The Lord Takes Pleasure in His People

He Will Beautify the Meek With Salvation

Chapter 1

The title comes from Psalm 149, verse 4.

There are 150 Psalms. Following the Psalms is the Book of Proverbs. The main Psalmist is David, who became King David. The main Author of Proverbs is David’s son, Solomon, who became King Solomon, the wisest and the richest of the kings of Ancient Israel.

Here are Psalms 149 and 150, and the first chapter of Proverbs from the Holy Bible, Hoehn Version—

___Psalm 149

1 Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.

2 Let Israel rejoice in him that made him, let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.

3 Let them praise his name in the dance, let them sing praises to him with the tambourine and harp.

4 For the Lord takes pleasure in his people, he will beautify the meek with salvation.

5 Let the saints be joyful in glory, let them sing out loud on their beds.

6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two edged sword in their hand,

7 To execute vengeance on the heathen, and punishments on the people,

8 To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron,

9 To execute on them the judgment written, all his saints have this honor. Praise the Lord.

___Psalm 150

1 Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary, praise him in the firmament of his power.

2 Praise him for his mighty acts, praise him according to his excellent greatness.

3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet, praise him with the psaltery and harp.

4 Praise him with the tambourine and dance, praise him with stringed instruments and organs.

5 Praise him on the loud cymbals, praise him on the high sounding cymbals.

6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.

___Proverbs chapter 1

1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel,

2 To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding,

3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity,

4 To give subtlety to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning, and a man of understanding shall attain to wise counsels,

6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation, the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

8 My son, listen to the instruction of your father, and don't forsake the law of your mother,

9 For they shall be an ornament of grace to your head, and chains around your neck.

10 My son, if sinners entice you, don't say yes.

11 If they say, "Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk secretly for the innocent without a reason,

12 Let's swallow them up alive like the grave, and whole, like those that go down into the pit,

13 We'll find all precious substance, we'll fill our houses with spoil,

14 Throw in with us, let's all have one money bag,"

15 My son, don't walk in the way with them, refrain your foot from their path,

16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.

18 And they lay in ambush for their own blood, they lurk secretly for their own lives.

19 So are the ways of everyone that is greedy of gain, who take away the lives of the owners of those possessions.

20 Wisdom shouts outside, she shouts her voice in the streets,

21 She shouts in the main place of concourse, in the openings of the gates, in the city she speaks her words, and says,

22 "How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? And the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

23 Turn when I reprove, see, I will pour out my spirit to you, I will make known my words to you.

24 Because I've called, and you refused, I've stretched out my hand, and no man paid attention,

25 But you've viewed all my advice as nothing, and didn't want any of my reproof,

26 I also will laugh at your calamity, I will make fun of it when your fear comes,

27 When your fear comes like desolation, and your destruction comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come on you.

28 Then they'll call on me, but I won't answer, they'll seek me early, but they won't find me,

29 Because they hated knowledge, and didn't choose the fear of the Lord,

30 They didn't want any of my advice, they despised all my reproof.

31 Therefore they'll eat of the fruit of their own ways, and be filled with their own devices.

32 For the turning away of the simple shall kill them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

33 But whoever listens to me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil."

Chapter 2

I said that Solomon was the wisest of the kings of Ancient Israel. But more recently, there is a King of Israel wiser than Solomon. His name is Jesus.

Unfortunately, the majority of Israel seems to have rejected their Messiah (Savior) and King, Jesus. (Yeshua ha Meshia)

How sad.

The Bible teaches that salvation is first for the Jew, and then also for the gentile.

In John chapter 1, we read, “He came to his own, and his own didn’t receive him. But as many as received Him, to them he gave the power to become the sons of God, to those who believe on his name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:11-13)

The Lord takes pleasure in his people. Are you one of the Lord’s people, friend?

The Lord will beautify the meek with salvation.

Does meekness have something to do with salvation?

Yes is does.

Jesus said that if we don’t humble ourselves like little children, we can’t go to heaven.

If you don’t make it to heaven, then you do go to hell, a nasty place where there’s crying and gnashing of teeth, where their worms don’t die, and where the fire is never quenched, says Jesus.

And I know that Jesus doesn’t tell lies.

But humble ourselves how?

By submitting ourselves to the Lord, and to the will of the Lord.

Jesus said, “He that finds his life shall lose it, and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it.”

And how are little children humble?

Children start out small. The only two human beings that started out as adults are Adam, and later, Adam’s wife, Eve.

Little children don’t swagger around in pride. They don’t throw their weight around because they don’t have any weight to speak of.

Little children have to be patient.

They understand that one day, they’ll grow up, but until then, the grown-ups are in charge of things.

If a child wants something, he tries persuasion, because he is not in a position to compel.

