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August 7, 2023 - Treasures In Christ - Psalm 66 JEHOVAH-TSARAPH KESEPH TSARAPH Our Lord God Who Refines Us Like Silver Refined Psalm 66:10 For You, O God, have proved us; You have tried us as silver is tried, refined, and purified. https://biblehub.com/lexicon/psalms/66-10.htm Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+66%2C+Isaiah+48&version=AMPC Going Deeper: https://www.openbible.info/topics/refined
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August 7, 2023 - Treasures In Christ - Psalm 66 JEHOVAH-TSARAPH KESEPH TSARAPH Our Lord God Who Refines Us Like Silver Refined Psalm 66:10 For You, O God, have proved us; You have tried us as silver is tried, refined, and purified. https://biblehub.com/lexicon/psalms/66-10.htm Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+66%2C+Isaiah+48&version=AMPC Going Deeper: https://www.openbible.info/topics/refined
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The speaker in the transcription is discussing the idea of God refining and purifying us like silver. They express gratitude for being kept through another day and ask God to sanctify and set them apart through the Holy Spirit. They mention that although the flesh may resist, they trust in God's transforming work. The speaker then goes on to discuss Psalm 66, highlighting the themes of sacrificial worship, God's power, and the need for submission. They emphasize the importance of rejoicing in God's works and warn against rebellion. The speaker concludes by urging people to bless God and give thanks for being kept and guided by Him. They acknowledge that God tests and refines us as silver, emphasizing the seriousness and earnestness of the refining process. August 7th, 2023, Treasures in Christ, Psalm 66, Jehovah, Tizara, Kesef, Tizara, our Lord God who refines us like silver refined. Psalm 66, 10, For you, O God, have proved us, you have tried us as silver is tried, refined, and purified. O Heavenly Father, we're grateful for this morning, Father God, that you chose to keep us through another night and bring us into a new day. And we know that with the new day comes a more transforming time, Father God, in the kingdom. As we come in sacrificial worship, as you hone from us those and purify us, Father God, sanctify us and set us apart by the power of the Holy Spirit today. We thank you for access into this very place through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We're thankful for the process. We're grateful, Father God. Our flesh may scream otherwise, but our spirit says yes. So we thank you for this transforming work today, Father God. Show us in your word what the refining looks like, Father God, and what the purpose of the refining is more so that we can just stay bunker down in that process. We thank you for loving all of your children, Father God, and loving every one of your creation that none should perish, that all should come into repentance. Transform us by this truth today in Jesus' name. Amen and amen. Well, it's an interesting day. You know, it's amazing we got through our work week and here we are on Saturday, I guess, so to speak. And, you know, I've had this devotion sitting here for a couple of days, and what an amazing truth this is when I see His characteristic here as the refiner of us. I'm in the midst of this process of refining, and it's an amazing truth. It's a wonderful thing that He does, and there's a gratitude in it because we know there's an end result to it. There's a purpose for it all. Now, just because the flesh doesn't enjoy it, it wants to see what flesh goes on. We have to put goggles on today and take a look and see what God has to say about this truth. Adjust that microphone. There we go. We'll see how that goes. All right, so we're going to go to Psalm 66 today. We're going to start in verse 1, and it says, Make a joyful noise unto God, all the earth. Sing forth the honor and glory of His name. Make His praise glorious. And we already know that we're in this place of joy and praise when we're in sacrificial worship because God is working in our life and transforming us. And this forth, forth is honor and glory. This is what comes forth, but it comes out of us as praise, and so this is why He's using the symbolism here of singing forth the honor and glory of His name. It's pouring out of us, but we're motivated to praise because God is such a good God, and He doesn't want to utterly destroy us, but He wants to transform us. And this is what we're talking about here. This is the over-lining kingdom work here. This is why it says God here. It's talking about the will of the Creator. Everyone's qualified. Verse 3, it says, Say to God, how awesome and fearfully glorious are your works. You see, because if they are great and mighty, they will go beyond what we can do. God transforms us in ways we cannot transform ourselves. And it is a reverent fear and awe of God where this takes place. And it's the work in our life that shines His glory, that's so glorious. And well, I got ahead of it here. Through the greatness of your power shall your enemies submit themselves to you with feigned and reluctant obedience. You see, so as He's operating in our life, you know, with that polished arrow, remember, and those ones that are in enmity with God, that don't want to be in relationship or not in relationship, it's through the work that God does in us that brings them into this place. And we know if they don't submit now, they're going to submit when they go to the eternal, because every knee shall bow