"I gathered them to the river that runs to Ahava, and there we camped three days. As I reviewed the people and the priests, I found there none of the sons of Levi." (Ezra 8:15)
The first group of returnees had already accompanied Ezra back to Jerusalem and the temple had been rebuilt. It is 50 years later and the sacrifices and spiritual life of the returnees is ongoing. The next generation is coming up. However, it hadn't taken long for the people to start abandoning the LORD'S ways once again. Even the priests were carnal. So God sent priest and scribe Ezra to Persia bring back another group of exiles who had been carried off to the Babylonian captivity, for the purpose of teaching the people at Jerusalem. (Ezra 8). This calling was prompted by Persian king Artaxerxes' letter to Ezra which decreed "that anyone of the people of Israel or their priests or Levites in my kingdom, who freely offers to go to Jerusalem, may go with you."
The Levites were the tribe of Levi, and when land was being distributed to the 12 tribes, the Levites received none. They were to be consecrated for service to the LORD at the Temple, (sort of deacons to the priests) (Numbers 8:6; Numbers 8:14). They were not to be farmers. Therefore they needed no land. (1 Chronicles 15:2; Numbers 3:6). The entire tribe is set apart for temple service on behalf of the people in submission to God.
So Ezra trudged back 900 miles, and put out a call for the people of Israel and priests and Levites. They came. They assembled. And Ezra reviewed the assembly and he saw people and he saw priests. He saw no Levites. (Ezra 8:15b)
No Levites showed up. Not one.
Can you imagine, the personal call of God to the very people He raised up for the purpose, declining the call. They were comfortable. They were settled. They likely thought, 'Let someone else go.' They ignored the reason they were put on earth: to glorify God in active service to Him.
The verse in Ezra 8:15 where no Levite showed up is one of the saddest. I like to picture the actual circumstances. I imagined in my mind the hillsides where the families were assembling, the donkeys and camels and trunks and baskets. The running children, and the sense of purpose and excitement. I imagine the women pitching the temporary tents as they waited for the rest to show up who would show up. I picture Ezra in his robe walking among the groups and clusters, and frowning as he finds no Levite. How sad! How awful!
As with every scripture, there is application to our day. Are we a Levite? Settled and comfortable? Do we fail to respond to His call of the one thing we are put on earth to do, which is to glorify God with our hearts and mouths and minds and our lives? Beware! It is easy to look back through the lens of 20/20 hindsight and say that they were foolish not to show up. But while living out our own lives do we do the same? We are human, like they were, so yes, we do the same.
I pray that if you receive a call to do a work for God that is outside your comfort zone, that you will respond. I'm not talking about the big things, like being a missionary in North Korea or something, but responding to any call that puts us either permanently or temporarily outside our comfort zone. I pray that for myself, too. I want to serve and I want to respond to the call, no matter what it is. I pray I respond like Samuel, like Isaiah, (1 Sam 3:4, Isaiah 6:8) "Here I am Lord! Send me!"
God brings us to a place to do a work or to grow in His light and that may be where He wants us for the rest of our lives. It may be, though, that He may prompt us to do something outside of where we feel comfortable. If He does, will you show up? Will I?
Showing posts with label bible. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bible. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
RFK Jr's wife hanged herself- Suicides in general are increasing
There is very sad news. Mary Kennedy, mother of four and estranged wife of Robert Kennedy Jr, was discovered hanged in an out-building on her property. She had taken her own life. The NY Post has a story here, headline RFK Jr.’s wife hangs herself.
At church last night, it was noted that there had been a suicide in a neighboring county, a mother had killed herself. We shared that it seemed that there had been a run of suicides of late. Suicide is unusual around here.
Then when I got home from church, I had received an email from an online buddy who wrote to let me know of a spate of teen suicides by hanging in the UK. There had been 13 suspected suicides in that town in the last year, and 79 since 2007, all by hanging. There were two hangings just this week. This is truly terrible news. It is always crushing to think of anyone, but especially youths, who are so despondent that they feel their only option is to end their life. Apparently People Magazine did a story on the incidents in this town on May 14, 2012 called "A Tragedy in Wales: A Small Town Mystery."
I don't feel it is a coincidence that suicide is rising so quickly at this time. I decided to do some further research. I discovered in an article written a month ago that suicides of Canadian youths between ages 10 and 19 are rising. PRE-teens! Babes! Like this boy in India.
I read in another recent article from a month ago that Asian suicides are skyrocketing, too. "Korea's suicide rate has skyrocketed since the Asian economic crisis and is now 2.3 times higher than the rate of death from traffic accidents. In the 1990s, about 7.3 people for every 100,000 committed suicide, but that has soared especially among women, the elderly, highly educated people, professionals, and divorcees."
I read in an article that Army "suicides among U.S. soldiers rose 80 percent from 2004 to 2008, an Army study found." In a February 2012 article in Medical News today I read this headline about the population in general: Suicide Rates Highest In 15 Years, US.
People, suicides are up. Hanging has a 70% mortality rate and is the preferred method.
Let's take a biblical and a cultural look at suicide by hanging. In the bible, Judas hanged himself. "Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!” Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself." (Matthew 27:3-5)
In the book Comprehensive Textbook of Suicidology, author Ronald W. Maris et al, we read "Judas's suicide was final proof that he completely rejected God's grace, whereas the robber that was crucified next to Jesus was redeemed and entered Paradise together with the Savior. God's mercy is endless to those who are willing to accept it but those who reject it, commit the terrible sin of Desperatio. Hanging was therefore regarded as the most abominable way out, because this type of death left one unable to call out for mercy, because one was choked and unable to express a last-minute repentance."
Desperatio is a Middle Ages term explained this way (this is a definition that explains their thinking a thousand years ago, not a doctrine I am promoting): "Desperatio (doubt) is a sin against the Holy Spirit. When a sinner recognizes his burden of sin, but it does not draw the right conclusion to repentance, confession and penance, but in despair at the magnitude of his sins, it is called desperatio. The sinner can be saved in spite of his great sins, if he would take the prescribed path of repentance. It remains closed to him so, however, as he thinks, could there be for their sin no more forgiveness. He doubts the grace of God. A prime example of Judas desperatio could be considered: When he realizes what a great sin to be a betrayal of Jesus was, and he hanged himself in despair. If he had done penance instead, he could have been saved."
Here is a rendition of hanging by the early Middle Ages artist Giotto
Note the demon whispering in her ear. Though suicide is recorded in the bible, suicide is never of God. Here is a link to a Bible study asking the question, "Is suicide a sin?" The author begins it this way:
"The Bible records 3 well-known incidents of suicide - King Saul in the Old Testament (some also regard Samson's death as a suicide, however he was actually a prisoner of war who died in the process of killing 3,000 pagan Philistines), Judas Iscariot in the New Testament, and another that we will get to in a moment. Although the circumstances of Saul and Judas were different, they did have something very much in common. Saul was under the influence of an evil spirit (1 Samuel 16:14), and Judas had been directly entered by Satan (John 13:27). And what is the third incident? When Jesus Christ healed a man of demon possession at Gerasenes, He had the demons go out from the man and into a large herd pigs that were grazing nearby (Mark 5:1-12). And what did the pigs do after the demons had entered them? They ran down the bank, into the lake, and drowned themselves (Mark 5:13). With the demons in them, the pigs committed suicide. This is not in any way to suggest that all suicide is demon inspired - it most certainly isn't. But some clearly are, and of all the rest, Satan and his demons are pleased to see it happen."
Self mutilation/cutting are also demon inspired. "In the New Testament, cutting oneself was associated with someone who was possessed by demons (Mark 5:2-5). It was characteristic of behavior caused by evil spirits. Today, self-mutilation is rarely used for ritualistic practices or actual demon possession, but instead usually by teen-agers and young adults who have misplaced anger and pain that they are attempting to work out in destructive ways." (source)
Here are some common suicide risk indicators. If you or a loved one are demonstrating even two of these, please seek help immediately:
Common Suicide Risk Indicators
--A previous suicide attempt, even if it seemed staged or designed to get attention, or boasts of past or secret suicide attempts.
--Talking about being dead or wishing they were dead, how others would be happier if he/she were dead or how much better off others will be when he/she is gone.
--Repeatedly engaging in very risky or dangerous thrill seeking behavior.
--"Getting the house in order" - making plans for the care of loved siblings, parents, relatives or pets and giving away cherished belongings to close friends.
--Extreme mood swings; very depressed episodes followed by happy episodes with no clear reason for the change. --Regular expressions of worthlessness, helplessness, sadness and/or loneliness.
--Drastic changes in habits, friends, or appearance, ie; new friends, skipping school, dropping out of favorite activities, and no longer caring about appearance or cleanliness.
--Changes in weight, sleeping habits, and physical activity. Withdrawing from friends, family, or activities that once gave the person pleasure or a sense of identity.
Here is a link to a checklist of suicide risk behaviors from Air Force Medicine, and on the list is cutting. Please check either link or other good links on the internet if you or a loved one is despondent and talking of ending it all.Precious brethren, suicide is so heartbreaking, and solves nothing. It throws away the precious life that Jesus gave you and it satisfies satan to be successful in pressuring a Christian from the world. It satisfies him even further to send an unsaved person to hell. Jesus loves you with a white hot fervency, he seeks and saves and brings us to His bosom! Nothing is worse than plunging into the gulf that separates us from Him by our own hand, or ending what could be a fulfilling life in Christ by our own hand.
The End Times are here. With apostasy rising and Christianity's believers moving away from Jesus, and with unbelievers moving further away from offered grace, satan is still and always seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8). Let us all be alert for weakening brethren. Though we can never tell with certainty what is going on in another person's mind, if you see or hear them demonstrate any of the indicators, you will know that the prayer battle is on. Fight for each other! Pray to the Spirit for help. Jesus heals, completely!
"The LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor…to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” (Isaiah 61:1-3).
It seems all too often the spirit if despair is upon us, but the garment of praise is ours to be had, along with the victory- thanks eternally to His sacrifice and His grace.
At church last night, it was noted that there had been a suicide in a neighboring county, a mother had killed herself. We shared that it seemed that there had been a run of suicides of late. Suicide is unusual around here.
Then when I got home from church, I had received an email from an online buddy who wrote to let me know of a spate of teen suicides by hanging in the UK. There had been 13 suspected suicides in that town in the last year, and 79 since 2007, all by hanging. There were two hangings just this week. This is truly terrible news. It is always crushing to think of anyone, but especially youths, who are so despondent that they feel their only option is to end their life. Apparently People Magazine did a story on the incidents in this town on May 14, 2012 called "A Tragedy in Wales: A Small Town Mystery."
I don't feel it is a coincidence that suicide is rising so quickly at this time. I decided to do some further research. I discovered in an article written a month ago that suicides of Canadian youths between ages 10 and 19 are rising. PRE-teens! Babes! Like this boy in India.
I read in another recent article from a month ago that Asian suicides are skyrocketing, too. "Korea's suicide rate has skyrocketed since the Asian economic crisis and is now 2.3 times higher than the rate of death from traffic accidents. In the 1990s, about 7.3 people for every 100,000 committed suicide, but that has soared especially among women, the elderly, highly educated people, professionals, and divorcees."
I read in an article that Army "suicides among U.S. soldiers rose 80 percent from 2004 to 2008, an Army study found." In a February 2012 article in Medical News today I read this headline about the population in general: Suicide Rates Highest In 15 Years, US.
People, suicides are up. Hanging has a 70% mortality rate and is the preferred method.
Let's take a biblical and a cultural look at suicide by hanging. In the bible, Judas hanged himself. "Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!” Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself." (Matthew 27:3-5)
In the book Comprehensive Textbook of Suicidology, author Ronald W. Maris et al, we read "Judas's suicide was final proof that he completely rejected God's grace, whereas the robber that was crucified next to Jesus was redeemed and entered Paradise together with the Savior. God's mercy is endless to those who are willing to accept it but those who reject it, commit the terrible sin of Desperatio. Hanging was therefore regarded as the most abominable way out, because this type of death left one unable to call out for mercy, because one was choked and unable to express a last-minute repentance."
Desperatio is a Middle Ages term explained this way (this is a definition that explains their thinking a thousand years ago, not a doctrine I am promoting): "Desperatio (doubt) is a sin against the Holy Spirit. When a sinner recognizes his burden of sin, but it does not draw the right conclusion to repentance, confession and penance, but in despair at the magnitude of his sins, it is called desperatio. The sinner can be saved in spite of his great sins, if he would take the prescribed path of repentance. It remains closed to him so, however, as he thinks, could there be for their sin no more forgiveness. He doubts the grace of God. A prime example of Judas desperatio could be considered: When he realizes what a great sin to be a betrayal of Jesus was, and he hanged himself in despair. If he had done penance instead, he could have been saved."
Here is a rendition of hanging by the early Middle Ages artist Giotto
 |
| Giotto: Desperatio, ca. 1305-1306, "Desperation" or "Despair". |
"The Bible records 3 well-known incidents of suicide - King Saul in the Old Testament (some also regard Samson's death as a suicide, however he was actually a prisoner of war who died in the process of killing 3,000 pagan Philistines), Judas Iscariot in the New Testament, and another that we will get to in a moment. Although the circumstances of Saul and Judas were different, they did have something very much in common. Saul was under the influence of an evil spirit (1 Samuel 16:14), and Judas had been directly entered by Satan (John 13:27). And what is the third incident? When Jesus Christ healed a man of demon possession at Gerasenes, He had the demons go out from the man and into a large herd pigs that were grazing nearby (Mark 5:1-12). And what did the pigs do after the demons had entered them? They ran down the bank, into the lake, and drowned themselves (Mark 5:13). With the demons in them, the pigs committed suicide. This is not in any way to suggest that all suicide is demon inspired - it most certainly isn't. But some clearly are, and of all the rest, Satan and his demons are pleased to see it happen."
