LILY OF THE TESTIMONY

LILY OF THE TESTIMONY,Psalm 58-60,

THE LILY OF THE TESTIMONY

AUTHOR GUARDIAN

Lord we commit this time you now as we commit all things to you In Jesus name amen

This message is in snippets, like photo snaps, portions separate and yet one

As you read through the bible you will see that it is like looking through a telescope as God

shows and diplays those things He wants you to see and as the Holy Spirit draws pictures and

takes snapshots from his tory and implants then into us, so He rubs off onto us as we read His

word.

Im going to begin by sharing three pictures that came to me this week

1.

The first vision / picture was of clouds rolling across the sky at speed and the clouds thickening

and gathering together as they raced across the sky

2.

The second picture was of a man sitting crouching down , looking to the problems that faced him

and saying " what am I going to do, How am I going to get through this " and the Lord was saying

"Look to me focus on me "

3.

The third picture was looking out of a window and it was dark outside and the rain beat down on the glass,

relentless, like it would never stop

Before we start I want to bring your attention to something, I just happened to come accross

this while looking up 1 samuel 6:8 and I came accross this days after by accident ( as if )

Take a browse through 1 Samuel 12 and you will read about the thunder and the rain

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Justice...mmm.. word we do not hear often these days, usually only associated with courts of Law

and we assume someone receives a judgement and justice is done and the person Judged receives a just sentence and the victim receives justice and we see that the accused gets the penalty and

the victim (if any) see's that the price has been paid

Justice can go hand in hand with righteouness with God, whereas mans judgement and justice is

not always right

In God and His Kingdom He is right and His judgements are right and He is Righteous and He makes us

right with Him ....how ? by the precious blood of Jesus who paid the price

God is righteous and in His righteouness He is just and in His justice He is righteous, when God judges

the thoughts and motives and intentions of the heart He does so because He is the Judge and His Judgement

is right and true

In Gods Kingdom we see many words that are not commonly used in everyday life including

Redemption, Righteousness, Sanctification, Salvation, bornagain and the list is endless, of course we

find these words in Gods Kingdom that we do not find elsewhere because the Kingdom life is different

and needs different words and a different language

You cannot get away from using different words in Gods Kingdom and why would you try ?

And so here in this message we take a brief glimpse at "Righteousness" and "Justification"

TAKE 1

And so we come to the Psalms

GODS JUDGEMENT

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In 1 Samuel 16 we read how Samuel is sent by God to find David, He is sent to Jesse in Bethlehem

and we find that God had already chosen the man David

Was David qualified ? were the fishermen qualified ? were and are the disciples qualified ?

are you and me qualified ?

What does it mean to be disqualified ?

Why was Saul Disqualified ?

What do we look at in a person ? smart ? well dressed ? presentable ? goos qualifications ?

Good levels of education ? work experience ? able to pass an efficiency test ? High IQ ?

When God looked for a man here He scoured through the hearts of the people of that land and beyond

Knowing their hearts and being the maker , He saw the past present and future motivations and heart

attitudes of each and every individual and chose David

Then Samuel saw one of Jesse's sons called Eliab and Samuel thought this was the person,

But however the Lord said "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him.

The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the

LORD looks at the heart."

Then Abinadab, then Shammah, and we see that seven sons passed by Samuel but none of them had

been chosen by The Lord and then we see that lastly David was called who was tending the sheep and

Jesse had'nt even thought of calling David

And yes we know that David was the chosen one

Here we see God judging the heart and unlike peoples judgement He does not judge by external

appearance and He looks not just at the outside of the cup or the outward signs of qualification,

but He looks and searches the deepest things of the heart not just in this instance of time but

He looks to the past, present and future

He does not draw on all the mistakes and mark us off as He lists all our errors and He does not act

like a boss or a teacher ticking boxes as if in an exam , but He looks to the motivations, He see's far

more in us than we could ever see, those things which we do not know about, He can draw out of us

the qualities we have not seen

TAKE 2

PREPARING THE HEART FOR JUSTICE

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David had fought the Goliath battle being seen as the least in the eyes of some and we see that there was

a preparation in store for David

This was the life training and course David had to follow , a narrow way that was not easy to a wide and

open gate

And we note that many of Gods chosen had to follow the same route of preparation and we wonder why ?

Here David had been chased by Saul and his armies , persued by enemies, chased into caves and

sanctuaries

Pursued by his own son who sought to take power, but again these were not chosen they had been

disqualified from the race nad we noted last week about wounds that occur during the process of growth

in the Christian Life

How hurtful it must have been to David to live a life for so long always being the underdog ?

