GOOD QUESTION!
by Pastor Bulldog
"LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? (Psalm 15:1)"
My mind can do crazy, but interesting things, at times, when I meditate on a Bible passage like, "Who shall dwell in thy holy hill?” I'm sure of my salvation, but there are others who are not. So upon reading it again and again, I was reminded of that old gospel song we used to sing at church camps and youth meetings.
"Do Lord, O do Lord, O do remember me,
Do Lord, O do Lord, O do remember me,
Do Lord, O do Lord, O do remember me,
Way beyond the blue."
And the reply that I hear in my mind's eye is, "My child, how could I forget you. You are a special creation and I have had a plan for your life since you were first formed in the womb. No, my child . . . I remembered you when I descended to earth as the only begotten Son of the Father, and I bought your redemption . . . all I ask is that you remember me . . . 'way beyond the blue!'"
So, there are two ways of regarding this Psalm of David.
The First Way: it causes believers in Christ, and non-believers, to pause in the midst of dozens of duties and packs of projects to allow the Holy Spirit to inspect their hearts. Then, we ponder, "Have I allowed presumptive sins to become obsessive sins? Or have I truly been forgiven for my sins?" "Will I dwell in your tabernacle on your holy hill Lord? I have assumed that I am saved, but there are times when I wonder."
The time I spent 45 days in the hospital for a very serious internal difficulty that almost cost me my life. I had no problem answering the Psalmist's question. Like the Apostle Paul, he was "cool" either way: if at last his trophies he would lay down, he knew what was ahead with certainty, an eternity of blessing and praise to God was to be his lot. If God chose to leave him here, then he knew he had a ministry and a purpose - a "win, win" situation. Who could do better than that?
As for me, my mental gear shift was in neutral, a "win/win" situation. Not to appear to be pharisaical, but I had my Bible on my side table and doctors and nurses who came into my room every morning saw it open and being used on my lap. Some stopped to make an appreciative comment.
It made me realize that we cannot allow sin to ruin our testimony. There is a world that is "white unto harvest" and it is watching what we Christians do and say. They may just want to stick their toes in to test the water, but we never know how the Holy Spirit works on individuals who hear what we say, watch what we do, and make a judgment call. They cry out, "Lord, what must I do to have eternal life. Who can live with you in the heavenlies?"
The Second Way: to think of this Psalm as a joyful reminder that, because of Jesus, we have access into God's matchless and unending grace, and the capacity to live what God requires of us – through Jesus, and to know the depth of the riches of His wisdom and knowledge for His unsearchable ways and judgments “past finding out!” This makes utopian fantasies; dark dreams from man-made religions, seem shallow and spiritually impotent. Moreover, thinking about the throne of God in Zion on the sides of the North in the heavenlies expands our souls.
We look forward to His second coming to set up His kingdom of heaven in Zion on the sides of the North in Jerusalem. It is not fiction or fantasies, but an actual place waiting to be occupied by those who have completed their pilgrimage with and in the Lord Jesus Christ. It makes one want to shout "Abba Father and - "YES!" Halellujah!
A soul-winning woman and children’s Bible teacher in our ministry was asked if she planned on taking the tour to Jerusalem with a group from our church. She replied, “Thank you, no; I plan to be going there by and by with the Lord.”
Do you think it's easy? Here is what God requires:
”He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved” (Psalm 15:2-5).
When Israel was delivered out of Egypt, walked across the parted Red Sea, and gathered at the base of Mount Sinai, the Lord came down in smoke and fire and dictated the LAW to Moses. He promptly went down and read it to the people. The people shouted, "All that the Lord requires, we will do." But they didn't. No mortal man can live up to the requirements of God, because it takes the power and strength of the Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of the LAW, to enable us to do it. One must abide in Jesus and He in them.
The Old Testament LAW is quite a load of requirements. It takes a lot of hard implementation to achieve everything that is required from God and no man can keep it. THAT'S THE POINT. The Old Testament Jew was bound by the Law and could not implement it into their life-styles. When they forgot God and struggled to live by their own efforts and worshipped the gods of their neighbors, they got weaker and weaker as a people until God sent them into exile.
Paul wrote Titus that it is "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:5); "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it" (1Thessalonians 5:24).
Those who will dwell in His Holy Hill are they which dwell (abide) in Him – and He must abide in you!