Self mutilation/cutting are also demon inspired. "In the New Testament, cutting oneself was associated with someone who was possessed by demons (Mark 5:2-5). It was characteristic of behavior caused by evil spirits. Today, self-mutilation is rarely used for ritualistic practices or actual demon possession, but instead usually by teen-agers and young adults who have misplaced anger and pain that they are attempting to work out in destructive ways." (source)
Here are some common suicide risk indicators. If you or a loved one are demonstrating even two of these, please seek help immediately:
Common Suicide Risk Indicators
--A previous suicide attempt, even if it seemed staged or designed to get attention, or boasts of past or secret suicide attempts.
--Talking about being dead or wishing they were dead, how others would be happier if he/she were dead or how much better off others will be when he/she is gone.
--Repeatedly engaging in very risky or dangerous thrill seeking behavior.
--"Getting the house in order" - making plans for the care of loved siblings, parents, relatives or pets and giving away cherished belongings to close friends.
--Extreme mood swings; very depressed episodes followed by happy episodes with no clear reason for the change. --Regular expressions of worthlessness, helplessness, sadness and/or loneliness.
--Drastic changes in habits, friends, or appearance, ie; new friends, skipping school, dropping out of favorite activities, and no longer caring about appearance or cleanliness.
--Changes in weight, sleeping habits, and physical activity. Withdrawing from friends, family, or activities that once gave the person pleasure or a sense of identity.
Here is a link to a checklist of suicide risk behaviors from Air Force Medicine, and on the list is cutting. Please check either link or other good links on the internet if you or a loved one is despondent and talking of ending it all.Precious brethren, suicide is so heartbreaking, and solves nothing. It throws away the precious life that Jesus gave you and it satisfies satan to be successful in pressuring a Christian from the world. It satisfies him even further to send an unsaved person to hell. Jesus loves you with a white hot fervency, he seeks and saves and brings us to His bosom! Nothing is worse than plunging into the gulf that separates us from Him by our own hand, or ending what could be a fulfilling life in Christ by our own hand.
The End Times are here. With apostasy rising and Christianity's believers moving away from Jesus, and with unbelievers moving further away from offered grace, satan is still and always seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8). Let us all be alert for weakening brethren. Though we can never tell with certainty what is going on in another person's mind, if you see or hear them demonstrate any of the indicators, you will know that the prayer battle is on. Fight for each other! Pray to the Spirit for help. Jesus heals, completely!
"The LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor…to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” (Isaiah 61:1-3).
It seems all too often the spirit if despair is upon us, but the garment of praise is ours to be had, along with the victory- thanks eternally to His sacrifice and His grace.
How to hear God's voice, without static
I was trundling down the driveway to head out for work this morning and on my Christian radio station was Bach’s Gloria in excelsis Deo. I had to stop at the bottom to let a car go by. The instant I stopped, the music changed from the Christian station to a jazz song.
As I pulled forward to go again the song instantly changed back to Gloria.
I laughed, and got to thinking of how it worked that as long as I was moving I was tuned in perfectly to the Godly frequency. It was only when I’d stopped that the worldly song came in. When we keep moving, we stay on God’s frequency. (Romans 6:4; Eph 4:17; 1 Corinthians 9:24; 2 Timothy 4:7)
It’s funny how there are so many radio stations and yet all of them have their own frequency. It’s rare for one to dominate the other suddenly, it is only when we stop in a dead zone or we go out of range that the signals get crossed. When that happens we hear static, and the message gets lost.
It is exactly like that in our walk with God. When we stop our walk with Him, the world encroaches. When we linger in a dead zone (sin) then the world takes over. All radio signals have their own frequency, and so does God.
The apostasy that is rising so quickly is partly due to the Christians who stop tuning in to God’s channel and seek him on a different one. It is pointless to listen to a jazz station and expect to hear “Are You Washed in the Blood?” You can listen until you’re blue in the face but that song will never come on that station.
Christians of late have been trying to find God on a frequency where He doesn’t broadcast. Bill Hybels is on the whispering station but God is not there. Jesse Duplantis been looking for Him on the visions station but he is not there. Beth Moore has been looking for Him on the contemplative prayer station from the pit but He is not there. Henry Blackaby has been tuning into the experiential station but God is not there. God broadcasts strongly on one station and one station only.
THE BIBLE CHANNEL.
Chris Rosebrough wrote about where to find God’s broadcast 100% of the time, with certainty. His essay, "How to Hear God's Voice 100% of the Time" is wonderful. He wrote in part:
"Are you struggling to figure out if those whispers that your pastor has told you to listen for are really God's voice or a case of gastrointestinal hallucinations caused by a bad batch of pepperoni pizza?"
"Are you tired of going through the whole rigmarole of filtering those voices in your head through a six point 'discernment grid' to try to ascertain if that's the Holy Spirit speaking to you or proof that you need to make an appointment with a shrink?"
"Have you read and reread Blackaby and still haven't got the foggiest notion as to how to tell where God is working in the world so that you can join Him?"
"If you've answered yes to one or all of these questions then I've got great news for you! I have discovered a simple and sure fire way for you to hear God's voice. The best part is that its 100% guaranteed and totally Biblical. Here it is."
Click on the link to read more. It is an excellent essay! Needless to say, God broadcasts on the BIBLE CHANNEL 100% of the time. If you read it, study it, pray about it, let the Spirit lead you into truth, your signals will never get crossed!!
I laughed, and got to thinking of how it worked that as long as I was moving I was tuned in perfectly to the Godly frequency. It was only when I’d stopped that the worldly song came in. When we keep moving, we stay on God’s frequency. (Romans 6:4; Eph 4:17; 1 Corinthians 9:24; 2 Timothy 4:7)
It’s funny how there are so many radio stations and yet all of them have their own frequency. It’s rare for one to dominate the other suddenly, it is only when we stop in a dead zone or we go out of range that the signals get crossed. When that happens we hear static, and the message gets lost.
It is exactly like that in our walk with God. When we stop our walk with Him, the world encroaches. When we linger in a dead zone (sin) then the world takes over. All radio signals have their own frequency, and so does God.
The apostasy that is rising so quickly is partly due to the Christians who stop tuning in to God’s channel and seek him on a different one. It is pointless to listen to a jazz station and expect to hear “Are You Washed in the Blood?” You can listen until you’re blue in the face but that song will never come on that station.
Christians of late have been trying to find God on a frequency where He doesn’t broadcast. Bill Hybels is on the whispering station but God is not there. Jesse Duplantis been looking for Him on the visions station but he is not there. Beth Moore has been looking for Him on the contemplative prayer station from the pit but He is not there. Henry Blackaby has been tuning into the experiential station but God is not there. God broadcasts strongly on one station and one station only.
Chris Rosebrough wrote about where to find God’s broadcast 100% of the time, with certainty. His essay, "How to Hear God's Voice 100% of the Time" is wonderful. He wrote in part:
"Are you struggling to figure out if those whispers that your pastor has told you to listen for are really God's voice or a case of gastrointestinal hallucinations caused by a bad batch of pepperoni pizza?"
"Are you tired of going through the whole rigmarole of filtering those voices in your head through a six point 'discernment grid' to try to ascertain if that's the Holy Spirit speaking to you or proof that you need to make an appointment with a shrink?"
"Have you read and reread Blackaby and still haven't got the foggiest notion as to how to tell where God is working in the world so that you can join Him?"
"If you've answered yes to one or all of these questions then I've got great news for you! I have discovered a simple and sure fire way for you to hear God's voice. The best part is that its 100% guaranteed and totally Biblical. Here it is."
Click on the link to read more. It is an excellent essay! Needless to say, God broadcasts on the BIBLE CHANNEL 100% of the time. If you read it, study it, pray about it, let the Spirit lead you into truth, your signals will never get crossed!!
 |
| image source |
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Top ten most read books
In terms of millions of copies sold.
source here. HT challies here
--The Quran is not on the list. (not surprised)
--Twilight Saga is. (surprised)
--The runaway winner, the Holy Bible, once again shows that the bible is unique in its historical reliability. (Yay for the Holy Spirit)
Now the question is, you probably own a bible. Do you read it?
source here. HT challies here
--The Quran is not on the list. (not surprised)
--Twilight Saga is. (surprised)
--The runaway winner, the Holy Bible, once again shows that the bible is unique in its historical reliability. (Yay for the Holy Spirit)
Now the question is, you probably own a bible. Do you read it?
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Petra the Sheepfold
I wrote about Petra once before, here. This is an excerpt of that blog essay.
Petra is also known as Sela, both of which means rock. The rose red city of Petra in Jordan is referred to in Judges 1:36; Isaiah 16:1, Is 42:11; Obad. 3 where Petra is known as the "cleft in the rock". Petra is also known as Bozrah, which means sheepfold. Sheepfold or sheep pen is an enclosure designed with overhangs or other protection from the elements, and is solid enough to keep the sheep in and the wild animals out. It always has one narrow gate for entry. Bozrah is the perfect sheepfold! Our Shepherd Jesus will protect His remnant during the Great Tribulation at Bozrah, the sheepfold, the Cleft in the Rock.
It is there He returns at the Second Coming and becomes stained with blood of the armies attempting to wipe out the remnant, and leads them to victory at Mt. Olive. (Photo source above)
God's Vengeance on the Nations
"Who is this who comes from Edom, With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, This One who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His strength? "It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save." Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press? "I have trodden the wine trough alone, And from the peoples there was no man with Me I also trod them in My anger And trampled them in My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My raiment." (Isaiah 63:1-3)
Jews during the Great Tribulation are told by Jesus in Revelation 12:6 "Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days." In Matthew 24:15-16 He tells them when they see the Abomination of Desolation to to flee to the mountains. The only place where there are mountains across the desert is toward Jordan and to Petra.
In that Day, two-thirds of the Jews will be killed during the Tribulation. One-third survives. (Zechariah 13:8). That one-third had fled to the mountains at Petra and there they are protected, but it is also there that they finally repent and clamor for the Messiah, Jesus. (Zechariah 12:10). Now let's fast forward our imaginations to that terrible time, and envision the Jews who are now Christians, repentant and supplicating to Jesus, nourished by him, His sheep finally returned to the fold. Look at the picture below and imagine the worship services that will be happening in that Day!
Imagine, being nourished by the very providence of God! As they were once nourished by the quail and the manna in the desert, so again will the remnant be nourished in the desert, His sheep protected by the sheepfold at Bozrah throughout the latter half of the Tribulation!
He is a God who cares for His people, He prepares places for us. And that is a mighty thing indeed. Hallelujah to the One True and Mighty God!
Petra is also known as Sela, both of which means rock. The rose red city of Petra in Jordan is referred to in Judges 1:36; Isaiah 16:1, Is 42:11; Obad. 3 where Petra is known as the "cleft in the rock". Petra is also known as Bozrah, which means sheepfold. Sheepfold or sheep pen is an enclosure designed with overhangs or other protection from the elements, and is solid enough to keep the sheep in and the wild animals out. It always has one narrow gate for entry. Bozrah is the perfect sheepfold! Our Shepherd Jesus will protect His remnant during the Great Tribulation at Bozrah, the sheepfold, the Cleft in the Rock.
It is there He returns at the Second Coming and becomes stained with blood of the armies attempting to wipe out the remnant, and leads them to victory at Mt. Olive. (Photo source above)
God's Vengeance on the Nations
"Who is this who comes from Edom, With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, This One who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His strength? "It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save." Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press? "I have trodden the wine trough alone, And from the peoples there was no man with Me I also trod them in My anger And trampled them in My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My raiment." (Isaiah 63:1-3)
Jews during the Great Tribulation are told by Jesus in Revelation 12:6 "Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days." In Matthew 24:15-16 He tells them when they see the Abomination of Desolation to to flee to the mountains. The only place where there are mountains across the desert is toward Jordan and to Petra.
In that Day, two-thirds of the Jews will be killed during the Tribulation. One-third survives. (Zechariah 13:8). That one-third had fled to the mountains at Petra and there they are protected, but it is also there that they finally repent and clamor for the Messiah, Jesus. (Zechariah 12:10). Now let's fast forward our imaginations to that terrible time, and envision the Jews who are now Christians, repentant and supplicating to Jesus, nourished by him, His sheep finally returned to the fold. Look at the picture below and imagine the worship services that will be happening in that Day!
Imagine, being nourished by the very providence of God! As they were once nourished by the quail and the manna in the desert, so again will the remnant be nourished in the desert, His sheep protected by the sheepfold at Bozrah throughout the latter half of the Tribulation!
He is a God who cares for His people, He prepares places for us. And that is a mighty thing indeed. Hallelujah to the One True and Mighty God!
.jpg) |
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Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Is God female? Is Jesus a hermaphrodite? Feminism's modern attacks- part 3
I have been looking at modern Feminism and its impact on the church. Since the Women's Liberation Movement came to the fore in 1970, an entire generation of women has been born and grown up under the demagogic language of the movement. Demagoguery is "is a strategy for gaining political power by appealing to the prejudices, emotions, fears, vanities and expectations of the public—typically via impassioned rhetoric and propaganda." (Wikipedia definition). A whole generation of girls has been instilled with Feminist notions by now. "Feminist theory, which emerged from these feminist movements, aims to understand the nature of gender inequality by examining women's social roles and lived experience."
