Ray Ruppert's Blog, page 9

Seek the Lord

What are the benefits of seekingthe Lord? Psalm 40 verse 16 pronounces this blessing on everyone who seeks theLord.

But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
say continually, “Great is theLord!”

This is a statement of blessingthat comes upon those who seek the Lord. The first blessing is a life of rejoicing.Rejoicing is celebrating. If you are a Christian and you are seeking the Lord, isyour life a life of celebration in knowing Jesus? It should.

The second blessing is a life of gladness.This is more related to happiness, but it is more than that. It doesn’t mean wehave a false outward appearance of happiness. We really should have in us asupportive nature of joy knowing that we belong to the Lord. Our future issecure.

The reason we have that gladness,is rightly connected to loving the salvation that Jesus freely gives us. Wehaven’t done anything to earn it, it is His gift to us when we trust Him forsalvation. That’s why we continually say, “Great is the Lord!” and celebrate.

If you don’t know Jesus, you have nothing of eternal valueto celebrate or be glad about. Watch my video on the Gospel on YouTube to know Jesus and his salvation.

Copyright by Ray Ruppert

Preservation of the Saints

There is a lot of controversy among Christians about oncesaved always saved. I don’t want to get into the details of this, but I found Psalm40 verse 11 of particular interest for this subject.

As for you, O Lord, you willnot restrain
your mercy from me;
your steadfast love and yourfaithfulness will
ever preserve me!

If the doctrine that you can’t lose your salvation is true,and I believe it is, then this verse speaks tons about that.

What is our part in never losing our salvation? It islooking to the Lord and trusting that he will not remove his mercy from us. Itis because of His mercy that we are not treated as our sins deserve. Oursalvation comes from Him and we don’t deserve it.

The biggest part of never losing salvation is found in God’ssteadfast love.  Paul asks in Romans, “Whowill separate us from the love of Christ?” It is a rhetorical question, and theanswer is no one or thing. Just as important is God’s faithfulness. Jesuspromises eternal life to us, and he is faithful to make sure it happens.

So, it is God who preserves us. It doesn’t give us the rightto sin but it gives us the assurance that He will work in us until the likenessof His Son is completed in us.

Now, if you don’t know Jesus, this isn’t promised to you. Ifyou want this promise, watch my video on the Gospel onYouTube.

Copyright by Ray Ruppert

Proclaim Righteousness

Sometimes, we are afraid to speak out about our faith. KingDavid didn’t have that problem. Here is what he said in Psalm 40, verses 9 and 10.

I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousnessin the great congregation;
Behold, I will not restrain mylips,
O Lord, You know.
I have not hidden Yourrighteousness within my heart;
I have spoken of Your faithfulnessand Your salvation;
I have not concealed Yourlovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.

One of the things that I pray I will be able to do withthese short messages is let people know that righteousness can be attained. Itisn’t something that we work for or that we get by being good enough. It isn’tsomething that is mystically conferred on people by pious acts.

According to the psalm, righteousness comes because of theLord’s faithfulness, his lovingkindness, and his truth.

It comes only by faith and faith in Jesus Christ. When weturn to Jesus Christ for our salvation and forgiveness of sins, Hisrighteousness is imputed or credited to us.

If you would like to know more about having Christ’s righteousness,watch my video on YouTube.

Copyright by Ray Ruppert

Sing a New Song

Why do we sing new songs of worship and not just the oldones? The best reason is that is what the Bible tells us to do. In fact, thereare nine places where new songs are mentioned and five of those are commands. Psalm40 verse 3 tells us that a new song was David’s response to the goodness thathe received from the Lord.

He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord.

Like David, we should be singing new songs of praise to the Lordfor what he has done for us. These new songs have a result that goes beyond us.These songs will tell unbelievers about our gracious God and the goal is forthem to have a fear of the Lord so that they will put their trust in him.

Knowing salvation through Jesus Christ is the greatest thingthat God has done for any of us. If you don’t know Jesus, you can’t have a newsong that is worth anything because it won’t bring glory and praise to God. Torectify that, watch my video on the Gospel on YouTube tomake sure you are saved. Then sing a new song to the Lord.

God bless you.

Copyright by Ray Ruppert

Bad Witnesses

What is the result when Christians don’t deal with theirsins? Psalm 39 verse 8 has a surprising answer.

Deliver me from all mytransgressions.
Do not make me the scorn of thefool!

When we don’t turn to the Lord do be delivered from our sinfulhabits, fools scorn us.

Even though we know our sins are forgiven through JesusChrist, it doesn’t mean we can go on sinning and expect no consequences.

We will reap what we sow, but even worse is the fact that webring disgrace upon the name of Christ. Fools, those who don’t believe in Godwill sneer at us. They will call us hypocrites and use that as an excuse toreject Jesus. They won’t want to hear about Jesus because they see us indulgingin sins just like they are.

The fact of Scripture is that people who call themselvesChristians and keep on sinning are not saved at all.

If you are still engaged in your old sinful habits, takewarning and watch my video on the Gospel on YouTube tomake sure you are saved. Don’t give fools a reason to reject Christ.

God bless you.

Copyright by Ray Ruppert

Perspective on Life

We all need to have a proper perspective on our lives. Psalm39, verses 4 and 5 gives us that.

