BOLD Christian Outreach Reflections from Psalm 15

Sub Title: The tent of meeting.

BOLD Christian outreach promises from the book of Psalm.

How can unholy people come into the presence of a Holy and Righteous God without being consumed by fire?

David asks, "Who may stay in Your tent?"

            "Who may live on Your Holy mountain?"

He answers, "Only the pure and righteous."

So how can we sinners stand in the presence of a Holy God?

At the time of David in the Jewish tradition the priest prepared themselves for entering into the presence of God by ceremonial washing and through the offering of sacrifices. They sprinkled blood on the altar and on their garments, and then they sprinkled blood on the people to remove the guilt of their sin. This was to make them righteous in the sight and presence of a Holy God. But this ceremonial cleansing was only symbolic and it had to be repeated over and over again. However, when Jesus, who was without sin, died on the cross He became THE sacrifice that paid the price for the sins of all people for all time, past, present, and future. By allowing Himself to be beaten and crucified on a cross He satisfied the demand that was placed on all people as a result of their inborn sinful nature. He made it possible for sinners to come into the presence of God by covering them with a robe of righteousness. This robe is a covering of blood (Jesus Christ's blood); the blood He shed in payment for our sin. It is given to those who believe in Jesus Christ.

Those who trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins are given just that, complete forgiveness of their sins. They become the adopted children of God. Their sins are covered by Jesus’ blood and they are brought into the presence of God as forgiven and redeemed children.

To answer David’s question, only those who have had their sins forgiven will be able to stand before God in His tent of meeting and to come into His presence on His holy mountain. This privilege came to those who believed in the promise of a Messiah and now comes through faith in Jesus Christ, who is the promised Messiah. Because Jesus has paid the price for our disobedience, we are now able to stand before God with our sins forgiven.

When we come to worship God do we take this privilege for granted?

Do we still stand in awe of Jesus Christ and what He has done for us?

Do we come out of reverence for God and all things sacred?

Do we have a healthy sense of fear, love, and respect for God and for what He has done for us?

Or

Are we going through the motions of worship out of duty or obligation?

Are we putting on a show for others?

Are we living the life of piety on the outside, but rebellious and unrepentant on the inside?

Are we taking God's love for granted?

Our faith will be regarded as God's approval of us who believe in the one who brought Jesus, our Lord, back to life. Jesus, our Lord, was handed over to death because of our failures and was brought back to life so that we could receive God's approval. Romans 4:24-25 (God's Word)

Now that we have God's approval by faith, we have peace with God because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done. Through Christ we can approach God and stand in his favor. Romans 5:1-2 (God's Word).

Since Christ's blood has now given us God's approval, we are even more certain that Christ will save us from God's anger. If the death of his Son restored our relationship with God while we were still his enemies, we are even more certain that, because of this restored relationship, the life of his Son will save us. In addition, our Lord Jesus Christ lets us continue to brag about God. After all, it is through Christ that we now have this restored relationship with God. Romans 5:9-11 (God's Word).

God said, "You will be holy!"

Jesus said, "You must be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect."

We are made holy not by what we do or how we act or think. This is not about having good morals or having a set of rules that we follow. It comes as we acknowledge our sinfulness and our need for forgiveness of our sins. It comes as a gift from God as He gives us the faith to believe that Jesus Christ has the power to forgive our sins. We are given God's righteousness and are made holy though faith in Jesus Christ!

"Who may stay in your tent?"

Is this an invitation to come into the presence of God?

Is this a question based on LAW or GOSPEL?

To understand the outreach promise of this Psalm one has to understand God's desire to have all people live with Him on His holy mountain. This is not meant for the select few who are morally good (no one except Christ fits in that group.), but for all who come to realize that they are unworthy of God's grace and in need of God's mercy. The promise is carried out and given to everyone who humbly places themselves at the mercy of God. The promise is made on the basis of the one who will settle the account of our sin with God. This one is the only one worthy to stand before God. This one is none other than Jesus Christ.

The promise is fulfilled in Jesus Christ!

In Christ we have redemption and forgiveness of sins and will be able to come into the presence of our holy God on His Mountain. As we BOLDly proclaim this good news to others we can be confident that those who by the work of the Holy Spirit humble themselves before Christ will be lifted up and set on high with God.

