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Podcast 29

(This is a computer generated transcript of this podcast.  This is NOT a typed transcript and it has not been edited. Expect grammatical and syntactical errors.)

Hello and good day. You are listening to Living God’s Way In An Ungodly World, and I’m your host B. R. Maul. So many people today want to know a person’s credentials. Well, I am an author, a preacher, a teacher, but most importantly a child of God. And I come to you today as I do each and every week, or at least as often as I can to teach what the Lord has taught me as I have read His word and continue to read his word, to walk with him, to grow alongside of him. And that is the goal he has for every Christian. So beloved, welcome and let’s jump right on in. How many of you that have cell phones have a picture of a sunset or a sunrise? Perhaps you captured that moment where the colors were vibrant, purple, the orange, the yellow, a little bit of red in there, and it just glows. I was looking at one just the other day through the picture window we have in our kitchen, and I didn’t doctor up any of the lighting and wow, even the picture is amazing. The lights were on in the kitchen, so the artificial light in our kitchen frames the window and looking out is a beautiful sunset. Very vibrant, very rich in color. Or how about the pictures we can see online where people are just in the right moment at the right time? Capturing a hummingbird in midair, drinking some nectar from a flower or a bird feeder. Whales in the ocean, different animals in the forest, playful puppies. Cute little kittens. The view on a mountain or the forest that stretches over a mountain range, a carpet of dark green. There’s so many beautiful things. Little clouds, all the formation of clouds in the sky. Sometimes it looks like just stroke of a brush. Other times the clouds are puffy, and if you watch them, Slowly rolling into one another. There are many beautiful things of God’s creation and it’s fun to enjoy, and I’m sure you have beautiful pictures in your phone that you too could share with us the right time, at the right moment in capturing that beauty. Why do I bring that up today? Today I’m going to read. Psalm 19 and Psalm 19 is entitled The Perfect Revelation of the Lord. It is a Psalm of David, and in this Psalm, God is recognized based on the fact that we can see him in his own creation. There is absolutely no excuse for anyone in. God’s created world to not know in their hearts that he exists. Well, Psalm 19 is beautiful in several ways, and there are 14 verses in this Psalm. So what I’ll do is as I read the Psalm, there will be some times that I’ll just pause and talk about what it is that I just read. So let me begin. Psalm 19 verse one, the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork. Well, I’ll pause right away after verse one that says quite a bit just right there, because when we look up to the heavens and the firmament, by the way, is one of the heavens, the firmament can be referred to as the first heaven. The atmosphere right above us, but it can also be referenced to the second heaven, which is space. The celestial objects up there, the sun, the moon, the stars. So here David is saying, the heavens plural, declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork. Declaring the glory of God. Look up in the night sky sometime, and observe all the stars, or look to the moon with the naked eye, how it reflects the light of the sun and how ominous it can be in the night sky. But then there’s also the sun itself, the power of the sun. The magnificence of the sun, the sun sets and sun rises. There is so much to God’s glory that we can see just looking up in the heavens, the clouds, the formation of clouds, how the clouds move. I learned not long ago that as advanced as we believe that we are when it comes to our abilities. There are so many things that we cannot do, and one of them is mimic a cloud. Isn’t that something I myself just assumed we could easily mimic clouds because, well, I suppose several reasons growing up in the city that I grew up in, of course, like many cities around the world, some of the factories would puff out large amount of smoke. It looked like a cloud to me as a little boy and learning that clouds have moisture in them, and that’s ultimately what fog is, a low hanging cloud. So with those two things, it just seems like mankind would have no problem producing our own clouds, but we cannot. We cannot explain scientifically. How clouds truly operate. Yes, that the rain comes from them. But have you really thought about that when rain is coming down steadily, just how much water that is, it’s quite amazing. So verse one again, the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork. Just that alone, knowing that the, the skies above us, everywhere we go, we have skies above us show God’s handiwork. Verse two day unto today, utters speech and night unto night reveals knowledge. So day and night, his creation is speaking out to us. Verse three. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. So it doesn’t matter what country that we are in, what part of the world we are in, what language we speak. Everybody can understand the voice of the creation and hear and see the maker in it. Verse four. Their line has gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world. Now, their line can also be replaced with their sound has gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world. So yes, no matter who you are, what language you speak, but no matter where we go, everywhere. His creation is there everywhere we can hear the unique sounds in every corner of the world. In them, he has set a tabernacle for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and rejoices like a strong man to run its race. So here David sets up the sun in the center. Of this physical creation, a large attention it draws to itself. Its rising is from one end of heaven and its circuit to the other end, and there is nothing hidden from its heat. That’s verse six. Even though we see the sun each and every day, share with me in this moment of visualizing the sun in a more romantic setting, being a bridegroom coming out of his chamber. Now in ancient times, the bridegroom, of course, would be well dressed, right, coming out of his chamber, all decked out, bringing attention to himself, and the sun does the same thing. And sure, we cannot stare at the sun. But think of all the things the sun does for us. It keeps track of time, or may I say we keep track of time with its rising and setting. It’s how we measure each day. Even though we are no longer in ancient times and are relied on the light, like most of history was even in our modern time, the rising and setting of the sun dictates how our days when most people go to bed, life revolves as the sun revolves. Isn’t that something? That’s quite amazing! Now the Psalm shifts just a little bit because we go from David talking about God’s physical creation to now God’s word, or we can say the Bible. Verse seven. The law of the Lord is perfect. Converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes, the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. Verse 10: More to be desired are they than gold, Yay, than much fine gold. Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. So in these verses seven through 10, David sets it up, where now the Bible, God’s word, is in the center. So the sun is symbolic of the center of the physical creation. And much like the sun being that center of the creation, God’s word for a Christian needs to be the center reading God’s word each and every day. So we take it in and it becomes a part of us and our spiritual life. Revolves around God’s word. Some of the words used to describe God’s word, converting the soul, making wise, the simple, rejoicing the heart, enlightening the eyes, enduring forever. These are big. These are powerful. It has the power in converting the soul. It has the power and it is the only thing because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. That can save a sinful person, a sinful, dirty soul, and through it bring salvation because that is how we learn about Jesus. That is how we learn what he has done for us. That is how we learn what we must do in order to be saved, because it is God’s word that tells us you must repent and you must turn from your old ways and turn to God, trusting in Jesus Christ as your savior. Without the word of God, we have no idea what to do. Have you ever thought of that? Beloved, take just that moment with me and truly think about the ramifications. If we did not have God’s word, if our God did not write the Holy Bible for us, even in Old Testament times, the Jews would not have any guidelines. There would’ve been nothing. So the word of God is at the centerpiece of everything. Also, there’s no mistaking that Jesus Christ himself is referred to as the Word, because Jesus Christ is the center of the word of God. He is at the center of the Bible, so God’s word is at the center of everything. But Jesus is like being at the center of the center. It’s quite amazing, almost mind boggling and beautiful. So the power of converting the soul, making wise, the simple much. In Proverbs, King Solomon talks about the simple and the simple are those who are naive. They do not have God’s wisdom. Because they don’t have God’s wisdom. A lot of things in life, decisions to make are just much more complicated, more difficult. But when somebody who is simple reads God’s word, it makes them wise, which should ultimately kill the idea that one needs to go to a seminary. To learn God’s word. And then once you learn God’s word, then you’re able to teach it because the seminary has explained to you God’s word. And those who know me know that I am not an advocate for denominations. It is time that we as Christians break from denominations and just be God’s church. But all these doctrines that these denominations across the board have written, and I get it, people want to make sure that they’re following the right doctrine, but the problem is the only doctrine that we should be following is God’s word and nothing that was written by anyone else. No matter how brilliant the person was. We can learn from them, but we should never follow that only God’s word. And brothers and sisters, when you can break away from a denomination and just be a child of God, when you can stop being a Lutheran, when you can stop being a Catholic or a Baptist or a Methodist, whatever it may be, a weight will be lifted up off your shoulders and just be a child of God. Do what the Bible says and quit following tradition. Quit following what the denomination has taught you and your parents and your great grandparents, whatever it may be, and just stick to God’s word. Because even here it says, making wise, the simple. Just read God’s word and you’ll go from being someone simple who hasn’t read God’s word, doesn’t have that knowledge to someone who is wise. What else does it do here? Verse eight, rejoicing the heart. I love how it’s in the present tense, rejoicing. The heart. There is so much to rejoice. Last week I spoke much about that in Philippians four when we’re told to rejoice in the Lord. Always again, I will say rejoice. And that’s Paul writing to a Church of Philippi. It also enlightening the eyes. Again, all of these are in present tense. Converting the soul, making wise, rejoicing the heart, enlightening the eyes, so enlightening the eyes. It opens our eyes. The power in that as you read God’s word and you leave behind simplicity, that simple life of just following whatever or whoever. And now you’re following God and your heart is rejoicing. The Holy Spirit also opens your eyes and you will see the