How disillusioning to always be chased around and frightened ?

How hurtful to have your own flesh and blood turn against you and to see them killed by their own

greed ?

How long would it be before justice was seen ?

When would the God of justice act and bring the men of injustice to justice ?

Should we judge the Justice of God ?

Is the Justice of God different to mans Justice ?

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TAKE 3

THE LILY OF TESTIMONY

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Have you ever walked into a room and smelt the scent of the lily ? lilies are beautiful flowers aren't

they ? full of fragrance and you can smell them before you see them , but you know if you touch the

Lily then the dye will stick to you, you know that it is difficult to get that colour off your skin

The same with Gods word as we read His word the Holy Spirit speaks and that word kind of

Rubs off on us, like a part of Gods character rubs off on us, each time more and more

We know that we are affected by what we read and listen too or whom we associate with or listen

too, part of them rubs off onto us

We know that sometimes , at times, we know when someone is a Christian, like a kind of

witness ? in our Spirit ?

Like some people can have a bad affect on us ? and some have a good affect ?

Sometimes we know when theres something about a person ?

Like they are different, like its a kind of thing we can scence ? and we know theres something about

this person and we have to find out more about them ?

2 Corinthians 2: 1-17

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us

spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him. For we are the aroma of

Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one

a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.

Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not peddlers of God’s word like so many; but in

Christ we speak as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God and standing in his presence

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TAKE 4

PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD

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Isaiah 40:3, "A voice is calling, 'Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; make smooth

in the desert a highway for our God."

Mal. 3:1, "Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me.

John 1:23 "He [John the Baptist] said, 'I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make straight the

way of the Lord,' as Isaiah the prophet said,'"

The Holy Spirit prepares the way of the Lord in our lifes like one crying out in the

wilderness of the heart and though the barren one bares no life soon after the rains come the

barren desert shall bloom forth buds of joy

The One who is barren shall spring into life and have abundance and a new song shall burst

forth from the softened soil of the new ground

And from that barren heart shall bud and grow a multitude of new things

Once we were like those people in the slavery of Egypt but God delivered us out and separated

us as His own

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TAKE 5

PREPARE FOR THE WAYS OF THE LORD

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The unchanging God who is always moving on, the all knowing God who is so unpredictable

you never know how He will move or where the Spirit might go next

The God of everywhere at the same time , who lives outside of time and yet in time at the

same time who is always on time at the right time

The God of the narrow pathway that leads to the broad and wide gates of eternity that few find

and yet many walk

The all seeing God who you can never fathom or comprehend and yet you walk in

relationship with, who's eyes are everywhere at the same time and yet His eyes are for you

alone

The undescribable one who makes us in His image

The Lord who walks in mysterous ways and yet lives in us His own perculiar people

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TAKE 6

LIFE LESSONS

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I wonder if David knew what his life would unfold ?

Persued by enemies and friends alike and even his own family he is forced at times to run for his

life from place to place and these life lessons must have made David wonder at times

We see preparation and waiting, we see life lessons and yet at times we simply can't work out

the why's and whats ?

"Why me Lord ? ...why choose me ? "

Look at these fine brothers of mine, why me ?

We see the life lessons with Joseph and Abraham, with Job and Moses and shall we go on ?

I wonder if we were able to write out a plan for our own lifes ...what that plan might be ?

Maybe we might want to be rich and famous ? we could suddenly attract lots of new friends !!

I wonder what our plans might be if we could write out our lifes like a play ?

Might be a bit boring though .. don;t you think ?

I wonder how David might have written his life plan ?

How many times might we have wanted to turn the clock back on our lifes ?

How many times might we want to rewrite our lifes ?

To go back and start again ? if only....if only ...

But for some reason these life lessons can be the very things that shape us for the future

Rather than us turning the clocks back on our lifes , God looka at us and He see's Jesus

We who repent and turn clear the path and make way for His ways

Rather than turning the clcoks back God declares us "NOT GUILTY "

He not only forgives but forgets, the slate is wiped clean in Jesus

While we may want to turn the clocks back, God in Jesus simply wipes out the past , but the past

memories we have of life lessons mould and shape our future

Because God is a God of Justice He is just and justifies

Becasue God is a God or righteouness, He does what is righteous and makes us right with

Himself

God in His justice and righteousness, does what is just and right

TEACHING ON THE JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUNESS OF GOD

These life lessons were lived out by the men of God we read about in Gods word

Preparations and life lessons are not always wanted or welcomed by us, but this is the training

ground and battlerfield that prepares us not just for the life here and now but for eternity

David could have been King straight away could'nt he ? but sometimes to learn how to act

justly as a King we first need to learn about the justice of God and the justice of men and the

difference between the two

If David had not suffered injustice at the hands of others how would he ever know how to

administer justice ?