to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So while they might be reluctant, when they see the glorious work of God coming through and the greatness of His power that lifts Him up, and then all men can be drawn to Him. This is what the scriptures tell us. It says, All the earth shall bow down to you and sing praises to you. They shall praise your name in song. You know, that song is an expression of an outward expression of praise. Obviously, it's symbolic, but it's to give us the idea that there's a submission that comes when we're in sacrificial worship, we're bowed down and submitted under His powerful hand and pours forth from us praise as He operates in our life. So we have this law here. So let's go back and read these first four together. Make a joyful noise unto God, all the earth. Sing forth the honor and glory of His name. Make His praise glorious. Say to God how awesome and fearfully glorious are your works. Through the greatness of your power shall your enemies submit themselves to you with feigned and reluctant obedience. All the earth shall bow down to you and sing praises to you. They shall praise your name in song. Sola, pause and calmly think of that. Verse five says, Come and see the works of God. See how to save His people He smites their foes. He is terrible in His doings toward the children of men. See, there's nothing that can come against us, and we know it's God that's doing the work. It's God that's operating. This is why we're a polished arrow hidden in His quiver. It's not what we're doing. It's when He chooses to bring out that arrow out of the quiver and launch that at those that are coming against Him, it becomes terrible. And He cracks that hardened heart. It says in verse six, He turned the sea into dry land. They crossed through the river on foot. There did we rejoice in Him. You see, it's just talking about God making the way, going before us and opening up the doors He once opened that we can go into the promised land. And I like that it says they crossed through the river on foot. You see, this is a reflection of the faith with works. Faith moves. It's a moving faith, not a frozen faith. And when we do that, He operates in our life, and He fulfills these promises of deliverance and victory. He fulfills these promises of transformation, of leading and directing and therefore, the joy of the Lord becomes our strength and we rejoice in Him. See, it's not that we just give Him a lip service. I like the way six ends there. There did we rejoice in Him. You see, it's that intimacy. It's not just the fact that we can shout praise the Lord just because we're in a group and that's what everybody wants us to do. But the reality is, is we're rejoicing in the intimacy of what God has done to provide provision, direction, correction. Verse 7, He rules by His might forever. His eyes observe and keep watch over the nations. Let not the rebellious exalt themselves. That's a beautiful illustration of the kingdom right there, that sacrificial worship. And in this place, He's keeping His eyes over all things. He is the power that rules, not just now, but forever. And He's given us a warning here not to become rebellious by exalting ourselves. So we're going to read these three in a row because we have a salat here. Come and see the works of God. See how to save His people, He smites their foes. He is terrible in His doings toward the children of men. He turned the sea into dry land. They crossed through the river on foot. There did we rejoice in Him. He rules by His might forever. His eyes observe and keep watch over the nations. Let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Salat, pause, and calmly think. It's beautiful. Bless our God. Verse 8, Bless our God. O peoples, give Him grateful thanks and make the voice of His praise be heard. You see, it's that living in the sacrificial worship, our lives should be a life of gratitude and thankfulness. And it's the praise that we give to Him as we pour forth praise to Him that others can hear. It's not that we're just praising Him around others. We're praising Him. I mean, we're not just praising because everyone else is praising. We're praising Him. It's an intimacy. And here's some of those qualifiers. Who put and kept us, who put, He put and He kept us among the living and has not allowed our feet to slip. See, God has a purpose for us. He's put us in place and He keeps us in the place as He leads and directs under His powerful hand. We're in this very place. And our feet are put on that solid rock. It says, verse 10, For you, O God, have proved us. You have tried us as silver, tried, refined, and purified. You see, this is why we work out our salvation with fear and trembling, and we have the right to become a child of God. It's one thing we're all created, you know, a creation of God. But to be intimately in this sacrificial worship where we're following His direction and being transformed by Him so that we have to take on His image and the flesh image gets put to death. This is what He's talking about. And this is not a, I mean, we think about the refining process. It takes heat. It takes heat. This is not just a raise your hand one day and we're refined and purified. It's a sanctifying process. And here He's going to give an illustration of this. Because in this place of sacrificial worship, He says, verse 11, I mean, He goes in and He gives us the brass tacks of what God's doing and symbolism to show us. You know, He keeps us on the solid rock, and as He refines us and purifies us, sanctifying us, setting us apart. Verse 11, He