Robert N. and Helen Adams
(aka Pastor & Mrs. Bulldog)
"Beloved, wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." (3John 1:2)
by Pastor Bulldog
"LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? (Psalm 15:1)"
My mind can do crazy, but interesting things, at times, when I meditate on a Bible passage like, "Who shall dwell in thy holy hill?” I'm sure of my salvation, but there are others who are not. So upon reading it again and again, I was reminded of that old gospel song we used to sing at church camps and youth meetings.
"Do Lord, O do Lord, O do remember me,
Do Lord, O do Lord, O do remember me,
Do Lord, O do Lord, O do remember me,
Way beyond the blue."
And the reply that I hear in my mind's eye is, "My child, how could I forget you. You are a special creation and I have had a plan for your life since you were first formed in the womb. No, my child . . . I remembered you when I descended to earth as the only begotten Son of the Father, and I bought your redemption . . . all I ask is that you remember me . . . 'way beyond the blue!'"
So, there are two ways of regarding this Psalm of David.
The First Way: it causes believers in Christ, and non-believers, to pause in the midst of dozens of duties and packs of projects to allow the Holy Spirit to inspect their hearts. Then, we ponder, "Have I allowed presumptive sins to become obsessive sins? Or have I truly been forgiven for my sins?" "Will I dwell in your tabernacle on your holy hill Lord? I have assumed that I am saved, but there are times when I wonder."
The time I spent 45 days in the hospital for a very serious internal difficulty that almost cost me my life. I had no problem answering the Psalmist's question. Like the Apostle Paul, he was "cool" either way: if at last his trophies he would lay down, he knew what was ahead with certainty, an eternity of blessing and praise to God was to be his lot. If God chose to leave him here, then he knew he had a ministry and a purpose - a "win, win" situation. Who could do better than that?
As for me, my mental gear shift was in neutral, a "win/win" situation. Not to appear to be pharisaical, but I had my Bible on my side table and doctors and nurses who came into my room every morning saw it open and being used on my lap. Some stopped to make an appreciative comment.
It made me realize that we cannot allow sin to ruin our testimony. There is a world that is "white unto harvest" and it is watching what we Christians do and say. They may just want to stick their toes in to test the water, but we never know how the Holy Spirit works on individuals who hear what we say, watch what we do, and make a judgment call. They cry out, "Lord, what must I do to have eternal life. Who can live with you in the heavenlies?"
The Second Way: to think of this Psalm as a joyful reminder that, because of Jesus, we have access into God's matchless and unending grace, and the capacity to live what God requires of us – through Jesus, and to know the depth of the riches of His wisdom and knowledge for His unsearchable ways and judgments “past finding out!” This makes utopian fantasies; dark dreams from man-made religions, seem shallow and spiritually impotent. Moreover, thinking about the throne of God in Zion on the sides of the North in the heavenlies expands our souls.
We look forward to His second coming to set up His kingdom of heaven in Zion on the sides of the North in Jerusalem. It is not fiction or fantasies, but an actual place waiting to be occupied by those who have completed their pilgrimage with and in the Lord Jesus Christ. It makes one want to shout "Abba Father and - "YES!" Halellujah!
A soul-winning woman and children’s Bible teacher in our ministry was asked if she planned on taking the tour to Jerusalem with a group from our church. She replied, “Thank you, no; I plan to be going there by and by with the Lord.”
Do you think it's easy? Here is what God requires:
”He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved” (Psalm 15:2-5).
When Israel was delivered out of Egypt, walked across the parted Red Sea, and gathered at the base of Mount Sinai, the Lord came down in smoke and fire and dictated the LAW to Moses. He promptly went down and read it to the people. The people shouted, "All that the Lord requires, we will do." But they didn't. No mortal man can live up to the requirements of God, because it takes the power and strength of the Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of the LAW, to enable us to do it. One must abide in Jesus and He in them.
The Old Testament LAW is quite a load of requirements. It takes a lot of hard implementation to achieve everything that is required from God and no man can keep it. THAT'S THE POINT. The Old Testament Jew was bound by the Law and could not implement it into their life-styles. When they forgot God and struggled to live by their own efforts and worshipped the gods of their neighbors, they got weaker and weaker as a people until God sent them into exile.
Paul wrote Titus that it is "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:5); "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it" (1Thessalonians 5:24).
Those who will dwell in His Holy Hill are they which dwell (abide) in Him – and He must abide in you!
Robert N. and Helen Adams
(aka Pastor & Mrs. Bulldog)
"Beloved, wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." (3John 1:2)
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