(God’s Word, Copyright 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society, www.godsword.org).

I have also written Christian outreach related documents that can be found at http://peterkeyes.efoliomn.com

BOLD Outreach Reflections from Psalm 14

Subtitle: God is faithful even when I am not.
          Another BOLD outreach promise from the book of Psalm.

"The Lord looks down from heaven on Adam's descendants to see if there is anyone who acts wisely, if there is anyone who seeks help from God.
    Everyone has turned away.
    Together they have become rotten to the core.
    No one, not even one person, does good things.
    Are all those troublemakers, ... so ignorant that they do not call on the Lord?
If only salvation for Israel would come from Zion!
    When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, Jacob will rejoice.
    Israel will be glad." Psalm 14:2-7
(God’s Word, Copyright 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society, http://www.godsword.org/).

God sees that everyone is rotten to the core.

There is only one who is righteous.
    God is with the person who is righteous.
The one who is righteous is our savior.
    He is the one in whom we can take refuge.
He is our salvation. He comes out of Zion.
    He restores the [eternal] fortunes of the people of God.

Fools deny God,
    but the righteous are made righteous through the one who saves them.
Fools do not call on God,
    but the righteous take refuge in God.
We are all corrupt.
We have all turned away.
No one does good things.

Our only help is in the Lord.
When we call on God for help He comes to our aid and provides us with salvation.
"When" is an affirmative, not an "if".
The Lord is the refuge.
The people will rejoice!!! (Joy in the journey!)
Only one is righteous – that is – Jesus Christ!
Those who call on Jesus the Lord will find refuge.

This is the message that we have to share. God will bring the repentant into His place of refuge and will forgive their sins. He will give them His robe of righteousness and the inheritance of eternal life.

David states that "No one, not even one person, does good things." vs. 3
Paul quotes these words in his letter to the Romans.
"No one searches for God. Everyone has turned away.
Together they have become rotten to the core.
No one does anything good, not even one person" Romans 3: 11-12.

This begs a question.
If no one is righteous, who is "the person" who is righteous? vs.5
    "The person" who takes refuge in the Lord?
He is the one who ... will come from Zion
    to provide salvation for God's chosen people.
He is the promised one! He is the Messiah!

The promise in this verse is meant as an affirmative.
"IF only salvation ... would come..." is followed by "When the Lord restores..."
It is a promise that will be fulfilled, not if, not might, not could come, but "When" God's timing is right.

And from our view looking back we can see how Christ come down from heaven (Zion) and lived as a righteous man before God. Unbelievers feared him, hated him and crucified him. Yet, He rose from the dead, conquered sin and death, and restored the inheritance of God's people. Salvation has come from Zion and as a result all of God's chosen ones will receive eternal life.

As you go, BOLDly proclaim Christ the righteous one, because He has saved us from the penalty of our sin.

BOLD Outreach Reflections from Psalm 13

Subtitle: Waiting on the Lord

"How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I make decisions alone with sorrow in my heart day after day?" Psalm 13:1-2 (God’s Word, Copyright 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society, http://www.godsword.org/).

This Psalm is hitting me a little too close to home. Ever since I was laid off from my full-time ministry staff position I have been waiting for the Lord to show me the next steps in my ministry service. Over the past two years I have taken on several part-time positions in the community that would not be considered to be church work or "ministry" in the eyes of most people. I have had to work at entry-level positions and at jobs that have a high rate of turnover for very little pay. During this time I completed my Masters of Arts in Christian Outreach degree and expected to receive a "call" to serve God in a fulltime ministry in a community, but it has not happened.

I often find myself crying out to God with David, "Look at me! Answer me, O Lord my God!" (v3). On my own I continue, "Speak to me, show me your will, give me direction, open a door for me to serve you in ministry," and I hear silence....
     more silence...
          nothing...      nothing...      nothing...     
               nothing...
                    then these words come to me...
    "Shhh, be still and know that I am God."

Outreach ministry takes time. We cannot by our own reason or strength bring someone to believe in God or come to faith in Christ. It is the work of the Holy Spirit working through the Word of God that calls, gathers and enlightens God's own to come to Him in faith. Our role in that activity is to proclaim God's good news to those with whom we work and play or otherwise engage in activities as we go about life and living.

