Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Psalms 110. Psalms 110. This is a very familiar passage
of Scripture. Psalm 110. We consider this verse
often, but I want to look at the first three verses. Psalm
110. It's a conversation that the
Spirit of God revealed to David that took place between Jehovah
and the Lord Jesus Christ. It starts and it says in verse
1, the Lord. Now look at that L, capital L,
capital O, capital R, capital D. Jehovah. Father, Son, and
Spirit. Now here's the great mystery
of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. When we say Jehovah, we're talking
about Father, Son, and Spirit. The Lord said unto my Lord. Now look at the spelling there. Jehovah said to His Word, the
Word that was made flesh, David penned this as the Spirit of
God taught him, this blessed conversation. Jehovah said to
my Adonai is the word, to my sovereign,
to my ruler, to my master. That's what Mary Magdalene said.
When he said to her, he said, Mary, after he had risen from
the... Master. The Lord Jesus Christ,
this blessed conversation, and what did the Father Son and Spirit
say to the One that the Jehovah God first trusted Him. He was
the first one. That Lamb that was slain from
the foundation of the world. The Lord said unto my Lord, and
this is what He said. And He said this eternally. He said, sit thou at my right
hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. Now, before the Lord Jesus Christ
ever came into this world, this is Old Testament. And look at
the speaking, it's past tense. The Lord said, when did he say
it? Always said it. Always spoke
it. You know, only the eternal God
speaks in eternal terms. God speaks and it's eternal,
it's now, it's always, the I am, the self existent, only the I
am. could say this, when he said
to his word to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, here's what
he's saying, having glorified me on the earth, having glorified
me, before he ever came, before he was ever born in a
manger, before he ever walked this earth, having glorified
me, on the earth with loving and perfect obedience. Having lived in absolute submission
to my perfect will, having finished the work that I gave you to do,
having established righteousness that shall be imputed to the
elect. having defeated all the enemies
of my people, sin, Satan, death, having finished my work, sit
down. The Lord said unto my Lord, sit
thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy
footstool. You and I, we can't enter into
eternal. We try, but we see through a
glass darkly. This eternality of the Father
beholding the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world,
we know what it says, We believe it, but we just can't enter into
it like we would want to. Sit until I make thine enemies
thy footstool. Sit as the representative of
the bride, of the church, of the sheep, until every rebel
is laid beneath your feet. Obviously, the Lord has enemies. Obviously there's enmity toward
Christ, toward Him as being God's prophet. You think about the
enmity toward Him as God's prophet. When He came into this world
and said the things that He said, now this is God's Word. Those scriptures that we always
consider so many times. I lay down my life for the sheep.
Now there's the prophet of God saying that. And this world says,
I don't believe that. He died for everybody. As being God's priest, think
of the hatred and enmity. Man says, I can be my own priest.
I can by my obedience, by my will, I can approach God. The
Lord Jesus Christ says, no man can come. No man cometh to the
Father, but by me, I am the way, truth, life, as the King, the
enmity of His right to rule. Just the enmity toward His gospel. Sit at my right hand until I
make thine enemies thy footstool." The Lord's people, their account
for sin, the account against them for sin has been settled
at Calvary. Christ bore their sin in His
own body. Man by nature, the enemies of
God, they're going to be dealt with. God's people have already
been dealt with in their substitute, in the Lamb Himself. But for
all those who die in opposition, die as an enemy toward God, you
know what's going to happen? For everyone that does not believe
this gospel, that dies in unbelief, here's what's going to happen.
The books are going to be opened. And the scripture says that the
books being opened, the dead shall be judged out of those
things written in the books. And when they're weighed in the
balance of God's absolute justice, they're going to come up wanting. The scripture says, verse 2,
the Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion. Rule thou in the midst of thine
enemies. Jehovah, just look at the wording,
Jehovah shall send the rod of thy strength. What is the rod of the strength
of the Lord, the Word Himself? What is the rod of His strength? I'll tell you what it is. It's
the gospel. Jehovah shall send the rod of
his strength, his word, that word that goeth forth out of
his mouth. Let me show you that. Look at
Isaiah 11, 1 to 4. Here's the rod of his strength.
Isaiah 11, 1 to 4. There shall come forth a rod.
out of the stem of Jesse. Who's the stem of Jesse? What's
the same branch? A branch shall grow out of his
roots. A rod shall come forth out of
the stem of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots and
the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. Who? The branch. the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
spirit of counsel, might, spirit of knowledge, of fear of the
Lord, and shall make him of quick, alive, living understanding in
the fear of the Lord. And he shall not judge after
the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of
his ears. But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and
reprove with equity for the meek of the earth. He shall smite
the earth with the rod of his mouth, with the breath of his
lips shall he slay the wicked." The Word of God that's sharper
than any two-edged sword. don't come from him. That's what
he said. This is what's going to happen. The Lord shall send
the rod of thy strength out of Zion. Where is this rod going
to be sent, that rod of the Lord, that gospel? Well, it's going
to be sent out of Zion. out of the Church, out of the
Bride of Christ. This is the way that the Lord
has been pleased to send forth His Word, His Gospel. That's what He told His disciples,
His apostles. You go into all the world and
preach the Gospel. You go preach me. The Lord Jesus Christ and His
Gospel. comes forth through preachers. How are they going to hear without
a preacher? I heard a man say one time, he
said, he was talking about the particular assembly where they
were. He said, we really don't need a preacher. He said, we
can continue to meet You know, and just different ones will
take, you know. No. No. If God's willing to raise
up an assembly, maintain it, He's going to send a pastor.
