How lovely are Your dwelling places…
Filed in Devotions & Studies, General |Journal,
Yesterday we paid our final farewells to one of God’s children who had made his passage to heaven. David Samuel Verzwyvelt, Sr., joined his sweet wife in the city that God has prepared for all His children. Sarah made her journey home in March, 2006.
The chapel service was precious. David was from a family of fourteen siblings. With all the family and friends in attendance, the chapel was quite full. The presence of the Lord was surely there. It is always that way when a child of the King has departed.
I shared David’s obituary and some personal thoughts. Steve Retos shared and then sang Amazing Grace. What a beautiful voice.
Nathan spoke from Revelation 14:13, which says, “And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, ‘Write, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!” ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.”
When I considered what the Lord would have me share with the family from the Scriptures, my thoughts went to the very Scriptures that I had used for Sarah’s funeral. I read from Psalm 84.
“How lovely are Your dwelling places, O LORD of hosts!
My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD;
My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.
The bird also has found a house,
And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young,
Even Your altars, O LORD of hosts, My King and my God.
How blessed are those who dwell in Your house!
They are ever praising You. Selah.
How blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
In whose heart are the highways to Zion!
Passing through the valley of Baca they make it a spring;
The early rain also covers it with blessings.
They go from strength to strength,
Every one of them appears before God in Zion.
O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah.
Behold our shield, O God, and look upon the face of Your anointed.
For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside.
I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
The LORD gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
O LORD of hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in You!”
A homecoming and a wedding …
It would be amiss to not mention that one of David’s grandsons is to be married, Saturday, December 29, 2007. Yesterday afternoon I counselled Johnny Barkdull and Britanny Vigil. They are such a charming couple. It has been an honor to have been their pastor. And it is also my honor to officiate at their wedding. What has been even more of a blessing is to see how these two young people have kept the Lord Jesus ever before them in their relationship.
On the sea of Galilee…
In checking my email this morning I had a Christmas greeting from Coral Tours. Their greeting included a picture of one of the small ships that Betty and I were on when we went to Israel some years ago. It really brought back the memories. 
In fact we actually encountered a storm while on the Sea of Galilee. I couldn’t help but recall what Jesus said to the apostles when He came walking towards them on the stormy sea; “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” (Mt14:27 nasb.)
Do not be afraid is a common greeting from heaven to God’s people on the earth.
Well, think I’ll share a devotional study. Let’s call it…
EQUAL HONOR BEFORE GOD -
In 2 Peter 1:1,2, the apostle writes, “Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”
Let me point out two important principles the apostle is presenting with regard to the covenant of Christ. First, Peter is saying that believers participate equally in the kingdom of God. We have all received a faith of the same kind as the apostles. This simply means that no one child of God is afore another child of God. We all share in equal honor.
The term ‘of the same kind’ is the Greek word ‘isotimos.’ This is a political term and really does speak of equal honor. Peter’s point is that there are no second class citizens in the covenant of Christ. We share in equal standing. (This is not an issue of stewardship, or giftings, or placement, etc. It speaks of citizenship and relationship to God.)
Now for the second principle. Again listen to verse two; “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” The word for knowledge here is ‘epignosis.’ This word has to do with a more perfect or a fuller knowledge.
Epignosis is a very expressive word. It speaks of acknowledgement, consciousness, and recognition. It especially speaks of coming to know something definitely, that is, with a degree of thoroughness.
To appreciate how wonderful this word is listen carefully to what Jesus said: “All things 
have been handed over to me by My Father, and no one knows [epignosis] the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know [episnosis] the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” (Mt11:27)
If we take this to its logical conclusion, Jesus is saying that in the new covenant, all born again people will have innate within them a conscious, definitive, recognition of the Father. It is this knowing experience of the Father that is the crown of a believer’s life.
The very heart of the new covenant is the ‘Abba! Father!’ experience. In this case it doesn’t matter if you are Baptist, Pentecostal, Church of God, Church of Christ, Presbyterian, Methodist, Charismatic, and so on. The promise of the new covenant is, “They will all know Me, from the least to the greatest of them.” (Heb8:11)
But there is more to this issue of epignosis. Epignosis also includes the idea of a continual deepening of our knowledge of God and of the things of the Lord. This is why Peter said, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge [epignosis] of God and of Jesus our Lord.”
As the truth of God reveals itself in our hearts, the result is a multiplying of grace and peace.
The issue at hand is that to know the Lord is the greatest protection that a believer has. In this knowing the believer is protected from false teachings. It is this knowing that gives the believer the deepest of assurance that he or she is in the will of the Lord. It is this ‘knowing’ that is the sign of a person who is truly born again.
Paul also said that one of the greatest guiding principles for our walk with the Lord is this kingdom peace that is given believers. This is why he said, “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
He afterwards says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.” (Col3:12,15)
So what do we have at stake? This is the crux of the matter – The Lord will faithfully guide all His children in the affairs of life. He has promised to save us. We as believers must learn to place our trust fully in the Lord and not to lean on our own understanding.
And so, Peter says, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you.” How is your grace and peace doing you child of God?
Just something to think about.
May all the blessings of the Lord overtake you in the days ahead.
Buddy