Interestingly, the flagship for the feminism movement is the UK magazine Spare Rib. Founded in 1972 its first editorial explained that the magazine's role was to "investigate and present alternatives to the traditional gender roles for women of virgin, wife or mother." Wikipedia notes of the magazine, "The fact that Spare Rib reached its high point of circulation and influence ... in the late 1970s usefully charts the women's liberation movement itself." It ceased publication in 1993.
One can see immediately how the Feminist movement was a direct rejection of the God-ordained roles He set out for men, women, children and families in the bible. Adherents to the movement's tenets directly reject biblical notions of family, domestic leadership, marriage (straight and gay), virginity, abortion, sexuality and sexual activity, and more.
Note the movement's flagship magazine Spare Rib is based on the verse from Genesis 2:21-22: "So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man."
Now that a generation of women have grown up with secular saturation of unbiblical notions of how they are to relate to the world and to men, we look at how the church has been affected. In part 1 I looked at the language of the movement in relation to the church, noting two prominent news articles published this week asking if Jesus was a hermaphrodite and if God is a girl. That was the Demagogic. In part 2 I looked at women's roles in the church as related to the Middle Ages and the modern Mystic. In this last part I will take a look at the biblical role of the woman as related to Logistics.
Is God female? Is Jesus a hermaphrodite? Feminism's modern attacks- part 1
Is God female? Is Jesus a hermaphrodite? Feminism's modern attacks- part 2
LOGISTICS
The satanic, fundamental flaw in the Feminist movement (Women's Liberation) is first that women need something to be liberated from. As we see above, the movement seeks to "liberate" the woman from biblically mandated roles, which is really saying it rejects God's order of things. The second flaw is that there is something inherently unequal about the roles of men and woman as wife, mother, husband, father, etc. They are not unequal. They are equal. They're just different. Men have mostly been assigned a role for leadership and women of support. Both are vital and both are for the glory of God. Both win the battle. You cannot have one role without the other role and expect to win the war.
Let's take a look at military logistics to see what I mean.
In the 1862 Battle of New Orleans the major military strategy was to cut off supplies to the city. "Early in the Civil War, Union General-in-Chief Winfield Scott devised the "Anaconda Plan" for defeating the Confederacy. A hero of the Mexican-American War, Scott called for the blockade of the Southern coast as well as the capture of the Mississippi River. This latter move was designed to split the Confederacy in two and prevent supplies from moving east and west. The first step to securing the Mississippi was the capture of New Orleans. The Confederacy's largest city and busiest port, New Orleans was defended by two large forts, Jackson and St. Philip, situated on the river below the city."
As for the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863, it was won partially because of supplies: who had them and who didn't. "The Chancellorsville Campaign was one of the most lopsided clashes of the war, with the Union's effective fighting force more than twice the Confederates', the greatest imbalance during the war in Virginia. Hooker's army was much better supplied and was well-rested after several months of inactivity. Lee's forces, on the other hand, were poorly provisioned and were scattered all over the state of Virginia."
The thing that gets the provisions in a campaign from one place to another is logistics. Even making a determination of who needs what and how much is also one of logistics. You can't win a battle if the soldier is tired and hungry. If he is cold or lost. If the supply train doesn't get there. Or as we have seen in M*A*S*H episodes, of sending winter coats in July or thermometers when they needed blood.
Military logistics is defined as "Military logistics is the discipline of planning and carrying out the movement and maintenance of military forces. In its most comprehensive sense, it is those aspects or military operations that deal with:
--Design, development, acquisition, storage, distribution, maintenance, evacuation, and disposition of materiel.
--Transport of personnel.
--Acquisition or construction, maintenance, operation, and disposition of facilities.
--Acquisition or furnishing of services.
--Medical and health service support."
Vice Admiral Robert B. Carney, USN said of logistics: “Because of my wartime experience, I am insistent on the point that logistics know-how must be maintained, that logistic is second to nothing in importance in warfare, that logistic training must be widespread and thorough, and that it is folly to waste time on mediocre talent.”
To support logistics, we have a home front. "Home front is the informal term commonly used to describe the civilian populace of the nation at war as an active support system of their military. In a modern industrial nation, the fighting "teeth" of combat soldiers, depends to a considerable degree on the "tail" of civilian support services—extending all the way to the factories that build materiel to support the "military front"."
“… in its relationship to strategy, logistics assumes the character of a dynamic force, without which the strategic conception is simply a paper plan.” -- Commander C. Theo Vogelsang, USN
Logistics is the method by which the dynamism between the Home Front and the Military Front is energized and maintained. "This continuity of "military effort" from fighting soldier to manufacturing facility has profound effects for the concept of "total war." (source)
Let's adapt this language of logistics and home front/military front to the roles God ordained for the family. Christians are in a war. "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:" (2 Corinthians 10:3. Also Ephesians 6:12). We are not battling flesh and blood but we are in a spiritual battle every moment of every day. We are all soldiers. Women who are unmarried, widowed or divorced and single men are just as important and useful for God's glory in the battle as are married folks who are fulfilling their ordained roles.
But a biblical wife will keep a good home. She will labor in her own battles to supply the home base so her soldier who comes home weary from the battle will rest and have peace. His renewed energy will allow him to go forth the next day. Look at the list above again of what logistics is, and tell me that isn't what a mom does every day. The Home Front is just as important to winning the overall battle as are the ones whom the General deployed to the military front.
Jesus is our Commander In Chief. He is the One from whom we receive our battle orders, and that military manual is the bible. The CIC knows what He is doing and why. It is only Him who has the bird's eye view of where this one or that one is needed, or where the more pitched battles are taking place. But He gave us the Word so we may be prepared and we know what to do at all times.
The Enemy will always try to disrupt the supply trains. He will mess with logistics. He will attempt to make the soldiers lose their way, tire them out, and starve them. He has his own "Anaconda Plan" and it is the same as the Union's was: to split the family in two and strangle and starve them out. An entire generation of men have been starved from that comfort and peace they had formerly been receiving in the home.
As far as the church goes, we are reaping a generation of women who have swallowed the demagogic language that women's roles need to be exact in authority to a man's, identical in gender. They have gone so far as to propose that God is a woman and Jesus was a hermaphrodite. So now you see the success of satan's goal. He has always wanted to put himself where God is, (Isaiah 14:14). Soon the feminists will be saying that God IS a woman. And thus satan will have supplanted the biblical view of God to one that he's perverted. In satan's mind, a perverted God who doesn't look like Himself as He showed us in the bible is just as good as a God he has booted out completely.
In the bible, women and men have complementary roles. Complementary does not mean unequal. Understand is that a difference in role does not equate to a difference in quality, importance, or value. The bible says,
"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing." (Ephesians 5:22-24)
"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it." (Ephesians 5:25)
"Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband." (Ephesians 5:33)
To be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands ... (Titus 2:4-5)
"I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander." (1 Tim. 5:14)
This is because a man needs to focus on provision and to be able to lead his family into the statutes of God. He doesn't need the extraneous problem of quelling rumors and dealing with slander against his family. A woman who causes the enemy opportunity for slander is draining the resources from one half of the dynamic relationship that is needed for a complete approach to the battle.
This is the man's role:
"If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him. For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married." (Deuteronomy 24:5)
I am convinced that if the world were to accept the roles that God put forth there would be such happiness.
In conclusion, I'll end with a personal anecdote. I always thought the woman's movement was bunk. Despite having been raised in the 1970s and 80s and despite my mother being a divorced feminist, I always felt that it was more natural and normal for a woman to be the supply side of the family relationship. (**Note that I understand that finances or circumstances sometimes deems it necessary for a woman to work outside the home. I also understand that abuse is rampant and that there are inequalities in employment relationships etc. This essay is not addressing those.) I was twenty in 1980 when this famous television commercial came out. It features a glamorous Liberated woman moving through her day. The singer croons,
"I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan..."
"I can work till five o'clock and come home and read to the kids tickety tock"
I always thought, 'what good is THAT? Now women have to go out and work AND do all the household chores'. In the latter part of the 80s and the 90s the battle then became who was going to do all the tasks left undone by the woman who is now out working. The whole thing seemed obviously unworkable to me. See, the logistics were disrupted and instead of the battle being against the enemy it became a battle against each other: wife against husband.
The song also croons, "and never ever let you forget you're a man"
Why would a man need assurance he is still a man if the Feminist Movement was properly righting a societal wrong? The implicit message of the song is that now because the woman is taking over the men's duties he needs to be reassured that he is still relevant. But he didn't buy those assurances, because as I mentioned in part 2, men have left the family in great numbers. Fatherless households are a rampant scourge. And they have left the church too.
I know it isn't popular to say so but it really is a beautiful thing to see a wife submit to her husband. And also it is a beautiful thing to see a man sacrifice for his wife. If performed properly and biblically with the Holy Spirit being the logistical glue that greases the dynamics of the biblical marital relationship, bliss would ensue. Not that everything is always harmonious in a marriage, but the overall feeling of bliss comes in knowing each person is functioning how God wants them to. The deference goes both ways. But the girls of this generation have bought the lie of the feminists, that instead of seeking a Godly husband who would cherish her and sacrificing himself for her, that we didn't need a man at all. It is not true,
"And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him." (Genesis 2:18)
Men are alone. It is not good. There is no help-meet for him. And the generation is reaping the price.
Interestingly, the flagship for the feminism movement is the UK magazine Spare Rib. Founded in 1972 its first editorial explained that the magazine's role was to "investigate and present alternatives to the traditional gender roles for women of virgin, wife or mother." Wikipedia notes of the magazine, "The fact that Spare Rib reached its high point of circulation and influence ... in the late 1970s usefully charts the women's liberation movement itself." It ceased publication in 1993.
One can see immediately how the Feminist movement was a direct rejection of the God-ordained roles He set out for men, women, children and families in the bible. Adherents to the movement's tenets directly reject biblical notions of family, domestic leadership, marriage (straight and gay), virginity, abortion, sexuality and sexual activity, and more.
Note the movement's flagship magazine Spare Rib is based on the verse from Genesis 2:21-22: "So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man."
Now that a generation of women have grown up with secular saturation of unbiblical notions of how they are to relate to the world and to men, we look at how the church has been affected. In part 1 I looked at the language of the movement in relation to the church, noting two prominent news articles published this week asking if Jesus was a hermaphrodite and if God is a girl. That was the Demagogic. In part 2 I looked at women's roles in the church as related to the Middle Ages and the modern Mystic. In this last part I will take a look at the biblical role of the woman as related to Logistics.
Is God female? Is Jesus a hermaphrodite? Feminism's modern attacks- part 1
Is God female? Is Jesus a hermaphrodite? Feminism's modern attacks- part 2
LOGISTICS
The satanic, fundamental flaw in the Feminist movement (Women's Liberation) is first that women need something to be liberated from. As we see above, the movement seeks to "liberate" the woman from biblically mandated roles, which is really saying it rejects God's order of things. The second flaw is that there is something inherently unequal about the roles of men and woman as wife, mother, husband, father, etc. They are not unequal. They are equal. They're just different. Men have mostly been assigned a role for leadership and women of support. Both are vital and both are for the glory of God. Both win the battle. You cannot have one role without the other role and expect to win the war.
Let's take a look at military logistics to see what I mean.
In the 1862 Battle of New Orleans the major military strategy was to cut off supplies to the city. "Early in the Civil War, Union General-in-Chief Winfield Scott devised the "Anaconda Plan" for defeating the Confederacy. A hero of the Mexican-American War, Scott called for the blockade of the Southern coast as well as the capture of the Mississippi River. This latter move was designed to split the Confederacy in two and prevent supplies from moving east and west. The first step to securing the Mississippi was the capture of New Orleans. The Confederacy's largest city and busiest port, New Orleans was defended by two large forts, Jackson and St. Philip, situated on the river below the city."
As for the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863, it was won partially because of supplies: who had them and who didn't. "The Chancellorsville Campaign was one of the most lopsided clashes of the war, with the Union's effective fighting force more than twice the Confederates', the greatest imbalance during the war in Virginia. Hooker's army was much better supplied and was well-rested after several months of inactivity. Lee's forces, on the other hand, were poorly provisioned and were scattered all over the state of Virginia."
The thing that gets the provisions in a campaign from one place to another is logistics. Even making a determination of who needs what and how much is also one of logistics. You can't win a battle if the soldier is tired and hungry. If he is cold or lost. If the supply train doesn't get there. Or as we have seen in M*A*S*H episodes, of sending winter coats in July or thermometers when they needed blood.
Military logistics is defined as "Military logistics is the discipline of planning and carrying out the movement and maintenance of military forces. In its most comprehensive sense, it is those aspects or military operations that deal with:
--Design, development, acquisition, storage, distribution, maintenance, evacuation, and disposition of materiel.
--Transport of personnel.
--Acquisition or construction, maintenance, operation, and disposition of facilities.
--Acquisition or furnishing of services.
--Medical and health service support."
Vice Admiral Robert B. Carney, USN said of logistics: “Because of my wartime experience, I am insistent on the point that logistics know-how must be maintained, that logistic is second to nothing in importance in warfare, that logistic training must be widespread and thorough, and that it is folly to waste time on mediocre talent.”
