Deliberate, ongoing evil
   •   A settled disposition against God
   •   Moral corruption that shapes behavior

A helpful way to see it:
   •   Sin = individual acts or failures (missing the mark)
   •   Wickedness = a state or pattern of living in sin, often willfully

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers.” – Psalm 1:1

For the believer, in Ephesians, it speaks of sitting in his presence, walking in his spirit, and standing against the evil one—in contrast to Psalm 1 where the man walketh in the counsel of the wicked, stands in the way of the sinner, and sits in the seat of the mockers.

This shows increasing steadfastness in rebellion. The importance of sitting in the presence of God and our personal intimate relationship with him. So revealed to us in his Word.

God cannot be mocked. What is sown in our lives yields a harvest that must be reaped. So the word encourages us to sow of the spirit and harvest brings eternal life.

As Jesus passed through the crowds and the palms were laid before him, he went straight to the Temple.

When Jesus was teaching He only acknowledged two gods.  In Mark 12:29, Jesus quotes the Jewish declaration known as the Shema:

“The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”‬‬‬‬‬‬

He speaks of the One True God. There is none other! He makes a clear distinction in His acknowledgement of who God is. Later He speaks of the false God:

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” – Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭24‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

When He comes to the Temple the last time, He follows the Passover lambs in. He has been there many times and has seen the tradition and ways of man. Everywhere He looked there was mammon. The moneychangers exchanged the foreign currency of the pilgrims who came from other nations for the acceptable Tyrian Shekel, approved for Temple offerings. They set up exchange booths and charged excessive fees.

Jesus had already taught that the rival god of the world was man. 

This distinction does not leave any gray area. The language here is of a love or hate relationship. He speaks of loyalty and service to one or the other. There is no doubt as He entered to pray that He expected anything but prayer. Nothing that reminded Him as a young man in the Temple, where God conversation was evident.

He described it as being about the Father’s business. Now it was just business; the god of mammon has taken up residence.

John gives his account in chapter 9: He drove the buyer and sellers out of the Temple. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers. Knocked over the seats of those selling doves. Knowing personally how significant was the sign of the dove. The Holy Ghost descended like a dove at His inaugural as the Lamb of God.

John even writes that He made a whip out of cords and drove them out. He had exposed the Pharisees and others many times and they would go away angry. But they did not take action. But this was different. He took it upon Himself to cleanse the Temple of corruption, exploitation, and the turning worship of wealth into a profit-benefiting system. 

They had become servants of mammon. Jesus brought His own personal earthquake—shaking the very core of Judaism and its hypocrisy. It was then the Jewish leadership began to implement their plan to kill Him. Believing all the evil that had been stored up in their hearts. Taking their thirty pieces of silver and buying themselves a betrayer. 

Wealth would no longer take over worship. The master had come to the house, His house.  This shaking was a separation of righteousness and unrighteousness, of those who love God and those who hate Him.

One day soon He is coming back to Jerusalem with His mighty earthquake and will divide the Temple Mount. Where the Temple will be and where the Dome of the Rock now stands. Once again declaring His authorship and ownership of everything.

Onward and upward we go. Let His cleansing come to His church in Jesus’ Name.

He is Risen and Risen indeed. 

Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue just as they were from the beginning of creation.” For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed by being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly people. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. – ‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭3‬-‭9‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬‬‬‬‬

With all the speculation, prophetic prediction, and rapture debate, this word stands out.

When the Holy Ghost writes first concerning our relationship with the Lord, that is exactly what He means. Mockers will come and sow doubt on Jesus’ promise, just as Satan did to Adam and Eve. He mocked God.

Paul writes in Galatians 6, “Be not deceived, God cannot be mocked.”

Their mocking is to discredit the three events instituted by God. They dispute the creation, the flood, and the present heavens are destroyed by fire.

Peter again says, by His Word: This is promised, destruction and judgment are coming on the ungodly. This truth on God’s timetable is measured. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. For the truth of God’s grace these last 2,000 years, plus, is that He is patient and long-suffering, calling man to repentance. He desires that none should perish.

Do not let the times erode your belief in His promise to return.

The angels say to the disciples: “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

So, the message to all believers:

• Don’t freeze in awe.
• Get on with the mission.
• Hold onto hope.

He goes up → the Spirit comes down → the church moves out → Jesus comes back.

Maranatha!

“For the sake of Your name, Lord, revive me. In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble. And in Your faithfulness, destroy my enemies, And eliminate all those who attack my soul, For I am Your servant.” – ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭143‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬‬‬

David’s prayer for deliverance, where the psalmist asks God to preserve their life, bring them out of trouble, and destroy their enemies, all for the sake of God’s name, righteousness, and steadfast love, recognizing they are God’s servant.

It is evident that the top two priorities in His relationship to God are worship and prayer. He continually praises, offers up sacrificial worship, and desires His presence daily. In his prayer life, he continually calls and cries out to Him. In this, God knew he was a man after His heart.

There are four keys in these two verses that are good for us to see:

First, for the sake of Your name. It is His name that gives us access to Him. It is in His name that we uphold. It’s so important in our prayer life that Jesus gave the disciples His name. “My Father will give you whatever you ask in My Name.

Secondly, in Your righteousness. Our righteousness is as filthy rags; it is unacceptable in His Presence. We are instructed to seek the righteousness of Jesus. In which we received when we were born again. We are clothed, robed, in His righteousness. Standing faultless before the throne.

Third, in Your lovingkindness. His faithfulness and new mercies are great in keeping His covenant to us. His steadfast love never ceases, and no matter our failures, it does not change in any way. No Never!

Fourthly, for I am Your servant. He reaffirms his personal commitment to God’s will and purpose.
He has answered God’s call and choosing of him. He knows He will never abandon His servants.

In closing, there is one repeated word: Your. This is the focus of prayer, fixing our eyes on Him, the author and finisher of our faith. Be honor and glory to His name.