

Meaning

This chapter shows me how Our Father is cares about how we feel. He warns us about the trouble we'll go through, and explains why.

In v6, the Lord knew their hearts were full of sorrow. He knows when our hearts are filled with sorrow. In v7, the Lord promised to send the Comforter. In v13, He promised that He shows us things from the future, about Himself.

v19 says "Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him." Jesus knows the things that we're desirous of, and answers, even when we're afraid to ask. In v20, He knew we'd weep and lament in sorrow while the world rejoices. In v21 and 22, He promises such joy in our very hearts that no man can take it from us, and so that we won't even remember our anguish any more.

He told us to ask, and promised that we'd receive, and it was all so that our joy may be full. In v32 we can known that even when all our friends are scattered and go to their own houses and their own Church meetings and leave us alone, we're not alone because the Lord is with us.

When we can't have peace in the world, we can have peace in Him. That's why these things are written here in this chapter. He told us the truth about the trouble we'd have, but told us to be of good cheer because He overcame the world.

Application

John 16:33

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Have you been amazingly depressed lately? While I was studying this chapter, the Lord said to ask and our joy would be full, so I asked Him for a bunch of stuff, and He gave it to me. Do you ever wonder, how can you be cheerful when your heart is full of sorrow?

I started noticing I was receiving things I'd asked for. The things I've received seem so small, and there's so much I asked for I haven't seen yet. But... there were a few things I prayed for a lot, and I got great answers to prayer about every one of them. I can't believe this. There are so many things I can't tell them all!

I saw prayer specifically answered.

So now my application is to answer the question.
v24

Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

The way to be cheerful when your heart is full of sorrow, is to ask the Lord, and you will receive.

I originally took these notes at 2005 12 06 1439.

Is it idolatry?

Jeremiah 35:15

I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending [them], saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me.

Don't lay up for yourself treasure on earth or think about your worldly needs. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Be willing to suffer instead of enjoying the pleasures of sin for a season. Don't be a lover of pleasure more than a lover of God. Don't seek gain or seek to be rich.

Is pleasure sin? Aren't the pleasures of this world good things that God has given to us to enjoy? He gives us, richly, all things to enjoy.

What's the difference between treasuring worldly things and enjoying the goodness of God?

How can we be content and fully enjoy even the good things of this world?

It is the difference between giving and receiving.

What good are the shallow, unsatisfying, sin-stained, physical things of this present world? They are earthen vessels. They will all be destroyed. But they can have treasure hidden inside of them. Everything is now deep instead of shallow, contenting instead of unsatisfying; instead of sinful, holy, and fully blissful and eternal. How?

How can I seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness? How can I set my heart on laying up and treasuring things in heaven? What use are all these earthen vessels besides to turn my eyes away from the Lord?

That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;

1 Timothy 6:18

Give. That's the secret. Try it and see whether it's more blessed to give or to receive.

That's what these earthen vessels are for: entering into the presence of the Lord, and obtaining eternal pleasures and fullness of joy even in this present world today. Love the Lord and keep His commandments- which are not grievous, but rather more blessed than anything. Love one another. The Lord gives us these things not so that we can enjoy getting them, but so that we can give them to others, and fully enjoy Him.

Things are not to get! We can't richly enjoy either seeking or getting things. You won't ever get enough to satisfy yourself. If you trust Jesus, won't you give up everything you have today, and everything you receive?

At least give one cold drink to a little child. That will taste better than doing 100 times as much drinking yourself. First, take warning! You'll just be miserable, if you don't do it believing in Jesus- that He Is, and that He Is the Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Isn't it blessed when the Lord shows you that He Loves you by letting you hear someone's voice praying for you? Letting you hear hymns being sung? Letting you hear preaching? Giving you money, jobs, education, friends, and everything else?

It's much more blessed to Love the Lord back. Lift up your voice in prayer for others. Sing those joyful hymns. Teach others, and preach the gospel. Send gifts to the needy, work hard, and be a good friend to people.

I originally took these notes at 2005 05 25 0759.

Widows Indeed

See 1 Timothy 5:3-6, and 8-16.

1. The Lord's people shouldn't be charged with honoring everybody, by taking them into the number of people, to relieve them.
   • If so, the Lord's people could be blamed, and the enemy could speak reproachfully.
   • Also, that would prevent people from learning to give good stuff back to their own relatives.
2. Instead, people should learn provide for their own relatives.

I originally took these notes at 2006 08 02 1256.

Stuck on Second?

You did the best you could. You followed the rules. You worked hard in practice. You gave it your best swing. You made a good run, but it wasn't good enough to get you all the way home. Now, you're stuck on second. You need someone to get you on home.

In the game of life, Jesus has what it takes to get you on Home.

• "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) Not one of us can gain God's best in our own strength.

• He is on our side! "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16) The penalty for our sins is death. The Lord Jesus paid the penalty for you (and me) when He died on the cross. Those who accept His sacrifice and trust in Him are saved from eternal destruction, and receive the gift of a victorious, eternal life!

• You must choose to accept Him. He wants to be your Captain. He has the will and the power to lead you to victory. "He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him." (Hebrews 7:25)

"Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know." (Jeremiah 33:3)

What must I do to be saved? "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved..." (Acts 16:31)

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