“… in its relationship to strategy, logistics assumes the character of a dynamic force, without which the strategic conception is simply a paper plan.” -- Commander C. Theo Vogelsang, USN
Logistics is the method by which the dynamism between the Home Front and the Military Front is energized and maintained. "This continuity of "military effort" from fighting soldier to manufacturing facility has profound effects for the concept of "total war." (source)
Let's adapt this language of logistics and home front/military front to the roles God ordained for the family. Christians are in a war. "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:" (2 Corinthians 10:3. Also Ephesians 6:12). We are not battling flesh and blood but we are in a spiritual battle every moment of every day. We are all soldiers. Women who are unmarried, widowed or divorced and single men are just as important and useful for God's glory in the battle as are married folks who are fulfilling their ordained roles.
Jesus is our Commander In Chief. He is the One from whom we receive our battle orders, and that military manual is the bible. The CIC knows what He is doing and why. It is only Him who has the bird's eye view of where this one or that one is needed, or where the more pitched battles are taking place. But He gave us the Word so we may be prepared and we know what to do at all times.
The Enemy will always try to disrupt the supply trains. He will mess with logistics. He will attempt to make the soldiers lose their way, tire them out, and starve them. He has his own "Anaconda Plan" and it is the same as the Union's was: to split the family in two and strangle and starve them out. An entire generation of men have been starved from that comfort and peace they had formerly been receiving in the home.
As far as the church goes, we are reaping a generation of women who have swallowed the demagogic language that women's roles need to be exact in authority to a man's, identical in gender. They have gone so far as to propose that God is a woman and Jesus was a hermaphrodite. So now you see the success of satan's goal. He has always wanted to put himself where God is, (Isaiah 14:14). Soon the feminists will be saying that God IS a woman. And thus satan will have supplanted the biblical view of God to one that he's perverted. In satan's mind, a perverted God who doesn't look like Himself as He showed us in the bible is just as good as a God he has booted out completely.
In the bible, women and men have complementary roles. Complementary does not mean unequal. Understand is that a difference in role does not equate to a difference in quality, importance, or value. The bible says,
"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing." (Ephesians 5:22-24)
"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it." (Ephesians 5:25)
"Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband." (Ephesians 5:33)
To be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands ... (Titus 2:4-5)
"I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander." (1 Tim. 5:14)
This is because a man needs to focus on provision and to be able to lead his family into the statutes of God. He doesn't need the extraneous problem of quelling rumors and dealing with slander against his family. A woman who causes the enemy opportunity for slander is draining the resources from one half of the dynamic relationship that is needed for a complete approach to the battle.
This is the man's role:
"If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him. For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married." (Deuteronomy 24:5)
I am convinced that if the world were to accept the roles that God put forth there would be such happiness.
In conclusion, I'll end with a personal anecdote. I always thought the woman's movement was bunk. Despite having been raised in the 1970s and 80s and despite my mother being a divorced feminist, I always felt that it was more natural and normal for a woman to be the supply side of the family relationship. (**Note that I understand that finances or circumstances sometimes deems it necessary for a woman to work outside the home. I also understand that abuse is rampant and that there are inequalities in employment relationships etc. This essay is not addressing those.) I was twenty in 1980 when this famous television commercial came out. It features a glamorous Liberated woman moving through her day. The singer croons,
"I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan..."
"I can work till five o'clock and come home and read to the kids tickety tock"
I always thought, 'what good is THAT? Now women have to go out and work AND do all the household chores'. In the latter part of the 80s and the 90s the battle then became who was going to do all the tasks left undone by the woman who is now out working. The whole thing seemed obviously unworkable to me. See, the logistics were disrupted and instead of the battle being against the enemy it became a battle against each other: wife against husband.
The song also croons, "and never ever let you forget you're a man"
Why would a man need assurance he is still a man if the Feminist Movement was properly righting a societal wrong? The implicit message of the song is that now because the woman is taking over the men's duties he needs to be reassured that he is still relevant. But he didn't buy those assurances, because as I mentioned in part 2, men have left the family in great numbers. Fatherless households are a rampant scourge. And they have left the church too.
I know it isn't popular to say so but it really is a beautiful thing to see a wife submit to her husband. And also it is a beautiful thing to see a man sacrifice for his wife. If performed properly and biblically with the Holy Spirit being the logistical glue that greases the dynamics of the biblical marital relationship, bliss would ensue. Not that everything is always harmonious in a marriage, but the overall feeling of bliss comes in knowing each person is functioning how God wants them to. The deference goes both ways. But the girls of this generation have bought the lie of the feminists, that instead of seeking a Godly husband who would cherish her and sacrificing himself for her, that we didn't need a man at all. It is not true,
"And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him." (Genesis 2:18)
Men are alone. It is not good. There is no help-meet for him. And the generation is reaping the price.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Is your praise louder than the tornado's roar?
It is a sober morning as we wake up and as the daylight rises we see the overnight storm damage. I had a sleepless night as storm after storm rolled through, but the house is intact. I'm thankful for the Lord's protection. Now one may say, 'what about all those believers who prayed but whose homes were destroyed? Didn't they have the Lord's protection?' Yes, they did.
In my case, I prayed to the Lord for protection of my body and my home from storm damage. I have full faith and trust that He would do it, and He did.
Others who pray the same in full faith but whose homes are now rubble are also under His protection. The effects of sin in this world means that there will be suffering, but those who are suffering have a new opportunity this morning to turn to Him, and think of eternal things. It affords an opportunity for Christian ministries to minister in His name to the lost, the weak, the brethren. Living in a fallen world means bad things will happen.
I prayed for protection last night and I knew He is able to deliver it. But I did not pray, "Protect me, O Lord, for I am one of your children and You are on my side." That is testing the Lord. I know His will as it is revealed in the Word, but I do not know His will in each specific circumstance of my life. If I was to go through a trial by enduring a lost dwelling and possessions, let it be so. It doesn't alter my faith at all. When you have an eternal perspective, the temporary circumstances of my life gain their proper position. Now I'm not as strong as Paul who said of his trials, "Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:10) but his kind of attitude is my daily goal to seek and try and reach.
I think of Daniel 3 and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego standing in front of King Nebuchadnezzar, and they said, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (Daniel 3:16b-18).
The furnace was a room sized furnace you know. Picture the men shoveling coal into the Titanic's room-sized boilers, and that was what Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were facing. These furnaces were searingly hot. They were so hot that when the King ordered the furnace to be heated 7 times hotter, the men who were ordered to throw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego inside were instantly killed by the heat.
Facing that, they did not waver. They did not say, "We are faithful and therefore He will not let us come to harm." Their prayer in the face of a fiery trial was strong, with the proper perspective of understanding that it may not be His will to allow them no harm. It didn't alter their faith one bit. He knew He would cover them, but if He didn't, that was OK too. God is still sovereign.
"The proof of conversion is that he who professes faith in Jesus perseveres in faith and grows in sanctification throughout his life." ~Paul Washer
That proof is the perseverance in faith especially when storms are ripping through, when death or loss or injury come, when we can say of this trial or that one, "Lord grow me in sanctification so that You are pleased with me." Sing praises to Him who saves, in the calm and in the storm. Their faith was startling to the King, and Nebuchadnezzar replied in a fury. But when God chose to show Himself in the furnace the men said to the King, “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” (Daniel 3:25).
The King then did what? Praised God. "Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.” (Daniel 3:28-29)
When the storms come, sing louder, knowing that He is sovereign, and all things are working for the good to those who love Him who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) Perhaps your purpose in your trial is simply to sing praises to him, louder than the storm, so that others may hear and believe.
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In my case, I prayed to the Lord for protection of my body and my home from storm damage. I have full faith and trust that He would do it, and He did.
Others who pray the same in full faith but whose homes are now rubble are also under His protection. The effects of sin in this world means that there will be suffering, but those who are suffering have a new opportunity this morning to turn to Him, and think of eternal things. It affords an opportunity for Christian ministries to minister in His name to the lost, the weak, the brethren. Living in a fallen world means bad things will happen.
I prayed for protection last night and I knew He is able to deliver it. But I did not pray, "Protect me, O Lord, for I am one of your children and You are on my side." That is testing the Lord. I know His will as it is revealed in the Word, but I do not know His will in each specific circumstance of my life. If I was to go through a trial by enduring a lost dwelling and possessions, let it be so. It doesn't alter my faith at all. When you have an eternal perspective, the temporary circumstances of my life gain their proper position. Now I'm not as strong as Paul who said of his trials, "Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:10) but his kind of attitude is my daily goal to seek and try and reach.
I think of Daniel 3 and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego standing in front of King Nebuchadnezzar, and they said, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (Daniel 3:16b-18).
The furnace was a room sized furnace you know. Picture the men shoveling coal into the Titanic's room-sized boilers, and that was what Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were facing. These furnaces were searingly hot. They were so hot that when the King ordered the furnace to be heated 7 times hotter, the men who were ordered to throw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego inside were instantly killed by the heat.
Facing that, they did not waver. They did not say, "We are faithful and therefore He will not let us come to harm." Their prayer in the face of a fiery trial was strong, with the proper perspective of understanding that it may not be His will to allow them no harm. It didn't alter their faith one bit. He knew He would cover them, but if He didn't, that was OK too. God is still sovereign.
"The proof of conversion is that he who professes faith in Jesus perseveres in faith and grows in sanctification throughout his life." ~Paul Washer
That proof is the perseverance in faith especially when storms are ripping through, when death or loss or injury come, when we can say of this trial or that one, "Lord grow me in sanctification so that You are pleased with me." Sing praises to Him who saves, in the calm and in the storm. Their faith was startling to the King, and Nebuchadnezzar replied in a fury. But when God chose to show Himself in the furnace the men said to the King, “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” (Daniel 3:25).
The King then did what? Praised God. "Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.” (Daniel 3:28-29)
When the storms come, sing louder, knowing that He is sovereign, and all things are working for the good to those who love Him who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) Perhaps your purpose in your trial is simply to sing praises to him, louder than the storm, so that others may hear and believe.
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Saturday, February 25, 2012
How do you go through trials?
At my church, we are studying 2 Corinthians on Wednesday nights. We looked at chapter 11 this week. We got to the end where Paul was reluctantly boasting in his sufferings for Christ (verses 22-39). Our teacher asked us something like, (if I remember correctly), "How do you handle sufferings? What do you do?"
I thought about that for a few days. I like when our teachers and pastors ask us questions, because I really think about the answers. I like having something biblical to chew over. Here is my answer:
1. I tell myself that this present trial is not permanent. Even if I were to receive a fatal diagnosis or were to suffer in an accident where I was totally disabled, the trial is not permanent. It is temporary. This life is short, being but a vapor (James 4:14). A 20 or even a 40 year trial is nothing, compared to eternity. And thus far, thanks to God's grace, I have NOT received a trial that has lasted all my life. At most, one has lasted 5 years, and most of the rest only a few weeks or months. So whatever I am going through will end. I tell myself that often, because it is true.
2. My trial is not as bad as someone else's. There is always a Christian out there who is suffering more, and usually with more grace than I am, too. Am I in jail for my faith? No. Have I lost employment for my faith? No. Have I lost a child because of Jesus's name? No. And in reading Paul's resume of sufferings, being the epitome of how His grace is sufficient, I have nothing to complain about, even when I am at my darkest or my lowest.
3. I tell myself that He is Good. He IS Good therefore everything He does is good. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28). Therefore everything He does is Good. Even Job, who lost all, suffered much, went through one of the bible's most difficult trials, it was Good. How so, you say? Job's trial, his righteousness in looking to God in all things, his victory over the devil as a result, and his restoration was set into the bible, to be read by countless millions of Christians going through trials and needing encouragement. Job's trial was bad, but it helped millions, over thousands of years. Now that's good! So as dark as my trial is, I know something good will emerge out of it.
4. I stay positive. I do not dwell on the bad part I am going through, but pray, read the bible, and tell myself repeatedly that it is for the good. I apply 2 Corinthians 10:5 here, "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." I refuse to dwell on how low I may be feeling, because feelings are ephemeral. I concentrate on God's sovereignty, because I know I can rest under His control, even in the seemingly "bad" things. I take the negative thoughts captive while I allow the positive thoughts in. I focus on the promises, not the trials. Romans 5:3-5 helps here, "And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." James 1:12 too.
5. Every time I have gone through a trial, I have gotten closer to God. Jesus is my Savior and Lord, and though I can never know all His ways nor ever plumb the depths of His grace, each time I emerge from something bad, I feel closer to Him. This is a good thing! I have that to look forward to on the other side. I have been the recipient of His grace, His comfort, His faithfulness. So even in the bottom of the valley I tell myself that the reward will be a closer relationship with Him. It keeps me going.
6. I read the bible a lot. When I am going through a dark time, I wash myself in the Word even more than usual. I cling to it. I read it and chew on it and it fills me up instead of the darkness and negativity that would be there instead. His gift of spiritual armor is in place for a reason. It can withstand the fiery darts of the evil one. The bible is truth, and it sustains us. I turn to it and appeal to the Spirit for encouragement. The Spirit assures us, "Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”" (Galatians 4:6). The Spirit empowers us, "“And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”" (Luke 24:49). He helps our weakness! "In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;" (Romans 8:26). If I do not read the bible I would not be reading these truths about His work in our lives and His power to help us overcome.
These are a few of the things that I do when I come upon a trial, and I do have them. I am relentlessly joyful despite them, because the Most High is in my heart, helping me. I surely cannot do it on my own. But He is there, in so many ways. Never forget that, even as dark as it may get in your own life, dear brethren.
What do you do when you go through a trial?