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TAKE 7

HEALING JUSTICE

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2 Samuel 8 (New International Version)

2 Samuel 8 and 1 chronicles 18

David's Victories

And the valley of salt

This is what Psalm 60 relates too

We have learnt over the last few studies that Jerusalem

had worshipped other gods and had committed adultery and murder in their hearts and we saw that David

himself had committed adultery and murdered , the difference between the two being " the hearts of

the people "

David sought after God whereas the hearts of Gods people Jerusalem at that time were elsewhere and

like the prodigal daughter Jerusalem would not come back ,

Throughout Gods word we read chapter after chapter where God is calling out to people but they

simply will not listen or return to the Father and they continue like prodigals feeding the swine in a

distant land

Now we turn to Psalms 58,59 and 60

These Psalms speak of Justice (Psalm 58) and about overcoming the enemy (Psalm 59)

Psalm 60 is sung to the tune " The Lily of The Testimony"

In Psalm in 60 we see that though the battle was hard and although at one point Davids armies were

nearly overcome in the end David had the victory and we read about the battles in 2 Samuel 8

Now lets read Psalm 60

Psalm 60 (New International Version)

For the director of music. To the tune of "The Lily of the Covenant." A miktam of David. For teaching. When he fought Aram Naharaim and Aram Zobah, and when Joab returned and struck down twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. [a] [b] [c]

1 You have rejected us, O God, and burst forth upon us; you have been angry-now restore us!

2 You have shaken the land and torn it open; mend its fractures, for it is quaking.

3 You have shown your people desperate times; you have given us wine that makes us stagger.

4 But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow.

Selah

5 Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.

6 God has spoken from his sanctuary: "In triumph I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Succoth.

7 Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my scepter.

8 Moab is my washbasin, upon Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph."

9 Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?

10 Is it not you, O God, you who have rejected us and no longer go out with our armies?

11 Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless.

12 With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.

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TAKE 8

THE FAIR JUDGE

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I had Matthew 18:21-35 come to mind here

And this is the story of of the King who freed a man from debt and this scripture is more to do with

forgiveness, but it can include anything , it is being saved through the grace and mercy of our God

Being freed at slavation and how many times have we been freed by the merciful judge and yet

looked at another and condemned them in our hearts ?

How many times have we judged by saying " you should'nt be doiing this or that..you should'nt be

living like this or that ? "

We at the same time as being equitted , condemn

We all know that none of us could ever live up to Gods word, all of us fall short, we could never be God.

We are saved by the grace and mercy of our God and His justice and mercies are not the same

We learn the difference between peoples justice and Gods Justice and we learn that the two are not

always the same

For no one can make us right apart from God, He is the Righteous one and the Just one who gives

Justice

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TAKE 9

GODS JUSTICE

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We read "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Rom. 3:23

When we are “Justified” we are “acquitted,” we are made innocent.

This comes with repentance and a turning away from and turning to God

This is the blood of Christ Jesus that sets us free, we are made righteous and are

being transformed, in Gods grace ( Gods Riches At Christs Expense ) we live

We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, Knowing that a man is not justified by the

of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified

by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Galatians 2:15-16

2 Corinthians 5:21

Romans 3:21-26

Romans 5:18-19

Romans 5:1

Jesus Christ took the punishment we deserve, the battle is won and God saves us through Jesus

As you read through Psalm 58 and read about Justice you will notice that this Psalm is sung to the tune of

"DO NOT DESTROY"

And as you read through Psalm 60 remember the Lily, that flower that is not just seen but is known by

its scent and is not touched unless a part of it rubs off on you

Remember in lifes lessons that although you cannot turn the clock back God in His mercy and grace forgives

and forgets as we repent and turn to Him and He starts the clock again

And so we finish with these Simple pictures above that impart and rub something of God into us

Lord God in Jesus name we come to you as those who were guilty yet acquitted , as those who are

slaves of Jesus Christ yet free, as those who were condemned yet not sentenced , as those who were

under your Judgement yet now justified, as those who are dead yet alive in Christ ,

We come to you through the veil Lord that veil that separated us from you to receive mercy and justice,

to receive righteouness and to be made right with you

We come to you now as those who act justly because you are just and are right with you because

you are righteous, Lord we ask that being saved from that debt we would act justly to those who are

still in debt In Jesus name amen