Understanding Thy Ways, O Lord
God tells Israel in Deuteronomy 10:12-13 “and now, Israel, what does the Lord
Yahweh your God require of you, but to reverence the Lord Yahweh your God, to
walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the Lord Yahweh your God with all
your heart and with all your soul. To keep the commandments of the Lord Yahweh,
and His statues, which I command you this day for your good”.
The Bible tells us “He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of
Israel” (Psalms 103:7). We know that God is not a respecter of persons, the
Israelites were afraid when God tried to talk with them and told Moses to talk with God
for them and then tell them and they would obey Him, but they put their relationship
with God at a distance when they did this. We are told in James 4:8a to “draw near to
God and He will draw near to you”. God wants to have a personal relationship with
each and every one of us, and we have to decide whether we are going to press in or
be like the Israelites and draw back.
In Hebrews 3:7-12 the scriptures warns us not to be like the Israelites who could not
enter into His rest, because they had an evil heart of unbelief. This speaks of the
spies coming back from spying out the land and 10 of the 12 giving an evil report
which caused the Israelites to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. God told them
to go in and possess the land which He had giving to them, but because of doubt and
unbelief they refused to go in, thinking that they would have to defeat the giants by
their selves, they didn’t believe that God would be with them (Numbers 13-14.
The Bible tells us that God’s ways are perfect (II Samuel 22:31 and Psalms 18:30) “as
for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord Yahweh is tried. He is a buckler to
all them that trust in Him”. James tells us “every good gift and every perfect gift is
from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness,
neither shadow of turning.
It also tells us that God’s ways are just and true (Revelation 15:3) “and they sing the
song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, great and
marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Your ways, You King
of saints”.
God’s ways are pure and holy. We are told “but as He which has called you is holy,
so be you holy in all manner of conversation. Because it is written, be you holy for I
am holy” (I Peter 1:15-16).
David asked God to show him His ways “show me Your ways, O Lord Yahweh, teach
me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth, and teach me for You are the God of my
salvation, on You do I wait all the day” (Psalms 25:4-5), and again David asked God
to restore him (Psalms 51:12-13) “restore to me the joy of Your salvation; and uphold
me with Your free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways; and sinners shall
be converted to You”. Just like David, we too can ask God to show us His ways. He
wants us to know them, so that we can follow Him. This verse Psalms 51:13 is where
this ministry got its name. As I whole heartedly gave me life to the Lord, He put this
scripture on my heart as I was asking Him what to name the ministry, this scripture
came to me; you see I too had to be restored and when He called me to teach, I
promised to do as this scripture says.
Psalms 119:9-16 tells us that the key to understanding God’s ways is His word;
“wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according
to Your word. With my whole heart have I sought You, O let me not wander from
Your commandments. Your word have I hid in my heart that I might no sin against
You. Blessed are You, O Lord Yahweh, teach me Your statutes. With my lips have I
declared of the judgments of Your mouth. I have rejoiced n the way of Your
testimonies as much as in all riches. I will meditate in Your precepts, and have
respect to Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes, I will not forget Your
word”. His word is what cleanses us and enlightens us.
Jesus taught God’s ways (Matthew 22:15-16) “then went the Pharisees, and took
counsel how they might entangle Him in His talk. And they sent out to Him their
disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that You are true, and teaches
the way of God in truth”; they, even being His enemies, trying to trick Him
acknowledged that Jesus teaches the way of God in truth. John 1:18 says “no man
has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the
Father, He has declared Him”. Jesus said “I only do what I have seen and heard My
Father do” ( John 5:19) “then answered Jesus and said to them, verily, verily, I say to
you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do: for what
things so ever, He does these also does the Son likewise”.
So let’s see what Jesus did:
Jesus said in Luke 19:10 “for the Son of man is come to seek and save that which
was lost”. John 3:17 says “for God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the
world, but that the world through Him might be saved”. And the Bible tells us that
God doesn’t want any to perish, but that all would come to the knowledge of the truth
(II Peter 3:9).
Jesus came to reverse the oppression of the devil (Acts 10:38) “how God anointed
Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; who went about doing good,
and healing all that were oppressed of the devil for God was with Him”. Jesus told us
that we are to the same (John 14:12) “Verily, verily, I say to you, he that believed on
Me, the works that I do shall he do also and greater works than these shall he do,
because I go to My Father”; and Mark 16:15-18 Jesus tells us to go into all the world
and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believes and is baptized shall be
saved, and these signs shall follow them that believe. In My name shall they cast out
devils, and they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
His disciples taught the ways of God (Acts 18:24-26) as Apollos, being an eloquent
man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus and was instructing in the way of
the Lord, but knowing only the baptism of John; Aquila and Pricilla took him aside and
expounded to him the way of God more perfectly.