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I thought about that for a few days. I like when our teachers and pastors ask us questions, because I really think about the answers. I like having something biblical to chew over. Here is my answer:
1. I tell myself that this present trial is not permanent. Even if I were to receive a fatal diagnosis or were to suffer in an accident where I was totally disabled, the trial is not permanent. It is temporary. This life is short, being but a vapor (James 4:14). A 20 or even a 40 year trial is nothing, compared to eternity. And thus far, thanks to God's grace, I have NOT received a trial that has lasted all my life. At most, one has lasted 5 years, and most of the rest only a few weeks or months. So whatever I am going through will end. I tell myself that often, because it is true.
2. My trial is not as bad as someone else's. There is always a Christian out there who is suffering more, and usually with more grace than I am, too. Am I in jail for my faith? No. Have I lost employment for my faith? No. Have I lost a child because of Jesus's name? No. And in reading Paul's resume of sufferings, being the epitome of how His grace is sufficient, I have nothing to complain about, even when I am at my darkest or my lowest.
3. I tell myself that He is Good. He IS Good therefore everything He does is good. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28). Therefore everything He does is Good. Even Job, who lost all, suffered much, went through one of the bible's most difficult trials, it was Good. How so, you say? Job's trial, his righteousness in looking to God in all things, his victory over the devil as a result, and his restoration was set into the bible, to be read by countless millions of Christians going through trials and needing encouragement. Job's trial was bad, but it helped millions, over thousands of years. Now that's good! So as dark as my trial is, I know something good will emerge out of it.
4. I stay positive. I do not dwell on the bad part I am going through, but pray, read the bible, and tell myself repeatedly that it is for the good. I apply 2 Corinthians 10:5 here, "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." I refuse to dwell on how low I may be feeling, because feelings are ephemeral. I concentrate on God's sovereignty, because I know I can rest under His control, even in the seemingly "bad" things. I take the negative thoughts captive while I allow the positive thoughts in. I focus on the promises, not the trials. Romans 5:3-5 helps here, "And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." James 1:12 too.
5. Every time I have gone through a trial, I have gotten closer to God. Jesus is my Savior and Lord, and though I can never know all His ways nor ever plumb the depths of His grace, each time I emerge from something bad, I feel closer to Him. This is a good thing! I have that to look forward to on the other side. I have been the recipient of His grace, His comfort, His faithfulness. So even in the bottom of the valley I tell myself that the reward will be a closer relationship with Him. It keeps me going.
6. I read the bible a lot. When I am going through a dark time, I wash myself in the Word even more than usual. I cling to it. I read it and chew on it and it fills me up instead of the darkness and negativity that would be there instead. His gift of spiritual armor is in place for a reason. It can withstand the fiery darts of the evil one. The bible is truth, and it sustains us. I turn to it and appeal to the Spirit for encouragement. The Spirit assures us, "Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”" (Galatians 4:6). The Spirit empowers us, "“And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”" (Luke 24:49). He helps our weakness! "In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;" (Romans 8:26). If I do not read the bible I would not be reading these truths about His work in our lives and His power to help us overcome.
These are a few of the things that I do when I come upon a trial, and I do have them. I am relentlessly joyful despite them, because the Most High is in my heart, helping me. I surely cannot do it on my own. But He is there, in so many ways. Never forget that, even as dark as it may get in your own life, dear brethren.
What do you do when you go through a trial?
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Wednesday, February 22, 2012
More about the Belt of Truth
We put on the full armor of God. If you read the whole passage in Ephesians 6, you will notice that all the weapons are defensive. It is all protective gear, not to be used in offense. I want to focus on the first thing Paul says to put on, the belt.
"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place," (Ephesians 6:13-14).
The Roman soldier's belt was important. I can imagine with all the time Paul spent in prison that he had plenty of time to watch soldiers gear up. The belt was so important to a Roman soldier that it often had two buckles, or at least two places to be tied on. It was called a cingulum or a balteus. It performed several duties. First, it held the other pieces of armor in place. Cinched up tightly, the belt would hold fast the breastplate etc. Secondly, everything hung from the belt. Foremost, a soldier's sword hung from it. He usually hung a length of rope, an empty bag to put loot in, his lunch. There were loops on the belt because everything hung from it. Everything.
Now, when Paul says, 'put on the belt of truth,' we tend to take for granted the most important question. What is the truth? What truth does he mean? Do you know?
Clarke's Commentary gives the answer:
"The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the truth of God; unless this be known and conscientiously believed no man can enter the spiritual warfare with any advantage or prospect of success. By this alone we discover who our enemies are, and how they come on to attack us; and by this we know where our strength lies."
Do you know what the Gospel is? Do you know? We toss around the term, but do we know the basics of what Paul said was the Gospel message? (Gospel means "Good News").
1 Corinthians 15:1-5 has it:
"15:1 Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel that I preached to you, that you received and on which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message I preached to you – unless you believed in vain. For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received – that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve."
So we must know what we believe and why we believe it. We must be ready to make a stand and give a reply as to why we have this Good News, this eternal hope. 1 Peter 3:15 says "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,"
Now, we have the basics down, the belt of truth and why we must cinch it tightly, what the truth is, why we believe it and why we must be ready to articulate it.
Now for the consequences of having a loose belt.
Too many people today study the bible a little and then coast. Or they think that is enough. Or they think that theology doesn't matter. All wrong. It is dangerous to know but a little.
In Revelation 3:15-16 Jesus decries lukewarm Christians. "“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth."
Barnes Notes explains: ""That thou art neither cold nor hot - The word "cold" here would seem to denote the state where there was no pretension to religion; where everything was utterly lifeless and dead. The language is obviously figurative, but it is such as is often employed, when we speak of one as being cold toward another, as having a cold or icy heart, etc. The word "hot" would denote, of course, the opposite - warm and zealous in their love and service. The very words that we are constrained to use when speaking on this subject - such words as ardent (that is, hot or burning); fervid (that is, very hot, burning, boiling) - show how necessary it is to use such words, and how common it is. The state indicated here, therefore, would be that in which there was a profession of religion, but no warm-hearted piety; in which there was not, on the one hand, open and honest opposition to him, and, on the other, such warm-hearted and honest love as he had a right to look for among his professed friends; in which there was a profession of that religion which ought to warm the heart with love, and fill the soul with zeal in the cause of the Redeemer; but where the only result, in fact, was deadness and indifference to him and his cause. Among those who made no profession he had reason to expect nothing but coldness; among those who made a profession he had a right to expect the glow of a warm affection; but he found nothing but indifference."
It is the Word that makes us hot. The more tightly you cling to it, the hotter you get. Constant study brings us truth which is constant revelation of Jesus which brings more constant love and zeal for Him. Lackadaisical study brings lukewarm Christians and lukewarm deeds and that is an indignation to Jesus.
When the serpent questioned Eve, she had an answer. And it was mostly right, too. But her belt of truth was a little too loose, some crud had gotten in under it. She added a little to the doctrine, and the serpent saw his opening. He went in for the kill. (Genesis 3:1-5).
The fall of man came after that. Now, if we mess up the ONE DOCTRINE that God had given at that time, what do you think satan can do with a people who play fast and loose with many of the doctrines that we have now?
You say, 'well, I know enough. Satan won't bother me.' That is wrong too. Look how bold satan is. He tempted Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4). In the second temptation, satan tempted Jesus by twisting the WORD OF GOD. He tempted the WORD with twisting the Word! What do you think he will do to you? Especially if he sees that you know just enough to be dangerous, complacent (Revelation 3:15), or studiously ignorant of the truth? (2 Timothy 3:7).
Of course, Jesus made an appropriate reply, and it should be a goal for all of us to be able to refute scripture twisting. Satan takes a little truth and wraps it in a big lie. Or he takes a little lie and wraps it in big truth. For example, back to the conversation satan had with Eve. "And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”" (Genesis 3:2-5)
Satan was telling the truth, they would not surely die...physically. Satan was lying, they would surely die...spiritually. Satan was telling the truth, they would know good and evil. Satan was lying by omission...in not telling them what would happen after they knew good and evil (and he should know, shouldn't he?). And all because her belt of truth was too loose. She knew just enough to be dangerous.
We must wrap the truth around us so tightly it is like a second skin.
We have to know our bibles well enough to detect lies and to sort out what is the truth. We can do that with the belt cinched tightly. If it is loose, then satan will come and insinuate himself between the truth and your body and you will lose.
Now, I am not saying we can know the bible as well as Jesus like when He replied to satan in the wilderness, of course! But we must be diligent to always study. If we know the truth well, when we hear something a little off, we will know it is a little off. We must have an active prayer life and be close enough to the Lord so that when we hear something that doesn't sound quite right, we can appeal to the Spirit to lead us in the bible to where we can find the answer.
Cinch up, soldier! Put on the belt of truth and let us do what Paul urges even in himself:
"Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should." (Eph 6:19-20)
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"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place," (Ephesians 6:13-14).
The Roman soldier's belt was important. I can imagine with all the time Paul spent in prison that he had plenty of time to watch soldiers gear up. The belt was so important to a Roman soldier that it often had two buckles, or at least two places to be tied on. It was called a cingulum or a balteus. It performed several duties. First, it held the other pieces of armor in place. Cinched up tightly, the belt would hold fast the breastplate etc. Secondly, everything hung from the belt. Foremost, a soldier's sword hung from it. He usually hung a length of rope, an empty bag to put loot in, his lunch. There were loops on the belt because everything hung from it. Everything.
Now, when Paul says, 'put on the belt of truth,' we tend to take for granted the most important question. What is the truth? What truth does he mean? Do you know?
Clarke's Commentary gives the answer:
"The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the truth of God; unless this be known and conscientiously believed no man can enter the spiritual warfare with any advantage or prospect of success. By this alone we discover who our enemies are, and how they come on to attack us; and by this we know where our strength lies."
Do you know what the Gospel is? Do you know? We toss around the term, but do we know the basics of what Paul said was the Gospel message? (Gospel means "Good News").
1 Corinthians 15:1-5 has it:
"15:1 Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel that I preached to you, that you received and on which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message I preached to you – unless you believed in vain. For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received – that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve."
So we must know what we believe and why we believe it. We must be ready to make a stand and give a reply as to why we have this Good News, this eternal hope. 1 Peter 3:15 says "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,"
Now, we have the basics down, the belt of truth and why we must cinch it tightly, what the truth is, why we believe it and why we must be ready to articulate it.
Now for the consequences of having a loose belt.
Too many people today study the bible a little and then coast. Or they think that is enough. Or they think that theology doesn't matter. All wrong. It is dangerous to know but a little.
In Revelation 3:15-16 Jesus decries lukewarm Christians. "“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth."
Barnes Notes explains: ""That thou art neither cold nor hot - The word "cold" here would seem to denote the state where there was no pretension to religion; where everything was utterly lifeless and dead. The language is obviously figurative, but it is such as is often employed, when we speak of one as being cold toward another, as having a cold or icy heart, etc. The word "hot" would denote, of course, the opposite - warm and zealous in their love and service. The very words that we are constrained to use when speaking on this subject - such words as ardent (that is, hot or burning); fervid (that is, very hot, burning, boiling) - show how necessary it is to use such words, and how common it is. The state indicated here, therefore, would be that in which there was a profession of religion, but no warm-hearted piety; in which there was not, on the one hand, open and honest opposition to him, and, on the other, such warm-hearted and honest love as he had a right to look for among his professed friends; in which there was a profession of that religion which ought to warm the heart with love, and fill the soul with zeal in the cause of the Redeemer; but where the only result, in fact, was deadness and indifference to him and his cause. Among those who made no profession he had reason to expect nothing but coldness; among those who made a profession he had a right to expect the glow of a warm affection; but he found nothing but indifference."
It is the Word that makes us hot. The more tightly you cling to it, the hotter you get. Constant study brings us truth which is constant revelation of Jesus which brings more constant love and zeal for Him. Lackadaisical study brings lukewarm Christians and lukewarm deeds and that is an indignation to Jesus.
When the serpent questioned Eve, she had an answer. And it was mostly right, too. But her belt of truth was a little too loose, some crud had gotten in under it. She added a little to the doctrine, and the serpent saw his opening. He went in for the kill. (Genesis 3:1-5).
The fall of man came after that. Now, if we mess up the ONE DOCTRINE that God had given at that time, what do you think satan can do with a people who play fast and loose with many of the doctrines that we have now?
You say, 'well, I know enough. Satan won't bother me.' That is wrong too. Look how bold satan is. He tempted Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4). In the second temptation, satan tempted Jesus by twisting the WORD OF GOD. He tempted the WORD with twisting the Word! What do you think he will do to you? Especially if he sees that you know just enough to be dangerous, complacent (Revelation 3:15), or studiously ignorant of the truth? (2 Timothy 3:7).
Of course, Jesus made an appropriate reply, and it should be a goal for all of us to be able to refute scripture twisting. Satan takes a little truth and wraps it in a big lie. Or he takes a little lie and wraps it in big truth. For example, back to the conversation satan had with Eve. "And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”" (Genesis 3:2-5)
Satan was telling the truth, they would not surely die...physically. Satan was lying, they would surely die...spiritually. Satan was telling the truth, they would know good and evil. Satan was lying by omission...in not telling them what would happen after they knew good and evil (and he should know, shouldn't he?). And all because her belt of truth was too loose. She knew just enough to be dangerous.
We must wrap the truth around us so tightly it is like a second skin.
We have to know our bibles well enough to detect lies and to sort out what is the truth. We can do that with the belt cinched tightly. If it is loose, then satan will come and insinuate himself between the truth and your body and you will lose.
Now, I am not saying we can know the bible as well as Jesus like when He replied to satan in the wilderness, of course! But we must be diligent to always study. If we know the truth well, when we hear something a little off, we will know it is a little off. We must have an active prayer life and be close enough to the Lord so that when we hear something that doesn't sound quite right, we can appeal to the Spirit to lead us in the bible to where we can find the answer.
