Something Greater

Psalm 9: Forever Enthroned "To the choirmaster: according to Muth-labben. A Psalm of David. "I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. "When my enemies turn back, they stumble and perish before your presence. For you have maintained my just cause; you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment. "You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish;   you have blotted out their name forever and ever. The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins; their cities you rooted out;   the very memory of them has perished. "But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice,   and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness. "The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put t...

Only Human "Why do people try to gain salvation through their own merit, rather than accept God's righteousness through Jesus Christ? How strong a role does guilt play in this?" This was the question posed to me. Here is my response. From the beginning, angels and humans have inclined toward rejection of God as their ultimate Authority. God told Adam and Eve that they had for their food every plant in all the earth and every tree of the garden, except one. The serpent deceived Eve, pretending, without actually lying, to believe that God had forbade them any tree in the garden. The serpent's argument was that God's authority over them was arbitrary and unfair. The serpent opened a door into rebellion, making it appear good and delightful and wise, and Eve walked through that door. (Genesis 3:1-6) Adam was beside Eve all this time. He knew that the serpent was pretending. Adam knew that the serpent was usurping authority over God, but he also knew that t...

The Holy and Righteous One The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. Acts 3:13-15 (ESV) To this point in Luke's book of Acts of the Apostles, Jesus has been named Lord and Christ. In his second great instance of preaching, Peter is speaking to Jews at the temple. They've all gathered in amazement, responding to the miraculous healing of a lame man. Peter is even more descriptive of the glory of Jesus . Peter begins by calling upon the Almighty God, using references that are most meaningful to devout Jews: " The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers ." Then, Peter describes Jesus as the Servant o...