says, You brought us into the net, the prison fortress, the dungeon. You laid a heavy burden upon our loins. You see, this is a seriousness and an earnestness, this is the very place, when we think about it in terms of God is not just, we can't be wishy-washy in this. This is what we see when we see this net. See, God comes and He encompasses those who stay in the sacrificial worship. And it is a heavy burden upon our loins. We think those loins, we're thinking that's a reflection of human, the human aspect. So we know the burden that is on our loins is the flesh that wants its own way, that wants to run free and do what it wants. But yet in this sacrificial worship, it is as though we are in a prison fortress, a net, and it's a heavy burden to put to death. That cross we bear every day while He puts to death the deeds of the flesh. Verse 12, you caused men to ride over our heads when we were prostrate. See, that's a symbolism of sacrificial worship where we're submitted under the powerful hand of God. God will bring, and He's saying, you caused men to ride over our heads. So it's given that symbolism that while we're down here in sacrificial worship, the world is running over the top. He says, we went through fire and through water, but you brought us out into a broad, moist place to abundance and refreshment in the open air. This is the refining process. This is the sanctification, holification process. And we're putting to death the deeds of the flesh. This is not going to be some Pollyanna pleasure cruise. The flesh wants what it wants. I know, this is how He's working on me. You know, today something was supposed to go on. I had an appointment and they didn't show up. I showed up, they didn't show up. And it's His timing. It's just to make sure that I'm willing to be patient in the process and go through this process. And it is a transforming process. He's got more work to do in me. I know yesterday was proof positive. I had that rough day at work. And while I began to respond better in the midst of the situation, when I got home, I drank and drank until I was just blasted. And that is just not the way God wants me to respond. See, my flesh wants to go that way, to numb up. But God wants me to endure the fire and the water so that I can be refined the way that He wants me refined. And when I stay in that, I come through it and I'm into this broad, moist place that's abundant and has refreshment. He wants to refresh us, you know, and give us that open air as a reflection of that room to breathe, that expanse of nature as you're looking out over it, compared to fire and coming through fire and water, right? But that's what it's like because we have the living water washing us and we have the fire, the Holy Spirit of fire, purging us from these things. But we have to be prostrate. We have to be in this place of submission. Now, it goes on to say in verse 13, I will come into your house with burnt offerings of entire consecration. I will pay you my vows. See, and this is that commitment to stay in the secret place. This is the offering of our entire lives as a living sacrifice so we can be in this place of intimacy with God. And he goes on to say as an expression, it's not the frozen chosen. We're to be moving towards this in faith as we operate faith with works and this is what he's using as he's paying vows. He's talking about vows. I will pay you my vows. That's a commitment to walk in faith, a commitment to stay in the refining process, a commitment to allow God to purify and to refine. And verse 14, he goes on to expand a little bit on the vows, which my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in distress. You know, it's amazing those are the times for sure that we want to be crying out to God and not running and doing other things. You know, like I said, I found myself doing the wrong thing last night and this is why it's a process of refining. You know, that impurity has to be brought out and it takes the fire and it takes all of this to do it. And we thank God. We're grateful for it. Remember this. Read it in context. Gratitude and praise pouring forth because of what he's doing and it's a heart of gratitude because of what he's doing. And any time we know mouth and lips, as mentioned, we know that's a reflection of what the heart is. This has to be a heart thing. And where are we turning when we're in distress of the refining process? Whatever is going on, where do we turn? This is what's important. We're going to God. We're committing to God. We're saying I'm going to commit to that secret place. I'm going to commit to this process and I'm just going to keep staying bunkered down. He goes a little more into detail in verse 15. I will offer to you burnt offerings of fat lambs with rams consumed in sweet smelling smoke. These are those whole life as a living sacrifice. I will offer bullocks and he goes. All angles are covered here. So let's go back up and read this section together. It says bless our God, O peoples, give him grateful thanks and make the voice of his praise be heard. Who put and kept us among the living and has not allowed our feet to slip. For you, O God, have proved us. You have tried us as silver is tried, refined and purified. You brought us into the net, the prison, fortress, the dungeon. You laid a heavy burden upon our loins. You caused men to ride over our heads when we were prostrate. We went through the fire and through water, but you brought us out into a broad, moist place to abundance and refreshment in the open air. I will come into your house with burnt offerings