passed away – Praying Pint

30.q. “Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me! O LORD, be my helper!”

Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Luke 6:25    “Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.

Psalm 13:1 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?  How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?

Psalms 30:7-11    Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me! O LORD, be my helper!” You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,

Isaiah 30:19   For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you.

Zechariah 12:10-14    “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.

2 Corinthians 1:4-7   who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Revelation 21:4   He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

There two kinds of situations by which we will mourn. We will mourn over the loss of something we love and we will mourn over our sin in the light of Jesus Christ and His grace, mercy, glory, and honor. We can mourn over the loss of our freedom, loss of a loved one, loss of a job, loss of financial stability, loss of position, loss of authority, etc… We mourn over something we once had and now do not. This is worldly mourning and for the most part it is temporal and just integrated into life this side of eternity. All of this mourning is based on love of a current state, relationship, or person, but may also include pride. Anyone with a heart will mourn, at times, throughout their lives. It is a natural response. Mourning should not be our destination but rather a path. This path can and should lead us into trust, reliance, and comfort that is only found in and through Jesus Christ.

There is another kind of mourning. It is so deep, hurtful, and overwhelming. It is the mourning that arises out of the understanding and knowledge of our personal sinful nature and God’s holiness. When we are given glimpses of God’s holiness and our sinfulness, we are or should be, overwhelmed with mourning our condition. We are overwhelmed because we now understand our sinfulness in the light of holiness. We understand, on our own, we are without hope. Our sin seems to be so great, in the light of holiness, that there is nothing we can do to wipe it away. This is true. There is nothing we can do to wipe away our sin. We should be mournful. Our heart should ache. Our soul should weep. But glory to God this is not how this type of mourning will last.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.”

“I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you.”

“I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”

Seeing our sin in the light of God’s glory and grace should lead us to mourn deeply, but this path of mourning should lead us to trust, obedience, reliance, and faith in Jesus Christ which yields humbleness, thankfulness, hope, joy, comfort, courage, and rejoicing.

10.g. “Shall you not know it?”

Amos 9:11 “In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old, that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by my name,” declares the Lord who does this. “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them,” says the Lord your God.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone [is] in Christ, [he is] a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Issaiah 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness [And] rivers in the desert

This is an abrupt change from the strong message of rebuke and judgment. Without this last passage and change of tone, the book of Amos would be incomplete. “It is now declared that the reason of the divine judgment is not revenge, but the only way in which it is possible to usher in the restored order on which the heart of God is set”. God promised to take what was ruined and to repair and rebuild it. Sometimes God works in a completely new way, letting the old die and doing a work of new creation. James, the brother of Jesus, quoted Amos 9:11-12 at the Council of Jerusalem. He used this passage to demonstrate that God promised to reach the Gentiles and to bring them into His kingdom under the Messiah, not under Israel.

Under God’s inspiration, the prophet Amos ends the book on a note of high hope, looking forward to a day of great prosperity and abundance in Israel. Under the reign of Jeroboam II, they had material abundance, but it was not in the LORD. God promised to restore them to prosperity from Him and in Him. When God releases blessing and restoration, fruit comes quickly. When God releases blessing and restoration, fruit comes from unexpected places. When God releases blessing and restoration, fruit comes with great quality.

When God releases blessing and restoration, the work is blessed – but it is still work. The plowman, the reaper, the treader of grapes, and him who sows seed still have their work to do. God doesn’t just do it all for them, but under God’s blessing and restoration the work is done with energy and joy. The plowman doesn’t just wait around; he gets busy even if he starts bumping into the reaper! “One sign of a true revival, and indeed an essential part of it is the increased activity of God’s laborers” (Spurgeon). However, even if it is not a time of remarkable blessing and restoration, the work of God still deserves our energy and effort.

8.p. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth

Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Isaiah 65:17-19    “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.  But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness.  I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress.