There's been times, I think, about like Millside. How many years did that sweet
group of people pray, and different men would go and come and preach,
but the Lord was pleased to raise up a pastor. And when God sends
a pastor, it's God's blessing, greatest blessing that God would
ever send a community, raise up a church. a candlestick of
light. Send a pastor that will set forth
Christ and His rod, His rod of strength, the word that proceeds
from His mouth. The Lord shall send the rod of
His strength out of Zion. And then listen to this proof
of confirmation of the power of God setting forth. He says, in the midst of thine enemies. This is what's going to happen.
This is what's going to happen. This is what's happening right
now. Almighty God is declared in His
glorious gospel, is ruling in the midst of thine enemies. You
know there was a time when all of God's people, all of the elect,
In their minds were enemies of God. You being enemies in your,
at one time, enemies in your mind. Never in the mind of God
for His elect. But in the minds of God's elect
before they were converted, they were children of wrath just like
everybody else. They were wrathful toward the Lord. Had no love
for Him. No desire for Him. And here's
what Jehovah is telling His Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Master,
our Adonai. This is what's going to happen.
Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Enemies who at one time in their
mind, you rule. By your gospel, by that rod that
goes forth out of your mouth, that's how I'm going to call
them. That's how the Spirit of God is going to call them. You're
going to rule in the midst of your enemies. But I'll tell you another thing
He's doing right now too. He's ruling in the midst of this
world who hates Him. He's ruling in spite of all of
Satan's desire. to put down, to do away with
the church. Go back, I'm going from memory. I think it's Revelation 5, but
it's that one where the dragon, all of the deceitful false religion,
that water that comes out of his mouth, and he was going after
the woman, the church, the bride. He was sending out all of that
false, all false religion. I'm going to tell you something. You say too much against that.
Well, the Lord did. Beware of false prophets, all
false religion, everything that is not the glorious gospel of
God's grace, the rod of the strength of the branch himself, the rod,
the strength of Jehovah's Christ, everything that is not consistent
with this gospel. Galatians 1.8, if an angel from
heaven, if we are an angel from heaven, preach any of the gospel,
Beside the gospel, we let him be accursed. I'm telling you,
is false religion dangerous? It's soul damning. It's a lie. It's a lie. Does it matter what
you hear? Yes, it does. God Almighty is ruling right
now in the midst of his enemies. He cannot be stopped. The rod of His strength, the
gospel, the Spirit of God is in the midst of this world. He's
going to call God's people out. He can't be stopped. And everything
that is happening, let me tell you something. All things in
this world that's going on right now, are going on for the glory
of God and for the good of God's people. All business, all whatever,
whatever, name whatever it is, whatever it is. Whatever is going
on in this world is being sustained for the glory of God and His
people. Every bit of it. If a business is raised up and
it prospers down there at the mall, God raised it up for the
good of His people. All things work together for
good to them that love God, to them who are called according
to His purpose. That just settles it. Almighty God rules in the
midst of His enemies. All the inhabitants, Nebuchadnezzar
said, of the earth are reputed as nothing, and He doeth according
to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of
the earth. And none can stay His hand or say unto Him, What
doest thou? He's ruling right now. Every person in this world
right now is in God's hand. And He does with every man according
to His will. And He shall rule. Verse 3, shall be willing in the day of
thy power, in the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the
morning thou hast the dew of thy youth. Thy people. As I close, that's just this
last verse right here. Think of the preciousness of
it. Thy people. Doesn't that have a sweet sound?
Thy people. You know, you think of the preciousness of belonging
to, you know. I thank the Lord for my wife. She's my wife. She's my wife. God's people are His people.
His people. Thy people. chosen of the Father,
given to the Son, redeemed by His precious blood, regenerated
by His Spirit, and having been regenerated and given a new heart,
they willingly give themselves to Him. Thy people shall be willing. Willing to do what? They shall
be willing. I tell you what they willingly
do after the Lord gives them a new heart. They believe. They willingly believe. I know
how the world distorts this and they think that it's man's will. that believes, not until God
gives him a new heart. He gives him a new heart and
by faith given from above, thy people, they come. My sheep, hear my voice. I know
them, they follow me. All that the Father giveth cometh.
You that believe, do you not willingly come? You do now. Why didn't you before? God didn't
want to. Christ didn't want to. They willingly seek you that
know Him. Do you not desire God's will?