Cinch up, soldier! Put on the belt of truth and let us do what Paul urges even in himself:
"Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should." (Eph 6:19-20)
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Monday, February 20, 2012
Reclining at Jesus's bosom
Growing up, I used to watch the PBS Masterpiece Theatre classic "I, Claudius". It was about one of the least known Emperors of the Roman Empire, Claudius. Who wouldn't overlook him, being sandwiched between Caligula and Nero, lol. I was fascinated with the Roman banquets, of which the show "I, Claudius" had many, and I used to wonder why they ate while reclining. It seemed cumbersome to me.
However, Amos mentioned reclining while eating in Amos 6:7- "Therefore they shall now go captive as the first of the captives, And those who recline at banquets shall be removed." Amos lived in around 760 BC. As a matter of fact, the first known artistic depiction of someone reclining while eating is captured in this 'Garden Party' relief from the North Palace of Ashurbanipal, Nineveh, Iraq, about 645 BC, well before the Roman Empire. The relief is currently housed at the British Museum. King Ashurbanipal reigned from 669-631 BC. Here he is shown eating while reclining on his left side, with a pillow propped under his armpit and his wife upright in front of him. This custom was later shown in Greek, Etruscan, and Roman art and writings. It was picked up in Jewish traditions.
I was then and I am still bemused by the Roman custom of eating while reclining. The Romans said it aided digestion. It also was a cultural boast, that the upper class Romans were so wealthy they could afford to not only sit to eat, but to recline. Leisure was a mark of class and wealth.
The photo below from Wikimedia Commons shows a re-enactment of a Roman banquet. The Romans would lie on their left side with a pillow under their armpit. They would use their right hand to eat. Their feet would extend out and away from the specially designed couches upon which they would recline for many hours. Dinners took a while, interspersed as they were with conversation and entertainment. Women were allowed to participate at dinners at later stages of the Empire, and usually sat in upright chairs in front of their husbands.
As the custom caught on, the middle class then the lower classes copied the posture of reclining while eating.
The typical dinner would include nine guests. There were three reclining couches arranged in a semicircle, with three diners to a couch. The inside of the horseshoe was left open so slaves could pour wine and serve food. Anything not eaten, like bones or shells, were cast to the floor to be swept up by the slaves later.
The host would assume the place in the middle of the central couch and to be placed next to him was the place of honor. It is like "the head table" at a wedding. The place of honor was given to the one on his left. Jesus spoke to this when he said in Matthew 23:6, "They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues,"
As Barnes' Notes describes, "On these the guests reclined, leaning on their left side, with their feet extended from the table, and so lying that the head of one naturally reclined on the bosom of another. To recline near to one in this manner denoted intimacy, and was what was meant by lying "in the bosom" of another, John 13:23; Luke 16:22-23.
"John 13:23-- "There was reclining on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved."
Barnes continues, "As the feet were extended "from" the table, and as they reclined instead of sitting, it was easy to approach the feet behind, and even unperceived. Thus, in Luke 7:37-38, while Jesus reclined in this manner, a woman that had been a sinner came to his feet "behind him," and washed them with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head. She stood on the outside of the couches. So our Saviour washed the feet of his disciples as they reclined on a couch in this manner, John 13:4-12. Whenever we read in the New Testament of "sitting" at meals, it always means reclining in this manner, and never sitting as we do. The chief seat, or the "uppermost" one, was the middle couch at the upper end of the table. This the Pharisees loved, as a post of honor or distinction."
All one had to do if wanting to ask a private question or make a one-on-one comment was to lean back against the person next to you, and with your head at their bosom, ask it in a low voice. The Beloved Disciple, assumed to to be John, asked this of Jesus when prompted by Peter, who was going to be His betrayer?
"He, leaning back thus on Jesus' bosom, said to Him, "Lord, who is it?" (John 13:25).
Jesus replied to the Beloved Disciple who had just asked Jesus who His betrayer was going to be by saying it is the one to whom I will dip this bread (Verse 26). Because Jesus was able to hand Judas the bread it it assumed that Judas had been reclining at the second place of honor, to the Host's left.
Though Jesus certainly had upside down ideas about the places of honor, so the ritual usually associated with Roman & Jewish dining places can't be dogmatically assumed, except for Jesus being at the center. "When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”" (Luke 14:7-11).
The handing of bread that had been dipped was a custom of friendship, or reconciliation. By Jesus handing Judas the bread He was giving an offer of friendship at that late stage, and still giving Judas grace to change his mind.
Judas was close to Jesus because Judas was handed the bread and he took it.
"After the morsel, Satan then entered into him." (John 13:27).
So Judas accepted the gesture but still resolved to betray Jesus! Then Jesus said, "What you do, do quickly."
Here are a couple of other verses referring to intimacy and closeness in proximity by being at the bosom-
Luke 16:22-- "Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried."
Isaiah 40:11-- "Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes."
The picture of the different people at the bosom of Abraham or Jesus shows us rest, intimacy, care. Are you reclining at Jesus' bosom today? It is an amazing thing to know that He is holy, holy, holy; that His thunder can rend the earth into pieces, but that love of His forgiven is as gentle and accessible as being able to lay your head on His bosom. He will even gather you into His arms and carry you. He is not just the Judge of all sins, He is not only the Subduer of foes, but He is the gentle Shepherd, able to tenderly carry the feeble and the weak. Come to Him today, your Shepherd, your Companion.
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However, Amos mentioned reclining while eating in Amos 6:7- "Therefore they shall now go captive as the first of the captives, And those who recline at banquets shall be removed." Amos lived in around 760 BC. As a matter of fact, the first known artistic depiction of someone reclining while eating is captured in this 'Garden Party' relief from the North Palace of Ashurbanipal, Nineveh, Iraq, about 645 BC, well before the Roman Empire. The relief is currently housed at the British Museum. King Ashurbanipal reigned from 669-631 BC. Here he is shown eating while reclining on his left side, with a pillow propped under his armpit and his wife upright in front of him. This custom was later shown in Greek, Etruscan, and Roman art and writings. It was picked up in Jewish traditions.
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| source |
The photo below from Wikimedia Commons shows a re-enactment of a Roman banquet. The Romans would lie on their left side with a pillow under their armpit. They would use their right hand to eat. Their feet would extend out and away from the specially designed couches upon which they would recline for many hours. Dinners took a while, interspersed as they were with conversation and entertainment. Women were allowed to participate at dinners at later stages of the Empire, and usually sat in upright chairs in front of their husbands.
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| This reenactment of a Roman banquet shows members of the upper class reclining on couches. The women wear their chiton and palla, while the men wear purple-bordered togas, denoting their position of senator. As women are present, this is most likely a dinner party, as opposed to a symposium, where women would only be permitted if they were entertainers. |
The typical dinner would include nine guests. There were three reclining couches arranged in a semicircle, with three diners to a couch. The inside of the horseshoe was left open so slaves could pour wine and serve food. Anything not eaten, like bones or shells, were cast to the floor to be swept up by the slaves later.
The host would assume the place in the middle of the central couch and to be placed next to him was the place of honor. It is like "the head table" at a wedding. The place of honor was given to the one on his left. Jesus spoke to this when he said in Matthew 23:6, "They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues,"
As Barnes' Notes describes, "On these the guests reclined, leaning on their left side, with their feet extended from the table, and so lying that the head of one naturally reclined on the bosom of another. To recline near to one in this manner denoted intimacy, and was what was meant by lying "in the bosom" of another, John 13:23; Luke 16:22-23.
"John 13:23-- "There was reclining on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved."
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| Embroidered altar dossal, 1633. source |
All one had to do if wanting to ask a private question or make a one-on-one comment was to lean back against the person next to you, and with your head at their bosom, ask it in a low voice. The Beloved Disciple, assumed to to be John, asked this of Jesus when prompted by Peter, who was going to be His betrayer?
"He, leaning back thus on Jesus' bosom, said to Him, "Lord, who is it?" (John 13:25).
Jesus replied to the Beloved Disciple who had just asked Jesus who His betrayer was going to be by saying it is the one to whom I will dip this bread (Verse 26). Because Jesus was able to hand Judas the bread it it assumed that Judas had been reclining at the second place of honor, to the Host's left.
Though Jesus certainly had upside down ideas about the places of honor, so the ritual usually associated with Roman & Jewish dining places can't be dogmatically assumed, except for Jesus being at the center. "When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”" (Luke 14:7-11).
The handing of bread that had been dipped was a custom of friendship, or reconciliation. By Jesus handing Judas the bread He was giving an offer of friendship at that late stage, and still giving Judas grace to change his mind.
Judas was close to Jesus because Judas was handed the bread and he took it.
"After the morsel, Satan then entered into him." (John 13:27).
So Judas accepted the gesture but still resolved to betray Jesus! Then Jesus said, "What you do, do quickly."
Here are a couple of other verses referring to intimacy and closeness in proximity by being at the bosom-
Luke 16:22-- "Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried."
Isaiah 40:11-- "Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes."
The picture of the different people at the bosom of Abraham or Jesus shows us rest, intimacy, care. Are you reclining at Jesus' bosom today? It is an amazing thing to know that He is holy, holy, holy; that His thunder can rend the earth into pieces, but that love of His forgiven is as gentle and accessible as being able to lay your head on His bosom. He will even gather you into His arms and carry you. He is not just the Judge of all sins, He is not only the Subduer of foes, but He is the gentle Shepherd, able to tenderly carry the feeble and the weak. Come to Him today, your Shepherd, your Companion.
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Thursday, February 2, 2012
Sadly, I report two child pornography stories
Ontario child porn bust snares 50
"Police in Ontario are expected to release details Thursday morning of what could be the largest child pornography bust ever in Canada. According to Ontario Provincial Police spokesman Sgt. Pierre Chamberlain, police will release "results of a provincial-wide sweep of child sex offenders that occurred over the last couple of days in the province of Ontario." Police have scheduled a 10 a.m. news conference in Vaughan that will include participants from more than 20 police departments across the country. "We'll be drawing attention to the serious blight that is child pornography," Chamberlain told CBC News. Police said they have taken more than 50 people into custody after raids across Ontario on Wednesday. Those arrested were not part of an organized child porn ring, police said. Members of the provincial strategy to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation on the internet have laid more than 200 charges while the investigation continues." Video of the news spot at link
The CBC news spot video opens with this statement: "The victims are society's most vulnerable, young children, even infants. The crimes against them, heinous." The video reporter stated that child pornography doesn't just include still photos of children in abusive situations, as most people suppose, but nowadays also includes live streaming of the abuse. Worse, "victims are increasingly younger, sometimes, even infants."
In another story from California in the US, we read something that is positively sickening in its inventive evil:
"Teacher who 'bound and gagged children, put roaches on their faces, and fed them semen' jailed on $23 million bail"
This teacher had taught for 30 years in that school, and was held in high esteem by parents and community. The children victims ranged in age from 7 to 10.
A hallmark of Christianity is care for society's most vulnerable-- the poor, the widows, the children, and the oppressed.
For example, God regards equally the rich and the poor: "How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands." (Job 34:19)
So James warns us not to show favoritism, either: "My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
"Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?" (James 2:1-5)
It is the same with the widows. They should be treated with honor, 1 Timothy 5:3; and they should be helped, 1 Timothy 5:16.
How widows were treated is a component of judgment:
"And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts." (Malachi 3:5)
As for children, the Lord has a special place in His heart for them, because they are a special gift from His grace: if I may be so bold as to interpret thusly from the following:
"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward." (Psalms 127:3).
Children are capable of glorifying God and therefore should be brought to Him, (Psalms 148:12-13; Mark 10:13-16) and trained in His ways.
I've been speaking of progressive judgment. God does give individuals, and nations, over to their depravity. It doesn't happen all at once. It is described in Romans 1:18-32. First we are told that God reveals His glory and His wrath in creation. Why? because God's glory is obvious and man deliberately suppresses it. (Romans 1:18-20).
Not only to they suppress it, but they fail to give Him thanks and they fail to glorify Him, so then their thinking becomes futile and their foolish hearts are darkened. They start worshiping the creation instead of the Creator. In this, they think they are so wise, but they are fools. (Rom 1:21-22).
Next, because they cannot think straight, sinful desires of their hearts arise and sexual impurity enters in, and they degrade themselves with one another. (Homosexuality). (Romans 1:24)
But sin can always go deeper, and in the progressive judgment of God, the sinners are allowed to follow its natural course to shameful lusts, and "even" the women (mothers and widows, who are the moral compass of a family and thus of society) become lesbians. (Rom 1:26).
Finally, in verse 28-29, they end up with a depraved minds. They are out of their minds with degrading shameful lusts and cannot think of what is right and good any more. By now they are completely unmoored from anything resembling purity or goodness. "They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity...."
Filled. No room to squeeze into a conscience anything good or pure, only depravity. Now, the verse says they exchanged normal lust for unnatural lusts to do with each other. Adults. But what about the terrible stories we read above, the shameful, evil, and degrading lusts perpetrated involving children? Given how the Lord feels about children, would it not seem that a special wrath would come upon those who abuse their own bodies with children in such a way? Paul finishes the chapter thus:
"...He gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." (Romans 2:28b-32)
They are brutal, depraved, "doing what ought not to be done". They invent ways of doing evil. If ever there was a verse that spoke to my heart regarding these precious children subjected to trafficking, porn, and degrading bondage games, this is it. And we know that many people applaud these kind of activities, such as members of the North American Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA). We know that in dark corners of sticky, sour rooms, men will smirk and gleefully applaud the teacher's inventiveness who subjected the children to what he subjected them to.