But even as adults, Christians must obey the scripture, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will raise you up.”

Another scripture says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

But to say that God beautifies the meek with salvation is something of an oversimplification.

Folks in the Old Testament had the promise of the Messiah, the Savior.

And Moses said, “A prophet shall the Lord raise up to you like me. Listen to Him.”

But now we know, as the Psalmist did not know, that the Prophet Moses was referring to is Jesus.

And Jesus said, YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN. (John chapter 3)

Now the Muslims confess that Jesus is a prophet, but they mistakenly deny that Jesus is the Son of God.

By this we see that the god of Islam, Allah, is not the real God, because the real God has a Son, Jesus.

Now we just read in John chapter 1 that we can be sons of God. But we can’t be sons of God in the same way that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God.

There’s only one of those, and many of us.

Unfortunately, not so many of us redeemed as God would like.

The Bible says, “God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance,” (and have everlasting life.)

But Jesus has shown us in the Sermon on the Mount that most people wind up in hell. (Matt 7:13,14)

What a pity.

The number one task in this life on earth is to get ourselves straight with God, so that we will go to heaven, and avoid hell.

But many people never work on that task, and as a result, wind up in the default destination for everyone, hell.

Salvation is available, but “Men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.”

But I think that many Jews have run into a stumbling block because they were expecting the Messiah, when He came, to set up an earthly kingdom.

In fact, at one point, the Jews made an effort to take Jesus by force and make him a king.

But Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.”

So, most Jews are still looking for their Messiah, and what they’ll find is a counterfeit Messiah called “The Beast” in the book of the Prophet Daniel, and called the “Antichrist” elsewhere in the Bible.

Jesus said we MUST be born again. It is quite simply a requirement of God.

We can either choose to meet God’s requirements, or we can go our own rebellious way, in which case, there’s a heavy price to pay: the going to, and remaining in hell, forever.

And how does someone get born again?

By hearing or reading the gospel message that Jesus lived a sinless life, taught the people, healed the sick, raised the dead, and cast demons out of people.

After the good things that Jesus did, they crucified him on a cross.

On the third day, God the Father raised his Son, Jesus, from the dead.

Jesus was then seen by his disciples, and by more than 500 Christians.

Jesus went back up to heaven in a cloud, and now sits at a place of honor, at the right hand of God.

You hear the gospel message, and you believe it, and you say “Yes” to Jesus’ free offer of salvation. (Revelation 3:20)

Pray this prayer: “Jesus, save me!” The Bible says that “All who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Joel 2:32)

After becoming born again Christians, we need to spend some time in the Word, the Bible.

Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.”

But how can we do his commandments if we don’t know them?

And how can we know them without spending some time in the Word?

But lately, I don’t sit down and read the Bible so much as I listen to it being read. The audio book, “The New Testament, Hoehn Version,” is available at www.audiobooks.com

Another thing that Jesus wants his people to have is the Baptism with the Holy Ghost with the speaking in unknown tongues.

Please see my book, “How to Receive the Baptism with the Holy Ghost.”

You’ll build yourself up on your most holy faith when you pray in unknown tongues. (Jude 20)

And, you’ll pray more effectively in unknown tongues. (Rom 8:26,27)

The Psalmist David couldn’t tell us about being born again because that teaching didn’t come along until Jesus.

In the Old Testament, they got saved by keeping the Laws of Moses, including animal sacrifices for sin.

So then, if the Jews are rejecting Jesus as “The Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world,” then how are they getting rid of sin, since I’ve heard they are not doing the Mosaic animal sacrifices for sin?

Something needs to be done about the sin problem, since “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Rom 3:23)

We know that there’s a heaven and a hell because Jesus said so, and I know Jesus doesn’t tell lies.

But what if a group of the top Rabbis sits down and votes. Perhaps the vote is unanimous. Perhaps they are also in agreement with the current High Priest, if there is a current High Priest.

And what if they hand down a decision, a decree, a judgment, a ruling that animal sacrifices are no longer necessary?

Will that decision trump God, who said, “WITHOUT THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD, THERE IS NO REMISSION OF SIN.”? (Leviticus 17:11, Hebrews 9:22)

Of course not. There is no group of men that can overrule God.

We don’t go to heaven without getting our sins forgiven.

But Apostle Paul, of the tribe of Benjamin, shows us that, “It is impossible that the blood of bulls and of goats can take away sin.”

But God counted those animal sacrifices as taking away sin until the crucifixion of Jesus.

The animal sacrifices were only a foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice of God’s unspeakable gift, the sacrifice of his only begotten Son. (John 3:16)

But now, the time of animal sacrifices has passed.

The blood that cleanses from sin now is the blood of Jesus that solves the sin problem for those who get born again. (John chapt 3)

But if you don’t get born again, you are still in your sins.