O Lord, make me know my end
and what is the measure of mydays;
let me know how fleeting I am!
Behold, you have made my days afew handbreadths,
and my lifetime is as nothingbefore you.
Surely all mankind stands as amere breath!

 First, we must all know and understand that we all die. Therewill come that day when our days on earth end.

The second thing to know is that our life here on earth isreally short. We don’t have a lot of time to waste. To know how really short itis, we must compare our life to eternity.

God lives forever. He has always been and will always be. Heviews our lives as even less than a minute in a thousand years.

We must also know that our life on earth is only thebeginning of our lives in eternity.

Everyone will enter eternity so we must make sure that whatwe believe and do on earth prepares us for eternity. You see, we will be judgedby the Lord to receive rewards or punishment based on this life. That’s why itis so important to know we only have this life to make the most importantdecisions for eternity.

Those who know Jesus will be rewarded and those who don’twill suffer for rejecting him. If you properly consider your life, then youshould want to know Jesus. If you don’t know him, watch my video on the Gospel on YouTube.

Copyright by Ray Ruppert

Watch What You Say

When should we guard what we say? One time is described inPsalm 39 verse 1.

I said, “I will guard my ways,
that I may not sin with my tongue;
I will guard my mouth with amuzzle,
so long as the wicked are in mypresence.”

Have you ever been in the presence of foul mouthed, vulgarpeople and wonder how you should respond to their hateful speech?

This Psalm has two pointers for us to consider in those situations.

The first is make sure we don’tjoin in their abusive language and thereby sin.

The second is make sure we really shut up and don’t engagethem. They are called wicked. I take this to mean that they may becomephysically dangerous if you try to correct them.

Another thought is to make sure we don’t encourage them. Ifthey are telling dirty jokes, don’t laugh. If they are making offensivecomments about others, walk away.

Remember also, that we are only saved from the same thingswhen we came to know Jesus as Savior.

If you are one of thewicked and want to change all that, watch my video on the Gospel on YouTube.Copyright by Ray Ruppert

What is repentance?

I find in Psalm 38 versus 18 and 21 and 22 a good example ofrepentance.

I confess my iniquity; I am sorryfor my sin.
Do not forsake me, O Lord! O myGod, be not far from me!
Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!

Repentance requires confession. There can’t be any ifs inthe confession. Like, “If I hurt your feelings.”

No! The confession must be more like “I know I sinned againstyou.”

Then comes the statement of being sorry for the sin. Thesorry can’t be because we were caught but because we really believe we haveharmed others. In the case of sin against God, it is truly being sorry that wehave disobeyed and offended the most holy being ever.

Repentance must also deal with our relationship with God. Wemust ask the Lord to restore us and not turn his face from us. Look at thePsalm. This is an earnest prayer for a quick restoration.

If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, then that must be takencare of before there will be any relationship with God. So watch my video onthe Gospel on YouTube if you want to repent of your sins.

God bless you.

Copyright by Ray Ruppert

Kept from Stumbling

I would imagine that every person on the earth would love tonever stumble so badly as to fall. If that is true of you, then listen to Psalm37, verses 23 and 24.

If the Lord delights in a man's way,
he makes his steps firm;
though he stumble, he will notfall,
for the Lord upholds him with hishand.

Oh yes, there is a catch to it. It starts with the word “if.”So, the first question is how do we know if the Lord delights in our ways? If youknow Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, the Lord delights in your way. Ifyou are trying to delight the Lord in any other way, he doesn’t delight in yourway.

But look at this great promise. The Lord is the one whomakes our steps firm. This isn’t something that we can do on our own. In theprocess of sanctification, we will become firmer in our ways as the Lord worksin us. We work with the Holy Spirit as we get rid of our old ways.

Even so, the Lord knows we all stumble at times, but he willnot let us fall. He upholds us with his hand. It doesn’t say he will uphold us,but that he is upholding us. It doesn’t matter what the circumstances are, hewill make sure we don’t completely fall. That is eternal security.

If you don’t knowJesus but want your ways to be pleasing to the Lord, then watch my video on theGospel on YouTube. Copyright by Ray Ruppert

Peace in a World of Evil

Are you all stressed out about the evils of this world? Areyou anxious about where the nation is headed? If so, here is God’s word to youfrom Psalm 37 verses 7 through 9.

Be still before the Lord and waitpatiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one whoprospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evildevices!

Refrain from anger, and forsakewrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends onlyto evil.
For the evildoers shall be cutoff,
but those who wait for the Lordshall inherit the land.

The only way to handle all the anxiety that comes fromwatching the daily news is to wait for the Lord. Fretting does absolutely nothingto change the world or to ease your fears.

Trusting in the Lord is the only way to make it through theevils of the world. He will take care of all the evils when He has decided itis time.

The Lord assures us that all the evil people will be takencare of. He will cut them off, get rid of them, so that they will no longer causeany problems.

When that happens, those who are waiting for the Lord willinherit the world. That will happen when Jesus comes back to punish the wickedand give us a new heaven and a new earth without any evils.

But guess what! Youmust know Jesus if you want part of the new heaven and earth. To know JesusChrist, watch my video on the Gospel on my profile page or on YouTube.Copyright by Ray Ruppert