of entire consecration. I will pay you my vows, which my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in distress. I will offer to you burnt offerings of fat lambs with rams consumed in sweet-smelling smoke. I will offer bollocks and he goats, salaw, paws, and calmly think of them. What a beautiful section about this place where he's transforming and he's working out these things in us that are not pleasing, that are not effective in the kingdom work. It's just this place we have to bunker it down in and stay in, committed to. Verse 16 says, Come and hear all you who reverently and worshipfully fear God, and I will declare what he has done for me. See, this is what we were just talking about. He's talking about sacrificial worship, and now he's going to give us some things. He's going to start to declare the praises of God. Right? Here it goes. Verse 17, I cried aloud to him, and he was extolled, and high praise was under my tongue. See, if I regard, and now this is an important verse, if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. See, even if we're in sacrificial worship and we're crying out to God alone and we're extolling the high praise from our heart, symbolically with our mouth, to God about what he's doing and praising him for the work that he's done, the fulfilled promises he's fulfilling in our lives. But verse 18, if I regard iniquity in my heart, that's the source of it, the Lord will not hear me. So even in this place, if we have sin harbored in our heart, God is not going to respond. But then that's the warning, so we have to be, that's a warning. One way God doesn't hear, I mean he can physically hear, but I'm saying that he's not responding, is if we harbor sin in our heart. Verse 19, but certainly God has heard me. He has given heed to the voice of my prayer. See, and so that's the other side of the coin. If we don't have the sin harbored in our heart, you know David, many times we read passages where he had this situation where he just couldn't, he was like in depression, and he had unconfessed guilt in his heart, things in his heart that were harbored there, and it wasn't until he confessed all of his guilt to God that God cleansed him from that and purged him. See, this process can't take place if we harbor the sin in our heart, it just won't operate. God doesn't work that way. But certainly God has heard me, he says he has given heed to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, who has not rejected my prayer, nor removed his mercy and loving kindness from being, as it always is, with me. And that's a beautiful thing. He's given us the pro tip, how to stay in this communication with God during this process, and he showed us absolutely he responds, and what does he respond with? He responds with mercy and grace that is always with us. And so that's an important truth there, we have to be very conscious. He's given us some warnings there, that's one of them, about the harboring the sin in our heart. It doesn't matter how religious we think we can be, if we've got this unforgiveness or this malice or spite or anything in our heart, God's just not going to respond. It doesn't matter how good we look religiously, piously, it matters about that truth, because that heart is the state of a man, and that's the thing that's being refined and transformed, and so we have to make sure that's constantly coming to the table, and stays in that place on a constant level, so it can be refined and it can be purified. What a beautiful truth of David about this place of sacrificial worship and the transforming process. And then he sent me to Isaiah 48, as we see the refining process, and we'll see exactly some of the practical standard operating procedures, the brass tacks of it. So we're going to go to Isaiah, we're going to go to Isaiah 48. It says, Hear this, O house of Jacob. That's the promise. Who are called by the name of Israel, so that we see Jacob is coming into the kingdom. Israel is the fulfilled promise in the process of what we just read, right? In the operation in the kingdom where he has purpose and place for us. And it says, Who come forth from the seed of Judah. And this is interesting because Judah means praise. And so this is the praise is the outpouring, right, of what God's doing. So that's the growing and refining he's doing, pours forth from us in praise. And then we go into this, You who swear allegiance by the name of the Lord and make mention of God of Israel. Here comes a warning though, but not in truth and sincerity, nor in righteousness. Rightness or moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation. You know, that half tongue-in-cheek, that wishy-washy, that today, tomorrow, you know, it all switches and changes. We're not operating in spirit and in truth in this place. See, because we can't have the righteousness of God if we're not operating in the sacrificial worship. We can't operate in the truth and sincerity if there isn't that spiritual heart connection to the truth. It just has to be spirit and in truth. Those who worship God must worship him in spirit and in truth. And we worship him by submitting under his powerful hand. And he covers us with the righteousness of Christ. So this is a warning that we can't half-hearted do this. We can't tongue-in-cheek this. This is not just some function and mechanical thing we do. And he's going to go into depth about this. So he's going to get the idea. Verse 2, for they call themselves citizens of the holy city and depend on the God of Israel. The Lord of hosts is his name. See, they're given reflection