We can count on God's mercy and salvation. That is what David did! When everything else is stripped away – every material possession, everything that might give us security, meaning, or identity (all those false idols in our life), nothing is left but God's promise to be merciful and grant us salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. God rescues the broken hearted. The humble He does not despise. Those who call out to Him for mercy are saved! We can BOLDly count on this outreach promise as we share the good news of Jesus Christ with others.

"But I trust your mercy. My heart finds joy in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord because he has been good to me." Psalm 13:5-6 (God’s Word, Copyright 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society, http://www.godsword.org/).

####Check out other related Bible resources at http://www.godsword.org/ for user-friendly outreach materials.

BOLD Outreach Reflections from Psalm 12

Outreach Promises - Pure as Silver Purified Seven Times

Have you ever worked with someone who "knows it all"? This person is a self-proclaimed expert in every field and on every subject, regardless of the topic of conversations. Their personal experiences trump the experiences of everyone else in the conversation. They are loud, proud, and boastful. They shout down anyone who remotely challenges them or doubts their story. They are considered by others to be arrogant. The truth isn't enough for them. They have a desperate inner need to pad their stories and to build themselves up in the presence of others.

David must have met his share of these people. He was sick of being lied to. He was tired of having to sift through the lies of those looking out for their own interests and trampling on everyone else, especially those who took advantage of the poor. He called out for God to cut off the tongues of such people. I detect a little righteous anger in this Psalm. He wrote, "Help, O Lord, No godly person is left. Faithful people have vanished from among Adam's descendants! All people speak foolishly. They speak with flattering lips. They say one thing but mean another. May the Lord cut of every flatting lip and every bragging tongue that has said, 'We will overcome with our tongues. With lips such as ours, who can be our master?'" Psalm 12:1-4 (God’s Word, Copyright 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society, http://www.godsword.org/).

As with most of the Psalms this one has a second side. David's anger is turned toward his reliance on and faith in the promises of God. David states, "The promises of the Lord are pure," not only pure, but comparable to silver that has been refined multiple times in a furnace, "like silver refined in a furnace and purified seven times."(6). This is the ultimate in purity of silver, the number seven reflecting the essence of holiness.

This blog is about God's outreach promises found in the Psalms. It is easy to see the reference to God's promises, but a little more difficult to see the connection to outreach promises. That is, God's promise to open doors of faith in the hearts and minds of people (by the power of the Holy Spirit) as they hear the good news of Jesus Christ and message of salvation. But, it is there.

In verse 5, David states God's response to those who are oppressed and needy. "'Because oppressed people are robbed and needy people groan, I will now arise,' says the Lord. 'I will provide safety for those who long for it' ... O Lord, you will protect them. You will keep each one safe from those people forever."(5,7). When people are convicted of their sin and helplessly call out to God – He responds. In Christ, he has provided safety and forgiveness – forever.

This Psalm is a good example of a passage that speaks of both God's Law and God's Grace. God's Law – destroys the proud. God's Grace – lifts up the humble. The braggart receives condemnation. The broken receives forgiveness. Those who look to God for salvation will receive it – "forever"(7). This is a BOLD Outreach promise from God.

Check out God’s Word, Copyright 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society and other related Bible resources at http://www.godsword.org/ for easy to use outreach materials.

BOLD Outreach Reflections from Psalm 11

Subtitle: HOLD THE LINE!!!

"I have taken refuge in the Lord.
How can you say to me: 'Flee to your mountain like a bird? ...
When the foundations [of life] are undermined, what can a righteous person do?'
The LORD is in his holy temple.
The LORD's throne is in heaven.
His eyes see.
They examine Adam's descendants.
The LORD tests righteous people, but he hates wicked people and the ones who love violence. ...
The LORD is righteous.
He loves a righteous way of life.
Decent people will see his face." Psalm 11: 1, 3-5, 7
(God’s Word, Copyright 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society, http://www.godsword.org/).