2 Peter 3:13     But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

John 14:23    Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

Ezekiel 37:27    My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

We hear people speak of heaven as the final resting place of those who die. This is true for those who believe, (rely on, cling to, and trust in) repent, (acknowledge and turn away from their sinful nature) and by faith live with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength committed to obey, follow, and humbly serve to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all they think, do, and say. What is not going to ring true is the thoughts of many who live shallow lives, giving no more than a passing thought, if that, about what it means to humbly serve, honor, follow, trust, and obey Jesus Christ each moment of every day. Their hearts and minds, have been seduced by lies of this world into believing they are good enough and as such have done what is required to “deserve” eternal life in the “New Heaven and New Earth”. They do not see that they have all but taken the “Mark of the Beast” in how they live, think, and follow the ways of this world. They have adopted it into their make-believe “Christian” lives as what they believe it means is to be a “Christian”. There is no difference in their heart. There is no desire and seeking to hear the whispers of God speak into and lead them through each day. They may know of Him but they certainly do not know Him as savior, redeemer, and forgiver of their sins in a personal and heart and soul-deep way. The New Heaven and New Earth are not prepared for these. The New Heaven and New Earth are prepared for those who believe and anticipate it’s coming with expectant and rejoicing heart, mind, and soul. It is prepared for those who long for the return of Jesus Christ with a humble, grateful, and thankful heart and an end to sin in both their heart and the world.

New heavens and new earth

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.”

Psalms 102:26 They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end. The children of your servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before you.

Isaiah 34:4 All the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll. All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree.

Isaiah 66:22 “For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the LORD, so shall your offspring and your name remain.

2 Peter 3:7-12 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!

Revelation 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.

Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

Have you ever heard someone say “Live like there is no tomorrow”? What are they really saying? For some this would translate into “Party Time” and give no thought of the ramifications their actions would have on them or others. Why not? They assume all will end and there is nothing beyond this life. No eternity. No judgement. No God. No Heaven. No life after death.

For others, who believe, they may see this as so important they contact all family and friends they can, knowing they have little time, and tell them of God, eternity, judgment, life after death, Good News of Jesus Christ, and salvation, new heaven and new earth, life eternal. By the way this is how we ought to think – like there is no tomorrow.

There was a small book I read written by Brother Lawrence. While he was out tending his garden the question was posed to him, “what would you do if you knew the world would end tomorrow?”. He replied, “I would keep tending my garden.” Brother Lawrence explained why. He said he absolutely knew that he was doing God’s will and purpose. He lived continually in the presence of God. He sought nothing of his day but only to that which God was leading. He sought to hear God’s leading and then, by faith, acted upon that. He stayed in close contact with God through His word and in prayer. Brother Lawrence only wanted to do what God had purposed for His life. The world did not influence his actions, God did. The world did not give him satisfaction, God did. We all would do well to seek to know and understand God’s purpose for our life and then, by faith, always take action accordingly as His quiet small voice of leading is directing us.

My people do not understand

“But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’”

Psalms 92:6 The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this: that though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever; but you, O LORD, are on high forever.

1 Corinthians 2:14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

Jeremiah 10:14 Every man is stupid and without knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, for his images are false, and there is no breath in them.

Psalms 94:8 Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise?

Proverbs 1:22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?

Psalms 32:9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.

Psalms 14:1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

Psalms 37:35-36 I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree. But he passed away, and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found.

This is a summary of Johnathan Edward’s sermon “In the hands of an angry God”. If you have time, look it up and read the full context. https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/edwards_jonathan/sermons/sinners.cfm

Johnathan Edwards pulls no punches when it comes to condemning the sinfulness of human beings. Those who belong in the unrepentant category may be those who are outwardly wicked and reject God, or they might be people who are complacent. They could belong to a community of people who believe, and they think they can ride that community’s or family’s coattails to avoid judgment. But Edwards’s view of sin is that it’s an active force in the world that’s ultimately controlled by the devil. Anyone who hasn’t experienced an inward renewal or ‘awakening,’ as had the many who had been converted during this time, are considered a servant of the devil: ‘They belong to him; he has their souls in his possession, and under his dominion.’ This way of portraying ‘sinners’ emphasizes their helplessness, precarious position, but also the nastiness and corruption of their ways.

Some of the metaphors that Edwards uses to portray the situation of unbelieving human beings make this point clear. He describes even the greatest, most powerful rulers in the world as ‘feeble, despicable worms of the dust’ and as ‘grasshoppers.’ In Edwards’s most enduring image, the sinner is described as ‘a spider, or some other loathsome insect,’ which God is dangling over the fire in preparation for destruction. Each of these metaphors reiterate how puny, weak and disgusting the sinner is in the sight of God. There’s no room for pride here and no room for justification. They can’t simply be respectable or admirable – they must be ‘born again.’