there to the overriding will of God in this place of the kingdom. Israel, the fulfilled promise of it. Lord representing the leadership and sovereignty, the power of it. But notice what they call themselves, citizens of this holy city. And notice what it says at the end, the Lord of hosts is his name. So they're like, he's warning us. We can't just do mechanical superficial things like we're in the kingdom, you know. Oh, praise the Lord, he's the Lord of lords. He's the head of my life. You know, or whatever else little cliche things we have to reflect this. It can't just be this mechanical superficial thing. Goes on to say, I have declared from the beginning the former things which happened in times past to Israel. I have declared from the beginning the former things which have happened in times past to Israel. That's the fulfilled promise. They went from my mouth and I made them known. Then suddenly I did them and they came to pass, says the Lord. You see, it's amazing how that's just what happens. I have declared from the beginning the former things which happened in the past to the fulfilled promise. To give us warning, he's given us the warning. They went forth from my mouth and I made them known. God does not, he is not a Jehovah sneaky. You know, he's not just waiting to pounce. Then suddenly I did them and they came to pass, says the Lord. God's word will come to fruition. Because I knew that they were obstinate and your neck was an iron sinew and your bow, your brow was brass. Because I knew that you were obstinate. You know, we get stuck in this, when we get our own agendas and we get stuck in it, our neck, it says, was an iron sinew, so it's stiff-necked. You know what I mean? He's given it great symbolism here. And your brow is brass, you know. Therefore, I have declared things to come to you of old. God is the Alpha and Omega. His word is true today, yesterday, and forevermore. Therefore, I have declared things to come to you from of old. Before they came to pass, I announced them to you, so that you could not say, but idol has done them, my graven image, my molten image hath commanded them. See, he's given us the pro tips and the standard operating procedures already. He's already telling us what he's going to do and how he's going to do it. And the fact that he can, how, can be very varied. But what his purpose is and what he's going to do. It says, you have heard these things foretold. Now you see the fulfillment, and will you not bear witness to it? I showed you specified new things from this time forth, even hidden things kept in reverse, which you have not known. As God operates in us, he's given us that assurance, that confirmation. They are created now, called into being by the prophetic word. His word will come to its fruition. It will complete what it sets out to do. And not long ago, he says, and before today you have never heard of them, lest you should say, behold, I knew them. We've got to be having a true heart after God's own heart here. There's no superficial option. Yes, you have heard, sorry, yes, you have never heard. Yes, you have never known. Yes, from of old your ear has not been opened. For I, the Lord, knew that you, O house of Israel, dealt very treacherously. You were called a transgressor and a rebel in revolt from your birth. So this is that operating in the kingdom where we think we're going to do our own agenda, we're just going to put some piety on it, we're going to do all of this, is not going to have a good outcome. I love the symbolism with the hearing and the seeing and all of the ears, knowing. See, there's that transformation from when you hear something to when you know it. And that's symbolic of the spiritual. So there's that spiritual thing. We've mentioned it before, like when a classroom teacher teaches, he just puts out audible words, but it's not until it goes into the mind and into the inner man that we know what he's talking about and we learn what he's talking about. And so what he's saying is, although there's an operation that looks like kingdom work, that looks like the body of Christ, it's not because we're not letting God's truth come and transform us in the spirit. Well, truth, of course, and in spirit. And that's symbolic, and showing the symbolism here about the hearing and the knowing and the opened ear. And in so doing, we're a rebel, we're in a revolt, we're transgressing God when we don't operate in that secret place. In verse 9 it says, For my name's sake I defer my anger, and for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off. God wants none to perish, and it's for God's glory to pour forth so that the kingdom can grow. This is why God is everlong suffering with us. Here's what that refining looks like again. Here's another reflection, and it happens to be verse 10 again. Oh no, that's the, no, yeah, 66, 10, and Isaiah 48, 10. Huh, amazing. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver. See, we think about it, just as he's using symbolism here. It's not some distant thing, you know, where it's just put in this random pot. But this is what God does, and this is what the refining furnace looks like. I have tried and chosen you in the furnace of affliction. I'm learning this first hand. Man, to get this thing, because like I said last night, I turned to that drinking and stuff. That is not operating. He's asking me to operate. He wants me to operate in this equal place at all times and go through with the transforming work of the Holy Spirit and the truth and the Word of God, the water of God, you know, as he's sanctifying and setting me apart, not run off and numb up from it. That puts me in this category. And so he's given me the pro-tips today. But we know that it's for...oh, I'm getting ahead of the scripture. So it's affliction that is the actual refining process, and we know that it is, because we're putting to death the deeds of the flesh. That is afflicting in the flesh. No matter how you slice the pie, that's why it's a cross we bear. There's nothing joy, you know, like, not joyful, but there's nothing pleasurable about a cross, you know. And he's going to reiterate here. So we had verse 9, that the purpose is for his sake. It's for the kingdom work that this is being done. So this is why there's the bigger picture. It's not just about us, you know. But when we operate this way, it's like only about us. It's not about the kingdom. So he's reminding us, giving pro-tips to be very cautious to not get out into this place. And when we see these things, we search out, test and examine our ways, then we can return to the Lord. Verse 11 reiterates it again. It's for my own sake, he says. For my own sake I do it. I refrain and do not utterly destroy you. Remember, that's the grace of mercy. We'd surely die. And why should I permit my name to be polluted and profaned, which it would be if the Lord completely destroyed his chosen people? See, there would be no reflection of the love of God if he just completely, you know, backhand, pistol-whip, shoe-toss, I told you so kind of guy who just wants to utterly destroy us. That's not why he disciplines. That's not why he brings affliction. He brings affliction to show his, number one, his long-suffering and his grace and mercy, but his transforming work in our lives as well. Oh, there it goes. And this is what he says. Interesting. So for why should I permit my name to be polluted and profaned, which it would be if the Lord completely destroyed his chosen people, and I will not give my glory to another by permitting the worshipers of idols to triumph over you? See, it's this operating in our lives where he's sanctifying us and setting us apart, allowing his glory to come forth. This is why we, as an individual, can't just give God glory by what we say. It's what he's doing in us that gives him the glory. Now, we can pour forth the praise about it, and we can praise him outwardly and really how we want to do, but with a heart of gratitude, praise can come forth, absolutely. But this is another reflection of where the source of glory is. See, God is operating in us, and he will not give his glory to be permitted to come forth while we're operating outside of this in idolatry and where we're just not operating in the kingdom. Listen to me, O Jacob, in Israel. Okay, the promise and fulfilled promise. My called ones. See, that's the purpose of God. He wants none to perish. So we have Jacob, the initiation of the relationship, and Israel, the consummation of the relationship. And it says, My called ones. I am he. I am the first, and I am also the last. We mentioned that earlier. He's the beginning and the end. His truth is down forevermore. Always has been, always will be. He said, Yes, my hand has laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand has spread out the heavens. When I call to them, they stand forth together to execute my decree. Everything is under the powerful hand of God. Assemble yourselves, all of you in here, who among them, the gods and Shalini and astrologers, have foretold these things. You know that God is far above human. The Lord has loved him, Cyrus of Persia. He will do his pleasure and purpose on Babylon, and his arm will be against the Shalini. I even, I have foretold it. Yes, I have called him Cyrus. I have brought him, and the Lord shall make his way prosperous. See, God operates in the world and the kingdom. This is the lordship we see now. This is the sovereignty, the leadership we see, and as it plays out, and God is in sovereign. Well, we see it in his last group of verses, how it's sovereignty and powers above all things, and he's bringing it intimately into the operations in humanity. I even, I have foretold it. Yes, I have called him Cyrus. I have brought him, and the Lord shall make his way prosperous. Come near to me and listen to this. I have not spoken in secret from the beginning. From the time that it happened, I was there, and now the Lord God has sent his spirit in and with me. See, we have the truth and the spirit right here, and now the Lord God, that's the leader, sovereign will of the kingdom, has sent his spirit, that's the Holy Spirit, who comes in us and goes with us. Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer. Oh, it's beautiful. Now we're getting even more characteristics of our Lord and leader, our sovereign Lord who leads us. And what is the purpose? The redemption, the Redeemer. That's who he is. He's the Redeemer. He's the Holy One of the fulfilled promise of Israel. He is the Holy One who makes us holy as he transforms us by redeeming us in the spirit, which we just saw in the verse above it. I am the Lord, your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way that you should go. This is that spirit and in truth. So we have the truth and the spirit, everything happening right here. It's bringing redemption, it's bringing fulfilled promises, it's leading us, directing us. It's beautiful, really. It's a beautiful, beautiful thing. And again, verse 16 reiterates the fact that if we're coming near and we're in the secret place of God, that nothing is hidden. We have the Holy Spirit in us and with us who gives