world through a different set of eyes, through the eyes of the Holy Spirit, and you will start to, and eventually, hopefully, cease to view people and events. Through the eyes of the world. But instead, we’ll start seeing individuals through the eyes of God, and you will understand why we are told to love our enemies. It’s truly remarkable. And yes, enduring forever, the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. Verse 10, more to be desired are they than gold. And that is so true because this world has little value to it when you have God’s word in your heart. Now, verse 11, moreover, by them, your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward. So David is saying that by the words of God, Your servant, he’s referring to himself, David. So God’s servant is warned. Well, what does he mean by that? When reading God’s word on a regular basis and God’s word becomes a part of you, beloved, through that wisdom, we are warned of things of this world that are evil, that are unjust, that are wicked, and most importantly, things that are deceptive. We are living in a time of great deceit, living in the church age as we have been for the last 2000 years. But look at how fast now things are coming together. When you read God’s word, we see the warning signs. We see now how, oh, so maybe this is how the world can communicate. Having a one world order, even 50 years ago, there was no knowledge of that. It was impossible. How would the world be able to communicate? How could there be one currency? How could there be one world religion? How would the beast be able to communicate to the world and tell the world? That you will take my number on your forehead or on your hand in order to purchase in the marketplace. Now we know, and God’s word warns us, and that’s just one example. He warns me all the time when I listen or watch somebody who’s a false prophet and through God’s word, the Holy Spirit points it out to me. This person is teaching and preaching false doctrine, turn and leave. Do not follow. Do not keep going down that path. And that’s exactly what I do. And David says, and in keeping them there is great reward because yes, God has his law, his testimony, his commandment to guide us. To keep us safe and we are rewarded. For me, I’ve sometimes called them built in blessings as simple as doing the right things instead of cheating or lying or taking advantage of a person or a situation, and we still decide to do the right thing, we are rewarded. We are blessed. We are given this feeling that makes us feel lighter. One way to explain it is I just feel better about myself and the person can say, I know I did the right thing because this feels right, or this feels good. That’s the reward! But how does a person know to do what’s right or wrong if we’re not in God’s word? Because if you’re not in God’s word, then you start to take what the world says is right or wrong, and for anybody who is living in this world and paying attention to what is going on around us, the evil is abundant and the world just screams out. Do what you want, with who you want, when you want, how you want. It’s all about serving ourselves now. Instead of serving God. Verse 12, David asks, who can understand his errors? That’s a rhetorical question because we know the answer. No one can. We ourselves are incapable of learning from our own faults. So he continues on. Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins. If you look up presumptuous, it’s an adjective and it means overstepping due bounds or taking liberties. So in other words, he’s saying, cleanse me from secret faults. Things that I do that I am not even aware of doing, because we do have sins that we commit that we’re not even aware of. We’re not intentionally sinning, but it is a sin. For example, sometimes we sin by omission, we should be doing something right, but we’re not. And at the moment it might not even feel like we’re doing anything wrong, but by doing nothing, we are sinning by omission. So that’s just one example of a secret fault. But he continues and says, keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins. And those are sins then that we overstep just thinking, oh, well, you know, God will, he’s okay with it. God will just go ahead and, and forgive me. So taking those liberties of, ah, you know what, I’ve been pretty good. I deserve this. That’s someone who’s being presumptuous. Going on in verse 13, David says, let them not have dominion over me. Them as in sin, both the secret and the presumptuous sins. Let them not have dominion over me, then I shall be blameless and I shall be innocent of great transgression. Notice he doesn’t say I’ll be sinless and perfect, but blameless and blameless isn’t being perfect. I. An innocent of great transgression. A saint is somebody who lives a righteous life, does the right thing, but from time to time, sins where even in churches today, there’s denominations that preach just the opposite, that we in no way have any control over sin. That there is nothing that you can do. You will keep sinning no matter what, but we just have to turn around and just keep on asking for forgiveness, and that’s why many denominations teach. You need to keep coming back for a communion or you need to keep coming back for confession or whatever it is that they continue to draw people into the church because you need to do this, that’s part of cleansing. And that is wrong. That is so wrong, and I’ve talked about it before and I can talk about it more again in another podcast. Don’t have the time now, but in God’s word, beloved, there are so many places, especially if you read the New Testament, Jesus over and over makes it very clear that when a person is born again, when a person is saved, he or she can make that decision not to sin. You will stumble from time to time, but you shouldn’t be sinning continuously because you are no longer a slave to sin. When he died on that cross, that’s one of the things he gave us is the power over death. That sin death, dying spiritually. When Jesus healed somebody and he would say, go and sin no more, or he may say, your faith has healed you. Go and sin no more. Beloved, Jesus would never tell somebody to do something if it were impossible. Never happened. No way. And if Jesus has told people, go and sin no more. Why are we listening to people in churches today teaching that we are worms, that we are nothing, that we need to keep on asking for forgiveness and cleanse ourselves their lives. That’s false doctrine. Leave that teaching and go find a different church. I like how David ends Psalm 19, verse 14. He says, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Oh Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Oh, that’s so beautiful. I’ll read that again. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Oh Lord, my strength and my redeemer. The words of his mouth. So the words of our mouth, because this applies to us, and I’m speaking to Born Again believers. When we pray out loud, when we sing and worship him out loud, when we speak to other people with our tongues, we should bring him glory. So that’s not just when we are purposefully worshiping him, but when we are just partaking in day-to-day discussions. As a Christian, we need to watch our mouth. Swear words and cussing. Beloved, if you’re born again, I hope and pray that each and every time that you say something that you shouldn’t, you are listening to the Holy Spirit who will be convicting you. And may I also add, if you call yourself a Christian, but you can go through your days swearing and cussing, telling dirty jokes, gossiping, being rude, insulting, and if you are not feeling convicted, I suggest that this very moment, if you’re not driving, if you’re able, stop whatever you’re doing, kneel and pray the Holy Father guides you into being born again and offer yourself to him. Apologize for the assumption then that you were his child because there’s a good chance you’re not. Or the flip side of that is you were once born again and you have backslidden so far that you are doing nothing to glorify your heavenly Father. Either way, get down on your knees and pray, and he loves you. He will certainly forgive you. And then you can move on. Meditation of my heart. David says, when we are reading his word and we’re thinking about it, those are our thoughts, our meditation. And we’re told also in Proverbs that even the very thoughts of the righteous glorifies God. So with the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. During the sanctification process, which is over our lifetime, even our very thoughts should be holy, not perfect, but holy, holy is being different from the world’s way and being Christ-like, that’s holy, not perfect, holy. And I like how he says, be acceptable in your sight. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Isn’t that something? It’s like he, God himself sees even our meditations, our thoughts, and it ends with, oh Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Psalm 28:7 says, the Lord is my strength and my shield. We need to draw our strength from God, and maybe I’m not saying that right, because maybe it’s not even drawing our strength from him. He’s just giving us strength. So each day we should be going to him and asking him for the strength to get whatever job he has put before us, whatever duty he has revealed to us, whatever that might be for that day. And he will give us the strength to do that. He will protect us while we are doing his work. Now, Christian, that doesn’t mean whatever we do because if we are doing stuff that is outside of his will, even if it’s not sinning, it may not be committing sins, but it’s not in his will. There’s no promise that he gives us strength for that. Everything should be through His will. And even if it seems like a lot, he will give us the strength to get it done. Psalm 19, what a wonderful psalm reflecting the fact that in God’s creation, we can see him everywhere in the skies, on the land, on and in the sea, everywhere we go. So nobody has an excuse. I didn’t know there was such thing as God, but also knowing that the words that he has left us, and that’s why Jesus gave his disciples, you and me, anybody who was born again, the commission to go and spread the gospel. Why? Because his word is at the center and the word Jesus Christ. Is at the center of that, so we should be pointing everyone to Jesus Christ. Thank you so much for joining me again to support this ministry. I ask for prayer, pray for me and my family, and pray for all who listen to this podcast, that their heart be softened and opened, and when they take in the message, they act on it. Our mailing address is Box 126, Frazee, MN 56544. You can also go to the website, brmaul.com, that’s www.brmaul.com. And there you can also donate using PayPal. Remember, beloved, stay in God’s word each and every day. Fight against the world’s loud and obnoxious voice to misguide you, to entice you to sin, calling you away from your Heavenly Father. And do that by opening up the Bible and reading it. Pray. Pray before you read God’s word. Pray after you read God’s word. Whenever you can. It’s one reason many Christians pray before a meal. It’s a perfect time to give thanks, but every time we can build in times throughout our day where we know, we just stop and give prayer. It’s for our benefit. And never forget how much our heavenly Father loves you, for He gave his only begotten son and Jesus willfully died. In order to pay your sins and one only needs to accept that gift.   So until next time, God bless.

Songs “Heroes Inspire Hope” and “Mountainscape” by Humans Win “Positive Vibrations” by Boris Skalsky “Mysterious Fairytale Villain” by Media Music Group “Absent” by Bzur   Sound Effects from Storyblocks.com