According to the sermon, the judgment of God awaiting such sinners as those described above will be truly terrifying. As would be expected, the image of the fire is central in descriptions of hell, following in line with the Biblical texts about judgment. But Edwards’s descriptions are particularly strong, such as when he describes the ‘dreadful pit of the glowing flames of the wrath of God.’ He also incorporates images of an infinite pit as descriptive of the judgment, drawing theologically on Scriptural texts about the abyss and psychologically on the primal fear of falling: ‘you have nothing to stand on, nor anything to take hold of.’ Combining the two, Edwards describes this chasm as ‘wide and bottomless . . ., full of fire and wrath.’

God’s judgment just isn’t fearful, but it is truly violent. Picking up on a Biblical theme of the grapes of wrath, the sermon gruesomely describes God’s retribution against sinful human beings: ‘He will crush out your blood, and make it fly . . . so as to stain all his raiment.’ And once this judgment begins, there’s no turning back and ‘your most lamentable and dolorous cries and shrieks will be in vain.’

Blessings this side of eternity

“But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him.”

“For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.”

“They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Psalms 65:4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!

Psalms 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!

Psalms 84:4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise!

Psalms 106:4 Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people; help me when you save them, that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance.

Ephesians 1:4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

Psalms 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Psalms 17:15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.

Revelation 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

What does it mean to be blessed? How are we blessed? When are we blessed? Who is blessed? Why are they blessed? It is easy to get confused with these questions even if we have knowledge and understanding of God’s word. Part of the confusion comes with our thinking that being blessed will always mean wealth, comfort, health, lacking little, and not experiencing trials/issues. From the fall of man we are told “cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Life is going to have emotional and physical pain associated with it but this does not mean we are not blessed. Some of life’s pain comes from consequences of our actions and some from actions of others. Our bodies, this side of eternity, are not immortal. However this does not mean we are not blessed. Life this side of eternity is but a vapor – here for a brief time and then gone. God has given us many great and precious promises to navigate this side of eternity with hope, love, joy, rest, comfort, power, strength, and courage. These are blessings freely given from and through God’s steadfast love. They are given to those who seek, listen, follow, honor, humbly serve, obey, trust, rely on, believe in and love Him. These blessings are but a glimpse of what eternity will be like with Him. Often we are miss guided by the thoughts and culture of our time. Our expectations this side of eternity are not in line with God’s word. Our thoughts and focus lose sight of eternity. To often we listen to those who give God no thought and/or we listen to those who water down God’s word. To often we spend no time in His word for the purpose of knowing and understanding Him so that we can humbly serve and honor Him. To often we neglect the very thing that can add meaning and purpose to our lives. How true scriptures states: “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.” Turn to God, not for what you can get but rather for who He is. Spend time in His word and seeking Him and how to honor Him this side of eternity.

Fret Not

“He goes to bed rich, but will do so no more; he opens his eyes, and his wealth is gone.”

Psalms 37:7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.

Psalms 37:35 I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree. But he passed away, and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found.

Psalms 55:23 But you, O God, will cast them down into the pit of destruction; men of blood and treachery shall not live out half their days. But I will trust in you.

Job 20:27 The heavens will reveal his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him. The possessions of his house will be carried away, dragged off in the day of God’s wrath. This is the wicked man’s portion from God, the heritage decreed for him by God.”

Job 27: 19 He goes to bed rich, but will do so no more; he opens his eyes, and his wealth is gone. Terrors overtake him like a flood; in the night a whirlwind carries him off. The east wind lifts him up and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place. It hurls at him without pity; he flees from its power in headlong flight

Isaiah 58:14 then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Psalms 25:13 His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring shall inherit the land.

Isaiah 60:21 Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified.

Hebrews 11:16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

Revelation 5:10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

I found this commentary and and thought it so appropriate for these verses today: This is a psalm, grappling with the problem of the inequality of human life and the apparent failure of God to reward His servants and punish His enemies as they deserve. Life and immortality, where we know that the balance will be readjusted, had not then been brought to light, and therefore the solution was far harder before the advent of our Lord than for us.

But though the psalmist’s solution is therefore not complete, his teaching of the blessedness of absolute trust in God’s providence is very delightful. Fret not thyself; that is, do not give way to passionate resentment or bitter disappointment. Live in God; find your delight in contemplating His nature and His works; roll on Him the decision of your life-choices; trust in Him to supply all your need and work in your behalf. Be silent and rest