us every word of God, every truth of God, and every direction of God. All the leadership, the redemption, the sanctification, the redemption, the fulfilled promises come through the Holy Spirit. It says in 18, O that you had hearkened to my commandments. See, faith without works is dead and those who worship God, we have to offer our whole lives as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. Our love for God is shown by our obedience to God. As God moves us and gives us the commands in our spirit, we have to hearken to it. He doesn't make us do it. This is why it's so funny because there's such a misnomer that God makes us be certain ways and he does and he gives us the lead and direction inside who leads you in the way that you should go and teaches you. Okay, so we got all the spirit there and we have to hearken to it. We have to hearken to the direction and lead of the Lord. It says, then your peace and prosperity would have been like a flowing river. Your righteousness, the holiness and purity of the nation like the abundant waves of the sea. See, then we would have just flowed and we would have had the peace of God and the prosperity and the kingdom of God. And we're not talking about money, stacks of cash here. Trust that. But prosperity and fruitfulness in the functioning in the kingdom. And it says your offspring would have been like the sand. Why? Because we're operating in sacrificial worship and it's discipling those around us. These are the offspring in the kingdom. He's not talking about our children. He's talking about the offspring in the kingdom. And it says their name would not be cut off or destroyed from before me. See, when we operate in sacrificial worship and God transforms us, we operate in this place of peace and spiritual prosperity and your righteousness, that's the righteousness of Christ. So we're operating in the kingdom now. And then we're like the abundant waves of the sea. What happens? The waves just keep coming, right? They just keep coming, right? Because it just keeps producing and going forth. It's prosperous. He's using a lot of symbolism here. You've got to get the spirit and the truth here. And he's just saying that the potential of prosperity in the kingdom is great when we operate under this leadership, under this direction. We stay hearkened to the commands and like responding in kind. We operate in faith in the commands of God. He says go give them a hug. Go give them some money. Go pray for them or don't even interact with them but just do prayer, give them a scripture. Whatever God says, do a hug, whatever it is, a high five, an encouraging word, whatever it is, God is leading us to do. When he says to forgive, when he says to have patience with, when he says have self-control, all of these things when we're interacting with others that God is drawing, drawing, trying to bring them into relationship which they have to choose to. But we have to operate under his commands and when he tells us to do this, then we can operate with peace of mind and the prosperity in the kingdom and the righteousness of Christ covers us continuously. And then we begin to disciple others. And the name of the Lord will go from generation to generation. The kingdom of God will grow. And it says go forth out of Babylon which was a reference to captivity and flee from the Chaldeans which is, you know, this is the place he's talking about this place of captivity because we're not operating in sacrificial worship. These are the warnings, the standing and operating procedures we need to do it. Sorry, I had a phone call come in there. It said go forth out of Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans with a voice of sin declared. Tell this cause to go forth even to the end of the earth. Say the Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob. That's that original promise to save us. This is the captivity he delivers us from. Our praise pours forth because of his fulfilled promises in our life and it goes forth and it has an impact throughout the earth. Our lives are just a beacon of his glory. And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts. He caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them. He split the rock also and the waters gushed out. See, God provides and it's like this place as we're putting to death the deeds of our flesh by the power of the Holy Spirit. God is bringing forth living water from us and sustaining us and bringing us into that open space. And he's just given us that final reminder in verse 22. There is no peace, says the Lord, for the wicked. So we have to operate in this place of sacrificial worship. God has to be our Lord and leader and Savior. We can't be wishy-washy with it. It can't be superficial. And we've got to stay in this refining process. And it's a reminder that Psalm 66 truly is a treasure in Christ and a treasure in heaven. And then God is Jehovah, Dezara, Kesef, Dezara. Our Lord God who refines us like silver, refined. Oh, Heavenly Father, we're just so grateful for this truth today. We see in your word, Father God, the process of refining that we have to stay in this sacrificial worship as you continue to hone us and free us from these things that are of the flesh, that are not pleasing to you, that are wickedness and sin that might be harboring in our heart. We just release it to you today. I pray this over the body of Christ today that from our lives will flow rivers of living water today. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen and amen.
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