Are we at the point as a nation and a society where God has given us over to shameful lusts and deserved wrath? I would venture to say yes. Though I began the essay with the title "Sadly, I report two child pornography stories" I can end it with pointing to Jesus. HE is good, pure, perfect. He loves all His creatures, especially children. Though we suffer now in the fallen creation from witnessing such sin, He has vanquished it. If we are in Him, we are victors through Him of the victory over sin. (Romans 6:18). And there WILL come a day when he wipes sin from the earth!!!
"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)
"On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity." (Zechariah 13:1)
On His day, the Lord will put an end to sin (Daniel 9:24) When he calls for those who had believed in Him and whose names are entered in the Lamb's Book of Life, He will install us in the place He has prepared for us, New Jerusalem, and nothing impure will ever enter it.
"Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Revelation 21:27)
Hallelujah to the Lamb of God who is sinless, who takes away our sin, and with whom we will dwell in sinless purity forever!!
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"Police in Ontario are expected to release details Thursday morning of what could be the largest child pornography bust ever in Canada. According to Ontario Provincial Police spokesman Sgt. Pierre Chamberlain, police will release "results of a provincial-wide sweep of child sex offenders that occurred over the last couple of days in the province of Ontario." Police have scheduled a 10 a.m. news conference in Vaughan that will include participants from more than 20 police departments across the country. "We'll be drawing attention to the serious blight that is child pornography," Chamberlain told CBC News. Police said they have taken more than 50 people into custody after raids across Ontario on Wednesday. Those arrested were not part of an organized child porn ring, police said. Members of the provincial strategy to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation on the internet have laid more than 200 charges while the investigation continues." Video of the news spot at link
The CBC news spot video opens with this statement: "The victims are society's most vulnerable, young children, even infants. The crimes against them, heinous." The video reporter stated that child pornography doesn't just include still photos of children in abusive situations, as most people suppose, but nowadays also includes live streaming of the abuse. Worse, "victims are increasingly younger, sometimes, even infants."
In another story from California in the US, we read something that is positively sickening in its inventive evil:
"Teacher who 'bound and gagged children, put roaches on their faces, and fed them semen' jailed on $23 million bail"
This teacher had taught for 30 years in that school, and was held in high esteem by parents and community. The children victims ranged in age from 7 to 10.
A hallmark of Christianity is care for society's most vulnerable-- the poor, the widows, the children, and the oppressed.
For example, God regards equally the rich and the poor: "How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands." (Job 34:19)
So James warns us not to show favoritism, either: "My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
"Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?" (James 2:1-5)
It is the same with the widows. They should be treated with honor, 1 Timothy 5:3; and they should be helped, 1 Timothy 5:16.
How widows were treated is a component of judgment:
"And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts." (Malachi 3:5)
As for children, the Lord has a special place in His heart for them, because they are a special gift from His grace: if I may be so bold as to interpret thusly from the following:
"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward." (Psalms 127:3).
Children are capable of glorifying God and therefore should be brought to Him, (Psalms 148:12-13; Mark 10:13-16) and trained in His ways.
I've been speaking of progressive judgment. God does give individuals, and nations, over to their depravity. It doesn't happen all at once. It is described in Romans 1:18-32. First we are told that God reveals His glory and His wrath in creation. Why? because God's glory is obvious and man deliberately suppresses it. (Romans 1:18-20).
Not only to they suppress it, but they fail to give Him thanks and they fail to glorify Him, so then their thinking becomes futile and their foolish hearts are darkened. They start worshiping the creation instead of the Creator. In this, they think they are so wise, but they are fools. (Rom 1:21-22).
Next, because they cannot think straight, sinful desires of their hearts arise and sexual impurity enters in, and they degrade themselves with one another. (Homosexuality). (Romans 1:24)
But sin can always go deeper, and in the progressive judgment of God, the sinners are allowed to follow its natural course to shameful lusts, and "even" the women (mothers and widows, who are the moral compass of a family and thus of society) become lesbians. (Rom 1:26).
Finally, in verse 28-29, they end up with a depraved minds. They are out of their minds with degrading shameful lusts and cannot think of what is right and good any more. By now they are completely unmoored from anything resembling purity or goodness. "They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity...."
Filled. No room to squeeze into a conscience anything good or pure, only depravity. Now, the verse says they exchanged normal lust for unnatural lusts to do with each other. Adults. But what about the terrible stories we read above, the shameful, evil, and degrading lusts perpetrated involving children? Given how the Lord feels about children, would it not seem that a special wrath would come upon those who abuse their own bodies with children in such a way? Paul finishes the chapter thus:
"...He gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." (Romans 2:28b-32)
They are brutal, depraved, "doing what ought not to be done". They invent ways of doing evil. If ever there was a verse that spoke to my heart regarding these precious children subjected to trafficking, porn, and degrading bondage games, this is it. And we know that many people applaud these kind of activities, such as members of the North American Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA). We know that in dark corners of sticky, sour rooms, men will smirk and gleefully applaud the teacher's inventiveness who subjected the children to what he subjected them to.
Are we at the point as a nation and a society where God has given us over to shameful lusts and deserved wrath? I would venture to say yes. Though I began the essay with the title "Sadly, I report two child pornography stories" I can end it with pointing to Jesus. HE is good, pure, perfect. He loves all His creatures, especially children. Though we suffer now in the fallen creation from witnessing such sin, He has vanquished it. If we are in Him, we are victors through Him of the victory over sin. (Romans 6:18). And there WILL come a day when he wipes sin from the earth!!!
"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)
"On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity." (Zechariah 13:1)
On His day, the Lord will put an end to sin (Daniel 9:24) When he calls for those who had believed in Him and whose names are entered in the Lamb's Book of Life, He will install us in the place He has prepared for us, New Jerusalem, and nothing impure will ever enter it.
"Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Revelation 21:27)
Hallelujah to the Lamb of God who is sinless, who takes away our sin, and with whom we will dwell in sinless purity forever!!
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Tuesday, December 27, 2011
State of the Church part 3: The numbers aren't good
State of the Church:
Part 1: Introduction, Love growing cold
Part 2: Are you tending your anchor?
Part 4: Carnal Carnival, & the greatest sin pastors commit
Part 5a: When carnality leads to spiritual abuse
Part 5b: Is your church spiritually abusive?
Conclusion: Spiritual Leaders and Humble Relationships
In the Introduction/Part 1 of this series, I discussed the Matthew 24:12 prophecy Jesus gave of "love growing cold", and showed how that prophecy relates to believers. So then if love of believers for God and of each other is predicted to grow cold, in this series I ask what causes love to grow cold. Part 2 explored that question, focusing on the Hebrews 2:1 verse "Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away." In future parts I will also take a look at what will love growing looks like at your local church or in your life. Last, this series will hopefully (by God's grace) discuss how to spot waning love and how frequently these days waning love gives rise to church spiritual abuse.
The numbers give us a clue as to why so many are growing cold. Barna is a respected Christian research group, and in 2009 their numbers found that only 9% of born again Christians adults have a biblical worldview. "For the purposes of the survey, a “biblical worldview” was defined as
Let's look at that practically. If you belong to a medium sized Baptist church as I do, where on average 200 people congregate on Sunday mornings to worship, according to the Barna number of 8%, how many will hold a biblical world view? 16. Sixteen people. That's it. Sixteen people in your pews on average who believe all six of the basic doctrines of the bible said to give us a biblical worldview. Sad, isn't it?
But we are told again and again about the numbers. This should not surprise us. The bible is clear on that. Noah's family of 8 were the only righteous saved in all the world. Lot and his two daughters were the only people saved out of four cities destroyed that day, Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim. (Gen 19:1-29; Deuteronomy 29:23). And here is a lesson for love growing cold: Mrs Lot seemed to love her husband and children, seemed to be righteous in loving God, after all, she obeyed the angel from God, didn't she? Mrs Lot left the city where her sons-in-law did not. But when push came to shove, she disobeyed the angel from God and looked back. What was she looking back to? All her stuff. It turned out that in the end, her carnal worldview was revealed. And we know what happened to Mrs Lot. Please pass the salt.
Jesus gave the parable of the soils (Luke 8:4-21) and out of fours soils only one soil was good to produce fruit. Jesus said the way is narrow and few find it, but the way is broad that leads to destruction and many will follow it. (Matthew 7:13-14). Books were opened to judge the damned but only one book of life was opened. So you can see that when Jesus says many will be cold and not have agape love, that even Christians will be part of this prophecy- MANY do not make it. Many of those who don't were thought all along to be Christians but in the end are revealed not to have been.
Taking our eyes off our first love impacts our biblical worldview. (Rev 2:4). Once we 'neglect our salvation' we will begin to insert other things into our worldview in addition to our bible. The further away we drift the more things enter into our view. Soon, people begin thinking the bible is not sufficient. They say, 'Hey, we're still on the boat, we're not sinking, and life is still pretty good. Maybe we didn't need to be that strict after all. Maybe we can navigate through these waters using our own navigation techniques.'
It was my contention in Part 1 that increasing belief in the bible's insufficiency is one of the main causes of love growing cold. Keeping a biblical worldview is critical to tend to our salvation! If you have a biblical worldview it means you believe the bible is sufficient. Sufficiency is defined in Part 1 here.
Answers in Genesis describes the problem of declining biblical worldview here: "The history as recorded in the Bible has been attacked by our increasingly secular culture. As a result, recent generations have been brought up to see the Bible as a book that contains many interesting stories and religious teaching, but has no connection to reality." AIG goes on in a different essay to define worldview from the "American Heritage Dictionary as 'The overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world. 'The most simplistic definition for a biblical worldview is to have the mind of Christ. That would mean that one would think like Christ; love like Christ; act like Christ; walk like Christ: have the humility, patience, longsuffering and all of the other Galatians 5:22–26 fruits of the Spirit. Christ would not only be the model but the individual’s worldview would be an exact copy. That is the final target of the committed Christian’s process of sanctification. Prior to reaching that glorious point, Christians will have more or less of every aspect of Christ’s worldview reflected in their biblical worldview."
The moment you neglect your salvation which is Jesus and Him risen and sufficient to pay the penalty for our sins, your reality shifts. The bible is the only connection to reality, but for those 92% not having the biblical worldview, they have accepted that it is OK to add things to the bible and thus have corrupted their mind of Christ. In future parts of the series I'll discuss this addition mentality and how it relates to (in)sufficiency.
I strive to maintain my biblical worldview by studying the bible, praying, living consciously for Christ, repenting frequently, making decisions and taking actions that are consistent with what the bible says to do, and saying that is what I am doing, worshiping unabashedly, and loving people. It is as if I took the bible and put it in front of my eyes like glasses and that is the view from which I look out into the world. I will admit to you that this lifestyle is seen as weird today. I'm not talking about the lost, they think anything related to the bible is weird. I am talking about close brothers and sisters in a conservative, southern Baptist church who think my worldview is weird. I've been accused by believers of taking the bible way too seriously. Seriously!
That is how love goes cold. They leave their first love. Once they do that, submissive adherence to the bible's precepts for everyday living is seen as extreme. According to Barna's numbers, it is extreme, if 92% of my fellow Baptists do not fully believe six basic six tenets of the bible (those aren't even the most foundational doctrines, either, other essential doctrines here). Anyone who does believe those 6 basic precepts is easily seen as too hot, too fervent, too outside the norm. And we are.
Praise the Lord that He always keeps a remnant! How precious to Him is that 8%! Those sixteen in the midst of the 200 drifting away, striving to retain zeal and live submitted, Godly lives! If you know one of these, now you know how much more precious than gold these saints are. Pray that at all times we do not do anything to douse the ardor of these few saintly sheep, and if we do, hasten to reconcile in all Agape love.
Part 4 will deal with the twin corruptives in the church: carnality and insufficiency, and how they lead to spiritual abuse.
Part 1: Introduction, Love growing cold
Part 2: Are you tending your anchor?
Part 4: Carnal Carnival, & the greatest sin pastors commit
Part 5a: When carnality leads to spiritual abuse
Part 5b: Is your church spiritually abusive?
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Part 1: Introduction, Love growing cold
Part 2: Are you tending your anchor?
Part 4: Carnal Carnival, & the greatest sin pastors commit
Part 5a: When carnality leads to spiritual abuse
Part 5b: Is your church spiritually abusive?
Conclusion: Spiritual Leaders and Humble Relationships
In the Introduction/Part 1 of this series, I discussed the Matthew 24:12 prophecy Jesus gave of "love growing cold", and showed how that prophecy relates to believers. So then if love of believers for God and of each other is predicted to grow cold, in this series I ask what causes love to grow cold. Part 2 explored that question, focusing on the Hebrews 2:1 verse "Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away." In future parts I will also take a look at what will love growing looks like at your local church or in your life. Last, this series will hopefully (by God's grace) discuss how to spot waning love and how frequently these days waning love gives rise to church spiritual abuse.
The numbers give us a clue as to why so many are growing cold. Barna is a respected Christian research group, and in 2009 their numbers found that only 9% of born again Christians adults have a biblical worldview. "For the purposes of the survey, a “biblical worldview” was defined as
- believing that absolute moral truth exists;
- the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches;
- Satan is considered to be a real being or force, not merely symbolic;
- a person cannot earn their way into Heaven by trying to be good or do good works;
- Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth; and
- God is the all-knowing, all-powerful creator of the world who still rules the universe today.
