Psalm 68: The True Christian’s Call to Battle!

                                         Let God Arise!                                   Psalm 68:1

Text: “Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered: let them also that hate Him flee before Him.

Psalm 68:1.

Good morning, battle-weary Christian!  For many years, perhaps, you and I - since the Lord God saved our never-dying souls from sin - have laboured to preach and teach Eternal Salvation through the Atonement Sacrifice of Christ Jesus at Calvary’s Cross.

We have sought to be witnesses by giving a word of our own personal testimonies of Christ’s redemption – confessing our former lives of gross sin against our Holy Lord God; our hearing/reading of the glorious Gospel message of Salvation contained in our KJV Bibles; and told of how God granted us His gifts of repentance from sin and faith to receive Christ Jesus as our own and personal Saviour. 

We have desired to bear witness to as many other sinner’s souls as we possibly could, under the power and strength, and opportunities given us by our Sovereign Lord God.  Praise God for the privilege of doing so!

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”  (Acts 1:8)

Personal Experience:  In a personal capacity, and at all times by the Sovereign grace and enablement of Almighty Lord God, I was saved in a Maximum-Security Prison cell – cell 9 of H Block 6, at the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland, UK – while serving a number of Life sentences for wicked terrorist assassinations and activities carried out while an active service member of the Ulster Freedom Fighters terrorist organisation. 

Like Legion, in Mark chapter 5:1-20, “…no man could tame me…”; I was totally unmanageable in the Prison System, and unleashed gross violence on any Prison Guard that got in my way.  I spent most of my first couple of years imprisonment in solitary confinement, and on what was called The Loyalist Blanket Protest, for political recognition for politically motivated offences.

Reading the old prison issue King James Version Bible, due to the fact that I had nothing else to read on solitary confinement – the Lord God in His Sovereign grace granted me faith in Christ, by the reading of His Word alone!  On August 12^th, 1979, I yielded my will to the Lord God, fell upon my knees in full repentance from my vile sins; and was created a new creature in Christ Jesus; Spiritually quickened and ‘Born Again’.  That was 44 years ago.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed (or continually passing) away; behold (look, and fully understand) all things are become (or are continually becoming) new.  And all things are of God, Who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”  (2 Corinthians 5:17-19)

I spent 16 years in prison, from 1977 to 1993, fourteen of those years as a Spiritually regenerated, Bible-believing, Christian – and as such, seeking to study God’s Word to show myself capable and approved of God to “…rightly divide the Word of truth.”      (2 Timothy 2:15)

During that time of justly deserved incarceration, there is no doubt that I was brought by grace through the waters and through the fire of day-to-day oppositions, afflictions, failings, stumblings, and many Spiritual victories also, for which I praise and thank the Lord.

“For a just man falleth seven times (the perfect number of failings), and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.”  (Proverbs 24:16)

“And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.”  (Psalm 40:3)

Many did see the evidences of God’s grace in my new life in Christ, and some turned to the Lord also, and were gloriously redeemed by Christ’s Blood.  Glory, all glory, to the Lamb.

During the past 30 years, since being finally released from prison – the Lord God has granted me grace and power to become, first, a Bible-Class Teacher at a Belfast Church; then formally ordained as a Pastor in a Missions Ministry in 1995; travelled on Bible Teaching Missions over to America; India; Spain; the Czech Republic; and all over the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland.  I have been putting out an International Bible Lesson/Exposition, like this one now, every week consistently, for about 28 years – and my Bible Teachings are being used in Bible Colleges in Nigeria, Africa; all over India; China; and America!  To God be the glory, great things He hath done!

Present Day: At this present time, like many Evangelical, Bible-believing Pastors, Teachers, and Christians – I honestly admit to often being so very weary in well-doing. 

I can often be found crying out from my Christian soul, the text for this lesson today: “Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered: let them also that hate Him flee before Him.  As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the Presence of God.  But let the righteous be glad (made righteous by faith in Christ); let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.”  (Psalm 68:1-3)

Oh, that we Bible-believing Christians might see God arising to subdue His enemies today!  Oh Lord, the Battle is not ours but Thine – bare Thine arm, oh Lord! Amen.

Verse 1. “Let God arise.  The ark would have been a poor leader if the Lord had not been present with the symbol.  Before we move, we should always desire to see the Lord lead the way.” (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 290)

Verse 1. “Let His enemies be scattered.  Our glorious Captain of the vanguard clears the way readily, however many may seek to obstruct it; He has but to arise, and they flee.  He has easily overthrown His foes in days of yore, and will do so all through the ages to come.  Sin, death, and Hell know the terror of His arm; their ranks are broken at his approach.  Our enemies are His enemies, and in this is our confidence of victory.”  (C.H. Spurgeon)

Verse 1. “Let them also that hate Him flee before Him.  To hate the infinitely good God is infamous, and the worst punishment is not too severe.  He comes, He sees, He conquers.  How fitting a prayer is this for the commencement of revival!  How it suggests the true mode of conducting one: the Lord leads the way, His people follow, the enemies flee.” (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 290)

Thought: “And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him…?  Cry out unto the Lord of Hosts, dear brother/sister – ‘Let God arise today!’