God wants us to know His ways, He gave us the Holy Spirit. Jesus is explaining that
when He leaves the Holy Spirit will come and be our Comforter, and the Holy Spirit is
come to guide us into all truth (John 16:7.13). So let us listen carefully for the Holy
Spirit to speak to us, and expect it and be willing to obey His voice.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: June 13, 2008
God tells Israel in Deuteronomy 10:12-13 “and now, Israel, what does the Lord
Yahweh your God require of you, but to reverence the Lord Yahweh your God, to
walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the Lord Yahweh your God with all
your heart and with all your soul. To keep the commandments of the Lord Yahweh,
and His statues, which I command you this day for your good”.
The Bible tells us “He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of
Israel” (Psalms 103:7). We know that God is not a respecter of persons, the
Israelites were afraid when God tried to talk with them and told Moses to talk with God
for them and then tell them and they would obey Him, but they put their relationship
with God at a distance when they did this. We are told in James 4:8a to “draw near to
God and He will draw near to you”. God wants to have a personal relationship with
each and every one of us, and we have to decide whether we are going to press in or
be like the Israelites and draw back.
In Hebrews 3:7-12 the scriptures warns us not to be like the Israelites who could not
enter into His rest, because they had an evil heart of unbelief. This speaks of the
spies coming back from spying out the land and 10 of the 12 giving an evil report
which caused the Israelites to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. God told them
to go in and possess the land which He had giving to them, but because of doubt and
unbelief they refused to go in, thinking that they would have to defeat the giants by
their selves, they didn’t believe that God would be with them (Numbers 13-14.
The Bible tells us that God’s ways are perfect (II Samuel 22:31 and Psalms 18:30) “as
for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord Yahweh is tried. He is a buckler to
all them that trust in Him”. James tells us “every good gift and every perfect gift is
from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness,
neither shadow of turning.
It also tells us that God’s ways are just and true (Revelation 15:3) “and they sing the
song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, great and
marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Your ways, You King
of saints”.
God’s ways are pure and holy. We are told “but as He which has called you is holy,
so be you holy in all manner of conversation. Because it is written, be you holy for I
am holy” (I Peter 1:15-16).
David asked God to show him His ways “show me Your ways, O Lord Yahweh, teach
me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth, and teach me for You are the God of my
salvation, on You do I wait all the day” (Psalms 25:4-5), and again David asked God
to restore him (Psalms 51:12-13) “restore to me the joy of Your salvation; and uphold
me with Your free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways; and sinners shall
be converted to You”. Just like David, we too can ask God to show us His ways. He
wants us to know them, so that we can follow Him. This verse Psalms 51:13 is where
this ministry got its name. As I whole heartedly gave me life to the Lord, He put this
scripture on my heart as I was asking Him what to name the ministry, this scripture
came to me; you see I too had to be restored and when He called me to teach, I
promised to do as this scripture says.
Psalms 119:9-16 tells us that the key to understanding God’s ways is His word;
“wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according
to Your word. With my whole heart have I sought You, O let me not wander from
Your commandments. Your word have I hid in my heart that I might no sin against
You. Blessed are You, O Lord Yahweh, teach me Your statutes. With my lips have I
declared of the judgments of Your mouth. I have rejoiced n the way of Your
testimonies as much as in all riches. I will meditate in Your precepts, and have
respect to Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes, I will not forget Your
word”. His word is what cleanses us and enlightens us.
Jesus taught God’s ways (Matthew 22:15-16) “then went the Pharisees, and took
counsel how they might entangle Him in His talk. And they sent out to Him their
disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that You are true, and teaches
the way of God in truth”; they, even being His enemies, trying to trick Him
acknowledged that Jesus teaches the way of God in truth. John 1:18 says “no man
has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the
Father, He has declared Him”. Jesus said “I only do what I have seen and heard My
Father do” ( John 5:19) “then answered Jesus and said to them, verily, verily, I say to
you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do: for what
things so ever, He does these also does the Son likewise”.
So let’s see what Jesus did:
Jesus said in Luke 19:10 “for the Son of man is come to seek and save that which
was lost”. John 3:17 says “for God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the
world, but that the world through Him might be saved”. And the Bible tells us that
God doesn’t want any to perish, but that all would come to the knowledge of the truth
(II Peter 3:9).
Jesus came to reverse the oppression of the devil (Acts 10:38) “how God anointed
Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; who went about doing good,
and healing all that were oppressed of the devil for God was with Him”. Jesus told us
that we are to the same (John 14:12) “Verily, verily, I say to you, he that believed on
Me, the works that I do shall he do also and greater works than these shall he do,
because I go to My Father”; and Mark 16:15-18 Jesus tells us to go into all the world
and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believes and is baptized shall be
saved, and these signs shall follow them that believe. In My name shall they cast out
devils, and they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
His disciples taught the ways of God (Acts 18:24-26) as Apollos, being an eloquent
man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus and was instructing in the way of
the Lord, but knowing only the baptism of John; Aquila and Pricilla took him aside and
expounded to him the way of God more perfectly.
God wants us to know His ways, He gave us the Holy Spirit. Jesus is explaining that
when He leaves the Holy Spirit will come and be our Comforter, and the Holy Spirit is
come to guide us into all truth (John 16:7.13). So let us listen carefully for the Holy
Spirit to speak to us, and expect it and be willing to obey His voice.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: June 13, 2008