Ask Him. Knock. I think about that scripture.
Knock, ask, seek. He that seeketh, findeth. He
that knocketh. It's going to be open. Do you not love Him? Lord, you know all things, you
know I love you. Not by the, you know, constraint of law and
threats, but they're led by the Spirit of God, the love of God
constraineth us. Thy people shall be willing and
win in the day of thy power. in the day that the gospel comes
to them, not in word only, but in power, in arresting power,
liberating power, convincing power. You that believe, are
you not convinced? Are you not convinced? The Lord
is my shepherd. I'm not going to want anything.
I'm not going to want. My Father knows that I have need
of all these. He knows that. God's people are
willing when the Spirit of God regenerates them. Thy people
shall be willing in the day of thy power. Now listen to this
part. In the beauties of holiness. I looked at that verse of scripture
when I started looking at this and I thought, in the beauties of holiness.
You know, when you read that, it sounds biblical, doesn't it? It sounds biblical. It's scriptural. Yeah, but what does it mean?
Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power in the beauties
of holiness. That word, in the beauties, it's
in the ornaments, in the ornaments. You say, okay, well, that's good.
But still, what does that mean? In the manifestation, here's
what it's saying. Thy people shall be willing by
the ornament of their willingness. This is how you're going to know
them. In the beauties of holiness, Almighty God creates a new man. He's created in righteousness.
John says in 1 John, that which is born of God sinneth not. Why? Because his seed, his seed remaineth
in him. He cannot sin. So there's a new
man created in righteousness and true holiness. And Christ
himself dwells there by His Spirit. But God's people are willing
in the day of His power, Thy power, and how do you know? Here's their characteristic.
They're willing. That's how you know. They come
to Him. They love Him. They desire Him.
They seek Him. That's the ornament. of that
which God has created in the beauties of holiness, in the
ornament of holiness. I don't see any holiness in myself,
I'll be honest with you. But thanks be unto God, the Lord
beholds the beauties of holiness. He sees. Like I said a while ago, Peter
said, Lord, you know all things. You know I love you. Oh, not
as I wish I did, or should, or would, or could, or not as I
will, but Lord, You know this. I do. Lord, I want Your will. Lord, I want to be led by You. I do. Lord, I want to seek. Lord, don't lead me to myself.
Lord, I'm so stupid. I'm so fickle. I'm so wishy-washy. Oh, the beauties of holiness. It's their willing. Their willing. Willing. Thy people, willing
in the day of thy power. How do you know it? It's in the
ornament of their willingness. That's the ornament of their
holiness. And when did that start? It hadn't always been that way,
Mitch. It hadn't always been that way with me. And I know
until the Lord converts His people, it's not that way with them either.
Until, you know, how is it? Well, it's from the womb of the
morning. Thou hast the dew of thy youth.
When did all this come about? The margin says, more than the
womb of the morning, thou shalt have the dew of thy youth. You
know, the only way I can relate what I'm about to say in closing
is by relating what I know about dew, real dew, I mean actual
dew. I was driving from the house
the other day and I came by plot of ground and it was real
cold that morning. It was a frost three or four
days ago, not very long ago. And there was just a beautiful
frost on the ground. And that dew, how did it get
there? Well, now you can start talking
about coal, and you can start talking about moisture, and you
can talk about... But it was... It's mysterious. It was... It
was mystical. It was secretive. While it was still dark. And
it was conceived in the womb of the morning. I didn't know
anything about it until I could see, until the light, until the
sun came up. I couldn't see it. I mean, I
could drive by there at night. I could drive by at four in the
morning, but I can't see it. But when I could see, I saw that
dew silently, marvelously, In the darkness, it was displayed
by the rising sun. Oh, and these beauties of holiness,
when do you start seeing those glorious manifestations of the
willingness of God's people? Well, I can tell you this, it's
more than the womb of the morning, but in the beautiful, revelation
of God's light. As the sun of righteousness shines
upon his people, when they now with new eyes, they began to
see the beauties of holiness. Now they behold, I want to do
willing to come, willing to seek, willing to love, As I've said
before, not as I wish I would, but Almighty God said there's
a man there that does. But I see something. I know I
want to. Thou hast the due of thy youth. The Lord Jesus Christ, who is
our great Master, who has created life in us. In Him we stand for
being found in Him. I'm getting older, you are too. I'm getting weaker, you are too. But being found in Him being
robed in His righteousness, having by His power and grace imparted
life unto us, revealing that through the rod of His strength,
the gospel, having accomplished in us a new man made willing
in the day of His power, manifested by the beauties of holiness,
the manifestations, the ornament of willingness, When? Well, from the time that He created
that mysterious manifestation like the dew that just appears
when I first see it. And being found in Him who is
eternal. The scripture reveals that because He ever liveth,
we do too. How old is a believer? Scripture says, you have the
due of thy youth. God's people will never see death. Why? Because they're in Him who
is life. Lord, bless these words to our
heart for Christ's sake. Amen.