Jesus is the “Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world.”

Of course, Jesus wasn’t yet slain at the foundation of the world, but God knew that there would be a sin problem, and that God’s son, Jesus would be dying for our sins.

If you don’t get the sin problem taken care of, unfortunately, you’re on the road to hell.

You can go along with God’s program, or you can fight it, but if you fight it, you’ll lose.

God has provided Jesus for salvation. We can either climb aboard or be lost. Please choose wisely, and thoughtfully, and prayerfully, and mindful of eternity, and of the afterlife.

Jesus said, “What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul, or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul.”

You lose your soul if you wind up in hell.

Not Bill Gates, or any other rich man can ransom his soul. They also must get born again.

To the Jews, I would like to ask a very important question, Where is the blood that takes away your sin?

But I know the answer to that question. It is the blood of Jesus that washes away our sins, and makes us whiter than snow.

But that does you no good, personally, if you reject the gift from God of his Son, Jesus, as your Messiah (Savior).

When I lived in El Paso, I knew a man who was an Agnostic. He believed you can’t really know for sure about spiritual matters.

But we have God’s word, the Bible. And we can pray.

The man was wrong. You can know, and you can get straight with God.

Kenneth E. Hagin had financial problems, so he prayed about it for three days. On the third day, the Lord answered him and put him on the path to financial recovery.

Norvel Hayes prayed for three days about another matter. On the third day, the Lord answered him and set him straight.

Jesus said, “When you pray, believe that you receive the things that you ask for, and you shall have them.” (Mark 11:24)

Notice that “believe” is present tense. “Shall have” is future tense. If you believe now, then you shall have. But if you don’t believe, then you don’t receive.

The whole idea of having a Messiah, a Savior, a Redeemer is for getting the people straight with God, so that they’ll avoid hell and make it to heaven, where Abraham now lives, and the Prophets, and the Patriarchs, and many angels.

But hell is where Judas Iscariot resides. And no one in hell likes it there.

Judas Iscariot, about whom Jesus said, “It would have been good for that man if he hadn’t been born.”

But of course, that’s true about everyone in hell.

But we can’t go back and undo our getting born. But what we can do is to make sure we get straight with God now.

Jesus told about a rich man who went to hell. The rich man in hell called it a “place of torment.”

We can choose to disregard at this time, and then have torment forever, or we can get serious about using the blood of Jesus to wash away our sins.

Let’s not follow the crowd, but rather, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,” says the Apostle Paul of the tribe of Benjamin in Phil 2:12.

Now some might say, “Well, I have a whole lifetime to work that out.” Don’t be so sure.

We are not guaranteed that we’ll have tomorrow.

Not long ago, in the news, a sinkhole opened up under a man’s house. The man in his bed went down into the sinkhole.

His shouts for help could be heard, but no one could save him.

But an hour before that, the man probably had no clue that that day was his day to die.

But we have this time right now, and the Bible says, “Now is the hour of salvation.”

Let’s make good use of now, and get ourselves straight with God.

The best solution to the problem is Jesus, who is the once-and-for-all ultimate sacrificial lamb, whose blood was shed on the cross of crucifixion for our sins.

Don’t play Russian Roulette with your soul, my friend.

This is the most important decision in life.

The blood of Jesus is already working for born again Christians (Messianic Jews.)

___James chapter 1

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings.

2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations,

3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience.

4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.

7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord.

8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted,

10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away.

11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man,

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death.

16 Do not err, my beloved brothers.

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.

18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,

20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God.

21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror,

24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing.

27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

___James chapter 2

1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also,

3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool,"

4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts?

5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?

6 But you have despised the poor. Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats?

7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called?

8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well,

9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners.

10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill." Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law.

12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty.

13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment.

14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works? Can faith save him?

15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food,

16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that?

17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works."

19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble.

20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?

22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect?

23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."

24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

___James chapter 3

1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation.

2 For in many things we offend all. If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies.

4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants.

5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. See how great a matter a little fire kindles!

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.

7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind,

8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.

10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be.

11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter?

12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries? Or a vine, figs? So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.

13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom.

14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth.

15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace.

___James chapter 4

1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members?

2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask.

3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts.

4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God.

5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?"

6 But he gives more grace. So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you.

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.

11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers. He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge.

12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else?

13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit,"

14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.

15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that."

16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil.

17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

___James chapter 5

1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you.

2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten.

3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire. You've heaped treasure together for the last days.

4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.

5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter.

6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you.

7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.

8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near.

9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door.

10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

11 See, we count them happy that endure. You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation.

13 Is anyone among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is anyone merry? Let him sing psalms.

14 Is anyone sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven.

16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good.

17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months.

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him,

20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.