Words from the Pastor’s Desk

Psalm 19 celebrates the power of Scripture, especially the transforming power of God's Word to those who respond to it. The message of the second half of Psalm 19 can be summarized in this way: Scripture alone is God's perfect, complete, and transforming revelation of Himself. In this part of Psalm 19, David expounds on the special revelation of God found in His Word, by emphasizing its amazing nature. So in verses 7-9, David attempts to spell out in a comprehensive way what God's Word is and what it accomplishes in our lives. In other words, David shows us the unique character of God's Word and its profound benefits. Notice that each half of verses 7-9 have the same basic structure. First, you will find a title for Scripture that identifies something about its nature or character. The six titles David lists in verses 7-9 are as follows: V. 7 - the law of the LORD V. 7 - the testimony of the LORD V. 8 - the precepts of the LORDV. 8 - the commandment of the LORDV. 9 - the fear of the LORDV. 9 - the judgments of the LORD Although these titles are essentially synonymous, at the same time each has its own unique nuance that adds to our understanding of the nature of Scripture. Each highlights different facets of God's revelation. But as we work our way through these six titles for Scripture, I want you to notice something else. In the first six verses of Psalm 19, there is only one reference to God: "the glory of God." The Hebrew word for God there is a general word that highlights God's power, identifying Him as the almighty and powerful One. As Paul reminds us in Romans 1:18-22, creation tells us about God's deity and eternal power. The first half of Psalm 19 is making that same point.When we come to the second half of Psalm 19, we learn clearly about who this God is. In fact, David transitions from using a general name for God only once (19:1), to using His personal name, YHWH, seven times in this section! This name simply means He is. When God says it about Himself, He says "I AM." Exodus 3:14-15 says, "Then Moses said to God, "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" He is simply the One who is. His name underscores the fact that God is self-existent. He depends on nothing. He depends on no one. He just is! So why does David use God's personal name in the final half of Psalm 19? To remind us that we learn so much more about who God is from Scripture. It also shows us that He alone is the source of this revelation. How could David have possibly punctuated this more? It's the law of YHWH; it is the testimony of YHWH; these are the precepts of YHWH; this is the commandment of YHWH, and so forth. Brothers and sisters, this is the point: God is the only source of the special revelation we have in Holy Scripture. And it is this Word that is filled with such life-transforming power!

What is the most powerful force on earth? Scientists tell us the most powerful force on earth is the Nuclear Strong Force. The Nuclear Strong force is one of the four fundamental forces in nature-the other three are gravity, electromagnetism, and the weak force. As its name implies, the strong force is the strongest of these, and it's simply a name for the force that binds together the fundamental particles of matter to form larger particles.If you compare these various forces, you discover that electromagnetism is stronger than gravity. Electromagnetism is 1036 times or a trillion trillion trillion times more powerful than gravity. But the Nuclear Strong Force is 100 times more powerful than electromagnetism, clearly making it the most powerful natural force in the universe. But the truth is, the Nuclear Strong Force is not the most powerful force on earth. There are no forces on earth as powerful as the Word of God. "By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their hosts."-Psalm 33:6"...He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast."-Psalm 33:9The Word of God is so powerful that God only has to speak and the far reaches of the universe come into being! So, yes, there is a force stronger than the Nuclear Strong Force; it is the Word of God. It's strong, not only in creation, but in its work in our hearts. Hebrews 4:12, "The word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."The writer of Hebrews is saying that the Word of God is living and breathing, and actively working. In Hebrews 4:12, the Greek word for active is where we get our English word energy. The Scripture is alive and has energy, and with razor sharp precision it has the ability to pierce into man's inner being.In the next few blogs, we will examine together key verses from Psalm 19. There we will discover a series of truths that identify and express The Perfections of Scripture.

We are called to be a light in this world and can practically do so by displaying godly character, accomplishing good works, and proclaiming the gospel of Christ.

Unfortunately, throughout the centuries this portion of the Sermon on the Mount that deals with salt and light has been abused, misinterpreted, and misapplied.

By being a light in this world, we as Christians show the beauty of Christ and the gospel by our words and actions.

As Christians, we must continually combat the moral and spiritual decay around us by being a light in a dark world.

Jesus is the source of absolute truth and moral purity.

In the Old Testament God promised that He would send a special servant that would be a light and bring light into a dark world.

When Christians become interested in being like the world and the people around us, we become more like rot than the salt we're supposed to be.