Let's look at that practically. If you belong to a medium sized Baptist church as I do, where on average 200 people congregate on Sunday mornings to worship, according to the Barna number of 8%, how many will hold a biblical world view? 16. Sixteen people. That's it. Sixteen people in your pews on average who believe all six of the basic doctrines of the bible said to give us a biblical worldview. Sad, isn't it?
But we are told again and again about the numbers. This should not surprise us. The bible is clear on that. Noah's family of 8 were the only righteous saved in all the world. Lot and his two daughters were the only people saved out of four cities destroyed that day, Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim. (Gen 19:1-29; Deuteronomy 29:23). And here is a lesson for love growing cold: Mrs Lot seemed to love her husband and children, seemed to be righteous in loving God, after all, she obeyed the angel from God, didn't she? Mrs Lot left the city where her sons-in-law did not. But when push came to shove, she disobeyed the angel from God and looked back. What was she looking back to? All her stuff. It turned out that in the end, her carnal worldview was revealed. And we know what happened to Mrs Lot. Please pass the salt.
Jesus gave the parable of the soils (Luke 8:4-21) and out of fours soils only one soil was good to produce fruit. Jesus said the way is narrow and few find it, but the way is broad that leads to destruction and many will follow it. (Matthew 7:13-14). Books were opened to judge the damned but only one book of life was opened. So you can see that when Jesus says many will be cold and not have agape love, that even Christians will be part of this prophecy- MANY do not make it. Many of those who don't were thought all along to be Christians but in the end are revealed not to have been.
Taking our eyes off our first love impacts our biblical worldview. (Rev 2:4). Once we 'neglect our salvation' we will begin to insert other things into our worldview in addition to our bible. The further away we drift the more things enter into our view. Soon, people begin thinking the bible is not sufficient. They say, 'Hey, we're still on the boat, we're not sinking, and life is still pretty good. Maybe we didn't need to be that strict after all. Maybe we can navigate through these waters using our own navigation techniques.'
It was my contention in Part 1 that increasing belief in the bible's insufficiency is one of the main causes of love growing cold. Keeping a biblical worldview is critical to tend to our salvation! If you have a biblical worldview it means you believe the bible is sufficient. Sufficiency is defined in Part 1 here.
Answers in Genesis describes the problem of declining biblical worldview here: "The history as recorded in the Bible has been attacked by our increasingly secular culture. As a result, recent generations have been brought up to see the Bible as a book that contains many interesting stories and religious teaching, but has no connection to reality." AIG goes on in a different essay to define worldview from the "American Heritage Dictionary as 'The overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world. 'The most simplistic definition for a biblical worldview is to have the mind of Christ. That would mean that one would think like Christ; love like Christ; act like Christ; walk like Christ: have the humility, patience, longsuffering and all of the other Galatians 5:22–26 fruits of the Spirit. Christ would not only be the model but the individual’s worldview would be an exact copy. That is the final target of the committed Christian’s process of sanctification. Prior to reaching that glorious point, Christians will have more or less of every aspect of Christ’s worldview reflected in their biblical worldview."
The moment you neglect your salvation which is Jesus and Him risen and sufficient to pay the penalty for our sins, your reality shifts. The bible is the only connection to reality, but for those 92% not having the biblical worldview, they have accepted that it is OK to add things to the bible and thus have corrupted their mind of Christ. In future parts of the series I'll discuss this addition mentality and how it relates to (in)sufficiency.
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That is how love goes cold. They leave their first love. Once they do that, submissive adherence to the bible's precepts for everyday living is seen as extreme. According to Barna's numbers, it is extreme, if 92% of my fellow Baptists do not fully believe six basic six tenets of the bible (those aren't even the most foundational doctrines, either, other essential doctrines here). Anyone who does believe those 6 basic precepts is easily seen as too hot, too fervent, too outside the norm. And we are.
Praise the Lord that He always keeps a remnant! How precious to Him is that 8%! Those sixteen in the midst of the 200 drifting away, striving to retain zeal and live submitted, Godly lives! If you know one of these, now you know how much more precious than gold these saints are. Pray that at all times we do not do anything to douse the ardor of these few saintly sheep, and if we do, hasten to reconcile in all Agape love.
Part 4 will deal with the twin corruptives in the church: carnality and insufficiency, and how they lead to spiritual abuse.
Part 1: Introduction, Love growing cold
Part 2: Are you tending your anchor?
Part 4: Carnal Carnival, & the greatest sin pastors commit
Part 5a: When carnality leads to spiritual abuse
Part 5b: Is your church spiritually abusive?
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Saturday, December 24, 2011
About blogging...
In January of 2009 I started this blog. It wasn't my first blog. In August 2006 I started The Quiet Life, a more personal blog and one which I still keep up to this day. I picked up on blogging only a bit late, 2004 was proclaimed the Year of the Blog. Before that I'd been writing for newspapers and before that I'd been writing academic papers for Universities as a graduate student. 2004 was the year that the medium burst onto the scene and journalism has never been the same. Neither have activism, diaries, relationships, or book publishing. Even some churches have their own anonymous blogger watchdogs.
So in 2009 I received a conviction that my lifetime of writing would and could be put to good use for Jesus. World Wide Web outreach was possible through this medium. However, I was daunted in January of 2009 by the sheer number of blogs out there. Blogs covered every topic and every corner of the internet. "[T]he current estimates say there are about 450 million “active” English language blogs right now, but that number varies according to the source. Technorati estimated over 200 million blogs at the start of 2009, with exponential growth since then." (source)
200 million blogs? Plus one more? Was anyone even going to notice my blog? My paltry words floating out on the ethersphere? But I leaped in, confident that the Holy Spirit knew what He was doing and that even if only one person ever read this blog that it would be the right person at the right time. So on January 6, 2012 it will be the three-year anniversary of this blog. I've blogged on this blog 1411 times, an average of 470 essays per year. More than one a day, every day, for three years. The Holy Spirit is endlessly creative.
I thought that the economic crash of October 2008 was a huge end time sign and was pleased to be used of the Lord for His name by writing. I love writing and I love the Lord so it is literally a match made in heaven. Through prayer and bible study the Spirit makes me aware of the deeper things of the Word and then I can turn around and write on topics I feel led by the Spirit to write about. If what I write is of the Spirit, He will pierce the heart of the person and they will be convicted, or encouraged. I'm humbled by this process, and often am reduced to tears of thanks when someone writes that they were moved by something on the blog. When that happens it is a visible manifestation to me of the Spirit's working in the world.
But not so many visitors came in 2009 even after the crash. People still thought what was happening in the world was kind of normal. I didn't think so but I knew the nature of birth pangs would be such that eventually they'd become noticeable to a wider swathe of the population, and then they would come running for answers. Hopefully they would accept Jesus as that answer.
For all of 2010 there were still millions of blogs being opened each day. I blogged on. Sometimes I'd get discouraged that the people would not respond as well to the theological posts as they would the weird posts. Essays about UFOs or sinkholes or weird noises or vampires always got lots of hits and the ones about Jesus being God ... didn't. But in the end I was grateful that someone felt compelled to read what is here because that meant they were searching for a Divine reason for the weird things happening rather than a secular one.
In January 2011 the page views went from the steady hundreds per day as they had been for two years, to a steady thousands per day. If you remember January 2011 opened with Aflockalypse. That was the world-wide event where thousands of birds at various locations simply dropped dead to the ground. Then it started happening with fish and then other wildlife such as starfish or penguins or seals. THAT seemed to get people's attention in a way that even the economic crash of 2008 hadn't. In March 2011 was the all-time high for page views and you'll remember that was when the Japan earthquake and tsunami and resulting nuclear disaster occurred. People were awake now.
Since Aflockalypse, the page views have only been upward. Last night I passed 1 million views.
Though the numbers are humbling to me, they aren't really so great in the blogosphere. Many, many other blogs get a million views per day, not a million views in three years. But I wanted to take a moment to thank the Holy Spirit for this ministry, because each and every one of those views is a blessing. Someone, somewhere, looked at a page here and in so doing learned a little bit about Jesus. Each time I write I aim to exalt Him, and to promote that He has a plan for each of us and that it is available to each of us if we will just repent of our sins.
I boast of Him, and the opportunities and ministries He gives us for His name. Delivering information about Jesus, connecting people with Jesus, alerting people about Jesus' soon arrival, urging people to repent before it is too late, are blessings for me to perform in His name. Seeing the interest in prophecy go up as the page views rise (not just my blog but many others) means that people are becoming alerted to the times. They are waking up. And it is a blessing because He gave us a more sure word, prophecy, and it is coming to pass just as He said. (2 Peter 1:12-21).
THIS is the reason for this blog: (Philippians 2:6-11):
I want this blog to be as this verse, "For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6).
Thank you all for your visits and your encouragement. I will keep blogging until the day I die or the rapture, whichever comes first. I will keep proclaiming the Goodness of Jesus until the end of time and then for all eternity. I hope that for your Christmas present you fall out of love with your sin and in love with the Savior from your sins.
As we read in the above sermon, "Romans 10:9-10, 'If you confess Jesus as Lord with your mouth, and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, you’ll be saved.' Saved from hell, from sin, from judgment. Better to confess it now and go on confessing it forever in heaven than to go on confessing it in bitterness and remorse forever in hell. Every tongue will confess it." (source). Will you confess today? It would be the best Christmas present ever.
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So in 2009 I received a conviction that my lifetime of writing would and could be put to good use for Jesus. World Wide Web outreach was possible through this medium. However, I was daunted in January of 2009 by the sheer number of blogs out there. Blogs covered every topic and every corner of the internet. "[T]he current estimates say there are about 450 million “active” English language blogs right now, but that number varies according to the source. Technorati estimated over 200 million blogs at the start of 2009, with exponential growth since then." (source)
200 million blogs? Plus one more? Was anyone even going to notice my blog? My paltry words floating out on the ethersphere? But I leaped in, confident that the Holy Spirit knew what He was doing and that even if only one person ever read this blog that it would be the right person at the right time. So on January 6, 2012 it will be the three-year anniversary of this blog. I've blogged on this blog 1411 times, an average of 470 essays per year. More than one a day, every day, for three years. The Holy Spirit is endlessly creative.
I thought that the economic crash of October 2008 was a huge end time sign and was pleased to be used of the Lord for His name by writing. I love writing and I love the Lord so it is literally a match made in heaven. Through prayer and bible study the Spirit makes me aware of the deeper things of the Word and then I can turn around and write on topics I feel led by the Spirit to write about. If what I write is of the Spirit, He will pierce the heart of the person and they will be convicted, or encouraged. I'm humbled by this process, and often am reduced to tears of thanks when someone writes that they were moved by something on the blog. When that happens it is a visible manifestation to me of the Spirit's working in the world.
But not so many visitors came in 2009 even after the crash. People still thought what was happening in the world was kind of normal. I didn't think so but I knew the nature of birth pangs would be such that eventually they'd become noticeable to a wider swathe of the population, and then they would come running for answers. Hopefully they would accept Jesus as that answer.
For all of 2010 there were still millions of blogs being opened each day. I blogged on. Sometimes I'd get discouraged that the people would not respond as well to the theological posts as they would the weird posts. Essays about UFOs or sinkholes or weird noises or vampires always got lots of hits and the ones about Jesus being God ... didn't. But in the end I was grateful that someone felt compelled to read what is here because that meant they were searching for a Divine reason for the weird things happening rather than a secular one.
In January 2011 the page views went from the steady hundreds per day as they had been for two years, to a steady thousands per day. If you remember January 2011 opened with Aflockalypse. That was the world-wide event where thousands of birds at various locations simply dropped dead to the ground. Then it started happening with fish and then other wildlife such as starfish or penguins or seals. THAT seemed to get people's attention in a way that even the economic crash of 2008 hadn't. In March 2011 was the all-time high for page views and you'll remember that was when the Japan earthquake and tsunami and resulting nuclear disaster occurred. People were awake now.
Since Aflockalypse, the page views have only been upward. Last night I passed 1 million views.
Though the numbers are humbling to me, they aren't really so great in the blogosphere. Many, many other blogs get a million views per day, not a million views in three years. But I wanted to take a moment to thank the Holy Spirit for this ministry, because each and every one of those views is a blessing. Someone, somewhere, looked at a page here and in so doing learned a little bit about Jesus. Each time I write I aim to exalt Him, and to promote that He has a plan for each of us and that it is available to each of us if we will just repent of our sins.
I boast of Him, and the opportunities and ministries He gives us for His name. Delivering information about Jesus, connecting people with Jesus, alerting people about Jesus' soon arrival, urging people to repent before it is too late, are blessings for me to perform in His name. Seeing the interest in prophecy go up as the page views rise (not just my blog but many others) means that people are becoming alerted to the times. They are waking up. And it is a blessing because He gave us a more sure word, prophecy, and it is coming to pass just as He said. (2 Peter 1:12-21).
THIS is the reason for this blog: (Philippians 2:6-11):
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
I want this blog to be as this verse, "For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6).
Thank you all for your visits and your encouragement. I will keep blogging until the day I die or the rapture, whichever comes first. I will keep proclaiming the Goodness of Jesus until the end of time and then for all eternity. I hope that for your Christmas present you fall out of love with your sin and in love with the Savior from your sins.
As we read in the above sermon, "Romans 10:9-10, 'If you confess Jesus as Lord with your mouth, and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, you’ll be saved.' Saved from hell, from sin, from judgment. Better to confess it now and go on confessing it forever in heaven than to go on confessing it in bitterness and remorse forever in hell. Every tongue will confess it." (source). Will you confess today? It would be the best Christmas present ever.
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