As I am writing this we are in the depth of the fall football season. High school playoffs are underway. College teams are playing for bowl game appearances and pro teams are making a push for playoffs and the Super Bowl. Several years ago, I also played on a football team. My position was on the offensive line. When I was a senior in high school I was the starting left guard (first person to the left of the center) and also played center (the guy who hikes the ball to the quarterback). I weighed 155lbs fully dressed in my game gear and pads. Most of our opponent's linemen had 25 to 50lbs on me. On pass plays the offensive linemen had one job to do – that was to HOLD THE LINE and protect the quarterback until he was able to throw the ball downfield to an open receiver. The defensive linemen also had one primary job and that was to run over, around or through us (the offensive line) to get to the quarterback before he could throw the ball. It may have been easy for the fans or the coaches and other teammates to scream "HOLD THE LINE" at us, but it was not so easy for us to do it when our opposition was bouncing us around. There were a few games where our team so beaten up and demoralized by our opponents that we could hardly wait for the game to end. We were not only defeated but also totally humiliated by our opponents.

Sometimes my life is like a football game and I feel like I am getting bounced around. The opposition is screaming at me. Common sense is telling me to run away. I hear voices telling me to "flee to the mountains like a bird" or "save yourself, run for cover" or "look for an easier way out." I think you are getting the picture; it is difficult to stand firm in our beliefs when everyone and everything seems to be standing in opposition to us. When David faced these trials he turned to his people and stated with confidence, "I have taken refuge in the LORD. ... His eyes see. ... The LORD is righteous. ... Decent people will see his face."

Let me take the liberty to paraphrase his thoughts, "Don't tell me to run when God is watching out for me. I will trust in Him to protect me. I will HOLD THE LINE. I will not run because God is fighting with me. He is testing me. He is righteous and will do what is right for me. I will stand in his presence and wait on Him to deliver me from those who are oppressing me."

God spoke to us His words of promise through the words of David's pen. David's courage and faith become instrumental in giving us courage and faith to stand firm in the promises of God. God's promises have already been fulfilled for us in Jesus Christ. In Christ, God has destroyed our enemies – sin, death, and the devil. In Christ, God looks out for us and provides us with the gift of eternal life. In Christ, we are given God's righteousness and the certainty that we will see Him face to face.

We are no longer on the losing team waiting for the clock to run out, but rather we are on the winning team anxiously waiting for the end of the game. Satan, defeated and humiliated, is throwing cheap shots and punches at us. He is a sore loser. But he cannot destroy us because we are living in Christ by God's grace through faith. David's words in this Psalm remind us to set our focus on Jesus Christ, the righteous Son of God. In Christ, we can take refuge and stand firm against our opponent, Satan. With BOLDness we can "hold the line" and BOLDly proclaim this good news to others.

BOLD Outreach Reflections from Psalm 10

Mercy, Witness, Life Together – God promises to hear the cries of the oppressed.

"Arise, O Lord! ... You have seen it; yes, you have taken note of trouble and grief and placed them under your control. The victim entrusts himself to you. You alone have been the helper of orphans. ... The Lord is king forever and ever. The nations have vanished from his land. You have heard the desire of oppressed people, O Lord. You encourage them. You pay close attention to them in order to provide justice for orphans and oppressed people so that no mere mortal will terrify them again." (Psalm 10: 12, 14, 16-18, God’s Word, Copyright 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society, http://www.godsword.org/).

Less than one week ago, thirty-three miners in Chile were rescued from a room where they had taken refuge after an explosion trapped them in a mine over one-half mile below the surface of the earth. They had spent weeks waiting for their rescuers to drill a hole down to them that would be big enough for them to be lifted out.

Many of the miners stated that they had hope in their rescue because of their faith in God (and His promise to hear the cries of the oppressed). Their faith in God sustained them and gave them hope. One miner stated that there were thirty-four people present in the hole because God was also present with them throughout their ordeal.

This verse could be seen as merely addressing the merciful side of our God from a humanitarian perspective. He takes note of trouble and grief and places them under His control. ... He hears the desires of oppressed people... He encourages them... And then He provides justice for orphans and oppressed people. But God's mercy goes beyond providing physical care. In Jesus Christ, God not only shows His power over our physical needs, such as when He healed the sick and calmed the storms, but He also took on the punishment for our sins and conquered sin, death and the devil.

Jesus is the king whose reign is forever and ever. He provides justice for the oppressed and calls them to Himself to live with Him for eternity. This is our outreach promise. Those who call on the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, will be saved. Our mission as His children is to be witnesses to the mercy of God through our words and our deeds that others may come to know Him as their Lord.

The Chilean miners gave us their witness to the presence of God throughout their ordeal. May we be BOLD enough to follow their example – trusting in the outreach promises of God.